My son entered the preschool at age three and a half. He had fairly severe speech
delay which affected his ability to communicate, follow directions,
participate in activities and interact with other children. To many
parents of children with disabilities, the world can be a very
unfriendly place. Ann always made it clear that we were not only welcome
at the preschool but also wanted. (My child) has since been diagnosed
with autism. To say that Ann was supportive and helpful in this whole
process would be a gross understatement. Our gratitude goes beyond
words.
Heather P.
Ann is a dedicated professional who always keeps the healthy development
of the children as her guide. She consistently supports a play-based,
experiential curriculum that maintains both a focused philosophy and
a
flexible approach to education.
Liz A.
I appreciate to this day, how Ms. Clements taught me to reconsider
my
expectations of my son who was not performing the tasks I expected him
to be doing at his age. Once I was taught that developmentally, it was
OK for a two and a half year old to not be able to clean up after himself, and
to
not be interested in potty learning, it improved my relationship with
my
son.
Susan J.
The hallmark of Ann's teaching style is that it provides opportunities
for children to make choices that help them develop the self-confidence
necessary to play independently and with other children in socially
acceptable ways without suppressing their individual personalities.
The
fact that our first child and now our second child have always looked
forward to going to preschool each day is one of the marks of an
excellent preschool program.
Janet S.
One of the strengths I most admire in Ann is her ability to deal with
children in conflict. I know for myself I have learned a tremendous
amount from her in this regard. She has a serious, but soft way of
helping children work through their difficulties, without laying blame
or shame on anyone.
Maria M.
(Ann) both teaches and models the virtues we all would like to see
in
our children: self respect, compassion for others, kindness, joy and
love. She honors the uniqueness of each child, and encourages her
students to explore, discover and appreciate the things that make each
one of them special.
Over the years, Ann has honed her skills in this area and in effect,
become a teacher to us all. Ann's guidance has help me become a better
parent and a better human being.
Laura G.
She provides a haven of constancy and security for the children in
her
care, and above all, respects them and their needs, as varied as they
are.
Christine A.
Ann's special way with kids is a rare talent. Her open heart, guiding
hand, and love for kids meant a great deal to our family.
Mike. K.
...Ann has continued her own education in child development and guided
the preschool toward a child centered play based curriculum that truly
honors each child's need for exploration and expression. Ann has touched
the lives of many families in the community who's children benefited
so
much from their time at ECPC.
Amanda P.
Over the last year, we have watched Ann help guide many children forward
in their development, She has helped shy children to become more
comfortable at school, aggressive children to learn to talk rather than
to hit, and children stuck in a rut of feeling sad about separating
from
their parents to deal with those feelings and move on to enjoying their
time at preschool. Her skill at meeting each child where he/she is,
and
working with them at their developmental level, is truly
outstanding...In circle time with Ann, children are not required to
sit
in a perfect circle. But, what you see is a group of engaged children
-
they listen, participate by singing, listening to a story, sharing news
from home. And yet, rudeness or unruliness is not tolerated. Ann knows
how to hold the children's interest, create opportunities for fun,
learning and growth, all with almost no need to discipline the children.
Lisa R. & Scott S.
Her never ending efforts to create more stimulating experiences for
the
kids are outstanding (camping night at the preschool; eggs becoming
chicks project, taking kids to a snake, lizard and insect pet shop;
stone soup, and so on.)
Violaine
Ann's priority is always the well-being of her students. She has been
honest with us about our children's strengths and needs. At the same
time, she has enough confidence to change a plan of action when
required.
Kate F.
I've received training and support so that I feel some confidence in
my
weekly participation. In addition, and just as importantly, I also have
Ann's trust to carry out the preschool's philosophy in a nitty gritty,
hands-on way. this has been a great gift to me as a parent.
Brenda M.
Ann's influence at the preschool is by no means limited to the children.
She works as well with the adults as she does with the children, who
through her guidance and example have learned to become better
parents...the strength of the program under Ann's leadership, which
many
parents believe to be one of the best, is a testament to her twenty-two
years of commitment and hard work at the El Cerrito Preschool
Cooperative.
Cheekeong L.
I have watched Ann Clements rise to the daily, often considerable
challenges of dealing with preschoolers and their educationally,
financially, and ethnically diverse parents with great aplomb. Whereas
rich diversity can invite chaos, at our co-op we are able to offer our
children a very comfortable, stable, and just plain rich
environment...Surely Ann Clements deserves the title "pillar of
the
Community" in addition to a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Katherine S.
She actively listens to children and allows them the room to develop
at
their own pace. In this regard, her practice reflects the philosophy
of
"The Child Is The Curriculum" that is posted on the wall at
the
preschool...(Cathy) As a pediatrician, I feel I have benefited greatly
form hearing Ann's insight into early childhood development and
observing her approach to dealing with children with different learning
styles, temperaments and developmental stages...(David) I am a K-12
teacher educator. Working with Ann allows me to see the kind of
child-centered teacher that I want all of my students to become...I
find
myself regularly sharing stories of my El Cerrito Preschool life with
the students in my class. It is an exemplary school that reflects its
outstanding director.
Cathy C. & David W.
It is nearly impossible to separate Ann from ECPC. Ann is ECPC.
The R. family
Ann has been involved in the Co-Op movement for over 30 years (22+
at
ECPC), and it is truly due to her co-operative commitment that our
school continues to flourish...Ann has a way of inciting a sense of
loyalty and commitment to the co-operative movement that has surely
enhanced the lives of well over 1500 families.
The J. family
My children always loved going to preschool. It was a safe place for
them, where they could run or paint or dig in the sand, whatever suited
their fancy. There was just the right amount of structure to make it
a
comfortable place. For many years after she left there, my oldest
daughter complained that it wasn't fair that she couldn't go there
anymore, Now that she is old enough, Rachel volunteers there one morning
each week and loves working with Ann.
Jane S.
Her optimism and straight forward approach engages the kids and helps
parents with the challenging work of parenting. When asked what she
likes about Ann, our 3-year-old rattled off a list of her favorites
including "she told me about turtles" and "I learned
how to dance with
scarves."
Chris and Iben H-M.
We spent a lot of time at the preschool! Having two children in the
program required us to participate in the coop two times per week. It
was always a pleasure to be there alongside Ann.
Janet and Bill S.
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