Why Small Businesses Matter
Shop small, do big things for your community
Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are “tagged” have the opportunity to share their story!
You're IT La Casita de Rosina - Immersive Spanish Playgroup!
Three questions with Rosina Negron, founder of La Casita de Rosina - Immersive Spanish Playgroup.
Why did you start your business?
La Casita de Rosina Immersive Spanish Playgroup was developed from the desire to empower me during a difficult time in my life while at the same time providing a service that I thought would be of benefit to our community.
I enjoy being a substitute teacher in the Fairfield Public Schools, something I began doing after taking a pause from my professional career, architecture, and historic preservation, as I strived to find a balance with family life. In December 2020, after being diagnosed with breast cancer, at the age of COVID, I had to take a break from the school environment.
Seeing that World Language/Spanish education starts a bit late for our children in the public school system, and those that have the benefit of a bilingual upbringing struggle not wanting to speak and practice a second language; my own child said at the age of four ‘take the Spanish out of me,’ I felt a playgroup setting was a good start.
La Casita de Rosina is what I call my ‘chemo brain project.’ With the help of the Connecticut Small Business Development Center, while undergoing chemotherapy, I put together a business plan, created an LLC, and transformed my garage into an outdoor classroom. In July 2021 I began offering free trials and provided a few summer playgroups. This Fall, I enjoyed having a handful of kids in the playgroup and will continue offerings for Caregiver & Me, Preschool, Elementary, and Middle school children in Winter, Spring, and Summer.
La Casita de Rosina offers small, outdoor, playgroup activities designed to teach Spanish as a natural daily occurrence. We do read-aloud, songs, crafts, and games in order to keep the children engaged and interested in the language.
Have you “reimagined” your small business?
Although I have just started, I begin each day trying to figure out how to improve my business. On September 15th, to mark Hispanic Heritage Month, I opened a Little Free Library in my property to provide bilingual and foreign language books mainly for children, where they can take a book but also share a book. Some of the books that we place in the La Casita Little Library we have used in our playgroup read aloud.
Rosina would like to nominate Sawdust and Strata to be featured next!
La Casita de Rosina - Immersive Spanish Playgroup is located at 952 Old Post Road in Fairfield. Visit La Casita de Rosina - Immersive Spanish Playgroup online here, and make sure to check out their Facebook and Instagram pages as well!
HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!