Back to School

IS YOUR CHILD SLEEP DEPRIVED?

SPECIAL

K–12

BACK to SCHOOL FALL 2015

FAST FORWARD It’s never too soon to prep for college

STEAM adds arts smarts

MEET 3

confident, creative kidpreneurs

Family First Laila Ali stays busy with home and career

ISSUE

39

A+ PICKS

fashion and supplies

BACKto SCHOOL FALL 2015

53

res featu Cover photo and photo below by Dan MacMedan. Ali’s hair styled by Chad A. Gray; makeup by Zena Shteysel.

ANNABELLA CHARLES PHOTOGRAPHY; THINKSTOCK

LABOR OF LOVE Running a business is not child’s play for these young entrepreneurs

38

Sleep Matters Is your child getting enough sleep? Find out why they should and how they can get what they need

28

Family First Laila Ali juggles roles of mom, wife and celebrity while staying close to home

34

Minecraft How this wildly popular online game can nurture kids’ career interests

46

Forward-Thinking School The innovative ways Federal Hocking High School is engaging and inspiring its students

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! @USATODAYMAGS

BACKto SCHOOL FALL 2015

8

12

18

22

departm ents

Gear Up Discover the latest fashion trends as your kids head back to the classroom

Stages 58 Preparing for the Future It’s never too soon to start career planning

Slick Supplies Stock up on glam, sharp and fun back-to-school tools

Kindergarten

Middle School 84 Wise Words Two students tell it like it is about the transition to middle school 86

Full STEAM Ahead Just add art for a more well-rounded education

61

Fast Breakfasts Try these tips and recipes to pack your mornings with nutrition and flavor

The New Classroom Today’s 5-year-olds get a mix of academics and social instruction

66

Healthy Lunches Tray-bien! Nutritious changes find their way into school cafeterias

Reassuring Little Ones With some planning, the first day of school can be easy on everyone

Elementary

Health 92 Getting a Jump on Jitters Tips to help ease those first-day nerves

71

Homework Strategies How to help your young student develop good habits that will last a lifetime

95

76

The Bully Battle How to deal with the issue, whether your child is the victim or perpetrator

96

80

The Case for Cursive In this digital age, does handwriting still have cred?

24

Lunch Gear These lunch containers will entice kids to eat

26

Homework Apps Fun online games can help with assignments

4 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

Behind the scenes with photographer Jack Gruber and third-grader Mateo Chavez

High School 89 Dealing with Pressure How high-achieving students handle demands of family, school and peers

Managing Measles Stopping the spread of a highly contagious disease

Sticky Art Tale of the Tapes Fun arts and craft ideas with washi and duct tape

THINKSTOCK; SKIPHOP; LISA M. ZILKA

ont up fr

PREMIUM PUBLICATION

contributors

DIRECTOR

Jeanette Barrett-Stokes jbstokes@usatoday.com MANAGING EDITOR

Michelle Washington mjwashington@usatoday.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Jerald Council jcouncil@usatoday.com

STACY CHANDLER is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in the (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer and several regional publications, as well as the music magazine No Depression and many of USA TODAY’s magazines.

She lives in Raleigh, N.C., with her husband and a daughter who’s about to start kindergarten.

Annie, 5 ½, & Will, 2

CREATIVE MEDIA MANAGER

George, 13

Chris Garsson Elizabeth Neus Lori Santos Amanda Shifflett

KATE PARHAM KORDSMEIER is an Atlanta-based freelance food writer and recipe developer for more than 100 publications. She is also a columnist for USA TODAY, the Atlanta Expert for About.com, and the author of the cookbook Atlanta Chef’s Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the Big Peach. Kate lives with her husband and their two cats, Scout and Boo.

Keith, 11

Chris Neff cneff@usatoday.com EDITORS

Audrey, 4 ½

DESIGNERS

Karen Loehr Marlece Lusk Gina Toole Saunders Lisa M. Zilka Max, 8 ½

INTERNS

Mateo, 8 ½, & Micah, 6

Miranda Pellicano Alexa Rogers Hannah Van Sickle

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Karen Asp, Gayle Bennett, Stacy Chandler, Hollie Deese, Nancy Dunham, Jack Duvall, Maisy Fernandez, Chrystle Fiedler, Valerie Finholm, Kate Parham Kordsmeier, Katherine Reynolds Lewis, Janene Mascarella, Diana Lambdin Meyer, Nancy Mills, Jaime Netzer, Peggy J. Noonan, Laine Schappert, Kristi Valentini, Debi Pittman Wilkey, Suzanne Wright CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS Jack Gruber, Doug Kapustin, Jay LaPrete, Dan MacMedan

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She lives with her husband and two daughters near Detroit .

SUZANNE WRIGHT is a Cave Creek, Ariz.-based freelance writer who has contributed more than 450 food, travel and business stories to many publications, including Arizona Highways, Edible Baja, Elite Traveler, Golf for Women, National Geographic Traveler and WebMD. A former Navy brat, she’s an avid hiker who’s visited all 50 states and 50 countries.

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UP FRONT FASHION 8 | SCHOOL SUPPLIES 12 | FOOD 18 | LUNCH GEAR 24 | TECHNOLOGY 26

We asked parents ...

THINKSTOCK

What do you do with your child to welcome the new school year?

Every year from K-12, the first day of school was the source of incredible anxiety for my daughter. I tried to reassure her that it would get easier by telling her there was only one first day of school each year!

— Carol Gage, Alexandria, Va. I enjoy the first day each year ... marks how much he’s growing and the crazy conversations we can get into.

— Stacia D. Kelly, Manassas, Va. When my oldest started kindergarten, I drew him a fun little cartoon picture to put in his lunch box on the first day of school.

He liked it so much, he wanted one every day. He is in fifth grade now, and the tradition continues.

I also do a lunch box picture every day for his brother in third grade.

When my youngest starts kindergarten next year, I will do the same for him.

I had intended to only do it during the elementary school years, but my rising middle schooler was aghast when I suggested that the tradition would end next year. I think I deserve an art degree when this is all over!

— Jessica Lawson, Manassas, Va. To start each school year, my son has a healthy breakfast followed by the obligatory photo at the front door and bus stop. Since kindergarten, after he gets on the bus, a group of moms who have been friends since the kids were less than a year old get together for

breakfast and pedicures.

After school, my son and I join up with some neighborhood friends for ice cream. It has been a great tradition for the past six years, with each year getting easier and easier.

Next year when he goes to middle school will be another story!

— Tisa Newhouse, Manassas, Va. I just registered my firstborn for kindergarten this week. I plan on staying home and crying all day and mourning the loss of my baby boy :( — Sarah Quinn Hogan, Rush, N.Y. So does taking the day off of work so that I can wait with my kids while the bus is over an hour late count?

— Barbara Zientek Vetter, Bristow, Va.

up front | fashion

Dress for Success A+ apparel and footwear

BY HOLLIE DEESE

T

emperatures may still be summer-like when school begins, but the stores will be loaded with back-to-school must-haves, including longsleeve shirts, jackets, jeans and all the layers that will take students fashionably from class to class. Stock up while you can.

Nothing says fall like a classic stretch-denim jean jacket. $22.90, Forever 21

COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES

Layer up the prints with a jacquard Sophie cardigan and a pattern ruffle-front shirt. $27.99 and $29, Lands’ End

This lightweight hoodie will have girls looking pretty in pink. $17.99, Target

This too-cute button-front cardigan from LOGO Littles by Lori Goldstein warms up chilly classrooms. $39.50, qvc.com

The mixed prints and dark colors in this Angie printed gauze blouse are right on trend. $15, wetseal.com

This ballet-inspired Sydney flat

by Bernardo features criss-cross straps. $159, bernardo1946.com

Add some color to young girls’ feet with these Circo Hilde sneakers. $14.99, Target

For a pulled-together look, assemble an ensemble from Princess Vera Wang’s pleated shoulder cocoon flyaway, lace trim cami and clean denim wash jeggings. $44, $34 and $38, Kohl’s

9

up front | fashion

Tweens can express their style with this colorful striped printed pocket tee. $20, JC Penney

Xersion football jersey and sleeveless fleece vest transcend seasons. $20 and $30, JC Penney

Classic hoodie/white shirt/ slim jeans combo feels fresh. $49, $39, $59, joefresh.com

A jazzed-up version of a button-front shirt and straight-leg jeans create a timeless look. $17.94 and $19, Old Navy

10 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

Little guys will look extra sharp in these French Toast lace-up uniform Oxfords. $19.99, Target

Calvin Klein Porter slip-ons are made of breathable mesh that lets teenage feet air out. $80, Belk

COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES

Skechers Flex Advantage sneakers have memory foam that cushions little feet. $54.99, Famous Footwear

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up front | school supplies

Slick Supplies Stock up on these classroom essentials

BY DEBI PIT TMAN WILKEY AND MAISY FERNANDEZ

M

ost students are looking for the same items while shopping for school supplies, but that doesn’t mean your picks have to be run-of-themill. No matter what grade your child is in, it’s easy for them to stand out with a few trendy staples.

The Acer Iconia One 8 tablet operates via touch, stylus or even pencil. $149.99,Target

Yoobi donates school supplies to U.S. classrooms with the purchase of this 1-inch binder. $4.29, yoobi. com

Glam Make cutting projects sparkle with Inkology’s Glam Rock scissors. $11.56, amazon.com

12 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES

Skullcandy’s Dime ear buds were made to fit girls’ ears and come in several designs. $29.99, skull candy.com

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up front | school supplies

Sharp Get an earful with these Klipsch S3m in-ear headphones with in-line microphone. $49.99, Target Carry tech essentials in this Logic Berkeley Plus multipurpose case

by Wasabi, $56.99, officedepot.com

This basic Staples calculator comes with a builtin maze game. $3.99, Staples

14 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES

DigiLand 7-inch, 8 GB black tablet with 1024 x 600 resolution has a multitouch screen for gaming and browsing. $49.99, Best Buy

up front | school supplies

ZipIt zipper pouches make carrying supplies fun. $3.99, mini clipon, and $6.99 classic three-ring size, A.C. Moore This funky robot calculator might add some whimsy to math. $20.19, karmakiss.net

Make mistakes disappear with these erasers shaped like a No. 2 pencil. $2.49 for a 3-pack, Target

Display some Minecraft pride with a Creeper-style backpack. $23.10, amazon.com

16 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

This 12-inch rubber ruler provides flexibility. $4.99, Office Depot

COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES

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up front | food

Making Breakfast a Breeze Tips and recipes that pack your mornings with nutrition and flavor

BY K ATE PARHAM KORDSMEIER

B

QUICK, EASY BREAKFAST IDEAS YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE

dried mango & toasted coconut muesli

{ makes about 4 cups }

SMOOTHIES: “If you want to give your kids go-power, and sneak plenty of nutrition in, try smoothies, like a banana-blueberry-pomegranate smoothie,” suggests Thompson.

Combine one banana, two kale leaves (stems removed), 1 cup blueberries, 2 cups pomegranate juice and a tablespoon of fresh lime juice, and purée until smooth. You can easily play around with different combinations, says Thompson, who recommends vanilla soy milk and flaxseed oil for extra nutrition.

1¼ cups rye flakes

FRUIT PARFAITS: “Quickly layer wholemilk yogurt (don’t buy the sugary stuff), organic granola and seasonal fruit for a fast and healthy breakfast,” says Gordon. “You can dress it up with jam on top.” Get your kids to pitch in.

½ cup chopped dried mango

18 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

RECIPE BY MEGAN GORDON

1 cup rolled oats ½ cup raw pepitas ¼ cup wheat bran ¼ tsp. kosher salt ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon (optional) ¼ cup honey, plus more for serving 2 tsp. coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

Milk or yogurt, for serving

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In a medium bowl, stir together the rye flakes, rolled oats, pepitas, wheat bran, salt, coconut flakes and cinnamon.

• Heat the honey and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat until warmed. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until combined (you can use your hands to help here). Spread evenly across the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it’s cooked evenly. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet. Add the dried mango and stir to combine.

• Serve with milk or yogurt and a generous drizzle of honey. While many people soak their muesli, it’s not recommended here, as the pleasant toastiness will really get lost. If stored in an airtight container at room temperature, muesli will remain fresh for at least three weeks.

CLARE BARBOZA/TEN SPEED PRESS

y now, we all know the virtues of starting the day with a healthy breakfast. But who has the time to slave over a hot stove and get the kids ready for school? Turns out, you do — with the help of two breakfast experts (Megan Gordon, food writer, owner of Seattle-based Marge Granola and author of the cookbook WholeGrain Mornings, and Jennifer Trainer Thompson, author of more than a dozen books, including The Fresh Egg Cookbook). It’s never been easier to pack your child’s mornings with nutrition and flavor. Take a look at some of their favorite tips and recipes:

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up front | food

“If they do it themselves, they’re more likely to eat it,” Gordon says.

TOAST: “I always keep whole-grain bread on hand for toast — top it with almond butter and honey or smashed avocado with a little flaky salt, red pepper flakes and olive oil,” suggests Gordon.

EGGS: “We love fresh eggs, and egg yolks in particular are good for you, especially your eyes,” says Thompson.

To incorporate fresh eggs into your routine, try some of these quick and easy recipes: • Making the Italian egg dish frittata sounds fancy, but it’s actually really easy and no different than scrambled eggs, assures Gordon, who recommends slicing pieces off the frittata throughout the week to take on the go.

• Up the ante on scrambled eggs by adding fresh salsa, veggies and tortilla strips to make Spanish-style migas, says Thompson, who suggests topping them with goat or feta cheese.

• Likewise, you can scramble eggs with scallions, fresh herbs and green salsa and serve with broiled ham for a kid-approved take on green eggs and ham, says Thompson.

20 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

scramble 4

large eggs, beaten

1

tsp. milk

¼

tsp. kosher salt

2

T. extra-virgin olive oil

1

green onion, white and light green parts, finely chopped (approx. 1 T.)

2

cloves garlic, minced

1

heaping cup well-packed chopped leafy greens (such as kale, Swiss chard leaves without ribs or spinach)

½

cup cooked whole grains (wheat berries, farro, barley or millet)

1

tsp. chopped fresh chives

RECIPE BY MEGAN GORDON { serves 2, heartily } • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and kosher salt; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the green onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the greens, grains and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté until the greens are wilted and the grains are warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes.

• Decrease the heat to low and pour in the egg mixture, gently stirring to comingle them with the greens and grains. Continue stirring until they’re softly scrambled, 2 to 3 minutes.

Flaky salt

• Remove from the heat, stir in the chives and season with pepper.

Crusty bread, toasted English muffins or warm corn tortillas

• Serve hot with a sprinkling of flaky salt on top, and crusty bread, toasted English muffins or warm corn tortillas alongside.

Freshly ground black pepper

CLARE BARBOZA/TEN SPEED PRESS

OATMEAL: “The easiest way to make oatmeal (which packs lots of fiber and complex carbs) is to make a big pot on Sundays and reheat the oats throughout the week,” says Gordon, who recommends rolled oats, which cook faster than the steel cut variety. “You can make it seasonal with toppings, like fresh fruit, chopped dates, toasted nuts and maple syrup, and sometimes I make it more decadent with whole milk or coconut milk.”

Gordon also recommends baked oatmeal (the base recipe is just oats, liquid, fresh or frozen fruit, a little baking soda to puff it up and warm spices), which gets warm and toothsome. You can slice the oatmeal into squares for a to-go breakfast. “It’s a great recipe for kids because they think it’s a cookie, but really it’s packed with healthy ingredients like coconut oil, millet and flaxseeds and fruit.”

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up front | food

Tray-bien!

Healthy changes make way in school cafeterias

BY JANENE MASCARELLA

THINKSTOCK

WHEN THE LUNCH BELL rings, school cafeterias across the nation will serve up healthier options to students.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act raised nutrition standards beginning in the 2012-13 school year. And almost immediately, schools that took part in the National School Lunch Program began working with stringent new rules for meals served to thousands of schoolchildren daily.

Menu items evolved to increase the amount of fruits, vegetables, low- or no-fat dairy products and whole grains that kids were offered. Portions also shrank so that children would be eating fewer calories. Although early reports indicated that more of the healthy food was winding up in the trash than in the kids, students do seem to be “settling in” and beginning to accept the rules and their associated food changes, says Christen Cooper, a registered dietician in Pleasantville, N.Y., who has written articles on the healthier regulations.

Health has always been a major focus in school food, but parents and kids want to know what is in their food, not just why it’s healthy, says Wes Delbridge, a spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Pizza and chicken still work for kids, but it is important to focus on what’s in the pizza (whole-grain dough, low-fat cheese, made-from-scratch sauce with no fillers and preservatives) or in the chicken (antibiotic-free, whole muscle, all-white meat, baked rather than fried).”

22 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

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up front | lunch gear

1

2

7

Bag it!

Fabulous lunch gear entices kids to eat

3

BY DEBI PIT TMAN WILKEY

6

P

ack a lunch and go. Send your kids back to school this year with stylish lunch gear.

4

1 Lunch sack bag by Vera Bradley is available in 10 bright patterns. $34, vera bradley.com

2 Pack to Basics lunch bag looks like classic paper but is made of tear-resistant material. $19.99, modcloth.com

24 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

3 The whimsical designs on this zippered lunch box from Olive range from mermaids to robots. S21.99, amazon.com

4 Awesome bento-style Lego lunch box holds smaller Legoshaped containers. $16.99, amazon.com

5 Two-tone bento box from Bentgo comes with reusable flatware. $14.95, crateandbarrel. com

6 Vienna’s insulated lunch bag has sturdy shoulder straps and can carry 15 pounds. $17.99, bedbathand beyond.com

7 Insulated kids lunch bag

by Skip Hop Zoo includes a write-on name tag. $14, macys.com

COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES

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up front | technology

Homework Help Fun apps boost a child’s ability to learn

S

BY ALEXA ROGERS

itting down for homework after a long day at school is never easy, no matter how old your child is. These apps can help kids stay organized and energized while they practice the concepts they’re learning in the classroom.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MIDDLE SCHOOL

HIGH SCHOOL

Students can challenge either a friend or the computer to a competition in Squeebles Maths Race while practicing the four basic math skills. $1.99, iTunes; $2.49, Google Play

Help your child boost his vocabulary and excel in English with the Middle School Vocabulary 7th Grade app. Free, iTunes

SelfControl allows teenagers to set a lockout timer on all of their social media accounts so they won’t be tempted to check in while they study. Free, selfcontrolapp.com

Get your child interested in learning facts about the United States with Stack the States’ fun games and interactive map. $1.99, iTunes and Google Play Kid Weather helps your child understand the weather with fun facts and trivia. It also helps them plan how to dress to accommodate changes in the weather. $1.99, iTunes and Google Play

2 MAG NAME XXXXXXXXXX 26 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

The Science Bear helps students review basic concepts from physical science class with a combination of trivia questions and videos. Free, iTunes Middle school becomes an important time to learn how to manage multiple responsibilities. myHomework Student Planner helps students keep assignments and schedules organized. Free, iTunes and Google Play

Studying for the SATs can be a big challenge for many high school students.

SAT Up gives users daily exercises and practice questions to get ready for the big test.

Free, iTunes Help your child learn a new language or polish her skills with short lessons and exercises on Duolingo. Free, iTunes and Google Play Create and share digital notecards on StudyBlue to prep for exams. Free, iTunes and Google Play

THINKSTOCK; LOGOS COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES

Use any word list on Vocabulary Spelling City to spell and learn new words with a number of different fun in-app games and activities. Free, iTunes and Google Play

The Khan Academy app provides access to thousands of videos on math, science and humanities concepts that can help students reinforce the skills they learn throughout the school year. Free, iTunes

28 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

DAN MACMEDAN

Laila Ali and husband Curtis Conway spend quality time with their children, Curtis Jr. and Sydney, in the family’s Los Angeles home.

FAMILY FIRST

Laila Ali juggles mom, wife, celebrity roles while staying close to home

W

BY NANCY MILLS

hen the alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m. on a school day, Laila Ali and her husband, Curtis Conway, leap out of bed. She heads for the kitchen. He dashes to wake their children, Curtis Jr., 7, and Sydney, 4.

Then the chaos begins. Sydney’s uniform is wrinkled, so Conway plugs in the iron and smooths it out. Curtis can’t find his socks. No problem. Dad to the rescue.

Meanwhile, yummy smells waft out of the kitchen where Ali is making a batch of ground turkey and rice for the children’s lunch. “My kids are very picky, so lunch is always a headache,” she says. “They don’t like sandwiches, so we have to pack hot food in a thermos. I’ll cut up carrots and fruits. Some days it will be applesauce and cheese.”

When the lunches are ready, she works on Sydney’s hair and gets breakfast on the table. Then Conway drives the children to school.

Just a typical Los Angeles morning that plays

out in millions of homes around the country. The only difference is that Ali is one of nine children of heavyweight boxing legend Muhammad Ali and an undefeated boxing champion herself. Her husband is a former NFL wide receiver. They could easily afford full-time nannies, cooks and chauffeurs, but they choose not to for one simple reason.

“Family is first,” Ali says. “People who don’t know me would probably think I’m a stay-at-home mom because of the interactions I have with my family. I cook dinner every night, and when I’m out of town I cook and freeze dinners before I leave. It runs me a little ragged, but it’s all about priorities.

“If we need help, we get it, but we try to do everything ourselves. It’s very important to me to raise my own children and be a part of every step of their lives.”

Ali’s childhood was markedly different with father Ali and mother Veronica Porsche Ali, the boxer’s third wife. She had eight siblings and her parents traveled a lot. “I was raised by so many

29

FAMILY FIRST

“

people,” she says. “What stands out is strong Ali hosts three TV shows — CBS’All In with Laila women, strong mothers. I don’t want my children Ali, CBS Sports Network’s We Need to Talk and a to grow up just around celebrities or other people new cooking competition program scheduled to who are privileged. I try to make sure they have air on the FYI Network, Late Night Chef Fight. She balance in everything they do.” is writing a second book; her first, Reach!: Finding One of her favorite activities is getting Curtis Strength, Spirit, and Personal Power, was published and Sydney ready to go back to school. “When I in 2002. was a kid the best thing was buying new clothes,” She also has her own line of hairstyling tools. No she recalls, “but they wear uniforms. Instead, they wonder she is constantly in meetings. get excited about picking their snacks and lunch But once she picks up the kids from school, boxes. We talk about new friends they’ll meet and her attention is all theirs. She provides snacks, experiences they’ll have. supervises homework and I try to get their minds cooks dinner. “It’s non-stop,” back to learning” — and she says. “Sometimes I just herself back on a grueling want to go lie down and take schedule. a nap, and I can’t.”

Once the kids are out Before her own 11 p.m. the door each morning, bedtime, Ali often works Ali heads for her home on posting updates on her gym. “I’ll do a 10-minute Facebook page (facebook. warm-up on the heavy bag, com/LailaAli) or her website 10 minutes sprinting on the (lailaali.com). treadmill and 10 minutes on She recently allied herself the elliptical stairs,” she says. with the United States “I just got some big, heavy Laila Ali, left, at home with father, Tennis Association (USTA) training ropes that I lift up Muhammad Ali, and sister, Hana, in 1978. and took up tennis again and down. My husband and I after growing frustrated are both former athletes who with the game as a youngster. “I like that they’re competed at the highest levels. We’ve committed making it easier and more fun to get into the to a healthy lifestyle forever.” game of tennis,” she says. “The balls are softer and Ali, who was an undefeated four-time World bigger, and the racquets are smaller. You can start Champion boxer, winning 24 bouts, and losing as soon as you have the coordination to raise your none, credits her father with her interest in being hand to hit a ball. I think that creates a lifelong a role model. “He gave me the confidence to do commitment to sports.” what my heart desires,” she says. “Since I retired Ali’s one big regret is that she didn’t get involved from boxing in 2007, I’ve wanted to speak to in sports until she reached her late teens. “I’ve people about health and fitness. When I look back always been a very ambitious person,” she says. on my life, I want to know I contributed to society “When I first saw women’s boxing, I wanted to do in some way.” it. I went to a gym and worked with a trainer to

30 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

FRANK TEWKESBURY/HULTON ARCHIVE; DAN MACMEDAN

Since I retired from boxing ... I’ve wanted to speak to people about health and fitness. When I look back on my life, I want to know I contributed to society in some way.”

31

FAMILY FIRST

see if I had natural talent. That’s when I discovered I was an athlete. Then I was mad and regretful that I didn’t start sooner.

“Tennis would have been a great sport for me because of the footwork and hand/eye coordination, my power, my height (5’10”) and my tenacity. I’d have been out there with Venus and Serena, for sure.

“It comes down to priorities. My parents had the means to have someone take me to practice, but it wasn’t on their priority list. I never think to myself to blame them. I always blame myself.”

She is not following that path with her children. Curtis plays soccer and basketball and does karate, while Sydney is about to start karate and gymnastics.

“Kids need to understand the importance of being active,” Ali says. “If you let them decide for themselves, with all the new technology it’s very enticing to sit down and play a video game rather than go out and play a sport.”

Ali points out that September is National Child Obesity Awareness Month. “I see so many overweight kids, and it hurts me deeply,” she says. “The kids aren’t in control. The parents are.

USTA opens tennis doors for all youth

D

uring Childhood Obesity Awareness Month in September, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) will host thousands of USTA Free Tennis Play Events nationwide in an effort to encourage families and children of all ages and skill levels to try tennis and get active.

The USTA says an early, positive experience in sports is vital and creates a lifelong commitment to an active lifestyle. The group is making it easier and more fun for kids to get into the game, using “kid-friendly” equipment — shorter courts, lowerbouncing balls and lighter racquets. Find events for the whole family near you at youthtennis.com.

COURTESY OF USTA

Laila Ali participates in USTA’s Play Day at the 2014 U.S. Open in Flushing, N.Y.

32 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

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OWEN LONG; MINECRAFTEDU

Kids enjoy playing Minecraft because of the game’s building and creative aspects, and the ability to interact with others online.

34 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

Minecraft

mania Online game provides fun, nurtures career interests for kids

BY K ATHERINE REYNOLDS LEWIS

f your children are always jabbering on about creepers, spiders, spawning and mining for redstone, chances are good that they’re among the more than 100 million registered users of Minecraft, a player-directed computer game in which you build a world out of pixel-like cubes.

Minecraft brings you into an open-ended world of adventure and creation, in which every day lasts 20 minutes. You mine, forage or hunt for resources such as wood, iron, gold and seeds, which you keep in your inventory and use to create buildings, make vehicles or other

I

objects, grow crops and clothe or feed your game character. You can play in five modes: creative, survival, hardcore, adventure and spectator. In creative mode, you’re in no danger and have access to all the resources you need. (Adventure and spectator modes have some limitations.)

But in survival or hardcore mode, you can die. Indeed, your first task is to build a shelter in the 10 minutes before nightfall, when creepers, zombies, wolves and other creatures emerge. If you die in survival mode, you’re reborn — or spawned — at the location where you started the game. But if you die in hardcore

mode, that’s it. You have to begin a new game from scratch.

Kids are drawn to Minecraft because of the power they possess to shape this universe, and to interact with friends and strangers through online servers and modifications to the game — called “mods” — that they can download. Since an early version of the game was released in 2009, Minecraft has sold about 54 million copies across all platforms and launched an entire industry of third-party servers that allow multiplayer games, fan sites and YouTube channels. Microsoft purchased the Danish company that

35

minecraft mania

developed Minecraft, Mojang, for $2.5 billion in 2014.

“My daughter has devoted all her screen time to Minecraft,” says Rebecca Blouin, 42, mom of Gretchen, 11. “She stopped watching television three years ago.”

Gretchen and her brother, Thomas, 8, can spend hours creating their own worlds, visiting servers and watching YouTube videos of other people playing Minecraft. Blouin prefers the creativity that Minecraft unlocks to more passive video games or television, and loves that Gretchen has started talking about a career as a graphic designer and wants to learn computer programming.

Experts and parents of other Minecraft-obsessed kids agree that the game can be used to inspire, educate and build skills that can help children in school and in their future professions. The logical next steps might be to explore software development, engineering, architecture, interior design, video editing, graphic design or even entrepreneurship. But the repeated process of gathering resources, planning a new creation and executing the project can apply to almost every career field.

“Minecraft is a very different game than almost everything else out there.

It engages kids in a unique way,” says Joel Levin, the co-founder of TeacherGaming, a gaming company partially founded by teachers whose officially supported MinecraftEdu is designed for classroom use. “When kids are playing Minecraft, they’re confronted with an almost endless number of challenges and goals, and most of it is self-directed.”

Children can explore other players’ creations — from detailed replicas

36 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

of the Roman Colosseum or Egypt’s pyramids, to a working guitar created from redstone, a Minecraft block that transmits power — and be inspired to learn more about a historical period, geographic region or scientific process as they build their own Minecraft worlds.

“For kids who are interested in buildings and that aspect of it, it really is like Legos online,” says Cynthia Liu, Los Angeles-based founder of K-12 News Network, whose 11-year-old son goes by the Minecraft moniker Mr. Benedict.

Liu does her best to channel her son’s interest into creative directions, playing alongside him and asking questions to understand what he’s doing. His interest in third-party servers, which make money from players visiting their worlds, led him to write a 30-page business plan for his own server, part of a fourth-grade school project. He also wrote and published an e-book to explain Minecraft basics to kids and their parents.

“He’s always been interested in the business aspect of running a video game company as well as personally playing the game,” she says. “The kids’ natural interest in Minecraft can spill out into these other areas.”

Christophe Charlier was impressed when his family recently traveled to South America and his sons knew about the region’s gems and primary construction materials because they had played Minecraft. “Minecraft allows kids to develop the ability to think in three dimensions. Having played Minecraft will help them to visualize complex mathematical figures when they study these in school,” adds Charlier, an international financier based in Moscow who is also chairman of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets’ board of

directors and dad to Andrei, 12; Nikolai, 11; Mikhail, 9; and Alexandre, 7.

That doesn’t mean that you can let your kids play Minecraft unsupervised and consider it educational. The opportunity to join a violence-themed server and spend time trying to “kill” total strangers is the flip side of the game. In most of these player-versusplayer worlds, a live chat overlays the screen and is often laced with profanity as well as racist and sexist comments.

Many of the popular YouTube channels of other players’ worlds and exploits

MINECRAFTEDU

“When kids are playing Minecraft, they’re confronted with an almost endless number of challenges and goals, and most of it is self-directed.” JOEL LEVIN, TEACHERGAMING CO-FOUNDER

“For kids who are interested in buildings and that aspect of it, it really is like Legos online.” CYNTHIA LIU, K-12 NEWS NETWORK FOUNDER

OWEN LONG

Parents and experts agree that Minecraft can be used to inspire, educate and build skills that can help children in school and in their future professions.

are narrated with curse words and inappropriate language, which you might not hear if your child wears headphones.

In addition, downloading mods to the basic Minecraft game could introduce malware to your home computer. That’s what happened to Blouin, costing the family a trip to the technician and five days without access to the computer.

As with many dangers to our kids, the best defense includes open lines of communication supported by regular

spot checks. Discuss appropriate and safe online behavior with your children as well as the difference between passive and active play, so they understand when they’re engaging their brains and when they’re just blowing off steam in a shoot ‘em-up server or vegging out in front of YouTube.

“She’s not allowed to type anything to anyone she does not know in real life,” Blouin says of her daughter. “She’s not allowed to buy anything, download anything, implement any more mods by herself.”

Monitoring your children’s Minecraft usage will also give you an opening to encourage them to develop 21st century skills like coding, video editing and design — or even to find ways to be a creator rather than just a consumer in the Minecraft realm.

“It’s my experience that most kids do not pick up these extra skills without some prompting,” Levin says.

So if you have a child who adores Minecraft, it’s OK to encourage and embrace their interests. It just might pay dividends later in the real world.

37

Sleep Matters Are your kids getting the zzzzzz’s they need?

38 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

A

THINKSTOCK

BY CHRYSTLE FIEDLER

re your kids getting enough sleep?

Probably not. If dealing with a cranky kindergartener or a bleary-eyed teen isn’t proof enough, just ask the experts.

“Nationally, kids are going to bed too late,” says Jodi Mindell, associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Parents estimate that, on school nights, children ages 6 to 10 sleep 8.9 hours, well short of the recommended 10 to 11 hours, according to results of the National Sleep Foundation’s (NSF) 2014 Sleep in America Poll.

And while 8.5 to 9.5 hours per night are recommended for youth ages 11 to 17, the poll found that 11- and 12-year-olds averaged just 8.2 hours of sleep; 13- and 14-year-olds slept 7.7 hours, and teens 15 through 17 clocked just 7.1 hours, according to the NSF. “Parents think that it’s normal when it’s difficult to get kids out of bed in the morning and for teens to sleep until noon on weekends, but it isn’t,” says Dr. Judith Owens, the director of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Sleep loss at any age is serious business.”

When children between the ages of 6 and 12 go to bed after 9 p.m., research shows they “take longer to fall asleep, wake up more often during the night, and have more sleep problems,” says Mindell, who is also a professor of psychology and director of graduate psychology at Saint Joseph’s University.

39

Sleep Matters

THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP “Sleep is a biological imperative like nutrition and exercise,” explains Owens.

“But we’ve ignored that fact to our peril. Now, it’s become a public health issue for children and teens.”

Research has shown that a lack of sleep adversely affects academic performance — negatively impacting a child’s cognitive ability, the ability to think, remember, concentrate, pay attention and solve problems, which are all aspects of learning.

Children who don’t get enough sleep “can have behaviors that can look like ADHD and are more likely not (to) listen to parents and teachers,” notes Mindell, co-author with Owens of Take Charge of Your Child’s Sleep.

40 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

A lack of sleep can wreak particular havoc in teens. Not getting enough sleep affects the development of three important areas of the adolescent brain: the prefrontal cortex that controls executive function and decisionmaking; the striatum, involved in risk-taking behavior; and the amygdala, which is involved in emotional regulation.

“Adolescents are particularly vulnerable because they are engaging more in risky behaviors like driving, and making choices about using drugs or using alcohol,” says Owens.

“Our work shows that the level of impairment during sleep loss is equivalent to that of being moderately intoxicated,” says Owens.

“Accidents, sportsrelated injuries, even pedestrian injuries can be traced to a lack of sufficient sleep in teens.”

Other serious health consequences of a sleep deficit for adolescents include obesity, depression and suicidal ideation.

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WHY KIDS DON’T GET ENOUGH SLEEP There are myriad reasons why kids might not get doctorrecommended amount of sleep: • A shift in the teenage body clock.

When kids reach adolescence, their sleep-wake cycles shift up to two hours later (called a sleep phase delay), meaning they’re ready for bed at 11 p.m., even though you want them to go to sleep earlier.

“Teenagers experience a change in their internal body clock,” says Helene A. Emsellem, medical director at The Center for Sleep & Wake Disorders in Chevy Chase, Md., and clinical professor of neurology at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

“This means they operate on a longer internal day than adults do.”

Adopting later high school star times to accommodate teenage physiology has been discussed and studied in the U.S. for years.

One of the most noted, conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) over three school years, showed

42 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

that students’ grades and health improved with later start times.

“The research confirmed what has been suspected for some time,” noted Kyla Wahlstrom, CAREI director. “High schools across the country that have later start times show significant improvements in many areas.”

The project compiled data from over 9,000 students at eight high schools in three states (Minnesota, Colorado and Wyoming).

The final report, released in 2014, noted that when teens started at 8:35 a.m. or later, attendance, standardized test scores and academic performance in math, English, science and social studies improved. The study also found a reduction in tardiness, substance abuse, symptoms of depression and consumption of caffeinated drinks, as well as fewer teen car crashes.

• Staying plugged in.

From televisions to computers to video games, electronic devices can also adversely affect sleep. The blue light they emit can reduce the sleep hormone melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep.

But according to the NSF poll, three out of four (72 percent) children ages 6 to 17 have at least one electronic device in the bedroom.

“Children who leave electronic devices on at night get less sleep on school nights than other children do, according to parents’ estimates — a difference of up to nearly one hour on average per night,” according to the NSF. “Our 24-7 electronically connected world makes it very difficult for kids to carve out time for sleep,” says Emsellem, author of Snooze... or Lose! Ten ‘No-War’ Ways to Improve Your Teen’s Sleep Habits. “We’re all challenged to get enough downtime to be adequately rested.”

• Not enough hours in the day.

Busy schedules including afterschool activities and homework also impact sleep time.

“Teens live in a land where they are squeezed in all directions,” says Emsellem. “They’re trying to stand out from the crowd, and get good grades so they can get into one of 10 schools. There are a spectacular number of pressures and distractions.”

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Sleep Matters

THE CASE FOR LATER SCHOOL START TIMES

HELPING KIDS GET MORE SLEEP Parents can make a difference in the amount and quality of sleep their kids get. “The first step is to discuss the importance of sleep as a family,” says Mindell, who was lead author on a study (published this year in Sleep) that found that a regular bedtime routine for children up to the age of 5 is associated with improved sleep.

• Set bedtimes and wake times for kids and stick to them during the week and on weekends. Establish bedtimes whether your child is 5 or 15, says Mindell.

• Cut back on caffeine — avoid energy drinks, soda and coffee after 1 p.m.

• If a nap is called for, aim for half an hour between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. when circadian rhythm dips. Otherwise, it will interfere with your child’s ability to fall asleep that night.

• Put limits on technology. Get electronic devices out of the bedroom or shut them off an hour before bedtime.

Instead, encourage kids to read or listen to music before bed.

• Check in with your child’s teacher and ask to be notified if your child is drowsy during the day.

• Make your child’s bedroom a sanctuary. Be sure it’s comfy and cozy, dim the lights before bedtime, and set the thermostat for sleeping (the NSF recommends temperatures below 75 degrees Fahrenheit and above 54 degrees).

• Schedule homework and activities early so that they don’t interfere with bedtime.

• Finally, set a good example. If you practice good sleep habits, so will your kids.

Making sleep a priority for your kids takes effort, but the benefits are profound. “When kids get adequate sleep they perform better in school, they are happier and their quality of life and social interactions improve,” says Owens. “They feel good.”

44 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

“It’s a very complicated question,” says Dr. Judith Owens, the director of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Boston Children’s Hospital, who often speaks to parents, teachers and principals about later start times.

“The evidence is very compelling, but it often boils down to political will and money.”

Many fear that later start times will be disruptive, impacting transportation, family time for teachers and after-school activities.

But later start times seem to be gaining some support. In fact, in 2014, Owens was the lead author on a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommending that middle and high schools delay the start of class to 8:30 a.m. or later.

“The research is clear that adolescents who get enough sleep have a reduced risk of being overweight or suffering depression, are less likely to be involved in automobile accidents, and have better grades, higher standardized test scores and an overall better quality of life,”

Owens said in a prepared AAP statement.

And according to a 2014 University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, half of parents with teens who start school before 8:30 a.m. would support a start time of 8:30 or later.

Hundreds of schools across the country are thinking about or have been testing later school times.

“Even a start time of 8:35 a.m. allows 57 to 60 percent of students to get eight or more hours of sleep, which is an important health benefit for a majority of students,” says sleep researcher Kyla Wahlstrom, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, which conducted a survey that found a statistically significant correlation between the total number of hours of sleep that students got on school nights and self-reported grades.

Jodi Mindell, a clinical psychologist specializing in pediatric sleep medicine, echoes the sentiments of many sleep experts: “If you think of it in the simplest terms, that children (of all ages) need to get enough sleep to learn effectively, then it’s a no-brainer that school start times need to be later.”

— Chrystle Fiedler

THINKSTOCK

If adolescents are naturally predisposed to later bedtimes, why do middle and high school students have to start their day so early? There’s probably not a parent or teen in the U.S. who hasn’t asked that question at least once.

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JAY LAPRETE

George Wood, superintendent of the Federal Hocking Local School District in Ohio, orchestrated many of the educational techniques at the high school.

46 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

FOCUSED

FUTURE ON THE

High school takes innovative approach to involving students in learning

BY STACY CHANDLER

T

wenty years ago, Federal Hocking High School in southeastern Ohio was struggling.

The small school of 350 students in Stewart faced challenges known to many schools: low academic achievement, bad student behavior and a bleak outlook for students after graduation — if they made it that far. But in 1992, a new principal, George Wood, changed its course.

Wood didn’t set out to raise test scores or hand out detentions. Instead, with the support of teachers and others, he put the focus on something far more important for students: the future. The changes he implemented brought real-world experience into the educational setting.

“If school, high school in particular, is to be preparation for life, it ought to be a lot like life,” says Wood, who became superintendent of Federal Hocking Local School District in 2011. “It starts with how we support students and moves to what our expectations are for them.”

47

FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE

Here’s a closer look at the innovative approaches taken at Federal Hocking High School: Advisory groups: Instead of a homeroom where attendance is taken but not much else gets done, students meet in their

48 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

Meet Jesse Branner GRADUATE OF FEDERAL HOCKING

T

he FFA agricultural education program attracted Jesse Branner to Federal Hocking High School even before she learned about the school’s unique approach to learning.

But it didn’t take long to figure out that at Hocking, things are different.

“In other school settings, teachers are the enforcers, the ones who are making you do things,” says Branner, who graduated in 2006. “It’s very much an us-and-them kind of situation. But at Federal Hocking, I miss my teachers as much as I miss my classmates. They were so invested in seeing us be successful, and I think it was because of the cool things we got to do.”

She still remembers the creative activities teachers cooked up for long class periods, and she marvels that she had the chance

to do internships and sit in on a teacher interview as a teenager.

The lessons she learned — both inside and outside school walls — serve her well in her work as an attorney in Columbus, Ohio.

“In terms of higher order, adult creative thinking and learning, that absolutely took place at Federal Hocking,” she says. “The first time I sort of stretched that muscle was then. That’s something that has stayed with me ever since.”

— Stacy Chandler

Meet Ann Cell TEACHER AT FEDERAL HOCKING

W

hen she was starting her teaching career nine years ago, Ann Cell snagged an interview at Federal Hocking High School. She learned that as part of the process, which involved observing and teaching a class, she’d be interviewed by students.

The students asked more challenging questions than the adults, she says. That was one sign that Federal Hocking was — and is — different.

“As soon as I got there, I knew right away that

that’s where I wanted to teach,” says Cell, who teaches English and drama. “So that was it. It was love at first sight.”

She loves the way the administration “goes out of its way to treat us like professionals,” and she appreciates how block scheduling and advisory time allows her to get to know and better help her students. “It really allows you time to slow down to dig in,” she says. “We can do several different activities over the course of one block period, or we can do one really long, in-depth activity if it’s a more engaging activity.

For me personally, it’s the only way to go.”

The school is a community, and students

frequently visit after graduation, which Cell takes as recognition of a job done right.

“I think the thing that makes the biggest difference in our students’ lives is the connections that we’re able to make with the students and the individualized support that we’re able to give to our students. That feeling of having a team behind them, rather than just sort of moving through a series of classes over four years and then just kind of getting spit out at the end of it. I think that they really feel like they’re a part of something and that they have this team that’s cheering them on as they go.”

— Stacy Chandler

COURTESY OF JESSE BRANNER AND ANN CELL

The school adopted a block schedule, rather than eight or nine periods crammed into one day, in part to mimic the focus that jobs require.

And the senior project and graduation portfolio required from each student teach independence, a skill students will need later in life.

Over the years, Federal Hocking High School has earned plenty of accolades: It’s been named a Coalition of Essential Schools Mentor School, a First Amendment School and one of America’s 100 Best by Reader’s Digest. But what does it all mean for students?

“I think it clearly pays off,” Wood says. “Our graduation rate is always in the upper 90 percent, the highest graduation rate in the state of Ohio.

I will tell you, we do not get the highest test scores. And I will tell you, we are not overly concerned about that.

We believe the real test is what you do after school.”

Students appreciate the efforts to ensure their success.

Tess Kamody, a co-valedictorian for the 2015 graduating class, attributes her accomplishments to the school’s small class sizes and quality instruction.

“What people don’t get is that it may seem like we don’t offer as many classes, but we have longer class (hours) and we really dive in deep,” Kamody told the local newspaper, The Athens Messenger, in a May interview.

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WILL YOUR KIDS SETTLE FOR THE WORLD AROUND THEM, or help create a

FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE

advisory groups for nearly an hour every day. “That adviser’s job is to help students navigate the school experience,” Wood says. The time is used for social and emotional development work, graduation planning, senior project work and more. “The advisory is a home away from home for kids,” he says.

Federal Hocking High School has received many accolades for its efforts aimed at student involvement and preparation for the future.

Student trustees: Getting students involved in decisions about their school life is a top priority. Student trustees give input on everything from event planning to making revisions to the annual handbook and even hiring decisions. A panel of students interviews each potential new teacher or staff member and makes a recommendation to the principal.

Senior project: Each student must plan and carry out an independent learning project before graduation. The project must involve a source of learning outside the school. Last year, students learned to play the cello, practiced silversmithing and studied American Sign Language. They also ran a local youth basketball league and restored family heirlooms.

Graduation portfolio: At the end of senior year, students must compile and present their best academic work, evidence of citizenship (community service, student leadership and other activities that go beyond studying and taking tests) and a plan for life after high school.

6 MAG NAME XXXXXXXXXX 50 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

How can I improve my school?

G

eorge Wood, who wrote the books Schools That Work and Time to Learn and serves as executive director for The Forum for Education and Democracy, believes all schools can achieve successes similar to those created at Federal Hocking High.

Educators, he says, should look in their community and beyond for models of success.

And then “think of one structural thing in your classroom or school that you could change that would better engage kids and better meet what you want to do as an educator.”

Block scheduling, which

means having longer and fewer class periods, might be a feasible switch for some. Or maybe it’s as simple as having a teacher host a class meeting at the beginning of the day to focus students’ attention and get them involved in learning.

When asked what he’s most proud of, Wood doesn’t point to any award or any one program. “The thing I’m the proudest of is the overall culture of the school,” he says. “It’s that the school feels to kids and staff as a place where they’re valued as an individual, and that they can make a difference.”

— Stacy Chandler

George Wood’s two books focus on educational techniques that schools can implement to help ensure student success.

SONJA COBLE; PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

Internships: Almost all students find an internship in the community and spend part of their time working outside the school in places such as hospitals, architect firms, government agencies and more. “Think about all the resources in a community from which kids can learn if we just open up the school walls and let ’em go,” Wood says.

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Child Labor of ♥ These young entrepreneurs aren’t kidding around

COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES; JERALD COUNCIL

BY VALERIE FINHOLM

THEY MAY NOT BE old enough to drive or go to prom, but “kidpreneurs” around the country are proving that when you have a great idea, age is no barrier to success. Here are three members of a new generation of mini-moguls who are turning homespun businesses into gold with the help of e-commerce, supportive family members and a bit of luck.

53

Child LABOR of ♥

RYAN KELLY

Ry’s Ruffery

A

s the founder and CEO of Ry’s Ruffery (rysruffery.com), 13-year-old Ryan Kelly is a successful kidpreneur whose dog treats are sold at PetSmart, Target and major retail stores across the country.

Ryan, who lives in Stamford, Conn., started his business three years ago after his family adopted a beagle they named Barkley.

When Ryan opened some store-bought dog treats for his new pet, the tidbits smelled awful. “Even Barkley didn’t like them,” he says.

That’s when Ryan decided to try making his own all-natural dog treats.

Today, the ambitious seventh-grader has turned his idea for a better dog biscuit into a prosperous business with projected sales of six figures this year, says mom Daniela Kelly.

“The Internet has changed the game.

Anybody can become a global company overnight,’’ says Jack E. Kosakowski, president and CEO of Junior Achievement USA, which fosters entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills among K-12 students.

Ryan says he read several dog food

54 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

recipe books and asked a neighbor who is a veterinarian about the kinds of healthy foods dogs like.Then he headed to the family kitchen to mix up test batches of treats made with dog-licious foods such as cheese, peanut butter, pumpkin and blueberries.

The treats were a hit with Barkley — and with other dogs in the neighborhood. Soon, people were calling Ryan’s mother to see where they could buy them. An impressed neighbor called ABC’s Shark Tank to get Ryan on the show in May 2013.

On Shark Tank, which features product pitches from aspiring entrepreneurs to a panel of potential investors, Ryan made a deal with New York entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran for $25,000 in exchange for 25 percent of his business. Corcoran helped Ryan craft a new logo for the treats depicting Ryan and Barkley and assisted in redesigning his website.

After the show aired, Ryan’s business skyrocketed. “It’s been absolutely life-changing,” says Kelly, who helps manage the business while Ryan is in school.

COURTESY OF RY’S RUFFERY; JERALD COUNCIL

Age: 13 | Stamford, Conn.

FishFlops

M

COURTESY OF FISHFLOPS

adison Robinson loves to swim, fish and draw. In 2006, after spending the day at the beach in Galveston Island, Texas, 8-year-old Madison took a sheet of paper, drew a flip-flop sandal on it, and decorated it with vibrant sea creatures.

She printed “FishFlops” across the top of the paper and showed it to her father.

Dan Robinson says he thought the name was catchy so he purchased the FishFlops (fishflops.com) domain name that day.

Madison used her artistic talents to design a line of FishFlops for children, added LED lights to some models and started selling them online, at trade shows and at boutiques near her home in Cypress, Texas, in 2010.

Madison says her big break came two years later when she wrote a letter to a buyer at Nordstrom.

After the upscale retailer placed its first

order for FishFlops, local newspapers and television shows featured reports about Madison.

Soon her story was being featured on dozens of national media outlets, including CBS News, NBC’s Today and Forbes magazine — and FishFlops became a sensation.

Today, at 17, Madison has sold more than 100,000 pairs of FishFlops — which retail for $20 to $32 — and she says she is in the process of expanding her line to include slippers, canvas shoes, high tops, wedges and clogs.

Madison often gets emails from kids asking her for business advice.

“I tell them that to be an entrepreneur you have to take the first step on your own,” she says. “And you have to be really patient, have a positive attitude and learn to never give up because it can take a really, really long time for things to happen.”

MADISON ROBINSON Age: 17 | Cypress, Texas

55

Child LABOR of ♥

MOZIAH “MO” BRIDGES

Mo’s Bows

M

oziah “Mo” Bridges has always liked to look sharp. “When I was young I would ride my bike in a suit and tie,’’ the precocious 13-yearold says.

That fashion sense led Moziah to start his own business at age 9 with the help of his grandmother, a retired seamstress.

“I couldn’t find bow ties that really fit my style and personality, and she had lots of fabric, so I asked her to teach me how to sew one,” says Moziah, whose colorful handmade bow ties soon made an impression in his Memphis neighborhood.

“As I was walking down the street, people started asking me, ‘Hey, where did you get that bow tie?’ That’s when I saw the demand for making my own ties,” he says.

Moziah started out selling his bow ties on his website (mosbowsmemphis.com) and in local stores. He had sold 2,000 when he

56 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

was invited to appear on Shark Tank in 2013.

Moziah turned down an investment deal on the show and instead chose to have FUBU clothing line founder Daymond John mentor him.

Today, with John’s help, Moziah has five employees, including his mother, Tramica Morris, and grandmother, and has sold more than $200,000 worth of his bow ties and men’s accessories, says his mom, who calls herself “the CEO of Mo.” His bow ties are also carried by Neiman Marcus, where they sell for $50 each.

Moziah also has his own charity — Go Mo! — that sends kids to summer camp “because it’s hot in Memphis in the summer,” he says.

When kids ask him for advice, Moziah tells them to “figure out what they like doing, and how they can make money doing it.”

Often they want to wait until they’re older but Moziah says: “Do it now.”

ANNABELLA CHARLES PHOTOGRAPHY

Age: 13 | Memphis

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stages

IN ELEMENTARY

it’s never too early to start discussing options for your child’s future.

BY MIDDLE SCHOOL,

parents and teachers should be discussing the child’s skill sets and learning styles.

Prepare for the Future It’s never too soon to start career planning

ou’ve just dropped your child off for the first day of kindergarten and your heart is in your throat, tears running down your face. You are praying for his safety, happiness and success.

And you’re probably doubting yourself. Should you have read to him more? Should you have unplugged the TV and bought a chemistry set instead?

Now, take this level of anxiety,

58 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

multiply it by a million or more, and you’ve got the feeling many parents experience as their children leave high school and hit that next stage of life.

Have you done enough to prepare them and yourself for college, careers or whatever lies in their future?

To answer “yes,” start discussing the options now.

“Early in a child’s life, they need to hear about college and incorporate

post-high school education into the fabric of their lives,” says Beth Tankersley-Bankhead, executive director of the Missouri College Advising Corps, a grant-funded program directed primarily at first-generation or underserved college students, helping them to ensure success after high school.

“The biggest mistake parents and students make is not realizing their full range of options financially, academi-

THINKSTOCK

BY DIANA LAMBDIN MEYER

BY HIGH SCHOOL,

students should be taking advantage of job shadowing and career fairs to gauge interests.

IN COLLEGE there are plenty of available resources to help students achieve their college and career goals.

cally and emotionally,” she says.

Kindergarten or elementary school is not too early to start talking about all of this, according to Cory Notestine of Alamosa (Colo.) High School, who was named 2015 Counselor of the Year by the American School Counselor Association.

“For years, we waited to high school to start talking about these issues, but that’s too late,” Notestine says. “It’s never too early for parents to have discussions with their children about what career options are out there and what it takes to be successful in those jobs.”

Notestine praises elementary schools that have career fair components in their curriculum and extracur-

ricular activities. He particularly likes programs such as “lunch buddies” that bring a diverse group of community business people to the school on a regular basis to talk with kids about what they do for a living.

After-school field trips and “take your child to work” days are also good if they are implemented properly and are more than baby-sitting in disguise.

By middle school, parents and teachers should be discussing the child’s skill sets and learning styles. By high school, job shadow programs, career fairs and standardized testing give both parents and students stronger indications of interests and avenues for success. Students should be urged to take advantage of these options.

“In high school, parents often begin to withdraw in an attempt to let students make their own choices, but they should stay very engaged on this component of their education,” says Notestine.

Frequent visits by students and parents alike to the website college board.org are also a good idea. The College Board administers the SAT and AP classes and its website also includes links and information for career planning and financing at all academic levels.

“The best resource available to parents and the children is the school counselor,” says Notestine. “Tap into our services and you’ll be amazed at what we can do for you.”

59

A Story About

Literacy

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kindergarten

Reading, Writing and Taking Turns The new kindergarten mixes academics with social instruction

BY NANCY DUNHAM

THINKSTOCK

he game-playing, nap-taking, snackeating days of kindergarten are long gone. And many parents just aren’t ready for the full-court press of what their children will face in their first year of school.

While they may be hearing a lot about standards and grades and testing, even for 5-year-olds, what parents should know is this: The central focus in kindergarten is really on mastering the behavioral and social basics.

61

“I think sometimes parents feel they need to buy workbooks and take kids to learning centers. Those things aren’t wrong, but most kids don’t need that,” says Daphna Bassok, an assistant professor of education and public policy at the University of Virginia and the mother of 3-year-old twins. “Most of what kindergarten teachers are looking for (initially) is social skills.”

This can be startling, however. Vanessa Phillips dreaded seeing a certain piece of paper in her son’s hand when he came home from kindergarten.

The paper wasn’t one of the assignments he was given to help him learn basic skills in language arts, math or reading. This document contained details on her son’s behavior. Many times there were frowning faces, indicating that her son had spoken out of turn, not stood still in line or had touched someone else’s property.

“I was truly surprised by the amount

62 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

Parents can prepare their kids for kindergarten by promoting learning and structure at home.

of behavioral feedback I got,” says Phillips, an English-as-a-secondlanguage instructor whose son, now a fourth-grader, attends school in Woodbridge, Va. “It wasn’t really that academics were difficult for him. It was

the constant feedback on behavior that made it difficult for him and the other students to focus (on the lessons).”

Like Phillips, many parents expect that their kindergarten-age kids will be required to learn once-advancedfor-their-age academic skills such as counting to 100, spelling words (starting with simple ones such as “has” or “bee”) and even composing opinion-based sentences such as “My favorite book is ….”

But what may surprise some, as it did Phillips, is that kids who adapt the most easily to kindergarten enter school with less knowledge of academics and more refined social and behavioral skills.

“Most kids are all over the place in terms of (academic and social) levels” when they enter kindergarten, says Shawn Fink, who runs the Abundant Mama blog (abundantmama.com) and is the mother of 9-year-old twin girls.

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64 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

say, “Hello, Mr. Smith,” to a friend’s dad when the friend comes to play, or try giving another child the first turn in a game.

• Building independence by allowing her to feel competent in self-care routines. Getting dressed, zipping a jacket, tying shoes — these skills make children feel secure when they enter a group setting.

• Encouraging healthy physical activity by riding bikes, taking family walks and planning and cooking food together. Young children need at least two hours of active time each day.

• Playing with him. Play is how children learn best. Self-regulation increases as children figure things out, make decisions and cooperate with others.

These types of activities help develop the behavioral and social skills children will need to excel.

“It’s important to engage with them throughout the day,” says Fink. “I think in the nine years I’ve had kids, they’ve had their screens in the car two times.

Technology is important, but so is talking and connecting with other people.”

THINKSTOCK

“Even if you pay thousands of dollars to prepare your child, the child will likely come into school and be treated at the same level as everyone else.”

In the classroom, kids engage in instruction techniques that range from whole group activities — where a teacher stands at the front of the class, perhaps using aids such as brightly colored construction paper cutouts of numbers and letters — to small, collaborative groups and individual time, sometimes using computers and other technology.

In theory, this multitiered structure works well to keep kids engaged and help them learn. But a study conducted in 2008 by The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations of Early Learning, based at Vanderbilt University, indicated that as many as 40 percent of students haven’t mastered the basic behavioral and emotional skills to do well in kindergarten before entering the classroom.

Bassok and others say parents can prepare their kids for kindergarten by promoting learning and structure at home. That includes setting aside certain times for activities such as reading and consistently engaging with them by asking questions — “Do we have five crackers?” or “Where should you put your shoes when you take them off?” Bassok taught her kids numbers, shapes and words by talking with them at home and when they were together in the car.

“Really, that’s from taking the time to point things out to them and discuss them,” she says of her kids’ growing knowledge base. “This doesn’t ever involve me saying, ‘We are going to have a literacy lesson now.’ Kids are incredibly curious and open to thinking about things. The more parents point out things and ask questions, the more they learn.”

To help your child ace the social skills needed for kindergarten, early childhood education expert Marie Masterson, associate professor in the school of education at Dominican University in River Forest, Ill., suggests: • Making manners fun by practicing one new skill at a time. Your child could

back to school . . . every step of the way.

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kindergarten

Stay Calm and Kindergarten On With a little planning, the first day of school can be easy on everyone

BY HOLLIE DEESE

66 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

1

VISIT BEFOREHAND

Spend some time getting to know the classroom before the school year starts. “We will find something that they really like in the room, so that when they come back if they are having a hard time moving from Mom, we can direct them to that,” says Peggy Whitaker, a kindergarten and pre-K teacher in Gallatin, Tenn.

2

WALK THROUGH THE ROUTINE

Guiding little ones through new activities such as waiting in the lunch line can help ease fears. Whitaker says teachers at her school work closely with new students the first few weeks to ease anxiety over the unknown. “They want to know the routine,” she says. “They are nervous not knowing what to do next.”

THINKSTOCK

he first day of kindergarten is a huge milestone for children and their parents. It’s a day to celebrate, but also one that comes with a bundle of nerves. With a little planning, you can prepare your child and yourself for the big day, making sure neither of you shed more than the appropriate amount of tears.

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5

Kids can tense up if they haven’t yet mastered how to tie their shoes or unbuckle their belt, so allow opportunities for practice in the weeks leading up to school, says Elster. “That is not something that is taught in public school anymore at all, and it is stressful to a child when they don’t know how to do it,” she says.

GIVE KIDS A SAY

Let your child pick out his own gear, even if his choices are not the most attractive (in your mind). “Kids want the cheap Frozen backpack or Skylanders backpack,” says TV news producer Lauren Berger, who runs the blog Working Mom Magic (workingmommagic.com). “Letting them have control over it lets them feel more excited than nervous the first day because they know they really love their backpack.”

4

ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS

Even after talking about the transition, your child may still be stewing with anxiety. Just ask. This is important if there is a change in routine. “Make sure to talk to them about what it is going to be like in each instance,” says Cathy Elster, a kindergarten teacher at McFee Elementary School in Katy, Texas.

68 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

6

EASE UP ON PICTURES

7

EXIT QUICKLY

It’s tempting to snap a photo of your child with everyone from the teacher to the dog, but this can create stress. “Put the phone down for a second and pay attention,” Berger says. “Everyone wants to show off their kid, but this child is really nervous. Don’t make it worse by taking a million pictures.”

The longer you linger at school, the harder it is on your child. “Just prep them beforehand that you are not allowed to stay a long time, then walk them into the classroom and just go,” Berger says. “Even if they start crying, don’t even acknowledge it — you cry when you get back in the car.”

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elementary school

THINKSTOCK

Handling Homework Experts think that helping children learn good homework habits at a young age may set them up for later academic success.

Help your young student develop good habits that will last a lifetime

BY GAYLE BENNET T here are a lot of unknowns when elementary school starts up again in the fall. Will the children like their teachers? Will they struggle with any of their subjects? Will getting them to do homework be a battle?

Answer that last question with a “No!” by helping your child develop a homework routine. Establishing effective homework habits in the early school years is wise — and not just for the sake of schoolwork. Research has shown that being able to successfully handle homework can help students become more responsible and motivated in general, and can help them learn how to cope with frustration and distraction in other aspects of their lives.

71

elementary school

Although the research focuses on the middle and high school years, experts think that helping children learn good homework habits at a young age may set them up for later academic success.

Two experts offer five concrete ways to help your elementary school student successfully tackle homework. It’s never too early or too late to develop good homework habits.

PICK A HOMEWORK TIME Some kids might want to do homework right when they get home, but many won’t. After sitting in school all day, many elementary school kids will do well with a half-hour break before starting homework, says Ann Dolin, author of Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools and Solutions for Stress-Free Home-

72 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

work and the president and founder of the Washington, D.C.-based tutoring company Educational Connections.

And make sure to set up homework routines for days when children have after-school activities. If dance class goes until dinnertime, then homework might always start right after dinner that day. Once a homework time is established, stick to it.

“When kids have a routine and they know what to expect, there’s a lot less pushback,” Dolin says.

LET THE CHILD CHOOSE WHERE TO DO HOMEWORK Cathy Vatterott, a professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Education and author of Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That

Support Diverse Needs, believes in giving children ownership of the homework process. If they want to lay on the living room floor to do homework, that’s fine with her.

“We have this mindset that they have to sit at the kitchen table or at a desk. In fact, these kids might be more comfortable and able to focus better in a different position,” Vatterott says, adding that she’s also not averse to children doing homework with the television on. “The research on learning styles shows us that a lot of people work better with distraction, like the television or music,” while some need silence.

Dolin agrees, and she likes children to have more than one homework spot. “With multiple places to do

THINKSTOCK

Make sure to set up homework routines for days when children have after-school activities. Once a homework time is set, stick to it.

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elementary school

homework, it becomes more novel for the student, and novelty improves attention,” she says.

KEEP HOMEWORK TOOLS IN A PORTABLE CONTAINER Multiple homework places work just fine as long as students can easily find and transport all of their tools and supplies.

“Kids should have a particular container, whether it is a box or an old briefcase, where all their homework stuff is,” Vatterott says. “Have it be something that they decorate, that is personalized.”

DON’T OVER-HELP Vatterott — who also offers advice via her website, homeworklady.

74 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

com — points out that schools aren’t always clear about how parents should help their child with homework. As a result, some parents do too much, and that robs children of a sense of mastery. Also, if the parent corrects all the wrong answers, the teacher won’t know when a child needs help.

“A good general rule of thumb is to help your child understand what they have to do today,” Dolin says. “It’s not (the) parent’s job to sit next to their child while they do homework, but it is a good idea to make sure they understand how to do it.”

COMMUNICATE WITH THE TEACHER Sometimes children don’t understand an assignment, and that’s OK. If you aren’t sure what needs to be done,

or if your child can’t finish the work without too much help from you, write a note to the teacher, attached to the homework, explaining the situation.

“We need to jump in before the (child’s) meltdown,” Vatterott advises.

“You should be less involved in the task and more involved in communicating to the teacher.” This way, the teacher will be aware that the child either needs to be retaught the material or needs to have the directions explained in a different way.

If you and your child can work together to establish a routine, it can go a long way toward turning negative attitudes about homework into good work habits that will help your student succeed this school year and in the future.

THINKSTOCK

Multiple homework places work just fine as long as students can easily find and transport all of their tools and supplies.

For the Mom on the Run!

2015

elementary school

Bullying From Both Sides How to deal with the issue, whether your child is the victim or perpetrator

ood news on the bullying front from the U.S. Department of Education: In a study released this May, fewer children ages 12 to 18 reported being targeted by bullies in 2013 — only 22 percent, down from 28 percent in 2011. It’s the lowest number since the department began the survey in 2005.

Even in a slightly friendlier school climate, however, bullying still happens — and your child could wind up on either side.

76 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

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YOUR CHILD IS BEING BULLIED, YOU THINK Before you grab your suit of armor and go off to fight your child’s battles, do a bit of digging. “One side of the story is not the whole story,” says Fishler. “Parents can escalate these things really easily if they don’t know the full story.”

For example, Fishler’s third-grade son came home one day saying he was being bullied on the bus. Instead of immediately reacting, Fishler asked him to tell her more about the situation.

Later, they approached the fifth-grade

78 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

“bully” together to discuss the issue. situation has resolved or if you need to By hearing both sides, Fishler realized try something else. the real problem was that her son was When your child doesn’t want your insisting on sitting next to the big help but you’re concerned for her kids and they didn’t want safety, it’s time to override her preferhim around. It wasn’t a ence for handling it on her own. Let case of bullying, but of your child know she did the right thing children who needed by coming to you and that it’s your help figuring out job to protect her. Then, as you move the right way to forward with involving others, see if approach each you can give her some control over other to get what how, when, where and with whom the they wanted. information is shared.

If your child Engage the school when the situareports being tion goes beyond what you and your bullied, listen to child can handle. Calmly discuss with what your kiddo has a school administrator why your child to say, but also talk to is afraid and how that affects learning. others — like your child’s You want to enlist the school’s help teacher and classmates, in addressing the issue, not make the plus the bully and his parents — administrator your adversary. However, and hear their different perspectives. if the administrator doesn’t take your Keep an open mind to figure out if this concerns seriously, do approach the is simply an opportunity to teach your superintendent and school board, child about communicating with peers recommends Jared Scherz, a clinical or if your child is truly being targeted. psychologist and author of The Truth If it is a case of About School bullying, involving Violence; Keeping your child in how Healthy Schools to handle it can Safe. If the school be empowering. refuses to cooperAsk your child, ate entirely, consult “How do you want an attorney. to handle this? Do It’s important, you want me to talk too, to keep a log to anyone?” If your of all the bullying child is opposed to incidents from the you intervening, get-go. Include you should explore the date, time and — TARA FISHLER, CEO of Customized why. Your child any damage or Training Solutions and a conflict may be afraid of injuries to your resolution expert in New Rochelle, N.Y. retaliation or that child. You also want others won’t believe her accusations. to list who else was present during To get your child to weigh the pros the incident, if your child reported the and cons of outside intervention, ask, bullying to a teacher or administrator “What do you think the situation will and, if so, the outcome. Take photos of be like the next day/week/month with any damage to your child’s property or and without intervention?” The older any physical injuries. Documentation your child is, the more say she should helps build your case. have, says Fishler.

YOU’VE GOT A BULLY, If the situation warrants giving your child a chance to handle it on her own, OR SO THEY SAY A 2007 study published in the role play to help her figure out what to journal School Psychology Review found do and say in negative scenarios. And that 30 percent of fourth- through 12thbe sure to establish a time frame for grade students reported being bullied. checking in with your child to see if the

Bullying is such a big buzzword even preschoolers know and use the term. But much of what kids report is actually peer conflict.”

THINKSTOCK

Hearing that your child has been involved in bullying, one way or another, can get you all mama bear about the situation. But before you roar, figure out if what’s going on is the real deal.

“Bullying is such a big buzzword even preschoolers know and use the term.

But much of what kids report is actually peer conflict. If it’s a back-and-forth thing like, ‘I’m mad at you today, and you’re mad at me tomorrow,’ then it’s not bullying,” explains Tara Fishler, CEO of Customized Training Solutions and a conflict resolution expert in New Rochelle, N.Y. Here’s the way to tell the difference between a passing tiff and a dangerous pattern: Childhood taunting turns into bullying when it’s a repeated behavior with negative intent and there is a power imbalance, such as fearing another child or multiple kids ganging up on one. And, while you might envision a bully as a schoolyard ruffian who beats up kids for their lunch money, most bullying is done with threats, ridicule, rumor-mongering and exclusion from social activities.

Whatever side of the problem your child is on, fixing it can be difficult.

Follow these expert guidelines to make a bad situation better.

If you find that your child falls into the opposite category, the first step is to do some data gathering, says Scherz.

If you’re certain your child’s behavior has indeed been bully-ish — for example, she’s constantly teasing and putting down another child — it’s time for a heart-to-heart. Instead of approaching your child in an accusatory or defensive way such as, “What did you do?” or worse, “What’s wrong with you?” ask your child, in a neutral tone, to tell you what’s going on.

“First, have empathy with the feelings causing your child to act out,” advises Scherz. “All behavior is rooted in a need. If a need isn’t being met, the feeling is going to go awry.”

Most bullies behave badly because they feel powerless in another part of their life (e.g., a stressful family situation) and want to take power back where they can. Your child may have

picked up the unwanted behavior from a role model and/or is struggling with low self-esteem, depression, anxiety or feeling ostracized. Once you suss out the core issue, you can figure out your next steps.

One tactic you can try is to give her a measure of control in an area where she feels powerless.

For example, you might discover your child is picking on “smart kids” because she struggles with understanding lessons and feels stupid.

To tackle the root cause of the behavior, let her decide what days and times to work with a tutor, what time

to set aside for homework each night, which extracurricular activities to omit so she has more time to study.

Additionally, you also want your child to better relate to other people’s feelings. To encourage your child to empathize, ask her how she would feel if someone did the same thing to her. It helps, too, if you connect with the victim’s parents to apologize and reassure them that their child is not going to be hurt.

Scherz says the goal is to create an environment where people aren’t threatened by differences, but embrace them.

CYBERBULLYING: PUT A STOP TO ONLINE HARASSMENT Parents of middle schoolers and high schoolers beware: 9 percent to 15 percent of students report being electronically bullied, says the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Check out these tips from Ruth Carter, social media attorney in Phoenix, on how to prevent and handle online bullying.

THINKSTOCK

PREVENTION To monitor your child’s behavior in the virtual world as you would in the real world, you need to be on every social media platform your child is on and know the password for your child’s phone. Also, teach your student to consider the impact of every text, tweet, post or email before sending it. Not only can it be shared and saved forever, it can cause hurt and humiliation and jeopardize your child’s future. Discuss how a lewd photo or a complaint lodged against your child could affect his ability to get a job or get into college.

SOCIAL MEDIA If a bully is spreading rumors about your child on social media, first take screenshots of the site (in case the bully deletes the messages). Paste the screenshot into a Word document and save it for documentation purposes. Then, you can block a bully’s access to your child via the profile settings. Most online

platforms also make it easy to report abusive messages or photos to the service provider.

Lastly, “have a serious discussion with your child about whether it is worth it to be active on that platform.

In general, I’m an advocate of people standing up for themselves; however, the most important thing is to protect your child, and sometimes removing them from that abusive situation is the most effective thing to do,” says Carter.

TEXTING To block a bully’s text messages, you can either do it yourself in your child’s phone contacts or ask your service provider to bar the person’s phone number. You can also look up the bully’s cellphone service through freecarrierlookup.com, and then report the bully to their own provider for being abusive. A warning from the provider might discourage the bully from sending any more messages.

EMAIL Rather than block a bully’s email address, set up a filter so messages are automatically placed in a folder and your child does not have to see them. They will be saved in case they are needed for evidence at a later time.

PHOTOGRAPHS If your child is photographed doing something in public, you have no rights regarding the image. Just because your child is in the photo doesn’t mean you can make any demands regarding its use. However, if you think your child’s rights are being violated through a photo that is shared with others via the Internet or texting, contact the police.

LEGAL ACTION If the above steps don’t resolve the problem and the behavior persists, consider filing a police report for harassment or getting a protective order against the bully.

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BY SU ZA NN E W RI ongoing value of o believe in the wh s, 70 r he in a digital age. y mother, now in cursive writing . ng iti wr nd has beautiful ha I admired PE N As a young girl, TH E BE NE FI TS OF pressive ex r he ed at ul and em AN D PA PE R le of birthday cards, winning a coup Beyond signing script, ultimately ts. or eff y m and addressing ards for endorsing checks penmanship aw I. s wa so d s, does cursive an ion oud, wedding invitat My mom was pr n e? tio uc any practical us writing instr writing still have But with cursive ucstr in y ial an nt m se is es the 1970s in “We feel cursive in decline since St. of ad he ad re ie, sp ur de S. Lo ols, wi tion,” says David elementary scho ool-12 School, a presch t artistic form of os eld lfi alm Be e ’sth ne in e An prid Va., . ille ng Charlottesv , ems to be wani private school in penmanship se to s of y ler alt oo su s presch other ca which introduce Some say it’s an e oded form tm inues its practic ou nt an co d d an an y ve cursi technolog ed anas m en cre “P in e e. ad Th gr n. through fourth of communicatio , c school educang a continuum ship is a step alo pressure on publi d re an Co s ck on m blo e Com g with tors to adopt th from kids playin e n’t ac do pl re ich n’t wh es — g do State Standards clay. Keyboardin iting instrucrequire handwr ndwriting.” ha dr reason bolstered by stu tion — is anothe Lourie’s belief is ers rn lea m od fro ho d rly child it’s been droppe ies that show ea and ills e sk th or ss ot ro m ac e s fin curriculum benefit from the ent handwriting country. gnitive developm co l iva Its very surv encourages. uthe r, professor of ed may depend on Virginia Berninge ty rsi aive isl Un leg e s, th or at at y log educ cational psycho pion tors and parents is a vocal cham of Washington, that s ow search sh of cursive. Her re g are in rd oa yb ke and printing, cursive ain br t nc sti di th wi each associated patterns. d Berninger followe In her research, e. fiv h ug ro th o es tw children in grad ection between nn co a d un fo e Sh

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ural and increased ne cursive writing ty, ivi at d with cre activity associate neration. ge ea id ly lar particu ve builds fine rsi Believing that cu e Walker School, motor skills, Th in Marietta, Ga., a private school after e Motor Fridays” introduced “Fin s kid r feedback that receiving teache e ad gr through fifth in kindergarten ttles to open water bo ng gli were strug ve rsi cu de clu in ities and snacks. Activ and ts ne ag m th wi writing, working beading. swiping and “With the rise of e kids’ muscles ar touch-screening, are s nd ha eir th d undeveloped an n ued,” says Mega more easily fatig ol ho Sc Lower Nellen, Walker’s , ore children write m he “T al. cip prin r pressure to pape draw and apply colored pencils, or with crayons e engthen their fin the more they str motor muscles.” must be able to Nellen says kids ugh iting muscle thro sustain their wr e th to it g comparin the school day, . es nc sta ability to run di are getting that Not all students however. type of exercise, a teacher for 36 a, ro ue Fig Suzi rade ntly as a third-g years, most rece ta Vista Elemen ry teacher at Monte ly her students on in Phoenix, says g rin du n tio instruc receive cursive ce on ol, ho sc the last week of

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TIPS FOR LEFTIES There was a time when lefties — who comprise about 10 percent of the population — were asked to write like right-handers.

Thankfully, that’s largely an outdated practice.

“Left-handed children sometimes hold their wrist around in a semi-circle in an attempt to compensate or mimic their right-handed peers,” says Sharon Fier, associate professor of graduate education at Touro College in New York City. “It’s often the result of poor initial modeling or right-handed adults attempting to do hand-over-hand practice with a young left-handed child.”

Fier offers these tips to support left-handed elementary students: • When facing front, seat a left-handed child on the left side or center of the room (teacher’s right) to allow the student to pivot toward the chalkboard when taking notes. Sitting on the right side of the room requires students to reach across their bodies toward the right while turning their necks to the left to read or follow the speaker, causing a “pretzel effect” that inhibits handwriting.

• Left-handed students should be seated on the left side of a double or shared desk with a righthanded student so that they avoid bumping arms or violating each others’ personal space.

This arrangement allows for maximum open desk space and near-point copying from texts.

Cramped spaces cause sloppier letter formation.

• Left-side spiral notebooks are an impediment because the spiral is always under the student’s arm — a top spiral notebook suits lefties better.

• Lefties tend to smear ink on their lower palm and sleeves since their hand is constantly sliding across the fresh ink. To remedy this, paper should be placed slightly higher on the desk so that the lines are just above the “strike zone” for writing. The left hand slides along the clean area of the paper below the targeted line.

• Paper should be tipped with the lower right corner aimed toward the student. This prevents an overly slanted letter formation, keeping the letters more upright.

— Suzanne Wright

4 MAG NAME XXXXXXXXXX 82 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

state and district testing has Eight-year-old Max Podowitz of been completed. There’s just Dunwoody, Ga., attends a charter enough time to teach kids to sign K-5 public elementary school their names, Figueroa said. where there’s no classroom time “Back in the day, cursive was for cursive, so his teacher sugan actual course gested the online with the expectraining program tation that you Handwriting would achieve Without Tears a certain level (hwtears.com) for of finesse,” she home study. says. “It was Parents Anne well-valued Isenhower and and the skill Matt Podowitz was regarded have seen as important. improvements in It was fun to Max’s confidence.

Second-graders Mary Lin teach — almost Says Max: “My Beaver, left, and Allie Clara like an arts lines may not all Tudor practice their cursivewriting skills at The Walker class — and the be as straight as School in Marietta, Ga. kids couldn’t the ones in the wait to start. book, but I’m Now the notion getting there.” is that with word processing, Candace Heroy Massey kids don’t need to do it.” homeschools her two sons, sixth-grader Luke and secondSIGNING UP FOR THE grader Eli, in Blue Ridge, Ga., and requires them to turn in some of CHALLENGE In mid-April, Ohio legislators their work in cursive. introduced a bill with bipartisan “My kids are super-fast typists, support to require that cursive but I think cursive trains the writing be taught in all elemenbrain and disciplines them,” she tary schools. It would join at least says. “It makes them slow down five other states with similar and make connections as they laws to protect the practice, dip and loop, hook and repeat. including Arkansas, Idaho, North They are more aware of the Carolina, South Carolina and margins and they turn in neater, Tennessee. more organized work as a result.”

“I don’t think the importance Massey’s sons recently discovof handwriting is up for debate ered another plus: a link to hisas much as where it fits into tory. “When they stood in front of prioritization when there’s an inthe Declaration of Independence creased emphasis on high-stakes and the U.S. Constitution at the testing,” says Chester Goad, National Archives, they were able director of disability services to read the documents. They can for Tennessee Technological also read a recipe card written by University. their grandma.”

THINKSTOCK; COURTESY OF THE WALKER SCHOOL

MOTOR SK ILLS Students at The Walker School in Marietta, Ga., receive cursive writing instruction during “Fine Motor Fridays,” created after teachers found that kids in kindergarten through fifth grade were struggling to open water bottles and snacks.

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middle school

Wise Words Students tell it like it is when it comes to transitioning to middle school oving from elementary to middle school can be a tough transition — and no one knows this better than students who have recently made the change. Two rising ninth-graders who just completed their last year at Robert Frost Middle School in Fairfax, Va., share their experiences and offer advice for making the most of this new world.

The transition to middle school is difficult.

As a student, you probably have fears about the new place, new people and homework. But the fun things, like choosing your elective classes and making new friends, make the stressful experiences all worth it.

Before the first day of school, many students have fears about using the lockers, not knowing anyone, having mean teachers, having too much homework, not making friends, being overwhelmed and being bullied. Keep in mind, everyone else is struggling with these fears, too.

Eventually the days settle into a routine, and you’ll discover your fears are baseless and start to enjoy middle school.

Friendships can make the transition to middle school easier. Hopefully, you are coming into middle school with people you already know. But as someone who

84 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

moved frequently, I didn’t have that advantage. I did have the chance to make new friends, though.

Extroverts have a ball with this. They love to be around people. They are almost born knowing how to make friends.

However, introverts like me have trouble. I’m shy around new people and don’t like social situations. Still, the only way to get better is to practice. Along the way, I’ve learned how to open up and have gotten better at making new friends.

One thing that’s definitely different about middle school is the sudden onslaught of homework. It seems pretty scary, and it can be. Daily assignments can take up to one hour each, and you may have assignments from six or seven different classes. That’s a LOT of work compared to the 30 minutes you might be used to in elementary school.

And then you have projects, tests to study for and after-school clubs and sports. What’s a pre-teen to do?

Well, for one thing, plan.

Allot time for each activity, either in your head or on a piece of paper, then execute it. Next, don’t stress. Stressing just makes homework take longer and seem harder.

Finally, reward yourself.

If you complete all your homework and activities, do something fun like play a video game or go to a friend’s house.

Though the transition to middle school can be tough, have confidence that you’ll shake off those stresses and have some of the best years of your life.

Jack Duvall has just completed eighth grade and says the transition to middle school can be difficult, but students don’t have to be fearful.

DOUG KAPUSTIN

by jack duvall

Laine Schappert, a rising ninth-grader, says making new friends eases the challenges of starting middle school.

DOUG KAPUSTIN

by laine schappert Moving on to middle school and leaving elementary school behind is a very big milestone that comes with greater challenges, opportunities, responsibilities and expectations. A few missteps can lead to an explosion.

But if you follow these tips, you can navigate the middle school minefield and enjoy the next two years of your life.

At first, it can be difficult to get the hang of having a schedule and changing classrooms every period. But teachers understand you’re getting

used to the adjustment, so don’t stress about being late, forgetting something or even getting lost.

One tip is to memorize your schedule and carry a map of the school just in case you do get lost.

When I started middle school, I only had four minutes between periods.

At first, I was having trouble finding the time to go to the bathroom and get supplies from my locker. But as I got used to my schedule, I found that I passed my locker a few times during the day.

That made going to the bathroom and making it to my classes on time a lot easier.

Maybe in middle school your day starts earlier than it did in elementary school. If you have trouble getting ready in the morning and getting to school on time, you can plan your outfit for the next day and pack your school bag before you go to bed. This will help you get out the door faster.

Another issue in middle school is a homeworkloving teacher. To deal with loads of homework, use any extra class time to get a head start. And make homework a priority over sports; you can miss a practice or two. If you feel like you’re missing out on socializing due to

homework, organize a study group and hang out with your friends while getting help.

In middle school, you will hear more about boys and girls starting relationships as boyfriend/ girlfriend. Remember that while relationships will come and go, good friends will always be there for you and help you get through your middle school years.

Ultimately, transitioning from elementary to middle school isn’t too difficult. It can be hectic and scary at first, but by making friends and getting to know the school, you will get the hang of it.

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is for Art Middle schools are redesigning STEM curricula for a well-rounded education

he educational concept that encompasses science, technology, engineering and math disciplines, commonly known as STEM, has real-world applications for students. Add in the arts, including design, and you’ve got STEAM, which educators believe offers a more well-rounded education.

“The arts offer unique opportunities to explore and expand students’ ability to communicate while encouraging them to become independent learners and thinkers,” says Ruth Catchen, a Colorado Springs, Colo.-based educational consultant.

STEAM extends far beyond doing canvas painting and craft projects. In fact, art teaches children flexible thinking, creative problem-solving and risk taking. The upshot? “Students can then consider multiple perspectives, allowing them to come at a problem or challenge from many different angles, which is how the real world works,” says Tracie Costantino, associate dean of

86 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

faculty at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

STEAM is actually a relatively new player in the field of education. The term originated from Georgette Yakman who, in 2006, was a graduate student at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. Her vision? To interpret science and technology through engineering and the arts, all based in mathematical elements. “It’s about expanding minds across the disciplines and helping students see their place in the world and understand how to keep learning and adapting,” Yakman says.

In 2007, Yakman implemented the program as a middle school teacher, taking it to a high school a year later. Word spread through national educational conferences, and soon, the concept expanded across the country as well as overseas. As of May 2015, Yakman had trained more than 1,600 teachers in 30 states.

While the benefits seem obvious at first glance, they extend beyond the tangible. “When students are given learning experiences in which they’re allowed to make

THINKSTOCK

BY K AREN ASP

THINKSTOCK

something and express themselves, it gives them an opportunity to explore who they are and who they want to be,” Catchen says.

To understand STEAM, you first need to look at its roots.

Ushered in during the 1950s’ space race, STEM skills became almost patriotic as the U.S. pledged to maintain its competitive edge in the world of science and economics. Not willing to play second to the Soviet Union, Americans quickly set about building spaceships that would fly men to the moon.

Joan Fitzgibbon, Northside’s A college-level project that reflects These efforts infused scientific literacy in the principal.

STEAM involves classrooms and pushed the country beyond perceived An early success of the prostudents designing technical and mathematical boundaries. gram has been student engagenew habitats for So how might STEAM fit into your child’s educament. “They see the purpose the Rhode Island tion? Consider a project underway at RISD called and application of what they’re coastline oyster.

Oyster-tecture. For this college-level project, students being taught,” Fitzgibbon says, create experimental designs of new habitats for the adding that fifth-grade classes Rhode Island coastline oyster, which is struggling in its raised a wind turbine while third-grade students current habitat. Although the project is geared toward studied Michigan’s wolf population and advocated for college students, the idea could easily be adapted to legislation around the topic of a controlled hunt. “The younger levels, Costantino says. project-based structure allows for students to have How? She points to her son’s sixth-grade class, choices in solving driving questions that embody the which has been studying the biology of plants. To make content of the project,” she says. that curriculum STEAM-oriented, the teacher could Meanwhile, Wyoming City Schools in Wyoming, borrow from the Oyster-tecture project by devising a Ohio, started a STEAM initiative in the 2012-13 school mock experiment about plants and the pressures they year. Every student in kindergarten through 12th grade face from climate change. Students could be chalwill complete at least two STEAM-focused design challenged to design and even test ways lenges each school year. “The effort to ease the environmental pressure takes students beyond the classroom on plants. walls, encourages them to use their Other examples? When studying imaginations and fosters creativity,” wind, children could be asked to SUCCESS STORY says Susan Lang, superintendent of write skits about how wind affects Wyoming City Schools.

Los Angeles’ Windward School graduattheir world, Catchen says. Or when Lang points to a project at one ed 15 STEAM Scholars learning about how molecules work, school where first- and third-grade in June. Many of those students could physically act out the students worked together to envision students worked as movement of molecules around one their own outdoor habitat trail. They interns for Fortune another. Or they could simply put studied Ohio native plants, met with 500 companies and paint to paper and capture the visual landscaping experts, drew models research facilities. The phenomenon of movement. to scale, wrote community members class of 2016 has 18 As schools learn about STEAM and for donation and built a pergola for Scholars; the class of its positive effects, more are signing teachers to host outdoor classes.

2017 has 38. on. Yet how they apply STEAM ideas If you’re intrigued by all that varies. “It ranges from a single teacher STEAM offers, don’t think you have to or a team of teachers, especially at the wait until your child’s school joins the middle-school level, who want to do movement. “Parents can advocate for a STEAM unit for a certain time to whole schools that change at their children’s schools,” Costantino says. Do are adopting a STEAM approach,” Costantino says. so by educating other parents about STEAM, speaking Take, for instance, Ann Arbor STEAM at Northside about it at PTO meetings and meeting with the school’s School in Ann Arbor, Mich., which in 2014 launched as principal and teachers. a STEAM school. “In Ann Arbor, we have a strong value With STEAM in schools, the future looks even for the arts and therefore opened our new K-8 STEAM brighter for today’s children. As Catchen says, “STEAM school using project-based learning as a vehicle to can help children become more resourceful and integrate content with meaning and purpose,” says resilient citizens of the world.”

87

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high school

Great expectations How high-achieving students manage stress

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BY K ATHERINE REYNOLDS LEWIS atie Kirtland remembers pulling an all-nighter to finish a paper at Phillips Exeter Academy, one of the most elite high schools in the U.S. “When it gets to be about midnight or one o’clock, you’re thinking, ‘I just want to go to bed,’” says Kirtland, now 25 and a public relations professional based in Richmond, Va. “The worst feeling in the world is seeing the sun rise and realizing you’re not going to get any sleep.”

From her years at Exeter — a private boarding school in Exeter, N.H. — Kirtland

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high school

remembers alternating between anxiety about upcoming academic challenges and exhaustion from completing assigned work. “I knew I wasn’t going to get straight A’s, but I knew I had to do well enough to make the people around me proud of what I had done.”

It’s a familiar experience for students at other high-achieving high schools, where many feel they have to earn perfect grades, become president of their favorite extracurricular club, play a varsity sport, excel at the arts and, oh, it wouldn’t hurt to build aqueducts in Africa or cure cancer while they’re at it.

“Students feel an intense unhealthy pressure to ‘succeed’ at all costs,” says Alexandra Robbins, Washington, D.C.-based author of The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids. “Some of it is coming from parents, a lot of it is coming from the marketing of highly selective colleges and the narrowing definition of success that misleads students into thinking that prestige is the only way,” she says, adding that she spoke to students who suffered from depression simply because of the pressure to overachieve.

When looking for resources, parents and students are encouraged to keep in mind that contacting the school itself can be a good first step.

Melissa Mischke, Exeter’s dean of students, says the school is committed to providing a nurturing and supportive environment for its students to counteract the demands placed on them. In addition to teachers and advisers and academic support, Exeter has three full-time counselors and a dean of student health and wellness who support students through challenging times.

“We have been looking carefully at pace-of-life issues for many years,” says Mischke. “We know that we always need to be thinking about how much pressure we as educators put on kids and this is going to be something that continues to evolve for us.”

90 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

WHAT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS — AND THEIR PAR ENTS — C AN DO TO COMBAT THIS STR ESS AND PR ESSUR E

THINKSTOCK

1

3

Savor high school, in the moment. A college acceptance

letter isn’t the goal of high school.

Students should spend their teen years learning all they can, enjoying extracurricular activities and investing in relationships with family and friends.

“Whatever you learn in the class is more important than the grade.

They can’t take the knowledge away from you,” says Carol Hoffman, 46, a Rockville, Md., mom of two whose son — Tyler, 15 — is in the highly competitive International Baccalaureate program at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville. “We’re trying to stay away from the mentality that you have to get the perfect grades and get into the Princetons and Harvards of the world. . . . If we encourage our children to do their best at their level for what they hope and want, there is less stress and anxiety.”

With this in mind, teens will choose extracurricular activities they enjoy, rather than only those they believe will “look good” on a college résumé.

“Too many people are having breakdowns in college and their 20s because they don’t know who they are, because they’ve been living their life to get into a school rather than developing their identity,” author Alexandra Robbins says. “Forget about what other people are doing or thinking or expecting and just pursue your own interests and passions.”

2

Keep your schedule reasonable.

When Tyler started high school, he signed up for a slew of activities, only to find that he couldn’t keep up with his schoolwork as well. Since then, he’s pared back to the mock trial team, Boy Scouts and teaching piano and French to younger children.

Tyler occasionally feels a pang when he hears his friends talk about how busy they are with different commitments. “You almost want to be as busy as they are. In excess it can be a little toxic,” he says.

Rather than always maintaining a tight schedule, he prioritizes afterschool play with neighborhood friends and cycling or hiking on the weekends.

And he reminds himself that if he were at the local public school, he would be leading the pack, but feels it’s better to be challenged in a more competitive environment even if he ends up feeling just slightly better than average.

Seek support when needed.

When Kirtland first arrived at Exeter, she felt reluctant to admit when she needed help. “There’s this feigned confidence that you put out because everyone is so smart and seems to be doing well,” she recalls.

Not wanting to disappoint her parents also played a part, she says.

“The thought of having to bring home a bad report card at the end of the term felt really bad. It’s not like they were overbearing or being tiger parents, but it was always in the back of my mind that if I did poorly, they would take me out and bring me back home.”

But once she hit a wall in a challenging math class and realized she had to ask for help, she learned how important support was. “The adults around you are good people and want to help you and they’re not just trying to fail you out of the school,” she says, noting that it was her classmates’ willingness to ask for help on a tough concept or problem that made her comfortable admitting her own challenges.

Kirtland also relied on extracurricular activities — such as the junior varsity swim team and the “JV” orchestra — and friends to take her mind off academics.

“Coffee helped. Friends helped.

Extracurriculars helped,” she says. “It’s recognizing that you’re in a special place and you really have to make the most of it.”

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health

TEST IT OUT Try a dry run of your back-toschool routine in the week before school starts. “This will help work out unexpected kinks and get parents and kids more comfortable with what’s to come,” says therapist Anne B. Parker.

BE THE MIR ROR

5 Tips to Help First-Day Jitters

Cue your children into how the mind and body work together by describing their physical signs of anxiety, says Mariam Gates, founder of Kid Power yoga. For instance, say, “I see that your eyebrows are really clenching and you’re making tight fists.” By “mirroring” these behaviors, you can raise your child’s awareness and let her know you’re in tune with her emotions.

Help your child avoid stress and prep for school success

oing back to school is such a timeless and universal experience. Remember feeling the fresh, stiff straps of a new backpack on your shoulders, smoothing out your carefully put-together outfit and breathing in the familiar smells of school after being away for months.

Remember, too, the jitters you probably felt in the nights leading up to that first day.

Undoubtedly, your kids feel some of those same anxieties. But with preparation, you can help them tame their fears and transform their worry into enthusiasm for the year ahead.

• First, have a conversation with your child. Ask open-ended, “door opener” questions to gauge their concerns, says Bob Lichtenstein, a nationally certified school psychologist. “What do you think this year will be like?” “What are you looking forward to?” “What are you concerned about?”

• Then listen to your child’s response

92 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

in a non-judgmental way. “If your child has concerns, don’t minimize or deny them by saying something like, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll do fine.’ Instead, reflect and encourage problem-solving: ‘Yes, that could be a problem. How are you thinking of handling it?’” he says.

• Do some prep work to get ready for the new routine, says therapist Anne B. Parker. “Two weeks before school starts, pay some attention and care to mindfully establish new morning and afternoon routines,” she says.

But don’t dictate the schedule. “Include both parents and kids in discussions about how things will work around the house so that everyone has the opportunity to understand and buy in,” Parker says.

• Have a chat with your child about the nature of worry, says Dan Peters, author of Make your Worrier a Warrior.

Fear and worry, Peters explains, reside in the future. To combat those feelings, “help your child focus on now instead of worrying about what might happen later,” he says.

One way to increase mindfulness is through yoga principles and poses, which help kids better understand the connection between mind and body.

• Finally, make sure it’s stress, not excitement, they’re experiencing.

Explain that though anxiety can cause jitters, faster breathing and feeling like you have lots of energy, excitement can feel the same way, says psychoanalyst Dr. Gail Saltz.

“Simply explaining that the body physiologically can do the same thing even though the content associated with those feelings is different invites your child to consider that it may be excitement,” she says.

THINKSTOCK

BY JAIME NETZER

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BIG NEWS FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL

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Your kids receive the latest news from USA TODAY on Curriculet, every day. Sharpen key academic skills and give your kids a boost before school starts!

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health

Stopping the Spread How one case of measles becomes 1,000

BY ELIZABETH NEUS ne person who doesn’t know they’re infected with measles goes to one crowded amusement park filled with people from around the world — not all of whom who have been vaccinated against the disease — and all virus breaks loose. The so-called “Disneyland” measles outbreak of 2014-15, which sickened 111 people in seven states, is just one example of how quickly the super-contagious disease can spread when vaccines aren’t used as a defense. Measles outbreaks are particularly fast and furious, especially since infected people are contagious for about four days before symptoms appear.

Ninety percent of susceptible people exposed to the measles virus catch the illness.

PATIENT ZERO

INFECTED UNINFECTED

ILLUSTRATION: THINKSTOCK. INFOGRAPHIC: GINA TOOLE SAUNDERS

SCENARIO 1 - VACCINATED If a person infected with measles walks into a room of 20 vaccinated people, chances are that one of them will contract measles. If that person goes into another room of 20 people, one person there will probably be infected. If that person goes into another room of 20, just one more will be infected.

There are few targets; the spread is controlled.

PATIENT ZERO

SCENARIO 2 - UNVACCINATED But if a person infected with measles walks into a room of 20 people where only 85 percent are vaccinated — that’s only three unvaccinated people; not many, right? — the spread can explode. Three people infect nine more people, who infect 27 more people, who infect 81 more, who infect 243 more, and so on, in multiples of three.

SOURCES: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION; NATIONAL CENTER FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION; NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES; MAYO CLINIC; AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS; DR. MARK SAWYER

95

sticky art

Tale of the Tapes Try these fun projects using washi and duct varieties

BY MAISY FERNANDEZ

T

ape used to be largely utilitarian — something you used to repair book pages, wrap presents or fix stuff in the garage.

But these days, tape has a new job that’s a lot more fun. Thanks to the whimsical patterns and eye-popping colors on today’s duct tape and washi tape — a lightweight tape that can be repositioned easily — it has become a crafting staple as well.

Tape is an especially good medium for children’s projects because it’s readily avail-

able, easy to tear, inexpensive and isn’t messy, says Vera Corbett Ahiyya, a Massachusetts kindergarten teacher whose class used washi tape to make a Mother’s Day collage.

Working with tape also helps younger kids develop fine motor skills. “They are pulling, adjusting and manipulating tape with their thumb and forefinger, which strengthens the muscles you need to write essays and manipulate small objects later,” Ahiyya says.

Try this quick kid-friendly project to get in on the sticky fun:

DUCK TAPE STR AW PICTURE FR AME

AND TRY THESE PROJECTS, TOO: Duct tape pencil case: Give a cool look to a boring case. Visit Sarah Goldberg’s blog, whiletheysnooze. blogspot.com, and search for “duck tape.”

Washi tape door hangers: Give this retro idea a modern spin. washitapecrafts. com/2014/08/colorfuldiy-door-hangers

A great way to upcycle an older frame, this craft project from the Duck Tape website takes about an hour.

Duct tape book cover: Add a funky twist to your textbook or notebook. duck brand.com/duck-tape club/ducktivities/ school-crafts/ ikat-book-cover

• picture frame • one roll of standardwidth duct tape • one or more rolls of thin duct tape • stirring straws • scissors • crafting board

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cover straws lengthwise using the thin duct tape.

• Once covered, cut straws into strips long enough to cover the frame.

• Cut strips of standard tape that measure the length of each side of the frame.

96 BACK TO SCHOOL | FALL 2015

• Place them sticky-side up, then secure them onto the frame with tape on the sides.

• Create patterns using straw pieces.

Complete instructions with photos available at duckbrand.com/ duck-tape-club/ducktivities/crafts/ straw-frame

Washi tape bracelets: Turn an empty tape roll into a cute fashion accessory. delicateconstruction. com/2012/10/ upcycled-washi-tapebracelets-trash-totreasure.html

DUCKBRAND.COM; THINKSTOCK

SUPPLIES

Washi tape flowers: Turn leftover rolls of tape into colorful three-dimensional blooms. http://justsomethingi made.com/2012/06/ washi-tape-flowers

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Based on April 2014 Supplies Watch survey for print quality using HP and competitive inks in HP printers.

2

EPEAT® Silver registered models of this product are available where HP registers consumer desktop and/or notebook computers. © 2015 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. ENERGY STAR and the ENERGY STAR logo are registered U.S. marks.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.