Celebrating Fifty Years of Nursery Care with the Starrett Early Learning Center
By Amanda Moses
Tiny fingers clutch tightly to a mother’s hand as she knelt beside a classroom door for the very first time. Oversized backpacks swayed against little shoulders while nervous eyes scan colorful walls lined with alphabet charts, finger paintings, and shelves of toys waiting to spark imagination. Sometimes there are tears at drop-off and hesitant waves goodbye, but before long, those tears turn into laughter, friendships, and excitement for another day of learning.
For nearly 50 years, the Starrett Early Learning Center (SELC) has served as one of the first stepping stones in the lives of generations of Spring Creek Towers children, providing not only early childhood education but also a foundation rooted in support, care, and community.
What began in 1976 with just 13 children inside a modest three-bedroom apartment in the H-6 section of Starrett City has since grown into one of the community’s most longstanding educational institutions. Former SELC Director Susan Plesnitzer dedicated 42 years to the center before retiring in 2018, leaving behind a legacy centered on nurturing the whole child through cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development.
Today, Executive/Education Director Tammy Moore continues that mission while leading SELC into a new era of educational enrichment and family engagement.
The center serves children ages three through six, offering interdisciplinary learning experiences designed to prepare students academically and socially for future success. For decades, SELC has helped lay the educational foundation for countless children growing up in Spring Creek Towers.
While Plesnitzer established innovative cognitive and physical development programs, Moore has expanded the center’s emphasis on community involvement and family partnerships. Under her leadership, SELC has introduced initiatives such as School Choice Week participation, literacy events, classroom celebrations, and intergenerational programming that brings seniors and children together through storytelling, music, and shared activities.
The center has also enhanced its enrichment offerings, such as Sportsball and Kinderdance, giving students opportunities to explore teamwork, movement, creativity, confidence, and self-expression in age-appropriate settings.
“For 50 years, Starrett Early Learning Center has been a place of love, learning, family, and community,” Moore said. “I believe in the saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ and for five decades our village has remained committed to nurturing children academically, socially, emotionally, and developmentally while building meaningful relationships with families and the surrounding community.”
Moore told the Spring Creek Sun that SELC has refined curriculum planning and student assessments to strengthen school readiness while ensuring instruction remain engaging and developmentally appropriate. The center has also invested in professional development opportunities for educators, classroom coaching for new teachers, and staff appreciation initiatives aimed at supporting teacher growth and retention.
As part of its commitment to continuous improvement, SELC incorporated Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) practices to strengthen classroom environments and learning experiences. The center also continues expanding support systems for children with special needs through inclusive classroom practices designed to ensure every child feels valued and supported.
“One of the things that warms my heart most is seeing former SELC students return years later with their own children,” Moore said. “That generational connection speaks volumes about the trust families have placed in our program for decades.”
For 50 years, the Starrett Early Learning Center has been far more than a nursery school. It has served as a safe haven, an extension of family, and a place where generations of children have learned about their ABCs, built lifelong friendships, and taken their first steps toward bright futures.
“Education is most powerful when schools, families, and communities work together as one village to uplift every child,” Moore said. “Here’s to 50 years of excellence, impact, love, and community and to many more years of building bright futures.”
Photos by Amanda Moses and Spring Creek Sun archives