Monthly Update from Gabriela ~ August 2014
Welcome Back to School!
Growth and Evolution continues to be the norm at GPCP. The 2014-2015 has started with a bang!
Classrooms look richer than ever, educators are working collaboratively and children are learning
the new routines and developing new relationships.
What a wonderful place to be!
Our Declaration of Intent –
Our declaration of Intent is a broad statement that defines our intentions and guides our thinking
throughout the year. During our annual retreat, we spent time thinking about our focus for the
school year and together, we defined our intentions and goals for the 2014-2015 school year.
A common vision helps to keep everyone headed in the same direction and focused on our
common goals. This year, GPCP will focus on two important concepts: Identity and Shared
Responsibilities and how these two concepts inter-relate.
GPCP is a place that values individual strengths and helps individuals grow through challenges in a
collaborative atmosphere. It is a place that embraces challenge as a value and offers
opportunities for growth. Our intent for this year reflects our desire to grow in our efforts to work
collaboratively and to develop a stronger sense of shared commitment toward common goals
rooted in GPCP's identity and vision. We agree that efficient accomplishment of a set of common
goals is achievable when we weave together a confident sense of belonging, awareness of our
school's history and philosophy, personal experiences, perspectives, and talents. We also agree that
honing existing strategies, devising new strategies, pooling resources, and feeling supported as well
as inspired will be required to accomplish major results. We strive continually to work together
holistically, cooperatively, and equally motivated by the belief that where there's a will, there's a
way. Our intent is to strengthen shared commitment that will cultivate more awareness of
responsibilities and shared accountability.
In addition to our specific declaration of intent for this school year, we will continue our commitment
to the following topics and values:
Building relationships among all members of the school community
The Pleasure of Learning
The School as a Place of Joy
Celebrating Birthdays in meaningful ways
Support – Filling each other’s buckets
Conscious Discipline Approach
Meet our Team of Educators
We are proud of our team of educators for this school year! They are a wonderful group of people
who have been working hard to be ready to begin a new school year with your children. We are
looking forward to sharing their talents and experiences.
2014-2015 GPCP Team:
Operations Manager: Liza Dickerson
Administrative Assistants: Melissa Freeman & Tiffany Zimniak
Grant Park Campus:
Atelierista: Amy Bitcover
Naturalist: Taylor Mead
Cats’ Class: Tiffany Atkinson & Andrea London Suggs
Ladybugs’ Class: Belinda Parra, Lindsay Morkel and Christina Diggs (Adaptive Learning Center)
Swans’ Class: Stephanie Germann, Christa Mader, Liz Lootens and Holly Leeson (Adaptive Learning
Center)
Extended Day: Clara Castillo, Charletra Johnson, Liz Lootens, Lindsay Morkel & Andrea London
Suggs.
Cabbagetown Campus:
Atelierista: Gracie McDonald – also Assistant Director
Naturalist: Ina Musgrove
Cats’ Class: Julia Lorenc & Zubeyde Cetin
Ladybugs’ Class: Qiana Suggs and Shannon Johnson
Frogs’ Class: Candace Peterson and Garrett Goss
Extended Day: Zubeyde Cetin, Shannon Johnson, Marnie Curk, Ina Mussgrove and Nathaniel CruzLindsey
Spanish educator: Clara Castillo (for both campuses)
Music Educator: Melissa Sebel – Ms. Mel (for both campuses)
Welcome our new Educators!
Shannon Johnson:
I have been part of the GPCP family for the past 10 years in some form or another. I
was a nanny for many GPCP families during my college years at Georgia State
University. For the past three summers, I was a summer camp educator where I
worked with children on sewing and textile projects. Last school year, I was a
frequent substitute for the Cabbagetown and Grant Park campuses. This year, I am
beginning my career as an educator in the Cabbagetown Ladybugs class. I hope
to continue to facilitate a love of sewing and textiles with the children, and help them begin to
explore and appreciate nature. When I am not at GPCP, I enjoy sewing and crafting. I co-own a
small accessories and home goods line called Glean. I also enjoy getting outside with my soon-tobe husband, Justin and our two dogs- Lola and Sara.
Stephanie Germann:
Hello! This is my first year as an educator at GPCP and I am thrilled to be part of
this incredible family. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, I relocated to Atlanta in
September of 2013. I graduated in 2012 with a degree in Early Childhood
Education and have been working with children since 2008. Outside of GPCP I live
as a magical woodland fairy; hiking, camping, frolicking, climbing trees, hoop
dancing, and celebrating Mother Nature in every way possible.
Christa Mader: I am so excited to be a part of the GPCP family! I fell in love with
this school the very first day I walked in. The Reggio Emilia approach seems so
perfect for children, parents, and their community. I am pumped about learning
alongside our swans this year as we explore and grow together! I relocated from
Birmingham, Alabama in July of this year. I received my bachelor's degree in
Community Health Education in 2012 after exploring the teacher education
program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I worked for a non-profit in
Birmingham running a farmers market, senior exercise classes, and our three
community gardens. I taught nutrition and gardening in the local elementary
schools where I developed a passion for teaching children about taking care of their bodies and
their environment. I am thrilled to have a dual role at GPCP as a multi-age educator AND the Grant
Park Campus Farm to School coordinator! I look forward to a wonderful year getting to know you
all!
Lindsay Morkel: My name is Lindsay, and I am a first year educator at Grant Park
Cooperative Preschool. I was born and raised in the Midwest. I attended the
University of Kansas and College of Hair Design. In 2005, I moved to Georgia. I
started my career in cosmetology and then went on to banking. I have a beautiful
three year old daughter, Payton.
I absolutely love the Reggio approach and I am excited to begin this new chapter
of our lives with GPCP.
Tiffany Atkinson: I have a strong desire to make a positive impact on the world and
my city and I believe that the best place to start is with our children here at GPCP. I
taught preschool a few years ago and I am beyond excited to both teach and
learn from children again. I believe in the importance of play and exploration in
learning and very passionate about the Reggio Emilia approach to early learning! I
am also a certified life coach with a passion for motivating and inspiring people of
all ages to improve themselves and the world around them. I love hiking and
camping and have a strong appreciation for nature. When I'm not singing and
reading stories to children, you may also find me meditating, reading, writing, traveling or spending
time with my amazing friends or my adorable dog, Cooper.
Andrea London Suggs: Hello, my name is Andrea London. I am a wife, mother of
two, (and breast cancer survivor). I am a very loving and understanding person. I
love to eat healthy promote healthy living to all I encounter. In my spare time, I love
being with my family no matter what we are doing. I also like to jog in the mornings
before I come to school. I have been working with children since 2008. I have
experience as a lead teacher for three years and also was a nanny for a family for
two years before I began working here at Grant Park. I am thrilled about the new
school year and all of the families there are to meet. I am learning a lot from everyone and hope
that what I've learned and continue to learn will make a difference in the lives of children and
families, and also my new family here at Grant Park.
Christina Diggs:
Being born and raised in Washington, D.C., I have had a first glance at reform in
Education and the impact it has had on the development of students. I decided,
long ago, that I wanted to be a part of these changes. Since I can remember, I
have been inspiring, teaching, motivating and educating, working with school-age
children since I completed High School at age 17. Graduating with my B.A. in English, I am coupling
that, currently, pursuing my M.Ed.
When I relocated to Georgia, I was determined to become apart of a community of educators who
shared my vision for inspired learning and teaching and Adaptive Learning Center was that place.
Grant Park Cooperative preschool, a Reggio inspired school, is a place where I can grow, not only
as an educator, but as an individual. I am excited to be a part of the development and growth of
our future educators, future doctors, future innovators and future leaders. The possibilities are
endless.....
Holly Leeson: I am a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Education. I
spent nine years teaching in the Atlanta area where my focus was job coaching
and job placement for students with special needs.
I am very excited to get back to the classroom after taking some time off to raise a
family. I could not be more thrilled to be working at GPCP. The inclusive nature of
the preschool is extraordinary as is the strong commitment to children and
community.
Taylor Mead: I recently graduated from Georgia State University with an English
degree in Creative Writing. Along with being a logophile, I also have an intense
love for children and a strong passion for the natural world. Whether it is chickens
or children, flowers or vegetables, insects or snakes, I have a desire to understand
and nurture all living things. The past few summers, I’ve focused a lot of time and
energy on developing a sustainable garden for myself at my house on Hill St. With
some hard work and dedication with help from our children, I plan on bringing a
greater variety of plant life to our school. I cannot wait to share my love of nature
with our children here at Grant Park Cooperative Preschool!
Welcome Tiffany Zimniak to the Administrative team! Tiffany is working in the GP Campus office.
Tiffany Zimniak: I am the new Administrative Assistant for the Grant Park Campus,
and am thrilled to be a part of such an outstanding organization! I am a graduate
of Oglethorpe University with a BS in Biopsychology. I have been a nanny for the
past four years, and love being around children. I am excited to get to know the
children and the families at this school, and create stronger connections within the
Grant Park community. When I am not at work I enjoy running, gardening, reading,
and riding my bike around town. This year has been off to a great start so far, and I
am happily awaiting what will happen next!
CALENDAR
Monday, September 1st: NO SCHOOL, Labor Day
Thursday, September 11th – Board Meeting
Saturday, September 27th - Workday
Monday, October 14th: NO SCHOOL – educators prepare for Family-Educators Conferences
Saturday, October 18th - Monster Dash