Ready to embark on an exciting year

By Ettie Zaklos, Preschool of the Arts Founder & Director

We enter our 12th year of Preschool of the Arts abuzz with excitement. It is the start of yet another school year, with infinite potential on the horizon. And some of that potential is bigger and brighter than ever!

Expanding capacity

Over the summer, we were excited to launch “The Big Build” campaign, an exciting $6 million expansion of our campus that will allow us to welcome hundreds more children through our doors. We believe strongly in our vision for excellence in early childhood education and are working tirelessly to ensure that as many children as possible can benefit from a high-quality preschool experience during their most formative early years.

Every day at POTA, we strive to cultivate each of our students’ intellectual, emotional, social and moral potential. The exceptional individualized care that we invest in every single child, from when they walk in the door as a toddler until the day they walk out as a capable and school-ready student, is truly one of a kind. Step onto our beautiful state-of-the-art campus and you are no longer just a face in a crowd; you and your child are important individuals who help make up the mosaic of our unique community.

Our Summer of the Arts 2022 family photo!

If you want to invest in that community, reach out to us at 263-2620 or email us at naplesPreschooloftheArts @gmail.com to learn how you can partner with us in building tomorrow’s leaders!

New gardening curriculum

Of course, a new building campaign is not the only exciting thing on our radar. Every year, we seek out innovative, new resources to make our students’ early childhood experience even better. This year, we are thrilled to introduce a new gardening curriculum that is based on a seedto-table philosophy. We are excited to unveil our brand-new Garden of the Arts with an outdoor culinary kitchen. Now, our children can experience the joys of gardening and then taste the delicious fruits of their labor.

Other special programming

Gardening is just one part of our extensive special programming, which includes music, visual arts, culinary arts, golf, tennis, basketball, science, Spanish and yoga as well as little chefs and little explorers, which round out our curriculum. This one-of-a-kind curriculum is specially designed to utilize our school’s wonderful resources, such as the Children’s Marketplace, Garden of the Arts, and indoor and outdoor Studio of the Arts.

This year, our pedagogical focus is on the Play-Activated Learning model framework, a Reggio-inspired technique that builds a thematic learning unit out of the interests of the children. During each learning unit, children investigate and construct things that bring meaning to their study. They then represent what they’ve learned through art, music, stories, plays or other modes of expression. This method of learning incorporates Florida state educational standards as well as the multiple intelligences approach.

Summer of the Arts welcomed over 250 children this summer! These 6-week camps create joyful memories that last all year.

We are excited to introduce monthly “Wonder Boxes,” where children explore themes such as “Place Meets Identity,” “Light and Shadow,” “Objects in Movement” and “Transformation.” We also look forward to introducing “Giving Projects” into our curriculum, through which our students will have opportunities to practice the values of kindness, compassion, caring and giving while engaging in activities that give back to their community.

Our innovative programs and incredible staff are an open Naples secret, and our award-winning preschool is growing exponentially every year. We are proud to welcome many new and returning students this year. It is an honor to provide a top-notch preschool experience for our local Naples children. We are excited for the school year ahead and look forward to sharing our highlights along the way.

For more information or to schedule a tour, please call 239-263-2620.