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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

WestchesterParent

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Mastering mathematics.

Counting blessings.

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contents table of

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

by Appaman (appaman.com)

january 2018

54 38

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

44

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 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Girlhood 10 To Test or Not to Test?

46 Party Central 47 Professional Services 48 Meet the Camp Director 50 Meet the Doctor 51 Open Houses 53 Family Resource Guide and Party Planner 53 Advertisers’ Index 54 Quotables

12 Dynamite Dinner Table Conversation Jar

40 Creating a ‘Yes’ Space

28 Family Fun in Manhattan

42 Food and Drink Hacks for Parents

31 Family Activities Calendar

44 Choosing a Guardian for Your Child

38 Wintry Family Fun

NYMetroParents

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

8 Don’t Tell: The 5 Big Secrets of Girlhood 15 Education Special

44 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 2017 • Vol.17 • No.5

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 that 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. 8), giving you the inside scoop on some of parenting’s hottest topics. Quotables has moved to the back of the magazine (p. 54), 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. 38) 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. 44). 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. 40).

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. 10).

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

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

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raising kids in the know

Things You 5Didn’t Know

About Girlhood

››

By Bethany Braun-Silva with Katie Hurley, LCSW

I

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

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

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

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

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

2. Risk aversion is on the rise.

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

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

3. Your daughter needs you more than you know.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

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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 eighth-grade students eligible to take the ELA tests did not. In some districts in Suffolk County, where we live, the numbers topped 80 percent last month.

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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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? 12

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

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

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

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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 Westchester 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.

WestchesterParent 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 one of 11 schools to win a Blackboard award for outstanding schools in New York City. It was also named one of the 85 schools in the country worth visiting by gettingsmart.com, a design firm focused on innovations in learning.

A Rich Blend

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

While St. Ann utilizes the station rotation model of blended learning, this is just 1 of 3 major blended-learning approaches used in K-12 education. In 2013, when the Center for Digital Education surveyed schools that have embraced digital learning in some way, it found that roughly equal percentages of respondents used station rotation (38 percent); a “flipped” classroom model, in which instruction is offered outside the classroom—often online—and projects traditionally considered to be homework are done during class time (43 percent); or a mixture of online and traditional classes (43 percent).

Challenging Changes

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

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

Doyle adds that it’s also very difficult for teachers to carve out time to plan for blended learning. “You have to invest a lot of time and planning up front, and in the very first year we really didn’t have extra time built into the schedule,” Doyle notes.

She explains faculty has to spend ample amounts of time sifting through student data on the computer software, then must come up with lesson plans for every group they’re going to see in their station rotation.

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

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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

Whitby students are creative, hands-on learners who explore big ideas and ask big questions.

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Despite the challenges, St. Ann’s faculty wouldn’t go back to a traditional curriculum. “No. I think I like this way of teaching better,” says Gueits-Marrero—this despite her early resistance.

“I think it’s more fun for the students too. They’re not stationed at one desk all day long. It’s helping them. The scores show their improvement.”

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

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

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

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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.

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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 8:00, fixing himself eggs and toast. He leaves promptly at 8:45am every day, allowing a little extra time for traffic.

Really? I thought.

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

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Rude Awakenings

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

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

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

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

The Benefits of Later Start Times

Why Don’t More Schools Make a Change?

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

M. Shapiro.

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

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

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

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

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

20-pound calico, Chub-Chub.

WestchesterParent 23

raising kids directory

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Academic Enrichment and Educational Services Easter Seals New York Project Explore

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Huntington Learning Center

Eastchester Shopping Center 721 White Plains Road, Scarsdale 914-722-6100 650 Central Ave., Scarsdale 914-946-7800 335 Downing Drive, Yorktown Heights 914-245-8882 58 E. Route 59, Nanuet 845-624-6800 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.

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cational evaluations, literacy intervention for children ages 4-12, and parent coaching. Visit her office in Rye and she can empower you to advocate for your child in school, navigate the special education referral process, and support your reader at home.

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in Ossining Arcadian Shopping Center, Route 9, Ossining 914-606-7400 The Westchester Community College Extension Center in Ossining features credit and non-credit classes for adults in the areas of general education and health care. Contact us at the Arcadian Shopping Center location on Route 9, or phone 914-6067400 for details.

Parochial Schools Iona Preparatory School K–12

Brother P. Sean Moffett, head of school Lower School (Pre-K-4 to eighth grades) 173 Stratton Road, New Rochelle 914-633-7744 Upper School (ninth to 12th grades) 255 Wilmot Road, New Rochelle 914-632-0714 ionaprep.com Discover the Iona Prep difference of an allboys environment that allows faculty to cater to the needs and interests of boys, actively engaging them in learning with small class sizes (15 students) that ensure your son receives the care and attention he deserves.

Join us for information sessions on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 9am and 7pm to learn more about our Lower School serving grades Pre-K-4 to eighth, while hearing from our administration, teachers, and students. Visit ionaprep. org/visit to RSVP and see why you should say #IAmIonaPrep!

Preschools Ann and Andy Child Care

2170 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford 914-592-3027 annandandychildcare.com annandydca@aol.com Ann and Andy, family-owned and -operated since 1973, offers a wide variety of fun activities for children ages 2 months to 14 years.

We are licensed by NYSOCFS and the Health Department. We have an extensive campus, and offer flexible schedules, reasonable rates, nutritious lunches, a caring staff, individualized attention, and age-appropriate field trips.

Join us for a wonderful school experience.

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Come see how much we care, and become part of our family.

Children’s Place at the John A. Coleman School

317 North St., White Plains 914-597-4055 colemanschool.org Our inclusive preschool offers a variety of enriching experiences that stimulate children’s natural curiosity and interests, promote well-being, and encourage pride and mastery in each child. Activities develop creativity, language, reasoning, social competence, and early readiness. Curriculum based on NYS Common Core with iPad and Smart Board technology. Children’s Place is licensed by the Office of Children and Family Services and offers full- and half-days for ages 3-5. Hours are 8:45am–2:45pm with extended hours from 8am-5pm. We are staffed by experienced teachers and administrators. Parent references available.

Congregation Kol Ami

252 Soundview Ave., White Plains 914-949-4717 nykolami.org Children learn best through play and experimentation. Our Early Childhood Program provides opportunities for these learning experiences within a warm, accepting, and nurturing environment. We recognize and respect each child’s unique qualities and strive to foster their growth and development in all aspects—cognitive, physical, social, and emotional. Through rich and welcoming surroundings, complemented with consistent routines and exploratory play opportunities, we inspire children to grow at their own pace, realizing their full potential.

Come feel the warm sense of community here at Early Childhood Program of Congregation Kol Ami.

Kids’ B.A.S.E. & The Little School

307 Mamaroneck Road, Scarsdale 914-472-5409 kbls.org Kids’ B.A.S.E. & The Little School encompass before- and after-school programs for school age children, and a preschool program for ages 2-4. Kids’ B.A.S.E. offers a Breakfast Club, after-school enrichments, and sports for youngsters in kindergarten through sixth grade, until 6:30pm. The Little School provides a high quality full-day or half-day preschool program, as well as their own Breakfast Club, an extended day program until 6:30pm, enrichments, and sports. The

Little School is licensed by NYS OCFS and accredited by NAEYC. New this year is our Little School Pre-K Academy, a transitional 4’s program for families that would like to give their child “the gift of time.”

Mandarin Discovery Preschool

515 North St., White Plains 914-351-6788 mandarindiscov.org shanshanli@mandarindiscov.org Mandarin Discovery Preschool is an immersion program for children. We offer preschool classes on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; Mommy and Me classes on Thursday; and Chinese culture classes for first-fifth graders. We also provide tutoring and training programs for Chinese tests. Our goals are creating a fun learning environment for children and helping them to learn Mandarin as early as possible. Children will use their fluency in Mandarin to build a bright future!

Temple Israel Center Nursery School

Patty Goldstick, director 280 Old Mamaroneck Road, White Plains 914-948-2800 x126 templeisraelcenter.org/learning/ nursery_school/overview nymetroparents.com/listing/ temple-israel-center-nursery-school Temple Israel Center Nursery School is dedicated to providing a warm and nurturing environment in which children can achieve their full potential—socially, emotionally, creatively, cognitively, physically, and Jewishly. We offer classes for children ages 2-4, mommy-and-me programs, after-school enrichment, Stay and Play extended hours until 4pm Monday-Thursday, and until 2:30pm Friday, early drop-off, lunch programs, and summer camp. Our morning programs are enriched with music, creative movement, nature, and animal specialists. We embrace the Reggio Emilia approach, which complements our vision. For more information view our microsite at nymetroparents.com/listing/ temple-israel-center-nursery-school.

Temple Sholom Selma Maisel Nursery School

300 E. Putnam Ave., Greenwich, CT 203-622-8121 templesholom.com/smns We’re building STEAM! SMNS has added a full STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) curriculum this year, as well as a gymnastics program, to provide children with additional handson learning opportunities and outlets for self-discovery and creativity. Registration is open for the 2018-2019 school year, as well as for non-separating programs for parents with children younger than 24 months. Come see what SMNS has to offer by scheduling a tour with David Cohen, Nursery School director, at 203-622-8121 or david.cohen@templesholom.com.

Torbank Community Nursery School

108 Pinesbridge Road, Ossining 914-941-1563 torbanknurseryschool.com Your child is a very important person. With your help we will provide a wide variety of learning opportunities and experiences, to encourage self-expression, independence, and group interaction. We will give your child the opportunity to explore, experiment, and reach out into his or her environment. We believe the way your child will learn and grow will help them have the happiest possible year.

Westchester Jewish Center Early Childhood Center

Palmer and Rockland Avenues, Mamaroneck (Use 175 Rockland Ave. for GPS purposes.)

914-698-2767 wjcenter.org WJC’s Reggio-inspired Early Childhood Center accepts preschoolers ages 2-5, and offers a co-teach model pre-kindergarten. Our school supports children’s physical, social-emotional, and cognitive growth—all in the context of a caring environment. Children receive a solid Jewish foundation including holiday celebrations and community and classroom Shabbat experiences. Structured days offered in newly renovated classrooms and nature–inspired playground. Small teacher-to-student ratio assures individualized attention. Extended day with special electives such as Dance and Drum, Art, Taekwondo, Fenom Fitness, and Mad Science.

Private Schools Blue Rock School

110 Demarest Mill Road, West Nyack 845-627-0234 bluerockschool.org Blue Rock School is the Lower Hudson Valley’s only progressive school, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. We offer a unique educational experience based on a hands-on and holistic approach that nurtures children’s innate love of learning, enabling them to follow their own natural curiosity and develop as independent thinkers. At Blue Rock, class sizes are small and students engage in a challenging and creative academic curriculum, which is infused with the arts, nature, and play.

German International School New York (GIS)

50 Partridge Road, White Plains 914-948-6513 gisny.org admissions@gisny.org German International School New York welcomes families of all nationalities. We are a vibrant, pre-K through 12th grade independent day school. Established in 1980, our German-English bilingual curriculum and our international community of children cultivates students of exceptional character who are open to the world. Graduates earn both a New York high school diploma and the highly

acclaimed German International Abitur. Visit us at an open house or contact us to schedule a private tour.

Green Meadow Waldorf School

307 Hungry Hollow Road, Chestnut Ridge 845-356-2514 gmws.org Green Meadow Waldorf School in Chestnut Ridge offers Parent and Child classes for babies and toddlers age 3 and younger; serves children from nursery to 12th grade; and runs popular summer programs. Founded in 1950, we are one of the oldest, largest Waldorf schools in the U.S., with approximately 375 students. Green Meadow students go on to top colleges and fulfilling careers, and are known for their resilience and creativity.

Visit gmws.org to see how we are transforming education.

Hudson Country Montessori School

340 Quaker Ridge Road, New Rochelle 914-636-6202 hudsoncountry.org Children learn to observe, think, judge, and pursue interests at their own pace. Exposed to physical and mental order, and working with materials with a purposeful design in a calm atmosphere fosters concentration, creativity, self-respect, and a solid academic foundation.

Hudson’s unique approach allows children to develop their skills while pursuing their interests. Programs are available for children ages 18 months through eighth grade, with extended hours available from 7:30am-6pm.

Iona Preparatory School K–12

Brother P. Sean Moffett, head of school Lower School (Pre-K-4 to eighth grades) 173 Stratton Road, New Rochelle 914-633-7744 Upper School (ninth to 12th grades) 255 Wilmot Road, New Rochelle 914-632-0714 ionaprep.com Discover the Iona Prep difference of an allboys environment that allows faculty to cater to the needs and interests of boys, actively engaging them in learning with small class sizes (15 students) that ensure your son receives the care and attention he deserves.

Join us for information sessions on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 9am and 7pm to learn more about our Lower School serving Pre-K-4 to eighth grades, while hearing from our administration, teachers, and students. Visit ionaprep. org/visit to RSVP and see why you should say #IAmIonaPrep!

The Westfield Day School

1 N. Greenwich Road, Armonk 914-967-2530 westfieldschools.info; wdsinfo@optonline.net Since 2000, The Westfield Day School has been dedicated to helping students overcome academic difficulties and personal obstacles, through carefully designed programs for indicontinued on next page ››

WestchesterParent 25

SCHOOL MARKETPLACE

Looking for an Alternative?

Come visit the Lower Hudson Valley's only truly progressive school and hear how Blue Rock's unique learning environment is an excellent option for grades K-8.

Information Session & Campus Tour January 20 Please RSVP at 845-535-3353 or bluerockschoolevents.org

Where Learning Comes Alive!

West Nyack, NY

www.bluerockschool.org

‹‹ continued from previous page

vidual achievement. Westfield is a coeducational school for sixth to 12th grades following a standard curriculum with both academic support and advanced studies available. The school offers a supportive environment, combining an active clinical program including individual and group therapy with specialized instruction to meet individual needs. Classes are kept small and taught by reassuring adults in an atmosphere of acceptance and encouragement.

Whitby School

969 Lake Ave., Greenwich, CT 203-869-8464 x176 whitbyschool.org smead@whitbyschool.org Whitby School is an 18-month through eighth-grade private school in Greenwich, CT, serving students throughout Westchester and Fairfield counties. At Whitby, school is just the beginning.

Whitby challenges students to ask big questions, solve real world problems, and achieve big dreams.

Students know themselves as learners and see their greater potential. They become empathetic leaders who bring out the best in themselves and others. As a result, Whitby graduates are masterfully prepared for high school and beyond. Schedule a tour to see the learning in action or register for Wednesdays @ Whitby at whitbyschool.org.

Special Needs Huntington Learning Center

Eastchester Shopping Center 721 White Plains Road, Scarsdale 914-722-6100 650 Central Ave., Scarsdale 914-946-7800 335 Downing Drive, Yorktown Heights 914-245-8882

58 E. Route 59, Nanuet 845-624-6800 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.

The Westfield Day School

1 N. Greenwich Road, Armonk 914-967-2530 westfieldschools.info wdsinfo@optonline.net Since 2000, The Westfield Day School has been dedicated to helping students overcome academic difficulties and personal obstacles, through carefully designed programs for individual achievement.

Westfield is a coeducational school for sixth to 12th grades following a standard curriculum with both academic support and advanced studies available. The school offers a supportive environment, combining an active clinical program including individual and group therapy with specialized instruction to meet individual needs. Classes are kept small and taught by reassuring adults in an atmosphere of acceptance and encouragement.

Mandarin Discovery Preschool

FALL PROGRAM

Family Owned & Operated Since 1973 Experienced Teachers

• Serving Children 2 months–14 years • Field Trips • Stimulating Environment • Flexible Schedules • Beautiful Campus Setting

www.annandandychildcare.com 914-592-3027 • 2170 Saw Mill River Rd, Elmsford 26

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

An immersive, Mandarin language program 10% off if you register for two or more days of classes • Preschool Classes: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday • Mommy & Me Classes: Thursday • Chinese Culture Classes: Saturday afternoon for 1st to 5th graders

Classes held in White Plains Tutoring for Chinese tests also available

MandarinDiscov.org • 914-351-6788

SCHOOL MARKETPLACE Ages 2-8

NEW! We are now eight weeks!

Monday, June 25 - Thursday, Aug. 16 We are open July 4th!

WJC_ECC_NYMetroParent_v2.pdf

The Center of Our Jewish Lives

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Westchester Jewish Center

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11:46 AM

Learn Experience Grow Connect

Molly Ness, PhD, LLC molly@areadingmother.com

www.areadingmother.com Are you concerned about your child’s reading progress?

EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER A safe, nurturing, exciting preschool environment in which children develop a sense of belonging and a love of learning • Reggio-inspired nursery school program, ages 2-5 • Extended Day with Special Electives • Mommy & Me and Baby Group • Mini-Camps & Summer Day Camp • Shabbat & Holiday Experiences

Want to help your child at home with reading and writing?

I offer these researched-based practices to help you and your child: • Literacy intervention for children ages 4-12 • Educational evaluations • Parent coaching

Visit wjcenter.org or contact Sabrina Landau, ECC Director: 914-698-2767 • ecdir@wjcenter.org

I am a reading clinician, a nationally recognized author and researcher and a professor of childhood education with years of experience.

300 East Putnam Avenue • Greenwich • Connecticut Come learn from our experienced Montessori teachers who provide an individual, hands on learning environment. We offer a variety of toddler and pre-K programs! Extended hours are available.

WE’RE BUILDING S SCIENCE CIENCE || T TECHNOLOGY ECHNOLOGY || E ENGINEERING NGINEERING || A ARTS RTS || M MATHEMATICS ATHEMATICS

www.alcottschool.org Scarsdale

27 Crane Rd. 914-472-4404

Dobbs Ferry

Scarsdale

535 Broadway 46 Fox Meadow Rd. 914-725-7551 914-693-4443

Registration is open for the 2018–2019 School Year!

To schedule a tour, contact David Cohen, Nursery School Director, at 203-622-8121 or visit www.templesholom.com/smns.

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things to do

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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 30-minute drive or train ride on Metro-North from White Plains 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 45-minute drive or a 1-hour, 15-minute Metro-North and subway ride from White Plains

Join us for a Free Trial Class

IT’S A FAMILY TRADITION!

Ask About Special Needs!

Experienced, Nurturing Teachers Fun-Filled Classes

Music, Movement & Friends Age-Specific Curriculum

Celebrating 30+ years of making music and memories

Online Enrollment!

Pleasantville | Scarsdale | White Plains Bronxville | Dobbs Ferry | New Rochelle | North Castle

914-771-7000 • www.musicalmunchkins.com

WESTCHESTER COUNTY CENTER SAT • FEB 17 THRU MON • FEB 19 WHITE PLAINS DAILY SHOWTIMES: 10:00AM • 2:00PM • 6:00PM ALL SEATS RESERVED: PREMIUM $35 • REGULAR $27

BOX OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday – Friday: 10AM - 5PM

914-995-4050

Where Your Child Comes First Schedule your annual physical

• Comprehensive Care from Birth to Age 21 • State of the Art Pediatric Office • Convenient on-site parking • Spacious child-friendly waiting area • Extended evening & weekend office hours • Most Insurances Accepted

Susan Meisler, M.D. • Hilary Smith, M.D. Lisa Mandelker, D.O. • Debra Etelson, M.D. 145 Huguenot St., Suite 200 New Rochelle, NY www.pasw4kids.com • 914.235.1400

Cash or Credit Box office closed Saturday – Monday Except for ticketed events held that day.

OR AT ALL OUTLETS 800-745-3000 TICKETMASTER.COM WestchesterParent 29

we put

awesome on ice

at Westchester Skating Academy & Playland Ice REGISTER NOW FOR WINTER CLASSES!

LEARN TO SKATE

• 30 minute weekly classes • Rental skates included • Excellent student/teacher ratio

The COOLEST Parties in Westchester!

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91 Fairview Park Dr. • Elmsford, NY

100 Playland Parkway, Rye, NY

Westchester Parent 1/2 page ad: 7.3 x 4.7: October. 2017

Music and Dance. Better together.

Private Lessons Young Children’s Classes musicconservatory.org info@musiced.org 914.761.3900

Suzuki Violin, Cello, Guitar & Piano Music Therapy Programs Scholarships for All Ages

Parents & Toddlers Creative Movement

school of dance info@stefffinossen.org steffinossen.org 914.328.1900

Ballet • Jazz • Tap Hip Hop • Modern Adaptive Dance

VISIT US BOTH at 216 Central Avenue, White Plains

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Ideas When You Need Them:

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

nymetroparents.com/register

Turn the page for details on Holiday Train Show (No. 4 on our list).

JANUARY

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WANT US TO INCLUDE YOUR EVENT?

nymetroparents.com/submitevent UPDATED DAILY AT nymetroparents.com/calendar EDITOR: JAMIE MCGILLIAN calendared@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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Crafty Kids

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Show Time!, Movers & Shakers

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Animal Lovers, Smarty Pants

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Mini Musicians Once Upon a Time

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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!

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First Saturday Art Workshop

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‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 6, 11am-3pm WHERE: Westchester Children’s Museum, 100 Playland Park, Rye AGES: All WHAT: Drop in for a hands-on art workshop led by fine arts and crafts specialists from craft store A.I. Friedman.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Ring in the New Year with a craft.

WANT TO GO? $7. 914-421-5050. discoverwcm.org.

WHEN: Jan. 3-14, Wednesday-Sunday, see website for times WHERE: White Plains Performing Arts Center, 11 City Place, White Plains AGES: 9 and older WHAT: A lushly scored retelling of Victor Hugo’s (author of Les Miserables) epic story of love, acceptance, and what it means to be a hero.

WHY WE LOVE IT: The story and music are simply beautiful.

WANT TO GO? $33. 914-328-1600. wppac.com.

Create Your Year: Hello 2018

Holiday Train Show

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WHEN: Jan. 6-7, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-1pm WHERE: Wave Hill, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx AGES: All WHAT: Check out a farmer’s monthly seed calendar explaining what fruits and vegetables to plant when. Then create an abundant garden or personal vision for your very own calendar.

WHY WE LOVE IT: A healthy activity to get them thinking about fruits and vegetables.

WANT TO GO? $8; $4 children. 718-549-3200. wavehill.org.

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

WHEN: Jan. 1-15, Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-6pm WHERE: New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx AGES: All WHAT: More than 150 miniature landmarks are created from plant materials. Come watch trains make their way through the Statue of Liberty and more. This year’s show features replicas of the Empire State Building. Reservations required.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Children will be amazed at all the details.

WANT TO GO? Weekdays: $23; $10 children ages 2-12; weekends: $30; $18 children ages 2-12. 718-817-8700. nybg.org.

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WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 16, 6pm WHERE: Wolf Conservation Center, 7 Buck Run, South Salem AGES: All WHAT: While keeping warm by an outdoor fire pit, guests will enjoy drinks, sugary treats, and the howls of the wolves.

Take a short walk to see the wolves and bring flashlights.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Celebrate the first full moon of 2018 with the wolves.

WANT TO GO? $20. 914-400-5551. nywolf.org.

SKATETACULAR’S ‘Dreams on Ice’

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 27, 8pm WHERE: Academic Arts Theatre, Westchester Community College, 75 Grasslands Road, Valhalla AGES: All WHAT: This unique full-length musical on ice is a family-friendly show with an original narrative.

Professional skaters, sensational music, and an enchanting storyline bring a wintry wonderland experience, fusing theater and the art of figure skating.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Young children will be captivated by this ice dance musical.

WANT TO GO? $30; $28 seniors and students; $24 for children younger than 13. 914-606-6567. sunywcc.edu/smartarts.

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‘Piff the Magic Dragon’

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 27, 8pm WHERE: Paramount Hudson Valley Theater, 1008 Brown St., Peekskill AGES: All WHAT: Piff the Magic Dragon is a one-man show featuring jaw-dropping magic tricks and a performing chihuahua Mr. Piffles.

WHY WE LOVE IT: A fun show that will please the whole family!

WANT TO GO? $31. 914-739-0039. paramounthudsonvalley.com.

Painted Papers and Eric Carle

WHEN: Jan. 27-28, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-1pm WHERE: Wave Hill, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx AGES: All WHAT: What better season than winter to cuddle up with stories you love—like Eric Carle’s tales illustrating the wonders of nature? Hear storyteller Rama Mandel tell some of these enchanting favorites, then learn from Eric Carle’s techniques as we cut and layer handpainted papers to form bright and colorful images.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Celebrate Eric Carle!

WANT TO GO? $8; $4 children. 718-549-3200. wavehill.org.

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Lego Weekend

WHEN: Jan. 27-28, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-4pm WHERE: Maritime Aquarium, 10 N. Water St., Norwalk, CT AGES: All WHAT: Throughout the weekend, Lego experts will engineer a big, fun project made entirely out of Lego blocks. Aquarium guests can build a small marine creature out of Lego bricks that will be part of the finished piece, or create pieces of their choosing.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Who doesn’t love playing with Lego blocks?

WANT TO GO? $22.95; $20.95 children ages 13-17; $15.95 children ages 3-12. 203-852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org.

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Get weekend activities delivered to you!

Wolf Moon Walk

nymetroparents.com/register ››

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 six no-cost events we’re excited about now. You’re welcome.

Gan Shabbat Services FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 6, 10:30am-12pm WHERE: Bet Torah Nursery School, 60 Smith Ave., Mount Kisco AGES: 3-8 WHAT: Come for Gan Shabbat, a program of children’s Sabbath services for nursery school-age students and families as an interactive introduction to Shabbat songs, stories, and prayers. A kid-friendly Kiddush of refreshments follows each service.

WANT TO GO? 914-666-7595. bettorah.org.

Vroom, Vroom FREE

WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2:30pm WHERE: Chappaqua Children’s Library, 19 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua AGES: 3-5 WHAT: You and your little one will enjoy stories about cars and trucks.

WANT TO GO? 914-238-4779. chappaqualibrary.org.

Junior Garden Club FREE

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 10, 4pm WHERE: Chappaqua Children’s Library, 19 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua AGES: 5-8 WHAT: Create nature impressions and pine cone bird feeders.

WANT TO GO? 914-238-4779. chappaqualibrary.org.

Mad Science FREE

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 18, 4pm WHERE: The Field Library, 4 Nelson Ave., Peekskill AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Are you mad about science? Kids are invited to come for some fun, kid-friendly science experiments.

WANT TO GO? 914-737-0847. fieldkids.wordpress.com.

JBFC Kids Open House FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 10:30am WHERE: Jacob Burns Film Center, 405 Manville Road, Pleasantville AGES: 3-12 WHAT: Come for fun hands-on activities and a family-friendly shorts program featuring recent student work and festival favorites. Bring the whole family and enjoy watching, animating, and coloring together to celebrate young filmmakers.

WANT TO GO? 914-747-5555. burnsfilmcenter.org/jbfc-kids.

Marshmallow Challenge FREE

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 24, 4pm WHERE: Chappaqua Children’s Library, 19 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua AGES: 9-12 WHAT: Learn how to engineer with food.

WANT TO GO? 914-238-4779. chappaqualibrary.org. ››

WestchesterParent 33

Lego My Library FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 11am WHERE: The Field Library, 4 Nelson Ave., Peekskill AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Love to build? Kids can come for a program of free play with a huge Lego collection.

WANT TO GO? 914-737-0847. fieldkids.wordpress.com.

Living Sculpture

WHEN: Jan. 20-21, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-1pm WHERE: Wave Hill, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx AGES: All WHAT: Patch a green world together with Wave Hill visiting artist Pedro Ramirez, and make a collaborative, indoor, living sculpture. Use clay slip to add pieces of sod made from burlap and sprouted plants such as clover and millet, in a process that represents green husbandry for the planet.

WANT TO GO? $8; $4 children. 718-549-3200. wavehill.org.

Art Meets Science: Portraits of Giant Insects

CRAFTY KIDS Drawing the Environment with Elaine Smollin

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 6, 1:30-3:30pm WHERE: Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers AGES: 13 and older WHAT: Recreate the images of the Hudson River Valley surrounding the museum. During this session, participants will combine sketches and paint a panorama.

WANT TO GO? $10 with museum admission: $7; $4 children ages 3-18. 914-963-4550. hrm.org.

Freedom Quilting Bee

WHEN: Jan. 13-14, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-1pm WHERE: Wave Hill, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx AGES: All WHAT: In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., visited the Gee’s Bend Community in rural Alabama and the Freedom Quilting Bee was established. Create your own brilliant, improvisational compositions out of bountiful squares of donated fabric, just for the joy of it and to honor Dr. King’s birthday.

WANT TO GO? $8; $4 children. 718-549-3200. wavehill.org.

Drop in and Draw

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 2-4pm WHERE: Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers AGES: 9 and older WHAT: Master the media of graphite, pen, and ink with local artist Lee Romero, who will teach participants how to depict landscapes using his favorite medium. All levels of expertise are welcome and all materials are provided.

WANT TO GO? $7; $4 children. 914-963-4550. hrm.org.

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WHEN: Jan. 20-21, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-1pm WHERE: Wave Hill, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx AGES: All WHAT: Meet artist and entomologist Lawrence Forcella, founder of God of Insects, and find out what it’s like to study, collect, breed, and “wrangle” insects from around the world. Zoom in for a closer look at Forcella’s rare, museum-quality displays, observe live specimens, and create your own sketches and drawings of some of the giant, rare insects from his extensive collection. Registration required.

WANT TO GO? $8; $4 children. 718-549-3200. wavehill.org.

Origami with Yoshimi FREE

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 22, 4pm WHERE: Chappaqua Children’s Library, 19 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua AGES: 5-8 WHAT: Enjoy the art of Japanese paper-folding for kids.

WANT TO GO? 914-238-4779. chappaqualibrary.org.

Family Lego Club FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 27, 2-4pm WHERE: Chappaqua Children’s Library, 19 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua AGES: All WHAT: Come in to play with Legos.

WANT TO GO? 914-238-4779. chappaqualibrary.org.

Dronescapes: Sketching from a Bird’s-Eye Perspective

WHEN: Jan. 27-28, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-1pm WHERE: Wave Hill, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx AGES: All WHAT: Join artist Jessica Rohrer to see her unique artistic process, which uses images from high-flying drones to inspire her landscape drawings. Experiment with perspective using drone-captured images and create ink drawings of Wave Hill from a bird’s-eye view.

Registration required.

WANT TO GO? $55. 718-549-3200. wavehill.org.

Toy Boat-Making Workshop

WHEN: Jan. 6-March 31, Saturdays, 11am-3pm WHERE: Maritime Aquarium, 10 N. Water St., Norwalk, CT AGES: All WHAT: Visit the toy boat-making area for a fun 20-minute boatbuilding activity. Build and decorate a toy sailboat to take home as a special keepsake of your visit.

WANT TO GO? $5 with aquarium admission: $22.95; $20.95 children ages 13-17; $15.95 children ages 3-12. 203-852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org.

SHOW TIME!

MOVERS & SHAKERS

The Night The Music Lived: A Tribute To Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & The Big Bopper

Museum Minis

WHEN: Jan. 4-7, Thursday-Sunday, see website for times WHERE: Westchester Broadway Theater, 1 Broadway Plaza, Elmsford AGES: 9 and older WHAT: The Night The Music Lived recreates the final concert of these three influential musicians with the utmost attention to detail and accuracy.

WANT TO GO? $50 show only. 914-592-2222. broadwaytheatre.com.

Plain White T’s

WHEN: Friday, Jan. 12, 8-10pm WHERE: Paramount Hudson Valley Theater, 1008 Brown St., Peekskill AGES: All WHAT: The Grammy-nominated group plays a unique blend of pop, punk, and melody-driven rock and roll.

WANT TO GO? $52 and up. 914-739-0039. paramounthudsonvalley.com.

Walk and Talk with an Artist: Cleek Schrey

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 13, 2pm WHERE: Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers AGES: All WHAT: Musician Cleek Schrey will interpret the exhibition from the perspective of his own practice and perform pieces in response to a selection of works.

WANT TO GO? $7; $4 children ages 3-18. 914-963-4550. hrm.org.

WHEN: Jan. 4-25, Thursdays, 10:30-11am WHERE: Westchester Children’s Museum, 100 Playland Park, Rye AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: Toddlers and caregivers meet up in Toddler Beach for some stories, songs, movement, and more.

WANT TO GO? $7. 914-421-5050. discoverwcm.org.

Yoga for Youngsters FREE

WHEN: Jan. 5-26, Fridays, 2:30pm WHERE: Chappaqua Children’s Library, 19 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua AGES: 3-5, adult WHAT: Meet for big stretches with Damien Germino.

WANT TO GO? 914-238-4779. chappaqualibrary.org.

45th Annual Art Show: Bedford

WHEN: Jan. 19-28, Friday-Sunday, see website for times WHERE: St. Matthew’s Church, 382 Cantitoe St., Bedford AGES: All WHAT: The Bedford Historical Society is hosting Art Show: Bedford on its 45th anniversary. Art Show: Bedford is an outreach project of the Women of St. Matthew’s Church.

WANT TO GO? Donations vary. 914-234-9636. artshowbedford.org.

Adoption: Everything You Need to Know FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 27, 8pm WHERE: Emelin Theater, 153 Library Lane, Mamaroneck AGES: 5 and older WHAT: Liz Callaway is a cabaret and concert artist, who earned her chops on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater across the country.

WANT TO GO? $50; $40 children. 914-698-0098. emelin.org.

WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 30, 6-7:30pm WHERE: Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library, 1 Haseco Ave., Portchester AGES: Adult WHAT: Come learn about the domestic adoption process and meet the staff of Forever Families Through Adoption. The event is open to anyone interested in or involved with the adoption process, including professionals, community members, expectant parents, adoptive or prospective adoptive parents, and adoptees.

WANT TO GO? 914-939-6710. portchester-ryebrooklibrary.org.

‘A Chorus Line’

Ice Skating Season

An Evening with Liz Callaway

WHEN: Jan. 11-April 1, Thursday-Sunday, see website for times WHERE: Westchester Broadway Theater, 1 Broadway Plaza, Elmsford AGES: 9 and older WHAT: A celebration and true-to-life depiction of performers and their struggle to achieve greatness on the Broadway stage. Its powerful stories are touching, funny, inspiring and relatable to anyone with a passion for performing.

WANT TO GO? $50 show only. 914-592-2222. broadwaytheatre.com.

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

WANT TO GO? $25; $15 seniors and for children younger than 11.

212-332-7654. therinkatrockcenter.com. ››

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SMARTY PANTS

First Sundays Gallery Tour

ANIMAL LOVERS Howl in the New Year

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 1, 11am WHERE: Wolf Conservation Center, 7 Buck Run, South Salem AGES: All WHAT: Kids will learn about the mythology surrounding wolves and the important role of wolves in the natural world. This is an exciting time for wolves, as they are out searching for prey as their growing pups experience their first winter season. Registration required.

WANT TO GO? $15; $12 children. 914-400-5551. nywolf.org.

Tales for Tails FREE

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 4, 6pm WHERE: The Field Library, 4 Nelson Ave., Peekskill AGES: 5-12 WHAT: Reading with a therapy animal can help reluctant readers, new language learners, and anxious readers gain confidence and develop a love of reading. Children are invited to read to a certified Good Dog. Sign-up is required.

WANT TO GO? 914-737-0847. fieldkids.wordpress.com.

Winter Wolves

WHEN: Jan. 13-14, Saturday, 11am and 2pm; Sunday, 11am WHERE: Wolf Conservation Center, 7 Buck Run, South Salem AGES: All WHAT: Kids will learn about the mythology surrounding wolves and the important role of wolves in the natural world. This is an exciting time for wolves as they are out searching for prey as their growing pups experience their first winter. Visit the wolves and enjoy hot drinks.

WANT TO GO? $15; $12 children. 914-400-5551. nywolf.org.

Journey with Jellies

WHEN: Jan. 1-March 31, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-4pm WHERE: Maritime Aquarium, 10 N. Water St., Norwalk, CT AGES: All WHAT: Get close to some of the most beautiful, but dangerous animals in the sea at this newly expanded exhibit. Come explore large new displays with such non-native species as brown sea nettles, Australian spotted jellies, Japanese sea nettles, and more.

WANT TO GO? $22.95; $20.95 children ages 13-17; $15.95 children ages 3-12. 203-852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org.

Sea Turtle Nursery

WHEN: Jan. 1-Dec. 31, daily, 10am-5pm WHERE: Maritime Aquarium, 10 N. Water St., Norwalk, CT AGES: All WHAT: Follow a rescued baby loggerhead sea turtle through its first year of life. The aquarium will raise it for release into the Atlantic Ocean next fall. The guest sea turtle, only about 3 inches at first, will live in a new habitat near the Sea Turtles exhibit.

WANT TO GO? $22.95; $20.95 children ages 13-17; $15.95 children ages 3-12. 203-852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org.

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WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 7, 1pm WHERE: Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers AGES: All WHAT: Explore the current exhibition Walks with Artists: The Hudson Valley and Beyond with a docent-led tour.

WANT TO GO? $7; $4 children. 914-963-4550. hrm.org.

Sunday Scholars

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 14, 2pm WHERE: Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers AGES: All WHAT: Dr. Tonya Lewis, independent scholar and environmental justice activist, will discuss government involvement and community empowerment regarding environmental conditions and concerns. This program is made possible through the support of the New York Council for the Humanities’ Public Scholars program.

WANT TO GO? 914-963-4550. hrm.org.

Stroll with the Staff

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 21, 1pm WHERE: Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers AGES: All WHAT: Take a special tour with Laura Vookles, Chair of the Curatorial Department, on the last day of Walks with Artists: The Hudson Valley and Beyond.

WANT TO GO? $7; $4 children. 914-963-4550. hrm.org.

Family Studio Projects

WHEN: Jan. 6-28, Saturday-Sunday, 1-4pm WHERE: Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers AGES: All WHAT: Creative activities inspired by the museum’s collections and exhibitions, led by junior docents and arts and science professionals. Art projects involve choosing your own perspective to create landscape artworks inspired by Walks with Artists: The Hudson Valley and Beyond.

WANT TO GO? $4; $2 children. 914-963-4550. hrm.org.

Earth, Moon, and Sun

WHEN: Jan. 6-28, Saturday-Sunday, 12:30pm WHERE: Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers AGES: 5-8 WHAT: Learn how the Earth, moon, and sun work together as a system.

WANT TO GO? $4; $2. 914-963-4550.

The Sky Tonight

WHEN: Jan. 6-28, Saturday-Sunday, 2pm WHERE: Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers AGES: All WHAT: Find out what is going on in the sky on the very night you see this live, interactive show.

WANT TO GO? $4; $2 children. 914-963-4550. hrm.org.

Moons: World of Mystery

WHEN: Jan. 6-28, Saturday-Sunday, 3:30pm WHERE: Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers AGES: All WHAT: Follow the astronuts to our silvery moon, then journey to the outer planets to discover more moons. Come back to Earth with newfound wonder for the dynamic solar system in which we live.

WANT TO GO? $4; $2 children. 914-963-4550. hrm.org.

Makers and Shakers Afterschool Club

WHEN: Jan. 10-31, Wednesdays, 4:30pm-5:30pm WHERE: Westchester Children’s Musem, 100 Playland Park, Rye AGES: 9-12 WHAT: This is a four-week drop off program to explore, build, and experiment using museum exhibits. Registration required WANT TO GO? $7 per person. 914-421-5050. discoverwcm.org.

Cooking 4 Kids

WHEN: Jan. 18-Feb. 15, Thursdays, 2pm WHERE: Chappaqua Children’s Library, 19 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua AGES: 3-5, adult WHAT: Hands-on cooking lessons for kids with an adult.

WANT TO GO? chappaqualibrary.org.

Wednesdays @ Whitby School FREE

WHEN: Jan. 10-March 14, Wednesdays, 9:30am WHERE: Whitby School, 969 Lake Ave., Greenwich, CT AGES: 3-12, adult WHAT: Come learn how Whitby students ask big questions, take action in the local community, and prepare to excel in high school, college, and beyond. Whitby was the first school in America to combine IB and Montessori within an early education program.

WANT TO GO? 203-302-3900. whitbyschool.org/wednesdays-at-whitby.

MINI

MUSICIANS Music Together Demo with Miss Alexia FREE

ONCE UPON A TIME ‘Mad Mustachio Purple-Hued Malt-Worms’ Book Discussion FREE

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 10, 6:30pm WHERE: Chappaqua Children’s Library, 19 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua AGES: 9-12 WHAT: A spirited book discussion for kids. Homemade snacks will be served.

WANT TO GO? 914-238-4779. chappaqualibrary.org.

Young Critics Book Discussion FREE

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 18, 6:30pm WHERE: Chappaqua Children’s Library, 19 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua AGES: 9-12 WHAT: Come share your opinions and enjoy a good discussion and good snacks.

WANT TO GO? 914-238-4779. chappaqualibrary.org.

Good Deed of the Month

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 11am-12pm WHERE: Westchester Children’s Museum, 100 Playland Park, Rye AGES: 5-12 WHAT: A kindness-themed book reading and discussion followed by an art educator-led good deed project.

WANT TO GO? $7. 914-421-5050. discoverwcm.org.

Story & Craft FREE

WHEN: Friday, Jan. 26, 11am WHERE: The Field Library, 4 Nelson Ave., Peekskill AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Come for a lively storytime followed by a special craft.

WANT TO GO? 914-737-0847. fieldkids.wordpress.com.

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 6, 11:30am WHERE: The Field Library, 4 Nelson Ave., Peekskill AGES: 3-5, adult WHAT: Music Together is a family music program for children and their caregivers. Help support your child’s musical development, learn how music supports all learning, and enjoy a fun, musical bonding experience with your little one.

WANT TO GO? 914-737-0847. fieldkids.wordpress.com.

Parent/Child Book Discussion FREE

Story Garden with Miss Alexia FREE

Fish Tales Storytime

WHEN: Friday, Jan. 12, 11-11:30am WHERE: The Field Library, 4 Nelson Ave., Peekskill AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Join Miss Alexia for stories, songs, and her magic ukulele.

WANT TO GO? 914-737-0847. fieldkids.wordpress.com.

Family Music Making Workshop with Miss Alexia FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 13, 2pm WHERE: The Field Library, 4 Nelson Ave., Peekskill AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Come find out how to start making music with your family, or add to your musical bag of tricks.

WANT TO GO? 914-737-0847. fieldkids.wordpress.com.

Musical Tots FREE

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 11:15 am WHERE: The Field Library, 4 Nelson Ave., Peekskill AGES: 3-5 WHAT: Join Lori Cohen for an interactive program of music and movement.

WANT TO GO? 914-737-0847. fieldkids.wordpress.com.

WHEN: Jan. 7-Feb. 4, Sundays, 2pm WHERE: Chappaqua Children’s Library, 19 S. Greeley Ave., Chappaqua AGES: 5-8 WHAT: Enjoy great books, lively discussion, and delicious snacks.

Discuss Because of Winn Dixie on Jan. 7 and The One and Only Ivan on Feb. 4.

WANT TO GO? 914-238-4779. chappaqualibrary.org.

WHEN: Jan. 5-March 30, Fridays, 10:15am WHERE: Maritime Aquarium, 10 N. Water St., Norwalk, CT AGES: Newborn to 5 WHAT: Each session features stories, songs, and games that encourage children’s emerging language skills.

WANT TO GO? $22.95; $20.95 children ages 13-17; $15.95 children ages 3-12. 203-852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org.

Coming up next month: FEB. 1: Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway at Westchester Broadway Theater, Elmsford FEB. 3: First Saturday Art Workshop, Westchester Children’s Museum, Rye FEB.11: Curious George and the Golden Meatball at Emelin Theatre, Mamaroneck

WestchesterParent 37

Wintry things to do

where-to-guide

❆ ❅

Family Fun

Compiled by Samantha Neudorf

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

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

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

MUSEUMS

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

❆

Ebersole Ice Rink Delfino Park, 110 Lake St., White Plains 914-422-1390 or 914-422-1348 Hours: Thursday, 12-2pm; Friday, 3-5pm and 8-10pm; Saturday, 1:45-4:15pm; Sunday, 8:30-10:15am (adults only) and 1:15-3:45pm.

Price: $5 skate rental. General Admission: $10 adults; $8 children 18 years and younger; $5 seniors.

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

❄

Westchester Children’s Museum Rye Playland Bathhouses (on the Long Island Sound) 914-421-5050; discoverwcm.org Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-4pm; Monday-Tuesday available for group visits by appointment only.

Admission: $7; $6 seniors; free for members and children 1 and younger Caters to children ages 10 and younger and provides opportunities for continued growth for preteens and teens, with exhibits focused on water play, pretend play, physics, science, art, music, and places to climb, build, and examine. It currently operates as a Museum without Walls and often partners with local organizations to offer family programs as well as fundraising events.

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

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❆❆

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WestchesterParent 39

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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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

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

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

Benefits of a “Yes” Space

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to Create a “Yes” Space

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WestchesterParent 41

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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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 44

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

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

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

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

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

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

Fortunately, problems like these are uncommon.

Special Needs, Special Arrangements

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

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

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

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

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

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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PartyCentral BIRTHDAY GIFTS GIRL AGAIN 4 Martine Ave., White Plains 914-358-1460 girlagain.com girlagain@yesshecaninc.org Girl AGain is a resale boutique for gently used American Girl dolls and books, which make great birthday gifts!

TILLY...A DEER’S TALE 914-764-5564 tillyadeerstale.com Tilly...A Deer’s Tale is about a real deer that lives in upstate New York and faces challenges after an accident. This powerful story is meant to inspire children living with physical challenges or limitations.

The book makes a great birthday gift!

PARTY ENTERTAINMENT AMANDABEAR PARTY RENTALS 347-326-5567 amandabearpartyrentals.com AmandaBear Party Rentals provides everything you need for an unforgettable party.

AMY ROSEN COOKING BY DESIGN 917-903-1451 amyrosencookingbydesign.com amyrosencookingbydesign@gmail.com Have a cooking party for your child’s next birthday. From Cupcake Wars, to Chopped Style parties, to Pizza Creations, to chocolate melting, molding, and decorating, your kids will enjoy the fully hands-on experience.

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

DAVE’S CAST OF CHARACTERS 914-235-7100 davescast.com Make your party a special one! Dave’s entertainment services include more than 100 costumed characters. From princesses and superheroes to pirates and tea parties, there’s something for everyone.

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

CENTRAL PARK DANCE 450 Central Park Ave., Scarsdale 914-723-2940 centralparkdance.com centralparkdance@gmail.com Have the birthday party of your dreams!

Choose from Fairytale Ballet, Hip-Hop, and Fun-n-Fit party games. We provide a beautifully decorated studio, a separate space to serve food, paper goods, and an experienced, professional staff.

JODI’S GYM 25 Hubbels Drive, Mount Kisco 914-244-8811 244 E. 84th St., Manhattan 212-772-7633 jodisgym.com Kids run, jump, climb, tumble, slide, bounce, and giggle to their hearts’ delight at Jodi’s Gym, where action-packed parties and unmatched experience have won children’s hearts for 34 years.

ABC CAKES 414 Mamaroneck Ave., Mamaroneck 914-630-2858 abccakesny.com info@abccakesny.com ABC Cakes specializes in birthday parties for all ages. Guests decorate cupcakes, cakes, or cookies. Book your party today.

CHELSEA PIERS CONNECTICUT 1 Blachley Road, Stamford, CT 203-989-1100 chelseapiersct.com/birthday Birthday parties at Chelsea Piers are action-packed! Options include gymnastics, dance, basketball, volleyball, soccer, T-ball, ice-skating, ninja warrior, gaga, and water slides! New this fall is an inflatable obstacle course and bounce house party option!

KINETIC SPORTS CLUB 872 Pelham Parkway, Pelham Manor 914-738-4000 kineticsportsclub.com Slide into your next birthday in style and celebrate your special day in our indoor, year-round water park, fun for all ages!

Call 914-738-4000 for more information.

ARTISTREE PERFORMING ARTS 114 W. Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck 914-835-2200 artistreearts.com heather@artistreearts.com Artistree Performing Arts creates amazing birthday parties for children ages 1-10.

Have your party in our beautifully renovated studio or let us come to you with just the entertainment.

DAVE AND BUSTER’S PELHAM MANOR 881 Pelham Parkway, Pelham Manor 914-380-8506 daveandbusters.com/specialevents beatriz_peneda@daveandbusters.com Dave & Buster’s of Pelham Manor is the best place for birthday parties. With great food and games all in one place, it’s the perfect party space.

PARTY PLACES A-GAME SPORTS 856 Main St., New Rochelle 914-278-9477 agamesports.net info@agamesports.net A-Game Sports offers a variety of birthday party packages for children of all ages.

Each 90-minute party includes supervised playtime with two coaches on a private section of turf.

BACH TO ROCK MAMARONECK 130 Mamaroneck Ave., Mamaroneck 914-341-1457 mamaroneck.bachtorock.com mamaroneck@bachtorock.com Looking for a fun birthday party at a reasonable price? We have three different parties—Rock Star, Karaoke, or Rock City—for an unforgettable experience!

BLUE MOON MEXICAN CAFÉ 7-27 Pondfield Road, Bronxville 914-337-4000 42 Kinderkamack Road, Woodcliff Lake, NJ 201-782-9500 23 E. Palisade Ave., Englewood, NJ 201-541-0600 327 Franklin Ave., Wyckoff, NJ 201-891-1331 595 Broadway, Norwood, NJ 201-784-3311 bluemoonmexicancafe.com Looking to spice up your child’s next birthday party without sending your savings south of the border? Your party guests will revel in a fun-filled celebration with a mouth-watering menu. Call today to find out more!

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

FUNFUZION AT NEW ROC CITY 29 LeCount Place (Exit 16 off I-95), New Rochelle Party Central: 914-637-7575, option 1 funfuziononline.com Calling all birthday superstars! You and your guests will be dazzled by a unique, interactive party experience!

GYMCATS GYMNASTICS AND BIRTHDAY PARTY CENTER 1 Odell Plaza at Equalize Fitness, Yonkers 914-965-7676 gymcats.net We are famous for our unique private birthday parties. Our enthusiastic, interactive staff will have partygoers laughing and yelling as they swing on rings, jump, bounce, climb, and roll through our super obstacle course.

ISG GYMNASTICS Annie Pipia and Joann Distler, directors 151 Crotona Ave., Harrison 914-835-0010 isggymnastics.com ISG is a fun-filled, unique way to celebrate a birthday complete with trampoline, balance beams, bars, vault, tumbling, and air castle.

All ages, 1 through teens. Age-appropriate program and equipment. Fun for all!

THE LITTLE GYM 777 White Plains Road, Scarsdale 914-722-0072 tlgscarsdaleny.com 2121 Broadway, 2nd Floor (between 74th and 75th streets), Upper West Side, Manhattan 212-799-1225 tlgupperwestsideny.com 207 E. 94th St. (between Second and Third avenues), Upper East Side, Manhattan 212-787-1124 tlguppereastsideny.com 28 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick, NJ 201-445-4444 tlgwaldwicknj.com A private party at The Little Gym is a perfect way to celebrate your child’s next birthday. Gymnastics, games, obstacle courses, trampoline, sports, and music are tailored to your child’s interests!

MACINSPIRES 1923 Palmer Ave., Larchmont 914-630-7338 larchmont@macinspires.com 37 W. Putnam Ave., Greenwich, CT 203-531-5720 sayhello@macinspires.com macinspires.com MacInspires parties are a wonderfully creative, collaborative, and educational way to celebrate birthdays! Parties feature STEAM activities such as 3-D design, robotics, coding, and more!

MUSICAL MUNCHKINS 167 Scarsdale Road, Tuckahoe 914-771-7000 musicalmunchkins.com

CHiLDREN’S BiRTHDAY PARTiES TURN YOUR PARTY INTO A FIESTA AT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BLUE MOON

Musical Munchkins is the perfect birthday party activity for babies through age 5! Enjoy group drumming, funny favorite sing-along songs, fabulous dancing scarves, and more!

sportimeusa.com Birthday parties? That’s our specialty!

Celebrate your birthday at Sportime USA, the coolest place to have a party in Westchester.

PROSWING ProSwing of Port Chester 36 Midland Ave. Port Chester Sam Colon: 914-937-6700 sam@proswingbaseball.com ProSwing of Mount Kisco 27 Radio Circle Drive, Mount Kisco Dan Gray: 914-242-1626 dan@proswingbaseball.com proswingbaseball.com Our facilities are available for team and individual workouts, special events, and birthday parties for children and adults.

STUDIO B DANCE CENTER 277 White Plains Road (entrance on Prospect Avenue), Eastchester 914-793-2799 studiobdance.com Each party at Studio B is uniquely designed to give the birthday child an exciting, personalized experience.

Boys and girls ages 2 and older enjoy dancing and playing games to their favorite music.

SPORTIME USA 380 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford 914-592-2111 x2

NY: Bronxville FL: Boca Raton!

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YOUNG AT ART WORKSHOP INC. 1088 Central Ave., Scarsdale 914-723-9229 A unique birthday party experience where each child brings home a personalized piece of art!

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Your local guide to tutors, teachers, lawyers, financial planners, and other professionals CLEANING & HOME IMPROVEMENT MJS CARE SERVICES 914-314-7727 mjscare.com MJS caters to families in Manhattan and Westchester areas. Offering amazing discount packages for our House Care department. We offer housekeeping, pet care, and house-sitting services.

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WestchesterParent 47

Meet the

Director Steffi Nossen School of Dance

216 Central Park Ave., White Plains 914-328-1900 Church of St. Mary the Virgin, South Greeley Avenue, Chappaqua steffinossen.org School director Kristina Todd Nelson holds a B.A. from Brevard College and is a graduate of the Harkness Dance Center Education Laboratory program. She has led the Steffi Nossen faculty since 2015 and was previously on faculty at Brooklyn Ballet, Dance Project of Washington Heights, 92nd St. Y, and Peridance. Nelson has developed and grown our Parents and Toddler and Creative Movement programs. Her performing career included leading roles in opera and musical theater in college, as well as at Asheville Contemporary Dance Theatre, and off-Broadway in New York.

Chelsea Piers Connecticut

Summer Sports Camps 1 Blachley Road, Stamford, CT 203-989-1100 chelseapiersct.com/camp Richard Grundy has dedicated his life to youth sports enrichment. He has been with Chelsea Piers for more than 15 years, starting as a rock climbing instructor in Manhattan in 2002, and working his way up to his current position: overseeing and developing Chelsea Piers Connecticut’s camp programs for the past five summers. He leads a talented group of individuals that strives to make a difference for every camper, every day.

Future Stars Summer Camps - Purchase College

735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase 914-273-8500 fscamps.com Jordan is returning for his 26th year as director of Future Stars at Purchase College. He has a B.A. from Rollins College (where he won the NCAA Tennis Championship) and an M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business, NYU. He is currently the Men’s Head Tennis Coach at Purchase College while also coaching a variety of youth sports at all levels. His education, business, and sports experience make him uniquely qualified to direct the camps for boys and girls, ages 4-16. Hand-picked, experienced program directors offer weekly sessions in tennis, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, baseball, circus arts, magic, diving, rising stars, cheerleading, field hockey, football, softball, volleyball, multi-sports, and academic.

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January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

Acres of Adventure Summer Camp at Ann and Andy

2170 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford 914-592-3027 annandandychildcare.com Deborah Asadoorian, Cheryl Anstett, and Anna Fucci have been following their passion to provide quality child care to the families of Westchester County since 1973! Our beautiful campus houses programs for 2-month-olds to 14-year-olds.

Camp Ramaquois

30 Mountain Road, Pomona 845-354-1600 ramaquois.com Arthur Kessler has spent his entire professional life having a tremendous impact on the camping industry. Kessler’s camping experience developed from camper to owner and director of Tunis Lake, and now Ramaquois. Throughout the years, Kessler has been known for setting the standards in camping. In 2005, he, along with his wife, received the highest honor as inductees to the Legends of Camping.

GymCats Gymnastics and Birthday Party Center Alyssa Fay, gymnastics and birthday party director

1 Odell Plaza at Equalize Fitness, Yonkers 914-965-7676 gymcats.net Alyssa Fay is the gymnastics and birthday party director at GymCats Gymnastics. She fully promotes the GymCats approach to teaching, which is fun, educational, beginner gymnastics, along with positivity and enthusiasm. Her goal is for every child to leave GymCats feeling better about themselves than when they came in.

Deer Mountain Day Camp

63 Call Hollow Road, Pomona 845-354-2727 deermountaindaycamp.com info@deermountaindaycamp.com Explore talents, unlock creativity, learn new skills. Find passions, make true friends, shine as you! Our story began in 1956, when the Katz family founded the camp, a legacy continued today by second generation owners and directors, Roberta and Carol Katz. Under our insightful watch, campers (ages 3-15) open up as themselves and have a blast as they enjoy a sleepaway camp’s range of activities, facilities, and staff—each program crafted to meet their ages and developmental levels—in a day camp setting. Activities include swimming, sports, fine and performing arts, outdoor adventure, nature, waterfront, discovery, science, and special events.

ISG Gymnastics Annie Pipia and Joann Distler, directors

151 Crotona Ave., Harrison 914-835-0010 isggymnastics.com Liz has been working at ISG for the past 6 years and is both the camp director and head coach. She is safety-certified and a USA Gymnastics professional member.

Prior to working at ISG, Liz trained at ISG and was a competitive gymnast! She enjoys working with every child from the preschool program all the way up to our competitive team. She is fun, energetic, and creative, which makes her the perfect fit for organizing our gymnastics program as well as the camp games and arts and crafts activities.

The Little Gym

777 White Plains Road, Scarsdale 914-722-0072 tlgscarsdaleny.com 2121 Broadway, 2nd Floor (between 74th and 75th streets), Upper West Side, Manhattan 212-799-1225

tlgupperwestsideny.com 207 E. 94th St. (between Second and Third avenues), Upper East Side, Manhattan 212-787-1124 tlguppereastsideny.com 28 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick, NJ 201-445-4444; tlgwaldwicknj.com

It was a love of fitness and children that led Jeff Freeman and Ian Axelrod to open several The Little Gym locations throughout New York and New Jersey. Freeman’s love of sports shows through his own athleticism as well as his career choices. For nearly two decades, he and The Little Gym have been helping children develop socially and physically while having fun, teaching them that the key to a healthy lifestyle is an active lifestyle.

Squire Camps, Inc.

at Maria Regina High School, Hartsdale 914-328-3798 squirecamps.com squirecamps@gmail.com Celebrating 45 years and 2017 Winner of Westchester County Inspectors Choice Award! Matt Davanzo operates Squire Advantage Camps, distinctive day camps for children in kindergarten-ninth grades at Maria Regina High School in Hartsdale.

Campers design their own custom schedules from more than 50 exciting courses including robotics, art, gourmet cooking, swimming, computers, digital photography, and Legos. All courses are taught by certified school teachers. Squire also operates a Baseball, Tennis, and All Sports Academy at Maria Regina High School. Hot lunch, snack, T-shirt, and early drop off included. Transportation and extended day are available.

Musical Munchkins

167 Scarsdale Road, Tuckahoe 914-771-7000 musicalmunchkins.com Eileen Oddo celebrates 35 years as co-founder of Musical Munchkins. With degrees in piano performance and piano pedagogy from Loyola University and Conservatoire de Cachan in France, Oddo is uniquely qualified to understand the steps from early childhood to success on an instrument. Oddo has received wide recognition as an early childhood professional because of her finely-honed, sensitive approach to each stage, from 6 months to 6 years. Oddo has lectured at local, state, and national educational conferences and publishes books and recordings under the Musical Munchkins label.

Jodi’s Gym

25 Hubbels Drive, Mount Kisco 914-244-8811 244 E. 84th St., Manhattan 212-772-7633 jodisgym.com As early as Jodi Levine could walk, she was tumbling. Levine ultimately became a national-level gymnast. In 1982, she started Jodi’s Gym, launching the first gymnastics-based “Mommy & Me” classes in NYC. At Jodi’s Gym, Levine leverages her more than 40 years of experience in gymnastics to create well-balanced programs that focus on all aspects of a child’s development. Jodi’s Gym offers classes in gymnastics, music, and art, in addition to a variety of camps, birthday parties, and off-site “Jodi’s Gym To Go” programs in Manhattan and Westchester County.

Music Conservatory of Westchester

216 Central Ave., White Plains 914-761-3900 musicconservatory.org Dr. Douglas Bish, dean of students and faculty, oversees educational programming and a distinguished faculty at the Music Conservatory of Westchester, directing high quality classical, jazz, and rock programs for students of all ages, developing musicianship, creativity, and teamwork in an exciting and nurturing environment.

He holds degrees from the University of the Pacific, the University of Oregon, and a Doctorate in music from Boston University.

The Play Group Theatre

1 N. Broadway, Suite 111, White Plains 914-946-4433 playgroup.org info@playgroup.org Jill Abusch (artistic director) is co-founder, and camp director of The Play Group Theatre.

As artistic director, Abusch has guided PGT’s innovative theater programs from their inception. She is proud to have directed the Teen Conservatory summer writing program for several years. She has taught a variety of classes and has gone into schools and camps to train teachers on the use of drama in the classroom. Abusch studied acting and directing at the Stella Adler Conservatory and the Classical Studio at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where she earned a B.F.A. in Drama.

Wagon Road Camp Vince Canziani, director

431 Quaker Road, Chappaqua 914-238-4761 childrensaidsociety.org/wagon-road-camp vincec@childrensaidsociety.org Vince Canziani has been working with children for more than 30 years as a teacher, social worker, program director, and adventure leader. Now in his 18th year as the director of Wagon Road Camp, he has a passion for creating summer programs that tie together fun, curiosity, and mastery. Canziani did his undergraduate work at The University of San Francisco and Oxford University. He holds a master’s in social work from Hunter College.

WestchesterParent 49

Meet the

Health Care Professional Jamee M. Goldstein, D.O., Monroe Pediatric Associates, Allied Pediatrics 70 Gilbert St., Monroe 845-782-8616 monroepediatrics.org

Caring for Kids Dr. Ivis Getz 140 Lockwood Ave., Suite 315, New Rochelle 914-355-2265 caringpediatricdentistry.com caringpediatricdentistry@gmail.com

Dr. Ivis Getz, a board-certified pediatric dentist, is committed to providing the highest quality dental care to infants, children, adolescents, and those with special needs. Dr. Getz recognizes that each child is a unique individual who deserves compassion and respect, which is evident in her friendly manner and calm demeanor. The dental team truly enjoys working with kids and will treat your child with warmth and compassion.

The practice participates in many dental insurance plans and has convenient after-school and Saturday appointments available.

Jamee M. Goldstein, D.O., received her B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University: College of Human Ecology. She received a Graduate Certificate in Premedical Sciences from Duquesne University, and her D.O. from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Goldstein completed her residency in pediatrics at The Infants and Children’s Hospital of Brooklyn, Maimonides Medical Center. She returned home to join Monroe Pediatrics and to work alongside her mentor, Dr. Alan Harawitz, in 2004. She is board-certified and a fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians.

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Zip

Davler Media Group Fax: 212.271.2239 • Call: 914.290.4716 Email: Distribution@davlermedia.com 498 Seventh Ave., 10th Floor New York, NY 10018

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TOP

Mother & Son Father & Daughter Songs •••

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

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MY BAT MITZVAH IN ISRAEL

•••

MITZVAH PROJECTS:

FREE COPY •••

All Inclusive:

Great Ideas to Give Back

HOW TO PLAN

Questions

a Special Needs Service

TO ASK T THE HE EXPERTS

FOOD ALLERGY ALLERGY

freedom

OPENHOUSES 2017

THE BEST

PLACE FOR FUN!

Hudson Country Montessori School

340 Quaker Ridge Road, New Rochelle 914-636-6202 hudsoncountry.org

881 PELHAM PKWY PELHAM MANOR, NY 10803 • 914-380-8500

Tours are available each weekday beginning at 9:30am.

Please call to schedule a visit and see how we inspire a love of learning in each child.

Iona Preparatory Lower School

Pre-K-4 to eighth grades Deirdre Mone, admissions director 173 Stratton Road, New Rochelle 914-633-7744 x418 ionaprep.org/visit

GREAT FOOD AND GAMES ALL IN ONE PLACE

Discover the Iona Prep difference at the Feb. 13 information sessions at 9am and 7pm. See why your son should say #IAmIonaPrep to 100 years of academic excellence, small class sizes, and a safe, 11-acre campus!

Come in for eat, play and drink anytime. Also booking camp outings, birthday parties, award ceremonies, club get-togethers, graduation parties, after-prom parties, Sweet 16s, Quinceaneras and more!

Whitby School

35

yrs. of Fun, Friend s, & Fitness!

969 Lake Ave., Greenwich, CT 203-869-8464 x176 whitbyschool.org smead@whitbyschool.org

Delicious food, unlimited drinks, and Power Cards for play in our Million Dollar Midway.

Mention this ad and receive unlimited video game play!

Great Perks For Members

Gymnastics • Ninja Challenge • Music •

Join us for Wednesdays at Whitby! Wednesday mornings at 9:30am. Register at whitbyschool.org/wednesday.

Playtime • Jodi’s To Go • For Kids 9 mos to 12 yrs

V is it O u r To ta Awes o mlly e New ly Ren ova te Fa ci lity! d

Summer & School • Break Camps Best Birthdays Ever •

Nothing Else Even Comes Close!

Well-nourished kids are ready to learn, grow, and play!

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) helps childcare providers pay for healthy meals and snacks.

Visit ChildcareMealsNY.org to learn more.

Enroll NOW!

We register children all year long!

The Children’s Jewish Education Group offers Jewish cultural studies for grades K-7, with emphasis on tradition, history and holidays.

A professional teaching staff is supported by a parent co-op.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons available. Interfaith families welcome.

Classes held Sunday mornings at Purchase College.

Call now to plan a Visit

914-200-1520 or visit our website www.cjeg.org

www.jodisgym.com

25 Hubbels Dr. Mt. Kisco • 914.244.8811 244 E. 84th St. NYC • 212.772.7633

A Lavishly Illustrated Children’s Story of Friendship and Overcoming Obstacles

Tilly...

A Deer’s Tale (BASED ON A TRUE STORY)

Follow the adventures of a rescued baby deer.

Share Tilly’s courage and valiant recovery.

Call 914-764-5564

to schedule a free Tilly Event for schools, libraries & hospitals Available at Barnes & Noble, Walden Books and at Amazon.com For books preview and sale, visit us at:

www.tillyadeerstale.com

WestchesterParent 51

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Fun Activities • Unique Classes • Free Treats & Goodie Bags 52

January 2018 | nymetroparents.com

FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE PARTY PLANNER NURSERY SCHOOL

Nursery School for 2s, 3s, & 4s

Want to know the best

activities for families?

• No potty training required • Great student/teacher ratio c Millwood & Yorktown • Spanish instruction twice a week d • Beautiful, Fenced-in Play Area

Subscribe to our family activity

email newsletter

NYMETROPARENTS.COM/REGISTER

108 Pinesbridge Road, Ossining torbanknurseryschool.com torbank@verizon.net 914-941-1563

raising kids ad index NYMetroParents.com features more than 20,000 businesses serving the NY metropolitan area! acrobatics / gymnastics

Gym Cats Gymnastics......................48, 56 ISG Gymnastics................................49, 56 Jodi’s Gym - Westchester.................49, 51

birthday / party services

Artistree Performing Arts........................35 Blue Moon Mexican Café.......................47 Gym Cats Gymnastics......................48, 56 Jodi’s Gym - Westchester.................49, 51 Little Gym - Westchester....................7, 49 Musical Munchkins...........................29, 49 Pinebrook Studios..................................45 PlayLand Ice Casino...............................30 Sportime USA Inc.....................................9 Westchester Parent Party Planner.........53 Westchester Skate Academy..................30

camps

Ann & Andy.......................................26, 48 Artistree Performing Arts........................35 Beth El Synagogue Center.....................27 Camp Huntington....................................13 Camp Ramaquois.............................39, 48 Chelsea Piers - CT...........................13, 48 Deer Mountain Day Camp......................48 Future Stars......................................43, 48 Hudson Country Montessori................... 11 ISG Gymnastics................................49, 56 Jodi’s Gym - Westchester.................49, 51 Little Gym - Westchester....................7, 49 Mandarin Discovery Preschool...............26 Milestone School (The)...........................27 Music Conservatory of Westchester.......49 Purchase College / SUNY Aquatic Program..........................45 Squire Camps...................................47, 49 Steffi Nossen School of Dance.........30, 48 Studio B Dance.........................................9 Temple Israel Center Nursery School.....21 Wagon Road Camp..........................39, 49 Westchester Jewish Center....................27

Westfield School (The)...........................20 Whitby School.........................................20

child care / day care

Ann & Andy.......................................26, 48 AuPairCare by Intrax..............................43

classes

Alcott Montessori....................................27 Artistree Performing Arts........................35 Belle School of Music ..............................9 Chelsea Piers - CT...........................13, 48 Easter Seals Project Explore..................43 Gym Cats Gymnastics......................48, 56 Hoff-Barthelson Music School................13 Mandarin Discovery Preschool...............26 Molly Ness..............................................27 Music Conservatory of Westchester.......49 Pinebrook Studios..................................45 Play Group Theatre................................49 PlayLand Ice Casino...............................30 Purchase College / SUNY Aquatic Program..........................45 Starlight Starbright Music.......................39 Steffi Nossen School of Dance.........30, 48 Studio B Dance.........................................9 SwimLabs...............................................39 Temple Israel Center Nursery School.....21 Temple Sholom.......................................27 Westchester Jewish Center....................27 Westchester Skate Academy..................30

dance

Steffi Nossen School of Dance.........30, 48 Studio B Dance.........................................9

developmental

Huntington Learning Center...................43

education

Alcott Montessori....................................27 Archdiocese of New York..........................2 Beth El Synagogue Center.....................27 Blue Rock School...................................26

Children’s Jewish Education Group........51 Congregation Kol Ami Early Childhood....26 FASNY....................................................14 German International School of New York...14 Green Meadow Waldorf School................3 Hudson Country Montessori................... 11 Huntington Learning Center...................43 Iona Prep................................................19 John A. Coleman School........................21 Kids’ B.A.S.E. and The Little School.......21 Mandarin Discovery Preschool...............26 Milestone School (The)...........................27 Molly Ness..............................................27 Sylvan Learning Centers........................ 11 Temple Israel Center Nursery School.....21 Temple Sholom.......................................27 Westchester Community College: Pre-College...............................................5 Westchester Jewish Center....................27 Westfield School (The)...........................20 Whitby School.........................................20

family entertainment / events / outings

Dave & Buster’s Pelham Manor.............51 Emelin Theatre.......................................47 Inn at East Hill Farm (The).....................47 Royal Hanneford Circus.........................29 Sportime USA Inc.....................................9

family travel

Inn at East Hill Farm (The).....................47

fitness

Jodi’s Gym - Westchester.................49, 51 Pinebrook Studios..................................45

health

Allied Physicians Group..........................50 Caring for Kids Pediatric Dentistry..........50 Early Care and Learning Counsel..........51 Pediatric Associates of Southern Westchester............................29

music

Belle School of Music ..............................9 Hoff-Barthelson Music School................13 Music Conservatory of Westchester.......49 Musical Munchkins...........................29, 49 Starlight Starbright Music.......................39

peforming arts / acting

Artistree Performing Arts........................35 Play Group Theatre................................49

religious

Iona Prep................................................19 Temple Israel Center Nursery School.....21 Temple Sholom.......................................27 Westchester Jewish Center....................27

restaurant / food services

Blue Moon Mexican Café.......................47

retail

Tilly...A Deer’s Tale..................................51

services

Early Care and Learning Counsel..........51

special events

Dave & Buster’s Pelham Manor.............51

special needs

Camp Huntington....................................13 Easter Seals Project Explore..................43 Huntington Learning Center...................43 Westfield School (The)...........................20

sports

Chelsea Piers - CT...........................13, 48 Purchase College / SUNY Aquatic Program..................................................45

theater

Artistree Performing Arts........................35 Emelin Theatre.......................................47 Play Group Theatre................................49

tutors

Molly Ness..............................................27 Sylvan Learning Centers........................ 11

WestchesterParent 53

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)

Bar Mitzvah Bat Mi t zvah Sweet Sixteen Quinceañera

Party Planning?

Check off your entire to-do list in ONE DAY!

• Venues • Favors

• Invitations • Food Samples

• Photographers • Décor

• DJs and Entertainment • Judaica

Northern New Jersey • Park Ridge Marriott • Sunday, January 28th • 12 to 4 PM

Get your FREE family ticket online at CelebrateShowcase.com Tickets purchased at the door are $10 WestchesterParent 55

ISG GYMNASTICS GYMNASTICS BENEFITS YOUR CHILD’S • Skills to enhance other sports • Self Esteem • Coordination • Strength • Flexibility & More!

GYMNASTICS CLASSES Ages 3 & up Beginner – Advanced • Tumbling Preschool open gym for 5 & under

BIRTHDAY PARTIES

Gymnastics, Trampoline, Air Castle & More. All parties are private, and our amazing staff will make your party one to remember!

151 CROTONA AVE / HARRISON 914−835−0010 / ISGGYMNASTICS.COM Gymnastics Classes

Gymnastics Benefits Your Child’s

• Skills to enhance other sports • Self Esteem • Coordination • Strength • Flexibility & More!

• Boys & Girls • Ages 20 months & up • Beginner-Advanced • Tumbling • Private Lessons

Private Birthday Parties Air castles • Trampolines • Giant Slide Obstacles Courses, foam filled pit & more

One Odell Plaza, Yonkers/Hastings border

Located at (Exit 9 off Saw Mill River Parkway)

Ask About Our Toddler Open Gym Programs!

A walk in, non-instructional playtime for crawlers to 4 year olds

gymcats.net 914-965-7676

Register now for

SPRING All of our famous parties are private,and our interactive staff will make your child’s party a very special one.