727-522-2111
Parent / Toddler Classes
Expanding upon what was known as Mommy and Me classes in years past, Toddler Classes provided by The Wonder Studio housed at Shorecrest in St. Petersburg, Florida, include parents/guardians, grandparents, friends, family members and caregivers along with the little tots they love! Learn and grow together, while bonding and socializing in a safe, nurturing environment.
The Wonder Studio
Wonder Studio is for our youngest learners.
These classes are inspired by the preschools of Reggio-Emilia, Italy, and the studio incorporates philosophies from Waldorf, Bev Bos and Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences.
See what's available and register here: https://thewonderstudio.as.me/schedule.php
Learning experiences are documented and reflected upon on the Wonder Studio blog: http://thewonderstudio.blogspot.com
- This is a place where toddlers learn the difference between how flour and shaving cream feel between tiny fingers and toes.
- A place where squeezing an entire bottle of glue onto paper is not only OK with the teacher... it is strongly encouraged!
- A studio environment instead of a classroom indicates that this is a place that can get messy… there are no recipes to follow, no goals to be met. Being creative means inventing NEW ideas, not simply repeating what others have done in the past.
- Sure, they'll get sticky and wet - and they'll also giggle and grow!- This is what child-led learning looks like!
The Wonder Studio is an Arts and Science Studio for young people and their caregivers that offers multi-sensory, messy and open-ended experiences. Children ages 18 months and up participate in a broad range of developmentally appropriate experiences along side a loving parent or caregiver who is dedicated to joining his/her child in discovery and exploration. Each class includes circle time with stories, songs and puppetry. Children have repeated scientific opportunities to strengthen their disposition for curiosity, creativity and co-learning. Adults gain an understanding of non-traditional approaches to chemistry, physics, biology and ecology for the youngest children. Children also discover the joys of working with one another through full-bodied arts investigations. Caregivers develop an understanding for using the arts as a tool for thinking in guiding their young child’s development.
These classes are inspired by the preschools of Reggio-Emilia, Italy, and the studio incorporates philosophies from Waldorf, Bev Bos and Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences.
See what's available and register here: https://thewonderstudio.as.me/schedule.php
Learning experiences are documented and reflected upon on the Wonder Studio blog: http://thewonderstudio.
Wonder Studio classes are each one hour. Please choose a day/time that will allow you the most consistency in order to foster our community feeling. Classes are for children 18 months and up accompanied by a loving caregiver.
ALL DAYS and CLASSES are exploring the arts with various media including: clay, paint, color mixing, collage, construction, light/shadow, etc. Each class includes a circle time with stories, songs, and puppetry.
Register here: https://thewonderstudio.as.me
ALL DAYS and CLASSES are exploring the arts with various media including: clay, paint, color mixing, collage, construction, light/shadow, etc. Each class includes a circle time with stories, songs, and puppetry.
Register here: https://thewonderstudio.as.me
Expressive Arts Classes
Shannon is currently registering and teaching classes 1-on-1 (virtually and in person) with adults and children in expressive arts. Learn more on her blog:
https://thewonderstudio.blogspot.com/p/expressive-arts-handbook-and-classes.html
https://thewonderstudio.blogspot.com/p/expressive-arts-handbook-and-classes.html
About Shannon Lipan, Founder of The Wonder Studio
I have been a passionate Early Childhood Educator and Entrepreneur for most of my life. My career began with the education of my stuffed animals and dolls at the age of 7 years old.
On the side, I dabbled in the business of restaurateur, sticker store, and even a small newspaper start up.
At age 12, I progressed to teaching Sunday School to three year olds, organizing my community in a Christmas Carol outreach, and I was even President of the Home Economics club!
Perhaps, you are more interested in my recent ventures.
The Wonder Studio is a small business I started in 2009.
Having read about the pre-primary schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy for many years, I longed for a place where my daughter and I could visit together that would expose her to the 100 languages of children. She and I had visited much of the local offerings and had not discovered any programming that showed young children the respect I believed my daughter had the right to.
I longed for artistic and creative experiences that were high quality and put the child into the role of protagonist of his/her learning.
Thus began my starting up and leading a community of like-minded mothers, fathers, and caregivers who wanted to accompany their children on a journey together in Wonder and Joy.
The Wonder Studio, named for the environmentalist Rachel Carson and her beautiful book, "The Sense of Wonder," is an arts and science studio for young children and the caregivers who love them.
My daughter (and now I have a son as well) was the most inspiring person I had ever met. I wanted to learn all I could about her and who she was. What will she think about painting and color mixing?
How will she interact with the other children?
Is she interested in live creatures?
With an understanding of my favorite educational theorists, psychologists, and philosophers, I designed a unique program that would allow both the child and the caregiver to learn about themselves and others in a safe, caring, and creative “Studio” environment.
Studio spaces are designed for mess making. I have believed for many years now that learning is a messy process. I believe that children need to use “more” materials before they can learn the benefits of using “less”. At The Wonder Studio, we pay close attention to the ways children are motivated to use materials. We believe in the social and cognitive learning that happens when children are in a group setting with other children and adults with different learning styles.
"Being with a child is largely a matter of becoming receptive to what lies all around you. It is learning again to use your eyes, ears, nostrils, and fingertips, opening up the disused channels of sensory impression. For most of us knowledge comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind. One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?"
-Rachel Carson
-Rachel Carson
Contact Shannon
School Information
5101 First Street Northeast
St Petersburg, FL 33703
Phone: (727) 522-2111 | Fax: (727) 527-4191
[Map]
Privacy Policy | Faculty
St Petersburg, FL 33703
Phone: (727) 522-2111 | Fax: (727) 527-4191
[Map]
Privacy Policy | Faculty
Connect
Shorecrest Preparatory School is a private, non-sectarian, coeducational, college preparatory day school for students preschool through high school, located in St. Petersburg, Florida.
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Shorecrest acknowledges its obligation to prohibit discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin sex, citizenship status, genetic information, handicap or disability in admissions, access, employment, tuition assistance, educational policies, or other school administered student and employee programs and activities. Questions regarding the School’s compliance with the application and administration of the School’s nondiscrimination policies should be directed to Kristine Grant, Head of Middle School, 5101 First Street Northeast, St. Petersburg, Florida 33703, (727)-522-2111, kgrant@shorecrest.org or to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Please refer to the School’s Non-Discrimination Compliance Policy on the School’s website for information on how to file complaints with OCR.
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Shorecrest acknowledges its obligation to prohibit discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin sex, citizenship status, genetic information, handicap or disability in admissions, access, employment, tuition assistance, educational policies, or other school administered student and employee programs and activities. Questions regarding the School’s compliance with the application and administration of the School’s nondiscrimination policies should be directed to Kristine Grant, Head of Middle School, 5101 First Street Northeast, St. Petersburg, Florida 33703, (727)-522-2111, kgrant@shorecrest.org or to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Please refer to the School’s Non-Discrimination Compliance Policy on the School’s website for information on how to file complaints with OCR.