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9:58 AM
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10 things I’ve learned ... as Director of Newnan Presbyterian Preschool As told to Elizabeth Richardson
Barbara Kookogey has had plenty of experience with children. In addition to being a mother of three, she has worked at NPP since September 1991. During her tenure, she has worked in various capacities including caregiver, aide and teacher. Kookogey became the director in 1999. She presently oversees 180 children and 31 staff members.
(1) A school is only as good as its teachers. I have been fortunate to work with the most caring women in Newnan. They treat their students as they would want a teacher to treat their own children. (2) Children are inquisitive and straight-forward. Every year, my 4-foot, 10-inch tall, 80-year-old mother visits and works at NPP. A couple of years ago, one of the children asked her, “Why are you old?” and another asked “Are you a midget?” My mother just laughed. (3) Parents will do the craziest things to be sure their children get enrolled. There was actually a parent that wore adult diapers while she was waiting in line in the wee hours of the morning before registration. (4) The 2- and 3-year-olds think that their teacher should always be with their assistant, and they both should always be at school. When you see a child at a store, they always ask where the other person is and wonder why you are at the store. (5) We don’t like to know the children’s home life, because we might tend to judge or treat them differently. When they’re here, everyone’s the same and we want them to have the same experience. (6) It is so rewarding to see children start a new phase in their young lives. There have been many children who start in the infant room and graduate from kindergarten. We get to see the babies blossom into young children that are well-adjusted and ready to tackle ‘big school.’ (7) Always expect a prospective family to drop in for a tour on one of the craziest days of the year. Since our doors are always open, it inevitably happens. We want parents to see all sides of NPP — even how we handle stressful situations. (8) I’ve learned you have to keep up with the times and survey parents about their needs. Having nearly-grown children myself, it’s easy to lose touch with what young families need today. (9) There are some things you learn not to do. You may think papier mache is a great thing, but it’s not. There are a lot of failed art projects — like dryer lint bunnies. (10) It is very rewarding to see prior students who are now all grown-up and successful. We like to think we had something to do with it. NCM 82
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