Motivated Parent - Successful Child

Sunday, June 21, 2015

The Midsummer Festival and NYC Tradition

On Friday, June 19, 2015 my family and friends attended the annual Swedish Midsummer Festival in Battery Park City in downtown Manhattan.

Happy, relaxed and a bit retrospective

https://plus.google.com/u/0/100969682108352971387/stories/3ccc08aa-df93-3a79-b31a-62f7cd3aa57214e1009db99?cfem=1

At this unique celebration, adults and children come together to picnic in the grass, decorate the midsummer pole, make flower wreaths, play traditional games and Polska dance to authentic fiddle music.

Midsummer, also known as St John's Day, or Litha, is the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, and more specifically the Northern European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice or take place on a day between June 19 and June 25 and the preceding evening. The exact dates vary between different cultures. The Christian Church designated June 24 as the feast day of the early Christian martyr StJohn the Baptist, and the observance of St John's Day begins the evening before, known as St John's Eve.

In Sweden the Midsummer is such an important festivity that there have been serious discussions to make the Midsummer's Eve into the National Day of Sweden, instead of June 6. It may also be referred to as St. Hans Day.

The program presented at the Battery Park featured traditional music by Paul Dahlin and fiddlers from the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, folk dances from Barnklubben Elsa Rix and Swedish Folkdancers of New York, and pole dancing led by Scandinavian folklorist and singer Ross Sutter. Food stands offered delicacies from New York's finest Swedish restaurants and food purveyors.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

June 19th 2015 – 130th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty arrival to New York Harbor

Statue of Liberty officially is known as Liberty Enlightening the World

Statue of Liberty facts for kids

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/engineering/statueofliberty.html

The Statue of Liberty is holding a tablet inscribed with the date of the Independence of America in her left hand and a raised torch in her right hand representing knowledge and enlightenment
Construction of the Statue of Liberty started on September 1875 and the monument was completed in July, 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June of 1885.
The Statue of Liberty was built by France to celebrate America's first 100 years as a nation and the tablet is inscribed with the date of American Independence. The monument commemorates the alliance between the United States and France during the Revolutionary War.
Bartholdi selected Bedloe's Island as the site for the statue because he considered it's location as the "Gateway to America." The island measures 10 acres (4 hectares)
Her spiky hat is symbolic. Yes, each of the seven spikes on her crown represent the seven oceans and the seven continents of the world. This is said to represent the universal concept of liberty. It’s not only about fashion!
She escaped her chains. Although you cannot see, at the statues feet there are broken shackles symbolizing the country moving forward from oppression and slavery. She is also moving her right foot towards a new, free era.
On February 22, 1877, Congress voted to accept the gift, and set apart Bedloe's Island for the site.
She was transported from France on board the French frigate "Isere". Whilst in transit, she was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. Its official presentation to the minister of the United States took place July 4, 1884.
The Statue was erected a large granite pedestal inside the courtyard of the star shaped walls of Fort Wood, built for the War of 1812 against the British
The dedication of monument took place October 28, 1886 during the presidency of Grover Cleveland. The Dedication celebration was a great event attended by President Cleveland, General Sheridan, the members of the President's cabinet and the sculptor Bartholdi together with thousands of people with parades, music, flags and gunshot salutes. Every bell in New York harbor was rung.
It would later become the iconic landmark for all European immigrants on the last leg of their journey from Europe to EllisIsland and a new life in the United States.
Liberty Island, with nearby Ellis Island, became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1984. A museum is housed in the base of the monument
Between 1984 - 1986 restoration work was completed and some parts of the statue had to be completely replaced with exact replicas of the original. It's centennial was celebrated on July 4, 1986.
Liberty Island was hit by the storm surge from Hurricane Sandy on October 28, 2012. It was closed for eight months Liberty Island and reopened on July 4, 2013.

More Facts for Kids

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/2512-statue-of-liberty-fun-facts

To learn about the Statue of Liberty history we reached for a book “LILY AND MISS LIBERTY”, by Carla Stevens.

This historical novel for children is set during the time when the French people

presented the Statue of Liberty to America. The statue was ready, but there was no base on which to set it. The people of America had to supply the base for the statue. Even the schoolchildren helped and Lily did her part by making paper crowns and selling them.

Activities with the book http://gardenofpraise.com/lesson6.htm

PDF Activities Booklet

http://christineammirati2011.wmwikis.net/file/view/Lily_and_Miss_Liberty_Question%20Booklet.2011.pdf

More PDF activities http://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/BF/LillyandMissLibertyBG.pdf

Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty, by: Linda Glaser

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

Every schoolchild in America has heard Emma Lazarus' poem and sees the State of Liberty as a beacon for incoming immigrants. But when Emma Lazarus wrote her poem, the Statue of Liberty, then being designed in France, didn't have anything to do with immigrants yet. This fascinating picture book tells the story of Emma's care for immigrants as well as the impact her poem would have on the new statue-and the people who passed under her torch.

http://www.christianbook.com/emmas-poem-voice-the-statue-liberty/linda-glaser/9780547171845/pd/171845?event=AFF&p=1026183&

"The Statue of Liberty", by: Lucille Recht Penner, Juda Rowland

Engaging, simple text presents the construction and symbolism of the skyscraper-sized "Lady Liberty," France's unique gift to the United States, who watches over New York Harbor.

http://www.christianbook.com/into-reading-level-2-statue-liberty/lucille-penner/9780679869283/pd/86928X?event=AFF&p=1026183&

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Fun at 37th Annual “Museum Mile” Festival, NYC

37th Annual “Museum Mile” Festival took place at Fifth Ave from 82nd to 105th Streets on Tuesday, June 9th, 2015, from 6 to 9 pm.

The first festival, held in June of 1978, was an instant success.

New York City has officially designated Fifth Avenue from 82nd to 105th streets “Museum Mile” because of the vast richness and cultural diversity of the nine museums found there.

The Africa Center, 1280 Fifth Avenue (at 110th Street)

www.theafricacenter.org

El Museo del Barrio Museum, 104th Street and Fifth Avenue

www.elmuseo.org

Museum of the City of New York, 103rd Street and Fifth Avenue

www.mcny.org

The Jewish Museum, 92nd Street and Fifth Avenue

thejewishmuseum.org/

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 91st Street and Fifth Avenue

www.cooperhewitt.org

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1071 5th Avenue

guggenheim.org

National Academy Museum and School, 90th Street and Fifth Avenue

www.nationalacademy.org

Neue Galerie New York Museum, 86th Street and Fifth Avenue

www.neuegalerie.org

Metropolitan Museum of Art, 82nd Street

www.metmuseum.org

“Museum Mile” promoted public awareness through increased visibility, accessibility and attendance at all the museums, and brought many New Yorkers to upper Fifth Avenue for the first time.

See more at: http://museummilefestival.org/index.php/museums/#sthash.JbufvSoV.dpuf

Monday, May 11, 2015

Spring - Time to “Cultivate Your Skills”

Start with literal meaning of “cultivation”

Cultivation = agriculture; noun

the planting, tending, improving, or harvesting of crops or plants
the preparation of ground to promote their growth
the act of caring for or raising plants, growing own fruits and vegetables in the backyard.

Help your child to creat a mini garden and involve him/her in:

preparing soil,
choosing carefully what to reap,
planting seeds and sprouts,
taking care of them by watering and weeding.

After experiencing an own garden the child will understand what “All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today.” means literally. With the time the symbolic implication will help the child to successes the future and maintain a balanced and happy life.

What we enjoy tomorrow is a result of how we start today.

All The Flowers of Tomorrow Are In The Seeds of Today

It’s an Indian proverb.

Meaning:

What we enjoy tomorrow is a result of how we start today, so whatever we put in now - study, work, kindness, money - will have positive results in the future.

Time:
Every seed needs time to grow, so we need to plant your hopes and dreams now, and be patient but also remain focused. When it comes to planting seeds that invest in our children’s future the right time and the right season is now. That’s the only time we really have. We could wait until tomorrow but for some that time never comes. So, don’t procrastinate.

Choose carefully what to reap:

The fulfillment of your dreams and aspirations for our children are dependent on what we are planting now and what has been planted in the past. Do you want to reap happier child? Successful at school? With great self-esteem? Social with friends? Healthy and fit? Then you need to be active planting your seeds by helping your child to be more independent, interested in reading, being curious, opened for challenges, healthy eating and living.

If you plant sparingly you will reap sparingly:

Not every seed you plant will produce fruit so don’t be stingy when you plant. By all means be focused. Don’t be deterred if your plans don’t succeed at first. ‘Perseverance’ – an old-fashioned and underused word is key to the success. It is the metal that under-girded the great inventors, scientists, entrepreneurs and trailblazers of the past and reaped benefits that we still enjoy today.

Take care of weeds and contamination:

Don’t be deterred if your plans don’t turn out exactly how you imagined they would. We are not living in a perfect world so expect to encounter winds of adversity that blow weeds into our field. If it’s within our power to remove them then we should do so. Weeds may come in the form of bad relationships or dead-end scenarios. Weeds choke our dreams and desires and can easily prevent us from reaping a successful and fulfilling future. If it’s not within your power to keep these weeds out of our life then we should seek advice or help so that can move on.

Water what you planted:

Whatever you have planted and set into motion you must be willing to follow through. Don’t be contented because you have started the process – you need to finish it. Continue your work happily, wisely and patiently.

Spring is a perfect time to “cultivate” our skills through active learning... to be continued.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Sunday Family Gardening in Queens, NY

Turn digging in the dirt into a lifetime of love and respect for nature.

Gardens has been always magical, fun, and full of surprises for me, so even though now I live in an apartment with no garden I would like to offer my daughter a tiny bit of experience I had a chance to have when I was as a child.

There is a natural magnet between children and the earth, whether it's making mud or discovering a sprouting seed emerge from the earth. Gardening with children, from toddlers to adolescents, opens new windows in a world dominated by technology.

Whether you are a proficient gardener or a beginner, gardening with children is your chance to get along with the Mother Nature. Don't worry about achieving perfection. Just dig in and grow something beautiful or good to eat.

Memories last longer than one season. Adults who remember a childhood spent in a garden often recall a parent, grandparent, or neighbor who steered and encouraged them to explore the natural world.

At first children just play in the garden, nibbling vegetables and picking flowers. Incorporate planting and play, and kids become more comfortable. You can teach even the tiniest child garden etiquette, such as where to walk not to stem on a plant. Later, they learn the consequences of good care: watering, weeding and cultivating.

Both chidren and adults learn patience in the garden. We have to wait for nature to take its course.

Gardening offers great opportunities for exercise, fresh air and good food.

Children often calm down when they work in the soil.

Growing own food magnifies a young person's choice of foods, a key to good nutrition. If they have grown up on home-grown and homemade food, they can taste the difference.

Most Americans live in cities and are removed from their food sources. It's just such a healthy, therapeutic thing to teach about the living soil. To eat something you produce is a worthwhile and meaningful thing.

Gardening helps children with the language, pragmatics and social skills, teachs vocabulary, type of Flora (plants) and Fauna (animals) in your neighborhood.

Though success is relative in the world of gardening, positive experiences do help sustain interest for kids.

One child learns that worms are not just slimy and gross; they are garden friends. Another practices measuring his growing corn stalk.
A third extends garden learning at the computer.
A fourth pulls a carrot from the earth, brushes it off, and eats it.

All of them have had successful experiences.

You can guide a child to have his/her own successful gardening experience, but you and they must learn from your mistakes. Celebrate wonder. The key to success and sustained interest lies within you and the little gardener with whom you plant the seeds of hope - a promise of what will come.

Quick Start:

Try to keep kid's gardens simple and a manageable size, about 6 by 10 feet.
Begin with a few seed or plant varieties that grow quickly.
Give a child tasks appropriate to his/her age and skill level. Watering is favorite.