Town Hall Meeting Kick Off Was A Success!

Ray Martin and Emma Lougheed share
breakfast with some friends in the
PVP Newton kitchen.

I remember one of the first things my doctor told me when I had Lucy thirteen years ago: that

whole birth plan thing? It’s a nice idea, but when the baby is ready to come out, she will. Her time, her way, regardless of any plans you might have. And that pretty much sums up parenthood in a nutshell.

Sure, you can make up all the plans you want, but the key point is being able to go with the flow. That was a sentiment that came up a few weeks ago when I was talking to James’ teacher at the parent/teacher conference back in October. Karina was showing us a picture of the kids doing an activity that was supposed to be one thing, but the kids took it in a whole other direction – and it was that much better for it.

And that pretty much sums up yesterday morning in a nutshell.

As some of you may remember from my emails, yesterday morning was the kick off to our Town Hall Meeting series. We’d envisioned a series of conversations between parents and the founders, families and Pine Village administrative staff. It would be a way for us to get to know each other on a more individual level, a give and take of sorts. The series was planned to start off with a breakfast morning during which we’d introduce the staff, say a little bit about ourselves and then do a Q&A to talk about whatever parents wanted. It didn’t quite happen that way.

The building was locked when we got there, so Pine Village co-founder Emma Lougheed and I (Jen Doyle, yours truly) ended up chatting outside for a few minutes with mom Annabella as we waited for the cavalry to arrive with the key. Not quite how we’d planned to greet our first Town Hall Meeting taker. With her boys playing outside in the yard, however, and our respective bags sitting on the ground, we stood there and got to know each other a little bit better.

So, um, no. Not at all what we’d planned. That conversation was definitely supposed to take place in a much warmer location (sorry, Annabella)! But in a way it was exactly the way it should have been in the first place. Not quite so planned and with no script to follow. Just a few moms talking in the schoolyard while the kids played.

Given that it’s actually beginning to feel like winter, however, I can’t say I’m sorry that we got into the building a few minutes later. And there, as co-founder Brid Martin and her husband/PVP Facilities Manager Ray arrived – as well as Education Director Jacie Feinberg and PVP Newton Director Kelly Cisneros – we set out the coffee and bagels, took off our coats and settled in.

Which brings me back to the plan. We were supposed to move into the meeting room off the kitchen, a lovely sitting room with couches and paneling and a gorgeous, richly woven rug. That was where the intros and the Q&A were supposed to take place. But instead what happened was that, as with any good gathering, we ended up staying in the kitchen. And rather than a structured Q&A, it ended up being more of a drop-in coffee hour, with parents coming in and out – some able to stay and chat over a cup of coffee, others just able to say a quick hello. To be honest? It was a hundred times better than what we’d planned.

We chatted about the possibility of opening up another location in the outer burbs (Acton – here we come! Um, some day, maybe…) We chatted about Saturday Spanish classes and after school programs. We chatted about school choice, preparation for kindergarten, Scholastic book orders, and how to get the word out about Pine Village. (Yelp reviews, everyone! We are very thankful for whatever kind words you are willing to share with the world-at-large!) And, I am happy to say, we ended up connecting. (Annabella, Larisa, Emily, Quyen, and Natalie – I will most certainly be in touch again soon!)

On the one hand, the conversations we had did reinforce our commitment to the Town Hall Meetings in the spring. And, yes, those will be a bit more structured than this one as they will be topic-based. But, on the other hand, we also ended up loving this morning’s gathering so much that we’re going to do it at all the schools. So stay tuned – drop-off, drop-in coffee hours are coming soon to a location near you!

And, yeah. About that birth plan. Our launching of the Town Hall Meetings series wasn’t quite exactly what we’d planned, but the end result was so much better. We can’t wait to connect with more of you soon.

Open House Dates

Hello! We will be holding open houses at each of our locations over the next month. Please see below for more information. If you'd like to view the dates by school, you can see our events page at: http://mybilingualpreschool.com/events/

We welcome families looking for preschool spots in the 2014-2015 school year for children 15 months through 4 years old. (And we still have a few spots available for the 2013-2014 school year as well. Please contact our Enrollment Coordinator at enrollmentpvp@yahoo.com if you would like more information.)

And current families - don't forget that if you refer a family to us and they contract, you receive a referral bonus. (Just make sure they note your name in the "How did you hear about Pine Village?" section on their application form.)

All events are free and open to the public; however, we do ask that you RSVP at http://mybilingualpreschool.com/events/http://mybilingualpreschool.com/events/ (scroll down to the bottom of the page for the RSVP form) if you are planning on attending so that we can prepare appropriately. 

Open House Dates, Locations, and Activities:
All Open Houses are at 6:00 p.m.; for more information about each location, please see http://mybilingualpreschool.com/locations/.

Wednesday, November 6
Needham (65 Fourth Avenue; Needham)
Activity: Círculo del Amor (Circle of Love)


Thursday, November 7
Jamaica Plain - Centre St. (633 Centre St.)
Activity: TBD

Kendall Square (695 West Kendall St.; Cambridge)
Activity: Spanish Story Time


Wednesday, November 13
South End (700 Harrison Ave.; Boston)
Activity: Painting; making bracelets and necklaces


Thursday, November 14
Jamaica Plain - Revere St. (1 Roanoke St.)
Activity: Círculo del Amor (Circle of Love)

Newton (1326 Washington St.; West Newton)
Activity: Circle Time

Porter (2067 Mass. Ave.; Cambridge)
Activity: Sensory tables


Wednesday, November 20
Brighton (617 Cambridge St.)
Activity: TBD

Come for the Spanish, Stay for the Love

Part of what sets
Pine Village apart:  co-founders
Brid and Emma

A few weeks ago, I joined PVP’s Enrollment Director Kendra Bucklin at Back Bay’s Kingsley Montessori Meet the Schools Night. One of the questions that a prospective parent asked me was, What sets Pine Village apart from all the other schools out there? For someone who can go on for hours about "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (don’t ask; truly; hours is not an exaggeration), you’d think that I could have been a bit more articulate about a place I love sooooo much when asked that question. And yet I have to admit, I kind of bumbled my way through it.

I mean, of course I talked about the bilingual/Spanish part. That’s a given. And after a minute or so of babbling the kinds of clichés that any other high-quality preschool could babble, I did finally say that, upon learning that we were pregnant with kid #3 after kids #s 1 and 2 were well out of Pine Village, one of my first thoughts was: thank goodness, we get to go through Pine Village again. But I’m not entirely proud of my performance with that particular parent. And I was grateful for Kendra who stepped in and rescued the entire conversation.

Several minutes after the parent left the table, seeing that I was still ruminating on my not-so-great showing, Kendra very nicely didn’t mention how tongue-tied I’d been, but instead said something that has stuck in my head for these last several weeks: “Families come for the Spanish, but they stay for the love.”

Will and me

Our story is slightly different. We didn’t choose Pine Village specifically for the Spanish. Although we loved the idea of a bilingual preschool – and some day I’ll be happy to go on about the long-term benefits for our kids, now respectively eight and five years later – what struck us about Pine Village from the start was exactly what Kendra said: the love.

Not that there aren’t preschools out there that don’t share a similar philosophy. Not every place is a nameless, faceless corporate monolith. And, o.k., yes (she begrudgingly said), even the nameless, faceless monoliths have amazing teachers and staff and are overflowing with love. 

But I can’t help it; Pine Village is different. For us it always has been. And although I still have a problem fully articulating why – it’s hard to translate that gut-busting, warmth that spreads deep inside whenever I see my kids in the Pine Village environment into words – this weekend I was reminded a little bit as Will (i.e., kid #2) and I walked with Pine Village in the Boston Pride Parade.

This was the first time that our family has had a chance to participate. I’m not sure where we’ve been for all these years, but we do travel a lot, so it’s not always easy for us to do the weekend stuff. Since I’ve been working more closely with Pine Village over the last few months, though – and since I haven’t had a chance to partake in a lot of the other events that PVP has been represented at over that time – I really wanted to share in the experience. And what an experience it was.

The Pine Village Crew

There’s something about walking through the streets with thousands of people cheering you on that brings a smile even to the surliest of faces. And, well, Will can most definitely be on the surly side; it’s been known to happen enough that I have a whole series of photos of Will sulking his way through various landmarks – Monticello, Four Corners…

Luckily, the surliness isn’t usually part of what Will shows the public for the most part; that is mostly reserved for those of us on the homefront. But knowing this other side of him exists and seeing it are two entirely different things. Watching Will scoot his way from side to side of the parade route, seeking out kids to give stickers and seed packets to, was, well, gut-busting and warmth-spreading. If I hadn’t been so focused on not tripping and falling on my face in front of the crowds, I might even have cried a little. (O.k., so maybe I did. Cry that is.)

Beacon: the final stretch

But what also made me smile was knowing that I was marching with an organization – a preschool – that doesn’t only talk the talk, it walks the walk. (Literally. I clocked 19,000+ steps!) And it’s been doing so for years. Long before it was fashionable – for ten years, to be precise – Pine Village has been marching in the Pride Parade. It was the first preschool and toddler program to do so, and it’s been doing so each year, ever since. More importantly, it’s been preaching – and carrying through – the message of acceptance for all families – regardless of family makeup, regardless of background, regardless of just about anything else you can think of – since day one.

So, yes, Pine Village is definitely about the Spanish. It is a Spanish immersion program, after all. But what is also infused through every moment, action, and its very existence, is the love. Every family, every child, every day.

Coming Soon to a Location Near You!

With all this lingering snow and ice around, it's hard to imagine that spring is right around the corner. (Wait! Not right around the corner – this week! Yesterday!!!! Officially, at least. My slip and fall on the ice in front of our house first thing yesterday was not my favorite way to celebrate, however. Yes, that's me and my Hello Kitty band-aid at the right. Alas.) So folks at Pine Village have been working on lining up spring and summer events.

As you know, last Thursday night we held Open Houses at all of our schools. We'd also planned Open Houses for this past Tuesday morning but the snow thwarted our plans – we'll be sure to post new dates as soon as we have them. Nevertheless, it was great to see so many new faces last week – we can't wait to see everyone again soon!

And what better way to do that than to have you all come to Education Director Jacie Feinberg's (also rescheduled) CD Launch on March 22 at the Newton school (10:00 a.m.). As you may recall, the launch was originally scheduled for a couple of weeks ago, but we had to postpone that due to snow as well. (Um, hello? Spring? Are you out there?) Bring your family, bring your friends – we hope to see you there! (If you haven't had a chance yet, please read more about Jacie and the CD in the blog post from March 7.)

Additional CD Launch parties will be held on Saturday, April 6 (10 a.m.; South End School) and Tuesday, July 2 (noon; as part of the Kendall Square Corporation's Free Summer Concert Series at 300 Athenaeum Street). These events are free and open to the public. For more event details (including an RSVP form) and school locations, see the Pine Village website.

In addition to the above events, we'll be at the 2013 Cambridge Science Festival's Science Carnival on Saturday, April 13, noon – 4 p.m. The Carnival takes place at the Cambridge Public Library and grounds, the CRLS Tennis Courts, and the War Memorial Field House (449 Broadway, Cambridge). See more at: http://www.cambridgesciencefestival.org/  We're not sure yet where we'll be specifically, but we'll let you know when we find out. The event happens rain or shine. Be sure to mark your calendar! (Update: Our booth will be located in the tennis courts, in the tent across from the library!) 

We also plan on being at the event for SLOAN students in early April as well as some association events in Kendall Square and the South End. And we welcome your suggestions on other events that you'd like to see us attend, not to mention local organizations you think we should join. As our friends and families, you are our ears on the ground, so to speak, so don't hesitate to let us know what you think. You can send suggestions and ideas to me at pvpjen@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Come Sing With Us!

UPDATE: Come join us on 4/6/13 at 10:00 a.m. at our South End school for Launch Party #2! 

This week PVP Education Director Jacie Feinberg unveils her first Spanish-language CD with songs written for the toddler/preschool set. There will actually be several launch parties, the first being tomorrow (Friday, 3/8) at PVP Newton (1326 Washington Street, West Newton) at 10:00 a.m. Bring your kids/family/friends for the sing-along; everyone who attends gets a free CD.

Music has been a part of Jacie Feinberg's life since she was a little girl. She played piano for nine years and took several guitar lessons when she was in seventh grade. Although she and her teacher's style didn't quite mesh, she was determined and ended up teaching herself to play guitar. She's been doing covers and writing original songs ever since. She stopped playing guitar in high school, but picked it up again when she began working in early education in 1998 and incorporated music into her circle times.

"I think it's a wonderful way to bring music to life," she says. "Having the guitar was such a great way to travel and visit other schools." It gave her the chance to bring music to as many kids as she possibly could.

With a background in Spanish education (Jacie started taking Spanish as a seventh grader and has always felt a connection to the language and culture), she started out thinking that she'd be working in the 7th-12th grade range. But in college, as soon as she began a job with a family childcare, she knew that she wanted to focus on the early education piece. She hasn't looked back.

When Jacie joined Pine Village, she started doing weekly music classes in her own school (after a year of being a Pre-K teacher, she became Director of PVP Newton in 2008). Then she branched out and brought her music to other Pine Village schools. After having twin girls, Jacie returned in December 2011 to become Pine Village's first Education Director. The new position showed the growth not just of Jacie, but of Pine Village as well. With eight schools now making up the Pine Village family, part of Jacie's job has been to help unify and systemize the curriculum amongst all of the locations by creating unified templates and ways of presenting the curriculum to all of the PVP families.

She distributes curriculum ideas to all of the staff on a monthly basis as inspiration. And each week, she sends out her “Ideas de Inspiracion” in an internal blog to the teachers that documents what's going on in all of the schools. Topics range from bulletin board design to pictures of each school's dramatic play areas to ideas on how to document each child's progress. The overall common factor, though, is that these tools allow Pine Village to really tap into the wealth of resources from all of the teachers in all of the schools. Jacie also provides curricular support, training for new teachers, and, basically, whatever other support she can provide so that teachers can be at their best every single day. 

It's been a longtime dream of Jacie's to compile the songs she's used in her classes and have a CD as another home/school connector. As she visits all the schools, parents often say to her, 'I want to know the songs. How do I sing these at home?' The CD provides a way for the kids to relate to the language and listen in their cars, but it also allows the parents to learn along with their children.

Although this was part of the reason behind the development of the CD, Jacie has seen the evidence of this firsthand with her own kids. "Ever since I received the CD," she says, "I've listened to it to and from the school every day – because my girls ask for it on the hour commute. They get so excited. Because they listen to it every day, and the songs are so repetitive – which is how they're designed – they anticipate the songs, they know what's next in the order, they repeat the phrases over and over again. And they're 19 months. I see the benefit in the way they are beginning to communicate."

And for those of us who aren't native Spanish speakers? Jacie's mother doesn't speak Spanish at all but through the CD she's picking up phrases and connecting with her granddaughters on that level as well.

The CD has a mix of traditional and original songs – out of a total of thirteen songs, eleven are original. When it comes to her own inspiration, the world is Jacie's oyster, so to speak. "I have a song about a fish who doesn't know how to swim," Jacie says. "Adding that element of silliness to a song makes it memorable for the children. Imagining a fish that doesn't know how to swim, but it knows how to fly, run, jump, sleep, read..."

Jacie wants to get the kids moving, and she likes to use props so that the kids have hands-on experiences. “With the language learning, I feel there's a total physical response (TPR in language-learning circles). The children are associating movements and actions with the words in the songs; it helps them to memorize, to internalize the songs, to start to reproduce and communicate and sing along. The song called "En Mis Botas" is about jumping in different colored boots. As the kids jump along, they sing along.” Using catchy melodies allows children of all ages to be able to connect with the language.

Doing the music is just a component of Jacie's job, but it keeps her connected to the kids and teachers, and, as she says, it fills up her "metaphorical cup of happiness." Getting into the schools, connecting with the kids, having them call her name when she walks in because they're so excited… It's what teaching is all about.

For Jacie, the ability to combine her love of the language of music and of working with young kids has been a dream come true. "I love Pine Village," she says. "I love working for Pine Village. Just to be able to send my girls to such an amazing program – to be able to give my kids the exposure to a foreign language and another culture – is such a gift. I see the results already within my own children."
 
If you can't make it to this week's Launch Party, join us in April (4/6/13, 10:00 a.m.; Pine Village South End) or July (7/2/13, noon; part of the Kendall Square Corporation's FREE Summer Concert Series, 300 Athenaeum Street) instead. Or come to all three!
All events are free and open to the public.