Hi, I would like to take the chance to introduce myself, my name is Patti, and I have been working in Early Childhood for over 20 years. Little Treasures has been in the works for a little over 2 years now. I have been back and forth with opening since the fall of 2019, I had everything in place, and then Covid hit. When the world shut down so did my idea of what I wanted to do, there were so many uncertainties. Things have certainly changed in the last couple of years, but one thing that has not is my love for kids and wanting to get back into Early Childhood Education. I think we have learned enough now about covid that we can get back to living our lives safely, so I am ready to move forward again with my program.

About me: I am a mother of four grown boys and a grandmother to two of the cutest and sweetest little grandsons. I have an AAS Degree in Early Childhood and as I said, I have 20+ years’ experience teaching in preschool programs. Three years were in County run Head Start classrooms and seventeen were in a local Christian Preschool where I was also the director. I also spent 2 years working as a special ed para within the school district. 

About my program: As a preschool teacher I know the importance of introducing children to a variety of learning opportunities. If children are given these in a fun relaxed way, it makes learning come naturally. I am excited to work with a small number of children and have the time to work more one on one with them. They will get the social aspect of being with other kids, learning how to share, taking turns and being able to work and play with each other. When age appropriate, we will work on colors, shapes, letters, and numbers in a fun and hands-on way. At this age children learn best through play, and we should make learning fun, so it does not feel like work. For young ones I will provide opportunities for exploration through touch, sight, and sound. Introduce them to textures, sing songs, read books, and provide a variety of toys to their daily playtime. 

In my spare time: I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I lost my husband in 2017 so that makes family time that much more important to me. My boys, my family and my friends have been a godsend to me. My grandsons I cannot even begin to explain how they have changed my life. They are the most precious gifts I could have ever gotten, and they mean the world to me. I also enjoy doing a little bit of traveling when the opportunity arises. One of my sons lives in Colorado which is one of my favorite places to visit. I enjoy spending time out on the lake at my sister's cabin, I enjoy long walks, taking scenic car rides and meeting up with girlfriends for "girls time", (I did mention I raised four boys and have two grandsons). One of my hobbies that people tend to think is strange is working at a local restaurant. Some people see it as a job, I see it as a social outing. I have been there since 2005 and work very part time. I still enjoy my time there, so I choose to continue to do it.

Thank you for taking the time to read and to get to know me.

Patti

(Happiness is seeing the smile on a child’s face as they learn) ~author unknown~