The pitter patter of some very little feet were heard on the Fay campus this fall, as the Early Learning Center (ELC) at Fay School opened its doors. Fay’s new early childhood program for children ages two years, nine months through age five welcomed 54 students from 11 different towns in Massachusetts. In addition to ELC Program Coordinator Lauren Cilley, the program has six new full-time teachers and six part-time teachers’ aides running three classrooms in the Primary School Building. With some very young students coming to school for the first time, Lauren was expecting to see some first- day jitters from her new charges. “We were prepared for there to be tearful goodbyes and difficult separations, but almost every child walked into these beautiful classrooms ready and eager to join their new friends and teachers for the start of a wonderful adventure.” With a few months of school under their belts, the ELC students are already starting to feel like members of the wider Fay community. “The teachers have done a great job making the ELC a fun and engaging place to learn,” says Lauren. “The children are making discoveries, exploring new things, and building relationships every day.”