BRATTLEBORO — As a result of continued strong demand for quality services and a desire to meet the increasingly diverse needs of Brattleboro and surrounding communities, the Mulberry Bush will begin offering a wider array of programs starting this September and will operate under a new name - the Mulberry Bush Independent School.
“We have been growing and thriving for many years now, and at the same time early care and early education in Vermont and the nation have continued to evolve and change,” said Tori Kelliher, M.Ed., manager of the Mulberry Bush, in a news release. “So we have reconfigured our school to better represent our overall philosophy of 'intentionally nurturing the growth of the whole child,' while adding several new programs that we feel are more responsive to the needs and schedules of children and their families.”
Highlights of the Mulberry Bush Independent School's new offerings will include a Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten Aftercare program plus a School Age Aftercare program for children ages 6 to 12 who live in Brattleboro and surrounding communities.
The school also will launch a series of five, two-week Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten summer programs as well as five, two-week summer programs for school age children in the months of July and August.
School officials have also announced new hours of operation, effective this September.
The Infant/Toddler classrooms will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with options for parents to sign up for school year and calendar year schedules. The Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten classrooms will be open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and will closely mirror the calendar of the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU).
The Mulberry Bush Independent School is licensed by the state of Vermont to serve up to 50 children between the ages of 8 weeks and 12 years. The school is recognized as a Five Star program, partners with the WSESU under Act 166, and is a grant recipient for the Strengthening Families DCF/CCD grant.