|
|
We're thrilled to share some exciting updates on the remarkable progress our students at all four of our locations have made this year at Fun Time Early Childhood Academy.
Using the Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG) assessment for all age groups, we've diligently tracked and measured our students' growth across key developmental areas, and the results are truly remarkable.
Our students have continued to make significant progress, with an impressive average scoring in the 82nd percentile for language and 80th percentile for literacy development. Additionally, they've excelled in math and science, achieving an average in the 79th percentile. Particularly noteworthy is their outstanding performance in social-emotional development, where they've soared to the 82nd percentile. This underscores our belief in the importance of fostering a nurturing, inclusive learning environment that focuses on academic and socio-emotional growth.
We remain committed to utilizing TSG on a school-wide scale to closely monitor progress and tailor our curriculum and teaching methodologies accordingly, ensuring continued support for our students' growth and development.
A special mention goes to our voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) students, who achieved an impressive average score of 80th percentile on the state Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) assessment.
These achievements are a testament to the dedication of our exceptional teachers and the hard work of our students, bolstered by the continued support of our families and the community. We're eagerly anticipating the opportunity to share more success stories in the future, thanks to your continued support and collaboration.
As we gear up for the summer break, we're delighted to announce that we'll be offering engaging summer programs to keep our students actively learning and involved. None of this would be possible without the generous contributions from our donors and the support of our community. We're grateful for the opportunity to enrich the lives of our children and remain committed to providing affordable, quality and education to children.
Warm regards,
Jessica
| | | |
|
FTA Awarded $35,000 Grant by
the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation
| |
|
We are pleased and honored to announce that we have recently been awarded a $35,000 grant by the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. The funds will be used in support of high-quality early learning programming and expansion. The awarded funds will be instrumental in supporting initiatives to enhance the quality of our programs and strategic expansion initiatives to serve more low-income working families.
“Ensuring our youngest residents are equipped to be successful in the fundamentals for school readiness is so important to our community’s future success,” stated Mary Beth Geier, Florida Director of the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. “Our foundation is very proud to support quality early learning programs like Fun Time Early Childhood Academy.”
We are grateful to the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation for their ongoing support and commitment to early childhood education. This grant will enable us to sustain and expand our efforts in providing high-quality education and care to the children entrusted to us.
The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation was created in 2004 by Best Buy founder, Dick Schulze, to give back to the communities where Dick and his family grew up – in Minnesota, where he built Best Buy to become the world's largest consumer electronics retailer, and in Florida, where he now maintains a permanent residence. The Schulze Family Foundation creates grant partnerships with organizations that generate meaningful results in human and social services, education, and health and medicine. In all its activities, the Foundation embraces its founder’s vision to strengthen and support initiatives that lead to change within our communities. For more information, please visit www.schulzefamilyfoundation.org.
| |
FTA VPK Teacher Analiz Perez Awarded Grant
from the Lake Michigan Credit Union
| |
|
We are pleased to announce that Ms. Analiz Perez, a teacher at our Golden Gate location, was selected as one of 25 recipients out of 240 nominees to receive a $1,000 grant from the Lake Michigan Credit Union (LCMU). Each year, LMCU's Roots in Education program awards 25 of these grants to teachers across Michigan and Florida who embody a specific trait. This year, they are honoring teachers who are “optimistic.” They bring cheerful energy to their classroom, always look for good in others, and approach situations with a positive attitude. The winning teachers go above and beyond and are recognized for their optimism.
“We were impressed by the quality of nominations we received and the impact that educators like Analiz Perez are making in the community. The nomination of Ms. Perez showed the optimism she radiates in the classroom and beyond.” - Matt Cook, Vice President, Community Relations.
When asked about receiving the grant, Analiz responded in true Fun Time Academy fashion. "It is such an honor and privilege to receive this award.” stated Analiz. “My kids, also known as my students, are the reason I do this, and it is great to see that I am positively impacting their lives as well as the lives of those around them."
Congratulations Analiz! We are so proud to have you as a part of our Fun Time Academy family.
Lake Michigan Credit Union, established in 1933, is the largest credit union in Michigan and 16th largest in the country. To learn more about them, please visit LMCU.org.
| |
BelieveNBooks Donates Books to FTA | |
|
On May 15, BelieveNBooks surprised VPK students at our downtown location with a huge selection of books that will make a tremendous impact on our growing library. The children were also able to pick two books of their own to take home.
Natasha Agarwal founded BelieveNBooks as an eighth grader in 2021. During the COVID-19 pandemic, reading was an outlet and an important part of her life. Though she could not travel, she could visit anywhere in the world through a great book. It gave her exposure to different ways of living and a broader worldview. The realization that many children do not have access to books in their daily lives made a significant impact on Natasha, and it inspired her to make a change in her community.
Natasha is currently a high school junior at Canterbury School in Fort Myers. She is involved in mock trial, theater, varsity basketball and student council, and she is a part of the National Honor Society. She also loves hanging out with friends, traveling and, of course, reading in her free time. Natasha has distributed over 100,000 books since she started BelieveNBooks.
Thank you, Natasha, for making a difference in our community and in the lives of our Fun Time Academy children.
| |
|
May held many engaging, hands-on learning opportunities as children were introduced to the concepts of living and non-living things as well as... They discovered that living things grow and change. Each child had the opportunity to grow their own seeds, and they carefully cared for their gardens, observing the impact of water and sunlight. These plants became heartfelt Mother’s Day gifts, sure to warm all the moms' hearts.
Additionally, May offered an examination of the butterfly lifecycle. Witnessing the miraculous metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly captivated the children's imagination. The culmination of this journey was the thrilling day when the butterflies were released into the world. The children watched them take flight with wonder and awe. These are the experiences that will remain in their minds for many years to come.
| |
FTA Children Celebrate Cinco de Mayo | |
|
On Friday, May 3, Cinco de Mayo came early for some of our students at our downtown location. Effective and comprehensive early childhood development involves many disciplines, including the very important social interaction and play. And of course, our amazing teachers joined in!
What a great way to enter the Cinco de Mayo weekend and enjoy a beautiful Southwest Florida day!
| |
Teacher Spotlight - Michelle Fonte | |
|
Hello! My name is Michelle Fonte, and I have been a VPK teacher at Fun Time Academy's downtown location for four years. I earned my bachelor's degree in child and youth studies from Florida Gulf Coast University.
Fun Time provides children with a safe, nurturing environment that helps them develop the social skills necessary for their executive higher functioning skills, which remain with them into their future education and throughout their life. What I most enjoy about working with these children at Fun Time Academy is watching them explore and grow through each phase of their early childhood development. It is always exciting to see how much they change--from two-year-olds to VPK students ready to make the transition to kindergarten.
| |
|
Muffins with Mom
Celebrating the Mothers of Fun Time Academy for Mother's Day
| |
On Friday, May 10, our children enjoyed a Muffins with Mom Day at all four of our locations. It was such a joy to welcome the moms and have them spend time with their children in honor of Mother's Day. We understand the difficult but rewarding job that our moms perform each day and are so happy to celebrate with them. Thank you for entrusting us with your little ones, and we hope you enjoyed this time well spent, as well as the rest of your Mother's Day 2024 weekend. | |
Family Fun Night at CMON! | |
On Tuesday, May 14, the Golisano Children's Museum of Naples (CMON!) hosted a Family Fun Night for our children and their families. The event was free for our Fun Time Academy families, and a great time was had by all. Thank you to all of the CMON! team members for making our families feel so welcome and for showing them how learning can be fun! | |
|
Become A Fun Time Academy Volunteer!
Help Shape the Lives of Fun Time Children.
|  |
Volunteer tutors enrich the individual classroom experience
Tutors are requested to meet the children one on one during the school day in support of our ELLM (Early Literacy and Learning Model) program for the three- to five-year-olds. The volunteers work with our students to reinforce the literacy concepts learned in the classroom. Each volunteer visits the same child every week from November through mid-April for 20 to 30 minutes per child. Volunteers often choose to have assignments of two to three children each time they visit. The volunteers read books to the children, and together they engage in related math, literacy, science and/or art activities to further the learning experience.
Volunteers join us on field trips
We also plan many special events and field trips for the children throughout the year, for which we need volunteer assistance and chaperones.
More fun ways to volunteer at Fun Time Academy
Additionally, we can always use help with constructing or repairing classroom equipment, photographing an event, etc. If you love children as much as we do, let’s see if we can find a way to put your talents to work. We will work together to find a way to match your skills and interests with our many volunteer needs.
If you are interested in volunteering with us, please click the link below or call our volunteer coordinator Christen Krembs at 239-261-8284. We look forward to having you join our team and help us achieve our mission to prepare children for kindergarten, ready to read and ready to learn!
| |
Meet Our New Board Member | |
|
Fun Time Academy is delighted to welcome Cindy Babka to its Board of Directors. Her addition further enhances our commitment to providing affordable, quality care and education for low-income working families and children.
Cindy graduated from the University of Dayton with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education. She than began her 30-plus-year career in elementary school teaching (pre-school through eighth grade) in the public and private sectors. Upon moving to Atlanta for her husband’s job opportunity in 1997, she began a new career in private tutoring.
Cindy has held non-profit board positions with the Junior League of Monmouth County, New Jersey (past president), Visiting Nurses Association, Monmouth Day Care Center, Spring House Shelter for Abused Women and Children, and Family and Children’s Services of Monmouth County.
Her volunteer activities have included work on environmental committees, CCD teacher, PTA and literacy councils, and she is now tutoring once a week at Fun Time Academy, where she also serves on the Event Committee. Currently, she is also a board member of Star Kids of Newport, Rhode Island, which provides scholarship funds for children K-12, whose parents have a history of substance abuse and/or incarceration.
She and her husband will be celebrating their 50th anniversary this summer, and they have two sons and two grandchildren. They reside in Naples, Florida and have a summer home in Massachusetts. She enjoys reading, travel, golf, pickleball and fitness training.
|
|
If you recently moved or changed your email address or phone number, please update your information by clicking the button below. | |
Your commitment to Fun Time Early Childhood Academy allows us to provide safe, quality, affordable education and care for children and parents from low-income working families and to prepare the children for kindergarten, ready to read and ready to learn! | | | | |
