You’re invited:  JEA Preschool Savannah Pool Party
July 28th, 11 am-2 pm
Come view new classrooms and outdoor play spaces!

11:00 am – Pool Games and Activities
11:00 am – 2:00 pm – JEA Pool Side Grill
12:00 pm – Story time with Preschool Teachers

About JEA Preschool Savannah JEA Preschool Savannah, located in the Jewish Educational Alliance community center at 5111 Abercorn Street, will open its doors in August 2013. The school, which will serve the needs of children ages 16 months through 4 years, focuses on the social, emotional and cognitive growth of young children in a Judaic setting. The core curriculum, led by qualified and experienced teachers, is available Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Extended hours are available daily from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on JEA Preschool Savannah, please call 912-355-8111 (ext. 228), email preschool@savj.org  or visit www.savannahjea.org .

JEA Preschool Savannah, 5111 Abercorn St., Savannah, www.savannahjea.org, 912-355-8111 (ext. 228), email preschool@savj.org JEA Preschool is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Have you always wanted to be bilingual, but never knew where to start?

Lingüa’s patent-pending language learning process allows monolingual families to become bilingual & bilingual families to stay bilingual.

Have you realized that raising bilingual children is more difficult than you thought? Let Lingüa’s expert linguistics knowledge help you change your children’s future! They will help you bring Spanish or any other language into your daily lives.

Call Lingüa today and ask about Raising Little Lingüists™! http://www.bilingualfamilia.com/354/

Still looking for a summer camp? Lingua’s Spanish Immersion Summer Camp only has a few spots left! Register today before they are all gone: http://www.bilingualfamilia.com/spanish-immersionsummer-language-camp/

Arabic classes for children and adults start July 16th! Call or register here: http://www.bilingualfamilia.com/group-class-materials/

Online Advanced Spanish starts soon. Get your speaking skills on high octane! http://www.bilingualfamilia.com/shopping-cart-preview/

Follow Lingüa  on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter for all the latest updates!

Like Lingüa on Facebook by clicking here.
Lingüa is also on Twitter @  twitter.com/linguaU &  Pinterest @ pinterest.com/linguaU

Lingüa, www.bilingualfamilia.com, email bilingualfamilia@gmail.com, Lingüa is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

Have you registered your little readers for the Live Oak Public Libraries summer reading program yet?

Summer Reading Program
Dig Into Reading!
June 1 – Aug. 17, 2013
For all ages up to 18 years old

Kids create a quick online profile – which can include their photo – and keep track of the book titles they’ve read this summer – which they will need to get their free book from Barnes & Noble. Just go to the Live Oak Public Libraries Dig Into Reading page by clicking here.

Kids earn coupons for various activities & business around Savannah and chance to win this year’s grand prize is a trip to Atlanta for a family of four, that includes a three night stay at the Hyatt Downtown Atlanta (near Centennial Park), admission to Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Zoo Atlanta, Fernbank Museum, “Imagine It!” The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, the Center for Puppetry Arts, and more.

A total of THREE grand prizes will be given away. The grand prize drawing will be held at the Bull Street Library on Aug. 23. Entry forms must be submitted by Aug. 17 to qualify.

Stop by any library to sign up and start reading! More info here.

If that isn’t incentive enough to sign up, how about the chance to win college savings?

The Path2College 529 Plan will award one Georgia student, 16 years and under, who participates in the Summer Reading Program with $5,529 toward a Path2College 529 Plan account. Entries must be submitted online between May 1 – Aug. 15 2013. Details about the sweepstakes, including the official rules and the online entry form, can be found at http://www.path2college529.com/news/reading.shtml .

TO SEE THE SCHEDULE OF FREE SUMMER PERFORMANCES FOR KIDS THAT ARE PART OF THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM, CLICK HERE.

Imagine if your child’s daily school lunches were going to come from a popular green-certified restaurant next school year?

That’s the welcome & innovative news at St. Andrew’s School on Wilmington Island, which recently partnered with Thrive Café, Savannah’s first and only green certified restaurant & caterer.

Thrive Café will begin providing all student & faculty meals at the private independent school beginning August 2013. The partnership is designed to bring healthy, affordable food to the Pre K – Grade 12 school on a daily basis.

In 2008, Chef Wendy Armstrong started Thrive Café. Thrive uses green methods in their daily business practices and works with over 20 local farms to source ingredients for delicious food with a healthy twist.

Some of the new and exciting plans include using all natural meats, preparing more local vegetables, serving no fried foods and pouring local hormone free milk. The St. Andrew’s garden will also take a prominent focus with this newly formed partnership.

Visit us www.saintschool.com  or www.thrivecarryoutcafe.com  for more information.

St. Andrew’s School, 601 Penn Waller Road, Savannah, 31410, www.saintschool.com St. Andrew’s School is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Did your child attend the Roger Day concert in Fall 2011 as part of a Savannah Music Festival school field trip?

Is your child interested in all things coastal – alligators, periwinkle snails, sea turtles, fiddler crabs & dolphins.

Or maybe you & your kids are just big fans of Roger Day hits like “Mosquito Burrito” & “I Love to Study Mud.”

Whichever the case, you need to check out Roger Day’s Marsh Mud Madness, a new educational music DVD that introduces kids to coastal ecology through songs & video.

The DVD was just released today, May 21, 2013.(Bigkids.com, CDBaby.com, Rogerday.com, $15)

Produced by the Savannah Music Festival & Roger Day, with support from the Georgia Sea Grant & the Courtney Knight Gaines Foundation, the video features engaging information about the plants & animals that make up the Atlantic coastal ecosystem, interspersed with Day performing 12 original songs about goopy mud, fascinating coastal animals & the waters & plants of the marsh itself, in front of a live audience of thousands of Savannah elementary kids.

This week, we’re giving away TWO of these music & education DVDs to two SouthernMamas.com readers. To enter to win, like the Roger Day page on Facebook here & tell us what you (or your kids) love best about living on the coast or about the Atlantic marshland ecology.  Please say SouthernMamas.com sent you! Deadline to enter: 9 PM Sun. May 26.

Roger Day, one of the nation’s top touring family music artists, spent five days exploring Sapelo Island, a barrier island south of Savannah. There, he learned about the fragile ecosystem from scientists at the University Georgia Marine Institute. Georgia Sea Grant sponsored the visit, and they commissioned Day to compose a program of songs about the Georgia coast for elementary school audience. While watching turtles nest and trekking through the maritime forest, Day wrote a song cycle about the importance of habitat and watershed health, the abundance of creatures that depend on the state’s water resources and how individuals can help protect the coastal eco-system.

In the Marsh Mud Madness concert scenes, a wildly enthusiastic young audience of Savannah kids joins in dancing “The Fiddler Groove,” signing to Day’s classic hit “Mosquito Burrito,” leaping when “Dolphins Will Jump Up,” and “Flushing Out the Estuary” right along with Day and his band mates.

Helpful links:

For more information and Roger Day latest tour details & links to purchase the DVD, visit www.rogerday.com .

Video clip for “I Love to Study Mud,” showing the kids reacting to the song at the Savannah Music Festival in Fall 2011: https://vimeo.com/63406881

Songs to download: http://rogerday.bandcamp.com/

FREE curriculum & activities for teachers & home schoolers: http://georgiaseagrant.uga.edu/article/RogerDay/
What scientists are saying about Marsh Mud Madness:

“I have been truly amazed and inspired by Roger’s artistic talent, professional enthusiasm and heartfelt environmental ethics. The dynamic relationship he develops with his audiences is a real joy to behold (and to take a foot-stomping, hand-clapping, face-making active part in!).”
~ John “Crawfish” Crawford, Naturalist and Marine Education Specialist at The University of Georgia Marine Extension Service

“Roger Day creates vivid images of the marsh and its inhabitants—including the marine biologists—in songs with titles such as ‘I Love to Study Mud’ and ‘Alligator in My Refrigerator.’ It’s both funny and educational.”
~ David Bryant, assistant director of Georgia Sea Grant

St. Andrew’s School on Wilmington Island invites you to a FREE readiness assessment for pre-k students, Saturday, June 1, 10 – 11:30 a.m.

St. Andrew’s School, a nationally accredited leader in early childhood education, invites your family to participate in a readiness assessment for rising 3 year-old and 4 year-old students to assess Pre-K and Kindergarten preparedness.

St. Andrew’s team of educators, including math and literacy specialists, will host a one day only event to assess cognitive, social and emotional readiness and answer your questions about what’s next.

Please call to make a reservation and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

While students are testing, parents can tour the school and speak with administration and current parents.

Contact Christine Sapp at sappc@saintschool.com  or 897.4941, x. 400 to reserve your spot today.

St. Andrew’s is an independent International Baccalaureate World School committed to being a leader in 21st Century teaching and learning, which includes a curricular focus on creativity, communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and character. For more information on the Pre-K 3 through Grade Twelve school, visit www.saintschool.com  or call 912.897.4941.

St. Andrew’s School, 601 Penn Waller Road, Savannah, 31410, www.saintschool.com St. Andrew’s School is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Did the pre-K lottery not go as you’d hoped?

Is your precious toddler ready to expand his/her world and begin developing preschool social skills?

Check out the new JEA Preschool Savannah . It’s a program focused on providing a strong preschool experience in a nurturing environment with low teacher to student ratio. The preschool is now accepting applications. Meet & Greet on May 29th at 5:30pm at the JEA. Free babysitting available; reservations required. For more information go to www.savannahjea.org  or call 912-355-8111.

About JEA Preschool Savannah JEA Preschool Savannah, located in the Jewish Educational Alliance community center at 5111 Abercorn Street, will open its doors in August 2013. The school, which will serve the needs of children ages 16 months through 4 years, focuses on the social, emotional and cognitive growth of young children in a Judaic setting. The core curriculum, led by qualified and experienced teachers, is available Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Extended hours are available daily from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on JEA Preschool Savannah, please call 912-355-8111 (ext. 228), email preschool@savj.org  or visit www.savannahjea.org .

JEA Preschool Savannah, 5111 Abercorn St., Savannah, www.savannahjea.org, 912-355-8111 (ext. 228), email preschool@savj.org  JEA Preschool is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Children’s book author/illustrator Michelle Nelson-Schmidt will present enthusiastic, energetic talks filled with childhood stories, vibrant stories and readings of her books in Savannah including at:

6 PM Monday May 13 @ Villa Maria Center

5:30 PM Tuesday May 14 @ the Salvation Army Community Center.

Books sales and donations will be matched by Usborne Books & More 50% to provide Jonathan James & The What if Monster and Monster plush sets for The Salvation Army-Savannah’s shelter.

Michelle Nelson-Schmidt will be also visiting 5 area schools:

Worried about your child’s education?

You’re invited to come to talk on education “Keys to Bringing Out Creativity & Intelligence in Yourself & Your Offspring” given by Author/Educator Bernie Schein at the JEA in Savannah at 10 AM Sun. May 19

KEYS TO BRINGING OUT CREATIVITY & INTELLIGENCE IN YOURSELF AND YOUR OFFSPRING
Featuring Bernie Schein
May 19th 10 am
@ Jewish Educational Alliance, 5111 Abercorn St. Savannah,  31405
Free to JEA Members, $8 for community guests
Price Includes breakfast

American education has it backwards. Emotion, not reason – true emotion, no more easily arrived at than the solution to a complex math problem – is the engine that drives the machinery of great works and great lives. Thought – great thought – is the PRODUCT, not the driver of that engine.

Bernie Schein, educator, will share his views and lead a discussion on everything from the shortcomings of the SAT and No Child Left Behind to the need for students to be emotionally open and aware before true learning can take place.

Bernie Schein, a native of Beaufort, S.C., received his Master’s in Education and educational psychology from Harvard. He has been a principal, director of teacher training, and teacher of creative writing and literature at the middle and high school levels. He is author of “If Holden Caulfield Were in My Classroom” (with foreword by Pat Conroy).

JEA Preschool Savannah, 5111 Abercorn St., Savannah, www.savannahjea.org, 912-355-8111 (ext. 228), email preschool@savj.org  JEA Preschool is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Georgia Tech-Savannah has created a unique, hands-on summer camp experience that will increase your child’s curiosity about the world and how it works.

Campers will learn science at high levels through a variety of challenging, problem solving activities, including art, songs, games and projects.

Each week has unique fun learning for your child, plus robotics and computers are part of all camps and curriculum.

Come experience what it means to go Full STEAM ahead!

More info here.

Give your ho-hum life the heave-ho.

Find your way back to a stress-free existence and turn your struggles into triumphs with tips and guidance from Peace By Piece Life Strategies Coaching in Savannah.

Mother’s Day May Discount
Give yourself the gifts of purpose and passion! Peace By Piece Life Strategies Coaching in Savannah offers transformational coaching. Mention you read about Peace by Piece Life Strategies Coaching on SouthernMamas.com to receive a 40% discount during the entire month of May.

You can meet certified Life Strategies Coach Shelly Harlander in her Savannah office in the Zeno Moore Building at 409 E. Montgomery Crossroads or schedule a phone session. Call 912-341-3684.

Life Strategies Coaching is for healthy individuals who wish to increase balance, efficiency, productivity and satisfation in targeted areas of their life, as well as achieve higher levels of self-realization and personal well-being.

Peace by Piece Life Strategies Coaching, tel: 912-341-3684, www.peacebypiecenow.com/ Peace by Piece Life Strategies Coaching is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Register by May 15 and receive a 10% discount off Lingüa’s Spanish Immersion Summer Camp, which will run for 2 weeks in June in Pooler.

SPACE IS LIMITED! Reserve your spot by May 15th and save!

Lingüa offers everything you need for your bilingual familia.
Have you always wanted your children to be bilingual, but didn’t know where to start? Do you want to make sure your children can speak your language? Do you need some extra help from an expert? Try Lingüa’s Raising Little Lingüists™ Program.

Want to experience learning together? Try LingüaBaby™, LittleLingüists™, and LingüaVersity™ classes in Spanish and Arabic.

Want to learn for yourself? Lingüa offers adult classes in Spanish and Arabic for beginners and advanced students. Some classes are conveniently online!

Need some extra help? Try Lingüa’s tutoring service.

Are you looking for other moms and dads who want to raise a bilingual familia? Try Lingüa’s storytimes and playgroups.

Contact Lingüa today to give your family más. Email bilingualfamilia@gmail.com

Like Lingüa on Facebook by clicking here.
Lingüa is also on Twitter @  twitter.com/linguaU &  Pinterest @ pinterest.com/linguaU
Lingüa, www.bilingualfamilia.com, email bilingualfamilia@gmail.com, Lingüa is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

School is about to end, but learning doesn’t have to end when class is dismissed.  Enroll your child in May at Kumon Math & Reading Center in Savannah to receive free registration.

Kumon Math & Reading Center of Savannah offers FREE registration during May 2013. Call 912.920.8899 or click here for more info.

Kumon Math and Reading Center of Savannah, www.kumon.com/savannah , open on Mondays and Thursdays from 3-7 PM,  in Piccadilly Square @ 10010   Abercorn Ave. Suite 5A, Savannah, 31406. For more info or to schedule a complimentary placement test, call owner and instructor, Janese Cooper at (912) 920-8899. Kumon of Savannah is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Give your ho-hum life the heave-ho.

Find your way back to a stress-free existence and turn your struggles into triumphs with tips and guidance from Peace By Piece Life Strategies Coaching in Savannah.

Mother’s Day May Discount
Give yourself the gifts of purpose and passion! Peace By Piece Life Strategies Coaching in Savannah offers transformational coaching. Mention you read about Peace by Piece Life Strategies Coaching on SouthernMamas.com to receive a 40% discount during the entire month of May.

You can meet certified Life Strategies Coach Shelly Harlander in her Savannah office in the Zeno Moore Building at 409 E. Montgomery Crossroads or schedule a phone session. Call 912-341-3684.

Life Strategies Coaching is for healthy individuals who wish to increase balance, efficiency, productivity and satisfation in targeted areas of their life, as well as achieve higher levels of self-realization and personal well-being.

Peace by Piece Life Strategies Coaching, tel: 912-341-3684, www.peacebypiecenow.com/  Peace by Piece Life Strategies Coaching is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Congratulations Savannah Arts Academy, which was ranked 4th best high school in Georgia in U.S. News and World Report Education 2013 Best High Schools. See it here.

Top Ranked GA Schools       

To be eligible for a state ranking, a school must be awarded a national gold or silver medal.

Congratulations St. Andrew’s School on Wilmington Island for recently receiving recognition as one of the most challenging high schools in the nation.

This marks the second year in a row for the Savannah private school to receive the honor. The Washington Post’s Jay Mathews has been ranking the most challenging schools in the country for 15 years.

“I’m thrilled that St. Andrew’s is again being recognized for one of our distinguishing characteristics–that we provide a challenging curriculum to all of our students while giving them the individual attention and supportive environment they need to help them meet that challenge,” said Sara Rubinstein, Upper School Head. “Through making our International Baccalaureate program accessible to all students, not just the top 2% of any class, we fulfill our promise to give each St. Andrew’s student the high quality learning environment our families expect and deserve.”

St. Andrew’s is the only private school in Georgia to be recognized on the most challenging list.

View the Post’s challenging high schools list by clicking here.

St. Andrew’s is an independent International Baccalaureate World School committed to being a leader in 21st Century teaching and learning, which includes a curricular focus on creativity, communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and character. For more information on the Pre-K 3 through Grade Twelve school, visit www.saintschool.com  or call 912.897.4941.

St. Andrew’s School, 601 Penn Waller Road, Savannah, 31410, www.saintschool.com St. Andrew’s School is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Barnett Educational Supplies in Savannah is having a  “Sunny Patch Melissa and Doug” sale during April! It is buy 2 get 1 free!

This sale runs until the end of April! Umbrellas, beach chairs, water toys, buckets and beach bags!

Please like Barnett on Facebook here to stay updated on their sales & products.

Store hours: Mon – Fri: 9 AM-7 PM; Sat: 10 AM-5 PM; Sun: 1- 5 PM.

Barnett Educational Supplies, 38 W De Renne Ave., Savannah, 31405-6742, tel: 912-356-1878, email barneduc@bellsouth.net www.barnetteducationalsupplies.com , Barnett Educational Supplies is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Did the pre-K lottery not go as you’d hoped? Is your precious toddler ready to expand his/her world and begin developing preschool social skills?

Check out the new JEA Preschool Savannah . It’s a program focused on providing a strong preschool experience in a nurturing environment with low teacher to student ratio. The preschool is now accepting applications. Meet & Greet on April 25th at 5:30pm at the JEA. Free babysitting available; reservations required. For more information go to www.savannahjea.org  or call 912-355-8111 .

About JEA Preschool Savannah JEA Preschool Savannah, located in the Jewish Educational Alliance community center at 5111 Abercorn Street, will open its doors in August 2013. The school, which will serve the needs of children ages 16 months through 4 years, focuses on the social, emotional and cognitive growth of young children in a Judaic setting. The core curriculum, led by qualified and experienced teachers, is available Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Extended hours are available daily from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on JEA Preschool Savannah, please call 912-355-8111 (ext. 228), email preschool@savj.org  or visit www.savannahjea.org .

JEA Preschool Savannah, 5111 Abercorn St., Savannah, www.savannahjea.org, 912-355-8111 (ext. 228), email preschool@savj.org  JEA Preschool is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Pre-K Lottery Update:

We heard from several moms recently who were surprised by changes to the pre-K wait list this year for Savannah-Chatham public schools. Basically,  if your child was accepted to one of your school choices, then he/she was not put on the waiting list for your other choices. In the past, students who were not accepted to their choices were automatically put on the waiting list. You can read parents’ concerns on the SouthernMamas.com Facebook page.

This change negatively affects those parents whose neighborhood school is not a good school, but they were required to make it one of their choices. Now they’ve been accepted to their neighborhood school & were not even put on the waiting list for their school of choice.

District 1 Savannah-Chatham County School Board Member Julie Wade looked into parents’ complaints & below are the answers she received.

Below are responses to Julie Wade’s questions about this year’s changes in the pre-K waiting list process. The repsonses are from David Feliciano, Chief Data and Accountability Officer for Savannah-Chatham Public School System:

There are two places we provided information on choice scenarios for parents to review and be aware of. One was above the choice selection list on the online application. The other reference was on our public website FAQ for Lottery. Since the lottery has completed, the FAQs have been replaced with FAQ for Registration. Below is a copy of the information that was posted:

——
Pre-K school choice scenarios:
1. The family lives in a school attendance zone that has a Pre-K Program.

• If the family only wants to attend the Pre-K program in their school attendance zone, select the school as the first choice selection and leave the other two blank.

• If the family wants to attend a Pre-K program that is not in their school attendance zone, select the school as the first choice selection and select the attendance zone school as the second choice. The third choice can be left blank.

• If the family wants to maximize their opportunity for entry into a Pre-K program, enter three choices with one of them being the attendance zone school.
2. The family lives in a school attendance zone that does not have a Pre-K program.

• If the family only wants to attend a specific Pre-K program, select the school as the first choice selection and leave the other two blank.

• If the family wants to maximize their opportunity for entry into a Pre-K program, enter three choices.

Note: If a family is selected for a Pre-K slot, they will no longer be on any wait list.

——

When the lottery was designed, it was designed to support community schools. Two specific rules impacted parent choices in the lottery:

• Priority is to be given to families that live within the Pre-K Center attendance zone.

• Families are required to list their attendance zone Pre-K Center as one of three choices.

Once a Pre-K slot is provided within the county, families are taken off of any other wait list. This was done to prevent families from holding wait list positions when they are already attending a Pre-K program within SCCPSS.

Q: For those that were not placed anywhere and are on two or three wait lists, can they withdraw from some of the wait lists?

A: Parents can remove their child from any wait list and still remain on others. Only when they accept a slot into a Pre-K program they are removed from others. The family that is on Shuman’s list can call the school and have their child pulled from the wait list. The child will still be listed on the other Pre-K program wait list. We will post this information on the website and provide it to the schools as this particular scenario was not covered.

Options for consideration:

The second rule listed above can be removed from the system. In doing so, families can pick and choose any Pre-K center of their choice, have the option of only entering one, two, or up to three Pre-K center, and don’t have to list their attendance zone school.

The above are responses to District 1 Savannah-Chatham County School Board Member Julie Wade’s questions about this year’s changes in the Pre-K waiting list process. The responses are from David Feliciano, Chief Data and Accountability Officer Savannah-Chatham Public School System.

Worried about where your child is going to attend preschool next year or trying to find a FREE, quality state-funded pre-K program in Savannah?

If so, you’ll be thrilled to learn about Maggie’s Morning School, a NAEYC accredited private, non-profit pre-school. This popular, beloved well-established Savannah school offers hands-on learning and a child-centered approach that encourages exploration and independence through a well prepared environment.

Mission
Maggie’s Morning School provides a developmentally appropriate, quality learning experience for a diverse student body in a safe, creative, and nurturing environment. The focus is on the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth of each and every child through hands on activities and support by working together with families, well-trained teachers, and community resources.

Description
Maggie’s Morning School has been serving Savannah since 1982. The school has 2, 3, and 5 half day and full day programs for children 18 months (by Sept. 1) through age four, and the Bright From the Start, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Pre-Kindergarten program.
Maggie’s provides an exceptional and unique learning environment in order to facilitate social, emotional, physical and intellectual development in each child.

Please come visit the school at 6610 Abercorn St., Savannah, 31405 and see why Maggie’s Morning School is  “The Creative Alternative!”

Upcoming events at Maggie’s Morning School which are open to the public include: 

1) Gently-Used Sale Saturday April 20, 8 a.m. – Noon. School parking lot. Indoors if there is inclement weather.

2) Open House Week – Monday April 22 – Friday April 26. 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a..m. and 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Come see what makes Maggie’s “The Creative Alternative” for Pre-school and learn about Maggie’s summer program “Earthworks”.

For the school year, Maggie’s serves children ages 18 months (by Sept 1) through 3 classes of State-Funded (FREE) Pre-K.

For the summer program, Maggie’s serves children 18 months (by Sept 1) through children entering 2nd grade.

Call (912) 352-8404 or (912) 352-8065 for more info or click here.  Tell them SouthernMamas.com sent you!

Stay connected by “liking” Maggie’s Morning School on Facebook here.

Maggie’s Morning School, 6610 Abercorn St., Savannah, 31405, www.maggiesmorningschool.org,  On Facebook here. (912) 352-8404, (912) 352-8065 Maggie’s Morning School is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Imagine communicating with your baby before he or she can even speak. Baby sign language reduces frustration, accelerates verbal development and strengthens cognitive skills. It also enhances child-parent bonding through time spent teaching signs to your baby.

Research shows that pre-verbal infants can communicate through the use of sign language long before they can verbalize their needs. For example, an NIH funded study compared two groups of 11 month old babies. One group was taught baby sign language. The second group was given verbal training. Overall it proved to be the signing babies who were more advanced talkers. A follow up when the babies were 2 years old found that the signers continued to be more verbal. The signing children tested approximately 3 months ahead of the non-signers at 2 years old.*

The authors of the NIH study, followed up with the children at 8 years old. Surprisingly, there was still a difference. Signers showed IQ’s 12 points higher than the non-signers, even though they had long since stopped signing. This put the signers in the top-25% of eight year olds, compared to the non-signers who were close to average.**

My Smart Hands is an international, award winning, 100% ASL program designed to teach sign language to pre-verbal infants and young children. My Smart Hands not only recognizes the value of giving children the gift of self-expression, they also know that baby signing is FUN!

The My Smart Hands program is designed to engage both the minds and the giggles of their students.

My Smart Hands is now available in Savannah! My Smart Hands offers 4 to 8 week classes as well as weekend workshops. The cost ranges from $75 to $130 and includes all handbooks and materials. Evening classes are available and dates, times and locations are determined by consultation with, and consideration for the needs of students.

Want to join My Smart Hands? See the Savannah My Smart Hands website  by clicking here for detailed information on the courses themselves, to contact My Smart Hands with any questions or to sign up. So go ahead, take a peek! Sign up for a few giggles for you and your little one. My Smart Hands can’t wait to meet you!

Please “like” My Smart Hands in Savannah on Facebook by clicking here to stay connected.

My Smart Hands, www.mysmarthandswithsundi.com, On Facebook here, My Smart Hands is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

* Susan W. Goodwyn, Linda P. Acredolo and Catherine A. Brown. Impact of Symbolic Gesturing on Early Language Development, Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 24, 81-103 (2000).

** Linda P. Acredolo, and Susan W. Goodwyn, The Longterm Impact of Symbolic Gesturing During Infancy on IQ at Age 8, International Conference on Infant Studies (July 18, 2000: Brighton, UK)

Not sure where to send your child to preschool for the upcoming school year 2013-14? Check out the new JEA Preschool Savannah , which will host a Meet and Greet for prospective parents and caregivers at 5:30 PM Thurs. April 25 2013.

This dynamic new preschool, located at the Jewish Educational Alliance at 5111 Abercorn Street, will open its doors to children ages 16 months to 4 years in August, 2013. Enrollment is now open for all classes.

During the Meet and Greet, attendees will have an opportunity to meet preschool director Jodi Sadler and the teaching staff, view model classroom furnishings and learn about the enriched preschool JEA Camp Savannah program for 3 and 4 year olds. The evening will include a light snacks; free childcare will be available. Reservations are required. Please call 912-355-8111 (ext. 228) or email preschool@savj.org  to reserve a spot.

JEA Preschool Savannah has been in the planning stages for the past two years. The school was created to provide for the social, emotional and cognitive growth of young children in a Judaic setting. The age-appropriate curriculum, led by qualified and experienced teachers, will focus on literacy, writing, math, science, music, art and movement all within the special facilities of the JEA.

“I am truly excited about the creation of our program of excellence, JEA Preschool Savannah,” said Sadler, a longtime educator and former assistant principal at Chatham Academy. “When parents and children walk into the school, I want them to see and feel two things: love and security. I know that the quality of the program, excellence of the facilities, and perfect location will make this one of the most attractive and dynamic programs in the area.”

The dynamic preschool will include spacious classrooms and an innovative outdoor space where children can explore, interact with and connect to the environment. The preschool’s core curriculum will be available Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Children have the option of attending three or five days per week. Extended hours are available daily as early as 7 a.m. and until 6 p.m. to serve the needs of working families.

JEA Preschool Savannah is open to both JEA members and non members.

About JEA Preschool Savannah
JEA Preschool Savannah, located in the Jewish Educational Alliance community center at 5111 Abercorn Street, will open its doors in August 2013. The school, which will serve the needs of children ages 16 months through 4 years, focuses on the social, emotional and cognitive growth of young children in a Judaic setting. The core curriculum, led by qualified and experienced teachers, is available Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Extended hours are available daily from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on JEA Preschool Savannah, please call 912-355-8111 (ext. 228), email preschool@savj.org  or visit www.savannahjea.org .

JEA Preschool Savannah, 5111 Abercorn St., Savannah, www.savannahjea.org, 912-355-8111 (ext. 228), email preschool@savj.org  JEA Preschool is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Andrew Adams

Congratulations  St. Andrew’s School  Junior Andrew Adams for being selected to participate in the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP) this summer in the field of Chemistry!

Nearly 3000 students from across the state were interviewed and auditioned over three weekends in January and February, and from those nominees 690 finalists were chosen to participate. GHP is a residential summer program for gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors. 2013 marks the 50th year for GHP.

St. Andrew’s School – a Pre-K 3 through 12th grade independent private school on Wilmington Island, Savannah – is now accepting applications. Learn more here.

ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL, An Independent School, 601 Penn Waller Road, Savannah, 31410, WWW.SAINTSCHOOL.COM St. Andrew’s School is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Standardized tests aren’t going away from schools yet.

Fortunately, Barnett Educational Supplies in Savannah  has Common Core Aligned Test Prep books that will help their children
pass the CRCT tests. They have prep books for grades 1-8.

Please like Barnett on Facebook here to stay updated on their sales & products.

Store hours: Mon – Fri: 9 AM-7 PM; Sat: 10 AM-5 PM; Sun: 1- 5 PM.

Barnett Educational Supplies, 38 W De Renne Ave., Savannah, 31405-6742, tel: 912-356-1878, email barneduc@bellsouth.net www.barnetteducationalsupplies.com , Barnett Educational Supplies is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.