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Butts County

Family Enrichment Center

May/ June 2019

Jackson

Elementary

Site

Christy Goolsby

Room: 203

Phone: 770-775-9480

Ext. 8203

Daughtry

Elementary

Site

Sheryl Warner

Room: 107

Phone: 770-504-2356

Ext. 6107

Stark

Elementary

Site

Alesia Greer

Room: 112

Phone: 770-775-9470

Ext. 7112

Inside This Issue

Importance of Preschool

Physical Activities

Help Your Preschooler

Become More Active

Prepare for Kindergarten

Success

Kindergarten Registra-

tion

May/June Community

Calendar of Family

Activities

Page 1

Importance of Preschool Physical Activities http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers/physical-activity/why.html

Being physically active helps your preschooler learn healthy

habits.

Health Benefits:

Active preschoolers are less likely to be

overweight. Learn how to tell if your child is

growing appropriately.

Some physical activities, such as running and

jumping rope, help bone growth.

Active children have stronger muscles and

healthier lungs and hearts.

Active children are less likely to develop type 2

diabetes.

Developmental Benefits:

Physical activity helps children develop motor skills and

coordination. Some activities that help are:

walking, running, hopping

balancing, dancing, stopping

throwing, catching, kicking

Physical activity helps children feel good about themselves.

For example, they feel proud after learning how to bounce a

ball or ride a bike.

Active preschoolers are more likely to be happy.

Physical activity can also help in mental development. For

example, pretending to be a wild animal lets children use their

imagination and be creative.

As preschoolers run, climb, dance or stretch they build endurance,

strength and flexibility.

Walking, running, and similar activities help

build endurance.

Climbing and lifting help build strength.

Playing on playground equipment and

stretching help maintain flexibility. If they

don't make use of their flexibility, it starts to

decrease as they get older.

Page 2

How You Can Help Your Preschooler Become More

Active http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers/physical-activity/increase.html

You influence your child's behavior, attitudes, and future physical

activity habits. Set an example by using safety gear, like bike hel-

mets.

Set a good example for your preschooler; they look

up to you.

Make physical activity fun for the whole family

and involve your children in the planning.

Focus on fun, not performance. Not all chil-

dren are natural athletes. But all can make

activity a lifetime habit.

Learn more about your own physical activity

needs.

There are many activities you can do with your preschooler. As

children grow, their motor skills and coordination improve. Here is

a general guideline of when your preschooler may be ready for cer-

tain activities:

Age 2: running, walking, galloping, jumping, swimming with

adult help and supervision

Age 3: hopping, climbing, riding a tricycle or bicycle with

training wheels and a helmet, catching, throwing, bouncing,

and kicking a ball

Age 4: skipping, tag, sledding, swimming, obstacle course

Age 5: riding a bicycle--wearing a helmet, somersaulting, rol-

lerblading or ice skating, gymnastics, soccer, virtual fitness

games (such as Wii)

Page 3

Use summer to prepare for kindergarten success https://www.firstthingsfirst.org/first-things/use-summer-prepare-

kindergarten-success/ The months leading up to the first day of kindergarten can be an ideal time to prepare your child for what to expect. Many kindergarten teachers tell parents that basic everyday activities are the best ways to help a child feel confident and ready for the transition to kindergarten. Below are some tips from First Things First to help your preschooler have a fun, easy transition to kindergarten:

Read with your child at least 20 minutes per day. Try books that re-peat words; involve activities like counting, identifying colors, objects or letters; or, are about things your child likes. Ask questions like, “What do you think happens next?”

Talk with your child everywhere – at home, in the car, at the store. Make up stories or songs about your outings.

Writing begins with scribbling. Give your child safe writing tools to play with, like crayons, chalk or markers and blank paper. Ask your child to tell you about their drawings.

Teach your child how to use the bathroom by themselves, to wash their hands after going to the bathroom and before eating, to blow their nose and sneeze into their elbow. Before the first day, talk with your child about what to expect during the school day and types of after-school activities they may be involved in. The more details kids know, the less anxious they will feel. Rehearse for the big day with test-runs of the new routine, which will in-clude:

Choosing what to wear the night before.

Waking up with early to have plenty of time to get ready.

Eating a healthy breakfast.

Walking to the bus stop and talking about boarding and where to sit.

Practicing how to open parts of lunch, whether it’s a carton of milk or a small bag of carrots. Remind them that teachers or lunch staff can help if needed. Even if you don’t have kindergarteners this year, it’s never too early to start helping toddlers and preschoolers prepare. Children who have posi-tive early childhood experiences tend to score higher on school readiness assessments and are more likely to do well in school and graduate. By turning everyday moments into learning moments, we can send our young kids to school with the skills – and the love of learning – that will help them succeed in kindergarten and beyond!

Page 4

Page 5

All FEC activities are free and open to families

living in Butts County with children 5 and un-

Playgroups:

May 9th: All playgroups will meet at Jackson Elementary School

at 10:30 am for the Snack Chat Social Market Day. This is an

opportunity for those who have been participating in Snack Chat

Socials to cash in on their points earned for self-care. Contact

Christy Goolsby with any questions.

May 16th: All playgroups will meet at Daughtry Park in the Recre-

ation Department at 10:30 am. You are welcome to bring a sack

lunch for you and your child.

June 6th: Beginning of Summer Celebration. We will meet at

Dauset Trails at 10 am in the picnic area. Please bring a sack

lunch for you and your family. We will tour the animal exhibits

together and then return to the picnic area to eat our lunches.

Page 6

Butts Co. Community Calendar

Story time is held at the Jackson-Butts County Public Library every

Tuesday at 10 a.m. The library is located at 436 E. College St., Jackson.

For more information, call 770-775-7524.

Kindergarten registration, May 8 and 9

The Butts County School System will be hosting kindergarten registra-

tion from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 8 and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 9 at the

central registration office, in the Ernest Battle Professional Develop-

ment Center, 218 Woodland Way, Jackson. When registering a student

that does not attend a Butts County pre-K program, parents or guardi-

ans will need to bring the child on the day of registration, along with

several required documents. Children will need to be 5 years old on or

before Sept. 1 to enter kindergarten. For more information, call Susan

Sarsany at 770-504-2300 or email sarsanys@bcssk12.org.

Fine Arts Festival, May 11

The Jackson-Butts County Council for the Arts will hold its 23rd annual

Fine Arts Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 11. The festival will be

held at the corner of East Third Street and Dempsey Avenue.

Head Start enrollment

The McIntosh Trail Early Childhood Development Council is accepting

applications for Early Head Start, Head Start and pre-K programs for

the upcoming 2019-20 school year.

The Early Head Start program is for expectant mothers and children

ages 8 weeks to 3 years old. The Head Start program is for children who

have or will turn 3 or 4 years of age by Sept. 1, 2019. Pre-K is for chil-

dren who will have turned 4 by Sept. 1, 2019. Children with disabilities

are given priority.

Head Start and Early Head Start are free programs and require families

to meet federal guidelines. Pre-kindergarten is a free program with no

income guidelines.

Applications may be picked up at the Department of Family and Chil-

dren Services, Health Department, WIC program office, or at the office

in any of McIntosh Trail’s seven counties: Butts, Henry, Lamar, Newton,

Pike, Spalding and Upson. Pre-K is available only in Henry, Spalding,

Newton and Upson counties.

For more information, call 770-775-4293.