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Well it is time to do a mid-season review of the gardening efforts at The Grove School of Plano. To review where we’ve been: In February, Ms. Sara, the Pre-Kindergarten teacher led the students of The Grove School in planting over 25 vegetables and herbs in the greenhouse. Most of the seeds that sprouted were transplanted to the planting beds about a month later, and several of those originals are thriving in the garden now. The sweet peas were eaten while students watered them with water gathered in the rain barrel. We can’t keep their hands off of them! The radishes never turned red, and the potato bin failed, but the peppers and tomatoes are beautiful! I can’t get peppers to grow at home but they sure are pretty at The Grove School. While the corn is stunted, it is interesting to illustrate a plant that fruits, “in the middle”. The okra is the biggest I have ever seen in my life, and all of the herbs have grown large and shown great color. Mint, parsley, basil, and oregano is all evident, and the butter nut squash is a little small but very nice in color and shape. A little of each thing planted did sprout and try to fruit, so that is positive I think.

To supplement our summer focus on biomes of the world, we first planted water lilies during the study of water; then we planted a local moss to represent the Arctic ecosystem being studied, and now we are planting cactus while we visit the desert regions through our studies. Some of the water lilies are growing but many are not; I think the bulbs were old. The moss is doing okay as long as we keep it out of direct sunlight. It is a soft moss that is pretty when wet and shaded. The cacti are being introduced this week but right now they are blooming in beautiful colors in the Outdoor Grove.

Preparing the soil, planting the seeds, transplanting seedlings, and nurturing plants to fruit have been amazing experiences. Ones that have been rewarding to our efforts and ones from which we have learned. I have learned that water lily bulbs blow up to many times their original size! Wow! Finding a suitable container that was affordable was challenging! I have learned that potato bins are very interesting and intriguing but fungus must be addressed quickly. I didn’t research an organic fungicide quickly enough to save the young plants. We made it to the first cubic square of 2x4s. I have learned that we need a bigger rain barrel. J In Texas, we have run though our barrel quickly and needed the city water as a supplement several times. I have learned that corn is difficult to grow; I am not successful at home or at school. We planted the sweet peas around the corn intentionally, but the sweet peas outgrew the corn. Maybe corn just isn’t suited for Texas climate. I have not yet learned why the radishes were stunted; I can get them to grow nicely at home, and they are hardy and simple by nature. I thought about sending a soil sample to Texas A & M for analysis.

Overall, I would deem The Grove School inaugural gardening experience enjoyable and successful. The students are engaged, there are obvious fruits of their labor, and they’ve already sampled some of it! They have witnessed the plant life cycle first hand, and they have been responsible for providing the things a plant needs to survive-sunlight, air, soil, and water. You should see the Garden Journals of the Early Preschool students; they are documenting changes in the garden with Ms. Kathryn’s support. Practicing the scientific thinking skill of observation is beneficial to many developmental areas.

I look forward to the planning cycle for our fall panting season. Ms. Sara is just getting started on it; stay tuned for further updates as we reach harvest and begin planting again.

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.

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We designed The Grove School to reflect what we believe is missing in preschool today–a true balance between education and fun. We represent the joy of learning. We’re giving children a stimulating and positive environment, with the right resources and access to fantastic teachers.

To make this possible one of our key commitments is to recruit and train the highest-caliber teachers. Our people are passionate, energetic and motivated to leave an indelible print on children so they’ll come out of our school prepared to be future leaders in what they do. There is a strong culture of empowerment throughout our organization, and especially at the teacher level.

Because of this, we’re creating positive memories as opposed to just educational experiences. If we do our part, children will carry these memories throughout their lives.

Ty is our president. He sets our strategy, tone and culture. He's also the father of 3 daughters.

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One of the great things about working for an education company is that you feel like you’re doing some of the most important work in the world. That chorus is echoed in our halls here at The Grove School continuously. However, it’s always great to get an inspiring reminder of why education, and particularly early education, is such important work.

Recently, the Harlem Children’s Zone has gotten a lot of attention as the result of Paul Tough’s book, Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America. The Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) is the manifestation of Geoffrey Canada’s vision to provide a comprehensive education program that touches parents, infants, preschoolers, elementary and high-school and children. The ultimate goal being to increase the chance of success later in life for poor children in Harlem.

Canada’s results are stunning. In an area of extreme poverty, his programs have produced children who outperform their peers throughout the state of New York. At the end of the 2008-09 school year, 65% of the HCZ’s prekindergarten students (the Harlem Gems) had reached an “advanced” school-readiness classification, up from 33.5% being at that level upon program entry. Additionally, 100% of the program’s third graders (which comprise the Promise Academy) tested at or above grade level on the state’s math exam.

In many ways, Canada embodies the spirit of the “human capital” thesis, which looks at education more from an economic perspective. Economist James Heckman has spent years studying this topic and has concluded that, “the rate of return to a dollar investment made while a person is young is higher than the rate of return to the same dollar at a later age.” Geoffrey Canada’s basic goal upon founding the HCZ was to change the lives of poor children in sizable numbers, and in a way that could be replicated nationwide. The net result is that the children who come out of this program, and programs like it, will be likelier to graduate college, enter the workforce, and stay out of the judicial system, all of which will have positive societal and economic impacts.

As the strategy guy at The Grove School, I’m always trying to answer the question, “How can we best spend our limited resources to be as effective as possible?” One of my favorite books on this topic is Jim Collins’ Good to Great, which attempts to identify what separates companies that perform well from those who don’t. The “great” companies have what Collins calls a Hedgehog Concept: a single, unifying idea that defines what will be the focus of the organization. The Hedgehog Concept is formed by answering three questions:

1. What are you deeply passionate about?
2. What can you be the best in the world at?
3. What drives your economic engine?

The first two questions are critical to understanding what an organization’s mission and core competencies are. The third question, however, is perhaps the most important in terms of focus. The goal isn’t to identify a set of measurements that will tell you how your business is performing, it is to identify a single measurement that will be a leading indicator of all critical areas of focus.

For example, Wallgreens’ concept was, “the best, most convenient drugstores with high profit per customer visit.” Focusing on this simple statement allowed them to organize all their efforts, planning and investment efficiently, confident that everything else would fall into place as a result. In doing this, they managed to out-perform Intel, GE, Coca Cola and Merck over a 15-year period.

My point in all of this is that “high-quality, early education programs with high elementary-school readiness rates” seems to have a lot of potential as a Hedgehog Concept for a well-functioning, high-performing society. If we look at early educational success as a leading indicator for future graduation rates, job growth, health care costs, judicial costs and crime rates (which numerous studies have proven is the case), it becomes easy to understand why this is perhaps the single most important measure of our society’s well-being. It obviously requires long-term vision, but the rewards we gain years from now will be exponential.

And that’s why all of us here at The Grove School are doing what we do. If we do our job well, we can change the world.

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).

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Rethinking summer, as we’ve done in my last few posts, is a great time to rethink volunteering too.

Collect trash while on a walk

During summer, you and your family will be out on your street, and active in your neighborhood and community. As you spend that time, you may meet people or organizations that need help. And that’s a doorway to family volunteering.

I admit that I often think about volunteering as something I’d like to do but don’t have the time to orchestrate, especially with a preschooler. But the truth is that there’s a whole world of informal, short-term and easy-to-do volunteer jobs right out our back door. For example, you could help a physically challenged neighbor trim her hedge. Get your child involved by having her bag the trimmings.

Help train your sick neighbor's pet

Volunteering in this way is important because it gets your family focused on the needs in your area, and it teaches your child that helping people is a natural part of life.

Plus, it strengthens family bonds as you spend quality time together choosing an activity and then making it happen.

It also provides gobs of teachable moments, like what the word volunteer means. And the opportunity for parents to be positive role models.

Know too that the large volunteer placement organizations often have a minimum age requirement that excludes preschoolers. So informal volunteering is a great way to get young children involved in giving back.

Cook a meal for an elderly resident

Service can occur quite naturally as you talk to your neighbors and introduce your family to new people in the community. If you have too may opportunities to choose from, make your selection based on what your family likes to do together. For example, maybe you all like to cook. And you know that a neighbor broke her hip. Talk with your child about why cooking for yourself would be difficult to do with an injury like that. Then cook and deliver a meal to your neighbor.

Other resources to get your started:
Doing Good Together
The Volunteer Family

Take pictures or video as you volunteer. Then post them to your Posterous summer blog for extended family and friends to see. And if you have other ideas about volunteering this summer please leave them in the Comments section below.

Britt is the editor of The Grove School website. She's got 15 years of writing and editing experience, a 6 year old daughter, a garden and a healthy obsession with all things green.

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UNC-TV aired a program called North Carolina Now last week that featured The Grove School of Cary.  They did a terrific job highlighting our school.  I sure hope you take a look.  Follow THIS LINK.  After you watch it, let me know your reaction.

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.

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Next to our children, water is one of the most valuable resources we have on this planet.  Today in Ms. Sue’s Pre-K class, the students performed an experiment about ways in which we can clean water.  Before even starting the activity, Ms. Sue asked the students to name and predicts methods that would clean dirty water.  You can see some of their responses on the screenshot photo of the smart board in their class.  Some of their ideas were to “scrape”  the water, use a wash cloth, and to use “soap and water” to clean the water.    As it turns out, the used a wash cloth over the top of another jar to ask as a filter to clean the water.

The students began their experiment by going outside to get the dirt so they could mix it with the one jar of water to make the dirty water.   After stirring it up, the students then poured the dirty water through the wash cloth that was covering the empty jar.  The students observed that a lot of the dirt and sand that was in the dirty water jar, was collecting on the top of the wash cloth.  They observed that the wash cloth cleaned the water, but did not make it totally clean like it was before the made it dirty.  Nonetheless, one of the lessons learned was that was can actually clean dirty water and that by experimenting, thinking and being creative, we can find solutions to real-world and important problems that we face.

Finally, the last photo shows some of the vocabulary and the writing of one of our Pre-K students.  I find that a student’s vocabulary and their potential for learning dramatically increases as creative teacher like Ms. Sue, use engaging and fun strategies with their students.

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.

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In my daily interactions with the children in my care I often refer to the class as a “team”. The children respond to this in such a positive way.

We are a little family in our preschool classroom. A community of three, four and five year old boys and girls, learning through socialization how to be a friend, appreciate each other’s differences and similarities and respect the people and the world around us.

A child’s sense of self comes from the support of the adults in his or her life.

As a teacher, I know I play an important role in helping children deal with every day feelings in their world. I know that each child is an individual. I speak to each child with respect and interest, always addressing them by name and asking them to do the same for me. I happily greet each child as they walk into the room each day and follow up with friendly conversation with their parents too. While these gestures come naturally, I know too that I am modeling for the children the basics of socialization and communication each and every day.

I support the children in their efforts to communicate, helping with words and accepting their feelings as they develop the ability to grow and make sense of the world. The use of positive language, so crucial when speaking to children, builds a trusting relationship with each child.

In the preschool classroom, children learn to develop social skills to help them work and play, take the initiative and cooperate with those around them. Sharing, taking turns, respect for others and friendship is modeled by the adults in our school.

There are very simple and direct rules to follow in my preschool classroom…be kind, be safe and be the best friend you can be.

I assist the children in verbalizing their needs in a socially acceptable way. I encourage the children to be kind, caring and show empathy to all and thus find a room full of multi-tasking, problem solving children with a real sense of pride and accomplishment in who they are and what they can do.

For me, it is truly rewarding to see the mastering of skills in each and every child as they blossom and grow into bright and independent thinkers at The Grove School and beyond.

Susan has been married for 27 years to her husband, Barry, and is the mother of three daughters. Caring, teaching and loving them has reinforced her desire to be an educator of young children. She has over 20 years experience working with young children.

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This is the sixth and final article in a series about The Grove School Summer Program. The program runs from Monday, June 7 through Friday August 27, 2010 at both our Cary, NC and Plano, TX schools. Learn more about the program.

Outside My Window
After learning about the Earth’s five biomes — deserts, forests, grasslands, tundras, and aquatic — this unit introduces children to ways of caring for and preserving our planet. The dramatic play center will become a recycling center filled with a variety of materials for children to discover, explore and dispose of in the appropriate recycling bins.

Literacy activities include making nature booklets and writing a class letter to the Earth. In small-group science activities, children will experiment with Earth-friendly energy sources such as the wind, and even plant their own marigold seeds.

What We’ll Read
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle by Rozanne Lanczak Williams

This book introduces the concept of recycling to children in a format they will enjoy — a song! Each page of the book contains a line of the song and shows how simple items children use every day can be reduced, reused, and recycled. Children learn how they can work together to perform the very important task of taking care of the Earth.

Culminating Event — School Cleanup

In this final unit’s event, children will put what they have learned about caring for the Earth into practice as they participate in a school-wide cleanup effort. Children will also help sort recyclable materials in the classroom recycling center to be taken to a real recycling center. Children will learn an ecology pledge encouraging them to continue to help take care of our special planet.

Linda is a program development senior specialist and holds a master's degree in Early Childhood Education. She loves the fact that The Grove School curriculum and learning environments help children take care of themselves, one another and the natural world.

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This is the fifth article in a series about The Grove School Summer Program. The program runs from Monday, June 7 through Friday August 27, 2010 at both our Cary, NC and Plano, TX schools. Learn more about the program.

Arctic Adventures
During this unit children will have many opportunities to learn about the frigid climates of the Arctic and Antarctic tundras. They will discover how animals are able to survive the harsh tundra weather through large-group discussions such as How Tundra Animals Stay Warm. Children will practice fine-motor skills as they write or draw pictures in their journals of an imaginary journey as a polar bear. Math skills will be expanded on as children sort items in ice-cube trays and measure ingredients for sugar cookies.

What We’ll Read
The Emperor’s Egg by Martin Jenkins

At the very bottom of the world, in a place called Antarctica, the Emperor penguins rule. In his book The Emperor’s Egg, Martin Jenkins describes the life of the world’s most devoted father: the male Emperor penguin. Children will be amazed to hear how he stands in the cold for two whole months with nothing to eat, all while balancing his baby’s egg on his feet and keeping it warm by tucking it up under his thick tummy feathers.

The Emperor’s Egg is a fun, fact-filled book sure to capture every child’s interest during the two-week unit about the frozen tundras.

Culminating Event — Arctic Games

The culminating event for the unit Arctic Adventures will find children slipping, sliding, and sledding in their own Arctic Games! Children will work together to learn fun winter games such as the Dogsled Race and the Penguin Snowball Pass, which they will play during the Arctic Games.

Linda is a program development senior specialist and holds a master's degree in Early Childhood Education. She loves the fact that The Grove School curriculum and learning environments help children take care of themselves, one another and the natural world.

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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.

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