Parents Guide of Las Vegas

Family Events Calendar
Nevada PEP Trainings
Holiday Gift Guide
Bullies Need Help Too!
Students Earning Victory with Kidz Matter
New Doctor’s Arrival Fills Need for More Pediatric Eye Surgeons
How Can I Help My Child Learn to Read?
New Waterpark Coming to Las Vegas
Helping Your Teen Choose a College
Race you to Speedway Children’s Charities!
10 most popular books of 2011
The Nevada School of Dance presents The Nutcracker
Family Dining
Q&A with Baby’s First Image
Daycare/Preschool Directory

Nevada PEP: Strengthening Families with Education, Empowerment and Encouragement.

Understanding ADHD
Thursday, December 1, 6:30-8:30pm

IEP Clinic
Monday, Dec 5, 2011, 6-9pm

Is Your Child a Target of Bullying?
Thursday, Dec 8, 2011, 6:30-8:30pm

Entrenamiento del IEP
Viernes, Diciembre 9, 2011, 3-5:30pm

Positive Behavior Interventions
Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011, 6-9pm

Navigating Through Transition
Thursday, Dec 15, 2011, 6:30-8:30pm

How is My Child Reading?
Monday, Dec 19, 2011, 9:30-11:30am

Hear Myself Sound Phone

Price: $4.95
Ages: 3 to 11
This fun-to-use phone lets children hear themselves talk! Perfect for exploring sound, the plastic phone is sized just for kids and features an easy-grip handle.
Lakeshore Learning Store
1243 W Warm Springs Rd Henderson, NV
(702) 396-2890
LakeshoreLearning.com/Holiday2011

Rainbow Scratch Paper

Price: $9.99
Ages: 3 to 11
Dazzling pictures are easy to create—with our scratch-through rainbow paper! Kids use scratching sticks just like pencils…revealing a rainbow with every mark!
Lakeshore Learning Store
1243 W Warm Springs Rd Henderson, NV
(702) 396-2890
LakeshoreLearning.com/Holiday2011

Magnetic Geo Builders

Price: $24.95
Ages: 3 to 6
These incredible builders have easy-sticking magnets along every edge—for endless building possibilities! Set includes 48 pieces and a sturdy building base.
Lakeshore Learning Store
1243 W Warm Springs Rd Henderson, NV
(702) 396-2890
LakeshoreLearning.com/Holiday2011

Cloverleaf Manor

Price: $229.95
Ages: 3 and up
Cloverleaf Manor is a huge house with many Calico Critters included. The house can be opened or closed for easy access and convenient storage of your Critters and accessories. Kettlemuck’s carries the entire line of Calico Critters.
Kettlemuck’s Toy Shoppe
10895 Eastern Ave, Ste 120
Henderson, NV 89052
(702) 776-8349
kettlemucksToyShoppe.com

IQ Twist

Price: $11.49
Ages: 6 to 99
Twist your brain with this logic game! Give your brain a spin in the right direction and put all the twisted puzzle pieces on the game board. It looks easy until you realize that there are pegs that are in your way. You can only put a playing piece over a peg if both are the same color. 100 challenges ranging from easy to extremely difficult. Great travel game & very compact.
Kettlemuck’s Toy Shoppe
10895 Eastern Ave, Ste 120
Henderson, NV 89052
(702) 776-8349
kettlemuckstoyshoppe.com

Star War’s Millennium Falcon

Price: $139.99
(Kettlemuck’s has a HUGE assortment of Lego’s starting at $4.99 each)
Ages: Who doesn’t like Legos?
Star War’s Millennium Falcon is really fast
Kettlemuck’s Toy Shoppe
10895 Eastern Ave, Ste 120
Henderson, NV 89052
(702) 776-8349
KettlemucksToyShoppe.com

The Elizabeth Boot

The Elizabeth Boot is hip, yet classic, making it a must-have gift this holiday season. With over 120 adorable styles of flexible footwear for children ages 0–8, pediped® is sure to have the perfect shoe for every holiday outfit! For a professional fitting and convenient shopping, visit the pediped® company store in Henderson, NV.
Price: $69.00
Ages: 0 to 8
pediped®company store
1191 Center Point Drive
Henderson, NV 89074
(702) 352-2579
www.pediped.com

Scentsy Buddy

Price: $25
Each Buddy features a zippered pocket to hold scrumptious Scentsy fragrance. Just insert a Scent Pak (included) and bring your Buddy to life with comforting scent. 10 different Buddy’s to choose from.
Amber Vogt
(702) 812-6748
scentfromheaven.org

Premium Scentsy Companion System

Price: $60
Three Scentsy bars of your choice, one premium full-size warmer and one plug-in warmer.
Amber Vogt
(702) 812-6748
scentfromheaven.org

The Bronze Bow
by Elizabeth George Speare

Elizabeth George Speare won the 1962 Newbery Medal for this magnificent novel of Daniel’s tormented journey from a blind, confining hatred to his acceptance and understanding of love. The novels deeply felt narrative is one whose characters and message will be long remembered. The scene is Jerusalem at the time of Christ, the characters vividly real, the story gripping – Boston Herald.
Price: $6.95
American Heritage Academy
6126 S Sandhill Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89120
(702) 949-5614

2012 Family Fun Book

If Groupon printed a book, this would be it. Loaded with incredible savings on places you and your family actually want go. Using the coupons in the Family Fun Book may be some of the most fun you have all year. Huge savings at Cici’s Pizza, Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix, Blue Man Group and so much more!
Price: $20
www.LVFunbook.com

by Icia Reid-Sandulak

Bullies are searching for something they do not have, “CONTROL”. Bullies come in many forms, shapes and sizes. Bullying among children is really an aggressive behavior that is intentional and that involves power. Many children feel that they are being bullied by a parent, or parents, older sibling, or by others, but they are powerless against those giants that are bullying them. When these children get around their peers, they seek out the most vulnerable opponents to target and take out their frustrations on them. Many children who bully others are lonely at heart, other times trying to fit in with a certain group. There may have been a traumatic incident, such as physical and/or verbal violence, or some type of life change within the family. This could leave the child feeling like he/she has lost control.

Many children who bully often have a positive view and justification for this behavior. They sometimes act aggressively toward other people, including adults. They may start by hitting, pushing, punching, teasing or name-calling. Sometimes bullying is also done through intimidation, gestures, and exclusion from social settings. Children, who bully others, are often lacking empathy, as they have not learned healthy interaction with others. If you suspect that your child is a bully, you can help him/her by redirecting the negative behaviors and guide them towards a more positive behavior, showing them how to be sensitive to others, and pointing out how their behaviors are hurtful to others. If this intervention does not work, then you may want to seek professional help for your child, such as sending them to counseling. We need to help our children as a community. We need to ensure that someone is helping not only the child who is being bullied, but the child who is the bully.

Icia Reid-Sandulak , has been working with children for the last 20 years. She has a background in Social Work and is the mother of four children, one son and three daughters. Presently, she is the director of Apple Grove Foster Care Agency and invites anyone who aspires to be a foster parent to contact the office for information.

Kidz Matter has been busy changing lives. Across the country, and certainly in Southern Nevada, school administrators and educators tell us that character education and development has taken a back seat to other pressing academic needs. They also note that the lack of attention to character development is evident in behavior and academic trends. Most schools have a life skill or character education program in place; however, it often lacks an implementation process to maximize effectiveness or daily impact.

With a mission to empower kids with Life Skills and Leadership, Kidz Matter has been focusing its efforts on providing a solution for these schools through their flagship program – Kidz Matter Victory Program.

The Victory program is a living, breathing, life skill development program designed for implementation in local schools. It is a simple and powerful ­program to take the monthly life skills such as respect, courtesy, integrity, goal setting, perseverance, citizenship, fairness, responsibility, and self-control, and create a positive culture at the school. The life skills are explained at monthly assemblies led by Kidz Matter and school staff, and then the students are recognized for demonstrating these behaviors in their classrooms and across the school. The unique recognition and education system reinforces the life skill behavior and motivates student to achieve their best.

The impact is uplifting. Walk into any school where the Victory program is implemented and ask any student, “What’s the word?” They will tell you the word, what it means, and how to use it. Teachers are noticing an improvement in behavior, which is translating into extra minutes of class time each day. Across the school campuses everyone is involved in “spreading the word.” Crossing guards, principals, custodians, teachers, and students are making a positive difference each day.

The Victory program has been in place in the Clark County School District for four years, with four more schools implementing the program this year. Kidz Matter decided to expand the reach outside of CCSD this year, and there are now schools in Ventura and Oxnard, California; Carson City, Nevada; and St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri.

With the goal of reaching students beyond elementary schools, the Victory program has initiated a pilot program for at Miller Jr. High School in Henderson.

The Kidz Matter programs and services are provided to the schools at no cost. The programs are funded through grants and donations. To learn more about sponsoring a school or other Kidz Matter programs, visit www.MyKidzMatter.com.