The Resiliency Center of Newtown will offer a children’s storytelling event with Joan Almon on Thursday, March 27. The program will begin at 3:15 and is recommended for children ages 5 and up. It had originally been announced with a 4:15 start time.

Stephanie Cinque, founder and director of the center, announced the change on Friday, March 21. The decision to start the program early was made in part due to an early dismissal of Newtown’s public schools, she said. 

On Thursday afternoon, Joan Almon will share a medley of stories and verses with the help of her puppets.

Ms Almon is a former Waldorf early childhood educator who fell in love with storytelling and puppetry while teaching young children. The program will end with a fairy tale about the power of good over evil.

A proponent of creative play, Ms Almon opened an essay called “The Vital Role of Play in Early Childhood Education” with the following statement: “In over 30 years of working with children, families, and teachers in Waldorf kindergartens all over the world, I have observed one consistent feature of childhood: creative play is a central activity in the lives of healthy children. Play helps children weave together all the elements of life as they experience it. It allows them to digest life and make it their own. It is an outlet for the fullness of their creativity, and it is an absolutely critical part of their childhood. With creative play, children blossom and flourish; without it, they suffer a serious decline.”

Ms Almon is founding director of the US Alliance for Childhood, an international consultant on early childhood education; and former co-chair of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America.

She is internationally recognized as a consultant to Waldorf educators and training programs, and the author of numerous articles on Waldorf education. She is a former editor of the Waldorf Kindergarten Newsletter and a board member of the International Waldorf Kindergarten Association.

There is no charge for the program, but reservations are requested. Send e-mail to jennifer@resiliencycenterofnewtown.org for reservations or additional information.

The Resiliency Center is at 153 South Main Street, with entry and parking through the lower level.

The center offers long-term healing to those impacted by 12/14 to help these individuals reach their full potential. The center is a program of Tuesday’s Children, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.