Category — Academics

Do you have random things that you Google once in a while? I do. One of them was my search for the lyrics to a song that I learned at Increase Miller Elementary School, written by one of my teachers, Mr. Kahn. In the past I’d looked online and even contacted the school looking for the lyrics, to no avail.

But recently I found a  group on Facebook that was formed just to remember all the lyrics. Yes-the song is that good. It’s a catchy little ditty called “The Presidents Song,” and if you learn it, you, too, “can name all the Presidents/All the White House residents/Of the United States.” Hooray! I was so excited to find it.

I don’t know how to write music, and I wish I did. But if you know me, I’ll sing it to you. My kids love the song. And I’ve used it for years to remember the order of the presidents, even though things got murky around Millard Fillmore. People’s versions differed a bit, so this is not absolutely exact, but it’s my best guess after gleaning from all the different recollections. Mr. Kahn kept updating the song long after I graduated elementary school, and there was a rumor that he got as far as George W. Bush before he died. I didn’t find that very last line. The Clinton line is Mr. Kahn’s, and I added the very last one on Bush & Obama. Here it is:

 The Presidents Song by Jeff Kahn

Washington, then John Adams, followed by Jefferson, number three,
Madison, Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Jackson (Old Hickory)
Martin Van Buren, a little obscure, and he was number eight
William Henry Harrison died too early. . . or came too late.

Chorus:

So you need not be hesitant–
You can name all the Presidents,
All the White House residents
Of the United States!

In a little while there came John Tyler, James K. Polk was next,
Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, check any history text.
Franklin Pierce, then James Buchanan, Lincoln did supplant
When he was gone, came Andrew Johnson, then U. S. Grant.

[Chorus]

Rutherford Hayes, then count the days of James A. Garfield’s run.
Chester Arthur followed right after, then Grover Cleveland won.
Benjamin Harrison stayed 4 years but Cleveland’s support was firm–
Again he ran to be the only man with split presidential terms.

[Chorus]

William McKinley’s luck spread thinly, shot by a mad man’s gun.
Theodore Roosevelt ran two terms and William Taft for one.
Woodrow Wilson went to the Front, then Warren G. Harding died,
And after Calvin Coolidge, we had Hoover’s landslide.

[Chorus]

Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, to Eisenhower’s eight-year stay,
When John F. Kennedy died in Dallas, next came LBJ.
Richard M. Nixon, Watergate’s victim, pulled out of Vietnam,
Gerald R. Ford, then James Earl Carter suckered by Iran.

[Chorus]

Ronald Reagan, Star Wars fadin’, Hollywood’s greatest ham,
George Bush cracked the whip on Iraq, but couldn’t drive out Saddam.
William Clinton strayed with an intern, nearly got the sack,
“W” Bush next, then Obama, first president who’s black!

[Chorus]

. . . Now, that’s what I call a teaching legacy!

- – - – - – - – - -

In other news, my struggles to enjoy the many offering of my CSA continue, and I have to strongly recommend the Grilled Coconut Kale that I found in an old New York Times Magazine. It is seriously tasty.

I took this picture, then sat down and ate this entire plate. When I was grilling I was concerned about burning it, and when I make it again, I won’t be so fretful. The slightly-more-done pieces were absolutely the tastiest.

Update: I made more of this and presented it to my family with great fanfare and enthusiasm. . . . Alas, no one else was particularly thrilled with it. And by not “particularly thrilled” I mean that perhaps there were some muted gags. But I swear, it’s delicious. The kale chips, just baked with some olive oil and season salt, were more popular wit the rest of the family.

First, the health report. J appears to have shaken her fever, although she’s not at her best. She took a huge nap this afternoon, so she’s currently lying in bed at 10:20 pm wide awake. I think that we’re going to do a modified schedule tomorrow, hopefully sleeping in, heading to school late, taking a nap, and then attempting the recital. Meanwhile, M decided to yank my chain and feign illness. And I panicked because she’s singing a solo part in her third grade play on Thursday night. She sounds surprisingly great (although this is the mother speaking), so I would really like her to actually be able to do it. Plus, I admire her fearlessness. So, fingers crossed, and thank you for the healthy karma.

Anyway, since I put together that Summer Camps post, I’ve heard about some more camps, classes, and programs that you might be interested in. They are:

Candyland Activity & Enrichment Center in Schenectady has camp for (potty-trained) kids ages 3-7. It runs Monday to Friday, with session from 9 am to noon or 1-4 pm. $95/week.

There are Summer Art Classes for kids entering grades 1-6 with Heather Hutchison, an art therapist. They’re on Wednesdays from July 13th to August 17th, either 1:30-3:30 pm or 3:30-5:30 pm in Schenectady. It’s $70 if you do the full 6-week session. Contact Heather at heatherarttherapy@gmail.com or 729-7153 by June 27th to enroll.

The Language Learning Institute has summer camps in Latham for kids to learn French, Spanish, Italian, or Russian. They’re generally 3 hours a day Monday to Friday for $175/week. They have other programs for kids and adults.

After my recent stern lecture to winter, the snow on the first day of spring naturally led me to an extended metaphor. Why is Winter bullying into young Spring’s territory? Or, should I blame Spring? I mean, freakin’ assert yourself, don’t be a doormat! Winter’s not the boss of you!

But luckily for you, gentle readers, I’m going to follow the advice from  Siblings Without Rivalry and stay the heck out of it.

Back on Friday, when the weather was beautiful,  we spent hours on the playground before rushing home for a quick dinner and then to our elementary school’s Learning Fair. It was particularly exciting this year, because even though we go every year, this was the first time M actually presented something.

It’s sort of a science fair alternative, because anyone in any grade can research anything: science, history, whatever. Which means that tons of kids participate, and topics range from the littlest kids setting up vast Playmobile scenes to kids bringing in pets or playing the drums or presenting an exhibit entirely devoted to a brand of candy. One little boy was buttonholing adults, using his papier mache model to explain how an insect sees, and another launched into a several-minute schpiel on Greek architecture while his mother gestured apologetically from behind him. No problem at all! They were adorable. They were about to burst with all of that knowledge that they had to share.

The Learning Fair is huge. J didn’t do a presentation, but she had a fabulous time going from exhibit to exhibit and hobnobbing with the big kids.

J and others experiment with gravity.

M decided to study Japanese-American internment during WWII. I know: heavy, right? She chose it after reading Weedflower.  She gathered up quite a bit of information and great photographs and went the “substance over style” route. But a big part of the fair is presenting the information to the people who mill around. She wasn’t crazy about that part. There were too many friends to visit and interesting things to see, so even when she wasn’t on her break, she’d wander away to chitchat with friends. Between touring around myself,  I’d shoo her back to her table and even send extra adults her way to quiz her. Because I’m mean like that.

Sorry for the weird trim--wanted to cut name and face as usual.

M did great, and she was rightfully proud.  J’s already decided that she wants to study dolphins next year. So it was a wild success. But after the marathon playground-playing and the tremendously overstimulating learning fair, we barely stumbled home. Next year, I hope it rains that afternoon so we can pace ourselves a little better.

If you think that nursery school or preschool is in your child’s future, you should know that January kicks off School Shopping Season. Generally, these programs are for kids who will be 3, 4, or a young 5 in September 2011.

I remember going to a play date back when M was still two years old, and the mom I was with had already checked out, like, 6 or 8 different schools. I had a little mini-panic attack right then and there, sitting cross-legged on the toy-strewn carpet. Lucky for me, I managed to stumble my way into the Niskayuna Co-op Nursery School, which was not just a great school for the kiddly-winks, but also a wonderful & supportive community for me.

Anyway, the oh-so-brief nursery school 101 is that you should ponder: what schedule works for you, whether your child will be more successful huddled over worksheets or playing in a sandbox, and whether you’d like to go to a school where you can basically slow the car down while your child jumps out or a school where you’ll volunteer and bring a snack occasionally, as well as all the variations in between. I actually have pretty strong opinions on this, but I will not subject you to them in this post. If you’re curious, you can check the Useful Information tab on that nursery school site, because compiling that research was one of the many things I spent time on before I spent time writing this blog. Ah, memories! I sound facetious, but I do miss it. A little bit.

If you want more general information about nursery school, here are a couple of helpful sites:

• Care.com’s Choosing a Nursery School
• Ezine article on Choosing a Nursery School: keep in mind that she talks about options that might not be available close to you

Once you get the lay of the land here at your computer, ask your friends with older kids about their nursery school experiences. From what I’ve seen, I’d say that about 5 out of 6 people you ask will love-love-love their preschool, and 1 out of 6 will have a harrowing horror story to appall you. So, you know: good luck with that.

A Preschool Fair is awesome because you can meet with a whole bunch of folks at one time. It makes it easier to distinguish between what your actual options might be. Ask them what makes them different from the people at the next table. Chances are, they’ll glance anxiously to each side and then lower their voices and give you the dirt. Check with parenting groups near you to see if they’re having a Preschool Fair. The Niskayuna Moms, I happen to know, are having a fair for their members this week.  Local libraries will also often host Preschool Fairs. Two I’ve found are:

• Saturday, January 22nd from 10 am to noon at the Saratoga Springs Library–this one’s not listed on their website because it’s being run by area preschools, but here’s the listing
• Saturday, January 29th at 10 at the William K. Sanford Colonie Library–this is listed as an “adult only” activity.  Huh.

Finally, many preschools and nursery schools (and it’s basically semantics, but tends to reflect more “academic” vs. “play-based” schools) will have Open Houses where you can come with your child, explore the classroom, meet the teacher, and speak with other parents. Many of these are scheduled in January (including “my” school, Thursday, January 6th from 6:30-8 pm). You can visit an Open House without committing to registering just yet, and it’s a great opportunity for you, really. Your child can play with some new toys, and you have an opportunity to chat with an early childhood education specialist. Sure, ask about if there’s an Emergency Plan and how they deal with food allergies and all that, but if you have a chance to visit a few places, why not ask each teacher about some current parenting challenge that you’re facing? You’ll get free advice and some insight into what kind of person the teacher is.

And, if all of this talk about preschools has you hyperventilating with stress, may I recommend Academic vs. Play-based Nursery Schools: Honestly, Who Gives a Shit? It will give you some perspective.

I suddenly realized that I have our Nursery School Family Dinner and a Grown-Ups’ Potluck Dinner this Saturday.  I hunted down a babysitter that I haven’t used in over a year (not a reflection on her:  we literally don’t get out much), and she miraculously said yes without hesitation.  The two events overlap by half an hour.  Super-awesome.  So I’ll be picking up pizza, preparing a vegetable side, helping to set up the nursery school dinner, then bringing an appetizer and another side dish to the potluck later.  Gosh, it sounds so . . . relaxing.

But really, the Family Dinner is fun, especially since we always have Paul Rosenberg from Homespun Occasions to lead community dancing.  They’re so great for family gatherings that we occasionally overdose on them a bit.  One year we danced with them at functions for our nursery school, our elementary school, and our church.  But if you’ve never had the chance, there’s a Family Dance in Albany this Sunday afternoon.  Once again I’m shocked and awed by the number of things to do over the weekend–I’ll have that list out soon, I promise.

Meanwhile, I’ve been meaning to mention, for those of you who have very young children, that we are in the high season for registering children for nursery school.  So if you’re thinking about nursery school in the fall, now’s the time to call around or visit.  I remember going to a playdate with my then-2-year-old and the other mommy had already researched and created a detailed list of her options.  Wow, that was frightening.  It was just another case of me panicking briefly before it All Worked Out Just Fine.

I only have a few short months of nursery school left, and it makes me sad.  I’m not one of those moms who spends a lot of time missing The Babies My Children Once Were.  I just feel like the girls generally get more interesting and fun as time goes by, so it’s only if I see, say a photo of pre-walking pudge or a video of childish lisping that I feel a little bit wistful.  But I will miss our nursery school–the people and the place were a big chunk of my life for years.  Sigh.

Okay, these aren’t really secrets.  Your local children’s librarian would be happy to tell you about the many programs that are offered, but when you get to the library, you’re too busy pulling books out of the toddler’s mouth or reminding an older child not to run or perhaps sneaking over to the adult shelves for a minute.

There’s really so much going on at the various libraries that I can’t cover it all, although I do try to tell you about special events or events that happen regularly.   But, beyond the events, there’s other stuff that you might enjoy.

At this time of year, when everyone’s feeling a little house-bound, keep in mind that you can visit different libraries for a change of pace.  Generally speaking, Albany & Rensselaer residents can use their cards at any library within the two counties, and Schenectady card holders have many branches to choose from around Schenectady county.   Even if you don’t have a valid card to check out from a particular library, it might be worth a visit.  Then,  if you visit a library and fall in love, sometimes they’ll allow you to obtain a library card even if you’re not a resident if you pay an extra fee.  If you’re nervous about approaching someone, just start the conversation with, “I love this library!”  Then even if the answer’s no, you’ll at least have a pleasant chat.

Anyway, here are some library offerings that you might not know about:

At the Albany Public Library, your child can use special electronic tag pens to read books or play games. Similar smart pens work with an electronic globe to let your child find out about all sorts of geographical information. You can also check out Story Totes, which include a mix of books, puppets, music, and/or a felt board, or, for the more mature preschooler, Literacy Packs that include a fiction book, a non-fiction book, and a game that work together to build their literary prowess.

The Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library frequently shows Preschool Movies (if this link becomes outdated, just go to the main site, then click on services, then program brochures). From their main page, you can also click on something called Tumblebooks, which allows kids to view books and play games online.

Guilderland Library loans out Playaways: very simple, small digital devices that allow you to listen to one of the library’s audiobooks.   Hey, if you’re going on a trip, you can check out one for each child! They also lend out Book Backpacks that include a picture book and puppet.

The Schenectady Public Library has a Library Pass Program that allows residents to received reduced admission fees to many cultural attractions—a great deal as long as you don’t lose it! You can also use your library card to download audio books through the Net Library.  Schenectady also has bags that you can check out that include books and toys based on various different themes.

The Troy Public Library has a Museum Pass Program that allows cardholders to get access to nearby cultural attractions.  In additon, they have RPI and SUNY students who come on Wednesday evenings to tutor schoolchildren–you should call the librarian to see if they can accommodate you.  Finally, they asked me to put in a plug for the Teen Graphic Novel series that begins this Thursday.  Right now there’s plenty of room, so even a tween might be able to squeak in.

At the Voorheesville Public Library, you can check out a Storytime in a Bag; these  include an agenda and supporting items. If you want to add a little something to your next playgroup, you’re set. They also put books in themed bags, like Dinosaurs or Trucks. So if you (or your children) don’t have the time and energy to browse, you can pop in and pick up several appealing offerings at once.

The William K. Sanford Library in Colonie has storykits that usually include books, a video, flannels, and puppets on specific themes.

Keep in mind, too, that many different libraries have parenting sections adjacent to their children’s areas so that you can browse while your child is browsing.   Another popular program that you’ll find at many libraries  is PAWS for Reading (or similar programs), which connects school-aged children with therapy dogs for a little non-judgmental reading-out-loud practice.

Happy reading!

So, I attempted to be useful while J was doing gymnastics today–both the girls are loving it, and the next session at World Class is  starting next week.  Incidentally, J’s little friend has decided to switch to dance and J said, “I’m a little sad that she is in retirement from gymnastics.  We are very old friends even if we’re not grown-ups.”  I don’t know where she converted this to a retirement thing, but I thought it was funny.  I promise that I won’t turn this blog into an “adorable things my adorable children say” blog.  Of course, I could put you on the email distribution list–ha, ha, ha!  I’m kidding, but also. . . it’s true.  Never mind.

Anyhoo (is this the sort of thing that one can say with tongue in cheek, like–hey, I’m acting like a dork,* but I know it, which reveals that I am not, actually, a dork?  thinking probably not), I took my fancy new Netbook to class, so I barely even watched the gymnastics today and not just because it kills me to watch my daughter stick her hand waaay up into her leotard to scratch her dupa, although it is painful.  No, there was a super-helpful couple:   I showed them my website (because does World Class have public internet access?  Well, it is world class).  First, Mr. Helpful talked me through signing myself up for Google Analytics so that I would know how many people visiting the site, and then Ms. Helpful started coming up with random things on the internet that people might enjoy.  So, without further ado:

Spelling City is a site where your child can type in spelling words (correctly, let’s hope) and then it creates simple games, like word searches and fill in the blanks, so that they can practice while you are doing something besides helping them practice.

Disney is giving away something like a million free tickets to theme parks in exchange for people doing local volunteering in their Give A Day, Get A Disney Day program.   Crafty Ms. Helpful is planning to rack up some tickets making blankets for Project Linus.  I have vague aspirations to do a Disney park one of these days, since I was deprived as a child and have never, ever gone.  Perhaps this is my big chance. . . ?

Then I got home and there was an email waiting for me from the Union College ice skating folks saying that “For those with a half-day of school on Friday, January 8, we have changed our public skating time to 2-3:30 pm. Cost is $3/skater and $3/skate rental.  Please spread the word.“  To which I said, why I believe I can do that.

*Okay, I understand that I ramble too much, clearly, but I decided to look up “dork” in the urban dictionary before I posted this, just in case I was being unintentionally obscene, and apparently: 1) I am, pretty much, a dork, and 2) a dork isn’t necessarily that bad:  “Someone who has odd interests, and is often silly at times. A dork is also someone who can be themselves and not care what anyone thinks.”  So, anyhoo, then I felt compelled to share it with you.  I love the urban dictionary.  It can be quite useful at times, like, when you have a vague notion that using the verb “teabag” is a bad idea politically, but you want to be sure.