KidsOutAndAbout.com newsletter

Sent April 4, 2008

Click here to sign up for the newsletter.

Dear KOA readers:

Pssssst. I'm going to say this in a very, very low whisper just in case, but...I think it may be spring out there! I got an email from a friend in Minneapolis, where they have weather similar to ours though an order of magnitude colder, and she says there are four seasons in Minnesota: Almost winter, winter, still winter, and construction. She says she thinks they're coming close to the end of "still winter." It sure seems like that here this year.

Today is also the 40-year anniversary of Martin Luther King' death. And the 5-year anniversary of the ice storm that sent us scuttling down to our friends' in Pittsburgh for a week until we got power back.

I know it's spring mostly because, this week, KOA daily readership suddenly shot up 20 percent. That happens every April 1 like clockwork, regardless of the temperature; there's no other reason that we suddenly get a spike on a Tuesday, which is usually one of our slower reading days. I think people suddenly feel that they have a *duty* to get their kids out and about now that the warmer weather is at least supposed to be upon us, and they know where to turn. We can at least pretend. So check out our calendar and see all that is going on for kids and families in greater Rochester!

2) So, when it's spring, you want to get out and about, and you may be thinking of doing something special for a day or two during Spring Break in a couple of weeks. But with the cost of travel these days, you probably don't want to go too far. Well, Jackie Perrin has a bunch of suggestions for you, in her new article:

Close By and On the Cheap
Great Spring Break Family Escapes in Western New York

That's located at http://rochester.kidsoutandabout.com/main-vacations/SpringBreakClosetoRochester.html

All of the destinations are in driving distance, and she has lots of ideas for day- and overnight trips that I never thought of before.

Jackie has another article in to me that I'm...almost...almost...done formatting.

It's called Four Florida Escapes for Under $2,000.

Events and prices are specific to 2008, so it'a a good idea to read now, especially if you're planning that trip for this spring break, but it will give good ideas to anyone traveling to Florida with kids. It will be up very shortly, so I'm going to give you the link now, although it's not quite active yet:
http://rochester.kidsoutandabout.com/main-vacations/SpringBreak08Florida.html

3) When I think of spring, I, like so many others, often think of poetry. I'm not usually an e.e. cummings fan (although my husband is), but at this time of year, I can't help repeating to myself:

in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman

whistles far and wee

Local poet Joe Sottile had a recent article in the D&C called "7 Ways to Grow Poets in Your Home Garden" and I found it definitely worth linking to:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/LOCAL11/803210380

4) Yesterday, I gave a talk to a group of lovely MOPS moms in Penfield (thanks for having me, ladies, it was fun!). The talk was "Preschoolers Out and About in Rochester," and giving it reminded me to remind YOU parents of preschoolers of a great program out at Genesee Country Nature Center in Mumford for 4- and 5-year-olds. In spring, fall, and winter they have a 3-week nature class on Thursday afternoons from 1-3. It's the best deal ever: $25 for all three weeks, and it includes a snack, a hike, a craft, and loads of nature education and appreciation. I was heartbroken when Ella turned 6 and was too old for the class, as my kids always adored their special time with Linda, Liz, and Melissa, the GCNC naturalists. Spring Peepers starts on April 17, and you can pre-register by calling (585) 538-6822 and asking to be transferred down to the Nature Center.

5) Speaking of The Arts (I was, above), we have a lot of speaking to do today of Arts events:

Tomorrow evening is the concert gala for the Bach Children's Chorus at the RIT Inn & Conference Center. As regular readers know, my kids sing in the BCC and I was in charge of getting a lot of the items for their silent auction that will be held at the gala...and we got 99 items! (You can see most of them at http://rochester.kidsoutandabout.com/nonprofit/BCCAuction.html.) The concert starts at 6:30, and then all the kids (in the performance and in the audience) go to some separate rooms there for a pizza party and entertainment, while we adults stay for a more sophisticated dinner, musical entertainment, and auction. It will be a nice evening out for all. Anyway, they are selling tickets at the door ($25/adults, $10 kids), so if your kids are at all interested in singing in the BCC or its little-sister chorus, the Mozart Children's Chorus (for age 5-8), it's a fun way to let them check it out. You can advance order tickets today by calling 585-582-3082 or pay at the door.

Tomorrow, April 5, is also Webster's Community Arts Day. There will be art, photo, music, and literature entries on display, musical entertainment from various performing groups, craft vendors, a talent show, carnival games, crafts for kids, plant sale, bake sale, as well as breakfast and lunch items available to purchase.

Tomorrow is also the third annual Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival. That's at Martha Brown Middle School in Fairport from 10:00-5:00 p.m., and it's free! There are a bunch of terrific authors on the schedule; check it out.

For older kids and adults, tonight at 8pm is the next performance in the Performing Artists series at RIT's Ingle Auditorium. The performer is pianist Soojin Ahn and she's playing selections from Haydn, Liszt, Messiaen, Schumann, and Ravel. Tickets are $6 students, $20 general public.

There are other performances this weekend, too, so make sure to check the calendar. Like Seussical in Gananda and Rapunzel at Geva (from TYKEs), and Brighton High School is doing a musical called Starmites. Tom Knight is doing a performance to benefit the Ellwanger Barry School Saturday at 2pm at the South Presbyterian Church.

6) The main event going on in a lot of parents' minds, though, is the 14th Annual Camp & Activity Fair at Eastview Mall -- it's this Sunday (a little later than usual in the year) from 11am-5pm. Sponsored by Genesee Valley Parent, it will feature representatives from over 90 camps from around our region. I always find it a good idea to bring the kids along and let *them* talk with the camp directors themselves, it gives everyone a better feel for what would be a good fit.

We have a camp section, too, on KidsOutAndAbout.com. It is free for camps to provide a general (not date-specific) listing, and so we have a LOT of camps, in over 20 different categories. Check out the link at http://rochester.kidsoutandabout.com/classesandcamps/camps/index.html

7) I have a winner to congratulate: Katie was the winner of the tickets to The Harley’s School’s Bebop to Bach concert on Sunday, April 6. I love these performances; they're especially for kids age 2-8 and they're in a comfy, kid-friendly little arena room. Tickets are still available for $5/child or $10/family and may be purchased by calling 442-1770 ext. 3049.

Current giveaways on KOA are located at http://rochester.kidsoutandabout.com/city-articles/giveaways.html. I have a new one to put up later today, so check back soon!

8) Thank you to everyone who wrote in last week about my little "eye contact" anecdote. My cousins had visited for Easter, and I was impressed at how my 14-year-old cousin looked me right in the eye as he spoke to me, really made the kind of human contact that is surprisingly mature for a kid that age. Well, I got all kinds of feedback from many different perspectives, some of which I'd like to share here.

Kathy, who is hearing-impaired, makes an excellent point that is especially relevant here in Rochester:

Not only is looking one in the eye good contact, but it also says you are important to me. Also, being hearing-impaired, it is much easier to understand what people are saying when you do have eye contact with one another. You ever try reading lips with someone's face moving around like on a swivel? There are many hearing-impaired people and society takes it for granted just because they can hear well, everyone can hear well.

I love how she phrases this.

Another reader, Anna from Pittsford, reminds us how important it is to teach your kids the importance of good eye contact as they start the college admissions process:

I was a college admissions counselor for a large university in Boston, part of my job was to interview perspective undergraduate students and I'm sure during my six plus years I interviewed thousands of high school seniors and juniors. You would not believe (or, perhaps you would) what minute percentage of those young adults knew how to properly greet me--shake hands, look me in the eye and introduce themselves and whomever they were with. Most parents would physically 'jump in' before the student could get a word out and do all the introductions themselves, not even allowing their child an opportunity to speak for themselves. Our practice was to interview the student alone and many, many parents objected, telling us 'well, he/she won't know what to ask/say/do'! After each interview, we would fill out an evaluation of the student and one of the questions asked was about the student's interpersonal skills, that form then became a part of the student's admission application to the university.

My son currently goes to a Montessori school and part of that education includes grace and courtesy. Each morning when students arrive, they have to shake hands with the teacher greeting them at the door or at the classroom....I thought about how important grace and courtesy is, so I am planning to maintain this standard at home at all ages.

Kate, in the psychology department of a local university, contributed her perspective.

[B]y teaching your children to look someone in the eye, you are teaching them to say “I’m here, I’m a person, talk to me.” ...I find it sad to watch an adult talk at a child or worse, ignore them. My son says he makes a conscious effort to look people on the eye, and he believes that adults notice. He also senses that they respond to it and in turn, this response causes him to look people in the eye more.

All great observations...if anyone has others that occurred to them this week, please send them along, as I'm thinking of making this into a regular KOA article.

8) I know I detailed some of the performances above, but there is so much more going on than I could possibly highlight in one newsletter (and it's only April!). Tonight at 6pm there is a Family Carnival at McQuaid Jesuit, that is free and open to the public. (There are small fees for food and games.) This is also the last weekend of Maple Sugaring at the Cumming Nature Center out in Naples (the one at the Genesee Country Village ended last weekend).

For this week's calendar, go to http://rochester.kidsoutandabout.com/calendar-search-display.php?dr=tw&EventCity=1

9) We just did a little graphical improvements to KOA this week, with a bit wider format which should help with readability, and we have also include a new tab for "Newsletter" to make it more clear that we have this Friday morning e-newsletter. I guess that was a good idea, because we got a bunch of extra newsletter signups this week. So HELLO all of you new people. WELCOME! If you ever have any suggestions for anything I should add to the KOA web site or mention in this newsletter, please don't hesitate to email.

Have a great week, everyone! I hear it's going to be really nice on Sunday, so get Out and About! (And next week: BASEBALL! Red Wings home opener! Yes!)

Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com

Click here to sign up for the newsletter if you are not yet subscribed.