When Beth Satterly graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1996 with a degree in elementary education, she knew she wanted to work with young children. After obtaining her Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education degree from Murray State University several years later, she began working with First Steps. She found it rewarding to serve children from birth to age three who have some form of developmental delay or medical condition known to cause such a delay. Through this work, she realized the need for quality education for students prior to entering grade school.
“I kept seeing the struggles that families have trying to find good care after a child turns three; there are so many limited spots which often leaves a void for certain families that I wanted to help fill,” Satterly said.
This dream led to establishing Building Blocks Child Development Center which is set to open August 13, 2019. According to Satterly, the idea for the name of the school came from the philosophy behind early childhood education. The foundation a child receives earlier in life serves as the building blocks for every aspect of their future education. The name is a fitting title for all the growth that can occur within the short span of time a child is in preschool before entering kindergarten.
Satterly is proud to open Building Blocks in Owensboro, offering families a unique option for preschool. Early childhood education is embraced by her entire family, with her husband Nathan serving as the principal of West Louisville Elementary School. Being such an integral part of the school system means the Satterly’s know well how important building blocks are to one’s education.
“He’s very supportive of this opportunity. He’s excited too,” Satterly said.
Perhaps even more exciting than watching her dream come to fruition is having a team of gifted individuals to come alongside her. Tonya Woods, who has seventeen years of experience will be offering speech therapy and Alisha Lantrip, with six years of experience in her field will be offering physical therapy. Satterly serves as a preschool teacher and has twenty-two years of experience in teaching.
“We are all very dedicated to the development of young children and hope to share our knowledge and experience for years to come,” Satterly said.
There will be a cap of 15 students in both the morning and afternoon sessions. Morning classes focus on the three- and four-year-olds who will attend from 8-11 a.m. and afternoon classes focus on the four- and five-year-olds with an academic curriculum geared towards kindergarten readiness; these students will attend from 12-3 p.m. Outside of the regular school day, plans are being established for expanded therapy services as well.
“We will also offer private physical and speech therapy services soon,” Satterly said. “Feel free to call for more information about these services.”
Open enrollment has already started for the 2019-2020 school year. Building Blocks will be accepting new students until they reach capacity. The school is located at 724 Harvard Drive. For more information visit the Building Blocks Child Development Center on Facebook or call 270-240-5051.
