Middle School

A Letter to My 8th Grade Graduate August 2015, you gave me one last hug and bravely walked towards the door of your Kindergarten classroom. You turned back slightly to smile at me. Then, you confidently returned to find your seat, never looking back again. You got through that day and all the days that came after. I was a mess knowing you were growing up. You are a sponge for learning, soaking everything up; you never cease to amaze me! I am so proud of you for always putting yourself out there, trying new things, and discovering your passions. You roll with the punches, figure out a way through all the difficulties, and have had to learn that life is only sometimes fair....

Fostering Healthy Body Acceptance In Your Teen Daughter Teaching a young girl how to accept and love her body starts with her mother. You will be a mirror to either her strengths or her insecurities. It's up to you to decide which she will reflect on. She will already be bombarded with the unattainable world of filters, advertising, TikTok videos, and the latest internet celebrity. She will hear the gossip of peers calling out the too fat, too thin, too tan, not tan enough, too tall, too short, anything too much, making her feel less than. But you momma, can lessen the damage of these things. Never Criticize Yourself in Her Presence Momma I'm with you. I've got pounds to lose. There...

Give Your Family a Worldly Experience: Host a High School Exchange Student Are you searching for a way to expose your children to different cultures or add a little vibrancy to your house? Volunteering to host an exchange student is a great way to experience different cultures and it offers numerous benefits for you and your family. Now is a great time to select a student to host for the upcoming school year. Doing so will allow you to start communicating with the student and preparing for his or her arrival. Who can host an exchange student? From traditional families to single parents and empty-nesters, host families come in many different forms. Host families have high school-aged children, toddlers, or no children...

2024 Red Stick Mom Teacher of the Year :: Nominate YOUR Favorite Teacher TODAY! There are not enough ways to say THANK YOU for all that our beloved teachers have done for us and our children, especially over the last few years. Thank you for your flexibility, thank you for you putting in extra hours, thank you for coming up with creative lesson plans to keep your students engaged, thank you for spending your hard-earned money on classroom supplies. Thank you for your unending devotion to our children and our families. One small way we thought we could extend our appreciation is to honor one very deserving teacher with our 2024 Red Stick Mom Teacher of the Year title! Whether s/he...

Banned Books I Encourage My Teen To Read By definition, book banning is the act of removing materials from a school or library as a result of objections from groups or individuals who say they need to protect others from the difficult information or ideas contained in the books. These controversial topics include everything from sexuality and religious views to information on racial and social injustices. I am a strong believer that for the most part, reading should not be censored. Growing up, I gained a wealth of knowledge and empathy through books. Learning about different views, experiences, and life paths from books has shaped me into a woman and mom who is able to spread my empathy to others around...