Jun 26 2018

Talk About Cultural Sensitivity

During 4^th of July celebrations, we typically discuss the diversity and cultural sensitivity of our nation’s population. Through these discussions, I have learned:

“When people show you who they are, believe them” per Maya Angelou.
Be open to embrace other cultures.
We may not know a person’s cultural norms.
Listen and trust that a person does not mean ill will unless their actions speak differently.

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Yvette King-Berg, College Readiness

Yvette King-Berg, is the Executive Director of Youth Policy Institute’s Charter Schools. She was the former California Charter Schools Association Vice-President of School Development and Outreach-Southern California. Ms. King-Berg has over thirty years of experience working with teachers, students, parents, and organizations in a variety of positions including Director, Assistant Director, Curriculum Advisor, Bilingual, and Title 1 Coordinators, classroom teacher (K-12) in Pasadena and LAUSD. She has been married for twenty-three years, and is the proud mother of her son, EJ, who attends UC Berkeley.

Jun 19 2018

Your Child Hurts Himself and Doesn’t Want to Cry

Your Child Hurts Himself and Doesn’t Want to Cry!

One of my friends brought her child over to my home to play with my grandson. While running around the backyard, my friend’s son, Nathan, stumbled and fell hard on his knee. The knee was severely bruised and bloody. Shockingly, Nathan withheld any emotion although he was in extreme pain. My friend and I were alarmed that he was too self-conscious and afraid to express his true emotions. When approaching Nathan about his injury, my friend responded to his distress by:

Encouraging him to express how he felt
Telling him it was OK to cry
Reassuring and cuddling her son
Having her son help when washing and applying medicine on the knee

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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.

Jun 05 2018

Catch a Bad Case of the Travel Bug

Normally, I wouldn’t wish a germy bug on anyone, but hey, infect me with the travel bug anytime! And I’ll be the first to say that I’ll eagerly pass it on to my kids as well. Think of the many benefits of travel: You’ll gain a sense of wonder and eagerness to explore the created world. You’ll learn to appreciate different cultures and the historical significance of your chosen destination. You’ll meet new people and you’ll experience new foods and customs. So, readyto embark on a family adventure?

List dream destinations

Allow your kids to consider locations without restrictions. This will enable them to broaden their horizons and dream big. Think about local day trips, short jaunts within your geographic region, or extended domestic and international destinations. Even if international travel is out of your budget this time around, you can keep it on your wish list!

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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.

May 29 2018

What EJ Has Learned From His First Year of College!

When EJ was in high school, I pushed him to pass his AP classes so he could receive credit for his lower division college courses while in high school. By the end of his first year in college, he had just two of these courses left to complete. Typically, the advanced math and science classes are defined by the students as “weeder courses” because these courses weed out the students who question the incredible success that they achieved in high school and drop or change their college goals. The realization that a student’s hard work and success in high school can become challenging at an outstanding college is humbling.

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Yvette King-Berg, College Readiness

May 22 2018

Summer Time with Your Preschoolers

It is that time of year when parents are deciding about what they can do with their kids during the summer. Many of us have big ideas that are too expensive or time-consuming for a family’s resources. GenParenting readers shared the following affordable activities for fun-filled times with their children:

A camping trip that you can share with other families
A long weekend at a family friendly beach, resort, or motel
Spending a night at an animal sanctuary and waking up to the sounds of lions, water buffalo, exotic birds, or farm animals
Staying in a cabin or tent lodge at a lake or national park
Bicycle rides through botanical gardens or community parks
Planning overnight and extended visits with grandparents or special friends that allow for exploration of new cities and landmarks

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Joyce Iwasaki, Early Parenting