Bringing the community together

By Ettie Zaklos, Preschool of the Arts Founder & Director

The holidays are a time of joy and family. A time to make connections, celebrate traditions and build relationships. At Preschool of the Arts, we love to use the holidays as an opportunity to bring our entire community together for special celebrations. We know that the largest educational gains occur when teachers, students and parents work together toward the same goals. Creating a joyous community atmosphere for our students and their families allows community members to meet and greet one another in more social settings, fostering stronger and deeper relationships that benefit all.

In November, we were thrilled to have our greater POTA community join us for our biggest event of the year: our Musical Thanksgiving Performance in Cambier Park. This event brought parents, grandparents and extended family together to celebrate the multitude of blessings in our lives. Whenever we gather as a community, a special magical camaraderie forms as we connect over our shared commitment and joy in our children. The children performed with great fanfare, sharing songs tied to our theme of the event, “A Sprinkle of Gratitude.” The stars of the show did us all proud and inspired our community to share in the holiday spirit of Thankfulness.

Our adorable performers must have gotten bit by the acting bug during their acclaimed Thanksgiving performance because they once again took to the stage at Preschool of the Arts and Chabad of Naples’ community-wide Chanukah extravaganza! Back in person after a Menorah car parade last year due to COVID, we were thrilled to welcome hundreds from the Greater Naples community to the Chanukah event of the year. This year’s theme was “Chanukah in the City” with the lighting of a giant urban Menorah, break dancer street performers and caricaturists, kosher street eats, rides, and so much more. Of course, the stars of the show were our POTA performers who shone their bright lights in the big city!

The holidays are also a time to stop and reflect, and I want to express my tremendous gratitude to the devoted staff who make this preschool possible. From our nurturing and professional teachers to our specialists in art, gardening, music, science, yoga, and more, to the support staff who work so diligently behind the scenes — our office staff, security officer, on-site staff — each one plays a critical role in building a supportive environment where the children can thrive.

I am so grateful that the Naples community has rallied around our vision for excellence in Jewish early childhood education. Our school has been recognized for our cutting-edge programs and dedication to quality, but it is our parents, friends and supporters who wholeheartedly believe in our school’s mission that drive our tremendous growth.

On Dec. 7, Preschool of the Arts’ 2022-2023 admissions open to waitlist families and in January, admissions open for our acclaimed Summer of the Arts 2022 program. To learn more, schedule a tour to experience the magic of POTA and our state-of-the-art campus for yourself. We are honored by the overwhelming interest in joining our award-winning preschool and encourage prospective applicants to register before all our spaces are filled.