Preschool Advantage Honors the Dogwood School in its Fiftieth Yea

CHESTER, NJ – May 24, 2018 -- When Preschool Advantage was founded 20 years ago with the mission of sending area children to preschool who could not otherwise afford to attend, it partnered with just a handful of schools. As that number grew to 24 schools, the need for a more rigorous definition of a “quality preschool” became essential. In response, the Morristown-based non-profit formed a School Committee, whose members include current and former preschool directors, teachers, and others in education-related fields. School Committee members visit the organization’s partner preschools on a three-year cycle to ensure that the quality of their programs is maintained.

Partner schools must maintain excellence in five key criteria: teacher-child interaction, curriculum, family involvement, staff qualifications and professional development, and school management. Once a school has been determined to meet these standards of excellence, Preschool Advantage recognizes its achievement by bestowing its Golden Acorn Award for exemplary quality in preschool education.

The Chester/Mendham area is a new and growing community for Preschool Advantage, which began its partnership with the Dogwood School in September, 2017. The School was honored to receive the organization’s Golden Acorn award this spring. “We are thrilled to be working with Preschool Advantage,“ says Lisa Robbins, director and owner of the Dogwood School “This is our fiftieth year in operation, and this award is a great way to recognize and validate our work in early childhood education. There are so many families in need, and our partnership with Preschool Advantage will help keep our school accessible to more children in our area.”

Preschool Advantage is proud to add such a long-standing and well-respected school to the list from which its scholarship recipients may choose. The partnership benefits all parties, including all Chester-area children whose peers will have had the advantage of a quality preschool education when they come together as kindergarten classmates and friends.

Preschool Advantage has provided families with financial assistance for high quality preschool education since 1995, with nearly 1,400 tuitions paid throughout the organization’s history. Information about the organization can be found at www.preschooladvantage.org or by calling (973) 532-2501.

Pictured left to right: Lisa Robbins, director and owner, the Dogwood School and Gail Reuther, secretary and school committee co-chair, Preschool Advantage

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