A recent NY Times column highlights an initiative from the College Board (the folks who create and produce the SATs and AP Exams) in which the Board determined that mastering two codes--computer science and the U.S. Constitution--were the most important skills (among the skills they test) for achieving success in college and in life. They explain their clunky-but-cleverly named [...]
For today’s Thoughtful Thursday we celebrate a wonderful African American poet whom we at GCP have only recently discovered: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825-1911). In addition to being a poet, Harper was a journalist, fiction writer and activist. Born in Baltimore to free African American parents, she learned to read and write at the Academy for Negro Youth run [...]
Do you have a high schooler in the college hunt? Here's important news from a recent article in the Wall Street Journal: Some colleges are tracking students' online interaction with their websites and factoring this into their admissions decisions. Those of you familiar with the college admissions process may have heard that some colleges look at students' "demonstrated interest", [...]
Here in New York City the weather has been bitterly cold over the past few days, and today it was gray and rainy. Has anyone been feeling down in the dumps lately because of weather? Kinda makes you want to sing the blues. And so today's Thoughtful Thursday will feature just that--The Blues. Brought to you by Langston Hughes [...]
Now that our children are back in school after the holidays and settling back into the routine, it is a great time to check in with their teachers to see how things are going. If your son is in elementary or lower school, why not send a simple email to his teacher to ask how he is adjusting to [...]
However you choose to celebrate Dr. King's birthday this year, be sure to have your celebration include sharing some of his wisdom with your sons and daughters. Here are some of his well known messages and some not so well known, all of which remain so powerful and relevant today. Enjoy! Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. [...]
If you are looking for interesting ways to enable your children to focus on the life and work of Dr. King on his holiday, take a look at the King lessons and activities on educationworld.com, found here. Scholastic.org asked teachers around the nation how they honor the work and legacy of Dr. King, and you can find their great [...]
It's the last Thoughtful Thursday of 2018! (Never mind that it is making its appearance on Friday; in 2019 we will do better.) Today's Thoughtful Thursday features New Year's poems. We begin with "Song for the New Year" by Eliza Cook, which reminds us to be thankful and hopeful as we move into a new year. Next we have [...]
Do you have an Instagram account? Is it filled with selfies, pictures of you partying with friends, inspirational messages, and clever hashtags? Do you have loads of followers and regularly get tons of "likes" and supportive messages? Are you a regular Facebook poster, frequently sending messages about the latest trip, party, or source of political outrage? Or do you [...]
Winter is on its way, and if you are on the East Coast, baby, it's cold outside! Today's Thoughtful Thursday ushers in December with a group of great winter poems. First up is "Winter Trees", by William Carlos Williams (1883-1963), an ode to the beauty of a winter forest. In "Those Winter Sundays" Robert Hayden (1913-1980) reminds us that [...]