“Puberty for Parents”
part of the Talking to Your Kids About Sex Series
of Community Conversations with Brooke Norton
Held at Cup & Top Café in Florence
Tuesday, May 21st from 6:30-8:30pm
Hilltown Families and Cup and Top Café are presenting a series of free talks for parents with Brooke Norton and Jane Fleishman, MS, Certified Sex Educators. Continuing with this series, the third talk, Puberty for Parents, will focus on the physical changes, social impacts and emotional aspects of puberty. Brooke and Jane will also touch upon sexual orientation and coming out, and what parents can teach their kids about consent.
“Puberty for Parents” will take place on Tuesday, May 21st after hours at the café from 6:30pm-8:30pm (1 North Main Street) in Florence, MA.
Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event Gives Back!
This past Saturday, May 4th, was the second Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event, a one of a kind event for families to volunteer together at seven different community service stations in a single morning!
From teens to tots to grandparents, together families were able to generate 450 hours of community service at this intergenerational event for different non-profit and community organizations in our region that work on behalf of animal welfare, conservation and food security. Held at Leeds Elementary School in Northampton, MA, families traveled from station to station with Passport in hand, participating in facilitated hands-on projects:
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Thank you to all of the families, volunteers and facilitators who joined us! The event was a great success with 150 folks participating in a fun morning of community service. And thank you to WGGB ABC 40 for coming out and covering the event for the 6 o’clock news!
Braid 50 fleece chews to donate to Kane’s Krusade to be distributed in their C.A.R.E. (Canine Assistance, Resources and Education) Kits!
Fill a couple bags full of handmade catnip toys for cats waiting for adoption at the Dakin Humane Society!
Upcycle & take 50 old tshirts into Giving Bags to collect nonperishable food to donate to local food pantries!
Make & take egg cartons full of seed bombs for promoting conservation!
Plant & take 50 seedlings and seeds while promoting the idea of sowing an extra row of food in family gardens to grow and harvest for local food pantries.
Write letters to legislators on issues of animal welfare, conservation and food security.
VOLUNTEERS WANTED
We look forward to hosting another Family Community Service Event, but we can’t do it without your help! Want to join our Community Service Committee? We want to hear from you: Read the rest of this entry »
Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event
Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm
Leeds Elementary School in Northampton, MA
Volunteer with your family to help local non-profits in a single free event on Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm during the Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event, held at Leeds Elementary School in Northampton— a one of a kind event for families to volunteer together while educating children about animal welfare, conservation efforts and the value of community service. Space is limited, so reserve a spot for your family today! – “Our mission is to give families service based learning experiences by collaborating with local non-profits and community organizations in a single event,” says Sienna Wildfield, Executive Director of Hilltown Families. “Many families are interested in volunteering together but may find it difficult due to either a limit in time or to a lack of opportunities. Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event is for all ages and is a fun way for families to volunteer together. It’s also an avenue for parents to discuss and educate their children on important community issues and the value of volunteering on behalf of animals and the environment.”
Join Hilltown Families for a Saturday morning of volunteering together with your family during our spring Family Community Service Event on Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm in Northampton, MA!
This past fall at our inaugural Family Community Service Night we focused on human service organizations and families had a great time working together in support of several local non-profits.
Our spring event on Saturday, May 4th will be held at Leeds Elementary School in Northampton. We will be offering seven volunteer stations for families to participate in hands-on service projects for ALL AGES that support animal welfare organizations, conservation efforts and food security. Families will also be able to bring home several of their service projects to continue their community service together from home.
With a Community Service Passportin hand, families can travel to each station and have their Passport stamped after completing their service project. In their Passports parents will find conversation starters, online resources and recommended reading lists for each station, and children can share what they liked best about each project by filling in their Passport. Parents can use the Passport to help guide youth participants in learning about animal welfare, conservation efforts and food security.
Our Spring Volunteer Stations include:
BIRD HOUSE BUILDING: Bluebird houses will be constructed on site to be donated to the Franklin Land Trust. Families can help assemble & sand houses… something for all ages. (Facilitated by the Northampton High School Woodworking Club)
FELINE FUN: Make catnip toys for cats to be donated to the Dakin Humane Society for cats waiting for adoption. (Facilitated by Dakin Humane Society)
FLEECE CHEWS FOR CANINES: Make and donate chew toys for dogs of families in need with Kane’s Krusade. (Facilitated by Give a Hoot Pets)
SOW AN EXTRA ROW: Learn about growing extra food in your family garden plot or container gardens to harvest and donate to a local food pantry. Go home with a plant starter and seeds to plant and nurture this summer. (Facilitated by Grow Food Northampton)
SEED BOMBS: Create dirt bombs with native wildflower seeds to use for promoting natural habitats for pollinators. Go home with your very on seed bombs! (Facilitated by Help Yourself!)
GIVING BAGS: Upcycle old t-shirts into giving bags to take home for collecting food for animal shelters, food pantries or other service organization in need of donations. (Facilitated by Knack)
LETTER WRITING: Learn about the work of participating organizations and write letters of appreciation, or participate in letter writing campaigns. (Facilitated by the Northampton High School Key Club)
Donation Stations: In addition to our volunteer stations, we will have several opportunities for families to bring and donate items from home, including:
Cat food & cat toys to be donated to Dakin Humane Society.
Dog food to be donated to Kane’s Krusade, including: new, unopened dry dog good (no Beneful or Ol’ Roy, please); canned dog food; and dog treats (no treats form China, please).
Baby blankets, receiving blankets, baby wipes & kids polar fleece hats to be donated to Urban Wildlife Rehabilitation.
Pet Adoption: Stop by and visit Dakin Humane Society’s pet adoption station. Families can learn more about Dakin’s services and programs, and the adoption process. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet your new furry friend! If a family meets an animal they would like to adopt, they can complete their adoption process at either Dakin’s Springfield or Leverett Adoption Centers.
Food: Cup & Top Cafe will be joining us with food to fuel our volunteering families, selling coffee/tea, beverages, pastries and light lunch fare. So be sure to come hungry (and thirsty!).
Flowers for Friends Combines Art, Spring Blossoms and Small Acts of Kindness
On Friday, April 5th, Hilltown Families and the Art Garden presented a Flowers for Friends Workshop, the second workshop in a 3-part free Friday family workshop series in Shelburne Falls. This past Friday families gathered to paint terracotta flower pots, planting them with violas to pass along to others in their community. Participating families were encouraged to give their flowers to an elder in their neighborhood, or their librarian, classroom teacher, receptionist at the hospital or animal shelter, or other community space of their choice. — Paying it forward with a small act of kindness!
❤ Big thank you to Home Depot in Greenfield, Shelburne Farm & Garden, Hadley Garden Center and friends of The Art Garden for their donations and discounts for terracotta pots, soil and Violas!
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Getting creative with family, friends and neighbors in a community art space like The Art Garden, builds relationships, affords opportunities to share and connect, and allows the space for creativity that our otherwise busy lives might not offer.
Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event
Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm
Leeds Elementary School in Northampton, MA
Volunteer with your family to help local non-profits in a single free event on Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm during the Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event, held at Leeds Elementary School in Northampton— a one of a kind event for families to volunteer together while educating children about animal welfare, conservation efforts and the value of community service. Space is limited, so reserve a spot for your family today! – “Our mission is to give families service based learning experiences by collaborating with local non-profits and community organizations in a single event,” says Sienna Wildfield, Executive Director of Hilltown Families. “Many families are interested in volunteering together but may find it difficult due to either a limit in time or to a lack of opportunities. Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event is for all ages and is a fun way for families to volunteer together. It’s also an avenue for parents to discuss and educate their children on important community issues and the value of volunteering on behalf of animals and the environment.”
Join Hilltown Families for a Saturday morning of volunteering together with your family during our spring Family Community Service Event on Saturday, May 4th from 10am-1pm in Northampton, MA!
This past fall at our inaugural Family Community Service Night we focused on human service organizations and families had a great time working together in support of several local non-profits.
Our spring event on Saturday, May 4th will be held at Leeds Elementary School in Northampton. We will be offering seven volunteer stations for families to participate in hands-on service projects for ALL AGES that support animal welfare organizations, conservation efforts and food security. Families will also be able to bring home several of their service projects to continue their community service together from home.
With a Community Service Passportin hand, families can travel to each station and have their Passport stamped after completing their service project. In their Passports parents will find conversation starters, online resources and recommended reading lists for each station, and children can share what they liked best about each project by filling in their Passport. Parents can use the Passport to help guide youth participants in learning about animal welfare, conservation efforts and food security.
Our Spring Volunteer Stations include:
BIRD HOUSE BUILDING: Bluebird houses will be constructed on site to be donated to the Franklin Land Trust. Families can help assemble & sand houses… something for all ages. (Facilitated by the Northampton High School Woodworking Club)
FELINE FUN: Make catnip toys for cats to be donated to the Dakin Humane Society for cats waiting for adoption. (Facilitated by Dakin Humane Society)
FLEECE CHEWS FOR CANINES: Make and donate chew toys for dogs of families in need with Kane’s Krusade. (Facilitated by Give a Hoot Pets)
SOW AN EXTRA ROW: Learn about growing extra food in your family garden plot or container gardens to harvest and donate to a local food pantry. Go home with a plant starter and seeds to plant and nurture this summer. (Facilitated by Grow Food Northampton)
SEED BOMBS: Create dirt bombs with native wildflower seeds to use for promoting natural habitats for pollinators. Go home with your very on seed bombs! (Facilitated by Help Yourself!)
GIVING BAGS: Upcycle old t-shirts into giving bags to take home for collecting food for animal shelters, food pantries or other service organization in need of donations. (Facilitated by Knack)
LETTER WRITING: Learn about the work of participating organizations and write letters of appreciation, or participate in letter writing campaigns. (Facilitated by the Northampton High School Key Club)
Donation Stations: In addition to our volunteer stations, we will have several opportunities for families to bring and donate items from home, including:
Cat food & cat toys to be donated to Dakin Humane Society.
Dog food to be donated to Kane’s Krusade, including: new, unopened dry dog good (no Beneful or Ol’ Roy, please); canned dog food; and dog treats (no treats form China, please).
Baby blankets, receiving blankets, baby wipes & kids polar fleece hats to be donated to Urban Wildlife Rehabilitation.
Pet Adoption: Stop by and visit Dakin Humane Society’s pet adoption station. Families can learn more about Dakin’s services and programs, and the adoption process. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet your new furry friend! If a family meets an animal they would like to adopt, they can complete their adoption process at either Dakin’s Springfield or Leverett Adoption Centers.
Food: Cup & Top Cafe will be joining us with food to fuel our volunteering families, selling coffee/tea, beverages, pastries and light lunch fare. So be sure to come hungry (and thirsty!).
Hilltown Families & Flywheel Present…
SATURDAY MORNING MUSIC PARTY Feb 9th Feb 10th & March 16th in Easthampton, MA
The Saturday Morning Music Party is now the SUNDAY Morning Music Party! We’ve moved the party to Sunday, February 10th at 10am. Come shake off your cabin fever with a pancake breakfast, screening of an 80s-era cult-classic kids’ TV show (can you guess which one?) and a dance party with DJ Youthelectronix! Oh, and did we mention… it’s FREE!!! Join Hilltown Families and Flywheel in Easthampton this Sunday!
Known to its neighbors and fans for boisterous concerts and a DIY aesthetic, the Flywheel Arts Collective of Easthampton may not immediately spring to mind when considering a family-friendly activity for the kids. But with the announcement of the ‘Saturday Morning Music Party,’ a breakfast bash featuring dancing, performances and diversions for kids (to take place during February and March), Flywheel offers just that.
Partnering with Hilltown Families, Flywheel kicks off the first of two installments of the Saturday Morning Music Party at 10am on February 9th, Sunday, February 10th, 2013 at their headquarters in the town hall building at 43 Main Street in Easthampton, MA. This event is free and open to families and kids of all ages. The second event in the series takes place on March 16.
Following breakfast, the Feb. 9 Feb. 10 event features a screening of a classic episode of Pee Wee’s Playhouse, an 80s-era, cult-classic kids’ television show. After the show, kids join DJ Youthelectronix for the best ever dance party before noon.
Dj Youthelectronix, a.k.a. Jeremy Smith, a veteran Flywheel volunteer, led the effort to organize the Saturday Morning Music Party series in 2012. Driven to recreate the success of similar Saturday morning activities at Flywheel’s previous location, Smith says, “We started the Saturday Morning Music Party to provide families with an affordable, fun activity that was enjoyable for adults as well as kids. We hope that families from all over the Valley will attend.” He’s particularly proud of the “diverse programming” to be offered, which is anything but the rote kids’ fare.
The March 16 event features a pancake breakfast at 10 followed by a live performance of Shiprock and Anchordog, a mixed media performance of theater and video set to music in the Americana vein about the story of two dog heroes and their adventures through forests, oceans and dreamscapes. The March 16th event costs $10 per family to cover band expenses.
Talking to Your Kids About Sex
A Community Conversation at Cup & Top Café
Evening of Tuesday, January 29th in Florence
Hilltown Families and Cup and Top Café are presenting a series of free talks for parents with Brooke Norton, Certified Sex Educator. Continuing with this series, the second talk will continue to look at how to talk with your kids about sex in an age appropriate way. This talk will take place on Tuesday, January 29th after hours at the café from 6:30pm-8:30pm (1 North Main Street) in Florence, MA.
Brooke would like to invite all parents to attend, regardless of their personal values about sex and sexuality. “All value systems will be honored and respected,” says Brooke. “My whole mission is just to encourage parents to start thinking about how they want to guide their children, and then to get them to start talking as well,” she added.
In the first talk in this series, some of the questions Brooke addressed included:
What information is appropriate for my kids’ age?
When is a good time to start talking with my child about sex?
How do I react when my child asks about something that I am not comfortable with?
Brooke will touch on these questions again and continue the conversation by address additional questions, like:
How do we deal with technology and the media and its influence on our kids’ views of sex?
How much does my kid need to know about sex?
How can I start the conversation?
Co-sponsored by Cup & Top Cafe.
Body image, puberty, and sexual identity issues will be addressed too.
Participants are encouraged to purchase dinner from the cafe (gluten-free & vegan options available) between 6:30-7pm. The talk begins at 7pm. Parents who are considering attending should be advised not to bring their children along to this parents-only event. For more information, please contact Brooke Norton at 413-684-8697 or email brookenorton712@gmail.com.
Cup & Top Cafe is located at 1 North Main Street in Florence, MA.
Hilltown Families 5th Annual
Community Handmade Valentine Swap
Hilltown Families 5th Annual Community Handmade Valentine Swap! Free to sign up and open to all. Deadline to sign up: Jan 31st.
It’s that time of the year again! For the past several years Hilltown Families has coordinated a community Handmade Valentine Swap — and we’re doing it again! Sign up below! It’s free and open to all families!
A handmade Valentine swap gives local families an opportunity to be creative together while connecting with other families in Western Massachusetts. Through the swap, participating families mail out handmade Valentines to ten assigned addresses, and in return, they receive handmade Valentines from ten other participating families. The cards can be handmade by any combination of child and adult, so if you’re kids aren’t completely up to the task, or if an adult would like to make their own design, there’s flexibility. All are welcomed!
Deadline to sign up (below) is Thursday, January 31st. On Friday (02/01/13) you will be emailed your assigned names/address of participants to mail your handmade Valentines to. Everyone is kindly requested to mail your Valentines off by Feb. 7th.
Here are a few samples of Valentines swapped in years past to stir your creative juices. Click on the thumbnail image to see a larger image:
If interested in participating, the following information must be filled out and submitted by Thursday, January 31st. If you have multiple children and would like each one to receive their own list of families to swap with, please register each person separately.
SIGN UP:
Be sure to click on the submit button above! You should receive a personal confirmation within 24 hours. If you do not receive a confirmation within 24 hours, email us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com to inquire.
Thank you to all of the families who joined us for the Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Night this past Friday evening, November 30, 2012! The event was a great success with nearly 150 folks joining us for a fun evening of community service. By spending a couple of hours helping out in hands-on projects at five different stations, participating families were able to give 300 hours of service to our community!
Together we were able to:
Make 10 blankets to donate to Safe Passage!
Fill 50 bags with personal care items to donate to Northampton Survival Center!
Decorate over 100 place mats to give to homebound elders through the Meals on Wheels program!
Create cards & fill 50 bags with fun items for kids at Bay Sate Children’s Hospital!
Decorate 50 pots planted with paperwhites to pass along to a community member or community space!
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AT HOME: Equally as important, families learned how they can be of service to their community on their own:
Families can fill ziplock bags with personal care items or healthy snacks & water to carry with them to give to a person in need they might meet while traveling around town.
A family can make no-sew fleece blankets as a family project to donate to a local shelter.
Cards can be made at home to be sent to a child in the hospital, or homebound elders in their community.
A random act of kindness, like giving a planted paperwhite to your library, nursing home, school, or elder in your neighborhood, can bring joy and beauty to others, and is a fun creative project families can do together.
Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Night
Friday, November 30th from 4:30-7:30pm
Bridge Street School in Northampton, MA
Volunteer with your family to help local non-profits in a single event on Friday, November 30th from 4:30-7:30pm during the Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Night— an ideal way for families to have fun together while educating children about social issues and the value of community service. Space is limited so reserve a spot for your family today! – “We were inspired to create this service based learning event as a way of bridging families interested in volunteering together with local human service organizations,” says Sienna Wildfield, Hilltown Families Executive Director. “Many families are interested in volunteering together but may find it difficult due to either a limit in the amount of time they can commit to volunteering or to a lack of opportunities available to them if their children are younger. Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Night is for all ages and is a fun way for families to volunteer together and an avenue for parents to discuss and educate their children on important social issue and the value of helping others.”
Join Hilltown Families for an evening of volunteering together with your family during our first ever Family Community Service Night! On Friday, November 30th from 4:30-7:30pm in Northampton, families can come together for a fun evening visiting five different volunteer stations, each offering a simple, hands-on service project for all ages. Participants can volunteer at all five stations or just a couple, learning about the different human service organizations each station benefits and how they contribute to the greater good of our community.
With a Community Service Passport in hand, families can travel to each station and have their passport stamped after completing a simple community service project. In their passports parents will find conversation starters, online resources and recommended reading lists for each station, and children can share what they liked best about each project by filling in their passport. Parents can guide youth participants in learning about the social issues like hunger, elder services, and supporting families in transition, while making a real difference in our community.
The Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Night is a free event, but limited in space. Participating families are required to pre-register for this evening of community service. Slices of pizza will be available for a small donation for participating families.
SIGN UP! WE’RE FULL!
Wow!!! What a great response! Unfortunately, due to limited space, we are no longer accepting new registrations. However, if you would like to be added to our cancellation list (we’ll contact you if space becomes available), or would like to join us for our next Family Community Service Night, complete this form:
Be sure to click SUBMIT. Thank you for your interest. We will contact you if we have an opening for our Nov 30th Family Community Service Night, and will let you know about any future nights.
SPONSORS Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Night is a Hilltown Families event and is co-sponsored by Northampton Public Schools/CFCE through a grant from the MA Department of Early Education and Care, Florence Savings Bank and Greenfield Savings Bank.
PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES
Thank you to all of the business who have donated products to the Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Night, including:
A fun way to recycle old board games and to discover new ones. Board games make excellent holiday gifts for friends and family too. Surprise them with a new recycled game. This community swap is free and open to everyone.
On Saturday, December 1st, 2012 from 9:30-10:30am, Hilltown Families is sponsoring a free Board Game Swap in the community room at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg, MA. All community members are invited to bring in complete board games they’d like to swap. New this year, incomplete games are welcomed and will be donated to the Northampton DPW’s ReUse Committee.
Swapping board games with other families gives the community a chance to come together and discover new games while rejuvenating their collection of board games. Having new board games to explore with our kids opens up opportunities for families to spend time together, while allowing children to practice skills and concepts. Puzzles and card games are welcomed too. Any leftover complete games, puzzles and card games will be donated to the Meekins Library Holiday Market.
What: Hilltown Families Board Game Swap Where: Meekins Library Community Room (Route 9, Williamsburg, MA) When: Saturday, December 1st, 2012 Time: 9:30-10:30am Cost: Free Who: All are welcomed!
2 Swaps. 1 Day.
Oct 13th • 9:30-11am
Meekins Library • Williamsburg, MA
Hilltown Families has organized two informal community swaps to happen on one day! On Saturday, Oct 13th, 2012 from 9:30-11am families with kids of all ages can bring their outgrown winter wear and Halloween costumes (& props) to swap with other families in the area in the Community Room of the Meekins Library in Williamsburg! No need to buy new when we can reuse and swap with your friends & neighbors! Free and open to families with children of all ages.
Halloween Costume Swap
You know that handmade costume you spent hours on a couple of years ago that your child has now outgrown, or the mask and cape you picked up at the dollar store that is “so last year” for your child this year? Bring it to the Hilltown Families Halloween Costume Swap and swap with another child who would love to be that robot, purple monster or masked superhero this year… all while finding new inspirations for this year! Leftover costumes and props will be donated to Northampton ReUse.
Kids’ Winter Wear Swap
Do you have a bunch of winter weather gear that your kids have outgrown and wish that it would somehow just… get bigger? That may never happen, but you can get the next best thing… new-to-you gear that fits! Hilltown Families Kids’ Winter Wear Swap is happening again this year after a fun and successful swap last year! Bring winter jackets, boots, snow pants, hats, gloves & scarves that kids of all ages have outgrown to swap with other families. Leftover winter wear will be donated to charity.
The Meekins Library is located at 2 Williams Street (Route 9)in Williamsburg, MA. Both swaps are free and open to all families. If you only have donations, these are welcomed at 9:30am the day of the swap. Leftover winter wear, costumes & props will be donated to charity and civic organizations.
For more information, questions or wanting to help out as a volunteer, contact Hilltown Families at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
Mark Your Calendars: Another swap coming up in December is the Hilltown Families 3rd Annual Board Game Swap: Saturday, Dec. 1st, 2012 from 9:30-10:30am, also in the community room at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg, MA! Puzzles and card games welcomed. Leftover games to be donated to the Meekins Library Holiday Market… and new this year, we’re accepting incomplete games to donate to the Northampton Arts ReUse committee.
On Saturday, Sept 15th, Hilltown Families partnered with The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts for a field trip that combined both service-based and community-based learning. Our field trip involved a tour of The Food Bank in Hatfield, MA, led by The Food Bank’s Education Coordinator, Molly Coon. Families got to see the facility up-close and learn how The Food Bank operates, who it serves and individuals can support their mission. The group played games to aid in the understanding of the concepts of hunger and could choose from two hands-on volunteer projects: sorting donations and preparations for The Food Bank’s upcoming fundraiser, “Will Bike 4 Food.” Here’s a slide show from our visit:
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Interested in joining Hilltown Families on future service-based and/or community-based learning field trips? Email us at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com to be added to our list of interested families/groups.
Looking for resources to support child(ren)/student’s learning of hunger and food security? Check these out:
Hilltown Families Field Trip
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
Saturday, September 15th at 1:30pm
Tour the warehouse, walk through the freezer, see the types of foods that are being sorted, and observe forklifts transporting pallets of food onto delivery trucks. Play a trivia game following the tour to recall some of the key facts about how The Food Bank works. – Join Hilltown Families on Saturday, Sept. 15th at 1:30pm for an organized field trip to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in Hatfield, MA.
We’ve set a date for our field trip: Saturday, September 15th at 1:30pm in Hatfield, MA!
Our field trip will involve a tour of the Food Bank in Hatfield, where 7.6 million pounds of food gets sorted every year! Participating families/groups can see how the facility operates with pallets of food, the walk in freezer, forklifts and staff management. Games as a group will be facilitated to aid in the understand of the concept of hunger, and there will be a hands-on volunteer project. This is a free event, open to all!
If your family or youth group is interested in joining us, please sign up now. We will need to know how many folks are joining us and the age range of the youth participants. Submit the information below and we will follow up with a confirmation and more details.
Safe, Healthy Food Choices: Resources for Families in the Pioneer Valley
Know your farmers and ask questions! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
This past Tuesday, May 29th, Hilltown Families and the Hilltown Non-GMO Workshop Group hosted a community conversation, Safe and Healthy Food Choices: Educating and Empowering Families in an Era of High-Tech Food Production, at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg with three local food advocates. Herbalist Tony(a) Lemos from Blazing Star Herbal School discussed the rise in childhood allergies since the introduction of GMO foods, local organic farmer Ed Stockman did an informative presentation on GMO Foods, and Jennifer Hartley concluded with a terrific list of resources to empower families in the making of food choices.
Talking to Your Kids About Sex
A Community Conversation at Cup & Top Café
Evening of Tuesday, June 12th in Florence
Hilltown Families and Cup and Top Café are presenting a series of free talks for parents with Brooke Norton, Certified Sex Educator. The first talk will be “Talking to Your Kids About Sex” on Tuesday, June 12th after hours at the café from 6:30pm-8:30pm (1 North Main Street) in Florence, MA.
This parents-only talk will begin with discussion about infants and toddlers, and progress to preschoolers, elementary school age kids, middle schoolers, and teenagers.
Brooke would like to invite all parents to attend, regardless of their personal values about sex and sexuality. “All value systems will be honored and respected,” says Brooke. “My whole mission is just to encourage parents to start thinking about how they want to guide their children, and then to get them to start talking as well,” she added.
Some of the questions that Brooke will address are:
What information is appropriate for my kids’ age?
When is a good time to start talking with my child about sex?
How do I react when my child asks about something that I am not comfortable with?
Co-sponsored by Cup & Top Cafe.
Body image, puberty, and sexual identity issues will be addressed too.
Participants are encouraged to purchase dinner from the cafe (gluten-free & vegan options available) between 6:30-7pm. The talk begins at 7pm. Parents who are considering attending should be advised not to bring their children along to this parents-only event. For more information, please contact Brooke Norton at 413-684-8697 or email brookenorton712@gmail.com.
Cup & Top Cafe is located at 1 North Main Street in Florence, MA.
Safe and Healthy Food Choices:
Educating and Empowering Families in an Era of High-Tech Food Production
A Community Conversation with Local Food Advocates
Tuesday, May 29th in Williamsburg
“The effort to push back against GMOs begins at the family level. There is so much policy change that needs to happen locally, nationally and internationally, but the heart of resistance to GMOs lies with ordinary families making everyday decisions,” says local food advocate Jennifer Hartley, founding board member of Grow Food Northampton. “Through mindful attention to the foods we grow and purchase and the local economies we support, we can take matters into our own hands, directly supporting the well-being of our children and communities.”
Hilltown Families presents Safe and Healthy Food Choices: Educating and Empowering Families in an Era of High-Tech Food Production on Tuesday, May 29th from 7-9pm in the Hawks~Hayden Community Room at the Meekins Library, 2 Williams Street in Williamsburg, MA (FREE). This community conversation will feature three local food advocates highlighting the health risks of genetically modified food (GMO) in children, and how informed families are the best hope for reversing the flow of GMOs into our food supply.
Genetically engineered foods are required to be labeled in the European Union nations, Russia, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries around the world. A recent poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods. As ABC News stated, “Such near-unanimity in public opinion is rare.”
When Hilltown Families readers were asked if they felt genetically modified food should be labeled, they expressed their concerns over GMO foods and concurred that it would be beneficial to have it labeled. Kara Kitchen, mother of twins, writes, “Grocery shopping has become a research project with conflicting data, poor funding, and high costs (to our pockets and our lives!). I know I spend much more time at the store now from reading almost every label in my cart!” And Jennifer Lee Wildermuth agrees that GMO foods should be labeled, writing, “It would save us a lot of time researching what is safe.”
SAFE AND HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES
Co-sponsored by the Hilltown Non-GMO Working Group
On Tuesday, May 29th from 7-9pm, community herbalist and food activists Tony(a) Lemos, director of Blazing Star Herbal School in Ashfield, will begin our community conversation sharing information of how GMO foods impact the development of our kids and the our wellness as adults. — Following Tony(a), Ed Stockman will get to the heart of the issue of GMO foods. His presentation will cover the lack of labeling and regulations of GMO foods, long-term safety studies the FDA overlooks, the prevalence of genetically engineered crops in our food supply, how it contributes to the increase in childhood allergies, and how consumers, especially families, can play an important role in stopping the genetic engineering of our food supply. —Concluding Ed’s presentation, Jennifer Hartley will offer local resources and vehicles of empowerment to our community and families.
ABOUT OUR PRESENTERS:
Tony(a) Lemos
Community herbalist and food activist Tony(a) Lemos, is the director of Blazing Star Herbal School in Ashfield, MA, a small school which offers a unique perspective on herbalism; weaving social and political aspects of health and healing through the study of medicinal herbs and food practices. Tony(a) maintains a clinical herbal medicine practice focused on pediatric health and well-being and is a popular presenter at several local and national herbal conferences. She has served as vice president of NorthEast Herbal Association. A lover of real food, in 2003 she traveled to India to study worldwide food politics with Vandana Shiva. She has organized the local chapter of the Weston A. Price Organization, bringing together community through local food activism.
Ed Stockman
A biologist with forty years experience in organic farming, Ed Stockman is one of our region’s leading educators on GMO issues. Basing his presentations on the work of Jeffrey Smith (author of Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Food), Ed speaks at agricultural conferences, universities and community events around the Northeast. Ed served as the Northeast Organic Farming Association/Mass Chapter “Organic Extension Educator” for six years, and was named the NOFA/Mass “Person of the Year” in 2012 for his work in educating the public about GMOs.
Jennifer Hartley
Jennifer Hartley is a homeschooling mother, radical homemaker, permaculturally-inspired gardener and local food activist. She was a founding board member of Grow Food Northampton, and lives on a budding, quarter-acre homestead with her family in Florence, Massachusetts. A former reference librarian, she loves to connect people to the resources they seek.
Saturday Morning Music Party & Pancake Breakfast
Continues at Flywheel in Easthampton
Saturday, April 7th, 10am-12noon
The Flywheel Arts Collective, an Easthampton-based, volunteer-run music and arts venue, along with the Hilltown Families and No-Nap Happy Hour, invites families with kids of all ages to a fun, creative, and educational series of events!
This Saturday, April 7th at 10am, the third of four installments of the Saturday Morning Music Party continues! Families are welcomed to join us for a free pancake breakfast followed a family dance party by local kids performers R. O. C. K. (Royal Order of Chords and Keys). R.O.C.K. is a family music “kindie” band featuring Aric Bieganek, winner of the 2011 WFCR Arts and Humanities Emerging Talent award, on vocals and guitar, Hans Dalhaus on drums and David Picchi on bass. Together they form the hardest rocking band for families in the world. Period. Suggested a donation of $5 for individuals and $10 for families to cover band expenses.
ABOUT FLYWHEEL: Flywheel Arts Collective, a collectively run, not-for-profit space, aims to build community and give artists of all types the opportunity to craft, practice, and perform their work in an environment where creativity is valued over profit. Volunteer-run and governed by consensus, Flywheel believes that art and information should be equally accessible and affordable to all people. For more information, visit www.flywheelarts.org.
“Saturday Morning Music Party!” is supported by a grant from the Easthampton, MA local Cultural Council — a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Creative Free Play in a Commercialized World
A Community Conversation
On Tuesday, February 7th, a group of parents, grandparents and childcare professionals came together for Hilltown Families’ Roundtable Discussion: Creative Free Play in a Commercialized World to discuss a variety of subjects related to the theme of creative free play in a commercialized world, a continuation of the presentation Hilltown Families hosted before the holidays with Dr. Susan Linn, author of The Case for Make Believe and Consuming Kids.
COMMUNICATION
The roundtable was a lively discussion with a variety of perspectives and ideas for empowerment. One point reiterated several times during the conversation was the importance of communication. Caring about the impact of media on our kids and their growing minds, we need to talk to them about commercialization, helping them navigate our media saturated world by pointing out advertising and marketing strategies geared toward children. Proactive ways parents can communicate with their kids include watching the same TV shows/movies their children are watching, or exploring the internet with them, giving parents opportunities to find teachable moments and openings for engagement in dialog.
TEACHING
One idea that came out of our discussion on how parents can make their kids savvy to the marketing strategies of corporate marketers was to take a walk with them through a big box grocery store in search of movie or television characters on products placed at their eye level, then talk about why these characters are on these products in these locations. Another idea was to choose non-commercial educational videos and apps for children when consuming media. Video series like the Liberty Kids to supplement Colonial Studies, or Bill Nye the Science guy to supplement science studies were suggested.
CREATIVE FREE PLAY
As always, the notion of involving children in real world activities as much as possible is the antidote to too much media consumption, and Hilltown Families provides a comprehensive list of events each week for families that supports this practice. Providing opportunities for creative free play that enhances imagination is essential. A recent event at a local family center utilizing empty boxes for play was a perfect example. Ironically, allowing children to be bored can often lead to creative solutions. Several parents related stories of the most creative play originating out of moments of boredom resulting in toilet paper roll towers or made up stories exercising the imagination.
OTHER TOPICS
Related subjects discussed included:
violence and inappropriate language in media
sexualization in media and the impact on girls
children who are not exposed to certain media feeling left out among peers
over-scheduling of childhood
older teens/young adults and the over-use of Facebook
tensions from protecting our children from the impacts of commercialization in a media saturated world versus creating opportunities for dialog and critical thinking
The discussion was concluded with an invitation to parents and professionals who have ideas/thoughts on how to empower our community and children on these topics to work with Hilltown Families to share and grow these ideas. Drop us an email at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com anytime. And please continue to be part of the ongoing dialog about the importance of creative free play and helping our children navigate a commercialized world. To receive updates and notices on events and opportunities on this topic, share with us your email and we will keep you posted:
Big thank you to Northampton Public Schools for co-sponsoring this month’s discussion, and to Cup & Top Cafe for hosting.
Saturday Morning Music Party Series in Easthampton
Free Pancakes, Live Music, Dancing & Crafts
Known to its neighbors and fans for boisterous concerts and a DIY aesthetic, the Flywheel Arts Collective of Easthampton may not immediately spring to mind when considering a venue for a family-friendly activity for the kids. But with the announcement of the ‘Saturday Morning Music Party,’ a free monthly breakfast bash featuring a variety of activities, performances and diversions for kids (to run from February through May, initially), Flywheel becomes just that.
WHAT: Monthly Saturday Morning Music Party Series for Families
WHERE: Flywheel Arts Collective, 43 Main Street (Old Town Hall), Easthampton, MA
WHEN: Saturdays, Feb 11, Mar 10, Apr 7 & May 12, 10am
COST: Free. Suggested Donation $5 ($10 per family) for Mar 10 & Apr 7 concerts.
CONTACT: 413-527-9800
Partnering with Hilltown Families and The No-Nap Happy Hour, the first of four installments of the Saturday Morning Music Party series kicks off on February 11 at 10am at Flywheel’s Easthampton location in the town hall building at 43 Main St. in Easthampton. Subsequent events take place on March 10, April 7 and May 12. Each month’s bash features a pancake breakfast followed by musical performances, various activities and guided arts and crafts.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH:
On Saturday, February 11th, following a free pancake breakfast which begins at 10am, the first installment of the series features a screening of an episode of Pancake Mountain, a Washington D.C.-based, public-access, Saturday morning TV show hosted by a goat puppet who often features indie rock bands as guests. After the show, kids join DJ Youthelectronix for the “best ever dance party before noon.”
Dj Youthelectronix, a.k.a. Jeremy Smith, a veteran Flywheel volunteer, led the effort to organize the Saturday Morning Music Party series. Driven to recreate the success of similar Saturday morning activities at Flywheel’s previous location, Smith says, “Offering unique and creative activities for families and kids while providing an outlet for artists to connect with the community falls exactly in step with Flywheel’s mission.” He’s particularly proud of the “diverse programming” to be offered, which is anything but the rote kids’ fare.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Subsequent month’s events will include live family concerts with award-winning musicians, Uncle Rock on March 10th, and R.O.C.K. on April 7th, along with a pancake breakfast and artist-led arts and crafts, and other fun activities. Then on May 12th the series will close out just as the Easthampton Bear Fest kicks off with the Little Bear Craft & Dance Party!
“Saturday Morning Music Party!” is supported by a grant from the Easthampton, MA local Cultural Council — a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Roundtable Discussion: Creative Free Play in a Commercialized World
Tuesday, Feb 7th from 6-7:30pm in Florence, MA
Come together as a community on Tuesday, February 7th at 6pm in Florence, MA to casually discuss some of the challenges families and educators face in an age of rampant commercialism and ubiquitous technology, while brainstorming together on ideas and strategies for preserving non-commercialized creative free play for our children.
Hilltown Families will host a free informal roundtable discussion for parents, educators and community members interested in a dialogue about creative free play in a commercialized world on Tuesday, February 7th from 6-7:30pm at Cup & Top Cafe in Florence, MA, sponsored by Hilltown Families and the Northampton Public Schools.
WHAT: Roundtable Discussion on Creative Free Play in a Commercialized World: A Community Conversation with Hilltown Families
WHERE: Cup & Top Cafe, 1 North Main Street, Florence, MA
WHEN: Tuesday, Feb 7th, 2012, 6-7:30pm (Snow date: Feb. 21st)
COST: Discussion is Free. Dinner from Cup & Top is available through 6:30pm ($).
On the heels of the holiday season, with another commercialized holiday approaching on Feb 14th (Valentine’s Day), Hilltown Families invites parents, educators and community members to come together to informally discuss some of the challenges we face in an age of rampant commercialism and ubiquitous technology, while brainstorming together on ideas and strategies for preserving non-commercialized creative free play for our children.
This free roundtable discussion will take place at Cup & Top Cafe in Florence, MA. Participants are warmly welcomed to purchase dinner from the cafe through 6:30pm (gluten-free & nut-free options available). Free childcare is available in the cafe’s playspace. To sign up for childcare, email hilltownfamilies@gmail.com.
Hilltown Families roundtable discussions are part of a series of Community Conversations presented by Hilltown Families that invites the community to engage in conversations about raising healthy children including helping children develop a positive sense of self and empathy for others and the world around them. This evenings roundtable discussion is a continuation of the presentation Hilltown Families hosted before the holidays with with Dr. Susan Linn, author of The Case for Make Believe and Consuming Kids, and is co-sponsored by the Northampton Public Schools/CFCE through a grant from the MA Department of Early Education and Care.
Hilltown Families 4th Annual Handmade Valentine Swap. Deadline to sign up: January 30th. Open to all Western MA families.
It’s that time of the year again! For the past several years Hilltown Families has coordinated a community Handmade Valentine Swap — and we’re doing it again! Sign up below! It’s free and open to all families!
A handmade Valentine swap gives local families an opportunity to be creative together while connecting with other families in Western Massachusetts. Through the swap, participating families mail out handmade Valentines to ten assigned addresses, and in return, they receive cards from ten other participating families. The cards can be handmade by any combination of child and adult, so if you’re kids aren’t completely up to the task, or if an adult would like to make their own design, there’s flexibility.
Deadline to sign up (below) is Monday, January 30th. On Tuesday (01/31/12) you will be emailed your assigned names/address of participants to mail your handmade Valentines to. Everyone is kindly requested to mail your Valentines off by Feb. 7th.
Here are a few samples of Valentines swapped in years past to stir your creative juices. Click on the thumbnail image to see a larger one:
If interested in participating, the following information must be filled out and submitted by Monday, January 30th. If you have multiple children and would like each one to receive their own list of families to swap with, please make a note in the comment field.
An Intergenerational Crowd Comes Together for Hilltown Families Community Conversation with Dr. Susan Linn on The Importance of Creative Play in a Commercialized World
Jackie MacNeish of Ashfield, MA writes:
“On Tuesday night this past week I went to hear Dr. Susan Linn speak of the Importance of Creative Play in a Commercialized World hosted by Hilltown Families at the Meekins Library (Williamsburg, MA). It was fantastic – A topic I’m passionate about and yet wanted to know more about, a knowledgable and interesting presentation, and a community of different people (young, teenagers, elders, students, teachers, parents, etc) gathered together to listen, think and discuss. I would like to attend one of these discussions each month, so I hope there are more coming our way!”
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VIDEO
If you missed the talk last week here she is on TEDxTalks with an abbreviated presentation of last Tuesdays Community Conversation:
ONLINE RESOURCES
So what can a parent do to level the playing field? “They can begin by looking a their own patterns of consumption,” says Dr. Linn in a recent interview with the Daily Hampshire Gazette. “They can work to limit access to screen time and work to limit commercialism in their schools by urging school systems to have a policy on commercialism and marketing.”
Below we have several online resources we’ve compiled, many of them recommended by Dr. Susan Linn during her presentation last week:
Commercial Free Holiday Guide
Thereʼs no one size fits all method for navigating the holidays with our values intact. So Dr. Linn has created CCFCʼs Guide to Commercial-Free Holidays to provide an array of suggestions, from people she respects and admires, for reclaiming family and community celebrations from corporate marketers.
Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Childrenʼs Entertainment (TRUCE): Toy Buying
Guide
This annual review helps parents choose toys that promote healthy play and avoid toys that undermine it. In this age of technology, media and marketing to children, it is especially important to make informed toy choices. For more complete information about dealing with todayʼs play and media, go to: www.truceteachers.org to get our TRUCE Action Guides.
Many people are interested in continuing this conversation. If you would like to be a part of this continued discussion on the importance of creative free play for our kids, drop us a line and we’ll give you a heads up on future opportunities for gather and discuss:
In a recent interview with the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Dr. Susan Linn, founder of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, says, "This is the first time in history that, even during leisure time, we can no longer assume that children are engaging in active creative play. Creative play is no longer the norm, the norm is now that kids will be in front of a TV." - How does your family protect, promote and reserve time for creative free play? There are many challenges, and many great ideas too! Share yours! (Photo credit: Sienna Wildfield)
Leading up to the Dr. Susan Linn’s visit last week for the Hilltown Families Community Conversation, The Importance of Creative Play in a Commercialized World with Dr. Susan Linn, we engaged our readers on the topic of creative free play by asking them about favorite toys, how to reserve time for creative free play, and how they feel they can protect and promote play for their kids.
We started off by asking our readers to share their child’s favorite toy and if they remembered a favorite toy they had from their own childhood.
Kara Kitchen wrote: Legos! Me and my kids!
Sienna Wildfield wrote: We have a large cedar chest filled with dress up clothes, costumes and accessories picked up at tag sales here and there that our daughter loves! And when I was a kid, my favorite “toy” was my bike!
Jess Kuttner wrote: Legos at our house too! When I was very young I had a couple of dolls that were more like companions and went along with a lot of imaginary play.
Martha Maloney wrote: My kids – wooden blocks, me, wooden blocks and a favorite doll I still have from so long ago..
After sharing favorite toys, we asked families if/how they are able to reserve time for creative free play for their kids, inviting readers to share strategies or challenges they experience with finding free time for their kids to play.
Jeanne Westcott shared: The problem is that when parents discover the benefits of play and expect their children to explore those benefits in daycare or preschool settings, they will be very disappointed. the majority of these necessary organizations are still using the empty slate concept and forced early learning is the norm….I got so sad I had to change careers.
Diane Hinze Kanzler shared: I have to say that the Early Learning Academy in Greenfield, where my child attended pre-school, had the best free play EVER. No complaints here.
Pauline Delton shared: I have an only child, and we don’t have a lot of kids in our neighborhood with whom we’ve connected. We found a group of families who make a conscious effort to gather at least once a week (the common thread is that we homeschool, so we do… this on a weekday). It is amazing what kids will find to do when they have their imaginative little brains working together. We went to the dinosaur tracks last week… the adults were wondering how on Earth this trip would last more than 30 minutes, but we were there for over 2 hours! Parks, wildlife sanctuaries, arts and crafts, cooking, reading, puzzles are all great activities. The challenge for us is when we’re inside, but even when my son is playng with toys (like Legos), he’s being creative.
Margaret Betts shared: 10 years ago we got rid of our TV. It is amazing how insulated we are from commercial media, Q&A: Toys and Play: hteven with computers and other technology. I encourage all people to throw away your TVs!
Melissa Moody Belmonte shared: One of the main reasons we homeschool.
Swansea Benham Bleicher shared: Not having TV connection is key for us.
Let’s continue this Community Conversation on creative free play! Share your questions, comments, resources and suggestions in the comment field to continue the dialog.
A fun way to recycle old board games and to discover new ones. Board games make excellent holiday gifts for friends and family too! Surprise them with a new recycled game. This community swap is free and open to everyone.
On Saturday, December 3rd from 9:30-10:30am, Hilltown Families is sponsoring a free Board Game Swap in the community room at the Meekins Library in Williamsburg, MA. All community members are invited to bring in complete board games they’d like to swap.
Swapping board games with other families gives the community a chance to come together and discover new games while rejuvenating their collection of board games. Having new board games to explore with our kids opens up opportunities for families to spend time together, while allowing children to practice skills and concepts.
What: Hilltown Families Board Game Swap Where: Meekins Library Community Room (Williamsburg, MA) When: Saturday, December 3rd, 2011 Time: 9:30-10:30am Cost: Free
The Importance of Creative Play
in a Commercialized World A Community Conversation with Dr. Susan Linn
Tuesday, Nov 15th from 7-9pm
Meekins Library • Williamsburg, MA
Co-sponsored by the Media Education Foundation and the Odyssey Bookshop.
Hilltown Families presents “The Importance of Creative Play in a Commercialized World” with Dr. Susan Linn, author ofThe Case for Make BelieveandConsuming Kidson Tuesday, November 15th from 7-9pm in the Hawks~Hayden Community Room at the Meekins Library, 2 Williams Street in Williamsburg, MA (FREE).
In the critically acclaimed Consuming Kids, Dr. Linn, the nation’s leading advocate for protecting children from corporate marketers, provided an unsparing look at modern childhood molded by commercialism. In her book, The Case for Make Believe, Dr. Linn argues that while play is crucial to human development and children are born with an innate capacity for make believe, the convergence of ubiquitous technology and unfettered commercialism actually prevents them from playing.
In an era when toys come from television and media companies sell videos as brain-builders for babies, Dr. Linn lays out the inextricable links between play, creativity, and health, showing us how and why to preserve the space for make believe that children need to be happy and to become productive adults. Dr. Linn will speak about her book and help generate ideas for preserving non-commercialized creative play, especially around the holidays. - Join us on Tuesday, Nov 15th from 7-9pm for a community conversation with Dr. Susan Linn in Williamsburg . (FREE)
This talk is free and open to all adults and older students studying the effects of commercialization and childhood development. A Q&A session will follow along with a book signing. Titles will be available for sale on site in limited quantities.
Book Giveaway: We’re giving away a couple of copies of The Case for Make Believe to our readers. Find out how you can enter to win below. Deadline to enter to win is November 14th by 12noon.
ABOUT DR. SUSAN LINN
Susan Linn, Ed.D. is co-founder and director of The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. An award-winning producer, writer, and puppeteer, she is the author of The Case for Make Believe: Saving Play in a Commercialized World, and Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood and lectures internationally on reclaiming childhood from corporate marketers. She has been featured on Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, The Today Show, The Colbert Report and Good Morning America. In 2006, she received the American Psychological Association’s Presidential Citation for her work on behalf of children. Dr. Linn lives in Brookline, MA.
ENTER TO WIN
A Q&A session will follow the talk and Hilltown Families invites the community to submit questions to Dr. Linn in advance about the importance of make believe and how to preserve creative play for our children. Submit your questions in the comment field below and be entered to win a copy of Dr. Linn’s book, The Case for Make Believe.Must include your full name and town to be eligible to win. We’ll randomly draw winners and will share the results below. Winner does not need to be present at the event to win.
This is the first in a series of Community Conversations presented by Hilltown Families that invite the community to engage in conversations on the themes of helping children connect to the good inside each of them and their development of empathy for others and the world around them.
❤ Thank you ❤ to our co-sponsors of “The Importance of Creative Play in a Commercialized World,” the Media Education Foundation and the Odyssey Bookshop.
Empowerment by Art: Hilltown Families Checks Commercial Fashion
"We had a great time! My son is wearing his shirt with pride right now at an evening event at his school," texted Helen Kahn of Florence, MA.
In the wake of JCPenney’s “I’m too pretty to do homework” and Forever 21 “Allergic to Algebra” t-shirt debacle, this past Friday Western MA families came together to pushback against commercial fashion and corporate marketers in the Hilltown Families event, “I Am Not A Billboard!”
Presented by Hilltown Families and hosted by The Art Garden, a newly formed non-profit in Shelburne Falls, grandparents to toddlers came together from Charlemont to Northampton to make their own fashion statement by designing and decorating t-shirts with their own words and images. Slogans like “Science Rocks,” “Girls Rule,” and images of peace were drawn, sewn & painted in a successful intergenerational event!
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“With children’s clothes often donning corporate symbols and slogans, our kids are made into walking billboards for big corporations,” says Sienna Wildfield, Founding Director of Hilltown Families. “Fashion is just one of the many avenues corporate marketers utilize to market their brands to children, surprisingly, at a very young age. Allowing children to embellish their own clothes with symbols and words that celebrate their individuality and intelligence is just one simple way families can counteract commercialization while fostering creativity and expressiveness.”
“Messages that communicate values on physical appearance, consumerism and gender stereotypes to our children are pervasive,” says Jess Kuttner, LICSW, Psychotherapist and mother of two boys. “The recent news of t-shirts sold by JCPenny with the slogan, ‘I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me,’ is one example of how empty and degrading values are being marketed to our children. Is it any wonder that there are epidemic numbers of kids and teens who bully each other and numb themselves with video games, TV, food and drugs? Giving children the opportunity to create their own t-shirts is a proactive way to counter corporate and negative messages while helping children focus on what is unique about themselves on a deeper level.”
Big thank you to ❤ The Art Garden for hosting this event, to ❤ Country Pie Pizza of Ashfield for donating pizza for our pizza party, and to all the ❤ amazing families who came together to empower their kids and themselves through art!
As You’d Expect, Hurricane Irene Drastically Altered Local River Ecology
Kurt Heidinger, Executive Director of Biocitizen School of Westhampton, MA writes:
The past Wednesday afternoon, Biocitizen teamed up with Hilltown Families to do our annual rapid biotic assessment of the Westfield River downstream of the Route 143 bridge in West Chesterfield, MA. Thank you volunteer citizen scientists!
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Before we began, our hosts Sienna, Jim and Persephone described how scarily high the river rose during Hurricane Irene. Not only did beautiful farmland across the river crumble—old barn and antique garbage dump included—into the torrent; but they also heard giant boulders rolling, bumping, crashing below the surface. In fact, they could feel the vibrations of the boulders in the foundation of their house (Face it amigos; we’re all on jello.).
A first view revealed just how drastic the re-ordering of the river, and riparian corridor, was. Tree branches high on the bank held fist-sized clumps of leaves and debris, proof the flood crested around 15 feet above its present level, which is itself abnormally high. Down at the river, Persephone (9yo)—and Rowan (9yo), Owen (8yo) and Cyril (8y0)—showed me where her fort used to be (on a sedimentary sand bank). Then we saw all the flotsam she’s collecting to build a new one, on higher ground. I was relieved to see our sampling area was basically intact, and marveled with grim fascination at the look of the whole river course, which appears to have been bulldozed.
We did 6 invertebrate collections, 2 each at 3 sites that are within 20-30 feet of each other. Our first sampling shocked us, because we couldn’t find a single invertebrate; last year, each sample teemed with writhing, boisterous bugs. Below are RBA data sheets for 2011 and 2010 for your comparison. Look at the top row of each to get the basic idea: we didn’t find any large stoneflies this year, only tiny ones. (“The meek shall inherit the earth”…?) As we might expect, we found plenty of worms that build cases and glue themselves to large stones.
So: it was a “bad’ year, if we consider “good” to be finding lots of big juicy stoneflies. But for the purposes of cold-hearted science, the drastic alteration of the riverbed and reduction of the number of bugs is “great” because the bug population will definitely rebound (“no empty places in nature”). The biotic resurgence will be cyclical, though, and might take a year or more. The benthic invertebrates we collect live their short adult life next spring and summer (some live under water for more than one year); the reproductive cycle takes at least a year. There will probably be a lot of hungry trout next summer and perhaps less osprey 2 years from now, as a result.
We look forward to next year’s RBA with anticipation—it will show us how the river is a superorganism whose health changes in response to climatic influences.
And we are pleased to report that, notwithstanding the trauma it has endured, the Westfield @ Rt 143 is a river of “excellent quality” water!
I AM NOT A BILLBOARD!
Make Your Own T-Shirt Workshop & Pizza Party with Hilltown Families
at The Art Garden in Shelburne Falls
Friday, Oct 14th from 4-6pm
Hilltown Families and The Art Garden will be offering a free Make Your Own T-Shirt Workshop & Pizza Party for families on Friday, October 14th from 4-6pm in Shelburne Falls. All are invited to come and create t-shirts with affirmative slogans and positive images of self-expression. Bring an old t-shirt and repurpose it into your very own, one-of-a-kind design.
“With children’s clothes often donning corporate symbols and slogans, our kids are made into walking billboards for big corporations,” says Sienna Wildfield, Founding Director of Hilltown Families. “Fashion is just one of the many avenues corporate marketers utilize to market their brands to children, surprisingly, at a very young age. Allowing children to embellish their own clothes with symbols and words that celebrate their individuality and intelligence is just one simple way families can counteract commercialization while fostering creativity and expressiveness.”
“Messages that communicate values on physical appearance, consumerism and gender stereotypes to our children are pervasive,” says Jess Kuttner, LICSW, Psychotherapist and mother of two boys. “The recent news of t-shirts sold by JCPenny with the slogan, ‘I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me,’ is one example of how empty and degrading values are being marketed to our children. Is it any wonder that there are epidemic numbers of kids and teens who bully each other and numb themselves with video games, TV, food and drugs? Giving children the opportunity to create their own t-shirts is a proactive way to counter corporate and negative messages while helping children focus on what is unique about themselves on a deeper level.”
On Friday, October 14th from 4-6pm, bring your kids to The Art Garden and allow them to create their own t-shirt. Jane Wegscheider, Artistic Director of The Art Garden will show families how to use an assortment of materials and methods to create their own designs and unique messages. Bring your own t-shirt and choose from acrylic paints, fabric pens, stamps, embroidery thread, etc. to make your very own, one-of-a-kind, t-shirt that celebrates your individuality and intelligence.
“Rather than a t-shirt that says, ‘Allergic to Algebra,’ how about slogans that promote a willingness to learn, like “One Smart Cookie!” or “Math Rocks!” says Wildfield.
The Art Garden is located at 14 Depot Street in Shelburne Falls, MA (in the same building as the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum) . Click HERE for map. All are welcomed to this free event. Slices of pizza donated ♥ by Country Pie Pizza of Ashfield will be available for $1 a slice while supplies last. For more information, contact Sienna Wildfield at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com, or call The Art Garden at 413-625-2782.
Hilltown Families presents ... Do I Have To?: How Chores Empower Families, a FREE interactive and fun presentation for adults with author Susan Tordella at 6:30pm on Wednesday, March 30th at Cup & Top Cafe (1 North Main St.) in Florence, MA. Learn how cleaning toilets, washing dishes and raking leaves empower families.
Author of Raising Able: How Chores Cultivate Capable Young People (www.raisingable.com), Susan Tordella will share how the triad of family meetings-chores-and-dinner empower children to make good decisions, enable parents to retire from family servant, and create a positive family atmosphere.
In this free presentation, expect to hear stories, laugh and participate while learning a positive system to influence children to make good decisions. The goal is to nurture young people to become trustworthy teenagers who choose wisely when they are 60 miles away going 60 miles an hour. Childhood chores establish a foundation for self-discipline and making good decisions.
This free presentation for adults will be at Cup & Top Cafe in Florence, MA on Wednesday, March 30th at 6:30pm. Donations to Hilltown Families are welcomed. Refreshments will be available for purchase through the cafe, along with copies of Susan’s book, Raising Able. For more information email Hilltown Families at hilltownfamilies@gmail.com. Childcare is NOT available. We hope you can join us!
WHAT: Do I Have To?: How Chores Empower Families, an interactive presentation with author Susan Tordella
WHERE: Cup & Top Cafe, 1 North Main St., Florence, MA
WHEN: Wednesday, March 30th, 2010 at 6:30pm
COST: Free. Donations to Hilltown Families are welcomed.
Susan Tordella, M.A., is a parenting expert, coach and author who has studied and practiced Adlerian psychology for more than 20 years. Susan credits living with four teenagers for 13 years as a teacher of how to manage people, emotions and events. A former journalist and director of a private non-profit, Susan received multiple awards for excellence in both fields. Susan has taught scores of people the Adlerian approach to manage families, business and life. She blogs at www.susantordella.com and is the author of “Raising Able: how chores cultivate capable young people.”
Welcome to Hilltown Families, a grassroots communication network for families living in Western Mass, established in 2005 by hilltown mother and long time activist Sienna Wildfield.
"Hilltown Families keeps us connected with all the amazing educational and cultural activities and resources that abound here in W. Mass and curates them in a way to let us know just what’s out there for the many varied interests of our young families and communities,while creating networks of support and growth." - Kara Kitchen (Plainfield, MA)
The Hilltown Family Variety Show (HFVS) airs Saturday mornings on Valley Free Radio, 103.3FM WXOJ, Northampton, MA from 9-10am with encores on Sunday from 7-8am. Playlist and podcasts are posted immediately following broadcast. Listen to our archived shows at any time: HFVS Archived Shows.
Hilltown Families Sponsors
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disclaimer
Information provided on Hilltown Families (HF) is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Reasonable efforts are made to provide the most accurate information, but no guarantees of any kind can be made. Information can be changed without prior notice. Please check with 3rd parties to confirm all listings for date/time, cost, location and age appropriateness before attending. Opinions expressed on HF are that of the writer and not necessarily that of HF. In no event shall HF be liable (directly or indirectly) for any losses or damages causes (or allegedly caused) in connection with HF. All health and wellness related information is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used to substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. All provided links are provided as a courtesy and not as an endorsement.
The exhibit will be on display at the Forbes Library in Northampton for the month of February 2013, and at the City Hall Gallery in Easthampton from Sept 13-Dec 11, 2013. - We're currently booking shows for the Spring/Summer of 2013 and for 2014. Each exhibit is a unique showcase of images that correspond with the season and venue. Contact us to inquire about hosting this fundraising exhibit for Hilltown Families in your town/venue.
Hilltown Families and Cup and Top Café are presenting a series of free talks for parents with Brooke Norton, Certified Sex Educator. Continuing with this series, the second talk will continue to look at how to talk with your kids about sex in an age appropriate way. This talk will take place on Tuesday, January 29th after hours at the café from 6:30pm-8:30pm (1 North Main Street) in Florence, MA.
Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Night is a Hilltown Families event and is co-sponsored by Northampton Public Schools/CFCE through a grant from the MA Department of Early Education and Care, 
On Saturday, December 1st, 2012 from 9:30-10:30am, Hilltown Families is sponsoring a free Board Game Swap in the community room at the 
Hilltown Families has organized two informal community swaps to happen on one day! On Saturday, Oct 13th, 2012 from 9:30-11am families with kids of all ages can bring their outgrown winter wear and Halloween costumes (& props) to swap with other families in the area in the Community Room of the Meekins Library in Williamsburg! No need to buy new when we can reuse and swap with your friends & neighbors! Free and open to families with children of all ages.
You know that handmade costume you spent hours on a couple of years ago that your child has now outgrown, or the mask and cape you picked up at the dollar store that is “so last year” for your child this year? Bring it to the Hilltown Families Halloween Costume Swap and swap with another child who would love to be that robot, purple monster or masked superhero this year… all while finding new inspirations for this year! Leftover costumes and props will be donated to Northampton ReUse.
Do you have a bunch of winter weather gear that your kids have outgrown and wish that it would somehow just… get bigger? That may never happen, but you can get the next best thing… new-to-you gear that fits! Hilltown Families Kids’ Winter Wear Swap is happening again this year after a fun and successful swap last year! Bring winter jackets, boots, snow pants, hats, gloves & scarves that kids of all ages have outgrown to swap with other families. Leftover winter wear will be donated to charity.
Check out Jennifer’s resource list below, or download it and share with your neighbors, family and friends:
Hilltown Families and Cup and Top Café are presenting a series of free talks for parents with Brooke Norton, Certified Sex Educator. The first talk will be “Talking to Your Kids About Sex” on Tuesday, June 12th after hours at the café from 6:30pm-8:30pm (1 North Main Street) in Florence, MA.
Tony(a) Lemos
Ed Stockman
Jennifer Hartley
The Flywheel Arts Collective, an Easthampton-based, volunteer-run music and arts venue, along with the Hilltown Families and No-Nap Happy Hour, invites families with kids of all ages to a fun, creative, and educational series of events!
“Saturday Morning Music Party!” is supported by a grant from the Easthampton, MA local Cultural Council — a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
On Tuesday, February 7th, a group of parents, grandparents and childcare professionals came together for Hilltown Families’ 
Partnering with 
Book Giveaway: We’re giving away a couple of copies of 
In the wake of JCPenney’s “
Hilltown Families and The Art Garden will be offering a free Make Your Own T-Shirt Workshop & Pizza Party for families on Friday, October 14th from 4-6pm in Shelburne Falls. All are invited to come and create t-shirts with affirmative slogans and positive images of self-expression. Bring an old t-shirt and repurpose it into your very own, one-of-a-kind design.
“With children’s clothes often donning corporate symbols and slogans, our kids are made into walking billboards for big corporations,” says Sienna Wildfield, Founding Director of Hilltown Families. “Fashion is just one of the many avenues corporate marketers utilize to market their brands to children, surprisingly, 
