Ted Maple
Former Early Childhood Director
There is no greater cause than working to better the lives of children who have the cards stacked against them. St. Mary's is an organization that puts children first. It has been doing this for many years, and knows what is important in early childhood education. I chose to be a part of the organization because, like everyone else there, I think that we can help these kids become happy individuals and successful adults. This benefits everyone.
The teaching staff at St. Mary's is a group of well-trained, well-educated people who care for the children they serve. The time that children spend here at St. Mary's is more than child care - it is "intensive intervention." Each child spends over 10 hours a week and 450 hours per year, in an environment that not only teaches academics, but more importantly helps them learn to be citizens of a classroom community. By focusing on social and emotional skills, we believe that children are better prepared for school and for life. St. Mary's has long been serving children who are at-risk, we know what to do...but we keep getting better. St. Mary's Child Center is committed to be a cutting-edge early childhood center, and our children will benefit from this dedication.
Mary Beth Robinson
Psychologist
In 1980, I came to St. Mary's Child Center seeking an internship to complete my master's degree in school psychology. Little did I know then that I had found a home and a second family. I have always been impressed with the dedication and commitment of the St. Mary's staff in serving the needs of children and families. I was drawn to St. Mary's because of the many services it offered to families. In my early years at St. Mary's, I had the opportunity to broaden my work experience by being involved in the diagnostic, preschool and remedial programs. For the last 15 years, my attention has been solely devoted to the Diagnostic Clinic where educational testing, report writing, and educational programming are the main focus of my work day. I feel very fortunate and proud to be a part of St. Mary's Child Center in carrying forth its mission to serve the needs of children and their families.
St. Mary's mission of helping children and families is of great importance to me. In addition to this, St. Mary's provides a very positive, professional work environment and has many dedicated staff members who carry out this mission.
Many students who have come for testing have experienced learning frustration that resulted in problems with self esteem. After testing the student has an understanding of the learning problem (I'm not stupid or lazy), the school is able to make appropriate accommodations so the student can experience success, and the student is motivated to pursue higher education.