“It’s a dream come true for me. The most important gift we can give our children is access to the highest quality education possible, one that is grounded in a nurturing environment rich with top-notch teacher-child and child-child interactions, as well as a support structure that makes it safe to learn, explore, and make mistakes. I always knew I wanted to get back into teaching preschoolers but I didn’t want to do it like everyone else. Young children learn best through their experiences and relationships. I didn’t want to get back into teaching at preschools where children are kept in one room all day, waiting for new experiences to come to them or a place where a child is assigned to a new teacher every year on their birthday. I wanted to design a multi-room learning suite complete with a working kitchen, a gross motor space, an art studio, a dramatic play community room, and a few different learning spaces. Teaching is the most wonderful way I can give back to my community. It was important to me to incorporate our community into each child’s learning experience,” Denine said. “I wanted the program to be one with mixed ages, where each child is able to learn as quickly or slowly as they needed in order to reach their fullest potential. Personally, it drove me absolutely nuts when my own daughter was walking at 7 months but had to wait 7 more months before she could be moved to the next room where she could get a toddler’s experience.

After a lot of planning, our school is finally here. A preschool for the next generation in Newton, where young children have a voice in their education, responsive learning spaces, and where a single teacher remains a child’s teacher for all their years in preschool.”