Socioeconomics in Diversity We are so fortunate at PIC that diversity across all realms is such a strong aspect of our community identity. Our children are in classrooms with peers who are of different races, religions and family compositions, and who celebrate different holidays, live in different...

Cooling Off with Camp On a recent very hot day, I joined our summer campers on an adventure to Marsh Creek State Park. As you may know, I have had a long career in the early learning field. It was a real treat to spend an entire day with our school-age program staff and children. When arriving at...

Happy New Year...in July! While the calendar year begins in January and the school year begins in September, the new year for most non-profit organizations (including PIC) begins each July. When I reflect on all that happens at PIC over the course of one year, I have to smile. This past year has...

The Importance of Critical Thinking While on the playground on a recent picture-perfect spring afternoon, I observed a group of four and five-year-olds gathered around one of the tall trees. Apparently a stuffed animal cat had been thrown in the air and was stuck on a limb of the tree. The children...

ECE in the News! Thus far, it has been a very good year for early childhood education. For those of us who have been in the field for awhile, we have gotten somewhat jaded with our collective “inferiority complex.” While legislators have discussed needed improvements to the elementary through...

This is Strictly Professional What makes a professional stand apart from others in his or her field? Certainly educational credentials and hands-on experience are huge aspects of being a “professional.” But true professionals do not stop there. In fact, they never stop – especially when it comes to...

Celebrating Diversity Throughout the Year Two children are playing together in the dramatic play area and a third child comes over to join the fun. A teacher overhears one of the children say, “you can’t play with us because your skin is dirty.” It is not unusual for an exchange like this to occur...

Lessons Learned from My Parents While winter break was a very busy time at PIC this year, I did have some time to visit my family in Bethlehem (yes, I travel to Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas!). I am fortunate to still have my 94-year-old mother and 96-year-old father living independently in their...

December 2014 I recently spoke with the parent of a PIC alumni who proudly shared with me her daughter’s recent successes. She credited PIC with giving her a wonderful start during her early childhood years. She fondly talked about traditions, projects, field trips, teachers, and friends. I was...

A Season of Simplicity Prior to joining the PIC community I spent nine years working in a Quaker school in Montgomery County. I had never been in a Quaker community before and I spent much of my time there learning the values of Quakerism and how those values apply to young children and families...