Memphis Parent - August 2020

AU G U S T

2020

M E M P H I S PA R E N T.C O M

GET BACK-TO-SCHOOL READY! P L U S

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OUTSTANDING TEACHER

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AU G U S T

2020

EDUCATION ISSUE THINKING ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING?

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Local parents share their thoughts on the matter.

by Shara Clark

Tutoring for Success

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ON THE FARM

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BEING NEW (ONCE MORE)

Hutchison’s farm provides a unique learning experience.

by Shara Clark

Over 30 years helping students learn

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Math — Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, and Geometry

SCHOOL TIME?

ACT, SAT, GRE, PRAXIS, ISEE and more

Local districts plan for a safe return to education.

THE RUN-WALK MAMA

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Slowing down — mentally and physically — can be good.

by Monika Patel

By Toby Sells

NOW TUTORING ONLINE “Students Learn to Succeed”

A father offers tips to those bound for college.

by Frank Murtaugh

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Pamela Palmer, M.S., M.A., Ed.D. 901.331.6082 • pam@pamelapalmer.com

ONE STEP AHEAD

NEXT Memphis aims to provide accessible childcare.

By Samuel X. Cicci

8 DEAR TEACHER Helping children with numbers

BUILDING A BUSINESS

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12 OUTSTANDING TEACHER Celebrating unsung heroes

A local teen created a cosmetics line.

by Tyra Bridges

27 DAD LIBS It’s never too early to teach kids about racism

28 CALENDAR AND EVENTS Family-friendly fun all month long

OUR STAFF

Editor Shara Clark Art Director Bryan Rollins Advertising Art Director Christopher Myers Senior Account Executive Sloane Patteson Taylor Account Executive Michelle Musolf Production Operations Director Margie Neal Calendar Editor Julie Ray Social Media Coordinator Kalena Matthews

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Memphis Parent strives to provide information of value to all who are invested in our children’s future.

Memphis Parent is published by Contemporary Media, Inc. CEO Anna Traverse Fogle Director of Business Development Jeffrey A. Goldberg Editorial Director Bruce VanWyngarden Special Projects Director Molly Willmott Distribution Manager Carrie O’Guin Controller Ashley Haeger Digital Services Director Kristin Pawlowski P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 p: 901.521.9000 • f: 901.521.0129 Send advertising queries to: margie@memphisparent.com

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E D I TO R ’ S

N O T E

ALWAYS LEARNING PH OTO: COV ER KID E T H A N WI T H MOM A ND DA D

What a strange year 2020 has been. Certainly, none of us expected to experience the major curveballs thrown our way. It has been uncomfortable, scary at times, and eye-opening on many levels. Funny, last year we thought we knew what we were doing — with routines, schooling, parenting, work, and life in general. How quickly, and drastically, things can change. The past few months have really illuminated that fact.

The good thing is that we humans learn how to adapt. And while many of the obstacles we’ve encountered recently have required some serious adaptation, perhaps we’ve all by now found a tiny bit of balance amid the chaos — discovered new ways to navigate our current circumstances. This will be difficult, still, in the coming months.

As I write this in mid-July, daily COVID cases continue to spike here in Memphis.

Plans for schools reopening are precarious, at best. Remember that we are all in this boat, life rafts at the ready to support and encourage each other as best we can.

In this issue, planned and written in the midst of confusing times, we’ve put together a few features that look at the possible landscape of education in the 2020-21 school year, though that landscape is changing even now.

A few things won’t change, though. Among them, the need for affordable, accessible childcare, which NEXT Memphis is working on here in our city. The organization’s director Chloe Moore discusses (on page 10) the benefits of early childhood education and why creating an improved network of services is crucial, especially now.

In this month’s installment of Dad Libs (page 27), local father Jeff Hulett shares how he’s teaching his children — and himself — to be anti-racist, something I hope other parents are reflecting on, too, as long-standing injustices are being brought to the forefront to encourage positive change. It’s a good time to take a look at our own biases — intentional or not — and find ways to foster unity and equality.

As we move forward, I urge you to take a few quiet moments — take a walk and appreciate each blooming flower, admire your children playing and laughing, embrace the now as often as you can. The present moment is the only one you can control, and in that, you may find a glimmer of light and peace.

Shara Clark Editor

M E M PH I SPA R ENT.COM

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# 901F U N

Going out or staying in, lots of fun — and learning — lies ahead.

AUGUST

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Meet at the Wolf River Bateman Bridge in Moscow, TN. Wade in the river, play in the water, and search for small aquatic creatures. A perfect activity on a hot summer day for families and anyone interested in nature, and a great introduction to the beauty and biodiversity of the Wolf River ecosystem. 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Register online at wolfriver.org.

TPC Southwind hosts this tournament, beginning at noon. The day will consist of a round of golf, food, and fellowship, all while supporting the mission to provide healthy homes for local children and families. Register a team of four, an individual, or as an event sponsor. agapemeanslove.org. Call 323-3600 ext. 284 for more info.

Get dolled up and dapper in your beads, feathers, and zoot suits for a roaring ’20s party to benefit the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf (MOSD).

Enjoy a variety of food and cocktails from area restaurants, casino games, silent and live auctions, a wine pull, and dancing to live jazz music. Located at the Great Hall & Conference Center in Germantown, from 6:30 to 11 p.m. $100. 21+ event. mosdkids.org. 758-2228.

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Creative Life Preparatory School and Creative Life Early Childhood Training offers a unique opportunity for children and youth to be educated in a Christian, Creative and Exciting Environment.

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The Landers Center hosts the Mid-South Fair, through October 3rd. Rides, games, fair food, and more! Visit midsouthfair.com for more info.

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Join the annual Youth Villages 5K run/walk and 10-miler featuring post-race activities that include live music, refreshments, and children’s activities. The race is at Marsh Center beginning at 8 a.m. $20-$40. youthvillages.org.

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D E A R

T E AC H E R

HOW TO HELP YOUNG CHILDREN UNDERSTAND NUMBERS

What is the best way to teach young children how to begin to understand numbers?

— Want to Teach It takes time for children to understand the concept of numbers. They see a group of four blocks, but it takes a while before they can assign the number 4 to the group of blocks.

The best way for children to learn to develop number concepts is by having them handle everyday objects in your home. They should begin by sorting items, then ordering them in some way (smallest to largest, for example).

Next, children should be exposed to rote counting to learn the names of the numbers. The final step is one-to-one matching (like putting a cup with a saucer).

Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

• Sorting: Have your children sort laundry items into piles according to ownership. Socks are excellent for sorting into color and size.

• Ordering: Break spaghetti into a few differently sized pieces. Then have your children arrange them by size from shortest to longest.

• Counting: Begin by teaching the youngest children to count from one to five. When they are ready, extend the number to 10. Then play counting games at the dinner table.

• Matching: Ask your children how many will be eating dinner. Then have them count out the plates and cups that will be needed.

HELPING CHILDREN WITH DIVISION

My daughter, who is entering fourth grade, is still very weak in her knowledge of multiplication facts. Now, she is really struggling with division.

Could you please send me some ideas for helping to teach her division?

— Help

Math concepts are always challenging. Your daughter needs to know that the basic facts of division are really the multiplication facts.

Rather than learn the division facts separately, most children just turn the multiplication facts

By Peggy Gisler and Marge Eberts

around. For every multiplication fact, there are two division facts. Take 4 x 6 = 24. The two division facts are 24 divided by 6 and 24 divided by 4. Get your child in the habit of handling a problem like 24 divided by 4 by saying “four times what is twenty-four.”

There is a game called “Cross-Out” that will improve your child’s multiplication and division skills. It is not essential to work with long division problems if she understands the concept of division because these problems are typically solved on an electronic device.

To play “Cross-Out,” begin by making 36 cards numbered 1 through 9. Each number should appear on four cards. You also need to make a game sheet with 16 or more squares.

Fill in each square with a different answer to the basic division/multiplication facts you are teaching.

Next, shuffle the 36 cards and place them face down in a drawing pile. The top card is picked up and the number on it read aloud. If the called number divides evenly into a number on her game sheet, she selects a number to cross out on the game sheet. She can only cross out one number on a game sheet for each called card, even though there are other possibilities.

The game ends when she has crossed out all the numbers on the game card. This game can be played with several players, making it more fun.

Parents should send questions and comments to dearteacher@dearteacher.com or to the Dear Teacher website. ©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2020 8

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A U G U S T

2020

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By Samuel X. Cicci

F E AT U R E

ONE STEP AHEAD

NEXT Memphis aims to provide affordable, accessible childcare.

Early education is a crucial part of a child’s development process. Yet, so many childcare services are prohibitively expensive, leaving both kids and parents out of luck. Porter-Leath’s NEXT Memphis initiative, part of the First 8 Memphis education strategy, seeks to change the game by providing an affordable infrastructure of collaborating centers around town.

Memphis Parent spoke with NEXT Memphis director Chloe Moore on the benefits of early childcare and creating an improved network of services in the city.

Memphis Parent: What is the purpose of the NEXT Memphis initiative?

Moore: We know that childcare is one of the most essential services to support a community, both in terms of supporting children to be ready for school and life and also allowing families and caregivers to pursue a job or further education. Not only does it help little ones now and our adults now, but it really helps build our future.

In addition, early childhood professionals who work in the industry are some of the most passionate and talented folks, who are also raising the next generation of leaders, creatives, and thinkers. Supporting their work and making it feasible for them is a necessity. Since we’ve created a supportive infrastructure for childcare centers, the staff and childcare centers can now focus the majority of their time on children and families.

What drew you to this type of work?

I came into the early childhood field a bit by accident. I was working at a research firm and was doing a lot of work with refugee and immigrant entrepreneurship. They asked for an anthropologist to be on an early childhood project, and I was one on staff. They switched me, and I thought to myself, OK, 10

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A U G U S T

I’ll work on this project for three months and go back. But as soon as I got to speak to people who worked in early childhood education, I immediately felt in my gut that this was a different space. Every single person I spoke to, the first thing they talked about was a passion for children; very rarely did they talk about making money. In fact, the only time we ever discussed making money was so that their centers could stay in operation, and it never was about profits.

That really struck me because it was this field of people who are so dedicated to children and families and seeing their community do well, and who also aren’t given the appropriate resources. Those things had to change, especially because our education system doesn’t include what happens from 6 weeks through 5 years old as part of formal education, yet 90 percent of our brains develop in that period.

So these are the people who have some of the most critical jobs in terms of setting the foundation for child and human development, and yet they’re sometimes paid minimum wage. Whereas other teachers, while they still don’t get paid enough, are making a salary. There are huge discrepancies in the resources that are afforded for such an important task, and seeing the

passion of the people in this space, and how much of their own personal finances they would sacrifice, really committed me to helping this cause.

Last month, NEXT Memphis announced its first cohort of partner childcare centers.

How did you go about selecting those businesses?

For the selection process, we tried to make it as objective as possible. We gauged people’s responses to what quality looks like, what drives them in their work. Then, taking into account the resources we have, how do we best make a partnership with their visions? We had a set of criteria that was publicly available, and we went through a recruitment process where we invited hundreds of operators from Shelly County. We had about 120 people RSVP and about a hundred people come to the open houses.

They all filled out applications, and we went through an internal process of reviewing them and selected our first 11.

Why is it important for both children and parents to have access to early education programs?

Early childhood education is incredibly important because it sets up the foundation

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for learning throughout your life. As I mentioned, 90 percent of a child’s brain is developed by age 5. What that means is when children have nurturing learning environments, their brains develop in a way that has this beautiful architecture, where they have so many connections and pathways that, going forward, they can take in so much information.

Data locally and nationally shows that children who have access to early education programming before they reach kindergarten are outperforming their peers who did not have access. And those data points hold regardless of race or economic status.

There’s a statistic where in third grade, children switch from learning how to read to using reading to learn. When children make that switch, it allows them to use reading to continue their education. But when children fall behind, it’s really hard for them to catch up. That switch is the biggest predictor of

adult poverty for all education indicators.

Put very simply, when children don’t make that switch, they are more vulnerable to experience poverty as adults. In Memphis, where we have more than 260,000 adults living in poverty and a 45 percent child poverty rate in a city that is 65 percent or upwards of Black residents, that alone shows huge potential for racial disparities and generational poverty to continue.

When they can’t access childcare, not only do the children not receive the same level of support from a program as they should, but the parents or the caregivers are then forced to find other means of caring for their children. That can stunt what kind of jobs you’re able to take. In the most recent U.S. Labor Report, 70 percent of women who were not in the job force cited childcare as the No. 1 reason they weren’t working.

You can just imagine how many women are not able to pursue full-time work because

their priority is taking care of their children.

And that’s wonderful, but we shouldn’t make it a choice of survival, between caring for your children or having a job full-time.

For the first centers that you’ve partnered with, what does the cost model look like for parents who are looking to utilize these services?

Each of our partners, on average, will receive $300,000 worth of support. So it comes at virtually no cost to parents. That’s part of how we’re changing the business model.

We’ve worked with private philanthropy, private investors, and also the department of human services to shoulder this cost.

When thinking of how we increase quality and increase access to programming, we can’t put that cost on parents. For now, we are taking the cost of that and are working to hopefully get the state on board to fund this long-term.

For more information, visit porterleath.org.

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O U T S TA N D I N G

T E A C H E R

JESSICA HERNANDEZ

Jessica Hernandez, a fourth grade teacher at Compass Community School’s Orange Mound location, was introduced to the education field early on in life, having had a grandmother who was a teacher.

“I kind of grew up with her in the background,” says Hernandez. “She taught for many, many years. And eventually she retired, and then she went to go teach at a private school. She gave me the general influence to become a teacher.”

Growing up, Hernandez attended school in the Bolton area, and while in middle school, she had her first experience working with children within urban communities during a summer church academy. “It was very eye-opening, and I realized that this is where the most need is going to be,” she says. “That’s what really caught my attention … this is probably where I need to be.”

After she graduated high school, Hernandez attended the University of Memphis, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She started her teaching career within the Shelby County Schools district, splitting five years between Cherokee Elementary School and Belle Forest Community School.

After that, she switched over to teaching within the Memphis Jubilee Catholic School Network until they closed their doors after the

2018-2019 school year. The following school year, many of the remaining campuses reopened as Compass Community Schools, and Hernandez was able to continue teaching at the Orange Mound location.

“Just like any other school system in Memphis, they’re growing,” she says. “But considering that we’re in our founding year, I think Compass is a great place to work. I get a lot of support. I get a lot of feedback. I get a lot of recognition for my principles. I love the parents. They’re very involved. Compass is a great place to be.”

At Compass, Hernandez teaches all subjects, but her favorite subject to teach is math. A selfdescribed “math junkie,” Hernandez has realized her passion for mathematics during her teaching career, but it hasn’t always been her forte.

“When I was a kid, I was not very good at math,” says Hernandez. “Math was my weakness. And I grew up pretty much an average C student. It wasn’t until I became a teacher that I really learned how to work with numbers, how to understand numbers, and how to get children to

by Julia Baker understand numbers. It was such a weak spot for me as a child, but it’s a strong spot for me now as an adult; my passion is helping kids understand the things that I had the most trouble with.”

Hernandez says that although Common Core Math gets a lot of pushback, it has become an invaluable tool in her classroom.

“If I would have been taught Common Core Math as a child, I think that I probably would have been a lot more successful,” she says. “And because I am able to expand and teach my kids a lot more of a variety of strategies now than I was ever able to learn as a child, I think that really helps them see that math is not this big, scary thing.”

Hernandez centers much of the students’ learning around technology, using Google Classroom to post lessons, slideshows, videos, quizzes, and tests, and for students to share collaborative works with each other directly. Hernandez says she also incorporates programs like Khan Academy and Prodigy to help children understand math.

“I think it’s really important for kids to learn how to use technology in this ever-changing world we live in,” she says. “Because we are very fortunate to have technology at Compass, I can find ways to use it as much as I possibly can.”

In addition to using technology as a teaching tool, Hernandez says she also relies on a handson approach to teach her students, incorporating activities such as scavenger hunts, escape rooms, and construction of topographic maps of Tennessee.

“I am not a textbook type of teacher,” she says. “I do not like to sit and do lectures, so my kids are constantly moving around.”

More important than academics, however, is the connection Hernandez has forged with her students.

“If I don’t connect with my students and learn about who they are as people, if I don’t learn to accept them and recognize that I have a very wide classroom of diversity going on, then I will get nowhere,” says Hernandez.

“Building relationships is key. Get to know your children before you do anything. Get to know people. They are little humans. So know them, talk to them, laugh with them, play with them. And then, after you’ve done that, focus on the academics.”

We want to shine a light on your child’s teacher, or even a teacher who made a difference in your life.

Submit your nomination today by emailing teacher@memphisparent.com.

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Our students engage in active instruction by agile teachers who meet individual needs— whether on campus or learning from home.

With new health and wellness protocols in place, we’re ready for a strong start to the new school year! Learn more about our reopening plan at sgis.org/reopening.

Open House: November 5, 9am • 901.842.4600 • pds.school M E M PH I SPA R ENT.COM

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VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING FOR FALL 2020 Brooks is committed to keeping Mid-South students safe while providing activities inspired by artwork in Brooks’ collection that encourage students to build connections between visual art and other academic disciplines.

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Book a virtual group visit with the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art! Classes are 40 minutes in length Native Voices, 1950s to Now: and are available Wednesday through Fridayfor from10:00 to Understanding 3:00 PM via Zoom Art a New or Teams. visits May require17, at least On viewVirtual through 2020 10 participants, and include art discussion and an optional art-making lesson. For more information please contact edu@brooksmuseum.org.

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COV E R

S TO RY

By Toby Sells

School Time?

Local school districts plan for a safe return to education.

Anxiety abounds in the weeks leading up to the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, the first to begin during a global, ever-spreading virus pandemic.

Social feeds are filled with opinions, fears, rants, worries, and more as school districts have begun to roll out their plans for going back to school — when we’ve been told for months that home is the safest place to be.

Administrators of Nextdoor Memphis polled members on how schools should operate in the fall. In three days, more than 800 Nextdoor Memphis members voted in the poll.

Most of those said they were comfortable with distance learning only (winning 35 percent of the vote). Coming in second (with 24 percent of all votes) were those most comfortable with a blend of in-person classes and distance learning. Only 16 percent said they wanted classes to resume as usual this year, and 20 percent CONTINUED ON 16 M E M PH I SPA R ENT.COM

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said they wanted a regular return with some precautions.

Leaders with the county’s many school districts began working on a 2020-2021 school year plan when coronavirus arrived here in early March. As of this mid-July writing, nearly every district has outlined a plan to get students back in the books come this fall. Let’s take a quick look at those plans.

rather than asking teachers to translate current curriculums to a digital space. For this, all students will be provided a digital device and internet support as needed.

Face masks will be required for students, staff, and visitors in all buildings and on buses when school begins on August 31st.

Social distancing will be practiced. However, COVID-19 tests will not be required of teachers, staff, or students.

cials there are still exploring ways to achieve distance learning and a hybrid of distance and in-classroom education.

In schools, teachers, staff, and students will practice social distancing, hand-washing, and wearing masks. Areas will be cleaned and sanitized by students and staff. Lunches can be eaten in the lunchroom or classroom to help spread out students. Health screenings will be given daily to students and staff.

SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS At the end of June, the Shelby County Schools (SCS) district outlined a full plan with two basic options. The Strategic Action for Flexible Education (SAFE) plan allows parents to choose between a fully in-school option and a fully virtual model, with a promise that “our commitment is that the instructional content will remain consistent, continuous, and high-quality” for each.

Further, SCS said they would find an educational partner to provide ready-made digital content for teaching and learning,

GERMANTOWN MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DISTRICT Schools in the Germantown Municipal School District will open on August 6th.

But just how that will be done had not been announced as of press time.

Officials there have been working on the district’s Road to Reopen plan since early March. In a pamphlet about the plan, the district said “our first priority is establishing a safe and healthy way for students to return to in-person learning in classrooms with their teachers.” However, offi-

BARTLETT CITY SCHOOLS Bartlett City Schools (BCS) officials want to give students the opportunity to return this fall. Once a full plan is developed, it will be sent off to the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) for approval. A final decision on the plan is expected from BCS in mid-July (after our press deadline).

In a poll, most parents (71 percent) there said they were comfortable with sending their children back to school in the fall. The district is also developing plans for a hybrid model and a total distance learning

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model, too. If remote learning is required, resources and equipment will be available for BCS students.

Unknowns for BCS 2020-2021 year, though, include transportation, athletics, and after-school programs.

ARLINGTON COMMUNITY SCHOOLS The Reopen Arlington Community Schools (ACS) plan was slated for release on Wednesday, July 15th.

“As you know, the health guidelines have seemed to change daily, so our team has worked hard to ensure that there are options that meet the needs of all our families,” read a Facebook post from ACS. “Over the next few days, we will finish some final details and give our teachers and employees a chance to review it. We’ll then deliver it to all parents and students via email, text, website, and social media on the 15th.”

MILLINGTON MU NI CIPA L SCHOOL DISTRICT The Millington Municipal School District (MMSD) is also offering up three plans for the 2020-2021 school year: traditional inclass, all virtual, and a hybrid plan.

The traditional plan is what it sounds like. Students from pre-k to 12th grade will go to school five days a week. The all-virtual plan has students at home five days per week, and the decision “will be a semesterlong commitment.“ The hybrid plan is a complex mix of when students will be in school and not.

Pre-k through second-grade students will go Monday through Thursday, for example, while grades 3-12 students will only go twice a week. Students with last names beginning with A through J will go to school on Monday and Wednesday. Students with last names beginning with K through Z will go to school Tuesday and Thursday.

COLLIERVILLE SCHOOLS As of press time, Collierville Schools officials were hopeful their schools could open in August.

But teams there are now planning for four phases of reopening that align with state and county health guidelines. Phase 1 has no in-person classes. Phases 2 and 3 allow schools to open with different capacities and a blended model of in-person and digital instruction. Phase 4 has schools opened as normal but with procedures in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Top concerns for school officials have been how to limit contact with others, provide learning opportunities, enforce safety prevention measures, and support the safety and mental health of students, staff, and families.

The information provided here was current at press time. Please check with specific schools to confirm up-to-date 2020-21 plans.

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F E AT U R E

by Shara Clark

THINKING ABOUT HOMESCHOOLING? mother of two, says she will homeschool if necessary, but she worries that they’ll miss out on important social and life skills that might be better grasped in a classroom setting.

“I believe children need positive social interactions and to learn important life skills, like listening to a person that is not a family member,” Bell says. “I also would hate for them to miss out on building lifelong friendships. My kids have attended preschool and public school with most of the same kids their whole lives, which, in my opinion, builds a community bond that, in today’s world, is needed desperately.”

Two of yoga instructor Tasha Wellence’s children attend Independent School of Thought in Hernando, Mississippi, which is “more of a cottage school for homeschoolers,” she says.

One local parent, Joy Arwood, attributes her “They go to school two days and work from home the other days. Curriculum is done for me, and consideration to the plethora of resources they get plenty of social interaction. It is so nice available post-quarantine. “Teachers have to take the pressure off my kids and allow them gotten so creative! They’ve been making this to work at their own pace. The curriculum is so shift naturally for a while, with supplemental programs or Canvas/Google Classrooms,” much more fun and hands-on.”

Emily Nichols, an educator by trade, has she says. “It seems like now there are just as completed two years of homeschooling with two many online K-12 programs as there are online of her children — kindergarten and second grade. college courses, and we have cottage schools Nichols uses The Charlotte Mason Method, and homeschool Facebook groups popping up everywhere. COVID forced educators to adapt, specifically the Charlotte Mason Institute’s Alveary. and it makes me believe even more that my kid As for why she’s chosen this approach, she can get a rich education at home with me.” says, “I researched the methods and content Rebecca Bell, a small business owner and

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that traditional school models offered, and I wanted something different for my children.

Only recently — the last few years — have school districts moved toward flexible seating and increased play times for elementary school children. State testing is still in place, and that isn’t consistent with what research indicates aligns well with the way children learn best.

Additionally, I wanted to be with my children rather than have them spend the majority of their daytime hours away from me.”

Many parents don’t know where to begin when they think about homeschooling, Nichols says. “It’s important to understand the underlying philosophies of education. It’s vital to choose a philosophy and let that set of ideas and beliefs and understandings shape our choices.

One of the reasons I have chosen to homeschool is that the Charlotte Mason Method aligns most closely with my own personal philosophy of education and learning.”

Nichols suggests that parents visit eclectichomeschool.com/homeschool-philosophiesquiz to see what type of learning environment might work best for their children. “Some students need to be in a more traditional environment, and some students need to be away from that environment,” she says. “My most adamant belief is that parents should have the right to choose where and how to educate their children.”

PHOTO © NORIKO COOPER | DREA MSTIME.COM

Last semester, many parents were thrust into homeschooling without much preparedness due to coronavirus closings. With so much still up in the air (as of this June writing) regarding the 2020-21 school year, the projections of COVID cases, and the safety of back-toschool as usual, some parents are considering a move to homeschool.

Local parents share their thoughts.

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F E AT U R E

ON THE FARM

Hutchison’s campus farm offers a unique learning experience.

By Shara Clark

Students at Hutchison, a local all-girls private school, gain knowledge and hands-on life skills both inside and outside of the classroom, thanks, in part, to the newly renovated Katherine and John Dobbs Farm, which was dedicated last fall. While a school farm has existed there in some iteration for more than a decade, the new facility has been expanded to offer a growing list of learning opportunities for its students.

“The farm was originally just a few raised beds, and the idea was similar to other school gardens,” says Hutchison’s Director of Environmental Education and Sustainability, Mary Riddle — or The Farm Lady, as students call her.

“Kids learn really well outside, and gardening is like the original tinker lab, a good place to experiment and learn all kinds of things.”

Early on, as Hutchison saw the academic benefits and holistic well-being the garden provided for students, they began to expand it. “When I got there four years ago, I loved what was there, but I thought, ‘Maybe we have an opportunity to grow this program,’” Riddle says. “Thankfully, Katherine and John Dobbs were eager to do something with the farm, too. So it was this perfect timing, a perfect match.”

As part of the Phase I farm plan, it now consists of 36 raised beds of various sizes, a greenhouse, and a big treehouse for the kids to climb into, as well as a walking trail with native plant landscaping.

The goal for the farm is to incorporate it into as many

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lessons and class projects as possible. “We use the farm in the curriculum,” Riddle says. “So kids aren’t going out there just to plant seeds and watch them grow and do the life-science part of things. Even though that is definitely a part of it, that’s not the end-all.

“We use the farm to teach lessons. It’s another curricular tool. For example, the second-grade girls this year were studying human impacts on animal habitats. It was a cool partnership with the zoo, and one of the classes decided to focus on the orangutans and how what we do in everyday life affects the orangutan habitat.”

As part of that project, the students learned about palm deforestation for palm oil, which is used in a variety of products. “The girls came out and planted lavender because their hope was to make a lavender palm-oil-free soap. They wanted to take some of their learning home, to be able to have palm-oil-free options to use at their own house, and that was part of a greater orangutan study.”

The world languages classes visit the farm regularly, as well, when learning words for vegetables, colors, or culi-

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It’s good for their minds. It’s good for their bodies — we know they’re exercising when they’re outside.

And it’s good for their spirits. It’s just such an all-around win.

nary practices. Math and science classes go out to do calculations, planning, planting, and harvesting.

“Before the pandemic, we had our fifth-grade girls come out during math and calculate the square footage and spacing of where bok choy plants should go into a raised bed. They came out in science and planted it, and they harvested it with their Chinese teacher,” Riddle says. “Then we were working from home. So the Chinese teacher actually did a Zoom class showing the girls how she cooks the bok choy, using the culinary vocabulary words in Chinese.”

Riddle says the aim is for every farm project to cover multiple subject areas. “Our goal is to have a class see a particular crop through from beginning to end, and during that process, it hits as many objectives as we can.”

An added bonus to incorporating a wide range of lessons through the farm facility: There are numerous studies out now that show the academic benefits of learning outside. When kids are learning outdoors, their ability to retain information increases, Riddle says.

“And it’s not only the academics. The holistic well-being of a child also improves.

Students in gardening programs — throughout all of the studies we have seen and some of our own polling we’ve done in-house — their anxiety decreases, and their overall

sense of well-being increases. Students report more positive connections among their peer groups and with at least one adult they might not have [connected with] — in this case, their gardening teacher or whoever else is out there.

“It’s good for their minds. It’s good for their bodies — we know they’re exercising when they’re outside. And it’s good for their spirits. It’s just such an all-around win.”

Another part of the original plan for the farm was to connect to local ag-tech industry leaders, as well as to share the farm facility with other schools and organizations.

Before COVID-19 hit, Hutchison worked with partner organizations such as AgLaunch, to bring agriculture and gardening teachers from throughout the Shelby County metro area for professional field trips.

Plans to bring a class from Berclair Elementary for a field trip fell through as schools closed. For now, the idea of guests coming onto campus is being put on hold, but over the summer, they were still able to connect the farm to other parts of the community.

“This summer, I had a rising senior who, for her social science certificate project, had this idea to have a Hutchison community CSA, where everybody would come and pick up veggie boxes and people could donate some of the veggies to various nonprofits,” Riddle says. “But as the pandemic

happened, suddenly the idea of having 30 people on campus once a week became not terribly feasible.

“Caroline Halliday has been with me running the farm this summer to grow vegetables and flowers, and all of the produce and flowers we raise there are going to New Hope. It’s a school in Frayser, and they have a farmstand there.

“The community in Frayser has been more negatively impacted by the economic fallout of the pandemic than many other communities have, so Caroline felt very passionate about — if we couldn’t have people coming to our campus to pick up veggies, she thought, this is even better.

Let’s use this to support another farm program, another community.”

As for the coming school year (as of our late June discussion), Riddle hopes to expand the school’s farm learning projects.

“Hutchison, thankfully, has 52 acres of campus, so we have more outdoor space,” she says. “All of the research right now is showing that being outdoors is probably the safest place to be, so our hope is that we can at least have the youngest kids, early childhood and lower-school girls, on campus, and the farm will definitely be a centerpiece of that. My expectation is that we’ll be kicking it into an even higher gear because of all of the research showing it’s safer to be outside than inside.”

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By Frank Murtaugh

F E AT U R E

BEING NEW (ONCE MORE) A father offers a few “old” tips to those bound for college.

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y B R YA N R O L L I N S

Way back in 2004, as my firstborn daughter was preparing to enter kindergarten, I wrote a piece for Memphis magazine called “Being New.” I was “the new kid” in school no fewer than eight times as a child, so I hoped to help sweet Sofia adapt to her new academic life by drawing on my own experience. (She’s a rising senior at Wesleyan University. She crushed it.)

Next month, our family’s nest will empty as Sofia’s sister, Elena, heads up the river a bit to Saint Louis University. I recently found myself looking over those tips for new kids, for adapting to a new world of sorts, and they seem to apply as well for entering college as they did for leaving preschool.

Here they are, with revised interpretations 16 years in the making.

Listen … first and always. There will be plenty of time to talk about yourself, your family, your own interests and tastes. But if you’re out to make friends — if you’re out to be a member of society and not merely a visitor — listen. This is the most elementary step to acclimating yourself to a new environment and new people. Pay attention to the interests and views of others.

Human instinct is to project your own influence. “I am here. See me.” A more noble and endearing behavior is to absorb: sights, sounds, rules, protocol, even emotion. The idea is not to conform, but to gather. The human mind is a sponge, not a projector. I’ve seen children — from age 5 to 17 — display this better than many adults.

Ask questions, lots of questions. This is sort of a corollary to the previous tip. At every one of the new schools I attended (those I can remember), I fielded more questions than I could answer. Where did you come from? What’s with the accent?

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Do you play basketball? (I was a tall kid.)

Where’s Torino?

The best way to remove yourself from the freshman-year equivalent of a witness stand is to ask back. Where are you from?

Toasted ravioli? Favorite team: Cardinals or Blues?

My travels infused me with curiosity, to the point I have more interest in others’ stories than in retelling my own. There’s simply more to learn in hearing about someone else’s adventures. This can be a disarming quality to present for the first time … and earn you a friend for life.

Be easy to smile. There’s no quicker way to make a friend — be it freshman year at college or a corporate retreat — than flashing the pearly whites. I never had a first day of school that I wasn’t sweatypalm nervous, often tongue-tied with anxiety. But I could always smile. And without fail, I found a partner for lunchtime, a playmate for recess. A handshake — alas, when safe — is a wonderful icebreaker, but from the cradle to the senior center a smile says, “let’s be friends.” My daughters, by the way, could melt a glacier with their smiles.

Remember who you are. I received very few “words to live by” as I bounced from one school to the next, but these are four — from my father — I’ve carried with

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me. Like the best advice from the wisest of the wise, they transcend in their simplicity.

There will be uncomfortable moments for a college freshman. Elena is also sure to experience triumphs that elevate her spirit in ways her family — or hometown friends — might not. But through the highs and lows, if there’s one thing I’d ask a certain “new kid” to always remind herself, it would be that she is one of a kind, in the grandest sense. That she brings something special and profoundly unique to each one of her days. Furthermore, that when she achieves greatness, her parents and sister are here to celebrate with her, however many miles rest between us. And when she stumbles, we’ll always be here to catch her, to help her regain footing.

The one place you are never “new” is at home. It’s the place where you can behave (and dream) in ways your classmates — and later, your colleagues — might not understand. It’s the place where you build your personality print, a multilayered identity that makes you worth listening to, worth smiling at, worth embracing. If you can retain the values of your personality print — as the new kid or a seasoned veteran — you’ll manage to offer those around you something they couldn’t find anywhere else on the planet: yourself.

There’s simply no greater gift you can give.

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F E AT U R E

By Monika Patel

THE RUN-WALK MAMA Slowing down can be a good thing.

Very early into my pregnancy, running didn’t feel beneficial anymore. This was hard for someone who identified themselves as “a runner” to admit, but I listened to that inner voice and respectfully walked instead.

A simple change in pace can really alter your mindset. Rather than being driven by what’s next — the metaphorical finish line — I became reflective.

Thoughts about everything that led me to that particular era in my life ran through my head. This included the topic of my evolving relationship with running, which was really a reflection on how I valued time. Pre-pregnancy, running and speed equaled personal freedom and success. And somehow, the faster I ran, the more liberated I felt from negative emotions, self-doubt, and failure.

This thought process extrapolated into a foundational element of my psyche. Everything I did had to be done as quickly as possible. Cooking, completing assignments, getting somewhere, showering, getting ready, building relationships. Pretty much everything.

My fascination with speed was rather obnoxious. I distinctly remember when a friend noticed and said, “Monika, but what happens when you go through life fast and then all of a sudden — it’s over?” Those words stuck with me but didn’t change my behavior. I still valued being quick over being thorough, careful, or detail-oriented.

That often caught up with me in negative ways, but I still charged on.

I moved through the world this way basically until I gave birth to my son.

After he was born, the intense impulse to get through life quickly came to a screeching halt. Something about his simple existence caused me to abandon my escapism mentality toward time. I became at peace with moving intentionally and patiently.

I even longed for time to slow itself, as I felt that almost universal paradox mothers experience with their children’s growth. It’s the thing we work so hard to cultivate, and yet, as it happens, there is both inner joy and celebration, but also a deep, quiet grieving of your baby becoming their own.

Barbara Kingsolver, author of Poisonwood Bible, says something that really resonates: “A first child is your own best foot forward, and how you do cheer those little feet as they strike out. You examine every turn of flesh for precocity and crow it to the world. But the last one: the baby who trails her scent like a flag of surrender through your life when there will be no more coming after — oh, that’ s love by a different name.”

Only, I think both of these emotions happen with every child. The joy and the finality. And, in feeling this, motherhood finally made me OK with becoming a human be-ing rather than a human do-ing. I no longer stress about responding to someone within minutes of receiving an email or text message. And if it takes me all day to put away laundry, fine.

My mentality has shifted from valuing rapid completion to respecting the unknown. And, with regard to running, it’s not that I have abandoned that desire to belt it out sometimes. It’s just that now, postpartum, I am open to changes in pace.

Monika Patel is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and strength and conditioning specialist. She has a passion for empowering women to prepare for well-balanced motherhood — both mentally and physically. She has applied her knowledge of preventative medicine to establish Train4Birth, an affordable online course with a built-in accountability feature. She is also the mother of a truck-loving toddler and couldn’t be happier digging with him in the backyard.

Visit train4birth.com for more information.

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By Tyra Bridges

BUILDING A BUSINESS This teen created a cosmetics line.

Seventeen-year-old Autumn Newberry’s journey to entrepreneurship is a tale filled with “Black girl magic” and “women’s empowerment.”

As most young girls, Newberry says she was fascinated with fashion growing up.

“As a little girl, I would always play dress-up.

Oddly enough, I was allergic to most lip glosses and was only able to wear vaseline or certain hypoallergenic products,” she says.

In August 2019, Newberry was inspired to create her own line of products, and by December, she launched Autumn Doll Cosmetics. The line includes a variety of lip glosses, which are all handmade.

Newberry personally handles the entire production process. She mixes the colors, maintains the website, and does her own packaging and shipping.

“I was motivated to start my business because of a personal situation I saw my mom go through,” she says. She witnessed her mother question her worth.

“This prompted me to do something that would empower women of all ages.

Women go through many situations in life, and some have harsh experiences. I noticed that one of the first things we ask ourselves is ‘What did I do?’ or ‘Am I good enough?’ I want to inspire women to have confidence and to be independent. I want my cosmetics to make women feel beautiful on the outside and feel powerful on the

inside. I believe that if you look good, you feel good.”

While being an entrepreneur this past school year, Newberry also had to make sure her homework got done. “I tried to handle everything I needed to do for my business when I first got home from school until around 7 p.m.,” she says. Then, she’d focus on studying until about 10 p.m.

Newberry says she takes care of most of her shipping and preparing orders on Saturdays. “I try to stay active on my business social media accounts, but it could be challenging when I had a big test or papers to write,” she says.

Newberry graduated this year from Bartlett High school with a 4.1 GPA. She received offers from a variety of universities but decided to attend Tennessee State University in the fall, on a full scholarship.

Her plan is to major in finance or marketing. “I’m hoping to gain more knowledge about business practices that I can use to continue to grow Autumn Doll Cosmetics,” Newberry says.

She’s already taking steps to continue that growth. “I have a spring lip gloss line, Breezy, that was released at the end of March. I also have begun researching lip scrubs and moisturizers, and eventually I

plan to supply lip pencils and eye shadow.”

Newberry says her ultimate goal is to own a manufacturing company.

“I want little girls to feel good about themselves and to know the sky’s the limit,” Newberry says. Her advice for young girls interested in becoming entrepreneurs is to find their passion. “Find out what you like to do that does not feel like work,” she says.

A vision board and research helped her. “I also used the money I made from interning to invest in my business, which showed my parents that I was serious. And they pitched in a little to get me started. My dad paid for me to become an LLC, and my mom helped me to design my logo and take pictures for the website.”

Newberry says she wants women in general to accomplish their goals, and she reminds them that “a little bit of glitz goes a long way” toward feeling beautiful and empowered.

Visit autumndollcosmetics.com to learn more.

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DA D

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By Jeff Hulett

MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE It’s never too early to teach children about racism.

As I write this column, it’s early June, and as a country — no, as a world — we’ve all already been through so much this year.

From dealing with an ongoing global pandemic to witnessing countless protests aimed at bringing about racial justice and meaningful policy change, we are all struggling to make sense of everything.

We’ve been enjoying Jabari Jumps by 2020 has been a doozy thus far. But nothing thought racism would certainly die out by Gaia Cornwall. compares to what it must feel like being a 2020. Boy, was I wrong. As I try to foster Black or Brown person watching history and model acceptance of all people — no There are even books for babies. Check out Ibram X Kendi’s new board book unfold in this unparalleled time. Thankfully, matter their race, religion, or background Antiracist Baby.

Black Lives Matter is an incredibly impor- — for my children, I know that I have a lot of tant and powerful movement that is making work to do. I am trying harder than ever to Listen to music about change, both from the past and the present. Start with Be many of us reflect and grapple with our own be anti-racist. I’m listening more, and learnAltitude: Respect Yourself by The Staple biases, and perhaps even racist tendencies. ing more about slavery, mass incarceration, Singers.

Our children have been home from and how more than 400 years of oppresschool since March. With a new school year sion has fed into the systemic racism of Visit the STAX Museum of American Soul Music, The National Civil Rights bearing down on us, we all have more ques- today. It’s undeniable.

Museum, The Ernest Withers Museum, But how do you share this hunger for tions than answers about the way forward. and Slavehaven in Memphis.

As parents, we are feeling anxious and understanding with your children?

There are so many great resources, nervous about so many things, including how to talk to our kids about everything ideas, and books out there for both children With an ever-changing and ongoing global pandemic taking place, it’s unclear what this that is taking place in our world, including and adults. Here are a few suggestions: school year will look like for our children, racism.

However, one thing is clear to me. Watch the CNN/Sesame Street special, but there’s one thing we do know and can do “Coming Together: Standing Up to for our children. Educate them about race Black lives matter. I admit, I’ve been naïve Racism,” a town hall for kids and families. and racism and teach them what they can for many years, far too many years. As a college student in the early 2000s, I Read books that feature people of color. do to be anti-racist.

Jeff Hulett is a freelance writer, musician, and PR consultant in Memphis.

He lives in the Vollintine Evergreen neighborhood with his wife Annie, two girls Ella and Beatrice, and two dogs Chalupa and Princess Freckles.

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Please check online or call to confirm event details.

1 ∙ SATURDAY

SneakFest Sneaker Expo. Mid-South Fairgrounds. Pipkin Building. 1-6 p.m.

Buy, sell, and trade your hottest sneakers and apparel. Featuring vendors from around the United States selling sneakers, clothing, and accessories, live DJ, food trucks, and sneaker competition. Tickets available online sneakfest.org.

Repticon Memphis. The Landers Center, Southaven, MS. 9 a.m., and Sunday, August 2, 10 a.m. Reptile event featuring vendors offering reptile pets, supplies, feeders, cages, and merchandise, as well as live animal seminars and frequent free raffles for prizes. $10. 662-280-9120.

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A U G U S T

8 ∙ SATURDAY

Wolf River Stream Stroll. Wolf River Bateman Bridge, Moscow, TN. 10 a.m.noon. Wade in the river, play in the water, and search for small aquatic creatures. A perfect activity on a hot summer day for families and anyone interested in nature, and a great introduction to the beauty and biodiversity of the Wolf River ecosystem.

Free. Register online, wolfriver.org.

452-6500.

10 ∙ MONDAY Agape Kids Classic Golf Tournament. TPC Southwind. Noon. The day will consist of a round of golf, food, and fellowship, all while supporting the mission to provide healthy homes for local children and families.

Register a team of four, an individual, or as an event sponsor. agapemeanslove.org.

323-3600 ext. 284.

13 ∙ THURSDAY

Twilight Thursdays. Memphis Botanic Garden. 6-8 p.m. Furry-friendly hours on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. All are welcome, with or without a pet. 636-4100.

22 ∙ SATURDAY

Gymstars Gymnastics Team Tryouts.

Gymstars, Collierville. 1 p.m. Placement options include Team Gymstars, Hot Shots Pre-team, and Rec Team. Ages 4+. gymstarsgymnastics.net. 861-8468.

9th Annual SpeakEasy Gala. The Great Hall & Conference Center, Germantown.

6:30-11 p.m. Get dolled up and dapper in your beads, feathers, and zoot suits for a roaring ’20s party to benefit the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf (MOSD). Enjoy a variety of food and cocktails from area restaurants, casino games, silent and live auctions, a wine pull, and dancing to live

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MP_Aug

By Julie Ray

‘‘Leading Provider of Inflatable FUN!‘‘

As little as $100 for all day FUN!

jazz music. $100. 21+ event. mosdkids.org.

758-2228.

27 ∙ THURSDAY

Wolf River Conservancy Summer Lecture Series: Cyndi Routledge, Hummingbirds. Online via Zoom. 6:307:30 p.m. Routledge of Southeastern Avian Research (SEAR) will discuss the fascinating world of hummingbirds and what researchers are learning about them.

Free. wolfriver.org. 452-6500.

Call Us Today! 901-360-9000 herecomesfun.com/ger

FULLY LICENSED AND INSURED PICK-UP OR DELIVERY

SEPTEMBER

4 ∙ FRIDAY

Delta Fair and Music Festival. Agricenter International. Through September 12.

Featuring rides, shows, food, music, and more. $10. deltafest.com.

12 ∙ SATURDAY

Youth Villages 38th Annual 5K/10-Miler.

Marsh Center. 8 a.m. Join the annual Youth Villages 5K run/walk and 10-miler, featuring post-race activities that include live music, refreshments, and children’s activities. $20-$40. youthvillages.org.

19 ∙ SATURDAY

Swimming Lessons • Ages 6mo and Up • Baby & Me Classes • Private Swim Lessons

Year ‘round in our HEATED indoor pool!

SCUBA RANGERS

Come Join the Fun with Scuba Rangers: Ages 8 - 11 Scuba Skills • Teamwork • Goal setting • Confidence • Accomplishment Community Awareness • Snorkel & Scuba Classes Gift Certificates make great gifts!

999 South Yates, Memphis, TN • 901-763-3483 • www.diveshop1.com

Pilobolus: Big Five Oh! Germantown Performing Arts Center. 8-10 p.m. A shadow performance unlike what you have seen before, where they reveal the technique behind the innovation by shifting the perspective of the audience from in front of the screen to behind it. gpacweb.com. 751-7500.

ENTRIES ACCEPTED

BEGINNING AUGUST 10 VOTING DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED ENTER TO WIN $100 PRIZE PACKAGE! M E M PH I SPA R ENT.COM 29

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O N G O I N G

E V E N T S

Ongoing Events

22 ∙ TUESDAY

Wolf River Conservancy Summer Lecture Series: Mike Larrivee, Stewardship 101. Online via Zoom.

6:30-8 p.m. Larrivee will discuss stewardship of a vital but often overlooked resource — our soil — and the work of The Compost Fairy, a local nonprofit which takes seemingly useless material and turns it into what it’s meant to be — a beneficial soil amendment. The Compost Fairy is also an educational resource, teaching people about simple ways to reduce their impact on our environment. Free. wolfriver.org. 452-6500.

MUSEUMS AND EXHIBITS

The Pink Palace Museum. Museum To-Go Digital Programming. A great opportunity for the whole family to learn, discover, and create at home. Featuring activities, curator’s choice, movies, planetarium shows, and more. memphismuseums.org.

636-2362.

Lichterman Nature Center Scarecrow Building Contest and Exhibit. September 17-November 18. See the annual scarecrow exhibition and vote for your favorite through September 30. 636-2211.

24 ∙ THURSDAY

Mid-South Fair. The Landers Center.

Through October 3. midsouthfair.com.

452-6500.

25 ∙ FRIDAY

34th Annual Super Chevy Show.

Memphis International Raceway. 9 a.m.9 p.m. Through September 27. Features multiple classes of drag racing with cash prizes, an automotive swap meet, a Chevrolet-focused performance marketplace, and the largest collection of Chevrolet vehicles in one place from classics to modern. racemir.com.

969-7223.

Babypalooza Virtual Baby Expo. Online.

9 a.m. Where new, expectant, and even hopeful parents get to connect to each other and all of the local resources in the area. Featuring pre- and postnatal health seminars, parenting workshops, baby registry 101, and more. Join now to start earning points for prizes before the event. babypalooza.com.

205-440-2229.

Metal Museum. “It Takes A Village.”

September 28-March 13. Exhibition of crowd-curated work voted into the exhibit from the permanent collection and “Tributaries” by the public. metalmuseum.org. 774-6380.

OTHER PROGRAMS

Twilight Thursdays. Memphis Botanic Garden. Thursdays. Furry-friendly hours on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. All are welcome, with or without a pet. Free with admission. 636-4100.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

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A U G U S T

Distance Learning “Live” Dance Classes.

Ballet On Wheels, online. MondaysThursdays and Saturdays. Classes in various dance genres, including ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and more. The online dance curriculum includes weekly bonus classes that are not normally offered as a part of the regular schedule. Financial aid available.

To enroll, visit balletonwheels.org.

Dixon at Home Series. JT Willbanks, art instructor at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, shows children how to create art projects without having to leave their house or backyard. Check out Visual Art Adventures via Facebook and Instagram live. dixon.org.

HOMESCHOOL CLASSES

Literacy Mid-South’s Families: Safer at Home Resources. Provides resources for families with elementary-aged students at home. Includes reading tips, guides, athome interactive literacy activities, and ideas. literacymidsouth.org.

Soul Practice Chops Series. Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Practice online with music director Paul McKinney.

Sessions include tutorial videos and sheet music that any student can use to practice. staxmusicacademy.org.

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Virtual Experiences for Youth: Let’s Play. Theatre Memphis, online. Allows students to learn a skill, either by creating something tangible using a list of supplies or by creating a performance piece using what they’ve created. Each video will culminate with a prompt for a performance or presentation opportunity that can be documented and sent back to Theatre Memphis for review. Costuming, lighting, set painting, and more. $25. To order an experience, email showagon@ theatrememphis.org.

National Civil Rights Museum E-Learning Activities. Educator resources provide tools to engage students by prompting them to reflect on big questions about the human experience and how the history relates to contemporary events and everyday life. civilrightsmuseum.org.

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Stacey Bonasso Aeronautical Engineering Teacher

MS from Stanford University BS in Mechanical Engineering Team Member, Mars Exploration Initiative T-38C Pilot & Instructor Chief of Fighter Operations, Barksdale AFB, LA F-16 Fighter Pilot (first female in 4th Fighter Squadron) CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

3 Military Accommodations

901.765.4600 briarcrest.com

3 Meritorious Service Medals

Our teachers are superheroes.

Discover what the Brotherhood can do for you!

Schedule your tour today at CBHS.org!

Men for Tomorrow, Brothers for Life.

5900 Walnut Grove Road Memphis, Tennessee 38120 Learn more at CBHS.org/admissions

M E M PH I SPA R ENT.COM

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O N G O I N G

E V E N T S

Tennessee Aquarium’s Educational Series. Offers activities for families who are staying #SaferAtHome. Weekday Wonders is a series designed for parents interested in engaging children in science at home. Explore Mr. Bill’s Naturalist’s Notebook written by Bill Haley, the Tennessee Aquarium’s education outreach coordinator. Also, visit the Tennessee Aquarium Facebook page each morning to find out the topic and timing of daily stream for #AquariumAtHome each weekday at 1 p.m. tnaqua.org.

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Online Lessons. For teachers (and now parents) of children in grades K-12.

Follow Brooks Museum on Facebook and Instagram for updates on virtual programs. brooksmuseum.org.

STORY TIME

This also includes links to a lesson plan and activities that families can use to follow along with the story. literacymidsouth.org.

National Civil Rights Museum’s Small but Mighty Story Time Video Series. Read along with K-12 museum educator Dory Lerner on the NCRM Facebook page.

Tell a Story with Theatre Memphis. A video is posted on the Theatre Memphis Facebook page that encourages a weekly interactive activity presented by Lena Wallace, Director of Outreach and Education. Respond to the video by commenting/voting for your choices of content by Friday at 5 p.m. The following Monday, a story is posted using the winning choices and options to choose for another story. Hear a new story every week to keep children engaged and entertained. theatrememphis.org.

Literacy Mid-South’s Interactive ReadAloud Videos. Memphians read a book from the Read901 Libib Lending Library.

making new

Mayor’s Meal Challenge benefiting MidSouth Food Bank. Mayor Jim Strickland donates $25 to the Mid-South Food Bank for every picture of a Memphian enjoying a take-out meal from a local eatery that gets tweeted to the City of Memphis or directly to the mayor. Order takeout from a local restaurant, snap a picture of your feast, and send to #MayorsMealChallenge.

Memphis Escape Rooms Home Edition — Print & Play. Family-friendly versions include Lenny’s Gold, Missing Moviestar, and WiFi Password. Grade-specific games fitting Tennessee Educational Standards also included. $10 per game. memphisescaperooms.com.

Looking for the perfect setting to come together with family and friends? The possibilities are endless at Arkansas’s 52 state parks. Set a goal to visit them all!

d is c o v e r ies

HAM PSO N ARC HEO

FAMILY-FRIENDLY

Crosstown Arts: Against the Grain.

An online platform where viewers can watch new, made-at-home videos of performances by Memphis musicians and donate to the artists with virtual tickets. crosstownarts.org.

TE PAR K LOG ICA L MUS EUM STA

PICK UP YOUR FREE PASSPORT AT ANY STATE PARK AND START RECORDING YOUR ADVENTURES!

Plan your adventure at ArkansasStateParks.com 32

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#ARStateParks

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Now More Than Ever For Boys in Grades 7-12 l musowls.org

Class of 2020 accepted to

148

100%

4-Year College Acceptance

47

15

Colleges of Matriculation

Recognized by National Merit Scholarship Corp.

colleges and universities in 33 states and the District of Columbia, Canada, and the UK

12 83

Athletes Signed National Letters of Intent

% scored 4 or 5 on AP Exams

30 Average ACT and two perfect scores 58% scored 30 or higher

Seniors led the way: Robotics State Championship Football State Semifinalist Crowd-pleasing productions of Noises Off and Guys and Dolls

81 National Latin Gold Medals

(through 2019) 30 Charities Served

Our passion for teaching and learning never goes offline.

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The best place for kids, 10 years running.

Le Bonheur is proud to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals for 10 years in a row.

Now, more than ever, this honor means your family can rely on us when you need us.

When it comes to providing the best care for your children, there is no substitute for the care and expertise you’ll find only at Le Bonheur.

Where Every Child Matters lebonheur.org

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