Knoxville Parent Magazine- November 2015

November 2015

Fr e e

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Knoxville Parent • November 2015

KNOXVILLE

In This Issue...

One Way To Break A Tie “So the great thinkers at Mathnasium had the idea of having a tie-breaker that would test the creativity of each mathematician...”

November 2015 Volume IV • Issue XI Adam and Samantha Kalwas, Publishers Advisory Board

Contributing Writers

Sr. Mary Marta Abbott, RSM The Diocese of Knoxville

Jeff Ashin Jeff Comas Foothills Craft Guild Adam Kalwas Samantha Kalwas Jim McIntyre, Ph.D. Tracey Matthews Erin Nguyen Mike O’Hern Kathryn Rea Smith, Ph.D. 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

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Celebrating Knoxville’s Young Mathematicians “We are very grateful to have a generous program like Mathnasium that is dedicated to educating the children of Knoxville...”

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Reading Knoxville: The Age Of Edison “Edison ushered in a new age of technological invention and the fruits of which still influence global society.”

Contributing Photos By Jeff Comas Adam and Samantha Kalwas Young-Williams Animal Center

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.

Contact Info: Phone: 865.622.9680 Fax: 888.457.9602 E-mail: KnoxvilleParent@gmail.com KnoxvilleParent.com

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Contents 4 One Way To Break A Tie

10 Dear Knox County Schools’ Families

5 Celebrating Knoxville’s Young Mathematicians

11 Being Thankful For Gratitude

6 Reading Knoxville: The Age Of Edison

12 An Important Discussion About Suicide

7 Talking History with Ernest Freeberg

13 Make It & Take Crafts At The Fine Craft Show!

8 Should My Child Learn To Play A Musical

14 10 Terrific Books: A Feast of Food Books!

Instrument?

9 Thankful For Our Community’s Care For Animals

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Knoxville Parent Magazine 3

Knoxville Parent • November 2015

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Knoxville Parent • November 2015

One Way To Break A Tie

By Mike O’Hern, Center Director of Mathnasium of West Knoxville

L

“So the great thinkers at Mathnasium had the idea of having a tie-breaker that would test the creativity of each mathematician...”

ast month at our math learning center we hosted the 5th Annual TriMathalon. What an absolute ball we had. It’s a math competition, but it’s also just a big, fun event for second through fifth grade kids and their families. We had games, prizes, and, of course, pizza (I’m not sure one could call a gathering an “event” without pizza).

Like the name implies, the competition is broken into three separate events – The Counting Game, Magic Squares, and Mental Math.

Now it was the fifth annual, but it was first time we hosted the event here in Knoxville. The TriMathalon is held at many, many Mathnasium locations around the country on a single weekend, and each location has its local winners. Then the results for each student are sent to the Mathnasium Headquarters in Los Angeles where they find the winners nationally.

Here’s the problem, though. What if 50 different students get a perfect score on their work? You would need a tie-breaker, right? But how do you find a way to separate the most exceptional mathematicians in the group?

On your average math test there are a series of problems for which each has a specific and single correct answer. “Count by 1/2’s starting at 1,” for

example, must be answered with 1, 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2, 3, 3 1/2, etc. And we’ve already established that there are 50 kids around the country who will get all the answers correct if given another of these tests.

So the great thinkers at Mathnasium had the idea of having a tie-breaker that would test the creativity of each mathematician by giving a problem that was not limited to a single correct answer, but instead an infinite number of answers so that the best answer would be the winner – brilliant!

And now that the tie-breaker is complete and the winners have been announced, I thought you might like to play with this problem yourself.

For the competition the students got exactly five minutes to come to their answer, but I’m sure it will occupy far more of your time than that – it’s addictive!

Here’s the problem: Use only the following two numbers, 3 and 8, and the operations, parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction to make a number as close as possible to 100 without equaling 100. 3 and 8 may each be used more than once, but only as a single-digit whole number (so you can’t use “88” for example). Each operation may be used more than once as well.

Here are a few possible answers, each getting closer and closer to 100: (3+8)*8=88 (3+8)*8+3+8=99 (3+8)*8+3+8+3/8=99.375 (3+8)*8+3+8+3/8+3/8=99.75 (3+8)*8+3+8+3/8+3/8+3/8=100.125 (3+8)*8+3+8+3/8+3/8+3/8-(3/8)^3=100.072266 You can see that this would show who really is the quick, creative thinkers, can’t you? You can try it with different digits or try it without starting at the same place each time. And if you still have a tie in your house, try it with two different digits and get as close to zero as you can without equaling zero!

You’re welcome! Something fun to do over Thanksgiving break!

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 • November 2015

Celebrating Knoxville’s Young Mathematicians

By Adam and Samantha Kalwas, Publishers of Knoxville Parent Magazine

17th, 2015, we had the chance tOntoOctober attend Mathnasmium’s 5th Annual fTriMathalon, hosted for the first time here in Knoxville. The contestants ranged from 43 second dto fifth graders all from local Knox County as well as a few private area schools. The hSchools competition consisted of three mathematical

“We are very grateful to have a generous program like Mathnasium that is dedicated to educating the children of Knoxville...”

challenges: The Counting Game, Magic Squares, and Mental Math. It was a welcoming sight to see such gifted minds gather together for a day In keeping with this month’s theme “Giving of friendly math competition, fun games, prizes, Thanks”, we are very grateful to have a generous and pizza. During our time at TriMathalon, we program like Mathnasium that is dedicated were able to mingle with some of the winning to educating the children of Knoxville and Winners Matthew Wang (left) and Alexei encouraging them to achieve their goals. As an effort contestants and Mike O’Hern, the Center Director of Mathnasium of West Knoxville and fellow Kalinin (right). to help outside of their learning centers, Mathnasium Knoxville Parent contributor. donated $37,000 to local schools across the nation, and First, we spoke with 3rd grader, Matthew Wang, who was proudly sporting our very own Mathnasium of West Knoxville donated $500 to the school his 3rd place medal. Matthew mentioned that this was his first time doing a that had the most participants (Farragut Intermediate School). That’s not math competition and he was really enjoying himself. His favorite portion all! Since St. John Neumann had only one less participant, Mathnasium of the test was Magic Squares, which requires the participant to complete decided to donate $250 to them as a runner-up prize. mathematical problems using a number bank consisting of 25 numbers to It was uplifting to see so many local parents supporting their children. We choose from (an example problem: ___ x ___ = 8). It was a real pleasure to wish all of our readers a Happy Thanksgiving! meet with Matthew and his mother, and we wish him the best of luck in future math competitions.

After interviewing Matthew, we met with our good friend Mike O’Hern during the intermission. Mike thoroughly described to us what each section of the test comprised of, and he explained that in each section the degree of difficulty increases near the end of each exercise. As an example, let’s say a 2nd grader is solving math problems for the Mental Math exercise. At the beginning of the section, the child is solving problems at his or her grade level. As they progress, the difficulty increases a grade level or two above the participant’s expected capability. Mike was truly proud of all the students that were able to attend and make the first TriMathalon such a hit. Mike did an excellent job hosting; parents and children alike really seemed to cherish his upbeat and welcoming personality.

Later that day we were able to have our final interview with 2nd grader, Alexei Kalinin. Alexei received a perfect score on the TriMathalon test!

Not an easy feat. This achievement landed him 1st place locally. He had the opportunity to compete with other children that also received a perfect score in a national tiebreaker, and he won 3rd place overall! Alexei received a $50 Regal Cinema gift card and medal for his local performance at TriMathalon. For his national success he received a 3rd-place trophy, a 3-month scholarship to Mathnasium, and a Rubik’s Cube Prize Pack. When we asked what his key to success was, Alexei casually recalled, “I didn’t do that much to prepare, but I made sure to do the practice sheets.” In Alexei’s case, working smarter not harder produces results.

Adam and Samantha Kalwas became Publishers of Knoxville Parent Magazine earlier this year. Samantha received her Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee in May 2015. Adam is currently enrolled in UT’s School of Advertising & Public Relations, and plans to receive his Bachelors degree in Advertising in May 2016.

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Knoxville Parent • November 2015

Reading Knoxville: The Age Of Edison Book by Ernest Freeberg, Reviewed by Michael K. Smith, Ph.D.

“F

or more than a century Americans have regarded the creation of the incandescent light as the greatest act of invention in the nation’s history, and the light bulb has become our very symbol of a great idea.” Ernest Freeberg in The Age of Edison: Electric Light and the Invention of Modern America, explores how Edison’s invention was not just the work of a single genius but the result of a “complex social process”. At Menlo Park, Edison “invented a new style of invention, a coordinated program of scientific research and product development that amplified the speed and range of his individual genius by channeling it through the talents and insights of dozens of assistants”. Edison ushered in a new age of technological invention and the fruits of which still influence global society.

The electric light transformed nearly all aspects of American society. The incandescent light bulb replaced oil and gas lamps as streetlights become feasible to illuminate nearly all parts of cities. The workplace changed from a sunup to sundown place of production to one that was available twenty-four hours a day. The new electric lights were used in factories, steamships, and railroads to power work and transportation at all hours.

Textile workers could see the true colors of their wares, and printers found an explosion in the desire for visual information—magazines, pulp novels, and advertising cards. With better lighting, movie theaters could be

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“Edison ushered in a new age of technological invention and the fruits of which still influence global society.” attended at night, and amusement parks—such as Coney Island—began catering to more tourists. Nighttime baseball games became a reality. Thus, the electric light invented modern work and leisure.

“Like capitalism itself, the invention process was a form of creative destruction that kept the economy in constant turmoil.” The patent system was transformed to insure the rights of inventors. Photographers saw that electric light when bounced off of reflectors could replace sunlight. The electric light was carried aloft in hot air balloons to observe the clouds at night. Spelunkers took the electric light to explore caves, and deep-sea divers could finally “see” what was under the oceans. Microscopes with light aided the discovery of the germ theory of disease. Surgeons could use the light in the operating room. John Harvey Kellogg, the inventor of corn flakes, explored the therapeutic effects of electric light on sleep and nervous disorders.

A new electrical industry grew with the creation of electric light companies--safe electrical grids, meters to monitor usage, and a new occupation of “electricians”. “As electricity came increasingly under the control of corporate managers, universitytrained specialists, and accredited technicians, it grew ever more opaque to the average American. “Today, an understanding of electricity (ohms, volts, and watts) has been mostly relegated to chapters in physics textbooks. However, electrical concepts have entered the American vernacular. An example is when we think an energetic person is a “live wire” while a dull person is “dim bulb.” Sudden changes come at the “flip of switch”.

By the 50th anniversary of its invention in 1929, electric light had completely permeated American society. President Hoover remarked that “…by all its multitude uses it has lengthened the hours of our active lives, decreased our fears, replaced the dark with good cheer, increased our safety, decreased our toil, and enabled us to read the type in the telephone book. It has become the friend of man and child”. Decades earlier, Edison had sold his interest in the electric light to the new company, General Electric, which soon became a gigantic monopoly.

At the broadcast of Light’s Golden Jubilee in 1929, Edison seemed nonplussed when he reflected, “I did not dream that it would grow to its present proportions. Its development has been a source of amazement to me.” After his brief remarks, he collapsed and was taken to Henry Ford’s house for rest. “I am tired of all the glory…I want to get back to work.”

Ernest Freeberg’s remarkable history shows how nearly every aspect of modern society was influenced by the invention of electric light. Furthermore, this discovery engendered the expectation that technological inventions come at a rapid pace, which is a belief that is shared by the modern age.

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 • November 2015

Talking History with Ernest Freeberg

By Michael K. Smith, Ph.D.

“H

istory teaches you to think,” Dr. f Ernest Freeberg told me over coffee sat Panera. “History also helps us understand

how diverse human experience is, and the study of history can help a student develop a sense of empathy and complexity.” Dr. Freeberg completed an undergraduate English major at Middlebury College in 1980 and then a Ph.D. in History at Emory University in 1992. After teaching at Colby-Sawyer, he came to the University of Tennessee in 2003 and became Head of the History Department in 2013. Our conversation covered his three award winning books and ways to teach and understand history.

After reading Walker Percy’s essay on Helen Keller, Dr. Freeberg became fascinated with the intellectual questions of how children learn language. This interest led to his first book, The Education of Laura Bridgman, that was a recipient of the American Historical Association’s Dunning Prize in 2002. Laura Bridgman was the first deaf-blind American child to learn the English language fifty years before Helen Keller. Under the early tutelage of Samuel Howe, Director of the Perkins Institute in Boston, Laura became an international celebrity, and she was even visited by Charles Dickens when he toured America in the 1840s. In her later life, Laura actually befriended Annie Sullivan when they shared a cottage together.

Dr. Freeberg’s favorite course to teach is the Impact of War on Democracy, a class that discusses how the advent of war and the expansion of presidential powers can challenge democratic liberties.

These concerns had led to his 2008 book titled Democracy’s Prisoner: Eugene V. Debs, The Great War, and the Right to Dissent, a winner of the David J. Langun, Sr. Prize in American Legal History. Debs was tried and given a ten year jail sentence for making an anti-war speech against United States involvement in World War I. Debs ran as a Socialist candidate for President several times. His struggles eventually helped reshape the Supreme Court’s thinking on the rights of free speech during wartime.

With The Age of Edison, Dr. Freeberg explored how a single invention such as electric light could reshape an entire society. Although the book partially discusses Thomas Edison’s discovery, the main thesis is how electric light spawned an age of invention and technological change.

The advantages and disadvantages of this invention are still felt in the 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.

“With The Age of Edison, Dr. Freeberg explored how a single invention such as electric light could reshape an entire society.” modern world.

“American history teaches us a shared narrative and how to recognize the contributions the United States made to the world,” Dr. Freeberg said, noting that these contributions can sometimes be controversial. “But, given the Internet, historical research has become a lot easier for both students and historians.” As we finished our coffee, we discussed favorite books to read. I told him that my wife and I had actually named our first son after Walker Percy. We promised to revisit our shared interest in Walker Percy at a later date.

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Knoxville Parent • November 2015

Should My Child Learn To Play A Musical Instrument?

By Jeff Comas

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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 the mental development of children (adults too).”

6. Expression Music can express emotional nuances for which there are no words.

7. Discipline To learn music one must be persistent and continuously work outside of the classroom.

8. Creativity The act of playing music is a creative activity. Playing music teaches us to think creatively and builds problem-solving skills.

9. Spatial-Temporal Reasoning Skills.

Music training has been shown to improve one’s ability to read maps, put puzzles together, form mental images, transform/visualize things in space that develop over time, and recognize relationships between objects. (These skills are helpful in science and math) 10. Understanding Abstract Symbolisms Musical symbols expand the range of abstract symbols (like numbers and letters) that students are exposed to.

11. Logic Skills The rhythm of music utilize fractions, ratios, and proportions, which are all 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.

14. Decision Making When musicians learn improvisation they must make a series of rapid decisions based on anticipation of what is about to happen.

15. Listening Skills Music students quickly learn that careful listening increases their rate of learning.

A few other things to think about: Students who play instruments are more likely to stay in school longer. You can play music your whole life, and it exercises more of your brain than any other activity.

So, should your child learn to play music? I think the answer is pretty obvious, but I’ll let you decide. I rest my case.

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 • November 2015

Thankful For Our Community’s Care For Animals

By Jeff Ashin, CEO, Young-Williams Animal Center

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“We are able to provide the veterinarian care and food for animals in foster thanks to financial support and donations from the community.”

lthough Wiley can’t talk, the lively Border collie shows her gratitude in her own way. Her tail wags continuously and her brown eyes sparkle.

If she could talk, Wiley would tell you that this Thanksgiving season she has much for which to be thankful.

Wiley first came to Young-Williams Animal Center as a stray in October of 2014. The 5-yearold collie was extremely malnourished and covered in ticks. She walked with a bad limp to protect her and many other important ways. right front leg which was clearly causing her a great We are fortunate to live in a community that is Wiley and her new forever family, deal of pain. An X-ray showed the leg was broken committed to provide compassionate care of companion but with medical care, rest, and rehabilitation, she would the Carrasco family of Knoxville animals. On behalf of the board of directors, staff, and be fine. volunteers of Young-Williams Animal Center, thank you for helping us Our adoption staff found the perfect foster family to take care of Wiley help them. while her leg healed.

Jeff Ashin is the CEO of Young-Williams Animal Center, a 501 (c)(3) Young-Williams has about 100 volunteer foster families who take in not-for-profit animal welfare organization and the official shelter for shelter pets, like Wiley, who need special attention or other care before Knoxville and Knox County. The center offers pet adoption at two locations and affordable spay/neuter solutions. For more information they can be placed on the adoption floor. We are able to provide the visit www.young-williams.org veterinarian care and food for animals in foster thanks to financial support and donations from the community.

Wiley was with her foster family for four months and then was cleared to go to a forever home. Wiley was on the adoption floor for only a brief time when a couple from Monroe County fell in love with her. In March 2015, Wiley was adopted and moved to a new home in Tellico Plains area.

Life was good.

Unfortunately, Wiley’s new family began to experience a series of medical problems. When they realized they could not provide the care she needed, they returned Wiley to the shelter. Wiley had the same twinkle in her eyes but her leg was worse. She couldn’t put all of her weight on her leg and walked with an awkward limp. There was concern whether or not Wiley’s leg could be saved.

Wiley was seen by an orthopedic specialist who had good news again.

Wiley’s leg was still healing and while she would always walk with a limp, the leg could be saved. Medical treatment of shelter pets is expensive.

Young-Williams Animal Center is able to provide the care thanks to the Galbraith Compassion Fund, which provides medical resources to treat pets with serious medical or behavioral issues that would otherwise render them unadoptable.

After a few weeks of rest, Wiley was adopted by a new family and given another chance at life. Wiley is one of the many hundreds of shelter pets who pass through our shelter doors and who thankfully are given a second and often third or fourth chance at living happily in a forever home.

If these animals could talk, they would thank the shelter employees who give them loving attention, food, and care during their stay. They would praise our volunteers who walk the dogs, brush the cats, and brighten everyone’s day. They would extend deep gratitude to the kind and generous people in our community who support the shelter financially

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Knoxville Parent • November 2015

Dear Knox County Schools’ Families

I

recently had the opportunity to attend the 10th annual “Reach Them To Teach Them” event at the historic Tennessee Theatre. Reach Them To Teach them is an annual event focused on celebrating and recognizing the incredibly important work our teachers do every day. This event serves all levels of school personnel across East Tennessee through an evening of appreciation and personal challenge for educators.

The idea of the event was conceived in the basement of a West Knoxville church from Knox County Schools middle school teacher, Amy Crawford, who felt a bit weary and began to question if she was really making a difference in the lives of children. She was inspired by an old cassette recording of Dr. Guy Doud who was sharing his insight as a National Teacher of the Year recipient.

This resulted in a renewed passion for educating children and a relentless vision to inspire fellow teachers.

As I listened to Ms. Crawford address the audience at the event, she so eloquently compared teachers to ancient carpenters who built intricate churches that took literally hundreds of years to construct. This meant that the team of carpenters would never see the finished product of the work they began. Education, she said, was similar in that a teacher may have influence a student for one school year and never see the full results when the child graduates from high school. But Ms. Crawford continued by saying that this limited time in which we influence children is well worth the rigorous - and sometimes difficult - work teachers do every single day.

This conversation reminds me of how incredibly thankful I am for our teachers who work tirelessly to do what is best for students. As a result of our educators’ expertise and commitment, we are seeing terrific academic results for our students.

The Tennessee Department of Education recently released the 2015 State Report Card on pre-K-12 education, and results show Knox County Schools

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“This conversation reminds me of how incredibly thankful I am for our teachers who work tirelessly to do what is best for students.” improved its graduation rate for the Class of 2015 to 90.0 percent, which is a significant improvement from the Class of 2014 graduation rate of 88.7 percent.

Knox County Schools also earned an A in achievement for math, a B in English language arts/reading, and an A in science respectively. In comparison, the State of Tennessee posted grades of an A in achievement for math, a B in English language arts/reading, and a B in science. The Tennessee Department of Education did not assess students in social studies. Achievement grades are based on how well students performed on the TCAP assessments against the state standards.

In overall value-added results, Knox County Schools achieved a composite Level 5 in growth, a 5 in literacy, a 5 in numeracy, and a 5 in combined overall literacy and numeracy. A Level 5 is the highest level attainable. In terms of value-added Report Card grades, Knox County Schools earned a B in math, a C in English language arts/reading, and a B in science. Again, the Tennessee Department of Education did not assess students in social studies. Due to a change in methodology of how value-added letter grades are calculated, the Tennessee Department of Education no longer posts value-added scores for the state. Value-added data measures student growth within a grade and subject and also reflects the influence of the district, school, or teacher on student’s academic performance.

Prior to the release of these encouraging Report Card results, Knox County Schools made history when it was named an Exemplary District by the Tennessee Department of Education. The Knox County Schools is the first large metropolitan school district in Tennessee to ever earn this distinction.

We have much to be thankful for in the Knox County Schools, and we are committed to collectively creating a pervasive Culture of Excellence where every school is a great school, every teacher is supported and successful, and every stakeholder – including parents - is productively engaged. Perhaps most importantly, where every student is prepared for a bright and successful future!

Thank you for all you do to help children reach their very highest potential as we strive to reach our very important goal of Excellence for Every Child.

Sincerely, Jim McIntyre Superintendent

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Knoxville Parent • November 2015

Being Thankful For Gratitude

By Tracey Matthews Wynter, Supervisor of the Knox County Schools Family and Community Engagement Department

L

ast month I came across a great article about gratitude. Being that this is what I personally consider the best year of my life, I couldn’t resist reading it. This month I would like to share a fellow author’s perspective as it is directly related to this month’s topic, “Giving Thanks”, and specifically how gratitude applies to the past, present, and the future. Below are excerpts from the article written by Dr. Harvey B. Simon, editor of Harvard Men’s Health Watch.

Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier November kicks off the holiday season with high expectations for a cozy and festive time of year.

The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context). Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals.

Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. People feel and express gratitude in multiple ways.

They can apply it to the past (retrieving positive memories and being thankful for elements of childhood or past blessings), the present (not taking good fortune for granted as it comes), and the future (maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude).

Research on Gratitude Two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, have done much of the research on gratitude. In one study, they asked all participants to write a few sentences each week focusing on particular topics.

One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative).

After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more

and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.

Ways to Cultivate Gratitude Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier or thinking they can’t feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice.

Here are some ways to cultivate gratitude on a regular basis: Write a thank-you note. Thank someone mentally.

Keep a gratitude journal. Count your blessings.

MY THANK YOU NOTE: Thank you readers for taking the time to read and even apply some of the ideas and strategies that are shared in Knoxville Parent Magazine.

MY MENTAL THANK YOU NOTE: Thank you to my high school English teacher who made me feel confident about writing. You are the reason I enjoy writing monthly articles for Knoxville Parent Magazine.

Please share your success stories, related tips, and/or topic suggestions for future articles by contacting Mrs. 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.

FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER’S RESOURCE OF THE MONTH: Toys for Tots The 2015 Toys for Tots season is finally here! Applications will be accepted until November 13, 2015 - an application must be filled out in order to be considered. To apply, visit knoxville-tn.toysfortots.org/ and under the “Give and Receive” column, select and complete the “Family Toy Request Form.” If you have questions or for additional information, contact SSgt Nathaniel Fowler by phone at (865) 522-2414 or by email at toysfortotscoordinator@gmail.com.

For additional local resources, contact Mrs. Tamekia Jackson, Knox County Schools Family Resource Center Director, tamekia.jackson@ knoxschools.org, 865-594-1192.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Knoxville Parent • November 2015

An Important Discussion About Suicide

By Kathryn Rea Smith, Ph.D.

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n November 5th, I attended the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee’s 18th Annual Fall Psychiatric Symposium. This Symposium is a continuing education event for mental health practitioners in every discipline.

The Symposium’s opening session was titled “On the Road to Zero Suicide”. The presenter, Kelly Posner, Ph.D., is the founder of the Center for Suicide Risk Assessment at Columbia University/ New York State Psychiatric Institute. As a mental health professional called to assess for suicide risk frequently, I was very interested in what Dr. Posner had to say.

Dr. Posner cited alarming statistics in her description of suicide as a “major public health crisis”. For instance, suicide is the second leading cause of death in youth ages 10-24, and suicide among 8-14 year olds, although rare, has more than doubled from the lowest point in 2007. Eight percent of high schoolers attempted suicide in the past year. Among depressed teens, 30% have attempted suicide and 60% report they think about suicide. According to Dr. Posner, “within any typical [high school] classroom, it is likely that three students (one boy and two girls) have attempted suicide in the past year”.

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“Many people I have spoken to about suicide have told me how relieved they were to be able to talk about this with a caring listener.”

Amidst all this bad news, though, Dr. Poser emphasized that suicide is a preventable cause of death. The main thrust of her presentation was to describe a tool she helped develop—the Columbia – Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)— for identifying individuals at increased risk for suicide (for additional information, go to: http://cssrs.columbia.edu/clinical_practice.html). The C-SSRS is well researched and has proven to be extremely sensitive and specific, which means use of the scale leads to accurate detection of individuals who are at increased risk for suicide with a low rate of misidentification (e.g. the scale has a low rate of missing someone who is actually suicidal or classifying someone as being suicidal when they are not). Another great feature of the scale is that no mental health training is required to be able to administer it.

Thus, parents, teachers, coaches, or even bus drivers who are concerned about a child can use the scale.

Once the C-SSRS has been administered, a Risk Assessment form is completed. In terms of how to use the information, the above website has a document (“Clinical Triage Guidelines Using the C-SSRS”) describing interpretation of the findings in terms of level of risk and types of interventions used in various settings. In terms of local procedures, Knoxville has a tremendous resource in Helen Ross McNabb Center’s Mobile Crisis Unit (865-539-2409) whose clinicians assess suicidal individuals to determine necessary level of care (e.g. need for acute hospitalization versus arrangement for outpatient services). Mobile Crisis teams have available procedures for involuntary commitment of those individuals who need to be hospitalized against their wishes for their safety.

I encourage all parents to check out the C-SSRS website. No parent wants his or her child to experience suicidal thinking or behaviors, but, statistically, at least one in ten of us will have a child become suicidal at some point. Or perhaps we will be in a position to help our child’s friend who is suicidal. I have spoken with several parents over the years that were fearful of talking about suicide with their child due to concerns that doing so will increase the likelihood of a suicidal act. In actuality, the reverse is true. Many people I have spoken to about suicide have told me how relieved they were to be able to talk about this with a caring listener. Again, suicide is a preventable cause of death, so let’s all work together to achieve the goal of “zero suicide”.

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 • November 2015

Make It & Take Crafts At The Fine Craft Show!

By Foothills Craft Guild

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magine being surrounded by the handmade work of over 140 fine craft artisans! This is a great event to see fine crafts that are handmade according to the highest standards of quality workmanship. Many artisans have passed on the tradition of how to make these fine crafts throughout many generations such as woodwork, pottery, jewelry, glass, fiber arts, metalwork, sculpture, basketry, and more! It’s a terrific opportunity to shop for unique gifts representing Tennessee at all price ranges and support your local fine craft artisans!

Enjoy a free Make It & Take It Crafts booth where you can make crafts such as greeting cards and other fun things.

This booth is sponsored by the Appalachian Arts Craft Center and will be open on Saturday, November 21, from t 10 am – 6 pm and Sunday, November 22, from 11 am – 5pm.

All ages can participate, so children can have fun with their parents or grandparents! Daily you can see demonstrations of artisans making their fine crafts such as basketry, bead weaving, glass blowing, and spinning. Stop by the Authors’ Corner where local favorites will be autographing books – Sam Venable, Bill Landry, Laura Still and Brent Minchey with the Celtic Cat, Dr. Bill Bass (Friday only, noon - 3 pm), and Chef Walter Lambert with WVLT TV (Saturday only).

Designated as a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society, the 49th annual Fine Craft Show is presented by the Foothills Craft Guild, the oldest nonprofit artisan guild in Tennessee. Our hours are Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21, from 10 to 6 and Sunday, November 22, from 11 to 5 at the historic Jacob Building in Knoxville’s Chilhowee Park. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (65+), and children 13 and under are free. Visit our website at www. foothillscraftguild.org for more information.

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Knoxville Parent • November 2015

10 Terrific Books: A Feast Of Food Books!

Compiled by Erin Nguyen

Children’s Department, Knox County Public Library

Sharing the Bread: An OldFashioned Thanksgiving Story

by Pat Zietlow Miller PreK-2nd Every member of the family, even the baby, helps prepare the Thanksgiving dinner in this nostalgic look at the holiday.

Math in the Kitchen

by Ellen Weiss 1st-3rd Cooking can be a great way to practice math skills, as shown in this beginning reader that follows children adapting a cake recipe using skills like fractions and multiplication.

Grandpa’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Cookbook

by Judi Barrett 1st-4th Simple recipes are accompanied by fun illustrations in this cookbook companion to the classic children’s picture book.

Rutabaga: The Adventure Chef

by Eric Colossal 2nd-5th While searching for exotic foods in a fantasy world full of dragons and magical plants, chef Rutabaga becomes an accidental hero in this graphic novel.

The Science of a Loaf of Bread: The Science of Changing Properties

by Andrew Solway 2nd-5th This informational book covers the physical and chemical changes that take place as a few simple ingredients are made into dough, then baked into bread, served, and digested.

Garden to Table: A Kid’s Guide to Planting, Growing, and Preparing Food

by Katherine Hengel 4th-7th With this helpful guide, readers learn how to grow their own produce and make delicious recipes with the homegrown ingredients.

Starting from Scratch: What You Should Know about Food and Cooking

by Sarah Elton 4th-8th This book is more than just an introduction to cooking, including topics such as taste, food science, ethics, and history along with tips and recipes.

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

Andrew Zimmern’s Field Guide to Exceptionally Weird, Wild, & Wonderful Foods

by Andrew Zimmern 4th-8th The host of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods encourages kids to be adventurous by taking them on a whirlwind, information-packed, and sometimes disgusting, tour of food around the world.

Teen Cuisine

by Matthew Locricchio 8th-12th Each of the more than fifty recipes in this cookbook includes an introduction, helpful cooking tips, and mouthwatering photos.

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen

by Lucy Knisley 9th-12th In this graphic novel memoir, the author relates growing up around food, restaurants, and chefs, including tasty recipes along the way.

Keep Your Teeth Healthy For A Lifetime!

(865) 693-6933

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Knoxville Parent • November 2015