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Brooklyn Parent NYMETROPARENTS.COM JANUARY 2018

Education Special

• Why Babies Need Books • The Hot Tech Trend in Learning • Should School Start Later?

Family Life

Choosing Your Kids’ Guardian

Don’t Tell!

The 5 Big Secrets of Girlhood

HELPING PARENTS MAKE BETTER DECISIONS

BrooklynParent

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contents table of

Original photo by ›› PhotoOp NYC (photoopnyc.com) Clothing provided

by Appaman (appaman.com)

january 2018

58 44

education

Quotables

The best parenting quotes from the web, and your New Year’s parenting resolutions!

Wintry Family Fun

Where to ski, snowboard, and ice-skate, plus kid-friendly museums and day trips in the area.

18 Baby Needs Books!

22 The Buzz on Blended Learning

50

26 Should School Start Later?

28 Education Resources

Choosing a Guardian for Your Child

Take these steps to make sure your child is always cared for, now and in the future.

raising kids

things to do

family life

6 Editor’s Note 8 New Places, New Programs 10 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Girlhood 12 To Test or Not to Test?

52 Meet the Camp Director 54 Meet the Doctor 55 Party Central 55 Professional Services 56 Open Houses 57 Advertisers’ Index 58 Quotables

14 Dynamite Dinner Table Conversation Jar

46 Creating a ‘Yes’ Space

32 Family Fun a Ride Away

48 Food and Drink Hacks for Parents

35 Family Activities Calendar

50 Choosing a Guardian for Your Child

44 Wintry Family Fun

NYMetroParents

Helping Parents Make Better Decisions ON THE COVER ›› facebook.com/nymetroparents

10 Don’t Tell: The 5 Big Secrets of Girlhood 17 Education Special

50 Family Life: Choosing Your Kids’ Guardian

@NYMetroParents Visit NYMETROPARENTS.COM for family activities updated daily and more than 2,000 parenting articles!

BrooklynParent

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Our Resolution: More Solutions

JANUARY 2018 • Vol.14 • No.6

NYMetroParents nymetroparents.com

EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Deborah Skolnik MANAGING EDITOR: Katelin Walling DEPUTY EDITOR: Caitlin Berens

A

s surely as New Year’s Eve involves a dropping ball and confetti, it brings with it something else: resolutions. I bet you have a few, and so do I, such as to give my two teenage daughters a bit more freedom (I’ll try!), figure out my new Instant Pot (honest!), and lose 15 pounds (who am I kidding?).

We here at NYMetroParents have made a resolution too, and it’s one we think you’ll really like: to serve your needs better than ever. We know parenting is more than a verb; it’s an identity. And so we’re taking a holistic approach to parenting, with the aim of helping you make better decisions across all areas of your life.

The changes start right on our table of contents, where you’ll see stories grouped into the three main “buckets” of parenting: Things to Do, Raising Kids, and Family Life. Some of our longstanding sections have been freshened up, too. Q-and-A is now In the Know (p. 10), giving you the inside scoop on some of parenting’s hottest topics. Quotables has moved to the back of the magazine (p. 58), and features sound bites from parents right in your area. Our Outings page has been renamed Family Fun a Ride Away (p. 32)— there’s no better way to plan your day trip to get away from the city! And the Where-to Guide (p. 44) now offers a greater range of suggestions for seasonal activities.

You’ll also find a more varied and robust selection of articles. We’ll address your legal and financial needs going forward, starting with Samantha Neudorf’s story about how to choose a legal guardian for your children (p. 50). We’ve also got great advice for your home—Katelin Walling explains how to create “yes spaces,” kid-friendly areas filled with safe stuff to play with and explore (p. 46).

Babies and teens will now be a regular focus of ours, and are featured in this month’s education theme. Turn to page 18 for my article about why it’s so important to read to your infant right from the start. And if your teenagers, like mine, shout “five more minutes!” every time you try to get them to wake up for class, you’ll appreciate our special report on school start times on page 26. One big takeaway: Early classes may go against adolescents’ biology and their best interests too. And don’t miss Ellen Horafas’s essay explaining why it may be short-sighted to opt out your children from state tests (p. 12).

Just as few people can achieve their New Year’s resolutions without a little help, I couldn’t possibly put together this wonderful magazine without the help of my team.

That’s why they’re all pictured below.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and not-too-hectic 2018, from our family to yours.

SENIOR EDITOR: Bethany Braun-Silva ENGAGEMENT EDITOR: Samantha Neudorf REGIONAL EDITORS: Samantha Beranbom (Rockland); Karen Demeter (Suffolk); Whitney C. Harris (Manhattan); Rosalind Muggeridge (Brooklyn); Jamie McGillian (Westchester); Dorette Saunders (Nassau); Gail Warren (Queens) DIRECTORIES EDITOR: Alice Van Dyke EDITORIAL INTERN: Jordan Laird To Submit Events: nymetroparents.com/submitevents

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CEO: David L. Miller General Manager: Thomas K. Hanlon 498 Seventh Ave., 10th Floor, New York, NY 10018 Phone: 212-315-0800; Fax: 212-271-2239

Clockwise from top left: Katelin Walling, Caitlin Berens, Bethany Braun-Silva, Deborah Skolnik, and Samanth a Neudorf

Keep in Touch: @nymetroparents nymetroparents.com editor@nymetroparents.com

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BIG APPLE PARENT, QUEENS PARENT, WESTCHESTER PARENT BROOKLYN PARENT, ROCKLAND PARENT, BERGEN •ROCKLAND PARENT, and LONG ISLAND PARENT are published monthly by Davler Media Group, LLC Copyright © 2017, Davler Media Group, LLC No part of contents may be reproduced without prior permission from the publisher.

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raising kids new places, new programs

Who: A. Fantis Parochial School What’s New: Theodore Tasoulas, who started as the school’s principal in July.

In addition to mentoring teachers and utilizing technology to improve academic performance, school life for students is top priority for Tasoulas.

“I’m a big proponent of making sure school is a fun and vibrant place to be,” Tasoulas says. “We’re always focused on the child and making sure they are excited to come to school every day.”

The diverse school has approximately 150 students pre-K 3 to eighth grade, including UPK. It added new after-school programs in September, including robotics, computer coding, and cooking.

Want More Info: 195 State St., Brooklyn Heights; 718-624-0501; afantis.org

Stephan Gilliam

Brooklyn Heights Greek Orthodox School Hires New Principal

A. Fantis Parochial Sch ool utilizes STEM (sci ence, technology, engineering, and ma th) initiatives, technol ogy, and more to prepare its students for the work force.

Courtesy Nicole Ma

Who: Bushwick Montessori What’s New: The school, which opened in September and follows the Montessori method for students ages 2-5.

Bushwick Montessori has five major areas of curriculum: practical life that teaches children how to be independent, language, math, sensory lessons that teach refining of the senses, and culture.

“We are concerned about academics, but equally if not more concerned about the social, emotional, and physical growth of the child,” says Becky Simkhai, head of the school. “So we’re taking a holistic view of the child and making sure they are supported in all of those different areas.”

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Courtesy St. Joseph the Worker Catho

Who: St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy What’s New: Kathleen Schneck, who started as the school’s principal in August and launched several programs.

One of Schneck’s biggest initiatives is incorporating technology, including the use of Google Classroom in the fifth to eighth grades. She also started the Coding Club, during which students learn how to write code by playing games.

“There are different languages that code can be written in, and the students are doing things to get exposure to that, helping them in STEM initiatives,” Schneck says. “It’s really the way the world is going, especially job-wise.”

Want More Info: 241 Prospect Park W., Windsor Terrace; 718-768-7629; sjwca.org

lic Academy

Catholic Academy in Windsor Terrace Adds New Principal and Programs

St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Acad emy has approximately 225 students in pre-K to eighth grade .

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raising kids in the know

Things You 5Didn’t Know

About Girlhood

››

By Bethany Braun-Silva with Katie Hurley, LCSW

I

t’s hard to ignore the news as of late. Every day new cases of sexual harassment make headlines, social feeds are flooded with #metoo posts, and Time Magazine just named “The Silence Breakers” as its Person of the Year. More and more women are feeling empowered to speak up and stand up and, of course, we want to get that message across to our girls, too.

However, this empowerment may come with consequences, says Katie Hurley, LCSW. In her book NO MORE MEAN GIRLS: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls, she cautions against letting our girls grow up too early. “Skipping over the development of crucial social-emotional skills in the name of creating a generation of supergirls doesn’t actually empower our girls,” she writes. “In fact, it does the opposite: It creates a culture of cutthroat competition.” Hurley adds a further warning: “When we fast-track girls through developmental levels without considering the potential consequences, we set girls up for negative behaviors and friendship fails.”

Below, Hurley shares five things everyone needs to know about girls and girlhood.

1. A girl’s social world plays a crucial role in her day-to-day life.

Whether your daughter has two close friends or 10 besties, she’s enmeshed in her social world. Young girls leave the parental orbit once they enter school, and they look to their peers to make sense of the world around them when they are away from Mom and Dad. So while a playground argument might not sound like a big deal to you, this kind of micro-stressor can make or break a day for your daughter.

2. Risk aversion is on the rise.

With all the pressure to be the best at everything and find a passion, young girls feel like they’re under a microscope. This fuels perfectionism, which leads to fear of failure and risk aversion. If you

suspect that your daughter plays it safe, she probably does, and she may need your encouragement to branch out and take chances.

3. Your daughter needs you more than you know.

When Hurley asks girls what they want or need most from their parents, the No. 1 answer is uninterrupted 1-on-1 time. They might roll their eyes, slam their doors, or keep quiet at times, but girls crave guidance and input from their parents, and time spent having fun.

4. Girls’ sensitivity is at an all-time high.

Middle childhood is a time of rapid growth, both physically and emotionally, and this makes girls vulnerable to emotional upheaval. Joking about “girl drama” and being sarcastic often makes girls feel ashamed and guilty. Proceed with caution and empathize often to help the girl in your life to thrive.

5. Girls know more about the world than you think.

They piece together information about the modern world from a variety of sources. Hurley has had many girls confess they binge-watched 13 Reasons Why (a controversial series about a teen’s suicide) or set up Snapchat and Instagram accounts on a friend’s phone. Sometimes they keep these activities secret to avoid disappointing their parents, since they crave parental approval. Couple that with intense pressure to fit in and peer pressure to keep up with technology, and the result is a recipe for very young girls dipping their toes into murky water with limited information.

Talk openly and honestly with your daughter about modern girlhood to help her navigate these tricky topics and work through big emotions.

Katie Hurley, LCSW, is a child and adolescent psychotherapist, parenting expert, and author of The Happy Kid Handbook and No More Mean Girls (TarcherPerigee; on sale Jan. 30). She is also the founder of Girls Can! empowerment groups for girls between ages 5-11.

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

BrooklynParent 11

raising kids voices

To Test or Not to Test?

››

Few parents like the current system of state standardized tests. But here’s why the solution may not be as simple as just opting your child out. By Ellen Horafas

D

addy, nooooo…..why?!” My 13-year-old daughter’s voice was cracking. “Please. Please!”

When it registered that her father wasn’t going to give in, her pleading had switched from lighthearted to desperate.

When he finally walked away, Amanda ran to her room, sobbing, slamming the door so hard that the family cat, on the couch 50 feet away, jumped.

If you’re guessing that the cause of Amanda’s meltdown was a parental decision that she perceived to be unfair, you’re sort of right. Her dad, the night before her eighth grade New York State English Language Arts (ELA) exams were to begin on March 28, was refusing to sign the form that was her ticket out of the tedious, three-day test and into the auditorium, where most of her friends, apparently, would be.

The school districts on Long Island lead the way in Common Core test refusals in the New York metro region. A Newsday survey of the 124 school systems across Long Island showed that fully half—52 percent—of the third- to eighthgrade students eligible to take the ELA tests did not. In some districts in Suffolk County, where we live, the numbers topped 80 percent.

My husband was one of many in our town who didn’t like the content or the implementation of the Common Core Standards—and hated the intense test prep that came with it. So he signed Amanda out of the tests in sixth and seventh grade. I did tell him then that I thought it might be a mistake.

Standardized testing was unlikely to disappear anytime soon. And before you know it, our daughter will be taking the SATs, and maybe other college entrance exams as well. The more practice she had with the admittedly unpleasant experience of preparing for and sitting through them, the better, it seemed to me. Then there was the fact that life is littered with interminable tasks you can’t just opt out of.

In turn, he reminded me of the son of one of our friends who was totally stressed about what would happen if he “failed.”

And of the third-grade girl down the block who had been in tears at the bus stop, as she had gotten the idea that if she

didn’t do well, her beloved teacher would be fired. Indeed, I could see both sides of the argument, and I pick my battles.

Amanda was signed out.

Interestingly, in elementary school, such tests were a non-issue for Amanda. They were annoying, sure, but in the same way that having to play kickball in the gym on a rainy day was. She was able to deal with them and quickly forget them. But now, she looked at them as a form of torture that all the good parents were swooping in and saving their kids from. My husband, meanwhile, had seen that opting her out hadn’t improved her grades, inspired her to learn for learning’s sake, or made her more relaxed throughout the school year. What it had done, he only just realized the night the door was slammed, was make her feel entitled to avoid what she didn’t want to do.

But, oh, she fought. She fought with the skill of a lawyer and the fervor of, well, a 13-year-old.

She first tried logic: “A person, even a young person like me, should always stand up for what she believes in!”

She used her dad’s own words against him: “You told everybody the tests were a waste of time!”

She invoked practicality: “I could do all my homework in the auditorium, all my projects, everything, for the next two weeks. Think how easy school nights would be!”

And, in a last-ditch attempt, Amanda appealed to her Daddy: “You know how you said you feel bad for me that I have to wait until seventh period for lunch every day? The kids who take the test have to wait even longer. I’ll be soooooo hungry.

I’ll be fainting!”

In the end, it failed, all of it.

We passed two miserable nights of bitter complaining. “See this bruise on my leg? It’s from being in that chair all those hours. I hope you’re happy!”

Will putting her back into the state-test stream be to her advantage? To ours? To anyone’s? We’re holding our breath.

The math tests are coming in May.

Ellen Horafas is a Long Island mom of three, whose kids have all gotten to an age where they no longer appreciate being named in her prose.

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

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Welcome to Day School!

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••••••••••••••••••••• Huggs Day School is a fully licensed preschool located in the heart of Park Slope, Brooklyn. Established in 1982, we have been providing quality programs for youngsters, ages 2-5, for over 30 years. Our facilities include four large, airy classrooms, an indoor gym and a private, fully equipped backyard. At Huggs Day School we offer a variety of schedules, ranging from 2, 3, 4 or 5 mornings, afternoons or full days within the framework of 9am to 4pm.

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things to do

diy corner

Dynamite Dinner Table Conversation Jar Sometimes sitting at the dinner table can feel like sitting behind an interrogation table. Your grown-ups constantly asking, “How was your day?” only to be met with the ever-popular response, “Fine.” This Dynamite Dinner Table Conversation Jar game will blast your conversation skills to the next world, making you the talk of the table. Not only will you get to tell everyone the coolest tricks you did for the day, but you’ll start connecting with your family in a whole new way!

What You Need Recycled glass jar Permanent markers Popsicle sticks How to Make Ahead 1. Color a creative pattern on the outside of a clean glass jar using permanent markers. You can be as creative as you want: make a rainbow, make stripes, make a funny face, add a super-powered symbol…really, the sky is the limit.

2. Once you have covered your entire jar, set it to dry while you prepare your conversation starters.

3. On each of your Popsicle sticks, write simple word clues or questions to help you the next time you are stuck and don’t know what to talk about (ideas listed below). When you have enough choices, add your Popsicle sticks to your jar and place it in the middle of your dinner table.

How to Use This Tool At your next family meal, when your adults ask, “What did you do today?” instead of saying, “Nothing,” you can pull a prompt from the jar and get the conversation rolling. Never again feel like you are at a loss for words or worried about what to talk about when you have company over.

Sample Conversation Starters Let’s learn about your day. Today, what is your favorite… subject in school? game you played at recess? book you read? thing you did with a friend? part of the day? WHY? 14

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Let’s learn more about everyone. What is your favorite... food? movie? song? color? game? WHY? Let’s learn about your dreams. What would you do if... you had a million dollars? you had to move to a new state? your friend switched schools? you lost your two front teeth? WHY? Let’s learn about your struggles. Today, what is your… biggest worry? worst memory? scariest moment? WHY? Challenge Make your own conversation starters. Use cardstock paper and pens to write out some funny questions or jokes to get the conversation going with your family.

Train Your Adult Have you ever felt like the cat’s got your tongue? Adults use that phrase when kids suddenly go quiet. Your grown-up wants nothing more than to understand you, and some days that seems impossible when all of their questions are met with roadblocks. I know you have a lot to say, but you just aren’t sure how to access all the awesome things you want to tell your adults. Instead of leaving adults baffled at your silence, give them this super-secret tool to get you talking and sharing all the cool things you have to say, and give them a sneak peek into your world.

Cover and book design by Page Street Publishing Co. Photography

by Dayna Abraham. Excerpted from The Superkids Activity Guide to Conquering Every Day by Dayna Abraham with permission of the publisher.

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BrooklynParent 15

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Brooklyn Waldorf School:

Education That Nourishes The Human Spirit

Provides an education that concentrates on the whole being of its students through: • The Integration of Critical Thinking • Emotional Intelligence • Arts, Math and Sciences

Brooklyn Waldorf School, located in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant, provides a broad and comprehensive curriculum. Guided by the principles of Rudolf Steiner, BWS fosters independent thinkers and collaborators. BWS embraces subject integration beyond math and science.

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

online extras In families with two or more children, an older sibling’s departure for college can spark mixed emotions in the younger child. Find out how to cope at ›› nymetroparents.com/college-sibling Is homework necessary? Take a look inside the debate—and what a Brooklyn school is doing instead at ›› nymetroparents.com/no-homework

Local Catholic schools are integrating students of all religions. Learn why at ›› nymetroparents.com/inclusive-catholics One of the first decisions you’ll have to make as the parent of a child with special needs is what school your child will attend. Find answers to common questions that go into the decision making process at ›› nymetroparents.com/special-school

inside

raising kids education special

18 B aby Needs Books!: It’s never too soon to raise an eager reader. he Buzz on Blended Learning: 22 T This bold approach integrates technology with traditional teaching. hould School Start Later?: Early 26 S classes can harm teens’ health and academic performance.

28 E ducation Directory: Schools, academic enrichment, and special education services in Brooklyn.

Baby Needs Books!

››

It’s never too soon to raise an eager reader—these early steps are the way to start.

W

hen my older daughter was born, I ran out and bought a bunch of things I assumed were necessities, such as a wet-wipe heater (which only made the wipes a smidge warmer than they already were) and a rattle (even though Clara’s little hands were in mittens to prevent her from accidentally scratching herself).

“She doesn’t need that stuff,” my mom laughed. “She just needs food and shelter and love.”

Experts would agree, but they’d probably add one more item to that short list: books. That’s right—even the very smallest children can benefit profoundly from story time. Snuggling over a good read actually helps your baby learn to read you and vice versa, and can yield a host of brain-boosting benefits, both now and later. Here are some reasons to start amassing a kiddie library, and using it daily.

0-6 Months: Building Bonds

At the very beginning of life, “reading time is really about bonding with a parent or caregiver,” says Rina P. Collins, owner of Book Nook, an early literacy studio with two Manhattan locations. Set aside time once or twice a day to break out 18

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

By Deborah Skolnik

a book. It’s also a chance for you to practice your reading technique. Not only do you have to get used to reciting aloud (it can take a while not to feel silly saying things like “and then the bunny went to the market!”) but “you’re learning how to hold your baby in the crook of one arm while holding the book with the other,” notes Pam Allyn, founding director of LitWorld, a global literacy initiative.

Your child may not spend lots of time checking out the book’s pages—he isn’t even focusing that well yet—but he’s looking at the faces you make, and starting to associate them with emotions.

He’s also listening. “You’re transmitting the grammatical structures and rhythm of language,” Allyn says. Go for books that are rich in sounds, such as Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. Also select some books with black-and-white contrast, since that’s what infants see best. One great choice: Hello Baby by Roger Priddy.

Around 4 months, your baby can see pictures more clearly, Collins notes. She’s mesmerized by other babies’ faces, so try reading Global Babies by The Global Fund for Children or a similar book. “And as your baby gets more accustomed to the rhythms of

language, he’ll enjoy texts that have an element of repetition,” says Roslyn Haber, Ed.D., associate professor of education at Touro Graduate College of Education in Manhattan. Nursery-rhyme books are great choices now, as are other books with repetitive turns of phrase. “We started reading Eric Carle’s Brown Bear, Brown Bear a lot at this point,” Collins says.

Rest assured, all this reading is doing lots of good. According to a study presented last spring at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting, reading to babies as young as just 6 months of age results in more robust vocabularies and better early literacy skills by age 4. The more vividly parents share books, the better: “We asked whether they were engaging in reading that involved talking about the pictures and emotions, and having a conversation around the story,” says Carolyn Cates, the study’s lead author. So go ahead— comment on the characters, make funny faces as you read, and modulate your voice up and down.

7-12 Months: Tactile Readers

Speaking of vocabulary, the second half of the first year is a great time to start building your baby’s knowledge of words. “We put out lots of board books that just had pictures and basic words, like ‘mommy’ or ‘daddy,’” Collins says. Roger Priddy’s First 100 Words Lift-the-Flap introduces vocabulary staples while also satisfying curious little fingers. In fact, you may notice your child starting to handle books a lot more around this time—“my son liked taking his finger and rubbing the page and moving his hand all around it,” Collins remembers. Dr. Haber agrees: “this is a very exploratory stage. It’s great to get books that have a lot of tactile fabrics in them,” she says.

DGK

By this point, you’ve probably figured out reading to your baby is a way of getting to know her personality. Does he act excited when you pull out a book about dinosaurs? Disinterested in the book about cats? Her expressions, gestures, and even the sounds she makes will provide clues. Since he can see colors very well now, the bright hues of Sandra Boynton’s Moo, Baa, La La La! may appeal to him. Rich language patterns may grab her attention too—at least for a short while. A book such as More More More Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams fits the bill.

Once your baby starts to crawl, put books in baskets, so they’ll be at eye level, Allyn recommends. If he shows a preference for certain subjects, stick with them (“Oh, you liked that book about trucks? Let’s get another book about them!”). As she nears her first birthday, your little one will also have a better understanding of the overall concept of a story, so feel free to try a book with more of a plot, such as Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day. Another major concept your child is starting to grasp is the idea that he belongs to a family. Try reading some stories that highlight family relationships, such as the Max and Ruby series by Rosemary Wells, featuring brother-and-sister rabbits. “Max and Ruby are recurring characters in the books, so you and your baby can keep reading about them as your child gets older,” Allyn points out.

Also highlight books that talk about where its main character fits into the world, for example The New Baby by Mercer Mayer. Talk to your baby about how there are many different types of families.

And make sure to throw in some books just for silly fun: Allyn is a big fan of Acoustic Rooster by Kwame Alexander, chronicling the adventures of a jazz-loving rooster and his barnyard band. continued on next page ››

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19-24 Months: Read It Again, Mom!

‹‹ continued from previous page

13-18 Months: Pages and Passions

“One to two years of age is when children’s language is absolutely exploding,” Allyn says. Your baby can appreciate continuity, so introduce her to authors you can return to again and again. These include Mo Willems, author of the acclaimed Pigeon series, and Charlotte Zolotow, who wrote The Seashore Book and dozens of others. “Your child is ready to have books that have multiple sentences, are longer, and have more advanced pictures,” Collins says. Rhyming books, such as Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown, may capture his attention. Tickle your baby’s funny bone by making exaggerated expressions and noises—you may be rewarded with some extra enthusiasm and delicious giggles. Where your baby used to be cradled in your arms for story time, she may happily settle into your lap. Make it easy for him to pick up books on his own, too; Collins recommends using low dish-display shelves and filling them with kiddie volumes.

Try finding books that relate to something your child loves in real life: If she’s a fan of unicorns, for example, read her a storybook that features one. And be prepared to let your little one take the lead—she may no longer be content to have you hold the book, insisting she keep a grip on it and turn the pages instead. “Be really patient,” Allyn advises. “It’s important that she learns how books work—even if that means [she is] turning the pages backwards as well as forwards.”

With all his squirminess, your child may often be reluctant to go to bed. Make books your secret weapon. Soothing titles such as Night-Night, by Leslie Patricelli, and DK Publishing’s Baby Touch and Feel Bedtime can become part of your evening or naptime rituals. The comforting images and soothing words, read in a soft voice, might just do the trick and help your child (and you!) catch some much-needed zzz’s.

Since you’ve exposed your baby to so many wonderful books by now, don’t be surprised if she has a favorite or two—and wants you to read them again and again. Oh, and again. Yes, it can test your patience a little, but it’s really a good thing for your budding reader.

“It links that book to comfort and familiarity,” Dr. Haber says.

Don’t be surprised, either, if your child picks up a book and throws it down, or even hurls it several feet across the room. It doesn’t mean your little one is destined to grow up to be the terror of the local library! “At this time, he’s exploring space, and throwing the book is part of that,” Dr. Haber explains. Instead of scolding him, you can calmly tell him to treat books with care. “You can pick the book back up and say, ‘That’s the book about the bird taking a vacation! Should we read it again?’” Dr. Haber suggests.

Of course, it’s good to introduce new books whenever you can.

At this age, they can have simple lessons, such as Please and Thank You by Richard Scarry and the old favorite, The Cat in the Hat

by Dr. Seuss. Sing-song books, with hand gestures you can try together, will often be a big hit too—read The Wheels on the Bus

by Jerry Smith. Almost any book can inspire some back-and-forth now. Try pointing to a duck or house and asking your child what it is; she may surprise you with a one-word answer you can expand on (“Right! That’s the duck who likes to play in the mud!”)

Just as your child may be mimicking some of your day-to-day activities, he may now mirror the way you read. “Many kids this age start trying to hold a book and read it aloud to their stuffed animals,” Allyn says. Your little one may “read” by babbling, using the same inflections you sometimes do during story time. It’s hilarious to watch, and touching, too. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And it shows that when it comes to a healthy love of reading, you and your child are on the same page.

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Jordan Laird

In math class, a fifth-grade student at St. Ann in East Harlem works on a Google Chromebook in i-Ready at the technology station. Behind him, Phil Biondo teaches students at his teacher instruction station. The timer on the board signals when to rotate stations.

The Buzz on Blended Learning

››

This bold approach integrates technology with traditional teaching. By Jordan Laird

O

n the fourth floor of an old building in East Harlem, Phil Biondo is teaching fifth-grade math. One group of students works diligently in their workbooks on one side of the room, occasionally discussing questions or asking Biondo for clarification.

A second group of students is taught by Biondo himself, at the front of the classroom. A third group of students, directly across the room from the first, wears headphones and works online on Google Chromebooks, using a learning program called i-Ready.

Behind Biondo, a digital timer is set for 30 minutes. When it goes off, the students rotate between the three ‘stations.’

Biondo remains seated and quickly begins teaching the next group’s lesson.

Class at St. Ann looked very different four years ago, before Principal Hope Mueller came on board and instituted a blended learning program—one in which a portion of learning is done online, and data generated is used to track students’ progress and refine lesson plans and other teaching strategies. At the time of her arrival, Mueller says, the school was plagued by behavioral problems, and test scores were stagnant. “The faculty and I recognized something wasn’t working and we kind of brainstormed and thought about the fact that we were not meeting the needs of every child,” she shares.

Mueller had gone to a few conferences and heard about blended learning and how the teaching style could possibly help students, 22

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

so the faculty agreed to try it. At first the school made do with its limited tech gear, but soon won a grant for equipment (including the Chromebooks), better Wi-Fi, and staff support.

The new strategy has paid off. In its first year after implementing blended learning, St. Ann saw a 28-percent increase in the number of students passing the state English Language Arts test and a 5-percent rise in those passing the state math exam, far exceeding Mueller’s goal of a 3-percent increase in both areas. In addition, “we saw behavior concerns drop to almost nothing,” she says. “We saw morale go through the roof with everybody in the community, and enrollment go up for the first time since 2006.” Last year, St. Ann was 1 of 11 schools to win a Blackboard award for outstanding schools in New York City. It was also named one of the 85 schools in the country worth visiting by gettingsmart.com, a design firm focused on innovations in learning.

A Rich Blend

Kimberly Greene, Ed.D., an associate professor of education at Brandman University in Irvine, CA, and an expert on educational technology, says blended learning is “where there is a formal electronically mediated component. It’s a formal component, not the occasional ‘here, watch this video and we’ll talk about it in class.’”

In other words, tech is integral to the teaching process.

A growing number of schools are adopting some type of blend-

ed approach. According to a 2015 report by the Center for Digital Education, 41 percent of K-12 schools surveyed offered blended and virtual (online) learning classes, and 55 percent of K-12 schools surveyed provided personalized learning, which is learning tailored to an individual student’s particular needs. Personalized learning goes hand in hand with blended learning.

“A lot of times I think about blended learning as a way to allow computers to do what computers do well, which is delivery of standardized lessons in some ways, and using data to personalize but [also] to free teachers to do what only humans can do,” says Michael Horn, co-author of the book Blended. “And that’s, you know, spend a lot more time on rich feedback. The point of blended learning is to increase the quality of those human interactions.”

St. Ann utilizes quite a bit of data to personalize lessons for its students. Using the i-Ready software, teachers can check students’ progress on virtual lessons as frequently as desired. The program automatically uses the data to personalize the lessons each student receives next. The teachers use that data to create their own lesson plans as well, and to decide how to group students for station rotation.

“Before we had this [approach], basically how you get data from students [is] you’re giving them quizzes or tests or you’re seeing how they act during class, seeing if they can answer questions. But this gives us data on how they’re doing each day in real time,” says Karen Doyle, St. Ann’s Blended Learning Coordinator and a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) teacher.

While St. Ann utilizes the station rotation model of blended learning, this is just 1 of 3 major blended-learning approaches used in K-12 education. In 2013, when the Center for Digital Education surveyed schools that have embraced digital learning in some way,

it found that roughly equal percentages of respondents used station rotation (38 percent); a “flipped” classroom model, in which instruction is offered outside the classroom—often online—and projects traditionally considered to be homework are done during class time (43 percent); or a mixture of online and traditional classes (43 percent).

Challenging Changes

Although blended learning can be beneficial, it also can be tricky to implement. “One of the most important things I will tell teachers… is that they need to walk around their rooms first thing and find the [electrical] outlets,” Mueller says. If a school’s building is old, as St. Ann’s is, many of the outlets may not work. In some of St. Ann’s classrooms, the only functional outlet was located where the teacher’s desk had always been, which meant that the desk had to be moved to make room for the Chromebook cart.

Even harder than rearranging furniture, however, was reframing staffers’ mindset as to what instruction could look like. “In the beginning, I was the one always complaining, ‘I can’t do this, I’m not a technology person,’” says first-grade teacher Stephanie Gueits-Marrero. “So for me, it was challenging to transition to this blended learning.”

Doyle adds that it’s also very difficult for teachers to carve out time to plan for blended learning. “You have to invest a lot of time and planning up front, and in the very first year we really didn’t have extra time built into the schedule,” Doyle notes. She explains faculty has to spend ample amounts of time sifting through student data on the computer software, then must come up with lesson plans for every group they’re going to see in their station rotation. continued on next page ››

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BrooklynParent 23

ts.

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‹‹ continued from previous page

Last of all, schools may struggle with the price tag for the necessary tech tools. “One of the other most difficult things [was that we had to] get this new infrastructure, these Chromebooks. We got a grant that was very substantial,” Mueller says. “If we didn’t have that support from the Archdiocese and these generous donors, we would not have been able to do what we’ve done.”

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Despite the challenges, St. Ann’s faculty wouldn’t go back to a traditional curriculum. “No. I think I like this way of teaching better,” says Gueits-Marrero—this despite her early resistance. “I think it’s more fun for the students too. They’re not stationed at one desk all day long. It’s helping them. The scores show their improvement.”

She describes one of her success stories, a student who came into her first-grade class on a pre-kindergarten level in reading and a low kindergarten level in math. But by the end of the school year, she was already on a second-grade reading level. Gueits-Marrero says this student is continuing to do well now.

Camron Campbell, a 14-year-old eighth-grader, is also benefiting tremendously from the new approach. “It’s a little emotional for me because my son struggled so long and felt so bad about himself,” says his mother, Antonia Campbell, remembering the years before the curriculum switch. Now, however, Camron “has just been excelling with this blended learning,” she says.

In fact, Principal Mueller says the new style of instruction has improved the climate of the entire school, and the surrounding community. Students and parents now trust the faculty and staff more. Because of the improved school climate, Mueller says faculty members have started facilitating after-school extracurricular activities, despite the fact that St. Ann is not able to pay them a salary for doing so. “The goal originally was just to help the kids academically,” she notes. “And it changed everything. If we had not started with blended learning, I don’t think any of these things would have happened.”

Blended Learning Gone Bad

St. Ann has had tremendous success with blended learning, but when schools don’t implement the approach properly, they run the risk of having it backfire. One common mistake some schools make, Horn says, is assuming technology has replaced the teacher and that the majority of a student’s day will be spent on the computer.

Another way schools get blended learning wrong “is they’re using it more as maybe a replacement for a textbook,” Horn explains. “But they’re not really personalizing that learning, and developing strong cultures around starting to help students own what they’re doing and why.” Horn also stresses spending time up front to design the model, and giving teachers adequate professional development.

St. Ann has hosted more than 200 visitors from across the country who want to see its award-winning blended learning program in action. Mueller says one common misconception among visiting educators is that if teachers are using learning centers, and one center is computer-based, it constitutes blended learning. But “without the data driving both the technology and the teacher-led instruction, it’s not quite the blend,” Mueller says.

“You’ve got to have a sense of who your students are so that you’re meaningfully able to design how the experience will be for that group,” Dr. Greene adds. “You can’t just design a great blended learning opportunity and then use it with everybody and expect it’s always going to be amazing. It’s got to have flexibility.

What is the intention of the learning, and how does it best serve this group of students I’m working with?”

Jeffrey Tsang, founder of the education consulting firm Building

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Blocks Education, which implements blended learning programs in schools, contends that “the challenge is getting to the right ‘why.’” He worries a lot of schools will get into blended learning just because the technology is there or because they believe it will make it cheaper to run the school, or easier for teachers. None of these, Tsang feels, are particularly compelling rationales. “Ultimately, once schools and districts get to a place of ‘I think we should use technology because it’ll improve learning and improve the student learning experience,’ I think that’s where you get to better models and better implementation,” he says.

What’s Coming Next?

Tsang suspects the next big shift for education will be to put students in charge of what they learn, and how. He thinks that if schools could combine internal motivation with individualized learning styles, it would transform learning into something driven by students in ways that are much more effective for them.

Horn believes there will be more movement toward the notion of mastery learning—a model in which students advance not because it’s time for the whole class to move on, but because they’ve truly mastered something. This may eventually involve doing away with traditional assessments. Horn also predicts a move toward “more thoughtful and coherent interweaving of rigorous curriculum with really rich projects. Meaning, students can learn knowledge on the computer, but it’ll be much more rigorous curriculum than some of the online programs we’ve seen so far, that sometimes are flimsy. And then giving students more time to dive into rich, complicated, multi-day projects with their peers.” No matter which direction blended learning takes in the future, it’s clear that innovation will be integral to the mix.

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Should School Start Later?

››

Early classes can harm teens’ health and academic performance—here’s a look at the movement to push back that first bell. By Christina Vercelletto

W

e tried sending the dog in to lick him awake. We tried threats, bribes, and a liberal dose of guilt, too (I’d burst into tears at fairly regular intervals). We set progressively earlier alarms, before calling that experiment a failure at 4:55am. But nothing my husband or I did could get our son, Charles, on the 6:50am high school bus more often than a few times a month. So there I’d be, driving him to school, sweaty and breathless, careening into the parking lot when first period was half over. (I usually drove him, because when my husband did, he’d bellow at him the whole way. I got his frustration, believe me, but was afraid he’d get in an accident.)

For four years this went on, until, blessedly, my son graduated last June—but not before having to take night-school classes for habitually failing first period. A mere month after those insanely stressful mornings finally ended, Charles began working a shift that starts at 9:30am. He gets up on his own at 8am, fixing himself eggs and toast. He leaves promptly at 8:45am every day, allowing a little extra time for traffic.

Really? I thought.

As mystifying as it seemed to me at first, my experience, it turns out, squares with science. Research has shown that early school start times (7:21am at our Long Island high school, for example) simply don’t mesh with teenage biology, and that starting even just 60 minutes later has positive effects on mental and physical health, and on academic performance, too. Yet the vast majority of public schools, including in our area, resist making the change.

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Rude Awakenings

Despite their appearance, high school kids are just that—kids who are still growing. Adolescents need 8½-9½ hours of sleep a night, an almost laughable number when compared with dayto-day reality. Ruth Angstadt’s son, Kurt, a 10th-grader at West Babylon High School in Suffolk County, is a prime example.

“He has soccer practice after school, then dinner and hours of homework. By the time he showers and winds down, it’s after eleven. Midnight is not unheard of,” she laments. Kurt is up at 6:15am (5:45am if he needs to get to school early for extra help). Do the math.

Contrary to the assumption that teens are just being, well, teens by refusing to budge from bed, it has much more to do with biology than rebellion. A shift in their internal clocks at puberty signals the sleep hormone melatonin to kick in later at night. That’s why the seemingly simple solution of enforcing an earlier bedtime doesn’t really work. That internal shift makes it hard for teens to fall asleep before 11pm, or wake up much before 8am. They may get in bed and turn off the light at your insistence, but in all likelihood, they’re not sleeping.

“The fact that these circadian rhythm shifts appear in adolescent mammals as well as adolescent humans suggests that there’s more to the story here than irresponsibility,” says Stacy Simera, communications director for StartSchoolLater.net.

The Benefits of Later Start Times

Why Don’t More Schools Make a Change?

Like so many other things having to do with public school sysTeens need enough sleep, not only to stave off the grumpies, but tems, the current situation is largely driven by budgets. The start also to effectively learn once they get to school. Schools with the times of high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools first period bell ringing at 8:30am or later—which eliminates more have to be staggered in order to keep the number of buses and than 85 percent of U.S. public high schools, according to federal drivers—and costs—to a minimum. And high schools tend to start data from the 2015-16 school year—wind up with better attenearliest, often to allow the youngest students to wait at the bus dance and graduation rates. One study comparing schools in seven stop in broad daylight and to have teens back home before their states, including New York, found that instituting an 8:30am start little brothers and sisters arrive, an arrangement some working increased attendance rates from 90 to 94 percent and graduation parents depend on. rates from 79 to 88 percent. These schools’ students have more Aside from increased transportation costs, rejiggering the start downtime too, according to a separate study recently published times of a district’s schools would mean renegotiating contracts, in December in the journal Sleep Health. It found that when high not only with transportation providers, but with teachers and school classes started at 8:30am or later, teens spent 46 more minschool staff, including sports coaches. utes in bed, on average, compared with peers whose schools startAnother consideration: The traffic that school buses and traveled between 7 and 7:30am. ing school sports teams would face if their schedule were closer to Meanwhile, a study of middle-school students in North Carorush hour. “As it was, it would take Joey an hour to get back when lina found that a one-hour delay in start time increased math test his away volleyball games ended at four. Imagine if they ended at scores by 3.3 percentile points and reading test scores by 3.7 points. five?” says Marie Iorio, a mom of “As someone who has studied two in New Hyde Park in Naseducational interventions, I trusau County. A situation like that ly believe that this is the single Despite their appearance, high school kids could hamper a child’s participaeasiest and least expensive way are just that—kids who are still growing. tion in extracurriculars or sports, to improve student outcomes,” which—who knows?—could be said the study’s author, Santa Adolescents need 8½-9½ hours of sleep a the thing that makes or breaks Clara University economist Teny night, an almost laughable number when their college applications.

M. Shapiro.

Other parents are simply neuIn fact, none other than the compared with day-to-day reality. tral on the issue. “I have mixed American Academy of Pediatfeelings about late start,” says rics released a policy statement Gina Seymour, the library media in 2014 saying that “insufficient specialist at Islip High School. “Yes, the kids are tired, but as a sleep in adolescents [is] an important public health issue that signifimom I do like to see my children off to school before I leave for cantly affects the health and safety, as well as the academic success, work, rather than leave with them still in bed.” of our nation’s middle and high school students.” The following year, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Continued Clock-Watching education policymakers to start school later. “Getting enough While the premise of later school start times for teens is widely sleep is important for students’ health, safety, and academic perforaccepted by those familiar with the facts, there’s another stummance,” stated Anne Wheaton, the lead author and epidemiologist bling block to overcome: human nature. People, parents included, in the CDC’s Division of Population Health. tend to rally around causes that affect them directly. That means Both the CDC and the AAP noted that sleep-deprived teens not that hard-won advocates graduate along with their kids every four only have poorer educational outcomes, but also are more prone years, so it’s a constant battle for groups such as Start School Later to car accidents, obesity, and depression. to keep re-educating parents and maintain the grassroots pressure.

None of this is to say, of course, that opening high schools an Success Stories hour later is the lone magic bullet to kids’ sleep issues and school The realization is spreading that it’s harmful to force teens to success. And some kids fare better than others with the current rise with the birds. Some schools have adopted later start times, arrangement. Jennifer Geddes, a mom of two teens in Manhatthough there’s no hard data on the trend. “Unfortunately, it is tan, is one of the lucky ones. Her daughter’s high school starts at very difficult to track how many schools are talking about chang8:30am. But while Geddes says the late start is great, “Fiona could ing or have changed start times because there is no mandatory start earlier than that,” she shares. “She’s up and ready to go well reporting. Our lack of tracking start times reflects our level of sysbefore she has to leave.” temic lack of awareness,” Simera says.

Barring a sweeping change to start times, what are families to do?

But the Glen Falls School District is one that made the switch.

Promoting good sleep-hygiene habits for kids, such as avoiding cafIn 2013, the high school pushed back its start time from 7:45am feine in the evening, shutting down electronics before getting into to 8:25am, and saw better student outcomes. The South Orangebed, and keeping to roughly the same sleep schedule on weekends, town Central School District is another that opted to try a later will help them regardless of when school begins. That, combined start. “Our high school and middle school went from a 7:30am with continuing efforts to educate parents, school boards, and polstart to 8:15. It’s soooo much better,” says Stephanie Mullen, a iticians on the benefits of letting teens sleep later, may ultimately mom of three in Blauvelt. “Teens are not adults, and there’s no yield eye-opening results for our chronically weary kids. point in forcing them to adapt to an adult schedule.” At Islip High School in Suffolk County, upperclassmen can opt out of first Christina Vercelletto is a former editor at NYMetroParents, Parenting, Scholastic Parent & period and come in 40 minutes later, provided they’ll have enough Child, and Woman’s Day. She lives on Long Island with her kids, a chiweenie, Pickles, and a credits to graduate, which most do.

20-pound calico, Chub-Chub.

BrooklynParent 27

raising kids directory

Education Resources Top area schools and academic services to help you make the best decisions for your child

Academic Enrichment and Educational Services Brienza’s Academic Advantage

prep, to science, as well as STEAM enrichment classes. FasTracKids is an international organization with locations in more than 52 countries worldwide. Visit us at ftkny.com.

Parochial Schools A. Fantis Parochial School

Pre-K 3 through eighth grade, including UPK Theodore G. Tasoulas, principal 195 State St. afantis.org Since 1963, A. Fantis Parochial School of Sts. Constantine and Helen Cathedral has established a tradition of excellence in Brooklyn Heights. A. Fantis provides a modern education infused with Hellenic culture and Christian values. We promote academic excellence and strength of character in a small, nurturing environment that cultivates scholars who will mature into responsible citizens and real-world problem solvers. Our high school admissions team has helped our graduates enter their schools of choice, including Stuyvesant, Poly Prep, and Dominican Academy. We invite you to tour the facility at the next open house.

Several locations in Brooklyn and Staten Island. Call for a location near you!

718-232-0114; brienzas.com Brienza’s Academic Advantage offers a wide variety of academic programs for students attending kindergarten through 12th grade.

We specialize in reading and math tutoring along with TACHS, SHSAT, Regents, SAT and ACT preparation. Our programs provide students with the opportunity to increase their skills and knowledge, enabling them to reach their full potential, and gain motivation and confidence. Programs offered are tutoring in all subjects, test preparation courses, Mandated Summer School programs, and SETSS (P-4) services to qualified students.

Call our office to speak to one of our educational specialists.

Huntington Learning Center

College Nannies + Sitters + Tutors: Brooklyn Heights Family Placement Coordinator Building Stronger Families®

Northside Center, Fort Greene – Brooklyn Children and Family Services Center

The Bible Speaks Academy

RSM Russian School of Mathematics

The Dimitrios and Georgia Kaloidis Parochial School (DGK)

718-841-7458 x7 collegenanniesandtutors.com Whether you need a nanny, sitter, or tutor, there is no better place to turn. We’re dedicated to helping parents Build Stronger Families™ by creating smarter, happier kids. With our Complete Family Approach® process, our nannies are personally matched to the needs of your family. We’ve made finding a smart, reliable sitter extremely easy. Whether you need one now or later at home or while you travel, you can always say yes. ACT/ SAT prep? Homework help? Students can get the help they need to succeed from patient, trained tutors.

FasTracKids

Williamsburg, Sheepshead Bay, Bay Ridge/ Dyker, Park Slope 347-983-2229; ftkny.com FasTracKids offers supplemental programs and classes for children ages 2-14. We offer a suite of world-class educational enrichment programs, which are designed to help children accelerate their education, utilizing the latest in research driven, brain-based learning.

Our centers offer a variety of programs ranging from preschool, to gifted and talented test prep and programs, to math and English tutoring and enrichment including NYS test

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808 Union St., Park Slope 718-230-4600 huntingtonhelps.com Huntington Learning Center is the premier tutoring and test prep provider for kindergarten to 12th grades. Founded in 1977, its mission is to give every student the best education possible. The company prides itself on personalized attention and proven results with individualized programs taught by certified teachers at accredited centers. Areas of instruction include phonics, reading, writing, vocabulary, math, science, ACT, SAT, PSAT, high school entrance exams, and state and other standardized exams. To learn more and locate a center near you, visit huntingtonhelps.com.

44-60 Rockwell Place 347-505-5517; northsidecenter.org Northside Center is a nonprofit that provides expert behavioral, mental health, education, and enrichment programs to children and families living in poverty. Our high-quality, outcome-driven behavioral, mental health, and education services propel struggling children forward—away from the ill-effects of poverty and racism, toward a future limited only by the scope of their dreams.

Northside’s programs operate out of five locations around New York City in Harlem, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Our programs fall into three main categories: mental and behavioral health, early education, and enrichment.

RSM Brooklyn now has a new location!

2583 Ocean Ave. 516-551-6428 russianschool.com/brooklyn brooklyn@russianschool.com Recently featured in TED, NPR, and The Atlantic magazine as one of the key players in the “Math Revolution,” and ranked one of the best schools in the world by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, RSM helps children of all levels build a solid math foundation and develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Sign up for a free math evaluation today!

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

5205 Foster Ave. 718-629-4559 tbsbrooklyn.org; info@tbsbrooklyn.org The Bible Speaks Academy is a Christian school in the heart of East Flatbush, where students receive a quality Christian education that benefits them, their homes, and their communities. The Bible Speaks Academy offers an individualized learning system that addresses the academic needs and progress of each child; and this year we are adding language choices and music to our program.

Our dedicated staff provides the training, love, patience, and encouragement necessary to make a difference in the lives of pre-K through eighth grade students. For more information: 718-629-4559.

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church 8502 Ridge Blvd.

718-836-8096 dgkschool.com; principal@dgkschool.org The Dimitrios and Georgia Kaloidis Greek American Parochial School is committed to providing students from nursery, pre-K, and kindergarten through eighth grade, with a quality education that emphasizes academic achievement, social, emotional, and spiritual development, while preparing them for 21st-century college and career readiness.

Queen of All Saints Catholic Academy

300 Vanderbilt Ave. 718-857-3114 qasca.org In a nurturing learning environment, based in Christ’s teachings, students at Queen of All Saints Catholic Academy find a challenging academic program and an enriching student experience. Our students enjoy a diverse range of programming across the disciplines from arts integration to STEM learning.

When our students go on to high school, they not only succeed academically, they also are viewed as compassionate, intellectually strong, faith-filled leaders. Please visit our school any Wednesday this winter for a personalized tour to see what our school can offer you.

Saint Saviour Catholic Academy

701 8th Ave., Park Slope 718-768-8000 x4 saintsaviourcatholicacademy.org nlynch@sscaparkslope.org Saint Saviour Catholic Academy prepares students from nursery to eighth grade for higher education. We welcome and support diversity of ethnicity and race, religion, socioeconomic background, and learning style.

Our academy offers a balanced curriculum of rigorous academics, designed to meet the Common Core standards, and a vibrant arts program paired with the spiritual teachings of Catholicism. We welcome you to visit our academy! Tours are by appointment with our director of admissions, Nathan Lynch (see

SCHOOL MARKETPLACE

contact information above). All tours start at 9am.

St. Bernadette Catholic Academy

1313 83rd St. 718-236-1560 stbernadetteschool.org stbernadette83@yahoo.com St. Bernadette Catholic Academy provides an atmosphere that fosters religious beliefs, moral values, and a well-balanced academic education resulting from our dedicated faculty and administration. Technology, art, music, Italian, and physical education also add an essential dimension to student life. In addition to academics, students are offered the opportunity to join student council along with a variety of extracurricular activities. It is always our goal to support the needs of every student to not only prepare for high school, but to prepare for life!

St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy

241 Prospect Park W. 718-768-7629 sjwca.org St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy offers academic classes to students in grades Pre-K 3 through eighth grade. We also offer a “Mommy and Me” program. Facilities include art, music, computer labs, outdoor sports field, science lab, and library. We also provide SETSS, OT, speech, writing workshops, algebra I, and Spanish. SJWCA serves to educate students of all faiths in a Catholic, Christ-centered environment. We foster continued on next page ››

Susan Walsh, Principal Nathan Lynch Director of Admissions, Marketing, and Development

We’re learning step-by-step at...

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After School Programs

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Stepping Stones

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July – August

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BrooklynParent 29

Smart Start Early Learning Center

‹‹ continued from previous page

spiritual development, academic excellence, responsibility to self, and service to others. We believe in the core values of the Five R’s: Reverence, Respect, Responsibility, Rigor, and Relationships.

Preschools Bushwick Montessori

Becky Simkhai, head of school 803 Knickerbocker Ave. 718-369-0145 bushwickmontessori.org At Bushwick Montessori our objective is to nurture the emotional, social, physical, and cognitive development of the child. Our thoughtful application of the Montessori method enables our children to become lifelong lovers of learning, critical thinkers, and future noise makers of the world. Housed in our state-ofthe-art green building, we pass along our belief in environmental stewardship to our students. We serve locally sourced organic vegetarian lunches, provide full day care, offer financial aid, and accept ACS and HRA vouchers.

Huggs Day School

Co-directors: Randie Bader and Gary Siegel 763 President St., Park Slope 718-230-5255 huggsdayschool.com Huggs Day School is a fully licensed preschool in the heart of Park Slope. Established in 1982, we provide quality programs for youngsters, ages 2-5. Our facilities include large, airy classrooms, an indoor gym, and a private, fully-equipped backyard. We offer schedules ranging from two-five mornings, afternoons, or full-days. Limited spots are available for the current school year. Registration for the 2018-19 School Year and 2018 Summer Program have begun.

Early registration discounts are still available. Please call to schedule a private tour with the director.

Little Hands & Feet

1270 Bay Ridge Parkway 718-680-KIDS (5437) littlehandsandfeetdaycare.com Little Hands & Feet was founded by Aneshah, who has been certified in child care for 20 years. Our goal is to provide a healthy, safe, and nurturing environment while focusing

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on educational and social development. We believe each child is special and unique. Our staff is dedicated, qualified, and trained. At Little Hands & Feet be assured it is a home away from home and your child will have the best care available. Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 6:30am-6:30pm.

Pre-K for all 8:30am-2:50pm (early-care and after-care available for enrolled students).

Call for more information about our infant-toddler programs and our preschool programs. Or find us online at littlehandsandfeetdaycare.com

Music Together

Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, Marine Park 718-499-2866 musictogetherbr.com Music Together is a nationwide educational program founded on the belief that all children are musical, and that music is a perfect way for children to learn and grow. We sing, dance, and play instruments in a fun, informal, supportive atmosphere. Limited to 12 children with parent or caregiver. Classes meet once a week for 45 minutes. Morning, afternoon, evening, or weekend class times available. Newborn to 6 years. Free trial classes offered to sample a class before enrolling.

Sessions start in September, January, April, and July.

Redeemer St. John’s Nursery School

939 83rd St. 718-833-7700 Redeemer St. John’s Nursery School has served the community for more than 40 years and is licensed by the New York City Department of Health. Our goal is to foster a child’s positive self-image, encourage curiosity, and promote cooperation by providing rich experiences and opportunities for problem solving, self-expression, and logical thinking. Our thematic curriculum focuses on fun, age-appropriate activities integrated into all subject areas. In addition to offering a two-day toddler program, we offer a three-day (fullor half-day) nursery program and a free UPK program for children born in 2012.

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

8411 Fort Hamilton Parkway 718-921-1868 smartstart@verizon.net While providing a safe, warm, and nurturing environment, our staff addresses the social, emotional, and physical needs of children. Through thematic units, arts and crafts, and dramatic play, the “whole” child will flourish.

Full- and part-time classes for ages 2-3, and free universal pre-K for age 4, with extended-day option. Open year-round; summer program available.

Stepping Stones Nursery School

245 86th St., Bay Ridge 718-630-1000 Stepping Stones - The Next Step 9321 Ridge Blvd.

718-630-1001 steppingstones86.com steppingstones86@aol.com Join Stepping Stones for summer and/or fall to share the joys of early exploration and discovery.

The children at Stepping Stones achieve successful social skills and build a wonderful rapport with their peers and teachers. Watch your child grow through handson learning and small group instruction based on an independent and creative curriculum.

Full- and part-time programs for ages 2, 3, and 4, as well as an after-school program are offered.

Hours of operation are from 7am-6:30pm. Come visit us. We look forward to meeting you and your child.

Storybook Land

8638 20th Ave. 718-996-8714 Give your child a superior beginning! All teachers are certified in early childhood development.

Programs include half- and fullday, and extended time from ages 2-5. Mind Power is our special program for ages 2-3. Preschool and kindergarten activities, fitness program, trips, music, math and reading readiness. We offer a powerful first-grade prep for kindergarten students only!

Give your child a head start with our after-school tutoring program focusing on common core standards. After-school tutoring program is available for homework help and test prep for kindergarten through eighth grade. Call for information! 718996-8714.

Treasure Island

347 74th St. (corner of 4th Avenue and 74th Street) 718-238-7676 silbekidz@aol.com Every child deserves a champion who connects with them and helps them to become the best that they can be. At Treasure Island you will find that our staff are champions for all children; helping each child to become a confident, motivated, engaged learner. The program promotes social competencies, active thinking, problem-solving skills, and an awareness of the diversity in our world, building a foundation of respect for differences. We serve children ages 2½-4. Hours are Monday-Friday, 7:15am6pm. Meals included. Music and Zumba, and UPK are available.

Maria Nogueira, director.

Trilok Fusion Center for Arts

143 Waverly Ave. (between Myrtle and Park avenues) 718-797-1700 trilokfusion.com Our goal is to nourish all aspects of the child, opening the world to each child through exploratory and creative processes.

Through hands-on learning with small class sizes, we cultivate the truly unique qualities within each individual. We foster their ability to embrace life’s challenges. We offer outlets of expression in dance, music, drawing, painting, gardening, photography, video, and cooking. From this strong base of activity, children’s minds are fired up toward academic studies such as reading, writing, math, science, and social studies.

Urban Strategies Inc. Early Learn Program

Urban Strategies Early Learning 1091 Sutter Ave. (at Atkins Avenue) 1084 Elton St. (at Flatland Avenue) Urban Strategies UPK Program 255 Atkins Ave. 1405 Bushwick Ave. 718-235-6151 usheadstart1@aol.com usdaycare1@aol.com Urban Strategies Early Learn Program provides child care and Head Start services for children ages 2-5. Urban Strategies is a safe and supportive Early Learn Program that promotes discovery and growth. Our program combines state-of-the-art facilities,

and a nationally recognized early childhood curriculum. We collaborate with families to help each child achieve pre-kindergarten readiness. Get ready to invest in your child’s future as a lifelong learner.

Private Schools Brooklyn Waldorf School

11 Jefferson Ave. 718-783-3270 brooklynwaldorf.org Brooklyn Waldorf School, located at 11 Jefferson Ave. in Bedford–Stuyvesant, offers a cohesive, time-tested education for children ages pre-K to eighth grade. At BWS, we believe that educating children means creating a nurturing and inspiring place for them to discover themselves and their potential.

Founded in 2005, BWS was created to form a culturally, financially, and ethnically diverse school. The school is an associate member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) and a full member of the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN).

Leif Ericson Day School

Christine Hauge, principal 1037 72nd St. 718-748-9023 ledsny.org Leif Ericson Day School offers a well-rounded quality education for children in nursery-eighth grade. Small class sizes, progressive state-approved curriculum, music performance classes, computer technology classes, and hands-on science lab contribute to academic success. Dedicated faculty, counseling, tutoring, door-to-door bus service, extended hours, and extracurricular activities enhance all that LEDS has to offer. Call for a personal tour!

Trilok Fusion Center for Arts

143 Waverly Ave. (between Myrtle and Park avenues) 718-797-1700 trilokfusion.com Our goal is to nourish all aspects of the child, opening the world to each child through exploratory and creative processes. Through hands-on learning with small class sizes, we cultivate the truly unique qualities within each

individual. We foster their ability to embrace life’s challenges. We offer outlets of expression in dance, music, drawing, painting, gardening, photography, video, and cooking. From this strong base of activity, children’s minds are fired up toward academic studies such as reading, writing, math, science, and social studies.

SCHOOL MARKETPLACE

Special Needs

n Us For Come Joi , and music oga y , a b m d kid‛s zu ccredite A C Y E NA Program!

Huntington Learning Center

808 Union St., Park Slope 718-230-4600 huntingtonhelps.com Huntington Learning Center is an accredited tutoring and test prep leader for kindergarten to 12th grades, since 1977.

Huntington’s certified teachers provide individualized instruction in phonics, reading, writing, math, science, study skills, and executive functioning skills and prepare students for the SAT, ACT, and state and standardized exams. Huntington helps students at all levels achieve results by building their skills, confidence, and motivation.

According to one parent: “In just four months, I have seen incredible improvements in Jessica’s grades and confidence.”

To learn more about Huntington’s programs and find the center near you, please visit huntingtonhelps.com.

Northside Center, Fort Greene – Brooklyn Children and Family Services Center

44-60 Rockwell Place 347-505-5517 northsidecenter.org Northside Center is a nonprofit that provides expert behavioral, mental health, education, and enrichment programs to children and families living in poverty.

Our high-quality, outcome-driven behavioral, mental health, and education services propel struggling children forward— away from the ill-effects of poverty and racism, toward a future limited only by the scope of their dreams. Northside’s programs operate out of five locations around New York City in Harlem, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Our programs fall into three main categories: mental and behavioral health, early education, and enrichment.

Registration for September 2018 will take place in January.

Please call for details.

Free Full Day U.P.K. Program for All Call for Information!

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BrooklynParent 31

things to do

outbound

Family Fun a Ride Away Courtesy FunFuzion

Courtesy Westchester Children’s Museum

In Westchester County...

Located on the boardwalk next to Playland Amusement Park, Westchester Children’s Museum is open year-round and serves as an entertaining and educational destination for children ages 13 and younger. The 6,500-square-foot vibrant learning space has interactive exhibits to challenge children of every age group.

Visit it: 100 Playland Parkway, Rye (Metro-North New Haven Line); 914-421-5050; discoverwcm.org

Thunder Ridge Ski Area You’re going to get chilly this winter, so why not warm up on the slopes?

Approximately 65 miles north of Midtown Manhattan lies Thunder Ridge Ski Area in Patterson. With slopes for beginners to advanced skiers and snowboarders, this scenic destination is great for a day trip with the whole family or weekend getaway. Open mid-December to mid-March (weather-dependent).

Visit it: 50 Thunder Ridge Road, Patterson (Metro-North Harlem Line); 845-878-4100; thunderridgeski.com

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Courtesy Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries. Beacon, New York. © Dia Art Foundation, New York. Photo: Bill Jacobson Studio, New York. Courtesy Dia Art Foundation, New York

Westchester Children’s Museum

This indoor amusement park has a wide variety of activities to entertain family members of all ages (including parents!). With video games, kiddie rides, laser tag, glow-in-the-dark bowling, billiards, miniature golf, and pingpong there’s truly something fun for everyone.

Visit it: 29 Lecount Place, New Rochelle (Metro-North New Haven Line); 914-637-7575; funfuziononline.com

Courtesy Thunder Ridge Ski Area

FunFuzion

and bey ond !

Dia:Beacon Step inside a former Nabisco box printing factory to see vast galleries of art at Dia:Beacon. The museum, located on the banks of the Hudson River, presents Dia Art Foundation’s collection of art from the 1960s to present and also includes special exhibitions and public programs.

Visit it: 3 Beekman St., Beacon (Metro-North Hudson Line); 845-440-0100; diaart.org

Date night?

Say yes.

We’ll watch your little pumpkin.

Brooklyn Heights: 718-841-7458 Manhattan-West Side: 212-951-0460 collegesitters.com

BROOKLYN’S MUSIC EDUCATION CHOICE

FOR T ODAY ’S MODERN FAMILY Fun and exciting group piano, music composition & production, and performance/band classes for ages 5 to adult.

enroll today !

718.576.3514

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94 LUQUER ST. BROOKLYN, NY 11231

keyl ab.nyc

Better than Hebrew School?!?

JEC at FJC

Explore Jewish holidays, Torah, culture, liturgy and the Hebrew language through a variety of genres including cooking, drama, dance, movie-making and yoga!

Join our after-school program today!

Exploring on Thursdays, Sept 7th-June 7th, 4:30-6pm Jewish Explorers Club at Flatbush Jewish Center

327 East 5th Street (718) 871-5200 www.flatbushjewishcenter.org Flatbush Jewish Center is a Traditional Egalitarian Community in Kensington, Brooklyn

BrooklynParent 33

Hey! Moms and Dads Look what we have for you

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Ideas When You Need Them:

Sign up for our FREE newsletter & never hear “I’m bored!” again. We email the top kids’ events every Thursday—just in time to make weekend plans!

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Turn the page for details on MulchFest (No. 3 on our list).

JANUARY

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nymetroparents.com/submitevent UPDATED DAILY AT nymetroparents.com/calendar EDITOR: ROSALIND MUGGERIDGE bkcal@davlermedia.com

CALENDAR

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Editor’s Hot Tickets

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Animal Lovers

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We Can’t Believe It’s FREE!

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The Great Outdoors

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Crafty Kids

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Movers & Shakers

Smarty Pants, Browse & Buy

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Mini Musicians, Show Time!

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EDITOR’S HOT TICKETS

Our calendar is full of great ideas. First, here are the 10 events we consider can’t-miss—the ones we’re taking our own kids to. Consider it your cheat sheet to the best of what’s great this month!

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Coney Island Polar Bear Club Annual Ocean Swim

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 1, 1pm WHERE: Riegleman Boardwalk, Stillwell Avenue, Coney Island AGES: All WHAT: The historic Coney Island Polar Bear Club, the nation’s original winter bathing club, will embrace 2018 with its annual New Year’s Day Plunge in the Atlantic Ocean in Coney Island.

WHY WE LOVE IT: This annual swim raises money for Camp Sunshine, an organization that supports children facing life-threatening illness and their immediate families.

WANT TO GO? $25 suggested donation. 917-533-3568. polarbearclub.org.

Neighborhood Concert: Sinkane FREE

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WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 6, 5pm WHERE: Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights AGES: All WHAT: London-born Sinkane (also known as Ahmed Gallab) lived in Sudan until he was 5 years old. In these early years, he absorbed the North African musical culture that inspires his rapturous hybrid sound, laced with percussion-heavy Sudanese pop, electronica, funk, and free jazz.

WHY WE LOVE IT: He is a prolific recording artist with critically acclaimed EPs and albums to his credit.

WANT TO GO? 718-638-5000. brooklynmuseum.org.

MulchFest FREE

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WHEN: Jan. 6-7, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-2pm WHERE: Prospect Park, Park Circle entrance, Prospect Park Southwest and Parkside Avenue, Windsor Terrace AGES: All WHAT: Bring your holiday tree, minus the decorations, to Prospect Park, where it will be turned into environment-friendly

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

mulch that can be taken home for your own yard or garden. While you’re there, help assist in removing ornaments and distributing mulch.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Show your kids a more environmentally friendly alternative to curbing the Christmas tree.

WANT TO GO? 718-287-3400. nycgovparks.org.

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Three Kings Day Parade FREE

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 7, 2-5pm WHERE: Graham Avenue, starting at Meeker and Grand Avenues and ending at Broadway, Williamsburg AGES: All WHAT: The Brooklyn Three Kings Day Parade is celebrating its 21st anniversary and will travel down Graham Avenue in Williamsburg. This year’s parade is dedicated to the children and families of Puerto Rico who strive for social and economic justice.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Keep the holiday season going by celebrating this traditional holiday.

WANT TO GO? eventbrite.com.

‘B: The Underwater Bubble Show’

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WHEN: Jan. 11-12, Thursday-Friday, 6:30pm WHERE: St. George Theatre, 35 Hyatt St., Staten Island AGES: 5 and older WHAT: The show follows Mr. B, a creature of modern habits who always feels pressed by a thousand things to do in a world that seems to be moving too fast. The office worker discovers a little aquarium that appears like magic inside his briefcase and gradually becomes enchanted by the wondrous underwater world of Bubblelandia, which is full of seahorses, dragon fish, starfish, mermaids, and other creatures.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Lasers, low ground smoke, and flying foam simulate waves to create a vibrant underwater atmosphere.

WANT TO GO? $29-$39. 718-442-2900. stgeorgetheatre.com.

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Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 13, 5-6pm WHERE: Brooklyn Music School And Playhouse, 126 St. Felix St., Fort Greene AGES: All WHAT: Song was among the most important unifying and rallying factors in Dr. King’s movement of peace and equality, a movement that has provided many Brooklyn Music School students and faculty with the opportunity to pursue music and other skills at all levels.

WHY WE LOVE IT: This event brings a diverse community together to celebrate the vision of Martin Luther King Jr. WANT TO GO? $8. 718-638-5660. brooklynmusicschool.org.

2018 Zlatne Uste Golden Festival

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WHEN: Jan. 12-13, Friday, 7:30pm-12:30am; Saturday, 6pm-2am WHERE: Grand Prospect Hall, 263 Prospect Ave., South Slope AGES: All WHAT: Check out New York’s largest Balkan music event featuring multiple stages, Balkan and Middle Eastern refreshments, arts vendors, and textile displays.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Profits are donated to Balkan educational and relief organizations.

WANT TO GO? $35-$55; free for children 12 and younger. 718-8594759. goldenfest.org.

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Breakfast with the Animals

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 13, 9-10:30am WHERE: New York Aquarium, Surf Avenue and West 8th Street, Coney Island AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: Enjoy a light morning meal of “people food” along with child-focused activities incorporating movement, discovery, crafts, and guided and free play opportunities. Education instructors help facilitate an engaging and fun experience for all. Finish the fun with an animal encounter.

WHY WE LOVE IT: This behind-the-scenes visit to the aquarium gets visitors up close and personal with some fascinating animals.

WANT TO GO? $45; $40 members. 718-265-3474. nyaquarium.com.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Prospect Park FREE

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 15, 10am-4pm WHERE: Prospect Park Audubon Center, Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue, Flatbush AGES: All WHAT: Join Prospect Park Alliance naturalists to discover the winter survival strategies of animals that live in the park. Enjoy nature games, science activities, and bird watching.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Bundle up and find out what your favorite park animals are doing this winter.

WANT TO GO? 718-287-3400. prospectpark.org.

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WE CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S FREE

Think a freebie has to be ho-hum? Don’t let the price tag (or lack of one) fool you. Here are the four no-cost events we’re excited about now. You’re welcome.

New Year’s Day Hike FREE

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 1, 11am-12:30pm WHERE: Prospect Park Audubon Center, Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue, Flatbush AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Dress warmly, put on your hiking shoes, and head to a park.

Explore nature, discover our city’s urban forests, or just unplug from the world to clear your head. Hiking programs feature intensity levels ranging from light to moderate to vigorous.

WANT TO GO? 718-287-3400. prospectpark.org.

LDBA Free Art Fridays FREE

WHEN: Jan. 5 and 19, Fridays, 3-5pm WHERE: Brooklyn Public Library, Williamsburgh branch, 240 Division Ave., Williamsburg AGES: 3-12 WHAT: Explore new techniques and materials in this visual arts workshop.

Free Art Fridays is presented by Williamsburg art school L’ecole Des Beaux Arts. Registration required and space is limited.

WANT TO GO? 718-302-3485. bklynlibrary.org/locations/williamsburgh.

‘Fancy Nancy: Oodles of Kittens’ Storytime FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 27, 11am WHERE: Barnes & Noble, 267 7th Ave., Park Slope AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Fancy Nancy returns in a story about felines, canines, and making new four-legged friends. Nancy’s new kitten meets her posh pup, Frenchy.

Will her two pets ever get along and will Nancy be able to love them both the same?

WANT TO GO? 718-832-9066. barnesandnoble.com.

Farmhouse Family Day FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 11am-3pm WHERE: The Wyckoff House Museum, 5816 Clarendon Road, Canarsie AGES: 3-12 WHAT: Bring the family to explore New York City’s oldest house for seasonal activities inside the historic house and around the gardens include scavenger hunts, artifact investigation, gardening, self-guided exploration, and hands-on activities.

WANT TO GO? 718-629-5400. wyckoffmuseum.org. ››

MLK, Jr. I Have a Dream Celebration

WHEN: Jan. 13-15, Saturday-Monday, 10am-5pm WHERE: Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave., Crown Heights AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Featuring three days of culture and fun, families will learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy by taking a deep dive into our country’s history. Learn about the importance of diversity, equality, and rights.

WHY WE LOVE IT: This celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. explores peace, empathy, and togetherness.

WANT TO GO? $11; free for children younger than 1. 718-224-5863. brooklynkids.org.

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presents photography from the faculty and students of Curtis High School who were part of an educational program about the history of the still-life genre through painting and photography, as well as contemporary approaches. The exhibition also includes McDonnell’s recent work.

WANT TO GO? 718-869-6327. conferencehouse.org.

DIY: Winter Craft Party FREE

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 8, 3pm WHERE: Brooklyn Public Library, Mapleton branch, 1702 60th St., Mapleton AGES: 13-17 WHAT: Bring your kids to the library to enjoy a winter arts and crafts program. All kinds of craft materials will be provided and you can be creative with your own ideas.

WANT TO GO? 718-256-2117. bklynlibrary.org.

Knitting and Crocheting: Fun With Yarn FREE

WHEN: Jan. 3-10, Wednesdays, 4pm WHERE: Brooklyn Public Library, Kensington branch, 4207 18th Ave., Kensington AGES: 5-17 WHAT: Kids will love this this workshop in which they can learn everything they’ll need to crochet or knit their own hat, scarf, or bag.

WANT TO GO? 718-436-0545. bklynlibrary.org.

CRAFTY KIDS

Nature’s Workshop: Jewelry Making FREE

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 21, 1pm WHERE: Salt Marsh Nature Center - Marine Park, East 33rd Street and Avenue U, Marine Park AGES: All WHAT: Join the park rangers and learn how to make jewelry using materials from nature. Basic materials provided.

WANT TO GO? 718-421-2021. nycgovparks.org.

Art Fest

Arts, Culture & Fun: Make Your Mark with a Watercolor Class FREE

WHEN: Through Jan. 1: Sunday, 10am-5:30pm; Monday-Thursday, 10am-4pm WHERE: Jewish Children’s Museum, 792 Eastern Parkway, Crown Heights AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Experiment with vibrant ink and customizable stencils in a silkscreening workshop to design your own tote bag, create bookmarks for yourself and for children in Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital using cool tiedye techniques, visit hands-on exhibits, and participate in live game shows.

WANT TO GO? $13. 718-907-8833. jcm.museum.

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 24, 1-3:30pm WHERE: Greenbelt Nature Center, Blood Root Valley, 700 Rockland Ave., Staten Island AGES: 13 and older WHAT: Bring your teen to this art class in which participants learn how to use line, shape, and color to render an image. Bring an image you would like to paint during the two-hour session. Supplies will be provided and beginners are welcome.

WANT TO GO? 718-351-3450. nycgovparks.org.

Kids DIY Workshop: Block Calendars FREE

Kids Create FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 6, 9am-12pm WHERE: Home Depot, 230 Nostrand Ave., Bedford Stuyvesant AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Get organized for 2018 in this hands-on workshop in which you and your child can assemble a wooden block calendar to kick off the new year. All kids get to keep their craft, receive a certificate of achievement, a workshop apron, and a commemorative pin while supplies last.

WANT TO GO? 718-230-0833. homedepot.com.

Ann Marie McDonnell: Spotlight on Still Life Closing Reception FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 6, 1-3pm WHERE: Conference House, H. H. Biddle House, Hylan Boulevard and Satterlee Street, Staten Island AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Spotlight on Still Life, curated by artist Ann Marie McDonnell,

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

WHEN: Jan. 5-26, Fridays, 3:45-4:45pm WHERE: Brooklyn Public Library, New Utrecht branch, 1743 86th St., Bensonhurst AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Kids get to create something new and all their own.

WANT TO GO? 718-236-4086. bklynlibrary.org.

Art Adventures

WHEN: Jan. 10-March 28, Wednesdays, 11:15am-12:15pm WHERE: Spark by Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 1 John St., Dumbo AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Each week children and caregivers explore art in the SPARK studio, experiment with materials, discover hidden objects from the BCM collection on scavenger hunt challenges, and create masterworks in this one-hour class. Registration required.

WANT TO GO? $36. 718-852-2470. brooklynkids.org/spark.

MOVERS & SHAKERS New Year’s Day Family Bowl

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 1, 11am-8pm WHERE: Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Ave., Williamsburg AGES: All WHAT: Start the year off right with Family Bowl for the whole crew. Besides the music, this event features a brunch menu, brunch drink specials, and kids menu.

WANT TO GO? Free entry; prices vary for food and drinks. 718-9633369. brooklynbowl.com.

Dance with MMDG FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 3-4pm WHERE: Mark Morris Dance Center, 3 Lafayette Ave, Fort Greene AGES: All WHAT: Fun for the whole family, this free class is taught by Mark Morris Dance Group company members and accompanied by live music. Featured repertory will be Mosaic and United. All ages and levels are welcome.

WANT TO GO? 718-624-8400. markmorrisdancegroup.org.

Children’s Museum of Manhattan’s Sunday Funday

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 28, 10:30am-2pm WHERE: Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers, 11th Avenue and West 19th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: This annual fundraiser is packed with indoor sports and games, obstacle courses, sports celebrity appearances, bouncy castles, creative workshops, sing-alongs, and family-friendly activities and food.

WANT TO GO? $125; $95; free for children younger than 1. 212-7211223. cmom.org.

Sundays@Senesh

WHEN: Through March 25: Sundays, 9am-12pm WHERE: Hannah Senesh Community Day School, 342 Smith St., Carroll Gardens AGES: Newborn to 5

WHAT: Bring the little ones to this Sunday morning programming and indoor playspace that includes a full-size, sunlit gym play area that encourages exploration, interaction, and discovery.

WANT TO GO? $5. 718-858-8663. hannahsenesh.org.

Ice-Skating Season

WHEN: Through April 1: daily, 8:30-12am WHERE: The Rink at Rockefeller Center, 600 Fifth Ave., Midtown, Manhattan AGES: All WHAT: Take a skate around the outdoor rink before stopping by the many shops and restaurants at Rockefeller Center. Skate lessons are offered as well.

WANT TO GO? $25; $15 seniors and for children younger than 11. 212332-7654. therinkatrockcenter.com.

Ice-Skating Season

WHEN: Through April 2: Monday-Thursday, 9am-5:15pm; Friday, 9am-9pm; Saturday, 11:30am-9pm; Sunday, 11:30am-5:15pm WHERE: Le Frak Center at Lakeside, Prospect Park, Parkside/Ocean avenues entrance or Lincoln Road/Ocean Avenue entrance, Prospect Lefferts Gardens AGES: All WHAT: The Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center at Lakeside is now open for a full season of ice-skating. In addition to public ice-skating, the LeFrak Center features figure skating, ice hockey, curling, indoor/ outdoor dining at Bluestone Café, and an array of special events and public recreational programming.

WANT TO GO? $6 weekdays; $9 weekends and holidays; $6 skate rentals. 718-462-0010. lakesidebrooklyn.com.

The Little People Party Open Play

WHEN: Through June 1: Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm WHERE: The Backyard, 196 N. 14th St., Williamsburg AGES: 6 months to 3 years WHAT: The Little People Party is a children’s entertainment company with a current pop up tot party held at an indoor soccer field. The giant, enclosed, Astroturf-covered field is decked out with games and toys for kids and the bar sells refreshments for the adults.

WANT TO GO? $20. 646-707-4372. facebook.com/thelittlepeopleparty.

Block Party Exhibit

WHEN: Through June 30: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm; Thursday, 10am-6pm WHERE: Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave., Crown Heights AGES: All WHAT: Experience a real Brooklyn block party in the middle of winter.

Come hang out on the stoops at this cultural celebration featuring street games like hopscotch, jump rope and skelly, sidewalk chalk drawing, mixing tunes at a DJ booth, “grilling” some summer treats, and getting to know your neighbors.

WANT TO GO? $11; free for children younger than 1. Pay as you wish on Thursdays, 2-6pm. 718-735-4400. brooklynkids.org.

New York Road Runners Open Run FREE

WHEN: Through Dec. 18: Tuesdays, 7pm WHERE: Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 6, Atlantic Avenue and Furman Street, Brooklyn Heights AGES: All WHAT: Open Run is a community-based initiative that empowers local volunteers to bring free weekly runs to local neighborhood parks all over NYC. All runs are directed by volunteers, and courses are usually between 2½-3 miles. Open to all ages, experience levels, walkers, strollers, and dogs.

WANT TO GO? 718-222-9939. brooklynbridgepark.org. ››

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Shabbat Songs and Stories FREE

WHEN: Through June 29: Fridays, 9:30-10:15am WHERE: Kings Bay Y at Fort Greene Clinton Hill, 309 Grand Ave., Suite 1, Clinton Hill AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: Wrap up the week and celebrate Shabbat as a community. Neighborhood families are encouraged to join with students from the Early Childhood Programs for music, dancing, stories, and snacks. This event is open to all, regardless of background.

WANT TO GO? 718-872-9445. fortgreeneclintonhilly.org.

MINI

MUSICIANS Music in Motion Family Concerts FREE

WHEN: Through Jan. 13: Saturdays, 4pm WHERE: Bargemusic, 334 Furman St., Brooklyn Heights AGES: All WHAT: Walk across the gangplank of a renovated coffee barge for a one-hour, family-friendly performance, including a Q-and-A session with the musicians.

WANT TO GO? 718-624-4924. bargemusic.org.

The Yellow Sneaker Puppet Show

WHEN: Through March 14: Wednesdays, 10-10:45am WHERE: Blue Marble Ice Cream, 186 Underhill Ave., Prospect Heights AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: Kids will love this 45 minute interactive sing-along with puppets, combining original songs, oldies, and traditional children’s music.

Bring your little ones to sing, clap, dance, and shake their sillies out.

WANT TO GO? $10; $5 siblings. 718-399-6926. bluemarbleicecream.com.

Storytime & Sensory Lounge

WHEN: Jan. 10-March 28, Wednesdays, 10-11am WHERE: Spark by Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 1 John St., Dumbo AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Children and caregivers explore their senses in this interactive class that includes song, storytelling, dramatic role-play, and an art project with different materials to explore every week.

WANT TO GO? $36. 718-852-2470. brooklynkids.org/spark.

Lavender Blues Music & Movement

WHEN: Jan. 11-March 29, Thursdays, 10:45-11:45 am WHERE: Spark by Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 1 John St., Dumbo AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: Teaching musician Lavender Blues explores music, movement, and rhythm with children in this jam session. During this class kids develop an understanding of rhythm and music, build awareness and control of their body, as well as develop social and coordination skills.

WANT TO GO? $36. 718-852-2470. brooklynkids.org/spark.

Sing-Along with Ari the Singalong Guy

WHEN: Jan. 12-June 29, Fridays, 11am WHERE: The Knitting Factory, 361 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: Ari leads kids in an interactive sing-along with a rock-show feel, filled with classic songs that everyone knows and a few easy-to-learn originals sprinkled in.

WANT TO GO? $10 per family. 347-529-6696. aribrand.com.

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SHOW TIME! Magic at Coney: Plunge Into 2018

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 1, 12pm and 3pm WHERE: Coney Island Museum, 1208 Surf Ave., Coney Island AGES: All WHAT: Award-winning magician Gary Dreifus has been dazzling the audience for more than four decades. For this unique occasion, he will hit the spotlight with a cast of talented performers, including mentalists, escape artists, and illusionists.

WANT TO GO? $10; $5 for children 12 and younger. 347-699-4386. coneyisland.com.

‘Hansel and Gretel’

WHEN: Through Jan. 6: See website for times WHERE: Metropolitan Opera House, 30 Lincoln Center Plaza, Upper West Side, Manhattan AGES: 9 and older WHAT: A Met English-language holiday presentation, Richard Jones’s clever production of Humperdinck’s fairy-tale opera is based on the Brothers Grimm story.

WANT TO GO? $25 and up. 212-362-6000. metopera.org.

Target First Saturday FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 6, 5-11pm WHERE: Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights AGES: All WHAT: Join this family-friendly event featuring engaging and eclectic free art and entertainment.

WANT TO GO? 718-638-5000. brooklynmuseum.org.

The Killers

WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 9, 8pm WHERE: Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Ave., Prospect Heights AGES: 9 and older WHAT: The Killers continues its 2017-2018 Wonderful Wonderful World Tour with special guest Alex Cameron.

WANT TO GO? $40 and up. 718-933-3000. barclayscenter.com.

‘Stam-Pede’

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 14, 3pm WHERE: Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, Upper West Side, Manhattan AGES: All WHAT: From lively Irish dance to innovative body percussion and exhilarating tap dance, this show offers something for everyone who loves the power and precision of percussive dance. This year’s showcase includes Darrah Carr Dance, The Bang Group, Ryan P. Casey, and Germain Salsberg’s Les Femmes.

WANT TO GO? $17. 212-864-5400. symphonyspace.org.

Spellbound Theatre: ‘A Book of Hours’

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 10am and 11:15am WHERE: The Old Stone House, Washington Park, Third Street and 5th Avenue, Park Slope AGES: All WHAT: A larger than life book leads children through familiar daily events using favorite nursery rhymes and songs to tell the story, as well as surprising treasures, puppets, and discoveries.

WANT TO GO? $15. 718-768-3195. oldstonehouse.org.

Mil’s Trills 8th Annual Winter Bash

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 21, 11am-12:30pm WHERE: Shapeshifter Lab, 18 Whitwell Place, Gowanus AGES: All WHAT: Join Mil’s Trills as it celebrates its eighth birthday with the official release of its third family album, Ridiculous Nonsense, emphasizing the value of play in the creative process.

WANT TO GO? $15; $10 in advance. 718-809-8850. milstrills.com.

‘The Perfect Monster’

WHEN: Jan. 19-Feb. 16, Friday, 7pm; Saturday-Sunday, 2pm and 4pm WHERE: TADA! Youth Theater, 15 W. 28th St., Chelsea, Manhattan AGES: 5-12 WHAT: A young science nerd sets out to create the perfect friend in the basement of her castle, but ends up with a room full of marvelous, yet michevious monsters.

WANT TO GO? $25; $15 children. 212-353-9585. tadatheater.com.

Tiny Tot Theater

WHEN: Jan. 11-March 29, Thursdays, 9:30-10:30am WHERE: Spark by Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 1 John St., Dumbo AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Join the enchanting world of puppets and stories in this class for children and their caretakers. Along with a storyteller/puppeteer from Spellbound Theater, you and your child will explore creative play, movement, and puppet making.

WANT TO GO? $36. 718-852-2470. brooklynkids.org/spark.

Little Laffs Children’s Variety Show

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 7, 11am WHERE: Jalopy Theatre, 315 Columbia St., Carroll Gardens AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Join this variety show for kids that mixes juggling, balloon art, music, comedy, and more.

WANT TO GO? $10; $5 children; $25 per family. 718-395-3214. littlelaffsny.com.

ANIMAL LOVERS Discover Aquatic Rodents FREE

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 14, 11am-12:30pm WHERE: LaTourette Park & Golf Course, Richmond Road and St. Patrick’s Place, Staten Island AGES: All WHAT: View beavers and muskrats in their natural habitat.

WANT TO GO? 718-351-1611. nyc.govparks.org.

Birding: Winter Birds FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 11am-12:30pm WHERE: Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th St., Greenwood Heights AGES: All WHAT: Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots. Bring binoculars and field guides, or ask a ranger to borrow a pair.

WANT TO GO? 718-210-3080. green-wood.com.

Winter Waterfowl FREE

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 21, 10-11:30am WHERE: Clove Lakes Park, Park Drive and Clove Road, Staten Island AGES: 9 and older WHAT: New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife.

Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in this park.

WANT TO GO? 718-967-3542. nycgovparks.org.

Living with White-Tailed Deer FREE

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 28, 1-2:30pm WHERE: Greenbelt Nature Center in Blood Root Valley, 700 Rockland Ave., Staten Island AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Learn about deer ecology and behavior as you look for clues of deer presence. Join a discussion about the impacts of deer in an urban environment.

WANT TO GO? 718-984-8266. nycgovparks.org.

Brian and His Wild Animals FREE

WHEN: Jan. 7-March 11, Sundays, 12:30pm WHERE: Temple Israel, 315 Forest Ave., Staten Island AGES: All WHAT: Learn about animals and their lifestyles with Brian Wild, and parents will receive handouts that will help them talk to their children about the Jewish value of caring for animals.

WANT TO GO? 718-727-2231. templeisraelsiny.org.

Live Animal Adventure

WHEN: Through Dec. 31: Saturday-Sunday, 4:15pm WHERE: Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave., Crown Heights AGES: All WHAT: Join a museum educator for this popular live animal show. Learn about and touch an animal from the museum’s living collection.

WANT TO GO? $11. 718-224-5863. brooklynkids.org. ›› BrooklynParent 41

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Nature Hike FREE

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 1, 11am-12:30pm WHERE: Blue Heron Nature Center, 222 Poillon Ave., Staten Island AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Explore the winter landscape of Blue Heron Park with experienced park rangers during this non-strenuous hike.

WANT TO GO? 718-967-3542. nycgovparks.org.

Early Morning Bird Walk: Bring in the New Year With Birds FREE

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 7, 10-11am WHERE: Prospect Park Audubon Center, Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue, Flatbush AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Join Prospect Park Alliance to explore the park’s nature trails and discover the beautiful plumage and fascinating behavior of the park’s wintering ducks. Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.

WANT TO GO? 718-287-3400. prospectpark.org.

Compost 101: NYC Compost Project FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 13, 11am-12pm WHERE: Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island AGES: All WHAT: This workshop will introduce you to compost, how it’s made, and what to do with it when it’s done.

WANT TO GO? 718-253-7516. snug-harbor.org.

Astronomy: The Night Sky FREE

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 14, 6-7:30pm WHERE: Salt Marsh Nature Center, East 33rd Street and Avenue U, Marine Park AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Urban Park Rangers will be your guides to the solar system, discussing the science, history, and folklore of the universe. Night Sky programs highlight the history and folklore of the solar system, using the naked eye to locate stars and planets.

WANT TO GO? 718-421-2021. nyc.govparks.org.

Seed Starting Workshop FREE

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 18, 6-8pm WHERE: Carl Grillo Glasshouse, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island

AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Start spring early and get a head start on growing with seeds and plant cuttings. Learn strategies for good seed germination, including scarification and stratification methods. Work with hyacinth bean and marigold seeds, and coleus propagated from cuttings.

WANT TO GO? 718-253-7516. nyc.govparks.org.

Winter Survival Skills FREE

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 28, 1pm WHERE: Sunset Park, 43rd Street and 7th Avenue, Bay Ridge AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Urban Park Rangers are well versed in outdoor lore. Learn ways to stay warm and survive in harsh winter weather.

WANT TO GO? 718-430-1890. nyc.govparks.org.

Art in the Parks: Fitzhugh Karol FREE

WHEN: Through March 1: daily, 5am-1am WHERE: Bartel-Pritchard Square, Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park, Park Slope AGES: All WHAT: Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks presents a public sculpture exhibition by artist Fitzhugh Karol. The two sculptures, titled “Searches” and “Reaches,” are colorful, intersecting steel shapes referencing familiar silhouettes of stairs and hillsides. Their abstract and playful shapes invite interaction and are a reminder of man’s imprint on the landscape.

WANT TO GO? 718-965-8945. prospectpark.org.

First Sundays

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 7, 10am-4:30pm WHERE: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 990 Washington Ave., Prospect Heights AGES: All WHAT: Programs include discovery workshops for kids, family storytime, a winter wildlife nature walk, and a tour inside the Steinhardt Conservatory featuring tropical, desert, and Mediterranean climates. After touring the garden, warm up with seasonal brunch and lunch menus in Yellow Magnolia Cafe.

WANT TO GO? $15; free for children younger than 12. 718-623-7200. bbg.org.

Nature Walks with Brad Klein

WHEN: Through March 4: Sundays, 11am-12pm WHERE: Brooklyn Botanic Garden Visitor Atrium, 990 Washington Ave., Prospect Heights AGES: All WHAT: Join naturalist Bradley Klein and look for birds, mammals, and insects that remain active in winter, and observe clues hinting at life sleeping through the season.

WANT TO GO? $15; free for children younger than 12. 718-623-7200. bbg.org.

The Means of a Ready Escape

WHEN: Through July 13: Wednesday-Sunday, 12-5pm WHERE: Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St., Brooklyn Heights AGES: 5 and older WHAT: This exhibition highlights the 150 years of social history in Brooklyn’s backyard. Featuring more than 100 artifacts and documents, it tells the story of the 585 acres of forest, field, and swamp that Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux transformed into an urban oasis, and how the park has sustained generations of Brooklynites throughout the borough’s many eras of change.

WANT TO GO? $10; free for children younger than 12. 718-222-4111. brooklynhistory.org.

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

From Fulton Ferry: Building Downtown Brooklyn

WHEN: Through March 31: Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm WHERE: New York Transit Museum, Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Downtown Brooklyn AGES: All WHAT: Using archival photographs and objects from the museum’s collection, this exhibit celebrates centuries of investment and innovation in transportation that made the evolution of Downtown Brooklyn possible.

WANT TO GO? $10; $5 children ages 2-17. 718-694-1600. nytransitmuseum.org.

Songs For Extraordinary People

SMARTY PANTS Freedom Stories and Songs with Tammy Hall

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 15, 2pm and 3pm WHERE: Lefferts Historic House, Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boulevard, Flatbush AGES: All WHAT: Join the Alliance at the Lefferts Historic House this Martin Luther King Jr. Day for Freedom Songs and Stories with Tammy Hall. A masterful storyteller, Tammy Hall weaves together diverse tales from around the world to create a rich experience for all. Registration required.

WANT TO GO? $3 suggested donation. 718-789-2822. nycgovparks.org.

Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt

WHEN: Through Jan. 21: Wednesday-Sunday, 11am-6pm WHERE: Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights AGES: All WHAT: The mummification of animals in Egypt has remained largely a mystery. This exhibit explores the religious purpose of these mummies, how they were made, and why there are so many.

WANT TO GO? $16; $10 students and seniors; free for children 19 and younger. 718-638-5000. brooklynmuseum.org.

Roxanne Jacobson: Occupied Sites: A Look at Staten Island’s Prehistory FREE

WHEN: Through Jan. 27: Monday-Saturday, 10am-4pm WHERE: Conference House, Hylan Boulevard and Satterlee Street, Staten Island AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Occupied Sites is part of Jacobson’s documentary project, Visible Traces, that looks at prehistoric archaeological sites that have been impacted by development. This project locates, intervenes, and reveals sites that have been destroyed—seeking to make visible a history that has been erased from the land.

WANT TO GO? 718-869-6327. conferencehouse.org.

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 6, 4pm WHERE: Barbès, 376 9th St., Park Slope AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Author and composer Michael Hearst, along with his five-piece band, presents this highly geeky A/V presentation of some of the most fascinating individuals in the world.

WANT TO GO? $10 suggested donation. 347-422-0248. barbesbrooklyn.com.

BROWSE & BUY Brooklyn Flea

WHEN: Through March 31: Saturday-Sunday, 11am-6pm WHERE: Industry City, 241 37th St., Sunset Park AGES: 3-12 WHAT: For the holidays and the winter months the Flea returns to its Brooklyn digs at Industry City. The popular market will be open every weekend through March. Find 50 vendors from Brooklyn Flea, plus 10 Smorgasburg vendors.

WANT TO GO? Free admission. 201-417-6423. brooklynflea.com.

Down to Earth McGolrick Park Farmers Market FREE

WHEN: Through April 29: Sundays, 10am-4pm WHERE: Park Church Co-op, 129 Russell St., Greenpoint AGES: All WHAT: Shop for local foods at the indoor McGolrick Park Farmers Market located in the basement of the Park Church Co-op just outside McGolrick Park. Find regional farmers and local food makers.

WANT TO GO? 914-923-4837. downtoearthmarkets.com.

Farmer’s Market FREE

WHEN: Through Dec. 31: Saturdays, 8am-4pm WHERE: Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park West and Grand Army Plaza, Park Slope AGES: All WHAT: Grand Army Plaza is Greenmarket’s flagship Brooklyn market, and the second largest market in the program behind Union Square. View an array of farm fresh products and participate in the programming and cooking demonstrations that take place every Saturday.

WANT TO GO? 718-965-8945. prospectpark.org.

Historic New York: Survival During the American Revolution FREE WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 27, 1-2:30pm WHERE: Fort Greene Park Visitor Center, Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park, Fort Greene AGES: All WHAT: Before they could fight for our freedom, harsh winters forced the Continental Army to fight for their lives. Learn about their secrets of survival during this arduous time of battle and strife in American history.

WANT TO GO? 347-559-5142. fortgreenepark.org.

Coming up next month: FEB. 3-4: BAMKids Film Festival 2018 at BAM Rose Cinemas, Fort Greene FEB. 11: Lunar New Year Celebration: Year of the Dog at Kumble Theater, LIU Brooklyn Campus, Downtown Brooklyn FEB. 22-25: Marvel Universe Live: Age of Heroes at Barclays Center, Prospect Height

BrooklynParent 43

Wintry things to do

where-to guide

❆ ❅

Family Fun

Compiled by Samantha Neudorf

Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you and your family have to sacrifice having fun this winter! There are plenty of seasonal things to do, including skiing and snowboarding, ice-skating, visiting museums, and even going on a family day trip. Make warm memories even if it’s chilly out there. Don’t forget to bundle up!

Day Trips Stamford Museum & Nature Center 39 Scofield Town Road, Stamford, CT 203-322-1646; stamfordmuseum.org Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday, 11am-5pm Admission: $10; $8 seniors; $5 children ages 4-17; free for children 3 and younger Located on 112 acres in North Stamford, this sanctuary supports a working farm with heritage breed animals kids can visit, plus an organic vegetable garden and open pastures, nature center, and the Edith & Robert Graham Otter Pond.

Find more>> winter day trips in the New York metro area at nymetroparents.com/winter-trips.

MUSEUMS

Belleayre Mountain 181 Galli Curci Road, Highmount 845-254-5600; belleayre.com Features 51 trails, parks, and glades. Offers ski and snowboard lessons for kids ages 4-6, 7-12, and 13 and older.

Round-trip bus service from NYC via Adirondack Trailways (trailwaysny.com) includes lift ticket and luggage lock-up.

Rental equipment is available for all ages. There is an on-site nursery for children ages 6 months to 6 years old.

Find more>> mountains in the New York metro area at nymetroparents.com/ski.

ICE-SKATING

❆

Aviator Sports and Event Center Floyd Bennett Field, 3159 Flatbush Ave., Marine Park/Mill Basin 718-758-7500 or 718-757-7567; aviatorsports.com Hours: Year-round: Monday-Thursday, 11:30am-3:50pm; Friday, 11am-3:45pm and 7:30-11pm; Saturday, 1:45-5:50pm and 7:30-11:30pm (through April); Sunday, 12:15-6:30pm.

Call for holiday schedule.

Price: Non-members: $12; $10 children ages 11 and younger; $6 skate rental. Members: $11, $9.10 children ages 11 and younger. Free lockers; bring your own lock.

❄

Brooklyn Children’s Museum 145 Brooklyn Ave., Crown Heights 718-735-4400; brooklynkids.org Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm; Thursday, 10am-6pm Admission: $11; free for members and children younger than 1; free for all on Thursdays, 2-6pm This colorful museum includes permanent exhibits such as Neighborhood Nature, in which kids can take on the role of field scientists to document the environment of a freshwater pond, saltwater beach, urban woodland, and community garden; Totally Tots, an early learner exhibit for kids ages 5 and younger that includes Water Wonders, Art Studio, Building Zone, and Little Theater; and World Brooklyn, in which visitors can take a trip through a child-sized model of Brooklyn to learn about its diversity through the stories of real people and places.

Find more>> kid-friendly museums in Brooklyn at nymetroparents.com/museums.

44

SKI AND SNOWBOARD

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Find more>> ice-skating rinks in Brooklyn at nymetroparents.com/ice-skating.

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BrooklynParent 45

Courtesy Anna Ruth Myers, RIE® Associate

family life home

This example of a fenced off “yes” space for a mobile infant or young toddler includes a small cozy corner, a firm cushion for climbing, and a variety of easy-to-find play objects such as a colander, woven basket, silicone bowls, and metal cups.

Creating a ‘Yes’ Space

››

Making part of your home into a safe-play zone will help your child’s development. And it’s easier than you think—read on for expert tips. By Katelin Walling

N

“

o, don’t touch that.”

“That’s not a toy.”

“Don’t do that. It’s not safe.”

Sometimes it feels like we are constantly telling our kids not to do something when it comes to play time at home, whether it’s because we’re afraid of them getting hurt, are anxious they’ll misplace our keys or iPhone, or nervous they’ll break our favorite lamp (à la Brother in The Berenstain Bears and the Truth).

One way some parents are combating all the ‘no’s said to young children? They’re creating a safe play environment in the home, which stems from Magda Gerber’s Educaring® approach to parenting— responding to a young child respectfully. Gerber studied under Emmi Pikler, M.D., in Hungary, learning about the Pikler approach to parenting, and brought the concept to the United States. A safe play environment is an area in the home in which a child can play without interruption and is 100-percent safe from harm.

“Magda Gerber’s definition is the best way to describe it: If you got locked out of your apartment for a day, you would come back to find that your baby is physically unharmed,” says Deborah

46

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Carlisle Solomon, author of Baby Knows Best: Raising a Confident and Resourceful Child the RIE® Way. “The baby is obviously going to be upset, or hungry, or in need of a diaper change, but physically will have come to no harm. So there’s nothing in the environment that can cause danger.”

A safe play environment is also commonly referred to as a “yes” space in an effort to counteract all of the times a child hears ‘no’ in her life. “You have a space that just says ‘yes’ to the child,” says Anna Ruth Myers, founder of The Nurtured Child, a Brooklyn-based educational facility offering RIE®-certified classes that teach parents about Educaring®, as well as how to care for children in a respectful way. “The child is able to touch everything and move freely and not be restricted by the environment. The environment doesn’t say ‘no,’ and you don’t have to say ‘no’ while the child is there.”

Benefits of a “Yes” Space

Having a safe play environment in the home gives children unfettered playtime, which has numerous developmental benefits.

It gives a child time to explore the world on her own,

says Johanna Herwitz, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist, RIE® Mentor, Pikler-trained specialist, and founder of Mindful Parenting New York City. “The child gets to have a physical [and] a mental space to do her own thing, and she can play with whatever she wants to,” Dr. Herwitz says. “She gets to make choices, she gets to follow her own interests.”

Infants learn through their senses, Myers adds. So having the space to explore freely—to touch things with their hands, move their bodies, and mouth toys that are safe—allows their development to naturally progress as fully as possible.

A child will start to develop the ability to focus. Playing without interruption “supports the child to develop a long attention span,” Solomon says. “If a baby or toddler is frequently being interrupted, they don’t have opportunities to focus in on something for long periods of time.”

It helps the child build self-confidence. By having a “yes” space, the parent begins to develop basic trust in the child’s abilities to solve problems, be interested, and learn, which gives the child space to do those things. And that’s how the child develops self-confidence, according to Dr. Herwitz.

“Playing really helps a child learn how to solve problems, how to be tenacious, how to overcome challenges,” Solomon adds.

“When things are difficult, they keep on going and see if they can figure it out. And all of those skills are going to be useful to them when they go to school.”

A child is more likely to cooperate outside of the “yes” space. When a child is given room to do the things he wants to within reason and make his own decisions, his autonomy is satisfied. “I think that when that autonomy is satisfied, then the child is more likely to cooperate and to go along with things that may or may not be his first choice,” Dr. Herwitz says.

A “yes” space also benefits parents: It allows them to relax knowing they can use the bathroom, answer the door, or make a meal without worrying about the safety of their child. “I find that when I’m with children and we’re in a safe space and I’m observing them or just being with them, it feels so much more comfortable for me than if a child is in a space where the outlet isn’t covered or if there’s something on the table [they shouldn’t play with]…my attention is [on] thinking about those things, [so] that I can’t fully enjoy being with a baby like I can in a safe space,” Myers says.

How to Create a “Yes” Space

The Space The most important aspect of a safe play environment is it needs to be gated off in some way, according to Myers. “In order to make a space one hundred-percent safe, [it needs] to have a way that you can close it off from the rest of the environment, but know that your child can be safely in that space and not risk coming out of it when you aren’t expecting,” she says. A pack and play is enough space for an infant until she begins rolling over and needing more space for movement, while a “fenced in” area of a family room or a separate room with baby gates will work for crawlers and toddlers.

“Over the years, I’ve found that parents are sometimes resistant to this because they don’t like the look of gates or they feel like it’s imprisoning their child,” Solomon says. She recalls a time a friend called for advice. “Her son was always at her feet crawling after her, and she said, ‘I’m afraid I’m going to step on him. I give him the run of the whole house, why does he always have to be with me?’,” Solomon says. She replied that the whole house was overwhelming to the child and he didn’t feel secure. She advised her friend put up a gate or corral, put a few toys in the enclosed area, and spend some

time with the child in the enclosure to endear him to the space.

“And so she did, and it made a big difference for both of them.

Some parents don’t understand that what looks like a prison to us, to the child provides a sense of security,” Solomon says.

Dr. Herwitz adds that ideally the enclosed space should be in an area where the child can hear and see what’s going on around her so she doesn’t feel isolated from the rest of the house, and where the parent can easily hear and see what’s going on with the child.

The enclosed area should also be clean, there shouldn’t be furniture the child can climb or standing lamps that could fall over, and if there are low shelves in the area that they are bolted to the wall. Solomon also suggests parents crawl around on the ground to look at the space from the child’s point of view to see if there is any potential danger.

The Toys In terms of play objects to have in the space, Gerber taught that passive toys make for active babies. When a toy lights up and makes sounds, the child doesn’t have to do much to play with it, but when a play object is open-ended (aka passive), the child uses his imagination to activate it. Keep in mind that some play objects might not be obvious to adults. Solomon, for example, had a basket of caps from glass milk bottles in a class. “One toddler picked up two of them, put one on each ear, and was wandering around the room for twenty minutes pretending they were a headset and he was Buzz Lightyear,” she says. “When he was done with them, another child picked one up and she used it as a cup, pretending to drink.

That’s what I mean about the toys being open-ended.”

For 2- to 3-month-olds, the first plaything is their hands.

After they’ve discovered their hands, infants are ready for soft play objects, such as a soft cotton napkin, a little silicone bowl, a soft ball, and other soft objects that are easy to grasp and not too heavy, as the child is still integrating her reflexes and might accidentally hit herself with the object.

As the child gets older, more objects should be introduced into the environment. “Some of them might be soft, some might be a little more firm, but then there are also things in the child’s environment that don’t change shape or properties, if that makes sense,” Myers says. “So you might have little silicone bowls, but then you would also maybe have a little wooden pinch bowl, or maybe a little metal condiment bowl. You would have objects that repeat on the same concept but are different materials and have different properties so the child can see how their actions change or don’t change with materials.”

Myers suggests some materials stay the same as the child gets older because he’ll play with them in an increasingly sophisticated way, while also introducing new, more advanced objects.

Dr. Herwitz recommends play objects have a balance between dramatic play (dolls and items that can be used for dress up), fine motor skills (baskets and bags into which objects can be sorted), and gross motor skills (things that are safe for toddlers to climb on).

The Play Time The best time to put a child in the safe play environment is when she is well-rested, fed, clean, has all her basic needs met, and has had some time with the parents. Time spent in the space should also increase with age, according to Dr. Herwitz, as an infant won’t be able to play on his own for as long as a toddler could.

While ideally your child would have a “yes” space from infancy through the time she has learned the limits and rules of the home environment as a whole, Myers says it’s never too late to create a “yes” space for a young child.

BrooklynParent 47

family life food & nutrition

Food and Drink Hacks for Parents

Four handy tips to make mealtime with kids easier

G

etting your kid to put her toys away. Convincing your toddler to stay in his big-kid bed when it’s time to go to sleep. Figuring out what’s causing the meltdown in the grocery store and fixing the problem. There are a lot of situations with raising kids that can be a struggle, but one thing that doesn’t have to be? Meal and snack time—at least not with these practical hints for parents. From mess-free ways to enjoy yogurt and juice boxes to tricks to get your kids to eat most, if not all, of their food, mealtime just got a little bit easier thanks to this dad of two.

Excerpted from LIFE HACKS FOR PARENTS by Dan Marshall.

Copyright © 2017. Reprinted by permission of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

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family life finances

Choosing a Guardian for Your Child

››

Take these steps to make sure your child is always cared for, now and in the future. By Samantha Neudorf

A

s a loving parent, you want your child to be well cared for at all times. Though we don’t like to dwell on it, that means asking yourself some tough questions. What if you and your partner pass away or become incapacitated while your child still a minor? Or if your child has special needs or a mental illness, and can’t manage his affairs even as an adult? That’s why appointing a legal guardian is so crucial: It ensures that a child is in good hands for as long as he needs supervision, whether that’s temporarily or indefinitely.

Guardianship falls into three categories in New York state: guardianship of a child who may lose both parents, guardianship of a child with special needs after he turns 18, and guardianship of an incapacitated adult. Here’s what you need to know about each type.

Minor Considerations

Ideally, as soon as a couple learns they’re pregnant, they should see an attorney. She can help them draft a will that specifies how their assets will be distributed in the event of their death, as well as who 50

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

will be the guardian of their child until his 18th birthday. If you didn’t already take this step it’s not too late, but it’s still a good idea to do this as soon as possible.

Jules Haas, an attorney who specializes in estate planning, says parents usually nominate a close relative to be their child’s guardian. It could be an aunt, uncle, grandparent, or other relation—someone who would have the child’s best interests in mind. If you have few relatives, or aren’t close with them, you might ask a good friend to assume the guardianship role instead.

“There’s a lot that needs to be considered through your will,” Haas says. “The most important thing is that it’s better to figure it out and put something in writing than leave it up to the laws of the state of New York.” If you leave no directions, the state will pick a guardian for your child—and it may not be the person you would have preferred.

Once both parents are deceased, the nominated guardian needs to fill out an application to Surrogate’s Court. After it is approved, the individual becomes the legal guardian of the minor child. This process can take a few months, as the court reviews the documents.

In certain scenarios, complications can arise—say, if your nominated guardian has a prior conviction that may disqualify her from court approval, or if family members fight for custody.

Fortunately, problems like these are uncommon.

Special Needs, Special Arrangements

Some children with special needs require guardianship even into adulthood. Happily, there’s a way to make sure they’re still properly cared for once they reach age 18, and beyond. Parents can apply in Surrogate’s Court for something called an Article 17-A guardianship, which allows them to continue to make financial and health care decisions for their adult child.

The process involves presenting medical certifications from either two doctors or a doctor and a psychologist, proving that the individual has a developmental disability. Next, the paperwork is filed with the court. More often than not, the application is approved and the child’s biological parents are awarded guardianship.

Andrew Cohen, Esq., an attorney with offices on Long Island and in Manhattan who specializes in estate planning, special needs law, and guardianship, says parents can file for guardianship under Article 17-A themselves, though they can hire legal representation if they prefer. Either way, it’s a step that shouldn’t be overlooked. “Parents who have a child on the autism spectrum automatically presume, because their child is nonverbal or really cannot advocate for himself, that they would be able to continue to make decisions [for their child] into adulthood,” Cohen says. “But the reality is they’re not granted that automatic authority.”

Article 17-A Guardianship can become complicated if parents have separated or divorced. In this instance, they must decide if they will both become legal guardians, or if one parent will be the primary guardian and the other a secondary decider. “These are things that all have to be taken into consideration when parents have the best interest of their child in their hearts, but don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye on their child’s care,” Cohen says.

Of course, parents themselves may not be able to oversee their adult child’s care for his entire lifetime. If there are no relatives or friends who can succeed them in the role, parents may appoint a nonprofit organization to be their child’s guardian. The arrangement, called a corporate guardianship, would be specified in the parents’ will and would have to be approved by a court guardianship proceeding.

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Appointing a Guardian for an Adult

A final type of guardianship, Article 81 guardianship, applies to an incapacitated adult who needs help taking care of personal and/ or financial needs under the Mental Hygiene Law. To qualify as incapacitated, the person’s cognitive function must inhibit him from making sound decisions. While in elderly people this may be due to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, in younger people the cause may be other mental illnesses, substance or alcohol abuse, or certain medications. If your child turns 18 and she has a mental illness, you can apply to be her guardian to help make decisions on her behalf. This type of guardianship needs to be applied for in Supreme Court.

Article 81 guardianship can be fairly expensive and timeconsuming to attain, but it’s worth it, says Cohen. “The guardian would be appointed with certain powers vested by the court that will properly protect that person from doing harm to themselves or others,” he says.

Join

NYMetroParents Get advance notice on activities, participate in group discussions and receive special notices. www.facebook.com/nymetroparents BrooklynParent 51 ACTIVITIES

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Meet the

Director A. Fantis Parochial School

Pre-K 3 through eighth grade, including UPK Theodore G. Tasoulas, principal 195 State St. afantis.org Mr. Tasoulas has been a dedicated educator for nearly 15 years, during which time he has taught, led, and developed schools in a variety of settings, including independent, special education, and charter. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, spending a year studying abroad in Madrid. He received his master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, and is working toward his doctorate in educational leadership. As school leader, he focuses on creating a culture that engages in a cycle of continuous improvement.

This includes developing faculty and connecting with families and the community to enhance student life and academic achievement.

Bushwick Montessori

Becky Simkhai, head of school 803 Knickerbocker Ave. 718-369-0145 bushwickmontessori.org Becky Simkhai believes a quality early education experience can have a dramatic impact on a child’s future. After working in the public school system teaching art, Simkhai discovered Montessori. This child-centered method felt like the perfect fit. After working for many years in a Montessori primary classroom, Simkhai was given an opportunity to help create a new school to serve the families of Bushwick and surrounding neighborhoods. Bushwick Montessori is a warm and nurturing environment with a program thoughtfully designed to support the development of the whole child, emotionally, socially, cognitively, and physically.

Huggs Day School

Co-directors: Randie Bader and Gary Siegel 763 President St., Park Slope 718-230-5255 huggsdayschool.com Randie Bader and Gary Siegel are co-directors and co-owners of Huggs Day School, located in Park Slope. We collectively have a total of more than 60 years of experience teaching and directing early childhood programs.

Our goal at Huggs Day School is to provide a warm, nurturing environment with a rich, innovative curriculum presented in an open ended, hands-on approach to learning. We would be happy to schedule a personal tour for you to see our spacious facilities and to learn about our programs at Huggs Day School.

52

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Brooklyn Waldorf School

11 Jefferson Ave. 718-783-3270 brooklynwaldorf.org Having grown up in New Zealand among a family of educators, Ms. Christina Pantazis-Blades has been involved in education her entire life. She earned her diploma of teaching in 1990 from Wellington College of Education as well as her bachelor’s degree in 1994 in educational psychology from Victoria University of Wellington. After relocating to New York in 2004, she was eager to find a school that valued community building as much as academic excellence. As the admissions director, Pantazis-Blades oversees the general operations of the Admissions Office, ensuring that the admissions process runs smoothly for all incoming families.

CBE Kids-Congregation Beth Elohim CBE KIDS CAMP

274 Garfield Place, Park Slope Elementary and Travel camps: 718-768 3814 x210 cbebk.org/camp congregationbethelohim.org bfinkelstein@cbebk.org Bobbie Finkelstein has been the director of Congregation Beth Elohim’s, CBE Kids Camps for more than 25 years. She has a master’s degree in social work, with a concentration in groups. “I feel that children learn so much from being in a group setting at camp. We empower them to be confident, caring group members,” Finkelstein says. “The campers love the experience so much that they go on to become CITs, assistant counselors, and head counselors as they get older. There is nothing more rewarding for a camp director than to see campers return as staff.”

Keylab

94 Luquer St. 718-576-3514 keylab.nyc info@keylab.nyc Adrian Cohen is an active performer and educator, and the founder and director of Keylab.

He has done a little bit of everything, including performing as a rock and jazz musician, writing music for film and radio, and working as a dance accompanist. He founded Keylab as a way to teach music theory, instrumental technique, songwriting, and music production to all ages using his fun, modern, and creative method developed over 30 years of teaching, performing, and composing.

Mill Basin Day Camp

5945 Strickland Ave. 718-251-6200 millbasindaycamp.com Dear Friends, Edith Katsman, the camp director, and I are proud to lead our wonderful staff at Mill Basin Day Camp as we have done for the past 20 years.

Please plan a time to stop by to visit and tour our facility and discuss the camp program. Edith and I want to know how we personally can make this summer one that your family will remember forever.

Sincerely, Jack Grosbard, owner Mill Basin Day Camp.

Queen of All Saints Catholic Academy

300 Vanderbilt Ave. 718-857-3114 qasca.org Manuela Adsuar-Pizzi has worked in the field of education for the past 14 years. She graduated Cum Laude with departmental honors from Hunter College, with a B.A. in Philosophy and English and a minor concentration in Pre-Medical Sciences. She later graduated Summa Cum Laude from St. John’s University with a Certificate of Excellence and M.S.Ed. in Adolescent Education for seventh to 12th grades with a middle school extension for fifth-sixth grades. This year, she completes two additional M.S.Ed. degrees in School Building Leadership through Fordham University and Literacy Leadership through Hunter College.

The Park Slope Day Camp

Ronny Schindler, executive director 718-788-7732 parkslopedaycamp.com Ronny Schindler has grown PSDC into a Brooklyn institution and has no intention of slowing down: “Every summer brings new experiences, new friendships, and new memories. So, for me, the work never stops!”

Schindler holds an M.A. in education and has devoted more than 27 years to running camps and after-school programs. “Camp is an essential part of childhood,” he says with a smile, “and, unlike eating your vegetables, it’s fun.” When he gets free time, Schindler enjoys the outdoors and travelling with his family.

RSM Russian School of Mathematics

RSM Brooklyn now has a new location!

2583 Ocean Ave. 516-551-6428 Mid-Island Y JCC, 45 Manetto Hill Road, Plainview russianschool.com brooklyn@russianschool.com portwashington@russianschool.com Victoria Gartstein has a background in physics and engineering. She brings to RSM 18 years of experience teaching mathematics and computer science in Estonia and in the U.S. She taught in U.S. public schools including the Ingenuity Project (an advance mathematics and science program for gifted students in Baltimore), and at the college level. After teaching at RSM’s headquarters in Newton, MA, Victoria brought the RSM program to the Mid Island community. She is passionate about mathematics teaching and believes that every student could be good at it.

QueensParent

Saint Saviour Catholic Academy

701 8th Ave., Park Slope 718-768-8000 x4 saintsaviourcatholicacademy.org nlynch@sscaparkslope.org Principal Susan Walsh has a background in education, having taught in both Catholic and public schools. She has worked with children in the general education setting as well as with children who have diverse learning needs. She carries on Saint Saviour Catholic Academy’s mission to create an environment in which each child discovers a unique enthusiasm for learning, academic excellence, and social responsibility to reach his or her highest potential.

St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy

SALES OPENING

241 Prospect Park West 718-768-7629 sjwca.org Kathleen Schneck, is the new principal of St. Joseph The Worker Catholic Academy in Brook• SOCIAL • isEMAIL MAGAZINES • WEBSITES MEDIA lyn. She strongly believes that every day a new opportunity to develop our children’s character send resumé to dmgsales@davlermedia.com and provide them with a high quality education both cognitively and spiritually. Her goals are to develop new programs and initiatives such as GoFundMe and What The Tech?, and to enhance learning tools with Chromebooks. She has embraced the academy’s strong sense of community and continues its mission to foster academic excellence with rigor, respect, reverence, responsibility to self, and service to others.

BrooklynParent

SALES OPENING MAGAZINES • WEBSITES • SOCIAL MEDIA • EMAIL send resumé to dmgsales@davlermedia.com

BrooklynParent 53

Meet the

Health Care Professional Pediatric Immediate Care 698 Manhattan Ave. 718-389-PEDS (7337) 150 E. Sunrise Highway, Suite 105, North Lindenhurst 631-956-PEDS (7337) 1077 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown 631-864-PEDS (7337); pediatricimmediatecare.com

Dr. Charlot Cascya - Allergy and Asthma Care of Brooklyn 10 Plaza St. E., Suite 1E 311 Saint Nicholas Ave., Ridgewood 347-564-3211; brooklynallergydr.com

Park Slope Kids Dental Care 150 4th Ave. 718-488-0200 parkslopekidsdental.com

Brooklyn Family Orthodontics Alexis K. Fermanis, D.D.S., M.S. 142 Joralemon St., 6B, Brooklyn Heights 73 8th Ave., at Union Street, Park Slope 718-395-6582 bkfamilyortho.com

Pediatric Immediate Care is a team of hearts where kids come first. State-of-the-art medical office equipment allows us to deliver your test results during your visit.

Kid-friendly; walk-ins welcome; most insurance plans accepted. Complete pediatric and adolescent care, as well as baby, camp, school, and sports physicals.

Certified urgent care recommended by Urgent Care Association of America. Thirty years of dedication to our patients. The offices are open seven days a week including holidays, 8am-11pm.

Dr. Cascya Charlot is an award-winning, Harvard Medical School-trained physician who is board-certified in pediatric and adult allergy and immunology. She is the chief of pediatric allergy at Methodist Hospital in Park Slope, and medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of Brooklyn, in Park Slope and Williamsburg. She evaluates patients for a wide variety of allergic conditions including asthma, eczema, food allergies, sinusitis, and environmental allergies. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades including the prestigious Patients’ Choice “Most Compassionate Doctor” award in 2012 and 2013.

At Park Slope Kids Dental Care, children who are first seen for a friendly examination and cleaning are able to enjoy the dental experience and build a bond of trust with us. A customized dental plan that includes prevention, growth development, and possible treatment is created to fit your child’s specific dental needs. We are committed to giving children the best possible experiences at our office to help set them up for a lifetime of good oral health.

NEED to plan the perfect party?

FIND venues, entertainers, suppliers,

and other ideas to create the ideal party in our online Parent Resources Directory.

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Dr. Alexis Fermanis is an orthodontic specialist who practiced in Brooklyn for 10 years before starting Brooklyn Family Orthodontics in 2014. She is a native New Yorker and enjoys running and traveling in her free time. Dr. Fermanis believes that a beautiful smile makes a great first impression and she is passionate about providing that to her patients. She is active in her alumni societies and local dental organizations and regularly attends continuing education classes so she can provide the most successful results for her patients.

PartyCentral Professional Your local guide to entertainers, party places, activities, and other resources.

PARTY ENTERTAINMENT CLOWNS.COM Proudly Serving Westchester, Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx 516-577-0000; 718-971-5862 clowns.com We are a family-owned and -operated entertainment company, offering a wide range of party and entertainment services including clowns, inflatable bounce houses, characters, magicians, princesses, magic shows, face painting, and party concession rentals.

PARTY PLACES ART FUN STUDIO 547 92nd St. 718-680-0508 artfunstudio.com alla@artfunstudio.com Canvas and ceramic painting art studio in Brooklyn. Plan a child’s budget-friendly birthday party or adult’s Sip and Paint event, check our classes or just walk in for spontaneous fun! Seventy five-star reviews on Google and Yelp. Fun and creative packages for all ages.

AVIATOR SPORTS AND EVENTS CENTER 3159 Flatbush Ave. 718-758-7551 aviatorsports.com/birthday-parties There are 11 birthday party packages at Aviator Sports that make it easy to create a memorable birthday party for children.

All parties include a private party room throughout the duration of the party, and a dedicated party host!

BOUNCEU 6722 Fort Hamilton Parkway (entrance on 67th Street and 9th Avenue), Dyker Heights 347-450-5867 bounceu.com/brooklyn-ny BounceU, the premier birthday party and play experience in all of Brooklyn. We’re a 30,000-square-foot indoor recreational facility with “YUGE” inflatable play equipment.

CHELSEA PIERS SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX West 23rd Street and Hudson River Park Field House Registration Desk: 212-336-6500 x6520 chelseapiers.com/youth Why cross the bridge for your next birthday party? Because Chelsea Piers parties are action-packed, entertaining, and hassle-free, with more sports, activities, and fun than any other party venue in NYC! FAIRYTALE ISLAND 7110-3rd Ave. 646-667-9096 facebook.com/fairytaleislandplayground icecream124@hotmail.com Fairytale Island provides a high quality, safe, and amazing indoor space for hosting birthday parties. This environment will also encourage social, emotional, language, cognitive, and physical skill development.

KIDS ‘N ACTION 1149 McDonald Ave. 718-377-1818 kidsnaction.com steven@kidsnaction.com Fun and thrills are what your kids will have at Kids ‘N Action. Kids never get bored enjoying our thrilling indoor roller coaster, amusing winding train, exciting go-karts, and action-filled arcade games. Parties include unlimited soft play and rides.

We treat:

services

Your local guide to tutors, teachers, lawyers, financial planners, and other professionals

DOCTORS & MEDICAL PROVIDERS PEDIATRIC IMMEDIATE CARE 698 Manhattan Ave. 718-389-PEDS (7337) 150 E. Sunrise Highway, Suite 105, North Lindenhurst 631-956-PEDS (7337) 1077 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown 631-864-PEDS (7337) pediatricimmediatecare.com Pediatric Immediate Care is a team of hearts where kids come first. State-ofthe-art medical office equipment allows us to deliver your test results during your visit. Kid-friendly; walk-ins welcome; most insurance plans accepted.

SPECIAL NEEDS LITTLE OPTICS INC. 192-07 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows, Queens 53-15 Roosevelt Ave., Woodside, Queens 718-468-7500 hablamos Español littleopticsinc@yahoo.com We provide eyeglasses and professional eye care for children, including infants and young adults. We also alleviate any self-esteem issues associated with the stigma of wearing glasses. When your child leaves Little Optics, rest assured that they will feel confident.

EXPERIENCE THE BENEFITS OF AU PAIR CHILDCARE

• Food Allergies • Asthma • Eczema • Hay Fever • Sinus Issues • Recurrent Infections • Hives • Insect Allergies & much more!

Board certified pediatric & adult allergist.

10 Plaza Street East Suite 1E Brooklyn, NY 11238 & 311 Saint Nicholas Ave., Ridgewood, NY 11385

(347) 564-3211 www.brooklynallergyDR.com BrooklynParent 55

OPENHOUSES 2017 A. Fantis Parochial School

Pre-K-3 through eighth grade, including UPK Theodore G. Tasoulas, principal 195 State St. afantis.org Join us for one of our open houses, Jan. 17 at 6pm or Jan. 31 at 9pm.

Brooklyn Waldorf School

11 Jefferson Ave. 718-783-3270 brooklynwaldorf.org Join us for Open Class Day on Jan. 24 from 8:30am-12pm.

Leif Ericson Day School

Christine Hauge, principal 1037 72nd St. 718-748-9023; ledsny.org Leif Ericson Day School offers a well-rounded quality education for children in nursery-eighth grade.

Join us for an open house on Wednesday, Jan. 17 from 7-8:30pm or Sunday, Feb. 11 from 2-4pm.

The Park Slope Day Camp

Ronny Schindler, executive director 718-788-7732 parkslopedaycamp.com

Brooklyn on Saturday, Jan. 20 from 12-4pm.

Saint Saviour Catholic Academy

Join us for an open house at 339 8th St., just below 6th Avenue.

Saturdays: Jan. 27, Feb. 10, and March 3 at 1pm and 2:30pm, March 24 at 1pm, and April 14 and 28 at 1pm and 2:30pm.

Queen of All Saints Catholic Academy 300 Vanderbilt Ave. 718-857-3114 qasca.org Join us for an open house on Sunday following Mass during Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 28 from 9:30am-1:30pm.

701 8th Ave., Park Slope 718-768-8000 x4 saintsaviourcatholicacademy.org nlynch@sscaparkslope.org We welcome you to visit our academy! Tours are by appointment with our director of admissions, Nathan Lynch; see contact information above. All tours start at 9am.

Smart Start Early Learning Center

Redeemer St. John’s Nursery School

939 83rd St. 718-833-7700 Redeemer St. John’s Nursery School has served the community for more than 40 years. Join us for an open house on Saturday, Jan. 27 from 10am-12pm.

RSM Russian School of Mathematics

RSM Brooklyn now has a new location!

2583 Ocean Ave. 516-551-6428 russianschool.com/brooklyn brooklyn@russianschool.com Join us for an open house in

8411 Fort Hamilton Parkway 718-921-1868 smartstart@verizon.net Join us for an open house on Thursday, Jan. 18 from 10-11am or 5:30-6:30pm.

St. Bernadette Catholic Academy

1313 83rd St. 718-236-1560 stbernadetteschool.org stbernadette83@yahoo.com Join us for an open house tour on Jan. 28 from 10:30am12:30pm, Jan. 30 from 9:1511:15am or 12:45-2:15pm, or Feb. 1 from 5-7pm. “Welcome Wednesdays” from 9:1511:15am during the school year.

Guided tours by appointment.

St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy

241 Prospect Park West 718-768-7629; sjwca.org A Catholic academy located in Windsor Terrace, serving children from pre-K to eighth grade.

Join us for an open house on Jan. 28 from 11:30am-1:30pm.

Stepping Stones Nursery School

245 86th St., Bay Ridge 718-630-1000 Stepping Stones: The Next Step 9321 Ridge Blvd.

718-630-1001 steppingstones86.com steppingstones86@aol.com Join us for a summer and fall 2018 enrollment open house for children ages 2-4 on Wednesdays, Jan. 17 and 24 at 6pm.

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts

185 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights 631-643-7900; usdan.com Join Usdan for an open house Sunday, Jan. 21. The campus is yours to visit and explore.

Reservations required at usdan. org/visit. Get $100 off new student tuition with promo code Brooklyn.

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

raising kids ad index

NYMetroParents.com features more than 20,000 businesses serving the NY metropolitan area! birthday / party services

dance

Park Slope Kids Dental Care..................................... 9, 54

Aviator Sports Recreation.............................................. 45

Mark Morris Dance Group............................................. 15

Pediatric Immediate Care.............................................. 54

Kids N Action................................................................. 45

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts................................... 2

MatchPoint NYC............................................................ 33

music developmental

Keylab...................................................................... 33, 52

camps

Flatbush Jewish Center................................................. 33

Llingsworth Music.......................................................... 45

Aviator Sports Recreation.............................................. 45

Huntington Learning Center.......................................... 15

Music Together of Bay Ridge......................................... 51

Camp Huntington........................................................... 15

Northside Center........................................................... 20

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts................................... 2

FasTracKids Brooklyn / Staten Island........................... 11

YMCA of Greater New York........................................... 13

Leif Ericson Day School................................................ 16

performing arts / acting

Mill Basin Day Camp................................................. 5, 53

education

NYC Tae Kwon Do......................................................... 13

A Fantis Parochial School........................................ 24, 52

Park Slope Day Camp............................................. 53, 60

Brienza’s Academic Advantage....................................... 9

Rab’s Country Lanes....................................................... 3

play Spaces

Brooklyn Waldorf School......................................... 16, 52

Kids N Action................................................................. 45

Smart Start.................................................................... 25 Stepping Stones Preschool........................................... 29 Storybook Land............................................................. 25 Treasure Island.............................................................. 31 Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts................................... 2 YMCA of Greater New York........................................... 13

child care / day care AuPairCare by Intrax..................................................... 55 College Nannies + Sitters + Tutors................................ 33 Little Hands and Feet.................................................... 29 Mommybites.................................................................. 34 Redeemer St. John Nursery School.............................. 31 Smart Start.................................................................... 25 Stepping Stones Preschool........................................... 29 Storybook Land............................................................. 25

Bushwick Montessori............................................... 24, 52 Congregation Beth Elohim......................................... 7, 52

religious

DGK Parochial School of Holy Cross............................ 19

A Fantis Parochial School........................................ 24, 52

FasTracKids Brooklyn / Staten Island........................... 11

Congregation Beth Elohim......................................... 7, 52

Huggs Day School................................................... 13, 52

DGK Parochial School of Holy Cross............................ 19

Huntington Learning Center.......................................... 15

Flatbush Jewish Center................................................. 33

Leif Ericson Day School................................................ 16

Leif Ericson Day School................................................ 16

Little Hands and Feet.................................................... 29

Queen of All Saints Catholic Academy.................... 25, 53

Music Together of Bay Ridge......................................... 51

St. Bernadette School.................................................... 21

Northside Center........................................................... 20

St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy............... 23, 53

Queen of All Saints Catholic Academy.................... 25, 53

St. Saviours Catholic Academy............................... 29, 53

Redeemer St. John Nursery School.............................. 31 St. Bernadette School.................................................... 21 St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Academy............... 23, 53

retail Llingsworth Music.......................................................... 45

St. Saviours Catholic Academy............................... 29, 53

Treasure Island.............................................................. 31

Stepping Stones Preschool........................................... 29

classes

Success Academy......................................................... 59

Brienza’s Academic Advantage....................................... 9

Treasure Island.............................................................. 31

Congregation Beth Elohim......................................... 7, 52

Trilok School ................................................................. 31

DGK Parochial School of Holy Cross............................ 19

Urban Strategies Early Learning Center........................ 21

Storybook Land............................................................. 25

Flatbush Jewish Center................................................. 33 Keylab...................................................................... 33, 52

Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts................................... 2

services College Nannies + Sitters + Tutors................................ 33

special needs Camp Huntington........................................................... 15 Huntington Learning Center.......................................... 15 Northside Center........................................................... 20 Urban Strategies Early Learning Center........................ 21

Little Hands and Feet.................................................... 29

family entertainment / events / outings

Mark Morris Dance Group............................................. 15

Llingsworth Music.......................................................... 45

Music Together of Bay Ridge......................................... 51

Rab’s Country Lanes....................................................... 3

Aviator Sports Recreation.............................................. 45

NYC Tae Kwon Do......................................................... 13

fitness

Mill Basin Day Camp................................................. 5, 53

Rab’s Country Lanes....................................................... 3

Kids N Action................................................................. 45

NYC Tae Kwon Do......................................................... 13

Redeemer St. John Nursery School.............................. 31

MatchPoint NYC............................................................ 33

YMCA of Greater New York........................................... 13

Russian School of Mathematics.............................. 11, 53

Mill Basin Day Camp................................................. 5, 53

Northside Center........................................................... 20

sports MatchPoint NYC............................................................ 33

tutors

Smart Start.................................................................... 25 St. Bernadette School.................................................... 21

health

Brienza’s Academic Advantage....................................... 9

Trilok School ................................................................. 31

Allergy & Asthma Care of Brooklyn......................... 54, 55

FasTracKids Brooklyn / Staten Island........................... 11

Urban Strategies Early Learning Center........................ 21

Brooklyn Family Orthodontics.................................. 51, 54

Russian School of Mathematics.............................. 11, 53

BrooklynParent 57

raising kids quotables

What is your parenting resolution for 2018?

“We are resolving to not put off our adventures for another day!”

—Anna Novak, Warwick, of tinsparrowstudio.com

My resolution is to give my 12-year-old daughter a little more independence as she matures into a young lady. I also want to teach both her and my 9-year-old son more life skills, like how to make basic meals for themselves for the days I don’t feel like cooking. Which are most days

.

—Kimberly Thomas, Valley Stream, creator of the blog valleystreammom.com

“My main resolution is that I want to be more of a YES parent.

I don’t want to let my boys do whatever the heck they want, but I do want to actually consider their requests before I give them the answer that’s most convenient for me. I want them to have the kind of fun that they want, but that can’t happen unless I encourage and allow it.”

—Rhianon Hoffman, the Bay Ridge mom behind brooklynboymom.com

in an instagram So many photos from our Statue of Liberty trip last week, but one of my faves is the view of downtown NYC from Lady Liberty’s pedestal. #statueofliberty #familytravel #travelwithkids #nycviews #nyc #nycskyline #takeyourkidseverywhere #nyckids #thisis8 #nycwithkids #ladyliberty #oneworldtrade (Posted by @globetrottingmommy, aka Lyla Gleason, who blogs at globetrottingmommy.com)

Out of all the people in my life, I get to choose one person to spend my life with. I get to choose one person to love. I get to choose one person to be my partner in everything. ...I have to remember not to take him for granted.

I have to remember to show him the love that I have for him. I have to remember that he was here before the kids.

—Lili Rasprasith, in a post entitled “I Put My Husband Before My Kids, And This Is Why” on scarymommy.com

“Leta skipped out as she was overcome by the excitement of it all, by the idea of reaching this milestone in her life. She asked me how badly it was going to hurt over the next few days, and because she was still so excited I lied and told her that she’s only going to feel a little pain when the truth is SHE WILL WANT TO CLAW HER OWN FACE OFF.” —Heather Armstrong, in a post entitled “My kid got braces and all I got was a broken heart” on her blog dooce.com

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

“I am going to try to limit time in front of my phone or computer while my kids are in the same room. As a work-from-homemom, this will be extremely difficult, however I currently find myself demonstrating screen habits that I do not want to pass along to them! And I want to make sure they know that THEY are my number one priority.”

—Rebecca Dixon, Manhattan, managing director of mommybites.com

“My resolution is to spend more time playing games with my kids. By games, I mean board games, and as a family. In recent years we’ve become so digital, and my kids, who are 7 and 11, need time to ‘play’ together and with my husband and me. Our goal is to disconnect from devices and have good old-fashioned game nights where we play Monopoly or Trouble with our kids.”

—Erin Baker, Eastchester, co-founder of emmawestchester.com

A New Year’s Promise “Being a good parent doesn’t require you to do everything perfectly. Like your child, you are a work in progress. Give yourself credit for the good, and forgive yourself for your parenting imperfections. Seek help and support when you need it—and make smaller, more manageable resolutions.”

—Long Island-based psychologist Susan Bartell Psy.D., in an article entitled “Resolutions Revisited.” Read the whole story at nymetroparents.com/resolutions.

More NYMetroParents.com Highlights: WINTER FUN: See the top 100 winter activities in the NY metro region at nymetroparents.com/winter-activities.

CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR: How to make resolutions kids can keep (nymetroparents.com/kid-resolutions)

We read the words.

And grasp the big idea.

Start stronger.

Go further.

Apply now at SuccessAcademies.org BrooklynParent 59