Get creative at SPARK this summer with cool art camps focused on illustration, cartooning and anime. In these two camps, your budding artists will learn how to illustration their own stories and create anime style cartoon characters using a wide range of mediums.

Illustrated Stories
June 4th- 8th, 2:00 p.m. – 5:oo p.m.  
Children will learn how to supplement text and stories through pictures, as in a children’s book.  We would also be helping the students create their own stories, as well as use details from existing stories to draw inspiration from.  We will have fun working in a lot of different mediums (watercolor, marker, colored pencil), as storybooks tend to have a wide variety of styles.

Anime’ and Cartooning  (ages 9 and up)
June 18th-22nd, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
In the anime and cartooning class your child will learn how to use simple geometric forms to create cartoon characters in the popular Japanese anime style as well as several other forms including the popular Harry Potter series and Marvel characters. Students will gain understanding of construction and proportions as relates to figurative drawing. Furthermore they will learn how to draw facial expressions and depict emotions as well as dynamic movements and action. This fun-filled class will also teach the principles of prospective drawing and background design, so that kids may place their characters into realistic settings. By practicing these basic art skills, young artists will develop the confidence and ability to visually communicate their unique imaginative ideas and stories.

If you can’t actually take a trip around the world this summer, coming to anthropology camp at SPARK is the next best thing! Dr. Gay Biery-Hamilton has traveled the globe conducting anthropological research, and for two special weeks this summer, she’ll be sharing the world with our lucky SPARK campers! After earning her Masters and Ph.D in Anthropology from UF, she has taught classes in cultural anthropology at Rollins College for the past 18 years. 

Journey to Tropical Rainforests
June 11th-15th, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Travel to tropical rainforests around the world to observe the plants, animals, insects, fish and people of the Amazon, Madagascar and the Congo. Class projects will include growing tropical plants, eating delicious local cuisine, locating these rainforests on maps, making/painting clay and making a hut of leaves similar to common dwellings of the Congo.

Peoples of the World
July 9th-13th, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Journey to biomes around the world to observe how people live in these regions, then examine the impact that life in contemporary America has on our environment. Class projects will include growing plants, eating delicious local cuisine, finding these places on maps, making/painting clay pottery and making an igloo.

Don’t miss this amazing opportunity! Camps are filling quickly, so call today to reserve a spot for your child!

A brand new Super Six Weeks of homeschool fun begins next Monday at SPARK, and we’ll be giving our students some “food for thought”. Food is the theme for the next six weeks of art, science, geography and architecture!

Art

In these 6 weeks, we will learn a little about the nutrition of food and all the other things that food can provide us with. We’ll paint beautiful landscapes with dies made out of vegetables, fruits and spices and make a sandwich out of clay!!! Prepare to have a blast!

Week 1 – Stamp art with fruits and vegetables
Week 2 – Paint Landscape with food dies made out of blueberries, beets, spices, green leaves, etc.
Week 3 – Still Life with fruits and pastries in oil pastels
Week 4 – Printmaking- Making cards with food impressions
Week 5 – Clay Sandwich
Week 6 – Recycled paper fruit sculpture

Science

What better way to enjoy science than with food??? For the next six weeks, the SPARK science lab invades the kitchen for some Kitchen Chemistry, Eggsperiments, Conducting & Crystallizing and more!

Architecture

Have you ever wondered how much goes into designing a themed restaurant? Not only does the designer consider the programmed functions of the building and how they are organized (dining areas, kitchen, restrooms) but he or she must also decide how the building looks from the exterior and how the interior spaces are shaped and treated.

The lucky kids at SPARK who participate in this class will learn from our own architectural designer who is a specialist in themed restaurants. The students will be exposed to ideas on how to go about designing a restaurant for several culinary experiences! We will touch on Mexican, Italian and Japanese vernacular architecture in the process, and each student will learn to wrap all these new thoughts into their own set of drawings for their own unique restaurant!

Geography

Why do people eat what they eat?
What did the ancient Aztecs eat?
What did the first Colonists eat, and how did the American Indians help the Colonists survive?

Through our exploration of the history of food, students will act and think like nutritional anthropologists to investigate food that is eaten around the world today. They will learn how the climate and geography of a region affect what’s for dinner, see how science and technology have changed our diet and explore how canning, freezing, modern farming and air travel have changed the way people eat.

Classes are $10.00 per class if paid individually ($1.00 sibling discount)
Save 10% when you pay in full for all 6 weeks (Payable in 2 installments)
Preregistration is required. call 407-679-7775 to register today!

Spark! Summer Program

Camp Runs From JUNE 4th – AUGUST 3rd

We will have an action-packed line-up of engaging, hands-on, enrichment camps to suit everyone’s tastes.

Sign-up soon! Space is limited and classes will fill up fast!

Time and Cost  Enrichment Camps

9:00-1:00  $135.00 a week

2:00-5:00  $  95.00  week

Full days 8:30-5:30  $225.00 a week

$50.00 Non-refundable deposit to hold spot.  (will be used towards tuition balance)

$45.00 – full day

$25.00 – half day

Extended hours:  8:30-9:00am  and 5:30-6:30 $5.00 per 30 minutes

$5.00 lunch per day:  Daily choice

July 2-6 (closed July 4)

9:00-1:00- $110.00

2:00-5:00- $80.00

9:00-5:00-$185.00

Academic Workshops:

Math Lab

Math Lab- 7th, 8th, 9th grades- 9:30-12:00  $15.00 a class (payable by the month)  Tuesdays  beginning  June 5th  Pre-Algebra/ Algebra

Spark’s Math Labs are designed to allow students to work on the respective level that they’re on, all the while experiencing interaction with other students working in the same general math areas.  Under the careful facilitation of one of our skilled  SPARK instructors,  the students are guided towards teaching one another, and as we all know, one of the very best ways to learn something, is to try and teach it.  The SPARK instructor will be there to keep things on track and to guide the learning when anybody gets stuck.  Math Labs offer your child a comfortable , quiet, and fun environment to learn, practice, and interact with other math students to the betterment of everyone.

Math Lab- 4th, 5th, 6th grades- 9:30-12:00  $15.00 a class (payable by the month)  Thursdays  beginning June 7th

During the elementary phase of mathematical development, practice makes perfect. This stage of learning is fundamental to a child’s success later on in upper level mathematics. It is our goal to provide a solid foundation to build the mathematical confidence in every student. We emphasize the importance of repetition in this class in a subtle way that keeps each and every student interested. We will essentially practice, practice, practice using several different methods including worksheets, games, and time challenges. Students will engage in activities that involve moving around the classroom to keep their attention fresh. Students are asked to bring any workbooks or textbooks they are working out of to aid the teacher in making sure each student is reaching their individual math goals.

Reading/Writing Workshops:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday   10:00-1:00  $90.00 for 2 weeks (6 sessions)  Limit 10 kiddos per session.

K-2nd grade  and  3rd-5th grade

Session #1- June 4th- 15th

Session #2 -June 18th-29th

Session #3- July 9th -20th

Session #4- July 23rd-August 3rd

Reading and Writing Camp Grades K-2

Younger students will have fun as they work on their reading skills, comprehension, and writing. Using a variety of methods and sources including short stories, games, poetry and more, we will work on mastery and enhancement of the basic skills. We will look at answering comprehension questions properly as well as how to look back at the text for the clues. We will discuss envisioning the story as a “movie in the mind” as a means of remembering the details and the order of the events.  Depending upon their level, students will work on proper sentence and paragraph structure learning to find and create topic sentences, supporting details and summary sentences. For those more advanced, guidance will be given for a basic five paragraph essay. Children must be able to read and write independently.

Reading and Writing Camp 3rd- 5th grade

Not only is reading enjoyable, but it also has great benefits! Students in 3^rd through 5^thgrades will improve their reading fluency and comprehension skills in our six session workshop. Campers will be engaged in fun and exciting   literature circles to explore various genres of text, while learning how to think critically and more reflectively about what they read. Book selection will be based off the Sunshine State Young Readers Award books. At the end of every book, we will share what we have learned in a celebration of learning. Students will leave this camp with a renewed sense of confidence in their reading abilities and prepared to enter the next grade level.

Proficient writing skills are essential to academic success. Building that foundation at an early age can be valuable to students. Students in 3^rd though 5^th grades will spend six sessions learning new ways to improve their writing skills. They will investigate a new genre of writing every week: poetry, persuasive, informative, short fiction, creative, and drama. We will use the popular Six Traits of Writing method which aims to help students improve their overall ideas, sentence fluency, organization, word choice, voice, and conventions. They will also learn how to critique and revise their writing. They will leave with a portfolio of fantastic writing they can be proud of!

Summer Etiquette Workshops  $45.00  (includes lunch) limit 12 children

Your child will actually have fun learning to mind their manners. No child wants to learn the outdated method for etiquette that we learned growing up. Kids and parents are looking for new, fun,  and exciting ways to learn about good behavior and proper etiquette. Each session will end with a small meal as an opportunity to practice what they’ve learned.

Youngsters (Grades K-2)  10:00-1:00   June 23rd

Through games, art, role playing and more, children will learn about meeting and greeting, tactfulness, being a good guest and host and, of course, table-setting and table manners.

Tweens (Grades 3-5) 10:00-1:00   July 14th

With warmth and humor, tweens will not only learn the basics of etiquette, but also get to talk about difficult situations and how to deal with them. We will look at such topics as embarrassment, social awkwardness, telephone and technology etiquette and we will touch on bullying and staying safe, not just proper, as they approach the world of social networking and technological communications.

Young Teens (Middle School) 10:00-1:00 July 28th

As with the younger children, we will have fun and use humor to work on all of the basics such as table manners, greeting others, social behavior, and technological awareness and its lasting results. We will also discuss the importance of respect of oneself and others, interviewing skills, and workplace etiquette as they will soon be looking into jobs, volunteering, and even college!

Enrichment Camps:

June 4th- 8th

9:00-1:00- Marine Science:

Almost 80% of the Earth is covered by water, yet our oceans are home to more than 90% of life on our planet. Grab your mask and fins and join us for a fun-filled adventure, where we will about the oceans, the unimaginable diversity of life underwater, and the immense impact marine life and health has on human beings using experimental and interactive learning techniques.

2:00-5:00- Art Camp- Illustrated Stories: 

Children will learn how to supplement text and stories through pictures, as in a children’s book.  We would also be helping the students create their own stories, as well as use details from existing stories to draw inspiration from.  We will have fun working in a lot of different mediums (watercolor, marker, colored pencil), as storybooks tend to have a wide variety of styles.

2:00-5:00- Spark Science Lab – Explosions!

Join in some chemistry fun as we see what kinds of reactions we can make! We’ll mix a little of this and a little of that and…Look Out!! We’ll do a variety of activities including classics such as volcanoes and Mentos and Coke, and we’ll create some of our own as we explore and compare how various materials work together.

June 11th-15th

9:00-1:00- Anthropology and the Environment:  Journey to Tropical Rainforests:

Using photographs on Power Point, we will journey to different tropical rainforests around the world, including the Amazon, Madagascar, and the Congo in order to observe the plants, animals, insects, fish and people who live there.  Class projects will include growing tropical plants, especially food crops, eating delicious local cuisine, finding and coloring these places on maps, making clay pottery and painting it, and making a hut of leaves in which like tropical peoples in the Congo live.

Dr. Gay Biery-Hamilton has taught classes in cultural anthropology at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida for the past 18 years.  Before that she received all of her degrees at the University of Florida, including her Bachelor’s in Journalism, and Master’s and Ph.D. in Anthropology.  She has conducted anthropological research in the Brazilian Amazon, along the Texas-Mexico border in Laredo, TX and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and in Orlando, Florida

2:00-5:00- Photography:

Taking pictures isn’t always photography, but in Basic Digital Photography we will learn theart of photography and how you can go from just taking pictures to making an art out of it. We will cover the basics of photography theory and the basics of the digital camera, then test our newly acquired knowledge with hands-on fun. Come learn one of the newest forms of art in the world!

2:00-5:00-  Art Sampler:

Students will learn to combine art concepts, cultural diversity, and art history, and add his or her own unique creativity to the projects as well! Children will be introduced to basic skills and a mix of media. Typical projects and materials will include sketching in pencil, charcoal and ink, chalk and oil pastel work, watercolor and acrylic painting, scratch-board, using textiles to create art, sculpture, and clay exploration.  Many projects will combine elements of different media to create unique artistic expression.  Every day is a different adventure! SPARK! was voted #1 Art Program in Orlando Nickelodeon’s Parents Choice award.

June 18th-22nd

9:00-1:00- It’s a Zoo in Here!  Science of Zoo Animals:

Budding zoologists will learn about Birds of Prey, Night Creatures, Great Apes, Big Cats, Safari Animals, and Sea Creatures! We’ll study the animals’ behavior, habitats, and all kinds of fun facts. Of course we will have some hands-on fun, too, as we explore the ZOO!

2:00-5:00- Anime’ and Cartooning  ages 9 and up:

In the anime and cartooning class your child will learn how to use simple geometric forms to create cartoon characters in the popular Japanese anime style as well as several other forms including the popular Harry Potter series and Marvel characters. Students will gain understanding of construction and proportions as relates to figurative drawing. Furthermore they will learn how to draw facial expressions and depict emotions as well as dynamic movements and action.

This fun-filled class will also teach the principles of prospective drawing and background design, so that kids may place their characters into realistic settings.

By practicing these basic art skills, young artists will develop the confidence and ability to visually communicate their unique imaginative ideas and stories.

2:00-5:00- Electricity…Get Sparked with Science:

This camp will be quite the shocker! We will be learning the very basics of circuitry and power with hands-on lab every day. Buzzers, light bulbs, and switches are the topics at hand; each day we will observe trial and error circuit making on projects safe for our young electricians.

June 25th-29th

9:00-1:00- Science:  It’s a Bug’s Life: 

For children, the world of insects is a wondrous thing! In this camp, we will delve into the bugs’ world learning what makes an insect an insect, the difference in Arthropods and Arachnids and why they are often grouped together as well as classification (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, and Order). Creativity will be encouraged too as each child creates his or her own insect, including its habitat, movement, diet, predators, defense mechanisms, etc… This culminates with a presentation by the children of their insect and a day in its life from a bug’s eye view!

Additional elements of the program include: arts/crafts, games, teamwork, research, and oral presentation skills as well as living and non-living insect displays. Additionally, each child’s created insect must follow the scientific criteria that make it an insect.

Show and Tell is highly encouraged!

2:00-5:00- Architecture:  Build a Theme Park:

Exploring design in three dimensions- Architecture at Spark!

This summer we will bring back a design curriculum that was popular and loved by the kids: designing a theme park! The children will be encouraged to open their minds to the possibilities of creating a fun and fantastical place, and learn the ins and outs of what it takes to make it a reality! They will explore the design process from conception to design while working both independently and in a team setting. They will be under the tutelage of architectural designer Lisa Ikegami, who has a great deal of experience in theme park design herself! The students will gain an amazing feeling of confidence in being able to shape the world around them for all to enjoy!

2:00-5:00- Weather Science:

Weather is one of the greatest natural forces on our planet.  Camp Weather this year will focus on the effect weather has on people and how people have used weather patterns for hundreds of years. We will also learn about climate basics and our ever-changing environment to gain an appreciation for the world around us and how we can affect it. Hands-on activities include making waves, rain, and tornados!

July 2-6   (closed July 4th) 

9:00-1:00- $110.00

2:00-5:00- $80.00

9:00-5:00-$185.00

9:00-1:00– Art Sampler: 

Students will learn to combine art concepts, cultural diversity, and art history, and add his or her own unique creativity to the projects as well! Children will be introduced to basic skills and a mix of media. Typical projects and materials will include sketching in pencil, charcoal and ink, chalk and oil pastel work, watercolor and acrylic painting, scratch-board, printmaking, using textiles to create art, sculpture, and clay exploration.  Many projects will combine elements of different media to create unique artistic expression.  Every week is a different adventure! SPARK! was voted #1 Art Program in Orlando Nickelodeon’s Parents Choice award.

2:00-5:00-  Fun Science:

This is the Classic Spark! Science Camp experience! We will delve into the various aspects of science such as Life Science, Earth Science, Space Science, Physical Science, and Chemistry.  We’ll do long-term and short-term projects, learn and follow the Scientific Method, have fun with experiments, and even do a few scientific crafts. Everyone will agree that science is definitely fun!!

2:00-5:00- Cultural Crafts:

Travel around the world and experience different Cultures through hands-on crafts.

July 9th-13th

9:00-1:00 Anthropology and the Environment:  Peoples of the World (Biomes):

Using photographs on Power Point, we will journey to different biomes around the world, including the Artic (the Inuit and other Northern groups), Central Mexico (the Aztecs), Papua New Guinea (different highland tribes), and Southwestern United States (Pueblo peoples, including the Zuni, Navajo and Hopi) and observe how people lived in these regions in the past and present.  We will also examine ourselves, contemporary Americans, and how we live, and the impact we have on the environment.  Class projects will include growing plants, especially food crops, eating delicious local cuisine, finding and coloring these places on maps, making clay pottery and painting it, and making an igloo in which Northern peoples used to live.

Dr. Gay Biery-Hamilton has taught classes in cultural anthropology at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida for the past 18 years.  Before that she received all of her degrees at the University of Florida, including her Bachelor’s in Journalism, and Master’s and Ph.D. in Anthropology.  She has conducted anthropological research in the Brazilian Amazon, along the Texas-Mexico border in Laredo, TX and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and in Orlando, Florida.

2:00-5:00- Rockets and Space: 

The world of airplanes and spaceships has long captured our imagination, and never more so than in the minds of children. “Adventures in Air & Space” is a five-day camp for youngsters age nine and younger, designed to expose them to the magical world of flight, how airplanes and rockets work, as well as the amazing realms among the clouds and beyond the stars. Campers will enjoy several hands-on projects and activities that will help them to not only imagine these aerospace wonders, but be able to see and touch them first hand. Each day is truly filled with new adventures – in air and space!

2:00-5:00-  Medieval Art:

Castle Building, Family Shield

July 16th-20th 

9:00-1:00  Drama:  “Friendship” week #1

Creative drama is an encompassing learning medium, emerging from the spontaneous play of young children and utilizing the art of theater to build and enhance the participants’ artistic sensitivity, awareness of self, others, and the world and develop each child’s dramatic imagination.

Acting, improvisation games, storytelling, and more help us learn the basic skills for any young actor. We focus on being comfortable performing as part of a group and also performing along for an audience. This is a great class for kids to find confidence and comfort in group situations. The session ends with a performance day so each student can feel what it’s like to be a star!

2:00-5:00-  Set Design:

This camp will correspond directly with the Drama Camp as we create and build the set and costumes. Children will get to be the creative force in the entire design, artistry, and building of the set. They will also help create and make costumes, accessories, and props for the big show!

2:00-5:00-  Journalism:

Spark is turning into a news room!  Reporters, Critics, Art Department, Advertising…We are going for our 3^rd edition of “The Spark! Times!”

Come enjoy the fast and creative pace of the Spark! Times!!

July 23th-27th

9:00-1:00- Drama week #2

Creative drama is an encompassing learning medium, emerging from the spontaneous play of young children and utilizing the art of theater to build and enhance the participants’ artistic sensitivity, awareness of self, others, and the world and develop each child’s dramatic imagination.

Acting, improvisation games, storytelling, and more help us learn the basic skills for any young actor. We focus on being comfortable performing as part of a group and also performing along for an audience. This is a great class for kids to find confidence and comfort in group situations. The session ends with a performance day so each student can feel what its like to be a star!

2:00-5:00-  Set Design:

Art Sewing and Creativity is what this camp is full of!  This camp will correspond directly with the Drama Camp as we create and build the set and costumes. Children will get to be the creative force in the entire design, artistry, and building of the set. They will also help create and make costumes, accessories, and props for the big show!

2:00-5:00- Young Chemist:

H2O, CO2, solids, liquids, gases, solutions, suspensions and reactions! Join us as we use safe, everyday household products for some hands-on experimenting, data-gathering, and dynamite results!

When we find something great, we all love to share it with our friends! Here at SPARK, we truly appreciate all of you who consider SPARK to be one of those great things and are helping us spread the word about all the fun, educational opportunities we offer.

With an incredible variety of classes, camps and other events on our calendar now – and several new, exciting things in the works – we have the chance to support the educational development of more Central Florida families than ever before. Help us reach out to some new SPARKsters by sharing your experience and writing a review on the following sites:

• Facebook
• Google
• PLAYGROUND Magazine
• Yahoo
• Go City Kids
• Yelp
• Super Pages
• Insider Pages

Parents looking for classes, lessons or camps might find us via one of these websites, and we can’t think of anything better to help them with their decision than feedback from our students and their families!

We’ve been so honored to be entrusted with your children over the years, and we hope that your experience with SPARK has been equally rewarding. By taking a few moments to share that experience with others, you’ll be helping us continue to offer the best enrichment education in Orlando!

As a special “thanks”, we’re giving away a $25 SPARK gift card to one lucky winner! Drop us a note on Facebook to let us know where you wrote your review (one contest entry per review). On May 8th, we’ll be picking our winner!

Make your child’s spring break week fun and educational with spring break camp at SPARK!

Based on our award-winner summer camps – and recently featured as one of PLAYGROUND Magazine’s “Five Star Spring Break Camp Options” – SPARK offers a fun-filled week of themed activities for spring breakers of all ages! Create works of art, cook up some tasty treats and investigate our in-house science lab. Campers can also win prizes in Bingo and have a blast with classic SPARK games like Coconut Bowling, Limbo and Freeze Dance.

Days: Monday through Friday, 3/16 – 3/23

Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Early drop off starting at 7:30 a.m. ($5 per half hour)

Cost: $175 for the full week or $35/day; lunch is available for $5/day.

Contact: Call 407-679-SPRK(7775) to reserve your spot! Very limited space available.

This Friday, May 18th is Parents’ Night Out at SPARK! Go have a good time while the kiddos are safe and having a blast with us. We not only provide a ton of fun but also serve a pizza dinner. Relax at home, go to a movie, whatever you want. The night is all yours!

6:00-10:00PM
$25.00 for the first child $5.00 sibling discount

Must pre-register! Call 407-679-7775!

SPARK Wednesdays are full of creative classes for homeschoolers! Check out what our students are learning today!

9:00AM – 10:00AM – Art Adventure (Taught by Fabiloa Hansen)
Students in both elementary and middle grades will love this exciting class! Taught by award winning instructor, Fabiola Hansen, this class will appeal to any child  who loves art! Offering both basic and complex projects, which will never repeat,this is not your typical art class! Students will learn to combine cultural diversity, and art history, and add his or her own unique creativity to the projects as well! Children will be introduced to basic skills and a mix of media. Typical projects and materials will include sketching in pencil and charcoal, chalk and oil pastel work, watercolor painting, and clay exploration. Every week is a different adventure! Spark! was voted #1 Art Program In Orlando Nickelodeon’s Parents Choice award for this class!

10:00AM – 11:00AM  -  Chemistry  (Taught by Denise Archilla)
Join us for 6 weeks of Chemistry fun! Experiments include making Elephant Toothpaste, Slime, GAK, and the classic Volcano, of course. We’ll even get to “play” with food to demonstrate not only chemical changes but states of matter as well. It’s going to be a BLAST!)

11:00AM – 12:00PM 

INSTITUTE for EXCELLENCE in WRITING (Grades 3-5) (Taught by Denise Archilla)
Elementary students will learn to love writing and learn all of the basics needed to progress academically. Taught by a certified IEW instructor, students will get a comprehensive and challenging writing program.

INSTITUTE for EXCELLENCE in WRITING (Grades K-2) (Taught by Karen Shaddeau)
Early elementary students will be immersed in the arts of language through this course based on the new Primary Arts of Language curriculum by Institute for Excellence in Writing.  This course will follow IEW’s prescription by providing a language-rich environment where students will be exposed to an abundance of literary works and will be encouraged to model good writing through copy work exercises.  Students will practice story summaries, learn essential spelling rules, and begin learning parts of speech and stylistic techniques for writing.  The aim of the course is to lay a firm foundation in language arts for students to build upon.

12:00PM – 12:30PM – Supervised Lunch

12:30PM – 1:30PM – Hands-On History: American Explorers (Taught by Lisa Narva)
Each week we will look at a different Explorer. We will talk about the era the explorer lived in, and how their exploration impacted the world. Each week the students will create a collage on the topics covered in class.

$10.00 per class if paid individually ($1.00 sibling discount). Call 407-679-7775 to register!

Sure, you cart your little ones around to classes all week long. But how often do you make the time to learn something new yourself? Take time for yourself at SPARK! this Friday by attending our popular Sip & Sketch class. Bring your favorite beverage and snack to enjoy while letting your creative juices flow.

Spring is the theme for our March class, so you’ll be working with natural materials, including flowers, leaves and bark. Learn how to render them using a combination of graphite and charcoal to produce super-realism and a piece that comes alive!

This two-hour class begins at 7PM, and the cost is $25. Advance registration is required. Call 407-679-7775 to register today!

Have you checked out SPARK‘s new Super Six Weeks yet? Today, our students are learning all about animals!

If you’re looking for homeschooling classes in Orlando, these are some of the most innovative around. Each six week session incorporates art, science, geography and architecture around one central theme. This session, the kids are creating animal art projects, learning about animal behavior, exploring animal habitats around the globe and constructing their own zoo!

SPARK! Super Six Weeks
Mondays, February 27th – April 9th (no classes on March 19th)
$10.00 per class if paid individually ($1.00 sibling discount)
Save 10% when you pay in full for all 6 weeks (Payable in 2 installments)

9:00AM-10:00AM – Music Appreciation  Taught by Michael Grier
Music is a universal language, one that crosses barriers of race, age, gender, and social class. Cultivating an appreciation of music among children is especially important, as making and listening       to music can enhance and promote language development, coordination, creativity, and social skills, as well as cultivate a better understanding of one’s history and culture. Indeed, much of a culture’s ideals and heritage are embodied and preserved in its songs and music.

Young people are naturally drawn to music, and this attraction can also help them learn other subjects. Music has been proven to help develop parts of the brain that are used for academic work, for example, such as math and reading. Exposure to music can also significantly enhance a child’s spatial reasoning, logic, and sensory motor skills. And it rarely takes long for children to move and dance with the music they hear or make themselves. Such a response heights their appreciation of music and provides them with physical exercise as well.

10:00AM – 11:00AM – Animal Art (K-2)  Taught by Fabiola Hansen
11:00AM – 12:00PM – Animal Art (3rd-5th)  Taught by Fabiola Hansen
Classes will focus on learning how to sketch, draw and paint animals of all kinds and from there producing more creative art in the same theme. We will start by learning how to draw certain animals, their physical characteristics and the environment they live in. Basic color theory will come next with color pencil techniques, oil pastels, watercolor and tempera paints. This class will learn about mixing colors, color schemes and their applications. In the last few classes, students will be able to apply what they have learned to projects in which they will have more freedom of expression, such as collage and 3 dimensional work.

10:00AM – 11:00AM – Animal Science (3rd-5th)  Taught by Denise Archilla
11:00AM – 12:00PM – Animal Science (K-2)  Taught by Denise Archilla
Budding zoologists will learn about Birds of Prey, Night Creatures, Great Apes, Big Cats, Safari Animals, and Sea Creatures! We’ll study the animals’ behaviour, habitats, and all kinds of fun facts. Of course we will have some hands-on fun, too, as we explore the ZOO!

12:00-12:30- Supervised Lunch

12:30PM – 1:30PM – Where Do the Zoo Animals Come From? (K-2)  Taught by Lisa Narva
   1:30PM – 2:30PM – Where Do the Zoo Animals Come From? (3rd-5th)  Taught by Lisa Narva
Students will embark on a global adventure to learn which animals come from each different part of our world!

12:30PM – 1:30PM – We’re Building a Zoo! (K-2)  Taught by Lisa Ikegami
   1:30PM – 2:30PM – We’re Building a Zoo! (3rd-5th)  Taught by Lisa Ikegami
In this class, Miss Lisa’s architecture students will dive into designing a zoo! We will learn everything about how animal habitat meets with local environment and how to shape the local vernacular to accommodate the animals’ needs and the visitors’ enjoyment. Concepts to be explored include siting, interior and exterior plan design, and structual concepts. The students’ new knowledge will incorporate construction of a three-dimensional model that demonstrates their new understanding and allows for creative exploration in model building. Come let your animal creativity out and get into our virtual zoo!