Aug 27 2019

Yikes! Brandon’s Twin Sisters Turn Four

The twins are turning four and their passion for life’s many adventures continue to inspire me and challenge my energy. We just had our twin granddaughters stay with us for four days. I have always dreamed what it would be like to have twins party all night. I finally had the opportunity to watch this lively celebration. Our first night together was spent at a beach motel with the twins sharing a double bed. They loved the adventure so much that they would not relax and just kept playing. After 30 minutes of fun, I finally informed them that I would lay down between them to help them focus on sleep. Thankfully, Anna fell asleep immediately. Maria continued to wiggle another 30 minutes and then dozed off. All was well until 1:30 a.m. when both requested a cup of water. One cup of water was dropped on one side of the bed. I quickly plopped down a towel and reassured the twins the bed would be fine for sleeping. Thankfully, all was dry in the morning [Read more…]

Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert

Mary Ann Burke, Ed.D., Digital Education Expert, is a substitute distance learning teacher for Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California and the author of STUDENT-ENGAGED ASSESSMENT: Strategies to Empower All Learners (Rowman & Littlefield: 2020). Dr. Burke creates digital language arts and substitute teaching K – 12 activities for teachers and parents. She is the Cofounder of the Genparenting.com blog. Burke is the former Director II of Categorical & Special Projects for the Santa Clara County Office of Education that supports 31 school districts serving 272,321 students in Santa Clara County. She is also a previous Director – State & Federal Compliance for Oakland Unified School District, the former Director – Grantwriter for the Compton Unified School District, and was the initial VISTA Director for the Community Partnership Coalition in southern California. Much of her work focuses on creating innovative digital trainings and partnership programs for teachers and families to support students’ learning. These programs were featured as a best practice at a National Title I Conference, California’s Title I Conferences, AERA Conferences, an ASCD Conference, the NASSP Conference, and statewide educator conferences.

Aug 20 2019

Welcome to Another New School Year!

This week, thousands of California students will return to their classrooms. Parents are busily preparing for the final days of summer and getting ready for the new school year by:

Completing dental, doctor, and immunizations documentation for school registrations
Helping their children transition into a new classroom by organizing clothes, school supplies, and space for homework completion
Making final plans for before and after-school childcare and play activities
Helping their children prepare for the first day of school by getting an alarm clock, going to bed earlier, and understanding any school transportation and classroom assignments

[Read more…]

Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert

Aug 13 2019

Summer Job Opportunties for Your Middle Schooler

Summer Job Opportunities for Your Middle Schooler

Summer time is the perfect time for your middle schooler to unwind, relax, and catch up with some sleep! While it is developmentally appropriate for your young teen to take a mental break from academic studies, the summer also opens the doors for gaining new skills, exploring new interests, and giving back to the community. In this third part of the “Summer Opportunities for Your Middle Schooler” series, we’ll explore the benefits of getting a summer job. [Read more…]

Jaime Koo, Encouraging Literacy

Discovering the joy of teaching while in high school, Jaime pursued her B.A. in English at Santa Clara University. She also received a teaching credential and a M.A. in Education Administration from Santa Clara University. Jaime taught English Language Arts at Rancho Middle School, motivating and inspiring young people to become effective communicators and contributors in their community. From being a Middle School English Language Arts/English Language Development teacher to becoming a stay-at home mom, Jaime is an education consultant who presents literacy workshops. Her workshops focus on a combination of her ten years of teaching expertise with tried-and-true experiences that she uses with her own children. Jaime is also a Teacher Consultant with the San Jose Area Writing Project. Jaime’s mission is to share effective reading and writing strategies with families to encourage literacy.

Aug 06 2019

Summer Genius Hour Activities for Your Middle Schooler

Summer time is the perfect time for your middle schooler to unwind, relax, and catch up with some sleep! While it is developmentally appropriate for your young teen to take a mental break from academic studies, the summer also opens the doors for gaining new skills, exploring new interests, and giving back to the community. In this second part of a three-part “Summer Opportunities for Your Middle Schooler” series, we will focus on the benefits of Genius Hour activities. [Read more…]

Jaime Koo, Encouraging Literacy

Jul 30 2019

Grandparenting a Seven-Year-Old Grandchild

As my life becomes more balanced, I have gained added time to enjoy my grandson as he turns seven years old. I am excited to watch his incredible growth developmentally and academically. I find seven- year-olds are very thoughtful and creative in their responses to life. I am also impressed with his increasing reasoning abilities and effective problem-solving strategies.

Becoming More Responsible

Some of the questions and discussion topics that we and other friends are discussing include: [Read more…]

Joyce Iwasaki, Early Parenting

Joyce Iwasaki has over thirty years of educational experience working with diverse students in grades from preschool through high school. Joyce’s extensive background includes teaching elementary school, serving on early childhood advisory boards, and advocating for educational initiatives as a legislative aide. During her tenure as a legislative aide, she helped create legislation that allowed incarcerated mothers to keep their newborn babies with them while in prison. Additional legislation was enacted to allow incarcerated pregnant mothers to remain unshackled during labor and delivery. Ms. Iwasaki established and served as the president of an educational scholarship foundation for fifteen years. Her foundation awarded college scholarships to emerging student leaders who provided service to their schools and communities. Joyce is active in performing arts and cultural organizations. She also provides ongoing support to her daughter and family by raising her grandson in her home.