Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/tumps--family/5021538/
What is TUMPS? It is an acronym for Trinity United Methodist Preschool, but if you ask the parents of current and former students, their answer is family, community, a place where children learn, not just about the ABCs �" but about life. TUMPS is a 51-year-old preschool with an average tenure for teachers of 23 years. TUMPS has several traditions of family events and special activities for the children that go back 30 or more years and still continue today. These activities include the Thanksgiving Feast, Breakfast with Santa, and Family Picnic, to name a few.TUMPS is family. Since the majority of the staff has worked together for 14 years or more, we truly care about each other. We celebrate birthdays, promotions, and support each other during other life events. As the Director, I do not just tell my staff what to do, or present them with new policies and procedures; I ask for their input and we share our thoughts and opinions and decide together what is best for the children, staff, and families. As a staff, we are flexible. We work with families and their often-changing schedules regarding when the children will be with us for class or extended ...