Queens Parent OCTOBER 2017
NYMETROPARENTS.COM
7 Hottest Birthday Trendsof 2017 Emojis, unicorns, Shopkins, and more!
Boo!
Haunted houses, corn mazes, and other Halloween activities
Teaching Kids Life Skills • Emotional intelligence • Financial literacy
HELPING PARENTS MAKE BETTER DECISIONS
QueensParent
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180 East 79 St. Suite # 1C New York, NY 10021
114-20 Queens Blvd, Suite CS2 Forest Hills, NY 11375
Committed to providing neuropsychological and educational assessments to the children of NYC for over ten years. Our director, Dr. Sanam Hafeez, is a highly sought after expert in the field of child development and learning and a faculty member at Columbia University. She is a regular medical guest and expert contributor to the CBS news shows, Dr. Oz Show, Nancy Grace, Fox and Friends, WebMD, Yahoo! Health and Parenting, Glamour, Women’s Health Magazine and more.
Who We Help: • Learning disabilities • Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Developmental Disorders and Delays • Depression, anxiety, behavioral issues, mood disorders, etc
How We Help: • Extra time and separate location on tests (City Wide, Common Core, SATs,) • IEP and 504 planning, entrance to private schools and medication management • Forensic (Injury, Child Custody, and Immigration) cases • Treatment planning based on comprehensive assessment
We accept Health Insurance GHI, UnitedHealthCare, Oxford, Cigna, MagnaCare, BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) All Major credit cards accepted
www.ComprehendTheMind.com | 1-888-441-0015
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NYMetroParents Helping Parents Make Better Decisions
Contents
October 2017 ii
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Features 16 The 7 Hottest Birthday Party Trends of 2017 This year brought new movies, toys, and fun ideas for your child’s next birthday party.
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22 The Importance of EQ High emotional intelligence translates to success across the board—in children academically and in adults professionally. 42 The Payoff of Teaching Kids Financial Literacy Experts discuss how parents can establish skills from a young age to ensure kids will know how to handle their money. 44 An Unimaginable Tragedy Though local infant mortality rates are lower than the national average, more babies die in their first year than most of us expect. Here’s how parents can reduce the risk. 48 Conquering Bake Sales Surviving the minefield of baking treats for your kid’s class, and tips to make allergy-free baked goods.
Connections 6 Editor’s Note 8 New Places, New Programs 10 Check Out Our New Website! 12 Quotables 14 NYMP Q&A: Laurie Gelman talks about being the class mom and why she was fired. 54 Voices: Stop With the Trophies Already!
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Family Activities CALENDAR ›› Original photo by PhotoOp NYC (photoopnyc.com) Clothing provided by Appaman (appaman.com)
Fun & Activities 28 Outing: Randall’s Island 30 Where-To Guide: Pick Your Own Pumpkins 31 Family Activities Calendar 41 Where-To Guide: Haunted Houses, Corn Mazes, and Pumpkin Activities
Directories
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20 27 47 51 52 52 53 53
Birthday Party Directory Catholic Schools Professional Services Party Central Meet the Health Care Professional Open Houses Family Resource Guide and Party Planner Advertisers’ Index
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ON THE COVER ii 16 7 Hottest Birthday Trends of 2017 41 Boo! Haunted houses, corn mazes, and other Halloween activities Teaching Life Skills: 22 Emotional intelligence 42 Financial literacy facebook.com/nymetroparents
@NYMetroParents
Visit NYMETROPARENTS.COM for family activities updated daily and more than 2,000 parenting articles!
The greatest superpower is the power to inspire.
We see the same three things in the children we treat at every Cohen Children’s location: bravery, courage and determination. That inspires us to look at childhood cancer differently. Our researchers are developing treatments personalized at a cellular level, because the smallest detail can have the biggest impact. See why we’re inspired at Northwell.edu/CohenHeroes Cohen Children’s Medical Center is a nonprofit hospital supported by the people and the communities we serve. QueensParent
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OCTOBER 2017 • Vol.23 • No.4
NYMetroParents nymetroparents.com
EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Michael Kress MANAGING EDITOR: Katelin Walling
EDITOR’S NOTE
DEPUTY EDITOR: Caitlin Berens 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
A Season of Celebration
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n our family, we have a birthday season: From Nov. 5 (my youngest daughter’s birthday) through Jan. 16 (mine), all five of us celebrate our special days. Sprinkle in a gaggle of other close-but-not-immediate family members—a cousin’s daughter, my brother and his son, a sister-in-law, among others—and it is a busy time. Joyful, to be sure, but even joy brings its stresses, especially when you need to plan three kids’ birthday parties over the course of almost six weeks while scheduling around a bevvy of others’ parties, not to mention Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and New Year’s. It’s around the middle of October when my wife and I kick into planning mode, and out come the Google spreadsheets, which we use to plan the parties and coordinate gifts. And, of course, the kids themselves are old enough to be involved and have their own wishes and opinions—which seem to change daily, especially as the event gets close. To help figure out this year’s parties, Bethany Braun-Silva looked into the hottest birthday themes of 2017, and she came back with unicorns, Shopkins, Star Wars, and much more (p. 16). As our kids settle into the new school year, we’re offering articles about how to teach them essential life skills: Samantha Neudorf looks at teaching kids financial literacy (p. 42), while Katelin Walling offers a report on the value of kids’ emotional intelligence (p. 22). Together, they remind us that not all crucial skills come from classroom learning, and that we parents play such an important role in readying our kids for a successful, independent adult life. October has been designated Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, so we’re offering a special report on a subject none of us wants to contemplate: Why do some babies die before they even turn 1? Stacey Pfeffer looks at local infant mortality rates and offers tips on how we can minimize the risks—and how parents who’ve experienced this horrific tragedy cope with a pain that will never go away (p. 44). This month also, of course, brings Halloween and related fall fun. Find haunted houses and other Halloween venues near you (p. 41), discover where to pick pumpkins in our region (p. 30), or plan your kids’ Halloween activities with our calendar (p. 31). Last but not least, I invite you to jump from page to screen and visit our newly relaunched website! The redesigned NYMetroParents.com makes it easier and quicker to find information and presents our content and resources in a cleaner, more attractive way on any device, all with the goal of helping you make better decisions for your kids. Find out more about the new site (p. 10), and happy clicking!
To Submit Events: nymetroparents.com/submitevents
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Keep in Touch: @nymetroparents nymetroparents.com October 2017 | nymetroparents.com 6editor@nymetroparents.com
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ATTEND AN OPEN HOUSE PRE-K THROUGH 12 TH GRADE
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 8:15am – 10:30am SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 1:00pm – 3:00pm RSVP at www.kewforest.org/OpenHouse
Established in 1918, The Kew-Forest School is the oldest independent, co-ed, college preparatory school in Queens for students in Pre-K through 12th Grade. With 230+ students, we are small by design, inclusive, and globally representative, with approximately 60 nationalities on campus and 20 languages spoken at home. Our School provides a safe, nurturing, and intellectually vigorous environment.
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For more information, please contact BRADLEY WALTERS Director of Enrollment Management bwalters@kewforest.org | 718.268.4667 ext. 125
119-17 UNION TURNPIKE FOREST HILLS, NY 11375 718.268.4667 WWW.KEWFOREST.ORG QueensParent
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NEW PLACES, NEW PROGRAMS
nymetroparents.com/np-qp
Who: Church in the Gardens Nursery School What’s New: Free, half-day universal pre-K and extended-hour paid programs in music, art, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) for pre-K students. Pre-K started Sept. 7 and will run through June 26. Children must be 4 years old by Dec. 31 and New York City residents to apply. Registration ends Oct. 4 for the Monday-Friday morning (9-11:30am) and afternoon (12:30-3pm) sessions. The hour-long paid programs have rolling enrollment and take place MondayFriday from 11:30am-12:30pm, offering specialized instruction in French through music (Monday and Wednesday), art (Tuesday and Thursday), and STEM projects (Friday). Want More Info: 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills; 718-268-7980; nurseryschool@thecitg.org; citgnurseryschool.org
Courtesy Church in the Gardens Nursery School
Forest Hills Nursery School Expands Offerings
Church in the Gardens Nursery School started in 1980 as a cooperative playgroup and is now licensed as a nursery school.
Who: Tutors on Wheels What’s New: A location in Astoria, which the tutoring service moved to from Forest Hills in July, and an Early Intervention Program, which launched in July for children ages 3 and younger. The Early Intervention Program provides services such as speech-language therapy for eligible children with a developmental delay and/or disability. Tutors on Wheels, which has been offering services for 14 years, provides private tutoring, supplemental education, and special education services for students in kindergarten to 12th grade in homes, schools, or at nearby locations. All teachers are carefully screened and have bachelor’s degrees or higher. Want More Info: 35-37 36th St., Astoria; 718-268-0133 and 54 W. 40th St., Midtown, Manhattan; 212-235-1460; tutorsonwheels.com
Courtesy Tutors on Wheels
Tutoring Service Moves to Astoria and Adds Program
Tutors on Wheels works with teachers who are experts in their fields.
Who: Clover Prep – FasTracKids & JEI Learning Center – Fresh Meadows What’s New: Momo Wang and Mei Hua Wang, who joined as directors in June. Momo brings extensive experience in graphic design and fashion aesthetics to Clover Prep. Mei has more than 20 years of experience as a professional dancer and has also taught at colleges and dance companies. The prep school focuses on comprehension of concepts rather than memorization through repetitive drills. “At Clover Prep, children learn by playing,” Mei says. Clover Prep serves children ages 2-12 and offers a preschool alternative program, after-school homework help, academic enrichment, and camps. Want More Info: 192-11 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows; 718-740-7888; cloverprep.com
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October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
Courtesy Clover Prep
Children’s Learning Center Welcomes New Directors
Mei Hua Wang (right) and Momo Wang joined Clover Prep as directors in June.
Come meet us at our OPEN HOUSE Oct. 1st & 15th, 10am to 3pm
Dance Reverie
BRAND NEW CHILDREN’S DANCE PROGRAM
Best Reviewed Adult Dance Studio in Queens is NOW Bringing its Quality Instruction to a New Generation of Dancers
Children’s Dance Classes Ballet, Pointe Tap, Modern Jazz, Hip Hop Musical Theater Ballroom, Acting Irish Step Dance Creative Movement Mommy & Me Classes
Established in 2011
Artistic Director Rhonda Cates • Teacher and mentor for NYU Tisch School of Arts • Martha Graham Trainee • Featured Soloist with The Charlotte Ballet Company
Open Registration & First Trial Class
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100-35 Metropolitan Ave Forest Hills, NY 11375
Call : (347) 770-6434, 917-504-6046 | www.dancereverie.com QueensParent
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Check Out Our New Website!
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The redesigned NYMetroParents.com helps you make better decisions for your family—faster and easier than ever. s our kids were heading back to school with their new outfits and freshly chosen backpacks and lunch boxes, we here at NYMetroParents decided to get in the spirit and debut a new look of our own with the relaunch of NYMetroParents.com. The website is now cleaner, faster, easier to use, and more attractive—all to help you be a more informed parent. Our goal is to connect you seamlessly to all the relevant, useful local information and resources our site offers: business listings, kid-focused events and activities, and news and tips essential to moms and dads. Here are some of the highlights of our new site:
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A cleaner look, softer color scheme, and new logo to match the new feel. We’re excited about our updated logo, which you can also find on the cover of this magazine, while our uncluttered design helps you focus on the content and information for which you’re looking with fewer distractions.
Find your region easier. We know you need to find ballet schools and pediatricians and therapists close to your home, so we’ve made it super easy to find your region’s content, via a pop-up that greets you when you arrive and/or the “My Region” option on the navigation bar. Each region has its own color scheme, adding to the vibrancy of the site and giving each region a bit of its own flavor and personality. The new “megamenu” displaying the breadth and depth of the content the site offers.
Easier, clearer navigation. Across the top of our desktop site—and in the top-right “Topics” menu on mobile—you’ll find the core types of information we provide: business and resource listings, tips about things to do, advice and news about local parenting, and a comprehensive events calendar. For a deeper dive into the site and to find more specific listings, use our new “megamenu,” the “Search Categories” link at the top left of the page (“menu” on mobile). There you will find virtually our entire catalog of listings categories, from specific sports to special needs resources to summer camp options.
You’ll see this tool throughout the site to help you find the resources you need in your area.
New ways to find businesses and resources. Connecting you with the local professionals, businesses, and resources that keep your family healthy, happy, and enriched is central to our mission. In addition to the easier navigation, you’ll find a tool throughout the site that asks you what kind of business you need and in what location—make your choices, click the arrow, and search the results to find what you’re looking for. 10
October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
A better mobile experience. As parents, we’re all on the go (sometimes it seems like we’re in motion 24/7!) and using our phones to access the content and information that helps us make the decisions we need to make. To help, our new site focuses on the mobile experience, ensuring it is just as rich, easy to use, and attractive as it is on desktop. And it’s fast. Because we know you don’t have time to wait!
As we all well know, being a parent requires making decisions large and small for our kids every day—no matter how busy we are. We spent the past several months designing a website to help you find what you need to make better decisions faster, easier, and more accurately and fully. We are so proud to invite you to check out the newly relaunched NYMetroParents.com today!
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UOTABLES This was also about the point that they both started begging me to carry their treat bags. ‘I’ll carry your treat bags but that means I’m allowed to eat your candy,’ was my rule. That put a stop to the laziness real quick. —Illana Wiles, a NYC mom, in a post entitled “Halloween in NYC Gets Better Every Year” on her blog mommyshorts.com
in an instagram Morning commute. #nyckids #twins #bestfriends (Posted by @toastncandy, aka Nancy Deane, HeyMamaCo editor and New York mom).
HALLOWEEN FOR THE FRIGHTENED “If you can get kids to realize that Halloween involves fun activities that the whole family can take part in, they’ll feel more at ease about it. You can all carve pumpkins, bake cookies or make other Halloween treats, and decorate the house with items your child picked out. You can even forego trick-or-treating and just spend the evening roasting marshmallows or reading books as a family. ”
in an instagram I can’t wait to see the world with these girls but for right now, our backyard is adventure enough. (Posted by @luckypennyblog, aka Ana Fritsch, a Brooklyn mom who blogs at luckypennyblog.com).
—Samantha Neudorf, in an article entitled “Making Halloween Fun For Kids Who Are Scared.” Read it all at nymetroparents.com/scary-fun
MORE NYMetroParents.com HIGHLIGHTS: COSTUME PLANNING: What should your child be this Halloween? (nymetroparents.com/costume) GET CRAFTY: Find Spooky Art Projects at nymetroparents.com/halloween-diy. TODDLER FUN: How to trick-or-treat with your little one (nymetroparents.com/toddler-halloween) HALLOWEEN TREATS: Eyeball cake pops, monster ‘toes,’ and more at nymetroparents.com/halloween-treats
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October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
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QueensParent 13
NYMP Q&A
d lishes b a t s r E Yea 44
Class Mom Qualms
ii By Bethany Braun-Silva
Laurie Gelman talks about her novel Class Mom and how she got fired from her class mom position after five years.
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BIRTHDAY PARTIES: For all ages: Disco, Gymnastics, Dress Up, Princess Parties, Arts and Crafts. 1 Party at a time • Huge Party Room (over 3,000 sq. ft.) Disco Laser Lights • Bubble/Fog Machine • Face Painting • Arts/Crafts Tattoos • Cotton Candy • Magicians • Gymnastics • Disco • Dress-Up Princess Parties - Hostesses become your favorite fairytale princess! 14
October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
Is Jennifer Dixon (the main character) based on anyone in particular? She’s someone I just pieced together. I wish she was me, she’s so cool. The only thing that comes from reality are the emails [in the book] because I sent emails either exactly like that or very similar to my class when I was class mom. The emails in the book are hilarious. What prompted you to get so creative with them during your time as class mom? When I wasn’t class mom I would get these really boring grocery list emails that were just cut and pasted from the parent-teacher association, and I thought, “I want to do something interesting, I want people to read these, I want people to actually have fun with it,” so I decided that I would write things that would shock or awe people or make them sit up and go, “Oh my gosh, did she just write that?” It actually worked, because I had more people participating and reading every word of my emails than any other class mom, because they were excited to see what I was going to say next. But I read that this backfired on you and you got fired from the class mom position, is that true? Well to be fair, it was in my fifth year, I’d been doing it for four years and everybody loved it and it’s all good until somebody doesn’t like you. In my fifth year I upset someone or someone didn’t understand my humor, so they complained to the PTA and asked me to step down as class mom, which was very hurtful. Do you have any advice for moms who may be contemplating taking on the class mom role? I think you have to make it your own and make it fun. Make it something the parents can’t resist being a part of. I used to give awards for the quickest response time to one of my emails or the person who embodied the spirit of a class mom the most. I just made it fun for everybody. I wrote one email for the Christmas party that had to be sung to the tune of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”. Everybody loved that because you end up humming it to yourself. I just tried to do things that piqued everybody’s interest and make it more fun for them. I think that’s the best way to be a great class mom. What’s your favorite thing about raising kids in NYC? I love the fact that we get to go to the museums, the fact that it’s a weekly thing, not a once-in-a lifetime adventure. There’s so much opportunity to experience culture and excitement and their backyard is something everyone in the world wants to see at least once. It’s really exciting to raise kids in New York. Something we started to do more of is Broadway—we are in the best place in the world to see a show and my girls love theater.
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The 7 Hottest Birthday Party Trends of 2017 This year brought new movies, toys, and fun ideas for your child’s birthday party. Here are our favorites. By Bethany Braun-Silva
the Tail on the Donkey. “I found a picture of Princess Leia and my husband printed it out on nine sheets of paper that I taped together. I then covered the bulk of the poster with clear adhesive contact paper. The kids wore a C3PO mask that I made so that they couldn’t see and attempted to ‘Pin the Bun on Princess Leia.’ The bun is brown yarn wrapped and hot glued to cardboard,” she writes on her blog. Courtesy Trisha Haas
Courtesy Amy Friend
We scoured the mom blogs and studied our Instagram feed in search of the trendiest kids’ birthday party themes of the year. And what did we find? Plenty of unicorns, emojis, and Shopkins, among many other fun ideas. Here are our picks for the hottest birthday party themes of 2017:
Unicorn Poop Cupcake Cones, a hilarious and easy-to-make treat for a memorable unicorn-themed birthday party
Unicorns
A Star Wars-themed version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey
Star Wars With the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Movie late last year and the impending December debut of The Last Jedi, many kids will be wanting a Star Wars-themed party, complete with light sabers, storm troopers, and more. Blogger Amy Friend of DuringQuietTime.com created a Stars Wars spin on the classic Pin 16
October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
These mythical creatures are definitely having a moment this year. With the launch of the Unicorn Frappuccino at Starbucks and a unicorn horn store in Brooklyn, it seems like unicorns are everywhere, including very possibly at your little one’s next birthday party. Think pastel colors and lots of glitter to make this party extra special. You can create personalized horns for each child, or have them decorate their own as a fun activity. Trisha Haas, who blogs at momdot.com, made fun Unicorn Poop Cupcake Cones that are as easy to create as they are hilarious. You just need some cake mix, ice cream cones, and food coloring to create this one-of-a-kind-treat.
Courtesy Alison Faulkner of thealisonshow.com
BACK TO SCHOOL MARKETPLACE
Sugar cookies easily become emoji cookies for a fun addition to an emojithemed party.
Emojis
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Courtesy Nicole Gonzalez
The Emoji Movie was released this summer, and since then my 5-year-old has been running around the house screaming, “We’re number two! We’re number two!” So it’s no surprise we are considering an emoji-themed party for his next birthday. One easy-todo idea is creating emojis out of clementines. It’s a healthy snack option and a creative way to let the kids make their very own emoji. Hand out clementines to each of the children and lay out permanent markers. You can hang some emoji print outs for inspiration. Less healthy but lots of fun, you can also decorate sugar cookies for fun, edible emoji. This party is also great for teens and tweens. Invite guests to play “name that movie” using only emojis. Or if you’ve got an avid texter—is there a teen who isn’t?—an emoji party is a fun way for Mom and Dad to play the “cool card.”
Pokémon cupcakes round out a birthday party of Pokémon-themed activities.
Pokémon
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No mobile devices are necessary to have a good time at this party. Manhattan mom blogger Nicole Gonzalez of LilliesandLeon.com threw a Pokémon-themed party for her son’s 5th birthday. “Lucas is Pokémon obsessed, and we wanted his party to be simple but true to the characters and theme,” Gonzalez says. “A highlight for the kids were the Pokéball cupcakes made by Chloe Sackett.” You can also create your very own Pokémon Go hunt right in your own home, sans cellphones. Just take a cue from the game and hide cut outs around the house. You can divide up the kids into teams and award points for each Pokémon found. Nothing like an old-fashioned scavenger hunt to keep the kids entertained. continued on next page ii
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Courtesy Christy Bergerson
Courtesy Victoria Saley
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A fun idea for favors to top off a fun Lego-themed party
Lego
Courtesy Natalie Lesnefsky
For endless options and ways to play, Lego is the go-to toy—and it can also be the go-to option for birthday parties. Create a “bricks station” where partygoers can make an original creation to take home. And baking a Lego cake is fairly easy for the not-so-crafty parent: All you need is a cake pan, cupcake molds, and colorful frosting. Blogger Victoria Saley of www.Obseussed.com created Lego-themed party favors and put a mystery mini figurine in each one!
All ready for a Shopkins-themed birthday party
Shopkins
A colorful, Hawaiian-focused Moana birthday party
Moana Thanks to Disney’s hit Moana, you can expect to see a lot of Hawaiian-themed parties this year and next. Parents can get creative by using tons of flowers for decoration as well as DIY costumes for the partygoers. Why not set up a designated area where kids can dress up like characters from the movie? Have temporary tattoos and straw skirts ready for your guests to get into the spirit. Christy Bergerson from Isty Belle Studio, a Printable Party Shop in Washington state, used pineapple blow-ups for her daughter’s Moana pool party. “I was hesitant when my daughter first said she wanted a Moana-themed birthday party, but I decided to run with it and it ended up being one of our favorite events to date!,” she says. “Playing with bright colors and tropical touches instead of going strictly character based allowed us to really create a fun, playful event with just enough elements of her favorite movie included.”
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October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
These delicious little toys are all the rage, and since they’re food-centric, planning sweets and treats for a Shopkins party should be a breeze. Create shopping basket party favors that kids can fill themselves. Fill several bins with toys, treats, and other party favor paraphilia. Give each kid a basket and have her take a treat from each bin—it will be like they are “shopping” for their own favors. Natalie Lesnefsky of AtHomewithNatalie.com created a balloon garland over the must-have dessert table. “We were deep in the Shopkins craze over here so the party theme was a no brainer!,” she says. “It was really fun because both girls were old enough to help a lot with the party details. I had a balloon pump and they worked together to pump up almost all of the balloons... even tying them on their own! Together we created a fun balloon garland for the Dessert Table that immediately made it a party! The secret to the arch is the chicken wire! It’s awesome because it’s lightweight and moldable. All you do is hot glue clusters of balloons together, then make a tape tail and attach it to the chicken wire that you shaped and attached to the wall. (I had two nails holding it up.) Then go in and add more with tape or hot glue.”
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Please visit us at isteinny.com 718.575.8877 · info@isteinny.com 107-06 71 st Rd, 2 nd Floor, Forest Hills, NY 11375
Our smaller classes provide more attention in class, and more detail provide for each dancer.
The Dancesource Offers Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Gymnastics, Zumba, Hip-Hop, Classical Barata Nathyam, Modern, Ballroom (Latin & Classics), Bollywood, Georgian Dance, and Private Wedding Classes, Bat/Bar Mitzvah, Quincinera Dances, Birthday Parties Offered.
Administration available after school Monday-Thursday 4:30-7:30pm | Saturday 9:30am-2pm Sunday 9:30am-12:30pm | Rental space is available.
98-11 Queens Blvd at 65th Avenue • Rego Park, NY Tel: 718-997-1278 • info@dancesource.net www.dancesource.net • Check out our website! QueensParent 19
BIRTHDAY PARTIES 2017 Birthday Party Entertainment
Clowns.com Proudly Serving Westchester, Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx 516-577-0000 718-971-5862 clowns.com At Clowns.com, our goal is to create an unforgettable and memorable party experience for you and your family. We provide the highest quality children’s entertainment and rental services in the industry. If you’re looking for a professional, dependable, and enthusiastic team, you’ve come to the right place! 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.
POParazzi Balloons & Event Space 61-19 Fresh Pond Road, Middle Village 347-204-5252 poparazzievents.com Follow us on Instagram: @poparazziballoons poparazziballoons@yahoo.com POParazzi Balloons is not just about adding color to your party. It’s about creating experiences and memories that will last a lifetime! We make magic happen with balloons! Whether classic, elegant, or just plain fun, we turn your dream party into a reality. Let our balloons fill any room. Our goal is to custom design your ideas and create the ultimate experience. No budget is too big or too small. Let’s make magic together. Call us today to schedule a consultation.
Birthday Party Places @ Play Amusements 229 NY-110, Farmingdale 631-815-5355 atplayamusement.com info@playamusement.com Have your next party at the
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newly renovated @ Play Amusements! It offers 40,000 square feet of fun ranging from arcade games, inflatables, bumper cars, roller coaster, a carousel, disco room, and laser tag! It even provides all the paper goods, invites, thank-you notes, food, and private hostess! It features five glow-in-the-dark private party rooms that are sure to be a hit! The action-packed amusement center will make your child’s special day be one they will never forget! Fun for all ages!
American Dance & Drama 188-22 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows 718-479-8522 68-02 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village americandanceanddramastudio.com As one of Queens’ largest and most exciting birthday party locations, we specialize in one party at a time. Girls enjoy dress-up, disco, and gymnastic parties. Dance parties take place on our state-ofthe-art stage. Boys go crazy for gymnastics, basketball, and wild obstacle course competitions. We also offer a tunnel maze, moon bounce, ball pit, bubbles, fog machines, and cotton candy, plus crazy craft, princess parties, and first birthday parties. Magicians are also available. Your place or ours! Private 3000-square-foot party room.
BounceU of College Point Whitepoint Center, 13225 14th Ave., College Point 646-883-JUMP (5867) bounceu.com/college-point-ny collegepoint.ny@bounceu.com BounceU of College Point is where birthdays come to life! Planning a party is super easy. Pick one of our awesome premier packages, add a spectacular bundle for the best value, and leave the rest to us. Whether you’re celebrating a milestone or gathering with friends, classmates, teammates, or clubs, we provide the ultimate private party and play experience. Cleanli-
October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
Your Local Guide to party places, resources and activities for kids!
ness and safety are top priorities at BounceU of College Point, where the staff is attentive to your needs, providing superior customer service and a personalized experience. Come celebrate with us today!
Celebrations In The Kitchen 63 E. Old Country Road, Hicksville 516-396-2193 celebrationsinthekitchen.com celebrationsinthekitchen@gmail.com The most unique, fun-filled, joyous event! We have created a true baking experience for everyone to enjoy—children, parents, family, friends, and boys and girls of any age. Guests enjoy our first-class facility complete with a huge exhibition-size kitchen, private party rooms, and a fabulous café and espresso bar for the adults to socialize! Baking experiences include cookie baking and decorating, cupcakes “from scratch,” muffin and scone baking, and brownies. Come in, call, or visit celebrationsinthekitchen.com for more information on parties and classes.
Christy’s Gymnastics 150-50 14th Road, Whitestone 718-767-0123 christysgymnastics.net Christy’s Gymnastics was founded in 1984 as a full-service gymnastics facility. We provide a safe and exciting environment for children to improve their skills and build self-esteem. Our staff is our school’s greatest asset, and includes certified physical education teachers, internationally renowned coaches, and former gymnasts. Our program includes Wee Tumbles classes ages for 2-3, junior gym for ages 3-5, a recreational program for ages 6 through high school, and competitive teams. In addition to our many gymnastic programs, Christy’s also hosts birthdays parties, cheerleading workshops, and Parkour workshops.
CK Kids Birthday Parties 68-02 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village 917-602-6271 ctkny.org We know your child’s birthday is a special day, so we only book one party at time! Private party room available with two bounce houses, ball pit, disco lighting, cotton candy, face painting, tattoos, music, and games! Add-on party activities include dress-up, karate, hip-hop, and cooking. Two party hostesses/ motivators are dedicated to making your child’s birthday party a day to remember!
The DanceSource 98-11 Queens Blvd. (at 65th Avenue), Rego Park/Forest Hills 718-997-1278 dancesource.net info@dancesource.net The DanceSource offers birthday parties for families on Sunday afternoon, a 2- to 3-hour rental, including 1 hour of instructed dancing, with optional tumbling and music. That takes place in our large room (no street shoes, please), and we can set up table and chairs for lunch and party foods in the smaller studio. If you mention “Queens Parent Paper” we will offer you a free birthday cake from Costco as well. Contact us now for information, available dates, and times.
Fantasy Forest Amusement Park Fantasy Forest Amusement Park at the Flushing Meadows Carousel 111th Street and 55th Avenue, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, next to the Queens Zoo fantasyforestnyc.com info@nycarousel.com Have a fun-filled birthday party at Fantasy Forest Amusement Park at Flushing-Meadows Corona Park. Hassle-free for parents and fun for kids, our 2-hour Premium Party Package includes a private seating area, unlimited rides for 12 children, goodie bags with plush toy, and a party host to help set up and clean. Available upgrades include enter-
tainment, food, and more. Free parking available. For more information, check our website, call us at 718-788-2676, or email us at info@nycarousel.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for our latest updates.
Forest Park Carousel Woodhaven Boulevard and Forest Park Drive, Woodhaven forestparkcarousel.com info@nycarousel.com Have a fun-filled birthday party at The Forest Park Carousel in Woodhaven. Hassle-free for parents and fun for kids, our 2-hour Premium Party Package includes a VIP tent with seating area, unlimited rides for 12 children, one game per child, goodie bags with plush toy, and a party host to help set up and clean. Available upgrades include entertainment and food. Nearby free parking available. For more information, check our website, call us at 718-788-2676, or email us at info@nycarousel. com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for our latest updates.
Music Together® With Music and Me Licensed Provider of Music Together® Since 2003 Astoria, Bayside, Forest Hills, and Glendale Celebrating our new look with our new name! Wendy DeAngelis, center director (Mommy, Music & Me Inc. since 2003) Gym-Azing in Astoria Shotokai USA Karate in Bayside The Reform Temple of Forest Hills in Forest Hills The Church-in-the-Gardens in Forest Hills Tiger Schulmann’s MMA in Glendale 718-229-0033 musictogetherwithmusicandme.com info@musictogetherwithmusicandme.com We provide unique birthday party musical experiences for first through sixth birthdays. Families and friends participate and celebrate a very special birthday child’s day in a way in which everyone gets to share in the fun. Grown-ups marvel at the ways children express their musicality through movement, song, and instrument play. Call us to customize your child’s musical birthday. We can come to your space. We offer Music
Together® sessions for all seasons. Call or email to schedule your free trial class, or visit us online for easy registration.
POParazzi Balloons & Event Space 61-19 Fresh Pond Road, Middle Village 347-204-5252 poparazzievents.com Follow us on Instagram: @poparazziballoons poparazziballoons@yahoo.com When you imagine a special celebration, you might picture the following things: an elegant venue, tasteful decorations, and inviting arrangements of balloons and flowers. POParazzi offers all of this in our multi-level venue, catering to festivities of all types. We’ll work with you to give you the atmosphere you’re looking for, enabling you to still plan your event the way you’ve envisioned it. Hosting memorable parties is what we do, and we’re here to make sure your family and friends have the time of their lives.
Soccer Friends USA Inc. 106-06 Queens Blvd., 3rd Floor Gym, Forest Hills 718-261-2403 347-756-2568 (para Español) soccerfriendsusa.com soccerfriendsusa@hotmail.com Soccer Friends USA Inc. offers soccer birthday parties for children ages 2 and older. Its parties are fun, dynamic, and energetic. Its aim is to keep all the children moving and engaged. It offers both excellent indoor and outdoor locations in the Forest Hills-Rego Park area. Soccer Friends USA can manage large groups of children and provide all soccer equipment. For more information, please visit soccerfriendsusa.com, call 718261-2403 or 718-261-2400, or email info@soccerfriendsusa.com.
have a separate party room for your entertainment needs. You can enjoy your party while you have two hosts to attend your guests. Call us to book your birthday party!
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Flushing 718-760-6200 x0 ntc.usta.com Give your child a birthday party they will always remember! Let the National Tennis Center host your next birthday party. Our birthday party packages include 1 hour of court time with tennis drills and games organized by our USTA Pro staff. You will also get a 1-hour private room for your birthday celebration, which includes pizza for all of your party guests. For more detailed information on our party packages, please call 718-760-6200 x0, or go to ntc.usta.com where you will also find detailed information on our year-round tennis programs for all ages and levels.
Wheel Fun Rentals - Flushing Meadows Corona Park Flushing Meadows Corona Park at David Dinkins Circle Meridian Road 929-343-2366 Flushing Meadows Corona Park at North Meadow Lake Meadow Lake Road W. 917-231-5519 Jacob Riis Park 157 Rockaway Beach Blvd. 917- 231-6229 wheelfunrentals.com Wheel Fun Rentals is the perfect place for birthday parties! Kids and adults can explore the area on one of our specialty bikes—or go on a Surrey Scavenger Hunt during which teams can compete to solve riddles. There’s no better way get active and enjoy the summer weather! Visit us in Queen’s at Flushing Meadows North Meadow Lake, Jacob Riis Park, and David Dinkins’ Circle or Brooklyn’s Marine Park, Bensonhurst Park, or Lakeside Prospect Park. Call today to book your event: 805650-7770.
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QUEENS CAMPUS K - 8
OPEN HOUSE
Friday, October 6, 2017, 9:00 am Thursday, November 2, 2017, 6:00 pm Wednesday, December 6, 2017, 9:00 am RSVP rsorrentini@unis.org
• Rigorous academic curriculum
Thinkertots 1818 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park 516-488-3414 thinkertots.com thinkertotsnhp@gmail.com Your birthday activities will be custom designed to be just right for your little guests. Packages include open playtime and music playing or you can rent out our location. We provide all themed paper goods for your party. We
• Multicultural music, art, and drama programs • French & Spanish taught from Kindergarten • Environmental Center • Flexible after-care and after school activities
173-53 Croydon Rd. Jamaica Estates, NY 11432 718-658-6166 | www.unis.org
QueensParent 21
Being able to discern others’ feelings and acting based on that information is part of emotional intelligence, so experts suggest parents begin clearly demonstrating empathy around elementary school-aged children to help them learn what it means to be a good friend.
The Importance of EQ
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High emotional intelligence translates to success across the board—in children academically and in adults professionally. Here’s how you can help your child succeed in all development stages. By Katelin Walling motional intelligence (EQ) is a hot topic these days, from the slew of articles discussing characteristics of those with high emotional intelligence to the business articles revealing the emotional-intelligence job skills everyone needs to be successful. And members of Bachelor Nation will undoubtedly remember the showdown between Corinne Olympios and Taylor Nolan on Nick Viall’s season of ABC’s The Bachelor, when Nolan told Olympios she lacked emotional intelligence. But what exactly is emotional intelligence, and how can parents ensure their children have a high level? We spoke to experts to get a clear picture of EQ, its benefits to children, and how parents can help children build their emotional intelligence skills.
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Emotional Intelligence Explained Psychologists John D. Mayer, Ph.D., and Peter Salovey, Ph.D., first coined the term emotional intelligence in the ’90s. Their 22
October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
definition of EQ is “the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and action.” This is the definition the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence uses, says Kathryn Lee, M.A., director of RULER for Families at the center. (RULER is an acronym for the building blocks of emotional intelligence: recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing, and regulating emotions.) Meanwhile, The Center for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning combines social and emotional intelligences and divides those into five skill areas: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making, according to Jennifer Miller, M.Ed., who formerly worked with CASEL and is currently an expert contributor for NBC’s Parent Toolkit and creator and author of the blog Confident Parents, Confident Kids.
Keeping these two definitions in mind, Lee and Miller say a child has a good EQ level if she is able to: name her feelings and moods, respond flexibly to changes in her environment, show empathy toward others, appraise how others are feeling, recover more quickly from upset or disappointment, and manage emotions in a challenging environment (calm herself down, articulate what she’s feeling, and move forward).
Benefits of Emotional Intelligence While kids will utilize emotional intelligence skills in everyday life and social interactions, building those skills can help children be more successful academically and, later on, professionally. Schools with a focus on social-emotional learning had an 11-percent advantage on high-stakes achievement tests as compared to schools without such a focus, according to a 2011 meta-analysis published in the journal Child Development, which looked at the effectiveness of 213 school-based social and emotional learning programs. “That’s pretty significant when you look at moving the needle on academic performance,” Miller says. A 20-year retrospective study published in the American Journal of Health in 2015 compared the social-emotional competencies in children as kindergarteners and again as 25-year-olds. The study found that for every point increase in the person’s original score, he was 54 percent more likely to graduate from high school, twice as likely to attain a college degree, and 46 percent more likely to have a full-time job at the age of 25. As children become members of the workplace of today and the future, they are required to be critical, creative, and innovative thinkers. Employers require employees that are able to collaborate, work in teams, and understand cross-cultural communications in a global economy, including perspective taking, empathy, and social awareness, Miller says. “You go down the list of social-emotional competencies, and they have become the foundation of what employers are looking for in the workforce, so it is absolutely critical in looking to the future,” she says.
How to Help Kids Build Emotional Intelligence Since social-emotional intelligence is a set of skills, “they can be learned at any point. You’re not born with it, it’s not static, it’s dynamic,” Miller says. “There is not a kid in the world that doesn’t need support in this area. As they develop, they are working on their skills, so [support] is critical. It’s not a low income issue, it’s not a cultural issue, it’s very much every child needs to understand and relate to each other effectively.” So how can parents help their children build social-emotional skills? Miller and Lee share their tips for various stages of development.
Toddlers and Pre-K Build your child’s feeling-word vocabulary. Help her learn to identify and name how she is feeling. “Even preschoolers can use words like frustrated, lonely, or surprised—and when they are able to name their feelings, they become more able to understand and work with their feelings,” Lee says. One way parents can help their toddler or pre-K age child is to separate him from the situation to take stock of his feelings. Lead “a young child into a safe space—in other words not in a public forum where a bunch of people are looking at them where they can get even more upset because they’re humiliated by the social context,” Miller says. “Walk them to a safe place where they can calm down, you can model breathing, help them breathe, and then give them words to ask them whether you’re right about
their feelings. It seems like you’re really frustrated, is that right? It seems like you’re angry, like you’re hurt, is that right?” This very brief statement about what he is feeling and experiencing can help him begin to name and label those feelings.
Elementary School Cultivate friend-making skills. Pre-K to second-grade children are beginning to create genuine friendships, but they’re new to creating friendships, Miller says. “Children need a lot of help in figuring out how to be a good friend and to have friends,” she says. “At the beginning of the school year, you can practice making introductions if they’re nervous about not knowing other kids, and you can do that with stuffed animals or action figures that they play with: Hi, I want to introduce you to Betsy Bear. It’s nice to meet you, this is so-and-so.” Demonstrate empathy. “In elementary school, friends become increasingly important. Elementary school-aged children learn to identify and become attuned to peers’ facial expressions and perspectives. So parents can support their children by helping them learn how to understand others’ feelings, and to empathize with them, creating the basis for becoming a true friend,” Lee says. In the home, where emotions are okay to talk about and explore, Lee recommends parents try to model empathy by saying, I wonder how your friend’s doing. She looked a little sad when she was here the other day—have you noticed that? or Gosh, I remember his parents are separated. I wonder if there is anything we can do to show our love and support for him? “Helping your child learn to develop an empathic frame for their experience can really mean a lot for a child during those elementary school years,” Lee says. Practice self-management techniques. Third- through sixthgraders start to encounter more complicated social problems, such as bullying. So, Miller says, their self-management skills become really important. To help your child become a responsible decisionmaker, discern what her values are, and act responsibly in social environments, Miller suggests practicing these scenarios with your child at home: how to deal when she is picked on, help her practice ways to respond to bullies whether she is the one being bullied or witnessing it, what to do when her friend is being bullied, when to disengage and not be an audience giving the bully power. Kids at this age can also become very performance oriented, worried about how teachers and peers are judging them, whether it’s sports or academic. Because of this pressure, Miller says kids need really good coping skills. Talk to your child about dealing with frustration, persisting toward a goal when the outcome isn’t perfect immediately, and dealing with feelings of embarrassment or humiliation in front of peers when he doesn’t first succeed.
Middle School Explore morals and ethics. In middle school, kids’ moral and ethical development begins, and awareness starts to shift from “me and my accomplishments to an awareness of one’s membership in a larger community and humanity,” Lee says. “So parents exploring those topics with their middle-schoolers helps support their efforts to develop this larger vision and to formulate their own values.” Talk and listen. “I think a critical aspect of being a middleschool parent is keeping the lines of communication open,” Miller continued on next page ii
QueensParent 23
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says. At this age, kids are in the throes of puberty, and part of it is parental pushback and pushing boundaries. So talk about those boundaries and discuss why they are important, she says. “Kids are learning and caring more about social justice as it relates to the world and as it relates to them, and so they want to know why.” When you are open with your child, she will come to you on her own time. You may not talk about little issues, “but when the big issues come up, they come to you, not somebody else,” Miller adds.
High School Give your teen space to create an identity. “High-schoolers are really working hard at creating their own identity and independence, so sometimes they’re going to need more alone time and time with their friends and away from you. I think it’s a tough time to create independence when you are still dependent in a household,” Miller says; so allow your teen space to develop his self-identity. Miller also suggests telling your teen stories from her childhood when she demonstrated strength and perseverance. “I think it’s really helpful because at the time when social pressure is at it’s height and they’re trying to figure out who they’re going to be in all of it, you want them to feel strong and feel like they can stand their ground if they need to,” she says. While giving your teen space to cultivate independence, stay connected to him and keep the relationship strong. “Parents can support their high-schooler’s development by thoughtfully thinking issues through with them, by encouraging the ability of their teen to think critically in their decision-making. If we can recognize that this is a time when kids naturally begin to differentiate themselves from other adults, often including their parents, then we can avoid taking it personally and arguing,” Lee advises. “This is a healthy development—a necessary part of formulating their own identities.” As with most life skills, parents are their children’s first and main teachers. So to help your child build her emotional and social skills, you have to demonstrate and build these skills yourself. As Miller says, “Every human being can continue to hone their social and emotional competence.”
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October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
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LIU POST’S CENTER FOR GIFTED YOUTH
FALL 2017 AND SPRING 2018 SATURDAY PROGRAM Oct 7th – Dec 16th and Feb 3rd – April 28th, 2018 for students entering grades K-8
Are You the Parent of a Gifted Child?
ENROLL FOR 2017-2018 inspired by reggio emilia approach
WEBSITE: WWW.LITTLEATELIERYC.COM TEL: 718.423.4223 EMAIL: INFO@LITTLEATELIERYC.COM 39-14 210TH STREET, BAYSIDE, NY 11361
Call now to schedule a tour! P RES C H OOL (2-5 YRS OLD)
ART & COOKING ENRICHMENT
MOMMY & ME ART AND CRAFT
(ALL AGES)
(12 MO - 2.5 YRS OLD)
LIU Post’s Center for Gifted Youth announces its 37th annual fall and spring program for gifted children. The fall
program runs on Saturdays from October 7th to December 16th and the spring program runs on Saturdays from February 3rd to April 28th. The program is open to gifted children entering grades K-8 in September 2017. The program expands students’ knowledge, develops creative and critical thinking skills, and offers children the opportunity to learn in an exciting and accepting environment.
For information call 516-299-2160 liu.edu/post/giftedyouth Now find us on Facebook
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Admission is highly selective and enrollment is limited.
LIU Post • College of Education, Information and Technology • 720 Northern Blvd. • Brookville, NY 11548-1300 liu.edu/post/giftedyouth • Dr. Lynne Manouvrier, Director
QueensParent 25
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
The Mary Louis Academy
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NOW ACCEPTING YOUNG WOMEN FOR THE CLASS OF 2022!
» Open House »
Sunday October 22nd, 2017 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm R.S.V.P. online at www.holycrosshs.org
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• 12:1 student to teacher ratio • $1,000,000 in enhancements to our STREAM program • Over 25 honors and AP courses offered • Over 60 elective courses offered tailored to student interests, including robotics, architecture, engineering and business • 1:1 Google Chromebook Program: Every incoming freshman is provided with a chromebook and full access to the Google Apps for Education (GAFE)
Holy Cross High School 26-20 Francis Lewis Blvd, Flushing NY 11358 For more information contact Robert Botero 718-886- 7250 ex 558 or text 718-309-0589 admissions@holycross.org
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The Mary Louis Academy is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, New York. Accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and Chartered by the State of NY.
OPEN HOUSE SAT., OCT. 14, 2017 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
St. Agnes Proudly Introduces the Maureen Martin Fritch Medical Health Lab!
176-21 Wexford Terrace, Jamaica Estates, NY 11432 Phone: 718-297-2120 | Fax: 718-739-0037 @WEARETMLA | #HILLTOPPERNATION | TACHS #016 26
October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
13-20 124th Street
•
College Point, NY 11356 • 718.353.6276 www.stagneshs.org
Catholic Schools Archbishop Molloy High School 83-53 Manton St., Briarwood 718-441-2100 x155 or x110 admissions@molloyhs.org Archbishop Molloy High School promotes intellectual curiosity, creativity, personal growth, and faith. Rooted in a tradition of high standards in academics, athletics, and service to others, students are challenged to excel by our top-tier faculty, dedicated coaching staff, and competitive curriculum. Students feel part of a family, and with many school activities and programs, there truly is something for everyone. Molloy continually benchmarks its current academic offerings and use of technology with other higher-learning institutions in order to keep evolving as a dynamic school in a rapidly changing world.
success, develop leadership skills, set career goals, and form strategies to achieve those goals. Successful completion of a program, all of which began in September, will be recognized at graduation with a special designation certificate. The academic concentrations will include: Pre-Med, Dual-Language/International Studies Program, S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Math), Fine Art, Music, and Physical Education and Wellness. For more information, visit tmla.org.
St. Agnes Academic High School 13-20 124th St., College Point 718-353-6276 stagneshs.org Celebrating 110 years of educating and inspiring young women, St. Agnes Academic High School understands that success for
young women in science, technology, engineering, and math is critical to the future. The Maureen Martin Fritch Health Science Lab provides a world of opportunity in a variety of health fields giving St. Agnes girls the ‘edge’ when applying to health and nursing programs. This is an exciting time for young women in STEM and St. Agnes is committed to staying ahead of the curve.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
ARCHBISHOP MOLLOY HIGH SCHOOL
Years of WHAT MATTERS...
Holy Cross High School Mr. Robert Botero, director of admissions 26-20 Francis Lewis Blvd., Flushing 718-886-7250 x558 or text 718-309-0589 holycrosshs.org admissions@holycrosshs.org Holy Cross High School is a Catholic college preparatory school located in Queens. In following the educational and spiritual vision of the Blessed Father Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, Holy Cross is dedicated to educating the hearts and minds of young people. In the spring of 2017, Holy Cross High School enhanced its mission by announcing the decision to move to coeducation. Beginning this fall with the class of 2022, and each year after, young women can apply to join.
Mary Louis Academy: Empowering Young Women Since 1936 176-21 Wexford Terrace, Jamaica Estates 718-297-2120 tmla.org The Mary Louis Academy is proud to announce the establishment of several new and exciting initiatives designed to provide young women with increased opportunities to achieve academic
SE! U O H N E P O r our , 2017 11am-4pm Join us fo October 15 Sunday,
To apply to Molloy take the TACHS or CHSEE Exam:
Register at: Exam Date: Molloy Code:
TACHS:
CHSEE:
www.tachsinfo.com Nov. 4, 2017 012
www.chsee.org Oct. 28, 2017 012
83-53 Manton Street, Briarwood, NY 11435 718-441-2100 www.molloyhs.org QueensParent 27
OUTINGS: Randall’s Island
nymetroparents.com/outings
Explore Nature and Get in the Game on Randall’s Island Hit a hole-in-one, explore an urban farm, check out bee hotels, and more between the boroughs. ii 2
Sabrina Sooknanan
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Courtesy Randall’s Island Park Alliance
By Sabrina Sooknanan
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Vincent LaForet
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1 Hit a hole-in-one on the island’s 36-hole miniature-golf course. 2 Decorate pumpkins, enjoy live music, and watch the Randall’s Island Chef Showdown at the Harvest Festival. 3 The Urban Farm is an educational stop at which families can learn about sustainable gardening practices. 4 Randall’s Island is home to more than 60 playing fields, so you can cheer on a local team or play ball. 5 Randall’s Island is home to six bee hotels.
andall’s Island Park, a multifaceted public park covering most of a 480-acre island in the East River between East Harlem, Manhattan, the South Bronx, and Astoria is home to a variety of facilities, activities, and natural areas for every member of the family to enjoy.
R
Farm in the City The Urban Farm gives families the opportunity to plant, harvest, and compost. It offers lessons on sustainable gardening practices such as rainwater capture, soil fertility, pollination, and botany. Your family can catch a glimpse of this year’s flock of chickens, the only known rice paddies in New York, an apple orchard, greenhouses, and a berry patch at this seasonal attraction.
Explore Themed Gardens Check out five themed gardens created using native species and sustainable practices, including the Rock Garden and the Waters Edge Garden. The White Garden is composed of plants with flowers or foliate in various tones of white. The Hell Gate Wildflower Meadow provides food and shelter for various
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October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
pollinators and other insects, while the Freshwater Wetlands Wildflower Meadow contains unusual native plants. There are also six bee hotels on the island. The park also has a variety of natural areas to explore, including freshwater wetlands, a tidal salt marsh, an urban forest, and nearly 5 miles of coastal upland habitat. Most are accessible via the almost 8 miles of bike and pedestrian pathways that run throughout the park and along the waterfront.
Play Sports (or Cheer on a Local Team) Randall’s Island is home to more than 60 playing fields. Families and friends can come out to play and enjoy a good game of soccer, softball, lacrosse, rugby, and more. Randall’s Island Park Alliance works with local schools and communitybased organizations to make sure the fields are available for NYC children and adult leagues and teams, so you can cheer on your favorite local team or toss a ball around. The park is also home to Icahn Stadium, a 400-meter running track used to accommodate local, national, and international track and field events.
Become the Next Tennis Star The Sportime Tennis Center offers many resources for families, such as 20 indoor and outdoor courts: 10 Har-Tru clay and 10 DecoTurf hard tennis courts, a training and fitness center, locker rooms, a café, a pro shop, and meeting and event facilities. Tennis programs, athletic training, and youth camps are available for all ages and levels.
Hit a Hole-in-One The Golf Center includes an indoor-outdoor, two-tier driving range with 80 stalls, a 36-hole miniature golf course, batting cages, golf lessons, and free Wi-Fi. Head to the kid-friendly Liquid Bread Beer Garden and Grill for a bite afterward.
Celebrate the Harvest In addition to the yoga, tours, birding, workshops, and outdoor movie nights on the island, the Harvest Festival on Oct. 15 promises free fall fun. There will be live music, face painting, and pumpkins for kids to decorate, as well as the Randall’s Island Chef Showdown, during which three chefs will be judged on their creations using the Urban Farm’s harvest. Run the River 5K on Oct. 28 also includes a children’s fun run.
Want to Go? Address: 20 Randall’s Island Park, Randall’s Island Directions: Approximately a 1-hour, 20-minute subway ride from Flushing Hours: Park: daily, 5am-12am; Urban Farm: Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm through Oct. 15 For more information: 212-830-7722 or randallsisland.org
rces Are you looking for resou fall? & fun for your family this
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nymetroparents.com/where-to
WHERE-TO GUIDE
Pick Your Own Pumpkins ii
Research by Lindsay Roussin
You can paint them, carve them, bake with them, and decorate with them! This fall, get out and pick your own pumpkins, then playfully master them into crafts or treats! Many pumpkin patches offer fun autumn activities, such as hayrides, corn mazes, and farm stands with fresh fruits, vegetables, and delicious pastries. Spooky or silly, picking your own pumpkin is definitely one thing: fun for the whole family. As always, confirm details ahead of time. 631-862-7330; borellasfarmstand.com U-pick pumpkins starting Sept. 30, weekends, 11am-5pm. Hayrides, snacks, corn maze, live music, and other activities. Farm stand with homegrown fruits and vegetables. Free parking. Free admission for children younger than 3. Live music and tasting room available on weekends (Saturdays, 12-7pm; Sundays, 12-6pm). Brightwaters Farms & Nursery 1624 Manatuck Blvd., Bay Shore 631-665-5411; brightwatersfarms.com U-pick pumpkins through Oct. 30, daily, 9am-5pm. Hayrides, inflatable rides, and a farm store with novelty decorations, apples, candy apples, and full concession stand on weekends only. Admission is charged on weekends and Columbus Day, and includes face painting, clown entertainment, animal viewing, and unlimited hay rides. The Fall Festival starts Sept. 24 with pumpkin fields, a beer festival, and live music. Decker Farm 435 Richmond Hill Road, Staten Island 718-351-1611 historicrichmondtown.org/decker-farm Pumpkin picking through October (weekends only starting Oct. 1, 11am4pm; closed Oct. 8, but open the following Sunday and Monday). Selfguided tours and hayrides offered. Cornfield on-site. Free shuttle bus service available from the Historic Richmond Town parking lot to the farm. Admission: $6 per person or $20 for a family of four. Additional cost for pumpkins.
631-549-1159 schmittsfamilyfarms.com Pick your own pumpkins Sept. 16 through October, daily, 9am-6pm. Fall festival featuring hayrides and a haunted maze on weekends, as well as a train ride, John Deere trike play area, duck races, and fire truck slides. Fall decorations for sale, as well as roasted corn, fresh baked pies, candy apples, mums, and ornamental kale.
LONG ISLAND
Benner’s Farm 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, East Setauket 631-689-8172; bennersfarm.com Pick your own pumpkins through October, weekends, 12-4pm. Hayrides (including a haunted hayride), Big Swing, and farm animals. Select Saturdays and Sundays feature special guests, and Sundays feature live music. Admission: $8; $6 children (includes corn and hayrides). Harvest Festival: Oct. 9, 12-4pm.
Albert H. Schmitt Family Farms 6 Bagatelle Road, Dix Hills
Borellas Farm Stand 485 Edgewood Ave., Saint James
Queens County Farm Museum 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park 718-347-3276; queensfarm.org Pick your own pumpkins through Oct. 29, weekends, 11am-4:30pm,. Hayrides and a 3-acre interactive corn maze on-site.
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F&W Schmitt’s Family Farm 26 Pinelawn Road, Melville 631-271-3276; schmittfarms.com Pick your own pumpkins and fall vegetables through October, daily, 9am-5pm. Free hayrides. Seven-acre corn maze with admission. Country store on premises. Weekend and Columbus Day activities include inflatable rides and food concessions. Haunted corn maze and haunted mansion Friday-Sunday through October. Fairview Farm 69 Horsemill Lane, Bridgehampton (GPS: 69 Horsemill Road, Watermill) 631-537-6154 fairviewfarmatmecox.com Pick your own pumpkins, gourds, and squash through the second week of November, Thursday-Sunday, plus Monday holidays, 10am-6pm. Eight-acre corn maze. Admission: $12; $10 children ages 4-11; free for children younger than 4.
Find the full guide at ii nymetroparents.com/pumpkins
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Turn the page for details on Queens Food Day (No. 4 on our list).
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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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Holiday Fun, Dance Party
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Show Time!, Smarty Pants
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Crafty Kids, Once Upon a Time
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Movers & Shakers
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Mini Musicians, On Screen
Fun Fairs & Festivals, The Great Outdoors
EDITOR’S HOT TICKETS Our calendar is full of great ideas. First, here are the nine 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! Kick Off To Fall FREE WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 1, 11am-4:30pm WHERE: Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park AGES: All WHAT: Explore the grounds and buy a variety of Hudson Valley apples, doughnuts, fresh cider, and locally made pie. Listen to live country western music by Savannah Sky and check out The Amazing Maize Maze and pumpkin patch. WHY WE LOVE IT: A wonderful way to celebrate the season. WANT TO GO? 718-347-3276. queensfarm.org.
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Lennon Bus Block Party FREE WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 1, 12-6pm WHERE: 78th Street Playstreet Plaza, 78th Street between 34th Avenue and Northern Boulevard, Jackson Heights AGES: All WHAT: Celebrate John Lennon’s birthday with a family block party with music, face painting, food and more, as part of the Come Together: NYC tour. WHY WE LOVE IT: Presenting a full day of love, peace, and creativity—all pillars of Lennon’s legacy. WANT TO GO? 541-221-3627. lennonbus.org.
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‘A Night of Broadway’
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WHEN: Friday, Oct. 6, 8pm WHERE: York College, 94-45 Guy Brewer Blvd., Jamaica AGES: All
October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
WHAT: A showcase of Broadway hits performed by aspiring Broadway personalities and honoring three outstanding contributors of the arts through music, dance, and theater: Ann-Marie Hudley Simmons, Theara J. Ward, and Carolyn DeVour. WHY WE LOVE IT: The best of Broadway comes to Queens! WANT TO GO? $25 and up. 718-262-2840. yorkpac.com.
Queens Food Day FREE WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 14, 11am-3pm WHERE: Socrates Sculpture Park, 35-01 Vernon Blvd., Long Island City AGES: All WHAT: Explore and become a part of the landscape of food justice in Northwest Queens with a variety of community organizations sharing knowledge and resources on nutrition education, food affordability and accessibility, urban farming, planting and gardening, sustainability, and healthy living. WHY WE LOVE IT: A fun day of learning, cooking, and eating. WANT TO GO? 718-956-1819. socratessculpturepark.org.
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Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K Walk FREE WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 15, 10am WHERE: Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Promenade of Industry and Universe Court, Flushing AGES: All WHAT: This noncompetitive 3-mile walk brings people together to make a difference for everyone who has been touched by breast cancer. The events raise money to fund
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innovative research, information, and support to help people reduce their breast cancer risk or detect the disease early. WHY WE LOVE IT: It’s a celebration of survivors and an opportunity to remember loved-ones lost. WANT TO GO? 800-227-2345. makingstrideswalk.org/queens.
123 Andrés Family Performance
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WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 15, 2:15pm WHERE: Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing AGES: 3-12 WHAT: Families will sing and dance to rhythms while gaining knowledge of vocabulary in English and Spanish. Children will be encouraged to use their imaginations to ride an airplane and join in singing songs that will entice dancing while practicing new vocabulary. WHY WE LOVE IT: An exciting cultural journey of Latin America through an introduction of language, music, and dance. WANT TO GO? $13; $8 children. 718-463-7700. flushingtownhall.org.
Open House New York Weekend FREE WHEN: Oct. 14-15, Saturday-Sunday, see website for times WHERE: Locations throughout New York City, see website for addresses AGES: All WHAT: Go inside hundreds of buildings throughout the five boroughs to discover some of the city’s most noteworthy sites. Expect tours, talks, performances, and other special events within the walls of some truly breathtaking historical, contemporary, residential, and commercial buildings. WHY WE LOVE IT: Another reason to love to NYC! WANT TO GO? ohny.org.
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Billboard Breaking Brits WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 26, 11am WHERE: Bourbon Street Restaurant, 40-12 Bell Blvd., Bayside AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Features the music of The Beatles, Elton John, Adele, Julie Andrews, Tom Jones, and others. Relive the meteoric rise of these iconic singers, and lose yourself in the music from the ’60s to today, and enjoy a lovely meal. WHY WE LOVE IT: Celebrating the British invasion and the popular music from across the pond. WANT TO GO? $49. 718-631-6311. visitqpac.org.
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RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns: Garden of Gourds WHEN: Oct. 6-29, see website for dates, 6-10:30pm WHERE: Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, Long Island AGES: All WHAT: Come see 5,000 hand-carved illuminated jack-o’-lanterns creatively arranged along a scenic walking path and set to a musical score designed to bring out the fall spirit in visitors of all ages. WHY WE LOVE IT: It’s artistically jaw-dropping and ghoulishly fun! WANT TO GO? $26; $22 children ages 3-12 and seniors; free for children 2 and younger. 818-639-8981. therise.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 five no-cost events we’re excited about now. You’re welcome. Community Dinner FREE WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 1, 6:30pm WHERE: Sunnyside Reformed Church, 4803 Skillman Ave., Sunnyside AGES: All WHAT: Be a part of a tradition that has stood the test of time at this little church on the corner that as been in Sunnyside for more than 100 years. A wonderful opportunity for fellowship, and a great way to give back to the community. Come and enjoy a healthy meal, light entertainment, and more. WANT TO GO? 718-426-5997. sunnysidenyc.rcachurches.org.
Queens Center Mall Blood Drive FREE WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 7, 1-7pm WHERE: Queens Center Mall, 90-15 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst AGES: 13 and older WHAT: Give the gift of life and save up to three lives by donating blood. This is a great way to give back to the community and find out your blood type. WANT TO GO? 516-478-5094. nybloodcenter.org.
Game Time FREE WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 14, 2pm WHERE: Maple Grove Cemetery, 127-15 Kew Gardens Road, Kew Gardens AGES: All WHAT: An afternoon playing a variety of board games in honor of Sam Lloyd, the Puzzle King of Maple Grove. Reservations required. WANT TO GO? 347-878-6614. info@friendsofmaplegrove.org.
Fall Festival WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 21, 1-4pm WHERE: King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica AGES: All WHAT: Families will press their own apples into cider, make a cornhusk doll, and enjoy a number of other fall-themed activities. Then, visit the historic home of Rufus King: a Founding Father who not only signed the Constitution, but was also an outspoken opponent of slavery. WANT TO GO? 718-206-0545. kingmanor.org.
Maker Space: Costumes FREE WHEN: Oct. 3-24, Tuesdays, 4pm WHERE: Broadway Library, 40-20 Broadway, Long Island City AGES: 9-12 WHAT: Makers are creators, artists, tinkerers, and inventors. Participants will get ready for Halloween by making masks, capes, crowns, wands, or other costume accessories. WANT TO GO? 718-721-2462. queenslibrary.org. ii QueensParent 33
‘Sense and Sensibility’ WHEN: Oct. 20-22, Friday, 2pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 3pm WHERE: Queens Theatre, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing AGES: 9-17 WHAT: The story of the Dashwood Sisters and their circuitous paths to love is that rare breed of classic romantic comedy that can still warm hearts and split sides, even 200 years after the novel was originally published. Explore this timeless story’s many facets, vivid characters, and pockets of universal humor. WANT TO GO? $20 and up. 718-760-0064. queenstheatre.org.
American Dance Spectacular
SHOW TIME! ‘Oh My Sweet Land’ WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 1, 7:30pm WHERE: LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, 31-10 Thomson Ave., Long Island City AGES: 13 and older WHAT: They call it civil war, but there is nothing civil in this. Step into the kitchen, as the host is preparing kubah, a traditional Syrian dish, and tells the story of meeting Ashraf, a Syrian exile along with the brutality, grace, and humanity of the Syrian refugees she meets along the way. WANT TO GO? $35. 718-482-5151. laguardiaperformingarts.org.
The Amazing Michael’s Juggling Show at Fantasy Forest WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 1, 2pm and 4pm WHERE: Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 5351 111th St., Flushing AGES: All WHAT: A world-class juggling show full of jaw-dropping stunts, exciting audience participation, and hilarious physical comedy. WANT TO GO? Ride and concession prices vary. 718-788-2676. nycgovparks.org.
Chita & Klein WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 8, 3pm WHERE: Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside AGES: 9 and older WHAT: See Chita Rivera and Robert Klein live for a magical afternoon of entertainment, music, dance, and comedy. WANT TO GO? $40 and up. 718-631-6311. visitqpac.org.
SkowheganPerforms FREE WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 14, 1-5pm WHERE: Socrates Sculpture Park, 35-01 Vernon Blvd., Long Island City AGES: All WHAT: The site-specific works are interspersed throughout the landscape and public artworks, and are inspired by Socrates’ unique outdoor waterfront setting and the 2017 Socrates Annual. WANT TO GO? 718-956-1819. socratessculpturepark.org.
‘La grenouille avait raison (The Toad Knew)’ WHEN: Oct. 12-14, Thursday-Saturday, 7:30pm WHERE: Brooklyn Academy of Music, Peter Jay Sharp Building, 30 Lafayette Ave., Fort Greene, Brooklyn AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Trapped in a dank subterranean world, two restless siblings are surrounded by the stuff of childhood nightmare: a grimy aquarium, a dusty piano, and a glowing, semi-animate surveillance apparatus. WANT TO GO? $25 and up. 718-636-4100. bam.org.
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WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 28, 8pm WHERE: On Stage at Kingsborough, 2001 Oriental Blvd., Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn AGES: 9 and older WHAT: From The Charleston and Lindy Hop to The Jitterbug and Twist to Disco and Vogue, leading Broadway dancers—backed up by Broadway vocalists and a live band—take the audience on a sweeping journey through the last century of American dance sensations. WANT TO GO? $30-$32. 718-368-5596. onstageatkingsborough.org.
Story Time Theater Troupe FREE WHEN: Oct. 2-30, Mondays, 6pm WHERE: Woodhaven Library, 85-41 Forest Parkway, Woodhaven AGES: 5-17 WHAT: Earn community service hours while transforming fairy tales and stories into interactive story times. There will be three practice sessions followed by one performance. WANT TO GO? 718-849-1010. queenslibrary.org.
SMARTY PANTS Tinker Lab Fall 2017 Open House: Electronic Instrument FREE WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 1, 2-4pm WHERE: Lewis H. Latimer House Museum, 3441 137th St., Flushing AGES: 5-17 WHAT: This project involves learning about circuitry, sketch and design, exploring different sounds, building unique instruments, programming with Scratch, and using Makey Makey, a micro-controllor. Registration required. WANT TO GO? 718-961-8585. latimernow.org.
Dental Care for Infants, Children, and Adults FREE WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 3, 4pm WHERE: Lefferts Library, 103-34 Lefferts Blvd., Richmond Hill AGES: All WHAT: In this workshop participants will learn how to take care of their teeth and gums at any age. WANT TO GO? 718-843-5950. queenslibrary.org.
123 Andrés Interactive Workshop WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 15, 1pm WHERE: Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing AGES: 3-12 WHAT: A natural facilitator, Andrés creates an open space to experience songs, movement, and play that support early learning. WANT TO GO? $7; $4 children. 718-463-7700. flushingtownhall.org.
The Science Playground WHEN: Through Nov. 11: Monday-Friday, 9:30am-5pm; Saturday-Sunday, 10am-6pm WHERE: New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Corona
AGES: All WHAT: The nation’s largest science playground features 60,000 square feet of exhibits for children of all ages. Slides, seesaws, climbing webs, a water play area, drums, mirrors, sandboxes, and more allow kids to explore science by playing. WANT TO GO? $5 with admission: $16; $13 seniors and children ages 2-17. 718-699-0005. nysci.org.
Mandarin Classes for Preschoolers FREE WHEN: Through Dec. 4: Mondays, 3:30pm WHERE: North Forest Park Library, 98-27 Metropolitan Ave., Forest Hills AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Bilingual Birdies will teach 45-minute classes in English and Mandarin with live music, movement, dance, puppetry, and games. WANT TO GO? 718-261-5512. queenslibrary.org.
Gulliver’s Gate WHEN: Through Dec. 31: daily, 9am-10pm WHERE: 216 W. 44th St., Times Square, Manhattan AGES: All WHAT: Artists from eight countries took part in building this miniature world, featuring cities from across the globe, all built to scale. You can even pay to have your body scanned and become part of the exhibit. WANT TO GO? $36; $27 seniors and for children 12 and younger. gulliversgate.com.
MOVERS & SHAKERS Let’s Dance! WHEN: Through Oct. 1: Sunday-Friday, 10am-5pm; Saturday, 10am-7pm WHERE: Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 W. 83rd St., Upper West Side, Manhattan AGES: All WHAT: An exhibit in which kids can discover dance from a variety of entry points: as an art form, as an expression of diverse cultures and traditions, and as a healthy physical activity. WANT TO GO? $12; free for children younger than 1. 212-721-1223. cmom.org.
NYC Parks Wheelchair Softball FREE WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 5, 5:30pm WHERE: Forest Park Victory Field, Woodhaven Boulevard between Myrtle Avenue and Forest Park Drive, Woodhaven AGES: All WHAT: Come out and learn the game. Bring a sports chair, or one can be provided if you’re looking to play. Volunteers are welcome to join and assist with the game activities. WANT TO GO? 631-374-2337. nycgovparks.org.
WHAT: The Brooklyn Nets will face the Philadelphia 76ers in an exciting preseason game. WANT TO GO? $23.50 and up. 800-745-3000. nycblive.com.
Metropolitan Olympic Weightlifting Championship FREE WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 14, 10an WHERE: Lost Battalion Hall Recreation Center, 93-29 Queens Blvd., Rego Park AGES: All WHAT: Watch as weightlifters from across the metropolitan area compete for titles in various divisions. WANT TO GO? 718-263-1163. nycgovparks.org.
The Amazing Maize Maze Sponsored by Con Edison WHEN: Through Oct. 29: daily, 11am-4:30pm WHERE: Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park AGES: All WHAT: Kids and adults alike will have fun finding their way out of this 3-acre corn labyrinth. The adventure begins with a “Stalk Talk” to prepare participants for the challenge of finding clues, solving puzzles, and making their way out of the maze. WANT TO GO? $10; $5 children ages 4-11; free for children 3 and younger. 718-347-3276. queensfarm.org.
Girls Basketball Clinic FREE WHEN: Through Nov. 10: Fridays, 5-7pm WHERE: Lost Battalion Hall Recreation Center, 93-29 Queens Blvd., Rego Park AGES: 12-17 WHAT: Instructors will teach participants ages 12-17 the basic rules and fundamental skills of basketball in preparation for a 2018 winter basketball tournament. WANT TO GO? 718-393-7370. nycgovparks.org.
Public Skating WHEN: Through Dec. 23: Monday-Friday, 9am-5:15pm; Friday, 7-9:50pm; Saturday-Sunday, 12-4:45pm; Saturday, 8-9:50pm WHERE: World Ice Arena, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 131st Street and Avery Avenue, Flushing AGES: All WHAT: Whether you’re lacing up skates for the first time, or you’re an experienced skater, participants will love ice-skating at the World Ice Arena. WANT TO GO? $6 weekdays; $9 weekends; $5 skate rental. 718-7609001. worldice.com. ii
Zip, Jump & Climb at Atlas Park WHEN: Through Oct. 9: Thursday, 4-10pm; Friday, 4-10:30pm; Saturday, 12-10:30pm; Sunday, 12-7pm WHERE: The Shops at Atlas Park, 8000 Cooper Ave., Glendale AGES: All WHAT: Featuring zip lining, rock climbing, and extreme air jump. WANT TO GO? $10. 718-326-3300. shopatlaspark.com.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Philadelphia 76ers Preseason Game WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 11, 7:30pm WHERE: NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Presented By New York Community Bank, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale, Long Island AGES: 9 and older QueensParent 35
an evening of works by UK composers, performed by violinist Esther Noh and pianist Jacob Rhodebeck. WANT TO GO? $20; $10 students; free for children 12 and younger. 718-894-2178. musicareginae.org.
Louis Armstrong Eternity Band WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 14, 6:30pm WHERE: LeFrak Concert Hall, 153-49 Reeves Ave., Flushing AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Inspired by the noble jazz pioneers Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, and their colleagues, this band breathes life and passion into America’s own great art from. WANT TO GO? $15. 718-997-3800. kupferbergcenter.org.
Baroque Concert: Queens Consort
MINI
MUSICIANS New York Classical Players FREE WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 1, 3pm WHERE: Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing AGES: All WHAT: The New York Classical Players collaborate with worldrenowned pianist HaeSun Paik performing as soloist in Beethoven’s lyrical Piano concerto No. 4. Reservations required. WANT TO GO? 718-463-7700. flushingtownhall.org.
Shades of Bublé WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 1, 3pm WHERE: Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside AGES: 5 and older WHAT: This three-man tribute to Grammy award-winning singer Michael Bublé gives audiences seamless variety by combining big-band standards from the jazz era, classic hits from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s, as well as Billboard chart toppers from today in a high-energy, singing and swinging concert. WANT TO GO? $35 and up. 718-631-6311. visitqpac.org.
Sunday Concerts at Central: Legacy Women FREE WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 1, 3pm WHERE: Central Library, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica AGES: All WHAT: Afro-Caribbean music will be front and center when this all female troupe of singers, dancers, and drummers take the stage. WANT TO GO? 718-990-0700. queenslibrary.org.
The Garifuna Collective Featuring Umalali
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 20, 6:30pm WHERE: King Manor Museum, 150-03 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica AGES: All WHAT: An evening of baroque music performed in the beautiful period room by this Queens-based baroque ensemble. WANT TO GO? $15. 718-206-0545. kingmanor.org.
Music in the Garden: Ustad Shafaat Khan WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 21, 3:30-5pm WHERE: Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing AGES: All WHAT: Enjoy Maestro Khan’s blend of Indian classical and folk music as he is joined by his fusion group East Meets West and presents music that reflects heritage that can be traced back to the 16th century. WANT TO GO? $6; $4 seniors and students with ID; $2 children ages 4-12; free for children younger than 4. 718-886-3800. queensbotanical.org.
Kol Esperanza WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 22, 3pm WHERE: Queensborough Performing Arts Center, 222-05 56th Ave., Bayside AGES: 9 and older WHAT: This classically trained, operatic pop ensemble will perform selections of Israeli favorites, Jewish classics, Broadway showstoppers, opera crossovers, American standards, and more. WANT TO GO? $40 and up. 718-631-6311. visitqpac.org.
Kupferberg Presents Inti-Illimani WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 29, 3pm WHERE: LeFrak Concert Hall, 153-49 Reeves Ave., Flushing AGES: 9 and older WHAT: This group transcends the idea of the musical ensemble and has become a cultural location, a liturgy expressing the essence of the LatinAmerican ethno-musical experience. WANT TO GO? $25 and up. 718-997-3800. kupferbergcenter.org.
ON SCREEN
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 6, 8pm WHERE: Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing AGES: 9 and older WHAT: In tribute to the rich heritage carried forward by Garifuna women, the evocative melodies and powerful call-and-response songs are backed by traditional Garifuna drums, maracas, turtle shells, acoustic and electric guitars, and bass. Join in for a pre-show drum workshop at 7pm. WANT TO GO? $16; $10 students. 718-463-7700. flushingtownhall.org.
‘I Am Big Bird’
Musica Reginae Presents: Lost Dog New Music Ensemble
WHEN: Monday, Oct. 2, 6pm WHERE: South Hollis Library, 204-01 Hollis Ave., South Hollis AGES: All WHAT: Don’t be afraid—but then again, sometimes getting frightened is fun! WANT TO GO? 718-465-6779. queenslibrary.org.
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 14, 7:30pm WHERE: The Church-in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills Gardens AGES: All WHAT: The longest-running new music ensemble in Queens presents
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WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 1, 12pm WHERE: Museum of the Moving Image, 35-01 35th Ave., Astoria AGES: 9-12, adult WHAT: A thoughtful portrait of the man in the yellow suit, I Am Big Bird features extraordinary footage of Caroll Spinney’s earliest collaborations with Jim Henson as it traces his journey from bullied child to childhood icon. WANT TO GO? $15. 718-777-6888. movingimage.us.
Family Scary Movie Night FREE
‘Dream Big: Engineering Our World’ WHEN: Through June 30, 2018: daily, 2pm WHERE: New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Corona AGES: All WHAT: From the Great Wall of China and the world’s tallest buildings to underwater robots, solar cars and smart, sustainable cities, this film celebrates the human ingenuity behind engineering marvels big and small. WANT TO GO? $6; $5 children with admission: $16; $13 children ages 2-17; free for children younger than 2. 718-699-0005. nysci.org.
New York International Children’s Film Festival: Kid Flix WHEN: Oct. 7-8, Saturday-Sunday, 11am WHERE: Museum of the Moving Image, 35-01 35th Ave., Astoria AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Kid Flix includes the best short films from New York International Children’s Film Festival, the largest film festival for kids and teens featuring new films from around the world. WANT TO GO? $15; $11 seniors and students; $7 children ages 3-17; free for children younger than 3. 718-777-6888. movingimage.us.
York Film Festival FREE WHEN: Oct. 12-13, Thursday, 12pm and 6pm; Friday, 12pm WHERE: York College, 94-45 Guy Brewer Blvd., Jamaica AGES: All WHAT: A film festival dedicated to increasing awareness of Hispanic multi-cultural traditions through film and film production. A variety of films with content celebrating the histories, culture, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. WANT TO GO? 718-262-2840. yorkpac.com.
Imagine Science Film Festival Screening: Short Film Program / Science for Nanos WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 14, 2-3pm WHERE: New York Hall of Science, 4701 111th St., Corona AGES: All WHAT: Watch a selection of inspiring films that cover humans’ relationship with the natural world. While the topics are serious, the approaches are fun and engaging: stem cell re-enactments, stop-motion environmental monster movies, and surreal lessons in how to collect milk from the sun. WANT TO GO? $16; $13 children, students, and seniors. 718-595-9123. nysci.org.
Not-so-Spooky Tuesday Afternoon Movies FREE WHEN: Oct. 3-31, Tuesdays, 4pm WHERE: Bellerose Library, 250-08 Hillside Ave., Bellerose AGES: All WHAT: Enjoy some Halloween themed films with family and friends. Watch Where the Wild Things Are on Oct. 3; Hotel Transylvania on Oct. 10; The Nightmare Before Christmas on Oct. 17; Goosebumps on Oct. 24; and Gremlins on Oct. 31. WANT TO GO? 718-831-8644. queenslibrary.org.
ANIMAL LOVERS Family Breakfast With Birds WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 8, 9:30am WHERE: Queens Zoo, 53-51 111th St., Corona AGES: All WHAT: Participants explore the zoo, and meet a variety of birds up close. Light breakfast will be served. WANT TO GO? $35. 718-271-1500. queenszoo.com.
Pet Parade & Costume Competition FREE WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 18, 5pm WHERE: Hicks Nurseries, 100 Jericho Turnpike, Westbury, Long Island AGES: All WHAT: Bring your pets for the pet parade and enter your pet in the pet costume competition. Donate pet food, new toys, cat litter, leashes, and other items to Long Island Cares for pets in need in Nassau and Suffolk counties. WANT TO GO? 516-334-0066. hicksnurseries.com.
Dog Festival WHEN: Oct. 28-29, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-5pm WHERE: Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, Long Island AGES: All WHAT: The festival features exhibits by animal welfare organizations, vendors, and rescue groups. Sunday displays and activities 12-4pm, dog costume contest, and parade at 3pm. WANT TO GO? $10; $8 seniors; $5 children ages 7-17; free for children younger than 7. 516-333-0048. oldwestburygardens.org.
Boo at the Zoo WHEN: Oct. 28-29, Saturday-Sunday, 11am-4pm WHERE: Queens Zoo, 53-51 111th St., Corona AGES: All WHAT: Celebrate Halloween with some festive members of the animal kingdom. Take part in fun festivities that include treats for the animals, face painting, craft making, and the zoo’s haunted trail. WANT TO GO? $8; $5 children ages 3-12; free for children younger than 2. 718-352-1769. queenszoo.com. ii
The Jim Henson Exhibit WHEN: Through Dec. 31: Wednesday-Thursday, 10:30am-2pm; Friday, 10:30am-8pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11:30am-7pm WHERE: Museum of the Moving Image, 35-01 35th Ave., Astoria AGES: All WHAT: A permanent exhibition devoted to Jim Henson. This dynamic visitor experience features nearly 500 artifacts from Jim Henson’s remarkable and unparalleled television and film career, and his transformative impact on popular culture. WANT TO GO? $15; $11 seniors and students with ID; $7 children ages 3-17; free for children younger than 3. 718-777-6888. movingimage.us. QueensParent 37
WHAT: Families can celebrate Halloween in a safe, friendly environment and help the needy. Participants will decorate their cars or trucks, then open their trunks and pass out candy while other participants view their artistic efforts. A donation of canned food is requested and registration required. WANT TO GO? 347-878-6614. friendsofmaplegrove.org.
Haunted House WHEN: Oct. 28-29, Saturday, 1-7pm; Sunday, 11am-7pm WHERE: Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Prepare for a scare inside the haunted barn. Hayrides, mulled cider, Halloween treats, and apples will be sold. WANT TO GO? $4. 718-347-3276. queensfarm.org.
HOLIDAY FUN Interfaith Sukkah Dinner WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 10, 7pm WHERE: Reform Temple of Forest Hills, 71-11 112th St., Forest Hills AGES: All WHAT: Come and share dinner with members of the Turkish Cultural Center, Afghan families, and others at this celebration of the fall harvest and the 40 years of the Israelites wandering in the desert after leaving Egypt. This Jewish holiday is marked by eating in an open-air hut, or sukkah. Registration required. WANT TO GO? $15; $5 for children younger than 10. 718-268-5011. cqy.org/sukkah.
Halloween Family Night: Folklore and Fun WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 28, 5-7pm WHERE: The Voelker Orth Museum, 149-19 38th Ave., Flushing AGES: All WHAT: Don’t miss a night of spooky storytelling, art making, treats, and games, all celebrating the immigrant traditions and folklore that made Halloween. Come in costume and join the fun. WANT TO GO? $4; $10 per family; free for children younger than 2. 718-729-8567. vomuseum.org.
Halloween Harvest Festival: Día de los Muertos / Day of the Dead FREE WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 28, 11am-3pm WHERE: Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Blvd., Long Island City AGES: All WHAT: Make a costume with Socrates artists, listen to live music, Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York, enjoy spooky costume and art making with Free Style Arts Association, face painting by Agostino Arts, try harvest foods from local restaurants, and enter your dog in the everpopular Annual Juried Canine Costume Contest. WANT TO GO? 718-956-1819. socratessculpturepark.org.
Halloween Festival FREE WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 28, 12-3pm WHERE: Parade Grounds at Fort Totten Park, Story Road, Bayside AGES: All WHAT: A day of spooky family fun. Highlights include live entertainment, inflatables, interactive games, a hay ride, a hay maze and pumpkin patch, costume contests, and free goodie bags. WANT TO GO? 718-352-4793. nycgovparks.org.
Halloween Trunk or Treat and Food Drive FREE WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 28, 2pm WHERE: Maple Grove Cemetery, 127-15 Kew Gardens Road, Kew Gardens AGES: All 38
October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
Halloween at the Garden WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 29, 12-4pm WHERE: Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing AGES: All WHAT: Families can show off their Halloween costume, make a seasonal botanical craft, see a magic show, and meet and take pictures with Flora, QBG’s friendly mascot. Bring a trick-or-treat bag. WANT TO GO? $6; $4 seniors and students; $2 children ages 4-12; free for children younger than 3. 718-886-3800. queensbotanical.org.
DANCE PARTY Queensboro Dance Festival 2017 WHEN: Oct. 5-8, Thursday-Saturday, 7:30pm; Sunday, 5pm WHERE: The Little Secret Theatre, 44-02 23rd St., Long Island City AGES: All WHAT: An annual season of performances and public events for Queensbased cultural and contemporary dance groups. Founded in 2014, the festival’s mission is to strengthen the dance community across Queens and garner a greater appreciation for Queens dance. WANT TO GO? $18. 718-392-0722. secrettheatre.com.
Betsayda Machado WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 21, 8pm WHERE: Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Experience the passion, color, and contagious beats of the AfroVenezuelan soul through traditional rhythms and dances. Join in for preshow dance lessons at 7pm, accompanied by the master drummers of La Parranda El Clavo. WANT TO GO? $16; $10 students. 718-463-7700. flushingtownhall.org.
Rebecca Davis: ‘the final hands count beginning sounds’ WHEN: Oct. 11-21, Monday and Wednesday, 8pm; Tuesday and Thursday, 9pm WHERE: The Chocolate Factory Theater, 5-49 49th Ave., Long Island City AGES: 9 and older WHAT: This quartet can be read as a dance and/or a collection of kinetic and ephemeral sculptures. The movement palette is composed of clean lines and sharp angles as the performers shift between five positions: standing, kneeling, sitting, and lying prone and supine. WANT TO GO? $20. 718-482-7069. chocolatefactorytheater.org.
Calpulli Mexican Dance Company: ‘Dia de los Muertos’ WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 29, 4pm WHERE: Queens Theatre, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing AGES: All
WHAT: Dia de los Muertos is a captivating work about the unending relationship between the living and the departed featuring passionate live music, larger-than-life characters, and breathtaking dance. WANT TO GO? $20 and up. 718-760-0064. queenstheatre.org.
‘Dances of the World’ WHEN: Oct. 20-Nov. 26, Friday-Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 4pm WHERE: Thalia Hispanic Theatre, 41-17 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside AGES: All WHAT: Viva Colombia! Enjoy dance and live music with Colombian Dance Company Cali Salsa Pal’ Mundo. WANT TO GO? $40; $37 seniors and students. 718-729-3880. thaliatheatre.org.
CRAFTY KIDS 2017 Socrates Annual Opening FREE
WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 1, 3-6pm WHERE: Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Blvd., Long Island City AGES: All WHAT: An annual exhibition featuring 15 new public artworks that address the most urgent issues of today. It is distinct in its mission to foster individual artist projects rather than present an overarching theme. WANT TO GO? 718-956-1819. socratessculpturepark.org.
Maker Monday: Fortune Bookies FREE WHEN: Monday, Oct. 2, 3pm WHERE: Queensboro Hill Library, 60-05 Main St., Flushing AGES: 5-12 WHAT: A fun and crafty way for kids to share their love of books. Write a reading fortune and make a bookie, or one to share. WANT TO GO? 718-359-8332. queenslibrary.org.
Workshop for Kids FREE WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 7, 9am-12pm WHERE: The Home Depot, 73-01 25th Ave., East Elmhurst AGES: 5-12 WHAT: This hands-on workshop is designed teach children do-it-yourself skills and tool safety and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment. WANT TO GO? 718-507-9007. homedepot.com.
Dyed in Queens Demonstrations WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 22, 1pm WHERE: Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing AGES: All WHAT: Artist-in-residence Jess Brey experiments with Queens Botanical Garden-grown botanicals to extract natural dyes. Observe her process as she pushes plants to their limit by applying resist and mordant techniques to create art. WANT TO GO? $6; $4 seniors and students; $2 children ages 4-12; free for children younger than 3. 718-886-3800. queensbotanical.org.
Memories of Migration: Making a Talking Family Story Quilt FREE WHEN: Sept. 16- Oct. 28, Saturdays, 2:30pm WHERE: Fresh Meadows Library, 193-20 Horace Harding Expressway, Fresh Meadows AGES: All WHAT: A special workshop to share migration stories creatively. Participants will take home a variety of new skills along with the artwork they create. WANT TO GO? 718-454-7272. queenslibrary.org.
Dead or Alive: Special Effects WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 28, 1-4:30pm WHERE: New York Hall of Science, 4701 111th St., Corona AGES: All WHAT: Meet special effects artists and technologists while participating in hands-on activities and exploring the science of creepy. WANT TO GO? $16; $13 children, students, and seniors. 718-699-0005. nysci.org.
Drop-in Family Art Workshops FREE WHEN: Oct. 1-29, Sundays, 1:30pm WHERE: Queens Museum, New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Corona AGES: 5-12, adult WHAT: These fun, educational workshops invite families to take part in a shared learning experience. Activities offer families the opportunity to reflect on the artworks presented in museum exhibitions as they work collaboratively to create unique works of their own with a variety of different materials. WANT TO GO? 718-592-9700. queensmuseum.org.
Family Holiday Crafts FREE WHEN: Through Dec. 21: Thursdays, 6:30pm WHERE: Laurelton Library, 134-26 225th St., Laurelton AGES: All WHAT: Families can create memories and crafts. Make a Halloween craft on Oct. 26. WANT TO GO? 718-528-2822. queenslibrary.org.
ONCE UPON A TIME Moon Festival Tea Party and Storytime FREE WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 3, 3:15pm WHERE: Queensboro Hill Library, 60-05 Main St., Flushing AGES: 5-8 WHAT: Participants will read How the Queen Found the Perfect Cup of Tea by Kate Hosford and The Queen is Coming to Tea by Linda Ravin Lodding. Enjoy different types of tea and snacks—tiaras optional! WANT TO GO? 718-359-8332. queenslibrary.org.
‘Playing Catch with Strangers’ FREE WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 14, 2pm WHERE: Central Library, 89-11 Merrick Blvd., Jamaica AGES: All WHAT: This memoir celebrates Bob Brody’s life in NYC, with emphasis on Queens, where he’s called home since 1977, and learned, by trial and error, to be a good husband and father, and finally become a mature adult. WANT TO GO? 917-446-7775. playingcatchwithstrangers.com.
Storytime & Craft WHEN: Oct. 14-21, Saturdays, 2-3:30pm WHERE: Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing AGES: 3-12 WHAT: Parents can bring their little nature lovers for a relaxing afternoon featuring nature-inspired stories, and a botanically themed craft activity. WANT TO GO? $6; $4 seniors and students with ID; $2 children ages 4-12; free for children younger than 4. 718-886-3800. queensbotanical.org.
Pajama Story Time: Haunted Habitats WHEN: Friday, Oct. 27, 5:30-8pm WHERE: Queens Zoo, 53-51 111th St., Corona AGES: 5-12, adult WHAT: Enjoy a spooktacular evening exploring the haunted habitat and make a fun batty craft. End the evening listening to a spooky animal story. WANT TO GO? $35. 718-271-1500. queenszoo.com. ii QueensParent 39
Diwali Festival: Kathak, Bhangra, & Beyond WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 29, 1-4pm WHERE: Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing AGES: All WHAT: Celebrate Diwali with this festival and dance party, featuring Kathak classical dancer Abha Roy and the Basement Bhangra’s DJ Rekha. Enjoy dance lessons, cooking workshops, and more. WANT TO GO? $20; $10 students and children. 718-463-7700. flushingtownhall.org.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS Seasonal Garden Tours & Activity Table
FUN FAIRS & FESTIVALS Fall Festival FREE
WHEN: Oct. 7-8, Saturday-Sunday, 1-4pm WHERE: Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing AGES: All WHAT: Explore seasonal garden highlights with the knowledgeable staff on a tour from 1-2pm and visit the activity table from 2-4pm. WANT TO GO? $6; $4 seniors and students; $2 children ages 4-12; free for children younger than 3. 718-886-3800. queensbotanical.org.
Haunted Lantern Tours at Water Battery FREE
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 14, 12-3pm WHERE: Forest Park Victory Field, Woodhaven Boulevard between Myrtle Avenue and Forest Park Drive, Woodhaven AGES: All WHAT: Celebrate fall with crafts, games, music, pumpkins, and more. WANT TO GO? 718-235-4100. nyc.gov/parks.
WHEN: Oct. 27-28, Friday-Saturday, 6:30pm WHERE: Water Battery Gate, Fort Totten Park, Cross Island Parkway between Totten Avenue and 15th Road, Bayside AGES: All WHAT: Join the Urban Park Rangers as they mix history with Halloween fun on an outdoor, walking haunted lantern tour. WANT TO GO? 718-352-1769. nycgovparks.org.
Smiling Hogshead Ranch Harvest Fest FREE
Bird Walks with New York City Audubon
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 21, 12-7pm WHERE: Smiling Hogshead Ranch, 25-30 Skillman Ave., Long Island City AGES: All WHAT: Come celebrate the end of the 2017 growing season at this funfor-all fall street festival and fundraiser benefiting Smiling Hogshead Ranch, with live entertainment, activities, a silent auction, and more. WANT TO GO? 347-509-4464. facebook.com/smilinghogsheadranch.
Harvest Festival WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 21, 11am-4pm WHERE: 160th Street and Jamaica Avenue, 90-40 160th St., Jamaica AGES: All WHAT: An afternoon filled with fall fun. Take part in the baked pie contest, enjoy street performers, and live music from a local band. Bring the family along for a day of activities, arts and crafts, entertainment, and food. WANT TO GO? 718-291-0282. gjdc.org.
WHEN: Oct. 1-29, Sundays, 9:30-10:30am WHERE: Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing AGES: All WHAT: Participants can spot and identify creatures of flight and learn how the garden provides important resources for birds. Registration required. WANT TO GO? $6; $4 seniors and students; $2 children ages 4-12; free for children younger than 3. 718-886-3800. queensbotanical.org.
Pumpkin Patch WHEN: Through Oct. 29: Saturday-Sunday, 11am-4:30pm WHERE: Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park AGES: All WHAT: Enjoy wandering through the patch to find the perfect pumpkin. WANT TO GO? Prices vary. 718-347-3276. queensfarm.org.
Children’s Fall Festival WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 29, 11am-4pm WHERE: Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park AGES: All WHAT: Dress in costume for this fall celebration. Kids will love the bounce houses, traditional games, pie-eating contests, and cartoon character look-alikes. Boogie down to live country western music, take an autumn hayride, visit the Haunted House, and enjoy a pony ride. WANT TO GO? $20. 718-347-3276. queensfarm.org.
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Coming up next month: NOV. 4-5 & 11-12: Wildlife Weekends at Queens County Farm Museum, Floral Park STARTING NOV. 11: GingerBread Lane at New York Hall of Science, Corona NOV. 18: Pinkalicious The Musical at Queensborough Performing Arts Center, Bayside
nymetroparents.com/where-to
WHERE-TO GUIDE
Haunted Houses, Corn Mazes, and Pumpkin Activities ii Research by Melissa Wickes
Tom Nycz/Historic Hudson Valley
Whether you’re looking for something spooky or just outdoor fall fun this Halloween season, these haunted houses, corn mazes, pumpkin blazes, and autumn activities are sure to make this Halloween one to remember.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze features more than 7,000 illuminated jack-o’-lanterns at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson.
Halloween Harvest Festival 32-01 Sculpture Park at Broadway, Long Island City 718-956-1819; socratessculpturepark.org At this free event, make your own Halloween costume, dance to live music, get crafty with art projects, ghoul up with some spooky face paint, and enjoy locally harvested treats! Got a cute canine that loves to dress up in costume? Enter them in the Annual Juried Canine Costume Contest. Queens County Farm Museum 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park 718-347-3276; queensfarm.org This ‘maize’ maze is produced by the American Maze Company—its first three corn mazes made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. This year’s upcoming events include the September Seasonal Farm Stand, the Queens County Fair, and of course The Amazing Maize Maze. Rockaway Fall Festival Bay 32nd Street and Beach Channel Drive, Rockaway 718-318-4000 Now in its 11th year, this (free!) festival
offers a pumpkin patch, pony and hayrides, and other seasonal entertainment.
Brooklyn Ghouls and Gourds, Brooklyn Botanic Garden 150 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights 718-623-7200; bbg.org While pumpkin-related crafts are involved, there’s so much to do at this annual 6-hour celebration. Enjoy book signings from renowned authors and illustrators, waltz with woodland creatures, and witness a flying flea circus. Costumes are essential: You’ll want to wear them to the day’s closing parade. Festivities will take place Oct. 28 at 12pm. Gravesend Inn Haunted Hotel 186 Jay St., Dumbo 718-260-5588; gravesendinn.org Produced by City Tech’s theatrical troupe, Theatreworks, as its annual fall production, this visually stunning haunted house is high-tech as well; sensors react to visitors’ movements from Oct. 19 through Halloween.
Luna Park Halloween Harvest 1000 Surf Ave., Coney Island 718-373-5862; lunaparknyc.com Not only can you see one of NYC’s largest pumpkins here (and win up to $1,000 if you guess its weight!), you can watch Maniac Pumpkin Carvers carve a giant pumpkin! Other offerings include a dog costume parade, marching bands, and pony rides. Wristbands are available for purchase online. Puppetry Arts 13th Annual Haunted Halloween Carnival 1st Street Recreation Center, 1st Street at 4th Avenue, Park Slope puppetryarts.org The first 200 children to attend this Halloween-day carnival receive a free trickor-treat bag! Expect Star Wars characters roaming around, puppet crafts, live music, and games. The carnival helps to give Halloween costumes to families in need through partnerships with local shelters and foster care programs. Find the full guide at ii nymetroparents.com/haunted-houses
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The Payoff of Teaching Kids Financial Literacy ii
Experts discuss how parents can establish skills from a young age to ensure kids will know how to handle their money. By Samantha Neudorf hough teenagers may be successfully juggling AP classes, extracurricular activities, and standardized tests, they are failing at a vital subject necessary for life: financial literacy. A study released by the Program for International Student Assessment in May found that 1 in 5 teenagers in the U.S. lacks basic financial literacy skills, which is approximately 22 percent of the country’s teenage population. PISA surveyed 15-year-olds from 15 countries to test how well they understand financial concepts, products, and risks, and the U.S. ranked seventh overall, while China secured first place, followed by Belgium and Canada. Unfortunately, financial literacy skills are often not taught at school, so it is up to parents to equip their children with the knowledge and tools to be able to manage their money wisely. These conversations should not just take place during high school either. Experts say financial literacy skills should be instilled from a young age—even as young as 3. Here, financial experts share their strategies for teaching kids money skills for life.
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Ages 3-6 Learn your 1, 2, 3s. Your child may learn how to count by the time she is 3 years old and start to grasp the idea that you need money to pay for items while shopping. Jean Chatzky, financial editor of NBC’s Today Show, says she had discussions about money with her kids when they were young. For example, she explained that one particular brand of orange juice was cheaper than another, so that’s why she bought it. “It’s 42
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just a running dialogue where you talk about money,” Chatzky says. In learning that you need money to buy goods, this might also be the age your child understands how to count coins and dollars and may even begin to receive an allowance for doing chores.
Elementary School Give cash rewards for chores. When your child reaches elementary school, he may begin to take on more chores, such as folding laundry and putting it away or feeding a pet, and receive an allowance in cash to be able to see money as a tangible asset. This is a fundamental way to teach him how to earn and save money, and he will be able to physically see and count his cash. Chatzky recommends having two different jars: one for saving and one for spending money. (Some experts recommend adding a third jar, for money to be given to charity.) “So much of our money these days is invisible with Venmo and direct deposit,” Chatzky says. “It’s important that kids actually see and use money before transitioning into electronic spending.” Differentiate between credit and debit cards. Though it may seem kids are too young to learn this, it is an opportune time to teach them the difference between credit and debit cards. Gregg Murset is the founder of BusyKid.com—an app to keep track of your child’s chores and allowance—and a certified financial planner based in Arizona. He says parents can create a teachable
moment while waiting in line at a grocery store to compare the two types of cards. “That’s an easy way to teach them, and your cards are right there in your wallet,” Murset says. Open a savings account for your child, and have her go with you to learn how to deposit money into the account. Roy Paul, executive director of Cents Ability—a New York City-based nonprofit dedicated to teaching students from low-income families financial literacy—expressed the importance of teaching kids how to save allowance. “It really helps them understand how to take that money and put it into an institution that will protect it,” Paul says. “That’s also a good time to explain how interest works, and that when you put this money into an account, it will grow over a period of time.”
Middle School Get them involved. Middle school is the time when your child can learn about the value of real world items, such as the property value of your house and how much bills cost. This is also the age when he might receive his first debit card and learn how to deposit and withdraw money. Discuss needs vs. wants. Have a conversation about discerning the difference between needs versus wants. Do you absolutely need a new pair of shoes or do you just want it? Asking questions like this establishes a foundation to be able to analyze whether spending hard-earned money on an item (especially material) is truly worth it. Talk about saving for college. If your child wants to go to college, it is important for her to understand how expensive tuition will be and that saving for it should start now. “A lot of kids, poor and wealthy, do not really have an understanding of how you pay for college, from the savings that happens on the parents’ ends to taking out loans and borrowing money,” Paul says. This is also a good opportunity to talk to your child about loans—that they’re not free money and they have to be paid back with an interest rate.
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Have them start “adulting.” High school students will soon enough become full-fledged adults and should begin taking on more responsibilities. Many high school-aged kids may get their licenses, so this can be an opportunity to send them out to run errands at the grocery store, or even have them pay for gas or oil changes to get the experience of making everyday transactions independently. Think about the big picture. Paul shared that Cents Ability teaches kids a 50-30-20 rule to manage their money. From each paycheck, 50 percent of it should go to absolute needs such as bills, rent, car insurance, etc.; 30 percent can go to miscellaneous items such as a vacation or clothes; and 20 percent should be saved in a bank account.
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Make an investment. Stocks are an equity investment, and when you invest in one, there is a chance that it will yield a higher return over time. Murset advises teens buy stocks as a first step in learning how to invest money, even if it is just $20. “The best learning is done by doing,” Murset says, “Just jump in and buy some [stocks] and start watching them grow.”
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Speak with a professional together. It’s okay to ask for help when you do not know the answer to your child’s question. Paul recalls a time when his mother set up an appointment for the two of them to speak with her tax accountant to learn about interest rates for college. “If parents do not know the answers to these questions, they should not feel embarrassed about it,” Paul says. “If you have someone who does your taxes every year, ask them to take a few extra minutes to explain these concepts to your kids. Most of them are happy to do it.”
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Courtesy Stacey Follman
PREGNANCY AND INFANT LOSS AWARENESS MONTH
Photos of Aaron Follman and his mom, Stacey Follman, from his too-short life. Aaron died from a genetic disorder days shy of his 8-month birthday.
An Unimaginable Tragedy
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Though local infant mortality rates are lower than the national average, more babies die in their first year than most of us expect. Here’s a look at this tragedy and what parents can do to reduce the risk. By Stacey Pfeffer tacey Follman, a Westchester mom, had a healthy pregnancy, with everything progressing normally and as she and her doctors expected. But when her son Aaron Ross Follman was born on May 21, 2002, and taken to the neonatal intensive care unit immediately, she knew something obviously was wrong. Aaron had a seizure shortly after delivery and hardly moved or cried. It took the doctors 10 days to figure out he suffered from a rare congenital disorder called Zellweger’s Syndrome. The doctors expected Aaron to have a life expectancy of about 12 months. He died just a few days short of his 8-month birthday on Jan. 16, 2003. Nothing can prepare parents for losing a baby. Follman believed Aaron would live longer despite being told he probably would die within a year. “We were buying him new pajamas because he was growing,” she says. “We had faith that he was going to live until the day he died.” It’s a heartbreak that will never go away. Most parents thankfully do not have to face the horrors of losing a baby, and it’s difficult to imagine the pain endured by that small minority of parents who, like Follman, never see their babies make it to their 1st birthday. Despite its advanced health care system, America still lags behind other industrialized nations in its infant mortality rate (IMR),
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which is defined as “the death of a child under the age of 1— from birth through 364 days,” explains Deborah E. Campbell, M.D., the director of neonatology at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx. The reasons for this are complicated and varied, and with October designated as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, it’s a moment to try to understand why some babies die in the first year, how our area compares to the nation as a whole, and what parents can do to minimize the risk.
Understanding the Statistics Experts break down the IMR into two categories: neonatal mortality, which occurs the first 28 days after birth, and post-neonatal mortality (29-364 days). “Most infant deaths take place in the neonatal period,” says Dr. Campbell, who lost a baby herself many years ago. The IMR does not include miscarriages or stillbirths. Although the U.S. is a developed nation, 25 other industrialized nations do a better job at keeping babies alive in the first year of life. While these statistics are startling for expectant parents, the relatively good news for New Yorkers is the IMR in New York City and the surrounding areas is at a historic low. In 2013, the most recent year IMR statistics are available, our area’s IMR averaged
nearly 30 percent lower than the overall U.S. rate of 6 deaths per 1,000 live births (see sidebar on p. 46 for details). The three leading causes of infant death in our region were prematurity, birth defects or congenital diseases—such as Aaron’s Zellweger’s Syndrome—and cardiovascular disease. Other infant death causes include babies born to a mother with an underlying medical condition and babies who die from sudden infant death syndrome or accidental suffocation while sleeping, usually with other family members, Dr. Campbell explains.
Disparities in Infant Death Rates Infant death rates vary greatly depending on the mother’s race and ethnicity. The infant mortality rate for African-American infants in the metropolitan area was 8.3 per 1,000 births versus a rate of 3.0 among white infants in 2013. Infant mortality rates were also higher for Puerto Ricans (4.8) and other Hispanics and Latinas (4.3). Infant mortality rates likewise differ by socioeconomic status, with high-poverty areas such as the South Bronx reporting 1.9 times greater rates—5.2 per 1,000 live births compared to 2.8 in higher-income places such as the Upper East Side or Scarsdale. Dr. Campbell notes that years ago certain areas of Brooklyn had a much higher IMR but with gentrification those numbers have been dropping significantly. David Bateman, M.D., an attending neonatologist and professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center, has been treating newborns for more than four decades. In the 1980s, he practiced at Harlem Hospital and witnessed firsthand how the trifecta of AIDS, crack, and syphilis in Harlem was wreaking havoc on the IMR rates in that neighborhood. “In the past 30 years, IMR in New York City has had a threefold drop,” Dr. Bateman says. “You can look at changes in medical care, you can look at access to medical care, but it is all about poverty and the changing demographics of NYC. Our IMR has been dropping because you don’t have the same concentration of desperately poor people in NYC that you used to.” IMR tends to drop as doctors discover new ways to save infants’ lives, such as the increased availability of clean water in the first half of the 20th century and the advent of neonatal intensive care units in the 1960s and early ’70s. However, Dr. Bateman cautions, “until the social and economic problems are taken care of, the problem of high IMR is not going to go away.” There have been many studies looking at the inequity of health care delivery and how that correlates with infant mortality. “There are still women who get late or no prenatal care or have trouble accessing prenatal care, particularly minority women,” Dr. Campbell says. While the teen pregnancy rate has dropped almost 50 percent in recent years, babies born to women younger than 20 have higher infant mortality rates and their mothers are less likely to have had prenatal care. On the flip side, many studies have shown that women with advanced maternal age (defined by doctors as older than 35) also have babies who are at a higher risk of infant mortality. Other factors also play a role. Babies born to obese mothers, for instance, face higher infant mortality rates, as obesity can lead to health problems in the mother such as hypertensive disorders or preeclampsia, putting her baby at a higher risk of complications for pre-term or low birth weight. And some experts believe assisted reproductive technology may play a role in infant mortality, especially when several embryos have been implanted, Dr. Campbell says.
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Minimizing the Risk of Infant Mortality While there is no way to eliminate the risk of infant death, pregnant women can take steps to minimize the danger, starting continued on next page ii
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with getting prenatal care; moms who do not receive prenatal care have babies that are at a higher risk of infant mortality. Doctors prescribe prenatal vitamins, recommend exercises and offer instruction on healthy pregnancy diets, and monitor the mom and baby to help ensure a successful pregnancy, delivery, and infancy. In addition, tests during the prenatal period can pinpoint a fetus’ growth and show if there are any genetic defects or other problems in utero. Doctors are regularly developing more advanced tests that can screen for a multitude of genetic disorders. When Aaron Follman was born 15 years ago, there were no genetic tests for his disease, but today, with the help of genetic counseling, expectant parents can now test for that and many other congenital diseases. Armed with this information, doctors can sometimes perform interventions in utero or soon after birth to help the baby, while parents can make informed decisions about whether to continue the pregnancy or how to care for the baby after birth. As terrifying as it is to prepare for the worst, expectant parents should learn about the differences in NICUs and what types of services are offered at different hospitals in the area. NICUs are rated on levels from 1-4, with Level 1 offering basic newborn care for healthy infants and Level 2 offering advanced newborn care for babies born at 32 weeks or more or those recovering from more serious conditions. Levels 3 and 4 are for the most complex cases, with Level 3 providing care for babies born at less than 32 weeks who may require access to pediatric sub-specialists or babies who are born with critical illnesses. Level 4 NICUs provide the most acute care. These nurseries are located in hospitals that can provide surgical repair of complex congenital or acquired conditions. If the delivery is expected to be complicated or the baby is determined to be high-risk, having access to a level 3 or 4 NICU is key. Once a baby is born, doctors obviously do everything they can to keep her healthy, and a lot of medical research focuses on keeping babies alive in this neonatal period. Parents can also take steps to maintain their baby’s overall health, including getting children immunized on schedule, experts say. Ensuring a safe sleep environment is also essential, as many babies die during their first year because of SIDS or suffocation while sleeping. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents follow the ABCs of safe sleep: Alone, On Back, In a Crib. That translates to having babies share a room with their parents if possible, but not in the same bed. And babies should always be put to sleep on their backs.
‘I Don’t Want Aaron to be Forgotten’ For those who have endured the loss of a baby, the grieving process varies from individual to individual. Family, friends, and community members are left to try to offer some comfort to those parents; however, even the best-intentioned efforts can sometimes cause the mourning parents pain and leave them feeling lonely. “Our society is very uncomfortable with baby loss, so people express their sympathy with platitudes such as, ‘You are young, you can have another kid,’ which really minimizes the loss,” says Marianne Walsh, a grief counselor at the Maggie Rose Perinatal Bereavement Program at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco. Dr. Campbell echoes that sentiment, saying she often hears people say to the parents, “At least the baby didn’t live long—you didn’t have time to get too attached.” Current research on grief shows there are four stages bereaved parents generally face, Walsh says: (1) Accepting the death, (2) working through the feelings of pain and grief, (3) adjusting to life without their beloved child, and (4) continuing a bond with their 46
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baby, which often happens by memorializing their lost loved one, whether it be through a ritual or by joining or starting a group. Follman decided to take that last route after Aaron died. To raise awareness of the disease that killed him, she created a nonprofit called the Aaron Ross Foundation (zellweger-syndrome.org). “I want people to know about Zellweger’s Syndrome and I want Aaron’s name to live on and for our nonprofit to outlive me,” Follman says. “I don’t want Aaron to be forgotten.” The process of memorializing or honoring a deceased baby has changed dramatically during recent years with the help of social media and groups such as Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a nonprofit that provides professional-quality photographers free of charge to grieving parents to take photos of their child prior to the funeral. This remembrance photography can be a very powerful part of the healing process for grieving parents. The grieving process is not a linear progression, Walsh says, and the needs of the bereaved parents will fluctuate over time. “I often use the analogy of a roller coaster. After a while it [the grief] becomes like a kiddie roller coaster; the highs aren’t so high and the lows aren’t so low.” It is impossible to predict the duration of grieving from person to person. “Bereavement groups provide wrap-around support because when a baby dies the world stops for these families,” Walsh says. Follman says she found it very difficult to be in a bereavement group with other parents who had lost older children. For her and her husband, individual counseling was a better option, and the doctors at Mount Sinai Hospital, where she delivered, were able to put them in touch with other couples who had babies with ZS. “They were the only ones who truly understood us,” she says. After Aaron died, Follman says she felt very selfish for a long time. Despite knowing that Aaron had no quality of life, she wondered if she did the right thing by signing a “do not resuscitate” order. “In hindsight, I know I gave everything to my child. His whole life he knew people loved him,” she now says. Dr. Campbell says many parents drift in and out of support groups, often showing an elevated need for help around birthdays, the anniversary of their due dates, or family holidays. “After the funeral, everyone is around but then the world wants everything to go back to normal,” she says. “People are worried to talk to the mother about it because they don’t want her to dwell on the death. But as a mother, you are going to think about that loss every single day. And then there comes a day that you don’t think about it and then you realize you are more upset, so you beat yourself up that you forgot about your baby.” No matter how short a life the child lived, that time was still important and marks the life of a human being. “Having lost a child, even if it was a newborn or baby, still means you are a parent,” Dr. Campbell says. “You may not have that child with you physically in your arms anymore but you are still a parent and that child will always be in your head and in your heart.” Stacey Pfeffer is a writer based in Chappaqua.
Local Infant Mortality Rates The following are IMR expressed per 1,000 live births in 2013, the most recent year statistics are available: Bronx: 5.1 Brooklyn: 3.6 Manhattan: 3.7 Nassau: 4.0 Queens: 4.2
Rockland County: 4.4 Staten Island: 3.8 Suffolk: 4.8 Westchester County: 4.7 United States overall: 6.0
Sources: NYC Department of Health; March of Dimes Perinatal Stats; health.ny.gov
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LONG ISLAND CENTER FOR SPEECH AND MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPY Locations across Nassau and Suffolk: East Yaphank, Farmingville, Stony Brook, Commack, Jericho, Wantagh, and Lake Success lispeechandmyo.com Queens: 718-640-6767 Nassau: 516-216-1791 Suffolk: 631-689-6858 Janine Stiene, speech-language pathologist, along with her group of therapists, supports families and children across Long Island, specializing in PROMPT, feeding, myofunctional therapy, voice disorders, fluency, augmentative communication, articulation, auditory processing disorders, and expressive and receptive language disorders. STEPS TO SOCIALIZATION 13 South Bayles Ave., Port Washington 516-767-0266 Steps to Socialization was created to help children who have difficulty socializing. We teach children how to think socially, step by step. Working in small groups, we cover a variety of topics, including how to establish and maintain friendships and initiating and maintaining conversations. SPECIALTY APPAREL BRAVO! DANCE BOUTIQUE 108-12 72nd Ave., Forest Hills 718-309-9787 bravodanceboutique.com bravodanceboutique@gmail.com Bravo! Dance Boutique understands the value of community. Our mission is to be able to provide local families the convenience of obtaining dance apparel at competitive prices. THERAPY & COUNSELORS COMPREHENSIVE CONSULTATION PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES, P.C. 114-20 Queens Blvd., Suite CS 2, Forest Hills 180 E. 79th St., Suite 1C, Manhattan 1-888-441-0015 comprehendthemind.com
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FOOD & NUTRITION
Conquering Bake Sales
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Gluten-free, nut-free, vegan—with variety of dietary needs becoming more common, baking treats for your kid’s class can be a minefield. Here’s how to win the battle. By April Peveteaux
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t’s hard enough to prepare food for your own family with all of their “I can’t eat anything with green stuff on it,” and “Oh, I didn’t tell you? I’m a ‘porkaterian’ now” bulls**t. Add in a few other kids to the mix, and it’s downright terrifying. So, it makes sense to just forget about this whole baking for others thing and move on. I get it. If you’re like me, you mostly ignore any and all emails that come from your child’s school for this reason, and many other good ones. You can only read about the latest pinkeye breakout so many times before you embrace the philosophy of, “Let Go and Let God.” And this is how I have mostly avoided providing baked goods for five-plus years of elementary school events! Apparently, God doesn’t want me baking for kindergarteners. Understood. But I did reconsider my no-baking policy once I learned about a newly diagnosed celiac in our community. I realized that if
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I didn’t provide some gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, no one would. Except for his parents, of course, but they were probably too busy freaking out about letting their little dude eat in public, much less trying to find a great gluten-free, nut-free, kosher recipe for shortbread. As I began to hear about more and more kids with food allergies and intolerances, I knew that a bake sale without options would be a very sad bake sale, indeed. All of a sudden, I wasn’t the only one walking by the rows of bento box-shaped cookies and luscious pieces of chocolate cake, crying because I would never know the feel of a pecan tart pie crust crunching all around my mouth ever again. The exclusive bake sale treats were no longer only upsetting to me—an adult who, in theory, can tolerate the pain of flaky pastry denial. I knew at that point that I must think about the children. THE CHILDREN!!!! Of course, I also wanted to eat a lemon bar that
wouldn’t make me poop my pants, but if I lost control of my bowels, at least it wouldn’t be in front of a group of 8-year-old boys during gym class. Probably. From that point on, I vowed to recreate allergy-friendly treats to offer up whenever I was called upon to do so. This, my friends, is easier said than done. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it, though.
How to Not Screw Up
bakeware with aluminum foil, or parchment paper for the cookies that stick. Before you grill, place aluminum foil down on the grill that will hold your allergy-free options. If you don’t have a cutting board, or very clean surface to prepare your safe food, put down aluminum foil or parchment paper. Your new best friend is aluminum foil. Get to know him, along with his BFF, parchment paper.
No Holding Hands or PDA When you’re preparing food, keep the allergens far away from the allergen-free ingredients. If they get mixed up, your allergen-free dish is toast. Don’t use the same cutting board for fish that you do for chicken, if you have a fish-allergic guest. Also, don’t think fish is a great ingredient for a school bake sale or a 6-year-old birthday party. That’s a mistake you’ll only make once.
Additionally, don’t let all this hard work keeping surfaces bleached and ingredients separate go to waste by serving up all of your safe food on a platter alongside the dangerous food. Continue to keep these foods separate, using separate cooking pots, pans, and sheets, as well as separate utensils. Consciously uncouple the allergy-laden from the allergyfree foods to make sure that the end result is safe for all. continued on next page ii
There are many ways to screw up in the kitchen, and, believe me, I’ve done most of them. We’re still trying to get that chocolate-barbecue sauce off my kitchen ceiling. It becomes very crucial to avoid screwing up, however, when you’re handling food for kids who could react badly to an allergen. Crucial. While you’re preparing these allergy-free recipes, please keep the following in mind. Wrap It for Safety You must prepare allergy-free food on clean surfaces and in clean pots, pans, and baking sheets. You absolutely cannot boil some gluten-free pasta for your mac and cheese in the same pot you just used to boil up your gluten-filled pasta. You cannot bake an egg- and dairyfree cookie on a sheet that has been habitually used to bake cookies chock-full of eggs and dairy without covering it with parchment or scrubbing it so hard you probably scrub off the nonstick surface. You can scrub pots and pans within an inch of their lives, but if they have even a crumb of allergen left over, it’s possible it will stick on your nice, allergy-free dough. You also cannot bake nut-filled cookies on the same sheet as their nutless brothers and sisters. This may sound like a pain, so I have two words that will make it much easier to keep things clean and separate: aluminum foil. Oh, and two more: parchment paper. Before you bake, cover your
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Whew! That’s a lot, but if you remember to keep your allergysafe treats safe from the first time you pick up the ingredients until they are safely delivered to the sale, you’ll make a heck of a lot of kiddos happy, as well as their very anxious parents. It’s like farm to table, but without the hipster element. A much more exhaustive list of allergy-friendly products lives in the resource section of [Bake Sales are My B*tch], but if you want to get started baking right away, here are a few items to consider stocking in your pantry before you put on your allergenfree apron. (Okay, that’s not a real thing, so don’t panic. Any old apron without clumps of food on it will do.)
Butter Substitutes Earth Balance: This vegan butter alternative comes in many forms, but you’ll most likely be picking up the baking sticks. If you’re making a soy-free treat, do not buy the buttery baking sticks, but instead pick up the soy-free version. Nutiva Organic Vegan Superfood Shortening: This soy-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, GMO (genetically modified organism)free, fair-trade product is a combination of red palm oil and virgin coconut oil. You can find a million different coconut oils on the market, but Nutiva’s combination with palm oil makes it a better option for baking when you’re avoiding the eight main allergens. Crisco Vegetable Shortening, Butter Flavor: I grew up using Crisco butter flavor in so many family recipes that I naturally tried it first when I went about experimenting with dairy-free baked goods. While my family probably used Crisco as a butter substitute for completely different, now-defunct reasons (it was the 1980s, and butter was the enemy), it does hold up in recipes pretty well. Crisco contains soy, along with artificial flavors, so if you’re not on board with either of those, you should probably try Spectrum organic all-vegetable shortening. The main ingredient in both vegetable shortening brands is also palm oil.
Egg Substitutes Ener-G Egg Replacer: The OG of egg replacement, Ener-G has been helping out egg-free bakers for a very long time. If you’re going to be baking egg-free a lot, I would suggest grabbing a box and going to town. Since it’s also eight main allergen-free, it’s a good substitute for the kids. Golden Flax Meal: Flax meal has become my go-to for baking without eggs. You combine 1 tablespoon of flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water per egg called for in the recipe. The key is in letting it sit for a little while before you use it. (I say at least 10 minutes, but if you have a half-hour to wait, do that for optimum egglike properties.) You can either buy the golden flaxseeds and grind them in a coffee grinder when you’re ready to use them, or buy the meal and keep it sealed up tight so it will retain its freshness. Chia Seeds: Chia seeds work in the same manner as flaxseeds, and are truly gelatinous. My only issue is if you’re creating something light in color, you can get a little black spot action in the final product. Both work well, so go with what you like. Follow Your Heart VeganEgg: What’s great about this all allergen-free product is that you can even cook this up and make an omelet if you’ve been craving one since you had to go egg-free. Baking Soda and Vinegar: I’ve used the baking-soda-andvinegar combo in a pinch and, while it didn’t seem to work as well as the magic flax meal, it’s definitely serviceable in your baked goods. Combine 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of 50
October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
vinegar (watch, as it will bubble up), allow to dissolve, and you have a substitute for 1 egg.
Gluten Substitutes Cup4Cup: For baking, I’ve always loved Cup4Cup multipurpose gluten-free flour, but it will not work as a flour in the dairy-free recipes, as one of the ingredients is milk powder. I also like to use all-purpose flours so I don’t have to experiment with xanthan gum or add anything else to the mix. It makes it easier, and that makes me happier. Better Batter: Luckily, my other favorite gluten-free, all-purpose flour is dairy-free (and every other allergen-free, plus kosher), and it also gives fantastic results. It’s become one of my go-tos now that I’m experimenting with gluten- and dairy-free recipes, but it is sadly harder to find than many other popular brands. I recommend ordering online and stocking up if you’re going to be the bake-sale queen. King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose: Another great gluten- and dairy-free option, I also love to use King Arthur’s recipes. It’s a solid choice, and I almost always have a box in my cupboard. Almond Meal: Only if you know there are no nut allergies around, almond meal makes for some delicious cakes. The texture is lovely and moist, and the slight nutty flavor can enhance any cake recipe. You do have to experiment with it, unlike the allpurpose flours above, but if you’re 100-percent sure that you don’t need to keep it tree nut-free, have some fun with the almond flour family.
Milk Substitutes The trouble with milk substitutes in baking is the lack of eight main allergen-free options if (and this is a pretty big if) you have a coconut problem. While rice milk fits the bill, it is not as rich and appropriate for baking as coconut milk cream and coconut milk are. Soy milk and nut milks are also great substitutes, but have the obvious problem of being in the eight main allergen family. I generally recommend coconut cream and coconut milk regardless, as a coconut allergy as part of a tree-nut allergy is so incredibly rare. And when it comes to baked goods, coconut milk does have the best result in a recipe. Still, be sure you know the specifics of any allergies kids may have before you start to mix up your eight main allergen-free brownies. One more note for the bake-sale bakers: If you’re preparing food for a party, bake sale, or anywhere that you will be dropping off and not sticking around to explain what’s up with your cookies, label your treats. Let the dairy-free know if something is safe to eat by being very clear with your packaging. After all, what’s the point of making allergy-friendly treats if no one knows about it? (Note to parents of the severely allergic: You still don’t want to risk homemade treats from someone’s kitchen unless you’ve had a very detailed convo and know without a doubt that they’re safe for your kiddo. But you knew that already, I’m sure.) Now, stock up on your cellophane and decorative twine...it’s bake sale time!
Reprinted from Bake Sales are My B*tch by April Peveteaux. Copyright (c) 2016 by April Peveteaux. By permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold.
Find three of April Peveteaux’s eight main allergen-free recipes at ii nymetroparents.com/allergen-free.
PartyCentral 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. POPARAZZI BALLOONS & EVENT SPACE 61-19 Fresh Pond Road, Middle Village 347-204-5252 poparazzievents.com Follow us on Instagram: @poparazziballoons poparazziballoons@yahoo.com Making magic happen with balloons! Turn your dream party into a reality with POParazzi! We custom design your ideas to create the ultimate experience. PARTY PLACES @ PLAY AMUSEMENTS 229 NY-110, Farmingdale 631-815-5355 atplayamusement.com info@playamusement.com Have your next party at the newly renovated @ Play Amusements! It offers 40,000 square feet of fun, ranging from 92 arcade games, inflatables, bumper cars, and roller coaster to a carousel, disco room, and laser tag! AMERICAN DANCE & DRAMA 188-22 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows 718-479-8522 68-02 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village americandanceanddramastudio.com We are one of Queens’s largest and most exciting birthday party locations, offering dressup, disco, and gymnastics parties. We also offer bubbles and fog machines, cotton candy, plus crazy craft, and princess parties! BOUNCEU OF COLLEGE POINT Whitepoint Center, 13225 14th Ave., College Point 646-883-JUMP (5867)
Your local guide to entertainers, party places, activities, and other resources.
bounceu.com/college-point-ny collegepoint.ny@bounceu.com BounceU of College Point is where birthdays come to life! We provide the ultimate private party and play experience. Come celebrate with us today! CELEBRATIONS IN THE KITCHEN 63 E. Old Country Road, Hicksville 516-396-2193 celebrationsinthekitchen.com celebrationsinthekitchen@gmail.com The most unique, fun-filled, joyous event! We have created a true baking experience for everyone to enjoy, including cookie baking and decorating, cupcakes “from scratch,” muffin and scone baking, and brownies. Come in, call, or visit celebrationsinthekitchen.com for more information on parties. FANTASY FOREST AMUSEMENT PARK Fantasy Forest Amusement Park at the Flushing Meadows Carousel 111th Street and 55th Avenue, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, next to the Queens Zoo fantasyforestnyc.com info@nycarousel.com Ready for a thrilling and fun birthday party? Our package includes private seating area, unlimited rides, games, goodie bags, and a host to help. FOREST PARK CAROUSEL Woodhaven Boulevard and Forest Park Drive, Woodhaven forestparkcarousel.com info@nycarousel.com Enjoy a classic carousel-themed birthday party. Includes 2 hours in VIP party tent, unlimited rides, games, goodie bags, and a host to help. MUSIC TOGETHER® WITH MUSIC AND ME Celebrating our new look with our new name! Wendy DeAngelis, center director (Mommy, Music & Me Inc. since 2003) Gym-Azing in Astoria Shotokai USA Karate in Bayside The Reform Temple of Forest Hills in Forest Hills The Church-in-the-Gardens in Forest Hills Tiger Schulmann’s MMA in Glendale 718-229-0033 musictogetherwithmusicandme.com info@musictogetherwithmusicandme.com We provide unique birthday party musical experiences for 1st through 6th birthdays. Call us to customize your child’s musical birthday. We can also come to your space.
POPARAZZI BALLOONS & EVENT SPACE 61-19 Fresh Pond Road, Middle Village 347-204-5252 poparazzievents.com Follow us on Instagram: @poparazziballoons poparazziballoons@yahoo.com Our enchanting, multi-level venue hosts all types of celebrations. Call us or stop by an open house and start planning your next event. SOCCER FRIENDS USA INC. 106-06 Queens Blvd., 3rd Floor Gym, Forest Hills 718-261-2403 347-756-2568 (para Español) soccerfriendsusa.com soccerfriendsusa@hotmail.com Soccer Friends USA wants to celebrate your child’s next birthday party with you! We offer soccer parties for children ages 2 and older at several fantastic locations. THINKERTOTS 1818 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park 516-488-3414 thinkertots.com thinkertotsnhp@gmail.com We can custom design your party with open playtime and music or you can rent out our location. We provide theme paper goods. USTA BILLIE JEAN KING NATIONAL TENNIS CENTER Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Flushing 718-760-6200 x0 ntc.usta.com Birthday party packages include one hour of court time with drills and games organized by our USTA Pro staff and one hour private room for pizza. WHEEL FUN RENTALS FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK Flushing Meadows Corona Park at David Dinkins Circle Meridian Road 929-343-2366 Flushing Meadows Corona Park at North Meadow Lake, Meadow Lake Road West 917-231-5519 Jacob Riis Park 157 Rockaway Beach Blvd. 917-231-6229 wheelfunrentals.com Wheel Fun Rentals is the perfect place for birthday parties! Kids and adults can explore the area on one of our specialty bikes-or go on a Surrey Scavenger Hunt!
QueensParent 51
Meet the Health Care
PROFESSIONAL To be in this section, call 212-315-0800 or email nympads@davlermedia.com
Long Island Center for Speech and Myofunctional Therapy Locations across Suffolk and Nassau: East Yaphank, Farmingville, Stony Brook, Commack, Jericho, Wantagh, and Lake Success lispeechandmyo.com Queens: 718-640-6767 • Nassau: 516-216-1791 • Suffolk: 631-689-6858 Janine Stiene, speech-language pathologist, is owner and operator of Long Island Center for Speech and Myofunctional Therapy. Along with her group of therapists, she supports families and children across Long Island, specializing in PROMPT, feeding, myofunctional therapy, voice disorders, fluency, augmentative communication, articulation, auditory processing disorders, and expressive and receptive language disorders (adults and children). Intensive feeding therapy for individuals who suffer from texture and consistency aversions, and FEES— Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing—are also offered. There is a total of seven affiliated offices across Long Island, all participating with most major health insurance companies and offering evening and Saturday hours.
OPEN HOUSES 2017 Archbishop Molloy High School 83-53 Manton St., Briarwood 718-441-2100 x155 or x110 admissions@molloyhs.org Archbishop Molloy High School offers a unique, challenging, and comprehensive program of instruction, guidance, athletics, and activities. Come to the open house on Oct. 15 from 11am4pm to meet with students, faculty, parents, and alumni.
Dance Reverie 100-35 Metropolitan Ave., Forest Hills 347-770-6434; 917-504-6046 dancereverie.com Best reviewed dance studio in Queens now has a new children’s dance program. Come meet us at our open houses on Oct. 1 and 15, from 10am-3pm. Call for more information.
Garden School 33-16 79th St., Jackson Heights 718-335-6363 gardenschool.org Garden School tours happen
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weekly, Wednesdays at 9am or by appointment. Annual weekend open house on Saturday, Dec. 9; presentation at 9am. No RSVP needed, children welcome at the tours and open house.
Holy Cross High School Mr. Robert Botero, director of admissions 26-20 Francis Lewis Blvd., Flushing 718-886-7250 x558 or text 718-309-0589 holycrosshs.org admissions@holycrosshs.org Join us for an open house on Sunday, Oct. 22 from 12-4pm. RSVP online at holycrosshs.org. For more information contact Robert Botero at 718-886-7250 x558, text 718-309-0589, or email admissions@holycrosshs.org.
The Kew-Forest School 119-17 Union Turnpike, Forest Hills 718-268-4667 x125 kewforest.org/openhouse Join us for an open house Wednesday, Oct. 4 from 8:15-11am;
October 2017 | nymetroparents.com
Louis E. Mora, Ph.D., Psychologist P.C. 70 Glen Cove Road, Suite 201, Roslyn Heights 347-740-5690 lmoraphd.com Dr. Mora works with children and adults. He specializes in psychological testing, which helps improve diagnosing and treatment planning. Such testing includes neuropsychological testing, giftedness examinations, and evaluating for the presence of psychological disorders. This includes evaluating for ADHD and possible consequences of head injury. He has years of experience doing such testing with various populations. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology and postdoctoral education in forensic psychology from St. John’s University. He is also an adjunct professor of psychology at St. Francis College.
Dr. Michael Gruttadauria, The Center for Integrative and Innovative Therapies (The CIIT Center) 131 Sunnyside Blvd., Suite 100, Plainview 516-243-8660 theciitcenter.com Dr. Michael Gruttadauria leads the operations at an advanced treatment center for autism spectrum disorder called The CIIT Center. The CIIT Center’s mission is to approach each child with autism as a total entity by enhancing the biomedical, neurological, nutritional, electrical, and immune system of each of our patients and combining this with occupational, physical, and speech therapies, along with applied behavioral analysis. Our comprehensive approach starts with identifying the underlying factors that may be holding the child back, not just treating their symptoms. This gives each child every opportunity to reach their potential.
Saturday, Oct. 14 from 1-5pm (in conjunction with our Founder’s Day Carnival); Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 8:15-10:30am; or Saturday, Dec. 2 from 1-3pm.
Mary Louis Academy: Empowering Young Women Since 1936 176-21 Wexford Terrace, Jamaica Estates 718-297-2120; tmla.org At The Mary Louis Academy, you will find your own voice— distinctive, confident, intelligent, creative, and empowered. Join us at our open house on Sunday, Oct. 15 from 10am-3pm. Pre-register at tmla.org.
Music Together® With Music and Me Licensed Provider of Music Together® Since 2003 Astoria, Bayside, Forest Hills, and Glendale 718-229-0033 Astoria at Gym-Azing! Bayside at Bay Terrace Karate Center, Upper Level Baybridge Commons Shopping Center Forest Hills at the Reform Temple of Forest Hills Forest Hills at the Church-in-the-Gardens
Glendale at Tiger Schulmann’s Glendale musictogetherwithmusicandme.com info@musictogetherwithmusicandme.com Call or click to schedule a free trial class with your family at one of our open house classes and get ready to make Music Together® with Music and Me!
St. Agnes Academic High School 13-20 124th St., College Point 718-353-6276 stagneshs.org A small, college preparatory Catholic school for young women, where each girl is known by name and respected for her individual gifts and talents. Join us for our open house on Oct. 14 and visit our new Health Science Lab.
United Nations International School 173-53 Croyden Road, Jamaica Estates 718-658-6166 unis.org; rsorrentini@unis.org Join us for an open house Friday, Oct. 6 at 9am; Thursday, Nov. 2 at 6pm; or Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 9am. RSVP rsorrentini@unis.org.
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Garden School................................................ 29 Holy Cross High School.................................. 26 IStein .............................................................. 19 JEI Learning Center ....................................... 56 KENT Prep .....................................................25 Kew Forest School (The) .................................. 7 Little Atelier of Young Children Inc. .................25 LIU Center for Gifted Youth ............................25 Mary Louis Academy (The).............................26 RoboMindTech................................................25 St. Agnes High School .................................... 26 Tiny Footsteps ................................................ 15 United Nations International School - Queens....21 Village East Gifted .......................................... 17
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QueensParent 53
VOICES
Stop With the Trophies Already! ii
One mom offers a plea for kids to be awarded trophies only when they’ve accomplished something that deserves the recognition. By Karen J. Bannan
M
y kids are 12 and 8. They have been playing sports since they were little. They aren’t superstars, and yet we have more than 20 trophies sitting in our home. Trophies that take up room, gather dust, and are pretty much meaningless. We’ve got trophies for kindergarten Catholic Youth Organization basketball, our beach club’s swim team, the National PTA Reflections contest, a first-grade soccer tournament, and cheerleading. Last month the girls and I cleaned their rooms. All those trophies ended up sitting in the hallway of our upstairs. The girls didn’t want them cluttering up their shelves. “Mommy,” they said, “we don’t need them.” No kidding, I thought. No kidding. I have been against giving out trophies since we got the first shiny plastic and stone monstrosity complete with a little soccer ball. (That one was for participating in a local peewee soccer program that didn’t even have games!) My biggest complaint has always been that trophies should be for real accomplishments. Big wins. Amazing feats of prowess, academic or athletic. You don’t need a trophy to commemorate 10 weeks of kindergarten sports skills classes! I’m not the only one who feels this way. Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison created a firestorm when he posted on Instagram about taking away trophies his little ones got. The photo was accompanied by this post: “I came home to find out that my boys received two trophies for nothing, participation trophies! While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these
trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy. I’m sorry I’m not sorry for believing that everything in life should be earned and I’m not about to raise two boys to be men by making them believe that they are entitled to something just because they tried their best… cause sometimes your best is not enough, and that should drive you to want to do better…not cry and whine until somebody gives you something to shut u up and keep you happy. #harrisonfamilyvalues” I totally agree and wish others did, but alas, I am in the minority. For example, a few years ago I ran our elementary school’s Reflections program and I championed phasing out the trophies. We could give out ribbons and medals, I said. It would be cheaper, I said. It didn’t fly. The trophies were ordered, and I silently cursed the fact that I would have another four of them in my house. (My kids tend to do well at those types of contests.) But I digress, as usual. When my kids handed over their shiny loot I took to the Internet to find out if I could recycle them. Yes, I discovered, there are companies that will recycle trophies, but I couldn’t find any close by. Today I posted on Facebook and a friend sent me a link about a place way out east that takes them and refurbishes them for charities. It’s about an hour away from my home, but it may be worth the trip just to get them out of my sight. In the meantime, I know I am blessed that my kids are able to be involved with sports and contests to earn trophies at all. There are many children who don’t have the same opportunities. Does that earn me a medal?
Karen J. Bannan is a Long Island writer who blogs at naturalaspossiblemom.com, where this post first appeared.
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