It is hard to believe summer is coming to an end and we will be back in school-year mode in a few short weeks!
The winds of change and transition blew through ACN this summer. We have said good-bye to some beloved teachers and will be welcoming an incredible group of beautiful teachers this year. We still have our steadfast group of support teachers: Miss Jo, Miss Sam, Miss Lynne, Miss Maya, & Miss Lori. I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to some new teachers joining us for the school year.
Little Peas - Infants
At the end of the school year we said good-bye to Miss Kirsten who had loved our youngest children so well last year. Many of you who have been with us this summer have already had an opportunity to get to know our new Lead Infant Teacher - Jessica Cummings. For those who have been off for the summer, here is a bit more about our lovely Miss Jess...
Jessica is currently finishing her A.S. degree in Early Childhood Education from Nashua Community College. She holds enough credits and experience to carry a Lead teacher position in the State of New Hampshire. Jessica discovered the beauty and wonder of Waldorf Education while attending the parent/child program at Pine Hill Waldorf School with her own daughter. She fell in love with the philosophy and quickly began to study and learn more about this approach. We are so pleased to have such a warm-hearted, loving teacher join our team caring for our youngest children. Jessica is excited to learn more about Waldorf Education. Her lovely daughter, Keira joins us in the Sweet Pea toddler group.
Big Peas - Toddlers
At the end of the school year we gave a tearful farewell to our beloved Miss Amy. I am certain she is off sailing the beautiful blue waters of Hawaii with some dolphins as we speak! It has taken the entire summer to find the unicorn we have been searching for to take up this beautiful group of toddlers. I am pleased to introduce you to Betty Mulrey, our new Assistant Director and Lead Toddler Teacher. Betty will begin with us on Tuesday, September 5th as she will be spending end of August visiting her daughter who is studying in Belgium. Please join me in providing Miss Betty with a warm welcome!
Betty was raised in VA, residing the last 33 years in NH. She has been an early childhood teacher and a center director in both public and private settings in the U.S. and abroad. She has taught early childhood courses at local colleges and universities, including a lab school where she mentored student teachers. As a school principal, she organized and designed an elementary school structure for a new school district.
Betty enjoys presenting workshops on children’s literature, puppetry, the role of therapeutic puppetry, story-telling, literacy through music and art, collaborative relationships, building meaning through the arts, problem-solving, and teaching tolerance. As a SERESC task force member, she designed indicators for culturally competent early childhood programs. She sings in a local chorus and the NH Chamber Choir. Betty holds a B.A. in math from Hartwick College, an MBA from Chapman University, an M.Ed from Rivier College with a concentration in early childhood, and an Ed.D from New England College, specializing in social problem solving in early childhood.
Betty loves to learn from the children, taking their lead as much as possible. Her personal philosophy in regard to education is as follow:
"The heart and spirit can be beautifully nurtured if we as educators pay attention and listen to those entrusted to our care. Children, teachers, families and community all need to be nourished, respected, and valued as contributing members as well as stakeholders. In this way, relationships grow in strength and value, and the environment for learning becomes rich with promise and potential. Our children need to be flexible, creative, kind, caring, and open to ways of thinking that will enable them to navigate and contribute to the world. Elbert Hubbard said, “A school should not be preparation for life. A school should be life.” Alfred North Whitehead (1967) wrote: “When you understand all about the sun and all about the atmosphere and all about the rotation of the earth, you may still miss the radiance of the sunset.” Let us ensure that those who learn from and with us have the opportunity to experience sunsets and sunrises."
Buttercup Preschool
The winds of change did not spare our Buttercup Preschool this summer. Our beloved Miss Michelle is relocating to Vermont with her family due to a promotion her husband has received and she will take on a kindergarten group at the Orchard Valley Waldorf School. We were heartbroken when we heard this news at the end of July. Again - her's are some very big shoes to fill! We are delighted to have found an equally gifted teacher to step right in and hold our Buttercups with warmth, love, and tender care. Please join me in welcoming Megan Wright as our new Lead Preschool Teacher. Miss Megan has been with us for these last couple weeks of Summer Camp. The children are already deeply in love with her and we are looking forward to a wonderful year of learning and growing together in the Buttercup class.
Megan holds a BA from the University of Rhode Island in Landscape Architecture with a minor in Studio Fine Art as well as an M.Ed. from Antioch University New England in both Elementary and Early Childhood Education. During her time studying education at Antioch University, she was able to take elective courses in Waldorf Education - this sparked a sincere interest to learn more and bring Waldorf methods into her work with children.
Most recently, Megan held the position of after care teacher at the Monadnock Waldorf School. Her experience working with children over the years encompasses a variety of settings both indoors and out. She served for two years as a Student Conservation Association Americorps intern developing curriculum for use in both state and national parks. She worked as an Outdoor Education Instructor at Nature's Classroom and Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center in West Brattleboro, VT where she facilitated programs focused on ecology, conservation, and outdoor leadership for groups of children ages 3-12. She also held the position of Lead Teacher at The Wediko School in Windsor, NH - a residential school for middle school and high school aged boys. She taught a variety of subjects, with a focus on Studio Art, Science, and Math.
Megan is deeply interested in implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum which inspires children to engage in and become more aware of our beautiful natural world. She has found her passion working with children and is eager to bring her experience in both nature and the arts to the children at A Child's Nature. On the weekends, you may find her out and about at Monadnock State Park where she is a Park Ranger!
Spanish Program
This year, we are excited to be bringing Spanish to every age group at ACN. Daniela Gamboa Soriano, former Spanish teacher at High Mowing School, will be acting as a classroom assistant and will also be introducing a Spanish curriculum to our program. We are in the process of working out the details, but our goal is to ensure every child enrolled has the opportunity to experience some Spanish fun each week.
Over the next couple weeks you will be receiving more classroom specific information about your child including end of year reports for Buttercup children from the last school year. We are looking forward to welcoming back old friends and meeting new ones. This promises to be a fantastic year at ACN!
