Thursday, May 09th
fortytwo

This year the Fox Meadow Elementary School will have it's annual fall benefit at 42, located at the top of the Ritz Carlton in White Plains.

According to event chairperson Julie Rosenblatt, the space at 42 is second to none and is perfect for this type of event, So, after minimal negotiation...here we are... gearing up to make this more than just a fundraiser, but also an evening to remember.”

Slated for November 13th, all Fox Meadow Elementary School PTA Members are encouraged to attend. Please respond to the invitation you received in the mail no later than November 5th.

All monies raised at the benefit will go toward funding Fox Meadow Elementary School's wonderful enrichment programs such as: Learning to Look, Abilities Awareness, author visits, the fourth grade colonial fair, fifth grade activities, Wiz Kids and more.

 

 

radical_familyThe Junior Leagues of Westchester are excited to host Vanessa Van Petten, nationally acclaimed author and parent-teen advisor, at the Scott Room of the Scarsdale Public Library on October 28, 2010, from 7:30-9:00 p.m. There is no cost to attend this event.

Ms. Van Petten's mission is to improve parent-teen relationship by providing parents and their children with new perspectives, stories and neutral places to communicate. She hopes that this will help families institute values and build strong relationships that promote healthy attitudes and lifestyle behaviors in this generation of young adults.

Ms. Van Petten is the author of "You're Grounded!," a book that presents the teen perspective on parent-child interactions in today's complicated world and offers suggestions as to how both teens and parents can work to improve these important relationships. Ms. Van Petten wrote this book when she was a teenager. She also recently published "Radical Family Workbook and Activity Journal." She is the founder of the website radicalparenting.com, a site aimed at parents and teens, that contains instructive videos, blogs, articles and other advice on improving the relationship between parents and teenagers. Ms. Van Petten has been featured on numerous television shows and tours nationally to share her advice and ideas. Additional information can be found on her website.

 

 

water2The Charity: Water club at Scarsdale High School will host a Pumpkin Painting fundraiser in the Scarsdale High School cafeteria from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm on Saturday October 23rd. The club helps the billion people on this planet without access to clean drinking water through fundraising to build wells. Refreshments will be served and children will take home their decorated pumpkins.

This event is perfect for elementary children and is a great way to combine Halloween fun with a great cause. Please join them at the High School on Saturday, October 23 at 1 pm.

For more information check out the organization’s website at www.charitywater.org

 

 

musicThe Hoff-Barthelson Music School will host its annual Summer Camp Advisory on Saturday, November 13, at 3:30 pm at the Music School, 25 School Lane, Scarsdale, New York.

Parents who are looking for summer camps will find a wide variety of materials on display at the Music School. Brochures and videos on music, art, and theatre camps; day and sleep-away, will all be available. A panel of Hoff-Barthelson students who have attended a variety of camps will hold a group discussion, under the leadership of Wilma Machover, the School’s Director of Artistic Programs. Students will represent camps such as Encore/Coda, New England Music Academy, French Woods, the Suzuki Institutes, and the Hoff-Barthelson Summer Arts Program.

The Music School also welcomes applicants to its Summer Arts Program. The program, for students in second through tenth grades, will operate from June 27 – July 29, 2011. The 2011 camp season will feature the eleventh year of the School’s charismatic Musical Theatre Workshop. Camp Director Joseph Piscitelli will describe the program in detail at the Summer Camp Advisory.

Call 914-723-1169 for information about the Summer Camp Advisory.

 

 

hallcostumes3Halloween is a wonderful time to be a parent! Decorating the house, buying costumes, and trick-or-treating can be joyful moments to share with our children and to create life long memories to treasure. At the same time, with all of the rules to create and boundaries to set, Halloween provides the perfect opportunity to flex our parenting muscles with a smile.

As parents we are obliged to decide on appropriate costumes, how much candy everyone is allowed to eat, what kind of decorations to buy, and how and when to trick or treat. For example, costume shopping can be highly over-stimulating for many children. A simple and reasonable, "No," may elicit an intense tantrum. Please remember to be firm yet fair, and that giving in to a tantrum reinforces your child’s notion that tantrums are a useful tool for achieving a desired result. In essence, tantrums lead to more tantrums.

When you make decisions about the candy to buy, whether or not your child has to cover up a great costume with a warm jacket, how old your child has to be to trick-or-treat without an adult, how late your teen can stay out on Halloween night, or any other decision to ensure your child's safety and well-being, do so with confidence. You are the parent. You know what’s best. More importantly, you have the right and the responsibility to make and enforce the rules.

I hope that you find the following suggestions helpful:

  • Be selective when choosing a costume. Stay away from flammable fabrics, such as nylon and vinyl. Make sure that hems are short enough to avoid tripping.
  • Consider leaving toy weapons at home. If you do let your child bring toy weapons along, make sure that they look obviously pretend.
  • Make sure that you and your child have a flashlight and reflective tape on the front and back of your clothes so that you can be easily seen by oncoming traffic.
  • Young children should always be accompanied by an adult
  • If you do decide to allow your older child to go out without an adult, make sure that they are wearing a watch that can be read in the dark and that they have a flashlight. If children are trick-or-treating alone they should know where they may and may not go, and exactly when they are expected home. If possible, consider giving your child a cell phone to use as well.
  • Encourage your child to engage in extra physical activity on the day of Halloween and the day after to burn off extra sugar.
  • Eat dinner before trick-or-treating. Remember that children with full stomachs will have an easier time waiting to eat candy until it is inspected at home
  • Consider cutting down on sugar and fats by handing out packets of pretzels, crackers and cheese, or non-food items, such as pencils, erasers or stickers.
  • Make sure your trick-or-treaters stay outside of strange homes at all times.
  • Do not allow your children to eat candy until you have had a chance to carefully inspect it at home. Once at home, discard anything that is not wrapped, and then allow your children to take only the predetermined amount of candy that you have specified in advance.

Have lots and lots of fun! Take pictures! These years go by in a blink of an eye. Enjoy your children and make some great memories to share with your grandchildren.

Elizabeth Pflaum lives with her husband and four children in Scarsdale and provides individual parent coaching to clients and their families. She offers parenting classes and workshops throughout the tri-state area, is a frequent guest parenting expert on WABC’s Eyewitness News and other television shows and writes articles about all topics relating to parenting and childhood. For more information, visit her website at: http://www.aaapparentcoach.com

 

 

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