Building Blocks

M’Lou Speranza           324-2730

The Music Building Blocks Program provides 3-hour classroom visits once every two weeks in the teacher’s first year and once every four weeks in the second year. All classrooms are provided with an initial inventory of instruments. M’Lou spends a ½-day session in the classroom, beginning and ending with a 10-15 minute collaboration with the teacher. She participates in circle time with welcome or name songs, introduce songs that enhance the teacher’s objectives and themes, and model songs or chants for transitions. At center time, she participates in the music center, guiding children in singing, playing instruments, and using song cards. She also provides the teacher with anecdotal records for the COR. She models group movement activities on the playground or in the muscle room. Building Blocks also offers support through regular email and a constantly updated website.

Moving Minds

Andrea Gerhardt                        263-3201 x4116
Carol Bedenik-Carmel                263-3201 x4116

Each classroom receives weekly ½-day visits for a semester. Andrea or Carol meets with the teacher to plan for the following week, tailoring the program to meet classroom needs. They suggest ways to superimpose movement into the planned activities. Each teacher receives a book of the ideas that were utilized throughout the term.

Science Co-Explorers

Deb Willsea                       256-3170

The Science Co-Explorers program offers monthly workshops at the Rochester Museum & Science Center in the inquiry Room and Preschool classrooms. At each hands-on workshop, teachers are given opportunities to try out science activities, practice inquiry-based learning, and discover new ways to enrich their classroom environments to engage children’s natural curiosity. Teachers are given a reference notebook of articles and activities as well as sets of materials to replicate some of the exploratory problem solving activities in the classroom. Following each workshop, Science Co-Explorer mentors provide monthly classroom visits to work with the teacher and children using inquiry-based activities on the workshop topic and the P.O.S.E.R. (Present, Observe, Support, Extend, and Reflect) model. A culminating Science Celebration invites children’s parents and family members to see and do a variety of the science activities the children have enjoyed during the year.

Wolf Trap

Jack Langerak                       389-2949

Wolf Trap brings the excitement and fun of learning through the performing arts—drama, music and movement. The teacher and the Wolf Trap artist work collaboratively during a seven-week residency to weave Wolf Trap activities into the classroom curriculum to enhance the social, perceptual, cognitive, physical, creative and literacy skills of each child. The arts become a new way of teaching, learning and knowing for educators, children and parents.