The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Local Goes Global

“Around the World” Cup

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World Cup Schools famed Open House will take place Saturday, June 1st from 12:30 – 2:30.  The theme this year is “Around the World” Cup.  Through arts & crafts activities, games and exhibitions, children will travel the globe.  They will be surfing the USA, transforming themselves into dragons for their visit to China, painting like a French artist and even traveling to Italy for a spaghetti toss.  In addition, children can participate in fun gymnastics activities where they can swing through the rain forest and jump in to a foam pit swamp.  And, don’t miss the gymnastics show that starts promptly at 12:30 where the World Cup gymnastics team will perform and Matt the Magnificent will leap into new worlds on the trampoline.

“Children are our world’s best asset.  They are our future.  We believe that early childhood educators help build the future by laying the groundwork for children to be successful in their school career.  Open House gives us an opportunity to introduce the community to these wonderful educators.  At the same time, parents get to enjoy a great day of fun with their children,” said Roxanne Kaplan, Director of World Cup Nursery School & Kindergarten.

The event is free and will include raffle prizes from some of Chappaqua’s local merchants.  Parents can enter to win a dinner for 8 from a personal chef from LifeWorx, a basket of beautiful home products from Marmalade, natural skin and hair care products from Yes To, Pizza from Pizza Station, a booklet of passes to Kids Night Out and many more exciting gifts.

“Not only are we making this a day of fun, but it will also be a day of caring.  We will be having a donation drive for My Sister’s Place which is an organization that provides shelter for families in need.  We are asking parents to help brighten the experience of a child in shelter by donating art supplies such as crayons, markers and paint,” added Ms. Kaplan.

ABOUT WORLD CUP SCHOOLS

Since 1989, World Cup has been recognized as the premier early childhood education facility in Westchester County, NY and World Cup Gymnastics is the most revered program in the state of New York.  World Cup U was recently introduced and offers quality afterschool programs for children in Kindergarten through 5th grade.  Over 20 years of experience in working with young children combined with the knowledge of their unique strengths and interest has given World Cup the tools to develop programs in which children thrive.  For more information, call 914-238-9267.

China Through the Eyes of an American High School Student

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By Tim Bloom

chinahighschool2Madam Secretary, if you are reading this, I want to thank you wholeheartedly for the Department of State NSLI-Y program. I spent six weeks immersed in Chinese language, culture and society and cannot recommend the experience highly enough. When people ask me what I liked best about the program, I answer that there were three things that made it so great. The first was the other students in the program; they were from all over the country, from very different backgrounds, and were all very smart and really interesting. Some were first generation Americans, some had parents who worked for the Federal government, and some were from tiny towns in the Midwest and others from big cities in the South and on the West coast.  I now understand why diversity is something we should all try to have in our lives. People who are not the same as us can add different perspectives to every conversation. They see things differently, and those opinions can open your mind to ideas that are different than your own.

The second thing that made the experience so great was the Chinese language immersion, lessons, tutoring and cultural programs. While it was a lot of time in the classroom, it was OK because it is so hot in Shanghai over the summer that we all appreciated the excellent air conditioning! I had done a pre-trip language interview for placement in a language class and even though I had taken three years of Chinese at Greeley, the language is so hard to learn I really wasn’t conversant before the trip. I also did a post-trip interview to assess how much I had learned and I was amazed at how much better I could communicate. We heard a presentation from a Chinese filmmaker, had lunch at a culinary school and even did Tai Chi!

The third element that made the trip so great was the home stay. For most of the trip I lived in a dorm with a roommate and the other students on the same floor. But for two weeks I moved in with a Chinese family. I lived in my own room in their apartment, ate breakfast and dinner with them every day, went shopping with them, watched TV with them and sometimes just sat and talked about life in the US and life in China. We even made dinner together, and I learned how to make traditional Chinese dumplings, totally different as the kind we eat in American Chinese restaurants.

Gaining Perspective
I learned that families are really not that different in other countries. My Chinese family tried to make time every day to sit and talk to each other, they took turns preparing and cleaning up dinner, and they worried about their son in the same way American parents worry about their kids.

China is an amazing country. While I spent most of my time in Shanghai and Beijing, I am hoping to go back soon so I can continue to study Mandarin and see even more of this country of 1.3 billion people. It’s the kind of place that will feel different every time you visit and every person you meet will give you another perspective on what China is really like.

Tim Bloom is a senior at Horace Greeley High School.

Summer Off? Not Quite.

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Teachers Balance Work and Leisure—Here and Abroad!

By Miriam Longobardi

summer-off“Oh, you’re a teacher– you get summers of –how great!”  What teacher has not heard that? The reality is that during the summer most teachers are involved in some type of work, whether it is working a summer job to supplement income or some form of professional development. More than 240 Chappaqua teachers spent many days writing curriculum, developing units of study aligned with the new common core standards, and serving on district committees.  Several more collaborated with administration to create new local assessments mandated by the state.  Still others took graduate and in-service classes but whatever the endeavor once August comes we are right back in the classroom setting up the room and preparing lesson plans for the new school year and an ever-changing curriculum.  When your child walks in on the first day of school, those engaging, neatly labeled displays and thoughtfully organized rooms ready for learning did not happen overnight but took weeks during our “time off”.

Fifteen Chappaqua teachers were accepted into a special cohort called Teacher Action Research Project (TARP).  This intense two-year commitment involves collaborating with colleagues across schools and grade levels using classroom experience to examine student learning and how to ensure that students are thinking deeply and supporting their thinking as they acquire content knowledge.
I participated on the panel consisting of teachers and administrators that interviewed those applicants and evaluated their proposals. They began their work in July and will meet every couple of months to share their progress, submit reports, and revise as needed over the next two years, including more summer work and visiting one another’s classrooms monthly to provide valuable feedback. Colleagues have shared that the influence on their teaching is life-changing.

To Rome with Love
For me, once school let out, rather than hitting the beach, I was off to Harlem to Columbia University Teachers College for a week-long intensive writing institute to help me prepare for a new grade level curriculum.  I was doing homework–required reading, writing papers and lesson plans–and taking part in group presentations.  After that kick-off to summer I was ready for some “me-time” in the form of a three week vacation through Italy and Croatia!

I traveled alone, booked all my hotels, flights and train travel online in advance after months of research and planning (and saving money!).  I landed in Rome and instantly fell in love with the entire city and all its history, art and local personalities!  From Rome I traveled to Venice and was swept away by its beauty. Its tiny streets make it more difficult to navigate and unlike Rome it was not as conducive to traveling alone. My first evening there, I met a great group of  people that live just outside Venice and were there to spend the evening much like we would go into New York.  They instantly befriended me and took me along as we walked the city stopping at fun places all along the way that I never would have discovered on my own.  In Florence, I saw amazing works of art and made more friends. I hiked along a mountain in Cinque Terre and then headed to Croatia for some relaxation on the beach.

The entire trip was great for the soul and brought me in contact with ancient history, incredible works of art, and many new lifelong friends.  Once back in the US I unpacked, repacked, and went to a week-long leadership conference in Baltimore to prepare for my newly elected officer position within the Chappaqua Congress of Teachers and then–you guessed it–my classroom beckoned.

Training in Bhutan
Not all travel is for leisure, and Ellen Moskowitz, a colleague of mine at Roaring Brook, spent her summer in Bhutan training teachers how to educate students with special needs in a general education setting.

Until four years ago, Bhutan did not educate those students and, after the government recognized the need to do so, reached out to the US Special Education Advisory and began efforts to train teachers.  Moskowitz was one of three teachers selected from many nominated candidates to be a specialist in their school.

She showed teachers how to identify student needs and support them in a pull-out program and what small group instruction is and looks like. She introduced them to language used, such as IEP (individualized education program) and helped them develop IEP’s. In addition to the teachers, principals, and special education coordinators who came from all over Bhutan, she trained instructors at the university level how to incorporate this information into their curriculum to better prepare new teachers to meet diverse student needs.

The Bhutan Foundation behind this initiative also planned weekend excursions to different parts of the country.  She had the opportunity to hike through mountains, sometimes at cloud level, as well as through rice paddies. Her hotel faced the Himalayan Mountains and she enjoyed waking up and facing that beautiful view each day before school.

She found the teachers very receptive and eager to learn new teaching methods and remains in touch with them via email, answering questions and engaging in ongoing discussions.

As teachers we are fortunate to find time to reinvigorate for the coming school year, but it is a balance.  I am proud to be part of democracy’s greatest legacy and that for which Chappaqua is renowned –excellence in public education.

Miriam Longobardi is a freelance writer, first grade teacher and single mother of two daughters living in Westchester.  A breast cancer survivor, she also volunteers for the American Cancer Society and has completed four marathons.  Also, check out her weekly New York Modern Love column  at Examiner.com.

Bridging the Cultural Divide

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Creating a Win-Win for You and Your Nannie or Au Pair

By Vicki de Vries

What began on a happy note with your new au pair has suddenly turned sour. So, what went wrong?
 
Your new nanny seems comfortable with your child, but her eyes often fill up with tears. Now what should you do?
 
Your family always celebrates the holidays a certain way. But would your au pair feel comfortable celebrating with you?

cultural-divideWith some exceptions, nannies and au pairs tend to hail from overseas.  And knowing how to head off a crisis with a new au pair or a nanny can help to ensure domestic tranquility and better childcare.

Bal Agrawal of LifeWorx.com, and Jennifer Yamuder and Barbara Buxbaum, both of whom work for Cultural Care Au Pair in various areas of Westchester County, shared their insights with Inside Chappaqua on bridging the cultural divide.

Communication is the Key
Agrawal pointed out two types of people that come to the USA to work: (1) Younger people in their 20s and 30s who are willing to take risks and who are assertive; (2) People in their 40s and 50s who tend to work just as hard but may be less assertive in their personal style.

The younger group tends to be au pairs, while the older group tends to be nannies, although exceptions abound. Regardless of which age group your nanny or au pair falls into, learning how to communicate with her or him is essential. Even though s/he might speak English, keep in mind that a language barrier still exists. Basically, the advice that works for au pairs applies to nannies. The foundation for a good relationship is communication. That first step to understanding starts when you are interviewing prospective nannies or au pairs. “Be very candid and transparent about your expectations,” said Yamuder, whose family hosted five different au pairs for five years before becoming the Mid-Westchester childcare coordinator for Cultural Care Au Pairs, the largest au pair company in the U.S.

As the host family for an au pair, keep in mind that the U.S. Department of State requires au pairs to take six educational credits while staying in the country.  Guess who needs to make sure yours gets to her weekly class and also attends monthly meetings such as those that Cultural Care Au Pair holds to help au pairs socialize with each other and get updated on pertinent issues?  You!

If you have a nanny, you as the homeowner also need to be sensitive and clear in communicating expectations. Either way, you need to set the tone for your nanny or au pair.  Make her or him (yes, there are male au pairs on occasion) feel comfortable.  With an au pair, “provide a room to live in that’s warm and inviting,” said Buxbaum, and spend time getting to know your nanny or au pair, who may be homesick at first.

Bear in mind that host families also need to follow Department of State guidelines for work schedules and time off from work for their au pairs.  Agrawal, who specializes in placing nannies and housekeepers, focused on the economic gap issues: “They tend to live week to week, so remember to pay them every Friday.”

You Say, “Potato,” and I Say, “Pomme de Terre”
Several areas can easily become sources of irritation at best and hurt feelings at worst.  It pays to “recognize that some cultures encourage sharing of personal matters, while others shy away from such discussion,” explained Agrawal.

The bottom line: Expectations need to be clarified and sometimes finessed. Let’s take your expectations for the ongoing aspects of the childcare itself. Buxbaum pointed out several important areas:

1. Discipline: Are you strict or more relaxed when it comes to disciplining your children? Let your childcare helper know, since s/he might be used to a completely different level of discipline.

2. Entertainment: How much TV or computer use do you want your children to have? Be sure to explain that to your childcare helper.

3. Use of Appliances and Other Equipment: Give your childcare helper orientation on the correct use of equipment she might use.

4. Curfew: Cultures differ when it comes to curfew. Determine your au pair’s curfew, and clearly communicate that to her.

5. Driving a Car: What limitations do you have on the use of your car beyond transporting the children back and forth? Clearly explain them.

6. Phone Calling: Does your childcare worker have a limit on the number of calls s/he makes when working with your children? Clearly spell out your expectations.

7. Drinking: Keep in mind that cultures have different rules about alcohol. Expect your underage au pair or nanny to abide by the drinking laws of the United States.

8. Washing clothes: Different cultures have different expectations about clothing. Make sure you explain yours, and show your au pair how to use the washing machine properly.

9. Hygiene: Not all cultures have the same bathing habits as you and your family. (If you feel uncomfortable broaching the topic, companies like CCAP and LifeWorx can step in and handle it.)

The enrichment that comes when cultures intersect is priceless, and the memories are forever.  Former au pairs still keep in touch with Yamuder and her family, for example.

Does having an au pair or a nanny sound like too much work or responsibility? Not if you realize the impact you and your family can have on your au pair or nanny.  Host families have “a unique opportunity to spread goodwill between different cultures,” said Yamuder, whose two sons enjoyed learning about the various cultures represented by their au pairs over the years.

In fact, “at the end of the year with your au pair, open your heart to your new au pair. And try not to compare the old with the new since they will obviously be different,” said Yamuder. Vive la difference!

Vicki de Vries is a freelance writer/editor/educator living in what she calls “Westchester country.”

Moving Down Under…Discovering Australia

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By Tyler Sherman

disc-australiaIn first grade, my vision of Australia was somewhat limited. I knew where it was on a map, that kangaroos and koalas lived there, and that it was known as the country “down under,” but basically, that was all. Thanks to my father who was relocated there for business, I have had the opportunity to broaden my perspective of the beautiful “land down under.” Initially, I was upset and scared when my parents broke the news to my brother, sister, and me that we would be relocating to Australia for two years. But quickly this far away country became my second home.

At first, I was frightened. Up to this point in my life, I had only lived in one house, in one small town in Westchester County, New York. It was the only town I had ever lived in, and it was all I had ever known. My house, school, friends, and family were always only a short commute away. By moving to Australia, I was forced to leave everything I knew behind and move halfway around the world to a country that was completely unfamiliar to me. I was moving to a place where I knew no one and no one knew me. A new house and a new school were only two of the many unknowns that awaited me. I was more than frightened, to say the least, but quicker than I could ever have imagined, these unknowns became knowns and Australia became my second home.

On my first day of school, I reluctantly put on a blue button-down shirt, a black and gold tie, gray khaki shorts and black leather dress shoes. Wearing a uniform, I couldn’t help but be leery of what other regulations lay ahead. To my surprise, I was welcomed into my new school by extraordinarily friendly classmates and teachers who were eager to help me feel comfortable. Far from uptight, my new school had a relaxed environment that mandated uniforms to remove the materialistic competition that often exists among youth and teenagers. My new mates came from a variety of nationalities and during classroom discussions, I had the chance to hear about some of their experiences in their native countries. Knowing them and hearing their stories and experiences gave me a perspective on the world that no textbook could ever teach.  This experience has greatly helped me to better connect with and understand people with backgrounds completely different from my own.

Throughout our two years in Australia, we tried to do and see as much as possible. My family and I got to experience and visit many amazing wonders, from the Great Ocean Road and the twelve apostles, to the Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House; sporting events like Australian Rules Football and the Australian Tennis Open; and of course, multiple visits to see the many indigenous animals of Australia.

My experience in Australia has been life changing for me. My life is now richer and fuller. I learned to became more independent, organized, and to improve my communication skills. While in Australia, I stayed in contact with my friends in New York so that I would feel connected when I moved back home and now, I remain in contact with my friends in Australia.

As a result of my move, I am eager to embrace new places, people and ideas. Australia taught me about accepting change, personal growth and welcoming cultural differences, all qualities that I believe lead to an enriched and fulfilling life.

Tyler Sherman is a freshman at Horace Greeley High School.