Kicking it with the Council - An Interview

Today we will be interviewing Kim Buckner. Many people around the Lexington KY area will be familiar with Kim. She trains at the Child Care Council, she is a realtor here in town and she operates a MusikMatters business here in Lexington.


Child Care Council (CCC): How did you get involved with MusikMatters?
Kim Buckner (KB): I opened MusikMatters in 2001.
CCC: What drew you to MusikMatters?
KB: I had a busy 2yr old son that loved music & I realized I could teach him pretty much anything if I put it to a song and made it fun.
CCC: What is the benefit of MusikMatters over just dancing with your child?
KB: MusikMatters offers 45 minutes of structured activities. Each activity targets a different developmental task such as fine motor skills, visual tracking and coordination. Dancing with your child is a fabulous way to help your child develop, and we do plenty of dancing in our classes! We just like to enhance the learning experience by tackling more than one task at a time.
CCC: Are the classes just dancing around or do you introduce manipulatives in the classes?
KB: We do as much sitting in a circle as we do dancing, so we have to offer manipulatives to keep the little ones engaged. We use shakers, small rhythm sticks, scarves, ribbons, bean bags, hula hoops, drums - all things that kids love to play with (they think it’s play, but it’s really work)!
CCC: What are some gross motor skills that are encouraged by MusikMatters?
KB: Walking in a line (this is huge when you start school), galloping, jumping, hopping on one foot and dancing are some of the skills we work on in class.
CCC: What are some of the fine motor skills that are encouraged?
KB: We use bubbles to encourage children to “point” to pop them, and finger plays. As they get older, we thread shoestrings through different shapes to prepare their little fingers for pencil holding.
CCC: Are your MusikMatters classes offered throughout the area?
KB: No, just here in Lexington. We are opening a new location in Richmond in August.
CCC: What is the appropriate age to begin introducing a class like this to your child?
KB: We start at 2 months and go through 6 years.
CCC: Do parents usually participate in the classes or just watch?
KB: Parent/caregiver participation is a must! Children do what they see so it’s important that we grown-ups show them the ropes. We get to quack like ducks and gallop like ponies right along with the kids! It’s quite a workout.
CCC: Can you buy videos, CD’s or books from the classes?
KB: No. We use music that can be purchased anywhere and keep the activities simple to encourage families to do the things they learn in class at home.
CCC: Where are your classes offered and is there a website available for people to visit?
KB: The Lexington classes are offered at Word of Hope Lutheran Church (on the corner of Man O’ War & Armstrong Mill), the Richmond Classes will be held at the Telford YMCA. Our website is www.MusikMattersKY.com
CCC: How does someone get started enrolling their kids in the program and how ling do the classes last? Do all MusikMatter studios offer a free try out class?
KB: Everyone gets a free trial class (who wants to pay for something before you try it?). Just give us a call at 859.554.5450 or visit our website to join a class. The sessions are 12 weeks long and students attend class once per week. For summer, we offer a shorter 4 week session as well as camps. The Summer Camps for this year are “Pirates & Princesses”, “Luau”, “School Readiness” and a Patriotic day. We do music time, have crafts each day, eat a snack and play fun developmental games. The camps are probably one of my favorite things that we offer at MusikMatters!
CCC: Is this a good environment for kids that have special needs, for example are not walking or talking yet at 2 or 3 years of age?
KB: Absolutely! We offer a non-stressful, non-judgmental & non-competitive atmosphere. We have several families from First Steps that attend our classes and love them! We have offered classes for the Visually Impaired Preschool since 2002 and the Child Development Centers of the Bluegrass since 2005. We try to address the needs & strengths of each child in each class. It’s quite an undertaking, but the results are more than worth it!
CCC: Is there a degree of therapy to the classes?
KB: Yes. From physical to speech, all areas are addressed. We have had a music therapist on our team of teachers & she uses our activities and techniques in her private therapy sessions.
CCC: What is the highest age that you offer classes to?
KB: 6 years. Our goal is to prepare children developmentally for school-not just academically & physically, but socially as well. Many of our students started our classes as infants and will be going to Kindergarten in the fall! Ask any parent and they will tell you their child is prepared. After years of activities that focused on listening, impulse control, coordination, rhyming & teamwork, it’s time for us to watch them excel in other areas. It always makes me sad when a child ages out of our program, but I like to think that what we have given to them will make their school years simple & easy. That thought helps me hold back the tears (sometimes)!

As a special give away this week Kim has graciously offered to donate a free FOUR WEEK SUMMER SESSION valued at $40.00 to one winner. The same rules apply. You can register up to 6 separate times following the rules below.

1. Leave a comment on this blog posting telling us your favorite song to dance to with kids.
2. Become a follower of our blog.
3. Become a fan of KIDS MATTER on Facebook and post it on the blog.
4. Become a fan of Child Care Council of Kentucky on Facebook and post it on the blog.
5. Follow us on Twitter and post it on the blog.
6. Blog about the interview on your blog, linking back to us.

Thanks and the registration for the giveaway will end on Wednesday May 19th.

Kicking it with the Council - An Interview

This Giveaway is now CLOSED.

Well today’s interview is with Patrick O’Neal. For those of you that watched Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution you will remember Patrick as the Principal of Central City Elementary in Huntington, WV. Since the show has gone off the air we have been very curious to see how the Food Revolution is doing in Huntington so we thought it would be great to do a little investigating.

Child Care Council (CCC): How long have you been principal of Central City Elementary?
Patrick O’Neal (PO): I have been principal at Central City Elementary for 7 years, in which 2 years I was the assistant.

CCC: Has the dynamic of the school changed since Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution was taped there? Would you say that the show made the school a better place?
PO: I would have to say that the dynamics of the school has changed because it has made us more aware of the issues with processed foods. Also, the simple idea of having lunch with natural ingredients just makes sense; you know what you are eating. I wouldn’t necessarily say that the show has made us a better place, but I will say that it has made us more aware of eating healthier.

CCC: It was very interesting to watch the show but as we all know the picture painted onscreen is not always the full truth. What were some of the toughest aspects of the taping?
PO: The toughest aspect of taping would be the spontaneity. They would come up with ideas and would expect me to drop everything to meet their needs. Being in a structured environment such as a school, it is difficult to drop everything and make adjustment to your school day. They were fortunate to have a flexible principal and school to meet their needs.

CCC: Have the changes to natural food over processed food lasted at your school? What about the other schools?
PO: After the taping of the show, we did continue with the cooking of natural ingredients and our cooks adjusted wonderfully – they are an awesome group of ladies. As for the other schools in Cabell County, they are making the transition to cooking with natural ingredients. However, time is short and there are several schools that must have the training. The other issue that has occurred with this transition is the lack of funds to insure all schools have been trained for the new menus.

CCC: There was some drama over the flavored milks served in the schools, are they back in the schools or were you able to completely eliminate them? I was shocked to learn that there was as much or more sugar in the flavored milks as a soda.
PO: The flavored milk is being served once again. This issue of flavored milk is beyond my control and needs to be addressed to the federal government, in particularly – USDA. However, we have eliminated the amount of flavored milk they have during the school day. The cooks accommodated me by serving only white milk during breakfast and only allowing one chocolate or strawberry during lunch. As the principal of Central City Elementary, I would like to have a say in what is being served to my students because there are other means in providing calcium in a student’s diet.


CCC: Are the majority of students eating the food served now or are more kids’ brown bagging their lunches than were prior to the show?
PO: At the beginning, we did have a drop in the number of students eating school lunch and as a result, our number of students bringing their lunch had increased. However, as we continued with the new menu, our number of students eating school lunch has increased which I find outstanding.

CCC: What does a typical weekly menu look like at Central City Elementary now?
PO: Our menu consists of meals made from natural ingredients. We have on a daily basis, fresh fruit available to our students.

Prior to the Revolution                  After the Revolution

CCC: One of the most shocking things on the show for me was when Jamie went to the classroom and none of the children could identify the fruits and vegetables that he had in the classroom. I was completely shocked but then I was in awe and amazed at the turn around the teacher made in her class. She did a full on nutrition boot camp with her class and then they were informed and able to make conscious decisions. Is nutrition a part of your curriculum at Central City now? I realize that nutrition is one of the things that get cut in classes pressured to meet testing guidelines but that teacher inspired many people.
PO: Ms. Blake did an awesome job in teaching her class the different vegetables that Jamie had brought into her class. She took a few minutes of the instructional day to teach the importance of vegetables and the importance they play in living a healthier life. You are correct about nutrition being cut as a part of the curriculum due to the emphasis place on academic achievement. However, Central City Elementary has a plan for next year to implement this component of nutrition back into our curriculum for the next school year.

CCC: Were most of the teachers and staff of Central City on board with the Food Revolution? I realize the cooks were rightfully so not always thrilled with an increase in work but what about the rest of the staff?
PO: I had a few staff members who thought we would be portrayed in a negative manner and was not thrilled the production crew was in our school. And of course, you know as well as I do that change is difficult and they had concerns about the impact this change would have on our students. One big issue was the flavored milk because many of our teachers had said some calcium is better than none at all. That is a valid point, but our students were adapting to drinking white milk when the flavored milk was allowed back.

CCC: On the last episode we saw that you had lost quite a bit of weight since you were no longer eating the processed foods on a daily basis. How have your health and the general health of your school changed?
PO: I was able to benefit from the food revolution because I had decided to make a change for myself. I have taken the base sauce we use at school (includes five different vegetables) and introduced it to my meals at home. I have also made the change in how I was eating. I have learned from the show that you control your health and you must decide on your own the benefits you want out of a healthier lifestyle. As for the school, only time will tell. I cannot control what our students eat. I cannot tell them to eat. I cannot force them to eat. However, I can share my story of how I have taken our school menu home with me and incorporated those meals in my diet at home. I can share with them how it has made me feel overall with the changes that I have made in eating healthier. I only hope we continue to serve meals that are made from natural ingredients, and we completely do away with all processed foods.

CCC: Does your school have recess and daily gym/PE classes?
PO: We do have daily recess when weather permits which is an important component in our school day. As for physical education, our students have PE every third day which I totally disagree with. Students should have PE every day, but once again, that is a money issue. The reason why childhood obesity has increased over the years is because children are not physically active.

Well the CCC would like to thank Patrick for taking time out of his busy day to speak to us. He has shown us that one person can make a decision to help and do great things. During the show, Patrick was accommodating and concerned for his kid’s health. It is great to see a person step forward and do the things they can to make a change.

What is being served in your schools? What is being served in your home? Will you stand up for the health of your kids and their friends? We realize that processed food is quick and easy and that many people have come to rely on that to get a “meal” on the table but is calling it a “meal” entirely accurate? I work full time and have a three year old at home but I try to cook a real meal for us as often as I can. I will not lie to you and tell you that I never go through a drive thru to pick up dinner but I have cut back severely on that. I am making changes in our home, what are you doing in your homes and schools?

As a special give away this week Taste of Home’s Healthy Cooking Magazine has graciously offered to donate a one year subscription valued at $23.94 to one winner. The same rules apply. You can register up to 6 separate times following the rules below.

1. Leave a comment on this blog posting telling us your favorite outdoor activity with kids.
2. Become a follower of our blog.
3. Become a fan of KIDS MATTER on Facebook and post it on the blog.
4. Become a fan of Child Care Council of Kentucky on Facebook and post it on the blog.
5. Follow us on Twitterand post it on the blog.
6. Blog about the interview on your blog, linking back to us.

Thanks and the registration for the giveaway will end on Wednesday May 19th.

Kicking it with the Council - An Interview

This Giveaway is now CLOSED.

Our first blog interview was with the lovely Karen Angelucci. For those of you that are unfamiliar with Karen, she is an author based out of Lexington, KY and she has written her first children’s book. The book is a great read on gardening for kids and the title of the book is Grimy, Grubby Gardening.

Child Care Council (CCC): What or who inspired you to start gardening?
Karen Angelucci (KA): I started gardening when I was five years old. I grew up in the country in Cynthiana, KY and my grandmother lived next door to us and she loved to garden. I have found that it is usually the grandparents that teach kids to garden, sometimes the parents are too busy so if you have a grandparent nearby that enjoys gardening lots of times the grandkids will enjoy it also.

CCC: What inspired you to write your first book, Secrets of a Kentucky Gardener?
KA: Well, I have a degree in X-ray and I was working when I got married and started having kids and decided to become a stay at home mom. Being a stay at home mom is challenging but I get bored easily and decided that since gardening is my passion, I would write a book about gardening. When I told my husband, he never dreamed I was serious. That book took ten years, lots of naps and Monday Night Football games were spent with me writing.

CCC: What was your next book?
KA: I got picked up by another publisher and then I wrote Secrets of a Tennessee Gardener. The books are very similar but the TN edition goes to zone 7 whereas KY is a zone 6.

CCC: How did you move from the Secrets books onto writing Grimy, Grubby Gardening for kids?
KA: It was natural for me to do a kid’s book. I have two children of my own and this seemed like the next progression. Gardening, like everything else starts with the kids. It is important for kids to get interested and find time outside and experience the natural world. Without these experiences, we will all be in trouble. I am all for the No Child Left Inside act. I am currently reading Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv and agree with his ideas.

CCC: Do you have any other books in the works right now?
KA: I am currently researching for a historical fiction book for adults but nothing is definite yet.

CCC: What are some of your favorite plants in the garden?
KA: Well, I am an Iris fanatic. I do not currently have a lot in my garden but I do love them. I grew up with lots of Iris growing in our garden. My first plant was an ugly yellow Iris and I still have a piece of that plant. I have moved it from house to house to house and plant it somewhere inconspicuous but it has great sentimental value to me. I really love the Japanese Iris. I am not 100% native but I am pro native. I have a mix of native and ornamental in my garden.

CCC: Do you enjoy growing plants from seed? And if so, what are some of your easiest ones?
KA: Larkspur, which is a cool weather annual and it self sows. You will have to pull lots of them out but it is worth it. Zinnias and sunflowers are easy to grow from seeds and those are actually what my kids and I grow together every year. I always buy my seeds locally because it is important to support local economies. It does not matter the store, many of the big box stores even use local growers and suppliers.

CCC: What are some of your favorite gardening projects with kids?
KA: I do school visits and presentations on writing and on gardening and my favorite thing is what I call my Nature Table. When I go to schools, they do not really have time to get dirty so my nature table fills the bill. The kids can see, smell, hear and feel everything on the table from seedpods to flowers and vegetables. That is always a lot of fun. Fortunately there are lots of school gardens popping up but unfortunately there is not always someone to take care of them. There is a big movement to plant more school gardens and I think that movement is going to make it. I am in the process of developing one at one of my daughter’s elementary schools right now. The biggest stumbling block to school gardens are getting adults that will take on the obligation of maintaining the gardens. The kids are easy, they love to get out there and get their hands in the soil, the adults are the ones you have to convince. The one I am working on now is being maintained by myself and the Early Start/Head Start teacher and class. We had to jump through some hoops to get this done since the playground is for the federally funded program but we persevered and the teacher and kids love the garden and are very dedicated to it. They sowed some seeds and planted perennials and a tree and later we will be putting in some vegetables. This teacher understands that the garden is a true outdoor classroom.

CCC: How do you find out if a new school you will be attending has a garden?
KA: There is a website where you can register any school gardens at the Kids Gardening Organization.

CCC: Is there assistance for people wanting to start a school garden?
KA: There are some grants you can get if you look hard enough for them but lots of it is just donations. You will also have to contact the school and get a list of approved plants and trees. You also can not spray any herbicides or pesticides that could endanger the children. You also have to plan it out well and be sure you have people to maintain it or if it get all overgrown the maintenance crew will have to mow it all down. It can be done, but it is no small task.

CCC: Why do you feel it is so important for kids to garden?
KA: It is one of the most important things in life. It is crucial for kids to be connected to nature, it improves their self esteem, their health and it reduces the crime rate and graffiti, being outside makes a person more appreciative.

CCC: What is your website?
KA: karenangelucci.com and Karen Angelucci Booksis on Facebook.

I hope you enjoyed the interview and were inspired to get outside with your kids. Karen was kind enough to donate a copy of Grimy, Grubby Gardening as a giveaway. You can register up to 6 separate times following the rules below.

1. Leave a comment on this blog posting telling us your favorite outdoor activity with kids.
2. Become a follower of our blog.
3. Become a fan of KIDS MATTER on Facebook.
4. Become a fan of Child Care Council of Kentucky on Facebook.
5. Follow us on Twitter.
6. Blog about the interview on your blog, linking back to us.

Thanks and the registration for the giveaway will end on Wednesday May 5th, 2010.