Goddard – Roseville staff members, including owner Isha Gheek (fourth from right) pose at the building’s front entrance. Image courtesy of The Goddard School of Roseville.
By Etta Bucholtz and Sommer Wagen
The Goddard School daycare franchise opened its 14th Minnesota location in Roseville on Feb. 2, holding a grand opening celebration last Saturday.
The Goddard School has operated in the daycare market for over 38 years. It has a proprietary curriculum, Wonder of Learning®, on-site owners and experienced teachers, all of whom are trained in CPR and first aid.
The Roseville location is owned and run by Isha Gheek and her husband, Nitin. Isha Gheek is the on-site owner and present in the school every day. Nitin Gheek holds the role and duties of financial manager. A director and assistant director round out the leadership team.
The Gheeks moved to the United States from India in 2010 and settled in Plymouth, Minn. in 2016. They have made Minnesota home for their family and “want to give back to the community,” Isha Gheek said.
Isha Gheek, who has a master’s degree in human resources, first became interested in The Goddard School through its location near their home in Plymouth. She admitted that while she was never able to get her own two boys into the school due to the waiting list, she continued to learn about the school and its programs.
After talking to other owners, she and her husband decided to open their own school here in Roseville.
What learning looks like
The Goddard School building, located at 1751 W County Road C, consists of 10 classrooms across 10,500 sq. ft., serving 150 students at capacity. There are two rooms for infants up to 16 months, with one teacher for every four students and eight students per classroom. Toddlers 16 to 33 months of age have three rooms and a teacher for every seven students. Older students from 3 to 6 years old have five classrooms and a 10-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio.
Their proprietary curriculum, Wonder of Learning®, is based on a “question of the week” program that centers questions of interest to the students and is developed to fulfill aspects of their STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) initiative.
For example: What are the flowers of spring? How are they planted? When are they planted? Draw a picture of your favorite spring flower? How many flowers are in this picture?
Other, more abstract questions around concepts of kindness, compassion and customs can be used in the same way. There are 52 weeks and 52 questions, all based on the interests of students in the classroom. Deciding on the question and engaging in the different activities encourages social skills like sharing, cooperation and community, all important aspects of social and emotional growth and learning.
The Goddard School of Roseville is now accepting new students. Inquiries are coming from other communities outside of Roseville including Arden Hills, Lino Lakes, Shoreview and North Oaks.
For more information, scheduling a tour, tuition costs or openings, contact The Goddard School of Roseville at 651-888-8865 during business hours, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
