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the umbrella treeWEEKLY SUMMER EDITION VOL 1JULY 24 2026ROOTED IN CARE.BUILT TO BLOOM.The Umbrella Tree Child Development CenterDear Umbrella Tree Families, We want to begin by saying thank you. Thank you for your patience, your flexibility, and for believing in our vision. Change takes time, and we truly appreciate the trust you've placed in us throughout this transition. Welcome to the very first edition of Under the Umbrella Tree! As many of you know, The Muse Academy is now proudly The Umbrella Tree Child Development Center, and we're excited to bring you along as we begin this new chapter. Every Friday, you'll receive this newsletter to keep you informed about what's happening around the school, upcoming events, important reminders, and exciting milestones. U n d e r Our school is currently undergoing a complete renovation, including beautifully remodeled classrooms and an exciting new outdoor learning environment. Every decision we've made has been with one goal in mind: creating the very best environment for your children to learn, grow, and thrive. We can't wait to share this journey with you.
As many of you have seen, our renovations are well underway! Currently, we're operating from two classrooms while construction continues. To allow our renovation team to keep moving forward, we've temporarily reduced enrollment during this phase. While our location within the building may change, your child's daily routine, care, and educational experience will remain our top priority. We know this transition has required flexibility from everyone, and we sincerely appreciate your patience as we learn and grow through this exciting process together. We truly believe the finished result will be worth it, and we can't wait for our children to enjoy their beautiful new classrooms. We are more than a daycare, we are a child development center serving children from 6 weeks through 6 years of age. Our program combines a strong academic foundation with hands on, real world learning experiences that encourage children to become curious thinkers, confident problem solvers, and compassionate friends. At The Umbrella Tree, children don't simply spend their day being cared for they spend their day discovering, creating, exploring, and growing. Our classrooms are intentionally designed to inspire learning through meaningful play, early literacy, science exploration, art, music, sensory experiences, and social emotional development. Our new outdoor classrooms will become an extension of our learning spaces, allowing children to investigate nature, build confidence through exploration, engage in collaborative projects, and develop a lifelong love of learning. Renovation UpdateWho we are
As we prepare for our official Grand Opening, August will include a few Professional Development Days and scheduled center closure days. These days allow our teachers to prepare classrooms, receive training, and ensure we're fully ready to welcome everyone into our newly renovated school. You all have a reserved spot for our Grand Opening, and we couldn't be more excited to begin this next chapter together. Once all dates are finalized, they'll be included in our August Calendar, which will be sent through Brightwheel at the end of this month. Looking Ahead We've created a Frequently Asked Questions section on our website that answers many of the questions we've been receiving during this transition. If you don't find the answer you're looking for, please don't hesitate to reach to Ms. Brianna. FAQ Link: https://www.themuseacademylb.com/update-parentsFrequently Asked Questions
MS. BRIANNA - FOUNDER & CEO O u r C u r r e n t S t a f fThe Umbrella Tree was founded by Brianna Harvey, a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner whose experience across nursing and education shaped her commitment to accessible, high standard child development. MS. SARAH - PRESCHOOL SUPERVISOR I'm so excited to be part of the Umbrella Tree family. I have been working in early childhood education for over eight years, with experience in a variety of roles from teaching to admin. I'm currently working toward my degree in Early Childhood Education and am passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences through play, exploration, and children's natural curiosity. I believe every child learns best when they feel safe, valued, and inspired. My goal is to create a warm, nurturing classroom where children can build confidence, develop friendships, and discover the joy of learning each day. I also strongly believe that every child deserves access to high-quality early education, and I'm committed to creating an inclusive environment where all children can thrive. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my family, listening to music, watching films, and finding new creative ideas to bring into our learning environment. I look forward to partnering with you and making this a fun, memorable year of growth and discovery!
MS. A - ENROLLMENT COORDINATOR I am so happy to be here and to watch our school bloom into something truly special. I handle enrollment, administrative paperwork, and happily jump into the classrooms whenever an extra set of hands is needed. Early childhood education has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up watching my mom run her own family child care, worked at her center and later on opened up my own for 10 years. I have also worked as a preschool teacher and in other early learning programs, so I truly understand the importance of creating a safe, loving environment for every child. My favorite part of my job is getting to know our children, building relationships with families, and being someone you can always come to with questions or just to say hello. Outside of work, I'm a huge fan of true crime, Pokémon, anime, and I'm always counting down the days until Halloween and Christmas. I'm so excited to be part of this journey with all of you and can't wait to see everything The Umbrella Tree has in store! MS. ASHLEY - OFFICE/ TEACHER ASSISTANT I open the school each day, prepare breakfast in the mornings, and monitor inventory and material needs. I am 22 years old, my favorite color is green, and I have an identical twin sister. Outside of work, you can usually find me knitting something, reading a good book, or hanging out at the beach.
MS. MARIA - PRESCHOOL TEACHER I have 29 years of experience working with children. I worked 26 years in the state of Washington. In two programs one Head Start the other program was Washington State Migrant Council. I conducted home visits, parent teacher conferences. Attended trainings I have my Associates Degree in ECE with special endorsement to work with children with special needs. I am Familiar with Fidelity, Class, and ECERS. I also have 3 years of experience working at The Muse Academy (now the Umbrella Tree) I love working with children preschool and younger. I feel that I plant a seed of knowledge and respect. My little ones grow up and bloom to be the best version of themselves. I also enjoy when parents reach out to me with updates of children being student of the month, receiving awards and being acknowledged. MS. ALEXIS - INFANT/TODDLER TEACHER I am born and raised in Long Beach, moved away for a few years to Lake Arrowhead and came back to study psychology and sociology. I graduated from LBCC and currently still attend to get my AA in Early Childhood Education. I worked as a Behavioral Therapist for 2 years and fell in love with working with kids, so I decided to go back to school for Early childhood education. I enjoy going to local coffee shops, church, and spending time with family in my free time.
MS. DULCE - INFANT/TODDLER TEACHER I was born and raised in Long Beach, CA. I am the youngest and the only girl with three older brothers. When I graduated from high school, I knew exactly what I wanted to be. I went to LA Harbor College, and recieved my teachers permit. I’ve been a teacher for 26 years, ages infant through 5 grade.th I have a dog named Toby. I used to dance in college. I was also a cheerleading coach for Long Beach Pop Warner. I love sports, I enjoy watching football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. I love the outdoors with nature, I enjoy hiking and camping. I also enjoy movie and singing karaoke. I am very excited to be a part of your child’s life and their future education at The Umbrella Tree. I cannot wait to see what the upcoming years have in store for us. I will enjoy getting to know the children as well as parents! MS. DANIELLE - INFANT/TODDLER TEACHER Hi! I am one of your infant and toddler teachers. I have my bachelor's degree in Child Development and Family Studies from California State University of Long Beach and am currently working on my credential. A little about me, I worked as a registered behavioral technician for two and a half years, supporting students with diverse learning needs. I am ecstatic to be working with you and your children this year!
I am so happy to be a part of The Umbrella Tree! My journey in early childhood education started at a young age, as I grew up around my family’s childcare program. I eventually began working there myself, which helped me discover my passion for working with children and supporting their growth and development. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work in different childcare settings, including another childcare center here in Long Beach. I also spent some time living in Nevada, where I continued my experience in early childhood education. After returning to Long Beach with my daughter, I feel very grateful to have found my way to The Umbrella Tree. Although I have only been here for a few days, I already love being around the children and getting to know their unique personalities. I am excited to continue learning, growing, and being part of a team that is dedicated to providing children with meaningful experiences and opportunities to thrive. I look forward to getting to know all of our families and becoming a positive part of the The Umbrella Tree community. I am so happy to be here and can’t wait to see what this journey brings! Thank you Thank you for trusting us with your children. We know choosing a school is one of the most important decisions a family can make, and we're honored to be part of your child's early learning journey. We're excited for everything that's ahead and can't wait to continue growing together, one week at a time. See you next Friday! The Umbrella Tree Child Development Center MS. FERNANDA - COOK/TEACHERS ASSISTANT