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...

Loose Parts Spark Imaginations I vividly remember playing in the “forest” behind the home of my aunt and uncle as a child. I would collect sticks with my friends and create “firepits.” We would add rocks for “food” and sit on piles of leaves. Chestnuts became fairies and the local outside cats...

Starting New Traditions After attending this year’s fall potlucks, I continue to be in awe of the wonderful traditions that have been established at PIC, potlucks being primary among them. I have been told that our summer traditions of Watermelon Wednesday, Lemonade Lull, and the Spoil-Your-Supper...

Seven years ago today, former PIC Executive Director Marni Sweet died after losing a battle with cancer. Some of you knew Marni well and many others never met Marni. I write this today because I feel it is important to note and remember that much of the culture at PIC is because of Marni. While she...