Liz Whiting – Director

Liz has been with PPEDP since October 2009. She has an undergraduate degree in Child and Family Studies from the University of Tennessee and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from East Tennessee State University. Before joining the Percy Priest family, Liz worked for Bright Horizons Family Solutions for 18 years. She began her time with Bright Horizons as a classroom teacher with preschoolers and went on to become the Assistant Director of several Bright Horizons Early Childhood Programs. She and her husband Darren live in Bellevue with their 3 children~ Myers, Reed and Sofie.

Contact Information

(615) 390-3167 cell
(615) 298-8416, ext. 1821
pptigerclub@yahoo.com

Mission Statement

PPEDP provides a vital link between school and home where children are cared for, respected and taught to respect others and themselves.

PPEDP is a non-profit organization established by parents to meet the childcare needs of Percy Priest School families. PPEDP has a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnic origin, age or physical capabilities.

Program Philosophy

At PPEDP we endeavor to duplicate the home routine of your child before or after his/her normal school day. We recognize that children are individuals with differing needs, interests and abilities. We accommodate these differences by offering a variety of activities.

PPEDP provides a balance between adult-directed and child-directed free play. The children have the freedom to choose where to go, but are given guidelines as to when they can move from one place to another. Some children choose to play alone, while others may play with a small group of friends. We support a child’s choice of activity as long as it is compatible with our safety rules and the group setting.

Percy Priest Extended Day Program received a 3 star rating from the Star- Quality Child Care Program. In addition to being licensed, PPEDP participated in a voluntary program that recognizes child care providers who meet a higher standard of quality. Once qualified for this program, providers can receive one, two, or three stars to place on their license. Each star shows that a provider meets increasingly higher standards. In other words, the more stars a program has, the better the quality of care it offers to children. PPEDP went through a program assessment in December that evaluated all aspects of their program.

Tiger Club Hours of Operation

PPEDP begins operation the first day of school and continues its quality childcare through the end of the school year. The program operates from 7:00 am until start of school and from dismissal until 6:00 pm.

Tiger Club Staff

Our staff meets the requirements set forth by the Tennessee Department of Human Services Child Care Division. Prior to employment, all staff members have had three reference checks and have submitted fingerprints for TBI and FBI criminal background checks. Each staff member is CPR and First Aid certified by the American Red Cross. Further, each staff member attends an additional 18 hours of training each year on topics such as communication, developmentally appropriate practice and behavior management