We have adopted the educational philosophy of the Reggio Emilia schools in Italy which is recognized around the world as the pre-eminent approach to early childhood education.

At Herrington Academy, we teach children to explore their natural environment one day at a time.

We are Open Monday – Friday from 6:30am to 6:30pm. Feel free to stop by and tour our Reggio Emilia inspired facility today.

Travel all around the world through our summer camp diversity activities. We aim to teach young children to respect and celebrate the differences in all people. Join us this summer as we travel the world and learn about different cultures while having fun.
Herrington Academy is founded by Mrs. Herline Ford, a former Gwinnett County Pre-k Teacher, Gwinnett Technical College educator, and former Bright From The Start state licensed consultant where she spent many years regulating childcare facilities throughout Gwinnett County. We are new to the community but not new to early childcare and learning. Herrington Academy is licensed by “Bright From The Start.”

Safety is a priority for our school. Our doors remain locked with security access available only for enrolled families. We will maintain our earth-tone and natural calming environment. We do not believe in over stimulating the children with heavy cartoons characters. We believe in allowing children to explore their natural environment by exploring the world we live.
We will:
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Recognize and nurture the stories, experiences and learning potential that enrich our image of the child.
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Provide an environment rich with materials that enable children to express their ideas and explore their experiences.
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Observe, listen, question and interact with the children.
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Recognize parents and include them as part of our education process. Provide a comfortable natural environment filled with opportunities for communicating and relating.
Vision Statement
Working in partnership with our parents, teachers and the community to uphold and achieve the highest standards for early care and learning.
Mission Statement
To maintain a high quality education environment that is designed to provide an outreach to children and their families, and the community, by offering a safe, creative and structured environment to develop each child’s unique spiritual, emotional, physical and intellectual skills.

Herrington Academy will provide a nurturing environment for children and an unprecedented level of training to their teachers, which redefines early care and education programs. We have adopted the educational philosophy of the Reggio Emilia schools in Italy which is recognized around the world as the pre-eminent approach to early childhood education. Herrington Academy participates in a series of professional development programs to understand this philosophy and implement it in the classroom. Parents, teachers, and children will be involved in shaping the program to adapt the strengths of these concepts to our North American context. Working together, we can enjoy the excitement of exploration and collaboration that characterize the Reggio Emilia schools.
Herrington Academy believes children have rights. They have the right to:
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Express feelings
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Make choices
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Get dirty
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Be respectful
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Be successful
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Make mistakes
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Ask questions
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Solve their own problems
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Change their environment
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Test their own ideas and theories
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Build new understandings
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Make friends
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Find meaning
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To Learn
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Learn self-help skills
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Have nutritious foods
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Be respected
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The truth
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Be loved
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Make a mess
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Explore
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Be clean
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Be heard
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Sleep when tired
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Explore and discover
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Laugh or giggle just because
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Be alone
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Be comforted
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Be self-expressive
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To dislike
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To dislike
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Not participate
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Eat when hungry
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Be creative
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Investigate
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Set own space
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Be themselves
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Say “no”
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Be shy
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Make suggestion
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Be loud
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Cheer
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Cry
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Be strong
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Be weak
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Try new thing
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Be Bold
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Be included
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Be safe
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Have self-control
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Teach each other
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Learn good manners
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Have their feelings validated
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Have healthy, tasty foods to eat
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Explore without time-limits
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Be who they are
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Feed themselves
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Work at own pace
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Be encouraged, not forced
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Speak
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Play with friends
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Have their cultures respected
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Make peace with one another
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Learn about logical consequences
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Safe playgrounds
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Socialize outside their classroom
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Contribute to their own educational experiences
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Have a Reggio-inspired classroom
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Determine when they are ready for potty training
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Negotiate
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Write letters
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Sing out of tune
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Dance of beat
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Make music
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Believe in fairies
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Choose what they wear to school
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Fix their room
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Plant seeds and watch them grow
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Develop their own hypotheses
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Jump in puddles
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Splash water
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Mix up new colors
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Make silly jokes
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Watch the clouds go by
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Pick wild flowers
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Roll in the grass
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Have caring teachers
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Learn from books
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Believe in magic
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Be who they are
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Use play as a way of learning
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Dream
Employment Opportunities?
If you have any questions, or would like to talk to one of our teachers, simply fill out the contact form or give us a call! We look forward to hearing from you and helping you complete your find the best fit for early education employment opportunities!
To download an employment application, click below!
Our Program
We have adopted the educational philosophy of the Reggio Emilia schools in Italy which is recognized around the world as the pre-eminent approach to early childhood education.
The Reggio Emilia Approach is an educational philosophy focused on preschool and primary education. It was developed by Loris Malaguzzi, who was a teacher himself, and the parents of the villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy after World War II. Following the war, people believed that children were in need of a new way of learning: the assumption was that people form their own personality during early years of development and, moreover, that children are endowed with “a hundred languages”. The aim of this approach is teaching how to make them useful in everyday life. The program is based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery in a supportive and enriching environment based on the interests of the children through a self-guided curriculum.

We focus on:
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nurturing and care
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safety and security
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engaging environment
Your child will learn:
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self-confidence
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getting along with others

Learning Approaches for Development and School Success
A. Begins to show curiosity by exploring with the senses
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Watches interesting objects
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Turns head toward sounds
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Looks at own hands and feet
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Explores a new object
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Feels different textures
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Tries new sensory experiences
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Explores while playing
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Experiments with objects
B. Repeats actions
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Continues to use, shake or bat objects for a purpose
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Continues to kick objects for a purpose
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Entertains themselves with objects for a short period
Starting good learning habits early and working to keep learning fun, while challenging, is the key to giving your child a head start on their future.
Our toddlers are offered a variety of opportunities to explore their world through play. Gross motor skills and social skills are developed through both structured and unstructured play. Their days are filled with music, art, dance, story times and much more. We have a daily schedule and approach activities at their level.


Starting good learning habits early and working to keep learning fun, while challenging, is the key to giving your child a head start on their future.
The developmental milestones and learning objectives for our three-year-olds include cognitive, language, social, logical, gross motor and fine motor skills. Children at this stage will enjoy structure play as well as unstructured play. Children will explore their natural environment. They will learn to be independent learners. In addition to these skills, Spanish lessons are intensified; enrichment activities like cooking, science, planting, and others are experienced more frequently; listening and following directions is a focal point; and in-house field trips begin.
Our program will encourage word building, decoding, reading and writing common sight words.
Children will comprehending stories and informational texts.
The pre-kindergartners will be able to do the following:
Asks questions and uses senses to observe and explore materials and natural phenomenon
1. Uses all 5 senses to observe and explore materials and natural events
2. Observes, explores and describes a variety of animals and plants
3. Identifies and describes the life cycles of living things
4. Identifies and describes the environments of living things
5. Observes, explores and describes a variety of non-living things.
They will enjoy structure learning as will enjoy unstructured learning. They will enjoy daily outdoor play. All our program includes daily Spanish classes.

An Engaging and Fun School Age Program
School-age kids age 6-12 want to feel all grown up, yet they still crave comfort and security. So instead of just daycare, our child care program is designed to support their increasing interest in spanish, sports, art, music and more, both before and after school.

Young Explorers:
- Room Enhancements – Teachers rotate in new material every week to keep the environment fresh and exciting.
- Songs and Chants – School-agers are encouraged to share in these songs that incorporate rhythm, movement and humor.
- Book Kit – A number of school-age appropriate books will be explored throughout the year with discussion and activities based on them.
Tutoring Program
Teachers provide a balance of organized and self-selected activities, all in a positive, supportive atmosphere. Whether relaxing, doing homework or having fun with friends, And you’ll have peace of mind knowing your child is safe and having fun.
Contact Us
We value your questions and comments. Please feel free to send us a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Thank You!
Lawrenceville: 678-377-5633
1101 Herrington Road Lawrenceville, Georgia 30044
Snellville: 770-679-4316
3555 Lee Road, Snellville Ga 30039
We are currently enrolling! Stop by our center to pick up an “Enrollment Packet” & “Pre-K Uniform Requirements,” or download them here!