Meet Chris, and Good-bye Auntie Hailey!

Chris (right) and her co-teacher Kim

Maggie and her daddy in her new classroom.

The reading area in Maggie's classroom (of course in a box-a baby's favorite toy).

The sensory table--an essential item in any classroom.

Hailey and Maggie

As many of you know, because you've heard my complaints, finding quality childcare/early learning centers, and getting into the few that exist in Boise is almost impossible. We have been on the wait lists of the few quality centers that do exist since we found out we were pregnant!

My top pick was the BSU Children's Center. Not because of the center as a whole, but because of one specific teacher. I first heard about Chris when Sara took a position at the BSU Children's Center as a lead teacher. Sara was having difficulties adjusting to a new center after working for the amazing Jan Reed, former director of the U of I Children's Center, and told me about this other teacher that had been really supportive, and seemed to "get it" when it came to high quality early care and learning. When I took a position with the Infant Toddler Program I got to meet Chris when I took over a social group where we included the children in our program into community settings where they could interact with peers.

Over the past few years I've watched Chris in action with the children in her care, and the children I've brought in from our program. To put it simply, she's amazing at what she does. I've learned a lot from her about how quality and beneficial early care and learning settings can be. She has such a passion for teaching young children, and it shows right when you walk into her classroom. It's impossible to explain how excited Zac and I are, because last week we got the news that we actually got in!

Today we visited Chris, and her co-teacher Kim, and Maggie got to see her new classroom. The semester just started so Chris and Kim are getting their classroom all set up, and are just getting to know their new little ones that they will get to care for over the next three years. Maggie will start officially mid-October on MWFs, and will be going in for a few visits during September.

On a side note-Auntie Hailey leaves to go back up to Moscow tomorrow. Maggie sure is going to miss her Auntie. Hailey stopped by this afternoon for one last visit with Maggie before she leaves, and Maggie even gave her what looked like a little smile, she also showed her the famous "Maggie Stink Eye Face." We'll be up to visit Hailey soon though--GO VANDALS!!!

(FYI-I made sure to check awhile ago, and Chris has assured me that all children's individual differences, i.e. Maggie being a Vandal baby, will be greatly respected in her classroom)