Childhood is a special time of exploration, growth and adventure as new ideas are encountered and explored. These are the precious years of learning that lay the foundation for the future. We now know that educational readiness involves more than the knowledge of a few skills or behavior patterns.

Years of research into child development and early learning show that educational readiness depends on many interrelated developmental domains: motor development and physical well-being; social and emotional development; language development; approaches to learning; and general knowledge. Big words, but the common denominator through all these domains can simply be stated as ‘fun and playful activity’ because children learn best through play and movement. Play implies participation and active involvement, and playful conditions depend on an emotionally safe environment that promotes a willingness to attempt, to try something new, to explore, to be wrong and to be able to make a mistake.

We believe success is learned and can, therefore, be taught. We also know that teaching success naturally emerges when a child is engaged in activity and play that build in a progressive manner, allowing the child small successes along the way that build one upon the other. This allows the confidence of the child to grow and develop, which in turn promotes a greater willingness to try something new.

Research has demonstrated that preschool gymnastics, which is based in movement and coordination, enhances brain development through new neural networks in the brain, making it a perfect fit in preschool. We also know that the brain physically develops in large measure based on a child’s environment and activity. Play and fun should be important elements of all preschool programs.

Preschool curriculum should offer multiple activities to stimulate both the body and the mind through movement (rolling, climbing, spinning, jumping, cross crawls, etc.) which help organize and facilitate the flow of information within the brain and lay the foundation for the development of “higher learning”.

Research has shown that movement and the stimulation of the vestibular system in early childhood actually helps prepare and develop the brain for what we term “higher learning” (focus, concentration, problem solving, speech, language, reading, writing, and social-emotional maturity). John J. Ratey, MD, had this to say about movement and brain development, “Mounting evidence show that movement is crucial to every other brain function, including memory, emotion, language, and learning…Our “higher” brain functions have evolved from movement and still depend on it.”

And to paraphrase Einstein, imagination is more important than knowledge because knowledge addresses what we already know, while imagination leads to what we don’t know so that we may eventually know it.

Ashley’s Garden is a private, preparatory preschool specializing in 3 to 5 year olds. We believe our students get the best of the best! Not only do they receive a well-rounded educational experience, they also receive the benefits of weekly gymnastics, swim and dance, which we now know are extremely important to brain development and the process of learning.

View photos of Ashley’s Garden Here>>> Las Cruces Preschool 

On May 27th of 2011 a class of proud preschoolers and parents came together to celebrate the acquisition of experience and path to knowledge. Gym Magic’s Preschool (Ashley’s Garden) graduated a group of talented and bright young children into Kindergarten. The kids presented signs of physical and mental growth that stemmed from the quality and care of this private preschool in Las Cruces.

The event started off with smiling parents and children filling up the large gym magic facility. Parents sat down in their seats, prepared their cameras, and waited for their kids last performance in preschool. The children sat behind a large wall made of work-out equipment and nervously awaited their performance. As a member of Gym Magic read a story, the children told this narrative through action and words. The performance ended with all the kids dancing choreographed to music.

Now that the performance was done, it was time to graduate. Each student had his or her name called, walked from behind the wall in their white cap and gown, and received a diploma, a silhouette of their head they produced in class, and creative art tools to take with them into their next level of education. The preschool graduation ended with a class of 2011 picture and one last time of fun and food with their class of friends and family.

Visit “Preschool Class of 2011″ to see more pictures.

S’Cool Moves®: As research expands our understanding of brain development and the process of learning, the strong connection between movement and learning emerges. “Neuroscientists have begun to discover that movement and exploration during childhood are also an essential to being able to focus, pay attention, concentrate, follow directions, think clearly, and problem solve, all essential components of learning,” states Tim Burns, author of The Brain in Motion: How Movement Enhances Learning and Improves Brain Integration.

Research has shown that movement and the stimulation of the vestibular system in early childhood actually helps prepare and develop the brain for what we term “higher learning” (focus, concentration, problem solving, speech, language, reading, writing, and social-emotional maturity). John J. Ratey, MD, had this to say about movement and brain development, “Mounting evidence show that movement is crucial to every other brain function, including memory, emotion, language, and learning…Our “higher” brain functions have evolved from movement and still depend on it.” Ashley’s Garden offers a one of a kind opportunity. Our teachers are trained in S’cool Moves® (a delightful integrative movement program designed to improve behavior, focus and academics) and ZooPhonics® (a fun, energetic introduction to phonics and reading), but most importantly, they love working with children.

Play and fun are important elements of our program as we know how important exploration and imagination are to learning. Our focus is to create an environment that promotes a positive learning attitude as this is essential to success in life. Our theme-based curriculum fosters social, physical and mental development within a safe and nurturing environment.

Dance: During dance instruction, children learn balance, self-expression and rhythmic movement. Rather than focusing on a particular style of dance such as tap or ballet, Ashley’s Garden students learn via creative movement. Dance instruction takes place in our dance studios and is led by one of our dance instructors with assistance from our Ashley’s Garden staff.

Gymnastics: No one in Las Cruces has been teaching gymnastics as long as Gym Magic and it all begins in our preschool programs! Our preschool gymnastics program has its own dedicated area, Tumble Land, loaded with colorful, age-appropriate equipment. It’s truly a child’s delight, filled with whimsical murals and colors. Ashley’s Garden students receive the same gymnastics lessons as children in our regular TumbleBug gymnastics classes. Students increase their coordination, balance, flexibility and confidence as they use child-sized balance beams, rings, bars, mats and more. Our certified coaches from Gym Magic’s gymnastics program teach the lessons with assistance from the Ashley’s Garden staff.

Swimming: Gym Magic’s Swim School, The Lily Pad is the only swim school in New Mexico that is a member of the US Swim School Association and the only dedicated learn-to-swim program in Las Cruces. Preschoolers in Ashley’s Garden learn to swim by following The Lily Pad’s standard curriculum. Children are divided into small groups and taught at their skill level, even if they’re getting into a pool for the very first time. Water instruction is led by certified coaches from The Lily Pad with assistance from the Ashley’s Garden staff.

Ashley’s Garden honors the memory of Ashley Westberg, a former Gym Magic gymnast and coach. Ashley was a gifted teacher who transformed the lives of many children during her tenure at Gym Magic. Her smiles of compassion, fun and understanding inspired us to create a nurturing place for children to grow and to learn. Her legacy lives on in Ashley’s Garden.

Ashley’s Garden is fully licensed by the state of New Mexico. Our staff is committed to providing a fun, safe and interesting place for children. Our teachers are hired for their love of teaching and working with young children, and then trained in the skills necessary for classroom, preschool gymnastics area, dance studio or swimming pool. We maintain a 10 to 1 ratio in the classroom, but groups are even smaller during dance, gym (6 to 1) and swim (5 to 1).

Ashley’s Garden begins at 8:00 am. As a courtesy, we open at 7:30 am for parents who have to be at work by 8:00. Parents are required to sign-in their children in Ashley’s Garden. Any special instructions for the day can be given at sign-in time. Please do not drop your child off at the front door, front desk or leave your child with other gym staff members – you must take them into Ashley’s Garden and sign-in at that time.

Children must be picked up and signed-out inside Ashley’s Garden no later than 5:30 pm. A late fee ($5 for every 5 minutes) will be assessed if parents are late. Emergencies do arise. Please contact the gym office at 523-1616 as soon as possible to alert our staff if you will be late so they can plan accordingly.

Programs hours                                      Tuition

Tuition: Two payment options are offered: 1) Automated check and 2) Automated credit card.

We strongly suggest the use of our ‘no hassle’ Automated Systems: monthly checks are run at no additional charge; credit cards are charged an additional 3% to cover credit card fees charged to us. Checks and credit cards are run on the 1^st of the month. If the first of the month falls on the weekend, tuition will be charged on Monday.

We strongly suggest the use of our Automated Systems as this guarantees no late fees and no hassle. Any NSF checks or declined credit cards will incur a $30 fee. Please note: A 30 day written notice is required for withdrawal.

Full-time tuition is $700 per month (+ tax). Part-time tuition (25 hours per week) is $480 per month (+ tax) for the Morning Session and $400 (+ tax) for the Afternoon Session. Tuition is determined by taking our yearly expenses and dividing the expenses into 12 equal monthly payments (regardless of the number of weeks in the month). Our expenses are based on 48 weeks (4 weeks per month) out of the 52 weeks in a year.

Tuition in Ashley’s Garden includes weekly lessons in gymnastics, swimming, dance and S’cool Moves. These exceptional programs are included in the tuition for Ashley’s Garden. The cost of these additional programs, if taken outside AG, would be $265 per month for full time students and $133 per month for part-time students. We consider this to be quite a savings!

Please be advised that tuition is not based on attendance. Tuition is due whether your child is in attendance or not as we must staff in advance. When you enroll in Ashley’s Garden, you are reserving a spot for your child in our program. Therefore, you will be required to pay for that spot even if your child is absent.

Vacation & Closures: Our regular program is closed for 2 weeks at Christmas, 1 week at Spring Break and 1 week in August for fall preparation. As our tuition is divided into 12 equal payments to cover approximately 48 weeks per year out of 52 weeks in the year, the holiday closures are not prorated. If your family requires care during these holidays, we typically offer day camps during those weeks. A camp fee will be charged for those weeks.

We are typically closed for the following federal holidays: Memorial Day, Labor Day, 4^th of July and Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday). This allows our staff to also enjoy being with their families for the holidays.

Withdrawal: Withdrawal from Ashley’s Garden requires a 30 day written notice. If it becomes necessary for us to dis-enroll your child, you will be given a 2 week notice to find alternate arrangements. All fees will be in effect until that time and are non-refundable.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND A SICK CHILD OR A CHILD THAT HAS NOT BEEN FEVER FREE IN THE LAST 24 HOURS TO ASHLEY’S GARDEN.

We invite you to join us in this great endeavor of establishing a positive learning attitude! Childhood is the special time of growth and adventure as new ideas and information are encountered and explored. We understand how precious one’s children are, and we invite you to join us for these precious years of learning that lay the foundation for their future!

View photos of Ashley’s Garden Here>>> Las Cruces Preschool

Click here to view Ashley’s Garden Testimonials

Participation is very simple – once a month, you and your child will work together to create a science experiment for class. This should be something easy for the child to present and explain in class. We know everyone has a busy schedule, but we hope you will be able to take some time at home to practice with your child.

Parents typically have a great time with this, and it helps to build your child’s confidence. It’s also a fun introduction to public speaking in a safe, supportive environment while also introducing some basic science. Who knows? There may be a small Albert Einstein just waiting to blossom!

Gym Magic offers a proven, special multi-level reading program which combines integrative movement (gym time) with traditional classroom instruction in reading and language arts. A maximum of 3 students to 1 teacher will be used as this ratio has proven to be the most effective.

Tutors are degreed, certified teachers; special education teachers; ELL teachers; or qualified, trained college-degreed tutors. Class will meet twice a week for 2 hours each time. Parents will be given weekly progress reports.

Applications are available through your classroom teacher or principal.

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Gym Magic ofrece GRATIS SES El Programa De Lectura Y Lenguage en Atres para los estudiantes de kindergarten hasta el 6to grado. Las clases seran en Gym Magic (despues de escuela/o en los fines de semana).

Gym Magic ofrece un progama especial multi-nivel en lectura combinado con movimientos integrals (tiempo en el gym) con las intruciones del las clases tradicionales en lectura y language en artes. Un maximo de 3 estudiantes por 1 maestro se usara como proporción esta aprobada por ser la mas efectiva.

Los tutores son graduados , maestros certificados; maestros con educacion especial; ELL maestros; o calificados, entrenados en tutorial por el colegio-graduados. Las clases seran dos veces a la semana por dos horas cada vez. Les daremos a los padres cada semana un reporte del progreso del estudiante.

Gym Magic esta lacalizado en 2341 Entrada del Sol, Las Cruces NM 88001

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Introduction by Dr. Nancy L. Bates

Welcome to Learning Foundations. Learning Foundations grew out of the need to provide a different approach to tutoring that was based on the whole child and the process of learning. Our program is focused on elementary school students that need reading and language arts tutoring.

As a gym and sports center, we have something that other tutoring programs do not have: a kid-friendly, FUN environment filled with colorful mats and bouncy ‘things’! This is important because many struggling readers develop poor self-esteem over time and a FUN, colorful environment helps to set the stage for a New Beginning of reading and self-confidence!

Self-confidence and self-esteem are two words tossed around so frequently they have lost much of their impact, but they are, indeed, important issues for our children. After just a few short weeks of tutoring, we’ve had numerous parents comment on their child’s improved attitude about themselves, their abilities and how they felt about school in general. We think everyone deserves a healthy, positive attitude about learning because this lays the foundation for a life-long pursuit of learning.

If a child has been identified as needing tutoring, you can be sure that that child is aware they are behind and in need of help. Their parents may also be desperate to find help as most parents understand the importance of education and being a good reader. Many students will feel deflated and defeated by school. To change their attitude is to win the first major battle!

Learning Foundations can be a golden opportunity for students and their parents because our students aren’t thrown into yet another classroom where they are made to sit still and try to learn. Our students start out in a FUN place, our gym, doing FUN activities that allow them to be just another kid, not the kid who can’t read very well.

In short time, they gain new skills in the gym (which are, of course, directed at building brain organization and planned motor skills through integrative movement – known as serious FUN) and begin to RELAX! They soon experience that ‘learning’ can actually be fun and that they are, indeed, capable of improving their reading and thus their school work.

Gym time is extremely valuable time!! This is where we find out that many of these students cannot skip, do jumping jacks, jump rope or play hopscotch. Again, this relates to the fact that today’s youth are not outside playing anymore; they’re the generation that has grown up watching TV and playing on computers. They are also the group that might have missed a number of important developmental steps that provide ease of learning because the brain is organized through early play (motor activities developing into planned motor skills). As so aptly stated by Dr. Carla Hannaford, “Learning involves the building of skills, and skills of every manner are built through the movement of muscles – not just physical skills for athletes…but also the intellectual skills used in classrooms and workplaces.”

Deb Wilson, reading specialist and the co-founder of S’cool Moves, states “Movement is the architect of a child’s brain. The two hemispheres of the brain are designed to constantly communicate with one another. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, and vice versa. Bilateral activities, common to all gymnastics programs, require both sides of the body to work together and separately. Coordinated movement patterns create efficiency in the brain. Efficient pathways create fluent readers who complete reading tasks with ease. For example, during reading, the left hemisphere attends to letters and the sequence of words, while the right side of the brain focuses on comprehending what is read. Reading fluency depends on an intimate conversation between the two hemispheres of the brain– a clear signal, just like a smart phone.”

Researchers have even documented that graduating seniors will have more hours in front of TVs than the total number of hours spent in a classroom after 12 full years of school. An amazing statistic! Most everyone is also aware of the poor showing US students have had in international testing for a number of years now. It appears we have not turned that around yet, but it is gaining much national attention and the poor performance of our schools has been in the spotlight. Change and improvement may be in the wind!

Learning Foundations provides a proven method, a method we have developed and adapted after working with hundreds and hundreds of students. We use a nationally recognized reading program that has been adapted for our program. This is combined with integrative movement in the gym to provide bilateral activities, improve balance, rhythm, timing and core musculature – activities that impact learning and especially reading.

SES TUTORING

Gym Magic was awarded a SES grant to offer the Learning Foundations curriculum in reading and language arts to eligible students. Students must be attending eligible Title 1 schools within LCPS. SES is a totally FREE TUTORING program. A list of eligible schools can be found at the LCPS website under Federal Grants, SES (Supplemental Educational Services).

For 2011-2012, the sign up period is from October 24 – November 22. Applications are distributed to each eligible school and must be returned to either the student’s teacher or principal prior to the cut-off date. It is recommended that interested parents return their completed applications as soon as possible as space is typically limited.

Gym Magic hires local, certified teachers that are then trained in our method. We use small groups (3 students per teacher) as we have found this provides just the right balance of individual attention plus small group dynamics. Each student has an individualized program with weekly progress programs provided both to the district and to the parents.

Gym Magic is open Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 7:30pm and on Saturday from 9:00 to 1:00pm. Parents and students are welcome to tour the facility. For additional information, please call Ms. Graham or Dr. Bates at Gym Magic (575.523.1616).

Click here for “Learning Foundations Overview”

PLEASE CALL 644.3493 or 496-7466
for more information.
Email: nancy@gymmagic.com
learningfoundations.info