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About Us

Who we are

Buds & Blossoms is a Mandarin Immersion childcare center with an emphasis on the Reggio Emilia philosophy. We are a program of the Asian American Civic Association, a non-profit organization that has been providing vital education and social services to immigrants and linguistic minorities in Greater Boston for nearly 50 years. We provide high-quality services to children and their families with qualified and licensed teachers to ensure your child has the best resources for growth and development. Our beautiful facility in the heart of Chinatown, Boston, is a warm, friendly, and nurturing environment for your child. Licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, our Chinese Mandarin Immersion program for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers offers the best combination of play-based learning with language acquisition.

Meet The Team

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Xiao Mei Chen
Director

Xiao Mei is our Childcare Center Director, she has an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education from Urban College. Xiao Mei has been working with children in the childcare setting for ten years. She also holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential in Infant /Toddler and preschool.

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Baodan Guo
Office Manager

Baodan Guo is a graduate of Sun Yat-Sen University which is located in Guangzhou China. Baodan has been with Buds & Blossoms for five years. She is a certified EEC teacher and is currently our office manager

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Maen Kwok
Center Coordinator

Miss Maen holds a Master’s degree in the field of Educational Leadership in America. She is fluent in English, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, and conversationally in Japanese.​

 

With her previous teaching and curriculum development experience at Kwong Kow Chinese School as an after school lead teacher, she will be sharing her knowledge to teach students about Chinese language and culture, Arts and Crafts, Music, Calligraphy, and more at Buds and Blossoms!

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Xiu Juan Zhang
Lead Teacher

Xiu Juan is our Preschool Lead Teacher, she has an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education from Urban College. She has been working with children in the childcare setting for thirteen years in the USA, and she also worked in elementary school in China for seven years.

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Manci Huang
Lead Teacher

Manci has been engaged in early childhood education for seven years, bringing a wealth of experience to her role. She has taught across various age groups, including preschool, infant, and toddler classes. Her extensive teaching background is complemented by her role as an art teacher at our center, where she continues to contribute her skills and knowledge.

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Ping Ting Zeng
Lead Teacher

Ping ting is the lead teacher of our center . She has been working in early childhood education for six years, teaching various age groups including infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

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Elaine Liang
Lead Teacher

Elaine Liang started her career as a family childcare educator for many years while her own children were growing up. She then opted to join Early Educators in center based programs. Elaine has taught all ages from 2 months -5 years. She is currently our Toddler /Preschool Lead Teacher. Elaine achieved her Associates Degree from Urban College in 2015.

What is Reggio Emilia?

"Reggio Emilia is an educational philosophy developed in the 1940s by psychologist Loris Malaguzzi with the help of local parents in Reggio Emilia, Italy. It is a pioneering and inspiring approach to early childhood education, involving self-guided, experimental learning. It creates a relationship-driven environment where children's thoughts and questions are valued and explored. Reggio Emilia is based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery. Its core tenets include the belief that children possess “a hundred languages” through which they can express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

 

The Reggio Emilia approach also recognizes that a child’s environment has the potential to inspire. As a project-based curriculum, lessons are tailored to the interests of individual students. For example, if a child found a flower outside and asked a question about how it grows, rather than answer the question, the teacher encourages the group to find out together through hands-on experiences such as planting, nurturing, and

harvesting a garden. These activities also teach important pre-math and pre-reading concepts.

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Under the Reggio Emilia approach, teachers are considered mentors and guides. Their goal is to observe the children’s questions and interests and then provide opportunities to further develop these interests. They also take pictures, save artwork, and make note of children’s questions, interests, comments, and observations, allowing both children and teachers to reflect on their learning and growth throughout the year."

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87 Tyler Street,
Boston, MA 02111

tel: (617) 426-9492, Ext. 259
email: budsandblossoms@aaca-boston.org

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