Save The Earth As A Family

4/26/2021 1:33 pm

This past Thursday, April 22 was Earth Day. It was established as an international event celebrated around the world to pledge support for environmental protection. The year 2021 marks the 51st anniversary of the annual celebrations. This year's theme for Earth Day is 'Restore Our Earth'.

As we begin to emerge from this pandemic, it is a good time to renew our commitment to being eco-conscious. 

This article from National Geographic provides 20 ways to save the earth as a family. Personal actions can make a difference. I encourage you to share this with your children and friends and challenge yourselves to try something new!

20_ways_to_save_the_Earth_as_a_family.pdf

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/article/save-the-earth-as-a-family

Summer Activities

4/19/2021 2:26 pm

As we are heading into the homestretch of this year, coupled with the beautiful weather this past weekend, I couldn’t help starting to think about this summer. Although this summer will look a bit better than last, each family still is faced with making decisions for activities based on their need for COVID-safety. 

So here is one resource for summer activities. When you open this link, please scroll down and click on Franklin county. I will be sharing different ones over the next few weeks. Please note that I have not vetted them for COVID protocols. Therefore, I encourage you to do so. On a personal note, much to the disappointment of my 9 year old granddaughter, her mother and I have had to cancel a summer camp that she has been eagerly anticipating attending. However, after reviewing the camp’s family handbook (which wasn’t available at the time she was registering) the decision has been made that she will not be able to attend. My granddaughter is feeling let down, but her safety comes first. I share this to let you know that I, too, understand that there are difficult decisions that will confront you as you plan for the summer.

As always, please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

https://www.escco.org/SummerStudentEnrichmentOpportunities.aspx

Apps Designed For Kids On The Autism Spectrum

4/12/2021 11:54 am

According to their website, “The Autism Society of America has been improving the lives of all affected by autism for over 50 years and envisions a world where individuals and families living with autism are able to maximize their quality of life, are treated with the highest level of dignity, and live in a society in which their talents and skills are appreciated and valued” The month of April is now a time to move away from using “awareness” to using “acceptance” to foster change and inclusivity for those affected by autism.

The concept of neurodiversity was introduced in the 1990s by Judy Singer, an Australian sociologist. The idea that there are brain differences are just that: differences. Those differences appear in how the brain is “wired” and how it functions to support thinking and learning. Autism is one type of neurodiversity. 

As we continue to honor and celebrate diversity, neurodiversity is definitely embraced at Wickliffe. Although COVID temporarily paused Wolfpack, this is an amazing example of children at Wickliffe supporting one another. The Wolfpack, created by Kelsey Trausch, is a peer collaboration program in which students learn and work with their classmates who are neurodiverse during classroom activities and social opportunities with the goal of promoting acceptance of individuals of all abilities and creating lasting friendships. We eager to restart Wolfpack this fall.

Common Sense Media has shared several apps that are designed particularly for kids on the autism spectrum. I hope these resources are helpful.

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/apps-for-kids-on-the-autism-spectrum

Finding Hope at a Hopeless Time

4/5/2021 11:00 am

Emerging from the pandemic seems to be in the forefront of our minds. With so much work yet to be done and many COVID restrictions still in place, remaining hopeful can be challenging.

Although this article was written for educators, I think there are many helpful takeaways for parents and caregivers. Nora Fleming embedded many scholarly articles in her writing to demonstrate that the concept of hope and its impact on youth is supported by evidence-based research, not her opinion. Though I have not read each of the articles, the ones that I did read illuminated the concepts that she was discussing.

As always, I hope that this article validates something that you already know about or are doing with your children with respect to building hope as we emerge from this pandemic. Or perhaps, it gives you some new ideas or insights about how to support your families.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/schools-finding-hope-hopeless-time

How To Help After Racist Attacks

3/29/2021 12:02 pm

Hate crimes targeting AAPI folks have raised many questions amongst our parents and children over the recent weeks. In this newsletter I will address two that have been brought to my attention and invite you to continue this conversation with me, your children, and each other.

1. How can I be an ally? This article from the Los Angeles Times provides strategies for adults who are witness to race-based harassment or violence. According to this article, “the most important thing to know about intervening as a bystander is that your job is to create a safe atmosphere for the targeted person, not to confront the attacker. You aren’t Batman stepping in to fight the bad guys. You’re a human, being a friend to someone who needs it.” I hope that the 5 Ds presented in this article are useful.

2. How do we support our kids? Last week I attended a webinar entitled, Violence Against Asian Americans: How Do We Support the Children, hosted by EmbraceRace and found it to be very informative. The conversation was facilitated by two experts in the field. Dr. Anatasia Kim a professor, clinician, and consultant in Berkeley, California and Manjusha P. Kulkarni, the Executive Director of Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON), a coalition of over forty community-based organizations that serves and represents the 1.5 million Asian Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles County. There were many helpful strategies discussed about this critical topic. The one that resonated with me the most was the importance of caregivers being grounded and providing compassion to oneself. When children are feeling unsettled, they need an adult that feels centered. Though this is no easy task, as Manju and Anastasia explained, it is critical to the well-being of our children trying to navigate their emotions and the world around them. I encourage you to listen to this webinar.

We must continue talking to our children about anti-Asian bias in a developmentally appropriate way as children begin to develop their racial identity at a young age. And we must help children have a healthy sense of who they are and celebrate our differences if we are going to create a better world for all of us.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-03-19/how-to-help-after-racist-attacks

https://www.embracerace.org/resources/violence-against-asian-americans-how-do-we-support-the-children

Talking to our children about anti-Asian bias

3/22/2021 5:00 pm

As we wrestle with the recent incidents of hate in our country, it is with a heavy heart that I share this week’s article with you. Talking to our children about anti-Asian bias in a developmentally appropriate manner is important. Children begin to develop their racial identity at a young age so we must help them have a healthy sense of who they are and celebrate our differences.

According to the authors of this article, here are some ideas of what parents can do to help:

• Read books, watch movies and consume media with racially diverse characters. Read with your children or talk with them about what they’re reading.

• Be proactive in bringing up conversations about race with your kids. Ask them what they are hearing and experiencing.

• Kids will hear what’s happening in the news. Discuss it with them in an age-appropriate way.

• Role play what to do when you see a racist incident. Talk to your kids if a racist incident happens to your child or to someone in your community.

• Read this parenting guide for parents of Asian-American teens: How are you and your children talking about racism?

• Share these resources from the M.G.H. Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness with your kids.

• Explore additional resources for talking about race with younger children such as Embrace Race and PBS Kids for Parents.

We hope that this article and the resources provided will help you have these critical conversations with your children.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/19/well/family/Talking-to-children-anti-Asian-bias.html

Benefits of Gardening with Kids

3/8/2021 12:15 pm

As I was walking along the Scioto River this past Sunday, the bright sunshine reminded me that spring is approaching. Last spring at the start of the pandemic, I was searching for ways to safely spend time with my granddaughters. After a little brainstorming with them, we decided to plant a garden. Though we ended up with enough spaghetti squash to feed the entire neighborhood, we have decided to try it again this year and learn from our mistakes!

This Article from The Sierra Club on pandemic gardening provides ideas for engaged learning in the garden, for toddlers and up to high schoolers. And this PBS for parents article is a good reminder that planting a garden can affect not only your child’s body but also their brain and soul. Happy Gardening!

https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/pandemic-gardening-kids-101

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/gardening-with-kids-how-it-affects-your-childs-brain-body-and-soul

The Power of Poetry

3/1/2021 11:14 am

I am so grateful that the PTO has given me an opportunity each week to share an idea, an inspiration, or a parenting tip. Please reach out to me at fkassoy@uaschools.org if you have a topic of interest.

As we continue to explore ways to help our children (and ourselves) adapt to the ongoing changes in lives, I have been interested in providing new tools and strategies (or uncovering old ones) to help our Wickliffe students. This week, I uncovered an old way. 

Thanks to Amanda Gorman, poetry has reemerged as a vehicle for self-expression. 

This article from National Geographic, titled "'Tell your story': The power of poetry to help kids cope", provides an overview of the power of poetry; from the impact of poetry on the brain to the healing power of poetry. The article's author, Virginia Pelley, illuminates these ideas and provides 6 ways parents can help foster creativity in their children.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/article/tell-your-story-the-power-of-poetry-to-help-kids-cope

Tell_your_story_The_power_of_poetry_to_help_kids_cope.pdf

Talking With Children About Returning to School (All-In)

2/22/2021 9:26 am

Several parents have reached out to me regarding their childrens’ transition to all-in learning next week. Although this article was written in the fall specifically about separation anxiety, it still serves as a good reminder to all of us of some things to think about when talking with our kiddos.

• Validate your childrens’ feelings

• Set the tone…”if you lead with your anxiety, you will only fuel their anxiety.”

• Emphasize safety measures

• Encourage flexibility

As always, if you need some additional support or resources to navigate this transition, please feel free to reach out (fkassoy@uaschools.org).

Children's Digital Wellbeing

2/15/2021 1:37 pm

Thank you to the small (but mighty) group of adults who were able to join Angela and me for our Parent Coffee last week about helping your children navigate friendships through technology.

As I was preparing for our coffee, I attended a virtual presentation with Max Stossel, an Award-Winning Poet/Storyteller and the Youth & Education Advisor for the Center for Humane Technology. The Center for Humane Technology is an organization of former tech insiders dedicated to realigning technology with humanity's best interests. 

I wanted to pass along some resources that Max provided during his presentation. They are on my spring break reading/ viewing list. As always, I welcome your thoughts and questions as we continue to work together to enhance our children’s digital wellbeing. 

• Away For The Day
• Wait Until 8th
• Center for Humane Technology
• The Social Dilemma
• Childhood 2.0