School

Coffee chat: Fundraising Parents

| Patti Webb

My first fundraiser was in kindergarten. Our school was selling candy bars, and I don’t remember if I volunteered to take a box or was voluntold. But they were chocolate almond candy bars and I really liked those.

When I got home, that box of candy bars sat on the counter for a month. My mom had no clue why they were there and, in the end, she paid the minimum $20 just to cover it. Obviously, I didn’t win any top-seller prizes, but I did get to enjoy the candy bars.

Over my childhood, I had to sell Girl Scout cookies, pocket calendars, magazine subscriptions, pizza kits, program ads, and sponsored race miles. I went door-to-door by myself at 7 and never again after that. I’ve done phonathons, ran car washes, and organized parents’ weekends for my club teams.

Now with an advertising degree and a work history that includes actual advancement fundraising, I have the mad skillz take my daughters’ money-raising requirements to the next level. However, you still won’t catch me knocking on doors and cold-calling businesses.

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Our Three-Week Check-in

| Patti Webb

OMG, they have to walk upstairs???

So many little things and changes pop up at the beginning of the school year. While they may not seem like that big of a deal to kids (especially if they’ve been in their school for a while), for parents it’s a sign of time passing too fast.

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M is for Montessori

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

When I was 5, my parents enrolled me in a Montessori program. At that age, you obviously don’t grasp the difference between that and a typical classroom, but I remember the long reading periods and the one‑on‑one lessons. Teachers used hands‑on materials, games, and toys to introduce academic concepts.

Once I entered elementary school, my learning experience shifted dramatically. Classes became structured, centering around worksheets, whole‑group instruction, and a set schedule. Independent, self‑paced learning was rare, and the day revolved around the teacher directing the entire class at once.

As a parent, I’ve chosen the traditional route for my own kids, but several friends have opted for Montessori programs instead and have had a wide range of experiences. It made me curious: What exactly defines Montessori education today, and why do some families swear by it while others move on?

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Same But Different: Finding a K-5 School

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

When our then‑zoned elementary school closed a little over a year ago, the ripple effect was immediate. Our parent group began exploring every possible alternative, from moving to another county to researching private schools to digging into charter and magnet options. Watching that scramble unfold made me realize just how many educational paths families navigate today. It raised a bigger question about why so many different school models exist and whether choosing one during the elementary years truly shapes a child’s long‑term experience; ergo, this post.

In our metro area, there is an overabundance of school options; which for a parent isn’t a bad problem to have. When parents choose a school, they’re choosing more than just a building. It’s a community, a childhood environment, and the place where our kids will spend more than 1,000 hours each year.

Public, private, charter, and magnet schools all function differently, and knowing what sets them apart makes it easier for parents to determine the best fit for their kids.

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Child(ish) Reads: Never Enough

| Patti Webb

This book came out three years ago. I didn’t jump to review it because at the time, our kids were only 5. That’s a bit young to start worrying about achievement culture. Now, even though high school and applying to colleges are far off, there are still big parts of this book that speak to child development; both academically and personally.

The book also gives more nuance and research to our education system, and sheds more light on that pesky Gen Z: Cautionary Tale thing. It’s a great book to start your school year.

Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic-and What We Can Do About It by Jennifer Breheny Wallace.

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