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Grow It Yourself

8/15/2018

I am all thumbs and none of them are green, but I've always wanted a garden. The idea of walking out in your own yard and grabbing homegrown tomatoes sounds amazing. The only thing stopping me was time and well... knowledge. I can kill a plant just by looking at it! So for years I've just gazed longingly at other people's gardens, too scared to try it myself for fear of wasting time and money when I failed. But last year found out about locally owned company Grow It Yourself, which is designed for people just like me! Owner Noam Oshry has been gardening his whole life and realized that he could use his skills and passion for gardening to help others learn. Grow It Yourself is like your own personal gardening support system, helping anyone grow any garden they wish in a easy way and without any prior knowledge. It's such a great concept, and really needed for gardening-challenged people like me. And now is the time to contact Noam as fall season planting starts in the next few weeks so if you would like to get fall/winter crops NOW is the time to get your garden installed.

Here's how it works: Grow It Yourself first finds out exactly what you're looking for and provides a quote. Then they come right to your yard and build a raised bed in the size you want, where you want it. They provide the wood frame, special fabric to prevent weeds, healthy soil mixed with organic compost and any plants that you've custom ordered.

But they don't just leave you to fend for yourself, Noam helps guide you along the way as you watch your garden grow before your eyes. His goal is to give you the confidence and know-how so that you can indeed "grow it yourself". They've set you up to succeed by not only offering personalized care as your garden grows but also by building their raised beds from high quality long lasting materials, made to last for years with little maintenance.

There are so many reasons to take up gardening, especially with the support of a professional where you have a much better rate of success. Noam finds it really rewarding to help people as they responsibility source their own food, learning an essential, life giving skill. It's also very therapeutic to work in the dirt and use your hands to grow what you eat, getting time away from smart phones and being out in the fresh air. This is such a great investment for families especially since quality time is hard to come by. Instead of spending money at the mall, you can get outside with the kids, learning as a family how to water, plant, and harvest. It makes that moment when you sit down to dinner incredibly special when you've tended to that vegetable from beginning to end, and creates a sense of gratitude around family mealtime. I mean... can't your just imagine your kids faces when they pull out their first full grown carrot and help you cook it up? The pride that comes from doing something yourself is like no other. “You will be amazed by how much fun gardening can be, and the pride you take in sharing healthy food nurtured by your own efforts” is a phrase that Noam says gets him out of bed everyday.

Just listen to this mom and client on why gardening with Grow It Yourself has been great for her family:

"I was so excited to have my home garden put in. It's very important to my family to grow what we eat and enjoy watching nature provide for us. I couldn't have asked for a nicer guy to do the work and share his wonderful gifts of helping families find that gardening can be easy. I recommend everyone get a grow it yourself garden. Next one will be the herb garden!"

What if you already have a garden but you'd like to take the next step and don't know how? Grow It Yourself also offers rain barrels, wood stands, composters, and small raised beds for edible herbs and medicinal plants. We all know a long hot summer is coming, and that rain barrel will come in handy!

Here's the best news of all - Grow It Yourself is happy to offer a 10% discount for any kind of vegetable garden just for SoDu Parents!

To take advantage of it, just email Noam at growityourself2015@gmail.com. So go get excited about your new garden by checking out some of the gardens Owen has made on the Grow It Yourself facebook page here.

There is nothing stopping you from having your own garden, thanks to Grow It Yourself. They give you everything you need to do it on your own, from start to finish. So why not get a quote today at growityourself2015.com? You've got nothing to lose and a ton of delicious veggies to gain!

FCC Disclosure for bloggers: I received payment in exchange for this blog post. The post is written by me, and contains my own opinions.

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Family Preschool

8/8/2018

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Are you looking for a cozy co-op preschool, where as soon as you walk in you notice how the place is bursting with happy kids, ready to explore and learn? Do you want a place with 48 years of experience guiding young minds in a forward thinking, child led approach? Would you like a participatory atmosphere, where parent involvement is essential in the school, and you get to have real input and ownership in your child’s education? Family Preschool is all of this and more. I can speak personally about this preschool, as both my children attended in their early years and I substitute teach there. I can’t speak highly enough of Family Preschool as a parent and educator.

Family Preschool's mission statement says it all: “How children feel about and see themselves is the basis upon which they build all other relationships and take on the tasks of childhood. Family Preschool (FPS) is committed to offering a preschool experience that builds a child's self-confidence and independence, thus enhancing self-esteem. Our program recognizes the individual differences in needs and development among children. Through a carefully structured and flexible environment, the program encourages the unique social, emotional, physical and intellectual development of each child.”

The school was founded in 1970, and has been on the forefront of childhood education in the Triangle ever since, while still maintaining a loving, inclusive but close-knit community. In 1987, they became one of the first preschools accredited by
the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and is a member of Parent Cooperative Preschool International. In 2007 Family Preschool moved from their previous church location to the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (ERUUF) campus. (While the school has always been located in church facilities, it is non-sectarian and retains autonomy over curriculum choices and their approach to education.) The campus is a combination of rooms for the different ages, who engage with their peers but also have chances to play and learn with other ages.

The children are separated into several classes, lovingly renamed each year after animals and bugs that kids adore. The classes are gender-balanced to ensure a proper amount of socialization, behavioral growth, and peer modeling. The FPS school day is from 9am - Noon for ages 2-5. The school year runs from September through May, with many opportunities for socialization throughout the summer months.

Why choose a co-op?
Family Preschool is a true community for the 21st century, connecting families and forging lasting friendships and support networks.
* Children bond with not only their parents but caring adults working alongside them in the classroom.
* Parents get a special chance to observe and interact with their child and their peers during the school day. This was invaluable to me, to get to see my child at play, learning and growing, and to be part of that experience.
* Parents can see firsthand their children’s daily growth and development at school.
* Co-ops are able to have a low adult-to-child ratio.
* Parents get opportunities to learn valuable parenting techniques firsthand from experienced teachers.

What are the responsibilities of a co-op?
* Parents assist in the classroom as a Helping Parent 1 to 2 times a month
* Each family works on an ongoing co-op project
* Participation in work days for school maintenance and cleaning
* Assisting with and contributing to fundraising events

What classes and ages does FPS cater to?

The Parents Morning Out "Duckling" program for one year olds is a one, two, or three day option for the youngest set. The littlest ones should be 1 year old by the start of the year but not yet 2 years old. Only six children are enrolled for each day, and the ratio is 1:3, as the FPS teacher is present, but also a parent co-op volunteer. The low ratios and individualized attention is something hard to find in larger schools, speaking from personal experience as my kids have been in former schools where they disappeared into large groups.

The program gets even more fun for 2 year olds in the "Treefrog" program, just as they’re exploring their independence. One group of 8 children meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (3-day program), and a separate group of 8 children on Tuesdays and Thursdays (2-day program). Each group has the same teacher, who is assisted each day by a helping parent, making the ratio 1:4.

FPS is very proud of the unique theme-based curriculums that the 1 and 2 year old classes follow. "Family Preschool follows the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) recommendations for curriculum, which supports an approach to learning based on the constructivist theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. In this model, teachers plan activities designed to promote children’s reasoning and problem solving skills. The children are also encouraged to design their own activities where the teachers are active participants."

As the FPS children get older, they age into the exciting program for 3 and 4 year olds, where they share the large classrooms with three staff teachers and two “helping parents” that volunteer as part of their co-op hours. Family Preschool is one of the only preschools in the area using the project approach model. What is project based learning? "During a project, teachers guide students through in-depth investigations of real-world topics. There are three distinct phases in project work.

Teachers establish what children already know about a topic and the children share their experiences through personal narratives. During this time, children’s questions and wonderings are recorded.
The class investigates the topic using books, art projects, manipulatives, experiments, guest experts, and field work. Throughout the project, children and teachers record observations, collect data, and represent what they learn by posting it in the classroom.
Teachers and students prepare for a culminating event during which the children become experts and share with others what they have learned. This usually involves guiding parents on a classroom tour of their project work, performing a song or play for a parent audience, and/or inviting parents to a project-related community event."

Three year old children attend school four mornings per week, Tuesday through Friday, while the older four year old children attend all five weekday mornings. Each teacher in their separate room has a mixed age gathering of 8-9 children who spend gathering and snack time together. The rest of the day, the kids are welcome to roam around the many stations in all three rooms, and play together when outdoors.

At Family Preschool, the snacks are healthy and safe for all children, adhering to their Allergy-safe for All Children policy which is unique among preschools in the area. Food items containing medically-documented allergens are not brought into the school for snacks for any children, including food brought for special celebrations. Children in the older classrooms may stay for a “Lunch Bunch”, which is an optional additional hour each day for a small added fee, where they bring their own lunch from home. These lunches do not have to adhere to the allergy policy, but strict precautions are in place to avoid exposing any child with allergies to the problematic food. I know this firsthand as the mom of a child with a life threatening food allergy.

Play and learning truly is child led at FPS, where they are given appropriate time at all ages for free play. Option include sensory tables, art provocations, dress up, puzzles, science projects, and more. Gathering time is held for 2-5 year olds in their classrooms, where they may tackle the current theme by reading books about the subject, having discussions, or learning songs. Ample time outdoors is an essential part of the day for all ages. The playground is full of well maintained wooden structures for exploring, from slides and swings to climbing walls and sandboxes. The oldest pre-K children have frequent field trips throughout the year, and are gently encouraged as they gain skills they’ll need in school both in and out of the classroom.

How to apply:
FPS is currently accepting applications for the 2018-19 school year. Applications should be submitted electronically here (where you can also find additional information on the lottery).

Where they are:
Phone: 919.402 .1500
Family Preschool, 4907 Garrett Rd, Durham, NC 27707

You can find out the latest happenings at FPS on their facebook page here.

I really can't say enough about Family Preschool.
We truly treasured our time there, in the early years that are gone before you know it.
Please stop by for a tour to meet the amazing teachers
and see firsthand the learning and growing that they foster in this special place.

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Grow It Yourself

Family Preschool

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