Last Wednesday was the official kick-off to Lent. This means for the next 40 days, most Catholics will institute some sort of limitation on the luxuries in their lives – be it fasting, a break from social media, giving up diet soda, etc. The idea of “giving up” something for Lent is based on Luke 9:23: “Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’”

Over the last week, you have probably seen some reference to the “Momo Challenge,” hidden messages in Youtube videos, and calls for technology companies to police their systems to protect kids. You have probably also seen a number of reports of things being a hoax that should be ignored. As always, the truth lies somewhere in between, and we wanted to help you sort things out along with give you some practical advice on how to deal with these types of reports in the future.

School is out for the day and you have super energetic children in your car on the way to ... where? When the kids don't have any organized sports, dance or music classes after school, you still have quite a few hours to kill in between pick-up and dinnertime. Depending on your type of child, or their particular mood on a given day, it's good to have a few ideas in your back pocket that are both high-energy or relaxing, mentally stimulating and educational, or just plain fun. 

With increasing pressures and challenges on students today, it’s important that schools and parents forge a bond to become partners in education. This partnership includes regular, open communication between home and school; a respectful climate where everyone feels safe; and active parent involvement in school community activities.

Who doesn’t love a good snow day?! Well, perhaps YOU if you haven’t prepared any snowy day activities for your kids. Check out our list for a few ideas to do at home – indoors and outdoors – with your children before boredom sets in.

Do you like challenges? More specifically, do you like geographic challenges?

Then I think you would be interested in learning about #MysterySkype. Why the hashtag? #MysterySkype is a Twitter hashtag that teachers have been using to set up connections between their classes. The challenge is for students to guess the location of the other class by asking yes or no geographic questions. There are also spin-offs to #MysterySkype such as #MysteryAnimal and #MysteryNumber. Anything can become a mystery — how about a #MysteryElement from the periodic table?

Whether in-season or out-of-season, it’s important athletes take care of themselves during the winter months. The cold weather impacts your body by tightening muscles, causing dehydration and, for some, triggering asthma. As the extreme temperatures settle in, use our guide to athletic health care to help athletes prepare their bodies for the cold winter months.

Gone are the days of measuring student success by the grades on their papers or the scores on their tests. Today, it's about being socially and emotionally intelligent. 

When searching for the right school for your child, there are so many options out there that the idea of undergoing the application process at more than one private school can become an overwhelming proposition. But it really doesn’t have to be that hard. Follow our tips for applying to private school to help you navigate the decision-making process with ease.

While many schools focus solely on test scores and academic achievement, it’s important for educational institutions to take part in helping our youngest learners navigate and manage stress by embracing social and emotional development.

The end result? Preparing students to be happy, healthy and well-adjusted adults.