Little Flower Early Learning Center opens new home in South Attleboro

Originally posted on anchornews.org

By Joan D. Warren

Bishop Edgar da Cunha cuts the ribbon opening of the new location of the Little Flower Early Learning Center on Monday, October 5. On his left is Denise Peixoto, Assistant Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese, and Little Flower Director Donna Parish on the right. They are joined by a group of three-year old students who attend the Center .

ATTLEBORO — Under a clear blue sky, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., cut the green ribbon marking the opening of the new location of the Little Flower Early Learning Center in South Attleboro.

Parents, administrators, staff and children gathered for the October 5 blessing of the new facility for the center, which comes after seven years at its previous location on Palm Street in that city.

Little Flower was the Diocese of Fall River’s first diocesan faith-based early learning center. Inspired by its patroness, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the center partners with parents to provide a warm, nurturing and safe environment where children are valued and recognized as unique creations of God.

The center serves children from 6 weeks old through 3.9 years, with infant, toddler and preschool programs. Prayer is incorporated into the children’s daily experience.

For Donna Paris, who has served as Little Flower’s director for six years, the move to the new location represents a homecoming of sorts.

“I taught CCD here as a teen and taught preschool here as well,” Paris said. “I will be in this building until I retire.”

The new center is located at 18 Baltic St. in South Attleboro, in a building that was part of the former St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Parish, which closed last year. The larger, more modern facility allowed Little Flower to move after outgrowing its previous location.

The center currently has about 50 children enrolled, with room to accommodate additional students as staffing grows.

“We have an infant room and a second one that has not yet opened,” Paris said. “We have a state-mandated student-to-teacher ratio, and we are looking for more teachers so we can open more spaces for students.”

The new building offers larger classrooms, each equipped with a sink, as well as a teachers’ lounge and kitchen. The center also gained additional storage space and laundry facilities.

“We actually have a dishwasher, which will come in handy as we transition from paper and plastic eating utensils to more eco-friendly options,” Paris said.

In the previous facility, staff members often took soiled laundry home to wash. The new washer and dryer will allow that work to be handled on site.

Despite the move, about 90 percent of Little Flower families continued to send their children to the center.

“Some decided it wouldn’t fit in their schedules to continue, mainly due to distance to work and the train,” Paris said.

For those who made the move, there has been little change in the children’s daily routines and classroom structure. Children remain in the same classroom groups, moving to the next level as they reach the appropriate age.

The infant program has a maximum of seven children per room, toddler rooms accommodate up to nine children, and preschool classrooms can have up to 20 children.

The new facility also includes a large fenced playground with a blacktop area for riding toys, providing additional opportunities for outdoor recreation and play.

While the programs initially remain the same, the additional space will provide opportunities for future growth, including expanded STEM-related activities and a larger area for prayer and faith formation.

Bishop da Cunha sprinkles Holy Water, blessing the new school, as students and Assistant Director Carey Julius, left, and Director Donna Paris, right, look on.

Bishop da Cunha blessed the new facility with holy water during the opening ceremony, which also included remarks from Daniel S. Roy, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese, and James Barron, chairman of the Diocesan School Board.

“This building represents the beginning of Catholic education,” Roy said.

Tuition at Little Flower is comparable to market rates, and financial assistance is available through programs administered by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Eligibility is based on household income and activity requirements, with additional provisions for families of children with documented disabilities or special needs.

The Diocese is also exploring the possibility of accepting Rhode Island child-care vouchers because of the center’s proximity to the state line.

For Paris, the new facility brings Little Flower to a place that has been part of her life since she was a teenager, while giving the center additional room to serve the Diocese’s youngest children and their families.