Low Country Counseling therapists offer four ways here on how to deal with this complicated time.

Be gentle with yourself. Being a human during the holidays and post holidays is hard, but it doesn’t have to be hopeless.

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If you or a loved one is in need of support, Low Country Counseling offers specialized therapy for Individuals, Moms, Couples, Families, Children, and Teens. Contact Low Country Counseling for any questions you need answered or to schedule an appointment. Help is available. You’re not alone.

Low Country Counseling is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

Outdoor weekend kid-friendly events @ Fort McAllister State Park, Richmond Hill

Hikes, soldier Saturdays, blacksmithing programs, survival shelter building workshops & more.

See the events schedule here. 

Admissions season has begun! Visit Savannah’s schools @ these open houses or ongoing school tours to get to know the schools yourself.

Upcoming Savannah school Winter 2021 open houses & ongoing school tours for prospective families include:

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Advanced Academics, Pooler

Advanced Academics in Pooler PreK & Kindergarten: $75/week half days. K-5th grade:$150/wk full days. Set up a tour. Call 912.348.2017. Details here. 

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Savannah Christian Preparatory School, Savannah

Open Houses: Wednesdays Jan. 13, Jan. 27, Feb. 10 & Feb. 24 2021 9:30-10:30AM @ Eckburg Auditorium.Reservations required. Details here.

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Savannah Classical Academy, Savannah

The annual lottery is now open for Savannah Classical Academy , free, public K-12 charter school, for all students from kindergarten to twelfth grade for the 2021-2022 school year. Don’t miss the deadline for your family to enroll in this free public charter Savannah school as part of the local school system. Apply for the lottery here.

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St. Andrew’s School, Wilmington Is., Savannah

Now accepting applications for Pre-K 3 through Grade 4. The application deadline is 2.19.21. Details here. 

Tour this private independent school (age 3 to grade). Call 897.4941 or email Windee Helle in the Admissions Office at hellew@saslions.com to schedule your private tour. Details here.

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Susie King Taylor Community School, Savannah

Application for the lottery for 2021-22 school year is open. Susie King Taylor Community School is a tuition-free, public K-8 Savannah charter school. Details here. 

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Risen Savior Christian Academy, Pooler

Open House, Sat. Jan. 23, 10AM-Noon.
Tour this private school’s recently expanded campus & meet staff members.
NOW ENROLLING: Preschool – ages 2-4
Elementary – K-8th grade
Details here. 

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Calvary Day School, Savannah

Campus Tours are by appointment and are offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays throughout the school year. Please call admissions department at (912) 351-0700 or email admissions@calvarydayschool.com to schedule your tour.
Details here.

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Augusta Canal Bike Trail

Augusta Canal Bike Trail

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If the newest portion of Savannah’s Truman Linear Park Trail has sparked your family’s biking interest, here are some trails to check out next time you visit Atlanta, Augusta, Ga., Columbia SC or Bluffton SC. We hit each of these over winter break 2020 and look forward to returning again in spring. Pack a lunch, bring plenty of water and enjoy the ride.

Augusta Canal Trail

Augusta Canal’s wide, level towpath, once used by mules to pull canal boats to the Canal headgates, runs between the canal and the Savannah River. This roughly 7.5 mile packed-dirt trail is a must-do bike ride on your next Augusta visit. There are also kayaking and mountain bike trail options. We parked at the north end of the trail, where there’s free parking, restrooms, and drinking fountain in Savannah Rapids Park (3300 Evans to Locks Rd., Martinez) as well as bike rental.

Other ways to access this trail include:

*Near the southern end of the trail, take Broad Street from downtown Augusta west to Goodrich Street and turn right. Continue about a mile to a parking lot at the pumping station adjacent to the King and Sibley mills.

*Lake Olmstead Trailhead (1 Milledge Road) has parking, restrooms, drinking fountains, and a picnic area.

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Three Rivers Greenway

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Three Rivers Greenway, Columbia SC

Three Rivers Greenway consists of 12.5 miles of scenic lighted and paved trails and boardwalks that run along the riverbanks where the Saluda, Broad and Congaree rivers meet.

Two of these multi-use trails connect – the West Columbia Riverwalk and the Cayce Riverwalk – and run along the Congaree River. Think covered boardwalks, winding tree-lined trails, wayside exhibits as well as picnic tables along the water. Find free parking options for this section here.

A third trail – Granby and Riverfront parks- is on the opposite side of the Congaree River, the City of Columbia side. Free parking for this section and public restrooms are available at Riverfront Park (312 Laurel St. Columbia), where there’s a popular, scenic 2.5 miles section of the Three Rivers Greenway that runs from the park between the Congaree River and Historic Columbia Canal.

(While perhaps not officially part of the trail, the Gervais Street Bridge could be used by riders who want to ride both the West Columbia/Cayce Riverwalks and the Riverfront-Granby park trails)

Also part of Three Rivers Greenway is Saluda Riverwalk (650 Candi Lane, Columbia), a 3-mile stretch along the Lower Saluda River near Riverbanks Zoo, from I-26 to the Broad River. It’s unclear whether this section is officially open. This section is not yet connected to Three Rivers Greenway.

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Big Creek Greenway, near Atlanta

Our favorite bike trail near Atlanta due to the natural, peaceful setting, Big Creek Greenway  is a roughly 8-mile multi-use concrete trail in the Alpharetta and Roswell areas. There’s a wetland area, bridges, plenty of fallen trees that provide a place to rest and eat lunch. There’s also a mountain bike option.

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Silver Comet Trail, near Atlanta

The Silver Comet Trail is in Smyrna, about 13 miles northwest of Atlanta. It is one of Atlanta’s most popular bike trails and also the most crowded. You could take this ride from Atlanta suburbs to Alabama. (We did not!) It connects to the 33-mile long Chief Ladiga Trail. The combined Silver Comet and Chief Ladgita trails are more than 90 miles long from Smyrna to Alabama.

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Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, Bluffton SC

A mere hour drive from Savannah, Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge is an easy getaway from Savannah to bike amid nature on 14 miles of hiking and biking trails. The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset daily.

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Three Rivers Greenway

The Mountainfilm on Tour – Savannah 2021 Virtual Film Festival – a nonprofit organization working in partnership with Mountainfilm in Telluride, Colo.- is January 22-25 2021.

The 2021 event will feature a virtual screening of a feature film as well as a documentary short films program and a special family program, which consists of 8 inspiring short, kid-friendly films.  Find the film descriptions here.

Family Program tickets as well as tickets for the feature film Public Trust and the Adventure Shorts Program are currently on sale at mountainfilmsav.org. The virtual family program is available beginning at noon on Fri. Jan. 22 and will be available until noon on Mon. Jan. 25 2021.

Public Trust/Adventure Shorts Program tickets are $20 per individual and $35 per family. Family Program tickets are $10 per individual and $15 per family. This event is a fundraiser for Mountainfilm on Tour – Savannah. 

All Mountainfilm on Tour – Savannah 2021 virtual film programs will be available on-demand from January 22-25, 2021.

Learn more here. 

Savannah Classical Academy is free, public K-12 charter school with an entirely open enrollment.

Savannah Classical Academy’s annual lottery is now open for all students from kindergarten to twelfth grade for the 2021-2022 school year.

Don’t miss the deadline for your family to enroll in this free public charter Savannah school as part of the local school system!

Apply for the lottery now here.

The mission of Savannah Classical Academy is to provide every child with a classical and academically rigorous education while instilling a commitment to civic virtue and moral character.

Savannah Classical Academy is the only public school in Savannah that has been opened since August 2020 to in-person classes during the 2020-21 school year. SCA has discontinued its dual-learning model (online and in-person) and all SCA students returned to campus Nov. 2. The last day of SCA’s virtual learning model was Oct. 30.

SCA says the school has remained free of any COVID-19 cases since the start of the 2020-21 school year.

SCA has taken many steps to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the risk to students and staff

SCA upgrades to keep students and staff safe include:
*Entryway equipped with a germicidal UV-C light.
*Specialized mats designed to sanitize footwear.
*Social distancing markings at entrances/exits throughout campus.
*Installation of ionization systems HVAC to purify circulating air and disinfect surfaces.
*Over 100 strategically placed automated hand sanitizing stations.
*Touchless thermometers and thermal imaging cameras.
*Isolation lounge space.
*Installation of cameras in all classrooms.
*Contracted with custodial vendor with trained staff using appropriate virucide, sanitation chemicals, and foggers, with increased staff for whole school sanitation each day.
*Personal protective equipment provided to all students and staff including face masks, face shields, and gloves.
*Individualized furniture purchased and arranged to maximize classroom square footage.
*Clear desktop barriers for all students.
*Alteration to student and staff traffic and meal schedules to reduce interactions to smaller groups.
*Posting signage for reinforcement of proper personal hygiene and social distancing.
*Installation of additional water bottle refilling stations for upper school students.
*Bottled water provided for lower school students.

Savannah Classical Academy
705 East Anderson Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 395-4040

Savannah Classical Academy is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

First Day Hikes 2021 in Savannah, Richmond Hill

First day hikes on New Year’s Day are happening @ Skidaway Is. State Park in Savannah, Fort McAllister State Park in Richmond Hill & Wormsloe State Historic Site in Savannah.

Details here.

School searching in Savannah?

Join Savannah Christian Preparatory School at an upcoming open houses, school tours.

Open houses @ Savannah Christian Preparatory School 

Wednesdays Jan. 13, Jan. 27, Feb. 10 & Feb. 24 2021, 9:30-10:30AM @ Eckburg Auditorium.

Find more information here. 

Reservations are required. For more information on this event or admissions at Savannah Christian Preparatory School, please email Kathi Strickland, Director of Family Relations, at kstrickland@savcps.com or call the admissions office at 912.629.5544.

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More about SCPS

Savannah Christian Preparatory School (SCPS) is an independent, non-denominational PK-12 college prep Christian school.

Savannah Christian Preparatory School,  (912) 234-1653, www.savcps.com, On Facebook here. On Twitter here.  Follow SCPS on Instagram at savannahchristianprep   Savannah Christian Preparatory School is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

Just signed up my beginner Spanish student for affordable, online Spanish tutoring classes at home with teachers in Nicaragua @ La Mariposa Spanish School. 

One of the (few) benefits of virtual school is more time and opportunity for other virtual classes like this.

La Mariposa offers grammar or conversation classes for all ages and levels. So your child can improve their Spanish from home with native Spanish speakers. Cost: $12/hour. 

To learn more, email lamariposaspanishschool06@gmail.com or visit mariposaspanishschool.com/school/skype-classes/ 

New Kindermusik Savannah January themes start next week, Jan. 4 2021.

Kick off the new year by carving aside a weekly together-time with your newborn to 7 year old, enjoying the beauty of learning through music.

Newborns through 10-week-olds attend completely free!

Classes offered in studio and virtual – choose what works best for you!

Visit kindermusikwith88keys.com or text 912-432-5885 to try a free introductory class.

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Kindermusik Savannah is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

Couples Counseling @ Low Country Counseling, Savannah 

Seeking guidance together can improve navigating stressors such as parenting, career and finances, extended family pressures, internal struggles, affairs, life transitions, and feeling disconnected from one another.

Marital and couples counseling can help strengthen partnerships, improve communication, ease tensions, heal wounds, promote bonding, and enhance intimacy.

Learn more here.

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Contact Low Country Counseling for any questions you need answered or to schedule an appointment. Help is available. You are not alone.

Hope starts here. 

Low Country Counseling is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

6 Family Spring Break Ideas In 2021

While it may be winter outside, now is the time to make your spring break travel plans.

If you’re feeling ready to explore, adventure or simply just need to getaway, travel is slowly resuming. Many popular domestic destinations are welcoming guests again and several international borders have re-opened to US passport holders.

So, what’s open and where to take your family for Spring Break 2021, Two Sisters Travel is sharing top destination picks!

All Inclusive Resorts

Kickback and relax on island time by sipping frozen drinks on white sand beaches. All inclusive resorts combine relaxation and adventure blending together the perfect family vacation experience. Kids will enjoy water sports & age-focused activities while parents relax in the spa, there’s truly something for everyone at an all inclusive resort.

These resorts offer a great value by including accommodations, dining, drinks, activities and entertainment in one package price. Makes for an overall stress-free vacation.

Ready to start planning? Contact Two Sisters Travel.

Theme Parks

Celebrating spring break at Walt Disney World Resort or Universal Orlando Resort can be the perfect escape from reality. Slip into themed lands of fantasy, adventure, nature and science making memories with your family.

Experience new attractions & experiences at both parks, and for a limited time take advantage of special discounts.

Ready to start planning? Contact Two Sisters Travel.

National Parks

Highlighting some of America’s most breathtaking landscapes and landmarks our National Parks are true treasure to explore. A few of our favorites to visit during the spring are Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Zion and Grand Canyon.

Each offers an entirely different appeal and experience! Two Sisters Travel will help you narrow down the overwhelming number of options to curate the right itinerary to fit your national parks vacation vision!

Ready to start planning? Contact Two Sisters Travel.

Florida Keys

Experience the feel of the Caribbean without a passport. The Florida Keys are a 110-mile island chain surrounded by crystal-blue waters that are famed for stunning sunsets and a relaxed atmosphere.

Nature lovers flock to the Lower Keys with it’s state parks and protected areas, divers & snorkelers enjoy Marathon (access to America’s only living coral barrier reef), and for the more vibrant activities visit Key West, the southernmost point in the continental United States.

Ready to start planning? Contact Two Sisters Travel.

Costa Rica

An eco-travelers dream, Costa Rica represents what an unspoiled tropical paradise should be. Blessed with beaches and biodiversity, this verdant land of misty volcanoes, roaring rivers, and lush jungles teeming with exotic fauna this country is the perfect place for adventure and relaxation.

Spend your days exploring cloud rainforests, zip lining through the jungle or surfing along the coast. It’s easy to see why they say Costa Rica is Pura Vida – “pure life.”

Ready to start planning? Contact Two Sisters Travel.

Hawaii

Situated in the Pacific Ocean and over 2,100 miles from the mainland sits the small island chain of Hawaii. These gorgeous volcanic islands formed millions of years ago are still intriguing visitors today.

Steeped in breathtaking natural beauty, warm Polynesian culture, and a near perfect year round climate, Hawaii makes an ideal tropical destination to celebrate the holiday season. Experience it all from history & culture, to relaxation & adventure.

Ready to start planning? Contact Two Sisters Travel.

Don’t let the stress of planning your family spring break vacation overwhelm you. Two Sisters Travel can custom curate the perfect itinerary to fit your vacation style, preferences and budget. Two Sisters Travel will make the entire travel experience easy and stress-free from start to finish.

Contact Two Sisters Travel today online here  or call 843-284-3241, and let’s get started.

Two Sisters Travel is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

COVID-19 vaccines are the key assets to help us put an end to this pandemic, and the next steps toward protecting our community, reducing the number of cases, and restoring a sense of normalcy, said John Marrero, CEO of SouthCoast Health in Savannah.

The physicians at SouthCoast Health trust the science of COVID-19 vaccines and encourage all patients to get the vaccine as soon they become eligible, regardless of healthcare practice location. The vaccine, which offers up to 95% protection against COVID-19, was deemed safe and effective by the FDA, Marrero said.

SouthCoast Health is in line to receive the vaccine and we will provide updates regarding the availability as soon as they develop. SouthCoast Health plans on offering online appointments and following the government eligibility timeline as to who receives the vaccine.

Learn more here.

SouthCoast Health is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

Georgia State Railroad Museum and Savannah Children’s Museum will be open Sat. Dec. 26 through Tues. Dec. 29 from 9:30AM-2:30PM. Guests can enjoy interactive exhibits and engaging tours at Georgia State Railroad Museum and families can enjoy open exploration and activities at Savannah Children’s Museum.

Both museums will be closed for New Year’s on Dec. 31 2020 through Jan. 2 2021. Georgia State Railroad Museum and Savannah Children’s Museum will resume regular hours (Thursday-Saturday, 9:30AM-2:30PM) on Thurs. Jan. 7 2021.

Both sites are large, open-air historic sites with plenty of space for safe social distancing. Learn more here.

Social distancing protocols and sanitizing procedures are enforced. Guests are required to wear masks and adhere to public health safety protocols.

Coastal Heritage Society is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

Check out SouthernMamas.com Best Home Holiday Lights/Decorations list for 2020 for the Greater Savannah area:

Find more fun family Holiday happenings in Savannah & the Lowcountry in SouthernMamas.com Holiday Events 2020.

Low Country Counseling in Savannah

Kristin Dickens @ Low Country Counseling in Savannah offers therapy for individuals, families, and couples for adolescents and adults (ages 15+). She has focused her career on helping others find ways to empower themselves. She has extensive training in Marriage and Family Therapy as well as Eating Disorders. Kristen has genuine compassion for anyone who is open to change but feels unsure on how to begin. Her practice provides help for anxiety, mood disorders, high risk behaviors, and tension within relationships.

Contact Low Country Counseling for any questions you need answered or to schedule an appointment. Help is available. You are not alone.

Hope starts here. 

Low Country Counseling is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

Susie King Taylor Community School, Savannah 

Susie King Taylor Community School’s lottery is officially open for the 2021-2022 school year.

SKTCS is a tuition-free, public K-8 Charter School in Savannah focused on place-based education, social-emotional learning with an emphasis on community through the middle school academy for social justice.

Learn more here.

Join  Kindermusik Savannah for two completely FREE Kindermusik classes, open to the public, on Tuesday, December 29th.

To celebrate the closing of another year filled with love, laughter and learning through music, Kindermusik will hold two classes, followed by a sweet treat afterwards.

Classes are by enrollment only and spaces will be extremely limited.

Once the classes fill, they will be closed.

Registration is required and available online at kindermusikwith88keys.com.

Class is open to ages 0-7 and their caregiver. Both classes to be held at our Bloomingdale studio. Choose between Tuesday, Dec. 29 at 10AM or 11AM. Text 912-432-5885 for more info.

Kindermusik…A Good Beginning Never Ends.

Kindermusik Savannah is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

Advanced Academics in Pooler

Enroll in Advanced Academics in Pooler.

PreK and Kindergarten: $75/week half days. K-5th grade:$150/wk full days.

Set up a tour. Call 912.348.2017.

Advanced Academics in Pooler microschool offers full-day sessions for homeschoolers and early learners on a small campus in Pooler, as well as enrichment classes. Enrichment classes are open to the public.

Advanced Academics can customize education for each child.

Advanced Academics
email: adv.aca.mail@gmail.com
912-348-2017
405 Hwy 80, Suite 104
Pooler, GA 31322

Learn more about Advanced Academics here.

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Advanced Academics is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

St. Andrew’s Lower School on Wilmington Is. in Savannah is now accepting applications for Pre-K 3 through Grade 4.

The application deadline is 2.19.21. Please contact Windee Helle in admissions (hellew@saslions.com or 897.4941, x. 452) for more information or to schedule a private tour.

Why Beginnings Matter at St. Andrew’s School:
*Small student to teacher ratio
*Individualized and applied approach to instruction active classroom with an emphasis on outdoor learning experiences
*Strong foundation for globally focused, hands on curriculum with widely recognized academic and college outcomes
*Strong academic blend with child-centric approach, making learning personalized and engaging students are engaged, curious, critical thinkers because of the dynamic instruction from the highly qualified teachers with a 28-acre campus, the early childhood classrooms can be at the creek, in the garden, or personalized within each highly equipped classroom.

Learn more here. 

St. Andrew’s School, 601 Penn Waller Rd, Savannah, 31410. 912.897.4941 ext 452, www.saintschool.com , email hellew@saintschool.com On Facebook here.   On Twitter here. St. Andrew’s is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

This 28-year-old single mom and her five kids, ages 2 to 10, were forced to move from their Savannah rental home this past spring when Robinet’s hours were cut at her housekeeping job at the Courtyard Marriott and she could no longer afford rent.

Since then, she and her children have lived in roughly 15 Savannah hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her story is heartbreaking and reflects the increase in first-time homelessness in Savannah due to the pandemic.

Read this mom’s story here. 

Help this mom and her kids by donating here. 

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Bethany’s Happy Bags for the Homeless

Savannah’s number of people who are homeless for the first time is increasing. Here’s a way to get your children involved with volunteering to help.

Bethany’s Happy Bags for the Homeless in Savannah – started by Colleen Moultry and her daughter Bethany, a home-schooled first grader-  distributes care packages, which include a variety of supplies and a kind note for people who are homeless, to Savannah shelters and hand out on the street.

To volunteer, visit Bethany’s Happy Bags Facebook page or email Bethanyshappybags@gmail.com

Find fun family Holiday happenings in Savannah & the Lowcountry in SouthernMamas.com Holiday Events 2020.

Drive-thru Nativity; Santa fire truck tours; outdoor holiday happenings; drive-thru holiday lights @ Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens in Savannah; Santa visits; Christmas tree lighting & more.

See the holiday family-things-to-do list here.

Want to advertise your organization or business in this list? Email us at anne@southernmamas.com

Remember to check out SouthernMamas.com Best Home Holiday Lights/Decorations list for 2020 for the Greater Savannah area:

Savannah United Spring 2020 Recreational Soccer 

Give the gift of soccer this holiday season — take $10 off per player if you register before Dec. 31 2020!

Register online @ SavannahUnited.com .

Questions or concerns? Please contact Savannah United Program Director, Paul Smith, p.smith@savannahunited.com or Recreational Administrator, Vanessa Asterman, v.asterman@savannahunited.com.

Savannah United is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

We love this: an 8-week Art Boot Camp for Teens @ the beloved Studio School in Savannah.

This class – which will be Dec. 29 2020-Feb. 15 2021 – is intended to help teens up level their art audition portfolios; however, non portfolio seeking students may join in. Register online here. 

Each week, students will have an assignment that can be either begun and/or refined in class as students will have access to a password protected page created just for them where assignments will be posted before we meet in the virtual classroom.

Students will need to begin some assignments on their own and use class time to refine their art with instructor guidance while other assignments will be started in class and students will refine them on their own time. The instructor will be available for assistance through email contact. If students complete all assignments, they should end up with 8 total art pieces for the full course.

Learn more here.

8-week Art Boot Camp for Teens – let’s prep for portfolios!
Dec. 29 2020 – Feb 15, 2021
Tuesdays 5:30-6:30PM
two 4-week sessions available/ $99 per 4-weeks
includes real-time instruction & critiques, password protected page with all art resources, extra practice assignments, select demo videos
​Instructor: Linda Hollingsworth / info@thestudioschoolsavannah.com

The Studio School
1319 Bull St.
Savannah, GA 31401,
912-596-3873
info@thestudioschoolsavannah.com

The Studio School, www.thestudioschoolsavannah.com , email info@thestudioschoolsavannah.com, 912-596-3873, The Studio School is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser