Our Future's So Bright...

Recital is Here!

2010-05-28T16:16:00.001-04:00

The 2009-2010 dance year has quickly come to an end. This year our annual recital will be held at the school on Tuesday June 8^th, 2010 at 4:30pm. This year will be a little different than the past years, as immediately following the recital we will be having an end of the year party, where there will be snacks and drinks along with a few surprises for my students. Parents feel free to bring your cameras and any other accessory that you feel will be needed on your child’s special day. However, due to the limited spacing of the school rooms I would greatly appreciate it if you would not bring a tripod as that could get in the way of seating and the children’s dance routine. Thank you parents for your time and dedication and I look forward to seeing you on the 8^th!!!

Allison Serafen

Summer Program begins June 14th!

2010-04-16T09:57:00.002-04:00

Another exciting summer at COTI Community Christian School begins June 14th! We provide child care for children ages 2 through 3rd grade from 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Take a tour of our beautiful facility, meet the staff and register your child by calling 727-517-0775.

Schedule of Events:

Each Monday (except June 14th): Beach Day!
Each Tuesday & Thursday: Water Play Day!

Wed., June 16th: Bay Bounce!
Fri., June 18th: AstroSkate DJ Party!
Wed., June 23rd: Donuts with Dad!
Fri., June 25th: School Scavenger Hunt!
Wed., June 30th: Bay Bounce!

Fri., July 2nd: Patriotic Family Picnic and Annual Pet Parade!
Wed., July 7th: Mad Science!
Fri., July 9th: Crazy Hat Day!
Wed., July 14th: Wet & Wild Bay Bounce!
Fri., July 16th: Pajama Day!
Wed., July 21st: Wet & Wild Bay Bounce!
Fri., July 23rd: Backward Clothes Day!
Wed., July 28th: Earthlings Washboard Band!
Fri., July 30th: Field Day!

Wed., Aug. 4th: Mad Science!
Fri., Aug. 6th: Circus Carnival!
Wed., Aug. 11th: Bay Bounce!
Fri., Aug. 13th: AstroSkate DJ Party!
Wed., Aug. 18th: Bay Bounce!
Fri., Aug. 20th: Petting Zoo!

Weekly themes include:
-Camping
-Creepy Crawlers
-Perfectly Patriotic
-Under the Sea
-Splish Splash
-Christmas in July
-Vacation Bible School
-Sports
-Rootin' Tootin' Wild West

VOLUNTEERs are needed, especially for Beach Days and Water Play days! Please talk with Brian Hirsch or your child's classroom teacher by visiting us at 206 23rd Ave on IRB or by calling us at 727-517-0775.

2010-02-19T10:29:00.000-05:00

2010-02-16T11:59:00.002-05:00

GreenFest 2010 is set for March 20 at Church of the Isles school (206 23rd Ave., IRB, FL 33785). Here is another way your family can save the planet with a little effort...

"Bugs are an important part of keeping the Earth healthy. In fact, we can't live without them!"

Answer this:

1. "True or False? Bees use a special dance to tell other bees where to find flowers...

2. "True or False? Scientists have found that some bugs (like cockroaches and honeybees) are so smart that they get together and vote on where to live...

3. "True or False? Beetles are popular pets in Japan...

4. "True or False? We have to be especially careful with honeybees because they're starting to disappear...

(Answers: 1. True! It's called waggle dancing; 2. True! 3. True! They are available in department stores. 4. True!)

For more family fun, try the following activities:

1. Go on a bug hunt! Real or virtual, this is a fun family adventure. http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/landuse/bugHunt/index.cfm

2. Join a bug club and learn more about bugs.

3. Save a spider! Try to help spiders and other insects get outdoors instead of killing them when they're found indoors.

This information is shared by the book, "The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth," available for purchase on Amazon.com or from your local library.

For more information about the upcoming GreenFest event, including signing up to be a vendor, call CCCS at 727-517-0775.

GreenFest 2010: A Project for Families

2010-02-10T12:43:00.002-05:00

GreenFest 2010 is set for March 20 at Church of the Isles school (206 23rd Ave., IRB, FL 33785). Here is another way your family can save the planet with a little effort...

"Bags are made from the earth's treasures. Ppaer bags are made out of trees; plastic bags are made from oil. And [making] both of them adds a lot of pollution.

"Americans use 40 billion grocery bags in a year. ... Count to five. 1,2,3,4,5.... and guess what - we just used another 60,000 bags!"

See for yourself! Take your family on a field trip to the grocery store. For 10-15 minutes, count all of the bags that leave the store. Now, imagine how many bags you would see in an hour... how many after 24 hours? And that's just one store!

You can help! Make or buy cloth bags to use and reuse for shopping. Lots of great info and bags to buy at http://www.reusablebags.com/. Learn how to recycle the plastic bags you've already got: http://www.ehow.com/how_10885_recycle-plastic-grocery.html (In addition to these ideas, CCCS reuses plastic bags!) For more ideas, check out http://www.50simplekids.com

This information is shared by the book, "The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth," available for purchase on Amazon.com or from your local library.

For more information about the upcoming GreenFest event, including signing up to be a vendor, call CCCS at 727-517-0775.

GreenFest 2010 Kids Project: "Home, Tweet Home"

2010-02-04T00:44:00.002-05:00

GreenFest will take place on Saturday, March 20th at COTI Community Christian School on Indian Rocks Beach, FL! To gear up for this event, kids and adults alike will enjoy this simple at-home project which helps the earth.

Many animals have lost their homes. Kids can help! Build a birdhouse out of a milk carton and give a bird a home in just 10 easy steps!

1. Open the top of the milk carton and clean it out really well.
2. Using scissors, cut a hole in the side of the carton. The hole should be about the size of a doorknob.
3. On the other side, make two holes. One hole should be a few inches from the top, the other a few inches from the bottom. They should be nail-sized, so with a parent's help, use a nail to make the hole.
4. Put wire through the top hole, down the inside of the carton and back out through the bottom hole.
5. Make a bird's bed inside the carton using dried grass or even dog hair inside the carton.
6. Seal the carton back up!
7. Find a great place to hang the new home.
8. Hang the home by hammering in two nails wherever you plan to hang the home. The nails should be about 12 inches apart, one above the other.
9. Wrap the wire around the nails, making it tight so it won't fall off.
10. Take a picture and share your good work with everyone at COTI!

This project comes from the book, "The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth," available for purchase at Amazon.com and other bookselling sites or by visiting your local library.

Welcome to our new teacher: Lindsay!

2010-01-04T22:19:00.003-05:00

Church of the Isles Community Christian School welcomes a new teacher: Lindsay Graber. Lindsay says, "[I have attained] my Graduate certificate in Childcare Education from Northwest Florida." Read more about Lindsay and her path to COTI Community Christian School at http://www.cotischool.org/.

Fundraising Event Dec. 20th

2009-12-07T23:08:00.000-05:00

Upcoming Fundraiser!

What: Candlelight Christmas Caroling

When: Sunday, Dec. 20th, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Where: Indian Rocks Beach

Who: Carols sung to local families by Church of the Isles Church and School members

Price: $50 for 3 songs you choose, plus “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”

All proceeds benefit COTI Community Christian School!

Register to hear carols or volunteer to be a singer by calling 727-517-0775.

CCCS Mini Messenger

2009-09-21T22:04:00.002-04:00

Emailed Friday September 21, 2009

(Sign up to receive our email newsletters today! Send your email address and name to info@cotischool.org. We won't share or sell or spam you - promise!)

A GREAT NEW YEAR

We are off to an exciting new year! Our fantastic teaching staff has jumped right in and the children are learning and growing. Ms. Meg is teaching our two year old class. Ms. Shanda is teaching our three year olds. We have two VPK classes this year taught by Ms. Christine, Ms. Amber and Assistant, Ms. Stella. And our thriving After Care class is taught by Ms. Jeani.

A FEW BEGINNING OF THE YEAR REMINDERS

Please leave all personal toys at home. The school has many exciting toys and activities to keep the children engaged. (Ms. Jeani's class allows some toys to be brought in only on Fridays.)

No open-toed shoes at school! It is a safety hazard. We are required by licensing to have all children and teachers wear closed toed shoes. Thank you!

Remember to pack healthy snacks and a water bottle every day. Sugary snacks are highly discouraged. Full timers need two snacks in addition to their lunch.

School starts promptly at 9 a.m. Parents who arrive late will be asked to wait with their children in the lobby until group time is over at 9:20 am. It is very important that the children are here for group time to ensure they have a great day. Thanks for your cooperation!

Pizza Day is every Wednesday. Please make sure you pay for pizza in cash no later than Monday morning.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

We are very excited to have our Dance and Choi Kwang Do classes up and running! The current schedule is: Monday: Hip Hop 3:30 – 4:00pm

Tuesday: Choi Kwang Do 3:30 – 4:30pm

Wednesday: Ballet / Tap 2:30 – 3:00pm

Please remember - these classes are now open to the public, so please pass the word on to your family and friends not currently attending CCCS.

COTI VAN

Ms. Amber is the new driver this year for our COTI van. She picks children up for Before and After Care and will be driving for any school field trips. Our substitute driver is Mr. Skip. He drives the van for the church as well and will be filling in for Ms. Amber when she is not available.

***Parents of children who ride the COTI van*** It is imperative that our office is notified (as well as your child’s school) if your child is not going to be on the van OR if they are going to be riding on a day that has not been previously scheduled. It is vital for the safety of your child that all responsible parties know where your child is supposed to be.

SCHOOL PICTURES

School pictures are coming up! They are scheduled for Wednesday, 10/14/09. Picture forms will be sent out the week before. Please complete the form and bring it to your child’s teacher with your check payable to Joseph Russo.

UPCOMING OCTOBER EVENTS

10/08 Local Fire Stations will bring their Fire Trucks to our school to help the children learn about fire safety

10/14 Oktoberfest! We will have a booth this year. Look for Volunteer opportunities.

10/14 Coastal Cleanup. A wonderful IRB activity that we love to support!

TBA OPEN HOUSE!

Check our online school calendar regularly for updates and specific details about upcoming events!

Have an event, birthday, or prayer request that you'd like to see on our website? Forms are available at the front desk!

2009-09-03T12:18:00.000-04:00

Choi-Kwang-Do Class Now Enrolling
at COTI!

Clip from the 2009 Spring Recital at CCCS

2009-09-03T12:02:00.000-04:00

Dance (Hip-Hop, Ballet & Tap) Classes Now Enrolling
at COTI Community Christian School!

Clip from 2009 Spring Recital: Hip-Hop Presentation

2009-08-13T23:31:00.000-04:00

VBS is fun, fun, fun at CCCS!
Thank you to staff, volunteers and parents!

Click on the photo gallery and log in to see more (a lot more!) photos of this special week!

Discovery Canyon

2009-08-07T12:49:00.001-04:00

DISCOVERY CANYON

We’re wrapping up our Discovery Canyon tomorrow – WHAT A FUN WEEK! The DISCOVERY CANYON shirts went home with the children today. Please have them wear the shirts tomorrow (Friday) and Sunday. The Discovery Canyon Closing Celebration will be on Sunday at 10am at Church of the Isles – 200 24^th Ave, IRB. We need as many children (and parents) to help us sing the songs they learned! Please join us and stay after for lunch!

VBS - FOOD FOR FOOD PANTRY

As part of VBS we are collecting non-perishable food items to donate to the local Food Pantry (at Calvary Episcopal Church, IRB). Donations will be accepted Friday and/or Sunday.

"Cracker Cinderella" Visits CCCS July 22, 2009

2009-07-27T23:18:00.003-04:00

"Cracker Cinderella"
shares Florida history and positive message
with preschoolers and school-age children
at COTI Community Christian School

Watch the Video!
"A Good Life" Performance

2009-07-21T00:15:00.000-04:00

Choi-Kwang-Do's Mr. D & Friend Share
"Stranger Danger" & "Gun Safety" Tips with CCCS Children
July 20, 2009

With kid-friendly examples and a serious tone, children
learned 4 important rules for gun safety:
If you see a gun,
1. Don't touch it!
2. Leave the area/room
3. Tell an adult
4. Phone home & tell your parents

For details or to arrange a talk of your own, please contact Rita Petrino at 727-517-0775.

2009-07-02T02:41:00.000-04:00

Happy Fourth of July!
COTI Community Christian School Annual
Perfectly Patriotic Pet Parade!

July 1, 2009

We won't let the rainy weather get us down!
An indoor parade with all it's patriotism (and pets!)
took place nice and early on Weds. July 1, 2009.

Summer Program Begins with a Song (well, several)

2009-06-12T01:34:00.000-04:00

A visit from the Earthlings Electric Washboard Band started off the CCCS Summer Program! Children of all ages listened to songs, sang along, and danced during the two Wednesday, June 10th performances.

For more information about the Earthlings Electric Washboard Band, please see their site page by clicking here.

Spring Recital 2009

2009-06-01T23:21:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures from the successful 2009 COTI Spring Recital! To purchase a DVD, please see Ms. Christine or Ms. Rita in the front office.

Spring Recital 2009

2009-06-01T23:20:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures from the successful 2009 COTI Spring Recital! To purchase a DVD, please see Ms. Christine or Ms. Rita in the front office.

2009 Spring Recital

2009-06-01T23:17:00.001-04:00

Here are some pictures from the successful 2009 COTI Spring Recital! To purchase a DVD, please see Ms. Christine or Ms. Rita in the front office.

2nd Annual GreenFest Slated for May 9th

2009-04-07T05:32:00.000-04:00

The Church of the Isles Community Christian School (CCCS) announced the date for the 2^nd Annual GreenFest event. May 9, 2009 CCCS invites citizens to gather in Indian Rocks Beach for “green” education, “red” hot music, and a rainbow of vendors!

“We initiated this event to help educate our community about the variety of ways they can be eco-friendly at home, at work and on the beach,” said Rita Petrino, Director of CCCS. “Last year was a wonderful success. We hope it grows even larger this year.”

Petrino and the GreenFest Committee anticipate a larger group of vendors and partnerships for the 2009 event.

The 2008 program included more than 40 vendors displaying and educating about products ranging from “green” countertops to the basics of recycling. GreenFest is a family event, full of fun and food with activities for children, educational exhibits and great music for all.

COTI Community Christian School is a Church of the Isles ministry.

To participate as a vendor, please contact Christy Ward, GreenFest Coordinator at 727-667-0019.

CCCS Community Open House event March 28, 2009

2009-04-07T05:28:00.000-04:00

Ms. Rita begins the first batch of Kettle Corn!

Mr. Victor: talented computer teacher & Kettle Corn guru!

The bounce house was a real delight!

Guests, parents and staff chat about their favorite COTI things!

Missed the Community Open House event? Don't worry! We saved you a pair of shades - stop by and see us for a personal tour of the school. We're on Indian Rocks Beach at 206 23rd Ave.

COTI's "Making Friends" Open House Event

2009-04-07T05:16:00.001-04:00

Bounce Off the Walls at COTI’s “Making Friends” Open House Event

March 14, 2009 The Church of the Isles Community Christian School (CCCS) invites Pinellas County residents out to its “Making Friends” Community Open House event slated for Saturday, March 28, 2009.

“This open house is a great chance for us to interact with the community,” said Christine Wolf, the friendly face of the front office and part-time teacher. “We love seeing new faces, showing off our school - and children have so much fun in the bounce house!”

Wolf and the “Making Friends” Committee are looking forward to opening the schools doors to the public. The event, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will include

Free Bounce House for children
Free Playground for children
Free tours of the school and face-to-face time with staff and teachers
Lemonade and Kettle Corn
Demonstrations of the schools curricular and extra-curricular activities, such as Choi-Kwang-Do, Computer Lab, Hip-Hop Dance, and Music
Information about CCCS Summer Camp, After-School Care and Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) programs

The school, located at 206 23^rd Ave on Indian Rocks Beach, serves families with children age 2 years through 3^rd grade. CCCS offers all-day, all-week care or part-time care for children ages 2-4 years old. After-school care for children in grades K-3^rd grade is also available. Free transportation for children in after-school care is available at Anona and Oakhurst elementary schools.

Kids at COTI know their future is so bright they’ve gotta wear shades –come see what it’s all about. Oh, and don’t worry – they’ll have a pair of shades waiting for you!

Please contact Rita Petrino, Director at 727-517-077 with questions.