December 2020

FREE! VOLUME 37, #10 DECEMBER 2020

HOLIDAYS 2020:

Different But Still

l u f r e d n Wo FAMILY TRAVEL

What’s In Store For 2021?

INSIDE: Gifts

EXPLORING EDUCATION A Special Pull-Out Section

Galore - A Shop Local Guide!

2 WNY Family December 2020

December 2020 • Volume 37 • Issue 10

EDITOR & PUBLISHER Michele Miller GENERAL MANAGER Paul Kline SALES REPRESENTATIVES Jennifer Staebell Paul Kline

Where It’s At! Happy Holidays!

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Karen Wawszczyk Melanie Schroeder

Regulars:

CONTRIBUTORS Barbara Blackburn • Donna Phillips Richard De Fino • Deborah Williams Kathy Lundquist • Myrna Beth Haskell Mike Daugherty

Features: /WNYFamily

/WNYFamily

6n

Holidays 2020: Different But Still Wonderful

by Michele Miller

8n

Tales of Our Elf on the Shelf

by Cheryl Maguire

/WNYFamily

Visit Our Web Site www.wnyfamilymagazine.com To Reach Us: Advertising Department advertising@wnyfamilymagazine.com Calendar Submissions calendar@wnyfamilymagazine.com Subscriptions subscriptions@wnyfamilymagazine.com Editorial Submissions michele@wnyfamilymagazine.com MAILING ADDRESS: 3147 Delaware Ave., Suite B Buffalo, NY 14217 Phone: (716) 836-3486 • Fax: (716) 836-3680 PRINTED BY: Commercial Printing Division The Post-Journal, Jamestown WE ARE AN AUDITED PUBLICATION CIRCULATION (copies printed): 20,000 © 2020 Western New York Family, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without permission is strictly prohibited. Inclusion of an advertisement does not constitute an endorsement by the publisher.

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IF YOU MOVE: Missed issues will not be replaced if we do not receive an address change before issue mailing date.

EXPLORING EDUCATION

A Special Pull-Out Section 19 n

• Education Interrupted

• Lost Learning: The Effects of COVID on Our Kids’ Education • From the Teacher’s Viewpoint: Remote Learning is a Challenging Task

• Survey Measures the Pandemic’s Impact on Teachers

• Effect of an Education Equation Changed

by COVID for College Bound Students 50 n

The Family Pet

Directories:

10 n Gifts Galore 49 n Your Home 52 n Wellness Choices

5 n Web Finds / What’s New In The Kid Biz 16 n Raising Digital Kids Win the Gift Giving Season

by Mike Daugherty 18 n Pick of the Literature

by Dr. Donna Phillips 39 n Tweens and Teens My New Year’s Resolutions for Parenting Teens

by Cheryl Maguire 40 n Single Parenting Three Wise Notions

by Diane Dierks, LMFT 42 n Journey Into Fatherhood Bringing Violet Home

by Richard De Fino 43 n Parent Previews Unexpected Christmas Movies

by Kirsten Hawkes 44 n Family Travel What Does 2021 Have In Store for Travelers?

by Deborah Williams 46 n Dear Teacher

by Peggy Gisler & Marge Eberts 48 n Special Needs Tourette Syndrome Myths & Facts

by Suzanne Koup-Larsen 54 n The Kid Friendly Kitchen Thumbprint & Snowball Cookies

by Kathy Lundquist 55 n The Kiddie Gourmet The Poked Yoke

by Barbara Blackburn

You’ll find FREE courtesy copies of WNY Family at all Buffalo area Wegmans and 300 locations including Public Libraries, Doctors’ Offices, Child Care Centers and many of our advertisers.

(Look for us INSIDE Wegmans on the racks where newspapers are sold, even though we are still FREE, or in some stores, on the FREE rack in the store foyer.)

Find this entire issue online at www.wnyfamilymagazine.com December 2020 WNY Family 3

4 WNY Family December 2020

web.finds No Bake Holiday Treats “Easy peasy” are the types of recipes we like best. When you’re pressed for time during the holidays but still want to create something fun with your kids — and wow your guests (at least the few you’re allowed to have during COVID) — these ideas are sure to please!

SUGAR CONE CHRISTMAS TREES

These little trees can be used as decorations or as dessert (mount a tree in a bowl of ice cream “snow”)! Place parchment paper under sugar-style ice cream cones. Coat with piped on vanilla frosting that has been transformed with green food coloring. Decorate with whatever you choose before the frosting hardens. (Before you begin, pipe some frosting around the bottom edge of the “tree” to get it to stabilize on the parchment paper while you’re working.) Different piping tips can create different types of trees! For details, visit: https://www.thespruceeats.com/sugar-conechristmas-trees-4768049

PEANUT BUTTER PENGUINS

So adorable you may feel awkward about taking a bite out of them! Nutter Butter cookies are dipped in dark chocolate candy coating and place on waxed paper or a rack. Add candy eyes, orange M&M’s for nose and feet, and bright white candy discs for the penguin’s “tummy” before the chocolate hardens.

All the specifics can be found at: https://www. tasteofhome.com/recipes/peanut-butter-penguins/

CHRISTMAS TREE PRETZEL RODS

A collection of these trees would make a great centerpiece or, when wrapped in cellophane, a favor for guests to take home. Start with parchment paper as a base on which to spread large pretzel rods. Melted green candy coating is piped over the pretzel’s upper portion to create the tree shape. Add decorations of your choice before the candy cools. Check out the complete instructions at: https://www.thespruceeats.com/christmas-tree-pretzelrods-520642

REINDEER RICE KRISPIES

These happy reindeer begin their lives as the standard recipe of Rice Krispies Treats made in a 9 x 13 pan, using the cereal, a bag of mini marshmallows and butter. Once firm the treats are cut into rectangles. Popsicle sticks or craft spoons are carefully inserted in each rectangle. Add candy eyeballs, red M&M’s, and piped on dark cocoa candy melts for the antlers. You’ll find a full tutorial here: https://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/reindeer-ricekrispies/

What’s New...

IN THE KIDBIZ BOTH KIDS & THEIR PARENTS SUFFER BULLYING OVER FOOD ALLERGIES Parents of children with food allergies find their children are often bullied by classmates, as well as parents of other children and teachers. A new study being presented at this year’s virtual American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting shows that nearly one in five parents of food-allergic kids are the target of bullying by a multitude of sources.

“We know children are often bullied about their food allergies,” says Dannielle Brown, MHS, lead author of the study. “What we weren’t aware of was how many parents are bullied by multiple sources. Of the 252 parents or guardians we surveyed, more than 17% said they had been bullied.”

Parents of children 4-17 years (school-age children) in the survey found it was helpful to take action to stop the bullying. 13% of parents/ guardians spoke with their child, 7% spoke with the offender or the offender’s parent, 17% spoke with a teacher and 15% spoke with a principal or administrator. Almost 50% of those who did something to stop food allergy bullying said it was helpful.

Another important finding in the survey was that while there were no significant differences in the percentages of Black and white children who were bullied around food allergies, Black children experienced non-food allergy-related bullying twice as frequently.

“No child or their parent should be bullied because of their food allergies,” says food allergy researcher Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, ACAAI member and one of the lead researchers on the study. “And it’s of course equally important that Black children with food allergies not be bullied for additional reasons. Having a food allergy puts tremendous stress on the entire family and any form of bullying makes life that much harder.”

December 2020 WNY Family 5

HOLIDAYS 2020:

Different But Still

l u f r e Wond — by Michele Miller

W

hat we knew as “normal” life has still not yet returned. We’ve had to adjust and make the best of a situation that none of us could have anticipated, especially when it’s lasted for months, with no definite end in sight.

As the December holidays near — whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa — it’s time to do two things: create new ways to celebrate, while adapting some of your usual holiday traditions to fit the circumstances of our “new normal,” and give some serious thought about how this might be the ideal time to focus more on “the reason for the season.”

and your family have adjusted to sticking close to home for so many months.

Again, get the kids involved in decorating the paper you print them on or even decorating the envelopes!

2) Create your own advent calendar for the Christmas countdown. Or have the kids help you make an old-fashioned chain of construction paper rings — red and green for Christmas, blue and white for Hannukah — and remove one ring each day. The kids can decorate the strips of paper that form the rings before joining them together — drawings, stickers, stamped designs, glitter — use whatever you have on hand.

Here are some ideas to help you make sure that your 2020 holiday season, while different, may also be quite wonderful!

3) Start a new family tradition. Order matching Christmas pajamas for the kids and take their picture in front of the Christmas tree, your fireplace, or on the couch — the spot doesn’t really matter as long as it remains the same each year.

The pajamas will change and the children will grow, but if taken in the same spot each year, you’ll find these photos will become an especially treasured keepsake. If you can’t afford pajama sets, try solid color T-shirts and inexpensive flannel pants that can then be used for the rest of the year.

1) It’s a perfect time for Christmas cards to make a comeback. Yes, we know postage is expensive, but pull out that old address book and take the time to actually send a holiday greeting in the mail to connect with friends. If you don’t want to spend money on store-bought cards, have the kids help you make cards. Christmas newsletters could also return to popularity — especially if you have a sense of humor about how you

5) This is the year to decorate like crazy! Set the mood for the season with as much holiday finery possible. If you

You may not be able to have your usual holiday house party, overflowing with guests, but you might find that a small celebration with your closest family members will be just as enjoyable because there’s less work involved and more ability to spend that ever-elusive quality time with those who matter most to you.

6 WNY Family December 2020

4) While we’re on the subject of clothing — does everyone in your family have an ugly Christmas sweater? If not, this may be the year to make sure wearing a Christmas sweater on Christmas Eve — or any other time you deem suitable! — a new family tradition. Be sure to take lots of photos!

can’t buy it, spend time with the kids making decorations. Of course, making ornaments for your tree is always a winning idea. A Google search will net you plenty of ideas for all kinds of holiday decorations.

6) How long has it been since you baked a variety of Christmas cookies?

Now’s the year to spend time creating edible masterpieces. Depending on their age and skills, helping with the baking and cookie decorating is usually a task most kids enjoy — and, of course, they’ll have to taste-test a few cookies while they work!

We actually found a website that only sells decorative sprinkles (or “jimmies” as some folks call them) — and will even make you a custom batch if you want to go that far! Check it out at https://sprinklepop.shop.

Cookies have definitely become an art form! Visit https://www.bakerella. com for inspiration you can use to create some goodies that will impress your entire family; again, get the kids to help, depending on their ages and abilities.

7) Build a gingerbread house! You can buy a kit, go “all in” and actually bake “structural” gingerbread pieces from gingerbread dough, or you can take the easy way out by using a milk carton (for the house’s foundation) and “gluing” graham crackers to it with royal icing. (Check out https://www. foodnetwork.com/how-to/articles/theworlds-easiest-gingerbread-house). The best part is being able to choose from an assortment of candies, gum drops, bits of cereal, candy canes, mini marshmallows, and anything else that suits your

creative mood. Even grownups have fun with this!

8) Read a different story aloud each night pertaining to the holiday you celebrate. Remember, public libraries are open, so you can borrow books instead of buying them. A quick Google search will help you find plenty of classic titles — and some new ones, too.

9) Set up a hot cocoa bar! Besides the mugs of cocoa, set out crushed candy cane pieces, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, whipped cream, and anything else that your family might like to add. Curl up with your cocoa and read those holiday books together!

10) We can’t forget music! When you’re decorating, baking, writing those Christmas cards, or enjoying your hot cocoa bar, ask Alexa or your smartphone to play your favorite holiday songs.

11) The reason for the season always involves thinking about those less fortunate. Consider volunteering to adopt a family for the holidays. Local programs are run by Child and Family Services (https://cfsbny.org/support-our-work/adopta-family/), the P.U.N.T. Foundation (https://puntfoundation. org/programs/adopt-a-family/) which spreads holiday cheer to families impacted by pediatric cancer, and The Salvation Army (https://buffalo.salvationarmy.org/BuffaloNY/Sponsored_Family), just to name a few organizations. Your church or other community organizations may also offer this type of holiday giving, which can help your children learn the importance of generosity and compassion.

12) It wouldn’t be Christmas without holiday lights! The Fairgrounds Festival of Lights (http://www.the-fairgrounds. com/festival-lights/) is open every night in December (except December 24 & 25) from 5pm to 9pm; $15 per vehicle when purchased, in advance, online. If your budget is tight, just pile the kids in the car and take a ride to a different neighborhood each night in search of the houses with the best lights!

13) Classic Christmas movies are next on our list. We’re sure you have your family favorites! Watch a different one each night or binge watch on Christmas Eve. If you have a Netflix subscription, Dolly Parton released the new movie musical “Christmas on the Square” on November 22nd. The film features Dolly as an angel and Christine Baranski as an embittered “Scrooge” of a woman who plans to sell her small town, regardless of the consequences to the people who live there.

14) Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, you can personalize a virtual visit from Santa at https://www.jinglering.com/.

As an option, Mrs. Claus can join in the visit. A storytime can also be added, and there’s even an option for “Sensitive Santa & Mrs. Claus” for children with special needs.

15) Follow Santa around the globe on Christmas Eve! “NORAD Tracks Santa” is an annual Christmas-themed program that starts on December 1st, but the actual Santa-tracking starts at midnight on December 23rd. It is a community outreach function of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and has been held annually since 1955. Beginning December 1st, visit https://www.noradsanta.org/.

Michele Miller is the founder, editor, and publisher of Western New York Family.

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So Elfie sat in the box, untouched waiting to fly back to Santa to report on my children’s behaviors.

Tales of Our

Now that is something that sounded good to me. A tattle tale elf who held a lot of power in the gift giving department.

Elf Shelf on the

— by Cheryl Maguire

“

W

hen is the elf coming to our house?”

My two-year-old daughter asked me this question and I had no idea what she was referring to at the time.

“Elves don’t come to our house, sweetie. They make toys at Santa’s workshop.”

“Ella said her elf came to her house yesterday and then goes to back to Santa at night.”

I responded with a platitude like, “That’s nice,” and redirected her attention elsewhere. I thought or rather hoped that was the end of the conversation, but I soon learned I was merely at the beginning.

This was in 2007 when Elf on the Shelf was making his grand debut and I was a naïve parent who thought that the elf was cute in a colorful see-through box.

But looks can be deceiving. The package should contain a large warning label stating: I may look cute, but I require an immense amount of time and creativity that will last for the next ten years or so. I also come with a lot of specific rules that must be followed. If you are not up for the challenge, take your hands off the box and go buy a stuffed animal that only requires some occasional washing. Trust me, I’m not joking.

8 WNY Family December 2020

Although even if that warning was listed, let’s be honest, I would have bought it anyway because who would believe that a stuffed animal elf would be more work than caring for a hermit crab or a newborn baby??

When my kids first met their elf, like any pet requiring oodles of time and money (yes money — I’ll get to that later), you have to choose a name.

I rattled off some suggestions of boy names that my husband had negated when we were pondering baby names. I was excited that I might finally have a chance to have my choice of name selected. en?”

“How about Gavin, Reese or Aid-

They responded the same as their dad did.

“No way!”

After much deliberation they settled on an extremely creative one — Elfie.

Yeah, I wasn’t too impressed either. I’m guessing that probably ranks in the top five for elf names.

After the naming ceremony, I was about to remove Elfie from the box only to hear my daughter scream in terror.

“NNNNOOOO, you can’t touch him mom or he will lose his magic.”

I wonder how I could create the same rule for my phone.

What didn’t sound so great and ended up becoming an enormous amount of work (just what I needed during the holiday season) is that the elf needs to be moved every night when I’m at my lowest functioning abilities. But not just moved, he needed to be posed is some funny or interesting manner, like ziplining across the living room on a candy cane or inside a snowman made of toilet paper rolls (you’re welcome, if those ideas are new to you).

And then my kids wanted to buy Elfie accessories like clothes, sleeping bags, and cooking utensils. This year you can even buy your elf a mask, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper. By the time we were done Elfie had nicer PJs than I did.

It was all getting a little out of hand.

I felt the need to outdo myself with Elfie’s hijinks since I didn’t want my kids to be disappointed.

Every year my kids wanted Elfie to return earlier. I would roll my eyes and think of the extra work but like most mothers, I did it anyway.

Just like our pet hermit crab, Elfie grew on me over the years despite the extra time commitment. I tried to focus on my kids’ excitement when they searched for him instead of how I spent hours scouring the Internet for “Elf on the Shelf Ideas.”

Last year my older kids barely uttered hello to Elfie and they didn’t bother to search for him. It was then that I realized how much I’m going to miss the guy when my youngest outgrows him.

I still think he should come with a warning label about the huge time commitment, but I would be willing to add a disclaimer saying, “Okay I’ll admit it — it’s totally worth it.”

Cheryl Maguire holds a Master of Counseling Psychology degree. She is married and is the mother of twins and a daughter. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, Parents Magazine, AARP, Healthline, Your Teen Magazine, and many other publications.

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December 2020 WNY Family 9

Academy of Theatre Arts

Bender’s Christian Store

Children in Action

Asa Ransom House

Betty’s Music Together

Crossen Christmas Tree Farm

4231 Transit Rd, Buffalo 716-810-0551 www.academyoftheatrearts.com As 2019 award winners of NYS Theatre Guide’s “Best Theatre Education Program for Young Artists”, we are proud to use theatre as a platform to teach and promote excellence in public speaking, selfesteem, confidence, and personal excellence to a generation who now needs these skills more than ever before! ATA offers classes in acting, singing, dancing, private voice, competitive musical theatre companies and a variety of summer camps. For a complete list of classes visit www.academyoftheatrearts.com. Become a part of our theatre family and give the gift of theatre lessons this Holiday season!

10529 Main St. (Rte.5), Clarence 716-759-2315 www.asaransom.com Warm up this Fall with a cozy stay at Asa Ransom House Bed & Breakfast. Enjoy a relaxing and romantic getaway in this Historic Country Inn. You’ll find fireplaces in many of the guest rooms. Right now if you book 2 nights you can stay for a 3rd for FREE! During your stay stop by the charming Sunshine Square Gift Shop. You’ll find a large selection of unique gifts perfect for holiday gift giving. This holiday season, gather for traditional afternoon tea, Dec. 9, 10, 12, 16, 17 & 19. Call the Inn for times and to make reservations. Visit www.asaransom.com. Gift Certificates are available.

10 WNY Family December 2020

8550 Sheridan Drive, Williamsville 716-633-5757 www.shopbenders.com Bender’s provides quality products that reflect the original intent of Christmas: to honor and remember the birth of Jesus Christ. The selection of gifts includes Nativity sets and crèches, jewelry, framed art, and collectables to give as gifts this Christmas season. Bender’s also offers personalized laser engraved gifts, from pens, key chains, and ornaments to plaques and picture frames. Engraved on the spot, adding a personalized message is easy, quick, and convenient. Along with inspirational books, Bibles, CDs and DVDs, Bender’s strives to provide everything necessary to celebrate a truly meaningful holiday season. Come visit us today!

716-239-9144 www.BettysMusicTogether.com Music Together is the world-renowned early childhood music and movement program for children birth through 7 and the grownups who love them. This incredible curriculum has been offered for over 30 years and is loved by families all over the world. Ongoing research guarantees a high-quality, educational and fun experience all from the safety of your home.

Join our online musical community and make musical memories with us! Tuition includes CD and digital downloads, illustrated songbook, weekly zoom classes, coloring and activity pages and more. Gift certificates available.

75 Mid County Drive, Orchard Park 716-662-6886 www.childreninactiongym.com Children in Action has been in business in Orchard Park for 30 years, offering a fun, energetic and safe environment for recreational gymnastics. We offer classes filled with movement, fitness, music and laughter for children 12 months to 12 years. Birthday parties are also available for both students and non-students. They are budgetfriendly and always a BIG hit! Our famous Parent and Tot classes provide a wonderful social experience for all. Many students and parents comment on the friendly and welcoming atmosphere created by Ms. Debbie! Gift certificates are available in various denominations for gymnastics sessions or parties.

1198 Judge Road, Basom 585-813-8701 www.crossentrees.com Bring your family out to the country and make some memories cutting down your own Christmas tree! You can even have us cut it for you. We’ll be doing things a little different this year to keep our staff and visitors safe, but you’ll still have a chance to pick up everything you need to decorate, including lights, angels, stockings and tree skirts.

Pick out a fresh-made wreath for your door or give one as a gift.

Check out our website for more information.

C? Thanks so much! Speak with you soon.

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Designing Dish

138 Grey Street, East Aurora 716-655-4456 www.designingdish.com Everyone is an artist at Designing Dish – a paint your own pottery store featuring Glass Fusing. New to our exciting menu of mediums: Glass Etching. Create one-of-a-kind make & take gifts from wine glasses to ornaments. We have those special projects that everyone will always remember. Now offering Potteryon-the-Go kits for birthday parties, scout groups, day cares, & private parties. Children’s groups & private art lessons are now being held every week. Celebrate the Holiday Season by visiting us in the historic village of East Aurora. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram.

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www.childreninactiongym.com 12 WNY Family December 2020

636 Girard Avenue, East Aurora 716-687-3300 www.fisherpricetoystore.com The Fisher-Price® Toystore carries a large selection of Fisher-Price products including many licensed items and Mattel® products like Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Matchbox® and more.

We also offer a Baby Shower Registry for all of your new baby needs. Our expert staff will be happy to assist you with any questions you may have to determine the right products for you.

Call our information line at 716-6873300 to hear about weekly specials and store hours, or to get directions to our store. Like us on Facebook.

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ReedsJenss or Shop Online www.embracethedifference.org This stunning collection is a beautiful way to spread a message of kindness & acceptance while making a contribution to the charity of your choice. The symbol of a single square embraced by circles shows we are all connected, no matter what difference we may have. The square is different, but is an integral part of the whole circle. This symbol has been finely crafted into a complete line of jewelry & apparel starting at $30. $5 to $100 from each purchase is donated back to a charity you choose.

70 Weiss Ave., W. Seneca/Orchard Park 716-677-0338 www.gymnastics-unlimited.net GYMNASTICS! will keep your child moving all winter! No need to be a member for these programs to burn off that winter energy: Saturday Night Open Workouts from 7:15-9pm just $13 (6 yrs & up), Toddler time on Wednesday & Thursday from 12-1pm for 5 yrs & under, $7 per walking child and Open Tumbling on Monday & Wednesday from 8:50-9:45pm, $9.

HOLIDAY GIFTS!!! For those gymnasts that like to practice at home, you may order Mats, handspring spotters, beams, bars, leotards and other gymnastics inspired gifts along with gift certificates for our programs.

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With 9 WNY Locations to serve you 633-1390 for the nearest location www.federalmeats.com Give The Gift of Good Taste! Enjoy this real old-time butcher shop, where meat professionals assist customers one-on-one in selecting their meats, poultry, deli and seafood.

Here is where you can have your favorite items cut and wrapped to your specification. Their large deli section includes a full signature line of freshly prepared dinner entrées and appetizers to choose from. Federal Meats specializes in friendly knowledgeable service where phone orders are always welcome. Federal Meats accepts Cash, Master Card, Visa, Discover and EBT. Holiday Gift Certificates, Steak & Meat Packages are also available for year-round gift giving.

Eastern Hills Mall 4475 Transit Rd., Williamsville 716-906-3143 Looking for something new or different? Look no further than Home Today/Home Decor. Owner TJ Miller has been featured on HGTV for his flare in choosing home decor and staging.

It is no surprise that his talents would lead to the opening of a store where he can share his expertise with everyone in WNY. Walk through the door and be delighted as you see how these items can blend with anyone’s decor.

From florals, wall art, glass decor, and a beautiful selection of holiday items and more, this store has become a comfortable and safe place to shop in the BFLO District adjacent to Eastern Hills Mall (formally Sears). Gift Certificates are available!

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Membership

SPCA-To-Go Activity Kits Tale for Two reading pas ses

(your child can read to an

animal)

300 Harlem Road | West Seneca, NY 14224

10529 Main Street, Clarence, NY • (716) 759-2315

Holiday Shop for Kids and Kids at Hear

b Kind Kids Clu

See our Profile for Gifts Galore more deta ils!

Afternoon Tea

December 9,10,12,16,17,19 Reservations Required

One Stop

The SPCA Serving Erie County has 3 perfect HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS:

Purchase online at YourSPCA.org or call 716-875-7360 ext.262

t

Store Hours: Mon-Sat 10-6 ~ Sun 12-5 Eastern Hills Mall | Williamsville, NY 14221 | (716) 632-4202

Plush • Puzzles • Trains & Trucks • Games •

E CURBSID PICKUP E L AVAILAB

and So Much More!

Shop online at

www.raffandfriends.com

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SUMMER REGISTRATION OPENS Friday, January 15th!

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Call 810 -0551 today!

4231 Transit Road Williamsville, New York 14221

Contact 810-0551 or info@academyoftheatrearts.com December 2020 WNY Family 13

Happy s y a d i l o H from

Kid to Kid

1060 Niagara Falls Blvd., Tonawanda 716-831-8300 www.kidtokid.com/tonawanda Holiday gift shopping at up to 70% off mall prices! We’re a familyowned, upscale resale store. We buy and sell the best of what kids outgrow: kids’ clothing sizes 0-14, shoes, toys, books, games, baby equipment, maternity wear and more. We buy all seasons all the time, no appointment necessary. It’s a win-win for parents... by trading in outgrown items and buying what’s needed now, and by giving another child an opportunity to love those items. Kid to Kid supports and donates to local charities.

Open Mon-Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 125pm. Follow us on Facebook!

Model Railroad World

4777 Harris Hill Rd., Williamsville 716-364-8020 www.themodelrailroadworld.com Looking for that perfect gift for the train lover in your family? Well look no further and get on board!

Chris the owner of Model Railroad World will help you find that perfect train, train set or accessory this holiday season. The Williamsville Store is open for your inperson visit Tuesdays & Thursdays 6-9pm, Saturdays 10am-8pm, and Sunday 10am-4pm. You can explore the large selection of new and used trains. Or shop online at www.themodelrailroadworld.com.

If you have items you would like to sell they are always interested in buying any scale toy trains and the store is currently accepting trains on consignment. Call 716-3648020 for more details.

14 WNY Family December 2020

Monaco’s Violin Shop & Music Centre

Past & Present Science & Nature Store

Niagara Climbing Center

Raff and Friends

55 CrossPoint Parkway, Suite 106, Getzville 716-688-8600 www.MonacosViolinShop.com Monaco’s Violin Shop is a family owned and operated business serving this area since 1973. Monaco’s is the only store in Western New York that specializes in the retail, rental, and repair of violins, violas, cellos, and basses. Exclusively at Monaco’s, come and see our carbon-composite instruments as well as our acoustic electric violins.

From November 27th through December 22nd, we will be holding our annual sale on all instruments and accessories. Including, books, cases, bows, music stands, and musically inspired gifts. This year we will also be selling some retired rental instruments. Contact us for more details.

1333 Strad Ave., North Tonawanda 716-695-1248 www.niagaraclimbingcenter.com Niagara Climbing Center, WNY’s original indoor rock climbing facility, has found a way to wrap up fun and adventure. This Holiday Season you can purchase NCC Gift Cards in any dollar amount. Kids of all ages will love Niagara Climbing’s 6,000 square feet of climbing terrain.

Whether you are an avid climber or have never climbed before, NCC has a variety of walls and routes to suit beginners, intermediate or advanced climbers. Call or stop in to purchase your holiday gift certificates. You can be confident your gift will be unique and the memories made at Niagara Climbing Center will not soon be forgotten.

3767 South Park Avenue, Blasdell 716-825-2361 www.pastpres.com Past & Present is a unique science & nature store offering unusual treasures from around the world.

Fossils, rocks, minerals & crystals are some of the geologic wonders you might find for that one of a kind gift. Beautiful amethyst cathedrals, geodes & other natural pieces of art, along with handcrafted jewelry, are always available. Browsing our shop is a great experience for kids of all ages.

Books, posters, science discovery kits & geology tools are just some of the great gift ideas available. Be sure to visit our free Fossil Gallery featuring dinosaurs, sharks, local & internationally found fossils.

Eastern Hills Mall, 4545 Transit Rd., Williamsville 716-632-4202 www.raffandfriends.com Shop local this Holiday Season!

Raff and Friends is a locally owned toy store located in the Eastern Hills Mall. The store is packed full of an incredible variety of quality products including Melissa and Doug, Playmobil, Breyer, Bruder, Squishables, Fisher Price and Mattel, books, puzzles and board games for all ages, and much, much more.

Shop in store, Mon-Sat 10-6 Sun 125. Or Checkout the online store at www.raffandfriends.com where you will find that perfect gift for that special someone on your holiday list.

Raff and Friends also offers Curbside Pickup for your online orders.

Shear Madness Haircuts for Kids

3316 Sheridan Drive, Amherst • 716-248-1455 3455 Amelia Drive, Orchard Park • 716-322-5332 www.shearmadnesskids.com Kids haircuts are our specialty! With mounted cars for styling chairs surrounded by televisions playing your favorite movies & Xboxes for the gamers, our salon is a fun center that provides a positive distraction & a MADtastic experience for young dudes & divas. We offer a first haircut package with scrapbook photos, our La De Da Spa focusing on nails, ear piercing & the full princess treatment. Shear Madness Gift Certificates make great stocking stuffers! Our fabulous YOUniquey Boutiquey offers the largest selection of bows, awesome gifts & fun finds! Plan your next party with us, Princess Diva day or a Super hero party!

SPCA Serving Erie County

300 Harlem Rd., West Seneca • 716-875-7360 www.yourspca.org The SPCA Serving Erie County offers a range of gift ideas for animal-loving kids. For $25, a one-year membership to the Kind Kids Member Club includes a T shirt, birthday card from an animal, early bird registration, discounts on camps and classes, and more.

Read to the animals in person or virtually with a Tale for Two reading pass. 3 or 8 month passes available. SPCAto-go activity kits are self-based activity kits which include all the materials for at least 5 activities and step-by-step instructions. 6 themes to choose from for kindergarten – high school. Purchase online at YourSPCA.org, in person at our W. Seneca location, or by phone at 716-875-7360 ext.262.

~ Since 1973 ~

Monaco’s Violin Shop & Music Centre

~ Violins Annual Sale Nov. 27th thru Dec. 22nd ~ Violas Will include retired rentals! ~ Cellos ~ Basses 688-8600 ~ Rentals www.MonacosViolinShop.com Parkway, Suite 106 ~ Repairs 55 CrossPoint Getzville, NY (off N. French between I-990 & Millersport) ~ Sales

ned Locally ow r fo ed at er op & rs! over 20 Yea

For The Adventurer On Your Holiday List...

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• Fun for all ages • Controlled indoor climbing • Friendly instructors • No experience needed

1333 Strad Avenue • North Tonawanda

695-1248 • www.niagaraclimbingcenter.com

Support Your Community

p o h S Local December 2020 WNY Family 15

Win the Gift Giving Season RAISING DIGITAL KIDS

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H H Open to the Public H H

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Open Tumbling: Mon & Wed 8:50-9:45pm Open Workout: ages 6+ - Fri & Sat 7:15pm-9pm Indoor Play: up to age 5 - Wed & Th 12-1pm SUNDAYS e FREE infant sensory class: ul d Call to Sche ages 6 wks to 16 months - Tu 12-12:30pm

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F

— by Mike Daugherty

inding the perfect gift for a child during the holiday season can be challenging for anyone, not just parents. For starters, there are just so many options to choose from. Compounding the gift selection problem is the increase in technology-based toys and games. Many of these toys look amazing and appear to be incredible gifts, but in the end, they turn out to be junk in pretty packaging. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or anyone giving gifts this year can be confident when choosing any of the following options for the holidays this year. The list below contains gifts that live up to the hype.

Secret Code

Pottery Painting and Glass Fusing.

Follow us on Facebook & Instagram

Now offering Pottery To Go Kits Individual Kits, as well as Parties to Go! Open for limited seating and private parties.

138 Grey Street, East Aurora, NY

716-655-4456 • www.designingdish.com 16 WNY Family December 2020

This is such an incredible idea for younger girls in your family. The Secret Code book is designed to break stereotypes and be a source of encouragement to girls of all backgrounds and cultures. This book’s hero uses her superpower of coding (computer programming) to program a robot to do chores. Things go awry and she must fix the code to stop the craziness. The book combines with an augmented reality app to teach some basics of coding while showing girls that tech is not just for boys. Parents can customize their copy of Secret Code. You can choose the character’s name, hair, eyes, skin color, and even her parents (or parent) to make this a truly personalized gift. You can purchase this gift at www. yoursecretcode.com, starting at $33.

ThinkFun Circuit Maze Electric Logic Game While this is not a new toy for 2020, it is a fantastic gift for children who love to experiment. ThinkFun teaches kids how a circuit works through a set of sixty challenges that get progres-

through block-based coding. Kids drag and drop prewritten blocks of computer code that act as instructions for the robots to follow. For example, Sphero can be programmed to go forward three rolls, turn left, and then go back another six rolls. The challenge comes when trying to program the Spheros to complete an obstacle course with those blocks of code instead of manually driving.

sively harder. What sets this game apart is the way it has been designed. I’ve seen other models that teach circuits, but they can be complicated and clumsy. ThinkFun’s colored tiles system and a grid on a game board make a difficult concept easy to learn. The learning style was so well received that ThinkFun won awards such as the Best of Toy Fair from Techlicious and Creative Child Toy of the Year in 2016. At only $30, this is a gift worth exploring. Check it out at https://www. thinkfun.com/products/circuit-maze/

Sphero Mini Activity Kit Spheros are globe-shaped robots that are controlled through a tablet or smartphone. Schools often incorporate Spheros into their STEM or computer programming curriculum. The original Spheros were an expensive purchase for the average consumer. The Sphero mini brings the fun and learning of the original design into your home at an affordable price.

Sphero has three modes: Drive, Play, and Learn.

Drive mode allows your child to use an app on their smartphone to drive the robotic ball all around the house like you would a remote-controlled car. Play mode introduces specific guided challenges that children can attempt to complete. Some examples include creating an obstacle course or using the cones provided to create a bowling alley.

The learn option introduces children to code computer programming

Each Sphero mini can last about an hour before needing to be recharged.

Parents can find this unique toy on Amazon for $79.99.

Lego: Hidden Side In my opinion, you can never go wrong with Legos as a gift. I would spend full afternoons in my youth building and destroying my brick creations.

The Lego: Hidden Side series allows this generation of brick builders the opportunity to enjoy sets in ways that we never dreamed of. The Lego website describes the series as “Hidden Side invites kids to join a fearless team of ghost hunters, who dare see the unseen and help turn a haunted world back to normal, one ghost at a time.”

What makes Hidden Side stand out is the use of augmented reality (AR) technology. After kids build the set, they can use a free app on their tablet or smartphone to bring their creation to life. The app uses the camera to reveal a “Hidden Side” to the sets adding virtual ghosts to the physical Lego set.

Kids are then tasked with finding and catching the ghosts to save the villagers using the app. Larger sets even include boss fights that are common in video games.

I recommend watching a few videos on YouTube to understand better how this all comes together. Lego: Hidden Side has over twenty sets to choose from, starting around $15.99. My personal favorite is the “Wrecked Shrimp Boats.” It’s a great set to begin with and can be enjoyed even without the AR component.

Makey Makey Invention Kit The developers at Joylabz designed a system that lets kids use household objects to create everything from musical instruments to voting machines. The first creation the kit has you make is a piano that uses bananas as the keys. The Makey Makey invention kit has children connect alligator clips to create circuits, build sensors, and detect input. The activities are scaled based on age, and the website includes additional ideas for children to try. You will need a computer to control the magic, but no worries. Makey Makey works on Mac, PC, and Chromebooks!

The Makey Makey Invention Kit can be found on Amazon for $49.99. Pair it with the book “20 Makey Makey Projects for the Evil Genius” by Aaron Graves for even more creative ideas.

Mike Daugherty is a husband, father of three young children, author, speaker, Google Innovator, and possible Starbucks addict. He is a certified educational technology leader who has served in a variety of roles through his twenty-year career in public education. Currently, Mike is the Director of Technology for the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School district in Northeast Ohio. As an IT director he has developed creative, well thought out solutions that positively impact teaching and learning.

December 2020 WNY Family 17

I

t is hard to believe that we have just about come full circle and it is time to celebrate another winter holiday season! However, this time the celebration may well be vastly different from those we have come to know or imagine.

PICK OF THE LITERATURE — by Dr. Donna Phillips

How would Norman Rockwell illustrate our lives today? Would these images really change what is at the heart of our celebrations? Regardless of who and how you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or other seasonal family traditions, books will always play an important role in bringing families and friends together. Here are some that you might want to use to welcome the season, entertain your guests, or give as gifts.

Who doesn’t love Christmas? Who doesn’t love piglets? Who wouldn’t love Pocket Piggies Christmas (Workman Publishing, New York 2020, $6.95)

by Richard Austin? This delightful and adorable little board book is sure to captivate your youngest family members and you, too. The sweet little book will warm your heart and make you feel cozy as you cuddle up to share the holiday antics of the little Teacup Pigs of Pennywell Farm.

Another board book for the youngest members of your family is Christmas: A Count and Find Primer (Gibbs Smith, Layton, 2020, $9.99). Greg Paprocki has created colorful and detailed illustrations of holiday scenes that encourage counting and looking for objects and details. Indoor scenes and

18 WNY Family December 2020

outdoor scenes help to get the reader into the holiday spirit with friends and family celebrating common holiday experiences. With every visit to this book you will discover more seasonal objects and activities with always more things to count!

In The Three Wishes: A Christmas Story (Pavilion Books, London, 2020, $19.95), Alan Snow shares with us the wonderful origin story of Santa Claus through his marvelous illustrations and his magical tale of a young boy. In this story, we learn how Santa can travel the world in one night, how the reindeer and sleigh fly though the sky, why Santa wears a red coat, and

why he delivers gifts. This story begins in the early times when people of the north lived with the reindeer and traveled together as the season changed and family members relied on each other.

There is an undercurrent of magic as a young boy is drawn to a mysterious cave that is guarded by reindeer and where he is welcomed by a strange wooden character. As the story continues, we go deeper into the mystery of the seasons and the reasons we celebrate the Santa Clause we have come to know. This is a story that deserves to be shared and this is the perfect year to do it.

If you are looking for a stocking stuffer or a gift for one of the eight days of Hanukkah, 5,203 Things to Do Instead of Looking at Your Phone (Workman Publishing, New York, 2020, $9.95)

by Barbara Ann Kipfer may be one of the timeliest gifts of the season. With everyone in isolation and/or focused on a screen for work, play, or connections, this book would be wonderful to share at gatherings of family and friends. Without any specific organization or chapters, it is just a book of random ideas that are creative and often humorous. A great way to use this might be to simply open to a page and see where your eyes land.

How about this one from page 21 – “follow the neighbor’s cat.” Or perhaps this one on page 312 – “notice the color and texture of snow.” How about “practice pulling a tablecloth off a table without breaking anything” from page 206! This continued on page 50

EXPLORING EDUCATION

WNY FAMILY MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020 • PULL-OUT & SAVE December 2020 WNY Family 19

EDUCATION

Now most of our students are back on campus five days a week. We have a small percentage of families electing to live-stream from home, which is not the same model as the direct Zoom lessons.

The teachers must focus on the students in the classroom. Those at home need to be highly attentive and motivated to achieve any quality learning. There are technical glitches and password issues along the way for those who remain at home. We are still assessing the damage and the emotional and academic gaps of all of these incarnations.

d e t p u r Inter

— by Louise Hajjar Diamond, M.S.

T

hings were different this year. Collectively, we experienced, disappointments, cancellations, and heartaches. We made sacrifices as our lives were disrupted and our children’s education altered. Everything changed in the way we worked, or didn’t work, and in the way our kids learned, or didn’t learn. We learned things about ourselves. Our emotions ran the gamut. The worst part, for most of us, was feeling that we didn’t get to be in control and didn’t see an end in sight.

This is my experience this year as a school counselor working in a South Florida school with Pre-K through eighth graders. I can tell you our kids were deeply affected by being deprived of in person learning, peer socialization, and the lack of extra-curricular activities. As I write this, I hope that your kids are back in school, hopefully full-time on campus.

I remember back in March when there were mumblings of the possibility of school closures, I thought, that will never happen unless school children were dying. I was wrong. Then, I thought for sure, we would be back in early May after we “flattened the curve” and “slowed the spread” to close out 20 WNY Family December 2020

the year and let our students have their graduation.

At this point many of our schoolaged students are back at school, at least part-time. As a counselor, this school year so far, my school has gone through many incarnations of schooling. We have had, since August, our in-person full day for the little ones (preschoolers) and virtual learning, on campus, for kids whose parents are essential workers.

Yes, that’s a thing.

We offered a supervised, socially distanced study hall for weeks. We “babysat” students on campus who were Zooming with headphones for hours a day. It was the weirdest educational model I have ever been a part of in thirty years. Our teachers were teaching to a screen in their empty classrooms.

Most students, whose parents didn’t make the essentials list, were left to partake in virtual schooling from home (or grandma’s) via Zoom meetings, with or without parental guidance or supervision. My colleagues say virtual teaching is ten times more work than teaching in person. Despite our own concerns for getting the virus, we longed to have all of our students back with us full-time.

I have heard parents letting their kids choose to stay home because it’s easier. Yes, it’s easier not to pay attention and it’s easier to cheat. We found that many of our students who were getting low grades were “earning” A’s during the stay-at-home months.

Teachers must be creative in their assessments when they can’t see the students. We also know parents have a hard time keeping their children’s motivation up and ended up just doing the work for them out of frustration and exhaustion.

After all, parents are busy and have their own jobs to do. They didn’t sign up to be teachers. We get it, and you shouldn’t have to be.

I have also heard some parents let their kids remain at home, so they don’t have to wear a mask all day. Masks can be annoying, but consider the mask as your re-entry ticket. We all know this is temporary. We find that our younger students don’t mind the masks and have adjusted well. Older kids may need more convincing, but it’s worth it to be back in school.

The large majority of my students are thrilled to be back in school compared to the alternative screen world.

We can see them smiling through their masks. The young ones are like puppies wagging their tails. Their eyes light up and they are ready to learn, play, and explore. They are sick of those screens.

Honestly, if you have elementary or middle school children who are not in school and their school is open, my suggestion is to put them in a school. If your school is not open, I encourage you to consider your options. Most private schools offer scholarships or financial

aid. It’s worth doing the research to see what’s available. Kids benefit greatly from in-person learning and socializing with their peers. If going the private school route isn’t available to you, consider enrolling them in a home school option — one that isn’t all virtual, and has a social component. Perhaps you will be able to find a learning environment where your kids have in-person learning where all the responsibility is not on you.

Talk up the value of being back in school. If you kids are doing a hybrid, be their cheerleader. It’s not ideal, but at least they have a teacher to interact with part time. In most cases, your kids will follow your lead. If your kids have the opportunity to be in school, unless there is a legitimate health concern, I encourage you to send them.

Make sure they are practicing frequent hand-washing, have plenty of clean, and well-fitting masks. Make sure they realize school will look and feel different for a while, but talk up the benefits of going back. Make sure they know no hugging or sharing of school supplies will be allowed and they still need to social distance. Their teachers will remind them, but make sure they understand that school won’t be the same as pre-pandemic. Tell your children to be respectful of their teacher’s health as well as their own.

Mind the gap. Yes, there is a learning gap. Be aware that your child missed one-fourth of face to face learning last school year. Depending on their virtual experience in the spring, they may have lost out on a substantial portion of their curriculum. Then there were the summer months. Even if their spring experience was ideal, it was different.

Many of the students (and parents) I spoke to in the spring were depressed and seemed lost. They were overwhelmed academically, and missed their social events and activities from the quarantine. As a counselor working from home, I was a cheerleader and sounding board for both students and families. I heard the pain and frustration in their voices. It was intense.

Students perform and retain information better if the material is presented continued on page 35

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L

:

a rnin e L t s g o

“There absolutely will be learning lost. There already has been learning loss for students,” says Dr. Shannon Karcher, who has over 19 years experience within special education in urban, suburban and rural education, and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Psychology from St. John Fisher College and her Master’s of Education in Special Education at Roberts Wesleyan College, both in Rochester, NY, as well as holding a Doctorate in Educational Leadership.

— by Michele Miller

“Most children will rebound just fine emotionally from this situation but they will have splinter skills and gaps in their education,” notes Karcher. “When you think about students who are in the early stages of learning to read and are being taught only 2-3 days per week, these skills are not being reinforced.”

The Effects of COVID on Our Kids’ Education

Karcher goes on to say, “Students who are really in danger are those in special education and urban districts.

Many urban districts are still 100% virtual. Look at the city school districts in Rochester and Buffalo. Think about the poverty rate already and now parents have to decide between going to work or staying home with their children.

Many don’t have access to the Internet.

Sure, Spectrum had offered in the spring to provide service, but this was for families that didn’t already have an account or owed money to the company. You are expecting parents who may be struggling themselves to help guide these students in their educational journey.

M

ost of us are already familiar with the term “summer learning loss” — under normal circumstances, when school is out for the summer and kids are away from their classrooms, a definite decline occurs in the amount of skills they retain.

According to NWEA (a researchbased, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide by creating assessment solutions that precisely measure growth and proficiency), in the summer following third grade, students lose nearly 20% of their school-year gains in reading and 27% of their school-year gains in math. By the summer after seventh grade, students lose on average 36% of their school-year gains in reading and a whopping 50% of their school-year gains in math.

During the pandemic, children have missed out on traditional classroom instruction for much longer than a summer. We asked experts across the country for their views on the matter.

With schools having shut 22 WNY Family December 2020

down this past spring and many now using all-remote or hybrid models for learning, what will be the effects on our children (grades K-12)?

How much learning students will lose during COVID school closures varies significantly by access to remote learning, the quality of remote instruction, support at home, and the degree of engagement and motivation of the student. Most studies have found that fulltime online learning does not deliver the academic results of in-class instruction.

According to a report by the Economic Policy Institute, issued on September 10, 2020, research regarding online learning and teaching shows that they are effective only if students have consistent access to the Internet and computers, and if teachers have received targeted training and supports for online instruction. Because these needed requirements for effectiveness have been largely absent for many, remote education during the pandemic has impeded teaching and learning.

“Take a student who has a learning disability in reading. They are supposed to be getting 45 minutes per day of specially designed instruction in reading. Let’s imagine the student is in a hybrid model and goes two days per week in person and the remainder of the week is virtual, where the specially designed instruction is not happening. The student is missing 135 minutes per week of this specially designed reading instruction to work on a goal in their IEP to increase their reading skills. So go back to last school year when schools closed in March and never reopened and were 100% virtual. The majority of special

education students were not receiving this service. They would have missed 2,700 minutes (45 hours) of instruction in an area where they have a disability.

“Now we are in the fall and we can hope they are receiving it two days per week but not the other three. They have already missed 540 minutes (9 hours) of reading instruction. If we continue with hybrid or go back to full virtual, the student is in danger of losing out on between 5,400-9,000 minutes (90 to 150 hours) of instruction. If a student is not progressing on their reading goal and missing these services, then the district owes the student compensatory services. My question is when and how will this happen?,” asks Karcher.

Will children rebound from almost a year away from a full-time classroom?

“Learning and progress is occurring, so long as school communities, their teachers, staff, parents/guardians, and students, are willing to get creative

and put in the hard work that it takes for remote learning to thrive,” says Meredith Essalat, principal of a K-8 school in San Francisco and author of the book The Overly Honest Teacher.

“Students in kindergarten through second grade require more hands-on help and assistance from parents and guardians at-home to enable them to log-in successfully, stay engaged, and participating via Zoom or other platforms, and complete independent (asynchronous) assignments. Students in third grade and above are able to operate with more independence as their maturation and development makes remote learning more accessible,” continues Essalat.

“Schools should seek to mimic as normal a school schedule as possible to a) make sure that students are receiving as much content as possible to move the needle towards their ongoing progression from one grade level to the next, and b) so that students are as academically engaged as they would be while in-school.

“Muscle memory for what it takes to be a successful student will atrophy if teachers do not engage students in a full suite of offerings — small group work, routine assessment, systematic reading and writing instruction, and use of manipulatives,” advises Essalat.

“Children are resilient and so are we. Most people have been impacted in some way by COVID and the changes it’s had on everyday norms. Children and school are no different. Children learn through play and interacting with the world around them. It may take a bit for them to adjust back to an inperson schedule and resume appropriate classroom behavior. However, since we have been working with technology and working from home when sick, I hope that schools will continue to have stricter illness policies to combat COVID but also the flu season and many other contagious illnesses that go around schools throughout the year. We should view this time as a learning period to grow as the continued on page 30

Educational insight

Buffalo sEminary Test Our Readiness

Worried about your daughter’s academic success? We’re in-person and on campus. This fall, we reset our tuition so that more families can consider the countless benefits of the extraordinary SEM education for their daughters.

Our teachers are dedicated to providing the best education possible in this difficult time. When we do pivot to remote learning, we do it seamlessly and we provide full days of instruction and community - including sports, and club

meetings! We offer college counseling whether we’re inperson or online.

SEM is among the oldest schools for girls in the U.S. Technology has been woven into the curriculum for over a decade. Our small class size keeps even remote learning personal and connected. We do not require uniforms and are not bound by NYS Regents. Our teaching goes beyond state mandates.

SEM girls are independent, resilient, and ready to meet the challenges of a changing world with resourcefulness and resolution.

We are a unique Committed Steinway Select School and Niche named us the Best All-Girls School in the Buffalo Area for the second year in a row.

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From the Teacher’s Viewpoint: — by Michele Miller

planned well in advance so that the written copy can be shared with the students and parents. Especially, in the case of the primary classes, every lesson being taught online needs to be transcribed in written as well as video form, so that the students can review it with their parents.

This takes double and triple the effort of teachers and we seriously need to spend hours making and editing the documents and videos.”

Typing speed is also an issue.

Teachers who previously were dependent on pen and paper, and who are slow typists, are hampered when hours of work are needed at a keyboard to input their lessons.

Remote Learning Is A Challenging Task

P

arents may be extremely frustrated that their children are not able to attend school full-time and they have the additional responsibility of making sure their child follows through on all that’s involved in virtual learning, possibly while making special childcare arrangements so they can go to their job each day or juggle time to work remotely from home.

Parents aren’t happy. Children aren’t happy. And neither are teachers.

COVID-19 threw everyone into a situation never faced before. We’ve all had to adapt and put in the extra effort to make education work in a new and unfamiliar way.

Technology has come to the rescue, but just because technology exists doesn’t mean all educators know how to use it well. That is not a statement of blame because, in a conventional classroom, technology was being used more and more but it was not the central focus of the educational process — the classroom environment created by a flesh and blood teacher, live and in person, and the interaction between students, present at their desks each day, was enriched by the use of technology to supplement lessons, not totally dependent on it.

24 WNY Family December 2020

I taught 7th and 8th grade math in the Buffalo Public Schools back in the day when all we had was a blackboard, chalk, and a textbook, if there were enough textbooks to go around, that is.

An overhead projector was my most used form of classroom technology.

While I am tech savvy today in the publishing of a magazine and running of a business, using software for sales, accounting, email, graphic design, marketing, social media and more, including screen capture video creation, some Zoom meetings, and webinars, I can’t begin to imagine what must be put in place to teach math, or any other subject, remotely on a daily basis to students who will have questions or need individual attention.

Jessica Robinson, a language teacher who says she never had the need to depend on the Internet or computers to teach, says, “The online teaching that looks smooth and easy to the parents and the world, is actually not as relaxing an exercise as it seems. There are a number of behind the scenes efforts that go into making virtual teaching a reality.”

In the school where she teaches, Jessica explains that, “Lessons must be

Obviously, teachers have had to learn new ways of teaching, including mastering Zoom chats or Google meets.

“These technical support systems are user-friendly,” says Jessica, “but when it comes to managing the entire class online, it becomes a challenge. Each and every student and their problems need to be taken care of. This involves a high level of concentration and gaining expertise over these mediums.”

“Disruption is ultimately a good thing despite the challenges presented,” says Jennifer Hirashiki, M.A., Director of the Learning, Innovation, and Teaching Excellence (LITE) Center at California’s Westcliff University. “COVID-19 has been a huge disruption in education, and it will be really interesting to see where we continue to go from here.”

“One of the many benefits I’ve seen come from the past months,” observes Hirashiki, “is an improvement on virtual communication and collaboration. A lot of people know how to use technology as a pastime, but now there are increased opportunities for students and faculty alike to see how technology can be used to support learning, enhance collaboration, and adopt a new style of communication.”

“In online classes, faculty engage with more digital teaching tools that enhance the teaching and learning experience, as online learning is more fertile ground for that. Faculty may not have engaged with these tools unless forced into an online learning environment and thus their value was previously unrealized,” notes Matthew Hubbs, Ed.D., Dean of Academic Operations at West-

cliff University.

“I think it is important,” emphasizes Hirashiki, “for students to have the experience of online learning. It is likely that many of them will end up working a remote job and the skills needed, like focus, accountability, responsibility and self-discipline are critical. When online learning is done right, students thrive. It is really amazing to see well-run classes embracing the right balance of technology, interactive discussions, and tasks.”

But how do teachers learn to “do it right”? Interestingly, in response to the need for teachers to be able to develop strategies to keep students engaged and motivated to learn remotely, Northcentral University (ncu.edu), a non-profit, online university, began exploring ways to support the transition to remote teaching and learning. In October, Northcentral launched a post-baccalaureate certificate in “Remote Teaching for K-12 Education.”

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Educating all students — regardless of Internet access — has been a hurdle throughout the pandemic. Northcentral’s program addresses how to interpret standards and assess students who are learning remotely with limited Internet access, as well as address their social and emotional learning needs.

“We hope this training opportunity will help teachers during this tough time, but also into the future — we don’t see virtual learning going away, even as things begin to shift back to normal,” said Riggle.

Michele Miller is the founder, editor, and publisher of Western New York Family.

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juggling a hybrid of both online and inclassroom teaching.

Home Doubles as Classroom: Nearly 50% of teachers surveyed said they found it “easy” to adapt their home or other remote space to online teaching.

Half said they’d prefer to teach online only during the pandemic.

Teaching is Harder Now: 70% of teachers say they spend more time prepping for online classes than for in-person teaching. How much more? Nearly half said they work 1-5 more hours per week.

SURPRISING FINDINGS Student Engagement

Survey Measured the Pandemic’s Impact On Teachers

F

ew professions have been as heavily impacted by the pandemic as teaching. On top of budget shortfalls and widening equity gaps, social-distancing measures have forced educators to adapt to a completely new style of instruction virtually overnight.

But students’ and teachers’ experiences vary widely across the U.S. Full or partial school closures have been mandated in seven states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as this issue went to press. Meanwhile, in four states — Arkansas, Iowa, Florida and Texas — in-person instruction must be available to all students, either full- or part-time, in addition to the remote learning option. That’s even more pressure piled on teachers.

The change from in-classroom teaching to remote learning has occurred on a massive scale: During the spring peak of the pandemic, as many as 55 million school children were confined to their homes.

And these simultaneous crises are having a real impact: The Brookings Institute estimates students’ reading gains to decline by 30% and math gains by 50% this fall compared to a typical school year. Because education drives 26 WNY Family December 2020

the future of the economy, such disruptions in the classroom stretch to every aspect of our lives.

To determine the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the teaching profession, a random sample of 126 public and private school K–12 teachers in the U.S. were surveyed over the period beginning Oct. 16, 2020, and ending Oct. 22, 2020.



Over 60% of teachers said their students are more engaged in person than online



32% of teachers said their students are more engaged online than in person



Twice as many teachers in the 31–40 age group (vs. 20–30 age group) said their students are more engaged in person than online



63% of teachers said technology is somewhat of a barrier to their students’ learning

Teachers are essential workers during this pandemic. They’re working longer hours to juggle new ways of educating pupils and students, and this survey shows the ways they are trying to adapt, cope, and make things better going forward.

Professional Growth

Teachers were surveyed on a number of topics including:

Federal Response to COVID-19

• Their struggles with the transition to online learning



More than 4 in 5 felt they grew as teachers as a result of the changes caused by the pandemic



66% of teachers earn the same or less than they did before the pandemic



• New teaching strategies they’ve employed • How the education system should adjust if the pandemic persists over the long term

KEY TAKEAWAYS Online Education Is In: A majority (63%) of the teachers surveyed say they’re teaching online only, 14% are teaching in the classroom, and 23% are

Over 79% were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the federal government’s handling of the pandemic specifically as it relates to education

TEACHER COMMENTS Describe the specific changes you had to make to adapt your space to online teaching. 

“I had to totally revise the schedule I was teaching (not the number of classes but the times), rewrite my

unit plans, lesson plans, curriculum, scope and sequences, and projects.” 







“I converted everything that would be paper to digital forms using Google apps.”

“I needed a whiteboard and other things brought in, so my studio is the classroom now.”

“I already had a dedicated office with proper equipment, so I just added ‘classroom’ background props.”

“I live in a one-bedroom apartment with my boyfriend who also has been working from home. […] My bed is my desk, and the only other chair available to me that wasn’t a tall stool was our patio chair. I sit in that, in front of the bed, with my closed bathroom door behind me.”

What are your strategies for keeping students engaged during virtual learning? 

so I make their assignments due in the evening rather than in the afternoon or morning.” 

“Constant communication, emails, texts, Google Classroom. Quick grading, lots of self-made videos on EdPuzzle.”



“I have intermittent material comprehension ‘quizzes.’ Not graded, just something like a straw poll or survey to keep kids engaged.”



“Hope and trust.”



“I use songs to keep kids engaged.”



“Break the ice, foster a community, create individual learning plans, and develop curriculum around shorter content.”



“I set the rules at the beginning and create a reward system for the students.”



“I encourage students to take advantage of discussion-based features on course websites like Canvas. I also use office hours to engage students

“I try to give them choice and flexibility. Some of them are night owls,

in a more informal setting and encourage them to keep in touch with each other.” 

“Formative assessment using socrative.com that shows me their answers in real time, along with their name. This serves as a participation grade, but it also allows me to see where they are at as far as comprehension of the material.”



“I try to offer alternative assignments whenever possible, especially to attract students’ attention and increase buy-in.”

What are the best practices for teaching only online or in a hybrid setting? 

“I think it’s important to be structured because consistency is the key to success. However, it’s also important to give students grace and understand that this is a new experience for everyone.”



“The absolute best thing I can recommend is keeping an up-to-date continued on page 32

Buffalo Zoo

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Did you know that turtles can breathe through their butts? How about that anacondas can go months without eating? At the Buffalo Zoo, learning fun animal facts is just the tip of the iceberg! With help from over 1,000 animals in our collection, we have created unique educational opportunities for all ages in every learning capacity.

Our monthly homeschool classes provide a fun opportunity for the whole family to experience the world of

animals like a real naturalist! Classes focus on a different topic each month and include hands-on family activities, live animal encounters, and guided exhibit visits. These classes are in-person which offer a nice break from virtual learning.

Wild Workshops, although virtual for the time being, still offer a wide variety of activities involving exclusive opportunities, hands-on activities and live animal experiences. Learn the training techniques our zookeepers use to make their jobs a little easier, or get a first-hand look at our winter-loving animals. Dive deeper into the animal kingdom with these monthly programs.

Cub Club is the perfect way to help your little ones, ages 2-4, learn their ABC’s! Each week we explore the alpha-

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Designed around the natural world, the Buffalo Zoo’s education programs offer something for everyone.

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vice holds true with this school year, as we have advised our students to enroll in AP classes and to utilize new skills to excel in them, such as beginning to create a summary from day one. In the highly competitive market, it is vital that students are pursuing their interests to the highest level possible in order to stand out from the crowd.

Effect of an Education Equation Changed

by COVID for CollegeBound Students

I

f you have a high school junior or senior in the family, COVID has affected your household in yet another way — taking the tests for advanced placement credit in various subjects, preparing for the ACT/SAT and taking it (or not), and wondering what will change for students applying to be accepted for fall 2021, since the pandemic is still continuing.

We reached out to a variety of experts to ask these questions. Their answers to the specific questions we posed, as well as general feedback, appear below. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Lindsey Wander, Founder & President of WorldWise Tutoring LLC (worldwisetutoring.com) How have students who were about to take their SATs last spring and planning to apply to college this fall been affected?

I always encourage our juniors to work to complete the ACT/SAT by February or March. Not only does this allow for unforeseen challenges (such as COVID closures in this case), but it staggers responsibilities so that students can focus on the challenging academic content of spring of junior year, college applications the summer before senior year, and the challenging academics of fall of senior year. My advice paid off this year as all of our students had completed the ACT/SAT before the pandemic hit the US. Those students who did not complete their ACT/SAT in time will not be required to send in their scores, but will 28 WNY Family December 2020

What adjustments have had to be made by these students and what are colleges doing to adapt to the situation?

nevertheless be compared to other students who do send in their scores. Thus, those students without scores ought to find other ways to stand out, such as via high grades or involvement in unique extracurriculars.

While it will be especially challenging due to continued closures and cancellations, students need to creatively problem solve and innovate ways to sell themselves to the colleges in lieu of ACT/ SAT scores.

What about those trying to take Advanced Placement Courses remotely?

The AP tests were offered remotely last May as a result of student demand.

The tests were altered considerably to address the fact that students were taking the tests from homes with ready access to the Internet. Thus, rather than multiple choice questions, the AP tests were all essays.

To prepare our students for this type of assessment, we helped them create summaries in searchable Google documents. During the timed test, our students were able to quickly search the Google doc for the needed info and then write a detailed response using the information.

This is very similar to what happens in higher education and in the workplace, and thus it taught our students valuable skills of preparation and planning.

Because the tests were revised this year, I doubt that many colleges will provide credit for AP scores of 4 or 5 like they normally do. Nevertheless, we encouraged our students to take the AP test remotely as another thing to add to their resumés and applications. The same ad-

College admission officers are seeking people who looked past what they couldn’t do because of COVID and instead became a part of the change. Beyond that, now, more than ever, we need competent and conscious leaders to take an active stance. So students should be thinking critically about the world around them, exploring their personal interests, and seeking out new learning opportunities. They ought to devise and implement creative solutions to problems that they, their community, or the world are facing.

Will acceptance requirements for freshmen entering in fall of 2021 be different?

I believe that colleges are looking for students who are being a part of the change, even during COVID closures.

The narrative should not be “what I couldn’t do,” but rather “what I did.”

With the cancellation of extracurriculars came more free time for many students.

Colleges want to know what students did with that time. Did they explore a personal interest by taking a course? Did they take initiative by starting a new project?

Did they improve in something they have been working on? By finding ways to grow and learn, even during a global pandemic, students are showing that they are resilient and innovative — two traits that are highly desirable to college admission officers.

Students ought to be evaluating the world around them, asking questions, seeking answers, and creating solutions.

They need to tap into their innate curiosity and innovative abilities to be an agent of change in their own lives and the community around them. Students should see this not as a requirement to be done just to get into college, but as an opportunity to find their unique voice and place in this world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: David Dollins, Vice President of Enrollment Management at Clarion University of Pennsylvania (www.clarion.edu) How have students who were about to take their SATs last spring and planning to apply to college this fall been affected?

With hundreds of colleges and universities moving to a test-optional or testblind admission policy, students that were not able to sit for the SAT or ACT will most likely still be given consideration for admission without a test score on file.

However, students should check with the schools they are interested in to confirm their testing policies for admission. I will say that in many cases, students’ chances of admission could be bolstered as schools are looking more closely at their high school curriculum and grades and other co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

What adjustments have had to be made by these students and what are colleges doing to adapt to the situation?

Colleges have shifted their admission policies to help students still be considered for admission in an environment that is truly out of their control. Colleges get that and want to best serve the needs of prospective students and their families.

While there have been virtual tours and experiences before COVID-19, colleges are adapting even more of their processes and programs to be experienced and engaged with virtually. While nothing can compare with an in-person college visit, the virtual experiences have helped augment and supplement the traditional college search. Generation Z are true digital natives, and, if anything, COVID-19 has helped colleges better meet the needs of these digital-savvy students.

Will acceptance requirements for freshmen entering in fall of 2021 be different?

Most likely, yes. COVID-19 has upended the application and college selection process, and, quite possibly for good. Schools were already beginning to question how important standardized test scores were to the overall success of their students once they enrolled, and, COVID

19 has forced many schools to move to test-optional or test-blind policies. In the long run, I believe this will help create more access to college as students’ four years of high school gain more weight in the admission process. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Wendy R. Tilford, Education Consultant, Houston, Texas (https:// www.wendyrtilford.com/) The greatest change senior students can expect in the college application process since COVID-19 is that more colleges are going “test optional.” This means that the school is allowing the applicant to determine if they want to submit SAT/ ACT scores when applying.

There are seven essential factors that college admissions officers typically look at during the application process: GPA; ACT/SAT; courses taken; extra curricular activity, letter(s) of recommendation; essay; and some schools also offer an interview process.

Due to the pandemic, many students were unable to take the ACT/SAT test in person because the testing sites were under shutdown, so “test-optional” is being offered as an alternative. Now, “testoptional” is not a new concept, however COVID-19 has changed the landscape, with many more schools offering this alternative.

Students should be aware that if they don’t submit those standardized test scores, the school will then look at the other six essential factors much more critically to determine their acceptance. Therefore if a student has the opportunity to take a standardized test, I highly recommend that they submit their scores.

Having strong test scores considered still creates better opportunities for merit scholarships and financial aid. Plus, students who do not submit their test scores under the pretense of “test-optional” alternatives are likely to still be subject to in-house assessment from the school.

If the student is unable to submit their test scores, it is in their best interest to put lots of energy into the essay portion of the application process. This is an area that gives admissions officers a chance to learn more about who you are, what you’ve accomplished, examples of where you’ve demonstrated leadership

skills and how you intend to make your mark in the world. This presents another opportunity for them to determine if you are a great fit for the school. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Laurie Kopp Weingarten, CEP, president and chief educational consultant of One-Stop College Counseling (onestopcc.com) I’m an independent educational consultant (private counselor) who helps families navigate the college admission process. I am located in Central New Jersey, but work with students throughout the U.S. and in Asia. I do have New York students, and coincidentally, my daughter just began her PhD program in Clinical Psychology at the University at Buffalo.

In my practice, I primarily work with honor/AP/IB students who are aiming for highly selective institutions.

College admission has transformed rapidly over the last several years, and last fall, pre-COVID, there were already numerous changes that were about to be implemented. And then came COVID-19 which, as you know, has sent shockwaves into every industry, including college admissions. There is so much uncertainty right now.

Pre-COVID, even though the majority of colleges required either the SAT or ACT (no preference for which one), an increasing number of schools were becoming test optional, meaning that students didn’t need to submit test scores if they didn’t feel they reflected their ability. In February 2020, there were about 1,080 colleges that were test optional/test flexible. Then the pandemic hit, and many students were unable to take the tests.

There are students who had prepared and were ready to take the test only to find out that their center had closed, often at the last minute. From March onward, the number of four-year colleges that are now test optional has risen quickly to over 1600! (You can see the list at fairtest. org and you can see New York colleges that are now test optional at https://fairtest.org/university/optional/state.

Some schools are rather “reluctantly” test optional; they felt they had no choice if students couldn’t sit for the exams, while others are willing to pilot a test opcontinued on page 36 December 2020 WNY Family 29

LOST LEARNING continued... field of education in the 21st century,” advises Justine Green, Ed.D., educator, author, mother of two children, and disability advocate based in Boca Raton, Florida, where she currently serves as the Principal at Tamim Academy.

Lindsey Wander, founder and CEO of WorldWise Tutoring (worldwisetutoring.com), points out, “Children through grade 5 are usually less self-directed when it comes to formal learning and benefit from more deliberate socialization. Elementary-aged children also only need a few hours of official schooling each day. Thus direct academic lessons ought to have the main goals of being engaging and social. The rest of day should be spent learning valuable soft skills, such as active listening, creative problem solving, and innovation. Many of those skills are learned in daily life, through chores, interacting with siblings, games, and crafts. Therefore, unless the elementary-aged children are already far behind their peers, parents ought not worry so much about learning loss, as it will be easy for them to recover next year.

The bigger concern ought to be developing social skills and a love for learning. To accomplish this, many parents have turned to Learning Pods, which are microschools composed of a small group of similar aged students who are taught by a teacher usually in a residence. These are relatively safe alternatives to ensure the younger children are reaching milestones, socializing, and enjoying learning.”

Bridging The Achievement Gap Molly Ness, professor of curriculum and teaching at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education, emphasizes, “It is almost certain that some of our nation’s children will experience a slide or setback in learning due to COVID. In looking at previous research, we know that summer break significantly contributes to the achievement gap between children from low and middle-income families. As COVID closes school doors and shifts significant portions of 30 WNY Family December 2020

learning into hybrid and virtual models, our students from low-income backgrounds are the most likely to experience learning loss. A recent report out of NWEA suggests students will return in fall 2020 with roughly 70% of the learning gains in reading relative to a typical school year, with losses in math being less substantial. To make up for learning loss, parents can embrace home literacy practices including daily read alouds for children of all ages and daily independent reading of books selected by children. Through reading, children increase their literacy skills, their content knowledge, and their vocabulary — leading to improved comprehension across all content areas.”

“A major societal concern is that the Achievement Gap is being widened with school closures. Black and Hispanic students living in poverty are among the hardest hit, resulting in long-term economic costs for local and national communities. This is because their families suffer higher rates of infection and they have parents who are less likely to be able to work from home,” states Wander.

“Furthermore, children in poverty and children of color have less access to remote learning, lower quality remote instruction, less conducive learning environments, less home support, and lower engagement. Their families simply cannot afford to give constant parental academic supervision nor pay for outside academic assistance.

These disproportionate learning losses for low-income minority students is compounding existing achievement gaps, leading many students to drop out.

There is a massive waste of human talent and opportunity that we risk if achievement gaps are not closed. We are not only still leaving behind whole groups of children, but our failure to educate all our children to the highest levels means students in America overall are being left behind in a world where global competition is increasingly tough.

To remedy this, organizations ought to step in to provide students and schools with funding for more academic

support. The contributions can be used to purchase reliable technology and WiFi or to pay for academic coaches to serve as an extension of support for the schools,” suggests Wander.

What can parents do to help make up for learning loss?

“What do you find are the most important qualities you want for your children’s future? Many parents want happiness; for their children to be kind, confident, empathetic, and trustworthy.

What’s most important right now is that your children are safe and healthy, and the learning will come. Read to and with your children daily, play with them and model how or why you’re doing things.

Never do for them what they can do on their own, which fosters independence and confidence. Teach them as you go and they will learn. Remember to also talk out when things do not go as planned for you; it helps them understand that even adults might fail, but we reassess and try again! Promote the fact that everyone learns new things everyday and show them how much fun it can be. When was the last time you did a hands-on science experiment? You may enjoy it and the time spent with your children more than you dislike cleaning up the mess,” suggests Green.

Erin Vollmer, MS, CCC-SLP, is a pediatric therapist with TherapyWorks (therapyworks.com), which provides pediatric speech, occupational, and physical therapies via teletherapy. She worries about the impact of remote learning for toddlers and preschool age children.

Says Vollmer, “Social interaction and play skills are imperative for brain development during early childhood. During the pandemic, parents should work to ensure that they are ramping up pretend and imaginative play, finding safe ways to socialize (i.e., Zoom calls with friends or outdoor play dates) and engaging with their children on a variety of topics to promote conversational skills.”

“Most students grades 6 and above can usually navigate online learning independently — and if they can’t, then

there is a bigger issue and the students should be given deliberate instruction on executive functions such as planning, prioritizing, task initiation, and time management,” advises Wander. “Students with Learning Difficulties should be provided with safe and convenient alternatives to effectively meet their specific needs. Parents of children with special needs or of older children with more challenging subject matter may find it helpful to turn to outside expert help, such as tutoring or school support systems. Tutoring cannot only assist with difficult concepts taught in school, but can also teach valuable learning and life skills as well as provide personalized enrichment to make learning more fun.

Additionally, schools often have tutoring programs or teacher “office hours” where students can ask for help.

If the school does not provide such resources, parents should ask for them.

Though they may not realize it, parents have a strong voice when it comes to their children’s education. Thus, I encourage parents to speak up if they feel that their children are not receiving the instruction or support that they deserve,” adds Wander.

“Parent-teacher partnership is crucial during remote and hybrid learning.

Routine communication with one another will enable a stronger understanding for both parties of how the student is doing. Teachers have a cache of strategies and tools that parents can implement at-home to help support their child in their learning, so I encourage parents to reach out to their child’s teacher for assistance,” counsels Essalat.

Adds Wander, “Overall, learning loss is a very real concern during these challenging times. Yet, if we adults — as parents, educators, business owners, and community leaders — take it upon ourselves to ensure that children are provided with valuable learning experiences and resources, then we can minimize the loss while simultaneously teaching our youth essential life skills.”

Michele Miller is the founder, editor, and publisher of Western New York Family.

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SURVEY MEASURES IMPACT ON TEACHERS continued... gradebook, and make participation a part of the student’s grade. It is really the only way to keep students accountable when they are not in the same room with you.” 

“Making yourself available for students to call on when they have a question or need something. Since this is new, things can get confusing, so they need to know I am on their side. Be understanding that some students may be dealing more with more stressful things at home.”

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“Communicate. Hold students to a high standard. Hold fast to due dates so students have consistency. Contact guardians using multiple methods.”

Please explain why you would prefer to teach only in person, only online, or using a hybrid model during the pandemic, if given the choice.



“Focus on well-being and relationships.”

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“Be sure to give students individual attention instead of just lecturing to the class as a whole.”

Online only 

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“Communicating with students and parents is more important than ever.”

“Online is the safest option until a vaccine is available.”



“More flexibility in scheduling.”

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“Discuss time-management strategies and communicate expected time-on-task for online learning activities.”





“Break learning into smaller chunks. Establish a pattern of activity and due dates. Describe expectations for online participation, communication, and netiquette. Provide technical support information.”

“I do not want to get sick, nor do I want to put my students at risk.

This too shall pass, and we just need to get through it with the minimal amount of loss possible.”



“In-person without a pandemic is the best. But because that is not an option, online-only is the best choice. Everyone is safer that way. The teacher can focus all efforts on making virtual learning fun and keeping the students engaged. Splitting the teacher apart to online and in-person at the same time is absurd. And all-in-person right now is reckless and thoughtless.”



“Instead of clicking ‘End’ on the Zoom call, I allow students to end it themselves. This gives students who want to stay behind to ask me questions in private (rather than ‘in front’ of the whole class) the opportunity to do so.”



“Remind oneself that this is only temporary.”



“Having a reliable medium for assigning and receiving work is absolutely crucial. It’s important to regularly invite students into the process and check to see if they have any needs or if there are barriers to their involvement.”

32 WNY Family December 2020



“In-person is simply more effective.

I can respond to issues in real time.”



“My district doesn’t necessarily have the money for all the kids to have the technology they need at home.”



“Online and hybrid is disruptive to learning, and my students are only fully engaged while in a classroom setting.”



“As a special-education teacher, observations and conversations with students in person is the best. Hybrid is not working as the students are not working or completing assignments at home. They are behind and treat their e-Learning day at home as a day off.”



“If I had the proper training (our teachers were basically ‘thrown into it’ and told to figure it out), I might consider teaching virtually.”

Hybrid 

“I wish I could teach in person, but I know that my school is not safe enough to do that. I would love to be in front of the students being energetic, hearing their voices, and having them raise their hands, but I know it wouldn’t be safe.”

“Although teaching hybrid where most of my time is online, I still prioritize safety. While this has been more work for me, I understand and accept the hardship.”



“I like the freedom and atmosphere of being able to work from home.”



“Nothing beats being face-to-face with the students so that I can visibly see how they are responding to instruction.”

“It strikes a balance between both options. I can reach the most families this way.”



“Hybrid allows students to select the learning option that is best for them.”

In-person only 



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St. Amelia School

A Vibrant, Safe & Nurturing Environment Pre-K thru 8th Grade

✦ Small Class Sizes ✦ Caring Teachers ✦ State-of-the-Art Technology Room ✦ Strong Progressive STREAM Program ✦ Preparation for the Future ✦ Moral Foundation ✦ Affordable Tuition ✦ Before and Aftercare Programs Available ✦ Free Breakfast & Lunch Program 2760 South Park Ave | Lackawanna, NY 14218

(716) 828-9434 www.ourladyofvictoryelementary.org 34 WNY Family December 2020

Multiple Pre K class options and K-8 classes Small nurturing environment School sports program begins in Kindergarten for select sports

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A National School of Excellence St. Amelia School is a caring and loving community of students, faculty, staff and volunteers who value each other.

We believe in exposing our children to a variety of learning situations and subject areas. In addition to traditional subjects, all students explore art, computer education, music, and physical education.

Visit the website for a virtual tour or call the school office for more information.

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December 2020 WNY Family 33

St. Andrew’s Country Day School

Faith • Family • Future With part-time and full-time options for PreK3 and PreK4, St. Andrew’s offers active learning and character development. PK through Grade 8 programming includes Spanish, integrated STREAM, extensive music offerings and more.

PreK 3 through Grade 8 Catholic school

which uses the teachings of the Church to cultivate the academic, spiritual, social, and moral development of its students in a safe learning and teaching environment.

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Call to schedule a tour!

Developing the Whole Child Pre-K to 8th grade

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Pre-K 3 to Grade 8

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34 WNY Family December 36 December 2020

Private Catholic School

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EDUCATION INTERRUPTED continued...

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by a multi-sensory approach. We learn by hearing, seeing, touching, building, creating, and writing. We know from studies that we will remember something we write with a pencil or pen on paper much better than if we type it.

When we physically write, we are etching the information into our brains by the act of “etching” it on paper.

When our middle school students returned, they seemed several inches taller and seem to have been well fed. After all, they have been near a refrigerator for months and some haven’t been able to participate in sports. Hopefully, that is changing by now for your kids. It is human nature for people to follow the path of least resistance. Thus, patterns of behavior have to be re-learned and re-enforced.

Encourage your kids to form positive learning habits. Try not to allow this strange year of 2020 to disrupt their lives and their learning any longer.

Do what you can within your means and availability to get your kids in school and learning again.

Seek help as needed. You can start with your school counselor.

We are all in this together and your kids are too important to be a byproduct of this pandemic. Please be patient with yourselves, your kids, and their teachers. Navigating through the pandemic requires adjustment by

everyone. We have all been through so much, and I wish you and your families good health, both physical and emotional, as we guide our children and students back to learning.

Louise Hajjar Diamond, M.S., has been a school counselor for thirty years in South Florida in private and public schools. She holds a master’s degree in Counseling and Human Systems and a bachelor’s in Psychology, both from Florida State University. Louise maintains her Florida Professional Educator’s Certification in Guidance and Counseling and Psychology. She counsels students and advises parents, fellow faculty members, and administrators on issues of student adjustment, mental health, and motivational behavior. She also serves as the exceptional student education coordinator for her students and as the social-emotional educator. Her experience in school counseling, child development, and education have led her to write dozens of articles for parenting and professional publications over the past twenty years. Her book “Creating the Balance: Parenting Through the Middle School Years” is targeted to parents of 10- to 14-year-olds and is available on Amazon.

December 2020 WNY Family 37 35

EQUATION CHANGE FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS continued... tional program for two or more years to see if they would like to become permanently test optional. I believe that many who chose to follow this test optional route due to coronavirus will end up realizing that they can evaluate students without the test scores and will remain test optional beyond the Class of 2021.

Complicating the situation further, there are now multiple colleges that are “test blind” or, to use a new term, “test free.” Those schools will not look at test scores, even if submitted, in order to evaluate every applicant using the same criteria. That list is also growing.

I recently wrote a blog about it: https:// www.collegexpress.com/articles-andadvice/admission/blog/what-test-blindadmission/ Then there are subject tests; rumor has it that they are dying a slow death.

However, there are currently some programs that would like to see those scores. This year fewer students will submit them than ever before as, again, they could not secure testing. We’ll have to see what happens with that.

On to AP Exams — In the spring of 2020, they were shortened from three hours to 45 minutes, and students took them at home. The tests covered only 75% of the normal material. The administration was a bit of a disaster for

many who faced electronic submission problems, and there is a pending lawsuit against the College Board. However, most colleges committed to still accept the scores although a few (e.g., Princeton) may implement their own placement test to make sure that a student receiving credit for an exam is truly ready to dive into the next subject level.

This year’s exam will again be held in May, but it’s too early to know if they will be given in the high schools or athome.

The Class of 2021 is facing a lot of uncertainly, and that creates anxiety. It seems like this year may be rather unique for college admissions. However, most colleges are reporting that they expect to accept a similar number of students, and that they are going to rely on other factors to make admission decisions.

From my conversations with admission officers, I’m hearing that they are going to emphasize teacher/counselor recommendation letters and essays to help round out the evaluation with missing test scores and higher-than-normal grades. And there is an increasing push on selecting students with good character. I’m part of the Character Collaborative which is an organization comprised of educators who are trying to help develop a way to evaluate “non-academic

CHRISTIAN CENTRAL ACADEMY 39 Academy St, Williamsville, NY 14221 716-634-4821 • www.ChristianCA.com An independent, interdenominational PreK-12 private school committed to excellence in Christian education. We offer small class sizes, STEMrelated clubs, inter-collegiate sports, Erie 1 BOCES opportunity, AP & Dual Enrollment courses, A la Carte classes and many service opportunities.

Apply online, or call today to schedule your tour.

NIAGARA CHARTER SCHOOL 2077 Lockport Road, Niagara Falls, NY 14304 716-297-4520 • www.niagaracharterschool.org Niagara County’s only Charter School, a FREE K-6 public school. English language learners and students with disabilities are encouraged to apply. A choice for parents and a better opportunity for children. Apply today!

36 WNY Family December 2020

factors and character-related attributes” in the admission process (https://character-admission.org).

The most important factor has always been the transcript (rigor/grades), but they will also scrutinize the teacher and counselor recommendations, activities/honors, interviews (if offered), demonstrated interest (if measured), and any other considerations that are important to each individual institution. Of course, Spring 2020 grades may look different than normal, and many activities have been curtailed, so admission officers have their work cut out for them this season!

Some students are not going to want to travel too far to college or might not want to incur out-of-state tuition costs, both due to COVID. Others may like the idea of applying to test optional schools that previously required them, and they’ll choose to take their chances at colleges they might not have tried for previously.

It will be interesting to see how things play out for the Class of 2021.

In terms of the whole process, we typically strongly encourage students to visit colleges virtually. It’s not the same as taking an in-person tour, but it’s still a terrific way to get to know a college.

And then, students and parents should remember to focus on what’s in their control. Let the rest go — no need to worry needlessly.

ROOTS OF THE FUTURE MONTESSORI 8970 Main Street, Clarence, NY 14031 716-545-8048 • www.rootsofthefuture.com Providing a quality Montessori education that understands and nurtures children’s natural curiosity.

Our certified Nature Explore Classroom is an ideal environment designed to inspire children to connect with the wonders of nature while encouraging their interests. Ages 2.9 - 6. Call for a tour today.

THE CHILDREN’S LEAGUE 393 North Street, Springville, NY 14141 716-592-9331 • http://tclny.org A “child & family friendly” center and homebased program providing education and therapy services for developmentally disabled children birth – 8 years old. Integrated Preschool Classes in Collaboration with Head Start. Specialized services for Autism Spectrum Disorders. EI and CPSE evaluations also available.

December 2020 WNY Family 37

2020

The year that COVID-19 and technology may have changed

EDUCATION…

38 WNY Family December 2020

questions, or instead of asking questions I offered information about myself, that sometimes I was able to engage in what some may consider a conversation. So I’m going to keep trying because when it works, it’s worth the effort.

4) I’m going to nag less and observe more.

I never enjoy nagging, and it rarely yields the results I want. After reading articles and interviewing experts, I learned that making observational comments or questions is much more effective. My favorite one, which sometimes even elicits a chuckle is, “Are you working hard or hardly working?”

5) I’m going to let them know when they are doing a good job.

TWEENS & TEENS — by Cheryl Maguire

My New Year’s Resolutions for Parenting Teens

I

’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions, but I thought I would embrace change this year. As I reflect back on last year my first thought is, “I survived being a mom to twin teens!” Their fourteenth birthday is in February so this time of year also marks my accomplishment, and yes I view that as an accomplishment.

If I’m honest with myself, I can also admit there is definitely room for improvement. Since I know that I can only control my behavior, I plan to focus on what I can do differently as a parent.

So here’s my list in no particular order (even though I numbered it — I just like numbered lists).

1) I will encourage my twin teens to be more independent.

During their morning routine, I will remain silent without saying, “Hurry up or you will miss the bus!” I will also give them a list of things they are responsible for such as putting away their laundry,

cleaning the dishes, and packing their lunches.

2) I will allow them to fail.

It’s easy to notice all the things a teen is doing wrong, such as leaving their towel on the floor, staying up too late at night, or eating junk food. It’s harder to point out what they are doing right, such as how they did their homework, helped their sibling, or cleaned their room. I plan to notice at least once a day what they are doing right and let them know how proud I am of them. Because they are doing a lot of things right and I am really proud of them.

3) I will continue to attempt to communicate with them.

One of the reasons I don’t like New Year’s Resolutions is because often by March people are back to their old ways, their New Year’s Resolutions quickly forgotten. That is why I’m writing this down, so I can reflect on my list and remind myself that these goals will help us have a better relationship and, hopefully, help my teens grow up to be successful adults. And I think that it is worth trying something new to achieve such an important goal.

This year whenever I tried to ask my teens questions, I heard a lot of one word generic responses. When I ask, “How was school today?” often their response is a one word “good” without any other details. After hearing “good” or “nothing” a hundred times, I was tempted to give up trying. But I have been told, by more than one person, I’m tenacious, so I tried other methods. I found by asking unusual

Cheryl Maguire holds a Master of Counseling Psychology degree. She is married and the mother of twins and a daughter.

Her writing has been published in The New York Times, Parents Magazine, AARP Upworthy, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessings, and Your Teen Magazine. This article was originally published on Signature Moms.

This is a tough one for me since I often feel this may somehow be a reflection on me being a bad parent. I also struggle with being a perfectionist. But I realize sometimes “failing” is the only way you learn and grow as a person.

So when they ask me to bring to school their forgotten homework or other items my answer will be a hard “no.”

December 2020 WNY Family 39

SINGLE PARENTING — by Diane C. Dierks, LMFT

Three Wise Notions

 Begin writing in a journal every night and describe your innermost feelings to yourself, God, or just “Dear Diary.” If it’s too difficult to access your feelings, simply write one thing every day that you are grateful for. Daily gratitude has been scientifically proven to increase mental and emotional well-being.  Study the spiritual accounts of others through reading historical, biblical, or modern-day literature that illuminates the power of faith. Your library will have a wide range of selections.

Family Tradition

D

ecember’s here with all its jingle bells, silver tinsel, shining stars, and smiling children. Commercial ads abound of the perfect family of four gathered around the tree with love in their midst and joy in their hearts. Cartoon characters teach spiritual lessons and grocery stores are stocked full of baking staples — and Santa clones are everywhere! But what’s really going on in the hearts of millions of Americans this month?

For single parents, this season is one of the toughest to face with optimism.

It’s a time when everyone reflects on the past year with personal uneasiness. Financial frustrations are often magnified during the holidays as many single parents pray the gift lists won’t be too much for their pocketbooks. They peer down at innocent eyes and hear, “Don’t worry Mommy, Santa will take care of us.”

For most parents who share custody of their children with an ex-partner, Christmas also means being alone for all, or at least part of, the holiday. Loneliness, financial stress, bitterness, and regret are all too often parts of the broken family portrait during a season that is supposed to offer hope and a renewed sense of purpose.

How can you as a single parent find peace and joy amidst all the negative feelings? It would be trite for me to propose you just exercise the power of positive thinking and try to have a good time this year. I know it takes more because I’ve 40 WNY Family December 2020

had to wear that December “happy” mask for my kids’ sake. Like you, I’ve shed those Christmas day tears and have felt the burning emptiness of shattered traditions.

After experiencing a period of growth and maturity, however, I finally came to the conclusion that the holidays boil down to only three simple concepts that matter: spirituality, family tradition, and charity.

If you can sift your way through the glitter and gold this year and concentrate on what really matters, you and your special family will experience the blessings this season was meant to evoke.

Spirituality

Finding spiritual identity does not have to be some long and difficult journey toward a dramatic awakening.

More often than not, it’s a slow, gradual, and subtle process — and it’s an extremely personal pursuit. Granted, it can be painful to reach deep inside yourself and ask questions that have no clear-cut answers. But the real benefit comes not in finding all the answers, but in the development of faith in something powerful, as well as faith in others — and ultimately in yourself. Passing this gift on to your children is one they will not soon forget. A few suggestions to find spiritual meaning are:  Experience fellowship with others by attending a place of worship. It may take visits to several before you find one you feel comfortable with, but keep trying.

Restructuring family holiday traditions after divorce, death, or estrangement can be particularly difficult for the single parent family. We find it very hard to let go of the way things are supposed to be or the way they used to be. It just doesn’t feel right to break out of tradition and do something differently. But, you MUST if you want old wounds to heal so you can go on with your life.

Sit down today with your kids and talk about new traditions. Make it an exciting adventure to create rituals that can be carried out by your kids, their children, and their children’s children. Buy or make a specially decorated holiday gift book where you can record these special ideas and return to them year after year.

For example:  Rename a favorite cookie or candy recipe (Mom’s Christmas Nutrolls, Jenny’s Famous Fudge) and commit to making it every year for the family to enjoy or give away.  Have a designated day to put up the tree, string the lights, or decorate the house. Make it a family affair and play lots of holiday music while you’re at it.  Kick off the holiday season with an appointed day of story-telling, candle-lighting, or whatever defines your spiritual beliefs, to remind everyone the deeper meaning of the season.

Charity

The best way to get your mind off of your problems is to focus on someone else’s. I can remember going to the local women’s homeless shelter one Christ-

mas Eve to give blankets and stuffed animals, hoping to teach my kids a little gratitude and humility. We all came away from there feeling saddened by what we saw, but also feeling grateful for the blessings we so richly possessed.

Use this time of year to share yourself with others:

THE CULTURAL CORNER

 If your kids are going to be with their other parent during a portion of the holidays, volunteer some of your free time feeding the homeless, visiting a nursing home or orphanage, or putting together care packages for overseas children.

Call your local United Way offices to find out how you can help. They will be glad to place you in a volunteer situation you will find comfortable and rewarding.  Get involved in programs that allow you and your kids to choose a disadvantaged child (e.g., Secret Santa, Toys for Tots, etc.) to buy a special present for. Many of them allow you to actually meet the child and give the gift personally. This is a great family project, and kids love helping other kids.  Instead of buying Christmas gifts for close friends and family members, give coupons or certificates for free baby-sitting, free home-cooked dinners, free car wash, free ironing, etc., with specific dates you and your kids will perform the services. These types of gifts are always greatly appreciated by the special people in your life.

This season, as always, you can choose to be the victim or the victor. I hope you’ll choose to pay more attention to your inner soul, be creative with your family’s new traditions, and take time to extend yourself to someone in need. Take pride in molding your special family this time of year and the true spirit of the holidays just might shine through you.

Diane C. Dierks is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also author of The CoParent Toolbox (2014 Aha! Publishing) and Solo Parenting: Raising Strong & Happy Families (1997 Fairview Press).

For more information visit her website at www.dianedierks.com.

SUMMER CAMP 2021 REGISTRATION Begins January 15th

REGISTRATION OPEN for all Acting, Singing, & Dancing Classes

4231 Transit Rd. • Williamsville, NY 14221

(716) 810-0551

www.academyoftheatrearts.com December 2020 WNY Family 41

Bringing Violet Home

W

ell, we finally did it. We had our rainbow baby!

I honestly thought we would never make it, but here we are. I can’t even begin to explain how great it feels having Violet home with us. I still pinch myself every morning to make sure I’m not dreaming.

So far, this trip with my daughter has been nothing short of amazing. Everyday I’m learning something new about Violet, and myself, which is good, because this whole fatherhood thing still feels a little foreign to me.

After we lost Louis, I missed out on the experience of being able to bond with him and gain those fatherly experiences. So now I’m just catching up on all of it, and I’m perfectly okay with that.

With all the anticipation surrounding Violet’s arrival, I wanted to make sure everything was perfect when we brought her home and, even after spending months preparing our house, I still wondered if we were actually ready. Some of the items we had in our baby-preparedness arsenal were: two bassinets, two baby swings (with one that rocks, rotates and plays five different sounds), two white noise machines to help her sleep, one bottle warmer, a tummy time play mat, an electronic smart sock that monitors her oxygen levels and heart rate, and enough swaddles and blankets for every baby in Western New York. But even with hav42 WNY Family December 2020

ing what seemed like our own personal Buy-Buy Baby in our living room, I still felt a little overwhelmed that we would come up short.

When we came home from the hospital, Violet was immediately greeted by her fur-siblings. Our dog, Zeke, a 90-pound Shepard mix, introduced himself first. He gently nudged his head into her car seat and sniffed around trying to identify what I’m sure he thought was another odd-looking cat we brought home from the shelter.

After a few minutes, he seemed to have lost interest and moved on. Following the dog were our two cats, who came over for a curious peek and sniff, but like Zeke, Violet’s novelty wore off pretty quickly.

It was late in the evening when we came home, so once we were settled, we didn’t do much for the rest of the night. Andrea was exhausted after hours of labor and I was still somewhere in left field just trying to take it all in. And after a few hours of calling family members and taking dozens of pictures and videos, we decided to call it a night and get some sleep. Or at least we thought we would try.

Between Violet waking up at what felt like every half hour and us being too nervous to look away from her while she was sleeping, we probably got a total of two hours of sleep between the both of us that first night. It

almost felt risky taking our eyes off her while she slept since this was all new to us. We also spent a good part of the night jumping up out of bed after being startled by all her squeaks and whimpers, which we now call her “puppy noises.” Our nightly dance of being too anxious to sleep and being startled out of bed continued on for weeks. But, I can honestly say that our sleep cycle has somewhat improved since we established a solid feeding routine; that is if her routine doesn’t change due to the inconsistencies in her ever-changing schedule.

It’s November 1st today, two months since we brought Violet home and she has already changed my life in more ways that I could’ve ever imagined. The last time I was this happy was when Andrea was pregnant with Louis, and now that we have our daughter home safely, I feel like I’m in a really good place in life.

One of my favorite highlights since we brought Violet home was watching my mother hold her for the first time. She never had a chance to see or hold Louis, and with him being her first grandchild, I felt as if she was robbed of that experience. When my mother held Violet, she seemed to be at peace. She was calm, almost transcendent, as she looked into her granddaughter’s eyes for the first time. It was a very special moment for me, as well as my mother.

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring with this little one, but I’ll be sure to fill you in next month on Violet’s next big adventure!

Richard De Fino, a Western New York freelance writer by night, first became a father at age 34. After losing his firstborn son Louis, at birth, he was determined to keep his memory alive the best way he knew how; through words.

Now, with the birth of his daughter Violet, he plans on continuing to share his fatherhood journey each month with WNY Family readers.

Making Media Entertainment An Easier Choice For Families

Beyond the Grinch: Unexpected Christmas Movies for Kids

PARENT PREVIEWS

With a coronavirus Christmas coming our way, we’re all looking for new ways to celebrate at home - and that just might include festive family film nights.

In addition to familiar movies like The Grinch, we’ve got some suggestions for lesser-known animated productions that may well become new family favorites.

— by Kirsten Hawkes

Arthur Christmas (2011, PG)

According to this film, Santa is a hereditary job passed from father to son. The current Santa is getting ready to retire and his oldest son is eager to take over the job. He’s already incorporated high tech tools to make Santa’s big night more efficient. Santa’s clumsy second son, Arthur, spends his time in the mailroom, reading the letters written by children around the world. When one girl’s gift is left behind on Christmas Eve, Arthur sets out to make sure no child will be disappointed on Christmas morning.

OVERALL RATING: A-

VIOLENCE: (B) LANGUAGE: (A-)

SEXUAL CONTENT: (A-) ALCOHOL / DRUG USE: (A-)

The Snowman (1982, G)

Over-sugared, hyped up kids are a staple of Christmas and this wordless animated short is a great way to help them settle down.

It begins with a young boy building a snowman who comes to life in the middle of the night. The boy brings the snowman into the house, astounding him with electricity and other modern marvels.

In return, the snowman takes the boy flying through the air, landing on Santa’s doorstep. Quiet, gentle, and beautifully drawn, this little film is based on Raymond Briggs’s picture book of the same name.

OVERALL RATING: A

VIOLENCE: (A) LANGUAGE: (A)

SEXUAL CONTENT: (A-­) ALCOHOL / DRUG USE: (A)

Klaus (2019, PG)

The world’s laziest postman, Jesper, has been banished to the town of Smeerensburg until he can manage to drum up demand for the postal service. Unfortunately, the town is convulsed in a feud that keeps people from talking to their neighbors, let alone writing letters. Then Jesper meets a reclusive toymaker and comes up with a solution to his problem – encouraging the town’s children to write letters to the mysterious gift giver. Young children might be scared by this darker than usual Christmas movie.

OVERALL RATING: A

VIOLENCE: (B) LANGUAGE: (A)

SEXUAL CONTENT: (A­) ALCOHOL / DRUG USE: (A-)

Elliot the Littlest Reindeer (2018, PG)

Elliot dreams of being one of Santa’s reindeers but there’s only one problem. Elliot isn’t a reindeer; he’s a miniature horse.

However, Elliot lives on a reindeer training farm so he trains long and hard and when a vacancy opens up on Santa’s team, Elliot stows away for a trip to the North Pole. This movie has flat animation, a predictable plot, and a made-for-TV vibe but kids will enjoy the story and parents will appreciate the positive messages about hard work, persistence, friendship, and loyalty.

OVERALL RATING: B+

VIOLENCE: (B) LANGUAGE: (A)

SEXUAL CONTENT: (A­) ALCOHOL / DRUG USE: (B)

December 2020 WNY Family 43

What Does 2021 Have in Store for Travelers?

I

t is safe to say Close to home, FAMILY TRAVEL that no area of Knox Farm State Park our lives and in East Aurora, where — by Deborah Williams our economy has been I sought refuge on a more impacted than travel this year. daily basis especially during the early months of the pandemic, has set records Since March, area families have for attendance. Andrew Hillman, Knox largely confined their travels to close to Farm park manager, said attendance at home destinations including state parks, the park is up about 25% this year. It beaches in the summer, and various atis popular with walkers and hikers and tractions in New York State. boasts one of the largest and best dog Part of the joy of travel has always parks in the region. been the planning and anticipation of an In contrast, Niagara Falls State Park, upcoming trip, but it has been difficult, if the oldest state park in the country, has not impossible, to make any long-range seen a big drop in visitors since so many plans in face of changing state and fedtraditional visitors are tourists, includeral rules and regulations. ing many from overseas. Closed borders Outdoors and the countryside are in and off again, on again quarantine rules and big cities and crowds are out. Staycain New York State deterred many. tion has become a buzzword and people Some more rustic destinations witheverywhere have been exploring close to in a day’s drive of big U.S. cities have home attractions. seen a boom. In July, more people visThis year has been a monumental ited Fort Sumter National Park in South disaster for most travel related businessCarolina, and Sleeping Bear Dunes and es unless you are an RV or boat dealer.

Pictured Rocks on the shore of Lake What could be more perfect activities Michigan than any month since the Nathis year than boating or RV camping? tional Park Service began tracking in Many dealers sold out their boats or RVs 1979. Visits to Valley Forge in Pennsylearly this summer and people have had to vania hit a multi-decade high this past agree to 2021 deliveries. summer.

Even with limits on park attendance, Air travel has declined dramatically, severe cutbacks in numbers of out of and road travel is the favored mode of area tourists, and cancellations of special transport. Hotel visits have also suffered events, some New York state parks have a steep downturn between the loss of leienjoyed large numbers of visitors. sure and business travelers. But Airbnb 44 WNY Family December 2020

and HomeAway have only seen a 15% decline in spending.

The big question is what does 2021 have in store for travelers? It would be tempting fate to be making predictions.

However, despite recent surges in COVID, there are glimmers of hope for the cruise industry. Major cruise lines and river cruises have been sailing this past summer in Europe. Of course, Americans were not allowed to travel to Europe and more recent lockdowns have curtailed most cruises again.

But cruise companies did show that with careful testing of passengers and crew and strict safety standards, it was possible to cruise safely and enjoyably.

Passengers were limited to approved tours while in port and had to agree to abide by the rules. There were several cases of passengers who violated the rules by going off on their own and they were immediately escorted off the ship when they returned.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its “no sail” on cruise ships sailing in U.S. waters. At the same time, it set out a framework for how cruising could restart. Cruise lines and people who love cruising greeted the news with a sigh of relief. All agreed that a return to cruising will still take some time.

The 40-page directive from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines the lengthy process that cruise lines must go through to begin taking passengers again. The requirements include COVID-19 testing for all passengers and crew at both embarkation and debarkation.

The Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s largest trade organization, offered the following statement: “Guided by the recommendation of leading experts in health and science, including the Healthy Sail Panel, our members are 100% committed to helping to protect the health of our guests, our crew and the communities we serve, and are prepared to implement multiple layers of protocols informed by the latest scientific and medical knowledge.

“The economic consequences of the ongoing suspension of service are felt in communities across the United States, and with hundreds of thousands of jobs at stake, we are committed to resume sailing in a responsible manner that keeps public health in the forefront.”

no travel for most Americans, there is a great deal of pent up demand for travel in 2021. Many people will be making up for missed travel this year and trying to use their travel vouchers that they received from airlines, tour and cruise companies for cancelled trips.

The next step for the industry is to slowly ramp up operations. Certainly, itineraries will be changed and there is likely to be a staggered deploying of ships. Of course, ports also need to welcome ships back. Cruise experts agree that the return of cruising will take some months.

As soon as people believe it is safe to travel again, travel experts believe there will be a very steep recovery.

Many people whose cruises were canceled this year immediately rebooked for the same cruise in 2021. However, the question remains whether their cruises will sail and whether Americans are ready to take to the seas and rivers again.

Some changes brought about by the pandemic are actually positive for travelers and will hopefully remain after there is a return of freedom of movement for everyone. Hotels, restaurants, and attractions are all emphasizing cleanliness and sanitizing. Airlines dropped their rules that barred cancellations or flight changes without a penalty. If they hope to lure leisure travelers back to the skies, they will need to continue these policies.

Travel insurance has gained increased importance especially for travelers going to foreign countries. Many countries that have opened to Americans are requiring proof of medical coverage.

Since 2020 was a year of little or

The United Nations World Tourism Organization World Tourism Barometer reveals that international tourist arrivals were down 65% from January through June 2020 which equates to a loss of 440 million foreign visitors. The organization predicts that international arrivals will be down around 70% overall when compared to 2019.

Brighter news is on the horizon for next year. The organization expects a strong rebound in tourism assuming the pandemic reverses its course. But even if this strong rebound occurs, the organization expects it will take between two and a half and four years for international arrivals to rise to the levels recorded in 2019.

A good source of information and updates on travel is Let’s Go There, a coalition of travel industries including airlines, hotels and major attractions. The motto of the organization is “when it’s time for you, we’ll be ready.”

The organization emphasizes that “a healthy and safe travel experience is a shared responsibility. When businesses, residents, and travelers all do their parts,

American can travel confidently.”

New research suggests that the simple act of making travel plans can boost people’s happiness and increase their energy levels and sense of well-being.

“The memories and experiences that travel enables cannot be replaced,” said Jill Estorino, President and Managing Director at Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, and a co-chair of the Let’s Go There Coalition. “This campaign is a first step in inspiring Americans to think about planning a vacation and encouraging them to look forward to experiencing the wonder and joy and even magic — that only travel can offer.”

Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, whose organization is supporting the activities of the coalition, said the time is right to unite the industry behind a campaign that reminds Americans that the benefits of travel begin the minute they start planning a trip.

Travel Tip of the Month: For more information on Let’s Go There visit: https://www.letsgothere.travel. For the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus and travel safety visit cdc.gov.

Deborah Williams lives in Holland, NY and is a veteran travel writer whose work has appeared in national and international publications. She is the recipient of the Society of American Travel Writers’ Lowell Thomas Gold Travel Writing Award.

December 2020 WNY Family 45

DEAR TEACHER – by Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts

Helping all parents make their children’s educational experience as successful as possible

It’s Resolutions Time

P

arents: Every December our thoughts turn to the changes that we should make in the coming year, and many of you may make New Year’s resolutions to improve your lives. Here is our short list of resolutions which you may wish to consider to make your children’s school year better for them: Resolve to: 

Talk positively about your children’s teachers and schools.



Reminisce positively about your own school experiences, especially math, with your children.



Have a structured routine for before school and after school time, including homework time.



Make reading a priority, especially reading to your children every night.



Include plenty of exercise in your children’s schedules.



Attend all parent-teacher conferences and meetings, as well as open houses.



Make mealtimes family sharing time by turning off the TV and banning mobile devices.

Keeping Your Children Focused on their Online Schoolwork It is definitely challenging to keep children focused on their online schoolwork. Unfortunately, this is the situation facing parents whose children are attending school virtually. The younger children are, the more impossible it is for them to do schoolwork successfully 46 WNY Family December 2020

online. Frankly, they simply need an adult sitting right beside them as they work. On top of this, you need to provide them with frequent screen breaks.

And we do realize that many parents are not able to give children the online help they need. If you have a kindergartner to second grader and have found a solution to this problem, please let us know and we will share it with our readers.

Fortunately, there are things that parents can do to keep children in third grade and beyond focused on their online schooling: 1.

Provide them often with detailed praise for the job they are doing.

This will really encourage them to keep working.

2.

Consider giving them rewards if they are actually remaining focused, such as visiting safe family or friends or going on walks or to parks.

3.

When their teachers give them brain breaks from the screen, be sure that they are not going on another device. Instead, make a list with them of fun activities that they can be doing during this time such as doing a puzzle, playing a board game, painting, coloring, or going outside. The list can be endless.

Is Child’s Problem a Writing Disability Question: My elementary school child is a good reader, but she struggles with writing. Could she have a learning disability? How can she be helped? — HELP Answer: The learning disability that affects writing is called dysgraphia. It shows itself in difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting, and putting

thoughts down on paper. Children with dysgraphia are often good readers. Dysgraphia is genetic and often affects several family members.

There are warning signs that young children may have dysgraphia such as not wanting to color or draw or if they do not hold a crayon correctly. In elementary school drawing or tracing shapes can be difficult and handwriting may be illegible. Plus, children who may have dysgraphia are reluctant to write.

And as they get older, they are able to talk about an idea; however, they cannot express the same idea in writing.

You definitely need to talk with your daughter’s teacher about the child’s writing problems to determine if an evaluation for a learning disability is needed.

With help, children with dysgraphia can succeed in school. It is important to get it diagnosed and to start a strategy.

Understanding Multiplication Made Easy

Question: A while back I believe that you had an article on multiplication for those students who were not learning in traditional ways. You mentioned using 3 paper plates and 5 blocks to show 3 x 5 = 15 instead of rotely memorizing 3 x 5 = 15. Can you explain it again? I hope this helps my third grader who just doesn’t get multiplication. — Parent Answer: Whether students do or don’t get multiplication, the best way to acquaint them with the concept is through the use of pictures, drawings, and hands-on material. This gives them an understanding of what multiplication looks like and is not the time to drill children to memorize the facts. Later on, there is time to commit these facts to memory.

Here’s how the paper plate introduction to multiplication works. Have your children lay out 3 plates and place five blocks on each plate. Ask, “How many blocks did you use altogether?”

Then have the children count the blocks.

Repeat the activity using different combinations of plates and blocks.

Next, introduce the symbolism for multiplication “x” - the “times sign.”

Use the symbol in a sample multiplication sentence, such as 2 x 3. This time

use blocks. The height of the blocks is 2, and the length is 3.

The figure contains 6 blocks, so 2 x 3 = 6. Repeat this with other number combinations.

Now your children are ready to make multiplication cards, starting with 1 x 1 through 6 x 6 for younger children and continuing to 9 x 9 for older ones. Do not include the answers (products) on either the front or back of the card as the products should be determined by the learner.

Go back to the plates and blocks and have the children select a multiplication card at random. If it is 3 x 5, for example, they should follow the same steps as they did earlier. They should count all the blocks and then write the fact 3 x 5 = 15.

Work through all of the flash cards in this way.

Once children begin to learn some of the multiplication facts, they should write down the problem with the answer if they know it. If not, they can use the plates and blocks to determine it. This is better than your telling them what the answer is and is the first step in their learning multiplication facts.

Best Sports for Young Kids Question: My young daughter (second grader) doesn’t have Attention Deficit Disorder or if she does, it is rather mild.

She really loves sports, but she doesn’t always keep her mind on the game when playing baseball or basketball. Plus, I am not sure how well she really knows the rules of these games. I think that she might do better playing some other sports. What do you think? — Sports Lover Answer: At your daughter’s young age, many children lose focus during a game and don’t really know all the rules. Just the same, team sports aren’t for all kids. Your daughter might do better playing individual sports until she is a bit older. She would get more attention from coaches and might be more successful at such sports as swimming/diving, martial arts, tennis or gymnastics.

Parents should send questions and comments to dearteacher@ dearteacher.com or to the Dear Teacher website.

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Growth Strategies

MYTHS AND FACTS

I

t seems the first thing most people associate with Tourette Syndrome is the compulsion to use bad language. While it is true that this is a symptom for some Tourette Syndrome patients, for the vast majority, it is not.

And it is only one small part of the syndrome. Tourette Syndrome is primarily defined by motor and vocal tics, which are involuntary repetitive movements and vocalizations. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one in 162 children in the U.S. has Tourette Syndrome, including teen singer Billie Eilish.

Kim Sambuchi, of East Amherst, NY, has a daughter named Olivia who went through a phase of swearing in her teen years, but that symptom has subsided for the now 20-year-old college student. She still has tics when she gets nervous, reports Sambuchi. Examples of common Tourette Syndrome tics include eye blinking, face twitching, and throat clearing. “It’s like having an itch, until you scratch it, it’s just going to build up,” explains Sambuchi. “There is great anxiety and discomfort until they let it out,” she says.

Tourette Syndrome is usually diagnosed in early childhood, around age 5 or 6, and symptoms typically peak in the preteen years (ages 9-12), when tics are at their most severe, says David G. Lichter, MD, clinical professor of neurology in the Jacobs School of Medicine at the University at Buffalo. “This is a waxing 48 WNY Family December 2020

and waning disorder,” he says, describing how tics come and go in phases and change over time.

In addition to tics, according to the CDC, six out of seven kids with Tourette Syndrome also have another mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder.

ADHD, OCD and anxiety are the most common. As many as half of Tourette Syndrome patients have at least one of these three disorders, says Jonathan W. Mink, MD, Chief of Child Neurology at University of Rochester Medical Center.

We’ve spoken to area experts to try to set the record straight about common myths and misperceptions about kids with Tourette Syndrome, and to learn the facts.

Myth #1: Swearing Fact: The technical term for this symptom is coprolalia, the involuntary outburst of obscene words. Fewer than 10% of patients swear as a symptom of Tourette Syndrome. “Only a small percentage get the cursing tics,” says Susan Conners, President of Tourette Association of Greater New York State in Buffalo. She explains, “Most people will inhibit the thoughts that come into their heads. But Tourette’s kids will say what comes into their head.” Dr. Lichter further explains that Tourette Syndrome is a disorder of inhibition, meaning that kids with Tourette Syndrome are often not being able to inhibit their movements or utterances.

— by Suzanne Koup-Larsen

Myth #2: Behavioral Disorder Fact: “It’s a neurological movement disorder,” says Conners, speaking of students who make unwanted movements in class and are admonished for misbehaviors. “Sometimes tics are misinterpreted as misbehavior,” says Dr. Lichter. This may cause teachers to discipline children inappropriately. By example, Conners recalls a 7th grader who was suspended 16 times by November. “They’re looked at as bad kids,” she says, because they often can’t sit still and don’t always comply with directions.

Myth #3: Kids are acting this way on purpose Fact: Some tics can look purposeful, but it’s involuntary behavior. Dr. Mink recommends trying to educate the people around the child that these are not intentional behaviors. Sue Conners and the Tourette Association of Greater New York State work to help teachers understand that kids are not intentionally misbehaving. “These kids don’t want attention called to themselves. They get too much unwanted attention as it is,” says Conners.

Myth #4: Special Education Fact: “Most Tourette Syndrome kids have completely normal IQ,” says Dr. Lichter. While learning disabilities are common in Tourette Syndrome patients, most students can manage the workload as well as neuro-typical students. As a re-

sult, many kids with Tourette Syndrome attend mainstream schools. “Sometimes the ADHD and the OCD interfere more in an educational environment than the tics,” says Dr. Lichter.

“Tourette Syndrome is regarded in New York State as a disability,” says Dr. Lichter. As a result, schools may provide the following accommodations to Tourette’s students:  Time-out periods to let out tics in private  Extra time with tests; tics can slow children down with testtaking  Taking tests in a separate room “There’s no quick fix for it,” says

Sambuchi of treatments for Tourette Syndrome. However, treatments are available. Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics, or CBIT, has been shown in studies to be as effective as some medications, says Dr. Lichter.

This technique trains patients to be more aware of their tics, and retrains them to try a competing behavior when they feel the urge to tic.

Support from doctors, family, and teachers is very important, says Dr. Lichter. Experts agree it’s important to have someone explain Tourette Syndrome to family members, teachers, and peers, not only about the tics but about concurrent disorders. Dr. Mink suggests

teaching children to explain Tourette Syndrome to the people they interact with. “Help the child find a way to explain.” If the child can explain the tics of Tourette Syndrome in his own words to people, it can create understanding and empathy. “That often makes a huge difference,” says Dr. Mink.

Suzanne Koup-Larsen is a freelance writer based in suburban Philadelphia.

Her work has been published in FamilyFun, National Geographic Traveler, the Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as New York Parenting, Pittsburgh Parent, Sacramento Parent, NJ Family, and Washington Parent.

Helping You Find the Perfect Place

December 2020 WNY Family 49

PICK OF THE LITERATURE continued... book will be perfect for a cold winter day or times when the quarantine of winter gets to you! With over 5,000 things to do, spring will be here before you know it.

If you are looking for a gift for a Star Wars fan, Star Wars Origami (Workman Publishers, New York 2020, $19.95) by Chris Alexander will certainly intrigue them and maybe even get the whole family involved. Let the Force guide your fingers and imagination as you use the specially designed paper included in the book to create such characters as Porg, Darth Vader, Lando Calrissian, a Pratorian Guard, or Supreme Leader Snoke. There are directions and papers to create Sebulba’s podracer, a Y-wing, the Millennium Falcon, Zorii Bliss’ helmet and much more! This book provides detailed information on the basics of origami, materials, and directions for 34 projects.

For the female athlete, Play Like a Girl: Life Lessons from the Soccer Field (Workman Publishers, New York, 2020, $15.95) by Kate T. Parker is a book that is sure to inspire all of the athletes in your household. Part of the Strong is the New Pretty series, this book contains thoughts and inspirations from young girls and women in the sport. Through photographs and quotations, we learn about resilience, success and failure, rising above, and other important lessons that can be applied to all aspects of life.

Will this holiday season be the beginning of new traditions, or will we soon find ourselves back into those we cherished before COVID? Only time will tell, but what will always remain is the importance of family and friends, as each of these books show in one way or another. So look for those moments of connection and continuity in what you share and who you share it with this holiday season.

Dr. Donna Phillips is an associate professor in the College of Education at Niagara University where her specialty is literacy and children’s literature. She lives on Grand Island, NY and is the mother of two adult children and the grandmother of one.

50 WNY Family December 2020

Ho Ho Ho, It’s Back to the Office We Go

I

ncreasingly businesses are reopening and employees are heading back to offices. During the pandemic, many people added a furry friend to their family. The time they have been able to spend together has been wonderful.

However, with people returning to work, pandemic pets may be in for a rude awakening.

Dogs and cats are creatures of habit. They’ve become accustomed to having their family around the house all day during the pandemic, with lots of attention. For pets adopted over the past couple of months, this may be the only routine they know.

Suddenly leaving them alone for 8-10 hours each day can lead to separation anxiety.

Separation anxiety can be challenging to manage as symptoms can include urinating and defecating in the house, chewing items and destructive behavior, over-grooming, and barking.

For cats this often manifests in urinary rebellion; in dogs it’s barking and chewing.

Here are a few tips on how to prepare for this transition, new routine and separation.

Getting Ready It’s time to put some space between you and your pet. If you’ve been taking your pet with you everywhere you go, decrease this. Start going out for short periods throughout the day and leave the dog at home. Gradually increase the time you are

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has never been in a crate, and you want to use one now that you’ll be away from the house for longer periods of time, now is the time to slowly introduce it. Make sure you reward your pet for using the crate, especially as a den or safe place. Place their bed and treats inside. Practice closing your dog in the crate when you are home. Feed meals in the crate. Provide some water inside if possible.

Additional Human or Pet Interaction out. If you start to see any evidence of stress in your pet, cut back the time you are away and begin again, or look for alternatives.

If you have been feeding your pet several times a day, start scaling back to what you can maintain once back at work, such as breakfast and dinner.

Introduce a schedule as you would for working away from home. Getting up, breakfast/feeding, walk, playing with your pet, etc. Begin short departures on a daily basis and gradually extend the time you are gone. This introduces a regular departure routine. Lengthen your time away gradually before the big day.

You may want to give your pet a food puzzle toy as you leave so that they associate your leaving with something special and can work on it while you’re gone. Try not to give your pet as much attention as you had been and encourage them to be independent.

If your pet associates the car keys or putting on your coat with your leaving and appears stressed, try getting these things together then sitting at the kitchen table or watch TV for a bit. Return the coat to the closet and keys to the dish, not having gone anywhere. Do this often. The association of you leaving should decrease, along with anxiety.

To Crate or Not To Crate Think about crate use. If you used a crate prior to working at home and haven’t used it while you have been home, decide whether you want to go back to crating now. If your pet is one that

You may want to consider a pet walking service or doggy day care. If so, test these before you decide what works best for your family. Even doggy day care a few days a week can help a lot, as your dog will likely sleep recuperating the other days.

Exercise & Distraction Shortly before you leave, play with your pet or give him an energizing activity. A tired pet is less likely to experience anxiety. Exercise will help keep your pet calm and relaxed.

A Sneak Peek Consider putting cameras (such as baby monitors) around the house so that you can check on activity at home periodically. This also enables you to talk with your pet if the need arises.

Medical Intervention If your pet experiences significant separation anxiety issues, it’s time to talk with your vet. Several medications are available to calm your pet and help them cope with time away from you.

The Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society is comprised of more than 75 small animal hospitals and more than 200 practitioners in Erie and Niagara Counties. It exists to advance public awareness and understanding of proper pet health care, veterinary services and the veterinary profession. Learn more at www.nfveterianrysociety.org.

Leaving the TV or radio on, the sound of a person’s voice, or white noise can help soothe a pet. Studies have shown that certain types of music, like reggae, classical, or jazz are preferred by some canines. Long-lasting treats, food puzzles, and automatic toys/feeders can help keep pets occupied while you are at work. Introduce these items during calm, happy times so they associate them with positive activities.

Farewells & Greetings Pets can sense human emotions. If they determine you’re anxious or nervous about leaving them, they’ll pick up on it. If you say goodbye over and over, saying you’ll be back soon, they may become anxious. It is best to get your pet situated a few minutes before you leave and ignore them as you do. When you get home, ignore your pet the first five minutes you return, then interact with them calmly. Try to treat leaving and returning as no big deal.

December 2020 WNY Family 51

Should College Students Go Home for the Holidays?

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“If you’re only going to be coming home for Thanksgiving holiday and then going straight back to school, this may not be a year to make that trip,” says Dr. John O’Horo, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist. “If your school is in the middle of an outbreak, it becomes all the more important to really weigh what you can do.”

When weighing options for the holidays, Dr. O’Horo says you should start by thinking of the people you plan to visit.

“The first thing to consider is who are you going to be traveling to and is it really going to be safe for you or for them,” says Dr. O’Horo. “If you have any kind of chronic health conditions or they have any chronic health conditions, this is a year to really weigh whether or not it’s worth it to travel because the risk is higher than it is in previous years.”

There are ways to reduce risk if you choose to travel. Consider isolating yourself for the two weeks in advance of your trip to minimize the chance of bringing the virus with you, wear a mask, and practice good hand hygiene.

“If you do have to travel and you cannot self-isolate effectively for those 14 days, make sure you’re taking all these measures very seriously. Once you come home — even inside your family’s house — it may be awkward to mask, but wearing a face mask for those first few days could prevent you from getting everyone else sick,” says Dr. O’Horo.

“Meticulous attention to hand hygiene will be very important. And trying to keep socially distant, even inside the house, even though it’s going to feel awkward, could be keeping somebody safe if you’re carrying a virus you don’t know about yet.”

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T

hanksgiving is traditionally an intimate gathering of family and friends. And, for college students, the fall break in semester is an opportunity to travel home to see the family for a few days. With COVID-19 cases increasing at a high rate in some parts of the U.S., that trek home might need to be reconsidered.

Tips to reduce risks of COVID-19 spread when traveling by air, bus, train or car: • Stay masked when around others.

• Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol).

• Try to maintain social distance of 6 feet from anyone who is not from your household.

• Avoid crowded areas.

• Avoid high touch surfaces.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Use disinfecting wipes on gas pump handles and buttons before you touch them.

Do not travel if you are not feeling well, have a fever or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Use the Mayo Clinic self-assessment tool (https://www.mayoclinic.org/covid-19-self-assessment-tool) for guidance to determine if you are a candidate to get tested for COVID-19 in your community.

Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original publication date.

Mayo Clinic Q & A: COVID -19 Testing for Children Source: Mayo Clinic News Network, November 3, 2020 DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have two children under 10 who just returned to school in person. The school announced updated requirements that when children return to school from being sick, they will need to have a negative COVID-19 test.

Since my daughters are not good patients, I’m concerned about how to prepare them if they need a COVID-19 test.

ANSWER: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been a stressful time for many families. Each of your family members, including your children, is likely to have had many changes to daily routines in recent weeks or months. This can be troubling to children and disrupt the family dynamic. One part of the pandemic that could cause children to be upset is if they need a COVID-19 test.

The good news is that there are things that you can do as a parent or caregiver to ease potential fear and anxiety. When children are prepared to take a medical test, they are more cooperative and comfortable.

gloves on their hands, a mask over their mouth and a clear plastic shield to protect their eyes. They are wearing these things to protect you, me and themselves from spreading germs.”

You also can encourage your children to watch the eyes of health care team members because when they smile, the shape of their eyes will change.

Lastly, don’t forget to explain the test process. How you describe the testing process depends on the age of your children.

For young school-age children, like yours, I recommend that you describe it as touching the inside of the back of their nose with a long, skinny cotton swab.

Here’s how you can explain it: “During the test, the health care provider will put a long, skinny cotton swab up into your nose for a few seconds to collect a sample. While this happens, it may tickle or feel uncomfortable, and you might feel like you want to push the cotton swab away. But you have a very important job.

You need to stay as still as possible, like a statue, during the test.”

Depending on your children’s ability

There are a few steps which are recommended to prepare your children for a COVID-19 test.

to sit still, it may help to practice in advance before you need to have a test so you can positively reinforce good behavior. Encourage your children to lean back, hold your hand and count slowly to five while remaining still. You also will want to remind them to breathe slowly. Lastly, it is important that your children feel safe during any health visit, so remind them that you will be with them during the test.

In addition, let them bring a comfort item, such as a favorite stuffed animal or blanket.

While no parent wants their children to be sick, with a little preparation and practice, hopefully your children will feel more comfortable should they need to undergo a COVID-19 test. In addition to talking with your children, you can share this Mayo Clinic video (found at https:// bit.ly/2GNURdZ) to help them feel more comfortable and confident for their COVID-19 test.

Due to the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original publication date.

First, define new terms. It’s important that your children have a basic understanding of what COVID-19 is and why they need to be tested. Take time to explain COVID-19 in kid-friendly terms. Make sure you consider your children’s personalities if they will become anxious hearing about being sick.

Here’s a way to describe it when talking with kids: “You may have heard adults talking about COVID-19. It’s a virus, like a germ, and it is so tiny that we can’t see it with our eyes. Some people who get this virus can have a fever or a cough, and may feel achy and tired, while some people can have this virus and not feel sick at all. The only way to know for sure if you have the virus in your body is to get a test. This helps your doctor and parents know the best way to take care of you.”

You also should explain what your children will see when they get tested. For instance, share with your kids that there might be people who will be wearing more protective clothing and masks than before.

One way to explain it might be to say: “Health care team members will wear

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K

ids love making cookies, and everyone enjoys eating them! While some holiday cookie recipes take time and effort, you don’t have to spend days in the kitchen to make a lovely assortment. Select the easiest festive cookies you can make, like drop cookies. No rolling out and cutting dough (unless you want to), no overnight refrigeration required. Just scoop, drop, flatten and bake!

Thumbprint Cookies Free of: DAIRY, EGGS, SOY, PEANUTS, TREE NUTS, WHEAT*, FISH, SHELLFISH, and GLUTEN* Yield: 30-36 cookies Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 12-14 minutes

A few tips: 

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper for easy clean up, especially with cookies with jams or rolled in sugar. You can reuse the parchment for multiple batches.



Bake cookies in advance and freeze or store in a cool, dry place in airtight containers.



Too many leftover cookies?

Freeze and enjoy for the next few cold months of winter!







Cookies are especially forgiving of substitutes. Eggs, butter, even wheat can all be replaced with allergy safe ingredients.

To be sure the blend is right, bake a few cookies first as a tester. Modify the rest of the dough if necessary.

Nuts in cookie recipes can usually be replaced with sunflower seeds or crisp rice cereal for crunch, or omitted altogether.

1 cup dairy/soy free margarine (butter if not dairy allergic), softened 1/2 cup sugar (regular or confectioners’) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups flour* (regular or gluten/wheat free) 1/3 cup cherry, strawberry, apricot, or other flavor jam (or use a variety) Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat margarine and sugar, blend in vanilla extract. Add flour, mix well. Use a small cookie scoop or hand roll into small balls, place on ungreased cookie sheets and flatten slightly. Make an indent in center of each cookie with your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon.

Fill indent with a little jam, about 1/2 teaspoon per cookie.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool for about 10 minutes on pan before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

If you have any questions about our column, e-mail Kathy at allergy@roadrunner.com. For further information about food allergies, contact FARE www. foodallergy.org, or call 1-800-929-4040.

Kathy Lundquist is a Western New York parent whose son, now an adult, was born with severe food allergies. Over the last two decades, she has worked tirelessly, in a variety of capacities to increase community awareness about food allergies.

54 WNY Family December 2020

SNOWBALL COOKIES (a.k.a Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes) Free of: DAIRY, EGGS, SOY, PEANUTS, TREE NUTS, WHEAT*, FISH, SHELLFISH, and GLUTEN* Yield: 40-50 cookies PrepTime: 15 minutes Cook Time: 13-16 minutes 1 cup dairy/soy free margarine (butter if not dairy allergic), softened 1/2 cup sugar (regular or confectioners’) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups flour* (regular or gluten/wheat free) 1 cup crisp rice cereal or sunflower seeds 1/4 teaspoon salt Confectioners’ sugar Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat margarine and sugar until creamy, add vanilla extract. Add flour, cereal, and salt. Use a small cookie scoop or hand roll into small balls.

Bake for 13-16 minutes, until set but not brown. Let cool 10 minutes, dust with confectioners’ sugar while still warm but not hot. When completely cool, roll in confectioners’ sugar.

Snowball Variations: Lemon: Replace 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract with lemon extract, add zest of 1 lemon Chocolate Chip: Omit cereal, replace with 1 cup dairy/soy free chocolate chips Holiday Spice: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon allspice (or 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice)

THE KIDDIE GOURMET

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— by Barbara Blackburn

ou certainly see Banana (both $7.99), and The Poked Yolk Lumberjack Waffle (8.99). the sunny side 3100 Transit Road of breakfast The latter comes with hash West Seneca or lunch at the Poked Yolk. browns mixed with diced 7l6-656-9655 Kids ten and under can enjoy bacon, sausage, and scramthepokedyoke.com a menu offering five choicbled eggs, topped with sau~ SPOONS ~ es, all served with choice sage gravy. of milk, juice, or soda. The FOOD 4.5/5 Besides Create-yourchoices are Kid Classic, own-Omelet, six already one egg, homefries, toast creative omelet offerings SERVICE 5/5 ($4.99 or $5.99, with one include five choices, each sausage, two bacon or one $7.99. Although we prefer ham); Kid Pancake ($3.99); both yolks and whites, we FAMILY French Toast ($2.99); Grilled savored the combination of FRIENDLY 4/5 Cheese, with French fries the Special K — not cereal, ($4.99); and Chicken Finbut egg whites with kale, gers, with fries ($4.99). A vadiced tomato, and onion, riety of gluten free options are available. with a hint of turmeric. It’s always good Local eateries often don’t have the sepato see kale playing a part other than that rate special kids’ menu of fun and games. of garnish.

Yet, this is a friendly place for those orLest we forget the burgers, there are dering from the already mentioned kids’ seven of them. The “fav,” as they highmenu, with appropriate seating. light in each category of food is the Bam! From the Eggs & EGGcetera secThis $8.99 burger delivers bacon, avocation, I ordered the favorite José Benny. do, and fresh mozzarella. The chicken is This Mexican version was a spicy twist not forgotten here; you can substitute a on traditional Eggs Benedict: English chicken breast for any of the seven burgmuffin topped with tomato, chorizo sauers, also served on a Costanzo roll, with sage patty, poached eggs, house-made pickles, lettuce, tomato and onion. All green sauce and sour cream, served burgers are $8.99. Check online for the with seasoned home fries ($7. 99). Most monthly special burger, as well as the Western New Yorkers will appreciate the other categories, hot touch.

Of the five salads, the Taco Salad Dad chose his Pig in the Grass ($8.99) gets the fav rating. This one from the Grilled Sami section ($8.99). sports the spicy chorizo over greens with Served on sourdough bread, this Sami tomato, avocado, and shredded cheese was stocked with roast pork, fresh spinserved with salsa and sour cream. ach, roasted red peppers, and smoked This can be a spot for those who like gouda. The samis, burgers, and wraps it hot, or those who like it healthy, and are served with a choice of French fries, for everyone who likes comfort cuisine. house-made chips, coleslaw, or home Poached eggs to me have always been fries. We agreed that the French fries comfort food, especially when the yolk were among the best we’ve eaten. Pois poked to release that golden stream of tatoes are treated with due respect here. satisfaction.

Such was the case with my home fries, Note that the Poked Yoke also has to which I added both onions and pepa second location at 3698 Abbott Road, pers (50 cents extra) making it O’Brian Orchard Park. style.

Under Batter Up, Belgian Waffles take a unique twist. Besides the Original ($6.99) served with powdered sugar, there are Apple Cinnamon, Caramel

Check out Barbara Blackburn’s blogs at frontierfare.wordpress.com and culinarrations.wordpress.com.

Let’s

y t r Pa One of the Nicest Things 5C8A0L-L0745 You Can Give Your Child TODAY! Is HAPPY MEMORIES! Invite Skiddles the Clown to Entertain at Your Child’s Next Birthday!

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56 WNY Family December 2020