Issue link: http://hvparent.uberflip.com/i/840010
6 Hudson Valley Parent n July 2017 Publisher TERRIE GOLDSTEIN tgoldstein@excitingread.com Interactive Digital Editor BRITTANY L. MORGAN bmorgan@excitingread.com Editor CASSIDY BRIGHTON cbrighton@excitingread.com Community Liaison PAMELA PERRY pperry@excitingread.com Traf f ic Manager PAM SOSCIA psoscia@excitingread.com Executive Assistant LESLIE CORTES lcortes@excitingread.com Media Advisors CHRISTY OLIVIER colivier@excitingread.com MATTHEW SILVERMAN msilverman@excitingread.com Layout & Design ENGLE PRINTING also publishers of MY TripPlanner.com family MY TripPlanner.com family 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. B eing a recent college graduate, it seems fitting that my first chance editing Hudson Valley Parent would be during our Annual Education Guide. After spending all of the memorable years of my life in school, I am finally not just "home for the summer." Long gone are the times of carefree fun between school bells, yet summer still excites me like I was a kid off to camp. The sun is finally peeking out after being trapped away behind the clouds for so many months, flowers are blooming, and the flip-flops can be heard flapping on the sidewalk all around your town. Summer was always gone in a blur. By the time fireworks were booming, it seemed as though my mom had to turn right around to shop for mine and my siblings' growing bodies and academic needs. Having a six year age difference between me and my oldest sibling meant that our schooling necessities each year were quite different. But while our schooling needs were often opposite, our hopes for the summer were the same. All my brothers and I ever wished for was to spend family time together. No matter how old or busy we got, there was always time for a day at the waterpark or an evening festival. Even a night together making s'mores by the fire pit was the perfect end to a sweltering day spent frolicking around our Crazy Daisy sprinkler in the backyard. With so much summer fun to choose from in the Hudson Valley, we never found ourselves spending (too much) time staring at Saturday morning cartoons. Watching my mom find enriching things to keep us busy during the hot months, while also planning for the upcoming year, is a vivid memory from my younger summers. Hudson Valley Parent was always a guide she used to spark ideas for us and herself. This month, we included ideas to make the most of your summer, while planning ahead for your growing little ones. Our Annual Education Guide has options for daycare age, all the way to tweens and teens. So while your kids are off enjoying reading programs, and ignoring the thoughts of September, you can get all the information you need to give them the best school year possible. Don't forget to give yourself the best summer, too. Take a peek at "Me Time" and put stresses aside (at least for a minute or two). This summer is very different from any other summer I have ever had. I am no longer a student facing the unknown in September and my mom doesn't have school aged kids. But this year September will still bring exciting changes. I am watching my sister-in-law search for the right schools for my young niece and nephews. My mother is an aid to a little girl searching for the right next step for herself. Hudson Valley Parent will surely find its way into their hands. Between the stresses of back-to-school shopping and your bustling jobs...ENJOY! Toss a burger on the grill, slice up a watermelon, and light off some sparklers. Keep summer fun CASSIDY BRIGHTON Editor's Journal