0612 RM Parent

JUNE 2012 • rmparent.com

splash SPLISH

Newly single What to do about colic Family-friendly trails Cleaner, greener parties Smart food substitutions Protect your child from Predators

SPECIAL SECTION:

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JUNE 2012

Departments P e r specti v e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Time for play—being active as a family is fun

FIRST YEARS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Consoling the inconsolable—the why and what (to do) of colic

Special Section EAT LOCAL

FAR M/F OOD

GUI DE

Eat Loc al 2012

Be Local’s 2012 Farm/Food Guide.

Fa m ily acti v ities . . . . . . . .10 Take a walk on the wild side—enjoy our local, family-friendly trails this summer

H E A LT H Y li v in g . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Cleaner, greener parties—say goodbye to disposable celebrations

N U T R I T I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Eat smarter with these substitutions— simple ingredient replacements create healthier recipies

C o m m unity ne w s . . . . . . . . .16

Cool Kids program sends children of single parents to school in style • student essay wins third place in national contest • recycle your paper cartons orthodontist rewards local youth for her good deed • PVH named one of Top 100 hospitals • rabid skunks confirmed

SAFE KIDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Grooming Children—child molesters need three things: access, privacy, and control

C alenda r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Events and activities for parents, kids and families

T i m e out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Free pancakes for everyone—the challenges of feeding the family

School District News Poudre School District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Hugs from kiddos makes volunteering all worthwhile, abacus ants give kindergartens adventures in math, Bauder Elementary celebrates diversity with parade

Greeley-Evans District 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Maria Gonzalez featured in video, summer meal program helps close hunger gap

Thompson School District. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Lucile Erwin Middle School Energy Project earns award, Thompson robotics teams nab three international awards

Features

20 Wonderful world of water

Splish-splash your way to fun at a pool or lake near you. June marks the annual reopening of outdoor pools and swim beaches in northern Colorado. This year, rediscover old favorites and explore new places to take a dip. Read on for updated hours and pricing for the 2012 season, and remember that all outdoor swim areas are subject to weather closures.

22 NE WLY SINGLE?

The world as you know it has shifted drastically.

Your predictable future has now become somewhat unpredictable. Hang in there.

You might be up for a ride the first year, but things will get easier as long as you commit to creating the most workable co-parent situation you can and separating emotionally from your ex as best as possible. Read this advice on how to survive single parenthood—especially that first, hard year.

ABOUT THE COVER

Loveland resident Tessa, 4, poses with her dad Nick Vittorio on this month’s Father’s Day cover. Photo by Cheri Schonfeld, schonfeldphotography.com.

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perspective

The cycle of life We’re all role (roll) models all the time

T

he bicycle is one of the greatest things ever...better than peanut butter, better than cats, and certainly better than 8-track tapes. It is often our first taste of freedom and independence.

Modeling responsible, safe riding is sometimes a challenge for us, but it matters.

Aly and Andy are out of the house now, but when they were kids I always wore my helmet, stopped at stop signs and generally followed the rules of the road that make it possible for us all to share the road.

Once they left home, I have to admit, I didn’t always wear my helmet. In fact, I started to wear it less and less until one day when I actually wanted to wear it, I couldn’t find it. I recently had a new helmet come my way, and I started wearing it. The neighbor kid saw me one day and remarked that I was wearing a helmet. Who knew that the neighbor kid noticed if I wore a bike helmet or not? So then I was stuck.

How could I not wear my helmet when the neighbor kid was watching?

Would it influence him to not wear his helmet? (And believe me, this kid needs to wear his helmet!)

I was relating this basic thought to the kid’s mother and she confirmed my greatest fear—that I might still be a role model! She said it was important that adults that the kids think are cool be good role models. I thought that she was letting me off the hook, but then she said that included me. I said that I thought the kids could do better.

Actually, I’m a pretty conscientious bike rider. I stop or at least slow to a crawl at stop signs, especially when cars are around. I stop, and wait, for red lights. I’m pretty psyched though that the city of Fort Collins is expanding bike lanes and that the region in general is becoming more bike-friendly.

Look around your town for a Ride 2012, Bicycling Guide to Northern Colorado. It’s packed with great info.

Bicycling is great for exercise and recreation, too. Katie Harris has lots of ideas about trails that your family can walk or bike on all across northern Colorado in her story on page 10. She also has compiled a list of outdoor pools and swim beaches in the area, too. So get out and have some fun.

On a more sobering note, Lynn Utzman-Nichols has done her usual great job digging up useful advice. This time for newly single parents on page 18 and for parents with colicky babies on page 8. You’ll want to check these out.

And we’re also touching again on child molestation. Diane Fromme has focused on how child molesters operate and groom children. It’s scary, but we ought not bury our heads in the sand on this one.

Thanks for reading, —Scott Titterington, publisher

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JUNE 2012 • VOLUME 17, NUMBER 1 PUBLISHER Scott Titterington, (970)221-9210 scott.rmpublishing@gmail.com EDITOR Kristin Titterington, (970)221-9210 kristin.rmpublishing@gmail.com Calendar editor Aly Titterington calendar@rockymountainpub.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Emily Zaynard emily.rmpublishing@gmail.com ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Greg Hoffman, (970)689-6832 greg.rmpublishing@gmail.com ADVERTISING SALES Sara Hansen, (970)310-9850 sara.rmpublishing@gmail.com DISTRIBUTION Wendee Brungardt, Sharon Klahn, Rob’s Bike Courier Service COVER PHOTO Cheri Shonfeld, schonfeldphotography.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Diane Fromme, Katie Harris, Richard Kellar, Kris Kodrich, Ann Schimke, Lynn Utzman-Nichols ROCKY MOUNTAIN PUBLISHING 825 Laporte Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80521 Voice 221-9210 Fax 221-8556 editor@rockymountainpub.com www.RMParent.com Rocky Mountain Parent magazine is published monthly by Rocky Mountain Publishing, Inc. Publication of this paper does not consitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised. RMP reserves the right to refuse any advertisement for any reason. The opinions expressed by contributors or writers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rocky Mountain Publishing. ©2012 Rocky Mountain Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without express written permission is prohibited.

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first years

Consoling the inconsolable The why and what (to do!) of colic

l y nn u t z m a n - n i c h o l s

F

or years, parents with colicky babies have heard the same news from their doctors—no one really knows exactly what causes colic.

This isn’t reassuring to bleary-eyed parents who spend night after night trying to console their crying baby until 2am, when she magically falls asleep.

Yet researchers are now offering some new explanations for why your new baby might be so upset. Here’s the latest scoop on the why, along with tips on what you can do to survive those dreadful, first weeks of colic.

If you’ve had a colicky baby, you’d bet your life that your little one’s in gastronomical pain. While most experts agree that it’s abdominal, some deny that stomach pain and gas are the reasons for colic despite all that scrunching up that goes on. A few even go as far as to say it is the new, stressed-out mother’s fault for unintentionally sharing bad juju with her baby. Recent studies make a good argument that it just might be inflammation of the gut— specifically too many harmful bacteria and not enough healthy ones. An Italian study gave probiotics (healthy bacteria) to infants with colic. Their crying reduced to 51 minutes versus 2.5 hours in the control group. Other studies support these findings, but researchers would still like to see more.

Another recent study linked colic to mothers’ migraines. Again, this rings of the “bad mommy” argument, but at least it’s based on a real medical condition. A study in 2012 by the University of California, San Francisco showed that mothers with migraines are more than twice as likely to have babies with colic.

Add these to the list of the common theories of why babies get colic: stressed out moms, immature digestive systems, sensitivities to foods passed through breast milk, swallowing air

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without burping, and so on. Regardless of what causes it, if you’ve got a colicky baby you just want it to stop. Fast.

Colic is described as inconsolable crying. Approximately one in four babies have colic. Colic typically sets in around week two or three, then ends (seemingly abruptly) around week 10 or 12.

It doesn’t last long, but having a nightly ritual of crying from 10pm to 2am gets intolerable very quickly. Often, the only way to soothe a colicky baby is to hold them constantly, and even then, they cry.

Personally, I put on music and danced with my son into the wee hours. But let’s take a look at what experts advise: Hold her, rock her, put her in a swing, or wear her in a backpack. Newborns and infants love to feel your touch.

The good news is that you can pick up your baby anytime she cries, with no worries of creating bad habits. Until three months, babies are not neurologically advanced enough to form habits.

Try well-known baby expert Harvey Karp’s five Ss: swaddling (fairly tightly), swinging, shushing, sucking and side-

lying. He calls the first three months after a baby is born the missing fourth trimester. Karp believes that by mimicking the environment of the womb through the five S’s, parents can flip on a newborn’s natural calming reflex, and lessen colic.

Peddle his legs to reduce gas. If nursing, try eliminating known gascausers from your diet, including: dairy products, onions, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, coffee and spicy foods.

Try the “colic carry.” Lie her stomach down along your forearm and support her head in the palm of your hand or turn her the other way and rest her head in the crook of your arm.

Take a break. If it’s getting to be too much, put him in his crib. Listening to constant crying increases your blood pressure and heart rate. Turn on white noise (Karp’s “shushing” noise) or soothing music. Vibration also helps. Lower the lights, reduce any noise, and shut the door. Now, go sit on the front porch or out back for a while. He may not calm much, but you’ll feel better.

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family activities

Take a walk on the wild side

Enjoy our local, family-friendly trails this summer K ATI E HA R R IS

B

efore summer heat peaks along the Front Range, enjoy a walk, hike or bike ride on one of the local trails. All trails listed below are well-maintained and appropriate for families. Beware of animals, bikes and rollerbladers, and stay on the right side of the path anytime you’re on a trail.

Fort Collins area trails Foothills Trail: A 6+ mile trail that stretches from Dixon Reservoir at Pineridge Natural Area to Reservoir Ridge Natural Area and Michand Lake. This is an unpaved trail that runs parallel to Horsetooth Reservoir. 970-221-6660. www.fcgov.com/parks/trails.php.

Fossil Creek Trail: This 5+ mile trail runs through the Cathy Fromme Prairie Natural Area on South Shields Street to west of Taft Hill Road. It is part of an expansion project to connect to other trails in the future. 970-221-6660. www. fcgov.com/parks/trails.php.

Horsetooth Mountain Open Space: This 29-mile trail system has access points west of Fort Collins on County Road 38E and north of 38E on Shoreline Drive. The trails rate from easy to difficult and extend to Lory State Park.

970-498-7000. www.co.larimer.co.us/ naturalresources/htmp.htm.

Horsetooth Reservoir, Inlet Bay Trail:

This 1+ mile trail extends from Horsetooth Reservoir’s Inlet Bay on County Road 38E. It is an easy, unpaved trail for hiking and mountain biking. 970-4987000. www.co.larimer.co.us/natural resources/horsetooth.htm.

Mason Trail: A 3.5-mile trail that stretches from Prospect Road to south of Harmony Road. This trail runs along Mason Street and is convenient for commuters due to its commercial route. 970-2216660. www.fcgov.com/parks/trails.php.

Pleasant Valley Trail: This 2-mile trail begins on North Overland Trail at 10

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Lions Park and extends to Watson Lake. This is an easy trail for hiking and biking that runs through the Laporte area. 970-498-7000. www.co.larimer.co.us/natural resources/lions_open_space.htm.

Poudre Trail: A 10+ mile trail that runs from Lions Park on North Overland Trail to the CSU Environmental Learning Center on South County Road 9. This trail is part of a future expansion project and runs along the Poudre River. 970-221-6660. www. fcgov.com/parks/trails.php.

Power Trail: This 3+ mile trail runs from East Trilby Road to Edora Park on East Prospect Road. It is part of an expansion project to connect to Loveland trails in the future, and runs alongside the Union Pacific Railroad. 970-2216660. www.fcgov.com/parks/trails.php.

Spring Creek Trail: A 6+ mile trail that runs from West Drake Road to The Poudre Trail near it’s intersection with East Prospect Road. This trail passes through several parks and sees a large amount of traffic on nice weather days. 970-2216660. www.fcgov.com/parks/trails.php.

Greeley/Windsor area trails Poudre River Trail: This 21-mile trail extends from the Island Grove Regional Park on North 11th Avenue to Colorado Highway 392 in Windsor and connects to the trail in Larimer County’s River Bluff ’s Open Space.

This trail follows the Poudre River and features educational and historical signs along the way. 970-336-4044. www.poudretrail.org/.

Loveland area trails Carter Lake: This 3+ mile trail system extends from Carter Lake and offers hiking trails of easy to moderate difficulty. 970-498-7000. www.co.larimer. co.us/naturalresources/carter.htm.

Devil’s Backbone Open Space: This 15+ mile trail system can be accessed from Colorado Highway 34 west of Loveland and from County Road 38E west of Fort Collins. The trails are rated from easy to difficult and are unpaved. 970498-7000. www.co.larimer.co.us/natural resources/bbone.htm.

Foothills Nature Trail: This 1-mile trail splits off from the Round Mountain National Recreation Trail, which can be accessed from Colorado Highway 34, 12 miles west of Loveland. The trail is unpaved but an easy hike for families. 970962-2000. www.ci.loveland.co.us/index. aspx?page=1102.

Loveland Recreation Trail: This 17.5mile trail runs from Boyd Lake State Park on County Road 11-C to the west side of town near Wilson Avenue. The trail passes parks, the city library and municipal buildings, runs parallel to the Big Thompson River for a portion and is part of an expansion project to encompass the entire city in the future. 970962-2000. www.ci.loveland.co.us/index. aspx?page=242.

Pinewood Reservoir Trails: This 4+ mile trail system has trailheads at Pinewood Reservoir and Ramsay-Shockey Open Space southwest of Loveland. The unpaved trails are easy to moderate and appropriate for hiking and mountain biking. 970-498-7000. www.co.larimer. co.us/naturalresources/pinewood.htm.

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11

healthy living

Cleaner, greener parties

Say goodbye to disposable celebrations An N S c h i m ke

U

ntil about a year ago, I was a total sucker for color-coordinated balloons, streamers, paper plates, paper napkins and plastic utensils at my kids’ birthday parties. Oh, and don’t forget a huge bucket of water balloons, a piñata stuffed with candy and plastic toys, and colorful cellophane favor bags bulging with more candy and trinkets.

But after one such backyard party, I was struck by how much garbage my twohour celebration produced. There were limp streamers, rubber balloon remnants, crumpled napkins, dirty plates, foodsmeared cutlery and a battered piñata shell. I started wondering what a “green” birthday party would look like and whether it could be as fun and appealing as the disposable-centric ones I’d thrown.

Well, this summer I’ll be testing out some of the green party ideas I’ve been collecting over the last several months.

Here’s a sampling of eco-friendly options for all aspects of a child’s birthday party.

own almost everything we need. In addition to a set of white ceramic dishes, we also have an eight-piece set of reusable plastic picnic-ware in pastel colors. No, it won’t match, but I’ll keep reminding myself it’s a party not a color-coordination contest.

If we need more than 14-16 settings, I plan to borrow from friends or family members or dash to the thrift store for a few cheap additions.

of playing cards, toothbrushes and homemade goodies in fabric bundles.

When it comes to games, get creative with what you already have around the house. For example, at a recent party, the birthday boy’s mother donned a raincoat, used a plastic sled as a shield and defended herself against a gaggle of laughing kids trying to hit her with wet sponges.

Other activities could be as simple as

Decorations Fabric decorations or even sturdy paper decorations that can be reused year after year are the key to doing away with birthday balloons and streamers. I plan to enlist my mom, an expert sewer, to make a colorful all-purpose birthday banner this year. But if that wasn’t an option, I’d make one myself with felt triangles and letters, string, with some basic sewing.

If you don’t have the time or energy to make one, check out the options for purchase on Etsy.com. Prices range from about $15-$35. Just remember, choose an option that will endure for years and work for all members of the family.

Food The number one rule here is to make most of the food. If you’re not up to providing a full meal, go with cake, lemonade and a few light snacks. Instead of juice boxes, provide a pitcher of lemonade and reusable cups. Skip paper cupcake liners by buttering and flouring your muffin tins. For snacks, think wedges of watermelon, a cheese plate, homemade soft pretzels, baby carrots and celery sticks with homemade dip, or home-baked cut-out cookies in birthdaythemed shapes, letters or numbers.

obstacle courses, scavenger hunts, crafts using repurposed household items or an old appliance box that’s been transformed into a club house or secret hideout.

Tableware For me, converting to real dishes, silverware and cloth napkins will probably be the easiest change to make. We already 12

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Activities If you choose to go with a piñata, why not try making it yourself with a balloon, newspaper strips and white flour glue? Instead of piñata filler from the party store, consider pencils, erasers, crayons, homemade play-do, mini-packs

Favors My kids have received several fun and useful party favors that have been a farcry from the conventional jumble of cheap, plastic junk. At a summer party last year, they received vibrant tie-dyed t-shirts that the birthday boy’s parents had dyed. At my nephew’s January party, they each received a pair of knit winter gloves with trendy designs. At another party, they received reusable plastic Thomas the Train plates, which, two years later, are still going strong.

Finally, at a fourth party, my older son came home with a $5 gift card for Dairy Queen. The possibilities for inexpensive and low-waste favors are endless.

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13

nutrition

Eat smarter with these substitutions

Simple ingredient replacements create healthier recipes R ICHA R D K E LL E R

I

n general, substitutions are rarely welcomed. For example, substitute teachers throw off a student’s schedule and cause havoc when others in the class take advantage of them. A substitution of a player in your favorite sport can cause a potential loss. And when your favorite actor or actress is replaced on a television show or play it can lead to disappointment.

The same cannot be said for substitutions of healthier ingredients in your diet. Replacement of high fat and sugar products with better alternatives move you and your family towards a goal of smarter eating and can result in better tasting meals. Here are a few ingredient swaps to take into consideration.

Butter Butter is a mainstay of many family diets.

It’s used as a spread, as an ingredient in baking, and as a means to coat cooking surfaces to avoid burning and sticking.

However, its seven grams of saturated fat and 30 grams of cholesterol per tablespoon outweigh its convenience.

The good news is there are many healthier alternatives for butter. Transfatfree spread is one such substitution as it is made from vegetable oils, lowering the levels of cholesterol and saturated fats. If the ingredient list says partially hydrogenated oils, it has some transfat even if the label says transfat-free. Avoid this. Swapping butter with unsweetened applesauce in a recipe keeps baked goods moist without the higher caloric levels. To coat pots and pans, change out butter for vegetable or canola oil-based cooking sprays.

If you need something to spread on your morning biscuit, push the butter to the back of the refrigerator and grab the peanut butter from the cabinet. Lower in saturated fats, one tablespoon of peanut butter contains four grams of protein as well as a mix of potassium, calcium and iron. If peanut butter is not to your taste, try apple butter 14

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for its sweetness and low sugar content.

Sour cream In addition to its uses on baked potatoes, in burritos, and as dips, sour cream is used in various cake recipes to provide flavor and moistness. But with four grams of saturated fat and 20 grams of cholesterol per a two tablespoon serving, it doesn’t rank high in the list of healthy ingredients.

With the same consistency of sour cream, a substitution of plain yogurt has the advantage of containing zero fat and low cholesterol. In addition, one serving pro-

vides 14 grams of protein, almost half of the recommended daily serving of calcium, and a mixture of vitamins and minerals such as B12, Riboflavin, and Zinc. Plain, non-fat yogurt is also probiotic, which helps improve digestion and protects against colon cancer, among other things.

The good thing about plain yogurt is it is plain. This means it can be dolled up in any way you can imagine. Chives can be added when the yogurt goes on top of a baked potato. Mix cilantro and scallions in when its added into a burrito

or placed atop a pile of nachos. Combine onion mix with the yogurt and the party dip won’t taste any different than if it was made with sour cream.

Other substitutions Eggs–If the cholesterol content of the yolks concerns you, substitute two egg whites for every whole one in your recipes. If there are allergies in the family, unsweetened applesauce is an adequate replacement for eggs as a firming agent.

Canned fruit–Look a bit closer on your supermarket shelf for the substitution of

canned fruit in heavy syrup. Upon examination you’ll find the same fruit canned in either water or a lighter fruit syrup such as pear. Both contain lower amounts of sugar.

Sugar–Reduce the amount of sugar in your recipes by a half and substitute with vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon to retain the same amount of sweetness.

Meat–Adding three times the amount of vegetables to a plate keeps the same protein that meat provides but reduces the higher-fat contents, which are connected to heart disease.

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15

community news

Student essay wins third place in national contest

Catherine Choi, a student at Saint Joseph Catholic School, won third place in the 8th-grade division of the National Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest. Her topic was “Young America Takes a Stand: The War of 1812.”

Catherine was honored at a luncheon in Denver for her first-place win in the statewide/southwest division before moving onto the national competition. The contest is open to students in grades 5 to 8 in public and private schools.

Recycle your paper cartons Fort Collins residents can now add one more material to their recycling bins: paper cartons. Starting immediately, these food and beverage cartons can be recycled in curbside recycling bins and in the commingled containers bins at the City of Fort Collins’ Recycling Drop-Off Site at 1702 Riverside Ave. Paper cartons with and without aluminum linings can be recycled. Rinse cartons and remove caps or straws prior to recycling, but there is no need to cut out any plastic spouts incorporated into the cartons. Do not include ice cream containers or paper cups in the recycling. They are made from different materials and cannot be recycled with the cartons.

For more details, please see www.fcgov. com/recycling, or call 221-6600.

Orthodontist rewards local youth for her good deed Shawn Murray, a Greeley-based orthodontist, launched a “Do A Good Deed Contest.” Young people, 18 years of age and 16

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under, submitted essays about good deeds they had accomplished. Meghan Ryan, 15, of Greeley submitted the winning essay.

Meghan wanted to help children in poverty and took a mission trip to the town of Corozal, Belize.

“What I experienced there changed my life and my outlook on many things.

And even though these conditions were harsh and these kids’ lives were brutal, they would smile and laugh at the slightest thing we would do for them,” wrote Ryan.

Chief of Greeley Police Department Jerry Garner was invited to present the prize of a new laptop.

PVH named one of Top 100 Hospitals Poudre Valley Hospital was named one of 100 Top Hospitals in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters, the nation’s leading independent organization that annually evaluates the performance of 3,000 healthcare companies.

PVH was the only Colorado hospital to make the 100 Top Hospital list.

This was the seventh time since 2001 that PVH received the annual award Rabid skunks confirmed The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment announced five rabid skunks that have been found

close to Fort Collins neighborhoods.

Larimer County residents are urgently advised to keep their pets, horses and livestock vaccinated and up-to-date, and to avoid skunks that are out in daylight or are behaving strangely.

The Health Department has posted a map that shows where skunks and bats that have tested positive for rabies have been found since early May at http:// larimer.org/maps/rabies.cfm.

If you see a skunk or bat that’s behaving strangely, keep your distance and call the Larimer Humane Society’s animal control number at 226-3647, #7.

For more information on rabies and steps you can take to lower your or your pets’ exposure to rabies, see: http:// larimer.org/health or www.cdc.gov/rabies/.

Cool Kids program sends children of single parents to school in style It might seem like school is just out, but Project Self-Sufficiency is gearing up for its annual Cool Kids back-to-school fund drive. Help to make sure that the children of single parents enrolled in the program have the opportunity to shop for $100 worth of new clothes, shoes, and jackets the first week in August. To help, contact connie@ps-s.org or call 635-5902. To learn more about PS-S, visit www.ps-s.org.

Project Self-Sufficiency children make the most of Cool Kids opportunity. Photo courtesy of Project Self-sufficiency.

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safe kids

Grooming children

Child molesters need three things: access, privacy and control D IA N E F R OMM E

P

arental diligence is always an important part of any formula to protect your children from sexual predators. Lizzy Slatt, Prevention Education Director at the Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA) Center based in Fort Collins, reminds parents that the root of all prevention starts in the home. “It’s never too early to establish a healthy vocabulary about feelings, anatomy, healthy or unhealthy boundaries, and safe or unsafe touch,” says Slatt.

Britt Darwin-Looney, national organization Praesidium’s Director of Youth Development Services, says, “In addition, parents need to be familiar with how abuse happens in youth-serving organizations and how offenders operate.” According to Darwin-Looney, “Parents need to understand that offenders need three things to abuse a child–access, privacy, and control (APC). These three things then allow offenders to violate a child’s boundaries through the grooming process.”

Know your APCs: Access “Offenders look for employment or volunteer positions where they have access to youth, like at a camp,” says DarwinLooney. As a parent, ask the camp about their screening process. This process should include the following: • Background and sexual-offender-registry checks.

•B ehaviorally based interviews with all applicants.

• Thorough reference checks.

Privacy Once an offender has access, the next step in a predator’s grooming process is to create ways to be alone with a child.

As a parent, ask the camp the following: 18

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• How will you be supervising my child during camp?

• What is the counselor-to-camper ratio?

• Do you have policies about one-to-one interactions?

• Are counselors allowed to communicate with my child after camp? If so, what methods are allowed? (Camps and organizations should not be allowing counselors and staff to follow up with children via email, texts, or social media.)

Control This is the most difficult aspect for a parent to observe, as its expression is subtle through four forms of grooming.

As a form of prevention, parents can educate their children that these situations are red flags. “Also, parents and child-centered organizations can raise awareness of healthy boundaries among the entire adult community so that the child is never controlled to this level in the first place,” says SAVA’s Slatt.

However, if any form of abuse is already occurring, the child will need to openly disclose the situation.

Review of the types of grooming: • Physical grooming: The offender becomes progressively more physically inappropriate. “The contact starts innocently with tickling or roughhousing,” says Darwin-Looney, “then progresses to inappropriate touch.”

• Emotional grooming: The offender appeals to the child’s or teen’s emotional needs and often targets at-risk youth.

Common phrases include variations of, “I know things are rough at home, but you can talk to me.” Perpetrators also want to keep secrets with children, controlling them through the guilt that would come from betraying the secret.

• Behavioral grooming: The offender encourages the child to break the rules, especially with regards to smoking,

drug or alcohol consumption, and viewing pornography. “A perpetrator may offer alcohol to the teen,” says Darwin-Looney. “That person is not forcing alcohol consumption, but allowing the teen to ‘choose’ to drink.

Then, when the child threatens to report the abuse, the offender uses the drinking as blackmail.”

• Community grooming: The offender has convinced the surrounding community that he or she is a valuable contributor to the success and wellbeing of its youth. “When a perpetrator is caught, it is common to hear community members say that they had no idea,” says Darwin-Looney.

“The response to the topic of molestation is usually reactive, not proactive,” says Slatt. Thus, the most important prevention actions parents can take are to educate their children, communicate with the child’s contact organizations, and to speak out against the topic in the community. “Sexual violence and abuse is an issue that thrives on secrecy, so perpetrators are less likely to act in environments where awareness is openly discussed,” says Slatt.

Diane Fromme is a freelance writer who focuses on family, stepfamily, and educational topics. Visit her parenting blog at www.dianefromme. com/blog.

Now enjoy RMParent magazine at your leisure or on the go with our new digital flip issues. Our digital monthly issues bring you all the information you expect from RMParent Magazine in an easy-to-navigate and fun format!

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Wonderful world of

Water

Splish-splash your way to fun at a pool or lake near you

by Katie Harris

J

une marks the annual reopening of outdoor pools and swim beaches in northern Colorado. This year, rediscover old favorites and explore new places to take a dip. Read on for updated hours and pricing for the 2012 season, and remember that all outdoor swim areas are subject to weather closures.

Berthoud Berthoud Pool, 200 7th St: An outdoor pool for lap swimming featuring designated family-swim times. Hours: Open swim, M-F: 1-4:30pm; Sa-Su: noon5pm. Family swim, M-F: 4:30-7pm.

Cost: Under 4: free; 4-18 and over 54: $2.50; 18 and up: $3; discounted punch cards available. Weather line: 970-6222524. www.berthoud.org/parks_rec/ pool.php.

Fort Collins City Park Pool, 1599 City Park Dr: An outdoor pool featuring two large slides, lazy river, fountains, play fort, zerodepth entry and picnic areas. Hours: SaM, 10am-6pm; T-F, 4-7pm. Cost: Under 2 and over 84: free; 2-17 and 55-84: 20

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$5; 18-54: $6; discounted punch cards available. Weather line: 970-416-2489 x5169. www.fcgov.com/recreation/city parkpool.php.

Horsetooth Reservoir, Cty Rd 38E: Swimming is permitted at the Inlet Bay and South Bay swim beaches when water levels allow. Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk. Cost: Daily park permit: $7 per vehicle; discounted annual passes available. Current weather conditions and hours: 970-679-4570. www. co.larimer.co.us/parks/Horsetooth.htm.

Greeley Centennial Pool, 2315 Reservoir Rd: An outdoor pool featuring a large curvy slide. Hours: Daily: 1-5pm. Cost: Youth and seniors: $4; Adults: $4.50. 970-3302837 for weather info. www.greeleygov. com/Recreation/Aquatics.aspx.

Discovery Bay, 715 E 24th St: A dinosaur-themed outdoor pool featuring a fort, slide, fountains and zero depth entry. Hours: Daily: 1-5pm. Cost: Youth and seniors: $4; adults: $4.50. 970-3533538 for weather info. www.greeleygov. com/Recreation/Aquatics.aspx.

Loveland Boyd Lake, 3720 N Cty Rd 11-C: Lake swimming is permitted at the designated swim area, which features a sand beach. No lifeguard on duty; swim at your own risk. Open during daylight hours. Cost: Daily park permit: $8 per vehicle; discounted annual passes available. Marina: 970-663-2662. www.parks.state.co.us/Parks/Boyd Lake/ParkActivities/Pages/BoydLake Activities.aspx.

Carter Lake, 4011 S Cty Rd 31: Lake swimming permitted at designated swim beach when conditions allow.

Hours vary. Cost: Daily park permit: $7 per vehicle; discounted annual passes available. Call 970-679-4570 for current hours and conditions. www.co.larimer. co.us/parks/carter.htm.

Lake Loveland, 2626 N Taft Ave: Lake swimming allowed in designated areas, and featuring a sand beach, picnic benches and a lifeguard on duty. Hours: Daily: 10am-5pm. Cost: free. Weather line: 970-962-2727. www.ci.loveland. co.us/index.aspx?page=231.

Winona Pool, 1615 4th St SE: An

outdoor pool with a slide and children’s area. Hours: M and W: noon-7pm; T and Th-Su: noon-5pm. Cost: Under 2: free; 2-5: $1.75; 6-17: $2.75; 18-61: $3.50; 62 and up: $3; discounted punch cards available. Weather line: 970-9622435. www.ci.loveland.co.us/index. aspx?page=231.

Windsor Chimney Park Pool, 421 Chimney Park Dr : An outdoor pool featuring a slide, picnic benches and concessions. Hours: Open swim: M-Th: 1-5pm; F-Su: 16pm. Call for Twilight swim and Family swim dates and hours. Cost: 5 and under: $2.25; 6-17 and over 49: $3.25; 18 and up: $3.50; discounted punch cards available. 970-674-3500 for information. www.windsorgov.com/index. aspx?NID=276.

Windsor Lake, 100 N 5th St: Swimming permitted in designated areas. No lifeguard on duty; swim at your own risk. Hours: Open during daylight hours. Cost: free. 970-674-3500 for information. www.windsorgov.com/index. aspx?NID=293.

Editor’s note: The following information provided by Safe Kids Larimer County, www.safekids.org.

Drowning is quick and quiet It’s a warm summer day and you’re at the beach, pool, or just simply near water with your kids. Your cell phone rings and you answer it, shifting your focus from your kids to the conversation. Good idea? Not at all, according to Mackenzie’s Mission, Inc. and it could even be deadly. Children can get into trouble in a matter of seconds, so Mackenzie’s Mission, Inc. recommends that parents actively supervise—with their eyes on their kids at all times—and use additional layers of protection when children are in or near the water.

In the U.S., drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1-14 years old. Also, many children are injured by near-drowning incidents each year. In Colorado, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental injury death for children ages 14 and younger, behind motor vehicle crashes.

“Kids drown quickly and quietly,” says Trista Roecker, founder of Mackenzie’s Mission, Inc. “A drowning child can-

not cry or shout for help. Remember that simple steps save lives—supervise children when they are in or near water, learn water-safety skills such as swimming and CPR and for home pools and spas, use barriers and anti-entrapment devices. The most important precaution for parents is active supervision. Simply being near your child is not necessarily supervising.”

To help keep kids safe this pool and outdoor recreation season, Mackenzie’s Mission, Inc. in partnership with Safe Kids Larimer County, recommends these precautions: Actively supervise children in and around water. Don’t leave, even for a moment. Stay where you can see, hear and reach kids in water. Avoid talking or texting on the phone, preparing a meal, reading and other distractions.

Avoid drinking alcohol while supervising children and never swim alone.

Strongly discourage children from prolonged breath holding, breath holding contests, and prolonged underwater swimming as these can and have caused drowning and sudden death from passing out while in the water (called Shallow Water Blackout). As a swimmer reduces both oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, unconsciousness and death occur quickly, without warning. Physical exertion, repeated hyperventilation and breath-holding increase the risks of Shallow Water Blackout.

Talk with teenagers about risky behavior, including diving or swimming in unfamiliar water, and the dangers of alcohol or drug use when engaging in recreational water sports or swimming.

If you have a pool or spa, or if your child visits a home that has a pool or spa, it should be surrounded on all four sides by a fence at least four feet high with selfclosing and self-latching gates that lock.

Studies estimate that this type of isolation fencing could prevent 50 to 90 percent of child drownings in residential pools.

Teach children about the dangers of swimming around drains. Children should not swim or play near any drain or suction outlet.

Make sure all pools and spas have compliant anti-entrapment drain covers and back up devices to ensure safer places for children to swim.

Know how to swim and enroll your kids in swimming lessons. Swimming lessons will not make your child im-

mune to drowning, but it is an important skill for both adults and children to learn. There is no substitute for active supervision.

Don’t leave toys in or near the pool, where they could attract unsupervised kids. For extra protection, consider a pool alarm and alarms on the doors, windows and gates leading to the pool.

Don’t rely on inflatable swimming toys such as “water wings” and noodles; these toys should never be used in place of U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets. If your child can’t swim, stay within an arm’s reach of the child.

Learn infant and child CPR. In less than two hours, you can learn effective interventions that can give a fighting chance to a child whose breathing and heartbeat have stopped. Contact your local hospital, fire department or recreation department for information about local CPR classes.

Learn how to use rescue equipment.

Keep rescue equipment, a phone and emergency numbers nearby in case there is an emergency.

Even a non-fatal drowning incident can have lifelong consequences.

Kids who survive a non-fatal drowning may have brain damage, and after four to six minutes under water, the damage is usually irreversible. Although 90 percent of parents say they supervise their children while swimming, many acknowledge that they engage in other distracting activities at the same time – talking, eating, reading or taking care of another child.

“A supervised child is in sight at all times with your undivided attention focused on the child,” says Trista Roecker.

When there are children in or near the water, adults should take turns serving as the designated “Water Watcher,” paying undivided attention. Visit www.safekids.org to download a free Water Watcher badge.

For more information about drowning and water safety, contact Safe Kids of Larimer County at 970-495-7504 or visit www.safekids.org or www. macksmission.org Safe Kids Larimer County works to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability to children ages birth to 14 years old. r m pa r e nt

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Newly single?

Surviving the emotionally charged first year on your own

By Lynn Utzman-Nichols

I

f you are newly single you might feel unique—as if everyone around you has a spouse or significant other. They don’t. There are 10 million single moms in the U.S.; and the number of single-parent households has tripled in the last 20 years.

This may not seem comforting if you’ve just joined these ranks. The world as you know it has shifted drastically. Your predictable future has now become somewhat unpredictable. Hang in there. You might be up for a ride the first year, but things will get easier as long as you commit to creating the most workable co-parent situation you can and separating emotionally from your ex as best as possible. Below is advice on how to survive single parenthood—especially that first, hard year.

Let go of guilt & stay the course When couples separate or get divorced, understandably one of their first concerns is the kids. So many questions run through their minds, often fueled by guilt and worry: How can we do this to the kids? How will they fare? Will they be scarred for life?

“Guilt and shame do not help you move forward. Whether a home is led by a single parent or two parents is not the deciding 22

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factor on if it is a healthy and functional environment,” says Dr. Carol Pfaffly, Associate Director for Behavioral Health Services at PVHS, and a longtime marriage and family counselor in Fort Collins who has helped hundreds of people navigate divorce. While there might be a societal belief that duoparent homes are better, this isn’t necessarily the case. “Single parenting can make things harder because there is more pressure on time and finances, but it doesn’t determine how well a child may fare,” she adds.

Guilt never helps. When we feel guilty, we try to compensate. We say yes to our kids when we should say no. We bend the rules to make life easier. Yet in the long run, this only makes things harder. Kids do go through a lot with divorce, no doubt. There is sadness and uncertainty. But trying to soften the blow by giving up structure and rules won’t help in the end. “Fairly often, I see parents feeling guilty and letting their kids off the hook on chores, homework and other responsibilities. Kids do best when they know where the lines are. It’s unsettling for them to lose their routines and rules,” says Pfaffly. When known rules and routines change, kids can feel untethered and insecure—not knowing what to expect.

This can lead to anxiety. Or, kids can feel like mom or dad feels sorry for them, or doesn’t think they can handle things: “This teaches kids to be fearful instead of resilient,” adds Pfaffly.

The same is true for showering kids with gifts or trips. What kids need more than anything is simply your attention.

Even if your time is limited, spending a half-hour engaged in a board game or snuggling with your child works wonders.

Your undivided love and presence is really what they need most.

The challenge is maintaining consistent rules and routines between two households. “That’s where the spirit of good co-parenting comes in,” says Pfaffly. “Effective co-parenting is when parents are willing to work with each other for the best interest of the children, despite differences.”

This doesn’t mean the exact same rules or routines need to exist at each house. That would be impossible; besides, kids easily get used to two routines. What does matter is the willingness between parents to carry out each other’s consequences, ensuring a consistent response to a situation. “For example, if a child misses feeding the dog three times at mom’s house and she takes away his iPod

for three days, she can ask dad to follow through with the consequence if some of that time is spent at his house. That’s effective co-parenting,” concludes Pfaffly.

Untangle the web (as best as possible) When couples split, the moving out and physical separation is the easy part. It’s the emotional separation that takes its toll on single parents. Divorce is a loss for all involved. People may go through similar feelings as they would if a loved one died.

There’s denial, grief, anger, sadness and acceptance. Bottom line, separation and divorce are painful and difficult, and you need support. Remember, you are not alone. Join a support group or a single parenting chat group online. If you have young kids, attend playgroups for single parents (see resource box). Seek out friends who are known to offer sound advice and a good ear.

You may be tempted to attend to the kids first. Resist this urge. Pfaffly encourages parents to get their own resources in place first, before getting resources for their kids. “It’s the same advice as on the airplane when the oxygen mask drops. You put yours on first. If you don’t get yourself settled you won’t be able to provide kids with a foundation to deal with the loss and change. Besides, it’s frightening for kids to see their parents off balance,” she says. Also, make time for yourself. Be creative—set up babysitting exchanges with friends or neighbors, or get up a half-hour earlier than everyone else to have some alone time.

Here’s a hard one. Untangle the web even further by vowing to not badmouth your ex in front of the kids. That includes trying to explain to them your ex’s failings. “Loyalty is big for kids. Whether or not you see major character flaws in your ex, your children have mostly positive feelings toward him. Filling their heads with your negative thoughts of him will hinder their healing,” advises Pfaffly.

Instead, if you have to discuss something with your ex do it when the kids are out of earshot. If your ex leaves your daughter literally on the doorstep waiting, don’t criticize his or her behavior. Rather, bite your tongue and ask your child what she’s thinking or feeling. You might have to bite really hard. If needed, set up things to make it easier, like a go-between for exchanges or email vs. face-to-face talks.

If you think that sounds hard, here’s

another one: jump off the one-upmanship ladder: “Everyone feels vulnerable and rejected after a split. As soon as one person says something judgmental or hurtful, it escalates into a turn-taking of insults and name-calling. That’s when I advise clients to zip it with their ex—as impossible as that seems in the moment,” says Pfaffly.

By not climbing the ladder, you hopefully break the cycle. Even if your ex is unwilling to stop battling, find comfort in knowing you took the high road. “If you need to, go out with your best friend, see a counselor, or stand on a cliff and scream.

Just don’t do it in front of the kids,” she adds. This isn’t to say your kids won’t feel the tension or distance between the two of you—but it keeps them out of it.

A final way to untangle the web is to stay out of your ex’s business. Again, hard—especially when it involves parenting your kids. “I’ve seen parents, with

their children’s best interests in mind, overstep their bounds and want to control what happens at their ex’s house.

Unfortunately, once you divorce you lose your right to run that person’s household,” says Pfaffly. You may not like that your ex lets your 9-year-old watch movies that are not age-appropriate, but he can make that decision in his household.

You can voice your opinion, but you can’t demand that he change. “As difficult as it is, you have to let that go. You have to literally shut the door to what happens inside your ex’s house. Unless it’s outside the parameters of safety, it comes down to two adults having different parenting approaches,” concludes Pfaffly.

With that said, if you strive to create the most healthy co-parenting arrangement as possible and do the work to untangle yourself emotionally from your ex, things will get easier over time. That’s a promise.

Finding support

Below are support groups, meet-ups and resources for single parents:

No Co Single Parent Families www.meetup.com/No-Colorado-Single-Parents-Group Budget-friendly activities and fun for all. Offers outings, exercise groups, and more for single parents.

Single Parents Meet up Group – Fort Collins singleparents.meetup.com/cities/us/co/fort_collins Offers outings and get-togethers for single parents.

Northern Colorado Parents Without Partners: A Single Parents Group www.parentswithoutpartners.org Parents without Partners is an international nonprofit organization that brings together single parents for friendship, fun, education and support. For information on local groups, email NorthernColoradoPWP@yahoo.com or call 970-377-2229.

The Mother’s Center of Fort Collins www.motherscenterfc.org A network of moms from Fort Collins, Loveland and Windsor who share the special joys and challenges of parenting. Members share experiences, create bonds, laugh, play and re-energize toms, but a good resource for parenting, play groups, night’s out and more.)

Project Self Sufficiency of Loveland-Fort Collins www.ps-s.org Assists low-income, single parents in their efforts to achieve economic independence and become free from community and government assistance while building and maintaining strong, healthy families. In Loveland, call 635-5912; In Fort Collins, call 407-0305.

Welcome to Motherhood Support Group Group for new moms and their babies. Offers mom-to-mom sharing while discussing a variety of topics. Every Wednesday, 2-3 pm, ongoing. Westbridge Medical Suites (PVHS), 1107 S. Lemay Ave., Fort Collins. Free, drop in.

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poudre school district news

Hugs from kiddos makes volunteering all worthwhile

Emily Oxford, Volunteer Building Coordinator for O’Dea Core Knowledge

Poudre School District has over 14,500 volunteers, consisting of parents, grandparents, seniors and community members. Managing that many volunteers in 48 schools is quite a feat! Helping the PSD’s Volunteers & Partnerships office manage the multitude of volunteers at each school site is a Volunteer Building Coordinator (VBC). These dedicated volunteers donate many hours to ensure the volunteer program at their school is a success. Some have done it for many years, starting in elementary schools, and continuing in this volunteer position even after their children move on to junior high and even high school!

Volunteer Building Coordinator for O’Dea Core Knowledge, Emily Oxford, began volunteering when her son started kindergarten. She took over the VBC position for the 201112 school year. Oxford has enjoyed finding new volunteers and helping teachers, staff, and the PTA fill volunteer needs. “I do it for the kids,” Oxford says.

“Kids learn best when their teacher can teach,” says Oxford, “and volunteers help support the learning 26

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environment and help to lighten the teachers’ load just a little bit.” Being an active part of the school and community, Oxford sees that the teachers and staff really depend on volunteers to make their day run smoothly and to free up time so that they can spend more time with the students. Every time she is at O’Dea, she sees other volunteers working in classrooms or helping with clerical needs. Oxford says, “Our strong volunteer base is a key ingredient in O’Dea’s success.”

The week of Volunteer Appreciation Week, the school hosted a volunteer luncheon to thank the volunteers for all of their hard work. The media center was packed with volunteers, teachers, and staff, and they all enjoyed an afternoon together with food and even better company. One volunteer, who is a new community member, thanked Oxford for helping her find a volunteer position. This volunteer is not a parent, but dedicates several hours a week to support O’Dea’s adaptive classroom and one of the second

grade classrooms.

Since Oxford is working on her Master’s degree, she states she doesn’t have much spare time. The extra time that she does have, she enjoys spending with her husband and two sons, ages 6 and 2, as well as gardening and making crafts.

Oxford feels O’Dea has an “amazing group of teachers, a fabulous principal, and outstanding staff.” She believes they should be able to focus their time and efforts on their students. Oxford says, “I love that our volunteers help make that happen.

The most rewarding part of volunteering is working with the kids and seeing them learn. Also, the hugs. The hugs from those little kiddos make it all worthwhile!”

Abacus ants give kindergartners adventures in math “Two, four, six, eight, ten…” Kindergartners enthusiastically chanted as they counted by twos their hand-made ants on a giant abacus at Laurel Elementary

Fifth-graders help kindergartners count on the giant abacus at Laurel Elementary School of Arts and Technology.

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Two students wave the American flag during Bauder Elementary’s International Flag parade. Twenty-eight countries, including the United States, were represented in the diversity celebration.

School of Arts and Technology.

The young students are learning math through an engaging “Abacus Ants” activity, which involves art, listening to stories and math skills.

Creatively gifted older students helped create the fun activity after being challenged to figure out how the school’s 7- by-5-foot abacus could be used more in learning activities.

Students first made ants out of black pipe cleaners and paper and then heard a story featuring “The Adventures of Artie the Ant,” who doesn’t follow the other ants, and often steps out of line because of distractions such as beautiful shapes and colors on the abacus. Students then discovered their ants on the giant abacus (with hand-painted beads made out of sofa feet) that sits outside their classroom. Fifth-graders Chalice Michael and Conner Mikesell led the students as they practiced counting by ones, twos, fives and tens.

Kindergartners Lee West and Ahliesia McGonigal especially enjoyed the ant adventures on the abacus.

“The abacus is what you count 28

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on. We did it to have adventures,” says Ahliesia.

“It helps you count better and it helps you get more math and I really like math,” says Lee. Kindergartner teacher Michelle Arnold says having a visual aid engages the students and helps them learn more. “Kindergartners are very visual. When they see it, they understand it,” she says, adding that the younger students also like working with the older students. “Our little guys really look up to them.”

Laurel Creativity Specialist teacher Stephie Morton says the activity resulted from wanting to create more interest in the abacus. She presented the challenge to creativelygifted students Chalice and Conner who helped develop the activity.

Morton says they plan to have more stories and abacus ant adventures.

Bauder Elementary celebrates diversity with parade Wearing traditional dress from their countries and carrying flags, Bauder

Elementary students honored each other and their different cultures during their International Flag Parade. Twenty-eight countries, including the United States, were represented in the parade.

“The parade is to honor our visiting students from other nations as well as to provide our own community an opportunity to show pride in their own nationality,” says Brian Carpenter, Bauder principal. “We are so unique in our diversity at Bauder that we want to showcase this diversity and recognize this global society that we live in. Diversity is our community and we are proud of it.”

The event was also an opportunity to celebrate peace and reflect on what brings people together. Student leaders reminded everyone that children throughout the world have fundamental rights by reciting the 10 principles from the Declaration of Rights of a Child, adopted by the United Nations in 1959.

Those principles include: 1. The right to equality, without distinction on account of race, religion or national origin.

2. The right to special protection for the child’s physical, mental and social development.

3. The right to a name and a nationality.

4. The right to adequate nutrition, housing and medical services.

5. The right to special education and treatment when a child is physically or mentally handicapped 6. The right to understanding and love by parents and society.

7. The right to recreational activities and free education 8. The right to be among the first to receive relief in all circumstances.

9. The right to protection against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation 10. The right to be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, and universal brotherhood.

JOHN M. JAMES, M.D.

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greeley-evans district 6 news

Maria Gonzalez featured in video •G reeley West High School teacher Beth Sasse • Franklin Middle School teacher Mary Billings • Brentwood Middle School teacher Christa Hantsbarger • Chappelow K-8 Arts & Literacy School teacher Ben Kleiber • Greeley Central High School counselor Kendra Villarreal • East Memorial Elementary School teacher Rich Weinman

Teacher Maria Gonzalez makes a difference.

The latest Teacher Who Makes a Difference video features kindergarten teacher Maria Gonzalez from Billie Martinez Elementary School. The video can be seen on Comcast cable channel 16 in the Greeley and Evans area, and also on the District 6 website.

In the video, Gonzalez talks about the deep commitment she has to making sure every minute she spends with her students counts. The responsibility she feels to helping these youngest learners get a great start to their educational journey is evident. Along the way, she has fun trying to keep up with her very energetic and excited students.

Although she tried other careers before, she feels truly fulfilled in life by being a teacher.

Throughout the school year, District 6 produces videos highlighting star students and talented teachers in schools across Greeley and Evans. The videos can be viewed on the district’s website <www.greeleyschools.org/site/default. aspx?PageType=14&DomainID=426& PageID=1500&ModuleInstanceID=25 49> . Prior installments of Teacher Who Makes a Difference have featured: • John Evans Middle School teacher Louise Price • Greeley Central High School and ENG@GE Academy teacher Markee Swank

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May 29 to June 28, M-Th, Breakfast—7:30-8am; lunch—12-1pm

• Centennial Elementary, 1400 37th St., Evans • Heimen Elementary, 3500 Palermo Ave. Evans • Jackson Elementary, 2002 25th St., GR • John Evans Middle School, 2900 15th Ave., GR • Madison Elementary, 500 24th Ave., GR

Summer meal program helps close hunger gap School District 6 will sponsor a federal Summer Food Service Program beginning May 29, providing free meals to children ages 1 to 18 in Greeley and Evans. Adults may join their children and purchase a breakfast for $1.80 and a lunch for $3.10.

Just as learning does not end when school lets out, neither does a child’s need for good nutrition. The national Summer

May 29-Aug. 3, M-F Breakfast—7:30-8:30am; lunch— 11:30am-12:45pm.

Food Service Program provides free, nutritious meals to help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need to learn, play and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school.

In Greeley and Evans, meals will be served at the following schools during the dates and times listed. The meals are available to all children in the community; children do not need to be enrolled at any of these schools to participate. in the meal program

group of children at a central site, such as a school or a community center.

District 6 will receive payments from USDA for the meals served. The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers and funds the Summer Food Service Program.

For more information about the summer meal program, please contact the District 6 Nutrition Services department at 970-348-6600 or visit www.fns. usda.gov/cnd/summer/.

• Maplewood Elementary, 1201 21st Ave., GR • Shawsheen Elementary, 4020 W. 7th St., GR Locally, the program is run by approved sponsors, including school districts, local government agencies, camps, or private nonprofit organizations. Sponsors provide free meals to a

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thompson school district news

Thompson robotics teams nab three international awards

Students from TSD compete at robotics tournament.

Three teams from Thompson School District were among only five from Colorado who returned from the 2012 VEX Robotics World Competitions with division high school awards.

The five teams have been invited to do a presentation before the Colorado Board of Education in June.

They were among 12 teams from Colorado and 600 teams from 18 countries to compete in the event during April in Anaheim, Calif.

Team 1069E, Critical Mass, representing Berthoud High School, brought back the Engineering Division Excellence Award, the highest honor in their division, given to the most well rounded team. BHS is Thompson School District’s high school with a STEM Focus Program.

Another group of BHS students on Team 1069D, Palladium, brought home the Technology Division Build Award. The Build Award is given to the team that has built a well-crafted and constructed robot that also shows a clear dedication to safety, detail, and with a professional feel and quality look.

Team 974, Hazardous, with 32

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Thompson students from Berthoud High, Walt Clark, and Conrad Ball middle schools, earned the Science Division Create Award, which is awarded to the team whose robot design incorporates a creative engineering solution.

“It’s great friendly competition with our peers, until we decide to try and destroy them,” says Caleb Hammel from 1069D. The other two division award winners from the state were from St. Vrain School District and Kent Denver School.

“This is even more impressive when you consider that VEX competition is relatively new in Colorado and there are currently just 40 VEX teams out of the 4800 teams in 26 countries worldwide,” says Liz Rayment who has supported the Thompson teams through the nonprofit Action-Works. “I think it says a lot about what Colorado students are capable of if we give them the opportunity.” She and her husband, Ken, were inducted into the STEM Hall of Fame during the Opening Ceremonies for their work with Action-Works, a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit.

Lucile Erwin Middle School Energy Project earns award Erwin Middle School 8th-grade science students won the National Energy Education Development Project Colorado Junior School of the Year. The students all did group presentations on proposals for saving energy at their school and within the Thompson School District.

“I am so proud of their accomplishments,” says teacher Jennifer Varrella, who along with Rob Stafford, who handles energy and resource management for the district, created the problemsolving project for the students.

Varrella says the school was awarded a sponsorship for four registrations and travel for project participants to Washington, D.C. for the awards ceremony. “I have a team, who, on their own initiative, started a recycling program at our school (including training all 900+ LEMS students) that I feel have earned this trip and recognition,” she says. The four who will accept the award are: Payton Buhler, Morgan Kienzle, Katey Donovan and Hadin Warehime.

Their project was collaborated with the district’s environmental specialist, Trudy Trimbath, and Gallegos Sanitation. “Each class was challenged with coming up with a plan to make Erwin a more energy efficient place,” Varrella says. One of the classes looked for ways to install daylight spectrum lighting in classrooms, while another worked on bringing solar energy to the school. The third class sought ways to make one specific system within the school 15 percent more energy efficient. The fourth class planned ways to save a total of 30 percent of the school’s utility costs within two years. The fifth class focused on installing geothermal energy in the school.

“The hope was to have some of the plans implemented in to the school for future generations to enjoy. Some changes may even be implemented by the end of this school year,” says Varrella.

The students will travel to Washington, D.C., to accept the award June 22-25.

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Retired Teacher Stevie Benkendorf poses with B. F. Kitchen Elementary Principal Kandi Smith and artist Denny Haskew, who donated his mother’s paintings to schools through the Thompson Education Foundation.

Legacy for Lu Fund Some people worked with her, some knew her, many more have heard of her.

Now, anyone who walks into one of the Thompson schools will see the name and work of former teacher and artist, the late Lu Haskew.

Her son, Denny Haskew, donated 32 of Lu’s paintings to the Thompson Education Foundation to be placed in all of the Thompson schools. So far, 14 have been placed with plaques that include Lu and Denny’s names as well as the names of the people who stepped forward to sponsor the paintings. Sponsorships of the paintings go directly into the Legacy for Lu Fund, an endowment whose proceeds will be used to fund art projects and supplies in the schools.

“My mother was a prolific painter and she loved both teaching and painting, so I thought I’d share these with the schools,” Haskew says. “I think students who see that she was a teacher and artist might realize their own potential,” he adds.

The cost to sponsor a painting is $500 for elementary; $750 for middle school; and $1,000 for high school, which 34

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are the largest paintings. The framed paintings are valued at $400 to $4,000.

Stevie Benkendorf, a retired teacher, sponsored a painting at B. F. Kitchen Elementary, where she taught.

“Wow” was the reaction by some who watched the largest painting, Summer Glads, being installed in the front lobby area of Mountain View High School. The painting, sponsored by Jim and Sheree Lambert of Shippers’ Supply, boasts purple and white flowers. One of MVHS’s colors is purple.

“We just loved the sunflowers and thought they would work for Thompson Valley High School,” says Becky McQueen, Thompson Valley Rotary Club president. Her club sponsored the painting Yellow Flowers at TVHS. Loveland Rotary Club sponsored White Vase with Lilacs for Loveland High School. “This is a great way for students to see how the Rotary clubs support the schools and community,” says Jerry Westbrook, president of the Loveland Rotary.

Some sponsorships are more personal.

Rhonda Richer, who is retiring this year as principal at Ivy Stockwell Elementary, sponsored Dependable Flower with her

husband Thom Reiher. Retired teacher Sandy Roorda and her husband, Jim, sponsored Boat at her former school, Laurene Edmondson Elementary. Kathie and Doug Rechkemmer and their children sponsored In for the Night at Mary Blair Elementary, where their children Zach and Payton attend school. The same is true of Italian Walkway, sponsored at Ponderosa Elementary by Dee, Julia, Theresa and Brian Clements for Theresa and Brian’s children Emma and Aidan. Gordon and Wanda Hannaford sponsored Yellow House at Lucile Erwin Middle School in honor of their niece and nephew.

At Monroe Elementary School, the sponsors of Outdoor Scene are the Tuesday Ladies, who had lunch with Lu on Tuesdays, and Friends of Lu, who were people that knew Lu or just wanted to contribute funds for a painting.

John Kinkade, who owns Columbine Gallery and shows Lu’s work, sponsored Nested In at Carrie Martin Elementary, where his daughter Dayna Campbell teaches. Kinkade, Denny Haskew and the TEF also sponsored a second fundraiser May 5 at Columbine Gallery’s sculpture garden to have more paintings sponsored. “We want to turn the Legacy for Lu fundraiser concept into an annual event to raise money for the endowment, which in turn benefits students in the school district,” Kinkade says. Due to the May 5 fundraiser, 22 paintings are now sponsored.

During the second fundraiser, Doug Erion, arts supporter and head of the Erion Foundation, sponsored a painting at Garfield Elementary, which is a LISA (Loveland area Integrated School of the Arts) school. Erion and his foundation were instrumental in supporting the LISA concept K-12 in Thompson School District.

The district hopes to have all of the paintings installed before the start of the 2012-2013 school year. Those that aren’t sponsored yet are still open for sponsorship: Van Buren Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Cottonwood Plains Elementary, Coyote Ridge Elementary, Berthoud Elementary, Turner Middle School, Walt Clark Middle School, Ferguson High School, New Vision Charter School and Loveland Classical School.

For more information about TEF or painting sponsorships, call 970-6135074 or visit www.thetef.org.

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JUNE 2012 Ongoing Through June 2 The Sound of Music Carousel Dinner Theatre, 3750 South Mason St., FC. 970-225-2555. www.

MidtownArtsCenter.com Through June 3 Oklahoma! The Musical Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, 4747 Market Place Dr., Johnstown, CO. 970-744-3747 or www.coloradocandlelight.com.

June 5-7 Canyon Concert Dance Center Spring Showcase The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia, FC. 6:30pm. 970-221-6730 or www.lctix.com.

June 6-10 35th Annual Rocky Mountain Senior Games Includes archery, badminton, bowling, cycling, field events, golf, power walking, pickleball, racquetball, road race, rowing, shuffleboard, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track, trap and skeet shoot, 8 ball and 9 ball. Greeley Senior Center, 1010 6th St., GR. Ages 50+. 970-350-9440 or www.rockymountainseniorgames.com.

June 6-September 1 Hairspray the Musical Carousel Dinner Theatre, 3750 South Mason St., FC. 970-225-2555. www.

MidtownArtsCenter.com June 14-August 4 Godspell A tale of friendship, loyalty and love.

Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, 4747 Market Place Dr., Johnstown, CO. 970-744-3747 or www.coloradocandlelight.com.

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calendar Friday, June 1

Scrabble @ Your Library Players of all ability and experience levels are welcome. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 10am. 970-2216740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Noches en Familia: Family Nights ¡Ven y disfruta un tiempo de cuentos, manualidades, canciones y películas en español! Come and enjoy a time of stories, crafts, puppets, and songs in Spanish. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 5pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

The Barber of Seville One of the greatest comic operas of all time. The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia, FC. 7:30pm. 970-221-6730 or www. lctix.com.

Ben & Jerry’s FAC Concert Series Live music to kick off the weekend! Old Town Square, FC. 7-9pm. 970-484-6500 or www.DowntownFortCollins.com.

History and Future of Space Travel Greeley History Museum Community Room, 714 8th St., GR. 6-7:30pm. www.greeleymuseums.com.

Saturday, June 2

5th Annual Spring Farm Tour Grant Family Farms, 1020 W. County Rd. 72, Wellington, CO. 970-568-7654 or www.grantfarms.com.

Boot Camp for New Dads For men, taught by men! North Colorado Medical Center, 1801 16th St., GR. 9am-Noon. 970‑378-4044 or www.BannerHealth.com/NCMCFamilyLifeEdu.

Breastfeeding: Off to a Good Start Designed for expectant parents who are considering breastfeeding. North Colorado Medical Center, 1801 16th St., GR. 9amNoon. 970‑378-4044 or www.Banner Health.com/NCMCFamilyLifeEdu. Teens Create Design and make your “Own the Night” t-shirts. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 1pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Global Village Museum’s World Rhythms International food, dance and music. Old Town Square, FC. 1-10:30pm. 970-4846500 or www.DowntownFort Collins.com.

Fishing Derby Bring your pole & tackle. Sanborn Park, 28th Ave. & 20th St., GR. 8am-Noon. www.greeleymuseums.com.

Sunday, June 3

Animal Afternoon Join Larimer Animal People Partnership volunteers and their special story-loving critters. Main Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 3pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

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Dancer’s Ascent: Ascension Our inaugural year-end recital will feature all of our dancers ages 3-12 performing pieces in jazz, tap, ballet and hip-hop. The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia, FC. 6:30pm. 970-221-6730 or www.lctix.com.

Noontime Notes Concert Series An intimate concert series where you can appreciate jazz, Latin, folk music and other genres while eating your lunch. Oak Street Plaza, Oak & College Ave., FC. 11:30am-1pm. 970-484-6500 or www.DowntownFortCollins.com.

Monday, June 4

HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method North Colorado Medical Center, 1801 16th St., GR. 9am-Noon. 970‑3784044 or www.BannerHealth.com/NC MCFamilyLifeEdu.

Once Upon a Time Presented by Contemporary Dance Academy. The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia, FC. 6pm. 970-221-6730 or www.lctix.com.

Tuesday, June 5

Own the Night Exploring outer space for teens. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 1pm & 2:30pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Great Discussions: Exit From Afghanistan and Iraq “Great Decisions” is a discussion program run by the Foreign Policy Association. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Wednesday, June 6

Own the Night Exploring outer space for teens. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 1pm & 2:30pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Bright Beginnings for Infants Bring your baby and learn how nurturing interactions will support brain and emotional development. Poudre Valley Health System, 1025 Garfield Ave., FC. 1011am. 970-495-7528 or www.pvhs.org.

Thursday, June 7

Fantasy Role-Playing Games for Teens If you like Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy role-playing games, then this is the place for you to get together with other teens that enjoy them too.

Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 1:30pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Old Town Thursday Concerts Presented by Bohemian Nights. Colorado music! Old Town Square, FC. 7-9pm.

970-484-6500 or www.DowntownFort Collins.com.

Kindles @ Your Library Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Friday, June 8

Ben & Jerry’s FAC Concert Series Live music to kick off the weekend! Old Town Square, FC. 7-9pm. 970-484-6500 or www.DowntownFortCollins.com.

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Saturday, June 9

Chess @ Your Library Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 10am. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Infant CPR North Colorado Medical Center, 1801 16th St., GR. 1-3:30pm. 970‑378-4044 or www.BannerHealth.com/NCMC FamilyLifeEdu. Spanish Prepared Childbirth To receive a flyer printed in Spanish, call 970-378-6709. North Colorado Medical Center, 1801 16th St., GR. 8am-3:30pm.

970‑378-4044 or www.BannerHealth. com/NCMCFamilyLifeEdu. Interesting Reader Society Meeting Young adults meet monthly to talk mainly about teen stuff. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 10am. 970-2216740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Teens Write: Fan Fiction Learn about “fan fiction,” what it is and how to write it well, and discover places to share your work with others online.

Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 1:30pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Nooks @ Your Library Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 4:30pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Sunday, June 10

Animal Afternoon Join Larimer Animal People Partnership volunteers and their special story-loving critters. Main Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 3pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

The Art of Process Presented by Studio West Dance Center. The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia, FC. 1pm & 5:30pm. 970-221-6730 or www.lctix.com.

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Ride Bike Month Calendar Mondays-Fridays, JuneAugust B.I.K.E. Camp, Beginner & Intermediate Learn basic road rules, safe riding strategies, emergency skills, bike handling skills and drills, nutrition and hydration, and bike maintenance in this fun camp! 6-10 years, beginner; 11-14 years, Intermediate. 8:30am-12:30pm.

Sponsored by FC Bikes, the Bike Coop, Boys & Girls club and City of Fort Collins Recreation. 224-6032. www. fcgov.com/bicycling.

Saturday, June 16

Curt Gowdy Trail Day Help work on the trail. Ride after.

8:30am, Overland Mountain Bike Club.

430-5336. www.overlandmtb.org.

Sunday, June 24

Tour de Poudre Two loops, 35 and 60 miles along the Poudre River Trail. New Belgium Brewery , 500 Linden St, FC., 7:30am1pm. Sponsored by Colorado Tree Coalition. www.coloradotrees.org.

Wednesday, June 27

Bike to Work Day, Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland.

Ride your bike to work and receive a free breakfast at any one of the breakfast stations. 6:30-9:30am. www.fcgov.com/ bicycling.

Thursday, June 28

Downtown Bike Show 6-8pm. Bean Cycle. 144 N. College Ave., FC. Sponsored by FCBikes. 4162411. www.fcgov.com/bicycling.

Friday, June 29

Bike nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Jazz Gardens on Spring Creek. 2145 Center Ave., FC. 6-8pm. Sponsored by FCBikes. 416-2411. www.fcgov.com/ bicycling.

Saturday, July 7

40 in the Fort Endurance Mountain Bike Race 40

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40-mile endurance race. Lory State Park and Horsetooth Mountain Open Space.

Overland Mountain Bike Club. 4305336, www.OverlandMTB.org.

Sunday, July 15

Urban Assault Ride New Belgium Brewery , 500 Linden St, FC. 9am. Sponsored by New Belgium Brewing. http://urbanassaultride.com/ ftcollins.

Monday, July 16

State Championshipb BMX race Epic BMX track. Saber Cat Drive between Lady Moon Drive and Ziegler Road, FC. 9am-3pm. 412-3726. www. epicbmxfc.com.

Friday-Sunday, August 17-19

Fort Collins Cycling Festival Friday: Packet pickup. Saturday: Rocky Mountain Criterium. Sunday: Horsetooth Road Race, Cancer Ride.

Old Town, FC www.fccyclingfest.com.

Saturday, August 25

Glendo Trail Day Help work on the trail. Ride after.

8:30am, Overland Mountain Bike Club.

430-5336. www.overlandmtb.org.

Thursday, August 30

Bike-in Movies Beginning Aug. 30 -Oct 4 for 6 weeks.

New Belgium Brewery, 500 Linden, FC. Movies start at dark. New Belgium.

221-0524. www.newbelgium.com.

Saturday, September 1

Tour de Fat Bicycle parade and festival. New Belgium Brewery, 500 Linden, FC. New Belgium.

221-0524. www.newbelgium.com.

Saturday, September 15

Curt Gowdy Trail Day Help work on the trail. Ride after.

8:30am, Overland Mountain Bike Club.

430-5336. www.overlandmtb.org.

Sunday, September 23

4th Annual Ram Bicycle Classic CSU Campus, FC. 6:30am for long rides. 9am for cruiser ride. Sponsored

by CSU GSSE program. www. rambicycleclassic.org.

Saturday-Sunday, October 6-7

USGP of Cyclocross New Belgium Cup, National cyclocross races. Kids clinic, races, after-event party at New Belgium. Races at 5757 S. College Ave., FC. www.yourgroupride.com

Saturday, October 13

Halloween Race and Chili Cook-Off. Epic BMX track. Saber Cat Drive between Lady Moon Drive and Ziegler Road, FC. 9am-3pm. 412-3726. www. epicbmxfc.com.

Wednesday, December 5

Bike Lunch Talk 12-1pm. Sponsored by FC Bikes. Home State Bank, 303 E. Mountain Ave., FC. 416-2411. www.fcgov.com/bicycling.

Sunday, December 2

Winter Cycling Skills 101 Free. 2-5pm. Sponsored by FC Bikes.

Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre, FC. 416-2411. www.fcgov.com/ bicycling.

Friday, December 7

Light up the Night 6-8pm. Sponsored by FC Bikes. 4162411. www.fcgov.com/bicycling.

Wednesday, December 12

Winter Bike to Work Day Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland. Ride your bike to work and receive a free breakfast at any one of the breakfast stations. 7-9am. www.fcgov.com/bicycling.

Saturday-Sunday, December 15-16

Colorado Cyclocross State Championships Challenging, spectator-friendly course.

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Monday, June 11

Big Bright Shirt: Dream Big with Dan Crow Bedecked in his multi-colored “dream” shirt, beloved family entertainer Dan Crow stirs the imagination and the love for reading with hilarious stories and songs. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 2pm & 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Bright Beginnings for One-Year-Olds Explore how thinking and interactions change as your infant becomes a toddler on the go. Loveland Library, 300 N. Adams, LV. 9-10am. 970-495-7528 or www.pvhs.org.

Bright Beginnings for Two-Year-Olds Learn how to promote early literacy, brain development, and a healthy and safe environment for the active twos.

Loveland Library, 300 N. Adams, LV. 1011am. 970-495-7528 or www.pvhs.org.

Girl Talk For girls and their mothers to explore the physical and emotional changes of puberty. Medical Center of the Rockies, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., LV. 6:30-8:30pm.

970-495-7528 or www.pvhs.org.

Money Matters Build a better credit score. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 7pm. 970221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Storybook Puppets Livermore Community Hall, 1985 Red Feather Lakes Rd., Livermore, CO. 9:30am. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

10th Annual Heritage Tea Includes vignettes from past teas, a quilt auction, and presentations. Greeley History Museum, 714 8th St., GR. 2-4pm. 970350-9220 or www.greeleymuseums.com.

Tuesday, June 12

Kevin Cook: Boxelder Bed & Breakfast. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. Noon. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

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Noontime Notes Concert Series An intimate concert series where you can appreciate jazz, Latin, folk music and other genres while eating your lunch. Oak Street Plaza, Oak & College Ave., FC. 11:30am-1pm. 970-484-6500 or www.DowntownFortCollins.com.

Baby Care 101 Prepares expectant parents in the basic care of newborns for the first few months. Poudre Valley Hospital, Indian Paintbrush Room, 1024 S. Lemay Ave., FC. 6-9pm. 970-495-7528 or www. pvhs.org.

Camping Basics for Kids Join experts from REI to practice pitching a tent and making a comfortable camp. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 2pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

International Night: South Korea South Korea is a very modern, highly industrialized, fast moving and disciplined country, but also a rather tense one because of the constant threat of a renewed conflict with N. Korea. We will have a crash course in the Korean language, dress and culture. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.Poudre Libraries.org.

Wednesday, June 13

Money Matters Build a better credit score. City Community Room, 215 Mason St., FC. Noon. 970221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Bright Beginnings for One-Year-Olds Explore how thinking and interactions change as your infant becomes a toddler on the go. Poudre Valley Health System, 1025 Garfield Ave., FC. 10-11am. 970495-7528 or www.pvhs.org.

Prepared Childbirth Ask questions and make informed decisions about issues surrounding the birth of your baby. North Colorado Medical Center, 1801 16th St., GR. 7-9pm.

970‑378-4044 or www.BannerHealth. com/NCMCFamilyLifeEdu.

Own the Night Exploring Inner space for teens. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 1pm. 970-221-6740 or www.Poudre Libraries.org.

Fale: Fort Collins African Drum and Dance Troupe Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 1pm & 2:30pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

How to Write a Memoir: Life Chapters Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Breastfeeding Basics Topics include the process of breastfeeding and ways to prevent and care for problems. Medical Center of the Rockies, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., LV. 6:308:30pm. 970-495-7500 or www.pvhs.org.

Thursday, June 14

Teens Meet the Author: Todd Mitchell Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 1pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Old Town Thursday Concerts Presented by Bohemian Nights. Colorado music! Old Town Square, FC. 7-9pm.

970-484-6500 or www.Downtown FortCollins.com.

Labor Techniques and Comfort Measures Strategies for labor and delivery to include relaxation, breathing, visualization, movement, or massage. Westbridge Medical Suites, 1107 S. Lemay Ave., FC. 7-9pm. 970-495-7528 or www.pvhs.org.

Friday, June 15

Ben & Jerry’s FAC Concert Series Live music to kick off the weekend! Old Town Square, FC. 7-9pm. 970-484-6500 or www.DowntownFortCollins.com.

Saturday, June 16

Beginning Nighttime Photography Workshop Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 10am. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Summer Movie Mash-up: Jurassic Park Main Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Weekend Warrior Wisdom Surviving & enjoying your weekends.

Eaton Grove Nursery, 35901 County Rd. 31, Eaton, CO. 10:30am-1pm. 970-3922222 or www.BannerHealth.com/NC MCFamilyLifeEdu.

Sunday, June 17

Happy Father’s Day!

Aromatherapy to Enhance Your Life The uses of essential oils (which are extracted from herbs, flowers, resin, woods and roots) have been used as a healing technique for over 1000 years. Each of the oils has its own unique characteristics and benefit. We will discuss the various basic uses and application of essential oils. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 7pm. 970-2216740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Bright Beginnings for Infants Bring your baby and learn how nurturing interactions will support brain and emotional development. McKee Medical Center, 2000 N. Boise Ave., LV. 6:309pm. 970-495-7528 or www.pvhs.org.

Tuesday, June 19

Fantasy Role-Playing Games for Teens If you like Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy role-playing games, then this is the place for you to get together with other teens that enjoy them too.

Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 1pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Noontime Notes Concert Series An intimate concert series where you can appreciate jazz, Latin, folk music and other genres while eating your lunch. Oak Street Plaza, Oak & College Ave., FC. 11:30am-1pm. 970-484-6500 or www.DowntownFortCollins.com.

Game Day @ Your Library Main Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 1pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Father’s Day Skate Special Greeley Ice Haus, 900 8th Ave., GR. 121:30pm. 970-350-9402 or www.greeley icehaus.com.

Monday, June 18

I Dreamed I Was a Genie A “dreamy” genie makes magical wishes come true. Main Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 2pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Bright Beginnings for Infants Bring your baby and learn how nurturing interactions will support brain and emotional development. Medical Center of the Rockies, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., LV. 12-1pm. 970-495-7528 or www.pvhs.org.

Wednesday, June 20

The World of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole Join us as we gather at the Great Ga’Hoole Tree to explore the Ga’Hoole world of the Guardian Owls. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 10:30am; Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 2pm. 970-2216740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Bright Beginnings for Infants Bring your baby and learn how nurturing interactions will support brain and emotional development. Poudre Valley Health System, 1025 Garfield Ave., FC. 1011am. 970-495-7528 or www.pvhs.org.

Thursday, June 21

Out-of-This-World Cupcakes for Teens learn creative techniques for decorating cupcakes with night themes and space themes such as Star Wars. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 1pm. 970-221-6740 or www.Poudre Libraries.org.

Raptors by Night Meet raptors from the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 2pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Old Town Thursday Concerts Presented by Bohemian Nights. Colorado music! Old Town Square, FC. 7-9pm.

970-484-6500 or www.DowntownFort Collins.com.

The World of Aldo Zelnick Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Labor Techniques and Comfort Measures Strategies for labor and delivery to include relaxation, breathing, visualization, movement, or massage and use of tools such as birthing balls, aromatherapy, or rebozos. Westbridge Medical Suites, 1107 S. Lemay Ave., FC. 1-3pm. 970-4957528 or www.pvhs.org.

Nutrition Series: Pain Free, Efficient Digestion This presentation will cover nutritional supportive care for all types of digestive conditions, including heartburn, GERD, gas and bloating, IBS, and inflammatory bowel conditions. Main Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 7pm. 970-2216740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

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Friday, June 22

Ben & Jerry’s FAC Concert Series Live music to kick off the weekend! Old Town Square, FC. 7-9pm. 970-484-6500 or www.DowntownFortCollins.com.

Saturday, June 23

The World of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole Join us as we gather at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree to explore the Ga'Hoole world of the Guardian Owls. Main Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 10:30am. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

John Prine Presented by Sherpa Concerts and Square Peg. The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia, FC. 8pm. 970-221-6730 or www.lctix.com.

Summer Movie Mash-up: Back to the Future Main Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

We’re having a Baby: A Class for Siblings Kids will learn what a new baby looks like, how to become a “big helper,” and how to make friends with the new baby.

North Colorado Medical Center, 1801 16th St., GR. 9:30-10:30am. 970‑3784044 or www.BannerHealth.com/NC MCFamilyLifeEdu. Medical Interventions and C-Sections Options in pain management and what to expect before, during and after a C-section. Poudre Valley Health System, 1025 Garfield Ave., FC. 10am-Noon.

970-495-7528 or www.pvhs.org.

Sunday, June 24

Animal Afternoon Join Larimer Animal People Partnership volunteers and their special storyloving critters. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 3pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

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Monday, June 25

Museum of Dreams Join a mischievous ghost as she haunts the local Pioneer Museum and unlocks the stories of the many treasures kept there. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 2pm & 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Tuesday, June 26

Teens Celebrate Steampunk @ Your Library Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 10am. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Noontime Notes Concert Series An intimate concert series where you can appreciate jazz, Latin, folk music and other genres while eating your lunch. Oak Street Plaza, Oak & College Ave., FC. 11:30am-1pm. 970-484-6500 or www.DowntownFortCollins.com.

Night Science for Kids Night and light and so much more!

Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 2pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Wednesday, June 27

will sign autographs at the end. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 1pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Dream Big with Scott Nash Meet Scott Nash, an accomplished children’s book illustrator with a distinctive vibrant style. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 7pm. 970-2216740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Old Town Thursday Concerts Presented by Bohemian Nights. Colorado music! Old Town Square, FC. 7-9pm.

970-484-6500 or www.DowntownFort Collins.com.

International Night: South Korea South Korea is a very modern, highly industrialized, fast moving and disciplined country, but also a rather tense one because of the constant threat of a renewed conflict with N. Korea. We will have a crash course in the Korean language, dress and culture. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.Poudre Libraries.org.

Friday, June 29

Catfish Charlie You’ll get hooked on Charlie and his puppet partner Skeeter, as they sing camp songs, tell jokes and fish tales in this very fun, interactive, and humorous program by Barrel of Fun. Main Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 2pm; Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

Literature Comes Alive: Lewis Carroll Longs Peak Student Center, Front Range Community College, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Bright Beginnings for Two-Year-Olds Learn how to promote early literacy, brain development, and a healthy and safe environment for the active twos.

Poudre Valley Health System, 1025 Garfield Ave., FC. 10-11am. 970-495-7528 or www.pvhs.org.

Women Rock the Night Featuring the hottest female fronted acts in Northern Colorado and beyond.

Artists include Erica Brown, the Symbols, Chaotic Serenity and Shannon Fitzsimmons. The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia, FC. 8pm. 970-221-6730 or www.lctix.com.

Thursday, June 28

Teens Meet the Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan Amy Kathleen Ryan, the author of Shadow Falls, Vibes, Zen & Zander Undone, and Glow, will talk about her books, what inspires her writing, and she

Ben & Jerry’s FAC Concert Series Live music to kick off the weekend! Old Town Square, FC. 7-9pm. 970-484-6500 or www.DowntownFortCollins.com.

Saturday, June 30

Summer Movie Mash-ups: Spaceballs Main Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

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time out

Free pancakes for everyone The challenges of feeding the family K R IS K O D R ICH

I

wish we were the type of parents who routinely purée peas and carrots to create wonderful, nutrient-rich sauces that we slop over our kids’ food.

Instead, we find ourselves trying to coerce our girls into munching a carrot stick or a broccoli floret before they dive into a plate of 420-calorie-per5.7-ounce-serving of orange chicken from Panda Express.

If Kalia and Bianka had their way, they’d eat at Panda Express every night–perhaps alternating with hamburgers hot off our patio grill and the occasional pancake or two.

It’s a constant battle to get our kids to eat better. We make sure they have carrots and oranges in their lunches, try to introduce them to interesting chicken or pasta dishes, and occasionally will celebrate when Kalia, 11, makes herself a little salad, or when Bianka, 7, demands that I buy strawberries, apples, grapes or kiwi. She absolutely loves avocados, and would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner if we let her.

We declare small victories if they reach for the Cheerios instead of the Reese’s Puffs. We are thankful that they love spaghetti, chicken, soups, teriyaki stir-fry, baked potatoes and quesadillas.

Although we don’t push fruits and vegetables as much as we should, they are at healthy weights–the nurse at the recent checkup even declared Kalia “tall and lean.” We smile when Kalia and Bianka repeat a nutritional fact they learned at school or acknowledge that their beloved Nutella hazelnut spread really isn’t all that good for them.

We’re far from perfect parents, but we at least try to keep things healthy at home.

Eating out, however, can be much more challenging.

One doesn’t need to watch “Fast 46

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Food Nation” daily or be an avid reader of the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s newsletter to know the everpresent danger of too much sodium, fat, sugar and calories.

And our family likes eating out–we usually go out at least twice a week. It’s fun, and we like trying new places. We particularly like taking our kids to neighborhood Italian and Mexican joints in Denver and Greeley. The biggest bonus of eating out, though, is we get to talk to each other. Kalia once lamented that our family doesn’t eat together much at our dining table because of

our varied schedules. So I justify our dining splurges by the fact we are all together, talking and interacting as a family should.

Plus, as crazy as it sounds, we find that it’s usually much cheaper to eat out. With Groupons and Social Living Deals, kids-eat-free days, certificates for free meals and two-for-one specials, and a load of gift cards accumulated through rewards programs, credit cards, etc., we rarely pay more than $5 or $10 total for a family of four. And we’re not talking McDonalds, either.

At casual family restaurants, Kalia and Bianka are learning to ask for orange or apple slices instead of French fries. Kalia now usually drinks only water with her meals, but we’re still trying to wean Bianka from soda.

I have no idea how she acquired a taste for Coke because nobody else in our house drinks it.

But we still do like our pancakes.

I am a sucker for all the free pancake breakfasts that seem to sprout in the summer. I will wake the kids up at 6am to head to Frontier Days in Cheyenne or the Larimer County Fair or any number of other festivals and parades that offer free pancakes. I know it makes no sense. You waste more in gas money and then there’s all that waiting in the sun to get the pancakes.

But free pancakes always taste so much better. As my kids get older, though, I’m finding it harder and harder to convince them of that.

They’d rather just go to IHOP. Wait … I do believe I have a coupon for free pancakes there, too.

Kris Kodrich, who teaches journalism at Colorado State University, and his two daughters are getting ready for the upcoming fair and festival season filled with pancake breakfasts.

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