10th Annual Tee Off for Children’s Literacy

10th Tee Off for Children's Literacy header

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!!!

Join AART for the 10th Annual Tee Off for Children’s Literacy!
Date: Thursday, September 30th, 2021
Time: 9:00 am shotgun start
Price: $160

Your green fees are all-inclusive and include: 18 holes, cart rental, grab & go breakfast, bbq awards reception, and open bar (beer & wine)

  • Results and awards will be announced during the bbq award reception.
  • Sponsors that have tee greens will be able to choose the hole where their sign will appear (this is first come, first serve).
  • The return of the silent auction! We will have some great items to bid on like Caps tickets and a bourbon basket.

We hope you will join us! 

 

AART is Now Enrolling for Fall!

AART IS NOW ENROLLING!

All Ages Read Together is now enrolling for new classes beginning September 2021 in Alexandria, Herndon, Leesburg, and Sterling! All classes will follow CDC guidelines and masks will be required for everyone.

AART is designed for children who fall in the gap between those who qualify for publicly funded programs, such as Head Start, and those families who cannot afford preschool.

This program will help get your child ready for kindergarten and is completely free. Children must be 4 or 5-years old and not enrolled in any other preschool program, Head Start, Step, or PreK.

Complete our interest form today to connect with an assistant!

A Day in the Life: AART Summer Class

Have you ever wondered what goes on inside an AART classroom? I had the pleasure of following along with an AART summer class in Leesburg, where I joined students during a fun-filled day of learning and play. I talked with our dedicated teachers and volunteers about what they do during a typical day of teaching, how their lessons and activities benefit students, and why they teach with AART. It’s in the middle of a busy classroom where the magic of learning creates lasting bonds between teachers and students, and it was amazing to see those relationships being made through fun and easy classroom activities.

The day began with students lining up outside upon arriving at our Leesburg classroom location. They waved goodbye to mom and dad, ready for another day of learning with their friends. Our students then put away their backpacks once they entered the classroom and joined each other on the carpet for Circle time to go over the classroom rules and welcome a couple of new friends to their class. 

They sang a song together to introduce each other and the teachers to the rest of the class and reviewed what they were going to do during class today. Circle time continued with a story- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Our teachers gave each student their own copy of the book, and the class settled in to read the story together, following along with the teacher as they turned the page. The book was read in both English and Spanish so that all of our students could enjoy the story in the language they were most familiar with. Color recognition skills were practiced while reading, as well, since the book focuses heavily on identifying different brightly-colored animals as the story progresses.

To close “Circle” time, each student placed their new books in their backpacks, to take home and read on their own.

Next on the agenda were Centers, where students were divided up between multiple different activities and rotated through each one in turn. Today’s centers helped build shape recognition skills, encouraged creative play, and had students practice writing their names. 

The first Centers activity involved drawing a self-portrait and signing your name on it upon completion. Students were given drawing tools and were encouraged to let their artistic skills and imagination shine. 

The second Centers activity instructed students to mold Play-Doh into different shapes. Students were encouraged to use tools to help them craft their shapes and to identify their shapes upon completion of the activity. 

 

 

In the final Centers activity, students were provided worksheets that prompted them to practice drawing certain shapes. Given markers, crayons, and other drawing tools, the students diligently worked at perfecting their triangles, squares, semi-circles, and stars!

After the students finished their Centers activities, the class took a break to have a quick snack. Students lined up to wash their hands and grab their water bottles, then went to find a seat beside their friends. Our students sipped their water, munched on their pretzels, and chatted about the day’s activities during a much-needed moment of rest.

With the end of class insight, our students and teachers regrouped for Closing Circle. The teachers shared our students’ self-portraits that they had drawn earlier, stopping to discuss what each student included in their drawing. We were so impressed with their creativity, and everyone enjoyed getting to share their work with the class!

Lastly, it was time to wrap up another great day of preschool with stickers for a hard day’s work. After receiving their sticker, each student retrieved their backpacks and lined up to leave the classroom. With tired eyes and smiling faces, each student left the classroom to meet an eagerly waiting parent outside. 

Why AART

Our teachers for our AART summer class in Leesburg, Ms. Shelley and Ms. Giselle, are long-time teachers in the Northern Virginia area. Ms. Shelley has been a preschool teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools for many years, and Ms. Giselle has been a substitute teacher for both primary and secondary level classrooms in Loudoun County Public Schools for around 20 years. They love to teach and are dedicated to the well-being of their students. Teaching at AART has been a great experience for both Ms. Shelley and Ms. Giselle, who are teaching for the first time in our program this summer. They love seeing their students succeed in the classroom and enjoy the fulfillment that comes with a career in education!

Learning with the students in an AART summer class reaffirms the importance of easily accessible preschool programs. Experiencing the joy of learning in a fun, engaging, and age-appropriate environment- with dedicated teachers and diligent volunteers- is a great reminder of the lasting impact of quality early childhood education. AART students will take the lessons, relationships, and memories earned in their preschool class with them throughout their careers as students and into life beyond the classroom. AART thanks its teachers, volunteers, donors, and sponsors for making our summer programs possible!

Interested in learning about our program? Read more here.

AART is Now Enrolling Summer Kindergarten Readiness Classes in Loudoun County!

All Ages Read Together is now enrolling preschool readiness classes for rising kindergarteners who have no preschool experience. This is specifically for families located in Leesburg or Sterling.

Priority will be given to students entering kindergarten in Fall 2021 at Sugarland, Sterling, and Leesburg Elementary. 

When: June 29th – July 29th
Days: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Time: Morning or Afternoon, 2 hours each class

Please fill out our interest form to be contacted by one of our teachers.  This program will help to get your child ready for kindergarten.

¡Todas las Edades Leen Juntas (All Ages Read Together: “AART”) ahora está inscribiendo clases de preparación preescolar para los estudiantes de kindergarten en ascenso que no tienen experiencia preescolar. Esto es específicamente para familias ubicadas en Leesburg o Sterling.

Se dará prioridad a los estudiantes que ingresen al jardín de infantes en el otoño de 2021 en las escuelas primarias Sugarland, Sterling y Leesburg.

Cuándo: 29 de junio – 29 de julio
Días: martes, miércoles y jueves
Hora: Mañana o Tarde, 2 horas cada clase.

Por favor complete nuestro formulario de interés para ser contactado por uno de nuestros maestros. Este programa ayudará a preparar a su hijo para el kindergarten.

AART Partners with the Dulles Greenway in Family-Friendly Race

The Dulles Greenway is hosting its inaugural Run the Greenway Race on May 1, 2021. This family-friendly event provides a socially distant convening opportunity and fundraising vehicle for All Ages Read Together and other participating Loudoun County, Virginia organizations.

“The Dulles Greenway is committed to serving the Loudoun community and we are honored to directly support the positive contributions that our charity partners are making in our local community during this difficult time,” said TRIP II CEO Renée N. Hamilton. “We are excited to welcome the region’s runners and their families to the first annual Run the Greenway race and we are pleased to be able to offer our nonprofit partners a powerful fundraising platform that will help them advance their important work.”

AART has registered a growing team of runners and walkers to join our team! You can join us by going to http://bit.ly/jointeamaart!

“AART is absolutely thrilled to be invited to participate in this inaugural event,” said AART Executive Director, Michelle Sullivan. “100% of the donations raised will go directly to our summer classes in Loudoun County, which is truly the last chance for children entering kindergarten to be prepared and ready to succeed. We are looking forward to seeing everyone who is walking or running for Team AART!”

The Run the Greenway race will start and finish at the Dulles Greenway’s Mainline Toll Plaza. Runners and walkers can choose a 5K or 10K distance, there will also be an 800-meter Kids Fun Run and a virtual race option. Race participants will join their community in celebrating the Dulles Greenway’s 25th anniversary of connecting Loudoun County to the Washington Metropolitan region.

Whether you are a walker or runner, here in the DMV or virtual, you can support AART by joining our team https://bit.ly/jointeamaart.

Every registration includes a Run the Greenway race shirt and a fundraising page where runners can raise funds for the local charity of their choice. 

For more information about Run the Greenway, please visit https://bit.ly/jointeamaart or contact AART info at allagesreadtogether.org.

Run the Greenway – Join Team AART!

The Dulles Greenway is hosting its inaugural Run the Greenway Race on May 1, 2021. This family-friendly event provides a socially distant convening opportunity and fundraising vehicle for All Ages Read Together and other participating Loudoun County, Virginia organizations.

“The Dulles Greenway is committed to serving the Loudoun community and we are honored to directly support the positive contributions that our charity partners are making in our local community during this difficult time,” said TRIP II CEO Renée N. Hamilton. “We are excited to welcome the region’s runners and their families to the first annual Run the Greenway race and we are pleased to be able to offer our nonprofit partners a powerful fundraising platform that will help them advance their important work.”

AART has registered a growing team of runners and walkers to join our team! You can join us by going to http://bit.ly/jointeamaart!

“AART is absolutely thrilled to be invited to participate in this inaugural event,” said AART Executive Director, Michelle Sullivan. “100% of the donations raised will go directly to our summer classes in Loudoun County, which is truly the last chance for children entering kindergarten to be prepared and ready to succeed. We are looking forward to seeing everyone who is walking or running for Team AART!”

The Run the Greenway race will start and finish at Dulles Greenway’s Mainline Toll Plaza. Runners and walkers can choose a 5K or 10K distance, there will also be an 800-meter Kids Fun Run and a virtual race option. Race participants will join their community in celebrating the Dulles Greenway’s 25th anniversary of connecting Loudoun County to the Washington Metropolitan region.

Whether you are a walker or runner, here in the DMV or virtual, you can support AART by joining our team https://bit.ly/jointeamaart.

Every registration includes a Run the Greenway race shirt and a fundraising page where runners can raise funds for the local charity of their choice.

For more information about Run the Greenway, please visit https://bit.ly/jointeamaart or contact AART info at allagesreadtogether.org.

8th Annual Tee Off for Children’s Literacy Golf Tournament is a Success

Golfers teed up at Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club on May 9th in a tournament to benefit All Ages Read Together (AART). The tournament was the inspiration of AART board member Peter Knapp, who remarked, “Eight years ago we decided to have a golf tournament and, now, it has become an annual tradition. This year we raised over $15,000 for AART and we are grateful to everyone who participated for making it such a huge success.”

AART thanks all the 2019 sponsors, with specific recognition for Michael Capretti and Capretti Land, our exclusive Green Jacket sponsor, and Championship sponsors, Pactolus Private Wealth Management, 100WomenStrong, and The Peter Knapp Realty Group. These sponsorships provide the foundation for this golf tournament and drive golf revenue. AART’s Board Chair, Tamar Datan, noted, “We are so grateful to the devoted sponsors, players, and organizers of this very special event. Together, they have helped us raise funding to contribute towards one of our school year classes!”

This funding is critical as AART is the only organization that fills the gap for children who do not qualify for publicly funded programs, like Head Start, and whose families cannot afford private preschool. These children would fall behind in the current education system without AART’s help. One in five children in Northern Virginia begins kindergarten every year without any preschool exposure, leaving them an average of 20 months behind their peers.

Mark your calendars for another signature fundraiser for AART, the annual AART Horseshoe Hoedown. This year’s hoedown is on Saturday, October 26th and will include BBQ, live music and dancing, mechanical bull rides, horseshoe and corn hole tournaments, many artisan vendors, and children’s activities such as a bounce house and pumpkin decorating.

AART 8th Annual Tee Off for Children’s Literacy

Please join us for our 8th annual golf tournament raising funds for our preschool programs.
Registration is open.
The tournament will again be held at Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club, Thursday, May 9.
All food, drinks, and snacks are included with the registration green fee of $150.00.
You don’t have to be able to golf to participate. You can donate your time, sponsor a hole or green, donate a silent auction item, or goodie bag items.

Sponsorship Levels Flyer

Click to register