A Summer of Purposeful Growth
Summer at Sounds and Colors has been filled with the joyful experiences that make childhood so special, from water days and play to exploration, discovery, and meaningful relationships. While children have been making memories and enjoying all that summer has to offer, important work has also been happening behind the scenes.
This season has been a time of learning, reflection, preparation, and purposeful growth across our schools. At Sounds and Colors, we believe that high-quality early childhood education is never a finished product. It requires ongoing collaboration, professional learning, reflection, and a willingness to keep growing.
This summer, our team has been strengthening organizational systems, investing in educator development, preparing for North Carolina’s evolving quality standards, and continuing to learn as leaders. Together, these efforts reflect one shared goal: creating the strongest possible learning community for the children, families, and educators we serve.
Strengthening the Systems That Support Our Community
Preparing for Brightwheel
One of Sounds and Colors’ major initiatives this summer has been preparing for the implementation of Brightwheel, a comprehensive platform designed to support early childhood education management and family engagement. Behind the scenes, our leadership and administrative teams have been reviewing existing processes, aligning information across schools, validating data, and identifying ways to make everyday systems more efficient and consistent.
For families, the goal is to create a more cohesive and accessible experience. For our schools, stronger systems can help reduce unnecessary administrative complexity and give leaders and educators more time to focus on the children, families, and building positive relationships.
At Sounds and Colors, technology is never the goal itself. It is a tool that can support communication, organizational quality, and connection. By taking a thoughtful, intentional approach to this transition, we are working to ensure Brightwheel strengthens the systems surrounding our community while keeping the human relationships at the heart of our schools.
Investing in the People Who Support Children’s Learning
Reframing Lesson Planning Through a Reggio Emilia-Inspired Lens
On August 14, Sounds and Colors educators came together for a Professional Development Day led by Founder Martha Rockaway. At this event, Martha focused on “Reframing Lesson Planning Through a Reggio Emilia-Inspired Pedagogical Lens.” The experience invited educators to think differently about planning. Where lesson planning can sometimes devolve into trying to predict everything children will learn, the approach Martha shared reframes planning into a process that prepares educators to listen, observe, interpret, and respond to the possibilities emerging from children’s experiences.
Through a Reggio Emilia-inspired approach, educators pay close attention to children’s questions, theories, play, conversations, relationships, and interactions with the world around them. From there, learning moves through an ongoing cycle: Observe → Interpret → Plan/Provoke → Document → Reflect → Revisit.
This process helps educators create richer, more responsive learning experiences that build upon children’s ideas and curiosity. As a DCDEE-approved professional development experience, the training also supports applicable in-service training hours while providing tools educators can use in their daily practice.
At Sounds and Colors, professional development for educators is about more than meeting requirements. By investing in educators’ growth, knowledge, and ability to thoughtfully support children’s learning, we are ultimately investing in the children and families we serve.
Looking Closely at Quality: Preparing for North Carolina’s Updated QRIS
Another important focus this summer has been preparing for North Carolina’s modernized Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), a statewide framework designed to help measure and support the quality of early childhood education programs. Our Chief Community and Operations Officer, Ariel, and the Sounds and Colors leadership team have been working closely with school directors to better understand the updated Environment Rating Scales, which help evaluate different aspects of a child’s daily learning environment.
This includes ITERS-3 (Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale), which focuses on environments and experiences for younger children, and ECERS-3 (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale), which looks at the quality of learning environments for preschool-aged children. By taking a closer look at these updated standards, our team can better understand what is working well and identify opportunities to continue strengthening the experiences we create for children.
Across several Sounds and Colors locations, the team has conducted mock assessments and reflective walkthroughs. Rather than simply prepare our schools for an evaluation, these mock assessments also provide an opportunity to recognize strengths, identify areas for continued growth, and take a closer look at the experiences being created for children. The results have been encouraging, and all locations that completed the mock assessments received five-star scores.
Throughout this process, our team is asking several important questions:
- How do our environments support children’s independence?
- Are materials accessible, intentional, and engaging?
- How do daily interactions and routines support children’s well-being and learning?
These questions align naturally with Sounds and Colors’ Reggio-inspired philosophy, which views the environment as a “third teacher.” By looking closely at how spaces, materials, relationships, and routines work together, our team can continue strengthening the high-quality early childhood education experiences offered to every child.
Learning Starts at the Top: How Our Founders Have Spent the Summer
Dan – Supporting Schools and Advocating for Early Childhood Education
This summer, Dan has continued supporting the operational side of Sounds and Colors while working to strengthen the resources, facilities, and partnerships that support the school community. As President of the North Carolina Licensed Child Care Association, he also participated in statewide QRIS training sessions and continued listening to and advocating for the needs of child care providers across North Carolina.
His work reflects a commitment to early childhood education that extends beyond Sounds and Colors and contributes to the broader provider community.
Martha – Continuing Her Own Learning Journey
Martha has spent the summer developing professional learning resources and leading Sounds and Colors directors in deeper exploration of Reggio Emilia-inspired practice and responsive planning. She has also begun her Doctor of Education in Organizational Learning and Leadership at UNC-Chapel Hill.
As Martha continues to learn, the new research, questions, and ideas she encounters can be brought back to Sounds and Colors. This not only furthers her education but helps strengthen Sounds and Colors and supports its continued growth as a learning community.
One Summer, One Larger Commitment: Continuous Improvement
While these summer initiatives may look different, they are all connected by one larger purpose: helping Sounds and Colors continue growing as a high-quality early childhood education organization. Brightwheel is helping strengthen systems and communication. Professional development is supporting educators as they deepen their practice. Mock assessments and QRIS preparation are creating opportunities for reflection and growth, while Dan and Martha’s work demonstrates the importance of continued learning, advocacy, and thoughtful leadership.
At the heart of this work are a few important questions:
- What are we doing well?
- What are we learning?
- What might we do even better?
Some of this growth is visible, while much of it happens quietly through meetings, observations, planning, research, professional conversations, and reflection. Together, these efforts reflect Sounds and Colors’ commitment to continue to learn, adapt, and grow for the benefit of the children, families, and communities we serve.
Always Learning, Always Growing
This summer has been filled with joyful childhood moments, from play and exploration to connection and discovery, alongside meaningful work happening behind the scenes. At Sounds and Colors, continuous improvement does not mean there is ever a point where we are “finished.” Instead, it means remaining curious enough to reflect, learn, and keep growing.
Stronger systems, knowledgeable educators, reflective leadership, and intentional learning environments all help create a stronger community for children and families. As we continue to evolve, we remain grounded in the values that have guided us from the beginning: Inspired by Reggio Emilia. Immersed in Spanish. Grounded by Love.
Discover a Community Committed to Growth
At Sounds and Colors, our commitment to continuous learning shapes the experiences we create every day. Through Reggio-inspired education, Spanish immersion, ongoing educator growth, strong relationships, and thoughtful reflection, we continue working to create meaningful opportunities for children to learn and thrive.
We invite you to visit Sounds and Colors and experience our learning community firsthand. Schedule a tour today to discover a school that continues to grow alongside the children and families it serves.
