May 2016
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
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KNOXVILLE
May 2016 Volume V • Issue V Adam and Samantha Kalwas, Publishers Advisory Board
Contributing Writers
Sr. Mary Marta Abbott, RSM The Diocese of Knoxville
Jeff Ashin Jeff Comas Mary Anglin-Coulter Adam Kalwas Tracey Matthews Alison Murry Erin Nguyen Mike O’Hern Michael K. Smith, Ph.D.
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
Contributing Photos By The Eldridge Family Jeff Comas Reading Buddy Software Young-Williams Animal Shelter
Elizabeth Pooley Marketing Professional Lee Tramel Knox County Sheriff ’s Department Liza Zenni The Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville
Parent publications are GREAT places to advertise! For more information, please call: (865) 622-9680.
In This Issue... Being Active Can Be Fun “Knoxville has plenty of places to and activities to try to put both the body and the brain to work, so read on to hear about some of those, but also for some tips about how to get fit in your front yard, too!” PAGE 4
A Safety Plan For Parents “Having safeguards to protect your children from predators should be a part of every family’s safety plan.” PAGE 5
10 Tips On Better Parenting “Children may need different levels of attention, expressions of love, and toughness.” PAGE 6
Contents
4 Being Active Can Be Fun
9 A Conversation With Author Vince Vawter
5 A Safety Plan For Parents
10 The Carrot That Got My Daughter To Read
6 10 Tips On Better Parenting
11 Ate A Bite Of Pie
7 A Life-Saving Decision For Animals
12 Spotlight Fit Family: The Eldridges
8 Reading Knoxville: Paperboy
14 10 Terrific Books: Get Active: Awesome Athletes!
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
Knoxville Parent Magazine
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
Being Active Can Be Fun
By Tracey Matthews Wynter, Supervisor of the Knox County Schools Family and Community Engagement Department Contributing Researcher: Valencia Guein
D
id you know the brain is a muscle? Well, it is…and no different than any of your other muscles: you must use it before you lose it. In need of some advice to help you and your students put the brain to use this summer? Get active! Exercise is not only important for physical health, but it can help keep the brain sharp as well. Anything that is good for the heart, is great for the brain. Knoxville has plenty of places to and activities to try to put both the body and the brain to work, so read on to hear about some of those, but also for some tips about how to get fit in your front yard, too! All Work and No Play… No one said you had to be as good as David Beckham or Serena Williams to enjoy sports, just go outside and play with your children. Summertime is a great time for family members to participate in some friendly competition in the outdoors. Sports like Frisbee, soccer, golf, croquet, flag football, and swimming are a great way for your little ones to release any energy that has built up during the school year and cooler months. Another great way to get fit with the family is to explore new sports together. Pick a sport that seems interesting, read books or articles regarding the origin and rules of game, maybe watch a game or match on TV, online, or in person, then try it out for yourself with friends and family! These [Sneakers] Were Made for Walking Summer evenings in Knoxville are amazing. To get to know your neighbors and their kids, you could start a walking club for the neighborhood. Map out a route, set a consistent day and time to meet, invite others to join, and start putting one foot in front of the other. Go Take A Hike! Literally! One of the greatest things about being in East Tennessee is all of the nature that surrounds us. National parks, nature trails, flowing rivers, and serene lakes all beckon. Consider taking your children out to explore. I Spy The age old game, “I Spy” is a great way to pull our eyes from the many screens we encounter each day. Step out the front door, sans any technology and play. The “spy” spots something and says, “I spy….” then describes the
item using descriptive words while everyone else tries to be the first one to spot the selected item. Whoever spots it first becomes the next spy. Bike Hike Knoxville trails aren’t just for hiking! Many of the area greenways are smoothly paved and perfect for two (or three) wheels. Vehicles are typically prohibited from the areas as well, so they are safer than area sidewalks and parking lots. Grab your helmets, load up a picnic, and roll on into a good time! Slow and Steady Don’t think that all activity needs to be fast paced and sweat inducing! Try some slower moving activities like yoga or Tai Chi. Watch instructional videos online, if you do it on a laptop or your phone, you could even try it outside. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head There’s no excuse to skip exercise on cold or rainy days. Watch exercise videos indoors or take advantage of a local mall walking program to add variety and keep exercise going even in inclement weather. Dance Fever Everyone loves a good dance party. Whether you’re inside with family, visiting with friends, or enjoying a neighborhood BBQ, put on a little music and get those feet moving. Happy Feet 1.Walking is one of the best forms of exercise. Research some of the area’s local attractions and see how many you can visit on foot. It shouldn’t be too hard downtown! Map out a route and get moving. It will be doubly beneficial because it will exercise the body and brain, as well as provide some educational incentives. Some initial ideas are: Gentle Barn, Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville Botanical Garden, Knoxville Museum of Art, McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, Putt Putt Golf and Games, UT Gardens, and The Fruit and Berry Patch. Talk to your family to decide which activities need to be on your Fun Family Fitness To-do List, set some personal and family fitness goals, and get active! Please share your success stories, related tips, and topic suggestions for future articles by contacting Tracey Matthews Wynter, Knox County Schools Family and Community Engagement Department Supervisor, (865) 594-9525, tracey.matthews@knoxchools.org. For more information and resources available to Knox County Schools’ students and families, please visit us online at knoxschools.org/fce. Knox County Schools Family Resource Center’s FAMILY RESOURCE OF THE MONTH: The Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee (CAC) Summer Food Service Program Summer Food Service Program provides meals (breakfast, lunch, and snacks) to children at a variety of sites within Knox County to include recreation programs, summer schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, and other community youth groups. For locations and more information, call 865-546-3500. For details and/or additional local resources, contact Tamekia Jackson, Knox County Schools Family Resource Center Director via email at tamekia.jackson@ knoxschools.org or by phone at (865) 594-1192.
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
A Safety Plan For Parents By Jeff Comas, Director of Knoxville Academy of Music
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want to warn you that contents of this article may provoke some uncomfortable thoughts. However, if you love your children (and I know you do) I urge you to read on. After all, every parent is concerned about their children’s safety and wellbeing. I know you want to protect your children from serious dangers to the best of your ability. That means considering the dangers your children may face in their lives, and what can be done about them, is part of your responsibility as a parent. We cannot, and should not even try to protect our child from every single danger in the world. However, when it comes to protecting our kids from the dangers of child predators we must be vigilant. Having safeguards to protect your children from predators should be a part of every family’s safety plan. Here are some points every parent should consider for their Family Safety Plan. Does the Organization Conduct Backgrounds Checks of their Staff ? With school or other child activities, as a parent you want to make sure organizations that your child is involved with conduct proper background checks of their staff. Such organizations should check state & nation criminal records, sex offender lists, and social security status (to ensure citizenship or legal resident status). Ask before you sign your kid up for any sports, arts, or other child activities. If they are not doing the proper screening, go elsewhere. Is the Activity Visible or is there Video Surveillance? Can others see? Is the activity public or is there video surveillance? Your child is safer in an environment where he or she is visible to others. Are parents encouraged to participate or observe the child’s activities? If you are not allowed to be involved or to observe consider a different activity or a more parent friendly business. Track Social Media Activity As technology is evolving, new dangers arise. Social media has transformed today’s era. These days it is normal to see a child of any age use popular sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more. With such platforms, children interact with random strangers and they may share personal details. As parents, you need to be aware of the contacts they make. Consider blocking access to such sites when they are younger (or if you are worried about their judgment), make them give you their passwords (as a condition of providing the access to the service for them), and if necessary install spy software to track their contacts, and interactions. Meet Their Friends Parents should meet and know the friends of their children. They must interact with them, know more about their parents, and their background. This way, if you feel their friends could be a bad influence, you can stop your Jeff Comas started playing music at 5 years of age. He is the Director of Knoxville Academy of Music. He has been a music educator since 1989, and has given over 40,000 music lessons.
“Having safeguards to protect your children from predators should be a part of every family’s safety plan.” children from interacting further with them. Keep Computers in Common Areas of Your Home Keeping a computer in the bedroom of your child is never a good idea. As a parent, you have to keep it in an open and centralized location. This way, you can keep an eye easily on their activities, and the sites they visit. Build Trust Practicing child safety is a job that comes with many challenges. Those challenges tend to change as a child grows. As infants, it is normal to rely on our parents for protection from the dangers of the world. Yet, a time eventually comes when we begin to test the limits of our parent’s protection, and think about breaking the rules. We start our own journey towards building our personality and our life, and end up creating dangers for ourselves. As we grow, it becomes increasingly difficult for our parents to keep us away from dangers, especially as we reach our teenage years. This is when we as parents must carefully pick our battles. We must use tactful ways to ensure we build up a good level of trust with our, because we want them to listen to us when it really counts. Whether your child is in pre-school or high-school, I know you want to do your best to protect them. I know I will go to great lengths to protect the children I love. I hope this information is valuable for your Family Safety Plan. Here are a few links you may find useful. https://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/psc_english_02/page3.html http://www.nationalcac.org/prevention/safety-tips-for-parents.html http://mashable.com/2014/09/21/social-media-safety-kids/#UhELOupdIPqJ
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
10 Tips On Better Parenting By Alison Murry, Isha Foundation
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n the excerpt below, world-renowned yogi, Sadhguru, offers insights on healthier approaches to parenting for both parent and child. Sadhguru is the founder of the Isha Institute of Inner-sciences, a destination for classical yoga and meditation retreats in McMinnville, TN.
“Children may need different levels of attention, expressions of love, and toughness.”
“Parenting involves a certain amount of discretion. There is no one standard rule for all children. Different children may need different levels of attention, expressions of love, and toughness. Suppose I was standing in a coconut garden and you asked me, ‘How much water per plant?’ I would say, ‘At least 50 liters per plant.’ When you go home, if you give 50 liters to your rose plant, it will die. You must see what kind of plant you have in your house and what it needs.
the only things you can teach. Please compare yourself with your child and see who is capable of more joy. Your child, isn’t it? If he knows more joy than you, who is better qualified to be a consultant about life, you or him?
1. A Child is a Privilege “It is a privilege that this child — this bundle of joy — has come through you and arrived in your house. Children are not your property; they do not belong to you. Just see how to enjoy, nurture, and support them. Don’t try to make them an investment for your future.” 2. Let Them Be “Let them become whatever they have to become. Don’t try to mold them according to your understanding of life. Your child need not do what you did in your life. Your child should do something that you did not even dare to think in your life. Only then will the world progress.” 3. True Love People misunderstand that loving their children is to cater to whatever they ask for. If you get them everything they ask for, it is stupidity. When you are loving, you can do just whatever is needed. When you truly love someone, you are willing to be unpopular and still do what is best for them. 4. There’s No Hurry to Grow Up It is very important a child remains a child; there is no hurry to make him into an adult because you can’t reverse it later. When he is a child and he behaves like a child, it is wonderful. When he becomes an adult and behaves like a child, that is bad. There is no hurry for a child to become an adult. 5. It is Time to Learn, Not Teach What do you know about life to teach your children? A few survival tricks are
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When a child arrives, it is time to learn, not teach. When there is a child, unknowingly you laugh, play, sing, crawl under the sofa, and do all those things that you had forgotten to do. So it is time to learn about life. 6. Children Are Naturally Spiritual “Children are very close to a spiritual possibility if only they are not meddled with. Generally, either the parents, teachers, society, television — somebody or the other meddles with them too much. Create an atmosphere where this meddling is minimized and a child is encouraged to grow into his intelligence rather than into your identity of religion, race, culture or nation. The child will become naturally spiritual without even knowing the word spirituality as it is natural for human intelligence to seek, the important thing to do is not provide standard answers.” 7. Provide a Supportive and Loving Atmosphere “If you set an example of fear and anxiety, how can you expect your children to live in joy? They will also learn the same thing. The best thing you can do is to create a joyous and loving atmosphere.” 8. Maintain A Friendly Relationship “Stop imposing yourself on the child and create a strong friendship rather than being a boss. Don’t sit on a pedestal and tell the child what he or she should do. Place yourself below the child so that it is easy for them to talk to you.” 9. Avoid Seeking Respect “Love is what you seek with your children, isn’t it? But many parents say, ‘You must respect me.’ You came a few years early, are bigger in body, and you know a few survival tricks, but in what way are you a better life than him?” 10. Make Yourself Truly Attractive “A child is influenced by so many things — the TV, neighbors, teachers, school, and a million other things. He will go the way of whatever he finds most attractive. As a parent, you have to make yourself in a way that the most attractive thing he finds is to be with the parents. If you are a joyous, intelligent, and wonderful person, he won’t seek company anywhere else. For anything, he will come and ask you. If you are genuinely interested in giving your children a good upbringing, you should first transform yourself into a peaceful, loving and blissful human being.” As Outreach Coordinator for Isha Foundation, USA, Alison Murry draws on over 25 years of experience in training, education and communications in health science, wellness, and holistic living. Alison has been a daily practitioner of classical yoga and meditation since it cured her of severe spinal pain in 1998.
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
A Life-Saving Decision For Animals
By Jeff Ashin, CEO, Young-Williams Animal Center. Photo by: Young-Williams Animal Center
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et owners face many day-to-day decisions that affect the health and welfare of the animals they love. But, the most important decision pet owners face affects not only the pet, but the community as well. Each year, millions of healthy, adoptable pets in the United States end up in animal shelters. The numbers are staggering – according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), there are 70 million stray cats living in the United States. There are 13,600 estimated animal shelters nationwide. 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters every year. And sadly, approximately 2.7 million animals are euthanized each year. The decision to spay/neuter is the most humane way to control animal overpopulation. Since July 2007, YoungWilliams Animal Center has performed more than 52,000 low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for the general public. This was made possible by a five-year grant from the Aslan Foundation, whose goal was to reduce euthanasia in the shelter through the use of the mobile Spay Shuttle program. Because of the high demand for this service, Young-Williams added a stationary spay/neuter clinic at our Village Location to the program in January 2012.Depending upon their size, some puppies and kittens may be safely sterilized when they’re as young as eight weeks old. In fact, puppies and kittens recover more quickly from surgery than do adult dogs and cats. Besides not being able to reproduce, the benefits of spay/neuter surgeries are many. The surgeries prevent ovarian or uterine cancer along with preventing uterine infections in females, and both sexes are less likely to fight with other animals. Neutered males are less likely to mark territory by urinating, will not get testicular tumors, will have less prostate inflammation, and will exhibit less inappropriate sexual behavior. Just as the benefits of spay/neuter are many, the myths about the surgeries are plentiful. Animals do not become fat and lazy after being altered. While it is true that an animal’s metabolism may slow after a spay/neuter surgery, monitoring food intake and adjusting as needed can counter the slower metabolism. Altered dogs will not become passive when it comes to being protective of their surroundings. They will remain instinctually territorial and protective of their owners’ homes. The only behaviors that will change are those controlled by the sex hormones. Jeff Ashin is the CEO of Young-Williams Animal Center, a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit animal welfare organization and the official shelter for Knoxville and Knox County. The center offers pet adoption at two locations and affordable spay/neuter solutions. For more information visit www.young-williams.org
“The decision to spay/neuter is the most humane way to control animal overpopulation.” Perhaps the most prevalent myth concerning spay/ neuter surgeries is that they are too expensive to be practical. The truth is a spay/neuter surgery is a onetime cost that can save pet owners from significant medical expenses because of certain health problems over the course of an animal’s life. In addition, YoungWilliams works to offer assistance programs to the community for spay/neuter solutions. For those who can afford more than they are asked to pay, Young-Williams asks that a donation be made to assist other spay/neuter surgeries. Call Young-Williams’ Spay/Neuter Solutions at (865) 215-6677 to schedule a spay/neuter appointment or visit http://www.young-williams.org/spay-neuteryour-pet/ for more information. It’s the most important decision you can make for your pet.visit www.young-williams.org/homeforholidays.
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
Reading Knoxville: Paperboy Book by Vince Vawter, Reviewed by Michael K. Smith, Ph.D.
’m typing about the stabbing for a good reason. I can’t talk. Without stuttering.” The first sentence of the absorbing book Paperboy by Vince Vawter introduces Little Man, an eleven-year-old boy with a stutter, and foreshadows the dangerous plot that will unfold. The book is set in 1959 Memphis. Little Man has agreed to take over his best friend Rat’s paper route for the month of July while Rat is away. Rat’s real first name is Art, but Little Man can’t push the “A” sound out of his mouth. Consequently, he says, “my stuttering makes me the best nicknamer in Memphis.” Vince Vawter drew on his own experiences to fashion the character of Little Man. “My first recollection of my stutter is just before I was five. I have been stuttering—sometimes fiercely, sometimes gently—for more than sixty years now,” he says in the Author’s Note at the end of the book. “Stuttering manifests itself most cruelly during childhood, creating a lonely and baffling experience just at a time the world is beginning to open and expand.” Paperboy allows us to enter the world of Little Man and emphathize with the pain and problems that his stuttering presents. The adults he encounters only partially understand him. His parents are kind but confused about what to do.
“Paperboy is a fascinating portrait of a young boy transforming his disability into an astute awareness of himself and the world he lives in. ” Mam, the African-American housekeeper, looks after Little Man, trying to keep him away from Ara T., a disreputable junk collector. Mrs. Worthington, an alcoholic homemaker who is on Little Man’s paper route, is friendly but does not recognize Little Man’s incipient adolescent desires. Most of his other customers barely talk to him. Mr. Spiro, a retired merchant marine, is the exception; he befriends Little Man and gives him a chance to have genuine conversations with a grown-up stranger. Mr. Spiro’s house is filled with books, and he encourages Little Man to ask him questions. For instance, “Why do s-s-s-s-people who can talk right waste so s-s-s-s-many words saying s-s-s-s-nothing?” Mr. Spiro quotes Voltaire: “Speech was given to man to disguise his thoughts.” Little Man is stunned: “I burned that sentence on to my brain like Ted Williams’s name was burned on to my Louisville Slugger baseball bat.” Mr. Spiro becomes the mentor that most young children wish they had. Mr. Spiro gives Little Man one quarter of a torn dollar bill with the word STUDENT written on the other side. He says that Little Man will get another quarter each week with a different word. Mr. Spiro calls this Little Man’s quest for the Golden Fleece. This quest becomes part of the book’s mystery. The book builds to a tense climax involving Little Man, Mam, and Ara T. After this encounter, the summer ends with Little Man returning the paper route to his friend Rat. On the first day back at school, Little Man reflects on the summer’s mysteries: “My math teacher told us on the first day that we’d be working with Unknowns. It doesn’t seem fair to pile more Unknowns on top of all the Unknowns I already have. But that’s seventh grade for you.” In the end, we also finally learn Little Man’s real name. After he describes himself in front of his class, he reflects on his performance: “I stuttered about the same as always with all the gigantic pauses and funny sounds coming out around the words but I didn’t pay any attention to how my classmates looked at me and didn’t try to figure out what they were thinking. And I said exactly what I wanted to.” Paperboy is a fascinating portrait of a young boy transforming his disability into an astute awareness of himself and the world he lives in. Like Huck Finn and his adventures on the Mississippi, Little Man and his paper route etch this Memphis world permanently in our memories. 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.
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
A Conversation With Author Vince Vawter By Michael K. Smith, Ph.D.
“A
lot of this book was memoir,” Vince Vawter told us over lunch at Panera. My son, Wyatt, and I wanted to talk to him about his intriguing book Paperboy. Wyatt, a rising 7th grader at Sacred Heart, had been assigned the book for his summer reading. Vince has stuttered since he was five. He told us that he had taken over his friend’s paper route one summer in Memphis. He did have, at one point, a housekeeper who took him to bars on Beale Street and let him drink milk while she drank and danced. He did know a junk man like Ara T., although the real Ara T. met a different fate than that in his book. Finally, he was 55 years old when he learned that his father was not his biological father. Mr. Spiro is the only created major character in the book. “He’s the mentor I wish I had,” Vince said. His editor had suggested, “He’s you at 65”, an observation that Vince seemed to acknowledge. My son, Wyatt, asked him what the four parts of the dollar bill and the four words represented that Mr. Spiro gives to Little Man. “It’s the quartering of the soul,” Vince said, with the idea that each self has at least four parts that need to be integrated to have a happy life. Vince has given many talks about Paperboy to schools across the country. “I’ve learned a lot about myself by talking about the novel.” He related an interesting dialogue at one middle school. A young girl asked him, “Would you have written the book if you didn’t stutter?” He said, “No, probably not.” She replied, “Then you’re glad that you stuttered.” Vince said, “You’re right.” Vince has also given many talks about his experiences of stuttering. His essay, “Notes from a Stuttering ‘Expert’”, offers cogent advice to children, adolescents, adults, parents, and speech clinicians about how to accept and deal with stuttering. “Although I’m removed by five decades from the heartbreak that is associated with an adolescent stutter, the scars run deep.” Vince wanted to be a professional baseball player. He played at LSU for a year and then at Rhodes College in Memphis for two years. When he realized he was not going to make the major leagues, he pursued sports writing and journalism, first at the University of Memphis and then at the University of Tennessee. He worked at the Memphis Press Scimitar from 1970 to 1983, then as Managing Editor at the Knoxville News-Sentinel from 1985 to 1995, and finally as Editor and Publisher at the Evansville Courier-Journal until his retirement. Although Vince, along with his wife, has retired to a farm in Louisville, he is busy writing another book. He has also written a screenplay for Paperboy. As we finished lunch, Vince offered to autograph Wyatt’s copy of his book. As we said goodbye, Wyatt and I both felt that it was a great pleasure to meet the real Paperboy. 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.
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
The Carrot That Got My Daughter To Read By Mary Anglin-Coulter, Reading Buddy Software
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s it me, or does the school year seem more sporadic these days? When I was a kid, we were in school during the year and on break in the summer. Whether we were in school or camp, we had long stretches. If we were in school, it felt like forever until we got a break. And when we returned, it felt like we were gone for a long time. Today, a year-round school calendar with frequent breaks is more popular. Add to that snow days and you have a learning routine that’s constantly interrupted. I don’t think this is good for a child’s learning. Kids need a consistent routine. Madi, my first grader, likes to sleep in when school is out, but the break in the flow of her learning causes a problem—she forgets what she learned before the time-off. I see it when we resume evening homework. It’s especially bad with her reading. Madi is stronger in math than reading. I’ve been thinking that she needs some extra help developing her reading skills. I wanted to find something she would enjoy during vacation, something that wouldn’t feel like homework—the
educational equivalent to hiding ground-up carrots in her fruit smoothie. I signed her up for a few activity workbooks that arrived in the mail. She liked them (and she loved getting mail), but they weren’t pushing her to learn. Madi loves technology, like all kids these days. I tried playing into her hunger for tech by signing her up for some websites that boasted educational value. Madi had fun, but I didn’t see the educational payoff. I discovered an interactive program called Reading Buddy Software. It uses Siri-like technology to monitor a child’s reading and if they struggle with a word it corrects them. It’s like having a tutor in the computer (that’s the company’s line). The software also has a point and prize reward system. Madi picked her prizes. I decided on the points needed. This was the fun I was looking for. And after Madi used it for a while I noticed that she was reading faster and with more accuracy. Every time Madi used Reading Buddy Software it reminded her of how many more points she needed to win her prize, which motivated her to read more. But because of the game dynamics embedded in the software, it didn’t feel like homework. I found my carrot. Now, when we wake up to a foot of snow or the calendar happens upon another vacation, Madi’s learning routine is not broken. I prefer the old-fashion school calendar, but times have changed. And now that my daughter has a tutor in her computer, I can’t be accused of not changing with them.
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
Ate A Bite Of Pie
By Mike O’Hern, Center Director of Mathnasium of West Knoxville
M
y dad was a really funny guy with a quick wit and dry sense of humor. But he also loved the groaners. You know, the old joke that made you groan because it was so corny. For example, he’d say that he used to be in a fraternity: Eta Bita Pi. That one came to mind because I was helping a highschooler with trig and they seem to find that one humorous, and I can’t really think of anything else about trig that’s humorous. I should have written this article in March in honor of Pi Day, but I’ll admit I simply didn’t think of it. Pi Day is March 13 because pi is approximately 3.14 and that’s the date, 3:14. And this year was a really big one because if you round pi to five digits it’s 3.1416! But I got started thinking about why so many people are fascinated by pi. I mean it’s a cool number and all, but not any cooler than “e” or the square root of 2, right? But for some reason pi is the one that gets all the attention. According to Guiness, Rajveer Meena recited 70,000 digits of pi while blindfolded one week after Pi Day last year – it took him 10 hours to do it! Pi is an irrational number (as are “e” and the square root of 2), which means that it cannot be written as a fraction, and written as a decimal it goes on forever without repeating. Which means that in practice it can only be approximated, never used exactly. But how many digits of pi are really needed in any real applications? Think of it this way. If we approximated pi by a single digit, 3, anything we use it for would only be off by about 4.5%. If we used the Pi Day version, 3.14, we’d only be off by 0.05%. And if we used this year’s Pi Day version, 3.1416 the error goes all the way down to 0.0002%. What in the world would need more precision than that? How about space travel? According to Marc Rayman at NASA, they use 16 digits for their calculations. In fact, if we know the radius of the observable universe we could calculate the circumference of it with an accuracy of less than the diameter of a hydrogen atom using only the first 39 digits! So now your thinking, “good thing we’ve got all those supercomputers to calculate all those digits of pi!” But wait a minute. Over 2,200 years ago Archimedes found its value within 0.04%. It took a good while to improve on that, but in 1706 John Machin derived the formula to calculate it more accurately (and that formula is still used today), and William Shanks used that formula to calculate it to 708 digits (but only the first 527 were correct). So 300 years later and we haven’t needed a single additional digit of pi to do or calculate anything in our physical world, yet people continue to be fixated on this funny little irrational number. But that’s only how I look at it. I’m more of an engineer than mathematician. Maybe that explains it. As it turns out there is one way in which calculating ever-expanding approximations of pi is used. You guessed it – computers. Calculating pi gives a good measure of the speed of a computer and it used to test algorithms and the like. Supercomputers have calculated the value of pi to over 10,000,000,000,000 – that’s ten trillion – digits! So despite the fact that I don’t entirely understand the depth of the fascination with it, here’s to pi, the celebrity number! As owner and director at Mathnasium (a math learning center in West Knoxville (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 • May 2016
Spotlight Fit Family: The Eldridges By Adam Kalwas, Publisher and CEO of Knoxville Parent Magazine
T
he My Fit Family Challenge is making its first appearance in the Knoxville area. This program is dedicated in promoting healthy living to not only families, but to anyone that is willing. Knoxville Parent will be sharing three editorials starting this month until June about two families that have set goals for themselves in order to be active together, and improve in areas that they felt needed more attention. Our families understand the task set before them and are willing to fulfill their goals once the challenge is completed on June 26th. Let’s meet our Kelly with her daughter, Beatrice, at Girls on the Run. next and final Spotlight family, the Eldridges. Who Are The Eldridges? The Eldridge family is made up of Husband and Father, Joshua Eldridge, Wife and Mother, Kelly Eldridge, and their two children, son Austin (13 years old) and daughter Beatrice (11 years old). Joshua is a Data Science Director at Scripps Networks Interactive, and Kelly is the Executive Director of Girls on the Run (Greater Knoxville). As a family, the Eldridges love to go on walks (especially with their dog), travel, and attend baseball games. They enjoy spending time together by going
“Kelly and her family will challenge themselves to be better planners, so that they can create more opportunities to spend time with each other and achieve their goal.” on hikes and sharing each others company over delicious meals. What Is Their Goal For The Challenge?
The biggest challenge Kelly and Joshua would like to overcome is being able to find more time for their family to spend together. Both Kelly and Joshua have careers that keep them busy, and their children are very active themselves through their studies and sports teams. Kelly states, “Most of our time together is spent watching one family member play a sport. It would be nice for all of us to play something together.” Spending quality time with their kids is highly important to both Kelly and Joshua, and they believe they have what it takes to do just that with My Fit Family Challenge. What Difficulties Will They Face? The Eldridges are already an active family, so the “staying active” portion of the Challenge will come easy to them. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t going to be any upward battles. The most difficult aspect of finding time to spend with one another is time itself. Sure, we all have free time at some points in the day, but knowing how to plan is not such an easy feat. Kelly and her family will challenge themselves to be better planners, so that they can create more opportunities to spend time with each other and achieve their goal. With summer break right around the corner, vacations are a great way to share experiences and bond through doing activities as a family. The My Fit Family Challenge starts May 1st and will last for 8 weeks. Knoxville Parent encourages others in the Knoxville community to follow in the footsteps of the Eldridge family and take the Challenge themselves! By registering online at www.myfitfamilychallenge.com, participants have chances to win weekly prizes. All that is required is logging you and your family’s minutes online at least once a week. Being active just got a lot more interesting! Tune in next month as we conclude the My Fit Family Challenge, and catch up with both families to see how they did on accomplishing their goals. Until then, lets all do our best to promote health in our Knoxville community! Adam Kalwas is the Publisher and CEO for Knoxville Parent Magazine. He is a proud husband, and he wants to shed positive light towards families in the greater Knoxville area for many years to come. Adam is a graduate from the University of Tennesse with a BS in Advertising.
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
10 Terrific Books: Get Active: Awesome Athletes! Compiled by Erin Nguyen
Children’s Department, Knox County Public Library
For the Love of Soccer! by Pele PreK-2nd Soccer champion Pele̕ shares with young readers his love and passion for the game that has brought him fame and taken him around the world in this picture book filled with bright, colorful illustrations.
The Wildest Race Ever: The Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon by Meghan McCarthy K-4th The first Olympic marathon run in America was a wild race – runners battling illness, injuries, and even poison during the race, and one who stopped several times along the way to snack and talk to fans. The William Hoy Story by Nancy Churnin 1st-4th Too small to play baseball at his school for the deaf, William Hoy kept practicing and played in the major leagues, using sign language to help the umpires develop many Cowboy Up!: Ride the Navajo Rodeo by Nancy Bo Flood 1st-4th Experience the grit and excitement of a day at the rodeo in this book that combines short poems, informational text, and action-packed photos.
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull 2nd-5th Born in Clarksville, TN, Wilma Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track in a single Olympics in 1960, despite an illness in childhood that had paralyzed her left leg.
Kid Athletes: True Tales of Childhood from Sports Legends by David Stabler 2nd-5th Every athlete started as a child, including the sixteen sports stars in this motivating and funny collection, from Peyton Manning to Babe Ruth to Gabby Douglas.
Jesse Owens: “I Always Loved Running” by Jeff Burlingame 4th-6th Explores the fascinating life of track star Jesse Owens including his historic victories on the track and his legacy as a hero.
For library information in your area visit: www.knoxlib.org/
Babe Conquers the World: The Legendary Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias by Rich Wallace and Sandra Neil Wallace 4th-7th During her fascinating life as a basketball player, trackand-field athlete, and golfer, Babe Didrikson broke world records and paved the way for female athletes who followed in her footsteps. A Girl Named Faithful Plum: The True Story of a Dancer from China and How She Achieved Her Dream by Richard Bernstein 6th-9th Against the odds, determined dancer Li Zhongmei won a spot in the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy, a victory that set her on the difficult path to becoming one of China’s most famous dancers.
The Game of My Life: A True Story of Challenge, Triumph, and Growing Up Autistic by Jason “J-Mac” McElwain with Daniel Paisner 7th-12th Jason “J-Mac” McElwain became a star overnight when he scored 20 points in his high school team’s final game of the season, but his inspiring life journey prepared him for that big moment.
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016
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Knoxville Parent • May 2016