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

Trying to find the perfect school for your child for the upcoming 2012-13 school year?

Check out our school open house listing here to find open houses happening this winter at Savannah-area public and private schools.

Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School Open Houses
6 PM Jan 26 & Feb 3 2012; 11 AM Feb 18 & Feb 25 2012

Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School is a Montessori Learning Community serving children three years old through the second grade. The school is growing and will add a grade each year until a full compliment of elementary classrooms is reached. Currently, the school has openings in the 3-year old program, 4-year old program, Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade and Fourth Grade for the 2012-13 school year.

If you would like more information on enrolling your child please contact the school office at 912-238-1973 or visit the school website at www.cemco.org .

The internationally-recognized Montessori method of teaching helps children reach their full potential in all areas of life by teaching them to take responsibility for their own learning. Montessori learning activities promote the development of critical-thinking skills, emotional growth, and physical coordination. The Montessori method of education has long been seen as an approach that successfully meets children’s individual needs while teaching them to become contributing citizens to our society.

An Organized Environment

The entire school is set up to support the child’s self-directed learning. Together, the teacher and student form a relationship based on trust and respect that fosters self-confidence and a willingness to try and explore new things.
Highly-Trained Teachers

The Montessori teacher functions as a facilitator, resource person, role model, demonstrator, record-keeper, and meticulous observer of each child’s behavior and growth. At Coastal Empire, all teachers are Montessori-trained and Georgia elementary teacher-certified.
Proven Teaching Methodology

At Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School, children are provided a basis for critical and abstract thinking through activity-based education. Montessori educational practices are characterized by:
• Child-centered rather than teacher-directed
• Hands-on and activity oriented as opposed to textbook curriculum
• Based on continuous progress
• Self-directed with a control-of-error system
• Based on recognition of progress as opposed to numerical grades
• Dynamic in that children are encouraged to move around and make choices of activities
• Set on a three-year age span of children within the classroom; older children teach younger children, building self-esteem and a sense of community
• Materials are introduced through individualized instruction; Montessori teachers help children to take responsibility for their own learning
• Emphasis is on concrete learning that leads to the abstraction of concepts and skills
• Children working for the joy of working and the sense of discovery
• An environment that provides a natural sense of discipline.

Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School, supported by the Montessori philosophy and method, educates the Whole Child. By nurturing the total development of the child and fostering respect for self, peers, community, and nature, the child will be prepared to take their place in society and work toward a peaceful world.

For more information on Montessori Education please visit the following websites:
www.montessori-ami.org  (Association Montessori International)
www.amshq.org  (American Montessori Society)

For more local school open houses happening this winter 2012, click here.

Your input is needed.

The Savannah-Chatham public school district is asking for input on the 2012-13 school calendar by this Friday. The district wants your feedback on the proposed calendar which is causing a stir. If the calendar passes as is, children will be in school through Dec. 21 2012 and then only have a week of winter break.

If you want to weigh in, click here & and peruse the “Proposed Calendar for SY 2013.” Submit your comments by this Friday Nov. 18 at 5 PM

We’re all looking for resources to help our children with speech and language development.

A new Web site called Little Stories helps us do just that.

Little Stories is a community created by Savannah-area speech-language pathologist Kim Rowe, MA, CCC-SLP to offer information and support to families interested in early speech and language development. Little Stories has something for everyone, whether your child is having difficulty learning language or is learning language easily.

Little Stories wants to help you hear your child’s story!

Little Stories will be posting new information weekly, so be sure to subscribe to the blog or like Little Stories on Facebook here to get updates. You can follow Little Stories via Twitter @lilSTORIESblog.

Dolphin Explorations: Learn about the basic biology and characteristics of the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin while aboard a cruise on the R/V Sea Dawg to look for individual dolphins and observe their behaviors, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Nov. 5

Reservations & payment required prior to Oct. 28. Cost: $40/person, ages: 10 and up. Be sure to include your name, number in you party, contact email and phone number in all messages. Please arrive 15 minutes before program begins to check-in at the admissions/information desk. UGA Marine Extension Service Education Center and Aquarium, 30 Ocean Science Circle. Pre-register by calling (912) 598-2356 or emailing fish@uga.edu.

Check out this adorable kids’ video made to help Savannah students win $10,000 to $100,000 for their school’s music program.

The video made by a Charles Ellis Montessori Academy classroom is part of the GLEE Give A Note Contest, sponsored by the creators of Glee, the National Association for Music Education and Fox Network. The contest is giving schools a chance to win $10,000 to $100,000 for their school’s music program.

Click here to view the video and vote.  You can visit the website and vote once a day, everyday, until Nov. 7.

Now is the time to stock up on gifts!  Usborne Books make great gifts!

• Baby Books
• Picture Books
• Activity Cards (great stocking stuffers)
• Puzzle Books
• Series reading

Usborne’s October Special

Receive $100 in books for $25 IN ADDITION to Usborne’s generous hostess rewards. (Minimum sales requirement)

To help you get started, Melissa Mallory, independent education consultant, is offering Southernmamas readers
the following special:

Receive a 15% discount on your order when you text Melissa the answer to the question below.

OR

Receive $20 in FREE books (Shipping charges still apply) when you date and hold your show in October! (Yes, you can do it!)

OR

Receive $10 in FREE books (Shipping charges still apply) when you date and hold your show in November!

Would you like to have a fun shopping spree with your family and friends and get a huge head start on your gift list?

Text Southernmamas followed by your letter choice below to 912-856-1450.

a)
Count me in!  I want to start my shopping in October!

b)
I want a shopping spree but November works better for me!

c)
Buy me a cup of coffee and let’s have a personal appointment to hear more!

d)
I’d rather be a customer but I know someone who would do this and I’d come shop with her!

e)
Thank you for the 15% discount

Discount must be used by 9 PM Sat. Oct. 22, 2011. Discount can only be redeemed by placing an order with Melissa A. Mallory by text, phone, or email and may not be used at a home show, online catalog, or booth.

To keep up with monthly specials, promotions, book reviews, and more, join Melissa’s Usborne Books and More fanpage by clicking here and/or sign up for her monthly newsletter. 

Melissa A. Mallory, Independent Educational Consultant, 912-856-1450, mmallory@myubah.com. www.EsteemReading.com. Usborne Books & More is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Are you looking for ways to teach your toddler? Not quite ready for preschool but still want your child to learn at home? Frustrated with trying to find at the best ways to teach your child? If you answered yes, then give ABC’s for Everyone a try.

ABC’s for Everyone offers tips, techniques, and resources to making teaching easier for you and learning fun for your child!

Call (912) 388-1368 for a FREE phone consultation and to schedule your first session.

ABC’s for Everyone is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

It’s October. Does your pre-K or kindergartener know all his or her sight words yet?

Kidding. Sort of. Thanks to a local pre-k teacher for telling us about www.education.com which offers free printable worksheets & activities for children.

You can print out a Sight Words Bingo game, which is a big more fun than flashcards.  Click here to go directly to the Sight Words Bingo game.

More free sight words worksheets & printables here. 

We’d love to hear about your favorite online resources to help children begin to read. Email anne@southernmamas.com or comment below.

Register now for Creative Technology Saturdays at Georgia Tech Savannah for students in grades 4-8.

Saturday camps give your student the opportunity to learn year-round at GTS. Through this new Saturday programs, students will expand upon their previous summer camp experiences. Themes for fall 2011 include: Games Galore for video game development, Movies by Me with an emphasis on story development and presentation and LEGO Robotics challenge days.

The first Saturday Session is Sept. 24 2011. Please register by Wed. Sept. 21.

For future camps, please register at least 72 hours prior. Space is limited in all sessions.

Creative Technology Saturdays for Students in Grades 4 -8. The following Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
Dates Topic
Sept. 24 Games Galore – 2D Computer Game Development
Oct. 1 Movies by Me – 2D Computer Animation
Oct. 15 LEGO Robotics Challenge Day
Oct. 22 Games Galore – 2D Computer Game Development
Nov. 5 Movies by Me – 2D Computer Animation
Nov. 12 LEGO Robotics Challenge Day
Nov. 19 LEGO Robotics Challenge Day
Last session before LEGO League Competition

Program Goals and Elements:
•Students will earn passport stamps for various levels of accomplishment, allowing students, instructors and parents to follow student progress over time
•Students will explore their own areas of interest
•Provide more design challenges for the LEGO robotics system, with a focus on student choice and on designing and building
•Test new supporting materials for the Scratch animation program.
Students will receive take home materials documenting their approaches and progress.

Cost:
•$40 for each Saturday session.
Lunches will not be provided. Students are encouraged to bring a bag lunch.
Register:
•To register, please click here and submit your application.

Georgia Tech Savannah, 210 Technology Circle, Savannah, GA 31407, 912-966-7922, http://savannah.gatech.edu

The popular Toddler Tuesdays nature & science program will be back on September 6 at Oatland Island Wildlife Center.

Programs at 10 AM & 11 AM Tuesdays. Pre-registration required. Call 395-1500

Toddler Tuesday Program Fees for 2011-2012: General: $5 per child $5 per adult; Friends of Oatland Members: $5 per child, up to 2 adults FREE!

Program fee includes program and entrance to Oatland Island Wildlife Center and trails.

To read the Toddler Tuesday Topics September –December 2011, click here.