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We're looking for rare individuals. Teachers with degrees in early childhood or environmental education and a fire in the belly to make a difference. Administrators with a head for business and a heart for helping children reach their full potential. People who are so invested that they'll stay with us for years, growing and developing our educational community. Is that you?
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  • The Grove School is more than a place to drop off and pick up your kids. We’re in this together, raising smart, conscious children, and we want to hear from you. Dig in and share your knowledge.

 
 
 

The Grove School is very excited to have a new assistant in our preschool class! MeiLi recently moved here from Maui, Hawaii, and she is eager to grow roots and get to know people here in Plano.

MeiLi comes to us from a preschool in Maui, where she worked in a class with 3 and 4 year-olds. She is very passionate about working with children and understands to importance of recognizing each child’s individual strengths. MeiLi says, “My goal is to think outside the box and approach each child as an individual, and to do my best to encourage them to succeed”.

MeiLi has already been a tremendous help in our preschool classroom, and we are looking forward to adding her creativity and passion to our school. Welcome, MeiLi!

 

 

 

The Grove School of Plano is happy to announce that we have a new Strands teacher. When Ms. Lauren asked to teach our newest preschool class, we were nervous about finding just the right person to replace her in  Strands. Who understands the necessary components of maintaining a compost pile? Who would be able to utilize the greenhouse? And most importantly, who would love and nurture our Grove children in just the right way?

Ms. Courtney has all of these qualities.  As a Grove parent herself (her son is in pre-K), she knows exactly what parents are looking for in a preschool, and she has the motivation and passion to deliver it to our families. Ms. Courtney grew up in McKinney, Texas, and she graduated from UT Dallas. She has a degree in history with a Texas teaching certificate. In the past, Courtney has substituted in many different preschools and taught a variety of programs at the YMCA. She has also coached gymnastics and cheerleading.

Here is what Ms. Courtney says about being the Strands teacher, “I plan on fostering your child’s creativity and imagination through lessons and activities that are fun, interactive, and exciting. It has always been my philosophy that EVERY child is born with unique gifts and talents in the classroom. I am really looking forward to teaching Strands and sharing an educational and fun-filled time together.

Take a look at some of the activities Ms. Courtney has already led:

 

 

 

 

 

How do we get kids to eat their vegetables? This question has come up a number of times at our school. With a focus on “healthy mind, healthy body, and healthy planet”, we feel it’s important to create an environment where children eat heathy and enjoy the taste of foods such as fresh vegetables. A recent article I read about children and vegetables suggested that this may be more difficult than it sounds,because some studies suggest that children may have an actual gene that creates a bitter taste invegetables when they are eaten. As children grow, the bitterness subsides. Until this happens, we need to continue to encourage children to try a variety of foods and make the expereince of eating vegetables a positive one.

During our enrichment program, Ms. Courtney was able to do this. For her “cooking” class, she had the children create happy faces on wheat tortillas by using hummus and a variety of vegetables. Children were asked to spread the hummus out on the tortilla, and then they used the vegetables they selected to create eyes, hair, a mouth, and a nose. The children then folded their tortillas and ate them.

Even our youngest children enjoyed this activity. They created so many different kinds of faces. And, most surprising, they ate everything! Parents were surpised their children were willing to eat cucumbers, tomatoes, and even peas! At The Grove School, we want our children to develop healthy eating and lifestyles. We were all so pleased to see our efforts pay off in this activity.

 

 

At The Grove School, we actively promote “giving back” to our community. In November we did this through collecting food for the local food pantry. One of our gracious parents put out a donation box that was filled within a week. The food pantry workers were so excited to see all the goodies we had collected.

 For December we put out a “donation station” to collect food and toys for a local children’s home. This home provides respite care to foster children who need emergency housing. Once again, the parents have been eager to collect and donate supplies to children who are in need.

 In addition to our collection boxes, The Grove School seeks to give back to the community by supporting local public schools. In October we help to sponsor an elementary school carnival. This was a great way to build a relationship with the families who live in our neighborhood, as well as a way to meet perspective families looking for our preschool.

These community activities were not created byGroveSchoolstaff. Our PAC (parent advisory committee) discussed what organizations they would like support, and a decision was reached by the parents of our school who we would help this holiday season.

With all of the preschools a family has to choose from, why pick The Grove School? I believe we are one of the few schools in Plano that seeks to impact the lives of children who don’t even attend our school. We strive to teach our children the importance of activism, outreach, and service to others – values that are taught first at home, and reinforced through our school programs. This is what I love about The Grove!

 

 

 

Friday night was our second annual Feast of Thanks. The purpose of this event was to demonstrate how much we, as a school, appreciate our students. We also wanted to provide our families with an opportunity to gather together and connect as a community of learners. We had close to 100 people attend, and it was so inspiring to see how eager the children were to sit with their parents, enjoy the meal, and share their classrooms with their families.

With so many new children, parents were able to connect with people they haven’t met. The kids loved running around the building with their friends, showing off their art work and pictures on the wall. And as always, there were a few tears shed as parents headed home and the children had to say good-bye!

It is so satisfying to provide something to the families who have chosen to put their most precious resource (their children) in our care. Each child at this school is so special, and The Grove School recognizes how lucky we are to have your child here.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you for choosing us. We are so happy to have your children at The Grove School!

 

 

 

 

 

My tour asked me, “What are you all about?” I was confused. “What do you mean” I asked. “Well, what’s the most important value to your school? Is it academics, is it being eco-friendly? Who are you?”

 Good question. This made me think: How do I summarize in just a few minutes what The Grove School is all about?  My answer was this: We are a Healthy Mind, Healthy Body, Healthy Planet school. All pieces of this value system are equally important, and all aspects of our program weave together and interconnect with this central concept. One does not exist without the other.

 Our outside gardens provide a unique experience. Even our youngest children are given the opportunity to water the gardens, talk about where their food comes from, and even harvest their own vegetables. But our gardening is about more than just eating healthy. Last spring the children discovered a spider. They learned how spiders contribute to the life of plants, and how our eco-system relies on insects as part of the food cycle. While somewhat simplistic, the notion of science is a step into higher level thinking skills. And allowing kids to grow and harvest their own vegetables encourages them to adopt a healthier lifestyle, thus developing a stronger body. Our planet benefits from less pesticides and the compost bin we’ve created, and our goal is to instill these values in our children so they know how to create their own eco-friendly gardens one day -Healthy Planet.

 Take into consideration the lesson the Strands class did on recycling. They collected items from outside and placed them in the proper recycling bins. They discussed how each could be reused or recycled instead of being thrown into the trash and landfills. This was a lesson in conservation. Healthy Planet, right? Then there’s the fresh air they received, running around outside, gathering and collecting materials – Healthy Body. As they went outside, students were able to discuss the types of objects they located and sorted them according to different properties, such as size and shape. And in Ms. Cristen’s room, they brought in recycling items from home and simply played with them, using their imaginations and creativity to play games – Healthy Mind.

Our curriculum does not consist of one core value being taught at a time. Rather, it is a wholistic approach to learning, with all aspects of our curriculum supporting one another.

The Grove School is a refreshing new idea, and one that I truly believe in. If you haven’t done so already, we’d love to have you stop in and see for yourselves what makes us so unique!

 

 

 

Our September 16 Luau was a huge success. From the colored snow cones to the large bounce house and bean bag games, there was something for everyone to do. Our parent volunteers put in considerable time and effort, and it reflected in the quality of our party.

In reflection of this event, I asked myself if these kinds of parties are worth the effort and costs involved. Isn’t a quality education in a healthy environment enough? Is it necessary to spend tuition dollars on a party, when perhaps those dollars could be better spent on classroom supplies?  School-wide events such as this are most certainly beneficial to the school in a number of ways.

 

School-wide events enhance student learning: Apart from learning the ABCs, children thrive in an environment where they belong to a part of a community, and when parents are actively involved within that community. According to MichiganStateUniversity, parents’ active involvement with their child’s education has a direct positive relationship to their academic success. In fact, the earlier that parents become involved, the greater the level of a child’s achievement throughout their academic career. (http://www.livestrong.com/article/534725-the-importance-of-parental-involvement-in-childrens-school-life/#ixzz1YiWgaYbB) .  This involvement extends beyond helping with homework and connecting with teachers. Attending school events, meeting other families, and participating in functions demonstrates to children that learning extends beyond the classroom, and that the school is an extension of who we are, not just a place we visit.

 

School-wide events benefit parents: The importance of social connections extends to more than just children. Studies suggest that the transient nature of today’s communities creates a sense of loneliness and isolation in adults. How many parents in our preschool have been transplanted to our school from other cities, states, and even countries?  In an article titled “Expatriate Family Syndrome”, American psychotherapist Cathy Tsang-Feign discusses “transient family syndrome” where she notes that families who frequently move intentionally isolate themselves and prevent themselves from forming tight relationships. In doing so, this puts tremendous pressure on families to fulfill one another’s social and emotional needs,  (http://www.cathyfeign.com/documents/tsangfeign-expatfamily.pdf), resulting in more stress and loneliness. Conducting social activities outside of regular school times, in an environment that extends outside of the classroom, provides parents with an opportunity to meet other adults with similar interests and values. This decreases that feeling of loneliness and isolation.

 

School-wide events may increase teacher job satisfaction: Raise your hand of you want to work on a Friday night! What – no takers? Why ask employees to stay late on a weekend? While it may not be a good idea to force employees to give up a weekend night, consider this: employees who see each other outside socially outside of the typical work day establish stronger personal work relationships. In a study done by Findley and Harmer on work relationships and job satisfaction, the results indicate that one’s relationships with co-workers and direct supervisor are a significant factor determining positive job satisfaction for young employees (http://www.richardharmer.com/articles/Jobsatisfactionandworkplacerelationships.pdf). Have you ever noticed how the employee you sit next to every day suddenly looks completely different to you when they put on a pair of jeans? Establishing a personal relationship outside of our professional day-to-day relationships provides us with someone we can vent to and share our daily experiences with. It also makes  lunch breaks more interesting!

 

School-wide events benefit the business: When planned appropriately, costs associated with throwing these parties are easily offset by the effects of positive parent referrals. While it’s necessary to be selective with expenditures, happy families translate into growing and thriving schools. Parent feedback and referrals are often why families choose a school for their children. Even if a successful event leads to no new enrollments, longer length of stay can be easily anticipated when student learning is enhanced, parents have greater bonds with other families within the school, and teachers are more invested in their jobs. Parents who volunteer at their children’s schools are more committed to their education and progress, thus improving the overall quality of the education provided.

 

School-wide events are fun: Our DJ/Clown/Spokesperson kept us laughing as he engaged the children in his latest rendition of the Wiggles song “Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy”. And who can forget how he got the children to make announcements on the dance floor? And after an hour of jumping around in the bounce house, tossing bean bags, and playing with their friends, the kids went home exhausted. A healthy, positive, way to end a Friday night!

 

 

The Plano Early Preschool class has expanded, and in August we opened a new classroom for children 18 months and older. Its so exciting to have Ms. Amber here as the newest addition to our school. Ms. Amber graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She is certified to teach Early Childhood through 6th grade. Amber believes in offering the children a variety of hands on and exploratory activities. Its fun to see Ms. Amber and her class walking through the halls of the school.  They are already learning classroom routines and procedures, and parents have really enjoyed the pictures and updates she has provided, detailing all the fun acitivities of the day. Ms. Amber’s class started in August with two students, and now she already has six students enrolled. This is going to be a fun year!

 

 

Ms. Lauren is the Strands teacher at The Grove School of Plano. Lauren is from the small town of Prosper, Texas. She graduated from Tarleton State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Sciences and a concentration in Child and Family Studies.  Lauren’s goal for the Strands class is for the children to develop their imaginations through fun and creative learning activities. She says, “My philosophy for learning is that each child is unique, and each child learns in a different way. One of my jobs as a teacher is to help your child discover his or her invidviduality and work alongside them to maximize it. I believe in hands-on experiences, learning through creativity, and learning through play.” Lauren has some terrific lesson ideas for this school year. Welcome aboard, Lauren. We are excited to have you here!

 

 

Ms. Leah has been teaching the pre-K class in Plano since July, and we are so happy to see the progress her students are making. Leah was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Harding University in Arkansas with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Leah comes to us with a variety of experiences, including nannying and working in pre-K and 1st grade classes. Leah enjoys going to movies and spending time with her fiance, Kevin. She’s getting married in October! Leah is a very creative teacher, and she uses a variety of approaches to delivering instruction and managing her classroom. We’re fortunate to have her with us at The Grove!

 

 

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