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JANUARY 2015

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Massachusetts’ Premier Magazine For Families Since 1996

WESTERN MA EDITION THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF PLAY: HOW PLAY PAYS OFF FOR YOUR CHILD WHY PARENTS CAN’T DO 2ND GRADE MATH

sCHOOL WHAT YOUR 5-YEAR-OLD REALLY NEEDS TO KNOW TO START KINDERGARTEN

Rules! COMMUNITY COLLEGE: AN AFFORDABLE START REAL-LIFE ANSWERS TO COMMON HOMESCHOOL QUESTIONS

baystateparent Western MA Edition

is turning 1...

and we want to put YOUR CHILD on our March Cover!

jenniferrosephotography

kathryndeanephotography

To celebrate our 1st birthday in March we’re pulling out all the stops, inviting parents to send a recent photo of their child (aged 6 months to 16) for consideration as our birthday cover model. Parents can send 1 photo of their child to models@baystateparent.com with the child’s name, age, town and parent’s

Ashley Vassallo Photography

contact information. The finalists will be invited to our office (located in Millbury, MA) for a professional photo shoot. The winner will be chosen from the finalists and will be asked to come back for the final shoot and appear on the cover of the March issue of baystateparent West! All entries must be received by Monday, January 19th.

Don’t delay, enter your mini-model today! models@baystateparent.com 2 JANUARY2015 3

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table of contents JANUARY 2015 VOLUME 1

3 1.

NUMBER 11

things we learned

while making the january issue

When compared to children of the 1980s, only 1 out of 12 children today have normal core strength and balance, experts say. Turn to page 8 and find out the surprising reason why.

Students entering college are offered an average of eight credit cards their first week of school, yet fewer than 1 in 4 report feeling that they know enough about personal finances. Learn how area financial institutions are helping educate students about critical credit issues on page 26.

in every issue 6 6 7 12 13 13 14 40 43

7 in 10 college seniors who graduated from public and private nonprofit colleges in 2013 had student loan debt, owing an average of $28,400. Head to page 30 and discover why community colleges are an affordable option, with one important caveat.

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MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS FINALLY FOREVER: Welcoming a Child – and Dismissing Any Fears: Adoption Myths Dispelled JANUARY’S CHILD: Meet Zeke CIRCLE OF FRIENDS: Area Adoption Events OUT & ABOUT: January Calendar of Family Events OUR JANUARY FAVORITES: Facts, Finds and Freebies TAKE 8: Meet the new First Lady of Massachusetts Lauren Baker

features

WELCOME: A Letter from Our Editor MEET OUR SPECIAL GUEST: Cover Model Kamilla

RIPE: Mission to End Childhood Obesity Results in Award-Winning Kids’ Cooking Magazine DISHIN’ WITH THE DIETITIAN: 2015 Healthy Wishes for You RIPE BITES: Bake Away the Winter Blues

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CONSIGNMENT CORNER ADVERTISER’S DIRECTORY DANCE, GYM & ENRICHMENT, PRESCHOOL & CHILD CARE

The Critical Importance of Playtime: What Parents Don’t Know TimberNook: Not Your Typical ‘Nature Camp’

school rules

20 22

What Your Child Really Needs To Know To Start Kindergarten

5 Homeschooling Tips for Parents of Kids in Traditional School

Delivering Education That Makes ‘Cents’

Why Can’t I Do 2nd Grade Math?

Community College: An Affordable Start If You Do It Right

So You’re Thinking About Homeschooling?

BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 5

meet team

welcome to

baystateparent

publisher KIRK DAVIS

creative editor in chief MELISSA SHAW 508-865-7070 ext. 201 editor@baystateparent.com creative director PAULA MONETTE ETHIER 508-865-7070 ext. 221 pethier@holdenlandmark.com senior graphic designer STEPHANIE MALLARD 508-865-7070 design@baystateparent.com

advertising director of sales REGINA STILLINGS 508-865-7070 ext. 210 regina@baystateparent.com western mass sales manager JESSICA O’MALLEY 413-437-4673 jessica@baystateparent.com multi-media account executive DONNA TYBURSKI 413-530-7187 donna@baystateparent.com

In Association With advertising director BETH BAKER 413-283-8393 ext. 245 bbaker@turley.com presidents KIRK and LAURIE DAVIS

impacts everything from a child’s balance to his or her ability to pay attention in school. The story is an eye-opener for many of us, especially when you consider the fact that when compared to children of the 1980s, only 1 out of 12 children today have normal core strength and balance. More children are falling, getting hurt, and are just generally clumsy, all of which experts can tie back to balance issues, which can be the result of a reduction in time to run, jump, climb, swing and just plain move. Another benefit of movement? Keeping kids healthy. On page 35 we talk to award-winning cookbook author Sally Sampson, whose Massachusetts-based magazine ChopChop was founded with a mission to get families cooking healthy food together as a way to battle childhood obesity. We’ve got a lot between the covers for you this month! Read on and, as always, I would love to hear your thoughts. Reach me at editor@baystateparent.com.

M e li ss a Melissa Shaw, editor

photographers STEVEN KING ASHLEY VASSALLO

copy editor BRYAN ETHIER

• Over 50,000 readers • 25,000 copies distributed monthly • Find us in ALL Big Y stores PLUS 400 other locations • distribution manager TOM SIGNA 508-865-7070 ext. 112 tsigna@holdenlandmark.com

baystateparent is published monthly with a main office at 22 West Street, Millbury, MA 01527

www.baystateparent.com 6 JANUARY2015 7

Education worries seem to start early when you’re a parent, from right about the time you’re deciding where to send your child to preschool up until he is wearing a cap and gown. When the kids are little, one of the first concerns might be, “Is my child ready for kindergarten?” Given the benchmarking of today’s public school students — which now starts for many in kindergarten screenings months before the first day of school — it’s easy to be anxious. Can he identify all 26 letters? Can she count to 20? Can he write his name? And we’ve all seen those commercials about teaching your toddler how to read. But what does today’s kindergarten student really need to know? On page 20, Amanda Roberge talks to preschool and kindergarten teachers about what skills your 5-year-old should have mastered by Day 1. You may be surprised what’s on the list. By the time your child transitions into elementary school, the worrying may center on yourself: Why can’t I do second-grade math? “No,” your child will protest after you show her how to add 20 +

35. “That’s not how we do it in school.” The once-simple act of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing now seems needlessly complicated for parents, leaving them frustrated and unable to help at homework time. Kathy Sloan talks to educators who explain the basic theory behind Common Core math, why it seems so needlessly complicated, and what educators are really trying to teach. Read it on page 28. When your child reaches the back nine of high school, a whole new concern arises: How will we pay for college? Students are graduating from four-year institutions with considerable debt, the average 2013 graduate owing $28,400. Joan Goodchild looks at the option of community colleges, where students are earning associates degrees and affordably laying the foundation for a four-year diploma with a greatly reduced debt load. And while community colleges are a smart bet financially and educationally, savings will start to erode if a student doesn’t approach it the correct way. Learn the expert tip for ensuring your child realizes the greatest savings on page 26. In a similar educational vein, on page 8 Michelle Perras-Charron outlines the critical importance of play in a child’s life and how it

Kamilla

This month's cover model is

Our cover model this month is 12-year-old Kamilla, who shared some fun facts about herself.

What do you enjoy most about modeling? I like to see the pictures after the shoot so I can share them with my friends. Do you have any hobbies? Writing, fencing, dancing, riding, reading, and traveling abroad. What is your favorite subject in school? Reading and theater arts.

What is your favorite book? I like too many to have a favorite. But I prefer to read science fiction, medical thrillers, and mythology. What is your favorite winter activity? Skiing: cross country and alpine, sledding, building snow forts with my sister, Mommy, and Daddy. What do you want to be when you grow up? I would like to be an author.

cover photo

Steven King

photography

Meet Our January Contributors Western Mass native Amanda Collins is a writer and editor who grew up in Belchertown, and now resides in Sturbridge. She is the proud aunt of six nieces and nephews and is the editor of baystateparent’s sister publication, The Millbury-Sutton Chronicle. On page 26, Amanda examines the statewide Savings Makes Cents program, which teaches Massachusetts school children the basics of money, saving and banking. Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur is a freelance writer, editor, and blogger who grew up in Chicopee and has called Springfield home for many years. She is a homeschooling mother of three, making her an expert for this month’s story, So You’re Thinking About Homeschooling? on page 22.

In Community College: An Affordable Start If You Do It Right, Joan Goodchild outlines the two-year option for those interested seeking a college degree or laying the foundation for a four-year degree, but without a crushing debt load. But what does she mean by “if you do it right”? Head to page 30 and found out. In addition to her job as mother of two, Joan is also the chief editor of a business publication serving security and risk professionals. Michelle Perras-Charron is a freelancer, runner (sometimes), and mom to four growing (way too fast!) boys. A southern girl at heart, Michelle traveled coast to coast with her Air Force spouse for the past 20 years. They have recently made Belchertown their “forever home” because they love the community, the people, and the beauty of Western Mass. She also writes for her local community paper, The Sentinel. On page 8, Michelle outlines the critical importance of play and how it impacts everything from a child’s balance to his or her ability to pay attention in school. She also takes a look at a unique New Hampshire nature camp that encourages play. Sara Pokorny is a freelance writer who lives in Amherst and is a proud puppy mommy to Link and Piper. She’s interviewed everyone from Mike Tyson to the late Joan Rivers, but still names the time she talked with the mall Santa Claus as her favorite story yet. This month, Sara examines common misconceptions surrounding adoption and talks to experts who set the record straight in Welcoming a Child – and Dismissing Any Fears on page 12.

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Amanda Roberge is a longtime freelance journalist and artist who lives in North Central Massachusetts. She and her husband have been raising their three daughters to be loving and kind, but also (and perhaps more importantly) to be excellent pranksters, karaoke singers and master rollerskaters. On page 20, Amanda talked to preschool educators who explain What Your Child Really Needs To Know To Start Kindergarten. Mother of three Kathy Sloan has heard our cry and will deliver the answer Why Can’t I Do 2nd Grade Math? On page 28, Kathy talks to educators who explain the rationale behind Common Core math. Here’s a hint: They’re not trying to drive us insane.

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THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF

playtime: WHAT PARENTS DON’T KNOW BY MICHELLE PERRAS-CHARRON I awake at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday to the sound of plastic wheels coasting with purpose across wood floors. It is loud. It is a bit unwelcome at this hour. I recognize it as the sound of my 2-year-old riding his scooter through the house. Yet I don’t yell out, or interrupt, because I know that although he just woke up, he can’t help it. He must begin playing — and moving. He does this because it’s what his body wants him to do — move. His little body craves movement. And yet what do children often hear? “Sit still.” “Slow down.” “Stop fidgeting.” “Be careful.” “Don’t run/ jump/spin/climb on that!” Parents, caregivers and teachers are often telling them to do the complete opposite of what their body wants and needs them to do. As parents, we’re worried about our child getting hurt. Likewise, school administrators are worried about liability, as are towns and cities that maintain public parks. Note the lack of merry-gorounds, high slides, and swings with large swing spans on today’s school playgrounds and public parks. “It’s not that we’re bad parents,” says Angela Hanscom, pediatric occupational therapist and founder 8 JANUARY2015 9

of TimberNook, a Barrington, N.H., camp that seeks to reconnect children with nature. “It’s just that we don’t know.” Hanscom, whose work focuses on sensory and attention issues, founded the program with one goal: to foster healthy development of children by getting them back outside where they can be inspired by the environment, think for themselves, and be challenged. “It’s an opportunity for kids to just be kids again,” she adds. “Restricting movement causes problems.” Hanscom says movement turns on the vestibular (balance) system, which in turn supports a child’s ability to pay attention, regulate emotions, and fine-tune visual skills. “The whole balance system is really critical and can affect everything,” she notes. “In order to develop a strong balance system, kids need to move their body in all directions.” The vestibular system consists of tiny hair cells inside the inner ear. When we move our heads from side to side, the hair cells move and help develop our balance system. If we are upright all the time, or sitting still, the hair cells are not being stimulated, which means our

balance system is not developing, Hanscom explains. In other words, by telling children to sit still, or not giving them ample opportunity for movement and playtime, adults are interfering with the development of this balance system — and there are consequences. When compared to children of the 1980s, only 1 out of 12 children today have normal core strength and balance, she says. More children are falling, getting hurt, and are just generally clumsy. “Teachers tell me that kids are falling out of their chairs in class or hitting too hard when playing tag,” she adds. “This isn’t a behavior problem, it’s a balance problem.” More and more, children are in an upright position all day, which does not allow for proper development of the vestibular system. Less and less do we see children rolling down hills, spinning around on merry-go-rounds, swinging high, climbing trees, and hanging upside down. Yet according to Hanscom, this is exactly what children need to be doing. She and others in her field believe that this lack of movement plaguing today’s children is in part responsible for many of the attention problems

children have in school, including the rise in the number of children being recommended for ADHD testing. Teachers find the children in their classrooms are fidgety and unable to pay attention. “Children start fidgeting because their bodies need to move in order to ‘turn their brain on’ to pay attention and learn,” Hanscom says. Jeanine Fitzgerald, human behavior consultant, family coach, and director of the recently opened Fitzgerald Institute in Northborough, agrees. “Play is not a luxury but rather a crucial dynamic of healthy development at all ages,” she says. “Yet in today’s culture, children are pressured more than ever to perform and achieve so they will one day be successful adults.” But how do we define “successful adults”? Is it the child who grows up to make a six-figure salary and garner accolades for their academic prowess? Or is it the child who grows up to be a caring, empathetic, contributing member of the community who understands how to function as a member of our society? “Wellness is not always about doing something productive,” Fitzgerald adds.

Donna M. Denette, co-founder and executive director of Children First Enterprises, a non-profit child care organization in Granby, believes that having appropriately developed social skills is a critical piece in child development, and something that children must develop through unstructured play with peers. “Play is the primary vehicle for learning for young children,” she says. “It is the way human beings — and, in fact, the young of most species — are programmed to learn. Think about even an older child or adult with something new, or a problem to solve; we use the expression, ‘Let me just play around with this for a bit.’ We intuitively know that ‘playing around’ with things allows us to understand them on a deeper level.” Denette explains that preschoolaged children are at a critical stage in which they are learning socially based skills such as self-regulation, empathy, and emotion management. These are skills that cannot be “taught” per se, but are learned through their interactions with peers. “They are, through play, trying on roles, experimenting with social limits, testing their personal boundaries, learning who they are as individuals and as members of a group,” adds Denette. “They also learn the tolerance levels of the group for certain behaviors and attitudes.” These are important life skills for

children to learn, which they will carry with them into adulthood and act out as members of our society. And according to Denette, allowing children unstructured opportunities to “play around” with these social interactions also allows children to discover their own strengths. “The children with leadership abilities emerge, and their leadership skills are honed and reined in by the group response,” she says. “It is also here that the ‘mediators’ and ‘peacemakers’ emerge. Each child really begins to express their personality type and, most critically, the power of the social group is exerted upon extreme behaviors, thus limiting them.” Denette cautions there can be consequences for children lacking unstructured playtime. “I believe that one factor in the decrease of self-regulation and executive functioning skills in children is coming from the loss of unstructured play time,” she notes. “Unstructured play, by its nature, allows for and encourages some risk-taking and social extremism, which gets self-limited by the power of the group and/or through natural and logical consequences. Studies are now showing links between the loss of unstructured playtime and decreases in socially-based skills in children.” No one need look far to find evidence

this reason, many children revert to simply playing tag. What can parents do to ensure their child is getting the playtime and movement they need for healthy development? Parents need to advocate for longer recess times, get their children outdoors into nature, and give them downtime to just get bored and play, experts say. “Children will naturally seek out what they neurologically need on their own,” Hanscom adds. “They don’t need an adult to tell them how to play.” And while Denette’s advice to parents encouraging unstructured play seems obvious, it is a point that often goes unheeded by the worrisome, helicoptering parents of our generation — myself included. “Mostly, parents need to provide opportunities — backyards, neighborhoods, parks, camping, recess, playgrounds, anywhere children might gather — and then step back and allow unstructured play to occur,” she says. “Trust your child. Send them messages that you believe they are capable.” So the next time my 2 year old is running in tight circles to the point of falling down, as he often likes to do, I’ll refrain from telling him to “Stop that!” because he is moving, and playing — and it is what he is meant to do.

of this across our nation. There seems to be a constant procession of children committing egregious acts of violence against their peers. They are often good students from a solely academic standpoint. Many are left scratching their heads as to why these “good students” would lash out in such an extreme manner. Could it be they lacked the sociallybased skills necessary to navigate their way through middle and high school amongst their peers? Where are the leaders, the peacemakers, and the mediators in our schools? “With each passing generation, our relationships to others, nature, and a higher power have become more disengaged,” Fitzgerald says. “Our authentic need for ‘being with’ and belonging has made the consequences of this growing isolation dangerous. According to current statistics, the United States has become one of the most addicted, medicated and obese societies in the world.” Most parents would agree that children today do not get enough playtime and outdoor time, both at home and at school. “It takes kids 45 minutes to get in to what I call ‘deep’ play,” Hanscom says. “First they have to decide who, what, where, when, and how before they can begin to play.” This decision making alone can take up to 15 minutes, and then recess is over. For

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TIMBERNOOK: NOT YOUR TYPICAL

‘Nature Camp’ BY MICHELLE PERRAS-CHARRON

first glance, TimberNook appears to be a typical nature camp. However, it is not a place where kids go to learn about nature. Rather, it is a place in nature where kids go to learn about themselves. Through play in the natural environment, campers and their peers learn that they are independent, that they are competent, and most importantly — that they are capable. Located in Barrington, N.H., TimberNook is a camp geared towards getting kids to think for themselves, challenge themselves and explore nature unhindered by adult fears. “We are a therapeutic camp for all children, which is designed to foster healthy development at 10 JANUARY2015 11

all levels,” says founder Angela Hanscom. Hanscom, a pediatric occupational therapist, began TimberNook after noting the lack of children playing outdoors, as well as a rise in the number of children in need of occupational therapy. She couldn’t help but wonder if these two things were connected. “I realized there was a need,” says Hanscom, who decided to put her skills as an occupational therapist to work for all children, not just those with special needs, when she opened TimberNook in 2009. In the beginning, TimberNook was what you would expect from a camp. Hanscom says it was very organized, camp directors were doing what you would expect them to be doing — directing —

and children were busy going from one scheduled activity to the next. Children likely went home exhausted and spilling over with stories of all the fantastic activities they participated in. Isn’t that what camp is all about? “After the first year, we realized, that’s not what it’s all about,” Hanscom says. “We want to let kids be kids.” Recognizing early on that children attending her camp just wanted to play, Hanscom added more free play, allowing children to become more freely immersed in the environment around them. “As occupational therapists, we believe that children learn through play and that a child’s ‘job’ is play,” she adds. So TimberNook staff took a big

step back from directing and instead empowered campers to entertain themselves by using their own creativity and imagination to design their own ideas for how they wanted to play. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there to facilitate, or if they need us,â&#x20AC;? Hanscom says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But everything we do is childdesigned and the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s idea. We simply foster that because play is all about choice.â&#x20AC;? For example, Hanscom explained that if campers are learning to tie knots, TimberNook integrates this skill into play by having the children design and make a ladder for use in an obstacle course of their design. Using a fallen tree, children learn how to cut rungs for the ladder, then use their newly acquired knot-tying skills to assemble the ladder. Campers are learning and using basic life skills, as well as working together to create something for play. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more about how can the environment inspire a child or foster healthy development of the child,â&#x20AC;? Hanscom adds. To highlight the therapeutic benefits of nature at TimberNook, Hanscom uses the example of searching for frogs in a mud puddle. During the search children use their sense of balance to negotiate

their steps through the mud. They are also visually scanning the water for frogs as they navigate the mud. They use their sense of touch as they feel the wet water under their feet and then search the water with their hands. There is a social aspect as the children converse with one another during the hunt. And lastly, the sounds of nearby birds help to orient their bodies to the space around them, which develops spatial awareness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we call it â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the ultimate sensory experienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of the sensations help the neurological system to integrate the body.â&#x20AC;? Integration is important for our bodies because, as she points out, if the visual system is not integrated with the balance system youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re likely to get hurt. A strong advocate for unstructured outdoor play and the importance of movement for children, Hanscom hopes more places like hers will come to exist in the future, whether part of an after-school program that takes kids into the woods behind their school or an outdoor camp such as TimberNook. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to set an example and set off a chain reaction in child development,â&#x20AC;? Hanscom says.

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FINALLY FOREVER

Welcoming a Child – and Dismissing Any Fears The truth behind common adoption myths BY SARA POKORNY

The prospect of welcoming a child into a family through adoption can be very exciting, but it may also come with feelings of uncertainty and questions. Some considering foster care or adoption may eventually balk at the idea because of preconceived notions that may not necessarily be true. The truth behind some of these queries varies depending upon many factors. For one, there are several types of adoptions, such as infant adoption of newborns in the United States; state adoption, upon which age varies, but usually involves older children; and international adoption, of which both age and country may vary. Answers will also depend on the situations of the adoptive and birth families. With this in mind, we spoke to several professionals involved and familiar with the adoption process to lend some extra information — and hopefully alleviate unease — behind common misconceptions.

“If a court terminates a birth parent’s parental rights or a birth parent signs a surrender/consent to adoption, the birth parent has no legal right to ‘take their child back’ once that child has been legally adopted,” said Barbara Carulli, M. Ed., LCSW, Director of Adoption Services at Berkshire Children & Families in Hadley. “This requires that appropriate legal steps are taken and documented prior to filing for adoption. An adopted child/ youth may choose to have contact with a birth parent or even to live with a birth parent [after they turn 18].” There is, however, the option of an open adoption, if adoptive parents wish for the birth parents to remain involved. “It’s all regulated by the court,” noted Ronya Campbell, Director of Adoption and Foster Care at The Home for Little Wanderers in Boston, “where birth parents can have a once a month, once a year visit, at a certain location or at a visitation center.”

A biological parent can take back an adopted child. This is one of the largest looming fears for individuals and couples looking to adopt. However, there’s no reason to fret, thanks to the legal process.

Adoptions are a lengthy process, often taking years to finalize. Many envision the adoption process as one that drags on for a lengthy period of time — but that’s not necessarily the case. On a case-tocase basis, some adoptions may take

12 JANUARY2015 13

longer than others, but it’s a process that has been estimated to last from as little as 6 months to as far out as 18 months. “According to Massachusetts law and regardless of the type of adoption, a child must live with their pre-adoptive family for at least 6 months before an adoption can be finalized,” said Susan Wilson, LICSW, Clinical Coordinator at The Home for Little Wanderers in Boston. “For most domestic and inter-country situations, an adoption will legalize in 7 to 8 months, depending solely on a particular court’s schedule. A DCF [Department of Children and Families] adoption can occur within that same time frame, but will typically take between 12 and 18 months.” There are many factors that can influence the time frame, such as the child’s legal status, service needs, and the best time for the adoptive family. Marla Allisan, JD, LICSW and Director of Full Circle Adoptions in Northampton, said it’s best to talk with individual programs and ask for statistics. Adopted children are not as welladjusted as those who live with both biological parents. This is a concern mainly for those

who are adopting children of an older age. The bottom line is that a particular behavior is never guaranteed in any child and that applies to children who are adopted and those who are not. “Children who are adopted will have some unique identity issues to deal with, but adopted children are as diverse as children who live with families they were born into,” Carulli said. “Some are well adjusted, high functioning and developmentally on target, while others have many challenges. Exposure to early childhood trauma interferes with healthy development and such children will need caretakers and service providers who can help them heal from their trauma. Being adopted by a loving, stable family can provide a child with their best chance at recovering from early deprivation and living a productive life.” There are also many services in place that work with both adoptive children and parents on any issues of concern. “There is considerable professional attention to ways to identify and nurture childhood ‘resilience’ — the capacity of children to strive and thrive despite abuse and neglect,” Full Circle’s Allisan said.

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FINALLY FOREVER “The capacity of children to heal, grow and flourish should never be underestimated.” And that healing and support can begin even before the actual adoption. “We try our best to identify and put a lot of supportive services in place to help families in that pre-adoptive phase that are working through the adoption, to support them through some of the challenges that come up,” Campbell said. After the adoption is finalized, the birth mother is abandoned with no support to overcome the loss. Adoptive families may also be concerned for the birth family — what happens to them once the process is over? “Birth parents are offered lots of support, though it’s up to them if they want to take it,” Campbell said. “It’s a very challenging process, so we make sure there are many services out there to walk them through it. It may be a clinician going to visit with them in the community to answer questions or just be there to listen and talk through things.” “We believe strongly in counseling before, during and following the contemplation of an adoption plan and also where biological parents decide to parent,” Allisan added. “It is our observation that elsewhere in the United States, particularly in states which allow attorneys to handle adoptions, that the clinical aspects of service to expectant parents may be minimal. Massachusetts is an agency state. Agency-led adoptions often include more clinical supports, including pre- and post-placement counseling with highly experienced adoption clinicians.” There is also an option for the birth parents to still stay in the know about the adoptive family even if visitations or an open adoption are not something they favor. “Adoption workers may continue to maintain contact with birth parents for years after an adoption, facilitating exchange of information between adoptive family and birth family,” Carulli said. International adoption is easier and cheaper than domestic adoption. In a world in which we see celebrities opting to adopt outside of the country many are left wondering why. Is that the easier, less-expensive way to go about it? Though it does depend on a case-by-case basis, it would seem that the answer is: not necessarily. “International adoption is often expensive and more complicated than domestic adoption, because there are two countries’ adoption laws and practices to be complied with,

INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) requirements, and additional costs involved with traveling to and residing in another country while completing the adoption,” Carulli said. “In adoption, ‘easier’ is often in the eye of the beholder,” Wilson added. “Each path (Department of Children and Families, domestic or international) has its own unique challenges and benefits. New regulations governing international adoptions have made adoption from other countries more challenging for U.S. citizens. These regulations are aimed at protecting the rights of children and birth parents, coupled with more aggressive efforts to locate adoptive resources inside of countries that have traditionally permitted their children to be sent abroad.” Adoption costs a lot of money, so only the very wealthy can afford it. Again, it depends on the type of adoption, but if you aren’t in a high tax bracket, it won’t hinder you from bringing a child into your home. “Adopting through DCF is free, adopting domestically or internationally have costs associated,” Wilson said. “These costs vary significantly from agency to agency and between countries.” “Adoption from foster care costs nothing to the adoptive family, and adopting families may receive adoption subsidy from the state after the adoption is finalized,” Carulli added. “Domestic infant private adoption can be too expensive for some families, as there are no subsidies for agencies/programs providing these services, so fees have to be charged to the adopting families. Even so, it is not necessary to be ‘rich,’ and there are many middle-class families who have found a way to afford private infant adoption.” Information on the agencies we spoke with: Full Circle Adoptions & Family Building Center, Inc. 39 Main Street, Northampton www.fullcircleadoptions.com Expectant Parent Free: 1.800.452.3678. Email: adoption@fullcircleadoptions.com Berkshire Children & Families 220 Russell Street, Suite 200, Hadley 413.584.5690 berkshirechildren.org The Home for Little Wanderers 10 Guest Street, Boston 888-HOME-321 or 617-267-3700 thehome.org

JANUARY’S CHILD

Zeke Ezekiel, who prefers to be called Zeke, will turn 17 in two months but still hasn’t given up on his dream of being adopted by a family. This young man of Caucasian and Hispanic descent enjoys going fishing and playing sports like baseball, basketball, football and dodgeball. He hopes to be a police

officer or a firefighter when he grows up. Zeke has developed strong relationships with the people in his life. He has a great sense of humor and is considered to be kind and fun loving by those who know him. At school, Zeke works hard toward his academic and behavioral goals. Math is his favorite subject. He has some emotional difficulties and needs the support of a twoparent family in which he can be the youngest or only child in the home. Legally free for adoption, he would do well in a family that shares his love of the outdoors. For more information regarding Zeke, please contact Department of Children and Families (DCF) Adoption Supervisor Eileen Griffin at 978-353-3629. The Worcester DCF Office hosts monthly informational meetings for those wishing to learn more about the adoption process in general. Please call 508-929-2143 for specific information about the next meeting.

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Tuesday, January 6 — Western Region Adoption Info Meeting, Mass. Department of Children and Families, 140 High St, Fifth Floor, Springfield. 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. 413-452-3369 Thursday, January 8 — Healthy Transition, a Kids Net seminar. Treehouse, 1 Treehouse Circle, Easthampton. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Kid’s Net provides training and conferences throughout the state with topics specific to the issues facing foster, adoptive and kinship families. Thursday, January 8 — Healthy Transition, a Kids Net seminar. Nettie’s, 49 Ionia Street, Springfield. 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, January 14 — Sibling Rivalry, a Kids Net seminar, Meekins Library, 2 Williams Street, Williamsburg. 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday, January 14 — Navigating the System, a Kids Net seminar. Mass. Department of Children & Families, 261 High Street, Holyoke. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday, January 21 — Grief and Loss, Ours and Our Children’s, a Kids Net seminar. Zion Lutheran Church, 74 First Street, Pittsfield. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday, January 28 — Working With Your Child’s School, a Kids Net seminar. Mass. Department of Children & Families, 261 High Street, Holyoke. 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

Ongoing — The MARE Heart Gallery is on display at Greenfield Savings Bank 6 University Drive, Amherst, featuring striking portraits of Massachusetts children in foster care currently awaiting their forever families. springfieldlibrary.org Ongoing — Child & Family Services, 28 North Maple Street #4, Florence. Support services for adoptive families. 413-320-4680. 1-800-9722734. child-familyservices.org/florence/ Ongoing — Massachusetts Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) Trainings. Western Regional DCF Office, 140 Main Street, 4th Floor, Springfield. Tuesdays, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Support for foster and adoptive parents. No fee. Registration required. 413-452-3350. mass.gov Ongoing — The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children offers an after-hours telephone hotline that provides emergency assistance to foster kinship and pre-adoptive families when the DCF offices are closed. The helpline is available 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and holidays. The number is (800) 486-3730. If your group or organization is holding an adoption information or support group and would like to have information posted for readers of baystateparent, please email editor@baystateparent.com. BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 12 13

Photo courtesy Berkshire Museum

OUT& ABOUT

Celebrate the release of In The Nick of Time’s new CD release with a concert at The Eric Carle Museum on Jan. 10. 14 JANUARY2015 15

Photo courtesy The Eric Carle Museum

Photo courtesy The Clark

Photo by Pablo Garabotti

Explore and more at Berkshire Museum’s WeeMuse Adventures on Jan. 9.

Start with Art at the The Clark’s Preschool Program this month in Williamstown.

Enjoy a Family Valentine-Making Party at The Eric Carle Museum on Jan. 31.

MELTDOWN WARNING: Before you pack up the mini-van, please confirm your destination. Although we’ve done our best to ensure accuracy at press time, things can and do change…

1 Thursday

3 Saturday

Winter Break at the ArtBar. Mass MoCA, 1040 Mass MoCa Way, North Adams. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Explore the beautiful inner workings of the human body in It’s only Human, and step up to the ArtBar for some down-to-thebone art-making fun. Free. massmoca.org.

Greenfield Winter Farmer’s Market. Greenfield Middle School, 195 Federal Street, Greenfield. 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Produce, meat, prepared food and local artisan crafts all under one roof. greenfieldfarmersmarket.com.

Winter Break at Old Sturbridge Village. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Keep the kids busy and engaged with a wide range of crafts, entertainment, and outdoor activities offered for all ages. Adults $24, children 3 to 17 $8, children 2 and under free. osv.org.

Hot Chocolate Saturdays. Bartholomew’s Cobble, 105 Weatogue Road, Sheffield. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Grab some snowshoes, get some fresh air and exercise, and chat with us over a cup of hot cocoa in the Cobble Visitor Center. Free with admission. Every Saturday. Members free, nonmembers adults $15, children age 6 to 12 $1, children under 6 free. (413) 229-8600.

2 Friday Think Tank. East Longmeadow Public Library, 60 Center Square, East Longmeadow. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Drop-in to explore a variety of science, art, and engineering materials. All ages with a caregiver. Free. eastlongmeadowlibrary.org. Stars Over Springfield. The Springfield Science Museum, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield. 7:30 p.m. Join members of the Springfield Stars Club for sky gazing in the Science Museum’s observatory. If overcast, planetarium show will be presented. Adults $3, children $2. springfieldmuseums.org. Minecraft Junior. Hubbard Memorial Library, 24 Center Street, Ludlow. 3:30 p.m. Minecraft players of all skill levels are welcome to bring their own laptops or use one of the library’s eight computers to build, play, and create. Free. hubbardlibrary.org. Rockwell and Dickens: A Victorian Holiday Celebration. Norman Rockwell Museum, 9 Route 183, Stockbridge. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Inspired by Rockwell’s love of the Dickensian era, experience art making, tours, readings, and live music in the galleries. Free with admission. Members free, adults $17.50, children 5 to 18 $5, children under 5 free. nrm.org. Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them, via Easthampton Family Center. Tot Shabbat. Jewish Community of Amherst, 742 Main Street, Amherst. 5:30 p.m. Service geared towards children birth to 5 with music, movement, and a story. Free. tots@j-c-a.org.

Photo by Darry Madden

Photo courtesy Berkshire Museum

Photo courtesy The Eric Carle Museum

OUT&ABOUT

Northampton Winter Farmers Market. Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, 80 Locust Street, Northampton. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Local food, local music and more. nohowintermarket.com Winter Farmer’s Market. Amherst Regional Middle School, 170 Chestnut Street, Amherst. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Community of farmers, food artisans, and craftspeople offer locally produced goods. amherstwintermarket.com. Family Fun Day. Athol Area YMCA, 545 Main Street, Athol. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. A night of fun for the entire family, including rope courses, gym games, swimming, arts & crafts, snacks, trivia, and more. Members $10 per family, nonmembers $15 per family. ymcaathol.org.

4 Sunday Paper Landscapes. Mead Art Museum, 41 Quadrangle Drive, Amherst. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. This focused exhibition features 19th- and early 20th-century artists’ views of the American landscape, including a selection of never-beforeseen masterworks. Free. (413) 542-2335.

5 Monday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org. Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center. Drop-in Playgroup. Storrs Library, 693 Longmeadow Street, Longmeadow. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Have fun listening to a

Area winter farmer’s markets are in full swing Saturdays in January.

story and singing a few songs before free play during this program for children up to age 3 with caregivers and siblings. Free. (413) 565-4181. Baby Playgroup. Sunderland Public Library, 20 School Street, Sunderland. 10:30 a.m.11 a.m. Join other parents, caregivers and their babies for play and socializing. Free. sunderlandpubliclibrary.org. Mom’s Night Out. Grow, 3rd Floor Thornes Marketplace, 150 Main Street, Northampton. 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Join mothers for a free, safe, confidential drop-in group, from expecting to postpartum mothers of children through preschool age. Babies in arms welcome. Free. (431) 341-5285. It Takes a Village Mother’s Group. St. John’s Corner House, 469 Main Street, Ashfield. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Join mothers for a free, safe, confidential drop-in group for expectant, or mothers of infants and young children. Childcare up to age five. Mondays. Free. (413) 522-9732.

6 Tuesday Drop in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org. Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in

Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center. Preschool StoryTime. Lanesborough Public Library, 83 N. Main Street, Lanesborough. 10:15 a.m. Meets every Tuesday. Stories, songs and music. Free. 413-442-0222.

7 Wednesday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org. Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.– 11:30 a.m. Children up to the age of 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org. Toddler Playgroup. Palmer Public Library, 1455 North Main Street, Palmer. 10 a.m.11 a.m. Come to the Palmer library for storytime and playgroups. For children ages 1 to 2. Free. Register ahead. (413) 283-3330. MotherWoman Postpartum Group: A Circle of Moms. Midwifery Care of Holyoke, 230 Maple Street, Holyoke. 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. MotherWoman creates free, safe, confidential BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 14 15

OUT&ABOUT and inspiration with mothers from expectancy through preschool. Childcare for children up to age four. Fridays. Free. (413) 256-1145.

Photo courtesy Old Sturbridge Village

Circle of Moms: We Are All in This Together. Community Action Family Center, 90 Federal Street, Greenfield. Join mothers for a free, safe, confidential drop-in group for mothers of infants and babies who are experiencing the challenging postpartum time. Expectant mothers welcome. Free childcare up to age four. Fridays. Free. (413) 475-1566.

Learn about New England’s civil rights legacy at Old Sturbridge Village during its Martin Luther King, Jr. Program on Jan. 18.

drop-in support groups for mothers of infants and babies up to age 1. Expectant mothers and mothers in recovery welcome. Free. Every Wednesday. (413) 534-2700.

Hadley. 5 p.m. Explore an underwater world of magic and fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Donnelly, all while munching on free pizza. Free. odysseybks.com.

An Evening with YA and Middle Grade Novelists. Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum, 20 West Street, Northampton. 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Join us for a night with novelists Jeannine Atkins (Becoming Little Women), Emily Wittlinger (This Means War), and Jane Yolen (Centaur Rising). Targeted for Young Adults. Free. forbeslibrary.org.

Game Night. 2 Flights Up, 399 Main Street, Dalton. 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Come and go from this event hosting table top board and card games, where you are welcome to bring along your own game as well. Bring your own snacks and drinks. Every Thursday. Free. 2flightsup.com.

8 Thursday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org. Stories from the Kitchen Sink. Davis Auditorium, Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield. 12:15 p.m. Ricky Bernstein will give a brief travel log through the past 40 years of art making, leading to the present exhibition in the Community Garden. Members $4, nonmembers $2. springfieldmuseums.org. Mermaid Party with Jennifer Donnelly. Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College Street, South

9 Friday Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center. WeeMuse Adventures. Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield. 11 a.m. Little ones can explore the Aquarium and three Museum galleries, featuring songs, stories, scavenger hunts and more. For ages 18 months to 3 years, siblings welcome. Free with admission. Every Friday. Adults $13, children 6, Members and children under 3 free. berkshiremuseum.org. MotherWoman Group: Getting Real About Motherhood. UMass Amherst Family Center, 1200 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst. 9:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Share laughter, tears,

10 Saturday Winter Wildlife. Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, 127 Combs Road, Easthampton. 10 a.m.12 p.m. This is an indoor/outdoor activity in which you find out which animals stay around during the winter and how they survive, before making a pretend Jello animal and seeing if it can survive the cold. For children ages 5 to 10. Register ahead. Members adults & children $6, nonmembers adults & children $8. (413) 584-3009. Northampton Winter Farmers Market. Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, 80 Locust Street, Northampton. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Local food, local music and more. nohowintermarket.com Winter Farmer’s Market. Amherst Regional Middle School, 170 Chestnut Street, Amherst. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Community of farmers, food artisans, and craftspeople offer locally produced goods. amherstwintermarket.com. Start with Art Preschooler Series. The Clark, 225 South Street, Williamstown. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. With this month’s theme of “Food in Art”, get your preschoolers off to a good start with themed talks, gallery guides, and art-making activities designed for them. Recommended for ages 3 to 6 with adult. Free. clarkart.edu. In The Nick of Time Concert & CD Release Party. The Eric Carle Museum, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst. 11 a.m. Award-winning Northampton-based duo of Nick Deysher and Tracey Freitag present a fun-filled family show spanning several musical genres in support of their new CD “Fun O’Clock”. Adults $8, $6 children age 12 and under. 413-658-1100. Snowshoe Nature Walk. Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 127 Combs Road, Hampden. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Bring your snowshoes and enjoy a winter hike at Laughing Brook, while learning about the history and

For more events, visit www.baystateparent.com 16 JANUARY2015 17

design of snowshoes, as well as the nature around you. Suitable for children ages 5 to 18. Register ahead. Members, adults & children $6, non-members, adults & children $8. laughbrook@massaudubon.org.

11 Sunday Marvelous Multiples. Wesson Building, 759 Chestnut Street, Springfield. 9 a.m.5 p.m. This all-day class talks about the special challenges faced by parents of twins and triplets during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Recommended for women expecting twins or triplets in their second or third trimester. Register ahead. $75. (413) 794-2229.

12 Monday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org. Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center. Drop-in Playgroup. Storrs Library, 693 Longmeadow Street, Longmeadow. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Have fun listening to a story and singing a few songs before free play during this program for children up to age 3 with caregivers and siblings. Free. (413) 565-4181.

13 Tuesday Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center. Game ON! Springfield City Library: Brightwood Branch, 359 Plainfield Street, Springfield. 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Drop in and play your favorite Wii games with snacks provided. For teens and tweens. Free. (413) 263-6805.

14 Wednesday Drop in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org.

OUT&ABOUT Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.– 11:30 a.m. Children up to the age of 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org.

MotherWoman Postpartum Support Group: Scantic Valley YMCA, 45 Post Office Park, Wilbraham. 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Face the challenges of being a parent with a safe, confidential support group for mothers with an infant up to 12 months. Free. (413) 583-3527.

Toddler Playgroup. Palmer Public Library, 1455 North Main Street, Palmer. 10 a.m.11 a.m. Story-time and playgroups. For children ages 1 to 2. Free. Register ahead. (413) 283-3330.

16 Friday Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.– 11:30 a.m. Children up to the age of 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org.

Parent/Child STEM Session. Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street Rt. 7, Pittsfield. 10:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Explore the world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math with your child, and leave with a science exploration pack. Register ahead. For ages 2 to 4 with caregiver. Free. info@berkshiremuseum.org. Family Craft Night. Springfield City Library: East Springfield Branch, 21 Osborne Terrace, Springfield. 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. All-ages craft night. Come have fun. Free. (413) 263-6840. Kid’s Care Pajama Night. East Longmeadow Public Library, 60 Center Square, East Longmeadow. 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Join us and Kids Care Club for a special Pajama Story Time. Bring a new set of pajamas for a less-fortunate child, listen to stories, and make a card. Ages 3 to 8 with caregiver. Free. eastlongmeadowlibrary.org. Laugh for the Health of It. Forbes Library, 20 West Street, Northampton. 7:45 p.m.8:45 p.m. Join Certified Laughter leader Mark Sherry as you shed your stress and pressures of daily life with an hour of laughter games. Adults. Free. forbeslibrary.org.

15 Thursday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org.

17 Saturday Northampton Winter Farmers Market. Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, 80 Locust Street, Northampton. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Local food, local music and more. nohowintermarket.com Tracking and Animal Signs at Laughing Brook. Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 127 Combs Road, Hampden. 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. The forest is full of signs that that tell us about the wildlife within. Learn to read the tracks and signs left by animals. Suitable for children ages 5 to 12. Register ahead. Member adults & children $5, nonmember adults & children $7. Family Snowshoe Hike. Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, 472 West Mountain Road, Lenox. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Don’t worry if you’ve never snowshoed before, you’ll be learn about equipment safety before exploring wetlands and gentle slopes followed by hot cocoa. Bring own snow shoes or phone ahead to reserve.

Suitable for children of all ages. Members adults $8, nonmember adults $10, children free. (413) 637-0320. Guided Treks: Winter Wildlife at the Cobble. Bartholomew’s Cobble, 105 Weatogue Road, Sheffield. 10 a.m.12 p.m. Join a Trustee naturalist to make tracks while looking for others on this easy-tomoderate walk around the Cobble’s beautiful landscape. Snowshoes available in adult & children sizes. Members adults $5, children free, nonmembers $10, children $3. (413) 229-8600. Crocodile River Music: Trinidad 2 Timbuktu. The Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield. 11 a.m. An interactive musical geography that takes students of all ages on a journey that starts in Africa, but exposes the audience to tribal, reggae, flamenco, and calypso music. Seating is limited. Free with admission. Adults $18, children 3 to 17 $9.50, children 2 and under free. springfieldmuseums.org. Cupcake Decorating for Teens. Springfield City Library: East Forest Park Branch, 122 Island Pond Road, Springfield. 12 p.m.1:30 p.m. Try your hand at decorating cupcakes under skilled artistic guidance. All supplies included. For ages 12 to 19. Register ahead. Free. (413) 263-6836.

18 Sunday Martin Luther King, Jr. Program. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Learn more about New England’s civil rights legacy as costumed historians portray important 19th-century abolitionist leaders. Free with admission. Adults $24, children 3 to 17 $8, children 2 and under free. osv.org.

19 Monday MotherWoman Support Group: The Birth Cycle. Treehouse, 305 North Street,

Pittsfield. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. This drop-in support group provides a safe space for mother and their support system to explore the different aspects of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Partners and babies in arms welcome. Free. info@gatheredwoman.org.

20 Tuesday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org. Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center. Breastfeeding for Multiples. Lundy Boardroom, Wesson Building, 759 Chestnut Street, Springfield. 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. This breastfeeding class addresses the needs of women who are planning on breastfeeding twins or more. $25 if not taking the Marvelous Multiple Class or childbirth preparation course. (413) 794-2229.

21 Wednesday American Girl Book Night. Chicopee Public Library: Main Branch, 449 Front Street, Chicopee. 6 p.m.-7 p.m. Read an American Girl Book of your choice and join us to share the stories. Free. chicopeepubliclibrary.org. Manga and More. Springfield City Library: Forest Park Branch, 380 Belmont Avenue, Springfield. 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Whether you love anime, manga, and comics or you are just learning of them for the first time, come join us for discussion, activities, games, and more. Free. Keeping Baby Safe. 361 Whitney Avenue, 1st Floor, BRL Conference Room, Holyoke. 6 p.m. This class teaches basic life support, infant CPR, first aid for choking, poison

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OUT&ABOUT prevention, baby-proofing your home, and car seat safety. Register ahead. $35 per couple. (413) 794-2229. Drop in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org. Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.– 11:30 a.m. Children up to the age of 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org. Toddler Playgroup. Palmer Public Library, 1455 North Main Street, Palmer. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Come to the Palmer library for story-time and playgroups. For children ages 1 to 2. Free. Register ahead. (413) 283-3330.

22 Thursday @Mason Kid’s Chess. Mason Library, 231 Main Street, Great Barrington. 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. Enjoy light snacks while playing chess in a relaxing and supportive atmosphere. Basic knowledge of chess required. Recommended for children 7 to 12. Free. gblibraries.org. Drop in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org.

23 Friday Baby Magic. Wesson Building, 759 Chestnut Street, Springfield. 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. This class will cover realistic expectations of your new life together with a new baby for the first three months after birth. Register ahead. $35 per couple. (413) 794-2229. Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.– 11:30 a.m. Children up to the age of 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org. Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center.

24 Saturday First Child in the Woods/Caregiver and Infant/Toddler Walk. Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, 127 Combs Road, Easthampton. 18 JANUARY2015 19

10 a.m.-11 a.m. It is never too early to start appreciating the wonders of nature, and here is your opportunity to explore beautiful Arcadia with your youngster. Suitable for birth to age 5. Register ahead. Member adults $5, nonmember adults $7, children free. (413) 584-3009. Northampton Winter Farmers Market. Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, 80 Locust Street, Northampton. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Local food, local music and more. nohowintermarket.com Winter Farmer’s Market. Amherst Regional Middle School, 170 Chestnut Street, Amherst. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Community of farmers, food artisans, and craftspeople offer locally produced goods. amherstwintermarket.com. National Readathon Day. The Lenox Library, 18 Main Street, Lenox. 12 p.m.4 p.m. In partnership with The Mount and The Bookstore, we will be reading in the library as part of the national program. Free. lenoxlib.org. The Royal National Theatre in HD: Treasure Island. The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington. 5 p.m. Robert Louis Steven’s classic story of murder, money, and mutiny is brought to life in a thrilling new stage adaptation by Bryony Lavery, broadcast live from the National Theatre in London. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Admission $17. mahaiwe.org. Owl Moon. Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, 127 Combs Road, Easthampton. 5 p.m.7 p.m. Come see a magical shadow puppet presentation of Jane Yolen’s classic book “Owl Moon” and learn about the seven native owl species in Massachusetts, followed by a walk into the woods for owl calling and then a snack and cocoa. Suitable for ages 5 to 10. Register ahead. Member adults & children $6, nonmember adults & children $8. (413) 584-3009.

25 Sunday Winter Work & Play. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Embrace the joys of an oldfashioned winter, complete with sledding on an 1830s sled and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Free with admission. Adults $24, children 3 to 17 $8, children 2 and under free. osv.org. Boot Camp for Dads. Wesson Building, 759 Chestnut Street, Springfield. 1 p.m.4 p.m. This class for expectant fathers covers such topics as forming a new family and how to meet the needs of the new mom. Register ahead. $20. (413) 794-2229.

Bolshoi Ballet in HD: Swan Lake. The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington. 1 p.m. With Tchaikovsky’s famous, lyrical score, Swan Lake depicts the tragic love between Princess Odette and Prince Siegfried, performed with perfection by the great Bolshoi Ballet. Admission $17. mahaiwe.org.

26 Monday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org. Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center.

Museum, 39 South Street Rt. 7, Pittsfield. 10:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Explore the world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math with your child, and leave with a science exploration pack. Register ahead. For ages 2 to 4 with caregiver. Free. info@berkshiremuseum.org. Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.– 11:30 a.m. Children up to the age of 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org. Toddler Playgroup. Palmer Public Library, 1455 North Main Street, Palmer. 10 a.m.11 a.m. Come to the Palmer library for storytime and playgroups. For children ages 1 to 2. Free. Register ahead. (413) 283-3330.

Drop-in Playgroup. Storrs Library, 693 Longmeadow Street, Longmeadow. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Have fun listening to a story and singing a few songs before free play during this program for children up to age 3 with caregivers and siblings. Free. (413) 565-4181.

Empty Arms Bereavement for Infant & Pregnancy Loss. Conference Room D. Cooley Dickinson Hospital, 30 Locust Street, Northampton. 7 p.m.-9 p.m. This monthly bereavement meeting provides a safe space for families who have lost a baby during or shortly after birth. Groups welcome to come to listen. Free. emptyarmsbereavement@gmail.com.

27 Tuesday

29 Thursday

Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org.

Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center.

30 Friday

Game ON! Springfield City Library: Brightwood Branch, 359 Plainfield Street, Springfield. 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Drop in and play your favorite Wii games with snacks provided. For teens and tweens. Free. (413) 263-6805. Gaming, Unplugged! Springfield City Library: Forest Park Branch, 380 Belmont Avenue, Springfield. 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Challenge yourself with strategy board games like Settlers of Catan, Chess, or Risk! Learn a new game or teach others how to play a game you already know. Free. (413) 263-6843.

28 Wednesday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Lower Level, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org. Parent/Child STEM Session. Berkshire

Minecraft Junior. Hubbard Memorial Library, 24 Center Street, Ludlow. 3:30 p.m. Minecraft players of all skill levels are welcome to bring their own laptops or use one of the library’s eight computers to build, play, and create. Free. hubbardlibrary.org. Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Children up to the age of 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org. Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center.

31 Saturday Northampton Winter Farmers Market. Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, 80 Locust Street, Northampton. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Local food, local music and more. nohowintermarket.com

OUT&ABOUT Family Valentine-Making Party. The Eric Carle Museum, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst. 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Grab a friend and come to the Art Studio for creative fun to make special valentines for your family, friends, or classmates. For children ages 3 and up with an adult. $12 per pair or trio. carlemuseum.org. Winter Farmer’s Market. Amherst Regional Middle School, 170 Chestnut Street, Amherst. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Community of farmers, food artisans, and craftspeople offer locally produced goods. amherstwintermarket.com. Animal Secrets. The Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield. 10 a.m.5 p.m. Using imaginative role-play and handson activities, families will explore the habits and secret lives of forest animals. Recommended for children ages 3 to 8. $5 fee on top of admission for visitors over 3. springfieldmuseum.org. Lego Lady. Hatfield Public Library, 39 Main Street, Hatfield. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. For two hours the library will be filled with Legos, perfect for independent building time and

a building challenge to take place. Free. hatfieldpubliclibrary.org. Animal Tracks and Signs. Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, 472 West Mountain Road, Lenox. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Join sanctuary naturalists for a two-hour adventure in search of tracks and other signs of animals that remain active throughout the winter. For children 8 and up. Register ahead. Member adults $8, nonmember adults $10, children free. (413) 637-0320. Tracking. Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, 127 Combs Road, Easthampton. 10 a.m.12 p.m. Come learn about winter animals and animal tracks, while making your own track book, before exploring the trails outside. Return inside for warm hot cocoa. Suitable for ages 3 to 12. Register ahead. Member adults & children $5, nonmember adults & children $7. (413) 584-3009. Kitchen Ka-Boom. Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street, Pittsfield. 11 a.m.11:45 a.m. Join our science educators for a morning of fun and wacky experiments, all of

which are kid friendly and thrilling. Designed for children 6 to 11. Free with admission. Adults $13, children $6, members and children under 3 free. Register ahead. berkshiremuseum.org. Live Birds of Prey with Tom Ricardi. The Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards Street, Springfield. 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Join wildlife rehabilitator Tom Ricardi for his ever popular presentation on birds of prey, in a program designed for all ages. Seating is limited. springfieldmuseums.org. George O’Connor: The Olympians. Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College Street, South Hadley. 4 p.m. Join us to revisit or discover the world of the Olympians with George O’Connor discussing his seventh book in the Olympians series, Ares: God of War, following the exciting story of the Trojan War, and the Gods’ interference in this epic battle. Free. odysseybks.com. Visit baystateparent.com to post your family event. Email listings to editor@baystateparent.com.

For more events, visit www.baystateparent.com

Celebrating 10 years. Open House January 10th 10 a.m.-noon

Conveniently located at 167 Dwight Road, Suite 105 Longmeadow, MA 01106 413-567-1092 pilatescenterofwmass.com

BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 18 19

SCHOOL RULES!

What Your Child Really Needs To Know

To Start Kindergarten BY AMANDA ROBERGE

On my oldest daughter’s first day of kindergarten, she was that kid. She was the one clinging to me, screaming “MOMMMYYYY!!! DON’T LEAVE ME!!!!!!” while other children flew off the bus and ran into the building as though it was Christmas morning and Santa was waiting inside the classroom. It was emotional torture for both of us and a bit embarrassing as well. After all, I had broken the cardinal parenting rule of kindergarten readiness: Despite a year of preschool and a few stints at Gramma’s house, I had failed to prep my kid for the separation. There is most certainly an unwritten list of preferred skills that kindergarten teachers like kids to possess on the first day of school, but they might not be what parents think. It boils down to this: Knowing numbers and letters and all that jazz is a bonus, they agree, but the most important things to have mastered have much more to do with social and emotional maturity than anything else. The first order of business is for children to be able to not only separate from their caregiver, 20 JANUARY2015 21

but also to be able to function independently in social situations. According to kindergarten teachers, this is the single most important aspect of kindergarten readiness. “It’s so hard on the kids if they haven’t spent time away from their parents,” said Tamra Robichaud, a kindergarten teacher at Northwest Elementary School in Leominster. With an increasing number of parents opting out of preschool in the year or two leading up to kindergarten, she suggests engaging kids in activities, such as playgroups and library storytimes, in which parents and caregivers, at the very minimum, sit in another room and show kids that even if they are separated, “they always know you’re coming back,” Robichaud said. Teachers also agree that an important social skill is the ability to engage other kids in conversation and play. This is important at a surface level — children will have an easier time making friends if they possess this skill, and having friends (we can all agree) is fun. But at a learning level, having a classroom full of students who can interact easily and without major conflict

frees up the teacher to work with individuals and small groups on more academic skills. There are advantages, no doubt, to a child knowing how to count to 20, write their name, and recognize all 26 letters – which are abilities Robichaud would prefer to see on Day One – but those are skills kindergarten teachers will cover. For Karen McQuade, academic skills are much easier to teach than the social-emotional ones. McQuade is the founder and director of Cornerstone Academy, a private K-6 school in Northborough, where she also teaches kindergarten. “I think parents come in thinking [children] have to be ready for a lot more than they actually do,” she said. “I always tell them not to worry about it — I’m going to give them that here.” She added that it is very difficult to expect anything of incoming young students, since they come from a wide array of backgrounds with such varied life experiences. It is in that first year of school when they start to come together for structured learning and eventually, she said, everyone falls onto the same page.

McQuade is quick to acknowledge that individualized learning with attention to meeting each child where they are at is a benefit of private education, and public schools are more likely to be under pressure of standardized testing benchmarks and larger class sizes. When Beverly Lessard, the longtime director of Boxboro Children Center, was working closely with her local public school system getting kids ready for school in the 1980s, the emphasis was very much on independence and maturity. “At that time, the most important skills for kids entering kindergarten to have were to be able to pay attention, follow directions, and to be able to initiate activities without teacher intervention – so that’s what we focused on in the preschool classes so they would be ready,” she noted. While much of what Lessard says is still true some 25 years later, the advent of MCAS testing and rigorous academic standards as early as kindergarten has forced that model to shift with the times. By the end of the year, explained Robichaud, kids will be formally

added. “We need problem solvers. We need kids who can think for themselves, think outside the box and cooperate with others because rote memory is not going to solve the problems that have been created for future generations.” One of the oft-overlooked skills worth mentioning — particularly for boys — is being able to use public bathrooms with ease. At Robichaud’s school, boys are expected to use a bathroom complete with wall urinals, and for a generation of boys that has been dragged into women’s restrooms with their moms for most of their lives, this might be new territory. “It’s the little things like that — the life skills — that really make a difference,” she said. McQuade said that even for parents who choose not to go the preschool route, they can teach independence to their kids in many subtle ways — like giving them the opportunity at restaurants to order their own food. These types of experiences can help to build the confidence they will need to take that first big step into their kindergarten classroom. “A certain level of maturity is necessary for a child to truly be ready for school,” Lessard added. “Most parents think that the child who can read and write is ready, but it’s all about maturity.”

SCHOOL RULES!

assessed and are expected to count to 120 and be a beginning reader. For kids who don’t have basic skills, that road can be long. “It is certainly helpful if they can do things like identify numbers 1 through 10 and write their own names,” she said. “And even better if they know all of their letters and some of the sounds.” But accomplishments that parents sometimes focus on — like tying shoes and having mastery of scissorcutting — are easily picked up in due time, she added. For Joanne Hirsch, director of school at Longmeadow Montessori, do-it-yourself skills and personal responsibility are critical for preparing their preschool students for kindergarten. “We teach the kids how to take the initiative, finish what they start, and say ‘I did it myself,’” she said. “We teach the kids to make wise choices as individuals: who they sit next to, who they decide to follow, and that they’re responsible for their decisions. Good things happen when good choices are made.” In fact, many of the abilities the staff considers imperative are applicable well outside any classroom. “We teach children to work effectively in small groups and large groups and to treat peers with kindness and respect,” Hirsch

Purposeful learning ! for ages 12 months ! to sixth grade

Now accepting applications for Fall 2015 Open House: January 31, 10 AM-Noon Register at www.amherstmontessori.org Amherst Montessori School 27 Pomeroy Lane Amherst, MA 01002 (413) 253-3101

Come visit us at our elementary and middle school open house or take a tour of our high school on Saturday, January 24th from 1:30-3:30 p.m. For more information, please contact our school at 413-568-2388 • Academic Excellence • Community Involvement • Drama/Music

• Outstanding Sports Program • Faith & Gospel Values

“No one lights a candle and places it in hiding, nor under a bushel basket, but upon a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.”

“What I love about being a student at St. Mary’s is that I know I am going to graduate completely prepared for college and have many great memories to take with me!” Jessica Forest, 12th grade “I enjoy learning at St. Mary's. With such a friendly environment, there's no reason not to like it here! There is so much potential for students enrolled here because there are many activities that every student can have achance to participate in.” Kieran O'Donnell, 11th grade “What I like about St. Mary's is how accepting the school community is.” Mariah Suarez, 10th grade “St. Mary’s is an accomplished school where you’ll be comfortable around teachers and other students. The high caliber of the education you receive here truly prepares you for the college of your choice.” Padraig Smith, 9th grade

“I like St. Mary’s because instead of pushing you to reach the curriculum, the teachers give you actual information that will help you to reach your goals when you are out of high school and in life.” Faith Wang, 8th grade “I like that all the teachers are very welcoming and explain their lessons in easy and fun ways. All the kids know each other and are friends.” Cole Viamari, 7th grade “I like that St. Mary’s gives you a jump start on college, so when you get there you are a step ahead.” Jessica Crosby, 6th grade

Accredited by NEAS&C

“I like all my friends here and the teachers are very nice.” Amir Kashou, 3rd grade

“ Everyone is always kind and nice to each other. It is fun to hang out with my friends.” Calaeb Vieweg, 1st grade

Lighting the way to the future

“I like to learn and I like the projects.” Liam Ramos, pre-kindergarten

PreSchool - 8th Grade Patty Schweitzer 568-2388 • 9th - 12th Kim Jaszek 568-5692 Bartlett Street, Westfield • 568-5692 •www.stmsaints.org BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 20 21

SCHOOL RULES!

So You’re Thinking About HOMESCHOOLING? Real-life answers to 10 common questions about educating your children at home BY PATRICE FAGNANT-MACARTHUR ASHLEY VASSALLO PHOTOGRAPHY

22 JANUARY2015 23

Are you thinking about homeschooling? Maybe you have a child who is 3 and everyone is asking where he is going to attend preschool? Perhaps it is time for kindergarten. Do you want to send your daughter to school or would you rather continue her education at home? Maybe you have an older child who has been attending school, but for whatever reason, it just hasn’t been a good fit. Perhaps you would like to send your child to a private or parochial school, but can’t afford the tuition. Approximately 3.4 % of school-aged children are homeschooled nationwide and the numbers continue to grow. People homeschool for many reasons, including the desire to offer their children a faithbased education; to tailor education to a child’s needs and interests; for flexibility to accommodate travel or illness; or immersion in an extracurricular sport or activity that makes attending traditional school difficult. Nevertheless, making that decision to step off the well-traveled path of traditional schooling can feel like jumping off a cliff. Here are some answers to common homeschooling questions to help make that jump a bit easier.

1. What about socialization? This is the question homeschoolers are most frequently asked. School is such a part of people’s lives that they simply can’t imagine an alternative. Yet for much of humanity’s history, children grew up and were educated in the home. It is only in the past 200 years that compulsory education has become the norm. Children are part of society as a whole. As homeschoolers, they will have the opportunity to learn how to interact with people of various ages, including those their own age. When was the last time you worked with people all the same age as you? School is an artificial environment, not the world at large. What well-meaning people are actually wondering is whether your children will have friends. The answer is yes. There are many homeschooling groups — find one that fits your lifestyle and join. Homeschooled children also take part in the same extracurricular activities that traditionally educated children do. They play sports, take music classes, enjoy library-sponsored programs, go to camp, and take part in Scouting — the options are unlimited.

2. How do I make sure I’m homeschooling legally?

Often it is because these individuals truly care about your children and want the best for them. Cheryl Wilcox, a homeschooling mom of six from Westfield, advises continuing to emphasize the positive aspects of homeschooling — the good things that it has done for your family and your children, as well as positive stories about homeschooling in the media. If you are having a bad day, don’t call the people who disagree with homeschooling. Reach out instead to your homeschool friends who will understand.

While it is not required, a membership in the Home Schooling Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is very helpful. It can help ensure you are fulfilling your city or town requirements. The organization can also help defend you if your right to homeschool is ever called into question. A summary of current Massachusetts homeschool law can be found here: https://www.hslda.org/ laws/analysis/Massachusetts.pdf.

7. How can I possibly teach Algebra?

3. I don’t have 30 free hours a week. Where will I ever find the time to homeschool? All of life provides the opportunity for learning — going shopping, taking walks, cooking, playing games, etc. Much of the time spent in traditional school is spent waiting — waiting in line, waiting for lunch, waiting for papers to be passed out, or waiting for a classmate to answer a question. Homeschooling is like having a private tutor — much less time is needed. As children grow, they are also able to do much of their work independently. A homeschooling schedule also offers a great deal of flexibility. “The morning rush that most families face does not exist in my home,” says Lucy Speckels, a homeschooling mom of four from Southwick. “As homeschoolers, we do not hurry to get to the bus, juggling lunches. There is no frantic checking of backpacks for homework, etc. We get to enjoy the quiet of the morning and begin our day without chaos or stress — most of the time. That alone sets a better tone for the day. We can manage our day around school or household responsibilities. There are very few time constraints. Morning chores and afternoon school? Sure. Flip it around tomorrow? Sure.”

4. How can I afford homeschooling? There is a wonderful adage that all you need to homeschool is love and a library card. So many free resources are available — both through the library and online. Even if you choose to spend money on curriculum and supplies, it will probably not be considerably more than what it costs to send a child to public school once you factor in the cost of school supplies, clothes, food, fundraisers, and social obligations throughout the year.

5. Don’t you have to be Superwoman (or Superman) to homeschool? All parents juggle schedules, household duties, work, community, and parenting responsibilities. Homeschoolers may have a different-looking life than most, but we still work with the same 24 hours. “I am far from perfect, but each day I do the best I am able,” notes Mary-Kate Henle, a mom of seven from Springfield (currently homeschooling four), who balances homeschooling with part-time work and community responsibilities. I also learned to let perfectionism take a back seat. It is more important to my children that we build our lives and learn together than to vacuum every day.”

At some point, your children will want to learn something that you do not understand. You can get them books so that they can learn on their own, you can learn with them, or you can find someone to teach them. There are many tutors and/or online classes available for all subjects. In addition, many high-school aged homeschoolers take classes at community colleges through dualenrollment programs.

8. Is there one right way to homeschool?

6. What if my family and friends don’t support my decision to homeschool? The reality is that when you choose to do something unusual, there will be naysayers.

There are as many ways to homeschool as there are families who choose this way of life. Some do school-at-home, complete with desks and set hours. On the opposite spectrum are unschoolers who follow a very child-led learning program and may never open a textbook. There are those who use a pre-packaged curriculum and those who create their own. You need to find what works for your family and your individual child. Karen Ford, a Springfield mom of four who homeschools two children, encourages homeschoolers to be flexible and open to some trial and error. “You don’t need to do what your friends are doing and you don’t need to compare yourselves to them.”

9. Can I homeschool a child with special needs? Some children with special needs such as ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders actually thrive in a homeschool environment because they can move around throughout the day and don’t have to deal with the stress of the classroom and other students. You may still need extra help for your child, such as counseling or occupational therapy. HSLDA has a special needs department that can help you obtain the services you need.

10.If I choose to homeschool, does it have to be forever? Some families homeschool for a few months; others for the entirety of their child’s education. It is always a year-by-year decision. Some families homeschool some of their children while sending the others to a traditional school. Flexibility is one of the best things about homeschooling. Homeschooling isn’t for everyone, but it can be a wonderful experience for those who brave the road less traveled. Perhaps the most important advice is to relax. Enjoy your children and the journey. Class is in session: Homeschooling students top left Issac studying with his mom, Patrice: botton left, Amy: top right, David. BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 22 23

SCHOOL RULES!

Homeschool or Not Some Best Practices for Every Child BY PATRICE FAGNANT-MACARTHUR

Like the idea of homeschooling, but not ready to pull your kids out of traditional school? Here are some ways to incorporate homeschooling ideas into your life right now.

Embrace the world as a classroom Learning doesn’t start at the classroom door. There are opportunities for educational experiences all around you. Have your children help with shopping, banking, meal planning, cooking, repairing the car or the house, etc. Let them see people doing their work and allow your child to ask questions.

Allow for Downtime We live in an overscheduled world. One of the great gifts of homeschooling is time — time to pursue one’s own interests or simply to foster the creativity that

daydreaming can provide. Let there be some breathing room in your child’s schedule so that there is that opportunity for imagination.

Let your child pursue his or her interests School mandates what children must learn, but that may not be what a child wants to study or learn about. Children have a natural curiosity; answer their questions or help them find the answers. Encourage them to read books and do projects about topics in which they are interested. Summer and school vacations can be a wonderful time to pursue these activities.

A Dream Come True Learning Center (2 locations)

INFANTS TODDLERS PRESCHOOL

6 weeks to 8 years Part Time/Full Time Slots Available

• New England Farm Workers vouchers accepted • We offer a 10% sibling discount and a 3% discount for monthly payment

6 Mainline Drive Westfield, MA 01085

413-562-3828

1029 North Road Westfield, MA 01085

413-650-0147

24 JANUARY2015 25

Be involved in your child’s education Mimi Caban Ross, who lives in the Hilltown region, has homeschooled her children and had them attend public school. She encourages sitting with your child as he does homework so that you can answer questions or help him find the answer. She also advises parents to be in regular communication with teachers, so that you are aware of what is going on in the classroom.

Think outside of the box School, college, work, in that order — that’s the agreed upon plan for worldly success, but the world is changing rapidly and the old models don’t always fit. They certainly don’t fit every child. Maybe your child wants to start a business at age 13, or wants to attend college early, or is interested in volunteer service instead of college. A person’s “real life” doesn’t start the day she graduates from high school — it starts as a baby. Allow every day to matter. Be open to the possibilities.

Prepare Your Child for Life French LITERACY Geography MUSIC Art SCIENCE

MATH Character Education

Musical Moments A Cultural Exploration of Song, Dance & Instruments for Children from Birth to Age 6 Mondays & Fridays • 9:30-10:15 a.m.

OPEN HOUSE Saturday, January 24th 9:15 am - 11:30 am Preschool, Pre-K, Kindergarten (2.9 yrs - 6 yrs) Before and After School Programs Low student to teacher ratios Affordable

We create caring children who have a lifelong love of learning.

Be Gentle. Be Kind. Be Safe.

Longmeadow Montessori Internationale 413-567-1820 • Longmeadowmontessori.org 777 Longmeadow Street Longmeadow, MA 01106 Contact: info@longmeadowmontessori.org

LMI’s music and creative arts program is one of the most diverse in the area, introducing students to music and musical instruments from around the world. To learn more or enroll, please contact Longmeadow Montessori as info@longmeadowmontessori.org or call 413-567-1820

Sing • Dance • Move Explore • Play New Students Only!

1 FREE MUSICAL MOMENTS CLASS Monday & Friday • 9:30-10:15 a.m. Preschool Building

Not valid with any other promotion or discount. Limit one coupon per customer per visit. Participants must register for first class.

BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 24 25

SCHOOL RULES!

Prepare Your Child for Elementary School

SCHOOL RULES!

Education that makes

‘CENTS’

BY AMANDA COLLINS, PHOTOS BY STEVEN KING

hen getting the little ones out the door and off to school in the mornings, every mom goes through the mental checklist: backpack, homework, lunch…deposit slip? For thousands of elementary-aged students across the state, tucked into their school bags with assignments and snacks twice a month is a money pouch and deposit slip that allows them to take part in the statewide Savings Makes Cents program. “It helps kids understand the ABCs — the very basics of money, saving and banking,” says Jodie Gerulaitis, the Financial Education Officer at Country Bank for Savings. “Some kids bring in a dollar, some bring in a twenty, and then there’s some that bring in nickels and quarters. But they’re learning at an early age what it means to save money; to put some aside and watch it grow.” Country Bank is the largest participating bank in Savings Makes 26 JANUARY2015

Cents, which was developed by and is run in conjunction with the state treasurer’s office. It brings together local schools and banks to teach children basic monetary concepts such as opening a savings account and budgeting skills. Since 1994, the program has partnered more

ones have saved about $1.5 million. “This program is making a difference and the kids really are learning,” Gerulaitis says. “We’ve found that by making it realistic and fun, the kids are excited about saving their money and keeping it there.” Twice a month, participating

“This program is making a difference and the kids really are learning. We’ve found that by making it realistic and fun, the kids are excited about saving their money and keeping it there.” than 170 financial institutions with over 400 schools across the Commonwealth, according to Treasurer Steven Grossman’s office. Country Bank brings the program to about 30 schools where more than 4,000 students participate. Over the past decade, those little

schools hold a “banking day,” in which bank staff visit and work at a specially designed banking booth that serves as the “branch.” With the help of bank representatives, students make deposits into a real statement savings account, receiving a fun “incentive” every sixth

banking day. Statements are mailed home to students, so parents can review the account with their children. They can also make deposits and withdrawals at Country Bank branches during normal business hours, but withdrawals are not allowed at school. The intent, says Gerulaitis, is to make saving money and banking transactions as realistic as possible. “For the younger kids, it’s instilling that experience. They see Mom and Dad use credit and debit cards or go to the ATM and it just spits out cash,” she says. “Taking part in the program lets them participate in making a goal, saving for it, and tracking it.” "We love the program because kids gain a greater understanding of saving money," notes West Brookfield Elementary School Principal Colleen Mucha. "This year we implemented a PBIS program — Positive Behavior Intervention and Sup-

ports. Each day the kids earn 'cub bucks,' and on Fridays they can spend them. It has been interesting to hear the kids make the connection to the school banking program. They are very thoughtful about whether they want to spend each week or save their bucks up so they can get something bigger. We are finding the kids who bank are better with saving their bucks." Promoting financial literacy at a young age is important, but it's also crucial to target teens as they graduate from high school. According to MoneyU, a financial literacy course designed by a mom and entrepreneur, students entering college are offered an average of eight credit cards their first week of school, yet fewer than 1 in 4 report feeling that they know enough about personal finances. Only three states — Utah, Missouri and Tennessee — require that students take at least one semester of a course devoted to personal finance before they graduate high school. Seventeen other states require that personal finance be incorporated into other subjects, but the remaining states — including Massachusetts — have no requirement, according to the JumpStart Coalition for Personal Finance and Citi Education. “Many students don’t have experience with all the aspects of having so many different types of ex-

penses to have to budget for,” says Ruth Robert, a guidance counselor at Ware Junior Senior High School. Five years ago, the school partnered with Country Bank to bring a daylong financial literacy exercise

25-year-old adult with a job, a salary, expenses, and a credit score. “It's all about budgeting. They navigate around 14 different booths where they will have to make a financial decision, based on their

to graduating seniors called the Credit for Life Fair. The fair is usually offered in the spring, right before students take off into the real world. In the exercise, they fast-forward seven years and role-play the position of a

income, to live within their means. Should they rent an apartment on their own or have a roommate? Should they get this car or the one that's better on gas?” Gerulaitis explains. “This program puts it right there

in black and white, but it also gives them the opportunity to make choices — to stay on budget, or not,” Robert says. One of the most important booths they visit is the credit score booth. Students are assigned a random credit score that dramatically affects their experience at the fair, which educators say is one of the most eye-opening aspects. “The simple fact that a credit score impacts your life in so many ways really shows them what it's like in the real world,” says Paula Talmadge, school-to-career coordinator at Wilbraham’s Minnechaug High School. “It opens their eyes to things like setting a budget and paying your bills before you plan a cruise. It is a great time for seniors to think about all this — before they commit to students loans. [It’s] also great for seniors who will begin to handle their personnel finances in some way after they graduate.” At the end of the fair, credit counselors review each student's final budget one-on-one. “We hope we're sending kids out into the real world with even just a tiny bit more financial knowledge, because down the road it can make a big difference in their life and their decisions,” Gerulaitis says.

Financial Literacy. For the future. We’re committed to the communities we serve. That’s why you’ll ﬁnd us partnering with local schools to teach the next generation real-life lessons about money matters. Our programs are fun, informative and rewarding. We are dedicated to teaching students the importance of saving today for a brighter tomorrow.

countrybank.com • 800.322.8233 Belchertown • Brimﬁeld • Charlton • Leicester • Ludlow • Palmer • Paxton • Ware • West Brookﬁeld • Wilbraham MEMBER FDIC | MEMBER DIF |

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SCHOOL RULES!

WHY CAN’T I DO SECOND GRADE MATH? The rationale behind Common Core math (Hint: It’s not to drive parents crazy) BY KATHY SLOAN

OLD WAY

Bring up the subject of how math is taught in schools these days and you’re likely to get barraged with angry statements from parents such as: “I hate it!” “It’s unnecessarily complicated!” “It doesn’t make sense!” Solving 10+14 is no longer as easy as stacking the two numbers and doing drop-down math, and subtracting doesn’t involve borrowing anymore. Today, kids are asked to break down the problem into tens and ones and explain how they got their answer. Most parents wonder why schools are making math so complicated. Some complain that their children, who once loved math, are now struggling with it. However, while parents are feeling frustrated with the new math, mathematicians and teachers are thrilled with it. Heidi Richard, a 17-year veteran teacher at Floral Street School in Shrewsbury, says that all of the children in her second-grade classroom, including the inclusion students and English language learners, are thriving with

32 - 12 20 this new way of learning math. “They ask smarter questions and have such a deeper understanding of math,” she says. Even she has “light bulb moments” in which math concepts come into sharper focus, which makes teaching this new math fun. That, and watching the kids light up when they finally understand a concept, is rewarding, too, she reports.

Common Core The main reason behind this new math is the recently adopted Common Core standards. Mention Common Core to friends and you’re likely to get the same angry comments as above. However,

NEW WAY 12 15 20 30

+ 3 + 5 + 10 + 2 20

= = = =

15 20 30 32

Answer

the Core is wildly misunderstood. Children in the United States were falling behind globally when it came to education. While children in Massachusetts already had a rigorous set of standards to measure up to, other states did not. Since each state was responsible for setting educational standards, a child in Massachusetts was learning at a faster pace than, say, a child in Missouri. The Core was established in an effort to level the playing field of education across not only the country, but the world. Here is what the Core is not, according to Dr. Solomon Friedberg, Chair of the Mathematics Department at Boston College:

• It is not a test. • It is not a curriculum. • The federal government did not mandate it. • It was not invented to dummy down education. Rather, Common Core is a common blueprint, or set of standards, for education that have been voluntarily adopted by most states. “If properly implemented, they will lead to a generation of American students who are better prepared to use mathematics than at present,” Friedberg says. “And with their wide adoption, they also make it easier for students and their families when they move from one school district to another.”

Understanding the New Math Heidi Richard was chosen as one of the teachers to help roll out the new Common Core math standards in her district. She attended several trainings to learn the new

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SCHOOL RULES! standards and then helped train her colleagues. She explains that the way she taught math in years past was “a mile wide but an inch deep.” “It covered a lot of math but we never really talked about theory,” she says. “Today, the math curriculum is an inch wide, but a mile deep. This gives teachers the opportunity to really dive in deep to the concepts.” Now, she can spend more time on a particular concept rather than having to move on regardless of whether the children understand. The old way of teaching math was always about memorizing rules. However, if the problem wasn’t presented exactly the way it was learned or if the child didn’t know the reasoning behind the rule, the child was apt to get the answer wrong.) For example, knowing the trick of adding a 0 to a number when multiplying by 10 is great, but that rule won’t work when you are multiplying decimals. In that case, adding a zero will give you an incorrect answer: 20x10=200 but 2.60x10 isn’t 2.600, it’s 26. With the new math, students are expected to use critical thinking to solve problems and rationalize their answers. They’re also shown many ways to solve a problem. “There are two aspects to ‘learning the rules of math’. One side is computational, the other conceptual,” Friedberg says. “On the computational side, the ability to compute math quantities is something all students should have. They need to be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide accurately and with ease, choosing the most efficient way to do any given computation. But it’s also important to understand where the rules come from. This helps make math a coherent subject and not just a long list of rules, and supports higher level understanding and reasoning using mathematics.” Much the way that you wouldn’t expect kids to memorize words without learning the meanings and then expecting them to be able to understand the text they are

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reading, in math it is important to know what rules apply where. The ability to justify how they got their answer or where the mathematical rule comes from deepens a child’s understanding and math skills, which will help them as they progress through the grades.

Always Here For Your Medical Needs

What Can Parents Do? One of the biggest complaints from parents is that they can’t help their kids figure out their math homework, but adults shouldn’t stress about that. Teachers like Richard encourage parents to utilize online resources or contact your child’s teacher for help. “I want to know if homework time is stressful for your child because it shouldn’t be,” she says. “Also, if I don’t know where the child is struggling, I can’t help them.” It’s up to school districts to disseminate information about the new math standards, and some districts may be better than others at providing information to help parents assist with math homework. Friedberg hopes parental frustration over Common Core math will abate. “As better curricular materials appear, teachers receive the professional support they need to become better skilled at teaching it, and parents can see that their children really are learning to both carry out math computations and understand what they are doing,” he says. Math is a challenging subject for many students and parents. Richard says it’s critical for the success of our children that parents get on board with the new Common Core standards because those standards are here to stay. It can be very confusing for children to hear parents talk about how ridiculous we think their math methods are while their authority figures at school —their teachers — are championing those same concepts. Keeping the lines of communication open with teachers is the best way to help your child.

Head to baystateparent.com for links to Common Core math resources for parents, as well as a link to Friedberg’s USA Today article, “Common Core math is not fuzzy”, that further explains what Common Core is, and isn’t.

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SCHOOL RULES!

Holyoke Community College Photos courtesy of Holyoke Community College

Community College:

AN AFFORDABLE START â&#x20AC;&#x201D; IF YOU DO IT RIGHT The cost of a four-year degree is climbing annually, and students are graduating with more debt than ever before. Is it time

to take a closer look at community college as a way to cut costs and even enhance the college experience?

BY JOAN GOODCHILD

Quinsigamond Community College Photography by Davis Advertising 30 JANUARY2015 31

For college-bound students in 2015, the chances of graduating with educational debt are a certainty for most. In fact, a report issued recently by The Project on Student Debt, an initiative of the non-profit group The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), finds that 7 seven in 10 college seniors who graduated from public and private nonprofit colleges in 2013 had student loan debt. These borrowers owed an average of $28,400, up 2% from 2012. The sticker price for starting out at one of the 15 community colleges in Massachusetts is decidedly less shocking. The average cost for fullyear tuition and fees at a community college nationally is just $2,076, compared to $5,100 at a public, four-year university, and $20,081 at a private, four-year institution, according to the College Board. Here in the Bay State, those prices are somewhat higher, with the average community college cost at $5,071 for a year of tuition. That’s still a bargain compared to the cost of one year of tuition at UMass-Amherst, which ran $13,232 last year. And as home to some of the most prestigious and expensive private schools in the country, including Boston College, with a tuition price of $23,335, Massachusetts community colleges look like a bargain-basement steal comparatively. That cost savings was not lost on Holyoke Community College student Jeffery Anderson-Burgos when he made the decision to go back to school for a degree. “There were a few factors that went into my choice to attend a community college,” he said. “I can say that cost was one main factor among them. My husband is an alum of Holyoke Community College and he provided a lot of motivation to attend.” But beyond the more affordable cost, Anderson-Burgos said the experience has been extremely rewarding, both in terms of education and social opportunities.

“I also viewed it as an opportunity to prove myself in a more intimate setting,” he noted. “As I am looking toward graduating in the spring, I strongly believe attending HCC has benefited my personal and academic growth much more than I could have expected. I am likely to graduate with a 4.0. I have also experienced a profound boost in my self-confidence and trust in my abilities — a benefit that I do not believe I would have experienced had I started at a larger institution.” Anderson-Burgos, who initially planned to transfer to UMassAmherst to get his bachelor’s degree, is now looking at schools such as Yale, Hampshire, and Northeastern to finish out his college education. While the cost of a degree continues to climb, and stories like Anderson-Burgos’s appear to have all the makings of success — a rewarding educational experience, a more affordable start to a bachelor’s degree, and a transfer to an elite college — students are still not choosing community college in record numbers. In fact, enrollment at the nation’s 1,132 community colleges declined about 3% from 2012 to 2013, according to the most recent stats compiled by the American Association of Community Colleges. Why? Some pin the reason on declining state funds for public education. Others suggest community colleges are still unable to shake the perception that they are merely a 13th year of high school for unsuccessful students unable to gain admission at a four-year institution. “I do think there is a stigma that still exists,” said Vanessa Martinez, an anthropology professor and coordinator of the honors program at HCC. “You see that from the lack of state and national support for higher ed. You also hear that in conversations you have on the street with people who think it’s 13th grade and that students don’t have to work as hard.”

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SCHOOL RULES! Martinez, who also teaches at UMass and Westfield State University, said the perception of community college could not be more wrong. The content she teaches, for example, doesn’t change from institution to institution. What’s different, she said, is the support given to community college students, including smaller class sizes, increased office hours and more access to assistance from staff. “We’re dealing with some students with limited reading and writing skills, and then some of the brightest students you’ve ever seen,” Martinez said. “It’s very varied and our services reflect that.” Robert Ronstadt, a former college professor and Vice President at Boston University who authored Ronstadt’s Paying for College: Avoid Huge Student Debt, Compare and Select the Right College, and Perform Brilliantly in the Classroom, believes community college is a good approach for students who are seeking to save on the overall cost of higher education — but only if the two-year degree is obtained in a timely manner. “If it’s going to be a viable strategy, you have to do the program in two

years or less, otherwise the savings start to erode,” he said. “For students, the biggest thing is they have to look at community college

really have to be very disciplined to make it work.” Mindful that every minute counts, Quinsigamond Community College

as a business or a job. They have to know it will be 9-5 or 9-9 everyday. If they don’t, they might get in trouble trying to balance it with part-time jobs that cut into school time. You

in Worcester offers programs that even allow students who are still in high school an opportunity to take classes that will also count toward a college degree, according

to Mishawn Davis-Eyene, QCC’s Director of Admissions. Programs include the Gateway to College program, which allows high school drop outs to complete the requirements for a high school diploma, and then go on to earn an associate’s degree, as well as two other programs that give ambitious, budget-minded high school students the chance to enroll in QCC classes concurrent with their enrollment in high school. This gives them a head start on earning college credits before even entering their first year of college. Davis-Eyene said the programs have been successful for QCC, and overall she is observing an upswing in admissions after a few quieter years. “This semester we are getting more applications than we’ve had in recent years,” she said. “A lot of students choose here because it’s cost effective, but once they get here they love it here. It’s a true campus experience. The biggest challenge is still getting students to understand the value of a community college degree so they make that choice. We want to help them understand that it’s smart to be here.”

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Serving students in Preschool to Grade Eight

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January 26-28, 2015 For New & Potential Students School & Classroom Visitations Enrollment Registration for the 2015-2016 School Year Available

St. Mary’s School • South and Charles Street • Ware, MA 01082 • Phone 413-967-9936 32 JANUARY2015 33

SCHOOL RULES

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Mission to End Childhood Obesity Results in Award-Winning Kids’ Cooking Magazine BY MELISSA SHAW

Cookbook author, food writer and Massachusetts mom Sally Sampson set out to write a pamphlet about families cooking healthy food together, an idea that in just a handful of years has turned into an awardwinning, national magazine and a nonprofit organization with one goal: resolving childhood obesity. The idea came from Sampson’s personal role as mother of a child living with chronic pancreatitis. “As a result, she was on a very low-fat diet,” Sampson says. “In the course of feeding her I learned a lot about obesity. I got to a point where I was so involved in her health care I didn’t want to write cookbooks anymore. I wanted to figure out how to use my skills to do something meaningful.” Sampson, who has authored or co-authored 23 cookbooks, asked

herself one question: “How can I use my skills as a cookbook writer to do something in health care?” The answer came in the eventual formation of the nonprofit ChopChopKids and the launch of ChopChop: The Fun Cooking Magazine for Families, which was first published in 2010. The quarterly, full-color publication offers recipes, interviews, kitchen skill tutorials and games. It is non-profit and ad-free, relying on subscribers, newsstand sales, bulk and custom orders, and philanthropic donations. Issues can be purchased in deeply discounted “teacher packs” to distribute in a child’s classroom, and the magazine is also published in a Spanishlanguage edition. “Obesity is a really big issue in the Hispanic community,” Sampson says. “We wanted to make sure

we’re reaching those who were disproportionally affected.” In 2013, the magazine won the prestigious James Beard Foundation’s Publication of the Year Award. The same year, ChopChopKids published its first cookbook, ChopChop: The Kids’ Guide to Cooking Real Food with Your Family, which was awarded the 2014 IACP Award for outstanding cookbook in the Children, Youth & Family category by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). Last month, Sampson and ChopChop made their third visit to The White House, this time for an interview with First Lady Michelle Obama, conducted by two children for an upcoming issue. The organization and magazine’s mission centers around a simple idea: children learning to cook

unprocessed, healthy food with their families. “I think people have gotten to this point where they think everything has to be complicated,” Sampson says. “ChopChop is simple recipes that a child can make.” The key to quality family time in the kitchen, she says, is simplicity and small changes. “We’re not: ‘Don’t eat junk food anymore’ or ‘Cook every meal from scratch,’” she notes. “Do what you can.” And when adults get in the mindset of “what you can” it isn’t that hard, she adds. For example, swap kids’ flavored yogurt for plain filled with fresh or frozen fruit. “That’s not a lot of work,” she notes. “Make really small changes.” While Sampson, a mother of two children now in their early BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 34 35

20s, acknowledges the demands of busy families and working parents, she dispels one popular misconception. “It’s not true it takes more time to cook a meal from scratch and it’s not more expensive,” she says, adding she wrote a piece for The Washington Post in which she replicated fast-food meals down to the pickle slice to prove her point. While the recent holidays are a hot time for families cooking together, Sampson says parents can keep that momentum going in the new year and beyond by having children make an integral part of the meal, for instance, a salad. A child could help pick out greens and make the dressing. “Salad dressing is literally measuring stuff in a jar and shaking it,” she adds. “You serve the salad, say [the child] made the salad, and now the kid is thrilled and wants to eat salad. If you can get your kid to make something that’s an important part of the meal, they’re going to feel more pride and they’re going to want to keep doing it.” The key concept: “The meal doesn’t have to be perfect!” she says. “I’ve been doing this my whole life, sometimes I make a meal and it’s not perfect. So what? They’re going to love it because they made it. It’s not unlike hanging their art work on the fridge, they want to show it off.”

36 JANUARY2015 37

Apple Pie Smoothie This smoothie has protein-rich almonds and yogurt to give you lots of energy — and the cinnamon and vanilla gives it a rich sweetness that might remind you of a favorite dessert! Kitchen Gear • Measuring cup • Measuring spoons • Cutting board

• Sharp knife (adult needed) • Blender (adult needed)

Ingredients • ¾ cup plain low-fat or whole milk yogurt • ½ cup low-fat or whole milk • 2 tablespoons raw almonds (if you’re allergic to nuts, skip the almonds and substitute 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats) • ½ apple, cored and diced • 1 overripe banana, sliced (frozen, if possible) • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract • 2 ice cubes Instructions

Think Ahead

1. Put all the ingredients in the blender in the order listed. 2. Put the top on tightly. Turn the blender to a medium setting and blend until the ice is chopped and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. 3. Serve right away, or store in a thermos or covered in the refrigerator, up to 4 hours. Makes 2 servings.

To help make any smoothie colder and thicker, it’s great to have slices of frozen banana ready to go. It’s easy: 1. Peel an overripe banana. 2. Use a butter knife to slice it into thin rounds.

3. Put the slices in a resealable plastic bag and put it in the freezer. Try this fun recipe courtesy of

Dishin’ with the Dietitian

2015 Wishes for You BY CARRIE TAYLOR, RDN, LDN With so many resolutions being made, here are my two wishes for you and your family. The beginning of a New Year beckons the start of a new day, new chapter and, for many, a new you. Out of all the possible changes you resolve to make this year, I hope you borrow from my wish list below.

I wish you will get buggy. At every nutrition conference I’ve attended this past year, one word continually popped up: microbiodome. In other words, the population of friendly bacteria, or “bugs,” in your gut. There are theories connecting the makeup of one’s microbiodome to conditions such as celiac disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity, in addition to its role in immunity and allergies. What does this mean for you? Start paying attention to the different probiotic and prebiotic foods you and your family eat. Probiotics are tiny living microorganisms that promote a balance of healthful bacteria in your gut that assist in the digestion of food as well as protect against invading “bad” bacteria. Probiotic-

containing foods are those that have been fermented, such as sauerkraut, half-sour and full-sour pickles, kombucha (fermented tea), kefir (milk drink similar to drinkable yogurt available in adult and kid-friendly flavors and pouches), miso and tempeh. Prebiotics are fiber-rich starchy foods that help feed healthful gut bacteria so they stay plentiful in number. Examples are vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Fun fact: Mom’s breast milk contains both pre- and probiotics for baby. Additionally, make up is impacted by mode of delivery (birth canal vs. emergency caesarean vs. elected caesarean) and age of child. If you’re considering obtaining probiotics through a supplement pill or powder, do a little research. Each strain of probiotic microorganism does its own thing — some work best at treating diarrhea in children while others have been shown to positively impact one’s immune system. Read labels to become aware of what you are buying and speak to your health care provider first

for their recommendation on how long you should take a probiotic supplement.

I wish you will be active as a family. Another common theme in nutrition research for keeping diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes at bay? Exercise. No matter how you slice the equation of calories in (through food) and calories out (expended through activity), exercising needs to play a leading role. Whether it’s preventing disease, improving quality of life during disease treatment or increasing one’s survival rate after treatment, exercise does amazing things for the body. Whether it’s the happy chemicals released during and after activity (called endorphins), increasing one’s heart rate and core temperature, or simply burning off additional calories, one is hard pressed to find a downfall for becoming more active as a family. Finding it hard to incorporate activity into your day? Keep the following in mind:

calories from the food you are eating (That’s one gingerbread flavored latte!) than it is adding approximately an additional 3 miles of running to your workout. Imagine what happens when you do both! Answer: Weight maintenance is a whole lot easier. • You will never regret working out. Not working out? That’s another story. Carrie Taylor is the lead registered dietitian nutritionist for the Living Well Eating Smart program at Big Y Foods. Have a nutrition question? E-mail livingwell@bigy.com or write Living Well at 2145 Roosevelt Ave, PO Box 7840, Springfield, MA 01102.

Would you like to be featured in a future issue of baystateparent? Send your question to editor@baystateparent.com and you might soon be Dishin’ with the Dietitian!

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The Summer Camp Issue

April

Family Travel BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 36 37

Bites Bake Away the Winter Blues

hen the weather outside turns frightful, baking homemade treats will be so delightful. Whether it’s with friends, the kids or even by yourself, making treats is a great way to keep warm and active when snowed in. Try these tips for fun indoor activities during wintry weather: Plan ahead. Stock up your pantry ahead of time with baking and decorating supplies, so you’ll have what you need during snow days.

No two snowflakes are alike. It’s easy to make a deliciously unique treat. Bake a large brownie or a cake in a Snowflake Tube Pan (see recipe below). Decorate it with icing and marshmallows, sprinkles, candy-coated chocolates or chocolate chips. Build tasty snowmen. Instead of getting bundled up to build a snowman outside, make fun snowmen cookies. (see recipe below). After decorating, enjoy the cookies with a cup of cocoa. For more fun and tasty winter recipes, baking tips and inspiration, visit wilton.com.

Spicy Snowman Cookies Yield: 18 sets of cookies 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon Imitation Clear Vanilla Extract Melted Snowman Cookie Cutters Cookie Icing: White, Black, Orange Brown and Red

S’mores Snowflake Brownies Servings: 12 Snowflake Tube Pan 1 box (18 ounces) brownie mix Water, oil and eggs to prepare mix 4 Graham crackers, broken into bite-size pieces 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips 2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare tube pan with vegetable pan spray. In large bowl, stir together brownie mix, water, oil and eggs until well combined. Fold in broken graham crackers. Pour into prepared pan and smooth so batter is evenly distributed. Bake 24-26 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of brownie comes out nearly clean. Cool in pan on cooling grid 10 minutes. Remove from pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let sit 5 minutes; spread over top. Cover with marshmallows. Let chocolate harden before serving. 38 JANUARY2015

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and chili powder. In separate large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture; beat until just combined. Divide dough into 2 balls. On floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 inches diameter by 1/8 inch thick. Dip cookie cutters in flour before each use. Transfer cookies to ungreased cookie sheet. Bake puddle cookies for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Bake hat cookies on separate cookie sheet for 8-9 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool cookies on sheet on cooling grid 5 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on grid. Decorate cooled cookies. On puddle cookies, use white cookie icing to outline and fill in. Pipe black icing facial features and buttons, orange icing pull-out dot nose and brown icing arms. On hat cookies, use black cookie icing to outline and fill in. Add red cookie icing hatband. Attach hat to main cookie with dot of icing. Note: Color Flow Mix and Royal Icing can also be used.

Consignment Corner Advertise your Consignment Shop in baystateparent for only $79 per month. This special is with a six-month commitment, February through July, and you will be featured one month with your tips on how to consign. Only 6 consignment shops per page.

TIPS FROM

Silver Brook Mills 168 Elm St., Unit 9B, Agawam 413-363-2104

Anita & Lisa

• Make sure all items you are consigning are CLEAN, PRESSED and in good repair (no stains, tears, missing buttons) • Call the consignment shop ahead of time to see if an appointment is needed to bring items in, what items they need, sizes they carry. • Find a shop you love and stick with them • Bring items in folded in a basket or hanging. Do not bring items in trash bags • Designer/upscale labels sell best.

Women & Men’s Top Quality Designer Consignment Fashions

Hours: Tues.-Thurs.10am-7pm Fri. 10am-6pm, Sat. 10am-3pm Closed Sun. & Mon.

We carry sizes 0-26, Petites, Maternity, Jewelry, Accessories, Purses and Footwear as well as top quality menswear.

Quality designer fashions at a fraction of retail.

Anisa’s Closet Silver Brook Mills 168 Elm St., Unit 9B, Agawam 413-363-2104

Name Brand Items for: Women, Children, Maternity & MEN Monday - Saturday 9:30am - 5:00pm From our Family to Yours We Wish You a Happy & Healthy New Year! 562 Main Street (Rt.20) Sturbridge, MA 01518

508.347.0039

www.new2yousturbridge.com

For more information contact Jessica O’Malley at 413-437-4673 or jessica@baystateparent.com

NursiNg Bra ExprEss Your #1 Source for Nursing Bras in Western Mass!

Top Brands including Anita, Bravado, Goddess, La Leche League Intimates, Medela, QT & More Plus, a huge selection of full figure nursing bras up to cup size N Nursing Tanks & Pajamas Maternity & Postpartum Support Bands

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Nursing Pads, Nipple Salves Breastfeeding Covers

BRA FITTINGS & STORE HOURS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY 161 Main Street, Holyoke, MA dara@nursingbraexpress.com • 855-528-7600 or 413-729-0031 www.nursingbraexpress.com

Free Wa Disposable shable or N with ever y ursing Pads showroom purchase

BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 39

our january favorites fa sunday

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Starting on the date the prize appears, log on to

www.baystateparent.com to enter for your chance to win.

4 11 {Fact} 11 January’s birthstone is the garnet, which represents constancy.

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Keep the cold at bay and keep right on rockin’ with RUUM’s Headphone Hats. The eye-catching headphone-lined hats — with removable headphones — are the perfect accessory for tech moguls of any age. Want to win this cool prize? Head to baystateparent.com today for details.

Although March was originally the first month in the old Roman Calendar, January assumed that position beginning in 153 BC.

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Keep lil’ hands dry and beverages cold with the Frost from Eco Vessel. This tripleinsulated, stainless steel, flip-spout water bottle holds 13 fl. oz. and keeps drinks cold for up to 36 hours. For your chance to win, visit baystateparent.com today and find out how you can enter to win.

Win a two-pack of the hottest games around from Think Fun. Robot Turtles is the most-backed board game in Kickstarter history, teaching kids as young as 4 how to program a computer. Gravity Maze is the only marble run with a 3-D logic puzzle that families are falling for. For a chance to win both of these award-winning games, head to baystateparent.com today.

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The Caped Crusader joins forces with the super heroes of the DC Comics universe and blasts off to outer space to stop the evil Brainiac from destroying Earth in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. For a chance to bring home an Xbox 360 version of this hot new game, visit baystateparent.com today.

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This oversized mug is perfect for shooting marshmallows into hot cocoa, tossing berries into cereal, or swishing crackers into soup. Designed by a now 10year old Boston basketball fan for his art class, the mug with a hoop is dishwasher safe. A percentage of proceeds benefit charities that support dyslexia and other language-based disabilities. Learn how you can win this cool mug from MAXâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;IS Creations at baystateparent.com.

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Connect with baby and rock your personal style with colorful, beautiful and beneficial Hip Baby Wrap! Individually handmade of 100% cotton and non-toxic dyes, these wonderfully vibrant and stylish wraps provide quality strength and durability, but with more air flow, more stunning color and less bulk. Enter today to win this beautiful wrap at baystateparent.com.

At the end of the Great Depression, about a quarter of American adults formed New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolutions. At the start of the 21st century, about 40% did.

31 BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 40 41

Dance, Gym Preschool & Enrichment & Child Care

Little Friends Child Care Center

MORNING PRESCHOOL 9:15am-1pm follows the Belchertown school schedule

Weekly Tuition Payments $16.00 per day

Potterville Pottery

413-739-9998 1702 Riverdale Street, West Springﬁeld www.potterville.com

A Dream Come True Learning Center (2 locations)

Tues - Fri: 12 - 8pm, Saturday: 10am - 8pm, Sunday: 12 - 4pm We are closed Mondays

INFANTS TODDLERS PRESCHOOL

Have your Birthday Party at Potterville!

6 weeks to 8 years Part Time/Full Time Slots Available

Choose from a wheel party or a painting party, and get a 2nd clay activity, balloons and invitations for $25 per person (including ﬁring and materials). Have your party on a Friday Afternoon, Saturday or Sunday. A $35 non-refundable deposit is required to book your party. GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

• New England Farm Workers vouchers accepted • We offer a 10% sibling discount and a 3% discount for monthly payment

6 Mainline Drive Westfield, MA 01085

413-562-3828

Allergy Warning: Potterville has a live rabbit.

1029 North Road Westfield, MA 01085

413-650-0147

ENROLL NOW They think it’s COOL. You know it’s EDUCATIONAL.

Bricks 4 Kidz® enrichment programs offer children both the additional time and the opportunity to experience STEM learning in diversified ways. Visit our Website for information on holiday programs, school vacation programs, enrichment programs, and birthday parties.

PRE-SCHOOL/ CHILD CARE

• Follow MA learning frameworks • All staff CPR and First Aid certiﬁcation • Caring for children 1-year up to 9 years of age • 2-day minimum for all programs (we ﬁt your schedule) • Full Day Programs 7am-5:30pm available hours

• Before and after school includes snow days/vacations/ holidays/summers if needed

• Privately owned • Year round enrollment

Thompsons

Pediatric Associates of Hampden County

“Treating your children as family since 1975”

Infant–6 wks.-15 months............... $245.00 weekly Toddler–15 mos.-2yrs. 9 mos......... $215.00 weekly Pre-School–2 yrs. 9 mos.-5 yrs...... $185.00 weekly Accredited by the

National Accreditation of Early Childhood Programs

We have extended hours and accessibility to meet the needs of your family

413-532-0374 • www.FunWithUs.com 200 Old Lyman Rd., South Hadley 42 JANUARY2015 43

477 Southwick Rd., Westfield, MA 01085 413-562-0710 373 Park St., West Springfield, MA 01089 413-781-2685

QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE Established in 1987

INDEX

Summer Gymnastics

Thompson Offers... 2 Year Old - “Parent and Me” 3-5 Year Old - “Tiny Tumbler” 5 Year Old - “Kinder Class” 6 Year Old & Up Girls Gymnastics 6 Year Old & Up Boys Gymnastics

www.PAHCpediatrics.com

www.brighterbeginningcc.com

Quality Instruction Since 1981

www.FunWithUs.com

Website:

Littlefriends39.com

FEES (up to 9 hour day)

411 Granby Road South Hadley, MA 01075 Call for an appointment (413) 532-5303

LEGO® is a registered trademark of the LEGO® Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse these programs.

E-mail:

Littlefriends39@aol.com

Healthy Kids & Family

The accreditation division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children

www.bricks4kidz.com/378 kfitzgerald@bricks4kidz.com (413) 345-8035

58 Daniel Shays Hwy., Belchertown, MA 413-323-8447

A Dream Come True Learning Center....24 Amherst Montessori School................ 21 Amherst Pediatrics.............................29 Anisa’s Closet....................................39 Arbors Kids.........................................4 Atkins Farm......................................34 Basketball Hall of Fame.......................11 Berkshire Bank...................................4 Big Y...............................................44 Brain Balance......................................3 Cathedral High School........................33

Chapin Baby...................................... 7 Common School, The.........................28 Country Bank....................................27 FMC Ice Sports....................................9 Hartsbrook School, The.......................31 Interskate 91...................................41 Longmeadow Montessori School..........25 MacDuffie School..............................29 Montessori School of Northampton........11 New 2 You Consignment....................39 Nursing Bra Express...........................39

Oak Meadow....................................24 Pediatric Care Associates.....................11 Pilates Center of Western MA...............19 Pioneer Valley Financial Group.............19 Pioneer Valley Montessori...................36 St Mary’s Parish School.......................21 St Mary’s School...............................32 Valley Dentists of Belchertown........... 28 Wilbraham Monson Academy..............31

take eight

with Lauren Baker

Lauren Baker assumes a new role this month: In addition to wife and mother of Charlie, 22, AJ, 19, and Caroline, 16, she is the new First Lady of Massachusetts. She took time out before the inauguration to answer our questions on parenthood and politics.

A political campaign is demanding. How were you able to ensure family time together among the myriad demands? We made a point in both campaigns [2010 & 2014] to say family comes first, and to book family time, the kids’ games and performances, right into the schedule so that everyone knew the candidate would not be campaigning at that time. We found that you just have to do a little extra planning but it’s necessary.

In your experience, what is the toughest aspect of parenting? For me, the toughest part is the unknown. Parenting is like walking through a dense fog and hoping that the step you just took wasn’t off a cliff! You want the best for your kids and you hope that the decisions you are making on a daily basis will lead to their growing up to be strong, healthy, thoughtful people. My default always has been showing them that I love them unconditionally and that I’m always going to make the choice I think will be in their best interest in the long run.

Are there issues or causes you would like to champion as First Lady? Honestly, I recognize the opportunity given to me as “First Lady” to do good work, and I hope to be able to make the most of this opportunity for the people of Massachusetts. I am trying to absorb as much information as I can right now about my new role and I won’t make any decisions about what I am going to do for a while.

As a mother, what do you feel are the top priorities for Massachusetts public schools? I think Massachusetts has the potential to offer the best public education in the nation. I think our priority should be to make every school in our Commonwealth a really good school. We have so many experts, so many innovators, so many amazing educators in this state, we need to figure out a way to learn from them and to apply their best practices in every school.

We know Charlie Baker the Candidate. What would people be surprised to know about Charlie Baker the Dad? When our kids were little, Charlie used to have to leave work early to pick [the kids] up at daycare every evening when it closed, and we’d go home, have dinner and do the bedtime routine of bath and books. He loved being a part of that and made bath time super fun — complete with dancing and air guitar — and would usually fall asleep, often before the child, while reading books. But then, after every child was asleep, he’d get back to work finishing up whatever he’d put aside to spend that time with the kids and me.

What is your message to your fellow Bay State parents? I don’t feel like I am an expert who should be giving a message to parents in the first place, but I guess I’d say that Charlie and I recognize that parenting is hard, and balancing that with the demands of work is even harder. If we keep the focus on setting high standards for our children and helping them to achieve, leading by example, and making every decision with love and careful thought, we will all be better for it.

What are you looking forward to in the next four years? I am excited to continue the adventure that began with this campaign. I look forward to meeting and getting to know people I otherwise wouldn’t get to meet and to being part of making a positive difference for people in our state. I’m not sure exactly how it will play out yet, but I love being of service and I’m sure I will have lots of opportunity to give back! Do you and Charlie ever get time to go out by yourselves, just for fun? Yes, we do, but not as much as I would like! We really do have to schedule time for ourselves because otherwise every hour of every day could get filled. Recently, when we have unscheduled time, we’ve enjoyed just hanging out at home!

Head to baystateparent.com for an unabridged version of this interview. BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 42 43

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