OCTOBER 2020
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TIPS FOR A FUN AND ECO-FRIENDLY HALLOWEEN PAGE 8
SONGS FOR A SPOOKY PLAYLIST PAGE 14
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KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
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ALISON NOVAK
EDITOR’S NOTE
What was your most memorable Halloween costume?
STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS
When I was 10, I was obsessed with EGYPT. I made a headdress out of an old watering can painted gold, did elaborate eye makeup, wore big gold hoop earrings and made a gold toga. Being in Vermont, I had to wear a winter coat and boots, which kind of spoiled it a bit .
COPUBLISHER/ EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Cathy Resmer
cathy@kidsvt.com COPUBLISHER
Colby Roberts
colby@kidsvt.com
ASTRID HEDBOR LAGUE, “MEALTIME” CONTRIBUTOR
MANAGING EDITOR
Alison Novak
alison@kidsvt.com ART DIRECTOR
Kirsten Thompson MARKETING & EVENTS DIRECTOR
Corey Grenier
corey@kidsvt.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Kaitlin Montgomery kaitlin@kidsvt.com PROOFREADER
Elizabeth M. Seyler
Celebrating at the Rotary of Charlotte-Shelburne-Hinesburg Halloween Parade in 2018
PRODUCTION MANAGER
John James CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Don Eggert DESIGNER
Rev. Diane Sullivan CIRCULATION MANAGER
Matt Weiner BUSINESS MANAGER
Marcy Carton CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Keegan Albaugh, Monica Chapman, Cat Cutlllo, Heather Fitzgerald, Astrid Hedbor Lague, Emily Jacobs, Elisa Järnefelt, Benjamin Roesch, Brett Ann Stanciu PHOTOGRAPHERS
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CONTRIBUTOR QUESTION
No contest: When I went as a MONCHICHI MONKEY in third grade. My stepmother lovingly made the costume by hand, and unseasonably warm October temps made sure I was drenched in sweat and could barely breathe by the time we were halfway down the block.
BENJAMIN ROESCH, “MUSICAL NOTES” CONTRIBUTOR
Alison’s family celebrating at the Rotary of CharlotteShelburne-Hinesburg Halloween Parade in 2018
Finding Fall
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n the last Sunday of September, I found myself stuffing a 7-foot-tall bunch of dried corn stalks into the trunk of my car — an “impulse” buy that my 10-year-old son Theo had convinced me to make at Whitcombs’ Land of Pumpkins and Corn Maze in Williston. We also packed in an assortment of squash in all shapes, sizes and colors, each with its own unique bumps, lumps and imperfections. When we arrived home, we scurried around like woodland animals, organizing the pumpkins and gourds in neat groupings in our front yard and securing the corn stalks to the beams of our porch. We dug out a bin of Halloween decorations from the basement and scattered them tastefully about. Then, we took a few steps back and marveled at the autumnal tableau. Not quite Martha Stewart worthy, but almost. We’ve always done a little bit of seasonal sprucing up, but this year I felt compelled to go the extra mile. Why? As Halloween draws nearer, I’ve been thinking about all the ways the kid-centric holiday is going to look different this year because of COVID-19 precautions. More than six months into the pandemic, it’s hard not to think about what our kids are missing out on — from “normal” school to carefree social interactions to holiday celebrations. Maybe I’m overcompensating, but making things look festive is one way to make this time of year feel a little more special. In this issue, you’ll find lots of ideas for how to make the best of things this October. In “Growing Up Green” on page 8, Meredith Bay-Tyack shares a host of tips for creating a special Halloween that is both fun and eco-friendly. Heather Fitzgerald shares tips for observing migrating hawks and snow geese in the fall months in “Good Nature” on page 9. In “Art Lessons” on page 10, Emily Jacobs shares how to add a little magical realism to your photos with an easy-to-use, free app. Benjamin Roesch explains what makes music sound scary and suggests songs for a spooky playlist in “Music Notes” on page 14. In the midst of trying to make things feel festive and special, I’m also trying to remember that it’s OK not to be a super parent right now. In “Use Your Words” on page 23, Vermont Works for Women board chair Monica Chapman effectively conveys that message in her essay about embracing her self-given title of “hybrid mom” during this time. We’re all doing the best we can right now. Remember to treat yourself this month. ALISON NOVAK, MANAGING EDITOR
My most memorable Halloween costume was dressing up my 7-week-old daughter Remy, as BABY BJÖRK. My mom helped me handcraft the swan costume from stuff we bought at a thrift store. Remy only kept it on for 30 minutes, but she still loves looking back at the photos we took.
CAT CUTILLO, “VERMONT VISIONARIES” CONTRIBUTOR
When I was 9, I painstakingly painted a box for my JACK-IN-THE-BOX costume, but I forgot to add a crank, so I ended up looking like a clown with an inexplicably large, square middle section. Another time I attached purple balloons to my body to become a bunch of grapes, but I failed to consider the user experience and could not sit down all night.
HEATHER FITZGERALD, “GOOD NATURE” CONTRIBUTOR
CONTRIBUTORS’ NOTE EMILY JOHNSON AND BRIAN MOHR (cover
photo), co-owners of Ember Photography, have spent more than one thousand nights in a tent together and have shaped their lives and work around human-powered adventures in Vermont and beyond. Their work is diverse, licensed globally, and shared via fine-art galleries and their own presentations and workshops. Find them at emberphoto.com or on Instagram and Facebook at @emberphotovt. KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
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OCTOBER 2020 Columns Checkup 7 9 Good Nature 10 Art Lessons 11 Bookworms 12 Vermont Visionaries 13 Pop Culture 15 Mealtime 16 Mom Takes Notes 23 Use Your Words
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More Treats, Less Trash Ideas for an eco-friendly Halloween
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A deep dive into what makes music scary
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Just for Kids Coloring Contest Birthday Club Coloring Contest Winners Good Citizen Challenge
On the Cover
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Virtual Visits Amid a pandemic, Head Start forges on with its mission to support families Welcome Editor’s Note 3 Contributor Question Contributors’ Note
Short Stuff Trending 6 In the News Yoga Pose of the Month #InstaKidsVT Lenora and Maiana Mohr undertake the timehonored tradition of carving pumpkins at home in Moretown. Photo by Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson/Ember Photography.
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TRENDING
IN THE NEWS
The Junior League of Champlain Valley Diaper Bank warehouse
Across the country, people are rigging up candy chutes, made of cardboard tubes or plastic piping, to distribute Halloween treats from a distance. Parental ingenuity in action!
Legs up the wall
BENEFITS: •
Relaxation: settles the nervous system
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Relieves low back tension
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Stretches the hamstrings and lower back muscles
STEPS:
Runamok Maple in Fairfax released, and promptly sold out of, a sparkly version of its maple syrup. Because who doesn’t like disco-ball pancakes?
Diapers in Demand BY ALISON NOVAK
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In New York City, the “Fearless Girl” statue outside of the New York Stock Exchange was adorned with a lace collar after Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death on September 18. A fitting tribute.
KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
he pandemic has exacerbated economic instability for many families. One of the items they need most? Diapers. Since March, the Junior League of Champlain Valley Diaper Bank has given out more than 266,000 of them, said league member Amanda Herzberger. In the diaper bank’s first year of operation — it opened in March 2019 — it donated around 100,000 over the course of the whole year. Before COVID-19, the diaper bank worked with nine partners in Chittenden and Franklin counties, packaging diapers in smaller bundles that could then be distributed by each organization. But in recent months, they’ve expanded the operation to 11 counties across Vermont. Due to the coronavirus, diaper drives at childcare centers and local businesses were put on hold. So the diaper bank applied for and received a $50,000 grant from the state’s allotment of the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund to purchase diapers to distribute. A large donation from Seventh Generation and contributions A volunteer bundling diapers in September through the diaper bank’s Amazon Wish List also helped the effort. The Junior League recently restarted its volunteer work sessions to repackage diapers and is looking to extend its reach into southern Vermont. Said Herzberger: “For as long as we’re able to support this expanded operation, we will." PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMANDA HERZBERGER
Despite the pandemic, St. Johnsbury’s Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium is moving forward with plans to add a 6,000-squarefoot annex for meteorology and astronomy exhibits to its existing building. A win for science — and Vermont kids.
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YOGA POSE OF THE MONTH: LEGS UP THE WALL
1. Bring your mat to the wall or simply sit next to the wall. 2. Sit with one hip toward the wall, with knees bent. 3. Roll down onto your back and lift your legs up to lean them against the wall 4. Shimmy your hips as close to the wall as feels comfortable. 5. Place your hands by your sides or on your belly. 6. Breathe and relax.
HAVE FUN! •
Put your legs up a tree and watch the leaves move in the wind.
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Put your legs up a fence or wall outside and watch the clouds.
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Balance a stuffed animal on your feet!
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Take your stuffed animal on a ride on your belly, watching it go up and down as you take deep breaths.
Pose description courtesy of Susan Cline Lucey, owner of Evolution Prenatal + Family Yoga Center in Burlington and Essex Junction. For more information about kids and family yoga classes, visit evolutionprenatalandfamily.com.
#INSTAKIDSVT Thanks for sharing your photos with us using the hashtag #instakidsvt. We loved this picture from the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich showing a young visitor frolicking in the outdoor science park. Share photos of your family exploring new places this month. HERE’S HOW: Follow @kids_vt on Instagram.
Post your photos on Instagram with the hashtag #instakidsvt. We’ll select a photo to feature in the next issue.
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CHECKUP WIT H CL I N I CA L P S Y CH OL OGI S T J OEL L E VAN L EN T • IN T ER VIEW C O M PIL ED AN D C O N DEN S ED B Y KE N P I CA R D
How Can Parents Help Kids Show Resiliency Through the Pandemic?
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KIDS VT: What emotional responses are normal in such abnormal times? JOELLE VAN LENT: Kids can express stress in all kinds of ways. Some of the more common ones are irritability and grumpiness, and a rigidity or narrow focus on small details or specific things. Kids may be too high energy, too low energy, tired, forgetful or have trouble concentrating. Kids may become self-oriented and appear unable to look at things from another person’s point of view. Losing motivation is a big risk right now. Anytime we experience repeated disappointment or failure, we are more prone to losing motivation. KVT: How will kids’ reactions differ based on their age? JVL: This situation is going to play out differently for each of us. A child who is 2 or 3 years old, whose whole social world is their family, if they’ve been home more than normal with their parents, this may not necessarily feel stressful because, developmentally, they don’t yet have the need for social connections outside their family. A 14-year-old who’s been home a lot with their parents and has a much different need for social connection may feel a deep sense of loss or isolation. But the same scenario could play out very differently for two 14-year-olds if one is more introverted and the other more extroverted.
KVT: Will certain populations of kids have more difficulties coping with new school routines? JVL: Yes. Definitely kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder or developmental challenges are more vulnerable, depending upon the sensory challenges of wearing a mask or the inflexibility of being unable to leave the classroom and access support in different spaces. For
new things isn’t anymore. And then watch for basic warning signs such as loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, unexpected fearfulness or excessive risk-taking. KVT: What can parents do to help their kids cope with prolonged stress? JVL: Parents should establish home routines where kids have meals and
The expression, ‘We’re all in the same boat’ doesn’t apply right now. We’re all in the same storm, but we each have different boats and journeys. kids with language barriers, whether it’s an English language learner or someone who has fewer verbal abilities, it may be harder for them to understand why we’re doing things differently. Any time people have prior exposure to trauma or adversity and they’re in another situation that feels highly stressful, they are potentially more vulnerable. But it’s so individual that it’s hard to make global assumptions. The expression, “We’re all in the same boat” doesn’t apply right now. We’re all in the same storm, but we each have different boats and journeys. Children who were high flyers before the pandemic may struggle through this, while children who struggled beforehand may thrive. KVT: What warning signs should parents watch for? JVL: Loss of motivation is a big red flag. When people are really stressed, they often act out of character — for example, somebody who is typically very flexible suddenly being very rigid. Or, somebody who’s typically into trying
words to their emotions and validate those emotions.
FILE: ELISA JÄRNEFELT
OVID-19 has created prolonged and unprecedented levels of stress, which children respond to it in different ways. For parents, it can be hard to know what a “typical” response should look like in an atypical situation. Joelle van Lent is a Georgia, Vt.based clinical psychologist. For the first 15 years of her career she had a family practice and also worked with kids in residential treatment programs. About 10 years ago she began working with Vermont school districts to provide training, consulting and evaluations of students with special educational needs. As this very different school year gets underway, van Lent offers advice to help kids become more resilient to stress.
bedtimes that are consistent with their school schedules. If your children have school five days a week, whether it’s in-person or remote learning, having your kids eat and sleep on that same rhythm for all five days is going to make it dramatically less stressful. Also, think about their media exposure. Many parents try to stay informed about the various global crises happening right now — COVID-19, the election, racism, climate change —but if you have CNN or NPR playing all day long, you have unmediated news access. Given the levels of stress right now, it’s important for parents to consume media in thoughtful ways, and then decide how to give younger children honest information in developmentally appropriate ways. For older kids who have their own access to media, set a time when you talk about what they’re seeing, hearing and reading and how they’re making sense of it. Remember that we don’t have to “fix” the problem. The most important thing is to help our kids put
KVT: How do parents know when kids have had enough talk about the pandemic? JVL: Kids can tolerate a significant amount of stress if it’s patterned in a way that’s predictable and they are supported. So if you, as a family, decide that every evening, you’re going to talk about the pandemic and how it’s impacting each of you, then the rest of the day you’re going to park those thoughts and not talk about them. What will happen is that your kids will start predicting that hard conversations happen at a certain time. So you’ve patterned the stress to make it more predictable, which will make them more resilient and stronger. KVT: What if kids ask questions parents can’t answer, such as “Will I need to wear a mask next year, too?” JVL: First and foremost, appreciate that your kids put words to their wonderings. A possible response might be: “Thank you so much for letting me know you’re thinking about that. I have the same question!” Show them that you’re strong enough to think that worry through with them. To be honest, the majority of questions kids ask us now about the pandemic we can’t answer. But if we lie to kids, they learn that in a crisis adults lie, so they’ll stop asking questions. It’s really important that adults speak the truth to a degree that’s developmentally appropriate. KVT: Anything else? JVL: You can figure out how resilient a child is to long-term stress by observing how they “story” their experience. And, you can influence their resilience by shifting their story. So, a resilient story is that, six months into this, we’re focusing more on what we can control and less on what we can’t control, shifting our attention from what’s really hard about this to what’s good about it. Finally, kids who have helping roles tend to fare better. So even if your kid is really stressed right now, don’t take away all their responsibilities. They need a way to contribute and feel helpful. KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
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GROWING UP GREEN BY M E RE D I T H B AY -T YAC K
More Treats, Less Trash Ideas for an eco-friendly Halloween TREATS
MEREDITH BAY-TYACK
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here do you fall on the Halloween-appreciation spectrum? Does your love for the holiday spur you to start decorating and planning on September first? Or maybe you slightly dread it and drag your feet until the last minute. Over the years, I’ve landed all over the map but trend toward liking it because I’ve always enjoyed dressing up. Growing up, I was typically instructed to dig through dress-up bins to find a costume. Occasionally, we’d take a trip to the fabric store for bits and bobs to embellish it. This year, Halloween — and other holidays — will look and feel different. And that gives us the chance to approach it differently, too. Did you know that Halloween in the United States generates millions of pounds of trash each year from costumes, decor and plastic waste? That’s truly ghastly. Follow these tips for an environmentally conscious take on Halloween that’s still full of frightening fun.
It’s tough to avoid waste when it comes to festive candies and treats. If you want to go the extra mile, choose candies that come in cardboard boxes that can be recycled or composted. Some brands, such as Alter Eco, even make truffles and other sweets in compostable wrapping. If you go for foil-wrapped chocolate, gather the foil in one big ball and recycle it. Just make sure it’s at least two inches in diameter. The majority of Halloween candies come in small individual plastic packages. These are easy to lose outside, so make a commitment as a family to put all wrappers securely in a pocket or bag and properly dispose of them in the trash. If you know you’ll be home and serving food only to family and close friends, making special-themed snacks and desserts from scratch is low-waste and can be a fun activity. Try decorating cookies or even personal pizzas with Halloweenthemed toppings!
COSTUMES
PARTIES AND GET-TOGETHERS
Buying a brand-new costume is tempting, especially when the kid in your life has a specific idea of what they want to dress up as. Before buying new, though, look for secondhand costumes at local stores and Facebook swap boards, and by asking family and friends. Consider pulling together your costumes with a mix of items repurposed from closets and borrowed or bought secondhand, along with a few new pieces, such as masks or accessories. If you have a sewing machine or even a glue gun, there are lots of instructions online, ranging from simple to elaborate, to create fun costumes with materials you already have at home. Fabric paints and iron-on decals are another low-waste and relatively quick way to add customization and get the perfect character details your kid wants. Face paint can also bring a simple get-up to new heights. We love the eco-friendly set by Natural Earth Paint, which is safe for kids’ faces and the planet.
If you are hosting a small get-together at your home or in your neighborhood, consider using real utensils, cups and plates. If you don’t have enough, pool resources with other households. Or take a trip to the thrift store. An extra dishwasher load is worth avoiding a huge bag of trash! Reach out to local forums and groups; you may find that there’s already a neighborhood lending service in place, such as the Silverware Share hosted by Sustainable Williston (sustainablewilliston.org). Compostable paper plates are readily available, too. If you go with this option, pick up an extra pail for $5 from Chittenden Solid Waste District to accommodate the extra compost. Check with your local solid waste district to learn about their composting options. Our family is reimagining Halloween this year and plans to set up a trick-ortreat scavenger hunt in our house and yard. We’ll hide the treats in Easter eggs with jack-o’-lantern faces drawn on them. Instead of going door to door to gather treats, my kids will go from room to room. They’re young enough that I’m hoping this will be exciting. For older kids, a spooky backyard scavenger hunt could be fun. If you’re short on planning time, check Etsy or Pinterest for Halloween-themed scavenger hunt ideas with the clues already written for you.
PUMPKINS There are a myriad of local options for pumpkins. Or maybe you’ve grown your own! Our garden was decimated by hungry squirrels this year, so I’ll be buying a selection of Vermont-grown pumpkins from local farms and garden stores. 8
KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
Celebrate Halloween with a spooky scavenger hunt
Leave them as-is for the perfect all-natural fall decor. Put small pumpkins and gourds on the table and mantle, and larger ones on the front stoop, and you’re all set. For extra eco-points, bring the pumpkin in before it rots or is eaten by the aforementioned hungry critters. Pumpkin seeds and other pumpkin desserts are a delicious way to make your decor do double duty. Pumpkins are food first, after all! If you opt to carve your pumpkins, I highly recommend saving and toasting the seeds. Olive oil, salt and pepper is all you need, but there are loads of recipes out there to jazz them up. Spray your carved pumpkin with lemon juice and vinegar to keep it fresh longer. You may see recommendations to use hairspray or petroleum jelly to extend its life, but then poor ol’ jack won’t be able to be composted when Halloween is over.
DECOR Go for reusable or compostable. Again, I hit up second-hand stores and what I already have at home first. If you’re feeling crafty, make a hanging banner
with triangles of fabric or paper and some yarn. Write out a spooky message or have your kids glue on leaves they collect! Vermonters are lucky in that most of us can walk into our backyards or to nearby parks to collect branches, leaves, grasses and dried flowers for beautiful and natural fall decoration. We love preserving leaves in melted beeswax and hanging them from windows or displaying them on the wall. Cut out a large cardboard circle and glue or tie on leaves to create a festive wreath. If there’s some adorable autumnal tchotchke at the store calling your name, go for it. But ask yourself first whether you’ll use it or toss it when the season is over — or whether you can make something similar with stuff you already have. If you’re willing to go out on a limb — er, vine? — make a papier-mâché “trash pumpkin” from a plastic bag, non-stinky garbage such as dryer lint and clothing tags, and other basic craft items. Find a tutorial on TheGoldHive.com. You can also use a scrap of fabric, fill it with soft trash or lint, and wrap thread around it to create those classic pumpkin grooves.
ART LESSONS BY E M I LY J ACO BS
6. To add a layer, tap the + symbol and select one of your object photographs. (Tap Cancel when asked if you would like to resize the canvas. You want to keep the canvas dimensions aligned with your base image.)
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Practical Magic
7. Use the Cut Out tool to select and isolate the specific object you plan to “levitate” and hit the check box symbol when the object has been cleanly selected in its entirety. Be careful not to accidentally select bits of the background!
Delving into the realm of Magical Realism
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GETTING STARTED WITH ADOBE PHOTOSHOP MIX 1. Shoot a base image photograph, perhaps of a blank landscape or with the subject holding out their hands as though levitating an (as of yet invisible) object. 2. Hold the object you want to “levitate” up against the same backdrop, so that the lighting is the same, and photograph the object. PRO TIP: Hold the object you
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plan to “levitate” at the angle you want it to appear in the final image, so that the lighting and shadows on the object are consistent.
5. Select a base image from your photos.
helpful for quickly isolating an image according to its color and edges. 8. Tap and drag the object to move it into the desired position, and adjust the scale of the layered object as necessary by dragging the corners. 9. Repeat this process for any additional objects/layers, and save the final image to your camera roll when complete.
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PRO TIP: Add a
filter to your finished photo using your preferred photo-editing app to give the final image a more cohesive look.
3. Shoot multiple object photographs if you plan to “levitate” more than one object in your final image. 4. On your smartphone, download the Adobe Photoshop Mix app from the Apple or Android app store. Open the app and allow access to your photos.
PRO TIP: the Smart setting on the Cut Out tool is
PHOTOS: EMILY JACOBS
ast month, I shared some of the surrealist art projects I do with my students and described the strange, bizarre and often symbolic qualities of surrealism. Now, we will venture into the similar — but slightly more restrained — realm of magical realism. While surrealism pulls from the depths of the unconscious mind — with paintings of wildly irrational, even disturbing scenes and juxtaposing random imagery — magical realism grounds itself in the real world. Art belonging to this category bases much of its subject matter in reality, with mostly believable settings and subjects infused with a little bit of magic. For example, in an otherwise normal drawing or painting of a quiet room, a vase might hover above a table rather than rest on its surface. Or, perhaps, in a realistic portrait of a young boy, we might see wings sprouting from his shoulders. You can explore magical realism with your young artist by encouraging them to draw a realistic scene — a portrait, landscape or still life (an image of still, everyday objects) — and then intentionally transform it by adding one or more small elements of fantasy. They might add a magical or impossible trait to a portrait, such as gossamer wings or hair made of fire; add a dragon or a fairy to a realistic landscape; or portray particular objects as if they were floating, defying the laws of gravity. For those interested in practicing digital art making and photo editing, the possibilities for adding magic to digital photographs are endless! A number of free photo-editing apps available for smartphones allow the user to combine and layer parts of images to make objects appear to float or fly. My personal favorite tool for this process is Adobe Photoshop Mix, which is free to download and use (with the option to purchase additional features within the app). By selecting an individual base image, adding layers of additional images, and then using the cut tool to isolate only specific objects from the added layers, one can superimpose objects and move them around the base image so that they appear to levitate. My personal favorite object for this type of photo happens to be books — as reading is one of my favorite hobbies — and I prefer to include my hands or arms in the photos, suggesting that I am using magical powers to levitate the books. Use the directions at right to guide you through this process. What will you and your young artists do with your magic?
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: • kids.kiddle.co/magic_realism • study.com/academy/lesson/what-isthe-difference-between-surrealism-andmagical-realism.html
KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
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GOOD NATURE B Y H E AT H E R F I TZ GE RA L D
Beholding Birds Where to find migrating hawks and geese
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his summer my family went on a mid-week camping trip at one of Vermont’s state parks. We had a great time, but when we emerged from the wilds on a Friday afternoon, we found ourselves packing up our car in an extremely crowded parking lot. As we traipsed back and forth with stray pieces of gear, we interacted with more people than we had since March, and I discovered that my tolerance for crowds, never high to begin with, had decreased. As the nights get nippy and the leaves start to change, I’m strategizing about how to get outside without encountering hordes of fellow leaf peepers. My current plans for this fall center around some of Vermont’s more dramatic seasonal bird migration events. On one of my first ornithology field trips in college, we went to the New Jersey shore on a raw, rainy day and looked out at hundreds of black dots bobbing in the gray ocean. The highlight for me was when we saw a larger black dot, which we thought at first might be a seal, but eventually decided was some kind of inanimate object — maybe a bag of garbage. With that underwhelming experience in mind, I wanted to make sure that I create strong, positive memories around bird-watching for my family. So I spoke with Bridget Butler, also known as the Bird Diva, to get some tips on setting my family up for a successful birding event. She approved of my idea for putting ourselves in the path of large migrating birds and gave me some hot tips for where to find hawks and snow geese (see box). But she also said this: “It’s not that you have to go on a birding trip; it’s being in the moment to react to what you’re seeing.” For example, Butler said, if you go to the beach where you went swimming in the summer, you can stop and notice who is swimming there in the fall. For another close-to-home option, she recommended Project FeederWatch (feederwatch.org), a citizen science project that starts in November and costs $18 to join. If you register, you’ll get detailed but simple instructions and a kit that includes posters of common birds. I just signed up my family. Even if my middleschooler doesn’t get excited about it, it feels good that we’ll be able to be a part of something and contribute data to this project. If you do go out in search of fall migrants, Butler has a few tips. First, she recommends finding a good podcast for the car ride and packing a ton of snacks. Next, for hawk-watching, warm, sunny days near mountains are best. That’s because migrating is exhausting, so hawks take advantage of warm air that builds during a sunny, fall day. As the air pushes up against a mountain, birds can ride the rising air up until they hit the “sweet spot” where they can soar. She advises keeping an eye out for a very cool phenomenon called kettling, which she described like this: “Once one bird finds the rising air, it will start riding it up, and others will notice and join, until you can see lots of birds spiraling up and then shooting off.” If you check the weather in September or October and see a forecast for a clear day with winds out of
Snow geese
WHERE TO WATCH FOR FALL BIRDS Hawks (October): • KILLINGTON MOUNTAIN, Killington (good for older kids who are up for a hike, or the north, those will ride the gondola through October 12; see killington.com) likely be good days for • MT. ASCUTNEY STATE PARK, Windsor (hike or drive; see vtstateparks.com/ hawk-watching. 11 a.m. ascutney.html) to 2 p.m. is usually the • PUTNEY MOUNTAIN, Putney (hike or drive; see putneymountain.org) busiest time of day. • MT. PHILO, Charlotte (hike or drive; vtstateparks.com/philo.html) Many of the places Snow Geese (October and November): listed here will have • DEAD CREEK VISITOR CENTER, Addison (https://vtfishandwildlife.com/ people on the mountain watch-wildlife/dead-creek-visitor-center) counting hawks, and • Forge your own path from ROUSES POINT, N.Y., TO PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. they’ll be happy to explain what they’re seeing. Just be sure to pack face masks. their wings. “It’s beautiful, like leaves falling out of the If you want to learn how to identify hawks, silsky,” she said. houettes are the way to go. There is a good two-page Another thing she suggests is playing an avian game printable PDF of hawks of the Northeast at battaly.com/ of Where’s Waldo. Most snow geese are white with dark nehw/carrier_guide/carrier_guide_2008.pdf. wing tips, but the slightly rarer blue morphs have white Another thing Butler likes to talk about is where heads and blue-gray feathers through the neck and body, these birds are coming from and where they’re heading. “kind of like tuxedo jackets.” See if you can find them. Most hawks have been living in our area and are heading Her final suggestions: dress warmly and drive with the to the southern United States for the winter. But snow windows down — these birds are loud! geese are coming from far up north in the tundra. Butler Dead Creek in Addison used to be the hot spot for suggests identifying the islands up in the Canadian migrating snow geese, and you can still see them there. Arctic and Greenland on a map when you get home to Call the visitor center to find out how many birds are get an idea of how far they’ve come by the time they hit there before making the trip. But to get even closer than Vermont and New York. you can at Dead Creek, Butler suggests driving on the October and November are the months to see snow little roads along the lake in New York from Rouses geese. They migrate at night, when it’s cooler, and rest Point to Plattsburgh. (Remember to check travel maps and relax during the day. On a day with winds out of the at accd.vermont.gov before you go.) On a good day, there north, following a clear night, you should be able to see will be tens of thousands of snow geese in the bays, she large, noisy groups of these football-size birds. says, “and you can almost reach out and touch them!” Butler suggests a few particularly fun things to look Heather Fitzgerald teaches field ecology and environfor with snow geese. First, watch them coming in for a landing. You’ll see hundreds of them, tipping back and mental science at the Community College of Vermont forth to relieve the air pressure coming over the tops of and Saint Michael's College.
BOOKWORMS B Y BRE TT A N N S TA N CI U
Local Lit
ALSO OF NOTE:
Two new works by Vermont authors
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hree years ago, Angela Kunkel — now the school librarian at Vergennes Union High School — saw a video of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogotá, Colombia, who salvaged books from the trash, beginning with a copy of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Using this scavenged collection, Gutiérrez created a free library for the city’s poor. In September, Kunkel’s debut picture book, Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built, was published in both English and Spanish editions. It tells the inspiring story of Gutiérrez, interspersed with the fictional story of a little boy who discovers this library. The book features the digital illustrations of Paola Escobar, a Bogatá resident. Kunkel, who lives in Vergennes with her 10-year-old daughter Georgia and 8-year-old son Atticus, is a former resident of New Mexico and speaks some Spanish. While writing the book, Kunkel sent a copy of the manuscript to Gutiérrez. He sent her book un abrazo gigante — a giant hug. Kids VT: How can parents instill the magic of reading in their children? Angela Kunkel: In José’s story, and in my own experience as a librarian, I’d say that magic only happens with continued access. That means offering children a wide variety of books to choose from — including formats
A page from Digging for Words
Check out Kunkel’s virtual story time with Belmont Books in Belmont, MA, via Instagram, Saturday, October 17, at 11 a.m. See belmontbooks.com for more information.
Angela Kunkel
To learn more about Kunkel, visit angelakunkel.com.
Samantha Kolber, a Montpelier resident and mother of a 4-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son, published her debut poetry collection, Birth of a Daughter, in September, through Kelsay Books, an independent literary press. Said Kolber: “For me, the only way to create poems often meant writing about my children and my motherhood experience. Last year, I signed up for a 30-day, poem-a-day writing program (through Tupelo Press) where I was committed to writing, and submitting for publication on a website, a poem a day for the month of June. My daughter was 3 at the time, and many days I hardly had enough time to compose a poem before the deadline. I would sit down to write frantically and most of what came out was how frantic I felt trying to be a mom, with two kids and two jobs, and trying to write! Also, it helps to have a supportive partner, and my husband has always helped me have time to write. Though I was also a single mother for ten years when I had my son, and I still found time to write. For me, though, writing is life, so I always find a way to squeeze it in!”
TO MY DAUGHTER SLEEPING SOUNDLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
like graphic novels! — and that, as adults, we continue to offer choice again and again, over time. We have to be aware, too, that the magic and power of reading means funding and supporting book access for all children. For those families who may not have the ability to purchase a lot of books, public and school libraries are not just nice — they are a lifeline.
You are the reason the world keeps turning, the reason people like me do anything at all. You are the reason we want no wars. You are the one perfect existence to an imperfect earth. One touch of your cheek makes angels cry.
Kolber’s virtual book launch, cosponsored by Bear Pond Books and the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, takes place on Friday, October 9, at 7 p.m. Preregister to access the Zoom link at bearpondbooks.com.
KVT: What do you like best about reading to kids? AK: Reading is a shared experience. In Digging for Words, Señor José sits and opens a book with little José. Adults help act as a portal for kids’ own interest in books. Sitting with our children and sharing a story is a powerful experience, whether we’re in Colombia or Vermont.
Cover art by Kolber’s daughter at age 3, titled “Mommy Monster”
INDOOR/OUTDOOR CLIMBING • SMALL GROUPS • PRIVATE LESSONS • BIRTHDAY PARTIES
HARNESS THE ENERGY
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VERMONT VISIONARIES W O RDS & P ICTU R ES B Y C AT C U T I L L O
Jan Reynolds
Jan Reynolds What follows are distilled quotes from a conversation with Stowe-based writer and photographer Jan Reynolds, who’s proven she’s willing to go to the ends of the earth to get a story. Reynolds, now 64, holds multiple records, including the world record for women’s high-altitude skiing. She was part of the first expedition to circumnavigate Mount Everest, living at 20,000 to 25,000 feet for four months while temperatures bottomed out at -30° Fahrenheit. She’s authored 20 books for children and adults, including the children’s book series Vanishing Cultures. She’s also a speaker at K-12 schools, colleges and corporate events. Reynolds released two new children’s books during the pandemic and says all her work shares a common message: “We are one human family celebrating life on Earth, and that’s an Earth we need to care for.”
On being raised in a large 7thgeneration Vermont family: I grew up on a dairy farm in Middlebury, and I am number six of seven. In order to play with the older kids, I would have to acquiesce to whatever they wanted to do. They’d go, ‘Jan, I think you can fit in this tractor 12
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tire and we’ll hang onto it.’ Well, they put me in a tractor tire and they rolled me down a hill. I could play with the big kids if I would be their guinea pig. Going on an expedition is no big deal [when] you’re used to lumps and bumps and surprises and having to get along and having to acquiesce.
On being the only woman on expeditions: There weren’t other women doing it at that time, at that level. So if I wanted to do it, it was just going to be with men. I crossed the Himalayas solo for National Geographic, covering the salt trade. What’s behind it is curiosity. That’s one of the biggest things to really foster in your kids, because that keeps you young. We did this before walkie talkies, before helmets, before GPS. We climbed together in groups of two or four with no support camps and everything we needed on our backs. We’d go for months, and no one on the planet knew where we were. There were times when one of the expedition members forgot the map. Then, in Tibet, we walked off the map because China had taken over Tibet and there weren’t satellites to map it. We were truly lost. One of the biggest gifts I was given is that I had the ability to be truly lost on planet Earth.
How she began writing for children: I fell in love with the people in these far-flung areas when I was setting world records climbing and skiing. The indigenous people were welcoming, hardworking. Perhaps it reminded me a little bit of farm life, living close to the land and the animals. That got me more interested in the people than in setting another record. We all come from indigenous people. It’s very important to see the world through their eyes, because we are them. I realized at the time I was making the [Vanishing Cultures] books that it was really important to capture this material for children. I wanted to see change in the world. If I worked with kids, I’d have a better chance of affecting change.
On her two new books, Loving Kindness and The Lion Queens of India: The Lions Queens of India is about the Asiatic lion. There were only 12 left in India, and these women, who are Hindu and Muslim, have become rangers for the lions and brought [the population] back to over 600. Kids in classrooms around the world helped me build this book. While documenting the story, I shared photos on social media. Kids would tweet at me every day, and I shaped the book around questions they asked me like, ‘What do lions eat?’ and ‘Can they climb trees?’ There was even a kindergarten class in Burlington. I felt as if I had the children with me, and we worked on it together, sharing ownership of the book.
[In Loving Kindness], the little boy is learning his school lessons about love, kindness and compassion. Those are very big concepts for little people. We define them in the book, and we hope that it’s something that becomes part of our children’s vocabulary worldwide. I don’t want our future leaders to not understand those concepts. That’s why I built this book and put it up for free online. Visit YouTube to read Loving Kindness, and Phoenix Books in Burlington to purchase Lion Queens of India. Visit janreynolds.com for more information or to request a signed book. KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
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POP CULTURE B Y KE E GA N A L BA UGH
Anger Management
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“
lay ‘So Long, Farewell’ from The Sound of Music, my 4-year-old daughter, Coraline, demanded from the backseat of the car. Penelope, 23 months old, chimed in with her own sounds of displeasure as she dropped the rock she was holding. “Hold on, let me focus on backing out first,” I replied, as I attempted to navigate the school parking lot safely. “Daddy needs to pay attention right now.” “Oh man! I am so frustrated!” yelled Coraline. We were nearing the end of the first week of the 2020-21 school year, and my attention felt like it was consistently being pulled in a million directions. Both of my children attended different schools on opposite sides of town, and Coraline was doing half days for the first couple of weeks. As a result, I spent nearly two and a half hours each day doing drop-offs and pickups. Somewhere in between, I attempted to get some work done. After fielding a bunch more questions and requests on the drive home, I was aware that my stress level had gone up as I pulled into our driveway. I shuttled the kids, their belongings and a plastic toilet filled with pee into the house. My partner, Stephanie, greeted us from her makeshift standing desk in the dining room and rushed over to hug Coraline and Penelope. I looked up and noticed the kitchen was still a mess from the morning. This sight wasn’t a surprise, but with my slightly elevated stress level, I could feel my body growing warmer as I clenched my jaw. “Can I finish up something for work?” asked Stephanie. “Sure,” I answered, even though I felt like I needed a break. I followed the kids into the living room as Penny asked to use one of the plastic potties that had become permanent fixtures in common rooms. I helped get her situated as Coraline began playing with toys. Within moments of sitting down on the potty, Penny leaned over and grabbed a toy Coraline was playing with. The two of them began screaming and crying. At that point, I lost it. I raised my voice and forcefully moved Penny’s body back to the potty. I was angry and had reached a breaking point. “Stop it! Just keep your hands to yourselves!” I shouted. I stood up, left the living room and told Stephanie I was going for a walk. She clearly recognized I had been pushed beyond my capacity and jumped right into the evening routine with our children. I left the house. Although I was able to pass things off to my partner that day and take care of myself, that isn’t always an option. Sometimes I’m flying solo with both kids, and tagging out isn’t a possibility. And sometimes, in those moments, things can get pretty ugly. Raising children has brought out a level of rage from deep within that I never knew existed. I’m also aware that I’m someone who has a lot of support, is in a healthy relationship with my partner and has a lot of experience working in the mental health field. But raising children is still really hard.
KEEGAN ALBAUGH
How to handle challenging emotions while parenting
Keegan with Penelope
Prior to becoming a father, I had a hard time understanding what could possibly drive parents to hit their own children. For most of my life, I viewed parents who abused their children as monsters. Nowadays, with a few years of parental experience under my belt, I have a much clearer understanding of what might drive parents to lash out in a fit of rage. Raising children while navigating life’s challenges can be really stressful, and the resulting anger can lead to poor outcomes if you aren’t able to manage it. According to the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine, when you’re angry, your “adrenal glands secrete stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline,” and “elevated cortisol causes a loss of neurons in the prefrontal cortex,” the part of the brain that impacts your ability to use proper judgment and make good decisions. Once you’re angry, your brain no longer thinks clearly. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated families’ stress, due to everything from fear about the virus, to juggling work and home life, to being able to pay bills and put food on the table. And the results of that stress are clear. According to a spring 2020 survey of 562 adults, conducted by the University of Michigan, “61 percent of parents say they have shouted, yelled or screamed at [their children] at least once over the past two weeks.” Additionally, “twenty percent reported having spanked or slapped children at least once over the past two weeks.” It’s inevitable that parents attempting to raise children while juggling other responsibilities during a global pandemic will get angry on occasion. Here are some tips on how to reduce the frequency of your outbursts.
• Take care of yourself: Eat well, get sleep, and exercise. Addressing these physical needs goes a long way in anger management. • Seek therapy: Digging into your triggers, building awareness and talking about the stressors in your life with a professional can be really helpful. • Self-soothe: Once you’re mad, you’re no longer thinking straight. Find activities you can do when you’re angry to help your brain calm down, and allow yourself to reset. A 30-minute walk can reduce stress and improve your mood pretty quickly. • Do some angry dancing: Blast your favorite songs and dance your heart out. Do it with your kids, and feel free to share the sentiment: “I’m feeling angry! I’m going to do some angry dancing!” • Practice gratitude: Throughout the day, think of the things in your life you appreciate. Although it’s easy to get caught up in the challenging stuff, it’s important to take moments to notice the positive things going on. • Connect with other parents: There are tons of other parents wrestling with the same emotions you’re experiencing. Be sure to connect with other parents often and as honestly as possible. Peer support can be extremely valuable. I walked about a mile that evening, then sat under a tree in a nearby cemetery for ten minutes. There, I was able to focus on my breathing and remind myself that my partner and I were both putting forth our best effort during these bizarre times. It’s OK to get angry. What matters most is how we handle those emotions. KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
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MUSICAL NOTES BY BE N J A M I N ROE S CH
Spooky Sounds A deep dive into what makes music scary
A Minor Occurrence One of the reasons music makes us feel afraid is that it often relies on minor chords and dissonance, which means a sequence of notes without clear resolution. Minor chords and dissonant note combinations create a feeling of imbalance as your ear waits for a calming sense of resolution that never comes, leaving you uncomfortable. In the Middle Ages, there was even one interval, the augmented 4th (try playing an A and E-flat together on your piano) that came to be known as the “Devil’s Interval” because of the eerie feeling it evoked.
Playing with Pitch Pitch, whether the notes are high or low, is another factor. Our ears are most comfortable with sounds in the middle range of the piano keyboard, where the human voice naturally exists. When very high or very low sounds take center stage 14
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s the nights grow chilly and the green leaves become tipped with harvest yellows and electric oranges, one can almost feel Halloween in the air. Whether you’re already building a boo-worthy playlist or decking out your porch in fake cobwebs, the October holiday is all about creating fun, spooky moments. And nothing brings out the fear factor faster than the thrill-inducing music in scary movies, from Goosebumps and Coraline to older-kid favorites such as Beetlejuice and Gremlins. We can all pick out “scary” music when we hear it. Why? Because we feel it. Without scary music, scary movies would elicit a lot fewer gasps, jumps and half-covered eyes. Take out the rattling cymbals and percussion when the demonic twins appear in The Shining or the slow plodding orchestra pulse as the shark’s fin cuts the water’s surface in Jaws, and our nervous system might not know it’s time to feel afraid. But what actually makes music feel frightening? After all, it’s just a collection of notes, right? Why should some combinations feel scarier than others? Here’s a kidfriendly breakdown of what makes sounds spooky.
and get turned up, as they often do during frightening moments, we naturally react, finding the sound shrill or unpleasant.
Boo! We all know that scary sounds are often sudden. Screams, roars or breaking glass come out of nowhere, making us jump. In a love story, the music takes us by the hand and leads us, the orchestra swelling grandly, cueing up the big kiss. By contrast, scary movies use sounds and music to keep us off balance and unsure of what’s coming next, making themselves deliberately unpredictable. Scientists have seen similar patterns in nature. When studying marmots a few years ago, biologist Daniel Blumstein noticed that when the animals were in distress, they called out in nonlinear, unpredictable patterns to communicate something bad was about to happen. The same thing happens in movies. Is it possible that composers are inspired by the animal kingdom?
Of course, half the fun, or half the terror, of watching scary movies is the sense of nervous anticipation we feel waiting for something to happen. We know it’s coming; we just don’t know … quite … when. Boo! Works every time. Why? Anticipation is actually serious mental work that stresses us out and puts us on edge. As an experiment, try watching a favorite thriller on mute for a little while and see how it feels. Or watch one of many reimagined movie trailers where happy music is plugged into a scary movie, or scary music is plugged into a happy one. For fun, try searching “If Frozen was a horror movie” on YouTube and marvel at how a familiar movie now feels totally different. Music has tremendous power over our emotions, and perhaps no one knows this better than the clever composers behind the musical scores in our favorite frightening flicks.
To round out our journey into scary sounds, here’s a playlist to help make your family’s Halloween season fun, exciting and just a bit spooky.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
“Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett & The Crypt-Kicker “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr. “Witch Doctor” by David Seville “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult “The Addams Family Theme” by Vic Mizzy “A Nightmare on My Street” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince “I Want Candy” by the Strangeloves “Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley “I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell “Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams (from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) “Season of the Witch” by Lana Del Rey “Boris the Spider” by the Who “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon “People Are Strange” by the Doors
PHOTOS: ANDY BRUMBAUGH
MEALTIME BY A S T R I D H E DBOR LAGU E
Sliced almonds give this cake a nice crunch
Russian Sharlotka A simple take on apple cake
INGREDIENTS: •
1 cup sugar
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3 eggs
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1 teaspoon almond extract
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1 tablespoon lemon juice
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1 cup flour
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6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1” pieces
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1/2 cup sliced almonds
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1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon, for dusting
DIRECTIONS:
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all in Vermont means many things — leaves changing colors, chilly mornings that are harbingers of colder days to come and, of course, apples. There are so many things you can do with apples, besides just eating them plain. You can make pies, tarts, sauce, butter and many variations of cake. This particular version of apple cake comes to us from Russia. Known as sharlotka, it seems to have gone through many iterations on the way to the most common modern recipe. According to my internet research, the original version of this cake was created in the 19th century by a French chef working for Tzar Alexander I. It was likely the predecessor of the modern dish known as Charlotte
Russe — a layered concoction of ladyfingers, fruit and Bavarian cream. The current dish was likely simplified during the Soviet era — to include ingredients that even the poorest of households would have on hand — and became an easy sponge cake with apples. It almost resembles a cobbler, but it contains no butter. I added sliced almonds on top for a crunchy element that my family enjoyed. I got my apples locally, at Hackett’s Orchard in South Hero. The awesome folks who run the orchard recommended early Macintosh apples, but you could use Granny Smiths (not easily found locally, as they don’t grow well in our climate) or your favorite tart, slightly firm apple.
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper. Spray both the parchment and the sides of the pan with cooking spray. 2. With an electric mixer, whip together eggs and sugar until light, fluffy and pale in color. Stir in vanilla, almond extract and lemon juice, then incorporate the flour. 3. Fold the apples into the batter. Pour the mixture evenly into the pan. Sprinkle the top with almonds if desired. Bake for around 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Remove the springform side, dust with the confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon mixture, and serve.
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MOM TAKES NOTES BY E L I S A J Ä RN E F E LT
S
ince my daughter was born three years ago, there are many things she has taught me. Some of the lessons feel profound. I have learned to be less rigid in my vision of what parenting should look like. I have learned to wait at least three days, preferably a couple of weeks, until declaring that things like her sleep patterns or tantrums are a problem — because many of those “problems” just solve themselves. Then, there are other kinds of lessons, ones that seem so small or insignificant that sometimes I almost don’t realize that they are lessons at all. One of these lessons relates to my daughter’s collection of rocks. It would be easy to shrug off the ever-growing pile by the corner of our house as just as a pile of rocks. Sometimes I feel frustration when, once again, the bottom of the stroller is filled with stones that are all important to her. But mostly, I am in awe of the endless possibilities of a rock. Is there anything else that can be, simultaneously, an owl, a whale, a ladybug and a car; a house or a piece of a nest; a painting surface for a compassionate message hidden by a trail; so very hard and yet molded smooth by mere water; a treasure, a holder of fossils, a holder of memory and something to hold on to? As Byrd Baylor wrote in her 1974 book Everybody Needs a Rock, my daughter has taught me: “Everybody needs a rock. I’m sorry for kids who don’t have a rock for a friend.”
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Learning to share in the Early Head Start classroom at Milton Family Community Center
Virtual Visits Amid a pandemic, Head Start forges on with its mission to support families BY ALISON NOVAK
O
n a Wednesday morning in September, identical twins Faeryn and Raeyln pinballed around their house while squealing gleefully, exhibiting the kind of boundless energy any parent of a 2-year-old would recognize. The upbeat voice of Champlain Valley Head Start home visitor Lisa Bessette piped in. “Do we need to do something that’s moving? Wanna see the video?” she asked the girls. “It’s called ‘Over in the Meadow.’ Let me see if I can share it. Give me a thumbs up if you guys can hear it, OK?” Bessette spent a few minutes figuring out how to share her screen via Zoom. Then, a catchy fiddle tune came on. The twins gravitated toward the screen, joining their mother, Tammy, in the Zoom thumbnail. Cute illustrated animals flashed on the screen as Bessette narrated and pantomimed to the music — “flapping her wings” and buzzing like a bee. “What animals do you see?” Bessette asked the girls when the video ended. “Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit,” one of them said. “That’s right — frogs say ‘ribbit, ribbit, ribbit,’” said Bessette. This virtual visit is one of the ways Champlain Valley Head Start — a federally funded program that serves young children and their families in Chittenden, Addison, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties — has adapted in the face of the pandemic. For more than 50 years, the program has provided early education and coordinated health services for 18
KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
A mom working with her child on gross motor skills during a home visit
A lesson on brushing teeth at Franklin Square Early Learning Center in Burlington
children age birth to 5, primarily from low-income families. Operating within the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, its services include helping to build literacy, language, social and emotional skills, as well as doing health screenings and connecting families with doctors, dentists and specialized health care providers, explained Paul Behrman, Champlain Valley Head Start’s director for the past 21 years. There are both center-based early education programs and home visits to families. When COVID-19 began spreading across the U.S. in March, Champlain Valley Head Start — like countless other organizations — was forced to shift gears in both its Head Start program for ages 3 to 5 and Early Head Start program for pregnant women and children under 3. In the spring, it suspended in-person learning,
shifting to a virtual format in the four stand-alone childcare centers it operates, as well as in the multiple schools and childcare centers where it provides services. This fall, it restarted center-based programming with protocols similar to K-12 schools. There are reduced in-person schedules, heightened cleaning protocols, modifications to faucets and air filtration systems, and slightly reduced enrollment, Behrman said. In-person home visits shifted to virtual meetings via Zoom or, in some instances, texts, emails or phone calls. Occasionally, families receive an outdoor, socially distanced visit, or home visitors stop by to drop off educational materials and supplies. Behrman said that his organization’s home-based option is especially suited for families who live in rural areas or have transportation challenges, or who don’t feel their kids are ready for a group setting yet.
home-based support that complemented his Essential Early Education preschool program in Richmond. The family’s home visitor recommended that Shearer get involved with Head Start’s policy council, an advisory board composed of parents and community members. That led to her being named chair of the council, and then serving on the board of CVOEO. Those experiences
I knew Head Start would be good for my son. But I really didn’t know it would be good for me. KAREN SHEARER PHOTOS: COURTESY OF CHAMPLAIN VALLEY HEAD START
Washing hands in Milton
A mom and her child doing a science project during a home visit
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY HEAD START BY THE NUMBERS CHAMPLAIN VALLEY HEAD START ANNUAL BUDGET: In the spring, there was a fair amount of “troubleshooting” around issues such as poor internet connections, said Meghan Sargent, who has been a home visitor in Franklin County for the past year. In some cases, Head Start provided families with tablets to help them connect with providers. “The great thing,” she said, “is that services never ended.” Since then, Sargent said she’s seen families thrive with virtual visits. “They’re sitting down and engaged with the activities,” she said. In the absence of an educator in the home, “the parent is taking the lead role. I don’t think they’ve realized how much they’ve stepped up.” Behrman describes Head Start as a “two-generation program,” because it also engages adults. “No one knows a child the way their parent or guardian knows them,” said Behrman. Head Start aims to partner with families so there’s continuity between what goes on during center- and home-based education and when children are at home. The organization also aims to build relationships and trust with parents and caregivers, so it can help connect them with resources to address personal challenges and goals — everything from heating their home during the winter to quitting smoking or pursuing a GED. Karen Shearer, a literacy teacher at Bellows Free Academy Fairfax, has experienced this support firsthand. She got involved with Head Start 12 years ago, when her son Ethan was 3, after seeing a flyer at his school advertising the program. Ethan, now 15, is on the autism spectrum, and Head Start provided him with
$5.6 million
NUMBER OF CHILDREN SERVED:
300
NUMBER OF COUNTIES SERVED:
4
NUMBER OF SCHOOLOR CENTER-BASED SITES:
12
NUMBER OF HOME VISITORS:
8
AGES SERVED BY HEAD START:
3 to 5
AGES SERVED BY EARLY HEAD START:
0 to 2, plus pregnant women
CHILDREN SERVED BY HEAD START PROGRAMS NATIONWIDE:
More than one million
NATIONAL BUDGET OF HEAD START:
$10.6 billion
helped her connect with other families facing similar circumstances, beef up her professional résumé and gain confidence. “I never in my life would have run to be a chair of an … advisory council. I didn’t see myself as a leader like that,” Shearer said. “One of the reasons I’m such a big supporter of Head Start is I love how much they wrap around the families and really support parents and their goals. “I knew Head Start would be good for my son,” she added. “But I really didn’t know it would be good for me.” Bessette, who started working with Head Start as a preschool teacher in 2007 and just recently took on the home visitor role in Addison County, said that the pandemic has exacerbated some of the issues that families she works with face, such as finding quality childcare, housing and transportation. For some, it’s also introduced new ones, such as job loss. Additionally, she said, the program generally focuses on helping families through learning transitions — from preschool to kindergarten, for example. That, too, was more difficult because of the pandemic. The lack of in-person connection has been a challenge in doing virtual visits, Bessette said: “You’re still able to connect,” but it requires a different approach. That means bringing enough energy and enthusiasm to Zoom meetings to hold the attention of two very busy toddlers. During her time with Faeryn, Raelyn and Tammy, Bessette did a cheery read-aloud of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle, stopping at the picture of the bespectacled teacher. “Look! She has glasses just like Lisa does!” said Bessette, referring to herself in the third person, as teachers of young children often do. She then segued into a sing-songy rendition of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” Before the 45-minute Zoom call ended, Bessette asked Tammy if her kids needed any school supplies and told her she was available to connect with the family’s other service providers. And she reassured her that there was no “right” way to participate in this new kind of meeting. “Don’t ever worry, if they don’t want to be in front of the screen,” Bessette told Tammy. “We totally understand that this is just a different way of working together.” For more information on Champlain Valley Head Start, visit champlainvalleyheadstart.org. Learn more about applying to the program, including eligibility requirements, by contacting assistant enrollment manager Andrea Houlihan at 752-9397 or apply@ cvoeo.org. KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
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JUST FOR KIDS Coloring Contest! Three winners will each receive an annual family membership to the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium. Send Kids VT your work of art by October 22. Be sure to include the info at right with your submission. Winners will be chosen in the following categories: (1) ages 5 and younger, (2) ages 6-8 and (3) ages 9-12. Winners will be named in the November issue of Kids VT. Send your highresolution scans to art@kidsvt.com or mail a copy to Kids VT, P.O. Box 1184, Burlington, VT 05402.
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KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
Birthday Club .....................................21 Coloring Contest Winners .........21 Good Citizen Challenge................22
Title _______________________________________ Contest sponsored by
Artist _____________________________________ Age ______________ Town __________________ Email _____________________________________ Phone _____________________________________
Birthday Club
COLORING CONTEST WINNERS
Congratulations
to these September Birthday Club winners!
Join the Club!
To enter, submit information using the online form at kidsvt.com/birthday-club Just give us your contact info, your children’s names and birth dates, and a photo, and they’re automatically enrolled.
Our judges were wowed by the fabulous submissions mailed in as part of this month’s coloring contest. Neoma, 3, filled the page with energetic strokes of vibrant color. Eight-year-old Molly amazed us with a lush scene that included a lake and sailboat. She got her cat out to vote on a scooter. Ella, 12, sent us a full feline parade, urging us to vote with additional signs, banners and humor. Thanks to all who entered! We can’t wait to see what you have in store this month.
The winners of annual family memberships to the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium are…
HONORABLE MENTIONS “VOTE WITH YOUR HEART”
Penda, Miller and Caylan each win a day pass and gear rental at Petra Cliffs. Penda lives in Burlington and turns 4 on October 21. She is a kind friend, a lover of puzzles and books, an aspiring dancer and soccer player, an avid swimmer, and a meticulous colorer. She is funny, observant, patient and thoughtful.
Natalie Knutson, 11 Guilford
“Cat Vote, Cat Vote” Neoma Young, 3
“KITTY BITTY”
WESTFIELD
5& under
Zoe Grillo Bordelon, 5 South Burlington “COME ON AND VOTE!”
Maggie Tracy, 8 South Burlington
“AMERICAN ALLEY CAT”
Levon McCuen, 7 Hubbardton Miller lives in Colchester and turns 10 on October 28. This fourth grader is an avid soccer player, but hockey is his first love. He also loves to spend time outside camping and riding his bike. Miller also plays video games as much as he is allowed — after schoolwork is done, of course!
Caylan lives in South Burlington and turns 9 on October 29. He is a fun-loving kid who enjoys being surrounded by family and friends. He loves hockey, football and playing games.
“RAINBOW CAT”
Sophie Scott, 7 Shelburne “COTTON CANDY CAT”
Christine Pompei, 9 Barre “FISHER CAT”
Schyler Grace, 11 Huntington
“Cool Cats Vote” Molly Tracy, 8
“RAINBOW CAT”
SOUTH BURLINGTON
6 to 8
Johnny Halby, 6 Lincoln
COME CELEBRATE AT
PETRA CLIFFS! • Recommended for ages 5 and up • Facial coverings required for everyone indoors • Optional outdoor party tent space until the weather gets too cold!
PLEASE CALL OR BOOK ONLINE TO RESERVE A TIME FOR YOUR CLIMBING & ROPES COURSE PARTY! petracliffs.com • 802-657-3872 105 Briggs St., Burlington, VT
“SUPER CAT VOTES”
Paris Schoolcraft, 8 Waterbury
TOP TITLES “FRIENDS LOVE EACH OTHER”
Joshua Scott, 6 Shelburne “AMERICAT”
Quinn Steffens, 8 Jeffersonville “RAINBOWIST TIGER OF ALL”
Lennox Williams, 4 South Burlington
“CAT IN THE MAGIC WORLD”
Henry Torres, 7 Marshfield
“Cat Parade” Ella Thomas, 12
9 to 12
CALAIS KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
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THE SEPTEMBER GOOD CITIZEN CHALLENGE asked young Vermonters to create
posters encouraging adults to vote. Thanks to all the creative, civic-minded students who responded! And congratulations to Jeffersonville fourth-grader Sophia Rodriguez, whose winning poster appeared in the Seven Days 2020 Voters’ Guide. Sophia will also receive a copy of This Is What Democracy Looks Like: A Graphic Guide to Governance, a comic book donated by the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction. We’ll also send copies to our runners-up: JACK ADLER, Burlington LYLE JOHNSON, Burlington NIKKO RODRIGUEZ, Jeffersonville Sophia Rodriguez
TAYLOR SMITH, Reading KAYLA STONE, Springfield CARLY STONE, Springfield
ALL YOU ADULTS OUT THERE:
Don’t forget to vote on or before November 3!
JILLIAN STUCKER, Burlington MADDIE WEGNER, Burlington
OCTOBER CHALLENGE Kayla Stone, Springfield
Taylor Smith, Reading
Nikko Rodriguez, Jeffers onville
Jack Adler, Burlington
Jillian Stucker, Burlingto n
Carly Stone, Springfield Powered by:
With support from:
This fall’s election isn’t just about who will be representing us in Washington, D.C. State and local officials are also on the ballot, and they have more power over our daily lives. This month’s activity is to contact one or more of the people campaigning to represent you in the Vermont legislature and ask what they plan to do in office to help Vermonters like you. That includes members of the Vermont Senate and members of the Vermont House of Representatives. Send them an email (with an adult’s supervision or approval), mail them a note, or give them a call to find out why they’re running for office and what they want to do in the legislature. What are the issues that matter to them? These candidates are seeking an important position. Think of your questions to them as part of their job interview. Please send us your email or note, or forward it along with their response. Complete this activity by the end of the day Monday, October 26, by emailing your evidence to goodcitizen@kidsvt.com. Don’t know who the candidates are? Look them up in Seven Days 2020 Voters’ Guide, online at sevendaysvt.com/2020candidates.
Find more activities at
goodcitizenvt.com. Evslin Family Foundation
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USE YOUR WORDS B Y M ON I CA CH A P M A N
The Hybrid Mom A working mother on accepting imperfection
school-aged children. On top of the pressure to balance work and life, my support system was dealing with their own setbacks. My son’s father owns a local restaurant that was trying to stay afloat, and my partner works a 100 percent-commission job. All while our parents are either out of state or high risk. Summer camp offered us the ability to work and the freedom for our children to interact with a small group of peers. I became more and more hopeful that our children could safely return to school in the fall. That is, until July 22, when an unexpected email came from our district superintendent. As I read the plans for all schools in Chittenden County to start in a hybrid schedule, I felt overwhelmed. The email stated: “Children will attend two days a week in person and three days will be spent with online learning.” I know that this decision wasn’t made lightly, and I respect the people that had to go through the process to make it. I understand that everyone’s circumstances, fears and perspectives are different. But I couldn’t be the only mother worried by the news. In fact, I know I’m not. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 80 percent of Vermont mothers with children under 18 participate in the labor force, and 45 percent are sole earners. As September comes to a close, I’ve seen my son’s fresh-off-the-bus energy and the sparkle in his eyes return on the days he attends in-person school. He’s discovered his love of learning again, something that was lost in the fully remote setting. Although having kids in school part of the week has offered some relief, many other demanding parts of our lives have returned. Fighting to get out the door in the morning, rushing kids to sporting events, and arguing over sleepovers have all resurfaced. However our pre-COVID chaos has now been met with in-home school days of balancing math packets with emails and work calls.
If we’re having a Zoom meeting, there might be a child screaming in the background.
COURTESY OF MONICA CHAPMAN
A
month into Gov. Phil Scott’s initial stay-at-home order, I scrolled through social media to see some friends posting about thriving in the remote-learning world. They had “never felt more bonded to their children,” and they wished that this could be “the new way of life.” For me, this was crippling. It wasn’t my story; I was struggling to respond to work emails while mastering online learning programs and kindergarten phonics, all before the inevitable next “Mom! Can I have a snack?” I was overwhelmed with guilt for not having the same emotions I saw on Facebook. My reality felt much different. Our young boys — my son, 6, and stepson, 8 — struggled to sustain the attention to navigate learning from home. As soon as it felt like things were on track, a work call would come in, and they knew now was the time to strike for screen time. Meanwhile, my teenage stepdaughters slept all day, only coming to the surface to have a debate about why it was unfair that they couldn’t be with their friends. Although there were some fun family moments, remote learning seemed much more like survival mode. As Vermont began to open up, we rejoiced that the school year was coming to an end and began to carefully loosen our grip. I went back to work a couple days a week, and we allowed the teenagers to have a “COVID friend.” I work in an essential business, so the news that the governor was opening summer camps was a life saver. Although many parents decided to forgo sending their children to camp — understandably so — we felt as if we had no other option. My partner and I had to return to work. I am an employee at PuroClean emergency services and co-owner of its sister company, Construction Management Direct. The businesses work hand in hand to mitigate fire and water damage to properties. I am one of three females within both organizations but the only one with
Monica and her son
Even with the whispers of the younger children returning to school full time later this fall, it is hard to hold hope of a normal school schedule lasting during these unpredictable times. So what now? How will working parents get through this school year? Remember that old saying, “Fake it till you make it?” Well, that’s out the window for me. Chances are, if you work with me, there may be a time when you have to watch my son while I run to a jobsite. If we’re having a Zoom meeting, there might be a child screaming in the background. I probably won’t get through every single school assignment with my son. You’ll probably see some Facebook posts asking my fellow moms
to join me in babysitting trade-offs. My emails will most likely have lots of grammatical errors. Some days, I’ll break down and let my kid have the ice cream. It won’t be perfect, but it will be real. We don’t know what the future will hold, but here’s what I do know. This school year, you will be getting a hybrid mom, an unapologetically authentic, hardworking, love-with-all-my-heart, un-put-together hybrid mom that is committed to being as real as it gets. K Monica Chapman is board vice chair of Vermont Works for Women. A version of this essay first appeared in the July/ August edition of the Vermont Works for Women e-newsletter. KIDSVT.COM OCTOBER 2020
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