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B A C K T O S C H O O L , M U S I C & D A N C E … A N D M O R E ! - S U P P L E M E N T T O T H E W I N N I P E G F R E E P R E S S - T H U R S D A Y, A U G U S T 8 , 2 0 1 9 3 Quest Music Academy launched the ROCKsCOOL program in late 2018, and it's proven to be in tune with the needs of musicians who were looking for a new form of musical expression. Instructor Kevin Radomsky focuses on keyboards and drums, while Brett Leier covers bass and guitar. "We're not going to teach you how to play your instrument from the very beginning to come to ROCKsCOOL, but if you can play a couple songs all the way through, that's good enough," Radomsky said. "We can put you together with other people that are in the same boat and teach you how to jam, how to listen to each other and how to get that experience of being on a team." The program is open to youth as well as adults, who meet together to practise once per week. "We give them an outlet to learn what it's like being in a band. Being in a small band is different than being in a high school jazz band because there's more responsibility for teamwork," Radomsky said. "Being music teachers, we always want to make sure that they're still learning. We want to teach them how to come up with parts and we want to give people as much one-on-one instruction as possible." For Leier, he agrees that the program is off to a rocking start. "We definitely are interested to play whatever music they are listening to, and they're all coming from a different spot," Leier said. "Some of them might be really into pop music while others might be interested in metal." These diverse interests are part of the appeal, and students are also encouraged to write their own original songs. "To me, the most interesting part is the genre mixing from Billie Eilish to Nevermore to Chelsea Wolfe. It's pretty extreme sometimes. As teachers, we listen to the songs and we arrange them so they fit that particular group and their instruments," Leier said. "That's the fun part. You have to do arranging and planning as far as seeing how the instrumentation is going to work with the band." The ROCKsCOOL band jams and practises in the storefront at Quest on Continued on Page 3 >> Celebrating 10 Years of Superstar Dancing! Register today! 40 Mandalay Drive www.maplesdance.com 204-697-9205 Dance classes for Girls & Boys age 3+ Competive & Recreational 603 Wall Street ph: 204-807-0177 theatredancectr.com Pre-Ballet Ballet Jazz Tap Acting HipHop Performance Musical Theatre McConnell Irish Dance Specializing in Irish Dance for over 70 years Proud sponsor of the United Kingdom Pavilion 2019 CRN World Irish Dance Championships 2 LOCATIONS Winnipeg Brandon (204)793-8557 info@mcconnelldancers.com ON-LINE REGISTRATION www.mcconnelldancers.com Recreational Classes Competitive Division Performance Troupe Preschool Classes Adult Classes Folkorama Cheryl Nicholson M.A. Educational Sociologist Call: (204) 612-3959 Email: learningdiscovery@hotmail.com Webpage: www.learningdiscovery.ca Unlocking Potential Experience working with children, youth, and adults with Learning Disabilities LD and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Improving Students Learning Experience: • Literacy Skills (reading, spelling, writing) • Homework Help • Study Strategies • Memory and Concentration Skills • Organization and Time Management Providing tutoring help for students from Elementary to University, who struggle academically, often impacted by ADHD or Learning Disabilities. L e a r n i n g D i s c o v e r y Personalized Coaching Tutor " I never teach my pupils, I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn." –Albert Einstein Fall Regisati On N! Selkirk, MB Open House Ballet | Tap | Jazz | Hip Hop | Musical Theatre | Lyrical | Adult Classes Pre-School Programs: Two's & You; Creative Movement; Pre-Dance Ages 2 - Adult August 29th 5 - 8pm Selkirk Town Plaza 200 - 366 Main Street SELKIRK MB | 204.785.1285 | www.EvolutionDance.ca ONLY 20 MINUTES NORTH OF WINNIPEG! Ballet | Tap | Jazz | Hip Hop | Musical Theatre | Lyrical | Adult Classes Pre-School Programs: Two's & You; Creative Movement; Pre-Dance Ages 2 - Adult Open House August 28th 5 - 8pm Selkirk Town Plaza 200 - 366 Main Street SELKIRK MB | 204.785.1285 | www.EvolutionDance.ca ONLY 20 MINUTES NORTH OF WINNIPEG! ★ ★ By Jennifer McFee | Winnipeg Free Press A budding interest in gardening has taken root among youngsters, with plenty of programs sprouting up to share seeds of knowledge. At Sage Garden Greenhouses, the Junior Botanist program teaches horticultural skills to children between the ages of five and 12. "The heart of it is getting children to interact with live plants and understand a little more about them," said school garden consultant Suzanne Simpson. The hour-long classes are available in English and French, and they are held once every two weeks at the greenhouse. Fall and winter sessions are available, made up five classes that focus on an overarching theme. "We use the lovely catalogue of plants in the greenhouse for children to interact using their five senses. One term, we looked at the different plant parts such as roots, stems and leaves," Simpson said. "Another time, we focused on the theme of plant needs. Children created their own plant maze and then we planted a giant sunflower to see if it could navigate through their maze toward the light. It got them thinking about how plants react to their environment and what they need to thrive." Each session also introduces a mystery plant to the eager learners. "We get to learn about these really weird, interesting plants we have at the greenhouse. We talk about what they need to survive, their light requirements and their soil requirements," Simpson said. "Sometimes we even learn about how they're used, whether it's traditionally or medicinally. Maybe they're edible or they attract pollinators." The participants look forward to the chance to dig deep into the topics — and to get their hands dirty in the process. "It's messy on purpose," Simpson said. "It's a great way to learn when you're talking about plants." With a master's degree in education, Simpson shares her knowledge so the Junior Botanists can flourish. "I'm really passionate about connecting kids with plants and helping them know where their food comes from," she said. "There's definitely a magic with plants. It's fun for me as a teacher to see it through their eyes." At Lacoste Garden Centre, the Young Gardeners program also encourages an interest in horticulture among children. A teacher by trade, Carla Hiebert has embraced her role as the children's programming co-ordinator at the garden centre. She developed hands-on classes geared for kids aged five to 12, but pre-schoolers are also welcome with parental involvement. The current program focuses on the theme "small but mighty," combining creative crafts with teachings about the natural world. "There are things that are small but they play a big part in nature and in the balance of the ecosystem," Hiebert said. "For example, spiders are small but so useful and so essential to creation." The group created their own sticky web wands and talked about the diversity of the creepy crawly creatures. During another class, they created their own tabletop biospheres. "It's really neat. We go critter dipping in the pond and collect all sorts of algae and bacteria. You close it up and it sustains itself, creating a little ecosystem in a jar," Hiebert said. "I love teaching and getting kids excited about nature and plants. It's a lot of fun." By learning how plants and creatures depend on one another, the kids gain respect for nature, she said. "Knowledge is power, and you can't respect the earth if you don't know how it works. If you have knowledge of how you impact what's around you, then you can sustain it better," Hiebert said. "If kids can learn about the world around them, then they can take better care of it." ❚ At The School of Contemporary Dancers, all classes are open to boys, but the Breakin' for Boys program is geared just for them. "Dance has lots of wonderful benefits for children regardless of gender. It really can help students build confidence and develop skills that will support them throughout their lives," said general program co-ordinator Robyn Thomson Kacki. "But sometimes there is a misconception that dance is for girls and it's not necessarily popular for boys. These classes are a way to get them in the door in a way that they can feel comfortable and feel like they can be themselves." As another option, Kickit Dance Studio offers Funky Boys, which is an all-boys class geared for youngsters aged six to eight with a focus on jazz, tap and hip hop. "It's really great because then they're able to come out of their shell and they're more comfortable to start dance that way," said dance teacher Amanda Jantz. "It's nice to have that comfort around you. Our male teachers teach it, so it's such a great time." Likewise, Magic N Motion Dance Studio provides all-boys classes in acro and hip hop. "We've worked hard on establishing programs and facilities that are gender- neutral and welcoming," said director Jennifer Wong. "We offer co-ed classes, like most schools do, and we also offer all-boys classes. We've only been doing that for two years but they've become very popular and they've been growing every year." In a co-ed setting, the girls also benefit from having boys in the classes with them, Wong noted. "The majority of female dancers rarely get the opportunity to do pas de deux, which is the partnering that requires a boy to lift a girl," she said. "In dance, that doesn't get to happen without the male partner in the room. So it creates an opportunity for the females to get that experience as well as the boys." ❚ << Continued from Page 1 Gardening classes for kids offer an opportunity for hands-on learning. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAGE GARDEN GREENHOUSES PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAGIC N MOTION DANCE STUDIO AND RODNEY S. BRAUN/ SCHOOL OF CONTEMPORARY DANCERS Quest Music Academy's ROCKsCOOL program gives participants the experience of performing in a band together. PHOTO COURTESY OF QUEST MUSIC ACADEMY By Jennifer McFee | Winnipeg Free Press For many budding musicians, it was music to their ears when they heard they could join a new rock band program and perform live concerts at local venues.

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