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RMPARENT | 1
FEBRUARY 2014 • RMPARENT.COM
Special health Section
No-hassle hOMEwORk
Personal time FOR MOM
Hike BOBCAT RidgE
Prepare YOUR gARdENFOR PLANTiNg
Genetically MOdiFiEd FOOds
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DepartmentsPersPective . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Life’s little lessons—what we do is just the start of it
As We GrOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Want to be a better mom?–then create time for yourself away from the children
FAmily Activities . . . . . . . 10A perfect winter hike—breathe some fresh air in historic Bobcat Ridge Natural Area
HeAltHy livinG . . . . . . . . . 12 Easing into spring gardening—start preparing now both indoors and out
cOmmunity neWs . . . . . . 14A little financial planning goes a long way—turn sleepless nights into restful ones with education
nutritiOn . . . . . . . . . . . . 16What’s in your shopping cart?—genetically modified foods and your family
cAlendAr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Events and activities for parents, kids and families
time Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 A solid rocking chair—constant worrying never gets you anywhere
Features
School District News
FEBR
UA
RY 2
01
4
18 HealtHy Homework Habits
It occurs in millions of households every day—the struggle between a parent and a child over homework. Your job as parents is to be the gentle, yet firm, guide. Set rules around homework, and sit down to encourage and assist. Try these tips to help lessen the struggle, and get your kids on track with homework.
aboUt tHe CoVer: Penelope, 2 and-a-half-years old, loves rollerskating listening to indi rock, jumping and her little brother. Photo by Cheri Schonfeld, schonfeldphotography.com.
Special Sections
Camp GUiDepreViewGet a first look at the camps and programs these providers have coming up for your families
CAMP GUIDE P R E V I E W
A D V E R T I S I N G S U P P L E M E N T
thompson school district. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24“Hour of Code” features over 6,000 TSD students, coin drive, musical honors awarded to TSD students
Poudre school district. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Empowering students through volunteer efforts at Harris, calendar of events, kindergarten registration, school choice deadline, PSD Foundation SPIE Grants encourage innovation
Greeley-evans district 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32District 6 considers consolidating two eastside schools, whooping cough, flu cases are on the rise, plans move ahead on construction of Prairie Heights Middle School
lunchbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34School menus for Poudre, Thompson, Greeley-Evans and Windsor
Prenatal yoga, postnatal yoga and yoga for moms all have physical and mental benefits. Explore local studios to find a class that is right for you. Find the facts on good nutrition and resist the hype about fad diets promising to keep your baby weight down and so-called cleanses that are “good for you and baby.”
Health focus
6 | RMPARENT
I was reading Lynn Utzman-Nichols’ story about homework and I was struck by this paragraph:“Parents need to look at the big picture
when it comes to homework—they should remember that the purpose of homework is not to get a good grade, the purpose is to teach important concepts and practice skills,” says Carol Pfaffly, Marriage and Family Therapist with UCHealth’s Family Medicine Center.
I thought, that is so right. We think that the purpose for doing something is X, but if we step back and look at the bigger picture, we’re actually teaching something far greater than what is happening at that minute. But we get caught up in the struggle of the moment and tend to lose sight of that vaster vista.
We’re shifting from doing to being...doing homework to being responsible and disciplined. So many things are like this, every day. Pets come to mind (Probably because we just got a puppy). We hit the do-be wall...we ask kids to feed the dogs each morning, but what they’re really learning is to be caring and to be responsible. And when the pets die, they learn about change and loss.
Most chores are like that (We ran a story along these lines last month). It ’s not about getting the room clean or the dishes done (OK, maybe it is a little bit about those). It ’s about helping our kids to learn to appreciate a nice, uplifted environment and to do their part to make it so. I guess that might be appreciation and the joy of putting in some effort to get a result.
Pretty much everything we do with our kids (and with anyone else for that matter) can be seen through both lenses...the lens of what we’re doing and then the lens of what we’re actually transmit-ting beyond that. I’m thinking of the act of putting a child in a car seat.... we can do it in rush and plop, strap and snap and that might say to a child that this is a chore and I’m so tired. Or we could do it in a gentle way with conversation and that might say that you’re important and I want to be sure you’re all good. I know this doesn’t sound like reality every day when there’s screaming and resistance and everybody’s tired, but if we can learn to approach every inter-action as a way of creating a link or a bond and not as a way of just getting through the day, then our world and the world of the people around us get just a little bit nicer.
So I’m going to try to remember that getting the homework done isn’t about the homework, it ’s about the whole thing: the healthy habits, the interactions, the opportunity to learn life les-sons.... Because a grade is just a soon-forgotten letter on a piece of paper, but a relationship and an appreciation of a bigger view can last a lifetime.
Thanks for reading,Scott
perspectivelife’s little lessonsWhat we do is just the start of it FEBRUARY 2014 • Volume 18, Issue 9
PUBLISHERScott Titterington, (970)221-9210
EDITORKristin Titterington, (970)221-9210
CALEnDAR EDITORAly Titterington
CREATIVE DIRECTOREmily Zaynard
ADVERTISInG SALES DIRECTORGreg Hoffman, (970)[email protected]
DISTRIBUTIOnWendee Brungardt, Sharon Klahn, Cherese Macy,
Rob’s Bike Courier Service
COVER PHOTOCheri Shonfeld, schonfeldphotography.com
COnTRIBUTInG WRITERS Lea Hanson, Katie Harris, Richard Keller,
Kim Lipker, Kim Sharpe, Lynn Utzman-nichols
ROCKY MOUnTAIn PUBLISHInG825 Laporte Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80521
Voice 221-9210Fax 221-8556
Rocky Mountain Parent magazine is published monthly by Rocky Mountain Publishing, Inc. Publication of this paper
does not consitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised. RMP reserves the right to refuse any
advertisement for any reason. The opinions expressed by contributors or writers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rocky Mountain Publishing. ©2013 Rocky
Mountain Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without express written permission is prohibited.
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8 | RMPARENT
women’s health
When young kids take nearly 100 percent of our energy, it feels impossible to squeeze
out some personal time each day, let alone each week. Yet in order to be good moth-ers, it’s a must. We’ve all heard the saying, “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else.” The trick is fig-uring out how to do it—and going alone to work or the grocery store doesn’t count. Here are some ideas to get you started.
ExPLORE iNTEREsTs, OLd ANd NEw Make a list of what you used to like to do before kids and see if you are still interested and if such activities are still practical. If you’re drawing a blank, thumb through the city recreation guide and circle items of interest. Now, scale it down. If you can’t commit to a book group or a 6-week rock climbing class, do something similar on a much smaller scale: spend time looking through new offerings at the bookstore or take an hour to go to the climbing gym each week.
gET sChEdULEd Putting your family on a schedule makes it easier for you to see available chunks of time. When you see a gap, sched-ule some me time. How about coffee with an old friend, or a walk through the park? Yes, your spouse has to cover you—but let him add his own outing to the schedule. Also, if you don’t have one already, work to establish a set, early bedtime for your kids. If they get in the routine of falling asleep at 8 pm you know you’ve got an hour or two in the evening to connect to your spouse and relax—or go out with girlfriends.
hiRE A hOUsE CLEANER OR A NEighBOR-hOOd kid TO shOvEL ThE dRivEwAY If you can afford one or two luxuries, why not? Now is the time to indulge,
when the kids are young. This goes for stay-at-home moms, too, who of-ten feel guilty if they are not making all the meals, running all the errands and keeping the house clean. If that’s not an option, consider lowering your standards. Maybe the toilet can go two weeks without seeing a scrub brush or you can skimp by with just shoveling the walk. A little dirt and dishevelment never hurt anybody.
sET UP A ChiLdCARE TRAdE Got a best friend with kids? Talk with her about covering each other at least once a month for a date night. Also, attend events that offer babysitting, like those offered by the Mother’s Center in Loveland and Fort Collins (www.motherscenterfc.org). Or, hire a junior high girl to watch your toddler for an hour twice a week so you can spend time doing an exercise DVD, or reading a good book.
LEAvE wORk EARLY, BUT LEAvE ThE kids iN dAYCARE While it may seem scandalous, taking an hour at the end of the workday for you is actually the opposite. Remember, the idea is carving out bits of time wherever you
can—and if the kids spend an extra hour now and then in daycare, that’s okay.
A wORd ON MOMMY gUiLT Studies show that self-esteem, life sat-isfaction and marital bliss drop when parents immerse themselves in their chil-dren’s lives, rarely coming up for air. Not taking personal time for hobbies, exercise, or simply to ponder who you are can lead to a sense of feeling lost. Our identities are made up of all the roles we play in life. When those roles are boiled down to just a few—like spouse and mother—women can feel a sense of emptiness.
As far as handling guilt about leav-ing the baby, start small. Instead of a whole evening out, maybe you and your spouse can have dessert and coffee for an hour. It may feel strange at first—as if you are breaking some law—but keep do-ing it. You’ll get used to it soon enough. If you feel a lot of guilt, take a look at its source. Ask yourself whether it is coming from a specific person or a global belief that good moms always put family first. Finally, replace those thoughts with a new belief that rings true for you, like moms who take time for themselves are better moms. After all, it’s true.
want to be a better mom? Create time for yourself away from the children
L Y N N U t z m A N N i c H o L S
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family activities
The Bobcat Ridge Natural Area is a very special place for northern Colorado children. This 2,600-
acre Natural Area stretches from the plains all the way to Rocky Mountain National Park. Take a trip back in time with a visit to the historic log cabin that sits 1.4 miles on the Valley Loop Trail.
vALLEY LOOP TRAiL TO ThE CABiNTo start the hike, leave the parking area and look to the right were there are old outbuildings and the newly restored and remodeled Ranger Residence. Head onto the paved trail past the kiosk, to-ward The Shelter and make note of the bobcat tracks on the path. These tracks are reproductions and were pressed into the pavement.
Stop at The Shelter and read the interpretive signs on Bobcat Ridge and the resident wildlife. Much to kids’ de-light, they have plenty of potty talk here. One sign devotes an entire feature to the “scoop on poop,” showcasing the scat from the area wildlife. Use your binocu-lars because this is a great place to watch wildlife as well as explore their markings and habitat. Bobcat Ridge is home to a wide variety of animals: mountain lions, bears, bobcats, coyotes, and rattlesnakes. The area attracts a lot of birds and you can spot dozens of different butterflies during spring and summer.
Get back onto the trail; take a right turn, traveling north toward The Cabin on the Valley Loop Trail. This is an accessible-grade trail that is not paved, but is so wide and well maintained that a sturdy wheelchair or stroller should have no trouble traveling the entire 1.4 miles to The Cabin.
The trail weaves through sagebrush, seasonal wildflowers, and an occasional skunk bush. Miles of meadow and stun-ning views surround hikers from The Shelter to The Cabin. Look east to the
rock formation of the hogback and look west to the ridges of Bobcat, still scarred by the wildfire in 2000.
Take a right turn where the Valley Loop Trail intersects with a spur to The Cabin. Travel a short distance to the old, yet restored cabin tucked into the trees. Here, you see history in ac-tion. In addition to being a beauti-ful Natural Area, Bobcat Ridge has a rich hu-man history that includes Native American use and pioneer habitation.
After exploring, or having a picnic, pack up and head back to the trailhead on the same path. If you have longer legs, or feel energetic, take the entire Valley Loop Trail back to The Shelter, following a counter-clockwise rotation. Another great option for families is the Eden Valley Spur Trail. It travels off of the Valley Loop Trail and is ac-cessible from the southern portion of the loop. The Eden Valley Spur Trail is 1.3 miles and is unique for its less-arid topography and the promise of finding bleached-out bones.
FUNFACTs4kids The children/parent programs at Bobcat Ridge are amazing. Look for Bobcat Tales that feature stories, hands-on activities, and exploration for children ages 3-7 and their parents. The Junior Bobcats are children ages 8-12 and their parents who get to complete a three-day, in-depth exploration program. These Junior Bobcats get a button, certificate, and other special gifts.
You never know when a bobcat may be watching! The namesake of Bobcat Ridge is a secretive, medium-sized fe-line, hiding in the brushy hillsides of this Natural Area. If you’re lucky and patient, you may get a glimpse of a bob-cat: The Division of Wildlife released two bobcats here in April 2008.
ECOFACTs4kids The fire in 2000 at Bobcat Ridge Natural Area left a visible mark on the hillside.
How long does it take the forest to recover? Through recent research
by the Forest Service, it has been discovered that fires have occurred at Bobcat Ridge on a regular basis since at least 1550. What is the role of fire in the ecosystem? Ask a ranger or naturalist about regular controlled burns in this Bobcat Ridge and other Natu-ral Areas in Fort Collins.
a perfect winter family hike Breathe some fresh air in historic Bobcat Ridge Natural Area
K i m L i p K E R
Bobcat Ridge Natural AreaTo the trailhead: Take Harmony, which turns into CR 38E at Horsetooth Reservoir, west to Masonville, turn left on CR 27 (at Masonville Mercantile), then right on CR 32C. The Bobcat gate is ½-mile down the road.
Distance: 2.8-miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation gain: Mild
Accessibility: Strollers, wheelchairs, all ages; no dogs
Highlights: Meadows, short information displays, stunning views, hogbacks, bones, wildlife, new trail system, hiking accessible all year, ranger lives on site, trail is very ex-posed and can be hot in summer.
Information: www.fcgov.com/natural areas/finder/bobcat
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healthy living
Although we’re not far into 2014, many of us are chomping at the bit to begin our gardens. The
urge to grow and produce food and beauty is primal and after a long winter, the need to reconnect with the earth is renewing and promising. Luckily, gardening is about so much more than planting seeds and harvesting growth. Many tasks can begin now as you look forward to and ease into spring.
CLEARiNg dRAiNAgE diTChEsLeaves and debris gather in drainage areas over the winter. Now is the time to ensure the spring rains will have adequate runoff. Spring seedlings do best in soil that drains well. Because vegetative growth is at a low point in early spring, this is the easiest time of year for clearing drainage ditches. And be sure to put the cleared material, usually dead leaves and small branches, into the compost. Spring compost piles are com-monly short on carbon-rich materials, and every addition helps.
MAkE REPAiRsNow is the time to repair any bowed sides to raised beds and fix trellises and fences. Soggy winter soil can put strain on raised beds; any bowed or leaning sides should be fixed before any planting is done. Dig back the soil behind the bowed side and drive in new stakes on the inside of the sideboards leaning slightly inward.
PLANT EARLY sPRiNg vEgETABLEsSoil is ready for gardening once it is free of ice crystals and crumbles easily. Soil that is too wet is easily compact-ed, reducing beneficial soil aeration. Common early spring crops are peas, spinach, lettuce, and leeks. Follow these crops with root and other cold-weather choices like broccoli, cabbage, radishes, kale, turnips, potatoes, and onions.
Most folks in northern Colorado
don’t plant until mid-May due to the timing of the last frost, but some plants can sustain frosty nights. Nonetheless, early spring plantings are vulnerable to hard frost that can set in overnight. If you expect a hard frost, cover seedlings over-night with anything you have on hand such as an overturned bucket, cardboard box (with a rock on top) or large flower-pot.
sTART sEEdLiNgs iNdOORsTo be the safest and to ensure the lowest risk, start seeds indoors. The process of germination may seem complex, but the act of seed planting is actually simple. Seeds can be started in almost any kind of container that will hold one to two inches
of soil and won’t become easily water-logged. Once seedlings form more roots and begin to develop their true leaves, they need to be transplanted to allow for root growth and have holes for drainage.
Seedlings can be started in open flats, in individual sections of a market pack, or in pots. Individual containers are preferable because roots are disturbed less. Some containers (peat pots, paper pots, soil blocks, etc.) can go right into the garden with the plant during trans-planting. Other pots must be slipped off the root ball prior to planting. You can recycle milk cartons and many types of plastic containers as seed-starting pots. Just be sure to poke a drainage hole in the bottom of each.
easing into spring gardeningStart preparing now both indoors and out
L E A H A N S o N
Classes to help you really dig inWe live in a community deeply rooted in the value of appreciating nature and sustenance. A num-ber of local resources are available. Whether you’re a first-time or expert gardener, have space for a large back-yard garden that will support your family’s annual needs or simply want to grow a little food on your town-home’s deck find the information that you need. www.coloradogardening.com. This site includes many resources and events including those listed below.
City of Fort Collins/ The Gardens on Spring CreekThe Recreator (www.fcgov.com/recreator/index.php) lists numerous options for kids and families that will help prepare, educate, and motivate your family as you look forward to planning your spring sow. Courses offered to adults include Edible Gardening in Northern Colorado; Building Dry Creek Beds/Drainage; and Designing, Building and Planting raised beds for Vegetables. Op-tions for children include Read & Seed where parents and children can team up to learn about the beauties of natural life following story time. Costs are minimal and discounts are often available for members of The Gardens on Spring Creek.
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community newsa little planning goes a long wayTurn sleepless nights into restful ones with education
B Y K i m S H A R p E
In study after study and poll after poll, finances and not being able to care for one’s family’s health and well-
being rank high when it comes to what causes people stress. From having too much credit card debt to not being able to afford childcare or health insurance to owing Uncle Sam back taxes, losing sleep over money matters is no fun.
Saving as much money as possible for emergencies and/or being proactive and turning in necessary paperwork so services, like childcare, won’t be inter-rupted is critical to financial peace of mind. Plus, knowing help and informa-tion is available may let northern Colo-rado residents get a little more shut-eye.
FiNANCiAL EdUCATiON FOR ThE MAssEs Very few people are immune to financial crisis, so there is always more to learn about effective money management and positive financial behaviors. Make Change NoCo offers financial educa-tion to all northern Colorado residents in an effort to make our community filled with people who are financially educated, stable and empowered to take control of their financial futures and be-come self-sufficient.
Make Change NoCo is northern Colorado’s community-driven financial education initiative led by Colorado State University Extension Larimer County and United Way of Larim-er County. With a growing number of partners, Make Change works to increase the accessibility, availability, coordination and quality of financial education resources and services.
Upcoming Make Change NoCo classes include:
• Must Have Homebuyer Information…the processes & players you need to know Are you thinking about buying a home, but not sure where to start? This one-hour session will help. Learn about the
home buying process, how to get your credit in top form, and what role the Realtor, Lender, Inspector and Appraiser play in the process. Nancy Patton-Public Service Credit Union - [email protected]. Tuesday, Feb. 18, 6:30pm, Loveland Public Library and Wednesday, Feb. 19, 6:30pm, at the Fort Collins Old Town Library, no cost, no registration required.
TAkE ChARgE OF YOUR MONEY MATTERs Feel like your finances are controlling you? Turn that around and be in charge of your money matters. Learn how to use a spending plan, pay less interest on debts, and get your credit report. These are among the top ten practical tools available to you to be in charge of your financial future.
Free classes presented by Laurel Kubin, CSU Extension – Larimer Coun-ty Director. Registration for classes is required. Contact Sam Leonard at 970-498-6018 to register. Classes are at the following times and locations:
• Monday, Feb. 3, 9-11am,CSU Extension – Larimer County, 1525 Blue Spruce, FC
• Monday, Feb. 3, 3-5pm, CSU Extension – Larimer County, 1525 Blue Spruce, FC
• Monday, March 3, 9-11am, CSU Ex-tension – Larimer County, 1525 Blue Spruce, FC
• Monday, March 3, 3-5pm, CSU Extension – Larimer County, 1525 Blue Spruce, FC
TAx TiME hELP Thousands of working families in Colo-rado could overlook important federal tax credits in 2014 because they simply don’t know they exist. They could miss out on $5,000 or more in federal income tax refunds through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other tax benefits.
“This money can make a real dif-ference to working families, particularly when they’re struggling in this recovering economy and tough job market,” said
Laurel Kubin, Colorado State University Extension Larimer County director.
The EITC is a refundable tax credit available to lower-income workers and their families. Workers earning less than about $50,000 from wages, self-employment or farming could qualify. Many people will qualify for the first time this year due to changes in their income, their marital status or parental status, according to the IRS. But the IRS estimates only four out of five eligible working adults currently claim this credit. The Piton Foundation estimates that 50,000 Coloradans miss out on as much as $85 million in EITC refunds each year.
Tax credits, like the EITC, help working families in Colorado and also help stimulate our economy. Tax credits are primarily used to pay for necessities such as utilities, food, housing, transportation, edu-cation and health care. According to Piton, programs like the EITC are associated with a boost in children’s school readiness and achievement, health outcomes and future economic success. The local economy also is stimulated as economists estimate that tax credit dollars are re-spent three to five
RMPARENT | 15
times in the local business community.The local Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax preparation services to lower-income families at five sites in northern Colora-do. IRS-certified tax preparers will help thousands of families determine their tax credit eligibility and claim these much needed and often missed refunds.
The free tax sites will be open from February 3 through April 15 at Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church, Old Town Library and Council Tree Library in Fort Collins; First United Methodist Church in Love-land; and Clearview Library in Windsor. Those interested in having their taxes prepared should bring income documents from all jobs worked throughout the year, as well as their social security number and a valid photo ID.
A tax refund also offers a chance for a family to put some money into a sav-ings or emergency fund. To help families learn about their savings plan options, a financial action center will be set up at the First United Methodist Church in Loveland during tax season.
For more information, call 2-1-1 or 970-407-7066, or visit www.make changenoco.com/free-tax-prep.
LARiMER COUNTY ChiLd CARE AssisTANCE PROgRAM ENROLLMENT sUsPENdEd Effective February 1, 2014, the Larimer
County Child Care Assistance Program will implement a waiting list for new ap-plicants of the Low-Income Child Care Assistance Program. Once the CCAP program is at a sustainable spending level, families will be moved from the waiting list (if eligible) and placed on the Low-Income CCAP program.
For families that are currently being served by the Larimer County Low-Income Child Care Assistance Program whose cases close for miss-ing verification, during periods the county has a waiting list in place, they will have 30 days from date of closure to submit their requested eligibility verification. If they do not turn in the requested verification within the 30 days after case closure, they will have to reapply for the program and meet all eligibility requirements to then be placed on the waiting list.
These changes are due to lack of funding and increased caseloads, which in turn creates the inability to serve all families in need.
MARCh 1 hEALTh iNsURANCE dEAdLiNE APPROAChEsWhile the March 1 deadline looms, there is still time to sign up through Connect for Health Colorado for health insurance coverage and access new financial assistance, based on in-come, to reduce costs.
Larimer and Weld counties have local assistance sites to help people nav-igate the online process. Larimer Health Connect offers Larimer County resi-dents free, in-person help from certified health coverage guides at five assistance sites. Guides can assist people with shopping for and enrolling in health plans offered through the Connect for Health Colorado Marketplace. Guides also can help people apply for financial help and determine eligibility for Med-icaid and CHP+.
The assistance seems to be helping. Between October 1 and December 31, 2013, in Larimer County, 5,185 people enrolled for Medicaid and 3,512 pur-chased health insurance through the Marketplace.
“We are pleased with the total num-ber of people who have been enrolled in health coverage for this first quarter, but we still have more work to do over these last three months of open enrollment for this period,” says Karen Spink, assistant director of the Health District of North-ern Larimer County, which manages Larimer Health Connect.
Nationally, the segment of the population that is slower to sign up for health insurance is people 18-34 years old. Spink says, “There are many ef-forts in the works to try and target the younger population, often referred to as the ‘young invincibles,’ at the national, state and local level. However, it is important to note that in Colorado, ap-proximately 22 percent of those enrolled in the Marketplace and 47 percent of those enrolled in Medicaid during the first three months were in the 18-34 age group – so that is not a bad start.”
She also notes that the small business marketplace is available year round for small businesses to explore their options and elect coverage for their employees, and Medicaid enrollment is continuous year-round.
To make an appointment for free assistance in Larimer County, call 970-472-0444 or visit www.LarimerHealth Connect.org. In Weld County, the North Colorado Health Alliance is the regional hub. Contact Alliance staff at 970-350-4673 or learn more online at www.northcoloradohealthalliance.org.
16 | RMPARENT
Genetically Modified Foods, those consumables containing Genetically Modified Organ-
isms (GMO), have been in the news recently. One of the reasons is due to an announcement by Whole Foods that they were going to label all their products containing GMOs by the year 2018. Many praised the market chain for making such a change, while others thought they never sold these types of foods.
Turns out, much of what all su-permarkets sell contains some form of genetic modification. According to a study from the Grocery Manufacturers Association, GMOs are present in about 80 percent of all processed foods avail-able across the United States. From the milk poured into the cereal bowl to pas-ta and sauce spooned onto a plate, there is some form of adaptation involved in the manufacturing process. Many say these organisms are making our pop-ulation less healthy. Conversely, others say modification is needed to maintain healthier consumers. Let’s take a look at what GM foods actually are as well as the pluses and minuses.
whAT ARE ThEY?With GMOs, outside genes are spliced into a set of host cells, eventually caus-ing the process of gene cloning. The practice has been around since botanists began splicing different plants together to form new strains but didn’t get con-sidered for commercial food crops until the mid-1990s when scientists decided to create a new strain of herbicide- immune soybeans. At the turn of the 21st century, scientists discovered that they could utilize the modification pro-cess to add additional vitamins and min-erals to other foods, including numerous grains, dairy, and meat.
ThE gOOdThose who rally for GM foods argue for the advantages it has provided to farmers around the globe who deal with ever-changing environmental patterns. The introduction of GM crops has stabi-lized and even increased the production of soybeans, wheat, rice, and corn by making sturdier plants that require less water to grow and are nearly invulnerable to insects and disease. It has also allowed these prod-ucts to maintain a longer shelf life as well as
provide needed nutrients required by un-dernourished populations both in the U.S. and around the globe. Some items, such as bananas, have been genetically modified to carry edible vaccines to prevent some more common bacterial diseases.
ThE NOT sO gOOdRepresentatives on the opposite side of the GM food argument state that the not-so-good things about the genetic manipulation far outweigh the health and environmental benefits.
Foremost on their list is the way the genes are modified. Thanks to the strength of host cell membranes, scientists utilize viruses, fungi, bacteria, and even minis-cule flakes of gold to break through and create new DNA strains. Those opposed to this practice feel this is an unethical infringement on an organism and can cause changes that may lead to illness or increasing allergies to certain foods by young children. Other medical concerns researchers have about GM foods include resistance to antibiotics, exposure to aller-gens, accelerated aging, and disorders in either the male or female when it comes to reproduction.
Then there’s the near-total intrusion of GM foods into our diets. Those op-posed to modification say there are very few products shoppers purchase that don’t contain some form of genetic manipu-lation, especially foods that contain corn or soy as their primary ingredients. And when proponents declare that non- modified crops and animals still exist on organic and free-range farms, anti-GM researchers declare no food is safe thanks to items like pollen drift and reproduction.
whAT shOULd YOU dO?First, don’t panic. You and your family have probably been consuming GM foods for some time now and haven’t seen any adverse effects. However, if you or one of your children have started to experience allergic reactions to foods, you may wish to consult with a phy-sician. At that point, you will want to focus more on non-GMO products for a healthier diet.
nutrition
what’s in your shopping cart?Genetically modified foods and your family
R i c H A R D K E L L E R
RMPARENT | 17
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18 | RMPARENT
It occurs in millions of households across the nation, every day—the dreaded struggle between a parent
and a child over homework. There is procrastination. There is whining. There are distractions. You know the drill. Your job as parents is to be the gentle, yet firm, guide. Set rules around homework, and sit down to encourage and assist. Finally, advocate when needed. Try these tips to help lessen the struggle, and get your kids on track with homework:
MAkE hOMEwORk NON-NEgOTiABLE Making homework a daily requirement instills a healthy habit in kids. While they might fight it at first, it will pay off in the long run when they are in higher grades with more demanding work. To ease the impact, let kids have input about when and where they do home-work; setting a time and place is key. Just make sure it’s a daily routine.
gOOd EFFORT, NOT PERFECT gRAdEs Another ground rule is ‘do your best.’ “Parents need to look at the big picture when it comes to homework—they
should remember that the purpose of homework is not to get a good grade, the purpose is to teach important con-cepts and practice skills,” says Carol Pfaffly, Marriage and Family Therapist with UCHealth’s Family Medicine Cen-ter. This helps both the parent and child concentrate on what’s really import-ant—the process of learning.
sTART TEAChiNg FOLLOw-ThROUgh whEN YOUNg What makes homework a lot easier, believes Pfaffly, is to first establish a foundation for learning through teach-ing good life skills, such as learning to take turns, respecting authority, treating others with respect, completing tasks, learning to deal with frustration in a positive way, asking for help when need-ed and accepting constructive criticism. Do this in daily life and it will spill over into homework.
PROvidE A qUiET PLACE wiThOUT disTRACTiONs When it comes to homework, make a no TV, phone or Tablet rule, and set
gaming devices aside. This may seem obvious, but our kids often walk around with such items glued to their hands. Listening to music helps some kids, but distracts others. Finally, make sure your child has everything he needs from pen-cils and calculators to dictionaries and computers on hand.
sTAY CLOsE iN CAsE ThEY hAvE qUEsTiONs “You don’t have to sit with them, but be there to help them refocus or explore answers,” says Pfaffly. Show interest in what they’re learning—this will spark their interest and motivation. Google extra information they’re curious about, or tap into online resources offered by teachers.
REsisT dOiNg ThEiR hOMEwORk FOR ThEM When helping with homework, solve a similar problem or give an example in-stead of working through the real prob-lem. Kids learn best by trying to solve the problem themselves or recalling how to do it from a class lesson.
Healthy
Homework habits
Lynn Utzman-Nichols
Teach your kids lifelong concepts and skills
RMPARENT | 19
LOOk OvER AssigNMENTs BEFORE ThEY’RE TURNEd iN This is especially true for elementary students, but not a bad idea for middle school kids as well. Also, look at com-pleted assignments to keep an eye out for where your child may need extra help. But, keep it positive. “Resist cri-tiquing her work and only pointing out mistakes,” says Pfaffly. If she did make an error, instead, say, ‘you’ve got almost all of these questions right. Good job. I only see a problem with number 2 and 5. Can you take a look?’
LEARN ThE sChOOL’s hOMEwORk POLiCiEs ANd ORgANizATiON PRACTiCEs In Poudre Schools, elementary-aged students have folders for each subject and starting in fourth grade, students are given planners and taught how to use them. These keep kids on track with due dates and provide a place for parent- teacher communication. Make it a habit to ask your child to see her homework folder and planner every day.
TAkE AdvANTAgE OF ONLiNE gRAdE TRACkiNg TOOLs OFFEREd BY sChOOL disTRiCTs Poudre Schools has Parent VUE, ac-cessed through your school’s website. Under Gradebook you can dial down each class to see past and upcoming assignments. The handy calendar feature lets you see when assignments for all classes are due for the month. Print it out and use it as a guide.
ENCOURAgE COMMUNiCATiON wiTh TEAChERs If a problem arises with a teacher re-garding an assignment, encourage him to talk to the teacher. Help your child figure out what to say to the teacher—how to describe the problem and what solution she desires. Role-playing is always effective. If the problem persists, email or call the teacher.
ThiNk TwiCE BEFORE OFFERiNg Big REwARds It’s important to reward effort, but on an appropriate scale. The biggest reward should be the child’s satisfaction of do-ing a good job and getting a good grade,
yet some kids need more. If rewarding young kids with a star or sticker chart, make rewards frequent enough so your child stays motivated. The same goes for high school students. The debate over paying for grades is alive and well—but it really comes down to your unique situation and knowing what motivates your child.
FigURE OUT hOw YOUR ChiLd LEARNs BEsT Does she remember things better when she can see a drawing or graph? Does he absorb directions better when they are said out loud or when he reads them himself ? Maybe your younger child learns best through experience. If so, the next time you cut a pizza, point out that eight pieces equals a whole, four is half and two makes up a quarter. “By knowing your kids, you can find the right combination of support and en-couragement that motivates rather than stresses when it comes to schoolwork,” says Pfaffly.
dON’T hEsiTATE TO AdvOCATE FOR YOUR ChiLd There are many different learning styles and often traditional schools only cater to one—kids who memorize quickly and stay on task. If your daughter gets distracted easily, talk with her teacher about ways to improve her success, such as wearing noise-blocking headphones during a test, sitting in the front or a hand on her shoulder to bring her back to the lesson at hand. If you have con-cerns, talk with the school counselor about initiating a formalized plan to
help her succeed. In other words, ask her teachers as a group to be aware of your educational goals and devise a plan to help reach those goals. This can be done formally with a 504 Plan for learning or other disabilities, or the more in-depth, IEP (Individualized Education Pro-gram). The same advice goes for if you have a gifted/talented child that needs more challenge—advocate and ask for an individualized approach.
MAkE sTUdYiNg A PROCEss, NOT A LAsT-MiNUTE CRAM When it comes to bigger assignments or projects, help your kids organize their time and approach. “A parent’s job is to help the child understand the project directions, maybe offer suggested topics, break the project down into small steps, develop a timeline and regularly check on progress,” says Pfaffly.
You can help your student by asking pointed questions along the way, like: Do you understand the assignment? When will you work on it, shall we look at a calendar and set dates? What intrigues you about the topic? What do you want to focus on? Will you get books from the library, search the In-ternet or both? Do you have everything you need to complete it? Do you need help with editing?
Instilling these habits can help ease the homework blues. Just be glad you get to cheer from the sidelines rather than do the work this time around!
The University of Colorado Health spon-sors this feature article on kid’s health each month.
Reduce stress before a testIt’s perfectly normal for kids to feel some stress before an exam. Mild stress can keep kids focus, but too much makes them blow it. Knowing the material helps keep them calm. If they have studied for a few weeks versus one night of cramming, they’ll be much better off. Make sure that they don’t fall behind in class assignments that lead up to the test—especially in math. On the night before the test, have them go to bed early. While we sleep we actually learn—our minds create associations and connections between memories—hardwiring the information for the next day. That morning, have them visualize walking into the test room feeling confident and answer-ing questions with ease. It also helps to take deep breaths and repeat a helpful line, like ‘I am prepared. I am calm. I can do this’ right before the test. When taking the test, they should read instructions through twice with careful concentration, underlining key points. It’s also important to keep track of time—not spending too much time on any one question and skipping difficult ques-tions, coming back to them if time allows.
20 | RMPARENT
health focus
New trends in cleanses and diets are enough to make any woman question her self-image. Espe-
cially when pregnant or after having a baby it can be hard to resist the hype about fad diets promising to keep your baby weight down and so-called cleans-es that are “good for you and baby.” Even the wealth of often-changing in-formation about what is and isn’t safe to eat while pregnant can be confusing and overwhelming.
hEALThY EATiNg whiLE PREgNANT Kim Bruno, Chiropractic Physician and Certified Clinical Nutritionist at the Colorado Center of Health and Nutrition in Fort Collins, specializes in women’s health and is accustomed to answering complicated questions when it comes to nutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
“No one food is a super food,” says Bruno. “All whole, natural foods are super foods and contain different nutrients.”
Bruno says that pregnant women should focus on fitting the following foods into their diets:
• Concentrated proteins such as lean ani-mal protein, free range eggs, organic tofu or soy, and fatty fish (no more than 1-2 times/week)
• Beans and legumes• Nuts and seeds• Vegetable and fruits, in a 2-to-1 ratio• Healthy fats such as avocados, olives
and olive oil, and flaxseedYou will be really full if you concen-
trate on these groups,” says Bruno. “You won’t feel like filling up on unhealthy foods.” She says that at the end of the day if you’ve filled up on your nutrient requirement, it’s okay to splurge on something sweet.
In addition, the American Pregnan-cy Association (www.americanpregnancy .org) advises pregnant women to opt
for four to six smaller meals throughout the day, to choose foods from each food group and to stay hydrated.
CLEANsEs Cleanses, which have become increas-ingly popular and numerous in variety in recent years should be considered with caution by pregnant and breastfeeding women, says Bruno. “I wish that there was a clear-cut answer,” she says, “but it depends on the cleanse and what kind of supplements they’re using.”
She says cleanses that involve eating more fruits and vegetables and choosing organic foods are great, and help rid the system of preservatives. Bruno says cleanses which mix whole foods with fruit and vegetable juicing are fine too.
The cleanses that Bruno advises pregnant and breastfeeding women to stay away from are those which depend solely on juices for nutrients, and do not provide the amount of calories baby needs; and those which use herbs and botanicals as supplements because they have not been thoroughly researched.
PREgNANCY ANd “dANgER FOOds” Certain pregnancy “danger foods” have been the subject of many a mom’s group conversation: who splurges, who avoids them all together, and is moderation always a safe route?
The APA’s website, www.american pregnancy.org addresses some com-mon food concerns, using the latest research in the field.
Deli meats: The risk of listeria from consuming cold deli meats is very low, as there are only about 2,500 cases per year. However, pregnant women are at higher risk and the complications for baby can be serious, or even deadly. While the APA advises pregnant women avoid deli meat altogether to be on the safe side, re-cooking the meat before eating can
also reduce the risk. Fish and sushi: Fatty fish contain vi-
tamins and nutrients essential to the health of pregnant and breastfeeding women, but the mercury and bacteria content can also be harmful. A list of the mercury levels in certain kinds of fish can be found on the Natural Resources Defense Council’s website, www.nrdc.org. Pregnant women should choose fish that is low in mercury and, when order-ing sushi, should avoid raw fish and opt for the cooked kind.
Caffeine: The APA specifies multiple risks associated with high caffeine intake during pregnancy, including increased urination leading to dehydration, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and changes in baby’s sleep and movement patterns. Caffeine has also been shown to cause birth defects, preterm delivery, reduced fertility, and increased risk of low birth weight and other reproductive disorders, as well as a possible link to delayed con-ception. Experts generally consider a mod-erate amount of caffeine, between 150 and 300 mg, to be safe for a pregnant woman to consume. Caffeine can be found in tea, chocolate, soda, and some medications, in addition to coffee.
A hEALThY diET whiLE BREAsTFEEdiNg According to the APA, while pregnant women in their 2nd and 3rd trimesters should consume approximately 300 ex-tra calories per day, breastfeeding wom-en need an additional 500 on average.
Bruno suggests breastfeeding wom-en follow the same nutrition guidelines drawn out above for pregnant women, and avoid dieting or excessive cleansing to lose baby weight.
“If your goal is to keep your breast milk up you should be focusing on a clean eating diet,” she says. “This will help you lose your baby weight without doing anything drastic.”
eating for baby and youHealthy nutrition is essential for pregnancy and breastfeeding
K A t i E H A R R i S
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22 | RMPARENT
health focus
It’s hard to argue the benefits of a practice that has likely been around since the Stone Age. Yoga continues
to be a popular exercise worldwide, rewarding its students with a multitude of benefits ranging from increased flexibility and strength to relaxation and stress-relief.
New styles of yoga have been popping up in re-cent years, including classes designed specifically for women, pre- and postnatal classes, and classes for children and teens. The past year alone has seen a handful of studios in northern Colora-do offering new classes in these areas.
The Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.org) advocates yoga for pregnant women as not only a way to stay fit and relax, but also as beneficial to the health of their unborn baby, reducing the risk of preterm labor and hypertension. Their website points out improved sleep, de-creased back pain, and added strength of the muscles used for childbirth as bene-fits shown in studies of prenatal yoga.
Victoria Clarke, prenatal yoga in-structor at the Northern Colorado Women’s Clinic, stresses the additional benefit of preparing not only a woman’s body, but also her mind for childbirth. “Prenatal yoga is about calming tech-niques and relaxation,” says Clarke.
Another benefit of prenatal yoga is the breathing technique the practice uti-lizes, called Prana Yama, which is similar to Lamaze breathing often used during childbirth. In addition, yoga may help move babies into optimal fetal position.
In women who have recently given birth, gentle and restorative classes are the way to go. These classes help rebuild
muscles and flexibility without the risk of injury, and are ideal for women in-terested in reintroducing their bodies
to exercise after childbirth. Women who have re-
cently given birth should check with
their doctors be-fore beginning any exercise reg-imen.
Yoga classes for kids and
teens have also
been trending in northern Colorado in the past several years. Like adult classes, they focus on strength, flexibility and balance, but again, perhaps the mental benefits are most valuable: inner-peace and increased self-confidence.
Mommy and me classes provide op-portunities for new mothers to prac-tice yoga without the stress of finding a sitter for their little ones. In these classes, both mom and baby (usually eight weeks to toddler-aged) attend, and activities include stretching and breathing for mom, and massage and early yoga activities for baby.
make the stretch for health Try yoga before and after giving birth, and anytime...
K A t i E H A R R i S
Belle Yoga, FCwww.belleyoga.comGentle/restorative, kids yoga, prenatal
Bikram Yoga Fort Collins, FCwww.bikramyogafc.comBikram yoga
Bikram Yoga Greeley, GRwww.bikramyogagreeley.comBikram yoga
Elan Yoga, FCwww.elanyoga.comMommy and me, kids, teens, prenatal yoga
Fort Collins Recreation, FCwww.fcgov.com/recreationFamily yoga
Fort Collins Yoga Co-op, FCwww.fortcollinsyogacoop.orgGentle/restorative
Holistic Yoga School International, FCwww.holisticyogaschool.com Gentle/restorative, private/semi-private prenatal
Kids Crave Yoga, Northern Coloradowww.kidscraveyoga.comKids yoga
Loveland Yoga and Core Fitness, LVwww.lovelandyogacorefitness.comGentle/restorative
Mindstream Yoga, FCwww.mindstreamyoga.comGentle/restorative, prenatal, teen yoga
northern Colorado Women’s Clinic, FCwww.fcwc.com Prenatal yoga
Old Town Yoga, FCwww.oldtownyoga.com Gentle/restorative, prenatal
Om Ananda Yoga, FCwww.omanandayoga.com Gentle/restorative, kids, mommy & me, prenatal
Sacred Space Yoga, GRwww.ssyoga.comGentle/restorative, prenatal yoga
Yoga Luna, LVwww.yogalunaloveland.comGentle/restorative, prenatal, mommy & me yoga
Yoga Works of Loveland, LVwww.yogaworksofloveland.com Gentle/restorative
Finding yoga near youFor more information on available yoga classes and their benefits, check out
these local yoga centers with classes geared toward moms, kids and families:
RMPARENT | 23
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thompson school district news“Hour of Code” features over 6,000 tsD students
During the week of Dec. 9, more than 30,000 schools around the globe dedicated at least one hour to teach students computer programming coding skills during Computer Sci-ence Education Week. Over 6,000 students within Thompson School District participated.
Computer science is driving job growth and innovation throughout our economy. More than 50-percent of projected jobs in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) fields are in computing occupations. Despite this, computer science education is a not a focus within the typical American K-12 education system. In fact, only 13 states and the District of Columbia allow rigorous and engaging computer science courses to satisfy a math or sci-ence requirement for graduation from high school. Colorado is not one of them. However, in Thompson, we are working to increase access to this important skill.
Principals, teachers and technology facilitators across the Thompson School District took up the challenge to get their students involved in the national effort to raise computer programming aware-
ness. The following schools in Thompson participated in an Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week Dec. 9-15. Included is the number of students who participated in the event:
• B.F. Kitchen Elementary (200 students)• Berthoud Elementary (300 students) • Big Thompson Elementary (200 stu-
dents)• Bill Reed Middle School (700 students) • Centennial Elementary (500 students) • Conrad Ball Middle School (651 stu-
dents) • Cottonwood Plains Elementary (412
students)• Coyote Ridge Elementary (400
students)• Ivy Stockwell Elementary (350
students) • Laurene Edmondson Elementary (257
students)• Lincoln Elementary (200 students) • Loveland High School (100 students) • Mary Blair Elementary (75 students) • Monroe Elementary (300 students)• Ponderosa Elementary (400 students)• Namaqua Elementary (400 students) • Stansberry Elementary (200 students)
• Turner Middle School (60 students)• Truscott Elementary (250 students)• Van Buren Elementary (200 students) • Winona Elementary (400 students)
This year, K-5 technology facilitators are increasing their knowledge of com-puter programming and the developmen-tally appropriate activities elementary students can engage in to increase their ability to code.
Next year, all Thompson elementary students in grades K-5 will engage in units of study to learn to code in age- appropriate ways. This will be integrated into their Computer Literacy classes in which they are enrolled for two days a week throughout the year. Additional skills students learn in Computer Liter-acy class include, but are not limited to, keyboarding, word processing, multime-dia production, and research.
Furthermore, students electing to take Computer Literacy classes at the middle school and high school level will have additional courses to select from in order to increase their access to computer programming.
MUsiCAL hONORs AwARdEd TO Tsd sTUdENTs Congratulations to the following stu-dents for their selection to these distin-guished musical groups:
2013-2014 Northern Colorado Honor BandLoveland High School: Scott Bragg - Bassoon; David Leech - Clarinet; Henry Buckley - Clarinet; Amanda Nierman - Clarinet; Sarah Schweikart - Clarinet; Joe Bower - Percussion; Sarah Foss - Percussion; Tyler Ruth - Percussion; Jordan Gerardy - Percus-sion; Martha Strawbridge - Alto Saxo-phone; Alan Moy - Tenor Saxophone; Andria Burdick - Trumpet; Sydney Brown - Trumpet; Nathan Larson - Tuba; Nathan Abrahamson - Eupho-nium; Jonathan Schlecht - Trombone; Peter McCarty - Bass Trombone;
RMPARENT | 25
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Megan Nord - Baritone SaxophoneMountain View High School: Ire-
na Huang - Flute; Lexi Nerem - Flute; Hayden Blair - Trumpet; Jerrod Klug - Trumpet; Eli Gibson - Trombone; Arturo Lopez - Tuba
2013-2014 Colorado All-State OrchestrasSymphony Orchestra: Hayden Blair (trumpet), MVHS; Jeremy Kreutz (cello), TVHS; Arturo Lopez (tuba), MVHS; Daniel Probasco (bass), TVHS; Micaela Trautwein (violin), TVHS
Philharmonic Orchestra: Alexandra Ward (bass), LHS
Northern Combined League Honor BandBerthoud High School: Jake McDonald, Ben Sevy, Nicolette Power, and Alexis Clark
All State Jazz BandBerthoud High School: Jake McDonald
All State Symphonic BandLexi Nerem (MVHS flute); David Leech (LHS clarinet); Sarah Schwe-ickart (LHS clarinet); Kyle Depper-
schmidt (LHS bass clarinet); Jerrod Klug (MVHS trumpet); Benjamin Sevy (BHS alto saxophone); Alan Moy (LHS tenor saxophone); Jake McDon-ald (BHS baritone saxophone); Nathan Larson (LHS tuba)
All State Concert BandKathy LaTourrette (MVHS oboe); Matt Grant (MVHS clarinet); Hayden Blair (MVHS trumpet) Eli Gibson (MVHS trombone); Arturo Lopez (MVHS tuba); Hannah Reed (MVHS percussion)
Berthoud Elementary Student Council representatives organized a coin drive that ran from Nov. 13 - Dec. 9. They decided to split the raised funds between Christmas in Berthoud and the American Red Cross. Students and families donated coins and cash adding up to just over $600!
RMPARENT | 27
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poudre school district newsempowering students through volunteer efforts
Poudre School District has over 20,000 volunteers, consisting of parents, grand-parents, seniors and community mem-bers. Managing that many volunteers in 48 schools is quite a feat! Helping the PSD’s Volunteers & Partnerships office manage the multitude of volunteers at each school site is a Volunteer Building Coordinator (VBC). These dedicated volunteers donate many hours to ensure the volunteer program at their school is a success. Some have done it for many years, starting in elementary schools, and continuing in this volunteer position even after their children move on to middle school and even high school!
Volunteer Building Coordinator for Harris Elementary, Rachael Johnson, took on this role when her son started first grade. Prior to this role, she was actively volunteering in the classroom and as a room parent. When she first began this position, she was a full time student at CSU and working part time. She thought about looking for someone else to fill this position. However, with the help of office staff at Harris sharing the workload, she was able to continue in
this position. Now that she has graduated from CSU she gets to enjoy the volunteer coordinator position much more!
Johnson goes to Harris at least once a week to work on the volunteer coordi-nation for various events at Harris. She enjoys planning the annual volunteer appreciation breakfast, as well as work-ing with the PTO to find volunteers for their special events. Johnson says, “We have such a nice variety of volunteers at Harris, including parents, grandparents, former Harris students, CSU students, former teachers, and community mem-bers.” One of their volunteers brings a therapy dog with him and Johnson says it’s always fun to be in the office when they are there.
Since Harris is a bilingual school, they send out their volunteer infor-mation in both English and Spanish. Translating email messages into Spanish and communicating with Spanish- speaking parents has helped her to brush up on her Spanish-language skills. Harris often needs Spanish-speaking volunteers, “We are lucky that the CSU Foreign Language Department works
with us to identify student volunteers when we’re having difficulty fulfilling one of those needs,” says Johnson.
Johnson works full time for Bubar & Hall Consulting, LLC., a Native American consulting firm that works with tribes on economic development, transit and transportation planning, grant writing, and much more. John-son is very involved with the Native community in northern Colorado and especially at CSU. In her spare time, she enjoys working out, running, and yoga. She loves spending time outdoors with her family and learning beading tech-niques at the Native Women’s Circle.
“I’m really excited to be volunteer-ing in my son’s fourth grade classroom this year,” says Johnson. She processes the Scholastic book orders and also volunteers with AM (Accelerated Math) once a week. Johnson adds, “I really love AM volunteering; I love math and it makes me happy to help a student work through something they don’t understand until it finally clicks for them. I love to see them feel smart and empowered about their math skills. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the Harris fourth graders through classroom volunteering!”
kiNdERgARTEN REgisTRATiON FEBRUARY 13Kindergarten registration for students entering school in PSD in fall 2014 is scheduled for 7am to 6pm, Thursday, Feb. 13, at most elementary schools. Parents must register their child at their neighborhood school even if they are applying for a school choice op-tion. Children who will be 5 years old on or before September 15, 2014, are eligible to register.
On the day of registration, parents should bring their child’s birth certif-icate (original or certified preferred), immunization records, and emergency contact information.
There is no tuition for half-day
Rachael Johnson is honored for her role as VBC for Harris Elementary School.
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kindergarten programs; full-day pro-grams are currently $2,100 per year (subject to change); inquire at your school for specifics. The first payment is due at the time of registration; the remainder is due in nine monthly in-stallments from Aug. 1, 2014 – Apr. 1, 2015. Full and partial scholarships may be available; check with the school for eligibility requirements.
One-way transportation is provided for kindergarten students attending a half-day program who live more than one mile from their neighborhood school. Round-trip transportation is provided for students in an all-day program who live more than one mile from school. Transportation is not provided for School Choice students (those who attend a school outside their attendance areas).
FiRsT CONsidERATiON ELEMENTARY sChOOL ChOiCE dEAdLiNE is FEB 14 PSD’s School Choice program allows families to select the school that best meets their child’s educational needs, on a space available basis. Round-trip transportation is the responsibility of the parents for School Choice students.
Nearly 70 percent of PSD fam-ilies choose to send their children to a Neighborhood School, the school located in the attendance area in which they live. Some neighborhood schools
offer a specialized instructional focus or delivery of the curriculum. Option Schools do not have an attendance area (100-percent choice) and typically fea-ture a specific curriculum and/or focus area. All PSD Option and Neighbor-hood schools teach board-approved curriculum based on the Colorado Academic Standards. Most schools also offer services for gifted students, enrichment programs, and accelerated options.
Online learning is available for our digital natives in grades K–12 through our hybrid program which offers a high-quality, highly interactive 24/7 educational option with school-based enrichment options for students.
APPLY FOR sChOOL ChOiCE ONLiNEThe online School Choice application is now available on the Poudre School District website at www.psdschools.org under “School Registration.” The first consideration deadlines for 2014-15 are:
• January 31, 2014, for secondary (grades 6-12)
• Feb. 14, 2014, for elementary (grades K-5)School Choice applications may be
submitted after the first-consideration deadline until the first day of class at the beginning of the school year of request-ed enrollment. If you have questions
about school choice, please view policy JFBA at www.psdschools.org or call 970-482-7420.
Psd FOUNdATiON sPiE gRANTs ENCOURAgE iNNOvATiON The Poudre School District Foundation recently announced grant recipients for the 2013 Supporting Partnerships in Innovative Education grants from the Innovative Programs Fund.
The 16 grant recipients (repre-senting PSD Early Childhood, ele-mentary, middle, and high schools) received more than $48,400 collec-tively from the SPIE grant program. The grant funding will directly impact PSD students through classroom ini-tiatives ranging from math, science, and technology programs to collabora-tive programs for literacy and the arts.
SPIE grants are designed to en-courage innovative and creative educa-tional approaches to accomplish Poudre School District’s mission to, “Educate... Every Child, Every Day.” Since the inception of the SPIE and E3 (for 2 years, E3 of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado added $20,000 per year) grant programs, a total of $842,767 has been awarded to Poudre School District teachers and staff.
The Poudre School District Foun-dation Funds work as a partner to PSD to support programs and fulfill needs that positively impact student achievement through private commu-nity donations. To donate to the Pou-dre School District Foundation, visit their web page and click on Donate Now to PSDF button.
PSD Calendar of EventsFeb. 11 ..... 6:30pm, Board of Education
business meeting, Johannsen Support Services Complex, 2407 LaPorte Ave.
Feb. 13 ..... Kindergarten registration will be held all day at most elementary schools.
Feb. 17 ..... Teacher Collaboration Day, no school for K-12 students.
Feb. 25 ..... Board of Education meeting, Johannsen Support Services Complex, 2407 LaPorte Ave.
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greeley-evans district 6 newsDistrict 6 considers consolidating two eastside schoolsGreeley-Evans School District 6 is con-sidering a proposal to consolidate Bella Romero K-7 and East Memorial Elemen-tary School into a two-campus K-8 school.
The new Bella Romero Applied Technology Campus would open in fall of 2014. The west campus would be lo-cated at the current East Memorial site, and would include students in grades K-3. The east campus would be located at the current Bella Romero site and would include grades 4-8.
The new consolidated school will begin a focus on blended-learning, which is using 21st Century technol-ogy to enhance and improve student achievement. This new program will be funded through private grants, and will be piloted in one grade level at the 4-8 school next year, with plans to expand.
The boundaries of both schools will merge, so that all students current-ly attending East Memorial and Bella Romero will be enrolled in the new Bel-la Romero K-8 campuses.
This change is proposed for several reasons:
• Parents on the east side of Greeley have asked for and supported having a K-8 option in their neighborhood.
• Bella Romero is currently overcrowd-ed, and there is not enough room at that school for the eighth-grade class that was planned for next year with-out modifying the building. To add a quad-portable classroom would cost the district approximately $550,000. The budget would not support that ex-penditure.
• By utilizing both the East Memorial and Bella Romero sites, Bella Romero can expand to the eighth grade on schedule next year, and open up more slots for each grade level.
• The new campus concept will also al-low us to better manage enrollment at both campuses.
• The close proximity of the schools allows this campus concept to be successful.“We believe this is a great choice
for parents and students, and we are excited to offer this program option on the east side of Greeley,” says Super-intendent Ranelle Lang. “This change would minimally disrupt students while helping us address several challenges.”
The proposal will need final approv-al in February by the Board of Educa-tion before moving forward.
whOOPiNg COUgh, FLU CAsEs ARE ON ThE RisE District 6 health care officials have re-ceived important information from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment: Colorado continues to experience increased rates of Pertussis (whooping cough) consistent with an epidemic. The only line of defense is the Pertussis vaccine.
Adults are strongly encouraged to get a Tdap vaccine if they have not already had this vaccine. The cost is cov-ered by our district insurance - Cigna. The physician or pharmacy should sub-mit the billing as a preventive care code in order to be covered.
Who should be tested by their phy-sician: Persons with a cough of any du-ration who are have been in contact to a person with a confirmed case of Pertussis; persons with a cough of at least 5 days and either significant or frequent cough-ing or post-cough vomiting; persons with a cough of at least 14 days; infants with apnea or gasping; and when the clinical suspicion for pertussis is high. Testing is particularly important in high-risk patients, including pregnant women, infants and unvaccinated individuals.
People completely vac-cinated against pertussis may still develop disease, with milder illness generally seen among vaccinated persons.
People who are diagnosed with pertussis need to stay home from
work and/or school and avoid prolonged public contact because they are conta-gious until they have completed 5 days of antibiotic treatment or 3 weeks of coughing.
Flu cases are also being reported throughout Weld County, and there has been one death attributed to complica-tions from the flu. There is still time to get a vaccine for the flu from your healthcare provider. Please contact your school health office for any questions or concerns.
PLANs MOvE AhEAd ON CONsTRUCTiON OF PRAiRiE hEighTs MiddLE sChOOLGreeley-Evans School District 6 will hire a general contractor in February to con-struct the new Prairie Heights Middle School at the intersection of 65th Ave-nue and 37th Street in Evans. The school is slated to open in August of 2015.
Prairie Heights Middle School will replace the existing John Evans Middle School in Greeley. The new school is being funded by a Building Excellent Schools today grant, which will provide 72 percent of the funding for the proj-ect. The remaining 28 percent is funded through a bond issue that was approved by voters in 2012.
Five general contractors have been prequalified for the project. The district hopes to break ground on the new mid-dle school this spring.
In addition, the district has begun looking at plans for asbestos
abatement and demolition at the current John Evans Middle School, which is also being funded through
the BEST grant and bond
money. This phase
of the project will be
completed once the new
school is open.
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25% OFF Any one, in-stock item!
Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with additional sales/coupons.
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lunchboxPOudre scHOOl district— Elementary student lunches are $2.25, secondary student lunches are $2.50 and reduced lunches are $0.40. Entrees offered daily: Elementary—a variety of fruits and vegetables, milk and juices; Secondary--hot and cold sandwiches, fruits and vegetables, deli salad and pizza.
ElEmEntary schools3 Cheeseburger; BBQ chicken sandwich4 Cheese raviolis; Italian dippers5 Orange chicken & brown rice; penne
w/meat sauce6 Burrito; chicken nuggets7 Pepperoni or veggie pizza; Italian chop
salad10 Chicken patty sandwich; baked potato bar11 Lasagna; chicken bites and biscuit12 Beef fried rice & egg roll; cheeseburger13 Beef tacos; turkey & cheese wrap14 BBQ chicken or cheese pizza; BBQ
chicken ranch salad
17 No school!18 Spaghetti & roasted veggies; ham &
cheese sub19 Asian Teriyaki bowl; baked chicken
drumstick & biscuit20 Chicken enchilada bake; Mexicali hot
dog21 Pepperoni or cheese pizza; chef salad24 Sloppy Joe; mac n’cheese25 Ziti pasta; trout treasures26 Teriyaki noodle bowl; turkey & gravy w/roll27 Chicken quesadilla; chicken patty
sandwich28 Hawaiian or cheese pizza; sweet corn salad
sEcondary schools3 Chicken quesadilla; penne pasta & sauce4 Chicken broccoli Alfredo; beef enchilada
bake5 Chicken nuggets; grilled cheese &
tomato soup6 Orange chicken w/rice; Philly cheesesteak7 Asian noodle bowl; beef burrito10 BBQ chicken sandwich; mac n’ cheese 11 Spaghetti & meatballs; cheese quesadilla12 Ranch chicken bites; chicken enchilada
bake13 Potato bar w/chili or broccoli cheese;
Spanish chicken
14 Turkey pot pie; Asian Teriyaki bowl17 No school!18 Lasagna; Chicken noodle soup &
grilled ham sandwich19 Baked chicken & biscuit; beef burrito20 Penne pasta & sauce; chicken fajita
burrito21 Beef Szechwan; trout melt sandwich24 Chicken quesadilla; cheese raviolis25 Turkey & gravy w/biscuit; Italian spaghetti26 Meatball sub; grilled cheese, tomato soup27 Philly cheesesteak; Asian Teriyaki bowl28 Veggie lasagna; BBQ chicken bites &
biscuit
tHOmPsOn r2J scHOOl district — Elementary lunches are $2.50. Secondary school lunches are $2.75. Reduced lunches are $0.40. Offered daily: PBJs & fruit.
ElEmEntary schools 3 Chicken breast strips; chicken Caesar
salad4 French bread boat; chicken tender salad5 Grilled cheese; chef salad6 Chicken mini tacos; yogurt basket7 Stuffed shells; garden entrée salad10 Spicy chicken sandwich; chicken Caesar
salad11 Pizza stick; chicken tender salad12 Hamburger; chef salad13 Nachos; taco salad
14 Ravioli; garden entrée salad17 No school!18 Variety pizza; chicken tender salad19 Baked potato w/toppings; chef salad20 Chicken quesadilla; taco salad21 Meatball flatbread; garden entrée salad24 Turkey pot roast; chicken Caesar salad25 Chicken parmesan; chicken tender salad26 Grilled chicken sandwich; chef salad27 Black bean tostada; taco salad28 Sweet & sour chicken; garden entrée
salad
sEcondary schools3 Chicken breast strips, sloppy Joe4 French bread boat; hot ham & cheese5 Grilled cheese w/tomato soup; salad of
the day6 Chicken mini tacos; Cuban sandwich7 Stuffed shells; chicken parmesan10 Chicken patty sandwich; BBQ pulled pork13 Pizza stick; chicken nuggets14 Burger bar; salad of the day15 Nachos; lasagna16 Ravioli; grilled chicken sandwich
17 No school!18 Variety pizza; chicken fajita wrap19 Baked potato w/toppings; cold sandwich20 Enchilada casserole; chicken strips21 Meatball flatbread; French bread boat24 Turkey pot roast; nachos25 Chicken parmesan; hamburger26 Pizza bar; cold sandwich27 Black bean tostada; chicken nuggets28 Sweet & sour chicken; pretzel w/cheese
Greeley district 6 —To obtain a complete meal, student gets an entrée and can select 1-3 sides. Elementary lunches are $2.25, and middle school lunches are $2.50, reduced-price lunches are $.40. Offered daily: PBJ.
ElEmEntary schools 3 Mac n’cheese; chicken fajita wrap4 Sloppy Joe; club hoagie5 Chicken Alfredo pasta; PBJ sandwich6 Turkey pot pie; ham & cheese hoagie7 Hawaiian or cheese pizza; PBJ10 Park carnitas w/tortilla; chicken salad
sandwich11 Chicken Cordon Bleu; turkey & cheese
wrap12 Toasted cheese sandwich w/tomato
soup; PBJ13 Herb chicken w/dinner roll; Italian
hoagie14 No school!
17 No school!18 Teriyaki chicken w/brown rice; club
hoagie19 Pancakes, sausage; PBJ20 Buffalo chicken sandwich; ham &
cheese hoagie21 Pepperoni or cheese pizza; PBJ24 Hamburger/cheeseburger; chicken
salad sandwich25 Bean & cheese burrito; turkey & cheese
wrap26 Baked ziti; PBJ27 Chili w/cinnamon roll; Italian hoagie28 Cheese or taco pizza; tuna salad
sandwich
sEcondary schools3 Mac n’cheese; chicken fajita wrap4 Sloppy Joe; club hoagie5 Chicken Alfredo pasta; PBJ sandwich6 Turkey pot pie; ham & cheese hoagie7 Hawaiian or cheese pizza; PBJ10 Park carnitas w/tortilla; chicken salad
sandwich11 Chicken Cordon Bleu; turkey &
cheese wrap12 Toasted cheese sandwich w/tomato
soup; PBJ13 Herb chicken w/dinner roll; Italian
hoagie14 No school!
17 No school!18 Teriyaki chicken w/brown rice; club
hoagie19 Pancakes, sausage; PBJ20 Buffalo chicken sandwich; ham &
cheese hoagie21 Pepperoni or cheese pizza; PBJ24 Hamburger/cheeseburger; chicken
salad sandwich25 Bean & cheese burrito; turkey &
cheese wrap26 Baked ziti; PBJ27 Chili w/cinnamon roll; Italian hoagie28 Cheese or taco pizza; tuna salad
sandwich
ElEmEntary schools 4 Chicken nuggets5 French toast w/sausage6 Cheesy nachos7 Cheese pizza10 Burger11 Curly spaghetti12 Chicken tenders13 Chili w/cinnamon roll
14 No school!17 No school! 18 Corn dog19 Bean & cheese burrito20 Chicken Alfredo21 Big Daddy pizza24 Popcorn chicken25 Taco26 BBQ beef sandwich
27 Ravioli28 Cheese stuffed breadsticks
& dipsEcondary schools3 Chicken nuggets4 Stuffed shells5 French toast w/sausage6 Cheesy nachos
7 Steak & cheese sandwich10 Cheeseburger11 Curly spaghetti12 Chicken tenders13 Chili w/cinnamon roll14 No school!17 No school! 18 Weiner wrap19 Bean & cheese burrito
20 Chicken Alfredo21 Hot & spicy chicken sandwich24 Popcorn chicken25 Taco26 BBQ beef sandwich27 Lasagna28 Meatball sub
WindsOr scHOOl district — Price for elementary lunch is $2.30, for middle school students, $2.50. Reduced lunches are $0.40. Salad bar is served daily with entrees. Offered daily: PBJ and yogurt.
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ThROUgh MARCh 8 Yeah Yeah Yeah: A Beatles Concert Event Their songs. Their stories. Midtown Arts Center, 3750 S. Mason St., FC. 970-225-2555 or www.midtownartscenter.com.
ThROUgh MARCh 23 9 to 5: The Musical Pushed to the boiling point by their boss, three female co-workers concoct a plan to get even with the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot they call their boss. Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, 4747 Market Place Dr., Johnstown, CO. 970-744-3747 or www.coloradocandlelight.com.
FEBRUARY 6-8 Ballroom With A Twist A critically acclaimed international dance production. The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St, FC. 970-221-6730 or www.LCTIX.com.
FEBRUARY 6 – MARCh 9 Becky’s New Car Directed by Sarah Zwick-Tapley. A smart, comic cruise through the perils of middle-aged longing and regret, this is an original comedy with serious overtones, a devious and delightful romp down the road not taken. Bas Bleu Theatre Company, 401 Pine St., FC. 970-498-8949 or www.basbleu.org.
FEBRUARY 21- MARCh 2 The Mikado The Rialto Theatre Center, 228 E. 4th St., LV. 970-962-2120 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
satUrDay, FebrUary 1 Fort Collins Symphony: Magnificent Mahler. The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St, FC. 7:30pm. 970-221-6730 or www.LCTIX.com.
Computer Comfort Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 10am. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Teen IRS: Interesting Reader Society Meeting Join this special group of young adults in grades 6-12 who meet monthly to talk books, movies, music, and other topics of interest to teens. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 11am-1pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
The Love Boat The Rialto Theatre Center, 228 E. 4th St., LV. 7pm. 970-962-2120 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
Mini Scrapbook & Journal Class Come create a scrapbook or journal. We’ll supply the books and other craft supplies. Lincoln Park Library, High Plains Library District, 919 7th St., GR. 1pm. 970-506-8622 or www.mylibrary.us.
Show Your Love A benefit for breast cancer awareness. Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., GR. 6pm. 970-356-5000 or www.ucstars.com.
Loveland Loves Origami Loveland Public Library, 300 N. Adams Ave., LV. 11am. 970-962-2665 or www.lovelandpubliclibrary.org.
satUrDay, FebrUary 2 Animal Afternoon Join Larimer Animal People Partnership and their story-loving critters. Old Town Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 3-4pm. 970-221-6740 or www.Poudre Libraries.org.
The Love Boat The Rialto Theatre Center, 228 E. 4th St., LV. 1pm. 970-962-2120 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
satUrDay, FebrUary 3 Read & Seed: Little White Duck Story time plus an educational and fun hands-on activity. The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., FC. 10-10:45am & 11-11:45am. 970-416-2486 or www.fcgov.com/gardens.
UNC Orchestra Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., GR. 7:30pm. 970-356-5000 or www.ucstars.com.
sUnDay, FebrUary 4 uWrite Teens participate in a wide variety of fun and creative writing activities! Windsor- S everance Library, Clearview Library Dis-trict, 720 3rd St., Windsor. 3:30-4:30pm. 970-686-5603 or www.clearviewlibrary.org.
Weaving Nature The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., FC. 5:30pm. 970-416-2486 or www.fcgov.com/gardens.
Tiny Trekkers A nature program for kids, including crafts, stories and fun facts. Loveland Public Library, 300 N. Adams Ave., LV. 9:15am. 970-962-2665 or www.lovelandpubliclibrary.org.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 4
OnGOInG
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wEdNEsdAY, FEBRUARY 5 iPad 101: The Basics for iPad Users Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 10-11:30am. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Lego Club Windsor-Severance Library, Clearview Library District, 720 3rd St., Windsor. 3:30-4:30pm. 970-686-5603 or www.clearviewlibrary.org.
Alton Brown Live! This star of Good Eats brings his brand of quirky humor and culinary-science mischief to the stage. Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., GR. 7pm. 970-356-5000 or www.ucstars.com.
Loveland Loves Origami Loveland Public Library, 300 N. Adams Ave., LV. 2pm. 970-962-2665 or www.lovelandpubliclibrary.org.
We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks The Rialto Theatre Center, 228 E. 4th St., LV. 7pm. 970-962-2120 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
FRidAY, FEBRUARY 7 American Legacy Cheerleading Budweiser Event Center, 5290 Arena Circle, LV. 9am. 970-619-4100 or www.budweisereventcenter.com.
Scrabble Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 10am-Noon. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Noches en Familia? Come and enjoy a time of stories, crafts, puppets, and songs in Spanish. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 5-6pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Harmony in the Round with African Dancers Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
McTeggart Irish Dancers The Rialto Theatre Center, 228 E. 4th St., LV. 7pm. 970-962-2120 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
First Friday Gallery Walk Old Town Square, Downtown, FC. 6-9pm. 484-6500 or www.downtownfortcollins.com.
First Friday: A Night of Art Greeley is thriving with local artistic talent! Stop by any and all of the participating art galleries for a wonderful evening. Downtown Art Galleries & Studios, GR. 5-8pm. 970-356-6775 or www.greeleydowntown.com.
sATURdAY, FEBRUARY 8 Winter Farmer’s Market Opera Galleria, 123 N. College Ave., FC. 10am-2pm. 484-6500 or www.downtownfortcollins.com.
American Legacy Cheerleading Budweiser Event Center, 5290 Arena Circle, LV. 9am. 970-619-4100 or www.budweisereventcenter.com.
UNC Performing & Visual Arts Gala Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., GR. 7:30pm. 970-356-5000 or www.ucstars.com.
Winter Revelry The Rialto Theatre Center, 228 E. 4th St., LV. 7:30pm. 970-962-2120 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
Chess Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 10am-Noon. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Movie Night: 42 Old Town Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 7pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Sensory Storytime for Children with Special Needs For children who have a hard time in large groups, are on the autism spectrum, or are sensitive to sensory overload. Farr Regional Library, High Plains Library District, 1939 61st Ave., GR. 10:30am. 970-506-8500 or www.mylibrary.us.
Winter Olympics XXII We will celebrate the 17 days of competition along with the 85 participating countries with geography and Olympic information centers. Lincoln Park Library, High Plains Library District, 919 7th St., GR. 1pm. 970-506-8622 or www.mylibrary.us.
February School Age Craft Loveland Public Library, 300 N. Adams Ave., LV. 2pm. 970-962-2665 or www.lovelandpubliclibrary.org.
sUNdAY, FEBRUARY 9 An Intimate Evening with Clint Black This prolific singer-songwriter has been heralded as one of Country music’s brightest starts. The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St, FC. 7:30pm. 970-221-6730 or www.LCTIX.com.
Animal Afternoon Join Larimer Animal People Partnership volunteers and their special story-loving critters. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 3-4pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
MONdAY, FEBRUARY 10 Read & Seed: Valentines Story time plus an educational and fun hands-on activity. The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., FC. 10-10:45am & 11-11:45am. 970-416-2486 or www.fcgov.com/gardens.
TUEsdAY, FEBRUARY 11 Kevin Cook: Huck Finn of the Forest Old Town Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. Noon-1pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Anime Club Teens gather together after school to watch anime favorites, chat about manga, and munch some yummy snacks. Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 4-5:30pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
International Night: Egypt Old Town Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 7-8pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
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Bonsai The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., FC. 5:30pm. 970-416-2486 or www.fcgov.com/gardens.
uWrite Teens arrive ready to participate in a wide variety of fun and creative writing activities! Windsor-Severance Library, Clearview Library District, 720 3rd St., Windsor. 3:30-4:30pm. 970-686-5603 or www.clearviewlibrary.org.
Anti-Valentine Party Loveland Public Library, 300 N. Adams Ave., LV. 3:30pm. 970-962-2665 or www.lovelandpubliclibrary.org.
wEdNEsdAY, FEBRUARY 12 Celtic Nights: The Emigrants Bridge Celtic Nights expertly weaves together the lilting melodies and plaintive lyrics of the rich Celtic heritage to tell the story of a people. The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St, FC. 7:30pm. 970-221-6730 or www.LCTIX.com.
Rocky Mountain Raptors Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 6:30-7:30pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Bill Reed Presents! The Rialto Theatre Center, 228 E. 4th St., LV. 7pm. 970-962-2120 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
Lego Club Windsor-Severance Library, Clearview Library District, 720 3rd St., Windsor. 3:30-4:30pm. 970-686-5603 or www.clearviewlibrary.org.
Wednesdays Wild World of Art Class: Drawing Games Loveland Museum/Gallery, 503 N. Lincoln Ave., LV. 3:30-4:30pm. 970-962-2410 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
Anime Junkies Loveland Public Library, 300 N. Adams Ave., LV. 3pm. 970-962-2665 or www.lovelandpubliclibrary.org.
ThURsdAY, FEBRUARY 13 Word Basics Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 6:30-8:30pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Exercise! Do you need to do it? What kind is best? What if you don’t want to? Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 7-8pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Judy Collins The Rialto Theatre Center, 228 E. 4th St., LV. 7:30pm. 970-962-2120 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
Amplified! A Showcase of Local Talents Windsor-Severance Library, Clearview Library District, 720 3rd St., Windsor. 4:30-6:30pm. 970-686-5603 or www.clearviewlibrary.org.
Echoes to Bugles: Huck Finn of the Forest Examine the natural history of 24 mammals treated as 12 pair of two very different but very connected animals. Farr Regional Library, High Plains Library District, 1939 61st Ave., GR. Noon. 970-506-8500 or www.mylibrary.us.
GED CBT Skills for Spanish Speakers Lincoln Park Library, High Plains Library District, 919 7th St., GR. 2pm. 970-506-8622 or www.mylibrary.us.
GED CBT Skills Lincoln Park Library, High Plains Library District, 919 7th St., GR. 3:30pm. 970-506-8622 or www.mylibrary.us.
FRidAY, FEBRUARY 14 Happy Valentines Day!
Love & All That Jazz Dance & Silent Auction Dance the night away to the sounds of the Foothills Pops and Swing Bands. The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St, FC. 7:30pm. 970-221-6730 or www.LCTIX.com.
I Love Zombies Lock-In Join us for an evening of zombies vs. humans tag, undead crafts, apocalyptic activities, and more! Teens only. Centennial Park Library, High Plains Library District, 2227 23rd Ave., GR. 6pm. 970-506-8622 or www.mylibrary.us.
Sweetheart Skate Greeley Ice Haus, 900 8th Ave., GR. 7:15-8:45pm. www.greeleyicehaus.com.
Romeo & Juliet The Rialto Theatre Center, 228 E. 4th St., LV. 7:30pm. 970-962-2120 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
GPO Connoisseur Concert #5 Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., GR. 7:30pm. 970-356-5000 or www.ucstars.com.
sATURdAY, FEBRUARY 15 The Stars of Tomorrow Youth Talent Show Come see the best youth talent that Fort Collins has to offer! The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St, FC. 6pm. 970-221-6730 or www.LCTIX.com.
Winter’s Farmer Market Opera Galleria, 123 N. College Ave., FC. 10am-2pm. 484-6500 or www.downtownfortcollins.com.
Minecraft Mania: Explore, Create, Build Old Town Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 1-4pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Tech ZOO Loveland Public Library, 300 N. Adams Ave., LV. 10am. 970-962-2665 or www.lovelandpubliclibrary.org.
GPO Connoisseur Concert #5 Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., GR. 7:30pm. 970-356-5000 or www.ucstars.com.
Moon Over My Open Space Join a naturalist for a moonlit hike. Learn about owls and other nighttime critters. River Bluff Open Space, East of I-25 between Timnath and Windsor. 5:30pm. 970-498-7000 or www.fcgov.com/naturalresources.
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· Group Power· FCC Club Fit· Zumba· Water Aerobics
· UJAM· Spin· Yoga· Pilate
Take the online Life Traits Quiz and get 2 weeks of
FREE MEMBERSHIP!(New Members Only)
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Fort Collins, CO 80525 fortcollinsclub.net
FITNESS CLASSES FOR MOMS ON-THE-GOvisit www.fortcollinsclub.net for schedules
DO SOMETHING FOR
Yourself!
• Individual instruction and small group activities
• After school and Saturday lessons available
• Safe, trained horses and ponies Indoor and outdoo arenas
• Equine-assisted psychotherapy with Dr. Margot Nacey (for children and teens
• NEW! Ponies for Preschoolers! with instructor Dr. Margot Nacey.
Dr. Margot Nacey, Owner/DirectorLicensed Clinical Psychologist #1716
Molly Brame, Instructor3833 W. County Road 8Berthoud, Colorado 80513
gargotfarms.com
1408 WEST MOUNTAIN AVENUEFORT COLLINS, CO 80521 • 970.407.1451
mysisterknits.com
Follow us on: Facebook | Our Blog | Twitter | Ravelry
Open Knitting every Tuesday night Come to the shop from 6-8pm and work on a current project or
get started on a new one. Join us for some casual social knitting.
Shop hours are Tuesday 10am to 8pm, Wednesday- Saturday 10am to 5pm. We are closed Sunday and Monday.
42 | RMPARENT
sUNdAY, FEBRUARY 16 Game Day @ Your Library Old Town Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 1-5pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
School’s Out Movie: Wreck It Ralph Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 2-4pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
MONdAY, FEBRUARY 17 School Out Science Beekeeping for 5-10 year olds. Loveland Public Library, 300 N. Adams Ave., LV. 3pm. 970-962-2665 or www.lovelandpubliclibrary.org.
Read & Seed: Honey Butter Story time plus an educational and fun hands-on activity. The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., FC. 10-10:45am & 11-11:45am. 970-416-2486 or www.fcgov.com/gardens.
Infant Care Class McKee Medical Center, 2000 N. Boise Ave., LV. 5-9pm. 970-669-9355 or www.bannerhealth.com.
TUEsdAY, FEBRUARY 18 uWrite Teens arrive ready to participate in a wide variety of fun and creative writing activities! Windsor-Severance Library, Clearview Library District, 720 3rd St., Windsor. 3:30-4:30pm. 970-686-5603 or www.clearviewlibrary.org.
wEdNEsdAY, FEBRUARY 19 Lego Club Windsor-Severance Library, Clearview Library District, 720 3rd St., Windsor. 3:30-4:30pm. 970-686-5603 or www.clearviewlibrary.org.
Wednesdays Wild World of Art Class: One Color, Many Shapes Loveland Museum/Gallery, 503 N. Lincoln Ave., LV. 3:30-4:30pm. 970-962-2410 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
FRidAY, FEBRUARY 21 Tot Art Class: Happy Shapes Draw and paint fun animals! Loveland Museum/Gallery, 503 N. Lincoln Ave., LV. 10:30-11:30am. 970-962-2410 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
sATURdAY, FEBRUARY 22 Mark Nizer: 4D Juggling Theatre One of the greatest entertainment comedians and jugglers performing today. The Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St, FC. 2pm & 6pm. 970-221-6730 or www.LCTIX.com.
Winter’s Farmer Market Opera Galleria, 123 N. College Ave., FC. 10am-2pm. 484-6500 or www.downtownfortcollins.com.
Movie Night: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Old Town Public Library, 201 Peterson St., FC. 7-9pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Mikado for Kids The Rialto Theatre Center, 228 E. 4th St., LV. 2:30pm. 970-962-2120 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
sUNdAY, FEBRUARY 23 Animal Afternoon Join Larimer Animal People Partnership volunteers and their special story-loving critters. Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 3-4pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Story Theatre at the Library Council Tree Library, 2733 Council Tree Ave., FC. 3-3:45pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
MONdAY, FEBRUARY 24 Read & Seed: Flowering Shrubs Story time plus an educational and fun hands-on activity. The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., FC. 10-10:45am & 11-11:45am. 970-416-2486 or www.fcgov.com/gardens.
TUEsdAY, FEBRUARY 25 Stick Baskets The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave., FC. 5:30pm. 970-416-2486 or www.fcgov.com/gardens.
uWrite Teens participate in a variety of writing activities! Windsor-Severance Library, Clearview Library District, 720 3rd St., Windsor. 3:30-4:30pm. 970-686-5603 or www.clearviewlibrary.org.
Creating Easy To Do “Stain Glass” Windsor-Severance Library, Clearview Library District, 720 3rd St., Windsor. 6:30-8pm. 970-686-5603 or www.clearviewlibrary.org.
wEdNEsdAY, FEBRUARY 26 Lego Club Windsor-Severance Library, Clearview Library District, 720 3rd St., Windsor. 3:30-4:30pm. 970-686-5603 or www.clearviewlibrary.org.
UNC Jazz Bands Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., GR. 7pm. 970-356-5000 or www.ucstars.com.
Altered Books Join us for an evening of crafts as we get creative with some of our old books. Kersey Library, 413 1st St., Kersey. 6pm. 970-584-3244 or www.MyLibrary.us.
Wednesdays Wild World of Art Class: Snowman Sculpture Loveland Museum/Gallery, 503 N. Lincoln Ave., LV. 3:30-4:30pm. 970-962-2410 or www.ci.loveland.co.us.
DIY Sock Puppets Loveland Public Library, 300 N. Adams Ave., LV. 3pm. 970-962-2665 or www.lovelandpubliclibrary.org.
ThURsdAY, FEBRUARY 27 Digital Photo Editing with Picasa Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 6:30-8:30pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
International Night: Egypt Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields St., FC. 7-8:30pm. 970-221-6740 or www.PoudreLibraries.org.
Spotlight On Youth Band Concert Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., GR. 6:30pm. 970-356-5000 or www.ucstars.com.
FRidAY, FEBRUARY 28 Forgiven: A Fairy Tale Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., GR. 7pm. 970-356-5000 or www.ucstars.com.
RMPARENT | 43
44 | RMPARENT
$75 New Patient Exam
Includes Exams, Cleaning,Fluoride, X-Rays.
One coupon per patient. New patients only and without insurance. Not valid with anyother offer. Must present coupon at visit.
Expires: 2/28/14 RMP0214
Receive a $15Target Gift Card
for each NEW Patient Visit.
One coupon per patient. New patients only and without insurance. Not valid with any other offer. Must present coupon at visit.
Expires: 2/28/14 RMP0214
970-635-4353126 E. 29th St. • Lovelandwww.kindergrins.comMonday - Thursday 8-5
A general dentistry practice that’s all about kids and young adults, ages 0-20!
Book your child’s dental exam today!
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OR CALL (970)231-8007
RMPARENT | 45
SPECIALIZING IN:ATHSMAALLERGIESECZEMA
JOHN M. JAMES, M.D.Certified by the American Board of Allergy & Immunology and the Ameican Board of Pediatrics
1136 E. Stuart St. Bld. 3, Suite 3200 • Fort Collins, CO 80525 • (970)221-16817251 W. 20th St.. Building N Suite1 • Greeley, CO 80634 • (970)356-3907
DR. DANIEL J. LASZLO
www.coloradoallergy.com
46 | RMPARENT
time outa solid rocking chairConstant worrying never gets you anywhere
K i m S H A R p E
“When will this end? When will my life be normal again?” When my first
son was born, I remember asking those questions of my mother and several friends who already had children. In their kind but expressive way, they all guffawed and shook their heads.
Childbirth class prepared me well for the actual event of bringing new life into the world, but no one could have possibly prepared me for the life-altering experience of becoming a parent and the constant worrying that seems a requisite of the job.
In the beginning, I worried if my son was getting enough nourishment from the milk my body supplied. After all, I had no way of measuring how many ounces he drank. The ro-tund little belly he quickly developed put my fears to rest, so I didn’t con-cern myself with this when my other two sons were born.
But with all three, I worried whether they’d quit breathing in their sleep and fall victim to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), which is probably top on list of most new par-ents’ concerns. Throughout each one of my babies’ infanthood, I wore a path in the carpet that led to their cribs and listened intently to make sure I could hear the sweet, reassuring sound of their baby breaths and see that their chests rose and fell as they should.
Other items on my worry list included if they’d crawl and walk and talk as they should. When each son started school, I worried they’d fall prey to a bully. When each was too old to use women’s public restrooms with me and I had to let them use the men’s, I worried someone would assault them. So I sent them in to-gether and stood vigil right outside, ready to rush in and deal with any-
one who would dare hurt my sons. Picture a mama grizzly bear who senses danger and you can imagine the fierce look I’m sure I wore while standing with arms crossed and my ear to the bathroom door.
Then came each son’s first bike ride out of the neighborhood to adventures
not entirely known to me, I’m sure. The fear related to that paled in comparison to extending the leash a little longer and letting them drive a car all alone for the first time, however. And the first cross-county solo car trip one son took nearly incapacitated me—or perhaps my state of paralysis was because I didn’t sleep from the time he left till he safely arrived at his destination.
Now that all three of my sons are grown young men, one would think I’d have this worry thing figured out, but it seems the more independent my sons become and the farther they venture into their own lives and out of my con-trol, the more anxious I become. I try
to remind myself that I raised them to be independent, resourceful, thoughtful, reasonable risk takers. I trained them up in the way they should go; they won’t veer from that path, will they? Ultimately, I believe they won’t. Still I ask, “Will they make good choices?” “Will they keep good company so
they’re never guilty by association?” “Will they exercise and eat right and avoid substances that could harm those strong bodies I spent so much time try-ing to keep healthy and safe?”
Almost 25 years into parenthood, one would think I would know by now the truth in something Erma Bombeck once said: “Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.” Despite that sage statement, I still hear myself asking, “When will this end? When will my life be normal again? When can I stop worrying?” and I can hear all those who’ve gone before me laughing out loud.
RMPARENT | 47
• Accepting Infants (6 weeks) to 12 yrs
• Day Camp Program for School-Age Children with Awesome Daily Field Trips
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• Full and Partial Day Preschool with emphasis on School Readiness
• Qualistar Rated Program with high-quality staff and curriculum
• Nurturing Environment
• Nutritious Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks
• Enrichment Activities
• Birthday & Large Group Parties
• Group Discount
• 6500sq ft. Gym
• Zip Line
• In-air Obstacle Course
• Rock Climbing Walls
• Trampolines
• Gift Cards Available
ADVENTURE
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book your party!
970.330.0632
ADVENTURE
Parties
ADVENTURECHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
• All skill levels
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5800 W. 18TH ST.
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48 | RMPARENT
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