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Capital Region BOCES
Tag: behavior
So long sweet summer. It’s almost as if overnight the back-to-school clothing sales have popped up and the school notifications, like class placements and supply lists, have made their way into homes. Even if you’re a parent who finds the laundry list of items needed for your child’s new school year tedious (they need how […]
When I was in elementary school, one of the teachers had an incubator with chicken eggs set up in her classroom. The whole school would buzz when the eggs hatched and the adorable, yellow, fuzzy chicks made their debut. Everyone wanted to be in that class since the students helped monitor and care for the […]
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 […]
Kindness matters. It just does. Many school districts are looking for creative ways of sharing messages of acceptance, respect and kindness with their students and faculty. But as we’ve learned, instilling a culture of kindness in our schools, which then extends to the world beyond, is not something that happens overnight. “Kindness changes the brain […]
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 […]
“How was your day?” is a four word question that can elicit apathy from even the most communicative of children. Contrary to what they say, they do not spend all day at school and do “nothing.” So what’s a parent to do? According to David Ksanznak, principal of Hamagrael Elementary School (Bethlehem Central School District) […]
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 […]
It’s 8 p.m. on a school night. My second- and fourth-grade sons have reached the point in the evening when they need to go upstairs, shower and get ready for bed. It’s also that point in the evening when they are tired and chaos seems to ensue. As I reach out to flip off the […]
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 […]