Learning is under construction despite Hurricane Ian

By Ettie Zaklos, Preschool of the Arts Founder & Director

At the end of September, Preschool of the Arts hosted its annual Parent Curriculum Night, with the theme of “Learning is Under Construction!” We had an incredible turnout from our parent body as we shared our vision and developments for the school year. There was warm energy and great camaraderie throughout the evening. We felt such a strong sense of unity, connection and community.

It is so encouraging for our team to see how interested and involved our parents want to be in their children’s education. It was a treat to watch them explore and discover the children’s classrooms as they learned more about each unique center and the learning opportunities available.

In addition to learning about the curriculum, our parents got to socialize, laugh, enjoy refreshments and paint a collaborative mural that will surround our construction site this year as we embark on our Big Build expansion project. Our parents’ painting skills are quite impressive! We were also humbled by the tremendous response from parents to our Big Build campaign and thank all those who so generously donated towards this critical project!

Just a few short days after the beautiful event and a lovely gathering for Rosh Hashanah, Hurricane Ian came to our shores. It was an historic and life-changing event for so many in our community. We are devastated and heartbroken by the loss of life and the loss of homes and livelihoods. We were also moved by the outpouring of love and help in the community. The aftermath of the hurricane was a whirlwind as we hosted communal meals and began gathering and donating food and supplies to those in need. It takes a village, and we are so grateful to all who supported our community through volunteering and/or donating.

Sadly, some of our own POTA families lost their homes due to the storm and will be facing a long recovery ahead. Our hearts are with them, and we are praying for a smooth and quick recovery. To help ease at least a little of the overwhelm in the immediate aftermath of the storm, POTA sent home warm, homemade dinners to our displaced families. We will continue to look for ways to support our community in the months to come.

Life is so vulnerable, and these natural disasters remind us how much we need to cherish our loved ones and be grateful for their safety. We hugged our children extra tight, knowing that some things are not replaceable.

Hurricane relief efforts led right into the holiday of Sukkot, when we build temporary huts to dwell outdoors for a week in recognition of G-d’s protection. It felt especially poignant this year as we remembered that, even without a permanent home, we are always embraced by G-d and surrounded by community.

We had handyman, Seth, join us for a special visit to build POTA’s community Sukkah on our campus. Each preschool class visited the Sukkah building site and, in a hands-on demonstration, learned how to use the hammer and drill. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect the immersive experience of construction — something the children are seeing a lot of in the wake of the hurricane — to something joyous and positive. Our students were thrilled to be able to participate in the building and learned so many preacademic skills!

As we enter November, our thoughts turn to our upcoming grand Thanksgiving Performance, our preschool’s largest event of the year. This year, the themes of gratitude and coming together as a community will take on a whole new meaning. We know that together we can get through anything.

For more info about Preschool of the Arts, please visit our website, www.NaplesPreschooloftheArts.com or call 239-263-2620.

Curriculum Night 2022 at Preschool of the Arts