Rising Stars Nursery School

Take a peak at our new space!

Effective June 30, Shelly’s Playhouse will no longer be operating out of the Tappan Reformed Church nor the Manse Barn/Carriage House. The Consistory has decided to not renew our lease for the upcoming school year.

Our team was looking forward to returning to our space in the Manse Barn/Carriage House, where we have been for several years, but we understand that the decision made by the consistory is final. After the fire in March 2022, they have selected a new insurance provider and the cost of insurance for businesses that serve children has gone up so greatly and they have decided it is not in their best financial interest to continue on with us as tenants.

I thank them for their support after the fire, for sharing their space with us, and for being fair with the rent during our time with them.

I want to be clear that this shift was not for a lack of business plan, or educationally sound programming for Shelly’s Playhouse and our Rising Stars students. We have consistently used our business and education plan as a guide over these last 7 years despite having to pivot multiple times due to extenuating circumstances such as the fire displacing us and the COVID-19 pandemic changing the needs of our students and their families.

I am so proud of our staff and must thank them for always working hard to ensure we have consistently remained in compliance with all Board of Education and NY State standards while maintaining a safe and enriching place for our students.

I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish so far for our students. When Shelly’s Playhouse moved to the Manse Barn 7 years ago, it was always my vision and intention to provide the classroom and center-based learning experiences that our community needs. A larger space meant we could accommodate more children per the new license.

In that time, it has been my honor to meet the needs of our community time and time again. I have been able to offer Universal Pre-K, offer wrap-around care for students, expand our offerings to provide theater programming, Girl Scout events and organize a religious summer camp program for the church in order to reach more children, and contribute to the community in meaningful ways.

While I am saddened to be closing this chapter, I am excited for the opportunity to grow Shelly’s Playhouse and continue our reputation and mission of providing a safe and enriching experience for our community’s children.

Our immediate next step is to return to our former location at 54 Parkway Drive North in Blauvelt to accommodate our clients and ensure a seamless transition for students and families, with no gaps in access to care. As of right now, we are in the application process with The Office of Family and Children (OCFS) to re-new our home-based License. We will continue to seek out a new larger space so we can continue our mission to serve as many children and students as possible. In my home-based program our new license will allow us to accommodate 16 children per day, ages 2-13. We are positive that in our home-based rooms, we can continue to educate and care for all those children who need our services. We will continue to offer pre-k programming using the New York State standards program guides as well as before and after care. The new license will allow us to offer full day care for all those families in need. Our plan is to continue our efforts to find a NYS certified teacher to join our staff, so we can offer UPK. For now, our pre-k 4’s program will be a private pay option.

We are currently enrolling for Fall 2023! If you have reached out to inquire about a spot for your child(ren) and have not received a response, I apologize. We have been recovering a high volume of requests during this busy time of change. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. 845-548-1857

Sincerely,
Michelle Dietze

Thank you Coney Express for the sweet treats! The kids were so excited!

Help Shelley's Playhouse Recover from the Fire, organized by Thomas Mannion As many of you know there was a fire at the Manse Barn Thursday evening… Thomas Mannion needs your support for Help Shelley's Playhouse Recover from the Fire