The Academy of Cool Springs Online Newsletter

2012-02-17T12:38:00.000-06:00

Pancake Breakfast with Wendy !

Our Academy families joined us this morning for a fabulous breakast with our Director Wendy Gannon.

Our Director, Wendy Gannon, was born and raised in the Nashville area. She attended Brentwood High School and The University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. She comes to us with 7+ years experience in childcare and 6+ years in management. She has an eleven month old son, Porter (pictured above). Her vision for The Academy of Cool Springs is to provide the highest quality child care while maintaining a strong sense of family. She wants the center to be a fun, safe, and friendly place for children to be.

Gabby & Benji enjoying their pancakes before heading to class

2012-02-16T17:41:00.001-06:00

Parents: Please remember to hand out your referral cards! TWO WEEKS FREE TUITION!!! We want to see so many new friends in the coming weeks!

Pre-K Two makes Snowmen

2012-01-15T14:39:00.000-06:00

Mackenzie's mom was so great to our Pre-K Two class last week! She came in with supplies to create snowmen keepsakes for all the kids. They had such a blast making these. A huge thank you for such a special surprise!

Preschool One in Action!

2012-01-15T14:31:00.001-06:00

Ms. Heather & Ms. Kim really do a fantastic circle time. Last week they taught their two year old class an old classic-- Little Bunny Foo-Foo. It was adorable! Here's some pics of the fun.

Academy Kids

2012-01-09T18:36:00.001-06:00

Hi there! Here are some great shots of some of our kids over the last month or so. Too cute not to post!

Santa Visits!

2012-01-03T18:35:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Christmas at The Academy with a visit from Santa! Most of our friends loved having this extra visit, but I must say our little baby friends would have none of it! Here are a few shots.
I also want to add that I promise that not one baby was traumatized by their moment with Santa. :)

What a Year!

2012-01-03T18:26:00.001-06:00

The last part of 2011 was such a blur, it flew by! Here's a little catch up segment before we enter 2012...

Happy Thanksgiving!
We celebrated by having a family feast. Such a great turn out. The kids were so excited to have their parents join them for lunch!

Trick-or-Treat!

2011-11-10T20:27:00.001-06:00

AoCS had such a fun Halloween! We started out by having all the kids trick-or-treat to all of our classrooms. Then everyone enjoyed their class parties. It was such a great way to kick off Halloween night! Thanks so much to all who came out to help & a gigantic thank you to Mackenzie & Brooke's mom, Colleen, for taking all of these pictures for us!

WE LOVE TO BE COZY AT SCHOOL!

2011-11-10T18:33:00.001-06:00

Pre-K 2 Jams!

2011-11-09T15:58:00.001-06:00

What a cool baking project Pre-K Two did today in class.. They made homemade jam! Ms. Robin brought her homemade recipe & shared it with all of her friends. They had so much fun mashing & mixing the strawberry spread until it was made into jam.

Fall Festival Fun!

2011-10-18T12:04:00.001-05:00

A big thank you to all who were able to join us for our annual Fall Festival this past Friday. It was so much fun! The kids enjoyed the inflatable obstacle course, crafts, face painting, cookie decorating & pumpkin picking!
The big winner of our favorite baked good went to Audrey Houston whose mother made amazingly delicious pumpkin bars. Audrey will recieve a week of FREE tuition for being the winner!

Our other big winner of a FREE week of tuition was Gabrielle Price who brought a friend along to share the fun. Thanks so much for that. Our greatest compliment is a referral!

Thanks so much to Mackenzie & Brooke's mother, Colleen , for being our resident photographer. She got a ton of great shots. I couldn't help but to share them all!

Pajama Day

2011-10-14T10:05:00.000-05:00

The last Friday in September was Pajama Day! I think this is one of the kid’s favorite “special” days. We had a lot of participants in our widely popular Pajama Day! What beats getting to wear your PJs to school right? Check out all the pictures below!

Also, we plan to have another Pajama Day the last Friday in October as well!! (In case you want to plan ahead with your children.)

Toddler Two Bakes Cookies!

2011-10-14T09:45:00.000-05:00

This week Ms. Tifani & Ms. Kim baked cookies with their class. Such a great time was had by all! This was their first baking project & we foresee many more baking adventures in the future!

Awesome Art Auction starts Monday, August 22nd!

2011-08-21T18:43:00.000-05:00

Next week you will see a canvas from each class displayed on the front counter. Each piece is up for auction. They all start at a $15 bid. All proceeds go to families of Never Grow Up who are in need. The classroom who has the canvas with the highest bid will win $100 for their room! So get involved in a great cause!

VOTE TODAY!

2011-08-21T18:39:00.004-05:00

You know we're the best, we know we're the best. Now let's get the proof to back it up! Go to http://www.williamsonparent.com/ to vote The Academy #1 in child care for the 4th year running! Click the "Best of 2011" image to vote. Thanks so much!

Awesome Artists Week!

2011-08-17T09:55:00.002-05:00

This week has been full of lots of art projects! We were lucky enough to have Gymboree Play & Music Art class come out for a lesson. Each class, ages 2 & up, were able to participate. Such a great time was had by all!

A Visit from Young Chef's Academy!

2011-08-15T14:48:00.004-05:00

Week two in August was Wee Chefs week. We had a cooking project for the kids every day. They had so much fun making their own pizzas, Jell-O bowls &amp; decorating cookies. We even had a visit from Young Chef's Academy! The kids made fruit salsa to eat with their cinnamon chips. It was so much fun!

Congrats to our Academy Graduates!

2011-08-15T14:25:00.000-05:00

This is such a happy time, yet a sad time as well. We are so proud of all our 19 graduates this year. On the flip side, it is going to be so difficult to see them go! We have one week left with them & are making the most of it. Thank you parents for allowing us to be such a big part of you child's lives. You will never know how much we truly love them all. Please come back to visit us!

2011-08-15T12:28:00.002-05:00

Wow, what a summer so far! Our themes for the month of August are a modge podge of all our favorites. 1st up was Mad Scientists week. The kids spent the week doing lots of science experiments with their teachers. We also had a visit from Mr. Bond the Science Guy. Everyone LOVED it. His show was so explosive that it set the fire alarms off--whoops! A fabulous time was had by all. Proof is in the pictures below...

Week 4= Space Explorers Week!

2011-07-28T11:03:00.001-05:00

This week we have learned all about space. The kids have done activites that range from art projects to reading & learning about outer space! Today is Astro Pops for snack. We are so excited for a cool treat!
Tuesday we had a special guest named Ms. Solar System. Ms. Solar System came out to visit our friends ages 3 & up & taught them all about planets. They sang & danced & had group participation. What fun!

And the Mystery Guest is....

2011-07-25T15:23:00.001-05:00

Harry the Sheepdog! The kids got a big surprise last Thursday when they went in groups for our scavenger hunt with a mystery guess. They all were trying to guess who it may be. No one guessed it'd be a fluffy dog! Due to the heat index, the kids had to hunt the items on their "Things Around the World" list inside. They couldn't have cared less! They were just so excited to have Harry help them seek out their items. They went in groups of 6 all around school to find pictures & objects ranging from the Chinese flag to a roll of sushi. So much fun!

Week 2 in July= Tennessee Tourist Week!

2011-07-11T17:42:00.001-05:00

This week we are learning all about Tennessee! You will see our halls decorated with the state flower, bird, flag & much more! Each class will talk about our state in many different ways. To kick off the week, we had a visit from the mascot from the Nashville Sounds, Ozzie! The kids loved it & it was such a surprise to them. Okay, not everyone loved him, but most of the older kids went nuts! Ozzie posed for pictures & handed out autographed basecall cards of himself. What a fun guest!

Road Trip Ramblers Week!

2011-07-06T18:04:00.001-05:00

Our special guest this week was a visit from an RV! Lucas & Ruby's parents were kind enough to bring it to school & let all the kids walk thru & check it out! Lucas & Ruby's family recently went on a cross country trip & they shared some of their photos with us as well. The kids were able to see many pictures from the Space Needle to beautiful mountains across the US. A huge thank you to the Leidigs for being such a cool special guest!

July is Travel Adventures Month!

2011-07-06T17:52:00.000-05:00

We have so many exciting projects, games & special guests for this month. Get ready! For now, here are some pictures of our halls that the kids have had such a hand in decorating. Be on the lookout for additional pieces as the weeks progress & the themes change!

4th of July Trivia!

2011-07-06T13:10:00.001-05:00

Congrats to Riley Purvis's family who won our 4th of July trivia question! We asked the question, "How many AoCS families are taking an extended vacation for the 4th?" Riley's mom was the first person to e-mail us the correct answer of 7. Congrats! Hope y'all put the BBQ goods to good use this past weekend!

What a Month!

2011-06-30T19:39:00.000-05:00

We have had the greatest month with the theme of Outdoor Adventures! We have done everything from make s'mores for snack & setting up tents to talking about every sport possible. Everyone has learned about outdoor safety, made countless art projects that range from a skillet with eggs & bacon to palm tree prints with their hands. Our latest special guest was Gabrielle's mother, Coach Charlotte. Coach Charlotte came out to teach everyone a little bit about softball. Everyone had the chance to hit the ball off of the tee & play the outfield. It was so much fun!
All of us at AoCS would like to thank all of our special guests this month. So much effort was put into making our first month of our summer program a success!

Kona Ice Truck Visits!

2011-06-09T19:10:00.001-05:00

This week was Beach Buddies week. We have had picnics in our classrooms, made seashell necklaces, countless crafts, pretended to hit the beach & to wrap up the week, the Kona Ice Truck came to school. Everyone had such a good time going out class by class & making slushies!

Gymboree Visits or Summer Kick-Off!

2011-06-08T18:41:00.000-05:00

We had the best week last week kicking off our summer program, Discover the Adventures of Summer. Our special guest of the week was Gymboree Play & Music. Everyone had such a great time! All children from Toddler One thru Pre-K Two participated in the fun. A big thanks to Gymboree for making a visit! It is definitely in our top 5 favorite special guests. :)

Water Babies!

2011-06-05T10:16:00.000-05:00

Even the toddlers loved their first water day of the summer!

Water Play Pics Cont.

2011-06-05T09:53:00.001-05:00

Our First Water Play of the Summer!

2011-06-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

The kids had such a great time on Friday. Water play always puts smiles on their faces. Here's lots of pictures!
*Thanks to Colleen Campbell, Brooke & Mackenzie's mom, for taking all of these pictures for us!

Trike-a-Thon Success!

2011-06-05T08:58:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much for all of your participation in the St. Jude Trike-a-Thon. Your donations were amazing. We raised $1235.! The representative from St. Jude's was beyond thrilled. Here are some pictures from the fun!
*A special thanks to Brooke & Mackenzie Campbell's mother, Colleen, for being our photgrapher. :-)

PJ DAY!

2011-05-23T12:14:00.000-05:00

What is it about PJ day that makes the kids so happy? Is it being cozy all day? Is it sleeping in their sleeping bags at nap time or is it having waffles & sausage for lunch? We have no idea! What we do know is everyone had a great PJ day! The proof is in the smiles you see below!

Spring Picture Sneak Peek!

2011-05-12T11:23:00.000-05:00

As you all know, we had our spring pictures taken a few weeks ago. They aren't quite ready yet, however I did get my hands on a few & wanted to share them with you!
I will let you all know asap when yours are ready.

Police Officer Visit!

2011-05-12T11:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we had a visit from a Franklin police officer. He talked to all the kids about seatbelt safety, stranger danger & about his every day job. Afterwards, the kids enjoyed taking a look at the patrol car & climbing in the back. I think the part they loved the best was when he chirped the siren!

Teacher Appreciation Week= SUCCESS!

2011-05-11T11:41:00.000-05:00

A HUGE thank you to all parents who helped make this years Teacher Appreciation Week a success. The teachers were showered with loads of goodies, cards, gifts, flowers & so much more. Thank you so much for making their surprise potluck lunch so great. Everyone appreciated it so much.

Another thank you to Kline in Pre-K 2's mother, Julie, for making everyone breakfast on our last appreciation day. It was amazing! We all love these teachers so much & it was great to be able to give them the attention that they deserve!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-04T19:04:00.000-05:00

Today the kids had a great project provided by Publix. Publix brought out cakes along with all sorts of icing & sprinkles for the kids decorate cakes for their moms for Mother's Day. They all had such a great time. A few of the toddlers couldn't help but dig in! This is something that we definitely plan to keep on our yearly calendar. :-)

The Winner of our Trivia Question is....

2011-04-21T18:49:00.000-05:00

MYLES CLIFTON'S MOM, CASEY!
Here was the question:
How many trees are saved when one ton of newspapers are recycled?
The answer is a mere 17 trees. Wow.
Casey answered it correctly & won an Earth Day 2011 t-shirt, a reusable tote, an Academy lunch bag by Thirty One & 5 free passes to go see Hoodwinked 2.
Congrats & good guessing!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-21T16:01:00.001-05:00

We had such a great time today with our Easter parties & egg hunts. The bunny was very good to us!

Tent Day in Pre-K 2!

2011-04-20T20:02:00.000-05:00

This week's curriculum had the kids learning all about grass & what we can do with it. A portion was devoted to learning about camping under the stars. So Ms. Robin decided to have a tent day! Several of the Pre-K 2 kids brought in their tents from home. The class spent the morning going on flashlight hunts, reading stories about camping & doing curriculum activies about grass & the outdoors. Here are pics of the kids in their tents.

Ready, Set, Guess!

2011-04-18T17:57:00.001-05:00

Okay parents-- by now you have all noticed the display of reusable goodies in the front office. Be on the lookout for a Green our Scene trivia question coming your way sometime this week. Up for grabs is a reusable tote, a 2011 Earth Day t-shirt & a reusable insulated lunch box from Thirty One products. Keep your eye out & good luck!

PRE-K PROM UPDATE!

2011-04-18T17:53:00.000-05:00

We are 2 weeks out from our first annual Pre-K Prom! We all are getting so excited. I am happy to announce that I just booked Rachel Sumner for our entertainment! Rachel Sumner is a very well known child artist here in the Nashville area. I can't wait to welcome her to our school!

To find out more about Ms. Rachel, you can visit http://www.rachelsumner.com/

Frog Day in Pre-K Two!

2011-04-13T19:40:00.000-05:00

Ms. Robin's 4 & 5 year olds had Frog Day today! All the kids wore their Academy frog shirts just like Robin. They also brought in any frog related items. One brought in frog stuffed animals, one brought in a frog toss & catch game & several brought in books. The class spent the morning making frog balloons, frog puppets & reading the "Froggy" series of books. A great time was had by all! Here are a few pictures of their morning.

Happy Babies!

2011-04-12T11:22:00.003-05:00

Pre-K Prom

2011-04-11T20:13:00.000-05:00

Parents of Pre-K Two children: Mark your calendars for Friday, May 6th! We will have our first annual Pre-K Prom from 6:30-8:30. The kids can expect to enjoy dancing, refreshments, craft making stations & much more. Sunday dress or as fancy as they want, please!

REMINDER

2011-04-11T20:06:00.000-05:00

AoCS will be closed on Friday, April 22nd in observance of Good Friday. Enjoy your long weekend!

Easter is on its way!

2011-04-11T16:19:00.000-05:00

Happy early Easter! Just a reminder that we will still be celebrating Easter during our Green our Scene month. We will have our Easter egg hunt on Thursday, April 21st. Hunts will begin promptly at 3:00 for both Pre-K calsses with parties immediately following. Hunts for preschoolers & toddlers will begin at 2:45 with their parties immediately following. We invite you all out to share this fun time with us! All teachers will have classroom party lists posted as time draws nearer. We will also ask each child to bring one bag of wrapped candy. Remember no peanuts please!

Operation Green!

2011-04-11T16:14:00.000-05:00

April at The Academy is Green our Scene month! During this month, we will teach earth friendly awareness to the children. We have already done so many fun crafts & it's just week 2! We also are having a school-wide recycling contest as well. So bring in those cans, plastic bags, bottles & newspapers to help your child's class win the contest! Below you will see pictures of our crafts thus far. The kids are having so much fun with these unusual supplies! They are so proud of their art work.

Thank You to Brentwood Pediatric Dentistry!

2011-02-25T13:50:00.000-06:00

We had a visit from Brentwood Pediatric Dentsitry this week. The kids loved it & learned so much about good dental health. The hygenist had a super kid friendly presentation that everyone enjoyed. They learned about when to brush, the proper way to brush & how to floss. They each took turns passing around a fake set of teeth & practiced brushing. The kids also learned what to expect when they go to the dentist for the first time. It was a great visit & we thank BPD so much for making time to visit us!

Candid Photos...

2011-02-21T18:00:00.000-06:00

Are sometimes the best. Here are a few moments that are missed while moms & dads are away at work.

Andrew just joined our Pre-K Two classroom 2 weeks ago. He is doing great & making lots of new friends.

Benjamin plays in his favorite center, dramatic play.

Malachi was so proud of his tattoo he received in a Valentine's day card. He must have shown it to me a dozen times in one day!

Reagan enjoys lunch with her friends.

Trevor practices his counting skills with Ms. Melissa.

Precious Moments

2011-02-21T17:52:00.000-06:00

Our little infants are growing so fast. It's hard to believe that some of them are hitting the 6 month mark & the one year mark. How time flies! These sweet babies are going to be in our Toddler class before we know it. Here are a few candids.

As Ms. Lina says, it was love at first sight with Brady. He jumps his little heart out in our jumperoo each day.

Sweet little Emery has a little Bumbo time. She loves to grab the hanging toys.

Garrett is moments from standing alone. Here he is practicing with baby William by his side rooting him on!

Pre-K One...

2011-02-21T17:43:00.002-06:00

Shows us how it's done!
Pre-K One recently got a new friend in class. They were so happy to demonstrate to Ella how to properly do daily routines. Here are a few pictures of their demonstrations!

Evan shows Ella how to be measured for their height chart

Carter demonstrates how to be a super germ fighter!

Mackenzie shows her new friend how to stand in line to go outside.

Fitness Fanatics Winner is...

2011-02-21T17:28:00.000-06:00

The Boys family! Gray of Pre-K One & his family did an excellent job setting the bar high for this competition. Whether it was walking & running together or skiing on vacation, they managed to log a total of 58 family fitness hours. Way to go! Their prize is a free week of tuition for Gray. Congratulations!

It's a Gymboree Day!

2011-02-04T16:43:00.000-06:00

We've had so much fun these past 4 weeks with Fitness Fanatics. We were lucky enough to have Gymboree Play & Music come out to help us log some classroom fitness hours. The kids had so much fun! They learned a few new songs & enjoyed parachute time. What a great way to get 30 minutes of indoor exercise!

Fitness Fanatics 2011

2011-01-04T20:28:00.000-06:00

For those of you who were here last year, you'll remember our Fitness Fanatics program. It was such a success last year that we're doing it again! We will kick off our 6 week program this Friday with pep rallys in each class room at 4pm. The kids will take turns showing off their jump roping & hula hooping skills. Parents are welcome to join! More detailed instructions about the whole program will be made available to each family this Friday. But for now, get your tennis shoes out & get ready for some fun!

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!

2010-12-19T13:30:00.001-06:00

Our Christmas program was spectacular! All of our kids practiced to hard to learn all of the songs for weeks upon end with their teachers. I'm going to miss hearing their little voices singing in the halls. I think a great time was had by all. I know that I enjoyed watching my little one participate.

Reindeer Races!

2010-12-19T13:08:00.000-06:00

Ms. Robin & Ms. Kristen's Pre-K Two class had some very fun Reindeer Races last week. The kids enjoyed using make-shift ice skates to race down the hallway. Everyone had such a great time! The pics are blurry b/c they're action shots, but I couldn't not post them. :-)

PJ Day!

2010-12-15T13:37:00.000-06:00

Today all the kids enjoyed coming to school in their pjs. Some classes brought their sleeping bags for a camp out at nap time & made trail mix. Others just enjoyed a special day of coziness. Everyone loved having breakfast for lunch, too! Who knew pjs & waffles could make kids so happy!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2010-12-15T13:24:00.000-06:00

During times of inclement weather, please stay tuned to News Channel 5 for up to date info on closings &/or delays. AoCS does NOT follow the Williamson County school system. You can set up you cell phone to receive text message alerts regarding closures & delays.

Tasty Gingerbread House Snack!

2010-12-03T20:04:00.001-06:00

Today the kids enjoyed making their very own gingerbread houses. They were so cute... & delicious! All of the kids had some much fun constructing their edible houses out of grahams & a cream cheese icing. They all decorated them with colorful sprinkles, pretzels & dried cereal. They were almost too pretty to eat. Almost that is! The kids devoured their creations. Lots of fun was had by all.

Thank You!

2010-11-30T12:07:00.000-06:00

Thank you so much for all of your participation with our Coats for Kids drive. We collected 32 coats that were donated to kids who are in need!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-23T14:18:00.000-06:00

Thank you so much for those of you who were able to come out & share our Thanksgiving feast with us! It was so much fun & the kids loved having their parents join them.

We hope you all have a great Thanksgiving & safe travels if you are traveling!

Best of Parenting Celebration!

2010-11-23T13:43:00.000-06:00

Thanks so much for stopping to have cake & punch with us as we celebrated being voted #1 in Williamson Co! All children ages 1 & up received a Best of Parenting t-shirt as well. It's so great to see the kids wearing these. If you decide that you'd like one, let us know & we can get you one ordered. Thanks so much for all your support!

Burrrr!

2010-11-08T20:44:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again--the temperatures are dropping & we need to start helping out those who are less fortunate. We have set up a donation box right by the front door for coats for children who are in need. The Coats for Kids donation is through the Salvation Army. They are so thankful that we are participating. Please take a quick second to dig up any old coat that you can part with to help out a child who is in need.

We Did it Again!

2010-11-01T10:13:00.000-05:00

Here is the official announcement... Williamson County parents have voted us #1 for the 3rd year running for best preschool! Thank you all so much for voting. It is an honor to hold this title. We take it very seriously & will continue to strive to keep fresh & new ideas coming at you & your kids.

We will be having a celebration on Thursday, November 18th from 4pm-6pm. We will have cake for everyone & your child will also receive their free Best of Parenting t-shirt. There will be a sign up for adult t-shirts as well for those of you who are interested.

Again thank you so much!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-29T19:26:00.002-05:00

We had the greatest day today! Everyone dressed up in their costumes this afternoon & trick or treated around school. Afterwards we all had parties in our rooms. Everyone had the best time. A big thank you to all the parents who were about to make it out & join us!

Cole the tiger

Sarah the tooth fairy

Our little superheros

Let the fun begin!

Gabrielle the ladybug

Margaret & Sarah stop to pose for me

Declan & Makenna wait for more trick or treaters

Preschool One getting ready to go

Even the babies get loaded up & go for a spin to check out the action!

Addison the 50's girl

Pre-K Two

Chloe dresses up as Minnie Mouse

Trick or treaters at Pre-K Two

Ms. Tifani with her little gnome, Larkin

Caroline & her mom

Ashtyn peeks out to see if it's her classes turn

Trevor the scarecrow & Georgie the fireman

Aiden the dinosaur & Katrina the butterfly

They're off!

Jack the boxer

It's the birthday boy, Spiderman! (Better known as Malcolm)

Georgie says "cheeeese!"

Tyler the puppy dog with his dad

Pre-K One collecting their goodies

Braeden as Buzz & Cameron as DJ Lance

Batman AKA Judson :)

Ruby the fairy & Emily as Snow White

Alanna as Tinker Bell

Preschool Two enjoys their party

Pre-K One's party

WE WISH YOU A SAFE & HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Fire Truck Visits!

2010-10-25T19:35:00.000-05:00

Today we had a visit from one of the Franklin Fire Depts. Everyone had a chance to go inside the fire truck if they wanted. Most of the kids did. They loved being about to touch everything & they had loads of questions for the firefighters.

Ruby was so funny-- she wouldn't get out! I think she would've driven off with them if we would've let her!

Addison wasn't so sure...

Anna Chase takes a look with her froggy.

Of course I'd only sit my very own child like this & step back to photograph. :-)

Ms. Tifani with her Toddler Two class.

Ms. Melissa with her Preschool Two class.

Zoe, Malcolm & Lucas having a look.

Now Lauren's son, Garrett, takes a turn.

Ms. Robin & Ms. Kristen with their Pre-K Two class.

Ms. Sebrina & Ms. Dana with their Pre-K One class.

Pre-K One wanted to know what was in that hatch. The answer? A hose. Who would've thought?! :-)

Pumpkin Fest 2010

2010-10-24T09:05:00.000-05:00

Franklin is having their annual Pumpkin Fest next Saturday, October 30th. The Academy will have a booth there all day. Come on out & visit us!

Fall Festival Fun!

2010-10-24T08:47:00.002-05:00

Friday, October 22nd was our Fall Festival. What a great time! A big thank you to all who were able to participate. The kids had a great time bouncing, doing crafts & getting their faces painted. Can't wait for the next one!

Our Little Picassos

2010-10-21T14:53:00.001-05:00

Our children have been so hard at work making such beautiful art work for mom & dad. Just wanted to share some of it!

Preschool Two's Lions

Infant One's Columbus Day Art

Preschool One's Halloween Art work

Infant One's Pumpkin Art

Pre-K Two's Letter of the Week

Infant One's Ghost Feet

Scarf Dancing with Toddler Two

2010-10-21T11:14:00.001-05:00

One of Toddler Two's favorite things to do is scarf dance. They go crazy when they see Ms. Kanesha & Ms. Tifani get the scarf box down. They dance all around the room & make their teachers wrap their faces & necks with scarves. It's just too cute!

Blake the Magician Visits!

2010-10-21T11:06:00.000-05:00

The Amazing Blake Nichols came out to share his Spooky Goofy Magic Show with us! He was amazing. He had all of the kids under his spell. They enjoyed watching several magic tricks. One of them even involved a real bunny! Every one had a chance to pet the bunny, too. He's one guest we'll definitely be asking back to visit us!

And the Winner is....

2010-10-08T21:14:00.000-05:00

US!! The Academy Child Development Preschools was voted #1 childcare in Williamson County by the readers of Williamson Parent magazine for the 3rd year in a row! We are so honored to hold this title for yet another year.
A big thank you for everyone who took the time to vote for us. Every vote counted & made us stand out from all the rest. It's great families like all of you who make our school such a home.

Dinner is Served!

2010-10-08T20:57:00.000-05:00

This past week we set out jar of different colored noodles. Whoever guessed the closest amount of orange noodles in the jar won a casserole kit. Congrats to Trevor in Preschool 2's mom, Heather, for winning! She guessed 242 orange noodles & the actual amount was 250. Great guess!

80 Degrees in October?!

2010-10-08T20:53:00.000-05:00

If it's going to be this hot in October, then Pre-K 2 is going to make homemade fruit shakes for snack! All of our Pre-K 2 kids had so much fun making their very own shakes with the help of Ms. Robin & Ms. Kristen.

Mystery Reader

2010-10-08T20:48:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Halloween a little bit early today & had a mystery reader come read a class favorite: Curious George goes to a Costume Party. Our mystery reader was McKenna from Pre-K 2's dad. Malachi from Pre-K 1's mom was our original mystery reader, but she is a bit under the weather. We wish her a speedy recovery!

Hello Fall!

2010-10-08T20:41:00.000-05:00

We all have been enjoying the fall weather so much! One of my favorite parts of fall is the classroom art projects that are created. Here are a few of my favorites!

MORE TO COME SOON....

Art Basket Winner Revealed!

2010-09-21T12:57:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to lucky girl Mariana Lopez in Pre-K One for winning the art basket that we had displayed! She was so excited when we told her. Keep your eyes peeled for our next giveaway!

Harry the Sheepdog Visits!

2010-09-21T12:55:00.000-05:00

We celebrated National Dog Week today by having Harry the Old English Sheepdog visit us. He went from room to room greeting all the children. Everyone loved his furry face! We had a few friends who were leery of him at first, but after having him stay in one spot for one on one pets & hugs, those children warmed right up!

Busy Week Ahead!

2010-09-20T20:23:00.000-05:00

This Thursday, September 23rd, is our Open House at school. It will be from 6pm-7pm. During this time you will meet with your child's teacher & go over a number of things including their daily schedule, High Reach curriculum & educational goals.

Also on Thursday, the 23rd we will be having Teddy Bear Portraits visit us to photgraph the children. If you choose to have pictures taken, please bring your child to school ready to go!

Thank You!!

2010-09-15T21:34:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much to all who joined us for family fun night at Jump Zone tonight. It was such a great time! It was so nice to see all the familes together. I look forward to many more fun times ahead!

Carson Thomas & his family

Ms. Melissa & Carter Tomey

Chloe Anne Fisher

The Cowans (Abigail's parents)

Anna Chase Dell

Ms. Heather & Trevor Denham

Ms. Kim with her kids Joey, Kayla & JD

The Leidig family

Max Lawless (before he warmed up & played his little heart out!)

Miller Kline

Spencer Kon

Ashtyn Thetford & her family

Zoe Sherman & her dad

Addison Girtman & her family won the drawing for the Coldstone giftcard. Enjoy!

And the Winner is...

2010-09-15T21:07:00.000-05:00

Christine Kon, Spencer's mom from Pre-K 2, is the one who guessed the closest number of coffee beans in the jar! She won the awesome Flavia coffee machine. Thanks so much for all the participation!
Enjoy your coffee, Christine!

Come Bounce with Us!

2010-09-13T19:11:00.000-05:00

This Wednesday, September 15th, is our annual family night at Jump Zone from 5:30-7:30. Please stop by for lots of bouncing & dinner!

Don't forget your socks!

Happy Grandparent's Day!

2010-09-12T09:12:00.002-05:00

Thank you to all who joined us for the Grandparent's Tea on Friday! The children loved seeing their Mimis, Nanas, Pop Pops, & Grandpas at their school. Everyone enjoyed delicious scones, tea & lemonade.

Audrey Houston loved having tea time with her Mimi & Pop Pop

Ethan Harper had chocolate chip scones with his mom & grandparents

Picnic Time with Pre-K 2

2010-09-12T09:07:00.000-05:00

Ms. Robin & Ms. Kristen's Pre-K 2 class celebrated the cooler weather by having a picnic lunch outside on Friday. Everyone had such a great time!
Hooray for fall!

Fall is Here!

2010-09-08T21:04:00.001-05:00

Tuesday officially began our fall program. Our teachers are back in full swing with the High Reach curriculum. Each month you will receive a copy of the latest parent newsletter from High Reach in your child's folder. It will also include a snip-it of the upcoming month's themes.
We are so excited for fall over here!

Please mark down that Tuesday, September 15th will be our annual Jump Zone night from 5:30-7:30. Join us for a night of jumping & pizza all free of charge. Bring a friend & your family will be put in a drawing for a free week's tuition!

The following week on Wednesday, September 23rd we will be having our Open House from 6-7. This will be a time to meet with you child's teacher & ask any questions you may have regarding their progress &/or goals for this year. We will have samples of the High Reach curriculum on hand as well. We hope to see you all there!

Here are a few pictures that we've taken this week...

Carter Tomey plays blocks in Preschool 2.

Kaylee Quant enjoys reading in cozy center in Pre-K 2.

Pre-K 2's name quilt

Brandon Mills, Reagan Dell & Anna Gore all helping make apple prints

Dane Gore & Ms. Melissa make apple prints together.

Fun Times!

2010-09-02T22:20:00.000-05:00

A huge thank you to all of those who joined us for our end of the summer party! Such a great time was had by all who came out. The water slide was a HUGE hit! This is something that we will be doing every summer to end our Adventures of Summer program. I hope that all of your children have enjoyed their summer with us! Come Tuesday, it will be all about fall. Until then, enjoy some pictures taken at our party!

Happy Birthday!

2010-09-01T19:55:00.000-05:00

Happy 5th birthday to Brandon Mills in Ms. Robin & Ms. Kristen's Pre-K Two class! Brandon had a great day celebrating with all his friends today. They all enjoyed having a cupcake party!

End of the Year Party!

2010-08-31T13:44:00.001-05:00

Don't forget that we will be having our end of the year party THIS Thursday, September 2nd from 5-7! We will have an inflatable water slide, a bounce house & dinner for all.

Don't forget your swimsuit & towel!

Reminder!

2010-08-30T12:49:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that AoCS will be closed this upcoming Friday, September 3rd as well as Monday, September 6th.

Friday, September 3rd is our annual teacher in-service & Monday, September 6th is Labor Day.

We wish you all a safe & happy Labor Day weekend!

Say Cheese!

2010-08-27T08:56:00.000-05:00

Ellie Lewis enjoys some outside time!

Kona Ice Truck made a visit to us during Carnival Fun week!

Cheetoh the pony visits us during History Hopping week when we celebrated the Wild, Wild West!

Touching starfish with Tim the Fishman during Outdoor Adventures week.

Hooray for shaved ice!

A big thank you to Myles Clifton's great uncle for being our special musical guest during Mini Maestros week!

See Ya, Summer!

2010-08-27T08:48:00.000-05:00

Next week will be our last week of our Discover the Adventures of Summer program. We will spend it celebrating books! So far this week, the children enjoyed having Build-a-Bear come out this week for a visit for a special story time. They were all given coloring books & crayons to take home, too!
Our Scholastic Book Fair will run all through next week. If you see a book that you'd like on the flyer that was sent home & it's no longer available, you can order it & have it delivered to you. You can't beat the Scholastic prices!

Today will be our last water day of the summer. The kids have enjoyed this so much! They all have loved showing off their swimsuits each week to their friends & teachers.

We will begin our week long reading competition next week. Teachers of the twos & up will keep track of how many books are read by each child. At the end of the week, a special surprise will be given to the winner!

Tim the Fishman Visits Us!

2010-08-16T11:41:00.000-05:00

On our last day of Outdoor Adventures, we had Tim the Fishman come out & share his aquarium friends with us. The kids loved it. They saw an eel, several starfish & a clown fish. They even were able to touch the starfish! Mr. Tim told everyone all about each fish. I wish you all could have seen how quiet the kids were during his explanation. You could have heard a pin drop!

Ole!

2010-07-20T14:54:00.000-05:00

With Fiesta Amigos weeks brings a very well know face, Diego! Diego made his appearance at The Academy of Cool Springs last Wednesday. The kids loved him! Usually the toddlers are a little leery of characters such as Diego, but even they loved him! They all got up & danced along with the music that he brought along. A great time was had by all!

Tomorrow to continue celebrating Fiesta Amigos week, we are having a Mexican feast! The kids will enjoy a lunch out of the ordinary. They will have cheese quesadillas, black beans & chips with queso. For snack they will get to try churros. I can't wait to see how they like them!

Be sure to check back to see how our visit with a real chihuahua goes!

Goats, Bunnies & Chickens, Oh My!

2010-07-20T14:37:00.002-05:00

We had the Loving Touch Petting Zoo visit us as well during Outdoor Adventures week. The kids all got a chance to see all of the animals. They brought bunnies, goats, chickens & a HUGE llama. They were also able to pet them & brush them. Everyone had such an awesome time. We were lucky enough that they came on a morning that it wasn't too hot. That's one visitor I look forward to every year & I think the kids do, too!

Wee Chefs was a Blast!

2010-06-30T11:25:00.001-05:00

What a time we all had with Wee Chefs week! The Chick-fil-a cow came out & taught us how to make that delicious lemonade that they serve. We all took turns meeting the cow. He was so much fun!

Publix also came out & showed us how to make a couple of healthy snacks. We enjoyed salads & sliced fruit!

All classes enjoyed individual cooking projects. Pre-K 1 learned out to make fruit & yogurt parfaits while Pre-K 2 learned how to make ice cream in a bag. Both cooking projects turned out deliciously!

Up Next, Wee Chefs Week!

2010-06-10T09:19:00.000-05:00

Starting Monday, we will be going into our Wee Chefs theme here at The Academy. The kids are going to have so much fun experimenting with cooking projects in their classrooms & doing special art projects. We will also have the Chick-fil-a cow coming out for a visit & he'll teach us how to make that delicious lemonade that they serve! On the second week of Wee Chefs, we will have a visit from Publix. They will show us how to make healthy snacks & we'll even get to sample what we make! Pictures to follow!

Sunscreen Reminder

2010-06-10T09:04:00.000-05:00

Please be sure that you are applying sunscreen to your children every day. Neutrogena makes a 70 SPF that lasts 8 hours & is wonderful.

Summer is Here!

2010-06-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

We are so excited to have already kicked off the summer with Carnival week! This past week has been awesome. We had a visit from the Kona Ice Truck, played carnival games & had our 1st water play day of the summer. We are looking forward to the rest of this week when we will get a visit from Mr. Tubby the Clown (pics to follow) & have more carnival suprises!