LK
LAWRENCE KIDS
Back-to-School 2016
CONTENTS
FARM TO SCHOOL: FEEDING KIDS
10 14 20
M A M A S P R E E R ’ S TA L E S
28
FOR KIDS: MUSICWORKS!
36 42 56
FLASHBACK - 2011 SEASON’S READINGS
IN CLASS WITH LAWRENCE SCHOOLS D I Y: F A L L W R E A T H
a project of
Four Birds Media
info@lawrencekidsmagazine.com (785) 766-5669 Thank you for reading.
The Roost 920mass.com Lawrence, KS
your museum
Grand Reopening Weekend: October 15 & 16 SPENCER MUSEUM of ART
Free admission and free parking nearby. www.spencerart.ku.edu
photo by: Megan Axelsson
FLASHBACK - 2011 In the Fall of 2011, we had the ambitious idea to feature kids fashion. Five years later, these are still some of our favorite shots ever.
photo by: Amy Dye
BOOKS FOR
THOSE EASY, BREEZY DAYS OF AUTUMN from the librarians at the Lawrence Public Library Illustration from Weeds Find a Way by Carolyn Fisher
You can’t carve pumpkins all day, so the librarians @ the Lawrence Public Library have a list of Autumn reads! PICTURE BOOK FAVORITES (3-5) How Do Dinosaurs Go to School by Jane Yolen / School was never so exciting and colorful! Dinosaurs happily doing school things, just as if it were normal. If You Take A Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff / That same Numeroff mouse is going to school, and you know what is going to happen: first he wants the lunch box, then the notebook, then the pencils… Curious George’s First Day of School by H.A. Rey / One of many recent additions to the adventures of that mischievous little monkey. George is invited to help in Mr. Apple’s class, but gosh those paints would be fun to mix… Teach Us Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish / This is one of the earlier Amelia Bedelias: she was already wonderfully literal-minded back then! The principal mistakes her for a teacher, and the class has a wonderfully crazy day. Skippyjon Jones, Class Action by Judith Byron Schachner / Skippyjon Jones really wants to go to school. School is for dogs, his mama tells him. So the kitten who thinks he is a Chihuahua stages his own imaginary day at school. School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex / Frederick Douglass Elementary is pretty nervous on the first day. Will the kids like it?
YOUNG FICTION (grades 2-3) Bad Kitty School Daze by Nick Bruel / Obedience school for Bad Kitty, if you can imagine! Action drawings of Kitty’s chaotic inner world will keep you laughing. EllRay Jakes Is Not A Chicken by Sally Warner / Ellray gets picked on by the school bully, but Ellray is the one who gets in trouble. He has to come up with a strategy to win the trip to Disneyland his dad has promised, if he can go a week trouble-free. Excellent Emma by Sally Warner / Emma worries that she might not be good enough to make her father proud. She has a plan to compete in the school Winter Games and win a prize or two. But somehow that turns out not to be the key to a father’s love. The School is Alive! by Jack Chabert / Could the school actually be alive and evil? Sam Graves and two good friends must stop it! This is a high-interest, easy-to-read chapter book series for kids just out of easy readers.
MIDDLE GRADE FICTION (grades 4-6) The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett / Miles moves to Yawnee Valley, where there are just…cows. He has always prided himself on being a prankster, but apparently YV already has one…a good one! Can they work together? Wonder by R.J. Palacio / Augie was born with a major facial abnormality and is going into school for the first time in 5th grade. A hopeful book about the courage of friendship and kindness. Soon to be a major motion picture! The Crossover by Kwame Alexander / Style and swagger, basketball and rhyme, growing up, relationships. A swift action-packed story in poetry. Newbery Medal 2015. The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm / Ellie’s scientist grandfather had turned himself into a 13-year-old boy, who comes to live with Ellie and her mom.Clearly an odd situation. Science is so interesting, and it can, it has, changed the world.
STUDENT. DANCER. RIDES A BIKE. RIDE AND DRIVE
LIKE A GROWN-UP.
Addison — Third-grader Drive slow and safe around schools — it’s elementary.
TRAVEL WITH CARE
FARM TO SCHOOL Feeding Lawrence Students... more than just vegetables. Story by Jenalea Myers / Photos by Earl RIchardson
When Scott Thellman was in middle school, cafeterias served ice cream regularly. “There was no sense of food having a connection to the community,” he said. Fortunately for Lawrence Public Schools students and local farmers like Thellman, much has changed in the cafeteria since then. The Farm to School program began in 2010 with a LiveWell Community Wellness Grant and was bolstered in 2014 with a Healthy Living Grant from the Kansas Health Foundation. Today, the program serves more than 10,000 students, said Lindsey Morgan, the district’s food service supervisor and a registered dietitian. “It’s been really fun to watch the program evolve and grow,” she said. Feed My Community Since the Farm to School program began in Lawrence, expanding the program to include more local farmers and offerings has been a priority for the district, Morgan said.That’s where farmers like Thellman come into play. This year, the district added five new farmers to supply local fruits and vegetables to its cafeterias, including Thellman, who owns and operates Juniper Hill Farms just north of Lawrence in the heart of the Kansas River Valley. As a first-generation farmer, the trade wasn’t something Thellman inherited. When his family bought their farm in 1999, they leased the land to a cattle company. “I just kind of started hanging out with the cattle guys and helping feed,” he said. “I eventually started working for Bismarck Gardens in north Lawrence, and when I was in ninth or 10th grade, I bought my first square baler for $100. It’s been slow growth ever since.” Thellman started the operation in 2006 with hay production and expanded in 2011 with vegetables and fruits. He now operates 1,000 acres, with 50 acres dedicated to producelike beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, kale, Swiss chard, corn, watermelon and others. Thellman said Juniper Hill Farms has focused on supplying produce directly to school districts in Lawrence and Kansas City, Mo., grocery stores like Checkers Foods and The Merc Co-op and restaurants like Free State Brewing Co., 715, Merchants Pub & Plate and others. “Many people are asking for local food, and few growers are stepping up to the task,” he said. “I really want to feed my community — not just the specialty crowd that shows up to farmers markets.” Creating Excitement In addition to having local foods in the Lawrence school district’s cafeterias, the Farm to School program also includes school gardens and curriculum that integrates garden education. Morgan said each area has allowed the district to expand partnerships and create more awareness. Along with working with local farmers, farmers marketsand parents, the school district collaborates with organizations and businesses like the Douglas County Food Policy Council, Sunrise Project, The Merc Co-op, LiveWell Lawrence and the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department.
“We only have a few elementary schools left that don’t have gardens yet,” Morgan said. “The remaining elementary schools will be coming on board as their construction projects are completed. We now have gardens at all four middle schools. This will allow us to be able to shift our focus a little and really work on the curriculum side.” Integrating farm and garden information into the classroom will allow students to see the full picture of where food comes from, Morgan said. For example, the district mightdecide to have first-graders focus on radishes. Not only would they see radishes in the garden and the cafeteria, but they’d also learn about the growth of vegetables in a science class. Morgan said that concept has students and parents excited. “Everyone is really liking the program,” she said. “It’s creating excitement within the school. It’s nice to see people are interested in the program and want to help it flourish.” Chris Tilden, Community Health director at the Health Department, said the Farm to School program plays a key role in teaching students about food. “As a society, we are eating more processed, nutrient poor food,” he said. “Children who have the chance to learnabout where their food comes from and how it impacts their health are more likely to make the choice to eat healthy, fresh foods. This program is an exciting opportunity to improve food choices among our children and future generations.” Local Food As a graduate of Lawrence Free State High School, Thellman knew he wanted to be involved in the Farm to School program. “One of the reasons I got involved is because it’s my home district,” he said. “I think the benefit to students is to know that some, if not all, of what they see in the cafeteria can be grown essentially in their own backyards. It’s great for them to make that connection to a local salad bar, local watermelon or local cantaloupe.” Serving locally produced food benefits the school district in more ways than one, Thellman said. “If it’s a farm that is fairly well-known, the students might have heard of it or their parents have,” he said. “Local food programs are good for the district in recruiting families to Lawrence.” But most of all, Thellman said, it’s the lasting effect Farm to School can have on children that matters. “It’s great to see support for local agriculture,” he said. “As a child, you’re like a sponge. If you grow up thinking about local food, you’re more likely to grow up to be a shopper of local food.” 2016-17 Farm to School Farmers include: • CALCan Enterprises, Topeka • Jirak Family Produce, Atchison • Juniper Hill Farms, Lawrence • My Neighbor Steve, Baldwin City • Moon on the Meadow Farm, Lawrence • Trails West Farms, Eudora
Here’s to aWelcome safe and healthy summer. to Autumn! School is in swing and Halloween justto around the summer. corner. Let’s befull honest: you probably don’t is want see us this BeThat’s sure to stay safe on the football and soccer fields, picking okay, we get it. You have swimming parties and road trips apples and carving pumpkins. youbumps do get and sleep overs to worry about. But, if you doIfget or bumps or bruises, we’ll be here for you.
bruises from your summer adventures, we’ll be here for you. Have a great seasonHere’s and hoping a wonderful Thanksgiving! you have a great season!
Have fun this summer and please call us before school starts!
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MAMA SPREER’S TALES One mom. Two daughters. Many, many stories. by Megan Spreer
“Being a girl is awesome and is so much more than sequins and curling irons”
“No. I’m a boy,” my three-year-old daughter stated as if it were a fact that I was simply overlooking in our conversation. She and her sister had been arguing about whether they were girls or boys while their Froot Loops continued to get soggy in front of them. I had stumbled into the kitchen to see why they were yelling before I’d had coffee. “B, you’re a girl. Just like your sister. Just like me,” I explained. She crumpled into a sobbing mess and through her tears, shouted, “No, I’m not! I’m a boy!” What the what? This would not be the last conversation that would go this way. In fact, we had no fewer than 10 similar chats this summer that left me shaking my head in utter confusion. This child, while wild and not a typical girly girl, loved My Little Pony, Disney Princesses, painted toenails and wearing dresses. This wasn’t a case of her actually identifying with the opposite gender. Her awareness of any of that isn’t there yet. It seemed she genuinely thought that she gets to pick which one she is and if she were to pick, she’d choose to be a boy. No explaining was going to change her mind. What’s wrong with being a girl? I couldn’t grasp why she wasn’t a fan of the idea. I’ve always loved being a girl and embraced every new stage of girly fun growing up. My older daughter is the same way. Makeup, glitter, hair bows and high heels – bring it all on. And B likes it all, too, so why is she adamant that the girl label does not fit her? I wracked my brain for weeks. Was my child really convinced she was a boy? Am I dismissing something that is an honest part of her? She loved getting dressed up in ruffles and dresses, but she also would choose the tractor cookie at Eileen’s Cookies over the flower one every time. She loved to play Barbies with her sister, but she asked for a Superman figurine for her last birthday. Was I in denial? She did love to follow her cousin Jack around at Grandma and Grandpa’s house rather than sitting inside with the other girls. Did she really cont.
identify as a boy? It just didn’t add up all the way to point to that. A couple weeks ago, I had a huge “holy cow” moment. (Doesn’t anyone still say that?) I stumbled across a Facebook post that a friend posted and it clicked. I finally saw the world as B was seeing it. The post was of a photo of Girl’s Life and Boy’s Life magazines side by side. The Boy’s Life magazine featured airplanes, microscopes, trucks, beakers, satellites and computers. It read, “Explore Your Future.” The Girl’s Life magazine featured a photo of a girl that was plastered with words that said “fall fashion”, “dream hair” and “wake up pretty.” The boys were being encouraged to dream big, seek adventure and imagine what amazing things they could do some day. The girls? Obsess over your body. Be pretty. Sit still and quiet. It made me angry. Why was this the message being sent to the girls? It made me think for a long time. Just how many similar messages is my three-year-old already seeing like this? Where else is she seeing that boys are the only ones who get to experience adventure? I began paying more attention. My girls watch the Justice League animated series and love it. Yet, until now, I didn’t notice how the male superheroes were the ones who tackled the big issues and got to do the major stuff to save the day. (Don’t even get me started on the amount of clothing Wonder Woman wears while fighting crime.) In fact, in most things they see on TV, the men are the ones doing things. The women are the ones who wait or only get a supporting role in the action. No wonder she says she’s a boy. If I got to choose, I’d be a boy, too, in the world that’s been presented to her. I’ve got to do more to show her the women who defy these cultural gender constraints and “do”. More Katniss Everdeen and less Rapunzel. I have to blur the line that says “This is for boys and this is for girls.” Being a girl is awesome and is so much more than sequins and curling irons. Girls get things done and are in the middle of the action despite what we see on TV. Women run companies, run for president, and protect our communities. We need to stop idolizing the ones known only for their appearance and non-talent (Side-eye to you, Kardashians.) Poor B. Her mother has done a rotten job up until now. I’m going to do better. We’re getting her Halloween costume this week. What did she pick? Superman. Not Supergirl. She’s getting stuff done and she can’t wear a skirt to do it. LK
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FOR THE KIDS
MUSIC WORKS!
How the Lawrence Schools Foundation partnered with the community to support music education.
Music, quite literally, changed my life. When I had an opportunity to help bring it to kids, I knew I had to do something. I had to act on behalf of kids who might not have the same opportunity. - Dr. Robert Dinsdale
Dr. Robert Dinsdale, a Lawrence Otolaryngologist, has a passion for music education. As a quiet youth, he was always looking for an outlet to help him break out. It wasn’t until he started music lessons that he found that outlet. “I was an introvert when I was younger,” Dr. Dinsdale explains. “It wasn’t so much a lack of confidence, I just didn’t have the best option for expression. When I started playing the French horn, a lot of that passiveness dissolved. When I started playing and studying music, everything began to change for me. Playing music gave me a way to express myself around other students, but not have to do it directly in front of them.” With the help of Dr. Dinsdale, the Lawrence Schools Foundation began offering a Music Works! grant to USD 497 schools. The grants are “to enhance and enrich music education in the Lawrence public schools.” When budget cuts began to threaten music programs in Lawrence schools, Dr. Dinsdale took a big step to stop the damage. He donated money. “I don’t remember the exact stats, but there are a great number of students in Lawrence passionate about music,” Dr. Dinsdale explains. “And we are so fortunate to have solid programs available. When they needed a little help, I was more than happy to do my part.” Dena Johnston, Executive Director of the Lawrence Schools Foundation, says the support of Dr. Dinsdale is essential to the success of the Music Works! grant program. Since it’s inception in 2006, the program has seen a steady increase in applications from Lawrence schools. “Grant requests and funding for the program have been growing in tandem the past few years,” Johnston explains. “For example, the total amount awarded this year is nearly double the amount awarded in 2013. I believe the increase could be due in part to more awareness, but also state funding that hasn’t kept up with an interest in a wider variety of instruments and programming.” Johnston said the grants are often used to help facilitate less-traditional programs, like purchasing new, unique instruments for students to learn. “It’s been interesting to see the funding and the funding gaps, and unfortunately sometimes things
like African drums or ukuleles or other programs — they’re great, they’re innovative, they’re captive and they really can tie into the curriculum and learning for kids — but it’s not on the core list of what would be funded in a choral or music program.” The Music Works! grant program is just one of a handful of grants available to Lawrence public schools. “The Lawrence Schools Foundation is honored to present grants & awards to Lawrence Public School educators to enhance teaching and learning throughout the year as well as award teachers for their exceptional work with our students in and out of the classroom,” Johnston said. Each grant has a different application start and deadline date based on the grant program and funding they are applying for. Teachers can go online and complete the grant application form and submit to the foundation for review. Applications are screened for the degree of compatibility with District goals, existing programs, and representation of best practices, and processed by a grant selection committee. The Foundation Grants and Projects Committee will make the final determination of grants to be funded. Dr. Dinsdale is quick to deflect praise for his contributions to the program. He is a quiet, humble man that is clearly happy that he has been able to help. “When we heard there were funding issues, we had to help,” he says. “What Rachel Dirks (Director of Orchestras at Lawrence High School) has built is outstanding. She’s created a monster there. She received a grant one year and has since turned that into her own funding. I’m so proud of that.” The Music Works! program has successfully helped fund small programs in dozens of Lawrence public schools. The true measure of the success may not be calculable for years. “Music, quite literally, changed my life,” Dr. Dinsdale passionately explains. “When I had an opportunity to help bring it to kids, I knew I had to do something. I had to act on behalf of kids who might not have the same opportunity. Who knows, maybe something we do or provide with this program will give a student that small push or boost they need to go and accomplish something great.” LK
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Stay healthy. Stay close.
IN CLASS A Snapshot of Lessons in Lawrence Public Schools
Langston Hughes 3rd graders work on their Math Monsters
In Danielle Bechard’s Deerfield kindergarten class, students listen to a Pete the Cat story, then use their own traits to color Pete!
Katie Higgins’ 1st-grade class at Corpus Christi Catholic School worked on a science lesson that introduced Scientific Method by making predictions, testing the predictions and discovering a result. The lesson also taught the concept of floating in sinking.
At Cordley Elementary, Alicia Cole’s 2nd-grade students play a series of games involving dice, math blocks and simple addition to review.
The 3rd-grade students in Kylie Booth’s Langston Hughes class combine lucky dice, math concepts and construction paper to create Math Monsters.
It’s not all fun and games in Crystal Harris’ 4th-grade classroom at New York Elementary. Students quietly and diligently work away on one of the first tests of the year.
The Woodlawn Elementary 5th graders in Robyn Vilcek’s class are up and moving, combining their vocabulary words with high-fives and positive reinforcement.
DIY FALL WREATH Story and Photo by Rebecca Zarazan Dunn
Using some leaves from outside, an old magazine and a paper plate to make festive and fun decorations for the season
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Looking for something for the kids to do while you catch your breath? Using an old Lawrence Kids, make these fun and colorful leaf wreaths. Hang them on your door to welcome your guests, or hang them indoors for a bit of seasonal fun. MATERIALS / Colorful leaves found outside / Glue / Paper Plate / Scissors / String
HOW TO / 1. Go outside and collect various leaves. 2. Trace leaves onto Lawrence Kids Magazine pages. Then carefully cut out leaf shapes. 3. Using a paper plate, cut the center out and add a generous amount of glue to the remaining edges. 4. Arrange magazine leaves onto paper plate ring. Press down so that the leaves adhere to the glue. Let dry.
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Stay healthy. Stay close.