Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Lougheed.
Emma – please kick this story off for us.
Pine Village began in a small brick cottage tucked away on the wooded grounds of a private high school in Brighton MA. After spending many years as educators and Family Child Care providers in Brighton my partner Brid Martin and I had the opportunity to combine their programs and join forces to open a preschool for 24 children. Appreciating culture, diversity and inclusion have always been integral parts of the values that we brought into our programs and teachings.
Bilingualism is a large part of what sets Pine Village apart from other early childhood programs. It is equally as important and integral to who we are, as is our philosophy and methodology. In the early years were challenged to prove our belief that a second language program would add great value to a high quality early childhood program. We worked our way through many stages and levels of bilingualism over the first several years.
From the inception of our little schoolhouse in Brighton Ma, Spanish was a natural and organic part of our program. We began to study language, how children acquire a second language, how children develop language skills when raised in a bilingual environment. We always knew instinctively that a second language program for English speaking children was not only a gift, but a unique opportunity which we needed to explore, learn about and create. Today we have 8 preschools serving over 400 families and their children. We continue to study and learn.
Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but has certainly been a rewarding and wonderfully curvy road to travel. We started Pine Village with an education background, with no business experience or formal business education to fall back on. Our business grew from a love and belief for what we do, and a passion for children. This passion has helped us to overcome the struggles we’ve faced over the years. We have had financial learning curves, as any new and growing business faces. We have also faced hiring/employment challenges, such as interpreting all of the employment laws and policies as well as simply finding and retaining high quality early childhood educators. As our business grew we knew we needed to bring on a management team that was able to provide that support.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Pine Village Spanish Immersion Preschool – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Pine Village Preschool is a Spanish Immersion Program serving children 15 months to 5years. Immersion is the key component for learning at Pine Village. By focusing on immersing a child in new experiences, we assure that every child has the opportunity to engage and integrate learning in their own instinctual way. Pine Village immerses every child in a loving environment that encourages natural curiosity and natural instincts to explore and engage in new experiences.
Immersion is defined as a method of foreign language instruction in which the regular school curriculum is taught through the medium of the language. Spanish is the vehicle for content instruction at Pine Village; it is not the subject of instruction. Pine Village utilizes a Full Immersion Model, where the teachers speak in Spanish 100% of the day. Constant and immersive exposure to the Spanish language, culturally rich and exciting activities, games, songs and books, create a cohesive Spanish environment that allows for every child to integrate a second language into their oral language development. As the children become progressively more familiar and comfortable hearing, understanding, and responding in Spanish, it becomes a natural part of their thought process. Pine Village teachers speak Spanish to the children all day, translating only when necessary.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
We LOVE Boston! We love the energy, youthful vitality and cultural diversity the city offers. We appreciate that our city values early childhood and quality education. We love all of the cultural experiences that abound for families and children to explore. We love being able to travel the entire city on public transportation, to find adventures and experiences for our kids. We love that we are surrounded by world class universities and hospitals innovating every day. We love that families want to live here for all of the reasons above!
Contact Info:
- Address: Boston, Cambridge, Newton and Needham
- Website: www.mybilingualpreschool.com
- Phone: (617) 416-7763
- Email: enrollmentpvp@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PineVillagePre/
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
