JAK CHAT

Snow Day: Little Man by Just Add Kids Founder, Paula Herrmann He's my son. He's my youngest child. And he's alive and healthy...thank God!  I can attribute the fact that he was able to snuggle up on the couch with our puppy on Wednesday's snow day to his bus driver. Only a week ago, his life was nearly wiped out  Read More...  by a driver who flew through our bus stop, apparently completely oblivious to the fact that there was a big yellow vehicle stopped with flashing lights and stop sign, and a group of little people enroute to board, like any other school day at 8:30am. I remember I was a bit miffed at my 10 year old daughter for her deliquency in turning in a project and I was chatting with another parent who was sitting in her van discussing that fact (her son is in the same grade/had the same project).  I saw the bus approach with lights triggered prior to the bus making the full stop and I acknowledged to the kids that it was time to move toward the bus. Casually...

April is Prevent Child Abuse Awareness Month But we've got problems now. This minute. Today. Last week a  JAK-ie  (one of  Just Add Kids  friends, followers, mom) contacted me in a frantic, helpless state.  A young neighbor girl had been sexually assaulted and her own children witnessed the assault.  On top of that, the accused and admitted violator was released back into his home, right next door to his victim. Oh my gosh, what do you do? And you may have heard of this one...a high school gym teacher is charged with child enticement.  This is just what we know in one week in our community. READ MORE... Nothing happens by chance. This past Monday, I got together with the committee behind the Turn the Town Blue Campaign , Kenosha County's collaborative initiative to bring awareness to preventing child abuse and keeping kids safe in conjunction with National Child Abuse Prevention Month .  As we build toward April and the culmination of activities, information and events that wi...

Cave Dweller? Sponsored by Next Step Goals, LLC Written by Julie O'Keeffe Henzey It's Valentine's Day and I'm sorry, but behind all of those boxes of chocolates and bouquets of flowers are some really annoying people! For example, the guy at the check out counter just had a long conversation with the cashier as he paid for long-stemmed roses, even after glancing back to see that I was waiting with my hands full. Those people are so frustrating! This Valentine's Day, make it your goal to love and accept everyone (even those people ) around you "as is", even if it kills you. Which it won't! Read more.... We are wired to label people as either "in our group or "outside of our group" and to treat them accordingly.  To achieve this, we have to look for clues as to whether someone is worthy of membership in our group. Our caveman ancestor would watch a stranger approach his cave and want to know, Is this man going to offer us mastodon meat or...

Why is my Child Spooning Beans?                           The Importance of a Montessori Education Sponsored by Small World Montessori At first glance, a Montessori classroom is not like that of any other.  Upon entering you may find a child spooning beans between 2 dishes, another working with a map of South America, or playing the bells by scale.  These are just a few of the unique activities in a Montessori classroom. We offer a homelike environment in which we approach education of the "whole child" through hands on, self-directed activities. How is it possible that children are working independently at their own activities?   Read More... The environment is carefully staged with progressively difficult, self-correcting materials, and most instruction is delivered one on one. Our extensive curriculum spans from 2 1/2 through 6 years old.  The mixed age classroom allows the child to work at her own pace and since instruction is individual, no child is left behind or forced...