Kids VT, March 2019
But Why? A Local Podcast Taps Into Kids’ Curiosity; UVM Students Share the Joy of Dance; Sugarhouses Welcome Visitors; St. J Students Chef It Up
If I Were President
In February, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced the winner of his ninth annual State of the Union Essay Contest, which asks Vermont high schoolers which issues they would prioritize if they were president. Firdaus Muhammad, a freshman at Essex High School, placed first with an essay about Islamophobia. She is the first freshman to win…
A Place to Pump
Founded by Sascha Mayer and Christine Dodson in 2013, Burlington-based Mamava aims to support nursing moms by providing them with a clean, private place to nurse and pump milk. Their freestanding lactation suites have been installed in hundreds of locations across the country, from airports to sports stadiums. In February, Dodson and her son, Julius,…
Hungarian Goulash: Comfort Food With Ancient Roots
Ask most Americans what goulash is, and they’ll probably say tomato sauce with lots of meat, mixed with macaroni noodles. With origins in medieval Hungary, there are actually many variations of this hearty dish. According to my internet research, it began as a shepherd’s stew and the now-signature Hungarian paprika was added to the recipe…
When David Got Dengue: A Mother and Son, Far From Home, Contend With a Deadly Illness
In June 2018, days after my son David finished 8th grade in the United Arab Emirates, we flew to rainy Sri Lanka for a break from our parched existence in the Arabian desert. I was working as chief of staff for Ajman University, my second stint in the country’s higher education system. Both David and…
Mom Takes Notes, March 2019
Mud season is that time in Vermont between winter and spring. The surface layers of soil have started to melt, but the deeper, frozen layers cannot absorb the water, turning the top into a muddy mess. This season is not only messy, it’s also the time when the ground beneath our feet is most vulnerable.…
Kitchen Creativity
Despite being the daughter of an art teacher, I’ve never been particularly talented at painting, drawing or sculpting. And crafts? Forget about it. You won’t find any impeccably organized scrapbooks, hand-knit mittens or Mason jar lanterns in my house. I even failed home economics in 8th grade because I couldn’t finish a stuffed-animal sewing project.…
The Art of… the Vermont Brain Bee
Most people have participated in a spelling bee at some point in their academic career. But a brain bee? Unlikely. For 10 years, though, high schoolers in Vermont have had the opportunity to test their knowledge of neuroscience during the annual Vermont Brain Bee. In February, 48 students from seven area high schools — some…
How Can I Help my Family Declutter for Spring?
You might not believe this, but spring will return. It will! It has to! As the light changes and the days get longer, we start to feel a little less like binge-watching Netflix in sweatpants all day and a little more restless and energetic. Every spring, my to-do list is suddenly ridiculously long. Full of…
Giving Voice to Youth: A Montpelier Author Tackles Racial Issues With Smarts and Savvy
Kekla Magoon’s newest middle grade novel, The Season of Styx Malone, sucks in young readers right from the start, when brothers Caleb and Bobby Gene briefly swap their baby sister for a gunnysack of fireworks. The brothers meet a new neighbor, Styx Malone — an older, cooler kid who hatches a summertime trading scheme, and…
A Sense of Place: Camp Staffers Reflect on the Spots That Make Their Summer Program Special
If you attended summer camp as a kid, chances are that some of your clearest memories involve those special places where you played, swam and roasted marshmallows. Those wooded trails, water-worn docks and dusty campfire circles are the features that live in our hearts and minds long after summer — and childhood — is over.…
How Can Parents Keep Their Kids Safe From Lead Poisoning?
In December 2018, the Vermont Department of Health announced plans to test the water in every school in the state for the presence of lead. This came after a pilot project involving 16 schools found that the highly toxic metal was present in the water from at least one tap in every school tested. Lead…
Destination Recreation: Local Sugarhouses
The most practical advice for families visiting sugarhouses this month? Bring boots. Vermont fêtes its famous sugaring season with Maple Open House Weekend — March 23 and 24. To help everything run smoothly, the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association provides a map of sugarhouses that are open for the event. Some of them, like East…
Hot Lunch: Student-Run Restaurant Wows Diners in St. Johnsbury
The hottest lunch spot in St. Johnsbury is a high school classroom. Before you think chips and Snapple, cramped student desks and an adolescent atmosphere, picture this: spiced sea scallops crowned with orange-olive salad, chicken and shellfish paella made with saffron rice and chorizo, and portabella cannelloni drizzled with ricotta-basil cream sauce. Think fresh flowers,…
Prima Ballerinas: A Dance Workshop Enables College Students and Kids With Special Needs to Learn From Each Other
Katy Perry is blasting on the speakers. About 20 young women and girls glide across the floor, practicing the sideways ballet step known as pas de bourrée. One girl clutches a doll with bright red hair and fairy wings, a grin spreading across her face as she moves with the pack. Her name is Lily…
Habitat: Library Maker Space
What’s the connection between a world-class brewery and a small, rural library? The employees at Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro — named best brewery in the world for five years in a row by RateBeer — have an annual tradition of pooling their gratuities each year and donating them locally. “Since the very humble beginnings…
Take a Break at Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center
While parents of young children tend to be pros at multitasking, exercising while child wrangling often feels impossible. And sometimes Mama (or Papa) just needs an hour to sweat it out. In February, Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center began offering childcare services during three morning classes in its Essex Junction location. Families can preregister…
Wonder Women: VPR’s Jane Lindholm and Melody Bodette Tap Into Kids’ Curiosity With “But Why”
“Did you know that elephants have 42,000 muscles in their trunks?” Jane Lindholm asked me recently. I had to confess I did not. Humans, the Vermont Public Radio personality went on to explain, have about 650 to 800 muscles in their entire bodies, depending on how you categorize the muscle groups. Just four muscle groups…
