North Mississippi Parent

t n e r Pa

North Mississippi No. 8 Addressing Issues To Help You Be A Better Parent

14

er 20

Wint

The Academic Issue Classical Education Financially Preparing for College Preschool Rat Race The Perfect Holiday Childrens Book

NM Parent

l

1

2

l

NM Parent

When a mother is worried about her child, nothing else matters.

With your support, nothing else has to.

Your gift to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital matters because – big or small – it helps us help children. And we believe nothing is more important. Through the generosity of donors like you, children and their families can receive the lifesaving and life-changing care they need.

We’ve been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as being one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals for the expert care we provide our patients. That’s possible only through the continued support of caring individuals like you. Because when it comes to caring for children, every gift matters.

Please visit lebonheur.org/givetoday or call 901-287-6308 to learn how you can help.

Where Every Child Matters lebonheur.org NM Parent

l

3

childcare & learning center

NOW ENROLLING In Tupelo Location

1403 W. Jackson St. • Tupelo • (662) 350-3977 1649 Hwy. 45 • Saltillo • (662) 869-3111 187 Mustang Dr. • Mantachie • (662)-282-7322

• 6 weeks to 12 years • Before & after school program including Saltillo Schools Ultra-cute modern and organic baby clothing and accessories. “everything your home desires” Home Decor. Antiques.

Fine Linens. Gifts

• Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks • Dance & Computer classes • Qualified Staff, CPR Certified

Where it’s OK to color outside of the lines

844-0830 2045 McCullough Blvd., Tupelo Gwen Roellgen, Director Kim Pegues, Director Lacy Hearn, Director Larry & Sherrie Hearn, Owner Hours: 5:45 a.m. - 6 p.m.

126 West Main Street • 662-269-2934 • Downtown Tupelo NM- Friday Parent10-5 • Saturday 11-4 4 l Monday

Table of Contents Features

Columns

Classical Education pg. 7

Best-Dressed Boy pg. 13

This education option refers to the Middle Ages and Classical Age for guidance.

A local retailer shows the hottest outfits for all the boys out there.

Make Room For The Manger pg. 11

Best-Dressed Girl pg. 15

A local retailer shows the hottest outfits for all the girls out there.

This book has an interactive component to help children enjoy and understand the story.

Best Behavior pg. 17 Wellness Consultant Allyson Willis knows a thing or two about behavior and how to channel the right solutions to build better behavior.

Financial Planning pg. 19 It seems far away, but the expenses of college will sneak up on you.

Character Corner pg. 22

Preschool Rat Race pg. 20 Studies show a little downtime may be just what the doctor ordered for healthy, developing children.

Integrity Time Founder and CEO Sara Berry makes a living creating curriculum to build character and we have her personal advice on instilling good character from the start.

Niche Product Manager

This magazine is a quarterly publication of Journal Inc.

Contributing Editors

To subscribe to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, call (662) 842-2611.

Ellie Turner

Angela Rogalski, Sara Berry, Allyson Willis, Natalie Richardson, Beth Argo and Cathy Wood

For comments, questions or concerns, email nmparent@journalinc.com.

Like us on Facebook!

NM Parent

l

5

IS YOUR CHILD STRUGGLING IN SCHOOL WITH...

following directions, difficulties with reading and spelling, cannot hear well in noise, have a tendency to make passing grades, but the grades do not show the amount of effort and work put into the task?

I can help. I specialize in testing for children who have Auditory Processing Disorders.

This disorder can hinder communication and learning among school aged children.

Also, as the parent of a learning needs child I understand academic struggles.

We offer comprenhensive evaluations and consultations with individualized hearing solutions. Call for an appointment today.

Hearing Services of Tupelo

144 S. Thomas Street, Suite 101-8 | Tupelo, MS 38801 | (662) 392-1867 Think of us for all your hearing needs. We are the leader in today’s hearing technology.

6

l

NM Parent

Krisha Boren, AuD., CCC-A Doctor of Audiology

Classical Education

by Beth Argo

“I so wasn’t going to homeschool ever. Ever”, laughs Laura Walker, mom to two sons; smart and super, social tenth- grader, Brandon and steadfast and studious college student, Nick, who is currently preparing to enter pharmacy school. But now, Walker says she can’t imagine doing anything else. “I wouldn’t change a thing because it’s been so beneficial.” Walker and her husband, Ford, decided to take their kids out of a formal school structure, nine years ago, at the request of her oldest son, who felt homeschooling would provide a better situation for him to advance academically and spiritually. Walker started out using a basic homeschool curriculum, but felt it was not right for her college-students. Then, she discovered a new educational option, a sort of middle ground between homeschool and traditional public or private school- a setting that provides homeschoolers with weekly classroom interaction with peers and tutors. While the concept is relatively new, the approach to education at the school is not. The curriculum aligns with the centuries-old Classical Model of Education, which is based in the traditions of Western culture, focusing on education as it was understood and taught in the Middle Ages and the Classical Age, including coursework in Logic, Critical Thinking, Latin and Greek.

The Walker family uses the curriculum set forth by Veritas Classical

School, where 305 students are currently enrolled in the Memphis and North Mississippi area. Students attend classes at one of three campuses in the Mid South, one to two days per week. Jill Marr, and her husband, Kevin, are the administrators of Veritas Classical School, and say parents are drawn to the school for many reasons. “The model itself attracts parents because they’re looking for a quality education.

One of the motivators for us, when we started Veritas in 2005, is the educational journey with our own children. We couldn’t find what we were looking for, in the price range that we could afford. Classical education, traditionally, is a very expensive venture. Your typical classical education model is going to be private school, five days a week, and it’s going to be on the upper echelon of the price comparison with other private schools, so this is a happy place. You can get that academic situation you want, but you share the workload with qualified tutors”, says Jill Marr, a former teacher in public and private schools and mom to a 15-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son. Currently, tuition costs at Veritas Classical School are around $1,200 per year for a pupil in the elementary and middle grades, and about $2,000 per year for a high school student. The bulk of the work that students cover each week is done at home, but students review and do testing on “Veritas days.”

NM Parent

l

7

Walker recalls her feeling when she first visited the Veritas DeSoto campus, seven years ago. “I was just blown away when I walked into the classrooms. I couldn’t ‘take it in’ enough. They’re preparing them for college. They are going to be ready and it was not up to me to break down everything. We jumped in, the next year, and we have never looked back. They learn how to study on their own. They learn how to take the initiative. They learn how to write term papers. They learn how to read intense pieces of literary work, break it down and use it. We’ve been thoroughly pleased”, says Walker. Marr agrees. “It’s very much collegiate in nature. A lot of our kids are going straight in to the honors program at four-year institutions. It’s definitely college preparatory. We are even doing pilot programs now. We are pursuing things like Yearbook staff and DECA club, and Student Government.

We want to see them develop leadership skills. We want their portfolio to be well-rounded”, says Marr.

But, exactly how does the Classical Model of Education differ from modern methods of education? “We have a very long- term view of life. We are not just trying to get to first grade or second grade, or fourth grade. We are trying to train students to be critical thinkers and lifelong learners. There’s an expectation of excellence that is ingrained into this pattern. It’s not the easiest road to take, educationally speaking, because it is thorough. It’s not traditional. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be worthwhile. Kids learn to think cross-disciplinarily.

They can connect the dots”, says Marr.

In the classical model, there are three phases of learning. Each phase is roughly coordinated with the stages of human development, and ideally the stages would exactly coordinate with each student’s individual development. These three stages, called the Trivium, are; the Grammar Stage, the Logic Stage, and the Rhetoric Stage. Marr explains, “The first stage, the Grammar Stage, is somewhere between kindergarten and fourth grade. The emphasis is on, undergirding them with an enormous amount of memorization of factual topics and a

8

l

NM Parent

well-rounded education, including Fine Arts and Latin. Our Latin classes start at second grade, which gives them a very strong basis of decoding and understanding language. It strengthens and increases their vocabulary and reading comprehension by great amounts. It’s more than what is traditional for an elementary school child to take, but the thought pattern behind that is, If they get that information, up front, when they are eager to learn and when their brains are like sponges, it gives them a much broader foundation to draw from, when they are able to absorb larger quantities of materials, from a physiological standpoint. There’s a child development portion that makes so much sense, when you learn how the brain develops.”

Marr adds, “As you see them move from the Grammar Stage to the Logic Phase, which is typically between grades five and eight, the model begins to build discussion skills with a much deeper emphasis on essays.” According to the model, students will learn to analyze, question, and evaluate in this stage. They will be taught to pay attention to cause and effect, think through arguments, and how to propose and support a thesis. “They’ll come ready to discuss what they’ve read and converse about what they think. Then, when they get to that final Rhetoric Stage, it’s pretty much like a college course. We want them to be able to tackle a paper when it’s handed to them, know the process to put it together, and defend what they know”, says Marr. Proponents of the Classical Model of Education have a firm belief that the theories of the past have a major impact on the futures of students. Marr says the Veritas administration, staff, and parents all have common hopes, in mind, for their students. “We want to teach them to question, to weigh their options, to look at all of the information, and to be problem solvers. It’s not an academic skill. It’s a life skill.”

NM

Above: Laura and Brandon Walker review curriculum at Veritas Classical School.

TAKE IT OFF REPEAT If your student is ready for a change, it’s time for a fresh start at French Camp Academy.

With new friends, new expectations, and new surroundings, your child will thrive in a supportive and motivating environment.

©2014 FRENCH CAMP ACADEMY

Fast-forward to a brighter future for your child! Contact us to schedule a campus visit!

FrenchCamp.org | 662.547.6482

Let Us Keep Your Child Smiling.

Children’s Health Center

114 N Lehmberg Rd Columbus, MS 39702 (662) 329-2955 www.drskiskids.com

By appointment only.

New patients welcome.

Most insurances accepted.

Children’s Health Center NM Parent

l

9

Gynecology • Routine & High Risk Obstetrics • Infertility

1041 South Madison St. • Tupelo

Chester K. White, MD Johnny F. Miles, MD Mark A. Ray, MD Kristen Y. Turner, MD Cassie B. Hill, MD J. Bennett McGehee, MD Brandi S. McGehee, MD Lauren C. Waldrop, FNP OFFICE HOURS BY APPOINTMENT

662-844-8754

AFTER HOURS 662-377-3798 or 662-377-3000

Kaylin Thompson is wearing Vera Bradley - Katrina and Karly Thompson is wearing Vera Bradley - Dawn

Providing professional, comprehensive eye care to the people of Itawamba County and the surrounding area.

662-862-EYES (3937)

402 Access Road, Fulton, MS 38843

Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Open two Fridays a month 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

DR. LAURIE CAGLE

© JPC - 2014

Still Holding On To Unwanted Baby Weight?

WE CAN HELP!

Weight Loss Clinic

Michie Healthcare Associates, LLC 5823 Hwy 22 South, Michie, TN 38357

731-239-9470 Walk-ins Welcome

Are you driving to Memphis for weight loss management?

Michie, TN is a lot closer!

We’re just 10 minutes north of Corinth. Call for directions.

Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs. 9 a.m. - 4p.m.

Open Saturdays 8NM a.m.

- 12 NOON for your convenience.

Parent 10

l

801 3rd Street South • Amory, MS 38821 (662) 256-2761 • www.cityofamoryms.com Hours: Tue.-Fri. 9 to 5 • Sat. 10 to 4 • Sun. 1 to 5

Make Room for the Manger

by Cathy Wood

It began more than 10 years ago, when Karen Stephens noticed the parents in one family in her Amory neighborhood always placed a manager under their Christmas tree.

“I thought that was the neatest idea,” said Stephens, director of pharmacy at Gilmore Memorial Regional Medical Center, in Amory.

“They were teaching their little boy to look for baby Jesus on Christmas morning.”

Today, Stephens, 43, has drawn inspiration from that family to create a children’s Christmas book encouraging the same tradition.

Stephens’ self-published book, “Make Room for a Manger,” comes with a wooden manger, baby doll wrapped in swaddling clothes and bag of hay. The idea is for families to set up the manager and add hay to it every day in anticipation of baby Jesus’ birth.

“Sometimes during the busy season of Christmas, we tend to concentrate more with the kids on ‘What do you want?’ or ‘Is Santa going

to come see you?’ or ‘Where is the elf this morning?’ than the true meaning—the birth of Jesus. When my kids were younger, I was guilty of this,” Stephens said. “With the idea of the manger in the back of my mind, I began a few Christmas seasons ago jotting down ideas on church bulletins about a book for children and families focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. I tucked them in my Bible for several years until finally I decided to follow through.”

Available at retailers in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana, “Make Room for a Manger” also is sold at Stephens’ website, www.makeroomforthemanger.com. Price is $75 plus shipping. The book is printed at Star Printing Co., Amory.

“The book explains how all of this works together,” Stephens said.

“Basically, the manger is put under your Christmas tree. Every night, the children grab a handful of hay and place it in the manger and say a little prayer, which is in the book. Then, Christmas morning, baby NM Parent

l

11

Jesus is placed in the manger, teaching the children to look for the real meaning of Christmas. You then sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the King.”

Production is in a workshop at Stephens’ home, with Stephens’ husband, Al Stephens, general manager at Tri-State Truck Center, in Tupelo; children, Kenley, 16, and Luke, 13; and parents, James and Linda Herndon, helping assemble the wooden mangers (they’re 18-inches tall and 17-inches wide and fold for storage) and bag the hay, tying the hay bags with hand-made tags.

“We started out making 40 mangers a week, which consists of cutting, routing and staining all of the wood. Then they are assembled, checked again for blemishes, tied up with burlap and stuffed with book, hay and baby,” Stephens said. “For the past two weeks, we’ve been making 100 a week. It’s hard to say how long it takes to make one since we work random hours at night and never know who may show up to help. We have several friends and family who’ve put in long hours of staining wood and bagging hay.”

Family friend Adam Long does most of the woodwork.

“However, my husband has been a trooper and learned every step of the process and helps a lot. My mom and dad are at my house almost every day helping. My mom has stained many boards and my dad packs them up for shipping. I couldn’t have done any of this without faithful friends and family,” Stephens added.

She isn’t the only one feeling blessed.

“Just being a small part of ‘Make Room for the Manger’ has changed my focus this Christmas,” said Terri Thornton, of Amory, 12

l

NM Parent

one of Stephens’ friends who helps with the project, “from all of the material trappings back to the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of our Savior.”

As of a few days before Thanksgiving, Stephens had sold more than 400 sets.

“We pretty much winged it this year -- not knowing the response we would have. Hopefully next year we’ll be better prepared and equipped and will for sure start earlier,” she said.

Grateful readers keep Stephens motivated and focused.

“When people read the book, they are moved. I had one lady tell me, ‘Finally, someone has gotten it right’,” Stephens said. “I want families to bring Christmas back to the manger and to teach their children the real reason we celebrate Christmas. I’m not wanting to take away from Santa Claus or presents or other traditions families have during the season. I just want to give them another tradition to begin that focuses on the birth of Jesus. My hope is that it will teach kids to look for baby Jesus on Christmas morning and to know that he is the Savior.

I also hope it will help parents talk about Jesus to their kids and how much He loves them and how He came to this earth to save them from their sins.”

NM

Photos by Thomas Wells

Best-Dressed Boy

by Snooty Owl in Tupelo

Swaddle Designs zzZipMe sack $36.95 beanie $12 Photo by Adam Robison NM Parent

l

13

NORTH MISSISSIPPI PEDIATRICS, P.A. Baby & Maternity ~ Prenatal and postnatal care products ~ Quarterly breastfeeding & baby care classes ~ Bill private insurance for breast pumps ~ In stock breast pumps and supplies

~ Flavor kids’ medicine ~ Free kids’ gift with prescriptions ~ Pediatric compounding solutions

Saltillo Pharmacy & Solutions 2695 Hwy 145 Saltillo, MS 38866 (662) 269-2781

© JPC

14 - 20

Jennifer L. Grisham, M.D. Thomas A. Ireland, MD Amy S. Price, MD Charles R. Robertson, Jr. MD Van D. Stone, III, MD Maria V. Valdez, MD Eric L. Street, MD Treny K. Emison, CPNP Tina King, FNP-C Danielle Woodruff, FNP-BC

(662) 844-9885

(662) 869-1611

1573 MEDICAL PARK CR. TUPELO, MS 38801

104 DESERT COVE SALTILLO, MS 38866

Our newest associate, Dr. Monroe, has years of experience in dentistry for children. We provide a comfortable atmostphere with gentle care to make you and your children feel as comfortable as possible. It’s more important than ever to make sure your child has the dental care that they need and deserve.

Dr. Brett M. Hildenbrand Dr. Harry J. Rayburn | Dr. Michael M. Monroe 627 West Main Street, Tupelo, Miss. mainstreetdentistrytupelo.com

662.840.0066 14

l

NM Parent

Best-Dressed Girl

by Farmhouse in Tupelo

Magnificent Baby Union Suit $27.50 Magnificent Baby booties $18 Magnificent Baby hat $18.50 Photo by Adam Robison NM Parent

l

15

14 East Marion Street Pontotoc, MS 38863

662.489.4741 Bill Seawright, Optician Melanie Sellers, Tech

EYE CLINIC

SHANNON & GRAHAM

Dr. Phillip Graham, Opto

SHANNO & GRAHA SHANNON & GRAHAM

Dr. Phillip Graham, Optometrist Dr. Phillip Graham, Optometrist

SHANNON & GRAHAM Dr. Phillip Graham, Optometrist

EYE CLINIC

EYE CLINI

Bill Seawright, Optician Melanie Sellers, Tech

EYE CLINIC

662.489.4741 Bill Seawright, Optician Melanie Sellers, Tech

Bill Seawright, Opti Melanie Sellers, Te 14 East Marion Street

14 East Marion Street Pontotoc, MS 38863 662.489.4741 Pontotoc, MS 38863

662.489.47

14 East Marion Str SHANNON & GRAHAM SHANNON Dr. Phillip Graham, Optometrist

Dr. Phillip Graham, Optometrist Pontotoc, MS 388 Dr. Phillip Graham, Optometrist

EYE CLINIC SHANNON & GRAHAM & GRAHAM EYE CLINIC Bill Seawright, Optician Melanie Sellers, Tech

Children’s Specialty Shop • Tupelo, MS • 662.841.00616

EYE CLINIC662.489.4741 Bill Seawright, Optician

East Marion Street Melanie Sellers, Dr. Phillip Graham, Optometrist Bill Seawright, Optician 14 Pontotoc, MS 38863Tech Melanie Sellers, Tech

662.489.4741 SHANNON 662.489.4741 & GRAHAM 14 East Marion Street EYE CLINIC

Bill Seawright, Optician Melanie Sellers, Tech

662.489.4741 14 East Marion Street Pontotoc, MS 38863

16

l

NM Parent

Pontotoc, MS 38863

14 East Marion Street Pontotoc, MS 38863

Allyson Willis is a Wellness Consultant and a mother of four living in Oxford, Miss.

Best Behavior

Stressed Out Upon recently asking the parents of school-aged children how their kids are handling school, their replies included, “Stressed out; rushed; over-scheduled; inadequate; fatigued.” When the word stress is uttered, what immediately comes to mind are insurmountable tasks we have before us causing feelings of anxiety.

By Allyson Willis

As adults, we find this to be a normal part of life at times, but kids seem to experience much stress these days, too. The pressure children face to excel academically, socially, and in extra-curricular activities has built to a level that brings tension to many children today.

How children cope with stress can depend on their age, emotional development, or temperament. Stress can increase a child’s blood pressure and cause headaches, stomach aches, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping.

Not all stress proves to be negative, though. Sometimes a little pressure from a parent or coach motivates a child to work harder and progress to the next level. But when it becomes a consistent factor or maintains a level which causes a child worry, it inhibits productivity, creativity, and peace needed for a child to truly develop well.

Maybe instead of seeing children stressing, we should evaluate what we are stressing in our children’s lives. Could we as parents be allowing things which are maintaining a level of stress counterproductive for our children?

What is taking precedent in their lives? It can be freeing and reduce pressure on the parent and child when priorities are in line. Parents can help reduce stress in their child’s life by discovering what to remove from their child’s routine and environment which causes them undue angst. Coping skills can be taught to aid them in dealing with tasks that cannot be eliminated.

Begin with knowing your true mission as a parent. Often times, the lack of knowing our mission causes us to stress things that are not important, thus inviting apprehension and frustration inside of our children. Of course, this is certainly not what we intend for them. We all want to involve our children in great activities, lead them toward advanced classes, and give them every great opportunity to develop their chances of success in the world. But what happens when

so much is piled on that they have difficulty managing it all? What happens when their free time and space for mental rejuvenation are taken up by another great occasion?

Stress. They become stressed and lose their zeal for the true things on which they should be spending their time.

Here are some tips to help you start stressing good habits in the life of your family:

Schedule Well

What classes and activities are your kids involved in that give them life and energy?

What seems to be draining them and the family? Pick a limited number of activities that allow your kids to develop skills they enjoy but do not increase their stress level. Pick what fits with your family mission.

Solid Support

Create an environment where your child is supported for who they are and not what they can achieve. Having a particular gift or talent is great, but when children feel valued for what they achieve, they are constantly trying to perform well in order to “stay valuable.”

Emphasize their worth as a person unrelated to their accomplishments.

Prioritize Sleep & Healthy Eating

Children must have proper sleep and healthy food in order to develop and function well. This has a great effect on temperament, learning, and social behavior. Remind them of what sleep does for their body and how healthy food choices impact their growth, ability to resist sickness and disease, and performance on academic challenges at hand.

Make Mornings Calm

This only happens when major tasks are taken care of the night before. Develop a routine where your children fix lunches, pack backpacks, and gather clothes and gear for the next day. Talk through the details of the next

day to prepare for things to come. Make the morning time at home an unflustered space for children to get their day off to a grand start.

Down Time

Do your children have time to play?

When do they have unscheduled space to just be a kid, to run around outside, and to enjoy being with family and friends? Albert Einstein reminds us that “play is the highest form of research.”

Carve out consistent time for them to rejuvenate in an environment which is free of grades, time limits, and expectations.

Time Management

Focus on creating a balanced life for each individual in your family. If children are having difficulty getting everything done or completed with minimal consistent stress, evaluate what needs to be removed from the schedule or routine. Communicate with your child’s teacher about stress related to homework or class assignments to elicit help.

When a child looks back on their educational experience, you want them to have a positive view of their time in school.

Education should be about exposure to new subjects, gaining knowledge, discussing concepts at hand that excite and inspire them, and asking lots of questions.

So, listen carefully when your children talk to you. Are they stressed? Ask them what they would change if they could. Support them more fully through classes, and activities that are challenging to them.

And, at the end of the day, may what you are stressing bring them rest, security, and peace in the home you have created for them.

May they know they are highly loved and valued by you no matter the grade they are rated in class, their achievement in an activity, or their score on the playing field.

NM

NM Parent

l

17

If You Suffer From Allergies or Asthma...

We Can Help!

Matthew L. Oswalt, MD

Karen A. Maltby, MD

Board Certified in Pediatric & Adult Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Board Certified in Pediatric & Adult Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

• Allergic Rhinitis • Asthma • Allergen Immunotherapy • Chronic Cough • Food Allergies • Insect Sting Allergies • Anaphylasis • Eczema

• Urticaria (Hives) • Angioedema • Hereditary Angioedema • Contact Dermatitis • Immune Deficiency • Eosinophilic Disorders • Allergic Conjuctivitis • Allergic Reactions

TUPELO

STARKVILLE

1512 Medical Park (662) 620-0688 T (662) 620-2684 F

1207 Hwy. 182 W. (662) 324-0688 T (662) 324-0686 F

Mon-Thurs 8am - 5pm

Fri. 9am - 3pm

Hours

Hours

www.nmaac.com

Worried about everything you need to save for?

From college to retirement, I can help you create a plan to reach your saving goals. Call today. Let’s talk about your plan for life.

Steven Eaton* FIC 710 Cruise St. Ste. 101 Corinth, MS 38834 662-287-0113 Steven.Eaton@ mwarep.org

WORG0312 18

l

Zeb Taylor 167 Cr 170 Corinth, MS 38834 662-643-8295 Zeb.Taylor@ mwarep.org

*Registered representative. Securities offered through MWA Financial Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Modern Woodmen of America.

NM Parent

We pick up from all Tupelo Schools.

Infants thru 12 years old Pre k-4 Classroom 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Monday - Friday Preschool for ages 2, 3, & 4

Director: Lallie Wren 4071 Rob Drive | Coley Road Tupelo, MS

844-4144

Are You Ready?

Preparing For Your Child’s College Education Preparing for a child’s educational future can be a daunting task, especially if you figure worrying into the equation. If your child is an infant, a million questions march unceremoniously in and out of your head. When my child is of college age, how much will a four-year degree actually cost? Will I be able to afford it? What is the best way to save for his/her college fund?

Or if your child is 16 and there are only a few more years left until you have to face those questions, how do you answer them, especially if you’ve been unable to save any money over their growing-up-to-that-point years?

Brandyn Skeen is an LPL Registered Representative at Gainspoletti Financial Services in Cleveland, Mississippi. Skeen said there’s no need to panic if you find yourself at a crossroad when it comes to how to save for your child’s education.

“The best plan for parents or a single parent to utilize when their child is very young is a 529 plan. And I always advise to start contributing to it immediately,” Skeen said. “You don’t have to put in a lot of money when they’re young. And over time it has the potential to grow exponentially more than if a person started when their child was, let’s say 10, and they wound up having to put larger amounts of money into the plan.”

Skeen explained that a 529 plan is a tax-advantaged plan that is designed to encourage the prepayment of qualified higher education expenses at eligible educational institutions. The 529 Plan is operated by a state or educational institution designed to help families set aside funds for future college costs.

“The sooner that you start the plan and the younger your child,” she said, “the more economically feasible it can be on a young family, especially if the parents are young and are having a difficult time making monthly expenses.”

Skeen suggests starting with $25 or $35 when the child is born. That way, by the time they get to 18, parents could potentially have enough money to pay for the child’s college education.

“Or at least, a substantial part of it,” she said.

Skeen said she recommends the 529 plan because in the past there were other types of plans offered, such as the Impact Program, which was a prepaid tuition-type plan, but that particular plan is no longer an option.

“It has since gone away,” she said, “and the only thing it was

really qualified to pay for anyway was tuition. Where the 529 plan will pay tuition, fees, books and all qualified expenses. For example, sometimes it will pay for a laptop or school supplies of some kind.”

Skeen said any financial services representative can offer you the 529 plan or they’re also very accessible in other ways for people who may not want to go through a financial advisor.

“You can actually access many 529 plans on the web,” she said. “However, I’m not advocating that. I always tell people to verify the site’s credibility and really check into the company first. Generally, people go to a financial planner for this sort of thing because we have handled them before and we know what to do. And a financial adviser will also service the plan once it’s in place.”

Now for the parent or parents who have been unable to fund any sort of education program for their child and they wake up one morning and realize college is just a few short years away, Skeen still recommends the 529 plan.

“If the parents have the money and they can, the 529 plan has unlimited contribution amounts,” she said. “Therefore, you could put as much as wanted into it: $50,000, $75,000 or just whatever a person would or could put into it.”

Skeen said other than that, if a person couldn’t afford that type of investment, the best bet would be to sit down with a financial adviser and let them give the parents a projection of what the cost of college would be for that child when the time comes.

“That’s one of the things that we do,” she said. “We look at when the child will be going to college, how much the projected tuition will be and we adjust for inflation when it comes to other fees and then calculate what the parents need to save in the time they have left before college rolls around.”

Skeen said the problem with not planning for your child’s education while they’re young is the parents are looking at a much higher contribution when they wait until they’re older.

“Of course, there are always student loans, scholarships and grants that may be available as well,” Skeen said. “But a 529 plan is the best preparation for a child’s educational future.”

NM

NM Parent

l

19

20

l

NM Parent

Beware the Rat Race The Importance of Free Play in Young Children’s Development

By Natalie Richardson Do you ever wonder if you’re doing enough for your child? You’ve put them in preschool where they’re learning their numbers, letters and colors. You’ve scheduled playdates, music class, art camp and swimming lessons. Your child has potential, and it’s your job as a parent to make sure they reach it. But what about doing nothing?

According to ample research, that’s exactly what children, especially young children, need.

“There is a myth that doing nothing is wasting time, when it’s actually extremely productive and essential,” said Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D., and co-author of “Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less.”

“As a society, we have talked ourselves into believing that we have to make every moment count, and we have to fill our children as we would empty vessels,” she said in an article on Scholastic.com.

And so the slow years of childhood can become a demanding rat race.

Today, kids have half as much free time as they did 30 years ago, according to a national study of 3,500 children, 12 and under, released by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. When children don’t have plenty of time to freely play, they’re missing opportunities to develop everything from their physical coordination to social skills.

“During empty hours, kids explore the world at their own pace, develop their own unique set of interests and indulge in the sort of fantasy play that will help them figure out how to create their own happiness, handle problems with others on their own, and sensibly manage their own time,” Hirsh-Pasek said. “That’s a critical life skill.”

That’s not to say that preschool, music class and that foreign language class you’ve been thinking about don’t have their place, said Carey Dowling, Ph.D., and assistant professor of psychology at Ole Miss. Every child is unique, and some benefit from structured learning environments.

However, she echoed Hirsh-Pasek’s high praise of the benefits of free time.

“During (child-driven free time), they are able to work on every form of development,” she said. In addition to time for playing and exploring, though, Dowling emphasized the need for parents to have free time.

“If you spend four hours of distracted time on the phone, versus even just 15 minutes of ‘You are the most important thing right now,’” she said, “that message of ‘I’m prioritizing you’ can be hugely beneficial.”

She noted that parents don’t have to spend hours engaging with their children. But any amount of high-quality time spent with your kids can go a long way, even in regards to learning.

“You can teach them unbelievable amounts of things as they’re

playing,” she said.

Finding the time to decompress and devote time to simple play has become increasingly difficult for parents too, though. A clinical report by the American Academy of Pediatrics titled, “The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds,” notes that households where both parents work and are themselves balancing hectic work and life schedules is one of the main factors that contributes to the trend of hurried childhoods.

Add to that the bombardment of media messages and marketing that tell parents they need to expose their children to as many opportunities as they can in order to ensure the best future, and it’s easy to see why children have less free time today than they have in the past.

But for many parents, it’s not the pressure to help their children get ahead that makes them fill up the calendar, it can be as simple as wanting them to have fun.

Ellen Meacham sends her 6-year-old son, Will, to the Montessori school in Oxford, in part because she likes how learning is more child-driven in their approach. But she knows it can be easy to unconsciously overbook even a preschooler’s schedule. Art class looks fun, but so do piano and soccer.

“You look at (an activity) on its own and it’s fun and good, but then you look up and realize every afternoon is taken up,” she said.

Meacham’s personal guideline has been to limit activities to no more than one afternoon per week. As an academic at the University of Mississippi, though, she notes her summers are freer than most parents’, and it allows her to do more with Will during the break.

Most professionals who study the field of early childhood don’t pinpoint a specific balance between the amount of free time and structured activities. They leave that up to the parent, noting that parents need to be in touch with whether their children are genuinely enjoying the activities or dreading them. And more importantly, they point out that parents need to know their own motivations.

If activities for young children are more about making them smart, rather than going toward their broader development, parents need to reassess why they are having their children participate in the class or activity, Dowling said. Parents shouldn’t send the message that being smart and having a specific set of skills is what is important in life.

Ultimate success comes from a variety of factors, but many important ones have to do with character development, such as learning to control your emotions, persistence and focus. And a huge way to develop that character is simply: play.

NM

NM Parent

l

21

Character Corner

Sara is the mother of six and the founder and creator of Integrity Time, an award-winning character building program for children in Tupelo, Miss.

Starting At Home The plane touched down in LA after a long 12-hour flight. I could feel a cheer rising up inside of me, which I squelched in order not to cause a scene.

By Sara Berry

It had been a long, hard, amazing journey bringing our seventh child home, and we were finally back on U.S. soil.

Landing in the United States was the start of many things.

First of all, Charlie, our adopted son, was now a US citizen with all its privileges and responsibilities. Secondly, he now had a family to love and support him. Having experienced both physical births and adoption, I have come to realize the feelings of bringing home a new child are basically the same with either situation. There is overwhelming joy and excitement. And then there is the looming feeling of responsibility: We must teach him so many things. First and foremost, we must teach him “heart” things: faith, family, friendship and how to relate in each of those categories. Secondly, we must teach him “head” things: language, math, reading and so much more.

My husband and I firmly believe education must start at home and must be reinforced at home even when the teaching occurs in the school classroom. Parents must take an active part in a child’s education. Huge educational topics these days include dropout prevention and education intervention and recovery. All of these topics must be addressed on the home front as well as in a school district.

Dropout prevention and educational intervention/recovery are complex issues. There is no “silver bullet” and the problem must be address through multi-faceted approaches. Research shows over 3,000,000 U.S. high school students drop out annually and that 8,300 high school students drop out each day.

High school dropouts are ineligible for 90% of US jobs and 75% of crimes in the U.S. are committed by a high school dropout.

These statics are frightening for our children and no parent wants their child to fall within these statistics. Simply put, dropping out of school is not the path to success. We as parents must take responsibility at every stage of our child’s education, and it is my strong belief that a core part of this is through character education.

So, how can character education play a part in changing the statistics? In Maryland, many counties have included character education programs as part of their dropout prevention and intervention initiatives, along with implementing other programs such as mentoring, tutoring and summer school. Character

22

l

NM Parent

education helps to improve students’ classroom behavior and social skills which can lead to improvement in academic performance and test scores which can result in a decrease in dropout rates. Since 2006, Maryland has seen a reduction in the dropout rate by 30%.

At Integrity Time, we believe the time to teach children about staying in school is in their early education years when you can lay an important foundation of values which will serve them for a lifetime. We teach “D” is for Determination, which means you stick with something. Y is for “Yes” and children are encouraged to say “Yes” to staying in school. Parents and teachers alike can reinforce these essential values which will make a positive impact in the academic and social lives of our children.

So, Charlie, get ready! You are about to learn lifelong skills.

Let the new journey begin!

NM

Charlie wit h his new b rothers and sisters.

NM Parent

l

23

...to your career

...to your future

...to your community

Carman Jones, Banker

Alex Norwood, THS Senior

Guy Mitchell, Attorney

24

l

www.tupeloschools.com NM Parent