The Letter from the Owner

Owner

Little Scholars Academy

Hello,
My name is Niccole and I am the owner and founder of Little Scholars Academy. I’ve thought long and hard about what to write as the owner of my daycares/ preschools. I could give the extensive list of my degrees and certifications and while they might seem impressive and don’t get me wrong I was in school getting every degree I could possibly get pertains to my centers and I am proud of them, I don’t believe those are what define me as a person or provider, so I decided to tell you who I am, how I feel about my centers and what I believe the most important about the centers, my desire to do what I do and to give a better understanding on what I stand for and my hopes for everyone involved in my company, from the teachers, to parents and the most important components, the children.

I am a 3rd generation provider. My Grandmother and my parents owned their own small daycares and I grew up in them. I myself was at one time a student, then when I was old enough, a teenage teacher and as I became an adult and I was ready to choose my profession, I had already caught the bug and the passion to make a difference in as many kids’ lives as possible. While the people I mentioned had strictly daycare centers, I was not only in love with the “Family based programs” but I didn’t just want to extend that same passionate care and trust (although very important) but I wished to have the opportunity to offer the love and stability that those before me created, but also to teach alongside those most important qualities, to make a long lasting impression on the children who would be attending my future schools.

I began my solo career at 18 and here we are 34 years later a fourth generation has become an important component in the continued success of what began as a wish, a dream, and blossomed into a most fabulous legacy that will continue on with my 3 daughters following in my footsteps as did with my mother and grandmother.

Being a provider is a joy, a position to be proud of, and if that provider has more than 2 years under their belt, well then they are built for it. I say this because it is hard. So much harder than people truly understand. The hours are long and always changing, you must have the patience of the most dedicated out there. The pay isn’t great and there is the daily, always changing need to continuously understand what is needed from you, from not only me as the Owner, But the other teachers, the parents and the children, because they all differ and a lot of the time those needs change day to day. So to say a teacher must have patience, they also need to have complete flexibility, a keen sense of understanding with a bit of psychic ability to boot.

Teachers burnout quickly from all that goes with this job and rarely does one come across a teacher who is in it for the long haul. But when we find one, we do our very best to keep them because they are like rare diamonds. We daily try to keep parents in the loop on what goes on with their kids but always adjusting to the children as well because what they need or want changes in a second and teachers are consistently trying to keep up with all those needs. What one of these people needed one day no matter which I speak of, may not need the next. I applaud all my teachers, they do a job that most find too loud, too chaotic, too hard. The phrase “I could never do what you do” is one we hear all too often.

As far as the parents and the children, my goal was to create a place where they as parents could bring their most prized possessions, their children. From newborns to school age. We pride ourselves in not only teaching these kids, appropriate material for their age groups, but to also give the parents a sense of trust, so when they have to go to their own jobs, not only do they know their kids are safe, but given an opportunity to be with others their own age, the stability of routine, understanding that each and every child is a different child than another, but most of all that these children are loved as much as we the teachers would love our very own children.

We strive to keep the overturn of employees low knowing that constant change in Teachers not only disrupts the child but also the parents. But alas, there are periods we go through without our control where we must replace a teacher for whatever reason. As a mother, and a teacher/provider, I know this is hard but I will not keep an employee on who believe is not cut out for the position, sometimes having to change a teacher multiple times and as much as we dislike that fact the goal is to put the most qualified person in with our children and someone who is subpar is simply unacceptable. We are grateful to the parents for understanding and supporting us fully when these occasions occur.

In the overall vision I have for my centers to all would be this; Little Scholars Academy wishes to lead and support parents in building a quality foundation for their children from birth to school age. We pride ourselves in giving all children and families the support, care and opportunity to receive the highest amount of love, care, and learning that they need to succeed in social and academic skills that will ready them for lifelong success and by doing so they will move on and make a difference in their lives and community. Making sure this is done with integrity and trust and with respect as this is not only essential but critical to achieve success and optimizing the diversity of our teachers, parents and children.

To promote and ensure a positive and safe environment to each and every person or child as we strive to continue to understand and appreciate their every need while we all work together building a stronger organization for all as teamwork is key. In doing so, giving all involved a place to participate in a huge amount of amazing experiences as we together develop to our full potential. From hugs and cuddles, bottle feedings to fingers. Walking to potty training . And as they grow into young unique human beings that they will, we are hopefully instilling a love of lifelong learning.

Together with my daughters and my fabulous teachers we welcome you with a smile and though most children move on to forget the days of their very early care, somewhere they remember a teacher, a provider, a favorite memory that came from their time with us at Little Scholars Academy. Our fifth generation is going to be just as proud as I am of the people who have paved their way into what I have always seen as the greatest job ever.

Kind regards,

Niccole Casady
Owner of Little Scholars Academy

Our History

Little Scholars Academy has a long history of serving the Boise area families, originally founded by the Owner Niccole Hughes Casady 33 years ago. Since then our business has grown to two locations and three buildings serving both the West and East areas of Boise, along with growing our giant extended family over the many years that we have been in business.

The Environment

At Little Scholars Academy, we strive to provide a clean, safe and educational environment for young children and their families. Within our care, children develop skills that promote physical, emotional, social and intellectual growth. We believe in being supportive of our parents, and we welcome their positive involvement and presence at Little Scholars Academy at all times. We further believe that within our environment, children can thrive and have the opportunity to blossom into responsible and contributing members of our society.

Our Philosophy

Little Scholars Academy believes that any childcare facility should encompass comfort as well as provide an educational foundation children can grow upon. We function on this principal. We offer a “home away from home” to every child under our roof. It is of the utmost importance that our facilities be one of family oriented ideals. Every child and parent that enters our center receives a promise. A promise that our center provides a safe, comfortable, and stimulating educational environment. Also that our staff models the importance of honesty, self respect, patience, generosity, kindness and forgiveness for the children. This resembles the daily example set by parents within the home.

Our Staff

Our staff undergoes continuous training through Idaho Stars approved courses, in-house training, and instruction from certified professionals in the education field. Annual training includes First Aid and CPR certification, along with thorough background checks conducted by the City of Boise.

We strive to provide your family with the best child care services for the best value. We offer a strong educational program that delivers high-quality teachers and a carefully-designed curriculum for every age group in our school. Our rates are competitive with other high-quality child care programs in our area and if you would like specific tuition rates, please contact us for more details.