Clinton Child Care Center charter class member John Markos O'Neill is now 33, married, and living in San Francisco. Former pre-schooler Marc Simon works for the PGA in Connecticut, and Russell Morris is a lawyer in Manhattan. These former pre-school pioneers are now flung far and wide, but they, and their parents, still remember with affection their first social and learning experience out in the world under the care of teacher Phyllis Larrabee.
"All the kids just called her Larrabee, and our children just loved her," said Mary O'Neill, academic support coordinator/director of the Quantitative Literacy Center and wife of Professor of English John O'Neill.
The original "center" was located in a faculty apartment in Minor Residence Hall, but as the enrollment grew and more teachers and a director were hired, it was relocated to its current space in Root Residence Hall. In the early '80s, a playground complete with swings, sandbox, climbing structures and separate areas for different age groups was constructed by a group of parent-volunteers.
At its inception, it was "really more for enrichment, not necessarily for day care, and we ran it as a co-op – remember it was the '70s, and we all just had to be involved. Each parent had to go and volunteer once a month, and we had to clean," Mary O'Neill recalled.
O'Neill said that, in trying to start up the center, the planning group "had these long, long meetings, sometimes until one in the morning," discussing every minute detail of how the center would operate, what the focus would be, and a variety of other topics pertaining to early childhood education, development and the like.
Thirty years later, many things at the center have changed, but that attention to detail, the devoted teaching staff and the care taken in planning has remained a constant. Now called the "Clinton Early Learning Center," it continues to offer programs for three age groups: Toddlers, Preschool and Pre-K.
Current CELC Director Amy Franz said that the name change had been in the works before she arrived a year ago.
"Changing the name reflects more of what we provide to families," said Franz. Parents can choose a variety of options for their children, from full-time all the way down to two mornings or two afternoons per week. Franz feels it's important to note that the program offered in the afternoon, for example, is "just as strong as what is offered in the morning," and that the same learning experiences are available to all students regardless of the slots they choose.
With the name change, the CELC is moving with the times; parents today are often looking for a more structured experience for children, especially once they reach the pre-kindergarten year. The name change reflects the fact that the center is not just day care and is providing a program that Franz calls "definitely pre-K" for children in that age group. And in looking forward, the center is also looking back: there is no doubt that the original mission to enrich the lives of children continues to be honored.
But admittedly, these issues are the domain of parents and teachers. For the children, it often just boils down to the friendships. The village of Clinton (and beyond) is peppered with students who first met at the center, many of whom remain friends and keep in touch throughout high school, college and beyond.
Evan James, (son of Gayle James, admission processor/program assistant), now a freshman at Vassar College, and Chas Wirene, now a freshman at Middlebury, bonded at the center as preschoolers. Last June, they threw their high school graduation party together at James' home; no doubt there were other center alumni on hand.
The blossoming of children and friendships year after year is what makes the Clinton Early Learning Center work, no matter what the name. Three decades after those late-night meetings, it's still going strong.
- by Amy James, ACC Coordinator
