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Tag: featured

Set students up for success during “the critical” hours

Set students up for success during “the critical” hours

May 1, 2017 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Apple CEO Tim Cook wakes up at 3:45 a.m. to get a head start on email, while former President Barack Obama, a self-proclaimed night owl, prefers to burn the midnight oil. Though for student success, it’s not the early morning and late-night hours, but the mid-afternoon hours that can make all the difference in helping […]

Extracurricular activities forge important school connections

Extracurricular activities forge important school connections

April 7, 2017 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years, Uncategorized

My second- and fourth-grade sons are currently participating in an after-school art program at their elementary school. After each class, they share funny anecdotes about something one of the other kids said or did. And each Tuesday, they are excited to go to school because they know they have art after school. This is significant […]

Is cursive writing a comeback kid?

Is cursive writing a comeback kid?

April 5, 2017 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary

If John Hancock had simply printed his name at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence, would we remember who he was? The president of the Continental Congress is famous for his bold script, but would today’s students be able to read the entire document he signed? Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis of Staten Island is among […]

Eyes wide open: What parents should know about their children and drugs

Eyes wide open: What parents should know about their children and drugs

April 4, 2017 | Posted in: High School, Middle Years

For a parent, there is nothing more devastating than the loss of a child. It’s an ache that never goes away. In 2005, my brother and sister-in-law buried their oldest son, Sean, just before his 20th birthday. My nephew battled drug addiction throughout most of his adolescent years. His parents quietly forged a war against […]

10 culturally-relevant books to inspire English language learners of all ages

10 culturally-relevant books to inspire English language learners of all ages

March 28, 2017 | Posted in: Elementary, Middle Years

The summer before I entered fourth grade, a new girl moved into my neighborhood, just a few houses down from me. Her name was Tanya and she was from Sri Lanka. She spoke very little English, except for “hi,” “bye,” “yes,” “no,” and “thank you.” There wasn’t much dynamic conversation going on between us that […]

Helping children get the best from stress

Helping children get the best from stress

March 22, 2017 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

There’s a music video in my head that hasn’t been created yet. The late David Bowie and the legendary, nuanced rock band Queen had an iconic collaborative song with a hyper-thumping bass line later sampled by the infamous Vanilla Ice. You know what song I am talking about. In my video, a camera pans across […]

Bridging the STEM gender gap

Bridging the STEM gender gap

March 16, 2017 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Today, although to a lesser degree than in the past, women remain underrepresented in the STEM workforce, with the greatest disparities occurring in engineering, computer science and the physical sciences. According to a 2016 report by the National Science Foundation, female students’ achievement and participation in science and math in grades K-12 was on par […]

The Power of Play: The cognitive benefits of playtime for preschoolers

The Power of Play: The cognitive benefits of playtime for preschoolers

February 27, 2017 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary

“They grow up so fast.” – every parent, ever. Whether it’s the first day of school, high school graduation or marriage, you would be hard-pressed to find a parent that wouldn’t swear their child has grown up in the blink of an eye. If it seems as if today’s children are growing up faster than […]

How field trips boost students’ lifelong learning

How field trips boost students’ lifelong learning

February 16, 2017 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

My second-grader recently went on a school field trip to the zoo to learn about bats. His teacher prepped his class leading up to the visit, asking the students to read books and magazine articles about bats. My son peppered me with bat facts. When the day of the field trip arrived, my son was […]

Reducing family screen time is easier than it seems

Reducing family screen time is easier than it seems

February 10, 2017 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

For Nicole, a mom of two children, ages 4 and 8, the start of 2017 was an opportunity to tackle a growing problem in her house: family screen time. For parents raising children in today’s digital age, it can seem daunting to set limits on screen time and technology. “This year, in order to actually […]