Growing Alongside Our Children: Director Bri Begins Her RIE® Practicum • Westwood Presbyterian Preschool

At WPC Preschool, we believe learning is a lifelong journey! For children and for the grown-ups who care for them. This year, I'm taking my own step on that journey as a RIE® practicum student, and I'm honored to share it with you.

This training moves me closer to becoming a RIE® Associate. More than a personal goal, I see it as a meaningful investment in our children, our families, our teachers, and the future of our school, especially as we prepare for our new infant-toddler program.

I'm grateful to spend so much time in our classrooms, observing and connecting with children as they explore. I also value the chance to talk with families and am always looking for thoughtful ways to help our school feel even more nurturing for every child and family.

RIE® (Resources for Infant Educarers®) is a respectful, relationship-based approach to caring for young children, rooted in the belief that children are capable from the very beginning, not passive recipients of care, but active participants in their own lives. These values already live here at WPC Preschool. My hope is that this training helps us nurture them even more fully.

Here is what I hope this means for each of us:

For our children: Even more thoughtful, unhurried care that honors each child as a capable learner
For our teachers: Shared learning and fresh insight that I'll bring back to support our team's growth
For our families: guidance and new ways to connect with your little ones at home
For our new infant-toddler program: A caring, principled foundation from the very start

Picture a young child pausing on the yard to study a single leaf, while a teacher sits nearby, patient and present. Moments like these are at the heart of who we are. I hope this training helps us protect and deepen them for years to come.

This year, I have the privilege of training alongside Talisa Tuman, President of RIE®. I feel truly humbled by this opportunity and look forward to bringing everything I learn back home to WPC Preschool.

This practicum is a meaningful step toward my goal of becoming a RIE® Associate, allowing me to bring the Educaring® Approach to families and to our new infant-toddler program with deeper confidence and care. I can't wait to share everything I learn with our community.

Thank you for your trust and for being such a warm, caring community. I'm grateful to be growing right alongside you and your children.

Warmly,

Bri