Pawfest Fun with the Academy of Westhaven!

What a PAW-some day at Pawfest! 

Pawfest is such a special event for the Westhaven community, bringing everyone together for a day full of furry friends, dog adoptions, local vendors, dress-up competitions, and lots of family fun!

The Academy of Westhaven was so excited to be part of the festivities this year! Our booth was filled with smiles, creativity, and plenty of puppy love. Families stopped by to enjoy face painting, adopt their very own stuffed furry friend, and decorate their own doggie bandanas. We loved seeing all the littles get creative and take home a special Pawfest keepsake!

One of our favorite parts of the day was getting to connect with so many wonderful families. It was especially sweet seeing familiar faces from our Academy alumni families, catching up with our current Academy families, and meeting so many prospective families who are new to the Westhaven community.

At The Academy, we believe that being part of a community means more than just being a preschool. It means building relationships, creating connections, and making families feel welcome and at home. We especially love meeting families who have recently moved to the area and helping them get connected to all that makes Westhaven such a wonderful place to live and grow!

A huge thank-you to everyone who stopped by our booth, shared a smile, painted a face, or adopted a stuffed pup. We are so grateful to be part of such a welcoming and fun-loving community!

We can't wait for the next community adventure. Until then, keep those tails wagging! 

Two Festivals and Double the FUN!

What a wonderful fall evening we had at our Fall Festival last week! Despite the chilly weather, our night was filled with so much fun, laughter, and memory-making with our amazing school family. 

From the sweet smell of cotton candy to the delicious, freshly popped popcorn, there was something for everyone to enjoy! One of the highlights of the evening was our Chili Cook-Off, where families brought their best recipes and a little friendly competition to the fun. A big congratulations to the Mankowski Family for taking home the win! 

Our little ones had a blast exploring a multitude of sensory bins, playing outdoor games, and enjoying colorful face painting that made the evening feel extra magical. Seeing our children’s smiling faces, hearing their giggles, and watching our families come together made the night truly special.

Events like these remind us how grateful we are to be part of such a wonderful community. Thank you to all of our families who joined us, participated, and helped make our Fall Festival such a memorable evening. Your support and involvement make our school feel like one big family, and we are so thankful for each and every one of you!

We can’t wait for more exciting events, seasonal celebrations, and special memories together in the coming months. Until then, stay cozy and keep making those beautiful memories!

We also had a wonderful weekend filled with fall fun, sweet memories, and community connection!  Our school was so honored to have the privilege of sponsoring the annual Pumpkin Festival in downtown Franklin, and we had the BEST time being part of such a special event!

From the festive fall atmosphere to the smiling faces and laughter all around, there were so many memories made! We loved connecting with our amazing community, meeting new prospective families, sharing more about our school, and welcoming so many new faces along the way. Events like these are such a beautiful reminder of how special it is to grow, learn, and build connections together.

We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of this beloved community tradition and to share a little bit of our school’s heart with everyone who stopped by. Thank you to everyone who came out, said hello, and helped make the day so memorable!

We love being part of the Franklin community, and we can’t wait for more opportunities to make memories, build relationships, and watch our school family continue to grow!

Fall is for Family at AOW!

Fall is such a special time of year at the Academy of Westhaven, and this season, we have loved celebrating what matters most: family! We believe some of the sweetest childhood memories are made when families and our school community come together, and we have had so much fun creating those memories with all of you.

One of our favorite events was our Family Picnic! Families joined us on the playground to enjoy lunch together, spend time with friends, and make special memories in the sunshine. It was wonderful seeing our children share their school environment with the people they love most while enjoying good food, laughter, and quality time together.

We also had a fantastic time at our Family Movie Night! Our families gathered to enjoy Toy Story 5 while sharing light refreshments and spending a cozy evening together. From the excitement of movie night to the smiles and laughter throughout the evening, it was such a fun way to bring our school community together outside of the classroom!

At the Academy of Westhaven, we know that family is an important part of every child's learning journey. When families and teachers work together to create meaningful experiences, we build stronger connections, a greater sense of belonging, and memories our little ones can carry with them as they grow.

As we continue celebrating this beautiful fall season, we want to say thank you to all of our wonderful Academy of Westhaven families. Thank you for showing up, participating in our events, supporting our school, and allowing us to be a part of your children's lives. Your involvement makes our school community so special, and we are truly grateful for each and every one of you.

Here's to more laughter, more togetherness, and many more amazing memories made as one big Academy of Westhaven family. Fall is for family, and we are so thankful we get to share it with you! 

Hopping into Learning with Frog Street Curriculum!

 We are having such a wonderful time learning and growing with our Frog Street Curriculum! Our children have been having so much fun learning all about themselves, their friends, and their families while building important skills through engaging, hands-on experiences.

Frog Street is a developmentally appropriate curriculum designed to support children at each stage of early childhood development. Each month brings a new theme that allows our teachers to introduce meaningful concepts through stories, songs, movement, activities, and classroom experiences.

September Themes

• Toddlers: All About Me — discovering who they are, their bodies, their feelings, and the things that make them special.
• Threes: Awesome Me — learning about what makes each child unique, their abilities, attributes, and the wonderful things they can do.
• Pre-K: Learning all about school and themselves — building confidence, developing classroom skills, and learning what it means to be part of a classroom community.

During circle time, our children sing fun songs, listen to engaging stories, and participate in activities that connect directly to what they are learning. These experiences help children strengthen their language, social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development while making learning exciting and meaningful.

Our Classroom Commitments

One of our favorite parts of our Frog Street experience is our Classroom Commitments! Our children are learning that being part of a classroom community means making good choices, being kind to our friends, listening to our teachers, and being great helpers.

We love watching our children take ownership of these commitments and seeing their confidence grow as they learn that even at a young age, they can make a positive difference in their classroom.

We are so proud of all the learning, growing, friendships, and wonderful moments happening throughout our classrooms each day. Thank you to all of our preschool families for your continued support and partnership. We are so excited to keep learning, exploring, and growing together as the school year goes on!

Back to School at AOW!

What a wonderful way to wrap up the summer and get ready for a brand-new school year! We are so excited to be back in the groove of things and preparing for all the fun, learning, friendships, and adventures that the new school year will bring!

Throughout Back-to-School Week, our friends enjoyed a variety of fun activities designed to help us celebrate the end of summer and get excited for what’s ahead.

We kicked off the week with a Back-to-School Sensory Bin, where our friends explored, scooped, sorted, and discovered different school-themed items. It was a fun way to engage our senses while getting into the back-to-school spirit!

Our friends also participated in a colorful Color Run! We had so much fun moving, playing, and celebrating with our friends while enjoying all the bright colors along the way.

One of our favorite activities was creating a Back-to-School Time Capsule. Our friends had the opportunity to share special things about themselves and think about what they would like to remember from this exciting time. We can’t wait to look back on them and see how much we’ve grown throughout the school year!

We also welcomed new friendships with our New Friend Friendship Bracelets! Each child created their very own bracelet and spent time learning about their classmates. It was a sweet way to encourage friendship, conversation, and getting to know one another as we begin a new year together.

We finished off our summer with our Back-to-School Bash! Our friends enjoyed delicious snow cones and popcorn before jumping into an exciting foam party! It was the perfect way to celebrate all the wonderful memories we made this summer while getting ready for the year ahead.

As we close out the summer, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to all of our families for your continued support! We are so grateful to have the opportunity to watch your children learn, grow, explore, and make special memories with us.

We are so excited for the 2026–2027 school year and all of the wonderful adventures that await us. Here’s to a fantastic year filled with learning, laughter, friendship, and growth!

Welcome back, friends! We’re ready for an amazing year ahead!

A Whole Week of Disney Magic at The Academy of Westhaven 🏰

What a magical week we had at school! Our friends stepped into a world of beloved characters, adventures, imagination, and LOTS of Disney fun during our Disney Week! From Mickey Mouse to Elsa, every day brought a new adventure for our little Disney fans. 

 Monday: Mickey & Friends Day

We kicked off our magical week with Mickey & Friends Day! Our friends celebrated some of their favorite Disney pals and started the week with plenty of smiles, laughter, and Disney magic!

 Tuesday: Moana Day

On Tuesday, we set sail for adventures with Moana! Our friends came dressed in their favorite costumes from the movie and enjoyed a day filled with island-inspired fun, imagination, and adventure. We loved seeing all of our little explorers bring their favorite characters to life!

 Wednesday: Toy Story Day

To infinity and beyond! Wednesday was all about Toy Story! Our classrooms were filled with themed sensory bins and lots of opportunities for hands-on play. We even had two very special guests join us—Woody and Buzz Lightyear! Our friends were so excited to see their favorite Toy Story characters come to life!

 Thursday: Disney Dash Day

Thursday was time to get moving with our Disney Dash! Our kiddos came dressed in their favorite Disney costumes and participated in a fun-filled relay. There were lots of cheering, teamwork, laughter, and, of course, a little Disney magic along the way!

 Friday: Frozen Day

We ended our week with a little Frozen fun! Our friends dressed like Anna and Elsa and used their creativity to build Elsa’s magical castle. It was the perfect way to wrap up an unforgettable week of Disney adventures!

From magical castles and favorite characters to sensory play, costumes, and exciting games, our Disney Week was truly one to remember! 

Thank you to all of our wonderful parents for your continued support and for helping us make this summer so magical! We are so grateful for all the ways you help make these special moments possible for our little ones. Here’s to more summer memories, more smiles, and even more magic!