Summer camp planning in December? Yes! It is not too early to start thinking about what your children will be doing in the summer of 2018. Camps start filling their spaces in earnest in January, but camp consultants are already hosting events this month to introduce parents to a variety of summer opportunities for children. What kind of activities [...]
As a seemingly endless stream of public figures are being fired for sexual harassment these days, the time is NOW to talk with our children about this topic. But how? There are two conversations to be had here: we need to have the "What is sexual harassment and why is it all over the news now?" conversation with all [...]
Since we will be taking a break from posting on Thanksgiving day itself, today's Thoughtful Thursday offers up some Thanksgiving poetry for you and your family to enjoy. We begin with two poems from Paul Lawrence Dunbar (1872-1906), who was one of the first African American poets to gain national recognition. You will note the distinctively different voices in [...]
We know it is important to teach our children to be polite, to say "thank you". But are we teaching them to be grateful? A recent Wall Street Journal article found here suggests that the act of being grateful is more than just knowing when to say thank you. As noted in the article, “The word ‘thanksgiving’ means giving [...]
Saturday is Veteran's Day. Today's Thoughtful Thursday offers three poems by Yusef Komunyakaa (b. 1947), a celebrated poet who is a veteran and writes about his experiences in and after his service in the Vietnam War. Komunyakaa served in the United States Army from 1969 to 1970 as a correspondent and as managing editor of the Southern Cross during [...]
The school year is in full swing now. Children have settled into the work, and there are still a few solid weeks left before the holidays hit. In case you've been on autopilot, it is time to check in and see how things are going at school. Here are some tips and advice on how to check in: Connect [...]
Today's terror attack on New York City has left 8 people dead and more than 15 injured. We mourn yet another attack on innocent civilians, and we send our thoughts and prayers to the victims of this senseless attack. Usually a GCP post after a horrific event like this focuses on how to talk to your children about it. But [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday pays tribute to three African American women poets: Jessie Redmon Fausetz, Audre Lorde, and Natasha Trethewey. Jessie Redmon Fausetz (1882-1961) played an important part in the Harlem Renaissance as the literary editor of The Crisis, a magazine founded by W.E.B.Dubois. A graduate of Cornell University in 1905, she was a teacher before and after her stint [...]
Success Academy Charter Schools in New York City have had an impressive track record of helping students achieve impressive results on statewide reading tests. Their website boasts that this year 84% of their students (their "scholars") passed the mandatory English Language Arts (ELA) tests and 95% passed the math tests, making them the #1 school system in New York [...]
With the wind kicking up here in New York City today, it finally is beginning to feel like fall. It is only fitting then that today's Thoughtful Thursday offers up some poems to celebrate the season. In "Merry Autumn" the great African American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar notes how the festive fall colors brighten up the year. Pulitzer prize [...]