SixTwelve PreK Pilot Program

This week we began a great adventure at SixTwelve! The first steps toward making this dream a reality were taken over a decade ago when I left teaching in Norman, Oklahoma to go back to school for a Bachelor's and Master's in art history. I really wanted to start a little preschool where the kids learned through art and music. I not only finished those degrees a few years ago, but I also was lucky enough to work at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art for about 3.5 years during the time away from teaching. This gave me some much needed administrative experience.

Earlier this year, in February, I met Julia Roff. She was teaching at John Rex Elementary School downtown and I could tell that she had a real passion for preschool. So we talked about her coming to work at SixTwelve "someday." I went to visit, observe and read to her class one day and was hooked! This woman knew everything that I didn't (and apparently, that is a LOT!) I don't have the early childhood education that she does. I have the elementary school music and art experience, but together we make a great team! I'm so grateful for her.

We are holding our PreK program two days a week, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 9am to 2pm. We capped our enrollment at 10 students so as to make sure that this pilot program really served the students individually. We also wanted to make sure that we gave ourselves plenty of room to learn. There is sooooooo much to learn. But we're doing it! We now have 7 students! Next year, we hope to expand to two classes, five days a week with before and after care. We'll see what happens with funding. I've written letters of intent to local foundations, but haven't been accepted to write a grant proposal because we aren't a full time program. And that's ok! We just want to start small and grow so that we do things organically. That's kind of a theme at SixTwelve! :)

I'm so grateful and excited and exhausted, thanks to this wonderful experience. I'm fortunate to have this chance to see this dream through. I have many people to thank for that, too. My family and friends helped me so much to get to this point. I'm a lucky, lucky woman. Couldn't be more grateful.