Greenway’s Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) recently wrapped up their final music classes out of the Calumet Library. Jenae Goligoski, an ECFE teacher and mom of two, came up with the idea of having a music class to offer to our community’s young children. “Kids can learn so much from music and it’s such an important piece of development.” With Jenae’s initiative and total support from ECFE, they made music class possible this summer. And boy, was it a hit!

An “instrumental” part in making this happen was a grant from the Greenway Area Community Fund. This $500 grant filled bins, boxes and drawers full of fun and noise to make the weekly half hour class a highlight of Wednesday summer days.

“We haven’t had anything like this before so with the help of our Greenway ECFE program and the Calumet Library, we were able to find a trained music teacher and location to hold the classes. The Greenway Area Community fund grant we received allowed us to purchase brand new instruments and materials to use during the class. Things like maracas, jingle bells, drums, and other hands-on materials that have already made class such an enjoyable learning experience for both children and parents,” explained Gologoski. Her coworker, Teacher Erin with the help of Teacher Melanie, shared her love of music in such a fun, interactive way. Babies and children up to six years old sang, danced and played instruments each week and explored so many neat ways music makes life so much better.

A collaboration like this is exactly why your support of the Greenway Area Community Fund and the children in our community is priceless! We hope this music class, like many other of our great Greenway organizations, clubs, activities and events, is a tradition to last for many more years to come.

PHOTO:  back row, left to right: Melanie Lefebvre; Lynda Tarbuck, Calumet Representative; Bob Lawson, Bovey Representative; Erin Wirtz; Maria Peluso, Greenway Township/Pengilly Representative; Jane Chamberlain, Trout Lake Township Representative; Aria and Jenae Goligoski.  Front row, left to right: Lolah and Ivoree Erickson and Lena Emanuel.