School
About Us
Our school is unique in countless ways. WIDE School has a partnership with Learning Center Collaborative, a growing community of educators working to transform education for all students,and is a Big Picture Learning school.
Our Story
Our school is unique in countless ways. WIDE School has a partnership with Learning Center Collaborative, a growing community of educators working to transform education for all students,and is a Big Picture Learning school. WIDE School is Licensed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and accredited by the National Private Schools Accreditation Group. WIDE School is a private school, inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, and is in the Missouri City/Sugar Land Texas area, serving the Fort Bend area communities since 2001. WIDE is a place where children are supported as they Wonder, Investigate, Discover and Educate themselves and their community. WIDE School educates and cares for children from infancy old through high school. Within the school’s campus, there are several different departments made up of teams of educators and/or specialists in various fields. The care and programs offered:
- Early Childhood Program
- Infant/Toddler (0-24 months)
- Preschool (3-4 years)
- PreK/Bridge (4-5 years)
- School Aged Program
- Elementary (K-5)
- Middle School (6-8)
- High School (9-12)
Our Director, Maryam Lumpkin, and our Art Director, Marjon F. Aucoin, are sisters whose combined 6 children attend the school. Maryam graduated from Houston Baptist University in 2001 and was awarded a Bachelor of Business Administration with majors in Business Administration and Marketing. Also in 2001, Maryam joined the Little Wonders Learning Center (now known as the WIDE School) and trained under her aunt, Nikou Fatemizadeh for several years before becoming the director. Nikou earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Sam Houston State University and has 35 years of experience in many educational endeavors including spending 10 years as the Curriculum Coordinator for the Lab School at Houston Community College. Under Maryam’s directorship, she formed a partnership with her sister and professional artist, Marjon F. Aucoin, now the school’s Creative Director and head the of Yellow House Atelier. Together they have pursued their deep commitment to understanding the thought processes of children and finding innovative ways of educating them. Maryam and Marjon are on site and actively work with all the students and staff.
- Think Tank Department – Creative Educators & Subject Experts
- Yellow House Atelier – Fine Arts, Visual Arts, Audio, Sound, Music, Technology
- Rediscovering Food – Nutrition, Cooking Departments
- Library & Language – Library skills, Research, Reading & Spanish
- Outdoor Classrooms – Physical Education, Yoga & Gardening
Establishing the WIDE Campus
Powered with the current needs of both schools and the exciting future ahead, Maryam and Marjon began another exciting journey of building their own campus in 2016! The WIDE campus is a physical space for educators and families alike to bring together their expertise and passions for the benefit of our children, our community, and each other. Affectionately known as the WIDE campus, Maryam Lumpkin and Marjon F. Aucoin can now offer the type of education that our children deserve and our future needs.
"The WIDE campus is a platform with immense opportunity for everyone involved. It is so much bigger than us. We are part of a movement in education that I am so proud to be part of. In our schools, education and childhood live together. It is simply incredible to see children learn and grow everyday while being true to themselves." - Marjon F. Aucoin
What is Learning Center Collaborative?
The creation of our elementary program
As Maryam and Marjon’s own children got closer to the age of starting elementary school, they looked endlessly for a school that shares their strong image of children. They ultimately decided to create a school they would want for their own children.
The sisters believe that our world needs future adults who can think for themselves, tackle complex problems, think outside the box, and embody true self confidence that comes from years of practicing these skills in various ways. As parents and educators, they believe that children deserve a powerful childhood that is full of wonder, curiosity, creativity, imagination, questioning, and rich experiences. They believe that when a child goes to school, they should be surrounded by supportive teachers that believe in their individual strengths and talents. The teachers should be fully dedicated to creating lifelong learners who feel connected to the world around them and who are motivated and feel fully capable to execute their dreams. Ten years later, in 2011, they began another journey by opening the elementary component: The School of Wonders (now known as the WIDE School).