Our Four Pillars for Optimal Development
School Readiness:
From the first day of enrollment at NBCC, each child, even the infants, are put on an age appropriate path to not only build confidence and social/emotional intelligence, but also to be prepared for success in elementary school and beyond. Our trained teachers, in partnership with the local school districts, design a learning environment that increases phonological awareness, print and numeracy concepts, and letter and word knowledge. All children that graduate from NBCC have the proficiencies needed to enter kindergarten ready to learn.
Health and Wellness:
Started in 2004 in response to the growing childhood obesity epidemic, NBCC established the Garden of Eatin’® nutrition education program that incorporates health and wellness into our daily activities through an integrated, environmental curriculum. All NBCC sites have school gardens, where children spend time each week with a Garden & Nutrition Educator actively involved in the planting cycle from growing starters, to harvesting, and of course, tasting every step of the way!
Quality Curriculum and Skilled Teaching Staff:
As a developmental program that receives public and private funding, NBCC follows the high standards set by the California Department of Education to determine class ratios, group sizes and curriculum development. We comply with Title 22 regulations of the California Community Care Licensing offices for each region.
Our skilled educators have been chosen for their warmth, love of children, experience, and educational background. Teaching staff review and assess our environments utilizing the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales. Families are provided developmental profiles of their child twice a year during parent conferences. These profiles track and review the development of children during their time at NBCC.
Self-Sufficiency:
North Bay Children’s Center was founded on the belief that every child should be provided equal access to quality care and early education, which paves the way for academic success for years to come. To support family self-sufficiency, our programs include parent education and support programs and scholarships for low-income families. In fact, greater than 75% of the children served by NBCC receive tuition assistance, enabling parents to return or remain in the workforce or pursue further education.
Paivi works with the NBCC program, senior leadership, and human resource teams on Professional and Workforce Development to support the professional growth of teachers and center leaders and to build sustainable early childhood education workforce models of excellence. She manages training compliance, child development permit obtainment, renewal and upgrading and educational stipends and professional benefits. She also manages NBCC’s Apprentice, Apprentice Mentor, and Internship programs in Marin and Sonoma Counties and collaborates with Community Colleges, Apprentice Program Employer Partners and other NBCC Community Partners. Paivi received her Master of Science degree in Curriculum/Early Childhood Education from California State University East Bay. She holds a Vocational Teacher certification from Finland and a Life Children’s Center Supervision Permit from the CA Commission on Teacher Credentialing. She has over 30 years of experience in nonprofit administration, early childhood program advancement, teaching, mentoring and leadership development in the United States and in Finland.
Mariah has worked in the insurance industry since her adolescence. Less than a week after graduating college, she accepted a position at Arrow as an Associate. During the last 13 years, Mariah has worked in almost every position available at Arrow to learn the intricacies of the business and build her skill set. Mariah has helped companies from start-up to enterprise-levels review market options and elect benefit programs that allow those companies to recruit and retain top level employees. Outside of the office, Mariah is passionate about her work in the community. Mariah focuses on organizations that work to create limitless opportunities for children and the handicap able community. She is proud to serve as the Board Chair for NBCC. In her free time, Mariah is the mother of two beautiful little dudes, married to a Kaiser numbers nerd and enjoys going on horseback rides around the Bay Area.
Jill St. Peter brings four decades of experience to the field of early childhood education. With a diverse background that includes roles as a Teacher, Site Supervisor, Early Learning Coach, Trainer, and her current position as Curriculum and Training Director, Jill has consistently demonstrated her unwavering commitment to early childhood education. Jill holds a Master of Arts degree in Education and Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development. This commitment to academic excellence underscores her dedication to advancing the field and ensuring the well-being of young children and educators. Jill is certified by West Ed as a trainer for the Program for Infant and Toddler Care and Beginning Together Inclusion. She is also certified by the Center for Optimal Brain Integration as a Trauma Informed Care Trainer. Her expertise has been showcased at esteemed conferences such as NAEYC, CAEYC, and Head Start. Her involvement in professional communities underscores her dedication to continuous improvement and collaboration. Jill has been an active member of the California Coaching Advisory Group, Trauma Informed Care Community of Practice, Sonoma County Quality Counts Consortia, Region 1 Coaching Community of Practice Leader, Sonoma County Coaching Collaborative, Hope and Healing Early Learning Collaborative, and the Evening of Honor committee. Jill’s passion for early childhood education and her extensive experience makes her an asset to the field, continually inspiring and supporting educators their mission to provide the best possible start for young children.
