Grand Opening! Check Us Out at WestlakeLessons.com Westlake Lessons Hosts Semesterly Recitals, Which Allow Students To Gain Such Critical Performance Experience In Front Of A Friendly Audience. They Are The Perfect Reward For The Work They Put Into Their Instrument, And Infuse Their Music Learning With New Energy! Westlake Lessons Is The #1 Provider Of Home Music Instruction! We Have Home Instructors For All Instruments, Styles, And Experience Levels!
Visit Eanes.Augusoft.Net for the following EISD Enrichment courses taught by Westlake Lessons. EISD Enrichment Classes: All Ages | All Instruments | Beginner to Advanced
Pop Chamber Ensemble; Ages 11-14 / 14-18. Learn And Perform Songs By Your Favorite Bands And Artists, As Arranged For Orchestra Chamber Ensemble!
Ages 7-10. Beginners Learn to read music notation, guitar “TAB”, and beginner chords. Students choose songs they want to learn and play together with their peers! (Guitars provided!)
Ages 11-14 / 14-18. Learn songs by your favorite artists and perform them together as a real multi-piece pop/rock band! Learn the music industry tools of the trade to record your band using GarageBand Software!
Take your singing to new levels by singing songs by your favorite bands and artists, arranged in “a capella” form, popularized by the network television show "Glee."
Ages 14-18. Learn How To Improvise Over Jazz Chords, Accompany Soloists, Arrange Basslines And Perform Tunes By Jazz Greats Miles Davis, John Coltrane And Ella Fitzgerald!
Ages 11-14 / 14-18. Learn And Perform Songs By Your Favorite Artists, Arranged For Small Percussion Ensembles And Arrangements Inspired By Percussion Groups Such As "Stomp!" And The "Blue Man Group"
All Students Enrolled In Home Lessons And EISD Enrichment Classes Are Eligible To Perform At Westlake Lessons’ Annual “Winterfest” Recital! Students Receive “Rock Show” Posters Individually Printed With Their Name, Songs Performed And Autographed By Their Instructor!
For Information Call Or Text (512)285-0764 | Email: Info@Westlakelessons.Com Pick us up at HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market
austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 1
Because this time you’ll be prepared with an Ultimate Back to School Combo from Mabel’s Labels. Complete with 108 custom labels, this combo is perfect for their backpacks, pencil cases, lunch bags and of course shoes.
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Same-day, next-day Pediatric Appointments at ADC Steiner Ranch Dr. Theresa Willis and Dr. Linda Lopez welcome you and your children to ADC Pediatrics. Friendly doctors and staff Board certified pediatricians Pediatric-trained lab technicians onsite Pre-partum visits for expectant parents Vibrant, colorful offices Most insurances accepted
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Drill Team Prep Performance & Competition Teams 4 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
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inside 8/14
austinfamily
smart parenting • healthy homes
16
20
columns
calendar
15 Family Matters Are sugary drinks okay for kids who aren’t overweight?
34 Family Events 40 Parenting Events 40 Storytimes
in every issue
22 Lifelines West Nile virus can put a sting in summer
7 8 47 48
30 Family Connections Great apps for new parents 32 Test Drive Game reviews by ESRB, www.esrb.org 51 Films Earth to Echo
24 features
18 The Learning Curve Making the most of out-of-school time
29 Ten things…for national water quality month!
®
Play It Safe Product recalls Around Austin Kidzone by Thinkery Book Recommendations
12
Catching up with Trevor Romain
16
School: Solved! 7 steps to a successful year
20
Take a peek inside Doss Elementary’s Chinese language immersion class
24
Are you up on school bus laws?
extras 14 Young Writers Contest 2014 26 Back-to-School Guide 2014-15 44 Lake Travis High School Art Competition Winners 45 Cover Kids Contest 2015 49 Focus on Doctors
52 Humor Send for supplies
12 tune in
cover shot
follow us on:
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Isabella enjoys horseback riding, guitar and volleyball. New items each week. Visit our website to register.
Cover photographed by Tiffany Corbett of Studio213.net
austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 5
austinfamily®
editor’s note by Sherida Mock
August 2014
It’s August, and that means back-to-school season. For me, those wheels start turning: have I done everything I need to do before the first day of school? There are supplies to be purchased, teachers to meet, backpacks to locate and dust off and the clothes—so many clothes!—to make sure still fit or need to be tossed or sent to the hand-me-down pile. Well, take a breath and sit down with Sharon Nolfi’s piece containing seven great tips for getting off on the right foot this school year. While you’re at it, enjoy our interview with Trevor Romain, children’s author and motivational speaker, who has some wonderful insights into tough subjects like bullying and living with a learning difference. And let feature writer Brooke Blanton take you along to Doss Elementary, where a class of 2nd graders spends half of every day speaking Mandarin Chinese. Our regular columnists have something to say about back-to-school time, too. Jennifer VanBuren sheds light on out-of-school-time programs to keep students productive and on track outside of the school day, and humorist Susana Fletcher recounts her foray into buying the right school supplies. But wait, there are still a few precious days of summer left; so, let’s make the most of them, shall we? Enjoy one last splash in the pool, one final matinée in an air-conditioned theater and one last unhurried day at the museum. Then enjoy that first day back to school with a smile on your face—you’ve got a noggin full of fun summer memories!
Volume 22, No. 5
PUBLISHER Kaye K. Lowak EDITOR Sherida Mock editor2003@austinfamily.com COPY EDITOR Paula Halloum ADVISING EDITORS Dr. Betty Kehl Richardson Barb Cooper CALENDAR EDITOR Betty Kemper calendar2003@austinfamily.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sherida Mock, Jack Kyser, Sara Rider, Jennifer VanBuren, Dr. Betty Richardson, Richard Singleton, Pam Heller, Susana Fletcher, Sharon Nolfi, Brooke Blanton ART DIRECTORS Mary Sauceda nr2003@austinfamily.com John Franzetti STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Studio 213.net
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P.O. Box 7559 Round Rock, Texas 78683-7559
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SeekingSitters® Local Owner Adrienne Wagner “As owner of SeekingSitters® and as a mom, I know personally how important and sometimes challenging it can be to find reliable child care that is flexible around your family’s busy schedule. SeekingSitters® is continually recruiting and certifying experienced and professional babysitters to ensure a qualified sitter is available for your specific request. We look forward to referring a Certified Professional Sitter to your family soon.”
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play it safe: product recalls
Government recalls glider rockers, bunk beds and digital pianos Brooks Furniture is recalling about 350 glider rockers because the spindles in the glider base can separate while rocking, posing a fall hazard to the user. The recall includes two styles of glider rockers: the 1529P glider rocker has a maple wood frame with blue fabric upholstery; the 1529V-LM glider rocker has a maple wood frame with beige vinyl upholstery and a locking mechanism to disengage the glider. Both recalled chairs have the style number and manufacture date between 1/1/2011 and 12/31/2012 printed under the chair’s seat. Affected units were sold through Kaplan Early Learning Co. nationwide from October 2011 to December 2012 for about $390 to $540, depending on style. Consumers should stop using the glider rocker and contact Brooks Furniture to receive a free replacement base. Lea Industries is recalling about 500 bunk beds with bookcases because the bunk bed can be assembled incorrectly, creating a space that poses an entrapment hazard to young children. The recall involves Lea Covington and Hannah Collections style bunk beds with bookcases. The beds were sold in twin over twin and full over full sizes with accessories including a bookcase. Affected units were sold through Furnitureland South and other furniture stores nationwide and online at Hayneedle.com from September 2011 until March 2014 for about $1,700. Consumers should immediately check to see if they have the recalled bunk beds and then contact Lea Industries to determine if the bed is mis-assembled. A professional installer can be dispatched to raise the position of the bottom bunk bed and install new brackets on the bookcase. Lea Industries is contacting known customers directly.
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Roland Corporation is recalling about 640 digital pianos because the AC power cord can be connected to the XLR output jacks, posing an electrical shock hazard. The recall involves Roland model RD-800 Electronic Digital Pianos. Pianos within the following serial number ranges are being recalled: Z6D0015 to Z6D0019, Z7D0174 to Z7D0423, Z8D1056 to Z8D1255 and Z9D2131 to Z9D2333. Affected units were sold at American Musical Supply Inc., Cascio Interstate, Full Compass Systems Ltd, Guitar Center Inc., Kraft Keyboard Center, Musicians Friend Inc., Sam Ash Inc. and Sweetwater Sound Inc. stores nationwide from January 2014 to April 2014 for about $3,000. Consumers should immediately stop using the pianos, unplug the power cord from the wall outlet and the piano and contact Roland U.S. for a free repair kit or locate an authorized dealer or service center to have the repair kit installed free of charge. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission works to protect the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products.
Pick us up at HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market
austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 7
Around Austin Go to www.austinfamily.com for weekly updates of Around Austin news
Must-Do this month Ensure school-aged kids are upto-date on vaccinations. Visit www. dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/school/ default.shtm for information about state immunization requirements. Freeze a few dinners. You’ll be glad you have an easy meal available for those first few nights of the new school year. Shop the tax-free weekend for back-to-school essentials on August 8-10. You’ll pay no state sales tax on clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks under $100. BY THE NUMBERS
$331,000 Lifetime earnings (age 18-64) gap between those who dropped out and those with a high school diploma only. Reason enough to stay in school? source: Texas Association of School Boards
1.4 million Number of children transported by school buses every day in Texas. It’s back-to-school season; stay safe on our roads. source: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 8 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
BULLOCK MUSEUM DEBUTS “WHEN AUSTIN GOT WEIRD” Relive Austin’s “Golden Age” through poster art that captures the spirit of the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 70s in the capital city of Texas. “When Austin Got Weird,” an exhibit curated by the Bullock Texas State History Museum, runs July 11 through September 14 in the third-floor Rotunda Gallery. Using music posters from two Austin collections, the exhibit explores the poster artists and music venues that defined Austin’s cultural scene between 1967 and 1980. A visible counterculture emerged during this time, launching a cultural revolution often referred to as the Golden Age of Austin by those who experienced it. Rent was cheap, the music was great, and the once small, sleepy town emerged as a breeding ground for activism. Highlights of “When Austin Got Weird” include posters by artists featuring famous musicians, such as Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson, Pete Seeger, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Fats Domino and the Ramones. Texas favorites, such as Asleep at the Wheel, Sir Doug and the Texas Tornadoes and Shiva’s Headband are featured as well. The exhibit complements “The 1968 Exhibit,” on view through Sept. 1. This exhibit reveals the social forces that crested in 1968, a year that shaped the rest of the 20th century, and brings to life this pivotal American year through photographs, artifacts, vintage pop culture items and interactives.
AUSTIN TEAM TO EXPLORE CULTURAL IMPACT OF BULLYING The Austin Area Asian American Health (4A+ Health) team has been selected to participate in the National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH) program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The 4A+ Health team will work on an applied health leadership project to reduce bullying and improve education and access to mental/behavioral health resources and public health outcomes. According to data gathered by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Asian Americans reported the highest rate of bullying in classrooms and on school grounds, nearly 20% and 10% higher than any other racial or ethnic group, respectively. The team plans to collaborate with community members, families, schools and businesses to raise awareness, promote resources and reduce bullying in our rapidly growing Asian American population. 4A+Health is one of 29 teams in the nation and one of two in Texas selected for the fellowship.
PEREZ ELEMENTARY RECEIVES MORE THAN 1,200 BOOKS With a shared commitment to giving back and supporting student success, National PTA® and Children’s Bookstore teamed up to donate more than 1,200 new books to students at LCPL Nicholas S. Perez Elementary School in Austin Independent School District. National PTA and Children’s Bookstore presented the books to members of the Perez Elementary School PTA and representatives of AISD during the 2014 Annual National View the magazine online at austinfamily.com
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PTA Convention and Exhibition in Austin in June. “Spending time reading books is essential to help children develop their literacy skills and plays an important role in academic achievement. And to engage children in reading, it is important that they have access to books they will cherish,” said Otha Thornton, president of National PTA. Each year, the National PTA Convention and Exhibition brings together thousands of parents, educators, administrators, policymakers and thought leaders from across the country to discuss key issues impacting children, families, schools and communities. As part of this year’s event, every convention participant was provided with a donation voucher and the opportunity to select a book for a child at Perez Elementary School. With the donations from convention attendees, every student at the school will receive their own book at the start of the 2014-2015 school year. Books also will be donated for the school library. “Our goal at Children’s Bookstore is to help parents and educators find books that children will love,” said Jake Ball, owner of Children’s Bookstore. “We’re thrilled to donate books to the children of Perez Elementary. We hope each of these books is read and worn out by these wonderful students.” Perez Elementary School was nominated by the Austin Council PTA and Austin Partners in Education to receive the books. “The Perez Elementary School community was devastated by the flood that hit Austin in October 2013. Many families lost their homes and all of their belongings, including any books they had,” said Jennifer Carson, president of the Austin Council PTA. “We are honored to nominate Perez Elementary School as the recipient of the book donation. The families and children who attend the school are well-deserving of the books.”
“Making music education convenient for busy families is the mission of our business,” explained founder Patrick White. White explained why serving its local community is at the heart of Westlake Lessons’ business model. “For families, it maximizes availability of our teachers, allowing them to be flexible for rescheduling when things come up. For teachers, it reduces the cost of gas and maximizes the number of families they can ultimately serve, thus allowing them gainful employment doing what they love. It’s a win-win.” “I’ve been taking lessons for a while, and my daughter recently decided she wanted to pick up the guitar,” says Albert Gashi, a Westlake Lessons customer. “We have a great teacher. He’s very patient, no matter what age.” Westlake Lessons is an Enrichment Program Provider for Eanes ISD. Check your EISD program guide for fall programs: eanes.augusoft.net. For more information, or to inquire if Westlake Lessons’ home music instruction is available in your neighborhood, call or text: (512)285-0764 | email: Info@westlakelessons.com.
PFLUGERVILLE SENIOR RECEIVES PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD Sarah Young, 16, of Pflugerville, a home schooled Girl Scout, has been honored for her exemplary volunteer service with a President’s Volunteer Service Award. The award, which recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to serve their communities and their country, was granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program on behalf of President Barack Obama. Girl Scouts of Central Texas nominated Sarah for national honors this fall in recognition of her volunteer service. Sarah was also honored as a Certificate of Excellence recipient by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Sarah was recognized for her Girl Scout Gold Award and sustainability of said project. For her project, Sarah planted and distributed 2,250 street trees during the first two years to help minimize the heat island effect. The Apache Foundation has supported the project throughout the first two years, as well. Throughout year three, Sarah intends to distribute an additional 1,500 trees. As a Girl Scout and Youth Director for Discover Green, she has been involved in planting and distributing over 15,000 trees since October 2008.
WESTLAKE LESSONS: INNOVATIVE COMPANY BRINGS MUSIC LESSONS TO THE HOME Westlake Lessons is a new music education company that brings music educators to homes in West Lake Hills and surrounding communities. They have teachers for all instruments and levels of experience, for students as young as four years old. Pick us up at HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market
continued on page 10
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continued from page 9
“Sarah Young is the embodiment of what being a Girl Scout means. She has shown with actions that matter what it truly means to be a girl of courage, confidence and character,” said Lynelle McKay, CEO of Girl Scouts of Central Texas. “Thanks to her volunteering efforts and leadership, her community has seen a real improvement. Girl Scouts of Central Texas is incredibly proud of her and proud to be her home council.” Sarah’s Discover Green project was also recognized as first place winner in the national youth category with Keep America Beautiful and state winner with Keep Texas Beautiful. Her eco-inspiration coach training was recognized in 2013-2014 by OneStar Foundation and Texas Commission for Environmental Quality TCEQ. This project trained 77 youth to continue her tree planting initiative. “The recipients of these awards demonstrate that young people across America are making remarkable contributions to the health and vitality of their communities,” said John Strangfeld, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. “By recognizing these students and placing a spotlight on their volunteer activities, we hope to motivate others to consider how they can also contribute to their community.”
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austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 11
Catching Up Trevor Romain with
by Sherida Mock
Austinite Trevor Romain is a best selling children’s author and illustrator, star of the PBS series The Trevor Romain Show and a motivational speaker to children all over the world. He tackles real-life issues for kids, such as bullies, facing fears, coping with divorce and understanding grief. He sat down with us recently to discuss the work of The Trevor Romain Company. >>
12 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
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On talking with kids. Most adults tell children what they think they need to hear, instead of listening to what they’re asking for. Kids want validation. We tell kids “Don’t worry, don’t be afraid.” We’re negating their feelings. What they want is somebody to hear what they’re feeling. We should be saying, “Man, I would be worried, too. How do you think you can solve it?” Engage in some kind of an understanding of what the problem is, instead of just trying to push it away because it makes us uncomfortable. The other thing is if you share a similar story with the child. If you can say, “When I was your age, this bullying happened, and I never told anyone, and I struggled with it for a long time, and I wish that I would have been not afraid to tell. I was so scared and I didn’t know what to do. Is that how you’re feeling?” That can open up a dialog because they know that you have been where they’ve been—instead of saying “I understand how you feel.” If you tell a child that, they can’t make the connection. But if you tell them a story from your heart, then they know that you’re in a similar place to them.
connection. We have to give the bully a way to be able to talk to a counselor. If they are able to go to their teacher and say, “I’m feeling terrible. I don’t like me. I don’t like doing this. I don’t want to be this person who people pretend they like, and then they hate me behind my back.” Kids are fearful that if they go and report, the bully will come after them, which does happen. Oftentimes, the teacher will storm off—or the dad or the mom—and go take care of business right away, which does not help. It makes it worse. So [we need] to be able to give them avenues to be able to report, easily and comfortably and safely.
On finding his niche. I wrote a book
called “The Keeper of the Dreams,” and I decided to give it to a local non-profit and see if we could get it printed, and then they could use the proceeds. So I went around from non-profit to non-profit, and everybody said “No.” Eventually, there was an organization called the Candlelighters which is now the American Childhood Cancer Organization. I went to the woman there, Debbie Sharp, and she said, “Great idea.” So we printed the book and she said, “You know, you should take this book to the hospital and read it to the kids that you’ve donated the money to.” I’d never met a kid with cancer before in my life. So I went to the hospital, and there were about 16 kids with little IV poles. I read the book and when I was finished one little girl said, “Can you read that again?” And I’m like, “Okay.” Well, I ended up reading it about 10 times. And I went back day after day after day, and eventually became known as the Doctor of Mischief.
On bullying. Reporting a bully is not only going to help the victim, but it’s going to help the bully because 90 percent of kids who bully have something going on. There are some insecurities; there are some fears. Some of them, the only contact they can have with anybody is if they actually bully them or are mean to them, and really what they’re doing is reaching out and trying to make a
have a stone that was there. And there’s a bucket of water with a ladle. To pay your respects, you dip the ladle and you say a prayer, and you pour the water. It’s such a wonderful feeling to be able to say, “There’s this flow, and it goes out.” And I do exercises with kids, too—you know, breathing—and my therapy is drawing. I draw in my journal. I’ve journaled my whole life. That’s very, very helpful to me.
On his partnership with the USO. [Military] kids have got a unique struggle. Not only do they have to move every 3 years, they have a parent deployed, maybe on their 4th, 5th, 6th deployment. A lot of those kids have parents with PTSD—many of them—and so we created these programs to help those kids. We’ve spoken to over 180,000 military kids in the last 3 years. All over the world. We’ve been to every country that has US military bases with kids—Japan, Germany, Guam, Okinawa, Korea, Bahrain, Spain, Turkey, England, Belgium. I do assemblies, and we talk to kids about moving, about dealing with being in a new school, about cliques and just basically the stuff that they go through on a daily basis, the hurdles. And our whole aim—not only with those kids but with all kids, with our divorce kits and our deployment kits and our grief comfort kits—is to make sure that kids are happier, healthier and more confident. That’s our philosophy; that’s our slogan.
On living with a learning difference. Normally when a bully does something, the bystanders giggle and laugh because they don’t want to be singled out and they want to feel allied to the bully. “I’m not the target. I’m going to be on their side because I do not want to be the target.” We have to have a peer-to-peer culture where kids say, “We’re not going to put up with this anymore.”
On feeling the weight of his work. If I visit kids in a hospital or a refugee camp, when I walk out of the door I just say a little meditation, a little prayer, just “Please, can you carry that, because I cannot carry that with me.” When I’m with those children, I’ll give them 100 percent. I can’t heal them, but we can have a lot of fun. And I often do a hand washing thing. I’ll go and just let the warm water run over my hands, just as a cleansing thing. That’s something that I learned when I was in Nagasaki, Japan. When you go to the monument where the atomic bomb was dropped, they
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I’m dyslexic and ADD, so I’m working on a book for kids, and it’s basically about living with a learning difference. You know, you can still reach your dreams. I always tell kids when I start off that I’ve reached my dreams, and my new dream is to have more dreams. I’m very lucky that I’ve been successful, and even though I was a kid struggling at school who couldn’t read pretty much until the 4th grade, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be successful and reach your dreams. As a kid who was a pencil roller and a foot tapper and gazing out the window, I used to get spanked for doing little drawings, but to this day, I’ll sit in a meeting and tell you everything that was said. I didn’t look at the person talking, I was just listening, and those little drawings—when I come back to it, I can associate ideas that I’ve heard with those little squiggles. And that’s how my brain works; it just works differently.
austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 13
Middle School Parents: Is education
something your child endures or something they love? What inspires them? What do they want to do? Who do they want to become? WonderLab is an Austin-based learning lab that provides a safe, productive, fun environment where kids identify a quest as unique as they are — something they are inspired to learn to know, do, or become — and then work with a talented Mentor Guide to achieve their goals. Choose from three tiers of monthly memberships to suit your time and resources, starting at $200 per month. We invite you to a complimentary consultation about finding your young learner’s unique gifts.
Call the number below or register online now!
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2014
Young Writers Contest Students in the fourth and fifth grades are invited to write 100 to 300-word essays on this topic:
What are you good at and why? The first place winner will receive a Kindle, plus the winner and the first runner up will receive plaques at a class presentation. All participants will receive a Young Writers wristband.
14 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
Contest Rules • Essays must be 100 to 300 words. • Submissions accepted August 15 October 15. • Essays must be received by 5 p.m. on October 15, 2014. • Writers must be in the fourth or fifth grade. • See website for complete rules. A panel of judges from the Austin chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators will choose first and second place winners from each grade. For more information, visit www.austinfamily.com
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family matters by Dr. Betty Richardson
Q
Are sugary drinks okay for kids who aren’t overweight?
This summer I took my daughter, Stacey, and granddaughter, Kendra, on a trip. During layovers in each airport, my granddaughter would ask her mother for permission to buy a sack of candy and get a sugary drink. Stacey never said, “No.” During our vacation, Kendra continued to consume a lot of candy and “slushies” from fast food restaurants. My daughter said I shouldn’t worry about how much sugar Kendra takes in as she is already a teenager, very slender and engaged in several sports. Unspoken are two messages: one, that she is Kendra’s mother and she will decide what is best and two, that Kendra will never get “fat.” Is unlimited sugar bad for teens, even slender, sports-minded ones? If it is unhealthy, how could I get my daughter to put a limit on Kendra’s sugar intake?
Pay attention to the idea that your daughter doesn’t want you telling her how to parent. This is usually the case with grown daughters who are mothers. Stacey probably seeks approval rather than censure. You need to give her approval for parenting things she does well. This approval will build a better relationship with your daughter and be helpful as you try to finesse some healthy changes for your granddaughter. You’ve asked if sugar is bad for teens, even slender, sports-minded ones. In my opinion, it is bad. Parents who drink lots of sugary drinks themselves, as well as businesses making money on teen consumption of sugary drink and food, might disagree. Is all sugar intake bad? No, it’s the unlimited use that seems unhealthy. Why is unlimited sugar bad for teens? In 2009, the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation presented a research synthesis entitled “The Negative Impact of Sugar Sweetened Beverages on Children’s Health.” This paper pointed out that in the past 30 years, children and adolescents in this country have greatly increased their consumption of sugar sweetened beverages. Negative effects of these drinks were identified as: less healthy diets, decreased bone density, dental decay, headache, anxiety and loss of sleep. More research was suggested. Recent research on the effect of glucose (sugar) on the brains of slender adolescent girls was reported in Weight Management HUB by Naseem S. Miller in an article titled “Glucose Lights Up the Adolescent Brain.” Is this “lighting up” similar to that found in addiction? What effect does it have on the areas of the developing adolescent brain that are lighting up? Researchers are looking at the different effects of glucose on obese girls and adults as well as slender teens. One question that researchers are trying to answer is: will slender girls who drink significant amounts of sugary drinks become obese later? We might also ask: if slender teens take in a lot of sugar and become obese later, will it be because of some effect of overconsumption of sugar earlier, or because they continue sugar use but don’t keep up the physical activity of their teenage years or because of a slowing of metabolism? What can you do to help your granddaughter limit her sugar intake? You could try challenging her to research the effects of sugary drink consumption. Get her to look at the slide show on Web MD’s The Fit Teen (fit.webmd.com/teen/food/slideshow/ slideshow-teens-sugar) entitled “Sugar: The other teen drinking problem.” She will learn that four sugary drinks can contain as much as 41 teaspoons of sugar, which equals about 38 chocolate chip cookies. Another website with information from Harvard on child and teen consumption of sugar is hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sugary-drinks-fact-sheet/. In addition, you might be able to get Kendra to consider a science fair project or other school project around her research on sugar consumption. Help her compare the amount of sugar in sports drinks, fast food chain drinks, sodas,
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fruit juice, etc. Take Kendra grocery shopping and read labels to find the sugar content. Reading labels onfruit juice in the grocery store will reveal that some servings of a particular juice have five grams of sugar and some have 28 grams or more. Ultimately, it will be your granddaughter who will decide what she eats and drinks, so working with her will probably have better results than expecting your daughter to do something about Kendra’s sugar consumption.
Betty Richardson, Ph.D., R.N.C., L.P.C., L.M.F.T., is an Austin-based psychotherapist who specializes in dealing with the problems of children, adolescents and parents.
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School: Solved! 7 Steps to a Successful Year
by Sharon Nolfi
he first weeks of school are a time of change and stress for families. Children are faced with unfamiliar work and the expectations of a new teacher. Friends may find themselves in separate classrooms as new children are introduced to the classroom mix. Some children will attend a new school entirely, often one in which they are the youngest students. Parents suffer these changes alongside their children, and everyone must adjust to the routine imposed by the school’s schedule.
T
The keys to a successful school year are planning and organization during the early weeks. Your actions now can ease the back-to-school transition and lay the groundwork for a successful academic year. Follow these steps to start the school year as smoothly as possible. The time you invest now will pay benefits all year long.
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16 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
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Attend “Back-to-School Night”
Request a parent-teacher conference
Plan to be a partner in education
If your school offers an evening for parents to visit classrooms early in the year, be sure to attend. Usually held during the first weeks of school, this event allows parents to visit classrooms, meet teachers and learn about the educational activities planned for the year.
This is your chance to meet one-on-one with the teacher and learn more about her expectations for your child. Use this opportunity to share information about your child. Perhaps he pays better attention when seated in the front row or needs encouragement to speak in front of the class. The sooner the teacher knows these things, the sooner she can make necessary adjustments to help your child.
Make sure your child and his teacher know you want to be involved in the educational process. Volunteer and/or visit at school, if possible. Even a few hours will give you new insights into your child’s experience. The best school outcomes result from partnerships between home, student and school.
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Establish a routine for homework
Set up a system at home to process school forms
Use a morning routine that starts the night before
Establish a time and place for your child to do homework, well in advance of bedtime. Follow up if she needs reminders or assistance. Schedule homework for a time when neither of you is distracted by other things.
Put out a box or basket into which your children can place school forms requiring your attention as soon as they arrive home. Attend to these forms promptly, and return the ones that require your signature.
Preparation is especially important the first few weeks of school, when getting out of the house on time is most often a challenge. Make lunches or provide lunch money before bed. Have children put books, homework and required forms in backpacks. Set out clothes for the morning. Make sure everyone gets enough sleep, and plan a simple breakfast.
7 Be flexible and understanding Accept that this is a time of adjustment and that some snags are inevitable. A sense of humor and lots of hugs will help you and your children adjust more quickly. Your family can enjoy a smooth transition to the new school year. Start now by following the seven steps above. You will soon be on your way to a better year for you and your children. Sharon Nolfi is a licensed school psychologist and parent of grown children. Her writing has appeared in publications worldwide.
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austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 17
the learning curve by Jennifer VanBuren
After the bell rings: Making the most of out-of-school time
Micah looks forward to 8th grade where she plays athletics. Photo by Sudio 213
The bell rings. Sophie packs up her bag and jumps on the bus. Mom greets her at the door with warm oatmeal raisin cookies and cold milk. After a short chat about their days and a few chores, Sophie takes out her math homework and mom is there to help. Shortly after, dad comes home from work and they head to the garage to work on her science project before piano lessons.
How likely is this scenario? Not very. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 26 percent of school-aged children are on their own after school. One million of these kids are in grades K-5. More than 27 million parents of schoolage children are employed, including 23 million who work full time.
ment classes that may be offered include: cooking, Spanish, drama, dance and outdoor recreation. Others may include money management, creative writing or video game design. Teens may be surprised at the really cool options. Many of these programs are funded through local, state and federal grants. In addition to the community resources, parents can find many terrific programs provided by private businesses.
While most students K-5 in our region have access to some level of affordable after-school care, our middle school students are just that—stuck in the middle. Often seen as self-sufficient enough to not require typical childcare, they are still very vulnerable to social pressures. Austin-area community organizations, such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, local recreation centers and individual school districts provide quality after school enrichment programs for older kids in addition to the regular K-5 after school care.
“My 14 year-old is pretty responsible. She even babysits neighborhood kids on weekends. Do I really need to pay for an after school program so someone can babysit her?” This is a thought that runs through the minds of many parents of tweens and young teens. “Fight Crime: Invest in Kids” is an anti-crime organization of nearly 5,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and violence survivors.
The purpose of these programs goes far beyond childcare, and even children who have a parent at home after school can benefit from participation. Some enrich-
By collecting and analyzing data, this proactive group determines what prevents youth from turning to a life of crime and distributes this information
18 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
to policy makers, parents, educators, community leaders and the general public. Did you know that the peak hours for youth experimentation with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and sex are between 3 and 6 p.m.? This is also the prime time for juvenile crime. (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2003.) In 2010, led by Dr. Joseph Durlak, researchers at Loyola University’s Department of Psychology analyzed after-school programs with a goal to promote personal and social skills in children and adolescents. They found significant increases in the student’s self-perceptions and positive social behaviors. Academic performance also increased, while challenging behaviors significantly decreased. The study, published in the American Journal of Community Psychology, clearly indicated that many aspects of a child’s life can be improved when after school programs include a component that focuses on personal and social skills. With the regular school day so jam-packed with academics, these skills may unfortunately be passed over completely. While not
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directly measured on standardized tests, these skills have been shown to directly impact achievement and performance. Protecting our youth requires intentional programming. Countless studies from cities across the nation consistently demonstrate that after school programs help keep our teens and community safe. Teens who do not participate in after school programs are nearly three times more likely to skip classes than teens who do participate. They are also three times more likely to use marijuana or other drugs, and are more likely to drink, smoke and engage in sexual activity. (YMCA of the USA, 2001.) During the ages of 12 to 15, people begin to develop patterns of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use—patterns that last through adulthood.
have demonstrated effectiveness in increasing academic performance, social skills, health and safety are always in danger of being cut. Local, state and federal funds in addition to private donors keep these programs afloat. If you are interested in after-school programs, contact your local school district for recommendations. If you are looking to provide financial support to these programs, many non-profit organizations
would be grateful to put your donation to good use for the benefit of our children, community safety and economic future.
Jennifer VanBuren, M.Ed. is an educator, mother of three and has recently added childbirth doula to her list of skills.
Texas After Centers on Education (ACE) is a program that provides a safe and structured environment for social interaction as well as academic support and enrichment that compliment school-day curriculum. These programs are provided free of charge. Part of the mission of ACE-Austin is to increase promotion and graduation rates and prepare students for college and the workforce. clubGEN is a weekly after school program for girls in grades 4-8 provided by GenAustin. High school girls and group leaders work with participants in a researched-based curriculum that help girls through the challenging teen years. Classes are offered in Austin, Del Valle, Hays, Manor, Pflugerville and Round Rock ISDs. GenAustin also hosts the “180 Program,” which is designed for middle and high school girls who are at high risk for becoming involved with the juvenile justice system. While public after-school programs require a substantial investment, the economic benefits are significant. Many school districts team up with community groups in offering valuable enrichment activities for youth. For example, Georgetown ISD partners with The Georgetown Project and Georgetown Parks and Recreation. Leander ISD provides after school enrichment classes once a week and refers families that need more regular programming to the local YMCA. Round Rock provides programming through Clay Madsen recreational center in addition to the school programs. Accreditation
With cuts to social services and education, even research-based programs that Pick us up at HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market
austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 19
Take a peek inside Doss Elementary’s Chinese language immersion class
by Brooke Blanton
If you walk by portable #4 of Doss Elementary before 10:40 a.m., you will hear nothing out of the ordinary. But walk past the same portable later in the day, which holds the same second grade students, and you will hear something most Texans aren’t accustomed to: Mandarin Chinese. Doss Elementary School in Northwest Austin is home to the first Mandarin immersion program in Austin ISD; it began with the 2013-2014 school year, serving 61 students in kindergarten, first and second grades. Each year, the program will add a grade, in time for the oldest students to continue their Mandarin studies at Murchison Middle School and Anderson High School, if they choose. Nancy Chiu teaches the Chinese half of the day, focusing on Chinese fluency, math and science. Her own experience in primary school was a different model than the one in which she now teaches. As a student in Taiwan, children were put into either A, B or C classes, which corresponded with best, average or poor ability. According to Chiu, the C students usually did not continue to higher education but instead attended vocational schools. As she thinks back, she admits that her classmates with learning disabilities were probably all placed in C class, securing their destiny. Chiu’s teaching partner, Celia Smith, is in charge of language arts, social studies and reinforcing math and science. Smith shares a classroom with Chiu, and the two teachers share their time with the 20 second grade students. Upon seeing the immersion classroom, it becomes obvious that this is not the typical elementary school classroom, or at least half of it is not. On one side of the room are posters with the lyrics to The Star-Spangled Banner and shelves packed full with books, educational games and displayed artwork. The students’ most recent artistic assignment was a personification poem where they had to pretend to be a natural element: “Things to do if you are snow/Be beautiful and fall from the sky.” On the other side of the room is where things really get interesting; the walls are covered in Mandarin characters, flash cards and posters teaching basic Chinese fluency using numbers and colors and animals. Smith’s instruction is from 8 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. Then, the students attend their art, music or PE class. Afterward, they return to their usual classroom for Chinese immersion with Chiu — or laoshi, meaning “teacher” in Mandarin — until 3 p.m., with lunch and recess included in this time. On a typical Thursday morning in language arts, Smith reads to the students from a book called “The Lemonade War” while they
20 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
eat a snack. Then Smith transitions into writing instruction, where students are asked to write about a time when they helped another person. One second grade student writes that he helped his younger brother with his Chinese homework. Not long after, the students are in full-Chinese mode; Chiu does not speak a word of English to the children. The class begins with a Chinese song, sung in unison. When Chiu asks a question, about half the time it is answered in English; however, as the year goes on, the students’ ability to produce Chinese responses increases. For Chiu, every opportunity is a chance to teach Chinese. When one little girl tells her laoshi that her knee is feeling better, Chiu repeats it in Chinese for the whole class to hear, pointing to her knee to aid the mini-lesson. With so much to learn during the day and the necessity of having to reinforce math and science terms in English so that the students can be successful on the English-only STARR test, there are not many chances for breaks. “That’s the biggest challenge,” Smith says. “Having time to do everything.” Because of their increased classroom responsibilities, these second grade students have more homework than their non-immersion classmates: thirty minutes each day for Chinese homework, in addition to Smith’s homework. “All of their independent reading, almost all of it, has to be done at home. I just don’t have time for that in here,” Smith says. “All the parents are very supportive.” The parents are supportive because they can see, even now, how their children benefit from learning a second language. For many, the motivation behind immersing their children in Mandarin is for future economic benefit. Around 800 million people speak Mandarin in the world, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation. In the United States alone, there are over two million Chinese speakers. However for one parent, a higher-paying job is not why she wants her second grade student in the program, but instead to connect her back to her Chinese roots. Caroline Heath was born in the Guangdong Province of China and lived for two years in a social welfare institute in
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Yangchun before she was adopted by Jena Heath and her husband. For the first two years of Caroline’s life, she was hearing and had begun to speak Chinese. “I have always felt very strongly that she should have her native language,” Jena Heath says. “She’s lost so much. That was one thing I could give her.” Heath explains that she once saw a documentary about adopted Chinese children who, when returning to China, did not speak a word of their native tongue. “I always found it very heartbreaking,” she says. Heath plans to take Caroline to visit China in the future. Heath, who teaches journalism at St. Edward’s University, believes that Caroline shouldn’t be the only one in the family learning Chinese, so she has also been learning her daughter’s language. But it wasn’t until the immersion program at Doss that Caroline really started to accelerate in her fluency. “She has outpaced me,” Heath says. “She’s way beyond me and that’s in less than a year.” Caroline thrives in Chiu’s Chinese class and says her favorite part of class is learning how to write the Chinese characters. “Ms. Chiu wants us to learn how to write the new words,” Caroline says. “We get whiteboards and markers, and she teaches us what strokes and what order to write.” Heath says Caroline is speaking Chinese all the time, such as when she asks for something to eat or when she talks about her best friend on the way home from school. In addition to furthering the language, the immersion program has grown Caroline’s confidence. This is important to Heath, because she wants her daughter to accept being Chinese as part of her identity. “In terms of her understanding and feeling good about being Chinese, I think it’s been really good for her,” Heath says. This sort of outcome is what Chiu hoped would come from her instruction. Instead of becoming fluent, Chiu primarily wants her students to enjoy the experience, embrace different cultures, be proud of themselves and have fun. Maybe a few of the children will grow up to lead a Fortune 500 corporation and be able to speak fluently with their Chinese colleagues. Maybe some will study abroad in Beijing when they’re in college. Or perhaps some will find a Chinese pen pal who can teach them about life on the other side of the world. No matter where their Chinese instruction takes them, these children are getting an early lesson in global studies that will teach them tolerance and understanding — valuable skills that will last them a lifetime.
Words to know English as a Second Language: ESL programs help native speakers of foreign languages reach proficiency in English. This can be a classroom with students from varying native languages. Bilingual education: Similar to ESL, a bilingual classroom aids English proficiency but all the students are native speakers of the same language. One-way dual language: All of the students in the class are native speakers of the same language and are taught in their native language and in another language. Two-way dual language: The students in the class are native speakers of two different languages and are taught in both of those languages. Gómez and Gómez Dual Language Enrichment (DLE) model: Developed by two retired Bilingual/Dual Education professors in 1995, this dual language model teaches subjects in only one language, as opposed to the same subject in both languages.
Language programs in the Austin area Austin ISD offers Dual Language programs at 65 elementary schools. These include one- and two-way Spanish/English programs, as well as a one-way Vietnamese/English program at Summitt Elementary and the Chinese Immersion program at Doss Elementary. According to the AISD website, the one– way Dual Language Program will be phased in every year until 2015–2016, when it will be offered at all AISD elementary schools with bilingual services. Pflugerville ISD has Spanish Dual Language programs at nine elementary schools. These include Caldwell, Copperfield, Delco, Dessau, Highland Park, Parmer Lane, River Oaks, Ruth Barron and Springhill. All nine campuses offer the one-way DLE program and three of them (Caldwell, Highland Park and Ruth Barron) offer the two-way DLE program, as well. PISD also offers a Spanish Immersion program for native English-only native speakers at Riojas Elementary and a Vietnamese one-way bilingual program at Wieland Elementary. The district currently has a Task Force committee that is exploring the possibility of expanding a Spanish DLE program at the secondary level. Round Rock ISD has Spanish Dual Language programs at 12 elementary schools. These include Anderson Mill, Berkman, Bluebonnet, Caldwell Heights, Callison, Gattis, Herrington, Purple Sage, Robertson, Union Hill, Voigt and Wells Branch and offer either one-way, two-way or both. The district’s ultimate goal is to have all schools run- ning a two-way program, but funds and personnel do not currently allow it.
Brooke Blanton is an Austin-based freelance journalist who writes about education topics for newspapers and magazines. Pick us up at HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market
austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 21
lifelines by Sara Rider
West Nile virus can put a sting in summer
Protect yourself and your family by learning the symptoms and risks We all know that annoying whine: the high-pitched, slightly modulating sound that tells us there’s a six-legged insect nearby who thinks we’re the next entrée. If mosquito bites weren’t annoying enough, for over 15 years, they have increasingly carried the threat of an illness that is usually mild, but can occasionally turn very severe: West Nile virus.
“Sometimes it looks like the flu,” says Dr. Foadey. “In most people, you will see flu symptoms, especially headaches, fever and chills, nausea, vomiting, body aches, joint pain. Sometimes that’s why people don’t even go to see their doctors, because they think they just have the flu.”
Symptoms can progress and worsen
According to the Mayo Clinic, West Nile virus is spread by infected mosquitoes. Most people who get infected don’t experience any symptoms. About 20 percent of those who are infected experience only minor symptoms and a mild infection called West Nile fever.
“Only a few people will develop severe symptoms like confusion, paralysis, trouble walking or problems with vision,” explains Dr. Foadey. “Those are symptoms that make you think outside the box as a physician: what could be causing them? If it’s in the summer months, and the patient tells you they’ve been exposed to mosquitoes, then you have to think about the possibility of West Nile virus.”
“Most people who are infected do not develop any symptoms,” agrees Wil Foadey, M.D., a physician at Premier Family Physicians. “Doctors typically don’t see most cases, because people who are infected often don’t consult their physician.” But for a few people—an estimated one percent of all those infected— West Nile virus can be truly life-threatening, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Other symptoms of this more serious version of West Nile virus can include high fever, severe headache, a stiff neck, and even convulsions or partial paralysis, according to the Mayo Clinic. “If you have severe symptoms, then you have to consider hospitalization,” says Dr. Foadey. “The patient can develop encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord).”
Headaches and fever—or something worse
While a mild case of West Nile fever is usually over in a few days, the symptoms of encephalitis or meningitis can linger for weeks. “Some people will have paralysis or trouble breathing,” explains Dr. Foadey. “With severe cases, you need to do more invasive treatments and watch out for brain swelling, because that’s obviously dangerous and can be deadly.”
In 2012, the last year with finalized statistics, there were 153 cases of West Nile virus in Travis County, according to the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department (HHSD). Some 73 people were hospitalized, and six people died. People affected ranged in age from 11 years old to 91. This was a significant increase in reported cases from the prior nine years, and no fatalities had occurred since 2007, reports HHSD. But despite the hospitalizations and fatalities in 2012, when a bite from an infected mosquito results in West Nile fever, symptoms are usually fairly mild. 22 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
What’s your personal risk?
West Nile virus first appeared in the United States in 1999. It has now spread to all the contiguous 48 states. It is most common during the summer months, says Dr. Foadey. The
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Mayo Clinic reports that overall risk depends on the time of year, with the majority of cases occurring between July and September. But as HHSD points out, our local risk can be greater since mosquitoes are present in Central Texas all year, with the highest concentrations occurring from April through September. In addition to time of year, your personal health plays a large role in determining your personal risk. “If someone is very healthy, they could get bitten but never be symptomatic,” says Dr. Foadey. “Or if they did have symptoms, they would be so mild that most people would never go to the doctor.”
and if you develop a flu-like illness, you need to consult your doctor.”
summer months, but if you have any of the symptoms of West Nile, it’s time to get some help.”
That consultation becomes even more important if your “summer flu” starts showing signs of more severe problems. “If you have neurological symptoms like confusion, difficulty walking or difficulty breathing, then it’s definitely time to see your doctor,” says Dr. Foadey. “It’s hard to stay away from mosquitoes in the
Sara Rider is a native Austinite who has worked with physicians and hospitals throughout Texas. She frequently writes freelance articles on health topics for newspapers and magazines.
But if someone is not in good health, the risk increases. “People who are older or in bad health, or people who are immuno-suppressed are at a higher risk of the more severe forms of the disease,” explains Dr. Foadey. “And the very young are also at risk.” In addition, the Mayo Clinic advises that people who work outside or people who spend a lot of time outdoors are at higher risk just because their exposure to mosquitoes may be increased.
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Steps to prevention
Because mosquitoes are basically part of life in Central Texas for six months out of the year, prevention becomes even more important.
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“Avoiding the times of day during which mosquitoes feed—specifically dusk and dawn—is very important,” says Dr. Foadey. “If you’re outside during these times, it’s important to wear long sleeves and use insect repellant.”
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HHSD also advises checking your yard regularly for containers that may hold water and emptying them. According to HHSD, it can take less than a week for mosquitoes to develop in standing water. The Mayo Clinic also advises unclogging roof gutters and changing the water in your birdbaths at least weekly. When infants and children are outside, they also advise covering strollers or playpens with mosquito netting.
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“The most important thing is prevention— all of the steps you can take to reduce your exposure to mosquitoes,” says Dr. Foadey. “But the next important thing is to recognize the symptoms. If you know that you’ve been bitten by mosquitoes
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Are you up on
SCHOOL BUS LAWS? by Texas Department of Transportation
M
ore than a million chil- dren and teens depend on buses to get them safely to and from the more than 9,000 Texas schools every day. They also depend on motorists to know the law, and drive safely around school buses. Texas School Bus Law • Stop for flashing red lights on a school bus, regardless of which direction you’re headed. • Continue your trip once the bus has moved, the flashing lights stop flashing or the bus driver signals it’s okay to pass. • Violations can lead to a $1,000 fine.
Safety Tips for Motorists • Obey the posted speed limit. • Fines double in school zones. • Keep an eye on children gathered at bus stops. • Watch for children who might dart across the street to catch the bus.
Tips for Students • Respect your school bus driver and follow these rules: • Stand far back when you are waiting for the bus. • Sit still so the driver can pay attention to the road. • Look both ways if you have to cross the street after getting off the bus, or wait for the driver to signal it’s safe to cross the street. 24 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
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She’s 15. Her friends are drinking. How do you handle it?
Taylor, daughter of Penney, Anheuser-Busch employee
Knowing what to say—and how to say it— can help prevent underage drinking. It may be tempting to “crack down” when we hear our kids have been exposed to alcohol. But that may not be the best way to help. At critical moments, it’s important to remind our teens that we understand and respect the realities of their lives. Then, we can ask openended questions such as, “What will you do if there’s alcohol at the next party?” We need to help equip them to make the right choices when it matters most. To learn more, join us on Facebook and download our free Parent Guide. facebook.com/ABFamilyTalk © 2012 Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO
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Guide 2014-15
Go to austinfamily.com for expanded listing
Ace Academy 3901 Shoal Creek Blvd., Austin www.austingifted.org 512-206-4070 3yrs-12th Bannockburn Christian Academy 7100 Brodie Ln., Austin www.bcaaustin.org 512-892-2706 K4-5th Cathedral School of Saint Mary’s 910 San Jacinto, Austin www.smcschoolaustin.org 512-476-1480 PreK4-8th Challenger School 15101 Avery Ranch Rd., Austin www.challengerschool.com 512-341-8000 PreK-8th 1521 Joyce Ln., Round Rock 512-255-8844 PreK-8th Holy Family Catholic School 9400 Neenah Ave., Austin www.holyfamilycs.org 512-246-4455 PreK4-8th Hyde Park Baptist Schools 3901 Speedway, Austin www.hpbs.org 512-465-8344 K-12th Jardin De Ninos Interlingua 8707 Mountain Crest Dr., Austin www.austinbilingualschool.com 512-432-5317 Inf-3rd 2700 W. Anderson Ln., Austin 512-299-5732 107 R.R. 620, Ste. 300, Lakeway 512-466-2409 Magellan International School 7938 Great Northern Blvd., Austin www.magellanschool.org 512-782-2327 3yrs-7th Magnolia School, The Lake Travis www.themagnoliaschoolatx.com 512-266-9620 3-13yrs Indiv. Instr Rawson Saunders School 2614-A Exposition Blvd., Austin www.rawson-saunders.org 512-476-8382 1st-8th Dyslexia Redeemer Lutheran School 1500 W. Anderson Ln. Austin www.redeemerschool.net 512-451-6478 K-8th San Juan Diego Catholic School 800 Herndon Ln., Austin www.sjdchs.org 512-804-1935 9th-12th St. Austin Catholic School 1911 San Antonio St., Austin www.staustinschool.org 512-477-3751 PreK-8th St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School 9300 Neenah Ave., Austin www.saviochs.org 512-388-8846 9th-12th St. Francis School 300 E. Huntland Dr., Austin www.stfrancis-school.org 512-454-0848 PreK-8th St. Gabriel’s Catholic School 2500 Wimberly Ln., Austin www.sgs-austin.org 512-327-7755 JrK-8th St. Helens Catholic School 2700 E. University Ave. Georgetown www.shclions.org 512-869-3244 PreK-8th St. Ignatius, Martyr Catholic School 120 W. Oltorf, Austin www.st-ignatius.org/school 512-442-8547 PreK3-8th St. Louis Catholic School 2114 St. Joseph, Austin www.st-louis-school.org 512-614-6622x245 PreK4-8th St. Mary’s Catholic School 520 Washburn St., Taylor www.stmarystaylor.org 512-352-2313 PreK-8th St. Michael’s Catholic Academy www.smca.com 3000 Barton Creek Blvd., Austin 512-328-2323 9th-12th St. Theresa’s Catholic School 4311 Small Dr., Austin www.st-theresa.org 512-451-7105 PreK4-8th Santa Cruz Catholic High 1110 Main St., Buda www.sccstx.org 512-312-2137 PreK4-8th Texas Preparatory School 7540 Ed Bluestein Blvd., Austin www.texasprep.us 512-928-3000 K-5th 400 Uhland Rd., San Marcos 512-805-3000 K-6th
Montessori/Preschools/Kindergarten
Bluebonnet School of Canyon Creek 10321 Boulder Ln., Austin www.bluebonnetschool.com 512-219-5100 Bluebonnet School of Cedar Park 3420 El Salido Pkwy., Cedar Park www.bluebonnetschool.com 512-331-9009 Children’s Center of Austin 6507 Jester Blvd., Austin www.childrenscenterofaustin.com 512-795-8300 8100 Bee Caves Rd., Austin 512-329-6633 4308 N. Quinlan Pk. Rd., Austin 512-266-6130 Country Home Learning Center North & South locations www.countryhomelearningcenter.com 512-331-1442 512-288-8220 77 area campuses www.eackids.org 512-472-9402 Extend-A-Care For Kids Fine Arts Academy Allandale www.dancediscovery.com 512-419-7611 Avery Ranch 512-658-2996 Froggin Learning Center Corner of 360 and 2222, Austin www.frogginlearning.com 512-345-3764 North Oaks Child Development Center 8830 Cainwood Lane, Austin www.northoakscountry.com 512-250-5117 10 area locations www.primroseschools.com See ad on page 28 Primrose Schools Rainbow Station 11651 W. Parmer Ln., Cedar Park www.rainbowstationaustin.org 512-260-9700 6102 Spicewood Springs Rd., Austin 512-346-2992 Spicewood Country School www.spicewoodcountry.com Stepping Stone Schools Locations throughout Austin Metro www.steppingstoneschool.com 512-459-0258
Inf-K Inf-K Inf-PreK Inf-13yrs Inf-PreK-AfterSch 3rd-5th 1-10yrs Inf-PreK-AfterSch Inf-K Inf-12yrs Inf-K Inf-K
Resources
Austin Learning Center 3355 Bee Caves Rd., Austin www.austinlearningcenter.com 512-330-9007 Academic tutoring Brain Balance 3267 Bee Caves Rd., Suite 118, Austin www.brainbalancecenters.com 512-328-7771 Social, academic or behavioral issues EduCenter by NETS 1900 Cypress Creek, Ste. 101, Cedar Park www.educenter4me.com 512-996-9260 Speech lanquage, tutoring, bilingual Wonder Lab 1102 West Ave., Austin www.wonderlablearning.com 512-963-9606 Upper elementary & middle school learning lab 26 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
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28 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
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Ten things...
for national water quality month!
1 Choose nontoxic household products and avoid
6 Avoid putting anything but water in storm drains.
using antibacterial products.
2 Limit home water use: take shorter showers, fix leaking toilets and faucets and avoid running the water while brushing teeth.
3 Pick up litter along the waterline on your next hike.
4 Follow the lawn watering schedule for your area. 5 Don’t flush unwanted or expired medications down the toilet. Instead, either purchase a TakeAway medication return bag at your local pharmacy or mix the medication with something “undesirable”—such as coffee grounds—seal it in the bottle, put that in a ziplock bag and place it in the trash.
7 Fix any leaks that drip from automobiles or put drip pans under leaks.
8 Avoid using pesticides and chemical fertilizers in your yard.
9 Pick up pet waste before it washes bacteria into local streams.
10 Don’t pour grease down sink drains. It can build up and eventually cause blockages, overflows and backups.
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austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 29
family connections by Richard Singleton
Great apps for new parents Let technology ease your care-taking challenges A few things in life occasionally make me feel old: the sprinkling of gray in my hair, the wave of whimsical suggestions that I dye my beard and the ponderous aching in my back after church softball. Actually, these just make the contenders list. I think maybe at the top of the list – especially related to this article – is the amazing new world of organization apps that exists for parenting new babies. There was no app for that back in my day (see, now that I’m on the way down the hill, I can use that phrase. Keep an eye out for it in future articles, as well as, “whippersnapper” and “knee-high-to-a-grasshopper”). My kids are 15 and 11 in chronological years. In apple-of-my-eye-time, however, they are but a few days old. It really was just yesterday that my wife and I were driving them home from the hospital, wasn’t it? Wow, how mercilessly the clock ticks! When our children were born, my job was flexible enough that I was at home with them quite a bit. It was a life-changing blessing. I prepared bottles, mixed that Gerber goo rice cereal, changed diapers, changed more diapers, tried to coerce, coax and cajole naps, changed more diapers and loved every minute of it. Being mommy and daddy was a busy time for my wife and me, but it also was a simpler time. We weren’t navigating tablets, cell phones, laptops and myriad other things at the same time. In fact, as I remember, I really was a glorified pillow most of the time. And I was always at the top of my game with the requirements of that job description—have pudginess and a rocking chair, will travel! I think I’ll be good grandpa material one of these days (long, long, long from now)! 30 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
Perhaps you’ve noticed. Times have changed a little in the last decade and a half. New parents are busy. Likely both of them are working, and likely both of them need or have a sense that they need to be connected with the world at all times. Consequently, scheduling for new parents and baby is a challenge like never before. A few of my co-workers from this younger, busier demographic shared some insights with me as I was sorting out the research for this article. When I first asked if they used any of the many apps out there for organizing the care of their children, I thought that there would be relative silence about the question. I was wrong. Patently wrong, indeed. As soon as I reached out to them, replies came streaming in right away with the various apps that they have implemented with their parenting to help them navigate the joys, blessings and challenges of their adorable new food processing factories… I mean, babies! Here are a few of the apps that new parents I’ve surveyed have found helpful:
What to Expect. A household name, this app carries on the tradition of the ballyhooed “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” books, giving you at-the-fingertip expertise about you or your partner’s pregnancy journey. It provides personalized content based on the due date of baby, connects you with other moms and taps into a wealth of parenting articles as you prepare for the new arrival. View the magazine online at austinfamily.com
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Feed Baby. This clever app helps you— you guessed it—track feedings for your hungry little bundle of joy. One mom noted, “During the first few months when you are sleep deprived and hardly know what hour of the day it is, the app reminds you when a scheduled feeding might be coming up based on your baby’s feeding patterns.” The Pro version allows both parents to have their phones synced, so that they can track their baby’s patterns and be prepared for possible needs that are upcoming for their baby. Dads might especially like the pro version, so that they can share in the understanding and participation of just how exhausting it is to care for a newborn, providing mom the help she needs to navigate exhaustion when Junior’s patterns look like more like a Richter Scale than a sleep graph. I have to admit that part of me (the old curmudgeon that is starting to develop somewhere down deep inside of me) wishes that we lived in a world without care taking apps. But that part of me quickly sees the value of them and wishes that they would have existed 15 years ago. Had they been around, perhaps I would have been a more responsive, better-equipped dad. I can’t imagine my wife being a better mom. She was and is an award-winning app unto herself! The fact that young parents these days are working so hard to know the right thing to do for their pregnancy and for their new babies gives me great hope and confidence that the next generation of little ones growing up right now will have had a wonderful beginning to their
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Richard Singleton, MACE, MAMFC, LPC, is the executive director at STARRY in Round Rock.
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The Wonder Weeks. This app has received awards and high praise from a number of sources. It’s the mobile companion to the well-received “The Wonder Weeks” book. As you likely know, the world of brain science has exploded in growth. The Wonder Weeks app taps into developmental research and helps you track important milestones of your baby. It’s a fascinating and practical way to stay connected with and help meet the unique needs of your baby.
As I sign off for this month, let me say a word of praise and thanks to all the new moms and dads out there. You’re doing one of the most important jobs on the planet. May you be thoroughly blessed in your noble parenthood pursuit. Your
children are our future and for that, we are grateful.
as
Pregnancy Today app from Baby Center helps you track your pregnancy day-today and week-to-week. Additionally, it has award-winning videos that can help you understand what’s happening as baby grows in the womb and also, for the most intrepid among us, videos of moms welcoming their babies into the world.
lives. You don’t have to have an app to be a good parent, of course, but why not use everything at your disposal to be the absolute best parent that you can be?
Cl
My Pregnancy Today from Baby Center. Similar to What to Expect, My
Start Early. Start Right. Challenger School offers uniquely fun and academic classes for preschool to eighth grade students. Our students learn to think for themselves and to value independence. The results are unmatched at any price! Come see for yourself. Observe our classrooms any time—no appointment needed.
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Because You Know the Value of Education An independent private school offering preschool through eighth grade • ChallengerSchool.com © 2014, Challenger Schools • Challenger School admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.
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1
austinfamily.com | August 31 7/11/20142014 11:00:18| AM
test drive games
PROFESSIONAL THEATRE FOR AGES 3 AND UP
ESRB Entertainment Software Rating Board
ZACH’S 2014-15 FAMILY SERIES Subscribe now and save on all 3 shows!
October 10-November 29, 2014 Kleberg Theatre | Ages 5+
Arnold Lobel’s well-loved characters hop from the page to the stage in this Tony-nominated musical.
February 27-April 25, 2015 Kleberg Theatre | Ages 3+
Filled with humor, this endearing tale will leave you squealing with glee and howling with laughter!
April 17-May 23, 2015
Whisenhunt Stage | Ages 5+ Cenicienta is a Spanish/English stage adaptation of the tale of Cinderella, infused with puppetry, Mexican culture and humor. This project is funded and supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and by the City of Austin through the Economic Development Department/Cultural Arts Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin’s future. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com.
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austinfamily readers’ poll FAVORITE 2014
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F O R
F A M I L I E S
Farming Simulator 14
Platform: Nintendo 3DS Rating Category: Everyone Content Descriptors: None Rating Summary: This is a farming simulation game in which players can run a dairy farm. Players use a variety of vehicles and agricultural machines while managing resources, planting fields and selling their crops.
Plants vs. Zombies™ Garden Warfare
Platform: Windows PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Rating Category: Everyone 10+ Content Descriptors: Animated blood, crude humor and fantasy violence Other: Includes online features that may expose players to unrated user-generated content (Windows PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) Rating Summary: This is an action-strategy game in which players control plants to defend gardens from waves of incoming zombies. From a third-person perspective, players roam through stages, plant defensive plants/mushrooms and use whimsical weapons (such as pea shooters, potato bombs and flying garlic drones) to attack zombies. Battles are sometimes frenetic and accompanied by cries of pain, realistic gunfire and large explosions. Zombies generally break apart into pieces amid splashes of green liquid when defeated. One zombie character is depicted with partially exposed buttocks and occasionally emits a flatulence sound.
Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark
Platform: Windows PC, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Xbox 360 Rating Category: Teen Content Descriptors: Violence Other: Includes online features that may expose players to unrated user-generated content (Windows PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) Rating Summary: This is a third-person shooter, based on the Transformers franchise, in which players assume the roles of Autobots and Decepticons vying for control of an ancient artifact. Players use laser blasters, sniper rifles, rocket canons and acid bombs to destroy enemy robots in frenetic combat. Players can also use each character’s unique abilities (such as cloaks and sword attacks) to impale enemies and execute close-range stealth moves. In some sequences, players perform dramatic melee attacks to impale enemy robots and set them on fire. Realistic machine gunfire, explosions and battle cries can be heard throughout, and enemies often explode into pieces when defeated.
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The rating information, including rating summary, is provided by ESRB Entertainment Software Rating Board (www.esrb.org). These games and other rating summaries can be found at ESRB.org. For the app, visit http://www.esrb.org/mobile.
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aus t read infam ily er FAV s’ poll OR 2014 ITE
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calendar 8/14
family events
August 8 Music in the Park—Cienfuegos Pfluger Park, Pflugerville
August 9 Ice Cream Festival Fiesta Gardens
August 16 AISD Back to School Bash Austin Convention Center
August 24 Come Dance
Ballet Austin’s Butler Dance Education Center
family events page 34 parenting events page 40 storytimes page 40 exhibits: visit www.austinfamily.com 34 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
Friday 1 Austin Historic Walking Tours 9 a.m. Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday; 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday. South entrance of the Capitol, 112 E. 11th St. FREE. Reservations required. austintexas.org/visit/plan-your-trip/ historic-walking-tours or 512-478-0098 or 866-GO-AUSTIN. WorkLAB 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Blanton Museum, MLK and Congress, Dell Classroom, Smith Building. Under 12 years FREE; students and youth $5; adults $9. blantonmuseum.org or 512-471-7324. Story Time Tours 10:30 a.m. Ages 3-7 and their adult companions. Blanton Museum, MLK and Congress, Rapoport Atrium, Michener Building. Under 12 years FREE; students and youth $5; adults $9. blantonmuseum.org or 512-471-7324. Deeper Dives 1 to 2:30 p.m. Recommended for families with children ages 8 to 13. Blanton Museum, MLK and Congress, Rapoport Atrium, Michener Building. Under 12 years FREE; students and youth $5; adults $9. blantonmuseum.org or 512-471-7324. Super Smash Bros Brawl Tournament 2 p.m. Willie Mae Kirk Branch, 3101 Oak Springs Dr. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9920. Library Summer Film 2:30 p.m. Round Rock Library, 216 E. Main St., Round Rock, FREE. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-3279. Lego Lab 4 p.m. North Village Branch, 2505 Steck Ave. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9960. First Fridays on the Square 5 to 10 p.m. Historic Downtown Square. thegeorgetownsquare.com or 512-868-8675. Mathnasium Games at the Library 5:30-6:30 p.m. Grades 2 and up. Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main, Round Rock. FREE. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-3279. Music on the Square Summer Concerts 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Courthouse Square, Georgetown. Bring your own chair or blanket. No glass, please. FREE. visit.georgetown.org. Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express Home Games 7:05 p.m. Dell Diamond, Round Rock. Sun- days: Kids Day, Mondays: $1 hot dogs and sodas, Tuesdays: Half Price, Wednesdays: Winning Wednesday, Thursday: Thirsty Thursday, Fridays: Friday Fireworks, Saturdays:
COMPILED BY BETTY KEMPER
Promotional giveaways and post-game concerts on select Saturdays. roundrockexpress.com or 512-255-2255. The Who’s TOMMY 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Zach Theatre, 1510 Toomey Rd. zachtheatre.org or 512-476-0541. Cyrano de Bergerac 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday; 5 p.m. Sunday. City Theatre, 3823 Airport Blvd. Ste. D. General admission $15; Thursday all seats $10. citytheatreaustin.org or 512-524-2870. Jungalbook 8 a.m. Thursday to Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Sam Bass Theatre, Old Depot Stage, 600 N. Lee St., Round Rock. Admission $18; Seniors and students $15. sambasstheatre.org or 512-244-0440. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma 8:30 p.m. Zilker Hillside Theatre, 2100 Barton Springs Rd. FREE. zilker.org or 512-477-8672.
Saturday 2
Annual Austin Pet Expo 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd. FREE. Bring your pet. austinpetexpo.com or 800-977-3609 ext. 103. Family Storytime 11 a.m. Families with children of all ages. Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main St., Round Rock. FREE. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-7011. Giant Chess 12:30 to 3 p.m. Wooldridge Square Park, 900 Guadalupe St. FREE. giantchess.org. Super Smash Bros Brawl Tournament 2 p.m. University Hills Branch, 4721 Loyola Ln. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9940. Family Movie Matinee: Ernest Goes to Camp 2 p.m. Windsor Park Branch, 5833 Westminster Dr. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9840. There’s Something Fishy Going on in Texas 2 p.m. Yarborough Branch, 2200 Hancock Dr. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8820. Splash Movies—Despicable Me 2 Dusk. Deep Eddy Pool. Under 12 months FREE; children 1 to 11 $1; juniors 12 to 17 $2; adults 18 to 61 $3; seniors 62+ $1. deepeddy.org. Madrone Canyon Trail Hike 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Laura’s Library, Madrone Canyon entrance at library parking lot, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. CONTINUING: Who’s TOMMY see Friday 1; Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express see Friday 1; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma see Friday 1; Cyrano de Bergerac see Friday 1; Jungalbook see Friday 1; Austin His- toric Walking Tours see Friday 1.
Austin Family is now making it easier for you to submit your calendar event. Go to www.austinfamily.com, click on “Submit your event” and send in your entry. The deadline is the 10th of each month preceding the month of the event. Events less than $15 usually are listed. For events more than $15, send details to kaye2003@austinfamily.com.
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Sunday 3
Friendship Day Free First Sunday 12 to 6 p.m. Bullock State History Museum, 1800 Congress Ave. FREE. thestoryoftexas.com or 512-936-8746. Family First Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Families with children 4 to 14. Umlauf Sculpture Garden, 605 Robert E. Lee Rd. FREE. umlaufsculpture.org. 12th Annual Concerts in the Park 7:30 p.m. Hartman Concert Park in front of the Long Center Terrace. FREE. Free parking at One Texas Center on Barton Springs Rd. austinsymphony.org. CONTINUING: Who’s TOMMY see Friday 1; Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express see Friday 1; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma see Friday 1; Cyrano de Bergerac see Friday 1; Jungalbook see Friday 1.
Monday 4
There’s Something Fishy Going on in Texas 1 p.m. Southeast Branch, 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8840. Fantastic Magic Camp Magic Show 2 to 3 p.m. Open to the public. Highland Mall, 6001 Airport Blvd. FREE. highlandmall.com or 512-454-9656. Open Chess @ Laura’s 5 p.m. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd., westbanklibrary.org or 512-327-3045. Summer Superhero Film Festival: The Avengers 6 p.m. Ruiz Branch, 1600 Grove Blvd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7500. Bad Film Festival—Saturn 3 6:30 p.m. Carver Branch, 1161 Angelina St. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-1010. Marionettes with Don Harms 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. Ages 4 and up. Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main St., Round Rock. FREE. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-7011. Summer Reading Hula Hoop Demonstration 7 p.m. Prete Plaza, 221 E. Main Street, Round Rock. FREE. Stay and cool down with our Splash Mob event. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-7012. CONTINUING: Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express see Friday 1.
toric Walking Tours see Friday 1; Fantastic Magic Camp Magic Show see Monday 4.
Wednesday 6
There’s Something Fishy Going on in Texas 11 a.m. Howson Branch, 2500 Exposition Blvd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8800. Community Nights 5 to 8 p.m. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. Admission is by donation, suggested $1. thinkeryaustin.org or 512-469-6200. Arts and Crafts 6 p.m. Wells Branch Library, 15001 Wells Port Dr. wblibrary.org or 512-989-3188. Family Movie Night: Ingenious Inventions 6:30 p.m. Manchaca Road Branch, 5500 Manchaca Rd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8700. Wednesday Night Contra Dancing 7:30 to 9:45 p.m. Everyone welcome. Hancock Recreation Center, 811 E. 41st St. FREE. austinbarndancers.org or 512-453-4225. CONTINUING: The Who’s TOMMY see Friday 1; Deeper Dives see Friday 1; Story Time Tours see Friday 1; WorkLAB see Friday 1; Fantastic Magic Camp Magic Show see Monday 4.
Thursday 7
First Thursday Austin All day to 10 p.m. South Congress Ave. from Barton Springs Rd. to Elizabeth St. firstthursday.info.
Tuesday 5
Refining Your Business 12 p.m. Tweens and teens. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. Discovery! Wild Things Zoofari 4:30 p.m. Third graders and up. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. Lego Lab 5:30 p.m. Ruiz Branch, 1600 Grove Blvd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7500. Family Crafts: Scrapbook Your Summer Vacation 6:30 p.m. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. CONTINUING: Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express see Friday 1; Austin His-
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continued on page 36
Infants, Preschool & Elementary (K-2nd gr) • Full-Time & Part-Time Programs Our school offers full Spanish immersion from Infants to 4 years of age. Starting at age 4 years we incorporate a dual language program that includes Mandarin & French. Our Focus: Language, Students, Arts, Diversity, Math, Science, Social Studies,& Technology
Lakeway: 512-466-2409 107 RR 620, Ste. 300
South: 512-432-5317
8707 Mountain Crest Dr.
North: 512-299-5732
2700 West Anderson Ln. Ste. 601
Enroll now and bring your students on an adventure to the Circus Around the World Summer Camp where children will use their imagination enriched in art. NOW ENROLLING FOR FALL OPEN HOUSE: August 7 • 10:30am–12:30pm at all 3 locations We are proud to announce that JDNI has been authorized as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP). As an accredited IB World School, JDNI is now part of a global community of schools committed to developing knowledgeable, caring young people who will be ready to negotiate their futures successfully and make contributions resulting in a more harmonious and peaceful world. Educating for the transformation of our world
www.austinbilingualschool.com
austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 35
Ceramics Bayou DIY Art Studio
Free Candle
in select pottery created by you Expires 8-31-14 ($10 value)
(512) 328-1168
www.ceramicsbayou.com
3620 Bee Cave Road • Austin, TX 78746
continued from page 35
Thursday Noon Concert 12 p.m. concert; 12:30 p.m. lunch. Central Presbyterian Church, 200 E. 8th St. Concert FREE. Lunch suggested donation: children 3 and younger $3; adults $5. cpcaustin.org or 512-472-2445. Crafternoon 2 to 4 p.m. Faulk Central Library, 800 Guadalupe St. FREE. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7400. Super Smash Bros Brawl Tournament 2 p.m. Manchaca Road Branch, 5500 Manchaca Rd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8700. First Thursday Buda 5 to 9 p.m. Downtown Buda. FREE. budachamber.com. Dell Hall: Dance Hall; Soul Summit with Friends of Sound 7 p.m. All ages. The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr. $10 and up. thelongcenter.org or 512-457-5115. Thursday Night Concert 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. San Marcos Park Plaza, 2006 N.C.N. Allen Parkway, San Marcos. FREE. sanmarcostx.gov or 512-393-8400. 21st Annual Unplugged at the Grove 8 p.m. Shady Grove, 1624 Barton Springs Rd. FREE. kgsr.com/unplugged or 512-474-9991. CONTINUING: Story Time Tours see Friday 1; Cyrano de Bergerac see Friday 1; Jungalbook see Friday 1; Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
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Oklahoma see Friday 1; Fantastic Magic Camp Magic Show see Monday 4; The Who’s TOM- MY see Friday 1.
Friday 8
Tax Free Weekend Music in the Park—Cienfuegos 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Pfluger Park, 515 City Park Rd., Pflugerville. FREE. tx-pflugerville3.civicplus.com or 512-990-6113. Movies in the Park: Despicable Me 2 8:30 p.m. Taylor Regional Park and Sports Complex, Carlos G. Parker Blvd. Loop. Taylor. taylortx.gov. CONTINUING: Story Time Tours see Friday 1; WorkLAB see Friday 1; Cyrano de Bergerac see Friday 1; Music on the Square Summer Concerts see Friday 1; Jungalbook see Friday 1; Deeper Dives see Friday 1; Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma see Friday 1; The Who’s TOMMY see Wednesday 6.
Saturday 9
Tax Free Weekend Bright Leaf Hikes 9 to 11:30 a.m. Bright Leaf Preserve, Creek Mountain Rd. brightleaf.org or 512-459-7269. Clean Lady Bird Lake 9 to 11 a.m. Multiple sites at Lady Bird Lake. Volunteers under 18 should be accompanied by an adult. keepaustinbeautiful.org. Pine Street Market Days 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Downtown Historic Bastrop at Main and Pine Streets. bastroptexas.net or 512-303-6233. Eighth Annual Ice Cream Festival 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fiesta Gardens, 2101 Jesse E. Segovia St. $10 at gate; kids 8 and under FREE. roadwayevents.com. Hands on History 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All ages. Williamson Museum, 716 South Austin Ave., Georgetown. FREE for children. williamsonmuseum.org or 512-943-1670. Second Saturday Market Days and Concert 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Downtown Square, Georgetown. FREE. visit.georgetown.org. The Wizard of Oz, Young Performers Edition 11 a.m., 2 a.m., 4 p.m. on Saturday, 2 and 4 p.m. on Sunday. George Washington Carver Museum, 1165 Angelina. FREE summermusical.com. Second Saturdays are for Families 12 to 4 p.m. All ages. Laguna Gloria, 3809 West 35th St. $10 per family; $5 for member families. 512-495-9224. Super Smash Bros Brawl Tournament 12:30 p.m. Yarborough Branch, 2200 Hancock Dr. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8820. Super Smash Bros. Brawl Grand Championship 12:30 and 2 p.m. Yarborough Branch, 2200 Hancock Dr. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8820. Family Fare Movies: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 2 p.m. University Branch, 4721 Loyola Ln. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9940.
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Rachel Coleman Live! Deep in the Heart of Texas 2 p.m. LifeAustin Church, 8901 W Hwy 71. General admission tickets start at $20. VIP tickets available. brownpapertickets.com/event/717076. CONTINUING: Cyrano de Bergerac see Friday 1; Jungalbook see Friday 1; Austin Historic Walk ing Tours see Friday 1; Giant Chess see Saturday 2; The Who’s TOMMY see Wednesday 6; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma see Friday 1.
Sunday 10
Tax Free Weekend Splash! Living Springs Full Moon Film Series 8:30 p.m. Front porch of the Bathhouse at Barton Springs. FREE. austintexas.gov/event/ splash-presents-living-springs-full-moon-filmseries-1 or 512-471-1466. CONTINUING: Cyrano de Bergerac see Friday 1; Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; 12th Annual Concerts in the Park see Sunday 3; The Who’s TOMMY see Wednesday 6; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma see Friday 1; Bright Leaf Hikes see Saturday 9; The Wizard of Oz see Saturday 9.
Monday 11
Rockin’ Kids Club Draft Day 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Grades K-5. Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main St. roundrocktexas.gov or 512-218-7002. Lego Lab 3:30 p.m. Howson Branch, 2500 Exposition Blvd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8800. Fulmore Middle School Movie Series: The Patriot 6 p.m. Cepeda Branch, 651 N. Pleasant Valley Rd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7372. Make, Craft, Create: Adult Craft Night 6:30 p.m. Ruiz Branch, 1600 Grove Blvd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7500. CONTINUING: Open Chess see Monday 4; Fantastic Magic Camp Magic Show see Monday 4.
Tuesday 12
Lego Lab 3:30 p.m. Windsor Park Branch, 5833 Westmin- ster Dr. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9840. Discovery! Board Games 4:30 p.m. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. Drawing Club 5:30 p.m. Ages 10 to 17. Ruiz Branch, 1600 Grove Blvd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7500. Family Movie Night: Croods 6:30 p.m. Twin Oaks Branch, 1800 S. 5th St. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9980. Family Game Night 6:30 p.m. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. CONTINUING: Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express see Friday 1; Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; Fantastic Magic Camp Magic Show see Monday 4.
Wednesday 13
Lego Lab 3 p.m. Carver Branch, 1161 Angelina St. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-1010. Chess Club 5 p.m. Willie Mae Kirk Branch, 3101 Oak Springs Dr. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9920. Teen Craft Night 6 p.m. Manchaca Branch, 5500 Manchaca Rd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8700. Austin Sound and Cinema 6 p.m. Long Center Lawn, 701 W. Riverside Dr. FREE. thelongcenter.org or 512-457-5115. CONTINUING: The Who’s TOMMY see Friday 1; Fantastic Magic Camp Magic Show see Monday 4; Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express see Friday 1; Wednesday Night Contra Dancing see Wednesday 6; Community Nights see Wednesday 6; Arts and Crafts see Wednesday 6.
Thursday 14
Cursed! Dastardly Scavenger Hunt 6 p.m. Hampton Branch at Oak Hill, 5125 Convict Hill Rd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9900. Movies in the Park: Lego Movie 8:30 p.m. San Gabriel Park, 445 E. Morrow St., Georgetown. FREE. events.georgetown.org. CONTINUING: Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; The Who’s TOMMY see Wednesday 6; Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express see Friday 1; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma see Friday 1; Thursday Noon Concerts see Thursday 7; Free Thursday Night Concerts see Thursday 7; 21st Annual Unplugged at the Grove see Thursday 14.
Friday 15
19th Annual Fall Home and Garden Show 2 to 7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez St. Adults $8.50; seniors and retired military $6.50; 16 and younger and active military FREE. austinhomeandgardenshow.com.
Pick us up at HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market
continued on page 38
austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 37
Enrollment still open for the 2014-2015 school year.
continued from page 37
Fulmore Middle School Movie Series: Under the Same Moon 2 p.m. Southeast Branch, 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8840. Friday Family Films: The Lion King 4 p.m. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. FREE. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. CONTINUING: Music on the Square Summer Concerts see Friday 1; Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; The Who’s TOMMY see Wednesday 6; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma see Friday 1; Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express see Friday 1.
Saturday 16
School starts August 13th.
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Back to School Bash 9 a.m. to Noon. Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez St. austinisd.org/bash or 512-414-3991. Create Your Own: Pop Art 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. FREE with museum admission 1800 Congress Ave., 512-936-4649 or thestoryoftexas.com. Family Fare Movies: The Croods 2 p.m. University Hills Branch, 4721 Loyola Ln. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9940. CONTINUING: The Who’s TOMMY see Friday 1; Take Me Out to the Ball Game see Friday 1; Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; Giant Chess see Saturday 2; The Dell Hall: Dance Hall; Soul Summit with Friends of Sound see Thursday 7; The Wizard of Oz see
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Saturday 9; Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma see Friday 1; 19th Annual Fall Home and Garden Show see Friday 15.
Sunday 17
CONTINUING: Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; 12th Annual Concerts in the Park see Sunday 3; The Who’s TOMMY see Friday 1; The Wizard of Oz see Saturday 9; Dream Girls see Friday 15; 19th Annual Fall Home and Garden Show see Friday 15; Take Me Out to the Ball Game see Friday 1.
Monday 18
Lego Open Play 3 p.m. 3 and up, Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. Summer Superhero Film Festival: Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World 4 p.m. Ruiz Branch, 1600 Grove Blvd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7500. Monthly Movie Mania: Beat the Heat! 6:30 p.m. Milwood Branch, 12500 Amherst Dr. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9880. CONTINUING: Open Chess see Monday 4; Fantastic Magic Camp Magic Show see Monday 4; Take Me Out to the Ball Game see Friday 1.
Tuesday 19
National Aviation Day Lego Lab 4:30 p.m. Manchaca Road Branch, 5500 Manchaca Rd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8700. CONTINUING: ; Take Me Out to the Ball Game see Friday 1; Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; Fantastic Magic Camp Magic Show see Monday 4.
Wednesday 20
Chess Club 5 p.m. Willie Mae Kirk Branch, 3101 Oak Springs Dr. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9920. Family Movie Night: Finding Nemo 6 p.m. University Hills Branch, 4721 Loyola Ln. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9940. CONTINUING: Fantastic Magic Camp Magic Show see Monday 4; Wednesday Night Contra Dancing see Wednesday 6; Community Nights see Wednesday 6; Arts and Crafts see Wednesday 6.
Thursday 21
Third Thursday at the Blanton 12 to 8 p.m. Blanton Museum, Congress Ave. at Martin King Blvd. Admission and programs are FREE. blantonmuseum.org or 512-471-5482. CONTINUING: Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; Fantastic Magic Camp Magic Show see Monday 4; Thursday Noon Concerts see Thursday 7; 21st Annual Unplugged at the Grove see Thursday 7.
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Friday 22
Annual Austin Reptile Expo 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Dell Diamond United Heritage Center, 3400 Palm Valley Rd., Round Rock. $10 per person; $15 for both days. austinreptileexpo.com or 512-83-SNAKE. Music in the Park 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. Pfluger Park, 515 City Park Rd., Pflugerville. FREE. pflugerville3.civicplus.com or 512-990-6113. CONTINUING: Music on the Square Summer Concerts see Friday 1; Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1.
Saturday 23
TexArts Free Day of Dance 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kam and James Morris Theatre, 2300 Lohmans Spur Ste. 160, FREE tex-arts.org or call 512-852-9079. Family Fare Movies: Monsters 2 p.m. University Hills Branch, 4721 Loyola Ln. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9940. 10th Annual Austin Bat Fest 4 p.m. to midnight. All ages. Ann Richards Congress Ave. Bridge (100 S. Congress Ave.) $10 at gate; 8 and under FREE with an adult admission. roadwayevents.com. CONTINUING: Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; Giant Chess see Saturday 2; The Wiz- ard of Oz see Saturday 9; Dream Girls see Friday 15; Annual Austin Reptile Expo see Friday 22.
Springs Dr. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-9920. Teen Nerd Night 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wells Branch Library, 15001 Wells Port, 512-989-3188. CONTINUING: Wednesday Night Contra Dancing see Wednesday 6; Community Nights see Wednesday 6; Austin Sound and Cinema see Wednesday 7.
Thursday 28
Maid Marian in a Stolen Car 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Zach Theatre, 1510 Toomey Rd. zachtheatre.org or 512-476-0541. CONTINUING: Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express see Friday 1; Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; Thursday Noon Concerts see Thursday 7; 21st Annual Unplugged at the Grove see Thursday 14.
Friday 29
CONTINUING: Music on the Square Summer Concerts see Friday 1; Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express see Friday 1; Maid Marian in a Stolen Car see Thursday 28.
Saturday 30
CONTINUING: Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; Giant Chess see Saturday 2; Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express see Friday 1; Maid Marian in a Stolen Car see Thursday 28.
Sunday 24
Come Dance All day. Adults and children ages 8 and up. No registration required. Ballet Austin’s Butler Dance Education Center, 501 West 3rd St. FREE. balletaustin.org/comedance. 24th Annual Hot Sauce Festival Go to web for times of various events. Fiesta Gardens, 2100 Jesse E. Segovia St. austinchronicle.com. CONTINUING: Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; The Wizard of Oz see Saturday 9; 12th Annual Concerts in the Park see Sunday 3.
continued on page 40
Monday 25
CONTINUING: Open Chess see Monday 4.
Tuesday 26
Women’s Equality Day Trailer Food Tuesdays 5 to 9 p.m. The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr. thelongcenter.org. CONTINUING: Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; Dell Hall: Dance Hall; Soul Summit with Friends of Sound see Thursday 7.
Come Grow With Us! ENROLL NOW!
Wednesday 27
North Oaks Country Child Development Center is a 32 year old locally owned, one of kind child care facility located on 1.2 acres of land off Anderson Mill Road. We offer a non corporate environment for our students to learn and flourish as they get prepared for elementary school.
Lego Lab 3 p.m. Cepeda Branch, 651 N. Pleasant Valley Rd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7372. Chess Club 5 p.m. Willie Mae Kirk Branch, 3101 Oak
Ages 18 mos to PreK & Afterschool care
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austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 39
continued from page 39
Thursday 7
parenting events
Postpartum Support Group 10 to 11:30 a.m. Every Thursday. Any Baby Can, 1121 East 7th St. anybabycan.org or 512-454-3743. Austin Autism Treatment Forum-Meetup 12 to 1:30 p.m. Old Quarry Library, 7051 Village Center Dr. FREE and open to the public. meetup.com or 512-300-3820.
Tuesday 5
Sunday 31
Sunday 31
CONTINUING: Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Round Rock Express see Friday 1; Austin Historic Walking Tours see Friday 1; Maid Marian in a Stolen Car see Thursday 28.
La Leche League Held at multiple locations in Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, Kyle, San Marcos and Cedar Park. For locations and times visit texaslll.org or 512-272-8042.
Orientation for Becoming Foster Parent 5 to 7 p.m. Austin Children’s’ Shelter, 4800 Manor Rd., foster@austinchildrenshelter.org or call 512-499-0090.
9 am to 1:30 pm - extended care available. Small classes with balanced activities & many opportunities for creativity and self expression Curriculum based * Barnyard animals * Music Highly recommended by parents!
storytimes Public library storytime events listed here are free unless otherwise noted. Programs subject to change. Please contact before attending.
Sundays
Storytime Go to website for various events, locations, age groups, dates and times. Austin Public Library. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7400.
Mondays
Baby Bloomers 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. 0 to 3 years and their caregivers. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. Included with museum admission. thinkeryaustin.org or 512-469-6200. Pre-K Storytime 9:30 a.m. Leander Public Library, 1011 S. Bagdad Rd. leander.lib.tx.us or 512-259-5259. Baby Time 10 a.m. 3 to 18 months. Pflugerville Public Library, 1008 W. Pfluger St. pflugervilletx.gov or 512-990-6375. Infant Storytime 10:30 a.m. Birth to 1 year. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. Bookaneers 10:30 a.m. 4 to 6 years. Lake Travis Community Library, 2300 Lohman’s Spur, Suite 100. laketravislibrary.org or 512-263-2885. Bookworms 10:30 a.m. 0 to 18 months. 11:15 a.m. 12 to 24 months. Wells Branch Library, 15001 Wells Port Dr. wblibrary.org or 512-989-3188. Bilingual Storytime Kites/Barriletes 11 a.m. Pflugerville Public Library, 1008 W. Pfluger St. pflugervilletx.gov or 512-990-6375. Preschool Storytime 12:30 p.m. 3 to 5 years. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. Preschool Storytime 7 p.m. 3 to 6 years. Round Rock Public Library, 216 Main St. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-7011.
Tuesdays
Toddler, Preschool Storytime Go to website for various events, locations, age groups, dates and times. Austin Public Library. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7400. Baby and Me 9:30 a.m. 24 months and under with parent. Leander Public Library, 1011 S. Bagdad Rd. leander.lib.tx.us or 512-259-5259. Baby and Me Storytime 9:30 a.m. 0 to 12 months. Georgetown Public Library, 420 W. 8th St. library.georgetown.org or 512-930-3623. Storytime 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Pflugerville Public Library, 1008 W. Pfluger St. pflugervilletx.gov or 512-990-6375.
40 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
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Dual Language Storytime-Hora de cuentos en dos idiomas 10:15 a.m. St. John Branch, 7500 Blessing Ave. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8840. Tales for Tots 10:30 a.m. 2 and 3 years. Lake Travis Community Library. 2300 Lohman’s Spur, Suite 100. laketravislibrary.org or 512-263-2885. Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m. 3 to 5 years. Westbank Library, 1309 Westbank Dr. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. Little Texas Homeschoolers 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wells Branch Library, 15001 Wells Port Dr. wblibrary.org or 512-989-3188. Afternoon Storytime 3:30 p.m. All ages, bring the family. Westbank Library, 1309 Westbank Dr. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. Afternoon Storytime 4 p.m. All ages, bring the family. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. Storytime and Craft 6 and 7 p.m. All ages. Tickets required. Limit of 24 kids per class. Wells Branch Library, 15001 Wells Port Dr. wblibrary.org or 512-989-3188.
Wednesdays
Toddler Storytime Go to website for various events, locations, age groups, dates and times. Austin Public Library. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7400. Babytime 9:30 to 10 a.m. 12 to 18 months. Round Rock Public Library, 216 Main St. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-7011. Wobbles Storytime 9:30 a.m. 1 to 2 years. Georgetown Public Library, 420 W. 8th St. library.georgetown.org or 512-930-3623. Toddlertime 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. 18 to 36 months. Round Rock Public Library, 216 Main St. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-7011. Preschool Storytime 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. 3 years and older. Round Rock Public Library, 216 Main St. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-7011. Pre-K Storytime 10 to 10:30 a.m. Leander Public Library, 1011 S. Bagdad Rd. leander.lib.tx.us or 512-259-5259. Dual Language Storytime-Hora de cuentos en dos idiomas 10:15 a.m. Southeast Branch, 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8840. Dual Language Storytime-Hora de cuentos en dos idiomas 10:15 a.m. Ruiz Branch, 1600 Grove Blvd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-87500. Tot Time Storytime 10:30 a.m. 1 to 3 years. Westbank Library, 1309 Westbank Dr. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045.
Tot Time Storytime 10:30 a.m. 1 to 3 years. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. Book Babies 10:30 a.m. 3 to 24 months. Lake Travis Community Library, 2300 Lohman’s Spur, Suite 100.laketravislibrary.org or 512-263-2885. Story Pals Storytime 10:30 a.m. 3 years and older. Georgetown Public Library, 420 W. 8th St. library.georgetown.org or 512-930-3623. Storytime with Mr. George 11 a.m. Barnes & Noble, 14010 US Hwy 183. barnesandnoble.com or 512-249-5644. Afternoon Storytime 4 p.m. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Caves Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. All Ages Storytime 4 p.m. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd., westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. Arts and Crafts 6 p.m. 8 and older with adult. Wells Branch Library, 15001 Wells Port Dr. wblibrary.org or 512-989-3188.
Serving grades K4 to 5th 512-892-2706 www.bcaaustin.org 7100 Brodie Ln. Austin TX 78745
Thursdays
Spanish Storytime Go to website for various events, locations, age groups, dates and times. Austin Public Library. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7400. Babytime 9:30 a.m. Newborn to 1 year. Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main St. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-3279. Wobbles Storytime 9:30 a.m. 1 to 2 years. Georgetown Public Library, 420 W. 8th St. library.georgetown.org or 512-930-3623. Dual Language Storytime-Hora de cuentos en dos idiomas 10:15 Pleasant Hill Branch, 211 E. William Cannon Dr. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-3940. Infant Storytime 10:30 a.m. Birth to 1 year. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. Spanish Storytime 10:30 a.m. All ages. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd. westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045. continued on page 42
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austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 41
continued from page 41
Preschool Storytime 10:30 a.m. 3 years and older. Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main St., Round Rock. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-7012. Toddlertime 10:30 a.m. 18 months to 3 years. Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main St. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-7011. Story Pals Storytime 10:30 a.m. 3 years and older. Georgetown Public Library, 420 W. 8th St. library.georgetown.org or 512-930-3623. Story Crafternoon 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Grades K to 5. Pflugerville Public Library, 1008 W. Pfluger St. pflugervilletx.gov or 512-990-6375.
Fridays
Toddler, Preschool Storytime Go to website for various events, locations, age groups, dates and times. Austin Public Library. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-7400. Community Storytime 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Leander Public Library, 1011 S. Bagdad Rd. leander.lib.tx.us or 512-259-5259. Babytime 9:30 a.m. 12 to 18 months. Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main St. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-3279. Community Storytime 9:30 a.m. Leander Public Library, 1011 S. Bagdad Rd. leander.lib.tx.us or 512-259-5259. Briarcliff Storytime 10 a.m. All ages. Briarcliff Community Center, 22801 Briarcliff Dr. laketravislibrary.org or 512-263-2885. Story Time 10 a.m. All ages. Lake Travis Library, 2300 Lohman’s Spur, Suite 100. laketravislibrary.org or 512-263-2885.
Visit One of Our 3 Locations Today! 10620 N. FM 620 Austin, TX (512) 218-9275
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42 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
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Dual Language Storytime-Hora de cuentos en dos idiomas 10:15 a.m. Southeast Branch, 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd. library.austintexas.gov or 512-974-8840. Toddlertime 10:30 a.m. 18 months to 3 years. Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main St. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-7011. Toddler Storytime 10:30 a.m. 18 to 36 months. Wells Branch Library, 15001 Wells Port Dr. wblibrary.org or 512-989-3188. Preschool Storytime 11:15 a.m. 3 to 5 years. Wells Branch Library, 15001 Wells Port Dr. wblibrary.org or 512-989-3188.
learn music, love
learning
Saturdays
Baby Bloomers 9 to 10 a.m. 0 to 3 years and their caregivers. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. Included with museum admission. thinkeryaustin.org or 512-469-6200. Saturday Storytime 11 a.m. Barnes & Noble, 14010 US Hwy 183. barnesandnoble.com or 512-249-5644. Family Storytime 11 a.m. Round Rock Public Library, 216 E. Main St. roundrocktexas.gov/library or 512-218-3279.
FREE
First class or lesson with code VIP404 Classes enrolling now for all ages and skill levels Westlake & Travis Heights locations
Tuesday 5
Children’s Storytime 10 to 10:30 a.m. French Legation Museum, 802 San Marcos. frenchlegationmuseum.org or 512-472-8180.
512-474-2331 www.acmsaustin.org
Tuesday 26
Pajama Storytime 6:30 p.m. Laura’s Library, 9411 Bee Cave Rd., westbanklibrary.com or 512-327-3045.
Saturday 9 and 23
Reading Fairy 11 a.m. Grades K-5. Leander Public Library, 1011 S. Bagdad Rd. leander.lib.tx.us or 512-259-5259.
Pick us up at HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market
austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 43
High School Art Competition Winners
Lake Travis ISD Art I
Hanna Grass Dulche
Afra Nehal
Emily Enas
Art II
Nick Michael
Hannah Castle
Max Minard
Art III
Aubrey Galindo
Art IV
Elle Adams 44 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
Austin Tiley not pictured: Katrina Bush Maniford Tmkin BEE CAVE ARTS FOUNDATION
Valerie Bridgewater Teachers: Cha Asokan Amber Forgery Laurie Carswell Diane Wrinkle
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Ballet • Pointe • Tap • Jazz • Hip Hop • Contemporary
We’ve been doing it for over 50 years!
Enrolling for fall and summer classes and camps! • Instructional classes ages 2 and up • Preschool classes include dance, creative movement, music, gymnastics and theatre • Creative Movement classes for special needs children • Award winning Synergy Dance Company • Professional, experienced staff
512-327-4130
3425 Bee Cave Road
www.synergydancestudio.com Drill Team • Acro Dance • Gymnastics • Music • Theatre
Monday to Friday 10 to 7 and Saturday 10 to 5:30 Late hours including Sunday 1 to 6 begin August 17th
Want to see your kid on our cover?
Six Cover Kid Contest winners will be selected to appear on future austin family magazine covers. 2014 cover kid winners
our Check out e first 250 offer for th . Deadline eived . entries rec r 15, 2014 Novembe
Go to austinfamily.com to enter our contest It’s a chance to see your child on the cover of 35,000 magazines, on our website and on our FOX “Good Day Austin” Friday morning segment. Entries are judged by a panel of industry professionals.
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We welco me teens and tweens, a s well as to ddlers an d babies! Sponsored by austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 45
No Other School Teaches Them To
SHINE Like This.
Elementary Schools in your area: Cathedral School of St. Mary
When you choose Catholic School for your children, you surround them with a
Holy Family Catholic School
St. Helen Catholic School (Georgetown)
that a shares your
St. Louis Catholic School
faith and your
St. Mary’s Catholic School (Taylor)
will learn to shine—with a light
St. Theresa’s Catholic School Santa Cruz Catholic School (Buda)
that they will
High Schools in your area:
carry with them into the world.
Schedule an information session and tour
St. Gabriel’s Catholic School
community
your children
Serving age 3 through 7th grade
St. Austin Catholic School
St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic School
values. Here,
Preparing Students to Thrive as Global Citizens of the 21st Century
St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School St. Michael’s Catholic Academy San Juan Diego Catholic High School
MagellanSchool.org 7938 Great Northern Blvd, Austin, TX 78757
Summer Camp in Session
• Weekly Themes • Half Day and Full Day Options • Siblings Half Price • Arts and Crafts, Fun and Games! Drop in child care for 6 weeks through 12 years.
Open until midnight Friday and Saturday and 11:30-7:30 Sundays
$10 OFF
15% off first visit
Expires 9-16-14.
Must present coupon. Expires 9-16-14.
Yearly Family Registration
Learn more about Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Austin
1335 E. Whitestone Blvd., Ste. D-195 Cedar Park, TX In 1890 Ranch Shopping Center
www.CSDATX.org
www.adventurekidsplaycare.com • 512.260.5437
46 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
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Ki d e n o Z
chro·ma·tog·ra·phy
[kroh-muh-tog-ruh-fee] Named after the Greek word for color, chromatos, chromatography means to separate a substance through a medium. Chromatography is used in the fields of biochemistry and analytical chemistry. In this activity, explore the science of chromatography while making colorful art.
(a) Supplies: • • • • • •
1 coffee filter (or paper towel) Markers 1 empty cup 1 cup with water (or isopropyl alcohol) 1 eyedropper A place for your art to dry
(b) Directions: 1. Make a cool drawing on the coffee filter with your markers. Be sure to leave a little white space so your colors can spread. 2. Place the coffee filter on top of the empty cup. 3. Using the eyedropper, drip water over the cup. (This way you have less to clean up after the activity.) 4. Set your art out to dry.
(c) Once dry, find a spot on the wall to hang your awesome art! a
variety of animal backpacks
They quietly hold your books with endless patience.
b
$15.00-$35.00
robot pencil $2.00
#2 pencil $3.50 c Lunchboxes quietly hold your lunch with endless patience.
This is an example of an activity during summer camp at the Thinkery, the new Austin Children’s Museum. Visit thinkeryaustin.org/ camps for more information.
Pick us up at HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market
2438 West Anderson Lane austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 47
book recommendations by Pam Heller
For Younger Readers
For Older Readers
Never Ever by Jo Empson Close your eyes and let your imagination take over—wonderful advice. This book opens the door to the possibilities for young readers to experience, and begin to master, the power of imagination. The young girl in this story proclaims nothing exciting ever happens to her… “Never, ever! Humph.” Then she closes her eyes and sets off on a stroll, which just happens to involve an ever-changing abstract of vibrant colors and an array of unusual characters including a flying pig, a purple gorilla and a dandy lion, among others. This is an entertaining, wry and wise read. Go ahead…close your eyes. Ages 2 to 6.
A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant Horace Pippin (1888 – 1946) was a self-taught artist who “couldn’t stop drawing.” Jen Bryant, the author of this multi-award winning biography, lets Pippin’s story be told through her eloquent text, along with the artist’s palette of colors, his perseverance of character and humble words. The exceptional resources provided at the end of the book are especially useful in continuing the discussion of Horace Pippin, his art and his place in history. Ages 6 to 12.
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat Poor little Beekle has been waiting on an island filled with a wonderful assortment of imaginary friends. They are each waiting to be imagined by their own special child and given a name. But nobody ever picks Beekle. So, he courageously chooses to go off on a journey to hopefully find his own special friend. And he does. And it’s wonderful. The illustrations bring such expression, movement and charm to make this a truly huggable story. Ages 3 to 7.
Rump: The True Story of Rumplestiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff He’s twelve years old, and his name is his destiny, but he doesn’t know that yet. Actually, he doesn’t even know his full name. He only knows that everyone makes fun of him. Then he finds an old spinning wheel and discovers his talent for spinning straw into gold. As he spins himself deeper into a magical curse, his friends, courage and odd sense of humor help him survive and triumph in this fairy tale odyssey filled with poison apples, pesky pixies, trolls and of course, a wicked—yet foolish—witch. A great read-aloud or read alone. Ages 8 to 12.
austinfamily readers’ poll FAVORITE
2014
48 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
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Focus On Doctors
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Dr. Linda Lopez
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The Brushy Creek Women’s Association
20th Annual
Hairy Man Festival
September 27
11 AM- 5 PM at Cat Hollow Park Located on O’Connor, off RR 620 between IH35 & Parmer
FOOD, GAMES, RIDES,WATER SLIDE, MUSIC & MORE!! Admission: 2 non-perishable food items or $2 per person Benefiting area food banks and the Round Rock Serving Center
Hairiest Man Contest 4 pm
WIN $500 CASH!!
www.hairymanfestival.org
Dr. Betty Richardson
Dr. Richardson earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in nursing, and a PhD in psych/mental health nursing. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a licensed professional counselor. She has over 30 years of experience working with individuals, couples, families, children and adolescents. See ad on page 39.
Dr. Theresa Willis
ADC Steiner Ranch Dr. Willis is a graduate of the University of Texas, received her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completed her residency at Texas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Willis’s professional interests include developmental pediatrics, fitness and healthy weight in children and teens. She is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. See ad on page 4.
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Little Spurs Pediatric Urgent Care Dr. Zibdeh-Lough attended medical school at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency at the West Virginia University Charleston Area Medical Center. She is board certified in pediatrics and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has experience in urgent care medicine and enjoys caring for children of all ages. See ad on page 2. Pick us up at HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market
OPENING NIGHT TICKETS START AT $10
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austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 49
Flexible Family Volunteer Opportunities Drive a senior to: • the Doctor • the Grocery Store • run errands
• Barber Shop • Physical Therapy
Volunteer in Your Neighborhood! Elgin 512-281-6065
South Austin 512-445-5552
Georgetown 512-868-9544
Southwest Austin 512-364-6501
North Central Austin 512-453-2273
West Austin 512-472-6339
NorthEast Austin 512-459-1122
NW Austin/Cedar Park/ Leander 512-250-5021 Pflugerville / Round Rock/ North Austin 512-310-1060
Donate medical equipment to our loan closet. www.DriveASenior.org A Network of Faith in Action Programs
PHOTOGRAPHY Call: 512-270-0750 tiffany@Studio213.net www.Studio213.net AMAZING FAMILY & PERSONAL PORTRAITS ..................
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50 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
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films by Jack Kyser
Now In Theaters Earth to Echo
Rated PG Starring Teo Halm, Brian ‘Astro’ Bradley, Reese Hartwig, Ella Wahlestedt Austin Family critical rating: of Austin Family Family-Friendly rating: ½ of In a summer bereft of major releases that aren’t sequels or reboots, I don’t take any great pleasure in finding fault with a good-natured, sweet family film like Earth to Echo. The movie, directed by Dave Green, bears many similarities to Steven Spielberg’s E.T. – The Extra Terrestrial (1982) in its basic premise, but it’s hindered significantly by its gimmicky “found footage” framing device, popularized by movies like Cloverfield (2008) and Chronicle (2012). The result is about as cinematic as you might expect from a movie that seemingly takes place from the point-of-view of Google Maps. Alex, Tuck and Munch are three adolescent friends preparing to move away from their neighborhood, where a new highway is coming through and sending local families packing. When their cell phones start acting strange, the three boys are led to the highway construction site, where they find Echo, a wounded alien in need of repair and shelter. Together with their school friend Emma, the kids take Echo around town, as the alien gathers spare parts to build itself back up and make its way home. As they venture through the night, the kids are followed by a group of shady construction workers, who are desperate to contain Echo and stop it from leaving Earth.
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“Why are you filming me?” Emma asks early on in the movie, and the same question could be asked of most scenes in the movie. Earth to Echo has many of the same problems that most “found footage” movies have—there’s simply no reason why anything other than the major events of the movie would be filmed. The device stretches credibility and ultimately proves frustrating, mainly because Earth to Echo wants to be a real movie when it’s convenient, even bringing in a sweeping cinematic score every now and then. Supposedly, the kids form an E.T.-like connection with Echo, but the film spends so much time and effort sustaining (and stretching) the found footage technique that it overlooks many of the basic storytelling tactics that make movies like E.T. or J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 (2011) so effective. Echo, as designed, seems like a pretty cool alien, and I’d love to see the movie where the kids actually get to know the alien. Unfortunately, the connection formed between the kids and Echo is never dramatized effectively. And it’s a shame, because the young actors are good. Earth to Echo has moments that work—there’s a great set piece with Echo’s mother ship near the end, and the camaraderie among the kids calls to mind spirited films like The Goonies (1985). But the movie is so committed to its viral video gimmick that it never manages to tap into that spirit and just be, you know, a movie.
Jack Kyser, a graduate of Austin High School, is currently attending and writing for New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Come to the movies at Pick us up at HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market
austinfamily.com | August 2014 | 51
humor
by Susana Fletcher
Send for supplies Crisp, white notebook paper makes me smile. Oh, the rainbow of possibilities in a 64-count box of Crayola crayons. How I dream of pink Pearl erasers with perfect, unadulterated corners and the familiar rubbery smell. And don’t even get me started on the feel of a freshly sharpened #2 pencil. I heart school supplies. School supply shopping? in August? for three kids? Not so much. There are no less than 27 line items per list per child, all speaking to your ability as a parent to find them in the sea of WalMart, Staples, Target, Office Whatever and your local grocery store. Red checking pencils? Nobody in anystoreanywhere has even heard of red checking pencils. And since when did Kleenex and Ziplock become household names on this list? I get it. I really do. As a former teacher, I understand the need to have 22 boxes of Kleenex for the year, especially during allergy season. (When is it NOT allergy season, again?) It’s not even the list that bothers me so much as it is the kids, the crowds and the crazy that surrounds the pre-school-year pandemonium. “Mom, I neeeeeeed this 1D folder. Pleeeeeeease?” Well, that boy-
band bejeweled folder is $2.79 more than the one that’s on sale for the season. If you’re wondering how they are able to sell a perfectly functional folder to all the reasonable parents for ten cents a pop, it’s because I’m the sucker buying a three-dollar One Direction folder for a six year old. Sigh. When we moved from south to north Austin, and I learned that my kids’ school had a prepackaged school supply program, I was beside myself. How did I not know such a thing existed in the universe? Pay $40 to NOT go supply shopping? Up to half my kingdom for such a luxury! The children would show up to school on the first day, a cellophane wrapped treasure greeting them at their desk with everything they needed to excel for another year. There is a God in heaven. Well, as it turns out, the magic school supply fairy has a deadline. Which I missed. After crying a few crocodile tears into my Grande Americano, I’m off to brave the wild wilderness for another year. Susana Fletcher is a mother, writer and blogger at Sorryforparenting.com. If you find her huddled in the corner of OfficeMax this August, clutching the last package of yellow highlighters, don’t judge.
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Visit 3267 Bee Caves Road Suite 118 Austin, Texas 78746 ©2013 Brain Balance Centers
52 | August 2014 | austinfamily.com
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