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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDavis said, \u201cWe focus on everyone\u2019s strengths rather than their weaknesses. Our goal is for children to leave SHINE and go to school and shine their light by being kind and accepting of everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although leaving their secure jobs with the public school system and starting SHINE was a giant leap of faith, the two didn\u2019t stop there. They continue to use their experience to teach parents how to navigate the programs that are available in the public schools so that students who graduate from SHINE will continue to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe assist parents of students with special needs as they transition from preschool to kindergarten,\u201d said Hamlet. \u201cWe walk them through what to expect in the evaluation process and explain how services are provided by their school district. In the past, we have also worked with Sunday school teachers, Mother\u2019s Day Out programs, and private schools to help them form strategies as they work with children who have developmental delays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SHINE Preschool now has three certified teachers who have a combined 86 years of experience, and in 2019, 2022, and 2024, they were nominated as finalists for the Main Street Award for Best Preschool\/Day Care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Davis said, \u201cPreschool is an amazing tie in the children\u2019s lives because, for some it will be their first time away from parents. We have an awesome opportunity to shape young children\u2019s lives every day in a positive way. No day in preschool is the same, and that\u2019s what makes it fun for us and the kids. We have a very important responsibility to help parents prepare their child for the educational experience. We want them to be excited about learning and to become lifelong learners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI enjoy engaging with the children every day in different activities,\u201d said Hamlet. \u201cI love to watch their faces light up when they are exploring their environment and making connections with learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The mission of SHINE is to provide a preschool experience where all children learn together.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both agree, \u201cAll children are exceptional in their own way, and they do not all develop the same. The research has consistently demonstrated that students with and without disabilities generally do as well or better, both academically and socially, in an inclusive setting. As licensed educators, we believe that while learning academic and school readiness skills are important, children should have a well-rounded developmental education where they become leaders who shine in their own communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ladies dream of one day moving into a larger facility where they will have greater opportunities to help more families and children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe love our little house, but we receive calls every week from parents who are in need of a preschool for their child, and we hate having to turn them away,\u201d said Hamlet and Davis. \u201cWe would also like to expand to have early elementary classes. One in six children, ages birth to 5, in the United States has a developmental delay. These include speech\/language, children on the autism spectrum, delays in motor skills, social skills, vision or hearing delays, and health\/genetic conditions. No matter the delay \u2014 these children are learners.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n At SHINE Preschool, 122 N. Greenwood St. in Lebanon, all children are embraced, empowered, and prepared to shine their light brightly in every community they touch. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cBryson is being turned down because of his special needs again? I don\u2019t understand why he can\u2019t attend preschool and learn alongside everyone else.\u201d The young mother squeezed her husband\u2019s hand, and the hearts of Nickye Hamlet and Nicole Davis ached. \u201cI\u2019m out of options,\u201d the woman sobbed. \u201cThis program was our last hope.\u201d Davis […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":22504,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/lebanon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2025\/02\/2-5-1024x683.png\")
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