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

P is for Passion

Dan Flood | March 9, 2010 | Comment

The last week in February marked our grand opening celebrations at both Cary and Plano. I had the privilege of attending both events, which made for an exciting, energetic, and (slightly) exhausting week! The schools were in top-notch shape, the faculty was energized, parents were wowed and children were laughing, playing, running, stretching, dancing, and posing (for yoga, that is).

The one word that truly embodies the spirit of that week for me is passion. Every single person who has become a part of our community has done so because they are passionately invested in what The Grove School stands for. Take Dr. Shefali Parmar for example, one of our parents who is also a pediatrician. She spoke at The Grove School of Cary about the importance of children’s health, and gave other parents a great list of things to do for their children to ensure an all-around healthy lifestyle. As I listened to her workshop, I found myself taking notes to use at home for my daughter.

Another great example is Stephanie from Stretch-n-Grow, who at The Grove School of Plano took children through a set of exercises and an obstacle course, all while teaching them the names of various muscle groups. I loved hearing the class of 3-year olds pronounce “trapezius” in unison!

Or, take Ms Ali at The Grove School of Cary, who I personally watched scrape the ORTs from her plate into a bin for composting, and then recycle her plastic plate. Talk about passion!

To me, meeting these folks just helped to reinforce that we’re all here not because it’s a job, or because it’s a convenient place to take our kids. We’re here because we all truly believe in a similar set of ideals, and are passionate about living them out (personally, professionally, or through our children). Of course, I’m no exception. While traveling, I managed to successfully adhere to my diet which consists of lean meats, fruits and veggies, and specific fats (and excludes grains, gluten, legumes, dairy, and heavy starches – check out the Paleo Diet). I also managed to seek out a local CrossFit affiliate, where I train back home 5 times per week. My coworkers gently kid that I’m obsessed.

It’s was great to spend a week amongst such passionate people. But most importantly, it was great to see children getting such a great educational experience at the school. When we sought out to build The Grove School, our goal was simply to create the best preschool a family could ask for. After being there and witnessing such amazing educational experiences, I can confidently label The Grove School “best” in any category.

Here’s a video with footage of both Grand Openings, including interviews with parents and partners of The Grove School.

Dan steers our business development. As the father of a toddler and a conscientious consumer, he's energized by The Grove School's focus on high-quality education and the triple-bottom line (social and environmental responsibility in tandem with profitability).

Keywords: Cary, Crossfit, Dr. Shefali Parmar, grand opening, Grove School, Paleo Diet, Plano, Stretch n Grow

My Favorite Drink!

Scott Andersen | March 9, 2010 | Comment

I like to drink. I am not referring to alcoholic drinks, but to flavorful drinks like cherry limeades, diet Pepsi and fresh fruit smoothies. However, after running 6 miles on Saturday and 4 miles this morning, there was nothing more satisfying than a big drink of water!

Over the past several weeks, I have been trying to increase my water intake in replacement of those others drinks which are just bad for me or contain too many calories. Hopefully when you come in the building, you will see a tall stainless steel double-walled water bottle on my desk. Furthermore, I hope you see me drinking from it!

I love the water we have here at The Grove School. Our drinking water goes through our water filtration system (see photo) and reminds me of the delicious water I used to get from my personal well I had when I lived in NH. That water was delicious and so is our water here.

Perhaps you will join me in my water drinking challenge. Some of you may be way ahead of me. But for those of you who seem to have an attached coffee cup or soda bottle to your hand, I invite you to replace it with a delicious drink of water.

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, Grove School, Head of School, Healthy Me, water

Composting ORT

Scott Andersen | March 8, 2010 | Comment (1)

Here is some video from our students doing a little composting today. We had some build up of ort that we needed to include in the composting bin.

Keywords: Cary, composting, ort, outdoor classroom, The Grove School

A new referral program for our friends

Dan Flood | March 8, 2010 | Comment

New families are coming to check out the schools every day. One of the questions we always ask is, “How did you hear about us?” Most people answer, “from a friend.”

We’re thrilled by the response to The Grove School and want to thank the people in our community who send new families our way. To do that, we’ve started a “friends” of the school referral program. Here’s how it works:

Friends of The Grove School Referral Program

What You Get:
When you refer a family to our school, we’ll send you a $25 Whole Foods gift certificate for each new child enrolled.

What They Get:
Besides an amazing preschool education, parents you refer get a $100 tuition credit for each child they enroll. Plus we donate $100 to the Wake Audubon Society (Cary) or the Holifield Science Learning Center (Plano) in their family’s name.

How to Get your Gift Certificate
Contact the Head of School in your area. In Cary, that’s Scott Andersen. In Plano, it’s Wendy DeSpain. They will give you a referral card you can hand out to a prospective family. You’ll need to include your name and contact info on that card to be eligible for the $25 Whole Foods gift certificate.

Leave a comment below if you have any questions.

Legal details:

New families will receive a $100 tuition credit for each new child enrolled. The Grove School will also make a $100 donation per family to either the Wake Audubon Society or the Holifield Science Learning Center (“Donation”). Tuition credits and Donations are only valid for new families who enroll at The Grove School. Families currently enrolled at The Grove School who refer a new family will receive a $25 Whole Foods gift certificate (“Gift Certificate”).

Offers expire 12/31/2010, have no cash value and are non-transferrable. Gift Certificates and Donations are limited to one per family. Offers are not valid with additional offers or discounts and subject to age acceptance and availability. Contact Head of School for further details.

Keywords: $100 tuition credit, Cary, Friends of The Grove School Referral Program, Grove School, Holifield Science Learning Center, Plano, referral program, Wake Audubon Society, Whole Foods

Grand Opening Video

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

We had a great turn out for our Grand Opening last week. For those of you who attended, this VIDEO will seem familiar. For those of you who missed it, take a look and see what you missed!

Keywords: Cary, Dr. Scott Andersen, events, Grove School

A place for Augie

Lisa Wohlschlaeger | February 27, 2010 | Comment (1)

It is great to have friends that aren’t afraid to speak the truth in love! One year ago, my two girlfriends sat me down and surprised me with an “Augie” intervention. As a mother of three, a student in early childhood studies, and an in-home childcare giver, I think I had begun to feel immune to any problems my “sweet little boy,” Augie, might be causing.

One would think that after I found blueberries all over his bedroom carpet and toothpaste in my hairbrush, that I might have been clued in to the fact that he needed an outlet. However it took a couple embarrassing incidents of him “using the potty” in the front yard in front of the neighbors to help me see that maybe he did need some other activities!

The real problem was that I was not willing to trust anyone else in his care. I knew that he was acting out, but wasn’t ready to give him up! That was when my good friends hit me with the hard truth, “Oh, so you’re not staying home for his sake… you’re staying at home for yourself.” Ouch!

Well, much to my sweet satisfaction, the search for a preschool has ended in a commendable school for Augie and an amazing job for me at the Grove School. My fears of Augie being unloved or misunderstood have been laid to rest as I have been witness to great love for him from his teachers and his new “best buddies” at school. In one month, he has learned to write his name, count to twenty without saying “thirteen, fifteen, fifteen,” and he actually participates in art! He rolls around on the eco-turf hills and is constantly hugging on his friends at school.

His little mind is busy all day and he gets quality time outdoors. This has ended our blueberry and toothpaste episodes! We have been so pleased to have the chance to soar with the Grove School. I am pretty sure the neighbors are pleased too!

Lisa is an early preschool teacher at The Grove School of Cary. She is a mother of 3, had run her own preschool and is currently working on a Master's Degree in Education.

Keywords: Cary, early childhood education, Grove School, parents

Stories, learning, playing and connecting

Scott Andersen | February 27, 2010 | Comment

We have been running weekly story times and play dates for almost a month now. Every Tuesday and Thursday we hold a story time from 10:30 to 11:30. On Wednesdays we hold a play date from 10:00 to 12:00. We love having these times to invite families into our school and to participate in story telling, learning, playing and connecting.

During all of these times, we share books and other literacy based activities. After all, learning to read is paramount! We also include activities that engage students in hands on learning and the exercise of creativity and imagination. Obviously, during our play dates, we PLAY! It is important for children to have play time together. One of our specialties at The Grove School is to create play time that is also instructional. I love it when our teachers craft activities where the children think they are playing, and they are, but also include very specific learning objectives. This is a win-win for all involved. Finally, we love the story times and play dates because they give parents an opportunity to connect one with another while their children are engaged in the activities. One of our goals is to help create and participate in a positive community and providing an opportunities for parents to interact with one another is one of the ways we can do this.

I invite all to participate in these fun times. No need to call in advance. Just show up and have fun!

Keywords: Cary, events, parents, play dates, story times, The Grove School

Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting

Scott Andersen | February 23, 2010 | Comment

Ambassadors from the Cary Chamber of Commerce visited The Grove School of Cary on Tuesday to perform a ribbon cutting ceremony in our outdoor classroom and to tour the school. The ambassadors and staff and students from the school are shown in the photo.

Watch the video.

Keywords: Cary, Cary Chamber of Commerce, Grove School, Ribbon Cutting

Intro to ecology at The Grove School Summer Program

Laura Como | February 22, 2010 | Comment

This summer, as part of our regular school day, children at The Grove School will go on an “eco-adventure.” This amazing introduction to ecology focuses on five major biomes of the world—deserts, forests, grasslands, tundra and water.

Throughout this science-based program, children will explore the characteristics of each biome’s plant and animal populations. They’ll also learn proactive steps they can take to care for and protect the environment around them.

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.

Program Details

- The program runs from Monday, June 7 through Friday August 27, 2010 at both our Cary, NC and Plano, TX schools.
- There is no extra fee for the program. It’s a part of The Grove School’s regular school-day curriculum.
- We encourage parents to sign up now for the program, but you can enroll your child in The Grove School anytime throughout the summer months for them to be a part of this experience.

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: Cary, early childhood education, eco adventure, ecology, Grove School, Plano

Cary grand opening: bring the kids!

Scott Andersen | February 19, 2010 | Comment

Our grand opening next Thursday, 2/25 is loaded with fun stuff for your children to do. Here’s what we’ve got planned for them:

10:30 Storytime, Growing with the Trees
11:30 Learn how to make pretzels!
2:30 Storytime with Councilmember Gale Adcock
3-6 More pretzel making, Tumblebus (a gym on wheels!), an animal adaptation demo and free play in the Outdoor Grove

And we’re proud to share this day with these amazing local businesses and organizations who’ll be giving demos and answering your questions:

Pediatrician Dr. Shefali Parmar
Whole Family Chiropractor Dr. Debra Bell
Great Harvest
BA Tumbler’s Tumblebus
Downtown Cary Farmer’s Market
Whole Foods

Come by anytime!