- 7:30AM - 5:00PM
- 365 Valley Rd, Middletown, RI
- (401) 849-7827
We are Open Year Round
Our Story
Hi!
We are Jen & Paul, owner/operators of Salt Air Early Learning Center. Both lifelong Rhode Islanders, we are so excited to settle into this wonderful community. We joyfully became first time parents at the end of 2020 to our beautiful daughter, and this has led us to start Salt Air Early Learning Center. Our center is the realization of a lifelong dream and is truly a family endeavor! Thank you for being here and for considering our program. We are so excited to meet you, to get to know your family, and to serve the community of Middletown/Newport County for many years to come!
About Jen
Working exclusively in the early childhood education field for 20 years, Jen began her journey as an Assistant Teacher while attending college. She served as Lead Preschool Teacher for over a decade and then spent some time as an Assistant Director of a local early learning center. Most recently, Jen worked in the nonprofit sector where her work in quality improvement focused on supporting a caseload of over 100 local child care center directors on achieving their quality improvement goals, delivering feedback from observations, as well as connecting programs to resources, grant opportunities, professional development and scholarships.
Jen’s formal education background focused on early childhood education, developmental psychology, holistic theory and leadership. She is a graduate of Rhode Island College and Salve Regina University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree, respectively. Jen is also certified in the Rhode Island Early Learning and Development Standards (https://rields.com/) at both the classroom level and the administrator level.
About Paul
Paul works in public safety and has been a first responder for 18 years. While maintaining his full-time position, he will take on the part time role of Safety Coordinator at Salt Air Early Learning Center. In this behind-the-scenes role he will bring his experience and expertise as he will be responsible for our safety checks, all building and equipment maintenance, creating our evacuations plans, conducting our fire and safety drills, maintaining the security of our school, and coordinating ongoing CPR and first aid trainings for all staff.
Why the name Salt Air?
When we thought back to our own childhoods it was the days spent in the salt air that were the happiest for us. They were the days full of pure joy, laughter, and exploring. They were the days where we felt like we truly lived and soaked up all that the day had to offer. The ocean is strong and full of things to discover, yet it creates a sense of peace and wellbeing. Salt air appeals to all of our senses and makes us feel connected to ourselves and our Earth. Through each season the salt air invites us to breathe in deeply and be present in the moment. This is the spirit we wanted to capture for our preschool, and for all of the families that will walk through our doors and become a part of our community.
