Good to Know

Finding the Right School for Your Child From the publishers of PRIVATE SCHOOLS 2021/2022 EAST BAY GUIDE TO

Finding the Best Start for Your Child From the publishers of PRESCHOOLS & Early Child Education EAST BAY GUIDE TO 2021/2022

East Bay Private School Guide and the East Bay Preschool Guide are Now Available!

The 2021/22 edition of The East Bay Private School

Guide and The East Bay Guide to Preschools are fresh off the press and our available on our website.

Both give great advice on how to choose a private school or preschool, relative to their subject. Find out when to start your search, criteria to consider, what to look for in a school plus there is a handy timeline for your search so you stay on track with those application deadlines. Available online at www.ParentsPress.com –

just click on “Our Magazines” tab.

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That’s the number in pounds of the average turkey purchased for a Thanksgiving meal. Turkey’s average weight has doubled since the 1950s. And, more than 224,000 turkeys are sold for family celebrations each year, down from the height of 273,000 in 2007. Yet, still adds up to a whole lot of leftovers to consume on Black Friday and beyond. Gobble, gobble!

DID YOU KNOW

that every year in November there is a very special day to celebrate learning? Learning in subjects like science, technology, engineering, art, and math? It’s National STEAM Day on November 8th.

Why choose November 8th for a day that celebrates creativity, learning, and innovation? Because it can be abbreviated NOV 8, i.e., innovate :) So let’s all go innovate on November 8th.

WORD WISE

November is National Adoption Month! Have you ever considered where the phrase “put up for adoption” is derived? It comes from the orphan train movement in the United States from 1854 to 1929. During this time orphans were put on trains headed for the Midwest and West. At each stop the children would be “put up” on a train platform in hopes of finding a family to adopt them.

The Dangers of Vaping

By Christine Burke

There has been an extreme increase in vaping among adolescents in the last decade. Most vapes and e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance. Nicotine causes increase in blood pressure, heart rate and narrows heart arteries. It also can lead to the hardening of arterial walls which can lead to a heart attack. Even though adolescents are young, they are not immune to these effects of nicotine. Nicotine use can harm actively developing brains of these adolescents and contribute to addictions of other drugs later on in life.

Vaping has also been associated with acute respiratory distress which is extremely dangerous amongst adolescents. Shortness of breath, chest pain, cough and fever are also effects of using nicotine. Adolescents have also experienced lung lesions. This is a serious condition that includes inflammation of the alveolar spaces and can contribute to permanent lung conditions.

Primarily, what makes vaping so attractive to young adolescents is the product innovations, youthful and fun flavoring and packaging. The legal age to purchase vapes and other e-cigarettes is age 21 in California. Fortunately, due to the vaping epidemic among adolescents, there have been stricter regulations regarding vaping. However, there are still ways for adolescents to obtain vapes and e-cigarettes. The easiest way to prevent addictions to vapes among adolescents is to not start using vapes yourself. Education of the intense dangers of vaping is a sure way for adolescents to know of the long-lasting dangers of vaping.

Camouflaged Vaping Devices Are Getting Past Parents and School Staff

The vaping hoodie. The vaping smart watch. USB jump drives. Vape pens, backpacks, phone cases, oh my! All ready to deliver a puff of nicotine (or marijuana) anywhere, anytime. The vaping market is crowded with sleek, camouflaged devices that have teachers and parents struggling to monitor illicit usage of a product that has surged in popularity among school kids. You might want to give that new computer mouse, that you didn’t buy, a second look.

The Art of Gratitude

Agratitude journal is a great way to teach kids how to appreciate and focus on the positives in life. Each day your child can write or draw pictures of the people, places or things in their life that are important and appreciated. Focusing on the positives each day is tremendously up lifting emotionally. This positive way to start or end the day will create an emotion that will carry throughout the day. Kid focused gratitude journals can be bought or handmade, be word or art focused. Even using magazine photo cutouts, pasted into the journal works. The key is to spend a few moments each day and think about what is important to happiness. Be grateful! Y

NAPPA Awards Gift Guide

By Elena Epstein, Director of the National Parenting Product Awards

Purse Pets

Bring your look to life with these fabulous interactive pets packed with purse-onality. They respond to your touch, really blink and have exciting sounds and reactions $24.99, ages 4+, www.spinmaster.com

Hali X Hoverboard

With a light-up body deck, illuminated rims, and in-built Bluetooth speaker, this hoverboard brings all the swagger with a smooth ride. $199.99, ages 12+, www.ridejetson.com

KidiGo™ Basketball Hoop

It’s game on with this hoop and ball. An interactive scoreboard keeps score and cheers you on. Make a basket and pass the ball before the music stops. $34.99, ages 5+, www.vtechkids.com

FeppyBox

This bilingual subscription box is made to immerse kids in Spanish and English learning. Designed to raise the next generation of open-minded, resilient global citizens. $29.99, ages 3-6, www.feppybox.com

Artsy Fartsy

Not much is off-limits in this fast-paced game that keeps everyone engaged and begging for more. Team up to draw, guess and STEAL clues that will have everyone laughing out loud. $24.99, ages 10+, www.twopointohgames.com

Light-Up Activity Board

Let kids unlock endless hours of creativity by building and layering their own designs and colors. This easy-touse activity board is a fun toy to help children learn basic skills. $24.99, ages 3+, www.walmart.com

Spirograph® Animator

Experience the vibrant way for aspiring artists to create millions of designs. Watch your creations come alive with an amazing 3D effect. $24.99-$29.99, ages 8+, www.walmart.com

MasterChef Family Cooking Game

Combines education with family fun by cooking your way through delicious challenges. Mystery Ingredients, Game Changers and Mad Skills will put your family to the test and introduce you to new recipes. $19.99, ages 8+, www.wildertoys.com

Vlad & Niki Superhero Surprise

Enter a complete unboxing experience, allowing kids to bring a comic book story to life. Capture the fun of exploring with the help of global stars Vlad & Niki. $29.99, ages 3+, www.zuru.com

PLAYMOBIL Dino Rise T-Rex: Battle of the Giants

The T-Rex Battle has begun. There is a robot machine on a destructive path and your kids need to gather a dino-human team to stop them before it’s too late. $69.99, ages 5-12 years www.playmobil.us

Cool Maker Shimmer Me Body Art

This DIY studio allows you to create and apply flawless temporary art designs. Magically transfer beautiful iridescent foil onto the body to let your creativity soar. $25.99, ages 8+, www.spinmaster.com

Mindful Animals Calming Activity Cards

Pause and destress with 50 animal-themed mindfulness and relaxation techniques for kids. Helps calm and soothe them after a very busy day — or in the middle of one. $12.00, ages 4+, www.petitcollage.com Y