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N E W S F O R S U P P O R T E R S O F P L E A S E T O U C H M U S E U M ® AT M E M O R I A L H A L L
Ready for Kindergarten “Are you going to Kindergarten?” One by one, a stream of five-yearolds, some shy, some smiling proudly, answered “yes!” They each received a t-shirt that said “Kindergarten Rules!” and walked into Please Touch Museum. Inside they found a group of kindergarten teachers waiting to welcome them, along with librarians, school administrators, dentists, Girl Scout troop leaders, and a very enthusiastic Pinky, one of PTM’s Puppet Pals, who was also getting ready for kindergarten. This year’s annual Kindergarten Mixer, held on August 4th, marked the 10th year the Museum has played host to incoming kindergartners and their families, hailing from all over the Greater Philadelphia region. They come here as the next-to-last stop on a transition journey that spans months and sometimes years, a last hurrah of excitement before boarding school buses and donning backpacks to start the school year. The Mixer is a celebration of school highlighting the informal education that defines early childhood learning and will remain central to shaping children’s development throughout their early schooling years. There is no rigid schedule for the Mixer; instead, families are encouraged to explore the Museum’s exhibits and pop in and out of the activities occurring throughout the building. Five-year-olds may be all grown up, but they still love to play.
Inside this issue: • FarmStand Fun • A Dreadfully Monstrous Mash
This year’s Kindergarten Mixer, presented by U.S. Airways and supported by UPS, brought 417 kindergartners and their families into the Museum for a night of fun, including a special theater show, in which Pinky asked for help getting ready for the first day of school. To wrap up the event, families, kids, teachers and volunteers all got together for a Kindergarten Pep Rally to cheer for the beginning of school. At the end of the night, each kindergartner received a backpack, courtesy of UPS, filled with supplies for school and home, and Pinky waved goodbye as a sea of yellow skipped, hopped, and twirled out the door on their way to becoming big kids.
• A New Partnership with Woodloch Resort --Claudia Setubal, Program Manager, Community Outreach
• Stroller in the Park 4 23 1 Aven u e of th e Rep ub l i c P hi l ad el p hi a, PA 19131
“ENRICHING THE LIVES OF CHILDREN BY CREATING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH PLAY.”