Bangor Childrens Home

Bangor Childrens Home About Us At Hilltop School, we believe that every child is a unique individual and learner, and early education is the foundation where their curiosity, creativity, and potential begin to blossom. Through play, exploration, and nurturing care, we cultivate a lifelong love of learning that empowers children to grow, dream, and succeed.As a nonprofit early learning center, we put children before profit, so every resource goes directly back into our classrooms, teachers, and programs. It’s all heart—invested in creating the safest, healthiest, and most inspiring environment for children to thrive.Mission Statement: Since 1975, our non -profit organization has been dedicated to nurturing and empowering children in our community, fostering a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Originally founded as an orphanage in 1869, we have evolved into a respected early childhood education center, providing high-quality, inclusive, and compassionate care to children of all backgrounds. We are committed to supporting each child's growth—emotionally, socially, and academically. Through play-based learning, individualized attention, and a commitment to fostering curiosity and creativity, we empower young learners and their families in a safe, loving environment. As we continue our legacy of service, we strive to build strong foundations for lifelong learning, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive and succeed, both in school and beyond. Call today set up a tour. We would love to tell you about our programs and show you our beautiful historic building.Our Philosophy and Curriculum:Hilltop School takes the view of Piaget that young children learn best through play. "To understand is to invent," Piaget wrote in 1973. "Young children learn the most important things, not by being told, but by constructing knowledge for themselves, during interactions with the physical world and with other children. The way they do this is by playing." (Jones and Reynolds, 1992)Young children learn through doing, touching, experimenting, choosing, talking, and negotiating. Everything is potential curriculum for young children. Emergent curriculum is planning what happens in the classroom and what the focus of learning will be through interactions between teachers and children. Both sides contribute ideas to build engaging and worthwhile units of study. By actively observing children at play, Hilltop School teachers learn about the developmental progress of individual children and what skills and knowledge they are working on. They listen to children's ideas and interests and connect their curriculum goals with those of the children in responsive and creative ways. (Cadwell and Frye, 1997)Utilizing the Early Childhood Learning Standards, teachers identify each child's individual needs and abilities and then plan activities based on these observations. Weekly Curriculum is posted for families. In all of our classrooms, children have the opportunity to learn, explore, create, and discover together with a focus on social skills such as sharing, taking turns, self-control, making friends, following directions, and problem solving. Our teachers build the foundation needed for your child to thrive in academic settings in the future.