Weld County Parents September/October

SEPT/OCT 2017

GET IN THERE!

Pain-free tips to get involved in your kid’s school

GOING GREEN

5 easy ways to pack eco-friendly school lunches

GET OUT & ABOUT

Family friendly events throughout Weld County

PARTY

TIME

Make your home Halloween party central!

COSTUME

CONUNDRUM Quick, crafty DIY tricks for better treats Sept/Oct 2017 WELD COUNTY PARENTS 1

2 WELD COUNTY PARENTS Sept/Oct 2017

F E AT U R E S

Get Involved

pg. 6

Get involved in your kid’s education. Tips & helpful insight.

Mother Lode: Here’s hoping kids make good relationship decisions

Party Time

pg. 8

Make your home Halloween party central!

Mom Health: Reasons you may be packing on the pounds pg. 9

Upcoming Events: September & October calendar

pg. 4

pg. 12

Smart Classrooms: Technology is changing the way kids learn

The Costume Challenge: Putting the trick into Halloween fun

pg. 15

pg. 20

Going Green: 5 easy tips to pack an eco-friendly kids lunch pg. 22

PUBLISHER Bryce Jacobson

CREATIVE SERVICES SUPERVISOR Amy Mayer

EDITOR Randy Bangert

LEAD DESIGNER Laurin Johnson

NICHE AUDIENCE & BRAND DIRECTOR Bruce Dennis

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Theresa Myers Nikki Work Emily Kemme Kathleen Duff

Send editorial-related comments and story ideas to: rbangert@greeleytribune.com

SALES MANAGER Stephanie Mighell

For advertising inquiries, contact: bdennis@greeleytribune.com

CREATIVE MANAGER Kyle Knoop BUSINESS MANAGER Doug Binder MANAGING EDITOR Sharon Dunn

WELD COUNTY PARENTS MAGAZINE 501 8th Ave. P.O. Box 1690 Greeley, CO 80632 For all editorial, advertising, subscription and circulation inquiries, call (970) 352-0211.

Sept/Oct 2017, Volume 1, Issue 3.

Published by: Greeley Publishing Co., publisher of The Greeley Tribune, Windsor Now, the Fence Post, Tri-State Livestock News, Prime, Premier, Explore Weld County, and Energy Pipeline Sept/Oct 2017 WELD COUNTY PARENTS 3

Mother Lode: I think — and hope — that my daughters make good decisions when it comes to

relationships.

BY THERESA MYERS FOR WELD COUNTY PARENTS

I

nevitably, as your children grow, they will have romantic relationships.

And as a parent, you have to decide what your role is in helping your child navigate them.

4 WELD COUNTY PARENTS Sept/Oct 2017

For the most part, my husband and I have taken a pretty hands-off approach. Unless it’s potentially dangerous or unsafe, we don’t give advice on who our kids should date.

We like to meet the person they date, of course. We like to learn something about this person. Otherwise, we try to trust our daughters and hope we have given them enough information about what a positive and healthy romantic relationship should be.

So far we have been lucky. As far as we

know — and we don’t kid ourselves thinking we know everything — our girls have made good choices. They each have had a few romantic relationships, and when those ended, they seemingly ended for the right reasons. We’ve been through the infatuation all the way through the breakup. We’ve tried to be supportive and understanding, without giving direct advice like, “You should break up with that person,” or “Why don’t you date that person?”

It isn’t always easy to sit back as a parent and watch your children throw themselves into the tricky and sticky world of dating. Often it’s a relief when they aren’t dating. Sometimes, when they are dating someone who is nice and kind, it’s a relief that they are in a positive relationship.

Of course, with my daughters, I have tried to stress there are some

It isn’t always easy to sit back as a parent and watch your children throw themselves into the tricky and sticky world of dating. non-negotiables when it comes to romantic relationships. For instance, I’ve told them the person they are with should: » Treat you with respect, kindness and courtesy. » Treat others with respect, kindness and courtesy. » Never use harsh words or threaten you in any way. » Understand that you have a family and other interests and support them. » Be willing to meet us and spend time with us when appropriate. » Never pressure you into doing something that makes you uncomfortable or scared, or tries to talk you into something that you know is wrong or that goes against our wishes. » Asks you to pay for everything and/or takes advantage of you in some other way. In turn, you shouldn’t date someone who always insists on paying for everything and doesn’t let you share in paying for activities, meals, etc.

Of course, this doesn’t cover everything. It’s impossible to cover everything in a short “do’s and don’ts” list. And I know I can’t possibly anticipate every situation, every moral dilemma, every

circumstance that will arise in my daughters’ relationships. It also should go without saying that this list is reversible, meaning the person my daughters have a relationship with should expect the same treatment.

You can try to model what a good relationship looks like. For the most part, I think my husband and I have done that. But we are also human, and I don’t know what our relationship looks like to my girls. For the most part, I think it probably looks pretty boring. I mean, my husband and I have been married for nearly 29 years.

Picking a good partner — whether it is a short romance or a longterm relationship — isn’t always easy or clear cut. People change.

Expectations change. Goals change.

Ultimately, as I’ve told my girls, if you can have a good conversation, if you can be on the same page for the really important decisions, if you can laugh together and cry together, if you can support each other in those clichéd good and bad times, that really is half the battle.

— Theresa Myers is the director of communications for GreeleyEvans School District 6 and lives in Greeley with her husband and two teenage daughters. She can be reached at myersfreelance@msn.com.

Sept/Oct 2017 WELD COUNTY PARENTS 5

Get Involved

i n yo u r k i d ’ s e d u c at i o n

BY KATHLEEN DUFF FOR WELD COUNTY PARENTS

T

his is as much back-to-school time for parents as it is for kids.

Busy moms and dads may not make it into the classroom every day or maybe even not at all, but the advantage of staying involved in their kids’ education is an investment of a lifetime. The National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools concluded that children earn higher grades and perform 6 WELD COUNTY PARENTS Sept/Oct 2017

better on tests when parents and schools work together, according to Care.com.

Veteran teacher Lynn Perrich said getting parents involved in schools boils down to one word — communication.

After teaching elementary school in Greeley for 26 years and more than 30 years overall, Perrich said she has learned to try — and try again, if needed — to find the best way to let parents know what is going on at school

and how they can help their kids.

“They need to know it is a bond for the year. It’s a three-way conversation with the parents, child and teacher,” she said.

Busy parents often worry that they don’t have enough time to volunteer in the classroom. Work schedules and multiple children can be challenging.

Others may be a bit intimated by educators or feel they don’t have something to offer.

But every parent can do something that will make a difference. Just keeping track of what their child is learning and how to help them individually are huge steps to helping children be successful in school.

Perrich used several approaches to keep parents informed, including school websites, newsletters and even individual phone calls made by a Spanishspeaking colleague to parents of second-language learners to communicate news about classroom activities and volunteer opportunities. She also wrote brief notes to parents in daytimers to thank them or offer suggestions for simple one-on-one learning with their children.

In addition to boosting children’s educational success, Perrich said building trust with parents through communication also is important when challenges such as poor grades or social conflicts arise.

“Those hard conversations are easier when parents and teachers know each other,” she explained. And it is good for students to know that their teacher and parents are talking. “Sometimes kids give only their version of how things happened,” Perrich said, with a laugh.

Elizabeth Urich, assistant principal at Dos Rio Elementary School in Greeley, believes, above all, that parents want what is best for their children. Parents who engage in their children’s classroom, no matter what level of participation, are demonstrating to their children

that they care.

“It shows investment in the child,” said Urich, who taught for 13 years prior to becoming an administrator last year.

“Even asking these simple questions, such as, ‘What are you studying?’ and ‘What did you have for lunch?’ shows children that they matter.

Urich said she has had parents who volunteer every week to come into the classroom and others who may send an email asking what they can have their child bring in for a class party.

“I don’t see one as better than the other,” she said. Children just need to know that their

urges parents to feel confident in contacting teachers instead of waiting for an invitation.

“Teachers are expected to provide vast amounts of knowledge ... to have (a parent) who has a skill in a certain area offer to provide real-life experiences is really important,” he said. For example, he recalled a time a teacher was discussing Colorado animals as part of the curriculum in his child’s class. Truitt was able to bring in the hides of several animals to give children an opportunity to see and feel them firsthand.

Truitt and his wife Apricot

parents are interested in what they are doing in school and want them to succeed.

“It really doesn’t matter what level you are engaged, just be there,” she said.

Conversely, parents should feel free to contact teachers for suggestions on how to help their children. “Don’t be afraid to reach out,” she said.

“It’s important to have parents as partners in the learning environment.”

Parent Ben Truitt agrees. He

have made engagement in school a priority for their three children: Aspen, who graduated as salutatorian of Greeley West High School last year, Autumn, an incoming junior at Greeley West; and Brennan, who attends Brentwood Middle School in Greeley. Each child requires a different approach when it comes to involvement because of their age. He may volunteer for school projects for his elementary school-aged child fairly regularly while only

occasionally appearing at the high school to set up in advance of an event, such as a concert.

Much like Perrich, Truitt said communication is essential to remaining involved in a child’s education. He doesn’t use social media, and he says school website calendars can be less than reliable because their information isn’t always updated, so he relies on direct phone calls and emails to teachers.

“It’s up to parents to take the step to make the call or send the email,” he said.

As much as parental involvement in schools helps kids, it also benefits their parents. “I enjoy watching children learn ... and when they ‘get’ something for the first time,” Truitt said. He also learns by watching his own children interact with other kids.

Parent Renee Cobb of Windsor said she, too, learns a lot about how her kids react socially as well as academically when she can visit school or help out on a field trip.

Seeing her children and other students lets Cobb help her kids navigate the social side of school, which can be as challenging as the academic side.

“It’s hard to know what’s going on when you hear only your child’s side,” she explained.

Cobb also agreed that parents need not be educational experts to make a difference. For two

Sept/Oct 2017 WELD COUNTY PARENTS 7

years, she has volunteered to help middle school students make sure they can open their lockers on the first day of school - a simple task that has proved very meaningful to nervous kids.

With older daughter Cassidy at Windsor High School, seventhgrader Calista at Windsor Middle School and Camryn, a Grandview Elementary fourthgrader, she has to balance her involvement.

“I do try to go over homework on a weekly basis. And I try to go over papers and rerun problems with them that they didn’t get the first time,” she said. She relies on emails to teachers to keep her kids on track for assignments.

No matter how involvement is achieved, the effort is about building a foundation of success

for each child and a respect for education.

“It’s too easy for people to give up today. Sometimes, parents put up barriers ... . (but) there’s plenty to do outside the classroom to make success in the classroom,” Perrich said.

While the route to successful involvement is not rocket science, it may lead to some rocket scientists down the road.

“You know, we always talk about how we are developing our future leaders,” Truitt said, “But when I go to the school, I see our future teachers, musicians, athletes and laborers, not just our future leaders. All of these kids are our future.”

TIPS FOR STAYING INVOLVED •If possible, attend Back-toSchool Nights or parent-teacher conferences. Even a single face-toface meeting can build trust and communication between parents and teachers.

• Keep tabs on what your children are learning, when homework is due and watch for subjects in which they thrive and those that provide a challenge. Parents may not be able to help children directly with their homework, but emailing teachers and sharing their observations can give children the support they need.

Educator Lynn Perrich said she sometimes offers quick and simple one-on-one suggestions to parents, such as spending 15 quiet minutes with a child reading a particular story.

• Consider donating to a classroom fund. Most teachers welcome small donations for supplies and school activities. Lists of needed items can lend insight into upcoming projects.

•Some employers offer paid

volunteer time that parents can tap into for working in the classroom or attending field trips. Or, ask employers if flexible time can be arranged to allow for volunteering.

• Use that phone. Most teachers provide email addresses and share the best time for telephone conversations. Parents should follow their advice to children: don’t be shy about asking questions or seeking ways to help.

• Volunteer for after-school activities, such as reading, science or math clubs.

• Classroom not your thing?

Consider joining a school committee or a school district committee. Attend a parent-teacher organization meeting or a Board of Education meeting to learn how to guide policy decisions. Go to your local school district’s website for more information.

CHANGE YOUR LIFE at the University of Northern Colorado If you are looking to complete your bachelors, gain a masters or certificate or just take a few courses, we have opportunities for you. Our programs are offered around the state and online to meet the needs of busy working parents.

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EXTENDED.UNCO.EDU 8 WELD COUNTY PARENTS Sept/Oct 2017

Health: Moms

Common reasons you may be

packing on pounds

BY STATE POINT MEDIA FOR WELD COUNTY PARENTS

A

pizza crust here, a chicken nugget there.

Can eating leftovers off your child’s plate really add up?

The answer is yes. Eighty-one percent of moms with kids under 18 admit to eating off their kids’ plates before, during or after a meal. What’s more, one in three say they eat less healthfully now than they did before they became a parent, according to a new survey

conducted on behalf of Nutrisystem by Harris Poll. Some of the top foods moms are guilty of eating off their kids’ plates are chicken nuggets, pizza crust, French fries, potato chips, mac and cheese, pancakes and cupcakes.

“While those few bites may seem inconsequential, the extra calories can really add up over time, and may be detrimental to weight

Sept/Oct 2017 WELD COUNTY PARENTS 9

maintenance and weight loss efforts,” says Courtney McCormick, corporate dietitian at Nutrisystem.

On average, eating those leftovers on your child’s plate once a day for one week can add up to more than 400 additional calories. Nibbling at that rate equals nearly six pounds per year!

To help moms make healthier choices, McCormick is offering the following tips.

• Eat mindfully. Be aware of just how much food you’re picking from your child’s plate.

Include this food in your daily calorie count and rethink your eating throughout the rest of the day. Consider forgoing a snack or eating less at a meal.

• Reassess your child’s portions.

If your child consistently has leftovers, reassess portions.

Look at your child’s hands for guidance -- protein such as meat, fish and chicken should be the size of their palm; fruits and veggies should be the size of two palms; healthy fats like cheese, nut butters and avocado should be the size of their thumb (from knuckle to tip); and pasta, rice and other grains should be the size of their fist.

• Be picky. If you do find yourself grabbing leftovers, go for the less caloric choices. For example, opt for the blueberries and carrots instead of the chicken nuggets.

• Save it for later. If you feel the urge to eat leftovers because you can’t stand to see food get wasted, then save your child’s

leftovers and serve it to them later as a snack or meal.

• Eat while they eat. If you’re picking at your child’s plate because you’re hungry, then try to have your own healthful snack or meal to eat while your child is eating. Make sure you choose items for your diet rather than just select the same

foods your child is eating.

More wellness tips can be found on Nutrisystem’s blog “The Leaf,” at leaf.nutrisystem.com.

Parenthood doesn’t necessarily need to translate to weight gain.

With a few smart strategies, you can keep your calorie needs in balance and your weight in-check.

“...those few bites may seem inconsequential, the extra calories can really add up over time, and may be detrimental to weight maintenance.”

— Courtney McCormick

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2017 EVENTS C September • SENSORY STORY TIME, for children with special needs, 10:3011:30 a.m., Sept. 2, Farr Regional Library, 1939 61st Ave., Greeley.

Sensory story time is designed specifically for children who have a hard time in large groups, are on the autism spectrum, or are sensitive to sensory overload. We will use preschool-level books, songs and movement. Sensory will be held on the first Saturday of the month. Registration is required and limited to 12 families. Call Audrey at (970) 506-8534 or email adrake@highplains.us.

• MOVIES IN THE PARK — SING, 8-10 p.m., Sept. 3, Eastman Park, Windsor. Concessions are available, no registration necessary.

• TRAPPER DAYS, 10 a.m., Sept. 8-10, downtown Fort Lupton.

• WII U TOURNAMENT, 1-3 p.m., Sept. 9, Riverside Library, 3700 Golden St., Evans. Come compete in a Wii U tournament featuring Super Smash Bros, Just Dance 2017 and Pokken Tournament. (This program is for teens.) Call: (888) 861-7323.

• POTATO DAY, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sept. 9, Centennial Village Museum, 1475 A St., Greeley. The entire family will enjoy a full day of living history demonstrations, toe-tapping musical entertainment, tasty food and kids’ activities. Sink your teeth into a baked potato with your choice of delicious toppings. Old Time fun and historic activities celebrate the great and plentiful potato! Don’t forget your admission goes to help the Friends of the Greeley Museums and includes a mouth-watering baked potato. Cost: $7, ages 3 and up.

Tribune file photos used in calendar section.

12 WELD COUNTY PARENTS Sept/Oct 2017

• SCIENCE MAGIC, 4-5 p.m., Sept. 12, Lincoln Park Library, 1012 11th St., Greeley. Ever want to be a magician? Learn how to put on your own magic show that will dazzle and amaze. These simple tricks look like magic, but you’ll know it’s really science. Grades 6-8. Call 1-888-861-7323.

• FAMILY BIKE NIGHT, 6:30 p.m., Sept. 12, Promontory Park, 1719 Promontory Circle, Greeley. Family Bike Nights are fun and

casual 3-5 mile rides for the whole family. Staff will be on-hand to provide bicycle education and tips. Helmets are strongly encouraged and be sure to dress appropriately for the weather. Free.

• EVANS HERITAGE DAY, 10 a..m – 4 p.m., Sept. 16, City Park, 3700 Golden St., Evans. The day starts with a pancake breakfast from 7-9:30 a.m., followed by a 10 a.m. parade. From 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., bands, food truck competition, competitive activities, games and demonstrations will engage attendees at City Park throughout the day. Evans Heritage Day will prove to be a blockbuster gathering of fun for the whole family. Free.

• READY, SET, CREATE! SPAN-TASTIC BRIDGES, 2-3 p.m., Sept. 16, Centennial Library, 2227 23rd Ave., Greeley. Put on by the American Society of Civil Engineers, this is an interactive program series for children in grades 2-5. Learn about the engineering design process while challenging your creative mind. In this session, you will design and build various types of bridges from everyday household items. All supplies are provide. Free. Registration for each session is required. Call 1-888-861-7323.

• MINERS DAY, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m, Sept. 16, Crist Park, 105 5th St., Frederick. Miners Day is one of Frederick’s premier annual community events of family-oriented fun and entertainment throughout the day. This is a celebration of our community’s mining heritage. The event includes a dynamic parade, exhibitor booths, food/refreshment vendors, car show, activities, contests, and live entertainment throughout the day. Per tradition, Miners Day concludes with a spectacular evening concert and fireworks display.

Free.

O

For More Details

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Tribune file photos.

Call 970-352-2222 x3

AD

Tribune file photos.

Northern Colorado departments and student clubs as well as businesses and organizations from throughout the community. Then indulge in delicious food prepared by UNC’s awardwinning dining services. Free food, free parking.

• FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS SEMINAR, 5:30 p.m., Sept. 26, Farr Library, 1939 61st Ave., Greeley. Industry leaders will provide insight, experience and tips that will make your first home purchase less intimidating and more exciting.

• FIDGET SPINNERS: CREATE AND COMPETE, 10 a.m – 4 p.m., Sept. 23, Carbon Valley Library, 7 Park Ave, Firestone. Design and decorate your own fidget spinner using the library’s 3D printer and other provided supplies.

Show off your spinner skills with competitions for the longest spin and best spinner tricks.

Prizes will be awarded for winners. Registration required; ages 12-18. Call 1-888-861-7323.

• STRUMMING IN THE STACKS, 5-5:45 p.m., Sept. 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17, Riverside Library, 3700 Golden St., Evans. We provide the guitars, you provide the talent. Join in with your friends as we unplug and learn to play the guitar.

Enjoy a casual environment while we learn a few chords, play a few riffs, and rehearse a song or two by the end of the five-week session. No experience necessary, space is limited to six students. Call 1-888-861-7323 • OKTOBREWFEST, , 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Sept.

30, Lincoln Park, 802 10th Ave., Greeley. Enjoy a whole day of music, a wide variety of regular and specialty brews, food from more than a dozen vendors, a crafts area, and a huge children’s area with face painting, obstacle course, arcade games, inflatable slide, WOW Bubbles and more! Free.

R

• NOCO TRUCK AND TRACTOR PULL, STREET STOCK PULL, 6 p.m., Main Event 7 p.m., Sept. 16, Island Grove Arena, 501 N 14th Ave., Greeley. Supercharge your weekend with a powerful event; 10 classes of pulling excitement with drivers from across seven states.

• ANIMALS OF POKEMON WITH NATURE’S EDUCATORS, 4-5 p.m., Sept. 20, Erie Library, 400 Powers St, Erie. Did you know that the characters from Pokemon were designed off of real animals? Learn about these popular critters and how they defend themselves, what they eat, and where they live in this unique and fun program! Nature’s Educators will bring 5 animal “ambassadors” for you to see.

Registration required; Grades 1-5. Call 1-888861-7323.

• UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO COMMUNITY FEST, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sept. 23, west of Michener Library and adjacent to Nottingham Field, 14th Avenue and Reservoir Road, Greeley. Explore the world of possibilities, education and family fun!

Learning has never been so fun! Come and get engaged with interactive demonstrations and hands-on learning activities by University of

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CALENDAR

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Sept/Oct 2017 WELD COUNTY PARENTS 13

EVENTS CALENDAR • FAMILY FUN SATURDAYS — PIRATE SCAVENGER HUNT, 2-4 p.m., Sept. 30, Lincoln Park Library, 1012 11th St, Greeley, Yarr! September be the month of International Talk Like a Pirate Day. To help you get into a swashbuckling mood, set sail for the Lincoln Park Library for a treasure map scavenger hunt! And, of course, pirate’s booty to be found. Lincoln Park Library celebrates Saturdays and Families! Every Saturday at 2 p.m. Call 970-5068489.

• CIVIL WAR WEEKEND, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Sept. 30, noon- 4 p.m., Oct. 1, Centennial Village Museum, 1475 A St., Greeley. Witness a day in the life of a Civil War soldier as they recreate drills, and battle reenactments. Costumed re-enactors will have their tents set up on the southeastern corner of the facility and are living that weekend as they would have during the Civil War—many using historic wares true to the time period. Visitors are encouraged to visit and interact with soldiers in the encampment. The event also features blacksmithing, chuck wagon cooking and print shop demonstrations. Museum admission.

October

• READY, SET, CREATE! DESIGNED TO SURVIVE, 12-3 p.m., Oct. 21, Centennial Library, 2227 23rd Ave., Greeley. Put on by the American Society of Civil Engineers, this is an interactive program series for children in grades 2-5. Learn about the engineering design process while challenging your creative mind.

Tribune file photos.

• STRUMMING IN THE STACKS, 5-5:45 p.m., Oct. 3, 10, 17, Riverside Library, 3700 Golden St., Evans. We provide the guitars, you provide the talent. Join in with your friends as we unplug and learn to play the guitar. Enjoy a casual environment while we learn a few chords, play a few riffs, and rehearse a song or two by the end of the five-week session. No experience necessary, space is limited to six students. Call 1-888-861-7323.

• 20TH ANNUAL FALL CRAFT & GIFT SHOW, Oct. 13-15, Island Grove Event Center, 501 N 14th Ave., Greeley. Come shop at the largest arts, crafts and gift show series in the region.

• LIFE HACK — LEARN 2 FOOD, 5:30 p.m. Oct. 14, Erie Library, 400 Powers St, Erie. Can’t cook? No problem! Come learn basic cooking skills, techniques, and more! In this hands-on cooking class you will make your own pita sandwiches and homemade guacamole with the chef from Luvin’ Arms Sanctuary! Great for new and experienced cooks. Registration required; Grades 6-12 only. Call 1-888-861-7323

Tribune file photos.

• SENSORY STORY TIME, children with special needs, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Oct. 7, Farr Regional Library, 1939 61st Ave., Greeley. Sensory story time is designed specifically for children who have a hard time in large groups, are on the autism spectrum, or are sensitive to sensory overload. We will use preschool-level books, songs and movement. Sensory will be held on the first Saturday of the month.

Registration is required and limited to 12 families. Call Audrey at (970) 506-8534 or email adrake@highplains.us.

• HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREAT, 3-7 p.m. Oct. 21, 3-7 p.m., Oct. 22, Centennial Village, 1475 A. St., Greeley. Wear your spookiest (or silliest) costume and head to Centennial Village for tricks and treats as you stop at each of our historic structures. Free.

14 WELD COUNTY PARENTS Sept/Oct 2017

D EL

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FA M

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Clinic of Chiropractic Erik Sorbo D.C., CCSP

Certified Chiropractic Sports Practitioner

Patricia Sorbo

D.C., DiCCP

Certified Pre-Natal & Pediatric Chiropractor

Education:

New ways classrooms are changing

BY STATE POINT MEDIA FOR WELD COUNTY PARENTS

T

oday’s classroom are in flux.

And these changes, rooted in technological innovation, are making it easier for students to become more engaged and collaborative. Here are several areas where technology is changing the way lessons are taught and information is absorbed. • Collaborative Apps. While in the past, group study sessions and group projects could become logistical headaches, today, there are a wealth of free apps that allow students to share, collaborate, edit and

provide feedback simultaneously and in real-time, from the comfort of home or while on-the-go using mobile devices. Teachers and students are also using these same technologies to share homework and receive feedback. With so much communication taking place among students and teachers at their convenience outside the classroom, class time is becoming more productive and efficient as a result.

Sept/Oct 2017 WELD COUNTY PARENTS 15

• Modern Mathematics. The latest graphing calculators are a far cry from the kind you may remember from your own high school days. Certain models today feature the ability to draw 3D graphs and view them from various angles in order to better understand their shapes, as well as offer picture-plot function, for plotting graphs over real-life scenes. In the past, students may have felt isolated working out problems on their own, however, with the latest models, such as the fx-CG50 from Casio’s PRIZM line, teachers can now easily display and share lessons with the entire classroom thanks to full-color textbookstyle LCD display, and direct projector and USB connectivity.

• Modern Music. In many classrooms today, students are learning to read, write and play music on the most up-to-date digital pianos. Many such models offer the performance and playing comfort of acoustic pianos, but with the benefits of modern tech, such as split and layer capabilities, multiple audio outputs and two-track recording. To learn more, visit CasioMusicGear.com.

• Smart Gaming. Many students find traditional lectures a bit dry.

But cutting edge educational gaming is more dynamic and exciting than ever before, with some classrooms even using immersive virtual reality experiences to help students understand history in

Classrooms that keep up with the pace of technological innovation offer their students more opportunities to connect and collaborate with each other and engage with the material.

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16 WELD COUNTY PARENTS Sept/Oct 2017

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Rate may vary based on loan amount, term, credit score and loan-to-value ratio. **Qualifying vehicle loans will include auto, motorcycle, recreational equipment, and motor home loans. Promotion applies to new loans or by adding $5,000 to a current WSCU loan. Share and CD secured loans, unsecured loans, and all mortgage loans are excluded. Interest rate Floor is 0.99% APR. All credit underwriting standards will apply, including Loan-To-Value financing and evaluation of income, credit, and debt ratio. Term of loan will follow normal guidelines. If member brings an offer for a rate with a longer-term repayment from another institution, WSCU may be able to beat the interest rate, but it may not be able to match the term. The member must provide proof of the offer such as an agreement from a dealer (on dealer letterhead) that states the interest rate & financing detail. In the case of a refinance, a copy of a periodic statement or promissory note listing the loan & rate terms will need to be submitted.

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Make your home

H A L L O W EEN party central

BY NIKKI WORK FOR WELD COUNTY PARENTS

F

For parents, throwing a successful Halloween party is as much about putting the pieces together as it is keeping them from falling apart. Getting kids involved in the planning can help avoid a “Carrie”-like meltdown and make the little ones feel like the heroes of the day Here’s how you can DIY a Halloween party they’ll love and you won’t lose your head over - unless

the horseman gets you first.

THE COSTUMES

Whether you have a little princess or a pintsized zombie, or a cowboy or a dinosaur, picking the perfect costume is the first step to creating a Halloween kids will never forget. But store-bought costumes can be pricey, and there are only so many Buzz Lightyears a party can hold.

Ed Edmunds and Marsha Taub-Edmunds

suggest sitting down with your kids and getting the list of what they’d like to be, then eliminating ideas based on what you can feasibly create.

“Get a few different choices, as some will be too difficult to make,” said the Edmunds, who own and operate Distortions Unlimited in Greeley, crafting mechanical ghouls and ghosts and creatures of the night for Halloween displays and events.

If you hold your party before the day of Sept/Oct 2017 WELD COUNTY PARENTS 17

Halloween, you can make DIY costumes a part of the party. The timing of the party is important, said Christine Kovacs Forster, president of My Big Day event planning company in Loveland. If you hold it on Halloween, some people will not attend because they have other plans or a trickor-treating game plan (pro-tip: don’t stand between a kid and their candy). Kovacs Forster suggests picking a day close enough to the main event that everyone is excited, but leaving the 31st for the pillowcases and doorbells.

When you set a pre-Halloween date for the party, you can make costuming part of the plan. Kids can come in or out of costume, and at the party, they can create their own. Kathy Rickart, owner of Colorado Costume Castle and co-manager of Tigges Farm in Greeley, said some of the best entertainment at a party can be provided by letting the kids entertain themselves. Paper plates make scary masks. Cardboard boxes turn into robots. Bedsheets turn ghosts or capes. And construction paper – well, construction paper can do basically anything, Rickart said.

One of her favorite ideas is to use an umbrella as the key piece of a homemade costume. If the umbrella has a funky pattern, dress the child like a clown to match. If the umbrella is a light color, affix quilt batting or stuffing to the spines, and tie strings with cardboard raindrops coming from the edges.

The costumes they make at the party don’t have to be the ones they’ll wear on Halloween night, but they can be the ones they wear for the remainder of the party.

This eliminates any feelings of alienation or embarrassment for the kids whose families may not be able to afford a costume, but still want to attend the party.

Rickart added that making costumes together as a family can provide some of 18 WELD COUNTY PARENTS Sept/Oct 2017

the best bonding time around. Not only can parents pass on some of their acquired skills with a hot glue gun or a needle, but they can take kids’ suggestions at each step.

The result is a costume that may not look as much like Moana or Lightning McQueen as the one you can buy at the store, but means a lot more to your child.

And once the costume is made - before, during or after the party - encourage your

kid to adopt that character’s personality. If they’re a puppy, they should bark during the party. If they’re a pirate, teach them to limp like they have a peg leg. If they’re a monster, practice growling with them.

“An important part of costuming is staying in character. Take the time to teach your kiddos how to be the character they are dressed as,” Ed and Marsha Edmunds said.

“This really makes the costume and the time spent together learning about the character is a lot of fun.”

THE DECORATIONS

When decorating for a Halloween bash, it’s important to know your audience — age, interests and tolerance for all things spooky.

For Kovacs Forster, picking a theme is crucial to a successful party.

“We love a theme. It’s OK to keep it simple,” she said. “A theme helps create a background for the party, rather than a bunch of mismatched decorations.”

Simple themes like a creepy hospital, with everything draped in white, or a graveyard, with everything draped in black, are easy to execute and can be made scarier or less scary

depending on the audience.

“You don’t have to be super creative or have a lot of money to decorate,” she said.

“Lighting plays a huge role in the feel of the room or space.”

Kovacs Forster said one of her favorite Halloween decorations she’s seen was one My Big Day put together for a party.

They made over a bathroom to look like the shower scene from “Psycho,” and it became the go-to set at the party for taking pictures.

You can also consider moving the party out of your home, Kovacs Forster said. That way, you can control the amount of space and remove some of the stress associated with set-up, hosting and tear-down in the home.

Or, if you’re looking for maximum scare power, you can consider buying or renting props from costume or Halloween stores. Distortions Unlimited, famous for their stint on television on The Travel Channel’s “Making Monsters,” offers realistic props and masks to customers.

THE ACTIVITIES

The possibilities for entertainment at Halloween parties can vary as much as the costumes. You can play music or spooky movies, host a costume contest, carve pumpkins or even make a haunted room of your house for kids to meander through.

This, too, depends on the age and maturity level of the kids attending.

For example, the “Psycho”-themed bathroom may go over well with preteens, or you may have preschoolers refusing to go potty.

“Kiddos love to get a little bit scared, but depending on their age, be careful not to do anything too scary,” Edmunds said.

“You need to read the kids. No one wants to embarrass one of the kiddos by making them cry.”

A tip from the expert crew in all things creepy at Distortions Unlimited is to play hide and seek with the seeker wearing a

Halloween mask (well-ventilated – fainting is not advised). That way, when they peek around corners to find people, there’s a scare, but only a little one.

Another idea the Edmunds suggested is to read a scary story at the party, and at the climax of the story, have someone knock at the door and someone runs in, looking like a character, whether that be a masked villain, a werewolf, a princess or anything else.

For less-scary fun, try a craft, like decorating tiny pumpkins or gourds that the kids can take home with them. Rickart said nearly every year since she and her siblings started running the Tigges Farm together, she’s made many little art projects she calls “gourdies.” These are painted and adorned gourds that can look like anything from a schnauzer to a peacock to a spider. Have small pumpkins on hand for the kids to decorate, and keep one larger pumpkin at the party for everyone to contribute to. At the end, have each attendee sign the back of the pumpkin.

If you’re carving pumpkins at the party,

Rickart recommends keeping some spray lacquer and petroleum jelly on hand. Spray the outside of the pumpkin and rub some of the gel on the inside to help it last all the way through Halloween without shriveling.

You can even make the pumpkin picking a part of the party. Start at a local farm, pumpkin patch or other agritourism destination, such as Tigges Farm, and have each child pick their own little pumpkin, then take them back to the party to decorate.

THE FOOD

When it comes to Halloween treats, the top spot goes to candy – but the kids will already be getting that on Halloween night. Think creatively and make ghostly or adorable treats out of ordinary items.

Everyone’s heard of grapes as eyeballs or spaghetti as worms, but what about cotton candy spider webs or yogurt-dipped pretzel bones?

Make the food at the party into a game.

Rickart said one of the most fun Halloween games she ever saw was when she was a 4-H leader. The game was called “Mystery Dinner,” and each child received a menu listing different items, such as a pitchfork (fork), shovel (spoon), brains (spaghetti), guts (gelatin) and ghosts (marshmallows).

But the menu didn’t say what the items really were – just their Halloween alias. So,

if children ordered guts and a pitchfork, they had to eat their gelatin with a fork.

Rickart said the game was a hit.

But when it comes to cute, themed food, Kovacs Forster said to keep everything in the right perspective. Your perfectly crafted vampire cookies or gravestone cupcakes may be a hit on Instagram, but the kids will like undecorated items just as well.

“Keep the menu simple,” she said. “Often, over-the-top, cute ideas don’t matter much to kiddos. Parents may appreciate it, and your followers on social media, (but) keep in mind that what’s most important is the overall experience.”

Kovacs Forster also reminded that catering is always a safe bet when there’s a chance a child could have food allergies, since the food is cooked in a commercial kitchen and is typically labeled as dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free or free of any other allergen you may want to avoid.

Between owning a costume business, co-managing a popular agritourism destination in Greeley and being a mom and grandma, Kathy Rickart has seen her share of Halloweens done right and wrong.

She’s seen kids agonize over picking their pumpkins at Tigges Farm, light up or melt down about choosing a costume at Colorado Costume Castle and laugh in the face of the perfectly coordinated scare.

It’s all about perspective, she said. Making sure everyone has a fun and safe Halloween is the top priority. And bonding over planning a great party with your kids is the pumpkin on top.

MORE INFORMATION

A PARTY YOU DON’T HAVE TO THROW

For more tips and ideas for Halloween party decorations, costumes and more, visit My Big Day’s Pinterest page at https://www.pinterest.com/MyBigDayEvents/.

Tigges Farm, a popular agritourism spot in Greeley, is hosting a Princess and Superhero Party from 1-4 p.m. on Sept. 30 and Oct. 8 at the farm, 12404 WCR 64 1/2 in Greeley.

To learn about getting professional help to plan your party, go to www.MyBigDayCompany.com, call (970) 613-1455 or email Christine Kovacs Forster, president of My Big Day, at mybigdayevents@outlook.com.

Children are invited to dress up and come meet their favorite princesses and superheroes in real life.

To learn more about costuming, like the costume rentals at Kathy Rickart’s Colorado Costume Castle, go to http://www.coloradocostumecastle.com/.

To find out more about the spooky props, masks and more made by Distortions Unlimited, go to http://distortionsunlimited. com/, call (970) 351-0100 or email distortionsunltd@aol.com.

To learn more about this and other events this season, go to www.tiggesfarm.com, call (970) 686-7225 or email info@tiggesfarm.com.

On Oct. 29-30, the first 35 children to show up to Tigges Farm in costume get a free kid’s meal coupon for Jason’s in Fort Collins.

Sept/Oct 2017 WELD COUNTY PARENTS 19

The Costume Challenge Putting the trick into Halloween fun

BY EMILY KEMME FOR WELD COUNTY PARENTS

F

or some, Halloween tricks might entail tangling tree branches with toilet paper strands or involve cans of shaving cream, but for creative moms Katie Leigh Brown and Katie Perkins Diaz, the tricky part about the holiday is how to design the perfect costume for their child. Both agree it needn’t take a lot of time or money to do it.

Brown and her husband Chase are members of the Rebel Legion, a costuming group endorsed by Lucasfilm and Disney to use 20 WELD COUNTY PARENTS Sept/Oct 2017

screen accurate costumes while engaging in charity work. They’re also the good guys. Dressed as Jedi Knight, Vin Detta and Jedi Master, Briginn, respectively, they are familiar with the rigors of creating flawless costumes. Katie and her family regularly attend Comic Con, a multicultural convention where comic book lovers, video gamers, sci-fi, movie and other pop culture aficionados gather to showcase their arts.

Each year she devises new costumes for her kids, so by the time Halloween rolls around, she’s ready.

The key is finding out what interests your child that year. Brown says most kids know what they want to dress up as for Halloween, whether it’s a favorite book, movie or video game. Commercialization has made this easy — kids already have props for their favorite character because they’ve developed an affection for them.

Use toys your child owns as models to guide you.

But before you get started, Brown advises, stop and ask yourself, “What is comfortable?

What is disposable?”

You don’t want to invest a lot of money into a costume your child will only wear for one year, she cautions. Costumes should also allow a child to have fun while wearing them and not be held back by a bulky shape or cumbersome cut. In addition to toys laying around your home, search out pictures online, including accurate drawings of characters, but don’t be bound by it. Adapt the design so your child can move freely and breath. Keep in mind that October nights are chilly, and in Colorado snow on Halloween isn’t unusual. Make sure your child wears a costume that allows layers. Put the pizazz on the outside, while beneath it keep them warm and happy with long underwear.

Brown also says there is no need to buy costume-specific shoes.

“Don’t expect any kid to wear boots or weird sandals, even for a while. Find something close in style and color, but it’s the least important accessory for the night.”

Katie Perkins Diaz agrees that the way to have fun with costumes is working them out yourself. “Part of the fun is the challenge of creating an illusion with odd materials. It’s also less fun to put on a professionally made costume.”

She knows this all too well, recalling a year when Scholastic, the children’s book publisher, sent her a Curious George costume for a book fair. Her daughter had much more fun donning a purple plaid bed sheet and pretending to be the greatest wizard of all, Professor Dumbledore from the Harry

Potter series, which incidentally is a fantastic source to plumb for materials, Diaz says. From making her own chocolate frogs

Diaz suggests, “Don’t buy clothing that makes a ‘Halloween’ statement. It makes it too obvious. Keep it subtle and playful.”

She uses as an example the year her daughters decided to trick-or-treat as the sisters in the Broadway show, Wicked. It was easy to find a black, traditional witch-like outfit for the purportedly bad sister, but the “good” sister was difficult. They found the perfect dress, notes Diaz. “Lime green polka dots — very perky. Very Broadway.”

What puzzled her most was the fact that neither of her daughters had even seen the show. But they knew the songs and the story and that was enough. Diaz was happy to drive them, happy to feed their innovative notions.

Costuming can get even more creative, if you’re up for the challenge. If you don’t blanch at the sight of needle and thread, you’re familiar with a bobbin and threading a sewing machine needle doesn’t make you weak in the knees, Katie Brown has plenty of ideas for costuming your kids.

She, too, is an ARC or Goodwill shopper, repurposing finds such

as yoga mats into armor. A little paint and glue does wonders.

Lightweight and flexible, you can easily velcro it onto kids’ clothes.

Brown will also cut the shape of a shirt to match a character’s look, sew on ribbon and add velcro to hold a costume closed.

And that’s what Brown calls, “Doing the trick.”

If costume creation scares you more than the possibility that there are monsters hiding beneath your bed, Colorado Costume Castle and owner Kathy Rickart has you covered, in a pinch. While her company was created primarily for supporting area schools’ theater arts programs, Rickart loans out over 1,000 costumes and accessories on a donation basis. If you’re in a crunch and your child needs a costume “tomorrow, Mom!” Rickart can also help by sharing ideas and providing recommendations for how to work with what you already own in your closet. It makes her feel good to know that a parent can go home stress-free, their child ready to go in a sharp costume whenever the need arises.

Costumes are available for sizes infant to adult.

Call or text her at 970576-8970 or email info@ coloradocostumecastle. com. Peruse the collection at coloradocostumecastle.com.

with soap molds purchased at Hobby Lobby for a 5th grade class Halloween party Diaz coordinated for one of her daughters — an event which was announced via Owl Post and served mulled, nonalcoholic mead — she also dressed her diminutive daughter as the famous Sorting Hat. “Renata was inside a giant hat and recited the whole sorting hat song,” Diaz recalls fondly.

Both Diaz and Brown recommend early and regular visits to ARC and Goodwill for resources.

While it’s best to begin planning before October Most Real Estate professionals 30, if you shop with an are also engaged in our local schools, open mind you never know churches, non-profits, volunteering, what interesting artifacts and economic development. you may happen upon. You Support our community... can also dig through your own closets. There might be just what you need hiding there amongst the skeletons.

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Sept/Oct 2017 WELD COUNTY PARENTS 21

Family Living: 5 easy ways families can go green when packing school lunches

BY STATEPOINT MEDIA FOR WELD COUNTY PARENTS

W

hile packing lunch for the kids can seem like a daily grind, you can use the task as an opportunity to help kids form great lifelong habits. Here are five small ways changing your lunch-making routine can have large, positive impacts on the environment, your wallet and your kids’ health.

22 WELD COUNTY PARENTS Sept/Oct 2017

1

Pack with reusables. On average, a school-age child with a lunch packed in single-serve disposable materials like plastic snack bags or juice boxes generates 67 pounds of waste per school year, which equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for an average-size elementary school, according to the estimates of Waste Free Lunches, a non-profit organization.

Reduce your contribution to this waste and save money in the process with reusable

containers. Waste Free Lunches estimated that choosing only reusable containers can save you almost $250 per person, per year.

To learn more about reducing lunchtime waste on the household or community level, visit, WasteFreeLunches.org.

2

Choose Made in USA. The “3 Rs” — Reduce, Reuse and Recycle — are a great refrain for environmentalists, but to ensure your family’s daily habits

and BPA-free reusable containers, such as those from Nalgene Outdoor Products, which offers a line of reusable storage containers that are clear, ranging in size from 4-ounces to 16-ounces and that are also dishwasher safe.

5

3

are minimally impacting the environment, consider adopting the simple act of choosing Made in USA products. This small change automatically reduces one’s carbon footprint by a magnitude of 10, according to a recent study conducted by Nalgene Outdoor, which offers a vast variety of BPA- and BPS free reusable water and food containers in a myriad of colors and designs, ranging in size from 12-ounces to 48-ounces.

You can help explain the significance of buying Made in USA products to kids by telling them it’s like leaving a light on for 30 minutes vs. 3 minutes.

Green your clean-up.

Parents should seek reusable items that can both sustain kids’ rough and tough daily activities, but also survive the dishwasher. Close label reading shows that many reusable lunch containers suggest “hand washing.” However, items that are dishwashersafe can keep your household saner, cleaner and greener.

For your family, cleaning is easy-peasy; and for the environment, research shows a good dishwasher saves 3,870 gallons of water over its lifetime and uses less energy than conventional models, which helps reduce air pollution and combat global climate change, according to the ENERGY STAR program.

Buy food at a premium and rarely offer local. nutritious enrichment, but with Without a just a little prep work, you can doubt, the most create your own healthy options nutrient-rich more affordably. and often most “I try to choose storage cost-effective containers that are already way to procure pre-portioned so I know the fresh produce portion that I’m packing,” says is locally.

Peggy O’Shea Kochenbach, a Additionally, registered dietitian nutritionist. anything “Pack nutritious items like sourced within fruits, vegetables and nuts in 100 miles clear containers in the pantry or of home has a significantly refrigerator on Sunday, so that lower carbon footprint than they are ready to ‘grab and go’ something that has traveled for the week.” through hemispheres to reach For safety, store items in BPSyour grocery store shelves. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), Going through puberty is much easier when you and your co-ops and farmers daughter know what to expect. Join Spirit of Women and Banner markets are popular Health experts for an informal discussion about emotions, growth ways to find local and development, body image, as well as emotional and physical produce direct from aspects of puberty. Enjoy light refreshments and fun activities for farmers. Check out moms, daughters (approximately 8-12 yrs old) AND...

NEW THIS TIME - Special separate breakout session for dads! localharvest.org to Wed, Sept 13th • 5:30 - 8pm find a program near NCMC Auditorium – 1801 16th Street, Greeley you.

(Park in the east lot, enter using Entrance #6, go down on floor) DIY grabCOST: Adults-$5; Girls – No charge; Tickets can be purchased and-go until Sept.11th by calling: 800-230-CARE (2273) OR online at www.bannerhealth.com/COspirit - “Find an Event Now” snacks.

Prepackaged snacks Questions? call 970-810-3000 or visit www.bannerhealth.com/COspirit are often priced

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Sept/Oct 2017 WELD COUNTY PARENTS 23

Think Greeley...When you’re looking for something to

Potato Day Saturday, Sept. 9, 10am - 4pm

2017

Do!

Potato Day

Beer garden, musical entertainment, and much more!

Centennial Village Museum • 1475 A St., Greeley • 970-350-9220

OktoBREWfest

FREE ADMISSION

Friday & Saturday, Sept. 29 & 30 Beer, Games, Brats, Music & More!

Lincoln Park in Downtown Greeley

Civil War Weekend Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 30 & Oct. 1 Witness a day in the life of a Civil War soldier!

Centennial Village Museum • 1475 A St., Greeley • 970-350-9220

Greeley Multicultural Festival FREE ADMISSION

Saturday Oct. 7, 11am - 5pm

Experience cultures with all your senses!

Lincoln Park in Downtown Greeley

24 WELD COUNTY PARENTS Sept/Oct 2017