10 Yoga-Inspired Ideas to Help Kids Get Ready for School

You don't need to do yoga to use these concepts with kids to help them return to school stress-free!

Many people view yoga as a physical practice only, and while they know that there’s a philosophical side, many feel that they’re not “spiritual” so they can only relate to the physical aspect of the practice.    The fact is that many of the central principles of yoga are very basic, relatable thoughts and can be appreciated and utilized even if you never step foot on a yoga mat. Additionally, most of these concepts can be appreciated by both adults and children and can provide kids with an understanding of how the practice of mindfulness can help them scholastically as well as physically and emotionally. Here are a few you can share with children during this stressful and exciting time of a new school year: Feel better fast: take 10 deep …

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What's Your One Request of the Returning College Kids?

Moving Day is upon us. If you could get the returning college students to change one thing about how they act and interact, what would it be?

That low, steady hum you hear in the distance is thousands of U-Haul and Ryder trucks descending on Boston. Saturday is Moving Day, when thousands of college kids return and move into their new apartments. It's also the day when many Boston residents hop a train out of town to avoid the chaotic swarms. The incomparable Universal Hub's yearly Storrow Drive pool may already be over, but moving trucks wedged under Storrow Drive underpasses is just one of the headaches the kids bring with them. If you had the chance to change one thing the college kids do in your neighborhood, what would it be? Would you rather they tone down the parties after 2 a.m., or stop using the space between parked cars as a personal lavatory? Or are we being too hard …

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Charlestown Church Gets Ready for School Season

The date for the annual Blessing of the Animals is October 7 at Thompson Square. There will be a gathering all of the Churches in Charlestown for the International Day of Peace on Friday, September 21.

It was always about this time in August when my mother would gather a few of us and tell us to get cleaned up because we were going shopping—for “back-to-school” clothes and shoes. Just thinking about that directive from my loving mother, I still bristle and resist! My response inevitably was something like, “But, we don’t have to go back to school for weeks!”   The protests didn’t matter—off we went. Because there were both boys in girls in the family that meant I had to tolerate going shopping for my sisters too—it was the most horrible way to spend a beautiful summer’s day! This familiar scene is being repeated all over the city and suburbs as shopping malls are filled with families searching for good values and proper sizes of clothes …

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Options for School Lunch This Year

With less than a month before school starts, here is some information to get you prepared — including how to find out about your school menu.

Although many public schools don't have their school lunch menu pinned down just yet, it's not too early to anticipate what the cafeteria has in store this year. Boston Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services is using a national web service called SchoolMenu.com to let parents and caregivers know what's on the menu at their child's school. The site allows parents to choose a school and click on a date to see the offerings for breakfasts and lunches. It also includes some nutritional information about the meals, according to the Boston Public Schools website. Click here to register on the School Menu site.  Boston Public Schools write on their School Menu sites that they are planning to include more fruits and vegetables in their menu …

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Boston Public Schools Calendar 2012-2013

Key dates for the upcoming school year across all Boston Public Schools.

Bookmark this page for use and reference throughout the school year. Attached is a PDF of the Boston Public Schools calendar for the 2012-2013 school year. Key dates: SEPTEMBER: September 6 — Students in grades 1-12 report, including grade 1 in ELCs and EECs: Full day of school. September 10 — All kindergarten students report (including EECs, ELCs, and special ed.) OCTOBER: October 8 — Columbus Day: No school NOVEMBER: November 12 — Veterans’ Day: No school November 21 — Early release for students and staff November 22–23 — Thanksgiving Recess: No school DECEMBER: December 24–31 — Winter Recess: No school JANUARY: January 1 — New Year’s Day (observed): No school January 3 — Students return from recess January 21 — M. L. King Jr. Day: No …

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Mom Talk

When Your Kid's Seeking a BFF

Friends are good for everyone's health. But finding a new one in a new school takes time.

As my mother was getting her weekend grandchild fix over the phone last Sunday, I knew she'd be asking about the new school year and how each girl was getting along. The phone was passed from one person to the next. And then, in answer to some question my mom had asked, I overheard my daughter say quietly, evenly: "I don't have a friend yet." My ears pricked up, but mere murmuring followed. We were two weeks into a new school experience for this child and her older sister; I'd been trying to play it cool and not ask too many questions about how they were feeling, despite my desire for assurance. It was too early for the kids to have made a fair assessment that would please me, and we've been through school transitions before. Indications …

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Mom Talk

School's In Session - Spotting the Freshmen

In a few short weeks, the class of 2015 will disappear to become just part of the crowd.

Just before we admit that, by any definition of calendar or weather, summer is over, there's a family game we haul out of storage for a few days at this time of year. Seek out a place with a lot of foot traffic, and prepare to people watch. For the players, driving is better than walking, because in the privacy of your car you can shout it out: It's called Freshmen Spotting. You already know the rules: First, look for a cluster of young adults. Intent on their conversations, they're walking somewhat closely together, the better not to lose one's way in strange territory. They clutch not packages and shopping bags, but notebooks and backpacks. Matching T-shirts are a dead giveaway, of course. And like the best tourists, they eagerly take in…

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The Town We Love So Well

Back to School Days, Back Then

Growing up in Charlestown, September was full of promise. And grief, for the end of summer.

Labor Day is behind us and that means only one thing….back to school. This long-awaited day is perhaps the best time of the year for weary parents and, surprisingly, it’s also a great time for the kids. With the promise of new beginnings, mixed with the nervousness of meeting the new teacher for the first time, it’s also means getting back together with old school friends. I can remember that special morning like it was yesterday. All the girls wore dresses that were stiff from their newness, perfectly groomed hair, and shoes that shined in the sunlight. The boys were so handsome in their button-down shirts, creased pants and fresh-from-the-barbershop hair cuts. The neighborhood would be quiet that day. Games, bikes, balls and chalk were …

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Viewfinder

Despite Hurricane Threat, Back-to-School Jamboree Draws Thousands

City Hall sponsored a party to celebrate the start of the school year. Parents were amped up. Were kids?

With Hurricane Irene just hours away, thousands of Bostonians gathered on City Hall Plaza for the third annual Back-to-School Jamboree. The event, hosted by the Mayor's Office and Boston Public Schools, featured performances, information booths, and giveaways to get students and parents excited about the new school year. Boston's first day of school is Sept. 8, with kindergarten beginning Sept. 12.

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