There’s a certain joy to having our girls back in school. They are so excited about having new teachers. They have new backpacks and clean shoes. They jump at the chance to leave early for school as it gives them a few more minutes on the playground with their friends. It’s the fun of something [...]
I watched the memorial services for 10-year-old Ashlynn Conner on the mid-day news. I stared at the screen for the few seconds the story ran and thought, “She could be one of my girls.” According to news reports Ashlynn killed herself after the teasing and bullying from her classmates became unbearable. When you see her photo, [...]
Today I was saddened to hear about the suicide of 10 year old Illinios resident Ashlynn Conner. She was an honor student who hung herself in a home closet and was found by one of her siblings. All because of bullying. She told her mom that she was being bullied – and had told her [...]
At our daughters’ elementary school, there is a lot of talk about character education. Schools have latched on to the idea that being a good person is as important as being a smart person. I like the idea because I think anything that helps kids understand that hard-work, personal connections and good character are important [...]
It’s hard to believe my youngest son is now on his fourth week of kindergarten today. The first day was a little bumpy as I juggled both of my children’s needs. Plus in the eyes of my kindergartener, I made the vital mistake of leaving him with his dad while I walked my oldest son [...]
I was casually chatting with our girls’ first grade teacher about their assessment scores. There seemed to be a discrepancy between the three different assessment tests they take each semester, with one test lower than the others. It wasn’t terrible, but it was different enough that I wondered why she thought it happened. She said, [...]
I know as a mom, I should feel outrage for the woman convicted of fraudulently sending her kids to a safer school. I know I should be up-in-arms screaming about how unfair it is that she just did what she thought was best for her children. I read the story several times trying to work up [...]
The girls’ teacher (Mrs. P) has been on emergency leave since Thanksgiving. Her husband was in a serious car accident while patrolling on Thanksgiving Day. As a result, he broke both legs, an arm and a wrist. He’s in bad shape and we all understand that Mrs. P needs to be home right now. The girls had [...]
One of the wonderful things about living in the Chicago area is that there are always a dozen fun things we could be doing on any given day. We’re always on the go doing something we think will be fun. If it’s also subtly educational, like listening to a concert or going to an outdoor [...]
This is my favorite time of the year. Even during the time between graduate school and children, when I had no reason to do so, I always marked back to school on my calendar. I was one of those kids who couldn’t wait to go to school and didn’t want to leave. Each new school [...]
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