To advertise: 540-349-8060 www.discoverypubs.com
Discover Fauquier October 2018
28
jar 1018
Discover Fauquier
~ Caitlin Scott
Julie Copeland isn't just any preschool director.
Employed at
St. John the Evangelist
Preschool for the last 20 years, lately
she is eager to share her excitement
over the preschool's bigger, brand-
new facility that opened this August.
The preschool program currently
enrolls about 50 students between
the ages of 2 ˝ and 5, and thanks
to the new building, there is room to
almost double enrollment.
But that doesn't mean sacrifi cing the warm, caring
teaching style that characterizes her teachers or the
school's appealing teacher-to-student ratio. "We have a
teacher and an assistant in every classroom, with students
aged three and younger in classrooms of no more than 12
students, and older classes with no more than 16 students,"
says Julie. "I want to keep the quality of our program as
high as possible."
In addition to her role as
director, Julie wears the
hat of a teacher. This
year, she teaches 4- and
5-year-olds three days a
week. "I can't imagine not
teaching," she says. As
both a teacher and program
director, Julie seeks out
meaningful interaction with students by
listening and empowering each child to be
curious, resilient, and loving. This means
being authentic, including admitting when she
doesn't know all the answers. "Kids come
to me with diffi cult questions about life, and
I enjoy being able to say `I don't know,'" she
says. "I want their faith and education to help
them navigate life's daunting issues. The goal
is to show them how to be happy, healthy, well-adjusted,
and productive citizens."
Always evolving to refl ect the modern world while staying
rooted in faith, practical skills, and character building, the
curriculum is one of the key tools that makes the school's
vision come true. The principals of Christianity
are interwoven into all focus areas, which
include communication skills, practice
with reading and mathematics, and
motor skills. Children fl ex social and
intellectual muscles by moving between
learning centers with specifi c goals.
Learning centers provide activities like
building with blocks; exploring art and
music materials; playing with puzzles,
games, and manipulatives; investigating
book corners; and practicing counting and critical
thinking in science and math. The weekly schedule
also includes time in the chapel, where students develop
a positive self-image in relation to a loving God through
prayer, movement, and song.
Another center, called
"Housekeeping and Dramatic
Play," is an especially
thoughtful component of
St. John's curriculum. Here
students are given the space
and materials to do what
they do best--use their
imaginations. By "trying on"
various roles from the adult
world, like a veterinarian and
pet owner or a restaurant
waiter and patron, students
learn concepts like manners, empathy, patience, and a
lot more. Young children naturally engage in this kind of
play wherever they are, but at school, their teachers are
there to help them make sense of events and emotions.
Perhaps the reason why the teachers have such
positive relationships with their students is because
they have positive relationships with one another.
Besides requiring a bachelor's degree and a certain
number of early childhood education hours, the job
also requires a positive attitude. "Children are fresh and
eager," says Julie. "They
don't generate negativity,
and neither do we. My staff
is a community of friends
who respect each other
and spend time together
in and outside of school.
It's fun to work with kids
when everyone has the
same goal."
St. John the Evangelist
Preschool welc omes
children of all faiths to attend. Extended hours are
run by the preschool teachers and are available to
families both in the morning and afternoon. To learn
more, call
(540) 347-2458.
St. John the Evangelist Offers
Outstanding Preschool Program
to Children of All Faiths
Mayor Carter Nevill - Ribbon Cutting
Julie Copeland, Pre-School Director
and Cindi Chapman
It has al ways
been
Innovative
P h y s i c a l
Therapy's goal to
seek out ways to
help their patients.
I n a d d i t i o n
t o p r o v i d i n g
h i g h - q u a l i t y,
individualized
physical therapy,
it recently expanded its wellness studio,
managed by head trainer Mindi Cupka.
Located on the lower level of the physical
therapy office, the 3,000-square-foot studio
is dedicated to customized personal fitness
training and education taught by nationally
accredited trainers specializing in Pilates,
yoga, and balance, strengthening, and
corrective exercises. It also offers massage
therapy, led by licensed massage therapist
Janice Hiner, who has extensive experience
working with patients recovering from surgery
or injuries. Mindi and Janice believe the
wellness studio offers something new--the
"next steps" after physical therapy. "The full
spectrum of one-on-one and small group
training and massage offer a complete
wellness package geared toward educating
people on how to heal themselves and enjoy
better quality of life," Mindi says. The pair
collaborate closely with Julie Maybach Royal,
who launched Innovative Physical Therapy in
2010, and whose insight on patients guides
to further serve them.
(540) 347-4005.
After several visits
to their son and
daughter-in-law in
Flint Hill, Julie and
Bill Strain decided
to relocate from their
New Jersey home
and begin a new
chapter of their lives.
Taking on ownership
from a beloved café
whose owners were
retiring, the Strains
have spent the past
year at
Skyward
Café, known as
much for its fresh,
local fare as its friendly, relaxed atmosphere.
The café features all-day breakfast--omelets,
house-made waffles, wraps, pancakes, and
much more--all using lots of locally sourced
eggs and meats. Lunch offers equally fresh
and delicious options, and don't miss out on
their fresh fruit, no-sugar-added smoothies
and local coffee and tea! The café partners
with five nearby farms/vendors to supply many
of their menu and retail items, which include
honey, tea, chutney, jam, soaps, seasonings,
and more. Diners enjoy time spent here,
where all tables have Trivial Pursuit cards
and other games that they can enjoy over a
meal.
(540) 675-1111.
~ Nancy Griffin-Bonnaire
Feel Better at Innovative
Physical Therapy's
Expanded Wellness Studio
Skyward Café Celebrates a
Fun-Filled First Year
Janice Hiner & Mindi Cupka
Julie and Bill Strain