CharlottesvilleFamily November 2015

CharlottesvilleFamily

TM

T O W N & C O U N T R Y L I V I N G AT I T S B E S T

LOCAL TEEN VOLUNTEERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Local Moms Making Parenting Easier & Growing Up Fun!

IN THE KNOW—AUTISM 7 ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS FOR PRESCHOOLERS HOLIDAY TREE FARMS

Recipe Traditions From Our Table to Yours

Go Digital

November 2015 • Free

PRESCHOOL GUIDE

PILGRIM CRAFT

DECK THE HALLS

434.973.5146 classicfurnitureva.com 460 Premier Circle, Charlottesville

Come in to Pet Supplies Plus today and discover the biggest selection of natural foods anywhere.

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2013

CHARLOTTESVILLE 1240 Seminole Trail 434.979.2009

We Carry Small Animals, Birds, Reptiles, and Fish

Coming Next Month!

Favorite Awards 2015

Your Favorite Places to Eat, Shop & Play!

Winners Announced in the December issue of CharlottesvilleFamily!

ThaNkS For VoTiNg!

Celebrating the

Virginia table

Come for the wine. Stay for the food. earlymountain.com Early Mountain Vineyards is located in Madison, Virginia off of Highway 29 just 30 minutes north of Charlottesville.

volume 16 issue 11 PUBLISHERS

Just Between Us… My husband and I celebrated our 20th anniversary this year and have long dreamt that we’d take an amazing trip to somewhere incredibly beautiful – maybe Italy. Well, June 5 came and went… we’re still here. Lining up summer camps, babysitters, and carpools for 10 days was too much. The kids need us. We need them. Running this family circus of six is a monumental task I fear would overwhelm most any caretaker without extensive sleep deprivation training and goat wrangling skills. Even Mary Poppins, magic umbrella and all, was only dealing with two children. We have twice that many plus the pets.

Plan B was a long weekend in Charleston. We’ve never been there and it looks very romantic. We’d be close enough to rush home should anyone fall off a ski lift or eat half a bottle of gummy vitamins. (Yes, these things have happened­–fortunately no one was hurt.) But, alas, despite browsing the truly impressively long list of bed & breakfast establishments somehow we could never find the consecutive days to make the trek worthwhile. So on to Plan C. Plan C. Scaling back even more, we’ve always wanted to do the Virginia Creeper Trail (Rails to Trails) near Roanoke. Less glamorous but, hey, you take a shuttle up and ride your bike downhill the whole way – I’m pretty sure that I’ll be able to keep up quite

November 2015 Robin Johnson Bethke Jennifer Bryerton

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Robin Johnson Bethke EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jennifer Bryerton TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Peter D. Bethke EDITOR Sarah Pastorek ONLINE EDITOR Mandy Reynolds GRAPHIC DESIGN

Erin Q. Hughes

Barbara Tompkins SALES MANAGER Laura Renigar ADVERTISING SALES

Leah Gerber, Susan Powell,

Jenny Stoltz, Brandi Washburn,

Brittney Wisecarver CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kelly Casey, Rick Epstein, Jamee Freitag,

Tracey Crehan Gerlach,

Jody Hobbs Hesler, Laura Merricks,

Whitney Woollerton Morrill,

K.T. Sancken, Bob Taibbi, Lynn Thorne,

Jennie Tal Williams ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Denise Simmerman ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Caitlin Morris DISTRIBUTION Ray Whitson

respectably despite the vast difference in dear husband’s and my athletic ability... ahem.

Ok, so it’s more of a date-day than a trip, but over these 20 years and four children, we’ve come to truly value our date-times, afternoons playing hooky from work while the kids are at school to steal time away hiking a local trail on a beautiful day, or just 2 hours after the kids are in bed and our oldest (now 16) can hold down the fort while we enjoy a late-night dessert in town and chat. All those little dates, that add up to more than an entire 10 day trip to Italy, are what keep us together.

And, as I sat here writing the letter, he kindly reminds me that our anniversary is actually on June 3 not the 5th… Yea, well it’s not those little details or even the big lavish trips that matter. It’s all the little, really not so little, things we do for each other every day—the hug after a rough day, the knowing smiles when the little ones say something unintentionally hilarious, shared memories of holiday traditions we’ve created together. These are the moments that I’m truly thankful for. Maybe when we get to our 25th, and the kids are older, more independent and our lives quieter, we’ll get to that big trip. But, if my husband is reading this, even though I loved the candlelit spaghetti dinner and the music of strolling musicians (compliments of my laptop) that we enjoyed after the kids were in bed, I’d still not say no to that trip to Italy.

Have a beautiful Thanksgiving,

CharlottesvilleFamily™ Magazine and CharlottesvilleFamily.com™ are published jointly by Ivy Publications, LLC. CharlottesvilleFamily. com™ is published weekly online at www.CharlottesvilleFamily. com, the weekly Newsletter is distributed via email, and the Magazine is published in print format 12 times per year along with a CharlottesvilleFamily.com™ Directory. The views and opinions expressed by the writers and advertisers do not necessarily represent those of CharlottesvilleFamily magazine, its officers, staff or contributors. The information presented here is for informational purposes only and although every effort has been made to present accurate information, we do not in any way accept responsibility for the accuracy of or consequences from the use of this information or for the businesses and organizations presented herein. We urge all parents to confirm any information given herein and consult with your doctor or an appropriate professional concerning any information of question. All images not credited are property of and provided by Thinkstock by Gettyimages. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written consent of the publisher. Copyright ©2015. All rights reserved.

We welcome reader comments, submissions and the support of advertisers!

Please direct all correspondence to Ivy Publications, LLC 4282 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 voice 434.984.4713 fax 434.984.4813 www.CharlottesvilleFamily.com editor@IvyPublications.com We reserve the right to refuse or edit any materials submitted to us that we deem inappropriate for our audience. Include a SASE with any submission to be returned. We do not accept responsibility for unsolicited materials.

6

November 2015

Jen Fariello

2004 Community Award Winner

TABLE OF

Contents OUR TOWN

LIVING WELL

News 8

The Buzz Around Town 10 Is your child getting enough

recess time at school?

Healthy Family 32 In the Know with Autism

Snapshot 12

Lee Alter

New Mom 34 Motherhood Myths Addressed

Our Schools 15

Tasty Traditions 42 Thanksgiving Recipes from

Our Table to Yours

Local Teen Volunteers Make a Difference 46

Boys & Girls Club Community

November Holiday Activities & Events for Families

Engagement

Editor’s Pick!

Read about how local kids are doing amazing things together!

See them in our news section (page 8) and in our volunteer feature (page 46).

Local Farms Offer Holiday Trains, Cookies with Santa and More

Pet Contest 28

Trim That Tree! 22

46

INSPIRATION

Woodbrook Elementary Second Graders Learn by Doing

Out & About Calendar 18

Courtesy Boys&Girls Club

Dear Bob 30 Your Parenting Questions Answered

See All of the Readers’ Adorable Pet Submissions & Winners

The Multi-Age Classroom 55

Agnor-Hurt Preparing for Bright Futures

7 Life Skills for Preschoolers 60 Experts Share What Matters Most

RESOURCES

Special Needs Guide 57 Local Resources for Health

Tips & Trends 36 Fabulous Finds and Fun

Home & Garden 38 Prepping Your Home & Garden for

Winter Hibernation

Bringing History to the Table 44

Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

and Learning

Guide to Preschools 62 Places to Play, Learn and Grow

UNTIL NEXT TIME

Nagging: Least Glamorous Job 70 Humorous Reflections from a Dad

36 So Love This!

“I love the Christmas Tree Guide. It’s a great idea for some outdoor holiday fun!”

— Mandy, Online Editor

8 Jackson Smith Photography

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

7

{our town community}

NEWS

­the local buzz Jackson Smith Photography

Personal Safety Apps With changing times, an Albemarle County Crime Prevention Specialist keeps up by sharing personal safety apps with parents and children. The Watch Over Me app allows users to remotely check in with contacts of their choosing by setting a timeframe for contacts to view their whereabouts.

If users don’t check in by tapping the “I’m Safe” button before the timeframe exhausts, an alert is sent to the chosen contacts with their most recent location. Apps such as Watch Over Me, which are free and compatible to any Smartphone, offer parents peace of mind, one of the main goals Officer Andrew Gluba. To download the app go to watchovermeapp.com

Local Farm-to-School Initiative In celebration of Virginia Farm to School Week from October 5-9, more than eight districts participated in bringing Virginia grown products into schools.

Farm-to-school initiatives in Charlottesville strive to get more fresh and nutritious food onto school lunch trays. Local Food Hub’s program serves more than 70 public schools as well as private schools and universities. Through many program opportunities and the National School Lunch program, Local Food Hub is able to provide schools with access to farmsourced food for educating in the classroom as well.

AHS Principal Goes Pink In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness at Albemarle High School, Principal Jay Thomas sported his own type of pink—a pink Mohawk. After finishing another successful fundraiser for the Play4TheCure, a non-profit that helps athletes fundraise in support of cancer research, the AHS girl’s field hockey team ultimately surpassed this year’s $10,000 goal by $200. In exchange for their efforts in this three-week fundraiser, Thomas allowed the girls to dye his hair pink and style it into a Mohawk. The girls made and sold t-shirts, sold candy and asked for any donations to support the cause.

8

November 2015

Sports ZONE

The Women’s Legal Group Law from a Woman’s Point of View

FAMILY MATTERS • Separation Agreement • No-Fault & Contested Divorce • Child Support & Custody • Collaborative Divorce • Consumer Protection • Wills & Adoptions • Bankruptcy

ARRESTS & TRAFFIC INJURY & DISABILITY • Criminal Defense • Personal Injury • Sex Crimes • Workers’ Compensation & Homicide Charges • Social Security Disability • Student “Crimes” • Automobile Accident • DUI & Traffic Tickets • Medical Malpractice • Brain Injury

Please contact us. We want to help.

MHS Volleyball Seniors Leave Their Mark

TUCKER GRIFFIN BARNES P.C.

Charlottesville 434.973.7474 | Lake Monticello 434.589.3636 www.TGBlaw.com | Inquire@TGBlaw.com

In September, two teammates on Monticello High School’s volleyball team were each acknowledged as an Athlete of the Week. Allie Perez and Zimako Chuks, two seniors on the varsity volleyball squad, were the only two freshmen in their class to make the varsity team in 2012. Now, both will finish their seasons and high school careers in the school’s record books. Perez has surpassed MHS’s record in alltime assists and fellow teammate, Chuks, is on the move in the top 10 all-time in kills for the Mustangs.

Perez and Chuks’ teamwork throughout their careers has been remarkable. In the match against Jefferson District, the two worked together to help Perez move past the former all-time assist record, previously set back in 2012 by Maria Williams, who is currently Virginia Wesleyan’s setter. The play succeeded, with Perez passing it to Chuks for the kill. Going into the match, Perez only needed two assists to pass the record.

one y r Eve

Slice of the Pie a s e v r Dese

eMad der r to-O

Fresh s g Toppin

Locally owned

JABA SPCA SARA SOCA H.O.W.S. Toy Lift Live Arts Monticello HS Salvation Army March of Dimes Special Olympics Mosby Foundation Caring for Creatures ARC of the Piedmont Habitat for Humanity Albemarle Fire & Rescue Ronald McDonald House Make A Wish Foundation Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Thomas Jefferson Food Bank Shelter for Help in Emergency Independence Resource Center Virginia Wounded Warrior Program

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CharlottesvilleFamily.com

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{our town voices} Jefferson Obstetrics & Gynecology, LTD

The

Buzz

AROUND

TOWN Is your child getting enough recess time at school?

37% say “yes” 63% say “no” Please call to schedule an aPPointment. new Patients are welcome!

Caring for Women through all stages of life Matthew T. Montgomery, MD Michael L. Arnold, MD Robert R. Heider, MD Kelly A. Owens, MD James M. Culver, MD Christy Wamhoff, MD Brooke S. Kilfoil, MD Sue A. Woodson, CNM

At my daughter’s school, she gets about 20 minutes for recess per day, which I think is enough. At the beginning of recess, they run laps to be sure they’re all getting some exercise. They also have P.E. three days a week.

Recess time is just as important as time in the classroom. During recess, children learn how to socially interact with each other. We are not giving our children enough time to just be kids and learn through play.

Raya, Charlottesville

Scottsville Mom

No. In a day of seven or more hours, 30 minutes of recess is insufficient. At my daughter’s school, they don’t even have recess until just before dismissal. This means the children are sitting and working for the first four hours of school without any Amber D. breaks until lunch. They are children and need to expend energy, and cutting back on gym time to twice a week for 30 minutes I homeschool my kids. They get plenty of is not teaching children to commit to their recess at school and plenty of educational own health time at home. It works very well for us.

Mom of two, Charlottesville Heidi T., Mother of two boys My son is in third grade, and he gets 30 minutes of recess a day. More would be good, but I think for his age that’s fine. The younger grades though need more time I think.

Pat Dougherty, CNM, MSN 600 Peter Jefferson Pkwy, Suite 290

434.977.4488

www.jeffersonobgyn.net 10

November 2015

Visit CharlottesvilleFamily.com to answer next month’s question:

Do you encourage your child to give back over the holidays?

T H E V I R G I N I A TA B L E

THE

VIRGINIA TABLE

PHOTOGRAPHS ANDREA HUBBELL + SARAH CRAMER SHIELDS

STORIES JENNY PAURYS

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The Virginia Table The Virginia Table, a new book exploring and showcasing food across the state, hit stands late October, just in time to peruse for Thanksgiving! A collaborative effort between Our Local Commons and Early Mountain Vineyard that took four years, the book explores six industries across Virginia: wine, cheese, beer, grain, meat and cider. Interspersed throughout are intimate profiles of local food artisans, consulted and showcased for their expertise.

The book was conceived as an extension of Early Mountain’s “Best of Virginia” program which looks at fine wines state-wide, which Early Mountain carries at its tasting room in Madison along with its own wines.

Written by Jenny Paurys and photographed by local Virginia moms Andrea Hubbell and Sarah Cramer Shields, the book examines how the state has grown as a culinary region and proponent of the farm-to-table movement. If you’re looking for some inspiration for your tables this holiday season, maybe try looking locally this year!

Getting to know you and what you care most about — planning for college, taking care of an elder family member, passing a legacy to future generations, buying a second home — is so important. Once we understand your priorities, together, we can help you pursue the goals you’ve set for yourself and your family. Call to learn more today.

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Life’s better when we’re connected® Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a registered broker-dealer and Member SIPC, and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”).

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CharlottesvilleFamily.com

11

{our town community}

SNAPSHOT written & photographed by Laura Merricks

Lee Alter In addition to her own artwork, which is mostly in watercolor, local artist Lee Alter teaches art to children and adults in her studio at McGuffey Art Center. Alter’s first memory of the artistic process was in her early twenties when she placed a mirror on her desk and drew a self-portrait with pastels. “Something inside me said: this is what you are meant to do; it’s your mission being an artist,” she remembers.

She has taken that calling seriously ever since, and encourages her students to do the same with their own vocations. Alter adds that, to her, success is not about the end product as much as it is about the process of creating.

Alter, who lives and paints in Charlottesville, was shaped as an artist and teacher by her experience with her own children. She homeschooled her daughter, Anna, in the 70s, and when 12 years old, she remembers Anna saying, “I want to illustrate children’s books.” Alter told her to go for it, and Anna did—all the way to Rhode Island School of Design and 15 children’s author-illustrator book credits. Alter’s other two daughters create for a living as well: Becky is a musician and Amy is a printmaker.

Alter summarizes her creative vision this way, “The best thing about being an artist is following this advice from Vivekananda: Everything in the universe is struggling to complete a circle, to return to its source, to return to its only real source, the self.”

What is your approach to teaching art to children?

What is one practice you put in place to get quality time with your family?

I spent a lot of time painting and drawing with my children and setting up projects for them involving nature. I always put their artwork up on the walls and encouraged their creativity.

What do you love about Charlottesville and how does our community inspire you as an artist?

I go to Bodo’s almost every morning and draw for an hour or so. It’s my way of starting the day. I may go to Greenberry’s or a cafe to do some more drawing during the day. I can see why artists in Europe, especially Paris, did this. I don’t need to talk to anyone, but feeling the energy of other people around helps the creative process.

What is something your parents did well?

My parents were inventive and creative people. And my whole family on my mother’s side was made up of musicians, artists and composers—all very talented. It was an incentive to try new things.

I help them be present in the artistic process—going down the road untaken and following their hearts—and it opens doors. I use positive reinforcement to address self-esteem issues with the creative process.

And I show their artwork to the community with shows at HotCakes, Millie Joe and McGuffey Art Center.

12

November 2015

Laura spent much of her childhood in her hometown public library, since her dad was the director.

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CharlottesvilleFamily.com

13

{our town community}

Biz BITS

Take a News Break

Now Open

Charlottesville · 103.5FM

Burrit-OH, a locally sourced eatery, is now open in the Blue Ridge Shopping Center.

WMRA App · wmra.org

Chik fil A is opening a new location in Pantops Shopping Center on Nov. 5.

Objects On Main, a boutique shop in Orange, is now open.

Subway opened a new location is open in Barracks Shopping Center.

Violet Crown Cinema is scheduled to open on the Downtown Mall early November.

Edge a new athletic development gym is now open in The Shops at Stonefield (see ad page 17) Thank you to our voters!

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November 2015

Thank you for choosing SOCA!

Closed Horse and Hound Gastro Pub on West Main is now closed.

Announcements Lord Hardwicke’s will start to serve breakfast in November.

The lighting ceremony for the Paramount sign is scheduled for Dec. 15 Piedmont Council for the Arts takes over management of Art in Place.

Sedona Taphouse now serves brunch on Sundays from 11am-2:30pm.

Our Schools

Family and Cosmetic Dentistry

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Woodbrook Elementary Second Graders Learn by Doing It was a scene from a small company’s boardroom. Team members listened intently as the discussion centered on the next big idea. The new product would be creative, collaboratively manufactured and serve a useful organizational purpose. Each member spoke and finally a consensus was reached.

The group would produce campaign-style buttons that could proudly be worn by each student throughout the week. Every button would be distinctive, and its display would encourage excellence the whole year round. The decision makers behind the scheme were Woodbrook Elementary School second graders.

Of course, this scene did not unfold in a boardroom but in the school’s new MakerSpace, a former classroom now wholly devoted to creativity, criticalthinking, problem solving and teamwork. The idea blossomed from a visit with MakerSpace facilitators with the Chicago Children’s Museum, and fits perfectly with Albemarle County Public Schools’ new emphasis on learning-by-doing.

This approach makes the traditional discovery process more interesting, more fun and more sustainable.

In a twentieth-century model students would come into a room, sit at standardized and uncomfortable desks and take notes while a teacher lectures.

Greg Leffler LTCP FSS, Agent Students learned in isolation by memorizing facts and repeatingDrive, them for1A 503 Faulconer Suite periodic quizzes and tests. In a twenty-first century model, students Charlottesville, VA come 22903 Bus: into a room, sit at tables or in a variety of chairs in all parts of434-296-1010 the room and greg@gregleffler.us offer suggestions on what they would like to create that day. They learn in teams by working with other students to refine ideas into finished products.

Along the way, they learn math, science, reading comprehension, history and communication skills. They learn facts, not to pass a test, but to complete a project. They overcome obstacles and gain a sense of personally rewarding accomplishment, preparing them for college or career settings.

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Jamee is a second-grade teacher at Woodbrook Elementary School. She attended the Chicago Children’s Museum Conference this past summer.

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CharlottesvilleFamily.com

15

{our town volunteers} Teen Traffic Safety In recognition of National School Bus Safety Week, Virginia State Police and AAA Mid-Atlantic aim to protect teen drivers and students who ride school buses. Reminders and information on buses’ occupant protection system’s safety ratings are being administered throughout the county and city. Known as compartmentalization, this system incorporates seat height and length, padding and other details to keep schools buses among the safest vehicles on the road. Governor Terry McAuliffe issued a school bus proclamation to the community pointing out that 54 students on average are transported by bus, replacing 36 family vehicles on the road.

New Center For Open Bio Labs Charlottesville Open Bio Labs launched its new Biotechnology Exploration Center on October 16. The Labs, which work in collaboration with the Renaissance School, are accessible to those interested in education and training in biotechnology and synthetic biology. Plans for the Center involve educating, training and certifying individuals for low-barrier STEM jobs locally. Collaboration will be a huge part of the Center’s initiatives amongst scientists, architects, designers, educators, engineers and many more. Internships at the Open Bio Labs are also available, with opportunities to network with Deans, CEOs and City and State Representatives.

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This holiday season, give your out-of-town guests the ‘in-town’ experience!

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Barrett W. R. Peters, DDS, MSD Pediatric Dentist

Charlottesville Location

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November 2015

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17

&

{our town calendar}

Out

About November 2015

THANKSGIVING Virginia Thanksgiving Festival

November 1, 12-4pm at Berkeley Plantation Visit the site of the first official Thanksgiving in America for a day dedicated to history, food and fun with tours. 888-466-6018, virginiathanksgivingfestival.com

Thanksgiving on the Mountain

November 25-29, Wednesday-Sunday, at Wintergreen Resort Traditional feasts, the grand illumination of the courtyard, holiday workshops and more family fun. 325-8180, wintergreenresort.com

Turkey Day 5K

The Boar’s Head Turkey Trot

The Polar Express Train Rides

SPECIAL EVENTS

Montpelier Hunt Races

November 26, 9am at Boar’s Head Inn Before your big feast, unite with friends and family to run or walk the 5k course to raise money for the UVA Children’s Hospital.

Early registration is recommended.

972-7454, turkeytrot.dominiondigital.com

Apple Harvest Celebration

November 1-29, 9am-5pm at Carter’s Mountain Orchard Pick your own apples or buy them already picked. Weekend hayrides if warm.

977-1833, chilesfamilyorchards.com

November 26, 8am-noon at Wintergreen Resort Join us for a run around the Devil’s Knob Golf Course. Age groups: 5 and under, 6-12, 14-17, 18-64 and 65 and up. Prizes awarded.

325-8180, wintergreenresort.com

Project Reveal Fashion Show

Earlysville 5k Turkey Trot & Free Half Mile Kids Run

YMCA Groundbreaking Celebration

November 26, 8:30am kid’s race, 9am 5k at 600 Earlysville Forest Drive, Earlysville Start off your holiday with a 5k run. Free half mile race for kids, and walkers are also welcome. Strollers welcome at the back of the pack. charlottesvillemultisports.com

November 7, 7:30pm at Les Fabriques Join us for the 6th annual fashion show!

Art Deco theme. Tickets are $15.

12yrs and under are FREE 975-0710, lesfabriquesinc.com

November 5, 5-7pm at McIntire Park Join us as we celebrate the groundbreaking for the Brooks Family YMCA with food, cider, music, bounce houses, fire trucks, hot air balloon rides, family scavenger hunt and more!

974-9622, piedmontymca.org

November 6-December 20 varying dates, departures 5 & 7:15pm at Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad Train rides are based on the holiday feature film and beloved children’s book.

877-686-7245, mountainrailwv.com

November 7, 9am-6pm at Montpelier Experience world-class steeplechase horse races. Enjoy the Jack Russell Terrier races, kids’ stick-horse races and Vendors Row. 540-672-0014, montpelierraces.org

TedX Charlottesville

November 13 at The Paramount Theater A wide array of speakers and performers, each with an idea and a story to share. tedxcharlottesville.com

Blessing of the Hounds

November 26, 10-11am at Grace Episcopal Church Enjoy a brief blessing ceremony, which includes bagpipes, a soloist, hounds and horses. Enjoy cider, donuts and send off the hunt afterward. 293-3549, gracekeswick.org

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS Apple Dessert Sampling

November 21 at Saunders Brothers Market Sample cobblers made with all of our different apples so you can decide which to use for your Thanksgiving pies. saundersbrothers.com

Celebration of Holiday Lights

November 23-January 1, 5-11pm at Gypsy Hill Park, Staunton Enjoy a drive through the 214-acre park aglow with charming night time scenes, most homemade by local organizations and businesses. 540-332-3945, staunton.va.us

Barracks Road Annual Holiday Parade

Edible Creations!

18

November 2015

November 27, 9:30am at Barracks Road Shopping Center Hometown parade with costumed characters, antique cars, live animals, colorful floats, Santa, marching bands and more. 240-3422164, barracksroad.com

Virginia Gingerbread Christmas Entries due Nov 29, Displays Dec 6-9 at the Downtown Mall See this page.

Dominion GardenFest of Lights

November 27, 5-10pm at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden A holiday tradition featuring more than a half million lights, botanical decorations, trains, holiday activities and more.

804-262-9887, lewisginter.org

SHOWCASE RENOVATION NEAR UVA GROUNDS

NESTLED ON 2 PRIVATE ACRES IN ASHCROFT

2006 PINE TOP LANE • $1,875,000 Fabulous location in arguably the City’s most beautiful neighborhood. Spacious floor plan features spectacular Kitchen and remarkable Master BR Suite (both) overlooking private back yard (once in Garden Week), formal & informal spaces plus separate Guest or au pair Suite. Tommy Brannock (434) 981-1486. MLS# 533281

515 LEGO DRIVE • $699,000 This open-concept, immaculately maintained and thoroughly updated home is a peaceful retreat just minutes from Historic Downtown. Fully fenced-in backyard.

Master suite with sitting room, sunny kitchen with granite, and terrace level basement with 5th bedroom & full bath. Lindsay Milby (434) 962-9148. MLS# 538098

Gingerbread Workshops

November 29-December 20, Sundays, 1-3pm at The Boar’s Head Inn Spend a fun afternoon with Santa, Mrs. Claus and Boar’s Head Pastry Chef. All ingredients and construction materials will be provided.

Registration. 972-2230, boarsheadinn.com

Holiday Open House at Monticello

November 29, 1-5pm at Monticello Visit with Thomas Jefferson (actor Bill Barker), see the house decorated for the holidays and enjoy live music in the parlour.

984-9822, monticello.org

JAW DROPPING VIEWS, TOTAL PRIVACY & AN EXPANSIVE, LEVEL LAWN IN IVY

Holiday Bazaar

December 5, 10-4pm at Charlottesville Waldorf School Gift making for Children & Adults at the 31st annual Holiday Bazaar. Free admission and parking. cwaldorf.ejoinme.org/tickets.org

Santa Run

December 6, 11am at the Downtown Mall Hundreds of people (and pets) will run a onemile run/walk on the historic Downtown Mall.

Santa costume for adults and elf hat for kids included in registration. cvillesantarun.evenbrite.com

Virginia Gingerbread Christmas

December 6-9 at the Downtown Mall Stroll down the Historic Downtown Mall, decked out in all of its holiday finery and see gingerbread houses in some of the shop windows. Entry deadline is Nov. 29 and gingerbread house drop off is Dec. 4-6 at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel. 295-9073, virginiagingerbreadchristmas.com

1248 TURNER MOUNTAIN ROAD • $1,995,000 This brick & slate, c.1961 residence rests on one of the most dramatic, serene & protected sites in Albemarle County & yet the 13 acres are only 10 minutes to town. More than 180 degree views of the Blue Ridge and Ragged Mountains, Charlottesville & farmland on the way to the Blue Ridge surround this stately 4-5 bed, 4.5 bath home & guest cottage. A mountaintop setting, yet the approach is via a paved, gradual ascent and the generous rear lawn is totally level. 12-foot ceilings, 3 fireplaces. 6 additional acres available, with stunning building site. MLS# 538038 SEVENTY-ONE RIVER FRONT ACRES

DAZZLING MERIWETHER CAPE COD

1073 DURRETT RIDGE ROAD • $795,000 Stunning acreage, with lake and river frontage, plus a large brick home provide the potential to create a noteworthy country property. Much of the land is open meadow bordering the North Fork of the Rivanna. The home features a great floor plan with kitchen open to family room, pool views and 3 fireplaces. Dennis Woodriff (434) 531-0140. MLS# 538175

1940 OWENSVILLE ROAD • $1,125,000 This 6-bedroom, family-friendly property arguably has it all. 1st floor master, second 1st floor bedroom suite, 2 bedrooms upstairs with break-out area for play, homework, and a light-filled terrace level complete with office, guest suite, TV area, plus a play area, wet bar & wine fridge.

Kristin Cummings Streed (434) 409-5619 MLS# 537120

Children’s Holiday Festival

December 12, 8:30-10:30 or 11-1pm at Amazement Square A joyful family event! Pancake breakfast with Santa, holiday crafts, gingerbread decorating and more! The whole family is invited to celebrate! Registration. amazementsquare.com

MARKETS & BAZAARS City Market

Now through November,Saturdays, 7am-12pm at Second and Water Street parking lots charlottesville.org 401 PARK STREET • CHARLOT TESVILLE, VA

434.977.4005 W W W . L O R I N G W O O D R I F F . C O M CharlottesvilleFamily.com

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{our town calendar} 21st Annual Artisans Studio Tour

Join us for a Class with Clara for boys & girls before Charlottesville performances!

November 7-8, 10am-5pm at Charlottesville, Albemarle and Surrounding Counties 40 artisans in 22 studios will be opening their doors during this weekend-long event to demonstrate their work. Check out pottery, jewelry, textiles, furniture and other finished craft pieces. 973-6846, artisanstudiotour.com

James F. Smith

Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale

Season Sponsors

LY N C H B U R G

C H A R LOT T E S V I L L E

Dec. 12 at 7:00pm

Dec. 19 at 11:00am & 3:30pm Dec. 20 at 2:00pm & 5:00pm

T I C K E T S : Starting at $20

Visit CharlottesvilleBallet.org/Nutcracker

Mistletoe Market

November 22, 10am-4pm at Boar’s Head Inn Convention Center Enjoy checking off your holiday shopping list in a festive environment featuring local merchants and artisans. Cookies with Santa 11am-2pm with $20 advance ticket.

971-2937, jlcville.org

Poinsettia Open House

November 27-28 at Milmont Greenhouse, Waynesboro Prizes and complimentary homemade donuts and coffee. Also available is arts, crafts and gifts. milmont.com

Green Valley Book Fair

Photo: Keith Alan Sprouse.

Join us for the 6th annual Project Reveal Fashion Show

November 7, 2015 7:30pm Les Fabriques | 2016 E Water St

Theme: Art Deco 1920-1930

November 7-15, 10am-7pm at Gordon Avenue Library Jump start your holiday shopping by browsing books, recordings, games and puzzles, and ephemera of all types. 977-8467, jmrlfriends.org

Tickets $15 12 yrs and under FREE To purchase, call 434.975.0710 or go online at lesfabriquesinc.com

November 27-December 16, 10am-5pm Monday-Thursday, 10am-6pm Friday & Saturday, 12-5pm Sunday at 2192 Green Valley Ln., Mt. Crawford Encourage your child to read by expanding his or her home library.

800-385-0099, gobookfair.com

Holiday Market

November 28-December 19, Saturdays, 8am-1pm at Second and Water Streets 970-3371, charlottesville.org

STAGE & SCREEN Virginia Film Festival

November 5-8, Various times at Various locations A four-day celebration of cinema featuring a wide variety of films and filmmakers from around the world, highlighting Virginia’s own thriving film scene. Family Day is Nov. 7. 9243376, virginiafilmfestival.org

Upfront—Salute!

On-line Bidding November 9th – 17th To bid, visit: auction.wvpt.net 20

November 2015

November 7, 4pm & 7pm at CB Studio Theatre Join us in saluting our veterans and members of the armed forces. Performance includes segments from Don Quixote and “A Letter To My Love.” 973-2555, charlottesvilleballet.org

WINNER OF THE

N ATIONAL MEDA L

UPCOMING WINTER EVENTS:

festival tickets available online at W W W. A MA ZE ME NTS QUA RE . O R G

Black Friday Workshop: NOV 27

Winter Workshops: DEC 19, 21-23

open Tuesday - Saturday | 10am - 5pm closed Mondays (open Dec 21 & 28 | 1pm-5pm)

2 7 9 T H S T, D O W N T O W N L Y N C H B U R G | ( 4 3 4 ) 8 4 5 - 1 8 8 8 | W W W. A M A Z E M E N T S Q U A R E . O R G

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Saturday, Dec. 5 Sneak Preview Shopping Event

Friday,Dec. 4 6–9pm

Gift making for Children & Adults 2015

Jump-rope making | Leather stamping | Secret garden Puppet show | Candle dipping | Raffle Local artisans with handmade gifts for the Holidays

FREE ADMISSION + PARKING*

*Complimentary park-and-ride shuttle service from the Charlottesville Catholic School

120 Waldorf School Road [across from Pen Park] activity tickets are available for pre-sale at

cwaldorf.ejoinme.org/tickets

+ check out the Charlottesville Holiday Bazaar Event on Facebook!

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

21

eene Meadow r G s Farm A Traditional Christmas Experience Less than 30 minutes from Charlottesville!

Trim That Tree

Local Farms offer Petting Zoo, Hot Cider or Cocoa, Cookies with Santa & More!

Bees & Trees Farm

choose

Visit the Christmas Shop to help outfit your perfect tree.

& cut:

White Pine White Spruce Canaan Fir

Visit the lambs & calves in our Petting Zoo while enjoying a complimentary cup of hot cocoa or cider, a candy cane and coloring book.

fresh pre-cut

Frazer Fir Concolor Fir

plus wreaths • swags garland •centerpieces

Open the Friday after Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve

Fri., Sat., Sun. 10 am - 5 pm

434.990.1999

www.greenemeadowsfarm.com

Come on out

and select a Christmas tree the old fashioned way!

November 27-December 23, Wednesdays-Sundays, 9am-4pm at 18028 Carrico Mills Rd, Elkwood Cut your own tree, then enjoy complimentary cider while you browse the Christmas shop. Enjoy s’mores around the fire pit and photo ops in the historic sleigh. Choose from Canaans, fresh-cut Frasers, Norway Spruce, Leyland Cypress, and Scotch and White Pines. Wreaths and garlands made on the spot.

540-423-9020, beesandtrees.biz

Boys’ Home Christmas Tree Farm

November 27-December 21, FridaysSundays, 10am-4pm, Friday-Sunday at Boys’ Home Tree Farm Choose from Norway Spruce, Eastern White Pine and Scotch Pine. Baling and loading available. 540-939-4106, boyshomeinc.org

Claybrooke Tree Farm

November 27-29 & December 5-6 & 12-13, 10am-5pm at Claybrooke Farm, 912 Elk Creek Road, Mineral Santa visits Dec. 13 from 1-3pm. The Main Street market is open from Nov. 27-Dec. 21. Find Christmas trees, wreaths and other products. 540-872-3817, claybrookefarm.com

Foxfire Christmas Tree Farm

10% discount to

active firefighters, police, and military

Spruce Rock Farm is a “Choose & Cut” Christmas tree farm located just north of Charlottesville in Brightwood, VA. Pick your family’s favorite from our selection of Blue Spruce, Douglas Fir, Canaan Fir, or White Pine. We also offer pre-cut Fraser Firs!

While you are here, check out our Christmas Shop with wreaths, garland, and free hot chocolate or cider! sprucerockfarm.com 419 Lester Utz Lane, Brightwood, Virginia

R

22

November 2015

Open Friday, Nov. 27 and every weekend after until Dec. 20th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call Tim Williams at 540.543.2309 for weekday appointments.

November 20-December 22, 9am-5pm Wednesday-Monday, call ahead on Tuesdays at Foxfire Christmas Tree Farm Choose and cut Norway Spruces, Douglas Firs and a limited number of pines. For large trees come early. Wreaths, saws, twine, baling and loading available. Fresh wreaths and garland, too.

286-3445, foxfireva.net

Greene Meadows Farm

November 27-December 24, 10am-5pm Friday-Sunday at Greene Meadows Farm Petting zoo, Christmas shop plus cocoa!

Choose and cut White Spruces or Canaan Firs or choose pre-cut Fraser Firs and Concolor Firs, plus wreaths, garlands and centerpieces. 990-1999, greenemeadowsfarm.com

Long Meadow Tree Farm

November 27-December 24, 10am-dark, seven days a week at Waynesboro Choose from White and Scotch Pine, Norway and Blue Spruce, Concolor and Douglas Firs. Pre-cut Fraser firs, handmade wreaths and table arrangements also available. 540-649-430

The Market at Grelen

November 28-December 21, 10am-4pm Tuesday-Sunday at The Market at Grelen Pre-order a Virginia tree and choose from a selection of handmade wreaths and swags.

540-672-7268, themarketatgrelen.com

Saunders Brothers Market

November 28 at Saunders Brothers Market Choose a pre-cut Fraser Fir or a live ball & burlap tree to plant in your landscape. saundersbrothers.com

Spruce Rock Farm

November 27-December 24, 10am-4pm Saturday & Sunday, by appointment Monday-Friday at Spruce Rock Farm, Brightwood Cut your own Blue Spruce, Scotch Pine, and Douglas Firs or select from pre-cut Fraser firs. Free tree shaking, baling, hot cider and chocolate. Cash or checks only.

540-543-2309, sprucerockfarm.com

Stonehearth Christmas Tree Farm

November 28-December 23, 9am-5pm Saturday & Sunday, call for weekday hours at Stonehearth Christmas Tree Farm Cut your own White, Scotch and Red Pines and Canaan Firs. Also crafts, wreaths and garland for purchase. Saws, twine and tree shaker available. Kids get candy canes and a free coloring book. Hot chocolate and cider. 540-547-2576

{our town calendar}

Experience an old-fashioned Christmas! Use our saws to cut your own tree, and enjoy a complimentary cup of hot cider while browsing for decorations, gifts and crafts in our festive Christmas shop, Santa’s Hive. Roast marshmallows for S’mores or sip hot chocolate by our amazing stone fire pit and have your picture taken in a fully restored Albany Cutter sleigh. Bring the kids for an experience they will never forget!

• Canaans • Freshly-cut Frasers • Norway Spruce • Scotch Pine • Leyland Cypress • White Pines • Fresh wreaths/garland made on the spot • Offering free shaking, bailing and twine for loading on your car

Santa and Mrs. Claus will be making an appearance on December 13!

BeesAndTrees.biz

9am-4pm Wed.-Sun. beginning November 27 - December 23.

18028 Carrico Mills Road, Elkwood 540-423-9020

Sunday, December 6 11:00 AM Start Downtown Mall Course: 1 mile

THE GREAT

©OOIA\�i®mr��w� ii� SANTA ...� FUN Ru..-� & WALK BENEFITING THE ARC OF THE PIEDMONT

Register online: cvillesantarun.eventbrite.com

Sunday, December 6 I 11:00 AM Start I Downtown Mall I Course: 1 mile Register online: cvillesantarun.eventbrite.com Santa costume for adults and elf hat for kids included with registration.

Santa costume for adults and elf hat for kids included with registration.

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

23

{our town calendar} Courtesy of Montpelier Hunt Races

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA

Thank You For A Great Season!

Races!

Montpelier Hunt Races November 7, 9am-6pm at Montpelier See this page.

Family Movie Matinee

November 14, 10:30am at Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Nelson Strange Magic directed by Gary Rydstrom (PG) Goblins, elves, fairies and imps, and their misadventures sparked by the battle over a powerful potion. 979-7151, jmrl.org

Dance and Step Competition

November 14, 3pm at The Paramount Theater The 9th Annual Competition returns with some of the top teams throughout the region. 825-0650, DanceandStepCompetition.com

Golden Dragon Acrobats

Maximize your 2016 concert experience with VIP premium seats. Enjoy the most sought-after seating in the house with privileges like parking and wait service, call 434.245.4910 today!

TICKETS: thenTelosWirelesspavilion.com, Downtown Visitor Center, 877-CPAV-TIX

thenTelosWirelessPavilion.com

24

November 2015

November 27, 7pm at The Paramount Theater CharlottesvilleFamily is a proud sponsor, bringing you the Golden Dragon Acrobats.

The team includes 29 athletes, actors and artists who have studied and trained for their craft since childhood. theparamount.net

Cavalier Marching Band Open Rehearsal

November 20, 6:15pm at Carr’s Hill Field Bring a picnic and watch the UVA Cavalier Marching Band. Free and open to the public.

924-3052, artsandsciences.virginia.edu

The Nutcracker Suite

December 19-20, 11am & 3:30pm Saturday, 2pm & 5pm Sunday at V. Earl Dickinson Building at PVCC Join Clara on her magical journey to the Land of Sweets to Tchaikovsky’s score.

227-7592, charlottesvilleballet.org

SPORTS & OUTDOORS Farm and Barn History Day

Now-November, Saturdays, 2pm at Ivy Creek Natural Area Come enjoy the barn newly repaired with displays donated to understand both the cultural history of the farm and the nature.

973-7772, ivycreekfoundation.org

Liberty Mills Farm Corn Maze

Now through November 8 at Liberty Mills Farm, Somerset Get lost in Central Virginia’s largest corn maze of over 25-acres.

882-6293, libertymillsfarm.com

5th Annual Apple Harvest Festival

November 7, 10am-5pm at Albemarle Cider Works Visit with a number of vendors from the local farmers’ market, enjoy hay rides over the mountain, cider tasting, and live music.

979-1663, albemarleciderworks.com

Shenandoah National Park Fee Free Day November 11 at Shenandoah National Park Enjoy the park without having to pay an entrance fee to celebrate Veterans Day. 540-999-3500 nps.gov

Owl Prowl

November 19, 5-7pm at Kemper Park Trailhead, Monticello Trail Join seasoned birder Jerry Therrien for an evening of listening to owls and learning about their habitats.

984-9800 monticello.org

UVA football Home Games

November 21 & 28 at Scott Stadium Come cheer the ‘hoos at home games against Duke (Nov 21) and Virginia Tech (Nov 28).

Celebrate Military Appreciation Day against Duke. virginiasports.com

LEARNING FUN Join us for three special events celebrating the magic of Christmas!

School Art Contest

Now through November 9, Submissions mailed or dropped off at Public Works Administration The Contest’s theme is “Imagine A Day without Water.” Winners work will be exhibited in public venues. 970-3877, charlottesville.org

Writer’s Eye Contest

Now through November 13 at UVA’s Fralin Museum of Art An annual competition challenging youth, students and adults to submit original poetry and prose inspired by works in the Museum.

924-3592, virginia.edu

Little Naturalists

Now through December 14, 10am at Education Building, Ivy Creek Natural Area Introduce your three- to five-year-old to nature with this short talk and trail walk.

973-7772, ivycreekfoundation.org

Gingerbread House Competition and Display For full details Nov. 29: All Gingerbread Competition Entry forms due to the and updates visit: Ronald McDonald House Dec. 4, 5, & 6: Drop off Gingerbread House creations at the Omni virginiagingerbreadchristmas.com Dec. 6, 7, 8, & 9: Free Admission to view the Gingerbread House 434.295.1885 Village at the Omni And join us on Facebook and Twitter

‘Tis the Season Pancake Breakfast

Dec. 12: Meet Mr. and Mrs. Claus and enjoy a delicious breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn (Advance ticket purchase required)

Mrs. Claus Invites

Presented by:

Dec. 16: Enjoy an afternoon visit with Mrs. Claus and her friends being entertained, doing a craft or two, and decorating cupcakes.

(Advance ticket purchase required)

Autumn Kids Day Off Programs

October 30, November 2-3, 9am-12pm at Virginia Discovery Museum.

Charlottesville and Albemarle County schools are out, but the learning doesn’t have to stop!

977-1025, vadm.org

50 Nifty United States

Fridays, 4pm at Downtown Mall Join in exploring what makes each state unique through fun facts and activities about its history, landscape and culture.

977-1025 vadm.org

Archaeology Family Workshop II: Piecing Together Puzzles of the Past

November 14, 10am-12pm at Monticello Visitors Center This two-hour workshop provides a hands-on introduction to archaeology at Monticello.

984-9800, monticello.org

s y a d i l H o at the m u e s u M

ent Ornam anza g a v a Extr 2 DEC. 1

Holid a House y s

DEC. 5 & 19

Santa Pancake t Breakfas DEC. 13

Family Art JAMs: Lingering in the Landscape

November 14, 1-3pm & 3-5pm at The Fralin Museum of Art Programs combine age-appropriate tours with hands-on art activities for children.

Parents or other adult family members are encouraged to help! 243-2050, virginia.edu

amily F le il v s e t t lo Char ite Award r ner FavoW i2n014 Thank you to

524 E. Main St., Charlottesville

|

(434) 977-1025

|

vadm.org

Check out event prices online, or ask about our 3-in-1 holiday bundle! for donating this ad on behlaf of the Virginia Discovery Museum.

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

25

{our town calendar} For more holiday festivals, events and fun.

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

It Only Takes

is proud to support Toy Lift!

Museum & Artisan Open House

ONE

to make a difference this holiday season!

2015 TOY LIFT Friday, December 4, 2015 | 975-TOYS | kidslift.org

November 15, Sunday, 11am-5pm at Ash Lawn-Highland Take tours of the Monroe house and enjoy activities and demonstrations by local crafters and artisans along with live music.

293-8000 ashlawnhighland.org

ESPECIALLY FOR TEENS Junior Roller Derby

Now through November 22 at Ruckersville Back by popular demand—roller derby for children ages 8-17. Classes are taught by nationally-ranked roller derby players charlottesvillederbydames.com

Make It @ the Library

Second Wednesdays, 4:30pm at Central Library Drop in and kick start your creativity. For grades 6-12. All supplies are available at every session. 979-7151, jmrl.org

Writing Workshop with Tess Taylor

November 7, 9am-1pm at Ash Lawn-Highland The workshop will include reviewing of model poems, reflective time for writer’s own poem, lunch, a brief reading by Tess and a Q&A session. 293-8000, ashlawnhighland.org

WRITER’S EYE 2015

Writer’s Eye is The Fralin’s annual literary competition that challenges writers of all ages, from 3rd grade through adults, to use visual art as inspiration for the creation of original poetry and prose.

Poetry, Prose and Pizza Open Mic Night

November 13, 6pm at Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Louisa Join the library and well-known poet Nathan Richardson for a night of freedom, poetry, music, fun, spoken word and more. Bring original artwork to be hung around the room.

979-7151, jmrl.org

Tours run through November 13, 2015.

www.virginia.edu/artmuseum/edu

museumoutreach@virginia.edu or 434.243.2050

Mini Fall Pie Making Workshop

Poinsettia Open House Friday, November 27 & Saturday, November 28 Open 8:00 - 5:30 MOn - Fri 8:00 - 5:00 Sat

located on rt 340 about 3.5 miles south of i-64.

26

November 2015

brunswick stew, free homemade donuts, door prizes & more!

Visit www.milmont.com for the latest updates on specials and details for the open house.

(540) 943-8408 • milmont@milmont.com

www.milmont.com

November 22, 2-4pm at Mudhouse in Crozet Join Chef Margot Diaz in the kitchen for some Fall Mini Pie making fun! Learn some new crowdpleasers before Thanksgiving. 823-2240, mudhouse.com

ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS Charlottesville City Schools School Board Meeting November 5, 5-6pm charlottesvilleschools.org

Albemarle County School Board Meeting November 5, 6:30pm at Albemarle County Office Building, Lane Auditorium Come and find out about current issues and hot topics at the Albemarle County school board meeting. 972-4055, k12albemarle.org

Oh Baby! What New Parents Need to Know

November 10, 7-8:30pm at Battle Building, UVA Children’s Hospital New parents and parents-to-be are invited to join us for a special night of advice from UVA doctors. uvahealth.com

Vinegar Making Workshop

November 14, 9:30-11:30am at the Visitor Center, Monticello Join master-chef Gabriele Rausse in the basic principles of vinegar-making, and then learn how to use it in preparing food and dressings.

984-9800, monticello.org

Amahl

Charlottesville’s opera company

and the

Night Visito rs Gian Carlo Menotti

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2015 2:00 PM AND 4:30 PM

With singers from WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA SAN FRANCISCO OPERA, and GLIMMERGLASS FESTIVAL

OPEN HOUSES

and students from the WILSON

MESA (Math, Engineering and Science Academy) Open House

TICKETS $12-45

November 2 & December 9, 2-4pm, 5:30-7:30pm respectively at Albemarle High School, 2nd floor of the Science wing 975-9300, k12albemarle.org

theparamount.net | (434) 979-1333 Box Office Hours: 10 am - 2 pm, M-F sponsored by

St. Anne’s-Belfield School Open House November 3-4, 9-10:30am Nov 3, grades 5-12. Nov 4, grades pre-K-4.

Reservations. 296-5106, stab.org

SCHOOL OF DANCE

Conducted by KATE TAMARKIN, Music Director of the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia

Golden Dragon Acrobats • Nov 27 • 7PM Tickets: $39.50, $24.50, $19.50 (Youth 12 & Under)

The Covenant School Open House

November 3, 8:30-10:30am at the Covenant School (Upper & Lower) 220-7330, covenantschool.org

FAMILY EVENTS COMING TO THE PARAMOUNT:

Village School Open House November 7, 10am-2pm 984-4404, villageschool.us

Oklahoma!

60th Anniversary Nov 1 • 2PM

Regents School Open House

Fantasia • [G] 75th Anniversary Nov 15 • 2PM

November 10, 7-8pm at Regents School of Charlottesville 293-0633, regents-school.org

Peppa Pig’s Big Splash!

LIVE on Stage Dec 1 • 6PM

Health and Medical Sciences Academy Open House Thank you to our event sponsor:

I Submit your local events online at CharlottesvilleFamily.com or email them to Calendar@IvyPublications.com.

The Great Russian Nutcracker Dec. 6 • 1PM & 5PM

N

D

I

E

G

O

G

O

.com

November 12, 5-6:30pm at Monticello High School k12albemarle.org

T H E PA R A M O U N T T H E A T E R V E R T I C A L B L A D E S I G N R E S T O R A T I O N P R O J E C T #bringbacktheblade

215 EAST MAIN STREET, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22902 TICKETS • www.theparamount.net • 434-979-1333 THANK YOU TO OUR PARAMOUNT PRODUCER’S CLUB SPONSORS

THANK YOU TO THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS AND THE VIRGINIA COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

27

Congratulations!

HERE ARE THE WINNERS OF BUMBLE’S HOLIDAY PET CONTEST! Bella came in first with Daisy Lu coming in just a few votes behind!

You submitted, and you voted for your favorite pet photo on Facebook. All of the submissions were adorable! Thank you for participating!

Daisy Lu

Bella A huge thanks to our fabulous sponsors Autumn Trails Veterinay Center, Albemarle Veterinary Health Care Clinic and Pet Supplies Plus.

Albemarle Veterinary Health Care Center 28 28

November November 2015 2015

{holiday pet costume contest}

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

29

{living well dear bob}

Expert Advice

Dear Bob

Your Parenting Questions Answered There were a number of days last year when my 7-year-old complained of stomachaches or headaches and didn’t want to go to school. Sometimes I insisted that he go; other times, I must admit, I gave in. I’d like to handle this better this year – any suggestions?

I remember pulling the sick card a few times when I was a kid. I also remember that it usually had to do with something I was nervous about. Many experts claim that kids 6 to 10 years old really can’t “fake sickness” in a purely manipulative way; instead they are likely anxious about something which translates into even

by Bob Taibbi mild stomachaches or headaches.

There are a couple of things to do.

One is to establish a policy. It is usually suggested that unless your child clearly has a fever or severe sore throat, send them to school, telling them to see the teacher if they feel worse. State your policy, and stick to it. If you are concerned there may be an underlying physical problem, have your pediatrician do an exam.

The bigger issue, is dealing with your child’s anxiety.

Kids fake feeling sick for a Email your parenting variety of reasons. They concerns and queries to might have a difficult editor@IvyPublications.com. time being separated Yours might be included in from their parents, are an upcoming issue! nervous about handling a big event at school, or they are stressed about bullying and other social situations. Ask ahead of time if they are worried about anything. If it’s about homesickness, have your child bring family pictures to school or offer to stop in and have lunch with him. Reach out to teachers to know how your child is doing. You want to know what’s going on in your child’s world, and by questioning you let your child know you understand and that you are there to help him.

WANT TO ASK BOB A QUESTION?

I’m tired of it. It seems like I have to repeatedly ask or remind my kids to do something before they’ll do it. There’s got to be a better way.

I hear this a lot from parents who, like you, are really frustrated. What’s usually going on is that your kids have essentially learned to tune you out until you reach a certain frustration level. Only when you reach that point do they know it’s time to move into gear. The key here is breaking the pattern. Here are the steps: • Say something once. This is the most important part. By repeatedly asking, your child assumes your first request wasn’t serious. Rather than yelling across the house, stand in front of your child, and in a calm but firm voice, tell him exactly what you want him to do. If it is something he needs to do right away like putting on his shoes to get out the door then stand there and wait until he does it, but do not repeat yourself.

• If the request involves your child making a transition—brushing his teeth before bed after the TV show is over—try setting a timer. Kids hate being told to do something when they are engrossed in something. The timer lets them know how much time they have left and serves as a reminder.

• Focus on the behavior and have clear consequences. If the table doesn’t get cleared or if the teeth don’t get brushed when the timer goes off, give them a consequence, but again, in a calm yet firm voice. For instance, take away their computer time for the night, or make them go to bed a bit earlier. By focusing on bottom lines, you help your child focus on the bottom lines as well, and the consequences reinforce your seriousness.

Finally, be sure to praise heavily when your child follows through with instructions.

Author of 10 books and more than 300 articles — including the regular “Ask Bob” column in this magazine — Bob has 41 years of experience in couple and family work and is in private practice in Charlottesville (bobtaibbi.com).

30

November 2015

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31

{living well healthy family} In the Know with Autism

Healthy Family

Understanding Your Child’s Behaviors and Development

Your child is slow to meet developmental milestones, so your first thought may be, “Is this autism?” You wouldn’t be alone. Autism is often at the top of parents’ minds because of how much spotlight it gets in the media, says Richard D. Stevenson, MD, head of the Division of Developmental Pediatrics at UVA Children’s Hospital.

Each week, his division evaluates 50 to 60 children for autism. Most turn out to have a behavioral or attention-deficit disorder, but about a quarter go on for further evaluation to determine whether they fall within the autism spectrum—a wideranging group of neurological and developmental disorders with no known cause or cure. While the prevalence of autism has increased in recent years (1 in 68 children today), Stevenson notes that much of this rise is because of better detection tools plus broader symptoms for a diagnosis than in years past.

Autistic children often have problems in communication, avoid eye contact

by Kelly Casey and show limited attachment to others. While some children with autism have a severe mental disability, the majority are high functioning and “have a different way of experiencing and observing the world. They may be more object-centered than people-centered. There is some strength in that,” Stevenson says.

Three years old is the most common age for a diagnosis of autism, yet the signs may be apparent as young as three months. Getting a diagnosis early is important, Stevenson says, because “a lot of connections are being made in the first three years of life, so the brain is primed to respond to the environment. Research supports that early intervention makes a difference.”

All children should be screened for autism as well as given checkups, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. A healthcare professional should check to see if your child is: making eye contact at 3 to 4 months; babbling, pointing or gesturing by 12 months; speaking single words by 16 months; and forming two-word expressions (not merely repeating the sounds of others) by 24 months. Not meeting these milestones or losing any language or social skills at any age are reasons to pursue an evaluation for Take our 5-question quiz autism. to find out. Go to At UVA Children’s Hospital, families will find the uvahealth.com/autismquiz Commonwealth’s largest group of autism specialists. “Fortunately, we are better equipped today to cater to the unique needs of autistic children and provide effective treatments,” Stevenson says. “We have a team of specialists, including a developmental pediatrician, psychologist, speech pathologist, social worker and others, who collaborate to recommend the best strategies for managing a child’s symptoms and behaviors and improving social and motor skills.”

The best ways to address the core symptoms of autism come from intensive behavioral therapy that typically takes place in the home and involves the parents.

For children at the severe end of the spectrum, UVA helps families access specialized schools like the Virginia Institute of Autism in Charlottesville. This school cares for and educates school-aged children and provides adult programs to help those with autism live more independently.

Do You Know Autism?

Kelly is a medical writer for UVA Children’s Hospital, top ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

Learn more at childrens.uvahealth.com.

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November 2015

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33

{living well new mom} New-Mom Myths Local Professionals Explain Common Motherhood Myths

New Mom

Author Rick Riordan has made Greek mythology hip again with his Percy Jackson franchise of books and films. Perhaps his next gig could be writing about motherhood myths. Deep wells of material await, starting with stories that persist, and confuse, about the newborn months. Here are just a few: Myth: Nursing is natural, and therefore easy.

Nursing often isn’t easy at first. But because of the tremendous health benefits to baby, mom and society, it’s definitely worth the effort.

“There’s no question that nursing is the healthiest choice for newborns,” explains Charlottesville Pediatrician Dr. Robert Michel of Piedmont Pediatrics. “But what’s natural doesn’t necessarily come naturally. To succeed, nursing mothers need support.”

Case in point: Dr. Michel notes many hospitals now have lactation consultants on

by Whitney Woollerton Morrill staff to help new mothers learn the breastfeeding ropes. Nursing requires physical coordination—finding the best hold for baby, getting the right latch and fending off the mouth-blocking moves of a hungry newborn. For this reason, it helps for a partner, friend or family member to lend a hand until mom and baby get their rhythm.

Pediatricians, nursing advocacy groups like La Leche League, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) website and fellow moms are also great sources for breastfeeding support and education. The AAP site lists the many health benefits of nursing through a baby’s first year. Among them: breastfed babies experience significantly lower risks of SIDS, respiratory tract and ear infections, and allergic disease. As they grow, these children also have lower rates of obesity, Type 1 diabetes and certain cancers.

Myth: If a mother can’t nurse her baby, she has failed.

The wonderful benefits of breastfeeding can morph into a guilt bomber when, despite all best intentions and efforts, nursing doesn’t work out for a mom and her baby. The reasons vary: low milk supply; medical complications; and/or life circumstances.

For other support groups Moms need the support of their families and medical team as around Charlottesville, they chart the healthiest course for their babies and themselves. see the “Just for Mothers” Myth: A baby who’s fussy and spits up has acid reflux. section on our calendar, Some babies experience problematic acid reflux that requires CharlottesvilleFamily.com. treatment. However, spitting up is not categorically worrisome in newborns. Their stomach and esophageal valves take a while to get up and running. Also, babies are born with sterile gastrointestinal tracts. As they eat and grow, their gut gradually becomes populated with bacteria. This is a normal process that unfortunately produces gas, and thus discomfort. “Typically, the fussiness peaks at around six weeks,” Dr. Michel explains. While hard to endure, the increase in crying is not necessarily a sign of trouble. “It’s important to look at the pattern of fussiness,” says Dr. Michel. “Both the timing of the increase, and the type of crying.” New parents can reach out to their doctors and support network to sort out concerns while they’re getting to know their newborns. They don’t have to go through it alone, even Hercules had Iolaus.

Local Support

Whitney is an architect who designs and writes for families. Her blog is theCoconutgirl.com.

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November 2015

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{living well tips & trends} THE GRATITUDE DIARIES: HOW A YEAR OF LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE CAN TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE In this New York Times best-seller, Journalist and former Parade Editor-in-Chief Janice Kaplan focuses on the bright side of whatever happens. She learned that what she felt over the next year had less to do with the events that occur and more to do with how she chooses to see them.

&

$26.95 at New Dominion Bookshop, Charlottesville

Tips

Be Happy!

People who adopt an attitude of gratitude as a permanent state of mind experience a grateful heart—literally. New research from the American Psychological Association shows that patients who practiced gratitude experienced better mood, better sleep and less fatigue…all adding up to improved cardiac health. Say thanks; your heart will too!

TRENDS

by Lynn Thorne

How to Show Gratitude Daily

Want your thankfulness to last longer than the nap you take after Thanksgiving dinner?

Here are a few ways to work gratitude into everyday life:

1. Branch out. Get involved in a cause you believe in. Whether it’s

things—the rain that’s watering your plants so you don’t have to,

working with kids or volunteering at the food pantry, helping

or the shorter days that let you recharge your energy.

others who need you has a way of reminding you of all that’s

3. Change your mind…set. Instead of focusing on all that’s wrong,

good in your life.

or what you wish you had, turn it around. Perhaps you wish your

2. Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a goal to include one entry

car was newer, but instead, be grateful you have a set of wheels.

each day to keep the thanks flowing. Write about even small

There’s always a silver lining—remind yourself to look for it.

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Q A

Sun Savvy Winter weather means we don’t need to worry about skin damage, right?

Wrong. According to Dr. Brett Krasner, M.D. of Family Dermatology of Albemarle, we need it every bit as much in ski season. “In the wintertime, the ultraviolet light can sneak up on you,” he says. Fight it with a moisturizer that’s rated SPF 30 or above, and “Remember to cover often-missed spots,” Krasner advises—ears, lips, around the eyes, under your chin and the tops of your hands. Be sure to do this each day, even if it’s just a walk around the block.



“Taking joy in living is a woman’s best cosmetic.”

— Rosalind Russell

GRATEFULNESS.ORG This month, let your light shine on a cool website, Gratefulness.org. The site lets you light a candle to solidify your intentions, offer blessings or nourish grateful living.

(And no fear of burning your fingers.)

Send a Note When it comes to being thankful, think inside the box of notecards. These beauties let you share your thanks with the people who matter most to you. With eight cards per box, you can thank your neighbor for that cup of sugar and the mailman for keeping your package safe and dry and still have some left over. $8.50 per box at Caspari Lynn’s husband and two sons wish she liked cooking more and reading, writing, performing and hunting ghosts less.

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HOME IMPROVEMENT The non-profit AHIP (Albemarle Housing Improvement Program) provides home repairs through their staff, volunteers and contractors to low-income homeowners.

For more information, see ahipva.org.

Ready for Winter?

Get the house and garden prepped for this year’s hibernation. Here’s a quick checklist.

As a pre-emptive measure, have your furnace or heat pump

For those raked leaves, mulch them with your lawn mower or a

inspected now, so you aren’t scrambling last minute for repairs in the

leaf mulcher, and put your garden ‘to bed’ with a nice blanket of these

middle of a snow storm.

leaves. They will break down during the winter and eventually feed your

Have a professional look at your attic, as well, to make sure it is

With the shorter days, we will all be using the electricity a lot

is the best time to also contact a chimney sweep so you can enjoy your

more. If possible, switch to LEDs around your house to decrease your

woodstove or fireplace in complete safety.

household power usage.

The local website Better World Betty recommends Rope Caulk and

Take time this month to stock up on everything you like to have

V-Seal to fill in the gaps around your windows. It’s also recommended to

at-the-ready for bad weather. This could include firewood, salt for

use drapes and blinds to keep heat in the house, as they can reduce the

walkways, good shovels, pantry favorites and sleds.

loss of heat by up to 10 percent.

38

plants.

insulated for maximum efficiency and also to check on air leaks. Now

Consider an energy assessment. Charlottesville’s LEAP program

Repair damaged shingles, gaps, etc. on your roof to avoid leaks and

offers home assessments to reduce your energy use by up to 20 percent.

further damage from that first, heavy wet snow in Virginia. Clean your

This in-home visit, according to LEAP, includes “looking for poor

gutters out so water doesn’t back up into your house, and be sure to turn

insulation, duct issues, air leakage, equipment and appliance condition,

off outside faucets and disconnect hoses.

window integrity and moisture and indoor air quality concerns.”

November 2015

{living well home & garden}



IMMUNE SUPPORT

Is your medicine chest ready for winter? Our local

“ There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.”

— Jane Austen

apothecary, The Elderberry, sells items like fire cider, bone broths, fermented foods and elderberry syrup for immune

&

support during cold and flu season. For further details on products and for information on upcoming herbal workshops, see elderberryherbals.com.

Garden

HOME The Homemade Kitchen

by Tracey Crehan Gerlach

Alana Chernila, the author of the beloved book The Homemade Pantry, returns this autumn with The Homemade Kitchen. Moving away from the traditional cookbook framework, Alana has organized her book into thirteen principles such as the self-care of “Feed Yourself” (cooking for one), “Be Helpful” (cooking for those who need a good meal while they go through a life transition) and “Don’t Be Afraid of Food” (moving away from limiting diet rules and celebrating food!).

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LOVE by Mak e it with l hear t with ia adding a spec . You're sure to am :) whipped cre kiss for this! g et a hug or

Creamy Hot Chocolate Ingredients

Instructions

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan, and stir in the boiling water.

Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about two minutes.

Stir in 3 ½ cups of milk, heating until very hot, but do not boil or scorch. Remove from the heat and add vanilla. Divide between four mugs. Add the half-n-half to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

If desired, add a pinch of cinnamon. (I have

¾ cup sugar A pinch of salt 1/3 cup boiling water 3 ½ cups milk ¾ tsp vanilla ½ cup of half-n-half

also frozen leftovers into popsicles.)

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Find her online at lifeinsugarhollow.blogspot.com.

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November 2015

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41

Tasty Traditions

THANKSGIVING RECIPES FROM OUR TABLE TO YOURS One of our favorite CharlottesvilleFamily traditions each November is sharing staff members’ Thanksgiving recipes and the stories that go with them.

STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH QUINOA 1 medium butternut squash Olive oil, for roasting A Pinch dried oregano 150g ready-to-eat quinoa (we used Merchant Gourmet Red and White Quinoa) 100g feta cheese 50g toasted pine nuts

1 small carrot, grated (around 50g) Small bunch chives, snipped Juice from half a lemon 1 red pepper, chopped 50g pitted black olives 2 spring onions, chopped

1. H eat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Halve the butternut squash, scoop out the seeds and score the flesh with a sharp knife.

2. A rrange the two halves on a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil, season with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, sprinkle with dried oregano and cook for 40 minutes.

Take out the oven, add the chopped peppers to the tray alongside the squash and cook for a further 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile mix the rest of the ingredients. Take the tray out of the oven and carefully transfer the peppers to the stuffing mix. Stir together and spoon the filling onto the butternut squash. Return to the oven for 10 mins. Serve.

Since becoming a vegetarian 10 years ago, my Thanksgiving plate has looked a little different than the traditional turkey and stuffing combination. I always have fun trying out new recipes that still give me a wholesome autumn feel.

I love this recipe because it’s easy and versatile while being substantial and delicious. Sometimes I substitute ingredients depending on what’s in my kitchen or if I’m looking for a different taste. For instance, I’ll swap pine nuts for sliced almonds and oregano for nutmeg for a nuttier, sweeter dish without loosing that satisfying depth of taste and texture.

This dish is also a crowd pleaser as a side or main. I serve small halves as a side for all my meat-eaters, or as a main topped with pancetta. It’s so easy to personalize and pop in the oven!

Mandy, Online & Social Media Editor

42

November 2015

{inspiration tasty traditions} DUMP CAKE Like most families, our holiday get-togethers involve catching up and joking around over a nice homemade meal. At the end of the festivities, it’s traditional for my family to not only have one, but two cakes for dessert. My husband always makes a traditional homemade poundcake that no one’s holiday table would be complete without, but less predictably is the addition of a dumpcake.

Dumpcakes are great for those families that are pressed for time or overwhelmed with screaming children, football cheers and chatty in-laws. As the name suggests, it’s so simple to literally dump the ingredients together and bake! It might be a no-fuss-no-muss recipe but the results will please taste buds of all ages! Some of my relatives will even top the poundcake with the dumpcake or add whip cream on top!

Laura, Sales Manager

1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 cup margarine, melted Country Crock Shedd’s Spread Tub (Expires in a day) 1 cup flaked coconut 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

2. In the prepared dish, layer the cherry pie filling and the drained pineapple. Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the top, covering evenly. Pour the melted margarine over the cake mix, and sprinkle the top with the coconut and chopped walnuts.

3. Bake 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until browned and bubbly.

CRANBERRY RELISH 1 bag of cranberries 1 cup of sugar (if nearly all cranberries from bag are fresh and ready to use)–less sugar if less cranberries 1 large or 2 small oranges with good, unblemished peels

1. Wash and sort cranberries (discarding the squishy) into a large bowl of water-- the floating berries are good, many of the “sinkers” are not.

2. Wash oranges thoroughly and chop into pieces (including peel) small enough to fit into the food processor.

3. In a food processor, chop/blend cranberries and oranges; transfer into a large bowl and stir in sugar (amount of sugar can also be to taste) 4. Let sit in the fridge for a couple hours (will turn to a very vibrant bright red and orange color)

Although the title “cranberry relish” may not sound like a crowd pleaser, this tangy and sweet simple side dish is always the first to go at my family’s Thanksgiving. Last year, it was my turn to host our annual “Friendsgiving” (Thanksgiving dinner with friends,) which was both an exciting and terrifying task.

Among the anxiety of making sure I didn’t undercook the turkey and overcook the stuffing, time to make my cranberry relish came with sweet (no pun intended) relief. With only 3 ingredients it’s pretty hard to mess this one up! The cranberry relish was a hit and everyone agreed it was a refreshing addition to the their savory Thanksgiving plates. Mine isn’t complete without it!

Leah, Advertising Consultant

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

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Bringing History

to the Table

Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

Written & Photographed by Krissy Millar

At the very first Thanksgiving feast, in 1621, Wampanoag children and Pilgrim children ate and played games together for three days. This upcycled craft, which can decorate your Thanksgiving table, will educate and entertain your little ones, as they imagine those who arrived by ship and those in teepees. This craft uses a few coffee sleeves and wooden stirrers, so save some when you buy drinks at your favorite cafe.

Or take your kids on a small outting for hot chocolate and craft with the supplies afterward. (Note: Although the Wampanoag actually lived in huts of sticks and grass, this craft uses the more recognizable teepee structure. You could adapt the teepee craft to make a rounded hut.)

44

November 2015

{inspiration holiday craft} Materials for both

Cardboard coffee sleeves, Scissors, Cup for tracing a circle, Marker, Wooden stirrers, White paper , Glue stick or glue dots, Yarn or string

Take your coffee sleeve and carefully open it at the glued seam. Re-seal the inside out sleeve (corrugated cardboard showing) with a glue stick.

Using a cup and a marker, trace a half circle on the sleeve’s narrow side. Cut out the half circle and set the sleeve flat-side down. This is the base of the ship.

The Mayflower

On the paper, draw a trapezoid shape (a square with a top narrower than the bottom) about 2/3 of the length of the stick. Cut it out and gently fold it in half vertically so you can make two small slits just wide enough to slide the stick through in the center, 3 to 4 inches apart. (Optional: Write “1602,” the year the Mayflower sailed, on the sail.) Glue the stick to the inside of the sleeve and set the finished ship upright.

Turn the sleeve inside out and re-seal it. Cut a small opening in the center of the sleeve’s wider end and set the sleeve cut-side down. This is the entrance.

TeePee

Slide one stick into the lowest perforated slit on the side of the sleeve and angle it diagonally. Repeat with another stick on the other side. (See photo.)

Tie the sticks together with yarn where they intersect.

Set the sleeve on a half sheet of paper, wrap the paper’s top left corner over and glue it to the rightmost stick. Then wrap the right top corner over, trimming the right side of the paper so the opening in the sleeve is visible, and glue it down. Set the teepee upright.

Dinner Talk!

Before your family mem meal, discreetly ask be one thing fo rs and guests to share r whi and write th ch they’re thankful ese on the cr During the afts. mea the notes an l, let children read d guess the author.

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

45

LOCAL TEEN VOLUNTEERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE Boys & Girls Club Community Engagement

by Jody Hobbs Hesler

46

November 2015

{inspiration volunteering}

All Photos Courtesy of Boys & Girls Club

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

47

{inspiration volunteering} It was a day of bright sunshine and clear blue skies at the Southwood Boys & Girls Club, and children percolated inside

48

their friends, do their homework and know they are cared for, Boucher says.

and outside, either engaged in homework and games or on their

This focus on emotional safety definitely sets the tone for

way to be. Staff and Club members smiled and laughed together

the kids at the Club. “I just love having fun here,” says Club

in an atmosphere of cheerful bustle and camaraderie. On a

member and volunteer Michelle, a Burley Middle School sixth-

wooden staircase outside, between two of the Club’s buildings,

grader. “I get to be myself around everyone, so all the staff here

a range of enthusiastic Boys & Girls Club volunteers shared

are basically like my second family.”

their experiences. From third-year UVA student Joe Huddleston

The Club’s emphasis on volunteering helps foster members’

to a roster of Club member volunteers, everyone was eager to

connections to their community and underscores their safe and

talk about what made Boys & Girls Club volunteering special

welcoming tone. “We appreciate our volunteers because they

to them.

not only help us today, they model positive behaviors we want

Many different kinds of volunteering happen at the Club

our kids to develop as they grow up,” explains James Pierce,

that promote fun and school success, with topics ranging from

executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Charlottesville/

leadership to environmental and creative writing. However,

Albemarle. “Our volunteers not only help with homework for

“they can’t have fun if they’re not safe,” says Boys & Girl Club

today but show the importance of giving back through their

Unit Director, Olga Boucher. “So the first thing we do is ensure

actions as role models.”

their safety. I’m not talking just physical safety. They need to

Whether the volunteers come from the community-at-large

feel emotionally safe, too.” The Club is a special place to many,

or from within the ranks of Club members, all volunteers form

where children ages 6 to 18 can come and enjoy time with

long-term bonds with the Boys & Girl Club. Boucher started as

November 2015

a community volunteer herself nine years ago with tutoring after school. It wasn’t long before the Club offered her a parttime job, and now she’s full-time Unit Director.

Huddleston also started volunteering nine years ago while he was a student at Covenant Upper School, just down the road from the Southwood clubhouse.

He continues to volunteer for a couple hours a week through Madison House, a volunteering organization at UVA; and in the summer, he works with the Club for 15 hours a week.

His attachment to the Club is clear from his personal connection to the place.

“Some of the kids were in first grade when I came here,” he says, “and now they’re in eighth grade.” Also evident is Huddleston’s sense of joy and wonder about the kids he works with. “They always tell me I’ve grown up so much,” he says with a laugh.

What he loves best is playing soccer with the kids. “Some of these kids are the best soccer players I’ve ever seen,” he says. “For blacktop sneaker soccer, there’s nothing that really compares with Southwood Boys & Girls Club kids.” But soccer’s not the whole of it. “I like after school being able to give the kids cville onefamily garden_EDIT.indd

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because his dad was involved in the Boys & Girls Club, and he and his sister both began in eighth grade. When his sister

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volunteer work with his college work. “It’s easy once you get in a routine,” he says.

And he must have mastered that routine, because, on top of volunteering with the Boys & Girls Club, through Madison House he also volunteers by coaching soccer and helping with Chestnut Grove Baptist Church’s afterschool program, and is the

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November 2015

{inspiration volunteering} who volunteer in the program. The Club’s own membership is a huge source of its volunteers, because one kid helping another is a cornerstone of the Club.

“An eight-year-old member regularly sees older kids choosing to give back by tutoring inside the Club during homework time, or by engaging in service projects outside the Club,” says Pierce, “which is part of how we develop Club culture.” That culture produces member volunteers who are as committed to and as passionate about their volunteerism as Huddleston.

One opportunity Boys & Girls Club members have is with volunteering for the Shenandoah National Park Trip. “We all worked together to keep the younger kids safe,” Michelle says, referring to the group of volunteers and staff members who ran the trip, “and we actually made sure for them to have fun.”

Camping offers a slew of special challenges too. “Ranger Thomas showed us how to build a tent,” says Fatima, a Monticello High School ninth-grader and Club volunteer. “Each person had to put up a tent on their own.”

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At first, Stephanie, another volunteer on the trip and a Burley sixth-grader, was worried about being in charge of the

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little kids, but “it was worth it,” she says, “because the kids would cooperate. They wouldn’t just run off. They would pay attention. It was fun. Just working with younger kids is fun.”

David Cook, program director at the Club, adds, “Stephanie has logged over a hundred volunteer hours in a year, and Fatima has too. Just about the whole time they’ve been at the Club, they’ve been

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There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer at the Club. “It’s a huge part of

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our culture at the Club,” says Boucher, “that children come to the program and meet volunteers. Then as they grow in the Club through the years, they become volunteers and help other people within the Club and within the community as well.”

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Jim Clark, was also at the conference, and Fatima had the chance to meet him.

Sharika, a Monticello twelfth-grader, Jesus, a Monticello ninth-grader, and Jackie, a

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Burley seventh-grader, all talked about different fundraising races they helped with, whether by encouraging the runners or passing out water. Eric, a Monticello tenthgrader, talks about how he loves helping kids in the Club with sports. “When we’re playing any sport,” he says, “I help out little kids so they can get better at that sport, or, if they mess up a play, I cheer them up.”

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Stephanie’s “all-time favorite thing,” she says, was when she got to help out with the Boys & Girls Club cycling challenge, another fundraiser for the program. The cycling challenge required a five-month commitment and included two practices a week throughout the summer, starting at 7:45 a.m. When the cycling coach first suggested the opportunity, Stephanie says, “I was up for the challenge. It was really, CharlottesvilleFamily Favorite Award Winner 2014

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November 2015

really hard for me, because going up these humongous hills is not fun because your legs hurt after.”

But there was a reward for all her hard work. “After I rode the whole thing—you had to accomplish the whole 25 miles—you actually get to keep your bike and all your gear,” says Stephanie. “I think I’m going to be up to the challenge to do 50 miles next year.”

“Last year I went to this Big Gig party,” says Michelle, referring to the Club’s main fundraiser, a formal gala event. At the Big Gig, member volunteers helped “by being

good examples of what being a Club kid is all about,” Boucher says, “and they worked on skills that are good for future careers, like greeting people they don’t know in a formal setting.”

What was especially fun to watch, Boucher says, was how the kids “greet [the gala guests] as superstars and are surprised that they greet them back as superstars.” The support of the community is essential in helping the Club accomplish its work. It’s thanks to “a lot of good people in this community, a whole lot,” Boucher says.

“The teens here are at a dangerous crossroad in this stage of their lives,” says front desk staff member Hazael Garay, but one right turn and “they can be led to a place of purpose and hope.” A great moment in a day, Garay says, comes when she is asked, “Mrs. Hazael, I want to volunteer. Is there anything I can help you do?” Many eager Club volunteers help Garay file, organize and clean; in other words, they help keep things running smoothly out front.

So, what makes a good volunteer? “Any teen can be a good volunteer,” Boucher says. “There’s always something they can offer, whether they see it or not.” Once a

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“immediate behavior shift. Now instead of the child being loud during homework time, they’re quiet, because now they’re on the other end, trying to teach.” And the payoff for volunteering is huge. “It gives them a lot of satisfaction,” Boucher says.

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“They feel needed, like they’ve made a

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To Sharika, volunteering is important

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54

November 2015

The Multi-Age Classroom

Agnor-Hurt Preparing For Bright Futures

by Jennie Tal Williams

The first time Tracey Hoke walked into her daughter’s fifth grade classroom this year, she thought the space looked much more like a tech startup’s office than an elementary school classroom.

“It reminded me of the pictures I’ve seen of Google offices, where people are sharing ideas and leveraging technology and coming together as teams,” says Hoke, whose daughter, Sophie, is one of the first students in Albemarle to experience a high-tech multi-age classroom. “I think it’s preparing them for modern interactions they’ll face as adults, and it’s important to teach kids what it’s going to be like when they grow up.”

Sophie and the other 40 children in her ‘pod’ at AgnorHurt Elementary work together under the supervision of two teachers. Two other pods (not classes) share the same workspace, for a total of just over 100 students and six teachers in a contemporary, flexible, high-tech—and very large—classroom.

Both the high-tech classroom and the multi-age pods just came to Agnor-Hurt this year, but they’ve been in the works for almost three.“Basically, it was a discussion about how we could create a contemporary classroom model that reflects the best practices of the 21st century,” explains Agnor-Hurt

Principal Michele Castner. “We already knew from experience how younger kids love to work with older kids and older kids love to work with younger kids because we already had those experiences here at Agnor-Hurt.”

Castner, an educator of 21 years, taught in a multi-age classroom in the mid 1990s, before what she calls “the testing movement” and says that this learning style comes very naturally to her. In addition to her experience, Castner , along with many other educators and members of the school board, did years of research to determine the benefits of the multiage classroom, which she says comes down to five simple premises: 1. Students are able to learn at their own levels with clearly differentiated instruction.

2. Students help each other in a community setting.

3. Students experience working in flexible and collaborative groups.

4. Older students provide models for younger students while developing leadership skills in a natural context.

5. Students and teachers are together for multiple years, which creates a stronger student-teacher relationship.

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

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{resource learning}

Though just in the first few months of the multi-age experiment, Castner says she’s already seeing all of the five premises come to life.

“Just the other day, someone sent me a picture of an older student tying the shoes of a five-year-old. That just happens naturally in a multi-age community,” she says. “It delights my heart because all of the kids are so happy in that learning space.

It’s like they can’t wait to share and tell everyone about it. Not only that, but it’s accelerating the learning of all the kids.”

Sophie, Hoke’s daughter, says there are definitely some differences such as noise levels getting above what she remembers from her “regular” fourth-grade classroom, but she said she absolutely loves her new learning environment and already loves being a leader in her pod. A few weeks ago, Sophie was given the responsibility of helping to create the pod’s “morning work,” which they do independently on his or her own laptop.

Morning work asks students to use all of the skills they’ve been building in the previous days and weeks. For example, they might be asked to write a few sentences based on a recently-mastered grammatical skill, followed by several math problems—varied by skill level, not grade level—and then watch a video about a scientific topic and answer a few questions, all from their laptops and all on their own.

Sophie says that everyone in the pod may eventually have the opportunity to work with the pod’s two instructors to create morning work, but she was glad she is one of the first to try.

“It was a little challenging, but I had a lot of fun making it, and I think everyone had a lot of fun doing it,” Sophie says.

Andrew Craft, who co-teaches Sophie’s pod with Michael Thornton, says a lot of what they do in the classroom is technology- or internet-based and that those things are more important now than they’ve ever been. Thornton stressed they don’t replace some of the tried and true methods of the past, like manipulative math or journaling by hand.

“We use the internet to support every area of our curriculum; it’s not the driving force behind instruction, but it

56

November 2015

supplements everything we do—especially reading and math.

It’s a good real-world experience for them,” Craft says, who detailed the blog his students use within a closed community to improve writing skills and learn internet etiquette. “But putting pencil to paper and writing—we do that too.”

Although the writing instruments aren’t always going directly to paper in the multi-age classrooms, many of the room’s surfaces are made of white board material, including the walls, the tabletops and even the floors.

“It’s a contemporary flex space, and every part of this classroom is usable,” says Castner. “They can write on the tables; they can write on the floors. Recently, one of the teachers said that is one of her favorite aspects—that flexibility for children to be able to write wherever they need to learn the material. I think it totally fits the learners of today.”

A True Representation of Diversity and the Modern World Because Agnor-Hurt has 546 students and only about 100 in the multi-age program, deciding which students would participate this first year was one of the more difficult planning aspects for Castner and her team. She said that after the idea was presented to parents (very few of whom chose to opt-out their children), they essentially drew names from a hat.

“We made sure that it truly reflected the diversity of our population,” Craft says.

She added that even though his students are writing off the charts and he’s seeing a lot of educational excellence in his classroom, the multi-age classroom was a far cry from an exclusive club. Students did not have to submit applications or be in any certain academic skill level.

“The kids we have are a true representation of all learning styles and socioeconomic groups,” he says, adding that one of the best things about the multi-age model is the ability

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November 2015

for the teachers to tailor lessons to each student based on skill level, not strictly academic grade. “We have a lot of kids who are able to work above their traditional grade level, and we’re able to move them up in a way that’s not so obvious where they know they are being moved up. On the opposite side, we’re also able to teach kids that might be struggling at their grade level and do activities that reach across multiple grades and multiple curriculums.”

And while Castner acknowledged that her multi-age teachers are asked to take on a more intensive workload, especially from the planning perspective, she says she can already see her students experiencing learning in a new and advanced way with other students of all ages and learning capabilities.

Jan Vrhovac, one of Agnor-Hurt’s lead teachers and instructional specialists, has had the ability to experience firsthand how some of those intricacies are executed by pod teachers.

“It’s just beautiful when you go down to the multi-age classroom and see that there are over 100 children, and they’re all totally engaged,” Vrhovac says. “They’re all learning, and they’re all smiling, and it’s this big open space.

It’s just awesome to see the excitement, the motivation and the engagement.

They’re taking control of their learning.”

Though it may seem counterproductive, Vrhovac says that giving the students more control actually helps them work to their own levels and, usually, go beyond what they thought they were capable of. An example of multi-age learning, she says, is when all three pods simultaneously studied cycles in science, perfectly illustrating how students learn in different ways and at different levels.

Traditionally, kindergarteners might study the cycle of a butterfly while fifth graders learn the rock cycle. But instead of completing worksheets or memorizing how rocks become sediment, every student in the three-tofive pod was part of a group that chose a cycle (the moon cycle, the life cycle of an apple tree, etc.), performed independent research, created a project and then presented it to the rest of the class.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Speech/Language Pathology Services Psychological Assessment Educational Testing Literacy Tutoring Multi-Disciplinary Assessment Sophie and a group of her friends decided on the life cycle of a frog and created an infomercial using a real green screen to teach their classmates how a tadpole grows legs and becomes a frog.

“That was really fun, and there were a lot of things I didn’t know about that,” says Sophie, who not only got to learn about the life cycle of the frog but also got to learn how to use a green screen, a camera on a tripod and a video editor.

“And we did fun facts. Like, did you know that a frog can jump 20 times its height and length in one jump?”

But to Hoke, even more important than the content of what Sophie’s learning is how she’s learning to be.

“I think the most exciting thing at this age is to watch the kids feel real competence and responsibility and a relationship with the rest of the class and with their teachers,” Hoke says.

And Castner could not be happier with the results.

“My hope is that this first year accomplishes this model for students to grow and learn in a very natural way with students who are older or younger and that we’re creating a really tight community connection,” she says. “It’s been two and a half years in the making with lots of planning and curriculum work, but my hope is that by the time they leave school this year, they’re able to take off with their own learning and curiosity because of what we’ve taught them.”

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59

Essential Life Skills

for Preschoolers

Experts Share What Matters Most

by K.T. Sancken

60

November 2015

{inspiration preschool}

I just sent my firstborn child off to Kindergarten. Like any mother, I took pictures of her on the first day of school, smiling with a new backpack that was half her size. I waved happily as the bus pulled away, and then I went back into the house and cried a little. I cried not out of mourning the loss of her babyhood but out of worry. Was she ready? Would she know what to do or who to tell if someone bullied her? Would she and her teacher “click”? I had been so diligent in preparing her for Kindergarten, carefully choosing the right preschool and moving into a school district that had a Kindergarten program I thought would be a good fit for her. But was she ready?

I know I’m not alone in this worry. Parents

their children for Kindergarten through alphabet

are not by themselves in the puzzlement of what

flashcards or rigorous academic preschool

skills preschool children need to succeed in

programs. And while most parents are well

Kindergarten and beyond. Is it pure knowledge

intentioned, Sadler says this isn’t necessarily

of numbers and letters? Or is it something more?

what she sees as the most helpful once the kids

Over 1,000 studies by 70 child development

enter Kindergarten.

specialists have written about early childhood development in the last two decades.

“Kindergarten is definitely what first grade was 30 years ago, when I began teaching,” says

The good news is Ellen Galinsky, the president

Sadler. “But brilliance alone won’t get you ahead.

and cofounder of the Families and Work

You have to know how to work collaboratively,

Institute, has compiled the work for you. In her

how to connect information and process it. I see

book, Mind in the Making, she boils down these

more and more kids who want to play it safe.

myriad studies into the seven essential life skills

It’s important to provide kids with opportunities

every child will need to succeed. Those seven

where there is no right answer, where they learn

skills are focus and self-control, perspective

from mistakes. Because isn’t that how we all

taking, communicating, making connections,

learn—from our mistakes?”

critical thinking, taking on challenges and selfdirected learning.

Creative play provides kids with a safe space to make mistakes. And through play with other

“Mind in the Making summarizes what most

children, kids develop the seven “soft” skills

early educators know to be best practice for

identified through Mind in the Making as the keys

young children,” says Florence Sadler, a retired

to life-long success.

Kindergarten teacher from Meriwether Lewis

After asking dozens of Kindergarten teachers

Elementary School. Sadler has been impressed

from Albemarle Public Schools, Charlottesville

with how the findings of Mind in the Making have

Public Schools and a handful of local area private

been integrated into Albemarle Schools through

schools were asked for their input on the seven

responsive classrooms and life-long learner

skills in Galinsky’s book. Sure enough, they all

competencies and how the findings can be

overwhelmingly agreed these seven skills cannot

applicable to preschoolers as well.

be emphasized enough.

“This book is such a valuable resource for

“These skills help students prepare for the

preschool families,” says Sadler. “So much of

deep academic learning that happens in the

Kindergarten is not the content but the process.

classroom as well as starts them on a path to

It’s not what you learn, but how you learn it.”

a long life of learning,” says Tammi Williams, a

In

today’s

highly

competitive

world,

sometimes parents feel the pressure to prepare

Kindergarten teacher at Crozet Elementary. So what can you do as a parent?

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

61

{inspiration preschool}

GUIDE TO Local PRESCHOOLS Albemarle Montessori Children’s Community Allows children to grow and learn at their own paces and develop individually.

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Ages 3–5 years c-street.org, 296-6444 See ad page 68 The mission of First Presbyterian Church Preschool is to serve children and families throughout the community by creating a foundation for continuous growth and development in a nurturing, Christian environment.

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firstprescharlottesville.org/preschool Donna Buchanan, Director

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November 2015

Charlottesville Catholic School Prepares students to embrace their world through lives of faith, service and leadership.

Pre-K–Grade 8 cvillecatholic.org, 964-0400 See ad page 69 Charlottesville Waldorf School Emphasizes imaginative play as the foundation for nurturing the senses and understanding the sciences.

Age 3–Grade 8 cwaldorf.org, 973-4946 See ad page 69

Chestnut Grove Preschool Christian-based curriculum, providing creative, stimulating and age-appropriate activities.

Ages 3-4 chestnutgrovebaptist.org, 978-3819 ext. 11 See ad page 64 Children’s Garden Preschool Engages students through singing, finger play, arts and crafts, cooking and exploring nature together.

Ages 2-5 charlottesvillepreschool.com, 974-6068 See ad page 64 Covenant School Providing a traditional, Christian liberal arts and sciences education.

Pre-K–Grade 12 covenantschool.org, 220-7330 See ad page 49 First Presbyterian Church Preschool Creating a foundation for continuous growth and development in a Christian environment.

Ages 20 months–5 years firstprescharlottesville.org/preschool, 296-7131 See ad page 62 Free Union Country School Encourages children to be creative thinkers, active explorers and good problem-solvers.

Ages 3–4 years freeunioncountryschool.org, 978-1700 See ad page 65

DID YOU KNOW our School has no application fee for

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We seek a dynamic, engaged student body, and are committed to making education affordable, accessible, and inclusive for qualified students. Experience our us today. vibrant community in action. Visit

THE 7 PRINCIPLES AND WHAT A PARENT CAN DO Focus and self-control.

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In today’s 24/7 world, children are flooded with information and distractions.

The classic Marshmallow Test study from Columbia University, in which children are given a choice between one marshmallow now or two marshmallows later, is a great example of how teaching your children about self-control will help them in the long run. Over time, researchers found the children who could wait were more likely to grow in many ways, including pursuing

Preschool

academic and personal goals with less frustration

and

distraction.

Because

Ages 2 1/2 - 5

these skills can be taught, it’s no surprise Kindergarten teachers are working to build it up in their students. “Self-control is probably the single most important social-emotional skill each [child] can bring with them to the classroom,” says Kelly Kosefski, a Kindergarten teacher at St. Anne’s-Belfield School. “It’s an ongoing process that will look and feel more complete as the year progresses. Without a foundation in the ability to control their emotions, follow directions and resist distraction, any student will find engaged

A gentle, safe and loving atmosphere for young children to begin to explore the world and to prepare for kindergarten.

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learning to be more challenging.”

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

63

Looking for an Outstanding AND affordable Preschool?

GUIDE TO Local PRESCHOOLS

Chestnut Grove Preschool 8 minutes from Hollymead Town Center

Three or Five Mornings Per Week Classes for 3 and 4 year-old children Hours: 9:00 am — 12:30 pm Christian-based curriculum Providing Creative, Stimulating and Educational age-appropriate activities 550 Buck Mountain Road, Earlysville

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64

November 2015

Grymes Memorial School Co-educational day school offers art, music, drama and Spanish. Bus transport.

Age 4 years–Grade 8 grymesschool.org, 540-672-1010 See ad page 65 Hillsboro Christian Preschool Focuses on school preparation with crafts and games in a Christian environment.

Ages 2½–5 years hillsboro.cc/daily-preschool.html, 823-5342 See ad page 66 The International School of Charlottesville Encouraging learning through Spanish or French language immersion programs.

Ages 2–6 years theisc.org, 984-2174 See ad page 51 Ivy School House Preschool Engages students intellectually through activity, play and daily Spanish integration.

Ages 2–6 years ivyschoolhouse.org, 823-4060 See ad page 68 Kingswood Christian Preschool A program focusing on emotional, spiritual, social and academic growth.

Ages 2½–5 years crozetumc.org, 823-1258 See ad page 66

Maria Brown, Director

The Children's

Frost Montessori School Multi-aged classrooms offer art, music, Spanish and outdoors enrichment.

Ages 21 months–6 years frostmontessori.com, 979-5223 See ad page 62

Millstone of Ivy Preschool Preschool program helping children explore the world and prepare for kindergarten.

Ages 2½–5 years millstoneofivy.com, 979-2111 See ad page 63

continued

Montessori School of Charlottesville A Montessori experience with international and ecological consciousness.

Ages 21 months–6 years montessoriofcville.org, 295-0029 See ad page 66 Mountaintop Montessori Montessori-based curriculum including outdoor learning and art.

Ages 18 months–Grade 8 mountaintopmontessori.org, 979-8886 See ad page 67 Ms. Alison’s Kangaroo Preschool A home-based preschool focused on learning and co-operating with each other.

Ages 2½-5 years kangaroopreschool.com, 973-8736 See ad page 71 Olivet Preschool at Olivet Presbyterian Church Provides a Christian preschool opportunity for community families.

Ages 3-4 olivetpreschool.org, 295-1367 See ad page 71 St. Anne’s-Belfield School Curriculum includes language, music, art and cooking with independent play and group activities.

Ages 2–Grade 12 stab.org, 296-5106 See ad page 63 Westminster Child Care Center NAEYC standards-based activities include music, computers and an indoor playroom.

Ages 6 weeks–5 years westccc.net, 977-3322 See ad page 71

{resource preschool guide} What can a parent do? Encourage your children to start a lemonade stand, or other kiddie “small business” that they’re excited about. It encourages practical skills such as monitoring sales, reading and

following

the

lemonade

recipe,

making change for customers, making signs and practicing sales and marketing techniques. Kids also have to save the money from the previous day in order to

GRYMES M E M O R I A L SCH O O L

Launching Learners

buy the ingredients for the next day—thus instilling self-control.

Perspective taking.

There’s an old saying that, “if children are sad or mad, they can’t add.” Giving our children skills to understand why other children may be treating them poorly helps beyond just schoolyard skirmishes.

One way many schools today are helping with the concept of perspective taking is to emphasize our interconnectedness within a community. Successful communities require that we understand one another.

“The first day the children walk in the door we start working on community building

A Co-Educational Independent School for Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth Grade 13775 Spicer’s Mill Road Orange, Virginia 22960

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within and across classes,” says Susan Albaugh, a Kindergarten teacher at The Covenant School. “We teach our students early on how to graciously engage in meaningful conversations, ask questions and learn from one another.”

What can a parent do? Practice what you preach. Children who feel they are listened to and who feel understood become better able to listen to and understand others in return. In parenting, sometimes you have to put aside your own reactions and ask yourself, “What could my child be thinking?” The more you exercise this skill, the better you become at using it, particularly in stressful moments.

Communicating.

Children

are

born

primed

to

communicate. Studies have shown that infants just a few hours old already recognize their mother’s voice and are aware of their surroundings. But by the age of 5, while most kids have learned to interpret incoming communication, they are still learning how to express their thoughts and feelings through words.

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

65

{inspiration preschool} Kindergarten Teacher Megan Greenwood

Hillsboro Christian Preschool (ages 2 1/2 - 5 years)

Pre-K Spanish Enrichment Friendly, Loving, and Experienced Staff Nurturing, Christian Environment

434-823-5342

www.hillsboro.cc • hcpdirector@gmail.com

at

Venable

Elementary

agrees

that

learning how to communicate is often the key to the puzzle of Kindergarten success. “Kindergarten is a lot about teaching the students how to say things to each other,” says Greenwood. “How to ask questions or dictate thoughts to adults, and most importantly how to internalize what is being said to them. Once clear communication is in play, the rest can sometimes fall right into place. The set up for success has begun!”

What can a parent do? Pay attention to what your dinnertime or car-ride conversations look like. Are all of your children included? Are they all speaking equally? Ask your children questions about

the

stories

they

tell.

“What

happened next? Why do you think that happened? How did that make you feel?

Tell me more about so-and-so.” Extend the discourse beyond a sentence or two.

Making connections.

Learning soars when one can see connections

among

different

facts,

findings or concepts. “Making unusual

Now Enrolling

connections is the essence of creativity,” says Galinsky in her book. Insights are, after all, seeing new connections. Making connections is also the basis for more concrete skills like math. For instance, a

• Welcoming children ages

child must make connections between the

2½ to 5

sizes of blocks to know how many stacked

• Low student/teacher ratio

on top of one another will reach his or

• Weekly art and music

her head. “We make daily connections in

enrichment programming for all students

our classroom,” says Lorena Caballero, a

1156 Crozet Avenue • 434-823-1258 • www.CrozetumC.org

T ON

HO OL OF CHAR I SC LO TT OR S ES ES V

Limited Openings for January 2016

E ILL

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66

November 2015

Kindergarten teacher at Johnson Elementary School in Charlottesville. “Whether that is through listening to stories that are relatable to their experience, solving a math problem together and sharing how we arrived at our solution, or working together in the garden.

All of these experiences lead children to ask questions, make comparisons, and make meaningful observations about their surroundings.”

What can a parent do? Buy open-ended toys that children can use, assemble and disassemble in many different ways, like blocks, Legos, balls, figures representing people and animals. And then, just let them play. Studies show children, who are given toys that allow them to create structures and scenarios for themselves, use more words and concepts related to space and math than children who are told what to build or make by an adult.

Critical thinking.

In a perfect world, everyone would be a good critical thinker. When faced with a problem, our doctors, lawyers, politicians and teachers would be constantly searching for valid and reliable information to help analyze all possible solutions to a problem and make the most appropriate decision.

Critical thinking also involves, “thinking about thinking” and learning to reflect and evaluate your own reactions and thoughts.

A big part of teaching critical thinking to children, is helping them differentiate between

people

who

provide

accurate

information and those who do not. In essence, teaching children to trust only the trustworthy.

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

67

{inspiration preschool} What can a parent do? One easy way to

Inspiring and educating children through cooperative play for almost 45 years in Charlottesville/Albemarle!

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Taking on challenges.

“When I’m able to work with students who are willing to take risks, I always see a big return in the students’ engagement,” says Brandon Readus, a Kindergarten teacher at Stone Robinson Elementary. “True learning does not occur unless a student is willing to interact with information that may be new or unfamiliar.” To encourage your children to take on challenges, they have to believe

Cohousing: Yesterday’s neighborhood today A pedestrian-friendly village of private homes where neighbors interact.

they are capable of growth and that his or her traits are not fixed. For example, a kid who believes “I am bad at math” is stuck in a fixed mindset. Whereas, a kid who believes, “I need more practice with multiplication” has a growth mindset.

Children who get what experts call,

Emerson

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68

November 2015

are more likely to have a growth mindset

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and be willing to take on challenges.

What can a parent do?

Instead of

praising a fixed trait like a quantifiable intelligence, try to praise their effort such as how hard they are working.

When a child says, “I’m not good at this,” encourage them to change that thought to “What am I missing?” or “Who can I ask for help to be better at this?” Or if they say, “This is too hard!” you can reply, “This may take some time and effort.”

Self-directed, engaged learning.

“It is through learning that we realize our potential…ready to meet whatever life brings,” says Galinsky in her book.

This ability to not only learn but also love

CHILDHOOD FIRST In the midst of our high-speed world, children should be provided a timeless space in which to do their sacred work.

to learn is founded in healthy human relationships. Studies have shown that in order for children to feel confident enough to learn, they must trust the adults around them. Babies and young children, in particular, are imitators. They look to the adults they trust to determine what

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is appropriate behavior. This is true not only at home but also at school. The most successful schools are schools where everyone is learning together—students,

Charlottesville Catholic School

teachers, administrators and parents. As Nobel Prize winner James Heckman of the

Faith Knowledge Community

University of Chicago put it, “Motivation begets motivation.” When choosing a preschool or Kindergarten, make sure it’s a place where everyone is learning together and that learning is presented as something joyful.

charlottesville

Thank you What can a parent do? Encourage your WALDORF SCHOOL

child’s curiosity. Curiosity naturally occurs when something happens that contradicts a child’s prior understanding of “this is the

for voting us #1!

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Pre-School Private Elementary School Private Middle School

way the world is.” To encourage curiosity and learning, expose your children to as many different things as possible. They may know that because of gravity, a ball will stay on the ground unless picked up or kicked. Or show them how to skip rocks on a pond, confounding the expectation that rocks sink in water. Introducing new and perhaps puzzling information encourages children to practice learning.

Educating the mind ~ Nurturing the soul

• Summer Inquiry and School Tours Available • Serving Pre-Kindergarten – 8th Grade 434.964.0400 | info@cvillecatholic.org | www.cvillecatholic.org

Sancken is a social worker, freelance writer and mom of two daughters.

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

69

{until next time humorous reflections} Nagging: Our Least Glamorous Job A Dad’s Humourous Reflections

by Rick Epstein It’s noon on a Monday, and a teenage girl lies asleep in bed. The bed is surrounded by mounds of dirty clothes that have risen up around it until they are almost level with the mattress.

relationship. But if you augment it every so often with a burst of temper, it does make things happen.

Now, don’t confuse nagging with giving advice. Advice is meant to haunt a child for a lifetime; nagging just keeps

A languid movement pushes a half-empty bottle of pink

the world turning day-to-day, like a stick in the hands of an

lemonade off the bed and onto the laundry. Glugging quietly,

old-time boy who runs along giving propelling whacks to a

the bottle empties. But the old homework papers way down

rolling hoop.

near the floorboards are in no danger. The layers of laundry

Because Betsy works outside the home, she isn’t around

can absorb 8 or 9 ounces of lemonade no problem. Her

to nag as often as she’d like. So she phones Marie from her

retainer, an uncomfortable wire device designed to preserve

job and leaves messages on her cell phone. Marie sometimes

the orthodontist’s costly handiwork, lies unused among the

plays them for me. Betsy’s tone is affectionate, yet insistent:

chaos on her night table. Overnight, her incisors moved a

“Listen Brainiac, be sure to take your asthma medicine, and

millionth of an inch toward sticking straight forward. Her

remind Dad to take you for your allergy shot at 4. Make a

cell phone vibrates quietly from under a sock, a sweater and

salad for dinner and pick up your room a little. I love you.

a dirty dish containing a spoon and an earring. It’s a text

G’bye.” Brainiac is kind of a pet name Betsy has for Marie,

message from the school cafeteria: “Where R U?”

alluding to her tendency to space out and forget things. It

The landline’s answering machine has recorded a more official inquiry: “This is the attendance office calling. Marie Epstein is not in school again today. Our child-study team suspects that Marie is insufficiently nagged. I must speak with a parent or guardian. Please call 996-2131 at your earliest possible convenience.”

has nothing to do with the super-intelligent villain who was Superman’s foe in the old DC comics.

Once I asked Betsy, “Does Marie obey those orders you phone in from work?”

“About half the time,” she says. “But sometimes I get the feeling that Marie thinks of me as kind of a harmless crank

The un-nagged girl opens her

and tunes me out.”

eyes about halfway. She does

Out of curiosity I followed up with Marie. Does she

not move her head but

resent the messages or what? No, she likes them. But she is

accepts the view as-is—

indifferent to their content. “I save them up,” she explains,

the ceiling and part of a

“And when I have a few dozen I dub them onto a disk so I

Once I asked my wife, Betsy, “Does Marie obey those orders you phone in from work?” “About half the time,” she says.

wall that is decorated with weird pictures cut out of magazines.

The

I say, “Don’t tell Mom; her head would explode.”

Sometimes I wonder how our kids will remember us after

of

we’re gone. When Marie is my age, will a mention of South

illumination on these

Dakota remind her of the time we fed peanuts to prairie

surfaces tells her all

dogs? Will she blow the dust off an old photo album and

she

degree

can remember what my life was like when I was 17.”

wants

to

know

show her children the fading pictures from her childhood?

about the time of day;

Maybe afterward she’ll fit a quaint old disk into an antique

the get-out-of-bed nagging

CD player and say, “OK kids, listen to this.”

that was scheduled for 6:45

And they’ll hear: “Now, listen Space Case, the lasagna

a.m. did not take place. The eyes

goes into the oven at 5 o’clock so you can eat at 6. The

close...

This is my little nightmare fantasy. It is

broccoli’s already in the pot, just steam it up. And don’t forget to use your inhaler. I love you. G’bye.”

a vignette not of what is but of what could be—if my wife

Whereupon little Marie Jr. will tap her own head, right

Betsy ever gets tired of nagging. Of course I nag too, but

over her tiny ElectroNag cerebral implant, and say, “Gee,

without her conviction and persistence.

Mom, that sounds just like one of your broadcasts!”

As Mother’s Day approaches, let’s pause to acknowledge

70

this least glamorous of parental functions. Sure, the experts

Contact Rick at rickepstein@yahoo.com. He’s got

say nagging is ineffective and corrosive to the parent/child

nothing but time.

November 2015

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71

MCLEAN FAULCONER INC. REALTORS Charlottesville, Virginia’s leading farm, estate & residential brokers invite you to preview a sample of our 2015 current offerings. . .

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ARCOURT - Spacious 5,800+ fin.sq.ft., French-inspired custom residence on 22 private ac. in Keswick Hunt Country, completely fenced for horses, 3-stall stable, guest quarters w/ shop/garage underneath. Residence features an open floor plan, large rooms, high ceilings, tall windows & heated stone floors. Beautiful mountain & pastoral views.

Jim Faulconer (434) 981-0076 $2,595,000. MLS#530692

OAKLEY - 25.67 acres of mixed woods & open, 5,400 fin.sq.ft. residence of excellent quality and many extras including high ceilings, main level master, hardwood floors, “chef’s kitchen” and much more! ONE OF THE BEST VALUES IN ALBEMARLE COUNTY at $749,999! MLS#495948

FARMINGTON - Remodeled home in Farmington offering 5 BR, 2 fireplaces, traditional spaces + family room, spacious light filled sunroom & large deck w/ hot tub. Hardwood floors, many built-ins, insulated windows, terrace level inlaw apartment. Betsy Swett (434) 249-2922. $995,000. MLS#536451

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Great quality! Steve McLean (434) 981-1863. $869,000. MLS#536719

HEART OF FREE UNION - 5,500+/- sq. ft. residence situated on 5+ private acres. Bright open floor plan, kitchen w/ Viking & SubZero appliances, bonus rooms, full walk-out basement & two gracious decks. Tranquil setting within 15 mins. of C’ville. Steve McLean (434) 981-1863. $795,000. MLS#518256

STONE’S THROW - c.1952, 3BR/2.5BA, mostly one-level, 3000 sq.ft. brick & glass home designed by internationally renowned 20th century architect, Edward Durrell Stone. “International modernism” style. First time offered for sale. Jim Faulconer (434) 981-0076. $825,000. MLS#538547

CEDAR SPRING - 35 acre NW Albemarle estate, offers privacy & Blue Ridge Mountain views, stunning residence built with the highest quality materials, craftsmanship & architectural achievement. Over 7,000 sq.ft. Property features a pool, spa, pastures, woods river, stream, trails , 1840’s log cabin and more. Jim Faulconer (434) 981-0076. $2,479,000. MLS#529384

INGLECRESS - Beautiful brick residence on 3.27 acres, just minutes west of Charlottesville. Quality-built home with over 4,400 finished sq. ft., 4 BR, 3.5 BA, 1st floor master bedroom suite, living room with fireplace, dining room, study, Florida room/sun room offers spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Steve McLean (434) 981-1863. $989,000. MLS#529146

RUGBY ROAD - Mountain views & walk to Jefferson’s Rotunda. Exceptional quality in this 5BR home, c.2012, including spacious gourmet kitchen/family room, first level master suite, fabulous sunroom. 5 BR/4.5 BA. Over 5,000 fin.sq.ft. Jim Faulconer (434) 9810076. $2,220,000. MLS#528987

ST CHARLES AVE - 4BR, 3BA, excellent location and neighborhood convenient to Downtown, UVA, Martha Jefferson, Pantops. Great starter home, rental, or 2-family home with in-law/rental unit in basement.

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