Parent Connection: Get READY! Get READY! As parents and guardians of young childre,n you have already begun the wonderful journey of preparing your child for success in school and life. We know that you are your child’s first and most influential teacher. Your child’s success begins with you! From day one, a child begins to learn about the world around them. Your interactions with your child shape those impressions. There are intentional experiences that you can offer your child early on to help them be successful. Currently, the Great Start Collaborative of Berrien County has created The Get READY! Guide that lists specific school readiness indicators and tips for achieving them. This is a way to help parents work with their children to meet specific goals before the start of school. The Great Start Collaborative understands that a child’s success depends on parents, schools, and communities. Kindergarten has changed a lot since today’s parents attended school. In developing the Get READY! guide, the Great Start Collaborative worked directly with parents, teachers, birth-age 3 providers, and school administrators to ensure that families, schools and communities are beginning to work towards the same goals for children beginning school. The development of this guide is a wonderful achievement for our county. You will want to keep it readily available so that you can measure your child’s development as they reach school age. Visit us at any playgroup this month for your own copy of The Get READY! Guide. Materials can also be found at www.greatstartberrien.org.

Playgroups are a chance for parents with young children (infants - age 5) to get together with other parents and young children and have some fun! Each month Berrien RESA’s highly qualified staff choose a children’s book as the theme for Playgroup activities. At the beginning of the group, the story is read during circle time. Then parents can play together with their children through a variety of activities. At the end of the group, every family gets a copy of the book to take home and enjoy over and over again. Each month, information is also provided on a popular parenting or child development topic. For more information about Playgroups or other early education services, please visit www.berrienresa.org!

In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, it is the policy of the Berrien Regional Education Service Agency to prohibit discrimination on the basis of handicap against qualified handicapped persons, in admission or access to, participation in, or treatment of employment in, its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to Human Resources, Berrien RESA, 711 St. Joseph Avenue, Berrien Springs, MI 49103; telephone (269) 471- 7725; fax (269) 471-2941.

Berrien RESA’s

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Playgroups -APRIL 2016-

You and your young child are invited to join in the fun! www.berrienresa.org

This Month: Book Potluck! We will have a potluck of books, where we revisit the books we’ve read this previous school year.

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Berrien RESA’s Playgroups

Recipe for Fun!

Homemade Bubble Solution April Playgroups:

Bubbles are sure to bring smiles everytime! Ingredients: • 1 cup water • 2 tablespoons light karo syrup or 2 tablespoons glycerin • 4 tablespoons dishwashing liquid Directions: Mix together and have fun!

This month’s theme is SPRING!

Activities at this month’s playgroups: • Water play area • Easter grass discovery bin • Parachute • Pretend food and picnic center

BENTON HARBOR Boys and Girls Club 600 Nate Wells Sr. Dr. 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Thurs, April 21 BERRIEN SPRINGS Mars Elementary (A.M. playgroups) One Sylvester Avenue 9:30-10:30 a.m. Weds, April 13 Mars Elementary (P.M. playgroups) One Sylvester Avenue 6:00-7:00 p.m. Tues, April 26 BRIDGMAN Bridgman Elementary 3891 Lake Street 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Thurs, April 21 BUCHANAN Ottawa Elementary 109 Ottawa St. 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Weds, April 20

*EAU CLAIRE Eau Claire District Library 6528 E. Main St. 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Tues, April 12 (This playgroup will be lead in Spanish.)

NILES Ballard Elementary (P.M. playgroups) 1601 Chicago Road 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tues, April 19 Merritt Elementary (Brandywine District) 1620 LaSalle Avenue 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Thurs,April 28 Northside Child Development Center 2020 N. Fifth Street 10:00-11:00 a.m. Fri, April 22

ST. JOSEPH E.P. Clarke Elementary 515 E. Glenlord 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Tues, April 26 Lincoln Elementary (P.M. Playgroups) 1102 Orchard Avenue 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tues, April 12 STEVENSVILLE Christ Luthern School 4333 Cleveland Ave. 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Weds, April 27 THREE OAKS Three Oaks Elementary 100 Oak Street 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Fri, April 15 WATERVLIET South Elementary 433 Lucinda Lane 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Thurs, April 14

COLOMA Coloma Elementary 262 S. West St. 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Tues, April 19

*Hispanohablantes son bienvenidos en todos los grupos de juegos, pero el Español será el idioma principal que se hablará cada mes en el grupo de juego en Eau Claire - por favor, acompáñenos!!!