August 2017 neafamily.com
COMPLIMENTARY
Back to School Expo Aug. 12!
Teen Girls Reach New Heights Giving Back: Local School Supply Drives How to Dismantle the Mean Girl Time Bomb Supporting Your College-Bound Student NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
Get Away to Fall Festivals neafamily.com
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GREATER NAPLES YMCA
After School Program Sign up today! www.GreaterNaplesYMCA.org
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NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
Neapolitan Family Magazine, in partnership with Presents the 2017-18
Cover Kids Contest at the
BACK TO SCHOOL EXPO ’17 The staff of Neapolitan Family and Protocol Models will choose the 12 finalists who will appear on a cover between November 2017 and October 2018.
We are excited to announce BIG changes to our Cover Kids Contest, which will be held this year at the 2017 Back to School Expo at the Greater Naples YMCA on August 12. MissyK Photography will be capturing an image of each entrant. The entry fee entitles you to one free download of your child’s photo, an audience with Geri Muck of Protocol Models, and the chance for your child to be one of our cover models. Preregistration at neafamily.com.
Preregister at www.neafamily.com for significant savings and to reserve a time slot.
2017 Januar y om neafamily.c November 2016 neafamily.com
COMPLIMENTARY COMPLIMENTARY
Giving Back:
ENTARY
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milies Local Fa e Run Are on th s of The ABCravel SWFL T You Who Do t For? Workou
Our Annual Guide to Local Nonprofits That Need Your Help
March 2017 neafamily.c om COMPLIMEN
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Tips for Celebrating the Holidays With a Blended Family Could You Live on $10 Worth of Food For a Weekend?
It’s Time For the Fa ir!
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Make the Election Fun for YourCa Kids mpi NEAPOLITANfamily • November 2016
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August 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS
in every issue . . . 07
FROM THE PUBLISHER
08
FAMILY MOVIE PREVIEWS
10
COLLIER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT UPDATE
11
CITY CONNECTION City of Naples Parks News and Events
12
COLLIER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE Community safety
17
FAMILY LAW Guidance from legal experts
23
THE OUTNUMBERED MOTHER Advice from Amy Hunter
on the cover…
Riley Pearl, 10, is an upcoming fifth grader at Sea Gate Elementary. She enjoys gymnastics, competitive dance, playing the xylophone, and catching on her softball team. Her parents, Lisa and Scott Pearl, are real estate agents with Downing Frye Realty. Riley lives with her parents, her big brother Zach and her crazy dog Oscar. Cover photo by Peggy Farren of Avant Garde Photography • 239-263-7001
18 Local School Supply Drives. Here’s a list of where you can donate extra school supplies to help out kids in need. 20 Wellfit Girls. Learn about the local program for high school girls that is changing lives. by Rebecca Barton 36 Getaway: Autumn Weekends. Plan a trip and enjoy fall from Florida to New England. by Karen T. Bartlett 38 Mean Girls. Help your daughter understand the dynamics of mean girl behavior. by Christina Katz 40 Celebrate Back to School. Do something special to mark the start of the new school year. by Anna Snyder 42 Supporting Your College-Bound Student. Help your child through the final year of high school. by Diane Turner Maller 45 Creative Lunches. Pack a meal that is both fun and nutritious. by Rebecca Barton
A Christian private school dedicated to students with Dyslexia
educationalpathwaysacademy.com EPA accepts McKay, Step up, & Gardiner Scholarships Located at the Salvation Army Campus, 3180 Estey Ave., Naples The mission of Educational Pathways Academy is to educate, equip, and empower students with a primary diagnosis of a language-based learning difference such as dyslexia.
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NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
Full & Part Time Programs 8:30am - 2:30pm Extended Hours Available NOW ACCEPTING SUMMER VPK
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Hours: 7AM-6PM Begins: June 5th 2017 Free Enrollment! Call 239-261-7442 Weekly field trips including Sun & Fun Lagoon, Seagate Park, the Movie Theater, the Children’s Museum, The Imaginarium, and more! Small group sizes for one on one instruction and activities. Summer review and curriculum to keep minds active, exploring, and learning while having fun. Join us this summer for adventure, excitement, and making memories that last. Certified teachers, private facility with cameras, gated entry, and snacks included.
Precious Cargo Academy 5200 Crayton Road Naples, FL 34103 6
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NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
from the publisher… the parenting magazine devoted to collier county
P.O. Box 110656 Naples, FL 34108 info@neafamily.com Co-Publisher Leigh Ann Newman graphic design, accounting, editorial lanewman@neafamily.com 239-272-0529 Co-Publisher Stacy Nicolau advertising, marketing, social media, editorial snicolau@neafamily.com 239-370-5333 Travel Editor Karen T. Bartlett mostlykidsguides@gmail.com 239-595-9026 Feature Writers Anna Snyder Leigh Tahirovic Cover Photographer Peggy Farren Intern Rebecca Barton Editorial submissions are welcome. We reserve the right to edit, reject, or comment editorially on all material contributed. We cannot be responsible for return of any unsolicited materials. Articles and advertisements in Neapolitan Family do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher nor does the publisher assume responsibility for statements made by our advertisers or editorial contributors. Acceptance of advertising by Neapolitan Family does not constitute an endorsement of the products, services, or information. We do not knowingly present any product or service which is fraudulent or misleading in nature. Neapolitan Family is available free of charge at more than 200 distribution points throughout Collier County as well as digitally at neafamily.com. Neapolitan Family is ©2017 by Neapolitan Family Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited. NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
THIS MONTH: Back to School
Happy birthday to us! It’s been a year since Stacy Nicolau and I took over Neapolitan Family, and the past 12 months have been eerily similar to my first year as a parent. Lots of late nights and endless cups of coffee, wearing pajamas at odd hours of the day, grabbing whatever is easy to eat, and worrying about the “baby” in the middle of the night. But mixed in there were also lots of laughs, a multitude of learning experiences (overwhelmingly positive!), and the opportunity to meet so many new people. Thank you to our readers and advertisers for sharing this journey with us! It may be a cliché, but we couldn’t have done it without you. We can’t wait to see what the next year brings for the magazine. Just as this past year has flown, the new school year is again upon us. We’ve updated our annual list of local school drives on page 18, so if you are shopping for your own kids for back to school, why not pick up a few extra items and donate them to kids in need? On page 40, Anna Snyder writes about how to make this start of the school year extra-special for your kids. If you have a senior, get some good advice on supporting your student during this final year of high school on page 42. And if you have a middle school girl, learn how to help her recognize and deal with mean girl behaviors, both in her friends and in herself, on page 38. Our Back to School Expo is coming up on Saturday, August 12 at the Greater Naples YMCA, and this year is bigger and better than ever! Don’t forget that our Cover Kids Contest will be taking place during the Expo. Preregister at www.neafamily.com to secure your spot to have your child’s photo taken by MissyK Photography and to appear before Geri Muck of Protocol Models (see page 3 for more details). See you at the Expo –
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MOVIE PREVIEWS
By Rebecca Barton
Family Movie Previews for August for dance, will Felicie be able to achieve her dream?
GLASS CASTLE MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic content involving family dysfunction, and for some language and smoking In Theaters August 18 Based on Jeannette Walls’s best-selling memoir, The Glass Castle tells the story of her unconventional upbringing. As an adult, Jeanette (Brie Larson) is a successful and respectable resident of New York City. Through flashbacks brought up by her parents’ move to New York to be closer to their children, we glimpse her nomadic childhood as the daughter of her eccentric-artist mother and alcoholic father. When not drinking, her father was a source of imagination and hope that distracted from their poverty. When drinking, he brought the opposite. The Walls children had to learn to fend for themselves; this is their story. THE DARK TOWER MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic material including sequences of gun violence and action. In Theaters August 4 Based on Stephen King’s book, The Dark Tower, this movie focuses on Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), the last Gunslinger, in the ultimate good versus evil fight. The fate of the world is in Roland’s hands as he journeys to the Dark Tower, the one thing
NUT JOB 2: NUTTY BY NATURE MPAA Rating: PG for action and some rude humor In Theaters August 18
Photo Courtesy of Open Road Films
holding together the many worlds of the universe. His life-long battle against Walter O’Dim, or the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey), comes to a head as Roland attempts to prevent him from taking down the Dark Tower. While the PG-13 rating indicates the movie has been toned down from the books, it still may prove too dark for younger viewers. LEAP! MPAA Rating: PG for some impolite humor, and action. In Theaters August 30 Felicie (Elle Fanning) is a young orphan who dreams of becoming a ballerina by attending the world’s best ballet school in Paris. After her best friend, Victor (Nat Wolff), helps her escape, they each attempt to pursue their dreams: dance and inventing. With the help of Victor and Odette (Carly Rae Jepsen), a mentor who takes Felicie in and helps her learn the discipline
Surly Squirrel (Will Arnett) and his friends are once again needed to save their home. An evil mayor in Oakton is planning to build an unsafe amusement park by destroying Liberty Park. Surly and his friends have to pull together to stop the mayor and protect their park. ALL SAINTS MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements In Theaters August 25 Based on a true story. Michael Spurlock (John Corbett) is a salesman-become-pastor. His first order of business is closing down the church he has been assigned to so the land can be sold to developers. As the congregation begins to accept the inevitable, it also starts to welcome Karen refugees from Burma, and Michael feels he cannot do as he has been told. They all work to turn their land into a working farm to save the church and support its newest members. Michael must decide whether he will close the church as he has been ordered or if he will instead listen to the quiet voice telling him to help bring hope to this community.
Students Pursuing Advanced Reasoning & Knowledge • small group classes for homeschooled students
• math, science, language arts, social studies • experienced teachers • ability grouping
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NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
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COLLIER COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
S
By Amanda Jackson, Communications & Community Engagement
Registering a New Student or Kindergartener for the New Year
oon, schools will be opening their gates and welcoming back students. As the summer comes to a close, it is important to make sure your family is prepared for the upcoming year. For anyone who has a child starting kindergarten or is new to the district, Collier County Public Schools uses online centralized registration. To begin the registration process, visit www.collierschools. com/registration to pre-register. After completing the online component, gather your required documents and visit your registration location: in Naples, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Administrative Center (5775 Osceola Tr.); in Immokalee, Immokalee Technical College (508 N. 9th St.), or in Everglades City, Everglades City School (415 School Dr.) to finish the pro-
cess. Parents must bring their own photo identification, their child’s birth certificate; the child’s proof of Florida immunization and physical dated no later than August 16, 2016, proof of address, and their two most recent utility bills. Your child’s school’s website is going to be the best source for back-to-school information. Every website is updated with a current school supply list as well as any dress code or school uniform requirements. They also will have information about upcoming Meet the Teacher and Curriculum Night events. You should also make sure your contact information and communication preferences are up to date for the beginning of the school year. To begin the process, you need to visit the Parent Portal. A link
to the Portal may be found on the Parents page by visiting www.collierschools.com. You will be directed to update your contact information before choosing how you wish to receive emergency and essential school information. The Portal also will host the district’s media release form and directory. If your family is eager to get an early start on learning, the “Summer 2017 Learning Opportunities and Resources” page is still up. There you will find the Keep Learning Alive summer resource guide filled with activities to keep those brain juices flowing all summer long. You can find a link to this page in the rotator image at www.collierschools.com. We can’t wait to see you back on the first day of school!
Investing in the Future of Our Community.
child development
after school care
summer day camp
1 to 5 years old Monday through Friday 7:30 am - 6:00 pm (239) 417-2315 Maria Covarrubias
6 to 14 years old Monday through Friday after school - 6:30 pm (239) 210-4019 Paul Conklin
6 to 14 years old Monday through Friday 7:30 am - 5:30 pm (239) 210-4019 Paul Conklin
Child Development Center Director
Fran Cohen Youth Center Coordinator
Fran Cohen Youth Center Coordinator
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NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
CITY CONNECTION PARKS DEPT. By Laura Tichy-Smith
Your Fun in the Sun Before School Daze Enjoy the end of summer with your family at these programs and events offered by the City of Naples’ Community Services Department and local organizations. City Parks Summer Camps Continue Last-minute registration is still available for some city summer camps. Themes include nature, art, science, computers, sports, and performing arts. With an astonishing variety of themes offered at nine park locations, you’re sure to find a day camp to please every child in your household. While the camps are educational, your kids will be having so much hands-on fun they won’t even realize they are really learning. Camps run until school starts. For prices and more information, call 239-213-3020. Free Summer Jazz Concert Join the tradition of the once-a-month summer lawn parties that the whole city loves as the Naples Beach Club Hotel hosts
its Summer Jazz Series from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 19. You can bring folding chairs for your family, but you likely won’t be sitting much as you boogie to the dynamic music of the Gloria West. Food and beverages available for purchase from the hotel. Overflow parking at Lowdermilk Park. For more information, call 239-4354345. (851 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., Naples)
Parents will rest assured their children are in good hands with the Red Cross certified lifeguards on watchful duty. Current hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call 239-213-3040. (451 11th St. N., Naples)
Come On In, the Water’s Free! The new River Park Aquatic Center is open. Featuring fun for everyone from tiny tot to serious swimmer, pool admission is free to residents of Collier County. The kids will love the beach-like shallow end with play fountains, dump buckets, and water slide, while the grownups will enjoy the lap swimming exercise lanes and sunbathing deck.
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COLLIER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
By Kristine Gill
Deputies are Keeping Up With the Neighbors Through Nextdoor
I
f it takes a village to raise a child, the same can be said for the entire neighborhood pitching in to keep children safe. That community mentality is the premise behind Nextdoor, a private social media network the Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) partnered with last year. Nextdoor allows neighbors living in the same gated community, street, or established home owners’ association to communicate with one another about private matters regarding only their community. Unlike platforms such as Facebook, which have fewer controls to filter out content that doesn’t apply to you or that seems uninteresting, Nextdoor is designed to give neighbors the power to discuss issues important to them. “We don’t want people to be saturated or overwhelmed with content,” said Sgt. Rebecca Gonzalez, who supervises the CCSO Crime Prevention Bureau. “We want this platform to be valuable, relevant, and timely.” The CCSO uses the site to interact directly with residents and to post safety tips and event information. Deputies aren’t able to monitor neighborhood message boards, so you only share what you want to share with law enforcement. The site will never share your address, contact information, or family members with anyone else on the platform. “A lot of people aren’t comfortable calling law enforcement for help, but they’re willing to tell their neighbors,” Sgt. Gonzalez said. “You’re not really criticized for sharing information that you might think is suspicious and you’re not really bothering anybody by doing so.” The site has been a useful tool for deputies, who say that residents know better than anyone the daily goings on of their streets and homes. It’s especially helpful if parents are worried about keeping their children safe from strangers. “People who live in an area are quicker to observe unusual acts than anyone else,” Sgt. Gonzalez said.
With more than 28,000 members on the site, the tips roll in daily. But not everything has to be something worthy of calling 911. Sgt. Gonzalez sees neighbors asking each other about a new vehicle on the street, missing pets, and community events. If you’re ever hesitant about whether to report something, you can always call the non-emergency number at 239-252-9300 or reach out via Nextdoor. “We’d rather show up and see that it’s nothing rather than later taking a report for something that could have been prevented,” she said. The questions Gonzalez most commonly gets are about speeding in neighborhoods, reports of drug use, and requests for extra patrols. Many part-time residents will ask for deputies to conduct home watches while they’re out of town. The best part about using Nextdoor to communicate with law enforcement is that you get to do it directly. When you receive a direct message reply from the CCSO on Nextdoor or see them responding to one of your comments, you’re speaking with a deputy. That’s the kind of one-on-one communication that you typically only get if you call to 911 to report an emergency. You can start a Nextdoor profile for free by visiting Nextdoor. com. Type in your address and see if an online community already exists for your neighborhood. If it does, simply join in on the conversation. If it doesn’t, Nextdoor will let you launch your own. You’ll have to get nine neighbors in on the idea for Nextdoor to create a separate platform. Once you’ve reached out to nine other individuals, Nextdoor will verify your address by sending you a special code via snail mail to the address you provided. Once you’re logged into the community, you can begin informing each other of happenings and events. “It’s a virtual neighborhood watch,” Sgt. Gonzalez said. “And Nextdoor’s mission is to provide a positive and harmonious online community.”
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS
Our Educated and Dedicated Staff Encourages Creative, Expressive, Hands on Learning
Internships Bring Together Students from Immokalee, Naples
T
wenty-five students from Immokalee and Naples are completing internships this month with the Inaugural Collier County Taste of Immokalee Summer Internship program. This is the first year that students from outside of Immokalee have been invited to apply to the program. The interns have spent two days each week at the Immokalee Boys and Girls Club and two days per week at the Greater Naples YMCA, and are involved in the daily operation of the Taste of Immokalee company, and the creation a hydroponic garden on the YMCA campus. “This is an opportunity to help students become leaders. Correction, we are leaders,” intern Myra Jaimes recently told the Collier County Board of County Commissioners. “We have learned critical thinking and interpersonal skills that the fields couldn’t teach us. We are living and learning how to analyze competitors and study the marketplace.” Jaimes is the secretary of the Junior Taste of Immokalee board of directors and a junior at FGCU. For additional information, visit www.greaternaplesymca.org/ internship.html.
Imaginarium, Museum Merger Creates History & Science Center
T
he Southwest Florida Museum of History left its old home in a railroad depot recently to move in with what used to be known as the Imaginarium Science Center. The new IMAG History & Science Center merges the vision of the two groups to engage visitors in the exploration of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and history with an emphasis on Southwest Florida. To highlight the new combination of subjects, IMAG recently began offering “Science Saturday” and “History Saturday” monthly on the first and third Saturdays, respectively. Interactive activities occur in designated stations throughout the center between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and are included with admission. To date, science activities have included earth and space science demonstrations exploring gravity and clouds, and more recently ex-
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS ercises examining the anatomy of a firework, and making propeller tops. Interactive history exercises have included learning about the Calusa Empire and fashioning tools and art characteristic of their time in Southwest Florida. On Aug. 5, “Science Saturday” will include various activities pertaining to the sun as the solar eclipse slated for Aug. 21 fast approaches. IMAG History & Science Center is a family-friendly destination offering fun interactive exhibits, an aquarium, history displays, and a 3D theatre. For more information, visit theIMAG.org or call 239-243-0043.
competed at the state level for both bocce and golf. She is also a member of the local swimming and bowling Special Olympics teams. “We’re thrilled to have two of our athletes selected to compete in Special Olympics USA games in Seattle,” said David McKenzie, director of Special Olympics in Collier County. “Both Vivy and Jill have trained very hard and are most deserving of this honor. They’ll be excellent ambassadors for Florida, as well as for Collier County.” An estimated 3,500 Special Olympics athletes from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will compete at the 2018 USA Games. The USA Games is a premier national sports competition, showcasing the power and joy of sports at the highest levels. For information about how to become an athlete, coach, or volunteer, visit www.specialolympicscollier.org, email info@specialolympicscollier.org, or call 239-775-1991.
Local Athletes to Compete in National Special Olympics
T
wo Special Olympics athletes from Collier County have been chosen to compete as part of Team Florida at the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle on July 1-6, 2018. Viviana Pantoja, 35, who will compete in standup paddle, has been an athlete for Special Olympics Florida – Collier County for eight years and has competed at a variety of state level competitions for standup paddle, cycling, and swimming. Jill Walker, 68, who will compete in bocce, has been an athlete for Special Olympics Florida – Collier County since 2014 and has
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BACK TO SCHOOL EXPO ’17
FREE VISION SCREENINGS
Saturday, Aug. 12 • 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Greater Naples YMCA, 5450 YMCA Rd., Naples FREE admission! • Photo booth • Face painting • Over 60 vendors with the information Collier County parents need to kick off the new school year. • Personalized school uniform polos and backpacks available for purchase.
Vendor booths are sold out. To join our waitlist, call 239-370-5333 or email info@neafamily.com
• Cover Kids Contest
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FAMILY LAW
By Dale Klaus and Reuben Doupé
Division of Retirement Accounts in Divorce
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e have all been taught to save for retirement. There are a number of tax deferred vehicles to accomplish retirement savings, such as IRAs (traditional, Roth, or SEP), 401(k)s, 403(b)s, employer or municipal sponsored pensions, and numerous other types of deferred compensation accounts. Typically, these accounts provide tax advantages over saving in a bank or brokerage account. When dissolving a marriage, as part of equitable distribution, it may be necessary to divide retirement assets between the parties. The mere fact that these accounts are only owned by one spouse, as opposed to a joint bank account or a jointly owned home, does not make them the non-marital or separate property of the owner. To the extent that money was saved for retirement during the marriage, that savings is marital. But when dividing retirement accounts between spouses, there are important things for you and your attorney to consider. First, to the extent one spouse can prove that they owned a portion of their retirement before the marriage, they may have protected the pre-marital portion as their non-marital asset. It will fall unto that spouse to prove what portion of the asset is pre-marital. The lesson here is that you should keep paperwork related to any and all retirement accounts you have at the time you get married. Being able to prove, not only the total value of the
account, but how the account is invested and the number of shares owned of each stock or fund, may allow you to carve out part of the value at the time of divorce as separate property. Second, when dividing retirement assets, it is important to determine whether or not these accounts contain “pre-tax” dollars. If so, receiving $1,000 in a traditional IRA is the equivalent of receiving a lesser amount of cash, depending on the tax bracket of the owner. Determining the exact amount of the tax consequence, however, may be very hard because there are a number of variables which may be difficult to predict. When dividing such pre-tax assets, it is a good strategy to equally divide all pre-tax assets between the parties. That way, each party has the same amount of retirement savings and presumably will be subject to the same amount of tax down the road when they withdraw the money, although even that can vary. If the parties cannot evenly divide the accounts, then the next best strategy is to negotiate an agreed tax impact percentage, and discount the value of the assets accordingly. The third and final issue to consider with retirement savings is the actual distribution. All or a portion of retirement accounts can be transferred from one spouse to another, after a court order is entered which requires the transfer. If the account is a Qualified account under Federal ERISA laws, then a special order,
referred to as a QDRO, must be entered to accomplish the transfer. Such a transfer does not create any tax obligation on the transferring spouse. Also, despite common belief to the contrary, there is an exception to the tax rule which otherwise creates a 10 percent penalty for early withdrawals from retirement accounts. That means, the recipient of the transfer can cash out some or all of the transfer, and they will only owe the federal tax on the distribution, without the extra penalty. This is only a peek at the issues that may be involved in the distribution of retirement assets. If you or your spouse have significant retirement assets or pension benefits at the time of a divorce, it is vital that you seek the advice of an attorney to assist you with the division of these assets without incurring unnecessary tax costs.
DALE KLAUS and REUBEN DOUPÉ are partners at Klaus Doupé, a leading law firm in Naples focusing solely on marital and family law. Visit www.Marital-FamilyLaw. com or call 239-403-9800.
www.reedorthodonticsnaples.com
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
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Giving Back: Local School Supply Drives
While shopping for your children this August, please consider buying some extra supplies, a pair of sneakers or other clothing items, or giving a monetary donation to one of these wonderful groups. Local children need your help!
Fire Department Sneaker Drive Greater Naples Fire Rescue District is holding its annual sneaker drive. New sneakers can be dropped off between August 1 and August 8 at the following locations: Greater Naples Fire Rescue, Headquarters, 14575 Collier Blvd., Naples; and Greater Naples Fire Rescue, Fire & Life Safety, 2700 N. Horseshoe Dr., Naples. For more information, call 239-348-7540. First Florida Integrity School Supply Drive First Florida Integrity Bank is sponsoring a school supply drive through August 11. Suggested donations include: markers/ crayons, three ring binders, #2 pencils, spiral notebooks, scissors, backpacks, lunch boxes, loose leaf college- and wideruled paper, Trapper Keepers, folders with prongs and pockets, Elmer’s glue and glue sticks, pocket folders, dry erase markers, and highlighters. You can drop off your donations during business hours at any First Florida Integrity Bank. Locations include: 3560 Kraft Rd., Naples; 3580 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples; 811 Anchor Rode Dr., Naples; 1280 Creekside St., #104, Naples; 895 Fifth Ave. S., Naples; 690 Bald Eagle Dr., Marco Island; 5078 Pope John Paul II Blvd., #100, Ave Maria. Grace Place School Supply Drive Help send Grace Place students back to school fully loaded with the supplies they need to learn. Supplies needed are: 10-ct. pack of washable markers, 8-ct. pack of large crayons, 24-ct. pack of crayons, 24-ct. pack of #2 pencils, colored pencils, pink erasers, glue sticks, blunt scissors, pointed scissors, composition notebooks, spiral
Covenant Church of Naples Mom’s Morning Out Providing a loving environment for children while offering parents and caregivers a needed break Mon & Wed or Tues & Thu. (one day option available) 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Ages 2-4 years by Aug. 1
6926 Trail Blvd., Naples, FL
239.597.3464
Hurry! Space is limited. Visit www.covenantnaples.com/Moms-Morning-Out 18
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Starts August 21! NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
notebooks, pocket folders, pocket folders with prongs, 4x6 index cards, plastic pencil boxes, pencil pouches, wide-ruled paper, yellow highlighters, red and blue pens, 2-in. binders, and hand sanitizer. All supplies can be delivered to Grace Place, 4300 21st Ave. SW, Naples, no later than August 8. Call Patty Calloway at 239-234-2400 for additional information. Guadalupe Center’s Annual School and Shoe Supply Drive The Guadalupe Center is expanding its annual shoe drive to include school supplies. Donations are accepted online (guadalupecenter.org/social-services/backto-school-shoes); checks may be mailed to the Guadalupe Center, 509 Hope Cr., Immokalee; and new shoes or school supplies may be dropped off at the Guadalupe Center Resale Shop at 8100 Trail Blvd., Naples, at the corner of U.S. 41 and Vanderbilt Beach Road. School supplies needed include: Elmer’s glue and glue sticks, Crayola markers, Crayola crayons, colored pencils, dry erase markers, #2 pencils, erasers, scissors, 12-inch rulers, tempera paint, finger paint, water colors, Play-Doh, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, multicolored yarn, construction paper (all colors), manila paper, lined writing paper, kinder paper (broken midline paper), sentence strips, index cards, sheet protectors, folders with side pockets, and storage bins. For more information, call 239-657-7711 or check guadalupecenter.org. Lace of Loves Shoe Collections The Laces of Love Charitable Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that provides new shoes to low-income and disadvantaged children and educates the public about the needs of these children.
Shoes are distributed through Collier and Lee Country public schools (through guidance counselors and school nurses) and through non-profit organizations that serve needy kids. The shoes are fitted and given in the privacy of the staff offices. Sneakers in all sizes are needed. In addition, you can make a monetary donation. 100% of all monetary donations go toward purchasing new shoes for needy kids. Donations can be mailed to: 1976 Bethany Pl., Naples, FL 34109. In addition, shoe donations can be dropped off at Snyderman’s Shoes at 4910 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples. Shoes do not have to be purchased at Snyderman’s. You can also call Jeanne Nelson at 239-591-1172 to arrange a pick up for shoes you have collected. Check www. lacesoflove.org for information. Project Outreach’s Back to School Bash Project Outreach will be offering free school supplies and goody bags to the 750 children attending Parkside Elementary School, along with 10 bikes from Bikes for Tykes, at their Back 2 School Bash on August 12 at 2:00 p.m. The organization is requesting donations of school supplies and cash donations. Supplies needed include: black dry erase markers; color dry erase markers; crayons; glue sticks; pencils; washable color markers; Ziploc bags (quart & gallon); large erasers; solid-colored spiral notebooks (70 count) in red, blue, yellow, green, or black; black composition notebooks; solid-colored two-pocket folders; sticky notes; 3x5 index cards; 5x7 index cards; colored pencils; and student scissors. You can donate at projectoutreachnaples.com or mail a check to Project Outreach, Inc., 11665 Collier Blvd., #990279, Naples, FL 34116. For
more information, call 239- 770-6787 or check projectoutreachnaples.com. Shelter for Abused Woman School Supply Drive Shelter for Abused Women & Children is requesting a variety of clothing and school supplies. Among the needed items are: solid color polo shirts, sneakers, underwear, socks, pens, pencils, notebooks, backpacks, and gift cards to Walmart, Target, JC Penney, and Old Navy. Items should be new and unused and can be dropped at The Shelter’s Options Thrift Shoppe at 968 Second Ave. N., Naples. For more information, call 239-775-3862. Youth Haven’s Backpack and School Supply Drive Youth Haven needs your help to supply the children of Youth Haven with school supplies for the new school year. The annual backpack and school supply drive runs through August 10. Supplies that are needed include large, heavy duty backpacks; blue and black pens; highlighters of all sizes and colors; two- and three-ring binders; and gift cards for clothes to stores such as Target, Ross, TJ Maxx, and Walmart. For a full list of needed supplies, visit www.youthhavenswfl.org. Only new, unused items will be accepted. Items can be dropped off at Youth Haven, 5867 Whitaker Rd., Naples. For more information, contact Angela Navarro at angela.navarro@youthhavenswfl.org or call 239-687-5178. If you have an update for this list, please email it to: info@neafamily. com so we can add it to the article posted at neafamily.com.
Dr. Jennifer B. Hughes, DMD Pediatric Dentist
• Over 15 years experience. • In-network provider for Cigna, Delta Dental, FL Healthy Kids, MetLife, Principal and more.
239-260-7672
1879 Veterans Park Dr., Suite 1203, Naples, FL 34109
PediatricDentistryofNaples.com NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
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WELLFIT GIRLS
By Rebecca Barton
Wellfit Girls Reach New Heights on Machu Picchu and at Home
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s adults, we are the sum of our experiences. For a group of high school girls from Collier and Lee Counties, a program called Wellfit Girls has catapulted them toward adulthood in the most powerful way: life-changing experiences that helped them realize their full potential. Wellfit Girls is a five-month program for high school girls that teaches fitness, leadership, and empowerment, and culminates in a trip to Machu Picchu in Peru. Created by Jill Wheeler in 2014, Wellfit led 21 teens to the summit this summer. “This is a program for any girl who wants to gain confidence or knows [she’s] capable of more but just hasn’t figured out how to get there,” said Colby Hazewinkel, executive director of Wellfit. “It’s not a 20
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therapy program. The girls who join this program are the girls that want to take that next step as a leader. Some girls who look at this program just see a fitness program or a cool trip, but the real impact comes from the girls who want the change and want to put in the work.” And it is a lot of work. The girls meet twice a week for 20 weeks. Meetings focus on teaching leadership and working on fitness goals. Each girl also is responsible for raising $500 toward the Peru trip, and are guided through the process. Full and partial scholarships to fund the remainder of the cost make it possible for girls from any socio-economic background to participate. The program culminates in a trip to Cusco, Peru, where the girls participate in a
community service project with Peru’s Challenge. They then turn their attention to one of the Seven Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu, where they climb on foot to the top of the mountain. This international travel, according to Hazewinkel, allows these girls to fully “disconnect with the known and connect with the unknown.” Growing stronger Over five months, the girls worked to grow physically stronger through workouts with a personal trainer and yoga. They also grew stronger emotionally with weekly leadership sessions. Wellfit helps instill confidence in the girls by utilizing a method of incremental success to help instill confidence. During the first few months of the program, the girls train NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
On facing page: Wellfit Girls at the summit of Machu Picchu.
This page, L-R: Shelly Westervelt car-
ries bamboo used in the building a roof for a Peruvian family; an assembly line
of Wellfit Girls passes roof tiles up to the men on the roof; Westervelt and Zya
Crawford carry a bucket of mud to be used in building the roof.
for their Easter 5K fundraiser. This first hurdle shows the girls that when they set a goal and work toward it, they will achieve it. This is a huge step in getting the girls to believe they can get to the summit in Peru. For Avorie Anderson, a 16-year-old student at Lely High School, the 5K was her best moment. “I had always really struggled to run, and to finish the race with a great time was a game changer for me. My mindset completely altered after that.” While fitness is certainly a major component, without the shift to a healthier mindset, the girls wouldn’t be able to climb the mountain. As Hazewinkel explained, “we’re going from zero to 15,200 feet. They have to have that training.” Another vital component of the program is fundraising, as it teaches the girls to advocate for themselves through social entrepreneurship. But for Shelly Westervelt, a recent graduate of Seacrest Country Day School, it was the thing she struggled with most. Outside of fundraisers for clubs in school, she had never done anything like this. “This was different because I was fundraising alone. It was harder for me and I struggled with it, but Wellfit taught me fundraising skills. In one of my one-on-one meetings with my leader, she helped me realize that ... my problem was that I was afraid to ask people for money. She explained to me that NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
she wants me to be comfortable asking for money because she also wants me to be comfortable asking for pay raises or jobs in the future. There were so many implications that I never really considered. The experience made me more confident talking about and dealing with money and jobs in general.” On to Peru Once the girls finished putting in the work at home, they finally got to see their hard work pay off in Peru. But Peru is not just a fun trip; the girls helped with one of two community service projects, with one group painting a community service center and the other building a roof for a local family. The work was physically demanding but rewarding. “Peru really changed my view on how we live,” said Lilly Metsch, a 16-year-old Barron Collier High School student. “Seeing the Peruvians seem more like a family than a community is something I cherished on the trip. I never felt more welcomed by a group of people.” Once they finished their community service projects, it was finally time to climb
the mountain – the moment they have all been training for, and the moment all of the girls remember as the highlight of the entire experience. The trip wasn’t easy, even with all of their training, but with the support of their fellow Wellfit Girls and their leaders, they all made it to the summit. Zya Crawford, a 17-year-old Gulf Coast High Schooler, remembers that they each picked up a rock and said what they wanted to let go in their lives – like doubt, fear, or anger – and threw the rock as far as possible off the mountain. She describes it as “the best feeling ever.” During the hike, the girls pushed through several difficult moments. When climbing up the mountain, Westervelt’s sister had to get oxygen and was throwing up due to bad asthma, but, according to Westervelt, that was the moment she most resembled a Wellfit Girl because she was pushing on even with the odds against her. Avorie Anderson also had a meaningful moment that demonstrated what the program is all about. Hiking down Machu Picchu, “my knee gave out and I rolled my ankle. I had hit my hip and elbows really hard against the steps,” she said. But once again, the program saw her through as her fellow hikers carried her, literally this time, down to the bottom. Continued on the following page neafamily.com
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Below: Wellfit Girls hiking the Lares Trail in Peru. Right: At their hotel on the morning of the first day of the hike to the summit of Machu Picchu, the Wellfit girls each set an intention before the trek with a ribbon ceremony.
the program because ... they don’t have enough time, then don’t join. But if [you] are looking for personal growth, new leadership skills, fitness skills, and great quality bonds, then it is the perfect program and one [you] should definitely join.” According to Lilly Metsch: “This is an experience of a lifetime. The memories you will make with the girls and everyone you meet will impact who you become. This trip will change you for the better.”
“The girls that were in Wellfit with me are surely what got me through the hardships,” Anderson said. “We made instant connections as if we had known each other for years and we supported one another through thick and thin.” The importance of Wellfit The girls who reached the summit this past June recognize how Wellfit changed their lives, and are eager to encourage other teens to take the same journey. “This program is important because as girls grow up, so many lose self-confidence,” said Zya Crawford. “Our world is so artificial and it’s all about image. This program is an oasis from the influences in society and tells girls that no matter who you are and where you come from, you can do anything in this life.” Avorie Anderson agreed. “This program is extremely important because the lessons we are taught help with leadership and group skills, and they help us through common issues that young girls face, such as body image. It is extremely important for young women to feel comfortable in their own skin, especially with all of the negativity and body shaming on social media platforms.” Westervelt cautioned, “If someone is on the fence about doing 22
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Climbing high Hazewinkel was not surprised that so many girls chose the final challenge of the 10-day expedition to Peru as the highlight of their trip. She explained that the mountain is a metaphor showing that these girls can climb high in all areas of life. They put the girls in a very challenging environment that makes them uncomfortable, and they learn that when they’re uncomfortable, transformation is occurring. They learn they can really accomplish anything, no matter what the future has in store. All of the girls are excited for what comes next for them. Shelly Westervelt is heading off to University of Florida and can’t wait for the chance to get messy in her life instead of always worrying about perfection. Zya Crawford wants to channel the work ethic and dedication she has learned into studying journalism and photography at the University of Miami. Lilly Metsch is excited to use her new skills to show girls that they can be strong, independent, and do things they never thought they could do. Avorie Anderson is excited to continue her Wellfit mentality as she progresses through the new alumni program, Beyond the Summit. The girls will keep in touch with the mentors through their ups and downs, and they also get to serve as mentors themselves to the next group of Wellfit Girls. For teen girls who want to get involved, visit the Wellfit open house on August 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Community Foundation of Collier County, 1150 Pine Ridge Rd. More information is available at wellfitgirls.org, or you can email colby@wellfitgirls.org. REBECCA BARTON is a 20-year-old college student at Florida State University. She is double-majoring in Editing, Writing, and Media and BA Theatre with a minor in Classics. While she has no kids of her own, all her friends call her “Mom.” NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
ASK THE OUTNUMBERED MOTHER
By Amy Hunter
Advice on Back-to-School Routines
Amy Hunter grew up in the suburbs of Long Island singing Barbara Streisand hits into her hairbrush. When she’s not writing her hilarity-fueled parenting memoir as The Outnumbered Mother, she’s a Naples-living, butt-wiping, soccer-team carting, gourmetchef attempting, tennis-skirt wearing, nontennis playing, self-proclaimed bad mamma jamma to three sons and a very understanding husband. You can find Amy online at the Theoutnumberedmother.com.
come our daily routine, and I’m dreading the day when school starts. What’s the best way to get back into school mode?
Q: The start of school signifies the beginning of a problem I get myself into every year: signing the family up for way too many extracurricular and volunteer situations. How do I take back our schedule, so I don’t exhaust everyone this year? Amy: So many moms find themselves in this very same predicament every year. The reason we get overscheduled is that saying yes is so much easier than saying no. Turning down requests for your time and energy comes with a huge portion of guilt. You want to be involved in your community, or your church, or your kids’ schools, but you can’t be everything to everyone and still have the time you need to support the family and your own wellbeing. When it comes to extracurricular activities, I usually limit each child to one sport and one art. Lucky for me, the piano teacher lives around the corner, so my kids can walk there, and that frees up my time
to spend with the kids who are at home. As for volunteer situations, it is much easier to say yes to the short term projects rather than taking on a PTO presidency. Pick one thing each month and volunteer for that. Oh, they need someone to man the bake sale in October, but you already signed up to be the secret reader that month? That gives you the power of saying no because you’ve set up healthy limits for your own sanity. Set your limits and stick with them and you’ll find yourself less put out than you were in previous years. Q: My family’s been keeping a really laid back schedule for summer. Late dinners, late bedtimes, and sleeping in have be-
www.Marital-FamilyLaw.com 225 Banyan Blvd · Naples, FL 239·403·9800 NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
Amy: Ah, the lazy days of summer are about to be history, and there is nothing worse than being unprepared for that firstmorning alarm of the school year. Because the new sleep schedule will probably be the biggest change from summer to school, you should probably start setting alarm clocks during the last week of summer. WebMD advises inching back bedtime and wake times in half-hour increments. If little Suzy has been going to bed at 9 p.m. during the summer and needs to get back to an 8 p.m. bedtime for school, start waking her up at 7 a.m. instead of letting her sleep until 8. And slowly start inching her bedtime back by a half-hour. That way the first day of school won’t be a complete shock to her system, or yours. Besides sleep, the other way to get prepared for school mode is to get your back-to-school shopping done before school starts. Many of the local schools have supply lists online or posted at the local Target or Walmart according to what grade your child is entering. I found this a bit more challenging for my oldest child at the middle school level last year, as some of the teachers had additional requests after the first day of school, but even with the last minute additions, it was much easier getting it done ahead of time.
“Exceptional attorney who exemplifies truth, integrity and compassion” - A DIVORCE CLIENT
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5:30 p.m. Art Classes for Kids. Kids will explore and work with different techniques and media. Acrylics on canvases, watercolor, collages, mixed media, etc. Ages 4-12. Etudes de Ballet, 3285 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples.
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6:30 p.m. James & the Giant Peach, Jr. The classical Roald Dahl story brough to life. $10, students and educators; $20 for adults. Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. Call 239-263-7990 or visit naplesplayers.org.
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8:00 a.m. Diabetes Day Camp. M-F. Campers will engage in hands-on science experiments related to weather, gravity, and everything in between along with other activities. Ages 5-17. Call 239-821-5051 or visit www.helpadiabeticchild. org.
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3:30 p.m. Meals of Hope Mobile Food Pantry. In the YMCA parking every Tuesday. Frozen food, fresh produce, and canned goods will be given away to families in need. Greater Naples YMCA, 5450 YMCA Rd., Naples. Call 239-597-3148 or check greaternaplesymca.org. 8
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7:00 p.m. PFLAG Support Group Meeting. The Naples chapter of PFLAG (Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) meets on the third Thursday of each month. Call 239-5134568 for location.
10 6:00 p.m. Love That Dress. Benefits PACE Center for Girls. For tickets, visit www.Lovethatdress.org. Located at The Naples Grande Beach Resort, 475 Seagate Dr., Naples.
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1:00 p.m. Water Day at Whiz Kids. Check out our 19-foot water slide. Regular admission applies. At check-in, choose indoor or outdoor play. Add $5 to do both and stay all day. Whiz Kids Play Zone and Tutoring Center, 1050 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples.
6:30 p.m. Buddy Break for Kids With Special Needs. Threehour monthly session of free respite care for children with special needs and their siblings. Every third Friday. Advanced registration required. Call 239213-3351 or check www. buddybreak.com to register or to volunteer. 18
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7:00 p.m. Seussical the Musical. A fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza. All of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters have been brought to life. Centers for the Arts of Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd., Bonita Springs. Call 239-495-8989 or check artcenterbonita.org.
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9:30 a.m. Honeybee Hoopla. Kids admitted free. Games, crafts, and more. Don’t forget, we’ll still have electric boat tours, kayak rentals, the Little Explorer Play Zone, and more. Conservancy, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples. Call 239-262-0304 or check www.conservancy. org. 19
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10:00 a.m. 2017 Back to School Expo. Family fun, more than 60 family friendly vendors, photo booth, face painting, Cover Kids contest, and more! Greater Naples YMCA, 5450 YMCA Rd., Naples. Check neafamily. com.
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5:00 p.m. Parents’ Night Out. First and third Saturday of each month. Available to all YMCA Family Membership holders. Greater Naples YMCA, 5450 YMCA Rd., Naples. Call 239597-3148 or check greaternaplesymca.org. 10:00 a.m. The Big Latch On Day 1. All are welcome to join other families for this annual breastfeeding awareness event. Located at Twinkle Twinkle Little Store, 4172 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples. Visit twinkletwinklelittlestoreofnaples.com.
10:00 a.m. Free Kids Movies. “The Pirates! Band of Misfits.” First come, first served. Paragon Pavilion Theaters, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples. Call 239-596-0008 or check www.paragontheaters.com.
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saturday
friday
thursday
Best Bets
2:00 p.m. Free Clinic. Free clinic every second Wednesday of each month from 2-6 p.m. Call 239-529-5580 to schedule an appointment and verify eligibility. Walk-ins also accepted. Located at PANIRA Healthcare Clinic, 5039 E. Tamiami Tr., Naples.
8:30 a.m. C’mon’s Castles for Kids Sand Sculpting. Fifth Annual Castles for Kids Sand Sculpting Competition Enjoy fun under the sun, food, festivities, mermaids, pirates, raffles, and more. LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, 9891 Gulf Shore Dr., Naples. Visit www.cmon.org. 2
7:30 a.m. CCSO Summerfest: Gone Fishing. Tuesdays-Fridays until August 4. Walkups welcome with adult supervision. Located at Naples Pier, 25 12th Ave., Naples. Call 239-213-3062 or check www.naplesgov. com.
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2:00 p.m. Sister Act Teen. August 4-6. A KidzAct production in Blackburn Hall. $10 for students and educators, $20 for adults. Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. Call 239-263-7990 or visit naplesplayers.org.
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11:00 a.m. Koreshan Baking. Join us for a pinch of history and a taste, too. Located at Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-992-0311 or check www.floridastateparks.org.
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1:00 p.m. Family Science Lab: The Ocean Around Us. Find out just how important the ocean is through fun, hands-on family activities. C’mon, 15080 Livingston Rd., Naples. Call 239-514-0084 or check www.cmon.org.
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1:15 p.m. Partial Solar Eclipse. Courtesy of Space Science Institute, we will have a limited supply of solar eclipse glasses available. There will be crafts in the Children’s Room. Headquarters Library, 2385 Orange Blossom Dr., Naples. Call 239593-0334 or check www. collierlibrary.org. 21
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5:30 a.m. Bootcamp. Meet in the field near the Industrial area for a great workout. Weights provided. Bring water, yoga mat, towel. $15. Free park admission. Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-992-0311 or check www.floridastateparks.org.
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5:30 p.m. Wellfit Girls Open House. Learn more about this leadership, fitness, and empowerment program for high school girls. Community Foundation of Collier County, 1110 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples. Call 239529-0366 or check www. wellfitgirls.org. 4:00 p.m. Minecraft Group. All players work cooperatively, and the more experienced players are happy to help new players. $10 per player. Ventana Services, 1660 Trade Center Way, Suite 5, Naples. Call 239-810-3498 or check ventanaservices.com.
6:00 p.m. Art After Hours. Enjoy free admission to The Baker Museum from 6 to 9 p.m. A local band offers musical entertainment. View the galleries and learn from our docents. Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Call 239-597-1111 or check artisnaples.org.
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6:00 p.m. Sunset & Sangria Fundraising Cruise. Join WNOCC and Pure Naples on a relaxing sunset cruise on the beautiful Naples waterways. $40 per person. Boat leaves at 6:30 p.m. Located at Pure Naples in Tin City, Naples. Visit www.wnocc. org.
10:00 a.m. Free Kids Crafts. Kids from toddlers to 12 are invited to participate in fun activities. Located at Miromar Outlets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239948-3766 or check www. miromaroutlets.com.
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10:00 a.m. Drop In Baby Fitness Mommy and Me. Instill healthy habits for life in your toddler. Fleischmann Park, 1600 Fleischmann Dr., Naples. Call 239-2133020.
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9:00 a.m. Science Saturday. Spend the day enjoying programs, labs, and activities centered around fish. Located at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd., Naples. Call 239-417-6310 or check rookerybay.org.
YOUR COMMUNITY August EVENTS CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS: To submit your event for both our online and print calendars, go to the Calendar at neafamily.com and follow the instructions for inputting event information. The deadline for print calendar events is the 12th of the month preceding publication. You can submit events anytime for the online calendar. Note: Please check dates and times before attending events. As Neapolitan Family staff does not enter all calendar data, we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
1 TUESDAY 5:30 a.m. Bootcamp. M-F, 5:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. Meet in the field near the Industrial area for a great workout with Bodies by Blevins. Weights provided. Bring water, yoga mat, towel. $15. Saturdays are free. Free park admission. Located at Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-992-0311 or check www.floridastateparks.org for additional information. 6:30 a.m. Fitness Camp. A 60-minute fitness class offered by a certified fitness professional and designed specifically for women. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at the WINK Playland. Located at Miromar Outlets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239948-3766 or check www.miromaroutlets.com for additional information. 7:30 a.m. CCSO Summerfest: Gone Fishing. Tuesdays through Fridays every week until August 4. Walk-ups welcome with adult supervision. Located at Naples Pier, 25 12th Ave., Naples. Call 239-2133062 or check www.naplesgov.com for additional information. 8:30 a.m. Summer Institute for Marine Science. Budding scientists are invited to discover our unique coastal environment with Rookery Bay staff and local researchers. This three-day pilot program brings students into the field to experience concept in ecology, marine biology, sustainability, and citizen science. For students with an interest in marine science who have completed grades 7-9. Space is limited. Located
at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd., Naples. Call 239-417-6310 or check rookerybay.org for additional information. 10:00 a.m. Moms and Tots Storytime with Miss Jessica and Miss Mary Ellen. A toddler favorite, the girls read, sing, dance and color, creating a fun-filled atmosphere of learning and lots of laughter. Come and ask about the little green frog song. All ages are welcome. Located at Barnes & Noble, 5377 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples. Call 239-597-2040 or check bn.com for additional information. 10:00 a.m. Free Kids Movies. “The Pirates! Band of Misfits.” First come, first served. Located at Paragon Pavilion Theaters, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples. Call 239-596-0008 or check www.paragontheaters. com for additional information. 3:30 p.m. Meals of Hope Mobile Food Pantry. The Meals of Hope Mobile Pantry will be in the YMCA parking every Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Frozen food, fresh produce, and canned goods will be given away to families in need. Everyone is welcome. Located at Greater Naples YMCA, 5450 YMCA Rd., Naples. Call 239-597-3148 or check greaternaplesymca.org for additional information.
2 WEDNESDAY 8:30 a.m. 5th Annual C’mon Castles for Kids Sand Sculpting Competition. C’mon is hosting its 5th annual Castles for Kids Sand Sculpting Competition at LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort. 20 teams, consisting of
Afterschool Adventures
Dates & Times: Aug 16 to Dec 21 • Mon-Fri • 2:40 p.m. to 6 p.m. Cost: $450 per child Locations: East Naples, Immokalee, South Immokalee, Max Hasse,Veterans, Vineyards Community Parks & Golden Gate Community Center
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four children and one adult, will vie for awards for the best sand sculpture. Enjoy fun under the sun, food, festivities, mermaids, pirates, raffles, and more. Entry fee is $100 per team, or $75 for C’mon members. Your registration includes lunch for the team, a bucket and shovel for each child, live entertainment, prizes, and awards. Located at LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, 9891 Gulf Shore Dr., Naples. Visit www. cmon.org for additional information. 9:00 a.m. Summer Art Show. Free admission during gallery hours. Wednesday and Thursday in Studio 1 and 2 at Fort Myers Beach Art Association. Located at Fort Myers Beach Art Association, 3030 Shell Mound, Fort Myers Beach. Call 239-463-3909 or visit www.fortmyersbeachart.com for additional information. 9:30 a.m. Free Boardwalk Tours. A Corkscrew environmental educator will conduct the guided walks, offering visitors a unique opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of the awakening swamp, from its cypress forest and lettuce lakes to its pine forest and open prairies. Located at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 375 Sanctuary Rd. W., Naples. Call 239-348-9151 or check corkscrew.audubon. org for additional information. 10:00 a.m. Free Kids Movies. “The Pirates! Band of Misfits.” First come, first served. Located at Paragon Pavilion Theaters, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples. Call 239-596-0008 or check www.paragontheaters.com for additional information. 10:00 a.m. Free Kids Crafts. Kids from toddlers to 12 are invited to participate in fun activities. Located at Miromar Outlets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-948-3766 or check www.miromaroutlets.com for additional information. 2:00 p.m. The Great American Eclipse. Join us for a discussion about the Great American Eclipse. Learn the art of enjoying eclipses safely and where to go to observe them. Denise Sabatini, president of the Everglades Astronomical Society, will discuss the mechanics of the 2017 eclipse, including the cycles of eclipses and how the Mayans were able to predict them. Located at Headquarters Library, 2385 Orange Blossom Dr., Naples. Call 239-593-0334 or check www.collierlibrary.org for additional information. 3:00 p.m. Board-Um Busters. Looking for something to do? Want to make new friends? Spend the afternoon playing board games in the children’s room. Ages 5-13 years. Registration is not required. Located at Estates Branch Library, 1266 Golden Gate Blvd. W., Naples. Call 239-455-8088 or check www.collierlibrary.org for additional information. 5:30 p.m. Parent/Teen/Child Mental Health Support Group. For parents/ caregivers and children ages 6+ with a mental illness. Opportunity for diagnosed youth ages 6-18 to socialize, receive support, and enjoy refreshments. Parents and youth meet jointly and then break up into groups according to age. Located at NAMI of Collier County, 6324 Trail Blvd., Bldg. C, Naples. Call 239-434-6726 or check namicollier.org for additional information. 5:30 p.m. Sewing Classes for Kids. Every Wednesday. Sew both by hand and machine. Please bring your own machine, but if you don’t have one we provide you with one. Be prepared to sew awesome and cool stuff. Ages 5-13. Located at Etudes de Ballet, 3285 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples. 7:30 p.m. Mary Poppins. Everyone’s favorite nanny takes the stage in this musical adventure. Wednesday-Sunday through August 12. Call for times and tickets. Summer special: $20 for kids 18 and younger, includes lunch and show. Located at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers. Call 239-278-4422 or check www.BroadwayPalm.com for additional information.
3 THURSDAY 10:00 a.m. Free Kids Movies. “The Pirates! Band of Misfits.” First come, first served. Located at Paragon Pavilion Theaters, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples. Call 239-596-0008 or check www.paragontheaters.com for additional information. 10:00 a.m. Tai Chi in the Garden. Instructor Karen McNeil hosts this energyflow exercise in the South Grove of the Garden. Every Thursday at 10 am. Located at Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Dr., Naples. Call 239-643-7275 or check www.naplesgarden.org for additional information. 4:00 p.m. Minecraft Group. Minecraft is a great way to build creativity, improve problem solving, and develop cooperation and communication skills. All players work cooperatively, and the more experienced players are happy to help new players. $10 per player. Located at Ventana Services, 1660 Trade Center Way, Suite 5, Naples. Call 239-810-3498 or check ventanaservices.com for additional information. 6:00 p.m. Mercato Music Series. Variety of music genres. Located at Mercato, 9128 Strada Pl., Naples. Call 239-594-9400 or check www.mercatoshops.com for additional information. 6:00 p.m. Play Pokemon. From creative play and craft activities to the official
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
Now Enrolling INFANT * TODDLER * CHILDREN’S HOUSE VPK * ELEMENTARY * ADOLESCENT
Join us for Open House Saturday, August 12, 2017 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon or
Call to schedule a private tour
239-597-2255
More information can be found on our website
www.naplesmontessori.org
2659 Professional Circle, Suite 1118, Naples, Florida 34119 License #C20CO0026
Daily hours from 7:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M.
We buy & sell gently used kids stuff • Clothing (newborn to size 16), toys, baby furniture, equipment and more. • We pay cash on the spot. • No appointment necessary, clothes must be freshly laundered and brought in a plastic container.
13560 Tamiami Trail N #4, Naples,
239-596-6096
Also in: Fort Myers at 239-274-0039 Port Charlotte at 941-764-8121
onceuponachildnaples.com
neafamily.com
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Pokemon League Card Game. Participants are encouraged to bring their own cards and collectibles. Pokemon encourages strategic thinking and reading and math skills, in fun and engaging ways. $10. Located at Ventana Services, 1660 Trade Center Way, Suite 5, Naples. Call 239-810-3498 or check www.ventanaservices.com for additional information.
4 FRIDAY 7:30 a.m. CCSO Summerfest: Gone Fishing. Last day. Walk-ups welcome with adult supervision. Located at Naples Pier, 25 12th Ave., Naples. Call 239-213-3062 or check www.naplesgov.com for additional information. 9:00 a.m. Find it Fridays. Kids enjoy a scavenger hunt all day. Ask for more details at the ticket counter. Located at Everglades Wonder Gardens, 27180 Old 41 Rd., Bonita Springs. Call 239-992-2591 or check www.evergladeswondergardens.com for additional information. 10:00 a.m. The Big Latch On Day 1. All are welcome to join other families at Twinkle Twinkle Little Store for this annual breastfeeding awareness event. Located at Twinkle Twinkle Little Store, 4172 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples. 10:00 a.m. Drop In Baby Fitness Mommy and Me. Instill healthy habits for life in your toddler by attending the class every Friday. $5 per child. Located at Fleischmann Park, 1600 Fleischmann Dr., Naples. Call 239-213-3020 for additional information. 10:00 a.m. Kids Free Fridays – Sea Turtles. This popular summer education program provides free admission for children ages 12 and younger who are accompanied by a paying adult. We recommend a ratio of no more than 3 kids per adult to ensure a safe and pleasurable experience. Pre-registration is not required. Located at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd., Naples. Call 239-417-6310 or check rookerybay.org for additional information. 5:00 p.m. First Friday’s Art for Art Lovers. Gourmet food, fine wine, and art demonstrations. Located at Shoppes of Old Marco, 258 Royal Palm Dr., Marco Island. Call 239-394-2787 for additional information. 7:30 p.m. Sister Act Teen. A KidzAct production in Blackburn Hall. Tickets are $10 for students and educators and $20 for adults. Located at Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. Call 239-263-7990 or visit naplesplayers.org for further information or to purchase tickets.
5 SATURDAY
GUIDING HEARTS x INSPIRING MINDS x SHAPING LIVES
Over the last 43 years, it has been our mission to partner with Christian families in the education and discipleship of their children. We fulfill our mission through biblical integration in all aspects of our programs to teach children to love God, think biblically, and serve others. The PreK - eighth grade program holds dual accreditation from Advanced Ed/SACS and ACSI. Students at NCA are afforded an unparalleled experience through: • Invested, compassionate faculty • Integrated curriculum • Interactive classrooms • Remarkable fine arts and athletic programs Call us today for your personal tour of our campus to watch our students in action and see for yourself why we say at NCA:
“We are more than a school; we’re family!” For more information, please contact Kayla Walling at 239-455-1080 or walling@ncanaples.com.
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7:30 a.m. Third Street South Farmer’s Market. Parking lot behind Tommy Bahama’s. Located at Third Street South, Naples. Call 239-434-6533 or check www. napleschamber.org for additional information. 8:00 a.m. Farmer’s Market. Every Saturday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, honey, prepared foods, wears, specialty foods, and more. Located at Shoppes at Vanderbilt, 2355 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples. Call 239-273-2350 or check Facebook for additional information. 8:00 a.m. Community Yard Sale. Find yard sale bargains with the convenience of having all the sales in one location. If you are interested in reserving a spot to sell used items, please call to reserve a spot. Located at Immokalee Community Park,, 321 North 1st St., Immokalee. Call 239-657-4449 for additional information. 8:00 a.m. Bootcamp. M-F, 5:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. Meet in the field near the Industrial area for a great workout with Bodies by Blevins. Weights provided. Bring water, yoga mat, towel. $15. Saturdays are free. Free park admission. Located at Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-992-0311 or check www.floridastateparks.org for additional information. 9:00 a.m. Greenmarket. Join us on our 10-acre campus every Saturday to find an exclusive selection of locally grown, caught, and cultivated foods and other products available to sample and purchase. Located at Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers. Call 239-939-2787 or check www.artinlee.org for additional information. 9:00 a.m. Chess Kids. For students K-12, all playing levels, beginner to advanced. In the Great Room. Located at Marco Lutheran Church, 525 N. Collier Blvd., Marco Island. Call 239-394-0332 or check marcoluthern.org for additional information. 9:30 a.m. WONDER Kids at Botanical Gardens. Drop in anytime until 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday to the Smith Children’s Garden for fun activities. Located at Naples Botanical Garden, 4820 Bayshore Dr., Naples. Call 239-643-7275 or check www.naplesgarden.org for additional information. 10:00 a.m. Historical Tours at Koreshan State Park. Explore the 19th century religious Koreshan settlement, its structures and gardens, and learn about these
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
idealistic pioneers. $2 for adults, $1 for children over 6. Located at Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-992-0311 or check www. floridastateparks.org for additional information. 10:00 a.m. The Big Latch On Day 2. All are welcome to join other families at Twinkle Twinkle Little Store for this annual breastfeeding awareness event. Located at Twinkle Twinkle Little Store, 4172 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples. 10:00 a.m. Lipman Backpack Giveaway. Lipman Family Farms will give away 1,200 free backpacks filled with school supplies to the elementary and middle school age children of Immokalee. Free food, entertainment, and giveaways. Children must be present to receive a backpack. Located at Immokalee High School, 701 Immokalee Dr., Immokalee. 10:00 a.m. Artists@Work at GreenMarket. Members of the SWFL Florida Fine Craft Guild demonstrate their specialties during this free, family friendly demo day. Located at Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Boulevard, Fort Myers. Call 239939-2787 or check www.artinlee.org for additional information. 11:00 a.m. Storytime. Storytime every Saturday. Located at Barnes & Noble, 5377 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples. Call 239-597-2040 or check bn.com for additional information. 2:00 p.m. Sister Act Teen. A KidzAct production in Blackburn Hall. Tickets are $10 for students and educators and $20 for adults. Located at Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. Call 239-263-7990 or visit naplesplayers.org for further information or to purchase tickets. 2:00 p.m. Alligator Fishing. Every Saturday. For $5 plus admission, you get a cane pool with a hot dog on the end of it to feed our 37 gators. Located at Everglades Wonder Gardens, 27180 Old 41 Rd., Bonita Springs. Call 239-992-2591 or check www.evergladeswondergardens.com for additional information. 4:00 p.m. Improv Cafe. Make Saturday afternoon the best time of the week when you bring your family out to “Little Shop of Improv”, the first Saturday of every month. Located at Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd., Bonita Springs. Call 239-495-8989 or check artcenterbonita.org. 5:00 p.m. Parents’ Night Out. Why scramble for a sitter when you can bring your children ages 3 months-12 years to the YMCA for Parents’ Night Out? First
SWFL’S PREMIER DINNER THEATRE
NOW - AUG 12 1380 COLONIAL BOULEVARD, FORT MYERS
239.278.4422 • www.BroadwayPalm.com
After-School Fall 2017 Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead
Held @ St. John the Evangelist Parish Life Center arts and SCience Enrichment program taught by certified teachers
Included: An arts or STEM class, guided arts & STEM free explore, participation in our unique challenge system, snack, homework help, & optional private music lesson (add-on) Mondays: Tuesdays: Wednesdays: Thursdays: Fridays:
Classes
Minecraft, Music Makers, Perfect Pitch 3D Printing, Robotics, Piano, Art Makerspace, Art 3D Printing, Robotics, Guitar, Art Rotating STEM, Rotating Arts
AFTER SCHOOL Program
Transportation provided from: Osceola, Sea Gate, Pelican Marsh, Veterans Memorial, Naples Park
*Students not from above schools need their own transportation.
Times: 3:00 - 6:30 Fee: $18-25/day *Tuition Assistance Available*
www.fullsteamaheadFL.com
(239) 451-3142
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
info@fullsteamaheadFL.com
Now Enrolling for After School @ CSN! neafamily.com
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KIDZACT YOUTH THEATRE OF THE NAPLES PLAYERS TNP @ SUGDEN THEATRE • 701 5TH AVE SOUTH • NAPLES • FL 34102 NAPLESPLAYERS.ORG (239) 434-7340 EXT. 125 TNP KIDZACT AUGUST 2017 HALF PAGE AD.indd 1
AGES 4-18 AGES 4-18
7/16/17
NAPLES PREMIER YOUTH THEATRE OF THE NAPLES PLAYERS NAPLES PREMIER YOUTH THEATRE OF THE NAPLES PLAYERS
FALL 2017 FALL 2017
and third Saturday of each month. This service is available to all YMCA Family Membership holders. Located at Greater Naples YMCA, 5450 YMCA Rd., Naples. Call 239-597-3148 or check greaternaplesymca.org for additional information. 7:14 PM7:30 p.m. Sister Act Teen. A KidzAct production in Blackburn Hall, Tickets are $10 for students and educators and $20 for adults. Located at Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. Call 239-263-7990 or visit naplesplayers.org for further information or to purchase tickets. 8:00 p.m. Improv Tonight. Be as involved in the show as you’d like, whether you’re just setting a scene with your suggestions, or whether you’re on stage as a player. Beer and wine available. Located at Center for Performing Arts-Moe Auditorium, 10150 Bonita Beach Road SE, Bonita Springs. Call 239-495-8989 or check www. artcenterbonita.org for additional information.
6 SUNDAY
PERFORMANCES/THEATRE CLASSES PERFORMANCES/THEATRE CLASSES
SENSORY FRIENDLY SENSORY CLASSES & FRIENDLY SHOWS CLASSES & SHOWS
AUDITIONS AUDITIONS AUGUST AUGUST22-24 22-24
AGES AGES8-18 8-18
ACT ACT ADVANCED ADVANCED
CONSERVATORY THEATRE THEATRE CLASSES CLASSES CONSERVATORY MIDDLE-HIGH SCHOOL MIDDLE-HIGH SCHOOL KIDZACTYOUTH YOUTHTHEATRE THEATRE OF OF THE THE NAPLES NAPLES PLAYERS PLAYERS KIDZACT TNP @ SUGDEN THEATRE • 701 5TH AVE SOUTH • NAPLES TNP @ SUGDEN THEATRE • 701 5TH AVE SOUTH • NAPLES • • FL FL 34102 34102 NAPLESPLAYERS.ORG (239) 434-7340 EXT. 125 NAPLESPLAYERS.ORG (239) 434-7340 EXT. 125 30
TNP KIDZACTneafamily.com AUGUST 2017 HALF PAGE AD.indd 1 TNP KIDZACT AUGUST 2017 HALF PAGE AD.indd 1
8:00 a.m. Koreshan Sunday Farmer’s Market. Offers local and organic produce, fresh seafood and dips, unique crafts, local honey, native plants, handcrafted jewelry, hot crepes, BBQ, beautiful art, and cool gifts. Located at Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-992-0311 or check www.floridastateparks. org for additional information. 8:00 a.m. Native Plant Sale. Learning about and purchasing native plants can be a daunting task, but it just got easier. The Coccoloba Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society volunteers will be selling native plants at the Koreshan State Historic Site Farmers Market. Located at Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-992-0311 or check www.floridastateparks.org for additional information. 9:00 a.m. Yoga in the Park. Traditional yoga class focuses on breathing, stretching, and postures. Modifiable for all ages and levels of participants. Beginners welcome. Some mats provided. Bring a water bottle. $10 cash. Park admission free. Located at Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-992-0311 or check www.floridastateparks.org for additional information. 9:00 a.m. Sunday Birding. Join a Conservancy volunteer naturalist on the beach near the pass to view birds through a scope and ask questions. Look for your guide in the orange vest near Clam Pass on Sundays, 9-11 a.m. Located at Clam Pass Beach Park, 410 Seagate Dr., Naples. Call 239-262-0304 or visit conservancy.org for more information. 10:00 a.m. Historical Tours at Koreshan State Park. Explore the 19th century religious Koreshan settlement, its structures and gardens, and learn about these idealistic pioneers. $2 for adults, $1 for children over 6. Located at Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-992-0311 or check www. floridastateparks.org for additional information. 11:00 a.m. Koreshan Baking. Join us for a pinch of history and a taste, too. Located at Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-9920311 or check www.floridastateparks.org for additional information. 11:15 a.m. Spanish Church Service. St. Monica’s church, in support of the Latino community, will hold a Spanish speaking service every Sunday. Located at St. Monica’s Church, 7070 Immokalee Rd., Naples. Call 239-591-4550 or check www.stmonicasnaples.org for additional information. 12:00 p.m. Sip and Shop Sundays. Visit the Bloody Mary Bar at Waterside Shops’ Pavilion every Sunday with proceeds donated to different charities each month. Located at Waterside Shops, 5415 Tamiami Tr. N., Naples. Call 239-598-1605 or check www.watersideshops.com for additional information. 2:00 p.m. Sister Act Teen. A KidzAct production in Blackburn Hall. Tickets are $10 for students and educators and $20 for adults. Located at Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. Call 239-263-7990 or visit naplesplayers.org for further information or to purchase tickets. 3:00 p.m. Meet the Composers Classical Music Series. Join international artist and lecturer, Dr. Anne McLean the first Sunday of each month as she performs in a multi-media presentation highlighting a great composer’s music, fascinating historical insights and visual images of that unique era. Located at Center for Performing Arts – Hinman Auditorium, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd., Bonita Springs. Call 239-495-8989 or check www.artcenterbonita.org for additional information.
7 MONDAY 8:00 a.m. Diabetes Day Camp. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Greater Naples YMCA. Campers will engage in hands-on science experiments related to weather, gravity, and everything in between along with other activities. Ages 5-17.
7/16/17 7:14 PM 7/16/17 7:14 PM
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
Too old to be a camper? Talk to us about volunteering. $100 for Y members, $125 for non-members. Scholarships are available. Lunch included. Call 239-821-5051 or visit www.helpadiabeticchild.org for additional information. 5:30 p.m. Art Classes for Kids. Kids will explore and work with different techniques and media. Acrylics on canvases, watercolor, collages, mixed media, etc. Lots of fun and creativity for kids ages 4 to 12. Located at Etudes de Ballet, 3285 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples.
A New Montessori Preschool Opening Fall 2017 in East Naples.
8 TUESDAY 10:00 a.m. Free Kids Movies. “Sing.” First come, first served. Located at Paragon Pavilion Theaters, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples. Call 239-596-0008 or check www.paragontheaters.com for additional information. 3:30 p.m. Meals of Hope Mobile Food Pantry. The Meals of Hope Mobile Pantry will be in the YMCA parking every Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Frozen food, fresh produce, and canned goods will all be given away to families in need. Everyone is welcome. Located at Greater Naples YMCA, 5450 YMCA Rd., Naples. Call 239-597-3148 or check greaternaplesymca.org for additional information.
The
G a rd e n School
9 WEDNESDAY 10:00 a.m. Free Kids Movies. “Sing.” First come, first served. Located at Paragon Pavilion Theaters, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples. Call 239-596-0008 or check www.paragontheaters.com for additional information. 2:00 p.m. Free Clinic. Free clinic every second Wednesday of each month from 2-6 p.m. Please call 239-529-5580 to schedule an appointment and verify eligibility. Walk-ins also accepted. Located at PANIRA Healthcare Clinic, 5039 E. Tamiami Tr., Naples. 4:00 p.m. Lego Club. Share ideas, be creative, make new friends, and have fun. Bricks will be provided and your creation will be put on display at the library. Ages 5-11 years. Registration is not required. Located at Estates Branch Library, 1266 Golden Gate Blvd. W., Naples. Call 239-455-8088 or check www.collierlibrary.org for additional information. 6:00 p.m. Sierra Club Monthly Meeting. Sierra Club Calusa Group organizes and participates in outdoor adventures, environmental education, public outreach, and local environmental activities. We also lobby our local and state government for pro-environmental policy and legislation. Located at Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium, 3450 Ortiz Ave., Fort Myers. Call 239-275-3435 or check calusanature. org for additional information.
of Napl e s
M o nte sso r i E a r ly E d u c a ti o n
An environmentally-conscious academic preschool program for children aged 2-6.
Accepting applications for enrollment now!
www.gardenschoolnaples.com
info@gardenschoolnaples.com • (239) 424-9084 • 6051 bayshore drive, naples
10 THURSDAY 10:00 a.m. Little Explorers Program. Little Explorer Play Zone provides our youngest visitors the opportunity to explore nature and discover amazing animals through multi-sensory activities, stories, and crafts. This month’s theme is “In the Tall, Tall Grass.” No registration required. Located at Conservancy of SW Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples. Call 239-262-0304 or check www.conservancy. org for additional information. 10:00 a.m. Free Kids Movies. “Sing.” First come, first served. Located at Paragon Pavilion Theaters, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples. Call 239-596-0008 or check www.paragontheaters.com for additional information. 1:00 p.m. Water Day at Whiz Kids. Check out our 19 foot water slide. Regular admission applies. At check-in, choose indoor or outdoor play. Add $5 to do both and stay all day. Located at Whiz Kids Play Zone and Tutoring Center, 1050 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples. 6:30 p.m. CPR Class for AHA Certification. The City of Naples Fire-Rescue Department is providing CPR classes for American Heart Association certification on the second Thursday of each month at Riverside Community Center. Registration required. Register online or call to check availability. Located at River Park Community Center, 301 11th St. N., Naples. Call 239-213-3037 or check www. naplesgov.com for additional information.
11 FRIDAY 7:00 p.m. Seussical the Musical. Centers for the Arts of Bonita Springs (CFAB) Youth Players present Seussical the Musical, a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza. All of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters have been brought to life. Tickets
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
Join WNOCC and Pure Naples on a relaxing sunset cruise on the beautiful Naples Waterways. Mix and mingle with exciting women while raising money for education. We will have hor d’oeuvres and Sangria aboard so all you need to bring is yourself and a friend. When:
August 24, 2017 6:00pm Boat Leaves 6:30pm Where: Naples Tin City- Pure Naples Tickets: $40 Per Person Sponsorship opportunities are available. Follow us for more details or visit www.WNOCC.org.
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are $15 for general admission, $20 for reserved seating (10% off for current CFAB members). Located at Centers for the Arts of Bonita Springs – Hinman Auditorium, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd., Bonita Springs. Call 239-495-8989 or check artcenterbonita.org for additional information. 6:00 p.m. Parents’ Night Out. Parents, drop the kiddos off for some fun at Whiz Kids, and enjoy some time to yourselves. Kids will participate in bounce houses, obstacle courses, themed games, and a movie. $20 per child. Ages 4-12. Must sign up in advance. Located at Whiz Kids Play Zone and Tutoring Center, 1050 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples. 7:30 p.m. James & the Giant Peach, Jr. A KidzAct production in Toybe Studio. Tickets are $10 for students and educators and $20 for adults. Located at Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. Call 239-263-7990 or visit naplesplayers.org for further information or to purchase tickets.
12 SATURDAY 9:00 a.m. Walker’s Paddle Board Race 2017. Benefits the Greater Naples YMCA. This event is open to the whole family and spectators, with divisions including recreational paddlers, youth, and paddlers with pets. Races will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., followed by a pool party until 4 p.m. You may enter more than one race. Registration of $35 per person includes a t-shirt, access to the VIP room, and the pool party (food included). Spots are limited. Located at Walker Hideaway Marina of Naples, 475 North Rd., Naples. Register at http://bit.ly/2sr33V1. 10:00 a.m. Open House at Montessori Academy of Naples. Montessori Academy of Naples provides tours for prospective families and accepts enrollment applications year-round. Located at Montessori Academy of Naples, 2659 Professional Cr., Naples. Call 239-597-2255 or check www.naplesmontessori.org. 10:00 a.m. 2017 Back to School Expo. Family fun, more than 60 family friendly vendors, photo booth, face painting, Cover Kids contest, and more! Located at Greater Naples YMCA, 5450 YMCA Rd., Naples. Call 239-597-3148 or check greaternaplesymca.org for additional information. 10:00 a.m. Little Explorers Program. Little Explorer Play Zone provides our youngest visitors with the opportunity to explore nature and discover amazing animals through multi-sensory activities, stories, and crafts. This month’s theme is “In the Tall, Tall Grass.” No registration required. Located at Conservancy of SW Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples. Call 239-262-0304 or check www. conservancy.org for additional information. 11:00 a.m. Cinema Saturdays. Watch the Disneynature film “Wings of Life”. All movies reinforce the Conservancy’s mission to protect our water, land, wildlife and future. Movie is included with admission. Also at 2 p.m. Located at Conservancy of SW Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples. Call 239-262-0304 or check www. conservancy.org for additional information. 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m James & the Giant Peach, Jr. A KidzAct production in Toybe Studio. Tickets are $10 for students and educators and $20 for adults. Located at Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. Call 239-263-7990 or visit naplesplayers.org for further information or to purchase tickets. 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m Seussical the Musical. Centers for the Arts of Bonita Springs Youth Players present Seussical the Musical, a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza. All of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters have been brought to life. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $20 for reserved seating (10% off for current CFAB members). Located at Centers for the Arts of Bonita Springs – Hinman Auditorium, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd., Bonita Springs. Call 239-495-8989 or check artcenterbonita.org for additional information. 6:00 p.m. Girls in Science - Slumber at Rookery Bay. Discover the nocturnal side of nature while camping with our educators inside the Environmental Learning Center. During this special program, girls ages 8-14 will learn about species migration. Find out who’s nesting and who’s resting in the Reserve (and other areas of Florida throughout the year. We will also take a closer look at the role of weather patterns and how they influence the distribution of plants, animals, sediments, and debris. Located at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd., Naples. Call 239-417-6310 or check rookerybay.org for additional information.
13 SUNDAY 7:00 p.m. Seussical the Musical. Centers for the Arts of Bonita Springs Youth Players present Seussical the Musical, a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza. All of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters have been brought to life. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $20 for reserved seating (10% off for current CFAB members). Located at CFAB – Hinman Auditorium, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd., Bonita Springs.
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NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
Call 239-495-8989 or check artcenterbonita.org for additional information. 6:30 p.m. James & the Giant Peach, Jr. A KidzAct production in Toybe Studio. Tickets are $10 for students and educators and $20 for adults. Located at Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. Call 239-263-7990 or visit naplesplayers.org for further information or to purchase tickets.
14 MONDAY 9:30 a.m. Essentials of Digital Photography Workshop. Covers the essentials of your digital camera. You will learn how to use your camera’s shutter, aperture, ISO control, and the drive modes to create images with impact and creativity. No previous camera or photography experience is necessary, just a desire to learn. Sonny Saunders has over 35 years of experience in photography and instruction. Cost is $55. Located at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd., Naples. Call 239-417-6310 or check rookerybay.org for additional information.
15 TUESDAY 9:00 a.m. Breakfast with the Birds: Stewardship & Citizen Science. Learn about birds from Adam DiNuovo, who has been working with shorebirds and seabirds across the country and beyond for more than 15 years. He is currently the Shorebird Stewardship program manager for Audubon Florida. Located at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd., Naples. Call 239-417-6310 or check rookerybay.org for additional information. 10:00 a.m. Free Kids Movies. “Curious George.” First come, first served. Located at Paragon Pavilion Theaters, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples. Call 239-596-0008 or check www.paragontheaters.com for additional information. 8:15 p.m. Mercato Movies on the Lawn. Outdoor movies are on the third Tuesday of the month beginning at dusk. Customers are invited to bring their lawn chairs, blankets, and well-behaved pets for movies under the stars shown on a giant inflatable screen. Located at Mercato, 9128 Strada Pl., Naples. Call 239-594-9400 or check www.mercatoshops.com for additional information.
16 WEDNESDAY 10:00 a.m. Free Kids Movies. “Curious George.” First come, first served. Located at Paragon Pavilion Theaters, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples. Call 239-596-0008 or check www.paragontheaters.com for additional information. 6:00 p.m. Love That Dress. The event benefits PACE Center for Girls, Collier at Immokalee and is one of two annual fundraisers in Collier County for PACE. For tickets go to www.Lovethatdress.org. Located at The Naples Grande Beach Resort, 475 Seagate Dr., Naples.
17 THURSDAY 10:00 a.m. Free Kids Movies. “Curious George.” First come, first served. Located at Paragon Pavilion Theaters, 833 Vanderbilt Beach Rd., Naples. Call 239-596-0008 or check www.paragontheaters.com for additional information. 6:00 p.m. Third Thursday on Third Street South. Live music in the Fleischmann Courtyard. Located at Third Street South, Naples. Call 239-434-6533 or check www.napleschamber.org for additional information. 7:00 p.m. PFLAG Support Group Meeting. The Naples chapter of PFLAG (Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) meets on the third Thursday of each month. Call 239-513-4568 for location.
Tir Na Nog Academy of Irish Dance
Our mission is to promote the heritage and culture of Irish Dance.
Visit us online at tirnanogdance.com or call 239-455-7225 Call Us to Schedule Your First Class FREE.
Naples Preschool Academy Top Early Learning Center
• Indoor And Outdoor Playground • Safe And Secure • Spacious Rooms • VPK Certified • Experienced Staff • Newborn to 5 Years Old • Security System 1275 Airport Pulling Road S., Naples
(conveniently located near Collier County Courthouse)
(239) 403-7977
www.NaplesPreschoolAcademy.com
18 FRIDAY 9:00 a.m. National Honey Bee Day BOGO. In celebration of National Honey Bee Day, the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center offers “buy one, get one free admission.” Higher price prevails. Cannot be combined with other offers. Must pay at door. Located at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd., Naples. Call 239-417-6310 or check rookerybay.org for additional information. 6:30 p.m. Buddy Break Respite Program for Kids With Special Needs. Three-hour monthly session of free respite care for children with special needs and their siblings. Every third Friday. Advanced registration required. Located at Naples Seventh-day Adventist Church, 5050 Davis Blvd., Naples. Call 239-213-3351 or check www.naplessdachurch.org for additional information.
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
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LITTLE PEOPLE’S SCHOOL • For 2-5 year olds 868 94th Ave. N, Naples 239-597-5064
• Top Rated VPK • Preschool Classes • Summer Camp LittlePeoplesSchool.info
Dance Arts by Maria
19 SATURDAY 9:30 a.m. Honeybee Hoopla – Family Fun Days. Join us for Honeybee Hoopla Family Fun Day here at the Conservancy’s Nature Center. Kids admitted free. We’ll have a variety of engaging activities such as games, crafts, and more. And don’t forget, we’ll still have electric boat tours, kayak rentals, the Little Explorer Play Zone, and everything else you can do on a daily basis at the Nature Center. Located at Conservancy of SW Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples. Call 239-262-0304 or check www.conservancy.org for additional information. 9:30 a.m. Kayaking. Hosted by the Conservancy and the Young Professionals of Naples. Join us as we kayak through mangroves and look for the elusive manatee and wildlife of Florida. During our adventure we will also be doing our part to clean up our community by picking up any trash along our excursion. Cost: $10 for members, $20 for nonmembers Not a member? Sign up today and enjoy endless benefits and connections. Only 16 kayak slots available. (Both tandem and single will be provided). If you own your own kayak, please email Meredith at events@ ypnaples.com. We can accommodate a limited number of personal kayaks. Located at Conservancy of SW Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples. Call 239-2620304 or check www.conservancy.org for additional information. 10:00 a.m. Democratic Women’s Club of Collier County. Join us to discuss issues important to all progressive Democrats through the eyes of the Democratic Women of Collier County and their supporters. Located at Walden Oaks, 6710 Lone Oak Blvd., Naples. Call 239-434-7754 for additional information. 10:00 a.m. Junior Ranger Program. Come in for a fun learning experience and become a Junior Ranger. Discover and learn about plants, animals, and other secrets of the park. Meet in the picnic area. Ideal for children ages 6-12. Parental presence required. Located at Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-992-0311 or check www.floridastateparks.org for additional information. 6:30 p.m. Summer Jazz on the Gulf Free Concert. This free outdoor event takes place once a month and combines an appealing and diverse selection of live jazz entertainment with picturesque views of the Gulf of Mexico, gorgeous sunsets and refreshing breezes. Located at Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, 851 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., Naples. Call 239-261-2222 or check www.naplesbeachhotel.com for additional information.
20 SUNDAY Teaching love and appreciation for the art of dance. Offering classes for ages 2-18 in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Lyrical, Pointe, Technique and Improv
NaplesDanceArts.com
239-513-6999
naplesdancearts@hotmail.com Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @naplesdancearts
SWFL READERS CHOICE “BEST DANCE STUDIO” 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014
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INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION FOR STRUGGLING READERS • Certified Reading Specialist • 25 Years Experience • Methods: Orton-Gillingham & Reading Recovery • Children with Dyslexia, ADD and other challenges • Approved service provider for the Gardiner Scholarship • Downtown Naples Location • All Ages
239-233-9400
SAT and ACT Preparation Tutorial for Reading, Writing and Essay Sections info@ReadingRescueCenters.com • ReadingRescueCenters.com
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1:00 p.m. C’mon Family Science Lab: The Ocean Around Us. We live in Florida, so the ocean is actually all around us. The Ocean is important to everyone on earth. Find out just how important through fun, hands-on family activities. J.N. Ding Darling will be here to teach us all about the ocean. Located at Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, 15080 Livingston Rd., Naples. Call 239-514-0084 or check www.cmon.org for additional information.
21 MONDAY 1:00 p.m. Solar Eclipse at C’mon. Today is a very special day. Many towns across the United States will get to witness a complete Solar Eclipse. Here in Naples we will see 73%. Join us today as we safely observe this event. Located at Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, Livingston Road 15080 Livingston Rd., Naples. Call 239-514-0084 or check www.cmon.org for additional information. 1:15 p.m. Partial Solar Eclipse. Today, regions of the continental United States will be able to see the first total eclipse of the sun in almost 40 years. In Florida, we will be able to see a partial eclipse of up to about 82% of the sun. Here in SW Florida, the eclipse will started around 1:30 p.m., reach its maximum cover about 3:00 p.m., and end around 4:20 p.m. Courtesy of Space Science Institute, we will have a limited supply of solar eclipse glasses available. The Children’s Room will offer crafts during the eclipse. Registration is not required. Located at Headquarters Library, 2385 Orange Blossom Dr., Naples. Call 239-593-0334 or check www. collierlibrary.org for additional information.
22 TUESDAY 4:00 p.m. Auditions for Elf the Musical, Jr. August 22-24. Prepare to sing 32 bars of a song you have prepared and learn choreography. Located at Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. 5:00 p.m. C’mon Sensory Night. For children on the Autism spectrum and/or with other sensory integration disorders. Limited participation in order to minimize
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
crowds. Lighting and sounds are muted and additional sensory activities provided. Located at Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, 15080 Livingston Rd., Naples. Call 239-514-0084 or check www.cmon.org for additional information. 5:30 p.m. Wellfit Girls Open House. Learn more about Wellfit Girls, a leadership, fitness, and empowerment program for high school girls. Hear from alumni girls, receive scholarship information, meet the coaches, and director, and apply for the 2018 program. Located at Community Foundation of Collier County, 1110 Pine Ridge Rd., Naples. Call 239-529-0366 or check www.wellfitgirls.org. 6:30 p.m. Cub Scout Sign Up. Go to your school’s cafeteria and learn about the adventures in Scouting. For boys in K-5. In Cub Scouting, you’ll have lots of fun, adventure, and activities with your friends.
NOW ENROLLING! STEM School Tuition free K-8 Art Music PE Recess Technology Spanish Clubs Organizations Sports
23 WEDNESDAY 5:30 a.m. Bootcamp. Meet in the field near the Industrial area for a great workout with Bodies by Blevins. Weights provided. Bring water, yoga mat, towel. $15. Saturdays free. Free park admission. Located at Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Rd., Estero. Call 239-992-0311 or check www.floridastateparks.org.
24 THURSDAY 6:00 p.m. Sunset & Sangria Fundraising Cruise. Join WNOCC and Pure Naples on a relaxing sunset cruise on the beautiful Naples waterways. Mix and mingle with exciting women while raising money for education. We will have hors d’oeuvres and sangria aboard so all you need to bring is yourself and a friend. Tickets are $40 per person. Boat leaves at 6:30 p.m. Located at Pure Naples in Tin City, Naples. Visit www.wnocc.org for additional information.
239-784-1539 l gccas.org 215 Airport Pulling Rd. N. Naples, FL 34104
25 FRIDAY - -
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10:00 a.m. Drop In Baby Fitness Mommy and Me. Instill healthy habits for life in your toddler by attending the drop-in Mommy and Me class every Friday. $5 per child. Located at Fleischmann Park, 1600 Fleischmann Dr., Naples. Call 239-213-3020 for additional information.
26 SATURDAY 9:00 a.m. Science Saturday. Science Saturdays provide an opportunity for families to spend the day at the Environmental Learning Center enjoying programs, labs, and activities centered around a different science theme, on the last Saturday of every month. This month’s theme is Fish. Located at Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Rd., Naples. Call 239-417-6310 or check rookerybay. org for additional information.
27 SUNDAY 9:00 a.m. Sunday Birding. Join a Conservancy volunteer Naturalist on the beach near the pass to view birds through a scope and ask questions. Look for your guide in the orange vest near Clam Pass between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Call 239-262-0304 or visit conservancy.org. Located at Clam Pass Beach Park, 410 Seagate Dr., Naples.
29 TUESDAY
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3:30 p.m. Meals of Hope Mobile Food Pantry. The Meals of Hope Mobile Pantry will be in the YMCA parking every Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Frozen food, fresh produce, and canned goods will be given away to families in need. Everyone is welcome. Located at Greater Naples YMCA, 5450 YMCA Rd., Naples. Call 239-597-3148 or check greaternaplesymca.org for additional information.
30 WEDNESDAY 6:00 p.m. Art After Hours. Enjoy free admission to The Baker Museum the last Wednesday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m. A local band offers musical entertainment and audiences of all ages are welcome to view the galleries and learn from our docents. Located at Artis-Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples. Call 239-597-1111 or check artisnaples.org for additional information.
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
We thank the Jewish Federation of Collier County for grant support.
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TRAVEL
By Karen T. Bartlett
Getaway: Autumn Weekends
Y
Photos by Karen T. Bartlett. Above, top: The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway awaits passengers. Above, bottom: Try boiled peanuts at Mercier Orchards in Georgia. Facing page, L-R: A cranberry bog on Cape Cod; a road-side stand selling pumpkins; and a sign advertises the haul of New England lobstermen.
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es, I know it’s only August, with temperatures ranging from sizzle to sauna. But trust me: it’s not a minute too soon to plan your autumn getaway. Picture it: Roadside stands will be fragrant with fresh-baked apple pies. New England lobstermen will be pulling in their best catches of the year, and cranberry farmers will be waist-deep in blood-red bogs. In the North Georgia mountains, salty steam clouds will arise from giant cast iron cookers filled with boiling peanuts. And, of course, roadways and hillsides will be blazing in autumn’s golden, red, and yellow foliage spectacular. Here’s the thing: an autumn getaway is not like a regular vacation. It’s a sensory experience that’s easy to fit into a long weekend. For once, skip the must-do checklist of tourist attractions and historic sites. Instead, seek out the back roads and u-pick orchards, pumpkin patches, and roadside farm stands. Breathe in the crisp chill beneath the still-warm sun. I’m giving you the heads up now because airfares during peak leaf season get more expensive, while B&Bs and charming cabin rentals get more scarce the longer you wait. Here are a few images from my own autumn memory book. Cranberries (sassamanash in Native American lingo) grow on vines in peat marshes. When they’re ripe, farmers flood the marshes to create bogs, and rake the berries to the surface. Then they (the berries, not the farmers) get sucked up in a giant vacuum hose and loaded into humongous shipping containers. The harvest is way more picturesque than the Ocean Spray commercials. Some farmers, like capecodcranberrybogtours.com, offer harvest tours between mid September and late November. Find more fascinating info at cranberries.org. NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
My buddies at the renowned East Dennis Oyster Farm (dennisoysters.com) explain that the taste of oysters varies from farm to farm, just as the taste of wine, though it comes from the same grape, varies from vineyard to vineyard. Whose is the best? “That’s for you to decide,” they say, “so get shuckin’!” Check out all the Massachusetts and Rhode Island oyster farms at oystereater.com. Although it evokes summer picnics to New Englanders, lobster is in season yearround, and autumn brings some of the best harvests. I love going down to the seaport to watch the boats unload. Some sell live
lobster right off the docks. Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge, Georgia, is famous for its home baked apple and pecan pies. With its beautiful u-pick orchard, vast country store, picturesque deli, and weekend autumn activities, it’s a cool free attraction. The kids will want a photo op on the old red tractor. mercierorchards.com. Boarding for the vintage Blue Ridge (Georgia) Scenic Railway car is at the base of a magnificent maple tree. The four-hour, 26-mile round trip includes a layover in two quaint mountain towns. Foliage tours run Sep. 29-Nov. 12. brscenic.com.
Neapolitan Family Travel Editor KAREN T. BARTLETT is the award-winning author of more than a dozen destination coffee table books and several family guidebooks. See her autumn leaves and other stunning photos in Rhode Island, A Photographic Portrait. karentbartlett.com.
Florida’s Fall Festivals
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
Photo courtesy of Williston Pioneer Sun News
Art by Adry & Carlos Hernandez. Photo by David Taylor
Florida has its own take on fall festivals. If you’re drooling for the best grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the planet, head up to Williston for the super-fun Central Florida Peanut Festival on October 1. There are horse-drawn trolley rides, antique cars, TONS of peanuts (boiled, roasted, raw, and otherwise) and other festival food, plus music, crafts and games. Get a selfie with the Little Peanut King and Queen (photo, right) and Baby Peanut. willistonfl.com/peanut-festival. See museum quality art and 3D illusions in sidewalk chalk (photo, left) at the world famous Chalk Festival in Venice November 10-13. There’s music, food, and entertainment, and even hot air balloons to see it from the air. chalkfestival.org. neafamily.com
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BACK TO SCHOOL
By Christina Katz
How to Dismantle the Mean Girl Time Bomb Before Middle School
T
he best way to make a positive impact on the girl vs. girl trend sweeping the nation is to address and redirect mean girl behavior in our daughters. Like many mothers of daughters I polled, I started noticing mean girl behavior early in my daughter’s public school experience. Ironically, the behavior wasn’t coming from acquaintances, but from girls my daughter considered friends. This brings up an uncomfortable reality: there is not much we can do about mean girl behavior in other people’s kids. We can report it to their parents or to school or organization authorities, but there is little more we can do to ameliorate mean girl situations once they are happening. So what’s a pro-active mom to do? Take heart. There is much you can do to prevent mean girl behavior in your own daughter. One more girl setting an example of how to be kind and emotionally intelligent, despite peer pressure moving in the opposite direction, can help turn the tide. If mothers can encourage their daughters to stay open, vulnerable, and in touch with feelings no matter what, we might be able to dismantle the mean girl time bomb that ticks silently away inside every girl, just waiting to go off when that girl is pushed too far. Only when girls understand that bullying is never acceptable can a better example spread. If your daughter can embody healthier choices, she can help create harmony within her middle school girl tribe. Here are six crucial ways moms can prepare daughters to navigate the social pressures of middle school. Define Meanness. Rudeness, meanness, and bullying exist on a behavior spectrum. Meanness is intentionally hurtful, as opposed to rudeness, which is unintentionally hurtful, as opposed to bullying which is consistently hurtful. One of the problems with mean girl behavior is that it can be subtle, insidious, and elusive. Teach your daughter the difference between the three types of behaviors and how to tell the difference between someone who is consistently, purposefully mean and someone who simply makes a CEDR 1003 NeaFamily 1-4 pg Horiz.4_Layout 1 2/18/13 9:45 AM
I love my
Empowering and inspiring children to reach their potential with: - Programs for 6 months to 6 years of age with full or parttime days - Florida VPK programs & Private chef’s delicious full meal program - Residential campus setting with 2-large play yards and much more
Call today for a campus tour: 239-597-7190 www.cedarmontessori.org e-mail: office@cedarmontessori.org
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mistake. Make sure your child understands that it’s okay to make mistakes, and that you expect her to be kind regardless of circumstances. Keep talking about what these three behaviors mean on an ongoing basis, until your daughter can tell the difference. Once she knows she always has a choice about how to respond in any situation, you are making good progress. Encourage Self-Acceptance Over Popularity. Left to their own devices, kids will always decide that being popular is better than not being popular. In middle school, popularity is perceived as power and kids are instinctively hungry for it. Make sure you don’t secretly hope your child will be one of the popular kids. If you put this trip on your child, you are encouraging her to put perceptions over feelings, which can lead to imposter syndrome. If you want your child to be authentic and emotionally intelligent, this means accepting and liking her as she is so she can accept and like herself. If you want your daughter to have genuine self-esteem, conversations on self-acceptance need to start young, long before Page 1 the things he sees are not just remembered, they form a part of his soul.
Maria Montessori
inspiring the love of learning since 1984 NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
middle school. Then let the popularity chips fall where they may. After all, popularity does not necessarily equal happiness. Teach How to Detach From Drama. No matter how secure and emotionally intelligent your child, hormones will be ebbing and flowing in middle school. Rather than letting this become an excuse for poor behavior, teach your daughter to step back from situations when erratic emotions are involved. Girl vendettas are common in middle school and can ignite for the slightest reasons. Your daughter may empathize with one or both girls and get inadvertently sucked into a feud if she does not know how to avoid one. Teach your daughter to listen to the facts and form her own opinion without getting involved in any drama. Encourage her to not take sides when one girl turns against another, but to be the voice of reason whenever possible. Affirm that girls need to stick together and prop each other up when they are having a bad day without getting overly involved in solving each other’s problems. Once your daughter understands that drama is a distraction from personal priorities, she can more easily steer clear. Model Healthy Communication. Girls often start to lose their authentic voices when they become teenagers. So your job as your daughter’s confidante is to keep the doors of communication open and let her be honest and real with you as she is trying to figure everything out. If your formerly sunshiny girl suddenly turns partly cloudy, don’t fret. She may push you away and not want to talk as much as she used to, but don’t give in to the common misperception that teenagers need to be left alone. Your middle schooler can’t navigate this brave new social world solo. If you expect her to, she is going to feel stressed and look for friends who can help her take the edge off. You have to be there, mom, every day, listening and responsive, whenever either of you wants to talk. Keep Your Negativity in Check. When confronted with a challenging situation, your daughter will intuitively imitate the way you behave. If you project negativity onto others, she is going to learn to do the same. If you are insecure, she will be insecure. If you are superior and competitive with others, she will follow suit. If you judge and condemn... I am sure you get the picture. You can’t hold
your daughter accountable for her attitudes and actions, if you are not accountable for yours. Be sure you set a good example, mom, or you just might see your least appealing qualities reflected back to you in your daughter’s behavior. Reinforce and Challenge Your Daughter’s Strengths. If you want your daughter to be a leader, not a follower, she needs to know and use her strengths. If you and the rest of your family don’t reflect her strengths back to her, it’s going to take your daughter longer to activate her personal power. If you only reflect back her weaknesses, she is going to believe she is a walking, talking pile of not good enough, which makes her an easy target for mean girls. Girls with high self-esteem don’t usually become targets and self-motivated girls don’t focus on the behavior of others. If they have a negative encounter with another girl, they shrug it off and bounce back quickly. So make sure your daughter is armed with something besides superiority and a sharp tongue. Be certain she knows what she is good at and encourage her to put her strengths to good use in your community for the benefit of all. If your daughter is busy exercising her skills, challenging herself to reach new goals, and striving to make a positive impact in the world, she will gain the healthy self-esteem and confidence that result from positive personal experiences. Happy, engaged kids are less likely to bully others. Once your daughter understands the dynamics of mean girl behavior, she can steer clear of drama when it crops up and will keep you in the loop as to how she handled it. These are the kinds of conversations every mom hopes to have with her daughter in middle school. If you are not having them, then maybe your daughter needs the mean girl primer only you can give her. Take the time to educate yourself about how to avoid mean girl behavior before middle school starts, mom. Then share what you learn with your daughter. You will both be so glad you did.
Once your daughter understands the dynamics of mean girl behavior, she can steer clear of drama.
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
Author, journalist, and writing coach CHRISTINA KATZ enjoys a close relationship with her daughter despite the fact that her daughter is a teenager. Together they enjoy watching chick flicks, going out to eat, shopping, and talking about life.
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BACK TO SCHOOL
S
By Anna Snyder
Back to School Traditions
chool is right around the corner, and some kids can barely contain their excitement. In just a few short weeks, they will get to see their friends, enjoy fall activities, and get back into a rhythm. Some are a little more nervous. The schedule, the schoolwork, and the pressures are intense. But there’s one thing that everyone, including the parents, can look forward to every year: back-to-school traditions. Traditions encourage families to connect with one another and get excited about special events. Celebrating and holding to traditions can make the transition to a new school year more bearable for kids who are nervous, and even more exciting for those that can’t wait to get back. Looking back on my school years, I remember my mom bringing us to our elementary school the day before school started. We’d meet up with a couple other families, check out our class list and teacher assignment for meet-the-teacher, and then go out for ice cream all together – one last party before the school year began! Of course, there was back-to-school shopping for supplies and clothing and “last hurrah”type activities: the pool, favorite restaurants, and running down the street to the neighborhood park. My experiences are probably similar to other parents my age. Here are some more ways families can mark the beginning of the school.
the same stores each year, and let your child make certain decisions based upon his or her own interests and style.
Shopping: make it manageable Depending upon the age of your child, shopping together can be a great way to connect and get them excited about the new school year. Make shopping manageable so no one gets overwhelmed. Don’t go to too many stores or try to accomplish too much all at once. Take each child separately, and have a goal of purchasing either clothing (socks, shoes, uniforms, etc.) or school supplies. Visit
Capture the moment Many families take back-to-school photos to mark the first day of school. These photos can track growth, interests, and goals. Some parents often write the date and school year on a black board or poster of some kinds, along with interests and “what I want to be when I grow up”-type information. What a fun tradition to look back on as children grow up and begin to pursue their pas-
Family time Celebrate together as a family. Create a family tradition of going to a certain restaurant, doing some type of activity together, or going on a trip before the school year begins. Involve everyone in the activity, and be sure to take photos. Ideas include: spending a day at the Naples Zoo or Sun-N-Fun Lagoon, spending the morning at Wiggins Pass and grilling out for lunch, or going out to dinner and ice cream at Venetian Village or downtown Naples. Your family may even decide to plan a weekend getaway to another town in Florida each year. A great tradition to adopt before the school year begins involves one-on-one “dates” with each of your children. Taking some time to discuss the school year, expectations, and potential challenges, and connecting individually with your child can be beneficial for both parents and children before the busyness of the school year begins. You may decide to let your children come up with a plan or stick to the same activity year after year. The activities are not what is important, but rather spending quality time together making memories and fostering positive relationships is.
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NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
sions! Many families also take similar photos on the last day of the school year. Other ideas • “I wear a matching mommy and me bracelet set with my daughter. It’s a great idea for little ones who are nervous to start school.” –Emma, Naples mom of one. • “We do a final day trip the weekend before school starts. It’s our last hurrah as a family.” –Casey, Naples mom of two. • “I take my older girls to Bramble’s Tea Room to have a special lunch, and then we go back-to-school shopping. We talk about big issues they might encounter during the school year, and we pray together.” –Kristen, Naples mom of three. • “Every year, I had a first-day-of-school party. Each of my kids decorated a cupcake, and we watched a movie. We would sit together and have our treat as they told me all about their first day.” –Cheryl, Naples mom of four. • “Because our school is a small and tight-knit community, we always do a few different gatherings for families before the school year begins. We meet at the beach, and we go out for ice cream.” –Estee, Naples mom of two. • “We celebrate the last day of summer each year however the kids want to celebrate. They get to plan the whole day from start to finish. Of course, bedtime is still at 8 p.m!” –Elizabeth, Naples mom of two. The transition back into the school is an important time for children. Make it special for your family with celebrations and traditions.
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BACK TO SCHOOL By Diane Turner Maller
Leadership, Fitness & Empowerment Program for High School Girls
OPEN HOUSE EVENT Tuesday, August 22 5:30-7:30 PM
Community Foundation of Collier County 1110 Pine Ridge Road, Suite 200 Learn Program Details Apply for 2018 Program Hear from Alumni Girls Scholarship Information Meet the Coaches & Director
FOR MORE INFO: www.WellfitGirls.org | 239.529.0366 42
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High School’s Final Year: Supporting Your College-Bound Child
R
eady or not, prepared or not, when summer is over, your child is set to begin the final, defining and transitory, year of high school. Whether this is your first or third child, each college-bound high school student walks a unique path. By the beginning of your child’s senior year, you may be in the refining stages of your child’s dream or your child may be considering fast and furiously what opportunities are available. High school counselor Brooke Nova encourages parents to “start the conversations early about college and career.” Speak to several people about their careers and explore college campuses. Talk it over. You have been listening to your child’s dreams all through her childhood. You are her first advisor. Now is the time to reflect the intimate knowledge that you have gained over these precious and fleeting years. What are his talents? What is she passionate about? What will she always want to be a part of her life? What does he want to contribute? Making time for conversation and real dialogue with your child is crucial to helping her to focus her aspirations on a possible program of study. Never underestimate what is possible. Brainstorm a big list. The first list of colleges and universities should include a wide spectrum of choices. Some of these choices should provide a stretch that challenges your child to reach further. Encourage your child to attend college presentations that are offered at the high school. Explore university websites together and separately. Your child will let you know when your presence over his shoulder is no longer required. You can compare notes later. Consider campus size. What size of campus will appeal the most? As my daughter, Natalie, and I learned, actually visiting the campus was the best way to get a feeling for size. On our visits, we observed the kind of people who were walking around campus. How did the large campus feel? Or, would she prefer a smaller campus? Our tour guides made impressions on us. One professor stood out. He made Natalie feel welcome when she sat in on his class and remembered her name when he saw her the next day. Discuss distance from home. How far away is your child comfortable living? Some students are fine going to the opposite side of the country while others prefer to stay close to home, where weekend visits are possible or perhaps even to live at home that first year. My son, Thomas, demonstrated his independent nature by his choice to study a good six-hour drive away at the opposite end of our home state. Apply, apply, and apply. Early in the senior year is time to tackle the tedious work of completing college admissions applications as well as scholarship applications. This load will be lightened considerably if, as Nova suggests, the student has used the summer before senior year to research scholarships and to draft samples of scholarship and admissions essays.
NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
Make that essay shine. Parents, siblings, and friends can help with the editing process. In most cases, the final admissions or scholarship application is uploaded online. Take the time, however, to print out the various pieces and refine the wording. If ever there were a time for perfectionism, the time is when writing college and scholarship applications. Proofreading by multiple sets of eyes can add exponential value. Print hard copies of all the applications and keep them in a large accordion-style file or file box. The file box will be full if not bursting by the end of the year. Support without hovering. Your child needs your support during this process. Most students this age need help breaking down the projects and requirements into manageable bits. They need help managing deadlines and timelines. Attend financial aid presentations. Many high schools have at least one night, usually in the fall, where someone from a local university financial aid office speaks about financial aid. Mike Johnson, director of financial aid for Pacific University, likes to go beyond the basic information in his presentations. “I also try to provide a reality check on what costs really mean.” Johnson helps parents to consider how much the tuition “sticker price” can be alleviated by factoring in the potential for financial aid. Attend at least one session with a friend, better yet; a friend who has already sent a child to college if this is your first. A second ear can help with sorting through the information overload. I found it nearly impossible to assimilate all the information, terminology, and financial acronyms in one sitting. Allow time to make sense of it all in order to be able to apply the information to your individual situation. Get a jump on senioritis. Senioritis seems to hit all of them. It’s just a matter of how far into the year it takes to kick in. Nova encourages students to finish most everything, including college, scholarship, and the federal financial aid applications, by winter break. After the first semester seniors are typically “ ‘over high school’ so getting everything done before break really does help,” Nova concludes. Wait it out. Even after all of this preparation, there is nothing to do but hang in there with your child and wait for the letters of acceptance or rejection to arrive in the mail. If your child was taking some risks in the application process, there are bound to be disappointments as well as victories. Each letter brings opportunity for feedback and learning for both of you. You likely will celebrate one day and then receive sobering news the next. Be prepared for tears. Remind your child that the closing of one door opens another. Accept the roller coaster. During my daughter’s senior year, sometimes she accepted gentle reminders; other times, she bristled at any suggestions. I continually walked that tight rope between supporting and hovering. I felt the stress of meeting the application deadlines right along with her. Even so, I couldn’t write her essay for her. I was almost grateful when she shut her bedroom door in my face so she could work on it on her own. Later, when she took the envelope into her room to open privately in her own space, I held my breath, too. But the results were hers, not mine. Whatever the news, ceremonies that mark the end of high school for your child are rich with meaning and memories. You will have endured the ups and downs of a unique and remarkable senior year with your child. The events and memories of senior year will stay with both of you as you take the next step to life beyond the high school years together. NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
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August Picks in Lee County
Choosing the Right Child Care Center By Isabel Arce
F
Lights, Camera, Action & Trolls
Coconut Point, 23106 Fashion Dr, Estero Saturday, August 5 at 6 - 9 p.m. Movies Under the Stars for August will be showing the movie Trolls. 239-992-9966
Seussical The Musical
Center for Performing Arts - Hinman Auditorium 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs August 11 - 13
Presented by CFABS Youth Players. A fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza!! 239-495-8989
Tikifest
Fishermen's Village, 1200 W. Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda Saturday, August 12 • Noon - 4 p.m.
Walkiki Hula Dancers Show, Jeff the “TIKI” Juggler, face painting, Tiki games, limbo, family activities, Tiki carvings, Tiki art and more. 941-575-3007
Junior Ranger Program
Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Road, Estero Saturday, August 19 • 10 a.m.
Come in for a fun learning experience and become a Junior Ranger! Discover and learn about plants, animals, and other secrets of the park. Ideal for children ages 6-12. Parental presence required. 239-992-0311.
Alive at Night Family Camping
The Shell Factory & Nature Park, 2787 N Tamiami Tr., Fort Myers Saturday, August 19 • 6 p.m. - 9 a.m.
An overnight camping adventure in the Nature Park! Dinner, snacks & continental breakfast, guided tour of the park with close animal encounters, tents, chairs, campfire activities & more! 239-995-2141
Lee County’s Original Family Publication
FOR 26 YEARS!!
www.leefamilynews.net 44
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inding a child care center is one of the most important decisions that parents are going to make, when Mom is going back to work and is considering putting their child in day care center. There are some basic things you should know and take into consideration. • Call and schedule an interview with the center you have chosen and ask as many questions as you like. When you are in the search of the place that will accommodate your child’s needs, you cannot ask too many questions. All child care providers should be willing to answer all of your questions. • Each family has its own specific needs and what works for some families may not apply to yours. • Remember you can always come back and take a second look at the facility you are considering and, if possible, bring your child with you. • Observe the children in the facility. Do they look happy? Are they engaged and having a good time? Are they supervised? Does the facility have a safe environment? Does it look clean? You can find a checklist on the DCF webpage, www.myflfamilies.com, that you should download and bring with you when visiting the facilities. • Take distance into consideration. If you work long hours, then choose the facility that is close to your place of work. • Start your search early, about three months before you will need child care. Some of the best centers fill up fast, especially the infant and the Voluntary PreKindergarten (VPK) rooms. • Contact your friends, family members, or your pediatrician for recommendations. • Search online. This is helpful because you can read reviews written by parents who have sent their children to the centers you are considering. • And always trust your gut. Children deserve and thrive under good nurturing care. Isabel Arce is the director and owner of Little Ducks Preschool in Naples. NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
BACK TO SCHOOL
By Rebecca Barton
Pack Some Fun Into School Lunches
If you’re tired of your kid’s lunch box coming home containing most of what you packed that morning, or full of empty wrappers from someone else’s home, try something new. Themes are a great way to get your kids excited about lunch and to help little ones practice what they’re learning in school. Letter sounds and rhymes are a great place to start, and you can branch out from there based on your child’s curriculum. If this sounds too “Pinteresty” for you, don’t worry – the Rhyme Lunch is so easy that even small children can make it (with a little help on the knife work). Here are two fun and well-balanced options to help you get started.
Same Letter Lunch
slightly extending over the edge of the bread. Put the top piece of bread with the cheese on top. Put the cherry tomatoes on toothpicks and stick them through the sandwich as eyes (you can also use green olives instead).
Rhyme Lunch: Troll, Sushi Roll, Goal
Moth Sandwich Bag Ingredients: 2 pipe cleaners, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup cherry tomatoes How to make: Place cherry tomatoes (keep 2 aside for the sandwich) on one side of a sandwich baggie and the strawberries (keep 2 aside for the kabob) on the other. Twist a pipe cleaner around the middle of the sandwich baggie, separating the cherry tomatoes and the strawberries. Feed another pipe cleaner through the top of the first pipe cleaner until there is an equal amount on each side. Twist it into the shape of antennas, and pull the baggie until it is a moth shape. MACY Fruit Kabob Ingredients: 1 wooden skewer, apple or cantaloupe, watermelon, 2 grapes, 2 strawberries. How to make: Cut the letters of your child’s name out of an apple (cantaloupe is another option that will work). Squeeze lemon juice on the apple so it doesn’t brown. Cut the watermelon into bite-size pieces and cut the tops off the strawberries. Place one grape, then one watermelon, then one strawberry, then the letters of the name in reverse order, then the other strawberry, then the other watermelon, then the other grape. Monster Sandwich Ingredients: 2 slices whole wheat bread, 2 slices sharp cheddar cheese, 2 slices turkey, 2 cherry tomatoes. How to make: Cut the bread into circles. Cut triangles out of the edges of the cheese to make teeth. Place on the top piece of bread and try to stagger the teeth (see picture). Cut turkey slices in half. Lay three of the pieces on the bottom piece of bread. Curl up the fourth piece to make a tongue and place it in the middle, NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
Veggie and Cheese Wrap Troll Ingredients: ½ whole wheat tortilla, 1 slice sharp cheddar cheese, 2 medium carrots sliced, 2 lettuce leafs, 1 cherry tomato, 1 snap pea (use hummus as glue). How to make: On the tortilla, place one slice of cheese, the lettuce, and carrots. Add other veggies as desired and roll up. Use hummus to stick a snap pea on the front of the wrap as a mouth. Cut a cherry tomato in half and use toothpicks to stick them on as eyes and to keep the sandwich closed. Strawberry Banana Sushi Roll Ingredients: 1 whole wheat tortilla, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, ½ cup banana, 2 large strawberries, granola How to make: Spread the peanut butter on the tortilla. Cut the banana in half. Sprinkle a small amount of granola in the middle of the banana. Lay the banana along one edge of the tortilla and roll it up. Cut into five or six sushi pieces. Cut strawberries into thirds. Stick one strawberry section into the middle of each roll. Sprinkle granola along the top. Soccer Goal How to make: Unstring one mozzarella string cheese and lay it out in the shape of a soccer goal net. Make a soccer ball out of paper to send a fun note along in your child’s lunch. neafamily.com
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Get this book before the grandchildren arrive It’s the best activity planning guide ever, & you’ll amaze them with your coolness! Available at bookstores, children’s stores, and gift shops. Or visit mostlykidsguides.com. NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
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Dalton Discovery Center Live Animal Programs Sapapkie Wildlife Exhibit Hall Little Explorer Play Zone von Arx Wildlife Hospital Viewing Pavilion Electric Boat Tours Kayak Rentals & Guided Tours Wildlife Hospital Nursery Viewing Nature Store
Visit the Nature Center for free all year with your Annual Conservancy Membership. 48
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NEAPOLITANfamily • August 2017
1495 Smith Preserve Way I Naples, FL 34102 I 239.262.0304 I www.conservancy.org