By Sonali Bridges

Every year, students look forward to summer break – a chance to unwind, have fun, enjoy time with family, and maybe make new friends at summer camp. In high school; however, the plan for summer starts to feel like it might carry a bit more weight than just having a good time. But how do colleges really view those few months between school years and how can students endeavor to use that time fruitfully?

In talking to students and parents each year, we often hear the same myths continually passed around. Things like students must have a certain number of service hours, or have to try a sport, or even that students should do a summer program at the college they wish to get into. Avoid the rumor mill; instead, students should view the summer as an opportunity to try on something they may not have the time or ability to do during the school year. What colleges really want to see from a student’s summer is that they’ve been productive, but that productivity is not narrowly defined. The activity or activities should be meaningful to the student and align well with their interests or needs. If it seems too early in this brand new year to be thinking about the summer, you’ve been fairly warned – many summer programs that require applications begin taking them (and may even have deadlines) in January! Below, we’ve shared our top recommendations for using summer like a pro (and why) – many students may do more than one in a single summer: (more…)

By Dorin Esfahani

Magen David Adom (literally Red Shield of David) is Israel’s national emergency medical service. It is also the country’s sole blood-services provider for Israel’s hospitals and defense forces. And, as a Red Cross affiliate, Magen David Adom responds to disasters around the world, including most recently in Ukraine.

But few people may know that Magen David Adom (MDA) operates and is home to Israel’s national and only human milk bank. Many premature infants can’t tolerate any other food source because of their underdeveloped digestive and immune systems. But for many reasons, mothers of preemies are not always able to provide their own milk. (more…)

Shirin Yadegar shares her father’s morning gratitude practice that you might want to adopt.

Thanksgiving is the time of year we gather with family and friends to be grateful for one another and the abundance of food and freedom. My dad used to always baste the turkey. He would marinate the turkey with the same attention and love he led his life with.

My father sadly won’t be basting a turkey or sharing in our thanksgiving meal this year. I’m sure he has other plans as an angel in heaven; but the lessons of gratitude he taught my brother and I will always be present not just on thanksgiving but every morning. (more…)

Why Judith Manouchehri is running for BHUSD Governing Board

By Judith Manouchehri
I’m thrilled to be running for Beverly Hills Unified School District Governing Board because Beverly Hills is not just my home, it’s shaped me. My commitment to BHUSD is demonstrated through my volunteer work on both the Beverly Vista Middle School PTA Executive Board and as an elected member of the Hawthorne School Site Council. Further, my involvement in our City extends to my roles as a member of the Beverly Hills Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce. I have a deep understanding of not only a collaborative professional setting, but of a public service mindset.

I’m the only candidate that’s a true product of our entire Beverly Hills school system. I’m proud of my BHUSD education that allowed me to go on to study Political Science and Public Policy at UCLA, where I then earned my JD on the other side of the tracks, at USC’s Gould School of Law. (more…)

Sivaphone Sarinas is a mother and healer

Q:As a healer, how do you help others process their own feelings and find their peace?
A: As a healer it’s important for me to be aware and respect that every person I connect with is going through their own unique journey and everybody processes emotions differently. Empathy is also key in how I help others process their feelings and holding a safe space for my clients to feel their emotions. Guiding others to find their light and release any energy that does not serve their highest good is important for me as a healer. Uplifting clients to empower themselves and find gratitude in their journey/experiences is a beautiful purpose in life and as a healer. Finding peace is also part of the process. Helping others find their peace is about reconnecting with themselves, going within and honoring yourself. I also like to focus on the daily little things that makes us happy and brings us peace. I believe we can find peace in many things such as self-care, reading an inspiring book, listening to music/podcasts that uplifts your energy, going into nature to ground yourself, meditate, and being around people who supports and love you. (more…)

Reinforcing student learning through daily activities.

By Janis Adams

We are all familiar with the concept that students lose significant learning gains over the summer— the infamous Summer Slide.

One of the original studies on the subject from The American Educational Research Association states, “summer loss equaled about one month on a grade-level equivalent scale” and was found most detrimental for math. More recent studies, however, assert that the average student loses 17–34% of the prior year’s learning gains specifically in language arts. (more…)

By Cheryl Petran
My daughter Daniela turned 15 in April, and with that I’ll be celebrating 15 years with the Pump Station! Over the years, I’ve interacted with literally hundreds of credentialed parenting experts and thousands upon thousands of expecting and new parents. I’ve heard EVERYTHING – so I thought it might be fun to share 15 tips I’ve learned over the past 15 years! (more…)

Innovation has been key to School of Rock’s success, beginning with its core music-education approach, The School of Rock Method™, which earlier this year, was awarded a U.S. Patent validating it as an exclusive concept and practice. The groundbreaking School of Rock Method builds musical proficiency through its proprietary Method App™, Method Book™ collection, SongFirst® approach, Method Engine™, and performance-based music curriculum. (more…)

By Danny Strauss
Founder of A Perfect Score
Test Prep Expert

What better skill to teach a young student than How To Take A Test?

Surprisingly, this is a skill not taught in school. Perhaps it is because we (teachers, students and parents) tend to look at a test score as a reflection of how well a student studied for a test, an indication of a student’s ability, or even as a measurement of how smart they are. But no matter what these tests are telling us about our kids, one thing these tests undoubtedly measure is how well the student takes a test.

There is a performance aspect to test-taking and perhaps it should be looked at the way we look at performance on stage or in a playoff game. Athletes, actors and musicians are certainly aware of having to perform under pressure, in front of an audience, and they factor that into their preparation. Students should, too. (more…)

By Jill Levin
Are you looking to send your child to an overnight camp this summer but concerned about Covid? If so, you’re not alone. I think most parents are evaluating whether sending their children away during these times is a good idea.

You should know that the camps that I work with have learned what they need to do to keep campers and staff safe – and have done a great job accomplishing that! Some camps took on this responsibility in the summer of 2020. They followed CDC and state guidelines. For 2021, they shared these best practices with other camps and they remained aware of changes as they occurred. The result was a very successful 2021 camp season. I have every confidence that summer 2022 will be the same. (more…)