knoxville parent - june 2013

J u n e 2 0 1 3 F r e eSummertime Orthodontic Emergencies page 9

June 2013Volume II • Issue 6

Agency: The Tombras GroupJob No: ETCH-38139Client: East Tennessee Children’s Hospital

Pub: Knoxville ParentSize: Full Page 9.5"x 10"Title: Owie Boo Boo Print Ad

At East Tennessee Children's Hospital, children are our only concern, and that drives our mission to improve the health of children through exceptional, comprehensive family-centered care, wellness and education. It is a mission that centers on an unchanging commitment to the physical, educational and emotional needs of each child. www.etch.com

© 2012 East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, 2018 Clinch Avenue • Knoxville, TN 37901-5010 • 865.541.8000

3 Knoxville Parent • June 2013

June 2013Volume II • Issue 6

Learn Something New this Summer!

Advertise with Knoxville ParentBecome part of the Knoxville Parent family! Our readers, writers and advertisers all share the same purpose: To help make Knox County the best place to live and raise your family! Call (865) 622-9680 today!

Contents

K N O X V I L L E

Contact Info:Phone: 865.622.9680Fax: 888.457.9602E-mail: [email protected] Parent is published monthly and is distributed throughout the city of Knoxville and surrounding communities. Knoxville Parent is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publishers may take more than one copy per monthly issue. Knoxville Parent may be distributed only by authorized distributors.

Knoxville Parent PO Box 52605Knoxville, TN 37950,phone 865.622.9680 • fax 888.457.9602The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted and property of Knoxville Parent. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publishers. Knoxville Parent utilize freelance writers, and the views expressed within this publication are not necessarily the views of the publishers or editors. Knoxville Parent takes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or other materials.

Letters to the editor must include name, address and daytime phone number for verification. Knoxville Parent reserve the right to edit letters for space and clarity. Please keep letters within 500 words in length.

Parent publications are GREAT places to advertise! For more information,

please call: (865) 622-9680.

Advisory BoardSr. Mary MartaAbbott, RSMThe Diocese of Knoxville

Marie AlcornUnited Way of Greater Knoxville

Mike BaileySmall Business Representative

Paul ParsonEast Tennessee Children’s Hospital

Tracey MatthewsKnox County Schools Family and Community Engagement

Elizabeth PooleyMarketing Professional

Lee TramelKnox County Sheriff ’s Department

Liza ZenniThe Artts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville

Contributing WritersJohn DiDiego, M.S.Jeffrey Eberting, D.M.D., M.S.Heather Edgley, M.D.Paul GentryKatharine KillenMichael KullTracey MatthewsJames McIntyre, Ph.D.Erin NguyenMike O’HernMarek M. Pienkowski, M.D., Ph.D.Lee TramelJohn Wolfe, M.D.

Contributing PhotographersEdward Foley Photography

Knoxville Parent is now online!

Visit us at KnoxvilleParent.com

Knoxville Parent Magazine is a publication dedicated to building stranoger families and a better future for our community. Call us now to become part of our family!

Michael Kull and Eva Nations, Publishers

PolandNow: Learning about contemporary Polish culture“Unlike the more traditional festival with folk dancing, kielbasa and pierogies, this event focused on the Poland of today.”

PAGE 5

To bee or not to bee: Allergic to insects?“School is out, and we all enjoy time outdoors with our families. Unfortunately, this increases one’s chances of being stung by flying insects or ants.” PAGE 10

A letter from the publishers

PolandNow: Learning about contemporary Polish culture

Tips for a tick-free summer

Learn to manage: Education in addition to therapy and medication

Learn a new attitude: Breastfeeding-friendly businesses

Summertime orthodontic emergencies: Some “home remedies” when you’re away from home

To bee or not to bee: Allergic to insects?

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Here’s your chance: The secret to learning percentages

Fun, creative summer family reading and writing ideas

Ten terrific books about learning something new

A message from Dr. Jim McIntyre

Being smart behind the wheel

Dad Dispatch: They are all the fun years

Go forth, and get dirty!

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Here’s your chance...the secret to learning percentages“It all starts with simply knowing what the word means. PERCENT. ‘Per’ means ‘for each.’”

PAGE 11

by Eva Nations and Michael Kull

A message from the Publishers

Dear readers,

This month’s issue is devoted to learning something new this summer.

Summer is here, and learning never stops. We want to encourage parents and caregivers to think of creative ways to keep on learning. Education should not be limited to classroom walls only. The things you can learn for yourself and teach to your children outside of the classroom can also be rewarding. These new lessons can create unforgettable moments that build character and enrich everyone’s life. As you read this month’s issue, we encourage you to have fun exploring even more ways to learn with your family. Open yourself to new experiences, new people and new ideas!

Have a great summer of learning!Eva and Michael

By Michael Kull with photos by Edward Foley Photography


Marek M. Pienkowski M.D., Ph.D.Graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in

Allergy & Immunology

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• Insect Stings • Hives • Immune Disorders • Drug Reactions • Inherited Immunodefi ciency

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FREE ALLERGY SCREENINGS


and sports (hockey great Wayne Gretzky)This is the Poland that PolandNow

2013 celebrated on May 3, Poland’s Constitution Day (and similar in nature to the July 4th U.S. Independence Day). The event featured a dinner prepared using the advanced techniques of molecular gastronomy by Poland’s only Michelin star rated chef, Wojciech Modest Amaro, from Warsaw; an exhibition of contemporary Polish print making from the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław; appetizers made from classic Polish ingredients prepared in a modern way by visiting master chef Edward Nowakowski of Memphis, TN; Academy Award winning Polish films; and contemporary jazz performed by undercurrents Quartet and Baseball the Band.

Kicking off the event was a formal ceremony led by PolandNow President Eva Nations with remarks by Honorary Consul Marek Pienkowski, Deputy to the Mayor of Knoxville Eddie Mannis, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland Maciej Pisarski.

Those who attended were treated to great entertainment, one-of-a-kind culinary experiences, a unique display of visual art, and all the color and excitement that a public festival deserves, all updated to the present day.

Plans are already being made for PolandNow 2014, once again scheduled on Poland’s Constitution Day, Saturday, May 3, 2014. Next year’s event promises to build on the success of this year’s with even more entertainment, activities, and great food, so mark your calendar now! For more information about PolandNow and upcoming events, visit PolandNow.org.

When you think of

European culture, as compared to American culture, what images immediately come to mind? For some it’s pictures of cobblestone streets lined with 18th

century (and older!) buildings, men and women in colorful folk costumes, and traditional foods prepared simply and heaped on platters. Even today, images like these are hard to shake.

This is exactly the conception that was wonderfully challenged on May 3, when Knoxville allergist and Honorary Consul for the Republic of Poland Dr. Marek Pienkowski and Knoxville Parent’s own Eva Nations, President of the PolandNow organization, presented PolandNow 2013: A Celebration of Contemporary Polish Culture. The event, sponsored by the Marek Maria Pienkowski Foundation and Knoxville Parent Magazine, with support from the City of Knoxville, Preservation Pub and Oodles Uncorked, The Arts & Culture Alliance, the University of Tennessee, and Instytut Adama Mickiewicza was spread over three locations in downtown Knoxville (The Emporium Gallery, Market Square and the UT Conference Center), and featured contemporary cuisine, graphic arts, cinema and jazz.

Unlike the more traditional festival with folk dancing, kielbasa and pierogies (Polish dumplings with fillings like potato, cheese and meat), this event focused on the Poland of today, a culturally rich, economically powerful, world presence. Poland has long since emerged from the repressive Communist rule that ended in 1989. It has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and served as President of the EU Council in 2012. Its economy has weathered recession better than its European counterparts, and its descendants have made important contributions to modern fields like science (Nobel Prize winning physicist Georges Charpak), technology (Apple Cofounder Steve Wozniak), religion (Pope John Paul II), arts (composer Henryk Górecki), entertainment (MGM’s Samuel Goldwyn),

A message from the PublishersBy Michael Kull with photos by Edward Foley Photography


Deputy Chief of Missions Maciej Pisarski, PolandNow President Eva Nations, and Honorary Consul and PolandNow Founder Dr. Marek Pienkowski.

Poland’s first (and only) Michelin star rated chef Wojciech Amaro (left) and visiting master chef Edward Nowakowski prepare their culinary presentations for PolandNow 2013.

“Unlike the more traditional festival with folk dancing, kielbasa and pierogies, this event focused on the Poland of today.”

By Heather Edgley, M.D.

Tips for a tick free summer


Think prevention. Keeping grass cut short around your home and play areas can keep ticks at bay. When you go into wooded areas, where ticks mainly live, wearing clothing that covers your arms and legs is best. Use an insect repellent containing 10 to 30 percent DEET, an active ingredient in most repellents. Make sure to follow the recommendations on the product’s label. The

American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that products for children should contain no more than 30 percent DEET.

Ticks can be as small as the point of a pin and their bite doesn’t hurt, making it tougher to detect them. Ticks find their hosts by detecting breath and body odors, or by sensing body heat, moisture and vibrations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ticks often wait for a host near well-used paths, resting on the tips of grasses and shrubs. Ticks can’t fly or jump, but many tick species wait in a position known as questing.

While questing, the CDC reports ticks hold onto leaves and grass by their third and fourth pair of legs. They hold the first pair of legs outstretched, waiting to climb on to the host. When a host brushes the spot where a tick is waiting, it quickly climbs aboard.

After being outdoors, every member of the family needs to be thoroughly checked for ticks. Look closely at your child’s scalp, neck, underarms, behind the knee and even the groin area. These are some of the common areas a tick might attach, but check everywhere. Every time your child plays outside, wash the play clothes and help your child bathe thoroughly.

If you find a tick, remove it immediately by using fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the tick firmly at its head or mouth, next to the skin. Pull the tick straight up and out. If part of the tick is left behind, wipe the area with alcohol and call your child’s pediatrician.

Don’t use a lit match or petroleum jelly to remove or kill a tick. This could actually cause the bloodsucker to burrow deeper into the skin, releasing more bacteria and germs.

Doctors don’t need to treat most tick bites, unless your child gets a tick-borne disease like Rocky Mountain spotted fever. In that case, your child would be treated with antibiotics. Parents should take extra precautions to prevent tick bites and look for ticks on children and pets. But remember, kids should be kids-try not to scare them and do encourage them to enjoy the great outdoors.

Heather Edgley, M.D., is an emergency medicine doctor at East

Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Visit www.etch.com for more information.

Summer in East Tennessee is all about enjoying the outdoors, soaking up area lakes, taking a

hike in the Great Smoky Mountains or hosting a backyard barbecue. Just keep in mind that we aren’t the only ones taking advantage of the warmer weather. It‘s also peak tick season in the region.

While most tick bites are harmless and don’t require medical attention, some ticks carry harmful germs and cause diseases. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most common tick-borne disease we see in East Tennessee and at Children’s Hospital.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever usually causes a red dot-like rash on your wrists and ankles. Lyme disease is also seen, but much less common in our region, with a rash that resembles a bull’s-eye.

Other symptoms of most tick-related illnesses are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, and muscle and joint aches. Seek medical care if your child has these symptoms combined with a rash. Don’t panic if you find a tick on your child because the chance of developing a tick-borne disease is very low.

Orthodontics has dramatically changed over the years. The technology utilized in our practice allows us to precisely diagnose our patients and offer creative treatment options while achieving better results faster!

Aesthetic treatment options such as Invisalign removable aligners, ceramic braces - which are less obvious – and even lingual braces

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“Doctors don’t need to treat most tick bites, unless your child gets a tick-borne disease like Rocky Mountain spotted fever.”


A few years ago, Jessica Demby was struggling. After graduating from high school Jessica tried college, but soon realized it wasn’t for her. Jessica did not know what to do and felt she had run out of options. All she knew was that living at home and making minimum wage was not what she wanted.

Now, in less than two years she’s doubled her salary, has paid vacations and holidays, and is truly enjoying her work every day.

What did she do?Jessica enrolled in the Dental Staff School, run by Janet Waldron and her husband, Dr. Jon Waldron, practicing dentist. Today, the Dental Staff School offers students the same great opportunity to build a career Jessica has enjoyed. In just ten weeks, students learn professional dental assisting in a real-offi ce setting.

Each Saturday, the school hosts the current class of students and offers state-of-the art dental equipment for students’ lessons. From working on models to practicing with the dentists and fellow students, Jessica really enjoyed the hands-on learning. “It wasn’t boring,” she says, “it was a whole lot of fun!”

Dental Staff School (www.DentalStaffSchool.com) is a ten-week dental assisting school in Pelham, AL; Marietta, GA; Knoxville, TN and Franklin, TN. Classes are held on Saturdays at local working dental offi ces. The program is accredited through National Accreditation for Colleges and Schools, Non-public Postsecondary Commission in Georgia, and the Alabama and Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

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Juvenile rheumatic diseases are frequently chronic problems that extend over years.

Over the past several decades we have made tremendous strides in slowing down, stopping and preventing various aspects of these diseases, but, we have not yet found a cure. Until then, enjoying a good quality of life with the disease is the challenge for young kids and teenagers.

In order to meet this challenge, the approach must be multi-faceted: using therapeutic modalities such as heat and ice, which can calm swollen, tender joints and muscles as well as maintaining a program of exercise and pacing which can strengthen joints and muscles without damaging them. This approach, combined with medications can make a huge impact on the quality of life as young people grow up.

However, social and the educational factors are just as important as physical treatment. For example, the child with arthritis can still participate in social and group activities

through aquatic sports, which are a wonderful alternative to impact sports. A regular program of swimming can not only increase muscle tone and mobility, but can also give children a sense of worth and normalcy, because they have a sport they can work with and even excel in.

Education is, perhaps, the most important factor in preparing for later life. If juvenile rheumatic disease prevents a child from accessing the same educational opportunities as those children deemed non-disabled, making use of the 504 plan* within a school system (or any institution that receives federal financial assistance) can improve that child’s access. For example, maintaining an extra set of books, so that one does not have to carry them to and from school, or receiving help with therapy in school to learn how to write and use one’s hands properly is a very important aspect of taking care of juvenile rheumatic diseases. Also, the use of computers, keyboards, and voice activated programs can help these young people proceed with their education and become very productive, competitive, and active in life.

The key is to remember that just focusing on only one aspect of fighting a disease is not going to get the job done. Using multiple processes of fighting a disease with medicines, therapies, exercise, pacing, using the community resources for sports, for education, all contribute to making life almost normal for young children with rheumatic diseases.

*Section 504 states: “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability…Shall, solely by reason of his or her handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. [29 USC§764]”

“The key is to remember that just focusing on only one aspect of fighting a disease is not going to get the job done.”

by John Frederick Wolfe, M.D.

Learn to manage

Dr. John Frederick Wolfe, a North Carolina native, received his undergraduate degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and graduated with an MD degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His internship and

residency was in Internal Medicine at the University of Missouri in Columbia, as was his fellowship in Rheumatology. He was on the faculty of the University of Missouri until he and Dr. Donna M. Winn founded the practice of Rheumatology Consultants,

PLLC in 1979. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

Education in addition to therapy and medication


More than 20 businesses and organizations are among the first in the county to sign

the Breastfeeding Welcomed Here pledge. Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Knox County Health Department Director (KCHD) Dr. Martha Buchanan announced the Breastfeeding Welcomed Here program at an event sponsored by the East Tennessee Breastfeeding Coalition today on Market Square.

“Breastfeeding not only has long-term health benefits for mother and child, but it also has larger implications for society by positively impacting medical care costs and workforce productivity,” said KCHD Director Dr. Buchanan. “Breastfed babies typically require fewer doctor’s appointments and hospitalizations, allowing parents to take less time off work caring for sick infants.”Some local businesses that have already signed the pledge include:• Arbor Pro Tree Specialists • Bella Luna• Bread of Life• Burlington Branch Library• Cedar Bluff Dental Center, PC• City of Knoxville• CQ Photography• EdFinancial • Exedy America Corporation• Fluff n’ Stuff Natural Parenting Store• Heliotropic Healing• Honey Dew Naturals

The goal of the Breastfeeding Welcomed Here campaign is to encourage women to breastfeed their babies and to do so for a longer duration by making our community friendlier to breastfeeding families. According to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the lack of support for breastfeeding is one of the obstacles to its success. By participating, businesses agree to:1. Provide a welcoming environment where breastfeeding mothers are able to sit anywhere

and enjoy a friendly attitude from staff and customers; 2. Educate staff about Tennessee law regarding breastfeeding and how to handle

complaints and concerns; and3. Display a window graphic that will alert moms to public locations where they can

breastfeed comfortably.Citing benefits for both mother and child, the AAP recommends exclusive

breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding for a minimum of one year. Businesses may sign the pledge online at www.knoxcounty.org/health.

By Katharine Killen, Knox County Health Department

Learning a new attitudeBreastfeeding-friendly businesses

Friday, June 21 - Saturday, June 22A.K. Bissell Park

For more information and to buy concert tickets, please visit

www.secretcityfestival.com or call 865-425-3610.

Media Sponsors:BBB Communications

Lamar Outdoor AdvertisingThe Oak Ridger

WBIR-TV

WWII Displays and MemorabiliaSpecial Events at the American

Museum of Science and EnergyArts and Crafts VendorsRick Springfi eld and The Dirty Guv’nahs in concert!Living History Demonstration,

“A Salute to Soldiers”

Toddlers AreaSand Treasure Pit

Hay Bale MazeBumper Cars

Infl atables

Children’s AreaOscar the Robot

Arts & CraftsGiant Firetruck Slide

EurobungyClimbing WallPetting ZooPony RidesLittle Trains

Dino DigScience Village

Youth AreaKaraoke and DJ

Water SlideEuro Bungy

Festival Sponsor:

• Just Ripe• Knox County• Knox County Health Department• Knoxville Pediatric Associates• Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union• LBMC • Lisa Ross Birth & Women’s Center• Lockmiller PR• Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutritional

Support, PC• Renal Management Company• Three Rivers Market

The Knox County Health Department (KCHD) is a governmental agency dedicated to making every person a healthy person. KCHD wants to encourage, promote and assure the

development of an active, healthy community through innovative public health practices. For more information, visit www.knoxcounty.org/health.


More than 20 businesses and organizations are among the first in the county to sign

the Breastfeeding Welcomed Here pledge. Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Knox County Health Department Director (KCHD) Dr. Martha Buchanan announced the Breastfeeding Welcomed Here program at an event sponsored by the East Tennessee Breastfeeding Coalition today on Market Square.

“Breastfeeding not only has long-term health benefits for mother and child, but it also has larger implications for society by positively impacting medical care costs and workforce productivity,” said KCHD Director Dr. Buchanan. “Breastfed babies typically require fewer doctor’s appointments and hospitalizations, allowing parents to take less time off work caring for sick infants.”Some local businesses that have already signed the pledge include:• Arbor Pro Tree Specialists • Bella Luna• Bread of Life• Burlington Branch Library• Cedar Bluff Dental Center, PC• City of Knoxville• CQ Photography• EdFinancial • Exedy America Corporation• Fluff n’ Stuff Natural Parenting Store• Heliotropic Healing• Honey Dew Naturals

The goal of the Breastfeeding Welcomed Here campaign is to encourage women to breastfeed their babies and to do so for a longer duration by making our community friendlier to breastfeeding families. According to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the lack of support for breastfeeding is one of the obstacles to its success. By participating, businesses agree to:1. Provide a welcoming environment where breastfeeding mothers are able to sit anywhere

and enjoy a friendly attitude from staff and customers; 2. Educate staff about Tennessee law regarding breastfeeding and how to handle

complaints and concerns; and3. Display a window graphic that will alert moms to public locations where they can

breastfeed comfortably.Citing benefits for both mother and child, the AAP recommends exclusive

breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding for a minimum of one year. Businesses may sign the pledge online at www.knoxcounty.org/health.

By Katharine Killen, Knox County Health Department

Learning a new attitude

If the nature of the orthodontic emergency is such that you cannot resolve it on your own, then you should contact an orthodontist in the city or town in which you are located at that time. You may want to contact your orthodontist at home to see if he or she can refer you to someone near your location. Many orthodontists will treat emergencies to vacationers at no charge if the emergency is simple in nature.

Remember, summer is the best time to have your orthodontic evaluation or begin orthodontic treatment. Call us at Hardin Valley Orthodontics at (865) 690-7115, and we will be more than happy to set

an initial consultation to evaluate your orthodontic needs. We hope you have a happy and safe summer!!!

As the song from Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” goes: “Summertime, and the living is easy.” Well,

sometimes it is not so easy when you have a family member in orthodontic treatment, are on vacation, and have a wire poking into his or her cheek. How are you supposed to handle these emergencies? I will give you some tips to help you through those trying times.

For whatever reason, during the summer families find themselves far away from their orthodontist. Situations may vary – it could be a family vacation, an extended visit to family members, participation in residential summer camps, and the like. During that time, a patient may be unlucky enough to experience an orthodontic emergency. A wire pokes the cheek. A bracket debonds from the tooth. A band gets loose. There are ways to remedy these unfortunate circumstances either at home or having to call an orthodontist in the town one currently finds him or herself.

If you cannot get to an orthodontist, here are some “home remedies” that may alleviate your discomfort:Loose brackets or bandsYou may have a situation that requires cutting a wire or sliding a bracket off a wire at night or over the weekend. If you need to cut a wire in case of emergency, you may use fingernail clippers that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol.Wire irritationsSometimes discomfort caused by a wire on your braces can be resolved by moving the wire away from the irritated area with a cotton swab or eraser. If the wire will not move, try covering the end of it with a small piece of cotton or a small amount of wax. If the wire is painful, you can cut it with nail clippers or scissors that have been washed and sterilized in alcohol. Discomfort with Orthodontic TreatmentDuring the first week after your braces are in place and routine adjustments are complete, you will likely feel some pain, soreness or discomfort. You may take acetaminophen or other non-aspirin pain relievers while you adjust to your new braces. A warm wash cloth or heating pad may reduce the soreness in your jaws.

“Many orthodontists will treat emergencies to vacationers at no charge if the emergency is simple in nature.”

Dr. Eberting holds degrees from Duke University and Temple University in both General Dentistry and Orthodontics. He is a member of the American

Dental Association, the TN Dental Association, the Second District Dental Society, the American Association of Orthodontists, the Southern

Association of Orthodontists, and the TN Association of Orthodontists. He is a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry. Dr. Eberting enjoys

theater, music running, politics, reading and movies. He has three children.

By Jeffrey Eberting, D.M.D., M.S.

Summertime orthodontic emergenciesSome “home remedies” when you’re away from home

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by Marek M. Pienkowski, M.D., Ph.D.

To bee or not to bee: Allergic to insects?

Everyone should protect himself against insect stings. You should be specifically careful when mowing the lawn, gardening, working with trash or eating and drinking outdoors. Yellow jackets can hide in an open can of your favorite flavored drink. Keep in mind that consecutive stings increase the chances of severe reactions, especially when caused by insects of the same family.

If you have a large local reaction or see progression of your reactivity, you need to seek professional advice from your physician.

“EpiPen” or the newer “Auvi-Q” – self injectable epinephrine – is unfortunately not the solution to

effectively treat severe insect stings. Why not, despite the fact that these are so widely prescribed?

First, think how often you may not have your small pen or pencil available within reach when you need it! Also, how often does your pen not even work? Second, the epinephrine injection may slow down or arrest your reaction for 15-30 minutes, but then the effect may dissipate and you may need an additional injection (yes, you should have TWO epinephrine injectors). Some people still develop delayed reactions from an insect sting up to two and four hours after the incident.

So, after a severe sting reaction, even if you give yourself one or two epinephrine injections, you need to go promptly to the emergency room. Getting to an emergency room is easier said than done if you are in the woods or in a remote area, or if you have to drive the car yourself, which is not recommended. In addition, epinephrine injections are contra indicated in individuals with coronary-vascular disease.

Therefore, the only truly effective solution to severe insect reaction is allergy immunization to selective insect venom. This treatment requires assessment by a physician specialized in allergy and immunology. The physician will perform a specific skin test to determine which insect venoms are problematic and then design a specific immunotherapy program for you.

Immunotherapy to insect venom is almost 100% effective. Within three months of treatment you would be fully protected against systemic anaphylactic reaction. Initially, you will need weekly treatment until your remission, typically three months. You would follow with every four to six week treatments thereafter for up to an average of five years. At that time, you will be retested. If your skin test is negative, as it should be, then you may have protection from a specific venom allergy for life. Some people, like professional golfers and tennis players need protection immediately (rather than over a three month period) and this can be achieved by something called rapid desensitization procedure. This procedure protects someone within six to eight hours.

Do not play proverbial “Russian Roulette” with insect stings. You don’t have to be hiking in the mountains or woods or be on a picnic to be stung. My last insect sting was at K-Mart while waiting to pay my bill!

School is out, and we all enjoy time outdoors with our families. Unfortunately, this increases one’s chances of

being stung by flying insects or ants. Although there are over 16,000 species of stinging

insects of the order Hymenoptera, only less than 1% are responsible for all insect stings. These belong to the family of honey bees (Apidae), yellow jackets and hornets (Vespidae), wasps (Hypenoptera) and fire ants (Formicidae family). Only the females of each of these species have stingers and only honey bees leave stingers in the skin. Most insects sting to defend themselves, so it is always best not to disturb their peace. The most aggressive insects are yellow jackets, which build nests in the ground and in various structures. In addition, yellow jackets feed in trash and picnic areas, so watch out!

The majority of first stings by an insect cause only minor local reactions with local swelling, redness and itching. Cleaning the affected area with cold compress and using oral or topical antihistamines (such as Benadryl) should promptly resolve discomfort. Frequent and multiple stings by the same type of insects increase the chances of developing systemic reactions.

Systemic reactions not only involve local swelling and itching of skin, but also other parts of your body are affected with symptoms: chest tightness, coughing, wheezing, dizziness, weakness, nausea, diarrhea, and even loss of consciousness. These are almost always a sign of allergy sensitization and production of allergic IgE antibody.

Since each type of insect has very specific venom allergens, you may be stung by one out of the five with a severe reaction, but the remaining four types of insects might only produce minor and local skin reaction.

People who experience faster systemic reactions tend to have more severe symptoms. Once you have one systemic reaction from an insect sting, consecutive stings by the same insect type will tend to progress rapidly to full anaphylaxis (leading to loss of consciousness and even possibly death). Unfortunately, at least 50 deaths per year occur in the United States and are more frequent in the south.

Overall up to 3% of adults and 1% children (people younger than 17 years) develop systemic reactions upon repeated stings. This allergy is twice as frequent in boys as it is in girls. There is no clear association of insect allergies with other allergies to pollen, dusts, animals, etc. Additionally, between family members, there is no correlation of having insect venom allergies. Therefore, we are all at about the same risk.

Marek M. Pienkowski, M.D., Ph.D. was educated in clinical immunology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore and internal medicine at

Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Dr. Pienkowski has been serving patients in East Tennessee with allergies, asthma and immunological disorders for nearly 30 years through Allergic Diseases, Asthma & Immunology Clinic,

P.C.. Active both in biomedical research and academia, he has published more than sixty scientific papers as well as two books.

865-719-7543 • [email protected]

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“Immunotherapy to insect venom is almost 100% effective.”



Everyone should protect himself against insect stings. You should be specifically careful when mowing the lawn, gardening, working with trash or eating and drinking outdoors. Yellow jackets can hide in an open can of your favorite flavored drink. Keep in mind that consecutive stings increase the chances of severe reactions, especially when caused by insects of the same family.

If you have a large local reaction or see progression of your reactivity, you need to seek professional advice from your physician.

“EpiPen” or the newer “Auvi-Q” – self injectable epinephrine – is unfortunately not the solution to

effectively treat severe insect stings. Why not, despite the fact that these are so widely prescribed?

First, think how often you may not have your small pen or pencil available within reach when you need it! Also, how often does your pen not even work? Second, the epinephrine injection may slow down or arrest your reaction for 15-30 minutes, but then the effect may dissipate and you may need an additional injection (yes, you should have TWO epinephrine injectors). Some people still develop delayed reactions from an insect sting up to two and four hours after the incident.

So, after a severe sting reaction, even if you give yourself one or two epinephrine injections, you need to go promptly to the emergency room. Getting to an emergency room is easier said than done if you are in the woods or in a remote area, or if you have to drive the car yourself, which is not recommended. In addition, epinephrine injections are contra indicated in individuals with coronary-vascular disease.

Therefore, the only truly effective solution to severe insect reaction is allergy immunization to selective insect venom. This treatment requires assessment by a physician specialized in allergy and immunology. The physician will perform a specific skin test to determine which insect venoms are problematic and then design a specific immunotherapy program for you.

Immunotherapy to insect venom is almost 100% effective. Within three months of treatment you would be fully protected against systemic anaphylactic reaction. Initially, you will need weekly treatment until your remission, typically three months. You would follow with every four to six week treatments thereafter for up to an average of five years. At that time, you will be retested. If your skin test is negative, as it should be, then you may have protection from a specific venom allergy for life. Some people, like professional golfers and tennis players need protection immediately (rather than over a three month period) and this can be achieved by something called rapid desensitization procedure. This procedure protects someone within six to eight hours.

Do not play proverbial “Russian Roulette” with insect stings. You don’t have to be hiking in the mountains or woods or be on a picnic to be stung. My last insect sting was at K-Mart while waiting to pay my bill!

hundred, $6 for the second hundred, and $3 for the final 50. Add them all up and you have yourself $15!

Now you’re ready to take the same concept and make it about percents. For each hundred. Just like the $6 for each hundred daisies, you get five cobs of corn for every hundred that you pick! You get 5% of the corn you pick! So if you pick 100, how many do

you get? But now it gets a little trickier for the young student if she only picks 50. We’ll have to talk about half of an odd number.

If we had five cookies, how could we share them fairly? Don’t just tell him – let your child figure it out! You might have to suggest, “you get one, I get one, you get another, I get another, but what can we do about the last one?” Yes, you break it in half, so how many do we each get? Two and a half. Perfect.

So what’s 5% of 350? 350 = 100 + 100 + 100 + 50. So, we get 5 + 5 + 5 + 2 1/2 = 17 1/2 !

Sure, more complicated numbers will have to wait until we know about decimals, but you have now nailed down the concept of percents, which will help when they get more complicated!

It’s fun to learn something new, isn’t it? Maybe next issue we can start talking about “out of”…

You probably have a pretty good idea of what percentage is, at least in some

circumstances. When there’s a sale for 20% off, you know that your $100 item will be $80, right? Or at least you know that an 80% chance of rain means it’s likely you’ll get wet, and a 10% chance means you might get the motorcycle out.

But your child may not yet really have a grasp on the concept, and if he takes the traditional route to learning percentages it may be quite a long time before he makes sense of it. But I’ve got students in 2nd and 3rd grade who can tell you what 5% of 250 is in their head, so let’s simplify it a bit and see if he can learn something new today!

It all starts with simply knowing what the word means. PERCENT. “Per” means “for each.” Miles per gallon, for example, means how many miles can you drive for each gallon of gas you buy. Dollars per hour means how many dollars you get for each hour you work. “Cent” means one hundred. There are one hundred cents in a dollar. One hundred years in a CENTury. Even the Roman numeral for one hundred is C, for cent! Percent: For Each Hundred.

At this point you need to bring it to life for your student. If she’s a gymnast, make it about 100 back handsprings. If he’s a ball player, it’s about 100 pitches or hits. If she’s a piano player, it’s about 100 minutes of practice. You get the idea.

So, now if I told you I would give you $6 for every 100 daisies you pick, how much would I owe you if you picked 100 daisies? Simple enough: $6. What if you got busy and picked 200? Well, you get $6 for each 100 picked, so you get $6 for the first hundred and $6 more for the second hundred. That’s $12! But the next day you weren’t feeling so well, so you only picked 50. Usually the child gets this pretty quickly, but if not, remind him that 50 is only half of 100, so he gets only half of the money: $3. Finally, the next day you’re determined to make as much as you can and you pick 250 daisies. Great! $6 for the first

By Mike O’Hern, Center Director of Mathnasium of West Knoxville

Here’s your chance...

As owner and director at Mathnasium (a math learning center with locations in West Knoxville and Chattanooga (www.mathnasium.com/

westknoxville) for the past five years, Mike has extensive experience teaching children and young adults the foundations of math concepts

that are crucial to building their confidence and engagement with math throughout life.

“It all starts with simply knowing what the word means. PERCENT. ‘Per’ means ‘for each.’”

SUMMERIN THE

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Camps for ages 9-17in June and July

865-448-6709 www.gsmit.org/Knox.html

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It’s not too late!

The secret to learning percentages

Individual tutoring and group classes at reasonable prices.

Get higher scores on the

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Call Dr. Michael K. Smith at 865-694-4108In Knoxville since 1983. Convenient location at 308 South Peters Rd.

T E S T P R E PEXPERTS

I know the

secret!


• Match articles cut from newspapers with their correct headlines.• Listen to books on tape and follow along with the book.• Follow a 10-week summer reading activity guide. Visit readingrockets.org/

article/391/ for an example.

Fun Writing Ideas• Create a haiku and use sidewalk chalk to write it in your driveway or on the sidewalk.• Create a comic strip with word bubbles.• Start a daily journal or diary.• Write a story using pictures from magazines.• Create a picture book using the words from a favorite song.• Write and learn the words to a new song.• Write letters to school pals or relatives who live far away.• Write a business plan for a summertime business idea or a future business dream. Visit

teachingkidsbusiness.com/business-plan-program.htm for more information.• Improve your keyboarding skills and speed.• Create a fire escape plan.• Interview senior family members and write their memories in a “Family History Book.”• Allow your child to be in charge of adding items to a grocery list posted to your

refrigerator.• Have your child write a letter to their favorite author.• Write a letter to the president of a company to express your pleasure (or concern) with

a product or service.• Write a letter to the President of the United States, your state or federal

representatives, school board member, etc.• Write a new riddle.• Write a new nursery rhyme using the rhythm/beat of a traditional nursery rhyme.• Create a scavenger hunt and let your child write the clues.• Give your child a calendar and encourage them to write down the important

assignments, summer activities, birthdays, etc. • Design and create bookmarks using favorite quotes.• Make a joke book. More info at childrens-books-and-reading.com/joke-book.html.• Write a song for the summer John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Visit jlsc.com/index.

php for details.• Create a summer travel diary.• Create a “Soundtrack for My Life.” Visit readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-

resources/activities-projects/soundtrack-life-30313.html for more information.• Write a first resume. Visit readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/activities-

projects/writing-first-resume-30304.html for more information.

Fun Reading/Writing Ideas• Write and perform a play for family and friends.• Make a new friend by getting a pen pal. Visit friendship-by-mail.com/pen-pals-for-

kids.html for more information.• Send a letter, email or card through the “A Million Thanks” organization, which

provides opportunities to show appreciation to our servicemen and servicewomen in the military. More information at amillionthanks.org.

• Research and write about your family history and create a family tree or write a family biography.

• Host a family karaoke night and have your child write the words to the featured song – be sure to include his or her favorites.

• Play crosswords and word searches with your children.• Watch a movie based on a book that your child likes and compare the two.• Complete Mad Libs together. Visit madglibs.com for more information.• Hold a viewing party for a movie and write and share reviews about the movie.

For more information, please visit the Family and Community Engagement at knoxschools.org.

Even though school may be out for now, there are still plenty of opportunities for our children to continue

reading and writing this summer! There are moments every day, even during summer days, where we can foster our children’s reading and writing through fun, family activities. Whether it’s playing word games together or writing a letter to your child’s favorite author, we can add activities to our summer fun that also encourage and strengthen reading, vocabulary, and writing skills. Check out these fun and creative ideas!

Fun Reading Ideas• Read the comics in the newspaper.• Have your child read pre-highlighted sections of the newspaper to you or

magazines in the car.• Have your child find and read books about their future career interests.• Read at a local nursing home, veterans’ home, or senior citizen facility.• “STOP, DROP, & READ” for 20 minutes through each day (StopDropRead.org).• Learn and recite a memorized poem.• Read to your children.• Have your child read to you.• Read in unusual places (e.g. fill bathtub with pillows or create an indoor tent

made with sheets and chairs, etc.)• Create a new dish for the family by reading and following the directions to a

new recipe.• Start a family or neighborhood book club.• Set and stick to a reading goal (e.g. 20 minutes a day; 50 pages a week; one

book a week, etc.).• Play word board games such as Scrabble or Boggle.• Take a trip to the local library during reading time.• Sign up child for an e-newsletter on a topic that interests them.• Create a “Reading Nook” in the house that is well lit, cozy, and reserved for

“Reading Only.”

Fun, creative summer family reading and writing ideasBy Tracey Matthews, KCS Supervisor of Family and Community Engagement

Contributing writer: Eliott Reese and Mary Frances Street, KCS Family and Community Engagement, University of Tennessee Student Interns

Ten terrific books about learning something newCompiled by Erin Nguyen

Children’s Department, Knox County Public Library


For libary information in your area visit:

www.knoxlib.org/


Teach Your Buffalo to Play Drums

by Audrey VernickPreK-2nd

This humorous picture book provides a

step-by-step guide to helping your buffalo

master the art of drumming.

Origami for Everyone by Didier Boursin4th-8thWhether you’re just starting out or looking for more advanced projects, you’re bound to learn some fun techniques in this guide to the Japanese art of paper-folding.

Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery

from Your Own Backyard by Loree Griffin Burns

3rd-6thLearn something new

right in your own backyard by observing the

creatures around you in nature, including birds,

butterflies, and ladybugs.

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar8th-12thA novel for teens centered around the card game of bridge may sound strange, but bestselling author Sachar turns the story of seventeen-year-old Alton Richards and his wealthy, blind, card-playing uncle into a thought-provoking, funny page-turner.

How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt

9th-12thWhen teenager Harper escapes her tumultuous

home life by volunteering to rebuild homes

destroyed by a tornado, she learns about more than just construction.

Unbored: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun

by Joshua Glenn & Elizabeth Foy Larsen

4th-8thYou’ll never be bored again if

you follow the advice in this guidebook, which is filled with

thousands of ideas, projects, facts, and activities to keep

you busy all summer and beyond.

That’s Awesome!: The World’s Most Amazing Facts & Records by TIME for Kids Magazine3rd-6thThis cool book is filled with fascinating facts and photos about the world (and universe) around us.

National Geographic Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas by Crispin Boyer3rd-6thIf you’re taking a road trip this summer, bring along this atlas filled with information about landmarks in every state of the country.

Cooking Skills by Stephanie Turnbull

3rd-7thIf you’d like to learn to

cook, this book is a great place to start – it begins with basic cooking skills

and includes a few simple, tasty recipes.

Don’t Sit on the Baby: The Ultimate Guide to Sane,

Skilled, and Safe Babysitting by Halley Bondy

6th-10thBabysitting can be a great

way to earn a little extra money over the summer, and

this book is full of practical advice about taking care of

kids of all ages.


Welcome to summer! While the summer months usually mean

relaxation, vacations, and plenty of down time, the Knox County Schools are hard at work preparing for the 2013-14 school year.

We began summer with one very important achievement. The Knox County Commission voted unanimously to approve the Knox County Schools fiscal

year 2014 budget, which will focus our resources on sustaining instructional improvement initiatives, enhancing educator compensation, facilitating personalized learning through technology, and bolstering student safety efforts. I applaud Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, the Knox County Commission, and our Knox County Board of Education for supporting a budget that will allow us to continue and deepen our core instructional work, without creating a significant additional burden on the taxpayers of our community.

There are also many initiatives we are working on this summer, including:• Continued work in implementing the Common Core State

Standards, which will better prepare students for college and career. These standards emphasize thinking, problem solving and creativity and equip students with skills to live and compete in a global environment.

• The 11 schools who won the School Technology Challenge are hard at work to begin planning for 1:1 technology at their respective schools (one technology device for each one student, and each one teacher). I believe selecting a small, representative sample of schools to embrace instructional technology will leverage the creativity and expertise within our schools, build capacity for future expansion, and

demonstrate success in schools across our community.• Communications efforts are underway to remind parents that proof

of immunizations is a state requirement for entering kindergartners and seventh graders. Immunizations are available at personal physicians’ offices and at any location of the Knox County Health Department.

• Our transfer office is diligently working over the next several weeks on the summer transfer process. The transfer window is currently open and will end on Friday, July 12, 2013 at 4 p.m.

• Preparations for 6th and 9th grade orientations is underway - orientation day is set for Friday, August 9, 2013, for these students. Watch for more information in your mail.

More information about all of these initiatives can be found on our website at knoxschools.org or please feel free to call our office at (865) 594-1800 if we can assist you in any way.

Finally, please keep in mind that while we are taking a vacation from school, we should not take a vacation from learning. Reading programs are a great solution to reduce the risk of summer learning loss. If you take just 20 minutes a day to read – or read to your young child – it will pay tremendous dividends in helping your child experience academic success and in helping us achieve our ambitious goal of Excellence for All Children.

Sincerely,Dr. Jim McIntyreSuperintendent, Knox County Schools

Dear Knox County Schools’ Families



demonstrate success in schools across our community.• Communications efforts are underway to remind parents that proof

of immunizations is a state requirement for entering kindergartners and seventh graders. Immunizations are available at personal physicians’ offices and at any location of the Knox County Health Department.

• Our transfer office is diligently working over the next several weeks on the summer transfer process. The transfer window is currently open and will end on Friday, July 12, 2013 at 4 p.m.

• Preparations for 6th and 9th grade orientations is underway - orientation day is set for Friday, August 9, 2013, for these students. Watch for more information in your mail.

More information about all of these initiatives can be found on our website at knoxschools.org or please feel free to call our office at (865) 594-1800 if we can assist you in any way.

Finally, please keep in mind that while we are taking a vacation from school, we should not take a vacation from learning. Reading programs are a great solution to reduce the risk of summer learning loss. If you take just 20 minutes a day to read – or read to your young child – it will pay tremendous dividends in helping your child experience academic success and in helping us achieve our ambitious goal of Excellence for All Children.

Sincerely,Dr. Jim McIntyreSuperintendent, Knox County Schools

parent or guardian. This designation must be in writing and in the possession of the teen driver.• They are driving to or from a specifically identified school-sponsored activity or event and have in their

possession written permission from a parent or guardian to do this.• They are driving to or from work and have in their possession written

permission from the parent or guardian identifying the place of employment and authorizing the driver to go to and from work; or

• They are driving to or from hunting or fishing between 4:00 a.m.– 6:00 a.m. and have in their possession a valid hunting or fishing license.

• The Intermediate Restricted License must be held by the teen for a minimum period of one year before the teen can apply for an unrestricted Intermediate license.

IMPORTANT: A teen driver will be ineligible for an Unrestricted Intermediate License for an additional 90 days beyond the minimum one year if:

• The driver has received six or more points (the equivalent of two minor traffic citations) on their Intermediate Restricted License; or

• The driver has contributed to a traffic crash; or• The driver has been convicted of a second seat belt violation.• Also, if the teen driver gets a second moving violation while holding

the Intermediate Restricted License, an approved Driver Education class must be completed before receiving an Intermediate Unrestricted License.

These laws are in place to help reduce teen driving accidents that can lead to serious injury or even death. The latest data shows promise that the programs in place are working, but we still must strive to make sure our children have all the information they need, so we can protect them until they are old enough to protect themselves.

When I was 16-years-old, I remember thinking, “As long as I stay in my

lane I can drive as fast as the road will allow.” This “no fear”, “too young to die” attitude is partly the reason that the number one killer for people between the ages of 15 and 20-years-old is due to auto accidents. Car crashes kill more than 5,000 teens each year. Inexperience, risk taking, and driver distraction are all contributing factors. Cell phone use, loud music, changing discs, as well as tuning the radio, are also potentially deadly distractions behind the wheel. When the teen driver has friends in the car, the risk is even higher. The more passengers, the greater the chance of a serious crash.Common teen driver distractions that can be deadlyFriend in another vehicle: Don’t let saying “hi” or other fun and games take your attention off the road. Never try to pass anything from one moving vehicle to another.Loud music or headphones: Hearing what’s going on around you is just as important as seeing what’s going on around you. It is extremely dangerous to wear headphones or earbuds and have the volume of your radio so high that you can’t hear traffic conditions, such as other vehicles warning horns or emergency sirens. In most states it is illegal to wear headphones or earbuds while driving.The “show off ” factor: It may be tempting to go faster, turn sharper, or beat another car through an intersection. Many teens fail to realize they are no longer “competing for fun” and are now using a 3,000 to 5,000 pound “weapon” in this competition.Learner permits, restricted & unrestricted driver licensesThe Graduated Driver Licensing law places certain restrictions on teens under the age of 18 who have a learner permit and driver license. Anyone under the age of 18 must have his learner permit for a minimum of six months before applying for an intermediate restricted license. The minimum age for applying for an intermediate restricted license is 16-years-old. Those with an intermediate license can only have one other passenger in the vehicle UNLESS At least one passenger is 21-years-old or older and has a valid, unrestricted license; OR the passengers are brothers and sisters, step-brothers or step-sisters, or adopted or foster children residing in the same house as the driver, and the intermediate license holder has in his possession a letter from the driver’s parent authorizing passengers to be in the motor vehicle for the sole purpose of going to and from school.

Those with an Intermediate Restricted License are also prohibited from driving between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. UNLESS they meet the following circumstances:

• They are accompanied by a parent or guardian, or accompanied by a licensed driver 21-years-old or older who has been designated by the

by Chief Lee Tramel, Knox County Sheriff ’s Office

Being smart behind the wheel

Lee Tramel is the Assistant Chief Deputy for the Knox County Sheriff ’s Office. During his 26 year career, he also served in the civil

warrants division and as Assistant Director of the Court Services Division. Lee is a Knoxville native, where he lives with his wife and

11 year old daughter.

“...we still must strive to make sure our children have all the information they need, so we can protect them until they are old enough to protect themselves.”

When Master Alden Caldwell was born, he could not have known that he was destined to help deliver his mother and father from a troubled life in an exotic paradise thousands of miles from their home in America.

His parents, Sylvia and Albert, were Presbyterian missionaries teaching in Bangkok, Siam (now Thailand). But, after struggling for 2 ½ years in this foreign land, they wanted out. A wriggly, 10-month old baby, and Sylvia’s mysterious health issues would pave the way.

But, there were complications. Deserting their post before filling their long-term contractual obligations to the American Presbyterian Foreign Missions would surely give rise to incriminating accusations and financial reprisals. Regardless, they were determined to raise little Alden in America. In late February, 1912, they made good their escape.

Their long journey home stretched halfway around the world. Finally, having endured almost two-months of stressful traveling conditions, they suddenly found themselves in the lap of luxury aboard Titanic. It was shear heaven for four days, pure hell on the fifth.

The Caldwells were drifting off to sleep when a crewman shouted “Everybody on deck with your lifebelt.” Titanic was in her death throes, but Sylvia and Albert were not convinced. Reality hit hard on deck. Women and children ONLY were being loaded into lifeboats. Sylvia, too weak to hold Alden, pleaded with crewmen to let Albert board. No other women were in sight, so they let him go. “I owe my life to my baby boy or rather God who used him to save me,” Albert would say later.

The Caldwells lost everything that night. All they had left was each other – for a time. Sylvia and Albert were divorced in 1930, four years before Alden received his master’s degree from the University of Illinois. Alden never married and spent much of his time trying to prove his United States citizenship. He died December 18th, 1992 in Largo, Florida.

The Caldwells dramatic odyssey circumnavigated the globe. Rare, personal artifacts, including Alden’s baby shoes, bring their journey to an emotional close for all who visit the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

This incredible family story is part of the new Discover the Children of Titanic exhibit you’ll experience when you come.

And a Child Will Lead the Way...The Alden Gates Caldwell Story


By Paul Gentry

They are all the fun years

Eight years would have seemed like a long time, if you had walked up and started a discussion

with me on the perception of time a few years ago. It was roughly eight years ago that my wife and I were going through fertility treatments, and, after four years of failed attempts, we found out things were finally paying off with positive results. That was June of 2006, and my wife’s pregnancy paid off...times three! My triplet sons will celebrate their eighth birthday this coming January, but it seems like decades ago since they were born, with little time to reflect on what has occurred since: running to work, home for supper, basketball practice, cub scouts, church, swim team meets, string recitals. The list goes on.

With the busy world we live in, I have recently realized that reflection and thankfulness are things easily overlooked during the daily hustling and bustling. I am realizing more and more the old saying inscribed on many timekeeping mechanisms and in Latin primers: “Tempus Fugit.” Time really does fly, or more accurately to the translation, it flees. With the time with my children fleeing, both the time while they are living at home and my time being physically able to be with them on this side of the grave, I have been recently reflecting on what true thankfulness is and how to cherish and enjoy each and every moment with my family.

True thankfulness (my definition of it) includes being thankful every day for a merciful God who has seen fit for me to live in this great country, have a wonderful and healthy wife and children, a good job, and the vast array of opportunities that most all of us have before us on a daily basis. For me, one of those opportunities is to be a dad to children. Along with this opportunity comes a responsibility to help mentor and lead through example children who have the upmost adoration for us who are parents.

With all the input we receive these days, be it email, voicemail, text messages, etc., I feel overloaded and overwhelmed much of the time with too much to do and not enough time do it. I’m sure many of you have experienced this as well. Time for family fun seems limited, but I am trying to make a conscious effort to slow down and take the time for fun, to enjoy life and family, and to be thankful for the opportunities given to me. I have talked to too many people who have regrets of what they should have done. We all have them, but I am trying hard to slow down, because time seems to be speeding up. My boys will be in college in just ten short years, growing into men with lives of their own.

I have had discussions with moms and dads on the topic of “the good years” or “the fun years.” Looking back on the eight years I have had so far with mine, I am in the camp of “they are all fun years.” Some seasons of life are harder than others. Changing three diapers and feeding three mouths was challenging. People constantly ask my wife or me, “How did you do it? You sure do have your

hands full!” I tell them we did it because we had to, and we don’t know anything else. We have no concept of one child. We only know three all at once. God has a plan and sometimes we don’t know what that plan is or why we are given the challenges put before us. We just grin and bear it, making the best decisions we can one day at a time. We are having a ball right now with the guys learning how to read, how to be better swimmers, how to serve others by volunteering with Mobile Meals, getting along with others, and so on.

The realization that what I heard growing up from folks that life is short is now really ringing true. Allow me to put on my ole’ timer hat and

say: “Our time on earth is short. Our time with our kids is fleeing. There is more work to do. More ball games to go to, more camp outs, graduations, weddings, more seasons, more learning, more to do: More good and challenging times.” I love family very much. I am reflecting on what has happened and what will. I am very thankful.

Paul Gentry is an ES&H Program Manager for Spectra Tech, Inc. in Oak Ridge, TN. He has been married to Melody Ryon Gentry for twelve years.

He grew up in Lenoir City and has a BA in Environmental Safety & Health from ETSU. In his spare time he enjoys amateur radio, photography,

and outdoor activities.

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Melody, Paul, John, Luke and Andrew Gentry


get my hands on. I learned a million things:

rocks are hard, crayfish in a jar overnight die, wet red clay is slippery, water snakes usually bite when grabbed (brown snakes don’t), and how to climb trees or balance on a log.*

As a result, I felt a kinship with the land, I felt a sense of ownership and belonging – so much so that when ‘my woods’ were eventually leveled for a church and a parking lot, I was

angry and hurt, as if a part of my identity was gone.Recently, I was leading an activity with hundreds of kids teaching about

watersheds at a local water festival, and I couldn’t help notice that (a) the kids were out of their element just sitting on the ground, and (b) they were having a ball!

My lesson plan included a wrap-up that encouraged water conservation, but by the end of the activity, it was clear that something else was needed. I heard myself telling these kids to go out and dam up creeks, get dirty, look under rocks, and build forts.

How can we expect kids to protect and conserve a land for which they have no connection? Before they can protect it, they have to know it. As adults who love kids and the natural world, we need to get them out in it, and to be open to the fact that they need to be kids, break things, and yes, occasionally kill stuff.

At Tremont, we will continue to conduct educational programs and do our part to protect this magical park, but we need everyone making it okay for kids to be kids.

As Robert Michael Pyle wrote in his essay Eden in a Vacant Lot (2002), “For special places to work their magic on kids, they need to be able to do some clamber and damage…[they need] little patches that are not manicured, planted, controlled, or protected, but are close to home and available for kids to play, as they please.”

*These are the kinds of things that, in years past, most kids learned just by growing up. No one had to teach them.

“I think about my childhood and how it shaped who I am today. And here’s my confession - I definitely was not ‘responsible.’”

Tremont’s educational program is a thing of beauty. We get kids

discovering the national park, we meet state education standards, and we boast a professional staff that creates a safe learning wonderland for kids of all ages.

We teach people how to enjoy the outdoors in a responsible way that minimizes impact on the land. All of this makes good sense and fits well with our mission of connecting people and nature while fostering stewardship of the park.

But every so often, I worry. I am afraid that this by itself is just not enough. I think about my childhood and how it shaped who I am today. And here’s my confession - I definitely was not ‘responsible.’

I was a kid. I killed stuff. I chopped down trees (with a very small hatchet), carved sticks, burned bark with a magnifying glass, built forts, and captured snakes, lizards and any other reptile or amphibian I could

John grew up catching snakes and turtles in the creeks of upstate South Carolina. He has a BA in English Literature from Notre Dame and an M.S. in

Natural Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In over 15 years experience in environmental education, he has worked in places as far-flung as New England, Georgia, Yosemite NP, and far eastern Russia. He enjoys hiking,

biking, kayaking, turning over logs, and playing/singing folk tunes.

by John DiDiego, Education Director. Photos courtesy Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont.

Go forth, and get dirty!

307-231-6403 or 865-806-6580 www.edwardfoleyphotography.com

Portraits Sports Events Seniors Maternity Weddings Engagement Families

Let us help your special memories last a lifetime! 307-231-6403 or 865-806-6580

www.edwardfoleyphotography.com

307-231-6403 or 865-806-6580 www.edwardfoleyphotography.com

Portraits Sports Events Seniors Maternity Weddings Engagement Families

Let us help your special memories last a lifetime! 307-231-6403 or 865-806-6580

www.edwardfoleyphotography.com


Keep Your Teeth HealthyFor A Lifetime!

(865) 693-6933

Kingston Pike and

Walker Springs (Next to The Rush)

865-690-8819

Turkey Creek (Next to Party City)

865-671-6699

Premier Martial Arts Offers Kids

Martial Arts, Kickboxing Classes, BJJ,

Krav Maga, Mixed Martial Arts

Training, MMA Workouts

Martial Arts, And Cardio Kickboxing.

$29.95Includes Two Private

Lessons and a FREE Uniform!

DAD'S RECOGNITION MONTH

ALL DADS TRAIN FREE IN THE MONTH OF JUNE!

DAD’S SELF DEFENSE WORKSHOP! BRING DAD TO MARTIAL ARTS DAY!

15% OFF ANY MEMBERSHIP FOR ALL DADS!*

*Current Members Excluded.

(123) 456-7890 123 Your Street

your town www.PremierMartialArts.com

knoxville parent - june 2013

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