The Olive Branch Community School

🙅‍♀️ Things you will ✨never✨ hear an Olive Branch educator say: 🙅‍♀️

🚫 "Say sorry"

🚫 "Let me do that for you."

🚫 "Good job!"

It's easy to let these things slip into your vernacular when you spend most of your time with young children, but at OBCS, we try to stay intentional at all times. Our teachers practice using language that fosters OBCS values at its deepest interpretation.

Do you find yourself saying these things? What do you try ✨not✨ to say?

Let's get your child started! 🤸‍♀️
We're enrolling now! Start the enrollment process today! 👇

1️⃣ Reach out! Simple as that!
2️⃣ Attend a tour
3️⃣ Submit an application at your tour
4️⃣ Make your kid an Olive Branch Kid!

👋🏽 Come on in! 🫒

DID YOU KNOW children at OBCS are able to choose their learning environment? 👇🏽

The door that connects our indoor and outdoor classrooms stays open to the children. They are able to move throughout the space at their own discretion and always have access to whichever materials are most important to them.

Swipe through to take a peek inside some of the spaces that are ON-LIMITS to children every day!

We offer regular program tours for prospective families. Reach out if you and your little one would like to visit!

Calling all early childhood educators 🔊

We're hiring! If you’re interested, we’d love to hear from you. Message us to submit an employment inquiry & we will be in touch within 24hrs!

Primary objectives for OBCS teachers:
* Provide loving care and supervision to all children in the program, and work to develop strong, personal bonds with each child.
* Collaborate with team to develop and implement curriculum in accordance with OBCS’s guiding philosophies and pedagogy.
* Maintain a safe and rich learning environment for all children.

OBCS teacher requirements:
* Ability to pass state-mandated background check
* Completion of mandated reporter training or willingness to do so
* An interest or experience in play based, project based, and/or Reggio Emilia inspired preschool environments preferred
* A passion for Early Childhood and child-led learning
* Creative and artistic nature
* Completion of or progress toward 12 core ECE units

🫒 MEET OUR TEACHERS! 🫒

Introducing Lauren! 👋

As one of OBCS's directors and the head of our elementary homeschool enrichment program, Lauren Eisenmann believes deeply in the power of education. Her passion for education began at the young age of 5 when she met her Kindergarten teacher. Inspired by her teachers, she went on to become an Early Childhood Educator, earning her B.A. in Child Development. During her first few years of classroom instruction, she began to uncover her unique ability and passion for leadership within the field. Lauren pursued an M.S. in Educational Leadership and fine-tuned her school leadership toolkit through certifications on Inclusive Leadership, Managing to Change the World, and Workplace Equity. Concurrently, Lauren began developing her own approach towards education. Merging the ideas of Maria Montessori, Lev Vygostky, Bev Bos, Loris Malaguzzi, Alison Gopnik and many others, Lauren began to define her own philosophy.

Today, Lauren knows that fostering children’s curiosity and innate aptitude for learning is key. Growing a love of learning and a base for learning transcends any specific fact or unit that can be taught. Lauren knows that teaching children to read, write, count, etc., is not about “checking the box,” but moreso about giving children the requisite skills to access life opportunities and all the world has to offer. Lauren seeks to foster environments and instructional approaches that steward each child’s relationship with the world, themselves, their place in their community, and their futures.

Outside of the classroom, Lauren rigorously advocates for underserved communities, commits an abundance of time to her children and family, and loves to be outside. Her goal in life is to leave the world a better place than when she entered it. She looks forward to continuing to learn, grow, and make an impact!

🫒 Read more about our teaching team by visiting our website through the link in our bio! 🫒

🫒 MEET OUR TEACHERS 🫒

Introducing Stacey! 👋

Stacey has worked with young children for more than six years. Her extensive Early Childhood background includes experience with children at a variety of ages – something Stacey is particularly grateful for, as she has been able to experience the uniqueness of each age group firsthand. Her understanding and appreciation of the developmental spectrum of Early Childhood help to inform her incredible work with children in our mixed-age environment here at Olive Branch.

Stacey takes particular pride in her ability to build strong relationships with children and to offer a unique developmental responsiveness in her approach. In addition to her intimate understanding of ages and development, Stacey has a particular knack for forming intimate and personal bonds with each child in her care, shaping her approach to teaching on an individual and personalized basis. As a personality who thrives on strong interpersonal relationships, Stacey reflects that her favorite part of working with young children is witnessing the friendships they develop with one another at preschool.

When not at work, Stacey enjoys spending time with her family, particularly her nieces and nephews, and regularly hosts dinner parties for her many friends! In her spare time, she loves baking, crafting, and shopping.

🫒 Read more about our teaching team by visiting our website through the link in our bio! 🫒

🫒 MEET OUR TEACHERS! 🫒

Introducing John! 👋

John is a patient and compassionate Early Childhood professional. In his approach, he takes personal inspiration from a variety of approaches including play based learning, emergent curriculum, Anji-Play, the Reggio Emilia approach, and more, summarizing his pedagogy as, “always child focused; always child-led.” He finds the most value in his work with children in the social-emotional learning that is foundational to an empathetic and compassionate human being. He builds strong relationships with each child at Olive Branch that rest on a foundation of mutual trust and respect.

Uniquely, John’s pedagogy grows and adapts with his participation in regular professional development opportunities. As a flexible and adaptive professional, John has participated in a number of workshops and seminars with Early Childhood leaders such as Jesse Coffino of Anji-Play, Samuel Broaden of Honoring Childhood, and Prerna Richards of Together We Grow.

Beyond the classroom, John finds fulfillment and inspiration in art and storytelling like film and television, live music, working with clay, and spending time with his partner, Bonnie, who he describes as both a mentor and muse in his Early Childhood work.

🫒 Read more about our teaching team by visiting our website through the link in our bio! 🫒

So much fun playing with shadows!