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Hillcrest Elementary Out of School Care (HEOSC) offers Before and After School Care for children enrolled at Hillcrest Elementary School. We also offer a preschool program for families in our community. Both of our programs are licensed through Island Health Child Care Licensing. We are located within the school and have access to many of the school facilities including the gymnasium, playground, and a fabulous forested area. Our programs focus on creating a safe, fun, and friendly environment for all the children. We encourage the children to make friends and try new things.
For more information regarding our Preschool program, please click on the Ready Set Grow Preschool link in the navigation bar above. Please read below for more information regarding our Out of School Care program.
News and Upcoming Events
HEOSC Daycare
Due to unforseen circumstances, the opening of our new Daycare program has been postponed. The official date of opening is unknown at the moment, however we hope to open in September 2024. We have no further information about the Daycare program at this time.
2023/24 Out of School Care
Out of School Care is now FULL. Please email heoscmanager@gmail.com for waitlist information.
2023/24 Ready Set Grow Preschool
Registration for the 2023/24 school year is open with limited availability. Please email heoscmanager@gmail.com for further information.
Illness
There are lots of illnesses circling the school, and they will continue to do so throughout the fall and winter months.
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Here's what to do if your child has a cold:
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Wash your child's hands and your own hands after you wipe your child's nose. Wash your hands often and always before preparing or eating food.
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Make sure your child gets plenty of rest and lots of fluids to drink.
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Do not give over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to a child under 3 years of age, unless your doctor tells you to.
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Use saline nose drops (a weak salt water solution) to soften the mucus in the nose and help your child breathe better. Do not use nose drops that contain drugs. Use a bulb or syringe to clear mucus from the nose.
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For more information, visit https://sneezesdiseases.com/common-cold and/or download the fact sheet below.
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Part-time Out of School Care:
We offer part-time After School Care. Either two days/week or three days/week. Part time care is available under certain circumstances. If the After School Care program is not full come September, then HEOSC will accept part time registration. If another family requests full time care then the part time family will be given the opportunity to take a full time spot or give up their spot. The Board of Directors will review this on a case by case basis. Please speak to the manager for more information.
2023/24 HEOSC Hours
HEOSC Hours are 7:15am - 8:45am, and 2:37pm - 5:30pm
Elementary School Hours are 8:45am - 2:37pm
Drop-Off and Pick-Up
Before School can be found in room #15 inside Hillcrest. Parents/guardians are welcome to drop their children off anytime within our hours of operation. Kindergarten children will be walked to their class each day at the school bell.
After School Care will begin at the school bell and run until 5:30pm. Parents/guardians are welcome to pick up anytime within our hours of operation. Kindergarten children will be picked up from their class each day after school finishes.
Pro-D Camp
We run a full day 7:15am-5:30pm Pro-D Camp on all Hillcrest pro-d days. Camps are only open to families who already have a child enrolled in Out of School Care. Please visit our Services page for further details. We will not be offering Pro-D Camp on September 22nd, 2023.
2023/2024 Calendar
Tuesday September 5 | First Day for Gr. 1-5 |
Friday September 22 | Hillcrest Pro-D Day - No Full Day Camp offered |
Monday October 2 | OSC Closed - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation |
Monday October 9 | Closed - Thanksgiving |
Friday October 20 | Hillcrest Pro-D Day - Full Day Camp will be offered |
Monday November 13 | Closed - Remembrance Day |
Monday November 20 | Hillcrest Pro-D Day - Full Day Camp will be offered |
Friday December 22 | Last Day Before Winter Break |
December 25 - January 5 | Closed - Winter Vacation |
Monday January 8 | School Reopens |
Friday February 16 | Hillcrest Pro-D Day - Full Day Camp will be offered |
Monday February 19 | Closed - Family Day |
Friday March 15 | Last Day Before Spring Break |
March 18 - March 29 | Closed - Spring Break |
Friday March 29 | Closed - Good Friday |
Monday April 1 | Closed - Easter Monday |
Wednesday April 3 | School Reopens |
Friday May 17 | Hillcrest Pro-D - Full Day Camp offered |
2023/24 Ready Set Grow Preschool
HEOSC offers a licensed preschool program called Ready Set Grow Preschool. Please click on the link below for further information.
BC Affordable Child Care Benefit
We would also like to inform all HEOSC families that our society has opted into the Affordable Child Care Benefit (formerly Subsidy) and the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative. Please take a look at the links below for further information.
Affordable Child Care Benefit Website
Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative
"The Ministry of Children and Family Development would like care providers to pass along the following message to families in our community. “Making child care more affordable is important for families and is important for the economy. In striving to do this, we cannot ignore the critical role that child care providers play in offering quality programs and services. It is this recognition that is challenging government to go further, recognizing that affordable, accessible child care is dependant on strong capital and operational support for providers, as well as attracting and retaining talent in the section.”
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For more information about the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative, download this letter from the Ministry of Education and Child Care: