Young Scholars Academy

Where Children Develop a Love of Learning

 5815 Tutt Center Point - Colorado Springs, CO 80922
 (719) 522-9099
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Happy Holidays 2014!

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Below is one of the holiday classics, and one of our favorites to share!

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

Dear Editor—

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon
115 West Ninety Fifth Street

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.

We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Helping Your Child Fall Asleep at Bedtime

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sleepingWhile as adults, we tend to enjoy our bedtime and welcome it with open arms, our children aren’t as excited when it comes time to sleepy time.

Here are a few tips to help make the bedtime struggle with your little ones a little less of a struggle.

  • No big meals right before bedtime – no caffeine either!
  • Once dinner time is over, stay away from over-stimulating activities. Don’t “wind them up” and expect them to be ready for bed a short time later.
  • Give them a choice when it’s almost bed time – do you want to go now or in five minutes? Only do this once and when it’s bedtime, it’s bedtime.
  • Form a quiet and relaxing bedtime ritual that you can start about half an hour before bedtime. Whatever the routine is, have it end in your child’s bedroom with them tucked in. A bath and reading is good but avoid scary movies or exciting television shows.
  • When establishing that calming bedtime routine, avoid rocking and singing your child to sleep. If he or she wakes up in the middle of the night, they may need that same routine to get back to sleep and can lead to sleep disorders. If you are already doing this, gradually phase this out of your routine.
  • Make sure your child’s bed and bedroom are comfortable – the room shouldn’t be too warm or too cold and the bedding should be comfortable but not restrictive.
  • If your child calls for you after you have left the room, don’t respond right away. This allows them to remember that it’s time for bed and they should really be trying to get to sleep.
  • Finally, set up a reward system of some kind. For example, every night your child gets in bed at bedtime and stays there, he or she gets a star or a sticker of some kind. After a number of stars or stickers are earned, give them a prize.

Family Fun on a Shoestring

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Young Scholars Academy
Family fun doesn’t have to cost a lot!

It’s a common thing today: most families have two working parents. It’s a must just to survive, let alone for a family to have anything extra like even a small vacation.

Even if you’re careful to watch every penny spent, there are still plenty of ways to have some family fun even on a shoestring!

• Season passes: Whether you’re heading to a theme park, water park or zoo, most will offer season passes at a decent discount. If you live close enough that you could visit one of these places often, don’t be put off by the initial dollar amount investment and buy the season pass. You’ll find that because of the discounted prices, most season passes pay for themselves in just a couple of visits. Although the passes only cover the price of admission it can still save you money on food by allowing you to leave the park to eat and be readmitted without being penalized.

• Do you have a second-run theatre near you? These are theatres that play new release movies, but after they’ve already been released in the big theatres. What’s the point? Well think about it this way: when you go to see a new release when it first comes out, you’re likely to spend $8-$10 per ticket, per person. With a family of 4 or more, you’re looking at $40 in tickets and that’s before you buy snacks and drinks. A second-run theatre will play the same movie in its entirety but a few weeks after it’s considered a “new release”. These theatres tend to charge $5 or less per ticket. Worth the wait don’t you think?

• Consider the minors. If you are a family of sports enthusiasts but can’t quite swing the cost of even general admission tickets to see your favorite sports team, consider checking out a local minor league game instead, or even a local high school or college game. These smaller teams have smaller venues and typically smaller audiences so they do what they can to fill the seats – even charge as little as $5 for a general admission ticket. Some will even offer a ticket and snack package. There are few better memories than snacking on a ball park hot dog in the cheap seats.

These are just a few ideas to get your creativity flowing. Just because you’re watching your pennies doesn’t mean you have to sit at home on the couch and watch each other. Get creative and I’m sure you’ll find something you, your family and your wallet can all agree on.