Wendy DeSpain : The Grove School: A seriously fresh new preschool in Cary and Plano!

What’s up at The Grove School of Plano?

Wendy DeSpain | March 3, 2010 | Comment

Early Preschool is learning about the sky and going on picnics while using children’s literature as an anchor. Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten are discovering different methods of transportation while focusing on the letter of the week and building vocabulary through experiences and literature.

Also, all classrooms are busily planting! It is time to get our onions, radishes, lettuce, basil, peppers, okra, tomatoes, and flowers as well as lima beans, snap peas, corn, pumpkins, squash, beets, oregano, dill parsley, leeks, cilantro, and carrots in the ground! We’ll be moving some from the greenhouse to the planting beds soon too!

Here’s a video of our recent planting activity:

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.

Keywords: curriculum, Grove School, organic gardening, Plano, planting

Plano grand opening: fun for kids, too!

Wendy DeSpain | February 19, 2010 | Comment (1)

From 3:45-6 p.m. on WED, 2/24, we have an exciting line up of activities for children. These activities are brought to you by the many supportive businesses and organizations in our area.

Plano Grand Opening Kids’ Activities

• Put red worms to work with the City of Plano Yardwise crew
• Jump, twist and shout with Kidokinetics and Stretch n Grow
• Kick and downward dog through martial arts and yoga demonstrations
• Decorate pots with Quiggly’s Clayhouse
• Learn to count in Spanish
• Create a masterpiece with the Dallas Museum of Art

If you’re looking for something to do with your kids, curious about our school or want to meet new parents in the area, this is a perfect time to stop by!

Keywords: City of Plano Yardwise crew, Dallas Museum of Art, grand opening, Grove School, Kidokinetics, martial arts, Plano, Quiggly's Clayhouse, Stretch n Grow, yoga

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.

Plano grand opening: American Legion to assist

Wendy DeSpain | February 17, 2010 | Comment

We’re honored to have the veterans of the American Legion Harding-Blaine, Post # 321 join us next Wednesday for our flag dedication. We’ll do that at 1 p.m. We hope you can join us.

For a full schedule of our 2/24 grand opening events, click here.

Keywords: American Legion, flag dedication, grand opening, Grove School, Harding-Blaine Post 321, Plano

Plano grand opening agenda: WED 2/24

Wendy DeSpain | February 16, 2010 | Comments (2)

The big day is Wednesday February 24, 2009. This is a great opportunity to see what we’re all about, ask questions, enjoy a healthy snack, plant seeds in our garden, meet other families and learn something new. Come whenever you can. I really hope to see you there!

10:00 a.m. Curriculum open house
Tour the classrooms! All teachers will be in their rooms with activities and technology that demonstrate what a typical morning at The Grove School looks like.

12:00 p.m. Lunch buffet catered by Whole Foods

1:00 p.m. Flag dedication by the American Legion

1:15 p.m. Formal introductions and community partner proclamation

1:30 p.m. Grand opening address by Ty Durekas, President of The Grove School

1:45 p.m. Sister school introduction (from Cary, NC) via skype

2:00 p.m. Outdoor planting activity led by Sara Dennis

2:30 p.m. Kindermusik will demonstrate our music offering

3:15 p.m. Snack provided by Whole Foods

3:45 p.m. Children’s activities, admissions and educational breakout sessions, including:

• Focus on literacy & story time – Dr. Joyce
• City of Plano – worm bins: City of Plano
• Technology demo – Grove Teacher
• Barnes and Noble – demo on Nook technology
• Kidokinetics – demo session
• Stretch n Grow – demo session
• Organic gardening – North Haven Gardens
• Martial arts demo
• Pottery – Quiggly’s: Carmicheal
• Music in early childhood education – Dr. Kevin
• Yoga for kids
• Phonics, Spanish, math highlights – Grove Teacher
• Dallas Museum of Art

6:00 Meet the teachers – introductions of staff

6:45 Closing remarks

Keywords: grand opening, Grove School, Plano

Post from Sara, Preschool Master Teacher

Wendy DeSpain | February 9, 2010 | Comment

I am so excited about the new unit “In the Winter” because of the fun activities for the children. Winter is always an interesting time when it snows and children can make snowmen and snow angels. Nothing is more exciting to watch than children creating art using shiny, colorful, sparkly, and highly messy, glitter. The thrills and laughing of watching glitter come out of the tubes and the reaction of when glitter will not come off of your hands is always a new experience for most three year olds. Children will also learn how to use scissors to create paper snowflakes for the first time. Another fun activity is freezing colored water to create ice cube paintings, which will be interesting to watch how it all turns out. Can not wait!!

Post from Opal, Preschool Master Teacher

Wendy DeSpain | February 9, 2010 | Comment

Come join us at The Grove School, where learning is an exploration of fun and adventure. We just finished our Dinosaur exhibits of dinosaur caves, dinosaur roars, dinosaur fossil dig, dinosaur games, stories and songs.
Our new adventure will take us through the cold of Winter with, mittens, a cozy winter setting and things needed for the winter including Grandma’s rocking chair and hot chocolate.
Come and learn about winter with us at THE Grove School;
“We’re seriously fresh”

What if?

Wendy DeSpain | February 9, 2010 | Comment

“What if those curious minds of early childhood were turned loose on some of the situations we face today?”

This statement appeared on 1/23/2010 in a Dallas Morning News article, “You Better Think” by Carolyn Milford Gilbert, and some of her comments reminded me of other literature I have read and spurred me ask:

Is today’s educational system choking the creativity out of our children’s minds?

This is not a new question; it is being contemplated by many national leaders as well as leaders within the field of education and those studying the neurology of learning. Ken Robinson discusses the way some formal education systems actually discourage creative behaviors for the sake of conformity and standardization. He notes the children ofen describe themselves as creative while adults rarely describe themselves by that trait, in fact, most adults will flat out state that they are not creative. So what happens to them as they grow up? Robinson argues that our society is in urgent need of creative, innovative, and flexible people to meet the demands and problems of today’s society. He goes to iterate that organizations are trying to fix a problem that originates in schools and universities. Howard Gardner establishes similar points when he outlines the anatomy of creativity through the experiences of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Gandhi, and others. Each of thier individual experiences, in some cases decades apart, evidence pressure to conform in formal education and ostracization when noncompliant or unconventional behaviors are exhibited.

Therefore, while the value of creativity in adults is steadfast, the nurturing of it in children appears to be lacking. Young children though are naturally curious and innately frank. Are we pushing them away from natural tendencies when we reward conformity in situations like coloring within the lines, answering closed ended questions, and repeating facts, songs, or stories as they are written? The childhood traits of curiosity and honesty have behaviors inherently attached to them that are at times endearing and at other times frustrating, but often unconventional and creative. So…

“What if those curious minds of early childhood were turned loose on some of the situations we face today?”

I fear that there would be dichotomy in the responses. I fear that some formal education systems are working so hard to meet standards, to reward conformity, and to effectively grow cognition in a very diverse classroom that inquiry, exploration, creativity, and individualism is inadvertently discouraged and extinguished. But I am confident that there are some educational systems where innovation, creativity, and uniqueness are facilitated, where alternative solutions to problems are not only encouraged but expected, and where learning materials are meant to be a launching pad for independent thought and exploration. It is this approach that I believe is most appropriate and most beneficial for our students and our future.

What if preschool-age children spent part of their days planting seeds, practicing yoga, and playing outdoor instruments? What if they spent their weekdays learning and playing in a sustainably designed school filled with natural light and fresh air — where recycling, hands-free faucets and an organic garden are as educational as early reading, writing and math skills? What if our preschools served organic produce and dairy products — and avoided ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and trans fats? What if preschool-age children spent their weekdays with highly qualified teachers helping them get ready for elementary school?

The Grove School of Plano is one of those places. That is why I am passionate about it.

Music and Me training

Wendy DeSpain | January 29, 2010 | Comment

Yesterday at The Grove School of Plano was very exciting! Kindermusik trained Early Preschool and Preschool teachers on the Music and Me program they will use to facilitate music development and enjoyment in our 2 and 3 year old students. After the staff development session, the kids were brought in and a fun, energetic, and age appropriate lesson followed. Pictures coming soon.

Keywords: Grove School, Kindermusik, Music and Me, Plano

Meet the Plano teachers: Opal Coleman

Wendy DeSpain | January 19, 2010 | Comment

Hello, I’m Opal Coleman. I’m a Master Teacher here at The Grove School.

Since 1992, I’ve worked as a Director or Family Enrichment Specialist with the Grady Independent School District, The Gould Child Development Center, and the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC, No Child Left Behind) Program. I also owned and operated Opal’s Early Start Learning Academy.

I hope to offer all of your children my creativity and unique artistic vision. I’m so impressed with The Grove School’s innovative approach to teaching and learning, and I’m especially thrilled about the Art and Theater strands infused in the curriculum.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Community Education. I also have an associate degree in Childhood Development, and I’m certified as a Childhood Development Advisor.

I’ve received numerous academic awards and scholarships, but three of the most notable acknowledgments are:

1) State Inspections—a 100% approval rating on all of my state inspections with a score of 95% or better for more than 15 years.
2) Live Television Recording—I served as an expert panelist on “AETN Television Educational Network Back to School.
3) Grant Award—I authored and was awarded a start up grant for Opal’s Early Start Learning Academy.

I’m eager to meet you and your children!