Manchester Community Ed Offering Classes this Fall for Kids and Adults

This week Manchester Community Education will kick off its fall classes at Klager. It’s not too late to register!

Bricks 4 Kidz, a returning favorite, is a 7-week after school class for elementary age students. In it they will discover inertia, momentum, centrifugal force, precession and elapsed time as they build & create their own LEGO models. This class will meet Wednesdays throughout the school year. Click HERE for more information and the form to register.

At Klager this Wednesday evening, an adult Cricut 101 class will be held from 7-9pm. This class is for those 15 years of age to adult who own a Cricut Expression machine and wonder what all those buttons do.  It will teach the basics and how to make fun crafts/cards/scrapbook pages with it.  Participants will walk away with lots of notes, knowledge and a fun, completed project. This is a one-time class but other adult scrapbooking layout and card making classes will be offered on Wednesday nights this fall. Click HERE: for  for more information and HERE  for the form to register.

Beginning this Tuesday evening, Dance Arts of Manchester will begin their fall session at the Ackerson Building, offering Creative Movement, Ballet, and Jazz Classes for ages 3 to adult! Click HERE  for the schedule and registration information. Click HERE to read the Mirror’s June profile of Dance Arts of Manchester.

photo courtesy of Manchester First Steps

Next week, additional classes will be starting in the Ackerson Building. Manchester First Steps kicks off their Parent-Child Play & Learn Groups where children from birth to kindergarten and their parents attend to socialize with other families. In addition, parents have their parenting and child development questions answered by the early childhood professional who is present at all the groups. Age appropriate activities for the children and parents to participate in together will be a part of these 1½ hour classes that include a snack and close with a circle time of songs, fingerplays and movement. The two play rooms are set up much like preschool/child care classrooms for children to explore and build their skills in all areas of development. These classes will meet Tuesday evenings and Thursday mornings for the remainder of the school year. Registration is by session or for the year. Families unable to commit to a whole session are able to participate by choosing to ‘drop-in’. Click HERE for more information and the registration form.

An evening parenting class entitled Nurturing Parenting will begin in the Ackerson board room Wednesday Sept. 23 from 6-7pm. This class is being offered by MSU Extension and facilitated by their instructor, Terry Jones. It will meet for 6 weeks and cover Ways to Enhance Positive Brain Development in Children and Teens; Communicating with Respect; Understanding Feelings; Understanding and Developing Family Morals, Values, and Rules; Effective Discipline Part I; Effective Discipline Part II. Jones is experienced in fielding questions about parenting children of all ages. Parents can register for the complete session or the individual classes that are of most interest to them. Click HERE for registration form.

Klager kids can get in on the scrapbooking fun at the after-school Mini-Album Scrapbooking Class on Monday, Sept. 21. Children in kindergarten through 6th grade will make a fun 4×6 scrapbook album perfect for their back to school pictures! All supplies will be provided. Click HERE  for more information and HERE for the form to register.

photo courtesy of Manchester Community Education

The last week of September, Little Ninjas and Kids Power Classes will begin their 6-week fall session on Monday evenings in the Ackerson Multi-Purpose Room. The Little Ninjas Karate Program is an introductory karate class specifically designed for children ages 4 and 5. It focuses on teaching children eight important main life skills: Focus, Memory, Teamwork, Discipline, Self-Control, Fitness, Balance, and Coordination. All this is achieved through exciting and fun games and activities! The Kids Power Karate Program offers traditional martial arts training to children ages 6 through 12 and emphasizes self-defense, physical fitness, conflict resolution, team work and anti-kidnapping techniques. This program is designed specifically for children and teaches prevention first. It does not promote active aggressiveness, but teaches children to respect themselves, others and the skills they learn. Click HERE for a flyer with more information on the Kids Power Program or HERE for a flyer with more information on the Little Ninjas program and HERE for the registration form.

Starting in October, Young Rembrandts will be back in the Klager art room on Tuesdays after school with their Power of Drawing Classes. In these 5-week sessions, kindergarteners through 6th graders will learn how color, style, and techniques with lines and familiar shapes can help them enhance their art creations. Click HERE for more information and the form to register.

More crafting classes for both adults and children are scheduled throughout the fall. Plans are in the works to add gymnastic classes and nutrition classes, as well as, much, much more. Community Education is also seeking to collaborate with other organizations and programs to offer additional educational opportunities to our community.

To see all classes scheduled this fall, check out their calendar on the Manchester Community Schools Community Education page HERE. Classes will be added there as they are confirmed. Further class descriptions, costs, flyers and instructions on how to register can also be found by clicking on the categories of interest on the left tool bar.

Like Community Ed on Facebook HERE. Announcements and additional information will be posted as new class opportunities approach. Community Ed is also looking for ideas for future classes and workshops. If you have an idea of something you would like to see offered in Manchester or have expertise in something you would be willing to teach, please complete their survey HERE.

For any additional information, questions or suggestions, contact Beckie Brewis by phone (428-9711 x1343), by email (bbrewis@mcs.k12.mi.us) or in person at her office in the Ackerson Building. Registrations can also be faxed to MCS Central Office (428-9188).

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.