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As we celebrate another incredible school year, I want to take a moment to recognize one of our most special milestones — VPK Graduation. Watching our oldest learners walk across the stage reminds us all of the growth, confidence, and joy that has filled our classrooms throughout the year.
This success would not be possible without the extraordinary dedication of our teachers and staff. Every lesson taught, every encouraging word shared, and every caring interaction has helped shape a strong foundation for our students. The impact our team has had on these children extends far beyond the classroom, helping nurture curiosity, independence, and a lifelong love of learning.
I am especially proud to announce that 93% of our VPK students met or exceeded their end-of-year milestone goals, an increase from 91% last year. This remarkable achievement reflects the hard work of our students, the partnership of our families, and the unwavering commitment of our educators and support staff.
As we wrap up another wonderful school year and begin our summer programming, I want to reflect on what an incredible year it has been for our Fun Time community. This year has been filled with growth, learning, laughter, and memorable moments that truly show what makes Fun Time such a special place. I look forward to continuing to build on all we have accomplished together in the seasons ahead.
Warm regards,
Christen Krembs
Chief Executive Officer
Fun Time Early Childhood Academy
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As we prepare for an exciting summer at Fun Time Academy, we’re creating fun, engaging, and enriching experiences for our students across all of our schools! From arts and crafts to outdoor play and classroom supplies, every single item helps make summer extra special for our children.
If you’d like to support our classrooms, we’ve created an Amazon Wish List filled with items our teachers and students will use all summer long. Your generosity helps us continue creating a safe, creative, and joyful environment where children can learn, explore, and grow.
Thank you for being part of the Fun Time Academy family and helping make this summer unforgettable!
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This month, we proudly celebrated a very special milestone at Fun Time Academy, our VPK Graduation! We are so proud of the children's growth and accomplishments, as well as the friendships they’ve built along the way.
A heartfelt thank you to our families and teachers for their continued support and dedication. We can’t wait to see all the amazing things our graduates will do as they begin their kindergarten journey! Congratulations, Class of 2026!
| | Gulf Coast News Feature: 40 Years at Fun Time | | |
We are incredibly honored and excited to share that Fun Time Academy was recently featured on Gulf Coast News, where they highlighted one of our very own, Cester Williams, for her remarkable 40 years of dedication to teaching and caring for children!
At Fun Time Academy, we are truly blessed to have educators like Ms. Cester who pour their hearts into what they do every single day. Seeing her recognized by Gulf Coast News is a wonderful reminder of the difference great teachers make in the lives of children and families. Thank you, Ms. Cester, for 40 amazing years of love, learning, and dedication. Your impact is immeasurable, and we are so proud to celebrate this special recognition with you!
| | Teacher Appreciation Week | | |
During Teacher Appreciation Week, we proudly celebrated the incredible teachers at Fun Time Academy who make a difference in the lives of our students every day. From their dedication and patience to the love and encouragement they show in every classroom, our teachers truly are the heart of our academy.
We enjoyed a week filled with special treats, thoughtful surprises, and heartfelt gratitude as we honored their hard work and commitment to helping our children learn, grow, and thrive. Thank you to our amazing teachers for all that you do!
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To celebrate Mother’s Day, Fun Time Academy hosted a morning filled with love, laughter, and sweet memories! Our students were so excited to spend the morning with their moms and mother figures while enjoying delicious treats and quality time together.
We are grateful to all the wonderful families who joined us and helped make the day so meaningful. Thank you for all the love and support you give our children each and every day!
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Our Golden Gate location enjoyed a wonderful celebration for Parent Appreciation Day! We are so appreciative of all the amazing parents who joined us and continuously support our students and school community.
The morning was filled with smiles, laughter, and special moments as we celebrated the important role our families play in making Fun Time Academy such a caring and supportive place to learn and grow.
| | | Our Downtown location proudly hosted its very first VPK Prom, creating a fun and unforgettable experience for our students and teachers! The day was filled with dancing, laughter, and wonderful memories as our students celebrated together. A heartfelt thank you to The Crust for generously donating pizzas to make our prom extra fun! | | Fun Time Academy Spotlight: Althea Irving | | |
This month, we want to spotlight Althea Irving, our new Chief Development Officer!
In this role, Althea will lead fundraising efforts, donor engagement, and community partnerships to support the Academy’s mission of providing affordable, high-quality early learning opportunities for underserved children from working families.
Althea is a strategic nonprofit and development leader with extensive experience in fundraising, education, and youth development. Before joining Fun Time Academy, she served as Development Manager for the American Cancer Society, where she helped lead multi-million-dollar fundraising initiatives and strengthened relationships with donors, corporate partners, and volunteers.
Her background also includes leading a $1 million 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant at the Boys & Girls Club of Collier County and helping launch the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys & Girls Club in DeSoto County. In addition to serving as President of Irving Consulting, Inc., Althea is the Board Chair of the Women’s Foundation of Collier County, where she has helped expand philanthropic impact throughout the region.
Althea earned her Bachelor of Science in Education from University of Central Florida, is Lean Six Sigma certified through Florida Gulf Coast University, and is a 2025 graduate of the Leadership Collier Foundation program.
Please join us in welcoming Althea to the Fun Time Academy family!
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This month, our classrooms explored the exciting theme of Plants and Living Things! Throughout the school, students participated in hands-on activities that encouraged curiosity, discovery, and scientific learning.
In our VPK classrooms, our students were introduced to many new vocabulary words, including living, nonliving, sunlight, stem, seed, roots, plants, botanist, microscope, and magnifying glass. Students explored soil, planted flowers, and learned what plants need to grow and survive.
One of the most exciting experiences this month was observing the life cycle of a butterfly. Students watched live caterpillars grow and transform through each stage of the butterfly life cycle before releasing the butterflies outdoors. This hands-on experience helped develop their observational skills and deepen their understanding of living things.
Our younger classrooms explored the different textures, colors, and sizes of flowers and plants. Children learned that plants can be big or small and enjoyed sensory activities using soil and artificial flowers in the sensory table. These activities helped strengthen sensory exploration and fine motor development.
This month, our VPK students also had a special visit from Joerg Meyer from the Rotary Club, who spoke to the children about swim safety and the importance of learning how to float. Each student received a copy of the book Josh the Baby Otter by Blake Collingsworth to reinforce these important water safety lessons at home.
Overall, May was filled with exploration, discovery, and hands-on learning opportunities that helped strengthen scientific thinking skills, observation skills, and fine motor development.
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Help Every Child Shine!
Your support helps us provide scholarships for children as well as curriculum materials and hands-on learning experiences. Every donation opens doors to education, fuels curiosity, and empowers the next generation to reach their full potential. Together, we can make learning accessible, engaging, and life changing. One student at a time.
Ways to Make an Impact:
One-Time Donation - Monthly Giving Program - Planned Giving Legacy Society - Qualified Charitable Distribution
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| | Your commitment to Fun Time Early Childhood Academy allows us to provide affordable, high-quality early learning for underserved children from working families, preparing them for success in kindergarten and beyond. | | | | |
