“The best part of The Children’s School was the care, of course, given to our children and the proximity to campus,” stated SJU Hawks Women’s Basketball Head Coach Cindy Griffin.
“Knowing that you could pop over to see your kids was a huge comfort for us. All three of my children, now ages 22, 20 and 17 attended.
Coach Griffin continued, “The Children’s School was my saving grace. There is no way my husband and I could have had successful careers and raise a family had we not felt totally confident in the teachers and the administrators, Margot Adams and Sharon Walton, at the Children’s School.
“My children were well taken care of and prepared for elementary school both educationally and socially.”
SJU Associate Professor of Philosophy Lorraine Keller, PhD remarks, “It’s hard for me to say what the best aspect of The Children’s School is, there are so many great features.
“The things that stand out to me are the teachers and staff, the programming, and the space itself.
“Everyone who works there is very friendly and welcoming, and the teachers are great.
“They put a lot of work into their curriculum, which is very developmentally appropriate.
“The kids go outside a lot, which is great, and they also have music class, gymnastics (tumble tots), yoga, Spanish, and sports (soccer shots in the past, hoops currently).
“It’s great to know that your child is engaged in such a wide variety of activities in school — it takes pressure off of parents to schedule a bunch of activities outside of school for their child.
The classrooms themselves are very nice, especially the upstairs rooms (preschool and pre-K), which have high ceilings and lots of natural light.
“And the playground is great — it’s totally fenced in, which I appreciate as an important safety feature, and has play equipment for all ages, including a big sandbox that the kids really enjoy.
“I feel like I’m part of a community there, and can trust that my child is well-looked-after.
“Especially for those who work at SJU, the school is conveniently located close to campus, there are other SJU families there, and you receive a discount on tuition.”
According to notes from Executive Director Margot Adams, in 1996, the Children’s School at Saint John’s was established after an extensive feasibility study conducted by a subcommittee of the Commission on the Status of Women and the Administrative/Staff Council’s Child Care Subcommittee at Saint Joseph’s University.
The purpose of the study was to provide quality child care services for its employees and adult students.
The Children’s School Executive Director Margot Adams, in consultation with School Director Sharon Walton and teachers, plans a monthly flyer for families to enjoy the various themed activities. (Submitted by Mary Brown)
The Children’s School at Saint John’s was founded as a collaboration between Saint Joseph’s University and the Church of Saint John’s in Bala Cynwyd.
Generally, eighty children are enrolled on a daily basis in this non-denominational program.
The school’s Board of Directors comprises two members from Saint Joseph’s University, two members from The Church at Saint John’s, one Community Representative, one Parent Representative and the school’s Executive Director and Director.
Its Mission is based on the belief that young children need to be actively involved through play and opportunities to explore, experience, and succeed.
The curriculum is designed to foster the social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs of the children, informed by widely accepted theories and principles of child growth and development.
SJU President Dr. Cheryl McConnell’s outstretched arms illustrate her story time selection “I LOVE YOU THIS MUCH” during her visit to The Children’s School. (Photo submitted by Mary Brown)
The curriculum includes an integration of those components to offer a well-rounded and hands-on set of daily activities.
The Children’s School has been successful since its inception by providing high-quality care and continues to be driven by its mission today.
As a result, the school has obtained and maintained significant achievements: Certification by the Department of Public Welfare (DPW), Accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Children (NAEYC), and a four-star rating from the Pennsylvania Keystone STARS Initiative.
In addition to being a child-centered organization, The Children’s School at Saint John’s acknowledges the invaluable role of the teachers and staff.
Thus, The Children’s School strives to attract and retain well-educated and well-compensated teachers to reflect and reward their skills, knowledge and experiences in the field of Early Childhood Education.
Competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package are given to all employees, including health insurance, vacation, retirement and college tuition credit through successful coursework at Saint Joe’s.
As stated in the initial “Program Proposal for the Children’s School of Saint Joseph’s University,” the major goals for the school included:
Establishing a nurturing environment for the children of adult students and employees at a location that is safe and convenient
Improving the productivity and attendance of employees
Providing a lab school setting for students who are studying in a variety of disciplines
Providing an additional marketing tool for recruitment of new students and prospective faculty members and employees.
The collaboration between Saint Joseph’s University and The Children’s School at Saint John’s has provided numerous benefits for both institutions throughout the years and continues to be valuable today.
Katie Shields, SJU Associate Vice-President of University Advancement, enrolled her daughter in the very beginning, December 1996 and her son started in September 1999.
Both children stayed with The Children’s School until they began kindergarten at their local parish.
Shields recollected, “In those early years, The Children’s School was new and growing.
“It expanded both in enrollment and in its footprint as the years progressed, especially adding the playground.
“The kids both had a great experience and it gave us peace of mind that they were well taken care of while we both worked.
“Both kids were definitely prepared for kindergarten as a result of the foundation which they received at The Children’s School.
“I fondly remember taking my daughter to Miss Margot’s wedding at which she had a photo taken of all of the kids from The Children’s School in attendance.”
Christina and Bryan Brown of Narberth commented, “Our daughter looks forward to school each day because of the welcoming community and staff.
“She has thrived in its supportive and engaging environment.”
For information about The Children’s School at Saint John’s in Bala Cynwyd, call (610) 664-4588.