Mornings at Memorial – Early Childcare Learning Center
Available September – May
Monday – Friday, 9 to Noon
For ages 18 months to age 5
Our early childhood care center provides a safe, healthy, and fun atmosphere for your child, while you are away. Your child will play and grow in the company of friends in a loving, Christian setting.
Someone once wisely said that childhood should be a journey, not a race. We keep that philosophy in mind as we plan for enriching experiences that will help your child to develop skills as they play. We want the children to become comfortable, confident, and competent through exploration and fun. Learning to separate from their primary caregiver, to socialize with peers and their teachers, and to problem solve are some of the things we focus on with the children.
We realize that your child is a treasure and that a happy, healthy parent is the best gift a child can receive. We invite you to have a little time away to take of things while your child learns and grows at Mornings at Memorial.
Marie Calcaterra
Director of Mornings at Memorial
Marie joined the GPMC staff in 2014 as the Director of Mornings at Memorial, our parents day out program. Marie has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood education and is a certified F.A.S.T reading specialist. She taught for many years at St. Paul on the Lake Catholic school where she shared her love of God with many young children preschool and kindergarten age. She has help develop the current program which is quite well known around the community.
She and her husband, David live in Grosse Pointe and have three grown children and two granddaughters that actually attend M@M. Marie enjoys spending time with family and especially those times at their Lake cottage in Lexington on summer weekends.
Ages 18 months – 24 months
M/W/F or T/Th
9 am – 12 pm
This class offers your child their first introduction to being away from their primary caregivers. Throughout their day an offering of various craft items, stories, and dramatic play are encouraged. Children learn to make prayer hands and thank God for their daily snack and their families. Each child has the opportunity to develop fine and gross motor skills. Learning to separate from their caregiver and share and play with others their age are important developmental steps for this group.
Teachers: Denise McCloskey, Amber Byarski
Ages 25 months – 32 months
M/W/F or T/Th
9 am – 12 pm
This class offers a great bridge between home and school. We know the best way for these children to learn is through play. So, while you may see them singing, dancing, painting, building, pretending, they are very busy learning. For many, this may be their first experience away from home also. Much time is spent getting comfortable with our school routine and new friends. They also enjoy letter of the week crafts, stories, nursery rhymes, many fine motor manipulative, sensory play (playdough, rice, sand) and so much more.
Teachers: Kris Kornmeier, Jacquie Doerr
Ages 33 months – 41 months
M/W/F or T/Th
9 am – 12 pm
The Curious Caterpillar classroom is a safe, caring classroom that centers learning around the child. The focus is to provide an environment rich in language and vocabulary development. Children enjoy free play which allows them to navigate relationships, make choices, learn routines, and build fine and gross motor skills. Children are introduced to letters and sounds, numbers, art, story time, snack time, the seasons, holidays, and religious activities. In this classroom, children are expected to be potty trained by the age of 3. Children are taught how to take care of personal needs, which in turn helps them gain confidence and independence.
Teachers: Arlette Przepiora, Torrey Gragnier, Eliza Ellery, Abby Ellery
Ages 42 months – 5 years old
M/W/F or T/Th
9 am – 12 pm
This classroom offers a more structured atmosphere. Children will learn how to sit and complete a task. This class offers an engaging, hands-on curriculum based on our weekly themes which focus on developmentally appropriate kindergarten readiness activities. Our themes revolve around the alphabet, (letter recognition and sounds, writing and context). Numbers (counting, understanding quantities and order, shapes, colors), science experiments, and social skills. We have daily calendar time (days of the week, months, weather seasons, and holidays) as well as theme centered crafts, library story time, gym, and Bible time. Children also practice proper pencil grip, scissor use, name recognition/printing and are encouraged to problem solve which helps them gain independence each day, in a Christian setting, as they begin their journey of lifelong learning! We believe children learn best when they feel safe, loved, and are having fun while learning to play and share with friends. Children in this class must be potty trained when they start school.
Teachers: Julie Martinbianco, Dory Zontini
Parents register, pay a fee, and sign their child/children up for 2 – 3 mornings a week.
For more information, contact the Mornings at Memorial Director, Marie Calcaterra
by emailing her or calling (313) 882-5330.
MAM Reg. Packet and Parent Handbook 2024-2025
