What is “Inspiring Minds”
This will be a full year enrichment program. This program will be offered Monday-Friday afternoons. Each day will have a different enrichment theme with special activities, playtime, stories, and more. Each class will start out having lunch (from 11:20 – 12:30). The cost for lunch is included in the class cost. PLEASE REMEMBER: WE ARE A “PEANUT-FREE SCHOOL." After lunch, they will be escorted to their assigned classroom for a short nap to prepare them for their class (12:30 – 2:45). We MUST have a minimum of 5 children to be able to run a class. Here is a list of “Inspiring Minds” classes and teachers for each day:
Mondays: “Learning Math with a Musical Twist” with Mrs. Kaluzny and Mrs. Valenti
Mrs. Kaluzny, our Bunny Class teacher and Mrs. Valenti our Puppy teacher, will set the groundwork for mathematical success through the use of manipulatives and songs. The children will explore many basic concepts, such as numbers, patterns and shapes (just to name a few!) as we incorporate them in projects, stories, games and playing instruments.
Tuesdays: “World of Science” with Mrs. O’Donnell and Mrs. Ellsworth
Mrs. O’Donnell, our Elephant teacher and Mrs. Ellsworth, our Teddy Bear teacher, will introduce your child to the World of Science. We will have lots of fun exploring various topics such as colors, chemical reactions, volcanoes, using a balance scale, and magnetic attraction. Just to name a few. The children will be encouraged to make predictions and we’ll use hands-on-experiments to see if we were right!
Wednesday: “Reading Railroad” with Mrs. Kaluzny and Mrs. O’Donnell
Mrs. Kaluzny, our Bunny teacher and Mrs. O’Donnell, our Elephant teacher will give the children some of the tools they need to build confidence in reading. They will study the alphabet, learn sight words, and create their own books. Stories, rhymes, oral speaking, and games will be part of the fun.
Thursday: “Passport Program” with Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Flynn
Mrs. Anderson, our Bunny teacher and Mrs. Flynn, our Elephant teacher will accompany the children to at least one country on each continent. Some of the countries to be studied are: Spain, France, India, Egypt, China, Sweden, Italy, Kenya, Canada, Japan, and Germany. December is their “Holidays around the World” celebration. The children will talk about geography, people and their culture, language, and foods. They will also make flags that represent each country, listen to music, play games, and make native crafts as they travel abroad.
Fridays: Funtastic Fridays with Mrs. Ellsworth and Mrs. Daniel
Do you remember playing Red Light, Green Light; Follow the Leader, and Freeze Tag just to name a few nostalgic games? Mrs. Ellsworth does, and she would like to teach YOUR children how to play these games and many others on FUNTASTIC FRIDAY afternoons. Balloon volleyball, relay races and other organized games will be included.