Ivybrook Academy, a preschool that started as a single location in North Carolina in 2007 and has now expanded to 59 locations across the United States, looks for communities that are seeking something different and view education through many unique lenses when independent owners seek to open a new campus.
Solon proved to be the perfect spot for Vik and Whitney Swamy, franchise partners of Ivybrook, to open the fourth location in Ohio and the first in northern Ohio.
As the Cleveland Jewish News previously reported earlier this year in announcing the new preschool, the new academy is led by former members of the early childhood leadership team at the Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland in Beachwood. Liza Adams, director of enrollment and operations, and Jackie Gordon, director of curriculum and education development were selected by the Swamy’s to run Ivybrook Academy’s Solon school.
“The area already offers a lot of programs that are care and education hybrid models that are open from 7:30 in the morning until 6:00 at night and service full-time working families,” Gordon, a Twinsburg resident affiliated with Temple Emanu El in Orange, told the Cleveland Jewish News. “Ivybrook offers something new and different with the opportunity to swing the pendulum back in a different direction.”
Ivybrook is at 33625 Aurora Road and holds six classrooms, a gym that acts as a multi-purpose space and a discovery room, which will house the art, Spanish, movement and music classes. There is also an outdoor classroom.
Children enrolled at Ivybrook hail from Solon, Orange, Gate Mills, Twinsburg and other communities in the Cleveland suburbs.
Ivybrook is a half-day preschool, running from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and serves children from 18 months through 6 years old, offering pre-kindergarten and transitional kindergarten programs.
“Years and years ago, kids were not necessarily coming to school for eight to 10 hours per day,” Gordon said. “They were attending school for more of an enrichment opportunity to start to practice socializing with other human beings and sharing space, ideas and feelings with the world around them. That’s what Ivybrook harkens back to. It offers the community a way of approaching education that they haven’t seen, maybe ever, but certainly in a while.”
The school will mark its grand opening at 4:30 p.m. July 23 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Solon Chamber of Commerce.
“We’re bringing something new to the area,” Adams, a Twinsburg resident and a congregant of Congregation Mishkan Or in Beachwood, told the CJN. “What’s really special about Ivybrook is its grassroots story. It was started in North Carolina by a couple (Jennifer and Drew McWilliams) who believe in individualized approaches to learning for children and allowing kids to be participants in their learning journey.”
Ivybrook’s curriculum is multifaceted and inspired by three different models of education: Montessori, Reggio Emilia and the theory of multiple intelligences.
“Montessori (an educational approach that emphasizes self-directed learning, hands-on exploration and mixed-age classrooms) is really where we bring in the pieces of our literacy and math curriculum,” Gordon said. “The Reggio Emilia pieces are where we really focus on the child-driven pieces of our curriculum, where the ideas are coming from the children and less from the teachers. And the theory of multiple intelligences is really just a fancy way of saying we individualize the experience for all of our students, because not everybody learns in the exact same way.”
Adams said the other key piece is viewing families as partners.
“We offer a lot of opportunities for family engagement and involvement,” she said. “We already have parents that are excited to be part of our PTO and attend events that build our culture. If everyone feels safe, trusted and connected, those in that space will want to grow in a multitude of ways.”
Adams and Gordon said parents have been very receptive thus far and like how it is individualized for them just as much as it is for their children and the way Ivybrook “moves the dial in whatever way their child needs care.”
“They’re loving this approach and the aesthetic we bring,” Adams said. “You walk into a lot of preschools where there’s just primary and bright colors, there’s hospital-level lighting. At Ivybrook, we have more soft tones and a wooden aesthetic. There is greenery in the spaces so that when you walk in, you don’t feel overstimulated. You feel a sense of calm and feel safe.”
Classroom size will range in size depending on the age group. Six to 12 children will be in the two and under classroom, eight to 16 will be the largest for the 3 year old room and the pre-K class will hold 10 to 20 children. The ratio of teachers for each age group is: 2 and under, 1:6 or 2:12; 3 year olds, 1:8 or 2:16; and pre-K, 1:10 or 2:20.
Ivybrook will also offer three themed summer camp sessions – “It’s a Jungle” from July 20-24, centering on nature exploration and animal-themed activities; “Masterpiece Makers,” which focuses on art, creativity and self-expression from July 27-31; and “Storybook STEAM” from Aug. 3-7, allowing campers to participate in hands-on STEAM activities inspired by children’s literature.
The school year will begin Aug. 17.
“Liza and I really both have a passion for creating communities where people feel a sense of belonging,” Gordon said. “I’m sure there are places of belonging here in the city of Solon, but we’re looking forward to adding Ivy Brook to the list of places where people can feel connected and young families are building relationships at the onset of the life of their children. Those relationships can carry on for years and years to come. Liza and I have already experienced that in other communities that we have worked in and built. And we’re excited to bring that to Solon.”