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Elementary

Writing tips for anyone who puts pen to paper or fingers to keyboard

December 8, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

In our electronic world, everyone can be a writer. From blogs to Facebook posts to tweets, there’s a place for everyone who has access to the internet to publicly express themselves. But does everyone do it well? No, hardly. Chances are you’ve cringed at a Facebook post or email riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. […]

Winter solstice: Shadows are longest, daylight is shortest this time of year

December 7, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Shorter days and longer nights are the norm in the Northeast this time of year. Instead of begrudging the diminished daylight, use the coming December solstice as an opportunity to help your child learn some science. The winter solstice is considered the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere – or at least the astronomical […]

The comfort of traditions

November 24, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

The suggestion that we “do something different” this Thanksgiving was met by a long silence. “Why would we do something different?” asked our daughter, her tone incredulous. The start of college this past August has meant a time of significant adjustment for our oldest child. She and our two other children have only ever known […]

Thanksgiving is not just about Pilgrims

November 24, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Thanksgiving and Pilgrims usually go together. For most people, the holiday conjures up images of black and white garb with buckles on the hats and shoes*. At this time of year, we ponder a primitive feast 400 years in our past shared between a handful of English settlers and their Wampanoag neighbors. But, Thanksgiving isn’t […]

Roll up your sleeves for some science in the kitchen

November 24, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

The kitchen is a popular place during the holidays – and a perfect location to introduce your child to the “magic” of science. Children are naturally curious and more inclined to learn about something that interests them. Introducing them to science at a young age – and in a fun way – can be a […]

Busy beavers are members of nature’s classroom

Busy beavers are members of nature’s classroom

November 12, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

They’ve been called master architects and engineers, but they’ve never spent a day in an actual classroom. Instead, they perfect their innate talent by watching and doing. They’re beavers, an animal we became curious about when we noticed several trees down alongside a small pond near our house. They leave in their wake a telltale […]

Gratitude takes time to nurture

November 12, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Research supports the idea that gratitude is good for us. It helps us form, sustain and strengthen supportive relationships, and contributes to the feeling that we’re connected to a caring community. This is true regardless of our age. According to researchers at The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, “Evidence from […]

‘Stayin Alive’ with CPR in schools

November 12, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

If someone next to you were to suddenly fall to the ground and stop breathing, would you know what to do? Would your children or your neighbor’s children know what to do? Most Americans would answer no. Less than a third of Americans say they know how to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) – a simple […]

Learning code introduces students to ‘new way of thinking’

November 12, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Students of all ages are acquiring a language that will serve them well in the future: They’re learning computer code. Educators say learning code exposes students to more than technical skills; they’re gaining critical thinking and problem solving skills that will serve them well in any future job. “Learning to program opens up a new […]

I’m not afraid of that shadow under the stairs. Oh yes, I am!

October 15, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary

The bloodcurdling scream stops you in your tracks; your heart skips a beat as you see the look of horror on your son’s face. The next sound out of his mouth is barely discernable, but your years of experience have made you an expert in translation. You let your breath out slowly as you realize […]