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Meeting need for day care Academic Munchkins marks 25th anniversary amid pandemic him. Within months, I saw a noticeable difference in my son’s speech, and his confidence was When Valley Streamer Suriya higher in social situations.” Wilkins first took her then Many parents like Wilkins 18-month-old son, Carter, to Aca- say that day-care centers such as demic Munchkins pre-school Academic Munchkins — which and day-care center in Valley recently celebrated its 25th anniStream in 2017, he ve r s a r y — h ave was shy, she said, changed their chiland struggled to dren’s lives for the interact with other better, and a number children. of them described Now, after attendthe school’s founder ing the pre-school and owner, Vivian for three years, Stein, as one of the 4-year-old Carter main reasons their talks more with his children could peers and family, attend school during reads sentences, the pandemic while spells words and they were at work. identifies numbers, “Vivian knew my and he is no longer kids by name, and I as shy as he was. trusted her with “My son used to how to work with be attached to my ViViAN STEiN them,” said Valley hip, his speech was Owner, S t re a m re s i d e n t stagnant, and he Academic Munchkins Donn Mckie, who was terrified of anyhas two children one but me,” who previously Wilkins recalled. “After I dis- attended Academic Munchkins. cussed my son’s speech struggles “Vivian is loving, caring and with the teaching staff at Aca- always sympathetic.” demic Munchkins, they immedi“My daughter preferred being ately began to sound out words at the school to being at home, for him more slowly, and and she never wanted to come they narrated what they were doing whenever they spoke to Continued on page 3
By NicolE AlciNdoR nalcindor@liherald.com
K
Courtesy Danse Xpressions
TEEN jAzz STudENTS practiced at Danse Xpression’s studio space on South Central Avenue. Struggling after its closure during the coronavirus pandemic, the school is asking for help.
Here, too, hope for another 25 V.S.’s Danse Xpressions battles to stay afloat By PETER BElFioRE pbelfiore@liherald.com
In late February, Valley Stream dance studio Danse Xpressions celebrated the 25th anniversary of its founding at a Lutheran Church in Queens, and shortly afterward, staff members and the parents of students met to discuss plans for a gala to celebrate the center, which has been located in Valley Stream for a decade and a half. By the next day, however,
word had begun to spread about the coronavirus pandemic, the studio’s co-owner and founder Jessica St. VilUlysse recalled, and “life changed.” Danse Xpressions has been closed since, and in late July, St. Vil-Ulysse, along with her two sisters and studio cofounders launched a GoFundMe campaign to help keep the business afloat. “It’s a blow to us in a lot of ways,” she said. “We haven’t been able to serve the commu-
nity, our students can’t get the exercise they need or want, and it’s difficult because we haven’t been able to pay our bills and provide what we want to provide.” The campaign is so far $5,000 short of its $15,000 goal. Danse Xpressions started as a Saturday youth program at the Epiphany Lutheran Church in Laurelton. At the time, the church, St. VilUlysse said, was looking to Continued on page 10
eeping my school open throughout the pandemic has been a challenge, and we’ve lost a lot of students.