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 [...]
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund held its 31st Annual National Equal Justice Award Dinner in New York City tonight. The evening was an inspirational tribute to LDF and its focus on defending civil rights and empowering people and communities in the fight for equality. If you don't know about the Legal Defense Fund, you can and should [...]
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 [...]
Yes, Thoughtful Thursday comes on Saturday this week. It is Parent's Weekend at the college of our youngest son, and we have been spending the last few days strolling the campus and enjoying our time with him. Only fitting then that poems for this Thoughtful Thursday are about parenting, from James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938), Carolyn Rodgers (1940-2010), and June [...]
With Halloween a week away, scary movies are all around. From "It" and Boo 2!A Madea Halloween" in the theaters to countless horror movies running on TV and available on demand, it will be pretty easy for your children to get their fill of frights over the next few days. But can they handle it? Common Sense media offers [...]
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 [...]