When we moved to Vienna in 2002, I started searching for a preschool for our 2-year-old daughter, Amelia. When I found Meekins, I knew the search was over. I was especially impressed that the Meekins curriculum was play-based, rather than teacher-led. In our overly competitive area, I know that there is a lot of pressure to push our kids to succeed, but I believe that leading kids rather than pushing them makes for happier children and better learning outcomes in the long run. Amelia entered the 3s class the next year and loved every minute of her time at Meekins. Her younger sister, Tallie, started at Meekins the following year and had an equally wonderful preschool experience. When I was in the classroom, I could see that every child was busy with a chosen activity and that all the children were learning something all the time. When both girls entered Kindergarten, they were well-prepared for the challenge of learning academic skills and have continued to be enthusiastic and creative students. I am convinced that their time at Meekins set the stage for their continued success in school and positive attitude toward learning.
I grew up in Sharon, Massachusetts, as the oldest of four children. I had always considered teaching or some type of human services field as a career choice. I graduated from William and Mary with a degree in Psychology, and followed that with a Masters degree in Special Education from George Mason University. I have worked with children with disabilities in many different settings: preschool special education classrooms here in Fairfax County, preschoolers with Autism in Massachusetts, even kids with severe disabilities in England for a summer. Although my students had special needs, I saw them first and foremost as young children and tried to provide them with typical preschool activities and experiences, so the developmentally appropriate approach that Meekins uses is second nature to me. Teaching special ed also taught me that everyone can participate in every activity, that everyone learns something from every activity, and that setting up the environment to allow children to learn is more successful than just telling them what they need to know.
We love living in Vienna. It reminds me of the small town I grew up in, where there was a feeling of belonging and community that we could sense, even as children. Meekins gives me that same feeling—its small size and parent involvement make it like a second family for the children (and the parents, too). I am excited about being part of such a wonderful community.
