School Program

Our goal is to provide a safe and secure learning environment where children are encouraged to learn through play and engaged in projects as primary means for discovery and translating meaningful experience into understanding.  Furthermore, we implement a negotiated, socially constructed, emergent and inquiry-based curriculum that is based on the children’s needs and interests.  We promote positive self-expression, active exploration, investigation, problem solving and reflection as ways for constructing knowledge.  We encourage growth of autonomy, independence, social competence and self-discipline to the degree appropriate to one’s age level.  We encourage the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, creative development and the joy of learning.

Enrolling your child at Virginia Tech’s Child Development Center for Learning and Research enters you and your family into the exciting world of developmental and education science research.  Researchers from a variety of disciplines work with our center’s faculty to improve our understanding of young children, their environments and how best to nurture and educate them.  By enrolling your child at the Center, you become a contributor to increasing scientific knowledge about optimizing children’s and families’ growth.

Details of the kinds of research conducted at the Center are given in the Parent Handbook.  All studies are approved by Virginia Tech’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), which provides oversight for the protection of participants involved in research.   All studies require parental permission.

7:30-9:00          Arrivals and Morning Exploration

9:00-9:15           Morning Meeting

9:15-11:00          Morning Investigations

9:45                   Snack

11:00-12:00       Outdoor Investigations

12:00-1:00        Lunch

1:00-3:00         Quiet Time

3:00-4:15         Afternoon Investigations

3:30                 Snack

4:15-5:15          Outdoor Investigations

5:15-5:30          Departures

Times on schedule are subject to change based on children’s needs. 

We provide a nutritious morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack each day.  Our cook prepares these meals daily in our kitchen.   Snacks and lunch are offered family style. 

We believe that the parent-child relationship is the most important social context for learning and development; we strive to maintain a close relationship between home and school.  Parents are viewed as a vital source of knowledge about their child and are encouraged to share this information to support their child’s experiences at school.

Children ages 15 months – 5 years

Blue Room (toddlers)

Orange Room (young preschool)

Maroon Room (older preschool)

Director

Assistant Director

Research Director

Curriculum Director/Studio Teacher

Program Assistant

6 classroom teachers

Assistant teachers and undergraduate student interns

Cook

The CDCLR’s priority is to serve the families of Virginia Tech faculty, staff and students.  With a few exceptions, enrollment is on a first-come, first-serve basis.  If a family already has a child at the CDCLR, they are given priority over new families for enrolling another child.  Because we are a lab school, with the exception of families already enrolled at the CDCLR, we reserve the right to selectively look for a specific age-range or gender when filling spaces.  In addition, enrollments may include one or two children who represent a diverse range or experiences and backgrounds from the extended community.

Parents can put their child’s name on the waitlist by filling out an application form during pregnancy or any time thereafter.   Application forms should be submitted to:  Child Development Center Attn:  Admissions 140A Wallace Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0416.  Families who are admitted will receive a phone confirming their acceptance into the program.  We encourage parents who have children with special needs or families of diverse backgrounds to put their child’s name on our waiting list. 

The tuition for full-time enrollment for each child is $815 per month for the toddler room and $790 per month for the young and older preschool rooms.  Enrollment is for one calendar year (12 months.)  A non-refundable, one –month deposit is due at the time of acceptance to enroll.  Upon enrollment at our school, the deposit will be used as payment for the twelfth month.

Tuition is prorated for the fiscal year and is paid directly to the Bursar’s Office through Payroll Deduction.  You should contact the Bursar’s Office to arrange your payment schedule.  If neither parent is employed at the university, then tuition is billed by the Bursar’s office and paid with a check made out to the TREASURER of VIRGINIA TECH and sent directly to the Bursar’s office on a bi-monthly basis, two weeks in advance.  This must be arranged with the Assistant Director. 

If you must withdraw your child from our school for any reason, you must give a minimum of a four-week notice IN WRITING to at the Assistant Director, Karen Gallagher, 140A Wallace Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0416.  You are obligated to pay for the tuition during these four weeks, even if you do not use the service.  Additional notice is greatly appreciated.

• Three full-time, full year classrooms for:  toddlers, young preschoolers and older preschoolers.
•  NAEYC accredited since 1987
•  Optimum child/teacher ratio
•  Classroom observation facilities
•  Balance of child and teacher initiated learning
•  Continual professional staff development
•  Opportunities to participate in research to deepen our understanding of children’s development and how to best support that maturation
•  Intergenerational programming with Virginia Tech Adult Day Services
•  Nutritious morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack are served
•  Collaboration with campus and community resources
•  Physical environments designed to connect with educational philosophy
•  Gradual transition visits for newly enrolled families
•  Home visits offered for all families
•  When possible, children stay with their same peers and teachers to promote continuity of care
•  Two spacious, safe and challenging playgrounds
•  Located on the beautiful VT campus, opportunities to visit the Duck Pond, Horticulture Gardens and more
•  Diversity of people, cultures and ideas