Big Sky Preschool Academy

🚨 New Teacher Alert! 🚨
We are so excited to welcome Ms. Natalie this summer!You will see her smiling face at most of our June and July summer camps! I know you will love her as much as we do!
My name is Natalie Quappe, and I have been an elementary school teacher for six years! I’m originally from Long Island, and I moved to Missoula 10 years ago to attend the University of Montana. That is where I got my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. I have always been passionate about teaching and am lucky to do something I love daily! In my free time, I enjoy hiking, biking, skiing, reading, and spending time with the awesome people (and dogs) in my life.
I am looking forward to meeting new kiddos and families this summer!

It’s that time of year again!!! ☀️ ⛺️ 💦
Our summer STEM summer camps will be available for registration on our website March 1st! As always space is limited so get there early! We can’t wait to learn with your little ones! ❤️

Yes!! ❤️

We love our nursery rhymes!! 🥰🍎✏️

https://www.worldnurseryrhymeweek.com

Yes!! 🙌 Learning is a process and different for every child! ❤️

Let Grow

How do we learn to read? 📚 🤓

This is a wonderful video that eloquently explains the complexities of learning how to read. The first 5 years are the most important! Be sure your child’s preschool and pre-k programs are rich with speaking and listening objectives, follow a phonemic awareness curriculum, and promote pre reading skills!

https://www.pbs.org/video/building-the-reading-brain-fpkzlp/?fbclid=IwAR2AFu8NobwBGuuTD9vcQ0EhnHTuEIeb47jPBj6LPh8PajeNVqLWhNFt3z0_aem_ASNpeBNkUo19lCaDLg32cqi_uAKW2kK91MnrHukeRORtgPliKgGf7QFGKPCw7sS2R6Q&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

WKAR Specials | Building the Reading Brain | PBS Explore the science of reading and ways to help ready your child for this complex task.

The Summer Camp Expo was so fun!! Be sure to snag one of the few remaining summer camp spots left!! ☀️😎

WE HAVE A WINNER! 👏 🎉
Thank you to everyone who came out for the Summer Camp Expo! It was so much fun meeting everyone and making dinosaur fossils!
Our giveaway winner is Brittany H!!
An email has been sent to coordinate pick up!

Come and play with us at the Missoula Public Library from 11-2 today!! We will be making dinosaur fossils!

👩‍🏫 We’re Hiring!! 👩‍🏫
If you’re looking for teaching experience, like working with little ones, and are a total nerd about all things science— then this is the perfect fit! We are looking for a teaching assistant for the summer! Half-day schedule with Fridays off! Scan the QR code to apply!

☀️ Who’s ready for summer?! ☀️
We have finalized our summer camp schedule!! Mark your calendars— These camps will be available on the website Friday, February 17th! We have added some new themes this year including Lil’ Farmer, Lil’ Entomologist, and Lil’ Meteorologist!! Space is limited so be sure to snag a spot while you can!

👩‍🎨 ART SHOW!! 👨‍🎨
Please join us for the most adorable art show! We will be showcasing our polar animal artwork at from 4-6pm this Friday, February 3rd! Can’t wait to see you all there! 🎨

We incorporate a majority of these ideas into our everyday activities! Come and schedule a tour to see for yourself!

As adults, many of us take our fine motor skills for granted. But think about how much you depend on them...

Getting dressed, performing hygiene tasks, preparing meals, using cutlery, typing and texting, folding clothes, tying shoes, playing an instrument, driving, gardening... the list goes on and on.

It's easy to see why developing fine motor skills in children is so important. It opens up a whole new way of interacting with
the world!

So how can we encourage fine motor skill development?

You guessed it, through play! 🙌

👮‍♂️ COMMUNITY HELPERS WEEK 👮
We had a great time learning about community helpers and had a very special visit from two Missoula Police Officers! We love to build positive relationships with our local helpers starting at a young age. Thank you so much to the department for allowing this special visit! We appreciate you! 🇺🇸

🙌🙌🙌

Yes!!!!!

Day ✌️ of Oceanographer Camp! These kiddos are having a blast learning through play!!
There are still a few spots available in our Future Camps for 6-9 year old students! Link in the bio! 🌊

We are all set for our Lil’ Architect STEM Camp!! 👷‍♀️
Bring your hard hats and critical thinking skills down to BSPA for truck loads of fun and learning!! 🏗
This camp is SOLD OUT but there are still a few spots left in our afternoon “future” camps for 6-9 year old students. You can check them out on the website.

🚨NEW TEACHER ALERT 🚨
We are so excited to announce that Elise Harris will be the NEW Preschool teacher starting this fall!
Elise earned her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Montana State University- Billings with a focus in Early Childhood Education. She has spent the last 8 years teaching at the primary level (kindergarten through 2nd grade). She is a certified teacher in both Montana and Texas.

Elise is a mom to four amazing daughters; Henley (10), Harper (8), Hollyn (5) and Hayden (2). Both Elise and her husband, Nathaniel, are Montana natives. They love cheering on Grizzly athletics, spending time with grandma's, grandpa's, aunts, uncles, and cousins, and relaxing at home together as a family.

👩‍🏫Did you know we offer summer tutoring services?
Are you concerned about your child’s reading or writing progress? Did your child miss a large amount of school due to Covid? Does your school explicitly and systematically teach phonics?
These are just some of the reasons why parents have chosen to invest in tutoring over the summer months. At BSPA we offer tutoring for students up to age 9. We offer a variety of programs that are all research based and highly effective! These programs immerse your children in systematic phonics and phonemic awareness instruction implemented by educators with 10 years of experience. We see progress in as little as 4-6weeks.
Space is limited!

Can you name this popular picture book? This has always been a class favorite!
At BSPA we love to use felt stories to help with early comprehension reading skills. This helps our students sequence and retell the story to their peers. Plus it just feels like play, which is how kids learn best!

Play based learning is the best!!

Let them play ♥️
See inspiring quotes here: https://littlepinelearners.com/30-quotes-about-children-and-nature-that-will-inspire-outdoor-play/

This beautifuly explains why we practice our “alien words” at the pre-k level!! If you have a minute check it out!

Questions about NWF

☀️NEW this summer!☀️
We are offering a “Future” camp series for older school age students! These afternoon camps are geared toward 6-9 year olds! These camps are centered around math and science and use project-based leaning. Your child will leave each day with a themed hands-on STEM activity that supports that days lesson. You can read more about the camp details and register on our website — linked in the bio! 👆🏻 Space is limited!

☀️Our STEM summer camp schedule is out! ☀️
These camps are hands-on, centered around math and science, and of course play-based! Each of our Lil’ Camps are made for 3-6 year old students. You can read more about each week and register for camps at our website linked in the bio! 👆🏻Space is limited!
We are looking forward to a “STEMulating” summer!

This felt board story has been so much fun for our snowman week at BSPA! Not only do they look beautiful thanks to but they are a great learning tool as well! The students get to retell the events of the story and work on organizing the details. This multi sensory approach to building early reading comprehension is what we are all about at BSPA! Plus it’s super fun to play with!