Day Trips in the Waning Days of Summer Vacation
Usually in August, the kids begin to get bored with summer vacation. Rather than giving in to boredom, families can take advantage of these last few weeks before school begins by using this precious time for day long trips. These trips don’t have to be costly like a vacation. Here are a few of the day trips I take with my children and grandchildren. [Read more…]
Rosemarie Pérez has worked with English learners and their families in public education for more than twenty years. She has served as a bilingual teacher, professional developer, and district administrator. Administrative roles included serving as the Director of English Learners for an elementary school district and as a Coordinator of Reading and Language for the San Mateo County Office of Education. Rosemarie continues to work with families as she leads the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s Parent Engagement Initiative during the past three years. Ms. Pérez provides expert guidance to teachers, school site staff, and school administrators in creating culturally sensitive parent training modules and academic curricular units. She facilitates parent education and Common Core Standards workshops. Engaged parents are further trained to become parent leaders and advocates. Rosemarie is the mother of five adult children and three grandchildren.
When I was seven years old, I wanted to create a book with Christmas cards. I had never made a book before. I loved the beauty of the holiday cards and I wanted to save them for future enjoyment. My mom suggested that I glue the Christmas card pictures in a book filled with blank pages. She would then help me write a Christmas story. This one shared bookmaking experience with my mom stayed with me for life. I soon ventured into jounaling and creating books of writing for school assignments. Later I discovered that I loved writing when taking my first English composition class in college. I created a career in writing training manuals for teachers on parenting topics and family literacy projects. Most recently, my passion for writing and self-discovery helped a group of parent and grandparent teachers create the 
Ah…summer time. A time for sleeping in, swimming in the pool, playing video games, and sipping ice-cold lemonade! While a mental break from school is much needed and well deserved, you’ve probably also heard warnings to avoid the “summer slide” – the tendency to lose some academic gains during the summer. So, how do you keep kids actively involved in learning throughout the summer while having some fun in the process? Here are a few ideas for inspiration. 
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