Kids at camp by Colorado Springs Gazette, LLC

Sunday, March 29, 2015

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION OF THE GAZETTE

Gazette Parents:

Kids at Camp VillaKids World Tour Adventures sure to inspire March of Dimes kicks off biggest fundraiser Kids on Bikes celebrates 10 years 118 years of Early Connections Learning Centers

PLUS: 2015 Summer

Camp Guide

Celebrating 10 years at Kids on Bikes By Nikki McComsey • Executive Director, Kids on Bikes

Kids on Bikes is celebrating 10 years of building healthy, happy, and active kids, families and communities. A bicycle gets hearts pumping, creates joyful smiles and gives kids confidence. Imagine a world where each day children wake up, put on their helmets and ride to school, make a trip to a park, or go on a trip with their family. Parents often wonder what age their child can have the independence to ride around the neighborhood alone. The answer is based upon how much practice and education that child has received from adults who care. Generally, 5 year-olds are too young, 6 and 7 year-olds should walk in a group and by age 10 most kids are ready to walk or ride alone. However, this depends on adults giving children the opportunity to practice safety behaviors with hands on bicycling skills. Kids on Bikes offers programs that engage the whole family in bike riding so freedom, responsibility and confidence can be developed in children. Designed to increase the number

of children riding bikes, our goal is to provide access to rideable bikes, educate kids in bike safety, encourage riding that explores neighborhoods, parks and trails, and to engage the family in recreating together. One of the best ways to get kids riding bikes is to make it a family activity. Kids on Bikes offers a free family PopCycle Ride every Sunday at America the

Beautiful Park at 1 pm, starting in May. This 6-mile ride creates a fun time for kids to connect through the bicycle. Traveling north on the Santa Fe Trail, with breaks along the way, we stop at the PopCycle Bridge near Fontanero which Kids on Bikes has adopted for our 10th Anniversary Celebration. Mark your calendars for July 26 and August 30, when we will have a special celebration

on the bridge during the PopCycle Rides. Another way to reach our goals is offering fun and safety-focused bike camps. Kids can practice their skills on a variety of terrain, explore local trails, and develop a love for bicycling. We encourage riders of all abilities to register for bike camp. Skilled coaches give your child individual attention and create a fun and encouraging atmosphere to ensure your rider gets the best experience. The freedom, joy, health and friendship that comes from exploring by bike is one many of us cherish. We want to make that possible for kids from all walks of life. All proceeds from camp, and other fundraisers, go to our earn-a-bike program for over 90 kids each year and our 3 Bicycle Libraries at Community Centers. We offer full scholarships to bike camp for kids and partial scholarships. Registering your child for bike camp, making a contribution, and spreading the word, makes bicycling possible for other kids in Colorado Springs. 

Join the Fun! 2015 Summer Camps • World Tour Camp • Equestrian Camp • Performance Swim Camp • Junior Lifeguard Camp

Each week the tour will stop at new venues, both near and far, as concertgoers create crazy crafts, learn new games, play wacky sports, and splash away in the pools. Get ready for an action-packed summer full of fun and amazing attractions, and make new friends along the way! Enroll today at www.villasport.com/cs/camp

VillaSport • 5904 Prairie Schooner Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80923 • 719-522-1221 2

Gazette Parents: KIDS AT CAMP

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Sold out in 2013 and 2014

Ready. Set. March for Babies!

March of Dimes kicks off biggest fundraiser to help babies be born healthy By Leslie Massey • Gazette Parents

On Saturday, April 25, at the West Lawn of the UCCS Campus, families and business leaders will join together in the March of Dimes annual March for Babies. The nation’s oldest walk fundraiser honors babies born healthy as well as those who need help to survive and thrive. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the 5k walk kicks off at 9 a.m. An unforgettable day is on hand for the whole family at the March for Babies including live music, face painting and plenty of other exciting activities. To register for the event, visit www.MarchForBabies.org. Sponsors of the Colorado Springs March for Babies event include Loaf ’N Jug, Freedom Honda, Penrose-St. Francis Medical Center, Children’s Hospital Colorado at Memorial Hospital, KRDO Channel 13, The Gazette, 95.1 Nash,

98.9 Magic and 92.9 Peak. Stephanie Kruse learned firsthand about the work of the March of Dimes when her daughter, Kyla, was born at 31 weeks and weighed only 3 pounds. Many of the treatments that Kyla, who is the Colorado Springs ambassador, received while in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are in large part thanks to the groundbreaking and lifesaving research March of Dimes has funded over the years. Kyla is now 16 months old and her parents love spending every day with her. The Kruse family will forever be grateful for the March of Dimes’ work with supporting NICUs and preventing premature births. Premature birth is the most urgent infant health problem in the U.S. today. It affects more than half a million babies each year, including one out of 10 babies born in Colorado. The March of

Dimes is committed to funding research to find the answers to problems that continue to threaten the lives and the health of babies. Funds raised by March for Babies in Colorado help support prenatal wellness programs, research grants, NICU family support programs and advocacy efforts for stronger, healthier babies. The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, March of Dimes has worked for more than 75 years to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.org or nacersano.org. Information on Colorado activities and programs may be found at marchofdimes.org/colorado. 

Kyla Kruse, born at 31 weeks and 3 pounds

Gazette Parents: KIDS AT CAMP

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VillaKids World Tour 2015:

Exciting adventures sure to inspire By Leslie Massey • Gazette Parents

Even better than s’mores and singalongs, great summer camps provide lifelong memories and skills. Pick a winner — and your kids are sure to have an awesome summer break. VillaKids World Tour 2015 Summer Camps are guaranteed to be bursting with fun, healthy, and educational activities that kids love and parents feel good about. Amazing summer adventures are presented in a fun, safe place with qualified and certified staff members. A 12,000 square foot club within VillaSport Athletic Club, VillaKids includes five separate areas for exercise, art, soccer, basketball, computer 4

Gazette Parents: KIDS AT CAMP

classes, dance, parties and more. Keeping kids busy and entertained, VillaKids offers members, and nonmembers, a way to discover new things and develop new skills in a safe and positive environment. “VillaKids camps are about providing exhilarating and unique experiences where children have the opportunity to learn, grow, and experience something fun and new,” said Matt Altman, Camp Director at VillaKids. The 2015 World Tour is empowering campers to explore different parts of the world each week. Kicking off with Hollywood CA, the tour includes a number of venues with sensational

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adventures near and far. Campers will be engaged in designing crafts, learning new games, participating in wacky sports, and have time to splash in the pools everyday (except field trip days). “One of the best highlights from our summer camp,” said Altman, “is the amazing field trips we get to attend each week.” Making stops at Skate City, miniature golf and batting cages, cosmic bowling and laser tag, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the Fine Arts Center, SkyZone, Air Force Academy, and the Space Foundation and Discovery Center are just a few of the marvelous excursions

VillaKids campers can look forward to. Each week will include feature activities such as an inflatable cinema, luau, superhero obstacle course, mad scientist experiments, cookout, duct tape boat building and races, magic, a fossil dig, robotics and so much more. All of the camp counselors and staff are highly trained and relational so there is a lot of interaction on hand. Most of the time the kids are grouped by age, but sometimes there are opportunities for older and younger kids to interact as well. Younger kids learn from the older kids and the older kids gain responsibility by helping out with younger campers.

World Tour 2015 VillaSport Athletic Club and Spa

Art & Acting in the Forest

5404 Prairie Schooner Dr. 719.522.1221 www.VillaSport.com/CS/Camp

Registration has already surpassed last year’s numbers and is likely to be sold out again. To make sure your camper gets a spot, visit www. VillaSport.com/CS/Camp and get your kids signed up right away. In addition to the World Tour 2015 Summer Camp, VillaKids offers a wide array of alternate camp selections during the summer, including Equestrian Camp. Campers saddle up and spend their days at the ranch riding and learning new skills like grooming and saddling a horse. Riding arenas are located inside and outside, along with numerous stables and shaded picnic areas. Campers are taught by accredited, safety-trained instructors. Swim Camp is geared to boost the performance of swimmers with conditioning, technical improvements, and mental discipline. Experienced instructors help focus on four strokes and on the last day concentrate on flip turns and individual medley. Surface videotaping will be used for review and to help foster self-esteem, focus, and sportsmanship.

The popular VillaKids Junior Lifeguard Camp is great for young teens. Your child can enjoy a fun way to earn pre-certification towards handling themselves safely in a variety of water conditions. This is an exciting opportunity to inspire an interest in lifeguarding. VillaSport has the largest aquatics center in Colorado Springs providing more than 360,000 gallons of water. The facility offers nine bodies of water which includes three indoor pools, two outdoor pools and four whirlpools, one of which is an indoor/outdoor whirlpool. There is space for laps, family swim, water slides and lessons. The spectacular indoor splash park, VillaSplash, has a zeroentry pool, gigantic water play structure with dump buckets, small water slides and water jets. Two tremendous water slides at the end of the pool are also ready for yearround fun. For more information about all of VillaKids camps call 719-522-1221, or visit www.VillaSport.com/CS/Camp. 

SUMMER DAY CAMPS AT LA FORET AGES 6-11 Five week-long sessions June–July Explore full class offerings online Summer class schedule available April 27!

FAC Theatre School Youth Rep was named the Best Arts Summer Camp by The Gazette in the 2014 Best Of issue

EMERGING ARTISTS AGES 9–13

YOUTH REPERTORY ENSEMBLE

AGES 14–18 Innovative and comprehensive professional theatre training programs for students ages 9–18. Musical Theatre, Shakespeare, Design, Acting, Choreography, Play Analysis and Stage Combat are just a sampling of the rich curriculum offered by our award-winning professional staff of instructors at the Fine Arts Center.

csfineartscenter.org | 719.634.5581

Supported by El Pomar Foundation, Mabel Horrigan Foundation Gazette Parents: KIDS AT CAMP

MARCH 2015

Early Connections Learning Centers: Celebrating 118 years of quality care and education

Early Connections Learning Centers 104 E. Rio Grande Street • 719.632.1754 www.EarlyConnections.org

By Leslie Massey • Gazette Parents

Students play on the merry-go-round at the Early Connections Learning Center in 1930.

In 1897, seeing a need for quality child care for working mothers, 14 pioneering ladies founded the oldest nonprofit daycare organization in Colorado Springs. Designated the Colorado Springs Day Nursery back then, it is well-known today as Early Connections Learning Centers. One of the founders, Alice Bemis Taylor, was said to have had “an avid desire to give to those who had little or none.” Taylor funded the construction of the Colorado Springs Day Nursery and, in honor of her mother dedicated it “to all mothers and all children,” — it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Today Early Connections Learning Centers is still headquartered in the original structure on East Rio Grande Street. To celebrate their 118th anniversary, Early Connections staff, students, donors

and board members, along with families, friends, and local businesses, took part in activities honoring their continued efforts to provide the highest standards in early care and education. Wednesday, March 18 Board Members enjoyed a spaghetti luncheon in the dining hall with four-year old Early Connections students. A cocktail party on Thursday, March 19 included recognizing former board members and local businesses directly involved in the success of Early Connections, and Friday, March 20 every center in the Early Connections family had a birthday cake celebration. A new sponsorship system, AdoptA-Classroom was launched and Board Member Robert Gonzales, VP of Colorado Springs State Bank, in partnership with Mike Finkbiner of Robbins Roofing, were recognized as the program’s first sponsors.

“We are fortunate, as an organization, to have such committed board members who really understand the value and importance of quality care and early education for our community,” said Diane Price, President and CEO of Early Connections. Adopt-A-Classroom sponsorships are open to businesses, clubs, and individuals as a means for the community to actively connect with students and families, and to support the school’s commitment to quality care and early education. Eighteen sponsorships are available for a small contribution between $1,500 – $2,000. Since its inception, the Day Nursery has continued to grow and evolve, but has always sustained a focus on exceptional, affordable child care and education for families of limited means in the Pikes Peak region. Fees for Early Connections Learning Centers are based on a sliding

scale, and scholarships and financial assistance opportunities are available. “We firmly believe that all children should have access to high quality, comprehensive services regardless of family income,” said Price. A comprehensive curriculum is centered on early learning as well as developing a partnership with the families. “We are not about taking the place of parents, but standing shoulder to shoulder with parents to build a foundation to help children be as successful as they can be in school and in life,” Price said. Early Connections welcomes everyone to stop by their center on E. Rio Grande Street to take a tour of the historic building and learn more about their foundation and their determination to build a stronger community through strong family services. 

Students on the merry-go-round in 2014 — it is the only remaining original piece of playground equipment at the Rio Grande location.

THE ACADEMY OF CHILDREN’S THEATRE

1 in 10 babies

in Colorado are born too soon.

KIDS FOR CITY KIDS DAY CAMP

SUMMER CAMPS Ages 4 – 19

1st-8th graders Outdoor Adventures Hikes, Songs, Crafts Nature Games Fun!

Bear Creek Nature Center Fountain Creek Nature Center Fox Run Park

Bear Creek Fountain Creek Fox Run Park

719.520.6388 719.520.6745 719.520.6745

www.elpasocountynaturecenters.com

Gazette Parents: KIDS AT CAMP

Choose your own dairy goat, miniature horse, pygmy goat or Llama for a week. You can name your animal, learn what to feed, basic vet care, how to show your animal and demonstrate to your parents at the end of the week what you have learned. This is a fun hands on camp, with an experience you can’t find anywhere else!

Various Camps through June & July Acting, Musical Theatre, Dance & More

You can change that.

April

Ages 9yrs. & up. Cost: $95 per session $195 per session for all day camp

TICKETS Tickets Available Online

march to help all colorado babies

University of Colorado-Colorado Springs campus register to walk at marchforbabies.org

our local sponsors

For more information, call 719.282.9101 or visit our website at www.ACTcolorado.net

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Week 1 - Monday, June 15th to Friday, June 19th......9am to 12pm Week 1 - Monday, June 15th to Friday, June 19th......1pm to 4pm Week 2 - Monday, June 22nd to Friday, June 26th.....9am to 12pm Week 2 - Monday, June 22nd to Friday, June 26th.....1pm to 4pm Prairie Springs Farm 7445 Templeton Gap Rd., Colorado Springs

For more info and registration form go to: www.kidsforcitykids.com Gazette Parents: KIDS AT CAMP

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MARCH 2015

2015 Summer

Camp Guide

VillaSport Athletic Club and Spa: Summer Camps Take a Space-cation!

Every Monday – Saturday • June 8 – August 14 Extra special fun activities, featured on Saturdays, are included in admission. Explore the wonders of science and travel deeper into our universe!

• Hands-On Exhibits • Fun Activities Join us for…• Demos and More! • Living in a 3D World • Next Stop Mars • Exploring the Universe • Journey to the Future

June 80 – June 20 June 22 – July 11 July 13 – July 25 July 27 – August 14

*Note: The Discovery Center will be closed July 3 and July 4.

SAVE with a Discovery Passport! Family, Individual and Student Passports are a great way to enjoy Summer of Discovery Space-cation and our many other events all year long!

Check out all of the great benefits! For event details visit: www.SpaceFoundation.org/summer-fun 4425 Arrowswest Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907 • +1.719.576.8000 Event dates and activities are subject to change. Parent/guardian must accompany children.

Gazette Parents: KIDS AT CAMP

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All summer long, VillaSport offers a wide variety of exciting, educational and fun camps for members and non-members. Creative projects, sports, competitions, swimming and crazy shenanigans are on hand at World Tour 2015 Camp. Also offering Equestrian Camp, Swim Camp and Junior Lifeguard Camp. Your VillaSport summer camp adventure awaits you! Enroll at www.villasport.com/cs/camp, 719.522.1221. See our ad on page 2

Venetucci Farm’s Summer Programs for Kids Farm to Fork: Cooking with Kids, Junior Farmhands & Farm Animals/Wild Animals Venetucci Farm offers three week-long day programs. Farm to Fork: Cooking with Kids combines farm exploration & meeting animals with cooking and eating delicious foods. Junior Farmhands is filled with farm experiences like collecting eggs, feeding chickens, slopping pigs, exploring wetlands, planting seeds, caring for gardens, and maybe even harvesting tasty garden snacks. Farm Animals/Wild Animals focuses on the horses, chickens, cows and pigs we raise as well as the bobcats, coyotes, wild turkeys and other wild animals that make Venetucci Farm their home. Website: www.venetuccifarm.org and click on Summer Programs for Kids Email: drudin@ppcf.org Phone: 719.389.1251 ext. 112

Go West Camps: Summer day camp and teen adventure programs for kids entering 1st – 9th grades. We offer three 3 week camp sessions from June 8 – August 7. Our camp day starts at 9 am and ends at 4 pm. Pre-camp and post-camp activities are offered from 8 am – 9 am and from 4 pm – 5 pm. Our home base at Eagleview Middle School allows us to grow and harvest fruits and veggies for our lunch in the school’s garden, hike and bike the trails of Ute Valley Park, and rock climb in nearby Garden of the Gods and Red Rock Canyon. The activities and community culture at camp allow kids to build life skills. Kids will learn initiative, accountability, responsibility, communication, collaboration and leadership. A summer at Go West can be a truly transformational experience. For more information visit our website www.gowestcamps.com, call 719.357.8872 or email andrew@gowestcamps.com. See our ad on page 5.

YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region: Day Camp YMCA Day Camp is one of the oldest and most trusted camping programs in the country. Offered at six local YMCAs, Day Camp provides children with fun, kid.centered weekly themes, activities and opportunities for learning through discovery. Sports add-ons are also available. Children grow in imagination, creativity, self-directed initiative, and leadership. For more information, check out www.ppymca.org. Visit any of our YMCA Family Centers to register.

YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region: Camp Shady Brook

Discovery Center Space Foundation: Take a Space-cation! Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado Springs features weekly themes June 8 – August 14, 2015: Living in a 3D World, June 8 – 20; Next Stop Mars! June 22 – July 11; Exploring the Universe, July 13 – 25; Journey to the Future, July 27 – August 14. Extra fun activities on Saturday included in admission. Visit www.spacefoundation.org, or call 719.576.8000. See our ad on page 8.

CityROCK: Indoor Climbing Summer Camp Indoor and outdoor climbing camps for summer. Camps at CityROCK offer a great climbing experience for everybody. For more information call 719.634.9099. ClimbCityROCK.com CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Welcome to 2015 Summer Camp at PPYMCA’s Camp Shady Brook. Just 75 minutes from Colorado Springs and 90 minutes from Denver in Deckers, the Y welcomes all kids ages 6-17 years old to adventure, learn, make new friends, build self-esteem, gain independence, make responsible decisions, and create memories to last a lifetime! Learn more at www.campshadybrook.com.

Junior Academy Summer Day Camp: For over 60 years, Junior Academy has operated one of Colorado’s finest summer day camps for children ages 5-15. Enjoy Red Cross approved swimming lessons and exciting fieldtrips for age-divided groups. As a locally owned and operated business, Junior Academy is proud of the quality, affordability and flexibility we offer families. For more information, and enrollment assistance, please contact Junior Academy at 719.598.2095, 719.272.9070 or 719.632.7681 or www. jracademykids.com.

Academy of Children’s Theatre: A wholesome theatre experience where your child can have fun and learn. Explore the elements of theatre through fun teaching, creative improv, as well as preparing and performing a production. Summer camps include acting musical theatre, film, dance, voice, audition techniques and more. 719.282.9101, aoct.net/camps See our ad on page 7. Gazette Parents: KIDS AT CAMP

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2015 Summer Camp Guide CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Millibo Art Theatre: A SUMMER full of LAUGHS! Drama camps enrolling for students aged 4 – 18! Join the Millibo Art Theatre for a one-to-two-week summer camp and discover how to bring stories and characters to life. This year’s theme is laughter; campers will have opportunities all summer to explore comedic plays, characters and techniques. Build a musical forest, crawl inside a giant puppet, reinvent Shakespeare, join the circus or become a comedian. Join us for a laugh-filled summer! All classes are taught by professional artists and teachers engaging students in hands-on explorations that develop new skills, build confidence and expand imaginations. 719.465.6321, www.themat.org

El Paso County Parks Nature Camps: Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center: The place for aspiring theatre artists in the Pikes Peak Region. Each summer, we offer innovative and comprehensive professional theatre training programs offered by our award-winning professional staff of instructors. 719.634.5583, www.csfineartscenter.org See our ad on page 5.

Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region: Our goal for all of our camps is to foster respect for animals through engaging activities intended to develop an understanding of the feelings of others, cultivate knowledge, and encourage compassionate and responsible actions. Campers are responsible for bringing their own lunch and snacks for the day. This camp is not recommended for children with severe allergies to animals or hay. The shelter facility uses peanut butter in enrichment activities for dogs. For more information call 719.302.8739 or go to hsppr.org.

Kids for City Kids Day Camp: Would you like to spend time at camp taking care of farm animals? You get to choose your own animal — miniature horse, llama, dairy goat or pygmy goat and own it for one week at camp. Each day, you will learn with your animal, learn from animal experts, and much, much more. At the end of the week at camp you will get to share and demonstrate what you have learned to your parents! All Day Camp also available. Visit the website for more information and to register. Prairie Springs Farm, 7415 Templeton Gap Rd. www.kidsforcitykids.com See our ad on page 7 10

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Bear Creek Nature Camps: Camps are for children entering grades 1 – 5. Half-day camps are $80/member and $90/nonmember. Full-day camps are $120/member, $130/nonmember. Call 719.520.6388 for camp dates, times & more information or go to www.elpasocountynaturecenters.com. Fountain Creek Nature Camps: Camps for children entering grades 1-5 are available as well as a camp for 6th – 8th graders. $120/member, $130/nonmember. Call 719.520.6745 for camp dates, times & more information or go to www.elpasocountynaturecenters.com. Fox Run Park Nature Camp: June 23 – 27, 9:00 a.m. – Noon. 80/member, $90/nonmember. Call 719.520.6745. www.elpasocountynaturecenters.com See our ad on page 6

Summer Bike Camps: Explore. Dream. Bike. Thrive. We create lifelong memories as kids learn the skills to explore trails by bike, make friends, connect with caring coaches and be empowered in bike safety and maintenance. Day camp is available for kids age 2 – 13 with options such as mountain bike, urban trails, learning to ride, all girls camp and Strider camps. Dates: June – August, Contact/registration info: www.kidsonbikes.net, 719.355.3573 See our ad on page 9.

Hope Montessori Academy: In the months of June, July and August, we offer a summer experience program for children in preschool to age 12. Field trips, arts and crafts, music, outdoor activities and splash days are just the beginning of the experience we offer to our children. Swim lessons will also be available as a field trip. Your child will be able to socialize with others in a fun, exciting and challenging environment. 719.488.5800, montessorichild.com. See our ad on the back cover

Do You Have A Child Ready to Start Kindergarten? Colorado Springs School District 11

Kindergarten Registration for the 2015-2016 school year begins Friday, April 17, 2015. Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t your child deserve the very best? District 11 is pioneering the way, teaching to the student and educating the whole child. Get your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education off to a great start by enrolling in a District 11 school! Students must be five years of age by October 1, 2015. For each child please bring: (1) Updated immunization record, (2) Birth date verification, (3) Proof of residency. To locate the District 11 school your child should attend, please go to the website at www.d11.org and click on the kindergarten registration icon or call 520-2297.

Your Choice Best Choice School District 11 FREE Full-Day Kindergarten Gazette Parents: KIDS AT CAMP

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Rockrimmon/Mountain Shadows 2041 Chuckwagon Rd., Colorado Springs 719-388-8818 Stetson Hills 6353 Stetson Hills Blvd., Colorado Springs 719-573-5300 Monument 18075 Minglewood Trail, Monument 719-488-8723 Falcon 7312 Mclaughlin Rd., Falcon 719-886-4900

Gazette Parents: KIDS AT CAMP

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The Montessori classroom contains multi-sensory, sequential, self-correcting materials designed to invite manipulations and to permit active, self-directed learning in a mixed-age setting. The multi-age classes provide opportunities for socialization, math, reading and language development.