Pre-school focuses on learning not daycare

Robin Okonta, Executive Director of the soon to be opened Red Fish Blue Fish International Nursery School and Early Learning Center in Fresh Meadows, is fulfilling her life-long dream.
&#8220I always wanted to open up my own school,” Okonta declared enthusiastically. With that ambition set in stone, Okonta earned her Bachelor's degree in education and business; and her Master's degree in school administration from Buffalo State University.
The school is located at 188-12 73rd Ave., Fresh Meadows, in the Christ Lutheran Church. Okonta handpicks the school's dedicated and extremely qualified staff. Class sizes are limited to twenty students and all the teachers and teacher's aides at Red Fish Blue Fish are fully certified in Early Childhood Development and each have no less than two years experience.
The curriculums at Red Fish Blue Fish are based on play and learn activities. Students learn pre-school basic skills: motor, visual perception, colors, shapes and letters while participating in fun activities that challenge their learning potential and imagination.
Okonta who is passionate about education, wants people to know that Red Fish Blue Fish &#8220is not a daycare, it's a school.” Innovative programs, such as its Cross Cultural Education, Pre/Early Reading, and even Dance are designed with one goal in mind to develop minds for easy transition into elementary school. All lesson plans are tailored to meet the state's academic standards.
The Cross Cultural program is a program near and dear to Okonta's heart. After 16 years of teaching in New York's public schools, she noticed the high dropout rate of children whose first language is other than English.
&#8220Because of the language barrier the English as a Second Language children have low test scores and a high drop-out rate,” she says. &#8220It's not that they can't do the work, it (the language barrier) slows them down.” Okonta developed the program &#8220to introduce language development before the trouble begins.”
Red Fish Blue Fish is still accepting enrollment for the 2006-07 school year for children two to six years old. School hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for those enrolled in the extended program. For further information, call 718-464-6131.