Gambit's <i>Kids</i> Fall 2016 by Gambit New Orleans

FALL 2016 IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULES

BACKPACK SAFETY DAY CARE VS. HOME CARE

AFTER-SCHOOL

ACTIVITIES

WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY?

BACK-TOSCHOOL ISSUE

COOL

CLOTHES

FOR KIDS

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CO N TEN TS | FA LL 20 1 6

DAY CARE PROS AND CONS

BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPING

CHILD’S PLAY

HEAD HEALTH

WHO DAT & WHO DON’T

What child care is right for you?

An education in style

Host the best sleepover on the block

The real deal on concussions

A New Orleans word search

OUR GIRLS

change the world COME SEE HOW | OPEN HOUSE

Grades 5 - 12 Oct. 19, 5 - 7 pm

IMMUNIZATIONS A guide to kids’ shots

Ages 1 - Grade 4 Nov. 2, 5 - 7 pm

Tuesday Tours:

BACKPACK FACTS

AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

What to do when their bags hurt

Keep kids active and engaged

Oct. 11 & 25, Nov. 8, Jan. 10 8:30 - 11 am | 504.269.1213

Sacred Heart admits qualified students regardless of race, color, religion, nationality or ethnic origin.

ashrosary.org

ON THE COVER: PHOTO BY LES CADEAUX PHOTOGRAPHY WWW.LESCADEAUXPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

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DEBATING

DAY CARE

When it comes to balancing work and family, what’s best for kids? BY K ATHERINE M . JOHNSON

When considering day care, a child’s developmental needs and the center’s specific attributes come into play.

effects of different types of child care on children up to 4.5 years old. Studies about the effect of day care on babies 6 months or younger show a correlation between day care enrollment and incidences of aggressive behavior in preschool-aged kids. The study does not suggest that day care Center. She has taught toddlers and preschoolers, trained teachers of young children causes behavioral issues in children, but it points to a relationship between day care and and counseled parents on early learning and development. She stresses the word “quality” aggression. Moreover, the study breaks down child care by type, quality and quantity to in her statement. show several potential outcomes. In 2006, the National Institute of Child Measuring both “regulable” (structural feaHealth and Human Development (NICHD) released comprehensive research on the tures of a day care facility including adult-to-

ll children need love and security, but their specific developmental needs change as they grow. With those changing needs, the question of day care placement emerges, along with complicating factors.

There are many sides to the day care debate, not least of which is the “maternal guilt” argument or the idea that out-of-home child care breeds infections. However, arguments that day care is or isn’t essential for social and cognitive growth don’t get much traction. “Quality child care is good for children,” says Jenni Evans of Children’s Hospital’s Parenting

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MIND, HEART, & HOME

Please join us for

Open House

Thursday, October 6 1400 Moss Street • New Orleans, LA 70119

CABRINIHIGH

.COM

To spend a day at Cabrini, call 504.483.8699 Cabrini High School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its policies. 06

GAMBIT’S KIDS > > > F A L L . 2 0 1 6

child ratio and child care provider training) and “process” features (day-to-day experiences such as social interactions and activities), and using standards set by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Public Health Association, the NICHD determined that many study participants between 6 months and 3 years old attended sub-par day care facilities. Thirty percent of children receive only a “fair amount” of positive caregiving in those facilities. Mostly, these facilities failed to provide an acceptable adultto-child ratio and group size, especially for the infant to 2-year-old age range. At this developmental stage, children need as close to a one-to-one ratio with adults as possible. “Young children need a lot of attention in order to feel nurtured, and that is essential for their development,” Evans says. “Toddlers are experiencing budding autonomy and need a safe environment in which they can explore their surroundings, and [they need] attentive caregivers.” The bottom line is that day care alone won’t cause behavioral issues or stifled social growth in children. But if children attend a day care without adequate adult supervision, they might misbehave. “If groups are too big or are not developmentally appropriate, kids will act out in aggression or display withdrawal,” Evans says. “It goes back to the issue of quality child care. … [Aggressive behavior] is not inherent in the care, but rather

Children 2 and younger need lots of attention from adults. in the quality of the care.” Children in day care centers that meet accreditation standards not only have fewer behavior problems, according to the study, they also fare better cognitively. Social growth begins when toddlers become more interested in their peers, but cognitive growth begins in infancy. In Evans’ experience, many parents don’t realize the first stage of cognitive development takes place during a baby’s first year. Children who come from a “language-rich” environment tend to do better in preschool and beyond because of language and learning skills established at that age. “Learning through play is important,” Evans says. “It’s not all academics.” She recommends “exploration, exercise — like putting baby on her tummy — and visual experiences” to round out a baby’s early education. She also emphasizes one-to-one interaction. The study findings support Evans’ advice. “More stimulation from the caregiver — asking questions, responding to vocalizations [cooing, babbling], and other forms of talking — was linked to somewhat better cognitive and language development,” the study states. The first six months in a child’s life are a critical period for parent-child bonding. At

this age, if the parent can choose whether to place the child in day care or stay home with the baby, Evans does not recommend day care. According to the study, only 9 percent of children younger than 6 months are enrolled in day care. However, 54 percent of children age 4.5 go to day care. “[C]hildren 6 months of age and older who had more experience in child care centers showed somewhat better cognitive and language development through age 3 and somewhat better pre-academic skills involving letters and numbers at age 4.5 than children with less center-based

child care experience,” the study states. These data also support Evans’ assertions: at home, one-on-one care (maternal care, according to the study) up to age 6 months followed by a quality day care facility increases cognitive development. The verdict on the day care vs. home care debate? It depends on the child’s developmental stage, whether maternal care is an option (most studies suggest that maternal care is best) and the availability of quality care, along with more personal caveats such as finances and beliefs. Just as children are, every situation is unique.

NEED HELP FINDING

THE RIGHT CARE? For those considering day care, here are resources to aid the decision.

Agenda for Children

(8300 Earhart Blvd., Suite 201, 504-586-8509; www.agendaforchildren.org)

BOYS TO MEN

A Journey of Excellence

This Louisiana child care referral agency provides the New Orleans Guide to Early Childhood Education, a list of licensed child care options including early learning centers, schools and community resources, as well as information about programs to help cover the childcare costs.

The NICHD’s Positive Caregiving Checklist (www.nichd.nih.gov/publications)

This tool can be helpful when evaluating a day care facility’s quality.

OPEN HOUSE Grades 5-12 ~ November 2 ~ 6-8 p.m. (504) 942-3100

www.holycrosstigers.com

Holy Cross School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its policies.

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SCHOOLYARD CHIC These back-to-school pieces are playground-tested and kid-approved. BY ANDRE A BLUMENS TEIN

Long plaid shirt, $54 at Pippen Lane (2930 Magazine St., 504-269-0106; www.pippenlane.com).

School spirit cards, six for $18 at Lionheart Prints (www.lionheartprints.co).

Animal print lace-up oxford, $23.99 at Swap Swap for Kids (7722 Maple St., 504-218-5996; www.swapforkids.com).

MUST HAVE!

Yellow raincoat, $48 at Massey’s Professional Outfitters (509 N. Carrollton Ave., 504-648-0292; 816 N. Highway 190, 985-809-7544; 3131 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 504-885-1144; www.masseyoutfitters.com).

Navy striped backpack, $50 at Pippen Lane. PAGE 10

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PAGE 9

Eco-friendly backpack by Patagonia with green straps, $59 at Massey’s Professional Outfitters.

Uniform golf shirts, $7.50 each at Gap Factory Store (The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, 1 Poydras St., 504-558-9912; www.gap.com/outlet).

CUTE! Gray shoes with yellow floral pattern, $44 at Haase’s (8119 Oak St., 504-866-9944; www.haases.com).

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Black legging with built-in knit bootie, $50 at Pippen Lane.

A+tyle!

Fo r s

“Tanner” sneakers by See Kai Run, $42 at Haase’s.

Youth Tipitina’s T-shirt, $18 at Tipitina’s Foundation (www.tipitinasfoundation.com)

Pull-on camo boys’ pants, $14.99 at Swap for Kids..

Bright blue backpack by The North Face, $65 at Massey’s Professional Outfitters.

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12 SLEEPOVER

IDEAS

Activities for no-yawn slumber parties BY K ANDACE POWER GR AVES

Backyard camp-out

1. Backyard campout —

Set up tents in your backyard, grill hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner and roast marshmallows for s’mores over a campfire (or fire pit). Set up old-fashioned games like horseshoes, a basketball goal for a game of HORSE, or nets for volleyball or badminton.

Delivered:

Ponies • Wagons • Merry Go Round

At Our Barn:

Parties • Lessons Holday & Summer Camps

504-469-0148 www.ponytalesbirthdays.com 12

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2. Build a fort — Drape sheets or blankets over furniture to make a fort that draws kids like a magnet and sparks their imaginations. A pillow fight is a safe channel for the adrenaline rush. 3. Charades — This game is always more fun than you think it will be. Things for teams

to act out include movies, songs, books or other themes popular with the group.

4. Drama bags — Fill shopping bags with five different items (a shoe, soup ladle, phone, candlestick, etc.). The bags don’t need to contain the same items.Divide guests into teams and give each team a bag. Each team then plans a skit, song or other performance using each of the items in its bag. 5. Game night — Twister (mostly for the amusement of the parents), Mexican Train, Apples To Apples, whatever is age-appropriate and popular with the group.

6. Iron Man/Iron Woman — Do an imaginative take on

-athlons/Iron Man competitions with a pentathlon of activities (easily adapted to all ages), such as run an obstacle course; perform air guitar to a song; rub your belly, pat your head and spin around three times; spell a word; finish by blowing a big bubble with gum … you get the idea.

7. Karaoke/dance party — Make sure each guest gets

a chance to display his or her singing/dancing skills. (You can film the performances for viewing later during the party.)

8. Life-sized board game — Use sidewalk chalk

to draw a large game board (similar to hopscotch), and write instructions on each square (hop three times on one foot, sing one line of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” go back one square, advance two squares, quack like a duck, etc.). Use regular dice or make a large one out of a box. You can have guests sign their names or draw their handprints in chalk on the sidewalk when they finish.

9. Obstacle course —

Create an obstacle course using whatever you have: slides, a

trampoline, boxes to crawl through, hula hoops, etc. Guests can compete as teams or be timed as individuals. For a second round, have kids maneuver the course while walking backwards.

10. Scavenger hunt —

Scavenger hunts are easy to adapt for different age ranges and get all guests involved in the fun. If there are enough children, divide them into teams to find items on a printed list (make sure you have enough of each item for all teams to find). The first team to find all the items wins. Older kids can use their phones to photograph items on a list (birdhouse, a wooden gate, a rose bush, framed photo of the party host, etc.).

11. Spa/makeover party — Let guests decorate

flip-flops and give each other manicures and pedicures. Older girls can give each other makeovers with makeup and hair styles. Screening Grease is a lively follow-up.

12. Talent show — Singing, dancing, juggling, comedy, modeling, magic — whatever talent they choose will make for a fun mix.

#7 Karaoke/ Dance Party

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OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15 | 9:30 - 11:30 A.M. | 8 WEEKS – GRADE 12 STMSAINTSLA

@STMSAINTS

STM_SAINTS

504.736.9917 | stmsaints.com/satoct15

It is the policy of St. Martin’s Episcopal School to administer its educational programs, including admission and financial aid, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or disability.

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CONCUSSIONS 10 heartbreaking moments for the mother of a concussed teenager BY LAR A KRUPICK A

t happens in a flash. A tangle of legs and arms in a tussle over the ball during a high school girls’ soccer game. My daughter takes an elbow to the head that makes her stumble, but she pushes on for the remaining few minutes of the game. No one — coaches, teammates or spectators — notice she’s been hit. She comes off the field at the end of the game complaining to me of a headache. Unbeknownst to me, she later complains to her father of nausea. At the time we are unaware these symptoms are signs of an injury that will last for six months. Little do I know of the grief that awaits me as her mother, heartbreaking moments such as:

1. When the school nurse calls to deliver the news that our teen is complaining of tunnel vision and feeling foggy-brained. Troubling symptoms. Yet I have sent her to school for three days thinking it was her usual headache. I regret not taking her to a doctor sooner, especially when a concussion test administered by the school trainer conclusively diagnoses the injury I missed.

2. Realizing I misinterpreted the pediatrician’s follow-up instructions as the doctor chews me out the next day when I call to ask what medication to give our teen for the headache after school. Because why did our teen attend classes when she should be at home in a dark room with no light, no sound, no mental stimulation of any sort? 3. Seeing the empty chair

at our table when our family gathers that night for dinner as usual. And the lack of stories about advanced placement class agonies and overdone rolling of eyes and groaning at Dad’s wry jokes. Our youngest manages to complete a full sentence without her gregarious sister there to interrupt. A small consolation for our teen’s absence. 4. When friends text our daughter their reports of school antics and weekend plans two weeks into her isolation, hoping she’ll join them soon. But our child appears to be no better, still curled up in her hushed bedroom, fleece blankets draped over windows. She sleeps most of the day, emerging only at night to shower in a dimly lit bathroom. I ache to see her regain her normal teenage life. 5. When we visit a neurologist five weeks after the concussioncausing bump and the nurse practitioner describes our teen’s condition as a mild traumatic brain injury. I gloss over the terminology until I have to relay it

to my husband. Then it hits me with a shudder: brain injury. 6. When the same nurse practitioner looks me in the eye and instructs that if my child exhibits symptoms of depression I am to ask her point-blank, “Are you feeling suicidal?” I hope beyond hope that I will not have any cause to ask this. But the nurse’s insistence makes me fear that I will. 7. Working on a plan with support staff at the high school to help my child finish her freshman year while attending half days. The school nurse assures me that during my teen’s scheduled gym class there will be a bed reserved for her in the health office so she can rest her brain. As I check out later at the attendance window, I chat with the receptionist there who has become familiar with my voice over the past few weeks. And I realize my daughter and I are discovering a side of the education system we never expected to experience. 8. My child breaking down sobbing at the slightest provocation for the third time in a day. When I ask her why, she says she does not know. It happens again the next day and the next. Until PAGE 17

HEADS UPS Signs of Concussion can be hard

CAUSES OF CONCUSSION AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

to spot

19 PERCENT Other and unknown

BY KANDACE POWER GRAVES

concussion is an injury to the brain that results in temporary loss of normal brain function and usually is caused by a blow to the head, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). Often there are no outward signs of head trauma; many people never lose consciousness. Symptoms can begin immediately or weeks or months after an injury. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 2.5 million emergency room visits in 2010 associated with concussion or traumatic brain injury of all types, and 300,000 of those concussions a year are attributed to sports, according to the Brain Trauma Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh.

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15.5 PERCENT

40.5 PERCENT

Accidental blunt trauma to the

Falls — Most likely to occur in ages birth to 14 and 65 and older

head (being hit in the head or hitting the head against something)

10.7 PERCENT

Assaults — Almost 75

percent occur in 15- to 44-year-olds

14.3 PERCENT Vehicle accidents

— CDC STATISTICS, 2006-2010

PAGE 17

CONCUSSIONS

{C O N T I N U E D}

PAGE 16

one day she spends an entire evening in her bed crying. I ask the dreaded question: Do you feel suicidal? She does not answer and I spend the night curled up beside her, hand gripping her shoulder. The following day I call the doctor to ask them to switch her medication. Soon after, the uncontrolled crying stops. 9. When my ordinarily bright child slumps at our kitchen counter, weeping because she cannot understand math. I recall recent cognitive tests run by a neuropsychologist indicating her abilities have been compromised by the injury. But she does not get what those results mean. And she does not get math right now either. What she desperately wants to get is an A in the class, injury or no.

10. When we are hosting our annual barbecue with a backyard full of our favorite people and I notice my daughter following her friends around in a daze before quietly retreating to her room to be alone. I watch the teens having a water balloon fight later and wonder again how long until my child can take part in the fun, uninterrupted by pain. Certainly worse injuries or illnesses could happen to our child. And I find reassurance along the way that she will recovery fully, without lasting effects — eventually. But a sense of vulnerability and helplessness still catch me off-guard at times. Because this is my child. And she has a concussion.

HAS YOUR CHILD SUFFERED WITH ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS IN THE PAST 30 DAYS? • DIFFICULTY • MIGRAINE PAYING HEADACHES ATTENTION • INSOMNIA • DIFFICULTY • ANXIETY/PANIC FINISHING TASKS ATTACKS • MEMORY LOSS If so, you may be a candidate for BrainCore Therapy. Call to schedule a free consultation.

Dr. Nancy D. Gravel, DC, BCIA HEADS UPS

{C O N T I N U E D}

Mandeville, LA 70471 • 985-626-4422 • www.braincoretherapyoflouisiana.com

PAGE 16

Symptoms • Nausea or vomiting (early stages) • Difficulty remembering new information, concentrating and thinking quickly and clearly • Headache • Blurry vision • Dizziness, balance problems • Sensitivity to light • Bothered by noise • Lack of energy • Nervous or anxious • Sleeping too much, too little or trouble falling asleep • Heightened emotions • Irritable • Ringing in the ears • Loss of smell or taste

Danger signs – seek medical help • Drowsy and can’t be fully wakened • Persistent vomiting or nausea • Pupils of the eyes are different sizes • Convulsions or seizures • Confusion, can’t recognize familiar things • Loses consciousness • Crying and can’t be consoled • Prolonged headache that worsens and won’t go away • Physical weakness, numbness or loss of coordination • Can’t perform tasks that require sequential steps • Slurred speech • Unusual behavior • Loss of appetite and refusal to eat — Sources: CDC and AANS F A L L . 2 0 1 6 < < < GAMBIT’S KIDS

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WhoDat

WhoDon’t WhoD

ILLUSTR ATIONS BY LYN VICKNAI R

Word Search:

New Orleans

WhoDat and WhoDon’t are from New Orleans. Can you find all the words that relate to their city? [WORDS RUN UP, DOWN, BACKWARDS, FORWARD AND DIAGONALLY] ANSWERS ON PAGE: 27

T N E C S E R C T S L

F L E U R D E L I S H

O T F R E N C H N L X

B E D A R A P A K C S

M E A L C C E N R E A

U U I A A L A A E L I

G A J G R H W I W O N

J U L O N F S S E E T

N A W N I E M I G R S

G E Z S V W T U R C A

N O H Z A P H O K A N

M V K F L J Y L Q V P

• BEIGNET • CAJUN

• CARNIVAL

• CRAWFISH • CREOLE

• CRESCENT

• FLEUR DE LIS • FRENCH • GUMBO • JAZZ

• KREWE

• LOUISIANA

• NEW ORLEANS • PARADE • PARISH • SAINTS

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TAKE A

SHOT BY K ANDACE POWER GR AVES

Students are required to get vaccinated before entering school

ouisiana law requires vaccinations against certain diseases for children from birth to college age. It’s important for parents to keep records of their child’s immunizations, since those records are necessary for admission into kindergarten, day care centers, schools, colleges and vocational schools. (There are exemptions for religious, medical and philosophical views.) Louisiana’s Vaccines for Children Program (www.new.dhh.louisiana.gov) makes vaccines available at no charge for children who are uninsured, eligible for Medicaid or are Native American or Native Alaskan. Ask your doctor about the program. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following vaccination schedule. A pediatrician can put a child on a “make-up schedule” if he or she falls behind on immunizations.

SHOTS OF PREVENTION

Note: Numbers indicate doses in a series; shading shows time range for getting a dose. B stands for booster.

VACCINE Hepatitis B (HepB)

BIRTH

1 MO.

2 MOS. 2

4 MOS.

6 MOS.

9 MOS.

12 MOS.

15 MOS.

18 MOS.

Rotavirus (RV) (comes in twoand three-dose versions)

Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP)

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (comes in three- and fourdose versions)

3 or B

Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13)

Inactivated poliovirus (IPV)

Influenza (IIV; LAIV)

What immunizations are available and when should children get them? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2016 vaccine schedule can help.

annual vaca

19-23 MO.

2-3 YRS.

4-6 YRS.

11-12 YRS.

13-18 YRS.

4 or 4B or 4Bor B

4 3

annual annual annual annual Annual vaccination (IIV only) vaca vaca vaca vaca

annual vaca

Annual annualvaccination annual annual annual annual Annual vaccination (IIV or LAIV) (IIV or LAIV) vaca vaca vaca vaca vaca

Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)

Varicella (VAR)

Hepatitis A (HepA)

7-10 YRS.

Two doses

Two Two Two doses doses doses

Two doses

Meningococcal

Tetanus, diphtheria & acellular pertussis (DTap)

•

Human papillomavirus

Threedose series

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NCE RIE

DISCOVER

openbig the

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420 JULIA STREET | NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130 504-523-1357 | www.lcm.org @LouisianaKids

LouisianaChildrensMuseum

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A REAL

PAINNECK IN THE

Identifying and alleviating backpack strain. BY K ATHERINE M . JOHNSON

icking up a backpack seems like a no-brainer: lift and go. It’s actually a complex operation: arm muscles, upper and lower back muscles, trapezius (traps) and other shoulder muscles, abdominals and thigh muscles all synchronize to raise, place and carry a backpack. The heavier the weight, the harder those muscles work. Now is the time to make kids aware of possible damage from overburdened or improperly carried backpacks. Beth Winkler, licensed physical therapist and co-owner of Magnolia Physical Therapy (citywide; www.magnoliatherapyla.com) discusses back-toschool back pain and prevention.

What are some signs that back or spinal injury may be occurring? Pain is the No. 1 sign. One other symptom is tingling in the back and arms due to [the backpack’s] compression of arteries and nerves. If pain or tingling persists, a parent should take the child to see a physical therapist or doctor. What areas are most commonly affected by backpack strain? We definitely see neck and shoulder pain, even if the student is wearing both [backpack] straps. A backpack engages upper traps and hikes the muscles up, and they can get very tight.

If the backpack is too heavy, it causes the child to lean forward to counterbalance the weight, putting a lot of pressure on the lower back as well. Is a particular age group at risk? We see [injury] in high school students, because that’s when the workload dramatically increases. But more and more we are seeing it in younger kids. Parents should start educating their kids [about backpack safety] once they start school — sooner rather than later. Middle school is when the injuries can really start.

How can a parent educate his or her child? Parents should definitely tell kids to wear their backpack straps on both shoulders and make sure that the backpack is zipped up all the way. If it’s open, the weight shifts backward, and the student will lean further forward to counterbalance that weight. If the backpack is too full and can’t be zipped, the student should take one or two of the heaviest books and carry them in front to distribute the weight more evenly. Also, leave the extra stuff at home. That extra load over time will cause problems later in life. A student’s backpack should not be more than 15 percent of his or her body weight. Get weights, put them in a bag, and let them see what it feels like so they know how heavy the backpack should feel.

Open House Dates

If a child is already experiencing pain, what steps should a parent take? The biggest thing is to educate the child, especially if [the pain] is limiting the child from engaging in a sport or other activities. Lighten the load. Neck and lower back stretches may help. What type of backpack do you suggest parents purchase? I recommend something with pads on the shoulders and straps. A backpack with straps around the waist counterbalances and evenly distributes the weight of the bag. Another good choice is a rolling backpack, but if [there isn’t elevator access and] a student has to take the stairs, this may not be practical. If the pain doesn’t go away, what should a parent do? You can see a physical therapist without seeing a doctor first. A physical therapist is trained to look for signs that the injury is musculoskeletal and to treat it. You may not need several sessions of physical therapy. You may only need one evaluation and a home program to follow. If [the issue] is more neurological — losing strength in the extremities or if there is persistent numbness — the therapist will send the client to a doctor for further evaluation.

EDUCATION

SPECIAL 2016 ISSUE DATE

SEPTEMBER 27 SPACE RESERVATION

SEPTEMBER 16 FREE LISTING FOR ADVERTISERS on Open House Calendar in Education issue

TO ADVERTISE OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL SANDY STEIN AT 504.483.3150 OR EMAIL SANDYS@GAMBITWEEKLY.COM F A L L . 2 0 1 6 < < < GAMBIT’S KIDS

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AFTER-SCHOOL

DREAMS A

t 3 p.m., the learning spree that is the school day is over and the afternoon stretches ahead. Kids need a break from academics, but too much TV and video games aren’t good for young minds. After-school and weekend programs are ways children can have fun while learning new things. Here are a few notable off-campus activities for kids.

Young dancers pose for a picture in Lelia Haller Ballet Classique’s studio.

Kids’ mental and physical activity doesn’t have to end when the school day does.

BY K AT HERINE M . JOHNS ON

AUDUBON NATURE INSTITUTE (www.audubonnatureinstitute. org/zoo/education-programs-zoo) offers Science Sleuths — Saturday morning classes for kids ages 8 to 13 where students learn about science in everyday life. Each class costs $15, and there are discounts for students who reg-

ister for multiple classes. Youth Conservation Corps operates in conjunction with the Orleans Parish 4-H youth development organization to teach kids ages 12 to 19 about community, citizenship and service. Students must attend at least two workshops monthly to be eligible for service projects with groups like PAGE 27

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the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. There is a $20 fee for the program. Registration for these and other Audubon Institute programs opens in mid-August, and forms are available online.

ELECTRIC GIRLS (504-475-4682; www.electricgirls.org) teaches girls STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills such as circuit building, soldering and electronics repair. Session one (beginning Sept. 7) is for 5- to 8-year-olds and session two (beginning Nov. 5) is for girls ages 9 to 14. Classes are Saturdays at the NOLA Fab Lab on Delgado Community College’s City Park campus (615 City Park Ave., 504-671-5000). The price is $450 and scholarships are available. Visit the website to register.

INTERGALACTIC KREWE OF CHEWBACCHUS (Castillo Blanco Art Studios, 4321 St. Claude Ave., 504-6030042; www.chewbacchus. org) hosts Chewbacchus Kids weekly art camps, including DIY video storytelling (ages 8 to 14), Puppetry and Performance (ages 5 to 14) and winter parade camp (ages 8 to 14). The cost for each session is $175. Video Storytelling kicks off the series in October, and student films premiere at the Chewbacchus Kids Art Festival on Dec. 17. Email camp@chewbacchus. org or call for details and to reserve a spot.

JEFFERSON PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY’S THEATRE KIDS! PROGRAM (1118 Clearview Parkway, Metairie, 504-885-2000; www. jpas.org/theatre-kids) invites children ages 7 to 14 to learn more about dramatic and performing arts by auditioning for all-kids productions.

This fall, the program stages Seussical, Jr. Auditions are Aug. 27. There’s a casting fee of $100 for kids accepted into the program. For more information, contact Lynne Bordelon at (504) 885-2000, ext. 211 or lynne@jpas.org.

LELIA HALLER BALLET CLASSIQUE (4916 Canal St., 504-482-0038; www.lhballet.com) The only classical ballet studio in MidCity and the only studio teaching the Lelia Haller method of dance begins its fall schedule Tuesday, Sept. 6. Tuition varies and there is a $20 registration fee per student.The studio offers classes for girls and boys of all skill levels, from pre-ballet for 3- to 5-year-olds to advanced lessons for older children. LH Ballet will present its 10th annual performance of The Nutcracker in December; auditions for ages 6 and older will be held at the studio on Sept. 10 and 17.

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NEW ORLEANS RECREATION DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (NORDC) (www.nordc.org) After-school programming at NORDC includes sports and multidisciplinary dance classes citywide. The commission also offers weekly chess lessons, as well as free-play sessions. Chess is open to kids ages 8 and older, and registration is free. Lessons are held at the Rosenwald Recreation Center (1120 S. Broad St., 504-6583090). Registration is ongoing. Read Mommy Read (Behrman Recreation Center, 2529 General Meyer Ave., 504-658-3170) is a literacy program to encourage reading in children of all ages. Programming and scheduling varies by age: participants may read aloud, enjoy quiet reading time or participate in book clubs, book making or poetry. For more information about NORDC programs, contact Djuana Bolds Johnson (504-6583049; dbjohnson@nola.gov). F A L L . 2 0 1 6 < < < GAMBIT’S KIDS