Category Archives: Preschoolers
DC Way Kids Academy – Spring Soccer for U4, U5, & U6!
Filed under 2020, Class, DC, Gradeschoolers, Outdoor, Preschoolers, Sports, Spring
International School of Music: Lessons in All Instruments & Giveaway!
[This is a sponsored guest post contributed by International School of Music.]
Does your child love to sing or pretend to play a guitar? Are they the next Mozart or Justin Bieber?
If your kid loves music — or maybe you want to introduce them to it in a fun way — there is a school whose specialty is just that!
International School of Music, with two locations in Bethesda and Potomac, is the premier provider of music lessons in all instruments and voice to students of all ages and levels. They bring together a community of dedicated, experienced, world-class faculty that offers personalized lessons in piano, guitar, voice, violin, viola, cello, flute, drums, saxophone, clarinet, harp, recorder, trumpet, trombone, bassoon, ensembles, group classes, toddler and preschooler music classes and amazing performance opportunities.
Their teaching methods are student-centered and focused on individual learning styles and personal goals to help each student reach his or her full musical potential. With a flexible curriculum that rewards practicing and achievement, their students get to explore music they are passionate about, whether they play classical, rock, pop, jazz, folk, etc. And with our same-time sibling scheduling, the families enjoy convenience and flexibility!
Music lessons teach kids valuable skills that they can carry with them through life. Children practice basic math when they count the rhythm, reading comprehension as they learn how to read music, and creativity as they figure out how to express themselves. Bonus: They also benefit from better concentration, self-discipline, self-expression, and confidence. Even more, all of these skills are mixed in with fun music making!
Check out International School of Music to see how you can book an introductory lesson for your child, try classes yourself, or make it a family affair!
Giveaway! Three KFDC readers can win a half-hour private music lesson at the International School of Music in any instrument or voice with one of their amazing teachers! Want a chance to win? Simply leave a comment below telling me what kind of music your child loves to listen to. Get an extra chance to win by entering on the KidFriendly DC Facebook Page, too! Contest is open to new students only. This giveaway will run through Wednesday, March 11, 2020, then a winner will be drawn at random and notified shortly thereafter. Good luck!
For more information about International School of Music and its programs and performances, visit their website.
This post is sponsored by International School of Music, however, I only promote programs, places, and services that I genuinely believe in and think would appeal to KFDC readers.
Play: A Necessity for the Child and the Student at Rochambeau The French International School
[Note: This is a sponsored guest post contributed by the staff at Rochambeau, the French International School.]
“Start by closing your eyes…the intensity, power of laughter, the pleasure and the joy are incomparable and unforgettable. Open your eyes, cut the sound: the joy on their faces, the enthusiasm, friendships, exploration, total and absolute engagement: pure enjoyment,” advises Fréderic Tavernier, the Director of the Maternelle Preschool at Rochambeau The French International School.
For a teacher, this small experiment is a way of reminding us that preschool and kindergarten are all about fun. “For the child, play is a source and a vehicle for learning,” he insists. This principle is at the heart of France’s official Maternelle program and at the core of the curriculum taught at Rochambeau The French International School Maternelle for children ages 2 through kindergarten.
While Rochambeau offers a comprehensive education all the way to 12th grade, “Maternelle is an essential step in the journey of students to ensure their academic success,” emphasizes Frédéric Tavernier. It is a school where children will learn together and live together. Here they develop their oral language and begin to discover writing, numbers, art, sciences… in both French and English. They learn through play, reflection, problem-solving, practice, recall, and memorization.
This attention for the well-being of the child, with a curriculum adapted to their rhythm, ensuring a balance between academics and recreation, meets the recommendations of American specialists. In August, the American Academy of Pediatrics sounded the alarm in a report expressing concern about the decline in the amount of time devoted to play in the lives of toddlers. “From 1981 to 1997, children’s playtime decreased by 25%. Children three to 11 years of age have lost 12 hours per week of free time. Because of increased academic pressure, 30% of US kindergarten children no longer have recess.”
The Maternelle teachers have one central goal: to ensure that the children are excited to go to school to learn, gain confidence, and develop their personality.
“Mission accomplished,” say parents like Erika Aparakakankanange. “When my children are at Rochambeau, they have so much fun that they don’t always realize that they are learning things, and for children like mine, who are not native French speakers, it makes the immersion process much easier…I can honestly say that my boys like to go to school every day and that is one of the many things we love about Rochambeau.”
“What I like,” says another parent, Sabine Durier, “is that the school combines classroom work, where all activities are intentional, with moments purely reserved for free time, where they can be children before they are students.”
Quoting Montaigne, the French philosopher, Maternelle teacher Bénédicte Le Nouën Maurice notes that “a child is not a vase that you fill, but a fire that you light”, which you let grow. “It’s important to give children free time to play, to make choices. This free time is not a waste of time, quite the contrary! During these moments of freedom, the child thinks about what he could play; he can make choices, invent, create, reach out to others. Many skills are built during this time. The child must not always be waiting for instructions, he must be able to learn to think for himself, to make his own choices, to invent, to create… and for this he needs free time.”
Preparing Global Citizens
Beginning at the preschool level and continuing through 12th grade, all students at Rochambeau, the French International School receive regular, guided instruction in both English and French, and can start a third language as early as elementary school (Arabic, Spanish).
Students represent more than 80 nationalities and communicate in over 25 different languages. As the only accredited French school in the Washington, DC, area, Rochambeau proudly enrolls children without any knowledge of French until the 4th grade. Our adapted immersion program gives students the opportunity to be part of and benefit from this extraordinary community.
Graduates of Rochambeau go on to study at top universities in the US, Canada, UK, France, and all around the world. Students receive their US high school diploma at the end of 11th grade and the French Baccalaureate at the end of 12th grade. Starting in 2021, Rochambeau will also offer the IB dual language diploma.
Tours of the school are offered on Thursdays and Fridays on all three campuses — register for them here. For more information about Rochambeau, The French International School, visit the website.
This post is sponsored by Rochambeau The French International School, however, I only promote programs, places, and events that I genuinely believe in and think would appeal to KFDC readers.
Filed under 2020, Educational, Gradeschoolers, High Schoolers, Maryland, Middle Schoolers, Preschoolers, Schools, Teens
{Review!} Thumbelina at Imagination Stage
Photo courtesy of Imagination Stage
Young theater-goers can experience the art of storytelling like never before at Imagination Stage’s Thumbelina, playing now through April 5. The classic Hans Christian Andersen tale about a girl trying to find her place in the world is reimagined with artistry inspired by Kamishibai, a form of Japanese street theater. Along with traditional acting performances, this unique production utilizes live video projections of small-scale puppetry and dioramas to bring the story of a thumb-sized girl to life.
Thumbelina employs the same ensemble of actors as Zomo the Rabbit: A Hip-Hop Creation Myth, a musical currently playing in repertory, in this contrasting brand of theater. [You can read the KFDC review of Zomo here.] If you happen to see both shows, the versatility of these actors is awe-inducing — once rapping and hip-hop dancing in Zomo, now maneuvering mini puppets along mini video-projected sets on right and left stage, then moving center stage for their life-sized roles in Thumbelina.
Photo courtesy of Imagination Stage
Thumbelina, like Zomo, offers lessons abound for young audience members just beginning to learn about the world and their place in it. Most importantly: you have the power to create your own story, and you will eventually find your people and place, just be kind to those that are different along the way.
The multi-media aspect of the production adds a whole other layer to the lessons, as Thumbelina certainly writes its own category of theater. And look at all of the different skill-sets needed to bring it to life!
Zomo is a tough act to follow with its high-energy and audience engagement. But Thumbelina captivates with its creative production methods, flawless lead performance, a climactic act with a villainous mole, and a touching ending that’s a reminder to kids and adults alike that the rest is still unwritten.
Photo courtesy of Imagination Stage
Thumbelina is playing now through April 5 at Imagination Stage, located at 4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda, MD. Tickets are $15 – $35. Recommended for ages 4+.
Filed under 2020, DC, Gradeschoolers, Live Entertainment, Maryland, Middle Schoolers, Preschoolers, Seasonal, Theatre, Weekend, Winter
