Admissions
Hopefully you've looked around and The Grove School feels like a great place for your child. Fantastic! We’d love to meet up with you in person, answer your questions and tell you more first hand. Shoot us an e-mail or give us a call and we’ll get back to you shortly.
close
 
 
 
Careers
We're looking for rare individuals. Teachers with degrees in early childhood or environmental education and a fire in the belly to make a difference. Administrators with a head for business and a heart for helping children reach their full potential. People who are so invested that they'll stay with us for years, growing and developing our educational community. Is that you?
close
 
 
 
 
Connect
Let's play
Kids learn through play, but what about the grown ups? The Grove School is a playground for everyone. Join the fun!
(Psst, you can move the colored circles with your mouse.)
close
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The "clean" tomato soup

Students in Ms. Sue’s Pre-K class conducted a science experiment recently.  They used cotton swabs to go around their room to collect germs.  Then they placed the soiled swabs into a plate of tomato soup to “infect” the soup with the collected germs.

After five days, a mold developed in the soup.  As scientists do, they recorded their observations by drawing what they saw in the moldy soup.

The photos below show the process of learning for the students.  They swabbed, they infected, they waited and then they observed.

Keywords: , , , , , ,

 

 

Ms. Tanya's class marches in a musical parade at the "Carnival"

I had the pleasure of observing Ms. Tanya’s music class this week.  While I was in there, she was teaching a group of Early Preschool students music.  They are in the middle of their Carnival unit.  So during the class, they marched in a parade, played a game of ball toss, and “rode” on a merry-go-round.

We are so fortunate to have such a strong strands program for our students.  In addition to music, Ms. Tanya also teaches them art, fine arts, dramatic play, eco-friends (a science curriculum) and healthy fit (health and physical fitness).  Our students attend these strands everyday as part of the school day.

Enjoy the video below.

Keywords: , , , , , ,

 

 

Reading Center

I tried a little experiment today.  I visited a Pre-K classroom with my cellphone camera and took 30 seconds to capture what was going on in the classroom.  You can see the photos below.  I was quite pleased to see all the different learning activities going on at the same time.

There was vibrant activity in each of the classroom’s learning centers.  Another of the observations that I could not adequately capture in 30 seconds with my camera was the independent nature of the children’s work.  The teacher was fully engaged with the students, but the students were clearly leading their learning.  It was amazing to watch, even for 30 seconds.

During this time, I observed students reading along with a book in the reading center, students creating a police station in the block center, students working in the computer center, one making lego creations, a student dressing up in dramatic play, one student self-selecting a new center and another completing a writing project in the writing center.  The photos below represent this.

And all of it was done in 30 seconds.

I enjoyed it so much, I think I will make it a routine to do so in all of the classes here.  I think it will be insightful for the students, teachers and families of our school.

Keywords: , , , , ,

 

 


The Moon @ Eclipse

The Moon @ Eclipse (Doug Murray - Reuters)

Last night was a rare happening – full lunar eclipse.  It was actually the second one of the year, but the first one, in June, was only a partial eclipse.  You can see more photos here.

I have always been fascinated by the “heavens.”   I can remember watching Carl Sagan’s PBS series COSMOS as a teenager and just having my mind blown away.

Matters of science can be one of the ways we engage students in learning throughout their lives.  Some love it and others don’t.

My photo of the event

A lunar eclipse (Scott Andersen)

However, if you have a child who loves it, then I recommend you feed their love with lots of rich content and science-related opportunities.  So studying about the dark side of the moon can be quite illuminating…and inspiring…and it might just be the vehicle to an enriching academic and professional career.

We definitely need amazing scientists!

Please allow me to recommend the Cosmos series, which you are able to purchase (I just found that out).

Time Lapse of Lunar Eclipse

The eclipse is shown over time. (Luis Acosta / AFP - Getty Images)

The eclipse was visible this morning for about five and a half hours beginning around 12:30am for North America.

I hope you caught a glimpse.  If not and you want to share a video with your children, I found this one from the Today Show to be sufficient.

OK, I have to share one more video to honor the title of this blog entry.  This video has NOTHING to do with this morning’s eclipse other than the title of the album from which it is taken is where I got the title for this blog entry.  Enjoy!

Keywords: , , ,

 

 

During this time of year, children around the world dream of many wondrous things.  Toys, games, IPods, candy, puppies, bikes, are just a few of the things that pop in their heads.  And of course, the dreams of those things are further heightened by the fact that on one special night of the year, a man in a red suit rides a sleigh pulled by reindeer to deliver these goods, all in one night.

If you think about it, that one night requires an unreal performance by that man in the red suit.  From a child’s point of view, that is what they see of Santa, his “game day” uniform, his equipment, his team (of reindeer), and of course, his bag full of gifts.  However, the reality is that this one special night of traversing this planet would not be possible without the other 364 days preceding it.

Yes, his special performance requires A LOT OF WORK AND PREPARATION.  That could be why he is so good at what he does.

The same is true for Michael Jordan, the best basketball player ever, or the Pyramids in Egypt, or the construction of the Empire State Building.

It takes lots of preparation to be or make something really good.

The preparation that Santa and all successful people put into their work began with a strong foundation. Greatness has a beginning.

The foundations for children begin in the home and can be greatly fortified with a strong preschool program like we have at The Grove School.  We help build the foundation of social, emotional, physical and intellectual wellness.  And in addition to that, we also help lay the foundation for being good members of a global, eco-friendly community.

Ask airline pilots about how important the beginning of the flight is.  Just a difference of one degree at the beginning of a flight can have disastrous results by allowing a flight to get dangerously off course.

The same is true for our young ones.  The earlier we get them “on course”, the better it is for them and their ability to reach and exceed potential.  Providing a rich, stimulating, creative and imagination building preschool experience is one of the ingredients that does just that.

Just like Santa meticulously plans all year long for his whirlwind journey and makes a “naughty or nice” list to ensure the precision of his work, I ho ho hope we can be equally diligent in the preparation we provide our children.

After all, what better gift can we give our children than being prepared for success in this ever-changing world?

Keywords: , , , ,

 

 

Over a year and a half ago I began a quest for a preschool for my son.  At the time he was 2 ½ and obviously outgrowing the lovely home care provider who watch him 5 days a week.  Being my first endeavor into the wild woods of preschools, I had a vision of what I wanted a school to be, but no idea what was out there.  Soon, I began to discover that not all preschools were actually schools and that not all day care was created equal.  That’s when I happened upon the North Carolina 5 Star Rating System.

I noticed as I searched that some of the programs that I visited valiantly waived their certificate of 3, 4, and (some even) 5 stars-proudly…yet I had no idea what any measure of this system truly was.  I did, however, begin to compare apples to apples and soon noticed that the caliber of program that branded 5 Stars was different, a step above the rest…and as I visited the state site and learned more about the extensiveness of the scale itself, I knew my child would go only to a school that had 5 Stars.

Then began my new venture of finding a school that had indeed captured 5 Stars and at the same time.  It should also capture my sense of well-being and the need for future preparation for my child.  I found myself distraught.

There were plenty of daycare centers, places with a modicum of curriculum speckled among high quality pottying and play.  But there were not many SCHOOLS, places where learning experiences were intentional and where nurturing was provided by role models.  I put my tail between my legs after searching for two months and quietly tucked my son back into the arms of his long-time babysitter.

A month later, I was working for The Grove School of Cary.  And now, I am MOST proud to announce, that after a vigorous year of effort and talent-seeking, we have officially earned our 5 STAR RATING…making us not only a SERIOUSLY FRESH NEW PRESCHOOL, but a SERIOUSLY HIGH QUALITY PRESCHOOL PROGRAM…and one that I am most overjoyed that my children are attending.

So, what’s the big deal you say?  Oh, obviously you haven’t done your homework!  The Division of Child Development evaluates licensed early childhood facilities to determine how they rate on two BIG components: Program Standards and Education Standards.  The idea is that this rating scale (in the form of Stars) gives parents information about the quality of care each program provides.  1 star means the program has met the minimum licensing requirements.  Programs then ask to be evaluated and based upon that evaluation and state standards, can receive up to 5 stars.

The Program Standards include the environment of the school – is there enough space for activities?  Is there a variety of play materials?  Is there a clean, comfortable play area?   What is the ratio of teachers to students in a classroom? And finally, is there evidence of meaningful interactions between adults and children, children and other children, and children with activities and materials?

In the midst of the standards is also the option to be evaluated using the Environment Rating Scale, which evaluates if good health practices are being used, if caregivers interact with children, if they respond to children’s needs, if activities are developmentally appropriate for children to learn and play, and if the classroom area is safe.

The Education Standards are a little more complex.  This particular area has to do with the caliber of the staff who is hired to care for children, including the administration.  You see, studies show that children whose caregivers had higher qualifications did better both academically and behaviorally at least into early elementary school.  So, the education level and experience of the early childhood person teaching our children is instrumental in the children’s future success in higher education.  This rating to me, seems to be the most critical because this is the key to being more than a day care facility. This is the key to providing a higher level of education.

Hopefully now you can see, that’s what makes me so happy about The Grove School.  I can now say we indeed have our 5 Stars.  We have met the highest standard the state requires for a program.  Our program is safe, healthy, comfortable, developmentally appropriate, and managed by some of the most talented and highly qualified instructors in the state.  I am quite proud of our staff who have brought to our facility warm, nurturing talent and who also provide that sense of well-being that I was looking for as a parent.

I am proud to say that we have arrived to provide the best educational experience for all the children that we serve and if you haven’t seen us yet, I invite you to do so.  In fact, my son will show you around!

As our Education Manager in Cary, Sarah supports the teachers in implementing curriculum and individualizing instruction to meet the needs of every student. She's been a teacher trainer and curriculum specialist for the last 5 years, and in education as a teacher for 10. Her family includes a husband and 3 children. Sarah loves to garden, sing, and most of all, meet new people.

Keywords: , , ,

 

 

Students in Ms. Sue’s Pre-K class were studying still life art and using a piece of work by Paul Cezanne as an example.  Ms. Sue brought in a bowl of fruit and asked the students to hold and carefully look at a piece.  She them had them study the Cezanne painting and challenged them to “paint what you see” when looking at the fruit.  She also asked them about their feelings as they were looking and painting.  She recorded their responses on the table cover for later use.

The photos and video below show a little more about today’s lesson.

All of the students' work is displayed in the classroom.

All of the students' work is displayed in the classroom.

Keywords: , , ,

 

 

Just like in most business operations, staff training is essential at The Grove School.  We have designated days throughout the year to do just that.  Dr. Elanna Yalow, the Executive Vice President at Knowledge Universe, participated in a question and answer session with Education Week’s online blog. You can read the her responses on their site by clicking here or you can read the complete text below.

In November, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) released a report calling for more emphasis on clinical pre-service experience for the nation’s K-12 teachers, such as is provided in urban teacher residency programs, like Boston’s.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) followed suit, releasing a statement touting its revised standards for early childhood teacher preparation. The revised standards call for field practice in at least two of three age ranges—zero-to-3, 3-to-5, and 5-to-8—and in at least two of three settings (school-sponsored pre-K, head start and child care).

What does training look like now for early educators, and how do administrators in the early ed world make human capital decisions? For an on-the-ground perspective, Early Years turned to Elanna Yalow, executive vice president of Knowledge Universe, a for-profit education company that operates more than 2,000 early-learning programs (both preschool and day care) in 39 states. Here’s an edited version of our conversation.

Q. What are the biggest challenges we face in training early educators?

A. There’s more consistency in expectations in K-12. The range of expectations for early childhood educators is even wider—from somebody with a high school diploma to somebody with a bachelor’s degree.

Q. What’s your take on the call to increase clinical experience for pre-service early educators?

A. Practical experience is absolutely critical [but] I would be concerned about trading off time to learn about developmental stages. In K-12, textbooks help teachers deliver content, but if you look at the broad early-childhood industry that’s not the case. Teachers are completely developing their own lesson plans. [Many] are happy to pull stuff from a variety of sources. If they don’t have the background in appropriate expectations for each age level, they don’t have the framework or context to plan well.

Q. What do you look for when hiring early educators?

A. At Knowledge Universe, when we think about high-quality teachers we put a tremendous focus on both education and experience. Teachers go through at least two rounds of interviews, to see how they think, and a classroom observation or other supervised classroom experience, to see how they interact with children. Whatever they join us with, that’s only the beginning. They need to have consistent, ongoing training.

Q. How do you provide that training?

A. Once they are brought on, we align them with a partner teacher who is responsible for helping them get acclimated to the center. We use classroom observations, consistent feedback and provide tools and resources. [All KU early learning centers provide teachers with two professional development days per year.]

Q. What other steps need to be taken to improve the quality of human capital in the early childhood field?

A. The industry doesn’t really have a gold standard or measure to say, “This is what you should look for in a teacher.” It is probably the single biggest challenge early childhood faces. We have submitted a proposal to IES (Institute for Education Sciences) to study better screening tools.

Keywords: , ,

 

 

All of us at The Grove School are thrilled to report that we have just joined NAEYC (The National Association for the Education of Young Children)!   We do so to avail ourselves to the tremendous resources the association brings and to help us better meet the needs of the students and staff at The Grove School.

Here is an excerpt from their website:

“The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8. NAEYC is committed to becoming an increasingly high performing and inclusive organization.

Founded in 1926, NAEYC is the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children with nearly 90,000 members, a national network of over 300 local, state, and regional Affiliates, and a growing global alliance of like-minded organizations.

Membership is open to all individuals who share a desire to serve and act on behalf of the needs and rights of all young children.

Public Policy and Advocacy

NAEYC and its members are a leading voice for early childhood education to Congress and other federal entities, governors and state legislatures, state and local agencies, and other policy makers throughout the country. At each level, we help policy makers and the public understand the benefits of high-quality programs and services and advocate for investments in high-quality systems of affordable early childhood education for all children birth through age 8. Our public policy and advocacy work is issue driven and nonpartisan. NAEYC’s A Call to Action for the 110th Congress makes recommendations for federal legislation to:

  1. support a high-quality and well-compensated early childhood workforce,
  2. create developmentally appropriate continuums of learning and development for children from birth through third grade,
  3. promote collaboration of systems, and
  4. expand access for children to highquality programs in all settings.

We look forward to our association and to participating in the accreditation process.  The end result will be the strengthening of our school.

Keywords: ,

 

 

The following op ed piece was written by Dr. Elanna Yalow, the Exec. VP for Knowledge Universe.  It was published Thursday by AOL Online.

As politicians, researchers, educators and even filmmakers continue to debate why the United States has dropped to number 25 in educational achievement in the world, the role of high-quality early childhood education in closing America’s achievement gap needs to be a bigger part of the reform conversation.

While the Obama administration’s Race to the Top program and the creation of common core state standards for K-12 in English/language arts and mathematics are rightfully lauded as major victories, these national reform efforts start too late in children’s lives. Have we destined reform — and our children — to fail because we’ve ignored the critical importance of early childhood education in preparing young people to succeed in the K-12 system?

A new national teacher poll shows that early childhood education should be a priority. More than three-quarters of kindergarten and first grade teachers surveyed in the Knowledge Universe “Early Childhood Education: A Benchmark for Long-Term Success” survey, agreed that children who attend early learning programs not only have a distinct advantage throughout their academic careers, but are more likely to graduate from high school than those who did not.

These findings are consistent with a recent report from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which revealed that children who receive high quality early childhood education perform better academically and cognitively at age 15.

Why do the benefits of early childhood education extend so far beyond kindergarten? The answer is backed by science and experience: much of the development that influences achievement throughout life occurs before children even set foot in school.

Keywords: , ,

 

 

keep looking »