Who wants to go vampire hunting?

So Hallowe’en is around the corner and you’ve decided to fight evil this year by being a vampire hunter. Where do you start?

John Loper of Antiques & More in Coral Springs had an idea rolling around in his head in 2016, but it wasn’t until COVID-19 showed up that he was able to really start digging into what a vampire hunting kit would require, how to make it with high-quality antiques and reproductions and look authentic.

Fast forward to 2021, and Loper has put together many kits of varying sizes containing everything one might think of, and some surprises too! He took one of his works and sold it through Sotheby’s Auction House in New York. Other interested parties are the Royal Armouries in Leeds and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Pictured is one of his larger kits, which is made of a velvet-lined wooden chest with a padlock and key, containing two removable gilt metal sconces — in case you are hunting at night, obviously.

Also included are two replica pistols, a pocket Bible, a strand of rosary beads, six wooden stakes and a mallet, seven crucifixes including one with a carved bone handle, one silvered pendant, and 33 glass vials. Everything a want-to-be vampire hunter will need. The vials could be used for holy water, or garlic (Does garlic salt count? Do you want to take the chance?), or any number of potions that the many vampire legends claim will drive out, stun, injure, or perhaps even kill one of these children of the night.

Other kits contain mirrors, 19th-century documents from funeral parlors, and more curios and religious artifacts. So if you want to be the Winchester brothers (from CW’s “Supernatural”) this Halloween, you know where to get the gear.

 

Trouble is brewing! A Halloween collaboration

When it comes to Halloween, I feel there are two types of people — those who go all out and those who don’t. Clearly, we go all out! Halloween falls on a Sunday this year, so why not throw a fantastically frightening party with close friends the Saturday before? I’ve teamed up with some amazing local vendors to give you some ideas on how to make this spooky season extra special.

 

 

We set the scene with marquee “BOO” letters and a statement backdrop with a huge balloon garland. Our colorful palette of peach, lavender, and black carried from the plates to the sweets to the décor.

The kids’ table was set with playful coffin-shaped snack boxes filled with goodies, adorable cake-pop cones, and festive cookies with some milk. The bowls were for the “I Scream Bar” later in the party.

 

 

For a super easy do-it-yourself game, I created this seasonal tic-tac-toe from inexpensive wood pumpkins painted to match. Another creepy activity the kids enjoyed was making clothespin flying bats. Simply cut out paper bat shapes and a 3-inch rectangular paper strip. Paint the clothespins black, then glue the bat on top and the strip on the bottom. Slightly bend the wings up and then glue the strip to the wings. Let dry and then watch your bat fly as you pinch the clothespin!

Over on the adults’ table, we featured signature “Boos.” This pastel witches’ brew concoction is simple:

  • 1½ oz. gin
  • ½ oz. fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ oz. maraschino liqueur
  • ¼ oz. crème de violette

Combine all ingredients over ice, shake, and serve! As parents help the kids create the sundae of their dreams with all the creepy toppings, they could enjoy sweet and savory treats done with impeccable Halloween flair.

Whatever your plans, stay safe and creep it real. Happy Halloween!

Rachel Hunter is the owner of Celebrate You Events, offering bespoke party planning for all occasions.

She can be reached at (305) 389-0550 or CelebrateYou2020@gmail.com.

 

For information on any of these activities, contact the following:

  • Rachel from Celebrate You Events (IG: @celebrate.you.events) — concept creation, party styling, fringe banner, and activities
  • Alex from Hullaballoon (IG: @thehullaballoon) — custom balloon arch
  • Kelsey from The Styled Kind (IG: @thestyledkind_) — backdrops, kids’ table, and chairs
  • Cathy and Shannon from BoardYum (IG: @boardyum) — kids coffin snack boxes and charcuterie board
  • Danna from Sweet-n-Dandy (IG: @dandysweettreats) — custom cake and Halloween sweets
  • Nicole from LalaWoodStory (IG: @lalawoodstory) — wood sign and bats, acrylic stir sticks
  • Niki from Alphalit South Florida (IG: @alphalitsofl) — BOO marquee letters

 

Thanks to the following for their contributions:

  • Venue: WowMoms World, Coral Springs
  • Photographer: Melanie Zehner Photography
  • Ice cream: Glyk Gelato
  • Skull bath bombs: Karma Bath

 

Stocking up on fine red wines for winter

Don’t look now, but winter is approaching. It may not seem that way here in South Florida right now, but there is nothing stopping it and winter will be here whether we want it or not. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, the only way we know that winter has arrived here is by the plethora of out-of-state license plates on the automobiles of the “snowbirds,” the change in the color of women’s shoes from white to black or brown, and the desire to replace the white wines of summer with red.

While the red wines are usually more costly than the white wines, as it is said, “You get what you pay for.” My advice is to stock up on red wines now before the winter price increases or any other maladies that may befall Northern California.

Daou Family 2019 Pessimist ($30). A strange name but not a strange wine. The back label explains that it is a wine “that never disappoints.” That motto says a great deal, but does its name meet its character and quality? As a wine columnist, being a perpetual pessimist goes with the job, but this wine made that job easy: It is excellent. This wine can easily change a hard-core pessimist into a pussycat optimist.

At the first sip, you know that you are in for something very interesting, and very enjoyable. Everything about this wine is concentrated and very obvious. This dark ruby red, full-bodied wine displays the traditional cabernet aromas of cassis, plum, and oak with a hint of clove. Black cherry and cassis, in glorious amounts, firmly reside in the flavor along with a velvety mouthfeel, a sure sign of a better cab — and that is exactly what this wine is, a better cab and a fine starting place if you are a cabernet sauvignon newcomer.

Daou Family 2018 Bodyguard ($50). Since I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, to me a bodyguard is a big, burly guy with a broken nose and cauliflower ears who makes offers that “it’s best not to refuse.” Therefore, a wine so named definitely intrigued me. I will start by saying that no threats, bullying, or strong-arm tactics are needed for this wine, as it will capture and hold you with the first sip.

This wine is a blend of often not-seen varieties: 59% petite verdot and 41% petite sirah. The aroma is a fruit basket alive with the scents of blackberry, raspberry, pomegranate, chocolate, licorice, and cocoa. These fruit aromas and even more carry over to the flavor and then explode in the finish. Words cannot do justice to this wine, and I believe that it is one of the most interesting red wines that I have sampled in a long time. And remember, this wine was made by “the family.”

Hamel Family 2018 Isthmus ($90). The Hamel family, with all of their red wine experience, do full justice to the cabernet sauvignon grapes and from them have produced a very fine and, if I may, an exceptional example of the variety. The wine is full-bodied with a deep, almost violet color. This very dark wine is a true child of California, stressing fruit flavors over the usually austere and stiff character of the grape variety.

The aroma showcases black fruits, cedar spice, and vanilla. These carry over to the flavor, where they mingle with a cherry and plum element and the very discernable flavors of chocolate mint. This wine has a wonderful softness about it and reflects many of the flavors and aromas that are found only in well-aged wines. This is a wine that I believe rides the fine line between a California cabernet sauvignon and a French Bordeaux, and it is a pleasure to drink.

Eczema and food allergies: what parents need to know

Eczema is a dry rash and skin condition in any stage of life, but it can be very common in infancy. Also known as atopic dermatitis, its root cause is unknown, but those with at least one first-degree relative with eczema, asthma, or hay fever are predisposed to having drier skin.

Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, MBE, FAAP, a pediatric specialist and chief medical officer at SpoonfulONE, says one in five children have dry skin classified as eczema. It can appear as small, dry flakes or develop into cracks in the skin that may lead to bleeding. Pediatricians call it the “itch that rashes,” and if unchecked, eczema can be persistent, recurring, and long-lasting.

When the skin breaks down, cracks and fissures form, causing the body to become an entry point that consumes everything in the environment. “The skin is the largest organ in the body and serves as protection from the outside world,” says Dr. Swanson. “What we know from data over the last 20 years is that when an infant is first introduced to food through the skin, the immune system reacts to it as an irritant, versus when the child begins to eat solid foods at the four-to-six-month mark.” By that time, the immune system is more comfortable and recognizes harmful substances, but due to cracks, rashes, and the intake of food through the skin during the early months of infancy, babies are prone to eczema.

Food Diversity

“A child with eczema is 600 times more likely to develop a lifelong food allergy,” says Swanson. “Studies show that the tummy is dominant to the skin, so that is why it is so important to introduce a diversity of foods as early and as often as possible to help develop the immune system.”

Swanson continues, “When solid foods are consumed through the stomach and not the skin, the immune system becomes more comfortable, normalizing intake rather than overreacting to it. The immune system is unique in that it needs to be ‘taught’ protection, and that only happens with food diversity.”

The skin provides security from outside elements, but through food diversity, the immune system “learns” how to react and protect. “How babies are fed early in life can be life-changing, so a diversity of foods is highly recommended,” Swanson commented. “Introducing new foods is not the risk, it’s the delay in introducing the foods that is the risk.”

According to Swanson, 8% of American children have a food allergy, which equals six million kids, or two in every classroom. A diverse diet in infancy protects against the development of allergies. “The more diverse a diet is at infancy through toddlerhood, the less likely he or she will develop food allergies,” says Swanson.

“Peanuts, eggs, and milk are the most common allergens in infancy, and parents need to understand they can help their child avoid a food allergy by getting proper foods and nutrients into the stomach to refortify the skin’s barrier.”

Establishing good food diversity is essential to a baby’s well-being. Formulas are not recommended after 12 months, but breastfeeding and/or formula can be sufficient up to the four-to-six-month period. Usually, from six to 12 months, a baby should become accustomed to a standard solid diet.

Breastfeeding

If a mother breastfeeds her baby exclusively during the first three months, the chances of the child getting a food allergy will not decrease, but breastfeeding does decrease the risk of eczema because the nutrients in a mother’s milk provide a baby’s skin with an extra level of protection. Developing a firm, protective skin barrier is important to deter eczema, and this can be done if parents recognize the importance of various food groups.

 

Solid Food Diet

The best way to get proteins and nutrients into a baby is through the stomach. “All the things Mommy consumes goes into her breast milk, but not all of it contains the necessary proteins needed to fortify a baby’s immune system,” Swanson commented. “Breastfeeding is great, and it can reduce the risk of eczema, but the USDA has made it clear that by four to six months, parents should be introducing allergens such as fish, shellfish, peanuts, wheat, eggs, and so forth into a baby’s diet.”

During pregnancy, a woman will eat many different types of foods, and the diversity of what she eats is what feeds her baby. A diverse diet of foods introduces more allergens and that is important in a baby’s early life — particularly if a child has eczema. The more proteins in the body, the more stabilized and healthier the baby will be.

The Inca civilization rises again in Boca Raton

In a coup for the Boca Raton Museum of Art and South Florida, the Boca museum will be the first stop of a world tour of the exhibit “Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru,” opening to the public on Oct. 16.

Presented by Cityneon with support from the Government of Peru and the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, and in partnership with Inkaterra Asociación, the collection is on loan from Museo Larco in Lima, Peru, and Museo de Sitio Manuel Chávez Ballón in Aguas Calientes, Peru.

It is the first time many of these objects have been seen outside of Peru.

“As we get closer to launching the premiere engagement of this exhibit, our team is truly excited to share this world-class production with South Floridians,” said Anthony Tann, president of World Heritage Exhibitions.

The immersive and interactive exhibit features the history, artifacts, and culture of ancient Andean cultures and the Inca people, and many of the 192 priceless artifacts on display are from royal tombs, including spectacular objects that belonged to noble Andean lords, such as a fully intact gold attire of a Chimú emperor dating back to 1300 A.D.

In part of the exhibit, visitors will be guided by a mythical Andean hero, Ai Apaec, and gain an understanding of the forces of nature that led to his death and subsequent rebirth.

Historians consider the ancient Andean civilizations of Peru as one of the six “pristine” cradles of civilization in the world, on par with those in Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley (present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan), China, and Mexico.

Rivaled only by ancient Egypt in longevity and by the Roman Empire in engineering, Andean societies dominated a substantial segment of South America for more than 3,000 years, straight through the reign of the Incan Empire.

The Inca civilization, the last and largest empire in the pre-Colombian Americas, flourished without written language, the wheel, money, steel, iron, or draft animals, and it was the last great society to emerge in that era.

The exhibit, which highlights both the Incan cultures (1438–1533) and earlier Andean empires dating back thousands of years to the Chavín empire in 900 BCE, will inhabit two floors of the museum and feature an immersive, virtual reality experience designed to recreate the ancient spiritual mountaintop empires that existed 7,000 feet up in the clouds of the Andean Mountains.

Subsequent to the Chavín empire, five additional empires flourished in Peru, ending in 1533 with the Incas’ reign. The Incas, who ruled for 100 years, were the last chapter in thousands of years of ancient Andean civilizations.

Nestled in a cloud forest, the Inca Empire’s enduring symbol of architectural prowess is protected by twin sacred mountaintops and is invisible from below. For the exhibit, the ancient city has been recreated complete with sounds of jaguars and macaws and other sounds of the Amazon’s rainforest.

In 2020, during the unprecedented closure of the site during the COVID-19 pandemic, the first-ever virtual reality expedition of Machu Picchu was shot using state-of-the-art drone virtual reality technology.

Titled “Machu Picchu and the Spirit of the Condor,” the virtual reality experience features the grand Inca emperor Pachacuti, who infuses viewers with the spirit of the condor and flies with them across the ancient landscape.

Viewers will encounter the city’s ancient inhabitants and experience some of its most iconic locations, from the Temple of the Sun to the heights of Huayna Picchu.

“It is an honor to be the home of the world premiere of ‘Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru’ and a privilege to work with such esteemed partners to bring this exhibition to our community,” said Irvin Lippman, executive director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art at the exhibit announcement last May.

“We look forward to introducing South Florida and the world to the wonders of Machu Picchu and the power and beauty of the Inca civilization for what promises to be a memorable exhibit,” he said.

Make the most of your day, starting with BREAKFAST

You can build the foundation for a winning day by simply starting the day with breakfast. I know you’ve heard it before, and it’s true, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you are grabbing your house keys and heading out in the morning without eating, trying to save time or calories, you are squandering the savings. By skipping breakfast, the fuel that your body and brain need to get started and help you focus on high performance, or simply focus, is missing. The effort to save calories by skipping a meal cancels out because by midday you’re pretty hungry and are more likely to eat more and consume more calories than you wouldhave if you had started the day with breakfast.

When you wake up in the morning, your body has been fasting — going without food during the hours while you were sleeping. Breakfast “breaks the fast”; it provides the body and the brain with the energy needed to function. If you start the day without the needed energy, the results are like trying to drive your car without gas — think of your body as your vehicle.

Studies show that when adults and children eat breakfast, it is easier for them to concentrate, they are more productive, and they have better problem-solving skills. In short, skipping breakfast may result in poorer performance — it may appear that they are not very bright.

Breakfast also aids in eating adequate amounts of the vitamins and minerals recommended for a healthy lifestyle. If you eat breakfast, you are more likely to control your weight and eat less fat and cholesterol. The following are key ingredients for a healthy breakfast:

  • Whole-grain rolls, bagels, cereals, low-fat bran muffins, English muffins, Melba toast, and crackers
  • Low-fat protein such as peanut butter, almond butter, Nutella® spread, Canadian bacon, low-fat mozzarella cheese sticks, turkey bacon and sausage, scrambled egg whites or an egg-white omelet, hard-cooked eggs, or vegetarian protein items
  • Low-fat or fat-free dairy foods such as fat-free milk, Greek-style low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, and natural cheeses
  • Fruits and vegetables including fresh or frozen items, 100% juice beverages without added sugar, and fruit or vegetable smoothies.

If you’ve been a “breakfast skipper,” try these tactics to help ease this important meal into your day. Here are some tips for making this meal a little easier to get on the table (or in your hand on the way out the door):

  • Prepack to-go bags the day before a crazy morning. Include a zip-top plastic bag of granola; add a hard-cooked egg, low-fat yogurt, and a handful of grapes just before you leave.
  • Have a smoothie. Just make sure to add some protein, like yogurt, whey protein powder, or tofu, to keep you satisfied longer.
  • Make quick and healthy breakfast sandwiches with frozen waffles (toasted), peanut butter, and sliced banana.
  • Set foods aside the night before; cut up fruits, pour cereal, or prepare mixtures for baked or scrambled eggs.
  • Consider steel-cut oats for a super-healthy and convenient meal. Combine the oats and water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and let sit overnight. The next morning, you just have to reheat them.
  • Use your microwave. Most hot cereals have microwave instructions. Mix the cereal with liquid and flavorings, pop it in the microwave, and finish dressing while breakfast cooks itself.
  • Keep your freezer stocked with frozen waffles and healthy breakfast burritos.
  • Don’t think of berries as an extravagance. They’re outrageously good for you, and they dress up a bowl of cereal.
  • Prepare hard-cooked eggs in advance. Hard-cooked eggs in the shell can be stored in the refrigerator for two to three days.
  • Always keep a bowl of fresh seasonal fruits available for the easiest grab-and-go.

Adding breakfast to the day is easy. Just make a few adjustments to your schedule, plan ahead, and grab-and-go with one of these simple breakfast choices.

Takeaway: Breakfast is the most important meal. If you get started with breakfast, you are well on your way to jumpstarting the day with optimum energy.

October brings opportunity to fish the mullet run

People who complain that South Florida doesn’t have a change of seasons don’t fish the annual fall mullet run.

For local anglers, nothing signals that fall has arrived like the mullet run. That’s when schools of silver and black mullet migrate south along the Atlantic coast while being feasted on by a host of predators such as snook, tarpon, jacks, sharks, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish.

October is the prime time to fish the mullet run, both offshore and inshore. One of the attractions of the run is that anglers never know what they might catch from one cast to the next. Another attraction is that they don’t need live mullet to catch gamefish. Half of a mullet and a variety of lures such as topwater plugs and soft-plastic baitfish and shrimp imitations can be just as, if not more, effective.

Schools of mullet can appear suddenly and then disappear. Sometimes they linger inshore for several days before moving on. As Capt. Chris Murray of Stuart, who fishes offshore as well as in the Indian and St. Lucie rivers, said, “They come in in droves, and then they’ll pause and then there’ll be another drove.”

“They could be here for several weeks or a month,” added Capt. Mark Nichols of Stuart. “It just depends on whether the weather pushes them south.”

Murray usually cast-nets several dozen mullet wherever he sees the baitfish pushing water. After catching bait, he recommended that you cruise around until you spot another mullet school, then closely watch to see what the baitfish are doing and what’s feeding on them.

Tarpon often jump completely out of the water, then come crashing back into the middle of the school. Snook like to hang below the school and suck in mullet with an audible pop. Jacks will charge into the school and send mullet flying.

Murray likes to fish live mullet on a 7-foot light- to medium-action spinning rod with a 4000-size reel spooled with 20-pound braided line. He usually attaches a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader tied to a 3/0 Owner Mutu Light circle hook. He clips an indicator float to the leader, which allows him and his anglers to keep track of the bait.

“I vary my leaders. I like to actually start lighter,” Murray said. “Normally I rig up two that are 25-pound, two that are 30, two that are 40. When I know what kind of fish are there and what kind of heat I have to put on them, normally 40. If they’re small snook, 25 or 30 is fine.”

When drifting or slow-trolling, he hooks a mullet through the upper lip and has his angler cast it to the edge of a submerged oyster bar, which snook, tarpon, and other species use as ambush spots. Murray then has the angler open the bail of the reel and slowly let out the line.

Fishing in the St. Lucie River with Murray and Anthony Javarone, it wasn’t long before our mullet got nervous, then violent splashes appeared by the baits. Whatever went after my mullet missed, but a big fish nailed Javarone’s bait.

Following Murray’s instruction to let the fish swim for a few seconds before closing the bail and reeling the line tight, Javarone was hooked up to what turned out to be a 15-pound jack. The fish took Javarone from one end of Murray’s bay boat to the other before it finally tired. With a gloved hand, Murray lifted the jack out of the water by the tail, let Javarone pose with it for some photos, then released it to resume its mullet-marauding ways.

Big jacks also feed on schools of mullet traveling along the beaches and in and out of inlets. Tarpon and Spanish mackerel will crash into a mullet school, then they and snook, bluefish, and jacks lurking underneath gobble up the stunned and maimed mullet. That’s when fishing a mullet head on the bottom can be extremely effective.

Fishing around the rocks at the mouth of St. Lucie Inlet, Capt. Greg Snyder of Stuart uses a DOA plastic shrimp to catch snook ranging from under the minimum size limit of 28 inches to over the maximum size limit of 32 inches. He fishes the shrimp on a spinning outfit with 30-pound braided line and a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader.

“They use the rocks as a trap,” said Snyder of the snook. “The bait hits the rocks and gets confused and the snook take advantage of it.”

The key is to let the shrimp drift with the current and to be aware of any taps or hesitation in the drift, because that means a snook has taken the lure.

“Let the tide do the work and keep in contact with the shrimp,” Snyder said, “because you need to be able to set the hook when they eat.”

Why would a snook eat a shrimp when mullet are abundant? I posed that question to Nichols, the founder of DOA Lures.

“The first of the mullet run, the fish are all over the mullet,” Nichols said. “But after three weeks of eating mullet, they’re ready for something different.

“I think it’s just easy for them to eat a shrimp,” he added. “They have to work hard to catch a mullet. It doesn’t take anything for them to catch a shrimp.”

And when the mullet are running, it usually doesn’t take anything for anglers to catch a variety of gamefish.

This school year, the pressure is on

Many students are anxious this school year, and the COVID situation makes things even more tense. A lot of students were not in school last year and did classes virtually. This school year, they wonder: Mask or no mask? Is it safe? Is it uncomfortable?

In addition, there are the usual anxieties: Will my best friend still want to be my friend? Will I have nice teachers? Will I remember how to multiply fractions or read articles in Spanish?

If we adults feel stress and strain, so do young people. As a teacher and counselor, even before COVID, the number of tweens and teens with migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, and other stress-related symptoms disheartened me. One teen had hands that trembled as if she had Parkinson’s. Another developed sensitivity to socks and underwear and couldn’t attend school. The parents took her to an allergist, who determined there were no allergies, but rather an emotional reaction to school.

Students often told me they were terrified of getting a “B” as they were supposed to bring home “A”s. There would be severe repercussions if they brought home anything less. This was especially true with gifted students. And there were parents who would email within minutes of any quiz posted if there were a grade lower than expected.

Young people are especially sensitive. They will be devastated if their best friend makes friends with a new student, or someone decides not to speak to them for a day. As parents, there are things we can do to make life easier for our children and alleviate some of their angst.

Do not minimize their anxiety. Young people cringe at the thought “these are the best years of your life.” No, they are not. Any adult who believes middle school is the best of times has a poor memory. You are too short or too tall. Your skin breaks out. You are overweight and never get picked for teams. You are the only girl who doesn’t need a bra. You hate your braces. Your nose has suddenly grown. Your once-pretty hair is now frizzy. You question your gender identity. Your family doesn’t have the means to get you the latest styles. You cannot comprehend chemistry.

To be told that these are the best of times makes most teens think, “Please, that can’t be true.” Many of these young people are feeling unhappy, frightened, and unworthy. To be told that they should be happy, should appreciate being young and “free,” makes them feel angry and more anxious: “What is wrong with me?”

Parents can do things to help. First, find where students can get encouragement. For example, a student is dyslexic and feels bad. His handwriting is illegible and his reading needs improvement. Get him help with the reading, either an after-school program, a tutor, or with programs he can work on, like Study Island. Reading is vital for all subjects, but don’t overdo it. Half an hour a day can help. Don’t do more or they will resent it. If you use a tutor, make sure they are not doing the student’s work, but showing how to do the work.

Equally important: Find an activity where the student gets “positive strokes,” like sports, music, karate, art, astronomy, or chess. They gain confidence; there is something they are good at. They will make like-minded friends. This is a win-win situation, especially important for introverts.

Be warned, however, that often young people will try several things before finding one that fits. Don’t see this as them “quitting,” but rather trying things out. That is normal, and hopefully they will find something and stick with it.

One young man was so shy he didn’t speak with anyone in class. His breakthrough came when he mentioned he had six dogs. A club I sponsored, “Builders’ Club,” raised money for charities. He was encouraged to join. He raised money for the Humane Society and in this endeavor had to speak to people. He became president of the club and came out of his shell. He is now in college and is outgoing and friendly.

The greatest gift a parent can give a child having any type of difficulties, academic or social, is to listen and commiserate. Do not dismiss their unhappiness. Let them know you are there for them. But don’t immediately try to fix it. Instead, when they come home with a problem or a situation, listen. When they have finished expressing their feelings, and you have allowed them to vent without jumping in, ask, “What do you think you can do about this?” Allow them to think aloud and present various scenarios. Ask them “Which idea sounds best to you?” and “If that doesn’t work, what else might you do?” This is powerful. It allows people to “try on” different approaches and gives them the correct idea: They have the means to fix things, to meet life’s challenges.

To do this means that time is set aside in your day to allow them to share with you while you listen with undivided attention. In our house, it was dinner. No matter what, we ate as a family and heard the events of the day. “What went well? Was there a problem?” “What did you learn today?” “What happened that made you happy?” Perhaps cook or do the dishes together.

I used to pick up my son from school. On the walk home, our time to talk was stopping for pizza or a treat. With my daughter, Saturday mornings were our “girl time.” We had brunch out and she shared stories about friends, gymnastic class, and why she loved her music teacher.

There will be times when your child might tell you, “My teacher is still not calling on me,” “Johnny is bullying me,” or “Sandra called me fat,” which may require parent intervention. But these should be the rare times.

For most incidents and daily angst, encourage them to think through ways to alleviate situations. This is a great practice not just for dealing with school, but for dealing with life.

Parkland resident celebrates 102nd birthday

Parkland resident Thelma Fail celebrated her 102nd birthday on Sept. 24. Life was different when she was born in 1919.

When Fail was a child growing up in Florida, there was no air conditioning and people stayed cool with outings to the beach for the ocean breeze, using trees for shade, sitting on their porches, or cooling down with fans.

Much of Broward County was considered uninhabitable because of the Everglades. At that time, Wiles Road was a two-lane road with a canal, farms dotted the landscape, and residents rode horses up and down State Road 7 and Wiles Road.

Fail moved to what is now Parkland in 1978 and currently lives in the same house she lived in with her third husband, Willis Fail, who passed away in 2001.

The year Fail was born, life expectancy for women was only 56. The world was recovering from World War I, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, and Europe was under reconstruction. Refugees were returning home and being resettled, and the Spanish flu pandemic was wreaking havoc around the world. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote, was passed by Congress in June of that year, and sheep were grazing on the White House lawn in Washington, DC.

One of the most tumultuous years in American history, that decade saw race riots, anarchist bombings, the Red Scare, and the stock market crash of 1929. The year 1919 saw the end of the Progressive Era, the beginning of anti-immigration laws, an attempt to “return to normalcy,” and the approach of the decadent Roaring ’20s.

Over her 102 years, Fail saw it all — another world war, another global outbreak (this time of COVID-19), social justice protests by Black Lives Matter, refugees (this time Afghan) being resettled, and instead of sheep on the White House lawn, there were extremists and insurrectionists.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Of course, technology has evolved during Fail’s lifetime — things such as television, computers and the internet, smartphones, microwaves, digital cameras, men and women in space, and social media.

Fail spent many years in Winter Haven, FL, where she worked at the local Publix for more than 25 years and retired from there.

“She’s a wonderful Christian woman,” says daughter-in-law Lynn Yoos, a firefighter/paramedic with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. “She always had advice and knowledge of her life to share with you when you needed it. She was always there for her family.

“To this day, Thelma is so loving and sweet and still a fabulous cook,” Yoos says. “Thelma would cook Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners, and you knew you would have the most wonderful food. To this day she still bakes and makes her famous brownies.

“She created a real feeling of love and family,” Yoos remembers. “She always made her guests feel important and special.”

Carol Fail, Thelma’s daughter-in-law, lives next door to Thelma. She remembers her throwing dinners and parties for friends and family. “She was a great planner. Everyone always got along with one another,” she says.

“We love her to death,” says Carol Fail.

“We all want her to know we say, ‘Thanks, Mom, we love you.’”

From solitude to social anxiety

For approximately a year and a half, my life has been at a standstill. Up until the beginning of the official back-on-campus learning in August, I never fully absorbed the extent to which COVID-19 had pressed the pause button on my social, physical, and mental life. While the feeling of being back on physical school grounds is both nostalgic and exciting, other feelings of shock and anxiety are more prevalent for me personally, both mentally and academically.

In more ways than one, the transition from online learning back to on-campus learning has been completely and utterly terrifying. As an immunocompromised Type 1 diabetic, one of the main concerns my parents and I shared before the start of the school year was the large number of people who would soon be surrounding me daily, with or without proper facial coverings or vaccinations. The latter is obviously not preferable; however, prevention of such a widespread and contagious virus is nearly impossible at a school that is now severely beyond its capacity limitations, even more so than in previous years.

As much as I would like to say that with several procedures and policies set in place I feel safe at school with my mask and mini sanitizer bottle, that expectation is nowhere near my reality as a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student. The absurd policies (e.g., no requirement for vaccinated students to quarantine for any period of time so long as they remain asymptomatic) leave the teachers, staff, and student body essentially helpless, merely waiting for the next shift back to online learning due to an outbreak in cases spread from “asymptomatic” students.

Aside from the “safety measures” that are not nearly enforced enough by the school and the district, the sudden transition from E-learning to in-person learning has raised other implications for me as a student, such as extremely underdeveloped social confidence and difficulty handling my workload.

While stuck in my home for several months, the deprivation of any social interaction aside from seeing my family came as a massive shock to my usual “social butterfly” routine. Although, after a few more of these tedious months, this new habit of sitting at home on my computer all day became the new norm. This change led to a massive decline in my extrovertive personality and interest in forming new friendships with my classmates.

Reflecting back on the beginning of my sophomore year, I can remember the nervous yet exciting feeling of meeting new teachers, classmates, and administrators. Now as a senior, I find it challenging and uninteresting to spark up small talk with my lab partner in anatomy or ask questions in math class. These underlying negative effects of COVID-19 and E-learning over the past year and a half have made my case of “senioritis” turn from bad to worse.

Additionally, last year’s E-learning approach has completely destroyed both my and other students’ work ethic and efforts. If we are being honest, the online learning model has certainly led to more accessibility to the internet during tests, assignments, and other school work. Now, back in a classroom setting, students find themselves needing to drastically change their apathetic attitudes in order to move past these previous at-home crutches.

As a section editor for the Eagle Eye newspaper and the president of my school’s National Art Honor Society, I find that although lots of school activities and events could be conducted or organized better, not all aspects of being back on campus are entirely unenthusiastic or disappointing. Unlike most things, clubs and organizations are one of the aspects about campus that I have missed most since my overly drawn-out spring break a year and a half ago. It is a comforting feeling to know that even in times of a global pandemic and problematic school district policies, there are at least two places on campus that I can feel at home.

While I am grateful to be able to spend my last year of high school finally back on campus for the first time since March 2020, I am severely disappointed in the effort of the student body and the “enforcement” by the security officers who cannot even wear a mask above their noses themselves. Thus far, the transition from online to on-campus learning has been below my expectations. However, after a year and a half of isolation and solitude, social anxiety is the lesser of two evils. As a collective, the people who attend this school, whether a teacher or a student, need to do better if they wish to finish out the school year with as much normalcy as possible.

The skies of October

The drier, cooler weather of October brings with it improving conditions for sky-watchers!

Here are some night-sky highlights this month:

  • 6 — New Moon. With the moon absent in the night sky, this is the best time to make that (safe) trip to the Everglades to view “deep-sky objects” such as nebulas, star

clusters, and galaxies!

  • 7 — Draconids Meteor Shower. Although not one of the premier meteor showers, it’s one of the few that performs well before midnight. And, with moonlight being a nonfactor, it might be worth a trip to a dark location to try to witness a “shooting star” or two.
  • 16 — Launch of the Lucy Mission on a ULA Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral. Amazingly, this spacecraft will visit eight different asteroids over the course of 12 years, seven of which orbit the sun on either side of the planet Jupiter (so-called Trojan asteroids).
  • 20 Full Moon, aka the Hunter’s Moon.
  • 25 Mercury at its best. You don’t get that many chances each year to catch a glimpse of this small world, but the morning of the 25th is as good as it gets. It will be found low in the Eastern sky just before sunrise, so get the coffee brewing early!
  • 29 The brightest planet in our sky, Venus, will dazzle throughout October but will reach its highest perch on the evening of the 29th. It will be visible halfway up the Western sky (470) just after sunset. If the sky is clear, you simply won’t be able to miss it! (And you will understand immediately why so many ancient cultures made it their goddess of beauty.)
  • 31 — Launch of the SpaceX Crew-3 Mission on a Falcon 9 rocket will send four astronauts inside a Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station. So, if all goes as planned, there’ll be a dragon in the sky this Halloween! 😉

Happy viewing, friends!

Oct 2021 School News

 

Eagle Ridge Elementary

Principal Lindsey Sierra

The Eagle Engineers came out at the top and won first place in all Broward County Elementary Schools!

Some of our students took part in summer STEM+CS challenges, which had the following focus: “Conserve and sustainably use in the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.”

Fiona Jose participated in an individual county-wide challenge, where she created a brochure or infographic explaining what we know about conserving the oceans and marine life and how people can help in the efforts. She received an achievement certificate from the STEM+CS department.

Eagle engineers Erica Faucher, Arianna Huriash, and Carolyn Zheng took part in the summer Minecraft challenge about “Life Under the Ocean.” They did research on Florida sea turtles, on what challenges they have, and on what can be done to protect them. Along with their research, the students brainstormed different ideas, planned, and built a Minecraft world for this challenge.

In another online Roboduel national competition by Robotify, grade 5-12 students competed against each other in coding. Again, our Eagles have outshone in this competition. Rahee Patel, Samanyu Mahajan, Arianna Huriash, and Isla El Chantiry all placed in top 20 teams in the Regional competition and qualified for the Nationals.

These students met with their teams during the summer on a regular basis and discussed their goals and progress. We are beyond proud and thrilled with their accomplishments with Mrs. Naik. We are privileged to watch our Eagles soar! 

 

Heron Heights Elementary

Lauren Generoso , HHE PTO President 

Hawks go pink! 

Join the Heron Heights Elementary parent-teacher organization as we go pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and kick off our first service project of the year! Our Hawks will be making cards with words of comfort and encouragement for those battling breast cancer.

To raise awareness, we will be selling pink spirit shirts and scrunchies for both children and adults. For every shirt and scrunchie sold through October, we will be donating $1 to “Not My Daughter… find a cure now!” To purchase, please visit our website, www.hhepto.com.

Together, we can help the fight against breast cancer. Thank you for your support!

Riverglades Elementary

Christina Chioda and Kimberly Mann

Riverglades Elementary is excited to welcome everyone “back on track” this 2021-2022 school year! Get ready for a slightly spooky October, as we are excited to announce that we will be having our first annual “Trunk or Treat” event. Not only will there be an opportunity for treats, but there will be an opportunity for books too! Students can get treats and books as our Trunk or Treat event will coincide with our Fall Bookfair. It’s an occasion not to be missed! Start brainstorming costume ideas, as more details will be coming soon.

Want to celebrate a birthday in style and see your child’s name in lights? Why not purchase a “Happy Birthday” banner to be displayed on the marquee at the front of the school? To find out more, go to the store section of the school’s PTA website (riverglades.memberhub.com). While you’re there, don’t forget to join the PTA or purchase other amazing items such as our discount card and/or family banner.

We hope you are excited for all the fun events that Riverglades has in store for this year!

 

Park Trails Elementary

Principal Arlene Manville

We were very excited to kick off the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year at Park Trails. This is a thrilling year for us — not only are we transitioning to become a STEAM school featuring a Robotics and Engineering Lab, a Makers Space Design Lab, and a multimedia program that will engage all of our students in coding and programming, but this year also marks our 20th year serving the Parkland community.

We will be hosting a rededication ceremony in January and will be sharing more details later in the year. There are some exciting things happening at Park Trails this year! Check out all the events we have planned by visiting the school’s website and the PTA’s website.

 

Somerset Parkland Academy

Jennifer Knight, VIPP President

Giddy up — the Somerset Parkland Cowboys ride into their second year. 

In year 2, Somerset Parkland Academy continues where it left off last year by trying to give the kids a sense of normalcy and by providing the best in-person learning experience possible. The school has added more than 300 additional students as the middle school now includes seventh grade, and it will expand to eighth grade next year.

The VIPP Parent Group has continued to create projects and volunteer opportunities while growing its active membership base to 140 members. VIPP hosted a kid meetup at Urban Air Adventure Park for new students to meet existing students before school started.

For the new kindergarten students, the VIPP and Principal Castro started “Operation Kinder Loving Care,” allowing parent volunteers to come into the school to assist with arrival, dismissal, and lunchtime, so the little ones have less anxiety during this big transition. The kids and parents have loved it!

The school will have a “Hispanic Heritage – Taste of Countries” event on Oct. 19 to let students experience the food, music, and décor of countries in Central and South America. On Oct. 29, VIPP is planning the Somerset Spooktacular with costumes, candy, and Halloween scares. Finally, the school will honor its volunteers by hosting a “Parent Night Out” event followed by a kid meetup ice-skating event at the Panther Den.

If you would like to sponsor or get involved, we’d love to get you plugged in. Stay tuned for information on our signature winter event!

Westglades Middle

Principal Matthew Bianchi

Stay connected to Westglades!

 

Westglades Middle School has so many ways for parents to stay connected and in the know. Please follow us on our social media accounts and visit our website to find up-to-date information on everything going on at Westglades.

Here is our program spotlight:

Westglades Middle School has several amazing programs and opportunities for our students. This month we wanted to highlight our band program. The school boasts a comprehensive band program, offering Beginning Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Honors credit, Marching Wolves, and soon a Jazz Band.

The band has been invited to perform at Disney World and Universal Studios. Both the Concert and Symphonic bands have earned All Superior ratings at Music Performance Assessments. In 2019, Westglades Bands had 26 students placed in the Broward All-County Band, more than any other school. During 2020 e-learning, Westglades Bands placed four students into the Florida All-State Band. In Spring 2021, the band produced a Virtual Concert with the Westglades Orchestra program, which is on YouTube.

 

What’s happening at MSD high school

How exciting it was to welcome our Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) Eagles back to campus! We were strategic in ensuring that our students felt confident about the transition from online learning to face-to-face instruction. As a result, we hosted “Fly Like an Eagle,” a two-day school orientation program designed to give incoming students a jump-start on a successful high school career.

Our “Back to the Fundamentals” theme for the 2021-2022 school year has proved very successful, as we made sure to get back to the basics but also remind everyone that education is fun.

As soon as we started to get settled in, we realized that Homecoming was right around the corner. Our superhero theme didn’t dare disappoint. We kept with the tradition of hosting our Friday afternoon parade and Homecoming game, followed by the Homecoming dance on Saturday.

In addition to all of the festivities, we were honored to collaborate with the city of Parkland in recognition of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with a special presentation by our Drama Department at City Hall. Sydney Lotz and Reese Garrity conducted readings from “With Their Eyes,” a play written by high school students who witnessed the towers come down. Caroline Eaton sang the National Anthem.

With testing season approaching, we have partnered with the city of Parkland to offer SAT and ACT preparation on select Saturdays for all MSD students and Parkland residents, free of charge. We’ve already seen an amazing turnout. We are thrilled to be back and look forward to an amazing 2021-2022 school year. Stay tuned for more information on the outstanding things going on at MSD!