10 minute read
From Director to Mom
BY MOLLY BROUSSEAU
Istarted working with kids at a young age and I thought I knew everything being a mom. Boy was I wrong! Being a first time mom is tough. There are hundreds of articles and Instagram accounts which all claim to have the secret to parenting, but the truth is there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to a newborn. Also, there is NO such thing as bad advice, so, take what you need and leave the rest.
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As a mom and an educator, I can only speak from experience when sharing with you what I’ve learned in these first 9 months of motherhood.
Pinterest is a mom’s best friend (thank you to all the moms who have the time and the talent to post what I can only hope to recreate). There you can find anything from kid recipes, to photo ops, to life saving baby hacks!
Don’t compare yourself to anyone! Every child is different, and every parent has an opinion. I have seen this both as a preschool director and a mother, your child will feed off your energy. If you are stressed the baby will feel it, so take the time to breath and relax.
“Sleep when the baby sleeps”, people make it sound so easy. They do not mention all the other things that need to be done like the laundry, dinner, or cleaning hundreds of baby bottles! So instead, sleep when your body needs it. Try to prioritize what needs to be done, making sure that whatever that is, is good for you, not the person you are trying to empress. Trust me it does get better, you will find your groove!
Allow your child to build their independence at a young age. This means giving them time for safe and supervised independent play. Also, as moms it is often easier and faster to do things for our children, but what are they learning? Babies are learning new things at a rapid rate and allowing them to explore on their own not only boosts creativity but also begins to build their confidence. This will help them feel secure and allow mom to get simple chores done around the house at the same time!
The best piece of advice I received was to “enjoy every moment because they grow up fast”. This is something I heard 100 times while pregnant but never truly understood until now. Being present for our children is increasingly more important as we live busy, on the go, lifestyles and this starts from day one. Put down the phone and take everything in, the good and the bad. Cherish the 3 AM feedings, pretty soon you will be looking down to find your little boy won’t fit in your lap anymore.
Most importantly, have fun! Being a mother is the most rewarding, scary, and exhilarating experience but I can promise you, if you are enjoying it, your baby is doing just fine!
Molly Brousseau a first time mom and an educator with over 14 years of experience working with young children. She graduated from FIU with her bachelors in Elementary Education and has worked teaching children from preschool to elementary levels. She received her director’s credential and also a National Administrators Certificate and has been directing preschool for the last five years. She is currently the director at Tiny Planet Preschool and has been since they opened five years ago.
JUST LISTED SOLD!
2020
Voted Best Independent Broker 4 Years Consecutively
Audrey Gordon • Kara Farnsworth • Mariana Fontanarrosa • Wendy Newman-Scheppke • Holly Lick • Kelsey Morosini • Eva Hajmassy
There is no one better to sell your home than your own Weston neighbors!
Wendy Newman-Scheppke, Principal Broker www.royalpalmrealtyflorida.com • (954) 326-5335
COMMUNITY NEWS Community Luminaries and Champions in Education to be Honored in the 2020 “Hall of Fame” Awards
An NFL Hall of Famer, national recording artists and a captain in the United States Coast Guard are among the distinguished Broward County high school alumni who have made their mark on local communities and will be honored by Broward Education Foundation during the Publix Super Markets Charities 2020 “Hall of Fame Awards” presented by Memorial Healthcare System on Saturday, December 5 at 6 p.m. The outdoor drive-in celebration will take place at William T. McFatter Technical College and High School, 6500 Nova Drive in Davie.
As with all events, COVID has changed the plans for this year’s Hall of Fame. Taking extra precautions and factoring in safety protocols and social distancing measures, Broward Education Foundation will salute this year’s honorees during a first-ever drive-in event. When the sun goes down, the fun begins. Guests will remain in their cars in the high school’s expansive parking lot and watch the awards onstage and on large screens. Audio will be streamed through car radios.
The 2020 Broward Education Foundation Hall of Fame honorees are:
Receiving the JM Family Enterprises, Inc. Bravo Award for their positive impact on the lives of thousands of children are two talented national recording artists and co-founders of the group Black Violin: ▸ Wil Baptiste, Dillard High School graduate, class of 2000 ▸ Kevin Marcus Sylvester, Dillard High School graduate, class of 1999. Recipients of the Bank of America Community Achievement Award for significant accomplishments in any field are: ▸ Isaac Bruce, former professional football player and member of the NFL Hall of Fame, owner of
Bruce Zone and Dillard High School graduate, class of 1990 ▸ Jo-Ann F. Burdian, Sector Commander and
Captain of the Port, United States Coast Guard,
Sector Miami and Piper High School graduate, class of 1993 ▸ Marty Kiar, Broward County Property Appraiser and Western High School graduate, class of 1995 The three honorees receiving the Office Depot Education Achievement Award for their dedication to a career in public education are: ▸ Amy DeCelle, medical magnet coordinator at
Blanche Ely High School and graduate of Piper
High School, class of 1993 ▸ Mark Howard, principal of Hallandale Magnet
High School and graduate of Nova High School, class of 1990 ▸ Carletha B. Shaw-Rolle, Ph.D., educator and cadre director for Broward County Public Schools and graduate of South Plantation High School, class of 1985
“This year has been anything but ordinary but that should not take away from the extraordinary Broward County public school alumni we are honoring this year during our annual Hall of Fame Awards. We are inspired by their leadership, passion and commitment to education and community,” said Tim Curtin, Broward Education Foundation Board Chair.
“We give a heartfelt thanks to our sponsors for their unwavering support during this very challenging year. We hope the community will join us for this fun and special evening that supports students and teachers in Broward County Public Schools,” added Shea Ciriago, executive director of Broward Education Foundation.
Reminiscent of California’s Hollywood Walk of Fame, Broward’s distinguished alumni are honored with large engraved granite stars on the BrightStar
Isaac Bruce
Amy DeCelle Mark Howard
Wil Baptiste Credit Union “Walk of Fame” permanently located at the Broward County Public Schools District Office, 600 S.E. Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale.
In addition to Publix Super Markets Charities, Memorial Healthcare System, BrightStar Credit Union, JM Family Enterprises, Inc., Bank of America and Office Depot, sponsors include Pirtle Construction, PNC and Wells Fargo. Sponsorships for this unique event are still available and tickets are $50 per person. For more information, visit BrowardEducationFoundation.org, call 754-321-2030 or e-mail BEFInfo@browardschools.com.
Broward Education Foundation is the only 501(c)3 charitable organization solely dedicated to supporting Broward County Public Schools and serves as a catalyst for educational excellence by providing teacher grants to fund development of innovative curriculum that advances Pre K-12 achievement; vitally needed school supplies for Title I school students, and scholarships for Carletha B. ShawRolle, Ph.D qualified high school seniors. Established in 1983, the non-profit Broward Education Foundation contributes more than $3 million to Broward County Public Schools annually.
Jo-Ann F. Burdian
Marty Kiar
Kevin Marcus Sylvester Carletha B. Shaw-Rolle, Ph.D
THE DONOWAY CENTER
NEW HOPE FOR PANCREATIC CANCER PATIENTS
Robert B. Donoway, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.S.S.O. Diplomate American Board of Surgery Diplomate, Society of Surgical Oncology Former Medical Director Memorial Cancer Center Medical Director, Atlas Oncology: Institute for Pancreatic Cancer IRE/NanoKnife Ablation
Patients diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer have few treatment options. However, a new procedure called Irreversible Electroporation or IRE for short has changed that for many patients who are seeing a doubling and tripling of their life expectancies. Dr. Robert Donoway, who has one of the largest International experiences for performing this procedure on the pancreas and liver is a Hollywood based, Sloan Kettering trained Pancreatic Surgical Oncologist, and former medical director of two of the local cancer programs remains among a very small handful of Pancreatic surgeons who perform the procedure which is done in the operating room as an outpatient. During the procedure, Dr. Donoway places fine needle probes under direct ultrasound guidance into and around the pancreatic tumor while carefully avoiding critical structures. High voltage current up to 3000 volts is then delivered in 90-microsecond pulses synchronized with the patient’s heart rhythm to avoid any cardiac problems. The pulses destroy the cancer cell membranes which then causes the tumor to die and be absorbed by the body. The average procedure lasts approximately 1-2 hours and the patients may be discharged the following day. A brief recovery means the patient can start chemotherapy and radiation that much sooner. Dr. Donoway is participating in several clinical studies identifying the best chemotherapy and immunotherapies to be used along with IRE. Dr. Donoway states, “The results so far have been very encouraging and we have begun using it for other select cancers. The longest survivors are now out over 5 years and without evidence of cancer recurrence. In the past, without IRE they would have been likely to have only lived a year and so this technique opens the whole new avenue for treating those eligible patients in a more targeted fashion.” For more information about Dr. Donoway and the Pancreatic-IRE/NanoKnife Program and clinical trials call 305-682-1995 and visit www.AtlasOncology.com
4000 Hollywood Boulevard • Suite 160 North • Hollywood, Florida 33021 Phone: 954-986-6366, 305-682-1995 • Fax: 954-986-4355 www.AtlasOncology.com
Robert B. Donoway, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.S.S.O. Surgical Oncology & Pancreatic Surgical Oncology
Practice specializing in Cancer of the Pancreas, Liver, GI Tract, Sarcoma, Adrenal, Thyroid, Parathyroid, and Melanoma. Laparoscopic and Image Guided Cancer Surgery, IRE/NanoKnife for Non-Resectable Pancreatic and Liver Cancer.
Dr. Donoway is a board certified Fellowship-trained Surgical Oncologist who received his MD and Surgical training at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his fellowship in Surgical Oncology at Sloan-Kettering where he was the General Motors Cancer Research Fellow. He has taught on the faculty at Penn, Sloan-Kettering, University of Miami and Nova Southeastern. Dr. Donoway is the former Medical Director of the Memorial Cancer Institute and Chairman of the Cancer Committee for the Memorial Healthcare System as well as Chief of Surgery and Surgical Oncology at Memorial Regional in Hollywood. Dr. Donoway served on the Board of the American Cancer Society & Gildas Club. He has also served as past President of the American Cancer Society Broward County Chapter. Dr. Donoway is active in the Society of Surgical Oncology and the American Pancreatic Association. His accomplishments include being the first Surgeon in Florida to perform Radio Frequency Ablation as well as Laparoscopic Liver Resection. Dr. Donoway is a recent recipient of the South Florida Health Award for the use of Micro-Endoscopy for the detection of early stage Breast Cancer. Dr. Donoway is the Medical Director of the Institute of Breast Cancer Prevention and has been repeatedly named to “TOP DOCTORS IN AMERICA” by Castle Connolly. Dr. Donoway is the ONLY surgeon in Florida performing specialized Pancreatic and Liver ablation therapy for non-resectable tumors. Dr. Donoway is the Former Chair of the Aventura Cancer Committee at Aventura Hospital and Medical Center. Dr. Donoway has privileges and operates at Aventura Hospital, Memorial Regional, Memorial South and Memorial West.
