Upstream Learning

One year ago today, I signed the paperwork to sell Upstream Learning. In those weeks to follow after a long time of contractual required silence over the process, I delivered news to families, staff, friends, and many who were all three about the decision.

In my life, I’ve lived through some hard things. Those weeks and these months to follow have been some of the most difficult.

At the time, I chose not to share that the impetus for the sale was due to an impending divorce and the splitting of assets to make everything final. Since there was so much emotion around the sale on the part of everyone involved, I did not believe it fair to put my personal circumstances in the mix for consideration.

I don’t know if that was the right choice. I certainly endured some ugliness that might not have occurred had I chosen differently, but everyone deals with change in their own way. I did my best.

In the year that has followed, more challenges have been met. Some are ongoing and others have been overcome. I have continued to be blessed with my dear friend Jeneffer Allen who will always remain the heart of our school. She is loving her role as grandmother and spending so much time with Shep! She is traveling and her husband Cal has retired since too!!

Grace Reichert graduated high school and I spent an amazing senior year celebrating her every moment! She will attend Abilene Christian University in the fall on partial scholarship and be lead manager for their D1 Lady Basketball team! Go Wildcats!

Hannah Reichert finished her freshman year, participating in three sports and doing awesome academic work! I’m so excited to have my baby with me for three more years!!

As for me, I have not yet landed on my future role. I am in process of finishing a children’s book and ultimately series that I’d like to publish; I’ve been helping students bridge some learning gaps in private tutoring, but truthfully I know God has a plan and I’m just not certain of it yet! I’ll keep praying and searching—and of course open to feedback from anyone that knows my skillsets!

I hope all of you are well. I miss you and your children more than I can say. I hope to plan an Upstream Alumni Reunion to see you all!

Please friend me personally if you have not and keep texting updates and posts so we get to watch our sweet babies continue to grow.

Love to you all ❤️⚜️
Emily

Hey Upstream Alumni!!

Guess who is turning 60 on Sunday, March 2?!?
❤️❤️Mrs. Allen!!❤️❤️

Now you know for 13 years, we celebrated her BIG as part of our Dr. Seuss celebration because they share a birthday!

This year, I hope you’ll help me make it special by sharing 1 thing you love about Mrs. Allen! I’m going to make her a big fun list with your responses that I hope total at least 60!! I will put your family’s name next to your response!!

You can put your response in comments here, email it to me at [email protected], or send me a text!

I plan to give her the list on Saturday night!!

Miss you all!!
⚜️Emily

⚜️It couldn’t really be Christmas without an Annual Upstream Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt!!🎄🎁

Take the family and have some fun with this list!

We miss you!
If you’d like to send a Christmas card to Mrs. Allen or to me, DM or text me and I’ll share addresses! We’d love to see updated pics of all our babies!!

Merry Christmas Upstream Family!
🎁🎅🏻⚜️🎄

Upstream Families!
We’ve had a few requests to keep this page as an alumni/ stay connected with friends page! It will stay open so that you all can post and connect!

Everyone had an awesome time seeing friends and teachers from the past on Friday! If you are interested in spending more time with old friends, please join the group at Hat Creek on Saturday! Jeneffer and I cannot make it to this reunion, but will hopefully be available the next time you plan a meet up!! Have a blast and post pictures!!

Showered with blessings by staff and families last night. Hundreds of people from our OG 2011 crowd all the way to our sweet current family group…it was heartwarming. Thank you for making our final celebration at school the most wonderful expression of love!
Upstream family is ALWAYS family!
Please friend Mrs. Allen and I on social media so we can keep watching your babies grow!
[email protected] if you need me!
❤️⚜️❤️
Emily and Jeneffer

Friends and families of Upstream,
We hope to see you today to honor Mrs. Allen and to join us for a farewell to Upstream. Kona I e will be here and other refreshments will be served! Please come to the Kinder Ready classroom/ garden anytime today between 4:00 and 6:00 to join us!
So much love to you all!
⚜️❤️Emily

Dear Upstream Learning Family and Friends,

This is the most difficult post I have ever written in the thirteen years of operating Upstream Learning Preschool. The dream that began in 2011 because of two precious and adorable girls has finally reached its closure. We have sold the preschool to Lauren and Eric Horn who will be operating their dream in place of ours. Lauren has been operating as the director in training and now the director for these last weeks!

The decision to sell was not one that came easily. You all know that Mrs. Jeneffer Allen's retirement from Upstream after 13 outstanding years of service hit me very hard (even though I had more than plenty of notice) and the stages of grief over the loss of her at our school are unrecoverable...she is just that amazing. There are also some personal reasons that are contributing to this decision which I don't wish to share publicly, but hope you will trust that I am working to do what is best for my family and my personal future after the relationship we have shared in these years. Grace, who was part of Upstream's first graduating class in 2012, will be a senior this school year. Hannah, my precious baby who started Upstream at 1 year old will be a freshman in high school. Time is a crazy thing...it feels like yesterday that these babies were in classrooms at our school, and then at the same moment they are almost ready for college and the next big phase of life. My advice for you: don't blink because in just a second you will be doing what I am and sit in disbelief that this many years have passed.

Eric and Lauren Horn have purchased the school and will be rebranding to Acres Grove Nature School. I will leave the vision and goals of the school for them to share as I know how important those are. I believe that all of the current families will be getting quick communication from them to set a meeting opportunity if you wish. I encourage you to take that time with them as you have shown in our time together that your children's care and learning are a priority and I know you want people that share a common vision for that carrying you forward.

We scheduled a retirement celebration for Mrs. Allen to honor her and we will absolutely still do that! Please be aware that Friday will also be my final day at Upstream prior to the transition of leadership as the Horn's have officially taken ownership of the school as of July 1. I hope that you will allow me and my family to join in the goodbyes said that day!

Our Upstream and Mrs. Allen farewell will be this Friday, July 12 from 4:00-6:00 in the KR room and the garden! Refreshments will be served! All current and alumni families are encouraged to attend this come and go event. I would love the opportunity to say goodbye in person if you would allow that.

Finally, I want to share contact information! You can reach me at my new email address: [email protected]

You have given me immense happiness in the years I have been able to serve your family at Upstream Learning. Please know that Kevin, Grace, and Hannah will all join me in our farewell on Friday, because Upstream is and always has been about family. Thank you for allowing me to care for your children. I wish you the most incredible future and hope to cross your path sometime soon for an update on how all of these sweet babies, young and old are doing!

With so much love and gratitude,

Emily