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HELLO
Do you ever wonder where we got the name for our school? Petrichor means...a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather...Don't we all need some refreshing? Our school is a place for children and families to be refreshed + encouraged.
OUR STORY
I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was junior in high school. I was reading to a class of third graders, and in that moment I just knew this is what God made me for-to be a teacher.
It has been the joy of my heart to teach and coach, and I honestly thought I would do it forever. I imagined my own children going to school with me, and living out a long career at my dream job.
That is, until I had my first child, and my whole world changed.
When we moved out 'the farm' as my children lovingly call it, my vision for homeschooling grew, and Petrichor was born. I wanted to create a school for other families to have the freedom of choice in education. I wanted young children to be given more time to play, be outside, and immersed in a developmentally appropriate environment. I wanted to create a place for students to learn at their own pace and feel excited about coming to school because it was engaging, fun, and meaningful. Offering a fresh educational experience for families when the past year(s) had been so hard, discouraging, and disheartening was at the heart of my vision.
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Petrichor is that fresh experience.
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Here, kids can be kids. They can learn and grow in a multi-age community. Parents can lean into the relationships of like-minded families, because as cliché as it might sound-it really does take a village.
OUR STORY
I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was a junior in high school. I was reading to a class of third graders, and in that moment I just knew this is what God made me for-to be a teacher. It made me come alive and began to kindle a fresh passion inside of me.
It has been the joy of my heart to teach and coach, and I honestly thought I would do it forever. I imagined my own children going to school with me and living out a long career at my dream job.
That is, until I had my first child, and my whole world changed.
After becoming a mother, I wanted to stay home with my babies more than anything. And, while this was never my "plan" I took a giant leap of faith and left my teaching and coaching career. I have been home with my two children ever since. Once again my "plans" changed from expecting to send my kiddos to public school when I returned to teaching to me thinking about homeschooling and staying home long term.
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Being a public school teacher, I had always loved and believed in public school. Yet, with the ever changing world and culture I felt called to homeschool and knew it would be best for my children.
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"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning."
Fred Rogers
MEET THE TEACHER
The staff at Petrichor are invested in doing what is best for our children and families. I can't wait to get to know you more!
Ashley Wagner
I have had the immense joy of working with children in many different capacities. I've taught middle school special education, fourth grade for over a decade, and coached volleyball at all levels. I received my Bachelors Degree in K-12 Special Education and Elementary Education from Doane in 2006, and my Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2008. Plus, I've enjoyed taking hours upon hours of continuing education focused on research-based best practices for teaching and learning, high ability learners, student engagement, and much more.