The Big Backyard Preschool

I'm Caresse Hotovy and I own and operate The Big Backyard Preschool in southwest Omaha.

The Big Backyard Preschool is a small and unique in-home preschool emphasizing hands on, child-led, exploratory learning influenced by the Reggio and Montessori philosophies.

I'm looking for parents who:

*understand and believe in the value of a child-led, hands on, exploratory preschool environment for their child where children learn the "basics" in their own way and in their own time.

*parents who want a preschool environment that is rich in opportunities for their children to try, fail, struggle, problem solve, persevere, succeed, handle conflict, wait, and ask for what they need in order to develop the foundations of self regulation and self reliance so necessary for success in Kindergarten and beyond.

*parents who are looking for a place where each child is seen as a unique, curious, capable, independent spirit.

*parents who understand and respect that early childhood is a once-in-a-lifetime period of growth and development that should not be pushed or rushed, but rather supported and encouraged through an environment rich in opportunities to explore and learn.

*parents who value uniqueness, curiosity and independence in their children.

*parents who value the importance of nature and outside exploration.

*parents who want their children to learn and practice resilience, responsibility, and respect - for themselves, for others and for the environment.

*parents who want their children to equate learning with joy and excitement, children who will be able to take that curiosity and love of learning wherever they go.

I have been blessed to be a Preschool teacher for the past 15+ years. Not finding the right environment in which to teach the way my heart calls me to, I decided to open my own small school in my home.

I have a Bachelors degree in Human Development and the Family and my Primary Montessori Certification (ages 3-6). My strongest influences are Loris Malaguzzi (Reggio), Maria Montessori (Montessori), Bev Bos, Lisa Murphy, Tom Hobson (Teacher Tom), and Denita Dinger.

I'm organizing a M/W/F am class to start March 7 to run through the end of May, and then organizing a M/W/F am and T/Th am class to start mid-August. Come join us!

E-mail: thebigbackyardps@gmail.com.

Facebook: The Big Backyard Preschool.