Meet Our La Petite Academy Staff – Nicole, Academy Director

Nicole is the academy director at our La Petite Academy on Judson Rd. in San Antonio, TX. She has worked in child care for 15 years, has her Child Development Associate’s Credential, and is a La Petite alumna! Read on to learn more about Nicole and her accomplishments in early childhood education.

Tell us about your background in child care and education.

I have worked in early childhood education for almost 15 years. I actually achieved my Child Development Associate’s Credential in 2007 with the help of La Petite. It was definitely something I would not have had the opportunity to take advantage of if it were not for my La Petite connection, so I’m very proud of that.

You are a La Petite alumna! Can you talk about that?

I went to La Petite on Topperwein Rd. in Converse, TX the summer before I started first grade. I was in the school-age room in their summer camp program. I remember it really well, actually. That is the only child care experience I had growing up, and it’s really stuck with me throughout the years.

When you first began your career at La Petite Academy, what position did you hold?

I was a preschool teacher. At that time we had a curriculum coordinator so I moved up to that position, and then I moved up to team lead and then within two years I was assistant director. I did get promoted to a director and went to the La Petite on Springtime where I was director for almost three years. When the opportunity arose to come back to my home school, I took it and I’ve been director here for two years.

How do you explain our curriculum to families during a tour?

I try to let them know this is a state-of-the-art curriculum. It’s observation-driven, it’s robust and it really sets us apart from other centers. I go into the teachers’ binders and show them the individual lesson plans and tell them that we are individually teaching their child what they need to know to move on to the next level.

What is your favorite accomplishment since you’ve been at La Petite?

The fact that I have worked my way up through the ranks is something that I’m proud to share not only during tours, but also with my current staff to let them know that if it’s something that they want, they can go for it. Our company is a good place for that. We try to develop our staff, and if that’s something that they want to do, it’s definitely a possibility.

Can you share a memorable moment you’ve had since you’ve been a part of the La Petite family?

My daughter was in La Petite since she was six weeks old and the program prepared her for elementary school. When she started Kindergarten she was light years ahead of her class. The teacher would always say, “You must work with her so much at home.” I would tell her, “No, really, it’s La Petite.” Just seeing that the teacher even noticed that made me so much more proud. I believe in this program, I believe in our curriculum and I believe in our philosophy. It works. It really does.

What are you looking forward to most in the coming months?

We always do fundraising for October and this year we are having a fundraiser for the San Antonio Food Bank where we are collecting canned goods and non-perishable items. We also have a bake sale planned and a “Spaghetti Dinner To Go” where we get salad and breadsticks from Olive Garden, make spaghetti and sell plates. The proceeds all go to the San Antonio Food Bank.