The Grove School: A seriously fresh new preschool in Cary and Plano! » Newsroom

September Dates to Remember in Plano

Wendy DeSpain — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:57:16 +0000

SEPTEMBER

2 Teacher Professional Development Day ~

School Closed3 Teacher In-Service Day ~

School Closed6 Labor Day, Monday ~

School Closed9 (6:00-7:00) Back to School Night

17 Packing Healthy Lunches with children’s author, Karen Fine

24 Vision and Hearing Screening for 4 year olds by Sept. 1

25 Recycling Fair at The Grove School of Plano

Mommy and Me! Preview

Ms. Stephanie — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:29:14 +0000

Wow! What an exciting morning. I just finished our preview session of the Mommy and Me! program and it was so much fun. We had 10 children between the ages of 12 months and 24 months attend.

We took time at the beginning of our class to introduce ourselves. Some of the moms and children already knew each other and some were meeting others for the first time. It was so nice to see all the moms talking and sharing stories with each other. It was also nice to see the moms help out the other moms when needed.

Today we read a book that I made about a fish that wanted to change colors all the time. The fish has to say a magic phrase, “I am Mitch the fish. I swim and I swish. And I can change my color if I wish.” After the second time of sharing the magic phrase with them, the children were able to repeat with me each time Mitch wanted to change colors. I made a special fish that changed colors each time we said the magic phrase. The children loved it!

The children were also able to do an art project where they made their own fish and decorated the fish with scales of paper of all colors, much like Mitch in the book. We then put sticks on the fish and glued them to the fish so the children could better hold them and make them “swim.”

In order to help the children learn their colors, we also went “fishing” for colored fish. The children used a fishing pole with a magnet in order to catch the fish. When the children caught a fish, they named the color and then we sang the “Fish Alive” song.

Of course, you know what we had for a little snack! Multi-color goldfish. They are always popular! Today was no exception.

We ended the class with a few minutes in our outdoor grove. The weather was so nice and the children enjoyed playing in our lovely outdoor classroom.

I hope you enjoy some of the pictures I took during the class. I wish I could have taken more, but I am teaching the class after all!!!

The first class of Mommy and Me! begins Wednesday, Sep 8. Click here for more info.

Note from Ms. Opal, Preschool Master Teacher

Opal Coleman — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:26:04 +0000

The Grove School of Plano is recycling! We are recycling rain water, compost, paper and other objects to help care for our earth environment. We are studying this process and how we can positively contribute to it. We even have a recycling center in the classroom! We are especially proud of our Healthy Mind, Healthy Planet and Healthy Body . Come and join us but be prepared for what you may see in room #1, at the Grove School of Plano.

Meet Ms. Stephanie!

Scott Andersen — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:57:09 +0000

We are very happy to announce a new teacher at The Grove School of Cary. Her name is Ms. Stephanie. She is from Germany and has lived in NC for the last 13 years. She has over 20 years of experience teaching children in both Germany and the United States.

She will be busy at The Grove School! She is teaching our Mommy and Me! program, teaching German, cooking and coordinating our outdoor grove projects.

We are fortunate to have her with us! Please take a moment to stop in and say hello and to welcome her to our school. Also take a moment to watch her bilingual video.

Introducing…Misti Johnson-Olthoff, Teacher in Pre-Kindergarten

Wendy DeSpain — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 02:46:57 +0000

Misty will be joining Ms. Sara in Pre-Kindergarten. Misti has a Bachelors and a Masters of Science in Early Childhood Education from Kansas State University and she is certified to teach EC-4 in the State of Texas. She has three years experience working with preschool children in small group or in a classroom setting. Her experiences with both kindergarten and prekindergarten make her an ideal compliment to Sara Dennis. Misti is a product of the Plano ISD school system, and she is a proud graduate of Plano Senior High School. Her previous employers say that she is creative, responsible, organized, and always acting in student best interest. Her colleagues report that she is a team player, motivational, and resourceful. She has desire to succeed, deep interest in early childhood, and humility. Parents of children with whom she has worked say that she is pleasant, informative, and trustworthy. I am honored and excited to welcome her as part of The Grove School faculty.

Introducing….Carrie Fish, Master Teacher in Early Preschool 1

Wendy DeSpain — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 02:42:30 +0000

Carrie is the Master Teacher in Early Preschool for 18-24 month old students. She will work with the Master Teacher in Early Preschool 2 to develop a program from younger preschoolers and support transition into older classes. Carrie has a Bachelors of Arts in Linguistics from the University of Arizona, a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Texas Women’s University, and she is certified to teach EC-4 in the State of Texas. She completed her student teaching right here in Plano ISD. From an early age, Carrie was immersed in the education of preschoolers. Her mother ran a preschool from the home where Carrie grew up. She has gone on to teach in after school programs, educate children identified with autism, teach karate, and nanny for twins. Her experience totals six years, with most of it including preschoolers. Her previous employers describe her as dedicated, dependable, and organized. Her discipline management with early preschool age students was noted favorably as was her demeanor and relationships with young children. Carrie believes in a sensory approach to learning where children learn through play and scaffold each other’s learning. Her knowledge and experience combined with her dedication, dependability, and organization are a recipe for success. I am honored to welcome her to The Grove School faculty.

Introducing….Shelley Hill, Education Manager, Plano

Wendy DeSpain — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 02:38:54 +0000

Michelle “ Shelley” Hill has joined us at Education Manager. Her primary duty is to support the curriculum, instruction, and assessment in The Grove School classrooms. She will ensure developmentally appropriate practices are used for instruction, research based curriculum is fully utilized, and assessment tools are varied, appropriate, and frequent. Shelley has a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education from the University of Wyoming and a Masters degree in Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University. Shelley has experience teaching after school age kids as well as preschoolers. She taught and directed a kindergarten preparatory program for preschoolers, and she is now certified to teach EC-4 in the State of Texas too. She was the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Park County School District in Wyoming where she worked with the Superintendent and Board to plan after school programs, health fairs, and other activities strategic to student growth and community building. Her experience and knowledge surrounding early learning is extensive, and she herself will tell you there is always more to learn. Shelley has recently moved to Texas from Wyoming. She relocated with her family: her husband Jeff and her two children, Jackson and Mackenzie who are 4 and 6 respectively. You may see her kids in Pre-kindergarten; they are great to have in class! I am honored and excited to announce Shelley’s addition to the administrative team at The Grove School of Plano. I am proud to have her as a team member who will be instrumental in our continued growth and development as a premium preschool. Your students’ needs will be better met and their cognitive growth will be greater with Shelley supporting and guiding our highly qualified faculty.

Mommy and Me!

Scott Andersen — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:09:20 +0000

I am thrilled to let folks know about a new class we are starting at The Grove School: Mommy and Me!

Mommy and Me! is a 90-minute long program concentrating on the development of social skills through Music, Language, Physical Education and Art. The program provides interactive and imaginative experiences to enhance development for your child. Each class will form its own chemistry as the parent and the child share a sense of togetherness with other parents and children.

This class will be for mom’s and their children ages 12-24 months. The class is led by one of our Grove School teachers.

The classes will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays. The first class will be on Wednesday, Sep. 8 and the last class will be on Monday, Nov. 22. The classes will run from 9:30 – 11:00.

** UPDATE 8-19 – We will be holding a preview class on Wednesday, Aug. 25 from 9:15 to 10:15. Space is limited and the class will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Call to sign up.

Please give me a call at 467-6494 if you have any questions or comments.

Work Snapshots

Scott Andersen — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:33:50 +0000

I am posting some photos I took walking around the school this morning. I took this first one of the nature collage with tree bark, moss, and photos. It reminds me of fancy quilts I have seen. I hope you enjoy them. More can be found on our Flikr page.

Reaching for the Stars!

Scott Andersen — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:54:00 +0000

The Grove School is participating in the North Carolina Star Rated License system. This is a system that is used to provide parents with information pertaining to the quality and practices of an individual center or preschool, like The Grove School. The star system rates day cares and preschools on a 1-5 star scale. Even before the doors of The Grove School were opened, it has been our commitment to attain the highest rating, five stars.

When we opened January 18, we were issued a temporary license, as are all facilities. The temporary license is issued for a 6 month period. Since the evaluation of some of our staff was not completed by the end of our 6 month license and results from a test I took in June were not back, we scored three out of a possible five stars. This is only temporary. All of our staff credentials have been submitted and are in process for evaluation by the state. When that evaluation is complete, we are confident that we will be given sufficient points to push our license to a five star license.

During our temporary license period, we had several visits from the licensing consultants from the Department of Child Development and we also participated in the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales (ECERS) and the Infants and Toddlers Environmental Rating Scales (ITERS).

The NC Star Rated License system rates centers on these three areas: Program Standards, Educational Standards, and Quality Point.

PROGRAM STANDARDS points are based on an evaluation of the daily environment at our school. This includes the following three focus areas:

Program Environment – sufficient space for activities, a variety of play materials and a clean and comfortable play area
The Number of Staff per Child
The Interactions Between – adults and children, children with other children, children with activities and materials

We scored a perfect 7 out of 7 points on program standards. This includes the results from our ECERS and ITERS assessments.

The EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS component of the star system pertains to the qualifications of the staff. This is the component that is still under review for The Grove School.

Studies have shown that the more education and experience a child care center administrator has, the greater the impact on the center because of improved management and better classroom practices. Teachers with more early childhood education and experience interact better with children and create more enriching classroom experiences. Studies have shown that children whose teachers had higher qualifications did better both academically and behaviorally at least into early elementary school.

To earn higher points in the education component of the rated license child care staff must complete or have completed more formal education and have experience working with preschool children. The number of points a center can earn for staff education is based on:

The education and experience levels of the administrator
The number of lead teachers with child care credentials
The number of lead teachers with more early childhood education and experience
The number of teachers with formal education and/or experience

Our staff education and experience levels qualify us to attain five star status. We are just now playing the waiting game.

The final component in the star system is the quality point. We earned our quality point in multiple categories.

Even though we do not control the timing of the staff credential evaluation process, we anticipate its completion some time this fall. Naturally, we will share the news with you as soon as we get it.

If you would like more information regarding the NC Star Rating Systems, visit the DCD website: http://ncchildcare.dhhs.state.nc.us/parents/pr_sn2_ov_sr.asp.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.