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Elementary

Does your child need more help with schoolwork: How about a tutor?

Does your child need more help with schoolwork: How about a tutor?

November 6, 2018 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

I try to help my fourth- and sixth-grade sons with their math, but I often find myself saying, “I have no idea.” Their teachers have been a wonderful resource and very patient with our questions, but as I watch the almost nightly struggles with homework, I wonder whether I should seek additional help outside of […]

Making the transition to kindergarten a success

Making the transition to kindergarten a success

October 10, 2018 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary

I’m standing at the end of the driveway, waiting with my five-year-old daughter, Ava, for her first bus ride to school. “Are you coming Mommy?” she asks. Her eyes widen as I shake my head and force a smile. “No love, not this morning” She turns to my husband. “Daddy, are you coming?” As he […]

Bringing the lessons of restorative justice home

Bringing the lessons of restorative justice home

October 4, 2018 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Ask most children what will happen if they break the rules, and you’re likely to get an answer along the lines of, “I’ll get in trouble.” But for educators like Pete Mody, the question is, “Will that really help?” Mody, who is the principal at South Glens Falls High School, is one of many educators […]

Let them play: Encouraging youth sports in the helicopter parent era

Let them play: Encouraging youth sports in the helicopter parent era

October 3, 2018 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

You can see them in communities across the country. There are two in one of the older parks my family frequents. Branches from aging trees have nearly grown into the tops of the metal-mesh canopies. What were once diamond-shaped dirt lanes have long since gone to grass. When was the last time anyone actually played […]

10 educational apps for the modern family

10 educational apps for the modern family

September 17, 2018 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Sometimes, it’s hard to believe the iPhone was introduced only 11 years ago. Whether you are an Apple fan or a Samsung fan or have any one of the many other brands, smartphones and, to a lesser degree, tablets, have made profound changes on our daily lives. They put the world at our fingertips. But […]

Do it yourself: The benefits of putting kids in charge of the morning routine

Do it yourself: The benefits of putting kids in charge of the morning routine

September 13, 2018 | Posted in: Elementary, Middle Years

When I was a kid, I don’t remember my mom ever packing my school lunch for me. I’m sure she did from time to time, but for the most part, she made sure that we had things in the kitchen that I could easily grab and throw into my lunch box. I wasn’t the most […]

The new kid in town

The new kid in town

September 4, 2018 | Posted in: Elementary, Middle Years

Growing up, my family moved a lot. Besides being concerned about whether or not I would have to share a new bedroom with my older sister, I was most worried about being the new kid at school. It was one of my biggest fears as a child — besides the invisible gorilla that I insisted […]

Fighting the first day jitters

Fighting the first day jitters

August 29, 2018 | Posted in: Elementary, High School, Middle Years

One of the things I have learned both professionally and as a parent is that there often is no better time to communicate than when you have a captive audience. That’s where my truck comes in. With the kids in the backseat, there is no Netflix, no YouTube and no Minecraft – just seat belts […]

School resource officers serve as educators and trusted adults

School resource officers serve as educators and trusted adults

August 27, 2018 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School

A few years ago during a grocery shopping trip, one of my sons pulled me aside to tell me he had just seen Officer Andrew. His tone was hushed with a hint of awe, one that was typically reserved for the 1,000-piece Lego sets in Target. My son was eight at the time and I […]

New York day trips: Fun paths to educational adventures

New York day trips: Fun paths to educational adventures

July 24, 2018 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Vacations can be hard work. It seems like you spend days making lists; packing the car; rounding up kids; battening down your home; and inevitably forgetting something. Last year, we went to Cape Cod with another couple and their grandchildren. We had a lot of fun. But it wasn’t always relaxing. Kids get cranky whether […]