Family Times March 2019

MARCH 2019

THE

n o i s u l c n i ISSUE

FREE A school for the deaf with ambitious goals Advocates Inc. reaches out Autism—it’s so cool!

ADRIANA & CALEB Diverse Needs, Diverse Strengths

Had a Stroke.

Back on Stage.

Musician Todd Hobin KNOW THE SIGNS • CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY

Central New York music legend Todd Hobin knew nothing about stroke — but he does now. That’s why he’s raising awareness about stroke risk factors and its signs and symptoms.

F.

FACE DROOPING

A. S.

ARM WEAKNESS

SPEECH DIFFICULTY

Fact: Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. Important to know: Stroke can happen to both men and women — at any age.

Good news: Stroke is preventable by managing medical risk factors and healthy lifestyle choices.

What to do: Time lost is brain lost. So it’s vital to know the signs of a stroke — F.A.S.T. Four words to live by: Call 911 and say, “Take me to Crouse.“ When it comes to stroke, every moment matters. As one of just 10 hospitals in New York State to have earned Comprehensive Stroke Center status, and with the region’s newest ER and hybrid ORs, Crouse offers the most advanced technology for rapid stroke diagnosis and treatment

Read Todd’s story and learn more: crouse.org/toddhobin.

2

FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

T.

TIME TO CALL 911

Our students say it all.

Joy of learning

is what it’s all about for students at Rochester School for the Deaf.

Since 1876, our students have been discovering the art of communication and education in a nurturing, inclusive environment—at no cost to families.

As a private school, our dynamic educational

programs employ skilled professionals who

educate students in a vibrant multicultural and bilingual scholastic setting which includes American Sign Language and English.

H Building futures for deaf and

hard of hearing students

H Focusing on infant, early childhood,

K-12 grades, up to age 21

H Sign language learning programs and community outreach services

Get in touch today and give your student the joy of learning.

Luke, 7th Grade signing “Happy”

Rochester School for the Deaf Celebrating our 140th Year!

1545 St. Paul Street | Rochester, NY 14621 585-544-1240 • www.RSDeaf.org • email info@RSDeaf.org

FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

3

EDUCATION

8

ATYPICAL FAMILY

10

PROFILE

12

CLASS OF THE MONTH

14

FEATURE

16

315 BULLETIN

21

BEEN THERE

22

Strategies for supporting students in school.

Advocates Inc. is on track for growth.

The Kurpiewski family forges ahead with positivity.

Montessori School of Syracuse’s Tech Lab. Students uncover opportunities at Rochester School for the Deaf.

BSA Scouts makes way for girls, and a TV star flies in Peter Pan. One parent discovers what’s so cool about autism.

CONTENTS

6

MARCH 2019

EDITOR’S NOTE

THE

n o i s u l c in ISSUE

4

FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

23

FAMILY FUN CALENDAR

24

PARTY

24

LEARN

Y O U W O U L D M O V E M O U N TA I N S T O P R O T E C T T H E O N E S Y O U L O V E .

Why accept anything less from your health care team?

By the most-critical measures of safety, volume of experience and national distinction, no other area hospital outperforms us. Because when it comes to you and your loved ones, expect only the highest level of care.

A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE

| higherlevelofcare.org

© 2019 St. Joseph’s Health. © 2019 Trinity Health. All rights reserved.

SJH18028_EOC_Print_Family_Times_7.75x10_No-Bleed_v01.indd 1

2/1/19 2019 11:55 AM5 FAMILY TIMES MARCH

FROM THE

THE PARENTING GUIDE OF CENTRAL NEW YORK

EDITOR

Since 2009, Family Times has published an edition devoted to the more significant needs of disabled children. It used to be “The Special Needs Issue.”

It’s now “The Inclusion Issue.” Yes, many still refer to disabled people as having “special needs” (including in this issue of Family Times), and the individualized education programs of children are referred to as special education.

But as I’ve been influenced by the work of disability rights advocates, I’ve started to contemplate inclusion. Almost all of us will experience physical disability or mental illness—or both—in our lives.

We all sometimes require additional supports. These are not special needs; they’re human needs. And regardless of ability, we all want to belong, to be included.

I hope you appreciate the stories in the March issue. Among other topics, writers have covered: the neurodiversity model of autism; the best way to acquire educational supports for your child; and an ambitious school for the deaf in Rochester. As always, I’m eager to get your thoughts. Email me at rsullivan@familytimescny.com.

Thank you for reading!

MARCH 2019 | ISSUE NO. 203

GENIUSES AT WORK PUBLISHER/OWNER Bill Brod EDITOR IN CHIEF Reid Sullivan editorial@familytimes.biz MANAGING EDITOR Bill DeLapp PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Michael Davis CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Tom Tartaro (ext. 134) CREATIVE DIRECTOR Robin Barnes GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Greg Minix Rachel Barry Karley Harmon STAFF WRITER Kira Maddox CONTRIBUTORS Deborah Cavanagh, Tammy DiDomenico, Aaron Gifford, Eileen Gilligan, Molly Morgan, Tami Scott, Maggie Lamond Simone, Laura Livingston Snyder, Christy Perry Tuohey, Chris Xaver SALES MANAGER Tim Hudson (ext. 114)

REID SULLIVAN EDITOR IN CHIEF

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Lesli Mitchell (ext. 140) LMitchell@syracusenewtimes.com Anne DeSantis (ext. 111) ADesantis@syracusenewtimes.com Robert Auchman (ext. 146) RAuchman@syracusenewtimes.com

ON THE COVER

The mother of Adriana and Caleb tells their story on page 12.

INSIDE PHOTO

The Kurpiewski family: Adriana, 12, Caleb, 7, and Briana, 10, and their parents, Jessica and Stephen.

Advertising deadline for April is March 16. Calendar deadline for April is March 3.

Advertising deadline for April is March 14. Calendar deadline for April is March 8.

Cover and Issue Design by Rachel Barry Photos by Michael Davis

6

FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

SALES AND MARKETING COORDINATOR Megan McCarthy (ext. 115) MMcarthy@syracusenewtimes.com DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Deana Vigliotti (ext. 118) ADDRESS

1415 W. Genesee Street, Syracuse, NY 13204 (315) 472-4669 fax (315) 422-1721 familytimescny.com

Free Prenatal Consultation

Pediatric Associates, LLP STAFF ON CALL 24 HOURS A DAY

Caring for CNY children for more than 40 years. www.PediatricAssociatesNY.com

LIVERPOOL 8086 Oswego Rd. • 652-1070 CAMILLUS 270 Township Blvd. • 487-1541

A Special Day Camp For Grieving Children August 26th - August 29th, 2019

arts Le Moyne College

Summer

Call 315-634-1100 www.hospicecny.org

Institute

Theatre Vocal Jazz

July 8 – 19 July 8 – 12

Film Strings

July 8 – 19 July 22 – 26

Creative Writing Musical Theatre July 8 – 12 July 29 – Aug. 2

(315) 445-4230 lemoyne.edu/summerinstitute

FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

7

Learning to Advocate Parents of disabled students need know-how and support

BY CHRISTY PERRY TUOHEY

iSTOCK PHOTO

F

ourteen-year-old Walter Polak is an honor student who passed two high school Regents exams while he was still in middle school. The Syracuse high school freshman is already making college plans, hoping to study foreign languages. He has taught himself Spanish and is now studying Mandarin.

To get to this point, Walter needed special education. He was diagnosed with autism at 28 months and began receiving education support services before he turned 3.

“We started the process at 18 months,” his mother Jennifer Polak said. “We were concerned because he gained language and then lost it a number of times.”

She first made an appointment with the family’s primary care physician, who referred the Polaks to a developmental pediatrician. “He had the speech evaluation, he had a psychological and emotional evaluation, occupational therapy, physical therapy,” Polak said.

The results of those assessments qualified Walter for early intervention services, both at Syracuse’s Dr. King Elementary School and through in-home visits from an occupational therapist and a consultant teacher. When he was ready for preschool, 8

EDUCATION

friends and family with special education experience suggested Jowonio School, an inclusive preschool where children with special needs learn in classrooms along with typical children.

Jennifer learned all she could about autism on her own, reading books she took out from the Onondaga County Public Library. It was through Jowonio that she found out about workshops and seminars designed to help parents like herself. “A lot of them were events within the community that were free or at low cost, where you could go and learn about how to become a parent advocate.”

Through those programs, the Polaks learned to tackle what can be an intense, exhausting, often frustrating process of researching, attending meetings, understanding students’ legal rights, and filling out mountains of forms.

“Nobody ever comes to this office happy,” said Amy Evans, Syracuse City School District’s director of special education. “As a parent, when you come here, you always have a concern.”

Evans has an open-door, no-appointment-needed policy. Parents are welcome to come to her office at the district’s Central Office, located at 725 Harrison St. “There

are several administrators in this department and we always make it a priority to sit down with them and come up with a plan to help them through the process.”

The Syracuse City School District has a long history of providing services to students with disabilities; Edward Smith K-8 School has had special needs-inclusive classrooms since the 1970s. The district continues to provide an autism specialist, instructional specialists and behavior support specialists. Its Office of Family Engagement provides services that include accompanying families to their periodic individualized education program (IEP) meetings.

“With the parents’ permission, they will come to the CSE (committee on special education) table and help advocate and help the parent with proper questions or things that they may not have thought of,” Evans said.

Local school districts work alongside advocates from nonprofit agencies as well.

“It’s a tough process to navigate, but that’s our specialty, that’s what we do,” said Melissa Havener, lead education advocate with Arise, a nonprofit that provides support services to people with disabilities. Arise employs education advocates in Ononda-

ga, Oswego, Madison, Cayuga and Seneca counties.

Havener said she receives referrals for special needs clients from a variety of sources, including teachers and school psychologists, principals, guidance counselors and physicians. “We are often in the community, presenting or working with a school district. We were just at the Literacy Night at Blodgett (elementary school), and there were three intakes from there.”

After initial contact, Arise advocates set up education intake meetings with parents or guardians. At those meetings, Havener guides families through paperwork including medical privacy forms. She helps them understand their legal rights and evaluates educational plans, including IEPs and 504 plans, which are basically blueprints for how schools will support students with

disabilities and give them equal access to education. She attends committee on special education meetings, visits classrooms, assists with school transfers and helps with disciplinary hearings.

“We’re that bridgestone between the (school) district and the family, and it’s us in between helping them navigate the system,” Havener said.

Parents of children with disabilities often have to balance leaning on professional expertise with their own self-education and knowledge acquired by talking to friends.

Jennifer Polak knows that drill.

“I think that one of the most important things that we learn from each other is really not even what we’re fighting for but actually how to prepare our arguments properly,” she said. “For example, you can’t walk into any kind of meeting and

tell anyone that you want what’s best for your child. You have to tell them that you want what’s appropriate for your child and what’s fair.”

The Polaks are pleased with Walter’s support team at present. Walter is in a general education setting and has speech therapy twice a week. Although he still struggles with processing speech, he also has strong visual memory.

Because of Walter’s laser focus on languages, his mother is optimistic that he will figure out a way to use his unique communication skills in unexpected ways.

“I think someday this kid is going to make it possible for other people to communicate,” she said.

Christy Perry Tuohey is an author, journalist and freelance writer living in Syracuse.

“

I think that one of the most important things that we learn from each other is really not even what we’re fighting for but actually how to prepare our arguments properly.

JENNIFER POLAK

Common Abbreviations

Special Needs Resources

504: Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-112, Section 504)

ARISE Onondaga County. 635 James St., Syracuse. (315) 472-3171. TTY: (315) 479-6363. http://www.ariseinc.org/.

ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act AT: Assistive Technology BIP: Behavioral Intervention Plan CSE: Committee on Special Education FAPE: Free and Appropriate Public Education FBA: Functional Behavior Assessment FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act IEP: Individualized Education Program IQ: Intelligence Quotient LD: Learning Disability NYSED: New York State Education Department OHI: Other Health Impaired OPWDD: Office for People with Developmental Disabilities OT: Occupational Therapy/Therapist RTI: Response to Intervention SLP: Speech Language Pathology/Pathologist

Syracuse City School District Department of Special Education. 725 Harrison St., Syracuse. (315) 435-4499. http://www.syracusecityschools.com/.

Exceptional Family Resources. 1820 Lemoyne Ave., Syracuse. (315) 478-1462. https://contactefr.org/contact-us/.

Syracuse University Parent Assistance Center/ Mid-State Special Education Parent Technical Assistance Center. The New York State Education Department is not renewing the Parent Technical Assistance Center Grants (14 statewide) as of June 30. However, the SUPAC website is a good source of information: http://supac. org/. A SUPAC-led training session at Exceptional Family Resources, “Improving Educational Results for Students with Disabilities,” takes place April 19, noon to 2 p.m.

CNY IEP Discussions. Facebook group supports parents going through the individualized education program (IEP) process. https://www.facebook.com/ groups/280257962031476/.

FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

9

a day habilitation program; or live in an institutional setting.

Kelly Thomas and mentor Brenda Champion spend time at the Advocates family picnic at Long Branch Park in Liverpool.

We tell our typical children to follow their passion: figure out what they want to do in life and then “go for it.” We say, “Experiment with choices to learn what works for you.” Our adults with special needs were presented with the opposite.

If there was a parent group trying to improve this situation, I wanted to meet them! That is how I was introduced to Familycapped Inc., which eventually became Advocates Inc. Founded more than 25 years ago, Advocates began as a group of parents. They came together to answer the question of how to morally and socially support one another to raise our children with complex medical, intellectual and developmental disabilities. These families were looking for peer support, recreation, training and shared experiences.

Led by executive director Nicholas Cappoletti and funded by the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), Advocates began supporting families in various stages of their journey by providing care coordination, training, support services and recreational opportunities.

ADVOCATES INC. PHOTO

In 2005 the nonprofit approached New York state regarding a new program called “self-direction” and was selected as one of the first agencies to pilot this model.

Supporting Choices

Advocates helps people with special needs find their path

BY DEBORAH CAVANAGH

W

hen my family first moved to the Syracuse area from California more than 12 years ago, I heard about a parent group that was looking to create meaningful life options for adults with special needs once they left the school setting.

My daughter, Amanda, who has Down syndrome and various health challenges, was only in second grade, but I was already nervously looking to that future.

10

There seemed to be a huge disconnect: We fought for inclusion in our schools. We wanted our children to experience learning and socializing with their peers and their community. It seemed that once they left high school all individualization and opportunities disappeared.

Just 12 years ago, adults with developmental disabilities had few options. They could: stay at home with their families, with little to no supported activities; attend

ATYPICAL FAMILY

Self-direction gives individuals oneon-one support and allows them choice in programming. This is the opposite of a congregate model, in which services are set and the adult is expected to follow the program with limited or no choice as to how she spends her time.

Amy Dugliss, vice president of services, is the “person-centered conscience” of Advocates. “We presume competence,” she said recently. “Sometimes we are the only people outside the family that see the possibilities. At times we even have to push families to step out of their comfort zone for their child. We help them imagine their child in new settings and attempting new activities.”

Advocating for the person to be whatever they want to be and encouraging them to try is the agency’s goal. The agency advocates for people with developmental disabilities to fully participate in their home, schools and communities in a meaningful way.

Through self-direction, these adults with disabilities are staying at home but receiving support to reach out into their community. Advocates has clients that have received college degrees, are learning to

drive, are living in their own apartments, are married, are working in their community and much more. Mentors are key in making this the program successful.

Advocates puts considerable thought and effort into matching mentors with their employer. They look for compatibility socially, and a matching needed skill set. A co-employment model is used so both the families and the agency have responsibility to train the mentor. Each mentor is trained to assist their person toward doing things on their own.

ment process for family support services, to provide resources until funding begins.

For families with younger children, a new state-funded partnership with the YMCA is being piloted. Mentors work side by side with YMCA employees to create an inclusive “before and after school” childcare program, allowing children with special needs to be with their classmates in their community. The YMCA has age-appropriate programming geared toward all children, and with individualized support everyone benefits.

Advocates also provides a mentor backup service. One of the biggest challenges of self-direction can be when a mentor is not available to work a particular shift.

In preparation for significant changes to the delivery of disability services, including New York’s implementation of Medicaid Managed Care, Advocates became an affiliate of Upstate Caring Partners Inc. of Utica on Jan. 1, 2018. This strategic merger allows both agencies to provide services to meet the growing needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with supports addressing mental health, specialized medical care, behavior strategies and more.

Advocates understands families need to enter into self-directed services at their own pace. To allow this, a family liaison helps with the steps needed to begin the process. The agency also has a reimburse-

Advocates now serves 1,000 individuals in Central New York and has more than 1,000 employees. The agency’s board of directors continues to reflect the mission of being parent- and family-led. Among

Mentors are hired by referral from families served, and by word of mouth by other mentors. Advocates attends college fairs and targets human services and nursing students. The agency reaches out to Onondaga Community College, Le Moyne College and Syracuse University.

the agency’s most popular programs are its kickball leagues, coffeehouse dances, family nights at the Syracuse Crunch and Chiefs games, and holiday and summer parties.

At the end of March, Advocates’ Liverpool offices will move from the 636 Old Liverpool Road location to larger quarters in the Thruway Office Building at 290 Elwood Davis Road—still in Liverpool. The agency is relocating in order to make room for additional clients, services and new employees. (The Old Liverpool Road offices will be closed on March 21 and March 22, and the agency will reopen at the new location on March 25.)

Advocates continues to find ways to empower our individuals with developmental disabilities to direct their lives and engage in their community. Adults with developmental disabilities can have a future with choice, opportunity and a sense of meaning: what every parent wants for their child.

Deborah Cavanagh lives in Manlius with her husband and two children. She has written for local organizations supporting children and adults with special needs.

y r u b r e t n Ca tables S After School Enrichment Program: M-F 3-6pm REGISTER NOW! • Safe Hands on with Horses • Fun Arts & Crafts • Horse Care Education • Transportation from Caz Schools • Time for Homework • Canterbury Trainers 315-440-2244 for Tours and Information 4786 Roberts Rd. canterburystablesny.com Listen online at www.fln.org

Get the app at fln.org/iradio

BOARDING • HUNTER, JUMPER & DRESSAGE LESSONS • SHOWS FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

11

Diverse Strengths, Diverse Needs The Kurpiewski family navigates life with positivity and gratitude | BY REID SULLIVAN

J

essica and Stephen Kurpiewski have three children: Adriana, 12, Briana, 10, and Caleb, 7. Adriana enjoys dance, color guard and drawing. Briana dances and plays basketball. Caleb likes soccer, fishing, and using his iPad.

When their mother asked Adriana and Caleb if they wanted to be on the cover of Family Times’ March issue, they told her, “Yes!” March is Family Times’ inclusion-themed issue, focusing on young people who have more than typical needs for support.

Adriana and Caleb have disabilities that make speech, learning, and social interactions a challenge. Adriana has a motor speech disorder called dyspraxia, in addition to ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), anxiety, OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), developmental delay, and learning disorder. Caleb has a different motor speech disorder, as well as ADHD, anxiety, and developmental delay. Both receive services in their North Syracuse schools; Adriana is a seventh-grader, and Caleb is a first-grader.

Briana, the middle child, received early intervention, but with targeted therapies she was able to discontinue services. She’s now in fifth grade.

The family, candid about their successes and difficulties, have benefited from the advice and support of so many others that now Jessica tries to find ways to give back.

“It’s a great feeling to help other families the way my family was helped,” Jessica says in a phone interview.

Young sweethearts Jessica and Stephen have been together for 17 years, married for 10. They met when Jessica was 17 and Stephen was 21. Jessica graduated from high school, despite facing symptoms of what she now knows is ADHD. She also had a stutter for which she received speech therapy. Stephen found school impossible and ended up leaving early and earning a GED, a general education diploma.

He, too, copes with ADHD, his wife says. He works as a machine operator at a local company. Jessica is a teaching assistant at the preschool her three children attended. “I still stutter every so often but you learn different strategies to help with that,” she says.

Worrisome signs When Adriana was about 2, Jessica began to ask questions about her daughter’s development. Adriana used to be able to say her ABCs, and suddenly she couldn’t. No one could tell Jessica why. She sought services through the Onondaga County Health Department’s Early Intervention Program, which provides therapies and other services to young children with signs of developmental delay. Adriana qualified for at-home speech, occupational and physical therapies, and teacher services.

MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTOS

Everyone always says what an awesome child she is. It makes me happy to know that she’s doing good in the world.

12

PROFILE

”

When she turned 3, Adriana started attending the North Syracuse Early Education Program at Main Street—which everyone just calls “Main Street”—and received her therapies there.

Still, Jessica had concerns. The family eventually brought Adriana to the University of Rochester’s Kirch Developmental Services Center (now called Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics).

There, at age 5, Adriana was evaluated by a doctor and received more precise diagnoses that made it easier to get the right accommodations for her lagging skills.

Finally, her mother had answers for the issues that had puzzled her for years. The diagnoses helped Adriana receive appropriate supports and an individual education plan, or IEP, in school. And, after all the work Adriana did with therapists at her preschool, she outgrew her need for occupational therapy. At Main Street, she learned to speak and use scissors. When she started at the preschool, she had no verbal communication and used a communication board to express herself. Now, she can talk—although it’s still often hard for her to get the words out.

Though Briana, too, received early intervention services and then physical therapy at Main Street, she “graduated” at age 5. Now, she’s a typically developing 10-year-old who makes honor roll.

Caleb’s turn By the time Caleb was born, in 2012, his mother had acquired a keen eye for developmental delays. When Caleb was 8 months old

and not yet crawling or even moving much, Jessica said to herself, “Something’s up with this boy.”

She called her regular Onondaga County early intervention coordinator. In short order, Caleb was putting in his time with the in-home therapies. Later he followed in his big sisters’ footsteps to Main Street preschool. His speech therapist there identified his specific speech disorder, apraxia. Later, he, too, had an evaluation by the University of Rochester doctor who treated Adriana, and Caleb acquired additional diagnoses, including ADHD. Caleb’s form of ADHD affects him profoundly. The disorder causes his major anxiety and leads to anger. He received an oppositional defiant disorder label; it’s also called ODD. “That’s all in with the ADHD,” Jessica says. “People don’t realize how much ADHD is really a huge disability because there’s such a wide range of it.”

He has speech therapy four times a week, and occupational therapy twice a week, because his fine motor skills are behind and he still has difficulty using scissors. He uses an iPad he received from a nonprofit devoted to helping kids with childhood apraxia of speech. The tablet is loaded with apps to support communication.

At the same time, his needs for learning are not yet completely understood. “He’s young to really know what he’s actually going to end up with, whether anxiety or learning disability, because right now he just has developmental delay,” Jessica says.

Caleb, who his mother calls “our little baby boy,” is in first grade. He turned 7 last month, and celebrated with a family-and-friend party and a chocolate dinosaur cake.

A sense of difference Adriana, in middle school, finds joy in competition with the Northstars Color Guard and social time in Girl Scouts, which her sister does as well. She and Briana both go to Danceography of Syracuse.

Adriana is just starting to recognize that she’s not exactly like others her age, Jessica says. Conversations can be bewildering for her.

With the help of attentive friends, or her sister, she can have fun socializing. She just needs some one-on-one attention to keep up.

No matter the stresses of her life, Adriana maintains an upbeat attitude. “Everyone always says what an awesome child she is.

It makes me happy to know that she’s doing good in the world,” Jessica says.

Meanwhile, Jessica found a profession that started with volunteering at Main Street. She earned a teaching assistant certificate and began working there part time.

“I didn’t look at myself that way, that I would have that potential, but I did!” she says. “I’m in my third year now and I absolutely adore it. The kids melt my heart and I love the fact that I’m able to help other families.”

The whole family, under Jessica’s guidance, likes to stay busy.

Jessica was chairperson of the Main Street fundraising walkathon last month. All three kids have a slew of activities, in addition to therapies and services for Adriana and Caleb.

Sometimes things don’t go well. Adriana might come home a little down and say she was criticized in color guard.

That’s when Jessica reminds her of the family motto: “Practice makes perfect,” she says. “You just have to keep trying and then you’ll get it.”

“I never want to discourage them,” Jessica says. “Even if I feel like it might not be their thing I would never want to discourage them.”

Reid Sullivan is editor in chief of Family Times. She lives in Syracuse with her husband, two sons, and three cats.

Now Accepting Reservations:

PONY CAMP! Weekly Sessions July & August Tuesday - Friday 9:00 - 1:00pm

Individual daily riding instruction by full-time professional trainers.

Different equestrian topics each week.

English & Dressage Riding, Lessons, Boarding & Training

Canterbury Stables CAZENOVIA, NEW YORK

315-440-2244 FOR A TOUR OR INFORMATION 4786 Roberts Rd. • canterburystablesny.com FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

13

Class OF THE Month

Congratulations, TECH LAB

Montessori School of Syracuse

“

“ ” I have learned many things in Tech Lab, including how to make a basic website in HTML, and coding music in Sonic Pi.

My favorite is the first class where we built our own computers.

—AUBREY JONES-PIKE

”

—JASPER KYLE

At Montessori School of Syracuse, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders take Tech Lab once a week. The class, taught by Will Cary, is intended to give students a chance to understand and program computers. It’s called a “lab” (short for laboratory) to communicate that it’s a class for hands-on learning.

Marielle Emmanuel says that you can take the class without knowing “everything about coding.”

The sixth-grade students (pictured on these pages) have accomplished a lot this school year. In Make Pong, they programmed the ball’s size, color, speed and other features. Other projects have involved coding a timer with an alarm; making a dice game that generates random numbers; and creating a true/false quiz that tracks correct answers and provides a percentage score when completed. Cary has been impressed with his students, who, he says, “surprise me with their cleverness and creativity.

They constantly add their own flair to class projects, which demonstrate a deep understanding of the tools at hand as well as impressive initiative.”

DO YOU WANT TO NOMINATE A CLASS OF THE MONTH? Visit familytimescny.com and click the Class of the Month banner.

14

MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTOS

The first thing the students in Tech Lab do is make their own computers using Raspberry Pi kits; this teaches them all the parts of the computer and what each part does. Other projects this year have focused on programming.

NUTRITIONAL CLASS OF THE MONTH CONTENT

“

If another student was starting a (Tech Lab) class I would tell them, ‘Don’t worry, it’s not too hard and you’re going to have tons of FUN! —SIERRA PANIPINTO

”

The Tech Lab class was offered for the first time in 201718, when a teacher decided Montessori students needed direct experience of programming and computers.

Mitchell Rovit uses a Raspberry Pi computer to code. “My favorite session of Tech Lab was Scratch,” he said. (Scratch is a drag-and-drop programming language developed by MIT.)

Students in sixth-grade Tech Lab: Sierra Panipinto, Marielle Emmanuel, Aubrey Jones-Pike, Brian Durkin, Jasper Kyle and Mitchell Rovit.

FAMILY FAMILYTIMES TIMES MARCH MARCH2019 2019

15

OPENING the World

Rochester School for the Deaf fifth-grader Lucas Krukowksi takes part in reading time.

Rochester School for the Deaf offers specialized education and community

BY TAMMY DiDOMENICO

E

very Monday morning, 12-year old Lucas Krukowski boards a school bus at his Cicero home and heads off to school. But, unlike most students, he doesn’t return later that afternoon. Lucas’ parents, Vicki and Dennis Krukowski, don’t see him again until Friday evening.

Dennis had studied American Sign Language and the couple had experience with international adoption, so they felt prepared to help Lucas navigate his challenges.

But initially, Lucas was a flight risk. There were also frequent visits to Boston and Rochester for cochlear implant and palate surgeries. Communication was minimal.

certainly. He was in an inclusive classroom.

He went to mainstream specials. It’s a good choice and we’re lucky to have that here in Syracuse. But we wanted Lucas to experience Deaf community.”

Lucas is a fifth-grader at the Rochester School for the Deaf, one of 11 private, but state-supported, 4201 schools. They offer specialized academics and related services for students who are blind, deaf or physically disabled. The state established the 4201 designation in 1947 to better coordinate educational goals, monitor student progress, address infrastructure maintenance, and administer adherence to state laws governing board and lodging.

A psychologist visited the home to help the family better communicate with Lucas.

She suggested that the Krukowskis use pictures to communicate tasks they wanted Lucas to accomplish, and use desired activities as incentives. Lucas soon began associating the signs for these tasks with the pictures. “That’s when things started turning a corner,” Vicki says.

When asked what he likes best about RSD, Lucas signed—and responded in typical 12-year-old fashion. Like many guys his age, Lucas prefers Minecraft and Roblox to reading and writing. He shared that he is currently playing on the RSD volleyball team, and that math and physical education are his favorite classes.

Founded in 1876, the Rochester School for the Deaf is one the state’s oldest 4201 schools. The Krukowskis found compelling RSD’s reputation for balancing students’ exposure to Deaf culture while preparing them to be active members of the greater community.

The Krukowskis adopted Lucas, who was born in China, in 2011. (He is one of four Chinese boys the couple have adopted.

They also have three biological children.) In addition to being deaf, Lucas was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate.

16

FEATURE

Prior to starting at RSD last year, Lucas attended the Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offered by OCM BOCES in collaboration with the Solvay Union Free School District. It was a deaf classroom in a mainstream school, and everything was interpreted. Lucas made significant progress, but Vicki always knew he would eventually need more educational support. When the Krukowskis decided that Lucas was ready for RSD, his teachers were supportive. But the family’s first request was denied.

“I had to be persistent,” Vicki says. “Total immersion was the best way to meet his needs. He would have been fine at Solvay,

Vicki asked the committee on special education (CSE) chair for a hearing, and eventually the request was reconsidered.

Lucas has flourished in the residential setting and has benefited from the school’s sports and drama programs—opportunities he didn’t have before. Lucas also works with a speech therapist and has regular psychological support.

“His confidence shot up notably in the first year,” Vicki says. “He developed an understanding of what it is to be deaf. I think he likes being in a place that is sort of separate from us. It’s his niche. He’s with his tribe, so to speak.”

Vicki admits she would prefer to be more directly involved in Lucas’ day-today life. She and Lucas keep in touch via

video calls and texts, and the family attends as many sporting events and school assemblies as they can. His teachers are in frequent contact.

“There is a tradeoff,” she says. “But I know he is getting things in his education that I couldn’t give him here, and an experience that couldn’t be matched living here.”

411 on the 4201s

Before Section 4201 of the state Education law was passed in 1947, the 11 4201 schools were independent. The state’s oldest 4201 school, the New York School for the Deaf in Fanwood, opened in 1817. There are also two state-operated schools: the New York State School for the Deaf in Rome, and the New York State School for the Blind in Batavia.

Approximately 1,500 students currently attend 4201 schools. The state covers the tuition costs—up to $525 per day per student—and the students’ home districts pay for transportation, which is reimbursed though state aid. Support services designated in students’ individualized education programs (IEPs), such as speech therapy and psychological counseling, are covered

by Medicaid.

Parents can apply directly to the schools, or at the recommendation of medical professionals or their local school districts.

If a student is already enrolled in a district-based program, as Lucas was, parents can request transfer through their child’s committee on special education—the multidisciplinary team that provides services for each special education student.

Prospective students undergo academic and psychological assessments. Vicki Krukowski says parents or guardians are provided with a detailed report of the results.

Antony McLetchie, superintendent of the RSD, says that while there are always financial concerns, the process—by and large—works. But a small student population means that these schools need to be creative to fund anything beyond tuition.

It’s also hard for them to offer teachers’ salaries that are competitive with their public school counterparts.

“Our budget is workable right now,” McLetchie says. “But we’re always looking for ways to expand outside partnerships and provide the kinds of experiences that students have in their regular public school districts.” continued on page 18 Learning at RSD (top photo to bottom): Lucas sets up his laptop while English language arts specialist Christine Fitzgerald chats with Lucas’ classmate Francis Kravchuk; students Dalia Rosario and Shanya Alvarez with Becky Kindelberger, RSD school nurse; visiting teaching artist David Call works with Courtney Gentzke.

FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

17

We meet the needs of every single child according to their plan, and do so with a strong sense of culture and confidence.

”

Westervelt Hall is one of seven buildings that comprise the Rochester School for the Deaf campus, which is located on the east side of the Genesee River gorge. Antony McLetchie, right, is the school’s superintendent. continued from page 17 Some of the schools offer housing for students who cannot commute, or require around-the-clock care. The dorms are licensed by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. At RSD, the dorm has one adult staff member for every nine students. Currently, 35 of RSD’s 132 students reside on campus during the week “A deaf student here can be accommodated from their IEP, set future goals, have access to vocational training,” McLetchie says. “We meet the needs of every single child according to their plan, and do so with a strong sense of culture and confidence.”

Both Communities

When Antony McLetchie was appointed superintendent of RSD in 2014, he was determined to move the school forward academically without losing any connection to its rich history. As a deaf person, he understands how important it is for children like Lucas to find their identities. But he also wants them to succeed in today’s job market.

McLetchie’s own education included a mix of public and private schools. He was adopted by hearing parents who understood his individual needs. His mother taught deaf students, and his father was a medical doctor. While the oral method (lip reading and speaking) was a more common form of communication for the deaf when he was growing up in the 1960s, his mother knew ASL. “I had a deaf nanny who was a great role model, and my mother was always 18

FEATURE

supportive of my needs as a deaf person,” McLetchie says.

McLetchie graduated from a public school with a large deaf population and attended Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. As someone who has achieved success in the mainstream while maintaining a strong connection with Deaf culture, he’s uniquely qualified to address various concerns families have when they come to RSD. “The medical community may be telling them that they shouldn’t sign, that they should get a cochlear implant, that these are the advantages of technological advancement. But (doctors) never really share the cultural identity of the Deaf community,” McLetchie explains. “I know there are parents who are reluctant to give up their child to the Deaf community. But that child can be a member of both communities.

We want them to graduate with Advanced Regents diplomas, to be fluent in American Sign Language, to be a contributing member of society, and to be a part of the community at large.”

Among the first things McLetchie addressed at RSD was the lack of data on student ability. The school began to use MAP (measurement of academic progress) tests in reading, language, math and science, employed by thousands of public and private schools in the United States.

“Intervention is set up if progress is not made,” McLetchie says.

One challenge 4201 schools face that occurs less often in public schools is addressing the diverse academic histories of their students.

“Regardless of where they are when

they arrive, we want students to be able to advocate for themselves—to know exactly what their limitations and capabilities are,” McLetchie says. “We need to prepare them for the long term.” Meanwhile, English and ASL are offered simultaneously.

Homecoming

Dr. Bryan Lloyd first walked into RSD when he was 3 years old, graduated in 1982, and currently serves as president of the school’s alumni association. A native of Rochester born to deaf parents, Lloyd says there wasn’t much question about where he would attend school: RSD’s reputation was that widespread.

Lloyd is assistant director of the counseling and academic advising services at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID).

He did briefly attend public school, but he was drawn back to RSD. In his work with the alumni association, Lloyd hears many similar stories.

While RSD cannot offer all the courses that a large public high school can, the school makes every attempt to connect students with specific opportunities. “They were connected to the local public school, so there were other classes that I could take, (such as) creative writing. Those experiences helped grow me,” Lloyd recalls.

RSD is just as committed to helping students interested in vocational training or direct preparation for the workforce, Lloyd says. “They do everything they can to make sure these kids are getting the advantages any other student would get.” continued on page 20

• Hiking • Biking • Swimming • Archery • Kayaking • Building race cars • Sledding • Community service

• Awesome

sleepovers

• Cool field trips • Having fun

with friends

? r o f g n i t i a w u o y e What ar in scouting today!

Jo

The life of a Cub Scout is FILLED with adventure! Cub Scouts get to make new friends, go to camp, build and race model cars, learn about nature, play sports, swim, and even launch rockets!

• Contact Longhouse Council at (315)463-0201 • Go to BeAScout.org • Or find us at facebook.com/cnyscouting

For boys and girls 5 - 10 years of age.

ADVENTURE IS WAITING. FIND YOUR PACK TODAY!

Gain confidence. Laugh loud. Build character. Grow strong.

FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

19

WATCH THE VIDEO AT http://bit.ly/rsdft19

“

continued from page 18 Lloyd says if he could point to one specific thing that most contributed to his success, it would be the opportunities outside of the classroom. “For me, it was the leadership opportunities,” he says. “I was president of the student council, served on the yearbook, the sports were great, the Boy Scouts. It was very important to me that I could be involved in some of those positions that helped me develop my personality.”

We need to prepare them for the long term.

”

After graduation, Lloyd attended California State University at Northridge. He later returned to the East Coast and earned three graduate degrees. By 2001, he was back in Rochester for good.

Lloyd has worked at NTID for the past 18 years, and interacts daily with ambitious deaf students. Through his continued involvement with the RSD alumni association, Lloyd demonstrates what deaf people can achieve.

“My parents are my deaf role models, but a lot of people didn’t have that,” he says.

“For me, the alumni, and the association, we feel like our job is to be role models for these students. We are looking to the future.”

Award-winning writer Tammy DiDomenico lives in DeWitt with her husband and two sons.

20

FEATURE

Avion Henderson (top photo), a high school student, talks about what she likes about RSD and the local Deaf community for a video. (Bottom photo) Jeannie and Vincent Andujar-Torres and Nayenge Mfaume engage in a coding and robotics activity with their Ozobot community.

ALL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ROCHESTER SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF

315 BULLETIN

SCOUTS BSA ADDS

TROOPS FOR GIRLS The Boy Scouts of America last month added opportunities for girls ages 11 to 17.

Scouts BSA is the new name for the program for which Boy Scouts of America is best known. Last year, Boy Scouts of America opened Cub Scouts to girls from kindergarten to fifth grade. Dens for Cub Scouts are single-gender, and Scout troops will also be all girls or all boys.

SPRING & SUMMER REGISTRATION

COMING SOON!

SATURDAY, APRIL 27 10am – 2pm

thedancestudiocny@gmail.com Call: 315-922-3232 TheDanceStudioCNY.com WE DO BIRTHDAY PARTIES!

NYS FAIRGROUNDS CENTER OF PROGRESS BUILDING

Weekday Mornings

In 2018, more than 76,000 girls nationwide joined Cub Scouts dens, 124 in the local Longhouse Council. Several BSA coed programs serve young people, including Venturers and Sea Scouts, for ages 14 to 20. However, a nationwide survey of families indicated a desire for additional opportunities for girls.

5:30 -10AM

“We didn’t just wake up one day and say, ‘Oh yeah, girls.’ This has been talked about for years,” Haley Sylvan, executive of the Tri-Rivers District of the Longhouse Council of the BSA, told Kira Maddox in a 2018 interview for Family Times.

As with the Cub Scouts, additional BSA Scout troops are formed at the discretion of existing chartered organizations. “No one program or format is mandatory—we are offering our communities more options,” according to a fact sheet provided by Longhouse CEO Grey Rolland.

The Longhouse Council is comprised of seven districts across six New York counties, including Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga and Ontario. There were 5,843 boys and girls in Longhouse programs as of December 2018. Rolland has been CEO since 2015.

SYRACUSE BALLET TO FEATURE TV STAR

ON YOUR NEXT FAMILY VACATION...

GO BIG!

Fayetteville resident Tyler Wladis, age 8, appears in the sitcom Single Parents. He’s also a dance student of Kathleen Rathbun, at Ballet & Dance of Upstate NY. Tyler is set to take the stage later this month in the Syracuse City Ballet’s production of Peter Pan in the role of Michael, the youngest of the three Darling children.

Rathbun is artistic director of Syracuse City Ballet, best known for the local productions of The Nutcracker. She is directing Peter Pan and coaching Tyler in the ballet’s dance steps—and in the new experience of flying.

Tyler has been bicoastal lately. He flies to California to film episodes of Single Parents and returns to New York for Peter Pan rehearsals.

Among Tyler’s credits are: the part of Randy, Ralphie’s little brother, in the Fox TV December 2017 musical A Christmas Story Live; and roles with the Ogunquit (Maine) Playhouse’s regional productions of Ragtime, Beauty & the Beast and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Peter Pan will be performed at the Oncenter on March 16 and 17.

For more details of the production, see the Calendar in this issue.

315 BULLETIN

—REID SULLIVAN

453-7557

FAMILY FUN TRIPS START AT...

FOUR SEASONS RV RENTALS

Sunseeker

31 ft. • Awning Generator • Slide-out Air Conditioning

724 Old Liverpool Rd. • Liverpool • New York • 13088 www.ser vicevanequipment.com FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

21

The infinity symbol represents autistic pride

“

Are you taken aback by my use of the word ‘miracle’?

”

Locally, I encountered parents who felt comfortable saying out loud, in a room with autistic adults present, “Better dead than autistic.” I didn’t know how to be part of, or receive support from, a community that tolerated that kind of animosity toward autistic people.

The same day I sat in a room and listened to another parent declare to civic leaders that it would be better for someone to die than be autistic, I met autistic self-advocate Jim Sinclair. He argued for the recognition that autistic children grow up to be autistic adults, that autistic people were not broken, and that autistic people deserved a voice in making decisions about their lives.

I was stunned. Someone else understood how I felt about my autistic children! I may have trampled a few people rushing over to meet him.

Exploring the Spectrum A parent takes a deep dive into neurodiversity | BY SAMANTHA PIERCE

I

jumped in the deep end on Day One. My oldest child was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 1/2 years old. His brother, 17 months younger, received his autism diagnosis in time for his third birthday.

I will always be grateful to the friend who told me about her friend’s autistic child, who she said reminded her of my oldest son. Her gentle observation gave me a name for the oddities I had already noted.

Was it normal for a 2-year-old to recite entire books with such precision that you’re not sure if he’s reading or has them memorized? Not really. His younger brother’s diagnosis was so different I cried—not because of anything inherent in my son, but because I believed he would face more prejudice than his brother.

I also believed services and supports for my second son would be harder to come by.

I was partly right: Getting the right services and supports in place is difficult, regardless of where a person happens to be on the autism spectrum.

I’m what I like to call a nerd. Growing up, I read my father’s college textbooks and biblical commentaries after I read all the age-appropriate books in my parents’ house. Learning that my children possibly had a neurodevelopmental disorder, the 22

medical classification of autism, I revisited everything I knew about how the human brain works. By the time my oldest son saw a professional for a diagnosis, I was hearing information I already knew.

Another friend helped me get a comprehensive evaluation for him, telling me whom to call and where to send my letter asking for an evaluation. When it was his younger brother’s turn, I had learned I needed to ask a year in advance for the assessment.

In the early 2000s information on the internet about autism was sketchy, at best.

I was the oddball parent studying brain function, human growth and development, psychology, cognitive behavioral science and many other topics. I poured myself into finding ways to better understand my children, so I could help them be more comfortable in their own skins.

Autism didn’t exist as something apart from my children, as I saw other parents claim in online forums. I understood autism was an integral part of my children’s personalities. Seeking out other parents of autistic children for support turned out to be traumatic. The online autism community I first discovered mostly consisted of parents who were not happy about their children being autistic.

BEEN THERE

I learned the name for the way I think about autism and my autistic children: neurodiversity. The core of neurodiversity is the understanding that, regardless of diagnostic label or societal perceptions, each of us is a neurological miracle possessing intrinsic value.

Are you taken aback by my use of the word “miracle”? There is still so much about the human brain and body that we don’t understand. In many ways it’s still a mystery how people with distinct personalities and abilities happen. Each of us has far more going on beneath the surface than we realize.

The concept of neurodiversity is, in part, the fruit of decades of parent advocacy. A generation of autistic adults has stepped onto the advocacy stage having reaped the benefits of their parents’ demands for greater inclusion, appropriate educational supports and better social services. These autistic adults use their voices exactly as one would expect after having watched their fierce parents support them. Autistic adults now call for services informed by their experiences.

As a parent, neurodiversity represents a welcome respite from the language of tragedy and despair that often surrounds discussions about autism. I get to interact with people who are striving for fulfilling lives as autistic people, parents of autistic people who are at peace with autism, and people who fill both roles. Living everyday lives, autistic adults are becoming part of the fabric of their communities.

Samantha Pierce is a consultant and lives in Syracuse with her husband and five children.

iSTOCK ART

Please note: Mistakes happen. To confirm event details, call the sponsoring organization’s phone number or visit the website.

SATURDAY, MARCH 2

Pancake Breakfast. 9 a.m.-noon; also March 9, 16, 23 & 30. Pancakes, sausage, coffee or juice. Beaver Lake Nature Center, 8477 E. Mud Lake Road, Baldwinsville. $3$5/breakfast; $4/vehicle for admission. (315) 638-2519.

Dr. Seuss Birthday Breakfast. 10 a.m.-noon.

Kids can enjoy Cat-in-the-Hat Smoothies, red-andblue waffles, and sausages. They’ll also get to make crafts and play games. Cross of Christ Church, 8131 Soule Road, Liverpool. $5/person. (315) 622-2843.

It’s Maple Syrup Time. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sundays, 1-4 p.m.; March 2-31. A visit to the demonstration sugarbush will introduce families to the heritage of sugaring and the production of maple syrup at six different stations. Beaver Lake Nature Center, 8477 E. Mud Lake Road, Baldwinsville. $4/vehicle. (315) 638-2519.

Read Across America Activities. 10:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. The celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday includes a chance to read to a dog from Paws of CNY; listen to Dr. Seuss stories; take part in STEAM activities (1-3 p.m.); or see how to draw the Cat in the Hat (3 p.m.). Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool. Free. (315) 457-0310. lpl. org.

Pups ‘n Pages. 11 a.m.-noon; also March 16 & 30.

All ages of participants can come read to or just hang out with a dog. NOPL Cicero, 8686 Knowledge Lane, Cicero. Free. (315) 699-2032.

Rice Creek Ramble. 11 a.m.; also March 9, 16 & 30. People of all ages (kids under 17 must be accompanied by an adult) can go on an informative, family-friendly walk. Rice Creek Field Station, 193 Thompson Road, 1 mile south of SUNY Oswego’s main campus, Oswego. Call to check trail conditions the morning of the hike: (315) 312-6677. oswego.edu/ricecreek.

Beauty and the Beast. 12:30 p.m. In the Magic Circle Children’s Theatre presentation, children in the audience help teach the Beast kindness and good manners. Audience members are encouraged to dress up as a fairy tale character and become part of the royal court. Spaghetti Warehouse, 689 N. Clinton St., Syracuse. $6. Reservations recommended: (315) 449-3823.

Butler-Sheehan Irish Dancers. 2:30 p.m.

School-age troupe performs traditional Irish dance in costume. Betts Branch Library, 4862 S. Salina St., Syracuse. Free. (315) 435-1940.

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

Sunday Funday. 2-4 p.m.; Sundays, through April

14. All ages of visitors can explore the galleries, see art making, hear stories, and play games. Everson Museum of Art, 401 Harrison St., Syracuse. $8/ general admission; free/under 12. (315) 474-6064. everson.org.

MONDAY, MARCH 4

Gaming for Adults with Special Needs.

1:30-3 p.m. Adults with special needs can play Wii games and board games; caregivers must remain in

CALENDAR

the room. Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool. Free. (315) 457-0310. lpl.org.

Hour of Code for Teens. 4-5 p.m. Pick an activity and work on your coding skills. NOPL North Syracuse, 100 Trolley Barn Lane, North Syracuse.

Free. (315) 458-6184.

Monday Funday. 4:30-5:30 p.m.; also March 11, 18 & 25. Children ages 5-12 can make a craft, something different each week. Maxwell Memorial Library, 14 W. Genesee St., Camillus. Free. maxwellmemoriallibrary.org. (315) 672-3661.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5

First Steps. 9:30-10 a.m.; also March 12, 19 & 26.

Children who are good walkers, up to age 3, can with a caregiver take part in a program with music, movement, crafts and more. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free. (315) 637-6374.

Baby Storytime. 10:30-11 a.m.; also March 12, 19 & 26. Babies, up to age 2, and caregivers can share rhymes, songs, stories and signs in this language-building program. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free. (315) 637-6374.

Paper Tigers. 5-8 p.m. City residents can see the documentary that depicts how one principal changed his school’s approach to discipline to help students overcome reactions to trauma. Syracuse Stage, 830 E. Genesee St., Syracuse. Free. Registration required: www.syracusecityschools.com/ parentuniversity.

Family Trivia Night. 6 p.m. Bring family and friends for an hour of trivia, using questions provided by the library’s Google Home Mini. Onondaga Free Library, 4840 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse.

Registration requested: oflibrary.org. (315) 4921727.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6

Read, Sing, Play Storytime. 10:30-11 a.m.; also March 13, 20 & 27. Children of all ages, accompanied by caregivers, can enjoy this storytime.

Central Library, KidSpace (Level 2), 447 S. Salina St., Syracuse. Free. (315) 435-1900.

Conversation with Jaime Alicea. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; also March 19 & 20. Talk to the Syracuse schools superintendent and learn what’s happening in the district. Refreshments served.

Spanish Action League, 700 Oswego St., Syracuse.

Free. www.syracusecityschools.com.

Teen Anime Night. 6-8 p.m. Teens can come and talk about anime. Cosplay is okay, but library staff must approve. Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool. Free. (315) 457-0310. lpl.org.

THURSDAY, MARCH 7

Trading Card Games. 2:30-4:30 p.m. Staff-

ers from TCGplayer teach and play Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering with participants ages 12-18. Central Library, Community Room (Level 1), 447 S. Salina St., Syracuse. Free.

(315) 435-1900.

FRIDAY, MARCH 8 Teen Open Art Space. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Use provided art supplies to make something, or bring a project from home to work on. NOPL Brewerton, 5440 Bennett St., Brewerton. Free. (315) 676-7484.

iSTOCK PHOTO

MARCH 2019

Master Ventriloquist Performance. 7 p.m.

David Pendleton makes audiences believe anything can talk, bringing to life four dolls, including a sweet dog and an albino vulture named Vern. Sponsored

by Family Life Ministries of Bath. Auburn Alliance Church, 630 N. Seward Ave., Auburn. $10/advance; $13/door. (800) 927-9083. www.fln.org/tickets.

SATURDAY, MARCH 9

VEX IQ Robotics Championship. 9 a.m.-1

p.m. Students in grades 4-8 compete in teams to get robots to complete tasks. Museum of Science and Technology (MOST). 500 S. Franklin St., Armory Square, Syracuse. Museum admission: $12/ adults; $10/seniors and ages 2-11. (315) 425-9068.

Saturday Story Morning.10-11 a.m. Children from 18 months to 6 years old, accompanied by caregivers, can enjoy stories, finger plays and songs.

Betts Branch Library, 4862 S. Salina St., Syracuse.

Free. (315) 435-1940.

Big Tree Hike. 10 a.m.-noon. Chidren ages 5-15, accompanied by an adult, can look at the diverse habitats at the nature center while seeking the biggest and oldest trees. Baltimore Woods Nature Center, 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus. $9/person.

Register: www.baltimorewoods.org. (315) 673-1350.

Family Train Day. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. See trains running on a large indoor layout and on loops on the floor. Check out a kids’ play area as well. Sponsored by the Central New York Large-Scale Railway Society. The Commons, Driver’s Village, 5885 Circle Drive E., Cicero. Free. http://www.cnylsrs.net/.

Paws to Read. 10:30-11:30 a.m.; also March 16.

Kids can read to a friendly dog from Paws Inc. of CNY. Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool. Free. (315) 457-0310. lpl.org.

Drumcliffe Irish Dancing. 11 a.m. Drumcliffe Irish Arts students perform a dancing show.

Onondaga Free Library, 4840 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse. (315) 492-1727. oflibrary.org.

Beauty and the Beast. 12:30 p.m. See March 2 listing.

Science Saturday. 2 p.m. Children can find out about keystone species and how they affect different ecosystems. Petit Branch Library, 105 Victoria Place, Syracuse. Free. (315) 435-3636.

SUNDAY, MARCH 10

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME STARTS Irish Celebration. 2-4 p.m. Hear traditional Irish music (2-2:45 p.m.), see Irish dancing (3-3:30 p.m.), make themed crafts. Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free. (315) 637-6374.

MONDAY, MARCH 11

American Girl Celebration. 6 p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and other holiday traditions from America’s past. Onondaga Free Library, 4840 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse. Registration required: oflibrary.org. (315) 492-1727.

Mama Worriers. 6-7:30 p.m. Therapist Stephanie Straub helps parents figure out what’s normal,

FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

23

what’s not, and what to do about the weight of worries.

Presented by CNY Doula Connection. CNY Healing Arts, 195 Intrepid Lane, Syracuse. Free. Registration recommended: (315) 707-8097.

$2/adults; $1/teens & kids. syracusecountrydancers.org/ community-dance/.

TUESDAY, MARCH 12

ST. PATRICK’S DAY Peter Pan. Noon & 4 p.m. See March 16 listing.

Drumcliffe Irish Dancers. 2:30-3:30 p.m. Drumc-

Drop In Crafts. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Make seasonal crafts

with provided materials. Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool. Free. (315) 457-0310. lpl.org.

Teen MOPS. 5-7 p.m.; also March 26. Young mothers, ages 13-21, with children under 6 enjoy a faith-based program with fun, food and activities while their children are cared for by the childcare program. Liverpool First United Methodist Church, 604 Oswego St., Liverpool.

Free. (315) 569-2542.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13 Blanket Making Party. 2:30 p.m. In this program

for ages 11-17 (though patrons of all ages are welcome), make fleece blankets to give to homeless and displaced youth. Betts Branch Library, 4862 S. Salina St., Syracuse.

Free. (315) 435-1940.

Kids Book Club. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Students in grades 2-5 can talk about what they’re reading and eat snacks.

Maxwell Memorial Library, 14 W. Genesee St., Camillus.

Free. maxwellmemoriallibrary.org. (315) 672-3661.

Teen Tabletop Games at Dunkin’. 6-8 p.m. Teens can play board games and eat snacks in the Dunkin’ Donuts community room. Presented by Liverpool Public Library. Dunkin’ Donuts, 105 Second St., Liverpool.

Free. (315) 457-0310. http://www.lpl.org.

THURSDAY, MARCH 14

Teen Writing and Drawing Group. 3:30-5 p.m.

Teens can explore writing, drawing, and a variety of other creative pursuits. Snacks provided. Petit Branch Library, 105 Victoria Place, Syracuse. Free. (315) 4353636.

Teen Open Mic. 6:30-8 p.m.; also March 28. Teens get five minutes on stage to give a poetry reading, sing, dance, or give another performance. NOPL Cicero, 8686 Knowledge Lane, Cicero.

Free. (315) 699-2032.

Dungeons & Dragons.

6:30 p.m. All ages of participants can take part in a planning session for a D&D group at the library. Onondaga Free Library, 4840 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse.

Registration requested: oflibrary.org.

(315) 492-1727.

FRIDAY, MARCH 15 See Ongoing Events

SATURDAY, MARCH 16

St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Noon-3 p.m. Celebrate

Irish culture with the moving spectacle of dancers, pipers and floats. Parade begins at Clinton Square, proceeds on South Salina Street and concludes at the intersection with Onondaga Street, Syracuse. Free. syracusestpatricksparade.org.

Beauty and the Beast. 12:30 p.m. See March 2 listing.

Peter Pan. 6 p.m.; also March 17. A Syracuse City Ballet performance of the story about the boy who doesn’t want to grow up and his adventures in Neverland. Crouse Hinds Theater, Oncenter, 411 Montgomery St., Syracuse. $20-$75 (plus fees). (315) 435-2121. www. syracusecityballet.com.

Family Dance. 6:30-7:30 p.m. People of all ages can take part in fun and simple dances to live music. United Church of Fayetteville, 310 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville.

24

CALENDAR

SUNDAY, MARCH 17

PARTY PLANNER

liffe Irish Arts transports audience members to Ireland through dancing, music and literature. Community Library of DeWitt and Jamesville, 5110 Jamesville Road, Jamesville. Free. Registration recommended: CLDandJ. org. (315) 446-3578.

MONDAY, MARCH 18

Homeschooling 101 for Parents. 7-8:30 p.m. Homeschooling parents hold a curriculum sampler night at this month’s session. Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St., Liverpool. Free. (315) 457-0310. lpl.org.

What Makes a Star. 7-8:30 p.m. Syracuse Astronomical Society member Tyler Beagle talks about star formation and classification. If the sky is clear, participants will go outside to look through telescopes.

Baldwinsville Public Library, 33 E. Genesee St., Baldwinsville.

TUESDAY, MARCH 19

Conversation with Jaime Alicea. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; also March 20. Talk to the Syracuse schools superintendent and learn what’s happening in the district.

Refreshments served. Northside CYO, 527 N. Salina St., Syracuse. Free. www.syracusecityschools.com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 FIRST DAY OF SPRING Conversation with Jaime Alicea. 11 a.m.-noon.

Talk to the Syracuse schools superintendent and learn what’s happening in the district. Refreshments served.

Syracuse Northeast Community Center, 716 Hawley Ave., Syracuse. Free. www.syracusecityschools.com.

Game Day. 3:30-5 p.m. Tweens and teens can play board games such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Chess and others. Petit Branch Library, 105 Victoria Place, Syracuse. Free. (315) 435-3636.

Safe Place to Game. 4-6 p.m. Young people ages 7-18 can learn and play trading card games: Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh. Maxwell Memorial Library, 14 W. Genesee St., Camillus. Free. maxwell memoriallibrary.org. (315) 672-3661.

Messy Art for Teens. 6-7 p.m. Different supplies are provided each month for teens to make art with. NOPL North Syracuse, 100 Trolley Barn Lane, North Syracuse.

Free. (315) 458-6184.

Teen Video Game Night. 6-8 p.m. Teens can play games in the Dunkin’ Donuts community room. Snacks will be served. Presented by Liverpool Public Library.

Dunkin’ Donuts, 105 Second St., Liverpool. Free. (315) 457-0310. lpl.org.

Come experience the Sciencenter’s new Featured Exhibition!

THURSDAY, MARCH 21

Meet Moose & Friends. 4 p.m. Local news personality Laura Hand brings her certified therapy dog Moose to the library. Animals and educators from the Rosamond Gifford Zoo will also be there. Onondaga Free Library, 4840 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse. Registration requested: oflibrary.org. (315) 492-1727.

FRIDAY, MARCH 22

Toddler Dance Party. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Children ages 18 months-5 years can come play musical instruments, enjoy bubbles, and dance their sillies out. Community Library of DeWitt and Jamesville, 5110 Jamesville Road, Jamesville. Free. (315) 446-3578. CLDandJ.org.

SAVE THE DATE! Summer Camp registration opens online March 9.

LEARN

®

free $20 game play

with purchase of $20 game play

DESTINY USA • 315.401.3700 Promotional. EXPIRES: 8/31/2019. Present this coupon at Front Desk to redeem. Limit one coupon per customer. Barcode valid for one use only. Minor policies vary by location – please check www.daveandbusters.com/locations for details. Not valid with any other offers, including Eat & Play or Eat, Play, Win Combos, Half Price Games Wednesdays or any Half Price Game promotion. Not valid with Special Events Packages. Coupon must be surrendered at time of redemption and may not be photocopied or duplicated.

Once game play is loaded to Power Card®, the game play does not expire. Non-negotiable. Power Card activation fee is $2. ($3 Times Square). NOT FOR RESALE.

Discover the power of family music making Now enrollingDiscover for Spring! the power of family music making

Offering early childhood musicto andchildren, movement classes to Offering early childhood music and movement classes children, and the adults who love them. Classes located all over and the adults who love them.

Classes located all over CNY. CNY. To find the one nearest you, call or visit our website To find the one nearest you, call or visit our website www.bluebirdmusictogether.com 427-6985 www.bluebirdmusictogether.com • (315)(315) 427-6985

A safe, loving environment Where teachers can teach, and students can learn!

North Syracuse Central School District

Early Education Program

W power ENROLofLIfamily NOthe NG FOmusic Discover R T making

HOO CH 2&01290/1260/2107 SSC

HE

OO LLmovement YYEEA AR Offering early childhood music and R!! classes to ren, and the adults who love them.readiness Classes located • Focus on Kindergarten skills all over NY. To find the oneemotional nearest you, call or visit our website & social development • www.bluebirdmusictogether.com Healthy snack served daily • Indoor and Outdoor Motor Areas (315) 427-6985 • Integrated Preschool for 3 & 4 year olds • Full & Half Day Classes Available

Invest in what matters.

Teachers & Teaching Assistants.

On-site RN & LPN staff.

205 S. Main St., N. Syracuse • 218-2222 • www.nscsd.org/main.cfm

Christian education, Pre-K through 12th grade

Welcome Wednesday Tours!

Every Wednesday from 9am-2pm. Call 315-469-7777

www.faithheritageschool.org

FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

25

Calendar listings are

FREE

Send information about your family-friendly event to: rsullivan@family timescny.com. Listings are due by March 8 for the April issue.

Jordan Elbridge

COUNTRY CHILDCARE KIDS CENTER Open Enrollment

Pre-School: ALL Ages 3-5yrs AGES Before & After School: 3yrs-6th Jordan United Methodist Church 63 Elbridge Street, Jordan 315-689-9686 • jeckatjumc@gmail.com

Origami for Teens. 4-5 p.m. Learn to create beautiful origami to take home. NOPL Brewerton, 5440 Bennett St., Brewerton. Free. (315) 676-7484.

SATURDAY, MARCH 23

PAW Patrol Live. 10 a.m. & 2 p.m.; also March 24. No job is too big, no pup is too small in this live music-filled production based on the Nickolodeon animated series.

Landmark Theatre, 362 S. Salina St., Syracuse. $20-$35 (plus fees). (800) 745-3000. ticketmaster.com.

Pokemon Open Play. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Kids ages 8-12 of all interest and experience levels can bring cards (or use provided decks) to play with experts from TCGPlayer. Community Library of DeWitt and Jamesville, 5110 Jamesville Road, Jamesville. Free. CLDandJ.org. (315) 446-3578.

Rice Creek Story Hour. 11 a.m. Elementary-age children (kids must be accompanied by a caregiver) can hear tales of nature and animals’ wild ways. Rice Creek Field Station, 193 Thompson Road, 1 mile south of SUNY Oswego’s main campus, Oswego. (315) 312-6677. oswego.edu/ricecreek.

Beauty and the Beast. 12:30 p.m. See March 2 listing.

Maple Sugaring. 1-2:30 p.m. Explore the sugar bush, learn about the making of maple syrup, and take part in storytelling around the campfire; age 5 and up. Baltimore Woods Nature Center, 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus. $9/person. Register: www. baltimorewoods.org. (315) 673-1350.

Sensory Friendly Time. 5:30-7:30 p.m. With noise turned down and flashing lights turned off, those with sensory issues can enjoy the museum more calmly. Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), 500 S. Franklin St., Armory Square, Syracuse. $5. (315) 425-9068.

FRIDAY, MARCH 29

SUNDAY, MARCH 24

CNY Science and Engineering Fair. 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Students in fourth-12th grades conduct experiments and display their results. Projects available for viewing by the public after judging. SRC Arena, Onondaga Community College, 4585 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse. Free. (315) 425-9068.

Tigris Shrine Circus. 1 & 5 p.m. See March 29 listing.

JCC Purim Carnival. Noon-4 p.m. Games, inflatable

bounce houses, and face painting for preschoolers and school-age children, plus prizes, food and raffles. Children are encouraged to wear costumes, a Purim custom.

Free admission; charge for games and activities. Jewish Community Center of Syracuse, 5655 Thompson Road, DeWitt. (315) 445-2360. www.jccsyr.org.

MONDAY, MARCH 25

Art Making for Teens. 6-7 p.m. An Everson Museum

of Art educator guides hands-on art activities. NOPL Cicero, 8686 Knowledge Lane, Cicero. Free. Registration required: nopl.org. (315) 699-2032.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27

Peeps Pudding Cups. 2:30 p.m. Young people ages

10-16 can make pudding cups with provided ingredients.

Betts Branch Library, 4862 S. Salina St., Syracuse. Free.

(315) 435-1940.

Adoption Informational Meeting. 5-7 p.m. A representative of Family Focus Adoption Services will describe the program and talk about adoption. Betts Branch Library, 4862 S. Salina St., Syracuse. Free. (315) 807-5189. www.familyfocusadoption.org.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28

SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2019

26

Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville. Free. Registration required: fflib.org. (315) 637-6374.

Pajama Story Hour. 6:30 p.m. Children can wear pajamas, hear a story and make a craft. Petit Branch Library, 105 Victoria Place, Syracuse. Free. (315) 435-3636.

Teen Book Club. 3:304:30 p.m. Discuss Chris Colfer’s The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, and have refreshments. Petit Branch Library, 105 Victoria Place, Syracuse. Free. (315) 4353636.

Kids Can Cook. 4-4:45 p.m. Children in prekindergarten through grade 2 can make food from simple no-cook recipes. Fayetteville

CALENDAR

Time for Tots Playgroup. 9:30-10:45 a.m. Education

playgroup for children ages 18 months-5 years and their caregiver. Stories, songs, arts and crafts, and more. Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 8131 Soule Road, Liverpool. $3/family. Registration recommended: (315) 622-2843.

NYCrossofChrist.org/Tots.

Tigris Shrine Circus. 7 p.m.; through March 31. The spectacle features high-wire acts, bears, camels, and clowns. Toyota Coliseum, State Fairgrounds, Geddes.

Presale tickets: $15/adult; $10/child; free/under 5. www. circussyracuse.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 30

Tigris Shrine Circus. 10 a.m., 2:30 & 7 p.m.; through March 31. See March 29 listing.

Be the Scientist. Noon-4 p.m. Explore the activities of

a botanist. Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), 500 S. Franklin St., Armory Square, Syracuse. Museum admission: $12/adults; $10/seniors and ages 2-11. (315) 425-9068.

Beauty and the Beast. 12:30 p.m. See March 2 listing.

Puzzle Swap & Social. 2-4 p.m. Visitors of all ages can bring used puzzles to swap for different ones. Refreshments will be served. Onondaga Free Library, 4840 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse. (315) 492-1727. oflibrary.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 31

ONGOING EVENTS

Peanut Butter Jelly Time. Thursdays, 5 p.m. Mem-

bers of the community can join in making more than a hundred bagged lunches to hand out to the hungry and homeless in downtown Syracuse. The Road, 4845 W. Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse. Free. (315) 218-6066. wholelygroundsattheroad.org.

Weekend Walks With a Naturalist. Saturdays and Sundays, 2 p.m. Nature discovery hike with different topics each weekend. Beaver Lake Nature Center, Route 370, Baldwinsville. Admission: $4/vehicle. (315) 638-2519.

Great Swamp Conservancy Nature Trails.

Daily, dawn to dusk. Throughout the year, visitors can grab their walking shoes and explore 4.5 miles of wellgroomed, flat trails. Trails feature a 900-foot boardwalk, osprey nesting platform, and wetland and grassland restoration areas. The area is a stop for many migratory waterfowl and songbirds; other wildlife include muskrats and beavers. Great Swamp Conservancy, 3.5 miles off I-90, Exit 34, 8375 N. Main St., Canastota. Free. (315) 697-2950.

Baltimore Woods Nature Center. Hiking trails and parking are free and open every day from dawn to dusk. Interpretive Center open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; closed Sundays. Snowshoe rental: $5/day. 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus. (315) 673-1350.

Wegmans Playground. Boundless Playground for children (and parents) of all ages and abilities includes accessible swings, slides, bridge and more, including special section just for the tiniest tykes. Onondaga Lake Park, Route 370, Liverpool. Free. (315) 451-PARK.

FAMILY TIMES MARCH 2019

27

The challenges from having obesity are complex. As the longest established bariatric program in Central New York, Upstate is committed to helping you make a change for your better health. Our team has a proven track record of providing both compassionate support and successful outcomes.

If you are considering bariatric (weight loss) surgery, come learn more from our experts. Free information sessions are held at Upstate University Hospital’s Community Campus, 4900 Broad Road in Syracuse. Free parking is available in the hospital parking garage.

TO REGISTER FOR A FREE UPCOMING INFORMATION SESSION, PLEASE VISIT WWW.UPSTATE.EDU/BARIATRICS OR CALL (315) 492-5036.

Taewan Kim, MD, FACS; Flavia Soto, MD, FACS, FASMBS, ABOM diplomate; and Jesse Gutnick, MD

ASK FOR THE EXPERTS. ASK FOR UPSTATE. WWW.UPSTATE.EDU/BARIATRICS