LongIsland SUFFOLK EDITION
Parent NYMETROPARENTS.COM PARENTS.COM JANUARY 2018
Education Special
• Why Babies Need Books • The Hot Tech Trend in Learning • Should School Start Later?
Family Life
Choosing Your Kids’ Guardian
Don’t Tell! The 5 Big Secrets of Girlhood
HELPING PARENTS MAKE BETTER DECISIONS
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Nodoctor would ever prescribe tobacco... so why do pharmacies sell it? 52% of all pharmacies in NewYork State still sell tobacco products. It’s time to end this practice. Lend your support at BreatheFreely.org
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contents table of
Original photo by ›› PhotoOp NYC (photoopnyc.com) Clothing provided by Appaman (appaman.com)
january 2018
50 37
education
Quotables
The best parenting quotes from the web, and your New Year’s parenting resolutions!
Wintry Family Fun
Where to ski, snowboard, and ice-skate, plus kid-friendly museums and day trips in the area.
16 Baby Needs Books! 18 The Buzz on Blended Learning
42
22 Should School Start Later? 24 Education Resources
Choosing a Guardian for Your Child
Take these steps to make sure your child is always cared for, now and in the future.
raising kids
things to do
family life
6 Editor’s Note 8 New Places, New Programs 10 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Girlhood 12 To Test or Not to Test? 44 Professional Services 46 Party Central 47 Meet the Doctor 48 Meet the Director 48 Open Houses 49 Advertisers’ Index 50 Quotables
11 Dynamite Dinner Table Conversation Jar
38 Creating a ‘Yes’ Space
28 Family Fun in Manhattan
40 Food and Drink Hacks for Parents
29 Family Activities Calendar
42 Choosing a Guardian for Your Child
37 Wintry Family Fun
NYMetroParents
Helping Parents Make Better Decisions ON THE COVER ›› facebook.com/nymetroparents
10 Don’t Tell: The 5 Big Secrets of Girlhood 15 Education Special
38 Family Life: Choosing Your Kids’ Guardian
@NYMetroParents Visit NYMETROPARENTS.COM for family activities updated daily and more than 2,000 parenting articles!
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Our Resolution: More Solutions
JANUARY 2018 • Vol.9 • No.8
NYMetroParents nymetroparents.com
EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Deborah Skolnik MANAGING EDITOR: Katelin Walling DEPUTY EDITOR: Caitlin Berens
A
s surely as New Year’s Eve involves a dropping ball and confetti, it brings with it something else: resolutions. I bet you have a few, and so do I, such as to give my two teenage daughters a bit more freedom (I’ll try!), figure out my new Instant Pot (honest!), and lose 15 pounds (who am I kidding?). We here at NYMetroParents have made a resolution too, and it’s one we think you’ll really like: to serve your needs better than ever. We know parenting is more than a verb; it’s an identity. And so we’re taking a holistic approach to parenting, with the aim of helping you make better decisions across all areas of your life. The changes start right on our table of contents, where you’ll see stories grouped into the three main “buckets” of parenting: Things to Do, Raising Kids, and Family Life. Some of our longstanding sections have been freshened up, too. Q-and-A is now In the Know (p. 10), giving you the inside scoop on some of parenting’s hottest topics. Quotables has moved to the back of the magazine (p. 50), and features sound bites from parents right in your area. Our Outings page has been renamed Family Fun in Manhattan (p. 28)—there’s no better way to plan your next city trip! And the Where-to Guide (p. 37) now offers a greater range of suggestions for seasonal activities. You’ll also find a more varied and robust selection of articles. We’ll address your legal and financial needs going forward, starting with Samantha Neudorf’s story about how to choose a legal guardian for your children (p. 42). We’ve also got great advice for your home—Katelin Walling explains how to create “yes spaces,” kid-friendly areas filled with safe stuff to play with and explore (p. 38). Babies and teens will now be a regular focus of ours, and are featured in this month’s education theme. Turn to page 16 for my article about why it’s so important to read to your infant right from the start. And if your teenagers, like mine, shout “five more minutes!” every time you try to get them to wake up for class, you’ll appreciate our special report on school start times on page 22. One big takeaway: Early classes may go against adolescents’ biology and their best interests too. And don’t miss Ellen Horafas’s essay explaining why it may be short-sighted to opt out your children from state tests (p. 12). Just as few people can achieve their New Year’s resolutions without a little help, I couldn’t possibly put together this wonderful magazine without the help of my team. That’s why they’re all pictured below. Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and not-too-hectic 2018, from our family to yours.
SENIOR EDITOR: Bethany Braun-Silva ENGAGEMENT EDITOR: Samantha Neudorf REGIONAL EDITORS: Samantha Beranbom (Rockland); Karen Demeter (Suffolk); Whitney C. Harris (Manhattan); Rosalind Muggeridge (Brooklyn); Jamie McGillian (Westchester); Dorette Saunders (Nassau); Gail Warren (Queens) DIRECTORIES EDITOR: Alice Van Dyke EDITORIAL INTERN: Jordan Laird To Submit Events: nymetroparents.com/submitevents
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raising kids new places, new programs
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Who: Holy Angels Regional School What’s New: Parent University, a series of 2-hour evening workshops that have different themes centered around education. The first workshop took place Nov. 16, 2017 and focused on raising responsible children. Three more sessions are planned for the school year on Jan. 11 and 31, and March 6. Holy Angels Regional School is collaborating with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County to offer this program. “Parents are the primary educators of their children,” says principal Michael Connell. “We’re here to support them.” Additionally, the Kindness Matters program, launched last year, has reduced bullying in the school. Want More Info: 1 Division St., Patchogue; 631-4750422; holyangelsregional.org
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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
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raising kids in the know
Things You 5Didn’t Know
About Girlhood
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By Bethany Braun-Silva with Katie Hurley, LCSW
I
t’s hard to ignore the news as of late. Every day new cases of sexual harassment make headlines, social feeds are flooded with #metoo posts, and Time Magazine just named “The Silence Breakers” as its Person of the Year. More and more women are feeling empowered to speak up and stand up and, of course, we want to get that message across to our girls, too. However, this empowerment may come with consequences, says Katie Hurley, LCSW. In her book NO MORE MEAN GIRLS: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls, she cautions against letting our girls grow up too early. “Skipping over the development of crucial social-emotional skills in the name of creating a generation of supergirls doesn’t actually empower our girls,” she writes. “In fact, it does the opposite: It creates a culture of cutthroat competition.” Hurley adds a further warning: “When we fast-track girls through developmental levels without considering the potential consequences, we set girls up for negative behaviors and friendship fails.” Below, Hurley shares five things everyone needs to know about girls and girlhood. 1. A girl’s social world plays a crucial role in her day-to-day life. Whether your daughter has two close friends or 10 besties, she’s enmeshed in her social world. Young girls leave the parental orbit once they enter school, and they look to their peers to make sense of the world around them when they are away from Mom and Dad. So while a playground argument might not sound like a big deal to you, this kind of micro-stressor can make or break a day for your daughter. 2. Risk aversion is on the rise. With all the pressure to be the best at everything and find a passion, young girls feel like they’re under a microscope. This fuels perfectionism, which leads to fear of failure and risk aversion. If you
suspect that your daughter plays it safe, she probably does, and she may need your encouragement to branch out and take chances. 3. Your daughter needs you more than you know. When Hurley asks girls what they want or need most from their parents, the No. 1 answer is uninterrupted 1-on-1 time. They might roll their eyes, slam their doors, or keep quiet at times, but girls crave guidance and input from their parents, and time spent having fun. 4. Girls’ sensitivity is at an all-time high. Middle childhood is a time of rapid growth, both physically and emotionally, and this makes girls vulnerable to emotional upheaval. Joking about “girl drama” and being sarcastic often makes girls feel ashamed and guilty. Proceed with caution and empathize often to help the girl in your life to thrive. 5. Girls know more about the world than you think. They piece together information about the modern world from a variety of sources. Hurley has had many girls confess they binge-watched 13 Reasons Why (a controversial series about a teen’s suicide) or set up Snapchat and Instagram accounts on a friend’s phone. Sometimes they keep these activities secret to avoid disappointing their parents, since they crave parental approval. Couple that with intense pressure to fit in and peer pressure to keep up with technology, and the result is a recipe for very young girls dipping their toes into murky water with limited information. Talk openly and honestly with your daughter about modern girlhood to help her navigate these tricky topics and work through big emotions.
Katie Hurley, LCSW, is a child and adolescent psychotherapist, parenting expert, and author of The Happy Kid Handbook and No More Mean Girls (TarcherPerigee; on sale Jan. 30). She is also the founder of Girls Can! empowerment groups for girls between ages 5-11.
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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
things to do
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Dynamite Dinner Table Conversation Jar Sometimes sitting at the dinner table can feel like sitting behind an interrogation table. Your grown-ups constantly asking, “How was your day?” only to be met with the ever-popular response, “Fine.” This Dynamite Dinner Table Conversation Jar game will blast your conversation skills to the next world, making you the talk of the table. Not only will you get to tell everyone the coolest tricks you did for the day, but you’ll start connecting with your family in a whole new way!
What You Need Recycled glass jar Permanent markers Popsicle sticks How to Make Ahead 1. Color a creative pattern on the outside of a clean glass jar using permanent markers. You can be as creative as you want: make a rainbow, make stripes, make a funny face, add a super-powered symbol…really, the sky is the limit. 2. Once you have covered your entire jar, set it to dry while you prepare your conversation starters. 3. On each of your Popsicle sticks, write simple word clues or questions to help you the next time you are stuck and don’t know what to talk about (ideas listed below). When you have enough choices, add your Popsicle sticks to your jar and place it in the middle of your dinner table. How to Use This Tool At your next family meal, when your adults ask, “What did you do today?” instead of saying, “Nothing,” you can pull a prompt from the jar and get the conversation rolling. Never again feel like you are at a loss for words or worried about what to talk about when you have company over. Sample Conversation Starters Let’s learn about your day. Today, what is your favorite… subject in school? game you played at recess? book you read? thing you did with a friend? part of the day? WHY?
Let’s learn more about everyone. What is your favorite... food? movie? song? color? game? WHY? Let’s learn about your dreams. What would you do if... you had a million dollars? you had to move to a new state? your friend switched schools? you lost your two front teeth? WHY? Let’s learn about your struggles. Today, what is your… biggest worry? worst memory? scariest moment? WHY? Challenge Make your own conversation starters. Use cardstock paper and pens to write out some funny questions or jokes to get the conversation going with your family. Train Your Adult Have you ever felt like the cat’s got your tongue? Adults use that phrase when kids suddenly go quiet. Your grown-up wants nothing more than to understand you, and some days that seems impossible when all of their questions are met with roadblocks. I know you have a lot to say, but you just aren’t sure how to access all the awesome things you want to tell your adults. Instead of leaving adults baffled at your silence, give them this super-secret tool to get you talking and sharing all the cool things you have to say, and give them a sneak peek into your world.
Cover and book design by Page Street Publishing Co. Photography by Dayna Abraham. Excerpted from The Superkids Activity Guide to Conquering Every Day by Dayna Abraham with permission of the publisher.
LongIslandParent 11
raising kids voices
To Test or Not to Test?
››
Few parents like the current system of state standardized tests. But here’s why the solution may not be as simple as just opting your child out. By Ellen Horafas
D
addy, nooooo…..why?!” My 13-year-old daughter’s voice was cracking. “Please. Please!” When it registered that her father wasn’t going to give in, her pleading had switched from lighthearted to desperate. When he finally walked away, Amanda ran to her room, sobbing, slamming the door so hard that the family cat, on the couch 50 feet away, jumped. If you’re guessing that the cause of Amanda’s meltdown was a parental decision that she perceived to be unfair, you’re sort of right. Her dad, the night before her eighth grade New York State English Language Arts (ELA) exams were to begin on March 28, was refusing to sign the form that was her ticket out of the tedious, three-day test and into the auditorium, where most of her friends, apparently, would be. The school districts on Long Island lead the way in Common Core test refusals in the New York metro region. A Newsday survey of the 124 school systems across Long Island showed that fully half—52 percent—of the third- to eighthgrade students eligible to take the ELA tests did not. In some districts in Suffolk County, where we live, the numbers topped 80 percent. My husband was one of many in our town who didn’t like the content or the implementation of the Common Core Standards—and hated the intense test prep that came with it. So he signed Amanda out of the tests in sixth and seventh grade. I did tell him then that I thought it might be a mistake. Standardized testing was unlikely to disappear anytime soon. And before you know it, our daughter will be taking the SATs, and maybe other college entrance exams as well. The more practice she had with the admittedly unpleasant experience of preparing for and sitting through them, the better, it seemed to me. Then there was the fact that life is littered with interminable tasks you can’t just opt out of. In turn, he reminded me of the son of one of our friends who was totally stressed about what would happen if he “failed.” And of the third-grade girl down the block who had been in tears at the bus stop, as she had gotten the idea that if she
didn’t do well, her beloved teacher would be fired. Indeed, I could see both sides of the argument, and I pick my battles. Amanda was signed out. Interestingly, in elementary school, such tests were a non-issue for Amanda. They were annoying, sure, but in the same way that having to play kickball in the gym on a rainy day was. She was able to deal with them and quickly forget them. But now, she looked at them as a form of torture that all the good parents were swooping in and saving their kids from. My husband, meanwhile, had seen that opting her out hadn’t improved her grades, inspired her to learn for learning’s sake, or made her more relaxed throughout the school year. What it had done, he only just realized the night the door was slammed, was make her feel entitled to avoid what she didn’t want to do. But, oh, she fought. She fought with the skill of a lawyer and the fervor of, well, a 13-year-old. She first tried logic: “A person, even a young person like me, should always stand up for what she believes in!” She used her dad’s own words against him: “You told everybody the tests were a waste of time!” She invoked practicality: “I could do all my homework in the auditorium, all my projects, everything, for the next two weeks. Think how easy school nights would be!” And, in a last-ditch attempt, Amanda appealed to her Daddy: “You know how you said you feel bad for me that I have to wait until seventh period for lunch every day? The kids who take the test have to wait even longer. I’ll be soooooo hungry. I’ll be fainting!” In the end, it failed, all of it. We passed two miserable nights of bitter complaining. “See this bruise on my leg? It’s from being in that chair all those hours. I hope you’re happy!” Will putting her back into the state-test stream be to her advantage? To ours? To anyone’s? We’re holding our breath. The math tests are coming in May.
Ellen Horafas is a Long Island mom of three, whose kids have all gotten to an age where they no longer appreciate being named in her prose.
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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
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online extras In families with two or more children, an older sibling’s departure for college can spark mixed emotions in the younger child. Find out how to cope at ›› nymetroparents.com/college-sibling Is homework necessary? Take a look inside the debate—and what a Brooklyn school is doing instead ›› nymetroparents.com/no-homework
Local Catholic schools are integrating students of all religions. Learn why at ›› nymetroparents.com/inclusive-catholics One of the first decisions you’ll have to make as the parent of a child with special needs is what school your child will attend. Find answers to common questions that go into the decision making process at ›› nymetroparents.com/special-school
inside
raising kids education special
16 B aby Needs Books!: It’s never too soon to raise an eager reader. he Buzz on Blended Learning: 18 T This bold approach integrates technology with traditional teaching. hould School Start Later?: Early 22 S classes can harm teens’ health and academic performance. 24 E ducation Directory: Schools, academic enrichment, and special education services in Suffolk County.
Baby Needs Books!
››
It’s never too soon to raise an eager reader—these early steps are the way to start.
W
hen my older daughter was born, I ran out and bought a bunch of things I assumed were necessities, such as a wet-wipe heater (which only made the wipes a smidge warmer than they already were) and a rattle (even though Clara’s little hands were in mittens to prevent her from accidentally scratching herself). “She doesn’t need that stuff,” my mom laughed. “She just needs food and shelter and love.” Experts would agree, but they’d probably add one more item to that short list: books. That’s right—even the very smallest children can benefit profoundly from story time. Snuggling over a good read actually helps your baby learn to read you and vice versa, and can yield a host of brain-boosting benefits, both now and later. Here are some reasons to start amassing a kiddie library, and using it daily.
0-6 Months: Building Bonds
At the very beginning of life, “reading time is really about bonding with a parent or caregiver,” says Rina P. Collins, owner of Book Nook, an early literacy studio with two Manhattan locations. Set aside time once or twice a day to break out 16
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
By Deborah Skolnik
a book. It’s also a chance for you to practice your reading technique. Not only do you have to get used to reciting aloud (it can take a while not to feel silly saying things like “and then the bunny went to the market!”) but “you’re learning how to hold your baby in the crook of one arm while holding the book with the other,” notes Pam Allyn, founding director of LitWorld, a global literacy initiative. Your child may not spend lots of time checking out the book’s pages—he isn’t even focusing that well yet—but he’s looking at the faces you make, and starting to associate them with emotions. He’s also listening. “You’re transmitting the grammatical structures and rhythm of language,” Allyn says. Go for books that are rich in sounds, such as Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. Also select some books with black-and-white contrast, since that’s what infants see best. One great choice: Hello Baby by Roger Priddy. Around 4 months, your baby can see pictures more clearly, Collins notes. She’s mesmerized by other babies’ faces, so try reading Global Babies by The Global Fund for Children or a similar book. “And as your baby gets more accustomed to the rhythms of
language, he’ll enjoy texts that have an element of repetition,” says Roslyn Haber, Ed.D., associate professor of education at Touro Graduate College of Education in Manhattan. Nursery-rhyme books are great choices now, as are other books with repetitive turns of phrase. “We started reading Eric Carle’s Brown Bear, Brown Bear a lot at this point,” Collins says. Rest assured, all this reading is doing lots of good. According to a study presented last spring at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting, reading to babies as young as just 6 months of age results in more robust vocabularies and better early literacy skills by age 4. The more vividly parents share books, the better: “We asked whether they were engaging in reading that involved talking about the pictures and emotions, and having a conversation around the story,” says Carolyn Cates, the study’s lead author. So go ahead— comment on the characters, make funny faces as you read, and modulate your voice up and down.
7-12 Months: Tactile Readers
Speaking of vocabulary, the second half of the first year is a great time to start building your baby’s knowledge of words. “We put out lots of board books that just had pictures and basic words, like ‘mommy’ or ‘daddy,’” Collins says. Roger Priddy’s First 100 Words Lift-the-Flap introduces vocabulary staples while also satisfying curious little fingers. In fact, you may notice your child starting to handle books a lot more around this time—“my son liked taking his finger and rubbing the page and moving his hand all around it,” Collins remembers. Dr. Haber agrees: “this is a very exploratory stage. It’s great to get books that have a lot of tactile fabrics in them,” she says. By this point, you’ve probably figured out reading to your baby is a way of getting to know her personality. Does he act excited when you pull out a book about dinosaurs? Disinterested in the book about cats? Her expressions, gestures, and even the sounds she makes will provide clues. Since he can see colors very well now, the bright hues of Sandra Boynton’s Moo, Baa, La La La! may appeal to him. Rich language patterns may grab her attention too—at least for a short while. A book such as More More More Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams fits the bill. Once your baby starts to crawl, put books in baskets, so they’ll be at eye level, Allyn recommends. If he shows a preference for certain subjects, stick with them (“Oh, you liked that book about trucks? Let’s get another book about them!”). As she nears her first birthday, your little one will also have a better understanding of the overall concept of a story, so feel free to try a book with more of a plot, such as Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day. Another major concept your child is starting to grasp is the idea that he belongs to a family. Try reading some stories that highlight family relationships, such as the Max and Ruby series by Rosemary Wells, featuring brother-and-sister rabbits. “Max and Ruby are recurring characters in the books, so you and your baby can keep reading about them as your child gets older,” Allyn points out. Also highlight books that talk about where its main character fits into the world, for example The New Baby by Mercer Mayer. Talk to your baby about how there are many different types of families. And make sure to throw in some books just for silly fun: Allyn is a big fan of Acoustic Rooster by Kwame Alexander, chronicling the adventures of a jazz-loving rooster and his barnyard band.
13-18 Months: Pages and Passions
“One to two years of age is when children’s language is absolutely exploding,” Allyn says. Your baby can appreciate continuity, so
introduce her to authors you can return to again and again. These include Mo Willems, author of the acclaimed Pigeon series, and Charlotte Zolotow, who wrote The Seashore Book and dozens of others. “Your child is ready to have books that have multiple sentences, are longer, and have more advanced pictures,” Collins says. Rhyming books, such as Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown, may capture his attention. Tickle your baby’s funny bone by making exaggerated expressions and noises—you may be rewarded with some extra enthusiasm and delicious giggles. Where your baby used to be cradled in your arms for story time, she may happily settle into your lap. Make it easy for him to pick up books on his own, too; Collins recommends using low dish-display shelves and filling them with kiddie volumes. Try finding books that relate to something your child loves in real life: If she’s a fan of unicorns, for example, read her a storybook that features one. And be prepared to let your little one take the lead—she may no longer be content to have you hold the book, insisting she keep a grip on it and turn the pages instead. “Be really patient,” Allyn advises. “It’s important that she learns how books work—even if that means [she is] turning the pages backwards as well as forwards.” With all his squirminess, your child may often be reluctant to go to bed. Make books your secret weapon. Soothing titles such as Night-Night, by Leslie Patricelli, and DK Publishing’s Baby Touch and Feel Bedtime can become part of your evening or naptime rituals. The comforting images and soothing words, read in a soft voice, might just do the trick and help your child (and you!) catch some much-needed zzz’s.
19-24 Months: Read It Again, Mom!
Since you’ve exposed your baby to so many wonderful books by now, don’t be surprised if she has a favorite or two—and wants you to read them again and again. Oh, and again. Yes, it can test your patience a little, but it’s really a good thing for your budding reader. “It links that book to comfort and familiarity,” Dr. Haber says. Don’t be surprised, either, if your child picks up a book and throws it down, or even hurls it several feet across the room. It doesn’t mean your little one is destined to grow up to be the terror of the local library! “At this time, he’s exploring space, and throwing the book is part of that,” Dr. Haber explains. Instead of scolding him, you can calmly tell him to treat books with care. “You can pick the book back up and say, ‘That’s the book about the bird taking a vacation! Should we read it again?’” Dr. Haber suggests. Of course, it’s good to introduce new books whenever you can. At this age, they can have simple lessons, such as Please and Thank You by Richard Scarry and the old favorite, The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. Sing-song books, with hand gestures you can try together, will often be a big hit too—read The Wheels on the Bus by Jerry Smith. Almost any book can inspire some back-and-forth now. Try pointing to a duck or house and asking your child what it is; she may surprise you with a one-word answer you can expand on (“Right! That’s the duck who likes to play in the mud!”) Just as your child may be mimicking some of your day-to-day activities, he may now mirror the way you read. “Many kids this age start trying to hold a book and read it aloud to their stuffed animals,” Allyn says. Your little one may “read” by babbling, using the same inflections you sometimes do during story time. It’s hilarious to watch, and touching, too. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And it shows that when it comes to a healthy love of reading, you and your child are on the same page. LongIslandParent 17
Jordan Laird
In math class, a fifth-grade student at St. Ann in East Harlem works on a Google Chromebook in i-Ready at the technology station. Behind him, Phil Biondo teaches students at his teacher instruction station. The timer on the board signals when to rotate stations.
The Buzz on Blended Learning
››
This bold approach integrates technology with traditional teaching. By Jordan Laird
O
n the fourth floor of an old building in East Harlem, Phil Biondo is teaching fifth-grade math. One group of students works diligently in their workbooks on one side of the room, occasionally discussing questions or asking Biondo for clarification. A second group of students is taught by Biondo himself, at the front of the classroom. A third group of students, directly across the room from the first, wears headphones and works online on Google Chromebooks, using a learning program called i-Ready. Behind Biondo, a digital timer is set for 30 minutes. When it goes off, the students rotate between the three ‘stations.’ Biondo remains seated and quickly begins teaching the next group’s lesson. Class at St. Ann looked very different four years ago, before Principal Hope Mueller came on board and instituted a blended learning program—one in which a portion of learning is done online, and data generated is used to track students’ progress and refine lesson plans and other teaching strategies. At the time of her arrival, Mueller says, the school was plagued by behavioral problems, and test scores were stagnant. “The faculty and I recognized something wasn’t working and we kind of brainstormed and thought about the fact that we were not meeting the needs of every child,” she shares. Mueller had gone to a few conferences and heard about blended learning and how the teaching style could possibly help students, 18
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
so the faculty agreed to try it. At first the school made do with its limited tech gear, but soon won a grant for equipment (including the Chromebooks), better Wi-Fi, and staff support. The new strategy has paid off. In its first year after implementing blended learning, St. Ann saw a 28-percent increase in the number of students passing the state English Language Arts test and a 5-percent rise in those passing the state math exam, far exceeding Mueller’s goal of a 3-percent increase in both areas. In addition, “we saw behavior concerns drop to almost nothing,” she says. “We saw morale go through the roof with everybody in the community, and enrollment go up for the first time since 2006.” Last year, St. Ann was 1 of 11 schools to win a Blackboard award for outstanding schools in New York City. It was also named one of the 85 schools in the country worth visiting by gettingsmart.com, a design firm focused on innovations in learning.
A Rich Blend
Kimberly Greene, Ed.D., an associate professor of education at Brandman University in Irvine, CA, and an expert on educational technology, says blended learning is “where there is a formal electronically mediated component. It’s a formal component, not the occasional ‘here, watch this video and we’ll talk about it in class.’” In other words, tech is integral to the teaching process. A growing number of schools are adopting some type of blend-
ed approach. According to a 2015 report by the Center for Digital Education, 41 percent of K-12 schools surveyed offered blended and virtual (online) learning classes, and 55 percent of K-12 schools surveyed provided personalized learning, which is learning tailored to an individual student’s particular needs. Personalized learning goes hand in hand with blended learning. “A lot of times I think about blended learning as a way to allow computers to do what computers do well, which is delivery of standardized lessons in some ways, and using data to personalize but [also] to free teachers to do what only humans can do,” says Michael Horn, co-author of the book Blended. “And that’s, you know, spend a lot more time on rich feedback. The point of blended learning is to increase the quality of those human interactions.” St. Ann utilizes quite a bit of data to personalize lessons for its students. Using the i-Ready software, teachers can check students’ progress on virtual lessons as frequently as desired. The program automatically uses the data to personalize the lessons each student receives next. The teachers use that data to create their own lesson plans as well, and to decide how to group students for station rotation. “Before we had this [approach], basically how you get data from students [is] you’re giving them quizzes or tests or you’re seeing how they act during class, seeing if they can answer questions. But this gives us data on how they’re doing each day in real time,” says Karen Doyle, St. Ann’s Blended Learning Coordinator and a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) teacher. While St. Ann utilizes the station rotation model of blended learning, this is just 1 of 3 major blended-learning approaches used in K-12 education. In 2013, when the Center for Digital
Education surveyed schools that have embraced digital learning in some way, it found that roughly equal percentages of respondents used station rotation (38 percent); a “flipped” classroom model, in which instruction is offered outside the classroom—often online—and projects traditionally considered to be homework are done during class time (43 percent); or a mixture of online and traditional classes (43 percent).
Challenging Changes
Although blended learning can be beneficial, it also can be tricky to implement. “One of the most important things I will tell teachers…is that they need to walk around their rooms first thing and find the [electrical] outlets,” Mueller says. If a school’s building is old, as St. Ann’s is, many of the outlets may not work. In some of St. Ann’s classrooms, the only functional outlet was located where the teacher’s desk had always been, which meant that the desk had to be moved to make room for the Chromebook cart. Even harder than rearranging furniture, however, was reframing staffers’ mindset as to what instruction could look like. “In the beginning, I was the one always complaining, ‘I can’t do this, I’m not a technology person,’” says first-grade teacher Stephanie Gueits-Marrero. “So for me, it was challenging to transition to this blended learning.” Doyle adds that it’s also very difficult for teachers to carve out time to plan for blended learning. “You have to invest a lot of time and planning up front, and in the very first year we really didn’t have extra time built into the schedule,” Doyle notes. She explains faculty has to spend ample amounts of time sifting through student data on the computer software, then must come up with lesson continued on next page ››
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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
Two kindergarteners at St. Ann focus on their lessons in i-Ready.
plans for every group they’re going to see in their station rotation. Last of all, schools may struggle with the price tag for the necessary tech tools. “One of the other most difficult things [was that we had to] get this new infrastructure, these Chromebooks. We got a grant that was very substantial,” Mueller says. “If we didn’t have that support from the Archdiocese and these generous donors, we would not have been able to do what we’ve done.”
Remarkable Ripple Effects
Despite the challenges, St. Ann’s faculty wouldn’t go back to a traditional curriculum. “No. I think I like this way of teaching better,” says Gueits-Marrero—this despite her early resistance. “I think it’s more fun for the students too. They’re not stationed at one desk all day long. It’s helping them. The scores show their improvement.” She describes one of her success stories, a student who came into her first-grade class on a pre-kindergarten level in reading and a low kindergarten level in math. But by the end of the school year, she was already on a second-grade reading level. Gueits-Marrero says this student is continuing to do well now. Camron Campbell, a 14-year-old eighth-grader, is also benefiting tremendously from the new approach. “It’s a little emotional for me because my son struggled so long and felt so bad about himself,” says his mother, Antonia Campbell, remembering the years before the curriculum switch. Now, however, Camron “has just been excelling with this blended learning,” she says. In fact, Principal Mueller says the new style of instruction has improved the climate of the entire school, and the surrounding community. Students and parents now trust the faculty and staff more. Because of the improved school climate, Mueller says faculty members have started facilitating after-school extracurricular activities, despite the fact that St. Ann is not able to pay them a salary for doing so. “The goal originally was just to help the kids academically,” she notes. “And it changed everything. If we had not started with blended learning, I don’t think any of these things would have happened.”
Blended Learning Gone Bad
St. Ann has had tremendous success with blended learning, but when schools don’t implement the approach properly, they run the risk of having it backfire. One common mistake some schools make, Horn says, is assuming technology has replaced the teacher and that the majority of a student’s day will be spent on the computer. Another way schools get blended learning wrong “is they’re using
it more as maybe a replacement for a textbook,” Horn explains. “But they’re not really personalizing that learning, and developing strong cultures around starting to help students own what they’re doing and why.” Horn also stresses spending time up front to design the model, and giving teachers adequate professional development. St. Ann has hosted more than 200 visitors from across the country who want to see its award-winning blended learning program in action. Mueller says one common misconception among visiting educators is that if teachers are using learning centers, and one center is computer-based, it constitutes blended learning. But “without the data driving both the technology and the teacher-led instruction, it’s not quite the blend,” Mueller says. “You’ve got to have a sense of who your students are so that you’re meaningfully able to design how the experience will be for that group,” Dr. Greene adds. “You can’t just design a great blended learning opportunity and then use it with everybody and expect it’s always going to be amazing. It’s got to have flexibility. What is the intention of the learning, and how does it best serve this group of students I’m working with?” Jeffrey Tsang, founder of the education consulting firm Building Blocks Education, which implements blended learning programs in schools, contends that “the challenge is getting to the right ‘why.’” He worries a lot of schools will get into blended learning just because the technology is there or because they believe it will make it cheaper to run the school, or easier for teachers. None of these, Tsang feels, are particularly compelling rationales. “Ultimately, once schools and districts get to a place of ‘I think we should use technology because it’ll improve learning and improve the student learning experience,’ I think that’s where you get to better models and better implementation,” he says.
What’s Coming Next?
Tsang suspects the next big shift for education will be to put students in charge of what they learn, and how. He thinks that if schools could combine internal motivation with individualized learning styles, it would transform learning into something driven by students in ways that are much more effective for them. Horn believes there will be
more movement toward the notion of mastery learning—a model in which students advance not because it’s time for the whole class to move on, but because they’ve truly mastered something. This may eventually involve doing away with traditional assessments. Horn also predicts a move toward “more thoughtful and coherent interweaving of rigorous curriculum with really rich projects.
Meaning, students can learn knowledge on the computer, but it’ll be much more rigorous curriculum than some of the online programs we’ve seen so far, that sometimes are flimsy. And then giving students more time to dive into rich, complicated, multi-day projects with their peers.” No matter which direction blended learning takes in the future, it’s clear that innovation will be integral to the mix.
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Should School Start Later?
››
Early classes can harm teens’ health and academic performance—here’s a look at the movement to push back that first bell. By Christina Vercelletto
W
e tried sending the dog in to lick him awake. We tried threats, bribes, and a liberal dose of guilt, too (I’d burst into tears at fairly regular intervals). We set progressively earlier alarms, before calling that experiment a failure at 4:55am. But nothing my husband or I did could get our son, Charles, on the 6:50am high school bus more often than a few times a month. So there I’d be, driving him to school, sweaty and breathless, careening into the parking lot when first period was half over. (I usually drove him, because when my husband did, he’d bellow at him the whole way. I got his frustration, believe me, but was afraid he’d get in an accident.) For four years this went on, until, blessedly, my son graduated last June—but not before having to take night-school classes for habitually failing first period. A mere month after those insanely stressful mornings finally ended, Charles began working a shift that starts at 9:30am. He gets up on his own at 8am, fixing himself eggs and toast. He leaves promptly at 8:45am every day, allowing a little extra time for traffic. Really? I thought. As mystifying as it seemed to me at first, my experience, it turns out, squares with science. Research has shown that early school start times (7:21am at our Long Island high school, for example) simply don’t mesh with teenage biology, and that starting even just 60 minutes later has positive effects on mental and physical health, and on academic performance, too. Yet the vast majority of public schools, including in our area, resist making the change.
Rude Awakenings
Despite their appearance, high school kids are just that—kids who are still growing. Adolescents need 8½-9½ hours of sleep a night, 22
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
an almost laughable number when compared with day-to-day reality. Ruth Angstadt’s son, Kurt, a 10th-grader at West Babylon High School in Suffolk County, is a prime example. “He has soccer practice after school, then dinner and hours of homework. By the time he showers and winds down, it’s after eleven. Midnight is not unheard of,” she laments. Kurt is up at 6:15am (5:45am if he needs to get to school early for extra help). Do the math. Contrary to the assumption that teens are just being, well, teens by refusing to budge from bed, it has much more to do with biology than rebellion. A shift in their internal clocks at puberty signals the sleep hormone melatonin to kick in later at night. That’s why the seemingly simple solution of enforcing an earlier bedtime doesn’t really work. That internal shift makes it hard for teens to fall asleep before 11pm, or wake up much before 8am. They may get in bed and turn off the light at your insistence, but in all likelihood, they’re not sleeping. “The fact that these circadian rhythm shifts appear in adolescent mammals as well as adolescent humans suggests that there’s more to the story here than irresponsibility,” says Stacy Simera, communications director for StartSchoolLater.net.
The Benefits of Later Start Times
Teens need enough sleep, not only to stave off the grumpies, but also to effectively learn once they get to school. Schools with the first period bell ringing at 8:30am or later—which eliminates more than 85 percent of U.S. public high schools, according to federal data from the 2015-16 school year—wind up with better attendance and graduation rates. One study comparing schools in seven
states, including New York, found that instituting an 8:30am start increased attendance rates from 90 to 94 percent and graduation rates from 79 to 88 percent. These schools’ students have more downtime too, according to a separate study recently published in December in the journal Sleep Health. It found that when high school classes started at 8:30am or later, teens spent 46 more minutes in bed, on average, compared with peers whose schools started between 7 and 7:30am. Meanwhile, a study of middle-school students in North Carolina found that a one-hour delay in start time increased math test scores by 3.3 percentile points and reading test scores by 3.7 points. “As someone who has studied educational interventions, I truly believe that this is the single easiest and least expensive way to improve student outcomes,” said the study’s author, Santa Clara University economist Teny M. Shapiro. In fact, none other than the American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement in 2014 saying that “insufficient sleep in adolescents [is] an important public health issue that significantly affects the health and safety, as well as the academic success, of our nation’s middle and high school students.” The following year, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged education policymakers to start school later. “Getting enough sleep is important for students’ health, safety, and academic performance,” stated Anne Wheaton, the lead author and epidemiologist in the CDC’s Division of Population Health. Both the CDC and the AAP noted that sleep-deprived teens not only have poorer educational outcomes, but also are more prone to car accidents, obesity, and depression.
Success Stories
The realization is spreading that it’s harmful to force teens to rise with the birds. Some schools have adopted later start times, though there’s no hard data on the trend. “Unfortunately, it is very difficult to track how many schools are talking about changing or have changed start times because there is no mandatory reporting. Our lack of tracking start times reflects our level of systemic lack of awareness,” Simera says. But the Glen Falls School District is one that made the switch. In 2013, the high school pushed back its start time from 7:45am to 8:25am, and saw better student outcomes. The South Orangetown Central School District is another that opted to try a later start. “Our high school and middle school went from a 7:30am start to 8:15. It’s soooo much better,” says Stephanie Mullen, a mom of three in Blauvelt. “Teens are not adults, and there’s no point in forcing them to adapt to an adult schedule.” At Islip High School in Suffolk County, upperclassmen can opt out of first period and come in 40 minutes later, provided they’ll have enough credits to graduate, which most do.
Why Don’t More Schools Make a Change?
Another consideration: The traffic that school buses and traveling school sports teams would face if their schedule were closer to rush hour. “As it was, it would take Joey an hour to get back when his away volleyball games ended at four. Imagine if they ended at five?” says Marie Iorio, a mom of two in New Hyde Park in Nassau County. A situation like that could hamper a child’s participation in extracurriculars or sports, which—who knows?—could be the thing that makes or breaks their college applications. Other parents are simply neutral on the issue. “I have mixed feelings about late start,” says Gina Seymour, the library media specialist at Islip High School. “Yes, the kids are tired, but as a mom I do like to see my children off to school before I leave for work, rather than leave with them still in bed.”
Continued Clock-Watching
While the premise of later school start times for teens is widely accepted by those familiar with the facts, there’s another stumbling block to overcome: human nature. People, parents included, tend to rally around causes that affect them directly. That means that hard-won advocates graduate along with their kids every four years, so it’s a constant battle for groups such as Start School Later to keep re-educating parents and maintain the grassroots pressure. None of this is to say, of course, that opening high schools an hour later is the lone magic bullet to kids’ sleep issues and school success. And some kids fare better than others with the current arrangement. Jennifer Geddes, a mom of two teens in Manhattan, is one of the lucky ones. Her daughter’s high school starts at 8:30am. But while Geddes says the late start is great, “Fiona could start earlier than that,” she shares. “She’s up and ready to go well before she has to leave.” Barring a sweeping change to start times, what are families to do? Promoting good sleep-hygiene habits for kids, such as avoiding caffeine in the evening, shutting down electronics before getting into bed, and keeping to roughly the same sleep schedule on weekends, will help them regardless of when school begins. That, combined with continuing efforts to educate parents, school boards, and politicians on the benefits of letting teens sleep later, may ultimately yield eye-opening results for our chronically weary kids. Christina Vercelletto is a former editor at NYMetroParents, Parenting, Scholastic Parent & Child, and Woman’s Day. She lives on Long Island with her kids, a chiweenie, Pickles, and a 20-pound calico, Chub-Chub.
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LongIslandParent 23
raising kids directory
Education Resources Top area schools and academic services to help you make the best decisions for your child
Academic Enrichment and Educational Services Huntington Learning Centers
656 Sunrise Highway, Baldwin 516-867-4041 607 E. Main St., Bay Shore 631-968-5100 79-81 Westbury Ave., Carle Place 516-747-5600 Elwood Shopping Center 1928B Jericho Turnpike, East Northport 631-462-8900 Phillips Plaza 639 Sunrise Highway, Lynbrook 516-568-1900 1506 Northern Blvd., Manhasset 516-365-4455 South Gate Shopping Center 49-34 Merrick Road, Massapequa Park 516-799-9500 Gateway Plaza 499-5 Sunrise Highway, Patchogue 631-289-4900 443 S. Oyster Bay Road, Suite B, 2nd floor, Plainview 516-681-0400 Smithtown Shopping Center 8 Miller Place, Smithtown 631-360-0422 huntingtonhelps.com Huntington Learning Center is the premier tutoring and test prep provider for kindergarten to 12th grades. Founded in 1977, its mission is to give every student the best education possible. The company prides itself on personalized attention and proven results with individualized programs taught by certified teachers at accredited centers. Areas of instruction include phonics, reading, writing, vocabulary, math, science, ACT, SAT, PSAT, high school entrance exams, and state and other standardized exams. To learn more and locate a center near you, visit huntingtonhelps.com.
LIU Post Center for Gifted Youth
Dr. Lynne Manouvrier, director LIU Post, Brookville 516-299-2160 liu.edu/giftedyouth vera.savino@liu.edu The Long Island University program for gifted children was established in 1979 in response to the increasing recognition of society’s special responsibilities for children with demonstrably superior intellectual ability. The Long Island University Center for Gifted Youth brings together two import-
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ant elements of education for the gifted: extraordinary teachers recruited from leading high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools in the metropolitan area and university-level facilities. These two factors, combined with an administrative and psychological team schooled in the needs of gifted children, give the program at LIU Post unique strengths in producing positive benefits for young people admitted to the program.
Long Island Whole Child Academy School for Twice Exceptional Learning
175 Wolf Hill Road, Melville 347-668-3676 liwholechild.org info@liwholechild.org Enrichment Classes are open to gifted, twice exceptional, and all students. Flight Team: Become familiar with flying our professional-grade flight simulator. Martial Arts: Students use their bodies and sense of self through martial arts techniques developing self-confidence, self-respect, social cognition skills, and muscle tone. The Science of Magic: Learn the science behind magic tricks and even perform your own. Makers Space: Create, plan, dig, and build using a variety of materials and tools. Readers/Writers Workshop: Geared to elicit creative and wondrous stories from even our most reluctant readers and writers.
St. Patrick Youth Community
St. Patrick Church, Smithtown 631-360-0185 stpatsyouth.com spyouth@optonline.net St. Patrick’s Youth Enrichment Center offers a kindergarten readiness program, and before- and after-school camp and care for children. Our center is a secure environment in which children can learn and grow. Children ages 2-12 will have an option for morning, afternoon, or after-school camp hours. Challenging, timely activities on-site will provide your child with what they need to be a well-rounded, thoughtful student. St. Patrick’s Youth Learning Center offers tutoring for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. SAT preparations, study skills, and Catholic High School entrance exams classes are offered.
Sylvan Learning Center of Huntington
1160 E. Jericho Turnpike, Huntington 631-424-5600 locations.sylvanlearning.com/us/huntington-ny sylvanlearning@optonline.net
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
Every child’s learning plan is unique! At Sylvan of Huntington students are posed with challenges that are tailored to their specific skill set, mixing the best in teaching and technology, ensuring your child gets just what he or she needs. Advanced topics in math, enhancing writing skills, and learning how to interact with text on a higher level are just some of our many enriching opportunities. Robotics and coding programs are also fun enrichment activities to enhance your child’s after-school routine. Our team of college-readiness experts help teens with personalized SAT and ACT test prep.
Village East Gifted - Enrichment Center for the Gifted Learner
Village East Gifted of Huntington 33 Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station 631-549-2313 Village East Gifted of Roslyn 216 Willis Ave., Roslyn Heights 631-549-2313 villageeastgifted.com info@villageeastgifted.com Village East Gifted® is a rigorous and creative academic enrichment program for gifted students ages 2-16 open seven days a week. Its CORE curriculum includes Latin, writing and grammar, geography, global studies, STEAM, mathematics, living science, SAT/ ACT vocabulary enrichment, advanced study skills, and creative problem solving. A gifted pre-K/Kindergarten program (ages 4-5) is offered during the day and after-school as well as a day program for ages 2-4. All enrolled students have placed in the 90th percentile or higher on national tests with IQ scores between 130 and 150.
Parochial Schools Catholic Elementary Schools of Long Island Diocese of Rockville Centre
Multiple locations 516-678-5800 licatholicelementaryschools.org Long Island’s Catholic elementary schools are 43 unique and beautiful schools in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Academically, the expectations of each student are high and the historical performance has been exceptional. The schools are differentiated from their public counterparts by their integrated program of learning and living the Catholic faith and values. We help instill the moral values, self-respect, and study habits that go on to serve our students well as they continue their education, and for the rest of their lives.
Holy Angels Regional School
1 Division St., Patchogue 631-475-2641 holyangelsregional.org mconnell@holyangelsregional.org Since 1923, Holy Angels Regional School has illuminated the hearts and minds of students through academic excellence and the values of the Catholic faith. Our mission is to provide each student the opportunity to grow spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically in an environment that is safe and caring. Children’s success is based on the collaboration of parents, pastors, teachers, and administration. We offer a rich curriculum with innovative special classes, after-school activities, an early childhood academic program, an advanced curriculum, and a unique campus setting. Give your children the advantage that lasts a lifetime!
Holy Family Regional School
2 Indian Head Road, Commack 631-543-0202 holyfamilyregional.com Holy Family Regional School is a regional Catholic school located in Commack. We directly connect to the parishes of St. Joseph’s, Christ the King, St. Matthew’s, and St. Thomas Moore. The school is grounded on the teachings of Jesus Christ, which permeates everything we do. Students learn in a 21st century classroom using Smart Boards, iPads, Chromebooks, and many online resources. To add to the excellent academics, students have opportunities to participate in extracurricular sports, music, and STEM clubs. Our students have participated in and won major middle school robotics competitions.
St. Isidore School
515 Marcy Ave., Riverhead 631-727-1650 sisriverhead.com St. Isidore School provides educational opportunities that instruct students to have a sense of God’s love through liturgical, intellectual, and social experiences. The pre-K through eighth grade programs teach a faithbased academic curriculum with enrichment through fine arts, Spanish language education, technology instruction, and physical education. Eighth-grade students take Regents exams in math and science. Our students are well
prepared to succeed due to the rigorous academics and character building that takes place in our faith-filled environment. Welcome Wednesday tours are available by appointment. Before- and after-school care available.
St. Mary School
16 Harrison Ave., East Islip 631-581-3423 stmaryschoolei.org For more than 100 years, St. Mary School has provided challenging academic programs rooted in the Catholic tradition for children in nursery through eighth grade. We prepare and inspire students to apply the gospel message to all areas of their lives. We encourage all to think, to question, and to analyze in order to take their place as productive, cultured, and educated Christians. We offer Early Childhood Nursery, pre-K, kindergarten through eighth grade, after-school activities, and before- and after-care. Tours are always available.
Trinity Regional School
1025 5th Ave., East Northport 631-261-5130 trinityregional.org Trinity Regional School offers half- and full-day programs in our Early Childhood Program and Full Day Kindergarten Program. Elementary first-eighth grades are offered. Our Early Childhood Program lays the foundation for a child to become a thinking, caring student. Our Elementary program teaches our students all the major subject areas and students participate in field trips, contests, and STEM activities. All students receive daily instruction in our Catholic faith. Don’t miss out. Join the Trinity Family, you will be glad you did.
Nursery through 8th grade. Before and After Care available OPEN HOUSE • Sunday, January 28th, 2018 • 9am-1pm Snow Date February 4th
Trinity Regional School
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29 Pinewood Drive, Commack 631-499-1237 bbdps.com Building Blocks Developmental Preschool is a NYS-approved provider of special education preschool services, serving Suffolk County for more than 31 years. All of our special education classes follow NYS Learning Standards for pre-
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St. Isidore School | Principal: Ms. Helen Anne Livingston 515 Marcy Ave Riverhead, NY 11901 | (631) 727-1650 | www.sisriverhead.com
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ST. MARY SCHOOL
www.facebook.com/nymetroparents 16 Harrison Avenue, East Islip, NY 11730 • 631.581.3423 • saintmaryschoolei.org
Preschools Building Blocks Developmental Preschool
1025 Fifth Avenue, East Northport, NY 11731 631-261-5130 • www.trinityregional.org
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school special education. The preschool curriculum encompasses pre-literacy activities, language development, math concepts, fine and gross motor activities, and peer socialization while incorporating each child’s specific educational plan. Individual goals are targeted through a multi-model approach to encourage success. Our staff has many years of experience in early childhood special education. Half- and full-day programs available.
Village East Gifted Enrichment Center for the Gifted Learner Kindergarten and Preschool
Village East Gifted of Huntington 33 Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station 631-549-2313 Village East Gifted of Roslyn 216 Willis Ave., Roslyn Heights 631-549-2313 villageeastgifted.com info@villageeastgifted.com The Village East Gifted® Kindergarten and Preschool implement a “100-percent academic” curriculum designed for young accelerated learners ages 2-5. The classes are small and lessons are differentiated to meet the highest level of comprehension in each class. Students are taught skills to prepare them for CORE classes (first to 11th grades) after-school which include Latin, writing and grammar, geography, global studies, SAT/ACT vocabulary, mathematics, living science, study skills, and creative problem solving. IQ scores are not required but an interview must be scheduled to determine academic readiness.
Private Schools Long Island Whole Child Academy School for Twice Exceptional Learning 175 Wolf Hill Road, Melville 347-668-3676 liwholechild.org info@liwholechild.org The Long Island Whole Child Academy, School for Twice Exceptional Learning, is the only Long Island school dedicated to serving once highly capable students who also cope with anxiety, executive functioning, social cognition, and sensory processing challenges, ADHD, and high-functioning ASD youth, who do not thrive in a traditional school setting. Our mission is to provide a cutting-edge, integrated educational experience that raises the academic bar while building social and emotional strength and resilience through individualized attention and best clinical and gifted education practices.
Sappo School
40 Kings Park Road, Commack 631-736-2146 sapposchool.com info@sapposchool.com Founded more than 20 years ago, Sappo School is one of the leading independent private schools on Long Island for students in kindergarten to 12th grades. Our students are taught using their individual strengths and interests. We offer small class sizes and a tailored approach to learning. Students learn by doing, as well as listening, reading, or watching. Real world projects allow students to develop independent thinking and problem-solving skills. This creativity is enhanced
through our STEM, music, and arts programs. We also offer College Prep and SAT Prep.
Public Schools Long Island High School for the Arts
239 Cold Spring Road, Syosset 516-622-5678 nassauboces.org/lihsa The Long Island High School for the Arts offers a free, public, halfday high school program (ninth to 12th grades) for talented young artists who are passionately exploring the world of dance, drama, filmmaking, instrumental and vocal music, theater technology, musical theater, and visual arts. We also offer the LIHSA Summer Arts Academy open to sixth to 12th grades. For more information contact us at 516622-5678, mstencel@nasboces. org, or nassauboces.org/lihsa.
Special Needs Building Blocks Developmental Preschool
29 Pinewood Drive, Commack 631-499-1237 bbdps.com Building Blocks is an early childhood learning center focusing on the education of all young children. We offer parent and child groups, nursery and preschool classes, and child care options. As a New York state-accredited special education program serving children and their families for more than 30 years, we provide services including special instruction; ABA; speech, occupational, and physical therapy; psychological services; and diagnostic services to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. We
develop skills that enable all our children to attain their highest potential while building self-esteem and independent learning.
The Hagedorn Little Village School, Jack Joel Center for Special Children
750 Hicksville Road, Seaford 516-520-6000 littlevillage.org jon.feingold@littlevillage.org The Hagedorn Little Village School is a nonprofit school highly regarded for providing outstanding educational and therapeutic services for children with a wide range of developmental disabilities. HLVS provides year-round programs and services that include diagnostic evaluations and treatment, early intervention, a preschool, an elementary school, SEIT, and related services. Services provided on-site, in homes, nursery schools, and day care centers include speech, feeding, occupational, physical, and movement therapies; behavior management or Applied Behavior Analysis; counseling; and support groups.
Huntington Learning Centers
656 Sunrise Highway, Baldwin 516-867-4041 607 E. Main St., Bay Shore 631-968-5100 79-81 Westbury Ave., Carle Place 516-747-5600 Elwood Shopping Center 1928B Jericho Turnpike, East Northport 631-462-8900 Phillips Plaza 639 Sunrise Highway, Lynbrook 516-568-1900 1506 Northern Blvd., Manhasset 516-365-4455 South Gate Shopping Center
O L D W E S T B U RY · FA R M I N G DA L E · PATC H O G U E · S O U T H A M P TO N
since 1980
WEEKLY SESSIONS 20+ sports, s.t.e.a.m. & specialty programs 516.876.3490 · fscamps.com 26
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
49-34 Merrick Road, Massapequa Park 516-799-9500 Gateway Plaza 499-5 Sunrise Highway, Patchogue 631-289-4900 443 S. Oyster Bay Road, Suite B, 2nd floor, Plainview 516-681-0400 Smithtown Shopping Center 8 Miller Place, Smithtown 631-360-0422 huntingtonhelps.com Huntington Learning Center is an accredited tutoring and test prep leader for kindergarten to 12th grades, since 1977. Huntington’s certified teachers provide individualized instruction in phonics, reading, writing, math, science, study skills, and executive functioning skills and prepare students for the SAT, ACT, and state and standardized exams. Huntington helps students at all levels achieve results by building their skills, confidence, and motivation. According to one parent: “In just four months, I have seen incredible improvements in Jessica’s grades and confidence.” To learn more about Huntington’s programs and find the center near you, please visit huntingtonhelps.com.
Long Island school dedicated to serving once highly capable students who also cope with anxiety, executive functioning, social cognition, and sensory processing challenges, ADHD, and high-functioning ASD youth, who do not thrive in a traditional school setting. Our mission is to provide a cutting-edge, integrated educational experience that raises the academic bar while building social and emotional strength and resilience
Long Island Whole Child Academy School for Twice Exceptional Learning 175 Wolf Hill Road, Melville 347-668-3676 liwholechild.org info@liwholechild.org The Long Island Whole Child Academy, School for Twice Exceptional Learning, is the only
Sappo School
40 Kings Park Road, Commack 631-736-2146 sapposchool.com info@sapposchool.com Founded more than 20 years ago, Sappo School is one of the leading independent private schools on Long Island for students kindergarten to 12th
grades. We are forerunners in the movement toward educational reform and academic excellence. For more than 20 years, Sappo School has been providing a safe and nurturing environment for students. We offer small class sizes and a tailored approach to learning. We have had proven success in working with students with anxiety, ADHD, dyslexia, and ENL students. We offer College Prep, SAT Prep, STEM, music, and arts programs.
Pediatric Immediate Care, PLLC Pediatric Urgent Care Where Kids Come First ®
www.pediatricimmediatecare.com PEDIATRIC SPECIALTY CARE Hematology Oncology Adolescence Pediatric Psychology “Over 30 Years Of Dedication To Our Patients And We Are Still Growing” CERTIFIED URGENT CARE CENTER
Law Offices of Brad H. Rosken, P.L.L.C.
534 Broadhollow Road, Suite 275, Melville 631-379-9569 specialedcounselor.com brad@specialedcounselor.com School districts consult their attorneys, why shouldn’t you? Brad H. Rosken is an experienced trial attorney. He’s also a parent of a child with special needs. He knows how far to push a school district to obtain the maximum that your child is entitled to under law. He’ll guide you, decipher lingo, and develop effective strategies. He’s also a New York state-certified impartial hearing officer who hears cases in New York City, Rockland, and Westchester counties.
through individualized attention and best clinical and gifted education practices.
by Urgent Care Association of America
Kid Friendly
Walk-Ins Welcome
Most Insurance Plans Accepted
COMPLETE PEDIATRIC & ADOLESCENT CARE • Rapid Laboratory Tests • EKG • Digital X-Ray • Ultrasonogram • IV Hydration • IM Medicine • Attention Deficit Disorder • Developmental Tests •• IVA & IMPACT Test Test
• Minor Surgeries • Splints / Casts • Allergy Injections Injections • Inhalation Therapy Therapy • Pulmonary Function Test Test • Computerized Vision Test Test • Hearing Tests Tests • CPR Classes Classes • Pharmacy Service & More More
We Speak Your Language: Certified FREE n English, Polish, Russian, io s F s L U u c S HOT & Con Spanish & Turkish ALL S HOTS ! Center CONVENIENT LOCATIONS: LINDENHURST SMITHTOWN BROOKLYN BROOKLYN 150 East Sunrise Hwy 1077 West Jericho Tpke. 698 Manhattan Ave. Ave. 631-956-PEDS 631-864-PEDS 718-389-PEDS 718-389-PEDS 27 LongIslandParent
things to do
city bound
N Y C
Kids can check out and climb aboard real sea vessels.
Welcome to the Boat Show
All aboard! The Progressive New York Boat Show at the Javits Center will please nautical novices and enthusiasts alike. The show, which originated in 1905, has boats of all sizes, from luxury motor yachts and stunning sailboats to performance boats and inflatables. Enjoy workshops and seminars, plus a touch-a-boat tour for families with working vessels from the New York Fire Department. Kids can climb aboard, chat with captains, and take pictures at the helm. Jan. 24-28, Wednesday-Friday, 12-9pm; Saturday, 10am-9pm; Sunday, 10am-6pm. Age: All. $16; free for children younger than 13. Javits Center, 625 W. 34th St., Hell’s Kitchen. nyboatshow.com.
Grammy-nominated songwriter and cartoonist Morgan Taylor will present his animated characters and sing original songs at the Gustafer Yellowgold Show at Symphony Space. Families will dig live music, hand drawn on-screen animations, and vivid storytelling featuring Gustafer—a friendly creature who came to Earth from the sun and is living an explorer’s life in a slightly psychedelic version of the Minnesota woods. Jan. 20, 11am. Age: All. $17. Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, Upper West Side. 212864-5400. symphonyspace.org.
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Gustafer and Morgan © Erin Patrice O’Brien
Sing “Strawberry Love” at the Gustafer Yellowgold Show
Catch tunes from the new album, Brighter Side, plus old favorites.
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
Courtesy New York Botanical Garden
W he hile y re ou , v ’r isit e …
New York Botanical Garden During any given season, guests young and young-at-heart can appreciate the beauty of nature at the 250-acre New York Botanical Garden. There are family programs, indoor and outdoor exhibits, and a 50-acre native forest to satisfy any nature lover. Visit it: 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx; 718-817-8700; nybg.org Can’t-miss event: Holiday Train Show through Jan. 15 Directions: Approximately a 1-hour drive from Huntington or a 20-minute train ride from Grand Central Terminal Courtesy Children’s Museum of the Arts
Courtesy Progressive Insurance New York Boat Show/Mike Sheehan
Family Fun in Manhattan
Children’s Museum of the Arts
Stop by the Children’s Museum of the Arts for family-friendly and accessible art exhibits as well as hands-on art classes for children as young as 10 months up to teens—you can also create together during Saturday Family Studios. Visit it: 103 Charlton St., Greenwich Village; 212-274-0986; cmany.org Can’t-miss event: New Year’s Eve Celebration on Dec. 31, 10am-3pm (Celebrate at 12pm!) Directions: Approximately a 1-hour drive or a 1-hour, 15-minute LIRR and subway ride from Huntington
Ideas When You Need Them:
Sign up for our FREE newsletter & never hear “I’m bored!” again. We email the top kids’ events every Thursday—just in time to make weekend plans!
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Turn the page for details on Imago Theatre: ‘La Belle’ (Family Fare) (No. 6 on our list).
JANUARY
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WANT US TO INCLUDE YOUR EVENT?
nymetroparents.com/submitevent UPDATED DAILY AT nymetroparents.com/calendar
EDITOR: KAREN DEMETER suffolkcal@davlermedia.com
CALENDAR
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Editor’s Hot Tickets
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We Can’t Believe It’s FREE!
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Show Time!
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Smarty Pants, Special Needs
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Crafty Kids, Movers & Shakers
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Mini Musicians
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Animal Lovers, 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!
1
Rubber Ducky Party
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 13, 1-2pm WHERE: The Whaling Museum & Education Center, 279 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: Take part in a ducky scavenger hunt and make ducky crafts, including your very own rubber ducky to bring home. WHY WE LOVE IT: Rubber duckies bring out the kid (and the giggles!) in all of us. WANT TO GO? $5; $12 children. 631-367-3418. cshwhalingmuseum.org.
Winter Wonderland Puzzle Room for Families
WHEN: Jan. 6-14, Saturday-Sunday, 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm WHERE: ThinkBIG! Theater Arts, 42 S. Ocean Ave., Patchogue AGES: 5-12, adult WHAT: Jack Frost has captured some grown-ups in his icy castle, and clever boys and girls must free them. WHY WE LOVE IT: Audience participation makes sure that Jack Frost’s magical enchantment is broken. WANT TO GO? $15. 631-307-4042. thinkbigtheaterarts.org.
Disney On Ice Presents ‘Reach For The Stars’
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WHEN: Jan. 11-14, Thursday-Sunday, see website for times WHERE: NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale AGES: All WHAT: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy set the stage for a star-studded talent extravaganza. Expect performances by Elsa, Anna, and Olaf from Frozen; Belle from Beauty and the Beast; Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from Tangled; and more. WHY WE LOVE IT: You never know what unforgettable feats your whole family will discover with these beloved characters. WANT TO GO? $18 and up. 516-231-4848. nycblive.com.
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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
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‘Oliver’
WHEN: Through Jan. 21: Thursday-Sunday, see website for times WHERE: Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Enjoy the award-winning musical based on Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist. WHY WE LOVE IT: You’ll be singing the songs long after the musical ends! WANT TO GO? $25; $15 for children younger than 12. 631-724-3700. smithtownpac.org.
Singer-Songwriter Night
WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 25, 7:30-10pm WHERE: The Huntington Arts Council, 213 Main St., Huntington AGES: All WHAT: Singer-songwriters of all skill levels are invited to hone their craft, sing their songs, and talk about their original music. WHY WE LOVE IT: A wonderful evening for music lovers of all ages. WANT TO GO? $5 suggested donation. 631-271-8423. huntingtonarts.org.
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Imago Theatre: ‘La Belle’ (Family Fare)
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WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 27, 4pm WHERE: Stony Brook University, Staller Center for the Arts, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Inspired by the story of Beauty and the Beast, the Imago Theatre brings elaborate puppets, actors, and a whirring ship, making the story into a Steampunk fairy tale taking place on a steamship in the 1920s. WHY WE LOVE IT: Families will love this unique version of the popular story. WANT TO GO? $20. 631-632-2787. stallercenter.com.
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Penguin-Palooza
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 27, 11am-2pm WHERE: The Whaling Museum & Education Center, 279 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor AGES: All WHAT: Touch some real penguin feathers, go on a scavenger hunt, and create lots of penguin crafts. WHY WE LOVE IT: We find penguins irresistible! WANT TO GO? $5; $15 children. 631-367-3418. cshwhalingmuseum.org.
Dr. Seuss’s ‘The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T’
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WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 27, 11am WHERE: Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Bart must save the 500 other piano students from their teacher, the evil Dr. T. WHY WE LOVE IT: This musical fantasy boasts a story, screenplay, and lyrics by Dr. Seuss. WANT TO GO? $12; free for children younger than 12. 631-4237611. cinemaartscentre.org.
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Laurie Berkner, Solo!
WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 28, 3pm WHERE: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Laurie Berkner will bring such well-loved hits as “Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz),” “Victor Vito,” “We Are The Dinosaurs,” and “Pig on Her Head” to this performance, along with songs from her recent album, Superhero. WHY WE LOVE IT: Laurie is the uncrowned queen of children’s music and the power behind the progressive “kindie rock” movement. WANT TO GO? $19.50 and up. 631-674-5300. paramountny.com.
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. New Year’s Day Hike & Lighthouse Tower Tour FREE
WHEN: Monday, Jan. 1, 10am WHERE: Fire Island Lighthouse, Robert Moses State Park parking field 5, Fire Island AGES: All WHAT: Join this guided walk around the western end of the National Seashore. Reservations required. WANT TO GO? 631-661-4876. fireislandlighthouse.com.
Boat Builders at Work FREE
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 3, 9am-12pm WHERE: Long Island Maritime Museum, 88 West Ave., West Sayville AGES: All WHAT: Meet the volunteers as they build and restore various small craft. WANT TO GO? 631-447-8679. limaritime.org.
You’re Not Here: Virtual Reality FREE
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 3, 4-5:30pm WHERE: East Hampton Library, 159 Main St., East Hampton AGES: 13-17 WHAT: Try a virtual reality experience in the Young Adult department. Register online. WANT TO GO? 631-324-0222. easthamptonlibrary.org.
View the Lights FREE
WHEN: Through Jan. 6: daily, dusk WHERE: Montauk Lighthouse, 2000 Montauk Highway, Montauk AGES: All WHAT: Come view the lights at night at the lighthouse. WANT TO GO? 631-668-5000. nysparks.com.
Long Island Cares Food Truck FREE
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 9:30-11:30am WHERE: Riverhead Free Library, 330 Court St., Riverhead AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: The Long Island Cares-Harry Chapin Food Bank will provide free, ready-to-eat breakfast items for children. WANT TO GO? 631-727-3228. riverheadlibrary.org. ›› LongIslandParent 31
SHOW TIME! The Magic of Alexo
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 6, 1pm WHERE: BayWay Arts Center Children’s Theatre, 265 E. Main St., East Islip AGES: 3 and older WHAT: This magician’s shows create a memorable experience for all. WANT TO GO? $13. 631-581-2700. broadhollow.org.
‘Pippin’
WHEN: Jan. 6-7, Saturday, 7pm; Sunday, 2pm WHERE: John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Young prince Pippin is in search of the secret to true happiness. WANT TO GO? $20 and up. 631-261-2900. engemantheater.com.
‘Bye Bye Birdie’
Theater for the Very Young: ‘The Three Little Kittens’
WHEN: Jan. 20-28, Saturday-Sunday, 11am WHERE: ThinkBIG! Theater Arts, 42 S. Ocean Ave., Patchogue AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: The Three Little Kittens have lost their mittens and don’t know where to find them. Work together with them to search for clues around the house and in the yard before Mother Dear returns home in this highly interactive theater experience. WANT TO GO? $10. 631-307-4042. thinkbigtheaterarts.org.
‘My Fair Lady’
WHEN: Jan. 13-28, Saturdays, 8pm; Sundays, 2:30pm WHERE: BayWay Arts Center, 265 E. Main St., East Islip AGES: 5 and older WHAT: The tale of a cockney flower girl transformed into an elegant lady features one of musical theater’s greatest scores. WANT TO GO? $25; $20 students; $15 for children younger than 13. 631-581-2700. broadhollow.org.
WHEN: Jan. 19-20, Friday-Saturday, 7pm WHERE: Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, 76 Main St., Westhampton Beach AGES: 5 and older WHAT: A loving send-up of 1960s small-town America, teenagers, and rock ‘n’ roll. WANT TO GO? $18. 631-288-1500. whbpac.org.
Dr. Seuss’s ‘The Cat in the Hat’
‘Goodnight Moon’ and ‘The Runaway Bunny’
Elton John and Tim Rice’s ‘Aida’
WHEN: Friday, Jan. 26, 10am and 12:30pm WHERE: Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, 76 Main St., Westhampton Beach AGES: 3-8 WHAT: The books of Margaret Wise Brown are vividly created on stage using large-scale puppets and stunning scenic effects. WANT TO GO? $12. 631-288-1500. whbpac.org.
‘Little Red Riding Hood’
WHEN: Jan. 13-27, Saturdays, 2pm; Sundays, 11:30am WHERE: BroadHollow Theatre, 265 E. Main St., East Islip AGES: All WHAT: Little Red is wondering why life isn’t more exciting, while Granny shows up in search of the Wolf. WANT TO GO? $13. 631-581-2700. broadhollow.org. 32
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
WHEN: Jan. 27-Feb. 4, Saturday, 11am; Sunday, 10:30am WHERE: John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport AGES: 3-12 WHAT: Sally and her brother know that the Cat in the Hat is the funniest, most mischievous cat that they have ever met. WANT TO GO? $15 and up. 631-261-2900. engemantheater.com. WHEN: Jan. 13-Feb. 10, Friday-Sunday, see website for times WHERE: The Noel S. Ruiz Theatre at CM Performing Arts Center, 931 Montauk Highway, Oakdale AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Aida finds her heart entangled with Radames, who is betrothed to the Pharoah’s daughter, Amneris. WANT TO GO? $18-$40. 631-218-2810. cmpac.com.
‘Rapunzel: The Untold Story!’
WHEN: Jan. 20-Feb. 24, Saturday-Sunday, see website for times WHERE: Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson AGES: 3-12 WHAT: A hilarious tale of a kindly and mixed-up witch who helps straighten out a rather confused family. WANT TO GO? $10. 631-928-9100. theatrethree.com.
SMARTY PANTS Snap Circuits FREE
WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 2, 4-5pm WHERE: East Hampton Library, 159 Main St., East Hampton AGES: 9-12 WHAT: Kids will construct circuits that will light up, sound off, and power an accessory. Call or go online to register. WANT TO GO? 631-324-0222. easthamptonlibrary.org.
Guided Tour
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 6, 2-3pm WHERE: Parrish Art Museum, 279 Montauk Highway, Watermill AGES: All WHAT: Join this docent-led tour featuring the special exhibition From Lens to Eye to Hand: Photorealism from 1969 to Today. WANT TO GO? $12; free for students and children. 631-283-2118. parrishart.org.
Heart & Seoul: Growing Up in Korea
WHEN: Through Jan. 7: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm WHERE: Long Island Children’s Museum, 11 Davis Ave., Garden City AGES: 3-12 WHAT: The growing popularity of all things Korean, from fashion and film to music and cuisine, called “Hallyu” (the Korean Wave) is on view. WANT TO GO? $13; $12 seniors; free for children younger than 1. 516224-5800. licm.org.
Bilingual Family Gallery Talk & Art Workshop
WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 7, 2pm WHERE: Parrish Art Museum, 279 Montauk Highway, Watermill AGES: All WHAT: Visitors explore art in the galleries then go to The Lynne and Richard Pasculano Studio to create projects inspired by the works on view. WANT TO GO? $12; free for students and children. 631-283-2118. parrishart.org.
Chess FREE
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 10, 6:30-7:30pm WHERE: Port Jefferson Free Library, 100 Thompson St., Port Jefferson AGES: 5-12 WHAT: A chance for beginners and more experienced chess players to develop strategies, sharpen their skills, and have fun playing. Port Jefferson Library card and registration required. WANT TO GO? 631-473-0022. portjefflibrary.org.
Bay Buddies
WHEN: Jan. 4-25, Thursdays, 9:30-10:30am WHERE: Suffolk County Marine Environmental Learning Center, 3690 Cedar Beach Road, Southold AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Children discover and learn about elements of the marine environment through sensory activities, art and science projects, stories, and more. WANT TO GO? $50; $15 per drop-in class. 631-852-8660. ccesuffolk.org.
Winter Playdate On The Farm
WHEN: Jan. 10-March 15, Wednesday-Thursday, 10:30-11:30am WHERE: Suffolk County Farm and Education Center, 350 Yaphank Ave., Yaphank AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: Activities include, free play, access to a variety of art and craft materials, sensory stations and, if weather permits, visits with the animals and a wagon ride. Call to 631 852-4600. WANT TO GO? $10; $5 siblings; free for children younger than 1. 631-852-4600. ccesuffolk.org.
SPECIAL NEEDS Art with a Partner Inclusion Workshops for Children & Young Adults
WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 7, 1-3pm WHERE: Art League of Long Island, 107 E. Deer Park Road, Dix Hills AGES: 3 and older WHAT: Using a multitude of mediums, each young person will go home with a completed craft project. WANT TO GO? $35. 631-462-5400. artleagueli.org.
‘Rapunzel: The Untold Story!’ - Sensory Sensitive Performance
WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 21, 11am WHERE: Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson AGES: 3-12 WHAT: Ever wonder what really happened in the legend of the lass with the long, long hair? Here is a hilarious tale of a kindly and mixed-up witch who helps straighten out a rather confused family. WANT TO GO? $10. 631-928-9100. theatrethree.com.
Teen Scene FREE
WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 21, 1:15-2:15pm WHERE: The Chai Center, 501 Vanderbilt Parkway, Dix Hills AGES: 13 and older WHAT: Teen of all abilities get together to hang out, socialize, and do some crafts. WANT TO GO? 631-351-8672. thechaicenter.com.
Puppy Fun FREE
WHEN: Jan. 7-28, Sundays, 1:15-2pm WHERE: The Chai Center, 501 Vanderbilt Parkway, Dix Hills AGES: 13 and older WHAT: Enjoy some fun with rescue dogs. Participants with special needs will be partnered with teen volunteers. WANT TO GO? 631-351-8672. thechaicenter.com.
Zumba For All Abilities
WHEN: Jan. 8-29, Mondays, 5:45-6:30pm WHERE: The Chai Center, 501 Vanderbilt Parkway, Dix Hills AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Participants with special needs will be partnered with teen volunteers to assist with full integration in the class. Registration required. WANT TO GO? $15. 631-351-8672. thechaicenter.com.
Special Olympics Bowling at the All Star
WHEN: Through Dec. 1: Mondays, 5pm WHERE: The All Star, 96 Main Road, Riverhead AGES: All WHAT: Bowlers with special needs are invited to bowl on the main lanes and experience the arcade with the latest games. WANT TO GO? $10 for two games. 631-998-3565. theallstar.com. ›› LongIslandParent 33
Dream Big! In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King
WHEN: Monday, Jan. 15, 2-3pm WHERE: The Whaling Museum & Education Center, 279 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Celebrate this special day and commemorate Dr. King by crafting a special “dream pillow” to take home. WANT TO GO? $12. 631-367-3418. cshwhalingmuseum.org.
Build-a-Boat Teen/Tween Drop-Off Program
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 17, 4-5pm WHERE: The Whaling Museum & Education Center, 279 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor AGES: 9-17 WHAT: Bring your imagination to create a wooden vessel with lots of “help yourself ” materials. Note: Hot glue guns will be used. WANT TO GO? $12. 631-367-3418. cshwhalingmuseum.org.
Open Studio for Families
CRAFTY KIDS Watercolor Winter Trees FREE
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 10, 6-7pm WHERE: Brentwood Public Library, 34 Second Ave., Brentwood AGES: 5-8 WHAT: Make a beautiful winter scene with watercolor paints. WANT TO GO? 631-273-7883. brentwoodnylibrary.org.
Origami Flying Discs FREE
WHEN: Friday, Jan. 12, 4pm WHERE: Westhampton Free Library, 7 Library Ave., Westhampton Beach AGES: 9-12 WHAT: Create your own flying contraption to use indoors using the art of origami. Registration required, must have a Westhampton Free Library card to participate. WANT TO GO? 631-288-3335. westhamptonlibrary.net.
Main Street Gallery Presents ‘Masters Show’ Opening Reception FREE
WHEN: Friday, Jan. 12, 6-8pm WHERE: Main Street Gallery, 213 Main St., Huntington AGES: All WHAT: Masters Show is an exhibit featuring work from artists who have received honorable mention or best in show recognition over the last year. The exhibiton will be on display through Saturday, Feb. 3. WANT TO GO? 631-271-8423. huntingtonarts.org.
Winter Owls FREE
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 13, 10:30am WHERE: Westhampton Free Library, 7 Library Ave., Westhampton Beach AGES: 5-8 WHAT: Listen to two owl stories and then create a pinecone owl to take home. Registration required. WANT TO GO? 631-288-3335. westhamptonlibrary.net. 34
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
WHEN: Jan. 13-27, Saturdays, 11am-1pm WHERE: Parrish Art Museum, 279 Montauk Highway, Watermill AGES: All WHAT: Take a tour of the galleries and create art through hands-on activities. WANT TO GO? $12; free for students and children. 631-283-2118. parrishart.org.
Intermediate Drawing and Painting with Art Teacher Amy
WHEN: Jan. 17-31, Wednesdays, 4:15-5:15pm WHERE: St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 3 Lawrence Lane, Bay Shore AGES: 9-12 WHAT: Guided instruction using oil pastels, watercolors, markers, and colored pencils. WANT TO GO? $20 per class. 206-484-7711. artteacheramy.com.
Teen Open Studio FREE
WHEN: Jan. 6-Feb. 3, Saturdays, 10am WHERE: Parrish Art Museum, 279 Montauk Highway, Watermill AGES: 13-17 WHAT: Students develop observation and mixed media techniques inspired by works on view in the museum’s galleries. WANT TO GO? 631-283-2118. parrishart.org.
Fri-Yay Art Day!
WHEN: Jan. 5-March 30, Fridays, 1pm WHERE: Nassau County Museum of Art, 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Under the guidance of Deanna DelSanto, young children and their adult companions investigate color, shape, form, and more with hands-on activities. WANT TO GO? $5 with admission: $12; $8 seniors; $4 children ages 4-12; $2 weekend parking fee. 516-484-9338. nassaumuseum.org.
MOVERS & SHAKERS Guided Tours of Decorated Mansion
WHEN: Through Jan. 2: daily, 12:30-4pm WHERE: Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport AGES: 9 and older WHAT: The mansion of William and Rosamond Vanderbilt is decorated each year by local designers and garden clubs. WANT TO GO? $7; $6 students; $3 for children younger than 12. 631854-5579. vanderbiltmuseum.org.
MINI
Scavenger Hunt FREE
WHEN: Friday, Jan. 5, 6pm WHERE: Westhampton Free Library, 7 Library Ave., Westhampton Beach AGES: 5-17 WHAT: Participants will use magnifying glasses to find items hidden throughout the library during this scavenger hunt. Snacks provided and registration required. WANT TO GO? 631-288-3335. westhamptonlibrary.net.
Winter Olympics Training Camp FREE
WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 9, 11am WHERE: Westhampton Free Library, 7 Library Ave., Westhampton Beach AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Participants get ready for the Olympic Games by warming up and taking part in some fun challenges. Registration required. WANT TO GO? 631-288-3335. westhamptonlibrary.net.
Be a Breakfast Champion
WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 11, 7-8pm WHERE: Central Islip Public Library, 33 Hawthorne Ave., Central Islip AGES: 5-17 WHAT: Participants will learn the importance of eating breakfast every day and prepare a healthy breakfast item to taste. WANT TO GO? 631-234-9333. centralisliplibrary.org.
Reiki Kids FREE
WHEN: Monday, Jan. 15, 2-3pm WHERE: Port Jefferson Free Library, 100 Thompson St., Port Jefferson AGES: 5-8 WHAT: Tiffany-Marie Giorgio leads a peaceful, fabulous workshop featuring music and exercises designed to help us find our True Happy Selves. Sign up and Port Jefferson Library Card required. WANT TO GO? 631-473-0022. portjefflibrary.org.
‘The Kingdom of Hearts’ FREE
WHEN: Jan. 8-Feb. 1, Monday, Thursday, and Friday, 6-7pm WHERE: Riverhead Free Library, 330 Court St., Riverhead AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Join in for the Children’s Room production of The Kingdom of Hearts. Each registered child receives a part in the first annual play on Friday, Feb. 2. WANT TO GO? 631-727-3228. riverheadlibrary.org.
Parents and Babies Meditation Class
WHEN: Through June 21: Thursdays, 10:30-11:30am WHERE: Kadampa Meditation Center Long Island, 282 New York Ave., Huntington AGES: 3-5, adult WHAT: Relax and enjoy guided meditations and explore some of Buddha’s practical advice with your baby. WANT TO GO? $5. 631-549-1000. meditationonlongisland.org.
Meditation for Kids
WHEN: Through July 30: Sundays, 11:30am-1pm WHERE: Kadampa Meditation Center Long Island, 282 New York Ave., Huntington AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Classes are presented in a lively, creative, and interactive way. WANT TO GO? $3. 631-549-1000. meditationonlongisland.org.
Sky Wars
WHEN: Through Dec. 26: Wednesdays, 4-9pm WHERE: Sky Zone Mount Sinai, 269 Route 25A, Mount Sinai AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Take part in epic Nerf battles on trampoline courts. WANT TO GO? $22 for a two-hour session. 631-938-1420. skyzone.com/mountsinai.
MUSICIANS Tennessee Walt’s: The Other Great American Songbook FREE
WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 7, 2-3:30pm WHERE: Brentwood Public Library, 34 Second Ave., Brentwood AGES: All WHAT: Take a tour through the history of classic country music, from 1927 to the present day. WANT TO GO? 631-273-7883. brentwoodnylibrary.org.
Fast Lane: Tribute to the Eagles + Special Salute to Tom Petty WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 13, 8pm WHERE: Suffolk Theater, 118 E. Main St., Riverhead AGES: 9 and older WHAT: The Fast Lane has gained the reputation of being the truest sounding Eagles Tribute Band in the world. WANT TO GO? $35-$39. 631-727-4343. suffolktheater.com.
The Hot Sardines
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 8pm WHERE: West Campus - Staller Center, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Music first made famous decades ago comes alive through The Hot Sardines’ brassy horn arrangements, rollicking piano melodies, and vocals. WANT TO GO? $42. 631-632-2787. stallercenter.com.
Shake ‘N Make Music FREE
WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 23, 10:30-11:15am WHERE: Brentwood Public Library, 34 Second Ave., Brentwood AGES: Newborn to 2 WHAT: Join this high-energy, fun filled music and movement program that incorporates instruments, bean bags, bubbles, and more. WANT TO GO? 631-273-7883. brentwoodnylibrary.org.
Classic Stones Live: The Glimmer Twins - Rolling Stones Tribute Band
WHEN: Friday, Jan. 26, 8pm WHERE: Suffolk Theater, 118 E. Main St., Riverhead AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Aside from a resemblance to Keith and Mick, what truly makes Classic Stones Live unique is its musical prowess, attention to detail, and the spot on renditions of all of your favorite Rolling Stones classics. WANT TO GO? $39-$45. 631-727-4343. suffolktheater.com.
Nancy Atlas Fireside Sessions
WHEN: Jan. 6-27, Saturdays, 8pm WHERE: Bay Street Theater, 1 Bay St., Sag Harbor AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Shake off the winter blues with Nancy Atlas and The Nancy Atlas Project as they heat up the stage with music. WANT TO GO? $25-$30. 631-725-9500. baystreet.org.
Drumming Classes FREE
WHEN: Jan. 17-Feb. 7, Wednesdays, 6:30pm WHERE: Westhampton Free Library, 7 Library Ave., Westhampton Beach AGES: 13 and older WHAT: Learn to play the drums and jam with drum professor David Elliot. Bring your own drum or borrow one from the library. Registration required. WANT TO GO? 631-288-3335. westhamptonlibrary.net. ›› LongIslandParent 35
THE GREAT OUTDOORS First Day Hikes FREE
WHEN: Monday, Jan. 1, 10am WHERE: Bethpage State Park, 99 Quaker Meetinghouse Road, Farmingdale AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Bethpage State Park will host a 5-mile hike, which will start at the playground in the picnic area. WANT TO GO? 516-249-3560. parks.ny.gov.
First Day Hike FREE
ANIMAL LOVERS Trout Birthday Party
WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 7, 2pm WHERE: Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor AGES: All WHAT: Celebrate the hatching of baby trout, sing “Happy Birthday,” and enjoy a slice of birthday cake with refreshments. WANT TO GO? $6; $4 children ages 3-12; free for children younger than 3. 516-692-6768. cshfha.org.
WHEN: Monday, Jan. 1, 1pm WHERE: Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, 25 Lloyd Harbor Road, Huntington AGES: All WHAT: Meet at the entrance parking lot by the flagpole for a moderate 3-mile hike. Registration required. WANT TO GO? 631-581-1072. parks.ny.gov.
First Day Hikes FREE
WHEN: Monday, Jan. 1, 1-3pm WHERE: Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Sunrise Highway, Oakdale AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Hike with a park guide to explore the changes in the forest during the winter. Binoculars recommended, registration required. WANT TO GO? 631-581-1072. parks.ny.gov.
Little Fishies: Arctic Animals
New Year’s Day Hike
Tour & Explore Open House FREE
Seal Walks
WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 11, 9-10am WHERE: The Whaling Museum and Education Center, 279 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: Explore the Arctic Ocean and discover some animal friends. Enjoy a storytime, scavenger hunt, snack, and a craft. WANT TO GO? $12; $4 additional sibling. 631-387-3418. cshwhalingmuseum.org. WHEN: Jan. 13-14, Saturday-Sunday, 12-3pm WHERE: Thomas School of Horsemanship Summer Camp and Riding Academy, 250 Round Swamp Road, Melville AGES: 3-17 WHAT: Talk a guided tour of the facility, explore camp programs, and meet some of the horses. WANT TO GO? 631-692-6840. tshcamp.com.
Art + Science
WHEN: Monday, Jan. 15, 12-1pm WHERE: Suffolk County Marine Environmental Learning Center, 3690 Cedar Beach Road, Southold AGES: 9-12 WHAT: Join this seashore safari activity in which you will get up close and personal with different marine species that call the bays home. Students will learn about the biology and behavior of these species and their importance to the local ecosystem. Register online. WANT TO GO? $12. 631-852-8660. ccesuffolk.org.
WHEN: Monday, Jan. 1, 11am WHERE: Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium, 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor AGES: All WHAT: Learn about Long Island’s winter habitats on this family-friendly walk. Registration required. WANT TO GO? $6; $4 children ages 3-12; free for children younger than 3. 516-692-6768. cshfha.org. WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 14, 10am WHERE: Cupsogue County Beach, 906 Dune Road, Westhampton Beach AGES: All WHAT: Join a walk led by the Coastal Research and Education Society to spot seals. Reservations required. WANT TO GO? $5; $3 children. 631-319-6003. cresli.org.
Seal Walks
WHEN: Jan. 1-March 31, Saturday-Sunday, see website for times WHERE: Montauk Point State Park, 2000 Montauk Highway, Montauk AGES: 5 and older WHAT: A state park naturalist will lead visitors on a leisurely 3-mile beach walk to an area where up to four species of seals can be observed. Reservations required. WANT TO GO? $4. 631-668-5000. parks.ny.gov.
Learn to Draw and Paint with Art Teacher Amy FREE
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 24, 6:30-7:30pm WHERE: Bay Shore-Brightwaters Public Library, 1 S. Country Road, Brightwaters AGES: 13-17 WHAT: Draw and paint a fox in the snow. Must be a Bay Shore-Brightwaters Public Library card holder to participate. WANT TO GO? 631-665-4350. bsbwlibrary.org. 36
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
Coming up next month: FEB. 10: Chocolate Creations at Suffolk County Farm and Education Center, Yaphank FEB. 10: Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. at Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts, Patchogue FEB. 22: Aesop’s Fables at BayWay Arts Center, East Islip
Wintry things to do
where-to guide
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Family Fun
Compiled by Samantha Neudorf
Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you and your family have to sacrifice having fun this winter! There are plenty of seasonal things to do, including skiing and snowboarding, ice-skating, visiting museums, and even going on a family day trip. Make warm memories even if it’s chilly out there. Don’t forget to bundle up!
Day Trips Stamford Museum & Nature Center 39 Scofield Town Road, Stamford, CT 203-322-1646; stamfordmuseum.org Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; Sunday, 11am-5pm Admission: $10; $8 seniors; $5 children ages 4-17; free for children 3 and younger Located on 112 acres in North Stamford, this sanctuary supports a working farm with heritage breed animals kids can visit, plus an organic vegetable garden and open pastures, nature center, and the Edith & Robert Graham Otter Pond. Find more>> winter day trips in the New York metro area at nymetroparents.com/winter-trips.
MUSEUMS
SKI AND SNOWBOARD Belleayre Mountain 181 Galli Curci Road, Highmount 845-254-5600; belleayre.com Features 51 trails, parks, and glades. Offers ski and snowboard lessons for kids ages 4-6, 7-12, and 13 and older. Round-trip bus service from NYC via Adirondack Trailways (trailwaysny.com) includes lift ticket and luggage lock-up. Rental equipment is available for all ages. There is an on-site nursery for children ages 6 months to 6 years old. Find more>> mountains in the New York metro area at nymetroparents.com/ski.
ICE-SKATING
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The Rinx 660 Terry Road, Hauppauge 631-232-3222; therinx.com Hours: Year-round: Monday-Friday, 12:30-2:30pm; TuesdayFriday, 4-5:45pm; Friday, 8:15-10:15pm (Rock & Roll Night); Saturday-Sunday, 11am-3pm. On holiday and school vacation days, call for additional public admission times. Price: weekdays: $11 ($13.50 on Friday nights); $8.50 children ages 11 and younger; $5 seniors. Weekends and school holidays: $12; $9.50 children ages 11 and younger; $6 seniors. Islip residents receive $1 off adult admission with recreation card. $6 skate rental.
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The Whaling Museum & Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor 301 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor 631-367-3418; cshwhalingmuseum.org Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 12-4pm; Saturday-Sunday, 11am-5pm Admission: $6; $5 seniors and children ages 4-18; free for children younger than 4 Explore the relationship between Long Islanders and the sea through the museum’s 6,000 objects and artifacts. Cold Spring’s current exhibits display the whaling history of the area. Highlights of the collection include New York state’s only fully equipped 19th-century whaleboat with original gear and one of the most notable scrimshaw collections in the Northeast. See ship models, explore artifacts and tools used by whalers, stand next to a sperm whale jaw, see a diorama of Cold Spring Harbor in 1850, and touch whale bones. See the website for a schedule of family workshops. Find more>> kid-friendly museums in Suffolk County at nymetroparents.com/museums.
Find more>> ice-skating rinks in Suffolk County at nymetroparents.com/ice-skating.
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Courtesy Anna Ruth Myers, RIE® Associate
family life home
This example of a fenced off “yes” space for a mobile infant or young toddler includes a small cozy corner, a firm cushion for climbing, and a variety of easy-to-find play objects such as a colander, woven basket, silicone bowls, and metal cups.
Creating a ‘Yes’ Space
››
Making part of your home into a safe-play zone will help your child’s development. And it’s easier than you think—read on for expert tips. By Katelin Walling
N
“
o, don’t touch that.” “That’s not a toy.” “Don’t do that. It’s not safe.” Sometimes it feels like we are constantly telling our kids not to do something when it comes to play time at home, whether it’s because we’re afraid of them getting hurt, are anxious they’ll misplace our keys or iPhone, or nervous they’ll break our favorite lamp (à la Brother in The Berenstain Bears and the Truth). One way some parents are combating all the ‘no’s said to young children? They’re creating a safe play environment in the home, which stems from Magda Gerber’s Educaring® approach to parenting— responding to a young child respectfully. Gerber studied under Emmi Pikler, M.D., in Hungary, learning about the Pikler approach to parenting, and brought the concept to the United States. A safe play environment is an area in the home in which a child can play without interruption and is 100-percent safe from harm. “Magda Gerber’s definition is the best way to describe it: If you got locked out of your apartment for a day, you would come back to find that your baby is physically unharmed,” says Deborah
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Carlisle Solomon, author of Baby Knows Best: Raising a Confident and Resourceful Child the RIE® Way. “The baby is obviously going to be upset, or hungry, or in need of a diaper change, but physically will have come to no harm. So there’s nothing in the environment that can cause danger.” A safe play environment is also commonly referred to as a “yes” space in an effort to counteract all of the times a child hears ‘no’ in her life. “You have a space that just says ‘yes’ to the child,” says Anna Ruth Myers, founder of The Nurtured Child, a Brooklyn-based educational facility offering RIE®-certified classes that teach parents about Educaring®, as well as how to care for children in a respectful way. “The child is able to touch everything and move freely and not be restricted by the environment. The environment doesn’t say ‘no,’ and you don’t have to say ‘no’ while the child is there.”
Benefits of a “Yes” Space
Having a safe play environment in the home gives children unfettered playtime, which has numerous developmental benefits. It gives a child time to explore the world on her own,
says Johanna Herwitz, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist, RIE® Mentor, Pikler-trained specialist, and founder of Mindful Parenting New York City. “The child gets to have a physical [and] a mental space to do her own thing, and she can play with whatever she wants to,” Dr. Herwitz says. “She gets to make choices, she gets to follow her own interests.” Infants learn through their senses, Myers adds. So having the space to explore freely—to touch things with their hands, move their bodies, and mouth toys that are safe—allows their development to naturally progress as fully as possible. A child will start to develop the ability to focus. Playing without interruption “supports the child to develop a long attention span,” Solomon says. “If a baby or toddler is frequently being interrupted, they don’t have opportunities to focus in on something for long periods of time.” It helps the child build self-confidence. By having a “yes” space, the parent begins to develop basic trust in the child’s abilities to solve problems, be interested, and learn, which gives the child space to do those things. And that’s how the child develops self-confidence, according to Dr. Herwitz. “Playing really helps a child learn how to solve problems, how to be tenacious, how to overcome challenges,” Solomon adds. “When things are difficult, they keep on going and see if they can figure it out. And all of those skills are going to be useful to them when they go to school.” A child is more likely to cooperate outside of the “yes” space. When a child is given room to do the things he wants to within reason and make his own decisions, his autonomy is satisfied. “I think that when that autonomy is satisfied, then the child is more likely to cooperate and to go along with things that may or may not be his first choice,” Dr. Herwitz says. A “yes” space also benefits parents: It allows them to relax knowing they can use the bathroom, answer the door, or make a meal without worrying about the safety of their child. “I find that when I’m with children and we’re in a safe space and I’m observing them or just being with them, it feels so much more comfortable for me than if a child is in a space where the outlet isn’t covered or if there’s something on the table [they shouldn’t play with]…my attention is [on] thinking about those things, [so] that I can’t fully enjoy being with a baby like I can in a safe space,” Myers says.
How to Create a “Yes” Space
The Space The most important aspect of a safe play environment is it needs to be gated off in some way, according to Myers. “In order to make a space one hundred-percent safe, [it needs] to have a way that you can close it off from the rest of the environment, but know that your child can be safely in that space and not risk coming out of it when you aren’t expecting,” she says. A pack and play is enough space for an infant until she begins rolling over and needing more space for movement, while a “fenced in” area of a family room or a separate room with baby gates will work for crawlers and toddlers. “Over the years, I’ve found that parents are sometimes resistant to this because they don’t like the look of gates or they feel like it’s imprisoning their child,” Solomon says. She recalls a time a friend called for advice. “Her son was always at her feet crawling after her, and she said, ‘I’m afraid I’m going to step on him. I give him the run of the whole house, why does he always have to be with me?’,” Solomon says. She replied that the whole house was overwhelming to the child and he didn’t feel secure. She advised her friend put up a gate or corral, put a few toys in the enclosed area, and spend some
time with the child in the enclosure to endear him to the space. “And so she did, and it made a big difference for both of them. Some parents don’t understand that what looks like a prison to us, to the child provides a sense of security,” Solomon says. Dr. Herwitz adds that ideally the enclosed space should be in an area where the child can hear and see what’s going on around her so she doesn’t feel isolated from the rest of the house, and where the parent can easily hear and see what’s going on with the child. The enclosed area should also be clean, there shouldn’t be furniture the child can climb or standing lamps that could fall over, and if there are low shelves in the area that they are bolted to the wall. Solomon also suggests parents crawl around on the ground to look at the space from the child’s point of view to see if there is any potential danger. The Toys In terms of play objects to have in the space, Gerber taught that passive toys make for active babies. When a toy lights up and makes sounds, the child doesn’t have to do much to play with it, but when a play object is open-ended (aka passive), the child uses his imagination to activate it. Keep in mind that some play objects might not be obvious to adults. Solomon, for example, had a basket of caps from glass milk bottles in a class. “One toddler picked up two of them, put one on each ear, and was wandering around the room for twenty minutes pretending they were a headset and he was Buzz Lightyear,” she says. “When he was done with them, another child picked one up and she used it as a cup, pretending to drink. That’s what I mean about the toys being open-ended.” For 2- to 3-month-olds, the first plaything is their hands. After they’ve discovered their hands, infants are ready for soft play objects, such as a soft cotton napkin, a little silicone bowl, a soft ball, and other soft objects that are easy to grasp and not too heavy, as the child is still integrating her reflexes and might accidentally hit herself with the object. As the child gets older, more objects should be introduced into the environment. “Some of them might be soft, some might be a little more firm, but then there are also things in the child’s environment that don’t change shape or properties, if that makes sense,” Myers says. “So you might have little silicone bowls, but then you would also maybe have a little wooden pinch bowl, or maybe a little metal condiment bowl. You would have objects that repeat on the same concept but are different materials and have different properties so the child can see how their actions change or don’t change with materials.” Myers suggests some materials stay the same as the child gets older because he’ll play with them in an increasingly sophisticated way, while also introducing new, more advanced objects. Dr. Herwitz recommends play objects have a balance between dramatic play (dolls and items that can be used for dress up), fine motor skills (baskets and bags into which objects can be sorted), and gross motor skills (things that are safe for toddlers to climb on). The Play Time The best time to put a child in the safe play environment is when she is well-rested, fed, clean, has all her basic needs met, and has had some time with the parents. Time spent in the space should also increase with age, according to Dr. Herwitz, as an infant won’t be able to play on his own for as long as a toddler could. While ideally your child would have a “yes” space from infancy through the time she has learned the limits and rules of the home environment as a whole, Myers says it’s never too late to create a “yes” space for a young child. LongIslandParent 39
family life food & nutrition
Food and Drink Hacks for Parents
Four handy tips to make mealtime with kids easier
G
etting your kid to put her toys away. Convincing your toddler to stay in his big-kid bed when it’s time to go to sleep. Figuring out what’s causing the meltdown in the grocery store and fixing the problem. There are a lot of situations with raising kids that can be a struggle, but one thing that doesn’t have to be? Meal and snack time—at least not with these practical hints for parents. From mess-free ways to enjoy yogurt and juice boxes to tricks to get your kids to eat most, if not all, of their food, mealtime just got a little bit easier thanks to this dad of two.
Excerpted from LIFE HACKS FOR PARENTS by Dan Marshall. Copyright © 2017. Reprinted by permission of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
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family life finances
Choosing a Guardian for Your Child
››
Take these steps to make sure your child is always cared for, now and in the future. By Samantha Neudorf
A
s a loving parent, you want your child to be well cared for at all times. Though we don’t like to dwell on it, that means asking yourself some tough questions. What if you and your partner pass away or become incapacitated while your child still a minor? Or if your child has special needs or a mental illness, and can’t manage his affairs even as an adult? That’s why appointing a legal guardian is so crucial: It ensures that a child is in good hands for as long as he needs supervision, whether that’s temporarily or indefinitely. Guardianship falls into three categories in New York state: guardianship of a child who may lose both parents, guardianship of a child with special needs after he turns 18, and guardianship of an incapacitated adult. Here’s what you need to know about each type.
Minor Considerations
Ideally, as soon as a couple learns they’re pregnant, they should see an attorney. She can help them draft a will that specifies how their assets will be distributed in the event of their death, as well as who 42
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
will be the guardian of their child until his 18th birthday. If you didn’t already take this step it’s not too late, but it’s still a good idea to do this as soon as possible. Jules Haas, an attorney who specializes in estate planning, says parents usually nominate a close relative to be their child’s guardian. It could be an aunt, uncle, grandparent, or other relation—someone who would have the child’s best interests in mind. If you have few relatives, or aren’t close with them, you might ask a good friend to assume the guardianship role instead. “There’s a lot that needs to be considered through your will,” Haas says. “The most important thing is that it’s better to figure it out and put something in writing than leave it up to the laws of the state of New York.” If you leave no directions, the state will pick a guardian for your child—and it may not be the person you would have preferred. Once both parents are deceased, the nominated guardian needs to fill out an application to Surrogate’s Court. After it is approved, the individual becomes the legal guardian of the minor child. This process can take a few months, as the court reviews the documents.
In certain scenarios, complications can arise—say, if your nominated guardian has a prior conviction that may disqualify her from court approval, or if family members fight for custody. Fortunately, problems like these are uncommon.
Special Needs, Special Arrangements
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More often than not, the YearHappy from Robotics and Coding. Sylvan Reading, Writing, Math, SAT/ACT Prep, Year from New in Reading, Writing, Math, SAT/ACT Year from Prep, Robotics and Coding. Sylvan application is approved and the child’s biological parents are Sylvan! offers flexible scheduling and Robotics andscheduling Coding. Sylvan offers flexible Sylvan! Sylvan! offers flexible and from Prep, Robotics and Coding. Sylvan Enjoy aYear FREE awarded guardianship. ACE THE NEXT delivered REPORT CARD WITH SYLVAN personalized instruction by scheduling and personalized instruction Enjoy Enjoy aaFREE FREE personalized instruction delivered by Sylvan! Academic offers flexible scheduling and Andrew Cohen, Esq., an attorney with offices on Long Island NYS Certified Teachers. AtSylvan SylvanAtwe we Academic delivered by NYS CertifiedAt Teachers. NYS Certified Academic We know academicTeachers. results are important to you. Sylvan students Assessment. help students catch up,catch keep up and and in Manhattan who specializes in estate planning, special needs typically see two to catch three timesup, more growth inup, their math and Assessment. SaveEnjoy 50% off a a FREE Sylvan we help students keep up byAssessment. personalized instruction delivered help students keep up and reading scores than if they hadn't come to Sylvan*. What's more, diagnostic get ahead! law, and guardianship, says parents can file for guardianship Offer valid at get ahead! and get ahead! the teachers at Sylvan work extra hard to At ensureSylvan that your child we Academic NYS Certified Teachers. assessment when Sylvan of Huntington only. starts not only doing better in school, but feeling better about under Article 17-A themselves, though they can hire legal Expires 1/31/18 you call today! school as well. At Sylvan, confidence is key! 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Jericho Turnpike, Huntington, Act now to take control of Jericho this school year. 1160 Turnpike, Huntington,NY NY11743 11743 autism spectrum automatically presume, because their child is 631-424-5600 nonverbal or really cannot advocate for himself, that they would Sylvan ofit'stoo Huntington Sylvan Don't Don'twait waituntil untilit's toolate. late.Start Startnow. now. be able to continue to make decisions [for their child] into Sylvan of Huntington SYLVANLEARNING.COM SYLVANLEARNING.COM adulthood,” Cohen says. “But the reality is they’re not granted 1160 E. Jericho Turnpike, Huntington, NY 11743 that automatic authority.” 1160 Jericho Turnpike, Huntington, NY 11743 *See the complete Sylvan Field Research Results at SylvanResearchInstitute.com. Article 17-A Guardianship can become complicated if SYLVANLEARNING.COM parents have separated or divorced. In this instance, they Don't wait until it's too late. Start now. must decide if they will both become legal guardians, or SYLVANLEARNING.COM if one parent will be the primary guardian and the other a secondary decider. “These are things that all have to be taken into consideration when parents have the best interest of their Long Island Speech child in their hearts, but don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye on their child’s care,” Cohen says. & Myofunctional Therapy Of course, parents themselves may not be able to oversee their 1-844-5-SPEECH www.LIspeech.com adult child’s care for his entire lifetime. If there are no relatives or friends who can succeed them in the role, parents may appoint a nonprofit organization to be their child’s guardian. The Licensed Speech Pathologists & Myofunctional Therapists arrangement, called a corporate guardianship, would be specified Specializing in the Treatment and Correction of: in the parents’ will and would have to be approved by a court • Language Disorders • Memory & Auditory Processing Difficulties • Fluency • guardianship proceeding. • Voice Disorders • Motor Planning Disorders • Deviate Swallowing • Tongue Thrust •
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Appointing a Guardian for an Adult
A final type of guardianship, Article 81 guardianship, applies to an incapacitated adult who needs help taking care of personal and/ or financial needs under the Mental Hygiene Law. To qualify as incapacitated, the person’s cognitive function must inhibit him from making sound decisions. While in elderly people this may be due to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, in younger people the cause may be other mental illnesses, substance or alcohol abuse, or certain medications. If your child turns 18 and she has a mental illness, you can apply to be her guardian to help make decisions on her behalf. This type of guardianship needs to be applied for in Supreme Court. Article 81 guardianship can be fairly expensive and timeconsuming to attain, but it’s worth it, says Cohen. “The guardian would be appointed with certain powers vested by the court that will properly protect that person from doing harm to themselves or others,” he says.
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Professional services
Your local guide to tutors, teachers, lawyers, financial planners, and other professionals. DENTISTS & DENTAL PROVIDERS CUMMINGS FAMILY DENTAL 42 High St., Huntington 631-425-1650 cummingsfamilydentistry.com cummingsfamilydentistry@aol.com At Cummings Family Dentistry, we believe a dentist and patient become a team. We spend time listening to understand your concerns and responding with the best treatment options for you. ISLAND ORTHODONTICS: HORIZON ORTHODONTICS DR. SCOTT FRIEDMAN 1150 Portion Road No. 13, Holtsville 631-698-2424 Find us on Facebook: @horizonorthodontics Our practice’s top priority is to provide you the highest quality orthodontic care in a friendly, comfortable environment. We utilize the latest technological advances in the industry, such as invisible ceramic braces and Invisalign®, along with the latest in computer technology. PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY OF SUFFOLK COUNTY: DR. MIKE IOANNOU 2171 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 145, Commack 631-486-6364 3237 Route 112, Building 6, Suite 7B, Medford 631-320-0880 supermolar.com mikeioannou@hotmail.com Dr. Michael Ioannou, a native of Suffolk County, strives to make visiting the dentist a fun experience, all while providing exceptional dental care. He uses excellent behavioral management approaches, a child-friendly environment (TV and cartoons in all treatment rooms), and he sings to the patients! SUFFOLK PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY 8 Medical Drive, Port Jefferson Station 631-928-8585 6144 Route 25 A, Suite D20, Wading River 631-929-7575 750 Roanoke Ave., Riverhead 631-727-8585 suffolkpediatricdentistry.com infoportjeff@suffolkpediatricdentistry.com 44
For 40 years, we have provided dental care that’s friendly, gentle, and compassionate. We provide preventive and comprehensive treatment for infants, children, and adolescents including sedation and general anesthesia dentistry. We strive to help our patients develop good oral hygiene habits and beautiful healthy smiles. DOCTORS & MEDICAL PROVIDERS LLONG 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 Suffolk: 631-689-6858 • Nassau: 516216-1791 • Queens: 718-640-6767 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. PEDIATRIC IMMEDIATE CARE 150 E. Sunrise Highway, Suite 105, North Lindenhurst 631-956-PEDS (7337) 1077 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown 631-864-PEDS (7337) 698 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn 718-389-PEDS (7337) pediatricimmediatecare.com Pediatric Immediate Care is a team of hearts where kids come first. State-ofthe-art medical office equipment allows us to deliver your test results during your visit. Kid-friendly; walk-ins welcome; most insurance plans accepted. RMG SPEECH PATHOLOGY RACHEAL MCINNES, M.A., C.C.C.S.L.P., SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST 775 Park Ave., Suite 255-4, Huntington 631-372-4142 rmgtherapy.com Racheal Gardega McInnes, speech-lan-
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
guage pathologist, is founder of RMG Speech Pathology. Treatment areas include expressive/receptive language disorders, articulation disorders, fluency, voice disorders, auditory processing disorders, and feeding and swallowing disorders. FINANCIAL PLANNING & INSURANCE NEW YORK LIFE ALISON HACKETT 516-864-3576 facebook.com/alisonhackettnyl ahackett@ft.newyorklife.com As your local New York Life agent, I will work with you to identify your goals and customize the best products in college funding, retirement planning, mortgage protection, life insurance, and long-term care insurance. Protect what matters most. FOOD & NUTRITION THE FOOD WIZARD FOR KIDS Serving all of Long Island 631-606-2680 thefoodwizardforkids.com info@thefoodwizardforkids.com Making food and nutrition fun for the whole family. Available for speaking engagements. Also provides workshops for kids, family night dinners, and healthy weight counseling. LEGAL SERVICES LAW OFFICES OF ANDREW COHEN 250 W. 57th St., Suite 1216, Manhattan 212-244-0595 1100 Franklin Ave., Suite 305, Garden City 516-877-0595 amcohenlaw.com ac@amcohenlaw.com The Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen can help you achieve your objectives through careful special needs legal planning, regardless of the size of your estate. All clients are provided with high quality service at a reasonable cost. LAW OFFICES OF BRAD H. ROSKEN, P.L.L.C. 534 Broadhollow Road, Suite 275, Melville 631-379-9569 specialedcounselor.com
brad@specialedcounselor.com Brad H. Rosken is an experienced trial attorney. He’s also a parent of a child with special needs. He knows how far to push a school district to obtain the maximum that your child is entitled to under law. LICE FAIRY LICEMOTHERS 2463 S. Long Beach Road, Oceanside 866-561-0492 1755 Deer Park Ave., Deer Park 866-561-0492 679 Glen Cove Ave., Glen Head 866-561-0492 fairylicemothers.com fairylicemothers@gmail.com Our treatment centers are kid-friendly and our products are 100-percent non-toxic. Treatments include two free re-checks. Whether or not you use our service, we are here to help you. SPECIAL NEEDS ALTERNATIVES FOR CHILDREN 1116 Main Road, Aquebogue 631-722-2170 600 S. Service Road, Dix Hills 631-271-0777 14 Research Way, East Setauket 631-331-6400 168 Hill St., Southampton 631-283-3272 alternatives4children.org Licensed day care, EI/Preschool Special Education evaluations provider for eligible children. Early childhood professionals create a natural learning environment, promoting a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development. DR. ELLEN T RICHER, EDUCATION CLINICIAN & COUNSELOR Convenient Long Island locations 347-668-3676 etrdream@aol.com We co-develop strategies to improve executive functioning, sensory processing, and social cognition challenges, and provide enrichment opportunities to engage and motivate highly capable yet underachieving children.
LAW OFFICES OF ANDREW COHEN 250 W. 57th St., Suite 1216, Manhattan 212-244-0595 1100 Franklin Ave., Suite 305, Garden City 516-877-0595 amcohenlaw.com ac@amcohenlaw.com The Law Offices of Andrew M. Cohen can help you achieve your objectives through careful special needs legal planning, regardless of the size of your estate. All clients are provided with high quality service at a reasonable cost. LAW OFFICES OF BRAD H. ROSKEN, P.L.L.C. 534 Broadhollow Road, Suite 275, Melville 631-379-9569 specialedcounselor.com brad@specialedcounselor.com Brad H. Rosken is an experienced trial attorney. He’s also a parent of a child with special needs. He knows how far to push a school district to obtain the maximum that your child is entitled to under law. 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 Suffolk: 631-689-6858 • Nassau: 516216-1791 • Queens: 718-640-6767 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. RMG SPEECH PATHOLOGY RACHEAL MCINNES, M.A., C.C.C.S.L.P., SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST 775 Park Ave., Suite 255-4, Huntington 631-372-4142 rmgtherapy.com Racheal Gardega McInnes, speech-language pathologist, is founder of RMG Speech Pathology. Treatment areas include expressive/receptive language disorders, articulation disorders, fluency, voice disorders, auditory processing disorders, and feeding and swallowing disorders. THERAPY & COUNSELORS DR. ELLEN T RICHER, EDUCATION CLINICIAN & COUNSELOR Convenient Long Island locations
347-668-3676 etrdream@aol.com We co-develop strategies to improve executive functioning, sensory processing, and social cognition challenges, and provide enrichment opportunities to engage and motivate highly capable yet underachieving children. TUTORS & TEST PREP ST. PATRICK YOUTH COMMUNITY: ST. PATRICK TUTORING CENTER St. Patrick Church, Smithtown 631-724-1261 stpatsyouth.com spyouth@optonline.net St. Patrick Tutoring Center is here to assist your learner from kindergarten to 12th grades with Catholic Entrance Exam Prep, SAT, Regents, or daily schoolwork. ST. PATRICK YOUTH COMMUNITY: YOUTH ENRICHMENT LEARNING CENTER St. Patrick Church, Smithtown 631-724-1261 stpatsyouth.com spyouth@optonline.net St. Patrick Youth Enrichment and Learning Center provides programs for your child ages 1½ years to sixth grade. A faith-based program offers a loving, caring environment. SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER OF HUNTINGTON 1160 E. Jericho Turnpike, Huntington 631-424-5600 sylvanlearning.com sylvanlearning@optonline.net Sylvan of Huntington offers personalized tutoring programs in reading, writing, mathematics, and SAT/ACT prep. Sylvan will help identify the right program for your child and exactly where your child needs to start to get the best results. VILLAGE EAST GIFTED ENRICHMENT CENTER FOR THE GIFTED LEARNER Village East Gifted of Huntington 33 Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station 631-549-2313 Village East Gifted of Roslyn 216 Willis Ave., Roslyn Heights 631-549-2313 villageeastgifted.com info@villageeastgifted.com Village East Gifted provides after-school enrichment and private tutoring. Enriching every qualified, gifted child. We are also a John Hopkins CTY info and SAT testing center.
School Districts Consult Attorneys. Why Shouldn’t You?
School Districts ask their attorneys what is the minimum amount of services the law requires them to provide to special education students. Why shouldn’t you ask your attorney what are the maximum amount of services the law requires the School District to provide? Going for your child’s first Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and don’t know what to expect? I can give you the answers to those questions and many more. As your attorney, I solve problems.
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PartyCentral PARTY ENTERTAINMENT A COUPLE OF PUPPETS THEATRE 631-276-1014 acoupleofpuppets.com acoupleofpuppets@gmail.com Entertain your party guests with a Little Red Riding Hood puppet show! The show is 30 minutes and most appropriate for ages 2-7. We travel to your home or venue. THE FOOD WIZARD FOR KIDS Serving all of Long Island 631-606-2680 thefoodwizardforkids.com info@thefoodwizardforkids.com Try a healthy twist on birthday parties! The Food Wizard for Kids provides birthday party workshops for younger children. Kids discover new foods through fun activities, including taste tests and art projects. MAD SCIENCE OF LONG ISLAND Call for locations throughout Long Island: 855-264-1672 madscienceli.com info@madscienceli.com A Mad Scientist brings all the necessary equipment to you. Party packages include invitations and a takehome activity each child makes. Optional grand finales include Bubbling Potions, Rockets, and Cotton Candy. 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 30,000 square feet of fun ranging from 92 arcade games, inflatables, and bumper cars, to a roller coaster, a carousel, disco room, and laser tag! BOUNCEU FARMINGDALE 101 Carolyn Blvd., Farmingdale 631-777-JUMP (5867) bounceu.com/cities/farmingdale.ny farmingdale.ny@bounceu.com BounceU Farmingdale was voted “Best of Long Island” for Children’s Party Place and Family Amusement Center. We provide the ideal combination of inflatable structures, a clean environment, incredible customer service, and non-stop excitement in a private party atmosphere. CELEBRATIONS IN THE KITCHEN 63 E. Old Country Road, Hicksville 516-396-2193 celebrationsinthekitchen.com celebrationsinthekitchen@gmail.com 46
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. COLD SPRING HARBOR FISH HATCHERY & AQUARIUM 1660 Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor 516-692-6768 cshfha.org steved@cshfha.org Celebrate your child’s next birthday at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium! See the hatchery and aquarium’s exciting live exhibits. Feed the hungry trout, and learn about fish, reptiles, and amphibians with an up-close animal encounter. HUNTINGTON CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS 310 New York Ave., Huntington 631-271-4626 huntingtoncenteronline.com huntingtoncenter@yahoo.com Make your child’s birthday a memorable and creative event with our dance-themed birthday parties. As a special treat, a guest artist will come in costume to perform for your guests! KEY TO MY ART INC. 10 W. Oak St., Amityville 631-608-9048 keytomyart.com At Key to My Art, our children’s paint parties include all supplies from aprons to easels. The guest of honor picks the theme, we provide the instruction, and each guest leaves with a finished painting! LONG ISLAND AQUARIUM & EXHIBITION CENTER 431 E. Main St., Riverhead 631-208-9200 xH2O (426), 631-208-9200 x186 longislandaquarium.com Have an Aquatic Birthday Party at the Long Island Aquarium! Take a private tour of the aquarium, and receive preferential treatment at our Simulator and Discovery Tower rides and special seating at our Sea Lion Show! MY GYM CHILDREN’S FITNESS CENTER 1320 Stony Brook Road, Stony Brook 631-751-KIDS (5437) mgym.com/stonybrook 128 W. Jericho Turnpike, Huntington Station 631-427-GYMS (4967) mygym.com/huntingtonstation My Gym parties include exclusive use of the gym, including a zip line, rock wall, trampoline, trapeze, climbing structures, and slides. Instructors lead your guests through action-packed activities of your choice from Gazillion Bubbles to sports, with multiple theme options.
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
Your local guide to entertainers, party places, activities, and other resources. NOT JUST ART 183 South St., Oyster Bay 516-922-8300 notjustart.com create@notjust art.com Not Just Art has oodles of excellent music, art, and science parties for ages 1-12 and beyond. Choose from our treasury of super imaginative projects or use favorite themes and activities as a creative springboard. PICASSO KIDZ, CREATIVE ART STUDIO FOR CHILDREN 72 Broadway, Greenlawn 631-261-5500 picassokidz.com picassokidzart@gmail.com Picasso Kidz puts the “ART” in pARTy! Birthdays at Picasso Kidz are truly unique and memorable. We have many packages and options to choose from for ages 2-17. SAFARI ADVENTURE 1074 Pulaski St., Riverhead 631-727-4386 thesafariadventure.com dan@thesafariadventure.com Safari Adventure is Long’s Island’s premier family fun center and birthday party place. Fun for the whole family with inflatables, four-level soft playground, arcade, interactive floor games, and a full café! SOUTH SHORE RECREATION 1132 Penatiquit Ave. 631-860-3126 southshorerecreation.com Kids are going gaga for the hottest new party on Long Island! Party at our location or we can come to you! Our fantastic coaches will run the Gaga games, so you can host the best party you’ve ever had! THE VILLAGE ARTIST 630 New York Ave., Huntington 631-271-0715 thevillageartist.com lori@thevillageartist.com Create art for your next birthday party! The Village Artist Fine Arts Center is proud to host your next birthday party. Enjoy a fun and creative time with your family and friends, including an art project of your choice. WHAT’S COOKING? 30 E. Main St., Oyster Bay 516-922-COOK (2665) whatscookingny.com info@whatscookingny.com Martha Stewart, Newsday, and News 12 boast What’s Cooking? is a No. 1 Choice Birthday Party Place where children can explore their creativity in culinary arts. Funtastic cookie, cupcake, Cupcake Wars, chocolate, or pizza party can be customized in our spacious party room making your party memorable!
Meet the
Health Care
Professional
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 Nassau: 516-216-1791 • Suffolk: 631-689-6858 • Queens: 718-640-6767 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.
Pediatric Dentistry of Suffolk County Dr. Mike Ioannou 2171 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 145, Commack 631-486-6364 3237 Route 112, Building 6, Suite 7B, Medford 631-320-0880; supermolar.com
Dr. Michael Ioannou, a native of Suffolk County, received his dental degree at the University of Connecticut - School of Dental Medicine, with a residency in pediatric dentistry from Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center. A friendly, patient dentist, Dr. Ioannou strives to make visiting the dentist a fun experience, all while providing exceptional dental care. He uses excellent behavioral management approaches, a child-friendly environment (TV and cartoons in all treatment rooms), and he sings to the patients! Dr. Ioannou currently participates with most insurance companies and has convenient evening and Saturday office hours.
Building Blocks Developmental Preschool 29 Pinewood Drive, Commack 631-499-1237; bbdps.com
Donna M. Charbonneau is the executive director of Building Blocks Developmental Preschool. BBDPS offers a range of programs and services to children from infancy through age 5. Currently staffed with more than 100 teachers, therapists, and paraprofessionals, including registered nurses as well as psychologists, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, a physical therapist, and a developmental pediatrician. Early Intervention services are provided for children younger than 3, who have developmental delays. Building Blocks Developmental Preschool continues to ensure delivery of the highest quality educational services to all students.
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.
Pediatric Immediate Care 150 E. Sunrise Highway, Suite 105, North Lindenhurst 631-956-PEDS (7337) 1077 W. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown 631-864-PEDS (7337) 698 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn 718-389-PEDS (7337); pediatricimmediatecare.com
Pediatric Immediate Care is a team of hearts where kids come first. State-of-the-art medical office equipment allows us to deliver your test results during your visit. Kidfriendly; walk-ins welcome; most insurance plans accepted. Complete pediatric and adolescent care, as well as baby, camp, school, and sports physicals. Certified urgent care recommended by Urgent Care Association of America. Thirty years of dedication to our patients. The offices are open seven days a week including holidays, 8am-11pm.
Meet your local New York Life Agent Plan for your family’s future today. We focus on your goals and needs. Specializing in:
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) helps childcare providers pay for healthy meals and snacks. Visit ChildcareMealsNY.org to learn more.
SMRU 1759642 Exp. 12-20-19
Well-nourished kids are ready to learn, grow, and play!
• • • • •
College Funding Retirement Planning Mortgage Protection Life Insurance Long Term Care Insurance
Call or Email Me Today…. Alison Hackett | 516-864-3576 ahackett@ft.newyorklife.com
LongIslandParent 47
Meet the
Director Young People’s Day Camps Suffolk
631-476-3330 ypdc.com As the director of YPDC of Suffolk, Mike Davidson has been involved with camping for more than 30 years. Davidson is retired from the NYC Board of Education, where he had a long career as a teacher and administrator. As camp director, Davidson is involved in the day-to-day operations of the camp. During the off-season, he devotes a great deal of time to planning and programming a dynamic calendar of events for the upcoming camp season. Davidson resides in Saint James, and spends time with his five grandchildren.
RMG Speech Pathology Racheal McInnes, M.A. CCC-SLP
Licensed Speech Pathologists Specializing in Evalua�on and Treatment of:
Language Disorders • Auditory/Memory Processing Difficul�es Evalua�on and Treatment of Swallowing & Feeding Disorders Motor Planning Disorders • Voice Disorders • Fluency/Stu�ering Disorders Ar�cula�on Disorders • Diagnos�c Tes�ng to Substan�ate Needs Contact Us: 631-372-4142 • www.rmgtherapy.com 775 Park Ave. Atrium Suite 255-4, Hun�ngton, NY 11743
Want to know the best
activities for families? Subscribe to our family activity
email newsletter NYMETROPARENTS.COM/REGISTER 48
January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
OPENHOUSES 2017 Future Stars Summer Camps
The College at Old Westbury, Old Westbury 516-876-3490 Farmingdale State College 2350 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale St. Joseph’s College 155 West Roe Blvd., Patchogue fscamps.com Stop by Future Stars Summer Camps Open House Weekend Feb. 3-4 from 10am-12pm to view the facilities and meet the staff.
The Gateway Performing Arts Center of Suffolk County The Gateway School for the Performing Arts
215 S. Country Road, Bellport 631-286-1133 631-286-0555 x5000 thegateway.org Join us for an open house on Jan. 14. Meet the professional instructors, learn about classes, and tour the campus.
Holy Angels Regional School
1 Division St., Patchogue 631-475-2641 holyangelsregional.org mconnell@holyangelsregional.org Our open house is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 28 from 1:303:30pm. Come visit our school and give your children the advantage that lasts a lifetime!
Holy Family Regional School
2 Indian Head Road, Commack 631-543-0202 holyfamilyregional.com You are invited to be a part of our family. Join us for an open house on Sunday, Jan. 28 from 10:30am-2pm.
Long Island High School for the Arts 239 Cold Spring Road, Syosset 516-622-5678 nassauboces.org/lihsa Nassau BOCES Long Island High School for the Arts invites all students with artistic talent, passion, and ambitions to an open house on Friday, Feb. 3, 10am-2pm.
Sappo School
40 Kings Park Road, Commack 631-736-2146 sapposchool.com info@sapposchool.com In January, join Sappo School for our open house; call 631-7362146 for details. Learn about our school and the expansion of our program to include additional opportunities for our students.
St. Mary School
16 Harrison Ave., East Islip 631-581-3423 stmaryschoolei.org Visit our Curriculum Expo and open house, Saturday, Jan. 27 from 9-11:30am.
Trinity Regional School
1025 5th Ave., East Northport 631-261-5130 trinityregional.org Join us for an open house Sunday, Jan. 28 from 9am–1pm (snow date Feb. 4), and every Wednesday beginning Jan. 31 from 9-11am. Join the Trinity family; you will be glad that you did.
Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts
185 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights 631-643-7900 usdan.com Join Usdan for an open house Sunday, Jan. 21. The campus is yours to visit and explore. Reservations required at usdan.org/ visit. Receive $100 off new student tuition with promo code Suffolk.
Village East Gifted - Enrichment Center for the Gifted Learner
Village East Gifted of Huntington 33 Walt Whitman Road, Huntington Station 631-549-2313 Village East Gifted of Roslyn 216 Willis Ave., Roslyn Heights 631-549-2313 villageeastgifted.com info@villageeastgifted.com VEG Academic Enrichment Program, where Gifted and Talented students ages 2-16 are inspired to explore, create, and excel. Call 631-549-2313 to schedule a personal tour, information session, and free trial class.
raising kids ad index
NYMetroParents.com features more than 20,000 businesses serving the NY metropolitan area! birthday / party services
LIU Center for Gifted Youth........................................... 41
Holy Family Regional..................................................... 20
BounceU - Farmingdale................................................ 41
Long Island Whole Child Academy................................ 19
St. Isidore Catholic Elementary School......................... 25
Goldfish Swim School ..................................................... 7
Nassau Boces Educational Foundation......................... 20
St. Mary School............................................................. 25
Sappo School................................................................ 14
Trinity Regional School.................................................. 25
camps Camp Huntington........................................................... 41 Future Stars - Old Westbury.......................................... 26 LIU Center for Gifted Youth........................................... 41 St. Patrick Youth Community......................................... 41
St. Isidore Catholic Elementary School......................... 25 St. Mary School............................................................. 25
research
Trinity Regional School.................................................. 25
Tobacco Action Coalition of LI......................................... 2
Village East Gifted......................................................... 13 Village East Gifted - Preschool & Kindergarten............. 14
Young Peoples Day Camp - LI.................................. 5, 48
child Care / day care YMCA of Long Island....................................................... 9
classes Goldfish Swim School ..................................................... 7 LIU Center for Gifted Youth........................................... 41 St. Patrick Youth Community......................................... 41
family entertainment / events / outings BounceU - Farmingdale................................................ 41
services Early Care and Learning Counsel................................. 47
special events Staller Center for the Arts / Stony Brook........................ 13
Gateway Playhouse......................................................... 9
special needs
Staller Center for the Arts / Stony Brook........................ 13
Andrew M. Cohen, Esq.................................................... 7
financial planning / insurance NY Life Ins. Co. - Alison Hackett................................... 47
Sylvan Learning Center - Huntington............................ 43
Building Blocks Developmental Preschool.............. 23, 47 C.I.I.T. Center............................................................ 7, 47 Camp Huntington........................................................... 41
Village East Gifted......................................................... 13
fitness
Hagedorn Little Village School...................................... 21
Village East Gifted - Preschool & Kindergarten............. 14
Goldfish Swim School ..................................................... 7
Huntington Learning Center.......................................... 13
YMCA of Long Island....................................................... 9
YMCA of Long Island....................................................... 9
Janine Stiene Suffolk Center for Speech................. 43, 47
developmental
health
Building Blocks Developmental Preschool.............. 23, 47
C.I.I.T. Center............................................................ 7, 47
C.I.I.T. Center............................................................ 7, 47
Early Care and Learning Counsel................................. 47
Hagedorn Little Village School...................................... 21
Fairy LiceMothers.......................................................... 45
Janine Stiene Suffolk Center for Speech................. 43, 47
Pediatric Dentistry of Suffolk County......................... 3, 47
Long Island Whole Child Academy................................ 19
Pediatric Immediate Care........................................ 27, 47
Racheal McInnes........................................................... 48
Racheal McInnes........................................................... 48
Sappo School................................................................ 14
Tobacco Action Coalition of LI......................................... 2
Sylvan Learning Center - Huntington............................ 43 Village East Gifted - Preschool & Kindergarten............. 14 Young Peoples Day Camp - LI.................................. 5, 48
education Building Blocks Developmental Preschool.............. 23, 47 Diocese of RVC............................................................. 52
Law Offices of Brad H Rosken...................................... 45 Long Island Whole Child Academy................................ 19 Pediatric Dentistry of Suffolk County......................... 3, 47 Pediatric Immediate Care........................................ 27, 47 Racheal McInnes........................................................... 48 Sappo School................................................................ 14
sports Goldfish Swim School ..................................................... 7
music
St. Patrick Youth Community......................................... 41
Gateway Playhouse......................................................... 9
Young Peoples Day Camp - LI.................................. 5, 48
performing arts / acting
theater
Gateway Playhouse......................................................... 9
Staller Center for the Arts / Stony Brook........................ 13
Nassau Boces Educational Foundation......................... 20
tutors
Holy Angels Regional School........................................ 14
religious
Huntington Learning Center.......................................... 13
Holy Family Regional..................................................... 20
Diocese of RVC............................................................. 52
Sylvan Learning Center - Huntington............................ 43
Law Offices of Brad H Rosken...................................... 45
Holy Angels Regional School........................................ 14
Village East Gifted......................................................... 13
LongIslandParent 49
raising kids quotables
What is your parenting resolution for 2018? “We are resolving to not put off our adventures for another day!” —Anna Novak, Warwick, of tinsparrowstudio.com
My resolution is to give my 12-year-old daughter a little more independence as she matures into a young lady. I also want to teach both her and my 9-year-old son more life skills, like how to make basic meals for themselves for the days I don’t feel like cooking. Which are most days
.
—Kimberly Thomas, Valley Stream, creator of the blog valleystreammom.com
“My main resolution is that I want to be more of a YES parent. I don’t want to let my boys do whatever the heck they want, but I do want to actually consider their requests before I give them the answer that’s most convenient for me. I want them to have the kind of fun that they want, but that can’t happen unless I encourage and allow it.” —Rhianon Hoffman, the Bay Ridge mom behind brooklynboymom.com
in an instagram So many photos from our Statue of Liberty trip last week, but one of my faves is the view of downtown NYC from Lady Liberty’s pedestal. #statueofliberty #familytravel #travelwithkids #nycviews #nyc #nycskyline #takeyourkidseverywhere #nyckids #thisis8 #nycwithkids #ladyliberty #oneworldtrade (Posted by @globetrottingmommy, aka Lyla Gleason, who blogs at globetrottingmommy.com)
Out of all the people in my life, I get to choose one person to spend my life with. I get to choose one person to love. I get to choose one person to be my partner in everything. ...I have to remember not to take him for granted. I have to remember to show him the love that I have for him. I have to remember that he was here before the kids. —Lili Rasprasith, in a post entitled “I Put My Husband Before My Kids, And This Is Why” on scarymommy.com
“Leta skipped out as she was overcome by the excitement of it all, by the idea of reaching this milestone in her life. She asked me how badly it was going to hurt over the next few days, and because she was still so excited I lied and told her that she’s only going to feel a little pain when the truth is SHE WILL WANT TO CLAW HER OWN FACE OFF.” —Heather Armstrong, in a post entitled “My kid got braces and all I got was a broken heart” on her blog dooce.com
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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com
“I am going to try to limit time in front of my phone or computer while my kids are in the same room. As a work-from-homemom, this will be extremely difficult, however I currently find myself demonstrating screen habits that I do not want to pass along to them! And I want to make sure they know that THEY are my number one priority.” —Rebecca Dixon, Manhattan, managing director of mommybites.com
“My resolution is to spend more time playing games with my kids. By games, I mean board games, and as a family. In recent years we’ve become so digital, and my kids, who are 7 and 11, need time to ‘play’ together and with my husband and me. Our goal is to disconnect from devices and have good old-fashioned game nights where we play Monopoly or Trouble with our kids.” —Erin Baker, Eastchester, co-founder of emmawestchester.com
A New Year’s Promise “Being a good parent doesn’t require you to do everything perfectly. Like your child, you are a work in progress. Give yourself credit for the good, and forgive yourself for your parenting imperfections. Seek help and support when you need it—and make smaller, more manageable resolutions.” —Long Island-based psychologist Susan Bartell Psy.D., in an article entitled “Resolutions Revisited.” Read the whole story at nymetroparents.com/resolutions.
More NYMetroParents.com Highlights: WINTER FUN: See the top 100 winter activities in the NY metro region at nymetroparents.com/winter-activities. CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR: How to make resolutions kids can keep (nymetroparents.com/kid-resolutions)
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY! NYMetroParents.com is parents' Party Central—one-stop shopping for the best in: H Party Places (for the trendiest, newest, or most classic locale) H Entertainers (clowns, balloon twisting, magicians, spa parties & so much more!) H Gift-Giving (from charitable ideas to the best presents for every age) H At-Home Party Themes (think pirates, princesses, superheroes, Harry Potter…) H Planning Help H Tips & Tricks from the Pros (…and parents who’ve been there!) Bergen•RocklandParent NORTH
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LongIslandParent Parent SPETEMBER 2012
Class Is In!
After-School Activities
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SLOW DOWN!
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Back-to-School Resource Guide Pack a Smarter Lunch Ease the Morning Rush Advocate for Your Twins
How to Manage Kids’ Schedules
What Makes a Good Mentor?
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Events
Events
Plus: Learning to Let Go
Vaccines at Every Age Plus: Journaling for Your Child
Where-To Guide: Berry Picking
•
Dinosaur Fun
Where-To Guide: Apple Picking • Outing: New York Hall of Science
NYMetroParents Helping Parents Make Better Decisions
LongIslandParent 51
LI Parent full pg CSW 2018:Layout 1 12/12/17 10:54 AM Page 1
Catholic Schools Week Open Houses, Jan. 28-Feb. 3
A better environment for learning. The Catholic school difference is founded on a simple truth: students know that God loves and accepts them for who they really are. Uniforms help them avoid many of the surface-level distractions of social status and peer pressure, and children learn that their value is not based on how others see them, but on God’s always faithful love for them. To learn more about Catholic Schools Week Open Houses and to find a school near you, call 516-678-5800 x 258 or visit www.LICatholicElementarySchools.org.