The Summer Solstice, which occurs on June 21st, is when the sun is at its highest path through the sky and the day is the longest. It marks the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and simultaneously begins winter in the southern hemisphere. Because the day is so long the Sun does not rise exactly in the east, but rises to the north of east and sets to the north of west allowing it to be in the sky for a longer period of time. In 2010, the solstice occurs and summer begins, in the Northern Hemisphere, early on June 21, at 7:28 a.m. EDT
The solstice is due to the tilt of the earth's axis, without it we would have no seasons. The earth spins around
In 1907, Anna M Jarvis, to ease her grief, proposed and then organized an annual remembrance for her mother who had passed on into loving memory. It was a special memorial service that was to honor her mother with five hundred carnations-her mother's favorite flower-made into corsages.
Miss Jarvis worked, for the next seven years, to create a national holiday honoring mothers. On May 8, 1914 Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May "Mother's Day," urging an annual "public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country."
Very quickly the day became a commercial event. Anna Jarvis spent the rest of her life fighting the commercialism of this holiday that was so dear to her heart. She wrote countless letters, articles and pamphlets arguing that the holiday had been intended to inspire thoughtful, loving gestures-"through some distinct act of kindness, visit, letter, a gift or tribute to show remembrance of the mother to whom general affection is due."
The last month of school provides parents with an opportunity to encourage their children to become self-motivated. It is easy during first months of school to motivate children. Everything is new, new teacher, room, school supplies, a fresh start to be brilliant! Yet, all those reasons are external.
Spring weather can be a challenge for parents; it can be sunny, it can rain, or snow, all in the same week. Active children love to run and play outdoors, but when the weather conditions change from day to day and they need to limit their outdoor activities children tend to get antsy.
Although, children do need to learn that it is not the weather that makes them moody, it is their attitude toward the weather. A special plan for when the weather is tempestuous will be a colossal advantage to both parents and children. Special treats and activities that are enjoyed only on stormy days pass the hours pleasantly while your children are cooped up indoors.
Dating back to the fourteenth century Hot Cross Buns have been a part of Good Fridays. According to legend, on Good Friday the poor would visit abbey kitchens, where monks would give them a spicy currant bun with iced crosses. These Hot Crossed buns were considered blessed and believed to impart powerful protection.
By the eighteenth century, their popularity had grown and English street vendors would sell them by the bushel on Good Friday. Today hot cross buns are sold in bakeries throughout the season of Lent. This simple recipe can be whipped up for family and served with your favorite tea.
Easy Hot Cross Buns
Not the traditionally made buns, but these are delicious Hot Cross Buns are made in half the time.
Place two frozen dough balls in each tin sprinkle in currants and cinnamon
Preheat oven to 200 then TURN OFF OVEN.
Boil Water in tea pot and pour in shallow pan, place pan on lower rack.
Place rolls in oven 1 hour or until double in size.
Remove pan of water.
Cut a deep cross into the top of each bun with a sharp knife
Brush with beaten egg
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes
To make a glaze, dissolve 4 teaspoons granulated sugar in 6 tablespoons of milk and boil for 2 minutes. Brush warm buns twice with this syrup to glaze.
The best Secret Garden and the first day of spring... Saturday March 20th is the first day of spring in 2010, in the Northern Hemisphere. Say good bye to winter with a new family book. Keep Reading at: http://ning.it/cNVqFk
You exemplify that good educators are good every day, no matter what is going on. The past weeks you have continued to teach, you have kept children a priority. As our government bails out corporations and allows schools to close. I walk into your classrooms and you are listening with your head and your heart, you acknowledge the wonders and wonder right along with your students.
While America sends billions to other countries, you are loosing your jobs. Still, you are intentional with your words and lessons as you teach not just the answers in a book, but the child. You share the treasures that took generations of educators' years to acquire. Your science is not just the subjects and the age of your students but how best to teach, what is the best instruction.
Each day you take the time to acknowledge passions and build a bridge to connect what children need to know with what they love. You support their curiosity, and never forget to celebrate accomplishments, no matter how small in each student. You truly have built a community. You do keep individual children's need above "Race to the Top" requirements.Keep Reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m3d13-Respect-To-American-Teachers
Pi Day 101
March 14th or 3-14 is Pi Day. Pi is the ratio of any circle’s circumference to its diameter. In other words Pi is the number you get when you divide the circumference of a circle (the distance around the circle) by its diameter (the distance across). It is typically written as 3.14.Because pi is 3.14159….some schools hold their celebrations until 1:59. Pi is called an irrational number; it has an infinite number of digits.
March 14th also happens to be the birth date of Albert Einstein—which makes it a double math celebration. Time for a math party filled with math challenges.
The History of Pi
Ancient Babylonians are known to have determined the area of a circle by taking 3 times the square of its radius which gave the value of pi, 4,000 years ago. One Babylonian tablet found, revealed a value of 3.125 for pi, which is a closer estimate.
In 1706 William Jones began using The Greek letter π. The symbol was made popular by Euler in 1737.
Activities to celebrate Pi day
• Who can memorize and recite Pi to the most digits without a mistake!
• Read a variety of stories involving the use of measuring circles.
• Read about ancient Egypt and Archimedes
• Measure the circumference, diameter and radius of objects around the house.
• Only eat circular food.
• Create your own Pi T shirts using Fabric Paint or Fabric Markers
• Pi Bracelets, with each bead color representing a number
• Make a pizza measuring the circumference, diameter and radius.
• For dessert, of course, you must have pie!
Find something to marvel at. Even the neediest writing has something to appreciate. It might be a wonderful idea for a story. It might make you laugh or touch your heart. You might rave about the beginning, a beautifully written sentence, paragraph, ending. Maybe you want to share the amazing picture their words created in your mind, or memory it touched. Be enthusiastic!
It is your child's work!
Your child should have total control over their work. If you tell them what they should say or how something should be written, what you are telling your child they are not capable of doing it themselves. Ultimately, any changes done to work should be their choice. You can gently ask them to clarify, or tell them you are a bit confused about a part. Ask them to explain it to you, and then praise how they explained it, wonder with them if they could go back and change it, using the fantastic language they used when they were explaining. What are important facts for your reader? Can you sparkle it up with your exiting words?
The kitchen is fascinating place for children. Pots on the stove, yummy smells make their tummy growl. It is intriguing how cakes rise, cookies bake and dinners come together. Cooking with children motivates and empowers them to develop healthy eating habits through hands-on learning with fresh, affordable foods that build family traditions.
Children love to be part of the hustle and bustle in the kitchen let them help out with small tasks, like stirring something or setting the table. School age kids can be taught how to crack eggs, measure ingredients. Give teens their own night to cook, tell them they can choose the dish and you'll help prepare it with them.
In helping our children to become motivated to learn, we need to present ideas and responsibilities in terms of our children’s unique needs. Sometimes it is hard to remember that our children act out of their needs not ours. It is important to start with our child’s feelings, why are they resisting, withdrawing, or why do they not do what others expect of them.
First as parents we need to:
Rule out any physical causes,-vision, hearing…etc
Then check overall emotional stresses, distractions and obstacles
(Family doctors may be of help with this.)
Once you have ruled out physical and emotional needs then begin your tender detective work in discovering what is blocking your child from essentially being ready to learn.
• Is it to get attention? -Getting others to help is a way to get attention.
• Is it easier? -Withdrawing may be easier than filling other’s expectation.
• Is it depression? -The feeling of being misunderstood or gloomy.
• Is it coping mechanism?-Easier for teachers and parents not to expect too much...
• Is it to gain peer acceptance?-The clown, the bad one etc…
• Is it a way of rebelling? –Passively wins by refusing to learn.
• Is it to save his ego? –Can’t fail and avoids risk if he doesn’t try.
• Is it a power struggle? –With parents, teachers…keep reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m2d15-Between-potential-and-performance-is-motivation
As our children grow we want to stay part of their lives. One way is to validate who they are as people, that what they feel and believe in is reasonable and meaningful, show your children they are valued.
The best way to do this is through communication. The older our children become the more difficult this becomes, because we cannot force communication with our children.
What we can do is cultivate communication by sharing our own feelings and values. Sharing your feelings builds trust that encourages children to reciprocate. That doesn't mean we use our children as a "dumping ground." Haphazardly throwing our negative feelings on them without regard for the effect they might have does not create trust.
It is sharing not only positive feelings, but some more heartbreaking ones, fear hurt or embarrassment, you allow your children to see you as human. It helps if you let it be known that you are not perfect, that sometimes you fail, and then, you pick yourself up dust yourself off and move on. If your children cannot see you as a safe person to reveal their emotions to if they know you are covering up your own feelings, that you have never had to overcome anything in life, in fact it can breed distrust. If your child sees that you are comfortable with your own feelings, truthful and honest, they will be more comfortable to trust you with theirs.
The most precious moments you will share with your children should be right before bed. Morning time families are rushing and bustling around for work and school. During the day families are separated by distance.
Home at last, work, school and activities done, dinner has been enjoyed and homework completed. Your children have had their baths, and are in their warm pajamas. Then comes a special time for your children, a time when “your” undivided attention, love and devotion are theirs alone. A time that they can count on, as a time in their day-(no matter what kind of day they have had,) that is filled with warmth, comfort, and reassurance through the nighttime ritual of cuddling closely with you and a book. Please Keep Reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m1d21-Bedtime-and-Books-101#
Diane,
You made the right choices. Good for you! We reach paths in our lives. And when we get to the fork in that road, and we're standing there all confused, frightened - go left, go right, go straight. It usually happens in crisis, when you can't figure ANYTHING out and the paths all roll together. That's when you have to dig really deep inside yourself and sort out the best path for you. And you did.
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The solstice is due to the tilt of the earth's axis, without it we would have no seasons. The earth spins around
Keep Reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m6d20-June-21st--marks-the-beginning-of-Summer
Miss Jarvis worked, for the next seven years, to create a national holiday honoring mothers. On May 8, 1914 Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May "Mother's Day," urging an annual "public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country."
Very quickly the day became a commercial event. Anna Jarvis spent the rest of her life fighting the commercialism of this holiday that was so dear to her heart. She wrote countless letters, articles and pamphlets arguing that the holiday had been intended to inspire thoughtful, loving gestures-"through some distinct act of kindness, visit, letter, a gift or tribute to show remembrance of the mother to whom general affection is due."
Although Mother's day ended up disappointing Anna Jarvis, she did give us a beautiful day full of reflection. Keep Reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m5d7-Mothers-Day-Family-Fun
The end of a school year is a perfect time to teach our children to be intrinsically motivated; geography or environment change will not necessarily make them motivated over time. It is a gift to help children learn how to work consistently, and get pleasure from their work, to become life long learners.
Keep Reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m4d24-An-opportunity-to-encourage-selfmotivation
Although, children do need to learn that it is not the weather that makes them moody, it is their attitude toward the weather. A special plan for when the weather is tempestuous will be a colossal advantage to both parents and children. Special treats and activities that are enjoyed only on stormy days pass the hours pleasantly while your children are cooped up indoors.
Create a stormy day box which is filled with treasures and inspirations to occupy children. Special paper, glitter, paint, crayons, Popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, craft books, all the elements you already have in your household.
Keep Reading: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m4d16-Stormy-Day-Box-101
By the eighteenth century, their popularity had grown and English street vendors would sell them by the bushel on Good Friday. Today hot cross buns are sold in bakeries throughout the season of Lent. This simple recipe can be whipped up for family and served with your favorite tea.
Easy Hot Cross Buns
Not the traditionally made buns, but these are delicious Hot Cross Buns are made in half the time.
Rhodes Dinner rolls
1 beaten egg
2/3 cups of currants
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons milk
Coat large muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray
Place two frozen dough balls in each tin sprinkle in currants and cinnamon
Preheat oven to 200 then TURN OFF OVEN.
Boil Water in tea pot and pour in shallow pan, place pan on lower rack.
Place rolls in oven 1 hour or until double in size.
Remove pan of water.
Cut a deep cross into the top of each bun with a sharp knife
Brush with beaten egg
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes
To make a glaze, dissolve 4 teaspoons granulated sugar in 6 tablespoons of milk and boil for 2 minutes. Brush warm buns twice with this syrup to glaze.
R.R.Cratty
keep reading:
http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m...
While America sends billions to other countries, you are loosing your jobs. Still, you are intentional with your words and lessons as you teach not just the answers in a book, but the child. You share the treasures that took generations of educators' years to acquire. Your science is not just the subjects and the age of your students but how best to teach, what is the best instruction.
Each day you take the time to acknowledge passions and build a bridge to connect what children need to know with what they love. You support their curiosity, and never forget to celebrate accomplishments, no matter how small in each student. You truly have built a community. You do keep individual children's need above "Race to the Top" requirements.Keep Reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m3d13-Respect-To-American-Teachers
March 14th or 3-14 is Pi Day. Pi is the ratio of any circle’s circumference to its diameter. In other words Pi is the number you get when you divide the circumference of a circle (the distance around the circle) by its diameter (the distance across). It is typically written as 3.14.Because pi is 3.14159….some schools hold their celebrations until 1:59. Pi is called an irrational number; it has an infinite number of digits.
March 14th also happens to be the birth date of Albert Einstein—which makes it a double math celebration. Time for a math party filled with math challenges.
The History of Pi
Ancient Babylonians are known to have determined the area of a circle by taking 3 times the square of its radius which gave the value of pi, 4,000 years ago. One Babylonian tablet found, revealed a value of 3.125 for pi, which is a closer estimate.
In 1706 William Jones began using The Greek letter π. The symbol was made popular by Euler in 1737.
Activities to celebrate Pi day
• Who can memorize and recite Pi to the most digits without a mistake!
• Read a variety of stories involving the use of measuring circles.
• Read about ancient Egypt and Archimedes
• Measure the circumference, diameter and radius of objects around the house.
• Only eat circular food.
• Create your own Pi T shirts using Fabric Paint or Fabric Markers
• Pi Bracelets, with each bead color representing a number
• Make a pizza measuring the circumference, diameter and radius.
• For dessert, of course, you must have pie!
Enjoy making Math Memories,
R.R.Cratty
Keep Reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner
Find something to marvel at. Even the neediest writing has something to appreciate. It might be a wonderful idea for a story. It might make you laugh or touch your heart. You might rave about the beginning, a beautifully written sentence, paragraph, ending. Maybe you want to share the amazing picture their words created in your mind, or memory it touched. Be enthusiastic!
It is your child's work!
Your child should have total control over their work. If you tell them what they should say or how something should be written, what you are telling your child they are not capable of doing it themselves. Ultimately, any changes done to work should be their choice. You can gently ask them to clarify, or tell them you are a bit confused about a part. Ask them to explain it to you, and then praise how they explained it, wonder with them if they could go back and change it, using the fantastic language they used when they were explaining. What are important facts for your reader? Can you sparkle it up with your exiting words?
Keep Reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m3d4-As-the-snow-melts-support-your-young-writers
Children love to be part of the hustle and bustle in the kitchen let them help out with small tasks, like stirring something or setting the table. School age kids can be taught how to crack eggs, measure ingredients. Give teens their own night to cook, tell them they can choose the dish and you'll help prepare it with them.
There are countless benefits to this time together and some wonderful cookbooks!
Keep Reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m2d20-Cooking-builds-family-traditions-101
First as parents we need to:
Rule out any physical causes,-vision, hearing…etc
Then check overall emotional stresses, distractions and obstacles
(Family doctors may be of help with this.)
Once you have ruled out physical and emotional needs then begin your tender detective work in discovering what is blocking your child from essentially being ready to learn.
• Is it to get attention? -Getting others to help is a way to get attention.
• Is it easier? -Withdrawing may be easier than filling other’s expectation.
• Is it depression? -The feeling of being misunderstood or gloomy.
• Is it coping mechanism?-Easier for teachers and parents not to expect too much...
• Is it to gain peer acceptance?-The clown, the bad one etc…
• Is it a way of rebelling? –Passively wins by refusing to learn.
• Is it to save his ego? –Can’t fail and avoids risk if he doesn’t try.
• Is it a power struggle? –With parents, teachers…keep reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m2d15-Between-potential-and-performance-is-motivation
The best way to do this is through communication. The older our children become the more difficult this becomes, because we cannot force communication with our children.
What we can do is cultivate communication by sharing our own feelings and values. Sharing your feelings builds trust that encourages children to reciprocate. That doesn't mean we use our children as a "dumping ground." Haphazardly throwing our negative feelings on them without regard for the effect they might have does not create trust.
It is sharing not only positive feelings, but some more heartbreaking ones, fear hurt or embarrassment, you allow your children to see you as human. It helps if you let it be known that you are not perfect, that sometimes you fail, and then, you pick yourself up dust yourself off and move on. If your children cannot see you as a safe person to reveal their emotions to if they know you are covering up your own feelings, that you have never had to overcome anything in life, in fact it can breed distrust. If your child sees that you are comfortable with your own feelings, truthful and honest, they will be more comfortable to trust you with theirs.
Keep Reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m2d13-Communicating-with-growing-children
Home at last, work, school and activities done, dinner has been enjoyed and homework completed. Your children have had their baths, and are in their warm pajamas. Then comes a special time for your children, a time when “your” undivided attention, love and devotion are theirs alone. A time that they can count on, as a time in their day-(no matter what kind of day they have had,) that is filled with warmth, comfort, and reassurance through the nighttime ritual of cuddling closely with you and a book. Please Keep Reading at: http://www.examiner.com/x-2016-Parenting--Education-Examiner~y2010m1d21-Bedtime-and-Books-101#
You made the right choices. Good for you! We reach paths in our lives. And when we get to the fork in that road, and we're standing there all confused, frightened - go left, go right, go straight. It usually happens in crisis, when you can't figure ANYTHING out and the paths all roll together. That's when you have to dig really deep inside yourself and sort out the best path for you. And you did.
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