Hastings Child Development Center

Today we’re celebrating Jessie and her incredible 11 years at HCDC! ❤️
Jessie joined our team because of her genuine love for children, and that heart for little ones is still at the center of everything she does. Toddlers hold a special place in her heart; she loves being part of that stage when their words begin to form and they start talking, their personalities start to shine through, and their confidence starts to grow.
From earning her CDA to continuing her education in Business Management/HR, Jessie is always striving to grow... not just for herself, but for the children and families she serves.
We are so grateful for her dedication, warmth, and the steady, loving presence she brings to our program every single day. Thank you for 11 amazing years, Jessie! 🎉

Today is National Puzzle Day! Puzzles are amazing for people of all ages and for various reasons. According to the Mayo Clinic, puzzles are excellent for kids because they function as "cross-training" for the brain, stimulating mental development, improving memory, and enhancing problem-solving skills. Additionally, they boost fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial reasoning, which are crucial for early math skills and cognitive development. You will see Therapy OPS therapists incorporate puzzles into their daily therapy sessions all the time. For those of us with lots of life experience, puzzles can help with brain stimulation that can help prevent mental conditions such as dementia. So, grab a puzzle today (or every week) and get to work!

Now that things have settled down a bit with the holidays, I have some more staff that really deserve some acknowledgment!

This week we are giving a big shoutout to Ms. Michelle!!

Michelle attended the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. After college, she worked in geriatrics, supporting and caring for the elderly.

One fun hidden talent you might not know about Michelle… she’s “really good” at karaoke 🎤😄

Michelle joined us here at HCDC in April of 2019, and ever since then she has truly been someone we can always count on. She has helped all over the center filling in wherever needed, assisting with office work, taking over kitchen duties, and stepping in to help in any way she can in any of the classrooms. Michelle consistently goes above and beyond her everyday responsibilities and is always looking for more ways to support the classrooms and staff.

In her free time, Michelle is a huge book nerd 📚, loves spending time with her two kids, and enjoys doing just about anything outdoors. She also picked up a second job doing retail work!

Thank you, Michelle, for everything you do and for always being willing to lend a hand. We are so lucky to have you and truly appreciate all that you do!! 💛

Hopefully they were building somewhere warm!! 🥶

The last few days were so nice... stay warm this weekend!! 🥶🥶

Staff Shoutout: Ms. Morgan! She brings an incredible 15 years of childcare experience to our program, including 13 years with HCDC and 2 years in childcare prior. Ms. Morgan’s favorite age group is babies, because she loves watching them reach so many milestones in such a short amount of time.

She earned her Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from DCTC, and her knowledge and dedication truly shine through in her work each day. Outside of work, Ms. Morgan enjoys spending time with her family, especially her two young boys, and going camping. She also especially loves a good game of Bingo!

We are so grateful to have Ms. Morgan as part of our team. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do Morgan! We appreciate you!!

We are thrilled to celebrate Courtney this week, a dedicated member of the Hastings Child Development Center (HCDC) team since January 2020. Courtney’s passion for working with children began with her extensive babysitting experience, which she now brings to her daily role supporting our young learners.

Courtney is currently a student at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, where she is pursuing a major in criminology while living locally in Hastings. When she isn't in the classroom or studying, she enjoys relaxing and spending quality time with her friends.

Courtney finds her greatest inspiration working with preschoolers, drawn to their rapidly developing sense of independence.

Thanks for everything you do Courtney!!

We are honored to feature our director, Brenda, in our next staff shout-out!

Brenda has dedicated an impressive 17 years to the field of childcare. She joined the HCDC family when it first opened 16 years ago, starting as an aide. Her commitment to professional growth is evident: she earned her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential in 2011, where she then worked as one of our lead teachers for preschool for the following years, and in 2025, achieved her Certificate in Early Childhood Education, stepping into her current role as Director. Brenda’s favorite age group is preschool because she loves hearing their funny stories and witnessing their growing independence.

Brenda is currently furthering her education by working on a business degree through DCTC. She masterfully balances her busy life as a director and student, while also coaching a preschool gymnastics class twice a week. In her limited free time, she is an active mom, happily chauffeuring her two boys to all their various sports activities.

We are incredibly fortunate and happy to have Brenda leading our team!

Our toddler room gets to decorate and un-decorate their own little Christmas tree.. as many times as they want! The train going around it was almost just as fun as the tree!🎄

And if they're ever silent besides that, you should probably go check on them!! 😂

This Week’s Shoutout: Ms. Cassy!

This week we are celebrating Ms. Cassy, who has been part of our HCDC family for five wonderful years! Cassy began her journey with us as an aide and, through dedication and a passion for childcare, worked her way up to becoming a teacher in one of our baby rooms.
Her favorite place to be is with the babies, as she loves watching how much they grow and change in such a short time. They come in so tiny and new, and misses when her own babies were that little. Now that her own children are older, she especially enjoys soaking up those sweet baby snuggles! 🥰
Cassy first discovered HCDC when she began bringing her own children here, and we are so grateful that experience inspired her to join our team. She brings warmth, patience, and joy into the classroom every single day.
At home, Cassy is just as busy and loving. She’s a devoted mom to four children, and is happily engaged! Lucky for us, she moved to Hastings over 10 years ago, where her and her family are currently still residing.

Thank you, Ms. Cassy, for all you do!

Growing our little mind's, one page at a time 📚💞