Chill Kids 2015-03 March NC Triangle Educational Family Magazine

ChillKids

March 2015

Fun Family Educational Resource of Chapel Hill • Carrboro • Hillsborough • Durham • NC Triangle

Spring Fun in the NC Triangle!

Puzzles NASA Space Place Louisa May Alcott Leaping Lemurs!

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by Liz

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ChillKids is your LOCAL award-winning educational family resource magazine for parents, grandparents, children, and educators K-5th grade in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough/Orange County, Durham and the NC Triangle.

HAVE FUN READING & LEARNING with ChillKids, now also featuring the Kid Scoop award-winning Newspaper in Education (NIE) program, educational puzzles and games (a 2013 Parents' Choice award winner).

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2 www.ChillKids.com/news March 2015

ChillKids

Welcome March!

Chapel Hill/Carrboro/Hillsborough/ Orange & Durham Counties' Fun Family Educational Resource PUBLISHER/EDITOR Kate Look kate@ChillKids.com For Sponsorship Information, or to request (FREE!) K-5 distribution for your school, contact us at: (919) 951-4410 www.ChillKids.com/news ChillKids 1818 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, #210 Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Copyright © 2015 ChillKids. All rights reserved. No part of this issue may be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without permission of the publisher.

Neither participating advertisers nor the publishers will be responsible or liable for misinformation, misprints or typographical errors. The publishers reserve the right to edit any submitted material. ChillKids is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or other material.

Children's art submissions should include name, address, telephone number, and permission to publish signed by a parent or guardian.

Bounce into Spring by getting your teeth clean!

March means Spring is on its way! Spring starts March 20, and you are probably ready for it after all of the snow and ice this winter. March is a fun month with lots to do here in the North Carolina Triangle! The St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival takes place in Raleigh on Saturday, March 14, and there are so many fun things to do around town as we look forward to Spring's arrival and warmer weather. Be sure to check out the calendar every month for fun family events, and visit www.CHillKids. com for year-round family fun in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham, Hillsborough and the entire NC Triangle.

Did you know that March is National Women’s History Month? On page 4, read about writer Louisa May Alcott, author of a classic book called Little Women (still very popular more than 145 years after it was originally published) . On page 7, read about the Indian tradition for welcoming Spring: the colorful, festive Holi celebration.

This month we'll also learn about the lemurs at the Conservators Center in Burlington, North Carolina (page 13), and we'll learn about the island country Madagascar, the lemurs' native home (page 12). Since March 22nd is Goof Off Day, check out the goofy puzzles on page 14, and have fun completing the fill-in-theblank story with your family or a friend. Take time to goof off, relax, or just go for a family walk.

Don't forget Pi Day is on March 14th! Read about ways you can celebrate Pi Day in your classroom and at home, and listen to a song written in musical notes to reflect Pi (3.14159265359. ...) performed by Michael John Blake . (To listen to the Pi song, ask a parent to visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOQb_mtkEEE). Write your own Pi song, and make a Pi-themed Pie! Math is fun!

Have a marvelous March!

It’s a smile-lib!!

Fill in the blanks to be the author of your own story.

Then read it to your friends & make them smile!

Once upon a time, a little ____________ named __________ had __________ (small animal)

(boy name)

(big number)

teeth. His teeth were really ________and _________. He wanted _________ (yucky adjective)

(yucky adjective)

(opposite of ugly)

teeth so he could smile ________ times a day! His______________took him (another big number)

(adult you live with)

to the ___________ in their ______________. The dentist cleaned his teeth (teeth doctor)

(type of transportation)

and made them really ___________. The dentist told him to brush and floss (shiny adjective)

___________ times every_____________. He told him to eat lots of _________ (number after 1)

(365 of these in a year)

DON’T FORGET! Brush your teeth for at least 2 MINUTES, 2 TIMES A DAY!

(favorite fruit)

and ____________. The little _______________ was so excited to have a (favorite vegetable)

(small animal from above)

_________________smile that he shouted from the top of the __________, (describe the sun)

(A really BIG place)

“Yay! My smile is fabulous!”

Dr. Lenise Clifton & Dr. Charles Mauney 77 Vilcom Center Drive Suite 310 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 919-933-1007 www.cliftonandmauney.com March 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

3

Louisa May Alcott Louisa May Alcott was born on November 29, 1832, the second oldest of four girls. Her love for her sisters helped her to become one of America’s most beloved authors!

Louisa’s family did not have much money. To help out, Louisa started taking on as many jobs as a young girl could find. She read for an elderly man and his sister. Louisa and her sister Anna taught young children and mended and washed laundry.

Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women in 1868 and 1869, after her publisher asked her to write a book that would appeal to young female readers. Little Women reflects events of her own life, growing up with her sisters in New England. Little Women is still popular today, more than 145 years later!

In addition to her writing, Louisa May Alcott also edited a children’s magazine, was a school teacher, and served as a nurse in the Civil War.

Despite the family’s financial hardship, Louisa’s parents encouraged her to follow her dreams and to hold on to her freedom in life. In 1852, Louisa’s first poem was published in a magazine, and she earned her first money from writing.

As a child, Louisa and her family moved to Boston, Massachusetts where her father, Amos Bronson Alcott, set up a school based upon his beliefs about education. Amos had very advanced ideas about childhood and education. In fact, many people believe he is the founder of a favorite part of the school day: recess!

RMUETGL

In 1862, Louisa went to Washington, D.C. to serve as a Civil War nurse (caring for wounded soldiers on both sides). Like many other nurses, Louisa contracted typhoid fever. Although she got better, mercury in the medicine caused her suffering for the rest of her life. In Washington, D.C., Louisa continued to write and published two more books.

Her publisher, Thomas Niles, then asked her to write “a girl’s story.”

Having spent her life with three interesting sisters, Louisa wrote Little Women based on her own experiences. The novel, published in 1868, was an instant success. It has now been a favorite book for generations!

Puzzle Answers on page 12.

Use the code to find out the name of Louisa’s first published poem.

BJTOV

TARMBYM

WBAEGTLHP

“I b__l__ __ve sch__ __ls sh__ __ld be a pl__ce wh__r__ ch__ldr__n enj__y l__ __rn__ng!”

B= G= H=

I= L= N=

S= T= U=

Put the vowels back in this sentence to find out what Amos Bronson Alcott believed about education.

Two of the books below were not written by Louisa May Alcott. Do the math and cross out the two books with odd-numbered answers.

Standards Link: Number Sense: Calculate sums and differences.

Discover the names of the sisters in Little Women by crossing out every other lettter below.

In 1855, her first book, Flower Fables was published.

19 + 7 =

21 - 9 =

18 - 5 =

12 + 14 =

14 + 8 =

16 - 7 =

©Vicki Whiting

Childhood & Challenges

Writing Success

Standards Link: Spelling: Spell grade-level appropriate words correctly.

4 www.ChillKids.com/news March 2015

KIDS IN THE NEWS

Buddy Bench: Helping Kids Put Kindness First on the Playground

Have you ever felt left out on the playground? Christian Bucks, a Pennsylvania elementary school student, came up with a great idea for helping kids make friends, and making sure other kids have friends too: a buddy bench. Christian suggested a buddy bench could be the solution for kids feeling lonely and left out on the playground.

How does the buddy bench work? If a student feels lonely, or has nothing to do, they can go to the buddy bench. Soon, another student will come to the bench and ask if they want to talk or play. ©Vicki Whiting

Christian learned about the buddy bench idea when he read about a buddy bench at a school in Germany. “I thought it was a great way to help kids who feel lonely or left out from time to time,” remembered Christian.

Christian explained his idea to his principal, Matthew Miller. “Mr. Miller checked around and found a bench that would work for our school,” Christian said.

Photos courtesy of York Daily Record/Sunday News

Principal Miller described Christian as a P.R.O.U.D. (Polite Responsible Outstanding Understanding Dependable) student, who loves making friends and making sure others have friends. Christian’s local newspaper, The York Daily Record, published an article about Christian and his buddy bench. The story went viral on social media, shared again and again by people online.

Thousands of people read about this awesome idea.

Now more than 500 schools around the world (in eleven countries) have installed buddy benches — both across the United States, and in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, Italy and Canada, according to Christian’s family, which has kept track of the growth, says The York Daily Record, which first reported the story.

A Winning Idea In 2014, Christian Bucks was one of eight honorees who received the Charlotte Bacon Act of Kindness award in Newtown, Conn. The awards were founded in memory of Charlotte Bacon, “to foster a kindness mindset in children and recognize special kids who complete acts of kindness,” according to the website.

Will you get a Buddy Bench for your school? Christian wants to know about it! Share your story with Christian and kids around the world at www.buddybench.org.

Imagine that you see another child who looks lonely or sad.

Would you try to make them feel better?

What would you say?

Talk about it with your family over dinner tonight. What ideas do family members have on this topic?

March 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

5

Earth’s Impenetrable Shield

By Alex H. Kasprak National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Sure, the sun is great. It’s nice to not live in a frozen wasteland, after all. But the sun is pretty terrifying, too. It sends a dangerous stream of fast-moving electrons, protons, and other even smaller particles, called photons, toward Earth.

Now, scientists have new information from a pair of NASA probes sent into orbit back in 2012. The big discovery is about the edge of the outer donut that is closest to Earth. It’s pretty much an unbreakable shield against the fastest moving particles thrown at us by the sun.

Scientists have even called it “impenetrable.”

You may have heard of one of the ways Earth shields itself—the ozone layer. The ozone layer, which is high in the atmosphere, blocks much of the sun’s damaging UV radiation, which comes from the photons. But there’s another shield further away. This takes care of the larger, fast-moving particles—the electrons and protons. And scientists have just discovered how strong this other shield is.

Diagram of the two Van Allen radiation belts.

Credit: NASA/Goddard.

It’s pretty remarkable. These electrons and protons from the sun are traveling at nearly the speed of light.

But when they reach the end of the first Van Allen belt, they stop moving toward Earth.

Two giant swaths of radiation, known as the Van Allen Belts, surrounding Earth were discovered in 1958. In 2012, observations from the Van Allen Probes showed that a third belt can sometimes appear. The radiation is shown here in yellow, with green representing the spaces between the belts.

Image Credit: NASA/Van Allen Probes/Goddard Space Flight Center

Image: NASA

Two donut-shaped belts called the Van Allen belts surround our planet. Scientists have known about them for a long time. For the most part, the closer belt contains protons and the further belt contains electrons. Earth’s magnetic field shapes them and holds them in place.

Scientists are still not sure how or why this powerful shield exists or even how it works. But we should sure be thankful it’s there. Without protection from the sun’s damaging particles, Earth would be a different place!

THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Learn more about the sun in Space Place’s latest “Space Place in a Snap” http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sun-heat.

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6 www.ChillKids.com/news March 2015

Use crayons or watercolors to cover this boy in color for Holi.

he Indian festival called Holi is known as the Festival of Colors. It celebrates the coming of Spring.

This year, Holi will be celebrated March 6 through March 7.

To celebrate Holi, people have fun by smearing each other with paint and pelting each other with colorfully filled water balloons. Often, white clothes are worn, which makes the paint more obvious.

Work your way through these water balloons by moving from even-numbered balloon to even-numbered balloon. You can only move up, down, left or right, not diagonally.

Arjun Mishra and writes for is 13 years old E India’s premier ducation Edge, children. He sh newspaper for are about Holi on s his thoughts this page.

By Arjun Mishra

I had a bad experience after Holi once when I got so engrossed in playing with the color that I got home too late to take a bath and the water in the overhead tank ran out. I had to wait for hours drenched in the color before the water supply was restored. I learned my lesson—take your bath on time!

I particularly enjoy the festival in the company of friends and relatives, that is, when there are lots of people to be colored.

I enjoy preparing gujiyas (goo-jee-ah: a sweet, stuffed pastry) and mathris (maw-treez: a fried cracker) with my mother and sisters. My mother fries them in the pan, while we siblings do the rolling, cutting and filling part of it.

My favorite job is to do the filling, which gives me a chance to steal the tasty khoya, which is full of dry fruits.

Eating the gujiyas, as they come out of the pan is another cherished moment of the festival.

©Vicki Whiting

By Arjun Mishra

M Mr sEhRi p s U S be

Me

m

403 Westbrook Drive • Car rboro, NC 27510 • 919-929-5248 March 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

7

Melody is looking for her lost scarf. There were several in the Lost and Found box at school.

Read the description. Which scarf is hers?

©Vicki Whiting

Chapel Hill Pediatrics

& Adolescents

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TWO locations welcome NEW and established patients

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249 East NC Hwy 54, Suite 230 Durham, NC 27713

919-942-4173

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8 www.ChillKids.com/news March 2015

Sunday ,

1 HDarp.pSy eBuirstsh!day

Monday

2 18th Annual

Read Across America

Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisl's Birthday,

www.nea.org/ readacrossamerica

March 2, 1904

8 Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 am

15

9

March

Tuesday

3 Story Time

Ages 3 – 6 Tuesdays 10:30 am – 11:00 am and 3:30 pm - 4 pm

Wednesday Thursday

4

5

The Iditarod sled dog race begins today in Alaska.

Meet the mushers at www.iditarod.com.

Wednesdays 3:30 pm - 4 pm

Durham Public Library

Chapel Hill Public Library

10

11

12

Ages 3 – 6 Mondays & Tuesdays 10:30 am – 11:00 am ALSO Tuesdays 3:30 pm - 4 pm Chapel Hill Public Library

Goof Off Day

23

(Saturday, March 14)

17

k's Patric

18

19

24

20

21

First Day of Spring

25 Lego Club Durham Public Library Wednesdays 3:30 pm - 4 pm

26

27

28

Make a list of the women who have made a difference in the world.

National Women’s History Month

31

born March 30, 1853

Vincent Van Gogh

30

Parade & Festival 10 am

3.14159

Relax, have fun & do the puzzles on page 14!

29

14 13 Pi Day Raleigh

St. Patrick's Day

St. Day

22

Saturday

7

6

Lego Club

Story Time

16

Full Moon

Friday

March 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

9

EARLY LEARNERS Which broccoli comes next in each row?

B is for Broccoli b is for broccoli Learning Buddies: Read the two phrases aloud. Have your child read with you. Trace the uppercase and lowercase letter B. Say the letter as you trace it.

How many words or pictures can you find on this page that start with the B sound like the word broccoli?

I think that I Shall never see Something as lovely As a broccoli tree.

How many

?

How many

?

How many

?

Learning Buddies: Trace and say the number. Read the questions. Touch and count to find the answers.

Learning Buddies: Read the first part of the sentence aloud. Ask your child to think of a way to finish the sentence. Write your child's words in the lines. Read the entire sentences to your child while pointing out that reading is done from left to right. Older children may want to trace all or some of the letters in the sentence.

©Vicki Whiting

KID’S MEALS… more than just yummy!

The Mardi Gras Bowling Center SAVE 10%

• 12 choices!

• Free of: Artificial Trans Fat Processed MSG High Fructose Corn Syrup Artificial Colors & Dyes • Many less than $ .00!

• KID’S MEALS INCLUDE choice of Organic Apple Juice or Organic Milk

3

On bowling when you book your Child’s Birthday Party The Mardi Gras Bowling Center

And so much more...

Falconbridge Shoppping Center 6118-A Farrington Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 (919) 489-1230 www.MardiGrasBowling.com

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Expires December 31, 2015

Does not apply to food & beverage

10 www.ChillKids.com/news March 2015

MARCH 2015 Flick Picks Cinderella (In Theaters: March 13)

Home (In Theaters: March 27) Based on the book The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, Home follows the adventures of Oh, a loveable misfit from another planet, after he lands on Earth and finds himself on the run from his own people (the Boov).

In this new version of the classic Walt Disney 1950's animated musical story, prepare to be swept away by lush scenery and music, and an all-star cast of actors portraying the beloved Cinderella fairy tale!

When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her daughters.

Ella does not give up hope, however, and her fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger in the woods.

There are several new twists in this version; viewers may be as surprised as Ella is by her sudden, magical good fortune from the least expected places. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, "Cinderella" stars Lily James as Ella ("Cinderella"), with Richard Madden as Prince Charming, Cate Blanchett as Lady Tremaine (the Wicked Stepmother), and Helena Bonham Carter as The Fairy Godmother.

Rated G. 1 hr. 43 min. (Walt Disney Productions.)

After 5 pm, every Tuesday: 1 free kids meal per adult entree of $7.99 or more.

Also, if you bring in a current perfect report card, you get a free kids meal on any day! *Perfect report card offer only valid once per quarter, per child, not valid with any other offer.

He forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl named Tip (voiced by Rihanna) who is on a quest of her own. Through a series of comic adventures with Tip, Oh (voiced by Jim Parsons) comes to understand that being different and making mistakes is all part of being human. And while he changes her planet, and she changes his world, they discover the true meaning of the word HOME. Rated PG for mild action and some rude humor, 1 hr. 34 min.

(20th Century Fox, DreamWorks Animation.)

triangle youth ballet

Story Dance Theatre Camps The Sleeping Beauty Twelve Dancing Princesses Cinderella Swan Lake Coppélia

La Bayadére Le Corsaire Cinderella with regular classes all summer!!

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Photography by Rosa Ashdown

Summer Ballet Academies

The Triangle Youth Ballet is a 501(c)3 non-profit and a member of the North Carolina Center for Non-Profits.

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March 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

919-932-2676

11

Found about 500 miles off of the east coast of Africa, Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. It is made up of a red rock that crumbles into red dirt. Rains wash the red dirt into rivers, turning them red.

Looking for a long, lost cousin? The people of Madagascar call one of their island mammals a babakoto which means “cousin to man” in their language.

More than 100 million years ago, Madagascar broke away from the continent of Africa. For thousands of years it inched away from the mainland of Africa.

During that time the plants and animals slowly changed, eventually looking different from many of the African plants and animals.

The babakoto is the island’s largest type of lemur.

Lemurs are related to the primate family of apes, monkeys, and human beings.

The baobab tree grows in other parts of the world, but not quite the same way it grows in Madagascar. In other parts of the world, the baobab tree has a narrow trunk and a full crown of branches. In Madagascar the tree has a huge, fat trunk. Some are as big as 75 feet (23 meters) wide!

Baobabs can live for thousands of years.

Their huge trunks are topped with a few scraggly branches that look more like roots.

That is why the trees look as if they are growing upside down.

Imagine three grown elephants lined up in one long line. That’s not even as wide as some baobab trees!

8

The babakoto has a furry black and white coat and uses its long, powerful lower legs to leap from tree to tree. They catch branches with their feet which have a thumb–just like human hands!

3

©Vicki Whiting

Standards Link: Earth Science: Plate tectonics; Life Science: When the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce; variation within a species increases the likelihood that some members will survive under changed conditions.

Finish

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SUBTRACTION SUDOKU

Perhaps the strangest-looking lemur is the aye-aye. It looks like it was made from the parts of different animals. It has teeth like a rodent, eyes like an owl. a bushy tail like a fox and ears like a bat.

The aye-aye uses its ears like radar, listening for tiny insects and worms moving inside trees. Ayes-ayes only come out at night and they are very shy. Few people have ever seen one.

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March Puzzle AnsWers COIN CAPER ANSWER: HDDN

1 6

1 3

4

5

2

5

2

4

3

6

1

2

6

1

4

4 3

5

5 1

3 6

2

ADDITION SQUARE ANSWER 9, 11, 6, 13, 0, 2, 10 ROAD RIDDLE: [+ x / ]

Louisa May Alcott Puzzle Answers (p. 4)

5

19+7=26

18 -5 = 3

14+8=22

(Odd #)

De-Coder Puzzle The name of Louisa May Alcott's first poem: Sunlight.

Names of the sisters in Little Women: Jo, Meg, Beth, Amy Fill in the letters (vowels): "I believe schools are a place where children should enjoy learning."

(Odd #) 21-9=12

12+14=26

16-7=9

How many different kinds of lemurs are there on Madagascar?

To find the answer, add the numbers on the correct path to the treetops.

Goofy Words Picture Words (p. 13) Keyboard Bellybutton Carpentry Beforehand Shoehorn Delightful Melody's Lost Scarf (p. 8): d.

12 www.ChillKids.com/news March 2015

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Leapin’ Lemurs at the Conservators Center - By Kasey Thornton, Communications Supervisor at the Conservators Center

This month we’re going way down south to learn more about two very special residents of the Conservators Center: ring-tailed lemurs Cookie and Jeremiah.

The Conservators Center, an exotic animal conservancy located in Burlington, NC, is home to nearly 80 carnivores. A carnivore is an animal whose teeth and stomachs have evolved to accommodate a diet consisting primarily of meat. What makes Cookie and Jeremiah such special residents of the Center is the fact that they are the only two non-carnivores (and the only two primates) who live there!

Ring-tailed lemurs are omnivores, meaning they eat mostly fruits and vegetables... but won’t say no to the occasional insect that crawls by.

Can you guess where ring-tailed lemurs are from? We’ll give you a hint: they like to move it, move it... That’s right! Madagascar—a large island off of the southeastern coast of Africa—is the only place where ring-tailed lemurs can be found in the wild. It is widely believed by scientists that, millions of years ago, lemurs floated to this island paradise on rafts of leaves, sticks, and branches.

Lemurs rely on their sense of smell to communicate with other animals, and male lemurs mark their territories with scent by scratching tree branches with a spur on their wrists.

One of the silliest things about ringtailed lemurs is what happens when one troop bumps into another troop in the wild. As you probably know, many animals will fight using their teeth and claws, attempting to overpower one another with physical strength.

Instead, ring-tailed lemurs have "stink fights" by rubbing their wrists on their long, bushy tails, then waving their tails at their opponents!

The ring-tailed lemur is probably the best known of all the lemurs due to its long, black-and-white “ringed” tail. They are the ancient primate relatives of monkeys, apes, and humans.

Cookie and Jeremiah enjoy cuddling together outside on warm days. Image: Jesse Anderson.

Ring-tailed lemurs are diurnal, meaning they do most of their hunting, lounging, socializing, and working during the day, and sleep at night—just like you! They live in families called troops, which can include up to twenty or thirty lemurs at a time.

Then, an all-out “stink fight” begins! The two troops will turn their tails to one another and shake the smell toward the other group. Whoever is the smelliest wins the fight! Could you imagine getting into a fight with a friend or sibling, and sniffing one another’s armpits to see who wins? Gross!

Jeremiah Ring-Tailed Lemur started out life as a pet, living alone with his owners in their house.

But as he got older, he got more aggressive, and his owners realized that his powerful instincts were more than they could handle. So this personable, strong-willed little dude went to live at the Conservators Center.

The staff at the Center did everything they could to make Jeremiah comfortable and happy, including asking the Duke Lemur Center in Durham for advice on how to provide high-quality, comprehensive care for primates. Jeremiah loved visits from his favorite animal keepers, and liked riding on their shoulders and sniffing their hair and ears. But everyone knew that what Jeremiah really needed was a lemur companion to make him happy.

Unfortunately, ring-tailed lemurs are considered an endangered species. Because they are only found in the forests of southern Madagascar, habitat loss and hunting are big problems for this fascinating species.

At the Conservators Center, Jeremiah and Cookie can usually be found hanging out, playing, or cuddling together in their habitat, which includes a large indoor space for chilly days and a tall, outdoor silo with platforms, swings, rope bridges, toys, and hammocks… everything these tiny primates need to stay happy and active.

Primates require different kinds of enrichment than big cats. The Center’s staff are always thinking up new ways to keep Jeremiah and Cookie mentally stimulated. Image: Jesse Anderson.

Although the lemurs at the Conservators Center do not dance and sing, they would certainly be excited if you’d “move it, move it” out for a tour so you can learn more about their species, and see their leapin’ lemur antics in action!

When the Conservators Center was contacted by an over-crowded zoo about a female ring-tailed lemur named Cookie, they leaped at the offer, thrilled that Jeremiah would finally have another primate in his space full-time to play with, learn from, chatter to, and socialize with.

Jeremiah Lemur in the snow at the Conservators Center. Image: Taylor Hattori.

What no one told Jeremiah was that ring-tailed lemur troops are led by a single dominant female, or matriarch.

That means that, from the moment he and Cookie were introduced, she started bossing him around! Jeremiah wasn’t used to being told what to do, and didn’t understand why Cookie kept pinching him whenever he tried to eat first, snatch treats from her, or not share his toys.

Jeremiah wasn’t being rude… he’d just never interacted with another lemur before! Cookie was very firm, but patient.

After a few months, Jeremiah got the hang of their little matriarchal society, and they have been best friends ever since.

Cookie enjoying a snack. These yummy little nuggets—called monkey biscuits—contain vital nutrients for a healthy lemur. Cookie loves them! Image: Ron Smith.

Read more about the Center’s lemurs and the great fun they have with one another at their home at www.conservatorscenter.org.

March 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

13

...

there is an official day in March just for goofing off?

March 22 is National Goof Off Day! Have fun creating the goofy story with your family or a friend (ask them to give you a noun, verb, etc. as listed) to fill in the blanks.

How many goofy things can you find in this picture?

On the island of _____________, Goof Off Day is celebrated with a _________ in the ____________ lagoon. For thousands of years, islanders have enjoyed the annual ____________ building contest.

The top prize is a bag of __________. The winner gets to ______ to a neighboring island for a vacation, and receives all the _____________ he or she can carry. It is customary to shout ___________ while juggling ___________ at the end of the day. Finally, there is the ____________ of the _____________.

Giant __________ have been carved to honor Goof Off Day, and these can be seen from miles away.

Standards Link: Language Arts: Grammar: Students use grammatical conventions.

Can you read these pictures?

Each group is a word.

Example:

E

F

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Use skills and strategies of the reading process to follow written directions.

14 www.ChillKids.com/news March 2015

 Math-A-Muse Look for Math-A-Muse Answers on page 12.

By Evelyn B. Christensen, Ed.D.





   

  



11 – 6

9–3

8–5

11 – 5

3–2

12 – 6

6–4

10 – 7

9–5

9–4

8–6

13 – 7



    

7–6

7–2

3

12 – 9

1

10 – 5

8 6

4 3

8–4



5



5–3





         START   2 5  3



5–4

1 10 – 8

 



 7–4

 

12

7

29 

March 21-28, 2015 15-22, 2014 Get your boots wet at a creek cleanup.

Explore hidden paths to find animals and plants. Enjoy outdoor family activities.

S M C K U F N L K D E R M Y N

B D A H Y V F U E F F A H Z A

C A N O E Q M H E T F H Y Z T

T A I A K M S E N Q U N M T U

O U S A L R W K I W E I C R R

S I Y J E T I A L F T J P W E

J A R T H L E L E V E Q Q S Z

K M A G Y T K W R D C O T E N

G W T B R G G R O H U R P R P

D L C X H I L C H E E B I P E

B J W S P U V R S A L N O H T

I O F T F O W E M M Q D Z Q D

O J J B R T Y T R U I N F M E

V J Q Z Q M N M S U G H U P G

P U N A E L C Y F S V A K B J

Creek Word Search CANOE CLEANUP KAYAK LAKE NATURE RIVER SHORELINE STREAM WATERSHED WETLANDS

www.DurhamCreekWeek.org

PRE-K THR OUGH GR ADE 12

Emerson Waldorf Summer Camp (Ages 4-18)

SUMMER MAGIC

Active, healthy summer days filled with music, drama, fort-building, woodwork, crafts, art, nature exploration, creativity, and imagination on our 54 acres of fields and farm. www.emersonwaldor f.org • 919 967 1858

March 2015 www.ChillKids.com/news

15

By Jan Buckner Walker

The Original Crossword Puzzle for Kids and Their Favorite Adults

™

The across clues are for kids and the down clues are for grown-ups!

Kids Across 1. This fish, which can be found in a can, makes a cool sandwich or salad at lunch 4. It's the time to rise and shine (If you do the first part, the sun will do the rest) 6. She's a little person who gets a little powder sprinkled on her bottom 7. A roaring flame everyone can enjoy (as long as it stays in its place) 8. You can't really smell an onion until you ____ it 10. Giddyup!: These leather seats make pony rides more comfortable 14. A man drove to an orchard.

Some people asked him why.

He said, "It has just what I need to make an ____ pie."

17. The nose knows that chicken soup smells really tasty, but it takes a mouth and a ____ to truly enjoy it 18. A hot drink that can warm

you up on a cold day 19. Many people like to put a stick of it in their hot cider 23. A smoke _____ lets everyone know you burned the toast (but it's better to be safe than sorry) 25. Give its bottle a little squeeze and you can make almost anything stick 26. Shake it off: This shaggy pet might smell funny for a little while after his bath 27. A smelly piggy place

busiest city is known as "The Big [14A]" 9. Body odor in a bottle (or Germany's fourth largest city) 11. Solid defense against sweat 12. Word of nose: Bakery's best publicity 13. Chain reaction: It makes fragrant dust as it turns a piece of wood into two 15. Type of pie whose aroma might give a Georgia native a warm, fuzzy feeling 16. Country whose foods fill our lives with the delicious aroma of oregano and garlic Parents Down 17.

Hay there: Home of a horse 1. Rosebud's location on the (and probable source of a stem certain unpleasant odor) 2. Hand-to-hand contact: It's 20.

Fragrant garnish on a glass not uncommon for it to of 18A have a brush with the 21. If you've got the drive to get contents of a tiny bottle that new ___ smell, a dealer 3. Heaven's scent: What you can offers a lot of opportunity do to cookie dough to make 22.

Sulfur is said to smell like folks' mouths water on arrival this food gone bad 4. Condition of the petals in 24.

Magazine's scratch-and-sniff the potpourri kris@kapd.com solicitation 5. Abbr. for the state whose

Show and Smell Puzzle answers on page 12.

™ KAPD ebooks now available on www.kapd.com

© 2015 KAPD, LLC

Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation

St. Patrick’s Day Word Find R H E Q Z N E E R G S B E L H

A E R C I L C S D O L G M U B

K J V L N G U L H A K A E Z F

BLARNEY STONE C E LT I C DA N C E DUBLIN EMERALD ISLE

V O B O H A O F R H C E R G F

W U E A L G D N D S O L A Z C

D O R R F C E V P I R I L O K

P P B O I Y F R Z R M C D X E

F A T N S N I A U I A L I D N

E R I N G O B R AG H F O U R L E A F C L OV E R GA E L I C GREEN HARP

P O R T I N G C E I H U S Q W

P O O A G A I O Y L S C L X G

N N E X D A R U B P R K E D G

E D N A L E R I N R E U J A T

IRELAND IRISH JIG L E P R E C H AU N LUCK

A Touchstone Energy Cooperative

K C I R T A P T N I A S O I B

L E P R E C H A U N G G I F G

C E L T I C N D U J Z N H Q H

PA R A D E POT OF GOLD R A I N B OW SA I N T PAT R I C K S H A M RO C K

Congratulations, 2014-2015 PEMC Bright Ideas Grant Winners!

ALAMANCE E M Yoder Elementary Jenness Enoch, Using Technology in Our Listening Center CASWELL Stoney Creek Elementary Teresa W. Perkins, Let the Fun Mathematical Games Begin!

Beth Kirby, I Can with an iPad! Samantha Lawrence, Engineering with Legos North Elementary Kelly Brandon, Click Clack Chirp Writing Stories with iPads DURHAM Little River Elementary Rebecca Maupin, Cell-ebrate Good Times, Come On! E K Powe Elementary Christine Akinnagbe, Outdoor Adventure Bags GRANVILLE Stovall-Shaw Elementary Dasie Roberts, Hooked on eReading ORANGE Orange Senior High Nina M. Daye, Let’s See What’s There!!!

Pathways Elementary Robin Leissner, LEGO Robotics Hillsborough Elementary Cindy Sinicrope, Flippin’ for High Achievement

ORANGE (cont.)

New Hope Elementary Kim J. Kelleher, Friends of the Nature Trail Carrboro High School Melissa Barry, Hands On Science Kara Watson, Building Math Self-Confidence with Robotics Grey Culbreth Middle Emily Quadrio, Robotics and Electronics!

Smith Middle School Kelly Sears and Cara Parsons, Capturing our Natural Environments PERSON Helena Elementary Theresa Torian, Getting Our Hands Dirty Susan Hess and Danielle Greene, The Sound of Music and Art: A Sound Sculpture North Elementary Kelly Pearce, iPads Open Doors Oak Lane Elementary Mark Robertson, Putting the Bass in Bass Bars!

Person High Tara Hubbard, Virtual Enterprise Tennessee Trade Fair April Olson, Digital Drawing Woodland Elementary Julie Goodwin, An Apple a Day to Bring Rigor Our Way Richard Hughes, I Pad, U Pad, In Healthful Living

Since the Bright Ideas Grant Program began in 1994, Piedmont Electric has awarded more than $350,000 to eligible local educators to provide innovative teaching projects not funded through traditional means. Piedmont Electric is proud to continue to award these grants to promote creativity in local North Carolina classrooms K-12. To learn more about the program and find out if your school is eligible, visit:

www.ncbrightideas.com

www.pemc.coop