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Pixar Child Care Center Information Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
General
Where is the center located?
The center is located at the Zaentz Media Center, 2600 Tenth St. in Berkeley.
When will the center open?
The Center is currently under construction and a firm move-in date for the child care center has not been set. Based on the current construction schedule we are projecting a September 2, 2008 opening date. A firm opening date will be set in the late spring of 2008. All families will be notified once a firm date is set.
Will meals be served at the center?
The center will have hot lunch meals available for purchase daily through an outside catering service. CCLC will work with families during the construction period to identify a nutritious and versatile catering vendor. Our goal is to ensure the caterer can meet all of the dietary needs of the Pixar families. We will provide more information on catering options as they become available.
In addition, a morning and afternoon snack will be prepared at the center and provided each day to every child in toddler classrooms and above.
What types of programming will be offered?
The center will offer full- and part-time care. Full time schedules are available for children ages 6 weeks through 24 months of age. Starting at age two, children can enrolled in full or part-time schedules.
What age groups will the center serve?
6 weeks through six years of age (prior to entry into Kindergarten).
Who will operate and manage the center?
The center will be operated by Childrens’ Creative Learning Centers (CCLC)
Who selected Childrens’ Creative Learning Centers (CCLC)?
Pixar requested proposals from a variety of childcare center operators. Proposals were received from local and national childcare companies. The Child Care Committee selected CCLC because of their proven track record as a strong provider of employer sponsored child care, their experience developing corporate child care programs, and their commitment to NAEYC Accreditation. To learn more about CCLC, click here.
Does the center have special events?
Hosting special events during the holidays, change of seasons and to recognize important events in the community/center is common. Some of the events you can expect to participate in at the center are: summer festival/event, Halloween parade/party, winter holiday celebration, back to school night, pre-k graduation, donuts for Dad’s, muffins for Mom and much more!
Enrollment
What is priority enrollment?
Priority enrollment means that those who fit into certain criteria will be offered space in the center over all others. The priority enrollment structure for the center is as follows:
- Full-time and part-time Pixar employees
- Temporary and casual Pixar employees
When there is an open space in the center the space will be offered to families in the above priority order.
When can I enroll?
We are currently enrolling the center on a first come first serve basis. To start the enrollment process, complete the center Interest Form. Once the form is processed you will be contacted regarding space availability in your child’s age group.
Do I have to pay a fee or deposit?
Yes. There is non-refundable $25 fee due at the time you submit your completed interest form. If you are offered a space in the center and choose to enroll, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit (which will be applied to your first month’s tuition) to reserve your space in the center.
When will I be notified if I have received a space?
CCLC collects Interest Forms from the Pixar’s HR department once a week. Upon CCLC’s receipt of the interest form you will be contacted regarding enrollment options for your child.
What if I am terminated or leave Pixar, will my child lose their space in the center?
Consistency for children is important to both Pixar and CCLC. If you leave Pixar for any reason and your child (ren) is enrolled at the center, you will have 60 days to find alternative childcare. In the event your child is enrolled in a classroom that does not have a waiting list and you are in good standing with Pixar, your child(ren) can remain in the center until his or her space is needed for a Pixar employee child. Please see the center Director for details surrounding your child’s age group.
Programming
What are the child-to-teacher ratios in each classroom?
The center will offer programming designed to meet NAEYC Accreditation standards. The child-to-teacher ratios will be as follows:
- Infants – 1:3 – 18 total spaces
- Toddlers – 1:4 - 24 total spaces
- Twos – 1:7 – 15 total spaces
- Preschool – 1:8 – 20 total spaces
- Pre-K – 1:10 – 20 total spaces
What are the center hours and holidays?
The center will be open Monday through Friday 8am – 7:30 pm.
The center will follow the Pixar holiday calendar. In addition the center will be closed the second Friday in June for an annual company wide staff training and one additional date for center wide staff training (date TBD).
What is the schedule for inside and outside time each day?
All classroom, with exception to the infants, have outside time scheduled at least twice daily (weather permitting). Duration of outside play time varies depending on the time of year the weather conditions. Your child’s classroom will have a daily schedule posted with specific times for each activity including outside time.
Infants are provided regular outside visits through daily buggy rides. In addition, older infants are taken outside to play once a day during the winter months (weather permitting) and two – three times per day during the spring, summer and fall.
Every precaution is taken to minimize sun exposure to all children. Sunscreen and hats are requested from parents for use during outside time.
Do children take naps?
All classrooms are required to offer a “quiet” period. This quiet period takes place after lunch and lasts anywhere from 1 hour – 3 hours, depending on the age of the children in the classroom. Older age groups tend to nap for a shorter period of time than younger age groups. Each child is provided with their own nap cot or mat to lie down and rest/nap during the quiet period. Older children who are phasing out of naps are required to stay on their mat and do a quiet activity out of respect for other children who still nap during the day. Your child’s teacher can work with you on a nap time routine that best meets your child’s needs.
Infants nap on demand and will be placed in their crib when they show signs of wanting to sleep or rest. Parents of infants meet with their child’s teacher prior to enrollment to share information regarding napping routines, frequency and requests.
At no time can a CCLC staff member wake a napping child unless they are in need of medication, the classroom nap period has come to an end or if there is a need to immediately evacuate the building.
Curriculum & Accreditation
What kind of curriculum will be offered?
CCLC's curriculum facilitates learning in a developmental-based, thematic and multicultural manner for each age group. CCLC views learning as a process that requires a balance between child-initiated and staff-initiated activities. These developed activities incorporate and understand the developmental level of each group while ensuring children are properly prepared for Kindergarten.
Childrens’ Creative Learning Centers utilizes its exclusive Guided Discovery Curriculum™ in its centers, incorporating physical, social, language, cognitive and emotional development. Guided Discovery is rooted in educational philosophy and theory as well as practice. It relies heavily on Erik Erikson's stages of socio-emotional development, Jean Piaget's theories of how children think and learn, and on principles of physical development. The curriculum is reflective of the criteria set by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) Accreditation process.
What is CCLC’s discipline policy?
At CCLC, we encourage children to learn to control their own behavior. We use positive language by telling children what they should do instead of what they should not do. Our goal at CCLC is to provide a safe and positive environment for every child.
The following steps outline our discipline process:
- We set clear and consistent limits.
- When conflicts arise, we speak with both children and find out what has occurred.
- We guide children in problem solving by encouraging them to use their words.
- Give children alternative activities
- At no time will any child be subjected to corporal punishment, confinement to cribs, or the withholding of food or drink as forms of discipline.
What is NAEYC accreditation?
NAEYC accreditation means that an early childhood program voluntarily applied for accreditation by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. The program then engaged in an extensive self-study based on the Academy's Criteria for High Quality Early Childhood Program. The accuracy of the program's self-study was verified during a site visit to the program by a team of trained volunteer validators. The validated self-study, including the program director's responses to the validation visit, was reviewed by a 3-member national commission composed of recognized experts in childcare and early childhood education, judged to be in substantial compliance with the Academy's Criteria, and granted accreditation for a three-year period. The early childhood program agreed to act upon the commission's suggestions regarding areas needing improvement and to submit annual written reports documenting improvements and continued compliance. Less than 8% of all child care centers nationally have received NAEYC Accreditation.
Tuition
What are the tuition rates?
To see a current tuition schedule, click here.
More Information
Who do I contact with additional questions?
Please contact us via
email
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