Kids in the Canyon

Releasing the Butterflies

They arrive in August, these small humans who have only been on this Earth for four or five short years. They are silly, curious and full of wonder, spouting words of wisdom…

Once Upon a Time

In my TK/Kindergarten classroom, as I was introducing different versions of common fairy tales and folktales to the children, I realized the stories offer a comprehensible way to look at life. Most…

Badges of Parenthood

The 2019 college bribery scandal is perhaps the most blatant evidence of the lengths to which parents will go to ensure their children are admitted to the most prestigious colleges and universities…

Big Fish to Fry

This year, so far, has been a big one for education, beginning with the LAUSD teachers’ strike. We teachers have gone through a lot. Our world of education is constantly changing and…

Reflections

I keep a memory jar filled with happy memories of days when something good happened that I turn to when life gets difficult. It’s a time to turn my focus away from…

Regional Centers: Resources for Families

There is a myth of the perfect child and we, as parents, want to believe in that myth. Beginning when our children are born, there are small signs that our child may…

Expressing Our Gratitude

The week of November 26, Topanga Elementary School students and staff were able to return after a week of Canyon and school evacuation. We were all happy to return, to see each…

Freedom From Fear

“The Fourth Freedom is freedom from fear, which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will…

Freedom from Want

“Freedom from Want” was inspired by America’s Thanksgiving holiday, a time when family and friends gather together to share a meal and spend time together. Many cultures have traditions of giving thanks,…

The Four Freedoms: Freedom of Worship

This is the second of Amy Weisberg’s four essays inspired by Norman Rockwell’s 1943 quartet of paintings “the Four Freedoms.” In Norman Rockwell’s painting depicting the freedom of worship, he fills the…