Cobb >> When Sugarpine Preschool was lost to the Valley Fire last September, there were no plans to rebuild. Lisa Meador, who ran the Cobb mountain school for 20 years, went through the contents, from books and toys to the building itself, tallying up a loss over $150,000. And when Jules Stout, a Cobb resident with a two-year-old daughter, inquired as to whether or not there was anyone willing to reopen a preschool, she found that there were no plans to do so.
Stout sprung into action. She went through childcare orientation, received a large family childcare home license and converted the downstairs of her duplex into a school room. The process took five and a half months and a good deal of funding from her own pocket.
Though it may seem like quite the challenge, Stout was more than up for it. With experience in the educational system, including a master’s degree in education and coursework in special education, she’s always been passionate about children’s schooling. And even though her own daughter won’t be starting school for a couple of years, she understands the importance of early childhood education. “I knew I had to act fast to make something happen in time for the kiddos up here. If I waited for the state to do it, that might take years to happen. Somebody needed to do it,” Stout said. “I never looked back from making that decision to go forth.”
However, Stout didn’t completely give up her life to become a childcare provider. Pine Summit Seedlings Preschool, the name she’s given her childcare facility, is a morning only program which runs Monday-Thursday. In the afternoons Stout teaches ceramics in Calistoga.
On March 7 Pine Summit Seedlings Preschool opened. Stout is serving 32 families, which is far more than she expected. Each day the school can take 14 children and each day they have a waiting list. They’ve been in operation for a month and Stout is proud of how smoothly everything is running.
Sugarpine was more than a preschool, in a way. It was a meeting spot, a place many people came back to even after their children had gone on to grade school. And now Pine Summit Seedlings has taken on that role, which is presumably a cause of the popularity. “We’re really like a community center in a sense for families to communicate and celebrate,” Stout said.
Then there’s the practical childcare aspect a functioning preschool for the Cobb area. Working families need a place like Pine Summit Seedings. “It really is the only thing on Cobb,” Stout said. “There’s not a family home daycare.”
But Stout isn’t doing everything alone. Meador is assisting her physically in the classroom, and the community is helping out in other ways. Stout has received numerous donations, both in the form of money for the costs of licensing and items like toys and teaching supplies. When she put out a call for donations, she received phone calls from all over the Bay Area from people looking to help.
Over half of the families Stout serves lost their homes in the fire. Stout is grateful for the opportunity to bring the community back together in a small way. Many residents have moved two or three times over the last few months and are finally making their way back up the mountain. Others have left completely, electing to relocate to other towns and counties. But Stout is excited about the positive energy of those rebuilding.
And of course the children keep her plenty busy. Running Pine Summit Seedlings is reminiscent of the old days when Stout was attending college at night and working four hours each morning with kids. It was the best job she ever had. “It’s really quite a wonderful way to start the day,” she said. “It is so joyful. I’ve had some wonderful experiences.”
Stout couldn’t be more thrilled to be guiding the kids in one of the most important stages of their development. She leads them in art and singing, as well as dress up and confidence building. “The educational aspect is overwhelmingly important to me,” Stout said. “This is the magical time of their life. It’s getting better every day.
Stout has become something of a figurehead in Cobb these days, and she takes her new role seriously. “This is really a representation of our community and I feel I need to be very involved of a lot of different … ideas of the kiddos,” she said. “I wouldn’t say it’s the easiest thing. It’s a welcome challenge … for me to create something sustainable that can be of service to the families here.”
So it’s no surprise that Stout is thinking long-term. Once her daughter heads off to college and maybe even once she graduates, Stout will think about handing the reins over to someone else, she explained, laughing.
Pine Summit Seedlings Preschool opened quickly, and the next thing on the to-do list is to spruce up the play yard and the outdoor area. There’s also a donated play structure which needs a number of improvements. Stout is hoping to receive funding from Rotary, who she’s been in talks with for the past four months. “I don’t want to install anything that I cant see being here for 20 years,” she said. “As long as there are kids that want to be here and families that want to be part of a child centered community, we will be here.”
For those interested in seeing what Pine Summit Seedlings Preschool is all about, call Stout at 766-4592 or email PineSummitSeedlings@gmail.com. Stout asks that parents come and see the facility and bring children with them to ensure it’s a good fit.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
