A letter from Mary Grimmer, Founder & Director

 I would like to welcome you to the Little Treasures experience.  I invite you to schedule a visit to see our home-like setting and to meet some of my highly talented staff and teachers.  

My husband and I have lived in Reading for approximately 16 years.  We are so proud to be a part of this community where we are raising our four young children, all of whom are in the Reading Public School System. We have two children in elementary school, one in middle school, and one in high school.  To a great extent, it is them that I thank for inspiring me to open Little Treasures. 

As I’m sure you know, until you become a parent, you don’t fully appreciate the importance of a nurturing preschool, or a strong kindergarten enrichment program.  Certainly until your children become school-aged, you cannot fathom the value that an after school program can have in the life of a family.  I’m sure  many who do not have children, may not see the necessity of both half and full day preschool and pre-kindergarten programs.

I saw these needs in families like our own while I was working in my family day care business.   Simply put, I began to envision a school where nothing was compromised.   My vision was, and still is, to offer the best quality program that is safe, caring, educationally rich, and still affordable to many families.  

I imagined a school where parents and teachers work together as a team to help provide the most meaningful curriculum for each child.  This is possible when the curriculum, though structured, is built around the child’s interests and is built upon what the children want to learn.

I envisioned a school which offered the best cultural and educational experiences.  In some ways, children today are growing up in a smaller world.  In opening Little Treasures, my aspiration was for the children to embrace the world around them.  To that end, we celebrate many holidays and constantly strive to expose the children to many cultures, and new ideas.  We celebrate diversity and plant the seed for children to value it throughout their lives.   
 
I began to imagine a school in which curiosity is encouraged and exploration is ongoing; where children are respected and valued by each staff member.  It was important to me (and still is) that my school be in a home like atmosphere.  This feeling of warmth and comfort helps children to bond with their teachers and feel at ease so they could be their very best.  I felt that warmth would provide the best possible atmosphere for self confidence and self esteem to take root. 

My goal was to create a school where every teacher and staff member truly  recognizes the children to be  “Little Treasures”.

 I can say without hesitation that Little Treasures Schoolhouse is that very school I imagined.  Since its opening, it has become even more than this.   The teachers and staff have brought so much more to the school in the way of music, writer’s workshops, homework help, family picnics, seasonal shows, cooking, ice skating, and much more.  Little Treasures has also become home to more laughter than I imagined.  There have been more tears shed at graduations than I ever thought possible.  There have been many more hugs shared and friendships formed then even I could have guessed, and I’ve done plenty of speculating!  I think in creating this wonderful school and focusing on what we can give to our children and their families, I didn’t foresee how much they in turn would enrich our lives and how much they would add to the Little Treasures experience. 

I am so very proud of this school.  With dedication and hard work from many hands, we have become more than I ever dreamed.