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Phyllis Phelan - Director When Here Wee Grow! first began 14 years ago my goal was to create a preschool environment where teachers support the nurturing and learning of your children's needs and where each child's natural curiosity and creativity was developed. Here Wee Grow would be dedicated to providing the foundation to encourage a child's lifelong love of learning. With the help of dedicated pastors, staff, Board members and members of the Hazardville United Methodist congregation, we have a dynamic school where children can grow…."we are like flowers growing together". Here Wee Grow! is a nationally accredited preschool (NAEYC) Our first time through the accreditation process came during our second year of operation. We come up for re-accreditation this spring. The accreditation system is more complex and involved that ever before, but Here Wee Grow! takes pride in pursuing its NAEYC accreditation a fourth time! My personal philosophy is quite simple, 'the more you believe in a child, the more they will believe in themselves'. Thus together we can strive to learn new things, make new friends and acquire the necessary skills to take us to the next level. Being from a family of educators, I learned early on to expect the best with the people you work with and the children you have in your classroom; be consistent, persistent and patient to achieve the goals you set for yourself and for your students. And, last but certainly not least, smile. "Smiles are like sunshine. They can brighten a day." On a personal note, my husband Tom and I have lived in Enfield for 23 years. Tom is a native of New York City and like many have discovered, my 'twang' is from the south, Texas to be exact. We have two wonderful children. Grace is a graduate of The University of Rhode Island and Tufts University. She is a registered dietitian and nutritionist at New England Medical Center, Boston. Our son Patrick received his degree from Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina with a double major in Political Science and Spanish. He is a professional soccer player playing for the New England Revolution. Patrick married Margaret (Maggie) Reddington on January 10 in Chatham, Ma. They make their home in Mansfield, MA. Maggie also graduated from Wake Forest this past December. Away from school I enjoy trips to the mountains, gardening, decorating shows, music and time with the family. A member of Hazardville United Methodist Church, I have severed on many committees but at present I am the chairperson of Christian Education and a member of the Church Council. On occasion I have filled in for the church organist and directed various productions such as "Walk Through Holy Week" and the 'Live Nativity" during the Christmas season. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a Master of Science degree in Speech and Language Pathology. Both degrees were received at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. Thank you for taking the time to check out our web sight. We welcome your calls and your input. |
Birthplace: Henderson , Texas Favorite Restaurant: Max's Hobbies: Going to sporting events, especially watching my son play soccer, The Theatre, Road trips to Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, collecting cut glass knife rests and gardening. Something you have not done yet but want to do:...go to Ireland Favorite Food: Steak and anything chocolate! "I became a teacher because my parents were educators and great role models. Seeing how much enjoyment and pride they got made me think of teaching as a profession. I love kids! I started at the high school level and here I am teaching 3 and 4 year olds!" One thing about teaching that surprised me: Bored is a word a teacher of young children can never use because there is NEVER A DULL MOMENT! 3 Words that describe my teaching: being enthusiastic , expecting the best, and supporting creativity. Favorite Children's Book: The Giving Tree Favorite Children's Song: A Friend is a Wonderful Thing |