New & Noteworthy

Dear Peach Pear Plum Families,

I hope the summer has treated you well, enjoying family, friends and wild adventures. I bumped into a few familiar faces at Coastal Camp while hiking in the Headlands a few weeks ago. What a thrill!

Dear Peach Pear Plum Families,

I hope the summer has treated you well, enjoying family, friends and wild adventures. I bumped into a few familiar faces at Coastal Camp while hiking in the Headlands a few weeks ago. What a thrill!

Howard Gardener, a professor of education at Harvard University, developed his influential theory of multiple intelligences in 1983. That was just about the time I became interested in being an educator.

Jump into this month’s newsletter for a quick, practical boost to your child’s reading and writing: learn what digraphs are (and how they differ from blends), then click through a simple guide that makes the distinction crystal clear. Keep reading for a curiosity-sparking mini tour of May—complete with fun historical moments—and finish with the “Fabulous Five” book picks that invite kids (and grown-ups) into adventures, big feelings, and brave new beginnings.

Step into Poetry Month and let a little whimsy and wonder change how you see the world—this newsletter is your invitation to discover how poems (in thousands of languages) can reveal truth, spark joy, and connect us to one shared human heartbeat. Read on for bite-sized sample poems, quick guides to forms like naani, concrete poems, and haiku, a “Fabulous Five” list of poetry books to add to your shelf, and a final nudge to snag one of the last two spots in the August “Brush Away the Cobwebs” summer camp.

While this season is full of excitement and new growth, it can also pose challenges, such as restlessness in the classroom, seasonal allergies, and end-of-year academic pressures. Understanding how spring affects children—and implementing strategies to support them—can help parents and educators navigate this dynamic season successfully.