Scott women keep Community Education in the family

MARCH 29, 2022                                          

COMMUNITY EDUCATION NEWS – While many parents and legal guardians trust Community Education to care for their youngest family members, the kids in their lives, there is also family already within the department. The Scotts, a mother and her two daughters, currently work at Kids Express and Lil’ Explorers.

Michelle Scott

Michelle Scott, Kids Express site lead at Navarrete Elementary School and Carlson Elementary School, has been involved in child care for a long time. She started working in child care when working for the company her sister worked for. In college, she went to school to become a child life specialist. Eventually, she made her way to the Chandler Unified School District, becoming a Kids Express site lead.

As a Kids Express Site Lead, Michelle Scott is tasked with welcoming students and parents, working the parent table, doing paperwork, and supervising her staff. The kids are her favorite part about working at Kids Express. “I love to be part of their learning journey,” explained Michelle Scott.

While Kids Express is a before and after school child care program, the kids do more than just play. Kids actually learn curriculum at Kids Express.

It is rewarding nurturing other peoples’ children at Kids Express, but it has been extremely rewarding for Michelle Scott to see her own children take care of other peoples’ children with their employment at Lil’ Explorers. “It allows me to hear from others how they think my children are great teachers. That makes me so proud,” noted Michelle Scott.

She hopes that the lessens she has taught her daughters influence how they interact with the children in their own classrooms. “I have taught my children that when you teach a child when they are young, they will remember you and what you taught them. I have taught them that they are the first person after their parents to truly see their potential and to help them grow,” explained Michelle Scott.  

Elizabeth Scott

Michelle Scott’s oldest daughter, Elizabeth “Lizzy” Scott, is a child care group leader at Chandler High School with Lil’ Explorers. Lizzy Scott became interested in child care from an early age. She always loved to babysit and play with all the different kids that she grew up around. Her mother was a big influence on her love for caring for children. “My mom also taught preschool when I was young, and she used to take me to work with her where I was the ‘teacher’s assistant.’ I loved creating different lessons to show the kids in her class,” recalled Lizzy Scott.

Lizzy Scott found out about Lil’ Explorers as a high school student. She went to Hamilton High School and participated in the early childhood education (ECE) program. During high school, she worked for a different early learning center, but she eventually decided to go back to Lil’ Explorers. “A few years after I graduated, I decided to go back to the program that fostered my love for early education,” said Lizzy Scott.  

Lil’ Explorers puts an emphasis on learning and development. The program implements creative curriculum and is currently undergoing the nationally accredited First Things First Quality Rating Scale. The kids’ daily routine consists of developmental activities, snack, a math activity, letter of the week, and a story that is related to the study topic of the month. “We then move to small group activities where we either do a science experiment, a math activity, or an art project that is also based off our current study or open learning centers,” explained Lizzy Scott. After that, the students spend time in an outdoor learning center. They have lunch, rest, and spend the afternoon doing similar activities that they did in the morning.

Lizzy Scott is currently finishing up her early childhood education degree and plans to continue working in child care upon graduation. “I love watching the children learn and develop throughout the year. I find it amazing how much these tiny humans grow and learn in just a year; these children are our future and I get to help them grow into phenomenal people,” she proclaimed.

Rebecca Scott

Rebecca “Becca” Scott, lead teacher in the toddler room at Chandler High School’s Lil’ Explorers, is the youngest daughter and younger sister of Michelle Scott and Lizzy Scott, respectively. She is currently in the middle of her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education/early childhood special education.

Going into her freshman year of high school, Becca Scott started volunteering with her mother and sister at a child care center. Eventually, what started as a volunteer interest transformed into a career interest.

During her time volunteering and working, she found guidance in her mother and older sister. “My mother and sister both helped teach me how to interact and educate young children,” Becca Scott recalled.

Becca Scott became involved with Lil’ Explorers the same way her sister did. Their mother was working for the Chandler Unified School District while she was a student at Hamilton High School. She became a student intern for ‘Lil Explorers through their ECE program.

As lead teacher in the toddler room at Lil’ Explorers, Becca Scott works with the children, facilitating age-appropriate activities that will help them progress and grow developmentally. “I provide an enriching educational environment that includes a variety of age-appropriate activities for toddler-age children to assist them in reaching their milestones,” she explained.  

Lil’ Explorers has multiple classrooms for children of various needs. At the Chandler High School location, there are two infant rooms and two toddler rooms. Children are grouped by age and mobility. “This separation allows for more specialized care and focus on activities that assist the children in reaching their developmental milestones,” clarified Becca Scott. “We use each classroom as a building block for the next.”

Working for Lil’ Explorers serves a dual purpose for Becca Scott. It allows her to gain experience for her future career and it is an avenue for her to help others on their way to a similar career. “I get hands-on experience in my desired career field while I further my education,” she explained. “I am also able to make an impact in the lives of future teachers through the high school students in the same ECE program that I was able to be a part of in high school.”

Our Family is Yours

The Scotts have different roles and goals in their respective positions at Kids Express and Lil’ Explorers. Michelle Scott is responsible for ensuring the children are cared for, but also supervising her staff. Her daughters, on the other hand, have similar responsibilities to each other, but they have different goals based on the age group of the kids they are working with. “Lizzy’s focus is on preparing her children to enter kindergarten and successfully navigate that new chapter in their lives,” clarified Becca Scott. “My main focus is to promote verbal communication, increase their fine and gross motor skills, and improve their social and emotional understanding.”

It really is about the children for the Scotts. “I love doing the job that I love with the people that I love,” emphasized Lizzy Scott.

In their free time, the Scotts like to read, spend time together as a family, and go to Disneyland.

Enroll your child in Kids Express, enroll your child in Lil’ Explorers, or apply to be part of our team today! Community Education — where our family is yours.

Editor’s note: Michelle Scott has since transitioned to a new role within Community Education working in the pilot preschool program.

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