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Middle Years

Taking little steps toward independence

June 25, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

“Mom, you don’t have to sing tonight,” said my boy as I settled in beside him. “Oh, OK,” I replied hesitantly. Our nightly routine had given us time to connect at the end of a busy day, and I liked that. “Do you just want to get to sleep tonight?” “I mean, like, ever again,” […]

This was supposed to be a Father’s Day column

June 25, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

If you are one of those people – like me, I confess – who live by the motto, “Tomorrow’s another day,” this column is for you. Growing up, I was told that putting things off was simply laziness. As I grew older and became enmeshed in the work-a-day world, putting things off, or procrastination, was […]

What are you reading this summer?

June 10, 2014 | Posted in: Elementary, Middle Years

When you hear of parents and children reading together, you almost always picture a mom or dad with a toddler on their lap enjoying a book with pictures or rhymes, à la Dr. Seuss. We know early reading helps young children master the language, improve concentration, and strengthen speech and logical thinking skills – all […]

You’re a grand old flag, you’re a high flying flag

June 10, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

More than 100 years after the Second Continental Congress adopted our nation’s flag on June 14, 1777, a young schoolteacher in Waubeka, Wisconsin, assigned his students an essay on what the flag meant to them. It was the first Flag Day. We celebrate Flag Day this week, as communities stage parades and schools hold ceremonies […]

My garden as my teacher

June 10, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

The seed starter kit at the everything-under-$5 store caught my son’s eye. “Mom, we could grow watermelons,” he said excitedly as he grabbed a kit from the shelf. I thought about the sandy soil around our house. “Maybe tomatoes,” I said. We had some success last year with grape tomatoes planted in containers on the […]

Pause to honor the meaning of Memorial Day

Pause to honor the meaning of Memorial Day

May 23, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

As the unofficial start to summer, Memorial Day brings up thoughts of barbecues, outdoor fun and, of course, a day off from school. It’s also important to also acknowledge the meaning of the holiday and share with children the importance of honoring those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our […]

‘Go confidently in the direction of your dreams’*

May 23, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

My son’s first career choice is professional musician. If that doesn’t pan out, he’s eyeing a professional football career. He also plans to play college basketball, and he has determined that his dad and I can watch his games on television when we can’t make it in person. He is 9 years old, a fourth […]

Measles breaking out again as potential danger

May 23, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Ask any physician in the year 2000, and they would have told you that measles had been all but eliminated in the United States. But today, health officials claim that the U.S. faces the worst year for measles in more than a decade, arguing that people who refuse to vaccinate their children are to blame […]

A lesson in civic engagement

May 19, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Voters across the state will journey to the polls Tuesday, May 20, to decide on school budgets, capital projects and Board of Education candidates, among other propositions on local ballots. It’s an ideal opportunity to teach our children the importance of community and the value of participating in our democracy. Understanding civic engagement – the […]

‘What a day for a daydream, custom made for a daydreamin’ boy or girl’

April 30, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

This electronic world we live in may be depriving us of a much-needed pastime: daydreaming. Psychologists say daydreaming helps us formulate goals and understand our deepest hopes, wishes and fears. It also contributes to creativity, social-emotional well-being and school performance. But researchers say distractions such as social media and video games may keep children from […]