An Acorn Parent Reflection Written by Peter & Tracy Robitaille

Hello Acorn Community,

My name is Peter Robitaille. My wife Tracy, and I, are proud parents of two soon-to-be, Acorn alumni! As Della, our second child to attend Acorn, heads towards her graduation and moves on to public Kindergarten, the Spring of 2025 seems to be a perfect time to reflect on Acorn School and what it has done for our family. Della’s older brother, Mac, now attends Main Street school and is in the first grade. Both of our children had exceptional experiences at Acorn, a few of which we have done our best to capture below…

Schedule / Structure: Acorn was a great introduction in what it means to “attend school.” Our kids both became used to heading to school on certain mornings of the week, falling into a routine that eased them into a school pattern twice per week the first year, and three times per week during the second. While at school, they developed a routine as they adventured from area to area, came to know their activities and schedules, and surely anticipated end of day as caretaker cars lined up and entered the cul-de-sac. For Mac, this ramp up of two-then-three days per week, prepared him nicely for the full week of school as he transitioned up to Main Street Elementary.

Curriculum: Although the basics of letters and numbers are clear and present, the additional learning that takes place at Acorn had the biggest impact on our kids. They returned home excited about a new habitat or a new animal they learned about, on a regular basis. They loved sharing their crafts and accomplishments along the way. They also loved sharing their music and songs, performing rhymes and dance moves around the living room, or humming new tunes to themselves during play times. Less tangibly, Acorn school developed their independence, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and self-confidence. By letting the students work through their own challenges and problems in the moment, the school encourages this type of development and prefers to observe and guide lightly, instead of utilizing firm guardrails that can leave children overdependent on adult direction and assistance.

Friendship: Do I speak of the kids’ friendships or our parent friendships first? Both have been significant and important in the past four years of our family’s life. All of us have met new people and developed new friendships, specifically the type that will transcend Acorn School and continue on for years to come. From children play dates to parent double-dates, it is unquestionable that Acorn brings together a great group of local families and creates opportunity to make new connections and develop new friendships. In the decades ahead and as the granular memories of Acorn fade with time, we anticipate continuous new memories being made as these friendships and connections continue on.

Those of you reading this likely share a similar sentiment, which is why we readily recommend Acorn to any parents around the Seacoast who are investigating preschool options for their young children. We happily pass on the excitement – just as several good friends did for us, as we were researching several years ago. Let’s all enjoy these last few weeks, and soak up the time we and our children have left in the magic of Acorn School. 

Pete & Tracy Robitaille