Longtime director ‘heart and soul’ of school
Mary Stanchak swung open a stainless steel gate engraved with whimsical symbols of the Discovery School’s logo — a snail, mushroom, spider and butterfly.
We followed her along a covered breezeway of two classroom buildings connected by a rainbow bridge. Wooden signs with numbered grades and teacher names were hung above the doors. She showed classrooms where, each day, Stanchak witnesses a child grasp a concept and a teacher help a student try one more time.
Nestled away from the rush of traffic between West and Vance Jackson, the school is where children learn as they play and play as they learn.
It’s where director Stanchak, 68, greets parents of students ranging from 2 years old to first grade for morning dropoffs and afternoon pickups. That’s been her tradition for 36 years.
Last week, Stanchak welcomed photojournalist Jessica Phelps, reporter Taylore Gills and me for a tour of the campus, where creativity is encouraged.
Children and parents call Stanchak “Miss Mary” and say she’s the “heart and soul” of the school. Stanchak has always wanted to be a teacher and part of kids’ lives.
“I’m watching all those ‘aha’ moments that are irreplaceable,” Stanchak said. “I’m around women and men who I admire and trust. Watching them do their magic is great. That’s what makes this the best job in the world.”
The director has a Bachelor of Science degree in special education and early childhood education from Trinity University. She taught at St. Gregory’s Catholic School for three years before the birth of her daughter Ashley.
Stanchak was a parent when she was introduced to the Discovery School, which all five of her children attended. At that time, there was one teacher per class. Now there are two. She said there are more than 800 combined years of experience among the 26 teachers. They teach 120 students enrolled at the school.
In 1974, the school began at the Unitarian Church by parents looking for a child-centered preschool experience. In 1990, it moved to its present location on Salem. The school, governed by parents, is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Stanchak became the school’s director in 1987. Thanks to the parents board, parents and teachers, the school survived the challenges of the pandemic, she said.
She works with the teachers as they develop their curriculum for the students.
“It’s our job to provide that environment where anything they encounter is an opportunity for them to learn,” Stanchak said.
Kris Cracknell called the preschool her two sons attended the most loving community her family was ever a part of. She said Stanchak shared her love and compassion with every child who walked through the Discovery School.
“A lot of life and life lessons happened on that breezeway,” Cracknell said. “Mary didn’t just love all of her kids, she loved their whole families.”
Darlene Dorsey also has fond memories of her son and daughter’s experiences at the Discovery School.
“It is still a big part of my life,” Dorsey said. “It was just a magical place. My kids always appreciated learning and never wanted to miss a day. They are high achievers now because we got so much there.”
Dorsey recalled how in kindergarten, the youngsters learned about anatomy by building versions of the human body, complete with nerve endings, vertebrae and cartilage. Stanchak showed us an example of a student’s model that included a red-balloon heart, a white, felt wire rib cage and a clear, plastic bag appropriately filled for the bladder.
Each week they study a different system. At the end of the project, they have a body-building day and put all the parts together.
“When they go to high school, this will all come back to them,” Stanchak said. “That kind of personifies six weeks of doing higher-level science, talking about physiology, the body and nutrition. They walk outside with themselves, a mini-me.”
The children learn “The Kindness Pledge,” prominently posted in all rooms. The pledge is a vow “to try to be kind in every way.”
We stepped outside with Stanchak to the Fairy Garden, a green space where children can find small, hidden treasures along the paths.
Near the playground, Patricia Acosta, 63, shared her appreciation for the school as she waited for her grandson Jaxon Kester, 6, outside his first-grade classroom.
She pointed out a model of a 2-foot-high, papier-mache volcano that students built last year. They dropped Mentos peppermint discs into a 3-liter bottle of diet soda that sprayed foam more than 15 feet in the air — to their delight.
In first grade, they study American artists such as Georgia O’keeffe and John James Audubon.
“They’ve taught him a lot,” Acosta said. “He studied Matisse in kindergarten.”
Nearby, Laura Epstein, 39, arrived to pick up her son Luke from kindergarten, accompanied by her daughter, Lily, 11, a Discovery School graduate. Epstein recalled talking to a parent around Thanksgiving about things they were thankful for — both agreed they were grateful for the school. As Epstein spoke to other parents, Lily, a sixth-grader, played holiday tunes on her oboe. After her impromptu concert, she said the school was amazing.
“They prepared me for the schools that I’m going to go to,” Lily said. “It’s magical. They make you feel special here.”
As the school day ended, Stanchak walked with us to the gate, where she said goodbye to parents, grandparents and their little ones. The director said they want the students to leave believing they are capable learners, knowing how to figure things out and having fun learning.
“If we can give that gift, we believe they will be successful everywhere they go,” Stanchak said, “if they believe in themselves as a competent and joyful learner.”