As soon as I saw the commercial showing that the Wizard of Oz would be playing at

The Schuster Center, the memories came flooding back to my grade school days.

When my 1^st grade teacher made the announcement I was thrilled.

Our class was going to do a play and it would be the Wizard of Oz!

I loved the movie and had a soft spot for the Tinman. He was my favorite character in the show, because

he needed a heart. I was born with a damaged heart, so I could relate to him.

I thought I would be perfect for the role, but It turns out I was wrong.

I wasn’t tall enough, rugged enough and my voice was too squeaky for the role.

As it turns out I was perfect for another role, the head Munchkin. When my teacher told me that

I would be a munchkin, I muttered under my breath. I said something like “I’d rather be a flying

monkey”.  Since I was always the smallest kid in class, I took offense to being made a Munchkin!

To make matters worse, my best friend Eric was picked to be The Tinman. For a day or two I felt as bad

as the witch that had the house land on her, but once practice started and I saw my costume I became

more excited about my role as head Munchkin. I even got some important lines. I announced that

“The witch was dead” (Which old witch…the wicked witch) and I was the first one to tell Dorothy to

“Follow the yellow brick road”. For a munchkin, it doesn’t get any better than that.

The play went off without a hitch, I got big laughs and a loud applause for my performance.

I was proud of my friend Eric for playing the Tinman perfectly.  My entire class did a great job.

The play was a fond memory for me and one that has lasted a lifetime.

Seeing the Wizard of Oz at the Schuster Center could be a lifetime memory for you

and your family as well. I highly recommend it for kids of all ages. They have performances, tonight,

tomorrow and Thursday. Each show starts at 7pm. Tickets are available for all performances!

The post Follow the Yellow Brick Road appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

Most parents have watched their kids fall in love with childhood favorite songs and nursery rhymes. We see their faces light up when a familiar tune plays, and if we watch long enough, we catch them moving to the music. From a very young age, the desire to move and dance is something that is within us all.

DancingUnlimited is a program that hopes to promote a love of dance for every child — even those with physical disabilities. Dayton Parent spoke to Barbara Pontecorvo, artistic director of Gem City Ballet, to learn more about the DancingUnlimited opportunity.

How did DancingUnlimited (DU) get its start?

Gem City Ballet (GCB), a pre-professional ballet company, introduced the DU program in 1998 as part of a partnership with Children’s Medical Center. Their therapists were using the dance program as additional therapy for their patients. The program consists of two 6-to-8-weekly dance sessions with a performance at the conclusion.

How many dancers do you typically have in the program?

 Gem City Ballet has 23 hard-working dancers between the ages of 12 and 18. They work alongside the DU dancers and we currently have 10 students with special needs. Although the DU program is limited to 20 students with physical disabilities, one sibling is also able to accompany each DU participant to their classes.

What modifications are made for the DU classes?

 DU classes are run by both a ballet instructor and a physical therapist. The Gem City Ballet dancers are indispensable during these classes. In many cases, they will physically put the DU dancers into correct positions and help them with movements. The GCB dancers take their cues from the DU dancers with regard to how much help they want, but are always by their side to steady and urge them on. If a child is in a wheelchair or uses crutches or a walker, we help them to find alternative and creative ways to follow the movements like the other dancers.

Can you walk us through a typical class for a student with physical disabilities?

Classes are 45 minutes long and begin with warm-up exercises on the floor. Class continues with a short ballet barre, and trying basic ballet movements such as plies, tendues, degages, sautes and passe. We then move to port de bras (movement of the arms), marching, skipping and jumping. We end with a period of free dance.

What are the costs for the DU program and can community members get involved?

 Even though there are some costs during the performance period with supplying costumes and paying choreographers, classes are completely free for our DU students and all their costs are covered.

For more information, visit gemcityballet.org.

Gem City Ballet Virtual Classes

Due to the stay-at-home measures taking place across the state of Ohio, Gem City Ballet has had to temporarily close their studio. To stay in contact with their dancers and the community, they now offer virtual classes online for free, for anyone who is interested. You can find the videos on their YouTube channel at keyword “Pontecorvo Ballet Studios.”

The post Local Spotlight: DancingUnlimited at Gem City Ballet appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

The need for foster care doesn’t stop during a pandemic. Even during this time of global crisis, there are children facing their own personal crises who need foster homes and support from caring families and individuals. It takes a village to raise a child, and that saying especially rings true right now.

Fostering a child is an important commitment, and it might not be the right choice for every family. We are grateful to the Dayton-area families who foster children and welcome them into their homes. But even if you aren’t in a position to foster a child yourself at the moment, there are still many ways to support these children and their foster families.

Donate Resources

Children in foster care need the same resources as other children. “We always accept gift cards to restaurants and grocery stores that we use to provide food for families or take kids out to eat,” says Sara Faison, foster care and visitation supervisor at Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children, which helps children throughout Ohio. Though the agency doesn’t have the facility to store items, “donations are accepted at Christmas when we are providing gifts to children,” Faison says.

When in doubt, money is always a good thing to donate. “Monetary donations are the best because we can use those to help meet ongoing or special needs as they arise,” says Emily Ballard, marketing and outreach coordinator for Focus on Youth.

Share Your Time

Donations of your time are always in need, and there are many opportunities for those wishing to volunteer. “We love and need volunteers to provide childcare at our monthly foster parent meetings,” Ballard says. “Volunteering at our agency events is also a big help. We use volunteers to help organize our Clothing Closet, expert adoption attorney services at our annual training conference and foster family Christmas party, and provide childcare for any of our annual events.”

Simply being willing to work alongside a foster family and assist wherever there is a need can be the best kind of support. That may be helping with yard work, providing a meal here and there, or helping drive kids to various appointments. For more information on volunteering with Focus on Youth, visit the web site at FocusOnYouth.com/get-involved.

Provide Respite Care

“Respite care provides temporary relief for our full-time foster parents who need a few days to themselves, or who may be dealing with a personal emergency of their own,” says Keri Carter-Moore, a team leader of foster parent recruiting at NECCO, which helps children in foster care situations in Dayton. “Respite care can be urgent or planned, lasting no longer than 14 days.”

Ballard adds: “Foster parents need breaks. But unlike most parents, they can’t ask just anyone to watch their foster children for a couple of days. So, respite care providers are a huge need. These are families who are willing to take foster children into their home for a few days at a time, giving foster parents that much needed break. It’s a tremendous help and allows you to build supportive relationships with foster children without committing to foster parenting.”

Become an Ambassador

NECCO ambassadors play a crucial role in building families by speaking up on behalf of those they serve, “from organized legislative outreach to collaborating with educators and community leaders, or even sharing our mission with friends and family via social media,” Carter-Moore says.

A CASA, or Court-Appointed Special Advocate, is a volunteer who acts in the best interest of a child. “CASA is a national association that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children in order to provide children with a safe and healthy environment in permanent homes,” Carter-Moore says.

Though the training program is a commitment of time, the rewards are great. Ultimately, the greatest joy for a CASA volunteer is to guide a child into a permanent home. “Those interested in volunteering as a CASA worker can, within less than 6 months, advocate for an abused or neglected child, supported by a ProKids Advocacy Team,” Carter-Moore says. Learn more about becoming a CASA volunteer at ProKids.org/volunteer.

These are just some of the ways you can help a child in the foster system and the families who care for them. During this unprecedented time, these children in need can benefit greatly from a little more support and love from everyone.

The post How to Help Kids in Foster Care appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

Having a child in the hospital is a stressful and exhausting time for parents. Simple duties such as planning meals, doing laundry or even just responding to emails can become an impossible burden.

Celebrating 40 years of service to our community, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Dayton (RMHC) aims to provide a “home away from home” to families with critically ill children. Dayton Parent spoke to Kaitlin Webb, marketing and communications coordinator of RMHC of Dayton, to learn more about what this organization offers.

How does RMHC aid the families of sick children?

RMHC of Dayton is the only organization in our community solely dedicated to providing hospitality services to families of hospitalized pediatric patients.

The Ronald McDonald House — located across the street from Dayton Children’s Hospital, and just minutes away from Miami Valley Hospital and Kettering Medical Center — provides families with many of the comforts of home, such as home-cooked meals, on-site laundry facilities and private rooms.

The Ronald McDonald Family Rooms — located inside Dayton Children’s Hospital and inside Emmett’s Place at Miami Valley Hospital — provide areas for families to relax, regroup and regain the strength they need, all while staying just steps from their child’s bedside. Amenities include a fully stocked kitchen, napping pods for resting, laundry facilities, computer stations and more.

Room availability is based on criticality of the child and the distance families must travel to receive care. Though we do ask for a donation from families staying at the House, no family is ever turned away due to inability to pay.

Can you share a local family’s experience with RMHC?

Jonny and Hannah Picard had just decided to move to Ohio, when they learned they were expecting. At Hannah’s 21-week checkup, the couple discovered some devastating news. Their baby boy wasn’t surrounded by amniotic fluid. This meant a very high probability of complications for both Hannah and the baby.

The Picards made the very personal and difficult decision to see this journey through to whatever end, and began what would be a 95-day stay at Miami Valley Hospital. During that time, the Picards used the Ronald McDonald Family Room as a place to rest and regroup without having to leave the hospital.

“It was so nice to be able to throw in a load of laundry, grab a homemade meal, rest in the comfy chairs and watch a TV show, grab a quick snack or chat with the staff who came to know and encourage us so much along our journey,” Hannah Picard says.

After 63 days, Asher Benjamin Picard was born! The Picards remained at the hospital for 32 days while Asher was in the NICU, and then the family began their new life in Dayton together.

How can people support RMHC?

Community members can:

1. Volunteer
2. Donate wish list items/make monetary donations
3. Collect pull-tabs (from pop cans, pet food, etc.)
4. Serve a hot meal
5. Host a fundraiser
6. Become a pantry partner
7. Donate a vehicle

Visit rmhcdayton.org to learn more about volunteer and donation opportunities, view the current wish list or get additional information about RMHC.

The post Local Spotlight: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Dayton appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

School shootings are a parent’s worst nightmare, and a topic becoming all too familiar in the news. Although many would rather not even think about such a tragedy, one dedicated group of parents in Beavercreek decided they wanted to do more. Chris and Jennifer Beck, and Scott and Meghan Morgan were determined to join school district efforts to protect students if the unimaginable ever became a reality. Dayton Parent spoke to Jennifer Beck to learn more about Creek Safe and their mission.

How was Creek Safe started?

After the 2018 Parkland shooting, Beavercreek schools held a meeting to inform parents of their plans to employ additional safety measures, including Anchorman barricade door locks. However, with the lack of funding available, the locks were only going to be installed on the doors of high-risk classrooms. After learning more, the four of us came together and decided we could work to raise the funds for all of the classrooms.

We met with the district, filed paperwork to secure our non-profit status, started a website and got rolling! We held over 60 events, raising more than $91,000, which allowed us to purchase a lock for every elementary school classroom in November 2018. Thanks to the Bellbrook Fence team, the locks were installed and we have now moved to Phase 2 of our mission: outfitting the middle schools, the freshman building and the high school with the Anchorman locks.

What are the benefits of the Anchorman locks?

Anchorman locks were designed by two former SWAT officers is Los Angeles, and we are so proud to be working with this company! The locks employ a simple two-step process to engage and require no fine motor skills to operate. Since the lock can be activated by anyone weighing over 50 pounds, it’s possible that a student could barricade a door, if needed. Perhaps the most important benefit is that first responders can open the lock with an Anchorman-issued key, allowing them to easily assist students in an emergency.

What advice would you give to someone who may want to help another district?

We would love to see this take off in more schools. After meeting with school decision-makers and filing proper paperwork with the state, it’s just a matter of reaching out to family, friends, local businesses and anyone who shares the goal of keeping our kids safe at school. We have received so much love and support from the community, and it truly warms our hearts to see everyone come together.

What’s next for Creek Safe?

Once the locks are installed in every classroom, we would like to keep the organization active and continue to raise funds for maintenance and upkeep. We have also explored additional safety measures, such as a film to put on windows to make them more bullet resistant. We want to be sure we’re doing all we can to continue increasing the level of safety while eliminating additional fees for our school district.

To learn more about Creek Safe and to support their goals, visit their website at www.creeksafe.com

The post Local Spotlight: Creek Safe appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

Are you looking for a new enrichment program for you and your little one? Add Music Together of South Dayton to your list, it combines music with learning in a family-focused environment and lucky for you they are offering FREE 30 minutes demo classes this fall! See what our Associate Publisher, Hannah learned on her first visit!

Did you know that we are all born musical?

According to Music Together of South Dayton, “Children are born movers, sounders, and explorers – the perfect foundation for the ability to dance, sing, and play. But he or she also needs the disposition to explore and grow musically – a special spark in their heart that makes them love being a music maker, that burns brightest and builds the best within the first 8 years of life. Such a trait can only be nurtured by the “grownups who love them”…that’s why YOU are such an important part of the music making experience!”

Attending my very first Music Together class this past weekend was fun and also educational. My little one was unable to attend due to illness (welcome to toddler-hood) but I went to scope it out myself. Honestly, I can not wait to bring her back, our daughter absolutely loves to dance! When a good beat comes on the TV or on our radio she will bust some serious moves!

Not only are the children getting involved but it is so vital that the adults participate in every activity as well. I saw moms and dads dancing, playing instruments, and singing along to the songs! This helped their little ones feel comfortable enough to join in the fun. And we all know…”monkey see, monkey do”!

Music Together of South Dayton classes are offered to children from birth to age 8. The best part, you can schedule a FREE trial class to see if it’s a good fit for your family! For more information on the various classes and their locations, visit their website: https://www.musictogetherofsouthdayton.com/index.htm

Kick-off the fall season than with a FREE 30-minute demo class at one of our Beavercreek, Centerville, or Oakwood locations this month! Demos will be held throughout the weeks between August 20 and September 6.

Fall Demo Classes:

MIXED AGE (birth-age 5)
Tuesday 8/20 at 10:00 am (Beavercreek)
Wednesday 8/21 at 10:00 am (Centerville)
Saturday 8/24 at 10:00 am (Centerville) *Special “Luau Day” themed class!*
Friday 9/6 at 10:00 am (Oakwood)

RHYTHM KIDS (ages 4-8)
Tuesday 8/27 at 5:00 pm (Centerville)

The post Music Together of South Dayton appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

Parenting is a tough job. After all, there are no instruction manuals for how to raise children. But imagine if all the challenges of pregnancy and child rearing were made more difficult because of an unstable financial situation. Or if you learned that your young child had a developmental delay due to a medical diagnosis. Where can parents get help for such delicate circumstances?

Dayton Parent spoke with Marianne Pohlmann of Help Me Grow Brighter Futures in Dayton to learn how their programs and services are working to respond to unique situations such as these.

What kinds of programs and services do you offer?

Our Early Intervention (EI) program supports families with young children who have developmental delays or disabilities. Every eligible family has a local EI team that consists of the family members, a service coordinator and service providers. This team will work to develop an Individualized Family Service Plan to support a child’s development. Services are typically provided in a client’s home or other places the family spends time. The goal is to build on parents’ abilities to enhance their child’s learning and development.

Our Parenting Support Home Visiting Program provides a low-income mom or family with a well-trained nurse, social worker or teacher who offers information and support during pregnancy. We want to empower parents and help them gain the skills, tools and confidence to nurture the healthy growth of their child through the earliest years — a critical time of development.

Why is early intervention so important?

Early Intervention services cover any concern a parent may have about their child, including developmental delays, such as not talking or walking on time. Early diagnosis and treatment for delays increases the chances of improvement. Treating communication and language difficulties early on can prevent potential problems with behavior, learning, reading and social interaction. That is why we’re here. We want to help parents connect to community resources and understand what just 15 minutes a day can do to make sure a child is reaching their developmental milestones.

Can you share a story of a family who has been helped through one of your programs?

One of our nurses went into a home for a first-time visit with a pregnant client. The mom was agitated but our nurse tried to make her feel comfortable just by talking to her. She asked the mom how she felt that day and because she was not feeling well, our nurse took her blood pressure. It was extremely high and after a call to a doctor, it became apparent 911 must be dialed immediately. Our nurse stayed with the young mom in the ER so she would not be alone. Despite several miscarriages in the past, I am happy to say she had a very healthy baby and is doing very well.

To learn more about Help Me Grow Brighter Futures or to donate, visit www.hmgbf.org

The post Local Spotlight: Help Me Grow Brighter Futures appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

During the summer months, retail stores are abuzz with back-to-school shoppers and the aisles are filled with the latest book bags, lunch boxes, and supplies. On the first day of school, students bring their new gear to class and begin putting it to use right away — or do they?

Imagine you’re a teacher, and you realize that several students in your class do not have the tools they need to participate in class because they simply can’t afford them. What would you do? Would you use your own limited funds to purchase supplies for the students in need? According to Steve Rubenstein, executive director of Dayton Crayons to Classrooms (DC2C), that is exactly what many teachers are doing. In fact, a 2017 Impact Study conducted by DC2C found that teachers in our area spend more than $500 per school year just to purchase needed supplies for their classrooms.

Dayton Parent spoke with Rubenstein to learn about DC2C and how they are helping these teachers to help our local students.

What is Dayton Crayons to Classrooms?

DC2C is a non-profit organization that provides a free retail-style store filled with the supplies and tools necessary for students to be successful in class. Teachers from under-funded, eligible schools are able to “shop” for the items their students need, at no cost to them, thanks to individual donations and partnerships with local businesses.

How many schools are you serving in Dayton?

We are currently serving 110 high-need schools. To become eligible, a school must have at least 60 percent of their enrollment in need of a free or reduced-price lunch.

When can teachers shop, and is there a limit to the number of times or the amount for which they can shop?

Eligible teachers can shop once per semester. If needed, they can earn a third shopping trip by volunteering five hours at the store. Currently, there are no limits on the number of items they can take, there are only limits on individual items themselves. For example, a limit of one box of pencils, three boxes of crayons or five folders per trip.

For the current school year, the value of a shopping trip at DC2C is averaging $761 per teacher! Ninety-six percent of the teachers we survey say supplies they’re able to obtain from our store are critical to their daily classroom activities across all grade levels.

How can the community can get involved?

Like all non-profit organizations, we rely on public support to fund our mission. We receive most of our support from individuals, foundations and corporations. We do not receive local, state or federal government money. If anyone is interested in being a volunteer, learning more about DC2C or wishes to donate, they can visit our website at www.dc2c.org.

The post Local Spotlight: Dayton Crayons to Classrooms appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

The holiday season is upon us, and although it is often a time of great joy, for some, it can be a season of great financial strain. Higher expenses can sometimes leave families trying to decide what things they can do without in order to afford basic necessities.

Thankfully, the Dayton community can count on their neighbors at Good Neighbor House. GNH believes that oftentimes, the people who work the hardest are also the most overlooked in terms of unmet needs. They understand that unexpected events can lead to financial stress for a hardworking family, and that even the best-laid plans can fall apart.

Dayton Parent spoke with Marcia Ehlers, assistant director of human services and outreach, to learn more about GNH and how they extend a helping hand to the community throughout the entire year.

How did you become involved with GNH, and how have you seen GNH help our community?

My mother was one of the founding ladies of GNH after spending 10 years as a missionary nurse in Brazil. She worked tirelessly to help our neighbors and was a volunteer up to a few weeks before she passed away at the age of 94.

For me personally, a huge bonus is when I meet someone dropping off a donation and they say, “I remember when I had nothing and I came here for help. I have been waiting for the day I could give back.” And that’s what our mission is all about — enabling community members to give back after they themselves have become healthier, or more financially or emotionally stable.

What services does GNH provide?

Thrift Store: Open to the public, with affordable clothing and household items for purchase using cash, credit card or GNH Bucks.

Food Pantry: Food provided every 30 days to families in need of grocery assistance.

Special Dietary Needs Pantry: Special groceries for clients with diabetes, hypertension or renal disease.

Dental and Medical Clinics: Affordable dental and medical care. Insurance is accepted and self-pay patients are offered a sliding-scale discount based on income and family size.

Eye Clinic: Basic visits are free and everyone gets a voucher for free prescription eyeglasses.

Counseling Services: Free counseling

What are GNH Bucks?

When we realized that some clients just could not afford to buy much in the thrift store, we introduced GNH Bucks. Clients can take a free, hour-long wellness class to earn a $20 voucher for clothing. Classes are offered two to three times a day (except Fridays), and we also offer classes twice a month to earn a $20 voucher for household items. The classes cover topics such as cooking, exercise, painting and crafts, and there is no limit to the number of classes a client can take.

Do you have programs to help ease holiday-related burdens?

We have a program called Operation Christmas Wish to help GNH client families with Christmas gifts. From November 5 through December 7, we will collect new, unwrapped toys for children ages 1 to 12. Donors can sign up to “adopt” a family and purchase toys or basic household necessities to gift to a family in need.

Good Neighbor House needs your help!

Volunteers are desperately needed, and so are your generous donations!

If you are interested in sharing your knowledge by teaching a wellness class, please contact Marcia Raglin at (937) 224-3003, extension 102.

To adopt a family for Christmas or for additional information on volunteer and donation opportunities, contact Marcia Ehlers at (937) 224-3003, extension 108. You can also learn more at www.goodneighborhouse.org

The post Local Spotlight: Good Neighbor House appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

Would it surprise you to learn that 61% of inner city homes have no books or reading materials of any kind? Or that there are several adults in our area who may struggle to read this very article?

Dayton Parent spoke with Holly Elkins-Lopez, Education Programs, and Outreach Coordinator, to learn how Project READ is meeting literacy needs throughout our community.

What is Project READ?

Project READ is a coalition of over 100 literacy organizations, schools and businesses working together to build skilled workers, strong families and healthy communities through lifelong literacy. We have several programs in place to help youth, as well as adults, receive the literacy help they need. Project READ offers a stepping-stone to greater educational and economic opportunities.

In your opinion, what are the greatest literacy needs in our area?

During the 2016-2017 school year, nearly 20% of third graders in the Dayton Public Schools did not meet the reading standard for Ohio’s “third grade reading guarantee.” This poor outcome earned Dayton Public Schools a D in K-3 Literacy on the Ohio Department of Education Report Card.

However, Dayton Public Schools are not alone. Twelve out of 17 Montgomery County school districts received a C or D in K-3 Literacy on the 2016-2017 Ohio Department of Education Report Card.

Furthermore, there are over 63,000 adults locally (over the age of 25) struggling with tasks such as reading short, simple texts, filling out a job application, understanding a prescription bottle or deciphering a bus schedule.

What programs does Project READ provide to the community?

Project READ Helpline—connects adult learners to free reading, GED, high school completion and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes.

Adult Literacy Tutoring Program—trained literacy tutors work to help beginner level adult learners, adults studying for their GED (or a high school completion diploma), and ESOL learners. Tutoring is usually one-on-one in a public setting or as a classroom aide in adult education classrooms.

Youth Literacy Tutoring Program—trained literacy tutors work with youth learners in kindergarten through 8th grade to help with their reading and language skills.  Tutoring takes place at Project READ partner schools.

Book Distribution Project—Project READ is able to donate new or gently used books to children and families in need. Each year, nearly 10,000 books go out into the community through this project.

How can community members help?

We are always looking for volunteers to be literacy tutors for both youth and adult learners. Training is provided and includes topics such as an overview of literacy, key skills to literacy development, strategies for learning and effective tutoring practices.

Volunteers are also needed to work in Project READ’s partner bookstore. The store is located in Centerville and volunteers work in three-hour shifts to sort and scan books, as well as maintain stock in the bookstore.

During the summer, Project READ holds an annual “Concert for Literacy” at the Fraze Pavilion in Kettering. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the show and community members are encouraged to attend to support our mission.

Because we rely on grants and individual gifts for financial support, monetary donations are always welcome. We also appreciate any book donations so that we may provide them to those in need.

To learn more about Project READ or to get involved, visit https://project-read.org/

The post Project READ appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.