Songbird Academy: An amazing preschool owned by my friend!

One of my absolute favorite parts of working in real estate is meeting and working with an incredibly diverse cross section of people. It’s even better when those people become friends, as is the case with Amy Waldon. I originally met Amy when she and her husband were looking for a condo back in 2014. Fast forward to 2017 and we sold that place and then I helped them find a home in Bucktown. For the first few years I knew Amy, she was at home taking care of her daughter. But, in 2018 Amy did something amazing: she bought a business--a preschool to be exact! I will let Amy take it from here!

How did you know you wanted to get into education?While working in marketing and PR for a commercial real estate firm, I decided to get my master’s degree in education. While I was studying, I fell in love with the Reggio Emilia approach to education. I worked in Winnetka at a school that focused on the approach, and I knew that this type of education would have to be in my life somehow. 

Tell us about how Songbird Academy got started!I stayed home with my daughter for five years, and when she started kindergarten I knew I wanted to get back into the professional world. We began looking at different business opportunities and found the two schools that we ended up purchasing in 2018. At the time they were both using the Montessori method, so we ended up converting both spaces. One location is in Lakeview on Belmont and one is in Ravenswood on Montrose. 

Can you describe an example of the Reggio Emilia approach to learning? One of the biggest tenants of this approach is that the children have ownership over their own learning. So for instance, instead of the teachers coming up with ideas for lesson plans, children come up with ideas that interest them. Or for younger students, the teachers will gage the children’s interest and then plan accordingly. 

What is different about Songbird Academy? What you will find at our schools is a very nurturing, loving, family atmosphere. Both of our locations are on the smaller side, and while we are in the process of expanding, all future locations will also be small. Another huge difference here is how we are able to retain our teachers. When we bought the business we were able to increase salaries by 40%, offer paid time off and training. So, our teachers are happier and therefore stay with us, which is important to everyone. 

We also offer a lot of enrichment so that we are constantly trying something new. Right now we have yoga twice a week at Ravenswood and have theater and Spanish classes at Lakeview. 

What are your goals for the future of Songbird Academy?Goal #1 is to complete the expansion of the Ravenswood location. Goal #2 is to expand! We would love to open a location in Bucktown, and maybe an additional location in Lakeview. Even with expansion we will stay with the same small, warm environment setup. 

Thank you, Amy! If you are interested in more information or a tour, sign up at the Songbird Academy website. Also, for parents of older children interested in Reggio Emilia, check out Bennett Day School, which starts in kindergarten.