The holiday season is upon us, and although generally a busy time for all, I hope you will find a few moments to spend with this newsletter, our third issue of Brick by Brick.  Our theme centers around our faculty.  We explore the efforts undertaken by this dynamic group of early childhood educators to excel in their field in every way possible.  Additional articles share a glimpse into the lives of two of our teachers beyond their roles at Brick.  We are truly blessed to have such an amazing faculty at Brick and hope you will enjoy reading about our teachers and more in this issue. 

Most Brick by Brick readers probably know Nancy Trush as our beloved head teacher in 5 South, who has worked with three-year-olds at Brick since 1993.  What most of our readers probably do not know is that she, her husband Ken, and her sons Daniel and Michael are the founders of Daniel’s Music Foundation, a phenomenal non-profit dedicated to providing free musical instruction to individuals with developmental and physical disabilities in the New York City area.  Founded in 1995, Daniel’s Music Foundation has grown from offering one music class for five students to offering thirty-nine classes for over two hundred students in 2011.  Recently DMF has been on Broadway and been honored by the New York Yankees during Yankees HOPE Week.

 

The Brick Church School has long prided itself on its commitment to professional development, supporting its teachers’ efforts to develop their skills and knowledge about early childhood education.  Professional development is a win-win for all involved:  children directly benefit from all their teachers bring back to the classroom, and teachers benefit from the boost in excitement and enthusiasm that comes from continuing to grow as professionals.  In fact, teachers who engage in regular professional development experiences do not succumb to “burn-out” the way that those who do not continue to learn alongside their students often do.  It is no coincidence that teacher burn-out does not exist at Brick!

 

On the 20^th anniversary of Lydia Spinelli’s tenure as director at Brick, the Lydia Spinelli Fund for Professional Development was created.  This fund can be used only for professional development activities, which include membership fees for professional organizations, all costs associated with attending conferences and workshops, partial grants for graduate school tuition, purchase of relevant books, and more. 

When the children returned to school and went up to the roof for the first time, they had a big surprise. Don and Lynn Wilson, who donated our 1995 wooden play structure, have replaced it with a new, state-of-the-art structure, designed by Brett Haddaway of Design for Fun. 

     

Marion Hedges, a former Brick Church School parent, was critically injured when hit by a shopping cart pushed from the fourth floor garage at Costco in late October.  Marion's two children, Elizabeth and Dayton, attended Brick and Marion co-chaired our auction while a Brick parent.  Many in the Brick Church community have asked what can be done to help the Hedges family during this very difficult time.   A fund has been set up at The Brick Presbyterian Church for the benefit and care of Marion Hedges.  Please click on the read more link above to learn more about contributing to this fund.

 

The Annual Appeal is underway at The Brick Church School.  We are grateful for the generosity of our donors who make Brick's high quality early childhood education program possible.  Our commitment to providing at least 10% of our students with financial aid, a commitment we are proud to have been able to exceed each year, is made possible by the success of our Annual Appeal.  This year 16% of Brick students receive financial assistance.  To make a donation to the school, please click here.