A Parent’s Guide to Surviving Middle School

1.Check your kids work Middle school is synonymous with more independence right?  WRONG!  Just when it seems our kids are getting older and can handle more responsibility, they seem to slide backwards when they hit 6th grade.  Unfortunately for many parents, the realization comes too late.  We find out at the end of the marking […]

20 Things for Your Back To School “To Do” List

With only days left before it is “back to school” time – Here is what STILL needs to be done: School Supply Shopping Direct the kids to Cliffs Notes to review the book they were  “supposed to” read – or download the movie so they don’t look like complete slackers! Get the car washed AND […]

For Your Entertainment…My 8 Hour Day Proctoring Exams

I’ll cut to the chase. I was given the opportunity to work at a high school for two days to proctor Regents exams. This is generally easy work, decent pay and a good way to wean yourself back into the school year. The school I worked at was very shorthanded and teachers had very little […]

Middle School Sucks…For us and them!

Remember that feeling the first night your baby slept through the night?  How about the first time they were able to dress themselves?  Tie their shoes?  Life finally seemed to be getting easier, right?  WRONG!  Just when you think you have raised a sweet, adorable kid…Middle school happens.  There is no other way to describe […]

5 things your teen should know how to do before they leave for college

College is fast approaching and for many teens that means leaving home for the first time.  My daughter included.  As I watch the days go by faster than I would like them to, I am left with so many questions.  Will she wake up for her early classes?  Will she be homesick?  Is the campus […]

Making Friends as an Adult is Not Easy, But it is Possible

I grew up watching Friends and believing that’s what adulthood would be like. A group of tight knit, long time friends who did everything together.  However, as my life took many transitions, it seemed that making new friends was about as easy as getting a cavity filled! For years I thought this was an isolated incident. No […]

Tinkergarten: An Alternative to Camp

Tinkergarten: Putting play back into education! What Happened to Recess? Even if your kid hasn’t started school I think we’ve all heard of the dreaded common core.  As a middle school English teacher I am not against the message of the common core curriculum, however there seems to be something lost in translation.  Schools have […]

Nominations Welcomed for the Annual Phiilhower Award

  Does your child have an amazing elementary teacher they love? If you think so too, there is a way to honor them and recognize them for their hard work and dedication. The Westfield Rotary Club is now accepting nominations for the 25th annual Charles Philhower Fellowship Award designated for a full-time elementary teacher in […]