

How Can Parents Ease Kids’ COVID-19 Anxieties About Returning to School?
This month, thousands of schoolchildren throughout Vermont will return to full-time, in-person classroom learning, many for the first time since the start of the pandemic….
Mealtime: Spring Rolls Three Ways
I’ve always loved to pack lunches for my kids, even when that means early mornings. I’ve found that skipping the cafeteria line gives them longer…
Mom Takes Notes: The Green of the Mountains
Being originally from Southern Finland, I did not grow up anywhere close to the mountains. Yet, during my adult years, I developed a sense of wanting to be near them.
Lending a Hand: Volunteering in Your Kid’s Classroom Benefits Everybody
During the winter of 2019-20, I volunteered in my daughter’s preschool classroom for the first time and unexpectedly found myself in the spotlight, holding a…
Signs of Fall: Using Free Apps and Phenology to Track the Rhythms of the Year
When I was younger, my awareness of the rhythms of the year revolved around getting things: at Halloween, my birthday, Christmas. I always loved back-to-school…
Vermont Visionaries: Emma Makdessi, Camp Outright Codirector
As the community engagement director for Burlington-based Outright Vermont, Emma Makdessi works with youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning and their…
Thrifting for Parents 101: Where and How to Find Good Deals
Before my baby was born, I had countless hours to spare in thrift stores, and that time was often the key to my success. My…
Making Their Mark: Lincoln and Bristol Youth Update Garlands Bridge Mural
At the beginning of summer, the mural beneath Garlands Bridge in Lincoln was faded and peeling. Created six years ago as part of a summer…
Editor’s Note: Twists and Turns (Fall 2021 Issue)
My biggest worry in August 2019 was whether my kids had all the clothes they needed to start school. Back then, they were excited to…
Can You Dig It? Make Your Own Worm Farm With These Simple Steps
Some grandmas do arts and crafts or bake cookies with their grandkids. Kim Ray of Londonderry raises worms. For several years, Ray has been learning…
Mr. Fix-It: Marty Spaulding Works Behind the Scenes to Help Students Learn on Campus
When Vermont kids go back to school in person this fall, it’s partly thanks to people like Marty Spaulding. As property services director for the…
Back to School During Delta: A Pediatrician With Young Children Offers a Road Map — and Survival Strategies
From the editor How should parents approach this school year? In the early days of August, as the Delta variant started driving up COVID-19 case…






