Stories from our Community

The Beginning and Beyond Charlotte Lefebvre and her family became new Edina residents when her oldest of four children was in preschool. When she was looking for opportunities for her children in the area, she was delighted to find the Edina Community Ed catalog come through her mailbox. Edina Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) became Charlotte’s immediate connection to the community and helped her meet other parents as well as future classmates for her children. Jenny Griskevicius is grateful for her neighbor who mentioned ECFE to her after she and her husband moved to Edina six months before her first of four children was born. Being completely new to Minnesota, Jenny was not sure where to start building new relationships. Joining ECFE became Jenny’s reassurance she was not alone as a first time parent and kept her involved with all of her children. Over the course of 11 years, she would often enroll in three or four classes at the same time. While Charlotte and Jenny both have unique stories they can tell within their own ECFE experiences, they share similarities about how connected they feel to the community through participation at the Edina Early Learning Center. “Not only did I learn how to give myself grace as a parent but also figure out ways to continuously engage my kids in different ways to learn all while gaining a sense of community at such a chaotic time frame in life,” mentions Charlotte when she is asked her biggest takeaway from her experience. Jenny described how she felt a boost of confidence in parenting after attending her first few classes and how she was able to feel content that sometimes it’s okay if you just don’t know the answer to a parenting situation.

Through the process, Jenny often found herself asking why she would keep going back to baby classes with her second, third and fourth children. She feels she got something different out of each class whether it was new wisdom, ideas, or even exchanging hilarious parenting stories. “A day in the week where you can go, sit in a room with other parents where you will find acceptance, joy, support and a sense of relief, it’s unbeatable,” shares Jenny. ECFE is a place to belong, and it is never too late to join or get involved whether you are about to have a child, have one or multiple babies, young toddlers or preschoolers. “Get involved early as a parent/guardian, even if it is a little at a time. Involvement helps provide more insight on how the public school system works, how decisions are made. You will have an impact on your child’s school, every bit helps, even from home!” Charlotte shares. Start your child’s journey with Edina Public Schools from the very beginning where each and every student can discover their possibilities and thrive. “ECFE changed my life. You will build a community within a community along with having an amazing introduction to Edina Public Schools,” Jenny says. Jenny would recommend ECFE to all caregivers of young children. The Lefebvre and Griskevicius children, currently ages 7 to 13, continue to grow in the community by attending Edina Public Schools.