Page 113 - Demo

Parents don't see a lot of their children these days. Between school, and work, and play, the kids spend more time on public transportation than they do around the dinner table. An entire day, or week has to be condensed into bites of time that fit between bites of food. Quality time takes the place of quantity %u2014 and for some even that isn%u2019t enough.But, to quote a quite popular rock band: the kids are all right. This special report on the state of childhood in brownstone Brooklyn shows local kids to have quality things to do with whatever quantity of time is available after homework, or cheerleading practice. Both in school and out of school, your children are learning. While the methods may not be conventional, and the classrooms out-of-the-ordinary (not to mention out-of-doors), the kids are tapping into Brooklyn%u2019s vital energy %u2014 and learning everything from the sound of a tree frog to the laws of physics.During field trips to the Prospect Park Environmental Center they are learning the ecology of the waterways in the park. At after school programs they are learning scientific strategies that can be applied universally. On their own they are visiting the Brooklyn Children%u2019s Museum to play the synthesizer or make a mask. The Phoenix spent some time with the kids of Brooklyn, and their learning experiences, together with information on schools, awards and programs, are detailed in this report. So even if your child forgets to tell you that Melissa lost a tooth, or the gerbils had babies, the experiences can still be shared. %u2014 Tracy GarrityScience Of Education(Larry Brown Photo)The Science Skills Center is one of the few places where kids can go after school, finish their homework and willingly practice some science experiments. The teachers say the skills learned in this class will help them in all areas of their lives, with discipline topping the list. Page 3Museum ExhibitSounds Like FunThe newest exhibit at the Brooklyn Children%u2019s Museum is both educational and fun. Children learn about sounds in a variety of ways, and have a good lime through it all. Page 7Homework HelpPhone Call AwayGot a problem with those m ath sums? Don%u2019t know where to look to find the origin o f the calendar? Don%u2019t fret, because Hom ework Hotline is there tor you. Page 11O x:11A month ago we visited a class at P.S. 39, and recently revisited the second graders to see how their lives had changed and their learning grown. Part Two in an on-going series. Page 9Kid Loses ToothAnd Other StoriesPublished by Serif Press, Inc.. 395 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn 11217 Telephone 718-643-1400*