Knoxville Parent July 2015 by Knoxville Parent

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KNOXVILLE

In This Issue... Teaching Tolerance “Perspectives for a Diverse America offers an enriching program that helps parents, teachers, and students understand, discuss, and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds.”

July 2015 Volume IV • Issue VI Adam and Samantha Kalwas, Publishers Advisory Board

Contributing Writers

Sr. Mary Marta Abbott, RSM The Diocese of Knoxville

Jeff Comas Knox County Health Department Knox County Schools Tracey Matthews Erin Nguyen Roseline Pierre Kathryn Rea Smith, Ph.D. Michael K. Smith, Ph.D TIS Insurance, Inc The Hanover

Marie Alcorn United Way of Greater Knoxville Mike Bailey Small Business Representative

PAGE 4

An Inside Look At Inside Out “By helping our children develop the ability to feel and express sadness, we are also facilitating in them a greater ability to experience joy.” PAGE 5

Getting The Most Out Of Practice: Chapter Three “The skill of reading and writing music notation allows musicians to more clearly understand what they play and to communicate with each other.”

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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Contents 4 Teaching Tolerance

11 The Breaking Point: A Body Farm Novel

5 An Inside Look At Inside Out

12 Extension Hours For Back-To-School

Immunizations 13 Understanding Car Recalls: Better Safe

6-7 Getting The Most Out Of Practice:

Than Sorry

Chapter Three

14 10 Terrific Books: Learn Something New!

8 An Update From Knox County Schools 9 Getting Ready for The New School Year:

The Do’s and the Don’ts

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Knoxville Parent • July 2015

Teaching Tolerance By Michael K. Smith, Ph.D.

iven the recent tragic events in Charleston, we are reminded once again of the importance of understanding and accepting different points of view in our society. Teaching Tolerance is an organization “dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations and supporting equitable school experiences to our nation’s children.” Founded in 1991 by the Southern Poverty Law Center, this organization publishes free educational materials for teachers, students, and parents. Perspectives for a Diverse America is one such effort (http://perspectives. tolerance.org/). Perspectives for a Diverse America seeks to promote four goals of anti-bias education, originally developed by Louise Derman-Sparks in 1989. Identity: Each child will demonstrate self-awareness, confidence, family pride, and positive social identities. Diversity: Each child will express comfort and joy with human diversity; accurate language for human differences; and deep, caring human connections. Justice: Each child will increasingly recognize unfairness, have language to describe unfairness, and understand that unfairness hurts. Action: Each child will demonstrate empowerment and the skills to act, with others or alone, against prejudice and/or discriminatory actions. Specific standards and activities for each goal were developed by the Teaching Tolerance under the guidance of its director Maureen Costello. At the heart of this curriculum is a Central Text Anthology composed of hundreds of excerpts from literary, informational, visual, and multimedia texts. Passages can be selected on various criteria: grade level, lens (community, immigration, religion, and gender, for example), themes (freedom and choice or struggle and progress, for example), and the four anti-bias domains. Since I have a son in middle school, I used the following criteria: Grades 6-8, Informational, Race and Ethnicity, Individual and Society, and Justice.

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“Perspectives for a Diverse America offers an enriching program that helps parents, teachers, and students understand, discuss, and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds.” From the several selections that appeared, I read an excerpt from Bone Black, a memoir by the AfricanAmerican writer Bell Hooks. Hooks writes about the integration of blacks into all white schools in the 1960s: “Although black and white attend the same school, blacks sit with blacks and whites with whites. In the cafeteria there is no racial mixing. When hands reach out to touch across these boundaries whites protest, blacks protest as well. Each one seeing it as a going over to the other side. School is a place where we came face to face with racism. When we walk through the rows of national guardsmen with their uniforms and guns we think that we will be the first to die, to lay our bodies down. We feel despair and long for the days when school was a place where we learned to love and celebrate ourselves, a place where we were number one.” Using this historical text as a starting point, teachers could have students explore current issues related to racial integration. Students could journal about their reactions in similar situations. Students can write informed letters to corporate or elected officials calling for specific responses to a contemporary incident in the community. Students could plan, write, and distribute print or digital journalism related to this social problem. Students could also write and perform a skit or monologue that addresses racial integration. This curriculum offers specific lesson plans to help teachers with each of these projects. During a formal evaluation of this program, one veteran teacher noted how this curriculum enabled her to talk about sensitive topics in the classroom: “When we started the training and we were concerned about how we would talk about this stuff, they gave an introduction to the program where they say right away: ‘You won’t be putting your kids on the spot or making them feel like they’re awkward or in the spotlight or feeling bad about themselves. You do it through the text.’” Perspectives for a Diverse America offers an enriching program that helps parents, teachers, and students understand, discuss, and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds. Tolerance can be taught, and this education should help reduce tension and conflict within American society. 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 • July 2015

An Inside Look At Inside Out By Kathryn Rea Smith, Ph.D.

ver the July 4th weekend my family and I saw the new Pixar movie Inside Out. Everyone from my 12-year-old son to my 72-year-old mother thought it was terrific. The movie shows the inner workings of the mind of Riley, an 11-year-old girl who moves with her parents from Minnesota to San Francisco, as she leaves behind friends she has known all her life. Inside Riley’s mind there are five “characters”, each representing a different emotion—Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust and Sadness. These characters reside in “headquarters” in Riley’s brain and take turns operating a control console in response to events in Riley’s daily life. Whereas prior to the move, Riley’s emotional life was fairly orderly, the move represents a developmental crisis that wreaks havoc upon Riley’s emotions. Initially, Riley’s parents are too preoccupied with tasks related to the move to notice her distress. Inside Riley’s mind, Joy tries desperately to remain dominant and to keep Sadness away from the control console, an effort which leaves Anger, Fear and Disgust temporarily in charge of Riley’s emotional life. Sadness is portrayed as a burdensome drag whose mere touch will ruin everything. Eventually, though, Joy learns to value and appreciate Sadness as an essential member of the team of emotions. She grows to understand that Riley’s losses must be acknowledged and grieved. The movie culminates in a scene in which Riley courageously confesses her sadness to her parents who respond with loving, compassionate support. During this very moving encounter, Joy and Sadness both have hands on the control console, representing the reality that important events in our lives are often infused with a mix of emotions—in this case the sadness of loss alongside the joy of emotional connection with supportive others. Most adults know intellectually that sadness is a normal, natural emotion and completely appropriate in the face of losses, great and small. Despite this knowledge, many of us resist feeling it ourselves. In fact, we will go to great lengths to deny our sorrow and minimize the impact of our losses. To the extent that we are limited in our capacity to experience sadness, we will have a hard time tolerating our children’s sadness. Conversely, if we are open to our own sadness, we will be more receptive to our children when they feel sad. Riley’s parents are great models in this regard. In the face of Riley’s sorrow, her parents comforted her, validated her feelings, and spoke to her of their own sadness about the move and the things they missed about Minnesota. Riley learned that her feelings were normal and acceptable and that she was not the only one in her family feeling sad. The movie Inside Out captures a paradox at play in the relationship between sadness and joy. Consider a passage from The Prophet by Kahil Gibran: Your joy is your sorrow unmasked The selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears And how else can it be?

“By helping our children develop the ability to feel and express sadness, we are also facilitating in them a greater ability to experience joy.” The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

inseparable.

…Some of you say “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.” But I say unto you, they are

As Gibran so elegantly expresses, our capacity for joy and sadness are intimately linked. By helping our children develop the ability to feel and express sadness, we are also facilitating in them a greater ability to experience joy. 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.

Knoxville Parent • July 2015

Getting The Most Out Of Practice Chapter Three: Why Read Music? Part I By Jeff Comas

“Today I find that reading music and understanding music theory makes it easier for me to be creative.”

believe that learning to read music is an important part of becoming a musician. However, there are those who will point out that many wonderful musicians do not read music. I freely admit this is true, but there are also many great musicians who do read music.

they learn their music by reading or some other means.

Let’s equate a wonderful musician to a fantastic storyteller. I’m sure that there are many fantastic storytellers all over the world right now that do not read or write language, yet still deliver a captivating tale. Their skill does not rely on reading or written language; it relies on an intriguing delivery of the message. A musician can learn to deliver an intriguing message through their instrument with practice and experience. This is regardless of whether

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Some even believe that reading music hinders creativity or “originality.” This idea is prevalent in popular music lore. Even Sir Paul McCartney famously fears that learning to read music would interfere with his writing of music. I once even bought into this notion myself and resisted reading music through much of adolescence and early adulthood. If we listen to music do we care if the musician is literate? I don’t, I just like the music I like.

So why go to the trouble of learning to read music? Those of us that love to read stories and books know that reading and writing have not stifled the creativity of our favorite authors. Playing music on an instrument is like telling a story. Reading music is like reading a story aloud. Music notation is a way for one musician to write a musical story that another musician can read and tell to others. Long ago, I came to think the idea of musical literacy as a hindrance to creativity as utter nonsense. Today I find that reading music and understanding music theory makes it easier for me to be creative. By the way, I think many are somewhat intimidated by the term “music theory” but it is really just an organizational tool. As I played with more and more musicians, it became apparent to me that my musician friends who did read music were not uncreative. In fact the “educated” musicians tended to be just as creative, plus they generally played better and articulated their ideas more clearly. Some were even willing to teach me about things like music theory, and I became increasingly intrigued. Eventually this led me down a delayed

Knoxville Parent • July 2015

path to college and the serious study of music (I dropped out of engineering school to play music at 19 years of age). It boils down to this: the skill of reading and writing music notation allows musicians to more clearly understand what they play and to communicate with each other. Okay, why don’t all musicians learn “The skill of reading and to read id it’s so beneficial? Well, a variety of issues surround the topic. As writing music notation allows musicians to mentioned earlier, reading is not the only way to learn music; if you play an more clearly understand instrument enough you will become what they play and to proficient. Most performers of pop music perform without written music communicate with each and play from memory. Also, unlike the other.” skills of reading and writing language, reading and writing music is not necessary in our modern society. Thusly, reading music is not a requirement in most school systems. Furthermore, the challenges of learning to read music vary with a student’s age, their learning style, and the commitment of the student and/or parent to learning.

I believe all people should learn to read music. I have witnessed firsthand how learning to read music helps children (and adults) develop their cognitive abilities, improve their understanding of concepts such as time and space, pitch, volume, conservation, division and n multiplication, and increase their attention span. To me it’s a vital part of music. So how is all this related to getting the most out of practice? If you understand why reading music is beneficial it is easier to commit to learning. Children need their parents to commit to assisting the process. If you are committed, frankly, it is easier to learn. As with most learned skills, brief but frequent practice tends to be the best and easiest learning method. Next time in Part 2 of this chapter, we’ll discuss how age relates to learning to read music. Till then, let it be easy. Jeff Comas started playing music at 5 years of age. He is the owner of Allied Music Instructors. He has been a music educator since 1989, and has given over 40,000 music lessons.

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Knoxville Parent • July 2015

An Update From Knox County Schools By Knox County Schools

s the Knox County Schools prepares for another successful school year, at this mid-point in summer, an update on three important items might be helpful to the families of the Knox County Schools. School Calendar There has been much conversation about the school calendar, particularly the possibility of moving to a balanced calendar. One of the greatest potential benefits of a balanced calendar centers around opportunities to intervene for students who are struggling and provide enriching extended learning opportunities for those who are not. Unfortunately, one of the greatest potential drawbacks of this model is the significant cost associated with these educational opportunities. Although a balanced calendar would likely be helpful to the students in the Knox County Schools, the budget realities in which the school district is currently operating and the unlikely chance that the fundamentally limited revenue structure will improve in the near future (see below) make a balanced calendar impractical at this point. Knox County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre recommended to the Board of Education that the school district apply fiscal resources toward other important educational priorities, such as teacher compensation and personalized learning, and not adopt a balanced calendar in the near future. Instead of a balanced calendar, the Superintendent recommended that the school system approve a traditional calendar with a week-long fall break for 2017-2018, similar to the 2016-2017 calendar. This calendar model satisfies the interest in including more significant breaks during the academic year, without adding additional cost. At its July 1 meeting, the Board of Education unanimously approved that calendar for 2017-2018. With the approval of the 2017-2018 calendar, academic calendars for the next three years now are set. This school year, teachers return to their buildings on August 3, 2015, and the first day of school for students is August 10, 2015, which is a half day. Fall break in 2015 will be two days, October 12-13. A link to the three calendars is posted on the front page of knoxschools.org.

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“Knox County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre recommended to the Board of Education that the school district apply fiscal resources toward other important educational priorities, such as teacher compensation and personalized learning, and not adopt a balanced calendar in the near future.” Budget Both the Knox County Commission and the Knox County Board of Education approved the school system’s General School Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16). The budget totals $438 million and provides for a 2 percent raise for teachers as well as the payout of APEX strategic compensation bonuses. The bodies also approved an Intragovernmental Memorandum of Understanding that provides for the construction of two new middle schools. For more information on the FY16 budget, please visit knoxschools.org. Athletic Ticket Pricing At its July 1 meeting, the Board of Education voted to allow the increase of athletics ticket prices by a maximum of $2.00 for football and $1.00 for all other athletic events at middle and high schools. Money collected from the sales of tickets for athletic events stays at individual schools to be put back into the athletics programs and is used for transportation, facilities’ upkeep, insurance, athletic equipment (helmets, uniforms, etc.), and other items relating to athletics. The increases in ticket prices will help ensure middle and high school athletes have safe, updated equipment and facilities and will help the athletics programs keep up with the significantly and rapidly rising costs of managing athletics. Details about costs of athletics programs are available on the agenda from the July 1 Board of Education meeting, which can be accessed at knoxschools.org. The principal and athletic director at each school will determine whether to apply the price increases at their respective schools, and the Knox County Board of Education along with Superintendent McIntyre have encouraged each school to work to lessen the potential financial burden on families due to the increases by considering creative pricing options, such as family and student discounts, season pass pricing or preevent purchasing discounts.

Knoxville Parent • July 2015

Getting Ready for The New School Year: The Do’s and the Don’ts By Tracey Matthews Wynter, Supervisor of the Knox County Schools Family and Community Engagement Department Contributing writer: Roseline Pierre, Family and Community Engagement Department Office Aide

ummer is almost over and it’s time to start getting your child ready to go back to school. There are many tasks you can hand over to your child to help prepare him or her for the new school year and make your job as a parent easier. These ideas will help relieve some of your normal parenting duties as well as teach your children responsibility and promote independence. While these “soft skills” are indirectly tied to academic learning, they are just as important in preparing our youth to be young leaders. While many of you may gasp at some of the suggestions, please continue reading as we’ve included a parent-friendly way to “ease” into sharing hard-to-let-go responsibilities with your children. Morning Motivation - “Wake Up Little Suzie!”- The Everly Brothers •

DON’T serve as your child’s “snooze alarm.”

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DON’T continuously remind your child how much time he or she has left before it’s time for breakfast or to leave for school.

•

DO help them list the tasks that need to be completed each morning (e.g., brush teeth, make bed, etc.).

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DO use CD song selections as task completion “timers” in the morning and at bedtime. The idea is for children to finish a task before each song ends. If you are not ready to trust them to wake up on your first request and insert a CD themselves, you can insert a CD, turn up the volume a little, and hit “play!” This is also a great way to introduce children to music genres or even your favorites!

Daily School Clothing Preparation - “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.”-Rachel Zoe •

DON’T select, set out, or iron your child’s school outfits this year.

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DON’T believe that anyone will notice if your child’s clothes aren’t perfectly pressed.

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DO allow your child to remove his or her clothes from the dryer as soon as the cycle ends to reduce the need for ironing.

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DO review the dress code with your child and discuss any weather-related or other “family dress code” rules you may need to emphasize. Then, consider allowing your child to pick out school and weekend attire. If you’re not ready to fully let go of this responsibility, begin by placing a few outfits or pieces from which your child may select.

Homework Materials – “The dog ate my homework!” –Author Unknown •

DON’T waste time hunting for your student’s sharpened pencils, unwrinkled notebook paper, and other homework supplies this year.

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DON’T beat yourself up if you can’t help your child with every homework assignment.

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DO allow your child to either choose and purchase or decorate a container to use at home as his or her “At Home School Materials” holder. Have them include writing materials, notebook paper, pencil sharpeners, extra erasers, a calculator, homework assistance reference resources, and other supplies that can oftentimes get lost or misplaced at home. A separate “at home” set will reduce the chance of students forgetting to return items to their book bags.

•

DO keep in mind that as parents we don’t have to remember every scientific notation or how to solve all math equations to help our children complete homework assignments. Simply help your child identify resources designed to help him or her complete homework assignments. That is our primary responsibility as it relates to homework completion. Please visit knoxschools.org/fce and select “Homework Assistance Resources” to see a listing of some of the resources available to both students and parents!

Please let us know if you try any of these ideas, and share your success stories! We’d also like to hear your related tips. To share your ideas and topics for future articles, contact Mrs. Tracey Matthews Wynter, Knox County Schools Family and Community Engagement Department Supervisor, tracey.matthews@knoxschools.org, 865-594-9525. For more information and resources available to Knox County Schools’ students and families, please visit us online at knoxschools.org/fce and knoxschools. org/frc. http://www.rif.org/us/literacy-resources/articles/44-proven-ideas-parents-canuse-to-help-their-children-do-better-in-school.htm FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER’S RESOURCE OF THE MONTH: Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett’s Back to School Bash Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett’s fourth annual Back to School Bash will be held on Monday, Aug. 10, 2015, 3-6 p.m., at the Knoxville Expo Center, 5411 Clinton Highway. This annual event is an opportunity for students to get free school supplies and health screenings and enjoy activities, free food, special programs, vendors and more. As always, this event is free and open to the public. For additional local resources, contact Mrs. Tamekia Jackson, Knox County Schools Family Resource Center Director, tamekia.jackson@ knoxschools.org, 865-594-1192. We wish you a wonderful new school year!

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Knoxville Parent • July 2015

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Knoxville Parent • July 2015

The Breaking Point: A Body Farm Novel Book by Jefferson Bass, Reviewed by Michael K. Smith, Ph.D.

“S

o be careful who you trust. Bad guys lie through their teeth. But bugs?” I pointed to the bloated face and the telltale maggots. “You can always believe them. Whatever they tell you, it’s the truth.” Dr. Bill Brockton, the protagonist of the latest Body Farm novel, The Breaking Point, is conducting a training exercise with members of Evidence Response Team of the FBI. This latest forensic mystery features the writing of Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson. Dr. Bass and Jefferson have penned eight previous novels and three works of non-fiction and all of which highlight the fascinating research on how actual corpses decay under various environmental conditions conducted at Dr. Bass’ Body Farm located behind UT’s Medical Center. Dr. Bass is a well-known forensic anthropologist now retired from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. After the exercise ends, Dr. Brockton is summoned to San Diego to help investigate the crash of a small jet piloted by Richard Janus, a well-known humanitarian who founded Airlift Relief International. Mr. Janus was initially flying to Las Vegas, but he veered south toward Mexico and flew straight into a well-known mountain. Questions immediately arise: Was this crash an accident? Did Mr. Janus commit suicide? Was Mr. Janus murdered? The word mystery derives from Greek roots that pertain to “secret rites or doctrine” originally applied to religious contexts. In Part I of this novel, Dr. Brockton leads FBI and NTSB agents through the interesting and mysterious procedures of forensic science as they comb the mountainous wreck site looking for any remaining body parts. After days of digging, several teeth are found which correspond to the dental records of Mr. Janus. Dr. Brockton makes a positive identification of the body. As he prepares to leave, Dr. Brockton eavesdrops on a heated conversation between two agents that suggests that Mr. Janus may have been more than he appeared, perhaps even linked to the Mexican drug cartels.

“East Tennessee residents are treated to a myriad of familiar sites in the Body Farm novels.” Sherlock Holmes in The Sign of Four says that, “The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear thinking.” Dr. Brockton seems to ignore Holmes’ advice in Part II of the novel. Back in Knoxville, Dr. Brockton faces a series of emotional crises. A Nashville news reporter challenges his research done at the Body Farm and his professional ethics. A serial killer from a previous novel reemerges with new threats. Dr. Brockton’s wife, Kathleen, faces serious health issues. Finally, Dr. Brockton’s positive identification of Mr. Janus’ remains is called into question. In this second part, it is hard to say who reaches a breaking point first: the protagonist or the reader. Part III presents a fast-paced conclusion as Dr. Brockton returns to the crash site and almost miraculously uncovers all the clues he needs to identify the remains and solve the mystery of Mr. Janus’ death. As expected, bugs, particularly maggots, play a key role in the final solution. East Tennessee residents are treated to a myriad of familiar sites in the Body Farm novels. Dr. Brockton shops at the Fresh Market, dines with his wife at the Orangery (when he is not cooking ribs in the backyard), watches WBIR, and works in his anthropology offices scattered underneath Neyland Stadium. As Jon Jefferson notes in an afterword, the Body Farm novels blur the boundary between fact and fiction given Dr. Bass’ illustrious career. This fuzziness, however, generates a familiarity that makes these novels interesting to read. 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 • July 2015

Understanding Car Recalls: Better Safe Than Sorry By TIS Insurance Services, Inc and The Hanover

“It may seem to be an inconvenience to have your car repaired, especially if it seems to be running fine, but it can make a lifesaving difference, Churchwell said.”

ith nearly one in five cars recalled by manufacturers last year, local Knoxville residents would be well advised to pay attention and quickly take action, according to a local insurance authority, TIS Insurance Services, Inc. of Knoxville, and its insurance carrier partner, The Hanover. Getting recalled vehicles repaired improves safety for the owner, their passengers and others on the road. The end results are fewer accidents and more lives saved, said Lisa Churchwell, director of public relations and communications at TIS. It may seem to be an inconvenience to have your car repaired, especially if it seems to be running fine, but it can make a lifesaving difference, Churchwell said. How to track recalls With recalls being announced frequently, it can be difficult to keep track of the various manufacturers, models and malfunctions. Here are some tips to help you sort through all the information. •

•

This label means it’s not junk mail. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created a standardized label that car manufacturers are required to use when sending recall notices to help consumers recognize a mailing as legitimate, in hopes of increasing recall completion rates. There’s an app for that. Some helpful tools are available to track recalls,

among them is NHTSA’s free mobile app called SaferCar. The Hanover offers MyHanoverGarage to its Platinum Experience customers, which is a website that tracks car recalls, maintenance and repair information and sends updates to customers. These efforts by the industry, government and companies help drivers quickly sort through all the recall information by sharing relevant information so consumers can respond when recall notices are issued, Churchwell said. Buying used? Check the recall history. Purchasing a used car presents unique challenges in regards to safety recalls. According to Carfax, one in 10 used cars for sale online has a recall that has not been addressed. •

Repaired recalls. Owners are not obligated to fix recalls before selling, so it is important to know about any existing recall notices on the vehicle. Always ask a seller for proof of prior recalls being repaired.

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Check the VIN. If a car has an open recall, the manufacturer, a vehicle history report or the dealer may be able to tell from the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), located inside the front driver’s side door.

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Report it. Consumers can report potential vehicle-related safety defects for review to the NHTSA by calling 1-800-424-9393.

For questions and advice on car safety, liability or auto insurance coverage, contact TIS Insurance. ABOUT TIS INSURANCE SERVICES TIS Insurance Services, Inc. (TIS) is an independent, privately-owned insurance consulting and brokerage agency. TIS has served the insurance needs of policyholders in Tennessee and throughout the Southeast since 1945. With over 135 employees, TIS is the largest independently owned insurance agency in Tennessee and was once again named a Top 100 Agency out of 30,000 Independent Agencies nationwide by Insurance Journal magazine. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee with additional offices in Atlanta, Georgia and the Carolinas, TIS serves over 6,000+ individuals and businesses in 47 states. ABOUT THE HANOVER The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc., based in Worcester, Mass., is the holding company for several property and casualty insurance companies, which together constitute one of the largest insurance businesses in the United States. For more than 160 years, The Hanover has provided a wide range of property and casualty products and services to individuals, families, and businesses. The Hanover distributes its products through a select group of independent agents and brokers. Together with its agents, the company offers specialized coverages for small and mid-sized businesses, as well as insurance protection for homes, automobiles, and other personal items. Through its international member company, Chaucer, The Hanover also underwrites business at Lloyd’s of London in several major insurance and reinsurance classes, including marine, property and energy. For more information, please visit hanover.com.

Knoxville Parent • July 2015

Extension Hours For Back-To-School Immunizations By Knox County Health Department

eginning July 27, the Knox County Health Department (KCHD) will offer extended hours to better accommodate parents seeking back-toschool vaccinations for their children. KCHD’s Travel and Immunization Clinic, and West and Teague Clinics will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday from July 27 through August 7. “The extra hours per week will enable our staff to see dozens more patients during the time school rush typically peaks,” said KCHD Assistant Public Health Officer Kelly Cooper, M.D., MPH. “We’re happy to offer this for parents, but we still encourage them to make an appointment with their child’s physician or our staff, before the rush begins and to avoid wait times.” All students entering preschool, kindergarten or seventh grade and those entering a Tennessee school for the first time should receive staterequired immunizations. Before the first day of school, parents must also provide their child’s school with a state immunization certificate, which documents receipt of the vaccinations.

“For those who choose to have their child vaccinated at the health department, KCHD has launched an online registration form, which will be a time-saver for parents.” agency dedicated to making every person a healthy person. KCHD conducts disease surveillance, prevention and control; emergency preparedness; nutrition and physical activity promotion; tobacco use prevention and control; health equity promotion; adult and child immunizations; and much more. KCHD’s mission is to encourage, promote and assure the development of an active, healthy community through innovative public health practices. For more information, visit www.knoxcounty.org/health.

For those who choose to have their child vaccinated at the health department, KCHD has launched an online registration form, which will be a time-saver for parents. At the appointment, parents should have their photo ID, insurance card if applicable, and their child’s vaccination record if they have it. Appointments are available at the health department Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at each location: •

Main Offices and Clinic, 140 Dameron Avenue, 865-215-5071

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Teague Clinic, 405 Dante School Road, 865-215-5500

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West Clinic, 1028 Old Cedar Bluff, 865-215-5950

Both the vaccinations and the state immunization certificates are available at physician offices or at the KCHD locations noted above. Parents may contact their child’s physician or the KCHD Immunization Program office, 865-215-5150, to determine if their child has received the required vaccinations. More information, including a list of the state-required vaccinations by grade level, is on KCHD’s website at knoxcounty.org/health. Tennessee’s vaccine requirements follow recommendations from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Childhood immunizations are vital in protecting children from potentially serious diseases. The CDC estimates vaccinations will prevent more than 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths among children born in the last 20 years. About Knox County Health Department: The Knox County Health Department (KCHD) is a governmental

Educate Your Kids on the Truth About Drugs. Youth need factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug free. Learn more, order free educational materials or request a speaker for your group or event at drugfreesouth.org. Drug-Free South is a chapter of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. The logo above is its trademark.

Knoxville Parent • July 2015

10 Terrific Books: Learn Something New! Compiled by Erin Nguyen

Children’s Department, Knox County Public Library

How to Lose a Lemur by Frann Preston-Gannon PreK-2nd A boy goes to great lengths to escape the lemur that has been following him, but soon discovers a lemur can actually be a good friend.

How to Be a Dinosaur Hunter by Scott Forbes 3rd-6th Aspiring paleontologists are taken on a journey through time and space to learn all about dinosaurs and the scientists who study them.

How to Cheer Up Dad by Fred Koehler PreK-2nd When his father is having a bad day, Little Jumbo the elephant knows just how to cheer him up with some special time together.

Racing Driver: How to Drive Racing Cars Step by Step by Giles Chapman 2nd-5th This title is a fact-filled, action-packed introduction to the world’s wide variety of race cars, including go-karts, Formula 1 and NASCAR.

How to Save a Species by Marilyn Baillie, Jonathan Baillie, and Ellen Butcher 3rd-6th Seventeen rare plants and animals are featured in this guide to preserving endangered species around the world.

How to Make Friends and Monsters by Howard Boward 4th-7th When middle school outcast Howard Boward is given the book “How to Make Friends” by his mom, he takes the advice literally and creates a friend, monster Franklin Stine, in his home lab.

How to Make a Planet by Scott Forbes 4th-7th The creation of a planet may seem like a complex subject, but author Forbes breaks the topic down into ten steps to make it easier to understand in this fun guide.

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

How to Catch a Bogle by Catherine Jinks 4th-7th In Victorian London, tenyear-old Birdie serves as apprentice to a man who catches dangerous orphaneating bogles in the city’s dark places.

How to Feel Good: 20 Things Teens Can Do by Tricia Mangan 8th-12th In this helpful guide, psychologist Mangan presents twenty strategies to help teens deal with the stress and anxiety they may experience in everyday life.

How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller 9th-12th At a New York boarding school that specializes in training young criminals, pickpocket Flick shoots to the top of the class while planning revenge on his abusive father.

Knoxville Parent â&#x20AC;˘ July 2015

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