Tots to Scholars Learning Academy, a daycare center and preschool, celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in downtown Homewood on Friday, Nov. 7.
The owners, Beverlyn Terrell and her daughter, Shalanda Terrell, said Tots to Scholars not only teaches children academic concepts like numbers, the alphabet and sign language, but also social skills such as how to share, wait their turn and socialize with peers.
“Social and emotional skills are so important for little kids,” Shalanda said.
“We are the stepping stone and the foundation for everything. We teach the fundamentals,” Tots to Scholars teacher Jazzmine Wainwright said. “The things that they learn here are stuff that they’re going to continuously add on to for the rest of their lives.”
This is the third daycare center in the South Suburbs owned by the Terrell family, who also run Little Scholars Child Development Center in Glenwood and Little Tots Child Care in Calumet City. Beverlyn said she started with an at-home daycare center about 30 years ago before moving into storefronts.
Tots to Scholars classes are organized by age into different sections of the building, each supervised by dedicated teachers and caregivers. Play areas are equipped with amenities tailored to various age groups.
The daycare center has an infant and toddler room equipped with beds and toys and an area for breastfeeding mothers. It also includes a classroom for children aged 12 to 15 months and another for those aged 16 to 24 months.
The facility also has separate spaces for 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds and 4- and 5-year-olds.
Tots to Scholars offers a playground outside. The older children have access to art supplies in an indoor play area.
In the bathroom for children aged 2 to 5, signs and illustrations guide kids on how to brush their teeth, wash their hands and cover their mouths when they cough.
“We potty train them as well,” Shalanda said. “Some centers charge an extra fee for that. We don’t.”
While 18209 Dixie Highway was previously home to another daycare center, maintenance manager Clarence Terrell stressed that all the equipment and toys at Tots to Scholars are new.
Beverlyn, a Lansing resident, said she always wanted to live in Homewood, attends Homewood events and she’s ready for Tots to Scholars to be part of the community.
“I encourage people, if they’re in need of daycare services, to come on out and take a look,” Homewood Mayor Rich Hofeld said, regarding Tots to Scholars. “It’s centrally located in the heart of downtown. It’s at the back end of the African restaurant.”
Tots to Scholars is open Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.
