The Academy of Cool Springs Online Newsletter
Best of Parenting
Jul 13, 2026
A look back a June's summer fun! ☀️🫧
May 20, 2026
Outdoor Painting Fun!
Outdoor Painting Fun!
This week, our preschool artists took creativity outside for a colorful outdoor painting adventure! The children had an amazing time exploring colors, creating masterpieces, and expressing themselves through art in the fresh air.
With paintbrushes in hand and big imaginations at work, students experimented with mixing colors to discover new shades and combinations. There were lots of excited smiles as blue and yellow became green, red and white turned pink, and every painting became uniquely their own. Watching their curiosity and creativity come to life was truly special!
Outdoor painting gives children the freedom to explore art in a fun, hands-on way while also building important skills like fine motor development, problem-solving, and self-expression. Most importantly, it allows them to have fun and feel proud of their creations.
Our students absolutely loved letting their creative juices flow and showing off their colorful masterpieces. We are so proud of their enthusiasm, imagination, and willingness to try new things!
Be sure to ask your child about their favorite part of our outdoor painting day — and maybe even try a painting activity together at home! 🎨💚
Apr 17, 2026
Exploring Insects & Reptiles: Learning Through Discovery
Over the past week, our Preschool 2 and Pre-K2 classrooms have been fully engaged in a hands-on learning experience centered around insects—especially ladybugs—as well as expanding their curiosity into the world of reptiles, including iguanas!
Our students have been diving into this theme through a variety of creative and academic activities that support multiple developmental domains.
Creative Expression & Fine Motor Development
Students have been working on arts and crafts focused on ladybugs and other insects. Through these activities, they practiced:
- Tracing and shaping ladybugs
- Using scissors and glue to assemble their creations
- Exploring colors, patterns, and symmetry (like counting and placing spots on ladybugs)
These activities strengthen fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and early writing readiness—especially as students carefully trace and control their pencil movements.
Language & Cognitive Development
During group discussions and circle time, students explored:
- Different types of insects and their characteristics
- The life and appearance of ladybugs
- Comparisons between insects and reptiles, like iguanas
Teachers introduced new vocabulary words such as antennae, wings, habitat, and reptile, helping expand each child’s language and comprehension skills. Students were encouraged to ask questions, describe what they see, and share their thoughts—building confidence in communication.
Science & Exploration
Our classrooms incorporated early science skills by encouraging curiosity and observation. Students learned:
- Basic facts about insects and their environments
- How ladybugs help nature
- The differences between insects and reptiles like iguanas
By exploring both insects and reptiles, students begin to understand classification, habitats, and the diversity of living things—key foundational science concepts.
Bringing Learning to Life
By combining creativity, science, language, and social interaction, our Preschool 2 and Pre-K2 students are not only learning about ladybugs and iguanas—they are developing skills that will support them across all areas of growth.
We love seeing their excitement as they explore, create, and discover new things each day!
Mar 31, 2026
Spring Sensory Bin Exploration: Learning Through Touch, Play, and Discovery
This week, our classrooms—from toddlers through Pre-K 2—engaged in a hands-on Spring Sensory Bin experience designed to promote exploration, creativity, and developmental growth. Filled with colorful flowers, flexible pipe cleaners, and a variety of textured materials, this activity invited children to learn through one of the most important tools they have—their senses.
Sensory play is a vital part of early childhood development. It allows children to explore their environment in a meaningful and engaging way while building foundational skills that support future learning. Through this spring-themed experience, children were encouraged to touch, manipulate, sort, and investigate a variety of materials, each offering a unique sensory input.
A major focus of this activity was the development of fine motor skills. As children picked up small objects, grasped pipe cleaners, and explored the contents of the bin, they were strengthening the small muscles in their hands and fingers. These movements support important skills such as writing, feeding themselves, buttoning clothing, and other everyday tasks that require coordination and control. Children practiced their pincer grasp, hand-eye coordination, and the ability to use both hands together, all while remaining engaged in play.
In addition to fine motor development, the sensory bin provided rich opportunities for children to explore and compare different textures. They experienced soft, bumpy, smooth, and flexible materials, helping them build sensory awareness and confidence when interacting with new or unfamiliar objects. For younger children especially, these experiences play a critical role in brain development, as they begin to make connections between what they feel and how they understand the world around them.
This activity also supported language and social development. Teachers guided children in describing their experiences using words like “soft,” “squishy,” and “rough,” helping to expand their vocabulary. Children were encouraged to engage with their peers, share materials, and participate in cooperative play. These interactions help build communication skills, patience, and social confidence.
To further extend learning, classroom circle times incorporated spring-themed books and discussions, allowing children to connect their hands-on experiences with storytelling and early literacy skills. This combination of sensory exploration and structured learning helps deepen understanding and reinforces key concepts.
While sensory play may appear simple, it supports multiple areas of development simultaneously, including cognitive growth, fine motor skills, language development, and social interaction. Most importantly, it fosters a love of learning through play—an essential foundation for lifelong success.
We are proud to provide meaningful, engaging experiences like this that support the whole child and create joyful learning opportunities in our classrooms.
Mar 6, 2026
☘️ Lucky Leprechauns & Learning! ☘️
This week in our Preschool Two classroom, our little learners began exploring the fun and festive theme of Lucky Leprechauns as we prepare for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday! Through storytelling, color recognition, and interactive discussions, our students were introduced to early cultural awareness while strengthening important early learning skills.
During our morning circle time, we gathered together for a special read-aloud story titled “10 Lucky Leprechauns.” This engaging counting book allowed the children to practice early number recognition, listening skills, and participation in group learning. As we read through the story, the children helped count the leprechauns together, which encouraged early math awareness and number sequencing in a fun and interactive way.
Throughout the story, the children became very curious about the color green, which is strongly connected to the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. We spent time identifying and discussing the color green, pointing out green items in our classroom and in the illustrations within the book. This activity helped support color recognition, vocabulary development, and observation skills.
We also briefly introduced the children to the meaning behind St. Patrick’s Day in a way that is appropriate for their age group. We explained that St. Patrick’s Day is a special holiday that began in a country called Ireland, where people celebrate Irish culture and traditions. One fun tradition includes stories about leprechauns, which are playful little characters in Irish folklore who are often associated with luck and hidden pots of gold.
Although our learners are still very young, these early conversations help build cultural awareness, curiosity, and language development. The children enjoyed pointing out the leprechauns in the story, counting them, and discussing what made them “lucky.”
Activities like this also help strengthen several important developmental areas for toddlers and young preschoolers, including:
• Early literacy skills through listening to stories
• Language development through discussion and new vocabulary
• Early math skills through counting the leprechauns
• Color recognition with our focus on the color green
• Social engagement during group circle time
Additionally, our Pre-K 1 and Pre-K 2 classrooms also participated in this exciting learning experience as our Assistant Director, Miss Hannah, joined them for a special read-aloud of “10 Lucky Leprechauns.” The students enjoyed engaging with the story together while practicing counting, identifying the color green, and learning about the fun traditions associated with St. Patrick’s Day.
Having leadership participate in classroom learning moments helps create a strong sense of community and connection throughout our school, while making story time even more exciting for the children.
The excitement in the classroom was contagious as our preschoolers practiced counting, identifying colors, and participating in our group discussion. Moments like these help build a strong foundation for learning while keeping the experience fun and meaningful for our young learners.
As we continue our Lucky Leprechaun theme, we look forward to more activities that will encourage creativity, counting, and exploration throughout the week.
Thank you to all of our families for being such an important part of our school community. We love sharing these special learning moments with your children each day!
Feb 27, 2026
Building Healthy Smiles: Our Focus on Dental Care This Week
This week in the classroom, we placed a special focus on dental hygiene and healthy oral care habits. Our goal was to help children begin understanding why taking care of their teeth matters while also building the independence skills that support lifelong self-care.
What We Learned
Throughout the week, children explored:
What teeth do and why they are important
How cavities form and why we work to prevent them
Proper toothbrushing basics
Early flossing awareness
How to take care of our smiles every day
We kept discussions age-appropriate and hands-on so children could connect the learning to their daily routines.
Hands-On Practice
Students were introduced to the steps of effective toothbrushing, including:
Brushing gently on all sides of the teeth
Reaching the back teeth
Brushing the tongue
Taking their time rather than rushing
We emphasized that clean teeth = healthy teeth, and that brushing is something we do every single day.
Wrap-and-Go for Families
To extend learning into the home, each family received a Wrap-and-Go dental kit. These materials were provided to support consistency between school and home.
Your child’s kit included:
A child-friendly toothbrush
Guidance for brushing routines
Tips for maintaining oral health at home
Support for building independence during self-care routines
Our intention is to partner with you in making dental care feel simple, positive, and routine for your child.
Building Independence
Beyond dental health, this study also supported important self-help and independence skills. Children practiced:
Taking responsibility for personal care
Following multi-step routines
Developing confidence in daily habits
Understanding body awareness and health
These small moments of independence build big confidence over time.
How Families Can Support at Home
You can reinforce this week’s learning by:
Encouraging brushing twice daily
Supervising while still allowing your child to try independently
Modeling brushing together as a family
Keeping routines calm and consistent
Celebrating your child’s effort (not just perfection)
Consistency between school and home makes the biggest difference.
Final Note
We are proud of how engaged the children were during this unit. Building healthy habits early sets the foundation for a lifetime of strong smiles and confident self-care.
Thank you for partnering with us to support your child’s growth both in the classroom and at home!




























