Summer and winter breaks from school can be highly anticipated times for students and educators. However, for students living in poverty, the break from school can bring hidden challenges that school psychologists should be aware of when preparing for vacation. Research has shown that school breaks affect students from varying socioeconomic status…

Presents a collection of holiday-related winter activities for elementary students. November activities celebrate the Great American Smokeout, National Children's Book Week, National Geography Awareness Week, and Thanksgiving. December activities celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the coming of snow. Hands-on activities include cooking,…

Activities that explore the history of the New Year tradition in the United States and other countries help students gain a better understanding and appreciation of other cultures. (DF)

With this ready-reference and resource, educators can make every day a holiday for their students--from January 1 to December 31. This book, for grades K-12, is organized chronologically and lists holidays and multicultural events from around the world for every day of the year--historic happenings, birthdays, famous firsts, inventions, and other…

Discusses employers' duty to accommodate employees' requests for religious leave, based on the case of "Ansonia Board of Education v. Philbrook." A school board denied a high school teacher's request for three days of paid, personal business leave to supplement his paid religious leave. The final court decision turned on "reasonable…

This resource guide provides school administrators, teachers, and other educators with information they can use to schedule the school year and to enrich the curriculum. Part 1 provides information on dates of special observances and holidays that may be used to plan school activities. Part 2 contains legal and school holidays for the 50 states…

Presents instructions for a number of simple Christmas and Hanukkah decorations that children can make. (SJL)

Poetry that relates to the beliefs and actions of Martin Luther King, Jr. can be used to help students appreciate the civil rights leader's contributions, examine their own aspirations, and critically analyze poems. A reproducible poetry page is included. (IAH)

Presents several pages of teaching ideas and activities for elementary school teachers. Many of the activities have a Christmas theme. (JMB)

The author describes an activity day during the Thanksgiving Day holidays in which games of physical skill were developed dealing with themes of turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indians. (MJB)

Suggestions for decorating pumpkins using paint and other materials are offered. Many imaginative pumpkins are pictured. (MT)

This seasonal idea/activity book for grades 1-6 features interesting facts on the origins of traditions and customs of spring and summer festivals from around the world. There are numerous hands-on art activities, a map of each country or continent of the activity's origin, and a brief explanation of each tradition. Areas and countries of the…

Folk tales which are particularly suited to February cover legends about George Washington, the Chinese zodiac, and Groundhog Day. Also included is a calendar of activities for February. These activities are appropriate for Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, President's (Washington and Lincoln) Day, and Leap Year. (KC)

Suggests a number of unusual approaches to holiday-related feature stories. (GT)

Three articles focus on elementary school literature education. The first reviews children's books that celebrate the winter. The second presents a holiday letter to students from writer/illustrator Marc Brown. The third examines how the seasons can inspire imagery in children's poetry. (SM)