Father's Day is celebrating its 112th anniversary this year on June 20. How did this holiday begin?
While sitting in church in May 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, paid close attention to the Mother’s Day sermon that was being given. She decided she wanted to honor her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War Veteran, who single handedly raised Sonora and her five siblings after her mother passed away in childbirth.
The following year, Sonora petitioned for the holiday to be recognized in her city. At the first Father's Day celebration, young women handed out red roses to their fathers during church services, and baskets full of roses were passed around, with attendees donning a rose in honor of their fathers - red for the living and white in memory of the deceased. After that service, Dodd brought her infant son along on a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city, bringing roses and gifts to home-bound fathers.
Letter from Betty for May 2021
Hello Friends,
The last year has been an interesting one as we navigated COVID-19 and made the necessary changes to our daily routines and lives. Some of the changes we have made have been minor, while others have been more significant. Changes that I have made include going all virtual. I thoroughly enjoyed working face-to-face in my Morristown office and seeing all your smiling faces, but I have decided that it is best for my family if I remain virtual going forward. I will continue to use Zoom or FaceTime platforms and communicate with all of you and other professionals through emailing and texting.
As life with COVID begins to give way to something resembling normalcy, we are entering a period of some confusion. But don't worry — we can get through this together! For those students who are now dealing with a safe transition back to in-person learning in school, I have some timely advise for you in our feature article for May, "How to Prepare Your Child for The Big Return."
For a moment of bliss and a refreshing dip into history, please check out the bonus article for May, "Did You Know? Origins of Summer Break." With a little luck, we can all soon enjoy this happy feature of our previous lives once again.
We've got test dates, plus information from the College Board about the coming discontinuation of the SAT Subject Tests and the Essay Test, and some new SSAT at-home testing dates. So mark your calendar and read check out all the details regarding "Test Schedule for May 2021."
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep. Please call 610-207-7811 or email betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Test Schedule for May 2021
Here are some important notes about 2021 testing.
SAT
Note from the College Board regarding COVID precautions, changes, and policies:
“Search here to find out if your test center will be closed on an upcoming test date and if it's offering a makeup test. Remember, test centers may close or make changes on short notice, including on test day, and they may close for the scheduled makeup date. Test center data is updated every three hours—be sure to search any closings the night before and morning of your scheduled test.
Only fully closed test centers will show in the search results. Check any recent College Board notifications for your personal registration status and any test center updates, and make sure they have your contact information.
Our top priorities are your health and safety. Learn the latest test center policies.”
Note from the College Board regarding the coming discontinuation of SAT Subject Tests and the Essay Test:
Why discontinue the SAT Essay portion: “We’re adapting to respond to the changing needs of students and colleges. This change simply streamlines the process for students who have other, more relevant opportunities to show they can write an essay as part of the work they’re already doing on their path to college.”
Why discontinue the Subject tests: “We’re reducing demands on students. The expanded reach of AP and its widespread availability means the Subject Tests are no longer necessary for students to show what they know.”
We know that this news may raise a lot of questions and concerns for you, especially if you’ve already scheduled the tests or are in the process of submitting to colleges. For more information regarding Subject tests and the Essay test, please see the College Board FAQ sheet.
ACT
The ACT organization is working to offer on-line testing in 2021.
SSAT
There are no paper-based tests scheduled at this time.
There are at-home SSAT test openings on May 22, 23, and June 4, 5, and 6.
At Home testing provides students in the US a secure computer-based testing option as COVID-19 limitations continue to evolve. Learn more about this option, test dates, and registration here.
ISEE
Students can now take the admissions test trusted by schools around the world from the comfort and safety of their homes. Students currently have two ISEE At Home remote testing options. Families should follow any instructions provided by their application school(s) when selecting their at-home testing choice. For more information about this option go to:
ISEE At Home For Families | ERBlearn.org
All Tests
Please make sure to check with the testing center ahead of the test date to make sure that there are no closings.
How to Prepare Your Child for The Big Return
Many schools are beginning to reopen or are making plans to do so. After more than a year at home, there may well be some anxiety or other issues that come up, so now is a good time to help your child to start making the adjustment. Yes, there is going to be excitement about seeing friends that he hasn’t seen for many months and a return to some sort of normalcy, but after so long at home, and after hearing about the pandemic and watching family take safety precautions, there’s liable to be some hesitancy on his part. We need to expect that your child may act out, may feel out of sorts, may even balk at going in the door at all. Most certainly, they will have some questions. This is completely normal, and schools across the country are seeing this reaction in many of their students as they begin to transition back.
So what can parents to do help?
If you haven’t established some sort of daily/weekly routine during this past year, now is the time to set one up. You can even begin to get your children back into their school routine. Wake them up at their usual school time, eat breakfast, brush teeth, and get dressed. You should be modeling this behavior for them as well, though it’s very tempting to stay in those pajamas. This is also the time to stick to your house rules, as things may well have slackened off during this past year. What you’re doing here is providing your child with a sense of stability and support that they’ll need for their return to “normal.”
Prepare them for the changes they’re liable to find when they return to school. It’s certainly not going to be the same experience as the classroom that they left. Let them know that everyone will be wearing masks, that there is likely to be distancing between friends, that they will probably see plexiglass dividers that weren’t there before, and that lunchtime and recess procedures will be different. All of these changes will likely contribute to your child’s anxiety, so talking to them about these things will help to ease the uncertainty they may have.
Also important is to keep your own anxieties about their return to school in check. If your child is sensing that you are having fears also, then they are most certainly going to pick up on that.
Don’t assume that your child doesn’t have worries or that the anxiety will just go away on its own, and certainly don’t gloss them over when those concerns arise. Talk to them and listen, really listen to what they have to say. Watch for behavioral cues as well. It’s important that everyone, parents, schools, and students, realize that this isn’t really a return to normal, but a new opportunity to begin to step back into pre-pandemic life in a new and safe way. Everyone is having worries about this transition so we all should work to normalize the experience. You can do this by maintaining those routines mentioned earlier, but also find ways to strengthen connections within your family. Make sure to sit down together for family meals, do things together outdoors, talk to children about how their day is going, what they’re seeing on social media, how they’re connecting with friends, and if they’re not ready to share, that’s ok. They’ll still know that you are there. You are their safety net.
Help your child to ease back into social interactions, in person and safely. Now that the weather is getting better and temperatures are milder, find ways for your child to get together with friends outside. Head to a park, ride bikes, whatever they enjoy, just doing so masked and safely distanced as necessary. This will be a good step towards helping them to feel safe around others before the return to school.
Taking these steps, doing creative thinking, and paying attention to the emotional needs of your child will go a long way towards an easier transition back to full-time, in-person school.
Did You Know? Origins of Summer Break
Though it’s widely believed that the origins of the summer break were to allow the children of the 19th century to work on their family’s farm during the busy growing season, this just isn’t true. In fact, before the Civil War, farm kids never had summer off. They went to school during the hottest and coldest months of the year and stayed home to work on the farm during the spring and fall in order to help out with planting and harvesting. City kids, however, went to school year-round.
Over time, though, as cities became more crowded and built up, they became hotter. Bear in mind that the comfort of indoor air conditioning was decades off, so families started to head to the cooler countryside to beat the heat. Because school attendance was not mandatory yet, the classrooms were nearly empty each summer. As a result, by the turn of the century, urban school districts decided to cut about 60 schooldays from the calendar, giving students time off during the most sweltering time of the year, and rural schools soon followed suit.
Letter from Betty for April 2021
Hello Friends,
Question: What is fun, educational, good exercise, and gets the whole family outdoors? If you answered "gardening" you are right! It's time to shake off the winter blahs and the COVID blues, and get outside and dig in the dirt, plant seeds, water flowers, and watch the world turn green and glorious. Get some green-thumb DIY inspiration in this month's feature article, "Add a Garden To Your Family Plan This Spring."
Of course, avid interests in flora and fauna go hand-in-hand. To complement our gardening theme for April, we have a fascinating suggestion in our bonus article: "You Can Do It: Attracting Butterflies To Your Garden."
We've got test dates, plus information from the College Board about the coming discontinuation of the SAT Subject Tests and the Essay Test, and some new SSAT at-home testing dates. So mark your calendar and read check out all the details regarding "Test Schedule for April 2021."
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.Don't hesitate to give us a call at 610-207-7811 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Test Schedule for April 2021
Here are some important notes about 2021 testing.
SAT
Note from the College Board regarding COVID precautions, changes, and policies:
“Search here to find out if your test center will be closed on an upcoming test date and if it's offering a makeup test. Remember, test centers may close or make changes on short notice, including on test day, and they may close for the scheduled makeup date. Test center data is updated every three hours—be sure to search any closings the night before and morning of your scheduled test.
Only fully closed test centers will show in the search results. Check any recent College Board notifications for your personal registration status and any test center updates, and make sure they have your contact information.
Our top priorities are your health and safety. Learn the latest test center policies.”
Note from the College Board regarding the coming discontinuation of SAT Subject Tests and the Essay Test:
Why discontinue the SAT Essay portion: “We’re adapting to respond to the changing needs of students and colleges. This change simply streamlines the process for students who have other, more relevant opportunities to show they can write an essay as part of the work they’re already doing on their path to college.”
Why discontinue the Subject tests: “We’re reducing demands on students. The expanded reach of AP and its widespread availability means the Subject Tests are no longer necessary for students to show what they know.”
We know that this news may raise a lot of questions and concerns for you, especially if you’ve already scheduled the tests or are in the process of submitting to colleges. For more information regarding Subject tests and the Essay test, please see the College Board FAQ sheet.
ACT
The ACT organization is working to offer on-line testing in 2021.
SSAT
There are no paper-based tests scheduled at this time.
There are at-home SSAT test openings on April 9, 10, 23, 24, 25.
At Home testing provides students in the US a secure computer-based testing option as COVID-19 limitations continue to evolve. Learn more about this option, test dates, and registration here.
ISEE
Students can now take the admissions test trusted by schools around the world from the comfort and safety of their homes. Students currently have two ISEE At Home remote testing options. Families should follow any instructions provided by their application school(s) when selecting their at-home testing choice. For more information about this option go to:
ISEE At Home For Families | ERBlearn.org
All Tests
Please make sure to check with the testing center ahead of the test date to make sure that there are no closings.
Add a Garden to Your Family Plan This Spring
Spring is here! We have more daylight hours, the temperatures are rising, the ground is warming, and the end of the school year is in sight. It’s time to make new seasonal plans for the family, to fill the hours, to keep them learning, to get them into the fresh air, and to help them stretch their muscles. How about gardening! This activity doesn’t require a lot of outdoor space or a perfect back yard. Together, you can build a small raised bed, fill it with some soil, and plant away to your heart’s desire. Other options are to lean a trellis against a wall or fence to grow beans or other flower vines such as morning glories, creating a vertical garden. Or you can use large pots or other interesting containers to plant zucchini, mint, cherry tomatoes or other plants that don’t require a lot of attention but yield delicious and healthy produce. There are countless options for both vegetable and flowering plants at this time of year.
How is gardening an educational experience? There are so many topics to investigate! What role do sun and water play in the growth of a plant? Why are worms good for the garden? How does a seed sprout to become a plant? You can talk about what makes up a good soil, photosynthesis, organic gardening and vegetable production, parts of a plant, parts of a flower, what roles do bees play, composting vegetable scraps, and so much more. You can talk about nutrition, the vitamins and minerals in the produce they are growing. And an added bonus is that your children will want to eat and enjoy the vegetables that they’ve grown themselves, some picked and eaten right off the vine!
Additional related activities include reading books about plants and creating a gardening journal that includes tracking information about the development of the plants in the garden and photos or sketches. You might also take a trip to a local botanical garden to explore what is going on there!
Is gardening good for the body too? You bet! Consider the “hygiene hypothesis” — a current theory that says that childhood exposure to dirt actually increases the development of the immune system and overall health. Additionally, the physical activity of hauling soil, digging, carrying watering cans, pushing a wheelbarrow, and all the bending and stretching involved help to promote gross motor skills, develop muscles and overall strength. All of this focused physical activity also helps to expel pent-up energy from less active indoor hours.
Additional benefits:
Gardening can improve moods, decrease anxiety, and build self-esteem, particularly when a child gets to add the vegetable that he grew himself or a beautiful vase of flowers to the family dinner table.
Gardening is a great way to get out from behind our electronic screens and make memorable family connections. This time develops both team building and communication skills.
Gardening can give children a sense of purpose and responsibility throughout the growing season, as they plan, plant, nurture, and care for their plants.
Children can also learn respect for the environment as they learn about composting, responsible use of fertilizers, and gathering rainwater.
So yes, gardening can be a fantastic way to spend time during this season. It’s good for your child’s body, mind, and spirit. And it’s fun!
You Can Do It: Attracting Butterflies to Your Garden
We all love butterflies, right? So let’s do what we can to attract these beauties to your new garden. Adult butterflies are attracted to red, yellow, orange, pink and purple blossoms that are flat-topped or clustered and have short flower tubes. Look for sunny spots for your new flowers, because ideally, key butterfly nectar source plants should receive full sun from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.
Here is a list of common nectar and pollen-rich plants that you can add to the space that butterflies just love:
Alyssum
Aster
Bee Balm
Calendula
Cosmos
Daylily
Delphinium
Fennel
Hollyhock
Lavender
Marigold
Nasturtium
Oregano
Phlox
Purple Coneflower
Queen Anne’s Lace
Sage
Shasta Daisy
Verbena
Zinnia
Letter from Betty for March 2021
Hello Friends,
"First of all, don't panic — you can do this!" says the kind high school guidance counselor to her students every year as they prepare to apply for admission to college. That applies in 2021 just like every other year, even though conditions are different from every previous year. Still, there is good news and there are reasons for optimism in this trying time. Find out why in our feature article for March, "Applying to College During the Pandemic."
Daylight Savings Time begins on March 14th. Some devotees of regular routines might think of this sleep-disrupting biannual occurrence as a bad joke. In fact, a joke is at the heart of the historical origins of this time-keeping practice! Read about that in our bonus article for March, "Did You Know? Daylight Savings Time!"
Mark your calendars! Make sure to look over our presentation of the "Test Schedule for March 2021" along with important notes about 2021 testing, including information from the College Board about the coming discontinuation of the SAT Subject Tests and the Essay Test.
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Test Schedule for March 2021
Important notes about 2021 testing:
SAT
From the College Board:
“Search here to find out if your test center will be closed on an upcoming test date and if it's offering a makeup test. Remember, test centers may close or make changes on short notice, including on test day, and they may close for the scheduled makeup date. Test center data is updated every three hours—be sure to search any closings the night before and morning of your scheduled test.
Only fully closed test centers will show in the search results. Check any recent College Board notifications for your personal registration status and any test center updates, and make sure they have your contact information.
Our top priorities are your health and safety. Learn the latest test center policies.”
Note from the College Board regarding the coming discontinuation of SAT Subject Tests and the Essay Test:
Why discontinue the SAT Essay portion: “We’re adapting to respond to the changing needs of students and colleges. This change simply streamlines the process for students who have other, more relevant opportunities to show they can write an essay as part of the work they’re already doing on their path to college.”
Why discontinue the Subject tests: “We’re reducing demands on students. The expanded reach of AP and its widespread availability means the Subject Tests are no longer necessary for students to show what they know.”
We know that this news may raise a lot of questions and concerns for you, especially if you’ve already scheduled the tests or are in the process of submitting to colleges. For more information regarding Subject tests and the Essay test, please see the College Board FAQ sheet.
ACT
The ACT organization is working to offer on-line testing in 2021.
SSAT
There are currently no paper-based tests scheduled at this time. There are at-home test openings on March 20 and March 21. At-home testing provides students in the US a secure computer-based testing option as COVID-19 limitations continue to evolve. Learn more about this option, test dates, and registration here.
ISEE
ISEE at Home via ProProctor is now available in the US. Find out how to register for this option here.
All Tests: Please make sure to check with the testing center ahead of the test date to make sure that there are no closings.
Applying to College During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of aspects of our daily lives, and for our high schoolers, there are the additional changes and challenges to how they go about the college application and decision processes. For many months now, students have been forced into social isolation, halting extracurricular activities, in-person learning, employment, and even testing. Family circumstances have changed, sometimes affecting teens' ability to do well in school.
The good news is that colleges are taking all of this into consideration. They understand that students have been facing unprecedented challenges and they are looking well beyond grades, test scores, and extracurriculars. The essay part of the college application has become more important than ever before. Admissions committees are encouraging students to write honestly about the obstacles they have been facing during the pandemic. Have students had to share in care for younger siblings or elderly family members while parents worked from home? Have they had to take time to help with their younger siblings' remote learning? Have they been doing the shopping for elderly family members or neighbors who aren’t feeling safe doing so for themselves? Schools genuinely want to hear how students' home life has changed and what they’re up against. It’s an important part of your high schooler’s story.
Here are a few things that your teen should keep in mind when thinking about and going through the college application process:
Test-optional: Many schools have gone test-optional or even test-blind, meaning that it’s just one factor in all of the things they are looking at, and is a smaller consideration than during “normal” times. Again, really focus on your essay. This is where you can tell your story and show them who you are, what your passions are, and how you worked to adapt and overcome the challenges of this new restricted reality. The essay allows admissions administrators to get to know you beyond the numbers, transcripts, and letters of recommendation.
Virtual visits: College visits might be out of the question at this time, but many colleges have developed a means to experience virtual visits. Applicants can “stroll” the campus, attend information sessions, even chat with current students, professors, and counselors. So make sure to sign up for these online events. You’ll not only learn a lot while staying safe, but the college will notice that you’re taking an interest in their school. And thanks to the current explosion of videoconferencing technology, you can now participate in online interviews.
Gap year trend: There is a larger than normal number of students who have decided to take a gap year due to the pandemic. Will that phenomenon impact the number of admissions offered by the school for the next class? Colleges understand this trend and are working to adjust for the potential impact of having so many gap year students.
So, our advice to you is to really engage in the college search and application process this year. Put extra effort into the essay that you’ll be submitting, whether one is required or not, and make sure that it truly reflects who you are, and the reality of the life you are experiencing during this pandemic era. And don’t be discouraged. With all of its differences, this era offers some advantages to college applicants. Admissions offices are adjusting the traditional methods they have used for their outreach and review processes, and this is a great opportunity for students to shine who might not have otherwise.
Did You Know? Daylight Savings Time
On March 14th, at 2 AM, we all change our clocks for the beginning of Daylight Savings. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin came up with the original idea?
But it was a joke!
In 1784, Franklin penned a satirical letter to the editor of the Journal of Paris outlining how many pounds of candle wax the city would save (64,050,000 pounds, according to his calculations) if only its clocks were better aligned with the rise and set of the sun. If residents had trouble adjusting, he suggested the city “let cannon be fired in every street, to wake the sluggards effectually.”
Though daylight savings wasn’t officially proposed until 1895 by George Hudson, an entomologist from New Zealand, it was Ben Franklin that introduced the idea more than a century earlier. Though his letter was humorous, he was only partially joking. Franklin was a very thrifty man, always looking for ways to save money, to conserve, and to get things done more efficiently.
So George Hudson proposed his idea in 1895, hoping for more sunshine to go bug hunting during the summer months (yes, really), and the notion was revived again during World War 1, when the country was faced with energy conservation concerns due to the war effort. Daylight Saving was officially passed into law in 1918.
Letter from Betty for February 2021
Hello Friends,
As soon as a child discovers books and reading, millions of doors open. Every year many new books are published and 2020 was no exception. For fresh inspiration from a reliable and familiar source, take a look at our feature article for February, "New York Public Library's Best 2020 Children's Books."
And what could be better when curling up with a good book than having a tasty snack to accompany it? It's February, the month of love. Here is an easy and delicious way to show your loved ones how you feel about them in this month's bonus article, "You Can Do It: Pop Hearts." Yum!
Mark your calendars! Make sure to look over our presentation of the "Test Schedule for February 2021" along with important notes about 2021 testing.
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep. Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Test Schedule for February 2021
Important notes about 2021 testing:
SAT
From the College Board:
“Search here to find out if your test center will be closed on an upcoming test date and if it's offering a makeup test. Remember, test centers may close or make changes on short notice, including on test day, and they may close for the scheduled makeup date. Test center data is updated every three hours—be sure to search any closings the night before and morning of your scheduled test.
Only fully closed test centers will show in the search results. Check any recent College Board notifications for your personal registration status and any test center updates, and make sure they have your contact information.
Their top priorities are your health and safety. Learn the latest test center policies.”
ACT
The ACT organization is working to offer on-line testing in 2021.
SSAT
At home testing is also available, providing students in the US with a secure computer-based testing option as COVID-19 limitations continue to evolve. Learn more about testing details, test dates, and registration here.
ISEE
ISEE at Home via ProProctor is now available in the US. Find out how to register for this option here.
All Tests: Please make sure to check with the testing center ahead of the test date to make sure that there are no closings.
New York Public Library's Best 2020 Children's Books
A survey sponsored by The Guardian found that people have almost doubled the amount of time they have spent reading during this pandemic, and only 10% are reading less. In case you are running out of reading material in your home, we’ve put together a list of books, newly released in 2020, and recommended by the New York Public Library. From their list, we’ve selected 6 books for teens and 6 for younger children, though we suspect that you parents will enjoy them as well!
NYPL Best Books for Teens: 2020
Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir, by Robin Ha
Being the new kid is tough. It's even tougher when you don't know the language, or anyone else in the entire country.
Beyond the Clouds, Volume 1: The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, By Nicke
Theo has dreamed his whole life of the adventures in his beloved fantasy books. When he stumbles across a mysterious new friend, he might just have found an adventure of his own.
Blue Period: Volume 1, by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
Yatora Yaguchi struggles with his lack of passion as he goes about his usual routines. That all changes when art turns his colorless life bright.
Fable, by Adrienne Young
Abandoned by her father on an island of cutthroats, Fable fights to prove her worth and claim her rightful inheritance as pirate royalty.
The Inheritance Games, by Jennifer Lynn Barne
Avery just inherited billionaire Tobias Hawthorne's entire fortune, but she has no idea why. To figure it out, she's going to have to solve the most difficult puzzle of her life... and survive his cutthroat family.
Legendborn, by Tracy Deonn
Away from home for the first time, Bree discovers a world where magic exists through King Arthur's legacy and her ancestors' Rootcraft. Now, she's in the fight of her life, for her past and for her future.
NYPL Best Books for Kids: 2020
Bear, by Ben Queen
What happens when a service dog loses his sight? Well, he takes dubious advice from raccoons, ventures into the forest, and goes on a “sense”-ational journey to find his best friend . . . his owner.
The Blue House, by Phoebe Wahl
A boy and his father live joyfully in their beautiful blue house, but change is coming. Distinctive art accompanies a touching story about dealing with transition and what it really means to make a home.
Crabapple Trouble, by Kaeti VanDorn
The Summertime Fair is around the corner, and everyone is excited to enter the produce competition! Everyone except Callaway, who keeps losing her head with worry. A fairy named Thistle may be the perfect friend to help Callaway calm her nerves.
Dark Was The Night, by Gary Golio
From street corners to a recording studio, musician Willie Johnson found success despite his many hardships. Beautiful watercolor illustrations tell how his legacy continues to live among the stars on the Golden Record.
Eva Evergreen: Semi-Magical Witch, by Julie Abe
Eva Evergreen has only a pinch of magic, and she'll need every ounce of it to obtain the rank of Novice Witch - or she’ll lose her power forever! Eva sets up an enchanted repair shop, but will her fixes be enough when a magical storm threatens her new home?
A Hatful of Dragons, by Vikram Madan
Silly wordplays, letters all over the place, fill-in-the-blanks, and funky pictures make this poetry collection a delight!
You Can Do It: Pop Hearts
Valentine's Day is coming up this month, so here's a fun and easy baking project to win over the hearts and stomachs of your loved ones!
Ingredients
1 refrigerated, ready-to-unroll piecrust
1 large egg
4 tbsp. raspberry jam
Directions
Preheat the oven 425 degrees F. Line a jelly-roll pan with parchment paper.
Unroll the piecrust and cut into 8 large hearts. Use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to stamp out smaller hearts from half of these (these will be your peekaboo top crusts); brush edges with egg.
Spread 1 heaping teaspoon raspberry jam in the center of the 4 solid hearts. Put the peekaboo crusts on top; seal the edges by crimping them with a fork (lightly floured, if needed). Transfer to prepared jelly-roll pan.
Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until golden. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Letter from Betty for January 2021
Hello Friends,
Happy New Year! While we are busy writing down our resolutions for 2021, perhaps this is a good time to reflect on the power and effectiveness of the written word. Many people "think" best with pencil and paper: making lists, scribbling in margins, or keeping a journal. Others are professional poets, songwriters, screenplay authors, technical writers, news journalists, or novelists. Your teenage children might just be discovering the many joys of writing. Please take a look at our feature article for January on this subject, "Helping Your Teen Cultivate a Love of Writing."
The weather outside might be frightful, but most of us like to let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Enjoy gazing into the magical microscopic world of snowflakes in our bonus article for this month, "Did You Know? Let it Snow!"
Mark your calendars! Here is the test schedule for January 2021.
Whatever your educational needs, Foundation for Learning is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, and ISEE/SSAT test prep.
Don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 or send an email to betty.foundationforlearning@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Betty
Test Schedule for January 2021
Important notes about '20/'21 testing.
SAT
From the College Board:
“Search here to find out if your test center will be closed on an upcoming test date and if it's offering a makeup test. Remember, test centers may close or make changes on short notice, including on test day, and they may close for the scheduled makeup date. Test center data is updated every three hours—be sure to search any closings the night before and morning of your scheduled test.
Only fully closed test centers will show in the search results. Check any recent College Board notifications for your personal registration status and any test center updates, and make sure they have your contact information.
Their top priorities are your health and safety. Learn the latest test center policies.”
ACT
The ACT organization is working to offer on-line testing in 2021.
SSAT
At Home testing provides students in the US a secure computer-based testing option as COVID-19 limitations continue to evolve. Learn more about testing details, test dates, and registration here.
ISEE
ISEE at Home via ProProctor is now available in the US. Find out how to register for this option here.
All Tests: Please make sure to check with the testing center ahead of the test date to make sure that there are no closings.
Helping Your Teen Cultivate a Love of Writing
The winter months are upon us and we are all indoors a lot more than we have been. Combine that with the many months ahead of social distancing due to COVID and our teens have a lot of free and solo time ahead of them. Now is a great time to encourage them to explore and develop their writing talents. Not only is it a wonderful and very necessary life skill, writing is an excellent outlet where they can express their emotions, put their thoughts in order, do some personal problem solving, and explore ideas.
How can parents help their teen cultivate a love of writing?
1. Provide them with good books to read. Why read? Because many successful authors actually describe themselves as word lovers, particularly from an early age. Reading, especially an engaging and well written book, will lay out how themes are developed, well structured sentences and paragraphs are put together, and how the story itself is presented. A really good book can be inspiring!
Check out these great book lists from previous Foundation for Learning newsletters:
2. Give your teens a dedicated journal, like a Moleskin or other beautifully bound volume. Encourage them to write down their thoughts, questions, ideas, and dreams. Many people enjoy and find value in doing an exercise there they write anything and everything that comes into the mind, once a day (usually first thing in the morning) and to just fill up a page or two without worrying about spelling, punctuation, or structure. Just let loose and let go. It can lead to interesting ideas and discoveries about one’s self. Along these lines, Austin Kleon’s Steal Like An Artist Journal is an excellent tool for getting those creative juices going in a lightly structured but freeing way.
3. Does your teen have a favorite author? Suggest that he write a story the way that person might. In other words, to write the (author’s name here) story that hasn’t been written but that they’d like to read themselves. Or take a couple of intriguing lines from a favorite book and build a whole other story using those lines as a jumping off point. We all soak up influences during our life, especially as teens, while trying to discover who we are. Imitating and learning from a favored author is a fabulous way to pursue the enjoyment and excellence in writing.
4. Graphic novels are hugely popular among teens right now, so another way to encourage writing might be to gift him a blank book and encourage him to write his own, complete with pictures. This kind of writing is quick, it’s compact, and it’s perfect for someone who is a visual learner. And yes, graphic novels do count as literature!
5. Is your teen musical? Songwriting is about telling stories, it’s poetry, it’s a venting outlet for angsty teens, and it’s emotional and creative expression. Encourage your teen to test out his songwriting savvy. The more he writes, the better he becomes at it, so support this form of writing if that’s what grabs his interest.
6. Now here’s a tricky part: it takes a lot of guts to put so much heart, and energy onto paper. It’s scary and feels risky to share it with others, so if you are given the opportunity to see your teen’s creative work, hold back any criticism you may have. They want to hear how much you appreciate their work and maybe even love it, so check your response. It’s ok to critique, but do so without being critical. Resist the urge to correct grammar or spelling. Find something in the work that you really like and point that out. Ask questions and pay attention to replies, as it may lead the way for further discussion, but remember that this is their personal work. If they ask for help then certainly give it, but you don’t want to pick apart a piece of cathartic writing. That will quickly discourage them from continuing.
7. Most of all, enjoy your teen’s writing and the fact that they want to share it with you. Despite what it may seem sometimes, they really do care about what you think of them, their work, and their interests. Encourage their creativity to flow, in any form it takes. By expressing your enjoyment and delight with them, you are showing support and they’ll feel like they can trust their own work, their own voice, and their right of expression.
Writing is an important life skill, and it’s one way that your teen can express himself. When they write they explore, they learn to trust, they expand not only their world but their abilities as well. Encourage them, support them, and step back so they can find themselves and discover just how accomplished they can be in whatever writing path they decide to take.