Knoxville Parent Magazine- January 2015 by Knoxville Parent

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In This Issue... Reading For Fun “Reading for fun can be enjoyable not only when we are children but also when we are adults.”

January 2015 Volume IV • Issue 1 Michael Kull and Eva Nations, Publishers Adam Kalwas, Managing Editor Advisory Board

Contributing Writers

Sr. Mary Marta Abbott, RSM The Diocese of Knoxville

Jeff Comas Great Schools Partnership Healthy Living Expo Knox County Schools Tracey Matthews Jim McIntyre Erin Nguyen Eliza Norrell Mike O’Hern Kathryn Rea Smith, Ph.D. Michael K. Smith, Ph.D Angela C. Thomas United Way of Greater Knoxville

Marie Alcorn United Way of Greater Knoxville Mike Bailey Small Business Representative Paul Parson East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Tracey Matthews Knox County Schools Family and Community Engagement Elizabeth Pooley Marketing Professional Lee Tramel Knox County Sheriff ’s Department Liza Zenni The Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville

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Should My Child Learn To Play A Musical Instrument? “...the study of music has been linked to many positive benefits for the mental development of children (adults too).” PAGE 6

Code-Writers Of TN: Developing A Smarter Tomorrow “...students are solving problems to help mankind, connect families in times of need, reach out to the community in a local and global way, address an energy need for school districts and more.”

PAGE 7

Contents 4 Reading For Fun

9 Raising Children To Be Smart Decision

Makers

5 It’s All Right To Cry

11 A Focus On Contemporary Art

6 Should My Child Learn To Play A Musical

12 How To Deal With A Negative Attitude

7 Code-Writers Of TN: Developing A

13 Join The Healthy Living Expo!

Instrument?

Smarter Tomorrow 14 10 Terrific Books: Making Good Decisions

8 Dear Knox County Schools’ Families

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Knoxville Parent • January 2015

Reading For Fun by Michael K. Smith, Ph.D.

o your children read for fun? A recent survey called Kids and Family Reading Report, issued by Scholastic and YouGov, outlines how often children read for fun, what books draw their interest, and how frequent readers differ from infrequent readers. A nationwide representative sample of parents, along with children ages 6 to 17, were asked many questions about reading activities. The results of this report can help parents understand how to promote reading books for fun with their children. About half of children ages 6 to 17 (51%) were currently reading a book for fun (this definition does not count required reading for school). What do children look for when picking books? Children ages 6 to 11 like books that “make me laugh”, “have a mystery or a problem to solve”, “tell a true story”, and “have characters that look like me.” Children ages 12 to 17 also mention these same characteristics; however, other attributes are more salient: “let me forget about real life for a while”, “are about things I experience in my life”, and “have characters who are in love.” Both groups agree very strongly (about 90%) with the statement: “My favorite books are the ones that I picked out myself.”

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“Reading for fun can be enjoyable not only when we are children but also when we are adults.” What factors influence frequent readers? For this study, two groups were defined: frequent readers (those children who read 5 to 7 days week for fun) and infrequent readers (those children who read less than one day a week for fun). Three characteristics differentiated frequent readers from infrequent readers: children found reading enjoyable, the parents read a lot themselves, and children believed that reading books for fun was important. For children ages 6 to 11, four additional factors predicted frequent reading: parents read aloud to children before kindergarten, parents currently read aloud to children, child looks for books that “let me use my imagination”, and child looks for books that “have characters that look like me.” For children ages 12 to 17, five additional factors predicted frequent reading: child reads book of choice independently during the school day, parents report 150 or more print books in home; parents encourage reading by helping child find books, child knows his or her reading level as reported by school, and parents encourage reading through various strategies. What can parents do with the results of this report? Approximately 70% of children in all age groups agreed with this statement: “I would read more if I could find more books that I like.” Parents can help their children find more books then let their children pick ones that they would like to read. Parents may not read or be interested the same books as their children. However, they should understand their children enough to seek out books that will appeal to their children. Some of the favorite books of younger children are Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants; older children like Hunger Games and Harry Potter. Why do children like these kinds of books? Children want books with characters like them or with plots that resonate with experiences in their lives. Parents could occasionally read the same books as their children and even talk to them about the books and what is interesting in them. Reading for fun can be enjoyable not only when we are children but also when we are adults. The habits of early childhood can lead to enriching experiences as adults; these tendencies can also help children if and when they themselves become parents. Michael K. Smith, Ph.D., is owner of TESTPREP EXPERTS (www.testprepexperts.com ) which prepares students for standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT. He is also a consultant to Discovery Education Assessment. He can reached at mike@testprepexperts.com.

Knoxville Parent • January 2015

It’s All Right To Cry by Kathryn Rea Smith, Ph.D.

hen I was a seven-year-old girl, I watched a television program called “Free To Be . . .You and Me.” Marlo Thomas, in collaboration with many gifted writers and entertainers, produced a show that promoted “independence and self-fulfillment, the human need for love, sharing and mutual assistance, [and] the joys of creative cooperative relationships with one’s parents, siblings, and friends” (from www.freetobefoundation.org/ history.htm). I loved the television program so much that my mother purchased the Free to Be record album which I played so often I practically wore it out. The songs and stories featured on the album have themes promoting tolerance and acceptance. It also undermines stereotypes of all kinds, specifically gender stereotypes. One of the songs that stood out to me in particular was “It’s All Right to Cry” performed on the television program and album by former professional football defensive lineman, Rosey Grier. He was considered a “gentle giant” of a man that no one would dream questioning his masculinity. It’s All Right to Cry* It’s all right to cry Crying gets the sad out of you. It’s all right to cry It might make you feel better. Raindrops from your eyes Washing all the mad out of you. Raindrops from your eyes It might make you feel better. It’s all right to feel things Though the feelings may be strange. Feelings are such real things And they change and change And change . . . Sad and grumpy. Down in the dumpy Snuggly huggly. Mean and ugly Sloppy slappy. Hoppy happy Change and change and change . . . It’s alright to know Feelings come and feelings go. And it’s all right to cry It might make you feel better. At the end of his television performance, Mr. Grier looks straight into the camera and says, “It’s all right to cry little boy…I know some big boys that cry, too” (the video of his performance can be viewed on YouTube or at http://www.roseygrier. com/video-gallery/). When I had children of my own, I ordered a CD version of the Free to Be album so that I could play it for them. The messages in the songs are just as relevant today as they were in the early 1970’s. Mr. Grier’s song, which came to be known in our house as “The Crying Song,” was requested by both of my sons at bedtime on occasions when they felt sad about something. The song reinforced my message to them that feelings are natural, normal, and acceptable. Even difficult feelings are bearable when we have emotional support. There was a period of time when my younger son asked to hear the song almost nightly following the unexpected death

“The messages in the songs are just as relevant today as they were in the early 1970’s.” of his beloved preschool teacher’s disabled son. As we listened to the song, my son and I held on tight to each other as we dealt with the reality of the pain of loss together. My boys are older now. Several years have passed since “The Crying Song” was played in our home, and the Free to Be CD is now safely stored in a box of treasures I am saving for my future grandchildren. The important lessons from “It’s All Right to Cry” have not been forgotten. Both of my sons are still able to cry when they are feeling hurt or sad. Thank you, Mr. Grier! *”It’s All Right To Cry,” lyrics and music by Carol Hall, Copyright ©1972 Free To Be Foundation, Inc. Used by permission. Kathryn Rea Smith, Ph.D. is a private practice psychologist specializing in psychological assessment and parenting consultation. Dr. Smith can be reached at kerea@aol.com.

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Knoxville Parent • January 2015

Should My Child Learn To Play A Musical Instrument? By Jeff Comas

n my 25+ years as a music educator I have never met a single person who says they regret being able to play a musical instrument. On the flip side I have met many people that tell me they wish they had learned to play music when they were young, or that they wish they had never quit playing music. Music is an integral part of the human experience. It can sooth us, it can excite us, and it can even help us express what words cannot. We seem to be born wired for music. Most of us have seen little babies that cannot even talk yet, but they can groove/dance to music. Aside from the nearly universal love of music we seem to have, the study of music has been linked to many positive benefits for the mental development of children (adults too). Numerous scientific studies show multiple advantages of learning to play a musical instrument. In fact these studies show that music students outperform their non-musical peers in subjects such as math, language, and science. Additionally, music students seem to have better social skills and more confidence in public presentation situations (i.e. public speaking & other public performances). Below is a list of 15 reasons to study music. 1. Boost Brain Power Music stimulates the parts of the brain that are related to reading, math, and emotional development. 2. Improved Memory The patterns and sequences of music improve memory skills. 3. Improved Social Skills Working with teachers and other music students helps musicians learn about teamwork & cooperative action. 4. Build Confidence As a musician’s skills improve with practice, so does their self -confidence. Musicians who participate in performances like recitals will become more comfortable in other public situations, too. (BTW our academy hosts two recitals every year) 5. Constant Learning The subject of music is so broad that nobody can know all there is to know, so there is always something else to learn. (This is why the love of playing music can last a lifetime)

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“...the study of music has been linked to many positive benefits for H u the mental development of children os s (adults too).” m 6. Expression

C Music can express emotional nuances for which there are C no words. s 7. Discipline p f To learn music one must be persistent and continuously work outside of the C classroom. b 8. Creativity w The act of playing music is a creative activity. Playing music teaches us to think 1 creatively and builds problem-solving skills. r 9. Spatial-Temporal Reasoning Skills. C Music training has been shown to improve one’s ability to read maps, put puzzles A together, form mental images, transform/visualize things in space that develop over time, and recognize relationships between objects. (These skills are helpful in s science and math) “ 10. Understanding Abstract Symbolisms Musical symbols expand the range of abstract symbols (like numbers and letters) s T that students are exposed to. p 11. Logic Skills c The rhythm of music utilize fractions, ratios, and proportions, which are all a important to the logic of math. 12. Improve Motor Skills Performing music helps the brain learn the body’s neural network, which assists motor development, especially coordination of hands and eyes. 13. Improve Diction Skills In vocal music learning rhythm, phrasing, and pitch greatly enhances language, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary skills.

a s

B t a

14. Decision Making

t t C 15. Listening Skills a Music students quickly learn that careful listening increases their rate of learning. d t A few other things to think about: l Students who play instruments are more likely to stay in school longer. You a can play music your whole life, and it exercises more of your brain than any w other activity. I So, should your child learn to play music? I think the answer is pretty obvious, S but I’ll let you decide. I rest my case. When musicians learn improvisation they must make a series of rapid decisions based on anticipation of what is about to happen.

Jeff Comas started playing music at 5 years of age. He has been a music educator since 1989, and has given over 40,000 music lessons.

D F t

Knoxville Parent • January 2015

Code-Writers Of TN: Developing A Smarter Tomorrow by Knox County Schools, Great Schools Partnership, and United Way of Greater Knoxville

earing high school “code writers” talk shop is an experience with a virtual language, and now, using terms like JQuery, JSon, SSH, GitHub, SQL and others, these digital natives have the opportunity to solve real-world problems that can affect energy use, save lives, impact communities, and connect family members. On November 20, 7 p.m., at the Knoxville Convention Center, seven teams from the Knox County Schools, as well as those from other area high schools, presented web-based solutions to real-world problems in the first-ever code- writing competition for high school students in the state of Tennessee, CODEtn. CODEtn was organized by Great Schools Partnership and endorsed by United Way of Greater Knoxville to challenge teams to produce dynamic web applications to alleviate or solve community problems. In all, more than 100 students from the Knox County Schools have participated in CODEtn, representing Bearden High School, Career Magnet Academy at Pellissippi State, Carter High School, Farragut High School, Hardin Valley Academy, L&N STEM Academy and West High School. “We believe that if high school students can build robots, they can also build software apps,” said Buzz Thomas, President of Great Schools Partnership. “Twenty-seven area teams are on a quest to prove us right!” Since September, the students have been working on their tightly-guarded solutions, which were judged in preliminary online sessions earlier this month. The students and their faculty sponsors share that the students are solving problems to help mankind, connect families in times of need, reach out to the community in a local and global way, address an energy need for school districts and more. Teams from Farragut High School and Bearden High School were named as the two finalists, with Bearden taking home top honors. Their project, a scholarship search engine called “Eruditio”, is available here. “My students like to solve problems and test themselves,” said Vivian West, Business Technology Instructor at Hardin Valley Academy. “In this challenge, they get to practice all aspects of the process design model, which in class is only a theory but now becomes a reality.” CODEtn not only allows the students to test their knowledge of using technology to solve problems, but it also brings into sharp focus the opportunity to apply theory learned in a classroom to practical use in the real world. Through CODEtn, students are acquiring deeper knowledge of computer science and application, programming and creating live web sites, something they generally do not get to do in class, but their lessons learned extend beyond those related to computers. These students, many of whom are self-taught coders, also are learning problem solving, creative thinking, communication skills, scheduling and teamwork. Further, they are working shoulder to shoulder in collaboration with industry mentors from more than 10 regional companies, including Cisco, Informatica, MasterCraft, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PetSafe, Pronova Solutions, Right Click LLC, Scripps Networks, Zalk IT and others. “I’m excited when kids want to learn programming,” said Mary Lin, Distinguished Professional Mathematics and Computer Applications Teacher at Farragut High School. “This skill will open so many doors and opportunities to them no matter what career they seek.” At the November 20 finale, finalists presented and explained their web-based

“...students are solving problems to help mankind, connect families in times of need, reach out to the community in a local and global way, address an energy need for school districts and more.” solutions, and the top two teams were announced. The first-place prize is a $5,000 classroom grant, and second place is a $1,000 grant. Additionally, winning students receive $500 or $250 gift cards from Amazon or The Apple Store. For more information, visit www.codetn.org or contact Buzz Thomas, President of Great Schools Partnership.

Knoxville Parent • January 2015

Dear Knox County Schools’ Families

he start of the new year gives us all an opportunity to look ahead with optimism and reflect with discernment. We often make plans—even resolutions—that build upon successes of the past and challenge us to improve as we move forward. The Knox County Schools’ five-year strategic plan has a little of both: It builds upon successes of the past five years and helps us go deeper into our strategies to help every child have a successful educational experience. The plan—our blueprint—focuses on every student, our employees, our stakeholders and the pursuit to collectively create a pervasive culture of excellence throughout our organization. It builds on successes from the past years, especially those we are seeing in classrooms every day, such as our straight “A”s in achievement on the Tennessee State Report Card, which includes state, district and school-level information on achievement, value-added growth, graduation rates, ACT results and more. The “A”s in achievement were in reading/language arts, math, science and social studies. In value-added results, the Knox County Schools achieved a composite Level 5 (the highest level) on the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS), as well as a Level 5 value-added score in overall numeracy. Valueadded Report Card grades were C, A, B and A for reading/language arts, math, science and social studies, respectively. Value-added data measure student growth within a grade and subject, which demonstrate the influence the district, school and teacher have on students’ performance. Other significant outcomes of excellence in education include improvements in our graduation rate and ACT score. The four-year high school graduation rate for the class of 2014 was 88.7 percent, up from 87.7 percent in 2013 (and from 79.3 in 2008), and the Knox County School’s composite ACT score also improved in 2014, reaching 20.4, up from 20.2 in 2013. These recent successes give us part of the picture about our students’ performance and achievement. Another vital indicator of success in the Knox County Schools is the incredible achievements of our award-winning educators. This school year alone, principals, teachers and counselors are receiving local, state and national awards that recognize their commitment to students, excellence in the classroom, service to the community and more. These and many other measures tell us we are blessed by teachers, counselors, and administrators whose life’s work is providing excellence for every child. We have more to do, however, to ensure every child in the Knox County

“...we are blessed by teachers, counselors, and administrators whose life’s work is providing excellence for every child.” Schools receives the gift of an excellent education—including addressing achievement gaps and performance in literacy and reading/language arts, but we have much to celebrate. I invite you to join me in celebration of our successes and presentation of our strategies for the future at the fourth annual State of the Schools Address scheduled for Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 6 p.m. at a school to be announced soon. I, along with some very special guests, will provide our community with an overview of academic progress in the Knox County Schools, give an update on implementation of our five-year strategic plan and outline our educational goals and aspirations for the coming year. I hope you can join us for this important update on public education in our community. Reflecting upon the past year, I am reminded of how precious a gift it is to be able to educate the young people of our community. I feel fortunate to work with so many educators, administrators, community members and parents who are determined to do what’s best for our schools and students. I look forward to our continued collaboration as we seek to achieve our ambitious goal of Excellence for Every Child. Sincerely, Jim McIntyre Superintendent

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Knoxville Parent • January 2015

Raising Children To Be Smart Decision Makers By Tracey Matthews, Supervisor of the Knox County Schools Family and Community Engagement Department Contributing Writer: Eliza Norrell, Family and Community Engagement Department Communications Intern

s children grow into young adults, they can face A potential roadblocks to success through negative peer pressure. To resist the pressure to engage in risky activities,

children need years of practice with decision making, so when it really counts, they will have the confidence and discipline to say, “No, I don’t need to do that.” Remember, even though adolescents are easily influenced by their friends, most young people still place a high value on the input their parents and caregivers communicate. The tips below can help you practice decision making with your children: Give young children a small set of healthy options. Whenever possible, give toddlers and early elementary school children choices regarding how they spend their time, what they eat and what they wear. In doing so, you will make them feel empowered and adult-like. It is essential, however, that you give them a limited, healthy pool of options from which to pick. For example, letting a first-grader have complete freedom to choose a snack in a mega-market can be overwhelming. Instead, give your son or daughter the option to select from four snack choices of which you approve and explain why you chose the options over others. By allowing your child to make even these little choices, you demonstrate your respect for their opinions without surrendering your authority as the parent. Allow your child to make bad decisions. As long as your son or daughter is not making a choice that is dangerous or unhealthy, let him or her learn a few lessons the hard way. By allowing your child to make some minor mistakes, you will teach him or her about consequences. Debate popular issues. In order to know how to make good decisions, children must possess the following: critical-thinking skills, the ability to see sides of an issue and the confidence to articulate their opinions and stand by them. One way to help your children develop these assets might include reading an article together and then discussing how you agree and disagree with it. For example, read an article about social media and then talk about advantages and disadvantages of using Facebook and Twitter. Praise their good decisions. Point out when your child makes good decisions. For example, if your daughter stands up to a friend who is being unfair or chooses to hang out with a less popular classmate or befriends someone because he or she is a positive influence, praise her and explain the value of her decision. If your son starts playing a new sport and excels at it, applaud him for making an independent decision to choose a hobby that matches his natural abilities. When you acknowledge your children’s good decisions, they will be more likely to be smart decision makers in the future. Respectfully disagree with your child. If your child wants to make a decision that is different from yours, respect that choice, as long as the way is not harmful. If your child can stand up to you, he or she is more likely to be able to stand up to a friend who tries to pressure him or her into doing something dangerous. Practice! Practice! Practice! Rehearse decision making with your child so he or she will be fully prepared to make smart decisions. As your children reach their teenage years, regularly talk about the pressures to engage in dangerous activities like drinking and doing drugs. By not treating these discussion topics as taboo, your son or daughter will feel more comfortable talking to you if faced with compromising situations. As long as your child maintains an open conversation with you, you as the parent will have more leeway to steer him or her toward good decisions.

On behalf of the Knox County Schools Family and Community Engagement Department, thank you for reading our monthly articles. Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year! For more information on the resources available to Knox County Schools’ students and families, visit us online at knoxschools.org/fce. Family Resource Of The Month: Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) KARM provides the basic needs of food, safety and shelter for those in emergency need. Meals are served three times a day, every day of the year. These meals are not only for the homeless but also for those individuals and families faced with the choice of having food or meeting other needs. Meal Hours: Breakfast: 6:30 a.m. until 8 a.m. Lunch: 11:15 a.m. until 1 p.m. Dinner: 4:45 p.m. until 6 p.m. For shelter hours and information on other opportunities such as job training and recovery programs, contact KARM at 673-6540 or email info@karm.org.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the books

It’s hard to ignore lessons on nature when you’re holding it in the palm of your hand. Parents, have your kids ever spent 3-5 days living and learning in the best outdoor classroom -- Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Ask their teachers how your students can experience hands-on environmental education that will impact their lives for years to come.

www.gsmit.org/parent.html (865) 448-6709 @GSMITremont

Knoxville Parent • January 2015

A Focus On Contemporary Art by Angela C. Thomas, Director of Marketing

he Knoxville Museum of Art announces two new exhibitions: LIFT: Contemporary Printmaking in the Third Dimension and Contemporary Focus 2015. Both exhibitions run January 30-April 19, 2015. LIFT: Contemporary Printmaking in the Third Dimension examines the work of international contemporary artists who use a variety of strategies to bring a sculptural dimension to printmaking. Featured artists include Enrique Chagoya, Lesley Dill, Olafur Eliasson, Robert Gober, Red Grooms, Jane Hammond, Karla Wozniak, Mountain Hideki Kimura, Nicola Lopez, Leslie Building, 2014 Mutchler, Oscar Munoz, Marilene Oliver, Dieter Roth, Graciela Sacco, and Jonathan Stanish. LIFT is organized by the KMA and presented in conjunction with the Printmaking Program, School of Art, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the 2015 Southern Graphics Council International Conference. Presenting sponsors include Emerson Process Management and the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Contemporary Focus 2015 is part of a series of exhibitions organized by the KMA that feature significant but underrecognized artists living and working in East Tennessee. This year’s artists are Caroline Covington, Chattanooga; Mira Gerard, Johnson City; and Karla Wozniak, Knoxville. All three examine the uncertain terrain between personal experience and external reality, and between civilization and nature, using both abstraction and representation. Presenting sponsors for Contemporary Focus 2015 include Emerson Process Management Mira Gerard, River of and Texas Instruments. Forgetting, 2012 The public is invited to a free opening preview at the museum Thursday, January 29 5:30-7:30pm. Contemporary Focus 2015 artists will be on hand to answer questions about their work. Media sponsors for both exhibitions include Access Systems Inc, Digital Media Graphix, Kurt Zinser Design, and WBIR. The Knoxville Museum of Art The Knoxville Museum of Art celebrates the art and artists of East Tennessee, presents new art and new ideas, serves and educates diverse audiences, and enhances Knoxville’s quality of life. The museum is located in downtown Knoxville at 1050 World’s Fair Park and is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday 10am–5pm, and Sunday 1pm-5pm. Admission and parking are free. For more information, contact Angela Thomas at 865.934.2034 or visit www.knoxart.org.

Knoxville Parent • January 2015

How To Deal With A Negative Attitude By Mike O’Hern, Center Director of Mathnasium of West Knoxville

o you ever wonder why in the world we use number lines that are horizontal? How arbitrary is that? Right is positive and left is negative? Why? Sure, we’ll need to use horizontal when we have multiple axes, but for a simple number line to start learning how numbers work, I think the number line should be vertical. If we add up and subtract down that seems a bit more intuitive to me, and it will really come in handy when we start to learn about negative numbers. Negative numbers are not too difficult to grasp if we find various ways to talk about them. We can start with the swimming pool, of course. If your head is seven feet above the water when you’re on the diving board, then you jump up three feet (with a good bounce, of course!), how high is your head now? Simple: 7 + 3 = 10. But that jump ends up putting your head under water eventually. From your peak height you fell down 13 feet, so where’s your head now? Okay, it’s ten feet to the water, so you have three more feet to go. Your head is now three feet under the water. Since the surface of the water is our reference point, we’ll call that zero. So 7 + 3 = 10, then 10 – 13 = -3. The set of numbers that includes all of the whole numbers (0, 1, 2, 3, …) and their negative counterparts (-1, -2, -3, …) is called integers. Working with integers can be a challenge for a lot of students until it finally clicks. That’s why we need multiple ways to think about them. Some seem to get it when we talk about money. If I have ten dollars and I want to buy something for 20, I can borrow ten from you, right? (Please…) So when I’ve bought my thing I now have not zero dollars, but I have negative ten dollars (because I owe it to you). If I earn five dollars how much do I have? Negative five, because I paid you back half of what I owe you. Now if I earn 12 dollars, how much will I have? Well, I’ll take five from the 12 to pay you the balance leaving seven for

me. 10 - 20 = -10, -10 + 5 = -5, -5 + 12 = 7. Here’s the fun part. On that second step we actually paid back some of the debt, so instead of adding five, we subtracted negative five, right? That would be -10 – (-5) = -5. There’s more we could do here, but let’s move on to think of another strategy. There is a staircase in a castle. There’s a landing at the main level (we’ll call that zero), and the stairs go up to the tower in one direction and down to the dungeon in the other. As the maiden goes onto the landing, she can be in a positive mood or a negative one. When her mood is positive, she looks up toward the tower. When it’s negative, she looks down toward the dungeon. In either case she may either add steps or subtract them. If she’s in a negative mood and adds five steps she’ll be five steps below the landing, at step -5. If her moods doesn’t change, and she subtracts four steps (meaning she’ll walk backwards up the stairs) she’ll end up at step -1. Her mood changes to positive and, she adds four more steps, so she ends up at step 3 (positive three). We started with 0 + -5 = -5. We added a negative five. Then, we said -5 – (-4) = -1. We subtracted a negative four. Finally -1 + 4 = 3. We added a positive 4. (Okay, it seems this one works better when I preen about like a maiden on stairs, but I hope you get the drift.) Well I find myself out of space, so maybe next time we can look into this a bit further. I’m having fun! As owner and director at Mathnasium (a math learning center with locations in West Knoxville and Chattanooga (www.mathnasium.com/westknoxville) for the past five years, Mike has extensive experience teaching children and young adults the foundations of math concepts that are crucial to building their confidence and engagement with math throughout life.

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Knoxville Parent • January 2015

Join The Healthy Living Expo!

January 23-24, 2015 at the Knoxville Convention Center

he area’s largest event focused on health, fitness, nutrition and living green returns for the tenth year to the Knoxville Convention Center on Friday, January 23 from 9-3 and Saturday, January 24 from 9-4 and offers interactive, educational exhibits, demonstrations and presentations. Over 130 individual companies fill more than 250 exhibits. The Expo continues to grow each year from its launch in 2005 as we expect over 8,000 visitors! Shake Off Those Winter Blues! Returning Expo favorites include the Eat Right Stage and the Get Active Stage. Also, get into the swing of Golf with Three Ridges Golf swing lessons, and brush up on your painting techniques with Paint the Town. The areas feature activities and speakers offering healthy living tools, tips and techniques with prize drawings after every activity. Expo visitors have access to free health checks and can participate in fitness activities at the Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center pavilion. Healthy Living! With exhibitors representing products and services relating to healthcare, nutrition, fitness, natural health, family fitness and “green” living, visitors to the Healthy Living Expo are sure to find something to enhance their lifestyles. By participating in Expo activities, watching demonstrations, sampling nutritious foods, gathering information and accessing dozens of FREE health checks, visitors leave better prepared to meet the challenge of Healthy Living. Free Tickets! Below is a free ticket to the event. Tickets are $10 at the door, but this free ticket can be cut out and copied or additional free tickets can be printed from the website www.thehealthylivingexpo.com/knoxville.

WHY WAIT? Enroll at Dental Staff School and start your new career today! What sets us apart from other schools? With Dental Staff School, you begin right away. We’re leading the way with online, interactive classrooms. This means you can study to become a dental assistant at your own convenience. Combined with a hands-on class that meets for 10 Saturdays from 8am -5pm, you will find yourself moving into your future faster than imagined. Scared of the price tag that comes with top quality education? You don’t need to be! The program price includes an online classroom, 3 certifications, tuition, supplies, and TN RDA license. Want more? We also offer front office administration, orthodontic assisting, dental instructor training as well as continuing education classes for sealant, nitrous, and coronal polishing.

Dental Staff School – Make it Happen.

DentalStaffSchool.com 1715 Downtown West Blvd. Knoxville, TN 37919 PARTNERING WITH:

Cedar Bluff Dental Center, P.C. 9221 Middlebrook Pike, Ste. 201, Knoxville, TN 37931 www.CedarBluffDentalCenter.com

Keep your teeth healthy for a lifetime!

Knoxville Parent • January 2015

10 Terrific Books: Making Good Decisions Compiled by Erin Nguyen

Children’s Department, Knox County Public Library

Pick a Pup by Marsha Wilson Chall PreK-2nd Choosing a pet can be difficult, and Sam is worried he won’t be able to select just the right puppy when he visits the shelter with Gram.

The Waffler by Gail Donovan 3rd-5th Monty is a waffler, someone who can’t make decisions, and he’ll be in big trouble with his teacher if he can’t make a choice for an important class project soon.

The Hidden Agenda of Sigrid Sugden by Jill MacLean 6th-9th Bully Sigrid must decide whether helping a classmate is worth standing up to her friends and shedding her bad-girl image.

Pete the Cat: Too Cool for School by James Dean PreK-2nd Pete the Cat must choose the coolest outfit to wear to school by selecting from a variety of options.

Betty Bunny Wants Everything by Michael B. Kaplan PreK-2nd Betty Bunny faces a difficult decision when her parents tell her that she can’t have every toy at the toy store.

Give and Take by Chris Raschka PreK-2nd An apple farmer learns a valuable lesson about cooperation and sharing when he takes the advice of two little men named Give and Take.

How They Choked: Failures, Flops, and Flaws of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg 5th-8th Despite trying to make good decisions, sometimes people make mistakes, and author Bragg has included some of the biggest blunders in history in this funny, informative book.

Snap Decision by Nathan Whitaker 5th-8th Eighth-grader Chase faces the difficult decision of whether or not to tell the truth about his best friend and teammate Tripp’s injury during a football game.

For library information in your area visit: www.knoxlib.org/

I Did It Without Thinking: True Stories about Impulsive Decisions That Changed Lives by Bob Hugel 7th-12th In this book teens discuss the real, life-changing quick decisions they made and the consequences of those choices, both good and bad.

Willow by Tonya Cherie Hegamin 9th-12th In pre-Civil War Maryland, young slave Willow is torn between obedience to her master and helping a free black man guide other slaves to freedom.

Knoxville Parent â&#x20AC;˘ January 2015

Walker Springs - 8425 Kingston Pike (Beside The Rush) - (865) 690-8819 Turkey Creek - 11330 Parkside Dr (Behind Calhounâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) - (865) 671-6699 Northshore - 2028 Town Center Blvd (Publix Shopping Center) - (865) 851-8029 Hardin Valley - 10720 Hardin Valley Rd (Beside Firehouse Subs) - (865) 200-5548 Maryville - 2020 West Broadway - (865) 5916223