Photo credit: George Etheredge, nyt.com West Virginia is a complex region with diverse people, places, and cultures. It’s known for its hills and hollers. In fact, it’s the third most forested state with 77.5% of its land covered in trees—preceded by Maine (89%) and New Hampshire (77.7%). West Virginia is famous coal, natural [...]
Beyond April 22, Earth Day, the whole month of April is Earth month. With warmer weather and so many West Virginia trees, shrubs, and flowers in bloom, it’s a great time to notice the natural beauty Earth offers. Here are three ideas I came up with for my Earth month celebrations. Play outside. After so [...]
The recent Public Education Forums hosted by the West Virginia Department of Education offered four themes for public discussion: Funding Opportunities (increased compensation, enrollment floor, local levy rates, & local share cap); Instructional Quality (teacher leaders, teacher preparation programs, support for math teachers, county salary supplements, & reduction in force (RIF) decisions); School Choice & Innovation (innovation zone [...]
Parent-led initiatives to improve their local schools can take many forms such as participating on the Local School Improvement Council (LSIC) at their child's school or hosting a family educational event, or organizing a team of parents and teachers to submit a grant to support a new initiative for children at the school. The FLC Mini [...]
As West Virginia legislators wrestle with proposed education reform (i.e., WV Senate Bill 451), parents need time and opportunities to ask what educational reforms and innovations are most beneficial to our children. Below are questions that I would like to see included in the discussion about educational reform. Some of the questions listed below are [...]
Yesterday I took a day off from my duties as an AmeriCorps VISTA to join Ohio County teachers Jenny Craig, Jackie Shriner, and Erin Bowers. Visiting WV Senate and House representatives with Ohio County branch president of the West Virginia Education Association, Jenny Craig, allowed me to participate in several meaningful exchanges with WV Delegates [...]
Families Leading Change is one of several coalitions under the umbrella of West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families (WVHKF). As the January 2019 West Virginia Legislative session unfolds, WVHKF offers to help West Virginia families get involved in meeting with their state Delegates and Senator to share their view on issues of great interest and [...]
A collaboration between the Fayette Institute of Technology and West Virginia Public Broadcasting reveals that school lunches may be overly sweet and weak on meat. Tabitha Gill and Katie Cameron, both seniors at Fayette Institute of Technology, published an investigative report about their county school lunch program, which was aired Wednesday, Jan 2, 2019 on [...]
As I put aside the 2018 calendar for the brand new 2019 planner, I consider what opportunities and challenges the New Year may bring, and what self-improvements I want to make. People have been starting the New Year with resolves for self-improvement or promises of commitment since calendars were first invented by the Babylonians. There’s something [...]
Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. The lights, decorations, family get-togethers, and music are all part of my family Christmas traditions. Christmas is also a time of celebration and faith renewal for me. Activities of giving, sharing, singing, and worship are components of what I love about the Christmas season. Don’t forget the parties [...]
At the West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families 20th annual awards banquet Jean Srodes was named Volunteer of the Year for Families Leading Change. The awards banquet was held November 15 at at Temple Israel in Charleston, WV. With her commitment to the youth of Pocahontas County as well as for the many programs she [...]
Parents play an important role in supporting the health and well being of their children at home and at school. Research shows that when parents are engaged in their children’s school activities, their children tend to get better grades, choose healthier behaviors, and have better social skills. Parent engagement in school is also associated with [...]
