The Gardner School is pleased to announce the accreditation of The Gardner School of Dublin by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). This accreditation is a well-deserved honor for Executive School Director Monica Zins and the entire team of teachers and staff at The Gardner School of Dublin.
As Zins was confident in the standards she and her staff upheld at The Gardner School of Dublin, she knew that working toward a NAEYC accreditation was a logical, and important, next step in the school’s development. She added that she looked into the accreditation because “[TGS Dublin has] a great program and sets high standards, building a strong reputation within our community.”
Zins feels that throughout the accreditation process she and her team gained a deeper understanding of the “why” when it came to daily school operations. “I think the biggest insights myself and the staff took away from the process was looking more closely at the reasons why we do what we’re doing, and the benefits of those approaches,” she added.
The NAEYC Accreditation Board identifies schools that rigorously seek and apply the highest level of engagement and educational best practices. They assess schools based on ten research-based standards to find institutions of learning that bring an exceptional level of excellence to their students.
The extensive accreditation process takes place over the course of up to two calendar years. Candidates for accreditation must prepare teaching portfolios that showcase intentional lesson planning, careful curriculum planning, and even the physical design of the classrooms. At the same time, school leadership must put together a compendium of documents that explains everything from the school’s educational philosophy to detailed rationales for every policy and procedure. Compiling this evidence takes time and intentionality in order to ensure every facet of the school is operating to the highest possible standard.
“I feel that awareness has been a huge contributing factor in going through the accreditation practice. I think as teachers, caregivers, administrators and as a school, we’ve all really tuned in to what is most important to our families and their developing children. I know that we’ve made a strong stamp on our community locally over the years and I expect that our accreditation will solidify that and continue to support our earned reputation,” Zins said.
Zins and her staff were overjoyed to receive this excellent news. “We were all anxiously waiting to hear our results during the first three to four weeks after our visit. Daily, I would have at least one person ask if we had heard anything. About five weeks after our visit, I received the congratulatory email. The next day we announced to all the staff and celebrated a few days later with a special lunch!” she explained.
Accreditation by the NAEYC is a true honor in the field of early childhood education. A little more than 7,000 programs are currently accredited by NAEYC. In total, fewer than ten percent of all child care centers, preschools, and kindergartens nationally achieve this recognition. This puts The Gardner School at the forefront of providing the best educational experiences for children under the age of six. Zins is incredibly proud of her team’s efforts.
“I couldn’t be more proud of my teaching team. I think it goes without saying that we all learned some new approaches, perspectives, and frankly, had some great conversations with one another given that people can think so differently,” Zins said.
The Gardner School of Dublin is a fully-accredited, academically-focused preschool, offering year-round full- and part-time childcare with early childhood education programs for children six weeks old through five years. With a full suite of on-site enrichment classes and degreed and highly qualified teachers, The Gardner School of Dublin facilitates a rich learning environment that stimulates children’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth. To learn more about how we fulfill our mission to parents in Dublin, contact The Gardner School of Dublin today.