Thursday, October 6, 2016

The Story of Us

The story of Harmony Natural Learning Center begins seven years ago in a small strip center in Rowley, MA.
At that time, we were known as Play Makers Family Enrichment Center where we focused on creating quality programs for parents and children to attend together.  Several years later, the addition of our drop-off programs for children aged 2 1/2 through 4 years old, had us realizing that we had quickly outgrown our space and so began the search for our ideal property.  

After many months of searching, this property came to us in the form of a small house with a separate office building and a large lot surrounded by preservation land located in Newbury, MA. PERFECT!



Together we spent countless team meetings brainstorming what we thought the ideal Center would look, feel and even smell like, creating a vision board along the way where we posted photos, fabrics, quotes and words that spoke to us.  Through this process, and as part of the transition to our new location, we felt like it was the right time to select a new name that more clearly identified the goals of our Center and the unique atmosphere that we offered to children and families. We began as Play Makers Family Enrichment Center, but evolved into Harmony Natural Learning Center, a name that better encompasses all that we do.
        
We knew that the decision to change locations as well as change our name was risky, but our fears were quickly put at ease as the community embraced our move and supported us through our transition.  We've collectively created a place for children that supports the joy of creative experiences, honors simplicity, provides a slower rhythm and pays the utmost respect to a child's capacities for play.  

Many months of renovations later, Harmony Natural Learning Center was born and opened to wide fanfare in October of 2014.
Two years have passed since we opened the doors to Harmony and we have been blessed many times over by a supportive community and wonderful staff.  We have continued to provide quality programming in our Parent & Child Classes as well as our Drop-Off Programs.  We are often sought out as a resource for parents and teachers who are committed to the early years of growth and development.  Through these inquiries began our next transition and has led us into another progressive transformation.

We enter the 2016-17 school year, with fully licensed toddler and preschool programs to replace our drop-off programs.  Both of these programs are at capacity and we already have a wait list for the following school year.  With this growth comes....construction once again.  That little white house in the photo above will be torn down at the beginning of November to make way for a separate preschool classroom.  Growth is inevitable and, in our line of work, welcomed with wide open arms. We cannot even begin to explain our enthusiasm as we enter the world of early childhood education and are completely invested in honoring a child's need for PLAY!  

Stay tuned as we continue to update our followers on our construction project and share the many happenings in our Willows Transitional Toddler Program and our Barefoot Creators Preschool Program.   

Until then, go forth and PLAY!  
Amy

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