My Only Child Leaves for College!
As I prepare to move my only child into his college community, I am reflecting about all the people who have helped me guide him to become the person he is today. The values instilled in EJ throughout his childhood will now be tested as I let go and release him into a crazy college life full of potential. Hopefully, the trusted values by which our family has lived should help him make good choices. [Read more…]
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.
Get Your Children Ready for School
Kinji recently arrived from metropolitan Japan. He had never visited a traditional American home. One afternoon, Kinji’s Grandma Ellen met with Grandma Ann and her two grandchildren for a play date at Ann’s traditional family home. Kinji brought a beautifully wrapped watering can for the garden as a gesture of friendship. He was immediately impressed with the size of the home that included a front yard, a backyard, a garden, and lots of open space. When Kinji met Christy and David, he was impressed with how friendly and carefree they were in running through the yard. Typically, Kinji would bow and stand quietly to observe his new friends. On this play date, he was encouraged to just have fun and not worry about sitting and observing as a new guest. 
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.