🌈 Awesome Me & My Senses: Celebrating What Makes Us Unique!

This week, our little learners explored the wonderful world of Awesome Me & Senses, discovering how we use our five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—to experience the world around us! From noticing the colors and details around us to exploring different textures, sounds, and scents, each day offered a new opportunity to engage our senses and spark curiosity. These hands-on experiences help children build an understanding of how their bodies work while encouraging them to observe, ask questions, and make meaningful connections with their surroundings.

Recognizing and beginning to understand the five senses is an important developmental milestone for young children. Through age-appropriate activities, our friends practiced identifying their senses, connecting them to everyday experiences, and discovering how each one helps us learn. Activities like “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” encouraged body awareness, listening, and movement, while bringing in a family picture gave our friends a special opportunity to share the people they love and celebrate what makes their families unique. We also enjoyed reading It's Okay to Be Different, a beautiful reminder that our differences are something to celebrate!

As we explored our senses, we also celebrated the little individuals behind them. Every friend has their own interests, abilities, preferences, and ways of experiencing the world—and that is what makes our classroom so special. Whether we see things differently, enjoy different textures, or have our own favorite sounds and tastes, there is beauty in every little detail that makes us who we are. At Academy of Maryland Farms, we believe that helping children understand themselves while appreciating others lays the foundation for empathy, confidence, and a lifelong love of learning.

Here's to seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching our way through a world full of wonder—and celebrating every bit of what makes us Awesome Me! 💛

FROGSTREET INFANT PROGRAM

FROG STREET INFANT Designed around the latest scientific early brain development research, Frog Street Infant curriculum is designed to build strong foundations for little ones ages 0-18 months. This child-centered program includes easy-to-use activities that: equip caregivers to nurture the little ones in their care. optimize key windows of opportunity for growth and development. are designed with intention and purpose and organized around developmental learning domains. feature Dr. Becky Bailey’s Conscious Discipline® strategies to enhance social and emotional development.

OUR PREK PROGRAM...Celebrating the joy of learning!

Frog Street Pre-K is a comprehensive, research-based program that integrates instruction across developmental domains and early learning disciplines. The program is engaging for both teachers and children and is easy to implement! The cornerstones of the program are: An extensive integration of theme, disciplines, and domains Social and Emotional development includes Dr. Becky Bailey’s Conscious Discipline ® Differentiated instruction Equity of English and Spanish materials and instruction Joyful approach to learning

KINDERGARTEN BOOT CAMP: AN ACADEMY EXCLUSIVE

The Academy is recognized by the community for our kindergarten specific programs including our one-of-a-kind Kindergarten Boot Camp. Our Pre-K program includes hands-on explorations that create new learning connections in language, math, science, social, emotional and physical development. Children investigate “Big Ideas” and are actively involved in seeking answers to their own questions. Intentional daily plans cover a specific range of guidelines that prepare our children to meet and exceed kindergarten readiness standards for both public and private schools. Kindergarten Boot Camp, offered exclusively by Never Grow Up, is a dedicated summer program that teaches important, yet often overlooked, skills needed to navigate kindergarten with confidence. Skills such as remembering a lunch number, carrying a lunch tray or returning a library book are examples of how we “train” our Academy kids to “be all they can be”!

OUR PARENT COMPANY

"WE'RE CREATING CHILDHOOD" The Academy Child Development Centers and Preschools are privately owned and operated by our parent company, Never Grow Up, Inc. Based out of Louisville, KY, family owned Never Grow Up, Inc. operated nearly 30 child development centers in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. Never Grow Up, Inc. is committed to providing private child care for parents who want only the best for their children. We understand that "we're creating childhood" every day for the children in our care, and we hold that privilege with the highest regard.

GOLD SNEAKER FACILITY

GETTING A JUMP ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY Healthy habits are instilled at a young age, with most habits being formed during adolescence. We feel it important to instill good habits at an early age, addressing behavioral factors that contribute to overweight and obesity from the beginning. The Gold Sneaker initiative was developed to enhance policy related to physical activity and nutrition within licensed child care facilities across Tennessee. Policies we've adopted include minimum requirements on physical activity, sedentary activities, breastfeeding, meal time, behaviors, portion sizes, and a tobacco-free facility. Together, we can create healthy habits for life.