Kids

Green Moms

May 2012
Shenequa Aranda is teaching son Preston, age 2, about caring for the environment. (Photo: ##http://www.hartphoto.com##www.hartphoto.com##)

The words “Green Moms” may conjure up images of women with hairy armpits feeding their children nothing but raw veggies and crunchy granola. But you won’t find them here. These moms look like most mainstream neighbors – but they have committed to living healthier, eco-friendly lives, in a variety of ways.

Although these women say they’re far from100 percent organic, …

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Buzz Kidz by Brandon Merz, age 16

May 2012
Brandon Merz, a junior at Episcopal High School, hopes to study photojournalism in college.

Capturing the big picture

Everybody has a passion. That is a ubiquitous truth. The difficulty is finding one’s particular calling. I must have gotten lucky, because, after eighth grade, I had found mine – photography.

Photography, to me, is more than just taking pictures; it is a mode of self-expression and a way for me to tell stories. A skilled …

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Log In to Learn

May 2012
Gaby Wojtowicz took online speech while traveling in Greece. “Doing online summer school is definitely an advantage because you can do it from anywhere in the world,” she says.

Virtual school, for many of us, still seems like science fiction.

In last year’s popular book Ready Player One, the author describes a near future that is poor and grim. Yet even the most unfortunate kid – including the neglected hero who lives in a trailer park of old RVs stacked on top of each other – can go …

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Back Porch – Drowning in Masterpieces

May 2012
Alec, Nicole, Evan and Eliya Gibson (from left) display some of the kids' prolific artwork. Mom Nicole plans to archive it in books she'll create online. (Photo: ##http://www.hartphoto.com##www.hartphoto.com##)

My dining room table is about to become a massive pile of construction paper and paint. School’s almost out for the summer, and a year’s worth of children’s writing and artwork is about to descend. Soon we’ll all be drowning in masterpieces.

Once upon a time, impressed with myself, I bought under-bed boxes and started collecting pieces in them. Each …

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Stylin’ at Prom – Like Father, Like Son

April 2012
Ben Boucher, 17, evokes James Bond in this tuxedo. His dad, Marc, wore a brown crushed-velvet tux to his prom.

The boys are gearing up for prom again, and every year, longtime formal wear store manager LaTanya Johnson helps them find the right tuxedo. These days, she says, anything goes, although the seniors seem to be going back to basics, instead of the printed paisley and plaid vests of recent years. They want a more fitted look and Italian tailoring. …

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College in Your Hometown

April 2012
Buzz intern and HSPVA graduate Lillian Seidel chose to stay in her hometown for college and is enjoying her second semester at Rice University.

Deadlines for choosing colleges have passed for some high school seniors and are fast approaching for others. This time of year is all about decisions – roommates, budgets and, also, geography.

Where do students want to spend their college years? For some, their hometown is the best option.

Last year, while a senior at HISD’s High School for the Performing …

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Buzz Kidz by Bailey Maierson, age 9

April 2012
Bailey Maierson, a third grader at River Oaks Elementary, likes what her art teacher says: “There are no mistakes in art, only happy accidents.”

Take a chance on art

One of my personal favorite interests is art. Drawing, painting, sketching, you name it. When I draw I express myself and feel pride and confidence when I do.

The feeling is magical. In my free time, I like to draw self- portraits, my favorite animals or pictures of my friends and family. Also, if something …

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Choosing the Right Camp

March 2012
Spencer Elston (fifth from left with other campers at Camp Cho-Yeh) advises parents to pick a camp that teaches real-world social skills.

Glossy advertising postcards and websites depicting happy campers aren’t always enough. With so many choices out there, how can picky parents narrow down a sleep-away summer camp that best fits their child?

They say if you really want to know the truth, ask a kid. For the past eight years, brothers Spencer and Kendall Elston have attended Camp Cho-Yeh, a …

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Buzz Kidz by McKenna Compton, age 14, Evelyn de Groot, age 13, and Erin Lai, age 13

March 2012
Pin Oak Middle School eighth graders (from left) Erin Lai, McKenna Compton and Evelyn de Groot designed an educational website about jet-ski safety.

Learn before you jet ski

Every teenager loves the freedom of a jet ski, but not every parent loves the dangers of that jet ski. We all jet ski, and our parents worry, but not about our own jet skiing. They are more worried about what the other jet skiers out there will do, sometimes almost to the point of …

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Rugged Rugby

March 2012
Reed Hogan, Coach Jim Wolfinger and Parker White (from left) are members of the defending state champion St. Thomas rugby team.

The Memorial High player broke through the opponents’ tackles, his legs pumping, the oval ball nestled in his arm. He crossed the end-zone line and stood there, exalting in his first score.

His teammates screamed at him. But they weren’t yelling congratulations. Get down, they were yelling. “Put the ball on the ground!”

After all, he wasn’t wearing pads, and …

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Back Porch – Getting Kids to Talk

March 2012
Tara Sondock says the key to getting her boys Gabe, 9, and Joe, 12, to talk is jumping on the trampoline together.

Children. From the moment they’re conceived, and often long before that, they’re the focus of our worlds. Every stage brings something new, something better than the last, even when we thought they couldn’t get any better.

Then they turn 8 or 10 or 12, and something happens. They’re still the focus of our worlds, but somehow we’ve become targets of …

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Buzz Kidz by George W. Jordan IV, age 10

February 2012
George Jordan says drawing helps him express feelings of freedom.

Sketching his way through

I entered the world of drawing when I was 6. Many things inspire me to draw today. Ever since I saw the movie The Chronicles of Narnia, I have loved fantasy creatures. Likewise, superheroes have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. More recently, I have been impressed by the details of Marvel and …

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Buzz Kidz by Shady Omran, age 16

January 2012
The sax was an obvious choice for Shady Omran, who learned in middle school and now plays at Lamar High School.

In the Saxophone Zone

Playing the alto saxophone has been a passion of mine for about five years now. It all started back in the sixth grade at Trafton Academy. In the first week of school, they sat the sixth-grade class down in the band room. The teachers passed around instruments for us to hold. My full attention went to …

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Buzz Kidz by Samuel McWhorter, age 13

December 2011
St. Mark’s Episcopal School eighth grader Samuel McWhorter recently exhibited his art at Winter Street Studios with five family members.

Portrait of an Artist

I grew up in a family of artists, and I sold my first painting at age 9. It was one of my proudest moments. My work has been displayed in exhibits at Winter Street Studios, Heights First Saturday Art Market and L2 Gallery in Seaside, Florida. One of the best parts of being an artist is …

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Buzz Kidz by Rachael Totz, age 12

November 2011
Rachael Totz, a seventh grader at The Emery/Weiner School, helped organize a charity walk to benefit the Berry children.

Bat Mitzvah Project for the Berrys

When I first heard about the Berry family’s accident, I was absolutely shocked. The car crash was fatal for parents Joshua and Robin and left the three children injured. Willa, 6, had broken bones and Peter, 9, and Aaron, 8, spinal cord injuries. It was my mom’s idea to organize a walk to raise …

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