Chelsea's Co-op Preschool since 1972

Arts-Go-Round 2011-2012

Chelsea Center for the Arts  provides a multi-faceted arts enrichment program in partnership with Chelsea Children’s Cooperative Preschool. Arts-Go-Round is a dynamic series of arts classes created just for 4 yr. old and 5 yr. old Co-op preschoolers. AGR gives  4 and 5 year old Co-op preschoolers 45 minutes worth of instruction by the CCA’s experts in music, dance, drama, and art and will take place before or after preschool on select Fridays. It does not replace the existing music and art components in the preschool curriculum.

Children participate in dance, music, drama, and art classes, as part of this series running on biweekly Fridays, from October, 2011 through April, 2012.  Each component of AGR. . . dance, visual art, music, or drama . . . will be grouped together in successive classes whenever possible.  This allows children the opportunity to grow and build skills with each instructor and provides less interruption to the process of fully exploring each medium.   Arts-Go-Round is taught by well-trained and warm instructors who will share their enthusiasm for the arts with your child.  Through a special arrangement with CCA, Co-op families are given a substantial discount on the public pricing for these classes.  Another benefit to Co-op families is the opportunity to enroll early in Arts-Go-Round, before the classes are opened to the public.

Arts-Go-Round Q & A

Q.  What is this year’s theme?

This year’s theme is World Travelers . . . so pack your preschooler’s bags and come along for the ride!  Art, Drama, Dance, and Music classes, led by CCA’s professional instructors, will guide children in an Around-the-World adventure of exciting projects, moving and grooving to world music, and discovering new ways to experience the arts together!

Q.  When does Arts-Go-Round meet?

AGR classes meet on a series of Fridays from October, 2011 through April, 2012.
Group A meets from 10:15-11:00am
Group B meets from 11:45am – 12:30 pm.

This year’s dates include*:

• Friday, Oct. 21  (Art with Lynn Harris)
• Friday, Nov. 4  (Art with Lynn Harris)
• Friday, Nov. 18  (Art with Lynn Harris)
• Friday, Dec. 9  (Drama with Alex Moore)
• Friday, Jan. 13  (Drama with Alex Moore)
• Friday, Jan. 27  (Drama with Alex Moore)
• Friday, Feb. 10  (Dance with Katie Capaldi)
• Friday, Feb. 24  (Dance with Katie Capaldi)
• Friday, March 9  (Dance with Katie Capaldi)
• Friday, March 23  (Music with Jayna Katz)
• Friday, April 13  (Music with Jayna Katz)
• Friday, April 27  (Music with Jayna Katz)

*the order of these classes are subject to change, due to instructor illness, etc.  Instructor substitution will be done, if needed,  at the discretion of CCA’s Music Programming Director.

Q.  How much does Arts-Go-Round cost and how do I register?

The price of AGR to the general public is $165.  However, AGR is offered to Co-op Families at a discounted rate of $128.

Co-op families need to make two separate payments when registering for AGR:

• $128 covers the cost of the 12-week series, including tuition + art material supplies—this can be paid to CCA by cash, check, or Visa/Mastercard.  Please call CCA at (734) 433-2787 to register and make payment arrangements on or after August 15.  You may also stop in at the CCA office (above Co-op Preschool) to register in person, but please call first to be sure that somebody is available to take your registration.
• $25 covers the 12 weeks of Co-op preschool lunchtime supervision by the preschool teacher.  This separate fee should be paid directly to Co-op preschool, by cash or check made out to:  Chelsea Children’s Co-op Preschool. Please mail this check to Chelsea Children’s Co-op Preschool, P.O. Box 391, Chelsea, MI 48118. (Please note that the lunchtime option is not available to the general public.)
• Total cost to Co-op families for the Arts-Go-Round 12-week series = $153 (remember 2 separate checks–one made out to CCA for $128, and the other made out to Co-op for $25)

Q.  Are there scholarships available for AGR?

There are limited scholarships available for all CCA lessons and classes. Please apply for tuition assistance through CCA:  (734) 433-2787.

Q.  Do parents assist in the AGR classroom?

Yes, just as in regular Co-op Preschool, one assist parent is needed per class.  Each class for both Group A and Group B must have an assist parent present at every class. Assist parents should sign up for specific dates when registering in the CCA office.

Q. Can I get a tuition break if I assist for AGR?

Yes!  You will receive $5 off of your total tuition per day you assist.  Please email your requests for assist dates and classes to lisahinzjohnson@gmail.com on or after Aug. 15. Assist schedules are filled on a first come first serve basis, so sign up early if you wish to assist and receive the discount.  Assist parents will receive a refund check after the entire 12-week session is completed.  The refund will be based on the number of times you assist (for example, if you sign up to assist 3 times you will receive a check for $15 after April 27, 2012).  Assist parents are responsible for finding a replacement should there be a last minute conflict for their assist day, and they are also responsible for paying $5 to the substitute.

Q.  Do I need to enroll in the entire 12-week series?

Yes.  AGR’s effectiveness is much greater when children participate in the entire series.  A la carte classes are not an option for AGR.  If a student has to miss a class, that class is forfeited.  If a class is canceled because of instructor illness, emergency, or weather conditions, the class will either be rescheduled or a refund will be issued from CCA.  If Chelsea Schools cancel  for any reason, then AGR is also canceled.

Q.  How soon can I enroll my child?

Enrollment for 2011-2012 opens to parents August 15, 2011.  Enrollment is limited to 12 students per group and space is very limited, and there is a minimum of 5 students per class for each class to run   Please secure your spot early to avoid missing the opportunity.

Q. What does a typical Arts-Go-Round Friday schedule look like?

A message from co-op teacher, Courtney Aldrich:

Hello Arts-Go-Round families!  I wanted to give everyone a little “crash course” on the logistics of Arts-Go-Round from my perspective.

• PM families: Your Arts-Go-Round class begins at 10:15 am.  There are coat hooks in the hallway that leads from our room to the kitchen that have the same symbols on them as the coat hooks in our room.  You will use these hallway coat hooks to hang up your child’s coat, backpack, lunchbox, etc.  You will then walk back upstairs for your art or music class.  Our familiar sign in/out sheet will be at the Arts-Go-Round doorway.  Please sign your child in at that time so I know later who is here or not here.  If it is a share day, I will have a second share basket in the hallway by the coat hooks for share items.  Children are picked up at the end of the day as usual.If you are the PM4 Arts-Go-Round assist parent, you need to help the art or music teacher as needed, including taking children to the bathroom or assisting in guidance/discipline issues.  When art or music is over (11:00), you’ll escort the children downstairs and back into the classroom in the area by the rocking chair.  Do not have them wash their hands at this time or get their lunches. We will do this as a group later.  There may be a little bit of transition time here when I am not yet back in the room from my morning class.  Perhaps engage the children in a game of Simon Says or read them a story until I get there – whatever works.  It would not be a good time to get all of the toys out, since we will be eating lunch.  Also, please bring the sign in/out sheet downstairs with you when you come down.  Once I return, I will do a song with the morning and afternoon Arts-Go-Round children and we will wash hands as a group.  On their return from washing their hands, the children will get their lunchbox and go into the room and start eating.  Once all of the children have eaten, and it is approximately 11:35, I will do “switcheroo” with the kids.  At this point the afternoon children will go out to the hallway, put their lunchboxes away, and gather everything off of their hooks and stand next to their hooks.  They will need your assistance.  Once everyone from both classes is ready, I announce “switcheroo”, and the afternoon kids move their stuff to the coat hooks inside the classroom, and can then play until I call for gathering time.  You’ll need to be in the classroom with them until either another assist parent or I am back in the classroom.

• AM families:  You will drop your child off in the morning as usual.  At 12:30, you will be picking up your child from Arts-Go-Round.  First you need to go upstairs to the Arts-Go-Round room and sign them out on our familiar sign in/out sheet located at the Arts-Go-Round doorway (please leave their nametags at school).  Then you head downstairs.  There are coat hooks in the hallway that leads from our preschool room to the kitchen that have the same symbols on them as the coat hooks in our room.  You will retrieve your child’s belongings from these hallway coat hooks.  I will also have placed their preschool art projects in a visible spot in that hallway, so remember to look for and take home their art project.  If it was a share day, I will also place the share basket with the items in it out in the hallway.If you are the AM4 Arts-Go-Round assist parent, at the end of our “regular” school day,  you will help me get the Arts-Go-Round children gathered/inside/undressed from recess and over to the rocking chair.  Once everyone is together, I will do a song with the morning and afternoon Arts-Go-Round children and we will wash hands as a group.  On their return from washing their hands, the children will get their lunchbox and go into the room and start eating.  Once all of the children have eaten, and it is approximately 11:35, I will do “switcheroo” with the kids.  At this point the morning children will go to their hooks in our classroom hallway, put their lunchboxes away, and gather everything off of their hooks and stand next to their hooks.  They will need your assistance.  Once everyone from both classes is ready, I announce “switcheroo”, and the morning kids move their stuff to the coat hooks in the outside hallway.   I will then line them up and put on their nametags to go upstairs.  You will need to bring the sign in/out sheet upstairs with you and hang it on the hook by the doorway when you escort the children upstairs.  While in the Arts-Go-Round class, you need to help the art or music teacher as needed, including taking children to the bathroom or assisting in guidance/discipline issues.  When art or music is over, please collect nametags and make sure the children are safely dismissed to their caregiver.  The sign in/out clipboard and nametags then need to be returned to me.

To all of you . . .

It sounds crazy but works remarkably well.  If you ever have any questions, problems with the children, or emergencies, remember I am right there in the classroom and you can always come get my help.