Phoenix After School

Can you even believe that we will be back to school next week?! Once things get rolling and our kids are settled in, there will be After-School Enrichment Classes and Workshops available for our students and for kids and adults from the surrounding community. Starting with music (at the top of  boosting executive brain function, confidence, and well-being), there will be group violin lessons with the wonderful Sonia Pena: At Sonia's recommendation we are working instead with Kathleen Scarborough (please see We've Got Music!)

Sonia is one of our local treasures, a fun, talented musician and teacher, best of the best. Parents and kids will get to meet her and learn all about her program towards the end of September.

As for visual arts - I'll be teaching another round of lamp making, once a week for eight to ten weeks. This will be for kids and adults. I love teaching multi-generational classes, the inspirations fly back and forth, lights get turned on and friendships happen.

And big surprise - I'm planning ongoing workshops and classes in fashion design! These will include making some beautiful clothes, designing material, and dipping into cultures, science, history, cuisine, music, languages. In other words, it's going to be fantastic! 

How is Phoenix After School going to work? Our own students, as well as kids and adults from our community, will be invited to sign up for weekly classes of their choice; there will be workshops and celebrations as we get more into it. Prices will be very affordable. We even have a driver (just one, so far) for kids who may need a ride from other schools. I'll let everyone know as soon as we have the paperwork for this - it won't begin until the end of September. But I wanted to let it start percolating in our collective mind. And can't wait to see it all unfold. 

PS - If you want to understand more of the wonders of violin for children, you will enjoy Music of the Heart with Meryl Streep, available online for free and a wonderful eye-opener in many ways. It tells the story of Roberta Guaspari, a single mother who has brought inspiration, self-discipline, focus, self-respect, and creative expression to hundreds of children, meanwhile gaining the affection and huge support of the world's greatest violinists.