Our Story

Why “Daisy Lane”?

When I founded Daisy Lane Educational Services, I chose the name as a tribute to my beloved mother-in-law, who grew up in Daisy, South Carolina. She was a woman who believed in the power of words and spent decades collecting her writings. When she was in her late eighties, I, along with my sister-in-law, had the privilege of helping her publish those works in a book we titled Daisy Chains—a celebration of the connections that link one generation to the next.

The name "Daisy Lane" honors her memory while pointing toward a path forward. It represents the journey we take together as educators and learners, building chains of knowledge that connect past to present and present to future.

A Legacy of Learning

Education is not just my profession—it's woven into my family's history spanning more than 650 years.

On my mother's side, I am descended from Geoffrey Chaucer, the Father of English Literature. Chaucer devoted his life to making classical learning accessible, translating Latin texts into English so that ordinary people could access the wisdom of the ancient world. His work reminds us that language is not merely a tool for communication—it is a bridge across time and culture.

On my father's side, my ancestors were among the Moravian settlers who founded Old Salem, North Carolina in 1766. The Moravians believed passionately that everyone—including girls—deserved an excellent education. In 1772, they founded Salem Academy, one of the oldest educational institutions for girls in America. Two centuries later, I walked those same halls as a student, receiving the rigorous classical education my ancestors believed every young person deserved.

My connection to Salem Academy is deeply personal. My father worked as Building Maintenance Superintendent at Salem Academy and College for many years. It was not the highest-paying position he could have taken—in fact, he took a pay cut to accept it. But he had two daughters, and he understood what his Moravian ancestors had understood centuries before: education is the greatest inheritance.

He told me something I've never forgotten: "I knew I would never make enough money to give you everything I wanted to give you, but I could make sure you had a good education so you could do anything you want."

Because my father worked there, my sister attended Salem College and I attended Salem Academy—tuition-free. His financial sacrifice gave us access to the very institutions his ancestors had founded. He chose less money so we could have more opportunity. He valued education above personal wealth, just as the Moravians always had.

Later in his career, my father served as Building and Grounds Supervisor at Home Moravian Church, the historic congregation my ancestral family helped establish. I was married there. My son was christened there. The church and the community it represents are part of who I am. The Moravian pottery pitcher from his funeral service now sits on my desk, holding fresh flowers—a daily reminder that what we build and what we give to the next generation matters far more than what we accumulate for ourselves. This foundation of valuing education and service shaped my own calling to teach.

Thirty Years of Teaching

For three decades, I have taught Latin to students from kindergarten through high school. I pioneered North Carolina's first elementary public school Latin program in 1994 and have taught across K-12 levels at both public and classical charter schools. I spent seven years homeschooling using classical methods and have extensive curriculum development experience with NC Virtual Public School.

Every day in the classroom, I see the same truth my ancestors understood: classical education works. When students grapple with Latin grammar, they're not just learning a dead language—they're training their minds to think with precision. When they read ancient texts, they're joining a conversation that has continued for millennia. They're learning that the past is not dead; it lives in us and will live in the future we're helping to create.

Building Something New

After thirty years of teaching, I'm transitioning to launch Daisy Lane Educational Services—a classical education consulting practice specializing in Latin instruction, curriculum development, and teacher training.

My husband has been my steady encourager throughout this transition. When I told him I wanted to leave my teaching position to launch Daisy Lane, he didn't hesitate. He has always been my soft place to land—the one who finds a way to make things happen when I need them most. His financial support makes this business possible. His emotional support gives me the courage to take this leap. Anything I've asked for as I've built this office and this dream, he's made happen. This venture is mine, but it exists because he believes in me and in the mission of making classical education accessible to more families.

This new venture builds on everything I've learned, but it also honors the women who came before me: the Moravian women who insisted girls deserved education, my mother-in-law who never stopped writing, the generations of teachers and scholars in my family who believed that knowledge is meant to be shared.

My office, where I work and meet with students, reflects these values. My workspace is built around my grandmother's honey maple table—the same table where she read her Bible and wrote cards to family and friends. Nearby sits a bench my husband's grandfather built for their family's farmhouse porch. My father's Moravian pottery pitcher, from the church he served, holds flowers on my desk. And there, where I can see it every day, sits a framed message in my mother's handwriting: "I'm sending you smiles and sunshine for your day! Love you bunches! Mimi."

My mother was my greatest cheerleader. She believed in me, encouraged me, and supported my teaching career with unwavering enthusiasm. She didn't just support me—she embraced my students as her own. When students would tell her they wished she could be their Mimi too, she would crochet blankets for them. She poured her love into every stitch, creating something warm and lasting for children who loved knowing someone cared.

Her message sits on my desk as a daily reminder of what teaching really is: sending smiles and sunshine into young lives. Believing in students. Encouraging them. Loving them "bunches." My mother understood that education is more than curriculum and content—it's about the relationships we build and the warmth we bring to the work.

These are not just decorations. They are reminders that the work I do connects to something larger than myself. They remind me that good teaching, like good craftsmanship, requires patience, attention to detail, and love.

What Makes Daisy Lane Different?

Deep expertise grounded in lived experience. I don't just teach Latin—I understand why it matters. I know how it trains young minds. I've seen what happens when students grasp that they're part of a story that began long before them and will continue long after.

• Classical education rooted in a personal legacy. My commitment to classical learning isn't theoretical. It comes from a family tradition of scholarship dating back to Chaucer himself, and from studying at an institution my own ancestors founded because they believed education was that important.

• A belief that education should be beautiful. The Moravians created exquisite pottery, music, and architecture because they understood that beauty and learning go together. Excellence in teaching means attending to both the content and the presentation—creating learning experiences that are as thoughtful and carefully crafted as the knowledge we're passing on.

• An understanding that every child deserves this. Just as Chaucer translated Latin for common readers and the Moravians educated girls when few others would, I believe excellent classical education should be accessible to all students who want to learn.

Looking Forward

The chains continue. The daisies keep blooming. The lane stretches ahead.

I invite you to walk this path with me—whether you're a parent seeking excellent Latin instruction for your child, a homeschool family building a classical curriculum, or a school looking to strengthen your Latin program.

Let's build something beautiful together. Let's honor the past by preparing the next generation to carry forward the best of what we've inherited.

Let's teach them that words matter. That beauty matters. That the ancient world still has wisdom to offer. That they are part of a story much larger and more magnificent than they ever imagined

Patrice Reaves
Founder, Daisy Lane Educational Services
Graduate, Salem Academy; UNCG, B.A. & M.Ed.
30 Years Teaching Latin, K-12

In memory of those who taught me that learning is a sacred trust: my parents, my grandparents, and my mother-in-law from Daisy, whose book 'Daisy Chains' reminds us that we are all connected—generation to generation, teacher to student, past to future.