Our Philosophy

Making the Most of These Precious Years

We view the first five years of life as unquestionably the most exciting and important years for cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of the child. We therefore embrace developmentally appropriate practices that have been shown to support the overall development of young children. We use proven methods in such a way that is personalized to the stage of development, needs, and temperament of each child, because we know that your child is unlike any other. Our bilingual program takes advantage of the natural language acquisition abilities of children in this age range.

Learning Through Exploration and Discovery

Every day at My Second Home, children are observing, absorbing and learning many more things than any set curriculum could anticipate. When given the time to explore their surroundings, children will discover, learn and grow. Our role as teachers and caregivers is to prepare the environment to have myriad opportunities for students to develop themselves, create friendships, and cultivate a lifelong love of learning.

Goals

My Second Home will provide interactions and experiences to help children:

• Develop socially, cognitively, emotionally and physically
• Develop conflict resolution skills
• Develop problem solving skills
• Develop self-help skills
• Be prepared for their next school environment

Our Staff

	Director/Owner - Denise Oliver Originally from Barranquilla, Colombia, Denise arrived in Boulder, CO speaking only a few English words. She began taking English language and Early Childhood Education courses at the local college. After the birth of her daughter, she realized that it was hard to find a child care program that met her needs. Denise decided to open a small home child care and teach the students English and Spanish. So many families were attracted to her program, she expanded to a large home child care. After running her home program for five years, Denise opened a small center in Lafayette. "I wanted to create a place where children and families feel comfortable, provide opportunities for children to develop to their full potential, and learn a second language at the optimal age." Denise and her partner, Jake, have two daughters. She enjoys cooking, exercise, and sight-seeing around Colorado.
	Group Leader - Eliana Ramos A native of Chile, Eliana lives in Boulder with her husband and son. A license teacher in Chile, Eliana has 14 years of experience working with children. Her experience ranges from infants to preschoolers. Throughout her career, Eliana has completed many trainings related to child development. Eliana continues to seek out courses to continue her professional development as she see it as vital to helping her continue to grow every day in her work with children.
	Ivonne Garfias- Lead Teacher, Pre-Kindergarten Ivonne is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico. In Mexico, she taught at both the preschool and elementary level for nine years. She has lived in Colorado for the last nine years, the last five in Lafayette. "It is a dream come true to teach in my community. I believe that bilingual education is really important for children, especially at the preschool age when their ability to learn a second language peaks. I also believe that a nurturing and well-rounded experience in early education can make a difference for each child in their human development and educational possibilities." In her spare time, Ivonne likes to spend time with her husband, exercise, do gardening and read books and articles related to education.
	Denise Cherrington, Lead Teacher, Preschool Denise is originally from Littleton, Colorado. She graduated from the University of Colorado. Denise has extensive experience teaching Spanish to people of all ages. "Teaching has always been a passion of mine. Early childhood education however offers me the opportunity to use my creativity and imagination to the fullest. It is a true joy to work with children at this age and especially in a bilingual environment."