- April 19, 2024
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Starting Jan. 5, The Children’s Academy on the Halifax will be open for business.
The Children’s Academy on the Halifax is not your average daycare. The women who run it, will assure you of that.
“This isn’t a warehouse, like some daycares where kids are just dropped off,” said Ann Burt, chairwoman of the academy’s board of directors. “This is an educational facility. Everyone who is on the board has a grandchild, and we felt like there was nothing else like this in the area.”
Opening on Jan. 5, the academy provides learning and enrichment activities that are specific to each age group. Currently eight students are enrolled, but the facility, located at St. James Episcopal Church, can hold up to 69. The academy accepts children ages 6 weeks old to 4 years old.
“We have a library, where a teacher is going to be doing story time,” said Annie Baldwin, director of the academy. “There’s also a music area and an art area. We want to involve other members of the community, and bring them in to teach yoga or Zumba. Just get some different extra curricular activities in there.”
Baldwin said the academy is dedicated to being an early childhood education center as opposed to a daycare.
“We’re really hitting all the areas,” Baldwin said. “We’re making sure we’re hitting the physical, emotional, social and academic. Even starting with our infants, we have a curriculum.”
Though the academy is located at St. James Episcopal Church, it is a separate nonprofit organization. Still, St. James is the reason why a few parents have chosen to enroll their kids.
“I went to St. James,” Angela Ellzey said. “I’ve been a part of the church and the school for a long time. I just wanted to have my children come here. I really wanted to be with people who I knew would love and care for my children the way I would.”
The board of directors came up with the idea in August, Burt said, and they were determined to get the ball rolling because they knew how important early learning was to children.
“It gives them a leg up when they get into regular school,” Burt said. “It teaches them academic skills, social skills, and I think it makes them more independent.”
The academy is currently accepting new students, and they are hosting open houses for parents to come see the facility. The next open house will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 6, but Burt said they can host a private open house for parents who’s schedule prevent them from attending.
“65% of women with children under the age of 5 work full time,” Burt said. “We need this.”
Visit www.childrensacademyonthehalifax.org for tuition prices and information.
