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JANUARY 2016

Massachusetts’ Premier Magazine For Families Since 1996

THE WINTER COAT BATTLE: CAN IT BE WON? SHAKING UP STORY TIME: REVOLUTIONIZE READING WITH YOUR CHILD

19 WAYS

to play

THIS WINTER FOSTERING GREATER ADVOCACY FOR STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA

What Colleges

Want In Freshmen

BayStateParent-WAM-FamSeries-1-2015_Layout 1 12/18/15 2:38 PM Page 1

R E e T c S a l E p C R A M ! s U e WO E i l S i U m M a f T r R A fo

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table of contents JANUARY 2016 VOLUME 20

NUMBER 9

things we learned

while making

the january issue

Nana was wrong! (Sorry, Nana…) You cannot catch a cold just by being cold. But there are several factors that can lead to serious health issues by underdressing for the winter weather. Want to win the winter coat battle with your tweens and teens? Head to page 56 for expert advice from psychologists and pediatricians.

It’s not just about grades — colleges want much more from today’s applicants outside of a single letter. Starting on page 44, discover what admissions officers from Massachusetts colleges and universities are looking for in this year’s applications.

Healthy young women who receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine at the optimal age of 11 or 12 reduce their chances of developing cervical cancer later in life by more than 70%. For this and other reasons, pediatricians are recommending the vaccine for boys and girls. Turn to page 14 to learn more from a local adolescent gynecologist.

School Rules! 32

Social-Emotional Learning: Teaching Children Much More Than Facts

Shaking Up Story Time: New Interactive Approach Gets Kids Thinking

We Chose A Private Education For Our Child

40 42

Revised SAT Rolls Out In March History Repeating: Mass Parents Have Been Complaining About Standardized Testing Since 1880

in every issue 10 11 12

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS

20 FOR 20: Celebrate our 20th anniversary with a look back at top 1996 movies

ASK THE EXPERT: Why doctors are recommending the HPV vaccine for pre-teens

THE THINKING PARENT: How to prepare a child for a behavioral health assessment

FINALLY FOREVER: A Letter from an Adoptive Mom

JANUARY’S CHILD: Meet Angel

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO: January Calendar of Family Events

OUR JANUARY FAVORITES: Facts, Finds and Freebies

TAKE 8: New England Patriot Hall of Famer Ty Law

BSP ONLINE SHOW & TELL: Everyday Oils & Jackery portable power

features 50

19 Ways To Play This Winter — Indoors and Out

Couple Behind Josh & The Jamtones Keep Family, Fans Moving

Century-Old Mass Organization Preserves Places, Inspires Outdoor Family Fun

What Colleges Want In Freshmen This Fall

Can The Winter Coat War Be Won?

Local Group To Pair Students With Dyslexia For Greater Self-Advocacy

A ‘Hole’ Other Approach To Ear Piercing

Divorce & Single Parenting: Co-Parenting and School

Bites: Unbreakable drinkware; role play bibs; Mass cleaning expert appears on Dr. Oz Show

Six Ways To Eat Local Throughout The Winter

Try Your Hand At New Winter Favorites

baystateparent.com BAYSTATEPARENT 9

JANUARY CONTRIBUTORS Theresa (Terri) Boulier is a graduate student clinician in the Mental Health Counseling program at Becker College. She provides counseling services to adults, children, couples, and families through the Counselor Training Clinic (CTC) at Becker College in Leicester. Visit mhcclinic.becker.edu for more information about available, low-cost, counseling services at the CTC.. Michele Bennett Decoteau is a writer and mom to a tween and a teen in central New England. In addition to writing on science, nature, and parenting topics, she is a hiker, and beekeeper. You can find her at MicheleDecoteau.com or @MBDecoteau. Jennifer Sheehy Everett is a writer, PR consultant and mother to a busy toddler who’s pretty certain he runs the show at their Melrose home, which she shares with her husband John. She enjoys music and performing, dance, golf, travel, the pursuit of tasty food and wine, and time with cherished family and good friends. Joan Goodchild is a Shrewsbury mother of two and editor of a business publication serving security and risk professionals.

Janine Halloran is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Massachusetts mom of two. She started her business Encourage Play (encourageplay.com) in December 2013. At Encourage Play, you’ll find practical resources and simple and easy play ideas to help kids learn social skills through play. Judy M. Miller savors time with her kids. She is a Certified Gottman Educator, adoptive parents and the author of What To Expect From Your Adopted Tween and Writing to Heal Adoption Grief: Making Connections & Moving Forward. Doug Page is a Medfield father of two whose newspaper career started in high school. He's written stories, sold ads, and delivered newspapers during the morning's wee hours. He's covered stories as shocking as the crash of Delta flight 191 in Dallas many years ago to the recent controversy involving Common Core and standardized testing in Massachusetts. Kimberly Petalas is the assistant editor at one of baystateparent’s sister publications, The Landmark newspaper in Holden. A 2013 graduate of Hofstra University,

she graduated with a BA in print and broadcast journalism. Sara Pokorny is a freelance writer from Amherst and puppy mom to Link and Piper. She loves eating and running (and really can't do one without the other!). She will tackle any writing topic, but especially loves exploring things that are new to her. You can find her at vomitshermindd. wordpress.com or twitter.com/sara_pkrny. Attorney Irwin M. Pollack is founder and lead attorney of Pollack Law Group, P.C. (PollackLawGroup.com) and a divorced father himself. He shares insights and information about co-parenting on his weekly radio talk show, Talking About Divorce, which can be heard weekends on WRKO in Boston (AM 680), WTAG in Worcester (AM 580/94.9 FM), WXTK on the Cape (95.1 FM), and WHYN in Springfield (AM 560).

Massachusetts mom Leslie Reichert is known as the Green Cleaning Coach and is aiming to change the world — "one spray bottle at a time." A national lecturer and author of The Joy Of Green Cleaning, you can find her at greencleaningcoach.com, on Facebook (GreenCleaningCoach), Twitter (@GreenCleanCoach), and Pinterest (cleaningcoach). Dr. Andrea Zuckerman practices general obstetrics and gynecology, as well as pediatric and adolescent gynecology at Tufts Medical Center. She is the director of the Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology at Tufts Medical Center and vice chair of Gynecology. Dr. Zuckerman has been recognized as a “Top Doctor” by Boston Magazine every year since 2006. She is an associate professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Zuckerman is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Rutland-based writer and mother of three Kathy Sloan is a regular contributor to baystateparent.

Got a story idea? Interested in contributing to baystateparent? Contact editor@baystateparent.com.

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meet team

bsp ONLiNE “Real. First of all, everyone in my family has a say. Secondly, real ones aren't perfect in shape/size. Just like life. Totally symbolic.” — Danielle “We have fake now, but that is only because the kids want the tree up the day after Thanksgiving and one year our tree dried out before Christmas!” — Deb #TeamReal ultimately won out. Nationally speaking, approximately 60 percent of Americans set up fake trees for the holidays, according to polls by ABC News and The Washington Post.

#TeamFake vs #TeamReal We knew you would have an opinion, and after battling with my family about whether to make a switch from a real Christmas tree to a fake one, I wanted you to weigh in. Sixty-one baystateparent readers responded with pics and insights: “Fake...hate it! I want a real one!” — Jane

Welcome Monica! It has been a thrill serving as your online host here at baystateparent.com in 2015. The year was one of happy prize recipients, thrilled contest winners,

publisher KIRK DAVIS associate publisher KATHY REAL 508-749-3166 ext. 331 kreal@baystateparent.com

creative insightful parenting exchanges, and healthy debate as we virtually got to know one another. Now, allow me to make another introduction to our ever-growing bsp community. Monica Hamilton — an accomplished writer and devoted volunteer at area rescue shelters — will take the reins as our multimedia editor in 2016. I’m off to a new endeavor, but I will never be far away. In fact, my trusty, funny, and all-around-amazing Editor-in-Chief Melissa Shaw has already assigned me a few stories for our February issue. And I’m finally going to be able to put my name in for some of our awesome contests! Be well and thank you! Be sure to welcome Monica and say hello via email (monica@baystateparent.com), Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Heather Kempskie, Multimedia Editor heather@baystateparent.com

Meet our 2015 Cover Contest Winner! Last spring, baystateparent headed to area malls to find a new face in our 2015 Cover Model Contest. Narrowing the field to the Top 10 was tough, and picking the ultimate winner was even more challenging, but in the end our panel of experts agreed that Evan, 15, of Marlborough was 2015’s big winner. This month, he claims his prize in this fun seasonal photo shoot with Karen Moriarty Photography. We caught up with the 10th-grader and asked him a few questions about the experience: Was it your idea to enter the contest? How did you feel about entering? My mom was entering my sister in the contest and I said, “ I’ll do it, too!” I didn't think I would win, it was something fun to try. What was your reaction when you

senior graphic designer STEPHANIE MALLARD 508-865-7070 design@baystateparent.com multimedia editor HEATHER KEMPSKIE heather@baystateparent.com

advertising director of sales REGINA STILLINGS 508-865-7070 ext. 210 regina@baystateparent.com account executive KATHY PUFFER 508-865-7070 ext. 211 kathy@baystateparent.com

presidents KIRK and LAURIE DAVIS photographers STEVEN KING KAREN MORIARTY ADAM PERRI

What is your favorite subject in school? Engineering.

What is the hardest part of high school? What's the most fun? The hardest part of being in high school is keeping up with my classes! The most fun thing about being in high school is social activities like spirit day and playing sports. I play football. What do you like to do in your

creative director PAULA MONETTE ETHIER 508-865-7070 ext. 221 pethier@holdenlandmark.com

account executive JAMI GRAY 508-951-6626 jami@baystateparent.com

found out you won? My Mom called me at my Dad’s work (I was helping out). I thought she was joking about the win and I hung up on her. She called back to tell me I really had won! I didn’t think I would because the babies always win!

If you could be a teacher, what subject would you like to teach? I would teach history, because I know the most about it.

editor in chief MELISSA SHAW 508-865-7070 ext. 201 editor@baystateparent.com

spare time? I like to play football, do gymnastics, ride quads, snowboard, longboard, and work on cars with my dad. What is your favorite book? My favorite book is Frindle by Andrew Clements. The boy in the book is fresh and renames a pen to annoy the teacher, then the word gets in the dictionary!

is published monthly with a main office at 22 West Street, Millbury, MA 01527 It is distributed free of charge throughout Massachusetts.

baystateparent.com Find us on:

Cover by Karen Moriarty Photography BAYSTATEPARENT 11

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The use of essential oils as a viable alternative treatment for ills such as headaches, stress, indigestion, or blemishes seems to be growing on me. My sister, a frequent headache sufferer, says that following the placement of a few drops of Peppermint oil on her temples, her headache is gone. My tween daughter, restless at night, delights (and immediately calms) when her auntie scents her pillow with a bit of Lavender spray. Curious, a hater-of-pills, and a skeptic until proven wrong, I discovered the Everyday Oils kit from Young Living (youngliving.com, $170). Ten tiny bottles promise huge relief: Frankincense can aid with blemishes and guide you to a deeper spiritual connection, Lemon can be used as a dietary supplement, Tea Tree Oil

bank that could quickly re-energize either phone. Weighing just 2.7 ounces, it was a lightweight insurance policy against a drained smart phone battery and missed calls or photos. Back in our hotel room sat the Jackery Giant+ (left), the world's most powerful external rechargeable battery (yet only 4 inches long with a weight of 10 ounces). With dual USB charging ports, the Giant+ allowed us to power up one — or both — phones a the same time, or any combination of tablets. The Mini and the Giant+ can also charge Apple or Android tablets, most Android phones, Sony PSPs, Blackberries, GoPro cameras, and more. If the Mini or Giant+ battery needed to be recharged, we plugged them in overnight and they were ready the next day for another round. In my opinion, if you’re investing hundreds of dollars in a smart phone, the first thing you need is a ruggedized case. The second? A lightweight, portable, external battery that can keep your lifeline juiced — whether you’re traveling to the Happiest Place on Earth or your neighborhood grocery store. At $12.99 for the Mini and $29.99 for the Giant+, that’s inexpensive peace of mind that will pay off over and over again. jackery.com — Melissa Shaw, editor-in-chief

can help calm skin irritations. I’ve tried them all. The essence of these health-promoting botanicals can be diffused, inhaled, applied topically, incorporated into massage, or taken internally. A nifty little book included with the kit will help you get started. In fact, I just put a few drops of Joy — a blend of oils — on my scarf for some enjoyment as I ready for a fast and furious deadline. I’m feeling peaceful already. — Heather Kempskie, multimedia editor

20 for 20 In honor of baystateparent’s 20th anniversary this year, we invite you to step back in time— 1996 to be exact — and discover what your younger self was watching on the big screen. From alien attacks to quirky sports films, 1996 made us laugh, cry, and scream. Sometimes all at once. See how well you know these: (In no particular order)

Top 20 movies released in 1996

1 2

This comedy crime thriller has a pregnant police chief investigating homicides tied to a bizzaro kidnapping case.

A down-and-out former champion bowler tries to reclaim fame and money as he hustles others in this slap-stick comedy.

3 4

Both lead characters in this romantic comedy won best actor/actress at the 1997 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (think Shakespeare).

Based on a novel, the film follows a group of heroin addicts in the late 1980s as it explores urban poverty at its roots.

6 7

This epic science disaster has a host of well-known characters converge and conspire after an alien attack.

This slasher film caused many a nightmare for teenagers at the time as they watched, laughed, and screamed their way through this gory film.

A star from #5 also starred in this supernatural thriller about high school witches tormenting the new girl.

It received modest reviews while in theatres but has since become a cult film with violence, vampires, and vixens.

9 10 11 12

Funny man stars in this movie as an unsuccessful hockey player who finds skill as a golfer. He also won an award for “Best Fight” with Bob Barker.

A child prodigy is ignored by her crazy, delusional parents (who were married in real life).

Impossible stunts and action sequences made this an automatic favorite with fans. U2 also helped with the uber popular theme song.

Think island with a famous jail on it and you’ve got the name of this action film that involves hostages and stockpiles of deadly weapons.

13 14

“You had me at hello.” Enough said.

Met with mixed reviews, the film centers on a group of people who get some kind of rush from car crashes. There, we just gave it away.

Porky Pig and Bugs Bunny round out this cast of basketball players in this movie.

Based at a Florida nightclub, this film had us laugh and cry as gay partners try to play it straight for a visiting uppity couple.

It was the second highest grossing film of the year and kept audiences holding onto their seats for fear of being blown away.

The film is a parody of science fiction B movies with elements of black comedy and political satire.

This film received nine Academy Awards for its storytelling of an injured man and his three companions.

Locally based, this non-fiction film takes a closer look at how one town north of Boston became famous. (Source IMDb)

See page 65 for answers. Join us next month as our look back continues with...sports!

BAYSTATEPARENT 13

ASK THE EXPERT:

Why are doctors recommending HPV vaccine for pre-teens?

BY ANDREA L. ZUCKERMAN, MD

At the last wellvisit, our pediatrician suggested my 11-year-old daughter be vaccinated against HPV. I declined as I hadn’t read up on it, but I know I will be asked again. I had never heard of HPV before — is going unvaccinated a major health risk? Is the vaccination new and are there health risks associated with newer vaccinations?

Dear Reader,

The HPV vaccine is FDA-approved for boys ages 9 to 15, and similarly to girls, 11 and 12 are the optimal ages for receiving it. Being vaccinated helps to prevent heterosexual men from spreading related diseases, and it helps to decrease the risk of anal cancer.

As a specialist in adolescent gynecology and women’s care, I strongly recommend the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to all of my ageappropriate patients who are healthy enough to receive it. As a parent, I have had both of my children vaccinated. The HPV vaccine has been in use for about a decade and has become more effective in its ability to prevent cervical cancer, in addition to other moderate-to-serious conditions in both men and women. While the vaccine is not new, it was not available to today’s parents when they were pre-teens, so their interest in learning more is understandable.

Why is the HPV vaccine recommended for pre-teens? Given that the vaccine protects against diseases that are sexually transmitted, parents are often alarmed to hear doctors recommend it at such a young age. It is important for parents to know that the HPV vaccine is most effective when administered well before a patient is sexually active, and that the immune system reacts better to the vaccine at a younger age. With that said, the HPV vaccine is still recommended for patients who are already sexually active, or who are within the approved age ranges, but past the optimal age.

Both girls and boys should be vaccinated The HPV vaccine is recommended for boys and girls. It is FDA-approved for young women ages 9 to 26, with an optimal age of 11 and 12 for receiving it. The vaccine is designed to prevent genital warts, precancerous lesions, and cervical cancer, and its results are staggering: If a young woman receives the HPV vaccine at the optimal age of 11 or 12, her chances of developing cervical cancer later on in life are reduced by well over 70%.

Potential side effects In my experience, the vaccine is well tolerated by patients. Side effects include headaches, pain at the injection site, feeling faint, and in some cases, fainting. Due to the risk of fainting, patients are often advised to remain in the waiting room for a period of 15 minutes following the vaccination.

This article is not a substitute for advice from a medical professional that has seen your child. If you have concerns about your child’s health and possible vaccinations, please notify your pediatrician.

cine, can cause doctors to advise against the HPV vaccine for a particular patient, so a conversation with your physician is recommended before your child is vaccinated. Overall, however, the HPV vaccine has proven to be effective, have minimal side effects, and those who do not get vaccinated remain at a much higher risk of developing warts, abnormal pap smears, and cervical cancer. While it is recommended that parents become informed, it’s important to recognize that there is a large amount of misinformation being spread around the HPV vaccine and other vaccines — parents should consider the source and scientific research behind all recommendations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides helpful resources to help parents learn more about the HPV vaccine: cdc.gov/hpv/parents/vaccine.html. The medical community — including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the CDC — recommends that children receive the HPV vaccine. I join them — as both a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist and a parent — in recommending that healthy boys and girls receive this vaccine.

Talking with your doctor and becoming informed Other health conditions, such as allergies to components of the vac-

Andrea L. Zuckerman, MD, is Chief of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology at Tufts Medical Center, and an associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tufts University School of Medicine.

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THE THINKING PARENT

How to prep children for behavioral health assessments BY THERESA BOULIER

a neuropsychological technician at a prestigious pediatric behavioral health clinic, a large part of my day was spent administering mentally taxing and somewhat boring educational and neuropsychological assessments to children. In this capacity, I often overheard children ask their parents a derivative of a heartbreaking question: “Do I have to do this because I’m stupid?”

Over and over I watched parents wilt upon hearing this question. After all, many parents approach assessment with their own anxieties and apprehensions: No one wants to be told his or her child may have a learning challenge, mental health disorder, or behavioral problem that cannot be fixed with a hug. And no one wants his/her child to feel anything less than capable and confident. Part of my job was to help reframe the situation and make the experience as positive as possible. More children are being identified as having academic, behavioral, and neurologically-based challenges than ever before. Dr. Jill Damon-Minow, a neuropsychologist at Pediatric Behavioral Health in West Boylston, reports the number of referrals being made by pediatricians, counselors, and school personnel for neuropsychological, academic, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) evaluations has risen far more rapidly than the number of providers over the past decade. Wait lists of several months are common. Damon-Minow also noted that referrals tend to increase significantly in October, after the first progress reports come home from school. Though the reasons for increasing demand for assessment services can be debated at length, and are likely multifaceted, the reactions of parents and children to the demands of extended “testing” remain the same, and an understanding of the purpose and process of testing can significantly improve outcomes for everyone involved. At every age, a child works to master a fairly predictable set of cognitive, physical, and social milestones. When a teacher, parent, or other professional notices a child’s struggle to master the tasks of a developmental stage, they will often seek a clearer picture of the child’s difficulty to determine if they are witnessing a normal variation of development or a challenge requiring intervention.

Parents may wonder, for example, if a speech delay in a 2-year-old indicates a hearing problem, the presence of a language disorder, a developmental delay, or the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Preschoolers are often referred for impulsivity and aggression, or for significant anxiety. School-age children are often referred for assessment due to challenges in acquiring the basic skills of reading, writing, and mathematical reasoning. Adolescents are flagged for issues related to strained relationships, school performance, low self-esteem, and difficulty with executive functioning (planning, organizing, structuring time). The psychological evaluation can be referred to by many different names, depending on the goal of the assessment: psychoeducational testing (learning challenges); diagnostic assessment (mental health diagnoses); and neuropsychological assessments (comprehensive assessment of a child’s strengths and weaknesses), to name a few. Regardless, it is important to recognize that assessment can only provide a detailed snapshot of the child’s current functioning. Rarely can psychological evaluations provide answers to why a child exhibits challenges or produce a quick-fix solution. Psychological evaluations provide the baseline needed for other specialists (e.g., counselors, educators, etc.) to create and implement appropriate interventions.

Before you go • It is important for parents to help children perform their best during the evaluation procedure by providing adequate preparation, aligned with the child’s age and ability to comprehend complex explanations. It is advisable to discuss the evaluation in advance of the actual appointment. Many professionals suggest one day in advance for every year of the child’s age; however, it is also important to take into consideration a child’s

anxiety (i.e., telling a very anxious child three weeks in advance might cause unwarranted distress). For children who are prone to anxiety or struggle with new experiences, it can be helpful to visit the testing site before the first day of the evaluation so they can get a feel for the environment and meet some of the people who will be involved in the evaluation. • When the assessor is a psychologist or other professional who uses the title of “Dr.”, children are prone to envision shots and painful procedures. It can be useful to remind children that the evaluator is a special kind of doctor who doesn’t give shots, but rather is one who asks questions and plays games with kids so she can understand what things are easy and what things are hard, and can help make things better. • When scheduling the evaluation, take a child’s biological clock into consideration. If they are not morning people, try to start the evaluation later in the day. And if they melt down around 2 p.m., avoid a late-afternoon session. • When explaining the reason for testing, it is best to be brief, use simple language, and relate the explanation to a problem the child knows she might have, such as “problems following directions” or “trouble with math.” • Parents might tell children that some of the activities will involve talking, while others might be writing, drawing pictures, or arranging blocks. (If you are unsure what will be involved, ask the assessor in advance.) Then remind children that some of the activities will be easy and some will be hard; no one is expected to get all the answers right, not even adults! If possible, use the word “activities” or “tasks” rather than “tests.”

• Perfectionistic children will need strong reminders that these activities are not the same as school tests; there are no grades and everyone is expected to get some wrong. The important point is that every child relax and want to try his or her best. And if your child asks, “Am I stupid?” the answer should always be a reassuring smile and your personal version of, “Not at all. You are fantastic. We just want to give you the right tools to be the very best you can be.”

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Sylvia Sirignano, Ph.D. Developmental Psychologist, Director Individual Parent Consultations Marital Mediation • Divorce Mediation Post-divorce Mediation and Consultation

BAYSTATEPARENT 15

FINALLY FOREVER

A Letter from an Adoptive Mom BY JUDY M. MILLER

Dear Non-Adoptive Parent, I share these nuggets to better educate you on what it is like to be the parent of adopted children. These nuggets are the result of years of questions, comments, and rubbernecking that we are subject to — likely due to our conspicuousness, easily noticed because we are a family created from three races and of kids born to us and adopted by us. We are aware that you have a fascination with us. We feel your curious eyes on us, even when they are on our backs. We are appreciative when you wisely do not approach with comments or questions. We are not the poster family for adoption. Please do not expect us to be. Sometimes we have to help you not approach us, such as physically turning the backs of our chairs to face away from you. Yes, we see you or we feel you; our well-tuned radars have picked up your “I-wantto share-with-you” vibration or yearning look. Sometimes we wait until you leave the premises, enlisting the help of the manager or owner to make sure you are not lurking outside. Once my kids took it upon themselves to help you fall out of your seat after they noticed your obtrusive staring. Their giggles grew louder after each pass by your booth. So intent were you on my mismatched kids that you leaned out further and further from your booth, unaware of their purpose, finally tumbling onto the floor. They ran back to our table, full of their success. We watched you bang your way out through the restaurant door, embarrassed and insulted, resulting from your rudeness. There are occasions when we are open to being approached. Perhaps my husband and I are so engrossed in a conversation that our radar has faltered. Perhaps our kids are straggling behind and you are able insert yourself physically within that open space between us, sidling up to make a comment or ask a question. You may feel you have some remarkable or important tidbit to share with us. I would venture to say we would not find it anything of the sort. In fact, I can promise you we have heard it before, more times than we can count. Please understand several things before you approach us: We are first and foremost a real family, regardless of how we came to be. Our familial relationships mirror those of other healthy families. We love and respect one another. We are proud of our differences. We use the terms brother, sister, Mom, and Dad to denote our relationships. We are closely knit and compassionate due to our differences and our histories. We do not share our kids’ stories with anyone. Our kids’ stories are theirs. We will not share our child’s story with you irrespective of whether you are a “bestie,” a family member, a trusted teacher, or a stranger. We are not saints or special people because we adopted children. These comments makes our skin crawl. We are regular run-of-the-mill adults who planned on growing our family through birth and adoption. We did not “get” our kids. I doubt you did, either. We adopted our kids. “Get” denotes ownership. We do not own our kids; we parent them, raising them to be productive responsible adults. “Get” denotes a purchase. The thought of buying a child, and child trafficking does exist, makes my heart ache, my stomach nauseous, and my soul weep. My kids were not purchases like some loaves of bread. We are our kids’ “real” parents. We have cleaned up after all of their pee, poo, and vomit. We hold and comfort them when they are sick, tired, sad, or frightened. We celebrate their milestones and accomplishments. We stand by their sides when they are emotionally or physically injured. We are our children’s protectors, guides, and biggest supporters. We love them wholly and unconditionally. My kids are not “lucky.” They are adopted. Yes, they have gained a lot by being adopted, but what they have gained can never replace what they have irrevocably lost: ties to their cultures of origin, growing up in their biological families, and knowing their birth histories. My kids are not “blessed.” They have had the trajectory of their lives forever altered by being adopted. The intimate links to their rich heritages have been severed, regardless of what we do to connect them. My husband and I are the ones who are blessed, with the privilege of loving and raising our kids. For the profound lessons that they so wisely teach us about love, life and living.

Sincerely, An Adoptive Parent

16 JANUARY2016

JANUARY’S CHILD Angel Angel is a creative 8-year-old boy of Hispanic descent. He enjoys playing sports, drawing, eating pizza, and playing Power Rangers. Angel can be quiet, but he opens up fairly quickly. Angel is currently in the first grade. He receives special education services through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

for developmental delays. Angel receives occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, social/ behavioral support, social skills training, Math and English Language Arts support through his IEP. He receives services outside the general education classroom due to his social and academic global delays. Legally freed for adoption, Angel will need a dedicated and patient family who is able to keep him connected to his siblings. Angel has four siblings in Massachusetts to whom he is close and he will need to remain in contact with them. The ideal family for Angel would be one where he is the youngest or only child.

For more information about Angel, please contact Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) Recruiter Deirdre Madden at 617-54-ADOPT. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) ADLU Office hosts monthly informational meetings about the adoption process. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 24 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. The ADLU Office is located at 13 Sudbury St. in Worcester. Please call (508) 929-2143 to register and for specifics about parking. During the winter months, always call to verify the meeting will still be taking place given the weather conditions.

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Cabin Fever? Get Creative at The Carle! Enjoy art making, films, theatre and storytimes! Current exhibitions:

Magic, Color, Flair: the world of Mary Blair Through February 21, 2016 Magic, Color, Flair: the world of Mary Blair is organized by The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco, CA. Support for this presentation at The Carle is generously provided by Random House Children’s Books.

The Art of Eric Carle: From A to Z Through March 20, 2016 This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Hsin-Yi Foundation.

A Taste for Adventure: The Art of William Pène du Bois Through May 1, 2016 Mary Blair, Alice looking at the White Rabbit’s house concept art, ca. 1951 Courtesy Pam Burns-Clair Family, ©Disney.

125 West Bay Road, Amherst Massachusetts 01002

413.658.1100

www.carlemuseum.org BAYSTATEPARENT 17

Because it takes expert care to deliver a miracle

Bringing miracles to life is our passion at the LaChance Maternity Center at Heywood Hospital. Our expert team of physicians, nurses and doulas, provide personalized attention in a state-of-the-art environment that promotes a tranquil and natural birthing experience, resulting in the lowest caesarean birth rate in the state. And our specialty services â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from our post-birth celebration dinner to our rejuvenating spa treatments including relaxing whirlpool hydrotherapy, post-partum massage therapy, music therapy and aromatherapy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will leave you feeling just heavenly. To find out more about the services offered at the LaChance Maternity Center visit www.heywood.org. To register for a Childbirth Class or schedule a tour of the LaChance Maternity Center call (978) 630-6216.

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Unbreakable Drinkware That Looks Just Like Glass pubWARE is a line of unbreakable drinkware that look and feel exactly like glass, but aren’t. A good

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fit for families with little ones, these plastic alternatives look, feel, and react just like glass, but will never break, are BPA-free, dishwasher- and microwave-safe, and come in pint, wine, and rocks versions. Sets of four start at $49.99. pubware.com

Role Play Bibs For Mealtime Is it dress-up time or dinnertime? It can be both with Suitables Role Play Bibs by Mixed Pears. Available in eight superrealistic designs, these long-sleeved, water-resistant bibs transport little ones to a world of imaginative play all while keeping them clean. Available designs include: Firefighter, Chef, Doctor, Astronaut, Lion, Panda, Clownfish, and Parrot. Bibs cost $20 and can be found at mixedpears.com.

Birds Eye Goes Frozen Birds Eye is being frozen in a whole new way via a partnership with Disney. The companies have teamed to introduce very popular characters to first-ofits-kind frozen offerings that feature Disney characters. Birds Eye is offering veggie-rich side dishes featuring pastas in the shape of favorite Disney characters, including Anna, Elsa, and Olaf from Frozen; Lightening McQueen

and Mater from Cars; and classic characters Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. According to the “State Of The Plate” report, 9 out of 10 people in the U.S. do not get enough vegetables. Birds Eye says it is striving to improve vegetable consumption among families with “convenient and flavorful veggiefilled options for every age group.” birdseye.com

Mass Cleaning Expert Proves Green Cleaners Work on Dr. Oz Show BY LESLIE REICHERT

Leslie Reichert, a Massachusetts mom, baystateparent Magazine contributor, and nationally recognized cleaning expert known as “The Cleaning Coach,” recently appeared on The Dr. Oz Show to put her DIY Happy Hour All-Purpose Cleaner to the test. Reichert was featured on the show’s “Fix or Fail?” segment, modeled after the popular entrepreneurial reality show, Shark Tank. Dr. Oz producers recreated Shark Tank and asked Reichert to mix up her cleaning creation to see if Dr. Oz’s “sharks” thought it would really work. The sharks for “Fix or Fail?” included Lori Greiner, known as “The Queen of QVC,” who has launched more than 400 products and holds 120 U.S. and international patents. “It was such a fun opportunity,” Reichert said. “Everyone on the

show is so supportive. Dr. Oz is very relaxed and natural; he is very warm and caring. The best part for me was getting a hug from him.” With Dr. Oz’s help, Reichert mixed up her all-natural cleaner that includes white vinegar, lemon juice, vodka, and castile soap (you can find the “recipe” at baystateparent. com/November-2015/NovemberBites-Nutritional-News-Products/). Dr. Oz then produced a table full of disgusting “goo” and asked Reichert to clean it with her creation. With a few sprays and one wipe, the table was clean. He then brought out a medical intern who used a bacteria meter to measure the amount of

bacteria the cleaner removed. The table originally contained 255 parts per unit, but after one wipe of the DIY cleaner, the count dropped to just 9 parts per unit. Greiner and her panel of sharks gave Reichert two thumbs up and considered her cleaner a “Fix.” Reichert said the experiment proves green cleaners really work and that people can mix their own cleaning products for pennies — without harsh chemicals — using ingredients they most likely already have in their homes. For more green cleaning recipes and information, visit Reichert’s site: greencleaningcoach.com. BAYSTATEPARENT 19

Six Ways to Eat Local Throughout the Winter BY ROBERT BURGESS

is possible to stick with your local eating principles throughout New England winters. It just takes some creative planning, a willingness to eat a bit with the seasons, a touch of culinary curiosity, and a sense of adventure. Eating local is good for the environment, the economy, and your health. While nothing can replicate the peak of summer’s harvest season, you can still find ways to incorporate food that was grown or raised nearby onto your plate. Here are a few tips to try this year: 1. Winter Farmer’s Markets Winter Farmer’s Markets are increasing in popularity throughout New England. Perhaps you’re lucky enough to have one down the street, or maybe there is one just within a distance you’re willing to drive. You’d be amazed by the collection of farmers and craft food makers that can be found at Winter Farmers Markets — and by the number of people flocking to them. They’re like supermarkets of freshness in the middle of our frozen tundra. Find one near you at farmfresh.org/food/farmersmarkets.php

Holway Child Study Center/ Rockwell Openings

2. CSA Winter Shares Nowadays, farms are going beyond their typical summer CSA shares. Through Community Supported Agriculture sign-ups, you pay up front for a season’s worth of produce. The farm distributes your share at a pickup location where other shareholders gather to pick up their monthly haul, too. This system allows farmers to plan ahead and you to learn how to enjoy new vegetables that might not be in your regular cooking repertoire. Find a local CSA: farmfresh.org/food/csa.php 3. Preserving If you plan ahead when the harvest is at its zenith, you can collect your favorite fresh fruits and vegetables and prepare them to be ready just when you need them most. When there’s a few feet of snow on the ground, there really is nothing better than digging into a bowl of canned pears that taste as fresh as the day they were picked, or unzipping a frozen bag of cherry tomatoes to use as a homemade pizza topping. Whether you’re more interested in canning (freshpreserving.com/gettingstarted), dehydrating (pickyourown. org/dryingfoods.htm), or freezing (search “freezing fresh produce” at eatingwell.com) — or willing to

try a little of each — you can put together a larder that would have made your great, great grandmother proud. 4. Grow indoors If you’re a gardener who enjoys growing many of your summer vegetables by seed, you may already have grow lights for seed starting that can be used to keep a few flats of lettuce happy throughout the winter. Or, if you have a window that gets even a few hours of sunlight, you can keep a container of herbs ready for din-

A UNIQUE NATURE EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR CHILD ALL YEAR ROUND! • Hands on Science Discovery • 12 Acre Compound • Experienced, Caring Staff • Hiking Trails

ACCEPTING ENROLLMENT FOR PRESCHOOL Application to the Rockwell Preschool at Lasell College in Newton is open for the 2016-17 school year for children ages 2 years 9 months through 5 years. • An intergenerational component • Interactions with Lasell college students, i.e. basic Spanish classes held weekly by 2nd year Spanish students and science activities with Science for Educators class • Occasional afternoon enrichment programs, such as soccer and music • Beautiful setting with a large playground

A NAEYC accredited preschool, Rockwell is located near the junction of Routes 16 and 30 at 70 Studio Road, Newton Please call 617-243-2355 or email krudnicki@lasell.edu or visit www.lasell.edu/rockwell for more information. 20 JANUARY2016

INFANT AND TODDLER PROGRAM Ages 6 weeks to 2.9 years

PRESCHOOL

Ages 2.9 – 5 years

MON-FRI 7AM-5:30PM

Discovery Center

508-829-7479

456 Wachusett Street • Holden, MA 01520

Try Your Hand At New Winter Favorites

nertime. Learn how to get started: planetnatural.com/indoor-wintergardening. 5. Grow outside You’d be shocked how well some cold season vegetables can do if protected from the elements. You could be collecting kale on New Year’s Day or pulling up carrots on Super Bowl Sunday. There is a wide spectrum of options you can choose from, including a full greenhouse, a hoop house, a plastic cover for a raised bed, or a cold frame. Learn more about winter gardening by searching motherearthnews.com.

Hood Cream and Chris Coombs, chef/owner of Deuxave, Boston Chops, and dbar, have teamed to create their firstever eCookbook. The interactive cookbook with 25 recipes showcases goodies, from appetizers and sides to entrees and desserts. Download your free copy at hood.com/ecookbook. Enjoy a sneak peek below!

6. Store the bounty If you have a garage, cool basement, or large shed, you can collect all manner of winter squash to last until spring. Consider starting with enough to use one per week. Those thick skinned oddballs you see cropping up more often at your local farm stand are built to last. You’ll want your space to be not too cold, not too hot, and away from light. You’ll be eating fresh squash — grown in your area — with dinner in March. Here’s a primer: bonnieplants.com/library/ how-to-store-winter-squash.

Hood Cream Peppermint Hot Chocolate BY CHEF CHRIS COOMBS Directions:

• 1 cup light cream • 1/2 cup heavy cream • 3 tablespoons sugar • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (70% dark chocolate recommended) • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder • Pinch salt • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Photo Credit: Andy Davis

Robert Burgess is the public relations coordinator at Tower Hill Botanic Garden and a suburban homesteader.

• Bring the light cream, heavy cream, and sugar to a boil. • Remove from heat and whisk in the dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt until fully dissolved. • Add the peppermint extract last, pour into cups, and enjoy!

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BAYSTATEPARENT 21

OH,

THE PLACES YOU’LL

Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!

- dr. seuss

Photo courtesy of Fruitlands Museum

Photo courtesy of Worcester Art Museum

GO OUTSIDE WinterFest. Fruitlands Museum, Harvard. Jan. 16, 12 p.m.-5 p.m.

GO MEET Ms. G’s Shadowy Road to Fame. Science Discovery Museum, Acton. Jan. 16, 11 a.m. 22 JANUARY2016

GO DISCOVER Winter Discovery Day. South Shore Natural Science Center, Norwell. Jan. 18, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

GO HUNT Origami Flower Scavenger Hunt. Worcester Art Museum, Worcester. Jan. 30, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. & 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! 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 Friday

465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10:15 a.m.11 a.m. Bring your toddler to enjoy story-time and looking activities in the galleries, as we explore the theme of “Home Sweet Home.” Recommended for children ages 4 and younger. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember adults $25, youths ages 7 to 17 $10, children 6 and under free. mfa.org.

Blink! Faneuil Hall Marketplace & Marketplace Center, 5 Broad St., Boston. 4:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Enjoy this free light and sound show where over 350,000 LED lights blink and dance to music from the Holiday Pops, running between the Main Faneuil Hall tree and North Market trio. Through Sunday. Free. faneuilhallmarketplace.com. Photo courtesy of Puppet Showplace Theater

First Friday Nights Free. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 4:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Enjoy free admission, explore the museums at night, and spark your child’s science nerve for the month. Free. discoverymuseums.org. ZooLights. Stone Zoo, 149 Pond St., Stoneham. 5 p.m.-9 p.m. ZooLights promises to dazzle all ages, as you enter this winter wonderland festooned with twinkling lights and visit some of our animals, including an up-close experience with reindeer. Through Sunday. Members $8, nonmembers $9, children under 2 free. zoonewengland.org. School Readiness Night. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 6 p.m.8:30 p.m. Join an evening of school readiness activities, storytelling, science explorations, art, and more. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $1, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

2 Saturday The Pirate Princess. Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge. 10 a.m. Enjoy a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas, following seafaring twins Violet and Victor as they attempt to reunite after a giant sea monster destroys their ship during this family musical appropriate for all ages. Through Sunday. $20. americanrepertorytheater.org. Celebrations Week Fun. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. It is the season for celebrations, so come spend time with friends and family creating and celebrating art with a variety of craft activities and family fun. Through Sunday. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember adults $25, youth ages 7 to 17 $10, children 6 and under free. mfa.org. Bubbleology. South Shore Natural Science Center, 48 Jacobs Ln., Norwell. 11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. Explore the secret world of bubbles with state-of-the-art soap bubble sculptures, from fog-filled spinning geometric shapes to bubbles as big as bathtubs. Recommended for ages 3 and up. Members $7, nonmembers $10. southshorenaturalsciencecenter.org. Pasta Challenge. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Drop in and engage with some unorthodox engineer-

GO WATCH Puppet Playtime. Puppet Showplace Theater, Brookline. Jan. 13, 10:30 a.m.

ing, as you move pasta off the plates and into your mind. Discover the longest, tallest, most unique structure you can make. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m.4:15 p.m. Follow Ethan Hunt and his teammates as they reunite and attempt to take down a secret international organization, known as the Syndicate. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Every Child Ready to Read Family Storytime. Worcester Public Library: Main Branch, 3 Salem Sq., Worcester. 2:30 p.m.3:30 p.m. Bring your whole family to enjoy stories, songs, and movement activities that help foster a love of books and reading in your child. Recommended for families with children under 6. Free. worcpublib.org.

3 Sunday Put on Your Party Hat. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.4 p.m. After exploring the painting Peasants Merry Making Outside an Inn, Fair at Warmond, come and make a festive party hat that you can wear to your next celebration. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember adults $25, youths ages 7 to 17 $10, children 6 and under free. mfa.org. Three Kings Day. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Enjoy live musical performances, games, and crafts, as you celebrate Three Kings’ Day. Free with admis-

sion. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org. Playing By Air. Leventhal-Sidman JCC, 333 Nahanton St., Newton. 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Enjoy this presentation by the award-winning performers of Playing By Air, as they share their sense of playfulness and breathtaking feats in a highenergy performance the entire family will love. Register ahead. Members $13, nonmembers $15. bostonjcc.org. Winter Reimagined. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Dr., Boylston. 11 a.m.6 p.m. Marvel at glittering light displays indoors and out, with 15 miles of lights, decorated trees, fire-pits, thousands of handcrafted ornaments, children’s activities, live music, and more. Members free, nonmember adults $15, children ages 6 and up $5, children 5 and under free. towerhillbg.org. Eclatant Trio. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m.-3 p.m. The cello, violin, and piano trio performs an afternoon concert for all. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Holiday Hot Chocolate With Reindeer. Stone Zoo, 149 Pond St., Stoneham. 4:15 p.m.-5 p.m. Come enjoy hot chocolate and cookies with Stone Zoo’s reindeers during this special early entry to ZooLights. Register ahead. Members $15, nonmembers $20, children under 2 free. zoonewengland.org.

4 Monday MFA Playdates. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston,

Crafternoons. Worcester Public Library: Main Branch, 3 Salem Sq., Worcester. 4 p.m.-5 p.m. Drop by during this fun and crafty afternoon activity. Suggested for ages 4 to 10. Free. worcpublib.org. Sophisticated Stories. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 7:30 p.m.-8:15 p.m. Enjoy cool, strange, weird, and wacky pictures, during this story-time designed for older kids grades 3 and up. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

5 Tuesday Little Builders. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Join us to explore structure and design by building with many different kinds of materials, during this fun and engaging morning activity. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Matt Heaton Family Singalong. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 11 a.m.11:45 a.m. Join Matt Heaton, the Toddlerbilly Troubadour, as he brings an infectious energy to his sing-alongs, peppered with well-known classics and a few soon-to-be classics performed with panache. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. ASD Friendly Afternoons. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 1:30 p.m.4:30 p.m. Participate in special sensory-based activities open to everyone during this specially designed day for families with children on the Autism Spectrum, including a dedicated room to act as a quiet and orientation space. Register ahead. Free. discoverymuseums.org.

6 Wednesday National Bean Day. Children’s Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.11 a.m. Create a marvelous mosaic with beans, as you explore their origins, nutritious, colors, sizes, shapes, and smells, during this morning celebration of National Bean Day. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Free First Wednesday. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Explore deCordova’s sculptures, grounds, and special exhibitions during this day of free art immersion. Free. decordova.org. Shapes in the Mansion. Gore Place, 52 Gore St., Waltham. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Enjoy this BAYSTATEPARENT 23

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! fun activity exploring circuits and technology. For ages 8 to 12. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

8 Friday

Photo by Susan Wilson

Music and Movement with Miss Bernadette. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 9:30 a.m.-10 a.m. Explore sound through singing and playing, as you move, make music, listen, learn, and get a sensory workout. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. dicoverymuseums.org.

GO LISTEN Ben Rudnick and Friends. TCAN: Center for Arts, Natick. Jan. 23, 11 a.m.

special preschool story time, as children listen to stories about shapes before going on a shape hunt through the 1806 mansion. For ages 3 to 4. Member children $5, nonmember children $10. Register ahead. goreplace.org. Mid-Week Winter Wonder. Allen C. Haskell Public Gardens, 787 Shawmut Ave., New Bedford. 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Enjoy an array of outdoor recreation, including snowshoeing, ice lanterns, colored mini igloos, and snow forts for fairies, as we embrace the winter weather. Register ahead. Members free, nonmembers $5. thetrustees.org. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston. 7 p.m. Come as the modern-classic Disney movie

musical comes alive, filled with your favorite characters and songs like you have never seen or heard before. $40-$175. boston.broadway.com.

7 Thursday STEAM Ahead. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 4 p.m.-5 p.m. Enjoy a story-time exploring math, science, and the arts with children’s books and related activities. For ages 3 to 5 with caregiver. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Snap Circuits. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 7 p.m.-8 p.m. Build exciting projects, such as radios, digital voice recorders, burglar alarms, doorbells, and more during this

Second Fridays: Medical Marvels. MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Learn about astonishing innovations in the fields of medicine and engineering from the scientist and physician inventors who designed them. Free with admission. Adults $10, youth ages 5 to 17 $5, children under 5 free. mit.edu/museum. Rock Off Main Street. TCAN: Center for Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick. 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Come witness as musicians of all ages perform an eclectic mix of music from pop, to emo, to indie. $8. natickarts.org.

9 Saturday Warm Warmth and Walk. Powisset Farm, 31 Powisset St., Dover. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Start off the day with a guided walk around the farm with an extraordinary ecologist as she shares her joy of bringing kids out into nature, before enjoying a nourishing meal. Register ahead. Members $5, nonmembers $10. thetrustees.org. Back to the Pond: Ice Skating. Rocky Woods, 64 Rocky Woods Reservation, Medfield. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Bring your own skates and join us for the nostalgic thrill of skating in the great outdoors with breaks in between for hot cocoa and s’mores around our outdoor fire pits. Members $10, nonmembers $20. thetrustees.org.

Warm Up This Winter. Ravenswood Park, 479-491 Western Ave., Gloucester. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Kick off the new year with Winter Happenings at the Cape Ann Discovery Center, with Nordic skiing, snowshoe rental, children’s activities, and hot cocoa by the woodstove. Free. thetrustees.org. Matt Roberts: Laughs & Illusions. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 10:30 a.m. Don’t miss the chance to be a part of Matt’s oneof-a-kind, interactive magic show as solid objects vanish, change size, and pass through each other before your very eyes. Members $7, nonmember adults $10, children ages 3 and up $8, children 2 and under free. regenttheatre.com. Beyond the Spectrum. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Children on the autism spectrum are invited to explore fancy furniture that fills the MFA after which you will be convinced that a table can be as artistic as a painting. For ages 8 to 12. Register ahead. $9. mfa.org. Nature Journaling. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m. Explore the natural world through science, art, and writing. Make nature journals and then take them on a nature walk through the Great Hill conservation land. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Family Discovery Day: Let it Snow. Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard. 12 p.m.-4 p.m. Kick off the winter season with this afternoon of all things snow, from crafts including snowflake garland, snow globes, and painting with ice, to reading picture books, and a snowman building workshop. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember adults $14, children ages 5 to 13 $6, children under 5 free. fruitlands.org. Garden Dreams Winter Sculpture. Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate, 22468 Washington St.,

For more events, visit baystateparent.com Looking for parenting support? UMass Memorial Medical Center and New England Prenatal and Family Education offer classes for expecting women, new moms, their families and support persons. Call 1-855-366-5221 or visit www.umassmemorial.org/healthymoms

24 JANUARY2016

Where were you 20 years ago?

baystateparent

was here.

Massachusetts’s premier parenting magazine turns 20 this year! Join us each month as we take a sweet look back at what was making news in 1996 (see page 13 for this month’s look back). And make sure you grab a copy of our May anniversary issue — you won’t want to miss it! To advertise in this award winning publication contact Regina Stillings, Advertising Director at 508-865-7070 ext. 210 or regina@baystateparent.com

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Canton. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Enjoy this winter wonderland of snow and ice sculptures creating a true garden dream, with refreshments served. Member families $25, nonmember families $40. thetrustees.org. Robin Hood. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Enjoy this family favorite movie, infused with charming Disney animations. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Night by Light Winter Fun on the Farm. Chestnut Hill Farm, 9-99 Chestnut Hill Rd., Southborough. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Enjoy nighttime fun with sledding, skating, or snowshoeing by lights and candlelight, before warming up with a bonfire, hot cocoa, and s’mores. Members free, nonmembers $5. thetrustees.org.

10 Sunday Debbie and Friends. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Get ready for some sing-along, dance– along, and laugh-along family fun in this rockin’ musical journal through classic kids’ tales and original songs during this interactive show with a variety of styles of music from reggae to Broadway. Recommended for ages 2 and up. Adults $12, children $9. coolidge.org. Solo Piano with Kathryn Rosenbach. Newton

Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m.3 p.m. Take a step back from the business of the week, as Kathryn Rosenbach presents this solo piano performance. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Symphony of the Soil. Powisset Farm, 31 Powisset St., Dover. 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Enjoy this artistic exploration examining our human relationship with soil, filmed on four continents. Free. thetrustees.org.

11 Monday Hands-On History. Concord Museum, 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord. 1 p.m.4 p.m. Enjoy an afternoon for kids and families to learn together through crafts, history hunts, and special gallery activities. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $10, children age 5 to 17 $5, children under 5 free. concordmuseum.org.

12 Tuesday Happy Teeth. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Learn how to make your teeth happy. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Try It Out Tuesday. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

Provide your expert opinion and help prototype a new idea, program, or exhibit component, as you are invited to participate in shaping future programs and spaces. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Members free, nonmember adults $12, youth ages 6 and up $7, children under 6 free. towerhillbg.org. Puppet Playtime with Brenda Huggins and Phil Berman. Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Enjoy this fun, interactive, performance as puppet characters appear throughout to introduce the theme of the day and join in the fun, with a short puppetry performance to top it off. Wednesdays. For ages 3 and under. Childrenadult pairs $25. puppetshowplace.org.

Ed Popielarczyk’s Magical Moments. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 3 p.m.-4 p.m. A magic comedy show filled with story-integrated tricks where you are the star, as you help the magic happen. Recommended for ages 3 and up. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

13 Wednesday Fuzzy Glue Drawing. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Use different colors of yarn and draw a picture with glue to create your unique fuzzy yarn picture as we introduce STEAM-science, technology, engineering, art, and math-style activities. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Garden Discovery: Winter Birds. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Dr., Boylston. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Enjoy a simple craft and story time, before a short walk as we explore winter birds in our backyard. Recommended for ages 3 to 5 with caregiver. Free with admission.

ARTfull Play. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum,51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Fill your day with art and play through this unique engagement with art, books, materials, the environment, and new friends. For ages 2 to 5. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $14, children 12 and under free. decordova.org. What’s the Weather Wednesday? Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m. Join us for a program that depends on the weather, including frozen bubbles, rain paintings, and snow forts. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Night Light Adventures. Ward Reservation, 34-42 Prospect Rd., Andover. 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

Experience Applewild

Hear a performance from our award winning jazz band, learn about our integrated visual Arts program and enjoy a hot and healthy family style lunch! Tours of the campus are included!

OPEN HOUSE January 23rd 11am

snow date January 30th

Affording an Applewild Education Information Session January 10th THERE IS A DIFFERENCE.

Applewild.

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OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

14 Thursday

Family Yoga Class. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Take this time to chuck your to-do list and enjoy this relaxing morning filled with age-appropriate and parent-partner poses, breathing exercises, and simple mindfulness activities. Recommended for ages 3 to 12. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

Exploring Nano: The Smallest Science. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Experience hands-on educational activities about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology, as we uncover the connection between nanotechnology and the art of stained glass windows, and more. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Ms. G’s Shadowy Road to Fame. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m. Join us for a special visit from local meteorologist and author Mish Michaels as she reads from her children’s book Ms. G’s Shadowy Road to Fame, and learn how she became the state’s official groundhog. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Join us during this after-hours event, with a hike up to Holt Hill to learn about nocturnal animals, tracking signs, and winter living skills. Member cars $15, nonmember cars $25. thetrustees.org.

Puppet Pals. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 4 p.m.-5 p.m. Join us for songs, stories, crafts, and plenty of puppet pals, during this fun interactive story-time. For ages 3 to 5. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

15 Friday Make It and Take It. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Drop in and spend quality time with your children, as you make a craft, read a book, schmooze, and relax a little. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Pajama Party in PlaySpace. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 7:30 p.m. Toddlers and their siblings are invited to wear their pajamas to the museum for a night filled with games, songs, and picture stories. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $1, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org. Belmont World Film’s Family Festival. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 7 p.m. Enjoy a weekend of films celebrating “Kid Power” during the 13th Annual Belmont World Film’s Family Festival, with such diverse countries as Argentina, Canada, France, Ireland, Paraguay, and Uganda being featured through the weekend. Recommended for ages 6 to 12. Weekend passes $50, individual screenings $6-$9. belmontworldfilm.org.

16 Saturday Fantastic Journeys: Animated Shorts from Children’s Film Festival Seattle 2015. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m.-11:35 a.m. Zip around the world with a dazzling selection of highenergy, high-imagination shorts, from a spacealien potato on his zany adventures to a singing octopus. Recommended for ages 2 and up. Adults $8, children $6. coolidge.org.

Critter Days: Wingmasters. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 11:15 a.m. & 12:15 p.m. An up-close look at hawks and owls. Learn about their amazing eyesight, perfect flight feathers, and other adaptations that make them so good at what they do. Recommended for ages 6 and up. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org. WinterFest. Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard. 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Bring your sleds, snowshoes, and cross-country skis for fun on Fruitlands hills and trails, as you enjoy the nature landscape with a fire-pit, hot chocolate, and tea. Weekends. Members free, nonmembers $5. fruitlands.org.

17 Sunday Breakfast with the Sloth. Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Rd., Boston. 9:15 a.m.-10 a.m. Learn fun facts about the sloth while you enjoy a delicious breakfast before spending some time with the fascinating two-toed tree-dweller. Register ahead. Members $10, nonmembers $12, children under 2 free. zoonewengland.org. Robbins, Balanchine, Millepied. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Hanover St., Brookline. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Enjoy this highly contemporary creation that highlights the excellence of classical technique and its significance for dance today, during this masterful ballet performance. $20. coolidge.org. Chickering Cabin Grand Opening. Rocky Woods, 64 Rocky Woods Reservation, Medfield. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Celebrate the grand opening of the new Chickering Cabin during this afternoon of games, hot cocoa, freshly roasted marshmallows, s’mores, and activities. Members $10, nonmembers $20. thetrustees.org. The Curious — and Mysterious — Mr. Catesby. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French

For more events, visit baystateparent.com 26 JANUARY2016

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Dr., Boylston. 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Learn about North America’s first naturalist, English-born Mark Ctesby, who published an early account of the New World’s flora and fauna. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember adults $12, youth 6 and older $7, children under 6 free. towerhillbg.org.

Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 10 a.m.5 p.m. Celebrate the life and leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. and learn how he fought for racial equality as you engage your passion for what you believe in. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Bob the Magic Guy Presents “Magic For Smart People”. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 1 p.m. Believe in the impossible again as you smile and laugh during this delightful magic show, promising to captivate youngsters and oldsters alike. Members $7, nonmember adults $10, children ages 3 and up $8, children 2 and under free. regenttheatre.com.

SteveSongs Concert. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 10 a.m. Join Mr. Steve, host of PBS Kids, for a morning of family fun, as he brings a blend of entertaining songs and stories back to the Regent. Advance tickets $9, at-door $12. regenttheatre.com.

Cardboard Explosion. Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station St., Brookline. 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. Enjoy five original stories as they are brought to life by resident artist Brad Shur using nothing but cardboard and the power of the audience’s imagination. Recommended for ages 5 and up. Members $8, nonmembers $12. puppetshowplacetheater.org. Choah Kim Performance. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m.-3 p.m. Enjoy this classical piano performance, helping ease you back into the school week. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

18 Monday Morningstar Access. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 8 a.m.10 a.m. Children with special needs are invited to the museum for a special opportunity to visit the Museum at a time when there are only a few other visitors. Register ahead. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org. Winter Discovery Day. South Shore Natural Science Center, 48 Jacobs Ln., Norwell. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Drop in for an outdoor discovery day at the Science Center. Conduct snow and ice experiments, try out snowshoes, and check out animal tracks left in the snow. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember adults $7, children ages 2 to 15 $3, children under 2 free. southshorenaturalsciencecenter.org. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Open House. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day by surrounding yourself with art, culture, and community, including collaborative artworks created by students from the Museum’s 10 partner clubhouses commemorating Dr. King’s legacy, the interactive Family Art Walk, and more. Free. mfa.org. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Boston Children’s

Benkadi Drum and Dance — African Journey. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Columbia Point, Boston. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. The multicultural Benkadi Drum and Dance group returns to perform new dances that showcase the traditional rhythms and movements from West African countries. Register ahead. Free. jfklibrary.org. Doktor Kaboom. Leventhal-Sidman JCC, 333 Nahanton St., Newton. 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Get ready for a hilarious hour of electrical entertainment with Doktor Kaboom, during this highly interactive, fun, and funny exploration of electricity. Recommended for ages 4 and up with caregiver. Register ahead. Members $13, nonmembers $15. bostonjcc.org. Free Family Day. Danforth Art Museum & School, 123 Union Ave., Framingham. 12 p.m.5 p.m. Inspired by the exhibition The Memory Palace, a day of activities from origami furniture to a sculptural home and story-time. Free. danforthart.org.

19 Tuesday Peep Science Adventures: Reusing. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Explore the possibilities of reusing what we usually throw away or recycle, as you see what you can create out of what people usually consider trash. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. iToddlers. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Watch and listen to a story, sing a song, or play an instrument, during this technology incorporated activity. For ages 1 to 2 with caregiver. Free. newtonfreelibary.net. Card Corner. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Come and play your favorite trading card games, as you duel your friends or make some new ones. Bring your own deck of cards or use one of the library’s. For ages 6 and up. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

Come in from the Cold Winter Clearance & Semi-Annual Sales Going on Now at these Mall Retailers Adesso · Aeropostale · American Eagle AT&T · Bath & Body Works · cellAXS Children’s Place · Christopher & Banks Claire’s · Finish Line · Foot Locker GameStop · GNC · Hot Topic · Jo-Ann Journey’s · Justice · LensCrafters Lids · MasterCuts · maurices metroPCS · Old Navy · Olympia Sports Pac Sun · Payless Shoesource rue21 · Shoe Dept Encore Simply Wireless -Verizon · Spencer’s Victoria’s Secret ·Yankee Candle Burlington, JC Penney, Macy’s, Sears, Toys R Us & more than 60 specialty stores 100 Commercial Rd. Leominster, MA At the junction of Route 2 & I -190 978.537.7500 www.themallatwhitneyfield.com

For more events, visit baystateparent.com BAYSTATEPARENT 27

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Teen Crafterhours. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Make leather bracelets and other items of jewelry during this relaxed evening of crafts and snacks. For grades 6 to 12. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

20 Wednesday Dance and Movement Class. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 10 a.m.10:45 a.m. Join in as the Joanne Langione Dance Center presents a music and movement class for toddlers and preschoolers. For ages 2 to 5. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

21 Thursday Take Aparts. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Drop in throughout the afternoon and grab a screwdriver. Discover resistors and capacitors as you uncover the inner workings of everyday electronics. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Spanish Bilingual Story-Time. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 4 p.m.-4:30 p.m. A special bilingual story-time with stories, songs, and movement in English and Spanish. For ages 3 to 5. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

22 Friday Anime Appetizers. Worcester Public Library: Main Branch, 3 Salem Sq., Worcester. 3 p.m.5 p.m. Come for a trivia contest with awesome prizes and a sampler of the best Japanese cartoons out there, with snacks, anime, and a perfect place to kick back and chat. For ages 13 to 17. Free. worcpublib.org. From the Top. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 6:30 p.m. & 7:15 p.m. Enjoy this performance from the radio show From the Top, featuring talented and passionate young musicians who lead demonstrations that engage and inspire young children, as they share their love for art, instruments, and the joy of making music. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $1, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

23 Saturday Winter Work & Play. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge. 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Discover 19th-century winter fun, as you learn about what went into creating a year’s worth of candles, play parlor games, master the history of skating, go sledding on 1830s sleds, make snow statues, cut ice with vintage tools, and more. Through Sunday. Free with admission. Adults $28, youths ages 3 to 17 $14, children age 2 and under free. osv.org.

Disney’s

8 performances: Friday, Feb. 12 • 7pm Saturday, Feb. 13 • 11am & 2pm Sunday, Feb. 14 • 2pm

Friday, Feb. 19 • 7pm Saturday, Feb. 20 • 11am & 2pm Sunday, Feb. 21 • 2pm

Stageloft Repertory Theater

450A Main Street Sturbridge, MA www.stageloft.com • 508-347-9005 • stageloftrep@gmail.com

To make ticket reservations 508-347-9005

To buy tickets online www.stageloft.com 28 JANUARY2016

The Stupendous Mr. Magichead. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 10:30 a.m. Enjoy this accidentally funny magician during a wild and wacky magic show combining highenergy, physical comedy, and fresh original trickery. Recommended for ages 4 to 9. Members $7, adults $10, children ages 3 and up $8, children 2 and under free. regenttheatre.com.

Full Moon Winter Fun on the Farm. Chestnut Hill Farm, 9-99 Chestnut Hill Rd., Southborough. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Enjoy a fullmoon night of sledding, skating or snowshoeing by moonlight and candlelight, before warming up with a bonfire, hot cocoa, and s’mores. Members free, nonmembers $5. thetrustees.org.

Wayne Potash and the Music Fun Band. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Experience Wayne and his band as they put on a highenergy show that engages young audiences with sing-alongs, dancing, jumping, and lots of goodnatured fun. Recommended for ages 2 and up. Adults $12, children $9. coolidge.org.

Especially for Me! Evening for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Children. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Join in all the fun during this special free evening for families with deaf or hard of hearing children in conjunction with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program of Children’s Hospital Boston, with dinner provided. Register ahead. Free. discoverymuseums.org.

Exploring Science Together: Dinosaurs. Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Dig deeper into the fossil world of dinosaurs, as you explore the amazing collection of vertebrate paleontology, participate in fun gallery activities, make a craft, and more. Recommended for ages 5 and up. Register ahead. Members $10, nonmembers $20. hmnh.harvard.edu. Ben Rudnick and Friends. TCAN: Center for Arts, 14 Summer St., Natick. 11 a.m. This high level of adventurous musicianship seamlessly combines light folk, bluegrass, calypso, rock, and even Irish Jigs, during the family-favorite performance. Adults $10, children $8. natickarts.org.

Full Moon and Folklore Hike. Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate, 290 Argilla Rd., Ipswich. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Join us as we celebrate the Wolf Moon with a night hike through the dunes of Crane Wildlife Refuge, before warming ourselves with hot cider around a crackling bonfire at the hike’s end. Recommended for ages 13 and up. Register ahead. Members $10, nonmembers $15. thetrustees.org.

24 Sunday DIY Snowshoeing. Farandnear, 156 Center Rd., Shirley. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Snowshoe through

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! the woods, then gather around the outdoor fireplace to warm your fingers and your heart with steaming hot cocoa. Members $5, nonmembers $7. thetrustees.org. Alligators and Crocodiles. South Shore Natural Science Center, 48 Jacobs Ln., Norwell. 11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. Join our favorite herpetologist from Rainforest Reptile Shows, and learn all about the many species of alligators and crocodiles, during this fun, educational show for the entire family. Recommended for ages 3 and up. Members $7, nonmembers $10. southshorenaturalsciencecenter.org O-shogatsu! Japanese New Year Festival. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Welcome New Year 2016 and bring good luck with Taiko drums, a Shishimai lion dance, Mochi rice pounding, Tako kite making, and more. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org. The Fairy Circus. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 11 a.m. The Tanglewood Marionettes present this humorous interplay in which audiences will learn about various forms of puppets from the simple glove puppet to the sophisticated marionette, before enjoying a show filled with dance, instruments, juggling, and puppet-acrobatics. Members $8, nonmembers $10. regenttheatre.com.

Winter Animal Tracking. Governor Hutchinson’s Field, 196-224 Adams St., Milton. 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Don’t let winter weather keep your family indoors! Head outside for an animal tracking adventure, followed by hot cider and hot cocoa. Member: individual $5, families $10; nonmember: individual $7, families $15. thetrustees.org. ARTfull Explorations. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Fill your weekend with art and family through group explorations, and engagements inspired by the themes and artists of the day. Recommended for ages 5 to 12. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $14, children 12 and under free. decordova.org. Mirror Visions Vocal Ensemble. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m.-3 p.m. Join Mirror Visions as three singers combine their voices for a spectacular afternoon performance. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Ward Winter Snowshoe and Hiking Treks. Ward Reservation, 34-42 Prospect Rd., Andover. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. A knowledgeable guide takes you through a winter wonderland. Members $5, nonmembers $10. thetrustees.org. Winter Explorations. Farandnear, 156 Center Rd., Shirley. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Partake in this special guided walk through the woods

and meadows, as a Trustees ecologist shares insights about the unique features of this special place. Members $5, nonmembers $10, children free. thetrustees.org.

Puppet Lab. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. A fun puppet making workshop. For ages 6 to 8. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

25 Monday

The New SAT Test. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 7 p.m.-8:15 p.m. Learn about the changing format of the SATs beginning this March. Recommended for juniors in high school and their families. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

Chinese Bilingual Storytime. Cary Memorial Library, 1874 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington. 7 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Enjoy Chinese-English bilingual stories, songs, and finger-play. Recommended for ages 2 to 6. Free. carylibrary.org.

26 Tuesday Fabric Painting. Children’s Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Explore the unique textures of fabric with different paints and brushes. See how painting on fabric is similar to and different than painting on paper. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

27 Wednesday Let it Snow. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Investigate snowflakes in this program all about the white and fluffy stuff. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

28 Thursday Musical Afternoon. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 11 a.m.-11:45 a.m. Join staff from the Suzuki School of Newton for a musical afternoon. Designed for children up to age 3. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. National Kazoo Day. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Make some noise for National Kazoo Day. Craft your own unique noisemaker from sound sandwiches to laughing cups. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. LEGO WeDo. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Awaken children’s curiosities and interests in problem solving, using LEGO models, and then program them

FAMILY FUN FOR

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VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE THE FULL ARRAY OF STUDIO COURSES THAT WE OFFER FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS.

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¡FAM ES PARA TODOS! 185 Elm Street Fitchburg,MA 01420 978.345.4207 fitchburgartmuseum.org BAYSTATEPARENT 29

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! to move and react. For ages 7 to 10. Register ahead. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.

29 Friday KidsJam @ Club Common. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 6:30 p.m.8:30 p.m. Join in this monthly dance party, with a live DJ, dance lessons, free dance, games, and more. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $1, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

30 Saturday Guitar and String Recital. Worcester Public

Library: Main Branch, 3 Salem Sq., Worcester. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Listen to guitar and strings students from Worcester Public Schools and the studio of Israel Saldana during this fantastic music recital. Free. worcpublib.org. Play Date: Family Films. The Institute of Contemporary Art: Boston, 100 Northern Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. A day of visual storytelling, including the best shorts from international festivals, films made by kids from around the world, and a feature film. Recommended for ages 6 and older. Free. icaboston.org. AbraKidabra. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 10:30 a.m. Enjoy this fantastic

magic show that combines entertainment with education, motivating and charming children, and adults through the course of the morning. Members $7, nonmember adults $10, children ages 3 and up $8, children 2 and under free. regenttheatre.com. Winterpalooza. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Learn to make paper snowflakes, practice “sock skating,” explore new games to play indoors and out, and say hello to meteorologist Mish Michaels, as she tells the story of Ms. G, before meeting Ms. G herself. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

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Whoooo are your Neighbors? Discovering Owls. Science Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Enjoy a unique opportunity to see these birds of prey up close with a trained naturalist from the Blue Hills Trailside Museum, as you handle natural history artifacts and learn about the unique owls that live in your neighborhood. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $11.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Inside Out. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Enjoy this familyfavorite Pixar magic-infused movie following young Riley, as her emotions adjust to her recent move to San Francisco. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Marionette Manipulation Workshop. Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station St., Brookline. 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Learn the basic construction and stringing techniques used to build marionettes, then be guided through the essentials of marionette manipulation. Recommended for ages 8 and up. Register ahead. Members $20, nonmembers $30. puppetshowplacetheater.org.

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Origami Flower Scavenger Hunt. Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. & 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Join museum educators and docents in an interactive drop-in origami-making scavenger hunt throughout the museum. Through Sunday. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember adults $20, youths ages 4 to 17 $6, children 3 and under free. worcesterart.org.

Creature Feature. Ravenswood Park, 479-491 Western Ave., Gloucester. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Get close-up views of the nocturnal favorite, owls, before heading out for a night-time owl prowl in the park. Member adults $10, children $5; nonmember adults $20, children $10. thetrustees.org. Fire Worship. The Old Manse, 269 Monument St., Concord. 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Experience the Manse on a winter’s evening and imagine how cold and dark it was during 19th century America. Members $5, nonmember: adults $10, families $25, children ages 6 to 12 $5. thetrustees.org.

31 Sunday Artbarn Presents: Under the Big Top. Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. A community theater arts program for children that provides an entertaining morning show promised to tickle the fancy of every audience member. Recommended for ages 3 and up. Adults $12, children $9. coolidge.org. Floral Sun Prints. Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Drop in during this interactive activity and use sun print paper to create individual works of art with real plant material. Free with admission. Members free, nonmember adults $20, youths ages 4 to 17 $6, children 3 and under free. worcesterart.org.

SCHOOL RULES! 32

Social-Emotional Learning: Teaching Children Much More Than Facts

What Colleges Want In Freshmen This Fall

Local Group To Pair Students With Dyslexia For Greater Self-Advocacy Divorce & Single Parenting: Co-Parenting and School

Shaking Up Story Time: New Interactive Approach Gets Kids Thinking

We Chose A Private Education For Our Child

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SCHOOL RULES!

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Social-Emotional Learning Approach Helps Students Manage Emotions, Save Classroom Time BY KIMBERLY PETALAS

In Colleen Labbe’s kindergarten classroom at the Lee Academy Pilot School in Dorchester, you won’t find a timeout corner. Instead, there is a “think space,” a place where students can go to deal with their emotions without fear of punishment. “A lot of times, the children having the most difficulty are removed from the classroom,” Labbe said. “That contributes a lot to lost classroom time. The think space shows kids that it is OK to be upset. They go to that spot and deal with their emotions and do what they need to do. Then they come back to the rug. It has worked like magic.” The think space is just one example of how Labbe implements the concept of social-emotional learning in her classroom. By allowing children to deal with and sort out their feelings, they aren’t missing out on class time and are also learning that they can control their emotions. “I have one girl who will just stand up and say, ‘I need a break,’ and go over to the think space,” Labbe notes. “She has an Autism diagnosis. [At the beginning of the year] she was a complete disaster. She would just cry, and scream, and throw tantrums. Now, she has gotten to the point where she feels like if she is going to lose control and knows, to go over to the think space and take time to figure out what is going on. It’s teaching them how to deal with the breakdowns.” More commonly known as SEL, social-emotional learning is the

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process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions; set and achieve positive goals; feel and show empathy for others; establish and maintain positive relationships; and make responsible decisions. The concept is used with all ages and all grade levels. “There’s a lot of good social-emotional learning in Massachusetts and it hasn’t been consistent,” said Jim Vetter, steering committee co-chairman of The Social-Emotional Learning Alliance for Massachusetts (SEL4MA). “It’s so wonderful to work in a school where you are using those social-emotional skills, but then the next school over may just be getting started. We need to get everyone on the same level.” Labbe said she has seen many new teachers who have stepped up to the plate with the knowledge to teach, but not know how to deal with the socialemotional side of learning. “I’m advocating to make it mandatory for educators to understand and implement social-emotional learning in the classroom,” she said. “I have seen many new teachers that were not prepared for it. It should be mandatory to learn at the master’s level.” “I do think that word is spreading on how this approach is more effective than previous teaching efforts,” Labbe continued. “The Boston Public School district just hired someone to be in charge of social-emotional learning. It’s exciting. I don’t know what exactly

that job will entail, but it’s a step in the right direction.” SEL4MA (SEL4MA.org) has been promoting the idea of expanding SEL in classrooms in the Bay State for the past four years, with the hope that it will become a required framework for educators. The all-volunteer organization boasts 850+ individuals who work for schools, hospitals, associations, businesses, and nonprofits. The ultimate goal: consistently implementing SEL as a long-term education plan in Massachusetts schools in order to improve academics and students’ mental skills and significantly reduce emotional stresses that lead to violence and addiction. Other major benefits to this approach include improving children’s problem-solving skills, enhancing empathy, raising academic test scores, and increasing resiliency. “Part of what [SEL4MA] is doing is helping people connect,” Vetter said. “It’s been shown through research that these SEL practices are effective. To be implemented effectively, it needs to involve the whole community, from teachers to administrators. SEL also deals with discipline, so you have to be using the same practices in the classroom as in the principal’s office. Lunch aides also need to be part of this; they are an important part of the school community because places like the cafeteria and playground are where students act on what they’ve been learning.” And Labbe agrees, which is why she has had think spaces put into every

classroom at her school. “You can chart it on a graph. The amount of outbursts in my classroom has cut in half,” she said. “You can’t argue with that.” Recently, Disney-Pixar released Inside Out, a movie that showcases socialemotional learning at its finest. “That movie has brought a lot of awareness to SEL,” Vetter said. “It’s all about being able to recognize and understand that a full-range of emotions is natural and necessary. It really opened the doors for children to understand and talk about their emotions a little better.” But opening the door to conversation is only the first step. SEL4MA has many goals, one being to influence and advocate for public policy that embraces the importance of SEL in the development of young people. The plan is to educate legislators and administrators about the importance of SEL; advocate for public and private funding to support SEL in Massachusetts; advise officials and policymakers as to effective ways to implement it statewide; develop and implement legislative strategy that promotes the approach; and expand opportunities for public discourse on its importance. “Families are hugely important in this as well,” Vetter noted. “Learning doesn’t stop in the classroom and the same goes for social-emotional learning. Parents play a huge role in advocating social-emotional learning at home.”

“We all want our kids to come out of school with knowledge in reading, writing, and math, but we know that even to accomplish that, they need a safe and supportive school environment to manage emotions and to get along with others,” he continued. “Parents don’t want them just to score well, they also want them to flourish in life, which means being able to have supportive jobs and do well. SEL is the core foundation to all of that.” Labbe has been working hard to influence policy makers. She not only serves as a teacher leader in her district, but she was also selected, along with 25 other teachers in the Bay State, to take part in the Teach Plus Policy Fellowship. “I got to go to D.C. and testify in front of Congress on really pushing for educational prep courses for socialemotional learning in classrooms,” Labbe said. “I know it is important to get involved at the top and that’s why I was so excited for this opportunity.” As a group, SEL4MA has also had a recent success of its own with local lawmakers. “Recently, DESE [the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education] included SEL as a competency that all teachers need to demonstrate in order to become certified,” Vetter said. “We know that is just good policy all the way around. We see a lot of teachers drop out of the field after a short time and it never seems to

be because they lack knowledge of the subject area, but because they don’t know how to maintain a SEL environment in the classroom. SEL is often a key part of successful teaching.” SEL4MA provides free material through its Website for parents and educators and also holds annual conferences to meet and discuss techniques, policies, and educate on the importance of SEL. “It was a wonderful opportunity to get together and chat,” Vetter said. “We’ve sold out the four conferences we’ve had in the four years we’ve existed. We had an opening ceremony and Senate President Stanley Rosenberg come, along with many other representatives and senators. We also have statewide agencies present and handing out information on what they do. It was really a chance to pull together and celebrate the importance of focusing on the wellbeing of kids using SEL.” Labbe wants to continue her research on social-emotional learning, the topic of her thesis in graduate school, with the hopes of expanding SEL approaches in her classroom. “I greet all my kids at the door every day, welcome them, and speak softly,” she said. “My goal is to create a safe place for all of my learners. Students need to feel safe before they are even ready to learn. It’s about being loved. And I make it a point for my students to know that I love them no matter what.”

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Photos Courtesy The Eric Carle Museum Of Picture Book Art

SCHOOL RULES!

Shaking Up Story Time

New Interactive Approach Gets Kids Thinking BY JENNIFER SHEEHY EVERETT

tory time is an intrigal part of early learning and bonding. But what if story time was more about inviting children’s active participation — gathering their reactions to the book’s art and story and letting these observations lead story time down unexpected paths? Megan Dowd Lambert, senior lecturer in children’s literature at Simmons College and mother of six children in Amherst, offers such an alternative in her new book, Reading Picture Books With Children: How to Shake Up Storytime and Get Kids Talking About What They See. Published in collaboration with The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst — the only full-scale museum of its kind in the United States — Lambert’s book shares with parents, teachers, librarians, and other caregivers the “Whole Book Approach” story time model

34 JANUARY2016

she developed while an educator at The Carle. A portion of the book’s proceeds will benefit the museum. The Whole Book Approach engages children to make meaning of all that they see and hear during a shared reading. This includes spending time focusing on the artwork and design of a book and not simply its text. Doing so can be as simple as taking a look at a book before traveling inside to “Once upon a time” and asking questions about what children see (e.g., “Why do you think this book is so tall?”). Or, children can be asked to study the book’s endpapers (the pages glued to the inside of the boards of a hardcover book) to see what they think the illustrator is trying to say with color, design, and the clues he or she may be giving about the storyline. “With the Whole Book Approach, we’re not just getting through a

book, we’re reading the words, the pictures, and the design, and the kids are driving it,” Lambert says. “When we read with children, it should be about them and their responses and ideas. They can read pictures before they can read words, and they have things to say and questions they want to ask. The Whole Book Approach is an intentional way of reading — we’re reading with children, not to them.” “Children delight in having their voices heard during Whole Book Approach story times, and you can see confidence and community build among a group of children,” adds Emily Prabhaker, museum educator at The Carle, Whole Book Approach facilitator and trainer, and mother to a 3-year-old in Northampton. “The key (to success with these story times) is letting go of control, giving it over to the children, and following where they lead. If you’re able to give

children the time, a safe space where they feel comfortable contributing their thoughts, and the vocabulary to make meaning of what they see, they will always enrich your own understanding of the story.” In the process, children develop an appreciation for the book as an art form, an intriguing concept in the digital age with e-readers threatening the popularity of paper books. Perhaps even more importantly, the interactivity of the Whole Book Approach lets children be who they are. “You never know what will come out of kids’ mouths, so reading becomes a really dynamic experience using this model,” says Ali Wicks-Lim, mother of two children in Amherst and participant in The Carle’s Whole Book Approach story times. “The conversation can change each time you read a certain book, making the

same books feel new again. Plus, you learn a lot about your kids during these story times — what makes them laugh, what kinds of stories they’re interested in, etc. They become a mini book group!” The approach also works well for children of different ages. “The Whole Book Approach has extended my son’s ability to appreciate picture books,” Wicks-Lim adds, noting her son is now 10 and started with Whole Book Approach story times as a toddler. “I think this is because there’s more to them for him than just what’s read aloud or in the text on the pages. He’s thinking about the book in multiple ways and dimensions.” Even young children who aren’t fully verbal can signal their interests by pointing at certain objects on a page. Or, they may simply enjoy holding a book to increase their familiarity with it. Thankfully, for parents, this style of interactive reading happens most naturally at home. Parents need to only supplement what they already do when incorporating the Whole Book Approach into their reading repertoire. Introducing simple book design terms into the conversation is one addition parents can easily weave into readings (see sidebar). “If a 3-year-old can name all of the dinosaurs that they’re interested in, why not get them familiar with book design terminology to make them feel entitled to talk about books and engage with books as physical objects?” Lambert asks.

Getting Started Since the Whole Book Approach is a highly engaged manner of reading, parents should facilitate these readings when they have the time and energy to be fully present. It’s equally helpful for parents to review the book they will be reading in advance so they know what’s coming within its pages and can figure out the best questions to ask to invite children’s observations. And there is great value in the conversations that result in helping children build critical thinking and expressive language skills. Lambert reminds, however, that the Whole Book Approach isn’t the only way people should read to children. Sometimes a quiet read is best if parents or caretakers are preparing children for naps or bedtime and want them to settle down. The Whole Book Approach aims to do the opposite, challenging and motivating children to make meaning of everything they see outside and within the pages of books. Reading Picture Books with Children provides the guidance that parents (and educators) need to fully understand and use the Whole Book Approach. This includes chapters on book design elements such as trim size and orientation, jackets and covers, endpapers

and typography, along with vivid examples from well-known picture books that bring to life how a book’s design, illustrations, and words work together to tell a story and inspire a reader. Lambert also shares a sample Whole Book Approach story time at megandowdlambert.com. Parents and children of all ages can also see the model come to life during drop-in story times at The Carle Museum. The Whole Book Approach remains central to the educational mission of The Carle, and museum educators are even willing to travel to locations nationwide to share this groundbreaking model with interested groups.

Get To Know Your Story Here are a few sample book design terms you can teach children to empower them to talk about and engage with books: Jacket: The decorative paper covering that fits over the casing of a hardcover book. Endpapers: The pages glued to the inside of the boards of a hardcover book. Gutter: The seam between the leftand right-hand pages of a book, where the pages are bound together.

Verso and recto: Left- and right-hand pages of a book. Here are a few sample questions that can help kick off your Whole Book Approach story time: • Why do you think this book is so tall/short/long/square? • What information does the jacket give us about the story? • Do you see any clues about the story in the endpapers? What are they? — Jenn Sheehy Everett

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SCHOOL RULES!

We Chose A Private Education For Our Child

Some reasons millions of other families do, too By Heather Kempskie

ccording to the National Center for Education Statistics, last fall about 50.1 million students attended U.S. public elementary and secondary schools. An additional 4.9 million students attended private schools. My son accounted for one of those 4.9 million. After six years of public education in our hometown — kindergarten through sixth grade — my husband, son, and I collectively (and often times agonizingly) decided to make a change. It was a process fret with school tours, interviews, entrance exams and, of course, financial aid pleas/applications. But the biggest

challenge was readying ourselves for a leap of faith. We love our town and our community. My son has had scores of great teachers and overall positive experiences. Would he miss his friends? Can we afford this? Is this the right choice for him? What drove our choice for a private education were conversations my husband and I had before our children were even born. It was just on our radar. And, truth be told, we wanted faith and community service to be part of his everyday experiences. Plus, our hometown was in the midst of doing some major restructuring that would have him at the high school in

eighth grade. This was a tad unsettling, and we decided it was now or never.

He didn’t want to go In the beginning of his sixth grade year, we broached the subject. We told him we’d never force him and we meant it. We asked that he attend an open house with us. He sat, arms crossed, body slouched, as the principal began talking about technology courses, international opportunities, small class sizes, and extracurricular activities. His arms unfolded, and by the end of the presentation, our son was on the edge of his seat with excitement.

For us, our decision was mostly child-led, but reasons families opt for a private education can be as personal and unique as the nearly 5 million children who take that route. Regardless, a common theme prevails: Parents want something different, whether it’s a desire to be outside of standardized testing mandates, smaller classes, or exposure to community and global service.

Leaving standardized testing behind When Susan Puryear moved to the Worcester area years ago, she and her husband enrolled their two daughters in public school.

“Many parents are frustrated with the overemphasis on high-stakes standardized testing that comes part and parcel in the public schools and often results in a narrowing of the curriculum to tested subjects.” — Dr. Kelly J. Conn, associate director of admissions, The Chestnut Hill School

36 JANUARY2016

“We were heavily involved — as members of the school site council and PTO — and big supporters of public education,” Puryear said. “But as our girls got older, we started to have some issues. Not with teachers — they are some of the most passionate, dedicated people on the front lines of public education. Our challenges were with state and district policies, such as highstakes testing and teaching to the test. We felt like these incredible teachers were being constrained inside the classroom and not all children were able to benefit from education to the full extent.” Meghan Bennett, director of admissions at Worcester Academy, a co-ed day and boarding school for grades 6 to 12, says many families begin looking towards private education “for greater opportunities for their child to be known and valued for their talents, then challenged to achieve beyond what would normally be expected of their children.” A study released by the Friedman Foundation, “More Than Scores: An Analysis of How and Why Parents Choose Private Schools,” found that the top five reasons are all related to school climate and classroom management, including “better student discipline” (50.9%); “better learning environment” (50.8%); “smaller class sizes” (48.9%); “improved student safety” (46.8%); and “more individual attention for

my child” (39.3%). “Parents who invest in an independent school education do so for many reasons, but if I had to pick the three qualities they value most, it would be small class size, highquality faculty and academics, and the opportunities for students to be involved in a broad range of extracurricular offerings,” says Susan Cranford, director of admissions and financial aid at Bancroft School, a co-ed pre-K-12 college-preparatory day school in Worcester. The Friedman Foundation study also found extremely high levels of parental satisfaction, with 98.6% of respondents answering that they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their chosen school relative to their previous experience at a public school. “Many parents are frustrated with the overemphasis on highstakes standardized testing that comes part and parcel in the public schools and often results in a narrowing of the curriculum to tested subjects,” says Dr. Kelly J. Conn, associate director of admissions at The Chestnut Hill School in Chestnut Hill, an independent, co-ed elementary school. “My younger daughter was very strong in math, but was having to repeat work she had already mastered,” Puryear explained. “When you have to teach towards a test and you have a lot of kids in your

class, the teacher’s hands become tied, and I was concerned about the messages my daughter was getting. How can she get to move to the next level and what was inspiring her learning? Public schools are often not able to differentiate instruction for any child. All kids have strength and challenges, but when you have to teach to a test, you have to teach to the middle, and not all kids fall there and are not being served.” With heavy hearts, Puryear’s family decided to leave the school they loved and to which they had dedicated much of their time and enroll their daughters at Shrewsbury Montessori School to complete their elementary education. Today, both girls are at Worcester Academy in the 7th and 9th grades. “We are beyond happy with the experience,” she said. “There’s a lot of flexibility and support for teachers in helping them become reflective practitioners. Worcester Academy has resources to allow for professional development for teachers, and a lot of what they are learning trickles down to my children’s experiences. Teachers have autonomy in their classrooms to teach to the classroom needs and individual child’s needs. The smaller class size experience also means they are able to work with all the kids and get to know them very well.”

Embracing their role as global citizens Although academics and smaller class sizes play a pivotal role in many parents’ decision to send their child to private school, social aspects are also at the top of their list. “Our students not only get to know their local community, but also see themselves as citizens of the globe,” Cranford says. Bancroft School, like many other private institutions, works to foster global citizenship by enrolling international students. Worcester Academy has a student body that represents more than 20 different nations, and The Chestnut Hill School lists diversity as one of their three core tenets. From opportunities to travel abroad and hosting international students to foreign language classes and required community service courses, there is a heavy emphasis on making the world a little smaller. “Chestnut Hill School has earned a national reputation as an inclusive institution responsive to the needs of a highly diverse community,” Conn explains. “We have students, staff, and faculty from over 30 communities in the Greater Boston area. The school strives to acknowledge the numerous differences in our families’ backgrounds while actively celebrating our common commitments

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SCHOOL RULES! to equity and social justice.” Suzanne Nebelung’s two children attend Shrewsbury Montessori School, one school with two campuses in Shrewsbury and Auburn, which provides authentic Montessori education for children age 3 through grade six. She says that her children are learning, at an early age, that they can make a difference in the world. “There are several community service projects throughout the year. For example, the children put together baskets of food for a local church to distribute at Thanksgiving,” she explained. “In terms of global issues,

my children are currently studying about the United Nations. They are researching issues such as world hunger, child mortality, and caring for our environment. My children have learned to think critically about the world and have explored how they participate in society as global citizens. They understand current events and discuss their ideas and concerns with their peers, faculty, and at home at the dinner table.”

Unexpected changes on the home front Our son has adjusted well to his

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“Parents should visit a private school to see for themselves how the children are learning and the level of engagement of the students. Both my husband and I attended public schools and we thought that was the best route for our children,” she added. “While academic success is certainly important to us, we believe our children deserve more.” If you ask my 12-year-old if he likes his new school, he will easily answer, “yes.” If you ask him to name three things he likes, he’ll rattle off, in this order: the food, the teachers, and prayer time. Yeah, what he said.

new school and we have experienced some unexpected bonuses during this transition including uniforms — glorious uniforms! No more early morning fights on wearing sports pants with holes in the knees or a video-game-based T-shirt that could be perceived as borderline inappropriate. Best of all, he rarely wakes up in the morning saying, “I don’t want to go to school today.” Nebelung agrees: “[My kids] want to go to school every day. They want to be challenged. They find joy and excitement in learning and thus have become lifelong learners.”

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SCHOOL RULES!

What changes mean for test takers this spring and beyond BY KATHY SLOAN

Revised SAT Rolls Out in March

High school juniors will face a new version of the 96-year-old SAT this March. Officials from The College Board, the nonprofit organization that oversees the SAT, say the new test is a more accurate assessment of today’s student. It was last revised in 2005. “The exam is focused on the few things that evidence shows matter most for success in college and career, and reflects the work that students do in classrooms across the country,” says Cyndie Schmeiser, chief of assessment at The College Board. The majority of high school seniors in the graduating class of 2016 have, most likely, already taken the previous version of the test. However, if they choose to take the SAT again this spring, they will take the new version. Current high school juniors (Class of 2017) will have a choice of which version to take. Colleges will accept scores from the old and new versions of the SAT until 2018. The new SAT will have two sections, as opposed to its current three. Two writing sections have been combined into one section

called Evidence Based Reading and Writing. The math section will have two parts, one in which students can use a calculator and another in which they cannot. Obscure vocabulary words have been eliminated from the test, and students will no longer be penalized for guessing. The College Board has also made the essay optional, and the test is reverting to the 1600-point scale, with both sections scored between 200 and 800 points.

SAT or ACT? Until this SAT revision, the differences between the ACT and SAT were vast. For example, the SAT had a stronger emphasis on vocabulary, while the ACT did not. The ACT offered a science section, while the SAT did not. Therefore, a student stronger in English would probably take the SAT. A stronger math student might choose the ACT. However, the new version of the SAT levels the playing field between the two

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tests, leaving students with a choice to make. “When considering which standardized test to take, juniors in high school should consider both. Both tests can feel overwhelming, but this is particularly true with respect to the ‘new’ SAT, since many questions still remain about question difficulty, scoring, and how schools will interpret scores when it launches nationwide in March 2016,” says John LaPlante, head of learning at Testive (testive.com), an online learning tool that helps students increase their SAT and ACT scores. Colleges accept either SAT or ACT scores with admission applications. While a student’s GPA will weigh heavily with admissions officers, a good SAT or ACT score can help increase a student’s chances of getting into a school. Moreover, some schools use standardized test scores as a way to determine scholarships. “For students who may have struggled academically their freshman and sophomore years, doing well on a standardized test shows they have matured or are capable of doing advanced work,” LaPlante says. While colleges and universities don’t have a set score they require as part of the admission decision, they instead have a range. “A student shouldn’t be satisfied with his or her score until they reach that median range for their choice schools,” he adds. Students may want to take the test multiple times to increase their scores, however, three attempts is typically the cut-off. Some schools participate in a super scoring system in which they take a student’s best score from each section from multiple tests to create a final score, LaPlante adds.

organization created in 2006 by educator Salman Khan to provide a free education for anyone, anywhere. The organization produces short lectures in the form of YouTube videos (youtube.com/user/khanacademy). “There's no better practitioner of world-class, high-quality instruction

for all students at all levels than Khan Academy — and their material just happens to be free,” says David Coleman, College Board president and CEO. “That’s why we are partnering for the first time ever to level the college assessment practice field, and to go beyond test prep by

offering content that will also reinforce classroom work and enhance college readiness.” Students can also access a practice test free from their mobile device through the new Daily Practice for the New SAT app.

Preparing for the SAT “For the best results, students should begin preparation at least three months out from the date in which they’ll be taking the test,” LaPlante says. He also suggests that students take a practice test under testing conditions — in a quiet spot and timed. The College Board has collaborated with Khan Academy (khanacademy.org) to help students prepare for the SAT. Khan Academy is a non-profit BAYSTATEPARENT 41

SCHOOL RULES!

HISTORY REPEATING

Mass parents have been complaining about standardized testing since 1880

BY DOUG PAGE

Standardized testing and education reform in the United States are hot topics today — as they have been for nearly 200 years. It may be surprising, but whether you’re pro or con, sides have been taken and the same positions have been argued and recycled for close to two centuries. Everything old is new again. Reasons for education reform fall into two theories: schools aren’t prepping the country’s young for careers and college the way they should — a reason for the latest flavor in educational reform, Common Core — or they’re failing to educate the young to defeat the country’s potential enemies. The latter was a reason for Gifted & Talented Science and Math programs, considered the solution for making American school children surpass the technological ability of their peers in the Soviet Union, especially after its successful launch of the first satellite, Sputnik, in the late 1950s. A similar argument was made in 1983, when U. S. Education Secretary Terrel Bell commissioned the study “A Nation At Risk,” which stated: “Our once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world … while we can take justifiable pride in what our schools and colleges have historically accomplished and contributed to the United States and the well-being of its people, the educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a nation and a people.” This notion that schooling in other countries is superior to that of the United States is akin to what Horace Mann asserted to promote 42 JANUARY2016

changes in how Massachusetts’ school children were taught in the 1840s: “If the Prussian schoolmaster has better methods of teaching reading, writing, grammar, geography, arithmetic … so that he produces greater and better results, surely, we may copy his modes of teaching these elements without adopting his passive obedience to government or blind adherence to the articles of a church.” Today, Common Core advocates hold up Japan, Singapore, Australia, and Canada as reasons for adopting the new standards. “Policymakers can be assured

that in adopting the CCSS [Common Core State Standards], they will be setting learning expectations for students that are similar to those set in Singapore in terms of rigor, coherence, and focus,” notes Achieve, a Washington, D.C.based organization that lobbies for Common Core, on its Website. In the area of English skills, Achieve states: “Policymakers can be assured that in adopting [Common Core] they will be setting learning expectations for students that are similar to those set by the high-achieving nations of Canada and Australia.”

The Beginning

Historians tend to pinpoint China’s Tang Dynasty, around from the 7th to 10th centuries, as the start of standardized testing, which centered on Confucian teaching and literature, with those passing the exam qualified to become government officials. In the United States, some East Coast cities required public high school applicants to take written admission tests starting in the 1820s, writes University of Wisconsin Professor William Reese in his book, Testing Wars in the Public Schools: A Forgotten History. The tests focused on reading, writing, math, geography, and history, and required written responses. Standardized testing as it’s practiced today — given to an entire population of school children — started in Massachusetts in the early 1840s, when Mann, as the Commonwealth’s first secretary of education, implemented a new way of assessing Boston public school children — with a written test. That test would eventually be used throughout the state and the country, notes Reese, an education historian. Prior to the written test, Boston’s school children, like many around the Bay State, were given oral exams and, as Reese notes, the problem was that each exam had little in common with those at other schools. This caused Mann and his allies to be suspicious of what children really knew. Other reasons to mistrust oral exams included the fact that grading was entirely at the teacher’s discretion and that school principals often decided which kids took the oral exams, especially when

guests or dignitaries were visiting, Reese writes. “Even back then, schools would shield kids who weren’t strong students,” he said in an interview with baystateparent. Still, implementation of a new written test, which would become a measure of what kids knew, was a politically charged issue because it took power and influence away from local school principals as to how their students were taught, Reese noted. As Mann’s fellow 19th century educational reformers believed, “written examinations would … hold teachers and pupils accountable, and provide for incontrovertible evidence about what children actually knew: pupil by pupil, school by school, even district by district.” These are many of the same reasons cited for implementing today’s annual standardized MCAS test or the proposed newer one, the Common Core-aligned PARCC exam. In the 1880s — nearly 40 years after the first standardized test was given — the cry against testing was heard when Massachusetts parents started making noise. “Bostonians complained about the ‘incessant examining’ … One … writer accused the ‘examination octopus’ of squeezing every ounce of creativity out of teachers and pupils,” Reese writes. Cut to 130+ years later when Monty Neill, who leads Jamaica Plain-based FairTest, a group opposed to standardized testing, told baystateparent: “What’s happened is that (standardized) testing has become the central focus of public education. It means there’s more narrowing of the curriculum, so there’s less art, less music, less science, less social studies. School is reduced to test prep.”

Do Anti-Testing Advocates Have a Chance?

Despite their passion and reasoned arguments, those who

oppose standardized testing in public schools really don’t stand a chance, Reese said. “While a lot of testing is going away, it’s not disappearing,” he noted, referring to recent legislation, the “Every Student Succeeds Act,” which passed both houses of Congress and was signed by President Obama last month. The new law replaces President George W. Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” law and reduces Washington’s influence on local education. And, Reese said, “The ethnic and racial breakdown of scores will continue.” Testing, he predicts, is here to stay.

Safe. Disciplined. Christian Values. “St. Mary’s students welcomed my daughter with open arms. She has grown in so many ways. Today, she stands strong and welcomes new members of our school’s family. St. Mary’s is a place where kids educate both their minds and hearts. ” – Renata Lech, St. Mary’s Mom

SAIN T

Minorities and Standardized Testing’s Future

Another criticism against standardized testing — voiced especially by State Rep. Marjorie Decker (D-Cambridge) — is that it works against minorities and children from low-income households. This, too, is hardly a new complaint. Back in the 1850s, Edward Loring, one of the administrators of Boston’s standardized tests, noticed that economic standing “and ethnicity influenced student achievement,” Reese writes. “The child of intelligent parents, growing up in a well-ordered and instructed household, in which grammar and language are correctly used, and the subjects of daily conversation are akin to his school studies, is far better fitted for, and furthered in, those studies, than

“Every time someone complained about tests, the promise was always there — ‘We’ll get a better test,’” Reese said. “The issue isn’t about getting rid of standardized testing. It’s about its proper place in the system and whether they help or hurt and the notion that we should be able to measure what kids are learning. Testing isn’t going away. It’ll take new forms, but it has a kind of staying power, which I don’t see disappearing anytime soon.”

RY’S SCH A M

LS OO

the child whose home is darkened by the ignorance, and the mental and moral degradation of his parents,” Loring said. “Horace Mann knew that if you tested schools, the results would eventually be grouped by the racial background of the children,” Reese said.

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SCHOOL RULES!

What Colleges Want In Freshmen This Fall

Getting Into College Is An Art, Not A Science

BY KATHY SLOAN

etting good grades in high school will give a student more options when applying to colleges, but grades

aren’t everything. Each college, whether it be public, private, or selective (think Ivy League and elite), has a different set of standards for accepting students, and those standards change yearly from school to school. This makes the selection process less of an exact science and more of an art. Figuring out what colleges require for admission isn’t that tricky, but when UMass Amherst, for example, receives more than 40,000 applications and accepts over 23,000 students, there must be a set of criteria used to help set all of those applications apart (of those accepted, about 5,000 will attend the school). Interviews and essays are how a student will express what sets them apart, but what exactly are colleges looking for?

Diversity Colleges seek to create diverse communities on their campuses that consist not only of different ethnicities, but also students of 44 JANUARY2016

different ages, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and interests. Schools also want students who bring something to the table, those who are going to contribute to the environment on campus and out in the world after they graduate. According to James Roche, associate provost for enrollment management at UMass Amherst, he and his admissions team are looking for students who are organized, curious, confident, resilient, focused, committed, conscientious, determined, honest, creative, and decisive. “Show us that you have a purpose and a plan, that you are passionate about your goals, and help us understand how and why you expect to achieve them,” he advises.

Undecided Is OK Most teens don’t know what they want to do later today, let alone have a specific passion for goals or be ready to pick a career. Mindy Popp, founder and principal consultant at Popp & Associates, an educational consulting firm in Wellesley, says it’s very common for a student to be undecided about a major, which is why many colleges offer the option for students to

apply with an “undeclared” major. “Students usually have a good sense by the end of high school of what their academic strengths and weaknesses are and can, therefore, rule out some possible majors,” she notes. “As long as students choose a college with a wide variety of majors, they should have options.” It’s important to know that the decisions teens make — including the classes they take and the grades they receive — in Grades 9 and 10 will matter when it comes to getting into college. And how they progress through the years will hold a lot of weight, too. “For some, the transition from middle school to high school is difficult, both academically and socially,” Roche says. “We understand that you may not have had the best start in high school, but if you show improvement over the years, that matters — especially if you finish strong.”

Maximize Opportunities Colleges know that every high school is different. Your child’s might be small and not offer advance placement (AP) courses or offer only a limited number of

them. This is OK because colleges don’t require that students take AP classes in high school. Instead, they want them to challenge themselves by taking the highest level of classes offered. “Do the best you can with who you are and maximize the opportunities given to you at high school,” says Iris Godes, assistant vice president for enrollment/dean of admissions at Dean College in Franklin. It’s equally important for a student to maximize their role in extracurricular activities, too. “If/when students take on a leadership role, admission officers are curious to see what students do with the role,” Popp says. “Are they simply carrying out the tasks assigned to the role that his/ her predecessors fulfilled or is the student creating new initiatives (in addition to their assigned responsibilities) that will somehow better the extracurricular organization and/or other communities or groups?”

Get Involved At the selective schools grades matter — a lot — but they aren’t everything. Popp notes that colleges want to see “how a student is engaging with and contributing to

the world.” In order to differentiate one valedictorian from another, schools will look at a student’s interests and passions to help create that desired diversity on their campuses. In addition, while grades matter at public and private colleges, those schools are apt to admit the C student with a lower SAT score who is a leader in their school or community, for example. Dean College’s Godes emphasizes it’s not about creating a college resume, but rather the quality over quantity of a student’s body of work: “Students should never do things to please their parents or teachers, but instead should be true to themselves.” So, if your child loves to volunteer he should volunteer, however, if that isn’t his thing, he shouldn’t do it just to have it on his college resume. If, on the other hand, he is captain of the soccer team and passionate about soccer and his role as the team’s leader, that will hold just as much, if not more, weight than a volunteer job he was forced to work every Saturday. “Have two or three things that you do really well. Be committed to something and take a leadership role whenever possible,” Godes adds.

Fail Early No one likes to talk about failure. In

fact, parents these days do everything in their power so that children don’t fail. However, when students go to college having never failed a class — or received anything below an A — they flounder, and most of the time they don’t know how to

something all colleges need students to master before they get to campus. Encourage your child to ask for help if he needs it. “If a student is having difficulty with an academic subject, time management, organizational skills, etc.,

“Have two or three things that you do really well. Be committed to something and take a leadership role whenever possible.” — IRIS GODES, DEAN COLLEGE

handle it. Godes wants students — and parents — to know that failure is a good thing: “The time for failure is in high school where parents can help [teens] navigate through it.” Failure, whether it be academic, not making a team, or making a bad decision socially, is part of life. It’s less about the fact that a child failed and more about how she recovered after the failure that matters most. Failures help students learn about themselves and teach resilience,

do not delay getting help. The sooner that these issues are addressed, the better,” Popp says.

Choosing a College Ideally, students should begin college tours at the end of their junior year — or beginning of senior year — and start compiling

a list of schools to which they want to apply. “The application process is extensive and elaborate. Don’t delay. And, remember, you may want to apply for financial aid, too, which means completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which in itself takes time,” UMass’ Roche advises. “Stop stressing about the perception, or status, of the school and focus more on what you will get out of the experience,” Godes advises. “And, remember, there is a college for everybody.” Lastly, admission officers want students who want to be on their campus. Students should follow and interact with the schools of their choice on social media, check the admissions Website often for deadlines and events for prospective students — including tours. The more tours teens attend, the better. Most importantly, students — not parents — need to communicate with admissions officers often. Demonstrating to a college that they want to be there, and why, will go a long way in helping — although not guaranteeing — your child get in to the college of his dreams.

BAYSTATEPARENT 45

SCHOOL RULES! • VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE

Local Group To Pair Students With Dyslexia For Greater Self-Advocacy BY JOAN GOODCHILD

Navigating school can be difficult for students with dyslexia. The diagnosis can often be delayed in the early years, and self-esteem and enthusiasm for learning can be impacted as kids struggle to adapt in the classroom. Nicole McCarthy, a mother of three from Canton, has two daughters who have dyslexia, and knows all too well the challenges they face. “So many kids go undiagnosed and struggle,” she said. “Because of that, my daughters have learned how to advocate for themselves.” But not all students do so in a complicated system, and that’s where concerned parents such as McCarthy are stepping in. McCarthy and several other Bay State parents are part of a locally founded group, Say YES! to Dyslexia (sayyestodyslexia.com), a non-profit outreach organization for students with dyslexia and their parents. The program was born out of a New Jersey-based

national non-profit, Learning Ally (learningally.org), whose goal is to empower dyslexic, blind, or visually impaired students. Learning Ally’s YES! Ambassador Program is a campaign that pairs younger students with learning differences with older students with dyslexia. Known as Ambassadors, the older students will be trained to help guide their young counterparts through their educational journey. The YES! (Youth Examples of SelfAdvocacy) Ambassador Program is available in a few states around the country, and McCarthy and her peers are now working with Learning Ally to launch a Massachusetts branch. The YES! program trains students with learning differences to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, help them build confidence, and provide them with tools to become self-advocates. McCarthy will co-lead the Massachusetts group with Ann

Andrew, a Gloucester mom who has two sons with dyslexia. The organization will train a group of YES! Ambassadors who will offer advice and advocacy best practices to their younger partners. “Students with dyslexia need to know how to speak up and say to teachers, for example, ‘This is the IEP (Individual Education Plan) that I have and this is the accommodation I need to succeed,’” McCarthy said. “Many of them need help to be able to gain that voice.” YES! Ambassadors are trained to help guide younger students through a series of goals, according to Lissa True, Learning Ally’s youth service coordinator, who will be working with Massachusetts parents. This is done both at local events, which will pair Ambassadors and younger students, as well as through phone calls or via email after a relationship is established. “Students with dyslexia and related

differences, ages 9 and up, are eligible to join the program,” True noted. YES! Ambassador leaders are ages 12 and up and will have to complete a series of interviews and training in order to participate, she added. In addition to mentoring responsibilities in the YES! program, ambassadors will talk to students and parents at area events about their learning differences, self-advocacy, and assistive technologies. They will also volunteer to be on Q&A panels and demonstrate assistive technology, as well as help host Learning Ally events. Advocates say the program will benefit both the students who need these resources, as well as their parents, who may be feeling helpless after a child’s diagnosis. “I felt like our family was almost at an advantage with two kids with dyslexia,” McCarthy said. “I was able to research a lot on dyslexia and find out as much as I can. Some people

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Understanding Dyslexia Dyslexia is often overlooked as the reason for reading difficulty. Yet, the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity reported that it is the most common reading disability, affecting “approximately 1 out of every 5 people.” It is a neurological condition that crosses racial and socioeconomic lines and occurs when the brain has difficulty processing written language. Many “remain undiag-

just don’t have the time to do that.” And that’s why McCarthy feels so passionate about getting the YES! Ambassador program off the ground in Massachusetts. She is seeking to fill gaps and offer students a helping

nosed, untreated, and struggling with the impact of their dyslexia,” the center reported. The result is that children with dyslexia are left to find or create new ways to cope with reading issues. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), “some [dyslexic] children show few signs of difficulty with early reading and writing. But later on they may have trouble with complex language skills such as grammar, reading comprehension, and more in-depth writing.” The NCLD published guidelines

hand by pairing them with other students who have been there when it comes to managing dyslexia. McCarthy and Say YES! to Dyslexia will start accepting applications in early February from students interested in becoming ambassadors. The plan is to train them and launch officially for the 2016-2017 school year. Parents and students interested in learning more about the program can email yes@learningally.org. Say YES! to Dyslexia can be found at facebook. com/sayyestodyslexia.

identifying some of the early warning signs of dyslexia. For preschool children, the symptoms include trouble with tasks such as recognizing letters, matching letters with sounds, rhyming, learning the alphabet and numbers, or understanding common word sequences. For school-age children, the NCLD cites difficulty with spelling, remembering facts and numbers, handwriting or gripping a pencil, and word problems in math. A child may also reverse letters, such as b and d, or move letters around when spelling a word.

Teenagers and adults may show signs of difficulty reading aloud, reading at an expected level, managing time, or learning a foreign language. The NCLD also notes that many show problems with summarizing a story or understanding non-literal language, such as that of a joke. (Source: “A Loss for Words: Many Young Readers Slowed by Dyslexia,” by Mary Jo Kurtz, baystateparent Magazine, Oct. 2014.) For additional resources, visit baystateparent.com/dyslexia

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SCHOOL RULES! • DIVORCE & SINGLE PARENTING

Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School NOW ACCEPTING LOTTERY APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR DEADLINE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016 at 3:00 pm • Classical liberal arts K-12 public school aimed at academic excellence, musical competence and character formation • Level I school district consisting of 1,426 students • Uniform Policy for all grades • Full day Kindergarten • Middle School and High School athletics • International Baccalaureate Programme offered in High School

Co-Parenting and School Tips for handling homework, information sharing, shopping, and special activities

ENROLLMENT OPEN HOUSE

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January 8 at 9:30 am in the Elementary School

Lottery applications accepted for grades K-6 OPENINGS AVAILABLE FOR KINDERGARTEN (All applicants for grades 1-6 will be placed on a waitlist.) Applications available on our website and Elementary School office Website: www.akfcs.org / Email: admissions@akfcs.org 10 New Bond Street, Worcester, MA 01606 The Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or homelessness and all students have equal access to the general education program and the full range of any occupational/vocational education programs offered by the district.

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Homework

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If children are going back and forth between both parents’ homes, there should be a uniform set of rules regarding homework and studying each night. This will help maintain structure for your children in both homes. As an example, agree that schoolwork should be started within one hour after coming home and be completed by dinnertime. Or, decide that schoolwork should be completed after dinner, with no television, video games, or smart phone use until homework is finished.

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  48 JANUARY2016

As the calendar turns to January, children all over Massachusetts are returning to school after their holiday break. For most, the carefree days of their December vacations give way to — what should be — the structured rigors of academic pursuit. That is why this is the perfect time for co-parents to revisit the goals they have for their children, along with creating plans for dealing with some of the contentious issues that they may grapple with during the second half of the school year.

School notices & updates Across Massachusetts, schools are becoming increasingly responsive to electronic communication used by 21st century families. Along with providing and/or obtaining duplicate copies of all school documents, make sure both parents are included on all email lists, mailing lists, online teacher sites, classroom pages, and electronic bulletin boards. At home, it’s important to keep communication open between both households. Remembering to bring a special project to school or your son’s or daughter’s cleats for soccer practice or a game can become a daunting task if communication with

the other parent is poor. Try using OurFamilyWizard (ourfamilywizard. com) or other productivity apps to keep everybody on the same page.

Special events & extracurricular activities Unless parents have challenges getting along in front of their child, both parents should be able to attend their child’s sporting events, music recitals or performances — regardless of which day the event occurs and which parent is scheduled for parenting time. This truly benefits the child as they get to share special moments and stay involved with both parents.

Shopping for school or special activities Trips to Target, Staples, or Michaels shouldn’t all be dumped on either co-parent. Take turns and share the costs. If parents are in high-conflict periods, try to not sweat the small stuff. Keep your child’s best interests in the forefront at all times. Co-parenting around school issues takes a good amount of coordination. It is also an important time for your child to feel support from both parents and to know that you both care.

DIRECTORY Check baystateparent every month for the best camp offerings for your child. Also on baystateparent.com! To advertise contact Regina Stillings 508-865-7070 x210 or regina@baystateparent.com

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BAYSTATEPARENT 49

19 Winter

Ideas

for

Play

Indoors and Out BY JANINE HALLORAN

Winter is a challenging time. It’s cold, often stormy, and sometimes hard to figure out ways to have fun. Here are suggestions for encouraging play inside and outside during the winter months. Indoor fun Think creatively and be flexible when it comes to indoor fun. It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Also, it’s cool for you as the parent to get in on the action. Have a silly time together with your children. You need to play, too! Obstacle course: Locate items that could be used in an indoor obstacle course. You could use chairs, boxes, pillows, laundry baskets, or step stools all around your home. Work together to come up with a plan for the course, and have your kids try it out. You can make a game of timing them. If they grow tired of the original course, they can move it around and try a different setup. Keep revising the course until they’re finished playing with it. At the end, talk about which courses they liked the best and why. Calisthenics: Looking to get them up and moving quickly? Try a calisthenics break. Have the kids do 1 minute of jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, etc. Or you could set a certain num50 JANUARY2016

ber of an exercise they need to do, like 20 jumping jacks. Not only does it keep them a little more active, but it’s also a great way to transition them between activities. For instance, if they’re watching a television show and you’d like them to take a break and build with blocks, turn off the TV, have them do 10 push ups and then bring the blocks out. Jump: Some kids just love to jump — my son is one of them. They jump on beds and couches. You could get a trampoline or a bouncy house that can be used indoors. Of course, last year I didn’t have a trampoline or bouncy house, so I took the mattresses from their beds and brought them downstairs. My kids were thrilled because they were finally allowed to do something they typically aren’t allowed to do. I loved it because it kept them busy and active for some time. Dance party: Turn up some music and get moving. Get on the dance floor and get silly with your kids. Make up dance moves. Have everyone take turns being the leader of the dance by showing what to do and having the others follow. Trust me, there will be plenty of giggles!

It’s also fun to video a dance and watch it later. Video games that incorporate movement: There many video games, across a few different platforms, that require movement as part of the game play. Kids can dance, do virtual bowling, or even bike. One of my favorites is a game in which they can pretend to be on a pogo stick — it’s so much fun, plus it burns a lot of energy.

Toys, crafts and games Toy rotation: If you don’t rotate your toys, start now. Toy rotation can sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to be an elaborate system. It can be as simple as dividing your toy stash in half and putting half away in a closet or basement. Have the kids just play with the toys that are out and available. In a few weeks, switch the toys. It’s likely that they will play longer with the toys they haven’t seen in awhile. Plus, there’s a lot less to clean up. This is also a good way to weed out what they no longer like to play with. If they haven’t seen it for three weeks and they still don’t want to play with it, it’s time to donate it.

Create This is just a fancy way of saying you can use anything you have on hand to set up a craft time for your children. What I love is that there is no specific “project” the kids are trying to make. There’s no model, they are just focusing on being creative with what you’ve given them. You can set out whatever is available and see what happens. Recently, I put out small paper bags, glue, markers, googly eyes, and pipe cleaners. We made some really interesting creatures. You could also set up around a theme. For example, if you wanted to a winter theme, you could put out blue and white paper, crayons, cotton balls, coffee filters, scissors, and glue. New materials: When you’re out and about shopping, check out any supplies in the discount area. Maybe there’s some cool washi tape, cute stickers, or a crafting material you’ve never used before. Gather these new materials and keep them stored away. Pull them out on a snowy day. Your children will appreciate having new things to play with! Board games: Playing board games helps kids practice taking turns,

solving problems, and winning and losing graciously. There are plenty of new ones out there and you can also check out your favorites from when you were a child. It can be neat to show your child a game that you loved from your childhood. You could even exchange games with another family so you can try different ones without the additional cost. Puzzles and puzzle books: Whether it’s hidden pictures, Sudoku or a word find, these types of games can help pass the time inside when it’s too cold to go out and play. You can work together as a family on a jigsaw puzzle. Set it up in a place that won’t get disturbed, that way you can take a break and come back to work on it when you want.

started embellishing them with icicles and rocks. They played outside for an hour just doing this. It was awesome.

ask your neighbors, they’ll probably know. What a fun way to spend time together with each other and other families, too.

Make an igloo: There is an actual snow block maker you can buy to make an igloo in your backyard. Eskimos and Inuits would laugh at our pathetic attempts at igloos: Blocks fall down, or fall apart, and sometimes a section gets knocked down! No matter what, the kids love attempting to make them.

Make tunnels: A few years ago, I was working as a school counselor during another snowy New England winter. Once we were back at school, the students who were appropriately dressed could play in the snow. Over a few days, they made elaborate snow tunnels. It was great to see them working and creating together.

Go sledding: Find a local area that has a good sledding hill. If you haven’t been able to find one yet,

Draw in the snow: Make colored water by mixing watercolors or food

coloring with plain water. Put the colored water into a spray bottle or a squeeze bottle. You could even use an open container and an eyedropper — be creative and use whatever you have on hand. See what sort of patterns and art can be made in the snow. It’s beautiful! You can do this activity outdoors or get a large plastic container and do it indoors, too. Right now, I’m rotating toys and gathering new games and crafting materials to get ready for this winter. Bring on the cold weather. We’re ready to play!

Infants • Toddlers • Preschool Full Time Part Time

Outdoor fun When there is no snow… Go outside and play: Even if it’s cold, have your children bundle up and go outside for a little bit. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you can’t go outside and ride a bike, use a scooter, or kick a soccer ball. Play every day! Go on a winter nature walk: Take a walk around your neighborhood. See if you can spot any animals. Look around at any plant life, too. You can gather leaves or other natural materials you find on the way, take pictures, and make a small book about your nature walk when you get home. Blow bubbles: It’s so interesting to see what happens to bubbles when the temperature is cooler. Have some bubbles on hand — check out how long they last and how they pop. So cool! Make colored ice sculptures: Fill different-size containers and ice cube trays with water. Use watercolors or food coloring to color them, then place in the freezer. Once frozen, use a little warm water to pop them out of the containers. Now you have colorful ice blocks for winter outdoor building fun. Take them outside and start building.

When there is snow… Make snow castles: Do you know that sand buckets also work with snow? We discovered this last year when we were playing on the deck in the snow and found our sand buckets in the storage container. The kids started making snow castles. My son would make several, then run through them or kick them down. My daughter made a few and

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Couple Behind

Josh & The Jamtones Keep Families & Fans Moving BY JENNIFER SHEEHY EVERETT PHOTOS BY ADAM PERRI

“Jump up, jump up, everybody jump up… everybody jump up and get down,” hollers singer and songwriter Josh Shriber as he bounces up and down, getting impressive air under his feet and strumming his guitar wildly for an audience of smiling kids and parents. This is what Josh & the Jamtones, the Boston-based band Shriber founded in 2012 with wife Patience and musician friend Pat Hanlin, is known for — making reggae/ska music for kids and families that gets everybody up and out of their seats. The band released its third family album, aptly titled ROCKSTEADY, this past summer, delivering a slew of frenetic, danceable tunes that rival earlier award-winning material. The Josh & The Jamtones sound and experience have garnered editors’ picks and parents’ choice awards, as well as multiple American songwriting awards and hit singles on SiriusXM Kids Place Live and other kids/family radio programs nationwide. The group evens holds the title of official featured band for Chuck E. Cheese’s. But Shriber’s passion for music extends beyond songwriting and rocking out with band mates at hundreds of shows across the country, often with prominent bands like The Wiggles, Yo Gabba Gabba and The Fresh Beat Band. Before the birth of Josh & The Jamtones, he founded (and continues to operate) the Jammin’ With You! Program and Performance Center in Wellesley, offering in-home music lessons from Berklee and other talented music school graduates, parent/toddler classes, young musician and theatre programs, and entertainment for private events. More than 1,000 students benefit from the services each week.

Music as the ultimate motivator

“The number one thing we want to do is get kids up and moving and interacting with the music,” says the Worcester native. The majority of Josh & The Jamtones songs are based around dance moves — similar to many adult pop songs (more recently, Uptown Funk or, years earlier, The Electric Slide or Macarena, which still attract the spotlight at manya-wedding and special event). According to Shriber, 52 JANUARY2016

“the beauty of music is that it makes you want to move. It fires you up and gives you motivation.” Motivation is in large supply for Josh and Patience, who lends her vocal talent, dance choreography, and high energy to the Josh & The Jamtones experience, while also juggling life as a part-time personal trainer and mom to three kids under the age of 5 1/2. Health and fitness are

driving forces in the Shriber household, which isn’t surprising once you witness their highoctane performance style. While Shriber family life is admittedly busy with young children and thriving businesses, Josh and Patience aren’t deterred from their commitment to healthy eating and exercise and to instilling the same in their children.

Nutrition is a family affair. “We eat breakfast as a family every morning and every night we make one meal of healthy, fresh food,” he says. “We expect our kids to eat what’s on their plates and never make a second dish just for them. This isn’t easy — we get pushback from them just about every night. Even on a night when we’re serving homemade mac ’n cheese or something else they’d prefer instead of a vegetable dish, they don’t want to eat that either! But, the kids understand that there’s no dessert (fruits and berries are a favorite) if they haven’t eaten their meal. We set this precedent early on, and it is tricky. But, it would just be a different kind of tricky if we gave in every time.” There’s also no giving in when it comes to keeping exercise a daily priority. Josh carves out time for workouts in a small gym with basic equipment that he set up in unused space at the Jammin’ With You! Center, and running has become a passion for Patience. But, workouts also happen in the middle of the family kitchen — certainly during last year’s unforgiving winter — if that’s all the day allows for and the only space available at the opportune time. “It’s super easy to make excuses for why you can’t get to the gym, but there’s enough space in pretty much any kitchen to get down and do a pushup, a squat, planks, or any yoga position. Our girls also get in on it with us in the kitchen,” he adds. “Working out has become a super important outlet, and I find that my brain gets really creative with song ideas, thoughts for our business, etc. when I’m doing it. I can’t work out without needing to grab my phone and write down or email myself an idea.” He emphasizes that even quick workouts have positive impact. “For us, if we’ve got a half-hour, we get in a short workout rather than checking Facebook, for example. It’s simple — if you walked for a halfhour five times each week, you’d be better off. If we don’t happen to get

a workout in, we’re still walking our dogs on a daily basis and getting our kids outside on their bikes and scooters or for quick loops around the neighborhood with us. It’s about doing something active every day.” Patience sees healthy living as a mindset that people and families have to adopt. “I get dressed in workout clothes first thing in the morning, which sets the tone for me and motivates me to get moving,” she says. Beyond that, it’s a matter of looking at your day and seeing where you have a free half-hour here or there. It doesn’t have to be an hour-long workout — it can be planks and situps for 20 minutes, with push-ups on your knees. And they don’t have to be consecutive. Throughout the day, you can find 10 minutes here and there. Everybody has open space for this in their juggling act. Perhaps one way to jumpstart a similar workout routine is by catching a local Josh & The Jamtones show and trying to keep up with the unbridled dancing that Shriber, the band and their infectious music demand of audiences, kids, and adults alike. The band has made it their mission to “make awesomely danceable and crazy-creative music and videos for the modern family.” They’re writing songs with kids and parents in mind and believe that they break an important barrier if moms and dads also embrace the music. They’ve seen kids really respond when their parents get excited by the music and clap their hands or get up and dance, and that, Shriber believes, is when a real connection happens. Whether it’s either at a local Josh & The Jamtones show (joshandthejamtones.com) or in the comfort of the family kitchen before or after dinner each night, there’s always time in the day for an impromptu, heart-pumping dance party. The kids will love it, and parents just might end up establishing one of the important health habits that The Shribers so enthusiastically champion.

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Open Space, Endless Fun

Century-old Mass organization preserves places, inspires outdoor family fun BY MICHELE BENNETT DECOTEAU

54 JANUARY2016

Photos courtesy Trustees of Reservations

124-year-old Massachusetts organization is continuing its mission to bring more year-round outdoor and indoor experiences to area families through the preservation of woodlands, historic homes, working farms, and more. The Trustees of Reservations (thetrustees.org) was founded in 1891 by landscape architect Charles Eliot as “an antidote to modern life.” Still operating under that mission, the Trustees preserves and protects 113 cultural and natural spaces or properties — which it terms “reservations” — spanning more than 26,000 acres across the state. Locations under the Trustees’ care include spectacular historic homes such as Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich and Naumkeg in Stockbridge; beautiful views and open spaces like Notchview in Windsor and Little Tom Mountain in Holyoke; geological wonders such as Tyringham Cobble in Tyringham; and working farms such as Chestnut Hill Farm in Southborough and Weir River Farm in Hingham. “We define ourselves for the public as a conservation and preservation organization,” says Barbara Erickson, president of The Trustees of Reservations and mom of two. “But for ourselves, we talk about saving and sharing Massachusetts. People come up to me all the time and thank me for the Trustees saving this place, telling me about how they got engaged at a reservation, or being happy that a special place is available to them.” A private organization, the Trustees is funded through a combination of membership dues (a family membership is $67 per year), annual contributions, admission fees at properties, special events, competitive grants, and endowments. (The Trustees waive admis-

held by the Trustees. “Many of the trails are so suited for the toddler years,” Erickson says. “Many have trails with easy terrain, the walk is easy and some are even suitable for strollers. But this isn’t the only way to enjoy the properties. We have classes and programs for families seven days a week. They can unplug and just have fun. Kids can go sledding, do nature art. We have story walks, we have programs for a range of interests to engage kids and their parents.” “It is lots of fun to get outside in the winter,” Swanberg adds. “We have a number of sites with programs on snowshoeing and tracking. Winter is a great time to learn about the world around us.” There are a few spots that are especially fun to explore in the winter. In the east, Rocky Woods in Medfield has two trails around Chickering Pond and the Bridle Trail loop that are ideal for families with young children and are stroller-friendly without snow. In the west central part of Massachusetts, serious sledders should check out Dexter Drumlin in Lancaster. While this is a smaller property, it is a popular destination that draws sledders with its impressive elevation and gentle contours, making it a favorite with young families.

Growing a farm and community connection sion fees on properties on certain days of the year, check with specific locations for details.) “We want to inspire the next generation,” adds Kristen Swanberg, director of public programming. The Trustees is working to inspire

that next generation by increasing its staffing levels and offering a slate of new programs. The goal: to have half of all of their programs geared toward kids and families. Recreation is the way most people have experienced the properties

Working farms are a growing part of the Trustees’ engagement plan. With a handful of working farms it owns or manages, the group reaches out to the community in many ways. In summer, some Trustees farms

offer community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, in which community members sign up to purchase fruits or vegetables produced by the farm over the growing season. “MiniMoo is a special program at Appleton Farms in Ipswich and Hamilton. Kids get to interact with goats, young cows, and chickens. They learn what is on a farm. Many kids are very disconnected from that kind of rural life,” Swanberg says. Families can connect to the farms in other ways in addition to visiting the animals and CSAs. Many have Farm Days, in which families can explore the entire farm, play games, and explore in safe loca-

are excited about America’s Test Kitchen doing some of their testings there, too.”

tions. Families can also enjoy classes on making edible gifts, cookies, and bread at various farms. Programs like these fit well with the Trustees’ desire to help people connect to their food and the farms that produce it. The organization is also a founding partner of Boston Public Market; milk and cheese from Appleton Farms are sold there. Boston Public Market is a yearround, indoor market featuring fresh, local food produced by farmers, fishermen, and others throughout Massachusetts and New England, held Wednesdays through Sundays at Haymarket Station in Boston. The Kitchen at Boston Public Market is a 3,200 square foot space that features educational programs offered by the Trustees, including hands-on cooking demos, lectures, family activities, and more. “We don’t provide all the programs, we have others do some of it. REI sponsors yoga there and Blue Cross and Blue Shield sponsors healthy Stop-in-and-Taste Testing,” Swanberg says. “We

and managed by The Trustees. “So many museums now, particularly science and art museums, bombard kids with corporate logos and thinly veiled advertisements for the supposed benefactors. There’s a lot of marketing disguised as infotainment, and supposedly interactive digital displays, which really end up flattening the experience for kids. At a place like Mission House [in Stockbridge], the kids can walk around the very structure that John Sergeant built and use their imaginations to puzzle out what it must have been like to spin wool or dip candles. We are lucky as homeschoolers to have these original historic sites and landscapes preserved so we can interact with them in a direct way that allows us to place our own lives in context.” Connecting kids to historic homes is not the easiest mission to accomplish and many of the new programs are designed to help today’s families connect to their historic counterparts by offering behind-the-scenes tours, period programs, and parties.

Unfiltered history

Photo courtesy Trustees of Reservations

The reservations are attracting families not just for physical activity and outdoor fun, but also for educational growth. “We seek out historic sites for the kids where they can directly see and/ or experience something from the past. The Trustees of Reservations have done a great job of keeping the experience simple and direct,” says Ticky Kennedy, who takes her Chatham, NY, homeschool group to many of the historic sites owned

BAYSTATEPARENT 55

Can The Winter Coat

WAR

Be Won?

Inside the real health hazards, the myths of underdressing, and how to eliminate a battle of wills BY KATHY SLOAN, PHOTOS BY STEVEN KING

For some parents, the battle of the cold is real. Teen boys love to wear shorts in the dead of winter and claim they aren’t cold. Teen girls wear skirts without tights or hoodies instead of warm jackets. Why? It mysteriously begins in middle school. Some kids say that their coats don’t fit in their lockers. Others claim the school is hot in the winter. Whatever the reason, an underdressed kid drives parents crazy. We try reasoning with them, but they push back. We try to tell them they will get sick if they don’t wear pants or a coat, but that doesn’t work. What can parents do? Dr. Kerri Augusto, professor of psychology and counselor education at Becker College, says adolescents are in the midst of asserting their independence and during that developmental time — more than ever — parents must learn to pick and choose their battles. Are there actual dangers in wearing shorts in the winter or not 56 JANUARY2016

wearing a jacket? According to experts, the hazards are pretty low. However, there are things parents and kids should be aware of when it comes to dressing appropriately in the coldest months.

Does the weather make you sick? For generations, our beloved grandmothers and mothers have been telling us that if we don’t wear a coat in the cold weather, we will get sick. However, this just isn’t true. Viruses cause colds and flu, not the act of being cold. “Being cold does not make (you) more likely to be exposed (to viruses), but rather makes everyone more likely to stay indoors, in close proximity to others who have those viruses,” says Dr. Karen Cotting, pediatrician at Reliant Medical Group in Leominster. She says that it’s far more important to wash your hands in the winter than to worry about your son

wearing shorts. “One thing that’s actually been proven is that the mechanical washing of the hands with soap and water is more important than the use of antibacterial soap,” she notes. Expert advice: Wash hands for 30 seconds, or sing “Happy Birthday” four times, to kill germs and viruses.

Frostbite vs. Hypothermia Having a solid understanding of frostbite and hypothermia can help parents and children understand the importance of dressing for the weather. According to the Mayo Clinic, hyperthermia is a decrease in core body temperature from exposure to cold; hypothermia can occur in mild temperatures. Symptoms include shivering or ceasing of shivering, dizziness, hunger, and nausea. In

moderate-to-severe hypothermia, symptoms include clumsiness, confusion, and shallow breathing. Frostbite is a localized cold injury to a part of the body that may occur with or without hyperthermia. It occurs when your skin is exposed to very cold temperatures and underlying tissues freeze. The areas most affected are fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks, and chin. Frostnip is the first stage of frostbite. Your skin turns red and feels very cold. As your skin warms, you may feel tingling. Frostnip doesn’t permanently damage the skin. Frostbite is much more serious, signs include cold skin with a prickling feeling, numbness, and skin discoloration. If your skin begins to feel warm, this indicates a serious skin involvement. “Fortunately for us here in Central Mass, even in the Polar Vortex, it’s pretty difficult to get frostbite during our normal daily routine activities,” Cotting notes. Therefore, it’s unlikely that your child will get frostbite from wearing

shorts while waiting for the bus. However, an impromptu snowball fight at the bus stop may cause them to get wet — and that changes everything.

Wind and wetness So while it’s unlikely that a child will experience frostbite from being underdressed in the colder months, two key factors — wind and wetness, make for a different story. You hear about the wind-chill factor on the news, but how much do you really pay attention to it? Windchill is the apparent temperature felt on the exposed human body owing to the combination of temperature and wind speed. “Exposed skin will get frostbite if the air temperature is 0 degrees with a wind speed of 20 mph in 30 minutes, but in only 10 minutes if there are wind gusts of 60 mph,” Cotting says. Therefore, it is important that a child wears appropriate clothing when the National Weather Service puts out a Wind Chill Advisory. Being wet also increases the chance of getting frostbite. “Wet feet lose heat 25 times faster than dry feet,” Cotting notes. Sledding in jeans or cotton pants can become dangerous because cotton doesn’t dry quickly, so wet material on the skin can cause frostbite quickly. A snowball fight at the bus stop or a kid who pushes a friend into a snowbank on the way to school can be dangerous activities if significant wetness occurs to gloves or clothing. “If [kids] stay outside in the cold and their skin stays wet, [they] are at much higher risk for frostbite,” Cotting says. She also warns that when/if adolescents ever throw alcohol into the mix, they may be unaware of numbness and tingling pain when wet and cold. Another issue to consider is sweating during outdoor sports. It’s important to wear moisture-wicking, quick-drying clothing, as opposed to cotton, when participating in outdoor sports in the colder months. To get tweens and teens to comply, Becker’s Augusto suggests: “Kill them with science. Reminding them about the basics of energy conservation can sometimes do the trick.” If a body is cold, it will spend a lot of energy trying to heat itself, which will then decrease performance. Moisture-wicking clothing, such as Under Armour, helps retain some of

that energy so it can be put toward better game play.

Be prepared While it’s true that a child can’t get hypothermia, frostbite, or colds from being underdressed, it’s important to teach your kids that good ’ol Scouting mantra, “Be prepared.” Parents understand that you just never know when you might be stuck out in the cold. Children don’t have the ability to think ahead and plan for the “what-ifs.” The car could run out of gas, the school could have a fire drill, and kids could be stuck outside for an extended period of time. Teach your children to live in a state of preparedness. Having a coat or bringing extra layers for those “what-if” moments could possibly save them from experiencing rather unpleasant conditions.

Pick a number To get teens to dress appropriately for the weather, they are not going to respond to nagging or logic. In fact, the harder you fight with them, the more they will resist. “Negotiate a reasonable deal,” Augusto advises. Rather than engage in ongoing arguments, pick a certain temperature at which you insist that coats, pants, or wicking material be worn. Perhaps your number is 40 degrees. Anything above that, you agree to let your child determine what clothing they want to wear. Anything below that, you get to have a say. “The creation of a mutually agreed upon ‘rule’ simply eliminates the ongoing battle of wills,” she says. Then promise not to nag.

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Live and learn If your child insists they aren’t cold and don’t need a coat, or that they want to wear those shorts, it might be best to let them live and learn. “Barring extreme Super Polar Vortex, unplanned disasters requiring extra outside time, or the impromptu snowball war, healthy kids who go to school wearing what they want to wear will typically come home from school the same healthy kid, albeit slightly cold [but they’d rather die than ever admit that to their parents,]” Cotting adds.

“The creation of a mutually agreed upon ‘rule’ simply eliminates the ongoing battle of wills.” — DR. KERRI AUGUSTO, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AND COUNSELOR EDUCATION, BECKER COLLEGE, BAYSTATEPARENT 57

A ‘Hole’ Other Approach To Ear Piercing

Piercing studios see a rise in popularity for their yo BY SARA POKORNY, PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN KING It’s hard to miss advertisments boasting “Free piercing!” or “50% off your second pair of earrings!” when looking for somewhere to get your child’s ears pierced, but are chain stores and mall kiosks — the most traditionally popular spots — the only place to have a child’s ears pierced? “Parents are becoming more educated, and they want piercings that are done in a professional and sterile manner,” asserted Marc Williams of Piercing Emporium and Tattoo in Worcester. Williams, who has been piercing for 20 years and piercing children’s earlobes just as long, said he has seen an uptick in parents bringing their younger children in over the past several years. Owen Beane, of Chameleon Tattoo and Body Piercing in Cambridge, has also seen a spike and says it makes sense: “We use all sorts of skilled, trained professionals in every facet of our lives, such as mechanics, doctors, etc. Piercing — as simple as an earlobe piercing 58 JANUARY2016

seems — shouldn’t be much different.” Professionals who work at piercing shops say the benefits of needle piercing in place of a piercing gun run the gamut from sterility to the

“Some piercers at malls can have training as little as a short video,” Williams said. This is a stark contrast to the extensive training professionals go through, logging hours upon hours

“We use all sorts of skilled, trained professionals in every facet of our lives, such as mechanics, doctors, etc. Piercing — as simple as an earlobe piercing seems — shouldn’t be much different.” - OWEN BEANE, CHAMELEON TATTOO AND BODY PIERCING

short- and long-term effects the actual piercing has on the body. It all starts with the piercer and his or her background in piercing, or in some cases, lack thereof, professionals say.

of time as apprentices, both observing and applying piercing skills. According to the Association of Professional Piercers (APP), novice piercers should attend a blood-borne pathogens training

class; attend a First Aid/CPR class; spend a minimum of three months full-time as a trainee learning sterilization, disinfection, crosscontamination, and other health and safety issues; and spend a minimum of six months to one year in full-time, supervised training as an apprentice before achieving the title of piercer. (Some of these requirements may vary dependent upon the piercing establishment.) The way piercing studio pros go about the act is also different. Professionals have a sink nearby in which they wash their hands before donning gloves and they also use a disposable agent, not a communal pen, to mark the earlobe. (Gentian violet is common, a bactericide and antifungal agent.) Malls can also provide an open, exposed environment, which invites opportunity for airborne bacteria, Williams noted. Nationwide accessory retail chain Claire’s bills itself as the “World’s Leading Ear Piercing Specialist” and notes it has pierced “90 million ears & counting” over the past 30

outh ear-piercing services years at more than 3,000 locations (claires.com/us/content/ear-piercing). baystateparent calls and emails to Claire’s corporate office for an explanation of their training and procedures were unreturned and unanswered. Sterilization takes priority at professional piercing establishments, piercers say. “Tattoo and piercing shops are regulated by the local board of health,” Beane noted. “They have safety requirements that have to be met or a shop will face fines and eventually closure. With regulations come a guarantee of safety for the client.” All instruments a professional uses are autoclave sterilized, the highest form of decontamination; an autoclave is a pressure chamber that sterilizes by subjecting equipment to high-pressure saturated steam. While certain parts of a piercing gun may be sterilized, its plastic components make it impossible to put the gun into an autoclave. Thus, full and proper sterilization is not guaranteed, experts said. The studs

inserted into a gun may be sterile as well, but that’s still not enough, Williams said. “Once the stud touches a gun that has the risk of not being sterile, the stud is no longer sterile,” he noted. Studs used in piercing guns may be “one size fits all,” which is a disservice to earlobes that are thinner or thicker than the norm. Professional studio piercers have access to different stud lengths, which can help accommodate any swelling from the piercing and make for a comfortable, lasting fit. “Jewelry inserted into the piercings by a knowledgeable, reputable, professional piercer should be made of implant-grade materials (implant-grade stainless steel, implant-grade titanium, or nickelfree 14k gold or higher), meaning that the jewelry meets ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards for implantation,” noted Miro Hernandez, who handles public relations for the APP. “This means that the material has BAYSTATEPARENT 59

met safety standards to be inserted and worn in the body. Most jewelry that is on the market these days that is not implant-grade would be considered costume jewelry and is not intended for long-term wear because of the amount of nickel present. Since nickel is an irritant when worn in the body, that can cause sensitivities or allergic reactions. Using materials that meet implant-grade standards ensures us that the implant-grade jewelry that piercers use has little-to-no nickel present, which aids in the healing process.”

Needle vs. The Gun Most mall stores and kiosks use a piercing gun, which piercing professionals say has a different effect on the body than the needle they use. A piercing gun, which resembles a handgun, has a front apparatus that holds a stud earring and a back portion that holds a clasp (usually a butterfly clip). The earlobe is placed into a slot between the two areas and the trigger is pulled, pushing the shaft of the earring through the ear and into the clasp. It looks simple from the outside, but what’s happening on the inside isn’t the best way to form a hole in the skin, professionals say. “You’re taking a solid object, the stud, and pushing it through anoth-

er solid object, the ear,” Williams explained. “The stud is in a pointy shape, but it’s not necessarily sharp. It distorts the tissue in the ear, pushes it aside, and that’s what you feel after the ear is pierced; that donut shape is all the extra tissues that’s been pushed aside.” The analogy Williams likes to use paints a clearer picture: “Let’s say

Professional piercers use razorsharp, hollow needles that slice through the skin quickly without damaging the surrounding tissue. “This creates an incision and removes a very small piece of skin to be replaced by jewelry,” Beane said. “It’s replacement, not displacement. The body does not react well to displacement.”

“Let’s say you’re taking a screw and twisting it through a piece of wood. When it comes out the other side, the wood splinters — that’s the scenario with piercing with a gun.” - MARC WILLIAMS, PIERCING EMPORUIM AND TATTOO

you’re taking a screw and twisting it through a piece of wood. When it comes out the other side, the wood splinters — that’s the scenario with piercing with a gun. If you were to take a drill bit and drill a hole in the wood and then put the screw through, you just made a place for that screw, and the screw will fit in nice and comfortably without disturbing the wood. That’s piercing with a needle.”

The “blunt force trauma” inflicted by a piercing gun can lead to many issues. “It can potentially lead to hypertrophic scarring, prolonged healing times, and in some cases, keloiding,” APP’s Hernandez said. A keloid is an area of irregular fibrous tissue formed at the site of a scar or injury that rises above the surface of the skin. This is why, Williams said, many who have been gun-pierced feel a

lot of irritation and experience swelling. Needle piercings hurt in that instant, but most often don’t feel irritated or sore unless bumped hard by an outside source. Eradicating irritation by an outside source is part of the piercing aftercare, which is another way in which gun piercers and professional piercers differ. A common ear care instruction is to rotate the jewelry, which Williams said is, in reality, a fantastic way to add bacteria to the new wound. It also breaks down the tissue in the hole that’s trying to heal. “If you wrap your hand around a pole and twist it, you’ll notice the skin on your hand breaking down,” Williams said. “Same thing with the wound, and the tissue inside it is much softer than your hand tissue, so when you twist the jewelry it’s breaking it down even more. It doesn’t get the chance to heal.” “The ‘make sure you twist and move the studs frequently so they won’t get stuck and then apply rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or ear care solution’ system is fundamentally false,” Beane added. “Jewelry cannot get ‘stuck’ to the body. In fact, no inorganic material can fuse to the body — biologically impossible. “Proper aftercare for piercings is way easier than that. Don’t ever touch or disturb the jewelry, and spray it with sterile saline solution once or twice daily to assist the heal-

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ing process. There is no need for harsh chemicals or ointments of any kind.” Many kiosks offer a cleaning product that contains benzalkonium chloride and water, which Williams said is drying and can be irritable. The saline solution recommended by professional piercers is much better for the wound.

Finding a Professional Piercer

If you’re planning on going the professional piercing route, the most important thing to do is research. There are a number of piercing parlors, and there’s nothing wrong with calling and/or visiting as many times as it takes in order to feel comfortable. Williams suggests seeking out a piercer who is a member of the APP (safepiercing.org), a 20-year-old international non-profit dedicated to the dissemination of vital health and safety information about body piercing to piercers, health care professionals, legislators, and the general public. While some may raise an eyebrow at the thought of bringing their child to a piercing shop, the image surrounding them has changed considerably over the years. “Parents will find that these studios are more welcoming and inviting, and no longer only cater to certain

crowds, but have created environments that can cater to all walks of life,” Beane said. “A piercing can be a powerful experience for some, a rite of passage so to speak, and creating environments in which all can experience this in a safe, clean manner is what more and more reputable studios strive to achieve these days.” Dena Laudon of North Brookfield didn’t give a second thought to taking her 3-month-old daughter Danica to get her ear pierced at Piercing Emporium and Tattoo. “For me, personally — as I would imagine is the case for most parents — a certain level of trust is necessary when it comes to someone essentially putting a hole through a part of your child’s body,” she said. “I simply don’t get that feeling of trust from, say, a 17-year-old that just started working as a ‘piercing specialist’ in the mall.” Danica, who is now 9 months old, took to the piercing process and environment well and her pierced ears are healthy. “Five minutes after it was done, she was back giving us her smiley, happy, baby face. We followed Marc’s aftercare instructions to a T and never had a single issue. Her ears healed beautifully and the experience left us all very happy with our decision.”

What’s The Right Age For Ear Piercing? While researching piercing professionals, be sure to ask about the shop’s policies, as some set age minimums even on a piercing as simple as the earlobe. Determining the right age to get your child’s ear pierced is personal preference, though Williams believes it’s best to wait until the child is old enough to ask for the piercing. Dr. Mary Brown, pediatrician at the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center and an assistant professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, agrees with that sentiment for a variety of reasons. “I usually suggest parents wait until the child can take some responsibility in the care of their ear piercings, in the cleaning and preventing infection,” she said. She also points out that if an earring falls out or a child pulls it out when they’re very young, they can put it in their mouth. If, however, parents make the decision to pierce their child’s ear when he or she is young, she has another piece of advice: “Although there’s probably low risk of infection with tetanus from ear piercing done by a professional, I do advise parents to consider waiting until the baby has a few tetanus shots on board. So [wait] at least after 2 months (when they get the first tetanus vaccine), but preferably after 6 months (when the initial series is complete), or even better, after 4 years, after they’ve had their tetanus booster.” Williams says that for infant ear piercing, the best window closes at 4 months old and that has to do more with the child’s awareness. “If you bring a child in that’s 8 months old, that child is self-aware,” Williams said. “They know what’s happening and the minute they feel pain from the first ear lobe, they’ll start to fight it. It’s a traumatic experience for the child and can also be traumatic for the parent.” A traumatic experience is certainly not something any parent wants for their child, especially when it comes to something that should — if done properly — last a lifetime. - Sara Pokorny

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JANUARY INDEX

Vist us Online at baystateparent.com Abby Kelley Foster Charter School............48 Advanced Neurotherapy PC......................47 American Women’s College/baypath........45 Applewild School......................................25 Bancroft School.......................................67 Bay State Skating School.........................38 Big Y Foods, Inc.........................................4 F3...........................................................11 Child Works.............................................20 Children’s Development Network, Inc.........8 City of Worcester / City Hall....................21 Cornerstone Academy................................7 Country Montessori..................................38 Devereux Therapeutic Foster Care............17 Earth LTD................................................55 Eric Carle Museum...................................17 Fitchburg Art Museum..............................29 Fletcher Tilton PC.....................................46 FMC Ice Sports...........................................6

Answer key: 1

Fargo starring William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi

Mission Impossible starring Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart

Kingpin starring Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, Bill Murray

The Rock starring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris

Independence Day starring Will Smith, Bill Pulman, Jeff Goldblum

Jerry Maguire starring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger

Romeo & Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, John Leguizamo

Crash starring James Spader, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas

Trainspotting starring Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller

SpaceJam starring Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Theresa Randle

Scream starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette

The Birdcage starring Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman

The Craft starring Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell

Twister starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Cary Elwes

From Dusk Till Dawn starring Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Juliette Lewis

Mars Attacks! starring Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker

Happy Gilmore starring Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen

The English Patient starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe

Matilda starring Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Mara Wilson

The Crucible starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Paul Scofield

(Source imdb.com)

Greater Quincy Child Care........................48 Harrington Memorial Hospital..................61 Heywood Hospital....................................18 Holden Christian Academy.......................32 Holway Child Study Center at Rockwell.....20 Jump Nation...........................................60 Kathy Corrigan’s Full Day Care Center......12 Kids in Sports..........................................14 Legoland Discovery Center Boston............63 Mall At Whitney Field...............................27 Millbury Federal Credit Union..................21 Next Generation Children’s Ctr...................5 Noble Expo.............................................30 Oak Meadow...........................................57 Pakachoag Community Music School........48 Parenting Solutions..................................15 Providence Children’s Film Festival...........29 Shrewsbury Children’s Center...................37 Shrewsbury Montessori School.................39

Smuggler’s Notch Resort..........................26 Spa Tech Institute......................................3 St. Mary’s Schools....................................43 Stageloft Repertory Theater.....................28 The Chestnut Hill School...........................53 The Children’s Workshop..........................28 The Learning Zone...................................51 UMass Memorial Medical Center..24, 57, 68 Venerini Academy....................................38 Wee Care for Little People, Inc.................47 Whitinsville Christian School.....................33 Worcester Academy.................................35 Worcester Art Museum........................2, 40 Worcester JCC..........................................49 Worcester Kids’ Dentist............................12 YMCA Central Branch...............................59 Zoo New England....................................49

BAYSTATEPARENT 65

TAKE EIGHT

with Ty Law New England Patriots Hall of Famer Ty Law likes to jump around. Literally. After retiring from the NFL (and winning three Super Bowls for our hometown team), the former defensive back founded Launch Trampoline Park, a chain of 18,000- to 36,000square-foot locations boasting more than 50% trampoline surface area. With over 800,000 jumpers in the past two-and-half years, Launch has helped people of all ages burn more than 600 million calories. Law is known to make appearances at some local parks, which include Watertown, Norwood and Warwick, RI, so keep your eyes open!

What appealed to you about opening Launch Trampoline Parks? I wanted to bring something new and different to the area. At the time, I was looking to invest in a franchise and when I learned about Launch – I thought – This is me! As a professional athlete, I am committed to fitness, and Launch allows me to bring a new twist to fitness and family fun.

Can you do any cool tricks on a trampoline? I am not skilled on the trampoline like (Launch co-owner) Rob Arnold; however I do have skills in the foam pit.

What’s your take on youth sports today? I think youth sports are very important – being active is so important. I do feel as though children aren’t as active as they were when I was growing up. As a kid, we would play outside ‘till it was dark. Today, children aren’t as active because of all the technology out there.

Do you have any tips for families who want to make health and fitness part of their every-day lives? Make fitness fun! This is why I believe Launch is great — families can head down to a local park, jump around, and get their workout in without even knowing it. 66 JANUARY2016

What are 3 things you hope your children will always remember? #1 – Education is very important, no matter what. #2 – Respect others. #3 – Earn what you get; you never get something for nothing.

What is the last song you danced to? Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae).

How do you keep active during the winter months? I enjoy running outside, but in the winter months I love to head to Launch and jump around.

Since this is our education issue, what was your favorite subject in school and why? I always had a grasp for Math and it’s an important skill to have for everyday life.

BAYSTATEPARENT 67

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