Leap & Bound Academy

After an unforgettable final year at LBA in Ms. Liliana’s Redondo Beach classroom, the kindergarten students were fully prepared to begin their next chapter in elementary school. But before saying goodbye to Leap & Bound for the last time, Ms. Liliana’s class of 2017 dressed in their bright green T-shirts once more for one of their favorite parts of school: field trips! Wednesday, June 28th would be a day to remember for Ms. Liliana and her students as they embarked together on one last adventure… this time to the happiest place on Earth! A day trip with their classmates and parents to Disneyland on the last day of kindergarten would leave a lasting memory on the students before venturing to new schools for first grade.

Many parents and family members of the kindergarteners attended the field trip to help commemorate the students’ graduation from LBA at everyone’s favorite amusement park. Ms. Liliana and Ms. Tiffany planned an itinerary for the day, beginning at Splash Mountain in Frontierland. The kindergarten students eagerly boarded the log ride and were whisked away past singing animals and down the famous plunging waterfall drop. The final water splash was a thrilling conclusion after a long wait in line for the popular ride. Then it was on to the next adventure!

After a quick lunch, everyone gathered on It’s A Small World for a relaxing break from the hot sun. The kindergarteners swiveled their heads through the ride, looking in wonder at all of the singing animatronic people from cultures around the world. There was so much to soak in and enjoy you almost couldn’t notice the familiar “It’s A Small World” tune playing throughout the ride.

Since the Disneyland passes lasted a full day, most of the kindergarten parents turned the field trip into a family event by staying at the park after the field trip concluded. Why not take advantage of the day to ride some more attractions and watch the fireworks show? Enjoying this special last day of school with family and friends had our Leap & Bound Academy kindergarteners jumping for joy… literally! It was one last field trip after a year of hard work and preparation that our LBA students will never forget.

Although Leap and Bound Academy schools were closed to students on Friday, June 30th, the Medical Center location was anything but empty! Teachers, staff, and administrators from every LBA school gathered at MC for a day-long teacher training seminar. The morning began with breakfast and teachers were divided into groups based on the age of students they educate. Each group had an organized list of seminars they would be attending for the day, taught by LBA staff members, teachers, and some special guests speakers.

Mr. Rodney, LBA’s in-house IT technician, gave a presentation on using technology in the classroom. He taught our teachers how to use ScratchCat, an iPad program designed to teach children the basics of coding. Ms. Dinah thought the program was “very cool”, and learned how to program her digital cat to move around and say hello! Mr. Rodney guided the teachers step-by-step through both the ScratchCat program and general “netiquette” (proper online behavior) so that our LBA educators will be fully prepared to teach students the basics of coding in the upcoming school year!

Outside on the patio, Ms. Tyana was conducting a small group seminar with fellow toddler teachers; the presentation focused on activities aimed to engage two-year-olds in the classroom and with one another. Ms. Tyana guided the teachers through a parachute activity to help young students memorize the names of their classmates.

After introductions, Ms. Tyana guided the LBA teachers through a series of interactive crafts designed to help toddler students improve their motor skills while learning the alphabet! The teachers created their own pineapple finger painting crafts as an example, which would help their toddlers learn the letter “p”.

Ms. Kathie, an early childhood services specialist at the Harbor Regional Center, was onsite at LBA presenting a special seminar titled “Behavior in the Classroom”. The Harbor Regional Center focuses on providing support for toddlers at risk of having developmental disabilities; Ms. Kathie’s presentation adapted those philosophies and methods into a classroom environment. Her seminar helped LBA teachers review conflict management and emotional support for students.

In another classroom inside, Ms. Erin and Ms. Victoria had set up chairs in a circle and were leading an open discussion on customer service and conflict resolution. Teachers were given scenarios in either classroom settings or with parents and practiced correctly responding to each situation. Every teacher and staff member engaged in the activity, openly discussing their approaches to each scenario. Together, the staff members found solutions to each problem while upholding LBA’s core values.

Ms. Mary, director of LBA’s Torrance location on Palos Verdes Boulevard, was outside with a group of teachers specializing in 3-year-old children. Ms. Mary’s presentation focused on teaching children at this age the beginnings of reading and writing uppercase and lowercase letters. With over twenty years of experience as a teacher, Ms. Mary had plenty of tips and tricks to share with LBA teachers on how best to teach and engage toddlers. The group discussed social skills, phonics, and writing in a classroom environment.

Throughout the day, Ms. Victoria and Chef Jose provided delicious food and beverages for our hardworking teachers and staff. For lunch, Chef Jose even barbecued his own steak on the patio to make tri-tip sandwiches!

If you were wondering why LBA closed its doors for the day on June 30th, now you know that our teachers and staff were still busy! Everyone was hard at work learning new techniques and skills to ensure that all of our students receive a quality education. Because here at Leap & Bound Academy, “Safety, Fun, and Learning” will always be our top priorities for your child.

We’ve all heard of Mardi Gras, but a lot of people outside New Orleans celebrate Mardi Gras without knowing what it means. Not LBA students! On one Tuesday every year, Leap & Bound kids are taught what Mardi Gras represents as a holiday and cultural tradition. Read on to discover the real reasons we wear masks and throw beads today!

Mardi Gras is celebrated in Southern Louisiana (especially New Orleans) and always falls on “Fat Tuesday”, a day in which members of the Catholic religion historically ate large meals and celebrated before the beginning of Lent the following day. Today at Leap & Bound, Ms. Sue’s class learned that purple, green, and gold beads and colorful masks are all traditions associated with the Mardi Gras celebration. After hearing about the tradition, Ms. Sue’s students were super excited to make masks of their own! Once the kids put on their homemade masks, complete with beaded necklaces and popsicle-stick handles, they were barely recognizable! With everyone eagerly involved in the Mardi Gras crafts today in Ms. Sue’s class, we could hardly tell these masked preschoolers apart!

How many “M” words can you think of? This exercise is probably easy for you since you are able to read this blog post right now, but for Ms. Tigi’s preschool students this exercise is a challenging activity. Luckily, Ms. Tigi knows how to make learning letters fun and engaging! She helped her preschoolers make crafts representing objects that start with the letter “M”. See if you can spot them all in this picture:

There’s a monkey, a mask, a mitten, a mother, a mop, the moon, a mug, money, and more! Even the letter “M” next to the mitten is decorated with macaroni pasta noodles… which also start with “M”! These crafts are so cute and creative – each one was made using different materials and the students were able to use their imaginations to think of “M” words and decide how to make them.

Ms. Tigi’s students love having their picture taken!

Aside from being a fun activity for the kids, Ms. Tigi’s craft allowed her preschool students to engage in a specific letter of the alphabet and master it. The finished crafts were able to provide a visual representation of words that start with “M”, giving Ms. Tigi’s students the ability to recognize these “m” words in real life! And the finished crafts look Magnificent! Or Marvelous? You get the idea 🙂

Although February may be known for its red hearts and boxes of chocolates, it’s also National Children’s Dental Health Month! We had to take the opportunity to teach LBA students about taking care of their teeth. On Wednesday, Dr. G and Monica from Stephen E. Adams DDS were invited to our Medical Center location in Torrance and gave a presentation on dental health.

Dr. G and Monica brought a special friend with them to help with the presentation – a dinosaur in need of teeth cleaning! The kids laughed as they watched the dinosaur get a check-up, and they learned that regularly brushing teeth and flossing helps to keep the “sugar bugs” away. The presentation was cute, entertaining, and taught our LBA students the importance of healthy dental habits!

5 Ways to Prevent Children’s Tooth Decay

• Parents- Be careful when sharing forks and spoons with your child. Using the same utensils can transfer cavity-causing germs.
• Encourage your children to eat healthy foods and limit their intake sugary drinks and candy.
• Make sure your child starts visiting the dentist by the time they reach a year old! It is recommended for children to visit the dentist for a teeth cleaning and checkup twice a year.
• Teach your children to brush their teeth twice a day for two minutes (or sing the ABCs twice!) with fluoride toothpaste.
• Ask your child’s dentist about dental sealants. They can be applied during a routine dentist appointment on the chewing surface of the teeth and help to seal out decay.