Back To School Issue 2011
Vermont’s Approach to Gifted Education; Kids and Vaccines; Picking and Packing the Backpack; Sports-Related injuries
Disc Drives
Remember the giddy feeling you’d get as a kid when you launched a Frisbee through the air? Spin that disc again in a game of Ultimate Frisbee, a heart-pounding and sometimes comical sport that you and your kids can play just about anywhere. Ultimate first emerged as an organized team sport in 1968. Since then,…
Book Review: “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick
Librarian: Jill Coffrin, Youth Services Librarian, Dorothy Alling Memorial Library in Williston. Book: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick Age range: 9-12 Coffrin’s summary: What secrets hide inside a 1920s Paris train station? This book, full of mystery and magic, tells the story of Hugo, a 12-year-old orphan who lives in the station…
In the Lunchbox: Taco Salad To Go
Most kids are taken with tacos — crunchy or soft, meaty or vegetarian. Even picky eaters who won’t touch a garden salad might give taco salad a try. Wrapped in a whole-wheat tortilla, taco salad makes for a fun, south-of-the-border-inspired lunchbox treat, a welcome departure from the usual midday routine. The traditional flavors of lime…
What do you tell a kid who doesn’t want to go to school?
Doug Wilhelm, Weybridge, writer Children: son, Brad, 24; stepson, Nate, 15 Observing first that it’s easier to give advice than to parent so wisely ourselves, I would suggest asking, listening and maybe offering a limited choice. I’d ask, “Why don’t you want to go?” And I’d try to listen to the answer, without judging or…
The Art Of… Quilting
Stitching memory quilts might sound old-fashioned for a generation of kids whose thumbs are more accustomed to using touch-screens than thimbles. But, June Bugbee, owner of Sew Many Treasures in Williston, says her young sewing students find the traditional skill habit-forming. Bugbee takes a moment from snipping through bolts of fabric to pluck a photo…
Early Education
My son is only four. So as fall arrives and other families are out school shopping, we’re still happily strolling the beach. But, as Oliver reminded me recently, schooling starts at home, long before the first bell rings. One night, he asked when I’d be dead … which shows both the depth of his thoughts…
Got It Covered
As kids’ textbooks begin piling up in lockers and backpacks, here’s a new twist on a classic method of protecting them. Recycle paper grocery bags to make book covers using the tried-and-true method described below. Then place comic strips, pictures of favorite pop stars, meaningful quotes or helpful hints on the cover and encase it…
Leave it to the Pros
Home-grown, home-thrown birthday parties are nice. Sometimes, though, you want someone else to stress over the devilish details so you can enjoy the celebration as a participant. When your child asks for a rock-star, fashion-show birthday party with all the trimmings, you might want to call a pro. Here are two I recommend: Preschool Ages…
What should parents know about sports-related head injuries?
School is back in session, which means that student athletes are hitting the fields — and, too often, their noggins. Coaches used to tell players to “shake it off,” but no longer. Medical experts now warn that even a seemingly mild head injury can result in brain damage. Lewis First, chief of pediatrics at Vermont…
