For 13 years, Tonya Gill and Claudia Macon-co-owners of Primrose School at Cahoon Commons-have been providing an accredited, enriching early childhood education and character development program for infants through Pre-Kindergarten and afterschool care for children ages 5 through 12. It was with great excitement in September 2020 that they opened their newest campus-Primrose School at Edinburgh Commons-to provide the same outstanding educational program for families living and working in Hickory and Moyock.

Despite opening in the midst of the pandemic, Tonya, Claudia, and Director Angela Carley overcame the challenges of COVID restrictions to open on schedule, remain open, and allow parents to virtually tour the new school.

"Even though parents couldn't physically come inside the building, it was Primrose's reputation and knowing what we deliver to our students through our curriculum and safe, healthy, social environment that sealed their decision to come to our new location,"Claudia says.

In fact, Edinburgh Commons just opened up to parents on April 4th, the first time since September 2020. "Parents were ecstatic!"Tonya smiles, adding, "We're getting back to normalcy while still being cautious. We're still going over and above our health and safety practices. While parents can't yet go into the classrooms, they can walk their child through the halls to their class."

Director Angela Carley, who has been with Tonya and Claudia since the Cahoon Commons campus opened in 2009, has been entrusted as Edinburgh's administrator. Angela is no stranger to working with children. "I've been in and around childcare my entire life,"Angela says with a smile. "My mom ran an in-home daycare in our Deep Creek home from the time I was two, and I helped her once I was old enough to do so. I also helped her teach Sunday school at church. My first official job in childcare was at the Salvation Army when I was 18, working in the daycare at the women's shelter."

After graduating from Longwood University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Liberal Studies and a minor in Psychology, Angela joined Primrose Cahoon Commons as a Pre-K teacher. However, it wasn't long before Tonya and Claudia recognized Angela's passion and talents, and she soon began moving up the ladder of leadership.

After three years, Angela was offered the newly created position of Educational Training Specialist-a leadership-teacher liaison position that provides support and training for teachers in the classroom. Then four years later, she was promoted to director.

When Tonya and Claudia decided to open Primrose's new location, they knew that Angela was ready to fly solo. "When they shared their dream of opening another location with me, I told them that I wanted to serve as director of that school regardless of where it was,"Angela recalls. "I was so excited to open our Edinburgh location! I love it here!"

As a Primrose parent herself, Angela has a unique perspective on what parents want from a facility. She fosters continual communication and good relationships with parents and her dedicated team. "We become an extension of their families,"Angela notes. "At the end of the day, that's what it should feel like to parents because we are working hand-in-hand with them through our character development program towards the common goal of helping their children become good citizens who contribute to the community."

Angela also strives to facilitate warm and trusted relationships with the most important Primrose demographic-the children. "Our school is child-focused. We want our children to feel safe here and know who we are. Our entire leadership team goes into every classroom every day,"Angela points out. "We take time to speak with the students; we join the classrooms. That way, the children don't just see us as authoritative figures who just walk the halls, but as someone they know they can talk to and trust. We're involved and work closely with our teachers, who give their all to the children. The foundation of our success is our dedicated team of teachers and staff. We all work together, and everyone has a part to play in making Primrose great."

With teacher burnout across the nation at an all-time high, Angela knows that if her teachers aren't happy and fulfilled, the students ultimately suffer. Her time in the classroom offers a perspective of understanding. That's why she fosters a supportive environment for her staff.

"As a former teacher myself, I understand what my teachers need from me,"she explains. "I have an open-door policy for them to come speak to me anytime. Also, my teachers never feel stuck because they know there's always room for growth here. I invest in them. The owners of Primrose invested in me, nurtured me, and helped me move forward in my career. I want to pay it forward for my teachers, nurturing and supporting them in their goals, whether it's simply going from part-time to full-time or continuing their own education."

Throughout the pandemic, Primrose wasn't immune to staffing issues. "The world seems to be short-staffed right now, and we're no exception,"Angela says. "But through it all, we never miss a beat, and our children always have qualified teachers who know our curriculum and policies."
 

"We're putting out a call to action for qualified individuals in the community who are passionate about working with children and delivering a curriculum with lessons that have been created and designed by a team of education professionals,"Tonya adds. "Each child learns in different ways. The Primrose Balanced Learning® approach provides teachers with the tools and guidance to accommodate children's natural curiosity and to fully support each child while building problem solving skills and confidence. A benefit to working here is that our teachers don't have to create lesson plans. We already have excellent lesson plans that have been proven successful; all that our dedicated, talented teachers need to do is deliver and enhance them with their experiences."

Through changes and challenges, two things remain constant at Primrose regardless of the circumstances: commitment to excellence and commitment to children through close relationships with parents and excellent ongoing communication. Delivering excellence to students, parents, and the elementary schools the children will attend after leaving Primrose, Angela invests her heart and soul in her team, students, and families.