We Matter! 🧠💛

Friday was a little different at the Academy! Our school was closed so our incredible educators could spend the day learning, growing, and investing in themselves.

We welcomed back the amazing Colleen Schmidt for a powerful professional development day focused on something that could not matter more: how our presence in the classroom helps wire a developing brain for success.

As early childhood educators, we have an extraordinary responsibility. The experiences, interactions, conversations, encouragement, and connections we provide during these early years can have a lasting impact on how children learn, grow, communicate, regulate emotions, and understand the world around them.

One statistic from our day really stopped us in our tracks:

More than 60% of IQ is developed before a child turns 5 years old.

Every conversation.

Every book we read.

Every question we answer.

Every hug.

Every moment we get down on a child's level and truly listen.

Every time we encourage them to try again.

WE MATTER.

Our teachers aren't supervising children. They are creating environments where developing brains can thrive. They are building relationships, creating meaningful experiences, modeling language, encouraging problem-solving, and helping children develop the skills they will carry with them long after they leave our classrooms.

🏆 A Summer Worth Celebrating!

This summer, The Academy of Indian Lake Village took home TWO incredible awards! 🥳

🏆 Best Leader

🏆 Best Community Visibility

We are incredibly proud to serve the Hendersonville community and to be a school that doesn't just care for children, but actively invests in the families, educators, and community around us. We have had a blast at The Summer Concert Series!

And if you know Ms. Morgan, the Best Leader award probably comes as no surprise! After receiving the Energy Award last year, she has continued to bring that same energy, positivity, and passion to our school every single day.

She starts everyone's day with a smile—and that smile is contagious. 💛 But great leadership isn't just about the person at the front. It's about building a team that believes in the mission. Ms. Morgan has led this incredible teaching team to become the team with the highest QRIS score in Hendersonville! That achievement represents the dedication, intentionality, and hard work of every educator who walks through our doors each morning.

Friday reminded us why professional development matters.

The awards reminded us why our community matters.

And our classrooms remind us every single day why early childhood education matters.

Alien Invasion!

Our little learners had an out-of-this-world time celebrating Alien Invasion Day! 👽🛸

At The Academy, we proudly embrace no screen time for our students, but we also recognize that technology is an important part of everyday life in 2026. Our teachers used ChatGPT as a creative teaching tool to generate imaginative alien images that helped bring the day's theme to life and spark conversations, creativity, and pretend play.

The technology stays behind the scenes—the learning, laughter, imagination, and hands-on play happens in the classroom! From becoming little aliens to exploring an alien invasion together, our students showed us just how far their imaginations can travel. 🌎➡️🪐

Who knew learning could be this out of this world?! 👽✨

Color Explosions

Our students put on their white T-shirts and headed outside for a colorful adventure!

Armed with colorful powder balls, our little artists turned the playground into their very own canvas! They tossed, laughed, played, and watched as their plain white shirts transformed into bright, colorful masterpieces. 🎨💥

It was messy, creative, and SO much fun! We love giving our students opportunities to explore creativity through hands-on play—and today was definitely a day to wear the art home! 🌈👕✨

MESS FEST: Playing the Day Away!

If there’s one thing we know how to do at the Academy, it’s PLAY! And during our Play the Day Away week, we took play to a whole new level with our epic MESS FEST! 🤪
Our little explorers jumped right into a sensory-filled experience featuring shaving cream, a pool of Jell-O, a paint slip-and-slide, frosting painting, mud, oobleck, and even a chocolate waterfall! 🍫🎨

Every messy activity gave our students an opportunity to explore different textures, practice creativity, experiment with cause and effect, and—most importantly—have FUN!

Sometimes the best learning happens when children are given the freedom to get messy, get curious, and simply PLAY. MESS FEST was the perfect reminder that childhood is meant to be hands-on, joyful, and a little bit messy!

Because at the Academy, we don't just talk about playing the day away… WE LIVE IT! 💦🫧🎨🍫

Calling All Super Heroes!

Superhero Week was nothing short of SUPER at the Academy of Indian Lake Village! Our little heroes had an action-packed week filled with imagination, teamwork, and unforgettable adventures.

🕷️ Spider-Man even stopped by for a visit! Our students were thrilled to meet a real-life superhero and show off their very best superhero poses.

🥋 We also teamed up with Hero Martial Arts in Hendersonville, TN for a three-day Super Kids Success Workshop! Our students learned confidence, discipline, teamwork, and some seriously impressive martial arts skills. The adventure ended at the dojo on Saturday, where our brave little heroes got to break a real wooden board and earn their very own white belts!

At the Academy, we believe that being a hero isn't just about superpowers—it's about being kind, working together, building confidence, and supporting your community.Because in Hendersonville, teamwork and community go hand in hand! 💙🦸‍♀️🦸‍♂️

Disney Days

If you asked our students where the happiest place on Earth is this week, we're pretty sure they'd say it was The Academy of Indian Lake Village! 💙🏰

Our campus was sprinkled with pixie dust all week long as we celebrated Disney Week, creating magical memories that our students (and teachers!) will never forget.

🌙We kicked off the magic in the coziest way possible! Students and teachers arrived in their favorite pajamas, ready for a day filled with stories, laughter, and dreams worthy of any sleeping beauty!

😈 Who says villains get all the fun? Our students had an absolute blast taking aim at the dunk tank—and yes, they got to dunk the director! There were squeals of excitement, endless laughs, and plenty of splashes. It may have been one of the most popular events of the summer!

🌺Aloha! Our campus transformed into a tropical paradise filled with Hawaiian shirts, leis, island music, and plenty of "ohana." We celebrated the reminder that ohana means family—and family means nobody gets left behind. That's exactly how we feel about every child who walks through our doors.

🚀 To Kindergarten and Beyond!

There wasn't a dry eye in the room as we celebrated our incredible Pre-K graduates with a Toy Story-themed graduation. Watching our students take this exciting step toward kindergarten is always one of the greatest honors. We are so proud of each graduate and can't wait to see all the amazing adventures that lie ahead.

🎭We wrapped up the week with a parade of princesses, superheroes, space rangers, classic characters, and Disney favorites of every kind. Creativity was on full display, and it was the perfect ending to a truly magical week.

At The Academy of Indian Lake Village, we believe learning should be filled with imagination, laughter, and unforgettable experiences. Disney Week reminded us that childhood is meant to be magical, and we're honored to create those moments every single day.

✨ Because around here... this really is the happiest place on Earth! 🏰💙

Help us WIN!

For the past 18 consecutive years, our Academy family has been honored to be voted "Best of" Childcare in Tennessee by Parent Magazine. This incredible recognition is something we never take for granted, and it's all because of the amazing families who trust us with their children every single day.

Now, we're hoping to make it 19 years in a row, and we need YOUR help!

At The Academy of Indian Lake Village, our mission has always been to provide more than just childcare. We strive to create a safe, nurturing environment where children build confidence, develop lifelong friendships, and discover a love of learning through play. From our dedicated teachers and engaging curriculum to our family-centered approach, every day is an opportunity to help children grow academically, socially, and emotionally.

If you've had a positive experience with our school, we would be honored if you would take a moment to vote for us or leave us a positive review on Google. Your vote is not only a wonderful compliment to our staff—it also helps other families discover the quality care and education that has made our Academy a trusted choice for nearly two decades.

Every vote makes a difference!