All About Kids Guide - April 2015

Do South's

ALL ABOUT KIDS

PLAY. LEARN. GROW.

C

hildhood should be filled with wonder. We grow. We learn.

We play. We celebrate things are epic as graduations and as ordinary as a sudden rain shower on a sweltering day. Along the way, there are businesses and professionals

that help our kids with everything from meeting their dental needs, to making their birthdays unforgettable, to learning to save money. Let Do South速 connect you with those in our community who make your kid's wellbeing their priority.

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ALL ABOUT KIDS

FLAME GYMNASTICS ACADEMY 5912 South 28th Street, Fort Smith 479.646.1616 flamefs.com

Flame Gymnastics is the leader in Gymnastics and Tumbling instruction in the River Valley. Located on South 28th Street just off of Zero, Flame offers over 20,000 sq ft of gymnastics fun and fitness for your child. The finest equipment and the most experienced instructors ensure your child will both learn and enjoy their gymnastics experience. If competition is your thing, Flame has produced 35 State Champion Teams, and more than 600 Individual and All Around State Champions! Call us today, and start your child on the road to fun and fitness.

Office Hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 9am-8pm Wednesday: 9am-7:30pm Friday: 9am - 6:30pm

We Offer: Girl's Recreational Gymnastics Boy's Recreational Gymnastics Mom N Tot Gymnastics Preschool & Tiny Tot Gymnastics USAG Level 4-10 Competitive Boys Teams

Flame Office: 479.646.1616 Find us on Facebook

USAG Level 3-10 Competitive Girls Teams Urban Gymnastics Classes Swim Lessons with Jayne Jacobsen & Lauren Wolfe Birthday Parties Splash Bash Swim Parties Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Tumbling Classes

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Gym Hours Monday - Thursday: 10am - 7:30pm Friday: 10am-6:30pm Saturday: 10am – Noon

ALL ABOUT KIDS

Developing Mind, Body & Spirit since 1985!

ARVEST 866. 952.9523 arvest.com

ALL ABOUT KIDS

Arvest Bank believes in people helping people.

Through the Teach Kids to Save program, Arvest associates go into local schools to help children learn money basics and how to save for the future. It's a fun program children love. Even before they reach school age, there are ways to start teaching important financial lessons.

Young children Set a weekly allowance to match the child's age.

(A 5-year-old would receive $5 per week.)

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Tie the allowance to chores, and if they're not done, withhold allowance for the week.

Divide the allowance into 3 categories: immediate spending, saving for an upcoming purchase, and saving for a longer-term goal.

Arvest's Cool Blue savings account includes valuable educational tools which teach financial lessons.

Benefits include: • No minimum balance and no monthly fee.

• Interest paid quarterly.

• Unlimited deposits and up to 6 withdrawals per month.

Older children Arvest's Teach Kids to Save program works with local educators to help school-age children develop lifelong financial skills. Teachers love these programs, and kids are excited to learn in such a fun, interactive way. They'll learn:

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• • • •

What saving money means, and why it matters.

How to open a savings account.

How to set savings goals.

How to plan for the future.

Teenagers During your child's teens, they'll realize no one gets everything they want. They'll also begin to understand more complex financial issues. Their allowance may no longer be enough since life is getting more expensive. Discuss after-school and summer jobs, and talk about the benefits. Jobs teach:

Kevin Stiles, Branch Manager Fort Smith, says, "It can help them better understand how money works for them and their family and can assist them throughout life as they • That money is earned and not something parents will make their own financial decisions." always provide.

• Responsibility, like showing up on time and taking direction.

Keep the conversation going Find opportunities to discuss money. If you're writing checks, talk about the importance of paying bills and balancing a budget. A conversation about choosing a college can be an eye-opening experience when your child learns how much it costs.

If an outside job is not possible, consider hiring your teen for additional chores at an hourly rate, making sure they treat the chores like any other job.

Take advantage of these opportunities and by the time your child is ready to leave home, they'll have a solid foundation for their financial future.

• Help them establish a checking account, and assist them in preparing a tax return if they work outside the home.

• Teach them to reconcile their checking account each month.

Other lessons you can teach:

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ALL ABOUT KIDS

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SYLVAN OF FORT SMITH Located just off Rogers Avenue, behind Randall Ford 2409 South 56th Street, Fort Smith, AR 72903 479.484.6799 | www.sylvanfs.com Get an Edge Up with STEM! (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Since 1987 Sylvan of Fort Smith has been transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvan’s proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync™ technology on the iPad® for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan programs include study skills, math, reading, writing and test prep for college entrance and state exams. Now Sylvan of Fort Smith is introducing new STEM enrichment classes for Grades 1 – 6.

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STEM is a nationwide initiative to help educate students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. With projections for careers in these fields far outpacing growth of all other occupations, Sylvan wants to build excitement for STEM early on. By 2020, there is expected to be 1 million more computer science jobs than students who can enter the labor force as skilled workers.

This April marks the national rollout of Sylvan EDGE, which focuses on STEM-based learning through robotics, math and coding courses to elementary and middle school students. Due to American students’ lack of interest in studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, Sylvan saw the opportunity to step in and offer enrichment programs. To accomplish this, Sylvan has created fun and interactive courses to help children understand STEM material. By offering EDGE, Sylvan will become the largest national supplier of STEM-based education.

Sylvan’s new coding classes allow students to get to work on creating animations and building actual video games, while having fun learning critical STEM skills. In the Robotics class, students brainstorm and build and program robots with hands-on projects, engaging activities and experiments.

The future leadership of STEM-related industries depends on how we educate and inspire our students today.

The earlier in life that children are exposed to STEM and feel comfortable with the areas of study, the larger chance that they will succeed in a STEM career. Sylvan is there every step of the way to give children the EDGE they need!

Come see the new Sylvan EDGE Classes today at Sylvan of Fort Smith!

And Opening Spring 2015 -Sylvan of Rogers!

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ALL ABOUT KIDS

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ALL ABOUT KIDS

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ALL ABOUT KIDS