January 2013 Our Kids Magazine

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Family Finances

What You Should Know

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Pre-K 4 SA Shaping Lives

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WARNING SIGNS: If your child can not do the following activities consult your pediatrician for a referral to PT or OT. • Cannot throw a ball overhand • Cannot ride a tricycle • Cannot grasp a crayon between thumb and fingers • Still clings or cries whenever his parents leave him • Ignores other children

• Cannot jump in place • Cannot stack four blocks • Has difficulty scribbling • Shows no interest in interactive games

If your child shows a lack of any of these milestones, please talk with your child’s pediatrician to determine if a speech and language evaluation is needed. More information on developmental milestones can be found on our website.

Speech, Occupational and Physical Therapy Home Health and Clinic Settings

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contents january 2013

volume 30 • number 1

37

departments 6 On the Web January Contest

8 Publisher’s Note New Year, New Our Kids

28 Featurette Cooking Up Fun

30 b.a.b.y.

Keeping Baby Fit, Happy and Healthy

32 Health Sense Four Myths about the Flu

43 Your Kids in Our Kids New Years

calendar

features 11 Family Finances

34 Highlight

37 Family Theater

Ignoring your money, even if you have a spouse who handles the family finances, is not a good idea. Financial experts say there are five things you need to know about your money.

16

advertising

Pre-K 4 SA Shaping Lives The Pe-K SA initiative passed by San Antonio voters in November has the potential of shaping the lives of thousands of children over an eight-year period.

on the cover 8 New Year, New Baby, New Our Kids 11 Family Finances 16 Pre-K 4 SA Jenn Brookover Photography www.jennbrookover.com

4

38 Ongoing Exhibits

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

16 Education

coming next month!

• Child Abuse

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12 & 19 AGES 3-8

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January 2013 | OurKidMagazine.com

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on the web

Magazine

OurKidsMagazine.com Your Go-To Source for Parenting Information on the Web January Contests

on Win theDVDs web

Win Nickelodeon’s “Big Box of Playdates 2” a 3-DVD set featuring Dora, Diego, Kai-lan, Blue, the Wonder Pets and the Yo Gabba Gabba gang. DVD set valued at $15.

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P.O. Box 1809 Castroville, TX 78009 210-305-4181 Visit us online at OurKidsMagazine.com

Magazine

Publisher Pat Ramotowski EDITORIAL Editor: Cynthia Ladson Copy Editor: Emilie Jordan-Michael Proofreader: April Newell PHOTOGRAPHER: Kelley Ramotowski

Spotlight Explaining Tragedies to Your Kids

ADVERTISING SALES Account Executives: Mary Anne Jones Pat Ramotowski

The deadly school shooting in Newtown, Conn. left many PRODUCTION parents unsure about how to Graphic/Web Designer: Rudy Riojas address the tragedy with their children.

DISTRIBUTION A post on the Our Kids Distribution Manager: Tony Smith Facebook page asking parents and other caregivers whether they planned to talk to their OUR KIDS MAGAZINE LLC is a locally owned magazine published monthly. Advertisements in this magazine kids about the incident, and are paid for by the advertisers, which allows this magazine to be free to the consumer. Limit of one if so, what they plan to say, free copy per reader. Call 210-687-5437 to request additional copies. Unless specifically noted, no Win KaiJudo: Rise of the netted mixed responses. Some advertisers, products or services are endorsed by the publisher. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Duel Masters’ two 40-card decks parents and caregivers did the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to featuring Tatsurion vs.

Razorkinder advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination not plan to talk about the Win 22 adult adult one-day one-day Win because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial premium cards, two code cards, two incident, citing the ages of their status, or national origin or intention to make any passes to to SeaWorld SeaWorld San San passes such preference, limitation, or discrimination. We will playmats and a the quick-start guide. children, while others felt the not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate Antonio and enjoy Most kids kids don’t don’t come come with big Most big which iswith in violation of the law. All persons are hereby Giveaway also includes the Bull need to talk to their kids, but that all dwellings advertising are available theme park’s Christmas Christmas spending allowancesinformed for holiday gifts. theme park’s on an equal opportunity basis. OUR KIDS MAGAZINE Rush competitive deck 6, with two weren’t sure what to say. Go to celebration from now-Jan. now-Jan. But they they love love to to give giveLLC copyright 2013. All rights reserved. Reproduction in celebration from 6, But whole or part without written permission is prohibited. premium cards, plusat one booster and to 2013.

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Together the two be safely safely played on an an iPad screen. screen. be on iPad ■■Subscribe to our Weekly Update games valued at $22.50. Entry Paired withare free downloadable app, itit lets lets your yourNewsletter kids Paired with aa free downloadable app, kids PLUS: PLUS: Jan. 28,®®® 2013. takedeadline their HotisWheels cars onto a “secret test track” ■ An An easy-to-use easy-to-use Digital Digital Edition Edition of of this this ■ where they they can can race race their their cars cars around around the the world world for for where month’s issue issue month’s endless fun, fun, bringing bringing their their imagination imagination to to life. life. Ten Ten endless ■ Calendar Calendar of of Family Family Events Events ■ lucky readers readers will will be be chosen chosen to to win. win. Prize Prize value: value: $9.99 $9.99 lucky ■ Family-Friendly Family-Friendly Business Business Directory Directory ■ each. To enter, visit www.NAPPAAwards.com. Contest ■ Subscribe Subscribe to to our our Weekly Weekly Update Update Newsletter Newsletter ■ ends Dec. Dec. 20, 20, 2012.

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publisher’s note

Happy New Year and Happy New Owners for Our Kids!

I

t is with much excitement that all of us at Our Kids Magazine greet the year 2013.

My return to Our Kids after an eight-month absence is especially sweet since I return as Publisher/Owner, free to grow this magazine in directions that benefit San Antonio area families and businesses. I bring with me, 35 years of experience in newspaper and magazine management – 17 years with Our Kids.

Rudy Riojas returns to Our Kids as an investing partner after a one-year absence.

Rudy will handle Internet, website and print production. His experience and knowledge of Internet technology and social media will keep us ahead in the digital world. Watch us grow online under Rudy’s direction.

Our Editor, Cynthia Ladson, will continue to plan, write, manage freelance, conduct contests, and much more both online and in print. Cynthia came to Our Kids five years ago from the San Antonio Express-News where she was Niche Publications Editor.

Kelley Ramotowski has provided photos for some of Our Kids best covers in years past. Her expertise in photographing kids in action makes her a perfect fit for us. She will be responsible for working with other artists as well to provide photo art. Kelley is a participating investor in Our Kids.

Mary Anne Jones (still known to some of you as Mary Anne Moffett) has been with Our Kids for 14 years. As our lead Account Executive, Mary Anne, works with clients to create an advertising plan using print and Internet to promote their services and products to San Antonio families.

Pat Ramotowski Tony Smith, TASPAS Delivery, will manage magazine distribution. Tony is Publisher not just our Distribution Manager – he is an Ambassador for Our Kids Magazine.

He manages delivery to nearly 700 locations each issue. Tony is also an investor in the magazine.

We have a lot to be excited about, a lot to be thankful for, and a lot to look forward to as we strive to give our readers and advertisers a locally owned and produced family resource. Please continue to work with us as we change, adjust and grow. We can’t do it without you – our readers and advertisers.

Happy New Year!

Pat Ramotowski

8

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

Mary Anne Jones Sales

Cynthia Ladson Editor

Kelley Ramotowski Photographer

Rudy Riojas

Graphic/Web Designer

Tony Smith

Distribution Manager January 2013 | OurKidMagazine.com

9

family f.y.i.

“Preventing Tragedy: We Must Address Mental Health Issues” As hard as it is, the only way for me to sort through what happened in Newtown, Connecticut is to put myself in the middle of the tragedy.

Because I am a parent, I imagine I am the perpetrator’s mother, who looks at her son in the instant before he shoots her. I die before I can even think.

I am a teacher, and I shudder at what those charged with caring for those children thought in their last minutes.

I am a child in one of those first grade classrooms. Perhaps I have a fleeting blip of time to fear this man. Maybe I am the first to die, or maybe I am one of the other 19 children. In this case, I think, “Will he shoot me? Can I run away? He hurt my friend! Will someone save me?”

Now, I am a parent who hears my child has died. I feel blinding pain, hopelessness, anger, among so many other emotions — all of them searing. I think, “My child is gone forever? I sent my child to school, and he never came back.

How can that be? How can I keep breathing? Please tell me this is not real.”

By the grace of God, I am none of these participants. Yet, I am still a parent, a teacher, an American, a human being. And I feel so many things.

As I write this, the news is still horrifyingly fresh. There are so many unanswered questions. Some things, we will never know. What could have been in the head of a young man, barely out of his teens, that would prompt him to slay 20 innocent children and six adult staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary?

Even though we may never understand, I feel motivated, more than I ever have been, to work to prevent this kind of tragedy from ever happening again. I fiercely believe this requires long-term thinking, and I worry too many people lack the patience and dedication to commit to that. Already, we are caught up in debates over whether better gun control will stop madmen from doing what they want to do. While I believe we have to improve background checks before selling guns to anyone, I want to focus on something we can all agree on.

We have to care more about the wellbeing of people than we do now. We may never be able to stop a madman hellbent on destruction, but we can try much, much harder. More than that, we have to turn the discussion around so that we are not just acting to prevent tragedy but working to promote goodness.

I know that to some, this may sound Pollyanna. I know I am flirting with idealism and optimism. So be it. What good is constantly reacting defensively about the way the world works? Let’s go on the offensive to crush the kind of disconnection that makes outcasts of the mentally ill and socially misfit. We do woefully little to help those we cannot understand and then we cry and shout when they hurt us.

10

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

As adults, we have a duty to fashion a world that’s safer and healthier for our children. We must make things better.

Among the strategies are making mental health check-ups as normal as physical check-ups. They need to be affordable and not stigmatized. As a society, we are so averse to having anyone question whether we’re equipped to handle the ups and downs of life. We’re still supposed to fight through it without well-trained health professionals, and that’s not working — especially in an age where the resources exist but are not nearly as accessible or socially accepted as they should be.

Then, there are even more painstaking tasks we, as parents, have to tackle with firm commitment.

On a regular basis, we need to talk with our kids about their friends. We need to teach them how to be fair and caring. We must work with them on the nuances of resolving conflicts and understanding each other’s feelings. We must help our sons and daughters recognize and reach out to those who seem alone, and educate them about physical and mental differences that make people unique but no less worthy of our attention. In these ways, we might help our kids at the ground level to improve society’s connectedness.

We need to speak with the parents of our kids’ friends and classmates about their children. We should take notice when they are in need of support. We often get so wrapped up with our own needs, we fail to reach out the way our parents or grandparents did when society seemed smaller and more manageable. We have to create a village-like atmosphere where we help each other so that no parent or child feels outside the circle. If we encounter parents or children that resist social connection, then we should seek counsel or assistance to ascertain what might be causing it and do something to assist them.

We must rely on each other and on the professionals who can make our lives better, and be willing to seek help.

Children come with a wide range of emotional and physical challenges. What matters is that we be proactive. This may result in our children needing therapy or medication — or even in us needing those things ourselves. If we make the effort to get help and act in our children’s best interest, we will not only be aiding them and ourselves, but the society around us.

It could take years, even decades for these strategies to take effect. But I have to believe that if we work together, we can create a better world for our children. The alternative is just too horrible.

– Gregory Keer © 2013 Gregory Keer. All rights reserved.

Gregory Keer is an award-winning columnist, teacher, and publisher of a fatherhood website, www.familymanonline.com.

feature/family finances

5 Things You Need to Know About Your Money Especially if you aren’t the one handling family finances

O

nce there was a doctor who married a lawyer.

They had a wonderful life together, traveling the world, living in a lovely home, driving beautiful cars.

They made money (lots), they spent money (also lots), but they didn’t talk about money.

Then one day the lawyer was diagnosed with cancer. In a year, he was dead, and his wife discovered that she owed millions of dollars in bills and was about to lose her home.

This, says Candace Bahr, the real-life financial adviser who tried to help this real-life woman, is why when it comes to money “both of you need to be involved.”

Bahr is co-founder of the Women’s Institute for

Financial Education (WIFE), a national organization devoted to helping women learn about money matters. Maintaining healthy finances, she says, is much like maintaining a healthy weight. We have a pretty good idea what we need to do, but we’d rather not face it. Many couples designate financial duties to one spouse or partner, and then generally don’t think about money management much.

Ignoring your money, however, even if you have a spouse who handles the family finances, is not a good idea. “Bad things can happen to you that you don’t know about,” says Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine and a nationally recognized finance expert. You could discover that January 2013 | OurKidsMagazine.com

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your spouse hasn’t purchased life insurance, hasn’t been paying the bills, or botched your investment strategy.

“Your spouse might not be as knowledgeable about money as you think,” Bodnar says.

The only way to really know what’s going on with your money is to find out the following:

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1. How much do you have, and how much do you owe?

Bahr and Bodnar advocate sitting down with your partner to review your financial situation at least once a year. Bahr equates it with getting on the scale at the beginning of a weight-loss effort. And since it’s time to begin rounding up information for filing your income taxes, this is the perfect time to do it. As you gather up bank statements and investment documents, stop and read them.

Your goal is to add up all of your assets, including savings, investments, insurance policies and the value of your home and cars.

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Next, add up the outstanding balance on your mortgage, car loans, credit cards and any other debts you might be carrying. This is something Bodnar says you should keep tabs on by reviewing your bank and credit-card statements every month – even if you aren’t the one paying the bills.

Bodnar also advises getting a copy of your credit report (and your spouse’s) at www.annualcreditreport. com. This official website created by the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies entitles you to one free report every year from each of them. Beware other credit reporting sites, which are set up to try to sell you financial services, Bodnar says.

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theMcNay Branching Out Family Activity Sunday, January 27 1:00 & 3:00 pm

See the exhibition Printed in San Antonio and work with exhibition artist Nate Cassie to create prints that explore natural patterns and abstraction. Space is limited. Free with museum admission.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. McNay members reserve space by calling 210.805.1768 by noon Friday before the activity. Nonmembers, pick up remaining free passes the day of the activity.

McNay Art Museum 210.805.1768 6000 North New Braunfels San Antonio, Texas 78209 mcnayart.org

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Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

Image: Nate Cassie, Sheet from Suite of Trees, 2011. Aquatint. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Gift of Sarah Harte and John Gutzler and Brad Parman and Tim Seeliger.

2. How much is coming in and going out?

Now move on to examine your income and expenses.

Along with all of your other tax information, in January you should receive W-2 forms showing the wages you brought in last year. Do a little math, or just pull current pay stubs, to add up your monthly income. Include income from investments, and any other money you have coming in, so that you have a grand total of what you bring in each month.

Next, look at how much you are spending.

Review the last six months of transactions from your checking account, says Certified Financial Planner Barry Mendelson, member of the Financial Planning Association, a national industry alliance. Look at how much you take out each month, and where the money went.

If you’re paying credit-card bills or other debt, make sure that what you pay each month is greater than what you’re being charged in interest. This way, at least some

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of your payment is being put toward paying down your actual debt (the principal).

3. What are your financial goals, and how will you reach them?

Once you’ve figured out what funds you have available, think about what you’d like to do with them.

Bodnar suggests that couples talk about this on a regular basis, to make sure one of you isn’t tucking away cash for a new computer while the other dreams of a special vacation.

If you’ve answered questions 1 and 2, you can create what Mendelson calls a Personal Financial Statement.

“Companies do this, financial planners do it for their clients, and families can easily do it as well,” he says.

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Here’s how: ■■First, list your assets and subtract what you owe to

calculate your Net Worth.

■■Then, list your income (after taxes) and subtract your

expenses to create your Income Statement. This will show you how much you have to invest in your goals.

Do you have savings? You should. Ideally, experts say we should all be saving 10 to 15 percent of our income – and that’s for retirement alone. “If you aren’t there, start where you are and try and build,” advises Bahr.

For shorter-term goals, Bodnar suggests getting your bank to make an automatic transfer from checking to savings each time your paycheck is deposited, so that you never see the cash. You’ll adjust to the slightly smaller paycheck, and you’ll feel better about spending

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13

the money you have available because you know that your savings is being taken care of.

Can’t find the cash to put into savings? Go over that checking statement again. “I bet you’ll find a couple hundred dollars of expenditures each month that, in hindsight, didn’t provide you the value or happiness you thought they would when you made them,” says Mendelson. “If you can cut a few of those out each month, save or invest the difference, then you’re on your way to achieving your financial goals.”

4. What is your plan for retirement?

Experts say the best way to get started on the longest of the long-term savings goals is to sign up for the 401(k) plan at work.

These plans allow you to divert a percentage of each paycheck, before taxes, into a separate investment account, where it’s held tax-free until you retire. Many employers will match your contribution dollar-for-dollar up to a certain amount, so make sure you are contributing enough to take full advantage.

“That’s free money,” says Bodnar. And you can count the matching funds toward your savings goal.

If you’re in for 4 percent and your employer matches your contribution, you have most of your 10 percent savings goal for retirement covered.

It’s also important to find out what retirement plans your spouse is contributing to, and how much is going in.

If you are a stay-at-home mom, Bodnar says you should still be saving for your own retirement, and you can do this with the help of a Spousal IRA. IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) are private accounts similar to a 401(k). They allow workers to set aside a portion of their income, tax-free, to be held until retirement. Working spouses can also contribute to Spousal IRAs on behalf of their stay-at-home partners.

5. Do you need to talk to a professional?

You can probably tackle questions 1 through 4, and most other financial issues, by yourself – or with help from the spouse who has been handling the family finances. “Ninety-five percent of the things you need to know and do, you can do yourself,” insists 14

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

Bahr. There are some circumstances, however, where you might need to bring in a pro: ■■If you have a major life change – The news could be

bad, like a divorce or the death of a spouse, or good, like the birth of a child or a promotion and raise in salary.

■■If you receive a large lump sum of money – Whether it’s an inheritance, lottery winnings or some other windfall, make sure you make the most of it.

■■If you have an investment portfolio to manage – Investing can get complicated, which is why there are so many financial professionals out there.

■■If you just need someone to help you get started in the right direction.

You’ll want a certified financial planner who charges by the hour for services. A good way to find one, says Mendelson, is to ask for referrals from people with financial resources and values that are similar to your own. There are organizations out there that can also help you choose (see “Resources” box).

Having a professional involved, however, doesn’t mean that you don’t need to understand your finances and be involved yourself. “If you had a nanny in the house, don’t you think you’d be checking on your nanny to make sure she was taking good care of your children?” asks Bahr. The same is true for the person taking care of your money.

What to Do Now By this point, you might have made yourself quite a list. Don’t panic. Our financial friends generally agree that the best thing to do is to begin with the thing that bothers you the most. “What is it that really bugs you?” asks Bodnar. “What is keeping you up at night?”

Talk to your spouse or partner. Then delve into that one thing and devote yourself to getting it fixed.

“Stay focused on that one item and follow through with it until completion,” urges Mendelson. After you’ve created your Personal Financial Statement or paid off a credit card, for instance, you can move on to refinancing your home or setting up your 401(k) contribution. “Dive into that until you’ve consumed all the information you can and acted on it,” Mendelson says.

The point here isn’t necessarily to take over the family finances, but to be informed about and responsible for your own financial future. Just take things one step at a time, and you’ll find yourself more comfortable with and confident about handling money.

“Once you start using money in the appropriate way,” says Bahr, “it’s so empowering.”

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Resources ■■Financial Planners Association – www.fpanet. org – This organization’s website offers consumers financial tips, articles on topics like retirement planning and an option to search for a planner by ZIP code or other criteria.

■■Kiplinger’s Personal Finance – www.kiplinger. com – This magazine comes out monthly, and the website is a treasure trove of information about real money issues facing real people.

Editor Janet Bodnar especially recommends searching for the “Online Budgets For Everyone” article in the magazine’s October 2012 issue.

■■ Women’s Institute for Financial Education (WIFE) – www.WIFE.org – This resource is targeted directly at women. It features 21-day email “makeovers” with tips to address savings or paying down debt; articles on a range of topics; and kits to facilitate Money Clubs (think book clubs about cash) to help you and your friends gather and learn about your finances.

January 2013 | OurKidsMagazine.com

15

Education

Pre-K 4 SA Expected to Make Positive Impact on Education

By Yvonne Vasquez

T

he rolls of some 15 San Antonio school districts may see an increase of 4 year olds come fall of 2013. The increase is the result of voters approving the pre-kindergarten (Pre-K 4 SA) initiative in the November election. The initiative, which was proposed by Mayor Julian Castro, has the potential to shape the educational experiences of thousands of children over an eight-year period.

According to the information guide for Pre-K SA, the primary goal of the initiative is “to improve the quality and quantity of pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) childhood education for 4 year olds citywide.

Specific details on just how the plan will be implemented are still being discussed with

16

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

each school district. “It is expected that the first agreements with the districts will be ready for review this month or in February, says Rebecca Flores, Education Policy and Services administrator for the city of San Antonio.

During the first year, beginning infall 2013, 700 children will be enrolled in Model Education Excellence Centers, operated by each district. It is expected that when the program is fully implemented at the end of eight years, about 3,700 children will be affected. Supporters are quick to point out that the new initiative not only helps the children, but also educators who benefit from training. Professional development will be made available to area teachers,

teachers’ aides, community Pre-kinder providers and education leaders.

MODEL EDUCATION EXCELLENCE CENTERS In August 2013, two Model Education Excellence Centers, also referred to as Model Centers, will be fully operational. Initially, full-day pre-kindergarten will be held at North Center, 3635 Medical Drive (former Southwest Airlines Call Center); and South Center: 2535 S.E. Military Drive (across the street from Brooks in City Base West). Two additional centers will open by the third year of the initiative.

Classes will include two teaching professionals – one teacher and one teacher’s aide per 20 students – a lower ratio than that of most current pre-K classes in the city. Extended-daycare service will be provided at the centers to assist working parents.

“Participating school districts will administer objective and unbiased lottery systems to determine enrollment for the centers,” explains Flores.

In comparison to kindergarten students who Model Education Excellence Centers, the program is

expected to reduce existing achievement gaps by at least 25 percent in language, 33 percent in math and 90 percent in literacy. Initiative supporters think the students’ State Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading and math assessments scores will see a 10 percent improvement by third grade.

Additionally, initiative supporters anticipate that special education placement and grade retention should see a 20 percent to 40 percent reduction.

CURRICULUM The Pre-K 4 SA curriculum will be aligned with the current Texas Education Agency, TEA, and pre-kinder guidelines. Specific areas to be covered include reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies,and fine arts. Social and emotional development, language and communication, and personal health and safety development will also be included in daily teaching methods.

The Pre-K 4 SA Information Guide outlines a plan that will incorporate an “enriched expansion” of this curriculum, utilizing a comprehensive approach

Choose an education that is right for your child!

Holy Spirit Catholic School’s Administration, Faculty, Staff & Community are dedicated to providing excellence in education centered on the teachings of the Catholic faith.

Holy Spirit Catholic School encourages students to develop leadership skills and a commitment to service.

Using the teachings of the Catholic Church as our foundation, Holy Spirit Catholic School embraces the call to instill a moral compass in their students intended to last a life time.

2013-2014 Applications will be available on

January 22, 2013

For a personal tour please contact Mrs. Lisa Rosenfeld, Admissions Coordinator, at 210 -349-1169 ext. 316 or via email at lisa.rosenfeld@hscssa.org January 2013 | OurKidsMagazine.com

17

that includes improved teaching methods, quality teachers, increased academic hours and strong support services for families.

PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY Program services are free for qualifying families based on the following Texas Pre-K eligibility criteria: ■■ Families at or below 185 percent of federal poverty level ■■ English as a Second Language Student ■■ Child of active duty member of U.S. Armed Forces ■■ Child of injured or deceased member of U.S. Armed Forces ■■ Homeless families ■■ Student currently or previously in foster care Ten percent of enrollment in Model Centers will be available at cost to families whose income is above the 185 percent federal poverty level. The specific details are being finalized, adds Flores.

TRANSPORTATION Although details are not yet finalized, officials are

18

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

in the process of developing a transportation plan that ensures a fair way to attend a model center for pre-kindergarten services. The City of San Antonio Early Childhood Education Municipal Development Corporation, created by the City of San Antonio, has resolved to offer a cost-neutral method of transportation for all participating students.

“We won’t have the specifics developed until we know what districts are participating and where the kids reside,” explains Flores.

Transportation zones throughout the city will be designated similar to the plans used by school districts’ magnet school transport systems. Students will have a designated location. Either a parent/ guardian or the student’s home district will be responsible for transportation to the specified site.

Aides will be on hand at each designated location and on each bus route to ensure the safety of students.

The corporation will work with participating school districts or other governmental entities to provide transportation to the centers.

Special education students will have round-trip

“We teach kids how to learn, not just what to learn.”

A Montessori School for Ages 2 to 14.

210.737.6363 www.mvmtx.com

January 2013 | OurKidsMagazine.com

19

St. Monica Catholic School

Now Enrolling for the 2013/2014 School Year Pre-School thru 8th Grade

OUSE OPEN H 13 0 1-3pm 2 , 9 y ar Febru Principal Mrs. JoAnn Wood has been recognized by the Archdiocese of San Antonio as a 2012 Outstanding Leader in Catholic Education

• T.C.C.E.D. Accredited • Academic excellence • Leader in technology education • Middle school athletic program • Before and after school care • Full day kindergarten classes 515 North St. Converse, TX 78109

210-658-6701

www.saintmonica.net St. Monica School admits students of any race, religion and national or ethnic origin.

transportation between their primary residence and their assigned center.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Teachers will have the chance to enhance their teaching skills through professional workshops and summer in-service training. They will also have the opportunity to shadow master teachers in model center classrooms during the school year.

As the initiative progresses, these enhanced opportunities are expected to have a ripple effect among teachers and educators throughout the city in various ways. These programming opportunities are intended to improve the components of Pre-kinder education throughout the city. But just as importantly, they will also serve to maintain the expected gains the children will achieve by providing educational tools, which can be shared by teachers and educators from Pre-kinder through third grade, according to says Flores.

SPECIAL SERVICES Parents and community-care providers can take advantage of special workshops that will provide training and advice on positive ways to help children in their care. In addition, parental engagement within the 20

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

City Center Health Careers A College Preparatory Public School

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Enrolling for 2012-2013 School Year Grades 6-12 • Emphasis on Science and Math skills development • College Readiness and

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21

program will be strongly supported through fatherhood initiatives as well as parent leadership and education classes.

Pre-K 4 SA will also include family support services that will address issues children may need help with, such as vision correction, dental work, mental health services and transportation.

In the program’s third year, early childhood providers will have the opportunity to apply for competitive grants. Eligible providers include schools, private schools and private providers. These grants will allow more providers to take part in the Pre-K 4 in SA initiative.

Parents of children who will be entering pre-kinder in the fall should contact their respective districts with any questions or concerns beginning in mid-January 2013.

Information will also be available on the city’s website, www.sanantonio.gov/prek.

“All of us are very excited about this opportunity. We know that other parts of the country are watching us as a model for Pre-K,” says Flores. “Many teachers and parents are also looking forward to making this program a success.”

Yvonne Vasquez is a San Antonio-based freelance writer and mother of one.

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Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

Advocating for Minds that Learn Differently

The mission of The Winston School San Antonio is to provide a personalized, college preparatory education to students with high potential and identified learning differences.

Grades K-12 • College Counseling • Small class size Dual credit classes • Specialized reading programs • Athletics Study skills curriculum • Community service emphasis

ST. ANTHONY CATHOLIC SCHOOL ST. ANTHONY SCHOOL Invites you to CATHOLIC visit our campus!

Invites OPEN you to visit our campus!

HOUSE SundayOPEN January, 27 2012 HOUSE 1:00PM 3:00PM 1:00 PM Sunday, January 27,2013 Join us to learn more about Academics Grades PK3—8th Athletics Low Student/Teacher Ratio After School Care

Opening a new state of the art building for middle school 2013-2014 Tuition costs include for the Katherine Ryan Program (PK3, PK4, and Kindergartners) breakfast, lunch and snack along with school supplies Member of the UIW Brainpower Connection

Now Enrolling K3 -8th grade for 2013 -2014 Please call Registrar Mary Martinez at 210-732-8801 ext 120 for information www.stanthonysa.org www.stanthonysa.org 205 W. Huisache Avenue San Antonio, TX 78212 205 W. Huisache Avenue, San Antonio, TX 210-735-0713

Accepting applications for 2012-2013

Located in historical Monte Vista since 1907

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Just ask a mom. “themselves on a day-to-day basis. And it speaks to the character development that the curriculum encourages, which is respect

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and friendship, and caring and giving.

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Primrose School of Huebner Village www.PrimroseHuebnerVillage.com

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Educational Child Care for Infants through Private Kindergarten and After School

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Each Primrose School is a privately owned and operated franchise. Primrose, Primrose Schools, and The Leader in Educational Child Care are trademarks of Primrose School Franchising Company. ©2012 Primrose School Franchising Company. All rights reserved.

January 2013 | OurKidsMagazine.com

23

Charter Schools

EST. 1963

• 18 Months – Kindergarten • Afterschool Care 1st through 5th grades • Summer Camp 5 through 10 year olds • Located on six wooded acres with pool

(210) 696-0213 www.suburbanschool.com Babcock and Huebner area

Brooks Academy An Integrated K-12 Instructional Program

Now Enrolling for 2012-13 • Emphasis on Science and Math Skills Development • Limited Enrollment • Participate in UIL academic and athletic activities • College Readiness Program

Apply online at www.brooksacademy.org or Call 210-633-9006 24

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

City Center Health Careers 210-388-0288 214 E. Ashby, San Antonio, TX www.citycenterhc.org info@citycenterhc.org City Center Health Careers is a tuition free college prep middle/high school. CCHC incorporates a rigorous curriculum with hands on experiences and field trips. Curriculum includes AP courses, GT differentiation, LATIN, and more.

Positive Solutions High School 210-299-1025 1325 North Flores, San Antonio, TX www.PositiveSolutionsInc.net For a positive learning experience enroll at Positive Solutions High School. We offer general education development, individualized educational plans with individualized instruction.

The Brooks Academy of Science & Engineering 210-633-9006 3803 Lyster Road, www.brooksacademy.org The long term vision for Brooks Academy of Science and Engineering is to build and develop a school for students who aspire to achieve above and beyond what they would otherwise be capable of in a traditional public school environment.

The Henry Ford Academy 210-226-4031 439 Arbor Place, San Antonio www.asad.hfli.org Henry Ford Academy: Alameda School Art + Design (HFA: ASAD) is committed to preparing every student academically for college success. Our learning community instills professional expectations, embraces community connections, and values art, design, and creativity as essential to our high school’s college-bound culture.

Pre-Schools

our ●Waterpark ●Adventure Jungle Indoor Playground ●Putt-Putt Golf Course ●Gymnasium ●1950’s-Style Soda Shop ●Movie Theater ●Computer Lab ●Horseback Riding at Country Home Ranch.

Goddard School 210-494-2779 21785 Hardy Oak Blvd., www.goddardschool.com At The Goddard School professional teachers support the healthy development of children 6 weeks to 5 years and encourage each child’s lifelong love of learning.

King of Kings Lutheran Early Childhood Development Center 210-656-6509 13888 Dreamwood, www.sakingofkings.com King of Kings ECDC has been established as a development center for the purpose of creating favorable conditions for preschoolaged children; where children’s social development is as important as their readiness for intellectual accomplishment and children can challenge new activities. Children can discover, use and develop their abilities and caring for children is an important part of the meaningful relationship.

Primrose School at Sonoma Ranch 210-372-1488 14875 Kyle Seale Pkwy., www.myprimroseschool.com/ sonomaranch Primrose School of Huebner Village 210-479-9200 2410 Huebner Park, www.myprimroseschool.com/ huebnervillage Primrose School of Cibolo Canyons 210-479-7099 3330 TPC Parkway www.myprimroseschool.com/ cibolocanyons Providing quality Early Childhood Education, including an accredited Kindergarten program for parents seeking intimate private kinder options for 5’s and old 4’s. Proprietary Balanced Learning® curriculum promotes academic, social and personal growth.

Brighter Futures Learning Center 210-566-1999 1213 Borgfeld Rd., Schertz www.brighterfutureslc.com brighterfutureslc@yahoo.com We strive to meet the needs of all St. Andrew’s United Methodist children. Children are encouraged Church Weekday School & Great to explore their environment and Beginnings think creatively. Teachers guide 210-824-8737 and enhance this process through 722 Robinhood Place materials and activities. Come out & Ages 8 weeks - Kindergarten, 7:30 take a tour of our beautiful facility. a.m. - 5:30 p.m. We provide quality

care and developmentally appropriate

education for children. Low ratios, Country Home Learning Center more one on one interaction of www.countryhomelearningcenter.com teachers to children. Learn through Call 210-687-1002 for location play environment.

Country Home Learning Center provides the very best in quality Silicon Drive Family Center childcare for ages 6 weeks to 13 210-477-4490 years, with exceptionally small 12621 Silicon Drive ste116 classes. We offer an innovative, www.sdfc.biz comprehensive educational program Silicon Drive Family Center has been a in a first-class facility. Students enjoy high quality early childhood program

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Country Home Learning Center An Exceptional Child Care Program

Full and Part-time Programs for Infants and Children up to age 13 • Professionally Designed Accredited Preschool Curriculum • Country Home Waterpark and Splashdeck • Adventure Jungle Indoor Playground • Large Gymnasium and Basketball Court • Putt-Putt Golf Course • Arts and Crafts Lab • 1950’s Style Soda Shop • Computer Lab • Country Home Movie Theater • Horseback Riding and Petting Zoo at Adventure Quest

8 San Antonio Locations to Serve You • Now Enrolling Fully Accredited by AdvancED, a worldwide organization "Advancing Excellence in Education"

210-687-1002 www.countryhomelearningcenter.com January 2013 | OurKidsMagazine.com

25

since 2001. NAEYC accredited.

Teaching infants through age 5.

The Acorn – A School for Young Children 210-826-8894 3501 Broadway, San Antonio acornschool@satx.rr.com The Acorn is a private, nonprofit corporation with 501 © (3) charitable status, offering preschool and Kindergarten programs. The Acorn provides a warm, nurturing environment for its students. Our shaded playground offers a safe place for children to run, climb, swing, ride wheel toys, garden, play in our vast sand area, and make may science and nature discoveries.

Children learn through play, and in our well-planned environment each child has the opportunity to do just that! Happy sounds abound as they interact, create and explore.

The Mustard Seed Early Learning Center 210-688-7003 11555 Galm Road www.mustardseedelc.com Our mission is to provide a learning community in which each child is growing in all areas of development – social, emotional, physical, cognitive and language.

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

Montessori Schoolhouse 210-341-0731 10711 Dreamland Dr. www.mymontessorischoolhouse.com We offer a stimulating environment in traditional Montessori curriculum with music, Spanish and motor skills programs. Before and after school care available. Accepting ages 18 months to 9 years.

Monte Vista Montessori School 210-737-6363 237 W. Magnolia, San Antonio www.MonteVistaMontessori.com The Monte Vista Montessori School is a traditional Montessori school founded by a team of Montessorians who together have well over a century of experience in Montessori education. It is an ungraded school that works with children from ages two to fourteen.

Suburban School – Happy Acres Camp 210-696-0213 5409 Encino Park Road, San Antonio general@suburbanschool.com www.suburbanschool.com Suburban School is a year-round School for two-year-olds through four-year-olds. An enriched preschool and kindergarten program is conducted for all children from September through May. During the summer, programming varies according to age level. Summer months are optional for five through 10-year-olds in our Happy Acres Day Camp program. Suburban School, a place where children can learn in a unique, natural setting and are encouraged to become independent, caring individuals.

Mount Sacred Heart School 210-342-6711 619 Mt. Sacred Heart Road, San Antonio www.mountsacredheart.com Mount Sacred Heart is a private, coeducational Catholic school committed to quality education.

A faith-based community fostering personal uniqueness and development of the whole person.

Private Schools

San Antonio Christian Schools 210-340-1864 19202 Redland Road, San Antonio, TX www.sachristianschools.org At SACS, we are committed to the Christian perspective of meeting the physical, intellectual, spiritual and emotional needs of your children.

Meeting these needs and being a partner with you requires dedicated, well-trained, biblically sound teachers and staff. SACS teachers have the highest professional, intellectual, spiritual and moral standards, and are committed to continuing education and professional development. The heart and quality of SACS truly resides in our personnel, and we praise God for them.

Holy Spirit Catholic School 770 West Ramsey, San Antonio, Texas (210) 349-1169 www.hscssa.org Holy Spirit Catholic School was established to provide a quality education in a caring environment.

An ongoing relationship with the parish family enriches the school and furthers the school’s endeavor to help others understand and grow in Catholic tradition. Holy Spirit Catholic School is a leader in its field and is dedicated to providing opportunities for all students to develop a spiritual, moral, and intellectual foundation which will enable them to realize their full potential for a lifetime of commitment and service.

26

Keystone School 210-735-4022 119 East Craig, San Antonio www.keystoneschool.org admissions@keystoneschool.org Accelerated curriculum. Plus art, music, dramatics, computer and science labs, library facilities, athletics, languages. Experienced teachers. Grades K - 12. Where academic excellence is a way of life.

San Antonio Academy 210-733-7331 117 East French Place, San Antonio, TX www.sa-academy.org San Antonio Academy educates PreK thru eighth grade boys to succeed in life scholastically, emotionally and physically. At The Academy, boys discover that it is awesome to be smart, loving and hardworking.

St. Anthony Catholic School 210-732-8801 205 W. Huisache Ave., San

Antonio, TX www.stanthonysa.org St. Anthony Catholic School educates a diverse student body in the Catholic faith, Christian values, and academic excellence.

Dedicated to academic excellence and spiritual formation, St. Anthony Catholic School prepares students for success in high school, college, and throughout their lives. The school provides young people with an academically rigorous and doctrinally sound program of education and faith formation designed to strengthen their union with Christ and neighbors.

St. Luke’s Episcopal School 210-826-0664 15 St. Luke’s Lane, San Antonio www.sles-sa.org With God’s guidance, St. Luke’s Episcopal School builds the foundation for academic, lifelong learning and responsible citizenship through a classical education that develops mind, body and soul.

St. Monica’s Catholic School 210-658-6701 515 North St., Converse http://www.saintmonica.net/ office@saintmonica.net At St. Monica our mission is to provide all students a challenging academic curriculum with in a program where Christian values reflecting God’s love are taught, practiced and ever present.

Sunshine Cottage 603 Hildebrand San Antonio, Texas (210) 824-0579 www.sunshinecottage.org Sunshine Cottage teaches children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to listen and talk. Programs: Newborn Hearing Evaluation Center, ParentInfant Program, Audiology, SpeechLanguage Therapy and Pre-K through fifth grade.

The Circle School 210-822-0461 217 Pershing, San Antonio, TX www.thecircleschool.org The Circle School is a non-profit 501 (3), independent preschool and elementary in a family cooperative environment. Currently we provide programs for children ages 3 to 9.

The Montessori School of San Antonio (formerly The Judson Montessori School) 210-492-3553 17722 Rogers Ranch Pkwy.

San Antonio, TX www.montessoriSA.org The Montessori School offers a personalized education to support each child’s development while fostering a lifelong love of learning.

Montessori methodology promotes persistence, concentration, and independence. The school offers a full range of academics, cocurriculars, and extra-curriculars.

Graduates of MSSA demonstrate a strong record of success at competitive high schools and top tier universities.

The Schoolhouse Initiative @ TJS 210-320-4427 3110 NW Loop 410 www.tjschoolhouse.com Our After School Program focuses on Homework Help so children do not fall behind in school. Guitar Lessons and French Classes are included in our program.

The Winston School 210-615-6544 8565 Ewing Halsell www.winston-sa.org WSSA is a private, accredited school for students (K-12) of average to above average intellectual ability who have a diagnosed learning disability in one or more academic areas or a learning difference such as ADHD.

Special Needs

Monarch Academy 479-3311 5235 David Edwards Drive, San Antonio, TX info@monarchacademy.net www.monarchacademy.net Our mission is to provide students with special needs a unique learning environment so they may reach their maximum individual potential.

San Antonio Academy ADMISSIONS OPEN HOUSE Friday, January 25, 2013 Program begins promptly at 9:00 am.

117 East French Place | San Antonio, Texas 78212 RSVP 210.733.7331 ext. 226

APPLY ONLINE sa-academy.org

BE HONEST. BE KIND.

BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE.®

The Clowvazar Academy (210) 690-4800 6391 DeZavala # 202, San Antonio, TX www.clowvazar.com Our General ‘Special’ Education program is designed for students with learning differences who can handle a general curriculum but need modifications and compassionate teachers. Ages 7+.

Sunshine Cottage (210) 824-0579 603 Hildebrand, San Antonio, Texas www.sunshinecottage.org Sunshine Cottage teaches children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to listen and talk. Programs: Newborn Hearing Evaluation Center, ParentInfant Program, Audiology, SpeechLanguage Therapy and Pre-K through fifth grade.

Language The Bilingual Child Academy 701-8461 96 Trailcrest Drive, San Antonio, TX bilingualchildsa@att.net www.bilingualchildsacademy. com “Planting Seeds of Learning ~ Creating A World of Inspiration” BCA is dedicated to providing language enrichment classes in a learner centered environment by implementing a carefully selected curriculum and creating a nurturing atmosphere where children of all ages can flourish both socially and emotionally in a global world.

January 2013 | OurKidsMagazine.com

27

feature

Cooking Up Fun

By April Lynn Newell

F

resh foods and cooking are becoming more popular, sending many families back to the kitchen. It has become more than a chore or hobby, and in some families is viewed as much-anticipated bonding time.

“I ask my kids to read the next step on a recipe, or add the sugar or baking soda,” says Elena Gonzalez, mother of two. “Just being involved together is very rewarding.”

Penne Jaster, mother of three, thinks her children benefit from helping make a meal together, “My children see that they are contributing to our family, and I think they also like that it is special one-on-one time they get with us.”

Tripp Wiggins, co-founder of Cooking Planit, and his passionate team, have developed an easy meal planner that also serves to help families have fun in the kitchen. Once a free website, Cooking Planit was recently launched as a mobile app.

“The app has been out for about three months; we’ve been working on it for about two years,” says Wiggins. “It is available on web, iPhone, iPad and will be for Android in the spring.”

When Wiggins’ daughter was born, they found she was allergic to soy and dairy products, leading the whole family to begin eating and cooking differently.

“Everything in your pantry that is in a box has a soy product in it, so we started cooking fresh,” Wiggins says. “We became very frustrated with how hard it was to plan meals because you make the entrée, but then the side dishes are usually something out of a box or a can. We spent hours and hours browsing websites and cookbooks trying to put together the meals. My wife and I thought it would be really great if there was a website that would not just give you the recipe but actually give you the whole recommended meal and also be able to sort and filter based on dietary restrictions.”

Co-founder, Jonathan Vlock, began taking 28

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

cooking classes to learn the organization and timing of each meal plan. “[ Jonathan and I] met and put our ideas together. He took cooking classes on the weekends to learn the critical path so things would be organized and you could actually cook the meal, and get everything done at the same time instead of something being burned or undercooked,” says Wiggins.

Armed with know-how, funding and a team of

developers, Wiggins and Vlock launched Cooking Planit, a flexible website and app that provides chef-recommended meals with recipes that use fresh ingredients. Modifications to dietary needs are also available with the option to swap side dishes or tailor a profile to exclude meat or dairy options.

Another unique aspect to Cooking Planit is the aggregated grocery list. Users can add meal plans to a cookbook (attached to their profile) then add ingredients to a grocery list.

“If you have five recipes in the grocery list that call for onions, you don’t see onions on the list five times, it will group everything together,” says Wiggins.

Cooking Planit will not overwhelm users with recipes, but provides specific and tested options catered to each profile’s modifications.

“The other part of our [family’s] frustration was going to websites and searching for chicken and finding 9,000 results,” says Wiggins. “I don’t know if those recipes are good. The recipes are chef written and tested. Meal combinations are available, and the process is pretty simple and fun!”

Wiggins’ family has turned potentially stressful dietary restrictions into a daily family event that brings about bonding, fun and a sense of accomplishment for their children, challenging the idea of dinner as a dreaded chore at the end of each day.

“I think that cooking in the home is a lost art,” adds Wiggins. “My generation was the fast-food generation, quick and easy, put the kids in front of

the television. In this case, with safety first, I can get my kids in the kitchen. My son can read on the screen and start learning that skill and pace and how

things cook and what they look like when they’re cooked.”

Wiggins has three children ranging from 2 to 11 years old. Once the oldest began helping, his other children wanted to help. Each child contributes by doing things at their own level, it may be chopping, pouring or watching and encouraging.

“Everybody is involved in the cooking process so it is less about trying to get dinner ready and then get the family in the room to eat together because the family is already together,” says Wiggins. “That is a nice piece of Cooking Planit, because kids can cook too.”

Cooking Planit breaks up each step of the whole meal’s recipes on different screens. So the user views one step at a time without having to keep looking back at steps and direct helpers. The steps also include the entire meal, not just one recipe at a time so each part of the meal is ready at the same time.

“It’s like GPS for the kitchen, you don’t have to constantly read and re-read the steps to see what’s next and make sure that you’re not missing things and organize it so everything is timed right. It tells you everything and breaks all the steps onto their own screen, so when somebody wants to help you can tell them what’s next on the screen,” says Wiggins.

Cooking Planit can be found online at www. cookingplanit.com. The app can be found for any Apple device at $2.99, with a free version as well as an Android version to launch soon.

April Lynn Newell is a San Antonio-based freelance writer and photographer.

January 2013 | OurKidsMagazine.com

29

b.a.b.y.

Keeping Baby Fit, Happy and Healthy

By Cynthia Ladson

Jenn Brookover Photography www.jennbrookover.com

M

oms and dads wanting to do everything in their power to have a healthy, fit and happy baby should start taking care of their bodies long before their little bundles of joy enter the world, according to one San Antonio social worker.

Kelly Bellinger, manager of Healthy Start, a San Antonio Metropolitan Health District program that focuses on reducing the mortality rate among babies, says that before mom even thinks she may get pregnant, she should take care of her body by eating properly, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and making sure that she’s getting the right nutrients, particularly 400 mg of folic acid a day to prevent birth defects.

Bellinger says dad’s health is just as important and suggests that dads should model a healthy lifestyle for their family.

So what should parents do after their baby’s birth?

“We know that parents are the best first teachers

30

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

in a child’s life. And in order to give your baby a good start we advocate reading to them,” says Bellinger, adding that parents should read to their baby, no matter what age or stage.

Other Tips There are other things parents can do. Bellinger suggests that parents: • Engage their child in interactive play • Hold their baby • Stay up to date with their child’s immunizations • Keep all doctor’s visits, and • Ensure a safe sleeping environment for their baby.

“Interactive play can be with toys parents make at home, they don’t have to be expensive. The toy can be as simple as placing items that rattle and make noise in a well-sealed plastic container,” says Bellinger.

Bellinger adds that it is importance for both

parents to hold their baby. One-on-one time where you hold your baby is very important so that critical bonding takes place.

Bellinger cautions parents about missing their regular well-baby visits to the pediatrician, that typically begins a week after the baby is born.

“These visits,” says Bellinger, “are not just for immunization purposes. During these visits doctors assess the baby’s vision, hearing, muscle tone, development and weight. It is during these visits that doctors can pick up on things that might become an issue later on down the road. Then after all immunizations are received a baby should see the pediatrician at least annually,” says Bellinger.

She also recommends that parents not take simple illnesses for granted. Illnesses should be checked out.

Safe Sleeping Last year in San Antonio there were 149 babies who died in the first year of life. Of those who were born at a healthy weight, the majority of them died due to poor sleep environment, says Bellinger.

While it might seem convenient to co-sleep with your baby, it is not safe. She stresses babies should only be put in cribs with a firm mattress and fitted sheet that is free from bumper pads, pillows and blankets to avoid suffocation. “There shouldn’t be anything in the crib with your baby.”

And despite what some older relatives might think, babies should be placed on their backs. “We now know that the safest position for sleeping babies is on their backs,” adds Bellinger.

For parents concerned about keeping their baby warm, she suggests dressing him or her in layers, while taking care not to overdress which she cautions can cause overheating.

Screening for Hearing A baby’s first hearing screening is done in the hospital after he or she is born. Parents should ask about the screening results. It is important that hearing problems be caught early, adds Bellinger.

Besides crying, Bellinger says some signs that all may not be well with your little one include if your baby is • lethargic • unresponsive • not crying or being unusually quiet • crying Parents need to learn the meaning of their baby’s different cries.

Cynthia Ladson is editor of Our Kids and the mother of one daughter.

iParent SA Program

iParent SA is a program of The Children’ s Shelter and funded in part

by Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

Be a NURTURING FAMILY The Children’s Shelter iParent SA Program is a comprehensive parenting and family strengthening program with immediate and long term outcomes to benefit parents of all ages.

Who is eligible?

Parents with children ages 0 to 17 iParent offers you: • Parenting Training (Individual or Group-Based) • Family Enrichment Activities • Case Management • Crisis Intervention • Emergency Day/ Night Respite (Temporary Relief During Stressful Times) Where and when are services provided?

Our program offers both in-home visits and group-based education.

The iParent program duration is 1-2 hours per week for 7-10 weeks.

Long-Term services are also available.

Contact: (210) 212-2576 Crisis Line: (210) 383-3239 Crisis Line is open 24/7

www.childrensshelter.org January 2013 | OurKidsMagazine.com

31

health sense

Common Flu Myths With flu season well under way, it’s a good time to explore some common myths surrounding immunization for this annual and often very serious illness.

Influenza generally runs from October through April in the United States, but peaks in January and February. Dennis Cunningham, M.D., a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, addresses what he says are long-held myths about the flu vaccine:

Myth: You can actually catch the flu from the flu vaccine.

This simply isn’t true. The vaccine can give you some mild symptoms, you may feel a bit achy for a day or two and your arm may be a little tender where you first get the shot, but this just means that your body is responding appropriately to the vaccine.

Don’t confuse a few slight symptoms with the actual flu. With true influenza, you’d be sick and in bed for a week with high fever.

MEDICAL CENTER PEDIATRICS RAYMOND RUENES, MD JOSE A CARDENAS, MD JAIME GARZA, MD 2020 Babcock Rd, Suite 19

San Antonio, Texas 78229-4440

210-614-5000 Fax 210-615-1866 www.medicalcenterpediatrics.com All patients are seen by Board Certified Pediatricians.

Same day appointments for acute illnesses & long term well health care.

On site lab & x-ray services provide real time results for diagnosis & therapy.

Seafood • Catfish • Cajun Cookin’

6 & under eat free from Kiddie Menu (with adult entree purchase)

1289 SW Loop 410@Westlakes • 674-0019

BCFS matches children and families together there with you through the entire process.

Married and single adults can become foster or adoptive parents. Bilingual homes are especially needed.

BCFS can provide you with the training you need to make a good home for a foster child.

parent you will have the opportunity to teach children morals & values, and help promote a healthy self-image and self-esteem.

MAKE A PROFOUND DIFFERENCE

IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD, BECOME A FOSTER PARENT TODAY

Being a foster parent or an adoptive parent is Call 210.208.5629 or visit us online at an opportunity to make a profound bcfs.net to learn more.

32

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

Medical Center Pediatric Listing

Myth: You should wait until it’s cold outside to get your flu vaccine.

Some people worry that if you get the vaccine too soon, it will wear off by the time winter gets here. The truth is that vaccinating people even in August will protect them throughout the entire flu season. This includes the elderly, who typically are more vulnerable to effects of the flu.

Myth: The flu is only spread by sneezing.

Germs are pretty easy to pass around and flu is really contagious. It’s very easy for one child to give it to another child (and not just by sneezing). The next thing you know, that child brings it home.

This is why it’s especially important for children to get the flu shot. Children are around so many people – from siblings, parents and grandparents to peers, teachers, childcare providers and other adults – they’re really the biggest carriers of the flu. Vaccinating kids can protect a wide range of people.

Myth: Flu vaccines do not protect you from current strains.

The World Health Organization and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pick the strains that they believe are most likely to circulate in the coming months so that people are protected against everything that may go around. Every year, there are two A strains and one B strain of influenza included in the vaccine.

– Christina Elston

Medical Center Pediatrics 210- 614-5000 2020 Babcock, Suite 19, San Antonio, TX mcp@medicalcenterpediatrics. com www.medicalcenterpediatrics. com Dr. Jaime Garza is accepting new patients from birth through high school age. Same day appointments are available for acute illnesses and long term well health care. On site Laboratory and radiology services provide real time results for diagnosis and therapy. All patients are seen by Board Certified Pediatricians.

Learn more about this year’s flu strains, symptoms and prevention strategies at www.cdc.gov/flu.

January 2013 | OurKidsMagazine.com

33

calendar

january

PHOTO BY JOHN SALANGSANG/HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS INTERNATIONAL

The Harlem Globetrotters perform in the AT&T Center 7 p.m. Jan. 31.

Known as innovators of basketball for decades, the world-famous Globetrotters will take kid participation and fun to a whole new level when for the first time ever, the Globetrotters let fans decide the rules for the game. Parents can go online with their kids to www. harlemglobetrotters.com to vote for the rule. Tickets start at $15 per person and can be purchased online at www.harlemglobetrotters.com, www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000 or the AT&T Box Office at 100 Montana St.

Want more events? Go online today!

34

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

www.OurKidsMagazine.com

By Cynthia Ladson

what’s inside 34 37 38

Highlight Family Theater Ongoing Exhibits

1 Tuesday

Saturday Mummies of the World: The highlyanticipated Mummies of the World exhibition makes its South Central United States premiere at the Witte Museum! The exhibition presents a never-beforeseen collection of 150 rare mummies and objects from across the world including South America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Egypt. The fee for this exhibit, in addition to general admission, is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors (65), military and children ages 3-11. Through Jan. 27. www.wittemuseum.org.

210-357-1900 Festival of Lights: You can still enjoy the Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens on Galveston Island.

Enjoy more than 1 million lights within 100 soundenhanced animated light displays and nightly live entertainment. In addition, you can skate around on an outdoor ice skating rink, go snow tubing down a 100-foot ice slide, take pictures with Santa or watch holiday films in the MG 3D, 4D Special FX or Ridefilm theaters. Open daily through Jan. 5. Call for ticket prices. Moody Gardens, One Hope Boulevard, Galveston. www.moodygardens.com/seasonal_fun/ festival_of_lights/. 800-582-4673.

Hill Country Holidays: Continue to enjoy the Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort annual “Hill Country Holidays” program, which includes a holiday winter

wonderland, Santa, elves and much more. Event includes an outdoor synthetic iceless skating venue in Plaza San Saba-“Frost.” The winter wonderland is filled with lights and sounds of the season. Then take a trip to “the North Pole,” where kids can create seasonal arts and crafts in the Westin Kids Club. There is no cost to visit, however some crafts may have a fee. To enjoy this winter wonderland, visitors need not be registered at the resort. www.westinlacantera. com. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Jan. 6. 210-558-6500.

Hill Country Regional Christmas Lighting Trail: Enjoy holiday lights, nativity scenes and lots more when you drive through the eleven communities participating in the annual Hill Country Regional Christmas Lighting Trail. Participating communities include Bandera, Blanco, Boerne, Burnet, Dripping Springs, Fredericksburg, Johnson City, Kerrville, Llano, Marble Falls and Wimberley. Lighting trail open nightly through Jan. 1, 2013. www.tex-fest.com/regional/.

830-997-8515.

Holiday River Lights: More than 2 million holiday lights are all aglow along the San Antonio River Walk.

The lights were switched on during the city’s annual River Parade and Lighting Ceremony late last month.

The lights will illuminate the San Antonio River through Jan. 1, 2013. www.thesanantonioriverwalk. com/events/.

Once we hold them, we never let them go.

Our children will always be first.

They’re our babies. Even when they’re no longer babies. We love them more than we ever thought possible. We would do anything for them. Which is why the new Children’s Hospital of San Antonio is holding to our promise to take their care to the highest level possible. And we’re not letting go.

Follow our story at ourchildrenwillbefirst.com.

January 2013 | OurKidsMagazine.com

35

calendar Celebrate San Antonio: The city’s annual New Year’s Eve bash on Alamo Street between Market and César Chávez and in LaVillita attracts about 250,000+ people.

Celebrate San Antonio, which is sponsored by the San Antonio Parks Foundation and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, features something for everyone including music on four stages and special entertainment areas for children and families and a fireworks extravaganza at midnight in HemisFair Park showcasing the Tower of the Americas.

Free. 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. wwwsaparksfoundation. org. 210-212-8423.

2 Wednesday

Dog Days – A Winter Paws is planned for the Botanical Garden Jan. 19. In addition to regular admission, a $5 per dog fee is required.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN

Astronomy in the Park: Join astronomers and other stargazers as you observe the sky through large telescopes in an informational program with the San Antonio Astronomical Association. Sunset, weather permitting, every Wednesday. Free. Lower Bee Tree soccer field parking lot of McAllister Park, 13102 Jones Maltsberger Road. www.sanantonioastronomy. org. 210-710-4786.

Color My World: Toddlers experience stories, gallery activities, hands-on art, movement and music. This event will cultivate, nurture and inspire creativity while developing an appreciation of art and world cultures. 10 to 11 a.m. Free with museum admission.

Wednesdays. San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave. www.samuseum.org. 210-978-8183.

5 Saturday

Geology Walk: Walk with geologist Carter Keairns on the Geology Loop trail as he discusses the geology of the area. Kid-friendly craft included. 9:15 a.m.

Free. Phil Hardberger Park East, 13203 Blanco Road. www.philhardbergerpark.org/events. www. philhardbergerpark.org/events. 210-207-3284.

Nature Walk – Weather and Woods: Start your new year off with a guided hike in the woods of Eisenhower Park. Enjoy the woods in the winter and learn about San Antonio’s changeable weather. Dress appropriately. Reservations are suggested. Limited to 15 participants per hike. Suggested donation $2 per person, $6 per family. www.sanaturalareas.org.

210-207-5320.

U.S. Army All-American Bowl: The U.S. Army AllAmerican Bowl is the nation’s premier high school all-star football game. The game brings 90 of the country’s top high school seniors to play an East vs.

West matchup. The U.S. Army All-American Marching Band consists of the nation’s 125 top musicians and will play during the half-time show on game day.

The event is a great way to celebrate the new year with the whole family. Tickets range from $18.47 to $32.87. usarmyallamericanbowl.com. (210) 207-3663.

get listed XXXXX

36

Items to be considered for the calendar must be received at least six weeks prior to publication. The deadline for the March 2013 issue is January 15.. Mail calendar items and photographs to: Calendar Editor, Our Kids San Antonio, E-mail your calendar items and photographs to ourkidssacalendar@gmail.com. Information cannot be accepted by phone.

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

Family Theater 6 Sunday

Aphrodite and the gods of Love: Families are invited to take a journey through Aphrodite and the gods of Love with a museum docent. Activity concludes with an Aphrodite-inspired activity.

Attendance is limited to 20, so plan to arrive early. 2 to 3 p.m. Free to children 12 and younger. www.samuseum.org.

210-978-8183.

■■Dr. Seuss – From the moment his tall, red-and-white striped hat appears around the door, Sally and her brother know that the Cat in the Hat is the funniest, most mischievous cat they have ever met. With the trickiest of tricks and craziest of ideas, he is certainly fun at play. And he turns a rainy afternoon into an amazing adventure. But what will mum find when she gets home? Be transported to a world adult and children all over have come to know. Production is based on the book by Dr. Seuss. 9:45 and 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 7 p.m.

Fridays; and 2 p.m. Saturdays. Runs Jan. 9-Feb. 16. Magik Theatre, 420 S. Alamo St. www.magiktheatre.org. 210-227-2751.

8 Tuesday

Pint Sized: Pint-Sized Science introduces budding scientists to basic science concepts. Each month kids will explore a different theme such as weather, animals, water, reactions, nutrition and many more. 10 to 10:30 a.m.each Tuesday and 2 to 2:30 p.m. each Wednesday in the Jungle Adventure classroom. Free with museum admission.

San Antonio Children’s Museum, 305 E. Houston St. www.sakids.org.

210-212-4453.

Toddler Time: Museum staff lead kids in activities that help build their fine and gross motor skills. Weekly activities may include reading, music and exploration of hands-on materials. Class is geared for ages 0-3 years. 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Free with museum admission.

San Antonio Children’s Museum, 305 E. Houston St. www.sakids.org.

210-212-4453.

Kids and adults can enjoy the Magik Theatre production of Dr. Seuss from Jan. 9-Feb. 16.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAGIK THEATRE

9 Wednesday

Shape Up: Toddlers experience stories, gallery activities, hands-on art, movement and music each Wednesday as part of the SAMA Playdate program. 10 to 11 a.m. Other playdates topics for January include “My Magical Farm,” Jan. 16; “I Can Count in English and Spanish,” Jan 23; and “Crafty Kids,” Jan. 30. Playdates are free with museum admission. San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave. www.samuseum.org. 210-978-8183.

12 Saturday

Beginners’ Bird Walk: Join members of the San Antonio Audubon Society on a walk for families, ages 6 and older, the second Saturday of each month.

Binoculars with instructions are available. Begins at 8 a.m. Free. www.saaudubon.org. 210-308-6788.

Get the Point: Learn how arrow points and other stone artifacts are made. Join local flint knappers in demonstrations, examining displays and trying your hand at making an arrow point. 10 a.m. to noon.

Donation $3 per person or $5 per family. Gates open

at 9:30 a.m. Eisenhower Park, 19399 N.W. Military Highway. www.sanaturalareas.org. 210-207-5320.

14 Monday

Zoo Yoga: Take part in a playful approach toward yoga that combines animal poses with storytelling, song, breathing, relaxation and play. Geared to preschoolers ages 2 1/2 to 6. At the end of the program, meet your pose inspiration on a zoo tour. Each program has a different theme. Jan. 14 theme is “Arctic Tumbles.” Jan. 28 theme is “Yogi” Bear. 9 to 10 a.m. $17 per person. www.sazoo.org.

210-734-7184.

15 Tuesday

Young People’s Concert – Amadeus and Papa Haydn: Works by Haydn and Amadeus Mozart will be presented during the Young People’s concert. 9:45 a.m. and 11:10 a.m. $4. Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium, 715 Stadium Drive. www.sasymphony.

January 2013 | OurKidsMagazine.com

37

calendar

Ongoing Exhibits INStitute of Texan Cultures ■■ “Made in Texas” explores the ideas and everyday items that have their origins right here in Texas. The new exhibit showcases the Lone Star State’s impact on the world – everything from cowboy boots, computers, salsa, Jalapeño jelly, prickly pear wine, ancient stone tools and artificial hearts.

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $8 ages 12-64, $7 seniors 65-plus, $6 ages 3-11, free for ages 2 and younger.

801 E. César E. Chávez Blvd. www.texancultures. com. 210-458-2300.

San Antonio Children’s Museum ■■ “Science City” invites kids to think like scientists in six interactive zones. Hands-on activities that encourage creative and innovative thinking include designing structures that withstand the forces of nature, investigating the science of circuits, and experimenting with aerodynamics and momentum on a racetrack.

■■ “Frost Good Cents Bank” introduces kids to handson financial learning as they role-play in a bank with a drive-up window, teller counters and an ATM. They can also explore interactive finance stations to learn about managing and spending money.

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $8; free for children younger than 2. Free kids night is every third Thursday of each month. 305 E. Houston St. www.sakids.org. 210-212-4453.

San Antonio Zoo ■■ “Africa Live!” features up-close views of hippopotamus, Nile crocodiles, giant bullfrogs, Egyptian cobras, giant elephant shrews and more. Visitors experience the plants and animals of Africa three months after the seasonal rains, including animals from Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi that can be seen through underwater windows.

■■ “Africa Live 2” boasts the second tallest aviary in North America, filled with trees, African birds and the colobus monkey. Visitors can see an okapi, dwarf

mongoose, and walk through a giant termite mound, coming face to face with a pair of African wild dogs.

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Admission: $12 for ages 12 and older, $9.50 children ages 3-11 and seniors over 62, free for ages 2 and under. 3903 N. St. Mary’s St. in Brackenridge Park. www.sazoo.org.

210-734-7184.

Witte Museum ■■ Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg South Texas Heritage Center allows visitors to experience more than 150 years of change and growth in San Antonio and South Texas. The new 20,000 square-foot, two-story building situated on the Witte Museum grounds provides a permanent home to a collection of artifacts that tell the story of San Antonio’s founding and of other key events that shaped South Texas from the early 1800s to the 1950s. Exhibits trace the growth of urban and rural South Texas through the stories of those who lived here.

The Center lets visitors stand in a bustling mid-1800s San Antonio plaza, then explore life on rural ranches and along cattle trails while learning about the forces that shaped the region and its people during a time of rapid growth and development.

■■ H-E-B Science Treehouse includes a geocaching adventure in which visitors can go on a high-tech scavenger hunt using a smart phone or GPS. Mount Witte is a 20-foot rock-climbing wall for all ages that hones climbers’ organization and problem-solving skills. “Move It! A Game of Action” emphasizes wellness and physical activity with a 10-foot-by-10-foot lighted gaming floor and nine game choices. The H.E.Buddy SkyCycle is an outdoor bicycle ride 14 feet in the air featuring a large weight suspended under a 40-foot cable. Young riders learn the principles of counterbalance and center of gravity.

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

Admission: $10 ages 12-64, $9 ages 65-plus and active-duty military with ID, $8 ages 4-11, free for ages 3 and younger. 3801 Broadway. www. wittemuseum.org. 210-357-1900.

looking ahead to February Asian Festival is Feb. 16 at the Institute of Texan Cultures and the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo is Feb. 2-24 at the Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum.

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Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

org. 210-5541010.

Free Kids Night: Admission is free for kids and adults the third Thursday of each month. 5 to 7 p.m. San Antonio Children’s Museum, 305 E. Houston St. www. sakids.org. 210-212-4453.

18 Friday

Stroller Safari: Monthly program for ages 6-24 months includes zoo-xercise, sing-a-long and an introduction to nature. Meet other parents, and play and sing about animals on a guided stroller tour. Reservations required. 10-10:45 a.m. $10. San Antonio Zoo, 3903 N. St. Mary’s St. www.sazoo.org.

210-734-7184.

TU Dance: San Antonio lovers of dance are sure to enjoy TU Dance, a Minnesota-based dance company that crosses all boundaries. TU presents a broad range of dance from contemporary ballet to modern and

traditional forms. Group founders are members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. 8 p.m. $31.

Carver Community Cultural Center’s Jo Long Theatre. www.thecarver.org. 210-207-7211.

19 Saturday

Dog Days - A Winter Paws: Share a day at the San Antonio Botanical Garden with your favorite pooch.

Visitors are invited to take their dogs (on a leash).

Water will be provided throughout the garden, “mutt mitts” for dog owners to pick up after their pets, and pet-related activities. Local animal nonprofit organizations will share educational material.

A donation per dog will be collected for the organizations, plus admission. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 555 Funston Place. www.sabot.org. 210-207-3250.

San Antonio Adoption Fair 2013: The Seventh Annual San Antonio Adoption Fair will present

Looking for family activities? Sign up to receive weekly event picks delivered right to your inbox. Go to OurKidsMagazine.com today!

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calendar Norris Conference Center at the Wonderland of the Americas, 4522 Fredericksburg Road #100. www.sanantonioadoptionfair. com. 210-494-2160.

20 Sunday

Third Sunday Bird Tour: Take a bird tour with the San Antonio Audubon Society. Tour begins at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center. 8 a.m. $5 per person.

Take Loop 410 South to exit #46 – Moursund Boulevard, then travel south about 0.7 mile. www.saaudubon.org.

210-628-1639.

21 Monday

Martin Luther King Jr. Day March: San Antonio is home to one of the nation’s largest marches in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. The annual three-mile march begins at 10 a.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, 3501 Martin Luther King Drive, and proceeds to Pittman-Sullivan Park at 1101 Iowa St. The march has grown over the years to its present participation level of more than 100,000. A program to include a keynote address, gospel music and award presentation are scheduled for the park after the march. 10 a.m. Free. www.sanantonio.gov/mlk.

210-207-2098.

Kids enjoy Family Activity at the San Antonio Museum of Art. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SAN ANTONIO MUSEUM OF ART

foster care and adoption agencies from across the nation to assist potential parents as they begin the process of adoption. During the Adoption Fair there will be information available regarding domestic and international adoption, CPS adoption and foster care.

There will be an adoptive-families panel (parents, children and adult adoptees) to discuss adoption experiences and answer questions. 1 to 5 p.m. Free.

40

Our Kids Magazine | January 2013

Global Safari: Take the kids on an adventure around the world!

Get a passport to the animal kingdom and stamp visa to visit a differentcontinent/country each month. Caregivers and kids can experience the culture, music, people and the animals from around the world. Learn words in new languages, sing songs, discover new ecosystems through multimedia explorations and hands-on adventures. 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. $19 per person. San Antonio Zoo, 3903 N. St. Mary’s St. www.sazoo.org. 210-734-7184.

25 Friday

23rd Annual WSSA Learning Disabilities Symposium: The Winston School San Antonio presents its 23rd annual symposium on Learning Disabilities, “How Teens Think.” Keynote address “The Teen Brain Development,

Decision and Learning Differences,” will be given by Abigail Baird, Ph.D at 9 a.m. Dr. Harry Perkins will lead a three-hour session on “Surviving the Between Years: Ethical Questions, Values and Decision in Living with Teens” at 12:45 p.m.

Also, breakout sessions on ADHA, Practical Life Skills, the Effects of Social Media and Financial Education are planned.

Symposium opens at 8:30 a.m. Go to website for a list of fees. Winston School San Antonio, 8565 Ewing Halsell Drive.

210-615-6544. www.winston-sa.org/symposium.

26 Saturday

Breakfast at a Beastly Hour: Meet zoo keepers and get an inside look at what they do each day. Following breakfast at the Riverview Cafe, keepers will share information about their work world and the animals. The program’s topic will center around “Hippos.” 8:30 a.m. $35 adults; $20 children under age 12. Reservations required. San Antonio Zoo, 3903 N. St. Mary’s St. www.sazoo.org..210-734-7184.

Tacky Penguin Storytime: Come on over for Tacky Penguin’s Happening’ Hawaiian Hula. Put on that awesome Hawaiian shirt or hula skirt, even if it is winter. This flower power party is for all ages and includes Tacky Penguin stories, black and white crafts and fishy treats. Take cameras for pictures with Tacky. 10:30 a.m. Free. Twig Book Shop, Full Goods Building, Pearl Stable, 200 E. Grayson St. www.thetwig.com.

210-826-5087.

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27 Sunday

Hero-Thon Half Maraton: Hero-Thon Half Maraton benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Entry fees required, visit website for fee information. Packet pick up, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday (day before the half-marathon). Event starts at 7 a.m. at the Alamodome, 100 Montana St. www. herothonlls.com.

Family Activity – Branching Out: See the exhibition “Printed in San Antonio” and work with exhibition artist Nate Cassie to create prints that explore natural patterns and abstraction. The event is part of the museum’s monthly Family Activity program. Inspired by art in the museum, children and accompanying adults participate together in activities designed especially for families. Free with museum admission. McNay Art Museum, 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave. www.mcnayart.org. 210-824-5368.

Inside Symphony – The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra: Explore Benjamin Britten’s “The Young People’s Guide to the Orchestra” and learn how a musical ensemble is similar to a favorite professional sports team. Youngsters will also enjoy an instrument petting zoo given by symphony musicians prior to the performance. 2:30 to 4 p.m. $16 adults and $8 children.

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Your Kids In Our Kids 1. Christopher Castillo, 3 1/2 months, is Mom’s Little Santa.

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2. Tierza and Kileen 3. Christian poses with his blanket.

Submit Your Photos for February and March Issues using Flickr It is now easier than ever to submit your kids’ photos for publication in Our Kids Magazine. Join our Flickr group today and submit your kids’ photos.

Here is how it is done: Login to www. flickr.com using your Google, Yahoo or Facebook account and join the Your Kids in Our Kids group and submit your photos by clicking on the upload button at the top of the page. By submitting photos to the Your Kid in Our Kids Flickr group page you give us permission to publish your photos in Our Kids Magazine.

The deadline to submit photos for February is Jan. 3, 2013 and the March deadline is Feb. 3, 2013.

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