Ms. Jill

Children learn by doing! In the right environment, a child’s natural curiosity combined with active learning can really kickstart a lifelong love of learning. I believe (and studies back this up) that children between 0-3 are making important connections that cannot be replaced later in life, and I am passionate about nurturing those connections and offering children a place to learn, grow, and be independent. Our approach focuses on art and literacy and combines the Montessori and High Scope methods, and I’ve seen firsthand how very successful this combination is! My degrees in education and art and passion for early childhood literacy brought me to teaching, and thirty years later it still brings me so much satisfaction and joy to see how our little learners blossom and thrive in the special environment we have created at Small Bears.

Our thoughtfully organized daily routine allows children to get the most out of their time here. We start the day with literacy centers and free choice activities like dramatic play, puzzles, blocks, or puppets. Next, we spend time on our monthly theme. ‘Apples’ in September meant apple stories, art projects, and recipes. Morning meeting follows, where we talk about the weather and calendar and have an interactive read-aloud. Show and tell is next, then snack, story time, and a recess with fun and engaging games and activities that encourage gross motor skills. On rainy days, we keep things moving indoors with dancing, marching band, exercises, or gymnastics. Afternoon brings math, science and writer's workshop, where students write stories and create art to go with them. After another recess and snack, it’s time to clean up and go home after a day of enrichment and activity!

Small Bears is a fantastic start to a child’s educational life! Our program has a strong art and literacy focus, meets curriculum standards, and develops heaps of skills and confidence. We focus on the whole child, and students learn by doing (with teacher support and guidance) using many different types of interesting and fun materials. We follow a set daily routine and continuously assess students to be sure they are getting just what they need as individual learners. Caregiver involvement is a big part of our program, from the collage poster that families make to start the year to classroom visits and chaperone and volunteer opportunities. We want families to share in their child’s experience here, and we love for them to share their unique culture and traditions with us! Small Bears is really a small village, made up of teachers, children, and their families.