New Early Education School Opens In Manassas

MANASSAS, VA — A former teacher in the Montgomery County School system in Maryland has opened her own school in Manassas, fulfilling a dream to merge her love of teaching with becoming a business owner. Rebecca Chen, together with her husband Lian, opened The Goddard School in Manassas in December, with the goal of bringing high-quality early childhood education to the Manassas area.

Prior to opening the school in Manassas, Chen worked as a teacher at The Goddard School in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where she became familiar with the curriculum and Goddard School philosophy of teaching. In her work in the Montgomery County School system, she had one-on-one experience with children who have austism.

Chen moved to the United States from China when she was 21-years-old. She had to learn a new language and juggled working multiple jobs while going to school for her degree in early childhood education.

"My passion is working with children. I love helping them learn and watching them
grow each day," Chen said in a statement. "That's what inspired me to enter into the early childhood education field, but I never imagined owning my own business when I immigrated from China."

The Goddard School, located at 10405 Dumfries Road, opened on Dec. 2 in a 10,400-square-foot building that serves up to 158 children ages six weeks to six years old and has about 35 faculty members.

The Goddard School was founded in Pennsylvania in 1988. Every Goddard School is operated by an on-site owner with the assistance of an experienced education director. Chen's school in Manassas is the 27th Goddard School to open in Virgnia. Altogether, Goddard School has more than 500 franchised locations in 37 states.

The schools's curriculum is grounded in research on how children learn best when they are having fun. Programs like Spanish, yoga and sign language are offered at The Goddard School as a part of the everyday curriculum. These programs encourage young learners to make their own choices, solve problems and explore their passions and interests independently through fun, hands-on activities.

STEAM, or science, technology, engineering, arts and math, also is incorporated into the daily curriculum. Introducing STEAM concepts early on helps children develop a strong foundation for their future education and a passion for learning.

The Goddard School says that children who attend their schools outperform their peers in the classroom. Results of a recent review by the Children’s Progress Academic Assessment show that Goddard School students score 45 percent higher on mathematics and literacy assessments compared to non-Goddard peers.

"Based on my personal experience, I hope to bring the highest quality in early childhood education to the Mansassas community," Chen said. "I want to see every child in an environment where they can develop and grow to their full potential starting at the youngest age."