“Lending a Hand to the Community Since 1989.”

Green Mountain Children’s Center 2019 Annual Report

Who We Are-

Mission:

Green Mountain Children’s Center’s mission is to provide high quality early care and education, unlocking the potential in every child in a

safe and caring environment while supporting working parents and the community.

Background:

Green Mountain Children’s Center began operations in 1989. Today, GMCC serves nearly 250 families with children ranging in age from

6 weeks to 5 years with early learning opportunities to support their growth to reach their fullest potential. We also provide out of school

time care for 100 school age children. Our campuses are located in White River Junction, Vermont and Claremont, New Hampshire.

Organizational Purpose:

Research on brain development and early childhood education has proven that when we support young learners, they are more likely to be

successful throughout their entire lives. Special Education research further stresses the importance of a quality early learning program for

children of poverty, those at risk for neglect or abuse and those with developmental concerns. When children have access to quality early

learning, we can positively impact a child’s development, their social and emotional wellbeing and decrease later educational costs.

We are committed to providing the best atmosphere to educate, exercise, inspire, and help each child develop in his or her own unique

way. Each member of our faculty and staff functions as both teacher and student: Instilling wisdom, passion, wellness and responsibility in

our children. At the same time, children remind us how special and exciting the world can be. We educate each child with respect to their

interests and abilities. We stand behind everything we do and everything we are, in order to improve the lives of those around us. In doing

so, we improve our communities by helping its most important part – the families.

What are we learning? It’s much more than child’s play! Each day, children have access to the Core Standards of Learning through their

interactions, experiences and environments. Examples of these standards have been included in our annual report. To learn more about

the early learning standards, please see the resource list and the end of the report.

Learning Communities

GMCC-Claremont campus cares for children ages six weeks to six years. This program abides by New Hampshire’s License Plus standards insuring

high quality education programs for young children.

GMCC-Hartford campus cares for children ages six weeks to six years. The center is accredited with the National Association for the Education of

Young Children. This means that GMCC is currently ranked among the highest-quality programs in the country.

Extended Day Therapeutic Preschool Program at Dothan Brook School. In collaboration with the Hartford School District, GMCC provides a 3-4

year old extended day, wrap around preschool program for Hartford residents as part of the Vermont Act 166 public preschool initiative.

After School Programs

GMCC offers many fun and educational programs for children in the Hartford and Claremont elementary schools.

The Hartford After School Program (HASP) is our Vermont Licensed, NAEYC Accredited and 5 STAR after school programs that are offered at

Dothan Brook School (DBS) and Ottauquechee School (OQS), and provide extended education for children ranging in age from 5 to 12 during the

school year. This high-quality program also operates during in-service days and school recesses. (HASP does not run on snow days or holidays.)

The DBS and OQS programs offer CATCH Kids. The CATCH Club offers non-elimination games that include all children. CATCH club gets the kids

hearts pumping and offers a foundation where children can absorb and learn healthy eating and active living behaviors. The OQS program works with

the OQS teachers in their garden club. HASP also provides a daily schedule with outdoor exercise and indoor activities linked to a weekly theme, as

well as healthy nutritious afternoon snack and homework assistance. Clubs are subject to teacher availability and enrollment.

Kids Connection is our New Hampshire licensed After School Program (ASP) offered at each school in Claremont. The program includes daily

curriculum, games, arts, crafts, and physical exercise. The ASP is a fun and nurturing program which runs every afternoon during the school year. The

daily schedule includes a nutritious snack, homework time, theme-based whole group activities like cooking, science, and reading, and indoor and

outdoor free play.

Camp Sunshine, in Hartford, is a traveling summer program with alternating field trips on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday and Tuesday/Thursday

schedule. Our staff and children are adventurous and travel across New England to see the best the region has to offer. During the summer they travel

to places such as the Cranmore Mountain, Look Park, the Franklin Park Zoo, ECHO, Lake Sunapee Beach, Cowabunga’s, Vertical Dreams, Danville

Corn Maze, Whale’s Tale, Manchester Fisher Cats games, and much more.

Board Notes-

Financials and Forecasting-

Dear families and staff,

After six year of service to GMCC, it is sadly time to say goodbye to

Christine Kidd, our board chair, and Julie Follensbee, our board

secretary. Christine has helped bridge the gap between many changes

while on the board and has inspired positive and open communication

between the board, the staff and families. Thank you Christine. Julie

has been an excellent secretary and maintained a high standard of

documentation and communication as well as being a positive and

insightful member of the board. Thank you Julie. We will miss both

Christine and Julie dearly. Since our last annual meeting we saw Jeff Hunold and Gretchen Cole

leave our board but we welcomed Ashley Parker, Nicole Dexter and

Julie Pelton. I am looking forward to working with all of the board

members and am hoping we can recruit more. The board meetings are

scheduled for every third Thursday of the month at 6pm. We rotate the

location between the Hartford, Extended Day Program and Claremont

campuses. Staff and families are always welcome to attend our

meetings, and childcare is available. We hope to see you there! If you

or someone you know is interested in becoming a board member please

come to a meeting or contact the board at

gmccboardofdirectors@gmail.com As board chair, I hope to help bring back HASP, continue to offer Camp

Sunshine and look into expanding our services in Claremont. We have

a strong and dedicated leadership team and staff that I know are up to

these challenges while still maintaining the high-quality childcare for

which GMCC is known. Finally, I would like to thank our executive

director, site directors and teachers for providing a safe and nurturing

learning environment while supporting working parents and the

community. Please know that your work is valuable and admirable.

Natalie Chaput (incoming Chair of the Board of Directors).

Natalie Chaput

Dear GMCC families and staff,

Green Mountain Children’s Center has been a huge part of my

family's life for the last 7 years and it is with mixed feelings that I

write this note as I get ready to leave the board of directors after 6

years of service.

I am very proud of having been able to serve this organization which

has given so much to my children over the years. Being a board

member is such a wonderful way to have an active role in our

children's early education and our community as whole.

The institution and the board have seen many changes over the years,

and this past year was no exception. We said goodbye to several

board members and teachers and welcomed several new ones. But

the one constant is the children who remind us why GMCC is such a

wonderful organization. Being able to see them grow and develop

physically and mentally into amazing human beings is such a

rewarding experience.

As we close the 2019 fiscal year, we see that our organization is in a

strong financial position and we are ready to tackle the next

challenge. This is thanks to the constant efforts and hard work of our

executive director Sharon, as well as her staff, whether they be

financial coordinator, site directors or teachers. Everyone has a vital

role in our success as an organization.

I am looking forward to seeing what GMCC will continue to grow

into under the leadership of Natalie (our new board chair), Sharon,

all the board members and the staff. This is an exciting time to

witness for GMCC and I strongly encourage all to think about

volunteering on the board.

Thank you,

Christine Kidd (outgoing Chair of the Board of Directors).

Foundations and Contributions-

Bar Harbor Bank and Trust $ 1,500 Lebanon Poker Room $ 16,500

Ben and Jerry's Foundation $ 1,200 Mascoma Foundation $ 5,000

The Byrne Foundation $ 25,000 NH Farm to School $ 3,000

The Couch Family Foundation $ 20,000 Sullivan County United Way $ 2,750

Hypertherm' s Hope Foundation $ 3,000 CACFP Bonus Funds $ 4,700

Vermont STaRs Bonus Fund $ 24,000

$ 106,650

GMCC-Claremont Faculty and Staff:

The Byrne

Foundation

GMCC through the Numbers-

GMCC proudly serves well over one hundred families and nearly two hundred children in the Hartford and Claremont communities. It is

all done by the hard work of the fifty or so dedicated teachers and staff members. To fulfill our mission of unlocking the potential in every

child by providing the highest quality childcare experience, it is our goal to continue to invest in our teachers through competitive salary,

benefits, and continuous education. As a non-profit all additional revenue is invested to the betterment of the children and staff.

We see approximately $1,800,000 each year in revenue which is generated primarily by tuition charges. This past year we saw $160,000 in

grants and fundraising to help fill gaps. GMCC was able to provide $40,000 in discounts and $13,000 in scholarships to families. The

strong year has allowed for a small safety net. Heading into our 29th year of operation we foresee new challenges without the additional

revenue from the Hartford After School Program.

We have a strong finance committee, and a new full-time finance manager who will work tirelessly to ensure the financial security of

GMCC. Thank you for your continued support and investment in GMCC and we look forward to the year to come.

Ashley Parker, Treasurer

Green Mountain Children’s Center-Claremont:

Christy Loiselle, Senior Program Director

Arieanna Ambrose

Tanner Brown

Laura Chase

Michelle Davis

Michelle Dewitt

Jazmyn Griffin

Elaine Hauserman

Jeremy Irish

Deborah Leonard

Danielle Lundy

Michelle McGuire

Amelia Parizo

Ashely Richner

Silvana Tooher

STEM SCIENCE ENRICHMENT PROGRAM: Life Cycles

Extended Day Therapeutic Preschool:

Paige Lambert, Director of Education

Karlee F Butterfield

Molly Robinson

Arts and Aesthetics

Painting Cars for the Drive in Movies

Exploration, Fine Motor Skills, & Pre-Literacy

Kid’s Connection:

Carrie Harn, Program Director

Mikayla Birney

Cassandra Carlson

Alexis Ferland

Kyla Gasiorowski

Makayla Maccioli

James Mason

Carla Proctor

STEM SCIENCE ENRICHMENT: Suspension

Bridges

Green Mountain Children’s Center:

Audrey Perry, Program Director

Tanisha Boyce Ashley Putnam

Ashely Broughton Kathy Remacle

Kristina Bernard Kelise Thibodeau

Esme Cole Mandy Tillotson

Rachel Dorencz

Shelby Gilbert

Linda Gordon

Rhianna Hutchins

Amanda McHugh

Katelyn Moses

Oliva Phelps

Logan Potter

Health: Healthy Eating Habits support lifelong wellness

Board of Directors:

Natalie Chaput, Chair

Julie Pelton, Vice Chair

Ashley Parker, Treasurer

Jennifer Packard, Secretary

Leadership Team: Kristina Bernard, Program Director, GMCC-Hartford Zero to Three Program gmcc.vt.monkeys@gmail.com

Carrie Harn, Program Director, GMCC-C Kid’s Connection Out of School Time gmcc.nh.kcdirector@gmail.com

Paige Lambert, Director of Education, GMCC-H Extended Day Program extendeddaydirectorgmcc@gmail.com

Samantha Packard, Operation Coordinator operations.gmcc.vt@gmail.com

Audrey Perry, Program Director, GMCC-H gmcc.vt.director@gmail.com

Senior Leadership: John Ilves, Finance Manager gmcc.financemanager@gmail.com

Christy Loiselle, Senior Program Manager gmcc.nh.director@gmail.com

Sharon Miller-Dombroski, Executive Director executivedirector.gmcc.vt@gmail.com

The Board of Directors meets

monthly of the 3rd Thursday at

6:00 pm. Child Care is

available upon request.

Have an idea that you would like

to share? Contact the board at

gmccboardofdirectors@gmail.com

From the Executive Director’s Desk-

The mission of Green Mountain Children’s Center is to provide high quality early care and education, unlocking the potential in every child in a safe

and caring environment while supporting working parents and the community. At the board’s spring retreat, the members discussed who our clients are.

Is it the children? Parents? Local businesses and the community? When we work with young children, we have multiple layers of clients. Our focus

at GMCC is on healthy development of children in a safe and responsive environment. When children’s wellbeing and education are at the forefront of

our day, parents feel confident about their children’s welfare. And as studies show, they are more effective employees. Businesses that have productive

employees can contribute to a healthy local economy and a thriving community. In essence, supporting young children empowers parents to be effective

employees which then supports the local economy and flourishing communities. Early Education is also responsible for decreased costs for public

education, including special education services, future health care, and correctional costs. Children who attend high quality early learning and out-of-

school programs are more likely to attend college and have a hiring earning capacity throughout their lives.

Working with young children is an investment. It is perhaps one of the most important investments for our future and is much more than play. It is a

daily commitment to ensure that each child has what they need to learn and grow. Did they have a restful night, or even have a safe place to sleep the

night before? Do we need to provide a healthy breakfast so that their bodies have the nutrition necessary to be active learners? Is there a need to provide

specialized education or medical services for some children so that they can reach their developmental milestones? Do we have a child who is currently

living with trauma or in transition who needs to feel safe and cared for, all before being able to learn? GMCC staff make these investments in the

children, otherwise children will not be able to learn. The Vermont Blue Ribbon Commission’s recently published findings state that early care and

learning is critical to the economic and community wellbeing of Vermont. Every dollar spent on high-quality early care and learning programs yields a

return on investment that ranges from $4 to $9. Will you consider investing in children? Could you volunteer in the classrooms? Sit, read and learn

with the children? Can you volunteer on one of our playground clean-up days? Would you support the staff’s professional development by contributing

to our Meghan Brewer Professional Development Fund? Could you serve as a board member? Are you able to speak to your employer and lawmakers

about making early care and education a national priority?

Join GMCC in making an investment in children. By doing so, you are lending a hand to the community that lasts a life time!

Come grow with us!

Sharon Miller-Dombroski

Before We Go-

GMCC dedicates this year’s annual report to Sally Avery. Sally is GMCC’s outgoing site

director for GMCC-Hartford. She worked for the organization for 10 years and made a

great impression on everyone. She was more than just our site director, but a ray of

sunshine for each of us every day. She lifted our spirits, made us laugh and held our hands

along the way. While we will miss seeing her each day, we know that she will remain a

friend for years to come.

______Send your tax deductible charitable

contribution to:

Green Mountain Children’s Center 92 Farm Vu Drive

White River Junction, VT 05001

_____Or call 802.296.2296 with you credit card

information.

_____ Make a contribution through our website portal:

www.gmccvt.org

Together, we can lend a hand to the

Upper Valley Community

GMCC has always stood behind the philosophy that every child

deserves a solid foundation for growth and should have access

to a safe environment while they are away from their families.

GMCC is there for families and knows how tight family budgets

can be, so providing quality care at affordable prices has always

been a goal. We serve a community larger than our geographic

outline and believe in supporting, giving back, and tapping into

the services within that community, to assist in growth and to

bring enhanced activities into the center for the children and

families we serve.

Investing does not always mean sending money; investing can

be volunteering, sharing your knowledge or skill set, sharing

your connections, and most importantly investing in sharing

your words of praise for the work this center does every day.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Attend board meetings / support school events

Help on fall and spring clean-up days

Chaperone a field trip

Read with Children

Share your hobby or interest with the children

Have an idea? Share it with the team

Helping Hands Make a

Difference!