2010 March : The Grove School: A seriously fresh new preschool in Cary and Plano!

Planting in Plano

Wendy DeSpain | March 30, 2010 | Comment

Following are some videos, two showing the planting process and the other one shows some early results. Enjoy!

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.

Ms. Sue’s “Flowers”

Scott Andersen | March 29, 2010 | Comment

This is video of Ms. Sue and some of her Pre-K students in our outdoor grove. The students have just completed two weeks of study on plants. On Tuesday, March 30, 10:30a-12p and 4p-6p, we are hosting our Spring Flower Round Up. Everyone is invited. A schedule of the events can be found below the video.

Schedule for the Spring Flower Round Up
The following schedule will be used for both our 10:30a and 4p start times:

Gathering - songs, a book
Spring Flower Obstacle Course – the children will follow the course, collect the flower parts (roots, stems, leaves,blossoms) and then assemble them at the end. Takes place in the outdoor grove.
Snack - fruit flowers made with fresh, organic fruit
Tissue paper sunflowers and flower holders
Closing - songs and info packet

We will also have opportunities for parents and friends to tour our facility. This is also the last push for our “March Madness” registration fee incentive. Ask for details!

Scott, a.k.a. Dr. Andersen, is our Head of School in Cary, NC. He brings 16 years of experience as a teacher and school/district administrator. He has also worked as a photojournalist and software developer.

Keywords: Cary, Dr. Scott Andersen, Grove School

Spring Flower “Round Up” Event in Cary

Scott Andersen | March 25, 2010 | Comment (1)

I am excited to let you know that on Tuesday, March 30th we are hosting the Spring Flower “Round Up” from 10:30a to 12:00p and from 4:00p to 6:00p. This is fitting since our students have just finished their unit on plants.

Take advantage of this opportunity to visit the school, meet the teachers and to “plant your child” in a fresh, new early education program that supports the development of healthy minds, healthy bodies and a healthy planet.

At The Grove School of Cary, families who register in March can waive the one-time registration fee!

We provide for all of your child’s educational needs and values, all part of our program, with no additional fees applied.

Join us for our play dates as our teachers are prepared to welcome you and your child into their classrooms and to involve everyone in the activities, both inside and out.

We have immediate openings and we are also enrolling for The Grove School Summer Program, An Eco-Adventure and for our fall preschool program.

If you would like more information, please give us a call at 919-467-6494. Bring your friends! I sure hope to see you there.

Wanted: Instruction Manual

Pamela DeLoatch | March 25, 2010 | Comment

I remember it clearly. As my husband carefully navigated the drive home from the hospital, and I sat in the back seat, anxiously watching my newborn son as he slept in his car seat, I wondered: “Who gave me permission to have this baby?”

Despite the hours I had spent reading what to expect during and after pregnancy, despite the advice sought from friends, despite the information gleaned from Parents and Parenting magazine, I felt totally unprepared to be a mother.

Oh, this baby was planned for and wanted. The baby’s room was painted and decorated. It even contained a beautiful glider—my pre-mother’s day gift. But I still wished when we left the hospital that day, that somebody, anybody, would have included my son’s instruction manual.

How else would I know for sure which cry meant: “I’m hungry” and which one meant: “Change me, yet again.” Which one indicated “I have gas” and which one meant “I don’t know what’s wrong either, so could you just pick me up for awhile?”

Eventually, as my son and I got to know each other, we began to figure things out, and my confidence in mothering a newborn grew.

Then, my son became a toddler.

The rules changed. I needed an updated instruction manual that would tell me how to handle this busy boy, especially as I now had another newborn son to juggle as well.

With each stage that comes and goes, I find that my instruction manual is in constant need of updates.

As my boys become men, we’re navigating their burgeoning need for independence. What teen drivers can my sons ride with? What are the rules on dating? Bedtimes? I’m finding myself developing policy on the fly, constantly aware that every decision I make will indeed be questioned in the Adolescent Court of Law. Every decision will establish precedent, not just for that particular kid, but also for the other three. Will my decisions stand up over time? Will the rules I set for my sons make sense when it’s my daughter’s turn?

Just as I wished for an instruction manual when my first son was born, I’m really wishing I had one now.

Now that my babies are older, my role is to be more hands-off, but to not stay too far away. To help them learn to navigate the adult decision-making process, but to not take over. To watch them fall in and out of love, and have a ready shoulder, but to bite my tongue when my advice isn’t wanted. (Well, in theory that’s what I ought to do, but in reality, I might offer a few insightful comments now and then—after all, that’s what we mothers do.)

I can see the day coming, and it will be breathtakingly soon, when I won’t even need that instruction manual anymore. Indeed, if I had one, I would hand that well worn, dog-eared, thumbed through manual to my children. While I’d like to think that they would clasp it to their chest, faces shining with gratefulness for the time and care that had been invested in developing that manual, I know that won’t happen.

What’s more likely? They’ll glance at it, toss it aside, and go out and buy a new instruction manual, with blank pages that they will fill out for themselves.

Read more of my writing on my Crazy is My Life blog.

Four kids, two schools, a bazillion sports, a messy house and 133,000 miles on my five-year-old van. Need I say more? Pamela has her own blog called Crazy is My Life. You can find it on WordPress.

Keywords: Cary, Grove School, parents

It’s Spring in the Classroom Too!

Scott Andersen | March 22, 2010 | Comments (2)

***UPDATED 3/26 with new photos. ***

Spring is here. Not only are we excited because of the lovely weather, but we are thrilled because of the great teaching and learning going on in our classrooms.

This post shows photos and videos from our preschool classroom. They are in the middle of their PLANTS unit of study. As part of their work, they have been planting flowers, making a flower shop and studying the life cycle of plants.

They also have been planting and caring for the vegetables and herbs in our organic garden. This first photo shows an art project that they have worked on everyday during the unit. Look carefully and you will see the petals of a flower. When done, these petals will be peeled off, leaving behind their impression on the paper. The petals will then be posted as well.

The next photo shows the “flower shop” in the classroom. The remaining photos show a flannel board, a vase of flowers, the word wall that goes with this unit, and some organic carrots the students are growing.

The video that is at the bottom shows a student independently using the flannel board to describe the plant life cycle. Listen carefully and keep in mind the words and pronunciation are those of a three year old. Note how he works to sequence the components of the life cycle.

His description was based along activity in his class where Ms. Alli covered, in a variety of ways, the components of the plant’s life cycle. I visited one day when she was using the smart board to draw a cross section of what a plant looks like both above and below the ground. She had the students help her draw the roots which were under ground.

Check out the video too…remember to listen carefully.

Keywords: Cary, curriculum, Dr. Scott Andersen, Grove School, life cycle, plants

Enroll today for our Summer Program

Laura Como | March 22, 2010 | Comments (4)

Spring is here, which means it’s time to plan for summer fun.

If you’re considering summer enrollment for your child, we’re encouraging parents to sign up soon for The Grove School. That ensures your child’s participation in our amazing Summer Program, which introduces children to five of the world’s ecological biomes through activities, books and hands-on lessons.

We’ll use math, literacy, science, writing, drama and art experiences to investigate these fascinating parts of our planet. And there will be lots of ways for parents to encourage ongoing learning about the biomes at home and in the community.

The program runs from Monday, June 7 through Friday August 27, 2010 at both our Cary, NC and Plano, TX schools. There’s no extra fee for the program. It’s a part of The Grove School’s regular school-day curriculum.

Here are the topics we’ll cover. Click for more info on what we’ll learn in each unit.

Golden Sands and Desert Lands
Bees, Trees and Me
Where the Green Grass Grows
Under the Sea
Arctic Adventures
Outside My Window

Laura is our director of school operations. With 3 children of her own and a19-year tenure in the early education field, her expertise is helping to build a community of health conscious achievers with the capacity to love and appreciate the world around us.

Keywords: ecology, Grove School, Summer Program

Sparks Shooting from Diapers?

Scott Andersen | March 17, 2010 | Comment

I found this interesting question on Ask Mr. Dad and thought I would share it with you. I have had this same experience, but never knew the science behind its cause. Ahh, the many wonders of diaper changing!!!!

Keywords: diaper changing, Dr. Scott Andersen, Grove School

Busy Saturday in Cary

Scott Andersen | March 13, 2010 | Comment

I had a busy Saturday today. First thing this morning, I attended the Push the Pace 5K run to support pediatric brain tumor research. It was well attended even though it was a soggy morning at the park. We provided organic fruit for the runners to enjoy. Of course, I took some video, so watch below.

The Grove School also participated in the Spring Garden Party hosted by the Garden Supply Company. This was a wonderful indoor and outdoor event that provided many fun activities. We were there with one of our sensory tables filled with sand and “fossils” for children to discover. We also provided a little planter with soil and some vegetable feeds. We will be there for the next week as well. Come by and see us. Also, take a look at the video below.

Keywords: Cary, Dr. Scott Andersen, Eco Friends, Grove School, healthy body, Healthy Me

Event: Spring Garden Party at Cary Garden Supply, 3/13-20

Sarah Strickland | March 12, 2010 | Comment

Image from The Meadow's Edge

The air is warming, bright green fringes the trees and there’s a fresh, clean smell after it rains. Ah, spring! That means it’s time to get outside and celebrate new growth.

Join us at the Garden Supply Company from March 13 to 20th. Stop by for seeds, veggie starts and a chat with the staff of The Grove School.

We’ll be there every day from 11-3 to answer your questions about the school, our summer program, story times and play dates, gardening with children and whatever else is on your mind. We’ll also run a video of the school’s unique features like the smartboards, greenhouse, planter boxes and outdoor classroom area.

Plus there’s stuff for the kids to do. They can dig for fossils and take home a brightly decorated pot with seeds and soil to start a mini-garden on a sunny windowsill.

We hope to meet you there!

Details:

Garden Supply, Co. (map)
1421 Old Apex Road
Sat 3/13 thru Sat 3/20
11-3 PM every day

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, with another due in the Fall. Sarah loves to garden, sing, and most of all, meet new people.

Keywords: Cary, Garden Supply Company, Grove School, Spring Garden Party

Inspection Perfection…Well, Almost!

Scott Andersen | March 11, 2010 | Comment

We had our first sanitation inspection today since we’ve opened the doors. You may not know, but these inspections are unannounced. Our inspector came today around 1:00. He visited our kitchen, every classroom and even our outdoor classroom. He checked water temperatures, cleaning practices, safety of chemicals and equipment, and even inspected our composting bin.

He said we did very well and we received the highest rating of SUPERIOR. We almost had a perfect score. The only thing we lost 2 points on was for the spray bottles we use in our restrooms and diapering tables. It turns out that we mixed the bleach at the incorrect concentration. The good news about this is that he let us know of a new product that was approved by the state that does not contain bleach. Many of our parents have expressed concern over the use of bleach. I have recently discovered that I am allergic to bleach, so on a personal level, I am thrilled.

When he left, he said we have a wonderful facility and was very impressed with our school. I was just glad the inspection was over and that we performed well. We will have another one the last half of the year.