EDIT: Update July 2024- Stepping Stone School has now won Austin’s Best in Childcare for a 26th year!

Stepping Stone School Bringing High-Quality Preschool, Childcare to Austin’s Southpark Meadows

Award-Winning Child Development Center Opening 19th Campus

AUSTIN, Texas, February 11, 2015 – In an area renowned for its commitment to education, the families of South Austin are about to have a real choice in high quality, educational child care. Stepping Stone School is set to open its new state-of-the-art campus in Austin’s Southpark Meadows located at 9325 Alice Mae Lane on March 2.

“Southpark Meadows is the perfect location for us to serve the preschool and childcare needs of our families who live in South Austin or commute from Buda, Kyle or even San Marcos,” said Rhonda Paver, Stepping Stone School founder and executive director. “This and our Brodie Lane campus are raising the caliber of early care and education available to the children of the smart and discerning parents of South Austin.”

This new campus has a nature-conservation theme and will feature a majestic heritage oak tree, classrooms designed using the latest research on learning environments, naturally shaded and safe outdoor play areas, and enhanced security. But most importantly, the students at the Southpark Meadows campus will benefit from Stepping Stone School’s nationally recognized Early Achievers curriculum.

Designed and built by Stepping Stone School’s own business development team, the new campus will continue the school’s tradition of creating innovative, environmentally sound spaces that inspire wonder and learning in the school’s students. For example, the campus also features:

• The award-winning HATCH Technology interactive learning center
• A hands-on S.T.E.A.M. curriculum room to pique children’s curiosity about how things work and introduce them to the endless possibilities of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics
• Interactive dinosaur fossil display
• Museum-quality installations where the children may examine natural systems, such as
  • the workings of the Edwards Aquifer System and its importance to life in the local community
  • layered light displays that will introduce young minds to the dynamic processes of the earth’s crust, and children will be able to see the systems below their feet that make a modern city work
• An over-sized, creativity-inspiring interactive light display
• An overall museum-like environment that will provide a perfect setting where children will flourish and advance

“From the Llano river-cobble walls that embrace the edible garden, to the light-filled classrooms under vaulted wood ceilings, Stepping Stone School’s latest campus is designed to balance the latest technologies in early education with a sense of place and permanence,” said Daniel Turner, Stepping Stone School director of development and design.

Final preparations are underway on Stepping Stone School at Southpark Meadows and classrooms are filling up quickly. The school will open with many children already pre-enrolled or transferring from other Stepping Stone School locations. Parents wishing to reserve their child’s place at this campus may visit an open house from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 21, call 512-459-0258 or go to www.steppingstoneschool.com.

Stepping Stone School is Austin’s favorite provider of infant and toddler care, preschool, prekindergarten, after-school care, summer camp and school holiday care. The new campus will serve children ages 6 weeks through 13 years and will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.

“Research has demonstrated that children enrolled in high-quality, early care continue to reap the benefits long into their educational careers,” Paver said. “We look forward to a wonderful partnership with each and every family and providing the nurturance, love and support each child deserves.”

About Stepping Stone School:

Stepping Stone School, the largest privately owned childcare provider in Central Texas and the 23nd largest in the nation, has been locally owned and operated since 1979. The Paver family has grown the company from its humble beginnings to the 18 schools it currently operates. The founders and employees apply the principles of the school’s nationally recognized curriculum while providing the highest quality early education and care. In addition, the founders and organization consistently exercise their philanthropic commitment to their community through donations of time, money and resources to organizations whose missions are to better the lives and education of children and families.

Stepping Stone School has been named Best in Childcare by the readers of Austin Family magazine for 26 years, Best of the Brazos Valley in 2014 and Best Austin Preschool by the parents on Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect website in 2010. Stepping Stone School is also the tenth largest provider of corporate child care in the nation.