We all are familiar with the mantra: If you want something done right then do it yourself. After returning home from school a few years ago and not satisfied with the educational options available to her toddler son, Josette Brimmer decided to offer him one herself.

“When I was in school in Delaware, I loved the facilities where Jazario (then aged three) went to school and when I came back I could not find a daycare that matched what was out there,” Ms Brimmer told The Royal Gazette <$>recently.

While in the US, the now 38-year-old, who also has a 19-year-old son, Jakai, utilised a portion of her living room as a learning centre for Jazario and says she recalled thinking, “I could do the same here.” And with her mother’s blessing she did.

Within months, she opened Creative Touch Home Preschool with a few students, including, of course, her three-year-old son. But for personal reasons, Ms Brimmer took the decision to close her doors and sought employment in the Government sector. However, she soon realised that she needed to rethink her decision.

“I worked as a court associate and did not like it. After one week, I thanked them for giving me the opportunity and left,” she says with a chuckle.

Immediately after she took that decision, Ms Brimmer says she decided to try her hand at operating the school again.

This time, she admits, she conducted more extensive research of all aspects of the undertaking.

In January 2004, Creative Touch Home Preschool opened its doors again with ten students between the ages of two-and-a-half and three-years old.

Ms Brimmer, affectionately called ‘Aunt Sette’ by her students and their parents alike, says she did not have to publicly advertise for students.

All she did was use modern technology: “I sent emails to everybody I knew and they just passed them on.”

One of her first students, Kameron, is still with Creative Touch to this day although she will be moving on to Warwick Academy in the fall.

Her mother, Angela Young, recounts when she contemplated sending her only child to the school.

“Since I had Kameron at home for the first year of her life, I wanted to keep her in a small environment which would offer a more personal touch and one-on-one teaching.

“At Creative Touch, I felt that Aunt Sette would provide such an environment-close to a home feeling, Ms Young says.

She continues: “Aunt Sette gives each child special attention and she loves them like they are one of her own. I appreciate this about Aunt Sette because she really helps make their first transition to a school environment easier.”

Ms Young, who heard about Creative Touch through a friend, reveals that while she nor any of her friends personally knew Ms Brimmer, after speaking with her extensively (“I must admit, I drilled her through a series of questions—”) she took the decision to send Kameron to the school.

But is her astute four-year-old happy with her mother’s decision?

“—Kameron never wants to leave school! It’s not because she doesn’t want to come home but Kam has a terrific time with Aunt Sette and her classmates,” exclaims Angela.

“Kameron has truly blossomed since she’s been at Creative Touch—Kam recently won the Most Outstanding Student award at her graduation.”

Without a doubt, Ms Young says, she would recommend the home preschool to parents.

“If you are looking for a product that will enrich your child’s mind, challenge their abilities-both mentally and physically-and still offer a fun, loving environment then Creative Touch is for you!

“Josette Brimmer is an outstanding teaching professional—Josette pours her heart and soul into the school and the lives of her students.

“Frankly you don’t see that level of commitment or kindness every day, and I applaud and salute Josette as a Bermudian teacher and more importantly, an entrepreneur. She truly exemplifies excellence!”

And in her continued quest for excellence, Ms Brimmer is about to realise one of her greatest dreams-to operate her school out of its own building.

On September 11, Creative Touch Home Preschool will open its own doors for the very first time with 22 students and an expanded staff.

It is located adjacent to her family home on Perimeter Lane in Pembroke. Although her students will range in age, Ms Brimmer says they will not be seperated, as she wants to maintain her homeschool environment.

“I don’t want the children to be split up. We are going to be in one big, multi-purpose room,” she says with pride.

Although she is going to have more staff, Ms Brimmers asserts that she will not be stepping back from her day-to-day involvement with her children.

“I will still be teaching them because that’s what I love, especially circle time since that’s when I get to hear about their day and their weekend and the types of things that they love to do.

“The advantage of having additional staff is that I can tend to the adminstrative duties of school during the day, instead of at night, like I do now.”

Ms Brimmer says she is always sad to see her students graduate.

“It makes me want to cry,” she says.

“But I am very proud to know that I have contributed in a big way to their education.

“I always ask their parents to keep in touch so I can know how they are doing.”

As she speaks of her new school facility, she becomes pensive: “I look at it and say, ‘Wow! I am really moving there’.”

Expanding with a creative touch