September 2017 Sienna List

September 2017

Community At Your Fingertips

Community Outreach MIRACLE’S STORY

Parent Life Getting Involved in Your Children’s Schooling

Health Report PONDERING PREGNANCY? ZIKA UPDATE AND SEMINAR

Contents

9 11

Health Report Pondering Pregnancy? Zika Update and Seminar

Historical Ref lections Columbus Day Trivia

15 17

The Lifestyle An Authentic Life

Parent Life Getting Involved in your Children’s Schooling

Sienna List | info@siennalist.com | Missouri City, TX 77459 | 281-201-5998

September 16th from 3-8:00pm Community Center

Oktoberfest 1522 Texas Parkway, Missouri City, TX 77489

Sienna List was developed with the residents of Missouri City in mind. We offer free services for our members; a platform where members can find jobs, business recommendations, events, and more with the click of a button.

Authentic food, entertainment, and games will provide fun for the whole family!

It’s easy to become a member of Sienna List:

September 24th from 1-5pm Sienna Plantation Train Depot

Sienna Community Farmers Market – 9600 Scanlan Trace, Missouri City, TX 77459

1 - Visit www.thelist.city reate a user name and 2 - C password for your login.

September 26th from 10am- 11:30am Malawi’s Pizza

3 - C lick the Submit button.

Local produce, fresh goods and more!

Little Ones Just Wanna Have Fun! 8731 Highway 6 South, Missouri City,TX 77459 Enjoy a behind the scenes kitchen tour.

October 7th-8th 4:00pm City Hall Complex

Community Night Out - 1522 Texas Parkway Missouri City, TX 77489 Food Trucks, Bounces houses, live performances and more!

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To Advertise, Please Call 281-201-5998

Creating and sharing a local event such as a garage sale, classes, or a fundraiser has never been easier! Once you login, click create an event. Then fill in the appropriate fields and your event will be live on Sienna List.

Community Outreach

Miracle’s Story: How Sienna Stables Gave One Horse a Second Chance at Life By Rosanna Vidal

I

t’s a typical Saturday morning at the Sienna Stables, and people are filtering in and out to come see the beloved horses they have boarded at the stables, and to spend some riding time with them. As I meet Laura, owner of the stables and all-around horse aficionada, it becomes apparent that this is someone who loves what she does. Laura is on top of everything.

She answers questions without missing a beat, she knows who everyone is and is a seamless leader that, no doubt, has played a major role in making Sienna Stables what it is today.

Getting a chance to speak to her gave me a new perspective into just how powerful that bond between animal and human can be. I plan to take her up on her offer to come feed the horses from time to time, which is something you, and everyone, can do too. And you may even get the chance to meet Miracle—a feisty foal who was rescued almost three months ago and now lives a happy life at Sienna Stables.

SL: How did Sienna stables come to be? How did it all begin?

L: We relocated to the Missouri City, Sugarland area about, gosh, I guess, close to twenty years ago. Needed to live in this area. I had my horses in tow and...I could not find a...facility that met my needs. So, we were very fortunate about a year after we moved here, my husband was able to retire—we retired pretty young—and, we decided to build our own business. Because I felt like there was a need for this type of stable or equestrian center in this area and [it] really didn’t exist... There were a lot of mom-and-pop operations— small, you know, smaller, but not really a big commercial business like this. So, we just saw a need, built a business, and it’s kind of like the field of dreams: “build it and they will come.”

SL: What kind of activities do you do in your youth and day camps?

L: We do riding lessons, boarding of horses... so, if you privately own horses, we board. We do training of the horses, we do horse shows, we do therapeutic riding, and then of course we have youth camps, birthday parties.

SL: Can you tell us a little bit about the Star Riding Program?

L: The Star Therapeutic Riding Program is for riders of any ages from 3 ½ through adult who have either cognitive or physical disabilities.

And our goal is to make them as independent of a rider as they can, using whatever adaptive style of riding tack that we need to do. Some will never truly get totally independent, you know, we use side walkers and leaders, but our goal is to make them as independent as we can and give them a sport that they can continue throughout their lives.

SL: One of the reasons why I’m here is to learn more about Miracle, can you tell us more about her story and how this famous beauty came to earn her name?

L: Miracle was born on Sunday May the 7th. On Monday morning the 8th, I got a panicked phone call from one of my boarders that she had found a baby horse in a ditch in front of some property that she owns. And, she didn’t know what to do. So, I jumped in the truck, ran by Arcola Feed, which is the feed store right down here, and got some electrolytes and rushed out to where they had found her. They had already picked her up, put her in a truck, and got her to their property.

[They] Rinsed her off because she was

covered in ants. She had some pretty bad cuts and was severely dehydrated.

So, once we got some electrolytes in her, we took her immediately to the vet...we found out that she had never even gotten to nurse from the mother...she was thrown away basically immediately from being born, and they gave her plasma, and fluids, and then released her to us the next day. So she was born on Sunday, we found her Monday morning, and I got her back here on Tuesday. She was 27 pounds... she now weighs 267pounds. She’s a little bit under, just under three months of age, and, um, that’s kind of her story at first. She did develop an umbilical cord hernia. So, three weeks ago, I took her up to the large animal hospital of Texas A&M University and they did the surgery. So she got her hernia repaired surgically, and she’s only got one more week of rest, and then she basically gets to be a little horse again.

But she’s been confined to her stall for, you know, a month after the surgery.

SL: Can people ride Miracle?

L: Absolutely! She’ll be a future lesson horse, camp horse, but you don’t start them till they are at least two years of age. But she’s handled daily. She already leads well, she goes to the wash rack, she gets rinsed off...she picks her feet up, so eventually the farrier will be doing her feet.

SL: We saw some of her videos. She is beautiful! She has a bit of a wiggle...

September 2017

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o Back T ial pe c S l o o Sch

Continued ~

281-709-6235

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L: Her nickname is Sassypants. Because she is...very sassy. And that’s one thing you have to be very careful of when you’re raising an orphan horse.

Yes, they’re very people-oriented— they love people—but they don’t respect “your space”, and they don’t understand “their space.” When a horse is being brought up with his mother, every time it gets too rough with the mother the mother corrects it, you know, usually through a kick, something like that, you know, to “no, you’re being too tough, too aggressive,” but she doesn’t have a mother, so we have to be very strict with her about “our” boundaries and that kind of stuff so she doesn’t grow up to be a dangerous horse—not meaning to—it’s just their sheer size.

SL: What’s the best part of your job at Sienna Stables?

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L: I would say the best part of my job is the people, and sharing my joy and love of the horses and riding with people. I especially have a passion for the therapeutic riding. Because not only do I love to teach people about the horses and riding, but when you can do that to someone who can’t go play soccer, or can’t go play basketball, or possibly is not the kid that everyone asks to come over and play videogames at their house...this is a whole social environment to them, and that means a lot to me—to help people with special needs. But, yeah it’s [my favorite part] the horses and the people.

Silver Screen

September 15th Brad’s Status What started as a simple community website directory in 2013 has taken shape to become Community At Your Fingertips!

We offer trusted local resources on our website and a monthly magazine to bring you relevent articles from award winning columnists!

Go ahead and browse our site (www.thelist.city) to find businesses, events, job opportunities, real estate, and more.

Meaghan Barsamian CoFounder - CEO - Editor Allen Barsamian CoFounder - Account Manager Stacy Vickers Graphic Designer Alisa Murray Columnist Jason Luthor Columnist Rosanna Vidal Columnist

We are listening and want to know what you have to say!

Email comments and questions to info@siennalist.com.

Brad Sloan has a satisfying career and a comfortable life in suburban California, but it’s not quite what he imagined during his glory days in college. Sloan keeps comparing his life with those of his four college friends, wondering what it would be like to have their well-paying and glamorous jobs.

September 22nd Kingsman: The Golden Circle With their headquarters destroyed and the world held hostage, members of Kingsman find new allies when they discover a spy organization in the United States known as Statesman. In an adventure that tests their strength and wits, the elite secret agents from both sides of the pond band together to battle a ruthless enemy and save the day, something that’s becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy.

September 29th American Made Barry Seal, a TWA pilot, is recruited by the CIA to provide reconnaissance on the burgeoning communist threat in Central America and soon finds himself in charge of one of the biggest covert CIA operations in the history of the United States. The operation spawns the birth of the Medellin cartel and almost brings down the Reagan White House.

October 6th My Little Pony: The Movie A dark force threatens Ponyville, and the Mane 6 embark on an unforgettable journey beyond Equestria where they meet new friends and exciting challenges on a quest to use the magic of friendship to save their home.

September 2017

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To Advertise, Please Call 281-201-5998

Grammy Award Winner Wayne Toups, Jazz Legend Kim Waters & More Top Musicians to Perform for

Community Night Out

This fall, Missouri City will welcome a legendary lineup of musicians, including four-time Grammy Award Winner Wayne Toups and Jazz Legend Kim Waters, to take the stage for its Second Annual Community Night Out weekend festivities on Saturday, Oct. 7 and Sunday, Oct. 8 at the City Hall Complex, 1522 Texas Pkwy.

“We’re so excited to once again bring citizens, businesses, stakeholders, sponsors and award-winning, worldrenowned musicians together for two nights to remember in the Show Me City,” said City Manager Anthony J. Snipes. “Last year, over one-thousand people gathered for the inaugural, community-wide initiative and it was wonderful to see everyone united as one. This year will be even bigger and better and we can’t wait to share this experience with people and partners across the region.”

The free celebrations will start on Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. That evening, residents and visitors are invited to sway their way through live performances by Waters, and other national artists: Kyle Turner (Jazz),

Weekend Step Rideau & the Zydeco Outlaws (Zydeco), Coffey Anderson (Country), and a number of Mariachi groups.

Festivities will also include a spectacular laser show, food trucks, bounce houses, a rock climbing wall, face painting, public safety apparatus, event booths and more. This year, a highlight will be a special event tent where guests will be able to purchase and taste delicious foods and beverages of vendors from around the region. Proceeds will benefit the 501c3 Missouri City Parks Foundation.

Individuals are encouraged to arrive early to secure a spot to watch the day’s live entertainment and to bring their own lawn chairs.

Then, on Sunday, from 2:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the City will showcase its First Annual Cultural Festival and Health Fair. Guests will be able to immerse themselves in a global array of food, music and art at this inaugural event.

Entertainment will also feature fourtime Grammy Award winner Wayne Toups (Zydeco), the Conrad Johnson Orchestra, and Karen Briggs (Jazz).

Restaurants and vendors will also be out in full force to represent the “Show Me City” as will local artists and artisans. Healthcare providers will be on-site, too, and will offer screenings and share essential information.

Motorists can expect traffic delays along the Texas Parkway corridor on both days. There will also be limited grass parking available in the lawn area across the street from City Hall behind the new Houston Community College campus; attendees will be diverted to Thurgood Marshall High School once the lawn parking area is full.

While staff will be spraying the City Hall complex with insect repellent prior the Community Night Out events, residents are still encouraged to use their own and to wear appropriate clothing to avoid mosquitos.

Volunteer opportunities are still available for both festivals; interested individuals may contact Media Relations Specialist Cory Stottlemyer at 281.403.8532 or cstottlemyer@ missouricitytx.gov.

For more information about Missouri City, please watch the City website: www.missouricitytx.gov, like us on Facebook—fb/MissouriCityTX, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat—@MissouriCityTX and watch Missouri City Television (Ch. 16 on Comcast and Ch. 99 on AT&T U-verse).

September 2017

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Health Report

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Pondering Pregnancy? Zika Update and Seminar By Kaelyn Bujnoch

n Nov. 28, 2016, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported the state’s first case of local mosquitoborne Zika virus infection in Brownsville, Texas. While that’s far from the Fort Bend County area, those who are pregnant might still be feeling apprehensive about the news, given the birth defects linked to the virus.

“In our area, there’s really no need to panic,” said Utsavi Shah, M.D. “Right now, we’re counseling patients more on the travel advisories — not traveling to places like Brownsville and Mexico — and writing letters to airlines to get our patients out of their scheduled trips. This also affects significant others, because if they are infected, they could sexually transmit the virus to their loved one. In fact, the experts are recommending waiting six months after traveling to an affected area before trying to conceive.”

Are you at risk?

Anyone who hasn’t had Zika before can be infected; being pregnant

doesn’t make you more susceptible. In addition to mosquito bites and sexual transmission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it’s likely Zika can be spread through blood transfusions.

Many people who are infected don’t know they are because Zika doesn’t always produce symptoms. Common symptoms included fever, rash and joint pain, among others.

Since there’s currently no vaccine for Zika, the best way to prevent it is to follow these tips: • Avoid areas where the virus is present (available on the CDC website) • Use EPA-approved insect repellents (such as those containing DEET or picaridin) • Wear clothing treated with permethrin (insect repellent) that covers your arms and legs • Spend time indoors or in spaces protected by window and door screens

• Be diligent about removing areas of standing water around your home, where mosquitoes can lay eggs To learn more about the Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land, go to houstonmethodist.org/ childbirth-sl. Visit our Facebook page at fb.com/methodistsugarland for the latest news, events and information.

Pondering Pregnancy Seminar If getting pregnant is a matter you are seriously considering, don’t miss our expert panel discussion about your preparation for a healthy pregnancy including improving your fertility, pregnancy after age 35, Zika update, a pregnancy to-do list and caring for your newborn. Join us at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 14 at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s Brazos Pavilion Conference Center.

Registration is required. For more information or to register, visit events. houstonmethodist.org/pondering-sl or call 281.274.7500.

September 2017

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Houston MetHodist urology AssociAtes WelcoMes dr. MArtinez And dr. srikisHen Houston Methodist Urology Associates is pleased to welcome Laura Martinez, MD, and Neel Srikishen, MD, to the new practice located on the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital campus. Houston Methodist Urology Associates is a group of physicians dedicated to the treatment of the entire genital and urinary tract.

Combining clinical expertise with advanced technology, the practice treats the following conditions: • Bladder disease • Erectile dysfunction • Female urology

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• Incontinence • Infertility • Kidney stones

• Prostate issues • Urologic cancers

To schedule an appointment, call 281.746.6611 or visit houstonmethodist.org/spg to learn more about the practice.

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Historial Ref lections

A

s we get ready to celebrate Columbus Day—the day commemorating Christopher Columbus’ arrival in what is now America—let’s explore how this International holiday was first started and learn about Columbus’ life. * The first time Columbus Day was celebrated was by the state of Colorado in 1905. It wasn’t until 1937 (32 years later) that president Franklin Delano Roosevelt made this day a National Holiday. * Italian explorer and conquistador Christopher Columbus was born in 1451, the son of Susanna Fontanarossa and Domenico Colombo to a middleclass family in the Republic of Genoa (now Italy). Columbus began sailing as a teenager and worked as a business agent before leaving Genoa. * In 1476 Columbus made his first voyage into the Atlantic Ocean and almost died— the ship was attacked by French privateers and burned. As a result, Columbus swam to Portugal. He settled there and married Felipa Perestrello in Lisbon 1479 at the age of 28. * After Susanna’s death in 1484, Columbus left Lisbon with his son and headed for Spain, which remained his home for the rest of his years. * Columbus’ second son, Fernando, was born in 1488. * Believing that sailing west would be a faster way to get to India, Columbus approached several monarchies for help with his quest to discover a western sea route to Asia. England, France and Portugal all declined his proposal fearing his estimations to be wrong. * Almost every expert disagreed with Columbus’ calculations and estimates. He believed the distance between the Canary Islands and Japan to be about 2,300

Columbus Day Trivia By Rosanna Vidal miles (the distance is actually closer to 8,000 miles). Although experts disagreed with Columbus, they did believe that a westward voyage from Europe would be an uninterrupted water route towards Asia.

* While trying to rebuild the settlement and explore for riches, which he found scarce amounts of, the native population grew to hate Columbus.

* He originally went to the Spanish monarchs in 1486 and was denied.

While Columbus governed Hispaniola, Spanish colonists were executed if they rebelled and native islanders who didn’t collect enough gold would have their hands cut off. After receiving complaints, the Spanish monarchy sent a royal commissioner who arrested Columbus in August 1500 and brought him back in chains.

* Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella eventually changed their minds and backed Columbus’ plans—while going against royal advisors. * In 1492, thanks to the financing provided

by Ferdinand and Isabella, he sailed across the Atlantic from Spain.

Did you know?

Christopher Columbus did not set sail to prove that the Earth wasn’t flat. By 1492 most people agreed that the Earth was round. * Columbus’ voyage was on the Santa María (nicknamed La Gallega), with the Pinta and the Niña (originally named Santa Clara) ships alongside. * After sailing for 36 days, with the help of Martín Pinzón, Columbus encountered what is now the Bahamas. As he continued, he found Cuba and Hispaniola (Dominican Republic/Haiti), thinking they were China and Japan respectively. * Christmas Eve, 1492, a cabin boy ran the Santa María into Hispaniola. The crew of about 40 men stayed behind while Columbus returned to Spain on the Niña.

The men left in Hispaniola built the first European settlement in the Americas and named it Navidad (Christmas).

Arriving back at Hispaniola in the Fall of 1493, Columbus discovered the Navidad settlement had been destroyed and the crew he had left behind had all been killed.

Did you know?

* On his third voyage, Columbus finally reached the mainland, arriving in what is now Venezuela, but his arrest took him back to Spain. * After being given back his freedom

by King Ferdinand, Columbus sailed on his last voyage in 1502, traveling along the coast of Central America. A storm stranded him and his sailors in Jamaica where local islanders, tired of receiving poor treatment, refused to give them food. Columbus convinced the islanders to feed him and his crew by using his knowledge of an upcoming lunar eclipse he knew about. According to him, if the natives did not give them food, they would be punished and the moon would be taken away. In 1504, a lunar eclipse “confirmed” Columbus’ story and natives began trading with the Spaniards again. * Columbus returned to Spain in 1504 and died in 1506, still believing he had discovered a shorter route to Asia.

Did you know?

Although we celebrate Columbus Day, Christopher Columbus never actually set foot in North America.

September 2017

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Nobody Knows Your Community Like a Neighbor!

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The List

1.

Top 10 Things to do in September with Auntie A

In the garden…. clip all your herbs and freeze them in ice cube trays, mix them with garlic and coarse salt into butter and freeze. This way you can enjoy using them in the winter months.

2. Dip mint leaves into chocolate and then store in the refrigerator for stirring into peppermint tea or blending into an ice cream smoothie.

3. With your furry pals….give each of them a good bath and clip the nails, condition their skin and brush their teeth! We think that they do not like it when they get baths but actually they really enjoy being clean and they feel lighter when all that extra fur is removed!

4. With school in full swing you’ll find it helpful to install cubbies and hooks in the laundry room so there’s catch all’s handy for sports equipment and homework.

5. I like to have a large blackboard to write our schedules on so that each of us knows what the other is doing and there’s no misunderstandings about games and practices etc.

6. Plant another 4-5 tomato plants from your heirloom seedlings so that

by November you’ll have fruit to make salsa and relishes as gifts.

7. Make use of the extra okra by stir frying it with a little onion and bacon and butter. I always add a little herb de provenance cause it makes the whole house smell like a restaurant…plus it tastes so good!

8. On my nightside table…. “When God whispers your name” by Max Lucado and “House of Spies” by Daniel Silva.

10. Make that Friendship Booklet that I mentioned last month and send to all my friends asking for it back this year instead of a Christmas present!

9. Gather up small toys from dollar store and start putting together little gift bags for the battered women shelter. I add a few pieces of candy, some paper and crayons.

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AUNTIE A’S FRESH STIR FRIED OKRA I love crunchy fresh veggies and there’s no better way to enjoy them than pan frying them with a few herbs and butter!

To Make: 16-20 okra ends cut, washed and cut straight down the middles a dollop of butter and then a tad bit more to taste

1/4 white onion diced 3 pieces of crispy bacon leftover from breakfast Herb de Provenance Dollop of water Salt and pepper to taste

In a frying pan place all of the ingredients in and heat up the okra until they turn bright green, the onions get soft and then splash with water and finish.

Pairs beautifully with a glass of white wine and a piece of grilled fish.

September 2017

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Best wishes for a great school year to all the kiddos as they go back to school!

The Lifestyle An Authentic Life

By Alisa Murray

H

ow’s your Facebook lately?

Been checking in on your Instagram? Has it just been my feeds or have you also realized that all those sites are starting to blend together and much of what is on there is nothing more than a place for our friends and family to show off?

There are the occasional pet tricks and inspirational quotes but there’s little of actual authenticity. When was the last time you actually had lunch with a friend you follow? I sometimes long for the days before Facebook where I only heard about my friends vacations and lives face to face. Most certainly our conversations were not ridden with countless photos of all the meals and fun they were having either! Talking was more real and about opinions and real topics… all of which are completely forgotten in the social world we live in. Truly it has become a billboard of a daily showing off of other people’s lives. Why do we post all of the food and the places we go to if not to brag about how lucky we are to be able to afford such pleasures? With all this bragging replacing what used to be normal conversations what should we do? Well, I for one after seeing all these before and after weight loss pictures feel now the need to actually

go to a gym and loose a little weight.

Go figure! I suppose I will feel better about myself when I am not out of breath after climbing three flights of stairs…and despite my friends sitting and sipping their syrupy drinks by the sea…I can convince myself that I am indeed the lucky one that gets to jaunt off to the juice bar and make that post workout count! Why on earth don’t I feel better already? You could scoot off the the spa and grab a massage. You might even enjoy sitting quietly with a great book curled up with your happy cat in your lap purring… it’s the little things I remind myself. Who needs to fly to Mexico anyway?

Creating a private life outside of social media is an important step in truly living authentically. Looking through feeds of what others are doing and

what you are not getting to do is unhealthy and can be depressing. So many of my friends are annoyed by all the pics of where everyone is going and many of those they follow they have not even spoken to in years! If you must partake in Facebook and the likes.. I recommend that you find a small sliver of time to do so. Get in and get out as they say… Your life is short and your time iS better spent meeting with friends and sharing quality time face to face. Learn how to be restrained from showing your inner yet censored private life to the world via posts and texts. No one really cares and it’s not doping anything for you!

You’ll discover that having a cup of tea, reading a book, exercising and actually discussing world views and opinions is more important and will have a more lasting positive effect of happiness on your life than any social post can achieve.

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Parent Life

Getting Involved in your Children’s Schooling By Jason Luthor

W

hen it comes to a child’s success in school, parents can play an important role in making sure their children are able to succeed academically. Not only can a parent’s support help a child do better in their schooling, but it can also help them adjust to the stress of school life. If you’ve been wondering how you can participate in your child’s academic career, there are a few easy ways to get started.

Parents of younger children often have more options in terms of being directly involved. You can act as a helper inside the classroom, volunteer to work in the school library or computer lab, or even act as a monitor during school lunches or class playground time.

You can also get active in your child’s physical activities by volunteering with the school coaching staff and gym teacher. Parents also have the option of accompanying the classroom to fun activities away from the school during field trips.

There are plenty of other ways to get involved though. Even parents of

high schoolers can be involved with their student’s academics. You can organize fund raiser and help create funds through bake sales or catering activities. There are often school events you can help not only put on, but chaperone. These include typical events such as graduation ceremonies, school dances, and the prom. If you really want to get involved behind the scenes and contribute to decisions that impact the whole school, you may want to start attending school board meetings. You’ll also want to be directly involved with your student’s teachers, which you can do by attending open houses and parent teacher conferences.

The benefits of getting involved with your child’s academics are many. Study after study have shown that involved parents who engage with their child’s school help their student to succeed academically. Grades in math, reading, and many other subjects often go up.

Plus, being involved in your child’s life this way helps to create strong ties with them during a stressful period of life.

If you’re really hoping to see you child succeed academically, start at the beginning of the year by finding out who their teachers will be and getting in touch with them. Attend events before the opening of the school year and continue attending throughout the year. Also, get connected with other parents who are also active in the school.

By becoming a member of a Parent Teacher Association or Parent Teacher Organization, you can network with other parents who may have more experience navigating the school system than you do. Even when you’re not able to attend, these organizations often keep minutes of everything that was discussed, so it’s usually easy to find out what was talked about and the most recent concerns expressed by other parents. Getting involved can be a little bit difficult if you’ve never been too connected to your child’s school before, but the time and effort is worth it. You’ll notice the improvements in your child’s performance as you stay engaged in their learning and activities.

September 2017

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The Guide

The Umbria in Sugar Land Film Festival By Jason Luthor

A

re you a film buff with an appreciation for smaller productions? Tired of some of the over-the-top Hollywood action and ready for something more grounded? If you’re looking to add something a bit more artistic to your film viewing, then you might want to visit Umbria in Sugar Land! Umbria in Sugar Land is a film festival that’s spread across multiple days at various locations around the city.

The festival was first proposed in 2016.

Umbria, a region in Italy, already hosts a film festival in the city of Spello and was seeking to expand to other locations. Sugar Land felt the festival was an excellent way of promoting the city itself as well as Umbria’s culture.

The decision to host the film festival was made after a delegation from

Sugar Land was sent to the Region of Umbria itself, where they discussed the possibility of acting as host with local film representatives.

Produced by the International Film Festival of Spello, the Umbria in Sugar Land film festival will feature both Italian and European films at the historic Sugar Land Auditorium. Public screenings will also be held in the Sugar Land Town Square, plus there will be different events and seminars that are held over the course of the festival. These events and films are intended to help promote knowledge and culture regarding Umbria’s contributions to everything from art to craftsmanship. The festival acts as a way of introducing Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, and the larger Houston area to the culture of Umbria.

The educational seminars to be held will discuss a range of topics related to cinema. The Art of Sound Effects will be dedicated to learning the importance of sound effects, how they’re produced, and how sound effects impact movies. The Art of Filmmaking with Sergio Carvajal-Leoni will discuss the Texan-Italian film, Tiramisu for Two, a comedy produced

by Tiburon Transmedia. This seminar

will also include discussions of many of the technical details of film making as well as discuss the work of Sergio Carvajal, a Texas film creator with Italian flare.

Of course, as a film festival, the movies on display will also be judged according to the votes of a prestigious judging committee. Seven films will be shown and a competition held among them for awards in four categories: Best Film, Best Screen Play, Best Cinematography, and Best Directing.

The Committee will be composed of seven judges who work for various prestigious organizations, including museums and cultural websites.

Festival attendees should know that the films will be in Italian and subtitled in English. VIP tickets can be purchased either individually on in packages, with amenities including preferred seating at film screenings and the ability to attend special receptions prior to the evening film screenings. Student tickets can be purchased for $8.00, general admission tickets for $10.00, and VIP tickets for $20.00. For more information about the film festival, tickets, and event times, please visit http://www. visitsugarlandtx.com/Umbria.

September 2017

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Community News

I

Show Me The Honey By Jason Luthor

f you’ve got a taste for something sweet, then September might be your month. Recognized around the country as National Honey Day, September is the time when honey loves across the U.S. indulge their sweet tooth. Honey makes for the perfect addition to a meal and can be used to sweeten up many dishes.

If you’re looking for ways to add honey to your meals, it can make a delicious addition to a bowl of fruits, seeds and nuts. This healthy concoction is not only fantastically tasty but also incredibly healthy. If you’re not a fan of these kinds of nutty dishes, you can also add honey to a bowl of slowly baked beans. When slowly cooked, the beans stay intact, but become infused with the sweet taste of the honey it’s been simmering in. Finally, if you’re a meat lover, you can add honey to some roasted chicken. It makes for a delicious glaze. Just brush a light layer over the chicken before letting it roast inside the oven.

Honey is not only a great way of adding flavor to your meals, but a great way of staying healthy. Locally tsourced honey can help reduce allergy symptoms. The honey itself contains trace amounts of pollen. Taken over time, the pollen will help your system adjust to your allergies. Honey therefore acts as a kind of natural vaccine to some of the common allergens in a region. This has been a traditional recommendation for people with allergies for decades, and it’s perfect for anyone who favors traditional remedies.

Besides helping with allergies, honey is also soothing and can help with cough. It’s been eaten for years as a way of soothing the throat. It helps coat a sore throat and calm the inflammation.

So, not only can it help you reduce you

allergies, it can help when you break out in a cough. That’s not the end of the health benefits of honey though.

If you occasionally have heart burn, honey can be used as a way to calm your stomach. Not only does it soothe heartburn, but it can also reduce how often you have symptoms as a whole.

So, if you’re interested in the health benefits of honey or just want to add flavor to your meal, September is the time to get in touch with a local honey producer. Fortunately, the Fort Bend Beekeepers Association can help. The

Association is dedicated to promoting the science and art of beekeeping, and members often keep dozens of hives.

By getting in contact with them, you can find a local honey producer.

There are several located across Needville, Sugar Land, Pearland, and East Bernard. For more information on how they can help you, just visit http://fortbendbeekeepers.org.

You can also email them at info@ fortbendbeekeepers.org or call them at 281-633-7029.

September 2017

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