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Capital Region BOCES
Middle Years
Each year, we commemorate our presidents on the third Monday in February – aptly known as Presidents’ Day. Presidents’ Day can sort of get lost in the midst of winter break. Kids tend to view it as just another day off, and they may be thinking more about late-night sleepovers, sleeping in and hanging out […]
A friend recently pointed out to me – a former smoker – one more reason for teenage girls not to smoke: It might weaken their bones. Scientists at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center found that teenage girls who smoke are more likely to develop osteoporosis later in life than their smoke-free counterparts, according to […]
Are children learning all they need in order to succeed in life after high school? Whether their goal is more education in college, vocational training or finding a job, all young people need a solid foundation of achievement in grades K-12 to set the stage for their future. The Common Core Standards were designed to […]
Children spend a significant number of hours each day in school, but their most influential teachers are the adults in their homes. Much of what children learn – and mimic – is based on what they see parents, guardians, even older siblings, do. At a very young age, it’s a simple game of peek-a-boo or […]
By the time our children are in high school, opportunities for parent involvement in the classroom fade to a distant memory. That doesn’t mean we can’t still be involved in their education. With a little creativity, you can turn any experience into a learning event. Take the Super Bowl, for example. There is plenty of […]
The bigger they are, the harder they fall. It’s as true for celebrity role models as for redwood trees. And when record-breaking cyclist Lance Armstrong recently confessed to Oprah Winfrey that he cheated to win seven Tour de France races, he landed with a thud heard ’round the world. As falls from grace go, it […]
Sydney is a nice name for such a nasty thing. But that’s what the latest virus making the rounds of schools and daycares is called. Technically named GII.4 Sydney, this strain was originally detected in Australia. Now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that the very contagious norovirus is infecting people in the […]
It started as a small stretch of his mouth, which seemed to ease the discomfort of very chapped lips. It was soon accompanied by rapid eye blinking and eyebrow raising, involving my then-6-year-old son’s entire face. The word “tic” came to mind, and I did what any curious/worried parent would do and turned to the […]
This year, the flu means business. Doctors and health authorities are warning families that the flu season, which typically runs from October to May, has become an aggressive and widespread battleground against illness this year. And flu – often confused with the common cold – can be dangerous for some people, sometimes deadly. By the […]
My kids’ drive-thru request was simple: two shakes and an order of popcorn chicken. “May I take your order?” the voice on the other side of the speaker asked. I got through “two small vanilla” when the voice asked me to hold on please. Less than a half-minute later, the voice came back. “Sorry, I […]