SUMMER CAMPS & KIDS

~ After School Enrichment Scholarships & Sibling Specials ~ ~ Learning Pod Group Rates & School Auction Items! ~ For 30 years Performing Arts Workshops has been a proud school contributor and community member.  Now, when schools, PTA’s and families need it most, and inspired by our core mission and commitment, we are stepping up and doing our part. Due to the pandemic and for the safety of our faculty, and your families, our After School Program and Summer Camp have moved Online.   We were amazed to find that the issue of Zoom fatigue in children evaporates when children are enjoying arts and active programming, leaving them feeling connected, happy and motivated. The notes we received from parents telling us that it brought the light back into their children’s eyes touched our hearts. Knowing that has renewed our sense of purpose and we see clearly that these programs are more important to the wellbeing of children than ever before. Below you will find our list of p...

Move over Saturday morning cartoons…make way for Saturday morning Zoom! Ah, home on a beautiful Saturday morning – a day of well-deserved rest, a time to revel in the promise of a new day. It’s almost like a scene from a coffee commercial. Of course, if you have children, your morning looks a little different. While you’re still waiting for the caffeine in your giant mug of coffee to kick in, your children are bounding out of bed and rampaging through the house like a Category-5 hurricane. (Why don’t they have this kind of energy on weekday mornings?!) If only you could keep them occupied for a little bit while you do the thousand and one things a parent needs done to keep a household healthy and happy, but something that’s not just parking them in front of the TV to watch “Trolls” for the hundredth time, or just a videogame. The trusty “go-tos” like in-person team sports, classes and activities your children would usually participate in are unavailable due to the pandemic. What is a...

  Making the Most of “Golden Hour” with Online After School Class We’ve all been there. Its early evening. The day is rapidly drawing to a close. You’re working from home, paying bills, folding laundry, figuring out what to do about dinner. The online school day is over, but the kids need some type of worthwhile supervised activity which will free you up to get dinner on the table.  When the sun is settling into an amber glow – or “golden hour”, as it is known in the world of film and photography. If all goes well during golden hour, you can make magic happen. There’s order in the home, the children are fed and bedded down for the night, and you live to fight another day. That would be your day, if only you could keep the kids from bouncing off the walls so you can hear yourself think!   If this is you, online after school programming might be just thing to keep your kids engaged in fun, safe, and enriching activities, while you’re trying to finish work and do the th...

  How Kids Can Learn To Love Zoom       While Zoom was something of a novelty in early 2020, it is now an indispensable tool of learning. Long after the pandemic is over, Zoom and other distance learning technologies will be here to stay. So, say it with me, everyone. Welcome to the Zoom Era. 2020 has foisted drastic change on the world we live in, but it is reassuring to know some things never change – that children are ever-resilient, and educators continue to innovate in the face of adversity. While the pandemic continues to play out and educators are tasked with the enormous challenges of developing strategies to provide schooling safely and effectively, subjects like the arts and humanities (which were already in danger of being cut from school budgets entirely) have had to fall by the wayside. Circumstances being what they are, schools can be forgiven for focusing most of their efforts on their core curriculums. Fortunately, there are many reputabl...

Home Is Where the Dojo Is… Karate has long been credited for helping youngsters develop their minds and bodies as well as cultivating in students a sense of discipline, confidence, respect for others and more. With the COVID-19 pandemic making in-person karate classes too risky or even unavailable, taking classes via Zoom is a viable alternative for your children. But before your children begin taking karate classes at home, you will need to prepare the learning space and create your “home dojo”. We asked Tim Fitzgerald, vice president of Performing Arts Workshops, and karate teacher for some recommendations. “You don’t need a lot of space or any specialized equipment – Bruce Lee used to teach students out his garage. Clear the space of furniture any other obstructions. An area of about six feet of unobstructed space around all sides of your child will be ample space to practice. Another consideration is flooring. If you have carpeting, great. If not, consider buying a puzzle m...

By Signing Up As An Official Learning Pod, You Can Receive  Significant Discounts on Online After School Arts and Academic Workshops Back to School season is upon us once again, but with a whole new meaning this year. Kids across the country who are typically experiencing first day of school jitters and excitement at about this time, are graciously accepting their new normal of distance learning and social distancing. Instead of designing their pencil boxes and decorating their book covers, they are prepping their virtual Zoom backgrounds and comparing their school schedules with their friends via email.  As we have all adjusted to the realities of distance learning and/or homeschooling over the last few months, Learning Pods & Micro-Schools have gained popularity as a fantastic alternative for parents choosing to team up with one another to provide their children with safe ways to participate in their online classes and activities together, with a small, closely monit...

PAW Steps Up to Help Parents in the Time of COVID-19 Summer is rapidly drawing to a close and the kids are going back to school, either online  or in person. While it is a new world, if the last several months have taught us anything, it is that kids don’t stop being kids just because of the pandemic. While the  world is getting used to the new normal, parents are faced with the added challenge of providing for their children the structure, socialization, and safety during after school hours so necessary to their well-being. Of course, the challenge is further compounded by the fact that the pandemic has had a devastating effect on the economy and family finances.  Fortunately, many after school program providers are active members of the community and are sensitive to the needs of the families they serve and are stepping up to help. For parents looking to enroll children in after school programming, but are prevented by financial hardship, relief is at hand. Performing...

Hi PAW Moms, Dads & Campers Too,   We are excited to announce the final Camp Story Contest for Summer of 2020… By taking a moment to write or talk about your favorite memories from PAW’s Online Camp, you will be entered in a drawing to  WIN an eight week session of PAW’s After School Program on ZOOM .  We are also happily accepting video recordings featuring your child or even you & your child together talking about their special moments or memories.   PRIZES: Three randomly selected participants will each WIN one FREE eight week After School Workshop of their choice, which meet once per week. As a special thank you for entering, all other Camp Story participants will each WIN the Red Ribbon Award of Half Off Tuition for the After School Workshop of their choice. We will be hosting workshops in Acting, Dance, Singing, Karate, Debate, Mommy & Me classes and more! Online campers, parents, grandparents, and babysitters are all eligible to submit an Online Ca...