April and May ending rituals at SYC like the firetruck visits, the butterflies, the chicks, the family picnics and the teacher appreciation luncheon are all reminding me that these are my last such events as Director of the school. These are Adele’s last days as well and so it’s a bittersweet time. We have both loved working at SYC and I am happy to be staying on for one more year as Program Consultant a few days a week. Adele and I are planning to schedule walks and lunches together to help us through the transition.
This place nurtured me as a young parent as well as providing an emotionally safe place for my own children to grow and develop and then for me as well as I became a teacher and then director.
Jan Waters, the Director before me made a great statement that guided me as director. “Adults keep changing educational theories and ideas all the time. New standards for learning are set every once in awhile in hopes that children will learn faster. But the truth is that nothing has changed about the way children learn and grow. Children learn best by playing together. We have discovered HOW and WHAT they learn by playing, but the primary fact remains that children needs lots of time to play without a bunch of adult structure and rules.”
I know that our new co-directors Amy Rudawsky and Susan Roscigno are dedicated to keeping our school a place where children can develop and learn naturally at their own pace. This makes me feel secure in SYC’s future even through all the upset that changes can bring.
Adele and I will always be part of the SYC family along with all of you.
…Stephanie Rottmayer