Thinking of a Change...
... the choice is clear

•

the team is counting on them and
they have a responsibility to the
others to stick with it."
Mrs. Hayman agrees that
kids should learn what it means
to make a commitment. "It
would be easy to skip swim prac-
tice in the dead of winter when
it's dark and wet out. Hilary,
though, has been very willing to
go to practice, even after her
friend quit. If she could, Hilary
would skip Hebrew. But that's
not an option."
Annie Friedman, educational
director at Temple Beth El, says
the combination of working par-
ents and kids with a full plate of
homework and extracurricular
activities has made it more
difficult for families to fit in
two days of Hebrew during the
week, plus religious school on
Sunday.
'We're listening to their needs
and doing everything we can to
accommodate busy kids and
parents and still cover all the
material. We've opened up extra
classes and offer
more choices in
class length and
number of days re-
quired. Even
though there's pres-
sure to water down
the curriculum, the
Reform movement
is trying to give
more Hebrew, not less," says
Mrs. Friedman.
Another endeavor taking up
a child's time is athletic train-
ing.
Some sports require a bigger
commitment than others. The
Littman girls started out on a
swim team, but eventually
switched to other activities. "The
coach required a four-day-a-
week practice schedule and that
was too much for young kids,"
Mrs. Littman found.
Now at 11, Anne has been
chosen for a travel soccer team.
Premier club soccer will be a
step up from the recreational
"house" league and school team,
but Anne is ready now.
BeCause of the practicing in-
volved, music lessons require a
major commitment. "A young-
ster has to have the discipline to
practice and the maturity to re-
alize that it takes certain steps
to accomplish goals," Mrs. Kret-
zmer said. "It's not an instant
gratification activity. Piano
teachers have ways of motivat-
ing and inspiring their students,
but still, the kid has to want to
do it.
"Any child who has the abili-
ty to sit and do an isolated ac-
tivity is ready. Most girls have
the small motor skills needed
and can sit and concentrate at
7. Sometimes boys are too young
at 7 and would rather be outside
hitting a ball. The kids best-suit-
ed for piano are ones who like to
solve problems and don't mind
spending time in a solitary,

rather than peer-group activi-
ty."
Aaron Lewis, 13-year-old son
of Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Lewis of
Oak Park, discovered his calling
early and made a commitment
to music. He started Suzuki vi-
olin at age 5 and later took up
piano. Last spring he won the ju-
nior instrumental solo award
from the Birmingham-Bloom-
field Symphony.
When Aaron got to the point
where he wanted to play in an
orchestra, his parents took him
to audition for the Oakland
Youth Orchestra and the Michi-
gan Youth Symphony. He also
expressed an interest in musi-
cal theater and took part in some
Nancy Gurwin Productions at
the West Bloomfield Jewish
Community Center.
His teachers say he is gifted,
but developing his talent still re-
quires dedication and discipline.
He takes two private lessons a
week and practices about 90
minutes a day. He rehearses
weekly with the
Oakland Youth
Orchestra at Oak-
land University
and the Michigan
Youth Symphony.
When he was the
fiddler in Fiddler
on the Roof and in
the cast of Oliver,
there were more rehearsals and
performances.
What did he give up to pursue
his passion? He missed some of
his friends' bar mitzvahs when
theater performances conflicted.
He didn't have time to be in any
sports. But since he enjoys per-
forming and experimenting with
all kinds of music, he doesn't
have any misgivings.
Now that he has graduated
from Hillel Day School and will
be in ninth grade at Berkley
High School, he is considering
going out for track or
wrestling...if he can work it in.
To help her kids figure out
how much they can undertake,
Mrs. Littman had them calcu-
late the number of hours be-
tween the time school's out and
9 p.m. There are only five hours
and 45 minutes available to fit
in homework, lessons, transit
time, practicing, meals and oth-
er necessities.
Mrs. Littman wishes kids had
more time open to do something
spontaneous or relaxing. An ad-
vocate of pleasure reading, she
encourages Sarah and Anne to
snuggle up with a good book be-
fore they go to sleep.
"Anyone can live on schedule,"
Mrs. Littman says. "What kids
need is more down time that
isn't programmed. If they don't
have unstructured time, they
will never learn to entertain
themselves or have a chance to
realize how good it feels to just
do nothing." ❑

c

i

'a discipline unparalleled'
1=,

S IC E3 L_ L_ IE

1 60

•

Director Mary C. Geiger is fully accredit-
ed in the Vaganova Russian teaching
method and danced world wide profes-
sionally for over 10 years.

•

Guest Teachers have included: Jurgen
Schneider, international coach, Luba
Gulyaeva; Bolshoi Ballet, Robert Kelley;
Fort Wayne/ Sacramento Ballet and
Cristina Fagundes; American Ballet
Theater and others.

•

Affiliate school of the Michigan Classic
Ballet Company of West Bloomfield,
performing this season with the
Birmingham/Bloomfield Symphony
Orchestra.

Fall Term Begins September 7

Final Registration September 5 & 6

810-661-2430

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Fashions
For Extra
Special People

r

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(810) 540-1977

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