Plano : 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

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

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

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

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

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

Mark your calendar: official grand openings on Feb 24th and 25th

Laura Como | February 10, 2010 | Comment

It’s time to celebrate the opening of our schools!

Join us on:

Wednesday, February 24th in PLANO
Thursday, February 25th in CARY

We’ll have kids’ activities running throughout the day (from 10AM-7PM). And school and community leaders will be on hand to answer questions. We’re thrilled to be in these communities and hope that you’ll join us in celebration.

Feel free to stop by at a time that works best for you. We’ll post more details and a complete schedule soon.

Sample Schedule of Events

Morning

- Celebration of opening lead by Ty Durekas, our president
- School tour lead by the heads of school
- Storytelling and teacher lead activities
- “Skyped” introductions from sister school via the Teach Smart Board
- Hatch smartboard overview (how it’s used in the classroom and benefits)

Afternoon

- Lunch buffet catered by Whole Foods
- Pre-school fair (meet and greet and lots of fun activities for the kids)
- School tour lead by the Head of School
- Curriculum overviews lead by our education managers (focus on Healthy Mind)
- Outdoor classroom tour and activity (focused on Healthy Planet)
- Nutritional snack and intro to Healthy Body
- Overview of technology in the classroom

Keywords: Cary, grand opening, Grove School, Plano

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