Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Photo by Danny Fulgencio

As the school year returns, so do the activities for babies and toddlers, and their busy moms. Two neighborhood organizations provide a place for parents and pre-schoolers to connect and learn:

The Preston Hollow Early Childhood Association hosts its first general meeting of the year at 9 a.m. Aug. 25 at Christ the King Catholic Church. The program is titled, “Brain Focused Strategies for Developing Social Emotional Health,” featuring Dr. Michelle Kinder, executive director of the Momentous Institute. Her talk examines how social emotional health — rather than test scores — has been proven as a better indicator of long-term success. The group hosts monthly meetings on the fourth Monday of each month through May. The new member round-up is 9:30-11 a.m. Sept. 3 at Kidville. You’ll also want to tune in to the Sept. 29 meeting, “Navigating the Private School Enrollment Process.”

The North Dallas Early Childhood PTA already held its new member round-up, but there’s still time to join. The group meets on the first Thursday of each month through May, usually featuring a light breakfast and a speaker, at Cochran Chapel United Methodist Church. The first program is at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 4, titled “Giving Back, Raising Leaders,” with Michelle Chase of Wee Volunteer. The talk provides tips on how to incorporate volunteering into family life. Go here to see what nuggets of knowledge are in store for the rest of the year.