Cornerstone Campus Preschool Home Page

HAPPY 2010!
For Feb calendar & newsletter, click "Cal/Events" link above

NEWS

Reminder: No school on Monday, Jan. 18 in celebration of Martin Luther King Day.

WELCOME

ENROLLMENT UPDATE: WAITING LIST FOR ALL PRESCHOOL SESSIONS HAS CLOSED.
WE ARE ONLY TAKING NAMES FOR EXT DAY PREK (ages 4.6+; Mon-Fri, 8:45 am - 1 pm).
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ENROLLMENT, CLICK ON "ENROLLMENT" LINK

At Cornerstone Campus, learning is a hands-on and creative process that engages the children in direct experiences, appropriate for their stage of development. It is our goal to create a stimulating, emotionally supportive environment in which each child can grow and thrive. We encourage children to become independent learners who are confident in their abilities and capable of managing themselves.

Cornerstone Campus Preschool offers half-day programs for children ages 2.9 – 5 years and an extended day PreK class for children 4.6 years and older. Cornerstone Campus is a school year program, which follows the calendar of the Quincy Public Schools. Our curriculum is based on the "Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences" developed by the Massachusetts' Dept. of Early Education and Care (EEC) http://www.eec.state.ma.us/docs/TAGuidelinesForPreschoolLearningExperiences.pdf .

Program highlights:

Small class sizes with 1:5-7 Teacher/Child ratio
Indoor gymnasium, music room and enclosed outdoor play area
Nutritional snack provided by the school
Music instruction provided by specialist
“Lunch Bunch" hour offered daily from 11:45-12:45
Mandarin and Cantonese speaking staff member
On-site after-school Spanish instruction

Founded in 1993, we are a non-profit preschool owned by The First Baptist Church of Wollaston in Quincy and governed by the Church’s Preschool Committee. We do not provide religious instruction and we welcome families of all faiths and backgrounds.

Meet our Staff

Gail M. Macdonald, The Director: I entered the field of early childhood education in 2000 as a preschool teaching assistant. At the same time I enrolled in Eastern Nazarene College’s Graduate School of Education and became state licensed to teach pre-K-2^nd grade. I worked for Quincy Public Schools for three years as a 1^st grade long-term substitute teacher and an ESL tutor. I joined Cornerstone Campus in 2004 as the Director and have loved the job ever since! With my husband Walter, I am the proud parent of three children ages 22, 19 and 15.

Assistant Director and Ext. Day Lead Teacher Meg Potter. Mrs. Potter has been a teacher at Cornerstone since 1996 and assumed the position of Asst. Director three years ago. If I am absent or unavailable during school hours, Mrs. Potter is your “go to” person. She has an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the same major from UMASS Boston. She and her husband David are the proud parents of three children, ages 25, 21 and 18.

Teaching Assistant Kendra Jackson, Ext. Day Class. Mrs. Jackson joined the Cornerstone Campus staff in 2004 and has worked with every age group in the school. Prior to joining us, she worked at the Dorchester House after school program for several years. She and her husband Peter are the proud parents of three children, ages 19, 16 and 9. Mrs. Jackson is also a Blue Star Mother as her oldest son, Danny, is currently serving in the US Marines.

Co-Lead Teacher, downstairs 4 y.o. class Jennifer Wong: Mrs. Wong has been a Lead Teacher in the 4 year-old class at Cornerstone since 2001. Prior to entering the field of early childhood ed, she applied her numerous creative talents to the successful florist shop she ran in her native country of Hong Kong. She and her husband Harris are the proud parents of two children, ages 16 and 13.

Co-Lead Teacher, downstairs 4 y.o. class, Michelle Andrews: Mrs. Andrews joined Cornerstone in 2007 as Co-lead Teacher in the 4 year old class. Mrs. Andrews has an undergraduate degree in Elementary Ed & English Lit and a Master of Science Education, Integrated Studies and is licensed to teach K-6. Her professional experience includes teaching elementary school and serving as a librarian for Quincy Public Schools. Mrs. Andrews is also our music teacher. She and her husband Bill are the proud parents of two children, ages 13 and 9 and their new pug, Daisy.

Lead Teacher, Debbie Roche, 3 year old class.: This is Mrs. Roche’s sixth year at Cornerstone and her second as Lead Teacher since becoming certified at Quincy College. Prior to joining our staff, she worked as an in home childcare provider and an activity leader at the South Shore YMCA. Working with 3 year olds is a perfect match for her boundless energy and enthusiasm. Mrs. Roche and her husband Paul are the proud parents of two children, ages 15 and 8.

Rebecca Lampert-Egan, Teaching Assistant. This is Mrs. Egan’s second year at Cornerstone as a Teaching Assistant in the 3 y.o. room Mrs. Egan has a B.A. in English Literature and a Master of Education in Secondary Ed. Her professional experience includes infant, preschool and school age child care and substitute teaching for Quincy Public Schools. Mrs. Egan and her husband Brian are the proud parents of five children, ranging in ages from 8-26. As a Blue Star Mother of two sons, she is actively involved in community efforts to support US troops.

Kathy O’Leary, Co-Lead Teacher upstairs 4 y.o. room:
Mrs. O’Leary joined Cornerstone Campus in 2005 when we expanded our 4 year old program. She recievd her Bachelor Degree in Education from Salem State College and has several years experience as a preschool Lead Teacher. Kathy and her husband Jim are the proud parents of 4 children (three of whom are Cornerstone alumni) ranging in ages 15-8.

Sandy Summering, Co-Lead teacher upstairs 4 y.o. room: Mrs. Summering joined Cornerstone in 2006 and has worked in both 4 year old classes. She has an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education and numerous professional experiences working with young children. She and her husband Brian, a Boston Fire Fighter, are the proud parents of two children, ages 13 and 8.