The Foundation
Grace's Story
The story of Toddlers Corner started long before I arrived. In the late 1960s, a family moved from Zambia and Scotland to settle in Johannesburg. At the heart of this family was Mrs. Grace Verney.
Grace had a lifelong passion for caring for others. She had worked as a nurse in Zambia and even ran a nursery school there while raising her own children. With her family’s support and her natural gift for childcare, they found the perfect home for a new school right here at 2 Cabot Avenue.
Everyone in the family pitched in to get the property ready. The school grew beautifully, from small children to older children needing aftercare. Tragically, Grace lost her life in an accident, but the warm, caring foundation she built remained. Her legacy is still the beating heart of our school today.
Passing the Torch
(1988 to Present)
Shane’s story
After Grace passed away, her dedicated staff wanted to make sure her school went into the right hands. They took it upon themselves to interview and vet the new owners!
In August 1988, I walked through the gates of Toddlers Corner for the first time, and the staff decided I was the right person to lead the school into its next chapter. Now, more than three decades later, my love for early childhood education is stronger than ever. There is simply no greater joy than walking into the classrooms each morning and being greeted by happy, settled children.
Over the years, we’ve grown and changed. We started welcoming babies from three months old, and we shifted from a traditional play school into a true early learning centre that prepares children for moving on to the next class and ultimately to big school.
I’ve also loved being involved in our broader community, serving as Secretary of the Edenvale Nursery School Liaison Committee for many years. Today, we continue to work closely with the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to make sure we are giving our little ones the best start possible.
Our Philosophy Today
Why We Love
What We Do
My favourite part of the day is listening to the children talk or cuddling the little ones. They absorb so much from the adults around them. When parents laugh and say, "I don't know where they get that from," I always smile and ask, "Can't you see yourself in your mini-me?"
I just love seeing the children hop and skip happily through our gates in the morning. If a child isn't quite feeling like themselves—whether they are missing Mom or Dad, sad about losing a pet, or just feeling sick—we notice right away. Our job is to make sure they feel safe, understood, and loved.
I couldn't do any of this without my team. We work closely together to plan activities and find fun new ways to help the children learn through play. We really are a family, and I am so proud that our educators have been with us for anywhere from 5 to 28 years!
Having a close, familiar team is incredibly important for creating a supportive environment for our little ones.
Our classrooms and playgrounds have changed over the years to suit each age group, but the heart of Toddlers Corner is the same.
Over the years, I have always made it a point to move with the times. In early childhood development, strong, traditional roots are everything—children need that grounded, joyful base before anything else. Yet, as the world outside our classroom doors shifted, I knew our little ones could reach even further.
When I first brought up the idea of introducing robotics and coding to our senior group, a wave of hesitation settled over the room. Sceptics wondered if it was too much, too soon, or simply too technical for little hands. But I had watched these children build their skills from the ground up. I knew just how steady their footing was, and I trusted what they could achieve.
Three years have passed since that first leap and watching them work today is pure magic. Those small fingers and eager minds haven’t just kept up—they have sailed past every expectation we ever held, proving that when the roots are deep, our children can reach for the sky.
My family means the world to me, but Toddlers Corner is my second home. The children we care for and the educators I work with are the light of my life. We've built a real family here, and being part of their daily laughter and learning is the greatest privilege I could ask for.