Instill : The Grove School: A seriously fresh new preschool in Cary and Plano!

Instill a love of learning
Children at The Grove School are taught how to learn. We encourage children’s natural curiosity and reflection while developing interpretation and problem-solving skills. All of these are crucial to future success.

Tales from a no-plan summer

Britt Stromberg | May 12, 2010 | Comments (3)

Flying kites with Dad

Summer’s coming. For me, that used to inspire anxiety. Because balancing work, children’s activities and family trips felt impossible. Plus the pace was exhausting.

Then I read an article by news columnist Danny Westneat about the summer that his family didn’t schedule anything. What a compelling idea! Last summer, my family gave it a try. No camps. No lessons. No major plans. In their place: ample room for spontaneity, relaxation and time to bond.

My daughter had nothing to do but be a kid. She spent days with my husband (a teacher with summers off) at local parks and riding bikes. She played with neighborhood friends. She watched ants travel the cracks in our sidewalk. I was in our garden, often with my daughter right beside me. And we learned together about planting flowers and food.

As a family, we savored slower-paced weekends, with time to witness the daily rhythm of our neighborhood. And we took a few ad-lib camping trips. It was all wonderful.

Planting bean seeds

The positive results were immediately clear. My husband and I found that our focus was more on our daughter. Not on the logistics of the next event. She got the opportunity to practice unexpected skills, like nurturing the planet, relationship building and creative play. We all felt energized and close.

What we learned: We were happier because we were deliberate about planning our summer experience.

Do you have stories of a no-plan summer? Be sure to share them in the Comments section below. And check back for more summer-related posts throughout May.

Ava swinging

Britt is the editor of The Grove School website. She's got 15 years of writing and editing experience, a 6 year old daughter, a garden and a healthy obsession with all things green.

Keywords: Grove School, no plan summer, summer activities

Stick a fork in it!

Scott Andersen | February 1, 2010 | Comments (2)

Well, I am done. Yep, I am done using plastic silverware. Yes, my utilization of one of the greatest oxymoronic icons of Americana is being put to rest by me as of this date. I am no longer going to use plastic knives, forks, or spoons. Thanks to one of our teachers, Sharon Calle, I am committing to use my new bamboo ware at work. For around $10, I found the set shown in the picture.

It makes me wonder how many disposable forks, etc. I have thrown away during my life. The way I eat, I know it is way too many!

So now after I eat lunch here at work, I will take the extra minute to wash my new bamboo ware and tuck it away in its little pouch to be used again the next day.

Why don’t you join me in this?

Scott, a.k.a. Dr. Andersen, is our Head of School in Cary, NC. He brings 16 years of experience as a teacher and school/district administrator. He has also worked as a photojournalist and software developer.

Keywords: Cary, Dr. Scott Andersen, Eco Friends, Grove School, Head of School, healthy planet

Global education and why it matters

Saras Ramamoorthy | October 26, 2009 | Comment

Global education is a term used a lot these days. You may have heard it on the news or read about it in newspapers or magazines. Global education is often used in connection with early childhood curriculum programs. Let’s take a look at what global education means and why it is important for young children.

Before discussing what global education is, it may be helpful to know what global education is not. Global education is not a collection of one-time activities that promote a “tourist approach” to learning about different communities of the world. Nor is it taught in connection with seasons and holidays as a means of comparing and contrasting cultures. Global education is, however, about promoting a perception of the world in terms of “unity within diversity,” helping children to recognize what is similar and unique among cultures. For example, children learn that although individuals and groups of people may have different views of life, they also have common needs and wants. Additionally, global education seeks to instill in children a sense of belonging to a larger world community, which fosters the idea that world systems are interconnected and interdependent. Finally, global education gives children glimpses of the world through the eyes of others, thereby promoting acceptance and tolerance.

We live in a world that grows smaller every day. Advances in technology have shortened the distance between countries and continents. It is easier than ever before to travel to faraway places. The ability to communicate with people on the other side of the globe requires little more than a few clicks on a keyboard, and news that occurs thousands of miles away is received within minutes after it occurs. As we continue to connect with people around the world in these and other ways, we come to see how much our future depends on our ability to cultivate global relationships.

Of course, children’s lives are also affected by new technology and the shrinking global landscape. For example, most school-age children are very comfortable communicating with family and friends through e-mails and text messaging. Children see and hear local, national, and international news on the TV or Internet every day. At school, children interact and play with peers who may speak other languages, celebrate different traditions, and live different lifestyles. It is important that we also help children navigate this exciting and ever-changing landscape.

Teaching Global Education to Children

Among the principles of global education is the notion that global education is basic education, and that it can be interwoven among other disciplines, such as reading and writing, math, and music. For this and other reasons, global education can be seen as lifelong learning—that is, it is not something that can be adequately addressed in a short amount of time. Thus, it is never too early to begin teaching global education to children. As a parent, there are many ways to incorporate global education into your child’s learning. Here are a few.

• Talk with your child about how different people live, eat, play, and work around the world. Seek out high-quality books from your local library or bookstore, such as Children Just Like Me by Unicef. Ask your child questions about the books you read together, encouraging him or her to find the similarities and differences among people around the world.
• Use technology appropriately. The Internet can be a great source of child-appropriate websites about different cultures and places of the world. Be sure to research all websites beforehand to ensure they are appropriate for your child.
• Play games with and expose your child to toys, puzzles, and games from other countries. Since all children play with games and toys, they are a wonderful and fun way for children to learn more about other cultures.
• Attend cultural events in your area to show your child that there are many ways of living, eating, and celebrating. Visit local cultural centers to explore how different people and cultures are the same and different.
• Listen to music CDs from other countries with your child. Combining music with learning is one of the best ways for young children to learn. Try to find translations of the lyrics to help your child learn new words too.
• Encourage your child to learn a new language. Better yet, learn a new language together!
• Finally, always talk respectfully and openly about similarities and differences among people. For example, try to discover the names of some of the unique clothing people in other countries wear, rather than call them “special outfits” or “costumes.”

By engaging in these and other activities regularly, your child will be well on his or her way to becoming a global citizen.

Saras is a program development specialist in our Education and Training Department and the mother of an infant. She has two Master’s degrees, one in Child Development and Family Studies and the other in Special Education, develops program materials, and conducts curriculum research for our schools.

Keywords: global education, Grove School

Our harvest

Laura Como | October 24, 2009 | Comment

Will I see you give
More than I can take?
Will I only harvest some?
As the days fly past
Will we lose our grasp
Or fuse it in the sun?

Did she wake you up
To tell you that
It was only a change of plan?
Dream up, dream up,
Let me fill your cup
With the promise of a man.

–Neil Young, Harvest

I believe that part of parenting is planning for a harvest. If we plant the seeds, nurture the growth, and support the essence of experiential life direction through learning into adulthood, then the issues of our time–energy conservation, sustainability, and consideration of loving oneself and others–will not be a function of choice but a part of life itself.

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.