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Community Corner

Kasha Academy Finds New Home on Main Street

Preschool comes to Sayville from former location in Blue Point.

Sayville resident and director of Kasha Academy Amy Teplitz may have moved her school to Sayville, but she hasn’t wavered in her back-to-basics approach of teaching while building confidence and character.

Kasha Academy’s new home on Main Street is in the former offices of Noah Construction (243 West Main St.). The new school year is officially back in session after relocating in just two short weeks from its location in a Blue Point church.

“We wanted our own space, something we could make our own,” Teplitz said.

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And that is exactly what she did. Bright, vibrant colors engage the eye and bring to life the thoughtfulness that went into creating each room of the new space. The customized location is now ideally suited for the students, ages two to pre-kindergarten. With two levels, there’s close to 4,000 square feet of space for the kids to learn and explore.

The jungle themed entranceway holds cubbies with each child’s name. The room for the 3- and 4-year olds is designed just for them.

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“It’s a Hollywood theme, because everyone here is a star,” Teplitz said.

The pre-kindergarten room has an under the sea design, complete with aquatic life. Downstairs Mr. Jerry (Amy’s dad) and the music teacher has his own space as well. The library features a garden theme and there’s an open space for weekend birthday parties and Mommy and Me classes (beginning soon).

For when the weather doesn’t cooperate, there is an indoor play area, complete with tricycles, a puppet stage and a place to sing, dance or play games. There is also an outdoor play area, deemed Kasha Beach, which is fenced in and filled with sand.

“We are thinking of doing a handprint on the walls of the outside area of each Kasha student, teacher and the dates they came here,” Teplitz said.

Aside from their weekly music lesson, there’s also a yoga instructor on staff and a Spanish language class as well as art, gym and library specials. 

Two year olds attend school two days a week, three years olds are there for three days and the pre-kindergarten program runs for five days, all from 9:15 a.m. to noon.

The back-to-basics approach, coupled with plenty of hands-on activities, is what makes the school so unique, Teplitz said.

“We encourage free play but we want to make sure these kids have all the skills they need to start school," she said. "Teachers have one-on-one time with their students every day. Once the class sizes get too large, you can’t get to know each child’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Manners are also very important and even the younger ones are taught proper etiquette.

“We learn about how to behave at the dinner table, how to say please and thank you," Teplitz said, adding that the children take field trips once a month.

It’s also important, Teplitz said, to keep the lines of communication open with the parents. She will frequently upload pictures to her cell phone throughout the day so the parents can see what’s happening in the classroom. The students create a journal in the beginning of the year so parents can see what they are doing each day and track their progress throughout the year.

Tuition rates (per month) are as follows: $165 for the two-day program; $225 for three days; and $385 for five days. There's still a few opening for this year. For more information, visit www.kashaacademy.com.

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