News at Greenwich Arts Academy
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March 2023 Newsletter

In this issue:

Kids and Anxiety Pt 1

Welcome to GAA! :-)

Our Doors are (Finally) Open

I

t’s been a long road.

After many years of dreaming, four years of searching, and five months of building, Greenwich Arts Academy is now a brick-and-mortar music school ready to serve the families of Lower Fairfield County.

We – that is, co-founders Mr Michael and Miss Mary – would like first of all to extend our warmest welcome to our new students, the inaugural class of the Academy. And we also wish to express our deepest gratitude to all our current students and their families who have patiently worked through the transition from Mr Michael ringing their doorbells once a week to attending their lessons in our brand-new, state-of-the-art facility. Thank you thank you thank you!

GAA has a lot to offer our families; here are some highlights to get you excited!

*      *      *

You may have noticed the display of wristbands and trophies under the “Congratulations!” sign. These are some of the components of the Musical Ladder System. Created by Columbia Arts Academy Director Marty Fort, this patented system is now being used by schools all around the US & Canada to help music students get more engaged and excited about their lessons.

Here’s how it works:

Every 3 months, students have achievement tests with their teachers, and if they pass they earn really cool colored bracelets, certificates, and at certain levels, trophies. It’s a great way to monitor your student’s progress in lessons to see how they’re doing. The Musical Ladder System is creating a big buzz in the music teaching community.

Most importantly, when students have a test coming up, they practice more, their parents are proud, their teachers are proud, and everybody wins.

The Musical Ladder System lets your teacher create short-term goals for your student that are constantly being refreshed. This means that, between the Academy’s twice-yearly concerts and the Musical Ladder, students are always preparing for something. No endless hamster-wheel lessons at GAA!

*      *      *

GAA is proud to present Music FunTime, unique and proven-effective preschool and young child music classes for children 18 months to 7 years of age. This structured, comprehensive curriculum incorporates music theory (reading staff music, rhythm, note values, time signatures, etc.) and application (playing rhythm instruments, keyboard, sing along, music appreciation, movement). It accesses children’s learning through their brain’s ‘play center,’ using themed games, attractive visuals, and delightful auditory aids that make learning exciting and fun. Kids look forward to it!

When you a give a child a chance to experience Music FunTime, artistically, you open up a whole world of future possibilities. The preschool music program is a precursor for learning an instrument, joining band, orchestra or choir, etc., because the kids already read music and are less likely to be intimidated by aspects of performance. We exponentially increase their ability to learn, period.

*      *      *

And then there’s our not-so-secret agenda. Our goal is to make Greenwich Arts Academy not just a great place for music lessons, but a creativity incubator: a place where your child can stretch their creative wings and fly. Becoming a “creative” is eventually going to be the differentiator between being just a cog in someone else’s machine, and building a machine of your own. Creativity is a learned skill. It’s also a uniquely human quality. We aim to weave training in creativity into every aspect of our offerings at GAA.

We’ll have a lot more to say about creativity in our next issue.

*      *      *

But wait! There’s more! Video make-up lessons, hybrid learning, ensemble classes. Each teaching room set up as a mini-recording lab and streaming studio. Field trips! Concerts! There’s so much to cover, and not nearly enough space.

We’ll be holding a Grand Opening this Spring, and we’re inviting you to come and celebrate with us when the time comes

In the meantime, let us just say:

Welcome to Greenwich Arts Academy!

Local News for Families

local news for families at Greenwich Arts Academy
O

ur goal for this local news column is always to provide our busy moms and dads some local ways and means to make their lives easier, less stressful, more productive (if it won’t increase the stress!), and hopefully more fun.

As we (finally!) emerge from the restrictions of the last couple of years, many of our beloved activities are coming back. So, here’s a short list of fun, local things you can sample this month. Here we go...

* * *

On March 11, Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk is celebrating 23 years of serving our wonderful community and, to mark this milestone, they have a series of incredible “birthday” celebration experiences planned for this special weekend. And the fun doesn’t stop on the weekend of March 11 and 12 – they’re celebrating with festive programming all month long!

https://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/

* * *

On Sunday, March 5 and 12, the Stamford Museum and Nature Center is celebrating the season by bundling all the fun and games of a mini-festival into a single admission price.

Join them for their annual First County Bank Maple Sugar Fest Sundays as they make their very own line of maple syrup from the 200+ mature maple trees found right there on their 118-acre campus.

https://www.stamfordmuseum.org/

* * *

Ok, this last one isn’t exactly local… but if you’re willing to drive an hour and a half from Stamford to Essex – and you love trains! – you should really check out the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat. They offer a two-and-a-half-hour dinner ride up the beautiful Connecticut River Valley in an impeccably restored Pullman Dining Car pulled by an authentic Steam Locomotive. Along with other seasonal offerings: wine and chocolate Dinner Train… Mommy and Me Leprechaun Tea…

https://essexsteamtrain.com/

See you around town!

Kids and Anxiety Pt 1

How can we help our kids deal with their fears?

Kids need help with their Anxiety, declares Greenwich Arts Academy
A

fter the last few years, I think we can all agree that the world can be a scary place. And our children have noticed. They see the adults in their lives with worried frowns, and conclude that there must indeed be something to worry about.

But, lacking an adult’s perspective and means of gauging the outcomes of various situations, children tend to worry much more than is reasonable.

Use these strategies to help your child overcome their anxiety:

1. Be supportive and patient. It can be frustrating when your child is constantly worried about things that seem meaningless or silly. However, the anxiety they feel is just as real to them as your anxieties are to you.

  • Let your child know that you’re sensitive to their feelings and are always there to support them.

2. Avoid giving too much warning about a stressful event. If you know your child stresses out about going to the dentist, it’s best not to announce a dentist appointment three weeks in advance. The morning of the appointment is just fine. For some children, it might be even better to say, “Put on your shoes, we have to go to the dentist.”

  • Too much notice can provide too much time to worry. Figure out how much time your child needs to keep their anxiety to a minimum. Some children appreciate a little time to process what’s going to happen.

3. Talk it out. Ask your child what they’re worried about and why. Talk about why this fear is or isn’t valid. In other words, look for evidence to prove or disprove the reason for the fear.

  • If the fear is valid, develop a plan together to handle the issue.
  • If the fear isn’t valid, help your child to trust the evidence they found that negates the reason for the anxiety.
Let your child know that you're sensitive to their feelings and are always there to support them.

4. Help your child to keep their attention on the present. Worry happens when we project our attention into the future and imagine negative outcomes. This is largely a habit.

  • Teach your child to focus on the present moment and their surroundings. Show your child that it’s more effective to focus on what is, rather than what might be.

Anxiety isn’t always a bad thing. You should be on your guard if you’re in a dangerous position. Anxiety is intended to protect us, and warn us about situations that might cause us harm -- but too much or inappropriate anxiety isn’t healthy.

Helping your child learn to manage (not eliminate!) their anxiety is one of larger responsibilities of parenting. It’s a challenge we all have to rise to -- no matter how goofy some of our kids’ anxieties seem to be.

Be supportive. Be patient. And get professional help if your efforts prove to be insufficient.

Student of the Month

Parkes

  

Skurowski

Parkes loves studying music at Greenwich Arts Academy

What instruments do you play?

  • Piano, voice, flute, violin

How long have you taken lessons?

  • Three years. I did Kindermusik with Mr Michael before I started piano.

Who are your favorite musical artists?

  • Lady Gaga and Prokofiev

What are you other hobbies besides music?

  • Playing games, swimming, kayaking, drawing, and playing with my dog, Gingey

What are your favorite foods?

  • Sushi, broccoli, and pizza

What is the coolest thing you've learned in your lessons in the last three months?

  • How to recognize notes every time!

Do you have any performances coming up?

  • I'm in a Musical Theater Revue in September!

We want to thank 

Parkes

 for referring her friends to the Academy!

Meet Our New Students

September 2024

Sophia L.

Paloma A.

Ava M.

Anthony M.

Aiden T.

Cricket Z.

Pippa Z.

Wythe M.

Caroline P.

Olivia T.

Flora T.

Benicio C.

Alex C.

Tess C.

Charlie W.

Sarah P.

Anna P.

Harper M.

Marin W.

Christina S.

Isabella R.

Timmy B.

Celina T.

Olivia L.

Grace L.

Caitlyn W.

It's called reading... it's how people install new software into their brains.

Is Your Teacher Sold Out?

Athena Artemis

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

2

Schuyler Gordon

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

2

Wesley Orser

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

3

Jim Kost

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

1

Rodrigo Fedalto

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

5

TJ Castello

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

4

Michael Hienzsch

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

3

Athena Artemis

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

2

Schuyler Gordon

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

2

Wesley Orser

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

3

Jim Kost

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

1

Rodrigo Fedalto

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

5

TJ Castello

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

4

Michael Hienzsch

spots left...

this day is sold out at Greenwich arts academy

3

The Academy is growing rapidly. Thank You! :-)

Thank you, students and parents, for choosing us!

Refer a friend and get TWO free lessons!

If you have a friend who might like to take lessons, when you refer them to the Academy and they take 1 month of lessons, we’ll give you TWO lessons for free!

It’s very easy to refer someone.  Just visit:

Refer-A-Friend

Type in your name, their name, and their email address and we’ll take care of the rest!

There’s no maximum to the amount of free lessons you can receive!

Greenwich Arts Academy logo

Free Lesson Certificate

Thank you 

          your name here        

for referring 

                                           

 to the Academy!

1. To redeem your free lesson(s), call 203-439-5677 and sign up for an additional lesson, any day of the week, with your teacher or any of our other teachers. You are welcome to try another instrument if you like, or give this to a friend.2. Lessons CANNOT be rescheduled once they are on the Academy calendar.3. Certificates CANNOT be used for refunds to your account or cash.

Given by: 

                                  

Date: 

             

yiayia's recipe box

Miss Mary's recipe for Marinated Greek Olives (Elaía)

Marinated Greek Olives (Elaía)

Ingredients

Instructions

E

laía are the traditional Greek snack or condiment. They appear everywhere -- Greek Salads, tucked next to your slice of Spanakopita or Pastitsio, served with a hunk of Feta cheese as a stand-alone appetizer.

You'll notice the ingredient amounts are a little vague. That's deliberate. This is a concoction whose best flavor profile is discovered through experimentation. Have fun!

  1. Crush garlic cloves with a wide knife blade, then mince finely
  2. Mix all ingredients except lemon and seasoning in a sealable glass jar.
  3. Add a squeeze of lemon and some shaved lemon rind
  4. Season to taste with oregano and/or Greek Seasoning
  5. Seal jar tightly; marinate 5+ hours
  6. Store in refrigerator
Serves: Depends on the size of the jar!
From Mary Artemis
spicy
vegetarian
vegan
Click to Download Recipe
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