Enjoy one of DeKalb's favorite summer camps, including weekly field trips, water days, and come-to-us entertainment! Sign up week-to-week or for the full 11 weeks for some summer camp savings, which includes an option for Before and After Camp Care.
View camp rates at dekalbparkdistrict.com/summer-camps or call (815) 758-7756!
camp dates & times:
May 27 - August 8 • 8:45 am - 5:00 pm
camper age:
Ages 6-12 (campers must be registered for 1st grade or higher in the fall to attend)
camp location:
Weeks 1-9: Jefferson Elementary School
Weeks 10-11: Hopkins Park Shelter
*4-day rates are available for the weeks of Memorial Day and Fourth of July. Campers must be registered no later than noon the Tuesday prior to camp; online registration closes at 11:59 pm on Mondays.
Before & After Camp Care:
Are you in need of extended camp hours? Enroll in our Before & After Care to have the flexibility to pick up and drop off your camper at any time within our extended hours. Pre-registration is required.
Looking for MORE summer-long fun? Visit:
dekalbparkdistrict.com/specialty-camps
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Reading Nonfiction Prepares Kids for Success Benefits of Nonfiction Reading
What can you learn about your pregnancy - and when? Understanding Prenatal Screening
5 Ways to Maximize Workout Routines Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
Parent Source is distributed in the Daily Chronicle
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Reading nonfiction prepares kids for success
By Melissa Taylor, M.Ed., former elementary teacher and K-12 literacy trainer
Nonfiction is essential in a child’s reading diet. Most children primarily read fiction, but as they progress in their education, they will be expected to primarily read for information. That means they must be able to comprehend informational/expository texts as they progress through the grades.
The only way to equalize a child’s comprehension in nonfiction to their fiction reading level is to practice reading high-quality nonfiction. Practice makes progress. Not perfection, but progress! That’s the goal.
As a child reads facts, they’re learning useful new information. This new information builds background knowledge and teaches them new words about the subject matter.
Knowing more vocabulary words and having a greater depth of background knowledge improves reading comprehension in both fiction and nonfiction. How? By providing context and a connection when kids encounter similar reading material in the future.
Hands down, the National Geographic Kids Almanac is a top nonfiction reading choice for kids in elementary and middle school. It’s what children’s nonfiction authors Melissa Stewart and Marlene Correia call “browsable” nonfiction because readers can start and stop at any page of the book.
You can also help kids level up their nonfiction reading by explaining how text features like subheadings, photographs, and fact boxes help organize and prioritize information, and by sharing specific nonfiction reading comprehension strategies.
Ask your reader to use the table of contents to pick a topic that looks interesting. Flip to that section. Ask your reader to find: a heading, a subhead, an illustration, a photo, and a caption. Have them point out each one and read the text out loud. Now, ask them to read the whole section.
After they read, ask the reader what they learned and if they thought the text features helped organize the information they read.
Nonfiction reading strategies
General reading skills can be strengthened by using specific nonfiction reading strategies. These include determining importance, accessing background knowledge, asking questions, and summarizing information.
Brainstorm with your reader how to tell if information is important or just interesting. Ask these questions: Can you figure out what’s important using the heading or title? What’s an interesting fact you learned? What’s the important big idea? How do the text features help you figure it out?
The Almanac exposes kids to a wide world of background knowledge in an engaging, accessible way, from
spelunking to ice climbing to cave diving and beyond! Here’s an example. A child encounters an article about spelunking. If they’ve never been exposed to the word or concept, it makes comprehension much harder. But, if the reader knows a little about spelunking, they’ll be better able to comprehend the text about it.
Reinforce kids’ curiosity by encouraging them to pick something they want to learn about. There will be implied questions. Ask your reader to tell you what they are wondering about the topic.
A beneficial feature of the Almanac is its multitude of short text passages. The more readers explore the content, the more practice they get summarizing short passages.
What can you learn about your pregnancy –and when?
If you are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant, you may want to know everything you can about your baby. Often, this process will include prenatal screening.
The “Know More Sooner” website, provided by Myriad Genetics, delivers information about available screenings tests including non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), which can identify pregnancies at an increased risk for a wide variety of chromosomal conditions as early as eight weeks. The site reveals common myths about genetic testing and shares the stories of patients who have used and benefited from prenatal screens.
Kristin E., a recent patient, found out she was pregnant. Her doctor ordered NIPT, also known as prenatal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening early in her pregnancy and learned that her baby might have birth defects.
Since some birth defects may cause a miscarriage, Kristin spent eight days thinking her pregnancy would not be viable. Kristin later found out that the test she had taken became less accurate as the person’s weight increased. Instead of providing accurate results, the test simply flagged her as high-risk, without clearly acknowledging that her body mass index (BMI), not the cfDNA, was the primary factor in her test outcome.
Kristin has given birth to a healthy baby who is “immensely happy!” As an older mom, Kristin tells everyone to “go to Prequel right out of the gate.”
“Many patients don’t initially understand the importance of prenatal genetic screening, but with Myriad’s genetic tests you can learn a lot more about risks to your pregnancy and your baby sooner than at typical milestones,” said Dr. Dallas Reed, MD, FACMG, FACOG, obstetrician-gynecologist and medical geneticist who serves as the Principal Medical Advisor of Women’s Health for Myriad Genetics.
Whether you’re new to the workout world or a lifelong athlete, you need the right fuel to power your workouts. Proper nutrition before and after exercise is critical to performing well, recovering quickly and making strides in your physical fitness journey.
This National Nutrition Month, Sports Dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner wants to help you take your workouts to the next level. Check out her five expert fitness and nutrition strategies that can take your exercise from good to great.
1.Have a pre-workout snack
Don’t work out on an empty stomach! Blatner recommends starting strong with a pre-workout snack 30-60 minutes before a workout. Choose a light snack - like a piece of fruit with nuts, string cheese or a hard-boiled egg - to fuel your effort without weighing you down.
2.Hydration
is key
Did you know your body loses water overnight? To combat dehydration, kick off your morning with a glass of water. Having a glass of water right after you wake up can help you start the day feeling more energized.
Pro Tip: Add a squeeze of lemon for a bit of flavor and Vitamin C.
3.Pilates
is a must-try
Pilates is a popular form of exercise and for good reason. Because it’s a low-impact workout, it’s great for those who may have limitations when it comes to cardio and weights. But don’t be
MAXIMIZE WORKOUT ROUTINES 5 WAYS TO
fooled - Pilates can have a high impact on your fitness. If you want to strengthen your core, improve flexibility and support total-body endurance, sign up for a Pilates class like Club Pilates and see how you like it!
4.Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods
Post-workout soreness is very common, but you can combat it. Blatner says you should incorporate anti-inflammatory foods to help your body recover, reduce soreness and keep you feeling strong.
Add options like eggs for high-quality protein and nutrients, berries and leafy greens for antioxidants, fish for healthy fats, and green or turmeric tea for their natural inflammation-fighting benefits.
5.Don’t forget about post-workout recovery
Eating after a workout is just as important as fueling up beforehand. When you get home from the gym, try this singleserve Social Media Famous Tortilla Quiche as a quick, balanced and filling meal. Each quiche has about 20 grams of carbs to replenish energy and almost 30 grams of protein to support muscle repair.
The quiche is made with high-quality ingredients, including Eggland’s Best eggs, which contain more than double the Omega3’s compared to ordinary eggs, to help reduce muscle soreness and aid in recovery after strenuous exercise. Eggland’s Best eggs also have more than double the Vitamin B12 compared to ordinary eggs, providing a natural energy boost and keeping you energized throughout the day.
