Mr. Turtle's Moves to Brookfield

After 16 years of running , nine as the owner of the Sandy Hook preschool that teaches 2 and 3-year-old children, Brookfield resident Carol Cashman is getting some well-earned rest.

"It was time for me," she said. "It just hit me one day that I just really need to step back."

Cashman recently sold the early education program to New Milford resident Nicole Mahady, who is relocating the business to Old Route 7 in Brookfield to be closer to her home. The program is accepting new enrollments and is expected to open Jan. 9 at 18 Old Route 7 in The Landing shopping plaza, Brookfield.

Although the ownership has changed, the curriculum won't – after all, it was exactly the school setting that sold Mahady, a former client, when she was searching for a preschool setting for her children.

"Mr. Turtle's School is an authentic preschool exposure," said Mahady, whose two children have attended the program. "It's the same thing as a preschool day except Mom gets to be there."

Unlike daycare programs, parents are required to stay with their children and participate in the program together.

Mr. Turtle's only is open to children as young as 20-months-old to as old as 3-years-old. The children, along with their parents, spend the day following a program that is structured but with a lot of latitude to encourage creativity, helping to prepare them for preschool, said Malady, who also has a background in early education.

The children have fun, and best of all, parents get to spend quality time with them, said Malady, who, when her children were that age, searched the region for a similar program before finding Mr. Turtle's.

"At that age, you are not ready to hand over your children," she said. "It's fun to go hang out with your kids."

Cashman said she remembered Mahady's enthusiasm for the program when she finally decided this year it was time to sell.

"She was the one who stuck in my mind," Cashman, 60, said of Mahady, who is 39-years-old. "I wanted somebody to buy it who would love it and treasure it like I did."

The program has its roots in Ridgefield where the curriculum was first developed and then sold to the original owners of Mr. Turtle's, which previously was called "Just for 1's and 2's." The name of the school had to be changed because too many people would call up thinking the business was a dress shop, said Cashman, who started working as a teacher before buying the school nine years ago.

"You walk into Mr. Turtle's, you walk into a different world," Cashman said. "It's just idealistic."

The one-day-a-week program is divided into different sections with time for free play, activities while sitting in a circle as a group, playing games, working on a project and participating in a goodbye circle.

While the program stays the same, the theme for each day is different from the one before it, Cashman said. For instance, one day could be devoted to the color yellow, which would feature a yellow snack, hunting for yellow eggs and other activities involving the color, she said.

In addition to having parents on hand to help the children if they need them, the program offers a great way for newcomers to the community to meet other parents, Cashman said.

The former owner said while the program was popular, enrollment began to drop in recent years, making it difficult for her to pay rent in Sandy Hook, which was one reason she said she decided to sell.

"I was a little leery about the next three years," she said.

Cashman said while she misses the children and the parents at the school, she said is enjoying having time to herself rather than worry about whether she was prepared for the next day.

"I'm really enjoy being home," she said.