Last week was an exciting week for us. We held the grand opening of the new preschool wing and library at the Early Childhood Center. (See photos from the celebration here.) The spaces are truly beautiful…but more than that, they are purposeful. For the past several years, the preschool teachers at the Early Childhood Center have been studying the work of the preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The Reggio preschools are considered by many to be the best in the world, and they attract educators from around the world to study there. Through grants and collaborations with Webster University, we have been able to send principal Cyndi Hebenstreit and a teacher there to study. This year, Cyndi will take three more of our staff there because ECC held a conference on the approach last spring and raised enough money to fund a second group to visit.

The work in Reggio is focused on helping young children develop language through exploration of the natural environment and through the use of a wide range of art materials and settings. The first time I saw the work of the young children of Reggio was in 1990 when I visited an exhibit hosted by Webster University. I remember standing, awestruck by the beauty and complexity of the artistic renderings of these youngsters who had been afforded this education. And I knew that this was the kind of education every young child should have.

The new spaces at ECC allow our youngest learners to explore and develop their full potential. The spaces are truly extraordinary. Instead of the traditional five classrooms off a long hallway, the space is organized into five smaller “home spaces” where children start their day and where they return periodically. But much of their school day is spent in spaces that open onto their “homes”—miniature studios where they can paint and sculpt and build, play with sound and light, and explore music and movement and architecture. I am so pleased that we will be able to offer this amazing education in these beautiful spaces. Please make sure you stop by the ECC to see what is now in place for our youngsters thanks to the community’s support of our schools.

Sincerely,

Linda Henke
Superintendent