Reflecting on 2018 Enhancements At Bright Beginnings

2018 was an exciting year for enhancements at Bright Beginnings! Here are some highlights of what we have enhanced at our 3 schools:

• Continued adding Outdoor Classroom elements with parent assistance (Summer and Fall 2018)
• Expanded school age programs and field trips
• Completed renovations at Mill Creek and Crozet including Core Value presentations for staff, photography canvases,  renovation updates including lobby and classroom updates and added coffee stations and Parent Libraries to our lobbies.
• Hired Maria Brown, experienced director and former owner The Children’s Garden for Forest Lakes as lead Pre-K
  teacher and curriculum specialist. Maria led our awesome Hatching Baby Chicks family learning unit last spring. It culminated with a family field trip to a local baby animal farm.
• Hired Consultant Eric Nelson, M.Ed Pacific Oaks College, California and author of The Outdoor Classroom Project book and Early Childhood education professor to evaluate all outdoor spaces and design outdoor
  classrooms for all outside play spaces; led staff training session (you can learn more about The Outdoor Classroom Project).
• All staff attended Initial Outdoor Classroom retreat led by Eric Nelson from the Outdoor Classroom Project
• Classroom LED lighting redone at Forest Lakes
• Enhanced curriculum calendars
• Created structured on-boarding for all new staff for continuous engagement throughout the hiring and training process
• Managers and directors attended two national early childhood best practice conferences.  In February 2018 Ms. Brooklyn (Mill Creek Assistant Director), Ms. Alison (Mill Creek Director) and Ms. Molly (Marketing Director)  attended the SHIFT Early Childhood Conference in San Diego, California. The Shift conference is a national early childhood conference that highlights the years most innovative and progressive preschools in America. Bright Beginnings was chosen to present on Blogging for Preschools. In September 2018 Ms. Alison and Ms. Lauren (Crozet Director) attended the a early childhood conference in Boston, Massachusetts which focuses on best preschool business practices, internal preschool teacher development and teacher retention.