Hornblower Early Childhood Center​ Opens In Belleville

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Belleville School District's Hornblower Early Childhood Center opened its doors this week to 3- and 4-year-old students ready to learn critical thinking and creativity skills.

The center, called the crown jewel of the district's Belleville Beginners program, aims to prepare pre-kindergarten students for a school and beyond with integrated hands-on education, said Belleville Superintendent Richard Tomko.

“What a great thing for the kids and families of Belleville — for generations of families to come,” Tomko said in a statement. “We are giving our youngest learners, ages 3 and 4, a critical head start in their education and in their lives. This is a phenomenal opportunity for the entire Belleville community.”

The school uses a state-standardized creative curriculum and incorporates practical learning opportunities for students to engage with their education, Hornblower principal Michael Vargas said.

“Our rooms are set up systematically and methodically,” Vargas said in a statement. “One area is a writing center. Then we have a curiosity center. Then we have a dramatic center where the students can play dress up, and so on.”

And what's more — administrators already plan to expand the school. Superintendent Tomko said the goal is to add nine more classrooms to Hornblower to educate more pre-K students in the coming year. When the expansion is complete, Belleville will offer free education to more than 70 percent of its pre-K student population.

“This is a proud day for our district,” Board of Education President Christine Lamparello said in a statement. “Cutting that ceremonial ribbon is the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of educators in our town. We are giving these children and their families the greatest gift they can ever receive: a free education, from the earliest of years.”