September 2019

Mondays at Greenwood Elementary School in Glen Allen are special celebrations for children and staff. Every Monday morning, the moment students step off the bus or get out of a carpool vehicle, they are greeted with lively music and entertainment – everything from a drum line or a pep band…

Rodney Robinson’s broad smile is infectious in the best possible way. And these days, Robinson has good reason to smile. After nearly two decades of teaching for Richmond Public Schools, Robinson has received the profession’s oldest and most distinguished honor: National Teacher of the Year.  After graduating from Virginia State…

At the start of the summer, my 8-year-old came to me with a concern. “When do I get my report card?” he asked. “I’m not sure, Buddy. Sometimes the school mails the final report card in June.” “Aww, man! I have to wait until then to find out if I…

For my first grader, it was kind of a big deal. Every day, a classmate I’ll call Joey asked to borrow a different color marker. He always gave it right back to her, but he was heavy-handed, so sometimes the marker wasn’t in great shape when it was returned.  This…

Passing on this love of fiction has been a highlight of motherhood. From lap-sitters listening to No More Jumping on the Bed to car passengers clutching the latest Magic Treehouse installment, stories have shaped my children. Their lives bear the imprints of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and their enduring…

This ought to be a no-brainer. It’s just a freshman dorm room, after all. Four dull walls, two simple beds, and one large bathroom down the hall.  How hard could it be to help my daughter buy the basic necessities? Mom is out of town, we have only a few…

Well that was fast. Summer, that is. It always seems to fly by, doesn’t it? If you don’t have school-aged kids yet, just you wait. On the flip side, if you do have school-aged kids, there’s a good chance you’re doing your happy dance as the bus takes your cherubs…

One of the deadliest diseases in human history has been known by many names: phthisis, tabes, schachepheth, consumption, and white death. A highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs, the diseases now known as tuberculosis has plagued humans for at least 9,000 years.  From the 1600s to the 1800s in Europe,…

Every parent wants to be able to see the precious face of her child when driving, yet switching car safety seats to the forward-facing position before a baby’s body is ready is dangerous. It is much better to rely on a backseat mirror to see your child’s sweet face than…

Another school year is beginning, and if your household is like ours, you have been busy the last few weeks with preparations. Buying school supplies, figuring out bus schedules or carpool arrangements, and possibly finishing up that summer reading before the first bell rings.  In the rush of activity, you…

Your oldest child is a senior in high school and planning to attend college. There’s a lot of talk about college applications, but what’s the deal regarding the financial aid process? And folks are talking about something called the FAFSA that you haven’t got a clue about. Where do you…

The worst type of tragedy is the one that’s preventable. Every year, 1,500 children and teens in the United States will die from firearms. More than half of these deaths are homicides, about 600 are suicides, and roughly one hundred are unintentional deaths. In 78 percent of school shooting incidents,…

What you need: • Plastic marked with #6 inside a small triangle made of arrows. It’s commonly used for clear clamshell containers you see in cafeterias and restaurants. •  Cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper • Oven or toaster oven • Oven mitt • Hole puncher •…

As another school year begins, parents are busy checking school supply lists, shopping for clothing, and filling out forms in an effort to prepare for a successful school year.  In addition to back-to-school shopping and meeting with teachers and administrators, there’s another topic that every parent should consider addressing with…

My 12-year-old daughter is starting middle school and she just received a phone for her birthday. I have heard some schools have policies about keeping phones out of class or at least in the backpack, but I’m not sure about ours. A mom friend of mine told me she texts…

At college campuses in the area, a chorus of “awwws!” can be heard as groups of students flow into the rooms where dogs await young people who need help de-stressing before exams. The therapy dogs roll onto their backs for belly rubs, move from person to person seeking more affection,…

Grace Hessberg, a junior at Glen Allen High School, is one of three recipients of the JA Future Laureate scholarship, awarded last year through JA of Central Virginia. Grace’s experience in the JA Finance Park program – sessions in savings, debt, careers, income, budgeting, and taxes – gave her tools…

Five years ago, a stranger began posting detailed descriptions of my appearance online. This person had strong opinions about me. Once I discovered the posts, I was hooked; I would refresh the application every few minutes to see if this stranger said something new about me. I had no idea…

Angela Davis gave her 11-year-old daughter Emily a hug like she had done many times before, but this time something felt different. She noticed that her shoulder blades didn’t feel like they were in the right place. Although Emily had seen her pediatrician six months prior for her regular checkup,…

Goguchang Chicken Skewers 2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs ⅓ cup goguchang paste 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 teaspoons honey 1 teaspoon sesame oil ½ teaspoon garlic powder Cut chicken into 1-inch chunks and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, whisk goguchang paste, soy…