"In the lane, snow is glistening"

Winter Wonderland by Richard B. Smith & Felix Bernard

Hey Reader,

First newsletter of 2025, welcome to new subscribers and welcome back to long time readers!

It's inclement weather season! ...the strangest time of year

Some of us live on edge in the winter wondering how far you can stretch PTO and sick days for school cancellations and the constant sniffles circulating your home.

You're not alone- when I was in the classroom I heard a lot of stress from families around snow days.

Just because school is out doesn't mean work is canceled and life can be on hold...

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Here's what teachers can't tell you about snow days

We're Annoyed Too

Yes we love a snow day, but the last minute decision and scramble to adjust is hard. Many teachers have their own families that are impacted by the weather. We are empathetic for how families are affected.

If the snow day requirements aren't quite working for you, reach out to the teacher to let them know. They understand "zoom school" might not work for everyone and just want to know you're going to try and make it work the best you can.

It's OK

Today is not the day to be a screen time hero. Put on the tv, watch an extra movie, play a video game. Sure we'd love to hear your child read an entire novel and wrote their memoir on the day off, but the day is long, attention spans are short...and you still have an important presentation at 12:30.

Convenience isn’t there to create guilt- it’s there to help you.

It's Bureaucratic

Virtual learning days are about 2 things: reviewing skills & the school calendar.

In most states the school calendar legally has to be 180 days. And because this is a firm law, the kids will go all 180 days except in special circumstances.

Virtual school has been an amazing work around to this. Now instead of Saturday school or adding days in June, teachers can run virtual school.

So unless you're stuck at home for an extended period of time, hear it from a teacher- it’s ok to do the bare minimum.

it’s a snow day after all, so sprinkle learning in where it fits...and let your kid be a kid while they can!

What's New?

☕️ Mugs: I had the best surprise to close out my year- a call from a reporter at Today.com (yes- from The Today Show!) I'm featured in a funny article about bad teacher gifts.

🎥 Coming Up: I'll be releasing quite a few videos in January and February. I'm currently working on videos to support parents in upper elementary school. I need your advice though- should I start with 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade??

Things I Love

😘 My new go to: My mom got me this great cheek and lip tint for Christmas. Even though my mom is cool toned and I am warm toned we both look great in the shade "pretty in neutral." It's easy to put on and doesn't fade. It instantly brightens up my face!

🎶 Great Movie: My husband and I watched the movie Piece by Piece. It was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. I think the description sounds wild, but just trust me on this!

It's a documentary Pharrell Williams made about his own life, but instead of showing the interviews (star studded!!) he animated it in the style of the Lego Movie. It's bright, it's true, the music is great, and was a really fun movie to watch. It's rated PG and I think most kids would appreciate it.

Side note, I grew up in Virginia Beach and Future Records + his high school were in my neighborhood. I always heard lore of Pharrell, so it was cool to see his story come to life.

Have a great week,