Today we’d like to introduce you to Jo Gibson And Jen Comparette.
Hi Jo Gibson and Jen Comparette, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Rooted in faith. Growing in knowledge. Our motto is also our story. Jen and I both have a love for early childhood education and each served in K-2 public schools for ten years. The public school system taught us so much. Effective teacher training and many mentors along the way helped us both gain valuable skills and experience. I was serving my third year as an academic coach in a Title 1 school when we learned that our K-2 school was going to be closed and then reopened as a public preschool. Jen and I confided in each other about the stress of the upcoming transition, and I can remember saying, “If I’m going to have a new boss anyway, it might as well be me.” She shared her long-time dream of wanting to open her own preschool, and we decided then, “why not?” We knew when we began the arduous licensure process that Foundations Academy of Clarksville would be a place that focuses on quality over quantity. We are a lean operation. Jen and I are directors and teachers in the classrooms, which can be a lot to juggle, but the beauty of our arrangement is that together we can both bear the burdens of running our own business without letting go of our real passion–teaching kids. From the beginning our goal was that Foundations would offer the Clarksville community a high-quality program that enriches children with Christian values and a strong academic start. We feel that teaching a child to read opens the world to them. At Foundations we balance research-based instructional strategies with a loving and structured environment. When families tour, they are often surprised to see many of our three-year-old students are reading words, and many of our four and five-year olds are working in decodable reading books. We focus on the whole child, so students learn academic and spiritual skills along with social development. They learn to play together collaboratively, and speak in complete sentences. We focus on problem-solving and faith-based practices that include daily prayer and learning Bible stories. Some have said that what we do is like magic, but it’s really as simple as using the right teaching strategies consistently.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Jen and I have joked since the beginning that this journey is a roller coaster. Being small business owners and classroom teachers, we both wear many hats. In one day we might be touring prospective clients, teaching numerals and letters, doing payroll, cleaning bathrooms, wiping spills, singing songs, and bandaging student boo-boos. It’s a lot to manage at times, but we are a fantastic team. It sounds cliche, but it’s true that every obstacle has taught us something new and helped us refine our business. Now we can look back on lots of mistakes and laugh, but there are some that still sting. It’s all part of the process, and we have come so far. Jen says she wishes that we could go back in time with a hug for our old selves and reassure them that it will all be okay.
We’ve been impressed with Foundations Academy of Clarksville, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Foundations Academy of Clarksville is a Christian-based preschool with a mission to help every student live up to their potential. We just began our second year serving the Clarksville community with a pre-kindergarten program that values preparing each student both spiritually and academically for Kindergarten and beyond.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Our journey has been truly blessed by people who have had a hand in making Foundations Academy of Clarksville a great preschool. We can’t count high enough to number every one! Our most faithful partner has been Olivet Free Will Baptist Church. They gave us a home and have helped forge a working relationship that is driven by the success of students. The gracious members opened their doors to us and our students when Foundations was only an idea, and we would not be here without their encouragement and collaboration. Our shared mission to serve Clarksville with a high-quality, faith-based preschool program has bound us together for the good of the whole community. Our story would be very different without the uplifting entrepreneurs in our lives. At every turn, other small business owners have given us opportunities, encouragement, and “held the ladder” for us while we started out. Although we are still green, we try to do the same and partner with small business vendors and partners whenever we can. We feel that this expands our impact on our neighbors by supporting the community and the businesses that make it unique. Our families and friends have been a tremendous support from the very beginning–donating supplies, assembling classroom furniture, working at our events, and cheering us on. Their prayers and patience have made all the difference. Foundations is truly built on faith and love!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://foundationsofclarksville.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundations_academy/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Foundations-Academy-of-Clarksville-61556307650413/
Image Credits
Photos by Shalyn Sears Photography
