Riverhouse Program
The Riverhouse Program serves children from six weeks to five years of age within five classrooms.
- Infant (6 weeks to 12 months)
- Toddler (12 to 24 months)
- Caterpillar (24 to 36 months)
- Pre-K: Butterfly (3 to 5 years)
- Pre-K: Bearcub (3 to 5 years)
The center serves a total of 78 families and 52 children per day.
Each classroom utilizes The Creative Curriculum™ as a teaching tool which facilitates ongoing developmental tracking, individual child assessment and curriculum planning. Employing a combination of teacher-directed and child-initiated learning, The Creative Curriculum™ emphasizes responding to children's learning styles and building on their strengths and interest. The Creative Curriculum™ aids teachers in completing individual child assessments, in classroom curriculum planning, as well as in developing concerted goals for kindergarten readiness.
Riverhouse employs an emergent curricular model. While teachers are trained to identify developmental goals for every child in their care, they have not predetermined the road map to achieving each goal. Riverhouse teachers are trained to take the lead from children. If children are enamored by a concept on any given week, lesson plans and daily activities will reflect their interests. It is the responsibility of the teacher to: 1.) thoughtfully observe the children in their care and determine what themes are peaking their curiosity; 2.) weave socioemotional, language, gross motor and early mathematical learning into the thematic planning process.
Riverhouse has stringent education-based prerequisites for all teachers and staff. Credentials held by teachers include: Bachelor of the Arts in Elementary Education/Early Childhood Education, AA in Early Childhood Education, and the Child Development Associate Credential. Riverhouse actively encourages and provides monetary support to teachers pursuing a degree or credential in early childhood education. Currently, 5 teachers are pursuing a degree or expanding their credentials.
Riverhouse maintains a wait list in every classroom. If you are interested in learning more about the program's policies and procedures please download the Riverhouse Parent Handbook 2010/11 amended below. If you are interested in getting on our wait list, please download the Registration Form amended below and email completed form to RiverhouseDirector@gmail.com, or mail to 495 Animas View Drive - Durango, Colorado 81301.
Riverhouse Registration Form (188.2 KB)
Riverhouse Parent Handbook 2011/2012 (235.4 KB)
Riverhouse Food Program
Riverhouse Children's Center employs a full time cook, Margaret, who prepares a home-cooked, nutritionally balanced breakfast and lunch for older Infants, Toddlers, Caterpillars, Butterflies and Bear Cubs every day. A total of 22,500 healthy and well balanced meals are served per year at Riverhouse.
Riverhouse serves James Ranch beef and artisan cheese. We prioritize all meat and dairy products being local, organic and hormone-free.
Parents are scheduled to supply a nutritious afternoon snack for their child's classroom one to two times per month.
Hours of Operation
The Riverhouse Children's Center is a year-round early childhood program open from 7:30 to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday. Riverhouse offers care for Toddler and Preschool age children from 7:30 am to 5:25 pm. Infant care is provided from 7:30 am to 4:55 pm. The center is closed for the following holidays:
- New Year's Day
- One week closure for Spring Break (March)
- Memorial Day
- July 4th
- One week closure for Summer Recess (August)
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving, the day prior to, and the day after
- One to two week closure for Winter Break (December/January)
Anti-Discrimination Policy
The Riverhouse Children’s Center does not discriminate on any grounds in regard to employment, promotion or provision of services. The Riverhouse Children’s Center is proactively inclusive of all areas of diversity including, but not limited to, ethnicity, race, national origin, ancestry, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, socioeconomic status, marital status, language, disability, or immigration status.
