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Dear Kids, It’s September, and fall is on the way. The first day of fall is September 23. We also celebrate Grandparents Day in September. It’s a great time to do something special with your grandparents. Maybe do an interview with them about what the world was like when they were young, or go on a hike and enjoy the changing season. School is in full swing, and I hope you are enjoying your teacher and classroom! My teacher is really smart and does a great job of getting me excited about learning. This month, I talked with Jennie Wray, a 3rd-grade teacher, about what it’s like to be a teacher. And, I’ve got some yummy recipes for your lunch box! I hope you enjoy reading this issue of Kidsville News! Be sure to visit online for more fun and games. Have an super September! Your friend,
Art Gallery Suzanne Valadon: Circus Acrobat to Artist artist Edgar Degas befriended her and started buying some of her drawings. Suzanne Valadon is one of the most famous Thanks to him, she learned even more about drawing and art. French woman artists in history. She is known for Suzanne began holding art exhibitions in the 1890s. Best-known for her paintings of people and her use of vibrant color her portraits, she painted pictures of landscapes and flowers as well. As her in her work. In addition to being a famous artist fame grew, Suzanne was honored to be the first female artist admitted to herself, Suzanne was also the mother of another the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts, an important group of French artists famous French painter, Maurice Utrillo. who all showed their work together. By the time she was in her mid-40s, Suzanne Valadon was born Marie-Clementine Suzanne had become a full-fledged professional artist! Supporting herself Valadon on September 23, 1865. She grew up in with earnings from the sale of her paintings, she no Paris, France, where she changed her longer needed to model or take other odd jobs. name to Suzanne while still a child. Suzanne’s mother was a poor, unwed Suzanne continued to hold regular exhibits throughout her lifetime. Her fame and wealth grew. By housekeeper, and so Suzanne spent the time she died on April 7, 1938, there had already much of her childhood trying to been four retrospective Suzanne Valadon art exhibits support herself. By the time she was held to honor her brilliant career. Today, her paintings a teenager, Suzanne had worked as a waitress, a nanny and even a circus can be found in museums and galleries around the world. acrobat! But, when she fell off a Written by Tamar Burris, a former elementary school trapeze in the circus at the age of 15, teacher who now works as a freelance writer and it was time for a new job. curriculum developer for PBS, the Discovery Channel and All along, Suzanne was very interested in art. After her other education-related companies. Sources: National brief circus career, she went to work as an artist’s model. Museum of Women in the Arts: Suzanne Valadon Posing for such important artists as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Artist Profile, http://www.nmwa.org/collection/profile. Suzanne studied the styles used by each of the artists she asp?LinkID=772; Suzanne Valadon on Encyclopedia worked for. She even received art lessons from some of Britannica, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/ them. Although she did not have the money for formal art topic/621804/Suzanne-Valadon; Suzanne Valadon on training, she honed her technique through this study and Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Valadon. A painting created by Suzanne observation. Suzanne was very lucky when the famous Valadon in 1920.
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Kidsville News! It’s Constitution Day! Preamble to the U.S. Constitution We The People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this, Constitution for the United States of America. Way back on September 17, 1787, the Constitution was signed by 39 of the 55 Founding Fathers at the final meeting of the Constitutional Convention. These delegates had gathered almost daily for five months to create this important document. It was designed to define clearly the separate powers of the government and the states, the rights of the people and how the representatives of the people should be elected. After signing it in September of 1787, Congress sent printed copies of the Constitution to the state legislatures for ratification. The United States Constitution contains seven articles which cover the Legislative Branch, the Executive Branch, the Judicial Branch, the States, the Amendment Process, the legal status of the Constitution and the Signatures of the delegates. It also contains Amendments one through 10, which are called The Bill of Rights, and Amendments 11-27. President George W. Bush signed a bill into law on December 8, 2004, which designates every September 17 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. Citizenship Day has been around since 1952 as a day to commemorate “the formation and signing, on September 17, 1787, of the Constitution of the United States” and to recognize those who had attained the status of American citizenship. In 2004, Congress changed the designation of this day to “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.” It also added two provisions: first that federal employees receive educational and training materials concerning the Constitution on September 17 of each year, and second, that each educational institution that receives federal funds shall hold an educational program on the Constitution for students on September 17 of each year. For more information about Constitution Day, visit www.loc. gov, www.constitutionday.com, or www.constitutioncenter.org. In September 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed National Hispanic Heritage Week, observed during the week including September 15 and 16. This special week was created to honor the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens who can trace their ancestries, or roots, to Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Spanish-speaking
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Celebrate Grandparents Day! Grandparents are an important part of the family, and many cultures honor them for their knowledge and wisdom. In China, there is a proverb about grandparents, and it says, “The old are the precious gem of the household.” This means that the Chinese see their elders as extremely valuable members of society. So, because grandparents are so valuable they deserve a day in their honor just like mothers and fathers. America has been celebrating a Grandparents Day since 1978 when President Jimmy Carter declared it would be celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day every year. This year, 2011, Grandparents Day falls on Sunday, September 11. Many different countries such as Australia, Estonia, France, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom, celebrate a Grandparents Day like America; but America has been honoring them longer than almost everyone else. The only country that has been celebrating it longer than America is Poland. They started their holiday in 1964, 14 years before we did. Grandparents Day was created by Marian McQuade, who was a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. She was inspired by the lonely people in nursing homes and thought it would be a great idea to have a day for everyone to recognize how special and valuable they are. She thought it was very important for the younger generations to care for and learn from the wise people they have in their lives. A perfect way to celebrate this holiday with your loved ones could be to take them flowers or sing them a song. The National Grandparents Day Council of Chula Vista, California, has announced that the national song for Grandparents Day is “A Song for Grandma and Grandpa” by Johnny Prill. If you wanted to get flowers for your Grandma, you could get her forget-me-nots, which are the official flower for Grandparents Day. A handmade card is also a great way to say “I Love You” to the grandparents in your life. Spend some time talking to them about how things were when they were kids, and you will make their day! countries of Central and South America. In 1988, the week-long observance was expanded to a month-long celebration from September 15-October 15. Why September 15? Because five Latin American countries –– Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua –– celebrate the anniversary of their independence on September 15. And, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and 18, respectively.
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United States
Labor Day is a holiday in the United States dedicated to working people. Observed on the first Monday in September, it is a day when we show support for workers and honor them for their achievements. Labor Day was first celebrated in New York City with a parade on September 5, 1882. It became a national holiday in June 1894. Labor Day is celebrated with parades, picnics, sporting events and meetings of labor groups.
Brazil
In Brazil, September 1 through 7 is celebrated as Independence Week. In 1822, Brazil declared its independence from Portugal. During this week, also known as Patriotic Week (Semana da Patria), there are lots of celebrations. The government holds seminars about the history of the country. The week begins with a footrace, and a grand military parade takes place at the end of the week.
RLD
Chile
In Chile, September is a special month filled with festivities. Spring arrives in Chile in September, and they celebrate a Day of Unity on the first Monday in September. The Independence Day is celebrated on September 18, and Army Day is celebrated on September 19. The country celebrates all month long with music, dancing, food and beverage and parades. There are also rodeos and demonstrations of crafts and costumed dances.
Owl
You’ve heard about a “wise old owl,” but have you wondered what makes the owl so wise? Traditionally owls have been thought of as wise creatures because of their association with Athena. The Greek goddess of wisdom is often shown holding an owl. Owls were also thought of as bad omens and feared by some people because of their nighttime activity and their hooting sounds. Kingdom: Animalia Owls are nocturnal animals, which means they are Phylum: Chordata awake at night. They live all over the world, except for Antarctica. There are many different kinds of owls, Class: Aves but all have flat faces with small curved beaks and Order: Strigiformes big feet with large talons. Owls have very large round Family: Strigidae and eyes, but they cannot move their eyes. To make up for their eyes, they can turn their heads 180 degrees! Tytonidae That means owls can turn their heads to look directly behind them. Owls are five to 28 inches in length, with wingspans from one to 6.6 feet. They fly very quietly, which makes them hard for people to find. Owls eat mostly small animals like mice, but some eat insects as well. Fish owls eat fish along with mice, and bay owls have been know to hunt for bats. Owls swallow their prey whole, then cough up things that they cannot digest, like fur and bones, in compacted pellets. Owls live in many different places, even in deserts! They make nests in holes in cliffs, trees and buildings. Bigger owls sometimes use the abandoned nests of hawks and crows. Sources: Britannica Encyclopedia Online; International Festival of Owls, Houston Nature Center, www.festivalofowls.com.
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WHERE IN THE WORLD IS... BRAZIL?
It’s time to get out your globe! You need to know about the imaginary lines on globes and maps. These lines are called lines of latitude and longitude, and they tell a pilot or ship’s captain exactly where in the world a certain place is located. Basically, latitude lines (also called parallels) are the horizontal lines on your map. Lines of longitude (also called meridians) are the vertical lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole. This mapping system is written in degrees and uses the symbol °. Get ready to travel the world!
On your globe, find longitude of 55ºW and latitude of 10ºS, and you'll find the country of Brazil. It is located on the east coast of South America. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and is about the same size as the United States. In fact, it is the largest country in South America. It is surrounded by many smaller countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. It shares a border with every country in South America, except Chile and Ecuador! The climate of Brazil is mostly tropical. The terrain is mostly flat, but with some hills, mountains and a coastal area on the east coast. The capital of Brazil is Brasilia. The country celebrates Independence Day on September 7, which marks its independence from Portugal in 1822. Brazil has a strong economy. Agricultural, mining, manufacturing and service industries are well-developed. The main agricultural products of Brazil are coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus and beef. Coffee, soybeans and even footwear are some of the main exports that the country sells to other countries. Photo, left: A panoramic view of Iguazu Falls along the Brazil-Argentina border. The entire waterfall system consists of 275 falls along 1.7 miles of the Iguazu River.
Sources: "Brazil," The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html.
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A TEACHER? Summer break is over, and school is back in session! I really respect teachers. They have a lot of knowledge and spend their days helping us learn, too! Would you like to be a teacher when you grow up? To find out more about what it’s like to be a teacher, I talked with Mrs. Jennie Wray. She’s a third-grade teacher at Highland Elementary School in Harnett County, North Carolina. She’s been teaching for six years and loves her job! Keep reading to find out more.
TRUMAN: What does it take to become a teacher? MRS. WRAY: It takes at least four years of college, with a bachelor’s degree in education. Personally, it takes patience and a love of working with children. TRUMAN: When, and why, did you first become interested in being a teacher?
MRS. WRAY: I don’t like giving either, but they are necessary to be able to tell if the students are learning all that they need to learn to go on to the next grade and prepare them for their futures. TRUMAN: Would you do any other job if you could? MRS. WRAY: No, I enjoy what I do and find teaching very satisfying.
MRS. WRAY: I first became interested in teaching the summer of my senior year of high school. I was volunteering at a summer camp and just really enjoyed working with the children.
TRUMAN: What is your favorite hobby or thing to do when you are not working? MRS. WRAY: I like working on the computer, reading, walking and crafts. TRUMAN: What advice would you give to kids who are interested in becoming teachers?
TRUMAN: What do you do every day? What’s a typical day on the job? MRS. WRAY: I teach all subjects: reading, math, science, social studies and health. So I do a variety of things, from working with numbers to exploring outer space. My students and I have a lot of fun learning about all kinds of new and interesting things, like prehistoric dinosaurs and what makes the earth go round.
MRS. WRAY: Stay in school and learn all you can. When you do step into a classroom as the teacher, remember how you learned best when you were the student and always make learning fun.
Right: Jennie Wray loves being a third grade teacher. Above: Mrs. Wray, dressed in a flight suit, believes it’s important to make learning fun!
TRUMAN: It sounds like you have a lot of fun in your classroom. What’s the hardest part of your job? MRS. WRAY: I probably have to say the paper work and not having the money I’d like to have to spend on my students. Not that the paper work is hard, just that it is time consuming, and I’d rather spend time with my students or preparing more fun lessons for my students. I like to do a lot of experiments, and the material can be costly, but luckily parents are wonderful at helping. TRUMAN: What’s the best part of your job? MRS. WRAY: Being able to transform my classroom into different places, like Mars, for the sake of learning or starting a small garden with a student who may have never even dug in the dirt before to learn all about plants. TRUMAN: How has teaching changed since you first started teaching? MRS. WRAY: I use more technology and have realized that students are very comfortable with it and learn how to use technology very fast. TRUMAN: Do teachers like giving homework and tests?
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TRUMAN: Thanks, Mrs. Wray, for talking to us about what it’s like to be a teacher! I know your students love being in your classroom!
A Technology Primer
The classroom sure has changed! When your parents were in school, there was a chalkboard and an overhead projector. Now there are whiteboards, smartboards, computers, iPads and Skype! Jennie Wray uses the smart board for a variety of things in her thirdgrade classroom. “I like to play interactive learning games with the kids and take virtual field trips.” She uses lots of other digital devices and technological advances as well. “I use iPods for small learning groups and laptops for the students to create many different products like newsletters, Power Point presentations and iMovies, to name a few. We even use Skype to chat with students from other states and teach them about our state and learn about their state.” Read over this list of new technology in the classroom with your parents. Let them know which things you are using in your class. Smartboard: An interactive whiteboard that uses touch user input. A projector displays the computer video output on the whiteboard, which then serves as a large touchscreen. Pens with “digital ink” are used instead of markers. Moodle: A free web application that educators can use to create online learning sites. It has become very popular among educators as a tool for creating dynamic web sites for their students. Blog: A website on which an individual or group of users record opinions, information, etc. on a regular basis. Skype: An Internet calling service that allows you to make phone calls from your computer with an Internet connection, a microphone and earphones or speakers. You can use web cameras to chat face-to-face.
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What’s the Difference? It’s almost Grandparents Day! There are five things different between picture A and picture B. Can you find them all?
September Word Find
Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 to October 15. Scholars believe that over 10,000 words in the English language originated from the Spanish. Find the hidden words in the puzzle that came from the Spanish language. ALLIGATOR BRONCO CAFETERIA CARGO
F C C M Y Q O V V T E C A X K
P U A Z O P H Y O T M S Z V O
J U F X Y A C R Z Y L O T X P
H P E W E N N O G A J K Y M S
LASSO MOSQUITO MUSTANG PATIO
G U T Y L A H C S M L F X X P
Z V E H D A L N I E N E R V J
X T R O C Z M O S O G O X M J
W V I O D N B R C B E F J K Z
L H A X A G A B H S D D O I F
RANCH RODEO SALSA TORNADO
M U S T A N G R K G H V O I M
U E R O T A G I L L A I I R F
O G R A C W W O S S A L J Z D
O T I U Q S O M W U X D W B Y
P A T I O Z P K M T P P N C C
J J B C J F W I I B W I I D K
Source: www.metrocreativeconnection.com
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Coloring Corner Celebrate back to school! What kind of backpack do you have? Remember to wear it properly and don’t load it too heavily!
Image: www.metrocreativegraphics.com Truman Tru-
Truman’s Tricky Picture
Find these items! Be sure to find Truman’s hat! Look for more fun and games at www.kidsvillenews.com.
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Story Time with Truman Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl is a Serial Story by Carl Gundestrup. MR. JONES: Hello? WOMAN ON THE PHONE: Um. Mr. Jones. I think it’s time. He’s been asking questions. MR. JONES: Do you think he’s ready? WOMAN ON THE PHONE: I think so. MR. JONES: Send him over. CHRISTIAN: Hello, Grandpa Jones! MR. JONES: I’m up here Christian. In the attic! CHRISTIAN: Cool. What’s that? MR. JONES: This is the seaman’s locker your mother was telling you about. CHRISTIAN: Where’d you get it? MR. JONES: My father was a ship’s captain. It was his. One night, in October of 1991, a man came to my door with a letter from an attorney and this trunk. The letter informed me that my father had passed away at sea. This seaman’s locker was my inheritance. CHRISTIAN: This trunk? MR. JONES: Open it up. CHRISTIAN: Wow! Oh my gosh! MR. JONES: That pistol was my grandfather’s. CHRISTIAN: Cool. MR. JONES: The sword belonged to my Great-Grandfather John Paul Jones. He was a sea captain during the American Revolution. CHRISTIAN: What’s this? MR. JONES: That’s a Samaritan clay tablet. CHRISTIAN: No way! And this belt buckle? MR. JONES: There are those that would kill to have that belt buckle. What you see here, is just a very small part of what was in the trunk when I received it. Most of the artifacts and a large portion of my family manuscripts and writings are now stored in vaults or museums, protected from those that would steal the Jones Legacy.
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(Ketz-al-co-ah-Tel) Chapter One CHRISTIAN: What is the Jones cool. Who drew this dragon? It’s legacy? beautiful. MR. JONES: If I tell you, you must MR. JONES: It’s your legacy. give me your word of honor that you CHRISTIAN: My legacy? will speak of this to no one. MR. JONES: Give me the book CHRISTIAN: Why? Why does it and get comfortable. Here. Take matter? Who’d care? James Spencer’s dagger. I find that MR. JONES: Give me your word of when my hands are occupied, my honor. mind has a greater capacity to CHRISTIAN: I promise never to grasp the truth. The tale of speak to anyone without your permisQuetzalcoatl by Captain David Jones, sion. my father. MR. JONES: Very good. Here. Help me to remove the rest of these DAVY: James Spencer and I first items. met while working on Gus Neilsen’s CHRISTIAN: Wow! What’s this? fishing boat the Viking Queen. James MR. JONES: I’m not exactly was the first mate, and we became certain. There are quite a number of friends almost the moment we met. items that are similar. Set it down on the James confided in me, his dream of table. Now, move that lever there. owning his own fishing fleet and living CHRISTIAN: Oh wow! What’s on Shiloh’s Island. Shiloh’s lay a half a that? day’s journey from the mainland and MR. JONES: I believe that it is a. was the best fishing I’d ever seen. After sextant of sorts. A traditional sextant is working together for several years, a navigational instrument used to James and I pooled our money and partdetermine a vessels exact position at nered on our own fishing boat. I moved sea. It’s not like any sextant I have ever with James and his family to Shiloh’s seen. What you’re seeing projected I Island. After buying the boat, there was believe, is a star chart. A map of a solar no money left for a house, and no one system. But I don’t believe that it’s “our” on the island would rent us a room. solar system. So we made our home in a cave on the CHRISTIAN: Where did it come windward side of the island. We traded from? some fish for an old church door, which MR. JONES: Let me show you. See we used to enclose the front of the cave. that leather flap sticking out of the I had always viewed moving to a new bottom of the trunk? Give it a tug. place or starting a new job as a great CHRISTIAN: Oh Wow! Cool, a adventure, filled with the excitement of false bottom! What are all these books new opportunities and hope for a better and maps and stuff? future. But James’ wife Catherine did MR. JONES: The writings of my not share my feelings. ancestors. For centuries, members of CATHERINE:You know how I was the Jones family have kept journals and treated when I went looking for a place diaries and ships’ logs. Passing their to rent. If that is how the adults on the lives’ experiences from father to son. island behave, how do you think their CHRISTIAN: Why’s it so secret? children will treat Garrett? MR. JONES: To me, it’s sacred. It’s JAMES: No, Catherine. It is not the history of my family back to before ideal. But a man has to feed his family the time of Christ. To archeologists, and the fishing off Shiloh’s is the best treasure hunters and those seeking fame there is anywhere. and fortune. My ancestor’s writings and DAVY: And Garrett’s a strapping the artifacts in my father’s trunk are young lad who can take care of himself. priceless. They are the clues to some of Isn’t that right? the greatest mysteries and treasures in GARRETT: Yes, sir. the history of our world. Here. Take a DAVY: Garrett was a fine young look at this journal. man. Like most boys, he had a taste for CHRISTIAN: Whoa! This is way
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adventure. He had read everything he could find about Shiloh’s Island. He had a keen young mind and a heart as big as the ocean, but he had the misfortune to have been born with a crippled leg. His left leg was fine, mind you. But his right leg was small, withered and twisted so as to be of no practical use to him. Garrett was forced to use crutches, which made making friends difficult. Still, Garrett would try. With all of his heart, he wanted to be like all the other children. GARRETT: I can’t wait to explore the Island. Shiloh’s Island was a haven for pirates. One book said that there are more than a dozen sunken ships scattered around the island. CATHERINE: How’d they all sink? GARRETT: Other pirates, shoals, storms and sea serpents. CATHERINE: Sea serpents? I don’t believe that. GARRETT: Ask Uncle Davy. DAVY: I was not Garrett’s uncle by birth or marriage, but by affection. Aye. It was in this very channel that I encountered a sea dragon. GARRETT: Really? DAVY: Had I not been there myself, I would have thought it just another tall tale. But a mate of mine, Shawnsey McKensie, was standing the night watch. As near as we could tell, a hungry sea dragon spied Shawnsey alone on the deck... (continued)... To listen and readalong with the rest of this month’s episode of QUETZALCOATL go to www. talesofdavyjones.com or www.kidsvillenews.com. A Teacher’s Guide to accompany this 12-chapter story is available at www.KidsvilleNews.com. An audio version CD-set and workbook are also available online. Copyright 2011 by Carl F. Gundestrup. All rights reserved.
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COME OUT AND PLAY!
Yoga — Stretching Your Body Is Good for Your Mind It’s back-to-school time — time for classes and extracurricular activities like sports — football, basketball, soccer and more. But not all sports activities involve two teams lined up on the field in a game. Yoga is an athletic activity in which you compete not against another team or person, but yourself, and it benefits the mind, body and soul. Yoga means “union” in Sanskrit and originated in ancient India. What we in the West commonly refer to as yoga is actually asana, the practice of physical poses and one of eight different “limbs” of yoga. Yoga includes many styles of practice based on the same poses, but focused on different aspects, like breathing, physical movement, body alignment or a combination. Some popular yoga styles include Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Power Yoga, Iyengar, Kundalini, Bikram or Hot Yoga and Viniyoga. Yoga requires little equipment — comfortable clothes that allow you to move easily, like shorts and a tee shirt, and a yoga mat and towel. (Be sure to include a water bottle and drink plenty of fluids during any sort of exercise.) An instructor leads students in a yoga class through combinations of poses and positions that involve stretching, bending, holding, breathing and relaxing.
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Yoga offers children many great benefits. “A non-heated class for anyone under the age of 13 can be incredibly beneficial,” said Virginia Gallagher, ERYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher), owner of Hot Asana Studio in Southern Pines, N.C. “If they are already engaged in other athletic activities that build musculature up to shorten the muscles, then yoga can be incredibly beneficial to lighten them back up. Yoga is also good for the mind and may help you in your studies. “In general, especially for kids with ADD or ADHD, it helps focus their concentration. Anytime you are focused on one activity, one pose or posture, and you’re concentrating on it, it increases your focus and increases your ability to focus and to concentrate. We are a society that really works in front of our computers and our video games, so we work in our heads a lot. So to get anybody to really drop down and to feel down to your toes and to feel down to your fingers, to extend and stretch different parts of the body that you’re not really utilizing on a regular basis is beneficial.” Yoga also offers a playfulness and non-competitiveness, Gallagher said. “So much of what our kids do are team sports, or sports that have a winner or loser, and in yoga, we don’t have that. In yoga, it’s pretty much personal posture, and it’s about doing what you can do and not comparing that to anybody else.” Sources: www.discover-yoga-online.com; “What Is Yoga,” http:// yoga.about.com/od/beginningyoga/a/whatisyoga.htm.
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NASA’s Jobs NASA (short for National Aeronautics and Space Administration) reaches for new heights and reveals the unknown so that what it does and learns will benefit all humankind. To do that, thousands of people have worked around the world — and off it — for 50 years, trying to answer some basic questions. What’s out there in space? How do we get there? What will we find? What can we learn there, or learn just by trying to get there, that will make life better here on Earth? What happened during and right after the Big Bang? How do galaxies form and change? What is the nature of black holes? How did the planets, moons, comets and other solar system objects NASA’s Science Mission Directorate has missions form? studying Earth, the Sun, the Solar System, and the NASA sends Universe. For some missions, NASA partners with spacecraft out to space agencies in other countries. All people have answer these big the same big questions. questions. These spacecraft have no people onboard. However, a lot of engineers and scientists work together to build them and put them into space. Like true robots, these spacecraft operate mostly by themselves. They are programmed to send their data and images back to Earth. These spacecraft study Earth, the Sun, the solar system and the universe as far away in space and time as the most advanced NASA technology will allow. And, at home, how is the Earth’s climate changing? Why is it changing? How will Earth be different in the future? Earthobserving spacecraft study the air, the ocean, the land and the ice to help answer those questions. To us, the Sun is the most important star in the universe. Why does it act as it does — quiet sometimes and stormy at others? NASA has missions to observe the Sun’s cycles, variations and “temper tantrums” and how the Sun affects us. Other spacecraft and robotic explorers are helping to find out the nature of the objects that make up our solar system. How have they changed since the solar system began? What environments in the solar system might support life? NASA’s space observatories are helping scientists understand some of the biggest mysteries. How did the universe begin? How did it become what we see today, with its hundreds of billions of galaxies, stars and planets? And, are any of those other planets like Earth — with life? Find out about some of these exciting NASA missions at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov.
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AT THE MOVIES Dolphin Tale (In Theaters: Sept. 23) Some dolphins are luckier than others. After getting caught in a crab trap off the coast of Florida, Winter gets rescued on the beach by a little boy named Sawyer (Nathan Gamble). Members of the nearby Clearwater Marine Hospital help transport the friendly dolphin to their facility to help Winter recover. Sadly, Winter’s damaged tale has to be removed. Harry Connick, Jr., plays Dr. Clay Haskett, whose outgoing daughter Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff) befriends Sawyer and invites him to help with Winter’s recovery. Hope comes for Winter’s survival when a local prosthetics doctor (Morgan Freeman) generously agrees to design a prosthetic tail to help her swim properly. Dolphin Tale is a sweet children’s movie. There are no big explosions, rude humor, or green-eyed monsters -- just a heartwarming true story about people who care for one very special dolphin. Ashely Judd and Kris Kristofferson also star. Rated PG for some mild thematic elements (Warner Bros.) The Lion King 3D (In Theaters: Sept. 16) Disney’s coming-of-age animated musical gets a 3D treatment that puts the well-loved movie on the big screen for more generations of kids to fall in love with. Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matthew Broderick) is a cute little lion cub with a royal destiny. Once a prince, Simba must find his own way in the world after a terrible event takes his father King Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones) away from him forever. In the jungle, Simba meets a couple of new friends. Pumbaa the warthog and Timon the meerkat help guide Simba on his road to independence. The story draws upon Shakespeare, classical mythology and African folk tales as a basis for songs by Elton John and
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Tim Rice. This limited re-release extravaganza will be in theaters for just two weeks.
MOVIES ON DVD
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (Available Sept. 6) Patricia Rozema makes this gently nostalgic depression-era story about 11-year-old Kit Kittredge (well played by Abigail Breslin) of the “American Girl” book series. Kit wants to write essays about the Great Depression from a “kid’s-eye view” for her local Cincinnati newspaper. The 1934 financial crisis comes home to roost when Kit’s father (Chris O’Donnell) loses his car dealership and leaves his family to look for work in Chicago. Kit befriends a couple of child hobos named Will and Countee, who take her on a tour of their homeless lifestyle. Kit’s mom (played by Julia Ormond) opens the family’s house to boarders to help keep up their mortgage payments. A rash of burglaries points to Kit’s friend Will as the prime suspect. Kit sets out to solve the crimes with the help of her two best friends. Rated G. (New Line Home Video) Dumbo (Available Sept. 20) Jumbo Jr. is nicknamed “Dumbo” because of his enormous ears. Born into the circus life when a stork delivers him to his mom, Dumbo is picked on by the other animals. Those big ears are a problem. Even kids make fun of him. He’s separated from his protective mother. Still, Dumbo has one loyal friend in the form of a boisterous tiny rodent named Timothy Q. Mouse. Timothy Mouse loves Dumbo. Things take a big turn when Dumbo and everyone else realizes the no-so-little elephant can use his mighty ears to fly! Suddenly Dumbo becomes known as “the 9th wonder of the universe- — the world’s only flying elephant.” This 1941 Disney animated movie is called a “classic” for good reason. You might even shed a tear or two. Rated G. Cole Smithey, also known as “the smartest film critic in the world,” has been a film critic for 11 years and writes for over 50 publications, in print and on-line. Truman loves to watch movies and has the highest appreciation for great popcorn.
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KIDSVILLE KITCHEN
Together Time — Ask an adult for help with projects!
Liven Up the Lunch Box! With school underway, it can be a challenge to keep the brown bag lunch fun and healthy. PB&J is great, but not every day! You can make your own stack-ems using cubed cheeses, lunch meats and low-salt crackers, to change things up and save money over the pre-packaged versions. Turkey is a great choice. It is a protein, which helps your body maintain and repair body tissues and build muscle. It also provides vitamin B-complex and iron, which help build strong bones and teeth and support muscles. Here are some healthy recipes from Boar’s Head that use turkey and will make your bag lunch more fun!
Turkey & Apple Roll-ups WHAT YOU NEED: •1-2 tablespoons cream cheese, low-fat • 1 96% fat-free tortilla (8-inch) • 2 slices Boar’s Head Maple Glazed Honey Coat™ Turkey Breast
• 1/4 cup fresh baby spinach • 1/2 medium-sized apple, cut into thin strips
• Spread cream cheese on one side of tortilla. Place turkey slices evenly over tortilla; then add spinach leaves and sliced apple. Roll tortilla tightly, tucking ingredients as you roll. Slice wrap in half diagonally and serve. (Makes one serving.)
Turkey Kabobs WHAT YOU NEED: • • • •
2 slices Boar’s Head Ovengold® Turkey Breast, sliced 1/4-inch thick 2 slices Boar’s Head Yellow Cheddar Cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick 12 grapes, white seedless Toothpicks, long
• Cut turkey and cheese into cubes. Place a cube of turkey on a toothpick, followed by a cube of cheese and then a grape. Repeat with remaining items. Arrange on a plate and serve. (Makes 12 servings.) NOTE: Instead of toothpicks, try using pretzel sticks.
September Word Find Find the hidden words in the puzzle that originated from the Spanish language.
ALLIGATOR BRONCO CAFETERIA CARGO
F C C M Y Q O V V T E C A X K
P U A Z O P H Y O T M S Z V O
J U F X Y A C R Z Y L O T X P
H P E W E N N O G A J K Y M S
LASSO MOSQUITO MUSTANG PATIO
G U T Y L A H C S M L F X X P
Z V E H D A L N I E N E R V J
X T R O C Z M O S O G O X M J
W V I O D N B R C B E F J K Z
L H A X A G A B H S D D O I F
RANCH RODEO SALSA TORNADO
M U S T A N G R K G H V O I M
U E R O T A G I L L A I I R F
O G R A C W W O S S A L J Z D
O T I U Q S O M W U X D W B Y
P A T I O Z P K M T P P N C C
J J B C J F W I I B W I I D K
What’s the Difference? It’s almost Grandparents Day! There are five things different between picture A and picture B. Can you find them all?
Visit www.boarshead.com or www.brown-bagging.com for more lunch and snack ideas like these. Recipe courtesy of Boar’s Head and Family Features.
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P ARENTOWN’S Unique Ways to Save on School Supplies When it comes to school, costs are rising across the board. Though tuition hikes get most of the publicity, additional expenses associated with school can add up as well, and school supplies are no exception. Though it was once easy to send kids off to school with a pencil case, a couple of notebooks and a few other accessories, today’s students live in a digital world, and their teachers often rely on technology to supplement lesson plans. As a result, the cost of school supplies is higher than ever before, and parents are left looking for ways to give kids the tools they need without breaking the bank. To do just that, consider the following tips. · Sign up for coupons on retailer websites. When consumers purchase a product online, prior to finalizing the purchase, many online retailers ask consumers to check a box if they would like to receive e-mail newsletters and coupons. Parents who sign up for such newsletters and coupons can save substantial amounts of money and might even be privy to special sales not available to the general public. In some cases, it’s not even necessary to make a purchase to receive the newsletters and coupons. Shoppers simply visit the web site of their favorite online retailers and sign up to be notified of any deals or sales. · Coordinate with teachers ahead of time. Parents should consult their child’s teacher before school begins and throughout the year to determine if there are any special projects or reports coming up that require certain supplies. For instance, kids might need costly graphing calculators next semester. If parents are given advance notice, they can shop around to get the best deal. Talk to local school officials to see if it’s possible to make a list of school supplies available at the end of the year instead of at the very beginning. If so, this gives parents several months to shop around for the best deals. · Do your own homework. Parents of college-bound kids might think an e-reader would make the ideal gift, saving kids the trouble of lugging all those books around campus. However, parents should do their homework before making any such purchases. That’s because not all textbooks are available as e-books, and kids might end up having to buy hard copies of their textbooks anyway. Before kids head off to college, examine their first semester schedule and then look online for each class’s corresponding syllabus. If most of their required textbooks are available as e-books, then an e-reader might make a great gift. If not, think of something else. · Don’t make the bottom line the determining factor. Whether a student is in grade school, high school or college, his or her school supplies tend to undergo more than their fair share of wear and tear. So parents looking to save on school supplies should consider that when shopping. Though the less expensive backpack might seem more affordable, make sure it can withstand the test of time and all the wear and tear that comes with being a student’s backpack. If not, it will likely need to be replaced before the school year is out, which can end up costing more money in the long run. · Recycle school supplies. School supplies can be recycled. At the end of each semester or school year, perform an inventory of existing school supplies. If last semester’s notebooks were hardly used, there’s no need to buy new ones for the new semester. Similarly, parents who have a couple of students in their household can embrace hand-me-down school supplies just as they do with clothes. If one child finishes the school year but didn’t quite use up all of his or her supplies, save those supplies for the day when younger siblings end up in the same class. Source: Metrocreativeconnection.com
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K ID S MART Formas originales de ahorrar en efectos de uso escolar
Cuando se habla de escuelas, los costos aumentan sin parar. Aunque el costo de matrícula acapara gran parte de la publicidad, los gastos adicionales asociados con los estudios se acumulan también, y los efectos de uso escolar no son excepción. Aunque antes era fácil enviar a los niños a la escuela con una caja de lápices, un par de cuadernos y otros accesorios, los estudiantes de la actualidad viven en un mundo digital, y sus maestros dependen con frecuencia de la tecnología como suplemento de los planes de sus lecciones. Como resultado, el costo de los efectos escolares es más alto que nunca antes, y los padres deben buscar maneras de proporcionarles las herramientas a sus hijos sin arruinarse. Para lograrlo, considere los consejos siguientes: · Inscríbase para obtener cupones en los sitios Web de las tiendas minoristas. Cuando los consumidores compran un producto por Internet, antes de finalizar la transacción muchos vendedores les piden que marquen una casilla para determinar si quieren recibir boletines electrónicos y cupones. Los padres que se inscriben para recibir esos boletines y cupones pueden ahorrar cantidades sustanciales de dinero e incluso tener acceso a compras especiales que no están disponibles para el público en general. En algunos casos, ni siquiera es necesario comprar para recibir boletines y cupones. Los compradores sólo tienen que visitar el sitio Web de sus tiendas favoritas e inscribirse para que les notifiquen de cualquier oportunidad o rebaja. · Coordinar con los maestros anticipadamente. Los padres deben consultar con el maestro de su hijo antes de comenzar el curso y durante el mismo, para determinar si hay algún proyecto o reporte especial que requiere determinados efectos escolares. Por ejemplo, los niños pudieran necesitar costosas calculadoras gráficas para el próximo semestre. Si los padres lo saben con antelación, podrán buscar el mejor precio. Hable con los funcionarios escolares locales para determinar si es posible hacer una lista de efectos escolares disponibles al final del curso en vez de al comienzo del mismo. Si existe, los padres podrán tener varios meses a favor para buscar las mejores oportunidades de compra. · Haga su propia investigación. Los padres con hijos que van realizar estudios universitarios podrían pensar que un lector electrónico podría ser el mejor regalo, ahorrándole a sus hijos el trabajo de llevar demasiados libros por todo el plantel. Sin embargo, hay que investigar antes de hacer ese tipo de compras porque no todos los libros de texto están disponibles en esos dispositivos, y al final habría que comprar los libros impresos de todas formas. Antes de comenzar el curso, examine el calendario del primer semestre, y busque en Internet el currículo correspondiente a cada materia. Si la mayoría necesita libros de texto disponibles en versión electrónica, entonces el lector sería el mejor regalo. Si no es así, piense en otra cosa útil. · No permita que el precio sea el factor determinante. Independientemente de que su hijo estudie en la enseñanza primaria, secundaria o universitaria, sus efectos de uso escolar tienden a sufrir el esperado desgaste. Por tanto, los padres que deseen ahorrar en efectos escolares deben considerar esa situación a la hora de comprar. Aunque la mochila más económica pudiera parecer más asequible, asegúrese de que pueda soportar la prueba del tiempo y el uso. Si no es así, entonces habrá que reemplazarla antes de que termine el curso, y gastar más dinero a la larga. · Recicle los efectos de uso escolar. Casi todos los efectos escolares se pueden reciclar. Al final de cada semestre o curso, realice un inventario de los efectos existentes. Si apenas se usaron los cuadernos el semestre anterior, no hay necesidad de comprar nuevos para el próximo semestre. Asimismo, los padres que tienen más de un estudiante en la familia pueden pasar los efectos escolares de uno a otro, como mismo se hace con la ropa. Si uno de ellos terminó el curso pero no ha usado todos sus efectos escolares, ahórrelos para cuando los hijos más pequeños lleguen a ese mismo nivel escolar.
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P ARENTOWN’S K ID S HAPE Pros & Cons to Learning in a Digital Age The world has quickly become digital, and the younger generations are leading the pack with technology that just may make some other items obsolete. As preteens and teenagers routinely turn to digital devices for entertainment and schoolwork, the face of education may change as well. In the past, students toted notebooks (the paper kind), pencils, pens and folders to school. Today, students carry digital devices like computer tablets, notebooks (the electronic kind), smart phones and other items to the classroom. Furthermore, texting and instant messaging have replaced traditional modes of casual conversation. Another item that may go the way of the dinosaur is the printed book. Students can now carry an entire library’s worth of reading material on a slim e-reader device or on the many other evolving tablet-type machines. There may be a day when one no longer browses the aisles of the school library for a book, but only downloads the text instantly when needed. Some textbooks are already offered in digital format, and some school systems and teachers may opt for the convenience of digital devices. Little data exists as to just how many schools have policies allowing the use of cell phones and other digital devices in class. In the United States, a 2009 U.S. Department of Education survey indicates only four percent of public-school teachers say a handheld device is available in the classroom every day. But things can change in a short period of time. Digital Advantages: There are many advantages to going digital. Typing tends to go faster for adept keyboard users, which many youngsters have become since they’ve essentially grown up with computers in the household. This skill makes note-taking easier. When notes and assignments are saved to a computer, there’s less likelihood of them getting lost, especially if important files are routinely backed up. Data saved on a computer can easily be manipulated into a number of different formats, potentially making it easier to study. Bodies of text can be transformed into charts or pie graphs with many word-processing programs. Students can cut and paste important quotes or examples into essays and the like, saving time on homework. In terms of streamlining backpacks, digital readers and other devices eliminate heavy books and notebooks. This point can be seen
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as a big plus to students who have grown accustomed to carrying around 20+ pounds on their backs from a very young age. As many teachers turn to online resources, such as e-mailing and posting assignments on a personal website, students almost have to keep up with the times with some sort of tool that has Internet access. Digital Disadvantages: On the other side of the equation, going digital does have some disadvantages. The decline of penmanship is one of them. In a digital era, people are less likely to write letters by hand or keep up with penmanship in other ways. Some children don’t know what cursive handwriting is and may never learn how to sign their names in “script,” which was a common lesson for other generations. With spell check available, there is no longer a focus on spelling lists and spelling tests as there was for previous generations. While digital communication does promote social interactions on some levels, some argue that spending too much time staring at a screen and keyboard compromises the social aspect of going to school and learning in a classroom. Today’s youth are less likely to “talk,” choosing to “LOL” and “TTYL” through texting. Having a wealth of information available on the Internet opens up students to many disreputable sources of content. Some common online encyclopedias are written and edited by regular people who may not have the accurate details of events. Also, having content that is easily cut and pasted opens up the temptation for plagiarism and blurs the lines of how to attribute information to a source correctly. Digital devices may be great learning tools, but they also offer a number of distractions to students. When a student is supposed to be taking notes on a laptop in the classroom, he or she might be downloading music, updating social networking sites, streaming video or checking celebrity gossip. Classrooms are evolving and so are students. Learning is very different from the way older generations may have learned. As the classrom changes, it may be up to the parent to establish techonology boundaries for the child. Setting limits on computer time and phone usage and encouraging penmanship and spelling may be the ways to go. Source: MetroCreativeConnection.com
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