FOCUS ON YOUTH
May 2021
CHABAD JEWISH CENTER OF NAPLES
Federation Star
29
www.chabadnaples.com / 239.262.4474
Preschool of the Arts’ 10th successful year comes to a close By Ettie Zaklos, Preschool of the Arts Founder & Director
P
reschool of the Arts concludes this school year with the same feelings we had when we entered it: joy to be with our precious children; pride that our school community always has and always will put their needs first; admiration for our teachers, whose devotion to our children through thick and thin sustained us through an unpredictable school year; and gratitude to our parents, who trusted us to educate their children and keep them safe and engaged. Throughout the month of May, we celebrate the hard-won accomplishments of our 10th successful year of Preschool of the Arts — the first (and hopefully only) one that will occur during a pandemic! With safety first, we will host a variety of events that showcase the sincere appreciation we have for so many incredible members of our community. On April 29, we celebrated Teacher’s Appreciation Day. Our Preschool of the Arts teachers are passionate, dedicated and committed to making our children the best they can possibly be. No matter what this year brought, our team showed up every day with warmth and passion for early childhood education. Throughout the year, they toiled to not only educate, but love our students, guiding them to reach their full potential. Our annual Teacher’s Appreciation Day is a chance for our entire POTA family to come together and express heartfelt thanks for everything our educators do. This year, we hosted an appreciation breakfast for our teachers and administrators, while our parents gave generous gifts of appreciation. The theme of appreciation continues with another event that celebrates our incredible parents, who are a vital element of our school’s success. On May 7, we will highlight one of the most important ingredients in the recipe for our children’s success in a SPArty-themed Mother’s Day event. The event allows our young
students to express their appreciation for the most important woman in their lives: their mom! At POTA, we know that the mothers in our parent body give their all to our children every single day — which is especially challenging during a pandemic — and they deserve all the recognition in the world. With an interactive spa theme, our children and staff will be able to pamper our wonderful moms with “spa” treatments from some very cute minimanicurists and hairstylists! The month culminates with individual classes having end-of-year celebrations and performances highlighting the children’s achievements. Our pre-K graduates will be honored with a grand Pre-K Graduation Ceremony in Cambier Park, where parents and teachers will celebrate
their growth throughout the years in our preschool. It is always a complete joy to watch how the once tiny toddlers have become capable and school-ready children! Throughout this past year, our dear children have discovered so many new aspects of the world around them and gained a multitude of skills and knowledge
through exploration and play that will serve them well on their lifelong journey of learning. Broadening our thanks to the Greater POTA community, we are so grateful to every parent, educator, staff member and friend who has supported us through the ups and downs of everything we have faced since March 2020. They enable us
All Aboard the POTA Express Grandparent’s Day Celebration!
to now look back on a triumphant school year filled with love and learning. None of our accomplishments were a given, and we feel blessed to have all taken the leap of faith together to make this school year a resounding success. It is an honor to serve our community and humbling to see all that we have created together. Thank you!
