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Monthly Archives: July 2013

Disney Comes to School

July 31, 2013

By Sarah Maraniss Vander Schaaff Disney World is probably a bit crowded this time of year, but that’s not the reason some school districts have decided to bring the themes of the company to their own communities. We’re not talking about riding the spinning teacups, we’re talking about customer relations and morale. According to the Miami Herald, Broward County is one of many school districts around the country that has hired the Disney Institute to get folks a bit more enthusiastic. In my own state of New Jersey, the highly ranked Elizabeth School District was one of the first schools in the country to seek guidance from the Institute, according to a 2011 article in NJ Today. The story stated… Read More

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What’s for Dinner?

July 23, 2013

By Sarah Vander Schaaff The food of summer: abundant kale and soft serve ice cream. The contrasts in nutritional value abound. So, this week, I turned to Rebecca Rudy, a mother of two with a Masters degree in Nutrition. She gives us some tips both for summer and the school year ahead. 1. What is your background with nutrition and what got you interested in the field? Upon graduating from Harvard, I accepted a fellowship to teach Classics and coach crew at a British boarding school. The experience was fantastic—and I learned from it that I wasn’t meant to teach dead languages to fresh teens! I pursued my interest in sports nutrition instead and earned my Master’s from Tufts University… Read More

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The Race to Nowhere Comes Home

July 17, 2013

The documentary film, “Race to Nowhere” is described on the film’s website as, “Featuring the heartbreaking stories of students across the country who have been pushed to the brink by over-scheduling, over-testing and the relentless pressure to achieve…” It was nearly three years ago that the film came to the Princeton-area community, thanks in large part to Jess Deutsch. Today she reflects on the experience, sharing some answers to questions she’s been asked over the years. How did you hear about “Race To Nowhere”, and why did you lead the effort to have it screened at Princeton High School? JD: The short answer is that I watched the film at a very small venue, and decided on the spot that… Read More

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Game On!…Wait, what are we talking about?

July 9, 2013

By Sarah Vander Schaaff There are some terms that get tossed into the lexicon of education and parenting that seem to arrive fully formed, without much explanation for those of us a few years behind their use. One minute we’re speaking to our child’s teacher about the pincer grip and the next “gamification.” “Wait,” we might say, “I missed the memo on that one.” So, in keeping with our theme for this summer, I asked some basic questions to someone who might be able to bring me up to speed. Lisi Gilpin has a Master’s in Educational Technology and runs the website, Brain Based Learning. She is also part of the Mindprint Team, reviewing educational apps. And thankfully, she did… Read More

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