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Capital Region BOCES
Middle Years
The weather has turned, snow is the new norm and retail stores are decked out for the holiday season. The biggest indicator for me that the holiday season is here are the television commercials; commercials that showcase the latest and greatest toys that cause my seven- and nine-year-old sons to franticly yell for me to […]
Welcome to the dark side Back in the day, when I was my children’s room parent, the holiday classroom parties were epic. Personalized presents to remember the day by? Check. Homemade goodies with a holiday theme? Check. Games to keep the students engaged? Check. We had it all covered. Ask my children what they remember […]
Not all of us have pantries that would be the envy of a doomsday prepper. And there are probably more of us who are closer to food insecurity than we might think. Students are wrapping up their holiday food drives in public schools across the state. They often get very enthusiastic about filling up those […]
Recently, dinnertime has become a lot more interesting in my household. Game changer: my nine-month-old son is eating solid foods. So far, pears and sweet potatoes reign supreme, and anything green –beans, peas and avocado, is met with a refusal of shivers and gags. Children not eating their vegetables is an age-old issue, and it’s […]
Thanksgiving Day meal preparation is a crash course in academics, problem solving and social skills and one that children at any age can be involved in, even during the toddler years. From meal planning to grocery shopping to food preparation, each step of the Thanksgiving Day meal involves skills related to the core curriculum classes […]
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 […]