Reachable Stars Musical Review: Actors and Actresses Needed

Less than one week (or two in Montclair) until school starts. In an effort to make your life easier, we've gathered some important information about the upcoming school year for you:

Bloomfield Public School
School calendar 2010-2011
School starts on Wednesday, September 8.
Transportation schedule.

Glen Ridge Public Schools
School calendar 2010-2011
School starts on Tuesday, September 7.
Back to School Nights: View calendar here.

Continue reading "The 411 on Baristaville's Public Schools 2010-2011" »

With the number of overweight and obese children in the U.S. tripling over the past three decades, preventing childhood obesity has become a serious concern in this country. So much so First Lady Michele Obama is making it a top priority with her Let's Move campaign. And Jamie Oliver flew over from Europe to teach American school kids about healthy eating habits.

Now, Clara Maass Medical Center Foundation is taking on the challenge. On Sunday, September 26, the foundation is hosting the Lifeline Challenge to Healthy Living in Branch Brook Park. This walk/ride event raises money to help fund the foundation's efforts in bringing nutrition and exercise programs to Essex, Bergen, Passaic and Hudson county schools, empowering children and their families to make healthy choices.

Continue reading "Are You Up for the Challenge?" »

Studio B was created in May 2010 by Marcy Thompson, Cultural Affairs Director for Maplewood, and Jenny Turner Hall, a local writer, as a way to tap into the creative network of artists in the community. It's an event series that, so far, has offered screenings of No Impact Man at The Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts, Carpools For Cannibals, a performance by local writers, August's outdoor screening of The Wizard of Oz at Memorial Park Ampitheatre and the upcoming screening of Star Wars: Episode IV.

Now Studio B wants to offer something for children.

Celluloid Candy is a film series for tweens (ages 10 and up) and their parents. Don't expect Hannah Montana or any other Disney movie, this film series will show classic youth-cinema or films with substance. Celluloid Candy was created by the women of Studio B: Marcy Thompson and Jenny Turner Hall, along with film director and writer Maggie Greenwald.

These Maplewood moms wanted to offer kids the opportunity to see quality films that offer valuable and thought provoking lessons, have positive role models and are classics that are a joy to watch. Maggie Greenwald explained that they felt that there isn't good media for kids, especially in the tween age range available: shows and film that have positive girl characters, a diverse cast or focus on more than dating. And as a mom to two girls I completely agree. My oldest is 6 1/2 and I'm finding it really difficult to find shows that are appealing to her that aren't too mature. This is why I'm thrilled to be a part of this film series. Barista Kids, along with the HK Community Fund are proud sponsors of Celluloid Candy.

In addition to the movies, they will end the series with a film festival featuring the work of local teens, which will be juried and awaarded prizes.

The opening movie will be Spellbound on September 26.

The proposed line-up is:

Continue reading "Studio B Presents Celluloid Candy" »

We were at a nearby beach playground when a mom let her 4-year-old pour filled buckets of sand from the top of the slide down to the bottom--over and over again. Of course, sand crashed into my 3-year-old who was slow to get off the play equipment. He cried.

The mom stood right there watching. If she hadn't been present, I would've asked her child to stop it. But what do you say when a parent so obviously allows her kid to do something you'd never let her child do?

I bit my tongue that time. I figured my kid would learn to get off the slide a little faster. My general rule is to get involved when someone is getting hurt--whether the parent is present or not. This time, the kids at the bottom of the slide were fine.

Continue reading "Parenting Other Peoples' Kids" »

St. Cassian School wants to spruce up its technology program and its holding a golf fundraiser to raise money. The golf fundraiser will be held on September 29 at Black Bear in Franklin, NJ. This year, they will be honoring alumnus Dr. James Morgan for his work to advocate for the respect and protection of basic human rights in Haiti. His organization, Lamp For Haiti provides basic healthcare, investigates allegations of human right abuses, and provides educational and humanitarian aid.

Your ticket will include breakfast, a four-person scramble, lunch, and an awards reception following your round of golf. Registration and breakfast start at 7:30 am, followed by a shotgun start at 9 am, and then lunch and the awards ceremony.

Register online or call Hugo & Jeannette Pizarro at 973.338.1153.

I've always loved going back to school. It is a time of fresh starts, new routines, and most importantly--new clothes.

I remember almost every "first day of school outfit" I wore up until I graduated high school. From the little white Peter Pan collar shirt and plaid skirt in kindergarten to the Doc Martins, ripped fishnets and Ozzy Osbourne t-shirt I wore the first day of high school--they each were carefully chosen for the beginning of a new school year.

Do you choose a special "first day of school outfit" for your kids?

Continue reading "Does Your Kid Have a First Day of School Outfit?" »

Montclair schools offer the STARS program, a twice a week tutoring program that pairs Montclair High Students with Nishuane Elementary School students from the first and second grades, for one on one tutoring. The program has provided educational support for struggling students; it has also been a very rewarding experience for the MHS volunteers. With the budget cuts, the program was going to be reduced. That was until student volunteers from the program couldn't bear to let down the young students that they had been tutoring, so they took matters into their own hands.

Led by Stars Program leader Mel Bandler a Montclair High senior, the students organized a series of fundraisers to save the program. For two consecutive weeks they held fundraisers in town, selling homemade baked goods and handmade bracelets. The students raised over $700, almost halfway to their goal.

Continue reading "MHS Kids Are The Real Stars" »

Gas Lamp Players, the wonderful theater program in Glen Ridge that recently presented Gas Lamp Lights Broadway, gave Ridgewood Avenue School principal Michael Donovan with a check for $5000 to purchase a Smart Board for the RAS music and theater programs.

Jessica Sporn (photo center), founder and director of Gas Lamp, explained why they made this generous donation. "As I always say, it takes a village to run the Gas Lamp program. There are the parents, who trust us with their kids, and help with the costumes, set building, ticket sales, and all the other tasks it takes to put on a production. Then, there are the many amazing theater professionals who live in the area and are so willing to share their expertise with us. But none of it would be possible without the Glen Ridge Board of Education and the Ridgewood Avenue School, which give us the space to run our programs. Jessica Walsh and Erica Schwerin, the chorus and band teachers, let us use their classrooms all summer. Plus, when we run our classes and rehearse our community show, we use their rooms as well. Jessica and Erica have been wanting a "Smart Board" for their classrooms. That costs about $5000. With the budget cuts, they were not scheduled to get one anytime soon. But because our summer program was so successful, we were able to make this happen for them, and we couldn't be more delighted."

Continue reading "Gas Lamp Players Makes Donation" »

The Experimental Aircraft Association Young Eagles program gives kids a chance to fly high every year. Now the EAA is offering an historic flight experience in its restored B-17G Flying Fortress "Aluminum Overcast." One of only 14 Fortress's still flying, this aircraft is an icon of the Allied strategic bombing effort that helped turn the tide of battle in World War II. Unlike reading a history book, you can actually fly a mission back in time and feel the might of this magnificent machine, just as those brave young men did more than 60 years ago. The visit is part of EAA's 2010 "Salute to Veterans" tour and celebrates the 75th Anniversary of this special aircraft.

Harry Parsons, leader of the local chapter and Bloomfield father of two, says that people of all ages can fly. "There is no age limit of any kind, we've had infants and nanogenarians!" Check out the video above of a kid and his grandfather, a WWII veteran.

The cost to fly isn't cheap, but it would be a great thing for a family to do together:

Continue reading "Fly in a B-17" »

Being a professional de-licer is a pretty lucrative job these days. it seems that lice is rampant in these parts--thankfully bed bugs aren't--yet. Anyway, Montclair's original Lice Lady, Susan Kaufman, has moved out of Baristaville and passed the comb over to Suzanne McDonald.

I spoke to Suzanne yesterday and got the lowdown on lice. Those nasty critters made their way onto heads all summer and Suzanne has been working non-stop trying to rid kids of the buggers. She warned that if the lice isn't taken care of before school starts that there will be another big infestation at the end of September.

Continue reading "There's a New Lice Lady in Town" »

You know how on an airplane, they tell you that in the case of an emergency where oxygen is needed, that you should put the mask on yourself first and then your children? Well Baristanet (the Mamas) went first and launched a new design this morning and we (Kids) are being helped next.

Barista Kids won't change as much, but we will look more stylish and have new features that will make it easier to get the most comprehensive news, event information and parenting discussion in Essex County. Like a good makeover, we will look like us, only better.

Our changes will happen on October 1--so stay tuned!

Registration for fall classes at the Montclair Little Y began on Monday. Meanwhile, the brochures for everything from tennis lessons to dancing school are piling up in my mailbox. Every year at this time, I wonder how many classes my preschoolers should take. I don't want to overschedule my kids. But is it possible to underschedule them?

My sister-in-law puts her kids in soccer twice a week. I asked her, "Why soccer?" She said, "Doesn't everyone do soccer?"

Meanwhile, my best friend doesn't sign her 4-year-old up for anything. She says preschool costs more than enough. Most of my other friends do at least one organized activity from Taekwondo to private music instruction.

Researchers have recently stated that kids aren't overscheduled. Kids who do up to 20 hours of organized activities (this pertains to big kids, of course) tend to be more well adjusted than kids who don't do anything at all.

But what about the youngest ones? How much stuff should a 4-year-old do? I have to figure it out soon. Around here, kids' classes--especially the ones at the Little Y--fill up fast.

Everyone will tell you to prepare for the Terrible Twos, but I'm here to tell you that 3-year-olds are so much worse. At least in the Gilmore house. With both of my daughters, their third year caused me the most grief. But my youngest has really turned my world upside down. I'm having to see my hairstylist every three weeks to cover all the damn grays I have now, and I can tell you what she did to cause each and every one. That big one right in front--I got that one the time she decided to bite into the glow stick she received in a goody bag, getting a mouth full of neon liquid. The little one that pokes straight up at my part--I got that one when she decided to climb and jump, knocking her front tooth loose. It's just another sign I can add to my list of things that make me old.

Listen, I love that cute little spitfire--I do. But she's lucky she is so cute and loving. Those attributes are her saving grace--a survival mechanism. It's just that since she turned three, she exhausts me. Everything is a battle. I want to put her hair in pigtails, she wants it down. I choose a dress, she chooses a skirt. I do the unthinkable and forget to let her pour her yogurt drink into her cup, and she freaks out and wants an entire new yogurt drink to start all over.

Being a teacher, I took all the child development classes that explain why children behave the way they do. I've read all the parenting books on how to speak to children so they listen. I currently teach preschool and use my best teacher voice with the kids and it always works. But there is something about dealing with a three-year-old (my three-year-old) that I can't manage to do right.

The thing is, my daughter is very passionate. When she smiles, her entire face brightens up. When she laughs, her entire body convulses in chuckles. When she hugs you, she squeezes you full of love. But when she is angry, watch the &$%# out.

She doesn't turn four until next summer in June. I am trying to be strong until then....I just pray I make it out alive.

The long, lazy, relaxing days of summer are rapidly winding down. Before you know it, school will be back in session. To keep some of that calm, relaxing carryover from summer, organization is key. Professional Organizer Deborah Gussoff gives us some tips to make our lives easier:

The Night Before

Planning ahead is a guaranteed way to make the off-to-school routine a smooth one. Unexpected events are known to occur (the alarm clock didn't go off; the dog got loose and had to be retrieved before you could leave the house); the more you can do ahead of time, the less hectic and stressful your morning will be.

• After your child completes his homework, make sure the assignment, as well as any books that need to go to school, are put back into the backpack.
• Create a designated spot for the backpack (i.e., a cubby or hook near the door) and make sure it is returned there each evening.
• If you don't already have a hook that you return your keys to each time you enter the house, now's the time to grab a hammer and nail! Knowing exactly where your keys are pre-empts a frantic search in the morning.
• Check the schedule for the next day and assemble any necessary items (i.e., sneakers for Gym; the book borrowed for Library; equipment for an extra-curricular activity) and place by the door or in the backpack.
• If your child brings lunch to school, make it as you're cleaning up from dinner. If your child purchases lunch, make sure lunch money is assembled in the evening to avoid spending precious morning time running around trying to find exact change. Even better, if you can, pre-pay a week or month's worth of lunches so you don't have to worry about it daily.
• Have your child select the next day's outfit before bedtime. This will give you ample time to wash a favorite shirt if need be.
• After you clean up the dinner dishes, set the table for breakfast. Put out plates, glasses, cereal bowls, silverware and daily vitamins or other medications.
• Can't move without your morning java? Consider a coffeemaker with a timer. You can set it to brew at a specific time, giving you a little extra motivation to resist hitting the snooze button.
• Stock nutritious, portable snacks like granola bars and cheese sticks for days when you're running really late.

Continue reading "Tips For Organizing the School Year: Part I" »

The award-winning Columbia High School Marching Band invited parents, district staff and friends to its preview performance at Ritzer Field last week. Under the direction of CHS Director of Bands Peter Bauer and student drum majors Jonathan Schneider and DeShawn Gray, the band and color guard showcased the music and drills that will be seen at Columbia football games and at competitions they will enter throughout the year.

In August, Maplewood Memorial Park transformed into Kansas with a free outdoor screening in the park of The Wizard of Oz. Now, the Maplewood Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, the Maplewood Village Alliance, and Studio B are offering another great movie under the stars--Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Bring the family, a picnic, some lawn chairs and enjoy the tale of "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...." on Friday, September 10. The film will be projected on an inflatable 16' x 9' screen.

Continue reading "May the Force Be With You" »

On Miller Street in Montclair, tucked behind an apartment, is a community garden flourishing with all types of delicious food. What started in the spring by HOMECorp, has continued to grow and bring the community together.

While many adults oversee and tend the garden, it's been kids who have volunteered many hours building, planting, and painting that has made it a beautiful place to be. I was invited to visit a few weeks ago by HOMECorp coordinator, Gwen Battle. The day I visited, the Montclair YMCA Travel Teen Camp was there for their weekly visit. They arrived and started painting the shed with the beautiful pastel colors that run throughout the garden. Other volunteers have been The Civics and Government Insitute from MHS, Temple Ner Tamid, Toni's Kitchen, St. Luke's Episcopal Church and First United Methodist Church of Montclair.

Continue reading "Local Kids Keep the HOMECorp Community Garden Growing" »

From the Farmers' Market is a series on Barista Kids brought to you by Alison J. Bermack the founder of Cooking With Friends.

There's no need to wait until Halloween to have some carving fun. How about taking a paring knife to a pepper, cranberry bean pod or purple eggplant? That's just what we did the other day after a trip to the Millburn Farmer's Market. The kids got instantly excited when they spotted the Gina's tent (apparently Montclair's very own Gina's Bakery is opening a location in Millburn) welcoming them to the market with free samples galore. And sample we did.

Moving on (with full tummies), my daughter eyed the cranberry beans while wandering through rainbow-colored bins of vegetables. Holding one up for us to see, my little one's face lit up as he recalled the whimsical sea creature from his favorite book One Lonely Sea Horse. Believe it or not, my son has been looking for these red-spotted, camouflage-patterned beans to make into sea serpents. You see, inspired by Joost Elffert's Play with Your Food, we'll often create animals and sea life out of various fruits and vegetables. With only a few cloves or beans for eyes, we've transformed a banana into an octopus and a ginger root into a big clawed lobster. It's an excellent activity while waiting for dinner.

It was with this beautiful serpentine cranberry bean that we discovered our purpose at the market this week. And so we roamed tent to tent, looking not for perfect vegetables but for attention-grabbing ones: Peppers with interesting folds (to become a scrunched up mouth on a funny face), u-shaped eggplants (for diving sharks) and bunches of okra (for silly soldiers). In a short time, we had mounds of unusual looking vegetables and we were poised for an afternoon of play-with-your-food fun.

Continue reading "From the Farmers' Market: Food Play " »

It seems that every town does it differently, but most of them do it sooner than Baristaville--letting families know who their child's teacher will be.

In Glen Ridge kids meet their next year teacher on the last day of school. And at Oakside Elementary in Bloomfield they were given the info on the last day of school. In SOMA a friend tells me that they usually aren't told until the Friday before school starts. I thought it was bad in Montclair, we usually get told by the end of August. I've heard from some Montclair parents and teachers in the district that they will start to mail the placement letters today--but I'll believe it when I see it.

Do you know who your kid's teacher will be this school year? Are you happy about it?

Glen Ridge dad and children's author Daniel Kirk has been offering a download of his catchy songs every month since September 2009. We told you about his Halloween themed song last year. It's the end of the summer and the end of the Song of the Month Club, so this month's song is appropriately titled Carousel Horse, which reminds me of Martha's Vineyard.

If you haven't been downloading Kirk's songs every month, you're in luck, all 12 songs are available for free downloads. In addition to the free music, there has been a monthly book contest too. Kirk is giving away the biggest prize of all this time--a box of 25 autograph titles from Daniel Kirk's collection. To enter, email Daniel here and tell him why you think you should win. The best entry received by September 30, 2010 will win.