Spring Enrollment Open for Explore! Afterschool Arts Enrichment

Looking for a creative outlet for your child, in a safe environment?

Afterschool arts enrichment with Explore! is back at George Watts Montessori!
Monday & Thursday classes begin the week of Thursday, February 17.
Call Explore! at 919-862-8866 to register today.

Watts & Lakewood Families,
The spring 2011 session of Explore! afterschool arts enrichment is almost here.  Classes are tentatively slated to begin the week of February 17th.  Currently, we are going to offer the same options as last session (see descriptions below), but the final clubs will depend upon enrollment. The days and times will also stay the same: Mondays and Thursdays from 3:30-5:00 pm.  PTA is offering a limited number of full and partial scholarships for families who receive free or reduced lunch (this is just one of the many ways that we use the generous contributions from the Annual Fund Drive and money raised from PTA-sponsored events like the Carnival, Arts Explosion 2010 and Root Fest, etc.).

Lastly, Watts and Explore! have teamed up to offer a summer arts program, which will be held at Watts.  More information will come at a later date.

Everything that you’d want to know is in the Explore! brochure (el folleto sobre Explore!), but if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kisha Daniels, PTA Arts & Culture Committee Chair at kdaniels@nccu.edu or contact Explore! directly at 919-862-8866.

Haga clic para el folleto en español

Click for brochure in English

Monday Course Options:

• Art on Paper
• Cartoon Craze
• Robotics
• Through the Lens
• Knitting & Sewing
• Video game Programming
• Book Art & Scrapbooking

Thursday Course Options:

• Conversational Spanish
• Creative Movement
• Chorus
• GWM Music Jam
• Film & Video
• Art of Gardening

Pricing & Class Dates
(All classes meet from 3:30-5:00)

10 – Week Fall Session: September 20th – November 15th
Mondays Only – 8 Classes, $120
Thursdays Only – 9 Classes, $135
Mondays & Thursdays – 17 Classes, $255

10 – Week Spring Session: February 7th – April 10th
Monday Only – 8 Classes, $120
Thursdays Only – 10 Classes, $150
Mondays & Thursdays – 18 Classes, $270

Monday Course Descriptions

Explore! Cartoon Craze: Grades 3rd – 6th
The likes of SpongeBob, Webkinz, Littlest Pet Shop, WALL-E, NeoPets, Hello Kitty, Spiderman and others await your budding cartoonist! Kids discover how to make characters come to life by drawing and crafting versions of their favorites, picking up a bit of art and cartoon history along the way. Using step-by-step instruction and basic shapes and lines, they’ll be drawing the classics in no time! We’ll pass along tricks of the trade and professional secrets for making drawings look like those of a real cartoonist. Each student creates a unique cartoon to be included in a full-color class comic book! No prior drawing lessons are required.

Explore! Robotics: Grades 1st – 6th
If kids like to build, tinker, take things apart and are endlessly intrigued by how things work, they’ll love learning how robots can be useful and fun. Using Lego Mindstorm robotics kits and computers, students build simple robots, test them and watch them perform their tasks. Transformers fans gain not only programming skills, but an understanding of the history of robotics in both science and pop culture.

Explore! Video Game Programming: Grades 3rd – 6th
The only thing better than playing a favorite video game is making one! Kids explore game design, concepts, setting, storytelling & narrative, character creation, interface design, game play, internal economy, core mechanics, game genres, Al in games and online games. They delve into the effects of games on society, the psychology of games, and careers in game development. Kids are introduced to various game programming and industry standard tools as they bring their objects to life.

Explore! Knitting & Sewing: Grades 1st – 6th
Kids discover the satisfaction of fabric’s creative side as they learn to sew and knit in this useful club. They fashion everything from puppets to purses to pillows, employing basic sewing techniques and stitches, as well as design concepts. Knitting needles go to work as students learn to read yarn labels, cast-on, knit, purl, bind-off, change colors, weave in ends and work on beginner patterns. Practical and creative, sewing and knitting are handy additions to anyone’s repertoire of skills.

Explore! Through The Lens: Grades 1st – 6th
For kids with snapshot fever! This class transforms amateurs into true photographers of the digital age. Students explore introductory photo skills that include print editing, digital styling with photoshop, plus camera tricks like light trailing. And they learn to incorporate photography into things that they see and do in their everyday lives. Picture them behind the camera while you say cheese! Please bring your own camera.

Explore! Book Arts & Scrapbooking: Grades 2nd – 6th
Ah, memories….. If only we had saved them in artistically arranged books and pages. Kids still can! In this class they not only learn to create a scrap book, but about artistic bookmaking, altered books, and binding books from scratch. So make room on your bookshelf, because they’re going to make a library.

Explore! Art on Paper: Grades Pre-K – K & 1st – 6th
In Art on Paper, kids explore the endless possible ways to make their mark in 2 dimensions as they draw, scratch, print, and fold their way onto the gallery wall. This fascinating adventure leads far beyond watercolors, acrylics and charcoal pencils.

Thursday Course Options

Conversational Spanish: Grades Pre-K – K & 1st – 6th
Kids learn to speak like a native—not a textbook! Stilted dialogues and formal syntax are replaced by realistic exchanges that familiarize kids with casual conversations. They’ll start to determine meaning through context, not direct translation. This entertaining, lighthearted course breaks free from the constraints of classroom learning and demonstrates how Spanish is really spoken among amigos.

Explore! Hip Hop: Grades 1st – 6th
Popularized in music videos, Hip Hop is a funkier version of Jazz, with its origins in breakdancing on the streets. Dancers will learn to move their bodies to modern songs, while exploring rhythm and cultivating coordination and improvisational skills. No prior experience is necessary. Please wear comfortable clothing, sneakers and socks.

Explore! Creative Movement: Grades Pre-K – K & 1st – 6th
This class sets the stage for real ballet! Through a combination of Creative Movement and Pre-ballet, kids refine gross motor skills. Through graceful, flowing, precise movements, they begin to create the ethereal qualities of the ballet.

Chorus: Grades Pre-K – K & 1st – 6th
This class helps each child find his unique voice–for the church choir, school play, or just the sheer enjoyment of singing. It includes choral and solo singing, stage basics, and audition preparation (for school productions, choirs, etc.) Vocal exercises and an emphasis on proper breathing techniques ensure that young voices develop naturally.

GWM Music Jam: Grades Pre-K & 1st – 6th
Bring any kind of instrument and jam! Don’t play? Don’t worry! Even the young and inexperienced can delight in exploring the endless world of percussion! Kids of every age will learn how to fit into a group of musicians while everyone plays a different part. This class is a great way to unwind from the school day while honing rhythmic and improvisational skills. Quirky instruments welcome. Please bring your own instrument, or bring your imagination and something that can be used as an instrument.

Explore! Film and Video: Grades 3rd – 6th
Who knows—someday we could be watching your child’s work on the big screen! Hey, Steven Spielberg had to start somewhere! In Film and Video, kids control the camera as we experiment with recording motion and telling a story. Some of the projects include claymation, publishing on youtube, story boards, and creating movies fit for the big screen. If Hollywood in fact calls, we expect to be cast in the movie.

Explore! Art of Gardening: Ages Vary
Cool weather gardens provide more than just winter veggies! This class brings fall and winter gardening to an art, as kids learn that the garden can be a year-round source of community and creativity. Whether prepping soil for the spring harvest, fashioning feeders for neighborhood birds or enhancing a frosty canvas with their own original garden art, kids bring life to the garden all season long.

Explore Policies

• * Not sure? Register for a no-obligation half-price trial lesson.
• * Payment is a snap! For your convenience, you register and pay Explore! directly. High quality art, craft, music and technology supplies are provided for all classes unless otherwise indicated. Dancers are responsible for their personal Dance attire.
• * Towards the end of each session, artwork will be displayed in a non-competitive inclusive art show, informal recitals will be held for Dance and Music students, and clubs will have displays and performances.
• * Children who are not enrolled in Community Education Afterschool will be picked up from the school lobby. Children who are enrolled in Afterschool will go back to their respective Aftershool program at the end of Explore! classes and clubs.
• * Transportation will not be provided. All students enrolled in the program must be picked up by an adult.
• * Missed classes are forfeited. Classes cancelled by Explore! due to emergencies or inclement weather will be rescheduled or tuition will be prorated. Withdrawal simply requires a 30-day written notice to jpatrick@explorebeyondschool.com. Refunds cannot be given retroactively.
• * Students must be picked up promptly at the end of each class so that Explore! instructors can fulfill additional teaching assignments.
• * To inquire about a sponsorship or to contribute sponsorship funds, contact Kisha Daniels at kdaniels@nccu.edu.
• * Explore! reserves the right to cancel a session or combine classes based on enrollment.

Note:

• New this year: classes available for pre-K, K, and 6th grades
• Flexible payment schedule
• Scholarship assistance is available for families who receive free/reduced lunch and for GWM staff families
• Special rates for families with 2 or more children who participate in both sessions