Our First 100 Days at Sycamore Point Academy

Somehow, some way, Sycamore Point Academy is officially 100 days old.

Which feels impossible, because we are pretty sure we were just standing in an empty building saying things like, “This will be cute once we get furniture,” and “How hard can it be?”

Famous last words.

Turns out, opening a clinic involves a lot of things.

Paperwork.
Phone calls.
Painting.
Moving furniture.
Building furniture.
Rearranging furniture you just built.
Buying things you forgot.
Buying more things you forgot.
Wondering why everything needs batteries.
And saying, “Okay, new plan,” at least four times before lunch.

But somewhere between the supply runs, late nights, hallway conversations, and “does anyone know where the extra timers went?” moments, something really special started to happen.

Sycamore Point became real.

Not just open.

Real.

It became morning hellos at the door.

It became lunch boxes in cubbies, backpacks on hooks, timers beeping, visuals being made, sneakers running down the hallway, and staff celebrating tiny victories like they just won a championship.

It became learners trying new things, building routines, finding their voices, making choices, asking for help, taking breaks, making us laugh, and reminding us every single day why this place matters.

And wow, have we had some firsts.

Our first day of therapy.

Our first family event.

Our first newsletter.

Our first community outing.

Our first field trip.

Our first “we are going to need more snacks.”

Our first “who moved the spare headphones?”

Our first “please tell me someone charged the iPad.”

Our first “that worked better than we thought it would.”

And our first “well, we are never doing it that way again.”

That might be the real magic of the first 100 days.

You learn. You adjust. You laugh. You try again.

You make a plan, then the day reminds you that flexibility is, in fact, part of the job.

So you pivot.

You problem-solve.

You make another visual.

You find the missing clicker.

You celebrate the win.

You keep going.

And in these first 100 days, there have been so many wins.

Big wins. Little wins. Loud wins. Quiet wins. Wins that look like communication. Wins that look like independence. Wins that look like a smooth transition, a brave first try, a new friendship, a completed routine, or a learner walking in with a little more confidence than they had before.

Those are the moments that built Sycamore Point.

Not the furniture.

Although, respectfully, the furniture also took years off our lives & the stairs humbled us more than once.

What built this place was the people.

Our learners, who bring the magic.

Our families, who trusted us while we were still figuring out where half the light switches were.

Our staff, who show up with patience, humor, creativity, and the kind of hearts you cannot teach.

Our community, who cheered us on, shared our posts, donated supplies, showed up for us, and made us feel like this little academy already belonged here.

The first 100 days have been busy, funny, messy, hopeful, sweet, exhausting, and completely worth it.

We have learned a lot.

We have grown a lot.

We have laughed a lot.

And most importantly, we have watched Sycamore Point become exactly what we hoped it would be:

A place where our learners are supported.

A place where families are welcomed.

A place where all progress is celebrated.

A place where people care deeply.

A place where every day brings something new, even when that something new is just a mystey snack no one remembers leaving in the fridge.

So here’s to our first 100 days.

To the firsts, the wins, the laughs, the learning curves, the snack emergencies, dance parties, the hallway celebrations, and every little moment that made this place feel like home.

We are grateful.

We are proud.

We are probably out of paper towels .

And we are just getting started.