Jacqueline Hart, Nederland.   The Branding Iron restaurant in Nederland hosted a special community event on Wednesday night, December 5, 2018. Aspen Grove Community Pre-School shared the musical talents of their wonderful students to a packed house. The children did not disappoint. The event was bravely scheduled for 6 p.m., a time when many preschoolers are getting tired, cranky or hungry. The Aspen Grove students were on task and energized for the show.

They sang and danced routines choreographed by their teachers and led by Griffin McKeague, Aspen Grove’s assistant director and lead teacher. Their last number, “The Chicken Dance,” brought down the house. Audience members were thoroughly entertained by both the planned comedy of their routine, and the unplanned comedy some children improvised..

The purpose of the event is to allow the children an opportunity to interact positively with the community, one of the tenets of Aspen Grove’s philosophy. Events like these are planned so parents of students can interact with each other as well. Rachel Straub, the director of the school, says she believes, “family and community play an integral role in children’s education.” Rachel says nature is important in early childhood education as well, which is why she is grateful to work with children in this area. Aspen Grove teaches children to direct their own learning and provides them the space and time to explore and express themselves.

In addition to this event, the school performs in the spring to celebrate graduates heading off to kindergarten. Fundraisers, tuition and grants fund the non-profit pre-school. They accept CCAP, Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, and are committed to keeping tuition rates reasonable so the early childhood education program is accessible to the community. The young students at Aspen Grove are between the ages of two-and-a-half and 6 years old. Up to 19 students can be enrolled anywhere from half a day to 5 full days a week, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Aspen Grove is currently enrolling and can be reached at 303-258-0390, or at their website: aspengrovepreschool.org.

The next fundraising event for Aspen Grove, The Lovin’ Cup, will be held on February 26, 2019, from 6-8 p.m. at the Deli in Nederland. Come out for a tomato bisque and cheese sandwich, and support the growth and education of Nederland’s young students.

(Originally published in the December 13, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)