November 2014

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November 2014

Information, Education and Entertainment for Northeast Florida Families

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FOR INFORMATION ON ALL OUR JACKSONVILLE COMMUNITIES VISIT US AT MATTAMYHOMES.COM Sales Center Hours: Monday to Thursday and Saturday 10am–6pm; Friday and Sunday 12pm–6pm • Follow us: All illustrations are artist’s concept. All dimensions are approximate. Prices, specifications, terms and conditions subject to change without notice. E.&O.E. Builder’s License #CRC1330987.

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Letter From The Editor Dear Readers,

W

eating well

There’s more to Pumpkin than Just Pie!.................................................. 6 How to Transport Holiday Foods Safely in the Car..................................... 7

Health & safety All About Sports: Roller Derby.................................................................. 8

Infant & Toddler

Many of us will be transporting dishes to share at gatherings over the holidays. A hot dish of food in a car moving 60 miles per hour poses a danger.

Please turn to page 7 for some excellent tips and ideas for transporting holiday foods safely.

Do you have a child with Asthma or know someone who does? Nemours Children’s Clinic is conducting seven asthma research studies and your child may qualify to participate. Turn to page 11 for more information.

Next month we’ll share the results of our Annual

living well

Sea Turtles and Distractions that Lead Us in the Wrong Direction.............. 4 Community Profile: Waste Not Want Not.................................................. 5

e are ushering in the holiday season with our annual Holiday Guide. In this issue, we’ve compiled a list of holiday events to keep your entire family entertained and celebrating the season. There are so many holiday events planned, we couldn’t fit them all in so we suggest you visit our always updated online events guide at www.jax4kids.com to find even more holiday events.

This month’s cover features The Jacksonville Fair.

This year at the Fair there will be Family Comedy Shows, a Lego Train Exhibit, Entertainment on stage nightly, lots of rides and more family fun!

Family Day at the Fair is November 13th; one child 12 and under will be admitted Free with one paid adult admission. The Fair will open early on Nov 10th and 11th when schools are closed.

Contents November 2014

Guidelines on Christmas Gifts for Babies................................................10

travel Best Of for Families survey. Take a minute to go online and share your favorite businesses, places and things for families in North Florida. Everyone who takes the time to fill out the survey will be entered to win a $100 Visa Gift Card. Just in time for the holiday shopping!

We have something VERY special planned for you in November. If you haven’t connected with us via Facebook, Twitter or by joining to get our weekly eNews to find out what it is, you’ll want to!

Until next month, Alison Peters-Carlson Editor

Happy Thanksgiving!

Follow us...

Alison Peters-Carlson Editor....................................... editor@jax4kids.com Natasha Chapman Associate Editor..........................natasha@jax4kids.com Linda Bigbee Graphic Designer......................................linda@jax4kids.com Jen Cramer Circulation Manager...................................... jen@jax4kids.com Doug Berle Advertising Sales......................................... doug@jax4kids.com Beth Canonica Advertising Sales.................................... beth@jax4kids.com Donna Paunetto Advertising Sales.............................. donna@jax4kids.com Mary Gustafson Business Manager............................... mary@jax4kids.com Judi Fields Administrative Assistant Nancy Lee Bethea Contributing Writer Published by Child Enrichment, LLC, 12620-3 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32246. Copyright 2014.

Reproduction of any artwork or copy prepared by Jax4Kids.com To Go is strictly prohibited without written consent of the publisher. We will not be responsible for any errors and/or omissions. The Publisher’s liability for error will not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error. Articles for publication are welcome and may be sent to editor@jax4kids.com. For more information concerning advertising, call 904-710-2020 or e-mail advertise@jax4kids.com.

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A Weekend Away in Chicago.................................................................13

Holiday guide Holiday Events.................................................................................15-18

Duval county public Schools Are You Public Education Strong?..........................................................19 Discover Duval Schools.........................................................................19

Clay County School news

The Academies of Clay.........................................................................20 Information on Bright Futures Scholarships............................................20 When Kids Meet Robots........................................................................20 Take Stock in Children..........................................................................20

St. Johns County School news Recognition of the Very Special Arts Florida Student of the Month...........21 National Merit Semifinalists...................................................................21

education

Khan Academy.....................................................................................22 That’s MY Job! Courtney Lewis, Music Director......................................22 November is National Native American Heritage Month..........................23 Thanksgiving History at Fort Caroline.....................................................23 Codecademy: Learn to Code.................................................................24 Remember the Audio!...........................................................................24 Fun Facts about Turkeys.......................................................................25 Books about Thanksgiving.....................................................................25

special needs

Financial Planning for Kids with Special Needs.......................................26

Teens Good Impressions.................................................................................27

Pets

Human Society: Celebrating 60 Years....................................................28

nature Florida Wildlife: Screech Owl.................................................................29

Jax4kids tidbits

Information and Contests from Jax4Kids.com........................................30

Things to do

November Events.................................................................................31

Living well

Sea Turtles… and Distractions that Lead Us in the Wrong Direction

A

s I ran on the beach the other day I noticed that certain areas were closed off by fences and signs that said “Sea Turtle Eggs.”

Rather than follow the path we were meant to follow, unfortunately we too often are distracted by things that move us in the wrong direction.

I remembered reading that female sea turtles swim to shore between May and August to dig nests in the sand and lay their eggs. Months later, the eggs hatch and the baby turtles follow the pure light of the moon back to the surf.

Technology, online games, too much time on social media, bad habits, addictions, stress, busyness and meaningless distractions lead us astray.

In a perfect world, the pure light of the moon guides every turtle back safely to the ocean.

However, as we know, we don’t live in a perfect world.

Sea Turtle hatchlings instinctively crawl toward the brightest light. On an undeveloped beach, the brightest light is the moon. On a developed beach, the brightest light can be an artificial light source emanating from restaurants, homes and condominiums along the coast.

Unfortunately, these powerful artificial sources of light often attract the hatchlings and cause them to move in the wrong direction when they are born.

Instead of following the pure light of perfection we allow bright and shiny artificial things to sabotage our journey.

So, what about you?

Are you following your priorities and pure light to the right destination or are you allowing artificial distractions to lead you in the wrong direction?

Are you following the path you were meant to follow or are you letting meaningless things keep you from being your best?

The great news is that unlike sea turtles we have the ability to think, adapt and change direction when we realize we are following the wrong path.

Rather than follow the pure light of the moon to the ocean the sea turtles follow the wrong light to a disastrous outcome.

We can tune out the distractions and focus on our priorities and let the pure light lead us to an ocean of possibilities and a great future. j

It occurred to me that we humans face a similar challenge.

Jon Gordon www.jongordon.com • www.positiveschool.com

R

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Page 4 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

Living well

Community Profile: Waste Not Want Not Q. What does your organization do?

Q. What is your greatest need right now?

A. We prevent the discarding of food that can be used to fight hunger and poverty in our community. We do this by rescuing food daily from stores, restaurants, and food distributors and distributing it to food pantries, homeless shelters, group homes, soup kitchens, daycares, senior centers, students, and individuals in 10 counties.

A. We are in need of donations to expand our refrigerated space to hold more produce and protein rich foods. We also want to increase public awareness of our mission and of how much a donor could impact the community by supporting our efforts.

Q. What has been your greatest accomplishment (this past year or ever)?

Q. How do you do it? (Where? When? How frequently? And with what tools?)

A. Our 300 volunteers, using their own vehicles, together donate more than 500 hours a week to rescue small donations from stores, restaurants, and food distributors. Our volunteers are always available, ready to respond to unexpected opportunities even after-hours and on holidays. We never purchase food. We focus our efforts on our mission: preventing the waste of items that can be used to fight hunger and poverty in our community. We do this 363 days year.

Q. How long have you been in operation?

A. We have been serving Northeast Florida since 1990.

Q. How can the community at large get involved generally?

A. Waste Not Want Not has grown from one woman rescuing food from a single store once a week to more than 300 volunteers who rescue food 363 days a year. We remain volunteerdriven, with only two paid employees.

Every year since 1990, Waste Not has increased the number of pounds rescued, even doubling our results over three years from 750,000 pounds in To volunteer, donate, or request more information, please visit wastenotflorida.com. j 2009 to 1.5 million in 2012.

A. We are always happy to have volunteers come out to bigger events to help us with merchandise sales, or welcoming visitors to the truck and car.

Waste Not spent only $150,000 to provide more than 4 million dollars’ worth of food to the community last year.

We also encourage local businesses to call us and find out how we can work together to help support local groups and organizations within the community.

Most importantly, we improve the lives of 12,000 people every week

Special thanks to: Sandra L. Staudt-Killea Executive Director, Waste Not Want Not

Q. How can the community at large get involved generally?

Christmas Tree Farms GUSTAFSON TREE NURSERY

ROGER’S CHRISTMAS TREE FARM

Opening Thanksgiving week.

Call before you go 904-879-3150 No pesticides or insecticides are used, Christmas treesyou choose and you cut, Christmas trees-you choose and they cut, and Living Christmas trees (to plant later). Open seven days a week from 10am – dark. Sand Pine, Murray Cypress and Cedar. Gustafson’s has an assortment of trees from 5 feet to 15 feet. Price is $25 a tree, no matter the height. If you dig up the tree, they’re $35.

U-choose and cut Christmas trees, living, rooted trees.

Open the day after Thanksgiving and then every Saturday 9am to 4:30pm and Sunday 11am to 4:30pm. Sand Pine, Red Cedar and Leyland Cypress.

54742 Ogilvie Road, Callahan, FL 32011 / 904-879-3150

NEILSON’S CHRISTMAS TREE FARM Located 5 miles west of Newberry, Florida. Open 10am – 6pm, November 28 through December 24. Choose & Cut, Retail Lot, Potted, Model Train, Hay Rides, Petting Zoo, Wreaths, Sand Pines, Red Cedar, Leyland Cypress, Arizona Cypress. Fresh Cut Northern Trees - Fraser Firs, Scotch Pine 6780 SE 67th Court, Trenton, FL 32693 / 352-472-2340 / www.neilsonschristmastreefarm.com

904-786-6709 / 6501 Jones Road, Jacksonville 32219

RUDOLPH’S CHRISTMAS TREE FARM Located 12 miles North of Glen St Marys, Florida. Open 8am to 6pm daily beginning Friday, November 28th. Red Cedar, Leyland Cypress and Carolina Sapphire. Enjoy a Hay ride while you’re there too!

904-259-7703 / 11965 O.C. Horne Road, Sanderson, FL 32087

Put the trunk of the tree in water as soon as you get it home and keep the tree in water at all times. A fresh tree can absorb a gallon of water a day! As a general rule, stands should provide 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter.

Place the tree away from heat sources as heat sources such as fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, and direct sunlight may cause the tree to dry out more quickly.

Use of lights that produce low heat, such as miniature lights, will reduce drying of the tree.

SONGER’S CHRISTMAS TREE FARM Christmas Wreaths and Christmas Trees you choose and cut. Trees are tied, shaken and baled. Saw provided.

Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am - 5pm beginning November 28th. Also open on Wednesdays from 2pm - 5pm.

5255 Carter Spencer Road, Middleburg / 904-272-3890 / www.floridachristmastreefarm.com

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Caring for your fresh Christmas tree:

Use an appropriate tree stand for the tree you have selected to provide proper stablility.

Monitor the water level of your tree daily.

Avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down to fit a stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed.

SAFETY TIP: Never burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove or fireplace.

Always turn off the tree lights when leaving the house or when going to bed.

eating well

There’s more to Pumpkin than Just Pie!

I

f you’re a foodie like me, you don’t just look forward to fall, you CRAVE fall because of all the good food that is associated with it. Everywhere you turn there are advertisements for everything from pumpkin lattes to pumpkin muffins, pancakes, cookies, donuts and pies. People get pumpkin crazy this time of year, and I must confess I am one of the crazies who enjoy it.

Pumpkin is a member of the gourd family – which also includes watermelon and squash.

Nutritionally, there’s a good reason for being so gung-ho about pumpkin – it’s actually good for you. Pumpkin is low in calories and fat, and high in fiber and protein. One cup contains only about 80 calories with 3 grams of protein, or about 15% of the total calories from protein. And, not only does it boast 7 grams of fiber per cup (that’s the same amount as you will find in 3 slices of whole wheat bread, or one cup of shredded wheat), but also provides 20% of your daily iron, 20% of your daily Vitamin C and 7 times your daily Vitamin A requirements. That’s a lot of nutrition in a small amount of food.

Even the seeds can be toasted for a crunchy high-fiber snack or as extra crunch when added

to a garden salad. Pumpkin can replace eggs and oil in baked goods such as cakes and muffins to make them lower in fat, while keeping the food moist. Try adding a ¼ cup of canned pumpkin in place of your eggs the next time you make your traditional banana-nut, cinnamon spice or bran muffins and see how yummy and moist they can be.

pumpkin to your pancake batter to make a fall breakfast the whole family will love? Top the finished pancakes with chopped pecans, sliced banana or real maple syrup.

If you have never tried cooking with pumpkin other than making the traditional pumpkin pie, give your family a treat this fall and branch out with some new pumpkin recipes. Here are two to get you started. Have fun!

Pumpkin Smoothie • ½ cup canned pumpkin • 8 to 12 ounces of skim milk or vanilla almond/soy milk • 4 to 6 ounces vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt or honey-vanilla low-fat Greek yogurt • Dash of pumpkin pie spice or homemade pie spice*

Kick-start your autumn with a pumpkin smoothie when it’s hot out, or, blend into a soup when you feel a chill in the air. Or how about adding

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Place all ingredients in a blender and whip until thoroughly mixed. *Make your own pumpkin pie spice by mixing ¼ teaspoon cinnamon plus an 1/8 teaspoon ginger, a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of cloves

Pumpkin Soup • ½ cup canned pumpkin • Two tablespoons of minced yellow onion • One teaspoon of minced garlic • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of low sodium vegetable broth • ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk or evaporated fat-free milk • ½ teaspoon curry seasoning In a small saucepan, sauté the yellow onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of the vegetable broth until the onions are translucent. Remove from heat.

In a blender add the pumpkin, the onion mixture, the coconut or evaporated milk, plus the remaining vegetable broth and the curry seasoning.

Whip until smooth and transfer to a saucepan.

Bring to a quick boil and reduce to a simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. Serve. j Aurea Thompson, MSH, RD, CSP, LD/N Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition Wolfson Children’s Hospital Photo credit: Myrecipies.com

eating well

How to Transport Holiday Foods Safely in the Car A

t some point, we’ve all been tasked with the thankless Thanksgiving job of holding a casserole dish overflowing with piping-hot buttery potatoes on our laps while speeding down the highway over the hills and through the woods to Grandmother’s house. And how about getting all those leftovers home after Thanksgiving dinner? While Auntie May’s pumpkin pie may seem perfectly pleasant perched atop a lace doily on the dining-room table, it can become a dangerous projectile if not secured properly in the car.

your car’s trunk, safely away from the passenger compartment. You can borrow a grippy drawer liner from your silverware drawer to help keep the travel casserole dish from sliding around in the trunk. It also doesn’t hurt to wedge it in with other larger, less messy items.

limited as to where you can secure it in the car based on where the outlet is located, you still want to secure it safely. Again, getting creative with bungee cords is a great option.

Pies Tinfoil is your best friend when transporting pies.

If you don’t have a travel casserole dish and don’t If you’re transporting just one pie, take an extra want to invest in one, you can use a casserole metal pie tin, flip it upside down and use it to tent dish with a lid and secure the lid to the dish’s the pie. Then seal the edges of the two pie tins handles with two rubber bands. This can then be together with a strip of tinfoil. Just to reiterate: secured inside a tote basket or laundry basket You don’t want a pie to hit you in the back of the lined with towels. The basket can be stashed head if you get in an accident, so secure it in the snugly on the floor behind the driver’s seat or trunk. Use the grippy-drawer-liner technique to even better yet, secured in your car’s cargo space keep the pie from sliding around, or better yet, stash it in the laundry basket next to your casserole.

To transport two pies, place them side by side on a baking sheet, wrap tinfoil around the pies and baking sheet, and then secure the tinfoil around the baking sheet’s edges. Store the baking sheet in your trunk with a grippy drawer liner under it to keep it from sliding around.

To help you and your family out this Thanksgiving, I selflessly volunteered to indulge in some early holiday grub and experiment to find the best techniques to safely and cleanly transport your Thanksgiving feast faves in the car.

Casserole Dishes Piping-hot casserole dishes can literally be a pain to the person holding them in their lap in the car. The heat from the dish itself can burn your spouse’s lap — not to mention the damage that could occur if it spills and your hubby is left with 350-degree green-bean casserole drippings on his, well, you get the idea. Placing the casserole dish on the floor rather than on someone’s lap isn’t much better. Do you really want to be cleaning oyster stuffing out of your car’s carpet and floormats for the next three months?

Instead, invest in a travel casserole dish. I purchased one from Target recently for just $14. It comes with a Pyrex casserole dish, a secure rubber lid, a microwaveable gel pouch to help keep the goodies hot on the road and an insulated carrying case. You don’t, however, want it to be loose on the car’s floor. If you have to brake quickly to avoid another holiday road warrior, the casserole dish could become a dangerous projectile.

Instead, try securing your travel casserole dish in

be prepared and arrive with your own plastic storage containers and zip-close plastic bags rather than having your granny dig some up for you and the rest of your finicky family. Pack a load of disposable plastic containers in a reusable fabric bag. You can pack the containers full and have a convenient tote at the ready to carry them to the car.

Use the bungee-secured laundry basket you used earlier to transport your pie and casserole dish to dinner to then get your leftovers home.

If you have any additional tips or suggestions for keeping your car clean and your passengers safe while transporting Thanksgiving Day food on the road this season, share them with us in the comment section below. If we don’t reply right away, we’re stuffing our faces (in the name of journalistic integrity) with pumpkin pie. j

By Kristin Varela Reprinted with permission from cars.com

using a few bungee cords and the tie-down anchor points in the cargo floor. If the dish All Those Yummy Leftovers happens to have a leak during transport, the If you’re going to take some goodies back home, towels will soak up any messes. If you don’t have a leak, your kids can roll the towels up after dinner and use them on the drive home as pillows to sleep off that turkey-induced fog.

Slow Cookers By some estimates, something weighing just 20 pounds (a turkey, a slow cooker or whatever) can hit a person with 600 pounds of force if involved in a crash while the car is moving just 35 mph.

Slow cookers with locking lids are the surefire option for transporting food in the car and will help keep any leaks or spills from getting on your fabric upholstery. I purchased one recently from Amazon for just over $30. Again, you want to keep slow cookers out of the passenger compartment if possible.

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Portable 12-Volt Heater/Coolers If you’re really serious about keeping your sweet potatoes at the perfect temperature while on the road, a portable 12-volt heater/cooler is the way to go. This plugs into the 12-volt outlet in your

car, can be switched to heat or cool, and keeps your marshmallow-laced sweet-potato puree inside it at a consistent 140 degrees. While you’re

Page 7 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

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health & safety

All About Sports: Roller Derby

W

atching a roller derby bout can often be very confusing, but one thing is very clear.

Getting knocked down to a wooden floor while skating at top speed hurts.

is called “jams” where each team has a scoring player called the jammer who tries to lap as many opposing players as possible. Of course, a team tries to help their designated lapper and tries to obstruct the other team’s jammer.

Accordingly, the teams are playing both offense and defense at the same time.

Locally, the Jacksonville Roller Girls start their home season in February and play through December. Their Home Team Championship game is on November 16th at the Mandarin Skate Each jammer has a star on their helmet to enable Station. There are actually over 1200 amateur them to stand out among the rest of the players. leagues around the world.

The player with the strip down the middle of her helmet is called the pivot. This player sets the pace for the pack and can actually become the jammer when the star is passed to her. Finally, there is the blocker and their job is pretty self-explanatory. They impede the other team’s jammer and also clear a path for their jammer to lap players and score. Blockers can use their shoulders, hips, and torso to hit opposing players, but are penalized for using forearms, hands, elbows, and their head. They are responsible for one of the sport’s signature moves when they slingshot their jammer forward using their hand or leg in a maneuver called a whip.

Roller Derby Rivals by Sue Macy This is definitely a contact sport with two 5-member teams roller skating in the same direction around a track. The teams get into what

Things to Do Health Events

Running Buddy Registration Thru December 6 A Girls on the Running Buddy helps one of our girls complete both the Practice 5K and our end-of-the-season Girls on the Run 5K on December 6th starting at 8am at The University of North Florida. To become a Running Buddy, read through the questions on the website and then register online. Running Buddies, are chaperones for the run, and need to be at least 18 years or older.

Early Bird Registration: Now through November 14th; $20 for 18 and older $10 under 18 Regular Registration: November 15th-December 4th; $30 for 18 and older $10 under 18.

Day or Registration: December 6th only; $40 for 18 and older $10 under 18.

Girls Inc / 904-329-3897 / www.girlsincjax.org

Each bout lasts 60 minutes and is comprised of two 30-minute periods. Teams score when their jammers break through the pack, skate a lap, and then come around to pass opposing players. Now there’s no doubt that a level of theatrics exists in the sport, but the sport’s endurance around the world indicates that it’s good fun for all. j

Spoonbills & Sprockets Scenic Cycling Tour November 2, 8am to 1pm The Spoonbills & Sprockets Scenic Cycling Tour features a 36, 72, or 100 mile bike ride down A1A. The ride starts at 8am with a mass start for the 36 and 72 mile distances. Registration fees range from $35 to $45 for the 36 and 72 mile rides. This is a fully supported ride with SAG support. After the ride, enjoy a cook out with hamburgers, hots dogs, black bean burgers, refreshments and more. Registered riders will all receive a free general admission to Marineland for Sunday. Info on family discounts available here, www.marineland.net/spoonbills .

Scenic A1A / Marineland / 9600 Oceanshore Blvd. St. Augustine, FL 32080 / scenica1a.org Mandarin Run 5k November 8, 7:50am to 10am The Mandarin 5k and 10k run will be held at the Mandarin Presbyterian Church. Registration fees range from $25 to $40. Awards will be presented to the top male and female overall and to the top three finishers in each of the

Page 9 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

above age groups plus 10 and under, 11-13 and 14 to 19. There will also be a post race celebration with food, music, awards ceremony and more.

1st Place Sports / Mandarin Presbyterian Church, 12001 Mandarin Road, Jacksonville, FL 32223 / www.1stplacesports.com Salute to Veterans 5K November 9, 8am to 11am The Salute to Veterans 5K will be held at The Jacksonville Landing. Registration fees range from $15 to $30. There will also be a one mile fun run. This event benefits the effort to bring home the USS Adams.

1st Place Sports / Jacksonville Landing, 2 Independent Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.1stplacesports.com Donna Bike November 9, 8:15am to 1pm The Donna Bike is an official event of 26.2 with Donna whose mission is to passionately produce world-class events to raise funds for groundbreaking breast cancer research and empower women living with breast cancer.

The Donna Bike event include a 52.4 mile ride, 26.2 mile ride, and 13.1 mile ride for riders 13 and under. Youth riders will receive a youth size t-shirt and keepsake race bib. All riders must be in place by 7:45am for Safety Announcements. The 26.2 mile ride starts at 8:15am, followed by the 13.1 mile ride at 8:30am. There will be a post ride celebration from 10am to 1pm. Registration fees range from $40 to $55, and are $25 for youth riders 13 and under.

The Donna Foundation / Bartram Trail High School, 7399 Longleaf Pine Parkway St. Johns, FL 32259 / breastcancermarathon.com St. Augustine Half Marathon Kids Race & Expo • November 15 – 16 As part of the St. Augustine Half Marathon, there will be a kids 450m race for ages 12 and under. Registration is free, but participants must register online in advance. The race will not be timed, and all participants will receive a finishers medal. There will also be a 5K Family Run, 10K, Half Marathon, and expo. The 5K race is walker friendly, and is open to runners 12 years of age and older.

The 5K family run will be November 15, at 7:05am and the kids race starts at 9am. The expo is November 15 and 16.

St. Augustine Marathon / Francis Field, 29 W. Castillo Dr., St. Augustine, FL 32084 / staugustinemarathon.com 2nd Annual Ryan’s Run November 15, 8am to 10am The Ortega United Methodist Church is hosting the 2nd Annual Ryan’s Run, a 5K Run/Walk, on Saturday November 15th, 2014. The event is held in memory of Ryan Perry, to benefit the church and it’s children’s ministries. A onemile fun run will take place at 8am. The 5k will start at 8:30am on Iroquois Ave behind the church offices, run though the beautiful treelined Ortega neighborhood streets, and then finish in the church’s courtyard with a postrace celebration, including food, refreshments,

and games for the entire family. All proceeds from the event will directly benefit the Ryan D. Perry Foundation at OUMC, and the church’s goal of growing children’s ministries in the community. Registration for the fun run is $10 and the fees for the 5K range from $20 to $25.

1st Place Sports / Ortega United Methodist Church, 4807 Roosevelt Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32210 / www.1stplacesports.com 26th Annual Hog Jog November 16, 2pm to 4pm The Florida Striders hosts the 26th Annual Hog Jog 5k and Fun Run. Entry fees for the 5k range from $10 to $25. The 5k is run on a cross country course, and the terrain is not suitable for strollers. The fun run is free for kids, but registration is required.

Florida Striders / Ronnie VanZant Memorial Park / 2760 Sandridge Road, Jacksonville, FL 32043 / www.floridastriders.com The Great Amazing Race November 22, 2pm to 4pm Family-friendly race that is modeled after the TV show The Amazing Race, where teams of 2 people complete a one-mile course with challenge stations that require teamwork to succeed. Teams can be adult/adult, adult/kid or kid/kid. Spectators are welcome to come cheer for the participants. Team fees for two people are $40 in advance or $50 on race day.

Park entry fee rates apply. Visit the website for race discounts, club/school donations, complete schedule and more.

Max Cure Foundation’s Dunk Your Kicks program, which fights against pediatric cancer, is the charity partner for the event. You too can join the fight by donating 2 pairs of used sneakers or running shoes that will in turn be converted into money for cancer research.

When you do, you will receive a free mulligan/ time saver token for the race.

The Great Amazing Race / Little Talbot Island State Park, 12157 Heckscher Drive Jacksonville, Florida 32226 / www.greatamazingrace. info/ Special Zoolympics Run/Walk & Family Monkey Run November 23, 8:30am to 10:30am Both the 5k and the 1 mile fun run will start at the Main Camp and finish on the Great Lawn.

They will both be run entirely within the zoo.

Proceeds from the race will support Special Olympics Florida – Duval County. There will be both a 5k Run and a 1 Mile Fun Run through the Zoo so anyone of any ability can join in, from beginners to the most experienced runner. Walkers and Runners are all welcome.

After the race is over there will be an awards ceremony on the Great Lawn. After the race and awards ceremony are over you can stay and enjoy an entire day in the Zoo, as zoo admission is included in the race fee. Registration fees range from $30 to $45.

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens / 904-757-4463 / 370 Zoo Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32218 / www.jacksonvillezoo.org Visit Jax4Kids.com for more event listings.

infant & toddler

Guidelines on Christmas Gifts for Babies B abies explore with their hands, mouths and eyes, and enjoy toys they can touch or squeeze. Here are some recommendations to

keep in mind while you’re shopping this holiday season.

Things to Do Infant & Toddler Pre-K Storytime November 4, 18 & 25, 11am Pre-K Storytime is designed for children ages 4-5 years old and includes stories, music, and crafting. Join Mr. Andy and Mrs. Marcia and all of your friends in The Randolph Caldecott Children’s Room.

Main Library / 904-827-6940 / 1960 N. Ponce De Leon Blvd. St. Augustine, FL 32084 / www.sjcpls.org Babies First Christmas Saturdays, November 8, 15 and 22, 10am – 12noon Bring your baby to Babies ‘R for festive fun, giveaways and prizes! Babies ‘R Us St. Johns Town Center / 904997-6291 / 4875 Town Center Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32246 / www.babiesrus.com • Babies ‘R Us Argyle / 904-908-9696 / 6001 Argyle Forest Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32244 / www.babiesrus.com Free Nemours Brightstart Screenings November 18, 10am to 12:30pm Children ages 3-5 are invited to receive a free, 10-minute Early Literacy Screening at the library, courtesy of Nemours BrightStart. Registration is taken on a first-come, first-serve basis by a Nemours representative. Utilize this free screening to find out where your child’s literacy strengths lie, and what you can do to help them improve in any other areas before they start school.

Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library / 904-827-6950 / 101 Library Blvd. Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 / www. sjcpls.org

Recommended Toys • Floor activity centers • Activity quilts • Squeaky toys • Soft dolls or stuffed animals without button noses and eyes

Toys to Avoid • Recalled toys

• Latex balloons • Small, rounded or oval objects (like balls and marbles) • Hard toys attached to car seat handles • Toys with strings or cords • Toys with lead, magnets, or button batteries

Safety Tips

• Provide your baby supervised tummy time on a daily basis while your baby is awake.

This strengthens the neck and upper body muscles in case he or she rolls over during sleep.

• Use stationary activity centers, instead of baby walkers. This keeps your baby in a safe location.

• Always strap your baby when using swings or bouncy chairs.

• Before shopping for toys, consider your baby’s age, interest and skill level.

• Read age and safety labels. Toys that are labeled for children 3 years and older should be kept away from children under age 3.

• Check old and new toys regularly for damage that may cause small pieces to break off.

• Here’s a tip for testing toys to prevent choking…If the small toy or object can fit inside a toilet paper roll, the object is too small and poses a choking risk. Don’t let children under 3 play with it. The reason you use a toilet paper roll is because it’s close in size to a young child’s fully expanded throat.

For more baby safety tips, visit wolfsonchildrens. org/safekids j Tips Provided By Safe Kids Northeast Florida Led by THE PLAYERS Center for Child Health Wolfson Children’s Hospital

Page 10 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

Superheroes Family Storytime November 18, 11am Come for a very special Family Storytime with superheroes as guest readers: the friendly St. Johns County Firefighters from Station 10. Dress up as your favorite superhero (Firefighter, Spiderman, etc), if you wish, and come ready to climb aboard the fire truck and find out what it’s all about.

Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library / 904-827-6950 / 101 Library Blvd. Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 / www.sjcpls. org Toddler Time November 25, 10:30am and 11:15am Toddlers ages 2-3 are invited for Toddler Time at the Fleming Island branch library. Held at 10:30am and 11:15am.

Clay County Public Library System, Headquarters Branch / 904-278-3720 / 1895 Town Center Blvd. Fleming Island, FL 32003 / www.ccpl.lib.fl.us Just For Babies November 25, 10:15am Just For Babies storytime is held the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 10:15am; for babies up to 15 months and their caregivers. This infant lapsit is designed for one-on-one interaction between caregiver and baby.

Families with multiple children are encouraged to attend Family Storytime. The Family storytime is every Tuesday at 11am; for children 16 months to 5 years and their families, though no child will be turned away.

Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library / 904-827-6950 / 101 Library Blvd. Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 / www.sjcpls. org Visit Jax4Kids.com for more event listings.

2014

Log on to Jax4Kids.com to vote.

Voting ends November 9th!

Win a $100 Visa Gift Card

Page 11 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES CISV – EDUCATING AND INSPIRING ACTIVE GLOBAL CITIZENS

CISV offers participants, generally youth ages 11 to 18, the opportunity to • Experience Life In Other Countries • Make Friends Around The Globe • Build Leadership Skills • Have A Unique Summer Experience?

www.cisvjax.org

CISV is non-political, non-religious, independent nonprofit founded in 1951 in the wake of World War II. In over 60 years, CISV (www.cisv.org) has given countless children and young people the experience of their lives and the opportunity to build lasting friendships through its international educational programs. CISV aims to help its participants develop the skills they need to become informed, responsible and active global citizens and make a difference in their communities and the world. The glue that underpins all of its programs is friendship, in line with its founding belief that peace is possible through friendship and mutual understanding.

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS: In 2015, CISV will be selecting youth and adults (ages 21+) to represent the USA at 2-week, 3-week and 4-week international programs held in locations around the work. In 2015, CISV will be seeking youth and adults to represent the USA at two, three and four week program is being held in Norway, Austria, Columbia, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Colorado,and Italy.

LOCAL PROGRAMS: CISV’s Junior Branch, the part of the organization run by the youth, also conducts monthly activities that range from social events to service projects to community outreach activities. These monthly programs are suitable for youth ages 10+. Activities are posted to the CISV Jacksonville JB Facebook page and on our website at www.cisvjax.org. For more information, interested parents, teachers, students and others are invited to • email ltaylorcisv@gmail.com for more information • attend an upcoming event for kids and parents Area of Town

Date

Time

Location

Avondale

Sunday, November 2

3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

1812 Seminole Ave 32205

Ortega

Sunday, November 9

5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

5132 Harbor Point Circle 32210

Mandarin/ Julington Creek

Thursday, November 13

South Mandarin Branch Library 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

12125 San Jose Blvd 32223

Town Center

Sunday, November 16

Deerwood South Library 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd 32256

Beaches

Wednesday, December 3 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Orange Park

Saturday, December 6

San Pablo Library 13295 Beach Blvd 32246

Fleming Island Library 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. 1895 Town Center Blvd.

Orange Park, FL, 32003

Page 12 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

Travel with us around the world, enjoy entertainment, bid at our amazing silent auction and dance the night away!

International cocktail is the attire for the evening; Saris, Kilts, Kimonos and more!

American cocktail attire is fine, too.

November 22nd from 7 pm - 11 pm at the Museum and Gardens, 4160 Boulevard Center Drive.

Tickets for CISV Jacksonville’s International Gala are available online at Eventbrite.com. Single tickets are $70, Double tickets $120 and Friendship bundle of 6 tickets is $300.

Corporate donations greatly appreciated.

CISV Approach to Learning: CISV offers a fun and exciting experience, but there is a lot more to it than that CISV’s international programs are based on sound educational principles and objectives and its peace education curriculum.

We use an active, experiential ‘learning by doing’ approach to deliver our peace education, which makes learning fun and memorable. We are fully committed to our educational goals. As a result, we also take research seriously in order to assess our educational impact.

CISV VALUES: Friendship, Inclusiveness, Enthusiasm, Engagement and Cooperation CISV Educational Themes: CISV programs explore the following four themes: diversity, conflict resolution, human rights and sustainable development.

travel

A Weekend Away in Chicago W

ith airfares low, fall is a wonderful time to get away for a long weekend. With direct flights leaving early from Jacksonville, you and your family (and friends) can be checked in to your Windy City hotel by 10 a.m. and off to see the sites by noon. Whether your kids fancy science and architecture, sports or arts and culture, Chicago has it all.

Weather An Illinois winter generally lasts six months, but temperatures are mild and moderate from May to November. Snowfall is heaviest from December through March, though trace amounts of snow can fall in May and June. It’s safe to say that the weather in Chicago will be cooler than Florida, so pack accordingly.

Arts and Culture Chicago is chock full of arts and culture. A visit would be incomplete without a trip to the Art Institute of Chicago. One of the largest museums in the world, the Art Institute houses a large collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. Organized by theme, culture or form, the Institute’s collections cover art over centuries and continents.

Photo Credit: UpChicago.com Other cultural opportunities include the Chicago Cultural Center, the Field Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Science and Industry, among other choices.

Sports Got sports fans in your family? Chicago’s got you covered with the Bears (football), the Blackhawks (hockey), the Bulls (basketball), as well as the Cubs and the White Sox (baseball). Depending on the time you visit, you and your family can find an exciting game.

Going to a Cubs game is like stepping back in time because Wrigley Field has changed little since it opened a hundred years ago. Yes, there are prettier ball parks, but the atmosphere at Wrigley is second to none!

The Bears’ games are also memorable. The interior of the stadium has been renovated while the exterior still features the facade of Old Soldier Field. Since the stadium sits on Lake Michigan,

sports fans can either gaze over Lake Michigan or past or share goodies with their dolls in the store’s café. The Chicago American Girl store enjoy views of Chicago’s stunning architecture. takes reservations for holiday brunches, lunches, afternoon teas, and dinners now through the end of December.

A family favorite for over 20 years. www.kidspark.com

One fantastic deal: Photo Credit: NavyPier.com If professional sports aren’t your cup of tea, rent bikes and cycle around the lakefront or lace up your ice skates and glide around the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink or the Daley Bicentennial Plaza Rink.

50% off

Family Registration ($12.50 value)

Photo Credit: lpzoo.org

As Sinatra sang, “You’ll have the time, the time of your life. Bring all your friends, all your kids and your wife, to Chicago, Chicago, my home town!”

j

No cash value - Offer Expires 12/1/14

Come for a tour!

In Jacksonville For ages 2 - 12 Avondale 4274 Herschel St. (904) 387-8602

Consider a 3-mile walking tour of the city taking you through the Loop, showing off Chicago’s impressive architecture.

License # C04DU0724

Tinseltown 9726 Touchton Rd. #111 (904) 683-4554 License # C04DU0978

If you’re more inclined to stay near Lake Michigan, you can cruise on a speed boat, a huge multi-masted sail boat, or a double-decker viewing boat. All can be scheduled from the Navy Pier. You may choose to rent a sailboat or power boat and float on the lake yourself.

Shopping For the shoppers in your brood, Chicago offers myriad opportunities to purchase local souvenirs and sports gear, among other things. Water Tower Place is a vertical mall located along North Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation Shop offers Frank Lloyd Wright note cards and Skyscraper playing cards while the Jazz Record Mart sells blues and jazz music.

For the Kids Free admission at the Lincoln Park Zoo is a sure bet for the kids with its hands-on animal activities. This fall, the Zoo is offering a Veterans Day Zoo Camp and Sleepovers with the Animals.

Visit the Zoo’s web site to find out more information.

If little legs get tired, a ride on Chicago’s El train may be just the thing. Google Transit, part of Google Maps, delivers transit and walking directions. A new multi-modal trip planner, goroo, lets travelers plan whether they’ll walk, ride the bus, or ride the train when they plan outings.

Girls will probably want to visit American Girl Place, where they can purchase dolls from the

Page 13 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

Slinkee’s Gift Cards Make the Perfect Stocking Stuffer!

Only $7 Ages 2 & Up ADULTS ARE FREE

FALL/WINTER

OPEN PLAY HOURS

Friday 4-7 Saturday 11-7 Sunday 12-6

Ask about our Birthday Party and Field Trip Packages!

10503 San Jose Blvd. Ste. 18 Jacksonville, FL

904.260.0022 www.slinkees.net

Become a Fan

Check our website for specials!

Introducing

Mobile check deposit

It’s your money. Making deposits should fit into your schedule. That’s why we’re proud to introduce Mobile Check Deposit – a free service on your VyStar Mobile Banking App that makes it easy for members to securely deposit checks using a Smartphone or tablet. Wherever. Whenever.

HErE’S HOW tO Make sure you have the most recent version of our mobile app Sign the back of your check and write “Deposit via Mobile Deposit” Open the app and select “Deposit Check” Select the desired VyStar account Enter the deposit amount Photograph the check, front and back Confirm the image quality and request an email confirmation OPEn yOur accOunt tOday.

We never forget that it’s your money.

If you don’t have the Mobile Banking app yet, download it today from Google Play or the iTunes app store by searching VyStar.

JacKSOnVILLE & SurrOundInG cOuntIES 904-777-6000 • OutSIdE OF JacKSOnVILLE 1-800-445-6289 Please Note: The funds you deposit via your mobile app may not be available for immediate withdrawal. Please refer to your Services Agreement for full disclosures. VyStar does not charge fees for banking wireless. If you do not have a device to access a mobile site, wireless banking or text message banking, there may be a cost to purchase/rent one. There can be monthly service fees and other charges by the carrier for text messaging, email and wireless Internet access. Certain restrictions apply. VyStar is not responsible for usage, services or charges incurred on any device. © 2014 VyStar Credit Union

VYS 1314.v1.indd 1 Page 14 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

8/18/14 11:43 AM

Holiday Guide

VISIT JAX4KIDS.COM FOR MORE HOLIDAY EVENTS holiday wish lists. Holiday Spectacular is free and open to the public.

St. Johns Town Center / 904-998-7156 / 4663 River City Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32246 / www.simon.com/mall/st-johns-town-center

HOLIDAY EVENTS 4TH ANNUAL SANTA’S ARRIVAL AT THE AVENUES MALL November 7, 6pm to 8pm On Saturday, November 7th, from 6pm to 8pm, The Avenues will be celebrating their 4th Annual Santa’s Arrival. As he does every year, Santa will be arriving by helicopter. There will also be vendors, games, giveaways, entertainment and more.

Avenues Mall / 904-363-3054 / 10300 Southside Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32256 / www.simon.com/mall/the-avenues SANTA’S ARRIVAL AT THE ORANGE PARK MALL November 8 Santa arrives on November 8th on a Clay County Firetruck. Enjoy sleigh rides, children’s events and more.

Orange Park Mall / 904-269-2422 / 1910 Wells Road, Orange Park, FL 32073 / www.orangeparkmall.com ICE! AT GAYLORD PALMS Through January 4 This year’s ICE! at Gaylord Palms features The Nutcracker. There will be more than two million pounds of carved ice, four slides, scenes from The Nutcracker, and more. Guests are welcome to bring cameras and take photos inside the ICE! attraction, and the attraction is stroller friendly. Tickets range from $14.99 to $29.99. Click Here to view the complete schedule and pricing information. Through January 4, 2015. Parking is available in the Convention Center parking lot, and is $18 plus tax for self parking.

Gaylord Palms Resort / 407-586-4423 / 6000 West Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34746 / www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcogpgaylord-palms-resort-and-convention-center/ IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE November 14 – 16 A traditional Holiday favorite, “It’s a Wonderful life” is told onstage as a live 1940s radio play. In addition to actors, there will be a cameo appearance by a local personality to portray a cop in one scene. Showtimes Friday and Saturday are at 7:30pm. Sundays Matinee begins at 2pm. Tickets are $21.50 and are available online.

A Classic Theatre / The Pioneer Barn at Fort Menendez, 259 San Marco Ave, Saint Augustine, Florida 32084 / www.aclassictheatre.org ST. JOHNS TOWN CENTER’S HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR November 15, 2pm to 8pm Holiday shoppers, families and visitors are welcome to celebrate St. Johns Town Center’s Holiday Spectacular on Saturday, November 15. Holiday Spectacular is a full day of free festivities and entertainment topped off with a tree lighting and evening fireworks show. St. Johns Town Center retailers will offer holiday shopping opportunities, in-store promotions and specials throughout the weekend. The event kicks off at 2pm with family-friendly activities including stilt walkers, costumed characters, a family lounge, balloonists, holiday-themed photo opportunities and more. Main Stage entertainment begins at 6pm with dynamic holiday performances. The Main Stage is located in the Town Green in front of Maggiano’s Little Italy on Midtown Parkway. For the grand finale, Santa will lead the crowd in an official countdown to light the dazzling 32-foot tree and kick off an energetic fireworks finale. Santa will then be available at the Santa House near Dick’s Sporting Goods to hear

Page 15 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

PANDORA UNFORGETTABLE HOLIDAY MOMENTS ON ICE November 15, 7:30pm The cast features five Olympic Champions, including the most decorated dance team in US figure skating history, 2014 Olympic Champions and two-time World Champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White. Tickets range from $28 to $128 and are available at the Tom Bush family of dealerships, the arena box office, online or by phone.

Veterans Memorial Arena / 904-630-3900 / 300 A. Philip Randolph Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.ticketmaster.com/ event/22004D2C108BCA18 MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS November 15, 8pm to 10pm Families are invited to the 30th Anniversary celebration of Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at the Times Union Center, Moran Theater. Tickets start at $52.50 and are available online.

Times Union Center / 904-633-6110 / 300 West Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.artistseriesjax.org WINTERFEST AT ADVENTURE LANDING Opening November 21 Winter Fun including Outdoor Ice Skating Rink, Ice Slides, Nightly Snowfall, Santa, S’more Roasting and more!

Adventure Landing / 904-246-4386 / 1944 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250 / www.JaxWinterFest.com JAX ILLUMINATIONS DRIVE THRU LIGHT DISPLAY Nov 21 - Jan 4, 6 – 9:30pm nightly Enjoy the magic of driving through nearly a mile of holiday lights that are perfectly synchronized to holiday music. Come see over 400,000 brilliant LED lights that dance, twinkle and sparkle to some of your favorite holiday songs. $20 per car Morocco Shrine Center / 904-316-5673 / 3800 St. Johns Bluff Road South / Jacksonville, FL 32224 / www.jaxilluminations.com NIGHTS OF LIGHTS CELEBRATION LIGHT UP NIGHT November 22, 6:30pm to 10pm The Nights of Lights kicks off with the Light Up Night Ceremony. The evening will conclude with the lights being turned on at 6:30pm. The lights will continue through January 31. Nights of Lights is a 2-month long celebration of the Holiday Season. Millions of white lights create a magical holiday atmosphere in the Nation’s oldest city during the Annual Nights of Lights Celebration in St. Augustine, Florida.

City of St. Augustine / Plaza de la Constitución, St. George Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084 / www.floridashistoriccoast.com/nights TRADITIONAL MENORCAN CHRISTMAS November 22 – January 3 Celebrate a Traditional Menorcan Christmas at The Oldest Wooden School House. Located in what was known as the Menorcan Quarter of historic St. Augustine, the School House dates back to the 1700s.

The Menorcans are the foundation of St. Augustine as a living, viable city. Stop in to see the beautiful museum and garden lit by the soft glow of the Nights of Lights as well as a traditional Christmas tree and decor. Winter hours are 9am to 6pm, Sunday – Thursday & 9am to 8pm on Friday and Saturday, as well as the week of December 23 – January 3. Admission is $4.95 for adults; $3.95 for children ages 6 -12, under 6 free.

Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse / 904-824-0192 / 14 St. George St., St. Augustine, FL 32084 / www.oldestwoodenschoolhouse.com NIGHTS OF LIGHTS November 22 – January 31 From November 22 through January 31, St. Augustine glows with holiday magic – from the ground to the rooftops. Selected by National Geographic in 2011 & 2012 as one of the ten best holiday lighting displays in the world, St. Augustine’s Night of Lights feature millions of tiny white lights that create a magical atmosphere in the Nation’s oldest city. Tracing its origins to the Spanish tradition of displaying a white candle in the window during the Christmas holidays, the spectacular lighting reflects the city’s 449-year history and illuminates the beautiful setting for lasting holiday memories.

City of St. Augustine / Plaza de la Constitución, St. George Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084 / www.floridashistoriccoast.com/nights RIPLEY’S RED TRAIN NIGHTS OF LIGHTS November 23 – January 5 See St. Augustine’s spectacular Nights of Lights display aboard Ripley’s Red Trains. The tours start from Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum. Plus, as a special Friday and Saturday night treat through December 24th, Ripley’s offers free holiday movies, a chocolate fountain, gifts from Santa, balloons and snow.

The Red Train tours depart from Ripley’s Believe It of Not! from 6 – 8 p.m. Sunday thru Thursday and 6 – 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights through January 5th. Tickets are $9 adults and $4 for children.

The VIP No Waiting tour on Friday and Saturday nights are $12 adults and $5 for children. Reservations and ticket purchases can be made at the website.

Ripley’s Red Train Tours / 904-824-1606 / Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, 19 San Marco Avenue St. Augustine, FL 32084 / www.ripleys.com/ RedTrains HOLLY JOLLY HOLIDAY TROLLEY November 23 – January 4 Enjoy onboard caroling through the streets of St. Augustine while seeing the World Famous Annual Nights of Lights through magical viewing glasses. Includes complimentary hot apple cider and homemade cookies. The 30-minute tours depart nightly from the Visitor Information Center. Tickets are $12 adults; $5 children ages 6-12; free age 5 and younger. Free parking and shuttle service to the tour is available from the Old Jail, 167 San Marco Ave. and the Old Town Trolley Welcome Center at 1700 N. Ponce de Leon Blvd. The Visitor Information Center is located at 10 W. Castillo Dr. Old Town Trolley / 904-829-3800 / Visitor Information Center, 10 W. Castillo Drive St. Augustine, FL 32084 / www.trolleytours.com/staugustine PET PHOTOS WITH SANTA November 23, 6pm to 8pm • December 14, 6pm to 8pm Bring your pet to have his/her picture taken with Santa on Sunday, November 23rd from 6pm to 8pm. This event takes place after mall hours so please use the main entrance between JCPenney and Dillards. This will be the only entrance that you will be able to use.

Please call 904-363-3054 if you have any questions.

Avenues Mall / 904-363-3054 / 10300 Southside Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32256 / www.simon.com/mall/the-avenues WHITE CHRISTMAS November 26 – December 24 The Alhambra Theatre and Dining presents White Christmas from November 26 thru December 24. Ticket prices range from $47 to $55. All children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult, and no children under the age of 5 are permitted, including

infants.

Alhambra Theatre & Dining / 904-641-1212 / 12000 Beach Blvd.

Jacksonville, FL 32246 / www.alhambrajax.com 26TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS MADE IN THE SOUTH November 28-30 The 26th annual Christmas Made in the South features vendors, arts and crafts, artwork, gourmet foods, handmade items and more.

Admission is $7. Children 12 and under are free. One admission is good for all three days with hand stamp.

Friday 9am to 6pm – Saturday 10am to 6pm – Sunday 11am to 5pm Christmas Made in the South / Prime Osborn Convention Center, 1000 Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32204 / www.madeinthesouthshows. com/Jacksonville_Christmas.html TPC SAWGRASS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY November 28, 6:30pm to 8pm The TPC Sawgrass Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place at 6:30pm. There will be music, and free hot cocoa. Free family event.

There will also be a buffet dinner following the lighting. Dinner is $35 for adults and $13 for children 6 – 12. Reservations are strongly recommended.

TPC Sawgrass / 904-543-5105 / 110 Championship Way, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 / www.tpc.com/sawgrass 28TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY November 28, 7pm The 28th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at The Jacksonville Landing will take place Friday, November 28, at 7:00 p.m. in The Landing’s Courtyard. Music for the Lighting Ceremony will begin at 7:00 p.m. and include local performances. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display on the St. Johns River. The 56-foottall energy-efficient tree features over 78,000 L.E.D. lights and more than 100 ornaments. The tree is also programmed to perform a 10-minute, synchronized light show set to various selections of holiday music. The light shows begin the night of the Tree Lighting Ceremony and continue daily until New Year’s Eve. Free.

The Courtyard at The Landing will be standing-room-only for the Tree Lighting Ceremony. Therefore, the public is asked not to bring chairs.

Jacksonville Landing / 904-353-1188 / 2 Independent Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.jacksonvillelanding.com SYNCHRONIZED NIGHTLY TREE LIGHT SHOWS November 29 – January 1 All new light synchronization and music for the 2014 season. The Landing’s 56-foot-tree comes alive each evening performing a 10-minute synchronized light show with more than 78,000 twinkling lights. Sunday – Thursday 6pm to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 6pm to 12 midnight Jacksonville Landing / 904-353-1188 / 2 Independent Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.jacksonvillelanding.com SANTA EXPRESS November 29, 10am to 4pm • December 6, 10am to 4pm December 13, 10am to 4pm Journey to Santa’s Village with entertainment all along the way.

Witness the magic of Christmas as Santa comes aboard to ride the return trip with goodies for all the boys and girls. All rides depart at 10am, 12noon, 2pm and 4pm.

Open Air Railcar Rides: Adults $17, Children (3-12) $11, Children under 2 FREE Locomotive Rides $50.00 per person, limit 2 people in the Locomotive Processing fee of $3 each plus sales tax will be added to ticket price. Children 3-12 must be accompanied by an adult for locomotive rides. Children under 3 not allowed on locomotive.

St. Marys Railroad / 912-200-5235 / 1000 Osborne Street, St. Marys, GA, 31558 / www.stmarysrailroad.com

Page 16 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

JACKSONVILLE LIGHT BOAT PARADE & FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR November 29, 7pm The Jacksonville Light Boat Parade begins at 7pm and will end with the largest fireworks show of the year. There will also be live music after the parade. Admission is free.

Jacksonville Landing / 904-353-1188 / 2 Independent Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.jacksonvillelanding.com 2014 HOLIDAY ON THE RIVER DANCE AND CONCERT SERIES December 1 – 21 The 2014 Holiday on the River Dance and Concert Series kicks off on Monday, December 1 and will continue through Sunday, December 21.

Enjoy the holiday season as local schools, churches and dance groups perform in front of the 56-foot tall Christmas Tree in the Courtyard.

Performances take place during lunch and in the evenings.

Jacksonville Landing / 904-353-1188 / 2 Independent Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.jacksonvillelanding.com GINGERBREAD HOUSE EXTRAVAGANZA December 3 – 20 The Jacksonville Historical Society presents the annual Gingerbread House Extravaganza in the Old St. Andrews Church located across the street from the Veteran’s Memorial Arena. Gingerbread houses of every size and kind made of gingerbread and candies will be on display. The event is open from 11am to 5pm on weekdays, and 10am to 5pm on Saturdays. Closed Sunday. Admission cost is only $5 for adults and $3 for children 3 to 16. The proceeds from the event will go towards children’s programs of the Jacksonville Historical Society.

Weekdays, 11am to 5pm, Saturday, 10am to 6pm Jacksonville Historical Society / St. Andrew’s Church, 317 A Philip Randolph Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32202/ www.gingerbreadjax.org LUMINARY NIGHT Dec 3, 2014 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Ring in the holiday season at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum.

Visitors and community members are invited to enter the lighthouse grounds for a free evening of children’s holiday crafts, warm refreshments, live musical performances (including a string quartet inside the lighthouse tower) and photo opportunities with Santa.

Saint Augustine Lighthouse & Museum / 904- 829-0745 /100 Red Cox Road, St. Augustine, Florida 32080 / www.staugustinelighthouse.org/ MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET THE MUSICAL December 5-7 • December 11-14 December 18-24 • December 26-28 Based on the movie of the same name, Miracle on 34th Street The Musical runs December 5 thru January 4 on the Matuza Main Stage. All Tickets $25. Kids age 17 and under are free with one paid adult ticket. Preview Night Thursday December 4, Terrific Tuesday December 9 All Tickets $15. No show on Christmas Day. Shows runs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2pm.

Limelight Theatre / 904-825-1164 / 11 Old Mission Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32086 / www.limelight-theatre.org KIDGIT’S BREAKFAST WITH SANTA December 6 Kidgit’s members are invited for Breakfast with Santa. Membership in the Kidgit’s club is available for a small annual fee.

Orange Park Mall / 904-269-2422 / 1910 Wells Road, Orange Park, FL 32073 / orangeparkmall.com 60TH ANNUAL ST. AUGUSTINE CHRISTMAS PARADE December 6, 10pm St. Augustine’s Annual Christmas Parade is one of the largest in North Florida and includes floats, marching bands, cars, horses, and the arrival of Santa. The parade starts promptly at 10am by the Mission of Nombre de Dios, continues through the downtown streets of historic St. Augustine and ends behind the Visitors Center on Castillo Drive.

Downtown St. Augustine / 904-824-4997 / Mission of Nombre de Dios, 101 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine, FL 32084

ST. AUGUSTINE WINTER SPECTACULAR December 6, 2pm to 7pm The Dance Company hosts a family friendly holiday production filled with high kick dancers, ballerinas, acrobats, and actors. Two performances will be hold in the Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are sold online in advance for assigned seats ($15-20), and at the door if available ($20-25).

The Dance Company / 904-471-4946 / Flagler College, Lewis Auditorium, 14 Granada St. St. Augustine, FL 32080 / www. staugustinewinterspectacular.com ANNUAL ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH SURF ILLUMINATION December 6, 3pm to 7pm The Annual St. Augustine Beach Surf Illumination held from 3pm to 7pm at the pier, includes the ceremonial lighting of the Holiday Tree by the mayor, food and beverages offered by local restaurants and many local arts and crafts vendors. There will also be vists from Santa, musical performers, face painting, bounce house and traditional carolers.

City of St. Augustine Beach / 904-347-8007 / St. Augustine Beach Pier, 350 A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32080 / www. thecivicassociation.com/ 2014 LIGHTED CHRISTMAS PARADE December 6, 6:30pm to 8pm The Middleburg Civic Association hosts the annual Lighted Christmas Parade on December 6 at 6:30pm. All groups and families are invited to participate in the parade and all ages are invited to watch. The line up starts at 4:30pm and the parade starts at 6:30pm. Route is from Advanced Auto North on Blanding to Palmetto Street. Viewed from North bound sidewalks only. Click Here for the complete rules and for the registration form.

Middleburg Civic Association / First Baptist Church North, 2645 Blanding Boulevard, Middleburg, FL 32068 / www.middleburgcivicassociation.com CARING SANTA December 7 Caring Santa is a special event dedicated to families that have children with special needs, providing a subdued environment to visit Santa. Many steps are taken to reduce sensory triggers, creating a more comforting environment for their magical visit with Santa.

Avenues Mall / 904-363-3054 / 10300 Southside Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32256 / www.simon.com/mall/the-avenues TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA December 11, 7:30pm The Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Tickets start at $29, plus fees.

Veterans Memorial Arena / 904-630-3900 / 300 A. Philip Randolph Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.ticketmaster.com A NIGHT IN BETHLEHEM December 12, 6:30pm to 8:30pm The Memorial Lutheran School presents a special, one-night living history presentation titled “A Night in Bethlehem”. Visitors get counted in the census, explore the marketplace, taste authentic foods, visit a stable with live animals and chat with Joseph & Mary as they hold their newborn child. The event is 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Admission is free.

Memorial Lutheran Church / 904-797-8777 / 3375 U.S. 1 South, St. Augustine, FL 32086 / www.LutheranChapelSchool.com A CHRISTMAS CAROL December 12 – 14 The St. Marys Little Theatre presents A Christmas Carol. Tickets can be purchased at Once Upon a Bookseller in downtown St. Marys, On the Green Salon and Day Spa at the entrance to Osprey Cove, or Friese Studio of Music, or by calling 912-729-1103.

Theatre By the Trax / 912-552-5559 / 1000 Osborne Street, St. Marys, GA, 31558 / www.theatrebythetrax.com

THE COMMUNITY NUTCRACKER December 12, 8pm More than 200 children from Northeast Florida audition and perform in the production. Additionally, The Community Nutcracker issues 2,000 free tickets to various Jacksonville agencies and organizations to attend a Community Service Night performance. Residents and clients from area nursing homes and nonprofit agencies are also able to attend the ballet. Tickets range from $19.50 to $30.

Florida Theatre / 904-355-2787 / 128 East Forsyth Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.floridatheatre.com ST. AUGUSTINE ORCHESTRA HOLIDAY CONCERT December 12, 8pm to 9:30pm The St. Augustine Orchestra, under the direction of William McNeiland, performs at 8pm at the Lightner Museum. Tickets are $20 and are available online.

St. Augustine Orchestra / 904-655-7944 / Lightner Museum Antique Courtyard, 25 Granada St. St. Augustine, FL 32084 / www. staugustineorchestra.org KIDGITS BREAKFAST WITH SANTA December 13 On Saturday, December 13th, Kidgits are welcome to come and enjoy Breakfast with Santa Claus. Kidgits will enjoy a breakfast included free with a $5 annual Kidgits membership. Santa Claus also will do a reading of the classic story, “Twas The Night Before Christmas,” followed by holiday crafts and games.

Avenues Mall / 904-363-3054 / 10300 Southside Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32256 / www.simon.com/mall/the-avenues THE ANNUAL CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARTY OF JACKSONVILLE December 13, 9am to 12:30pm The Annual Children’s Christmas Party of Jacksonville will take place at the Prime Osborn Convention Center. As many as 8,000 children along with their parents stand in line (first- come, first served) to receive toys and a chance to win a bike. Once the doors open, the line moves quickly as children enter a beautifully decorated Party and are greeted by Santa and Mrs. Claus. Hundreds of volunteers await the opportunity to hand out toys and provide entertainment. Each child chooses several toys among electronics, balls, games, musical instruments, preschool learning toys and infant toys. In addition, they receive novelty toys, books and rulers. Intended for Jacksonville’s children, 12 years of age and younger, who otherwise might not receive toys for Christmas. The event will run until 12:30pm, or earlier if all toys are distributed.

The Children’s Christmas Party of Jacksonville / 904-504-3589 / Prime Osborn Convention Center, 1000 Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32204 ANNUAL REGATTA OF LIGHTS December 13, 6pm The Annual Regatta of Lights features a parade of sailboats, trawlers, shrimp boats and many other vessels all decorated with brilliant lighted displays ranging from patriotic to whimsical. Awards will be given for the best theme, most colorful, best in class and best overall.

Beginning at 6pm, the boats will light up St. Augustine’s Matanzas Bay between the Bridge of Lions and Castillo de San Marcos.

St. Augustine Yacht Club / 904-824-9725 / St. Augustine Bayfront, Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine, FL 32084 / www.staugustineyachtclub.com SING THE CHRISTMAS JOY December 13-14 “A Festive Spanish Christmas” and the Christmas portion of Handel’s “Messiah” are featured in this first concert of the new season of the St. Augustine Community Chorus. The concerts take place at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday and 1:45 p.m. on Sunday at the Cathedral Basilica.

Tickets are $20 each in advance and $25 at the door. Student tickets are $5.

St. Augustine Community Chorus / Cathedral Basilica, 38 Cathedral Place, St. Augustine, FL 32084 / www.staugustinecommunitychorus.org

Page 17 • Jax4Kids.com • OCTOBER 2014

SWEET PETE’S SANTA BRUNCH December 14, 10am to 2pm, December 21, 10am to 2pm Sweet Pete’s hosts a Santa Brunch. The seated brunch will be prepared by The Candy Apple restaurant, and will also feature Candy Cane Pulls, Hot Chocolate Bar, and Pictures with Santa. Cost is $48 for adults and $25 for children. Seating is limited and advance reservations are required. Please email info@sweetpetescandy. com to request reservations.

The event will be held from 10am to 2pm on December 14th and 21st.

Sweet Pete’s / 904-376-7161 / 1922 N Pearl St Jacksonville, FL 32206 / www.sweetpetescandy.com YAPPY HOUR CHRISTMAS “PAW”TY December 14, 2pm to 5pm The final Yappy Hour of the season includes a Christmas “Paw”ty. There will also be live entertainment on the Coca-Cola Riverfront Stage, free prizes, cash giveaways, and more from 2pm to 5pm. You can also decorate a doggy ornaments for your pooch. The Landing Courtyard will be decorated for the holiday season with Christmas Trees and ornaments. Free pooch photos with Santa with any pet food or treat donation, or $5 contribution (first 50 dogs).

Have a photo of your pooch under the Christmas tree? Email your pup’s best Christmas photo and watch it rotate on the 14ft. jumbotron in the Courtyard during Yappy Hour. Email as a jpeg to scollins@ jacksonvillelanding.com by Wednesday, December 10.

Pet Photos with Santa from 2pm-4pm: Receive one complementary print when you donate any pet food item (one print per owner, not per dog) Receive one complementary print when you donate $5 (all proceeds go to a local humane society) (one print per owner, not per dog) Bring your own camera for as many digital photos as you’d like!

First 50 people will receive a free photo with donation.

Jacksonville Landing / 904-353-1188 / 2 Independent Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.jacksonvillelanding.com/ MENORAH BUILDING WORKSHOP December 14, 2pm to 3:30pm Chabad of St. Johns is partnering with Lowe’s for a Pre-Chanukah Menorah Building Workshop. Wearing mini Lowe’s aprons and goggles, kids will craft their very own unique Menorahs with a host of supplies available from Lowe’s. Chabad will provide hot latkes and fresh doughnuts – traditional Chanukah foods. Reservations are appreciated to ensure enough supplies. RSVP to Dini@ JewishSJohnsCounty.com .

Chabad St. Johns / 904-701-4422/ Lowe’s, 4040 Oldfield Crossing Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32223 / www.jewishsjohnscounty.com/ PET PHOTOS WITH SANTA December 14, 6pm to 8pm Pets are welcome to come visit Santa and have their pictures taken.

St. Johns Town Center / 904-998-7156 / 4663 River City Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32246 / www.simon.com/mall/st-johns-town-center NOCATEE’S ANNUAL MENORAH LIGHTING December 16, 6:30pm to 7:30pm The Annual Menorah Lighting at Nocatee will take place on Tuesday, December 16, at 6:30pm.

Chabad St. Johns / 904-701-4422 / Nocatee Town Center, 100 Marketside Avenue, Ponte Vedra, FL 32081 / www.jewishsjohnscounty.com ANNUAL MENORAH LIGHTING AT WORLD GOLF VILLAGE December 17, 6:30pm to 7:30pm The Annual Menorah Lighting at World Golf Village will take place on Wednesday, December 17, at 6:30pm.

Chabad St. Johns / 904-701-4422 / World Golf Village, 500 S Legacy Trail St Augustine, FL 32092 / www.jewishsjohnscounty.com HOLIDAY POPS CONCERT December 17-18 The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra performs their annual holiday tradition, the Holiday Pops Concert, at the Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College. Tickets are $35.

Emma Concert Series / Flagler College, Lewis Auditorium, 14 Granada St. St. Augustine, FL 32080 / www.jaxsymphony.org

FIRST COAST NUTCRACKER December 19-21 The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra presents the First Coast Nutcracker, featuring music by Tchaikovsky. Performances held at the Moran Theatre. Tickets range from $18 to $50.

Friday, 8pm, Saturday, 2pm and 8pm, Sunday, 2pm First Coast Nutcracker / 904-354-5547 / Times Union Center, 300 West Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.firstcoastnutcracker.com SAINT AUGUSTINE BALLET’S NUTCRACKER December 20-21 Saint Augustine Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker will take place. on Saturday, December 20 and on Sunday, December 21 at 2pm and 7:30pm on both days, in Flagler College’s Lewis Auditorium.

Tickets are $25 to $30, with a $5 discount for seniors 65 and older and students 12 and under. Tickets will be available at www. saintaugustineballet.com.

Saint Augustine Ballet / Flagler College, Lewis Auditorium, 14 Granada St. St. Augustine, FL 32080 / www.saintaugustineballet.com CHRISTMAS IN OLD ST. AUGUSTINE December 20, 6pm to 9pm This annual Heritage Event features the Christmas music and customs of 16th century St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city. This holiday celebration takes place from 6pm to 9pm at Mission Nombre de Dios.

Admission and parking are free.

Florida Living History / 877-352-4478 / Mission of Nombre de Dios, 101 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine, FL 32084 / www. floridalivinghistory.org RIVERSIDE AVONDALE’S LUMINARIA December 21, 5pm Riverside Avondale’s Luminaria celebration will return to Riverside Avondale. The traditional lighting of the lanterns at sundown will occur Sunday, December 21st. Only kits that are sold at the Buckland House (2623 Herschel Street) contribute to Riverside Avondale Preservation. Every sale of a Luminaria kit helps the organization continue its mission of preserving community and quality of life.

Riverside Avondale Preservation / 2623 Herschel St, Jacksonville, Florida 32204 / www.riversideavondale.org RUDOLPH THE RED NOSE REINDEER December 22, 7pm Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, a beloved Christmas classic, will be performed at the Florida Theatre. Tickets range from $25 to $49.50.

Florida Theatre / 904-355-2787 / 128 East Forsyth Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.floridatheatre.com A CHRISTMAS CAROL December 23, 7:30pm to 10pm A Christmas Carol plays Jacksonville’s Times-Union Center’s Moran Theater for one performance only on Tuesday, December 23, 2014 at 7:30pm. Tickets for A Christmas Carol in Jacksonville start at $27.00 (and at $13.25 for children 12 and under) and can be purchased at www.artistseriesjax.org, 904-442-2929, and the FSCJ Artist Series Box Office between 10am to 5pm, Monday-Friday. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.

Artist Series of Jacksonville / 904-442-2929 / Times Union Center, Moran Theater, 300 West Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www. artistseriesjax.org BEACH BLAST OFF 2015 December 31, 4pm to 10pm The City of St. Augustine Beach hosts their annual Beach Blast Off at the St. Augustine Beach Pier Park. There will be food, live music, ice sculptures, chili cookoff, and Kids Zone with multiple inflatables, face painting and more.

City of St. Augustine Beach / 904-501-4556 / St. Augustine Beach Pier, 350 A1A Beach Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32080 / www. beachblastoff.com/index.html JACKSONVILLE ZOO AND GARDENS NOON YEAR’S EVE December 31, 10am – 1pm Join Jax4Kids.com at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens for Noon Year’s Eve, a family-friendly New Year’s Celebration with an apple juice toast at Noon and Jacksonville’s own Dalton Cyr performing on stage. There will be entertainment throughout the Zoo, goody bags for the first 500 and party hats and noisemakers for everyone. Noon

Year’s Eve is free with Zoo admission.

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens / 904-757-4463 / 370 Zoo Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32218 / www.jacksonvillezoo.org

NEW MOVIE RELEASES BIG HERO 6 (PG) – Opens November 7 The special bond that develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.

JESSABELLE (PG-13) – Opens November 7 Returning to her childhood home in Louisiana to recuperate from a horrific car accident, Jessabelle comes face to face with a longtormented spirit that has been seeking her return — and has no intention of letting her escape.

INTERSTELLAR (PG-14) – Opens November 7 A group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

Opening at World Golf Village IMAX DUMB AND DUMBER TO (PG-13) – Opens November 14 20 years after the dimwits set out on their first adventure, they head out in search of one of their long lost children in the hope of gaining a new kidney.

Page 18 • Jax4Kids.com • OCTOBER 2014

PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR (NOT YET RATED) Opens November 14 Super spy teams aren’t born…they’re hatched. Discover the secrets of the greatest and most hilarious covert birds in the global espionage biz: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private. These elitists of the elite are joining forces with a chic undercover organization, The North Wind.

Led by handsome and husky Agent Classified (we could tell you his name, but then…you know). Together, they must stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine, from destroying the world as we know it.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1 (PG-13) Opens November 21 Katniss Everdeen is in District 13 after she shatters the games forever.

Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta and a nation moved by her courage.

THE IMITATION GAME (PG-13) – Opens November 21 English mathematician and logician, Alan Turing, helps crack the Enigma code during World War II. THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES (NOT YET RATED) Opens December 17 Bilbo and Company are forced to be embraced in a war against an armed flock of combatants and the terrifying Smaug from acquiring a kingdom of treasure and incinerating all of Middle-Earth.

Opening at World Golf Village IMAX

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB (NOT YET RATED) Opens December 19 Larry spans the globe, while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.

ANNIE (PG) Opens December 19 Business tycoon and mayoral candidate Benjamin Stacks launches a campaign to take in Annie, a young girl who has been living with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan since her parents left her as a baby.

INTO THE WOODS (PG) Opens December 25 “Into the Woods” is a modern twist on several of the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests.

This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy)—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife (James Corden & Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them.

PADDINGTON (NOT YET RATED) Opens December 25 A lost Peruvian bear finds shelter with a kind family, but a museum taxidermist has designs on his rare hide.

Are You Public Education Strong?

Take the Pledge. Share Your Story.

The access to a quality education, and the opportunities it creates for our citizens, directly correlate to the success of our community and nation. Regardless of race, gender, orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, diverse learning needs or disabilities, Public Education provides everybody the opportunity to grow intellectually, and prepare for a life beyond the classroom walls. Take the pledge and strengthen public education in Duval County Public Schools by: • Attending school and district events • Volunteering/joining a school-based organization • Visiting www.discoverduval.com to participate in a school tour or request a speaker • Contacting a legislator to advocate for resources • Sharing positive #MyDuval experiences on social media Visit duvalschools.org/publiceducationstrong to take the pledge, watch the Public Education Strong PSA, and share your success story.

• • • • • • • • •

Tour Locations and Dates: Wolfson High School - November 3rd @ 8:30 a.m.

The Leadership Schools and Eugene J. Butler November 13th @ 11:00 a.m.

Stilwell Middle School * - December 15th @ 9:00 a.m.

North Shore Elementary - January 14th @ 8:30 a.m.

William M. Raines * - February 4th @ 9:00 a.m.

R.V. Daniels Elementary * - February 18th @ 9:00 a.m.

Fort Caroline Middle School - March 4th @ 8:30 a.m.

Mayport Elementary School - April 15th @ 11:00 a.m.

Southside Middle School - May 13th @ 9:00 a.m. * Bus to school tour begins at District office 1701 Prudential Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32207

Duval County Public Schools invites you to explore its schools and great educational programs through its “Discover Duval” initiative. This program provides parents, and community members an opportunity to participate in a guided school tour or request a district professional to speak about the successes and challenges in Duval County Public School.

Speakers’ Bureau: Duval County Public Schools is the city’s second largest employer with a budget of $1.7 billion. Invite a DCPS leadership representative to an organization’s monthly meeting to discuss how its operations, systems, and processes are contributing to its bottom line – the academic performance of students.

For more information to request a speaker, or register for a tour, visit duvalschools.org/discoverduval.

School Choice Expo • January 10, 2015 Prime Osborn Convention Center

Page 19 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

Clay County School News The Academies of Clay

When Kids Meet Robots

The School District of Clay County is redesigning our high school instructional format to better engage students and prepare them for the demands of the 21st century. We are calling this new innovation in learning “The Academies of Clay”.

STEM is the acronym for “Science-TechnologyEngineering-Mathematics”, and it is the catchphrase used to open the discussion about careers in these fields. As the school district moves toward implementing the Academies of Clay, it is important that students are exposed to these career fields as early as elementary school. One aspect of STEM involves computer programing and robotics.

The Academies of Clay are theme-based learning communities created within each high school.

The concept is based on national research and has been proven highly effective in engaging students and increasing academic performance.

Beginning with this school year, 9th grade students will choose a program that matches their talents, skills and interests. They will have the opportunity to explore their area of interest on their journey through high school to graduation.

Traditional academic courses will be taught in the context of these learning-based communities. When students see the relationship between what they are learning and a future career, positive things happen.

By partnering with the business community,

With the help of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), the school district began the robotics program at the elementary school level in the 2011-2012 school year. That

year, teachers were trained in robot design and programming and then returned to their schools to start robotic clubs and competing teams.

Through affiliation with the Florida First Lego League, students began designing, building, and programming robots that could navigate their way through missions related to real-world themes.

Robotics is spreading beyond the school clubs and being integrated into the curriculum through technology classes offered at the elementary and junior high schools and will be moving into several of the high schools this school year.

students will receive real-life, hands-on experiences. They’ll be able to visit their business facilities and learn from professionals.

This new concept is one way that the School District of Clay County strives to prepare students for success in education, the workplace, and life.

Information on Bright Futures Scholarships Bright Futures is a scholarship program available for Florida High School students. There are 3 different Bright Futures scholarships available.

While they each have slightly different guidelines, students will need to meet certain course, GPA, test score, and service requirements.

Take Stock in Children

The 3 levels are: • Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) • Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) • Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV)

After the training and application process is completed, the time commitment is approximately one hour per week in a public school during the regular school year.

In addition to meeting academic requirements, students must also meet the general eligibility requirements for receipt of state aid.

More details are available at www.

FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org

Take Stock in Children, a state-wide mentoring program for low-income public school students, is in need of adult mentors in Clay County.

November Calendar Tuesday November 11, 2014 Friday November 14, 2014 Monday November 24 thru Friday November 28, 2014

Veterans’ Day, Student/Teacher Holiday Interim Reports to Parents Thanksgiving, Student/Teacher Holidays

www.oneclay.net OP/Middleburg (904) 272-8100 Green Cove Springs (904) 284-6500 Keystone Heights (888) 663-2529 TDD (904) 284-6584

Interested? Call 904-272-8144 or go to www.takestockinchildren.org.

Connect with us!

twitter.com/oneclayschools • and • www.facebook.com/OneClay

Page 20 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

St. Johns County School District News Recognition of the Very Special Arts Florida Student of the Month math skills and are generally more engaged.

Students are selected from one of two different age groups (5-13) and (14-22) who exemplify outstanding work in and through the arts. The student artist may be accomplished in visual arts, music, dance, drama, literary arts or just exemplify amazing personal achievement and leadership in one of the genres. Each month VSAFL selects one student in each age category from a pool of

The semifinalists are Ashlee Jamerson and Connor McLevey from Creekside High School (CHS); Jenna Abell from Pedro Menendez High School; Justin Andrilenas, Brandon Canaday, Eric Goodman, Megan Hinkle, Jessica Koros, Lucas Sanders, Daniel Schwartz, Alexander Short, Turner Street, Erin Wadhams and Lauren Wisniewski from Allen D. Nease High School (NHS); Elizabeth Bugbey, Brett Greene, Lily Norenberg, Rina Samant, Sonia Samant, Michael Seethaler, Emmanuel Stamatogiannakis from Ponte Vedra High School; and home-schooled student Christopher Battista.

These students placed among the top 1 percent of all students in the country taking the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test given annually to high school juniors. As 22 of approximately 16,000 semifinalists nationwide, they are now eligible to advance to the finalist competition to vie for about 7,600 scholarships worth more than $33 million to be announced in April 2015.

From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the

finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2015. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a staterepresentational basis. The remaining scholarships are provided by approximately 240 National

CITIZENSHIP

Twenty-two St. Johns County seniors have qualified as National Merit Semifinalists for 2015.

CHARACTER COUNTS! FAIRNESS

National Merit Semifinalists

All semifinalists were recognized at the School Board meeting on Tuesday, October 14.

This month’s Pillar Character Counts Pillar is All Pillars.

RESPONSIBILITY

Congratulations to Bailey for this very special recognition.

2015 National Achievement Semifinalists, Ayanna Dumore of NHS and Ashlee Jamerson of CHS. The National Achievement Scholarship Program is an academic competition recognizing the highest-scoring black students in each state who took the PSAT and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as a junior in high school.

Character Counts! In St. Johns County

RESPECT

students who have been nominated by administrators, educators, teaching artists, community members and parents.

TRUSTWORTHINESS

The Very Special Arts Florida Student of the Month Recognition Program is a statewide program that strives to increase public awareness of the impact arts make on students with disabilities. Students who participate in the arts develop creativity, have increased self-confidence, understand teamwork, have increased language and

In addition, the district also had two

CARING

Bailey Smith, a junior at St. Augustine High School who is visually impaired, has been selected as the Very Special Arts Florida (VSAFL) Student of the Month for September. Bailey is a concert chorus member in the St. Johns County Center for the Arts and has recently passed the first round of the Florida Vocal Association All State Chorus test.

According to Chorus Director Jeff Dodd, Bailey is a great person and a talented young artist is the area of vocal arts.

Merit Scholarship corporate sponsors as well as some 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Important Dates Tuesday, November 11 Wednesday, November 19 Wednesday - Friday, November 26 - 28

Follow us on Twitter

Veterans Day - Student/Teacher Holiday Interims Issued Thanksgiving Break - Student/Teacher Holiday

Visit St. Johns County Schools online at http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/schools/ for more information.

Page 21 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

EDUCATION

Khan Academy

A

few years back, Sal Khan agreed to help his seventh grade cousin Nadia in math remotely from his home in Boston.

Not only did he help her, but his tutoring approach would very well transform education as we know it around the world.

familiar with the subject matter then do exercises in the classroom with a teacher there to monitor their progress. This concept, called “flipping the classroom”, turns the teacher from just a lecturer into a monitor or mentor who can apply more individual attention to the students in specific areas where they might be struggling.

Khan reinforced some lessons to his cousins with some posts on Youtube to give them a chance to review the material on their own schedule. The cousins were not the only ones who saw the videos and got a great deal out of them. Before long, other people looking to help their children with math were posting positive feedback about the approach and its positive results.

In 2010, Khan Academy caught the eye of none other than Bill Gates. Gates mentioned that he used the site to help his children with math and then began to fund the endeavor through the Bill Gates Foundation. Google, Bank of America, and many others have now rallied to the cause. The Khan Academy still has Sal narrating many of the videos in his unique style, but now has a “rock star” group of programmers who are making “I was a little taken aback at first when my cous- the site more attractive for users and easier for ins told me that they preferred my videos to the teachers, parents, and “coaches” to monitor their real thing, but it made more sense as I thought student’s progress. Other experts in their respecabout it more,” said Khan about the developtive fields also have volunteered their time as well ment. “I then began to get positive feedback from to help make the site more comprehensive. people I didn’t know on the videos and some even said they’d pray for me. That’s not someOne of the new developments on the site is the thing hedge fund managers get a lot.” introduction of more badges for progress or for being on the site longer or mastering topics. As Since that humble beginning, the Khan Academy you make progress in a subject, the site awards has grown into a worldwide phenomenon with you points or benchmark badges for demonstratmillions of students on site every day. The lesing mastery of a subject. Competitive fifth gradsons are free to everyone and range from basic ers caught up in badge fever have been known to addition to advanced calculus to Beethoven. If get into college level algebra as the learning fever anyone spends regular time on the Khan Acadtakes over their brain. emy website, they are bound to see progress on the subject matter of their choice. With a As the site becomes more interactive, students declared mission of “changing education for the can take quizzes, practice an endless array of better by providing a free world-class education sample problems which never repeat, and see to anyone anywhere,” Khan Academy is changing how they progress. Learning is supposed to be the way people learn. fun and Khan Academy makes learning math, science, and economics entertaining. Some critKhan, previously a hedge fund manager with ics have taken issue with some of the educational three degrees from MIT and an MBA from approaches on Khan, but the constantly evolving Harvard, quit his job in 2009 to devote himself nature of the instruction has addressed many of full-time to the development of the program. The those suggestions. videos are informal with Khan narrating while he performs the work on an electronic blackboard.

In just a few short years, Sal Khan and his team They are primarily designed for self-education, have changed the way many people across the but the concept is now finding its way into class- world learn. With millions of students on their rooms across the country. site every day in India, Australia, and China, Khan Academy is sparking a revolution in the way Students watch the videos at home to become people learn. j

“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

– Mark Twain

That’s MY Job! Courtney Lewis, Music Director at the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra Q. How long have you been a Music Director?

A. I started conducting at university in Cambridge when I was 19. I’ve been addicted ever since!

From 2009 to 2014 I was music director of Boston’s Discovery Ensemble, a chamber orchestra that played a wide range of classical and contemporary music and spent a lot of time taking music into schools in Boston that didn’t have music programs. I’ve been music director of the Jacksonville Symphony since September 2014.

Q. Why did you choose this career?

A. Conducting is an exhilarating mix of the physicality of performance on the podium, with the intellectual excitement of learning scores at your desk, and the leadership responsibility of leading an orchestra artistically. It’s a very unusual mix of demands, which makes it fascinating and all-encompassing.

Q. What kind of education did you get to become a Symphony Music Director?

A. I studied the piano and clarinet throughout grade and high school, as well as singing in a choir. Then I went to the University of Cambridge to study music, which included a lot of history and theory. After that I did a master’s degree in musicology before going to the Royal Northern College of Music where I spent a year studying conducting.

Q. What are some of your responsibilities?

A. My primary responsibility is preparing the orchestra for concerts. I also enjoy planning the season (helping choose what music we play and which soloists we engage) and working with the staff and Board to plan for the future and fundraise.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love making music with the amazing musicians of the Jacksonville Symphony.

This is a fantastic orchestra, and it’s a privilege to lead such a dedicated and passionate group in performances of masterpieces.

New Patients Welcome!

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Drs. Setzer, Cochran, Soares & Hubbard Page 22 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

EDUCATION

November is National Native American Heritage Month

During your Thanksgiving weekend, consider planning a day trip to Ft. Caroline to see firsthand a large-scale model of the fort, as well as a Timucuan Hut and Shell Mound exhibit, and other exhibits about the Timucua Indians and European exploration and settlement.

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he Southeastern United States and Florida have a rich Native American heritage.

Florida’s Seminole Indians (comprised of Creek Indians from Georgia and Alabama) along with the Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, and Chickasaw Indians were known for their farming prowess and medical advancements, among other things.

From 1835-1842, the Seminole, led by Osceola, fought the U.S. government’s attempts to move them from Florida to Oklahoma.

Plan your trip and learn more at www.nps.gov/ timu/historyculture/foca.htm j Fort Caroline National Memorial as seen from above. Courtesy of the National Park Service (Fort Caroline National Memorial) and provided assistance in building the fort and other structures.”

In the early 1900s, Seneca Indian Dr. Arthur C. Parker, who was later the director of the Museum of Arts and Sciences in New York, convinced the Boy Scouts of America to set aside a day to remember and celebrate the “First Americans.” The Boy Scouts did so for three years. Not long after, in 1915, American Indian Day was approved by the Congress of the American Indian Association, and by 1924, the Indian Citizenship Act was approved by Congress, granting U.S. citizenship rights to all Indians.

Various state and national Native American observances continued and in 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 as the first National American Heritage Indian Month.

In 2009, President Obama signed legislation establishing the Friday immediately following Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day. The same year, the President issued a proclamation designating November as National Native American Heritage Month, and it has been celebrated each year since.

While Fort Caroline was only briefly occupied because the Spanish did ultimately attack, it “commemorates one of the first attempts by Europeans to found a colony in the New World:.

Address and Contact Info: Fort Caroline National Memorial 12713 Fort Caroline Road Jacksonville, Florida 32225 904.641.7155 Special Thanks to Jennie Busey, Education Director, St. Johns Riverkeeper www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org Sources www.nps.gov/nr/travel/cultural_diversity/Fort_ Caroline_National_Memorial.html

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

– Mark Twain Pictured Above: Arthur C. Parker, Director of the Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences in New York, was of of Seneca and Scots-English descent it between the other team’s goalposts.

Another option is to visit Northeast Florida’s Timucuan Preserve. With most of its 46,000 acres made up of water or salt marsh, nearly 7,500 acres of the Preserve are owned and operated by the National Park Service. Visitor centers are open year-round at Kingsley Plantation, Fort To celebrate National Native American Heritage Caroline National Monument, the Theodore RooMonth here on the First Coast, consider learning more about lacrosse, a game invented by Indians. sevelt Area, the Ribault Column and the Spanish Pond. j Using natural resources, Native Americans used wood to shape sticks with webbed ends and deer Image Source skins and sinew to form balls. With close to 100 players on each team, players used two sticks to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Parker catch and throw the ball ultimately trying to land

Thanksgiving History at Fort Caroline W hen we think of the first Thanksgiving, images of English colonists feasting with Native Americans in the Plymouth colony of Massachusetts come to mind.

But did you know that, according to the Library of Congress, there are at least two other recorded Thanksgiving celebrations that occurred prior to

the 1621 feast at Plymouth?

One of these celebrations occurred 57 years earlier on June 30, 1564, when French Huguenot colonists held a feast of “thanksgiving” at Ft. Caroline near what is now Jacksonville. According to the National Park Service, “The local Timucua initially helped the newly arrived French

Page 23 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

Kids really do say the funniest things! Please share your favorites with us by e-mailing your story directly to editor@jax4kids.com. One entry each month will be turned into a cartoon to be published in the next issue of Jax4Kids. We’ll send you the original cartoon as a keepsake.

EDUCATION

Codecademy: Learn to Code Remember the Audio!

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ob Dylan first sang, “The Times, They Are a Changin’” fifty years ago, but his song resonates as much today as it did in 1964, especially when it comes to education.

Codecademy is an education company on the forefront of change. Their hope is to better prepare students to learn the ins and outs of computers with “the first truly net native education.”

“Education in critical skills should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their gender, where they live, their income or any other factor,” said Codeacademy co-founder Zach Sims. “When we started Codecademy, there was a gap between the skills needed to find a job and the education

available to students across the world. Programming, in particular, showed a massive achievement gap, with females representing only 12 per cent of computer science degree graduates,” Sims added.

W

hether you have a child who loves reading or struggles with it, please consider exposing him or her to audio books. They’re available for check-out through area libraries, for purchase online and in book stores, and for download on electronic devices or through the web.

With all the test preparation going on in classrooms these days, teachers have little time to help students build better listening comprehension skills. Listening to audio books can help.

Whether your student listens while driving or during chore time at home, she can hear the natural rhythm of language and the author’s diction while enjoying audio books.

Codecademy is doing its part to make computer education more accessible to everyone. For more information, visit them at Codecademy.com j

“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.”

– Mark Twain

benefit of audio books. If your child loves to invent things and is going to be creating a science project this year, for example, he could listen to an audiobook about an inventor such as Benjamin Franklin or a scientist such as Sir Isaac Newton. Doing so may give him ideas for his assignment now before project season begins.

I played our first grade daughter, Hayden, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie” series on audio book for more than a year while we drove hither and yon. She now eyes the audio book shelves at our local branch library whenever we go. She’s currently listening to Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones books. While she still likes to listen in the car, her new favorite way to take in audio books is by piling up on the couch, sketch pad in hand, to draw while listening.

Audio books in the classroom When I have challenged readers in my high school English classroom, I often give them the option of listening to recordings of books we study. Many are relieved to know they can listen and enjoy a text while someone else (the recorded voice) does the heavy lifting of reading. I have seen students fall in love with books after listening to them.

Another benefit of audio books is the opportunity for the whole family to enjoy books together. On a recent road trip to Tampa, my mom, Hayden and I enjoyed hearing how Laura was romanced by Almanzo in “Those Happy Golden Years” by Wilder.

Resources The web is full of sites offering free audio books. I have listed three hoping you and your family will have time to check them out soon.

Librivox – librivox.org With the goal of providing free access to all books in the public domain, Librivox uses volunteer readers to record books and make them available on the Internet. Librivox is always looking for volunteer readers, so if you or your children are looking for opportunities to help others, you might consider reading for them.

Lit2Go – etc.usf.edu/lit2go Created by the College of Education at the University of South Florida, Lit2Go offers free short stories and poems along with a reading strategy (in most cases) and a downloadable PDF. With I bring recordings of poetry, short stories, literature organized in collections (such as African speeches and non-fiction into my classroom to American Literature or The Civil War), Lit2Go expose students to different types of writing while makes quality literature accessible any time. building their listening comprehension skills. They enjoy the time to settle down and hear pieces StoryNory – www.storynory.com read to them.

Offering children’s stories, myths, music, poetry and more, StoryNory.com is a site your children Benefits may want to visit over and over. In the section on Hearing vocal inflections on the recording and dif- classics, for example, I found wonderful recordferent accents for characters helps any reader ings of Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling and Sir comprehend a text more quickly. Students who Arthur Conan Doyle. listen to a recording can quickly match a change in voice to a change in speakers, which is Until next time, I hope you and your children enjoy sometimes a challenge. They can also visualize (a some new audio books soon. j wonderful tool used by experienced readers) Nancy Lee Bethea what’s happening in their mind’s eye while they Nancy Lee Bethea teaches English to students in listen. grades 9-12 at Sonshine Christian Academy in Callahan, Florida. She is also a freelance writer.

Building background knowledge is another

Page 24 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

EDUCATION

Fun Facts about Turkeys Turkey Fun Facts from Smithsonian.com 1) Turkeys are more than just big chickens–more than 45 million years of evolution separates the two species.

snoods and that snood length can also be used to predict the winner of a competition between two males.

2) The wild turkey was hunted nearly to extinction by the early 1900s, when the population reached a low of around 30,000 birds. But restoration programs across North America have brought the numbers up to seven million today.

The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin

by Stan & Jan Berenstain

3) There are six subspecies of wild turkey, all native to North America. The pilgrims hunted and ate the eastern wild turkey, M. gallopavo silvestris, which today has a range that covers the eastern half of the United States and extends into Canada. These birds, sometimes called the forest turkey, are the most numerous of all the turkey subspecies, numbering more than five million.

4) The Aztecs domesticated another subspecies, M. gallapavo gallopavo, the south Mexican wild turkey, and the Spanish brought those turkeys to Europe. The pilgrims then brought several of these domestic turkeys back to North America.

5) Male turkeys are called “gobblers,” after the “gobble” call they make to announce themselves to females (which are called “hens”) and compete with other males. Other turkey sounds include “purrs,” “yelps” and “kee-kees.”

6) An adult gobbler weighs 16 to 22 pounds on average, has a beard of modified feathers on his breast that reaches seven inches or more long, and has sharp spurs on his legs for fighting. A hen is smaller, weighing around 8 to 12 pounds, and has no beard or spurs. Both genders have a snood (a dangly appendage on the face), wattle (the red dangly bit under the chin) and only a few feathers on the head.

7) Studies have shown that snood length is associated with male turkey health. In addition, a 1997 study in the Journal of Avian Biology found that female turkeys prefer males with long

Books About Thanksgiving

T is for Turkey

by Tanya Lee Stone

What is Thanksgiving?

by Michelle Medlock Adams 8) A turkey’s gender can be determined from its droppings–males produce spiral-shaped poop and females’ poop is shaped like the letter J. 9) Turkeys can run at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour and fly as fast as 55 miles per hour.

10) A group of related male turkeys will band together to court females, though only one member of the group gets to mate.

11) When a hen is ready to make little turkeys, she’ll lay about 10 to 12 eggs, one egg per day, over a period of about two weeks. The eggs will incubate for about 28 days before hatching.

12) Baby turkeys, called poults, eat berries, seeds and insects, while adults have a more varied diet that can include acorns and even small reptiles.

Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks

by Margaret Sutherland and Sonja Lamut Celebrate Thanksgiving by Deborah Heiligman, Elizabeth Hafkin Pleck

The Thanksgiving Story

by Alice Dalgliesh

Photo credit: Wikipedia.org j

“To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.”

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie

by Alison Jackson

– Mark Twain Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving by James Dean Page 25 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

Special needs

Financial Planning for Kids with Special Needs A s friends worry out loud about how they’ll pay for their kids’ college education, the parents of children with special needs have worries that extend beyond the few years it takes to get a college degree: • How will we pay for the special therapies our child needs now?

• Who will pay our child’s expenses once he or she becomes an adult?

• Where will our child live and who will oversee his or her care after we’re gone?

These daunting questions and fears stop many parents in their tracks. But creating a plan can ease anxiety, say financial planners. Some of the issues you need to confront are financial: How do you set aside money for your child without affecting his or her government benefits? And some are emotional: Who would understand your child’s needs if something were to happen to you right now?

Here are 10 steps to planning your child’s financial future. Some are simple, some are challenging; some cost nothing and some require paying legal fees. Get started on some of these now, so you’ll have peace of mind down the road.

disability laws. Once the documents are drafted, have your lawyer keep one and then give copies to any executors or guardians named in the will.

Costs for this legal paperwork, including the will, trust, and powers of attorney, start at $1,500 and go higher depending on where you live. Contact the Academy of Special Needs Planners or the Special Needs Alliance for a referral to an attorney in your state.

learn that just because a child needs a certain treatment or therapy doesn’t mean that your school system will offer it or insurance will cover it. This is where personal savings become so important. Start putting aside whatever you can each month — no amount is too small — to cover these extra expenses. Just make sure you never put this money in your child’s name.

Savings also can help pay for a special needs advocate, an expert in special education who can 3. Name a Guardian help you navigate the paperwork, programs, and A guardian is the person who will care for your child if you were to die before he or she becomes laws that affect what services your child qualifies for. Special needs advocates can save parents an adult. In choosing this person, consider how much time you now spend tending to your child’s money in the long run by using their expertise to needs. Who can handle that type of commitment? ensure that kids get all the services they’re entitled to from their local school district.

Who has bonded with your child? Who has the patience, understanding, and other personality To find an advocate in your area, contact your traits necessary to deal with the day-to-day local school district, organizations focused on responsibilities of raising your child? your child’s disability, or local colleges with special needs programs for a referral.

Once you pick someone, ask the person if he or she can and will accept that responsibility (even though you hope it will never be necessary). And 6. Write a Letter of Intent

1. Create a Special Needs Trust A special needs trust is the most important part of your child’s long-term financial plan. This is where you can put money that you save, that others give your child as gifts, or that you receive from an insurance settlement without worrying that these funds will interfere with your child’s eligibility for federal benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

talk about how this commitment will likely stretch Preparing for your child’s financial future is important. But hand-in-hand with that is making Even if you’re unable to pay into a trust right now, beyond when your child turns 18. sure that your child’s everyday needs will be met set one up anyway. This way, you can make the should anything happen to you. That’s where a trust the beneficiary of your life insurance policy 4. Name a Trustee Letter of Intent comes in. Is your child’s daily and your estate, ensuring that those assets don’t A trustee is the person who will be responsible routine very important? Write it down and be as get passed to your child when you die. Why for managing the special needs trust after your detailed as possible. The same goes for your wouldn’t you want your child to be the beneficiary death. It can be a family member, a friend, or child’s daily, weekly, and monthly schedules. of your estate? Because showing more than even a bank or lawyer. The trustee ensures that $2,000 in assets could make your child ineligible the money in the trust is spent only on your child Create a list of contact information for your for federal benefits such as SSI. with special needs and only on services that child’s physicians, therapists, and other medical you’ve specified or that are appropriate to your support people as well as current medications 2. Write a Will child’s needs. The trustee also supervises how and their dosages and schedules. Are there A will specifies what will be done with your the money in the trust is invested. The person people you don’t want around your child or assets after your death. By writing a will, you who is caring for your son or daughter (the activities to be avoided? Write that down too. make sure that your assets are left to the special guardian) cannot spend any money in the trust needs trust and not to your child. Without a will, a without the trustee’s approval.

And then once a year, update the letter. This is probate court judge could name your child as a beneficiary, which could make your child And a word on trustees and guardians: They often not a formal legal document, so you can draft it yourself. Keep a copy wherever you have copies ineligible for federal benefits (see above). The will are not the same person, and some financial is also where you can specify a guardian who will advisors recommend that they never be the same of your will. And make sure that your child’s appointed guardian has a copy too. take care of your child. person. By separating these roles, you ensure a “checks and balances” system for your child’s 7. Plan for Your Child’s Independence When you have a child with special needs, a will future needs.

When your child is about 16, start thinking about should not be a do-it-yourself endeavor. Hire a where he or she will live as an adult. In most lawyer who works specifically for people with 5. Build Your Savings states, people with special needs are 21 or 22 special needs and is aware of your state’s Parents of children with special needs quickly

Page 26 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

years old when they become ineligible for education services through the local public school system.

So start thinking: Will your child remain living with you? If so, will support personnel be needed during the day when he or she used to be at school? Are day programs for adults with special needs available in your area? If independent living is the goal, start investigating options in your community such as shared living, group homes, or apartments. Once you find a place you like, get on the waiting list if there is one.

8. Apply for Guardianship or Power of Attorney Once children turn 18, they’re considered adults in the eyes of the law. This gives your child the right to make medical and financial decisions. If he or she is not capable of this or needs your guidance, consider assuming legal guardianship or the less-restrictive power of attorney and health care proxy for his or her financial, legal, and health care affairs. This way you maintain the same supervision and control you had over these as you did when your daughter or son was younger. j

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Things to Do Special Needs

DSAJ Buddy Walk 2014 November 8, 11:30am – 4pm Come and join Jacksonville’s 12th Annual Buddy Walk® at the Jacksonville Beach Seawalk Pavilion!

The route will be approximately one mile on the beach, so bring your strollers and wagons. Fun for the whole family! There will be Delicious Food, Awards, Clowns, Face Painting, Inflatable Jumps, Carnival Rides & Games, Prizes, Music, and Entertainment. www.dsaj.org / 904-353-6300 / Jacksonville Beach Seawalk Pavilion, 75 North First St Walk Now for Autism Speaks 2014 November 8, 8:30am Walk Now for Autism Speaks is a fun-filled, family friendly event and is our single most powerful force to fund vital research that will lead us to the answers we need. Experience the power of thousands united by a single cause by joining Walk Now for Autism Speaks.

Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disorder in the U.S. – we need more volunteers to join our fight. Whether this is your first walk or the 10th, take the first step and register today. You will not only raise funds, but you will become a part of a fun and supportive family-focused community. www.walknowforautismspeaks.org / The Jacksonville Landing, W. Independent Dr. Nathaniel’s Hope Buddy Break November 8, 9am – 12pm Buddy Break is held the second Saturday of every month. It is a free kids/respite program where children with special needs (VIP kids) make new friends, play fun games, enjoy crafts, therapy dogs, stories, music activities, and more. Siblings have fun too. Meanwhile, their caregivers get a break from their ongoing caregiving responsibilities for three hours. Each VIP kid is paired one-on-one with a screened volunteer “Buddy” to participate in that day’s activities. www.deermeadows.org / 904-302-9766 / Deermeadows Baptist Church, 9780 Baymeadows Road www.raifordroadchurch.org / 904-259-6015 / Raiford Road Church, 9201 South State Road 121 Teaching Language to Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities November 13 – 14, 9am – 3:30pm Jericho School is hosting a free 2-day workshop for parents at UNF Teaching Language to Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities Participants will gain a greater awareness of Behavior Analysis as a Science of Learning. Participants will acquire the understanding and application of the basic principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. A focus will be on utilizing B.F. Skinner’s analysis of Verbal Behavior to assist in the acquisition of language skills for children with developmental disabilities. Participants will also receive training on effective teaching procedures and building instructional control.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Registration is Mandatory Registration deadline: October 31, 2014 Please register early; registration is limited to a number of participants. www.TheJerichoSchool.org/Outreach / 904-744-5110 / Held at UNF University Center, 12000 Alumni Dr Sensory Jump at Pump It Up November 14, 11am – 1pm and 6pm – 7:20pm Every 2nd Friday of each month children on the Autism Spectrum or with Sensory Integration Disorder can participate in a sensory jump. Parents can net-

teens

work with other families, while the kids enjoy playing. www.pumpitupparty.com / 904-646-1441 / 11840 Beach Blvd Suite 10 Horse Sense & Sensitivities 2nd Annual Round Up November 15, 10am – 2pm This family fun event will have hay rides, pony rides, DJ, games, food, raffle baskets and more. Horse Sense & Sensitivity enhances the life skills and confidence of people with special needs by providing equine-assisted therapeutic programs and services in the Jacksonville area. www.horsesensejax.org / 904-257-6612 / 2202 Bishop Estates Rd Walk4Hearing November 15, 9am Registration, 10am Walk Starts The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Walk4Hearing is the largest walk of its kind taking place in multiple cities across the country. Every spring and fall thousands of walkers – children and their families, young adults, young at heart and everyone in between – form teams and walk in their communities to increase public awareness about hearing loss, help eradicate the stigma associated with it and raise funds for programs and services. For more information email judymartin@bellsouth.net or radler@hearingloss.org. www.hlaa.convio.net / Held at Metropolitan Park, 1410 Gator Bowl Blvd FARE Walk for Food Allergy November 22 Registration: 9am – 10am, Walk Ceremony: 10am The FARE Walk for Food Allergy brings together thousands of people who are seeking a safer world for the 15 million Americans living with food allergies.

The Walk is a family-friendly event that takes place in communities nationwide to raise funds for food allergy research, education, advocacy and awareness. This special day will include fun activities for the entire family. Register today as an individual or start a team and invite your friends, family and co-workers to help us say FAREwell to food allergies. www.foodallergywalk.org / 404-990-3555 / Nocatee Park, 245 Nocatee Center Way, Ponte Vedra Step Out – Walk to Stop Diabetes November 22, 8am check-in Step Out Jacksonville offers a 4 mile walk or run* (over the Main St. and Acosta Bridges) and a 1 mile Wellness Walk around the Riverwalk area. Both options have the same start and finish line. The day is filled with music, food, kids activities, local entertainment and most importantly, the company of thousands of people who understand the impact of diabetes! www.diabetes.org / 904-730-7200 ext 3103 / Fidelity National Financial Campus, 601 Riverside Avenue Sensory Friendly Films – Home November 29, 10am AMC Entertainment (AMC) and ASA have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment on a monthly basis.

Lights are brought up, sound is turned down, and families are allowed to bring their own snacks. Movies are shown at the AMC Regency 24 in the Regency Center Square. www.amctheatres.com/programs/sensory-friendlyfilms / 904-725-0885 / 9451 Regency Square Blvd Visit Jax4Kids.com for more event listings.

Page 27 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

Good Impressions

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o your children protest when you talk about making a good impression? Do they believe that walking around with their heads in electronic devices while chewing gum doesn’t matter? Do they wonder why any of this is important? No fear, it’s pretty normal.

But today’s students need all the advantages they can get. Good grades, extracurricular activities, community service and sports will all help them get into the college of their choice. But consider that research at Carnegie Institute of Technology, Harvard and Stanford finds that 85% of a person’s financial success is dependent on social skills—and only 15% is due to technical knowledge.

So let’s show them how kick it up a notch.

Think about the young people who impress you.

They really don’t have to be the smartest, the prettiest, or the most talented--They are the most respectful and confident. That’s about it. Here are a few tips for helping your children convey these two essential qualities. Pick two or three to start, and add as your child becomes more proficient.

LEARN HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD SHINE

Do you have or know a child that suffers from Autism, ADHD or another neurological disorder?

JOIN US FOR A MONTHLY WORKSHOP

1. Look up. We spend a lot of time looking down at our phones and other devices in our laps and it’s natural to revert to the lap-glance. Looking up helps establish eye contact and conveys confidence.

2. Have a great handshake. No one will ever tell you that the way you shake hands is not important. It again conveys confidence and respect. A firm grip, eye contact and a smile are essentials.

3. Grow an inch. Not literally, of course. But standing up straight gives you the appearance of height—and confidence. You’ll know you are straight enough if you feel like you’ve grown an inch.

1. “Tell me about……..”. Remember these three words—they are the best conversation starter anyone will ever have. Tell me about your school, your family, your hobbies, your favorite sport—The options are endless and will enable you to carry on a conversation with anyone.

1. The “magic words” are not just for kindergarten. “Please” and “Thank you” go a long way towards making you memorable— in all the right ways.

1. Practice kindness. Open a door. Step to the side in a crowd. Keep your voice down.

It shows respect, genuine interest and kindness. And you will be respected and liked in return.

The good news is that most of this is common sense. All of their lives, children are taught to use the magic words and to show kindness. The other suggestions are easily taught and practiced.

Practice conversation at the dinner table with “Tell me about”. A handshake can also be easily taught – Just remind your children to look up and grow an inch. With just a little practice your child can gain the confidence needed to make that great impression—and be confident doing it. j Kaye Simonetta Founder, Manners for Life, Inc. www.mannersforlife.net

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– Mark Twain

pets

Humane Society: Celebrating 60 Years hearts, hands and minds of our community to bring about an end to the killing of abandoned and orphaned shelter animals.”

JHS offers help in animal behavior and training, emergencies, and pet surrenders. The organization also meets immediate needs with programs such as Kitten University, a safe place where underage kittens can grow to maturity.

Residents can help celebrate the 60th birthday of HSUS nationally or locally by giving a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donations to HSUS or JHS. Another way to support JHS is to donate your time or your goods to the organization’s thrift ince 1954, the Humane Society of the United store located at 8328 Beach Boulevard. The store States (HSUS) has fought to protect animals is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. through ongoing animal advocacy, education and until 5:00 p.m. Donations may be dropped off at hands-on programs. the store Monday through Friday until 4:00 p.m. or scheduled for pick-up by calling 904-724The organization’s primary mission is to prevent 9242. cruelty to animals before it happens. In addition, HSUS seeks to improve the world for animals and One more creative way to work with JHS is by for people by reducing animal suffering and brainstorming an idea for a fundraising event. creating meaningful social change for animals, Examples include pet washes, car washes, arts according to the organization’s web site. and crafts shows, and theme parties. If this strikes a chord with you, send an email over to The Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS), located thirdparty@jaxhumane.org. For more ideas, visit at 8464 Beach Boulevard, works toward the please visit www.jaxhumane.org. Image credit: same end on a local level. The organization’s Humanesociety.org j goals are to provide “care, comfort and compassion to animals in need while engaging the

S

Things to Do Pet Events

Yappy Hour Dogsgiving November 5, 2pm to 5pm Yappy Hour Dogsgiving will feature a dog trot, stuff the turkey and an eating contest. Give thanks this season and donate dog food or dog treats and receive a free gift, donations will be taken to Animal Care and Protective Services.

There will also be a pet expo, prizes, and live music on the Coca-Cola Riverfront Stage.

Yappy Hour is a free event for dogs, their parents and dog lovers.

Jacksonville Landing / 904-353-1188 / 2 Independent Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www. jacksonvillelanding.com Jacksonville Pet Food Bank Distribution November 8, 10am to 1pm The Jacksonville Pet Food Bank provides about a one month supply of cat or dog food for up to 4 dogs and 5 cats per household, for those who qualify. Food will be given out on

scheduled distribution days between 10am and 1pm. It is not necessary to come early and stand in line. If you arrive before 9:30am, you will be asked to wait off site. There will be enough food for each event, and the shortest wait time is after 11am.

Qualifications: You must meet income qualifications (Details are on the website) You must provide proof of spay/neuter for each pet. If your pet(s) have not been spayed or neutered, those services can also be provided at no cost to you.

Please provide proof of income qualifications & photo identification Bring container/bag for each pets food.

Please do not bring pets to the distrubition Food will only be given out on designated distribution dates The food distributed is from donations. Donations are accepted Monday thru Saturday, 8am-6pm at the First Coast No More Homeless Pets Clinic. Donations over 200 pounds can be picked up by emailing petfoodbank@ fcnmhp.org

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Pet food drop off locations: Publix Atlantic Beach, PETCO Stores: Fleming Island, Kernan/ Atlantic, Marsh Landing, San Jose, Yulee, or the FCNMHP Clinic- 6817 Norwood Ave. First Coast No More Homeless Pets / 6817 Norwood Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32208 / www.fcnmhp.org

pets, pet products, reptile themed-merchandise, and all sorts of reptile-related fun. Visit www.reptiday.com/jacksonville.html for more information Repticon / UNF University Center, 12000 Alumni Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32224 / www. repticon.com

Bark For Life Lighted Leash Walk November 8, 6pm The Nassau Humane Society hosts a Bark For Life Lighted Leash Walk. Pre-registration fee is $20/dog; late registration fee is $30/ dog. Cost includes a lighted leash. Register in advance at the NHS Dog Park, Second Chance Store, or online. The event will also feature live entertainment. Contact Becky Joyce at 904-614-6683 for more information.

Nassau Humane Society / 904-491-1511 / Green Turtle Tavern, 14 South 3rd Street, Fernandina Beach, Florida 32034 / www.nassauhumanesociety.com

Canine Companions DogFest Walk ‘n Roll November 22, 10am to 4pm Canine Companions DogFest Walk ‘n Roll, the signature national event of Canine Companions for Independence. The event is a community dog walk that supports the mission of Canine Companions for Independence. Put together a team of friends, family members and coworkers. Then fundraise to earn a DogFest prize. If you raise $100, you’ll get a DogFest bandana to sport at DogFest.

Riverside Arts Market / 715 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32204 / www.riversideartsmarket.com

Repticon Jacksonville November 15, 10am to 5pm In 2014 Repticon returns to the University Center on the campus of the University of North Florida. This 10,000 sq. ft. facility will be packed with a selection of reptiles and exotic

Like Jax4Pets.com’s Facebook page at facebook.com/jax4pets to find out about other events for pets.

Saturday, December 13 at 3:00 PM Tickets: (904) 276-6815 THcenter.org Located at St. Johns River State College 283 College Drive, Orange Park

Family Holiday Fun with a Visit from Santa Claus!

nature

Florida Wildlife: Screech Owl O

wls are often associated with fall, so this month, we’ll introduce you to Florida’s smallest owl, Otus asio, the Eastern screech owl.

rodents, lizards or birds, however they will consume a large variety of invertebrates such as worms, insects and other arthropods.

Screech owls are commonly found throughout Florida, but many residents have never seen one!

They are primarily active at night, and are more often heard, rather than seen. Although you’d expect their call to be somewhat of a “screech,” these little raptors emit more of a whinnying trill.

In addition to being nocturnal, they possess incredible camouflage, blending in perfectly to the bark of the trees where they find their nest cavities. Their color can range from red to brown to grey, and may depend on the habitat in which they live. Their size helps them remain undetected as well, as most screech owls do not get any larger than 6 – 10 inches in length.

early spring through early summer, so getting a box up in the fall will give them plenty of time to scout out the location ahead of breeding season.

Pairs generally return to the same nesting site every year, so you could be in for an annual visit from this tiny little feathered friend. j Christina Dembiec Community Education Manager Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

Things to Do Nature Events

Eastern screech owls can be found from southern Canada to central Mexico, all throughout the eastern United States. They live in wooded habitats and use tree cavities for their nests.

Often, the ground beneath their roost can be Pictured Above: Jax Zoo EDU’s Screech Owl, covered in owl pellets; the little packages of “Poppers” indigestible fur and bone that owls will regurgiScreech owls will readily use nest boxes instead tate once or twice a day. Most of their diet of tree cavities. Their prime nesting season is consists of small vertebrates, such as small

Florida State Parks Veterans Day November 11 Admission is waived for everyone in celebration of Veterans Day. *Excludes the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park.

Florida State Parks / www.floridastateparks.org/ thingstodo/deals.cfm License Free Saltwater Fishing Days November 29 Free fishing days provide an excellent opportu-

nity for parents who don’t yet have licenses to take youth fishing, or avid anglers to introduce a friend to fishing without having to purchase a license. On these days, the fishing license requirement is waived for all recreational anglers (residents and non-residents). All other rules (e.g., seasons, bag and size limits) apply. The saltwater waiver applies to any recreational harvest requiring a saltwater fishing license (e.g., crabbing, lobstering, scalloping, etc.) as well as fishing from shore or a boat. A snook or spiny lobster permit are not required on these days.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission / myfwc.com SEA’s 3rd Annual Rails to Trails Festival December 5-6 The Gullah Geechee Corridor is the focus of the festival by SEA Community Help Resource Center. On Friday from 5pm to 9pm and Saturday from 10am to 4pm enjoy fun walks and bike rides, arts and crafts, homecooking, farmer’s market and more. Free admission.

SEA Community / 904-806-3939 / The Gullah Geechee Corridor, 4950 Harvey Avenue, St. Augustine, FL 32033 / seachrc.org

Visit Jax4Kids.com for more event listings.

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Did you know?

You can save time in TSA security lines at the airport during holiday travel with the Department Of Homeland Security TSA pre-check.

Visit www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck/application-program for more information and to pre-enroll and make an appointment. You may also apply in person at 9620 Dave Rawls Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32226-4022, located at the Jacksonville Port Authority’s Blount Island Marine Terminal.

After completing enrollment, successful applicants will receive a Known Traveler Number (KTN) via U.S. mail approximately 2-3 weeks following the visit to the application center.

Having a KTN allows you to breeze through the security lines. There is a nonrefundable application processing fee of $85.

You should know!

Honey is considered Nature’s cough suppressant; it’s an ingredient often found in cough drops. It may seem natural then to give honey to a child. If that child is under 1 year old…DON’T DO IT! Honey can contain a spore of a bacterium called clostridium botulinum that can cause infant botulism, a food poisoning that can be fatal. If your baby shows symptoms of botulism which can include constipation weak sucking, muscle weakness, lethargy, flat facial expression, weak cry, decreased movement, trouble swallowing with excessive drooling or breathing problems – see a doctor immediately.

Page 30 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

Bring the kids to the Jax4Kids.com booth in the Web.com Fan Zone before the Jaguars home game on Sunday, November 30th from 10am – 1pm to get crazy hair! We’ll be giving away lots of goodies and prizes too.

Daylight Saving Time Ends at 2:00am on Sunday, November 2

An easy way to remember when to turn your clock ahead and when to turn it back is this phrase “Spring Ahead, Fall Back”. It’s Fall so before you go to bed on Saturday, November 1st, turn your clocks back one hour.

Jax4Kids on Pinterest www.pinterest.com/jax4kids

Found on shugarysweets.com

Turkey Rice Krispie Treats

Check our Pinterest page for more Thanksgiving ideas!

things to do Military Appreciation Day November 1, 10am to 6pm Admission to Conner’s A-Maize-Ing Acres is free today for all military, past and present. Military spouses and dependent children are also free.

Conner’s A-Maize-Ing Acres / 904-879-5453 / 19856 County Road 121 Hilliard, FL 32046 / www. conners-a-maize-ing-acres.com Halloween Candy Buy Back November 3 – 6 Krantz Dental Care will pay $1 for each pound of candy brought in (5 pound limit). Children will also receive coupons for free meal at the Red Elephant Pizza and Grill. The candy will be sent to our troops serving overseas. Children can also bring in notes with personal messages to the U.S. troops that we will include in the shipment.

Krantz Dental Care / 904-880-3131 / 12058 San Jose Blvd, Suite 102, Jacksonville, Florida 32223 / www.krantzdentalcare.com 8th Annual San Juan Del Rio Fall Festival November 7 – 9 The San Juan Del Rio Fall Festival will be held November 7-9 on the school grounds. This is a family event and most carnival rides are for elementary school/high school age children. There will be amusement rides, games, food, raffles & more.

San Juan Del Rio Catholic Church / 904-484-5849 / 1714 SR 13, St. Johns, FL 32259 / sjdrparish.org

Veterans Day Parade November 11, 11am Join the City of Jacksonville to honor true American heroes – veterans and active-duty military.

This patriotic parade features more than 4,00 participants including grand marshals, senior military officials, active-duty and retired military units, veterans groups, local high school marching bands, military organizations, decorative floats, giant balloons, JROTC units and more. The parade route will begin at EverBank Field. The route will continue down Bay Street to Newnan Street, follow to Independent Street (which turns in to Water Street) and will end at the Prime Osborn Convention Center. Those watching the parade are encouraged to show their support by wearing red, white and blue as well as waving flags, banners and signs as the parade participants go by.

City of Jacksonville / Downtown Jacksonville, Main Street and Duval Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.coj.net

Veteran’s Day Celebration November 11, 3pm to 5pm The City of St. Augustine Beach invites veterans, active military and families for a Veteran’s Day Celebration. The observance to honor our veterans is free and open to the public; refreshments will be served. The ceremony will be lead by City of St. Augustine Beach Mayor Andrea Samuels and will include an honor guard, bagpipers, drummers, Middleburg Historic Festival Veteran groups, Wounded Warrior K9s and special November 8, 9am to 3pm guest speakers.

The annual Middleburg Historic Festival at the City of St. Augustine Beach / 904-501-4556 / Middleburg Civic Association, will feature a car Lakeside Veterans’ Memorial Park, 2200 A1A show, Kids Corner, historic festival, food, music and South, St. Augustine Beach, FL 32080 more. Free and open to the public.

Middleburg Civic Association / Downtown Middle- San Marco Art Festival burg / 2102 Palmetto St, Middleburg, FL 32068 / November 15 – 16, 10am to 5pm www.middleburgcivicassociation.com Juried, community art fair, held annually in the historic and culturally-rich San Marco neighborSpecial Event Day – Give Thanks! hood. Visitors can browse and purchase original November 8, 10am to 6pm handmade works including: glass, photography, Conner’s A-Maize-Ing Acres gives thanks and painting, mixed media, fiber, jewelry and much celebrates The Caden Project and City Rescue Mis- more. Free admission. sion, along with their other giving projects.

San Marco Art Festival / Downtown San Marco, Conner’s A-Maize-Ing Acres / 904-879-5453 / 1971 San Marco Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32207 19856 County Road 121 Hilliard, FL 32046 / www. / artfestival.com conners-a-maize-ing-acres.com Kids Kount Day / Feed the Hungry Wyndham Lakes Fall Festival November 15, 10am to 6pm November 8, 10am to 2pm Conner’s A-Maize-Ing Acres invites families to Wyndham Lakes hosts a fall festival with a clown, bring one non-perishable food item per child and balloons, raffles, craft items, $2 hot dogs & drinks, receive $2 off their admission (discounts cannot dessert table, classic car show and more. Free be combined). Children will also have a chance to admission. help out planting a row for the hungry. They may Wyndham Lakes / 10660 Old St. Augustine Rd, choose from selected heirloom seedlings or seeds Jacksonville, FL 32257 to plant in rows set aside for the in need program.

When havested the produce will be donated to Grace For Vets – Free Car Washes Second Harvest. Food gathered will be arranged in November 11 Thanksgiving baskets along with a gift certificate The mission of Grace For Vets, a non-profit orgafor a turkey or ham from Conner’s A-Maize-Ing nization, is to honor those who have served or are Acres. The Thanksgiving baskets will then be currently serving their country. This international delivered to familes in need in the community. program unites the car wash industry each year Conner’s A-Maize-Ing Acres / 904-879-5453 / on November 11. Whether observing Veterans Day, 19856 County Road 121 Hilliard, FL 32046 / www.

Remembrance Day or Armistice Day, we unite conners-a-maize-ing-acres.com together as a whole, and provide FREE car washes to ALL veterans and service personnel.

School Facts Jax Training Visit http://www.graceforvets.org for participatNovember 15, 2:30pm to 3:30pm ing locations. Be sure to verify that the location is The Jacksonville Public Education Fund will be participating before going. providing trainings to community members about Grace For Vets / www.graceforvets.org School Facts Jax, a one-stop resource for informa-

Page 31 • Jax4Kids.com • NOVEMBER 2014

tion about Duval County Public Schools.

In this training, participants will learn how to access school performance and basic data from all Duval County Public Schools through the School Facts Jax website. Participants will be able to compare schools, and easily access basic information about schools such as principal names, enrollment numbers, school grades and more. This training is ideal for parents, community members, guardians and caregivers. For more information, contact Kelly Turner at kelly@jaxpef.org.

The Jacksonville Public Education Fund / 904394-0952 / Main Branch Library, 303 North Laura Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202 Celtic Thunder Symphony Tour November 15, 8pm to 10pm International singing sensation Celtic Thunder will be preforming their first-ever North American Symphony Tour at the Florida Theatre on Saturday, November 15 at 8pm. Tickets range from $39.50 to $79.50. Tickets are available from the Florida Theatre Ticket Office located at 128 East Forsyth Street in downtown Jacksonville, by calling 904355-ARTS (2787) or visit www.floridatheatre.com.

Florida Theatre / 904-355-2787 / 128 East Forsyth Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / floridatheatre.com 4th Annual Cardboard City November 21-22 Family Promise of Jacksonville hosts the fourth annual CardboardCity; an evening to see what it might be like to be homeless. Individuals, families or groups will spend the night in cardboard boxes, tents or in their own car. A simple meal will be served and there will be activities, entertainment and presentations throughout the evening related to homelessness.

The event is being held to raise awareness of the number of homeless families in our own community and to raise money for Family Promise of Jacksonville, a nonprofit organization that helps homeless families become self-sufficient. Nearly 40% of the homeless are families.

Participants are asked to register ahead of time and collect contributions or make a donation to attend the event. Participants are asked to set a goal of collecting $100 in donations to participate.

Those who are spending the night can bring their own box or tent, blankets, pillows or sleeping bags to the event. Register by calling 904-354-1818 or sending an email to bethmixson@familypromisejax.org.

Family Promise of Jacksonville is a nonprofit organization with the goal of helping homeless families to return self-sufficiency by obtaining employment and permanent housing. It collaborates with 17 local congregations, multiple social service organizations and 800 volunteers.

Family Promise of Jacksonville / CrossRoad Church / 10005 Gate Parkway North, Jacksonville, FL 32246 / www.familypromisejax.org/CardboardCity. aspx 2014 Lannadoo Jacksonville Celtic Fest November 22-23 The 2014 Lannadoo Jacksonville Celtic Fest is a free, weekend-long Celtic heritage festival held on November 22 & 23. The festival will showcase the best of the Celtic nations in a celebration of culture, music and heritage. There will be a 5K Kilt Run, Highland Games, Kid Zone and more. VIP tickets are for sale online.

Lannadoo / Sea Walk Pavilion, 11 1st St N, Jack-

sonville Beach, FL 32250 / lannadoo.com St. Augustine Art and Craft Festival November 29-30 The annual St. Augustine Art and Craft Festival will return to Francis Field. There will be live music, children’s activities, art demos, food trucks and more.

Saturday 10am – 5pm & Sunday 10am – 4:30pm St. Augustine Art Association / 904-824-2310 / Francis Field, 29 W. Castillo Dr., St. Augustine, FL 32084 / www.staaa.org Jacksonville Jaguars Home Game November 30, 1pm to 4pm Regular season home game vs. New York Giants.

Single game tickets are available. Season tickets are also available. Visit www.jaguars.com for a list of prohibited items, including the new bag policy.

Be sure to sign up for the Jaguars Kids Club, for age 4 to 12 at www.jaguarskidsclub.com and Jaguars Cub Club for newborns to age 3 at www. jaguarscubclub.com. Bring the kids to Jax4Kids. com’s booth in the Web.com Fan Zone before the game to get crazy hair!

Jacksonville Jaguars / Everbank Field, 1 Everbank Field Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32202 / www.jaguars. com EDITOR’S NOTE: Dates, times and locations are accurate at time of publication; events and activities listed in this guide are subject to change without notice. Visit Jax4Kids.com for updated information and more events!

visit our online

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featuring

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