While there are plenty of preschool programs in Moose Jaw, a unique offering from Dance Images by BJ aims to do things a bit differently.
Kidventure Korner PreSchool recently launched its second semester for the 2022-23 school year, combining preparation for kindergarten with some of the programs the local studio has become well known for, with dance, music, theatre and visual arts all working together to offer youngsters 2 ½ through five years old a positive learning environment.
“We develop all of the kindergarten-readiness skills, but we also have a focus on the fine arts, so every day we’re incorporating some dance, some drama, definitely some art and a lot of other activities like that,” said Shauna Bzdel, program director with Kidventure Korner.
“So we’re not only developing the cognitive development kids need to be successful in kindergarten, but we’re also happy to develop their imagination and creativity, their whole being as opposed to just the academic skills.”
The goal is to make the whole program as fun as possible while still offering youngsters educational elements, something that has worked well in the year-and-a-half Kidventure has been in existence.
“We think our program is really engaging for kids, and they’re having lots of fun without even realizing that they’re learning as they go,” said Bzdel, who works with the youngsters alongside early years elementary teacher Chantal Leaman and studio owner Barb Jackman.
The format sees the preschool running Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., with the current semester having launched on Feb, 1 and running until Jun. 7. Kidventure has a different theme each month, with the curriculum using that theme as a launching point for their various activities.
“This month, our theme is dinosaurs, and kids love learning about that,” Bzdel said. “We’ll take the dance component and look at how dinosaurs move, what they would sound like. It’s a lot of fun and the kids really enjoy learning in these programs.”
The school runs out of the Dance Images studio at 177 Iroquois St. W., with the space transformed into a preschool and back again each school day.
“You go into our main learning room and we have individual tables set up, also a lot of interactive centres set up there, like a music centre and different creativity centres,” Bzdel explained. “Then upstairs, we have movement rooms for gross motor development.
“So they get to come to preschool and there are all sort of activities and lots of time for the kids to explore, it’s a really neat transformation when you see the studio dance space and then Monday and Wednesday mornings you see it as a pre-school space.”
The good news is there’s still plenty of time to join up if folks are interested -- Kidventure Korner is designed to have youngsters essentially step in at any time and still find a warm and welcoming learning environment.
“Wednesday was the first day with us for some of them, and by the time they left, they already were settled in and happy and all the rest of the kids had welcomed them in,” Bzdel said. “That’s important to us, that we’re supporting their social and emotional development as well. So having our new kids join today and fitting right end by the end of the day, that’s what we really want to see.”
And if you’re wondering how children do at the next level, Kidventure has already received positive feedback when it comes to their students from last year moving on to kindergarten
“We’ve heard they’re doing so well and are thriving, so it’s nice to have gotten feedback that they’re successful in the school atmosphere,” Bzdel said.
For more information and to make an in-person appointment to check things out, give Kidventure Korner a shout at (306) 631-0584 and visit Kidventure Korner on Facebook for a look at what they’re about and have to offer.
