Brown pots sit on a white, covered table. Tonia Kissinger asks the assembled children if they would like to water the soil and seeds in their respective pots. Then, Kissinger places water in a small pink can and helps the children add just the right amount of water.

And outside, a sign over the Early Childhood Development Center, on Lazelle Street in Sturgis, proclaims this as a place "where seeds are sown."

The state-licensed day care center offers infant and toddler education along with preschool care, child care and nutrition. Children are ages 4 weeks to 12 years,and five certified caregivers are on staff. Hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The center is closed on major holidays.

Rates depend on the desired program, according to Kissinger. Programs include full-time tuition, part-time tuition, and preschool only.

The facility's purpose is twofold. The first is to serve the Sturgis area. Kissinger said that 10 parents recently visited her, waiting for the center to open. The other purpose, Kissinger said, is to eventually become a hub center. She envisions satellite centers in Belle Fourche and Deadwood, for instance.

Kissinger began teaching in Bismarck, N.D., before she moved to Sturgis and taught in the Meade School District.

"I had children of my own, and it was hard finding the type of quality care I had expected," Kissinger said. She taught preschool in the district and said opening this facility offers her the chance to combine her two main passions: teaching and children.

Kissinger said her teaching experience has really helped in this endeavor. She cited curriculum planning and being aware of state guidelines. Staff members take 20 hours of professional development every year. Kissinger said they must meet state codes and keep their knowledge current.

But experience with children is most important.

"That comes very naturally to me, from some reason, to see the world the way kids do," Kissinger explained.

"They're each different, and they each have their own talents." She said children's expressions and abilities differ and called for "nurturing them, instead of trying to create them to be all the same."

Kissinger's center uses a Christian-based philosophy. "It's not just to teach kids ready for school, but to teach them ready for life," Kissinger said.

• The Early Childhood Development Center is divided into three rooms. One is for children up to 2 years old. Education is based on state and national guidelines. Lessons follow weekly and monthly themes.
• A second room is for children 3 and 4 years old. The preschool curriculum follows state guidelines.
• A preschool room helps educate children ages 4 and 5 during the school day. Older children come here after school. Those age groups are combined during the summer months.
• Security cameras are located throughout the building.
• Each child has a working portfolio. The entire five-day week is devoted to teaching. Reviewing is done on the fourth day, and assessment occurs on the fifth day.
• The outdoors playground area is fenced off and divided into two areas. A grassy area contains slides and other toys for the younger children. An asphalt-covered area allows children to engage in activities requiring finer gross motor skills like basketball and riding two-wheelers.
• For more information, visit 1881 Lazelle Street, Sturgis, or call 720-9000.