Pre-school to nurture young creative talent

Building Blocks Academy (BBA) aims to “make a star out of every child” by offering specialist classes in art, music, dance and drama.

The pre-school is expected to welcome about 60 children aged from 18 months to five years old.

Classes of about eight children will follow a daily timetable of 45-minute lessons to prepare them for a school schedule.

Plans are also in place for the children to perform quarterly stage shows and release regular CDs of their own music.

Pre-school founder McCartney Darrell said the “unique education opportunity” was much needed in Bermuda.

She said: “We’re not saying that only those with a Beyoncé voice or Tom Cruise acting skills can come along.

“We are open to all children, but you’d be surprised what hidden talents children have.

“We hope BBA will become a platform that encourages talent then we can all watch dreams come true.

“This is something different for Bermuda, we see it as an investment that will pay off for the rest of a child’s life.”

Construction work is now underway at the new preschool on the top floor of The Salvation Army Citadel in North Street, Hamilton.

It is expected to open at the end of February with classes running from 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday.

Even though it’s an “untraditional and unconventional pre-school,” Mrs. Darrell says the basics such as alphabet, numbers, colours and shapes will still be covered.

Mrs. Darrell, who went to the School Of The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, said: “The children will be in different classes and then rotate.

“It’s a great opportunity for young children to be exposed to a lot more at an earlier age.

“Children of this age have a very short attention span, so the different subjects will captivate them rather than them staying in a stale environment for hours on end.

“Getting to see each teacher every day will also help with interpersonal skills.

“It stimulates an interest in the performing arts and provides a foundation for later in life.”

The 3,000 square feet preschool features a large ‘fun area’ surrounded by specialist classrooms. All the walls are covered with brightly coloured murals.

The art classroom will be called Picasso’s Place and as well as giving children practical experience in drawing and painting, they will also be taught the history of art.

Fully equipped

The music room will be a fully equipped studio able to record the children’s own creations. Children will study music production, composers and the basics of playing keyboards, drums and percussion.

The dance studio will look the part with mirrors, bars and wooden floors. The tots will be introduced to all sorts of dance including jazz, tap, and hip-hop.

The drama theatre will have a stage and seating, and a huge dressing up box.

There will also be an Internet café for computer and Spanish lessons.  There will also be a math and science area and a problem-solving area with Lego, sand, water, and play dough.

The inside play plaza will include a tubular slide, a ball pool, and ‘pretend play’ including workbenches and tools, and a grocery store with food on the shelves and a cash register.

The outdoor play area will include a Go Green centre and a botany centre to teach children about recycling and gardening.

Security will be tight with everyone having to enter through the ‘communications centre.’  Parents will have to log into a computer with their child’s name and a password.

Parents will also be able to sign into a password-protected website for updates on their child and at certain times will be able to watch them via webcam in the indoor play plaza.

The preschool’s ten full-time staff, who will all be qualified in CPR and first-aid, will provide daily class reports and weekly individual reports.

The pre-school’s slogan is ‘free nights and weekends’ as parents will not have to run around taking their children to extra curricular activities.

Mrs. Darrell said: “This pre-school is all inclusive. If children choose to do any extra-curricular classes, they will simply be a bonus.”

Building Blocks has been the “dream and vision” of Mrs. Darrell and husband Tory for about two years. The Bermuda Sun first reported on their plans in the summer of 2009.

The couple are renowned for their dedication to young people. Mrs. Darrell has run innovative children’s camps, while Mr. Darrell works at Mirrors, a Government programme for at-risk youngsters.

Mrs. Darrell, who is due to give birth to their first child in three weeks, said: “I should probably be spending more time with my feet up given the circumstances, but I’m just so excited this is finally happening.”

All Bermudian

Building Blocks is also dedicated to ‘Shop Bermuda’ as it has bought all its supplies on the island. It is also “really pushing” for the staff to be Bermudian.

Mrs. Darrell thanked the help of all her supporters, including the Bank of Bermuda, Bermuda Small Business Association and Major Alfred Wilson at the Salvation Army Citadel.

One of the pre-school’s teachers Chandra Maybury, who has a degree in art design, said: “I’m excited about this vision, it is necessary for Bermuda to keep kids engaged.

“There are so many preschool children who love to dance and be on stage. Performing arts is the future of our society.”

Art teacher Tineke Stevens, who has a studio art degree, said: “I always loved drawing as a child, but I found Bermuda closed-in creatively. This is an excellent opportunity for children to be creative and follow it right through to school.”

Parents interested in enrolling their children can visit the pre-school’s open house from 6pm tonight (Friday).

For more information about Building Blocks Academy, email [email protected] or call 505-8070. Qualified teachers with relevant arts degrees can also email Mrs. Darrell their resumes.