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Capital Region BOCES
Middle Years
As the lazy days of August dwindle and the first day of school looms on the horizon, parents everywhere are gearing up for the (often dreaded) back-to-school supplies shopping trip. Despite the fact that we know it’s coming each year – in fact, many elementary schools send home school supply lists with the year-end report […]
A new school year means readjusting to a schedule that frequently includes lots of extracurricular activity, in addition to homework and responsibilities at home. While we want our children to be active, their happiness relies on another key ingredient: family time. Experts point to a number of reasons why family time is important. When parents […]
The transition from middle school to high school can trigger a wide range of feelings – from excitement about increased independence and anxiety about social issues to stress about the workload and nervousness about just about everything else. No parent wants his or her child to be anxious about going to high school – or […]
Anxious feelings are normal and expected in times of transition, particularly with a change such as going back to school. For younger children, anxiety often revolves around separating from parents. For older children, it’s frequently about social situations such as fitting in, making new friends and personal performance in specific areas such as academics, music […]
There’s no doubt doing something for someone else can make you feel good. But there are other benefits to volunteering as well, such as learning new skills, connecting with people you might not have otherwise gotten to know and showing responsibility by committing to a helping opportunity. Other benefits aren’t exactly selfless – such as […]
At 18 years old, my friend was asked to donate blood by an American Red Cross student volunteer. Initially she said no, but finally made a deal with the volunteer that she would donate if he would do something that made her laugh. The boy agreed and tried a few unsuccessful jokes, then pretended to […]
Children today are only one-quarter as active as their grandparents, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. At a time when concerns about childhood obesity abound, it’s important to make physical activity part of the daily routine. Begin incorporating physical activity into daily life in the preschool years and you’ll set the stage for a […]
While growing up, summer always meant several things to me, no school, nice weather, family vacation, but most importantly, summer camp. Between camp and community events, there are plenty of activities where children can have fun while enriching their time away from school. Summer is the perfect time to have fun with learning that focuses […]
Learning doesn’t need to screech to a halt during the summer, given the educational opportunities available to kick around. Take the World Cup, for example. You can’t look at a newspaper, watch television or scroll through your Facebook feed without catching some reference to this international soccer event. The World Cup is a great jumping […]