History
South Hills Child Development Center Inc.
1975 - 2000
By Connie Kerr Vogt
January of 2000 marks the 25th anniversary of South Hills Child Development Center. It is a proud time for me, and an appropriate time for me to reflect on the years I have dedicated to young children and their families over the past quarter century. It has occurred to me that although my employees hear the story of South Hills' history when they begin their careers with me, parents have not, and may be interested to know the events which led up to the creation of this business and school. To truly understand South Hills' history, an understanding of my personal history is necessary.
I was born in 1950 in a small rural community in northern Butler County. My world during my early years was the farm on which I was raised, which was actually my grandparent's dairy and horse farm across the tractor path from our modest home. Life in that area had not yet caught up with the post war innovations--we did not have plumbing (yes, an outhouse!), and our water was from a well with a hand pump at the kitchen sink. I attended kindergarten in a one-room schoolhouse a few miles away; I rode a donkey or horse to get there in the morning! Since I was the only kindergartner, I was given the special privilege of sitting next to the potbellied wood-burning stove to keep warm, but once winter arrived, I no longer attended school. (My children ask me if I knew Abe Lincoln).
My mother was a successful businesswoman (she operated the Montgomery Ward catalog store in town--everyone did their shopping by catalog in that area!). My father worked on the farm, worked a day job as a blacksmith, and was a gifted woodworker. My grandmother, Ruth Kelly Kerr, was a warm and nurturing woman who had raised 13 children and still had two teenagers living at home. She cared for my brother and me while our parents worked. Women rarely worked outside of the home during this period of history, but we were certainly never deprived of affection or attention in any way. My grandmother would have surely made a gifted early childhood educator--she was so intuitive regarding the emotional, social, and physical needs of children, and never was too busy to address any of our interests, questions, and areas of curiosity. By the age of five, I was accomplished at hand sewing doll clothes, embroidering, crocheting, baking, and helped with the canning and preserving of all the foods that would be used throughout the winter months. Gramma was known for her gardening and had an elaborate perennial, herb, and rose garden. I assisted her in all the farm chores and loved life in the country.
As I look back on these days, I can truthfully say I have more strong memories of my early childhood years than any other time of my life. Elementary through high school years are often blurred in my memory, but these events of my life on the farm are as clear as though they occurred a few weeks ago. The benefit has been increased understanding for me of how the young children I serve view the world and the importance of their questions and interests.
We left our life on the farm for a more traditional life in the town of Grove City when I was to begin first grade. Education was of utmost importance to my parents, and they wanted the advantages of an elementary school over the multi age group of the one room school. Throughout my early years, I knew for certain that I wanted to be a teacher, and all of my free time was spent "teaching" my younger brothers or neighborhood children. But I greatly admired my mother, who served as a powerful role model for me. A career in business also held a strong appeal.
As I entered high school, I read in "Life" magazine one day about the childcare centers in Russia and Israel. The children were portrayed as deprived of their mother's attention, but I was fascinated by the activity in the centers and the educational activities provided. The children appeared absorbed in their activities and not at all unhappy or deprived at all. I was so aware by my own experiences of how important these early childhood years were, that I could not help but fantasize about teaching in such a school myself.
Once I entered Edinboro State College (it was not yet a university) in the late 60's, I had decided to focus totally on education and put my interest in business aside for the time being. Since there was no specific curriculum for early childhood education at that time, I decided to major in Special Education which covered early childhood through secondary education, and also in English as I hoped one day to write professionally. 1968 was, of course, quite a turbulent time to be in college! I was most interested in the women's movement and the changes taking place for women during this era. I had felt rather naive about this; having a mom who had a career seemed normal to me and I had never felt the need to struggle in this area of "rights and equality." What I did see, however, was that more women than ever would be entering the work force, and that families would eventually need care for their children. Many did not have the support of the extended family anymore. Grammas were moving to Florida or had careers of their own. I hoped that in some way, I might be able to provide care for these children, but also provide an educational environment to address the importance of these early years of development.
I graduated from Edinboro State College and taught Special Education for two years, for the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV in New Castle and then in the Erie School District. My experiences in both places were wonderful but I knew I had not yet found my "niche." Again, I dreamed of caring for young children. A college friend of mine, Mary Garrity, had created a wonderful home day care center that was operating successfully in Erie. I spent much time with her, and also arranged visits to St. Martin's Day Care Center and St. Benedict's Child Care Center. These were all inspirations to me. Mary and I spent a great deal of timesharing our philosophies and approaches to early childhood education; we both had such similar views. Mary was a warm and nurturing woman, with a wonderful sense of humor. Her expectations for the care and education of young children were also high. It occurred to me one day that she would make a great business partner, and that she might be interested in assisting me in opening a childcare center.
A few months later, in 1974, Mary and her husband moved into a new home with their young daughter and gave up their home childcare center. At about that same time, I saw the plans for the Millcreek Mall, which was going to be built and ready to open in 1975. I felt this was an ideal time and place to open a center. I reasoned that the mall would draw many women to the workforce, and those women would need care for their children. At the same time, I was increasingly frustrated with my position in the public school.
I approached Mary regarding my thoughts, and she was enthusiastic. We spent several months researching and planning, completing the paperwork and finding a suitable building. I resigned from my position with the Erie School District at the end of the school year in 1974 and threw myself into the planning for "South Hills Day Care Center," located on Dorchester Drive in the basement of the Dorchester Drive Baptist Church, only minutes from the Millcreek Mall. In the early days of Erie, the first ridge south of Lake Erie was called "The South Hills," and we thought it was an appropriate name. (I certainly did not have the foresight to envision I would not be located in those hills after 1981)!
On January 23, 1975, during a typical lake effect Erie blizzard, Mary and I opened South Hills Day Care Center. We had 10 children enrolled, including Mary's three-year-old daughter, Sarah. (The charge for families? Twenty dollars per week for full time care!) I remember feeling so elated all day long as I sang songs with the children, had them assist me in making snack (ants on a log!), reading stories, taking their dictations as they talked about their art work, and rubbing their backs during nap time. These would be children I would come to closely know and care for during the next few years. I would be responsible for them during the day, and would provide for them what my gramma provided for me--security, strong self worth, independence, knowledge, and a love of learning. Of course, my parents instilled all of those attributes also, but they were strongly supported and reinforced while I was in "day care."
Mary and I worked incredibly hard during those first few years to build up our business, striving to provide a unique educational environment for the children, and to support the families we served. I briefly left the school to Mary and her husband Dennis when my first son, Seth, was born, and I trudged through the trauma of divorce. Mary and her family transferred to Atlanta a few years into the business, however, and I came back to South Hills as the sole proprietor. It was an ideal situation for a single mother with a preschool child. I have always been so thankful that I did not have to leave Seth in the care of someone else during this difficult time. "Ms. Sue" (now Sue Sedgwick) had been hired by Dennis and Mary as the first full time teacher in 1977 and agreed to remain after I retained full ownership of the school. That she remains at South Hills has been one of life's best blessings for me. Throughout the years, I have paused many many times to recognize that without Sue's loyal dedication, incredibly strong work ethic and organizational skills, intelligence, varied talents, her love and devotion for our children and families, and her sharing of my vision, South Hills could not have survived it's various transitional phases.
Sue and I were enthusiastic and energetic as we worked with the children. Every January we would begin plans for our annual "Music Show" that was performed for hundreds of parents and grandparents in May. Sue would sew costumes for each child; we would paint scenery, teach new songs and performances, create child-designed programs, and practice for the big performance. On the night of the show, Sue and I would invariably laugh the entire evening as we enjoyed each child's performance. Fortunately, these programs were all captured on videotape and still bring much enjoyment to many families!
The school continually grew. A nine-month preschool program was added in the early 80's for families who wanted a shorter educational day for their children. In 1981 South Hills was at capacity in our Dorchester Drive location. Sue and I worked long hours together, caring for all aspects of the program as well as serving as the teachers, and finally I was able to add a new full time teacher to the staff. But I was also able to find a new location at the First Alliance Church on Zimmerly Road. The church had built an educational wing, hoping to someday have a Christian school. But the plans had not materialized and the wing was empty. The board was happy to have this area rented, and to serve the community at the same time. And, of course, new members were added to the church because of the center's presence. At this time, the school grew to four classrooms, and in 1985 the kindergarten class was added as I obtained additional licensure for South Hills as a private school through the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Unlike most childcare centers seeking this licensure, I included the preschool as well as the kindergarten program. To date, South Hills remains the only childcare center/preschool/kindergarten program in the state that hires 100% certified Early Childhood/Elementary teachers for all positions. I attempted always to hire teachers from my alma mater, Edinboro University, and am proud to say I have provided first teaching positions for over 40 Edinboro graduates in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education over the past 25 years.
Our 14 years at First Alliance Church were wonderful. Again, the school thrived and grew. Our philosophy remained the same--acknowledging that each child is a unique individual with a specific path of development, and the program should suit the child, rather than forcing the child to "fit" the program. With the development of NAEYC, (the National Association for the Education of Young Children), a name was given to my philosophy-"developmentally appropriate practice," which many early childhood educators beside myself advocated. During these years, I continued my commitment to life long learning. My ties with the Early Childhood Department and Elementary Education Department at Edinboro kept me challenged, as new research was continually available. After nine years of single-parenthood, I married again (Jerry Vogt--he has been such a strong supporter of my work, and shares in all the "behind the scenes" unrelenting work that is required of a small business owner!) and five years later had a second son. Seth and Dylan inspired me to seek additional ways to improve my knowledge of how children learn, understand how the brain develops from birth throughout early childhood, and how I best might utilize that knowledge in our work at South Hills. All of this led to my deep interest in the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, as well as to the theories of multiple intelligence formulated by Howard Gardner. For many years I read and studied all I could find on these subjects, hoping to eventually implement them for the benefit of the children at South Hills.
In early 1993, Ms. Stephanie Williams, the chairperson for the Family and Consumer Science Department at McDowell High School, approached me. She taught Child Development and was also the facilitator for the Teen Parent Program at the high school. As a woman with great vision, she was interested in creating a meaningful partnership with a private preschool or childcare center to provide training for her Child Development II students. After presenting her ideas to the Department of Education and Department of Public Welfare, they suggested she contact me regarding a pilot program for the state. This program would permit high school students to serve an internship at South Hills after completing the 400 hours of required course work, and thus enabling them to qualify for certification as Assistant Group Supervisors in Pennsylvania child care centers. The details of the program were worked out over the next few months, and the program began in the fall of 1993. To date, we have had 500 students complete this certification program over the past 7 years. This Child Development Certification Program has received statewide recognition and is still considered the model for the state. To date, it is the only program recognized and approved by the state that is not associated with a vo-tech program. Ms. Williams devotes many many personal hours to the success of this program, and I have been privileged to work with such a dedicated professional. For me, personally, this program has been enormously rewarding. Many of the participants were preschool students of Sue’s and mine, and it is so gratifying to assist and direct students on the high school level as they prepare for their careers with children. Ms. Williams and I continually hear from past participants in the program who credit this program with their career choice, and two South Hill's teachers are graduates of the McDowell/South Hills partnership!
The years at the First Alliance location are filled with memories of special times with the children. Since there were twenty acres of land surrounding the building, we enjoyed watching deer in the playground, farmers plowing the fields, hikes after the hay had been cut, gathering leaves for jumping and tossing, picking apples in the apple orchard, and laying in the grass to watch the Canadian geese pass over. Our annual Kite Days were grand events with parents canceling work to join their children and fly kites all over the fields!
In mid-1993, I could sense the First Alliance Church was anticipating some major changes. They could also see some future problems with our separate growths. I met with the church board, and we made a mutual decision. We recognized the tremendous growth of the First Alliance Church, and also the growth and potential for South Hills. It was agreed that I should begin looking for a place to relocate, but the church board recognized and valued the school. They emphasized they would not give me a deadline for leaving and would assist me in any way they could to make the transition easy for the families. In late 1993 I sat in the parking lot of our present location on Caughey Road and felt it might be a good choice. The building was in poor shape, and would need a sizable addition. But with the help and commitment of good friends, Dave and Ann Haller, and Dr. Barry and Carol Stamm, my dream became a reality. The building was purchased, and Dave supervised all the renovations and additions. I filed papers to change the school's name to South Hills Child Development Center, which seemed more appropriate for the developmentally conscious school we had become. The children and their families visited the school frequently, and we documented the building of our "new school." The children created a time capsule filled with their photographs, drawings, and items that reflected the year 1994. The instructions on the outside of the capsule noted that the capsule could not be opened earlier than 2025! Dave Haller placed the capsule within the walls of the school during construction. In July of 1994 I took possession of the new South Hills Child Development Center; Rev. Rick Crocker from First Alliance Church led a beautiful and moving service in the building as we had the school blessed prior to our move. My parents, nephews, close friends, and all the school's staff were present for this special time. Then in late August, the wonderfully supportive parents of South Hills moved every item out of the church and into the correct places of the new building within only a few hours! With this move, the school's capacity doubled; South Hill's enrollment included 170 children. Twelve teachers were on the staff, including an enrichment teacher.
Sue gave up her own classroom to become the school's assistant director, and I gave up my teaching duties to be a full time director/administrator. We both expressed our concerns that we would lose touch with the children and families, but to date, this has not happened! Our love for children naturally draws us into the classrooms throughout the day, and we enjoy giving extra attention to all the children. Our commitment to families remains a priority for us both, and the strong sense of community evident at South Hills is something Sue and I treasure.
After a visit in 1995 to the Reggio Emilia exhibit in Pittsburgh, I had a transforming experience. The exhibit included documentation and projects created by the young children of the Diana School in Reggio Emilia, Italy. I spent most of the day at this exhibit, revisiting all the panels and displays repeatedly. As I left the gallery, I felt overwhelmed, and sat alone outside the gallery to reflect on what I had witnessed. I suddenly realized that as much as I thought I had been listening and hearing the children I taught, I was obviously missing something. The children of Reggio Emilia displayed a powerful voice through their painting, sculpture, dance, writing, murals, and other creative endeavors. I had never seen such works created by any of the children I taught. Had I ever given my students the opportunity to express themselves in such a manner? Had I failed to hear them? Did they also have this type of potential that I had neglected to see?
Upon my return to Erie, I was determined the focus at South Hills had to change. My staff and I would need to find new ways to give these children with powerful voices the opportunity to "speak." I understood in a new way why Reggio is called "The Hundred Languages." I also clearly understood that to truly create an equal opportunity for children to learn, all the areas of intelligence must be equally appreciated and nurtured. Standardized tests only test two areas of intelligence--linguistic and mathematical/logical. But children (and ALL people) could certainly demonstrate their knowledge in so many other ways! And, so began a time of slow change in our curriculum to recognize all of these areas of intelligence, and to give children the opportunity to construct their own learning. My staff was initially hesitant but then extremely supportive as we agreed to make the changes in a slow manner, over the course of many years. We would allow the children to determine the direction of the themes, or projects. We would observe, document, listen, reflect, ask open-ended questions, and continue to appreciate the individual and unique differences in each child's manner of learning, and their stages of development. Because this approach is now the focus of early childhood education in area colleges, particularly Edinboro and Gannon, new teachers come well prepared to implement "project work."
Along with these curriculum changes came new ways of assessing what the children learn. Portfolio assessment was studied in depth. Through Stephanie Williams, I was introduced to Dr. Robert Gundling, in charge of assessment for the Pa. Department of Education in Harrisburg. He became interested in our program, and has been a strong supporter of both our curriculum and our unique portfolio assessment procedure. Speaking at the national convention of NAEYC in New Orleans in November 1999, it was most gratifying to hear Dr. Gundling tell stories about our schools project work and then state that if he could have any wish, he would love to work at South Hills!
A means of professional positioning was also developed during this time. I felt the teachers should not receive the typical evaluations twice a year stating my observations, comments, and suggestions for improvements. I was strongly influenced by Ms. Stephanie Williams, the coordinator for the Child Development Certification II Program, and she offered much assistance with this process. I designed an evaluation based on a rubric so teachers could reflect and evaluate themselves, and set personal professional goals. I would separately evaluate each teacher, and then we would confer to compare our observations and set goals. This partnership has worked well. My teachers have always been viewed as my partners, and I felt this professional positioning allowed them to self-reflect and make their own decisions regarding areas of improvement. South Hill’s teachers all have a strong desire for success, for on going learning, and have a strong sense of professionalism. I have always said that South Hills is only as good as its teachers. My teachers deserve all the credit for the success of South Hills--they have done the hard and demanding work of implementing what I envision for our students.
The future for South Hills? We are currently engaged in the process of self-study, which I hope will eventually end in accreditation through NAEYC. This is an overwhelming process of scrutinizing every detail of our program, identifying weaknesses, and making improvements. Why bother with all this work and expense? Because I will never be satisfied. The South Hills teachers will never be satisfied. There is always more to learn; always more ways to improve our teaching, our services to children, and our commitment to families; to influence our community. To IMPROVE is the reason for the decision to pursue accreditation. If successful, South Hills will be the first private school in this part of the state to receive such recognition. And if we do not succeed? We are determined to continue trying. The self-study resulted in an improvement plan that is currently being implemented. Surveys will be distributed among families during the next few months and compiled along with many other questionnaires from staff members and myself. From that, all of our data will be gathered and documented, then validators from NAEYC in Washington D.C. will be assigned to spend several days evaluating all aspects of our program. The results will be noted in the next edition of South Hill's history! South Hills still remains the sole preschool/child care center in the state of Pennsylvania that has only certified teachers with Bachelor degrees in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. I am pleased with that distinction, but would prefer to see all child care centers/preschools set these standards for themselves.
Obviously, the success of any business, especially one involving the care and nurturing of children, is not the work of one person. Nearly 60 teachers have started their careers at South Hills. I have truly been blessed that such wonderful teachers come to me and commit themselves to the work at South Hills. They perform their work with great dedication and warm enthusiasm. I still keep in touch with most of South Hills past teachers, who are now scattered all over the country in a variety of exciting teaching positions! Sue has been the strong supporter who often chooses to work behind the scenes, yet deserves so much credit for the schools strong sense of community and it s success. She keeps me organized, focused, and keeps her mind filled with all the important details that are so necessary to complete for the day to day operation of the school. Yet she never hesitates to stop and care for any child who needs her. The children always come first for her. She is an exemplary teacher, filled with strong compassion and love for all children, with a wonderful sense of humor that the children and staff all appreciate!
And, of course, there is the wonderful support of the families at South Hills. My goal of forming a partnership with families is a priority. Many families have been with me for five years, several over ten, and two families have had their children attending over a 23-year span! I have not advertised the school in many many years, due to the positive advertising from our parents. I am so thankful for the support, generosity, and genuine, warm relationships with South Hill's families that have enriched my life.
The support of my family -- my husband, Jerry, and my sons, Seth and Dylan -- is invaluable to me. My sons had the advantage of joining me at work during their early years, yet have always shared my attentions with other children. They have grown to be fine, successful, independent young men with a strong work ethic and talents beyond my comprehension. I am so proud of them. Jerry has also willing shared my energies with other families, and has contributed so much to the details of the school while devoted to his own work as a video producer. I could never have completed my work successfully without these wonderful men in my life.
And so I continue, probably not for 25 more years, but it is truthfully difficult to think about my days here ever ending! I am so blessed to have been led to this career early in my life, to have been so strongly and positively influenced by my grandmother and parents, to still love what I do so much, and to have been given the opportunity to serve nearly 2000 children and families in my community. I am most grateful.
January of 2000 marks the 25th anniversary of South Hills Child Development Center. It is a proud time for me, and an appropriate time for me to reflect on the years I have dedicated to young children and their families over the past quarter century. It has occurred to me that although my employees hear the story of South Hills' history when they begin their careers with me, parents have not, and may be interested to know the events which led up to the creation of this business and school. To truly understand South Hills' history, an understanding of my personal history is necessary.
I was born in 1950 in a small rural community in northern Butler County. My world during my early years was the farm on which I was raised, which was actually my grandparent's dairy and horse farm across the tractor path from our modest home. Life in that area had not yet caught up with the post war innovations--we did not have plumbing (yes, an outhouse!), and our water was from a well with a hand pump at the kitchen sink. I attended kindergarten in a one-room schoolhouse a few miles away; I rode a donkey or horse to get there in the morning! Since I was the only kindergartner, I was given the special privilege of sitting next to the potbellied wood-burning stove to keep warm, but once winter arrived, I no longer attended school. (My children ask me if I knew Abe Lincoln).
My mother was a successful businesswoman (she operated the Montgomery Ward catalog store in town--everyone did their shopping by catalog in that area!). My father worked on the farm, worked a day job as a blacksmith, and was a gifted woodworker. My grandmother, Ruth Kelly Kerr, was a warm and nurturing woman who had raised 13 children and still had two teenagers living at home. She cared for my brother and me while our parents worked. Women rarely worked outside of the home during this period of history, but we were certainly never deprived of affection or attention in any way. My grandmother would have surely made a gifted early childhood educator--she was so intuitive regarding the emotional, social, and physical needs of children, and never was too busy to address any of our interests, questions, and areas of curiosity. By the age of five, I was accomplished at hand sewing doll clothes, embroidering, crocheting, baking, and helped with the canning and preserving of all the foods that would be used throughout the winter months. Gramma was known for her gardening and had an elaborate perennial, herb, and rose garden. I assisted her in all the farm chores and loved life in the country.
As I look back on these days, I can truthfully say I have more strong memories of my early childhood years than any other time of my life. Elementary through high school years are often blurred in my memory, but these events of my life on the farm are as clear as though they occurred a few weeks ago. The benefit has been increased understanding for me of how the young children I serve view the world and the importance of their questions and interests.
We left our life on the farm for a more traditional life in the town of Grove City when I was to begin first grade. Education was of utmost importance to my parents, and they wanted the advantages of an elementary school over the multi age group of the one room school. Throughout my early years, I knew for certain that I wanted to be a teacher, and all of my free time was spent "teaching" my younger brothers or neighborhood children. But I greatly admired my mother, who served as a powerful role model for me. A career in business also held a strong appeal.
As I entered high school, I read in "Life" magazine one day about the childcare centers in Russia and Israel. The children were portrayed as deprived of their mother's attention, but I was fascinated by the activity in the centers and the educational activities provided. The children appeared absorbed in their activities and not at all unhappy or deprived at all. I was so aware by my own experiences of how important these early childhood years were, that I could not help but fantasize about teaching in such a school myself.
Once I entered Edinboro State College (it was not yet a university) in the late 60's, I had decided to focus totally on education and put my interest in business aside for the time being. Since there was no specific curriculum for early childhood education at that time, I decided to major in Special Education which covered early childhood through secondary education, and also in English as I hoped one day to write professionally. 1968 was, of course, quite a turbulent time to be in college! I was most interested in the women's movement and the changes taking place for women during this era. I had felt rather naive about this; having a mom who had a career seemed normal to me and I had never felt the need to struggle in this area of "rights and equality." What I did see, however, was that more women than ever would be entering the work force, and that families would eventually need care for their children. Many did not have the support of the extended family anymore. Grammas were moving to Florida or had careers of their own. I hoped that in some way, I might be able to provide care for these children, but also provide an educational environment to address the importance of these early years of development.
I graduated from Edinboro State College and taught Special Education for two years, for the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV in New Castle and then in the Erie School District. My experiences in both places were wonderful but I knew I had not yet found my "niche." Again, I dreamed of caring for young children. A college friend of mine, Mary Garrity, had created a wonderful home day care center that was operating successfully in Erie. I spent much time with her, and also arranged visits to St. Martin's Day Care Center and St. Benedict's Child Care Center. These were all inspirations to me. Mary and I spent a great deal of timesharing our philosophies and approaches to early childhood education; we both had such similar views. Mary was a warm and nurturing woman, with a wonderful sense of humor. Her expectations for the care and education of young children were also high. It occurred to me one day that she would make a great business partner, and that she might be interested in assisting me in opening a childcare center.
A few months later, in 1974, Mary and her husband moved into a new home with their young daughter and gave up their home childcare center. At about that same time, I saw the plans for the Millcreek Mall, which was going to be built and ready to open in 1975. I felt this was an ideal time and place to open a center. I reasoned that the mall would draw many women to the workforce, and those women would need care for their children. At the same time, I was increasingly frustrated with my position in the public school.
I approached Mary regarding my thoughts, and she was enthusiastic. We spent several months researching and planning, completing the paperwork and finding a suitable building. I resigned from my position with the Erie School District at the end of the school year in 1974 and threw myself into the planning for "South Hills Day Care Center," located on Dorchester Drive in the basement of the Dorchester Drive Baptist Church, only minutes from the Millcreek Mall. In the early days of Erie, the first ridge south of Lake Erie was called "The South Hills," and we thought it was an appropriate name. (I certainly did not have the foresight to envision I would not be located in those hills after 1981)!
On January 23, 1975, during a typical lake effect Erie blizzard, Mary and I opened South Hills Day Care Center. We had 10 children enrolled, including Mary's three-year-old daughter, Sarah. (The charge for families? Twenty dollars per week for full time care!) I remember feeling so elated all day long as I sang songs with the children, had them assist me in making snack (ants on a log!), reading stories, taking their dictations as they talked about their art work, and rubbing their backs during nap time. These would be children I would come to closely know and care for during the next few years. I would be responsible for them during the day, and would provide for them what my gramma provided for me--security, strong self worth, independence, knowledge, and a love of learning. Of course, my parents instilled all of those attributes also, but they were strongly supported and reinforced while I was in "day care."
Mary and I worked incredibly hard during those first few years to build up our business, striving to provide a unique educational environment for the children, and to support the families we served. I briefly left the school to Mary and her husband Dennis when my first son, Seth, was born, and I trudged through the trauma of divorce. Mary and her family transferred to Atlanta a few years into the business, however, and I came back to South Hills as the sole proprietor. It was an ideal situation for a single mother with a preschool child. I have always been so thankful that I did not have to leave Seth in the care of someone else during this difficult time. "Ms. Sue" (now Sue Sedgwick) had been hired by Dennis and Mary as the first full time teacher in 1977 and agreed to remain after I retained full ownership of the school. That she remains at South Hills has been one of life's best blessings for me. Throughout the years, I have paused many many times to recognize that without Sue's loyal dedication, incredibly strong work ethic and organizational skills, intelligence, varied talents, her love and devotion for our children and families, and her sharing of my vision, South Hills could not have survived it's various transitional phases.
Sue and I were enthusiastic and energetic as we worked with the children. Every January we would begin plans for our annual "Music Show" that was performed for hundreds of parents and grandparents in May. Sue would sew costumes for each child; we would paint scenery, teach new songs and performances, create child-designed programs, and practice for the big performance. On the night of the show, Sue and I would invariably laugh the entire evening as we enjoyed each child's performance. Fortunately, these programs were all captured on videotape and still bring much enjoyment to many families!
The school continually grew. A nine-month preschool program was added in the early 80's for families who wanted a shorter educational day for their children. In 1981 South Hills was at capacity in our Dorchester Drive location. Sue and I worked long hours together, caring for all aspects of the program as well as serving as the teachers, and finally I was able to add a new full time teacher to the staff. But I was also able to find a new location at the First Alliance Church on Zimmerly Road. The church had built an educational wing, hoping to someday have a Christian school. But the plans had not materialized and the wing was empty. The board was happy to have this area rented, and to serve the community at the same time. And, of course, new members were added to the church because of the center's presence. At this time, the school grew to four classrooms, and in 1985 the kindergarten class was added as I obtained additional licensure for South Hills as a private school through the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Unlike most childcare centers seeking this licensure, I included the preschool as well as the kindergarten program. To date, South Hills remains the only childcare center/preschool/kindergarten program in the state that hires 100% certified Early Childhood/Elementary teachers for all positions. I attempted always to hire teachers from my alma mater, Edinboro University, and am proud to say I have provided first teaching positions for over 40 Edinboro graduates in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education over the past 25 years.
Our 14 years at First Alliance Church were wonderful. Again, the school thrived and grew. Our philosophy remained the same--acknowledging that each child is a unique individual with a specific path of development, and the program should suit the child, rather than forcing the child to "fit" the program. With the development of NAEYC, (the National Association for the Education of Young Children), a name was given to my philosophy-"developmentally appropriate practice," which many early childhood educators beside myself advocated. During these years, I continued my commitment to life long learning. My ties with the Early Childhood Department and Elementary Education Department at Edinboro kept me challenged, as new research was continually available. After nine years of single-parenthood, I married again (Jerry Vogt--he has been such a strong supporter of my work, and shares in all the "behind the scenes" unrelenting work that is required of a small business owner!) and five years later had a second son. Seth and Dylan inspired me to seek additional ways to improve my knowledge of how children learn, understand how the brain develops from birth throughout early childhood, and how I best might utilize that knowledge in our work at South Hills. All of this led to my deep interest in the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, as well as to the theories of multiple intelligence formulated by Howard Gardner. For many years I read and studied all I could find on these subjects, hoping to eventually implement them for the benefit of the children at South Hills.
In early 1993, Ms. Stephanie Williams, the chairperson for the Family and Consumer Science Department at McDowell High School, approached me. She taught Child Development and was also the facilitator for the Teen Parent Program at the high school. As a woman with great vision, she was interested in creating a meaningful partnership with a private preschool or childcare center to provide training for her Child Development II students. After presenting her ideas to the Department of Education and Department of Public Welfare, they suggested she contact me regarding a pilot program for the state. This program would permit high school students to serve an internship at South Hills after completing the 400 hours of required course work, and thus enabling them to qualify for certification as Assistant Group Supervisors in Pennsylvania child care centers. The details of the program were worked out over the next few months, and the program began in the fall of 1993. To date, we have had 500 students complete this certification program over the past 7 years. This Child Development Certification Program has received statewide recognition and is still considered the model for the state. To date, it is the only program recognized and approved by the state that is not associated with a vo-tech program. Ms. Williams devotes many many personal hours to the success of this program, and I have been privileged to work with such a dedicated professional. For me, personally, this program has been enormously rewarding. Many of the participants were preschool students of Sue’s and mine, and it is so gratifying to assist and direct students on the high school level as they prepare for their careers with children. Ms. Williams and I continually hear from past participants in the program who credit this program with their career choice, and two South Hill's teachers are graduates of the McDowell/South Hills partnership!
The years at the First Alliance location are filled with memories of special times with the children. Since there were twenty acres of land surrounding the building, we enjoyed watching deer in the playground, farmers plowing the fields, hikes after the hay had been cut, gathering leaves for jumping and tossing, picking apples in the apple orchard, and laying in the grass to watch the Canadian geese pass over. Our annual Kite Days were grand events with parents canceling work to join their children and fly kites all over the fields!
In mid-1993, I could sense the First Alliance Church was anticipating some major changes. They could also see some future problems with our separate growths. I met with the church board, and we made a mutual decision. We recognized the tremendous growth of the First Alliance Church, and also the growth and potential for South Hills. It was agreed that I should begin looking for a place to relocate, but the church board recognized and valued the school. They emphasized they would not give me a deadline for leaving and would assist me in any way they could to make the transition easy for the families. In late 1993 I sat in the parking lot of our present location on Caughey Road and felt it might be a good choice. The building was in poor shape, and would need a sizable addition. But with the help and commitment of good friends, Dave and Ann Haller, and Dr. Barry and Carol Stamm, my dream became a reality. The building was purchased, and Dave supervised all the renovations and additions. I filed papers to change the school's name to South Hills Child Development Center, which seemed more appropriate for the developmentally conscious school we had become. The children and their families visited the school frequently, and we documented the building of our "new school." The children created a time capsule filled with their photographs, drawings, and items that reflected the year 1994. The instructions on the outside of the capsule noted that the capsule could not be opened earlier than 2025! Dave Haller placed the capsule within the walls of the school during construction. In July of 1994 I took possession of the new South Hills Child Development Center; Rev. Rick Crocker from First Alliance Church led a beautiful and moving service in the building as we had the school blessed prior to our move. My parents, nephews, close friends, and all the school's staff were present for this special time. Then in late August, the wonderfully supportive parents of South Hills moved every item out of the church and into the correct places of the new building within only a few hours! With this move, the school's capacity doubled; South Hill's enrollment included 170 children. Twelve teachers were on the staff, including an enrichment teacher.
Sue gave up her own classroom to become the school's assistant director, and I gave up my teaching duties to be a full time director/administrator. We both expressed our concerns that we would lose touch with the children and families, but to date, this has not happened! Our love for children naturally draws us into the classrooms throughout the day, and we enjoy giving extra attention to all the children. Our commitment to families remains a priority for us both, and the strong sense of community evident at South Hills is something Sue and I treasure.
After a visit in 1995 to the Reggio Emilia exhibit in Pittsburgh, I had a transforming experience. The exhibit included documentation and projects created by the young children of the Diana School in Reggio Emilia, Italy. I spent most of the day at this exhibit, revisiting all the panels and displays repeatedly. As I left the gallery, I felt overwhelmed, and sat alone outside the gallery to reflect on what I had witnessed. I suddenly realized that as much as I thought I had been listening and hearing the children I taught, I was obviously missing something. The children of Reggio Emilia displayed a powerful voice through their painting, sculpture, dance, writing, murals, and other creative endeavors. I had never seen such works created by any of the children I taught. Had I ever given my students the opportunity to express themselves in such a manner? Had I failed to hear them? Did they also have this type of potential that I had neglected to see?
Upon my return to Erie, I was determined the focus at South Hills had to change. My staff and I would need to find new ways to give these children with powerful voices the opportunity to "speak." I understood in a new way why Reggio is called "The Hundred Languages." I also clearly understood that to truly create an equal opportunity for children to learn, all the areas of intelligence must be equally appreciated and nurtured. Standardized tests only test two areas of intelligence--linguistic and mathematical/logical. But children (and ALL people) could certainly demonstrate their knowledge in so many other ways! And, so began a time of slow change in our curriculum to recognize all of these areas of intelligence, and to give children the opportunity to construct their own learning. My staff was initially hesitant but then extremely supportive as we agreed to make the changes in a slow manner, over the course of many years. We would allow the children to determine the direction of the themes, or projects. We would observe, document, listen, reflect, ask open-ended questions, and continue to appreciate the individual and unique differences in each child's manner of learning, and their stages of development. Because this approach is now the focus of early childhood education in area colleges, particularly Edinboro and Gannon, new teachers come well prepared to implement "project work."
Along with these curriculum changes came new ways of assessing what the children learn. Portfolio assessment was studied in depth. Through Stephanie Williams, I was introduced to Dr. Robert Gundling, in charge of assessment for the Pa. Department of Education in Harrisburg. He became interested in our program, and has been a strong supporter of both our curriculum and our unique portfolio assessment procedure. Speaking at the national convention of NAEYC in New Orleans in November 1999, it was most gratifying to hear Dr. Gundling tell stories about our schools project work and then state that if he could have any wish, he would love to work at South Hills!
A means of professional positioning was also developed during this time. I felt the teachers should not receive the typical evaluations twice a year stating my observations, comments, and suggestions for improvements. I was strongly influenced by Ms. Stephanie Williams, the coordinator for the Child Development Certification II Program, and she offered much assistance with this process. I designed an evaluation based on a rubric so teachers could reflect and evaluate themselves, and set personal professional goals. I would separately evaluate each teacher, and then we would confer to compare our observations and set goals. This partnership has worked well. My teachers have always been viewed as my partners, and I felt this professional positioning allowed them to self-reflect and make their own decisions regarding areas of improvement. South Hill’s teachers all have a strong desire for success, for on going learning, and have a strong sense of professionalism. I have always said that South Hills is only as good as its teachers. My teachers deserve all the credit for the success of South Hills--they have done the hard and demanding work of implementing what I envision for our students.
The future for South Hills? We are currently engaged in the process of self-study, which I hope will eventually end in accreditation through NAEYC. This is an overwhelming process of scrutinizing every detail of our program, identifying weaknesses, and making improvements. Why bother with all this work and expense? Because I will never be satisfied. The South Hills teachers will never be satisfied. There is always more to learn; always more ways to improve our teaching, our services to children, and our commitment to families; to influence our community. To IMPROVE is the reason for the decision to pursue accreditation. If successful, South Hills will be the first private school in this part of the state to receive such recognition. And if we do not succeed? We are determined to continue trying. The self-study resulted in an improvement plan that is currently being implemented. Surveys will be distributed among families during the next few months and compiled along with many other questionnaires from staff members and myself. From that, all of our data will be gathered and documented, then validators from NAEYC in Washington D.C. will be assigned to spend several days evaluating all aspects of our program. The results will be noted in the next edition of South Hill's history! South Hills still remains the sole preschool/child care center in the state of Pennsylvania that has only certified teachers with Bachelor degrees in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. I am pleased with that distinction, but would prefer to see all child care centers/preschools set these standards for themselves.
Obviously, the success of any business, especially one involving the care and nurturing of children, is not the work of one person. Nearly 60 teachers have started their careers at South Hills. I have truly been blessed that such wonderful teachers come to me and commit themselves to the work at South Hills. They perform their work with great dedication and warm enthusiasm. I still keep in touch with most of South Hills past teachers, who are now scattered all over the country in a variety of exciting teaching positions! Sue has been the strong supporter who often chooses to work behind the scenes, yet deserves so much credit for the schools strong sense of community and it s success. She keeps me organized, focused, and keeps her mind filled with all the important details that are so necessary to complete for the day to day operation of the school. Yet she never hesitates to stop and care for any child who needs her. The children always come first for her. She is an exemplary teacher, filled with strong compassion and love for all children, with a wonderful sense of humor that the children and staff all appreciate!
And, of course, there is the wonderful support of the families at South Hills. My goal of forming a partnership with families is a priority. Many families have been with me for five years, several over ten, and two families have had their children attending over a 23-year span! I have not advertised the school in many many years, due to the positive advertising from our parents. I am so thankful for the support, generosity, and genuine, warm relationships with South Hill's families that have enriched my life.
The support of my family -- my husband, Jerry, and my sons, Seth and Dylan -- is invaluable to me. My sons had the advantage of joining me at work during their early years, yet have always shared my attentions with other children. They have grown to be fine, successful, independent young men with a strong work ethic and talents beyond my comprehension. I am so proud of them. Jerry has also willing shared my energies with other families, and has contributed so much to the details of the school while devoted to his own work as a video producer. I could never have completed my work successfully without these wonderful men in my life.
And so I continue, probably not for 25 more years, but it is truthfully difficult to think about my days here ever ending! I am so blessed to have been led to this career early in my life, to have been so strongly and positively influenced by my grandmother and parents, to still love what I do so much, and to have been given the opportunity to serve nearly 2000 children and families in my community. I am most grateful.
