Family dinners : The Grove School: A seriously fresh new preschool in Cary and Plano!

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.

The Grove School of Plano
p: (877) 664-7683
f: (972) 208-1341

The Grove School of Cary
p: (877) 684-7683
f: (919) 460-7450

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?

Look around the site.
Do our goals mesh with yours?
Share your resume with us.
- The Grove School of Plano
  6800 Independence Parkway
  Plano, TX 75023
  p: (877) 664-7683
  f: (972) 208-1341
- The Grove School of Cary
  2590 Laura Duncan Drive
  Cary, NC 27513
  p: (877) 684-7683
  f: (919) 460-7450

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.)

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The Grove School of Plano
6800 Independence Parkway
Plano, TX 75023
p: (877) 664-7683
f: (972) 208-1341

Find us
The Grove School of Cary
2590 Laura Duncan Drive
Cary, NC 27513
p: (877) 684-7683
f: (919) 460-7450

Find us

Each day, your child moves between structured group activities, one-on-one with teachers, and indoor and outdoor play. In everything we do, the focus is on developing critical foundational skills in language arts, math, science, social skills and personal expression. And we're always attentive to the unique personality, interests and needs of your child, suggesting appropriate activities to keep them happy and engaged.

The school day also includes learning opportunities structured
around these themes.
- - Nutritious eating habits and the importance of rest, fresh air and plenty of physical activity.
- - Self-expression through different types of media and the basics of shapes, dimension, texture and composition.
- - New experiences with rhythms, instruments, notes and musical terms.
- - Explorations of the world around us with an emphasis on ecology through the sciences.
- - Introduction to storytelling with props, puppets and costumes.

- EARLY PRESCHOOL
  Games, songs, movement and art help children reach developmental milestones for two year olds. They explore and discover at their own pace and gain confidence with social skills such as cooperation, sharing and taking turns.
- PRESCHOOL
  Children are encouraged to explore with an emphasis on self-confidence and mastery of learning. Three and four year olds develop and strengthen literacy, math and science skills through thematic units and activities that combine learning and fun.
- PREKINDERGARTEN
  Children learn to share, cooperate and practice independence through a curriculum designed to meet state and national early learning standards. We also introduce four and five year olds to projects, journaling and alphabet letters and sounds.

We also offer before and after school programs to continue the day’s learning. Activities might include yoga, phonics and Spanish. Since each school offers different opportunities, please connect with the school director about your options.

Family dinners

Wendy DeSpain | February 19, 2010 | Comment

I think the breakdown of the American family is the lack of sit down family dinners. Just 30 minutes sitting together without music, tv, ipod, or blackberry, being forced to actually interact with each other on a personal level. This is daily bonding time is integral in the strengthening of the fibers that make a strong family unit. Extra curricular activities and homework demands have taken over weekend day evenings and more families are eating out more frequently due to rushed evenings when both parents are working or when there is a single parent. More families are eating in the car or on the coffee table while in front of the tv or on the computer or phone. As evenings have become busy, family dinners have become endangered.

I remember my own childhood, family dinners were absolutely expected. My mom had dinner on the table and my dad came home from work to eight kids sitting around the table ready to eat together. No one missed dinner. Family members were required to be there and interact; it was simply understood. Over time, this accumulates into a massive amount of family time. Without it, cumulatively, the impact is devastating. I think we are witnessing the result in our society today.

Thankfully, some programs, like that at The Grove School, help teach the value of family style dinners by practicing them at lunch time. Interaction is facilitated and seating together is required. Healthy, organic snacks are delivered to the classroom in serving dishes from which teachers serve snack while sitting with students. Conversation and engagement are the positive results.

Wendy is our Head of School in Plano, TX. She has deep community ties, having spent 15 years with the Plano ISD in various teaching, administrative and leadership roles. In addition to her zeal for helping children learn, Wendy enjoys being in the great outdoors with her family.