A Note from The Director

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year! I hope that your year is off to a good start. This is always an exciting time at Discovery because we start our gymnastics competition season, have our mid-year dance performance, and prepare for the Winter/Spring Semester. We also begin to see how our weeks of teaching and curriculum have resulted in the children’s development and progression of skills.

While some of our organization’s contemporaries out there allow monthly registrations and drop-in classes, we pride ourselves on having a 14-16 week semester. The benefits of a long semester allow us to truly connect with our students, observe their progress from week to week, and see the difference in their development between week one and week fifteen. It also helps us plan for the second part of the year when students re-join class in the Winter/Spring. We have set goals we want the students to achieve, even if they remain in the same level.

Finally, the other major benefit of a long semester is the social component of having the same classmates for fifteen weeks. Just today, I heard one of our two-year-old students naming off his classmates as he boarded the elevator to leave class. Many of our students become friends in class and remain friends after. We hope to see you next semester, and if you are not continuing, we hope to see you again this summer or next fall.

Warm Wishes,
Katie Kheel

Group photo from the January 22nd meet!

A Note from Sam, Program and Marketing Coordinator

Dear Parents,

We are finishing up our Fall Semester (the last day is Saturday, February 11th!) and starting our Winter/Spring Semester. Registration is open for Winter/Spring, but keep in mind that many classes are already full due to priority registration. If there is a class you want to learn more about, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We are adding some new sections of classes this semester that I want to highlight:

Wednesdays at 3:00pm: Ballet (ages 3/4)

Thursdays at 11:15am: My First Dance (ages 19/24 months)

Thursdays at 11:15am: Stories and Sounds Music (ages 12-36 months)

Fridays at 3:05pm: Gymnastics (age 3)

One last note! Parents, if you have any photos of your children in class or in their uniforms that you would like to be featured in our newsletter and on social media, please email them to samantha.discovery@gmail.com. I’d love to see them!

Warmly,
Sam Gelbert

This month, we asked staff to share a highlight from the Fall semester and what they’re looking forward to in the Winter/Spring semester!

“The Fall Semester has brought so many firsts for all of my classes, starting with watching our Baby Gym students mastering their first steps, to our newest Gymnastics Team members competing for the first time.

As we enter the Winter/Spring Semester, I am excited for the Pre-Team and Intermediate classes to continue back handspring development on floor, learning back hip circles and squat-ons on the bars, strengthening their handstand flatbacks on vault, and developing strong handstands on beam.”

-Mary, Gym Director and Coach

* * *

“A highlight from the Fall Semester has been working with past students and seeing their growth and maturity through the years. I also feel so fortunate to have students who truly love to dance and are eager to learn and grow as movers.

In the Winter/Spring Semester, I look forward to teaching my students new steps and reinforcing the movement they already know. Some of my classes are already excited for the spring recital and of course the costumes (for the spring concert they get to take their costumes home, which is a big highlight).”

-Katrina, Ballet and Early Childhood Teacher

* * *
“I am so proud that the students are beginning to learn the basic technical positions for both ballet and modern dance. It makes me happy when students tell me about their favorite part of their day at the beginning of class.

I’m looking forward to teaching an additional ballet class on Wednesday afternoons and meeting the new students. I am also excited to start new contemporary and ballet phrase work.”

-Rachel, Ballet and Contemporary Dance Teacher

* * *

“A highlight from the Fall Semester is being introduced to the team and all the wonderful people (our students and grown-ups) who make up this awesome organization.

I’m looking forward to the Winter Dance Concert and seeing all the hard work put in by our students, teachers and staff to ensure that the show is a success.”

-Adrián Suárez Avila, Administrative Associate