Tired-eyed and tattered-haired, sweet Neve alighted from bed with the unapologetic enthusiasm of an incoming third-grader (!) this morning. She scrambled into her favorite Old Navy tee boasting, “Strong girls make a strong world” and proudly laced up her new blush pink, Nike high-tops. I packed her lunchbox, and she swallowed down a few bites of Life, her cereal du jour, on our way out the door.     

A new school year brings new trends:

 Have you heard of Y.O.G.A. for Youth? A non-profit inspired by a high school art teacher who started using yoga to help his students cope with anxiety.

Or the Calm Initiative for Schools? The home page hugs you with a quote from Dalai Lama, “If every 8 year old is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation” – I am lifted by the hopefulness of that claim! (The Calm app is available for free to eligible teachers!)

Are you going green and eliminating single-use plastics when you pack your student’s sack lunch? (We’re trying!) Check out these sweet, DIY, reusable sandwich and snack bags!

And of course we’re also reminded of some of the same age-old problems in American education we’ve been trying to solve since as long as I can remember:

The ever-rising cost of higher education. According to the Campaign for Free College Tuition, over half of the states in the US now offer free or subsidized community college tuition for qualified candidates.

On the college topic, have you considered how social media has impacted student expectations, restrained curriculum choices, and altered campus cultures? Here’s an interview with one NYU Professor who recently authored, “The Coddling of the American Mind.”

Donors Choose was started in 2000 by a high school teacher who sought public support for classroom supplies and enriched educational opportunities. Since then, the non-profit has fulfilled over 1.3 million classroom projects from butterfly cocoons to robotics kits and classic books.    

Have you heard about New York City’s proposed effort to desegregate schools by eliminating gifted-and talented programs?  

Hope your school year gets off to a fantastic start! Cheers!