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NOVEMBER 2011
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Lainie Armstrong’s organization gives opportunities for kids with special needs
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Wichita State University Men’s basketball coach GregG Marshall and his family sharetheir strategy for a strong family bond
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Onthe Sidelines withthe Marshalls
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Connecting, Sharing, Learning & Playing
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Saturday, November 19, 2011 [Editable Location] [Editable Date] [Presented by Company]
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Santa Claus is coming to town! Towne West Square, that is! Saturday, November 19, 2011
11 a.m. (after St. Jude Walk) Starting in Sears Court Join us for Santa’s grand arrival at Towne West Square. A parade, led by the Peabody-Burns High School Marching Band, will include Santa’s entrance on the Towne West Express Railway, little elves from Wichita Children’s Theatre, and great holiday performances by local groups. Help us kick off a very happy holiday season!
L O C AT E D J U S T O F F K E L L O G G AV E N U E A N D I-235. F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N , C A L L 316-945-1236
Copyright©2011Simon®
I
Inside this issue: Connecting: A closer look at this months Wichita Family Magazine 4 WSU Men’s Basketball coach Greggg Marshall and his family share how they stay connected in the midst of success. 6
family Wichita
Learning: News and information from our partners at Wichita Public Schools 8
Wichita Families On the Move October Calendar of Events 12 Childcare/Classified Directory 13
Spotlight on local Mompreneur: Lainie CPAA assists caregivers and Armstrong’s organization gives opportunities for kids seniors 13 with special needs 10
Cover and this page photo provided by Gina Dreher, Gina Dreher Photography. On the cover, Wichita State University Men’s Basketball coach Gregg Marshall and his wife Lynn, his son Kellen and his daughter Maggie.
www.WichitaFamily.com |
3
Connecting
family Wichita
Publisher:
For the Families, LLC 316.295.8465 Publishers Eric and Christy Clark Editor Jessica Lindsey Accounts Manager
E
arly in my mothering career I had a fellow mom tell me that I should be my child's biggest advocate. That if I'm not, who is? I don't think I fully grasped what that meant until my children began to face challenges.
In this month's issue we meet a local mom who embraced the challenges that her child was going to face and is an advocate not only for him, but for other special needs children in the community. Lainie Armstrong's For the Love of Chance Center is a group that you'll definitely want to read about and who knows, maybe this will be a group that you and your family would like to help support in one way or another. We also feature one of Wichita’s local celebrities, Shocker basketball coach Greg Marshall. He and his family sat down to talk about favorite pastimes, awesome family trips with the team and more. Enjoy this issue of Wichita Family Magazine and continue to contact us with your ideas and feedback on the magazine!
Jessica Lindsey Editor-in-Chief jessica@wichitafamily.com
Best For Family 2012 Readers’ Choice Survey. Results will be published in the March 2012 issue of Wichita Family Magazine. Fill out your ballot by January 1, 2012.
4 | Wichita Family
vote online at wichitafamily.com Submit your picks today!
LeeAnna Davis Advertising inquiries contact: 316.295.8465 or sales@wichitafamily.com Wichita Family Magazine is published 12 times a year by For the Families, LLC. Wichita Family Magazine is available free, at schools, stores, restaurants, libraries, retailers and local attractions, as well as other places families frequent. For a complete list of where to find Wichita Family, or for subscription rates, visit www.wichitafamily.com. Mailing address: P.O. Box 817 Wichita, Kansas 67201 How to reach us: Phone: 316.295.8465 Email: publisher@wichitafamily.com Copyright 2011 by For the Families, LLC. All rights reserved. Wichita Family Magazine is not responsible for errors, omissions or contest fulfillment from third parties. Reproduction in part or in whole without written permission is strictly prohibited. Wichita Family is distributed free of charge. The magazine’s advertisers make this possible, so support them! We reserve the right to edit submitted material. All submissions will be considered for publication, but we reserve the right to refuse material. Materials will not be returned. Any editorial content or advertising published is the property of For the Families, LLC.
On the Sidelines
with the Marshalls
by Jessica Lindsey
W
hat would you guess that the Marshall family does in its downtime at home: watch basketball games, shoot hoops in the driveway, chat about their predictions for the Final Four?
“I new that this program had everything necessary to achieve and maintain success,” said Marshall. “The faculty, leadership, tradition, fan support. I knew it would ultimately be successful here and with any luck maintain a high success.”
Well, you might catch them doing one of those things, but it's more likely that you'd find Gregg, Lynn, Kellen and Maggie Marshall quoting Seinfeld or Despicable Me to one another or taking part in a rolling Ping Pong tournament, and don't interrupt them on Monday nights during Rizzoli & Isles.
The basketball season keeps him busy but the schedule is set and regimented which gives the family a chance to have downtime. It’s very different during the offseason Marshall can be all over the place evaluating and recruiting new players.
This family of athletes, animal lovers and movie buffs understands what a big role the patriarch, Gregg Marshall, plays in the Wichita community. Entering his fifth year as head coach of Wichita State University's men's basketball team, Marshall and his team have momentum and talent on their side after a record-breaking 2010-2011 season.
“The season starts and you know when practice is going to be, know when games are,” said Marshall. “Sometimes I don’t know what day it is. I know dates, not days.”
Taking over the Shockers
“We want to stay healthy, continue to develop this team,” said Marshall. “All of these guys have talent and we want to educate them all.”
Marshall came to Wichita State after nine years as head coach at Winthrop University. He brought the Shockers from 11 wins in his first season to the record-breaking 2010-11 season when WSU won the NIT Title and racked up 29 wins. The family moved to Kansas from North Carolina in 2007. 6 | Wichita Family
Coming back from the record-breaking season last year, Marshall has clear goals for the Shockers.
Lynn Marshall also has ideas she would love to see in upcoming seasons at Wichita State. “We want to win the Valley and go to the NCAA,” she said.
“We have a healthy, great group of kids. A huge plus about this community is the home court advantage that we have.”
“I didn’t want to be that far away from home for so long,” said Gregg Marshall.
All in the Family
So the entire family went and while Gregg focused on work most of the trip, Lynn and the kids enjoyed beach time, shopping and plenty of sight seeing in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Kellen, 15, and Maggie, 12, each take part in school sports. Fittingly, each of them play basketball, and Kellen adds in golf while Maggie prefers volleyball. But one big pastime for all of the Marshalls is hanging out with their extended family they find in the men’s Shocker basketball team. “(Kellen and Maggie) are very close to the guys,” said Lynn Marshall. “We have a lot of really fun times.” Win or lose—and last season it was a majority of wins—the team sticks together like family. “I’ve only missed 1 home game in my whole life,” said Maggie, who was extremely ill for that one missed game. “I think it’s so cool to get to go to every game and know the players. Most kids would die for that.” Lynn, who has always enjoyed sports, credits basketball trips as some of the best family vacations that the Marshalls have taken. “Going to places like Madison Square Garden, Peurto Rico, Brazil,” she said. “You can’t beat that.” This year the family spent 11 days in Brazil while the Shockers played in 5 games.
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Though they all agree that they all enjoy a break from the craziness that basketball life brings and a family trip to the Cayman Islands this year was complete with no cell phone service. When they’re home in Kansas, the Marshalls along with the Shocker basketball team can frequently be found hanging out at the Marshall home. “We have very competitive ping pong tournaments,” said Gregg Marshall. The mix of Shocker basketball and family mold together into a mix that the Marshall say is a great fit for their family. “We are pretty involved in this community, the kids are involved in their schools and we enjoy having the team over frequently,” said Gregg Marshall. “We have a base of friends and great people to lean on and talk to and we’re very comfortable here. There is a lot of stress and ups and downs, but we know we lead a fairly nice life. We are appreciative of that and we don’t take it lightly that we’re fortunate and blessed. We want to be a family that represents the overall university in a first-class way.”
Wichita 1901 N. Webb • 67206 phone: 316.634.0044
Derby 1001 N. Buckner • 67037 phone: 316.440.6752
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7
LearningNews and information from our partners at
Wichita Public Schools
Buckner students create artwork for charity
Twenty-two fifth-grade students at Buckner Performing Arts Magnet were selected to work with artist Ron Steven. During the two-day workshop, the students created artwork of marine animals, like fish, turtles, seahorses, sea stars and eels. Steven worked with students to use his dot style of painting, which he calls Rogest style. Students use small dots of paint to create the details of the artwork. Steven also used different teaching techniques to keep the students engaged in their artwork, including having the students lie on the floor and making loud noises. The artwork will be auctioned and the proceeds will be donated to a charity of the students’ choosing.
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Liz Roberts named Kansas Teacher of the Year finalist
Liz Roberts, language arts, AVID and Future Educators teacher at North High School, has been named a finalist for 2012 Kansas Teacher of the Year Award.
facebook.com/ WichitaFamilyMagazine
“I am extremely humbled to be recognized,” Roberts said. “To be in the company of other amazing teachers across the state is an honor.” “When people come into my classroom, they can see that I love to teach. I enjoy working with students and being a role model for them and making that positive connection,” she said. As a finalist, Roberts is automatically a member of the Kansas Teacher of the Year team, which will travel the state promoting and advocating for education, education funding and the teaching profession. Roberts says she is anxious to learn from the other teachers and use some of their strategies in her classroom. The Kansas Teacher of the Year will be named during a ceremony on November 19.
8 | Wichita Family
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Spotlight on a local Mompreneur
W
ichita mom Lainie Armstrong has created an organization that provides special needs children a chance to be a part of a team, make friends, play hard and experience extracurricular activities that they otherwise might not be given the opportunity to enjoy. Lainie Armstrong's dream for this organization began five years ago when her son, Chance, was born at 28-weeks gestation. “When I gave birth to Chance and realized that he was going to have some limitations, I couldn't let go of the hopes of him being on sports teams and participating in extracurricular activities,” said Armstrong. “I wanted to create an organization that provided activities where everyone could participate and be a part of 'the team.'” The Center offers holiday parties, Miracle League baseball, bowling, drumming and dance. No matter what the activity, the purpose is clear, explained Armstrong, “Everyone is included, everyone plays, everyone participates at their own ability level.” The opportunity for children with a variety of needs is priceless and the results are immeasurable. “I stand back and watch the expressions on not only the kids faces, but the faces of the volunteers and parents as well,” said Armstrong. “We, as parents of children with additional needs, just want our child to be given opportunities to have fun, try something new and enjoy life as typically developing peers are able. I have had parents hug me while crying and say, 'I never thought I'd see my son's name on the back of a jersey or hear his name announced over the loud speaker.'” The job of operating the organization isn't easy but Armstrong says all of the time spent seeking sponsors, promoting events and activities, recruiting volunteers, organizing participants and buddies “As full-time working mothers, we think we don't have time for more,” said Armstrong. “But I can attest that you can find time for things that are important to you. “I want all children to experience activities that they will find joy in doing,” she continued. “So many of these kids spend countless hours at doctors, specialists and therapy appointments. We hope to provide fun activities for them to do in an environment where they are completely accepted and where they make friends. It is also a great opportunity for parents to connect with each other and realize that they are not alone in their struggles and can see their child smiling and enjoying a new experience.” How can you make a difference by helping For the Love of Chance Center? 10 | Wichita Family
Lanie Armstrong For the Love of Chance Centers www.fortheloveofchance.com and www.miracleleagueofwichitaks.org Questions can be sent to: sports4allkids@rocketmail.com Find them on Facebook at: “For the Love of Chance Center” and “Miracle League of Wichita KS.” “We rely on volunteers to make our programs happen as each child is paired one on one with a ‘buddy’ to help them as much or as little as needed,” said Armstrong. “We hope that readers will find time to take and interest and make a difference in our programs. We take volunteers as young at 10 years old and typically need between 30 to 85 volunteers per program. We need our volunteers be available throughout the four Saturdays of the session so the child and the volunteer develop a relationship/friendship and the child knows they have a consistent person to count on each week. If readers are business owners, we are always looking for sponsors to help us with financial resources to grow and reach more children.” The programs are for children ages 5-10 with any type of special needs. The largest activity is Miracle League baseball/softball which takes place on Saturdays in May. “We serve the Wichita and surrounding areas and have had families come from Clearwater, Newton and everywhere in between,” said Armstrong. There are no try outs and registration costs between $35 and $45 for a four-week session. Volunteers can be a parent, sibling, family friend or someone we recruit if the family is unable to be their child’s buddy.”
www.WichitaFamily.com |
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WICHITA FAMILIES ON THE MOVE | November Calendar of Events
November 1
November 4
Library; 2:30 p.m.
Little Explorers “Farm & City” Workshop @ Exploration Place; 10 – 11 a.m. Repeats every Tuesday.
Emerald City Steampunk & Expo @ Hyatt Regency Wichita. See here for more information: http://www. emeraldcitysteampunkexpo.com
Kids & Family Triathlon @ Northwest YMCA.
Art Start @ Wichita Art Museum; 10 a.m. Repeats on Tuesdays. Call 268-4929 to register.
November 2
Winter Wednesdays @ Sedgwick County Zoo. “Spend the day in the refreshing outdoors for just $2.50 admission every Wednesday through February”.
November 3
g2g Play in the Park @ the Water Center, Herman Hill Park, corner of Pawnee & Broadway; 6 – 7 p.m. Celebration of Freedom @ Various venues in El Dorado. Repeats through November 11 in honor of Veterans’ day. See website for more information. http://www.360eldorado. com/CivicOrganizations/ TheElDoradoChamberofCommerce.html.
“Gazing at Jupiter and the Moon” @ Lake Afton Public Observatory; 7:30 – 10 p.m. Repeats November 5, 11, and 12.
November 5
Kids Explore Grand Re-Opening @ Exploration Place. Steampunk Day @ Old Cowtown; 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Travel back to the days of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells as Science Fiction meets the Victorian Age 11th Annual Trail of Tears Memorial Walk @ Mid-America All Indian Museum. Make & Take Craft: Windsock @ Angelou Northeast Branch Library; 11 a.m. Repeats November 14 @ Linwood Branch Library; 1:30 p.m. & November 21 @ Orchard Park Library; 1:30 p.m. Crazy Hat Storytime @ Rockwell Branch
November 6 Party on the Prairie @ Alford Branch Library; 2:30 p.m. 32nd Annual Wichita Toy Run @ Lawrence Dumont Stadium. Girls on the Run of Sedgwick County 5K Run/Walk @ Forest Hills Addition; 2 p.m.
November 8
Garden Sprouts “’A’ is for Apple” @ Botanica; 10 a.m. & 1 p.m. Stuffed Animal Sleepover @ Central Library; 7 p.m.
November 9
“The Tortoise and the Hare” puppet show @ Rockwell Branch Library; 10:30 a.m. Repeats November 30 @ Evergreen Branch Library.
November 10
The Three Little Kittens-Once Upon a Time Series @ Wichita Children’s Theatre through November 12. See website for times and tickets: http://www.wctdc.com.
November 11
4th Annual Central Plaines E-Fly Spectacular @ Hartman Arena. Indoor electric radio controlled airplane & helicopter flying at its best!
November 12
Salute to Veterans @ Col. James Jabara Airport; Doors open at 5 p.m. $50 per person. Teen Green Crafts @ Central Library; 2:30 p.m. Make different recyclable crafts using provided materials or your own. KidFest 2011 @ Century II. Puppet Pandemonium @ Alford Branch Library; 10:30 a.m.
For our on-going calendar of events visit our website at WichitaFamily.com 12 | Wichita Family
CPAAA assists caregivers and seniors
There are many faces of caregiving. More than 65 million people, 29% of the U.S. population, provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or older family members or friends and spend an average of 20 hours per week providing care for their loved one.
According to the National Alliance for Caregiving 7 out of 10 caregivers are caring for someone over 50. Caregivers can be neighbors, daughters, sons, nieces, nephews, family friends, or faith community family. Caregivers spend an average of 20 hours per week and provide a range of support that could include grocery shopping, snow removal, a friendly visit, and more direct support such as meals, bathing, housekeeping and 24-hour care. Caregivers face many challenges including balancing work and family, maintaining a safe environment and managing emotional and physical stress. Today, it is not uncommon to find caregivers balancing work, family, children and caregiving. The amount of stress and challenges that result from caregiving responsibilities on a daily basis can be vast at times.
The good news is there is a network of aging service providers who are available to help. There are 629 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) across the nation. In Kansas 11 AAAs are available to provide information, services and options to both seniors and caregivers. The challenge is knowing where to start when seeking services.
Sara, a 52 year old caregiver and mother is caring for her mother and father. Her 78-year-old father suffers with Alzheimer’s disease. Her mother, age 75, is the primary caregiver for her husband. Sara supports her mother and assists with the caregiving duties as needed along with monitoring her mother’s health. Although Sara works 3rd shift she often helped out by staying with her dad so that mom could attend her own medical treatment or take some time for herself, even just to sleep sometimes. Sara felt help was needed and contacted CPAAA. The CPAAA provided support, information and resources to help them maintain their caregiving duties while still taking care of themselves. CPAAA referred Sara and her mother to local
resources and caregiver services that could provide direct assistance to the family such as respite care and other in-home supportive services but also recommended individual counseling for Sara’s mom to address caregiver stress and to obtain positive coping skills. The Central Plains Area Agency on Aging (CPAAA) has offered support and assistance to seniors and caregivers for over 30 years. CPAAA is a resource for anyone of any age who needs information on programs and services for seniors and caregivers including housing options, nursing home placement, in-home services, case management, long distance caregiving, transportation, supportive services, health and wellness program, and recreational and volunteer opportunities. Caregivers do not have to do this alone. CPAAA is here to assist caregivers and seniors through life’s transitions with various levels of support. A caregiver can find help by calling CPAAA’s Information and Assistance at 316-6605120 or 800-367-7298 or by visiting www.cpaaa.org.
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READER NOTICE: This publication will never knowingly accept any advertisement that is illegal or considered fraudulent. If you have questions or doubts about any ads on these pages, we advise that before responding or sending money ahead of time, you check with the local Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Line and/or Better Business Bureau. Also be advised that some phone numbers published in these ads may require an extra charge. This publication cannot be held responsible for any negative consequences that occur as a result of you doing business with these advertisers.
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Renovated Kids Medieval Castle Featuring more than 60 new hands-on exhibits! • Build a bridge to cross the treacherous moat. • Create a beautiful stained glass window. • Understand the transfer of motion as you • Aim and shoot a catapult across the kingdom. use gears, pull levers and rotate moving parts. • AND MORE Ask about the all-new birthday party themes Prince or Princess!
300 N. McLean Blvd., Wichita, Kansas 67203 316.660.0600 • www.exploration.org
See Botanica in a new light
Nov. 25-Dec.31 A HOLIDAY LIGHT EXTRAVAGANZA 5:30-8:30 p.m. $7 adults ($6 members) $5 children 701 N. Amidon tickets available at QT, online at www.botanica.org or by calling 264-0448
Presented by:
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COLBY SANDLIAN DON & LORA BARRY
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