Open House

Our annual Open House was a huge success! Families mingled with each other, enjoyed yummy food, learned about our curriculum and judged decorated pumpkins! Our teachers worked so hard to prepare for this night. They all take such pride in their jobs and it shows. It was such a great night and we would love to see this sense of community build in the upcoming years! 

Enrichment classes are included in tuition starting at 18 months! They are provided by Prescholar Enrichments. 

All smiles from staff! 

Ms. Heather was ready for her visitors with a fun experiment! 

Curriculum display

Ms. Jasmine helping pick out baby books!

Curriculum display 

Class pumpkins! The gumball pumpkin was the winner! 

Never Grow Up, Inc. 

Apple cider cheers! These teachers are so dedicated to what they do. We could not do a thing without them. Here's to the years to come! 

Hallowfriendly

Parents and Academy Staff, 

Halloween is a time full of imagination, exploring the senses, dramatic play and memories! As we all know, there is a much darker side to Halloween that is not exactly kid friendly. Check out the links below to ensure a fun, kid friendly Halloween full of positive memories and experiences!

Understanding what is "too scary"

http://families.naeyc.org/learning-and-development/child-development/whats-too-scary

Best Halloween movies for kids:

http://www.parenting.com/article/halloween-movies-for-kids

Kid Friendly Halloween Party Tips:

http://www.bhg.com/halloween/indoor-decorating/easy-halloween-decorations/

Homemade Materials

Children love toys that aren't traditional. They love exploring something unique, full of textures and unlimited possibilities. And we love recycling! Our company operations assistant came out to provide a workshop on how to make homemade classroom items! Here's what they came up with! 

Bootastic Snacks!

Another successful Thankful Thursday in the books! We provided a fun "grab and go" snack last week for our families to curb that commute tummy growl! They loved the jack-o-lantern oranges and ghost cheese! Check out our blog next week for another Thankful Thursday update! 

Branches Bolt!

Branches Ministries is a non-profit ministry created by our owner and his wife to support Academy families and staff in times of need. The Derringer family has a passion for service and they have assisted countless families over the years. We are so grateful to work for truly generous people. 

Each year, we hold several events to raise money for their non-profit. One of the many events is our annual Branches Bolt Mini Marathon! And we mean mini! Each class participates in a mini marathon located at our school and our families are encouraged to join in their first marathon experience! Thank you to all those who donated. For more information about Branches Ministries, check out the link below or stop and ask how you can help! 

https://branchesministries.wordpress.com

Apple Fishing

It's that time of year again! Fall festivals, themed parties, trails and hayrides. Are you looking for Fall activities that minimize germs, are safe, kid approved and mess free? We've got a solution! APPLE FISHING!! That's right, we've got an apple bob alternative that's just as fun but without the safety, mess and germ concerns! 

Supplies:

1- plastic (or real) apples

2- a few sticks

3- pipe cleaners

4- shiny gift bag filler (blue for the water effect)

5- a tub

And VOILA!! 

1-We twisted 2 pipe cleaners around the bottom of the sticks. We used two to ensure good strength to lift the apples.

2- We created a pipe cleaner "leaf" by twisting a pipe cleaner around the apple stems. (This is what we looped when we fished for the apples.) 

3- We tossed in the gift bag filler and apples and staged for use! Here's a couple of action shots! 

Stay tuned for more fun! 

Family Picnic

With Fall in the air, what better way to celebrate than with a family picnic? Well, that's what we thought too...a crisp breeze, leaves falling, just enough clouds floating by, blankets and nature. 

That wasn't the case for our picnic! We postponed for days due to the rain, and we finally said, "Let's bring it inside!" 

Our enrichment room provides the perfect community space for so many of our events, so we just told the families to show up!  RAIN or SHINE! Our impromptu indoor picnic had a surprisingly great turnout! It's amazing to witness the sense of community our families have. We can't wait for the next one! 

October Menu Calendar

Check out our October Menu Calendar to see what delicious fall food and treats we are enjoying at The Academy of Indian Lake Village!  Make sure to pick up a paper copy of the calendar at the front desk!