Meet Brooke!

After a brief chat with Brian downstairs, I was warmly welcomed into the office of Brooke Mildenberg, our Director of Early Childhood Education.

We sat down together and I asked the essential question about what exactly she does at BZBI. Brooke responded right off the bat, “I wear so many hats,” but continued to explain, “I’m the director of the preschool, so I’m in charge of the little babies down here, coordinating everyone’s schedules, and making sure that everyone comes in feeling loved and welcomed.” I learned that our preschool is made up of about 12 staff members including lead teachers and assistants. The staff work in many different classrooms – including an awesome summer program! Brooke explained to me that she really strives to make sure everyone feels safe, good, and loved, especially since preschool is often a child’s first school experience. Our preschool is an introduction that inspires many families’ growth into the BZBI community.

If you’ve ever wondered what the best thing about being the Director of Early Childhood Education is, Brooke will tell you, “I get to see smiling faces every day, have fun, play, be silly, and enjoy laughter.” She really stressed the importance of learning through play to me, and that having fun is what it’s all about. In my opinion, the preschool at BZBI sounds much more enjoyable than my upcoming junior year at Central.

After only about five minutes of chatting with Brooke about her job, it became very obvious how much she genuinely loves it. “…I’ve only been director for a year, so I’m a newbie!” Even though it’s only been a year, Brooke explained that her babies went to preschool at BZBI, she was on the PTA, was the head of the PTA, became class parent, and sat on a board representing the school. I learned that her two children are now going into kindergarten and third grade, “I raised my babies already, but all of these kids are my babies. All 72”.

Brooke’s favorite time of year in the preschool is the beginning, but also the end, “The beginning is nice, you get to meet new friends and make new connections with kids and parents. The end is bittersweet. It’s an end result of a year’s worth of growth, and you think back to day one. Babies grow into big people, in just one year.” Additionally, children keep her sane. Brooke explained to me how important it is to shape and create positive experiences in education for children, “…you’re part of their first experience into the world, and make a lasting impression for the rest of their lives.”

On why it’s important to start a Jewish education so early, Brooke responded with “When you foster a love of Jewish learning so early on it can carry through and has a lot of great values, whether you are Jewish or not. Such as welcoming hospitality, mitzvot, tikkun olam, and just general underlying essential values to being a good person.” But why should a parent choose to send their child to BZBI for preschool? Brooke explained, “…because we are a community, a school that would love to welcome with open arms to everybody, providing a solid background for a love of Judaism and tradition. It’s a place where parents can leave knowing that their children are well taken care of. It’s a place that can meet the needs of any children, to help them develop a strong sense of who they are, and begin a love of learning and independence.”

Some interesting things that Brooke shared about herself with me were that she loves to dance and has been dancing since she was only three years old, she exercises a lot, and will be doing the upcoming Savage Race with her brother in the fall. Additionally, she provided me with some wisdom in that everything happens for a reason – Brooke feels so fortunate that the job opportunity opened up and she jumped in with two feet. Now she takes comfort in “…riding the wave of enjoying it, instilling new challenges along the way, and knowing that I can make change.”

It was such a pleasure to not only interview, but get to know Brooke. She is truly a warm, kind, and compassionate woman. And, of course, it is no interview without a selfie.

Tags: Early Childhood, Playschool, Preschool