Scarsdale Inquirer Kids! 2012

A SPECIAL SECTION OF

The Scarsdale Inquirer MARCH 23, 2012

PAGE 2A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

Inside Kids!

Lactation consultants: Help for sucessful breastfeeding ................ 10A From nursery to big kids’ room: Time to redecorate! ...................... 13A A world without germs? Handwashing the key to health ........... 18A Cover Contest Kids...20A, 22A, 35A Parent’s Guide: Arts, Camps, Enrichment ..........................23A-31A Advice for parents of hyperactive children........................................ 32A Sleep tips for children. infants...... 33A

MARCH 23, 2012

Jeremy Gorrin

It’s playtime! Why independent and group play matter (so much).......... 4A

Beyond baby talk: Early intervention key for kids’ speech growth .... 8A

Kids! Cover Contest Winners

Parenting: Seeing the other side of the fence of mothering choices....... 3A

Breaking the habit: Thumb sucking and pacifers can be risky business...6A

Kids!

COVER WINNER

N

ow that Jeremy Gorrin’s curls have grown in, the 13-month-old gets even more attention than when this photo was taken back in October. Jeremy was just taking in the scenery riding in a backpack on his dad’s shoulders and enjoying a day of apple picking.

“He has definitely a very, very funny personality,” mom Deborah said. “He’ll wave at you, clap and his newest thing is shaking his head no at you.” And don’t forget a nice game of peek-a-boo!

Jeremy loves being around people, one of his favorite being his 4-year-old sister Amanda. “He loves playing with her,” Mom said. “He absolutely lights up when she comes in the room.” And Amanda is a great helper, looking after him, making sure he’s not doing anything he’s not supposed to and taking things out of his hand that he’s not supposed to be holding. His high-pitched shriek lets everyone know just how he feels about it, too.

Other than that Mom describes him as “bubbly,” “giggly,” “snuggly,” “playful” and “sweet.”

Help kids achieve good oral health....34A Medication safety for children....... 40A

Ryan O’Connell

Endpaper: Oh, the places we go!...36A

DIVISION ONE WINNER

L

2012 Scarsdale Inquirer

ook at this kid — he’s a superstar already! Ryan O’Connell, who turned a year old this week, is no stranger to attention. Between the hugs and kisses his three older siblings give him and all of the photos that mom Laura is snapping, he’s on his way to stardom.

The challenge for Mom is trying to get great shots of all four kids at once, but one day when 5 1/2-year-old twins Abby and Jack and soonto-be 4-year-old Kate were at school, the lighting was just right for this photo of Ryan in his stylish knit hat. And since mom had great baby photos of the siblings on the wall already, this made the perfect addition to the collection.

While this photo shows Ryan’s personality — “smiling, happy, a glean in his eye” — what you don’t know is his secret passion: Ryan likes to boogie with his brother and sisters. Hands in the air he’s constantly rockin’ out to the latest songs. “They admire him,” Mom said.

“He is the apple of their eye since he’s the youngest. We’re very lucky they love him. They all think he walks on water.” She added, “He’s a cool little dude.”

PRESCHOOL GUIDE

PAGES 37A-42A

Kids!

Sam Ryan

A special section of

The Scarsdale Inquirer P.O. Box 418, Scarsdale, NY 10583 914-725-2500 www.scarsdalenews.com PUBLISHER Deborah G. White SECTION EDITOR Todd Sliss ART DIRECTOR Ann Marie Rezen ADVERTISING DESIGN Katherine Potter ADVERTISING SALES Thomas O’Halloran, Barbara Yeaker, Marilyn Petrosa and Francesca Lynch ©2012 S.I. COMMUNICATIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IS FORBIDDEN WITHOUT THE PUBLISHER’S WRITTEN PERMISSION.

DIVISION TWO WINNER

N

ancy Ryan gets a lot of compliments on this winning photo that a friend took of her son Sam — it’s partly the great photography, but moreso the cute subject.

In this one still frame, soon-to-be 4-year-old Sam shows that he’s “happy, a little mischievous,” and “that sparkle that shows a lot about Sam’s personality.”

In his household, Sam is “the glue that binds us all together,” according to Mom — after all he’s got four siblings, all older: sisters Gabby, 12, and Rachel, 14, and brothers Jake, 18, and Sean, 22.

Yes, it’s the classic “Yours, Mine and Ours” scenario. “They’re great with him,” Mom said. “They all really love him and he’s special to all of them. They each teach him different things and each play with him in a different way. It’s nice.”

When it comes to playing, Sam loves super heroes, which is something Mom is still getting used to having experienced the two girls growing up. He also likes basketball, reading and doing puzzles. “He’s kind of an all-around kid,” Mom said.

MARCH 23, 2012

Kids!

THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 3A

Parenting

Seeing the other side of the fence

Breaking through the stereotypes of mothering choices

BY JACKIE LUPO

H

eidi Michaels knows how easy it is to get “lost in the woods” of full-time motherhood.

“I got married young,” said Michaels, who worked in the music field and was a video buyer at the corporate headquarters of Waldenbooks before she became a mother. “I have two step-kids and then I had three more, so I pretty much gave up a career to become a full-time mom.

With such a busy household, I felt I had lost myself. I began asking myself, ‘What am I going to be when I grow up?’”

Today, Michaels, a Katonah resident, is a life coach whose clients include women trying to find that elusive balance between kids and career. She often finds that both the working moms and the athome moms that she counsels have two things in common: strong opinions about what the other group of moms should be doing, and a tendency to feel that which-

ever role they themselves choose, they’re not performing it well enough.

“Working moms and at-home moms have a disconnect. And I hate to say it, but it seems there’s so much judgment,” said Michaels. “We need to disarm this.”

What do things look like from each side of the fence? Moms who work full time might feel that the stay-at-home moms resent them for not bringing homemade cookies to the PTA bake sale or volunteering for committees. Or, those working moms might overcompensate by baking even more cookies or volunteering for more committees than their stayat-home neighbors. Working moms may feel that their children’s schools favor the at-home mothers, who are available to help out during the school day and to work on homework projects that demand hours of parent participation.

Stay-at-home moms may feel isolated from their peers and, if they’re new moms, they may miss the predictability of their old jobs. They may also feel they have a CONTINUED ON PAGE 16A

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Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

IT’S PLAYTIME!

Why independent and group play matter (so much)

BY LAURIE SULLIVAN

age physical play and manipulative play.”

With independent play, kids can use those skills in a group. “It’s the same play, but the social piece is different. The sensory piece is more chaotic,” she said.

“If, for example, a child isn’t good at kicking a ball, they may not want to do that in a group and perhaps parents should work with the child to improve those skills. Kids need experience with balls.”

P

addy cake, paddy cake baker’s man, bake me a cake as fast as you can…” Believe it or not, this age-old game of Paddy Cake is one of a baby’s first forays into group, interactive play. But independent play really starts at birth. Newborns delight in discovering their fingers and toes.

Dimpled hands reach out for chubby little feet as baby rock backs and forth! They are quite content to explore and play by themselves.

So why are both independent and group play so important for kids?

According to Robbie Levy, program director of Dynamic Kids in White Plains, both independent and group play are essential to a child’s development. “They start to experience both with a caregiver.

They learn to be soothed and comforted and explore their bodies, and work on their physical development,” Levy said.

“When they move into group play they begin to play Paddy Cake.”

Ever watch a baby delight in playing dropsies — baby dropping a toy or bottle, with the adult playing retriever? Yup, that’s group play too.

By 18 months, toddlers will parallel play while in a group. “Some 2- and 3-year-olds are ready for group play,” Levy said. “They learn the rules, take turns.

They learn, for example, what a broom is, they know it is used to sweep.”

According to Levy, when kids turn 3 they’re into more imaginative play. The broom becomes a horse or a dance partner. “They use play to work through emotional situations,” Levy said. “They learn separation. It helps explain the world.

They start to make up rules for games and play their own games.”

By 4-4.5, kids are capable of painting, holding a pencil, climbing. “From an attentional point of view at this age they’re capable of sticking to an activity,” Levy said. “They can do craft activities or motor activities, climbing, etc.”

They also go from playing next to other kids to really playing WITH other kids.

Pull the plug on electronic toys Levy, the founder of Dynamic Kids, which offers pediatric physical and occupational therapy and provides early intervention to help kids reach their full potential, also lectures around the country on the surging problem of young children spending too much time playing with electronic devices and games, and not enough time playing with traditional toys and games.

She believes that it’s important for caregivers to encourage independent play, but not the use of electronics such as TV, handhelds, iPads and computers.

Levy said the use of these devices “is a

challenge” and has been for the past five years. Kids are held captive to these devices indoors and they discourage outdoor, physical play. Levy cited a study by the American Pediatric Society published last year that set guidelines for kids 2 and under, recommending that they should not have any “screen time” — that includes TV and electronic devices of any kind. Levy said kids spend hours and hours a day, sometimes upward of eight hours, using these devices.

So what can parents do about limiting their use? “It’s very hard for parents to put limits on it,” Levy said. “The people who make the programs for these devices lead parents astray. They make them seem like they’re good for kids. They say kids are going to write early, etc. We’re seeing kids who have problems like not being able to grip a pencil.”

Levy said kids need to have a combination of quiet independent play without electronics and group activity that are not adult directed. “Kids are losing the ability to use their own activities and have quiet time,” Levy said. “Parents often mistake the use of electronic toys as quiet time, but it’s not the same thing. They need time to just sit and look at books, use toys to come up with things on their own.”

Kids also need to spend time outdoors in a safe environment and play with

building toys and manipulative, sensory toys like Play-Doh. Levy noted that “a lot of parents don’t like their houses to be messy, but it’s really important for kids to have those things.”

It’s critical that parents get down on the floor and play with their child since they’re the child’s first teacher and help with their social, emotional and language development. Levy said that kids are spending a lot of time in strollers and in carriers and parents are on the phone and not talking to their children.

“It used to be that when you were walking you talked to your child, pointed out a flower, but now parents are on the phone and in cars there’s music playing or again, parents are on the phone, not talking to their child,” Levy said. “These are missed opportunities. I don’t think parents realize that.”

So what can parents do to encourage independent play?

Levy advised that first parents should take away or limit the playing time with electronics and be role models for their children. “When parents go outside and do things, kids will,” said Levy. “Make good use of leisure time. Kids can model that behavior. It’s important for parents to sit on the floor with them or participate in table games. And if a child only sticks to one thing that they’re good at, say if a child only colors, parents should encour-

Why are both so important?

Dawn Meyerski, the program director at Mount Kisco Childcare Center, explained that with independent play kids have the opportunity to develop their own individual interests and do problem solving.

By playing independently, Meyerski said it fosters risk taking and builds confidence. Kids are willing to try out lots of different kinds of ideas and “they don’t have to worry about being silly in front of others … It allows kids the freedom to explore, interpret without the group.”

Parents can encourage kids to play independently by providing them with toys and materials that match their interests, such as Legos, puzzles, baby dolls, etc.

And kids should also have the “opportunity to play with kids in the neighborhood alone” so that they can invent “their own rules without structure.”

Like Levy, Meyerski also believes that parents should play with their kids. She said it’s important and a good way for kids to learn about winning and losing and taking turns. However, generally it’s not a good idea for parents to let kids win. “If kids lose all the time, you should encourage them to win. It’s a fine line that you walk [in letting them win] all the time,” Meyerski said. “You don’t want them to always win, but you don’t want them to always lose.”

She also agreed with Levy, saying independent play makes it easier to participate in group play, and vice versa. “Independent play gives kids the confidence to play with kids in the block area and they’re more likely to assert themselves,” Meyerski said. “The more practice you have at a skill, the more likely you are to assert yourself in a group.”

Group play also allows a child to watch other kids at play and it gives him or her “energy.” She stressed that if a child sees other kids build blocks in a certain way it might encourage the child to go home and try it on his or her own.

“At the center we make sure that kids have both experiences,” said Meyerski. “We understand the need that kids have to explore their own interests. We teach kids to respect each other and respect their failures and their successes.

Through your failures you learn how to be successful.”

Meyerski is fascinated by “the way kids develop in play.” A group of toddlers in CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

MARCH 23, 2012 CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE

a group will parallel play and by 3 and 4 they start to play cooperatively. There are exceptions, Meyerski said, noting that some 2-year-olds are capable of group play and some 4-year-olds are not.

Learning and playing together Joann Ferrigno is the camp director at Somerset, a nonprofit camp at St. Matthews Church in Bedford, and also a K-2 reading teacher at Primrose Elementary School in Katonah. Somerset is a reading and writing summer camp for kids entering kindergarten through fifth grade that incorporates learning with play.

At camp the children have already integrated into group play and learning, so Ferrigno sees the benefits of team effort.

“Even in learning, it’s important to work together,” she said. “You think of things from other kids you might not have thought of before. When they’re writing somebody might say, ‘Do you want to include, say this?’ You share your thoughts and in return the other kids are giving you feedback about your work.”

Ferrigno, who is a “big believer in group dynamics and cooperation,” doesn’t allow phones or computers at camp and encourages creative play. As with Levy, Ferrigno sees the use of electronic games as more and more of a problem because it’s taking away kids’ ability to talk to “a real live person.” At school they are starting to see kids with language and communication difficulties, even those kids entering kindergarten.

Kids!

In her role as teacher, she explained that when they have teacher conferences, the kids sit outside together and each has a computer game and they don’t talk to each other, other than to say they won or lost.

“I don’t like what I see,” Ferrigno said.

“It worries me and the other teachers because there’s no cooperative playing.

When you see a successful person it’s a person who knows how to work with others. I think working and playing cooperatively is an important thing. It all goes hand in hand. You don’t learn by yourself … you need to have cooperation.”

She went on to say that it’s important that kids, especially only children, learn how to wait their turn.

Somerset encourages kids to be creative. When they play outside, they make up their own games, with teachers and volunteers out there keeping an eye on them. If a child is working on something and “wants to sit by the stream, we really encourage them to play with the group because cooperative learning and play, I feel, is very important.”

In the camp’s Destination Imagination program the kids work in teams to come up with the best solution to solving a problem, “kind of like a think tank.” Last year the children were challenged to come up with the solution on how to make a boat float. The kids were put into small groups and put to task to come up with ideas.

For this camp director, play is learning and it works best when kids do it together. 

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Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

Breaking the habit

Thumb sucking and pacifers can be risky business

S

BY JACKIE LUPO

ucking is the most basic human instinct. Fetuses can be seen in sonograms sucking their thumbs in utero. Human infants need to suck to feed from the mother’s breast, and they respond to a touch on the cheek by rooting for their mother’s nipple moments after birth. And as babies grow, they may suck on a thumb, finger or pacifier as a way of self-soothing.

“The habits from using a paciΩer and sucking a thumb or Ωngers and putting objects in the mouth can not only harm the teeth and how they erupt but speech, and how they eat, and other issues.”

— Dr. Paula Fabbie

A natural behavior Throughout infancy, sucking is a natural behavior. The combination of an infant’s mouth and a mother’s soft, yielding breast is ideal for healthy feeding and correct development of the baby’s mouth and facial structure. The action of sucking also causes the brain to produce endorphins, making sucking a highly pleasurable activity for babies. But the same behavior that is good for infants can be harmful for older babies and children, when they are not sucking on a mother’s nipple, but on a pacifier, thumb or finger. And the problems can get worse the longer pacifier or thumb sucking continues.

While a mother’s nipple is soft and flexible, other things babies suck on, such as

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pacifiers or thumbs, are not — and as a result, the developing structures inside the baby’s mouth can be affected. What’s more, once a child passes the age when sucking is no longer a necessary, natural behavior, excessive thumb or pacifier sucking can become a habit that’s very difficult to break.

Many people think a 2-year-old with a thumb in his mouth looks cute. Fewer people think the same about an 8-year-old thumb sucker with buck teeth, a receding chin and a tendency to breathe with his or her mouth open. Unfortunately, even the most beautiful baby can develop serious changes to the teeth, jaws and overall facial structure if a natural and normal activity — thumb sucking — continues too long. Similar problems can result if a baby is allowed to use a pacifier beyond the toddler stage.

“It’s a pretty common problem, and it’s very hard to stop,” said Gary Heitzler, D.D.S. of Hastings Pediatric Dental. “It definitely could cause malformation of the jaws and teeth.”

Dr. Heitzler said thumb sucking and pacifier use could change the growth and formation of the palate. “Some kids can get away with it,” he said. “It depends on how hard a sucking seal they’re forming.

But we always try to have them stop between 2 and 4.”

Thumb sucking or pacifier use during the first few years of life is usually harmless, and most toddlers gradually give up the sucking habit on their own. Some kids find the habit hard to break, though. And for the really vigorous thumb suckers, the constant pressure of a thumb against the roof of the mouth can cause the palate to grow in a high, arched shape instead of a nice, rounded one. When the shape of the inside of the mouth is distorted, so is the positioning of the teeth. Common results include malocclusion — when the teeth in the upper and lower jaw don’t meet properly; protruding or buck teeth; teeth that are crooked and widely spaced; and excessive development of the upper jaw along with underdevelopment of the lower jaw.

According to the American Dental Association, “Children who rest their thumbs passively in their mouths are less likely to experience difficulty than those who vigorously suck their thumbs.” If you’re not sure how hard your child is sucking his thumb, a sure tip-off is a “popping” sound when he removes his thumb from his mouth.

Paula Fabbie, an orofacial myologist in CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

MARCH 23, 2012

Kids!

THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 7A

CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE

Highland, helps clients, from young children to adults, overcome oral habits that cause problems with oral and facial development and the health issues that result.

“The habits from using a pacifier and sucking a thumb or fingers and putting objects in the mouth can not only harm the teeth and how they erupt but speech, and how they eat, and other issues,” Fabbie said. She explained that along with the palate, teeth and jaw not developing properly, there could be additional problems with the correct placement of the tongue in the mouth, and with the muscular development of the lips. Children can have problems with speech, may breathe through their mouths because the lips don’t close properly, and even have issues such as snoring or obstructive sleep apnea.

Breaking the habit The earlier kids can break the sucking habit, the more likely it is that they can avoid permanent damage. But doing that can be hard.

“A thumb and pacifier affect the teeth the same way, but it’s easier to take away the pacifier,” said Heitzler.

Thumb sucking is harder to stop unless the child is really motivated. And even then, she may revert to thumb sucking in her sleep if the habit is not completely broken.

There are three basic approaches to stopping thumb sucking: behavior modification, aversion therapy and mechanical CONTINUED ON PAGE 15A

P

Pacifier dos and don’ts

acifiers should not be used by children over 2 to 3 years of age because of the risk of damaging the jaws and teeth. But they are generally harmless for younger infants if they are used correctly, and they can even have health benefits.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, in a 2011 report on safe sleeping environments for infants, recommends offering a pacifier to young babies at nap and sleep time: “Although the mechanism is yet unclear, studies have reported a protective effect of pacifiers on the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome,” the report states. The protective effect is believed to continue throughout the sleep period even if the pacifier falls out of the baby’s mouth.

If you do decide to let your baby use a pacifier, take these precautions: • Do choose a one-piece pacifier if possible. Two-piece pacifiers can come apart with vigorous use.

• Do choose a pacifier with air vents in the shield.

• Do be sure the pacifier shield is wider than the baby’s mouth. Discard tiny pacifiers after the baby has

outgrown them.

• Do choose a pacifier with a symmetrical nipple that will stay in the right sucking position in the baby’s mouth.

• Do clean the pacifier frequently with soap and water, or at least in clean running water.

• Don’t use a pacifier that is broken or damaged in any way. Check pacifiers for cracks, and pull on the

nipple before giving it to the child to be sure it is not damaged.

• Don’t coat a pacifier with any substance such as sugar or syrup. In particular, never give a baby honey or corn syrup, whether on a pacifier, a finger, or in any other form, as these products can cause botulism in infants.

• Don’t hang a pacifier around the baby’s neck. Pacifiers attached to a ribbon clipped on to a baby’s clothes should only be used under constant supervision. A baby should never be left alone with a pacifier clipped to a stuffed animal in the crib; suffocation can result.

• Don’t clean a dropped pacifier by putting it in your own mouth. Even mom’s mouth has plenty of germs.

• Don’t buy cheap, off-brand pacifiers.

• Don’t use a pacifier before breast-feeding is well established.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting four to six weeks before introducing a pacifier.

• Don’t let a toddler walk around with a pacifier in her mouth all day.

It can cause orthodontic and speech problems later.

— JACKIE LUPO

PAGE 8A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

Beyond baby talk

Early intervention key for kids’ speech growth

BY MARY LEGRAND

B

aby talk, as defined by Merriam-Webster: “The syntactically imperfect speech or phonetically modified forms used by small children learning to talk.” Or, alternatively: “The consciously imperfect or altered speech used by adults in speaking to small children.”

Whichever way you look at it, baby talk is not the best way to speak.

If you’re a parent of a toddler or preschooler and wondering if the child’s speech is progressing correctly, the issue can be worrisome, to say the least.

But it turns out there are other, more serious issues speech experts say parents should be more concerned about.

Baby talk is a bit of a misnomer in this day and age.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the professional, scientific and credentialing association for 145,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists, speech-language pathologists and speech, language, and hearing scientists. The group’s website lists speech-related behaviors by children at certain ages that should trigger referrals to speech and language professionals.

For example, children should be seen by a professional if by age 3 they cannot be understood by family and/or caregivers; correctly produce vowels and such sounds as p, b, m and w in words; or repeat certain words when not understood without becoming frustrated.

Other triggers are appropriate when children are 4 and 5 years of age.

Robbie Levy, owner/director of Dynamic Kids in White Plains, a multidisciplinary pediatric therapy center, said children benefit from complementary services that address occupational, verbal and social needs.

“Many of the kids we see will come in

for more than one service, or they come in at first for one and then at another time for another service,” Levy said. “We see more boys than girls, but there are plenty of girls who need to come. Interestingly, behavior plays a part in that children who have good behavior tend to be referred less. Sometimes a child who’s quiet is assumed to be fine.”

The range of children’s speech development “is very large,” Levy said. “Parents who suspect a problem often have a wait-and-see approach, and doctors may support that as well.”

Levy feels that parents who think a child needs help should not wait to begin advocating on that child’s behalf. “We have an early intervention point of view at Dynamic Kids and have a tendency to err on the opposite side,” she said. “Our

frame of reference is that the earlier you intervene, the better the outcome is. You don’t want to be an alarmist, but on the other hand, if you wait too long it takes longer to deal with.”

Children who come to Dynamic Kids for help with speech usually arrive because a parent or preschool thinks help is needed. “Most children in this area go to school from a very young age,” Levy said.

“Since they can be compared to their peers it’s very easy to see when a child is not keeping up. Most parents know this already, though, because if you go to a playground, play date, play group, you see that your child is not performing. You start asking around, going on the Internet, talking to other people. That’s how most parents start finding the services themselves.”

There are different kinds of speech issues, Levy said. “Some kids babble, just making sounds; others have echolalia and just repeat what they hear and don’t come up with their own speech. Often you see that in the autistic population, so they mimic back what they hear on television or what their parents say. That would be a concern.”

Low speech volume often is confused with baby talk, Levy noted, adding that sometimes a shy child can talk in a way that seems more immature than his or her real age. “And there are some children who can’t participate in the back and forth of a conversation,” she said.

“They may be able to speak words on their own, but they can’t necessarily do it in a conversation.”

CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

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MARCH 23, 2012 CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE

Levy also cautioned that young children having problems in other aspects of their lives “might revert to a more immature language pattern, and if they’re really frustrated, could walk away and not participate.”

A relatively high number of children in Westchester County receive early intervention for a variety of developmental issues including speech. “Most professionals really feel that early intervention is the way to go, and there’s not the stigma anymore about receiving services that there used to be,” Levy said. “The great thing about early intervention is that you can intervene for a short period of time and be finished. Way back when, you would wait until the child was 7 or 8. This is a much faster service, and then also you don’t have the behavioral ramifications of all that frustration.”

It’s also easier, Levy said, to undo learned patterns of speech and behavior if the child is being trained to undo them sooner rather than later: “Children are much less apt to want to try new behaviors when they’re older, but when they’re 3 or 4 are much more apt to try something new.”

Cheryl Small Jackson of the Center for Small Jewels in New Rochelle, an organization that supports children and families as they move through the developmental stages, said she does not see many children whose speech would be defined as “baby talk.”

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“The whole notion of baby talk was good at one point, maybe 15 or 20 years ago, but I don’t know if it’s the right term anymore,” Jackson said. “We’re really looking now for certain flags, what should parents be concerned about with speech and language. The children who end up in early intervention are using gestures, or they don’t have any form of communication or very little communication. Rather than kids maintaining or holding on to baby talk, there are children who are not developing these early skills at all.”

As with other local service providers, some children treated at the Center for Small Jewels are brought in because their parents suspected a developmental delay; others come through referral by a pediatrician or school.

Jackson agrees that there’s no need to wait for help.

“There’s no reason to assume a child is going to grow out of something,” she said. “There’s a lot of research that proves that if children do get the intervention that their speech can definitely improve. Sometimes mothers will come in and say that something’s not right, but their husband or in-laws tell them to wait because a relative spoke similarly at the same age and ended up being okay.

“But we know now that the earlier we can get to this, the better it will be. We have clear documentation that the brain is plastic. When we put good stuff into children, the brain will integrate it and they will learn, and, in most cases, the speech will become age-appropriate.” 

3/4/10 8:28 PM Page 1 THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 9A

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Kids!

Lactation consultants

Help for successful breastfeeding

BY JACKIE LUPO

M

others have been breastfeeding for millions of years.

It’s a natural process, whose benefits for both babies and mothers are now backed up by tons of scientific research. But if breastfeeding is so natural, why do so many mothers experience problems nursing their babies?

And why has a whole new profession called lactation consulting sprung up to address these problems?

In past generations, said Erica Charpentier, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) based in Mount Kisco, “You had families around you who you lived in the middle of, who had experience. When people were giving birth, they were in a setting conducive to breastfeeding success.”

Charpentier is one of 25,000 IBCLCs worldwide. This new category of health professional includes consultants working in hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics

and private practices. Some are also doctors, nurses, midwives, nutritionists or women with a background in counseling for breastfeeding organizations. In order to be certified, they must go through a rigorous education program that includes training in not only the anatomical and physiological aspects of breastfeeding, but also the practical, psychological and emotional elements.

Other professionals, such as maternity department nurses, midwives and doulas may also provide breastfeeding support.

Whether a mother looks to an IBCLC or another consultant, these professionals can provide needed support and information — and also serve as a buffer between new parents and the well-meaning, but often outdated advice of family and friends.

“Most of the time, moms have a sense of what’s not right,” Charpentier said.

She recommended that parents “take a prenatal class and know what normal looks like. Knowing what it looks like CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

MARCH 23, 2012

Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012 CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE

when things are going well can be incredibly valuable.”

Having a private consultation with a lactation expert can help prevent small issues from becoming bigger ones. “When breastfeeding is off to a good start, there shouldn’t be any pain or anxiety when anticipating breastfeeding,” Charpentier said. “If you find that’s what’s going on, it would probably be helpful to talk to somebody. Basically, any mother who has pain while nursing, a baby who is not gaining well or a baby with some kind of sucking or swallowing problem,” can benefit from a consultation, said Charpentier. “It’s not just pain. It’s anything that’s preventing you or your child from having that relationship.”

A lost tradition Even mothers who are enthusiastic about breastfeeding are likely to be on the receiving end of misguided information that can affect how successful they are at breastfeeding and how long they continue with it.

Many of today’s mothers belong to the first generation of women in their family to breastfeed in a century. Breastfeeding went from an almost universal practice in the late 1800s to a rarity by the 1950s, when only about a quarter of all babies started out life being breastfed.

Mid-century customs around the childbirth experience were very different from what they are today. Most mothers

THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 11A

Breastfeeding:

What the research says

T

oday, experts encourage mothers to breastfeed for the entire first year of life if possible, but for at least the first six months. The U.S. government has been coming out with progressively stronger statements in favor of breastfeeding for three decades.

In a 2011 report, “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published the results of a systematic review of all the major research about breastfeeding in developed countries. Some of the findings: • Formula feeding has health risks for babies. They are more likely to have common childhood ailments such as diarrhea and ear infections.

Babies who are exclusively formulafed for the first six months of life have a risk of ear infections 100 percent higher than infants who are breastfed exclusively during the first six months.

• Formula-fed infants are 250 percent more likely to be hospitalized with lower respiratory disease during the first year of life than babies

who have been exclusively breastfed for at least four months.

• Infants who are never breastfed are 56 percent more likely to suffer Sudden Infant Death Syndrome than breastfed babies.

• Higher rates of necrotizing enterocolitis, a severe gastrointestinal infection that can cause destruction of colon tissue, are found in vulnerable premature infants who are formula-fed.

• Formula-feeding appears to be associated with a higher incidence of common conditions later in life, including childhood obesity, asthma and type 2 diabetes, all three of which have been increasing over time in the U.S. • Breastfeeding can also confer significant health benefits to mothers. Several studies have found that breastfeeding can lower the risk of breast cancer.

• Studies indicate that women who have never breastfed have a 27 percent greater chance of developing ovarian cancer than women who have breastfed for some period of time.

— Jackie Lupo

delivered their babies under anesthesia.

When they left the hospital, they were given complicated recipes for the preparation of formula and strict instructions on instituting a schedule of feedings.

The culture changed during the next generation, as more mothers began to embrace the practices of natural childbirth, feeding on demand and breastfeeding. But during the same period, infant formula manufacturers stepped up their marketing campaigns to promote their products as “scientific” alternatives to breast milk. New mothers were routinely sent home with discharge packs containing free samples of infant formula. In fact, as awareness of breastfeeding grew over the last half of the century, formula companies became even more aggressive in their techniques, enlisting hospitals and medical practitioners as marketing partners. The entrenchment of formula marketing via hospitals continues today, even though the American Academy of Pediatrics and the governments of the United States and other developed countries have all stated — unequivocally — that formula does not provide the quality of nutrition that babies get from mother’s milk.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s office, three-quarters of U.S. infants now start out life being breastfed. Within three months after giving birth, more than two-thirds of breastfeeding mothers have already begun using formula. By the CONTINUED ON PAGE 12A

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Breastfeeding CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11A

time the baby is 6 months old, less than half of mothers are still breastfeeding.

Although mothers who have just delivered their babies may receive some advice from hospital staff, the nature of today’s in-hospital childbirth experience is seldom conducive to establishing good breastfeeding practices.

“In the hospital, every hospital has a breastfeeding coordinator and you should be able to get advice from them. Usually they have a group morning breastfeeding session,” said Robert Rosenberg, M.D., of Hartsdale Pediatrics. “The trouble with the hospitals is that with the two-day discharge, your breast milk is not going to come in for 96 hours.”

Dr. Rosenberg recommends that new mothers visit the pediatrician within 24 to 48 hours of discharge. He also applauds the idea of calling a lactation consultant.

“I think it’s a great idea,” he said.

“Lactation consultants can help, since we don’t have a tradition of breastfeeding. Lactation consultants have a lot to offer.” He notes that mothers don’t have to wait until problems arise to call a consultant. “If you’re motivated to breastfeed and you have some anxieties, I think it would be helpful,” he said.

Lactation consultants see clients before and after childbirth. Some of their

Kids!

services are purely educational and preventive, while others are aimed at solving problems that are interfering with nursing success.

Getting help early “For the most part, women can create an excellent milk supply,” said Beth Shulman, an IBCLC in Hastings. But when mothers come home with a new baby — especially first-time mothers — they may not know when they should ask for help. That’s where private consultations and postnatal breastfeeding groups come in.

For example, while breastfeeding is being established, “intermittent discomfort is something normal, but pain is an indication that something is not right and should be — and could be — improved by better positioning, or something going on with the baby’s suck,” Shulman said. “It’s an indication to call for help. I would say that getting help early in the breastfeeding experience is really valuable because as each day goes by, the difficulties can go unresolved, and it makes the experience more difficult in general.”

When mothers have trouble establishing a good milk supply, “Most frequently it’s unrelated to her physiology, but more related to the way breastfeeding got started early on, in terms of the supply-demand situation,” Shulman said. “Also, the birth experience can influence milk supply.” She explained that medical intervention during childbirth, or having a Caesarean section, can interfere with the early establishment of a

good milk supply.

“You can come back from that,” she said. “Every woman’s body is a little different. Some women’s milk supply responds more to various factors than others. It’s a very individual thing.”

OK to seek help “Years ago, when I started working as a lactation consultant, moms were sometimes disappointed with themselves if they needed help because they felt this was a natural process,” Shulman said.

“There has been a shift that I’m very happy with. Breastfeeding is a learned behavior. There are a lot of people who want to be helpful based on their experience. But there’s evidence-based information that can really inform people, in a very professional way. Moms are lucky now.”

Shulman likes to have both parents come to the prenatal classes or consultations: “I feel if the mom has the support of her family, of her partner, she’s most likely to succeed if the partner is on board and part of the team. I think it’s a family thing. I also feel that when couples have a sense of what is coming in that first week or two after the baby is born, it helps people to cope with the early days.”

Shulman noted that parents are often surprised at how frequently and how long babies have to nurse in the first weeks after birth. “The supply of milk depends on the baby’s demand,” she explained. “The time spent on the breast and the amount of milk removed from the breast goes to the brain and determines the amount of milk made. So the baby needs full access

MARCH 23, 2012

to the breast whenever desired.”

Shulman runs a twice-monthly breastfeeding support group at Pediatrics on Hudson in Hastings. Breastfeeding groups help moms establish connections with other new nursing mothers.

They also give mothers the peer support to continue breastfeeding longer. Breast milk continues to confer benefits to older babies and toddlers, even when the child has begun to eat solid food. The composition of breast milk changes according to the needs of the child, and continues to be superior to formula at any stage of the baby’s life. Yet the longer a mother breastfeeds, the more likely she is to encounter criticism, even from people who applauded her efforts to breastfeed when the baby was born.

Your own decision A mother’s decision to breastfeed — whether to do it, and how long to do it — is a personal one. Lactation consultants do all they can to help mothers who want to breastfeed. But it may not be right for everyone.

“I really try not to be dogmatic about breastfeeding,” said Shulman. “There are people who have problems with this, and I really feel my role as a lactation consultant is to offer proper, evidence-based information in a supportive way, so couples can make their own decisions about the best way to feed their baby.

“I try really hard to be nonjudgmental about what people choose to do.” 

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Kids!

THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 13A

From nursery to big kids’ room

Time to redecorate!

I

BY EVE MARX

n her 25-plus years as an interior designer, Nancy Almeida of Nancy Almeida Interior Design & Decoration said that some of the most challenging work has been rooms for children.

“I say this because unlike other rooms in a home, parents want their child’s room to look a certain way, to have a good sense of style and function, and also have the ability to grow with the child — from baby to at least 10 years of age,” Almeida said. “The child, on the other hand, wants a ‘fun’ room — and fun can be defined in many different ways!”

The key, she said, is to start with a good foundation that is versatile in form.

“Your child can grow with it, while keeping in mind that the child wants a fun look, too.” She said she accomplishes this foundation often with color, while avoiding cookie cutter versions of baby pink or blue: “Instead, I use colors such as sherbet shades of greens, yellows, purples or oranges, and infuse other colors so that the room has a style, but also has a young appeal as well.”

Painting or wallpapering an accent wall is also a good way to punch color into a room, as well as applying wall art. “Another interesting color that I propose to parents that don’t want to do the greens, yellows, purples or oranges is gray,” Almeida said. “Gray is quickly becoming the new neutral and is often replacing past neutrals such as white and cream.”

Almeida advises that a soft hue of gray creates a warm palette that can be built upon with other colors. “It is also a color that you will not tire of easily and will grow with the child,” she noted.

Besides the unifying element of color, Almeida said that functionality is an integral element in designing children’s rooms. “You want to choose furniture that will grow with the child,” she said.

At Country Willow Kids in Bedford Hills, the store offers beautiful, wellmade, sturdy furniture that will grow with any child. Many customers of the shop are indeed shopping for the future, said a Country Willow sales associate.

Beautiful hardwood bedroom components that a child can grow with include the store’s signature “Smart Space” systems such as The Capital,” which inCONTINUED ON PAGE 14A

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PAGE 14A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

Kids!

Redecorating CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13A

cludes two beds, stairs, a desk and nine drawers, or the “University” plan, which includes two beds, a study area, a lot of storage and stairs.

These mixable and moveable components easily can take a child from toddler years straight through high school if need be. Other “grow with you” ideas at Country Willow include furnishing the room with captain’s beds, platform beds and bunk beds that can be taken apart and used as twins.

Even infant furniture can grow with the child, Almeida said. “Some furniture designers have created cribs that can be converted into a settee or daybed,” she said. She also recommended buying furniture that can be painted as the child grows to change the look of the room.

At CiCi Crib in Armonk, owner Christina Doherty’s aesthetic is inspired by a wide range of influences from vintage toys to modern architecture. The shop is filled with carefully selected items from around the world, bearing in mind that the focus is children (although some great flower chairs she recently blogged about on her website at Roche Bubois would be great in a girl’s room, or even the living room).

To shake things up, Doherty likes incorporating bedding not manufactured specifically for children. For example, for one client who was looking to decorate

a young boy’s room, she came up with a selection of patterns designed by Trina Turk for Schumacher. “How exciting to do kids bedding in something so unexpected,” she said.

For another client who wanted to update her daughter’s room without having to buy new furniture the designer and the client conceived of a plan to change the window treatments and to cover the headboard in fabric. The result was something fresh and hip, to reflect the daughter’s changing age status.

For parents concerned that their child needs a darker environment to get a good night’s sleep, shades lined with blackout will keep out sunlight and allow the child to sleep better.

Children can be quite vocal about how they would like to decorate their rooms.

Doherty had a client whose son insisted on a purple color scheme. “That was a puzzle,” she said. Parenting experts advise that children have a say in how they want their room to be. “It’s very important for your child to love his or her room,” Almeida said. “After all, it is their special space in the house and where they will be entertaining their friends.

They want to feel proud of their room.”

And it is true that as your child morphs into a teenager, their rooms become ever more important to them. How the child’s room will look can become a battlefield of contention. “As your child grows into a teenager you will find that their rooms become even more important to them and there is often a struggle between what the parent wants and what the budding teenager wants,” Almeida said.

MARCH 23, 2012

This is where the advice of an interior designer is priceless as he or she can navigate these rocky roads and act as a gobetween. “I just finished designing two girls’ bedrooms and I know it was done more easily with my involvement as the parents wanted one thing and the girls wanted something else,” Almeida said.

“With my help, we were able to accomplish beautiful rooms that both parents and daughters are happy with.”

But what about newborns who, luckily for the parents, don’t have any say? The biggest change in infant furniture trends is toward the stripped down, modern crib, Doherty said. While many parents prefer the timeless sweetness of a traditional crib, she is getting more requests for the sleek, paired down infant furniture made by the company known as ducduc.

These spare, elegant pieces look just as at home in a Manhattan loft as they do in modern suburban dwellings. Doherty also commented on the trend — for both safety and style — toward less crib bedding. “The style now is not to have bumpers in the crib, or even blankets,” she said. “Many babies now are sleeping in sleep sacks.”

Decorating for young children can be a challenge, but when in doubt, reflect on the words of Erma Bombeck, the famous author of many books about family life and raising kids: “When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen.

When they’re finished, I climb out.” 

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Thumb sucking CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7A

intervention. Robert Rosenberg, M.D. of Hartsdale Pediatrics, recommends a positive approach to behavior modification. He suggests giving children positive reinforcement, praising them when they are not actively sucking — what he calls, “catching them when they’re being good.”

Sometimes, a bribe can break a habit. A little girl, for example, might be convinced to stop sucking her thumb with the promise, say, of a beautiful manicure at the local nail salon. Negative reinforcement — punishing children by taking away privileges or scolding, seldom works and can even make the problem worse, since it can cause the child to become tense and upset, and revert to sucking even more.

Aversion therapy involves changing the thumb sucking experience from a pleasant experience to an unpleasant one. There are all sorts of bitter, horrible-tasting products on the market that can be applied to the nails. These work quickly for some kids, and not at all for others: they just get used to the taste and go on sucking.

Some people say this method of stopping thumb sucking is cruel, but if the result of using it is that a child stops ruining the shape of his mouth and teeth, how cruel is it, really, in the long run? That’s for the parent to decide.

Mechanical intervention also has mixed results. Some kids are highly motivated to stop sucking, especially older ones who are teased at school for sucking their thumbs

Kids!

in front of other children. Heitzler recommends putting a little band-aid over the thumb as a reminder. Wearing mittens to bed, or even a sock over the hands, works for some nighttime thumb suckers. There are also thumb coverings that look like gloves, but that cover only the thumbs. Of course, all these strategies work only as long as the band-aid or mitten stays on the hand, since kids can remove them at will.

It is possible to buy “thumb guards” made of plastic. They strap on the hands and make it impossible to suck the thumbs, but some determined children have been known to figure out how to remove them, or to chew right through them.

If all else fails and a dentist or orthodontist determines that a child is on the way to developing serious problems, a consultation with an orofacial myologist may help.

“An orthodontist will never put braces on a child who still sucks his thumb,” said Heitzler. The habit has to be broken first, or the act of sucking will defeat the whole purpose of braces.

Fabbie noted that it’s important not just to break the sucking habit, but to undo the other problems that go along with it, such as improper placement of the tongue in the mouth.

“A child has a habit that is causing the problem,” she said. “You can put the braces on, but when you take the braces off, if the child isn’t retrained it will go right back.” During therapy, said Fabbie, “We retrain the tongue and lips, and retrain the supporting muscles to keep the beautiful faces we hope to have.” 

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PAGE 16A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

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mom, to say I could be available to my children and be a really good mom, and CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3A have a career to fulfill me and challenge me.”

Now that she coaches both worklot to prove. Are they doing enough? Are ing moms and stay-at-home moms, she they respected for what they do?

Having looked at the worlds of work- finds that both groups have a tendency ing moms and stay-at-home moms from to be hard on themselves. She said that both perspectives, Michaels is in a good working moms are juggling, “trying to position to advise women in both situ- find that balance.” Meanwhile, many full-time moms worry about whether ations.

After years of stay-at-home parenting, they “should” be doing more.

“I find we always say in our culture Michaels said she felt “off.”

“Something was missing,” she said. that we don’t value motherhood, value “I ended up calling a personal trainer. I’d being a full-time mom,” Michael said. never spent money on myself. But this “And some of the most guilty particiwas after my fifth child and I had not pants are full-time moms. They’re not valuing themselves.” been exercising.”

The U.S. Census Michaels found Bureau publishes staherself at the gym: “I find we always say tistics about mothers “I discovered the leaving the workforce athlete in me, some- in our culture that we to have children and one who likes a challenge.”

And, don’t value motherhood, mothers re-entering the workforce afshe added, “When ter childbearing. In and some of the most I went to the gym, 2010, 60.7 percent people knew me as of women with chilguilty participants are me. They would say, dren under 3 years ‘Hello, Heidi.’ It refull-time moms.

They’re old were in the labor ally helped me have force. About 30 permy own identity.” not valuing themselves.” cent of these working She began work– Heidi Michaels mothers worked part ing out frequently time, and the rest and, after two years, full time. As children she got to the point grew older the balance of part-time to of training for a triathlon that was six full-time working mothers decreased, but months away. But she had always been not by much: among employed mothers terrified of being out in open water. She of children under 18, 26.3 percent still knew that she had come a long way from worked part time. the “unhappy housewife” she had been, Misconceptions abound as to which but she knew she would have to overmothers are likely to work and which come her water phobia to compete in a are likely to stay home. The perception triathlon. She missed that first triathlon, that most stay-at-home moms are rich but finally she was able to conquer her women who don’t “need” to work is not water phobia and compete in many tri- borne out by the statistics. Census Buathlons in the following years. reau research published in 2009 found Overcoming her fears made Michaels that just over 24 percent of families with think of what other challenges she could stay-at-home mothers had incomes over set for herself. She enrolled in the Coach $100,000. The study also found that Training Institute and became a Certified women with household incomes of over Professional Co-Active Coach. $200,000 were only slightly more likely Still, taking the plunge into a profes- to stay home than women in households sional career after years away from the with incomes over $100,000, but under working world wasn’t easy for Michaels. $200,000. The big difference came in the “The biggest transition had to go on lowest income levels: 45 percent of famiin my head,” she said. “I saw myself as lies with stay-at-home mothers had ina full-time mom. It was hard to put on CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE a different hat and call myself a working

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comes of $50,000 or less.

Nor is it a fact that once women have a baby, they seldom return to the workforce. A 2008 Census Bureau study found that over 79 percent of women who had worked during pregnancy had returned to work within a year of their first childbirth.

Returning to work makes financial sense for some women, but not all. After calculating the cost of child care, commuting, work clothes and other job-related expenses, some women find that it actually costs the family more for the mother to work than to stay home with the kids.

The Child Care Council of Westchester found that the average weekly rate for child care centers in their database was $316 for babies under 18 months. Salaries for a full-time nanny vary widely in this area, but can easily amount to hundreds more per week.

Catalyst, an organization working to advance women in business, concluded in a 2011 report that women’s decision to leave the workforce to stay home with children is not a simple one: “There is a misunderstanding that women find it easy to leave their jobs to stay home with their children. Through our work with our clients, including exit interview and assessment projects, we find that most women are conflicted about leaving their jobs and find it very difficult to do so,” the report concluded.

“They have spent much time and money investing in their professional development, and their jobs are a large part of their ongoing personal and professional identification. If they do leave, often it is because employers are not making available or not making obvious a way to conceivably combine work with the rest of their lives.”

Catalyst’s 2003 study of women in corporate leadership found that 51 percent agreed with the statement “I find it difficult to balance the demands of my work with family/personal life.”

Even if companies offer women the opportunity to change their work schedules, few mothers feel comfortable about what getting off the fast track will mean to their career. Only 15 percent of the Catalyst study participants agreed with the statement “I believe I can use a flex-

Kids!

ible work arrangement without jeopardizing my career advancement,” and only 14 percent agreed with the statement “I believe I can use a parental leave or sabbatical without jeopardizing my career advancement.”

Women who choose to stay home with a baby after many years at work can find the adjustment more difficult than they anticipated.

“People who are really used to working and who suddenly find themselves home full time miss the social interaction and miss that schedule. They’re used to having that schedule and structure,” said Michaels. She urges her clients to look forward instead of looking back. “It’s not about focusing on what you’ve lost and what you don’t have any more,” she explained. “It’s focusing on what you’re gaining and what you want to create.”

Her goal with clients is to help them find the structure they need for their day, so that they can say, “I feel great, I’m accomplishing something.”

Michaels said she works on helping them incorporate activities that are important to them, whether it’s exercise, creative outlets or, for those who want to re-enter the work force, putting together a strategy for what their next position might look like.

As a working mom herself, Michaels says it’s important to live a balanced life.

“How I balance it, is that I live in the moment,” she said. “I give my best at work, but at three o’clock when the kids come home, I’m really present. So, it’s putting up boundaries. It’s important to be really present and not be distracted by work. It takes discipline to close the door of work and not let it follow through into your home life.”

For some mothers, working and mothering isn’t an either/or proposition. Even if returning to work full time isn’t something all mothers want or need to do, many women reinvent themselves after motherhood, starting with a home-based business.

Darci DeMatteo of Irvington, whose children are 13, 11 and 8, said she has “the best of both worlds.” DeMatteo founded her business, Say Cheese and Thank You, in 2004.

“After my first was born, I was in transition,” DeMatteo said. “I had worked in CONTINUED ON PAGE 24A

THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 17A

Summer at Exceptional ballet training in a creative atmosphere Outstanding professional faculty After-school Intensive June 18-29 July Intensive for ages 8-12 Daily classes in Ballet, Pointe, Solo Variations, Contemporary, Choreography, and Character

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PAGE 18A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

A world without germs?

Hand-washing, antibacterials the key to health

I

BY MARY LEGRAND

t seems so simple, really. The best way to avoid contracting illnesses such as colds and flu is to wash one’s hands.

Adults should already know this, of course, but how do parents impart this important information to their young children without worrying the little ones too much?

One way, some experts say, is to keep the process simple, and to make sure that hand-washing becomes a regular household routine each and every day.

To learn how to make this fun for the family, there’s plenty of help out there, including at the Westchester County Department of Health website, which offers pages of useful hints to “stop disease in its tracks” through its Healthy Hands Club initiative.

WCDOH suggests we all wash our hands, using soap and running water, after touching animals, after playing outside, after coughing and sneezing, before and after eating, and after using the bathroom.

Katherine Evans Hough, M.D., FAAP, is a pediatrician in general practice at CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

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MARCH 23, 2012 CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE

Pediatrics on Hudson in Hastings-onHudson. Her recommendation to parents is to make hand-washing “part of your everyday normal routine, after you fall on the ground, after you go to the bathroom, after you blow your nose. Then it becomes automatic.”

Parents are the most important models for their children, so this regular routine goes for adults as well, she emphasized.

Progress is being made and people are becoming accustomed to doing this, thanks to increased awareness of the benefits of hand-washing. For many local young children in day care or preschool, hand-washing is “a given,” Dr. Hough said. “In a lot of nursery schools it’s a requirement that students wash their hands upon arrival, a practice that started back when H1N1, or swine flu, was circulating. People became a little more conscious.”

There’s less chance that children will get overly worried about germs if parents and schools make hand-washing part of the everyday routine, Hough continued.

“As children get older and ask why we’re doing this, we can talk about how germs can be transmitted, how we wash our hands to keep ourselves healthy,” she said. “Before that, just help younger children wash their hands without explaining too much why it’s being done.”

While the county health department says hand-washing is the “single greatest public health service a person can do,” it calls alcohol-based hand sanitizers the “second best line of defense

Kids!

against germs.”

Pay attention to the percentage of alcohol in the solution, though. It should be at least 60 percent, according to the health department, whose representatives caution that sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs and “are not effective when hands are visibly dirty.”

Whether using soap and water or sanitizer gel, technique counts, and, perhaps, so does singing ability. When washing hands, it’s important to scrub long enough, about the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.

Wet hands thoroughly, using warm water; apply soap liberally, scrubbing every part of both hands for at least 20 seconds, or as long as it takes to sing the ditty two times. Rinse and dry hands, and, for good measure, particularly in public settings, turn off the water taps and open the door with a paper towel.

“We’re getting the message out so that kids and adults know that washing their hands is one of the most effective ways to avoid getting sick,” Hough said.

“Of course there are other excellent disease preventatives, like vaccination, but in actuality hand washing is a really simple solution. We do it here in the office before and after we see every patient.”

Hough referred to the Centers for Disease Prevention’s website which, like Westchester County’s health department site, offers information about handwashing kits, which are increasingly being used at schools to instruct students about the proper techniques. A drop of

THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 19A

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 21A

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Trading Card Games and Activites for Children & Teens (ages 9 & up) Events and Tournaments in Trading Card Games such as Yugioh, Magic the Gathering, and Pokemon

Afterschool Membership Programs to include games such as chess, dominoes board games and more Plus programs to teach children how to play some of today’s popular games Trading Card Game Tournaments and Video Game Tournaments for popular games such as Marvel vs. Capcom, Pokemon for Nintendo DS (age groups 12 & up), Call of Duty, and more Our space is safe and child friendly.

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We have the largest card gaming, board gaming, and video gaming space in Westchester for a variety of activities. Call now to find out about afterschool memberships or to find out when we are having events such as Yugioh or chess tournaments (Membership is only for afterschool program.

For anything else membership is not required).

What can your children do this summer?

They can build and drive a remote control Mini Cooper They can learn the Queens Gambit They can star in “Into the Woods” and “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” They can dazzle your friends with mystifying magical illusions!

They can deliver the closing argument to win the case They can become a music recording engineer They can be a journalist for our Challenge website magazine They can launch their own model rockets They can sing a song with their hands They can write, illustrate and publish a book They can view celestial wonders of the daylight universe!

They can originate an international fashion line They can converse in Italian, Spanish and Russian They can model infinitely imaginative architectural designs They can produce, direct and act in their own short film They can create the man on the flying trapeze They can become virtual tour guides of international cities They can observe butterflies emerging from their chrysalis They can assemble their first personal computer They can chop, slice and dice with a professional chef They can rehearse skits in a stand up and sketch comedy show They can discover animal footprints and camouflage tricks They can design their own interactive computer game They can activate a scooter robot with a clap of their hands They can initiate a business to raise money for children’s charities!

They can be the winning contestant of a game show Challenge DaY Camp All of these exciting activities and much more will be occurring at Challenge Camp 2012, our 32nd spectacular summer!

Your passport to learning www.challengecamps.com (914) 779-6024 Carole@challengecamps.com

PAGE 20A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

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Kids!

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MARCH 23, 2012

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19A

ultraviolet hand washing lotion is put in a child’s hands. The child is instructed to rub in the lotion and stick his or her hands under a black light, where “fake germs” will glow under the light. The child is then asked to rewash his or her hands and repeat the process, inevitably showing fewer germs on the second try.

Dr. Katherine Frederick, a pediatrician with Scarsdale’s River Valley Pediatrics, a small, board-certified group of pediatric and adolescent physicians, said that some parents have become more anxious in recent years about germs, especially since the swine flu outbreak.

Rather than pass that concern to their children, “One of the best things parents can do is simply model good behavior for the children by washing their own hands before dinner and after they use the bathroom,” Dr. Frederick said. “The important thing is to not make hand-washing into a big deal, so the children don’t get scared by it. Hand-washing can be a part of their routine, like saying grace is for some families before they eat a meal.”

Frederick also emphasized the importance of washing one’s hands each and every time the bathroom is visited, particularly for boys, especially older boys, who might not think they need to wash their hands after “just” urinating in a toilet or urinal.

“You need to wash any time you touch a toilet handle,” she said. “There are

plenty of germs there, too.”

Gel hand sanitizers such as Purel are helpful in many circumstances where soap and water are not available, Frederick said, noting that parents of newborns and older infants should keep a bottle in or attached to their diaper bags for use after each diaper change, or “any time they touch the baby.”

Frederick noted the common misperception that illness can be caused by changes in the weather. Hot air, cold winds and the multiple meteorological options in between are not to blame. It’s touching germs and then touching your face that lead to transmission of illness.

Washing your hands and using sanitizer even more often than you think necessary is better than erring on the side of underuse, said Frederick, who mentioned being on a cruise recently and appreciating the effort made by the cruise line staff in being outside each dining venue “going crazy spritzing on the hand sanitizer.”

For parents with children who are preschool age or younger, it comes down to adult intervention, Frederick said: “You can’t trust kids to be responsible with this, so with really little children it’s got to be the teachers or parents who make sure the kids’ hands are clean or that they’re using just the right amount of hand sanitizer.”

To learn more about the Westchester County Department of Health’s Healthy Hands Club and to download activities such as a hand-washing word find, word scramble and connect-the-dots page, go to westchestergov.com. 

THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 21A

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PAGE 22A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

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Kids!

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MARCH 23, 2012

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kids!

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MARCH 23, 2012

THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 23A

PARENT’S GUIDE I Arts, Camps, Enrichment Dance

3-5-year-olds, and Tuesdays and Thursdays for 5.5-7-year-olds. Five-year-olds may attend all four days. The curriculum is based on the highly regarded Leap ‘N’ Learn™ syllabus, which was developed by a former ballet dancer and a child psychologist. Activities include a creative ballet class, story-time from stories of the great ballets, ballet history, ballet video excerpts followed by discussion, simple anatomy, dress-up, coloring, rhymes and rhythmic games.

Visit www.scarsdaleballetstudio.com or call 725-8754.

Scarsdale Ballet Studio summer 2012 Diana White, a former ballerina of the New York City Ballet and now the director of the Scarsdale Ballet Studio, said, “Summer is a great time for young dancers to accelerate their training, improve their technique, and explore new artistic possibilities. It’s also a time to make friends with other young people who share a passion for dance. I always enjoy our summer program because it really gives me the chance to get to know my students’ personalities, both inside and outside the classroom. Everyone is upbeat and full of energy because they’re not coming from a long day at school.

The kids make a lot of progress and at the same time bond with each other and their teachers.”

Scarsdale Ballet offers programs for three age groups during the months of June and July. During the last two weeks of June, intermediate and advanced dancers can take advantage of 2.5-hour classes after school. “A great many of our teen dancers are accepted into major professional summer programs, and they

Central Park Dance has offerings for all ages Scarsdale Ballet Studio students prepare for class. really want to be in top form when they go away,” White said.

From July 2-27, the studio offers a fullday intensive for preteens ages 8-12. “Our program offers dedicated young dancers all the challenges of a professional-style summer ballet program without the need to travel to Manhattan or to stay away from home,” White said.

The curriculum focuses on classical ballet technique with additional classes in pointe, variations, character dance, body

conditioning, choreography and contemporary dance. Participants are divided into two groups according to age and ability.

Master classes and a field trip to a professional performance in New York City are planned. The session concludes with a studio performance.

For the youngest dancers there is an afternoon mini-camp in July. Directed and taught by Maria Posey and Elizabeth Kawalek, classes are offered Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4:30 p.m. for

Central Park Dance on Central Park Avenue in Scarsdale has children and adult classes in dance, theater and fitness. Each discipline has an extensive curriculum in a range of levels. CPD believes that personal attention is essential for student growth.

Talent is carefully nurtured and developed, allowing every dancer to feel a sense of accomplishment and to reap the rewards of discipline and dedication.

Superior teaching is the key to the high quality programs at Central Park Dance.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 25A

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Kids!

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theater with an Off-Broadway producer, and right as I was about to give birth, she was opening an Off-Broadway theater. I took about nine months off, then became general manager of the Daryl Roth Theater. I ran her theater for a few years, got pregnant and had another baby, and I quit right before 9/11. I was home for about a year pursuing my love of photography and taking classes. Then, right after my daughter was born, I started this business out of my home. I tried the full-time, stay-at-home thing from about 2001 until September of ’03. I loved it, but I really wanted to get back to work.”

Her friends all admired the pictures she took of her kids and encouraged her to do more with her camera. At first, her business centered just around photography. “I had the idea to hang out my shingle as a professional photographer, and offer holiday cards with pictures,” DeMatteo said. “Once you go to the stationery show, it’s hard to stop with holiday cards, so I said, ‘Why not start a stationery business?’ A year later, I moved to a storefront on Main Street in Irvington.”

DeMatteo said, “A couple of things helped me be a successful working person. I have a fabulous manager, Jo Turpin, who’s been with me for six years. I live close by and my kids are in school, and I’m lucky to have my business here and local. As a woman and a mother

MARCH 23, 2012

who wants, needs and enjoys working and being stimulated in other areas, that guilt thing is huge. I think if I were a man, I wouldn’t be as concerned about my kids. I have lots of ideas, but my children are my priority, and getting the kids to where they need to be.”

Today, Say Cheese and Thank You occupies a spacious store on Main Street in Dobbs Ferry. The business is a preferred stationery vendor for local venues that hold special events such as bar and bat mitzvahs and weddings. The business also has clients in Manhattan, and has gone beyond private parties into the area of corporate gifts and events. From just offering photography and stationery a few years ago, the business now offers every aspect of party planning, from décor and party favors, to flower arrangements and centerpieces.

Both Michaels and DeMatteo are working at careers that are completely different from the ones they had before motherhood. Michaels went back to work after years as a full-time mom, while DeMatteo has worked throughout most of her kids’ childhoods.

But Michaels believes there’s no right or wrong way, and she urges women to decide what they really want.

“When you live your life according to your own values, it doesn’t matter what other people are doing,” she said. “When you live according to what you believe in, you feel good. And it’s not important to look right or left if you’re doing what is important to you.” 

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MARCH 23, 2012

Kids!

THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 25A

PARENT’S GUIDE I Arts, Camps, Enrichment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23A

Maria Bai, artistic director, has over 30 years of teaching experience to her credit.

It is her goal to challenge, motivate and inspire, raising each individual dancer to new heights. In addition, CPD promises to maintain a supportive atmosphere while upholding its reputation for fairness and constructive education.

Kids as young as 2 years of age delight in “Tot & I,” an introduction to dance for preschoolers. The latest addition is the popular Fairytale Ballet and Hip Hop Princes for ages 3-5.

With over 150 weekly classes to choose from such as ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, break, hip-hop jazz and pointe, as well as well fitness classes like mat pilates, aerobics, cardio hip-hop, Latin Fit and the popular zumba, there are classes for everyone.

Beyond just traditional dance programs, Central Park Dance also offers summer camps and creative birthday parties. They customize each party and add elements that work best for your child and his/her guests. Miss Talia’s Boutique is located within Central Park Dance and is open late seven days a week and offers a wide selection of footwear, body wear, gymnastics attire and accessories at affordable prices.

Visit http://centralparkdance.com/.

Leilah Joy Bowser leads a hip-hop class at Steffi Nossen School of Dance.

SummerDance at Steffi Nossen School Summer brings a variety of programs at the Steffi Nossen School of Dance studios located in the Music Conservatory of Westchester building at 216 Central Ave. in White Plains.

The summer kicks off with the DiMauro Dance Company in Residence from June 25-28. This is a unique opportunity for college, professional and advanced level

pre-professionals to enter the world of a professional dance company. Participants will dance alongside company members in a daily technique class and be part of the creation of new work and excerpts from the company repertory.

The weeks of July 9-13 and July 23-27 bring SummerDance Intensives, weeklong programs of daily modern, ballet jazz, composition, pilates and yoga classes for students in grade 5 and up. Each week culminates in an informal showing of works for family and friends.

Next, a Weeklong Hip-Hop Intensive will take place July 16-20. Students in grade 5 and up join Leilah Joy Bowser and a special summer guest artist for an exciting week of hip-hop and breakdance classes, including freestyling and repertory.

New are boys’-only classes. Friends and family are invited to an informal showing at week’s end.

Also new this year is a SummerDance Master Series — 10 Artists in 10 Days! for dancers in grade 7 and up. Each day a performing guest artist will conduct a master class followed by discussion and repertory in a variety of modern and jazz techniques. Artists include Annmaria Mazzini, Kristina Berger, Tami Mele, Annie Doss, Laura Smith, Jonathan Riedel, Christopher Liddell, Jessie DiMauro, Lisa Peluso and Barbara Angeline.

Dancers with special needs will be able to attend programs adapted to allow all to participate to their own ability. A Moving Wheels & Heels Dance Intensive, conducted by master teachers Barbara and Sabatino Verlezza and Nancy Lushington will take place June 18-25. This six-day program for adults combines daily technique classes with improvisation and composition activities, the learning of repertory and the creation of new work. It will end in an in-studio performance on SaturCONTINUED ON PAGE 26A

...Westchester’s Outstanding Day Camp...

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Since 1929, the Libman Family has been providing children with active, safe and memorable summers. Camp Hillard offers a complete program that uniquely combines learning skills while having fun, with spirit, tradition and first-class facilities.

New! Soundview Mini Camp

Unique movement-based program, including yoga, swimming and an introduction to sports for 3 1/2 to 5 year old boys and girls.

FOR INFORMATION, CALL (914) 949-8857, OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.CAMPHILLARD.COM One Family

Three Generations

Est. 1929

PAGE 26A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

PARENT’S GUIDE I Arts, Camps, Enrichment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25A

day afternoon. From June 25-27, children 8 and up can join the Verlezzas and Lushington in a morning dance camp, combining technique and creative dance activities in a safe, supportive environment.

Single classes can be arranged.

Contact info@steffinossen.org or 3281900.

Studio B: new location, new classes Studio B Dance Center has moved down the road to 281 White Plains Road in Eastchester. The brand new state-of-theart facility has three studios with 9-foot high mirrors, professional floating dance floors and a comfortable, sibling-friendly waiting room. The waiting room features one-way windows into the classrooms so parents can enjoy watching their children dance.

Studio B Dance Center will be offering new dance classes that will excite young students, help maintain an active lifestyle and make dance fun all in one class. Studio B’s new Hip-Pop Starz gives students ages 5-7 the opportunity to dance and sing to their favorite music from TV, movies and radio. Whether children are fans of “Glee,” “High School Musical” or the

Disney Channel, their inner star will shine.

The brand new Kidz Company Class is a new program for ages 5-8. It features an hourlong class in ballet, a half-hour class of jazz, modern or hip-hop, and a halfhour of arts and crafts. Dancers will love the opportunity to go home after class and show off what they learned in class, as well as a fun, creative art project. Parents will love the two-hour company class that combines education with activity.

Studio B Dance Center is offering free trial classes for boys and girls 2 and up.

Free classes will be available May 1-21.

Space is limited. For a free trial class (or two!) call 793-2799 to reserve your space.

Summer camps Camp Applause serving Westchester kids Applause Westchester is bringing weeklong theater camps for children Presidents Week (keep in mind for next year), spring break week and all summer long (June 11-Aug. 31). Each day children will arrive to a staff of professional performers from New York City and cycle through classes such as acting, singing, set design, audition technique, hip-hop, costume design

and much more. Located right across from the Harbor Island Park in Mamaroneck, children will also get lots of fresh air and sunshine as camp heads outdoors.

Presidents Week/spring break week: Stars Camp for 3-5-year-olds from 9:30 a.m. to noon and Superstars Camp for kids in grades K-5 from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Campers can join for one or all five days.

Highlights include: • A different Broadway show featured each day.

• Review musical numbers and scenes in movie or filmed stage version so students can see how professional actors perform.

• Shows include old favorites and exposure to new shows.

• Activities all day surrounding each show: acting games with individual games geared toward each age group; craft/art activities; camp-style game related to the show; learning part of a song with choreography so they can perform part of the show themselves.

• Fun, relaxed holiday atmosphere combining real acting challenges, fun games and free time to socialize with other kids.

Applause summer camp At summer camp, Applause offers different weekly themes, a visit from a Broad-

ALL SPORTS DAY CAMP E.F. Campus

Montessori Schools For Children 17 mos. to 8 yrs.

Instruction which accommodates the skill level of each camper and covers a wide range of sports activities:

• Toddler • Pre-School • Kindergarten through 3rd grade • Toddler • Pre-School • Kindergarten • 2nd Grade

• Challenger Programs (Advanced Students)

Special Language Programs in Spanish, Japanese & French

STrESSES:

THe FaCiLiTy:

College Size Gymnasium • Outdoor Fields • indoor Pool

ThE STaFF:

N.y.S. Certified educators & Coaches, Certified Red Cross Water Safety instructors Dates: Monday, June 25th thru Friday, august 3rd (8:45am - 3:30pm) No camp July 4th.

Door to Door Transportation Provided

Director: Michael Chiariello

ARS O V E R 40 YE

Enroll now in our unique programs for 2012/13

Softball • Golf • Basketball • Swimming • Soccer • Football • Hockey • LaCrosse

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CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

Welcome to to the Welcome 2012-2013 School School Year!

2009-2010 Year!

(Formerly Marymount College, Tarrytown) 40 Years Dedicated to the Athletic Growth of Boys and Girls Ages 7-14

ThE PrograM:

way star and a performance every Friday each session. Campers can come for one week or all 12. There is a multiweek discount. Hours and age groups are the same as the holiday break camps.

Stars Camp: Every morning teachers will introduce music and theater to children and put the spotlight on them. The day will include acting games, dance classes, singing, and arts and crafts, all themed around the two Broadway Shows introduced to them each week. On Friday, there will be a special performance for parents and friends to showcase what was learned each day. Parents must send snack each day.

Superstars Camp: For five and a half hours a day, Monday through Friday, children will arrive and attend theater classes. Each day children will cycle through classes such as acting, singing, audition technique, hip-hop, costume design and more. At the end of the week, there will be a special performance for parents and friends. Students will be divided by age group. Parents must send snack and lunch each day.

Middle School Theater Intensive: For students going into grades 4-9, from Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. There are two three-week sessions from July 9-27 and Aug. 6-24. For three weeks, students

• Music • Art/Crafts • Languages • Reading • Math • Computer • Science • Cultural Awareness • Playground • Toddler Program • Language Programs • Bilingual Teachers

July-August Summer Science Camps

Model for PRe-SChooL eDuCATioN extended hours for Working Parents Director: Mrs. Jagoda, M.S., early Childhood ed., Ph.D.

open House every Wednesday 9-12pm 155 Beechmont Drive, New Rochelle • (914) 636-3461

(914) 262-9309

Are you interested in becoming a teacher?

Call now to find out about Liberty Montessori Teacher Training

(914) 843-2011

631 W. Boston Post Rd., Mamaroneck • (914) 777-1382 www.libertymontessorischools.com

Co-Director: Carlos rodriguez

www.allsportsdaycamp.net

MARCH 23, 2012 CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE

will audition and rehearse a complete book show that culminates with two performances. Students will be learning acting, singing and dance technique while understanding what it takes to put on a full-length musical. Rehearsals are held in Applause’s state-of-the-art Harbor View Studio. Parents must send snack and lunch each day.

Visit http://applauseny.com/.

Elmwood offers theater camp Elmwood Day Camp in White Plains is proud to announce the opening of the 2012 EWD Players. This new concept combines the core values of the summer camp experience with the power of children’s theater. In this new theater camp, boys and girls entering grades 5 and 6 will participate in a wide range of performing arts workshops, as well as recreational activities, all designed specifically for their age group.

As young people enter middle school, they are called on to be more independent.

They must manage increased academic expectations, while negotiating their complex social sphere. With heightened selfawareness, young people can navigate these new waters with more confidence.

Improvisation provides the perfect foundation for fostering young people’s personal growth. Being a part of creating

Kids!

original theatrical material in a supportive, joyful group can be extremely powerful.

Improvisation helps young people learn the power of being positive, creativity and teamwork, all while enhancing performance skills. Campers will tap into their own life experiences and bring this out in a collaborative artistic process.

Rooted in the Elmwood mission that each child discover, celebrate and be who she or he is supposed to be, the 2012 EWD Players will promote and celebrate each child’s individuality and creativity.

The camp, which will be held at the Solomon Schechter School in Hartsdale, runs from Aug. 6-10 and 13-17 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. There are extended hours on Wednesdays for special events and a cast party will be held Friday, Aug. 17, at Elmwood Day Camp.

Contact Leora Cohen at Leora@elmwooddaycamp.com or 592-6121.

MVP prepares for summer sessions Now in its 18th season, MVP Basketball Summer Day Camp has grown to five full weeks of basketball instruction for boys and girls ages 6-16. Each week is a complete session, so families can choose the week or weeks that fit into their busy summer schedules. Multiple week and multiple child discounts are available. Online registration is available.

MVP’s experienced coaches come back CONTINUED ON PAGE 28A

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THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 27A

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Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

PARENT’S GUIDE I Arts, Camps, Enrichment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27A

year after year and are the heart and soul of the program. Each day features teaching stations, fun contests and league games leading up to a playoff in every division.

The week culminates in a Friday awards ceremony that recognizes every camper.

MVP will open the summer at the Fox Lane Middle School and High School Complex. This Bedford camp will run from June 25-29. As in the past there will be three

divisions for boys ages 9-16, and by adding the high school gyms this year MVP will have enough court space to also feature a division for girls ages 9-13. By moving the Bedford week to the end of June, MVP has taken an already popular camp and turned it into a week that may fill up very early. Enrollment is on a firstcome, first-served basis. The camp day is 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and lunch is included in the price. Early drop-off and extended day are available.

The four White Plains weeks will begin this year on July 9 and are open to boys and girls ages 6-16. As always, the location will be the White Plains Middle School Highlands Campus. In addition to the four divisions for older boys and girls, these weeks feature a popular “Junior MVP” co-ed program for 6-8-year-olds.

The instruction for this age group is ageappropriate and delivered in a safe, fun atmosphere. Two of the White Plains sessions also feature Varsity Week programs

Where Champions are Born.

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for strong female players ages 13-16. Top coaches in the section work on higher level skills in an atmosphere that resembles a varsity practice, without losing sight of the fact that summer camp should be a fun experience for all.

Stan Greene founded MVP Basketball Camp in 1994 with the dream that no child would ever be turned away due to an inability to pay. Greene passed away in December 2009 after a long illness.

His legacy is a basketball camp that has awarded over 4,000 scholarships to economically disadvantaged children, plus scholarship awards to numerous children with a family member serving in the armed forces through MVP’s Hoops for Troops program.

On the evening of Friday, April 27, MVP will host an evening of games, food and drink at the Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville to raise money for 2012 scholarships. More event information can be found on the community pages of MVP’s website.

MVP is dedicated to youth development, and its guest speakers use the game of basketball as a metaphor for the challenges adolescents face as they approach adulthood. MVP also offers internships to former campers who are looking to develop job skills in a fun atmosphere that celebrates diversity. But first and foremost, MVP is a place where boys and girls have fun playing the game they love. As one young camper says in MVP’s camp video, “It’s like we’re in the real NBA.” Visit www.mvpbasketballcamp.org.

Right camp consultant, right camp After years of experience as a summer camp and teen program consultant, Ellen Wylie of Edgemont has opened Spectacular Summers LLC (www.spectacularsummers.com), an individualized, professional and unique camp and teen program advisory service. A former camper, counselor and practicing attorney, as well as mother of three, all of whom have gone away for many summers, Wylie simplifies what may look like a daunting task to parents.

Wylie has extensively researched camps and summer programs by visiting and revisiting them over many summers. During the rest of the year, Wylie speaks and meets with directors and obtains feedback from families she previously placed. Wylie shares her broad knowledge with clients and makes the right recommendations for each child. The service she provides is free of charge to parents.

Wylie loves what she does and it shows. Parents thank Wylie for her patience, warmth and the time and attention she gives in getting to know and understand the needs of each child and family she works with. Directors commend Wylie for her thoroughness, professionalism and the care she gives to her referrals. As CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

MARCH 23, 2012 CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE

one camp director recently said, “Ellen is the best of the best. She takes the time to truly know each family and each child that she is referring and works diligently to find programs that are the right match.�

To find that spectacular summer program for 2012 or 2013, call Wylie at 7222644 or (888) 774-CAMP, or email ellen@ spectacularsummers.com.

Enrichment Hoff-Barthelson offers music preschool Featuring a daily program for 3- and 4-year olds in a safe, nurturing environment, the Hoff-Barthelson Music School Preschool, at 25 School Lane in Scarsdale, puts a special emphasis on music and art as part of a curriculum that also features pre-math and language arts, science and nature, cooking and dramatic and outdoor play.

Twice weekly Dalcroze Eurhythmics Music and Movement classes are a particular delight for HBMS’s young students. Contemporary educators agree that early music studies enhance all learning, and parents of young children in the HBMS music and movement classes note the impact on later academic studies. Children enjoy music-making, dance and games while they intuitively learn

Kids!

to focus, memorize, concentrate and develop their motor skills. Dalcroze activities awaken the senses, and children who have participated in these classes develop keen skills in listening and looking and, if they continue with music, in music reading and notation.

Each year the preschool immerses itself with a specific piece of music to which young children can relate musically and intellectually, and the creative teachers assist their students in the creation of a tabletop sculptural representation of that music rendered in recycled materials. Past sculptures have included projects based on “The Story of Babar the Elephant,� “Carnival of the Animals,� “The Four Seasons,� and “Peter and the Wolf.�

The HBMS Preschool is staffed by experienced teachers who meet each child’s personal needs and build toward readiness for kindergarten. The happy environment of the preschool is made obvious by the joyous child voices which waft up the stairs to mingle with the music of private lessons and ensembles as the rest of the school’s musical life swirls around the preschoolers.

The Hoff-Barthelson Music School, one of Westchester County’s most cherished and active cultural resources, has achieved national recognition as a premier community music school for its unsurpassed leadership in education, performance and outreach for more than half a century.

Visit their website at www.hbms.org and call 723-1169.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30A

THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 29A

St. James the Less Episcopal Nursery School Crane Road at Church Lane Scarsdale, NY

2 and 3 day programs for 2 year olds 3, 4 and 5 day programs for 3 year olds 5 day program for 4 year olds MiNi CaMp June 11th - June 29th SuMMEr FuN CaMp July 2nd - august 9th Experienced Staff Music Specialists, Chapel, Art, Science and Nature Language Enrichment Excellent Student - Teacher Ratios 2 Playgrounds

For information call: 914-723-1018 www.stjamesthelessscarsdale.org Serving the Scarsdale Community for over 40 Years

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Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

PARENT’S GUIDE I Arts, Camps, Enrichment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29A

WRT a center for early childhood The Early Childhood Center at Westchester Reform Temple (WRT/ECC) in Scarsdale is a state-licensed preschool offering programs for infants through pre-K offering a comprehensive, topnotch educational program in a warm, nurturing environment. WRT/ECC is dedicated to enriching young children’s lives socially, emotionally, academically, spiritually and physically, striving to be inclusive, welcoming every child regardless of cultural background or affiliation.

The ECC is a family-centered community where parents are encouraged to become involved in both the classroom and other school activities. Parents are included in holiday parties, weekly Shabbat celebrations, regular newsletters and emails, social functions and teacher conferences. Families are also invited to many activities open to the greater temple community like Sharing Shabbat, children’s High Holy Day services, charitable activities and holiday carnivals and festivities.

The ECC seeks to create a stimulating environment for children and their families so that they may grow and explore the world together. We see the pre-

school experience as a critical first step in a child’s journey of developing values, self-esteem and lifelong learning, planting the seeds from which a child will eventually grow into adulthood.

Free drop-in morning groups, including an infant class on Wednesdays and a Bagels and Babies playgroup on Fridays, are offered throughout the year.

Visit http://wrtemple.org/page/early_ childhood_center.

Drawing out your child’s creativity

BY DR. RAYMOND J. HUNTINGTON

When children are very young, they are naturally curious, inventing games, songs and stories, seeking answers to endless questions and much more. Yet as children become older, some lose some of their creativity. Instead, they look to teachers and parents for direction and approval, concerning themselves with right answers instead of appreciating the process by which they come to conclusions.

However, creative thinking is incredibly valuable and teaches children to enjoy learning for learning’s sake, which will generally result in a more successful student. How can you encourage your child to think creatively? Here are several ideas: Expose your child to a variety of cre-

Scarsdale Community Baptist Nursery School

ative people: Take your child to open mic night at the coffee shop or to a local art gallery to watch an artist sculpt or paint.

If you’re a woodworker, gardener or knitter, show your child what you do and invite him or her to participate. Showing your child the many different types of things he or she can do, and introducing him or her to people who enjoy and excel at those things will encourage him or her to attempt new undertakings.

Let your child experiment: Whatever the activity, let your child be his or her own guide. Let your budding cook make up recipes in the kitchen. Offer tools and supplies, and let your child create whatever he or she can imagine. The more you encourage your child to choose activities and support him or her in developing new interests and skills, the better.

Offer quiet time: From a young age, set aside free time each day for your child to play independently — doing whatever he or she chooses. Better yet, designate quiet time as a family activity. While your child gets out his or her Legos, why not work on your scrapbook? Giving your child opportunities to explore will also fuel his or her inquisitiveness and help him or her become self-reliant.

Try games or activities that teach problem-solving: Games like chess, Battleship and Risk teach creativity and strategy, showing children how to consider multiple scenarios, weigh pros and cons, and

debate different ideas. Try open-ended games that offer children opportunities to think creatively and use their imaginations.

Ask questions: When your child asks you to double-check his or her work, have him or her explain how he or she arrived at the answer, step by step. When your child shares an idea or opinion, ask why.

Fostering creativity in your child leads to many important benefits. Your curious learner is more likely to challenge him or herself, learn from his or her mistakes, question assumptions and think critically. Such skills will help your child grow into an independent student and a lifelong learner.

Dr. Raymond J. Huntington is co-founder of Huntington Learning Center, which has been helping children succeed in school for more than 30 years. Call 1-800 CAN LEARN.

JCC’s ECC has unique programs for children Registration is open for the JCC of MidWestchester Early Childhood 2012-13 school year. The JCC provides preschool programs for children 17 months-5 years old and welcomes children of all backgrounds.

The JCC’s newest program, Me 2, is CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

Scarsdale Synagogue/Temples Tremont + Emanu-El Scarsdale Synagogue/Temples Tremont + Emanu-El

Non-Sectarian Programs for Pre-School Children since 1961

Nursery School classes for toddlers and children 2, 3 and 4 years of age

Summer camp for toddlers through 6 years of age

Extended day available for 3’s and 4’s

For more information about our programs, please call: For more information about our programs, please call: Jody Glassman, Director Jocelyn Gross, Assistant Director Jody Glassman, Director Jocelyn Gross, Assistant Director To Join Our Synagogue, call Gary Katz, Executive Director

• 3 and 4 year old classes • Music and Movement 4 year class is Pre-K emphasizing pre-reading and writing skills

• Arts and Block Centers • Science and Nature • Indoor Playroom equipped for various kinds of physical play • Large protected Outdoor Playground with modern play-structure

Call for a tour of our bright, cheerful facility

Registelrl for Fa

Acce applicaptting now foior ns summ prograemr

To Join Our Synagogue, call Gary Katz, Executive Director 2 Ogden Road, Scarsdale y 914-723-3001 y mazeltots@aol.com 2 Ogden Road Scarsdale y 914-723-3001 y mazeltots@aol com

Inchworm Summer Program

A nurturing and fun program for pre-school children 2 1/2 - 5 years Outdoor Fun ~ Arts & Crafts ~ Music ~ Nature Program Sprinkler Play ~ Movement Specialist ~ Special Theme Days

Camp runs from June 25 - August 2 (minimum 2-week sign-up)

Popham and Autenrieth Roads, Scarsdale, New York 914-722-0278 www.scbns.org

Scarsdale Congregational Church • One Heathcote Road, Scarsdale

723-2440 • www.scc-ucc.org

MARCH 23, 2012 CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE

for children turning 2 by April and is designed to help children acclimate to a classroom setting, adjust to separation and begin to develop skills for independent play, following a routine, sharing and transition. The program begins with parent and child together, working toward separation in January. The JCC also offers separated programs for 2’s, 3’s and 4’s, and a transitional year for children turning 5 years by March, with fulland half-day options available for 3’s and up. Early drop-off and after-school care is also available, as well as vacation programs during holiday breaks.

Classroom activities with paint, play dough, sand, puzzles, blocks and more are complemented with unique access to weekly swim lessons by certified water safety instructors, gymnastics instruction in the spacious gym led by a former competitive gymnast, movement classes in professional, mirrored studios and more. Children can extend their day of fun and learning by participating in afternoon enrichments including new offerings such as Reading Books and Beyond, Learning Through Letters/Numbers, Learning Through Literature and more.

Alternatively, children can be escorted to a variety of JCC classes including dance, music lessons, art, etc. Lunch Bunch, a time for children to enjoy eating a brown bag lunch together, bridges the gap between school and afternoon programs and is supervised by caring personnel. “Our school’s philosophy is that through purposeful play, a child learns

to use all of his senses to create a world of wonder and possibility,� said Julie Dorfman, JCC ECC director. “Our highly experienced staff creates a nurturing environment so children feel safe, happy and secure. Our staff also provides the tools and guidance for children to develop self-help skills to encourage independence and learning. The JCC is really a place for children to start and for children to stay. Once children finish the preschool years, there are a wide range of after-school and weekend programs in which they can discover and foster their passions, be it swim, art, dance, sports, gymnastics or music. We have something for everyone.�

The JCC also provides a variety of programs and services for children with developmental needs, including evaluations, preschool classes, related services, SEIT providers, and after-school and Sunday enrichment classes.

The JCC of Mid-Westchester, a beneficiary of UJA-Federation of New York, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the community by providing cultural, social, educational and recreational/fitness programs, human services and Jewish identity-building opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds.

For more information about the JCC of Mid-Westchester’s Early Childhood Center or to arrange a tour, contact Julie Dorfman at 472-3300 Ext. 412 or dorfmanj@jccmw.org. Visit www.jccmw.org. ď Ł

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Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

Advice for parents of hyperactive children

A

lmost all children have times when their attention or behavior veers out of control. From rambunctious play to being distracted during homework time, parents often have to find creative solutions to keep their children on task.

However, for some children, hyperactivity and inattentiveness are more than an occasional problem.

“Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, have behavior problems that are so frequent and severe they interfere with their ability to function adequately on a daily basis,” says Mark Wolraich, MD, FAAP, of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

The AAP has released new guidelines for physicians for diagnosing and treating ADHD in children between 4-18 years of age. The previous guidelines covered children between 6-12 years.

Parents who are concerned about their child’s inattentiveness or hyperactivity should keep the following symptom guidelines in mind: • Early childhood (ages 3-7): It’s normal for children to sometimes run in circles or ask constant questions at this age.

But if your child does them frequently, gets injured often and won’t sit down to eat or be read to, he or she may be displaying problematic hyperactive behavior.

• Middle childhood (ages 7-12): During this age range, children should be able

Wolraich. “But once a diagnosis is confirmed, ADHD treatments are available to help them control their behaviors.”

To help parents understand the new guidance on ADHD, the AAP has published a detailed and updated consumer resource book entitled “ADHD: What Every Parent Needs to Know.” In it, parents can find the newest treatment options and management strategies that balance behavior therapy, medications and parenting techniques.

For example, in preschool children with ADHD, pediatricians are now being instructed to first try behavioral interventions, such as group or individual parent training in behavior management techniques. For preschoolers with moderate to severe symptoms who don’t exhibit significant improvement after behavior therapy, medication may be considered.

For elementary school children and adolescents, the AAP recommends both medications and behavior therapy.

More information on the symptoms and treatment of ADHD can be found on the AAP’s website for parents, www. healthychildren.org/adhd.

ADHD is a chronic condition that requires a team approach, according to experts, including input from patients, their parents, pediatricians, therapists and teachers. 

Monkey Business/Fotolia.com

There are many treatments to help children who are easily distracted. to complete games, but may occasionally act impulsively when excited. Problematic behavior usually includes frequently butting in to other children’s games, interrupting others, and fidgeting quite a bit even while watching television.

• Adolescence (ages 13-18): Normal teens usually engage in some risky social behavior, while hyperactive teens have

trouble paying attention, are often restless and fidgety while doing quiet activities, interrupt and “bug” other people, and frequently have difficulties completing their school work.

“ADHD is a chronic condition of the brain that can impact children’s learning, ability to regulate their behavior, social skills and self-esteem,” says Dr.

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Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

Sleep tips for children and infants Sleep is vital for children’s overall health and development. That’s why it’s important that children develop good sleep habits, right from the start.

“Parents of infants need to know how to help their baby safely fall asleep,” says Robert W. Block, MD, FAAP, of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “And older children will benefit from an environment that helps them get enough sleep.”

Here are some tips for safe and adequate sleep from the experts at the AAP: Safer sleep; Babies up to 1 year of age should always be placed on their backs on a firm surface to sleep. This will reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, which is the leading cause of death in the United States for babies between 1 month and 1 year old.

“While we don’t know what causes SIDS, we have learned how parents can dramatically lower the risks,” says Dr. Block.

Make sure the crib, bassinet or play yard meets current safety standards and hasn’t been recalled. And make sure to keep all objects — including soft toys, blankets and crib bumpers — out of the crib, as they can increase the risk of suffocation or strangulation. Consider using a sleeper instead blankets, and make sure the baby’s head remains uncovered.

The crib can be in the same room as you sleep, but do not place the baby in the same bed as you. Also, keep the baby away from smoke and smokers.

Warm, not hot: Keep the room where

your baby sleeps at a comfortable temperature. In general, dress your baby in no more than one extra layer than you would wear. Your baby may be too hot if she is sweating or if her chest feels hot.

You may offer a pacifier, which can help reduce the risk of SIDS. However, other products like wedges, positioners, special mattresses and specialized sleep surfaces have not been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS. If you are breastfeeding, wait until breastfeeding is going well before offering a pacifier, usually around threefour weeks.

Children should be taken out of a crib by the time they are 35 inches tall.

Establish Routines; If your child or teen seems to be having trouble sleeping, try altering the environment or establishing a routine. For example, see if your child sleeps better in a dark room or with a night light. Do not allow a TV in your child’s bedroom, and make sure he or she doesn’t watch or read anything upsetting or scary within two hours of bedtime. Instead, a bath, warm drink or story time will help a child unwind.

For more tips to help your young one get a good night’s sleep, visit the AAP’s website for parents, www.healthychildren.org.

If sleeping problems persist, consult your pediatrician. Even sleepers with the toughest problems can learn good habits.  — STATEPOINT

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PAGE 34A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

Help kids achieve good oral health habits

M

ore than two-thirds of children will have at least one cavity before their 19th birthday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. While tooth decay remains one of the most common health problems in children, it is also the most preventable, experts say.

“With proper education and regular dentist appointments, children can go their whole life without dental health problems,” says LaVerne Johnson, dental assistant instructor at Everest CollegeFort Worth South.

Johnson, along with the other dental assistant instructors at the Everest campuses across Texas, understands the importance of maintaining good dental health. Johnson has a few tips on what children and parents can do to protect and strengthen their smiles for years to come: • Brush and floss daily — the right way. It’s not new advice, but brushing and flossing remain the two most important ingredients for a healthy mouth. However, to truly be effective, they must be done correctly. Parents should model and teach their children the correct techniques to keep their teeth healthy and clean.

Brushing should require only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and incorporate circular brush strokes to reach all surfaces.

Often, because of their limited dexterity, children will brush too hard, which can lead to increased tooth sensitivity and receding gum lines.

• Proper flossing requires wrapping the floss around the fingers and then gliding the thread between teeth in a C-shaped motion. This prevents plaque buildup between teeth and under the gum line.

Make sure your child uses a new section of floss each time he or she goes between two new teeth to avoid spreading bacteria throughout the mouth.

• Limit sugary snacks and drinks. The bacteria that form plaque feed on sugar and use it as a glue to stick to teeth. Be aware of the snacks you provide your children. Foods like raisins, peanut butter, taffies, toffees, soft candies and pastries stick to teeth and provide a long-term feast for bacteria. When your children do eat

ARA PHOTO

An apple a day keeps the dentist away. sweets, have them eat them after a meal.

When eaten alone, sweets are more likely to stick to teeth and bond until the next brushing. Crunchy foods like apples, carrots and other raw vegetables, as well as foods high in vitamin C, like citrus fruits and broccoli are not only healthier, but also naturally clean teeth while kids eat them. Limiting consumption of sugary foods and drinks will not only help promote healthier children, but will also reduce cavities.

This advice is not just for older children.

Many parents don’t realize infants are also susceptible to cavities and often get “baby bottle cavities.” Allowing a child to sip through the night on a baby bottle filled

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with fruit juice or milk can cause cavities.

• Protect their teeth. Using fluoride toothpaste helps your child’s teeth to be less soluble to the acids created by bacteria. However, using too much creates a condition known as mottled enamel, which appears as brown spots on teeth.

The key to avoiding mottled enamel is using the right amount of fluoride. For infants, a small smear of fluoride toothpaste is sufficient, and for children younger than 7, use no more than a pea-sized amount.

It is also important to know if your child is consuming fluoridated water. Check with your local water utility to find out if your water has fluoride in it as well as the amount it contains. Along with fluoride,

dental sealants are an excellent way to prevent tooth decay in children. The dental sealant procedure takes only minutes, is painless, is less than half the cost of a filling and is virtually 100 percent effective at stopping decay.

• Proper procedures can save teeth.

Children involved in sports need proper mouth protection to prevent mouth injuries, knocked-out teeth and possible concussions. Ask your dentist about customized mouth guards. If your child knocks out a permanent tooth while playing sports, gently rinse the tooth off and place it in a cup of warm milk. If warm milk is not available, salt water or plain water will also work. Call your dentist and bring your child and the soaking tooth in immediately for re-implantation and stabilization.

• Make dentist visits fun. If children have a good attitude about their dental hygiene, they will be more likely to take proper care of their teeth. Appointments should be made right at the appearance of the first tooth, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).

Early visits make for a more pleasant experience for the child and help prevent future health problems. In fact, studies done by the AAPD show improper oral hygiene may increase a child’s risk of eventually developing heart disease or suffering a stroke as an adult. Be positive about the dentist and explain to your children that the dentist is a friendly doctor who is helping to take care of their smiles.

“The most important thing for parents to remember is that taking care of a child’s teeth is very important for his or her future health,” says Johnson. “Although your children will lose their baby teeth, that doesn’t mean they are not important.

Healthy baby teeth influence jaw placement and future alignment of permanent teeth, which is one of the reasons parents can end up spending hundreds of dollars on future dental work and orthodontics.”

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PAGE 36A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

Endpaper: Oh, the places we go!

BY TODD SLISS

T

he cool thing about when your kids like things you like is when they come to like them on their own.

Anyone who knows me knows how much of a baseball fan I am.

My kids have kind of grown up around baseball, perhaps been overexposed to it. They love looking at — and touching — all of my collectibles, and they’ve literally been going to games since they were born. Now 5-year-old Henry made his Shea Stadium debut at 6 weeks old on Opening Day in 2007; 17-month-old Jeffrey at Citi Field at 5 months old on Opening Day in 2011.

Henry loves going to games — aka he loves playing games, eating Nathan’s hot dogs and fries, and snacking on popcorn and/or ice cream. And when I say “and/ or,� that is meant to include that sometimes he puts the popcorn ON the ice cream before chowing down.

But something happened during spring training a few weeks ago. Henry, who previously showed his dislike for watching baseball on television, decided that he was eager to watch the games on the tube since we can’t yet go to games since Spring Training is in Florida.

He sits and watches and loosely pays attention. He asks questions. And he notices things on his own. He’s learned to read the “bug� on top of the screen that gives all of the information: teams, score, inning, outs, balls/strikes, runners on base. And he gets mad when “the team we don’t like� has more “points� than the Mets. He even caught on when SNY’s Keith Hernandez recently referred to the Cardinals as “the Redbirds,� which confused Henry at first, but now he calls the Cardinals the Redbirds. He’s so well trained that he made us laugh recently when the Mets weren’t on and I offered to put on the Yankees — it was an adamant NO! But he did ask if the Giants were on. I explained to him it’s not football season, but that I could put on a DVD of the Giants beating the Patriots to end their perfect season. He was excited about that and we watched the fourth quarter of that classic.

Lately his new thing is watching the games in the living room during dinner and having ballpark food for dinner — dogs, fries and popcorn. I think it’s mostly

to avoid sitting at the dining room table, but it’s a nice treat once in a while.

Before having kids my wife and I hadn’t done too much travel to expressly see baseball — the farthest we’d gone was Boston solely for baseball, though we’d seen big league games in Chicago and major and minor league games in Florida — there was plenty of baseball right here for us. We’ve got the Mets and Yankees (if desperate), and the Phillies aren’t too far away if I want to see some extra Mets action, and if you wanted to you really could go to Camden Yards in a day.

What’s even better than that are the truly cozy confines of minor league baseball, and there’s plenty of it within a couple of hours of here or less. To name a few we have the Brooklyn Cyclones, Staten Island Yankees, Hudson Valley Renegades, Rockland Boulders, Bridgeport Bluefish, Long Island Ducks, New Jersey Jackals, Newark Bears.

That’s where you take your kids! Big ballparks are, well, BIG! We seem to get lost in the enormity of the stadiums.

Over the summer we’ll head to Coney Island for the day: we park at the Cyclones lot for cheap all day, head down a few blocks to the New York Aquarium (we’re Bronx Zoo members, see below for more on that) for a couple of hours, come out and eat lunch at the original Nathan’s, head to the boardwalk, hit the beach and then go see a Cyclones game.

When you’re inside the stadium (typically on some type of giveaway night — did I tell you how much Henry is into

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bobbleheads like his daddy?) you’re close to the action, there are a few games to play and all the way in the back of the stadium is a playground. All told maybe you spend a few innings in your seats, but that’s OK. And on weekends you top it off with a fireworks show.

Last summer was the first season for the Rockland Boulders independent team not too far over the Tappan Zee Bridge.

While I wasn’t too impressed with the stadium there, they had a great playground. Henry spent pretty much the entire game there while I wheeled Jeffrey around in the stroller while he slept. But just about everywhere I went I could still see the game.

And the other, often important thing about minor league ball — you can’t beat the prices and often the free parking. And when you’re with kids who aren’t really into the game, spending tons of money on tickets isn’t really a priority.

The other place we frequent often is the Bronx Zoo. The first time we went there was when Henry was just over 1 and in the stroller, and it seemed like we paid a small fortune to get in there. Then we discovered the beauty and value of becoming Wildlife Conservation Society members.

For $164 with the family premium membership we get unlimited zoo access (plus the aforementioned aquarium and three other properties run by the WCS), FREE PARKING at the zoo and aquarium (we don’t park there when we go to Coney Island since we’re there longer than the parking lot is open), a discount on food

and gifts and special member benefits. If you go twice a year, it more than pays for itself. We go a lot more than that, but that’s because Henry loves animals.

Obsessed with them. He spends half his life watching shows about animals and pausing the shows so he can draw them in one of his many notebooks.

When Henry gets to the zoo his energy is endless. We’ll get there when it opens at 10 a.m. and leave between 4-5 p.m. when it’s closing time. The amount of energy he burns running around that place — be prepared for lots of walking if you want to see everything — is incredible.

Of course the one thing that isn’t covered by the zoo membership is one of Henry’s favorite things to do, ride the camels! But things that are covered that would normally cost extra are the bug carousel, the Wild Asia Monorail, the gorilla forest, JungleWorld, the 4-D theater, the butterfly garden, the children’s zoo and the shuttle throughout the zoo.

This kid is so into animals that when we spent 12 days in Orlando last fall most of the stuff we scheduled had to do with animals: Yes, we did Disney World one day, but the other days were spent at Busch Gardens in Tampa, which features a great safari area; Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which was like heaven on earth for this kid; Seaworld, which we visited twice; and Gatorland, which is self-explanatory and had lots of other great animals besides gators.

It’s a wonderful thing to be able to feed your child’s soul when it comes to what they love. And when you happen to love it too, well, that’s just a powerful connection.

Henry certainly has other passions, such as drawing and doing arts and crafts, and he loves to sing and dance and rock out. I know he loves sharing — or trying to share — some of these things with Jeffrey, and as the years go by he’ll love teaching his little bro a thing or two.

I think the most wonderful thing is that I don’t know what Henry will enjoy when he’s older, and Jeff is still a mystery waiting to be unraveled. The boys may be into dance, numbers, purses, shoes or puzzles like their mom. They may want to write like me (hopefully better). Or there could be something we’ve never thought of or highly unique that they’ll turn to on their own.

We can’t even imagine the places they’ll go. ď Ł

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MARCH 23, 2012

Kids!

THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 37A

t The Scarsdale Inquirer 2012 t

PRESCHOOL GUIDE ALCOTT MONTESSORI SCHOOL

CONGREGATION KOL AMI EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM

27 Crane Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 472-4404 Maria Francella, Site Director

252 Soundview Ave. White Plains, NY 10606 (914) 949-4717 Ext. 107

535 Broadway Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 (914) 693-4443 Dimitra Dreyer, Site Director

Nan Blank, Director Philosophy: The Early Childhood Program of Congregation Kol Ami is dedicated to providing a comprehensive and developmentally appropriate early childhood curriculum while teaching and modeling Jewish values. Children learn best through play and experimentation.

The ECP of Kol Ami provides opportunities for these learning experiences within a warm, accepting and nurturing environment.

46 Fox Meadow Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 595-7551 Maria Francella, Site Director www.alcottschool.org Beth Farkas, Director Philosophy: Alcott School encourages each child to reach his or her full potential while acquiring respect for self and others.

The children are provided with opportunities to develop independence, self-confidence and pride in their individual abilities. The developmentally appropriate program offers a unique multicultural learning environment complete with a full range of Montessori materials.

Enrollment: Crane Road: 150 children; Dobbs Ferry: 180 children; Fox Meadow: 60 children Student-teacher ratio: Toddlers, 4:1; 3’s to 5’s, 7:1; 4’s to 6’s, 7:1 Calendar: September through June. Six- or seven-week summer program for toddlers and 3- to 5-year-olds Hours: Scarsdale: Toddlers, 9-11:30 a.m. or 12:30-3 p.m.; 3’s to 5’s, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., or 8:4511:30 a.m. or 12:30-3:15 p.m. or 8:45 a.m.-3:15 p.m.; Dobbs Ferry: 4’s to 6’s, 9 a.m.-3:15 p.m.; 3’s to 5’s, 8:45-11:30 a.m. or 9 a.m.-3:15 p.m. or 12:30-3:15 p.m.; Toddlers, 9:15-11:45 a.m. or 1-3:30 p.m.; Fox Meadow: 3’s to 5’s, 8:45-11:30 a.m.

Fees: Half day, 3’s to 5’s, $7,100; full day, 3’s to 5’s, $14,300; 2’s five-day program, $10,000; other fees vary according to program Special programs: Early drop-off available from 8 a.m.; bus transportation; enrichment including music, movement and nature/ science; after-school art, science, cooking, soccer and more; parent activities and workshops day and evenings; family picnics.

Summer programs are available for 2-5-yearolds. Times and dates are flexible. Call for information or visit www.alcottschool.org.

Other: Registered with the NYS Department of Education. Crane Road site: licensed by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services. Affiliated with the American Montessori Society

Enrollment: 150 children Student-teacher ratio: 2’s, 4:1; 3’s, 6:1; 4’s, 6:1; pre-K, 5:1

ANN & ANDY (DCA) CHILD CARE CENTER/ PRESCHOOL 2170 Saw Mill River Road Elmsford, NY 10532 (914) 592-3027 or (914) 347-2524 Cheryl Anstett, Preschool Director and Deborah Asadoorian, Infant/Toddler Director Philosophy: At Ann & Andy, each child is considered on two levels: first, as an individual, and then as a member of the group.

The specific needs of a child are addressed with the help of regular communication and consultation with parents. On a group level, the child is a member of a community, which offers the opportunity for social growth while providing a structure in which to find security and safety. Regularly planned group activities are designed to meet the natural, physical, emotional and cognitive needs of children at play. The staff is carefully trained to promote a positive environment and to keep a balanced routine that does not stress or overstimulate children.

Enrollment: 146 children Student-teacher ratio: infant, 4:1; toddler, 5:1; 2’s, 5:1; 3’s, 7:1; 4’s, 8:1 Calendar: year-round Hours: 7 a.m.-5:45 p.m.

Fees: $6.75 to $10/hour Special programs: Yoga, gymnastics, creative movement, music, computer classes, summer camp program from one to nine weeks

ARDSLEY COMMUNITY NURSERY SCHOOL 21 American Legion Drive Ardsley, NY 10502 (914) 693-4932 www.acns.us Dr. Gloria Wolpert, Director Philosophy: We develop and expand each child’s unique interests through creative and fun activities. Language and social skills are worked on to build self-esteem and pride in accomplishment, as well as respect for diversity. Pre-academic skills are incorporated along with a strong art, music and science enrichment program. Our goal is to foster a love of learning.

Enrollment: 2’s, maximum 9 children; 3’s, maximum 16; 4’s, maximum 16

Calendar: September through June. Summer camp for 2’s and 3’s.

Hours: Morning sessions and afternoon enrichment programs. Full and half days available Fees: Vary according to program Special programs: Soccer, music, nature, gym, karate, Young at Art, ballet, Israeli dancing, Torah Alive!, Leap into Literacy Other: Licensed teachers teach children from 12 months through age 5

CREATIVE BEGINNINGS CHILDREN'S CENTER 112 West Hartsdale Ave. Hartsdale, NY 10530 (914) 428-1200 susan@cbcc.org

Student-teacher ratio: 2’s, 3:1; 3’s, 6:1; 4’s, 8:1

Susan Stevenson, Director

Calendar: Follows regular school year, Sept.

15-June 6; June interim program for three weeks; summer camp for six weeks, late June to Aug. 6

Philosophy: Creative Beginnings strives to provide the highest quality child care and early education to each child in our program.

The school is strongly committed to providing a healthy, safe and enriched environment, where children learn at their own pace, using their individual style of learning and growth.

The program follows the NAEYC guidelines of developmentally appropriate practices, with an emergent, thematic-based curriculum, to promote each child’s intellectual growth.

Creative Beginnings encourages family involvement.

Hours: 2’s, 9-11:30 a.m.; 3’s and 4’s, 9-11:45 a.m.; also 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. day care Fees: $30/day drop-off; three-day, $4,000/year; five-day, $5,100/year; day care, $1,200/month Special programs: Inclusive nursery school for children of diverse abilities and backgrounds.

Afternoon day care also provided.

Other: Accredited by New York State and the Office of Children and Family Services

723-3340 ~ 870 SCAR SDALE AVENUE

CONTINUED ON PAGE 38A

PAGE 38A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

The Scarsdale Inquirer 2012 I PRESCHOOL GUIDE HITCHCOCK SCHOOL

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37A

Enrollment: 64 children, ages 1.5-5 years old Student-teacher ratio: 2’s, 5:1; 3’s, 7:1; 4’s, 8:1 Calendar: Year-round (12-month) program Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:15 a.m.-6 p.m.

Fees: $1,450 per month/all inclusive Special programs: This program features outdoor nature exploration and fun activities on our 3-acre property, music and movement with yoga, language and art enrichment, science and technology, literary development.

Other: Licensed by NYS Office of Children and Family Services, and the Town of Greenburgh

6 Greenacres Ave. Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 723-0922 hitchcockschool@verizon.net www.hitchcockschool.com Heather Miller, Director

ELMWOOD DAY SCHOOL 900 Dobbs Ferry Road White Plains, NY 10607 (914) 592-8577 www.elmwooddayschool.com Jane Arcaya, Director Philosophy: We follow New York State standards with a focus on balanced curriculum. There are rich opportunities for both play and learning. We provide a warm, loving, supportive environment where children are free to learn, grow and realize their potential.

Enrollment: 85 children ages 2-6.

Student-teacher ratio: 2’s, 4:1; 3’s, 6:1; 4’s, 7:1; pre-K, 7:1; kindergarten/first grade, 7:1 Calendar: September through first week in June Hours: 9 a.m.-noon; 1-4 p.m.; mini-day until 2 p.m.; full day 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Fees: Vary according to number of days enrolled and age of child Special programs: Vacation week programs, enrichment programs, tutoring (K-12).

THE ETHICAL CULTURE SOCIETY NURSERY SCHOOL 7 Saxon Wood Road White Plains, NY 10605 (914) 948-1132 www.ecsnurseryschool.com Ea Jensen, Director Philosophy: The nursery school sponsored by the Ethical Culture Society was founded in 1963. We believe that each child is unique, having varied personalities and interests.

Our caring staff meets their needs and is committed to a program that provides an environment where curiosity, spirit, spontaneity and independence thrive. The nursery school provides beautiful wooded

surroundings and a large playground.

Enrollment: 90 children Student-teacher ratio: 2’s, 4:1; 3’s, 6:1; 4’s, 7:1 Calendar: September through June Hours: Morning 2’s, 9-11:30 a.m.; 3’s and 4’s, 9-11:40 a.m.

Fees: Vary with age and program; tuition assistance available Special programs: Beginnings program for 12- to 20-month-olds where an adult accompanies pre-2’s to school. Morning sessions for 2’s, 3’s and 4’s. Afternoon programs available. Enrichment classes weekly. Half day camp from June through July.

FRENCH-AMERICAN SCHOOL OF NEW YORK 85 Palmer Ave. Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 250-0000 www.fasny.org Isabelle Adamo, Head of Preschool Philosophy: Preschool at FASNY is, for many students, the first exposure to a second language. Housed in Scarsdale, our preschool students benefit from having their own location and plenty of outdoor recreation space. The FASNY preschool program is designed to stimulate curiosity, promote creative thinking and develop social skills in a caring and nurturing environment. As preschoolers build the foundation to read and write successfully, they are gradually introduced to a greater amount of subject material.

Enrollment: 170 (nursery, prekindergarten, kindergarten) Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Calendar: September through June Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday,

8:15 a.m.-3:05 p.m.; Wednesday, 8:15 a.m.12:15 p.m.

Fees: $22,350 Special programs: FASNY’s full-day preschool program curriculum is fully developed in both English and French with oral training (comprehension and expression), art, music, sports, poetry, mathematics, social studies, sciences and prewriting activities. Motor coordination and social development both play an important role in the total curriculum. French language support is offered for non-francophones in pre-K and kindergarten. English support classes are offered for non-anglophone children who require more exposure to English. These classes are held in a small group setting.

GREENVILLE CHURCH NURSERY SCHOOL 270 Ardsley Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 723-1262 D’Ann Cecere and Marcia Heese, Directors Philosophy: Age-appropriate activities are tailored for individual needs to serve the cognitive, social, emotional and physical development of each child.

Enrollment: 38 children Student-teacher ratio: 20:3 in 4’s class; 18:3 in 3’s class Calendar: September through first week of June Hours: 9-11:50 a.m. or 9 a.m.-2:45 p.m.

Fees: $5,500 for five mornings Special programs: Weekly music specialist, monthly nature specialist and movement specialist two times a month. Summer program 9 a.m.-1 p.m. for six weeks Other: Licensed by NYS Department of Children and Family Services; accredited by NAEYC

723-3340 ~ 870 SCAR SDALE AVENUE

Philosophy: The Hitchcock School offers a nurturing, developmentally appropriate program. Our goal is to provide a positive preschool experience for every student. To accomplish this, we have designed a diverse and enriching environment where each child can grow at his or her own pace. The professional staff is comprised of caring individuals who encourage independent thinking, socialization and the well-rounded development of every child. We are a nonsectarian school, welcoming children of all races and creeds. Need-based scholarships are available.

Enrollment: 78 children Student-teacher ratio: 4’s, 8:1; 3’s, 6:1; 2’s, 5:1; toddlers, 2:1 Calendar: September through June Hours: 9-11:45 a.m. Extended day to 2:30 p.m. for 4’s; Lunch Club to 1 p.m. for 3’s Fees: Five mornings, $5,050; three mornings (3’s only), $3,850 Special programs: Music, dance, field trips, home visits at beginning of year, parent-teacher conferences, parents’ organization, Handwriting Without Tears, Mandarin, theatre group Other: Registered with NYS Education Department, licensed by NYS-OCFS

HOFF-BARTHELSON MUSIC SCHOOL PRESCHOOL 25 School Lane Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 723-1169 www.hbms.org Margery Dorne, Director Philosophy: The preschool offers a childcentered program designed to build selfconfidence and intellectual curiosity and to encourage comfortable social interactions.

A rich curriculum emphasizes learning and listening skills and concepts, with a focus on music and art.

Enrollment: 14 children per class Student-teacher ratio: 7:1 Calendar: September through May, 30 weeks, with an optional June post-session Hours: 4’s, 8:45-11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday; 3’s, 12:30-2:45 p.m., Monday through Thursday CONTINUED ON PAGE 39A

MARCH 23, 2012

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THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 39A

The Scarsdale Inquirer 2012 I PRESCHOOL GUIDE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 38A

Fees: 3’s, $5,300 ($5,990 including summer extension); 4’s, $5,500 ($6,240 including summer extension) Special programs: Eurhythmics class meets twice each week with teachers from the music school faculty. Children learn musical concepts through movement and ear training.

Other: Both teachers are certified early childhood educators with master’s degrees.

THE HUDSON COUNTRY MONTESSORI SCHOOL 340 Quaker Ridge Road New Rochelle, NY 10804 (914) 636-6202 www.hudsoncountry.org Paul Casey, Educational/Camp Director Philosophy: A three-year age span in each class provides a family-like atmosphere for learning. More conversation and language experience than in most conventional early education settings. Montessori believes in freedom within limits, respect for other people and for the environment.

Enrollment: Toddlers through 8th grade Calendar: September through June. Eightweek summer program Hours: Full-day and half-day sessions 2’s, 3’s and 4’s; full day for students 5 and older Fees: Vary according to age of child and session Special programs: Extended day for working parents. Hudson Enrichment program. Summer camp program for children 15 months to 12 years includes swim instruction, sports, science, arts and crafts, and much more.

Other: Member of American Montessori Society. Call to arrange a tour.

Calendar: September through mid-June. JCC Summer Camp Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; 9-11:45 a.m.; 12:45-3 p.m.; optional lunch program. Before care and after care available.

Fees: Five full days $14,600; five half days $8,375; three half days $5,800; 2’s: two-day, $4,200; three-day, $5,750; five-day, $8,150 Special programs: 4/5 class; afternoon enrichment for 3’s and 4’s; music, movement, gym and swim special in full-size gymnasium and indoor heated pool; biblical-theme playground; classroom computers. Summer camp and vacation programs available.

Other: Registered in New York State.

Licensed by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services. American Camping Association summer camp

JCC OF MID-WESTCHESTER TOWARD TOMORROW PROGRAM 999 Wilmot Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 472-3300 Ext. 228 kaplann@jccmw.org www.jccmw.org Nancy Kaplan, Special Education Director Philosophy: Children need a supportive classroom atmosphere that encourages exploration and creativity to develop positive social skills, strong cognitive connections and good feelings about themselves. Learning occurs through structured activities, utilizing a multisensory educational approach, which includes language development, fosters intellectual curiosity and establishes play

skills.

Enrollment: 65-70 Student-teacher ratio: 3:1 to 6:1 depending on class Calendar: Sept. 4, 2012-June 26, 2013 Hours: Half-day, 8:45-11:15 a.m. or 12:15-2:45 p.m.; full-day, 8:45 a.m.-2:45 p.m.

Fees: State-approved program through CPSE has no fee. Afternoon private class $9,900 (3.5 hours) or $8,500 (2.5 hours) for full 180-day school year.

Special programs: Our integrated preschool classes for children with special needs and their mainstream peers place emphasis on development of social skills, appropriate play, increasing language skills and cognitive learning.

Other: After-school and Sunday morning programming for children 3-18 years old with special needs offered through our Academic and Arts for Developmental Disabilities (AADD). Additional programs are available for siblings of children with special needs in our SibConnection group.

KEHILLAH SCHOOL FOR EARLY LEARNING Temple Israel of New Rochelle 1000 Pinebrook Blvd.

New Rochelle, NY 10804 (914) 637-3808 Kehillah@TINR.org Nancy Bossov, Director Philosophy: The Kehillah School for Early Learning is a unique community within Temple Israel of New Rochelle, providing both part-time and full-time education for children

ages 6 weeks to 6 years. In the Kehillah School, child-centered emergent learning in a Jewish context is integrated with the Bright Horizons Family Solutions curricula, bringing together the best of two worlds for children and families. The Kehillah School is the only Jewish full-time educational program currently available to young children in Westchester County. Fostering independence and selfesteem, encouraging imaginative thinking and problem-solving skills and emphasizing the importance of family, friends and shared experiences, this nurturing home away from home offers an ideal learning environment for children of all faiths and learning styles.

Enrollment: Children 6 weeks to 6 years of age Student-teacher ratio: Varies according to program Calendar: Year-round, with both school year and calendar year options Hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m., 8 a.m.-6 p.m., 9 a.m.-3 p.m., 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or 2 p.m.-5 p.m. offered two, three or five days per week Special Programs: All-school singing, yoga, ethics-themed take-home CDs with Judaic storytelling by staff and clergy, Shabbat with clergy, active parents association Other: Kosher meal provisions for early morning breakfast, snacks and lunch. “Nut aware” dietary adherence. Licensed by the Office of Children and Family Services and New York State Department of Education.

LIBERTY MONTESSORI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS 155 Beechmont Drive New Rochelle, NY 10804 631 West Boston Post Road Mamaroneck, NY 10543 (914) 777-1382 LibertyMontessoriSchools.com

JCC OF MID-WESTCHESTER EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM

Dr. Pushpa Jagoda, Director Philosophy: Our educational philosophy is derived from the integration of Montessori and early childhood principles. Our experienced, bilingual staff provide a nurturing home-away-from-home learning environment.

Our state-of-the-art centers develop your child’s social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth to their highest potential.

Enrollment: 200 Student-teacher ratio: Toddlers, 5:1; preschool and above, 6:1 Calendar: Year-round Hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Fees: Call for information Special programs: Music and language

999 Wilmot Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 472-3300 Ext. 412 dorfmanj@jccmw.org Julie Dorfman, Director Philosophy: The early childhood program promotes healthy physical, cognitive and emotional growth, self-esteem, understanding and confidence, and helps youngsters develop security with adults and peers. Each child is encouraged to explore, experiment and create within a language intensive environment.

Enrollment: 150 children Student-teacher ratio: 2’s, 4:1; 3’s, 6:1; 4’s, 7:1; 5’s, 8:1

CONTINUED ON PAGE 40A

723-3340 ~ 870 SCAR SDALE AVENUE

PAGE 40A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

The Scarsdale Inquirer 2012 I PRESCHOOL GUIDE Special programs: Daily music, gym, arts, computers, walks to the farm, hayrides, apple gathering from the orchard and grape picking from the arbor, field trips, holiday events, parent visiting days Other: Chartered by NYS Department of Education

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 39A

programs, Challenger classrooms

LINCOLN ACADEMY 11 Woodlot Road Eastchester, NY 10709 (914) 346-8811 www.ecclincolnacademy.org

MOUNT TOM DAY SCHOOL

Marguerite O’Shea, Director Philosophy: Learning is all around us and we take advantage of this. Children learn best when they are engaged and interested. What better way to do that than to have fun with learning. “Play with a purpose” guides our unique age-specific programs and curricula, each designed to move your child ahead developmentally, intellectually and socially in an environment that is warm, nurturing and fun. And, of course, school readiness is a main goal for all of our programs.

Enrollment: 32 children Student-teacher ratio: 3’s, 7:1; 4’s, 8:1 Calendar: Parallels the Eastchester School District Hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Fees: Half-day sessions range from $2,150$4,750 based upon the number of days per week; full-day sessions with lunch range from $4,100-$9,880 based upon number of days per week Special programs: Spanish, Japanese culture, music, extended care, before- and after-school program, summer camp program Other: Licensed by NYS Office of Child and Family Services

THE LITTLE SCHOOL 307 Mamaroneck Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 472-5409 www.KBLS.org Deborah Fine, Executive Director Philosophy: The Little School program follows an early childhood curriculum with experiences in science and nature and exploration, reading and math readiness, and the enhancement of social skills. The learning experiences are active, hands-on and relevant to each child.

Self-confidence and self-expression are encouraged, as are responsibility, decisionmaking and respect for others.

Enrollment: 156 children Student-teacher ratio: 3’s, 6:1; 4’s, 7:1 Calendar: September through June, following the Scarsdale school calendar. In addition, we are open during December, February and spring breaks and the time between school’s end and the start of Scarsdale Rec Camp.

Hours: 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Fees: $10,000 to $15,650

48 Mount Tom Road New Rochelle, NY 10805 (914) 636-8130 Jill Newhouse, Director

Special programs: Vacation, gym, creative movement, music, field trips and sports clinic.

Summer enrichment Other: Licensed by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services and maintains compliance with all state and local regulations regarding the health and safety of children. Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

MAZEL TOTS AT SCARSDALE SYNAGOGUE TEMPLES TREMONT AND EMANU-EL 2 Ogden Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 723-3001 Jody Glassman, Director Philosophy: At Mazel Tots we provide a warm and stimulating environment which will help children to grow socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually. Our warm and nurturing staff will guide the children through a curriculum filled with a variety of childcentered and developmentally appropriate activities that are safe, fun and friendly. The children’s spiritual growth will be enriched by the study of Jewish holidays and traditions.

Enrollment: 110 children Student-teacher ratio: Varies with program.

A minimum of two teachers per class.

Calendar: September through late June Hours: 2’s, 9-11:30 a.m. Wednesday through Friday or Monday through Friday; 3’s and 4’s, 9-11:45 a.m. Monday through Friday and optional extended afternoons; Toddlers, 9:15-10:45 a.m. Monday and Tuesday (January through June); Parenting, 9:15-10:30 a.m.

Tuesday Fees: Vary according to program.

Special programs: Music, creative movement, sports, exercise, sign language, naturalist, science specialist and a variety of other special guests Other: We have a special education consultant on staff to help assess the children’s needs.

MOHAWK COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL 200 Old Tarrytown Road White Plains, NY 10603 (914) 949-2635 Carole Bouchier, Principal Ken, Barbara and Steve Schainman, Directors Philosophy: The Mohawk Day School is located on the 40-acre farm setting of the Mohawk Day Camps. Our commitment is to help children grow socially, physically, creatively and intellectually with a program balanced between child-initiated and teacherdirected activities.

Enrollment: More than 150 children Student-teacher ratio: 6, 7 or 8:1 Calendar: Mid-September through mid-June Hours: 3’s half-day program (Monday through Friday or Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday), 9:10 a.m.-12:10 p.m.; 4’s half-day program (Monday through Friday), 9:10 a.m.-12:10 p.m.; 4’s mini-day programs, 9:10 a.m.-2 p.m.; 4’s full-day program, 9:10 a.m.-4 p.m.; mini-kindergarten, 9:10 a.m.-2 p.m.; full-day kindergarten/first grade, 9:10 a.m.-3 or 4 p.m.

Fees: Vary with choice of sessions

723-3340 ~ 870 SCAR SDALE AVENUE

Philosophy: At Mount Tom Day School, we believe that a child’s school experiences are crucial to the development of positive selfesteem. By carefully designing our programs to provide low child-to-teacher ratios, experienced professional staff, opportunities for child-initiated activities and a healthy balance between play and “academics,” we optimize each child’s chance for success. An integral component of your child’s education here is the emphasis on respect for others, the fostering of successful relationships and the development of humanistic values.

Student-teacher ratio: 2’s, 4:1; 3’s, 6:1; 4’s, 7:1; 5’s to 6’s, 7:1 Calendar: Mid-September through early June Hours: 8:45-11:45 a.m. or 9 a.m.-noon (half day); 8:45 a.m.-3:15 p.m. or 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (full day) Fees: Half days, $5,735-$8,565 (3-5 days); full days, $10,065-$13,385 (3-5 days). Call for additional rates.

Special programs: Music, creative movement, Spanish, American Sign Language, Great Artists (all included in curriculum). Art, music, science and nature, magic carpet, cooking, soccer, dance (all cultural enrichment classes separate fee). Full eight-week Mount Tom Day Camp program (half and full days).

Other: Located on the 10-acre former estate of J.C. Leyendecker, famous American illustrator, providing beautiful outdoor recreational space. School is housed in a 19room mansion providing spacious classrooms.

OUR LADY OF FATIMA SCHOOL 963 Scarsdale Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 723-0460 Sharyn O’Leary, Principal Philosophy: Our Lady of Fatima is a school whose foundation is solidly built on Catholic values. The Catholic faith is at the core of each curriculum setting. In addition to daily religious education and sacramental preparation, CONTINUED ON PAGE 41A

MARCH 23, 2012

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The Scarsdale Inquirer 2012 I PRESCHOOL GUIDE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 40A

religion is infused into every aspect of our wellrounded educational program.

Enrollment: Average annual enrollment 185 children Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 in pre-K; 12:1 in kindergarten; 19:1 in grades 1 to 8 Calendar: September through June Hours: Pre-K to grade 8, 8:10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (extended hours available until 5:30 p.m.)

Fees: $6,400 for full-day pre-K ($7,500 for nonparishioners); $5,300 for full-day kindergarten ($6,700 for nonparishioners); family discounts for two or more students in grades K to 8 Special programs: Pre-K and kindergarten receive enrichment classes in art, music and computers. Grades 1 to 8 receive the above and gym, foreign language, band and sacramental preparation. Breakfast and hot lunch as well as transportation (from most districts) are available.

Other: Middle States Accredited, exceeds New York State/Archdiocese of New York standards

RAINBOW NURSERY SCHOOL 130 North Central Ave. Hartsdale, NY 10583 (914) 949-3736 www.rainbow-nursery-school.com Gale Kelleher, Director Philosophy: Rainbow Nursery School is an early childhood program dedicated to making your child’s first experience outside of their home a positive and happy one. Our goal is to introduce children to the three “S’s”: to learn to socialize — the ability to play with other children harmoniously; to share — for most children, this is the first experience in a group setting, where they can learn to respect each other and cooperate; and, to acquire self-esteem — a feeling of confidence in themselves and in their abilities.

THE RIDGE STREET COUNTRY SCHOOL INC.

SCARSDALE COMMUNITY BAPTIST NURSERY SCHOOL

431 North Ridge St. Rye Brook, NY 10573 (914) 939-5460 info@ridgestreetcountryschool.com www.ridgestreetcountryschool.com

Popham and Autenrieth roads Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 722-0278 www.scbns.org

Barbara Schori, Director Philosophy: We are committed to individuality, innovation, creativity and hands-on interactive experiences. We hope to build a strong foundation for each child and to stimulate a lifetime love of learning. Our school has a personality all its own. Our program is multifaceted, fun and varied. Our children explore, discover and interact with their peers using many types of materials and equipment. We look forward to welcoming your family to ours.

Enrollment: 80 children per session Student-teacher ratio: Toddlers, 5:1; 3’s, 7:1; 4’s, 8:1 Calendar: School: mid-September through the first week of June; summer program: end of June through mid-August Hours: 3’s and 4’s, 9-11:40 a.m. or 12:50-3:40 p.m.; Toddlers, Monday/Wednesday/Friday or Tuesday/Thursday 9:15-11:30 a.m. or 1:153:30 p.m.

Special programs: Music, science, movement, cooking and daily outside play.

Limited local transportation; extra fee applies Other: Registered with the New York State Department of Education

Elaine Ferraro, Director Philosophy: The Scarsdale Community Baptist Nursery School, established in 1961, is celebrating 51 years in the community as a nonsectarian program welcoming all children. We strive to create safe, nurturing, child-centered environments that are ageappropriate. We are concerned with all aspects of a child’s development: emotional, social, physical, cognitive and creative. Our aim is to help each child gain a positive self-image, to encourage independence and to stimulate the child’s enormous capacity to learn during these preschool years. Call for a tour of our sunny classrooms located on the first floor.

Enrollment: 35 children Student-teacher ratio: 3’s, 7:1; 4’s, 8:1 Calendar: September through June Hours: 3’s attend three or five mornings per week, 9-11:30 a.m.; 4’s attend the pre-K program five mornings, 9-11:40 a.m.

Fees: (2012-13) Three mornings, $3,700; five mornings, $4,500 Special programs: Music and movement; community service visits; local trips; stateof-the-art playground; five-week summer program, which runs from June through July for children between the ages of 3 and 5.

SCARSDALE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH NURSERY SCHOOL 1 Heathcote Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 723-2440 www.scc-ucc.org (under Education menu) Virginia Clark, Director Philosophy: We are a nonsectarian, multinational school offering a developmentally appropriate program in a warm, friendly atmosphere for children. We provide a safe and nurturing environment that promotes the social, emotional, cognitive and physical development of young children.

Enrollment: 56 children Student-teacher ratio: 2’s, 9:2; 3’s, 8:1; 4’s, 9:1.5 Calendar: Follows Scarsdale school calendar except for three days in November when school is closed for the church fair Hours: 2’s: 9:15-11:15 a.m.; 3’s: 9-11:30 a.m.; 4’s: 9-11:45 a.m.

Fees: 4’s, five mornings $4,650; 3’s, five mornings $4,600; 3’s, three mornings $3,500; 3’s, two mornings $2,600; 2’s, three mornings $3,600; 2’s, two mornings $2,700. Registration fee, $200.

Special programs: Creative movement specialist, music specialist, Spanish classes, environmental series, field trips, Thanksgiving feast, holiday tea, 911 program, and parents sharing their talents. Afternoon enrichment program of music and the arts for 3’s and 4’s.

Home visits at beginning of year. A six-week, four-day-a-week summer program for 3’s, 4’s and 5’s in July and August.

SCARSDALE FRIENDS NURSERY SCHOOL

Student-teacher ratio: 2’s, 5:1; 3’s and 4’s, 8:1

133 Popham Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 472-6550

Calendar: September through June Hours: 2’s, two-day Tuesday and Thursday, 8:45-11:15 a.m.; 3’s, three-day Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:45-11:15 a.m.; 4’s, four-day pre-K Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, noon-2:30 p.m.

Abigail Dowd, Director Philosophy: In an atmosphere of warmth and acceptance, we foster self-esteem and positive social relationships while providing an intellectually stimulating environment.

Each child participates in activities that lead to experiencing the joy of observing, exploring, discovering and creating. Our school is guided by Quaker principles of nonviolence and respect for the individual.

Fees: (2012-13) Two days: $2,500; three days: $3,500; four days: $4,200 Special programs: July camp Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Music with Miss Rhea (for info contact her at 299-4954 or missrhea@optonline.net).

Special visits from the firefighters in Hartsdale and pediatric dentistry and orthodontics specialist Dr. Daniel “Dr. Dan” de la Torre.

Please call for a visit.

Enrollment: 39 children Student-teacher ratio: 2’s, 3:1; 3’s, 5:1; CONTINUED ON PAGE 42A

723-3340 ~ 870 SCAR SDALE AVENUE

PAGE 42A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

Kids!

MARCH 23, 2012

The Scarsdale Inquirer 2012 I PRESCHOOL GUIDE Tot Shabbat, family programs, mini-camp and summer play place

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41A

4’s, 8:1 Calendar: Mid-September through June.

Same as Scarsdale schools for vacations and closings

Other: The ECC is licensed by NYS Department of Children and Family Services. All classes are staffed by certified teachers and a part-time social worker on staff is available to all parents.

Weekly music and movement program provided for all classes. Judaic specialist on staff.

Organized activities with an athletic coach.

Hours: 2’s, 9-11:30 a.m. Tuesday-Wednesday and Thursday-Friday, 2’s classes of six children; 3’s, 9-11:45 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 4’s, 9-noon Tuesday through Friday Fees: 2’s: $3,700; 3’s: $4,200; 4’s: $5,800

YWCA CHILDREN'S LEARNING CENTER

Special programs: Music, nature, cooking, chick and butterfly hatching

515 North Street White Plains, NY 10605 (914) 949-6227 www.ywcawpcw.org rheumann@ywcawpcw.org

ST. JAMES THE LESS NURSERY SCHOOL Crane Road at Church Lane Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 723-1018

Rhonda Heumann, Director

Carmelita Bota, Director Philosophy: At St. James the Less Nursery School we emphasize the development of the whole child — intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual. Our goal is to help children feel comfortable in their first school experience, make friends and become independent, self-confident learners that learn best at their own pace. We welcome children of all cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds in an effort to foster diversity that makes up our community. We have two spacious playground areas where children have the opportunity to climb, run and ride on the tricycle track. On rainy days we use the spacious Parish Hall for creative movement and games.

Enrollment: 50 children. Limited openings for fall 2012.

Student-teacher ratio: 2’s, 5:1; 3’s, 7:1; 4’s, 8:1 Calendar: September through June, plus sixweek summer camp from June-August Hours: 2’s, 9:15-11:15 a.m.; 3’s and 4’s, 9-11:45 a.m.

Fees: Call for fees Special programs: Music and movement specialists weekly, annual art show, Mom and Dad visiting day, community helpers (dental hygienist, firefighters, police officers), Halloween, Thanksgiving feast and breakfast with Santa.

TEMPLE ISRAEL CENTER NURSERY SCHOOL 280 Old Mamaroneck Road White Plains, NY 10605 (914) 948-2800 Ext. 126 Patty Goldstick, Director Philosophy: In a warm and nurturing

environment, we provide a highly individualized program that helps children reach their full potential as Jews and socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically. Each child is encouraged to make choices, to initiate activities and to develop skills to enhance his or her total development.

Enrollment: 75 students Student-teacher ratio: Toddlers, 4:1; 3’s, 6:1; 4’s, 7:1 Calendar: September through early June.

Summer program: June 25 to Aug. 8 Hours: 2’s, 9-11:45 a.m.; 3’s, 9-11:45 a.m.; 4’s, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon Friday; Extended days for 3’s, Monday and Wednesday until 2 p.m.; Extended days for 4’s, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday until 2:30 p.m.; Lunch Monday-Thursday until 1 p.m.

Fees: (2012-13) Two morning 2’s: member $3,788, nonmember $4,735; three morning 2’s: member $4,956, nonmember $6,195; five morning 2’s: member $6,878, nonmember $8,598; three morning 3’s: member $4,848, nonmember $6,060; five morning 3’s: member $6,808, nonmember $8,510; five morning 4’s: member $8,407, nonmember $10,509.

Special programs: Workshops for parents with invited professionals and members of the synagogue clergy. Toddler programs: Mommy and Me and Parenting Center play and discussion group for mothers and toddlers (12-24 months). Music, nature and creative movement specialists meet with the children monthly.

Other: Licensed by NYS Office of Children and Family Services. Nut free, allergy sensitive and green environment.

WESTCHESTER REFORM TEMPLE EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER 255 Mamaroneck Road Scarsdale, NY 10583 (914) 723-5493 www.wrtemple.org sue.tolchin@wrtemple.org Sue Tolchin, Director Philosophy: Westchester Reform Temple’s Early Childhood Center (WRT ECC) is dedicated to enriching young children’s lives socially, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually and physically. The setting respects all people and learning styles, stimulates creativity and encourages a child’s active curiosity about the world in which we live. Through art experiences, dramatic play, manipulation of materials, interaction with teachers and classmates and guided exploration, children construct their understanding of the world and acquire the social, intellectual and physical skills which serve as the foundation of their later success in school.

Enrollment: Varies from year to year Student-teacher ratio: 2’s, 4:1; 3’s, 6:1; 4’s, 8:1 Calendar: Follows Scarsdale School District Hours: Temple Tots class with social worker: 2’s, 9:15-11:30 a.m. (three-, four- or five-day options); 3’s and 4’s/pre-K (five days) 9 a.m.noon; with options for lunch and afternoon electives ending at 2:30 p.m.

Fees: Vary according to program Special programs: Infant, Babies and Bagels classes at no cost. After-school enrichment/ extended day, parents and caregiver programs,

723-3340 ~ 870 SCAR SDALE AVENUE

Philosophy: The programs of the Children’s Learning Center embody the ideals of the YWCA — peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all people and the elimination of racism. Our program is unique amongst other programs in the area since our facility is equipped with two creative fenced in outdoor playground areas with safety matting. In addition, we have an Olympic-size swimming pool and an 8,000 square feet air-conditioned gymnasium. We help children through: embracing and celebrating diversity of the various cultural differences of our families; the exploration of the world around them and play; multi-sensory activities that engage all the children’s senses; encouragement and development on an individual level (social, emotional, physical, cognitive, creative and aesthetic); building caring staff-child relationships; and fostering a partnership between parents and teachers, encouraging open communication and mutual support.

Enrollment: 170 children from infancy-5 years old Student-Teacher Ratio: Based on New York State Office of Children and Family Services regulations Calendar: School calendar from SeptemberJune or 50 weeks per year Hours: Part-time: 9:15-11:45 a.m.); extended day: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; full day: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Early morning drop-off options at 7 or 8 a.m. is available. Late pick-up until 3:45 p.m. for extended day program.

Fees: Call 949-6227 ext. 142 Special Programs: Enrichment activities are part of our Creative Curriculum, including Musical Munchkins and nature. Based on the age of the child and the program he or she is enrolled in, opportunities to experience gymnastics, swim, soccer, karate, Talk n’ Drum and science specialist are part of the program.

MARCH 23, 2012

Kids!

THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER |PAGE 43A

PAGE 44A | THE SCARSDALE INQUIRER

Kids!

Kids Bedrooms

Baby, Kids & Teen Furniture

Bedding • Lighting •Rugs • Accessories • Mattresses

Over 50 Collections to Choose From Finely Crafted • Lasting Style • Best Quality • Northern Westchesters’ Largest Kids Furniture Showroom • Country, Vintage, Cottage, Traditional, Modern & Eclectic Styles • 20+ Colors & Stains, Many Hardware Choices, Free Computer Planning • Dovetail Drawers, Drawer Glides, Solid Wood, Safety Features.

Open 7 days • www.countrywillowkids.com • 914-241-7000

230 Route 117 By Pass Road, Bedford Hills

MARCH 23, 2012