Gymnastics classes are now part of our After School Program.
Starting in September 2015, Tom Thumbs Stay & Play Program will provide optional gymnastics classes.
Parents have requested this change as a fun skill activity for their kids
It is easy to include gymnastics as part of a kid’s after-school schedule
Lakeland School District students are eligible for bus drop-off for our after-school program with optional gymnastics
Parents may select a gymnastics class from 1 to 3 times per week
Tom Thumb students at Dynamic Gymnastics having fun
Stay & Play students participating in gymnastics classes are escorted 50 feet to Dynamic Gymnastic by our staff. Students will receive an initial assessment, collaborated improvement plan, and supervised workouts by Dynamic Gymnastics coaches. Students will appropriately use all Dynamic Gymnastics equipment and facilities as designated and supervised by the coaches. After the gymnastic class, the students are escorted back to Stay & Play by staff.
Stay & Play provide a fun and secure environment with healthy snacks, a homework table, playgrounds, an indoor gym, games, music, and dance. Now, we offer optional gymnastic classes for our current Stay & Play students and any new students that join this fall. Pickup by parents is as late as 5:30 PM.
Please call our office (941) 528-5600 for further details on how your child can enjoy a convenient and fun after-school program at a very reasonable price.
Gabbie Sansone, (former Tom Thumber) has been cast in the feature role of Dorothy Gale in the Musical version of The Wizard of OZ for Jan 16 , 17 and 18th at the Paramount Hudson Valley in Peekskill NY.
Gabbie at 15 is the same age as Judy Garland when she played the movie role and as seen on Chanel 5 News the Authentic Yellow Brick Road is in Peekskill New York, right here in the Hudson Valley !!! Wizard of Oz Author L. Frank Baum attended Military school in the Hudson Valley and it is said the Area was the true inspiration for the book.
Gabbie Sansone, a Mohegan Lake resident & Tom Thumber, said playing Dorothy is a real treat.
I love Judy Garland and I love the movie,” Sansone said. “It’s an honor to play her part. I just hope to live up to it.”
Gabbie has been fortunate enough to land a few TV spots and to perform off-Broadway, also she did a European Tour over the summer all the while keeping her straight-A grades.
As a Tom Thumb Alumni – We believe much of Gabbie’s early introduction of music along with creative play and study at Tom Thumb helped to give her the early foundation and confidence in performing.
We know whether she is destined for Broadway or the Boardroom Gabbie will always be a Tom Thumb Kid.
Hope to see you soon, Wishes for a blessed Holiday!
Best
Deborah and Gabbie Sansone
Here’s a video of Gabbie singing songs from Anne at age 11 at the Paramount Center for the Arts, Peekskill NY.
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Learning to me has always been an adventure that brought me excitement and satisfaction as a student growing up and later as a teacher and Director of Tom Thumb. When I opened the doors of Tom Thumb Preschool in 1968, I firmly believed in the principle of “The Power of Play” as the cornerstone philosophy of our school. I have always preferred to call it, “Play is Child’s Work”.
The Power of Play
“The Power of Play” is a valuable learning method to capture a child’s attention while pursuing a fun experience. During my teaching career, it has been reinforced countless times the best way for children to learn is to allow students to take personal responsibility of the learning activity and wanting to do it. Over the 40 years at Tom Thumb, it has demonstrated the most effective, natural and intuitive way to harness the curiosity and the willingness for kids to explore and learn.
Our Tom Thumb facilities of classrooms, gym, theater, library, art & crafts room and 3 outside playgrounds have been refined over the years as learning spaces to foster and support our idea of “Play is Child’s Work”. We encourage free-play, where the child takes the initiative to decide on the type of play and with whom. We see free-play, especially strong in the playground, where a child wants to play ball with other children or prefer to play alone on the monkey bars. Without adult intervention, children decide among themselves the game to play, rules and teams. It’s always wonderful to witness and see children play and interact.
It’s been my goal as Tom Thumb’s Director to instill this way of thinking in children that learning is exciting and a fun effort of curiosity to find out something new and result in a feeling of accomplishment. I just hope our children will never lose this precious paradigm of learning as a personal activity they want to do.
With this in mind, I have come across 3 useful articles while listening to NPR that discusses how “The Power of Play” can aid in child development. Please click on the links below to learn more.
At the end of the academic school year, we received many, “Thank you Notes“. The following is a snapshot image of a note we received in June of 2014. It’s always a pleasure to receive these notes.
Thank you Note received during end of the school year (June 2014) from the V Family.
Previously we announced a change to Tom Thumb’s Opening Hours. Due to┬áthe extremely small demand by parents that have registered for the 2014 – 2015 school year for these new opening hours,┬áwe are now rolling back the start time to our original time of 7:00 AM.
Tom Thumb Preschool Before School Care will remainopen at 7:00 AM. as the start time. This includes our Stay & Play Program for Elementary school-aged children starting from the 2014-2015 school year.
For the 2014-2015 school year, Tom Thumb Preschool’s Operating Hours are from 7:00 AM to5:30 PM.
If you have any questions about our new operating hours that start this fall, please call Carol (914) 528-5600 or email her at carol@www.tomthumbpreschool.dev.cc
ThumBelina is our preschool program devoted to the very young. Our initial goal was to provide a Terrific Twos Program with the quality worthy of Tom Thumb. This program has resulted in the easy transition of children to our Tom Thumb Junior Program. We are proud to say we have exceeded our initial goals and expectations.
Toddlers learn very quickly and are beginning to develop language skills. Finding the right words to express themselves can be frustrating at times. Language becomes a necessity to communicate their wants. As toddlers play and react with other children, they communicate their needs. We feel this is an important stage in a child’s development.
We are expanding our ThumBelina toddler program to accept children as young as 18 months. They will have the opportunity to learn at their own pace. Our program is about play and social interaction with other children. Our staff’s attention and guidance will help children focus on our planned activities, such as body movement, motor skills, dexterity and of course, toilet training. This means children as young as 18 months will be able to start their journey of learning as a fun experience even earlier.
Please mention the new age of 18 months for ThumBelina to your friends and relatives. We are ready for the September 2014 enrollment for ThumBelina. To get and print the registration form click on ThumBelina Registration Form and of course, you are welcome to call and make an appointment to see our facilities.
It’s that time again for Tom Thumb Seniors to Graduate
We are proud to announce our 2014 Tom Thumb Graduations and Shows. These are the dates for the Shows and Graduations:
┬áMrs. Cappello’s 3 morning (Rm 3 -Blue) classes will have their Show/Graduation on Wednesday, May 28th
Mrs. Fitzgerald’s 3 morning (Rm 4 – Orange) classes will have their Show/Graduation on Friday, May 30th
Mrs. Benischek’s 3 morning (Rm 5 – Green) classes will have their Show/Graduation on Monday, June 2nd
Mrs. Adamiak 2 morning classes (Rm 3- Blue) and Mrs. Gaglio’s 2 day students (Rm 5-Green) will have their show on Tuesday, June 3
Madame Gaspari’s 3 morning (Rm 6 -Purple) classes will have their Show/Graduation on Wednesday, June 4th
Show Notes:
Please do not arrive before 9:15 am, because we will still be doing drop-off for those students who are not in the show.
When you arrive park your car and walk your child to the “Kids-way /red door“, please keep their jackets. If you signed up to bring a snack please bring it also to the red door.
Parents and guests should enter through the Rainbow Room #7 door on the parking lot side of the building under the blue awning.
Please remember NO dresses for the girls (they will be holding their drums between their knees) shorts are great, and no ponytails, buns, etc. in their hair as they will be wearing their graduation caps. Safe footwear for everyone (sneakers & shoes are safe footwear for girls and boys), also, please no long sleeve shirts, if possible.
Now’s the perfect time to register for our summer camp, Let me tell you why.
Catch Us if You Can Summer Camp
In our fast pace life style with the hustle and bustle of work, running errands and picking-up and dropping off the kids, time seems to just quickly fly by. The last day of school is June 26, that’s months away. Then suddenly there is 2 months of summer. Don’t be caught at the last-minute with a long summer ahead trying to fill your child’s summer schedule with an active fun-filled camp experience. Did I mention, there is a 10% discount for the second child when both children attend camp at the same time.
Yes, this is a perfect time to register your child at Tom Thumb’s Catch Us If You Can Summer Camp“. Our new registration, Camp Registration Form 2014 is now available and ready for you to print.
Register now for the 2014Summer Campat the Tom Thumb Campus
Fishing together at Catch Us If You Can Summer Camp
Our new registration form has a simple check box, you choose the days you want your child to attend camp. Please note, you must sign-up for a minimum of 2 weeks with a minimum of 2 days per week.  Many of our Tom Thumb Preschool parents enroll their child for the entire 7 weeks. Your kids will love it.
Complete the form and sign it. A check for the first 2 weeks tuition must accompany the registration form; (click on, summer camp tuition, to get the total for the first 2 weeks for your deposit).┬á Finally, enclose the form and check into an envelope and mail it to the address that appears in the upper left of the form. It’s that easy to guarantee your placement at our Catch Us If You Can Summer Camp” before it’s too late..
Then it’s done, your child is set for summer camp you don’t have to worry about it.
Camp begins June 30th and the kids will have a wonderful fun-filled summer!
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