mosaic family magazine by Mosaic Family Magazine

FAMILY

EDUCATION

SNEAK PEAK

COMMUNITY

Avoiding the Summer Slide

What is it and how to prevent it

SUMMER IS HERE

Where to go on the cheap TIPS TO TALK to your child about race

DIGGING into your future

Juneteenth 2012

Celebrating Freedom in Texas

POLITICS, POLICY AND PARENTING

>>> SUMMER RESOURCE GUIDE

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From the EDITOR

Welcome

to Mosaic Family Magazine! You’re looking at a “Sneak Peak” of Mosaic Family Magazine. Mosaic will serve as a comprehensive listing of activities, articles, information, resources and much, much more. In this Preview Issue, discover ways to help your child beat the “Academic Summer Slide.” Also, journey with Chef Tarsha Gary to see how “Digging Into Your Future” is good for you and the environment. We take you “In The Streets” through our monthly calendar to show you what’s happening around town. Literacy will always be a main focus in each issue. Starting a family reading club can be a fun way of getting your child to read. Our “Kultural Korner” will show you ways to enrich your families reading experience through books. It’s always great to hear from our readers. If your family knows how to have fun on the cheap, email us so we can share the story. Let us celebrate with you. When your family reunion takes place, or your child celebrates a Publisher Tracey Hawthorne Wash Assistant to the Publisher Tonya Cooksey

birthday or milestone, send us photos to share. Our next issue will serve as our Premiere Issue and will bring lots of information for you as you plan your family’s summer time activities. From camps, road trips with the kids or just to Madea’s house we will keep your summer full of things to do. We also have established great partners in the community and through our social media we will be giving away activities, event tickets, camp scholarships and more. A small group of mothers, called Mosaic Moms, will guide me in creating an ongoing list of who’s who and what’s what as we grow this process as a village. They inspire me, as well as keep me grounded. Follow us on Facebook so you can be alerted to our give-a-ways, meet ups and more. I’m excited about this journey and I hope you are to. Peace and blessings,

Tracey Hawthorne Wash PUBLISHER

Project/Editorial Coordinator Vicki S. Wilson

Sales Eugene Hawthorne Michael Berkely

Editor/Proofreader Maia Shelby

Design Axiom 28

1919 Decatur Street • Houston, Texas 77007 • 713-678-0311

Mosaic Family Magazine is published by FD&L Group Inc. Mosaic Family Magazine is a free publication. Mosaic Family Magazine is © 2012 by FD&L Group Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written express permission is prohibited.

SUMMER

2012

5 Tips to Talking to Your Child about Race

Avoiding the Summer Slide

In the Streets

KULTURAL KORNER: Juneteenth

The Mosaic Family Book Club

12 15

Digging into Your Future

5 Tips to Talking to Your Child about Race By Rene Syler

will happen before you know it, and the shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman has catapulted it front and center. The “it” is the issue of race -- which was destined to turn up at the dinner table even if it hadn’t been for that tragic case. Children need answers and we as parents, owe it to them and ourselves to handle questions in an appropriate manner that we can all learn from. But how to do that?

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Politics, Policy and Parenting

1. Be honest. Children can smell evasiveness and untruth like nobody’s business. Having an honest discussion about how you feel about other cultures and races is important. Make sure you take a close look at yourself before telling your children how you feel. Any racial slurs, epithets, or even jokes you think are so funny but paint other people in a stereotypical light need to be examined because you are going to need to explain your own use of them.

SUMMER is HERE

page

2. Be real. If you had an “A-ha!” moment in school where you weren’t particularly nice to someone of another race, or where someone you loved treated someone from another culture poorly, say so. None of us are perfect. Kids will respect the learning process a lot more if they realize you had to learn to accept and appreciate others, too.

WHERE TO GO & WHAT TO DO

>>>

3. Be willing to do the research. The media today isn’t just three networks and a few newspapers. Media are everywhere and not all of it has responsible reporting, ethics, or

any regard for our growing children. Find out what websites your children are reading but before you put an online filter on the site, talk to your children about the content you find questionable and how they could have conveyed the information more responsibly. Talk to them about opinion and fact -- and how people can use the first to shade and distort the second.

4. Be kind. If this conversation comes out of necessity -- say your child has made offensive remarks about another race or culture -- don’t lay blame on them, especially if this is their first offense. Take the time to teach them what they should have said, and have them apologize if the situation warrants it.

5. Be an example. Talking to your children is a great start, but we are all responsible for our actions. Children are a product of their environment and we as adults haven’t all learned how to behave, and children hear and see all we do. Start a conversation by showing tolerance, love, and understanding; it will give you just the leg you need to stand on to make your points hit home. Talking about race with your children and in your home doesn’t have to be and shouldn’t be awkward. As parents we are teachers in every minute of our day. Race is just another subject in our vast repertoire. Handled with care, honesty, and an open mind, this is just one more conversation to being the parent of a loving, well-rounded human being.

SNEAK PEAK MosaicFamilyMagazine.com 5

EDUCATION

Reading, Writing & A-Rythym-atic Four Days of Fun with Music and Movement

AVOIDING THE SUMMER SLIDE

s June is fast approaching, you can feel the heat of summer in the hallways Days are longer, attention spans are growing shorter, and everyone is ready for a break. Teachers are planning for their vacation time. Children are ready to shrug off the mantle of “student” for the three-month break, along with the backpacks, the math homework, and the quizzes and tests. But just because school is out, it doesn’t mean that reading and learning should stop. Teachers know that many children can’t afford to take such a long break. Young readers who don’t continue to read over the summer, especially those who are reluctant or at-risk, are likely to lose crucial ground. One summer off can sometimes mean a whole school year of struggling academic performance. eprived of healthy stimulation, millions of low-income kids lose a significant amount of what they learn during the school year. Call it “summer learning loss,” as the academics do, or “the summer slide,” but by any name summer vacation is among the most acknowledged cause of achievement gaps in America’s schools. Children with access to high-quality experiences

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keep exercising their minds and bodies at sleep-away camp, on family vacations, in museums and libraries and enrichment classes. Meanwhile, children without resources languish on street corners or in front of glowing screens. By the time the bell rings on a new school year, the poorer kids have fallen weeks, if not months, behind. And even well-off American students may be falling behind their peers around the world. hat starts as a hiccup in a 6-yearold’s education can be a crisis by the time that child reaches high school. After collecting a century’s worth of academic studies, summerlearning expert Harris Cooper, now at Duke University, concluded that, on average, all students lose about a month of progress in math skills each summer, while low-income students slip as many as three months in reading comprehension, compared with middle-income students. By the end of grammar school, low-income students had fallen nearly three grade levels behind, and summer was the biggest culprit. By ninth grade, summer learning loss could be blamed for roughly two-thirds of the achievement gap separating income groups.

SNEAK PEAK

1st Session: June 11-14 2nd Session: July 23-26 3rd Session: August 13-16

9AM - 4PM Grades 3-6

Pearland Area Cost: $150.00 per person Participants must bring a sack lunch. Snacks will be provided. Evening Spanish classes available for ages 5 and up

For more information call 832.594.9439 or email us at shanwag@shanwag.com

eaders in a number of states have tried to add days or even weeks to the academic calendar, but they quickly run into barriers of cost and culture. In this bad economy, state and local governments are cutting, not growing,

their school budgets. And entire industries depend on the rhythms of summer think travel, camping, sports and theme parks. They use their influence to keep summers as long as possible.

Preventing Summer Setback Parents can help their children regardless of their financial status. Simply an awareness that children need to be challenged and engaged during the summer vacation months can go a long way in preventing summer slide. It does not require a great deal of time or money to cultivate learning in the summer. Here are some summer ideas to engage children. • Visit the local library regularly • Go to free museum days • Limit television and computer use to educational sites • Opt for a zoo or science center visit, instead of an amusement park • Plant a garden or start a compost • Read street signs, menus and maps When a child’s mind is not activated and exercised, there is a risk of lost academic skills.

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In the Streets May 2 Mommy Mingle Children’s Museum 10am – 12am May 10 Storytime Children’s Museum 5pm Wild about Wildflowers 5/10 – 5/16 Children’s Museum 10 am May 15 Toddler Tuesday Max & Ruby’s Show and Tell. Discovery Green 10:30 am-11:45am Ages 1-3 Free

MAY

May 21 Family Storytime-Pajama Houston Public LibraryAldine Every Monday (excluding holidays) 7pm-7:55pm May 22 Toddler Tuesdays – Hello Kitty Who Will I Be A to Z? Discovery Green 10:30 – 11:44 am May 24 Gear Up for Summer Bash 5/24 – 5/30 Children’s Museum 10am & 8pm

Toddler Time Houston Public Library – Aldine Branch Every Tuesday 10:30am – 11:30am Ages 1-3

Dancing in the Streets – Motown Revue May 24 -27 Miller Outdoor Theatre 8:15 – 11pm

May 17 Bilingual Storytime Spanish & English Houston Public LibraryAldine Branch Every Thursday 10:30am-12:30pm Ages 3-6

Tween Mixer – Make Your Own Kite Houston Public Library – Aldine 4pm – 5:30pm

Drake Concert Toyota Center 8-11:30 May 19 24th Annual Young Inventor’s Showcase Children’s Museum 10am & 3pm May 10 Young Writer’s Workshop Discovery Green Every Saturday 10:30-11:30 am FREE Lakeshore Learning Store (all Locations) FREE Craft for kids ages 3 and up every Saturday 11am – 3pm

May 26 Young Writer’s Workshop Discovery Green Every Saturday 10:30-11:30 am FREE Gear Up for Summer Bash 5/24 – 5/30 Children’s Museum 10am & 6pm Dancing in the Streets – Motown Revue May 24 -27 Miller Outdoor Theatre 8:15 – 11pm May 26 Gear Up for Summer Bash 5/24 – 5/30 Children’s Museum 10am & 6pm

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SNEAK PEAK

Dancing in the Streets – Motown Revue May 24 -27 Miller Outdoor Theatre 8:15 – 11pm May 27 Gear Up for Summer Bash 5/24 – 5/30 Children’s Museum 10am & 6pm Dancing in the Streets – Motown Revue May 24 -27 Miller Outdoor Theatre 8:15 – 11pm Toddler Tuesdays – Kailan’s Sunny Day Discovery Green 10:30-11:44 am-FREE www.discoverygreen.org May 30 Gear Up for Summer Bash 5/24 – 5/30 Children’s Museum 10am & 6pm May 31 Swing, Jive and Pop into Dance Children’s Performance Miller Outdoor Theatre 11am – noon Sam Houston Boat Tour Tues – Sunday 10:30- 2pm FREE City Pass for Houston Family Attractions See 5 Houston family attractions for 1 price Project Row House Exhibit open March 31 – June 24 Weds – Sun, 12 – 5 FREE Buffalo Soldiers Museum 3rd Annual Buffalo Soldier Bike Ride June 24 @ 7am

JUNE June 1 Summer Rockin’ Fun June 1 – June 6 Children’s Museum 10am & 6pm June 2 Young Writer’s Workshop Discovery Green Every Saturday 10:30-11:30 am FREE Lakeshore Learning Store (all Locations) FREE Craft for kids ages 3 and up every Saturday 11am – 3pm Free Press Summer Fest featuring Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Morris Day and The Time and more>> June 2 -3 500 Allen Parkway @ EleanorTinsley Park 11am – 10pm approx. June 3 Target Free Sunday Children’s Museum 12pm & 6pm

The Little Mermaid, Jr. June 6-8 Miller Outdoor Theatre 11 am – 12:30 June 7 Backyard Building Fun June 7 -13 Children’s Museum 10am & 6pm Bilingual Storytime Spanish & English Houston Public LibraryAldine Branch Every Thursday 10:30am-12:30pm Ages 3-6 June 8 District D Movie Night – “Joyful Noise” Miller Outdoor Theatre 8pm – 10pm June 9 Young Writer’s Workshop Discovery Green Every Saturday 10:30-11:30am FREE

June 5 Houston Zoo Free Admission 2pm – closing

June 10 Pinocchio Childrens Performance Miller Outdoor Theatre 11am

Toddler Time Houston Public Library – Aldine Branch, Every Tuesday 10:30am – 11:30am Ages 1-3

Infant Time Houston Public Library – Aldine Branch, Every Tuesday 11:30-12:30 Ages 0-14 months

Toddler Tuesdays – Berenstain’s Bears & Papa’s Day Surprise Discovery Green 10:30-11:44 am-FREE

Toddler Tuesdays – Scooby Doo Time to Play Discovery Green 10:30-11:44 am-FREE

June 14 Geek Week June 14 - 20 Children’s Museum 10am & 6pm

June 6 Summer Rockin’ Fun June 1 – June 6 Children’s Museum 10am & 6pm

June 16 Young Writer’s Workshop Discovery Green Every Saturday 10:30-11:30 am FREE

June 18 Hear Ye! Hear Ye Child Prodigies Ages 4-18 Perform Miller Outdoor Theatre 11 am www.milleroutdoortheatre.com June 19 Juneteenth Celebration Featuring Joe Sample Miller Outdoor Theatre 7pm – 10pm Toddler Tuesdays – Curious George & The Dog Show Discovery Green 10:30-11:44 am-FREE www.discoverygreen.org June 21 Made In Your Mind Wonder Week June 21 - 25 Children’s Museum 10am & 6pm June 25 Journey Through China II Children’s Performance Miller Outdoor Theatre 11am June 26 Sounds Like Fun! Children’s Performance Miller Outdoor Theatre 11am Toddler Tuesdays – Yogi & Boo Boo & Boo Boo’s New Leg Discovery Green 10:30-11:44 am-FREE June 27 Hear Ye! Hear Ye Child Prodigies Ages 4-18 Perform Miller Outdoor Theatre 11 am June 30 Young Writer’s Workshop Discovery Green Every Saturday 10:30-11:30 am FREE

SNEAK PEAK MosaicFamilyMagazine.com 9

The Mosaic Family

KULTURAL KORNER

Juneteenth

Juneteenth is an annual observance on June 19 to remember when Union soldiers enforced the Emancipation Proclamation and freed all remaining slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865. This day is an opportunity for people to celebrate freedom and equal rights in the United States.

Juneteenth!

Celebrating Freedom in Texas By Anna Pearl Barrett

uneteenth is observed by many African Americans in recognition of emancipation from slavery. In this story, the author recalls her family’s special celebration in 1945, the 80th Juneteenth holiday. It is rich with the details of the preparation and anticipation, rich with the specifics of life in the mid-forties on a Texas farm, rich with the emotions surrounding this event. Barrett utilizes a lot of dialogue and adds the wisdom passed to her from her elders about raising children to do right, staying away from guns, and the fact that skin color does not make a person good or evil. The book may give children an incentive to learn about their own family history from older relatives. Following the account of the big day, the author tells about the family patriarch who founded the town of Barrett, Texas, where the story takes place.

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SNEAK PEAK

Book Club

Want to spend quality time with your family? Want your kids to enjoy reading and have fun doing it?

Start a family book club or join ours

aking time for your family and finding productive and fun ways to spend time together is vital to your growth as a close and loving household. A family book club is a great idea for achieving this. Here’s how you and your family can get started reading and reaping the benefits of your very own book club right away. Every family is different, so it is important that you keep that in mind when starting your family’s book club. Have a sit down discussion with each family member that wants to participate and share your ideas. Factors to consider in planning the frequency and fundamentals of your family book club might include: • First you should decide what the focus of starting your book club should be. Do you want to spend more time with family? Are you interested in building your children’s reading skills or awakening the reader in them? My family decided we wanted both. • Allow everyone in the club to play a role in choosing the book to

By Earlicia Monroe read. Make sure all books are age appropriate for all club members. Take into consideration the younger readers and their reading levels. (Be willing to give in to their choices as well). • When looking for books visit your local book store or library. • Determine time frames for reading the book and stick to them. • Have everyone draw up at least two or three discussion questions for each book (or related activities for younger children) and try to share either a meal or snack during your club time. • Once you’ve discussed and decided on a day and time of the week to hold your book club, mark it on a calendar or post it on the fridge for everyone to see and look forward to! • MOST OF ALL HAVE FUN !! Next Month’s Mosaic Family Book Club Choice: “Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer” by John Grisham

SNEAK PEAK MosaicFamilyMagazine.com 11

Digging

INTO YOUR FUTURE

We want to send your child to camp!

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SNEAK PEAK

Send us an email of why your child deserves to attend camp. Our Mosaic Moms will review your story. Awards will be given to deserving children who

demonstrate leadership in their family or community and have limited resources . info@mosaicfamilymagazine.com

POLITICS, POLICY AND PARENTING By Danielle Keys Bess • Tax Preparation • Bookkeeping • Small Business Start-Up • IRS Assistance Chris Sudjadi | Tax Advisor 1919 Decatur, Houston, TX 77007 o 713.896-1910 | f 866.348-6426

Vacation Bible School Explosion Contact us to list your churches VBS in our Premiere Issue section for FREE. Display advertising is available for only $100! Email us at info@mosaic familymagazine.com 14

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SNEAK PEAK

aving grown up in a household of parents born in the 1930’s and the 1940’s, I was granted the opportunity of learning at a young age the privileges of my rights and freedoms of being an American, and that it hasn’t always been the rights and privileges of minorities. In 2008, the youth participation in the election process was invigorated in many ways. Not because there was the first African-American candidate running as the Democratic nominee, but because for the first time in a long time the youth population had serious concerns about the state of their future as an American. It was interesting to see, during that time, the stories of parents in the same household sitting on different sides of the aisle, while still being able to live productive lives as a family unit. The persons that rarely, if ever, received any attention in those articles were the children of those households. The decisions that are being made presently in our federal, state and local governments could have both shortterm and long-term effects on the future of our youth. Although, they

may not be able to vote they do have the freedom and rights to accompany their parents to the polls, and to promote and/or campaign for the candidates whose policies they stand in agreement with the most. An advantage of being a parent is that you are the primary person in your child’s life to make an impression on what they know. The politics and policies of your home is their first experience in an institutionalized setting. This is also the time where their core opinions are formed, by not only what you say but more in what they see you do. As you continue to converse and participate in politics and policies of our day, make sure that you don’t miss the opportunity to educate and encourage our youth in the way of their political responsibilities. Regardless of their current economic status and ethnicity they too, with hard work and determination, could become a future leader in our government and even the President of the United States.

Texas Voter Registration Deadline Oct. 9th, 2012

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Summer 2012