Our Team & Facility
Elizabeth Andry
Director & Co-Owner
With a nurturing personality and hands-on approach toward learning, we are thrilled to have Mrs. Elizabeth as Southside's Director. Elizabeth is an experienced educator who came to Southside because she is passionate about providing the highest quality childcare in Baton Rouge. She is dedicated and determined to carry on the mission and legacy of Southside CDC, not only for your child but for her child as well! As an administrator AND a parent to one of the students in our nursery classroom, Elizabeth has the unique ability to see Southside from both perspectives.
Elizabeth earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Elementary Education from Louisiana State University and is certified in both Early Elementary Education and Elementary Education. Before taking on her new role as Director and Co-Owner of Southside, Elizabeth taught for over a decade at Peabody Montessori Magnet School in Alexandria, LA, and in Baton Rouge, at St. George Catholic School and St. Jude Catholic School.
Please stop by to meet Mrs. Elizabeth or schedule a one-on-one tour today!
Denise Curwick
Founder
Southside Child Development Center was founded in 1992 by Ms. Denise Curwick for the sole purpose of providing high quality child care for families in the Baton Rouge community and surrounding areas. Ms. Curwick graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1981 from Louisiana State University. She taught middle school and high school science students for 10 years, and earned her Masters of Education from Louisiana State University. She is certified by the Louisiana State Department of Education as a Secondary School Principal. In 1997 she was appointed by Governor Foster as a member on the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program Advisory Council; she accepted reappointment to this position by Governor Blanco. Ms. Curwick is a Comprehensive Affiliate Member of the NAEYC and the Child Care Association of Louisiana.
Ms. Curwick's hard work and dedication to Southside's families set the standard for high quality child care in Baton Rouge. One year after we opened our doors, we earned national accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children and Southside continues to be consistently ranked as one of the premier childcare centers in the State. Although Ms. Curwick officially retired in 2019, her vision lives on through Mrs. Elizabeth and the rest of Southside's exceptional staff.
Stephanie Holland
Ronnel Lenoir
Assistant Director
Mrs. Stephanie, a Baton Rouge native, brings over twenty-five years of experience in child care and early childhood education to Southside. Throughout her career, she has served in many roles and has taught children of all ages from infants to preschoolers. Mrs. Stephanie's tireless devotion to Southside's children and their families is evident in everything that she does. She is instrumental in our day to day operation and tackles every task with a warm smile. She is dedicated to providing a nurturing, stimulating environment where our little ones are excited to learn and play. Mrs. Stephanie truly has a love for children and goes the extra mile to make sure each child feels safe, secure, and happy from the moment they walk through our front door!
Head Chef
Mr. Ronell graduated from the Louisiana Culinary Institute in 1984. Mr. Ronell has earned recognition for his work by receiving numerous medals from the Culinary Classic of Louisiana and other organizations for his culinary achievements. He worked at three fine dining restaurants before beginning his employment at Southside in April of 1998, a career change he made to spend more time with family. He is a fixture of Southside and is adored by all who meet him! He prepares fresh, nutritious meals and snacks and tailors his weekly menus to fit our children's unique needs. He also keeps a vegetable garden on our grounds and the older classes love to help plant and pick their own veggies!
Our Classrooms and Playgrounds
At Southside, we have dedicated playgrounds
for each age group and developmental stage
Southside Child Development Center
Conveniently Located in the heart of Baton Rouge, right off of College Drive, near I-10
Teddy Bear Pre-K Classroom
3-4 year olds
We encourage children's curiosity and imagination in the Teddy Bear den! We have developed a stimulating, age appropriate curriculum to meet your child's individual needs and best prepare him or her for the transition to elementary school while still in a familiar, safe environment they’ve come to know at Southside. We have a low, 9 to 1 student-to-teacher ratio which strikes a perfect balance of individual attention and the independence your little one thrives on. Teddy Bears learn a letter sound and recognition each week and are matching numbers to quantities.
BONUS: Spanish classes are included in tuition.
Tiger Classroom
appx. 20 months - 3 1/2 years old
The roaring Tigers are enjoying music, art, learning activities and outside play. Come by and see all the fun! Our Tigers class houses children who are talking in sentences, have an interest in potty training, are able to follow simple directions, singing ABC's and 123's, and can sit at a table and chair to eat.
BONUS: Spanish classes are included in tuition!
Alligator Classroom
Toddlers - appx. 11 months - 30 months
Come and see the spacious, stimulating environment in our Alligator class! The Toddlers enjoy art, music, centers, and outside play. Our Toddler class is designed for a child who is walking well, is off the daytime bottle, is taking only one nap a day, enjoys outside play, and is socially comfortable around other children of the same development stage. Southside’s low child-to-teacher ratio of 6 to 1 allows for plenty of individual attention, as well as peer interaction and playtime. Toddlers who demonstrate a physical and emotional readiness for potty-training will begin training in this class.
Monkey Classroom
Older Infants - appx. 9 months - 16 months
Infants move from the nursery classroom to the older infant class based on developmental stage. At Southside, we believe that care should be tailored to each individual child and should grow with them, at their pace. We keep our older infant classrooms with a 4 to 1, infant to teacher ratio, as well. Small class sizes make Southside unique and allow us to be sure each child receives the one on one attention, love and care they deserve!
Zebra Classroom
Older Infants - appx. 9 months - 16 months
Infants move from the nursery classroom to the older infant class based on developmental stage. At Southside, we believe that care should be tailored to each individual child and should grow with them, at their pace. We keep our older infant classrooms with a 4 to 1, infant to teacher ratio, as well. Small class sizes make Southside unique and allow us to be sure each child receives the one on one attention, love and care they deserve
Giraffe Nursery Classroom
6 weeks - appx. 9 months
At Southside, we have 2 infant nursery classrooms, that we keep with a 4 to 1, infant to teacher ratio. Small class sizes make Southside unique and allows us to be sure each child receives the one on one attention, love and care they deserve!
Kangaroo Nursery Classroom
6 weeks - appx. 9 months old
We keep our nursery classrooms with a 4 to 1, infant to teacher ratio. These small class sizes make Southside unique and allow us to be sure each child receives the one on one attention, love and care they deserve!
Interested in joining our team?
Please complete the form to apply for a position with us.