Words cannot convey the gratitude my family has for Marie and her program. As the mother of two very prematurely born twin boys and a developmental psychologist, my threshold for what I was looking for in a daycare/educational program was quite high. Marie’s school more than met that threshold as I entrusted her with my children. Her approach is to dedicate herself, her staff and the school environment in its totality to the fostering of emotional, physical and academic development of the children in her care. She focuses on using positive reinforcement with consistent and firm boundaries that allowed my sons to feel not only safe in her care, loved but masterful and empowered to exercise their growing abilities. She uses the latest research to structure learning units and play time. For example, the playground area could one day offer treasure hunts for objects that educate, a sensory exploration of a “planet” another day or obstacle course. Marie more than once educated herself on a particular topic and then provided me with resources. For example, fine motor skill development and emotional modulation. An unexpected byproduct of Marie’s program is how she somehow created extended families between the parents and children. I have very close friendships as do my sons with other families that attended during the same time period. Marie is able to create a sense of community where children experience feeling loved and supported and in turn show those same emotions to their peers. I just do not have sufficient way to communicate what a wonderfully unique experience it is to attend Marie’s program for anyone fortunate to get a slot.
Muriel Yanez-Knoph