Try Play Central

by Carla Whitton, Play Central Coordinator

Q: It's already fall and the weather makes it hard to get my little ones outside. Do you have any advice on how to survive the fall and winter with them?

A: Young children certainly have limitless amounts of energy. Many parents begin to feel cooped up when the weather gets cooler.

There are lots of great indoor options for poor-weather playtime. Most parents have tried out McDonald's playland, Pump It Up, and Eastland's play area.

Why not try something new? One great local choice many people don't know about is Play Central. Play Central is a drop-in open play group run by The Family Center, a local non-profit organization.

The program begins each year in November, when it's too cold most days for playgrounds. On Tuesdays, we meet in the upstairs gym at The Neighborhood Club. On Wednesdays, we meet in the gym at Barnes Early Childhood Center.

Both groups run from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. It costs just $3 each visit for the whole family. The format is open, so you can let your child's interests direct you. You will both enjoy having a large selection of toys that are new to you. It's a great opportunity for young children to run around and practice their large motor skills, and, of course, run off, or crawl off, some of that energy!

Your child may even make a great new friend. Children will practice their social skills, and you can chat with other adults. All caregivers are welcome; we have moms, dads, grandparents, and nannies. Some participants come once a month, some come every Play Central session, and some even invite all their friends or mom's group to meet there.

And new, this year, on Wednesdays, we are offering Play Central Plus! When you come to Barnes, you will have the option to join a structured Play Group lead by Barnes Preschool Teachers. They will offer circle time and various activities based on that week's theme.

This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to get a taste of preschool while maintaining the comfort of their caregiver's support. If your child isn't in the mood for structure that day, just come on down the hall back to the gym.

Play Central is a fun, flexible, and affordable program designed for young children and their caregivers. Be sure and check it out with your little ones this winter!

Play Central 2009-2010 Schedule*
Tuesdays 9am-11am, The Neighborhood Club gym
located at 17150 Waterloo, Grosse Pointe.

Wednesdays 9am-11am, Barnes Early Childhood Center gym
located at 20090 Morningside Dr., Grosse Pointe Woods.

Play Central will meet each Tuesday and Wednesday from
November 3rd, 2009 through April 28th, 2010 with the following exceptions…
No Play Central
November 25th (Barnes building closed)
December 23rd (Barnes building closed)
December 29th (The Neighborhood Club building closed)
December 30th (Barnes building closed)
February 17th (Barnes building closed)
April 7th (Barnes building closed)
*Play Central will not meet any Wednesday that GPPS declare a "Snow Day".

Carla Whitton is a certified elementary school teacher with an endorsement in early childhood education.

The Family Center, a 501(c) 3, non-profit organization, serves as the community's centralized hub for information, resources and referral for families and professionals.
To view more Ask The Experts articles, please visit our website www.familycenterweb.org.
Please email your questions to info@familycenterweb.org
To volunteer or contribute, visit familycenterweb.org or call 313.432.3832.
20090 Morningside Drive, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236

Montessori Education

by Jennifer J. Kendall, Ed.M, Early and Lower School Principal, The Grosse Pointe Academy

Q: I am starting to research pre-school options for my child and came across the Montessori programs. What are the benefits of this type of education?

A: Montessori programs offer children an individualized program in a full classroom setting. The materials are introduced to all of the children by their teacher and the children then self direct themselves to choose work that is of interest to them. Maria Montessori felt that "we should not fill children with facts but rather cultivate their own natural desire to learn." The classrooms have a Practical Life area, where children develop fine motor skills through a care for their environment, Sensorial area, where children learn color, size, texture, and weight through their work, and academic materials in language arts, math, science, and social studies.

Q: What are the differences between a play-based pre-school and Montessori pre-school?

A: Children in Montessori classrooms are introduced to different materials throughout their Montessori years. Each of the materials presented by the teacher has a purpose. As an example, while both play-based and Montessori classrooms have blocks, a Montessori classroom has the Pink Tower of ten varying shaped blocks. The tower is a Montessori material that is used to help develop coordination, set a basis for the number system and increase awareness of dimension.

Q: What are the benefits to having my child in a multi-age classroom?

A: Maria Montessori believed that younger children would benefit from the community formed with the older children. The multi-age classroom allows younger children to learn from the older students and model their behaviors and allows the older students a chance to reinforce their own knowledge by helping the younger students.

Q: How do I know if my child is ready for school?

A: All children develop and reach milestones at different times. Signs that your child is ready for school include an interest in being independent, a desire to play with other children, and following directions. Around 2 1/2 - 3 many children exhibit these characteristics and are ready for school. Touring a pre-school with your child is highly recommended as it will give you a chance to see your child in the school environment and hear more about the school's program and philosophy.

SAVE the DATE:
Jennifer J. Kendall will present additional information on Montessori education at The Grosse Pointe Academy on Wednesday, November 11, at 7:00 p.m. in the Early School Building on the GPA campus. The session is free and open to the public. For more information, call 313-886-1221 x145.

The Family Center, a 501(c) 3, non-profit organization, serves as the community's centralized hub for information, resources and referral for families and professionals.

To view more Ask The Experts articles, please visit our website www.familycenterweb.org.

Please email your questions to info@familycenterweb.org
To volunteer or contribute, visit familycenterweb.org or call 313.432.3832.
20090 Morningside Drive, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236

Get Ready for Kindergarten

by Deb Kraft, Dorothy Heitjan and Linda Whitman

It is vital in the preschool years to provide your child with the experiences that will build the foundation for later success in school. One must keep in mind the amazing developmental changes that occur in a child's body and brain during the preschool years. In order to help your child build these neural connections, parents should provide:

• A variety of hands on experiences-dig in the dirt, cook, build
• Unstructured time to move and use the body-play on the playground, jump, swing, run
• Use toys that encourage imagination or thinking - plain blocks, old clothes for dressing up
• Limit screen time-TV, computer, hand held devices
• Establish a good home routine - healthy meals and snacks, set bedtimes

Kindergarten is your child's first experience in a formal education setting. Kindergarten bridges working one on one with parents and working together with peers in small and large groups. Excellent kindergarten programs address the social and emotional as well as the academic needs of your child. They provide opportunities for your child to play and learn in structured and unstructured situations. Kindergarten provides hands-on experiences to enable your child to connect what they already know to their new learning.

However, Kindergarten has changed drastically in the last ten years. Expectations include many former first grade skills. Michigan Kindergarten State Guidelines and Expectations (GLCE's) now include reading and writing. Sight words as well as emergent spelling skills are included. Knowing what a word and even what a sentence looks like in a story as well as reading and writing their own words and thoughts are expectations. These skills are at the emergent or beginning level. There are also new GLCE's for math, social studies and science. Our students will recognize characteristics and patterns, know numerals to 100, count by twos and fives to thirty, and express story equations with drawings and numbers.

Enroll your child at your school district's administrative offices. You will need to provide a birth certificate, immunization records and physical examination forms (in September), and proof of residency. You should enroll your child as early as possible. By enrolling your child, you are placed on the public school mailing list and will receive important information by mail. When enrolling your child, you may have to choose between programs. Current Kindergarten programs include the traditional half-day program as well as all-day programs (ADK) or extended day programs (EDK).

Until then, enjoy talking, playing, riding, cooking, building, and exploring with your child every day!

Save The Date:
'Kindergarten: Get Ready!' presented by The Family Center
Thursday, November 19
7:00-8:30pm
Barnes Early Childhood Center
20090 Morningside Dr., Grosse Pointe Woods.
Grosse Pointe Public School System presenters: Deb Kraft, Kindergarten Teacher and Dorothy Heitjan, Early Childhood Program Teacher and Speech Pathologist and Linda Whitman, Teacher Assistant.
Fee $5 per family
Register Early! The Family Center at 313.432.3832 or info@familycenterweb.org

The Family Center, a 501(c) 3, non-profit organization, serves as the community's centralized hub for information, resources and referral for families and professionals.

To view more Ask The Experts articles, please visit our website www.familycenterweb.org.
Please email your questions to info@familycenterweb.org
To volunteer or contribute, visit familycenterweb.org or call 313.432.3832.
20090 Morningside Drive, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236

Parenting the New College Student

ASK THE EXPERT: David Votruba, PhD

Q.I recently dropped my son off at college for his freshman year and am concerned about how best to stay in-touch with him. How can I remain involved without being an intrusive "helicopter parent"?

A. Many college students and parents struggle with how to navigate the relational changes and challenges generated by the transition to college. Unfortunately, these challenges often provoke extreme reactions that can be harmful to both college student development and parent-student relationships.

On one extreme are "helicopter parents" whose over-involvement, intrusiveness and controlling behaviors prevent their students from experiencing both real challenge and real success. On another extreme are parents whose laissez-faire attitudes represent a reactive retreat from the parenting role that amounts to a form of abandonment during a time when parents are still needed to perform essential functions.

What most college students need are parents who recognize the need for a gradual transformation of their relationship from parent / adolescent-child to parent / adult-child and who are willing to talk about what this means for their relationship, both behaviorally and emotionally.

While this may sound difficult, parents can increase their chances of success by being mindful of this transformation and starting the necessary conversations and negotiations early; i.e. when the transition to college is close enough to be interesting to the adolescent but far enough away as to not feel overwhelming.

If your adolescent has already left for college, you can still begin these conversations. While in-person conversations are best, conversations via Skype or phone might suffice, so long as all parties feel they are able to communicate a range of subtle thoughts and feelings. Text-based mediums, such as email and instant messaging, are not recommended for such important conversations.

The first conversation parents should have with their students is one about the need to have further conversations concerning the college transition and associated transformations in their relationship. During this conversation, parents should explicitly discuss the purpose of these conversations and establish the goal of remaining supportive and emotionally involved with their students without impeding their developmentally-appropriate needs for privacy, challenge, mastery, and growth.

Parents and students should then discuss their expectations for the frequency and quality of communication once the student departs for college. Included in these discussions should be the need for periodic check-ins concerning the established goal.

Parents and college students should be prepared to discuss whether their involvement is helping or hindering the progressive development of the student and the parent / adult-child relationship.

While such conversations are challenging, most parents and students should find success with a little practice; and, once in place, these conversations should preserve and transform the relationship by securing a continued positive attachment and mitigating other difficult conversations down the line.

David Votruba PhD PLC is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in private practice in Ann Arbor, MI. A graduate of Grosse Pointe South High School, Dr. Votruba also works for the University of Michigan Division of Student Affairs. He may be reached by phone at 734-929-3700, by email at votruba@gmail.com, or by visiting his website: http://votruba.googlepages.com

Save the Date:
Demystifying the College Process: An Interactive Panel Discussion
A conversation for parents and students (10th, 11th and 12th grade) featuring an interactive panel discussion about real issues facing young adults.

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 6:30pm
Grosse Pointe South High School Auditorium
11 Grosse Pointe Blvd, Grosse Pointe Farms

No Fee

RSVP by Oct. 27 @ 313.432.3832 or info@familycenterweb.org

The Family Center, a 501(c) 3, non-profit organization, serves as the community's centralized hub for information, resources and referral for families and professionals.

To view more Ask The Experts articles, please visit our website www.familycenterweb.org.

Please email your questions to info@familycenterweb.org

To volunteer or contribute, visit familycenterweb.org or call 313.432.3832.

20090 Morningside Drive, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236

The Role of the High School Guidance Counselor in College Selection

ASK THE EXPERT: Milissa M. Pierce, MA, LPC

Q: As a student, what should I expect from my High School guidance counselor in the college selection process?

A: A high school guidance counselor should be your "center of gravity" in the college selection process. Their job is to guide a student through their high school journey, helping them to stay on track and keeping their eye on the prize.

Regardless of how we may wish it was otherwise, college awareness and opportunity should begin early in a student's high school career. Curriculum, grade point and involvement begins to matter even in the 9th grade!

Yet ample opportunities exist for ALL students and counselors can help students identify them and explore them. High School counselors work with students at all grade levels to help them become responsible decision makers and to further develop their educational talents and interests.

Students should be advised to take a varied and strong curriculum which will help them explore their interests and enhance their opportunities for a successful transition to college. Counselors should also provide information about testing and testing preparation through the high school years.

During the junior and senior years, the partnership with the counselor should develop into a working relationship to help a student solidify their choices, stay on task for all necessary deadlines, and keep a student focused on finishing strong!

Parents can expect their High School Counselors to:

• Help a student choose the best curriculum for them through their high school career
• Provide opportunities for students to explore their talents and interests
• Advise them on ACT/SAT testing and preparation
• Provide information and awareness of college exploration at school and in the community
• Guide a student through the processing of applications in their senior year
• Provide encouragement, enthusiasm and wisdom in helping a student move forward through the process

Milissa M. Pierce, MA LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor and High School Guidance Counselor. She is beginning her 8th year at Grosse Pointe North High School and previously worked at Oxford Middle School. Milissa teaches Counselor Education classes at Oakland University and ran a successful Private Practice in the Grosse Pointe Area for over 15 years. She has previously worked in a clinical setting providing contractual services and group counseling to schools in Oakland County. She has also worked as family life educator on the Eastside teaching childbirth classes and providing postpartum support.

Save the Date:
Demystifying the College Process: An Interactive Panel Discussion
A conversation for parents and students (10th, 11th and 12th grade) featuring an interactive panel discussion about real issues facing young adults.

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 6:30pm
Grosse Pointe South High School Auditorium
11 Grosse Pointe Blvd, Grosse Pointe Farms
No Fee

RSVP by Oct. 27 @ 313.432.3832 or info@familycenterweb.org

The Family Center, a 501(c) 3, non-profit organization, serves as the community's centralized hub for information, resources and referral for families and professionals.
To view more Ask The Experts articles, please visit our website www.familycenterweb.org.
Please email your questions to info@familycenterweb.org
To volunteer or contribute, visit familycenterweb.org or call 313.432.3832.
20090 Morningside Drive, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236

Writing Great College Application Essays

Ask The Expert: Carla Palffy, M.Ed, LPC

Q: I am a senior working on both college and scholarship applications. How do I know if I have written a good college essay?

A: When reviewing college applications, admissions officers are in search of students who will not only succeed academically on campus, but those who will be actively engaged in the campus community. The college essay is what brings your application to life.

While often the most daunting part of the application process, the essay is actually your greatest asset because YOU are the expert! The college application provides a great deal of information about how other people see you, but your college essay is your one opportunity to express how you see yourself.

So the obvious question is, "How do I know if I have written a good essay?" Simply stated, there is no magic formula and there is no "one size fits all" rubric to follow when writing your essay.

The most important key to a compelling essay is to personalize your story with your own voice, showing the reader in great detail the essence of your individual experience as no one else could have written. Remember, when it comes to your college essay, "Ask the Expert" really means "Ask Yourself".

• Show, don't tell. You hear this cliche frequently, but what does it really mean? Showing means sharing your world through remarkable detail, appealing to all five senses. Bring your story to life with vivid and specific facts.
• Precision is power. Personal essays should speak from the heart with tightly focused details that shed light upon the author. Abstract ideas merely state a general, often generic, concept.
• Answer the question. If the essay question has more than one section, be sure your responses directly answer each question. It is important to grab the reader in the introduction and stay on topic.
• Do the research. The essay is a chance to show you have done the background research and can articulate why the college is a good match for you, even more specifically how you will engage in the campus community.
• Keep it positively real. Keep it honest, personal and focus on positive outcomes. You do not have to be extraordinary; you do have to be authentic. Passion brings the ordinary to life.
• Pursue perfection. Good essays take time, drafts and redrafts. It is important to take the essay process seriously and allow enough time to be sure your grammar is correct and your voice is heard.

Carla Palffy, M.Ed, LPC is a licensed MI guidance counselor, founder of College Prep Rx consulting, providing professional guidance for students and families preparing for college admissions. For more information visit www.collegepreprx.com or email: carla@collegepreprx.com.

Save the Date:
Demystifying the College Process: An Interactive Panel Discussion
A conversation for parents and students (10th, 11th and 12th grade) featuring an interactive panel discussion about real issues facing young adults.

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 6:30pm
Grosse Pointe South High School Auditorium
11 Grosse Pointe Blvd, Grosse Pointe Farms
No Fee

RSVP by Oct. 27 @ 313.432.3832 or info@familycenterweb.org

The Family Center, a 501(c) 3, non-profit organization, serves as the community's centralized hub for information, resources and referral for families and professionals.

To view more Ask The Experts articles, please visit our website www.familycenterweb.org.

Please email your questions to info@familycenterweb.org

To volunteer or contribute, visit familycenterweb.org or call 313.432.3832.

20090 Morningside Drive, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236