The largest event of its kind for the region, hundreds of families, educators, and exhibitors packed Young Sports in Wayne for an afternoon of informative seminars, fun, and prizes at the Main Line Early Childhood Education Fair.
By Pam Margolis Photography by Carrie Hill Photography ?
Forty-five exhibitors were on hand to share in the event, which was sponsored by Kimberton Waldorf School. Exhibitors included Agnes Irwin School, Brain Balance Centers of Wayne, Friends School Haverford, Southeast Regional Key, and Woodlynde School.? (Check out the full list of exhibitors.)
When searching for an educational facility for your child, preparation is important. While many were looking for options to attend this fall, some wanted to start their search early. Alex, a 7-month-old from Ardmore, already attends daycare but his parents wanted to look around to see the next step could be.
From part-time preschools to full-time Montessori or day care with a partial academic preschool built in, there were many schooling options on hand. Parents could learn about the various educational philosophies, different schedules, and possible extras they may never have thought about. A Spanish language immersion program such as one offered by fair exhibitor Spanish Workshop for Children assists children in becoming competent in a second language, giving them an advantage to succeed.
In addition to visiting an array of educational facilities the fair provided fun and informative sessions. ?Sessions included mind, body, and wellness tips, financial advice, and a preschool primer. ?As if information sessions weren?t enough, the young ones were treated to science and puppet shows!
Parents needing a brief break from the flurry of activity at the fair found useful health and wellness advice from Kelly Ann Zazyczny, a pediatric nurse from Bryn Mawr Hospital.?Zazyczny believes the key to life is to self preserve. ?Methods suggested include stress reduction through exercise, eating healthy, finding quiet time to be by yourself, and investing in quality personal relationships. Zazyczny believes that children can also benefit from quiet time built into their schedules.
Parents looking for some family financial planning advice attended the seminar from New York Life. Tips included:
- Planning now for your child?s education.
- Borrowing now thanks to historically low interest rates.
- Purchasing life insurance. Surprising fact: only 1 in 5 people have it.
Armed with wellness and financial advice, parents then visited with Shannon Choe of Premier Baby Concierge, who wrapped up the afternoon with a preschool 101 seminar.? Choe encouraged families to begin the childcare search early and to think about the type of program they might like: all day vs. half day, active parental involvement vs. no parental involvement. Location and logistics are also important factors to take into consideration. Is it easy to get to the school? Can you pick up one child and still have time to get to another school to pick up an additional child? Can more than one child attend the same facility?
Families attending the day?s activities left with prizes (like a great canvas tote thanks to Kimberton Walforf!) and a host of important information. Now comes the hard part ? sending them off on that first day without breaking out the tissues.
Main Line Parent was proud to feature local charity Joy of Sox with a Sock Drive at the event. 1460 pairs of socks collected from families with young children, who made donations at exhibitor tables to enter their gift basket raffles. Over $2.5K in prizes were awarded by participating exhibitors. Visit the joyofsox.org for more information.
Save the date for the Main Line Private and Independent School Expo, October 21, 2012, at the Radnor Valley Country Club. Like our Main Line Private and Independent School Expo Facebook fan page and opt to see messages in your newsfeed to stay updated on who?s exhibiting and the exciting plans we have in store for you!
Source: http://mainlineparent.com/2012/07/main-line-parents-successful-early-childhood-education-fair/
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