TerraNichol Academy of the Arts
Our story and journey learning through play. 27th-31st, 2020
Our Journey Through Learning Labs
Ciao Beautiful TerraNichol school family,
Learning Labs offer a sense of wonder, encourage creative thinking and problem solving, and inspire social cooperative play while engaging in projects and activities that promote growth and development across the curriculum.
It's a Wrap!
This week began at the end of January! What a way to end a great month with Fill Your Heart with Art. Heart With Art Day is a day to ponder how art affects your heart. Art is valued and appreciated for all sorts of reasons. Of the broad spectrum of art created in the world, the pieces that move us to tears or cause us to burst out into joyous laughter remain with us for a lifetime. Whether we are touched by music or see into an artist’s soul through their work, art has the power to change us, to inspire our hearts.
The day encourages us to explore the many genres of art and let it inspire us.
We hope it inspires you to celebrate the art in a way that puts art in your heart.
- Visit an art gallery.
- Attend a live theatre performance
- Read a good book.
- Listen to music.
- Attend a ballet performance
- Start your masterpiece.
- Teach someone how to play an instrument.
- Check out art history books for kids.
- Explore a new technique.
- See an inspirational film.
- Share your art with others.
Yoga Journey focused on some yoga games! Pass the yoga block worked our strength, focus and body coordination. We really engaged our motor planning skills as we moved into the Color Dot Game and Introduced our new poses for February--Love Flow! We end each yoga with our calming yoga tea and Tino enjoyed a cup with us!
Drama Journey we pretend to jump in glorious mud puddles and walked across the pretend bridge hoping the crocodiles did not snap at us, played the Circle Movement Game, and went on an adventure of the Magic Hat and continued our acting games! Bravo
Thursday arrived with a chance for us to get a taste for the February learning labs to come. We dabbled in loose parts, and friendship projects and we are eager to explore more next week! We also introduced to Pointillism, which is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image. Thank you, Miss Kristi, for a fantastic art experience.
Upcoming Learning Labs
February brings some new exciting, and inspiring learning labs. As our projects will be influenced by love, respect and friendship students will be creating Friendship bracelets and necklaces, making friendship letters and postcards for friends at school, and exploring with hearts in loose parts experiences focusing on math, literacy, fine motor and sensory development skills.
Art Appreciation will lead us to the fabulous worlds of classical ballet, modern dance as students will be introduced to the fabulous artist Edgar Degas. We will explore dancing positions, dance movements, dressing up in dance costumes and creating our very own watercolor masterpieces through the eyes of a dancer.
Music Appreciation: Motown, Jazz, and songs about friendship will be heard throughout learning labs! We will be dancing with partners in practice for our Friendship Dance!
Let's get Jazzy with it this month! We will introduce the students to some great Jazz legends and inspire them to make their own music. This month we will focus on naming instruments, recognizing instruments by sight and the beautiful sounds that they make.
Dramatic Play: Students will be involved in pretend play such as delivering packages and letters, working at the post office, creating letters and postcards to send to friends.
The Reggio Emilia Approach!
The Reggio Approach has some key elements that we work to incorporate into our school environments:
- The image of the child as competent and capable.
- That symbolic representation by the children enhances their learning, cognitively, socially and creatively using a wide variety of materials, vehicles, and tools.
- Learning is social and collaborative.
- It is best nurtured with the allowance and freedom of time. The teacher, parents, and caregivers as active participants and guides in this journey.
- A purposely created environment as our curriculum.
Sensory Play!
The end of January's Yoga Flow!
Benefits include:
- Breathing more efficiently and having an awareness of your breath
- Becoming stronger and more coordinated, important for both fine and gross motor skills
- Learning stillness and silence, being able to listen to your body
- Focus and awareness of self- important skills for children beginning school
- Ability to relax your body
- Balancing, another important skill for gross motor coordination, and creating core strength
The greatest challenge in teaching young children is to hold their attention long enough for them to reap the benefits of yoga. During a regular class, adults are expected to be silent, hold the poses for a longer amount of time, and have a general idea of what is coming next when the instructor quietly whispers “pigeon pose.”
In a kid's yoga workshop, it is much more active- you might find them growling like a bear, yawning like a sleepy lion, balancing like a flamingo, or howling like a wolf! You must be prepared to change your direction at a moment’s notice if you see interest waning. Most children love making the animal sounds and posing like a lion, tiger or bear.
We are looking forward to challenging ourselves for the month of February and working towards our new yoga mindful goals.
Art Enrichment Workshop with Miss Kristi.
Drama and Poetry Workshop
Friendship Dance 2020
Spread love, kindness, friendship and random acts of kindness.
The annual Friendship Dance began 13 years ago by 3 alumni students. The Friendship Dance became a TerraNichol tradition! The Friendship Dance is to honor the beautiful friendships formed at our school. Students are invited to dress their best on Thursday, FEBRUARY 13th. Many students wear hats, scarves, dresses, and dress pants and shirts. Remember it is a regular school day and clothes must be functional for a typical school day. Please refrain from dress shoes as this is a safety hazard. Dressing up is optional for students who choose to do so. We will be partners dancing to Motown and songs about Friendship. We will also have a friendship photo booth and we promise to take many photos throughout the dance!
Reminder: Students will make friendship letters and postcards throughout the month in learning labs. Please no Valentine's cards are to come from home to school. Students will pretend to mail their letters and postcards in the dramatic play area and will bring their letters and postcards home.
We love to work smarter not harder. We need your help!
- Please make sure your child has everything they need for lunch. Cloth mat, napkin, utensils, and drink cup filled with water. Containers that are easy to open on their own and containers and drink cups that fit easily inside their lunch bags.
- Safe closed-toe shoes (Please no dress shoes or boots) Shoes that are easy for them to put on and off themselves. Loose-fitting clothing. Please refrain from buttons, snaps or zippers.
- Please pack Healthy growing foods. Brain food.
- We have a no superhero clothing policy. We want to promote a calm, peaceful, mindful and kind learning environment. Students are too young developmentally to understand superheroes.
- Arrival time-- all students need to arrive between 8:30 am-9:00 am. We will not accept students after 9:00 am.
- Please email by 7:30 am any absentees.
- Please, Please Part Day parents we need you to be on time. We have many tasks to get done before the end day. Including Teacher Breaks. Please be respectful of our very limited time.
- Please email us if someone other than a parent is dropping off or picking up your child.
We are looking for parent co-op volunteers for special projects.
- Repair the playhouses.
- New benches for the dramatic play area.
All items would need to be weatherproof no wood. Recycle wood composite.
We would need the projects completed by March.
Mark Your Calendars
February
3rd School Closed for Professional Day
13th Friendship Dance and Tea Party
14th School Closed for Mini Break
17th School Closed for President's Day
March
12th School Closed for Professional Day
13-20th School Closed for Spring Break
February
Random Acts of Kindness and Fairy House Month
2nd Take your child to the library
20th Love Your Pet Day
22nd Walk The Dog Day
March
3rd Different colored shoe day
10th National Day of Awesomeness
20th Day of Happiness
TERRANICHOL ACADEMY OF THE ARTS INNOVATIVE PROGRESSIVE REGGIO EMILIA PRIVATE PRESCHOOL
Upcoming Tours
February 10th @9:30pm
March 9th @9:30pm
April 13th @9:30pm
May 11th @9:30pm
RSVP Click on the link to submit a letter of intent and application prior to the tour.
http://www.terranichol.com/parents
TerraNichol Academy of The Arts School is the kind of school parents expect, educators celebrate and children adore. Our approach to learning celebrates the great potential of young children, with the goal of nurturing self-motivated, life-long learners. The learning labs are guided by our Master Teachers as well as the Founder of TerraNichol Academy of The Arts Preschool with low teacher-to-child ratio to allow for one-on-one engagement and thoughtful observation. Join our small community school for a backstage tour and be inspired by our thoughtful team of Early Childhood Educators here at TerraNichol Academy.
Come and Explore our Reggio Emilia program at TerraNichol Academy acclaimed for the stunning environments, their educators who create, provoke and dazzle the student's senses, invite curiosity and discovery, and most importantly, foster strong, respectful meaningful relationships.
Come learn about the values for children in the program:
Being a home away from home
connecting children to their families
helping children to be powerful and active
being a steward of the natural world
seeing oneself as a capable learner
recognizing and being curious
We provide a school environment that is beautiful and taken care of with an attitude of care so that parents, children, and teachers want to come to school every day.
It is with intelligent heart and courage that we continue our goals and vision to continue to proceed the work of a child.
Email: terranicholacademy@gmail.com
Website: www.terranichol.com
Location: 701 Old Englewood Road, Englewood, FL, United States
Phone: 941-474-3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerraNichol-Academy-of-The-Arts-School-257753271185/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: @terranichol