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Capital Region BOCES
Elementary
The first time I heard any reference to a PTA was probably when I was my children’s age. It was the song, “Harper Valley PTA,” written by Tom T. Hall and performed by Jeannie C. Riley. Released in 1968, the song inspired a movie a decade later and a television series a few years after […]
When I was in middle and high school, I would often meet my friends on Sundays at the local public library, where we would work on our homework and conduct research for projects. We would thumb through the card catalog, searching for books or magazine articles that we could use as sources. Now, students can […]
I can distinctly remember that yellow piece of paper with six little words, “Please call at your convenience. IMPORTANT.” “Uh oh,” I thought. Written on a pad from the “Desk of Mrs. Hinchey,” my fifth-grade teacher – poor Mrs. H wasted quite a few sheets of her personalized paper trying to get in touch with […]
I heard the sirens shortly before 6 p.m. It was as normal a Wednesday evening as you could have as the parent of a 6-year-old and an 8-year-old. I was at my desk in the backroom tinkering with an old HAM radio. The kids were watching a show on Netflix after a busy day during […]
When my son was in first grade, he would come home from school and tell me he didn’t play with anyone at recess. “What did you do?” I would ask. “Walk around,” he would reply, very quietly. “By yourself? Did you play with anyone?” “No.” “How was the rest of your day?” “Bad.” He looked […]
Aside from an occasional yoga class, I would have never considered myself the “meditating” type. Type A? Totally. Zen master? Not so much. That was, until I was preparing for the birth of my first child and my doctor suggested mindful meditation as a way to help me be well (see: less of a stressed […]
Enrolling at a new school can be a challenging experience for students at all grade levels, as well as for their parents. There are new faces, hallways and classrooms and often divergent approaches to learning from school district to school district. The organization of the school day and classes themselves, especially for students who are […]
Up until third grade, my son fought reading on his own. I kept buying books that I hoped would light a fire inside him, but failed repeatedly. And then one day, it happened. He discovered a book that made him laugh. Its characters were engaging. The story was entertaining, and luckily, it was the first […]
“Sometimes I wonder what I’m a-gonna do But there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues.” -Eddie Cochran From the time my kids were little, our family took part in a special tradition and implemented it faithfully each May, until the children got to the age when they were working or simply too busy. I […]
Some students need a little something extra to ensure they’re successful at school. Even gifted students need enrichment and accelerated programs to challenge and enable them to make continuous progress. That’s why the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District in Fonda, NY, instituted the Young Scholars program this year in its mission to empower and challenge every […]