Sarah Strickland | Grove School

A Special Night for Our Students: The Man in My Life

Sarah Strickland | March 8, 2011 | Comment

Students at The Grove School of Cary had a special night Feb. 17 when they invited their dads, grandfathers or another special man in their lives to participate in the Man in My Life event. The students led their special guests in fun classroom activities. Students read with their guest and also had a tower building contest where the teams used recycled products to build a tower as high as they could.

Enjoy the video montage below highlighting some of the night’s events.

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: Cary, family, Grove School, man in my life

Evidence of My Child's Day

Sarah Strickland | January 25, 2011 | Comment

A display of evidence of learning from EPS

I realized the other day that my children spend a significant amount of time with people other than me. A large part of their day is spent engulfed in experiences in which I am not directly involved. That can sometimes scare me.

My four year old came home from school on Friday and wanted to play “Show and Tell”. The whole family communed on the carpet with a chair for the presenter and we each had to pick something to “Show and Tell”. At the point that we were all finally seated, he told us, “Please put your ‘Show and Tell’ behind your back so you won’t disturb your friends”, which was quickly followed by, “And wait your turn to ask questions.” It was so cute, yet so telling. He has learned in just three weeks of PreKindergarten the art of organizing a group which also includes what we should be doing with ourselves.

The thought then occurred to me: I have no idea what his actual experiences are, and from here to the end of my days, that will only get worse.

So, how do I know what my little guy is doing? How do I stay connected? How do I, as a parent, continue to be the major influence in his life, passing on my values and still supporting his social and academic development?

Obviously VERY carefully picking where my child will be most of the day is important. It is important to me that the people my child encounters during his day are also able to communicate effectively.

During the month of January at The Grove School our staff is devoted to making evidence of learning an experience. We decided that parents need to see, hear, and experience, as if they are here all the time, what their children are doing. In order to do so, we are developing evidence of learning showcases. These are inspired spaces throughout our hallways and classrooms that reflect, summarize, and highlight amazing learning events that take place each day in our school.

We are emphasizing the work of our students and the process that they have experienced by creating displays that remind them of what they are learning. We are displaying whole class events where each child contributes and the teacher leads the way. We are engaging children in discussions that allow them to organize their thoughts into basic charts and graphs. Simply put, we are decorating our building with authentic masterpieces of learning in such a way that every parent will know what their child is doing.

Keywords: Cary, evidence of learning, Grove School

Seeing Stars!

Sarah Strickland | December 19, 2010 | Comment

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!

Keywords: Cary, five stars, Grove School, north carolina star rating system

Family Feast Fun!

Sarah Strickland | November 19, 2010 | Comments (2)

Families and staff members of The Grove School of Cary participated Nov. 18 in our first annual Family Feast of Thanks. Families gathered in the late afternoon to assemble gift boxes to be given to staff members who work at the Ronald McDonald House in Durham. (See photo below of Scharmen Konieczka from the Ronald McDonald House.)

In preparation for the project, each class in the school made special jars containing the ingredients for delicious treats. Each gift box contained a jar of soup mix, cookie mix and hot chocolate mix. Along with the tasty treats, a special candle and mug was also included.

This project was just one way to thank a group of workers who help children each and every day.

Following the service project, the families enjoy a wonderful pot-luck meal together.

Scharmen came to the Grove School Monday to pick up the boxes to deliver them to the staff. All of us at The Grove School say a big THANK YOU to them.

Enjoy the photos below.

Keywords: Cary, Family Feast of Thanks, Grove School, Ronald McDOnald House, service project

Wrap Around is Enriching and Strands Are Grand

Sarah Strickland | November 10, 2010 | Comment

I wanted to let you know what has been happening in wrap-around!!!

To start things off, our morning wrap around now has Morning Explore! time. Children signed-up for wrap-around will be moving to their classrooms at 8:40 to enjoy hands-on, brains-on fun with their classroom teachers! This is their opportunity to get their brains going and transition smoothly to wait their friends who arrive at 9.

We have also started our newest set of enrichment classes. Previously we had just a few class after school, but as the season changed, so did the need for programs for our children…so our staff has created some very special experiences for each and every day! Below is a list of the great happenings:

Mon - Math, Cooking, Healthy Fit

Tues - Recycled Art, Yoga, Healthy Fit

Wed- Math, Music, Healthy Fit

Thurs- Recycled Art, Theater, Healthy Fit

Fri- Book Club, Spanish, Healthy Fit

As you can see..there is a lot going on! Healthy Fit, which is everyday, is a fun way for kids to practice their motor skills as they learn to coordinate how they move and the class includes a featured healthy food.

Look for great showcases throughout our hallway of all the incredible work being done after school!

OUR STRANDS ARE GRAND

Our strands are the classes that our student take each day throughout the week. They include Fine Arts, Music and Movements, Dramatic Arts, Eco-Friends and Healthy Fit. Our program is expanding very quickly and as a result we have a great addition to our day!

We are adding extra strand sessions!!! Strands, our specialty classes offered everyday, was previously only offered in the morning. In the past, the small class sizes made it possible for all classes to be in the morning, but as we have grown, we need more classes! So, we will now have two sessions in the afternoon for our PreKindergarten class.

So, how does that affect our children? Well, if you have a PreKindergarten child, lunch will now be served at 11:30, nap will be from 12:00 to 1:20 and Strands/Outdoor Grove Project will begin at 1:30 and at 1:50.

Same great program…now even more often! Please stay tuned to your email blasts for pictures and blogs about the great experiences the kids are having!!!!

Keywords: Cary, curriculum, mornings, schedule, strands, wrap around

A Work in Progress…

Sarah Strickland | November 5, 2010 | Comment

My husband, Allen, works for the DOT…we have this on-going joke about the number of people it actually takes to repair a road.

Have you ever noticed when you drive by a construction site that there are 50 people standing over a large gap in the pavement? Allen swears they’re working..really. My response is always the same…”You can’t prove it.” His response is always the same, “the proof is in the progress.”

What an interesting thought…accomplishment of a task is tied to the process of a task. After all, what is a product if not the compilation of things that complete it.

Think about it…is a car a car without the parts gingerly assembled on a conveyor belt? Is a flower a flower without each little step of the life cycle? In the end what amounts to something had to begin in disarray until a grand focus brought it all together.

I would be remiss not to mention how this applies to our little friends and their incredible teachers at The Grove School. You see, when a new family visits and peers into our cozy community, they often will ask (rightfully so) what makes us a quality program. My mind always rings with…the proof is in the progress…the evidence is the experiences that are uniquely crafted by amazing instructional minds.

Case in point…there is a showcase of an experience outside the preschool classroom. During their farm unit, Miss Gina and Miss Hunter created a cow from recyclable material and used a glove to create utters. The children actually milked the cow and later used milk to create butter.

Whereas when we look at the standing construction worker as we drive by for a brief moment of time as one not getting anything done, we miss the bigger picture that my husband sees on a daily basis. He sees the step by step, incremental progress being made on the road.

The same is true for how we teach our children at The Grove School. We must also show the progress of our students by clearly showing the PROCESS that they experience during their learning. We call this “evidence of learning.” I will be sharing more on that very soon.

Holy Cow!

Sarah Strickland | November 3, 2010 | Comment (1)

Students in the preschool class have been studying about animals. One of their projects has been the “building” of a cow that has “real” udders so that the students could then simulate the experience of milking a cow. Click on the photos or video below to take a closer look.

Keywords: Cary, curriculum, evidence of learning, Grove School, milking cows

Your Child Can Read!

Sarah Strickland | September 29, 2010 | Comment

I turned on the TV at 2 in the morning to discover the infamous commercial that I have been asked about: “Your Baby Can Read”, a revolutionary new product that guarantees children of all ages will be able to read through some phenomenal brain/eye stimulation process. I thought it certainly looks amazing, so I began to do some research.

What did I discover…what I already knew. You can teach association to children of all ages. Pavlov did the same thing with a dog…remember from Psych 101? Pavlov teaches a dog that when it hears the bell, it gets food. Eventually, after only a few sessions, the dog begins to salivate at just the ding of a bell. This is called, in fancy child development language, association. So, with this program, a baby sees the word, sees the object or action and associates this set of letters with the object or action. Is that reading? Not hardly. That is merely a teaching tool that relies on the child’s memory to produce results.

I taught 4^th grade for about 4 years at the beginning of my teaching life and I used to see this all the time – children who new the words when I asked, but when I asked a question about the story itself or what might happen next, the children gave me blank looks. They knew the words, understood that this combination of letters equals this object/action, but they missed the concept. There was no comprehension or ability to make meaning of the written print. Most of these children were taught the words by flash cards alone.

So what is reading and how can my little one read? Reading begins with foundational communication.

An infant begins to learn communication on the day of his birth. He cries and is comforted. He learns right away that his actions, even instinctual result in an action.

When an infant first learns language, they are actually building on their understanding of this basic communication. He hears the parent say “cat” and sees this fur ball that meows. He says “cat” (or at least his variation of the word) and the parent produces this same fur ball. He begins to learn that these two things go together. He also learns that when he says “cat”, he, in return, receives the cat. Eventually he will use the word to communicate what he wants.

Yet, a child with little exposure to the world will think anything furry is a cat if this is his first experience. Why is that? Because he associates what he has heard with what he was shown and since his experience is limited, a cat to him looks like anything furry. It is the child’s experience that leads to the understanding that there are categories, like animals, a group of things that look the same, but are fundamentally different in nature.

So, how do we get to reading from there? Well, reading is communication. It is the relaying of ideas through written word and sometimes pictures that leads others to understand the world from someone’s perspective. It is more than just matching a picture with an index card.

I see it everyday. I have this book…I read it every night and have done so since my son was 2. It is Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss. Normally, I wouldn’t suggest a parent read a Dr. Seuss book to a two year old. They are LONG and attention spans are short and Nathan has been fascinated by books his whole life and so I encouraged that and started to read it. That was 18 months ago. Today, I can tell you the story without the book and I inwardly groan when he discovers it buried behind his toy chest (my feeble attempt to move on from it!).

Recently, Nathan has taken to “reading” on his own. He turns the pages and tells the story, almost verbatim! And, God forbid, I try to skip a page. He will again recite word for word what I missed. So, is he reading? Absolutely! He is not recognizing the printed words, but he comprehends that a tale is being woven through an intricate mixture of words and pictures. He makes up things about what the characters are doing at really weird times (he is associating this character with some other event in his life) and he even asks questions about the things that happen in the book. That’s the key to true reading…building an understanding that the author is relating a message and that the message is meant to incite other ideas.

When we think that reading means knowing all your letters and matching a picture or an object to print, we devalue the human reason for needing to write in the first place. How do we communicate with others? We text, we email, some author books. Reading is about the fiber of communication…someone has something to say…they want to share with others their thoughts, their ideas, and their worldview.

Teaching a child to read starts with teaching a child to know that the story is more than just words. Eventually, my son will learn the words, too. I mean, already, when I read a title and point out each word….he can go back and point to the word that I ask for. But that’s not what will truly help him gain knowledge.
No, true reading doesn’t start with memorizing words and regurgitating facts. Reading is about connecting with another person’s perception of the world and indulging that ideas are born from our interaction with others.

So…your little one can read! Just read to them and continually encourage their ability to think about what others have written. Ask them questions about their reading and encourage them to ask questions as well.

Who knows, maybe you are growing the next Dr. Seuss.

Keywords: parents, reading

Back to School Reflections

Sarah Strickland | September 16, 2010 | Comment

Back to School…

When I sat down to write about back to school…I thought about all the things that back to school really means…freshly sharpened pencils, new clothes, notebooks with pretty tabs, and excitement for a new start. Then I thought…at The Grove School…back to school means something totally different, not because we’re a preschool, but because we are a preschool in the year 2010 when the world’s expectation for our babies is beyond the 3 Rs…our children are now mini-adults.

Over 30 years ago (I won’t tell you how much over), I started preschool. Back then, preschool was just a word put together to mean daycare. My mom made a “cubby” for me…two pink terry cloth towels sewed shut on three sides to make a hanging bag that I kept my mat and a change of clothes in…When I arrived each morning, we were served breakfast and given paper and crayons. The preschool was about keeping kids busy until parents came back at 5…whatever kept us entertained and quiet was the key. I don’t remember much about the daily schedule, but I remember something that haunts me since I now have three children of my own.

One crisp December morning, I arrived to find a well-meaning teacher eagerly ready to share a craft. She drew a Christmas tree on a blank piece of paper – complete with a perfect star, ornaments, and presents with bows. After breakfast I was instructed to draw a Christmas tree just like this one. I remember working on that tree.

What I didn’t remember is what my mom told me last year. I worked on that tree for 6 months after that…every morning after my breakfast I sat diligently at a small wooden table and laboriously worked on crafting a Christmas tree just like the one on that page, a cookie cutter ideal of someone else’s handy work.

The next year, I started Kindergarten. The tree was forgotten, but the feeling still lingers. You know what I mean…that feeling like you just can’t get it right…this thing you’ve done doesn’t look like it’s supposed to, doesn’t match up to what was expected…so you’ve failed. As a four year old, I took that to mean I wasn’t good at art…not just drawing a tree, but at art. Years later, I took a required art class in college…I had a professor who challenged me to dare to draw what I experienced and not what others expected…suddenly I was an artist because the pretense was based on my own perception, not on the limit set.

Today, all these years later, the world is different, but the message is still somehow the same. Before I started this journey at The Grove School, everywhere I went there was a commercial, a flyer, a brochure, or a song that told me what I was expected to look like, how I was expected to feel about certain things, what intelligent children do, etc. I realized in a really strange way, that while our world is so different…so many people want our children to be carbon copies of perfect little trees.

Funny, though, that’s not what we mean when we say “back to school” at The Grove. What we mean is introducing the reason that we all have individual ideas and personalities in the first place. What we mean is growing children through their own devices. Each of us is born with thoughts and actions that mold and shape our knowledge about things.

At The Grove School, starting the new year is exciting…not because of the new books and spiking enrollment, but because we have the chance as teachers to create an experience that leads children to think and, in turn, create. Rather than say, “copy this tree”…we say, “Look, a tree…what do you see? What would this tree look like if we used clay, paper, rocks, or string?” Rather than tell a child what a thing should be, we encourage the child to use tools, like their senses and their own background knowledge, to understand and transfer ideas.

Today our children are in a fluctuating process. The world is not looking for the exact replica of George Washington, but at the same time, our education system seems to scream…be exactly as this person is. In reality, to gain in this world is to be a person who can survive through critical thinking and openness. We need a school that recognizes children are facing more battles than ever, environmentally, academically, and socially. Children must grasp key concepts, but also be able to transfer what they learn to new situations. A worksheet or a perfect picture of someone else’s idea will not provide our children room to think and grow.

I look everyday at the progress my 3 year old and 2 year old are making at The Grove School. I am so excited about back to school…because what I see is a place where my children are learning to think for themselves. They are gaining the valuable skills that will help them be successful in their future educational life, but they are also gaining the ability to solve simple and complex problems; they are learning to appreciate and preserve the natural world around them; they are developing a sense of what they possess that makes them unique and adds value to their community.

So, when I think about back to school…I now have this totally new view…back to school is still all those fun things…a new teacher, a new class, new learning experiences, but now…it includes the knowledge that I am a part of a grand plan to pave the way for the future generation.

Keywords: back to school, Cary

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

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