By Sara Beth Williams–
Immigrant and entrepreneur Natalia Boyko dreamed of owning her own childcare center for years as she raised her children in her own at-home daycare. Now, Boyko owns two centers in Citrus Heights, including Sunrise Montessori.
The newest childcare center, located on the edge of the Sunrise Mall property, recently opened at the end of the summer, holding a grand opening celebration in mid-September to celebrate. Boyko, and Sunrise Montessori preschool director Oksana Ryan said the grand opening attendance surpassed the staff’s expectations.
An estimated 1,000 people joined the childcare center for its grand opening celebration event on Friday evening, Sept. 12, where children were treated like royalty, with costumed princesses handing out gifts, and families enjoyed face painting and cotton candy as they explored the facility.
The childcare center, Boyko said, serves children from two to 12, offering a range of classes and activities, including preschool, TK, kindergarten, and after-school care, with both English and bilingual classrooms. Boyko also plans to offer another classroom in the future for children who are participating in home school. The center also offers classes in the evening, such as ballet classes, and is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. for working families who need childcare later than 6 p.m.
Boyko also runs Advanced Early Childhood Education, another preschool in Citrus Heights that was designed to help the Eastern European immigrant community and has just under fifty second-language learner students, along with educators who speak their languages.
Previously Ryan worked as a first-grade teacher, before becoming a transitional kinder and kindergarten teacher and then the center director at Advanced Early Childhood Education. She spent two years as director prior to moving over to Sunrise Montessori when it opened.
When opening the new preschool, Boyko said she wanted to focus on building a stronger rapport with English speaking families, and while there are some bilingual classes, all teachers are American-born and speak English primarily.
After having four children, Boyko found herself exhausted and needed a lifestyle change. She began investing in her health and nutrition, lost weight, and began teaching her children how to cook organically. She said she strives to bring her knowledge and experience with health and nutrition to all children who come through her childcare centers so that they can live healthier lives.
Boyko emphasized that both her preschools focus on providing healthy, all-natural food, and that children are also offered age-appropriate cooking classes.
Ryan said the childcare center employs a range of learning experiences, including Montessori lessons taught for an hour and a half per day by a certified Montessori instructor and fairytale readings led by a Waldorf-trained instructor.
Children have access to an enclosed playground with several shade structures overhead as well as multiple extracurricular activities throughout the day, including art, music and physical education, and gymnastics.
“I love this area. I saw that in this area, there is a big, huge need for quality high education for kids,” Boyko said, adding that she has high standards for her children in the Advanced Early Childhood Education center and that elementary teachers who have taught children who attended the Advanced Early Childhood Education center have commended her efforts and success.
Looking to the future, Boykov said she wants to bring the Citrus Heights community together and plans to host community events several times per year to provide families free, safe, and fun activities, similar to the activities that took place during the grand opening celebration.
