The idea for The Crayon Academy came about at a time when I was newly engaged and looking to move back to my hometown of Kennebunk. I tossed around the idea of creating a preschool based on my knowledge and many positive experiences while working in schools in Massachusetts. I have been very fortunate to have worked in excellent centers and had fantastic mentors who have guided me and been an integral part in each step of my career. What better place to share my ideas and skills than in the town in which I grew up.

I am a graduate of Kennebunk High School and earned a degree in Psychology with a Certification in Elementary Education in 1998 from Clark University. Although I appreciate the professionalism and importance of teaching at the elementary level, I found that my niche was with young children. I found that there was a greater challenge in “winning them over” and gaining their trust which ultimately lead to a greater reward in the end. This is one challenge that I welcomed and for the first center that I worked in, a back-up/emergency center in busy downtown Boston, this skill was put to the test. I had the pleasure and the challenge of meeting 15 new families everyday and had 10-15 minutes to make each and every family member comfortable enough to want to leave their child at the center. In doing this, I gained a new-found respect and better understanding for what parents go through in searching for the “right” school or center.

My next challenge was in full-time childcare. I enthusiastically took a lead teaching position in a two year-old classroom, which most teachers shy away from due to the challenges that toddlers present. It is here that I fell in love . . . with every two year-old that stepped into my classroom. The amount of growth, cognitively, emotionally, interpersonally and mentally that children go through at this stage in their life is astounding. Not only are they grasping language and ultimately going from 1-2 word utterances to having full conversations, they also develop a unique personality, become aware of others and begin to develop empathy, and gain a significant amount of gross motor ability. They truly are little “sponges” soaking up the world around them and continually gaining new knowledge and skills every day. Each day that I worked with toddlers and preschoolers, I realized the importance of capitalizing on these developmental milestones. It is then who I realized the importance of quality teachers that have the ability to do this.

At that same center, I went on to become a Team Leader, Assistant Director and eventually Executive Director of what was once a small school of 13. At the time that I left the facility, there was a licensing capacity of 222 children. Although a great accomplishment for child care and proof of the need and desire for quality care at this level, it became too large for me to really focus on what I envisioned as important. I took all of my ideas and expectations for a preschool and used them for the basis for The Crayon Academy.

My primary focus is always the children and their safety. It is also important that the children are always challenged having fun! My goal is to create professionalism at our center as found at the elementary level. We do this by placing great value on our staff and providing them with opportunities to continually grow. Families and a strong sense of community are also what make The Crayon Academy unique. We value the opinions of parents/guardians and staff and take stock in your experiences with us. My door is always open for those who have suggestions that can add to the success of our company. We want all experiences to be positive and valuable and we strive to accomplish this as a cohesive unit, all striving to make this the best learning environment for the children.

Again, thank you for your support and WELCOME!