Today we’d like to introduce you to Cody Roberts.
Hi Cody, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
We were a part of a group of families and educators that wanted to build the perfect nature based preschool. We were all leaving a failing nature school in Dripping Springs but had an idea of what would make it work. Luckily, we found a beautiful 15 acre property and decided to take the plunge. That was February of 2020 so about four weeks before Covid really started shutting the economy down. Perfect timing right?
Naively, we decided to keep pushing forward with the build and were able to open the school in August of 2020 with nearly all classrooms full! Since then we have worked tirelessly to raise the level of what childcare should be in our area. Big expansive spaces, lush gardens, plenty of animals on site, scratch-made food and a staff that obsesses about how to nurture the whole child from the inside out.
We have been voted the best of Dripping Springs five years straight and have since added a second preschool campus and a best in class private school in Acton Academy Dripping Springs.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are a number of challenges in the childcare space and certainly Covid was making everyone’s life difficult when we first opened.
We’ve had teachers quit on the first day of school and ice storms freeze the water system forcing the school to close. Chickens have gone crazy, chefs have walked out, pipes break, toilets back up and every other thing you can think of.
The hardest problems are always the people problems but fortunately we have some core tenets that we don’t negotiate. Namely, everyone must demonstrate kindness and respect when they are on campus. This has led to us letting otherwise great teachers go and even asking parents to leave the school.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Havenwood Nature School is a preschool located in Dripping Springs, TX on a beautiful 15-acre property dense with oak trees and lots of space to explore. We serve students who range in age from 6 weeks until 5 years. We offer our students a nature inspired curriculum that connects the natural world with their social, emotional, and intellectual growth. Havenwood teachers place nature at the heart of every program and incorporate Reggio Emilia principles as they help students explore the world of nature. Enrichment programs include Nature taught by our own campus Naturalist, Garden, Art and Yoga classes.
We are incredibly proud of the community we’ve built and the level of integrity our teachers and administrators demonstrate as they do it. You will not find a group of people that consistently demonstrate selfless love for children like you do on our campus. Everyday you can walk around and see magic happening both indoors and out.
It is not the easiest path to run low ratio schools but it’s how it should be done. You cant expect to retain teachers or make connections with the children when you have 20+ kids in a classroom. Developing custom curriculum weekly to match the interests and development stage of the kids is much tougher than just buying a stock curriculum. It is the only way to go though!
One of our principles is to operate with integrity and honesty. This is why cameras are a non-negotiable in our classrooms and we are the first to self-report to licensing when we’ve made an error. Parents have to trust us explicitly and you don’t earn their trust by keeping cameras out of the classrooms or hiding your errors for fear of consequences.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The three C’s we talk about are community, culture and character. We talk an awful lot about our “school family” and that exists on a number of levels. The classrooms create their own school families, our teachers make up another family and the parents make up our broader family.
Hiring with an emphasis on culture and character has been a revelation. We originally hired on experience primarily and it was a mixed bag. Often the most experienced teachers came with tremendous baggage and could be unmanageable in the classroom. The happiest teachers are typically the best and no one wants to work in a toxic environment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.havenwoodnatureschool.com
- Instagram: havenwoodnatureschool
- Facebook: Havenwood Nature School
