WHO team in Wuhan visits provincial disease control center

Australian prime minister says Bing could replace Google

WEST WYOMING &#8211; A longstanding business in the borough where thousands of preschool children have attended, will turn 40 years old on Monday.
				The Cookie Corner, under current owner Toni Tossi-Tabone, has faced adversity over the last 10 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but her attention is to look forward for the children.
				The Cookie Corner preschool was conceived and brought to life by educators Donna Begliomini-Brenner and her sister, Sandie Charney.
				The Begliomini sisters were raised in the very same building on the second floor where their father owned and operated Tri-County Battery on the first floor.
				When the building became vacant, the Begliomini sisters opened the doors to the preschool utilizing both floors.
				Charney left The Cookie Corner after four years for another opportunity, leaving the school in the hands of Begliomini-Brenner.
				Begliomini-Brenner said it took four or five years before the school was fully established, carrying a maximum of 80 students. Over the last 35 years, The Cookie Corner has had a yearly waiting list to get accepted into the preschool.
				In 2018, Begliomini-Brenner decided to step back, offering the business to her handpicked successor, Tossi-Tabone, who accepted the offer and purchased the school.
				&ldquo;After I was asked to buy the school, I remember being at the beach and remember waking up early and I went down to sit on the beach, and nobody was there because it was early and I prayed, &lsquo;If this is not meant to be, please God, don&rsquo;t let me get me into something I can&rsquo;t do.&rsquo; And here I am now.&rdquo;
				Tossi-Tabone, 44, a Wyoming Area graduate, received a bachelor&rsquo;s degree in Elementary Education and a certificate in Early Childhood Education from King&rsquo;s College before accepting a teaching job at The Cookie Corner right out of college.
				&ldquo;I never saw myself teaching below second grade,&rdquo; Tossi-Tabone admitted. &ldquo;Once I got here, I fell it love with it. The families, the kids, oh my gosh, it&rsquo;s great. I even remember my first class, and that&rsquo;s why I&rsquo;m here &#8211; it&rsquo;s the kids.&rdquo;
				Before she took over the reigns, where she taught at the preschool for 19 years, she was Begliomini-Brenner&rsquo;s assistant for many years making her a perfect fit to own and run the school.
				Today the rolls are reversed with Begliomini-Brenner now acting as an assistant to Tossi-Tabone working two days per week.
				&ldquo;Despite all the changes cast upon us, Toni was the perfect fit to the puzzle which required all the qualities of a leader,&rdquo; Begliomini-Brenner said. &ldquo;Not one day was I ever disappointed in her judgment and performance. I&rsquo;m for forever grateful to have her carry on our tradition with excellence, integrity and compassion.&rdquo;
				Even with all of the knowledge she gained as an assistant, Tossi-Tabone had a bit of a learning curve, plenty more paperwork to deal with, and eventually faced a major pandemic.
				&ldquo;Being here all these (years) is has been wonderful, but I&rsquo;m a teacher first,&rdquo; Tossi-Tabone said. &ldquo;Being in the office is hard for me, so I make myself available to cover in the classrooms. That&rsquo;s my passion &#8211; teaching&rdquo;
				It&rsquo;s been a rough go since mid-March 2020; Tossi-Tabone has been doing all she could in keeping the school afloat, with Begliomini-Brenner now by her side.
				Since the pandemic, it&rsquo;s been Tossi-Tabone&rsquo;s job to see her staff of 15 staying safe and keeping the children from the ages of 18 months to 5&#189;-years old, safe as well.
				After 10 months into the pandemic, Tossi-Tabone week consists of regular phone calls from the Department of Health and inspectors constantly updating the latest rules and regulations for both students and staff.
				During COVID-19, The Cookie Corner has taken precautions and has been following CDC regulations. They have increased outdoor activity, indoor purification systems were installed on each floor, desks, tables and chairs are sanitized regularly to ensure safety for the children.
				Masks are mandatory for staff members, temperatures are taken regularly and parents drop off and pick up children at the door.
				Tossi-Tabone said due to being closed for several months in 2020, revenue has been down, but with an understanding staff and managing the books, she has managed to keep the school running. She said she hopes the dark days of the pandemic will be behind everyone soon.
				The preschool is open 52 weeks a year closing only for 10 official federal holidays, snow days not included. They offer toddler programs, nursery school, preschool daycare program and kindercamp.

126397871_web1_Cookie-Corner-40th-1

The Cookie Corner celebrates 40 years