Great Start Shiawassee

06/05/2026

Play. Learn. Repeat. Check out the Great Start Family Coalition's newsletter, full of information that Shiawassee County parents need. https://app.smore.com/n/r4ua3

Local activities, Circles!, Preschool, Stress Buster, and Water Safety, Summer Food Resources

Play. Learn. Repeat.

06/02/2026

Let's talk about trains! What rhymes with train? Brain! Vain, vein, rain, mane (like a lion's mane! Roar!), main, plain, drain....what else rhymes?

05/28/2026

Looking to make some new memories this week? Check out all of the local, family-friendly events listed at https://www.sresd.org/great-start-shiawassee/calendar/. We are fortunate in this county to have so many activities! For example, on Thursday, June 11th, all of the following activities are happening:

9 am – 12 pm Food Pantry - First United Methodist Church - New Lothrop, First United Methodist Church

9 am – 12 pm Food Pantry - Loving Hands Pantry at First Church of God, The HUB Owosso First Church of God

9 – 10:30 am Youth Girls Soccer Camp - Owosso High School (3rd - 8th grade) Owosso High School Soccer Field

10 am – 4 pm Summer Theater Camp - Madagascar - Lebowsky Center, Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts

10 am – 12 pm Food Pantry - First United Methodist Church - Corunna, Corunna United Methodist Church

10 – 11:30 am Perinatal Support Group - Shiawassee Health & Wellness, Memorial Healthcare Hospital

10 – 11 am Early Learner and Caregiver Art Classes - Shiawassee Arts Center

11 am – 1 pm Food Pantry - Hope Vineyard Church, Hope Vineyard Church, Owosso

11:30 am – 12 pm Storytime - Morrice Library 300 Main St, Morrice, MI 48857, United States

1 – 6 pm Clay Trinket Trays - Owosso Library 502 W. Main St., Owosso, MI 48867, United States

1 – 2 pm Read with a Roar Stuffie Workshop - Corunna Library 210 E Corunna Ave, Corunna, MI 48817, United States

2 – 5 pm Rock Shining Lab - Vernon, Vernon District Public Library

2 – 3 pm Dino Figures with Happy Soul Place Pottery - Lennon Library, 11904 Lennon Rd, Lennon, MI 48449, United States

4 – 6 pm Food Pantry - MI Turning Point

4 – 6 pm Support Group - Voices for Children, The Child Advocacy Center of Shiawassee County

4 – 5 pm Bugs On Wheels - Morrice Library 300 Main St, Morrice, MI 48857, United States

5 – 7 pm Free Family Nights - Sloan Museum of Discovery, Sloan Museum of Discovery

6 – 7 pm Adulting 101 - Virtual - AI and You: Smart, Safe, and Savvy - MSU Extension

05/26/2026

Springtime fruits and veggies are delicious and nutritious! Talk about the taste and color of foods: “This strawberry is bright red! How does it taste? Is it sweet? Sour?”

05/20/2026

Thank you to all the teachers and staff who create a safe, nurturing environment for preschoolers! Your hard work and dedication mean the world to our young learners and their families.

To learn more about PreK for All in Shiawassee County, visit www.ShiawasseePreschool.org

05/19/2026

We are grateful for all the press surrounding Erik Jones' visit last week, which promoted early literacy.

Bertha Neal Elementary, Durand, MI — May 12, 2026 Many of NASCAR’s stars and the sanctioning body itself contribute significant sums of money and countless volunteer hours to various causes supporting local communities. Not always directly related to the sport of stock car racing itself. Erik Jo...

05/19/2026

Talk with your child about the spring weather! What do they see in the sky when it is sunny, cloudy, or rainy?

05/15/2026

Families in Shiawassee County have access to NO-COST, high-quality PreK to get their children started on the right track. Enrollment is now open for 4-year-olds for the 2026-27 school year. Enroll TODAY: www.ShiawasseePreschool.org

05/12/2026

Great Start Shiawassee was pleased to help welcome Erik Jones to Bertha Neal Elementary (Durand, MI) to read to four Great Start Readiness preschool classrooms. Jones, a NASCAR Cup Series driver from Byron, Michigan, is helping children get off to a great start by supporting early literacy initiatives, including the Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL). I Knew You Could!, a book featuring the Little Blue Engine, was read to 60 excited preschoolers. Following the reading, preschoolers were able to ask Jones questions like, "How fast do you drive?" (200 mph) and "What is your favorite ice cream?" (Moose Tracks). We greatly appreciate Jones taking the time to help fuel preschoolers' love of reading!

Erik Jones Foundation Involvement
Changes to 2025-2026 state funding put 1,900 Shiawassee County children in danger of losing access to books through DPIL. The Erik Jones Foundation, The Cook Family Foundation, Shiawassee RESD, and Curwood Festival have stepped up to provide funding. With their help, we have put high-quality books in the mailboxes of children (aged birth to 5) every month at no cost to the families. DPIL covers all overhead and administrative expenses, while Great Start Shiawassee pays $2.60 per book for shipping and handling, totaling about $5,000 per month. Since December of 2023, 54,925 books have been distributed in Shiawassee County through participation with the DPIL.

Questions? Contact Courtney Herrick or Erica Matteson at (989) 725-2581.

Interested in signing your child (birth to age 5) up for the DPIL? Visit https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/affiliate/MISHIAWASSEE

05/12/2026

Laughing is an important part of learning! Play fun games like “peek-a-boo” or sing funny nursery rhymes.

What do you call a noodle who puts on a mustache and pretends to be his dad? An impasta!