New Savannah-Chatham public school bell times for the 2012-2013 School Year have been approved. Check out the times above.

The bell schedule is separated by school levels and includes a different tier for each grouping based on elementary, K-8 Schools, Middle and High.

School starts in Savannah-Chatham County on Mon. Aug. 27, 2012; however, students of Groves High School will report to class beginning Mon. Aug. 10, 2012.

We’re wondering how parents feel about these changes? If you are upset, one option is to reach out to the Savannah-Chatham school board to express your thoughts and ask for the bell times for your school to be changed.

Contact info for Savannah-Chatham school board:
Dr. Joe Buck, School Board President, email Joe.Buck@sccpss.com
Julie Wade, District 1, email julie.wade@sccpss.com
Dr. Dionne Hoskins, District 2, email dionne.hoskins@sccpss.com
Cornelia H. Hall, District 3, email cornelia.hall@sccpss.com
Shawn A. Kachmar, District 4, email shawn.kachmar@sccpss.com
Irene G. Hines, District 5, email irene.hines@sccpss.com
Lori L. Brady, District 6, email lori.brady@sccpss.com
Julie T. Gerbsch, District 7, email julie.gerbsch@sccpss.com
Ruby D. Jones, District 8, email ruby.jones@sccpss.com

Discover the Dinosaurs – a traveling dinosaur show – is coming to Savannah Aug. 3-5 2012.

Discover the Dinosaurs is for the entire family, and especially kids, to explore the mystery of pre-historic life by creating an environment of learning, discovery, and fun.

The hands on exhibit – which will be at the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center on Hutchinson Island across from River Street – includes more than 60 animatronic and
museum quality dinosaur replicas. The exhibit showcases museum quality pieces along with several moving animatronic dinosaurs, all in a fun and educational environment.

Kids and families are encouraged to get up close and touch some of the dinosaurs on display, an opportunity which isn’t usually available in museum exhibits and other dinosaur events. This is the cornerstone of Discover the Dinosaurs. In addition to the exhibit, other activities included in admission price are the Dino Dig, Dino Den play area, Dino coloring area, scavenger hunt, and Dino theater.

*Several other attractions including gem & fossil panning, face painting, dinosaur inflatables, mini golf, and Dino rides are available for additional charge.

Discover the Dinosaurs engages the imaginations of kids to learn, gives them the hands on opportunity to touch a dinosaur, actually ride on the back of a T-Rex, and experience other fun activities & attractions that make spending the day with dinosaurs fun for all ages.

Exhibit runs Friday August 3rd 12 PM to 9 PM, Saturday August 4th 10 AM to 8 PM, and Sunday August 5th 10 AM to 7 PM [*Admission: Adults $15, Over 65+ $10, Children 2-12 $10, Under 2 FREE]

Don’t miss the FREE summer family stargazing event @ The Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens : Gazing in the Garden!

The Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens in conjunction with the Oglethorpe Astronomical Association invite you to a night of stargazing in the Garden. Saturday, June 23, 2012, Dusk-10 PM. Telescopes will be set up for observation, but you are welcome to bring your own. Free.

Here’s a list of children’s books on astronomy provided by Live Oak Public Libraries & distributed by the Oglethorpe Astronomical Association at the winter gazing in the garden family event at The Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens . “Night Sky Atlas” by Robin Seagell
“Astronomy” by Kristen Lippincott
“Black Holes & Other Space Oddities” by Alex Barnett
“Space” by Simon Holland
“The Solar System: An A-Z Guide” by Christina Wilsdon
“Cosmic Light Shows” by Bobbie Kalman & April Fast
“Find the Constellations” by H.A. Rey
“The Stars: A New Way to See Them” by H.A. Rey

This event is free & open to the public. Please enter the gate on US Hwy. 17.

The Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens, 2 Canebrake Road, Savannah, GA. 31419. Please enter the gate on US Hwy. 17. Please call 912-921-5460 for information, http://bamboo.caes.uga.edu/, On Facebook here

We are loving the online reading logs that are new to Live Oak Public Libraries Summer Reading Program.
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 Dream Big Zone here.

If you haven’t signed up your kids for the library’s Dream Big: Read! Summer Reading Program, be sure to do so. This year’s grand prize is a trip to Disney World for a family of four, including Amtrak gift card and hotel! Stop by any library to sign up and start reading!

If Disney 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 by July 31, 2012. Details about the sweepstakes, including the official rules and the online entry form can be found at http://www.path2college529.com/news/reading.shtml .

Congratulations to St. Andrew’s School – the Pre-K 3 through 12th grade independent private school on Wilmington Island – for receiving recognition as one of the most challenging U.S. high schools.

For the first time, the Washington Post’s education columnist Jay Mathews included private schools on his annual list of most challenging high schools. St. Andrew’s received the following rankings:
• 8th in Georgia
• 16th for all private schools in the nation
• 249th out of 1,926 public and private schools in America

Read the list of most challenging high schools by clicking here.

“We know that our students benefit from a challenging program that encourages them to fulfill their academic,” said Sara Rubinstein, Upper School Head. “Whereas some schools only believe in letting a small percentage of their students into IB or AP courses, we believe any student admitted to St Andrew’s should have the opportunity to pursue their ambitions in the classroom.”

St. Andrew’s is the only Savannah school to be recognized in the top ten for the state of Georgia and the highest ranked public or private school in the region.

The Challenge Index is determined by dividing the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at a school each year by the number of seniors graduating in the spring.

Mathews noted in his article that private schools are not as forthcoming with releasing this type of information. He applauds those private schools that are willing to share the data and open themselves up to comparison.

Kudos also to Savannah Arts Academy, a public school which ranked 29th in Georgia & 604^th out of 1,926 public and private schools in America.

1. Kumon Math and Reading Center of Savannah, www.kumon.com/savannah , open on Mondays and Thursdays from 3-7 PM, 10010 Abercorn Ave. in Savannah. For more information 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.

We love this!

Starting Monday (today), Lovin’ Spoons self-serve frozen yogurt will be offering one ounce off for every ‘A’. See the details above. Valid at all stores, offer ends June 30, 2012.

Your kids can show their report card at the register & Lovin Spoons will reward them with 1 ounce off your purchase for every ‘A’! (One visit per report card, not combined with other offers).

Lovin’ Spoons FroYo offers 12 ever changing flavors, over 40 fresh toppings, hot syrups served up with a groovy 70s vibe. Local store locations include:

Savannah
Savannah Centre by Toys R Us on Eisenhower Drive
912-355-2723

Pooler
Pooler Marketplace by Publix
912-748-1444

Richmond Hill
60 Exchange St.
912-459-1490

Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 12pm-10pm

Lovin Spoons, 912.355.2723, email info@lovinspoons.com , www.lovinspoons.com, Lovin’ Spoons is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

The most ferocious dinosaur that ever lived is coming to the Museum of Science & History (MOSH) in nearby Jacksonville, Fla. on Memorial Day Weekend. At 42-feet long, 12-feet tall and 3,500 pounds, Sue is the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered. The exhibit, A T. rex Named Sue, will open at MOSH May 26, 2012 and run through Sept. 23, 2012.

A replica cast of the actual T. rex is the keystone piece of this traveling exhibition on loan from The Field Museum in Chicago.

The exhibit will also include a dig pit, video footage & free-standing interactive exhibits. Guests will be able to touch casts of Sue’s arm, rib, tail bone and teeth; peek into the cretaceous world through the eyes of a T. rex and a triceratops, and manipulate a model of Sue’s jaws to demonstrate how her gigantic jaw muscles slammed shut on prey.

MOSH will be open Memorial Day, too. 

GRAND OPENING
Sat. MAY 26 – 10 A.M. to 4 P.M.
Check out the exhibit and enjoy special kid-friendly activities that will engage dinosaur fans of all ages.
FREE with museum admission!

DINOSAUR TRAIN
SATURDAYS – 10:30 A.M.
Join Buddy and the rest of his prehistoric pals from the PBS series Dinosaur Train for an adventure in the Bryan-Gooding Planetarium every Saturday morning during the exhibit at 10:30.
FREE with museum admission!

MOSH AFTER DARK: SPEAKING OF SUE
JUNE 28 – 6 P.M.
Join Dr. Barry Albright, a paleontologist at UNF, for a discussion of some little known facts about Sue and her excavation.
$5 for the public | FREE for MOSH Members, students and teachers with an ID

FOSSIL DAY
JULY 21 – 10 A.M. TO 1 P.M.
Do you have a mystery object? Bring it to MOSH’s panel of experts for identification!
FREE with museum admission!

DOZING WITH DINOS
JULY 28 – 6:30 P.M. TO 7:30 A.M.
Spend the night at MOSH and get exclusive access to A T. rex Named Sue. Campers will get to explore the museum, go to the planetarium and more!
$30 per child/$20 per adult | $25 per child/$15 per adult for MOSH Members

JURASSIC PARK
AUGUST 4 at 7 P.M.
Relive the excitement of the time when dinosaurs roamed the land with a special showing of Jurassic Park on the museum’s rooftop.
$7 per adult | $5 per member and children under 12

Museum of Science and History (MOSH), 1025 Museum Circle, Jacksonville, FL, 32207 , OPEN MEMORIAL DAY! www.themosh.org

In celebration of World Oceans Day, Jacques Cousteau’s birthday and the new “Sea Jellies of the Georgia Coast” exhibit, the UGA Marine Extension Service will host FREE hands-on education programs from 10am-4pm on Saturday, June 9, 2012 at the Marine Education Center on Skidaway Island, Savannah.

Free aquarium admission & educational activities are sponsored by NOAA’s Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary.

The day’s activities will focus on the issue of marine debris and how it affects Georgia’s coastal waters and the ocean. Visitors can learn more about sea jellies and participate in marine debris and sea jelly crafts, a marine debris program, a salt marsh clean-up, an aquarium treasure hunt, and ocean stories.

The new exhibit “Sea Jellies of the Georgia Coast” will open at 10AM with a half hour introduction to the exhibit at 11AM and highlighting the local and global importance of sea jellies and water quality.  More info here.

Activities Schedule
Marine Debris Program and Salt Marsh Clean-up: 8-10AM
Treasure Hunt (on-going): 10AM-4PM
Marine debris and sea jellies crafts (on-going): 10AM-4PM
“Sea Jellies of the Georgia Coast” Exhibit Opening: 11-11:30AM
Ocean Stories (15 minutes long and on the half hour): 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30

Congratulations Savannah Arts Academy, named No. 1 Georgia public high school by US News & World Report in the 2012 U.S. News Best High Schools.

Top Ranked GA Schools
To be eligible for a state ranking, a school must be awarded a national gold or silver medal.
#1
Savannah Arts Academy
500 WASHINGTON AVE, SAVANNAH, GA 31405

#2
Davidson Fine Arts
615 12TH ST, AUGUSTA, GA 30901

#3
Walton High School
1590 BILL MURDOCK RD, MARIETTA, GA 30062

#4
Northview High School
10625 PARSONS RD, DULUTH, GA 30097

#5
Riverwood International Charter School
5900 HEARDS DR NW, ATLANTA, GA 30328

#6
Columbus High School
1700 CHEROKEE AVE, COLUMBUS, GA 31906

#7
Lassiter High School
2600 SHALLOWFORD RD, MARIETTA, GA 30066

#8
Chamblee Charter High School
3688 CHAMBLEE DUNWOODY RD, CHAMBLEE, GA 30341

#9
Lakeside High School
3801 BRIARCLIFF RD NE, ATLANTA, GA 30345

#10
Duluth High School
3737 BROCK RD, DULUTH, GA 30096

Click here to read the article.

 For more information, contact artist Carrie Christian at 912-323-0123 or email ScribbleArtStudio@hotmail.com . Click here for more info. Scribble Art Studio a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Massie Heritage Center, Savannah’s museum for history and architecture located on Calhoun Square, will open its doors to the public after $1 million restoration project. The Grand Re-Opening Celebration activities and FREE ADMISSION are planned over 4 days, Thursday, April 26-Sunday, April 29 2012.

Discover new interactive exhibits including a laser show of the rebuilt three-dimensional model of James E. Oglethorpe’s famous city plan in Savannah: An Intelligent Grid. You’ll also see life-size classical structures from around the world which demonstrate the impact on Savannah’s own architecture in the Classically Inspired exhibit.

Schedule of Events:
Thursday, April 26 10 am: Ribbon Cutting & Dedication Ceremony
Friday, April 27 10 am-5 pm: Open FREE to public
Saturday, April 28 10 am-4 pm:  Open FREE to public
Sunday, April 29 1-5 pm: Open FREE to public

For more information call Sandee Lipsitz at (912) 395-5070. Massie Heritage Center, 207 E. Gordon Street, Savannah, GA 31401. www.massieschool.com

88 KEYS PIANO is excited to announce their BRAND NEW location for Kindermusik classes : the NEW Rody’s Music at 7700 Abercorn, just north of Mall Blvd. A beautiful and bright dedicated NEW Kindermusik space with state of the art sound provided by Audio-Video Warehouse. Come join Kindermusik for some summer musical fun!

Kindermusik in Savannah starts summer classes the week of June 25. Classes are offered on Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays – for all ages – newborn through 7 years old. It’s not too late to join this week or next online at www.88keysga.com since Kindermusik enrolls anytime. Check out a Kindermusik class at their new central location: 10-11 AM Wed. June 20 for newborns to 18 mos and 11:10am-12:10pm for toddlers 18 months to 4 years. Cost is $12 and includes the class, and take home materials.

The 6-week long summer session begins on June 25. Classes will be offered for ages newborn through 7 years old, so please click here for more info.

All class sizes are limited so enroll today!

Details on classes offered:

Newborns to 2 years old:
“Peek A Boo, I love you!” and “Busy Days”

2-4 year olds:
“Marvelous Me” , Outside my window” and “Zoo Train!”

4-6 year olds:
“Jazz Kitchen”, “Feel the Music” and “On the Road!”

5-7 year olds:
“Tell Me A Tale”

Family Time (0-7 year old siblings combined):
“Our Kind of Day”

All class costs include classes, home materials, instrument and CD for the class. All enrollments also include unlimited make-ups, to meet your busy summer plans!

Enroll today at www.88keysga.com! (click on the Kindermusik link on the 88 Keys Piano home page).

New program: Kindermusik playdates

88 KEYS PIANO  also will be offering one-time Kindermusik playdates on Wednesday, June 6th.

10-11am newborns to 20 month olds
11:10-12:10 – toddlers 18 months to 3.5 years old.

Kindermusik playdates are one-time classes for parents and children together. Playdates last one full hour and consist of 15 minutes of an instrument “petting zoo”, plus home materials of a download card from play.kindermusik.com and an age-appropriate instrument. Pre registering is required – classes are only $12 which include home materials.

Join 88 KEYS PIANO on June 20 for their brand new kindermusik playdates!!

Marina Lindblom, 88 KEYS PIANO/Kindermusik, 912.988.KEYS (5397), email music@88keysga.com, www.88keysga.com . Kindermusik is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Statesboro’s Georgia Southern Planetarium, which recently underwent renovations to a Digistar 4 full dome digital planetarium system, will host a free public, new full dome digital show, WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE, 4-5 PM April 14, 2012.  

This will be the first new full dome digital show in the redone planetarium! You’re invited to attend this FREE educational and exciting event that’s for all ages.

Telescopic viewing following /during the event weather permitting.

The planetarium is located in the Math/Physics Bldg (#203) on the campus of Georgia Southern University Campus map at: http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/map/

Parking directions for planetarium public events: Turn on to Herty Drive from Fair Road (GA Hwy 67) and follow all the way to the end. Turn left through the open parking gate then right into the large faculty/staff parking lot. Walk back down toward the gates and the planetarium is across on the other side in the Math/Physics Building between the small Eidson Building – Honors (old Alumni House) and the Biology Building.

WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE (New full dome digital show!)
4-5 PM Sat. April 14, 2012

Peer deep into space through the eyes of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and travel back billions of years in time to witness the birth of the universe. On this breathtaking excursion you’ll witness the formation of galaxies and explore some of the most wondrous nebulae and astronomical structures yet discovered. As your travels continue, you’ll fly deep into our own Milky Way galaxy and return home to Earth on a spectacular tour through the solar system. From Evans and Sutherland Digital Theater Productions.

Running time: 20 minutes

Trailer: http://www.es.com/Products/Shows/Wonders/WondersOfTheUniverse.html

A live star show of the current night sky will also be included with each presentation. Free sky maps, telescopic observing, activities, and more! Free event for all ages to enjoy sponsored by the Department of Physics of the College of Science and Technology at Georgia Southern University. The planetarium will be collecting canned and non-perishable foods to donate to our local food bank for those in need in our community.
For more information, visit GSU planetarium here. Questions? E-mail planetarium@georgiasouthern.edu, or call the Department of Physics at 912-478-5292.

Even though your baby is just a newborn, chances are you’re already trying to figure out how to save for his or her college tuition. Then check out Path2College’s 2011 Newborn Sweepstakes.

The Path2College 529 Plan will award one child born in Georgia during 2011 with $5,529 toward his or her college savings. Parents, grandparents or guardians may go to www.Path2College529.com  until April 14, 2012 to enter for a chance to win a prize that will put them on the path toward a college education and a brighter future.

Visit www.Path2College529.com  for official rules and details. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

Junior League of Savannah is now accepting Kids Who Care Scholarship Applications

KIDS WHO CARE is a program designed to salute high school seniors who have made a positive difference in the lives of others by volunteering. Five $1,000 college scholarships will be awarded to local seniors from the Low Country area in recognition of their outstanding volunteer service and outstanding community involvement. These scholarships are not based on academic or athletic ability.

The Junior League of Savannah would like you to help them identify these Kids Who Care by nominating high school seniors who have been active volunteers. Nominations may be made by anyone – principals, counselors, students, community groups and individuals, as well as self-nomination by the student.

Please visit the Junior League of Savannah website at www.jrleaguesav.org  (under Community Impact) for more information and to complete the application. Application Deadline: March 15, 2012.

For more information, please contact Lisa Pinyan via email at lpinyan@greenlinearch.com .

Interested in putting your child’s name into the lottery for the 2012-2013 Savannah-Chatham public schools FREE pre-kindergarten program? Here are some important dates:

Applications for the 2012-2013 Pre-Kindergarten Program will be available Monday, February 27, 2012 through Friday, March 23, 2012. The child must be four years of age on or before September 1, 2012. Parents must provide proof of residence and a certified birth certificate when submitting the application. Please note: Contact Coastal Empire Montessori for that school’s application dates as the school has a seperate enrollment process.

Only one application per child may be submitted at a maximum of three sites. If applying at three sites, your first choice must be in your attendance zone. The application with the appropriate documents must be submitted to each school. Submission of more than 3 applications will result in the child being disqualified.

Children will be selected through a lottery drawing which will be held April 3, 2012 at school sites. Parents will receive written notification of acceptance or waiting list status at the end of April.

Parents may go to any of the sites with the program to obtain an application. The Information Desk at 208 Bull Street will also have applications. Click here for local schools that offer the free pre-K program. Learn more about the program here.

You’re invited to a March 3 fund raiser to support a proposed Tybee Island charter school, which now has an official name, the Tybee Island Maritime Academy.

The focus of the school’s curriculum will be the full scope of the local, from the ecology and biology of the Lowcountry to the jobs that are specific to it (e.g., ports jobs, boat maintenance, shrimping, etc.).

Please like the proposed charter school on Facebook here for the latest updates.

Kris Williams, director of the Caretta Research Project, will be the featured speaker at this month’s Ocean Plaza Beach Resort Coastal Ecology Dinner Lecture Series, Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. at the hotel’s Dolphin Reef Oceanfront Restaurant, Tybee Island.

Williams will present a lecture entitled, “Why Is the Sea Turtle Population Dwindling?” The lecture will be preceded by a wine and cheese reception at 6 p.m. in the Dolphin Reef Bar, and dinner will be served in the Dolphin Reef main dining room at 6:30 p.m. The standard Dolphin Reef dinner menu will be offered. To RSVP, please call 912-786-7777.

The lecture will also be livestreamed at:
http://www.learnitlive.com/class/1736/Why-Is-the-Sea-Turtle-Population-Dwindling

The Caretta Research Project is a hands-on research, conservation and education program that has been protecting the nesting loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) on Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge since 1973. Each year, for 16 weeks during the summer, groups of volunteers travel to the beaches of Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge to help monitor egg-laying and hatching activity and to collect data on the loggerhead turtles.

During her lecture, Williams will discuss the four types of turtles that can be found in and around Georgia, why their populations are dwindling, and what she and her team are doing to help.

(Sidenote: Interested in teaching your kids more about sea turtles? Check out the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on nearby Jekyll Island. More info here.)

Is your child at a Savannah-Chatham public school? Now is your chance to tell the public school system how you feel about your child’s school.

Fill out the annual parents survey on the SCCPSS site. Click here to access the survey, which takes only a few minutes to complete. The survey is designed for parents/guardians of students in all grade levels including pre-K.

This survey will give you an opportunity to grade your child’s school. If you have children in more than one SCCPSS school, please respond about only one school per survey.

Saturday, February 4
Stop by the library with your kids and take part in some special activities, PLUS, register to win a Nook! Live Oak Libraries will give away ONE Barnes & Noble NOOK ($200 value) throughout the entire system to individuals who register at their branch ONLY on February 4.

Rincon Library, 3 p.m.
Stop by the Rincon Library with your kids and take part in this special family program. Activities include family storytime and board games. This is also a great opportunity to get a library card, learn about library services and collections for the whole family, and find out more about e-book services. Your child may even be able to read to a wonderful therapy dog. For all ages.

Oglethorpe Mall Library
10:30 a.m. – “Special Storytime” for ages 0 to 4
4 p.m. – “Make It and Take It Craft” with a Reading Train theme for ages 4 and up.

Southwest Chatham Library
11 a.m. – “Dog Days” Readers, ages 5 & up. Quiet reading with one of our many registered therapy dogs.
2 p.m. – “Family Storytime” Stories, songs, fingerplays and a thematic craft for all ages.
3 p.m. – 5 p.m. – “E-book Consultation” A trained staff will be available to offer assistance using Download Destination on your electronic reading device.

Islands Library, 4 p.m.

Tybee Library, 4 p.m.

Thunderbolt Library, 4 p.m.
Learn about library services, get an e-book lesson, make an art activity, and register for a special prize.

We all want our children to achieve their academic dreams.

Kumon of Savannah can help all children fulfill their potential by motivating them to achieve more independently.

The Kumon Math and Reading Center of Savannah assists students who are struggling in school and need to catch up, as well as those who want to advance.

Designed for students from pre-school to college level, Kumon helps children master skills in math and reading according to their own ability level.

Students begin the Kumon program at a comfortable starting point and work independently on daily worksheets that follow a naturally logical progression.

To build confidence and self-learning skills, children advance at their own pace in the Kumon Math and Reading Curriculum. Most students attend the Kumon Center twice a week, all year round.

For more information or to schedule a complimentary placement test, call owner and instructor, Janese Cooper at (912) 920-8899

Junior Kumon for preschoolers/kindergartners

Kumon also offers Junior Kumon an early education program for preschoolers and kindergartners, designed to motivate and help them prepare for their first academic challenges in reading and math. Junior Kumon builds children’s pre-literacy skills at an early age by teaching them the letters of the alphabet including shapes and sounds by connecting them with the spoken and written word. Their pre-numeracy skills are fostered by teaching them how to count and write numbers, coaching them to recognize patterns, and providing them with an understanding of basic addition.

Nurturing these abilities allows children to discover a love of learning and become capable, confident, and eager students.

Stay connected to Kumon of Savannah by liking them on Facebook here.

Kumon Math and Reading Center of Savannah, www.kumon.com/savannah, open on Mondays and Thursdays from 3-7 PM, 10010 Abercorn Ave. in Savannah. For more information 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.

Bacon Park Christian Day School is dedicated to providing children K-6th grade a traditional education combining challenging academics and character development in a Christian family atmosphere.

The school’s small classes will afford children more individual instruction time.

As part of character development, children are taught about honesty, integrity, good manners, and respect for God, family, friends, and community.

If you are looking for a nurturing environment where your child is valued as an individual and family involvement is encouraged, Bacon Park Christian Day School welcomes you to visit the school. More info here.

Bacon Park Chrisian Day School, 5411 Skidaway Road, Savannah, 31406, (912) 484-9880, email baconparkchristian@gmail.com , www.baconparkchristiandayschool.com Bacon Park Christian Day School is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

We love that The Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens is hosting what sounds like an unique, fun & educational event: Gazing in the Garden!

The Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens in conjunction with the Oglethorpe Astronomical Association invite you to a night of stargazing in the Garden. Saturday, January 28, 2012, 5-9pm. Telescopes will be set up for observation, but you are welcome to bring your own.

(Speaking of stargazing, keep checking SouthernMamas.com for updates about the re-opening of Statesboro’s Georgia Southern Planetarium, which is undergoing renovations to a Digistar 4 full dome digital planetarium system. In Feb. 2012, at a date & time to be announced, the GSU Planetarium will host a free public, new full dome digital show, WONDERS OF THE UNIVERSE. Details coming soon to SouthernMamas.com)

The Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens, 2 Canebrake Road, Savannah, GA. 31419. Please call 912-921-5460 for information, http://bamboo.caes.uga.edu/, On Facebook here