Join us on Saturday, April 16, for Safety Day.  We'll have representatives from a variety of community entities stopping by between 1:00-3:00 PM for this "open house" style program, providing helpful tips about how to stay safe in a variety of circumstances.  Stay tuned for details about individual presenters and topics!  No registration is required for this all-ages program.

Safety in My Neighborhood by Shelly Lyons

Designed for babies up to 18 months old with a caregiver, Baby Storytime features simple stories, songs, fingerplays, and lots of fun! Our Baby Storytime sessions will be held in the Friends' Activity Room (formerly known as the Purple Room).

Registration begins March 24

Session begins Tuesday, April 19 , 10:00 AM

The Montessori method and philosophy is well proven and scientific. It is process oriented and helps the child normalize in a prepared environment and utilize his/her fullest potential. This method has worked for 100 plus years and if used will lay a solid foundation for your childrens' lives.

The aim of this on-going program is to provide parents the necessary tools to prepare their environment to suit the needs of their child, to set simple and workable ground rules and to help their child build his/her concentration, confidence, coordination, independence and order. The program's vision is to create a positive and joyful parenting experience that helps the child develop in all aspects of life. Parents may receive lesson plans from actual school environments to use or make at home. This program is presented by the staff from  Banyan Montessori Academy.

• Saturday, April 30, 2:00-3:00PM

On the second Monday of each month during 2016,  the highly trained staff from Starfish Family Services will present selected Early  Learning Community workshops for parents, caregivers and daycare providers. Join us on Monday, April 11 from 6:30-8:30PM to explore Active Learning.  Participants will grasp the importance of learning through play and learning the five ingredients and benefits of active learning.

We are very exited about a new resource available for families and teachers when our renovated children's library re-opens. This new item for checkout is called a Storytime Kit. In it patrons will find a picture book, a related puppet or plush , cd with songs, and a sheet of suggested fingerplays or action rhymes.  This is an excellent resource for families who would like to do their own mini storytime at home, or teachers of young children who need a quick resource for tomorrow's lesson. It is a great way for parents, grandparents and teachers to share some creative, valuable time with their kids.