My daughter Annabel will soon be joining her sisters at Sabot at Stony Point, a progressive school for preschool through 8^th grade, situated next to beautiful Larus Park, just off Huguenot Road. Like a number of her preschool friends, Annabel cannot wait to start kindergarten.  Avery, whose big brother Max is in first grade, is also excited.   Her mother, Nikki, says, “Max has told her that you get to explore in the forest and work on projects with your best friends. The school trips into the city are exciting and PE is fun.” 

While children may look forward to time in the forest and project work with friends, Sabot parents know that deeper learning is also going on. “The teachers know exactly how to inspire my daughters to think more deeply about questions and explore the community and world around them,” says Anne, mother to three Sabot lower-school students. “And I love that they are not only concerned with helping my children to become good learners but to become good people as well.”

Sabot teachers believe that children come to them with natural curiosity and creativity and that it is the teachers’ job to nurture these dispositions. Children learn by investigating and they acquire knowledge and understanding by developing, testing, and defining their own theories. Sabot teachers understand that when children play an active role in their own education they become lifelong learners.

With a more traditional approach to education, students can spend a lot of time memorizing facts and doing hours of busy work – even in kindergarten – instead of being actively engaged in the work, their environment, and their classroom community. Lila came to Sabot in first grade. “At Sabot, Lila has been celebrated for who she is in a supportive, rigorous, and evidence-based environment,” says her mother, April. “She is more authentically herself, more engaged in learning, and happier than we have ever seen her. Her learning comprehension is astounding, and, based on Sabot’s approach to teaching math and science, she is making huge progress in an area that she previously found frustrating. We are thrilled to have found this school, not only for our daughter but also for our family.”

As April notes, Sabot educates the whole child and the Sabot community includes the whole family. “On top of the great education,” adds Anne, “is this amazing community atmosphere. It takes a village to raise a child and this is exactly what we have at Sabot.”

Sabot at Stony Point

3400 Stony Point Road Richmond, VA 23235
(804) 272-1341

To find out more about Sabot at Stony Point, visit the Sabot Preschool Admissions page or contact Director of Admissions, Maggie Barrett, by phone (804) 272-1341 or email her with any questions.

This article was sponsored by Sabot at Stony Point

“Though no 4 or 5 year old has the verbal language to represent it, they are profound and symbolic thinkers,” St. Catherine’s JK teacher Pam Oken-Wright said. “As long as I have been teaching, you would not think I could still be amazed, but I am, constantly. As I have said before, we are witness to 1,000 moments of brilliance a day.”

There’s a kind of magic in the enthusiasm and excitement of a 4 year old child.  In the all-girls environment at St. Catherine’s School, curious minds are given bright futures.

For decades, girls have flourished in the Reggio Emilia inspired Junior Kindergarten (JK) program at St. Catherine’s. A new expansion opportunity will enable more girls in the Richmond region to enroll in JK for the 2015-2016 school year and beyond. To meet the needs of today’s families, full-day and half-day JK academic options will continue to be offered.

“The formative years are critical for a child’s growth and development, and every girl can benefit from an early start at St. Catherine’s,” said Dr. Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff, St. Catherine’s Head of School. “Our JK Program is truly unique as it is fully embraced by the vast resources of master teachers, talented students, extensive facilities and countless opportunities made possible by our girl-centered JK-grade 12 program.”

To make room for the expansion, St. Catherine’s will more than double the educational space for these young students.  St. Catherine’s is honoring their commitment to early childhood education by dedicating an entire building to the Early Childhood Center. Renovations will begin at the conclusion of the 2014-15 school year and the expected opening for fall coincides with the School’s 125th Anniversary.  Young explorers will continue to benefit from a unique outdoor classroom space with water, sand and rocks reflective of the city of Richmond.

In addition, as part of St. Catherine’s Early Education, the School is offering “Girls Discover” enrichment courses uniquely designed for girls ages 3-5.  Programs such as Girls Discover STEM provide young girls the opportunity to engage in unique topics and activities that expand their intellect and encourage creativity.  Learn more about St. Catherine’s Early Childhood programs here.

Apply for St. Catherine’s today and watch your child flourish in this remarkable program.

This article is sponsored by St. Catherine’s School.

CommuniKids Preschool and Children’s Language Center, with centers in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, is now open at 3111 Lauderdale Drive in Short Pump. CommuniKids offers several programs designed especially for young children in Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese, including full and half-day preschool, weekly classes, summer camps, and after-school care.

The benefits to starting foreign language instruction early in life are immense. The optimal time for language learning, or the “Window of Opportunity,” occurs in young children from birth to age 8. At that time in their development, young children’s brains are extremely flexible and are “hardwired” for language learning. Very young children have the ability to learn any of the world’s languages and to recreate them with a near-perfect accent. Recent research confirms that the advantages of learning another language go beyond the practical. Multilingual children also perform better in school in all subjects and have higher executive function skills.

For families searching for part- or full-time preschool, the CommuniKids language immersion preschool program offers a well-rounded, play-based, full-immersion curriculum in Spanish or French. Our after-school and weekend language classes give children enrolled in other schools a chance to complement their education with weekly exposure to French, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish. And our summer camp program offers six weeks of full-immersion fun to students of all proficiency levels looking for intensive exposure to the language. CommuniKids also plans to offer an immersion after-school care program for school-aged children with transportation from nearby elementary schools.

For more information, email [email protected] or visit CommuniKids online.

Small people can do big things.  At the Goddard School kids are learning you are never too young to feel good about helping others.

From December 5^th until the 12^th, kids at The Goddard Schools  in Richmond are crafting for CJ! The tiny preschoolers are doing everything from decorating ornaments for auction, having a bake sale and hosting a spaghetti dinner to raise money. All proceeds from this week will benefit CJ’s Thumbs Up Foundation for deserving local families.

 “All of our children got into the holiday spirit making ornaments for a great cause!”

Ms. Mary, Kindergarten teacher from The Goddard School located in Ashland, VA:

CJ’s Thumbs Up Foundation provides assistance to families with children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses through financial aid, meals, emergency bill pay assistance and more.

The 9 participating Goddard Schools are in the following cities: Ashland, Chester, Chesterfield, Glen Allen, Midlothian, Henrico, Mechanicsville.

To find out more about The Goddard School and locations, visit their website.

Learning starts with counting fingers and toes.  Before you know it, it’s chapter books and multiplication tables.  In between are the building blocks of early education, where young children establish the foundation for a lifetime of learning.

At Bright Horizons at Short Pump®, we’re right there with your child.  We educate your child with an individualized, flexible curriculum that’s designed to inspire children at every age and age.  At Bright Horizons, children develop necessary academic skills while individual talents are encouraged to blossom. 

What can you, as a parent, expect from Bright Horizons?

• Proven Curriculum – built around extensive research, 21^st-century technology, and developmentally appropriate instruction, our own The World at Their Fingertips curriculum prepares children for success in kindergarten and beyond.
  Read more about school readiness at Bright Horizons.
• Professional Staff – experienced teachers are child development experts who meet our own professional standards as well as those of the state.
• Community – where educators and families work together to make sure your child’s needs – and potential – are being met.
• Peace of Mind – our own stringent We Care policies and practices dictate careful protocols to nurture children and keep them healthy and safe.
• Family Resources – online parenting tips, blog conversations, parenting webinars and at-home learning activities.  Take a peek.
• Carefully Crafted Programs – infant, toddler, preschool, kindergarten prep and school-age programs are age appropriate, all with the goal of encouraging curious, happy, and confident children who, above all, fully experience the joys of childhood.
• Enriched learning environments – state-of-the-art classrooms and enrichment spaces include
  • NEW Movement Matters Zone – a space specifically designed for children’s movement activities through our structured daily Movement Matters fitness and wellness program.
  • NEW Art Studio – a custom designed space with ample materials and tools to inspire creativity and the development of long-term artistic and educational projects.
  • NEW Science Lab – engaging children in research, experimentation, testing hypotheses, exploration, and discovering how things work.
  • NEW Growing Readers Children’s Library – a comfortable space filled with quality children’s literature available for children and families to enjoy.   

What are Bright Horizons’ parents saying?
“WE LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!! Thank you for loving Jack every day! It makes us so happy to see how well he interacts with all of you and it puts peace in our hearts knowing he’s in such good hands. You will always be a part of Jack’s “story” and we couldn’t be more grateful.” ~ Bright Horizons’ parent
Read more parent reviews.

 

Experience Bright Horizons.
We invite you to experience our program, meet our talented teachers and hear from current families why they love Bright Horizons.

RENOVATION CELEBRATION – Family event revealing our recent facility enhancements.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

OPEN HOUSE WEEK – experience our program first-hand.
November 17-21, 2014
7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Can’t make it to an event?  No worries, contact us to schedule your personal visit.

Bright Horizons at Short Pump
120 Towne Center West Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23233
804-360-4765
www.brighthorizons.com/shortpump

This article is sponsored by Bright Horizons

The Goddard Schools, located in the greater Richmond area, along with over 400 other Goddard Schools nationwide are launching the TEACH. PLAY. LEARN. campaign. 

Teach. Play. Learn. engages Richmond children from infants to six years old to collaborate and construct a TINKERTOY invention to support The Goddard School’s mission of using the most current, academically endorsed methods to ensure that children have fun while learning the skills they need for long-term success in school and in life.

As part of the campaign, each Goddard School worked together to develop an invention that solves a problem. They created a sketch and description of their invention and built it out of TINKERTOY® parts!

Turns out, the Rhino class in Mechanicsville might send Amazon on a run for it’s money!

The students talked about how other children in our country and the world do not have toys to play with and construction of the “Toysie Toys Deluxe”.

This invention flies around the world delivering toys to those without. It uses its satellite to find the children and the conveyer belt and scooper launcher to get the toys to the children. Equipped with propellers, kickstands, and floaters for landing on water, there is nowhere this “Toysie Toys Deluxe can’t go!

The Toysie Toys Deluxe along with other classroom inventions will be shared online for a public vote.

Vote (“Like”) for your favorite invention in the 21st Century Build Challenge photo album on The Goddard School Facebook page beginning Monday, February 24 at 5:00 PM EST.

Voting ends Monday, March 3 at 5:00 PM EST.
Contest winners will be announced March 4th, 2014

(Amazon will be taking note of that “floater” idea!)

What does the Montessori educational method have to do with today’s leaders? You might be surprised!

Clearly some of the key attributes of Montessori are essential elements for strong leadership:

• Self-directed learning
• Focus on creative problem solving and innovative
• Thinking
• Students teaching other students
• Stoking and encouraging curiosity
• Comfort with ambiguous situations
• Self-mastery of concepts to instill self-confidence
• Embracing failure as a learning opportunity

In a six-year study of 3,000 innovative executives, professors Jeff Dyer of Brigham Young University and Hal Gregersen of INSEAD in Europe discovered that a significant number of the respondents had gone to a Montessori school “where they learned to follow their curiosity.” Many of them are now some of the world’s strongest, most creative, and most innovative leaders among us.

The Montessori educational method encourages questions and creativity. It helps children look at problems as an opportunity to solve it versus being overwhelmed and intimidated by it. The teaching method instills confidence at the crucial age as children are developing skills, and helps create a crucial foundation for leadership skills.

According to the Montessori Method:

• teachers act as coaches and facilitators for children
• teachers have a deep respect for children
• children are taught to be kind and peaceful
• classrooms are diverse and include multiple age groups
• students are taught to help younger students
• children learn in their own way and at an individual pace
• students progress as they master new skills and move ahead when they are ready
• there are few texts, no homework, no tests and no grades
• rote memorization is eliminated in favor of helping children truly understand a subject
• children learn that failure is acceptable and mistakes are learning experiences

So are these precepts that emerge from creativity, curiosity and self-awareness also predictors of future success for leaders?

You may be surprised – and energized, encouraged, and inspired – by what you learn here. Click here to read more and let us know what you think.

We believe that Richmond Montessori School is best for the world.

Richmond Montessori School (RMS) provides what parents desire – an educational experience for their children that is more than just academics. Since 1965, RMS has provided a supportive, child-centered environment that encourages independence while supporting the development of the whole child – physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively.  RMS promotes a child’s ability to develop problem-solving skills, learn to work collaboratively, function as members of a team, develop empathy and acquire the power to self-initiate.

RMS is a community where children, parents, grandparents, teachers and administrators work together toward a common goal. It has diversity within its community, where differing religious, national, cultural and lifestyle traditions are genuinely appreciated. Our students hail from 37 ZIP codes around the Richmond area. RMS families and faculty represent more than 30 countries and our student population is 36% racially and culturally diverse. It’s a place where tolerance, curiosity, independence, innovation, self-awareness and respect for others are celebrated.  See our video below.

Montessori Method

RMS’s authentic Montessori curriculum and the application of the Montessori Method supports both academics and essential life skills.  All subject areas – history, art, language, math, music, science – are essential and interconnected, and no one area of study is more important than another.  Specialty classes – art, physical education, library, technology, foreign language and music –  are integrated with general themes studied in class and offer unique experiences that prepare the student for life beyond RMS.

RMS has 15 classes and an enrollment of 300 students and spans Toddler to Middle School. RMS is accredited  by the American Montessori Society and the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and is one of only two schools in the Commonwealth to receive this dual accreditation. To learn more about the standards for accreditation, click here.

RMS is located at 499 N. Parham Road in the West End of Richmond and has rolling admissions.  To request information, schedule a tour or to pre-register for fall Open Houses (10/10, 10/24,11/7), click here.

Richmond Montessori is an advertiser on Richmondmom.com

Kindergarten registration

Registering for kindergarten on time can prevent attendance delays. On-time registration gives the school a chance to give you important information about events and activities that will help your child feel comfortable when school starts. A health exam is required and sometimes the need for additional screenings or immunizations are identified. Making sure your child is healthy and ready for kindergarten can prevent your child from experiencing problems in the classroom.

For more specific information about times or what to bring, dial “211” or go to the website, then click kindergarten registration.

Well, that’s no longer a problem!

Tuckaway Child Development Centers has the perfect solution – their Drop In Program is designed just for you.

It’s quick and easy to enroll in the program and you don’t have to make any long-term commitment for services. After enrolling in the program, for a simple daily rate you have the care for your children you need – even at a moment’s notice.

Although you need to register your child for the Drop In Program, there is no registration fee.  And rates are reasonable too.

Rates

• Pre-School/School Age Full Day – $40.00/day
• After School – $30.00/day

Register today and you’ll be ready for last minute child care needs any time you need it.

Call the center nearest you for details!

Tuckaway Child Development Centers is an advertiser on Richmondmom.com