UPCOMING EVENTS >>>
Calm Your Mind Workshop: November 19 (6:30-7:30PM) Give To The Max Day: November 21 ACTG Offices Closed For Holiday: November 28 - 29 Calm Your Mind Workshop: December 11 (11:00AM - 12:30PM) CALM YOUR MIND WORKSHOP
CONGRATS PRE-K GRADS!
This fall our Turnquist Child Enrichment Center celebrated six stellar graduates! These 5-year- olds are off to Kindergarten and we couldn’t be more proud of them. We even had one student graduate at 4 years old because she excelled developmentally, emotionally, and academically!
To celebrate this important milestone, family, friends, and staff came together to congratulate our super-star graduates with a graduation ceremony! After each child’s name was announced, they received their Pre-K diploma along with a backpack filled with Kindergarten school supplies! This year we even had a decorate-your-backpack station, temporary tattoos, and food for everyone!
Liz Ruzek (Director of Turnquist) shares: “Many of the children have gone to Turnquist since they were an infant or toddler. So our staff remember the kids from when they were small and form really tight bonds with the families and the children. It’s tough to see the kids go!” 
Graduating from Turnquist means transitioning to a much larger school, not only for the child but for their parents too. With this change comes some nerves, so Turnquist’s Parent Coordinator, Carla Yeager, works with each family to help them get enrolled at their new school and ensure they are registered for any services they need for a successful school year. We are excited for our graduates and know they will do wonderfully in Kindergarten and beyond! THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LEARNING: S.M.A.R.T. IN ACTION! “Every district needs S.M.A.R.T.. Before they do anything else, schools need this program because S.M.A.R.T. is the foundation of learning,” shares Maxine Perko, retired First Grade Teacher, and now Rock Ridge Elementary’s S.M.A.R.T. Educator. According to Maxine, S.M.A.R.T. changed her entire outlook on education. When Maxine first brought S.M.A.R.T. to Minnesota’s Eveleth-Gilbert school district, she began teaching in an empty room, creatively using her resources. When the district merged with Virginia schools and Rock Ridge Elementary was created, S.M.A.R.T. remained a priority. Now, after years of growing the program, Maxine teaches in a spacious room dedicated to S.M.A.R.T. learning! Students enjoy an array of fun and enriching activities. A Chance To Grow’s “Stimulating Maturity Through Accelerated Readiness Training” (S.M.A.R.T.) program is designed to bring brain stimulating, developmentally rich movement activities to Pre-K through 3rd grade learners. As noted by the American Academy of Pediatrics, “physical activity is crucial to the development of a child’s brain. Movement helps to enhance neural connections, supports cognitive development, and improves overall learning outcomes.” Laurie Hipple-Jam, First Grade Teacher, has the following to share about S.M.A.R.T.:
Maxine describes S.M.A.R.T. as the building blocks of learning success. This can be seen in the “Cross Patterning” S.M.A.R.T. activity. Cross Patterning integrates both sides of the brain which is essential for a child to read, write, and perform motor movements! Since Cross Patterning can be done while walking, it is a great activity that students can practice during transitions to the classroom and playground, or with music which the children love! Maxine often works with children as they progress from Pre-K to 2nd grade, which allows her the opportunity to watch their learning skills grow exponentially with the help of S.M.A.R.T.! S.M.A.R.T. WORKSHOP CALENDAR:
A Chance To Grow’s Minnesota Learning Resource Center is excited to be hosting the following S.M.A.R.T. Pre-K and Elementary Workshops! Do you know an educator or early-childcare professional? They won’t want to miss out on this interactive 3-day workshop! Help us spread the word!
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