💬 A Message from Mrs. Rita: Transparency, Safety, and Trust at STEAM Preschool

Dear STEAM Families,

As a parent myself, I understand the weight of choosing where your child learns, grows, and is cared for. Your trust is everything to me, and I want to be as open and honest as possible while still protecting the privacy and dignity of our students, staff, and school community.

It is my prayer that this message serves to provide clarity and reassure our families of the standards and values we hold ourselves to at STEAM Preschool.

What Happened in 2023:

In the 2022–2023 school year, an incident occurred at a second location I had opened to serve more families. The situation involved a student with unique developmental and behavioral needs. While we did everything we could to support him—including regular communication with a family guardian—in hindsight, I recognize that our traditional preschool program was not the best fit for the level of support he required.

A complaint was filed related to how a behavioral outburst was handled by a former staff member. While I do not agree with the characterization of the incident, I understand the concerns it raised. There was no harm inflicted, and the child returned to school the next day ready to learn. However, the event understandably caused discomfort for the family, and the matter became the subject of online speculation.

Why We Closed the Second Location:

Following the incident, enrollment dropped significantly—not because of licensing or regulation, but because of the online fallout and perception that followed. With two-thirds of our enrollment impacted across both locations and a rent increase looming, I made the difficult but necessary decision to close the second location and focus our resources on continuing to serve families at our original campus, where our school began in 2019.

This was a choice to protect the integrity, sustainability, and heart of our program, and to create space for rebuilding with intention.

What We’ve Done Since:

The second location has been permanently closed, and we are now back at our original, close-knit location with our trusted team.
We’ve enhanced staff training in trauma-informed care and social-emotional development, though we were already meeting and exceeding licensing standards.
All current staff are highly experienced and carefully vetted, with many having been part of our school since we opened in 2019.
We’ve implemented stronger protocols for behavioral support, documentation, and proactive communication with families.
We now conduct deeper readiness conversations with families to ensure our program is the right fit for each child’s individual needs.

Our Promise Moving Forward:

We are a preschool built on love, structure, and open communication. If your child is ever involved in a situation that requires your attention, you will be informed directly, compassionately, and promptly. My door is always open, and I remain committed to transparency and trust.

With care and gratitude,
Mrs. Rita

Disclaimer:
This message is intended for current and prospective STEAM Preschool families as part of our internal communication and transparency efforts. In the past, private messages meant for enrolled families have been taken out of context and shared online during one of the most difficult seasons of my life. That experience was deeply painful—but I still believe in leading with honesty and heart.

Because of that, I’m sharing this message in good faith and with vulnerability, in the hopes of building trust—not gossip or speculation. I kindly ask that this document not be copied, published, or shared outside of its intended context without written permission. Thank you for respecting the privacy of our school community and the integrity of this message.