Please join us this Saturday for the Annual Wallace Elementary Spring Market.

The market will be held Saturday, April 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wallace Elementary, 9921 Kirkhaven Drive. In addition to more than 45 vendors, they’ll have food trucks, live entertainment, chiropractic care, pet adoptions, photos with live bunnies and a raffle and silent auction. Admission is free, but merchant fees and other funds raised will be used to send next year’s 5th grade students to Sky Ranch.

This year's lineup of unique vendors includes Scribbles Lettering, Silpada Jewelry, Usborne Books, Chelsea McKee Jewelry, Dixie Goods Company, Sarah Briggs Jewelry, Atom & Teak, Coco Custom, Graciella, & Noonday. Coco Custom creates whimsical drawings of special places, but they specialize in sketching your home. The portraits are affordable and sentimental, the perfect housewarming gift or way to remember the home of your childhood. The artist is Wallace mom Cortney Bonner. Artist Meghan Ryan Coates says her love of perfect handwriting started in elementary school and blossomed into Scribbles Lettering. She creates signs, place cards, wall art and other cool stuff. Lil’ Firefly says they “strive to showcase clothing that reflects the bright, rebellious spirit within each child.” I was going to call it sassy. But, okay. Dixie Goods Company offers colorful dog duvets, collars and more. Owner Kady Steele says she taught herself to sew by making clothing for her dolls as a child, then recently began making things for Dixie, her dog. The Rust Bucket repurposes barn wood, old pieces of furniture and antique items to create personal jewelry, signs and household décor. Tag Flags begins with premise that toilet papering yards is rude. They present an alternative: a couple of tubes of Tag Flags and/or a roll or two of Tag Tape. The only risk of getting caught is from all the kids giggling as they run through the yard. Bethany’s Style Aisle is new to Wallace, but it’s not new to loyal Advocate readers or to folks who watch Nightline or Good Morning America. The Lake Highlands High School 2009 graduate was featured for her Instagram personal shopping business in 2014, and it’s grown since then.

There will also be fabulous entertainment throughout the day.

Wallace Elementary's annual Spring Market this Saturday, April 9th. Doors are open 9 am to 4 pm at Wallace Elementary - 9921 Kirkhaven Drive, Dallas, 75238. For more information, please visit wallacepta.org.

To help kick off National Emergency Preparedness month, Primrose Schools is teaming up with national partner Save the Children on a nine-week series aimed at equipping families with tools so they can better prepare for the unexpected. The interactive program features engaging resources, activities and videos on Primrose Schools’ 360 Parenting blog that ultimately lead parents through a simple, step-by-step process to create their own family emergency plans.

Survey results from Save the Children found that 40 percent of American families do not have an emergency plan and 49 percent do not feel prepared to protect their families if a disaster happens in their communities. To narrow the gap and make preparing for emergencies less daunting, Primrose Schools is integrating Save the Children’s Get Ready. Get Safe. initiative with existing parent resources to help families prepare for emergency situations in a tangible way.

“There are many misconceptions about emergency preparedness; parents often think that their kids are safe with them or that they aren’t at risk, but in reality 90 percent of children in the United States live in areas vulnerable to natural disaster,” says Sarah Thompson, associate director of community preparedness with Save the Children. “We are thrilled to partner with Primrose Schools to provide families with simple and useful resources that will help them get better prepared for the unexpected.”

The focal point of the program is the Get Ready. Get Safe. Family Plan Checklist, a downloadable, interactive checklist that families can work through together, checking off activities and steps as they go. Through Primrose’s 360 Parenting blog, Primrose and Save the Children will share insightful blog posts, engaging videos and the resources and activities necessary to complete the checklist. By the end of the series, any participating family will have checked off each step of the Family Plan Checklist and ultimately created their very own, customized emergency plan, a critical part of Save the Children’s mission to ensure the safety of children across the country.

“At Primrose Schools, we are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of the children entrusted to our care,” said Gloria Julius, Ed.D., vice president of education and professional development for Primrose. This program is an extension of our commitment to child safety and provides a way for us to educate Primrose families and friends about the importance of protecting our most vulnerable citizens during times of crisis.”

Every Primrose school has always devoted classroom time to teaching young children life skills, like safety rules and knowing their basic contact information. And by promoting the Get Ready. Get Safe. series on 360 Parenting, incorporating the initiative into some of the curriculum and communicating about the importance of emergency preparedness in all of the 300 Primrose schools across the country, this interactive program provides parents and children with an easy-to-implement tool to help them create a family emergency plan. The series also features child-friendly activities to engage children and lessen any fear that can be associated with emergencies.

Visit PrimroseSchools.com/blog to read and watch weekly installments with important and fun activities to learn how to prepare your family for an emergency.

About Primrose Schools

Founded in 1982, Primrose Schools is the nation’s leader in providing a premier, early education and care experience in more than 300 schools in 25 states. Locally, the Primrose School of Preston Hollow partners with parents to help children build the right foundation for future learning and life, and offer an environment that helps children have fun while nurturing Active Minds, Healthy Bodies and Happy Hearts®. Primrose is the first early childhood education organization in the country to receive AdvancED Corporation Systems Accreditation under the new Standards for Quality Early Learning Schools. To schedule a tour of our school, please call 214-369-7774 or visit www.PrimrosePrestonHollow.com or www.facebook.com/primroseprestonhollow. For more information, visit www.PrimroseSchools.com, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube, and explore our 360 Parenting blog.

About Save the Children

Save the Children invests in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, we are dedicated to ensuring every child has the best chance for success. Our pioneering programs give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. Our advocacy efforts provide a voice for children who cannot speak for themselves. As the leading expert on children, we inspire and achieve lasting impact for millions of the world's most vulnerable girls and boys. By transforming children's lives now, we change the course of their future and ours. www.SavetheChildren.org

Registration for the new school year is upon us!  We are currently enrolling children ages 3-6 for our Preschool, Pre-K and Private Kindergarten classrooms. We would like to extend an invitation to parents to learn more about our Balanced Learning Curriculum. All classrooms for children ages 3-6 will be open and teachers and staff will be present for parents to meet and discuss specific questions regarding our educational programs. Please RSVP to info@primroseprestonhollow.com or give us a call if you have any questions 214-369-7774.

Thursday, April 30 - 6:30 pm

Primrose School of Preston Hollow

10715 Preston Road

Dallas, TX 75230

214-369-7774

www.PrimrosePrestonHollow.com

Please join us for our Fall 2015 Pre-registration Open House

Thursday, April 30 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

(Preschool, Pre-K and Private Kindergarten - for children ages 3 years to 6 years)

Primrose School of Preston Hollow

10715 Preston Road

Dallas, TX 75230

214-369-7774

Now is the time to consider enrolling your child for next year's Preschool, Pre-K, or Kindergarten classroom. 

Our assessment tools and research clearly demonstrate the advantage that Primrose students have over many of their peers when they start first grade.

Primrose Schools' Balanced Learning approach to readiness means not only learning how to think critically, use mathematical concepts and love reading, but also how to share and show self control. This makes for a very positive transition to elementary school.  

To learn more about the benefits of beginning your child's Primrose education in the Preschool (age 3), Pre-K (age 4) or Kindergarten (age 5)  program at the Primrose School of Preston Hollow, please plan to attend our upcoming Open House and tour of our brand new, state of the art facility.

Please call 214-369-7774 with any questions or RSVP to info@primroseprestonhollow.com.

- See more at: http://www.PrimrosePrestonHollow.com

Every parent wants their child to develop traits such as compassion, generosity and kindness, but just like math and reading skills, the traits associated with good character must be nurtured and developed over time. The earlier these softer skills are fostered in young children, the more likely they are to be successful in school and later in life.

Research shows that from birth to age 5, the brain develops more rapidly than at any other time in life. Nurturing the development of compassion, independence and resilience during these years is just as crucial as setting the stage for other proficiencies. As the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child states, “The early years lay the foundation for a wide range of later developmental outcomes that really matter – self-confidence and sound mental health, motivation to learn and achievement in school and later in life.”

When teaching your little one something as intangible as character, it’s important to provide hands-on learning opportunities and reinforce those lessons in a variety of ways. Here are some tips:

• Build an understanding of different traits. Even at a young age, children begin to build their understanding of important character traits, such as generosity, respect and gratitude. When reading with your child, take the opportunity to discuss positive traits that the characters possess and apply it to real- life experiences.

• Introduce important life skills. Children are never too young to begin learning essential life skills, such as manners, safety and caring for the environment. Have your child take care of his very own plant. This fun task will promote responsibility while also teaching the importance of caring for the world around him.

• Make time for hands-on learning. Children get most excited about giving back when they are able to experience it first-hand. Introduce your child to helping those in need by starting small in your community. Whether it’s collecting coats for a clothing drive or making cards for the local nursing home, it’s heartwarming to see your child begin to understand the huge impact a simple project can have.

Remember, young children learn through repetition and observation. One of the best ways for you to teach your children about character is to lead by example and demonstrate those important soft skills, which they will learn to imitate over time.

Primrose Schools is a national family of dedicated leaders serving children, families and communities in our premier accredited early education and care schools.

To learn about Primrose School of Preston Hollow, plan to attend our upcoming OPEN HOUSE on Thursday, April 30 at 6:30. For more information, visit www.PrimrosePrestonHollow.com or call 214-369-7774, For more parenting tips, visit our 360 Parenting blog at www.PrimroseSchools.com/360Parenting.