Parenting

I remember meeting with Mrs. Zurlinden before spring break in March of 2020. We had discussed the very real possibility of moving to remote learning after the break, and I wondered what that scenario could possibly look like for art. How could I teach art remotely? Mrs. Z told me one thing I’ll never forget, “Your job is to bring joy to the kids.”

Bringing Joy...Read more

Watching Junior Kindergarten run and play during free time in P.E. is one of my favorite moments. The furthest thing from their minds is personal fitness. They are just enjoying themselves. Through their creative movement, they exercise almost every muscle in their body. Every class has exciting and active free time prior to class actually beginning.

During the warm months it is easy for anyone to “just go outside and play,” or if you’re an adult, to do some gardening or lawn work or walk the dog to get active. But what do you do when the weather turns cold and nasty?

I say,...Read more

In the wake of the ongoing pandemic, the approaching flu season, shorter days due to the recent time change, post-Halloween fatigue (for those who celebrate), and the election, now seems like a good time to remember the basics of parenting: routine and consistency. Amongst routine and consistency, I would like to also stress the importance of feeding healthy habits and giving ourselves grace. There are so many stressors in our lives, for both kids and parents, that we all need to be intentional about caring for ourselves so we can care for...Read more

Year after year, we witness fourth graders burst with excitement when participating in our service project, supporting the Humane Society. It’s easy to see how much children love animals. More recently, we’ve noticed this affection in our fourth grade Zoom meetings. During any given virtual gathering, you may see dogs, cats, hamsters and other beloved family pets pop on the screen while hearing a collective “awww” from the class. While many of us feel a deep connection with animals, children in particular form especially strong relationships with our furry friends. The best part is that...Read more

When I was 12, I had a piano teacher named Ruth who did something curious. I loved playing music by ear and was developing a patience for reading music, but I had yet to begin appreciating technique. I didn’t want to practice scales and consider the angle of my wrist. I wanted to play the Maple Leaf Rag as fast (and sloppily) as I could. But she was wise and she could tell I simply didn’t understand the value of holding my hand at a precise angle, letting my wrist drive my fingers up the scale. 

Discovering a Difference

So one lesson, she didn’t take her...Read more

None would argue that reading is essential to a child’s success. Visiting your public library and arming your child with a library card will help prepare and support your child both in school and in life.

Taking your children to the library allows them to see reading is important to you as parents and invites them to be a part of a community of readers. Surrounding your children with readers lets them see and develop good reading habits. Libraries are full of book-lovers. Exposing your children to a large reading community will help guide them on the path to becoming a lifelong...Read more

January 1, 2020. A new year. The dawn of a new decade.

The magnitude of this significant day was not lost on me. I love New Year's, not the eve spent watching the ball drop in Times Square, but the wee hours of the new year's first sunrise.

Like most years, I welcomed this new year in the small beach community our family loves. Waking before the moon retired, I tiptoed through the hushed house, hopped on my bike and pedaled the few minutes to the ocean. In either direction, the white sand beach was completely barren. This is my new year tradition, a solo...Read more

As a young educator, I had the privilege of spending time in Cape Town, South Africa. I was there not long after apartheid ended and a new democracy was developing. Along with this new democracy came many changes in education, especially for people of color as adequate education had been denied them for many years. Many injustices, due to a corrupt government and a racially segregated population, prevented an entire generation from reaching their substantial potential. People were forced to live in township squalor, and education was minimal at best. While there, I worked with teachers...Read more

For over a decade, a special person smiled in the second row at Rossman’s annual Grandparents’ Day concert. She was not the grandparent of a student but of a teacher! How many people get to bring Grandma to school for thirty-five years?

This Friday will mark the first time my grandmother doesn’t accompany me to Grandparents’ Day at Rossman. After losing her two weeks ago at the age of 97, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on our relationship and time together. What stands out to me are not the extravagant events like family trips, graduations or weddings but small, seemingly...Read more