Explore The World This Summer Published in Colorado Parent on 02/24/2015 by​
​
Sandi Haustein “Mom, what can I do?” “Are we going somewhere today?” “I’m bored!” Sound familiar? Instead of turning on the TV or video games when kids get antsy this summer, why not take a trip around the world? Ok, so traveling internationally might not be in your budget, but when it’s too hot to go outside, you can explore the world from the comfort of your own air­conditioned home. Start your world tour by making your own “passports” or buying some at a school supply store. Each time your child has a cross­cultural experience, stamp her passport. By the end of the summer, she will have a book full of stamps and memories she can be proud of. Here are some ideas for passport­worthy experiences: Explore new flavors Make an effort to go beyond the usual tacos and spaghetti. Pick a few countries whose cuisines are unfamiliar to you and try new dishes, whether at home or at a restaurant. Be enthusiastic for your kids. “If parents make faces or are unwilling to try new ingredients, the kids will follow,” says Becky Morales, founder of kidworldcitizen.org. “However, if you say something like, ‘I've never had fish like this! I'll give it a try,’ you are setting a positive example.” Study world cultures through their holidays The U.S. is not the only country that celebrates a big day each summer. A quick internet search will bring up videos, crafts and activities for learning about Sweden’s Midsummer Day or the Dragonboat Festival in China. Whether it’s France’s Bastille Day or the Running of the Bulls in Spain, summertime provides many opportunities to celebrate international holidays. Read books celebrating cultural diversity Multicultural books with rich illustrations give kids the opportunity to explore universal themes and to imagine what it’s like to be a child in another country. Morales recommends three children’s books that bring cultures alive: “The Name Jar” by Yangsook Choi; “Africa is Not a Country” by Margy Burns Knight; and “Finders Keepers? A True Story in India” by Robert Arnett. Ask your librarian for other suggestions of books with international themes. Participate in a culture swap Want to taste a piece of Swiss chocolate, receive stickers from South Africa or practice Japanese origami? The website worldwidecultureswap.com gives families opportunities to exchange packages that share a slice of their own culture with other families from around the world. Besides the costs of shipping, participation in the World­Wide Culture Swap is free. Learn another language Meg Cook, a speech­language therapist at an International Baccalaureate school, believes that teaching kids to speak another language is at least as important as teaching them how to play soccer. She suggests teaching your children greetings and polite phrases like “hello,” “goodbye,” “please” and “thank you” in at least two different languages. If you want to take it a step further, make small labels in the target language and place them on everyday objects around your home. Your child will be eating at une table and sleeping in un lit in no time. Give Family Movie Night a global twist Family­friendly foreign films are a great way to expose your kids to world cultures. Your young ones will enjoy the Japanese animated film, “My Neighbor Totoro,” while elementary­aged children will like “Cave of the Yellow Dog,” a film about a Mongolian girl and her loyal friendship with a stray dog. Iran’s “Children of Heaven” and New Zealand’s “Whale Rider” will inspire kids 11 years and older while also exposing them to beautiful cultures. Adopt an international student Did you know that more than 70 percent of foreign students in American colleges never step foot in an American home? Check with the international student office at your local university to see if they have a program set up for American families to “adopt” students. Give your adoptees family experiences they might not have on their own, like playing board games, going to church or watching little league games. While teaching them about American culture, you’ll learn about theirs, too. Celebrate International Day of Friendship on July 30th Invite a family from a different culture over for dinner and talk with them about the similarities or differences between your culture and theirs. If you don’t know anyone who grew up in another culture, host an international party where all of your friends are required to bring an ethnic dish. You can sample the tastes of the world while making a commitment to seek out friendships within the international community. No matter which cultures your family explores, your kids, with their passports full of stamps, are sure to look at the world differently by the time school rolls around. “Learning about other cultures reveals a world with more color, more sound, more shape, more beauties than a single culture can provide,” says Cook. “A life of one culture, for me, is a life with only one color. Maybe beautiful, but wow! Look what happens when I can add more colors!” Can you think of a better gift to give your kids this summer? The World Comes to Denver Each summer, Denver transforms into a classroom for learning about different countries. Culture festivals around town feature dance, food, handcrafts and traditions that give us a taste of life around the world. In addition to culture festivals, visit the Denver Art Museum, Colorado Symphony, Colorado Ballet and other arts groups for exhibits and performances that highlight world cultures. JUNE Cherry Blossom Festival |​
​
cherryblossomdenver.org Denver Greek Festival |​
​
thegreekfestival.com Scandinavian Midsummer Festival |​
​
estesmidsummer.com
JULY Colorado Black Arts Festival |​
​
colbaf.org Colorado Dragon Boat Festival |​
​
cdbf.org Colorado Irish Festival |​
​
coloradoirishfestival.org German Fest Denver |​
​
germanfestdenver.com
AUGUST Colorado Scottish Festival and Rocky Mountain Highlands Games |​
​
scottishgames.org
SEPTEMBER Festival Italiano |​
​
belmarcolorado.com Trustworthiness At the West campus, during the month of May, the students are learning about ​
trustworthiness​
. Synonyms of trustworthiness are: honorable, truthful, ethical and authentic. Please discuss with your kids at home what it means to be ​
trustworthy​
and why trustworthiness is important in your family. ​
We will have a contest at West on May 21st about trustworthiness! Saving for College 101 Published in Colorado Parent on 03/24/2015 by​
​
Jamie Siebrase With a little forethought, savvy Colorado parents can offset skyrocketing education costs. Consider this your freshman course in collegiate saving. When my kids are in college—around 2029— analysts estimate out­of­state public tuition will cost $84,433 annually per child. Don’t panic. (O.K., panic a little. Then keep reading.) “The main problem parents encounter is that the cost of a college education is growing faster than the economy,” says Jeff Nelligan, senior vice president and financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Denver. “Sometimes it is a little confusing—the accounts, how they’re set up and the tax implications,” says Nelligan. Here’s a breakdown of the most popular college savings vehicle: a 529 Savings Plan. Finding the Right Plan “I can’t think of a better way to structure an account,” says Nelligan about 529s, often called CollegeInvest plans in Colorado. Investors agree: by mid­2014, 11.83 million 529 accounts opened, with total assets reaching a record $244.5 billion. 529 Plans offer more bang for the buck by allowing account owners—typically parents or grandparents—to invest money into future higher education expenses without being taxed on earnings. The first step is finding the right plan. “This isn’t like a 401(k), which is a national plan,” says Nelligan. Forty­nine states (Wyoming excluded) and the District of Columbia offer 529 Plans, and they vary dramatically by state. In Colorado, you’ll buy your 529 Plan through an agency called CollegeInvest or through an investment firm like Nelligan’s. Because there’s no residency requirement, you don’t have to stick with Colorado’s plan if another state’s will better serve you. Some families even buy plans in multiple states. But, says Betty Lochner, chair of the College Savings Plan Network (CSPN), “We always recommend investors start with their state’s plan because a lot of times there’s an incentive to do that.” Colorado’s state tax deduction, for example, is pretty persuasive: contributors may deduct the full amount of their contributions from their Colorado adjusted gross income. Colorado also has a dollar­to­dollar grant­matching program for low­ to mid­income families and a 529 Scholarship for those feeling the middle class squeeze. “We have one of the most diverse plans in the nation,” says Angela Baier, CEO for CollegeInvest. Colorado investors actually have four options for funding their account. Each plan has the same tax benefit. The difference is in how you like to save. Colorado’s most popular 529 Plan is Direct Portfolio. Offered through Vanguard, this program lets you invest in stocks, bonds and cash. For those who want their account actively managed by a financial advisor, there’s Scholars Choice—ranked number one in the country for performance. Both these plans have age­based investment options designed to correlate risk tolerance with the beneficiary’s age. “As with any investments,” says Lochner, “investors in 529 Plans should look carefully for the investment option best matching their risk tolerance, investment objective and the age of the child.” The Smart Choice plan lets investors save at a bank and is one of the few FDIC­insured programs in the nation, says Baier. For those who are nervous about investing in the stock market, Stable Value Plus is an annuity program with guaranteed principal and an annual guaranteed return. The plan’s return is so good, it routinely draws out­of­state investors. Funding Your Account You only need $25 to open a 529, and after that, the minimum contribution is $15. Parents should open the account in their name, advises Baier, and list the child as the beneficiary. Once you’ve opened a 529 Plan, anyone can contribute to it at any time. A lot of grandparents like the idea of contributing to something big. They’re also attracted by the fact that the account purchaser is the only one who can request deductions, which means young adults benefiting from the plan can’t use the money frivolously. Grandparents will also get a tax deduction because it’s the contributor—not the account holder—who deducts the contribution from their income taxes. When it comes to building an investment over time, “it’s a matter of being disciplined and making regular contributions,” says Nelligan, who often recommends clients treat their 529s like a 401(k), contributing a small amount from each paycheck. People save three times more when they set up direct deposit from their paycheck, adds Baier. Making Withdrawals When it’s time for college, qualified withdrawals are tax­exempt, and this includes expenses associated with books, required school supplies, on­ or off­campus housing and, of course, tuition. Not every school qualifies, but most do. All accredited post­high school certificate and degree programs are considered qualified. Here’s Baier’s cheat sheet: “If you can get a federal student loan from the school, you can use your 529 dollars there.” This includes public or private four­year colleges, community colleges, graduate schools, trade and vocational schools—possibly even yoga teacher certification, if it’s done under the umbrella of an accredited school, Lochner says. It doesn’t matter which state you open your plan in—you can use the money at any qualified institution in the country and a host of eligible schools abroad. And if your child doesn’t use all of the money available, the remainder can be transferred, tax­free, all the way out to first cousins. That means a beneficiary’s parents, siblings, step­siblings, cousins or spouse can take advantage of the money without paying taxes on investment income. And, there’s no age limit imposed on a beneficiary. “We’ve had seniors open 529 accounts to go back to school for cooking classes,” Baier says. “If your child receives a scholarship or gets a full­ride and you don’t need the money, you can take out the amount of the scholarship and not be taxed on it,” adds Lochner. And, “if a child never uses the account, you can get a refund on all of the money—though you’ll be penalized on the earnings.” With so many options and financial incentives, there’s no time like the present to start saving for the future. Resources
collegeinvest.org collegesavings.org collegeboard.org collegecalc.org finaid.org fafsa.ed.gov collegeincolorado.org Other Ways to Save CollegeInvest Plans might be the most popular, but they aren’t your only option. Here are others to consider. EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS can be established for any child under 18, and they help parents save for both college and K­12 tuition costs. Here’s how it works: ● Investors who aren’t limited by their adjusted gross income (AGI) can deposit up to $2,000 per year until the beneficiary turns 18. ● Once funded, your investment choices are very broad, and you might want to bring on a financial advisor. ● Earnings accumulate tax­free, but you won’t have to wait until your kid gets to college to make withdrawals because this investment vehicle can be used for qualified K­12 education expenses, too. ● The investor controls the account until their child reaches the age of majority, and the funds are available until that beneficiary turns 30. CUSTODIAL ACCOUNTS offer more flexibility with your investments or if you want your child to have options for how they use their savings. Here’s how it works: ● Anyone can open a Custodial Account because there’s no limit on AGI. ● There aren’t any contribution limits, but you’ll want to think about gifting laws when funding the account. Annual earnings are usually taxed at the account owner’s rate. ● The money in the account belongs to the child, and any money used before the child reaches the age of majority must be used for his or her benefit. 2nd & 3rd Graders Learning about the West Campus On May 26th and 27th, the 2nd and 3rd graders from East will walk to West for an assembly and tour of the building. ​
They will learn about the West campus, because next year, West will be home to grades 3­8.​
The students will be introduced to our office staff, and will watch skits performed by our student council members about how to resolve conflicts peacefully. ● 3rd grade will walk to West at 9:30 on Tuesday, May 26th and will return to East around 10:15. ● 2nd grade will walk to West at 9:30 on Wednesday, May 27th and will return to East around 10:15.