SPECIAL SUBJECTS ENRICH PRESCHOOL DAYS

From Fun & Fitness classes to Spanish, mindfulness, and more, specials reinforce learning at Miss Lee’s

Wiggle like an earthworm! Fly like an airplane! High, low, fast, slow… Little Luker, Pre-Kindergarten, and Junior Kindergarten students are accustomed to hearing these types of instructions during their weekly Fun & Fitness classes this year, and they happily oblige. Fun & Fitness is one of six “special subjects” currently included in the Preschool curriculum, enhancing the educational experience and helping shape this lively center of activity where children learn by doing, sharing, and experiencing.

Fun & Fitness

Instructor: Robert Ward | 1x/week

Getting dedicated time to develop gross motor skills and “play with a purpose” is a critical component of the Preschool day, according to Head of Preschool Cynthia Hill, and selecting Robert Ward as the instructor this year has brought new energy to the class. In addition to his 20+ years of work at GSL, Ward is the founder of the awardwinning M-Town Image Dance Troupe. And during his time at GSL, he’s also become the instructor for our annual First Grade Hip Hop performance (for 15 years now), and choreographer for the 4th-8th grade dance routines performed at the Father-Daughter Dance. With his background in dance and music, gentle spirit, and ready smile, he has been a natural fit for work with our youngest students.

“The students really get into it; they love Mr. Robert,” Hill says. “And as one of our only male teachers here, he has a presence they really respond to. He is able to incorporate so much of his background in dance and music into what he does; they just have a ball.”

Because the expansive After School Care space is equipped with a smart board, instruction often incorporates a fitness app with videos. And in addition to gross motor exercises like skipping and hopping, Ward also introduces hands-on athletic activities like catching or kicking a ball, a precursor to skills they’ll utilize when they move on to P.E. instruction in Lower School.

Spanish Instructor: Carmen Navarro

2x/week

When Spanish Teacher Carmen Navarro rolls her teaching materials into the Preschool, you start to hear children calling out “¡Hola!” as soon as she walks in the door. In her second year teaching at GSL, Navarro has won students over with her engaging lessons and warm personality. At an age when language acquisition comes naturally, children explore Spanish through music, games, and stories, including read-alouds, dancing, and general introduction to the rhythms and sounds of the language.

“She’s been phenomenal,” Hill says. “One lesson each week is typically in small groups, and the other time is more total immersion, but it’s always very interactive. With her plush toy monkey Macaco, who only speaks Spanish, she incorporates food and cooking and fun. She’ll hold class outside when the weather’s nice, on the playground or in the outdoor classroom. From singing, to storytelling, to conversation, her cheerful personality really brings Spanish to life, and her happiness at GSL is contagious!”

Library Instructor: Laura Lemly Willis

1x/month (LL and PK); 2x/month (JK)

With a dedicated early childhood librarian on staff –former Junior Kindergarten Teacher Laura Lemly Willis –it’s a given that library instruction is perfectly tailored to the Preschool age student at GSL. Classes are designed to introduce our youngest children to the school library and to foster a lifelong love of books and reading. Read-alouds include songs and movement, and Willis and her husband, Director of Library Services Jan Willis, redesigned a special corner of the Anchor Library last year with a cozy rug and soft animal cushions that are perfect for Preschoolers who may want to settle in or stretch out. Students are introduced to a wide variety of books, including fiction, nonfiction, and wordless picture books. Thoughtfully selected Formative Five and DEI story offerings allow students to learn more about the world and recognize the uniqueness of every human being.

Tinker Lab

Instructor: Cynthia Hill | 2x/month

With creative, collaborative activities that are often STEMfocused, Tinker Lab is, according to Director of Enrollment Shelly McGuire, a favorite stop for parents on admissions tours. Taught by Head of Preschool Cynthia Hill, the lightfilled maker space is set up to spark students’ imaginations as soon as they walk through the door.

“We try to give students extra time to think outside the box during Tinker Lab, to be creative in terms of engineering and imagining things,” Hill explains. “Recently we talked about spring, and what’s happening outside –asking them to notice trees budding, or flowers blooming. Every visit they’re introduced to new concepts, with an artistic component, and I ask a lot of open-ended questions such as, ‘How would you build this?’ or ‘What do you think about that?’ The junior kindergartners recently did a building project tied to a storybook they’d read, The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires.

“I love hearing from parents how excited their kids are about what they do in Tinker Lab. We love giving students the chance to think and build and create in here!”

Discover ME Mindfulness

Instructor: Linda Hudgins; 2x/month

Founded by Memphis educator Jamie Goldring, the movement and mindfulness program Discover ME was created with a simple-sounding but deceptively challenging goal: helping kids manage their behavior and emotions. Discover ME stories, discussions, and activities teach children specific skills and strategies to do this. These essential skills of impulse-control, self-awareness, and paying attention equip children with strategies that will be valuable throughout their lives.

“Our kids love it, and it’s all about helping them understand why they react the way they do, and giving them tools to better control their bodies, emotions, and feelings,” Hill says.

Goldring’s instructors use tools like a mindfulness basket that may have a shaker or glitter jar for students to hold.

Preschool

They shake the jar, watch the glitter settle, and learn to become calmer as that visualization helps settle their emotions. There are stretchy bands they use to slow their breathing, and they learn the flower-candle breath technique – breathing slowly in and out – to learn ways to focus, be present, and calm down.

“Teachers have incorporated many of these techniques into their day-to-day classroom management,” Hill adds. “You’ll hear teachers saying, ‘You need to take a flowercandle breath, you can’t talk when you’re so upset!’”

To learn more about the program, visit breathewithmetoday.com.

Musik Adventure Studios

Instructor: Annette Morris | 1x/week

Founded by Memphian Annette Morris, Musik Adventure Studios is a top Kindermusik program and the largest such program in Tennessee, whose mission is to provide joyful, engaging activities that promote school readiness, lifelong learners, and a more confident, kinder generation. The Musik Adventures curriculum engages the children in weekly activities that encourage multisensory learning, stimulating multiple areas of the brain at once. Exploring musical concepts throughout the year introduces students to different genres and styles that help foster a lifelong love and appreciation for music.

“Instructors will bring in instruments, like sticks, bells, and shakers,” Hill says. “It’s a fun opportunity to incorporate a little music, dance, and movement in students' lives and routines here, and for some it may be their first introduction to instruments.”

To learn more about the program, visit musikadventures.com.

Learn More about Preschool

Along with weekly chapel visits from GSL church clergy, as well as ongoing studies and inquiry-based learning in the outdoor classroom (a certified Natural Wildlife Habitat by Natural Wildlife Federation), the specials described here help round out the curriculum at GSL in a profound way.

For more details, scan here to access our Programs of Study.