Welcome to Our Older 3's Classroom
We believe that each child is curious and strong, eager to undertake a learning adventure of questioning and discovery. It is our job - and privilege - to support them with care and sensitivity in this most important task.
Shady Lane Philosophy
The educational core of our class consists of these features:
- A beautiful, safe, stimulating learning environment
- Respect for individual ideas, while helping children to meet the challenges and rewards of collaboration
- Encouragement to develop individual and group ideas over extended periods of time
- Collaboration with parents as partners in our learning experience
- Communication to families and visitors about our learning through images, words, and children's work
Our classroom supports large group, small group, and individual learning experiences. We have places to:
- Design and build
- Dress-up and play out invented stories
- Express ourselves visually
- Explore books and write messages
- Play with rich sensory media
- Care for animals and plants
- Enjoy group exchanges, stories and weekly musical events.
Lunchtime and napping also take place in our room. We use light, color and sound to enhance learning. In addition, we use our gymnasium, roomy playground and garden, and art studio to support the flow of our day.
Daily Schedule
We find a balance between large and small group work; very active and more reflective work; teacher-initiated and child-initiated work; free-flowing and more structured experiences. The schedule is structured enough to feel secure and predictable for the children, yet its flexibility makes way for the contributions of visitors, new discoveries and the unexpected!
Older 3's Team
The Older Threes Team includes Co-Lead Educators Penny Fahlman and Lisa Reppy and Educator Elizabeth Cox. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art and is currently attending classes to obtain a degree in Art Therapy. She came to Shady Lane in support of various classroom teams in November 2009. Elizabeth joined the Young Twos team in September 2010, and moved to the Older Threes team in September 2011.
About the Co-Lead Educators
Penny Fahlman felt the call to work with young children while attending Wellesley College. Penny learned child development, and joined a day-care center in Cambridge, MA. Penny later taught in a private school in Belmont, MA, then moved to Pittsburgh. She has taught 3-5-year olds for 39 years, two of which involved developing materials and environments with preschool teachers. Penny has been at Shady Lane since 1980, recently celebrating her 30th anniversary at the School.
Lisa Reppy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education from West Liberty State College, and started at Shady Lane as an Educator in the Older Threes classroom in September 2008. Lisa was made Co-Lead Educator in Older Threes in July 2010.
We look forward to sharing a wonderful year with your family.
