22 Pinedale Avenue Haverhill, MA 01830
978-372-9184
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22 Pinedale Avenue Haverhill, MA 01830
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About Us Written by Karen Ehresman (former teacher of Ann Crane's Kindergarten) for the YWCA Tribute to Women Award An essay by Robert Fulughm is entitled "All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." Well, thousands of children from the greater Haverhill community learned everything they needed to know while students at Ann Crane's Kindergarten. Mrs. Ann (Scribner) Crane has owned and operated her school in her own home for the past 62 consecutive years. Today it is common for people to tele-commute or to run other home-based businesses. But in 1937, when Ann opened the doors to her school, this way of life was not common at all. Why did she do it? Why didn't she just teach in the public schools? Remember, at that time our country was not on the threshold of a new millennium, but was trying to close the door on one of our darkest times "The Great Depression." Jobs were scarce, yet people needed money. It was a time for resourcefulness and ingenuity to earn an income. So when Ann was unable to find a job in the Haverhill public school system, she decided to open her own school. To get her first students she spent the summer canvassing the neighborhood, knocking on doors of homes where she saw evidence of children - bikes, balls, and doll carriages in the yard. The heat of the summer gave way to the crispness of autumn in New England. In the autumn of 1937 Mrs. Crane not only started teaching, she began what was to become her life's work. Those first 12 eager children were the recipients of a warm and sensitive introduction to life away from home - life in Kindergarten! Over the years, to accommodate the changes in our culture, Mrs. Crane added pre-Kindergarten and Nursery classes to her school. Today children from the ages of 3-6 years walk through the doors, and what began as a neighborhood school, now draws students from many communities. A great source of pride to Mrs. Crane is that she is now seeing the third generation of some families as students! While Mrs. Crane's work as a day to day educator eased, she still enjoys spending time with the children. Each morning she can be found greeting the Kindergarteners at the door, offering her lovely smile and a warm welcome to each student.* She then supervises the housekeeping/dress-up area, which the children love. In fact, I recently observed one little girl, wearing a feather boa and bridal veil call "Mrs. Crane, come and play with us!' Play is the work of childhood. Ann Crane, without question, has lived and breathed for her work with children and childhood play. Mrs. Crane is a humble woman who feels she really hasn't done all that much. But to raise a family, nurture a marriage, a marriage of 58 years, and to run a successful business out of her own home for 62 years, are all accomplishments to be very proud of. I am very honored to nominate her the YWCA's Tribute to Women Award. I am also honored to serve on the staff of such a respected and long-lived institution. In closing, I leave you with the words of Dose Toy Evski - "The soul is healed by being with children." * Ann Crane has since retired since this speech was written, however, her daughter Mary Ann Scott runs the school with the same vision, dedication and love of children that Ann Crane herself started.
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