Since its founding in 1998, The Malvern School’s philosophy and educational approach has driven the organization to become the largest privately owned preschool in Greater Philadelphia with 26 schools
Glen Mills, PA – June 1, 2018 – June 1, 2018 marks 20 years since
The Malvern School opened the doors of its first schools in Malvern, Pennsylvania, introducing a new approach to early childhood education for children from 6 weeks to 8 years old. Departing from the traditional model of day care or child care programs, The Malvern School’s focus on providing diverse programming that enables children to both learn and feel loved has fueled the school to become the largest privately owned preschool in the Greater Philadelphia region. Today, The Malvern School has 26 locations throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and Central and Southern New Jersey. “When we started The Malvern School, our goal was to provide exceptional programming – delivered by forward-thinking, college-degreed educators – that encourage children to meet their highest potential,” says Kristen Waterfield, President and Co-Founder of The Malvern School. “This potential isn’t just one dimensional. As a teacher and a mother, I have always felt strongly about the importance of developing the physical, emotional, cognitive and social growth of the ‘whole’ child, which is core to our educational philosophy. When you start building this foundation early, you set children up for success throughout their lives.” Over 20 years, more than 30,000 children have enrolled in one of The Malvern School’s programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, pre-kindergarteners and kindergarteners supplementing their school days with enrichment. These programs include daily opportunities to see, touch and do through hands-on learning stations in two custom-designed rooms unique to The Malvern School. The Fascination Station, a favorite among toddlers, and the Discovery Room, a special place for older students, focus on sensory experiences, the arts, reading, manipulative play and dramatic play. “Regardless of which Malvern School program their child is in, parents have the peace of mind to know they are being nurtured and cared for, and also that they’re in a stimulating learning environment with curriculum based on the highest standards,” says Christle Seal, Director of Educational Programs at The Malvern School. Curriculum at every Malvern School location is designed to meet or exceed the standards established by the
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation’s largest early childhood accrediting organization. “In fact, with the leadership and dedication of our Director teams, as well as the creativity and passion for early childhood education among our teachers, our schools often outperform accreditation standards,” continues Seal. “This validates what we have been working so hard on all these years and what we continue to focus on every day – providing the finest curriculum and staff to support the development of the youngest members of our communities.” The Malvern School will be opening its 26
th location in Marlton, New Jersey in June and is planning to open multiple schools in the region in the next five years. “Building on our growth over the past two decades, we’re excited to continue bringing The Malvern Way to new communities,” says Debbie Martin, Director of Operations at The Malvern School. “Amid this growth, what’s remarkable is the high level of quality and consistency that we are able to deliver at every single Malvern School. Every decision we make is intentional, from the custom design of our buildings to the materials available at hands-on learning stations, and being privately owned, our Executive Office is very hands-on with each school to ensure the staff, children and families have what they need to help our students thrive.” Outside school walls, The Malvern School is active in the local community and has been a strong supporter of
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) for more than 10 years, raising more than $640,000 to date to fight pediatric cancer. To coincide with its 20
th anniversary, The Malvern School has set a 2018 fundraising goal of $120,000 for ALSF. “There have been so many big moments over the years that I’m deeply proud of, such as extending our philanthropic commitment into civility programs at our schools, or working with Former First Lady Barbara Bush to bring new life to ‘Mrs. Bush’s Story Time’ and promote reading aloud,” says Waterfield. “But, just like for the children, it’s also the ‘little’ big moments that stand out: welcoming each curious little one into our programs; seeing the wonder of learning in wide eyes and amazement; and watching dozens of classes graduate and go on to succeed in many different ways. It is such a privilege to help these children learn and grow, and we will continue to do so as we lead the way in early childhood education.” For more information, visit
MalvernSchool.com.
About The Malvern School
The Malvern School, founded in 1998, is a year-round private preschool for ages six weeks to eight years. The Malvern School believes in developing the whole child in a nurturing, yet engaging environment and offers an innovative curriculum that has raised the bar in early childhood education. Today, The Malvern School has 26 locations throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and Central and Southern New Jersey and is dedicated to providing curriculum that is designed to meet or exceed the highest standards established by the
National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation’s largest early childhood accrediting organization.
