Services for students in Roanoke area (Rocky Mount: YMCA, schools, camping)

[kteach]

We live in NOVA and are thinking of moving to southern Virginia. Our children aren't school age yet, but we are wondering about accesibility to supplemental activities for school age children, such as gyms, tutoring services, arts education, etc. We want to live in a less congeted area with easier access to nature, shorter commutes, etc. yet would like to have the option of extracurricular activies such as tutoring services, art courses, dance education, etc. How accessible and affordable are some of these supplemental services for students?

Thanks

[j1n]

Originally Posted by kteach

We live in NOVA and are thinking of moving to southern Virginia. Our children aren't school age yet, but we are wondering about accesibility to supplemental activities for school age children, such as gyms, tutoring services, arts education, etc. We want to live in a less congeted area with easier access to nature, shorter commutes, etc. yet would like to have the option of extracurricular activies such as tutoring services, art courses, dance education, etc. How accessible and affordable are some of these supplemental services for students?

Thanks

hey kteach...
I think you will find, in the Roanoke area, everything you will find anywhere else (and maybe even a little cheaper and friendlier! ). The R-noke county school system has a pretty great reputation, and will probably throw more "activities" at the kids than they can handle! There are dance schools, gymnastic schools, a rock climbing gym, art and music classes, etc. I would suggest a little searching into the R-noke school systems websites...and just general searching on the city. It is generally uncongested and friendly here. The city is extremely easy to "learn" and navigate; and there is nature, hiking, camping, fishing, paddling, etc all over the place!

[seanpecor]

There are plenty of tutoring services in the area. One particularly good one is run by a good friend of mine. Caroline Goodspeed runs Goodspeed Learning Center on Brambleton Avenue.

There are a goodly number of YMCAs in the Roanoke area. Even in the smaller towns outside of the city itself have wonderful Ys. The Rocky Mount YMCA in particular has two buildings on its 40 acre campus, one of which is dedicated to kids 12 and younger. We live in between Roanoke and Rocky Mount and frequent both areas. There are plenty of arts programs to choose from as well. Some sanctioned by the Art Museum of Western Virginia, and others run by individual artists themselves. Our two daughters (ages 6 and 8) are taking classes with an artist in Roanoke this summer in conjunction with some school friends and they're very excited about it. Our girls take dance classes at the Rocky Mount YMCA; the younger in ballet/tap and the older in modern dance. The dance studios there are top notch w/ floating floors and the instructors are great.

Sean