School Archives – Kveller

Recently, at a meeting, a colleague’s cell phone rang. He looked at his screen and went pale. “It’s the school,” he muttered and bolted out of the conference room. As a mom, I know that… feeling all too well — hearing your phone ring and seeing the name of your child’s school as the caller is one of the most frightening parental moments. The time it takes you to pick up the phone and say hello may be the longest three seconds of your life. “Do I need a plastic… >> Read More

gun violence

These Jewish Teens Created a Gun Control Contract for Parents

Joanna C. Valente

Ever since the Parkland shooting, many parents, teachers, and kids are rethinking our country's gun laws -- and rightly so. How could we not? We're all affected by such violence, especially when it… targets some of the most vulnerable people in our society. This is why two 16-year-olds are trying to "change the world," as they told The New Yorker. Adam Buchwald and Zach Hibshman, juniors at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, recently launched Parents Promise To Kids. The organization's aim? To have parents sign a contract “promising their kids that… >> Read More

violence

The Night I Learned No One Is Immune to School Violence

Maurie Backman

The phone rang at midnight, jolting me awake. I smacked my husband in his sleep, annoyed that it was probably his office again, calling with some major network outage. Only it wasn’t his… company; it was the local township’s police department, informing me, as a parent, that a vicious online threat had been made against our school district, and that the department was in the process of conducting its investigation. As I attempted to process that information in my groggy, already sleep-deprived state, I realized I needed much… >> Read More

School

Can’t My Kids Ever Have 5 Full Days of School?

Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

“Now we can finally have a normal week,” was what my husband said way back in 2011, as the holidays were ending and my busiest season as a Jewish professional was coming to a close. The next… day, I found out I was pregnant. The allure of a “normal week” has now followed us through the birth of two children, six more High Holiday seasons, vacations, school transitions — not to mention sick days and snow days too numerous to count. Through it all, I’ve had my eye on my calendar: I’ve… >> Read More

smart phones

This Actually Gets Kids Off Smartphones at School

Kveller Staff

Smartphone addiction is real, people. We often don't think of it as being in the same categories as alcohol or drug abuse, but it has been proven by studies that smartphone use changes our brain… chemistry — especially in younger people. Obviously, smartphones aren't going to go away anytime soon. So what can we do to combat this? Well, musician Graham Dugoni created a clever, simple solution. Yondr is a small, gray neoprene pouch that "locks" smartphones. The pouches can be rented for a single event, or for longterm use by facilities like courtrooms,… >> Read More

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