New York Family’s September 2013 Issue

Photo by Warner Bros./Telepictures Productions

Features

Bethenny’s New Reality
A devoted mom and successful lifestyle entrepreneur, Bethenny Frankel returns to television this fall with style and substance as host of her own daytime talk show

Head Of The Class

Our guide to the coolest early-learning and extracurricular classes in the city is designed to help children of all ages discover their bliss

iSmarts
The experts weigh in on the best ways to raise a savvy kid in the digital age

G&T & Me

The exclusive scoop on raising an accelerated learner in the city

Studying Up
A list of the best local education resources for parents (nursery through high school)

Family Fun Guide

Ten Great Events For September
92Y Street Festival, Wave Hill’s Honey Weekend, the Queens County Fair, “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp,” and more

Home & Away

Quality Time
Started by two NYC moms, KidzVuz gives tweens a chance to share their opinions on just about anything in a safe and respectful community of their peers

Travel

Our travel editor hits the road to prove that there’s no better locale than New England to enjoy the unique charms of the autumnal season

Columns

Editor’s Note

September surprise

Events & Offers
An apple seeds full semester giveaway, nominate your child’s school or principal for a Blackboard Award, the official “birth announcement” for our new publication, and an invitation to a posh party expo

It’s My Party

Birthday celebrations at Super Soccer Stars, American Girl, and the Intrepid Museum

Scoop
A doodle book by a local dad, mysterious birthday fun, a new app for smarty-parents, and more

A Good Idea

Coming up on nearly a decade in business, the owners of Kidville share their journey and give us the scoop on what’s new at the popular franchise

Growing Up
The founder of socialskz:-) offers 7 tips on how social and emotional skills can help children succeed in school—and in life

A Special Place
One of the city’s leading basketball programs for kids, Fastbreak Sports, prepares to open a stunning new flagship facility

Treats
Take a step in the right direction with our roundup of fab fall footwear for kids

Lysst

Kick off the season with super cool back-to-school clothing and accessories

The Last Word
Our blogger Lani Serota offers a sweet apology to her older daughter for all of her first-time mom blunders over the years.

Speakitaly NYC

<p>SPEAKITALY NYC offers stimulating and entertaining lessons for children 0 to 16 years through a wide combination of activities based on the communicative approach anchored in the Common European Framework of Reference: active learning (group work, role plays, etc.) and practice exercises aimed to improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Kids will start speaking and using Italian in a very natural way.&nbsp; Small classes capped at 6 students to make sure each one gets the needed attention and facilitate learners' progress.&nbsp;</p> <p>Our method is driven by a didactic method that is the result of constant updates, professional certifications and more than 10 years of experience in working with non-native speakers from different native languages and levels of knowledge.</p> <p>Our aim is to develop a range of Italian language skills while improving accuracy that will enable the students and participants to interact without stress or feeling rushed. We want to help those in the community really embrace not only the true culture in Italy but the Italian culture within New York City&hellip; Who doesn&rsquo;t love what Italy represents in the kitchen, in history &amp; in the arts?</p> <p>Speakitaly wants to support multilingual families who want to learn a new language or pass along their ancestor&rsquo;s heritage and culture. Raffaella, the founder said: "We see language awareness and intercultural sensitivity as the milestones for an inclusive society. Italian, like all other languages, is an enrichment and a growth in every way. Vi aspettiamo!"</p>

Cucu's PlayHouse

<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">Interactive, live-streaming music and movement class in Spanish for babies, toddlers and preschoolers!<br />Join us every day from Monday through Saturday at 1:30 pm EST to sing, dance and play together while learning Spanish from your home.</div> <div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">&nbsp;</div> <div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">This class is part of a Spanish Immersion Program where your child will be introduced to basic concepts like the animals, colors, numbers and letters. All of these through the universal language of Music. Each session is fun, interactive and engaging.<br />A selection of Children Songs in Spanish guides the class from start to finish. Activities are related to the lyrics, in order to familiarize the children with the words and their meanings. Some of the songs encourage the children to dance. Nilda uses puppets, musical instruments, and props to teach children basic vocabulary through action and interaction, rather than through translation.</div> <div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;"><br />The classes are streamed on Zoom's webinar platform. Participants (children, parents, nannies) are able to join the video from their homes and interact with us in real-time, it is a fun and engaging experience.</div>

Polaris Productions Theater Camp

<p>Kids will learn, rehearse, and perform the wonderful Maurice Sendak and Carole King musical, Really Rosie. For 10 weekdays, campers will take part in physical and vocal warm-ups and learn choreography, staging, and vocal parts. They&rsquo;ll develop skills in acting, singing, character development, and more. This camp will ignite your child&rsquo;s imagination and passion for performing, build their self-esteem, and help them form lasting friendships. They&rsquo;ll have fun! At camp&rsquo;s end, the kids will perform Really Rosie for family members and friends. Kids of all levels of experience, ages 8 through 13, are welcome to join.</p>