Welcome to the first edition of The Children’s Center’s new community connection! We want to keep you informed of the ongoing important news, this new online format will allow you to see a monthly highlight of the fun and learning happening in and around our Center. We hope this offers you a peek into our daily life. We welcome you to stop and visit or sign up to volunteer.

 

Valentine’s Day Dance

Did you know that dancing teaches large & small motor skills?  Dancing is a math lesson.  Dancing shows children how to cooperate with others and develop interpersonal skills.  Preschool children are typically egocentric and tend to invade the space of others without regard for social niceties. Spatial awareness is not a common skill for preschoolers and can lead to social conflict with others.  Dancing can help them develop these skills while engaging their energy in a positive fashion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read Across America

There is no question that reading to a child is one of the most important things we can do for their growth and development.  On March 1st we will celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday by reading and celebrating his incredible legacy.  Read Across America Day is a nationwide reading celebration that takes place annually on Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participate by bringing together kids, teens, and books.   Here, each classroom is decorating with the theme of one of his books and all classes will be reading at least one Dr. Seuss story, with other daily activities surrounding that book.  It’s going to be a great day to celebrate at our Center.

 

 

History in Action

Connecting to our past helps us understand our present and prepare for our future.  We are excited for our Butterflies classroom to visit Mitchelville on March 21st.   This classroom will participate in Griot’s Corner.  The program uses storytellers and childrens activities to highlight freedom, acceptance, multiculturalism and citizenship. The “Griot” (ɡrēˈō,ˈɡrēō) is a West African storyteller, historian and/or musician. The griot’s role was to preserve the genealogies and oral traditions of the respective tribe. Griot’s Corner uses the spirit of storytelling to promote literacy and to help young students build strong character traits. This series is especially designed to engage young learners with interactive activities that include reading, creative dramatics, art and music.  The featured story for their visit is Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott.  In this traditional Ashanti tale, Anansi sets out on a long, difficult journey. Threatened by Fish and Falcon, he is saved from terrible fates by his sons. But which of his sons should Anansi reward? Calling upon Nyame, the God of All Things, Anansi solves his predicament in a touching and highly resourceful fashion.