Episode 51: Melissa Hresko (Russell Cooperative Preschool)
Meet Melissa Hresko! She's the Director and Teacher at the Russell Cooperative Preschool here in Watertown. In this conversation we dig into how she got into the field of early education, what a play-based and cooperative school system looks like, the surprising nature in their environment right in the center of town, the challenges facing early education, and more.
(Click here to listen on streaming apps) (Full transcript below)
Learn more about Russell at: russellpreschool.org
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Transcript
Matt: 0:07
Hi there, welcome to the Little Local Conversations podcast. I'm your host, Matt Hanna. Every episode, I sit down for a conversation with someone in Watertown to discover the people, places, stories, and ideas of Watertown. This time I sat down for a conversation with Melissa Hresko, who is the Director of the Russell Cooperative Preschool here in Watertown, so I'll let her introduce herself, then we'll get into the conversation.
Melissa: 0:28
My name is Melissa Hresko and I am the director and teacher of Russell Cooperative Preschool in Watertown.
Matt: 0:39
Awesome. So we'll get to that, but first I always like to go back in time and kind of get an idea of how you got involved with all this. So why are you interested in this field of early childhood education to begin with?
Melissa: 0:46
Sure. So I ended up in this field by accident. I originally went to school for marketing and advertising and I did that for about almost three years. I unfortunately was laid off and then the economy sort of tanked and basically that position, marketing advertising, was the first cut from every business. So staying in that field seemed like something that was maybe not a great idea. So I had a friend who just got married and her and her husband bought a house in Millis, Massachusetts. So at this time I was living in New Jersey. That's where I'm originally from. So she said well, why don't you come live with me? You know, maybe up here there's something more in Boston. And I went to school in Providence, Rhode Island so I was familiar with New England. And I had done an externship my senior year.
Melissa: 1:33
So I did commute up to Boston for a TV station, which I can't even remember which one it was right now. It was off the Arlington stop. That I remember from the green line. So I did that for a bit. So she's like come on up see what's going on in Boston, maybe you'll have some better luck. So I did that for a while. A few places I interviewed were like, oh great, you're a good fit, we're going to hire you. And then, within the next two weeks, oh, the position is dissolved. It was just the same thing. It just was not the time to be working in advertising and marketing. So I was like, okay.
Melissa: 1:55
So that same friend worked at a school in Natick for children with autism spectrum, adhd, other neurodivergencies, and said listen, I know you really haven't worked with kids, but we're hiring a marketing assistant. It's part-time, it's just something to get you started and going. And I said, great, I'll try it out. So I went there, met everyone, they were lovely and that school also had an integrated preschool for the younger children. So while I was doing the marketing work, they were looking for part-time help in the afternoon from like three to six. And they were like you know, I know you don't have any experience with this, but would you like to just come over? Really, all we need is a body in a room. The teacher is there, it's just someone to help. You know, play with the kids, hang out, read that kind of stuff. I was like, oh, I could do that, no problem. So I started doing that and every single day I was looking forward to that more than my marketing position. And I was like, uh-oh, something's brewing here.
Matt: 2:45
And what was it about it that you enjoyed so much about that experience?
Melissa: 2:56
It was just really fun. It was the first time since graduating school that I was doing something not in front of a computer screen and not involving emails, and it was just very personal being with the kids and seeing what made them laugh and smile and how quickly they learned. We would read a book and I would use a vocabulary word that they didn't know and someone would ask what it was and by the next time I was there, they had memorized what it was and were using it. It was incredible and I just thought this is so fun and I can't believe that people do this for a living. Is this something maybe I could do? So I had kind of thought about it but didn't really say anything. And one of the people who was working at the other part of the program came in and saw me with the kids and she pulled me aside and said listen, I know this is not what you may have ever thought about, but we're hiring someone for a full-time position. I don't know, would you ever be interested? And I was like, oh, maybe, I guess so. So for a while I wasn't even sure I ended up taking the job because I was still just working part-time and I thought let's just try it out. And I did and I just loved it. And then at some point that part-time job there ended and I just stayed at the other part of the school full-time and I ended up working for that company, it was an umbrella, for almost 12 years.
Melissa: 3:56
And that's where I learned everything about education and I just went back to school and took the classes and got certified and just kind of slowly worked my way up. I spent some time in all the age groups. We were infants through pre-k, but I love pre-k. It was my absolute favorite. Preschool and pre-k were my number one. So then I ended up being a head teacher of the pre-k school classroom there and then I slowly worked into a position they actually created for me as the curriculum coordinator. So I was working part-time in the classroom and then part-time doing the curriculum for the preschool classrooms, preschool, pre-k. And then eventually that turned into a full-time admin position and so I was doing that. It's so hard to remember, almost five years of doing that there.
Melissa: 4:37
I also never thought I would be a director. I took the classes because they were through a career pathways program, so they were free. I love learning and wanted to know more. So I just kept going, even though I necessarily didn't need the certifications to work where I was, and I was like let me just do it, I might as well. And I just kept going. And then, right before COVID hit, my director went out on maternity leave and the assistant director had to have an emergency surgery. So I ended up filling in as director for a brief amount of time. So I was glad I had that certification and that kind of gave me a peek into what this would look like. And I'm so glad I had that opportunity because almost immediately after that I found Russell and then ended up here.
Matt: 5:17
So being 12 years at one place is a long time, especially with your first experience in the field. So I don't know what made you stick around for 12 years in the same place. Obviously you like the people and the environment, but was there anything specific you could talk about that really hooked you into that?
Melissa: 5:31
I would say the experience was ever-changing. Even though I was in the same physical location, the people who were sort of running the school and in charge of the program changed a few times. So I feel like even though I was in the same physical space, I got to see sort of the school run in a lot of different ways depending on who came into that leadership role, which was really interesting. And I just needed that time, I think, to fully understand all the different parts of early education and the things that I liked, the things that I was not such a fan of and development in general. There are a lot of different types of programs out there. I went from learning about this very specific type at that school to understanding more of what I felt was right for children's development and sort of how that could be presented to them.
Matt: 6:20
So can you give an example of something like that.
Melissa: 6:23
Yeah, so an example of that would be Russell is truly a play-based school. Sometimes a lot of places will say that they're play-based and talk about being play-based, but if there are foundational academics and sort of lessons mixed in there that are more official, then it's actually not truly a play-based. A play-based foundational program is really just letting the children play and they are just learning through play basically the entire time. There's no sort of formal lessons, so they're not being asked to sit at a table and do a worksheet or sit down here and let's point to a chart and talk about this. Things that are very formal that you would see in a lot of places, which are great on their own.
Melissa: 7:00
The school that I came from was very focused on that. I would say we were pretty academic based and you know, by pre-K we had a whole program we were running that was teaching children how to read, and I think all of that's great. I just don't think it's appropriate for all children. I think kids learn at different times and that's just part of natural development, and sometimes being expected to sit longer than might be appropriate or you know, that's hard for a lot of children, especially now that we're finding children really are learning in different ways and kind of that set curriculum might not work best for everybody.
Matt: 7:34
Yeah, so it sounds like we need to talk about Russell to kind of get into that a little bit. But before we get in there, is there anything you want to talk about coming from New Jersey to this area that kind of influenced your views on anything like the differences?
Melissa: 7:47
Yeah, so I grew up on the New Jersey shore. It is not like the television show.
Matt: 7:51
It's not like TV.
Melissa: 7:53
It's not like TV. Somewhat. There is a lot of fun that happens there. But actually that show was filmed partially in the town I grew up in, so I enjoyed watching it in college because it was fun to see all the places where I spent my youth. And it's actually very beautiful there and I feel very lucky to have grown up there. I don't think there are a lot of people that can leave school and go right to the beach for the last half of the day. I also lived near, very close to Six Flags Great Adventure, so you know, maybe we might skip our last class of the day and get a season pass and head over there and hit up a few roller coasters before dinner. So I think I just grew up in a great spot and I really loved living there.
Matt: 8:28
That sounds play-based.
Melissa: 8:33
Yes, right. See, my whole youth was play-based, so I fully believe in it. So I went to Johnson and Wales in Providence, Rhode Island, for college, not for cooking, as it's known for. Often when I tell that to people, they say oh, you're a chef. No, absolutely not.
Matt: 8:43
None of that rubbed off on you?
Melissa: 8:44
No, although we did eat very well. I feel like part of the college experience was, oh, the terrible food and you know, but I did not have that experience. The food there was great because the hospitality students and the chefs were cooking for us so that was very nice. So I spent a lot of time in Providence and then my senior year I had to do an externship for my degree and that's how I ended up coming to Boston a lot and I also had a best friend that went to school. She went to Suffolk in Boston. So I did spend a lot of time here and I really love the city. I thought it was great. When I first moved here I lived in Brighton for 8 years and then moved to Watertown. I think this is my fifth year living here and I love it.
Melissa: 9:19
When I first moved here I didn't know anyone that lived in Watertown so it was hard for me to sort of adjust and feel part of the community right away. It took a while. I kept finding myself going back to the places I had been hanging out when I lived in Brighton. My doctor, my dentist were all there food places I loved. I still had some friends that lived there, so I was spending a lot of time there even though I was living here. But then, after working at Russell, I really started to meet so many more people and really understand the community here, and it's just so lovely. Now I don't want to live anywhere else. This is where I want to stay.
Matt 9:48
Yeah, Watertown's happening.
Melissa: 9:51
Yeah, it's fun, especially recently I feel like there's been a lot of new things popping up. I love all the local cafes and restaurants. I feel like things are more accessible now, if that makes sense. I can find a cool spot easier than maybe a few years ago to meet up with friends, and I feel like the food specifically has there's so much more culture, I guess, and lots of different types of cuisine which I'm really interested in. A little bit of a foodie.
Matt: 10:12
So the Johnson and Wales did a rub off on you a little bit.
Melissa: 10:14
I guess it did, yes. Looking back, I guess it did.
Matt: 10:17
Yeah, so why don't we dive into Russell then. So, first of all, how you came to this opportunity.
Melissa: 10:22
So while I was on this path of sort of switching over into early education, I was in one of my early ed classes, before COVID, so everything was in person, and I met someone from here who was a teacher at Russell and she kept talking about how lovely the school was and we got friendly because I had just moved to Watertown I don't think I maybe had lived here for a year at that point. She was like, oh, we can commute to classes together and so I just learned more about her and the school and she would talk about it and I was like that place isn't real. It just seemed so different from the school I was currently working in and all the other programs that I had become familiar with. I just loved the programming. I loved that there was not a set curriculum. It was designed by the teachers. It was somewhat emergent, meaning that the children sort of lead the way. We're sort of planning curriculum based on what they're interested in and talking about. Just felt truly play-based and very child-led, which I loved.
Melissa: 11:15
There were a few other things that I found really different. The physical space, I saw pictures on the website looked so beautiful. The classrooms were filled with sun. It just like, had this really lovely vibe. And there was a quote on the website that we still have now about a former Russell student who said, I know why my mom loves my school because it's beautiful, but I love it because it feels like home. And that, to me, just said everything and I thought what a magical place to be a part of. So I had kind of looked into the school but there was not a position available for me at that time and I was still very happy where I was working and we stayed in touch. And then COVID hit. Everything closed, our school closed, Russell closed. And at that time I was working one-on-one with a student on the autism spectrum. We had turned my school sort of into, each classroom was like a one-on-one space only. What's it called for the people who had to stay at work?
Matt: 12:08
Essential workers. Yeah, my wife is also a special ed teacher and also had to do the full PPE and go in and all that.
Melissa: 12:14
Exactly. So there was a handful of us that elected to do that during. So I did so. I worked one-on-one with a student as an essential worker. That was very difficult, it was super isolating, but it was so important for these children to keep getting these services. So did that as long as I could. And then everything kind of stopped for a bit. And during that time Russell was closed the school actually closed for a year and a half and they were looking for a new director.
Melissa: 12:35
I thought, ooh, maybe that's something I could do. I don't know. And I was feeling a bit nervous because I had been at my other school for so long. I was very comfortable there. I, you know, probably would have had job security for a very long time. So leaving your very familiar job, where you sort of learned everything that you're doing now, for something brand new, completely in a new position, in a new place, was really scary. But I just felt like the universe was like you just have to do this, like we're presenting this opportunity. So I had thought about it and then that same friend reached out and said hey, I don't know if you've seen, but we're hiring a director. I really think you should interview for the position and I was like, okay. And that had come after, I think my other school had just started to reopen and again it was the full everything. I think I had seven kids in my class at that point and it just felt, I came home and I had just had a hard day and I was like this is really hard. I don't know. I don't know what this looks like for me anymore. And that's when I got the text message from her that the school was hiring and I was like I feel like everyone's telling me just try it, just try it.
Melissa: 13:37
So I did, so I interviewed and, in order to reopen from the COVID closure, it was truly the parents and the staff. They all just got together and said we're going to save the school, we are going to reopen, we're going to push through and do this. And they were the ones that came together and did all the interviews and just had a lot of meetings and conversations. Can we really do this? And they did, and I'm so glad they did, because I ended up here and I'm so happy. I love the school so much. It's just such a magical place. It's everything I wanted a school to be and I didn't know it existed, but it did and it was right here.
Matt: 14:07
Awesome, yeah. So when you came in, was it a lot of just rebuilding what was there before because of the closures, or did you bring in some new things, or what was that like coming in?
Melissa: 14:18
When I came in I tried really hard not to change much. That was one of the questions that kept coming up in my interview. I spoke with a few people and they were very like, listen, we are not looking to change the program. We think it's a lovely school and it's running great. We just need someone who is a good fit for the program. So I went in with that in mind. I did not want to change a lot and truly I don't think all that much has changed. I think more things have changed, sort of after COVID and sort of having to just reframe a little bit of what that looks like now in early education. But the program itself, I think, has stayed very true to its values and its mission of just offering children a safe, fun place where they can just be comfortable and just open to all experiences and learning through play and discovery.
Matt: 15:02
Yeah, so why don't you take us through like a typical day that happens at the school, just to give people an idea of what it's like?
Melissa: 15:07
Sure. So we are very outdoor focused. We try to be outside as much as possible. So when parents come they drop off. We start at about 845. They drop off right on the playground. The kids get about 45 minutes of that outdoor time, which is so great in the morning. That fresh air burn off some energy and kind of get ready for the day. So after that they come inside we change into slippers because we like to be comfortable. It also helps keep the classroom space clean, which is nice. We head inside, we do a little circle time where we sing.
Melissa: 15:32
Russell's really big on storytelling so a lot of the songs we sing are more like stories and rhymes with hand motions. There are things you won't find in a lot of other places which is, I think, very cool, sort of a lot of old-timey music and stories to keep things sort of whimsical. We have a very magical sort of whimsical vibe. So we'll sing and we'll talk about what's open in the classroom and what we're working on, and then the kids head in and they have about an hour of free choice. So just hanging out in dramatic play space, which I kind of showed you before, so that can really transform into anything. We just had space rocket ships. We like to do things based on the season so we had an apple orchard where they could pick apples off of trees, we brought in like an actual giant tree limb. We did a harvest shop in the fall where they could sort of weigh and buy pumpkins. It's really a great open space for them to just do lots of imaginative play, which we love.
Melissa: 16:23
And some other parts of the classroom we do is the art table where we do a weekly art project or science experiment. This week we did jump a rainbow, where you create a rainbow using only primary colors and jars and paper towels and they kind of all come together. And our kindergarten table for our older friends. It's kind of a little sneak peek on what they might encounter at kindergarten, but keeping it very open, invitational, and just positive. Say, oh, do you want to come over and maybe like work on some letters. The kids are welcome to say oh, no, thanks. You know, on Monday maybe they don't want to and then by Thursday they're interested and want to try it. So it's just being there to support what they're interested at the different developmental stages that they're going through.
Matt: 16:59
And I don't know if we specifically mentioned it, but the age group at the school is?
Melissa: 17:03
So we are primarily three to five, but we do take a handful of 2.9-year-olds that seem like they're ready for preschool. And in the past few years we have had many more 2.9-year-olds than ever in the past. I would say they've probably started to make up almost a third of the class now. It seems like people really are looking to get in the door of preschool around that age, a little bit younger than before. Yeah, and so we're a mixed age group class. We stay together the whole day.
Melissa: 17:27
Before I had experience working with mixed age group I don't know if I fully understood it. I think coming from the school I did where they were very separated by the ages, even in preschool younger preschool and older preschool. But when we had reopened at my other school from COVID, there weren't enough kids to have all the classrooms open. So I ended up working in a mixed age group preschool, sort of by default, and I really got to see there the benefits of having the young children with the older ones and how naturally they learn from their peers and the relationships they form here are, I feel like, so much closer to sibling relationships, where they're just so comfortable. And at Russell we are a cooperative school, so they're getting to not only know each student but also their families, because they're coming into sort of work shifts and they're hanging out with us for the day. We do a ton of family events where everyone joins us and just hangs out and plays together. So it really is like forming a bunch of little families on one. We really feel like our community is this family. We even call ourselves our Russell family, and our alumni stay so involved in the school and in touch. They're always coming to our fundraising events and reaching out to see what they can do. It's really lovely.
Matt: 18:29
Yeah, size of the school too. What's the size of the school?
Melissa: 18:33
So we can take up to 20. I think technically 22. I don't think I would enroll more than 20. 18 is kind of a sweet spot, depending on the ages. We like to have a balance of our younger and our older friends if we can. This year we have 15. So we have 13 families and 15 children for this current school year.
Matt: 18:53
And to give an idea of people like the location, space and how that plays out. You want to describe that a little bit. Like how many rooms you have, and it's how it's part of this building too.
Melissa: 19:04
Sure. So we are located in the first floor of first parish church, who is lovely. There are many people in this parish who love and support our school, which feels so nice. So we don't really feel like tenants here. We truly feel like this is our home. We have been in this physical space for 41 years, so it really feels like home here. We have sort of have a long line, I guess it's technically three classrooms, we call it just one, and the entire wall, the back wall of every single one, is just windows. And our last room on the end we call the golden room. The entire walls, it's the corner unit are just windows, so we get the most incredible natural light. We never turn on the lights. We have overhead lights. We don't use them. The kids don't even know that they work.
Matt: 19:42
I was surprised when I came in, knowing that this was on the bottom floor. How bright it was in the rooms.
Melissa: 19:45
Yep, we are just located in the perfect position to have that natural light which we are so lucky to have, and even on overcast days we just put on gentle soft lamps in each room. And then the final room on the other end is the snack room where we have our daily snack. The kids help us prepare it. Each day of the week is known by the snack that is available. So Monday is moon rice, Tuesday is vegetable soup, Wednesday is applesauce day, Thursday is bread day, and Friday is porridge day. So it's a really fun way for the kids to understand when they're at school, because not every child comes every day. So they'll say oh, I'm here on moon rice day, applesauce day and bread day, and it's really cute that they sort of talk in that way instead of just, you know, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. So that's really fun.
Matt: 20:25
That's better than you know, I remember in like middle school with oh, chicken nugget day, chicken patty day, whatever the different chicken was, so you have a little more variety there.
Melissa: 20:34
Definitely yeah, and it's so fun because the kids get to be a part of making the snack with us, kind of each week or every other week we try to mix it up so that every student is getting a chance to be a part of each snack. So you know, making the bread with us, and sometimes around maybe certain holidays, we'll do a special treat, we'll do some cookies or muffins, that kind of thing, which is fun. So the kids are learning how to chop vegetables themselves and peel, rolling out the bread with what that feels like and kneading, chopping up the apples for applesauce. And then also we ask parents if they'd like to bring in a vegetable or fruit donation throughout the week that we will throw in the soup. So it's a really great way to have the kids experience a variety of fruits and vegetables that they might not outside of.
Melissa: 21:12
Here we get a lot of parents saying, Oh, no, moon, rice, steamed rice and vegetables. My kid is really picky eater. They're probably not going to want to eat that. And then about halfway through the year, they're eating it. It still even surprises me, to be honest. But I think they're getting this full circle moment of either buying it at the store with their parent and bringing it in and then seeing it in the food they're eating, and we're all talking about who likes what. And then we actually have an edible garden as well outside, so the kids are part of planting it and taking care of it, and then we harvest it and add it into our snack when it's time. So we'll be doing that soon for the spring, which is really lovely. So it's just a great way for them to learn about the food they're eating and where it comes from and the jobs that different people do to bring that food to us at the grocery stores. It's really very true to life teaching, the experience of it all sort of coming together in one place, which is really nice.
Matt: 22:03
Yeah, so do you want to talk about maybe a little bit about the values and mission of the school? You know someone from the outside hearing this method might be like well, what are the outcomes you're looking at and all that, so how do you answer that?
Melissa: 22:10
Yeah. So at Russell School we are very big on keeping things simple. We sort of call it back to basics. So the kids that attend the school are learning how to cook, what that looks like, making meals, as well as intro to things like even like basic sewing. They'll do like it's called finger knitting and a lot of those life skills that you might not see in a lot of places. They're really learning how to take care of themselves and what that looks like. We really encourage independence and how they are capable of doing things on their own. So much of that for children is they just think they can't do it right. Oh, this is too hard. They get frustrated and then we're just there to encourage them. No, you can, you can do it, here let me help you. And just sort of supporting them while they're doing it.
Melissa: 22:53
So, for example, we do play outside in every weather. So when it's those really cold days, we gear up and we go. So those kids are having to put on entire snowsuits and hats and scarves and mittens and the boots, and it's a lot, it's a process, it takes a long time and outside of here sometimes you know you've got to get out the door. You know, put on your shoes, oh, I can't, it's hard, and then parents end up doing it for them. You know you have to get out the door, you have places to be. You can't always sort of take that time to do that step by step by step.
Melissa: 23:21
But here we can and we definitely support that and really encourage our friends from a very young age to do those things on their own and when they do they are so proud of themselves and they're so happy and it just helps build their self-confidence so much that they can just do hard things. That's what we always say, you can do hard things, I know it's hard, it's going to take time, it may not feel good. You know, giving them that language oh, are you frustrated about this? I understand. Here what can you do and what can I do? Why don't you start? Why don't you put your leg through the right opening and then I can help you zipper, that kind of stuff. So just being there to encourage them to keep moving forward and to learn those skills is super beneficial and a really big part of the program.
Matt: 23:59
Yeah, and then what about the nature part of it? So you're going outside, but you sound like you spend a decent amount outside, right?
Melissa: 24:05
We do so. Not only are we having that morning outdoor time, after we do free play and then have our snack, we go back outside again. We call it like our second block. So the kids are out there for another hour right before lunch and they're spending time in our beautiful playground space where we have a sandbox and a working water pump when it's warm, we have swings, a big beautiful play structure all made of wood and a mud kitchen, which is so fun. And we ask people to bring in pots and pans and old ladles and things they're not using. So everyone sort of brought in something, which is really fun, because they're like oh this is from my kitchen, you know it's cool. We have a whole box of trucks and PVC pipes.
Melissa: 24:40
The best part is all the natural materials that are just out there for us. So we have this big beautiful pine tree. I don't know how long it's been there, but it's got to be probably 100 years. It drops every other year, thousands of pine cones. And so one day we'll just go outside and they're just all over the playground of all different sizes, and that becomes what we're going to learn about and talk about. The kids are gathering them, filling up their wheelbarrows. They're big, they're small, they're skinny, they're puffy. We kind of talk about why they're there and what they do. And we use them in art projects or they use them almost in their play as like a barter system, trading them and gathering, and it's just so fun. Nature just provides you with so much and I think it's easy to forget that because there's a lot of noise out there right now. Russell has no screens so we are keeping things very simple and very nature focused. So we always are saying look what mother nature is giving us, look at these beautiful flowers.
Melissa: 25:32
The kids help us plant a garden. Along with our edible garden, we have a regular garden that we completely redid about two years ago and we put in a lot of native plants in the area as well as things that are kind of sensory based. So we have like lavender and herbs so you can just go over there and touch them and smell them. I think it's called lamb's ear, they're really fuzzy, nice leaves. We have a bunch of those. A butterfly bush to attract natural pollinators, different types of grass and then the flowers that come back every year. So we planted tulips, we have peonies, and another very cool thing is that they bloom at different times, so you're always sort of seeing something popping through and growing throughout the year, which is really special.
Melissa: 26:05
And actually in our tree that faces the golden room where we start our day, we had a bird build a nest last year, I think it was a robin. And we watched her build the whole thing. She had babies. We got to see her come and feed the babies right from the window. It was like a National Geographic show right outside the window. It was amazing, and so they got to see that whole life cycle just happen right in front of their eyes every morning. It was so cool and I hope they come back.
Matt: 26:28
Yeah, that's cool. And again, that's another thing you don't see from the street like imagine that whole environment in the back there.
Melissa: 26:35
Yes, when I tour people, they're usually shocked when they walk out there. And I was too the first time. You would never think that right behind CVS is this little oasis of nature. I always call this like this little hidden gem. You would not know from the outside, and it feels the same when you're on the playground. There's a lot of retail right over the fence, but it doesn't feel that way. You feel very almost like you're in, like a tiny little forest. It's really beautiful. So, yeah, we're playing out there in all different kinds of weather. So our environment transforms not only with the seasons but also day to day. If it's raining, snowing. It was hailing the other day just a few days ago, typical New England weather, and we geared up and went out there and the kids were collecting the hail in little buckets and by the time we went back out there the sun was out and it had all melted and was gone. So it's just an ever-changing place. It’s always something new, always something different to explore and play with that is just there naturally.
Matt: 27:21
Cool. So then, the last thing I think that I wanted to make sure we touched on was the cooperative aspect of the school, because that's not something everyone is familiar with as well. So what is a cooperative preschool? What is it? How does it work?
Melissa: 27:33
So being a cooperative school is a huge part of our program. There are so many benefits to it. It really helps people be a part of their child's day and their first experience in school. This is something I often am reminding people of when I'm touring them or when they enroll, that the transition to preschool, this is a family experience. It's not just your child, it's your whole family experiencing this together for the first time. Right, so many children are at home, especially since COVID, they've just been home almost with their parents or maybe a few relatives or maybe a few neighbors. But things are definitely different and we're still seeing the effects of that for sure.
Melissa: 28:06
Sometimes that can make leaving the people you love, that you spend all your time with, even harder of a transition than maybe before, and we want to be there to support that with everybody. We have a lot of parents say, oh, I think they're going to be fine, but I'm probably going to cry. I'm like, yeah, you probably are and that's okay. The same thing we tell them, that's okay to feel sad. Oh, do you miss your mom and dad? Yeah, I miss my mom and dad too sometimes. You know they don't live near me. I don't get to see them that much too. So you know, validating their feelings and their experience and just being there to say it's gonna be okay. I know you're sad right now, but we have a lot of fun things we're gonna do at school. That's kind of how we're sort of helping them through the process, the children. And the same thing with the adults, we want you to see what your child is doing every day. Children really are a huge mix of sort of how much they'll tell you in general. So some kids come home, oh my gosh, I did this at school and I played with this person and we did this and blah, blah. And then some kids come home and their parents oh what did you do today? Nothing. Nothing? I played. So this really gives parents an opportunity to see what their children do every day. We also send home a weekly newsletter that has little pictures in it and we kind of talk about what the kids are doing. So that's fun too.
Melissa: 29:08
So being part of Russell is joining us day to day. We have family helping, so every family does family helper shifts. So, depending on how many days a week your child comes, you do double that amount for the whole school year. So if you're here from September through June about 40 weeks of school and you would do double the shifts. So if your child comes three days a week, you would do six shifts for the whole year. So basically, you just are kind of with us the whole day.
Melissa: 29:32
In the morning you're helping us prepare snack and get everything set up, joining us for playtime, circle time, sort of cleaning up once we leave a space and preparing for the next part of the day. So maybe after snack we'll all go play outside. Our family helper will tidy up and get lunch set and then joining us for outdoor play. So you're kind of just sort of following us around through the whole process of the day. It's super helpful, one, because it means that a teacher is not having to do those jobs, so they're free to now be with the kids more, which is great, which is why we're able to have such a high teacher-student ratio, which is really lovely. Depending on how many children are enrolled, we're often one to five, which is incredible. Actually, it's technically more than that some days along with our family helper too. So lots of adult hands there, which is great. Especially being a mixed age group class, it's so nice to have the extra hands there just for, you know, children who might need a little support or one-on-one time.
Melissa: 30:19
So along with those sort of daily tasks they're helping us with, families also join a committee and that can be anything from being a member of the board to fundraising, all the way down to we call it the maintenance committee, so that can be doing laundry once a week for us or buying, supplementing the weekly snack, we call it purchasing, and even something we now have someone who maintains the air filters for us. We have air filters in all the classrooms so they come and clean them out and make sure we have the filters. So there's kind of a place for everybody as well as special interests. We have a lot of parents who are very good with woodworking, which has been amazing. Our play structure needed some repair so a parent was able to come in and do that. And make or build special things for us. We had a parent cut out these little acorn shapes that we used for our project. We're really trying to match families kind of with their skill and interest to be a part of the school, and it's worked out so lovely. We always have someone there to help, which is so great.
Melissa: 31:09
That's another thing I love about Russell is as a cooperative school, nobody owns Russell. There isn't anyone who is just one person in charge. It is truly a collective of people. It's how the school was started. The school started in the 70s by a bunch of parents who were just like, hey, let's put together this sort of place and space for our kids to learn and grow together, and it's just continued as that. Truly, our school is made of the people in the community. It is not just sort of one person in charge of everything, which is really lovely.
Matt: 31:37
Yeah, cool. Well, we've been going for a little bit now. Is there anything in particular that I didn't hit on that you wanted to make sure that we put out there?
Melissa: 31:43
Can we just talk a little bit about the values of our school?
Matt: 31:47
Yeah, so what are there? What did we not hit on the values that you wanted to make sure we got on?
Melissa: 31:50
So a big part of Russell School is sort of teaching kids about kindness and inclusion and community. Those are like our core values really. No matter what you look like, the family that you come from, where you grew up, the language you speak, it's just really important that everyone is treated with respect and kindness. So that is something huge that we're constantly talking about. I think the families at Russell share those values. So that's something that has happened also very easily and naturally, just for the families who have joined us over the years, and it's something really important to us that we keep. Especially sort of now, with everything going on in the world, it's just nice to remind people of the things that are really important, which is just treating each other fairly.
Matt: 32:33
Yeah, kindness. Who doesn't like kindness? So then, was there anything else in terms of? So, we've talked about lots of good things, which is great, but have there been any bumps along the road that you guys have had to work through?
Melissa: 32:43
So reopening from covid, of course for everybody, was a bit of a struggle. Having to adapt your program for the needs of the families that are out there and change some protocols, which some good things came from. I think a lot of health and safety things that have been helpful have sort of stuck around. I think a lot of people might be more aware of sickness and illness and you know maybe when to not send your child to school or, you know, just be on the lookout for the signs and symptoms of things you may not have really thought about before. We've seen a lot of that here. I think people err on the side of caution a little bit, which is nice, especially being a small program. If two of us are out we can't run school. So I think people are very aware of that and really pay attention and proactively try to keep everyone in this community healthy, which we very much appreciate. That's a good thing.
Melissa: 33:28
But sort of coming back, the early education field is constantly changing and since COVID has dramatically changed. I feel like during the shutdown, also I was new to the field, but it was sort of the first time I felt like people were like wow, you know, child care is so important. This is the backbone of our lives. Without it people can't do anything. You know, families just can't exist without having someone to help care for their children. I feel like there was a really great spotlight on that for a long time. But then, as things sort of got back to normal you know how things go it's sort of back to where it was. But I will say Massachusetts is the leader nationwide in investing in early education and by having it move from the federal investment that people were given those grants and permanently adding it to the state budget, that's huge. As far as I know, we're the only state in the country doing that and I'm so proud and happy about that and glad that this is where our school is and we do feel very supported in that way. But resources are still dwindling from that and the grants we were getting were cut and sort of put into tiers to making sure that the areas of the state where child care was needed, most of the resources are going there, which is wonderful because child care is necessary, as we all know.
Melissa: 34:37
But that does leave programs that are a little different, maybe lacking in that support financially a little bit. So we've been trying to figure it out on our own, especially as a nonprofit we are solely running on tuition and donations. That's our only income. So having less children enrolled than we did changes the budget, not being able to fundraise as much as we were. There are always people willing to give, but it's hard for people to give now. I mean, look at where we are economically. People just can't you know, can't give what they used to. That makes perfect sense and understanding, but that leaves us in a deficit as well. So really trying to balance all that has kind of been hard. Enrollment has definitely been lower than it ever has been and I don't think that's specific to Russell. I think I'm hearing that from sort of all the directors in the area and programs. So things just look different now.
Melissa: 35:26
But that changes our program a lot. It changes the mixed age group part of it. A lot of our older kids are going to the universal pre-k in Watertown, which is a great program and necessary for the people who need it. But that does change the structure of what we're doing by not having as many older children in the program. That mixed age group, it just changes that a little. So sort of having to adapt to that and just be aware of future changes that might happen. So it's a lot of unknown, which is a little scary.
Melissa: 35:51
The school's been around for a long time and we love it and want to do everything we can to keep it here and keep it going. We unfortunately lost a great school in Watertown last summer. They had been around for, I think, almost 70 years, WCNS. It's a little scary thinking that that could be something that could happen to us in the future. So we're just trying everything we can to stay afloat and we're so lucky to have the families we do that are so supportive and continue to send their kids here and tell their friends and neighbors and kind of get the word out about our special program. So we're very thankful for them. We couldn't be here without them and, of course, our amazing teachers who are so dedicated to this program. It's a part of their life. We are just like this little family and, yeah, I just want people to know how special our school is and our program and to come and check it out.
Matt: 36:31
Yeah, so before we wrap up here, any last thoughts you want to put out there?
Melissa: 36:36
I was chatting with our lead teacher here just sort of about all things Russell, as we were having one of our weekly meetings and we had just had parent-teacher conferences. So we got some really great feedback from parents about you know how happy they are and how much their kids have grown and just overall being really happy with their experience with Russell, which, of course, is exactly what you want to hear. And you know people often say I can't put my finger on what's so special about this place. And our lead teacher just happens to say well, really, Russell is just having the biggest joy in the simplest things. It's just a great reminder that kids don't need a lot of new things, a lot of the best things, the biggest things. A piece of paper and a crayon or a pencil can just transform into anything if you allow them to have that creativity and imagination. The simplest things are just enough.
Matt: 37:24
Yeah, cool. Where can people find out about you if they want to find out more?
Melissa: 37:27
So our website is russellpreschool.org. Most of the information about the school is on there and also feel free to reach out. There's a bunch of different email addresses on there. Info at russellpreschool.org can reach pretty much anyone here and happy to give more details.
Matt: 37:41
Great. Well, thank you for sitting down and sharing your thoughts and stories. Yeah, thank you.
Melissa: 37:46
Thank you.
Matt: 37:47
So that's it for my conversation with Melissa. You can find out more about the school where she mentioned. If you like the podcast and you'd like to hear more interviews, you can head on over to littellocalconversations.com. And if you've been following for a while and you'd like to help support the podcast, on the website, there is the support local conversation button on the top of the site or, if you're on the phone, in the menu and if you can pitch in anything to help out. That helps support keep these conversations going, appreciate it. You can also subscribe to the weekly newsletter I send out every Friday as well, to keep up to date with everything Little Local related. Alright, and a few things to wrap up here, some thanks I want to give out. Received a grant this year from the Watertown Cultural Council, so I want to give them a thank you and the appropriate credit, which is this program is supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Find out more about them at watertownculturalcouncil.org or massculturalcouncil.org.
Matt: 38:49
I also want to give a big shoutout to Arsenal Financial, a sponsor of the podcast. They're a financial planning business here in Watertown owned by Doug Orifice, who is a very involved community member. You can listen to my recent Watertown trivia episode I did with him to celebrate the sponsorship. And Arsenal Financial is a financial planning business that helps busy families, people close to retirement, and small business owners. So that could help you out. Head on over to arsenalfinancial.com. I also want to give a shout out to some promotional partners the Watertown Business Coalition, their nonprofit organization here in Watertown that is bringing businesses and people together to help strengthen the community. Check them out at watertownbusinesscoalition.com. Also want to give a thanks to Watertown News, which is run by Charlie Breitrose, who's also been on the podcast, if you want to know more about him. And if you’re unfamiliar, it’s an online newspaper that is focused on all the news in Watertown, a great way to keep up with everything that is going on. So check them out at watertownmanews.com. Alright so that it’s, until next time, take care.
