Admissions
Hopefully you've looked around and The Grove School feels like a great place for your child. Fantastic! We’d love to meet up with you in person, answer your questions and tell you more first hand. Shoot us an e-mail or give us a call and we’ll get back to you shortly.
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Careers
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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Let's play
Kids learn through play, but what about the grown ups? The Grove School is a playground for everyone. Join the fun!
(Psst, you can move the colored circles with your mouse.)
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  • the core experience

    themes we explore

    age groups

    before + after school

  • Each day, your child moves between structured group activities, one-on-one with teachers, and indoor and outdoor play. In everything we do, the focus is on developing critical foundational skills in language arts, math, science, social skills and personal expression. And we're always attentive to the unique personality, interests and needs of your child, suggesting appropriate activities to keep them happy and engaged.

  • the core experience

    themes we explore

    age groups

    before + after school

  • The school day also includes learning opportunities structured
    around these themes.

      • Nutritious eating habits and the importance of rest, fresh air and plenty of physical activity.
      • Self-expression through different types of media and the basics of shapes, dimension, texture and composition.
      • New experiences with rhythms, instruments, notes and musical terms.
      • Explorations of the world around us with an emphasis on ecology through the sciences.
      • Introduction to storytelling with props, puppets and costumes.

  • the core experience

    themes we explore

    age groups

    before + after school

    • EARLY PRESCHOOL
      Games, songs, movement and art help children reach developmental milestones for two year olds. They explore and discover at their own pace and gain confidence with social skills such as cooperation, sharing and taking turns.

    • PRESCHOOL
      Children are encouraged to explore with an emphasis on self-confidence and mastery of learning. Three and four year olds develop and strengthen literacy, math and science skills through thematic units and activities that combine learning and fun.

    • PREKINDERGARTEN
      Children learn to share, cooperate and practice independence through a curriculum designed to meet state and national early learning standards. We also introduce four and five year olds to projects, journaling and alphabet letters and sounds.

  • the core experience

    themes we explore

    age groups

    before + after school

  • We also offer before and after school programs to continue the day’s learning. Activities might include yoga, phonics and Spanish. Since each school offers different opportunities, please connect with the school director about your options.

 
 
 

 I am originally from Apex, but currently live in Durham, NC.  I graduated from North Carolina Central University in May 2010 with a degree in Family Consumer Science Education with a concentration in Child Development.  I have worked in the childcare industry for many years and have enjoyed every second.  I worked in the field for a few years and then decided to go get my degree in Child Development.  During that time, I have worked with all age groups. 

During my free time, I enjoy spending time with my sweet 3 year old, Natalie.  I really look forward to experiencing great new things at the Grove School.  I believe in the Grove School curriculum and believe that you can teach children at any age to value the concept of healthy bodies.  I also look forward to learning new things myself that I have not yet experienced within this field.  We are always LEARNING!! 

 

 

 

I first came to teach at The Grove, June 2011, as the soccer/fitness instructor.  I am a working mother of an active 5 year old boy named Jackson.  I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education & Health Education K-12th grade.   I have 20 years of experience as a Physical Education Teacher in Wake County Public Schools & Hillsborough County Public Schools, in Tampa Florida.    

I grew up in the sunny city of Tampa, Florida.  My soccer and sports career began in my early childhood.  I began playing soccer in my early teens and was, recruited to be the goalkeeper for a highly competitive soccer club, Black Watch Heather, in Tampa, Florida.

I was also Captain and a 3 year starter in goal for my high school team.  I received the rankings of a State, Regional and National Player.  During my senior year of high school, I was selected as Most-Athletic from my graduating class.  While attending Tennessee Wesleyan College, I studied Physical Education, competed in NAIA soccer, captained my own team, and was selected as Most Athletic and Most School Spirit for the graduating class

Today, I enjoy spending time & the outdoors with my husband Brian and son Jackson.  Professionally, I am excited about exploring all aspects of Preschool/Early Childhood Education.  I am very passionate about teaching your children fitness, the necessary skills to obtain confidence, and the determination to succeed.  I will also be seen helping out the teachers within the classrooms when the need arises for my assistance.  I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to learn the Pre-school way from the fabulous teachers at The Grove School.  I look forward to getting to know everyone as I start a permanent position with the Grove School.

 

 

Whether it is trains, planes, cars or buses, many children have a fascination with different modes of transportation.

Our PreK  Room 2 class was talking about how people get from place to place and they were very impressed that I have to use a plane when I want to go see my parents. We talked about how there is a big ocean in between the USA and Germany and the children brainstormed about how to get across the ocean.  Their ideas were “by plane”, with a “big ship” or with a “helicopter”.

As a group project for this unit we worked on a car and all the children loved to drive our home made recycled box car. We sang a song about driving in a car, honking the horn and turning our windscreen wipers on.

We learned about how wheels affect movement and we compared the distance a large, a medium sized and a small car can drive when being pushed. Some friends guessed the large car will drive the furthest, some guessed the small car and one friend guessed the medium car. We made a chart and found out that the large car drove the furthest and came up with the solution that it has the biggest wheels.

Today we fired up some balloon rockets and even had a balloon rocket race. The children learned that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. We all love science experiments!!!!!!!!

What a fun and busy week!

Ms. Stephanie is from Germany and has lived in NC for the last 14 years. She has over 20 years of experience teaching children in Germany, Canada, Australia and the United States.

 

 

The Grove School of Cary is pleased to announce the newest members of our   Leadership Team.  Ms. Katie Markelz and Ms. Stephanie Coyle have recently been promoted to Curriculum Leads.  We are very excited for them to take The Grove School of Cary to great new heights!  Below are a few words from both Ms. Katie and Ms. Stephanie about their new positions.

“It is with great honor and excitement that I have accepted the role of Core Curriculum Lead for the Grove School of Cary.  Having been a lead teacher at the Grove School for the past two years, I have seen our wonderful school community change and grow.  While contributing to the development of curriculum and instruction in the classroom, The Grove School has truly taken on an identity of its own and lives up to its claim as “a seriously fresh new preschool.”  We are a school like no other, and as Core Curriculum Lead, I will continue to support and grow all that makes us unique and wonderful.  Through providing teacher training and support, collaborating with others to establish curriculum standards, and developing our outdoor classroom, I will utilize my creativity and passion to provide what I love doing the most, creating inspiring Early Childhood Education.  I want to thank the Grove School parents and staff for your endless support and encouragement as I embark on this new adventure with our school.  The Grove School is an exceptional community of excellent education, love, and inspiration, and I am honored to play my part in it.”  ~Ms. Katie

“I am very excited about the new opportunities and challenges ahead of me and I would like to thank Ms. Lorrie and the Grove School Team for setting this trust in me to keep up the high level of education that the Grove School offers.  To give you some background information: I am a certified Kindergarten Teacher from Germany and have many years of experience teaching in Germany, Canada, Australia and the USA.  Being the Education Manager of CarolinaKinder for the last seven years gave me the hands on experience for my new position as the curriculum head.  Children are my passion in life, they inspire me, and I agree with Angela Schwindt who says “While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about!”  I am very excited that this new position will give me the opportunity to have a positive impact on every child at the Grove School.” 

~Ms. Stephanie

 

 

 

 

The Grove School of Plano celebrated Read Across America as a week-long event dedicated to Dr. Suess and literacy awareness. While holding our annual book fair in the lobby, we celebrated the animation and silliness of Dr. Suess by making each day of the week a different activity. On Monday, students and teachers wore their craziest hats. On Tuesday, students wore silly socks, and on Wednesday, they came to school with crazy hair. Thursday was pajama day, and the children were encouraged to get cozy with their favorite Dr. Suess stories. For Friday children came to school dressed up as their favorite Dr. Suess character. We concluded our activities on Friday afternoon with ice cream Sundays and a birthday party for Dr. Suess. In addition to all of our silly dress-up days, each classroom teacher hosted a series of games and activities related to Dr. Suess. Parents were thrilled to see their children so actively involved in classroom events, and the teachers enjoyed the time they had reading and dressing up with our students. We are already excited for the next school-wide event!

 

 

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”  By Dr. Seuss

The Grove School of Cary, NC embraced the READ ACROSS AMERICA campaign, while highlighting Dr. Seuss’ Birthday today.  We started our day greeting children in regular Thing 1 and Thing 2 Fashion, “We did not say much just, How do you do” and Good Morning to You!!   We were even greeted by a parent with a “Where’s your Thingamajig.” All different characters from our famous books, Ms. Katie as “The Fox in Socks,” Ms. Dawn as “A Star Bellied Sneetch,” Ms. Lorrie and Ms. Shay as “Thing 1 and Thing 2”, Ms. Stephanie as “Cindy Lou Who”, just to name a few!  We even served up a sample of Green Eggs and Ham. We heard a lot of “I do not like green eggs and ham” and a few that said, “I do so like green eggs and ham!  Thank you! Thank you, Sam-I-am!”  We had a guest reader that read this phrase, “We looked!  Then we saw him step in on the mat! We looked! And we saw him!  “The Cat in the Hat.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The culminating activity at the end of our unit on dinosaurs was exciting indeed!

The children created a volcano!

Dough, sand and other natural materials were worked together with small hands.

Eventually our dough resembled a small mountain.

More hands create an opening at the peak of the mountain top!

A recycled fruit cup container was used to hold the ingredients needed to create an eruption.

We used baking soda…a glop!

Vinegar…a slurp! 

Red watercolor paint…a decent squirt for a fiery “lava”!

We loved the result! Lots of Lava.

 Our volcano erupted ten times!!

 

 

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.

 

 

Hello all!  I am originally from Long Island, New York where I resided until 2008.  From the time I was in 6th grade I knew I wanted to work with children and was fortunate enough to have had a few teachers in my life to serve as inspiration.

While in New York I obtained an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.  This was followed by earning my Bachelor’s Degree in Child Study/Elementary Ed K-6.  Upon completing this program I began working as a Substitute Teacher for grades K-9.  After 2 years as a Substitute I began a new journey in the world of Early Childhood Education and took a job teaching Pre-K.  I was amazed at how much joy and satisfaction I got watching those children learn new things and the pride they developed in themselves.

After, a year teaching Pre-K I went back to earn my Master’s Degree in Literacy K-6.  Upon completion, I made the transition down to North Carolina where I continued my love of teaching younger children.  I began working as a younger Pre-K teacher before the school decided to begin a private Kindergarten for those children who did make the cut off.  I was asked to pilot this program and did so with tremendous enthusiasm.

For just over the last year I have been home with my daughter Isabella.  While loving every moment of it I have guiltily been feeling like something was missing.  That feeling has brought me here to The Grove School where I am extremely excited to continue on in my journey.  The difference is that I now go into it with much more insight.  As a parent, I understand even more the importance of having peace of mind when dropping off precious little ones that they are receiving the best care possible.

 

 

We have been busy working and learning all about Dinosaurs.  We like to read books about Dinosaurs, write poems and we have learned some new words.  Today we talked about the differences between carnivores and herbivores.  We learned how we could tell what they eat based on the features that they have.  We even pretended that we were dinosaurs. ROAR!

 

 

     To continue our education and learning process, the Early Preschool class decided to take their painting activity from inside the classroom to the outdoors! Earlier in the day we had been discussing weather and changing of seasons, so there was no better way to paint a picture of the sky, than taking the activity outside! The children were instructed to look up into the sky and draw whatever they see. Some drew the clouds, the sky, or airplanes; some just drew their families! It was such a wonderful experience to use the art easel in the garden and take such a great lesson outdoors!

 

 

 

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