Greetings Parents:
I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and welcome you to summer 2021!! Many of you already know me, for those who do not my name is Erin Edge. I am a 20 -year teaching veteran, 4 years spent in Nashville, Tennessee, and almost 15 years here at FUMP. I have spent the better part of my 46 years working with children and knowing at an early age I wanted to teach. My educational background is a BA in elementary education with a focus on early childhood (4’s through 6’s) and an additional degree in musical performance (singing) and a minor in piano.
My philosophy on early childhood education is fairly straightforward and simple and that is to allow each child to grow, develop and thrive in my classroom at their own pace without the pressures of a highly academic setting. My keyword is fun! We have exciting adventures every day using many various materials to achieve this end. I love to teach the children using open-ended art, music, dance, movement, sensory activities, literature, manipulatives, dress-up, and much more. My main goal for the 4’s and 5’s is to gain independence, self-help skills, and social skills. We talk a lot about how we treat one and other, how we function as a group, how we can stand up for ourselves in a positive manner, and how we can express ourselves creatively. I bring many elements of various cultures into my classroom. I have had the fortune of traveling all around the world from a very young age and I have great joy in spreading the beauty of other lands and peoples to our children in Austin, TX.
Just a couple of reminders for summer. Please send children every day with a face mask (plus 1 or 2 backups), lunch, snack, and water bottle. The children will also need to bring their rest mats for quiet time. Please apply sunscreen and bug spray at home before school as we are not allowed to do as teachers. For drop-off and pick up my class will be using the front door (by the garden, on Lavaca St.) please use the sandbox app to check your child in/out and to receive messages from me.
I look forward to seeing many old and new and returning faces this summer!
All the best,
Erin Edge
erin@fumcaustin.org