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6 Hudson Valley Parent n March 2014 A s a parent of a school-aged kid, I was pretty wary of the implementa- tion of the Common Core standards this year. I had heard tell of the "new math" and how confusing it is for us parents, but I was hopeful that when the time came, I could catch on quick and be of some help to my 1st grader. Turns out I was wrong. As soon as the homework started, I stared blankly at the work sheets, wondering if I was reading a different language. Turns out I'm not alone. I've heard from countless parents in the same boat: How can this be so confusing? It's just adding and subtracting, right? We've enlisted a couple of ex- perts to help us better understand the expectations and terminology of the new Common Core standards. Each month, our experts will answer your questions about mathe- matics and the English language arts so that we can all make the best of this new state of affairs. Our first col- umn on math answers the question, "What the heck is a number bond?" Do you have a question you'd like answered about your child's homework? Email me at kweber@ excitingread.com. Breaking breast cancer On October 13, Goshen moth- er Heather LaBruna updated her Facebook status with the following: "What's it like to be 36 and recently diagnosed with bilateral breast can- cer? Let me tell you, it sucks." What followed was a brave, heartfelt, and gut-wrenching de- scription of her diagnosis and her reaction. Heather wor- ried for the future of her family. "I can't die yet," she wrote. "I have to live to see my kids do great things in life, and to grow old with my husband." Heather has refused to allow breast cancer to defeat her. She started her own blog, Breaking Breast Cancer, a witty and uplifting account of her journey. Her message, she explains, is a simple one: "I'm telling everyone this for one main reason: I want you to send me money. Just kidding! What I want is for every person who reads this — every woman and every man who has a woman he loves — to be pro- active about your health and your family's health." Hudson Valley Parent asked Heather to document her story for us, which you'll find on page 18. As always, she writes with remarkable humor and strength. I encourage you to read about her journey, then follow her blog at breakingbreast- cancer.blogspot.com. You'll be glad you did. Publisher TERRIE GOLDSTEIN tgoldstein@excitingread.com Editor KATY WEBER kweber@excitingread.com Media Advisor ROANNE PATTERSON rpatterson@excitingread.com Media Advisor KIMBERLY MAYER kmayer@excitingread.com Executive Assistant to the Publisher MERLYN AKHTAR makhtar@excitingread.com Administrative Assistant ALLYSON KIRSTEIN akirstein@excitingread.com Social Media Coordinators ERIN JOHNSON GLORIA DARMANIN Web Ad Designer LESLIE CORTES Layout & Design ENGLE PRINTING also publishers of MY TripPlanner.com family MY TripPlanner.com family baby The HUDSON VALLEY G U I D E Hudson Valley Parent is published monthly by: The Professional Image Marketing & Public Relations Inc. 174 South Street • Newburgh, NY 12550 Phone: 845-562-3606 • Fax: 845-562-3681 hvparent.com This publication is copyrighted by the publisher. Reproduction without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Hudson Valley Parent welcomes submissions, although we cannot accept responsibility for work submitted nor guarantee publication. A MEMBER OF Cutting to the core KATY WEBER Editor's Journal Heather prepares for her first chemotherapy treatment on December 31. "If your first chemo treatment has to be on New Year's Eve, you do it up right."