wichita family magazine october 2015

Wichita Family • October 2015 - 1

SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN

october 2015

2 - www.wichitafamily.com

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How to host a MAD SCIENTIST Halloween Party

An essay about climbing trees and enjoying Fall

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13

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News and Information from our partners at Wichita Public Schools

Nationwide Safety Dog Bus Tour arrives in Wichita

october 2015

Inside:


Call for a free consultation about your child’s development.

Sedgwick County: 316.945.7117 | Butler County: 316.320.1342

Early Intervention Services

Success begins at an early age

Published By:

Lucky 7 Publishing LLC316.295.8465

Publisher:

Todd Vogts

Advertising Inquiries Contact:

Publisher Todd Vogts [email protected]

Wichita Family Magazine is published 12 times a year by Lucky 7 Publishing LLC. Wichita Family Magazine is available free, at schools, stores, restaurants, libraries, retailers and local attractions, as well as other places families frequent. For a complete list of where to find Wichita Family, or for subscription rates, email us at

[email protected] or visit our website at www.wichitafamily.com.

Copyright 2015 by Lucky 7 Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. Wichita Family Magazine is not responsible for errors, omissions or contest fulfillment from third parties. Reproduction in part or in whole without written permission is strictly prohibited. Wichita Family is distributed free of charge. The magazine’s advertisers make this possible, so support them! We reserve the right to edit submitted material. All submissions will be considered for publication, but we reserve the right to refuse material. Materials will not be returned. Any

editorial content or advertising published is the property of Lucky 7 Publishing LLC.

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Message from the PublisherThis is one of my favorite times

of the year. I love getting dressed up and trying to scare the pants off of my friends and family. I also have an affin-ity for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and candy corn.

However, I really like October be-cause it means the Major League Base-ball season is kicking into high gear in the run-up to the World Series.

Baseball is my favorite professional sport to watch. I root for my beloved

St. Louis Cardinals every chance I get. For me, there is little as exciting as watching a do-or-die game in which the team’s future in the chase for the cham-

pionship is on the line.Baseball is America’s pastime for a

reason. Sure, sports like football might have larger audiences nowadays, but baseball will always be the king in my book.

I grew up playing little league, and I loved every minute of it.

My only regret from high school is not playing baseball, but a series of shoulder surgeries made playing next to impossible.

Sure, some people claim the sport is boring because it is too slow-paced, but it is an incredible game of strategy. Pitching changes, pinch-runners and any other personnel change might slow things down a bit, but it is all part of a carefully orchestrated attempt by the managers to win the game.

In what other sport do you get to see such gamesmanship like that? Not many, that’s for sure.

Beyond the chess-like strategy of baseball, think of the history of the

game. I’m an admittedly huge nerd, and I love how there are statistics for nearly everything in baseball, and those fig-ures date back to nearly the first pitch ever thrown in a game.

For much the same reason I love golf so much, I also appreciate how individual the game of baseball can be.

Sure, there is a team of nine guys on field, but when it comes down to it, the game revolves around individual match-ups between the pitcher and the batter. With one swing of the bat, a solid hit can change the directory of the game.

The game is nerve-wracking to watch, and I can’t get enough of it.

So, when various ghouls and goblins come knocking on my door later this month, they will probably be able to hear me cheering in joy or screaming in agony as I watch post-season play. They might think it is part of my Halloween celebration, but they will be wrong.

It’s just me watching baseball.

Advertising Inquiries Contact:

Publisher Todd Vogts [email protected]

Todd [email protected]


News and Information from our partners at Wichita Public Schools

Hundreds of parents filled the halls of Heights High School to learn about their child’s high school life. The annual Parent Exchange Day gives parents the opportunity to walk the halls to find classes, meet the teachers and work on class assignments to better understand what their child does at school.

Teachers had activities for parents to give them an idea of what happens in the classroom. In Theresa Mamaoag’s

Algebra 2 class, parents were introduced to Kahoot, an online assessment tool that uses smart phones or tablets. Parents were tested to see if they could answer questions about equations in 5 seconds. The parents were engaged and quickly learned how to use the program.

Principal Bruce Deterding says it’s a great way to encourage parental involvement.

This is the 35th year for Heights’ Parent Exchange Day.

Heights parents get a sample of high school life

Heights parents use their phones to answer Algebra 2 questions using the online assessment tool Kahoot in Thersa Mamaoag’s class. The green color on the screens show the answer is correct.


Ten students named National Merit semi-finalists

The National Merit Scholarship Program has named ten semi-finalists from the Wichita Public Schools. Nine of those students attend East High School and one attends Northwest High School.

The 2015 National Merit Semi-Finalists from East High School are: Rachel Baskins; Kelly Bye, Oscar Clark, Charles Edgar, Andrew Figueiredo, Amir Lankarani, Megan Sinik, Emily Smith and Tyler Thomas.

The semi-finalist from Northwest is Marie Altgilbers.

The students were surprised for their accomplishment in their classrooms in front of their peers.

Students become National Merit semi-finalists by taking the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) during their junior year and scoring in the top one-half of 1 percent in the state. Students become National Merit finalists through an

application process and completing the SAT. Scholarship winners will be chosen on the basis of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular

accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in the spring.

Marie Altgilbers, senior at Northwest, was named a National Merit Semifinalist.

Buckner students sing the school song to wrap up their celebration to mark the end of bond issue construction.

Algebra 2 class, parents were introduced to Kahoot, an online assessment tool that uses smart phones or tablets. Parents were tested to see if they could answer questions about equations in 5 seconds. The parents were engaged and quickly learned how to use the program.

Principal Bruce Deterding says it’s a great way to encourage parental involvement.

This is the 35th year for Heights’ Parent Exchange Day.

Drums, dancing and singing helped celebrate the end of Buckner’s bond issue construction project. The school hosted a Meet-the-Teacher Night and ice cream social to allow parents and community members to see the improvements.

As part of the evening, Buckner inducted three former staff members into the school’s Walk of Fame.

Denise Jackson-Simon, retired drama teacher, and former kindergarten teachers L. Michele Fisk and Joan Renee Owens were honored as the first Hall of Fame class.

Buckner’s bond project included a new drama classroom with a stage to support their magnet theme, renovations to the library, the main office and student support space and a new bus lane.

Buckner celebrates bond project completion

Heights parents use their phones to answer Algebra 2 questions using the online assessment tool Kahoot in Thersa Mamaoag’s class. The green color on the screens show the answer is correct.


Transform your house into Frankenstein’s lab with a few party tricks and Halloween treats.

Set the scene with a mad scientist-themed sweets table and carry it home with a crazy good menu featuring frightfully yummy appetizers, mocktails and, of course, treats.

For more Halloween party ideas and inspiration, visit www.wilton.com.

Tricks for Your TreatsChili Mac Cup Concoction:

Use a regular muffin pan to bake mac and cheese cups - a fun twist on the kids’ favorite. The macaroni cups are the perfect chili topper for a hearty fall favorite. Little Monsters Mocktail:

Play mixologist with a perfect potion recipe featuring a few easy ingredients: apple juice, club soda and delicious drops of Treatology flavor concentrates in taste-tempting Cinnamon Graham and Creamy Vanilla Custard flavors. Serve up these mad scientist mixtures in food-safe Wilton plastic beakers. Candy Corn Craze:

Halloween wouldn’t be the same without candy, espe-cially candy corn. Wow guests with your inventive use of the iconic Halloween flavor. Infuse limited edition Candy Corn flavored Candy Melts Candy into cupcake icing.The Guest of Horror:

You can’t have a mad scientist Halloween party without Frankenstein. This easy buttercream cake makes a big state-ment, a fantastic centerpiece for your sweets table and will make others green with envy over your decorating skills. The Color Right Performance Color System makes it easy to mix the precise shade of Frankenstein green.

Frankenstein Cake

• Serves: 12• 6 cups favorite cake recipe or mix• 4 cups Wilton White Ready-To-Use Decorator Icing

(4.5-pound tub) • Wilton Color Right Performance Color System • Wilton Black Icing Pouch with Tips • Wilton Large Candy Eyeballs • Tools:• Wilton 6-by-3-inch Round Pan• Wilton 10-by-16-inch Cooling Grid• Cake plate• Wilton Cake Leveler• Wilton 13-inch Angled Spatula• Wilton 12-inch Disposable Decorating Bags

Prepare cake according to box instructions and make two layers using 6-inch round pans. Bake and cool on cool-ing grid.

Prepare Spring Green icing using this color tint formula from the Color Right Performance Color System: 4 cups icing + 30 Y + 6 B. Stack layers on cake plate for a two-layer cake, using leveler as needed. Ice cake sides smooth with green icing.

Use black pouch icing without tip to cover top of cake. Use tip of spatula to create spiral effect. Use black pouch ic-ing with star tip to pipe pull-out bangs around top edge and two hair strands on cake top.

Prepare a disposable decorating bag with green icing; cut a hole in point of bag the size of tip 3. Attach candy eyeballs with dots of green icing. Pipe green eyelids.

Use black pouch icing with round tip to pipe dot nose and neck bolts, outline mouth and stitches.

Mac and Cheese Cups with Chili

• Makes: 24 servings• 2 tablespoons butter• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour• 2 cups milk• 8 ounces white American cheese, shredded• 1 package (8 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper• 1 package (16 ounces) elbow pasta, cooked and kept

warm• 2 cans (25 ounces each) chili

Heat oven to 350∞F. Prepare two muffin pans with veg-etable pan spray.

In large pan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir flour into butter and cook 2 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk milk into flour mixture and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheeses, onion powder, dry mustard and pepper. Stir in cooked pasta.

Divide evenly into prepared pans. Bake 15 minutes or until bubbly. Cool in pans 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in saucepan, heat chili according to package directions. Serve each macaroni cup on top of 1/4 cup chili.

Tip: To make ahead, refrigerate macaroni and cheese cups in muffin pans after baking. When ready to serve, remove from pans and microwave 30-45 seconds each until heated through.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

• Makes: 2 dozen cupcakes• 1 package (16.25 ounces) white cake mix • Egg whites, water, vegetable oil to prepare mix• 17 drops Wilton Orange Color Right Performance Color• 3 drops Wilton Yellow Color Right Performance Color• 1 package (10 ounces) Wilton Limited Edition Candy

Corn Candy Melts Candy• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream• 2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening• 2 tablespoons honey• 1 teaspoon Wilton Imitation Clear Vanilla Extract

How to Host a MAD SCIENTIST


Prepare Spring Green icing using this color tint formula from the Color Right Performance Color System: 4 cups icing + 30 Y + 6 B. Stack layers on cake plate for a two-layer cake, using leveler as needed. Ice cake sides smooth with green icing.

Use black pouch icing without tip to cover top of cake. Use tip of spatula to create spiral effect. Use black pouch ic-ing with star tip to pipe pull-out bangs around top edge and two hair strands on cake top.

Prepare a disposable decorating bag with green icing; cut a hole in point of bag the size of tip 3. Attach candy eyeballs with dots of green icing. Pipe green eyelids.

Use black pouch icing with round tip to pipe dot nose and neck bolts, outline mouth and stitches.

Mac and Cheese Cups with Chili

• Makes: 24 servings• 2 tablespoons butter• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour• 2 cups milk• 8 ounces white American cheese, shredded• 1 package (8 ounces) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper• 1 package (16 ounces) elbow pasta, cooked and kept

warm• 2 cans (25 ounces each) chili

Heat oven to 350∞F. Prepare two muffin pans with veg-etable pan spray.

In large pan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir flour into butter and cook 2 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk milk into flour mixture and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheeses, onion powder, dry mustard and pepper. Stir in cooked pasta.

Divide evenly into prepared pans. Bake 15 minutes or until bubbly. Cool in pans 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in saucepan, heat chili according to package directions. Serve each macaroni cup on top of 1/4 cup chili.

Tip: To make ahead, refrigerate macaroni and cheese cups in muffin pans after baking. When ready to serve, remove from pans and microwave 30-45 seconds each until heated through.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

• Makes: 2 dozen cupcakes• 1 package (16.25 ounces) white cake mix • Egg whites, water, vegetable oil to prepare mix• 17 drops Wilton Orange Color Right Performance Color• 3 drops Wilton Yellow Color Right Performance Color• 1 package (10 ounces) Wilton Limited Edition Candy

Corn Candy Melts Candy• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream• 2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening• 2 tablespoons honey• 1 teaspoon Wilton Imitation Clear Vanilla Extract

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (about 1/2 pound)• Candy corn for garnish (optional)

Heat oven to 350∞F. Prepare muffin pans with baking cups.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, egg whites, water and colors with electric mixer at low speed 30 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Divide batter evenly among baking cups, filling about 2/3 full.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pans on cooling grid 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on grid.

In medium microwave-safe container, combine Candy Corn Candy Melts Candy and heavy cream. Microwave at half (50 percent) power 1 minute. Stir. Microwave on half power in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melts are almost melted. Stir thoroughly until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

In large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add Candy Melts mixture and beat until smooth. Beat in honey and vanilla. Gradually add confec-tioners’ sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes. Top with candy corn, if using.

Apple Pie Potion

• Makes: 8-10 servings• 1 bottle (1 liter) club soda, chilled• 5 cups apple juice, chilled• 7 drops Wilton Treatology Warm Cinnamon Graham

Flavor Concentrate• 3 drops Wilton Treatology Creamy Vanilla Custard Fla-

vor Concentrate• 4 drops Wilton Yellow Color Right Performance Color• 1 drop Wilton Blue Color Right Performance Color

In large pitcher, combine club soda, apple juice, Warm Cinnamon Graham and Vanilla Custard flavors and colors. Whisk until well combined. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

— Family Features


Grow with us.

NURSES NEEDEDNEW Critical Care Step-Down

EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled

SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL | THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AT SAINT FRANCIS | WARREN CLINIC

HEART HOSPITAL AT SAINT FRANCIS SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL SOUTH | LAUREATE PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC AND HOSPITAL

Saint Francis Health System 6600 South Yale, Suite 1100, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136 918-502-8300 | Toll Free 800-888-9553

Follow us on

If you are an experienced nurse and have a passion for quality patient care in a state-of-the-art facility, we are looking for you. We are expanding in our Trauma Emergency Center Tower and have immediate openings in the new critical care step-down unit.

To view our current openings go to www.saintfrancis.com/career

‘The Peanuts Movie’ Gang Encourage Kids to Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

As kids set out with friends and neighbors on a quest for sweet treats and goodwill this Halloween, they can bring along a new gang - “The Peanuts Movie” gang, that is.

This year, the iconic Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign will celebrate its 65th anniversary by joining forces with another American favorite, Pea-nuts, which is also turning 65 this year.

“The Peanuts Movie” characters will encourage children to support Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF this Halloween by going door-to-door to collect dona-tions for UNICEF’s lifesaving pro-grams while they celebrate the spooky season.

Since 1950, American kids who Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF have raised more than $175 million for UNICEF to provide children around the world

with medicine, nutrition, clean water, emergency relief and education.

Tools for schools

In addition to children’s efforts to raise funds, teachers of grade K-12 stu-dents can participate in the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF School Challenge. This fall, teachers can enter a short essay (200-500 words) contest about encouraging global citizenship in the classroom and community.

The top 15 entrants will receive $500 worth of Scholastic books. Entries must be submitted at trickor-treatforunicef.org by Dec. 1, 2015 to be considered.

Teachers can also access lesson plans and other resources to engage their students on the website.

Other ways to participate

Families can participate in this year’s campaign through partners and supporters, including HSNi Cares, Key Club International, Claire’s and Ameri-can Airlines.

HSNi Cares will raise funds to support UNICEF through all eight HSNi brands: Ballard Designs, Chas-ing Fireflies, Frontgate, Garnet Hill, Grandin Road, HSN, Improvements and TravelSmith.

Throughout August and September, customers can make a donation online or over the phone at any HSNi brand.

From Aug. 14 to Sept. 30, HSN will match all customer donations made on the HSN credit card up to $150,000.

Exclusively on Chasing-Fireflies.

com, customers can purchase one-of-a-kind “I Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF” tote bags.

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF will receive a 30 percent donation from the purchase price of each bag through Oct. 31.

Claire’s will support Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF through retail stores na-tionwide and on Claires.com.

From Sept. 24 through Oct. 31, cus-tomers can pick up a Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF box in Claire’s stores nation-wide, which they can use to decorate and collect funds to support UNICEF.

In addition, Claire’s will sell a Hal-loween Tote, donating 50 percent of the purchase price to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

The brand will also host an Insta-gram sweepstake (#clairesunicefsweep-stakes) and give prizes for the most creative boxes.

To learn more or participate in the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign, visit trickortreatforunicef.org.

— Family Features


Grow with us.

NURSES NEEDEDNEW Critical Care Step-Down

EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled

SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL | THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AT SAINT FRANCIS | WARREN CLINIC

HEART HOSPITAL AT SAINT FRANCIS SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL SOUTH | LAUREATE PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC AND HOSPITAL

Saint Francis Health System 6600 South Yale, Suite 1100, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136 918-502-8300 | Toll Free 800-888-9553

Follow us on

If you are an experienced nurse and have a passion for quality patient care in a state-of-the-art facility, we are looking for you. We are expanding in our Trauma Emergency Center Tower and have immediate openings in the new critical care step-down unit.

To view our current openings go to www.saintfrancis.com/career

‘The Peanuts Movie’ Gang Encourage Kids to Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

com, customers can purchase one-of-a-kind “I Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF” tote bags.

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF will receive a 30 percent donation from the purchase price of each bag through Oct. 31.

Claire’s will support Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF through retail stores na-tionwide and on Claires.com.

From Sept. 24 through Oct. 31, cus-tomers can pick up a Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF box in Claire’s stores nation-wide, which they can use to decorate and collect funds to support UNICEF.

In addition, Claire’s will sell a Hal-loween Tote, donating 50 percent of the purchase price to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

The brand will also host an Insta-gram sweepstake (#clairesunicefsweep-stakes) and give prizes for the most creative boxes.

To learn more or participate in the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign, visit trickortreatforunicef.org.

— Family Features


“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” While I am one to sing this from the mountain top, while wearing a turtleneck with graphics of fall-colored

leaves and scarecrows, sipping on my pumpkins spice latte from Starbucks, others might disagree. As the stores pump out fall-themed decorations, halloween costumes, spooky movies and children’s books, pumpkin spiced cookies, Pop Tarts, cupcakes, pudding, and coffee, I can not help but get excited! Fall is my favorite season. I love the cool weather that allows me to wear boots and scarves, and as a teacher and coach, there are many things that fall brings to the school year that fill me with so much joy!

I find myself getting lost in coaching cross country and doting over my runners, and I love celebrating the victo-ries of my students who play football, volleyball, and cheer. Also, as a wife to a high school teacher, I find myself enjoy-ing the triumphs of his students, as well! In all of the excite-ment, I think it is easy to ignore, or completely cover up, anything negative. However, it has been brought to my at-tention that in all of the joys of fall and the ever-busy school year, there are students at every level who are struggling.

While many students try to cover up their struggles by internalizing them, the honesty and bluntness of students, at least my students, bring all of their daily pains into clear view. I gave my eighth grade students an assignment to write a personal narrative essay. The topic for their personal narrative was a memory from their past that impacted their life in a positive or negative way. Some chose topics like: an incredible vacation, the day their siblings were born, or the first time they went hunting with their dad. Others chose things like: the days leading up to my parents’ divorce, my nanna getting cancer, family members dealing with drug abuse, or moving in with my foster family.

In their innocence and honesty, which I’m sure most people speculate as to whether those qualities truly exist in kids today or not, they have bared their souls to me. They have entrusted me with memories so personal, so negative, and it makes me want to just stop what I am doing and hug all of them. Many of us see middle school students, grade schoolers, or high school age students as difficult, shallow, rude, out of control, entitled, or any other stereotype that these age groups have, but for many of the students, there are reasons as to why they are the way that they are.

I became a teacher, not because of the “great” salary that I would receive for the rest of my life, but because I wanted to make a difference in my students’ lives the way a particu-lar teacher from high school had influenced mine. However, the longer I teach and coach, the more I realize that I am a teacher because I need to know that at least the 125 students and 30 athletes at my school that I see everyday, which is still only about ⅓ of our student population, feel loved. My heart aches for my students every day; not only for the students who are clearly going through something difficult, but every single kid. I want them to feel love, I want them to know that they are cared for, that they can be and do any-thing that they could ever want, that they are my “kids” and I would go to battle for them, and that for this year, I want to be around no one else but them.

Fall, the time of the year when nature feels its death creeping up, slowly, crawling across the land, I feel life! The crisp air and warmness of the fall colors fill me with joy, eagerness, and I am revived. That is what I hope to give to my students. May I be their pumpkin spice, their fall-themed decorations, the jack o’lanterns, and the leaf piles that fill them with the wonder of, “I’m a kid, and I’ll jump into this wonderful unknown when I am ready.” And let me be, for them, assurance of, “If I am positive, there can only be good things to come!” Fall, the back to school season can be torturous for students, or it can be safe and inviting, and I am hoping that in my classroom, my students feel nothing less that genuinely loved.

Kendall Vogts lives and teaches in Central Kansas. She is married to the luckiest man alive, Wichita Fam-ily Magazine publisher Todd Vogts.

By Kendall Vogts

The Season of Pumpkin Spice~ A For the Love oF StudentS eSSAy ~ Nationwide Safety Dog Bus Tour arrives in Wichita

First Student, National Safety Council Partner to Promote Safe School Bus Behavior


While many students try to cover up their struggles by internalizing them, the honesty and bluntness of students, at least my students, bring all of their daily pains into clear view. I gave my eighth grade students an assignment to write a personal narrative essay. The topic for their personal narrative was a memory from their past that impacted their life in a positive or negative way. Some chose topics like: an incredible vacation, the day their siblings were born, or the first time they went hunting with their dad. Others chose things like: the days leading up to my parents’ divorce, my nanna getting cancer, family members dealing with drug abuse, or moving in with my foster family.

In their innocence and honesty, which I’m sure most people speculate as to whether those qualities truly exist in kids today or not, they have bared their souls to me. They have entrusted me with memories so personal, so negative, and it makes me want to just stop what I am doing and hug all of them. Many of us see middle school students, grade schoolers, or high school age students as difficult, shallow, rude, out of control, entitled, or any other stereotype that these age groups have, but for many of the students, there are reasons as to why they are the way that they are.

I became a teacher, not because of the “great” salary that I would receive for the rest of my life, but because I wanted to make a difference in my students’ lives the way a particu-lar teacher from high school had influenced mine. However, the longer I teach and coach, the more I realize that I am a teacher because I need to know that at least the 125 students and 30 athletes at my school that I see everyday, which is still only about ⅓ of our student population, feel loved. My heart aches for my students every day; not only for the students who are clearly going through something difficult, but every single kid. I want them to feel love, I want them to know that they are cared for, that they can be and do any-thing that they could ever want, that they are my “kids” and I would go to battle for them, and that for this year, I want to be around no one else but them.

Fall, the time of the year when nature feels its death creeping up, slowly, crawling across the land, I feel life! The crisp air and warmness of the fall colors fill me with joy, eagerness, and I am revived. That is what I hope to give to my students. May I be their pumpkin spice, their fall-themed decorations, the jack o’lanterns, and the leaf piles that fill them with the wonder of, “I’m a kid, and I’ll jump into this wonderful unknown when I am ready.” And let me be, for them, assurance of, “If I am positive, there can only be good things to come!” Fall, the back to school season can be torturous for students, or it can be safe and inviting, and I am hoping that in my classroom, my students feel nothing less that genuinely loved.

Kendall Vogts lives and teaches in Central Kansas. She is married to the luckiest man alive, Wichita Fam-ily Magazine publisher Todd Vogts.

The Season of Pumpkin Spice~ A For the Love oF StudentS eSSAy ~

School transportation leader First Student and leading safety advocate National Safety Council are teaming up to encourage safe bus behavior during back-to-school season and beyond with the nationwide Safety Dog Bus Tour.

The nationwide tour arrived in Wichita Sept. 1 at Ever-green Branch Library, 2601 N. Arkansas, from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

First Student has been the proud bus transportation provider of Wichita Public Schools for five years, operating a fleet of nearly 524 buses to transport 16,935 students each day.

Riding a school bus remains the safest way to transport a child to and from school.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Ad-ministration, school buses are 23 times safer than passenger cars and 10 times safer than walking.

Industry leader First Student completes six million student journeys each day, moving more passengers than all U.S. airlines combined. Student safety is at the heart of everything the company does, which is why First Student is twice as safe as the industry average as measured by both collisions and injuries.

First Student is the only school transportation company in the industry to be awarded the coveted National Safety Council Green Cross for Safety® medal, the highest award for safety in North America.

“First Student and the National Safety Council share a common mission to serve as advocates for making the world safer, working to keep safety always front of mind for our employees and the communities we serve,” said First Student President Dennis R. Maple. “There is a great deal of trust placed in First Student and our drivers. It’s important that we all work together to ensure the safety of our school children, and we’re excited to deliver important safety mes-sages for back-to-school in a fun and memorable way.”

The seven-city Safety Dog Bus Tour focused on reach-ing elementary school students and their parents. Children learned simple but effective safety tips as they get a chance to sign a Safety Pledge and “Walk the Yellow Carpet.”

They also had the chance to meet and have a photo taken with Safety Dog, the safety mascot for First Student. Par-ents saw firsthand how First Student buses are designed for safety inside and out.

After Wichita, the Safety Dog Bus Tour continued to Lewisville, Texas, Corona-Norco, Calif., New Castle, Pa. and Jericho, N.Y.

“Like millions of parents across the country, I put my children on a school bus each morning, knowing that they will arrive at the destination safely,” said Deborah A.P. Hers-man, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “First Student’s Safety Dog Bus Tour provides parents a more intimate look at the big yellow school bus – the very best option for transporting our most precious cargo.”

Nationwide Safety Dog Bus Tour arrives in WichitaFirst Student, National Safety Council Partner to Promote Safe School Bus Behavior

. . . continued on PAGE 15


To the south of my childhood home stood a large sweetgum tree. It towered over the roof, over the street, over our neighborhood games. The pods were

spiked and great for throwing at one another. The leaves were five-pointed stars.

I have this memory of climbing to the top to let the wind push me back and forth; I held the crown while I watched cars pass, their sounds distant. Birds flew under me. Anoth-er time, a friend and I played on a high branch and it broke. He reached out and pulled me to safety while the rotted limb crashed to the pavement. We both contend he saved my life that day. Of course there was a tire swing, too.

And now that my mind is filling up with that old neigh-borhood, I see from the top of the sweetgum that the trees point out all the important places: the willow sweeps over the yard with the pink house, the lemon tree pours over the wall of the neighbors to the east, and our kumquat tree

peeks over the garage close by; a block over a friend’s avo-cado tree bends to the ground to welcome its boys, and it gladly drops its fruit for us. And the church’s lawn is car-peted with acorns just one house away.

A memory in trees -- that’s what I have.And so when I found C.S. Lewis’s poem “Pattern” a few

years ago, I put it to heart. The first four lines read,Some believe the slumberOf trees is in DecemberWhen timber’s naked under skyAnd squirrel keeps his chamber.

The rest of the poem speculates that trees come to life during the winter months, which they enter with “spirit alert” because “The hunter wind and the hound frost/Have quelled the green enchanter.” Maybe that’s why I spent so much time in the shade among the leaves -- I was just as en-chanted as the trees themselves, and the spell still works on me when wind gives the trees a voice, or I see a boy swing-ing from a branch, or pine sap mixes with the heat.

The librarian from the first school I taught at used to give book talks to encourage students to read, but she also liked to gauge the change in the times by surveying the students on certain topics. One thing she asked new groups of stu-dents was, “How many of you have never climbed a tree?”

I’m still shocked by their answers. The boy from my childhood, the one who is still swaying from the top of the sweetgum, wonders, “What have you been doing, then?”

Awhile back, during the summer, I stood in the backyard and watched my two year old son. He faced me, but looked over my shoulder. His hands waved in the air. With half a smile I said, “What’re you doing?” He replied, “Dancing with the trees.”

According to Lewis, the trees “Awake to life and labour/When turbulence comes roaring up/The land in loud Octo-ber.” Today I heard the beginnings of that wind, the one that strips our fire-red maples and pumpkin-orange oaks. And along the sides of the street I saw rumors of the leaf piles to come, the ones that welcome leaping children with the sound only splashed leaf piles make.

I smile at the thought of my younger self at the top of the sweetgum, especially when the wind shakes the cot-tonwoods like it did today. Maybe he’s still there, his arms wrapped around an upper limb, dancing with the trees.

This fall, before all the branches are bare, I’m going to add to my boys’ memories. I’ll invite them to hunt a tree to sit in. Maybe the wind will howl and the leaves will fly beyond our reach; and the ones that still hold on will weave in and out of the pale light and dapple our faces. You come, too.

Ian Anderson is a teacher, a husband, and a dad. He lives with his family in Central Kansas. Occasionally, he tweets here: @ian_writes.

By Ian Anderson

Innviation to Fall~ A ChAnging oF the SeASonS eSSAy ~

Parents, teachers and students can find tour dates, times, locations, safety tips and downloadable activities by visiting safetydogbustour.com. Safety tips and tour updates also can be found by following First Student on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The National Safety Council will share up-dates on Twitter and Facebook as well.

For parents, teachers and students who want to engage in the conversation, the hashtag #SafetyDogBusTour will be used on all platforms.

. . . continued from PAGE 13


Innviation to Fall

• Plant a garden. • Go to a farmers market.• Fix a tractor. • And more!

Young children will discover the world around them and find out how country and city living

are more alike than we may think.

For Children Ages

5 and Under

300 N. McLean Blvd., Wichita, Kansas 67203316.660.0600 • www.exploration.org • #KansasKidsEP Included in general museum admission, free for members.

Tips For Students:

· Stay a safe distance from the street and at least 10 giant steps away from the bus as it pulls up to your bus stop. Take 10 giant steps away from the bus after you get off.· Wait for the bus to completely stop before you ap-proach it and before you stand up to get off.· Hold the handrail when getting on and off the bus so you don’t trip.

Tips For Parents:

· Avoid the morning rush by arriving early to the bus stop.· If your child misses the bus, don’t chase the bus to another stop. The bus driver may not see your child if he or she is behind the bus and may start to drive away.· Keep your child a safe distance from the street and at least 10 giant steps away from the bus as it pulls up to the bus stop.

Parents, teachers and students can find tour dates, times, locations, safety tips and downloadable activities by visiting safetydogbustour.com. Safety tips and tour updates also can be found by following First Student on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The National Safety Council will share up-dates on Twitter and Facebook as well.

For parents, teachers and students who want to engage in the conversation, the hashtag #SafetyDogBusTour will be used on all platforms.

. . . continued from PAGE 13

Bus Safety Tips


Wichita’s Largest FamiLy-FriendLy haLLoWeen event

P u m P k i n s

O c t O b e r

6 PM tO 9 PM

16-1723-24+ 30th

PumpkinsAt the Park.com

$12 ADULtS / chiLDren

Something for everyone!

KiDS! Pumpkin patch, candy stations and

bouncy houses

OLDer KiDS! Paintball experience, Scare zone

and haunted Maze

ADULtS! Drink stations and more!

wichita family magazine october 2015

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