Howell Ave. Update, New Lead Caregiver & Fernwood Open House

Hello Friends and Neighbors!

Things are really moving at the Howell Ave. building! Plumbing, electrical, HVAC system, and insulation are all in place. We are beginning to make important decisions about how the space will be finished to create a comfortable, home-like environment for the children. We welcome your thoughts and suggestions! (Photos coming soon)

As we plan for our summer Grand Opening, we'd like to get the message out that based on our current waiting list, we anticipate having openings for families seeking care for children over two years of age, and particularly for those needing after-school care for children in morning K3-K4 programs. For prospective Fernwood Montessori families, we will be at the New Student Enrollment Fair this Thursday from 5:30 to 7:00 PM to share info about Nestling House's after school care options.

Lastly, as some of you already know, Kelley Moran has taken on the role of Lead Caregiver at Nestling House. We are so pleased to have Kelley join us as she brings many great qualities as a caregiver, not least of which are her calm demeanor and gentle, observational approach. 

More updates coming soon!

Nestling House Friends - January, 2017

Howell Ave. Opening

“I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.”

— Marie Curie

Hello Friends and Neighbors,

This update has been a long time coming! We have finally overcome some rather large and at times seemingly insurmountable obstacles that have kept us from making progress on our Howell Ave. center renovations.  While we are ecstatic to be moving again on that front, we are disappointed that the delay has forced us to move our official opening date from "early 2017" to July of 2017. 

It's full steam ahead from here and we look forward to sharing some real progress photos of our new space in the coming months.  And in the mean time, we'll leave you with a couple photos of what we've been up to at Nestling House lately...

Food For Thought

“Food is not just fuel. Food is about family, food is about community, food is about identity. We nourish all those things when we eat well.”

— Michael Pollan

Hi, Everybody! We've added a page to our website dedicated to the food we prepare and eat together at Nestling House.  For now, you can see some pictures of the food we've been enjoying lately, like Creamy Tofu Taquitos, Black Bean Burrito Bowls, Cajun Skillet Beans, and Silky Tomato Soup.

Later we'll add some sample menus and some pictures of how we make our food. 

Click below to check it out!

Off and Running!

Wow! It's hard to believe we're 3 weeks into our Nestling House journey already. We've been very busy adapting to our space, establishing comfortable routines, building relationships, sharing healthy meals together, and of course, PLAYING!

Here's a little taste of what we've been up to at Nestling House:

Meet Our New Caregiver!

We are thrilled to introduce the newest member of the Nestling House team, Vanya Schroeder!

Vanya will be sharing care giving responsibilities with Eric on a daily basis at Nestling House. Since 2004, Vanya has worked in various settings as a teacher and care giver; she began teaching English at the college level and then shifted into her role as a preschool teacher at Hoyne Street Playgroup, a long running and well regarded child care co-op in Chicago that embraces a play-based approach. Her additional experience as a nanny rounds out Vanya's strong care giving credentials. She holds a BS in Psychology and a MFA in Writing, and has been highly esteemed for her creativity and child-centered approach to care giving.

I will borrow a few words from Vanya herself to help convey how wonderfully she will fit with and strengthen our principles of play and relationship-based child care:

"My goal is to facilitate natural curiosity so children see learning as a lifelong adventure"

"Good nutritious food, made from real ingredients (not processed or sugar-laden) is an important physical resource"

"Children are active learners who gain knowledge by acting directly on and with concrete objects"

"I support children as they make discoveries about themselves and learn to recognize and name their feelings. In return I look through a window onto a fascinating world—an entire perception of reality—being built and rebuilt before my eyes. It is my responsibility as a teacher to facilitate arrival at a cheerful resolution—resolution, but never completion. There is always new material to consider."