Here in New York City, we’re coming up on the annual Department of Education’s Respect for All Week. From February 10-14, K-12 school activities promote positive school climates, including the National No One Eats Alone Day on Friday, the 14th (which,…
In the absence of love and belonging, there is always suffering. – Brene Brown If you’ve ever been excluded, you know what a powerful and negative impact it has on the soul. If you were excluded as a child, you…
Dear Elementary PTA President (a.k.a. Superhero in Mom Jeans – or Dad Sneakers), Schools wouldn’t be a community without you and we need strong communities to help raise resilient, happy kids. Thank you for stepping up. Without your efforts to…
The school crossing guard asked,“Can I help you cross the street?” It was the first day of school for my oldest daughter who seemed confident and ready for the next step: Kindergarten. But those kind seven words were not meant for…
Remember Harold Kushner’s best-selling book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People? Sometimes those “people” are our children. It would be wonderful if we lived in a state of nirvana but, unfortunately, we have to function in the real world…
ABC’s The View celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by asking Staten Island’s P.S. 22 Chorus to appear on their show to sing, “We Shall Overcome.” The song was interspersed with students reciting lines from Dr. King’s famous “I Have…
Child abuse is the worst form of bullying. Each one of us has the power to be the Go-To Adult. To me, the biggest concern is kids suffering in silence. How do we get them to talk to a “trusted adult.”…
Raise your hand if you think we’re experiencing a generation gap in this country. How many of you admit that your child (even your young child) knows more about navigating cyberspace than you do — a lot more. Our kids…