Message from the Director

Kirk O’ The Valley Elementary strives to be a place where children love to be because they feel safe “being themselves“. We meet children where they are academically and challenge them. We have high expectations of them morally and ethically, and we treat them with respect.

If conflict arises, we listen to their side of the story. Our diverse student body enables them to experience differences and to learn respect for others unlike themselves. We partner with the home to extend these values into the life of each student at school.

By developing the “whole child”, a grounding takes place that enables children to transition into a variety of new environments, both large and small, as they move to middle school and beyond. Often times students return to us to say how important their elementary years were to them.

Kirk O’ The Valley Preschool aspires to make our part in the first five years of a child’s life their most enriched, safe, and free-spirited. Having children feel emotionally and physically safe, letting them freely share their enthusiasm for the new worlds they are conquering, and helping them become good friends to their playmates is the best gift we have to give them.

In 2011 we celebrated our 50th anniversary. We have thousands of children, now into the second generation, who have gone through our preschool. We see them in the bank, the grocery store, and hear from them as they come back to see “if any of my teachers are still here”, and oddly enough, with the tremendous longevity of our staff, some still are.

Kirk O’ The Valley Tot Center is the entry level into a new world for the children who attend, but it is also very often the entry level to parenting. We are able to guide and counsel parents through the first stages of their child’s education. With our excellent ratio of 4:1, our teachers have opportunity and time to be available for parent concerns.

Kirk of the Valley is a very special family and it is my privilege to serve as only the third director in our 55 year history.

Hillary Felder
Director, Kirk O’ The Valley