Back to School

School is in the air. The leaves haven’t changed yet but they have lost their vivid green hue. New shoes, backpacks, fresh notebooks await that first day of school. For over 5 million US food-allergic students, preparing for school also means dealing with a host of challenging situations: recess; lunch time; birthday parties; cooking projects; special treats; school outings. How will these be dealt with safely?

Shifi and Shana were neighbors and their mothers had been getting together before they could even roll over. Now that the girls were in second grade, they did their homework together.

.

How often does your family ask you: “What’s for dinner?” Here are some great ideas for traditional family favorites simply with a healthy makeover. Instead of being a short-order cook, follow these guidelines to help you prepare nutritious, delicious dinners everyone will enjoy.

Pinny glances down at his math workbook, and is surprised to discover that he has written nothing in the spaces for the answers to numbers 1,2,3, and 4. As he glances around the classroom, he sees that everyone's workbook is filled except his. As he quickly glances at Chaim's workbook, which is on the desk next to his and fills in the answers, he feels so frustrated.

What is the most impressive accomplishment in professional sports? What is that question doing in this newspaper? One of the lessons Ben Azzai teaches us in Pirkei Avos is al t’hi maflig l’chol davar, which means there is potential value in everything in Hashem’s world (Tiferes Yisrael on Avos 4:3). We might even be able to derive a musar haskal from professional sports.

The new school year is just around the corner, and as the summer days wind down the air is filled with the anticipation of the approaching back-to-school season. During this time, students and their parents often feel the apprehension and worry of preparing for school. Of course, we’d rather take advantage of these final warm vacation days and really enjoy ourselves, but the nervousness of the new school year is palpable. The best cure for this anxiety is to help ease the fear of the unknown by preparing for school. Set your children up for success by helping them prepare for this transition smoothly. Here are some tips to help you and your children experience this season bump-free.

This was my first teaching job. I was standing in front of a classroom of eighteen delightful third graders. I had tutored and taught small groups of children over the years but this was my very own class. I could barely believe it. I was all of nineteen years old and I was so nervous. My stomach hurt and I hardly slept the night before the start of the school year. Eighteen pairs of sweet, adorable eyes followed my every move, every day.

To help those who dread it, or are neutral towards it, it’s best to fake it till you make it, i.e. act as if we are excited for the upcoming school year, and before you know it, they just might be.

Kids are going back to school, and that means getting them up earlier and trying to get them to eat breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Research has shown that children who regularly eat breakfast have better test scores, better behavior and are less hyperactive than children who skip breakfast.

While obviously every teacher will have specific items she (or he) wants students to use, we have compiled a general supply list to make your initial shopping trip a little easier.

.

You brightened my life when you entered my world My child, my treasure, my glittering pearl. I held you and rocked you, safe in my arms Dreaming I’d keep you safe from all harm.

The best way to prepare your child for the best year possible is, of course, by preparing.

We asked several experienced mechanchim for their insights on how to shepherd children from their first “Modeh Ani” to the understanding that Hashem alone holds the key to every aspect of their existence. Here are the key principles they shared.