This month, Newtown Athletic Club begins enrollment for its new Newtown Discovery Preschool, set to open in January 2020.
According to Amanda Brown, the founder of the preschool and Newtown Athletic Club’s executive youth director, the project is a unique offering due the fact it’s powered by Newtown Athletic Club, allowing for one-of-a-kind services and offerings.
Here, Brown shares additional insights into the project.
CS: What are you most excited about concerning the Newtown Discovery Preschool?
AB: I am most excited about making a difference in all of the students’ and parents’ lives by providing them with an exceptional learning experience. The preschool has been designed to be a play-based learning environment, which is a new innovative way to teach children skills they will utilize throughout the rest of their life. The Newtown Discovery Preschool will be the most interactive preschool on the East Coast, which will bring something totally different and new to the Newtown, Bucks County, area.
The extracurriculars include dance, gymnastics, fitness, cooking and yoga — which can be offered at our school because we are powered by the NAC. We are so grateful to be able to offer these classes that can benefit children immensely during this phase of development. This also allows children to learn in a fun and engaging way. We need to instill good habits in regards to wellness, to keep children aware from an early age that being active is important.
CS: What are highlights of the project — what are some examples of the featured amenities or offerings?
AB: Highlights include:
- We have a slide that goes from the second floor to the first floor of our building. This allows for fun and exciting transitions for the children.
- We have The Village of the school, where there are different shops the children can play and learn in. Two of the main shops are our grocery store and hardware store. This will be where a lot of interactive learning takes place in a hands-on way for each child to be engaged and enjoying academics.
- There are healthy breakfasts and lunches every day. Everything we serve is RD approved and follows the MyPlate nutrition guide.
- We offer classes such as cooking, gymnastics, yoga, fitness and dance at no additional cost.
- Overall, our play-based learning and innovative play space is unlike any other. We are truly creating a space where learning can be fun for students and set them on the right track with their feelings toward school at an early age.
CS: What value will the preschool bring to Newtown Athletic Club’s campus?
AB: We hope the preschool will draw non-members to the Newtown Athletic Club campus. With this increased exposure brought in by the preschool, we can ultimately increase our number of members and membership dues. I envision that our current members will see another amazing amenity showcasing the things the Newtown Athletic Club is doing for the community, and that we are unlike anything else in the country.
CS: If any other health clubs are thinking about adding a preschool to their facilities, what should they keep in mind?
AB: My recommendation would be to do a lot of research. I personally went to preschool conferences, met with tons of teachers and asked them about their dream preschool. Questions like, what would the classrooms have? What would play space look like? What type of program would you offer? I then ultimately created my vision of the Newtown Discovery Preschool.
Others should also be sure to visit some of the amazing preschools that health clubs already have. I spent time visiting The Atlantics Club’s school, as well as ACAC’s, to learn from them.
CS: Is there anything else you’d like to share concerning this project?
AB: I’m just really thankful for this amazing opportunity that Jim Worthington has given me. He has let me make all of the decisions for the school and really encouraged me to dream big with the preschool. I’ve been able to call all the shots and have had complete creative freedom, and I really won’t ever be able to thank him enough for his support.
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