He was the first baby dropped off in the morning and the last baby picked up in the evening," Anne Pope says, remembering her childcare experience with baby boy Connor. When Anne and Mike Pope had their son, they had no idea how rapidly their lives would change. Anne returned to work after the birth of her baby, and like most parents, Anne and Mike struggled with the child- care decision. They planned for a friend to keep Connor during the day while Anne was at work; unfortunately, even the best plans can fall apart. "Children are only going to be young for a short time. Parents want them surrounded with people who will love and nurture them." �Anne Pope A few weeks after Connor was born, Anne's friend unexpectedly decided that she was not going to be able to serve as the baby's childcare provider. This decision left Anne and Mike scrambling to find child- care with which they felt comfortable. Very quickly, Anne discovered that not only were there few child- care providers with whom she felt satisfied, but there were also waiting lists nearly everywhere she went. As Anne's father, Don O'Brian, explains, "Anne observed that, essentially, parents need to place their child on a waiting list with a childcare provider as soon as that child is conceived." But where other parents would have become discouraged, a bright and business-oriented Anne saw a void in the childcare market for a well-developed early childhood education program. After discussing possibilities with her father, Don, the families agreed to investigate early childhood education plans and build their own facility. "We went to an orientation with the Department of Social Services," Don recalls. Anne and her father explained the type of school they were interested in establishing, and a social services representative told them about The Goddard School, an owner-operated franchise. "She explained that it was a model for the ideal early child- hood development center," Don says. The family then visited The Goddard School in Virginia Beach. "I immediately had a different feeling about that school than any of the other facilities we had visit- ed," Anne remembers. The Goddard School is an early child- hood educational facility that establishes a child's lifelong love of learning. From six weeks old, infants are cared for by certified childcare workers who adhere to a curriculum developed jointly by each school's director and teachers. Each of those school directors has a degree in early childhood education. What sets The Goddard School apart from other early childhood education centers is that the facilities are owner-operated, but a school director manages the teachers and the curriculum. Anne will maintain an office at the school to manage the facility and its marketing, and she will still have direct communication with students' parents. After checking out The Goddard School, Anne and Mike, along with Anne's parents, Don and Melissa O'Brian, decided to make a joint investment. Soon after making this decision, Anne and Mike found a piece of property off Cedar Road in Great Bridge that they felt would be an ideal location. The Goddard School headquarters agreed on the location, and the Popes and O'Brians purchased the property for the future site of their school. "There have been minor bumps through the construction process, but our contractor is ahead of schedule, and we look to open for business in February 2005," Don says with a smile. Classes will begin this winter. After classes have begun, The Goddard School will hold a grand opening event and ribbon cutting ceremony, in which city officials and interested parents can tour the facility. Radio Disney will be on location, and games and prizes will be awarded as well. "Our ribbon is made of dollar bills," Anne says with a grin. "After the ceremony, the money from the ribbon will be donated to a local charity, Equi-Kids." Equi-Kids is a therapeutic horseback riding program for children with special needs. Upon entering the vestibule in the spacious building, parents will be greeted by one of the owners or the director and buzzed into the main lobby of the school. The large classrooms are arranged with the specific needs of each age child in mind. The nursery, for instance, is designed with a separate area for cribs and an attached area for exploration with developmentally appropriate toys. Each classroom is designed with beautiful large windows and learning centers where toddlers and pre-schoolers can explore math, art, music and science. The school will also offer portable computer stations where children can learn about this technology. Outside, the building will be flanked with two large playgrounds, one for younger children and one for older children. Students will have an exciting place to call their first school. And while the building alone is enough to get them excited, Anne and her family are looking forward to seeing education in action, too. The Goddard School philosophy includes the idea that play is fundamental to learning. The school director and teachers will create their own lesson plans suited to meet the needs of individual students, and every month, activities will be designed around a central theme. While children are playing and enjoying their classmates, they also will be learning through activities like circle-time, in which they are encouraged to socialize through finger play and songs. "We will even incorporate sign-language into the curriculum, starting with the infants," Anne says, explaining that simple sign language helps a very young child avoid the frustration experienced when verbal skills are still primitive. "Our daughter, who is now four, began using sign language at seven months old," says John Raniowski, a potential Goddard parent. "She was able to tell us when she was hungry, tired, or thirsty as an infant." Goddard's program runs year-round and offers a choice of half- or full-day schedules. "The school offers before- and after-school care for children up to six years old," Anne says. "We provide more than an after-school play group. The school director and teachers will develop a kindergarten enrichment program." In the summertime, special day camp programs will be incorporated as well. The Goddard School upholds not only state quality assurance standards but also standards set by the franchise. In fact, during the first year that a school is open, Goddard requires three unannounced visits from its own Q/A team as well as two visits every year thereafter. Babies change our lives. They change the way we look at the world, see ourselves and plan our futures. For herself, Anne and her family have created a wonderful compromise. She can continue working in a professional environment of which she now has ownership, and she can feel good about bringing Connor to school every day. "Children are only going to be young for a short time," Anne muses. "Parents want them surrounded with people who will love and nurture them." For more information about enrollment or teaching positions, please go to www.goddardschool.com or call 547-2700.
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