You can’t believe your baby will be entering kindergarten next fall.

And it’s already time to get ready. The Savannah Chatham County Public School System Kindergarten Orientation is this week.

SCCPSS Kindergarten Orientation Kindergarten orientation will be held in all schools throughout SCCPSS on Thursday, 9:30-10:30 AM March 25. Parents and guardians of children who will attend kindergarten next school year are encouraged to attend the orientation at the school their child will be attending in August 2010.

For more information, contact the elementary school site your child will be attending, or call 395-5635 or click here.

Thanks to SouthernMamas reader extraordinaire Kari Hunter for this info.

The Great Backyard Bird Count this week from Feb. 12-15 is a fun way to teach kids about birds.

All kids have to do is watch birds in your yard, a nearby park, or maybe at their school. Then kids tell what they saw by entering their bird list online. Info is collected from people all over the United States and Canada so scientists can learn what kind of birds are being seen in the winter and whether there are more or fewer of them than before.

Learn more about how your kids can participate by clicking here.

Deciding where to send your kids to school is tough, whether you’re talking about preschool or elementary school.

Pooler MOPS (Mother of Preschoolers) is helping us figure it out by hosting a School Fair for the Savannah area.

The Feb. 17 event will include representatives from a variety of schools- preschools and elementary- public, private, religious and home school. ALL are welcome to come.

This is a great chance to get some information about the schools you’re interested in and talk to the representatives.

There is no fee for parents (or for schools who might be interested in being part of the School Fair). Pooler MOPS members recognize the challenge for parents to find the right school for their children and hope this will be a valuable planning tool.

Pooler MOPS School Fair is 9:30-11:30 AM Wed. Feb. 17 at First Presbyterian Church of Pooler
305 HWY 80SE, Pooler. Check the growing list of confirmed schools that will have representatives by clicking here.

 Let the madness begin.

The confusing and nerve-wrecking  application process for the FREE Georgia pre-k program is not expected to start until April. It was intially supposed to start in February. But now the Savannah-Chatham Board of Education BOE Web site reads the application process will be Monday, April 12, 2010 through Friday, May 7, 2010.

Applications are expected to be available April 12 at the Savannah-Chatham public schools that offer the free, full-day program and at 208 Bull St.

Children 4-years-old prior to or on Sept. 1, 2010 are eligible for funded (i.e. FREE) pre-K in Georgia. (Did we mention it’s free?) You can only apply to TWO different schools and your first choice must be the school in your public school attendance zone.

Children will be selected through a lottery process, which will be held May.

To get a list of the designated attendance zone, click on this school locator and put in your address. If you have any questions, call the Savannah-Chatham School’s pre-K program director LaWanda Ransom @ 912. 395.1154 or 912. 395.5635 or email her @ lawanda.ransom@sccpss.com.

Private schools also offer the free pre-K program including Maggies’ Morning School, Savannah Youth University, Candler’s  The Children’s House, and  YMCA Childcare Plus: but many have a different application process. If you’re interested in a private child care that has it, call the school to find out when their applications are due.  Many are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

A slew of open houses at schools happening this season. If you are looking into schools for the 2010-2011 school year, below are a few open houses to check out. If you’d like to have a school included in this list, please email the info to anne@southernmamas.com:

Open houses at Savannah Christian Preparatory School
10 AM Thurs. Dec. 3 at the Lower School (preK-5th), Chatham
Parkway Campus, 1599 Chatham Parkway
10 AM Wed. Dec. 2 at The Lower School (K-5th) at DeRenne Avenue Campus,
2415 E. DeRenne Ave.
912.234.1653 ext 106

Creating a sensible budget is one of the hardest parts of family financial planning. Trying to spend less is difficult for those already on a tight budget; learning to spend smarter takes some time and focus, but can save you money.

Financial advisor Marsha Woelber, a Partner at Independent Investment Services, LLC/Securities Offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC, shares an easy trick of smart spending: the use of Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). Check out her guest article below. She can be reached @ marsha@iissav.com or 912-650-2852.

One easy trick of smart spending is the use of Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). Check with your (or your spouse’s) employer to see if this benefit is available to you.

An FSA allows an employee to set aside a portion of earnings before taxes to pay for certain medical or child care expenses. Money in a FSA avoids income tax and the 7.65% Social Security tax. If you are in the 15% tax bracket, you could avoid paying over 22% in taxes on that money, easily adding extra cash to your budget (Not sure of your tax bracket? Google “tax bracket” and see where you fit). There are two types of FSAs: Medical Expense and Dependent Care.

Medical expense FSAs cover health expenses not paid for by insurance. Each program varies, but allowable expenses include medical copayments and items such as contact lenses, birth control pills, many OTC drugs, and even band aids. Your employer sets the maximum amount of money you may set aside. You choose to have this money taken out of your paycheck (tax-free) and then use it to pay your bills.

To read the rest of this article, click here.

Emily Moody!

Emily wins a page-a-day pre-k readiness skills calendar that focuses on the parent’s needs FIRST. The Ready To Learn Calendar was developed to equip the caregiver/parent with a way to impart needed skills to their child during normal household routine (laundry, household chores, fixing dinner, or going to the grocery store.)

Each calendar gives the parent 2 or 3 simple daily exercises (10-15 minute total) for pre-k readiness. readytolearncalendar@gmail.com”

To order, call 865-429-2627 or email  readytolearncalendar@gmail.com. The calendar is sold as a wholesale item at $5.00/calendar and there is a minimum order of 64. The shipping runs from $.50 to $1.00 per calendar. Orders can be taken to assure that calendars are presold. For more info, click here.

You want your child to be ready for pre-K.  But you aren’t sure what you should be teaching the tyke to prepare for pre-K.

Here’s help: a page-a-day pre-k readiness skills calendar that focuses on the parent’s needs FIRST. The Ready To Learn Calendar was developed to equip the caregiver/parent with a way to impart needed skills to their child during normal household routine (laundry, household chores, fixing dinner, or going to the grocery store.)

Each calendar gives the parent 2 or 3 simple daily exercises (10-15 minute total) for pre-k readiness.

This week, a SouthernMamas reader will win one calendar.

Check out the rules below to enter to win:

Each calendar gives the parent 2 or 3 simple daily exercises (10-15 minute total) for pre-k readiness. readytolearncalendar@gmail.com”

Can’t wait for the giveaway? To order, call 865-429-2627 or email  readytolearncalendar@gmail.com. The calendar is sold as a wholesale item at $5.00/calendar and there is a minimum order of 64. The shipping runs from $.50 to $1.00 per calendar. Orders can be taken to assure that calendars are presold. For more info, click here.

A slew of open houses at schools happening this month. If you are looking into schools for the 2010-2011 school year, below are a few open houses to check out. If you’d like to have a school included in this list, please email the info to anne@southernmamas.com:

Open House for Prospective Families @ at St. Andrew’s School
noon-3 PM Sun. Nov 15
St. Andrew’s, a college prep school for Pre K3 through Grade 12, is hosting an Open House at the school at 601 Penn Waller Road on Wilmington Island.
897.4941.

Open houses at Savannah Christian Preparatory School
2:30 PM Sun. Nov. 15 at the Lower School (preK-5th), Chatham
Parkway Campus, 1599 Chatham Parkway
10 AM Thurs. Dec. 3 at the Lower School (preK-5th), Chatham
Parkway Campus, 1599 Chatham Parkway
7 PM Mon. Nov. 9 at The Lower School (K-5th) at DeRenne Avenue Campus,
2415 E. DeRenne Ave.
10 AM Wed. Dec. 2 at The Lower School (K-5th) at DeRenne Avenue Campus,
2415 E. DeRenne Ave.
912.234.1653 ext 106

Did your child fail to become a genius despite a steady diet of Baby Einstein DVDS and videos?

Now you can get your money back. According to this New York Times article, the Walt Disney Company is offering a $15.99 refund for Baby Einstein videos, up to four per customer. Receipts not required.

The videos have been the subject of complaints and a threatened lawsuit by the advocacy group Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood, which contended that contrary to the company’s early claims that Baby Einstein would enhance child development, watching TV is actually detrimental to children younger than 2. The American Academy of Pediatrics is against children younger than 2 watching any TV.

Here’s the link to the statement on the Baby Einstein Web site about the refund. For full details and an official mail-in certificate, click here.

I initially intended not to have my kids watch any TV until post-2, but failed miserably. However, I use DVDs to entertain while making dinner etc. and never believed Baby Einstein’s pitch that their products would land my kid in the gifted class. Did you? And if so, do you plan to take advantage of the refund and stop using Baby Einstein products?

The Classical Conversations group of Savannah will host open houses – by reservation only – during the next few weeks.

Learn how the Classical Conversations of Savannah community can help equip, encourage, and support parents in their homeschooling endeavors. Open houses start at 9 AM with a short explanation of the Classical Method of Education as well as a brief overview of Classical Conversations. At 9:15 AM, there will be an opening ceremony and dismiss for classes at 9:30 AM. During morning class time, learn and review information from English Grammar, Geography, History, Latin, Science and Math and an entire history timeline from a Biblical perspective. Enjoy watching the class presentations, hands-on science experiments, and Fine Arts sessions of the Foundations programs. Pack a lunch if you would like to eat lunch with the group.

Hear and observe the Essentials program from 1-3pm. This is when 3rd – 6th graders learn grammar, writing and play math games.

Reservations are required to ensure enough space is available. Meet on Tuesdays in Effingham county. The following dates are available for reservation: Oct. 27, Nov. 3 and Nov. 10. More dates will be available in 2010.

If you are interested, please contact Kristin Bigalke, Director of CC Savannah, at 912-655-8173 or rkadb004-education@yahoo.com.

Trying to figure out the best college savings plan for our children is overwelming. Financial advisor Marsha Woelber, a Partner at Independent Investment Services, LLC/Securities Offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC, offered to provide helpful information on college saving basics. Check out her guest article below. She can be reached @ marsha@iissav.com or 912-650-2852.

You want to provide your child with every opportunity in the world. Paying for a college education seems so far away, but you can make simple investment decisions today to ease the blow of increasing tuition costs.

There are many options to facilitate college savings; I’ve focused on 529 savings plans, popular due to their tax advantages and flexibility. As you can see below, paying for just one year at even a Public College can be overwhelming. You may not be able to save enough for all four years of tuition, room and board, and other expenses – but you could save enough to give your child the right start.

Common Questions about 529 Savings Plans

Q – What is a 529 Plan?
A – A 529 plan is an investment plan designed to encourage saving for a child’s college expenses. The plans are named after Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are made in cash and invested; the money can be used to pay for “qualified” college education expenses without incurring any income tax liability on the earnings and/or appreciated value of the assets.

Q – Who can open a 529 account?
A – Anyone. Parents, grandparents, other relatives or family friends can all be account owners with the child as beneficiary. Also note that anyone can contribute to an existing 529 account, no matter who owns it.

Q – How much do I need to invest in a 529 account?
A – Many plans have low initial minimums of $500-$1,000 and can usually be arranged for automatic investments of as little as $50 or $100 a month. Many states do have an upper limit on contributions, typically $200,000 – $250,000.

Q – Who controls the investments in the account?
A – The account owner selects from investment portfolios created by a professional money manager. The most common investment option is an age-based allocation strategy in which the age of the child (# of years until college) determines the specific mix of investments.

Q – Are there tax advantages to enrolling in a 529 Plan?
A – Contributions are not federal tax deductible on your tax return, however, your investments grow tax-deferred, and distributions for “qualified expenses” are federally tax-free. Your own state may offer tax benefits such as deductions; this should be considered prior to enrolling in a 529 plan.

Read the rest of the article by clicking here.

We’ve had a couple readers ask about local private school tuitions after this recent post about a new scholarship program for private schools. Here’s a tuition roundup (If you want your school to be included in this list, just email the info to anne@southernmamas.com):

Bethesda School (grades 5-12)
-$160-$500 monthly based on income ($5,000 max annual fee)

Bible Baptist School (preK-12)
-$4,375(preK-full day; $4,675 (grades 1-5); $4,775 (6-12)

Calvary Day School (preK-12)
-$5,790 (preK-K); $6,510 (1-5); $6,640 (6-12)

Chatham Academy
-$13,241 (grades 1-5); $13,416 (grades 6-8); $13,648 (grades 9-12)

Emmanuel Christian School
-preschool (ages 2-5) $88/week

Maggie’s Morning School (toddlers, 2s, 3s, preK)
-$2,250-$3,280 (2,3 & 5-day plans)

Memorial Day School (preK-12, as well as daycare)
-$5,700-$6,700

Montessori Academy of Savannah (preschool, ages 2-5)
-$230-$305/mo for 9 AM-1PM
-$90-$120/week, full-day

Notre Dame Academy (preK-8)
-$3,900, Catholic; $4,200, non-Catholic

Providence Christian School (preK-12)
-$3,000-$4,875

Rambam Day School (2yrs-8)
-$2,925-$7,665

St. Andrew’s School (preK-12)
-$6,095 (preK, half-day); $7,275 (preK, K); $8,710 (grades 1-4); $9,785 (5-8); $10,220 (9-12)

St. Paul’s Lutheran Preschool (6 wks-preK)
-$109-$125/week, full-time

Savannah Christian Preparatory School (preK-12)
-$6,660-$6,790

Urban Christian Academy (preK-12)
-$2,225 (K-12)

Veritas Academy (preK-12)
-$1,930 (preK); $2,860 (K); $4,647 (1-6); $5,232 (7-12)

Source: Savannah Magazine, July/August 2009 issue

ADDITIONS (Thanks to our readers):

• • Growing in the Son pre-school at Savannah Christian Church
    (18months to Pre-K)
    -18 mos-2 yrs, $1,260/yr; 2 year olds: $1,935/yr; 3 year olds, $2,115/yr; and preK is $2,700/yr. (18 mos -3 years goes from 9-12pm on varying days (18 mos: W and Th, 2 yrs: Wed-Fri, 3 yrs: Tues-Fri, and Pre-K M-F) with the exception of preK which is from 9 AM-1 PM)

.

• First Christian Academy, Richmond Hill
  (2 yrs. through 4th grade)
  Two’s – 3 days $225
  Two’s – 4 days $260
  Three’s – 3 days $240
  Three’s – 4 days $265
  Pre-K – 4 days $285
  Kindergarten $390
  First Grade – Fourth $405

Does back-to-school season have you depressed about your kids’ public education options in our area? Not to mention reading those intimidating private school tuitions in the current issue of Savannah Magazine?

Good news: there’s a new tuition scholarship program targeted towards low to moderate income families who are looking for an alternative to public education. St. Andrew’s School, an independent college prep school on Wilmington Island for Pre-K through 12th grade, participates in this program.

The Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program provides qualified Georgian children from low-and moderate income families with the opportunity to attend the private K-12 schools. The scholarships are available to any child entering kindergarten and any student in grades 1-12 who is transferring from public school.

GOAL Scholarships are awarded on a sliding scale based on the availability of funds, the annual household income of applicant families, and household size. In order for a child to receive a GOAL Scholarship in any amount, total household income cannot exceed $85,000.

Click here to see a list of participating schools in the Savannah-area. For more info on St. Andrew’s scholarship program, click here.

SouthernMamas readers are always telling us how much they’d love to have a Savannah Children’s Museum.

Here’s your chance to help make it happen. Work is under way to build a Savannah Children’s Museum, which will be in railroad buildings adjacent to Battlefield Park and the Roundhouse Railroad Museum downtown. Estimated completion date is late 2010.

The museum will be owned by the city of Savannah and will be operated by the Coastal Heritage Society.

The Coastal Heritage Society plans to hold monthly volunteer work days to complete the outdoor courtyard and carpentry shop play space. These spaces will provide unique and engaging outdoor gross motor activities for children of all ages as phase 1 of the museum.

Work on the monthly volunteer days will include building benches, planters, a maze, laying sod, and preparing the outdoor space. Become a member of the museum’s Workers of Wonders (WOW) team to bring the Savannah Children’s Museum to life. People of all skill levels are needed.

The first volunteer day will be 9 AM- 3 PM Sat. Sept 19

For more information, to volunteer or donate supplies contact Beth Parr, 663-7466 or bparr@chsgeorgia.org

If you would like to be on a mailing list for updates about the museum, click here.

The Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society (LDSS) has created Savannah’s first Summer Camp for children with Down Syndrome.

The six day program will be held 9 AM-12:30 PM on July 27, 29, and 31 and August 3, 5 and 7.

Camps are funded in part by the money the organization raises through their annual Down Syndrome Buddy Walk each October-requiring participants to pay just $30 for the three day camp. Educational and recreational activities are scheduled for children ages 3 to 6. Speech, physical and occupational therapists are on board to assist the children in their continued growth and development, while having fun.

For more information or to register, contact John Bogardus at (912) 728-8505 or click here.

For more local summer camps, click here.

We’re often too busy to savor the beauty of being a mom and spending time with our kids. A Waldorf-inspired parent-tot program on Tybee Island helps moms slow down for a few hours each week and appreciate our role while our children enjoy creative play, meaningful imitation and oral learning.

The parent-tot program for toddlers, ages 1 to 4, is in the home of Bridget Lawson, who is Waldorf-schooled and trained. Tots and moms bake bread; watch puppet shows in Bridget’s sun-dappled playroom, equipped with Waldorf wooden toys (and pictured here); engage in crafts, morning circle time, story, outdoor play; and enjoy an organic morning snack.

Tots even grind the wheat to make the bread, as pictured below.

My son and I are relishing Bridget’s first session, which has two more classes, 9:30-11:30 Fri. March 6 & March 13. We drive away from each program feeling happy and renewed, with our bag of fresh wheat rolls we made together.  The next session starts Fri. March 27 and will run for eight weeks ending on Fri. May 15.

Beginning the week of March 9 is a separate four-week Waldorf-inspired parent-infant program for infants ages 6 weeks to 10 months.  The Nurtured Newborns Class at Bridget’s home will include observation and discussion of infant behavior, simple circle games and lullabies, snack for the parents and a sharing of insights from recommended study books.

For registration and cost info. on either program, call 413.575.5338.

The aim of Waldorf is to produce lifelong learners and teach through movement and example.

In the past 20 years, Waldorf has become the largest private-school movement in the world, according to Mothering magazine. Waldorf methods are now being taken up by a growing number of homeschooling families and public charter and magnet schools nationally.

Read more about the Waldorf educational philosophy here.

All I can say is I am relieved my son has two more years until he’s eligible for Georgia’s free pre-k program because it’s going to take me that long to figure out the application process.

We continue to receive questions from SouthernMamas readers about the free pre-k application process, currently under way @ Savannah-Chatham public schools until March 16. Children 4-years-old prior to or on Sept. 1, 2009 are eligible for free pre-K in Georgia.

Private child-care facilities also offer the free pre-k, but many have a different application process. If, for example, you are interested in a private child care that has it, call the school to find out when their applications are due.  Savannah Youth University and The Children’s House take applications around mid-February. YMCA Childcare Plus starts accepting applications Feb. 15.

Many are on a first-come, first-serve basis, such as Maggies’ Morning School ,which is already full and only accepting waiting-list applications now.

Perhaps the most confusing is Charles Ellis Montessori Academy, part of the Savannah-Chatham public school system. Although Ellis doesn’t have a designated attendance zone for its higher grades, it does for free pre-k. That means they have TWO pre-k lotteries. One for those fortunate people living in the attendance zone and another for those of us outside the zone. The first lottery group gets first dibs on free pre-k slots. Those in the second group don’t have much chance.

For more info on the free pre-k program, click here.  Good luck to those you immersed in the process.

Now that the application process is under way for the funded (i.e. FREE) Georgia Pre-K program (Feb. 2-March 16),  SouthernMamas.com is receiving scores of questions about how the pre-K lottery system works. We’re trying to figure it out, too.

Children 4-years-old prior to or on Sept. 1, 2009 are eligible for free pre-K in Georgia. You can only apply to TWO different schools and your first choice must be the school in your public school attendance zone – which is a real downer for those of us in a designated zone with a less than desirable elementary school.

SouthernMamas reader Jennifer Rodgers emails:  Where can I get a list of the designated attendance zone?

Answer: Click on this school locator and put in your address. If you have any questions, call the Savannah-Chatham School’s pre-K program director LaWanda Ransom @ 912. 395.1154 or 912. 395.5635 or email her @ lawanda.ransom@sccpss.com

Private schools also offer the free pre-K program including Maggies’ Morning School and Candler’s The Children’s House.

The lottery is held @ the school sites @ 10 am March 18. You can attend the lottery drawing to see if your child gets in to the pre-K program of your choice or wait to be notified in writing of acceptance or waiting list status during the week of March 23.

For more info, read past posts on this subject here and here

Interested in sending your child to St. Andrew’s School?

The independent college preparatory school on Wilmington Island has several open house dates for Pre-K 3 through Grade 12 including:
Tues., Jan. 13 at 9 a.m.
Fri. Jan. 16 at 12 noon
Mon., Jan. 26 at 9 a.m.
Wed., Jan. 28 at 12 noon
Thurs., Feb. 5 at 9 a.m.

Call 897.4941 to reserve your spot or for more information. To find out more about the school, click here.

Dyslexia is one of the most misunderstood learning difficulties.

But help is available. The Reading Quest Learning Center in Pooler – a new sponsor of SouthernMamas – specializes in dyslexia and non-medication programs for ADD/ADHD. Recently, Reading Quest also added a program for autism.

Lesa Hall, who holds a B.S. in Education and has 15 years of teaching experience, founded Reading Quest Learning Center in May 2006. She uses the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program that addresses the learning styles of children and adults with dyslexia and ADD/ADHD.

The center’s philosophy is that dyslexia is not a disease, defect, or malformation of the brain, but a highly creative thought process and a special way of reacting to confusion.

The goal of Reading Quest’s 5-day intensive/one-on-one dyslexia program – which is also open to adults – is for the student to acquire the basic tools of literacy including:
-The ability to recognize and correct disorientations at will
-The ability to focus attention
-The knowledge of how to eliminate confusions in words and symbols
-Increased self-confidence and ability in reading writing math or physical skills

Reading Quest is offering a free consultation and assessment with a 10 percent discount off the program fee.

Read more about Reading Quest’ s dyslexia sessions by clicking here; by calling 912.330.8577 or emailing lesa@readingquestga.com.

The center’s new autism program is for children 8 and older as well as adults. Non-verbal students are accepted. For more info on the one-on-one, 4 to 5 week autism sessions, click here. Call 912.330.8577 to schedule a free presentation of the program.

Babble.com has an interesting and quick Q&A today with Sanda Tsing Loh, author of the new book “Mother on Fire: A True Motherf%#$@ Story About Parenting.”

Loh , a writer, performer and NPR essayist, is now a staunch defender of “those scary, scary” public schools. She points an accusatory finger at moms like me who are leaning toward choosing private schools (if we can save enough money by the time my son’s ready and if we don’t make the lottery for the public school Charles Ellis Montessori Academy).

Should we feel “judged” or “disrespected” or “guilty” for choosing private schools over public?

That depends, according to Loh. If you are disgusted with the state of public education, the best solution is getting involved and making improvements as a public school parent. Loh says she has a big problem with “The very elite, wealthy blue, blue Democrat, Manhattan or L.A. people railing against the educational system” while sending their kids to exclusive private schools.

“They could make it (the public school system) better. All the money they’re dumping into the private schools, all the favors they’re doing for private schools — speaking at commencements, the fund raising, teaching the little Latin class, dumping all their resources into the private schools — then looking critically at all of us people out there in the not-so pretty schools. Those are people I would judge most harshly,” Loh says.

She also defends the stereotypical PTA mom who makes school fund raising her life’s mission, leaving other parents feeling inferior.

“It’s the moms at public schools who are doing all of it: cutting out cute heart-shaped figures, bringing snacks for field trips, figuring out the system, selling the wrapping paper, writing grants for the violins, getting money together for a music program,” Loh says. “So the PTA mom is glaring at you. . . leave her alone, she’s getting a new gym built!”

Read the Q&A here.

Below is a blurb from Amazon about her book. It sounds like an interesting, albeit guilt-provoking, read.

“Prompted by her own midlife crisis, Loh throws her frantic energy not into illicit affairs, shopping binges, or exotic trips, but into the harrowing heart of contemporary, dysfunctional L.A. life when she realizes that she can’t afford private school for her daughter, and her only alternative is her neighborhood’s public school, Guavatorina, where most of the kids speak Spanish and qualify for free lunches. “

Starting Sept. 15, Telfair Museum of Art will offer youth studio art classes for a variety of age levels, including as young as 5. Check out all the classes by clicking here.

Sessions include:

• Home-school art: painting – art fundamentals for Savannah-area home-schooled children.
• Photography, drawing, mixed media.
• Multi-media Saturday series – painting, sculpture and drawing.

To register, call 912.790.8823.

Don’t forget, the next Toddler Third Thursday @ Telfair’s Jepson Center of the Arts is 10-11:30 am Sept. 18. Toddler Third Thursday is designed for preschoolers ages 3-5 and their adult companions.

Toddlers explore artwork and partake in a fun-filled art project relating to their tour. Colors, shapes and material vocabulary are encouraged. Each month brings a different tour and project. This month’s is s farms and barns art activity based on the work of William Christenberry.

Kids also get time to play in the ArtZeum, the Jepson’s interactive children’s section, and can take home their art masterpieces. Admission is $4 per child with adult admission fee. Call 912.790.8823 to register.

You spent all summer cultivating your child’s love for the ocean.

Now you can celebrate that nautical love @ Gray’s Reef 2008 Ocean Film Festival. The festival has a special program for kids – Seaside Saturday. It will be 9-10 am Sat. Sept. 20 @ SCAD’s Trustees Theatre – Broughton Street. All children are invited to attend this FREE! event with their parents.

The event includes these kid-friendly films:

• Sanctuary Sam – (1 min) – The National Marine Sanctuary System’s “flippered” ambassador delivers a message.
• Water Detectives – (11 min) – Children of one Mexican town teach the adults how to conserve water.
• Ride of the Mergansers – (11 min) – Baby mergansers get their first look at the world.
• Always Ready – (4 min) – A kid-sized view of the U.S. Coast Guard produced by 8-year-old Herbert Gilman.

For more info, click here.