DEARBORN — April is the Month of The Young Child, and Dearborn Public Schools is pleased to announce a series of educational sessions designed to bring important information to parents and caregivers about the behavior and growth of their young children.  Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and all primary caregivers of children under age five are invited to attend any or all of these free, Wednesday sessions.

All sessions start at 7:00 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. and will be held at the Dearborn Public Schools Administration Building, 18700 Audette, Dearborn.

“Last year, these informational sessions were very well attended and we look forward to once again offering this month-long program that provides valuable insight about the behavior and growth of young children,” commented Linda Tynan, Principal at Cotter School.

The Month of the Young Child will wrap up with a special event called Time With Your Toddler, a morning to share with your two and/or three year-old child.  Cotter School will host the annual event on Saturday, April 26, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The school is located at 13020 Osborn in Dearborn and is home to the district early childhood education program providing service to over 500 preschool-age children.  Time With Your Toddler is set up to help parents learn about their child’s health, growth, speech, and language development. Activities that focus on teaching and learning through play and art will be a part of the day’s events, and include math activities, making play-dough, music and movement, and fun with reading.

Students attending Cotter are part of the Michigan School Readiness Preschool (MSRP) program. Cotter is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This very intensive process of accreditation signifies high-quality programming for young children and their families. The MSRP programs are located at Cotter Early Childhood Center, Whitmore-Bolles, and Salina Elementary.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

    Fine Motor Development

    • Deborah Polkowski, Occupational Therapist, Dearborn Public Schools

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

    Emotions and Discipline

    • Linda Tynan , Principal, Cotter School/MSRP

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

    Home Fire Safety, Infant/Child Car Seat & Seatbelt Safety

    • Nazih Hazime, Dearborn Fire Chief

    • Cheryl Dupay, Community Outreach & Safety Coordinator, AAA Michigan

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

    Early Communication & Language Development

    Childhood Health Issues and Immunizations

    • Josephine Thomson, Speech Pathologist, Dearborn Public Schools

    • Marybeth Jarosz, School Nurse, Dearborn Public Schools