Portuguese Preschool in Chapel Hill, NC

From BilingualWiki

UNFORTUNATELY, this preschool is no longer running. If you have interest in being in a playgroup with other Brazilian children, feel free to contact Christine at christinejernigan@gmail.com

We parents who want our children in a Portuguese-speaking environment are so excited about "Feliz Preschool" in Chapel Hill, NC.

It will begin Fall of this year, 2007. The following proposal (that passed) is to the building committee of the church where the preschool will be held. It's a great facility...2 well equipped rooms with a children's restroom in between and a large playground outside the main room. The curriculum is written by Glorian Fussman, a professional in childhood education and oversean by Christine Galbreath Jernigan.

                    Portuguese Preschool

The Chapel Hill/Carrboro area has seen a great deal of population growth over the last decade. During this time, our community has been enriched by the arrival of people from diverse cultures. As the demand for quality pre-schools continues to grow, so does our community’s need to learn to embrace our new diversity.

I would like to propose to the building committee of Binkley Baptist Church that one of the nursery rooms be used to start a Portuguese speaking pre-school. The school would be in session for 2 days a week (expanding to other days when possible) for 3-4 morning hours. An emphasis will be placed on being flexible and creative. We hope to help children see through others’ social/cultural lenses so as to better understand themselves and their own culture(s) and celebrate diversity. Such a school would provide children with the opportunity to grow through a new language in a setting that is well-organizational, educational, and fun.

There are no other Portuguese- speaking preschools in the Triangle Area. The school would be serving a community that wants to maintain/begin connections with Brazil, Portugal, and other (African and Chinese) Portuguese-speaking nations.

I have been in contact with the new Brazil team at Binkley Baptist Church and look forward to helping them connect with the community in Salvador, Brazil. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you in person, to discuss Binkley’s needs, our proposed curriculum and other details.

Gloria Fussman was born in Maceio, Brazil and has been living in the United States since 1992. She is certified to teach pre-school children in Brazil and in North Carolina. She has taught at Greenwood Day School in Durham. She is currently raising three bilingual children of her own.