RM Parent May 2018

MAY 2018 • RMPARENT.COM

Young people

SPEAK OUT

Managing multiples at school

EXPLORE A PUBLIC GARDEN

Kids dig composting

REGION’S

PLANT FABULOUS FLOWERS

BEST

FAMILY CALENDAR!

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MAY 2018

Departments PERSPECTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Our borrowed Earth—young people getting involved in their futures

AS WE GROW . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Resetting expectations—make Mother’s Day last all year long by doing less

Special Sections

Find beauty and inspiration—stop and smell the roses at a local public garden Grow where you plant—dig in and create a fabulous flower garden

COMMUNITY NEWS . . . . . . . 14 Healthy living supported in NoCo—improving life for residents

HEALTHY LIVING . . . . . . . . 16

Completing the cycle—Composting introduces kids to science and kids dig it

CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 6

ertime

Explore the possibilities for this summer and see what programs these providers have for your families.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES . . . . . . . 10 LEARN AND LIVE . . . . . . . . . . 12

Summ

SUMMERTIME

ADV

MAY 2018 • RM PAR

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Features 18 SPEAKING OUT! In response to the school shooting in Florida that occurred on Valentine’s Day of this year, thousands of youth across Colorado and the nation have participated in school walkouts and marches. Beyond demonstrating about school violence, local youth are spearheading initiatives to address other community and social issues.

Events and activities for parents, kids and families

TIME OUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Perfectly imperfect—how one mom’s sassy son made her take a good, hard look in the mirror

School District News Poudre School District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Volunteers make a difference in PSD, PSD to launch imaginative classroom on wheels to support students this summer, students talk about gender issues and stereotypes at diversity conference, Preston students make paper cranes for Hiroshima memorial

Greeley-Evans District 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Bond Family Funds Elementary Science Institute, District 6 students named Daniels Scholars, two District 6 students named Boettcher Scholars

22 RAISING HEALTHY MULTIPLES

If you are a parent of twins or triplets, it helps to have insight from other parents of multiples to guide you along the way. If your kids are nearing school age, you’ve likely started thinking about how to best support them during this time. Here are some ideas.

Thompson School District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 School board unanimously approves superintendent contract, LISA challenges and engages students

Lunchbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 School menus for Poudre, Thompson, Greeley-Evans and Windsor

ABOUT THE COVER: Aubriella, loves to read, play with her dolls, and create crafts from recycled materials. Photo by Cheri Schonfeld, courtesy of Sky's Open Design.

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perspective Our borrowed Earth

Young people getting involved in their futures

F

or years, I have listened to friends and acquaintances lament that kids spend too much time on devices checking social media, texting, playing video games or whatever they’re doing. And they say it in a blaming tone: “Kids today! Back in my day, we played outside and talked to people face to face or on the phone, at least.” And I reply, “Well, that’s the world that we’ve handed them. Twelve-year-olds didn’t invent Facebook.” It’s just part of life now.

We’ve handed our children lots of things both good and challenging. They have a long list of serious issues that they will be addressing in their lifetimes from environmental degradation to the geopolitical chess game to how we divvy up our collective pie.

It’s exciting to me to see young people taking the lead on issues that affect them. I don’t care if I agree with them or not. That’s not the point.

As the saying goes: “We don’t inherit the Earth from our parents, we’re borrowing it from our children and our grandchildren and, I might add, every living thing.”

If we can take that longer view, then we should encourage youth at all ages to learn that they have a voice and that when they have an interest in how the world that we’ve borrowed from them is evolving, they can do something.

The obvious and most headline-grabbing example is the speaking out and marching of the Florida high school students, followed by students all around the country, saying they’re tired of getting shot. Again, whether I agree with what they’re saying—fully, partially or not at all—isn’t necessarily the important thing here.

What matters is that they’ve found their voice, and that they have learned that they can influence the course of the world that they will soon be in charge of. Their message is urgent and poignant. They’re learning, though, how to listen, how to negotiate and how to advocate. All these things are so much better than apathetically accepting whatever we hand to them.

Kim Sharpe’s feature story this month is about young people in northern Colorado speaking up. She cites several examples where youth, as students or part of commissions, are working hard to learn about their communities and to help drive change that they think makes sense from public transportation options to addressing substance abuse to restricting smoking in city parks.

I’m sure many more young people are busy in our communities learning how to speak out in quiet, yet effective voices, or loudly with passion.

Kudos to all of them, Scott

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MAY 2018 • Volume 22, Issue 12 PUBLISHER Scott Titterington, (970)221-9210 scott.rmpublishing@gmail.com EDITOR Kristin Titterington, (970)221-9210 kristin.rmpublishing@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Kim Sharpe calendar@rockymountainpub.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Emily Zaynard emily.rmpublishing@gmail.com ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Greg Hoffman, (970)689-6832 greg.rmpublishing@gmail.com DISTRIBUTION Rob Martin, Susan Pettit COVER PHOTO Cheri Shonfeld, schonfeldphotography.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lea Hanson, Katie Harris, Lynn U. Nichols, Kim Sharpe

ROCKY MOUNTAIN PUBLISHING 825 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521 Voice 221-9210 Fax 221-8556 editor@rockymountainpub.com www.RMParent.com Rocky Mountain Parent magazine is published monthly by Rocky Mountain Publishing, Inc. Publication of this paper does not consitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised.

RMP reserves the right to refuse any advertisement for any reason. The opinions expressed by contributors or writers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rocky Mountain Publishing. ©2018 Rocky Mountain Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without express written permission is prohibited.

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MARCH 2017 • RMPARENT.COM

SPRING 2017

SERVING NORTHERN COLORADO • FIFTYBETTER.COM

TEE OFF AT A LOCAL DISC GOLF COURSE

ROAD TRIPPING Road tripping —with—

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PREPARING YOUR GARDEN

HEALTHY BODY HABITS for kids

Mindfulness and your health

Sample a local craft

Destinations and

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CHILD ABUSE IN NOCO

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Church

WHAT food labels CAN TELL YOU

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Finding your passions

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CALENDAR

Ditch the pavement for dusty dirt trails, fire roads, meandering two tracks, and crunchy gravel roads

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INSIDE: LIFESTYLE, ACTIVE [AND HEALTH DIRECTORIES] RMPARENT

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GUIDE TO NORTHERN COLORADO BICYCLING CULTURE AND EVENTS

RiDE | 1

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women’s health

Resetting expectations

Make Mother’s Day last all year long by doing less LY N N U. N I C H O L S

I

nstead of taking just one day to relax and celebrate you, how about starting new habits on Mother’s Day that will last all year long? Do you feel stressed and worn out by the end of most days from continuous running around? Wouldn’t you like to have more time to relax, and, who knows, read a book alone or play a board game with your kids? It will take a conscious effort to change your ways, and it will likely get messy. You’ll have to give up your drive to make every day a metaphorical good hair day where every strand is in place. But it will be worth it. Do you have your hand on the shifter and are you ready to switch gears? Here are some ways to do it!

EXPECT LESS Brace yourself. This is going to sound like blasphemy, but here goes: to get more out of life, lower your expectations. In our success-driven, never-fail, always-come-out-on-top society it can be hard to say the words, “It’s enough.”

Sure, your yard could use some new landscaping or your rugs could use a deep clean. Yet, in this stage of your life where you have more commitments than time, it’s better to lower your expectations than make yourself crazy trying to meet them.

LIGHTEN YOUR CLEANING LOAD Consider ways you can lessen your stress and free up more time to relax and really enjoy your kids. Maybe it’s shifting your approach to cleaning. Do you automatically clean on Saturday mornings, no matter the dirt level? This week, vow to stop and ask yourself, does it really need cleaning? Is it unhealthy?

Is it smelly? If the answers are no, skip it. If you have a habit of cleaning up after your kids because they can’t do it as good as you can, switch gears.

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Recruit them to help and be okay with the results, even if they leave streaks on the glass or shove clothes in drawers without folding. Retrain yourself that imperfection is okay—and remember, no one else notices your dirt or disarray like you do. You will never look back wishing you had kept a cleaner house, but you might look back wishing you stopped to really listen to your kids more often.

so on, but you don’t have to do it all at once. Your kids will likely enjoy having fewer scheduled outings and more time to hang out and relax as a family. Limit activities to one or two max, for each kid at any given time. Even if other parents act like it’s perfectly normal to run from one activity to the next, don’t feel like you have to follow suit. Spending quality family time at home or out playing will mean much more in the end.

SKIP SOCIAL MEDIA Another way to make more time is to limit your social media use. Turn off notifications on your Facebook or Instagram accounts to break the cycle of constantly checking in or being drawn to pick up your phone. Instead, save social media for times when you are stuck waiting for your kids after practice or school. Let’s face it; learning about your high school friend’s trip to Mexico isn’t urgent.

SCHEDULE ME TIME, FOR REAL Lastly, don’t forget to make yourself a priority now and then. Figure ways to grab time alone to reboot. Maybe it’s at the end of the day after the kids go to bed. By getting your kids used to a consistent, early bedtime you both win.

Also, it’s okay to schedule a babysitter just so you can go to the gym at leisure or hang out in a bookstore drinking coffee and catching up with a girlfriend.

If you schedule it weekly as a must do, you’ll be more likely to do it. Then, when the time comes, run out the door, strands a flying!

LIMIT EXTRA-CURRICULARS Sure, you want to expose your kids to music, art, sports, the outdoors, and

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family activities

Find beauty and inspiration Stop and smell the roses at a local public garden K ATIE HARRIS

T

he earth never feels more alive than it does in May. From blossoming flowers and budding trees to the sounds of baby birds and bumble bees, the signs of spring are everywhere. Whether you’re blessed with a green thumb or have never touched a trowel in your life, a visit to a nearby botanical garden is sure to awaken the senses and delight the whole family.

In Fort Collins, the Gardens on Spring Creek are open to the public from 9am-5pm on weekdays, 9am4pm on Saturdays, and noon-5pm on Sundays. The Gardens opened in 2004, thanks to a partnership between the City of Fort Collins and nonprofit Friends of the Gardens on Spring Creek.

Since then, the Gardens have expanded each year, and groundbreaking on the Gardens latest project, which will include a conservatory, observation tower, cafe and five additional acres of garden space, among other things, took place in November 2017. Visitors to the garden this spring can stroll through the 1600 square-foot greenhouse, find inspiration for their own landscaping in the Sustainable Backyard, learn to grow their own food in the Garden of Eatin’, and play make believe in the Children’s Garden. While there is no cost to visit the Gardens on Spring Creek, a donation of $5/adult and $2/child is suggested. For more information visit the Gardens online at www.fcgov.com/gardens/our-gardens/childrens-garden, or in person at 2145 Centre Ave. The Colorado State University Trial Gardens provide a free opportunity for families to discover how different flowers tolerate the Rocky Mountain climate, while enjoying a rainbow of more than 1000 different varieties arranged by color. Each plant is started in the university greenhouse before being transplanted to the Gardens in late May. 10

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Plants are labeled and arranged by genus to allow for easy comparison when determining which plants perform best in our region. Trial results are available on the Gardens website at www.flower trials.colostate.edu/. The Colorado State University Trail Gardens are located at 1401 Remington St. in Fort Collins.

A short drive away in our state’s capital city, the Denver Botanic Gardens offer two locations for your horticultural entertainment. At 1007 York St. the Gardens of the West exhibit features drought-tolerant plants that thrive in our arid climate, along with Internationally Inspired Gardens, Ornamental Gardens, Shady Gardens and Water Gardens. The York Street location is also home to the well-loved Mordecai Children’s Garden, a 3-acre environment built for hands-on exploration.

The Chatfield Farms location at 8500 W. Deer Creek Canyon Rd. in Littleton features 700 acres of working farm and native plant refuge. Exhibits include the Prairie Garden, Lavender Garden, Carol Gossard Native Plant Garden, Kim Sterne Survival Garden and Riparian Demonstration Garden. Admission to

the York Street Gardens is $12.50/adult, $9/child, and free for children 2 and under. At Chatfield Farms admission is $5/ passenger vehicle. For more information visit www.botanicgardens.org.

Just across the Wyoming border, the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens boast a new Grand Conservatory, a children’s village, a community vegetable garden and greenhouse. The 9-acre Gardens include xeriscape, rose, herb, cacti, wetland, cottage, and woodland gardens, along with a Discovery Pond and Garden Labyrinth. The conservatory showcases plants from around the world, and includes an orangerie, bonsai house and fairy garden. In Paul Smith’s Children’s Village kids can climb aboard a sheepherder wagon, journey through a secret garden and play a giant stacking block game. The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens are free to the public and are open daily from dawn to dusk, however the conservatory is only open Wednesday through Sunday from 10am-5pm, and the children’s garden is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am-5pm. The gardens are located at 710 S. Lions Park Drive.

For details visit www.botanic.org.

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learn and live

Grow where you plant Dig in and create a fabulous flower garden

KIM SHARPE

Bloomin’ fun events

W

e haven’t had many April showers, but May can still be filled with lots of flowers.

And when children grow flowers, more than just plants sprout and blossom.

“Growing and caring for flowers is a fabulous way to deepen a child’s connection to nature, their understanding of the needs of living things, and increase their patience as they watch and wait for the seed to burst from the soil and the flower to bloom,” says Ashley Young, Gardens on Spring Creek education coordinator.

Young says flowers can tell the story of pollination—each one is host to many different kinds of bees, butterflies, beetles and flies that carry pollen from flower to flower, and plant to plant. “Without flowers and pollinators, we would have a fraction of the fruit we eat each day,” she says.

It doesn’t take much space to grow a beautiful display of flowers. All you need are some containers, preferably 12

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with drainage holes in the bottom, some potting soil or planting mix, and water. Young says, “The easiest way to grow flowers is to purchase plants already started at a nursery, but if you are interested in starting flowers from seeds, the trick is to keep the soil wet and warm until the plant is well established.”

Another consideration is choosing a type of flower that will thrive in the environment you have available. “The tag in a purchased plant container or the notes on the back of a seed packet tell you most of what you need to know about how much sun and water they prefer, how big they get, and if you’re starting with seeds, how long it will take for you to start to see growth.

Reading and creating a care plan is a great way to engage your children and help them take ownership of the process,” Young says.

What are you waiting for? Get growing!

MAY 3 Evening Garden Party Wander through the garden center after hours. Enjoy refreshments. Buy flowers and pot them using your own containers or ours; soil supplied. Reservations required.

Fossil Creek Nursery, 7029 S. College Ave., FC. 5-7pm. 226-4924 www.fossilcreeknursery.com.

MAY 5 Vintage Garden Tea Celebrate an early Mother’s Day with a high tea in the garden! Spend a magical afternoon surrounded by flowers and savoring the finest sweet and savory delicacies and teas made from edible flowers. $30-adult; $15-child 12+ years. Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., FC. 1-3pm.

416-2491, www.fcgov.com/gardens/.

MAY 7 AND 8 Read & Seed Make flower bookmarks from pressed flowers and read The Flowers are Calling by Rita Gray.

A parent/caregiver participation class. $3-child. Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., FC. 10-10:45am and 1111:45am both days. 416-2491 www.fcgov.com/gardens/.

MAY 21 AND 22 Read & Seed Plant marigolds and read My First Garden

by Tomek Bogacki.

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community news

Healthy living supported in NoCo Improving life for residents

KIM SHARPE

M

oney and data, two things that support change, have been pouring into northern Colorado communities with a goal of improving life for residents. The artists among us are in line to receive funding, too. Show appreciation for childcare providers.

SPEAK OUT ABOUT HOW YOU WANT TO GET AROUND What kind of public transit system would you use? The North Front Range Planning Organization (NFRMPO) wants to know.

Every four years, the NFRMPO updates its long-range Regional Transit Element using subjective and objective data to develop a future, successful regional transit system in northern Colorado. To ensure the plan reflects the needs and desires of community members, the NFRMPO is asking people to answer survey questions. The survey, available in Spanish and English, plus an interactive mapping tool, allows users to identify areas in need of transit improvements. The mapping tool will remain live through July 31, however, the survey will close on May 31.

Visit the following link to complete the survey in English: www.surveymon key.com/r/2045transit. For a Spanish version of the survey, visit www.survemon key.com/r/esp2045transit. The interactive mapping and commenting tool is available at www.communityremarks.com/ northfrontrange/.

Colorado. The DRIVE SMART program is trying to reduce those numbers.

DRIVE SMART Weld County will spend the award money on studentled safety programs where students create safe driving activities and programs throughout the school year. The award also will fund Parent of Teen Drivers classes, which teach parents and teens about driver’s license laws, insurance requirements and discounts.

For the past 20 years, Drive Smart Weld County has received grants from State Farm totaling over $150,000 for safe driving programs.

For more information, visit www. drivesmartweldcounty.org or call 970400-2325.

WELD COUNTY TEEN DRIVERS GET SMART DRIVE SMART Weld County, a program created to reduce vehicle injuries and deaths among teens, won State Farm’s 2018 Good Neighbor Citizenship Award and $15,000 to go with it.

Weld County has some of the highest motor injuries and deaths in

NEWS TRAILS MAKE OUTDOORS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) awarded a $260,000 Local Park and Outdoor Recreation grant to the City of Loveland for trail building at Prairie Ridge Natural Area, located northwest of 57th St. and Wilson Ave. in northwest

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Loveland. Colorado Parks and Wildlife awarded an additional $200,000 in grant funding to the project to help expand city recreational opportunities.

The project includes a 1.5-mile hiking trail, a one-mile ADA-accessible trail, a parking lot, restrooms and signage.

The new trails will improve access to the outdoors for area residents with disabilities and those who require accommodations to recreate outdoors, like families with young children and the elderly.

Construction will begin in summer 2019 with a grand opening slated for December of that year.

WELD COUNTY RESIDENTS’ HEALTH IMPROVING, BUT… The ninth annual County Health Rankings report recently released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute shows areas of success and others that need improvement in Weld County. Weld County ranks near the middle for overall health status in Colorado (ranked

BRAIDS AT HANGING LAKE BY LAMBUTH

COLORADO ARTISTS SHOW OFF THEIR TALENTS The Colorado Governor’s Art Show & Sale (GArtS), the largest juried art show to exclusively feature 56 Colorado artists, will be held May 12 through June 17 at the Loveland Museum/Gallery.

The show includes sculpture, mixed media, oil, watercolor and acrylic paintings.

The 2018 show will feature three different works of art from each artist at the Loveland Museum Gallery. Attendees to the opening gala Friday, May 11 will have the opportunity to meet many selected artists in person. In addition to the chosen artists, the show will include a legacy artist who has participated in past years of the GArtS. The GArtS is a fundraiser for the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs and is endorsed by the Governor of Colorado. All proceeds will benefit Rotary-sponsored charitable projects and causes, including scholarships for local art students and support of Thompson Education Foundation’s Homeless Assistance Fund.

RUNNIG OF THE GREY BY MEGELMAN

23rd out of 58 counties in Colorado).

The rankings show Weld County has strengths in the areas of premature death and overall quality of life, where it ranked 24 out of 58 counties. The rankings also shed light on factors that are making residents less healthy. For example, one of Weld’s biggest health concerns is the local obesity epidemic. However, local health-minded partners are working together to promote healthy eating and active living the county.

“While we have been taking important steps to improve the health of our community, there is more we can do to help residents lead healthier lives,” says Mark E. Wallace, Weld County Health Department executive director. “The health rankings support the work being done in Weld County and they show us where we are doing well, and where we can improve.”

To see a summary of Weld County’s rankings, visit: www.weldhealth. org click on “Health Hot Topics.” Detailed information about the National Rankings Report is available at www. countyhealthrankings.org.

To find more information on Governor’s Arts Show events, visit governors artshow.org, call 970-670-0335 or email director@governorsartshow.org.

SHOW YOUR CHILDCARE PROVIDER APPRECIATION ON MAY 11!

The Early Childhood Council of Larimer County urges parents to thank their providers on National Provider Appreciation Day, May 11. We know that “Everyone depends on someone who depends on childcare.”

Childcare is at the center of nearly

every working relationship, fueling our workforce, fostering strong families and creating a stable economy. Without it, parents miss work, are distracted, or simply put careers on hold. High-quality childcare nurtures healthy kids who, as studies show, are more equipped to make positive social and economic contributions in the future. Childcare not only grows strong kids, it grows strong communities.

Thank your provider today! To learn more about childcare in the region, including how to become a licensed, inhome provider, visit ecclc.org.

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healthy living

Completing the cycle

Composting introduces kids to science and kids dig it LEA HANSON

G

arden compost is excellent for everything from sowing seeds to feeding trees, building fertile soil and growing quality plants. Composting is simple, costs virtually nothing, and is one of the easiest outdoor family activities you can do. Composting introduces kids to science, horticulture, and can get them excited about participating in the planting and harvesting of the family garden.

Common Good Compost LLC (www.commongoodcompost.org) serves Fort Collins, Winsdor, and Greeley and aims to makes the entire homecomposting process easy, clean, and convenient. Geoffrey B. Schmidt, owner of Common Good Compost says composting is a naturally fun and exciting activity for kids. He says, “It’s usually easy for kids to understand the process of separating food items at the beginning of the composting process but seeing the process from beginning to end is what’s really important and exciting for them and allows kids to see the results of their efforts.”

Kids (and adults) are more likely to get excited about an unfamiliar project if they can be a part of planning it. And, playing with compost is fun! Schmidt says, “When we set up displays at farmers’ markets, for example, we always bring a wheelbarrow full of finished compost. It’s inevitable that kids will come play with it. It’s exciting and engaging for them to learn how such a soft, smooth-feeling, dirt-like product came from something so different (apple peels and coffee grounds).” Below are four fun family activities you should consider as you prepare your garden’s compost.

MAKE A COMPOST BIN You can use whatever you have on hand: discarded wooden pallets, cinderblocks,

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trashcans, or even a plain old pile. Finding the right container can be as fun as the process that follows. If you already have a bin consider giving it a makeover.

This can include planting flowers or vines around it or painting the bin with a new mural scene.

COMPOST SCAVENGER HUNT A great way to make composting fun for kids is to turn it into a game. Review the list of compostable materials as a family and make a list of examples of “browns” and “greens.” This can be structured as a game of BINGO, a race to collect the entire list, or make a kids-versus-adults team challenge.

COMPOST BUG ID Once you get your compost started, you’ll want to turn it occasionally with a garden fork. This will help get air to the materials on the inside and speed up the decomposing process. As it begins to break down, you will find all sorts

of bugs and crawly things in the pile.

Schmidt says, “Kids love knowing how many bugs and microbes are alive in the finished product. In fact, one tablespoon of finished compost has more living organisms than there are humans on the planet!” Encourage kids to take pictures of the bugs and look them up online together. Then, ask them to discover how each creature benefits the creation of the compost.

TAKE A COMPOST COFFEE BREAK It may sound hard to believe, but composting can be addicting. Once you’ve seen the fruits of your labor, you’ll always be on the lookout for more waste wherever you go. One good source is your local barista. Many coffee shops will bag up coffee grounds and may even give them to you for free. Try visiting your favorite local coffee shop later in the morning and ask the barista for any leftover coffee grounds. And, have a family coffee break, too.

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Young people find

their voices as they

demand changes

SPEAKING

OUT! KIM SHARPE

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I

n response to the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida that occurred on Valentine’s Day of this year, thousands of youth across Colorado and the nation have participated in school walkouts and marches.

They’ve been speaking out, demanding policy changes that will keep them safe from gun violence. Their voices are loud and proving hard for decision-makers to ignore.

“I hope, and I believe my fellow peers hope, that we will get our voices heard and get people in positions of power to listen,” says Maddie May, a senior at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins. “I personally felt strongly compelled to participate in the walkout and March for Our Lives rally because I’ve grown up hearing about Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook and now Parkland, but nothing has ever been done or accomplished to actually address the causes of school shootings, so I felt empowered to join the fight for stricter gun control.”

Beyond joining with their peers at recent demonstrations about school violence, local youth are spearheading initiatives to address other community and social issues.

ROLLING TOWARD RESULTS The Loveland Youth Advisory Commission (YAC) members are tackling public transit. The group’s goal is “to help transform the Loveland community by advocating for a more efficient and effective public transit system.”

Toward that end, YAC members have researched the topic and experienced getting around by bus for themselves.

They also developed and administered an online survey through the Open City Hall platform on the City of Loveland’s website to gather residents’ perceptions about the city’s transit system. People took the survey and took it seriously; it generated the highest response rate of any city survey hosted on the city’s website.

Survey results informed a marketing plan to encourage more people to ride the bus whenever possible. They also informed a YAC presentation to city council.

Ava McQuade, the YAC chair and a senior at Loveland High School says, “We spoke in favor of public transit improvements at a city council meeting because our research showed taking the bus is convenient and often better than driving a car.”

CHANGING PEOPLE’S MINDS Mental health and substance abuse are two issues that matter most to young people in Fort Collins, and members of the Youth Action for Health (YAH) are working on ways to address them. They understand that many mental health issues are intertwined with substance use problems. YAH members especially are concerned about the rise in students who are vaping—using electronic devices to inhale nicotine and other

chemicals flavored to taste like fruit or candy—and are planning projects to address their concerns.

The coalition, facilitated by Larimer County Department of Health and Environment, gives teens an opportunity to build leadership skills, be role models for their peers and make a difference in our community. Aesha Kothamdi, a junior at Liberty Commons High School, says she joined YAH to get real-world experience and to understand and learn how to help her peers.

Chloe Matsuda, a senior at Poudre High School, feels that YAH is unique from other clubs, “because our projects are student-initiated. We get to identify the things that are important to us and come up with projects to implement within the community.”

SENDING SMOKE-LESS SIGNALS TO LEADERS Greeley’s city council appoints students to serve on its Youth Commission and have a voice in its decision-making processes. “They have been integrally involved this past year working on and supporting a ‘smokefree’ ordinance for Greeley parks, natural areas and trails,” says Andy

McRoberts, Greeley’s director of culture, parks and recreation.

Greeley Youth Commissioner Brooklyn Johnson, who is a junior at Northridge High School, explains why the work is worth her time: “Working to make parks and trails smoke free is very important to me because I have family members with asthma and I know how second-hand smoke is more damaging for people with respiratory conditions. I also am a huge environmentalist, so I want to do anything I can to keep the harmful pollutants of cigarettes and other products out of the air and natural environment. My hope is that the work we are doing here will show our community and future generations that we are not okay with the use of tobacco products, especially not in public parks and trails.”

Johnson summarizes the conviction voiced by May, McQuade, Kothamdi, Matsuda and hundreds of thousands of their peers who are taking matters of importance into their own hands when she says, “I am motivated to get involved in the community because I firmly believe that it’s my responsibility to advocate for myself and pursue the changes I want to see in the world.”

Get active. Get involved.

Loveland Youth Advisory Commission

Meets the first Wednesday of every month 5pm, Loveland Public Library, 300 N. Adams Ave. www.cityofloveland.org/government/boards-commissions/youth-advisory-commission Contact: Beth Gudmestad, 970-962-2548 or Beth.Gudmestad@cityofloveland.org.

Greeley Youth Commission

Meets the fourth Monday of every month 6pm, Rodarte Community Center, 920 A St. https://greeleyrec.com/youth-commisson/ Contact: Brecken Arnold, 970-350-9771 or brecken.arnold@greeleygov.com.

Youth Action for Health

Meets twice a month in Fort Collins. www.tinyurl.com/NorthernLarimerYouth Contact: Christa Timmerman, 970-498-6718 or timmerca@larimer.org.

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Raising

HEALTHY MULTIPLES

Setting the stage for successful school years Lynn U. NIchols

I

f you are a parent of twins or triplets, you intimately know that by doubling or tripling your joy, you have also doubled or tripled your work as a parent. It helps to have insight from other parents of multiples to guide you along the way. If your kids are nearing school age, you’ve likely started thinking about how to best support them during this time. Here are some ideas.

FOSTERING SEPARATE IDENTITIES With multiples, it’s important to honor their special bond yet at the same time encourage each child to develop independently.

This isn’t always convenient, but taking some basic steps—like not dressing your kids the same, providing them with separate spaces (even room dividers can help) and providing them with separate belongings—is a good start. Also, be conscientious of taking separate photos of each child, and encouraging family to avoid making generalizations about your multiples as one unit, helping them see their individual differences.

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“I made it a point to let people know that my twins are not peas in a pod, and that they don’t have to have the same friends or attend the same birthday parties. Some parents and teachers don’t even know they are twins,” says Karen Wenning, mother of Kate and Oliver, age 10. “I encourage them to find activities they are each passionate about, rather than making it convenient for me. I learned this the hard way by signing them up for the same soccer team, which was a big fail. My daughter sat and picked grass while my son ran up and down the field.”

She admits it’s a challenge to not compare your twins or triplets. After all, they share many of the same genetics.

When you find yourself comparing or hear others doing the same, try to stop and focus on their individual strengths.

CURBING COMPETITION By limiting comparisons, you also help limit competition.

Multiples are wired to compete with each other.

“Our twins compete at absolutely everything from who is going to clear the table, to math facts, to reading, to anything sports related, to our attention. I think twins compete more than other siblings because an age difference automatically creates an advantage,” Wenning says.

It helps to celebrate accomplishments of each multiple, which reinforces their individual strengths. Eventually, they learn that their sibling is good at one thing and they are good at another. Sometimes, giving praise privately works best, especially when one child outperforms more often than the other. Finally, make pointed comments to curb other people’s desire to compare your twins. Unfortunately, it’s human nature to want to compare things that are alike.

together is to help ease the transition into school for those multiples that rely on each other for security and social help. Research shows that kids who start school with a friend are often more confident to engage in activities and act independently than those who do not. The same can be assumed for multiples.

Another reason is simply convenience: same teacher, same homework schedule, same classroom activities.

Also, if your twins are not inherently competitive, and especially if they are not the same sex or identical, competition and comparisons will naturally be less prominent.

Reasons for separating your multiples often stem around fostering them as individuals, helping others treat them as individuals and easing competition. You might also find that having separate teachers means they each get more attention, as teachers like all of us tend to lump twins together and compare their performance.

“Putting my twins in separate classrooms is one decision that I am confident was the right choice. My twins are very competitive, and one struggles academically while the other excels. If they were in the same classroom it would make it much more obvious who was in the lower reading group or who needed extra help in math,” Wenning says.

She believes that separate classrooms create a more normal sibling dynamic between her twins. It fosters individual likes, dislikes, friends and passions.

SAME CLASSROOM OR NOT? Starting school is a big step into a new social world for kids. One decision you’ll have to make is whether or not to put your multiples in the same classroom. There are pros and cons to both choices. Whatever you choose, make it a point to reassess each new year as your kids grow and as circumstances change.

The main reason for keeping them

TIPS FOR MANAGING THE SCHEDULE Are you naturally super organized or do you struggle with planning, schedules and managing daily tasks? Either way, learning a few tricks to organize your life—and making them a habit—will help ease the stress of maintaining your daily schedule with multiples.

A simple habit is color-coding school supplies. For example, buy folders,

notebooks, and backpacks in the same color, letting them choose their favorite color. For items that can’t be color-coded, like crayon boxes, use a colored sticker.

This helps keep track of items more easily while packing up and while in transit. It also avoids battles over each other’s stuff.

Get in the habit of packing lunches, gear bags and backpacks the night before, so they are ready to go. Having baskets filled with healthy snacks and lunch items helps, so they can be grabbed and packed easily. Consider including healthy bars, dried fruit packets, granola, beef jerky packets, and nuts and seeds in your pantry basket; and squeeze-yogurts, fruit cups, cheese sticks, fresh fruit, cut vegetables and hard boiled eggs in your fridge basket.

Getting kids to and from activities can be especially challenging. Enlist carpool help from family members and friends with kids in the same activities.

If all else fails, hire someone to help from places such as care.com.

“Trying to keep the schedule straight between school activities, sports, homework and daily reading is a weekly puzzle. If they make it to 90 percent of their activities, that’s still an A for me, right?” Wenning says.

One habit she’s adopted is waking up early to get a workout in, and finishing before the kids wake up for school. That way, she is awake and energized and ready to focus on them. She also has her kids pick out their clothes at bedtime for the next day, and has them pack lunches, backpacks and sport bags the night before—even going so far as putting them in the car.

“Carpools can be great, but they can also add a lot of coordination, which is stressful for me. I prefer having just one family that I can exchange with and count on,” she adds.

As parents of multiples, you’ve likely created survival tips of your own. With each passing year, it gets a little more engrained, and a little easier. Celebrate having kids who are alike, but so very different.

“My twins have their own thoughts, strengths, challenges, sports, activities and friends but they have one additional super power—each other,” Wenning concludes.

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LIST OF ADVERTISERS SUMMERTIME 2018 10 Air Force Sports Camps 16 Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch 11 Camp Timberline 10 Celebrate It Vacations 2 Choice City Christian Camp 3 City of Fort Collins Gardens on Spring Creek 13 City of Loveland Golf 6 City of Loveland Rialto Theater 14 Collindale Golf Academy 7 Colorado Storm Soccer 3 CSU Center for the Arts 9 CSU Soccer Camps 20 CSU Youth Sport Camps 4 Dayspring Christian Academy 4 Debut Theater Company 16 Fort Collins Baseball Club 7 Fort Collins Judo Club 2 Fort Collins Museum of Discovery 5 Fort Collins Soccer Club 20 Fort Fun 12 Foundation Music School 5 Gargot Farms Riding Academy 2 Genesis Health Club 11 Grit 5 Hiatt Farms Montessori School 14 Huntington Learning Center 9 Inspiration Riding Academy 3 International Black Belt Academy 17 Kaiser Permanente 7 Kids in Action 18 Loveland Sports & Academic Day Camp 9 Mountain Kids 4 NoCo Theatrix 16 Opera Fort Collins 11 Pediatric Dentistry of the Rockies 15 Piano & Guitar Institute 11 Pinot’s Palette and Sip Studio 11 Play Well Engineering Camps 6 Premier Gymnastics of the Rockies 19 Rocky Mountain Family Physicians 12 Rocky Mountain Fever Basketball 15 Rollerland Skate Center 8 Sky’s Open Designs 7 Southridge Golf Club 3 Thrive Music Studio 14 Young People’s Learning Center 18 | RMPARENT

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May 29 – August 17 For children entering K- to 8th Grade Through innovative programming and the use of active learning practices focusing on obesity prevention, lifelong fitness, and skill development, the Youth Sport Camps support the educational and public service commission of the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University by providing the benefits of physical activity and healthy lifestyles for youth in the community.

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Get information and register online at: www.ysc.colostate.edu

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poudre school district news Students meet and talk at Diversity Conference

Three years have gone by since Milena Brown attended her first High School Diversity Conference at Colorado State University. But the Fossil Ridge senior still remembers exactly how she felt on that first day.

“It was the first time I felt seen,” she said. “Hearing other people share their stories is validating.”

Milena was one of more than 100 Poudre School District students who recently joined high schoolers from across the state at the annual conference to explore topics related to diversity. Students attended breakout sessions that delved into issues including gender, immigration and harmful stereotypes.

Fossil Ridge senior Anton Moritz said he enjoyed learning from other people, and said many of the messages he heard connected to his own experience as an immigrant to the U.S. The conference, a partnership result between CSU and the PSD Language, Culture and Equity Department, promotes leadership skills and offers students a safe environment to challenge stereotypes and expand their understanding of diversity. It also aims to empower students to make positive changes and help create diverse and inclusive environments in their own lives.

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As the conference came to an end, the hundreds of students in attendance gathered together in a massive ballroom at CSU, excitedly talking about the things they’d discussed. A conference organizer passed around a microphone to the many students who raised their hands high in the air, eager to share the lessons they’d learned at the conference.

One student talked about using his voice to stand up for people facing discrimination. Another waited until after a few others spoke before she raised her hand.

“You should not be afraid to tell your story,” she said.

The room erupted into applause.

VOLUNTEERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PSD! Becky Ann Sammons knew exactly what she was doing when she planted the courtyard garden at Putnam Elementary School.

She chose flowers she thought were beautiful, of course, but she also picked plants with fun names–Butterfly Bush, Scabiosa and Spilled Milk, for example– so kids might be excited to learn different plant varieties and read the labels she carefully put in front of each one.

Sammons, who the students know as “Mrs. S.,” is one of thousands of PSD

volunteers who donate their time to schools throughout the District. During National Volunteer Week in April, the District recognized these these generous community members for their hard work for students. PSD has more than 20,000 active volunteers, nearly 4,500 of whom have logged volunteer hours this year.

These volunteers create one-on-one learning opportunities for students and build relationships with them, Putnam School Secretary Melissa Rivera says.

Anne Garrison is another one of those volunteers. Every Thursday morning for the past five years, she has come to Putnam and copied lesson plans, worksheets and handouts for secondgrade teachers.

Then, she grabs a quick lunch and heads over to Tavelli Elementary School to help the teachers there.

“I see how much I can get done in an hour or two, and for (teachers) that would mean coming in early or staying late,” she says.

Whether these volunteers are making photocopies, assisting in a classroom or planting a garden, their efforts make a big difference for staff and students.

At Putnam, Sammons’ hard work is easy to spot as kids make their way to class.

Dozens of yellow daffodils line the front

doors, and by the flagpole, a small garden full of bright pink flowers honors a Putnam employee battling breast cancer.

“She has created a whole new environment for our building, and that creation of a new physical environment has really changed the way our students engage with our environment,” Putnam School Secretary Melissa Rivera says.

“They learn outside, take breaks outside, and have a beautiful place to be in.”

PSD TO LAUNCH IMAGINATIVE CLASSROOM ON WHEELS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS THIS SUMMER What was once a typical school bus is being transformed into a colorful classroom that can easily move from neighborhood to neighborhood this summer.

Poudre School District’s new Mobile Academic Classroom, or MAC, will come equipped with a smart TV, laptops, writing surfaces for students and even an awning to accommodate outdoor learning activities wherever the classroom happens to be parked.

MAC was an idea first developed

by Tavelli Elementary School Principal Christine Hendricks as she searched for innovative ways to support her students during their summer break. Shortly after she came up with her plan, two anonymous donors agreed to help fund the project. Ever since, a team of experts has been hard at work retrofitting a repurposed school bus into a portable classroom

packed with cutting-edge technology.

MAC is set to hit the road this summer.

PRESTON MAKES PAPER CRANES FOR HIROSHIMA MEMORIAL Dozens of 6th-grade students hunched over the black tabletops of their Fort Collins science classroom, carefully folding colorful paper cranes in tribute to a girl who lived across the ocean more than half a century before they were born.

Before they knew it, they’d made one thousand, and their teacher Mary Hunter-Laszlo was packing them onto a plane headed to Japan, where she hung them for the world to see at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

The park is home to the Children’s Peace Monument, a sculpture that

honors Sadako Sasaki, a girl who died of leukemia at the age of 12, ten years after the atomic bombing by the United States. Sadako tried to fold 1,000 paper cranes before her death, hoping that if she did, she would be granted her one wish: A world without nuclear weapons.

In the park, glass cases full of paper cranes surround the monument to Sadako. Visitors from across the globe made these cranes.

“They represent peace,” Preston 6th grader Hayden Hixon said of the cranes.

Hayden made dozens of cranes for the display and said he liked the meaning behind them.

Hunter-Laszlo made sure her students learned about Sadako’s story while they worked on their origami cranes. When she left their cranes in one of the glass displays, she made sure it had a simple white tag with black typed letters telling people the story of the students who created it.

The cranes made by Preston students do not stack as neatly as some of the others at the park, and Hunter-Laszlo smiled as she pointed out that some of them might look more like ducks than cranes. But, she said, that’s part of what makes the display so special.

“We are so fortunate to live on a beautiful planet, with diverse people, wondrous plants, animals and landscapes,” she wrote on the form she submitted to the park before offering the cranes. “Our gift of 1,000 cranes reflects that diversity in that the cranes were folded with varying degrees of perfection. Let’s celebrate our beautiful world.”

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greeley-evans district 6 news Bond Family funds Elementary Science Institute education credit from UNC. Cost of the Institute is $25, and registration is available to all District 6 elementary teachers, including charter school teachers. Space is limited, so early registration is recommended. To register, teachers need to access their online account or review a new one through WisdomWhere on the District 6 website under the Staff tab, Professional Development, www.greeleyschools.org.

SIX DISTRICT 6 STUDENTS NAMED DANIELS SCHOLARS Six Greeley-Evans School District 6 seniors who will graduate in May have been notified they will receive the prestigious Daniels Scholarship.

Paid for through the Daniels Fund, a private foundation started by entrepreneur and cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, these scholarships cover four years of tuition and fees, room and board, books and miscellaneous educational expenses for scholars who attend any accredited nonprofit college or university in the United States.

The District 6 Daniels Scholarship recipients for 2018 are:

The Bond Family Foundation has helped to develop and fund a new Elementary Science Institute at the Poudre Learning Center that will provide participating Greeley-Evans School District 6 teachers professional development activities and instruction to help them grow in their science teaching skills.

The Elementary Science Institute will be held July 16-19 at the PLC, 8313 West F Street, and will continue into the school year with monthly meetings that include additional activities and 28

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time to reflect on instructional tools. The four-day Institute will include hands-on science activities taught by faculty from the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Northern Colorado.

Teachers who complete the Science Institute will qualify to receive a $250 stipend, which can be used to purchase two continuing education credits from the University of Northern Colorado. Teachers who participate in all the monthly meetings will qualify for an additional $100 stipend, which can be used to purchase one continuing

• Michelle Lopez Greeley West High School • Gustavo Gabriel Hernandez Northridge High School • Mark Lewis Morales Northridge High School • Joshua Martin Torres Northridge High School • Codi RaiAnn Wells Northridge High School • Margaret Elizabeth Longcor Union Colony Preparatory School

The Daniels Fund awards scholarships based not only on academic success, but also on the character, leadership qualities and commitment to contributing to the community exhibited by students.

“District 6 students are extremely competitive in this prestigious scholarship and I congratulate this year’s

winners,” says Superintendent Dr. Deirdre Pilch. “These students are some of our most motivated, most resilient and hardest-working young people, and they are well prepared for their future. We are proud of them.”

TWO DISTRICT 6 STUDENTS NAMED BOETTCHER SCHOLARS Two District 6 seniors have received notification that they each have been awarded the prestigious Boettcher Scholarship.

The Boettcher Foundation has named Hannah Kiburz, a senior at Greeley Central High School, and Mark Morales, a senior at Northridge High School, Boettcher Scholars. Both are incredibly active students, exhibiting excellence in academics, extracurriculars and community service.

As a first-generation student, the son of immigrants, Mark says he knows how important education is to achieving his goals. He was born in Greeley, but spent more than four years living in Mexico

with his mother. That experience motivated him to push himself to succeed.

“I saw what the struggle was like down there,” Mark says. “I knew I had to get an education.”

Hannah was named a National AP Scholar in her junior year, meaning she scored four or higher on eight or more AP exams. Hannah says clubs and activities have been a big part of her high school experience, and she is involved in Key Club, National Honor Society, Varsity Cross Country, Arts Magnet and Best Buddies, a club that pairs students with disabilities with typical peers for social activities and relationship building.

She says the teachers at Greeley Central have been among her biggest champions.

Hannah has attended several youth leadership programs and plans to study International Relations, possibly at the University of Denver, with her eye on possibly entering the diplomatic corps or some other form of public service.

Mark is involved with the STEM Academy at Northridge, as well as the Gear Up program. He and a group of his STEM peers have been busy building a 1.5 meter-long laser that will cut steel. They have received grants for part of the project, and have been presenting to other groups to receive donations to fund the laser. Mark also mentors a student at Franklin Middle School, where he was once a student.

With a childhood obsession with taking things apart to see how they work, Mark plans to put that curiosity to good use as a mechanical engineer. He has been accepted at the University of Colorado at Boulder and is still exploring other higher education options.

Mark credits his Gear Up mentor Monica Salazar for supporting him and always believing in him.

“She has been my biggest fan,” he says.

The scholarship provides full tuition at any Colorado four-year college or university, as well as fees, a book allowance and an annual stipend for living expenses.

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thompson school district news LISA challenges and engages students

Teaching and learning doesn’t get more personalized than in Peter Toew’s music room at Mountain View High School.

Conducting a band or orchestra, says Toews, requires “100-percent personalized learning.” For the whole group to function, the individual performers must rise to the same level. Playing in a band or an orchestra requires collective performance. And each individual’s contribution counts.

The evidence of mastery—or evidence of where the individual student currently stands on that road to mastery—is immediate.

Toews, who has been teaching at Mountain View High School since the school opened in 2000, collects eight pieces of data in each student’s performance—tone, rhythm, notes, intonation, etc. When giving a test, Toews opens an iPad and checks off his rubric. All students at MVHS are given an iPad and login to see their scores. There is no need to wait or wonder.

“In a minute, kids can go in and look, and they go, ‘man, I got a four on 30

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notes, but I got a two on rhythm, so I really need to this time focus on rhythm to get better,’” says Toews. The specificity helps students key on areas of improvement and then they take the test again.

Teachers are being asked to become learners in this journey, says Mountain View High School principal Jane Harmon. And they are being asked to take risks, all with the goal of creating learning environments that give students more of a voice and more of a choice in their education and to encourage students to take ownership of their learning.

For instance, math teachers Em Ayyildiz and Heather Anderton each designed a “flipped classroom” unit for their shared Algebra I class. In flipped classrooms, the instruction shifts to a learner-centered model in which students use class time to explore topics in greater depth while content is left to online resources.

“It was uncomfortable for those teachers,” says Harmon. But the flipped classroom approach changed the teachers’ interactions with students, she adds,

“because they became a one-on-one tutor for some students and a small-group tutor for others. At times, they had to stop and do large group instruction, but it gave them the ability to know students personally because they had the time to do that. They weren’t standing in front of the classroom modeling a problem. So through that risk-taking, they were able to do the very thing we need teachers to do and that is to relate with students.”

The personalized approach allows teachers to distinguish the needs and gives them time for those various interactions.

Up in the second-floor classroom of social studies teacher Kelly Evans, students are exploring the seven jobs that make up the work of the President of the United States. The class is pre-Advanced Placement civics integrated with economics. The class is part of the magnet program inside MVHS known as ‘LISA’ or Loveland Integrated School of the Arts. Groups of students are working together to write a paragraph explaining the one job they have selected to study and why it’s important.

Each group will also create a hat that represents that particular responsibility.

Recently, students were asked to summarize everything they had learned about the executive branch of government. They were given a rubric of how their submissions would be evaluated. Each student decided the form in which they would deliver their work. Evans says she received “amazing” submissions that included storybooks, pamphlets and infographics—all based on the individual student’s choice of how to represent their work.

Evans says, “The students are tapping into their learning styles. They’re really expressing themselves and I’m seeing the breadth of what they understand more than if I were to just say, ‘Here’s an essay question, write me something.’”

Students are more engaged, Evans says. “They’re more into it … they do the work so that they can produce that higher-quality project at the end.

They actually navigate their agency, their self-agency, a lot better. They’re more invested.”

There are 170 students in LISA (out of 1,240 in MVHS overall). LISA is a school-within-a-school. Students apply for enrollment with a portfolio demonstrating their pathways and interests. Once enrolled, they pursue a rigorous pre-Advanced Placement and Advanced Placement curriculum.

Art is incorporated in all LISA core classes except for mathematics. Collaborations with local artists and other

community connections are routine.

There is team bonding at a fall retreat.

And seniors complete a capstone project including interviews with people in their field of study, says LISA coordinator and language arts teacher Gwynne Johnson.

The capstone project “is a reflection about their learning and how they have come to understand themselves.

How did they learn? What do they know about themselves? How has arts integration helped them get where they need to be? What are their future goals?” says Johnson.

The LISA students “are known for tending to be a lot more risk-taking in their learning,” says Johnson. “My LISA classrooms look different. They tend to be a bit noisier. They’re active participants.”

The same is true in the “regular” art classrooms, too. Students were given free rein to design their own art show.

During one recent project, students selected a personal favorite quote and decided how to develop art that incorporated it. Advanced students worked on their own, pursuing the techniques and materials that inspire them.

“The key to personalized learning is to learn to be okay with the chaos,” says art teacher Anne McManus. “It’s just the way it is.”

SCHOOL BOARD UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES CONTRACT At its business meeting on Wednesday, April 18, the Thompson School District

Board of Education voted unanimously to approve a contract with Dr. Marc Schaffer to become the district’s next superintendent. Dr. Schaffer’s first day of employment will be on July 1. He currently serves as Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Leadership at Boulder Valley School District in Boulder.

Dr. Stan Scheer, who has served as TSD superintendent since October 2012, is retiring on June 30.

“I am deeply honored to have been selected to serve as the next superintendent of the Thompson School District,” Dr. Schaffer said. “I am looking forward to spending time listening closely to students, staff and the community as I transition into my role. I am committed to taking the time to hear from all stakeholders about the celebrations and needs of the District.”

“I am very excited to welcome Dr. Schaffer to our district,” said Board of Education president Lori Hvizda Ward.

“Dr. Schaffer’s skill set and his extensive experience in education are a terrific match for Thompson as we continue to move forward in a positive direction.”

“Dr. Scheer has been a wonderful leader for our district community these past five-and-a-half years,” Mrs. Hvizda Ward said. “His experience and dedication to doing everything that we can to serve students, families, staff and the community is very much appreciated and we wish him all of the best in his well-deserved retirement.

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lunchbox POUDRE SCHOOL DISTRICT— Elementary student lunches are $2.65, secondary student lunches are $2.90 and reduced lunches are PK-5 free, grades 6-12 $0.40.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 1 Cheese ravioli & roll; mac n’cheese 2 Teriyaki meatballs & rice; chicken patty sandwich 3 Beef taco & rice; chicken strips 4 Meat lovers or cheese pizza; veggie wrap 7 Tomato soup & grilled cheese; chicken nuggets 8 Penne & meat sauce; cheese calzone & marinara 9 Orange chicken & rice; hamburger/cheeseburger 10 Chicken burrito; trout treasures 11 Pepperoni or cheese pizza; hummus & veggie box 14 Chicken drumstick & roll; mac & cheese 15 Lasagna w/veggies; cheese calzone & marinara 16 Asian noodle & meatball; chicken patty sandwich 17 Chicken tacos & rice; hamburger/cheeseburger 18 Meat lovers or cheese pizza; chicken Caesar wrap 21 BBQ pulled pork; chicken nuggets 22 Meatball sandwich; chicken Alfredo

23 Orange chicken & rice; hot dog 24 Beef & bean burrito; chicken patty sandwich 25 Pepperoni or cheese pizza; chef salad & roll 28 No school!

29 Cheese ravioli & roll; mac & cheese 30 Meat lovers or cheese pizza; veggie wrap MIDDLE SCHOOLS 1 Cheese ravioli & roll; spaghetti & meatballs 2 Teriyaki beef, chicken & egg roll; chicken patty sandwich 3 Beef & bean burrito; taco salad 4 Honey Sriracha boneless wings; tortilla soup bar 7 Turkey gravy & roll; chicken drumsticks & roll 8 Spring vegetable rotini; cheese calzone & marinara 9 Orange chicken, beef & egg roll; mango chicken salad 10 Taco bar; taco salad 11 Philly cheesesteak sandwich; chicken strips

14 Hot dog; honey sriracha boneless wings 15 Chicken Alfredo; meatball sandwich 16 Asian bar; Mandarin chicken salad 17 Beef & bean burrito; taco salad 18 Mac & cheese; green chile bowl w/shredded pork or chicken 21 Chicken parmesan sandwich; BBQ pulled pork sandwich 22 Cheese calzone & marinara; chicken nuggets 23 Sweet & sour meatball & chicken & egg roll; mango chicken salad 24 Taco bar; chicken patty sandwich 25 Tortilla soup; Hawaiian pizza 28 No school!

29 Cheese ravioli & roll; spaghetti & meatballs 30 Teriyaki beef chicken & egg roll; Mandarin chicken

THOMPSON R2J SCHOOL DISTRICT— Please check district web pages for updated prices.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 1 Hot dog 2 Chicken pot pie 3 Pizza roll 4 Asian combo 7 Hamburger

8 Beef taco 9 Mac n’cheese 10 Pizza 11 Orange chicken w/rice 14 Chicken sandwich 15 Burrito bowl

16 Chicken & biscuit 17 Lasagna w/meat 18 No school!

SECONDARY SCHOOL 1 Hot dog 2 Chicken pot pie

3 Pizza roll 4 Asian combo 7 Hamburger 8 Beef taco 9 Mac n’cheese 10 Pizza

11 14 15 16 17 18

Orange chicken w/rice Chicken sandwich Burrito bowl Chicken & biscuit Lasagna w/meat No school!

GREELEY DISTRICT 6— To obtain a complete meal, student gets an entrée and can select 1-3 sides. Elementary lunches are $2.55, and middle school lunches are $2.80, reduced-price lunches are K-2 free, 3-8 $.40.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 1 Burrito & cheese; green chili 2 Taco; chicken salad sandwich 3 Chicken queso gordo crunch; ham & cheese wrap 4 Hawaiian or cheese pizza; PBJ 7 Tater tot breakfast bowl; American beef sandwich 8 Bean & cheese quesadilla; pesto chicken salad wrap 9 BBQ chicken sandwich; PBJ 10 Veggie panino; turkey & cheese sandwich 11 Pepperoni or cheese pizza; PBJ 14 Italian sandwich 15 Chicken fajita wrap

16 PBJ 17 Ham & cheese wrap 18 PBJ 21 American beef sandwich 22 Chicken fajita wrap 23 Hamburger/cheese burger; hot dog MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 Burrito & cheese; green chili 2 Taco; chicken salad sandwich 3 Chicken queso gordo crunch; ham & cheese wrap 4 Hawaiian or cheese pizza; PBJ 7 Tater tot breakfast bowl; American beef sandwich

8 Bean & cheese quesadilla; pesto chicken salad wrap 9 BBQ chicken sandwich; PBJ 10 Veggie panino; turkey & cheese sandwich 11 Pepperoni or cheese pizza; PBJ 14 Italian sandwich 15 Chicken fajita wrap 16 PBJ 17 Ham & cheese wrap 18 PBJ 21 American beef sandwich 22 Chicken fajita wrap 23 PBJ; mac n’cheese

WINDSOR SCHOOL DISTRICT— Price for elementary lunch is $2.90, for middle school students, $3.15. Reduced lunches are elementary, free; middle school, $0.40.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 1 French toast sticks; pancake on a stick 2 Hamburger; corndog 3 Chicken sandwich; turkey & cheese sub 4 Big Daddy cheese or pepperoni pizza; PBJ 7 Popcorn chicken; PBJ

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8 Chicken Alfredo; mini cheeseburgers 9-11 Manager’s choice MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 French toast sticks; cheeseburger 2 Steak & cheese sub; chicken nuggets 3 Chicken sandwich; hamburger

4 Meatball sub; spicy chicken sandwich 7 Cheese enchiladas; cheeseburger 8 Chicken Alfredo; chicken nuggets 9-11 Manager’s choice

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One Historic Building, Two Great Businesses Over 200 Loose-Leaf Teas To Nourish Your Happy

Fort Collins Largest Indie Bookstore New. Used.

Special Orders.

Old Town - 236 Walnut Street Front Range Village - Harmony & Ziegler 2720 Council Tree Ave. #166

970-689-3417 • HappyLuckys.com

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232 Walnut Street 970-484-7898 Visit our website for events and book clubs!

OldFirehouseBooks.com

Northern Colorado’s Favorite Parenting Magazine.

Pick up your FREE copy today!

visit us online at: rmparent.com RMPARENT

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M AY 2 0 1 8 ONGOING Free Online Indoor Air Quality Assessment The City of Fort Collins offers a Healthy Homes do-it-yourself assessment tool plus related resources. Available anytime online: www.healthyhomes.fcgov.com.

MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS Read and Seed Youth Program Preschool readiness activities including a story and related craft activity. Ages 2-5 with adult. Pre-registration required for groups over five students. $3. Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., FC. 10-10:45am & 11-11:45am. 416-2486 www.fcgov.com/gardens.

TUESDAYS Old Firehouse Books Writer’s Workshop Uninterrupted writing time and discussions with fellow writers.

Registration required. Old Firehouse Books, 232 Walnut St., FC. 6-7:30pm. 484-7898, www.oldfirehousebooks.com.

SECOND THURSDAYS Hugs Social Group for Grandparents and Other Kin Raising Kin Connect with others in similar situations.

Mountain View Presbyterian Church, 2500 N. Garfield Ave., LV. 11:30am-1:30pm.

669-2837 www.GrandFamilyCoalition.com.

THIRD THURSDAYS Children’s Book Reading with OtterCares Monthly reading event about how to follow your dreams, enjoy snacks and meet Ollie the Otter. PreK-1st graders. Otter Shop, 151 W. Mountain Ave., FC. 11am12pm. 825-5650. www.facebook.com/ottershop.

FOURTH THURSDAYS Hugs Social Group for Grandparents and Other Kin Raising Kin Connect with others in similar situations.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 5450 S. Lemay Ave., FC. 12-2:30pm. 6692837, www.GrandFamilyCoalition.com.

MAY 4 THROUGH 5 Kids on Broadway Centennial Children’s Chorus features music from Annie, Pinocchio and Newsies. Adults-$13, Seniors-$10, Child, 12 and under-$10. Lincoln Center Performance Hall, 417 W. Magnolia, FC. 7pm. 221-6730, www.lctix.com.

MAY 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 18, 19 Debut Theatre Company presents Emil & the Detectives Classic tale of young boy growing up, and learning to rely on himself and his new friends. All ages, 2 hours. $8 at www.lctix. com, 221-6730. Lincoln Center Magnolia Theater, 417 W. Magnolia, FC. Fridays, May 4, 11, 18: 7pm. Saturdays, May 5, 12, 19: 7pm. Sunday matinee, May 6: 1pm.

Saturday matinees, May 12, 19: 1pm.

224-5774, www.debuttheatre.org.

MAY 11 THROUGH 12 Spring Spectacular Ice Show Skaters from the learn to skate program will perform. $8-14. Edora Pool and Ice Center, 1801 Riverside Ave., FC. Friday7pm, Saturday-1pm, 6pm. 221-6683, www.fcgov.com/recreation.

MAY 12 THROUGH 13 Spring Plant Sale Huge sale to help you grow a beautiful landscape, bountiful veggie garden and lively containers. Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., FC. Saturday 9am-4 pm, Sunday 12-5pm. 416-2486 www.fcgov.com/gardens.

Hours of Operation: M-Th 8-5pm, Fri 8-4 Fort Collins (970) 493-7442

Loveland (970) 493-7442

SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY

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! s n o s s e L r e m m u S

Book your child’s dental exam today!

FREE EXAM

Open to riders of all levels

for children under 2!

A general dentistry practice that’s all about kids and young adults, ages 0-20!

HORSEBACK RIDING SUMMER LESSONS Ages 7 & Up • Ready to Show Lessons June 19 - 22 • Blue Ribbon Riders Lessons July 17 - 20 • Summer Finale Lessons August 7 - 10

970-635-4353

126 East 29th Street Loveland

www.kindergrins.com

MINI EQUESTRIAN & PONY PALS LESSONS

Monday - Thursday 8-5

$75 New Patient Exam Includes Exams, Cleaning, Fluoride, X-Rays.

One coupon per patient. New patients only and without insurance. Not valid with any other offer. Must present coupon at visit.

Expires: 5/31/18 RMP0518

FREE light-up toothbrush for NEW patients One coupon per family. Not valid with any other offer. Must present coupon at visit.

Expires: 5/31/18 RMP0518

Stefanie Hoffman Owner/ Instructor

970.402.2536

Ages 5 – 6 • Session 1: June 12 - 14 • Session 2: July 31 - Aug 2

inspirationridingacademy.com

Join us this season for the best of Colorado:

bikes, beer, farms, food and fun.

We create fortified connections through events with a purpose.

F O R T I F I E D C O L L A B O R AT I O N S . C O M

OUR 2018 SEASON 6/10 Second Sunday Supper 7/15 Heart of Summer Farm Dinner 8/26 3 Forks Progressive Farm Dinner 9/16 Harvest Moon Salmon Bake 10/7 Harvest Brunch 10/20 Bounty and Brews Beer Dinner 11/11 Mad Farmer Dinner

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MAY 16 & 19 Discovery Zone Kids learn a new craft, science experiment or makerspace project. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 3:30pm.

221-6740, www.PoudreLibraries.org.

MONDAYS, THROUGH MAY 21 Beyond Consequences & Advanced Parenting Skills Class Relationship-based approach to parenting traumatized children and those with attachment challenges. Space limited. ChildSafe, 1148 E. Elizabeth St., FC. 12-1:30pm. 472-4133, info@ childsafecolorado.org.

MAY 31 THROUGH JUNE 3 Cirque du Soleil: CORTEO Theatrical world of fun, comedy and spontaneity situated in a mysterious space between heaven and earth. $39.50-$130.

Budweiser Events Center, 5290 Arena Cir., LV. Dates/times vary. 877-544-8499, www.BudweiserEventsCenter.com.

THROUGH JUNE 17 Man of La Mancha Affirming the unyielding resilience of the human spirit. Prices and times vary. Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, 4747 Marketplace Dr., Johnstown. 744-3747, www.coloradocandlelight.com.

THROUGH AUGUST 18 Healthy Kids Run & Fit.Teen Run Series Register now for the Healthy Kids Run Series (ages 5-12) & Fit.Teen Run Series (ages 13-18). Includes six local races in northern Colo. Registration required.

Kids-free, teens-$10 per 5K. Location varies. www.healthykidsclub.org.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2 Batik Painting Create beautiful images using glue and paint on linen. Ages 9-12. WindsorSeverance Library, 720 3rd St., WS. 6:307:30pm. 686-5603, http://clearviewlibrary. org/event/658784.

THURSDAY, MAY 3 Evening Garden Party Refreshments and on-site help with selection/planting in your containers - soil provided. No fee. Reservations required.

Fossil Creek Nursery, 7029 S. College Ave., FC. 5-7pm. 226-4924 www.fossilcreeknursery.com.

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FRIDAY, MAY 4 Friday Fandom Club: Anime!

Celebrate all things fun and geeky. Watch anime favorites, chat about manga and make art. Grades 4-12, teens and tweens.

Old Town Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 4pm. 221-6740, www.PoudreLibraries.org.

SUNDAY, MAY 6 Lego Assemble Build Create What scientific inventions, gadgets and designs can you make? Hands-on science activities for kids. Ages 5+. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 1pm.

221-6740, www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Fort Collins Gallery Walk Monthly, self-guided walking tour of galleries and art-minded businesses.

Historic Downtown Fort Collins. 6pm-9pm. www.downtownfortcollins.com/events.

The Music of Star Wars Colorado Pops Orchestra presents interactive, family friendly event with costume and trivia contests.

Adults-$19-56, Seniors/Students-$17-49, Child, 12 and under-$15-42. Lincoln Center Performance Hall, 417 W. Magnolia, FC. 3pm. 221-6730, www.lctix.com.

Colors of East Africa All ages. Half-price admission: $2.50-adults; $1.50-students and seniors, $.50-ages 4-12. Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures, 200 W. Mountain Ave., FC. 6-9pm. 221-4600 www.globalvillagemuseum.org.

Dive-In Movie Night - Madagascar Float around the pool while watching a movie! Root beer floats and pizza included. Ages 3-99, (0-2 welcome too). $15-swimmer 3+ years ($50-family max), 2 and under-free. Splash Swim School, 1110 W. Prospect Rd., FC. 7-10pm. 631-8227, www.splashpoolservices.com/splashswim-school.

SATURDAY, MAY 5 Crafty Tales: Gardens Features stories, songs and a special craft.

Ages 3-6. Windsor-Severance Library, 720 3rd St., WS. 10:30-11:30am. 686-5603, www.clearviewlibrary.org/event/715007.

Bookmobile Day & Chili Cook-off Between bookmobile visits and chili, enjoy up-close magic, balloon twisting, face painting, Page the Pelican, plus crafts and fun activities. All ages. Boardwalk Park, 100 N. 5th St., WS. 12-2pm. 686-5603, www.clearviewlibrary.org/event/661307.

Minecraft for Kids & Tweens Grades 1-5. Registration required. Old Town Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 1-3pm.

221-6740, www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Stargazing with the Northern Colorado Astronomical Society Get an up-close look at the night sky.

Telescopes provided. All ages. Registration encouraged. Devil’s Backbone Open Space, 1725 Hidden Valley Dr., LV. 8:30-10:30pm.

619-4565, https://offero.larimer.org.

TUESDAY, MAY 8 Fairy Tales Favorites Enjoy crafts and activities based on favorite fairy tales. No registration. Ages 2-6. Severance Town Hall, 3 Timber Ridge Pkwy., Severance. 11:15-11:45am.

686-5603, www.clearviewlibrary.org/ event/702620.

Aims Community College Greeley Campus Tours in Spanish Tours in Spanish once per month on Tuesdays. Registration required. Aims College Center building, 5401 W. 20th St., GR. 4:30-6pm. www.aims.edu/ prospective/campus-tour.php.

Anime Club Watch anime favorites, chat about manga and munch on yummy snacks. Grades 6-12. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 4pm. 221-6740 www.PoudreLibraries.org.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 Bike to School Day Check with your school for details. www.codot.gov/programs/bikeped/safe-routes.

Pour Brothers Charity Night All tips from 6-8pm will benefit Outreach Fort Collins. New charity every Wednesday. Pour Brothers Community Tavern, 220 Linden St., FC. 6-8pm. www.pourbrothers.com.

THURSDAY, MAY 10 Book Talk and Signing with David Allard Author David Allard will discuss his new book. Old Firehouse Books, 232 Walnut St., FC. 6pm. 484-7898 www.oldfirehousebooks.com.

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SATURDAY, MAY 12 Teen Art CafĂŠ: Comics & Comic Book Art Free, hands-on workshop with FRCC art instructors. Materials and snacks provided.

Grades 6-12. Registration required.

Harmony Library, FRCC Redcloud Peak Room, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 11am.

221-6740, www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Mother’s Day Skate Mothers receive free admission and skate rental. Adults-$5, Under 2-$2, Skate rental-$2. Greeley Ice Haus, 900 8th Ave., GR. 12-1:30pm. https://greeleyrec.com/event.

East Africa Program Series #4 Changing Pastoral Tanzania and a Travelogue of Ethiopia. All ages. $5 Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures, 200 W. Mountain Ave., FC. 1-3pm. 221-4600, www.globalvillagemuseum.org.

SUNDAY, MAY 13 Animal Afternoon Join Larimer Animal People Partnership volunteers and their special story-loving critters. Grades K-5. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 3pm. 2216740, www.PoudreLibraries.org.

MONDAY, MAY 14 Registration begins for Old Firehouse Books Summer Reading Program Free summer reading program for kids, teens, adults. Old Firehouse Books, 232 Walnut St., FC. 484-7898, www. oldfirehousebooks.com.

TUESDAY, MAY 15 Bright by Three Parenting Resources Provides parents and caregivers with educational tools, books and games for important developmental years.

Medical Center of the Rockies, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., LV. 11am-12:30pm. 4957528, www.uchealth.org/events/events/ bright-by-three-information-9.

Yes, You Can Adopt Provides in-depth information on domestic, international, embryo adoptions, foster care and foster adoption. Describes risks and benefits of each. Nightlight Christian Adoptions, 150 E. 29th St., Ste. 255, LV. 6:30-7:30pm. 663-6799, www. nightlight.org.

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THURSDAY, MAY 17 Annual Spring Plant Sale Features varieties of Sweetheart Farms tomato plants and other veggies. Loveland Youth Gardeners, 907 S. Lincoln Ave., LV. 4-6pm. 669-7182 www.LovelandYouthGardeners.org.

FRIDAY, MAY 18 Museum Adventures for Kids: Sea Life Sculpt a beautiful sea scene full of color, creatures and plants. $20. Loveland Museum Gallery, 503 N. Lincoln Ave., LV. 10:30am-1:30pm. $20. 962-2410 www.lovelandmuseumgallery.org.

Friday Fandom Club Celebrate all things fun and geeky.

Grades 4-12. Old Town Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 4pm. 221-6740 www.PoudreLibraries.org.

SATURDAY, MAY 19 Growing Food 101 Learn the fundamentals of what creates a productive garden. 18 years+. $18. Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., FC. 10am12pm. 416-2486, www.fcgov.com/gardens.

SUNDAY, MAY 20 Kites in the Park Perform ballets, battles and fly giant kites.

First 500 youth decorate own kites. Old Firehouse Books to provide free books!

Spring Canyon Park, 3156 S. Overland Trail, FC. 10am-3pm. www.fcgov.com/ recreation/kites.

MONDAY, MAY 21 Registration for Summer Reading Begins Rock On! includes a variety of fun activities including books, music, makerspaces, more. All ages. Register in person or www.PoudreLibraries.org.

TUESDAY, MAY 22 Hunk-Ta-Bunk-Ta Unique musical experience for children to engage with others and express themselves.

Ages 1-5. Windsor-Severance Library, 720 3rd St., WS. 10:30-11:15am. 686-5603, www.clearviewlibrary.org/event/715154.

Anime Club Watch anime favorites, chat about manga and munch on yummy snacks. Grades 6-12. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 4pm. 221-6740 www.PoudreLibraries.org.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23 Book Talk and Signing with YA Author Sandhya Menon Colorado YA author Sandhya Menon discuss newest book, From Twinkle, With Love. Old Town Library, 201 Peterson St. FC. 6pm. 484-7898 www.oldfirehousebooks.com.

Bedtime Yoga Little yogis join in pajama event complete with calming yoga poses and breaths.

Pajamas not mandatory. BYO mat. Ages 3-6. Windsor-Severance Library, 720 3rd St., WS. 6:30-7pm. 686-5603, www.clearviewlibrary.org/event/715157.

THURSDAY, MAY 24 Rec & Tech in the Park Tech toys, drones, lawn games, crafts and snacks. All ages. Lakeview Park, 512 Mallard Dr., Severance. 4-5pm. 686-5603, http://clearviewlibrary.org/event/702647.

Celtic Woman: Homecoming A brand new live show. $43-103. Budweiser Events Center, 5290 Arena Cir., LV. 7pm.

877-544-8499 www.BudweiserEventsCenter.com.

FRIDAY, MAY 25 Friday Fandom Club: Trivia Who knows the most? Winning teams earn prizes. Grades 4-12. Old Town Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 4pm.

221-6740, www.PoudreLibraries.org.

Family BINGO Night Bring a sack dinner. Snacks provided. Play BINGO and win prizes. All ages. Range View Elementary, 700 Ponderosa Dr., Severance. 6:30-7:30pm. 686-5603 www.clearviewlibrary.org/event/702382.

SATURDAY, MAY 26 Wildflower Walk Join naturalists for a guided wildflower walk. All ages. Registration required. Red Mountain Open Space, north of FC. 9am12pm. 619-4565, https://offero.larimer.org.

SUNDAY, MAY 27 2018 Centennial Celebration Blacksmithing, timber cutting, chuckwagon cooking demonstrations and historical performance by the Buffalo Soldiers. $8-adult, $6-senior, $5-ages 3-17, 5-person family-$18. Centennial Village, 1475 A St., GR. 12-4pm. 350-9220 www.greeleymuseums.com.

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Animal Afternoon Join Larimer Animal People Partnership volunteers and their special story-loving critters. Grades K-5. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 3pm. 221-6740, www.PoudreLibraries.org.

TUESDAY, MAY 29 Workshop with Artist Mark Guglielmo Create a collaborative piece of artwork where each participant has own section of larger piece to create. When finished, all pieces fit together like a puzzle. Ages 12+. $10. Registration required. Requires smartphone. Loveland Museum Gallery, 503 N. Lincoln Ave., LV. 4:30–6pm. 9622410, www.lovelandmuseumgallery.org.

THURSDAY, MAY 31 Teen Muvchat “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” TXT in YR jokes…they appear on the screen! Bring your phone, friends, sense of humor and craving for popcorn.

Grades 6-12. Old Town Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 2pm. 221-6740, www.

PoudreLibraries.org.

FARMERS MARKETS Berthoud Local Farmers Market Fickel Park in downtown Berthoud Saturdays, 9am-1pm, June 23-Sept. 29 www.berthoudlocal.org/farmers-market/

Erie Farmers Market Briggs Street between Wells and Moffatt, Erie Thursdays, 5-8pm, May 17-Sept. 20 www.realfarmersmarketco.com

CAMC Fort Collins Farmers Market Harmony Road and Lemay Avenue In front of Ace Hardware Sundays, 11am-3pm, May-mid-Nov. (weather permitting) Wednesdays, 11am-3pm, June-Sept. www.fortcollinsfm.com

Estes Valley Farmers Market Bond Park on E. Elkhorn Ave. Thursdays, 8am-1pm, June 7-Sept. www.facebook.com/ EstesValleyFarmersMarket

CAMC Loveland Farmers Market 3133 N. Garfield Ave. (Hwy. 287) In front of Hobby Lobby Saturdays, 9am-1pm, June-Sept.

Tuesdays, 11am-3pm, June-Oct. www.fortcollinsfm.com Farmers Market at Fairgrounds Park 700 S. Railroad Ave., Loveland Sundays, 9am-1:30pm, June 24-Sept. 30 www.cityofloveland.org/farmersmarket Downtown Mead Farmers Market Mead Town Park Sundays, 10am-1pm, June-Sept. www.townofmead.org Drake Road Farmers Market 802 W. Drake Rd., Fort Collins Saturdays, 10am-1pm, April 21-Oct. www.drakeroadfarmersmarket.com

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Greeley Farmers’ Market The Depot, 902 7th Ave. Saturdays, 8am-12noon, May 19-Oct. 27 www.greeleygov.com/fm Johnstown Milliken Farmers Market Saturdays, Downtown Johnstown, Aug. 18Sept.15 www.jmchamber.com Larimer County Farmers Market 200 S. Oak St., Fort Collins Saturdays, 8am-12noon, May 19-Oct. 28 www.larimercountyfarmersmarket.org Louisville Farmers Market 824 Front St., Louisville Saturdays, 9am-1pm, May 19-Oct. 13 www.realfarmersmarketco.com Wellington Farmers Market Centennial Park, 3815 Harrison Ave. Saturdays, 9:30am-1:30pm, June-Oct. www.wellingtoncofarmersmarket.org

Lead in Drinking Water

Can Steal a Child’s Future

Colorado Lags Nation in Testing Schools and Childcares

B

y the time your child reaches the age of 7 their brain is developed and their learning ability largely defined physiologically.

Until this age, exposure to lead in drinking water can rob them of intellectual potential by stealing IQ points. Loss of learning ability and the potential behavioral problems caused by lead are irreversible.

The EPA recommends limits for lead in drinking water at schools and childcares, but does not impose mandatory testing. States can require lead testing and many do—unfortunately Colorado is not one of them.

As a parent, request your school or childcare provider to screen for lead in their drinking water.

Misconceptions

• Our home or building is too new to have lead in the water.

• The water supplier is responsible for preventing lead in our drinking water.

• The issues in Flint, Michigan can’t happen here.

Facts

• Homes and buildings constructed before 2015 are at risk for lead in plumbing fixtures.

• Lead in drinking water comes from plumbing fixtures within your home/building.

• Denver Public Schools and surrounding districts are finding high lead levels in drinking water.

a It’s FREE! You can also request a free lead test kit for your home.

Call today for a FREE Consultation: 970.646.3351

Get tested. Get trusted. TrustedWater.com RMPARENT

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time out Perfectly imperfect

How one mom’s sassy son made her take a good, hard look in the mirror K ATIE HARRIS

W

e never truly know ourselves until we become parents.

Whether it’s the first time we hear our own laughter from our child, or when we discover a common interest between our offspring and ourselves. However it presents itself, the fact that our kids are basically miniature versions of us can be both heartwarming and enlightening, and sometimes a little scary.

Sometimes, we revel in and take credit for our children’s strengths of character, other times we’re forced to admit that those qualities that drive us to the brink of insanity in our kids are most often passed down from our own sides of the gene pool.

My 8-year-old son’s dead-pan sense of humor and smart-aleck tendencies are just a couple of those traits, swiftly rising to the surface as of late, that I have no choice but to admit came from my side of the family.

What started with the innocent if blunt observations of a 5-year-old (“I bet that lady floats well with all that flubber!”), soon gave way to the witty comebacks and tongue in cheek retorts of a 7-year-old (Me: “What’s that smell?” Him: “I don’t know, maybe you should eat a mint.”), and has recently evolved into pure, unfiltered sass.

While recognizing that the current path he’s on will likely get him into trouble down the road, I find myself struggling not to laugh at the kid’s ability to turn just about anything into an opportunity for sarcasm.

It wasn’t until we were dining out a couple weeks ago, and my son’s bold response to the server’s question of “What kind of eggs would you like” was, “The awesome kind” that I began to worry what was cute at age 5 wouldn’t be so easy to get away with for much longer.

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on a daily basis is trying to refrain from responding to every situation with sarcasm and flippancy (in my defense, my grandmother was the queen of snarky comments and I’ve got nothing on my sister’s sass). The bluntness and envelope-pushing humor that have served me well as an anecdotal writer over the years have undoubtedly been passed down to my youngest, and while I don’t want to smother those qualities completely in my son, it’s becoming clear that they need to be toned down before it’s too late.

Once I accepted that I was responsible for the genetic aspect of my son’s unique ability to produce smart-aleck quips on demand, it wasn’t hard to find a correlation between the two years he’d been homeschooled by yours truly, and the drastic spike on his sass-o-meter.

I was going to have to start biting my tongue. A lot.

Fast-forward to today, it’s been two weeks since the “awesome eggs” incident and I’ve, at least in public, been keeping my lips zipped even when it just about kills me. I gently reprimand my son without so much as a smirk each time he says the words out loud that I’m silently holding back. It’s a challenge, but a necessary one.

As we go through life, uncovering our own talents and weaknesses, developing hobbies and interests, and forming relationships with other people, we may begin to think we know ourselves pretty well. But it’s not until we become parents that we see ourselves for who we really are, through the strengths, flaws, and perfect imperfections of our pintsized versions.

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