With warm weather on the horizon, the popping sound of pickleballs will soon return to our neighborhoods. As an avid fan of pickleball and skills-based learning, I often think about the life skills acquired in pickleball. Combine this with my position as a history teacher, and my mind wanders to the question, can pickleball save democracy? I know it sounds like a stretch but stick with me on this for a bit.

Oak Knoll student Cora Laborde ’25 said, “I think books are knowledge, but also vessels of personal experience and culture that can invoke empathy, which is crucial when embracing diversity and inclusion.” With that in mind, she has curated a short list of great books celebrating Black History Month.

Here are Laborde’s top five picks and her own words on why they were most appealing.

The unfolding and highly tense crisis between Ukraine and Russia currently affects nearly 44 million civilians. As parents everywhere search for ways to best discuss what’s happening with their children, a topic that might come up in conversation is how can families be empathetic and act to help those most affected by this conflict.

Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 are required to stay and fight. Therefore, it’s women and children who are predominately on the humanitarian front line. Many women and children have had to flee their homes in a hurry to a safer space. 

Pope Francis has called for an end to the fighting in Ukraine, stating, "This is not just a military operation, but a war. The number of victims is increasing, as are the people fleeing, especially mothers and children."

Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day is on March 8, 2022. What better time than now to honor women by learning how you and your children can help Ukrainian women and their families in real time who are living in the middle of the conflict?

One important way you can honor Black History Month with your child is by amplifying Black voices and reading diverse stories. When reading literature about Black historical figures, consider who is telling that story. From Alice Walker to Amanda Gorman, we can celebrate and support Black authors by promoting more authentic storytelling that reflects real Black experiences, identities and voices.

While every election season brings us hot-button issues, the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election specifically focused on the economy, health care, the global COVID-19 pandemic, race and ethnic inequality, Supreme Court appointments and more. While it’s easy to get caught up in the hype and social media craze, it’s essential that families take a deep breath, step back and find the silver linings from election 2020 to help our children understand the significance.

Perhaps one of the most important silver linings is that there are many lessons that girls can learn about from these last few months from Election Day 2020 through this week’s Inauguration Day.