Hilltown Families 
Archives
End of the School Year Gratitude & Appreciation End of the school year is fast approaching and many families are looking for creative ways to express their gratitude of the teachers and administrators that educate and support their children throughout the school year! Gift ideas can range from making something from scratch in your kitchen, to pairing up store bought sweets for a fun association that expresses your appreciation, to a summer… Read More
Apps that Increase Children’s Vocabulary I once had a teen client who had the most amazing ideas and insights. He was one of those kids who really cared about people and thought about things deeply. I always considered it a gift to work with him. So why did he need speech and language services? Unfortunately, he had a very small repertoire of vocabulary words and he couldn’t access the very reading material… Read More
Narratives: What did you do today? Have you ever tried to find out about your children’s daily experiences? Well, of course, teenagers rarely want to share their day with an adult, but younger children do. For some kids this is one of the hardest things to do. Why is that? It seems like such a simple thing to do! Well, let’s think about it. Telling a story pulls all kinds of language… Read More
Hilltown Families collaborated with The Food Bank of Western MA in compiling a list of kids books on the topic of food security/scarcity for their Youth Action Hunger program. We asked our readers to share their favorite children’s book that touches on the topics of hunger, soup kitchens, food banks, homelessness, etc. See what titles our readers had to recommended, both for children and adults…
YAH! Curriculum Youth Against Hunger Education Take time this summer to learn about issues affecting your community as a family! For starters, resources from the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts’ Youth Against Hunger (YAH!) curriculum can be used to help kids learn about how issues of hunger, homelessness, and/or poverty are present within and affect members of their own communities. The curriculum, available on the food bank’s website, includes a wide variety… Read More
Board Game Bonanza for Students & Teachers In Westfield on May 2nd, 2012 Students at Westfield State University present the Board Game Bonanza! The event, which will take place on Wednesday, May 2nd from 1:30-3pm, features student-designed board games that teach players about a subject within typical classroom content (think state learning standards) and incorporate physical movement at the same time! Some of the games include an algebra review game with a… Read More
Discovering New England History with The Freedom Trail Foundation Daily Video Series Are your kids interested in Colonial History? Boston’s Freedom Trail Foundation offers a daily dose of history on their YouTube channel! Every day, the group debuts a new clip (generally 30-40 seconds) offering information about an event that took place on that day in early American history! Centered around the Revolutionary War, the clips feature historical re-enactors dressed in period… Read More
Technology, Art and Kids I sometimes hear concerns from parents about technology and their children. Are they too young to use computers? Are they using technology too much? What I have found, in my experience using technology with students for over 20 years, is that it is not so much “how much” and “when” but “what.” In our work at the Williamsburg Schools, we aim to enable kids to use technology constructively… Read More
Educational Programs for Kids at the Springfield Museums There are numerous educational opportunities and adventures to be had at the Springfield Museums! Visitors can explore topics and ideas anywhere from important figures in local history to coral reef ecosystems. There are five different museums, each with a theme of local history, natural science, and art. The museums offer guided tours as well as self-guided tours (which are really educational odysseys!) to groups… Read More
QUESTION AND ANSWERS Are there subjects/topics you wish schools WOULD teach your kids? How about ones you wish they WOULDN’T? Laura Hoffman replies, “I’m beside myself that they are choosing not to teach cursive anymore…” Tonya Lemos replies, “Wish they did carpentry, more geography and less history… or maybe different history…don’t get me going on this topic!” Soma DiNicola replies, “They should teach sign language.” Jackie Amuso Dolby replies, “I just wish… Read More
Museums10 Gears up for Fall Education Outreach This fall as area colleges and schools get ready to welcome students and families, Museums10, a collaboration of 10 college-affiliated museums in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, announces fall activities to interest visitors of all ages. “Museums10 is an excellent resource and destination for area educators and students to explore the worlds of art, history, literature and science,” said Alexandra Kennedy, Executive Director of… Read More
100 Links (Spring/Summer 2011) Nearly every day we add recommended links to the Hilltown Families bank of on-line resources. Some of you might find these links well suited for your family, others, maybe not so much. But it’s a fun and useful list worth perusing of online resource that are educational and entertaining! Where are these links? Hilltown Families Del.ici.ous Page! This icon can be found at the top of our site,… Read More
Willow Children Recently, I acquired a branch from a curly willow tree. The trees, known as Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’ to botanists, are lovely. Their branches bend and twist as they grow upwards, rather than outwards, from the trunk. The leaves are small and green and in the fall turn a brilliant yellow. Native to China, the tree’s winding, coiled branches make it ideal for bonsai- the art of perfecting and controlling something… Read More
Learn About Our Solar System, Discover Musical Instruments, Identify Wildlife, Recycling Activities and More at the Hilltown Spring Festival Saturday, May 14th from 10am-7pm at the Cummington Fairgrounds Not only will families have a fabulous time being entertain by great music on 3 stages during the 5th Annual Hilltown Spring Festival, they will also have several educational opportunities throughout the day! Here are just a few highlights: SOLAR OBSERVANCES Arunah Hill Natural… Read More
100 Links (Winter/Spring 2011) Nearly every day we add recommended links to the Hilltown Families bank of on-line resources. Some of you might find these links well suited for your family, others, maybe not so much. But it’s a fun and useful list worth perusing! If you have a link you’d like to share, post it in our comment box below. Where are these links? You won’t find them on your blog… Read More
Education Reform, One Video at a Time Hollington Lee of Hatfield, MA writes: You never know what crazy thing listening to someone else’s ideas will inspire. In my case, as a public high school teacher, it inspired me to produce close to 60 short videos (yes, 60!) of MCAS math practice questions for 3rd and 4th graders. A fellow teacher and friend asked me what could have possessed me, a science teacher,… Read More
Lost and Frantic in the Race to Nowhere Remember that classic scene from I Love Lucy where Lucy and Ethel are working in a candy factory? They’re supposed to be wrapping candies as they come towards them on a conveyor belt and have been specifically told they’ll be fired if any go unwrapped. At first, they’re calm. The pace is perfect and they’re wrapping like champs. Soon, the belt gets faster and… Read More
Peace Travelers: Kids Becoming World Citizens By HF Contributing Writer, Tony(a) Lemos Up until last year my daughter was in a homeschooling program that I co-wrote with my friend Kate O’Shea called Peace Travelers. The program is presently taking a hiatus, but the organization is still meeting and we are continuing the development of programs and curriculums. GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP & CONNECTEDNESS One of our favorite books for exploring global citizenship is One… Read More
Discover the History of Valentine’s Day Saint Valentine Biography History of Valentine’s Day History of Valentine Cards Lace Paper Valentines Cupid and Psyche Many Faces of Valentine’s Day A Valentine’s Day Chocolate Curriculum Comic Valentine’s Victorian Valentine Cards Send an electronic Valentine Card Send one in French! Valentine Crafts Everything Valentine’s Swedish Paper Hearts Valentine Mouse Valentine Cookie Pouches Valentine’s Keeper Pocket Heart Garland
100 Links (Fall 2010/Winter 2011) Nearly every day we add recommended links to the Hilltown Families bank of on-line resources. Some of you might find these links well suited for your family, others, maybe not so much. But it’s a fun and useful list worth perusing! If you have a link you’d like to share, post it in our comment box below. Where are these links? You won’t find them on your… Read More
100 Links (Summer/Fall 2010) Nearly every day we add recommended links to the Hilltown Families bank of on-line resources. Some of you might find these links well suited for your family, others, maybe not so much. But it’s a fun and useful list worth perusing! If you have a link you’d like to share, post it in our comment box below. Where are these links? You won’t find them on your blog… Read More
When your child heads back to school, it’s a great time to start talking with his teacher. What can you tell a teacher that will help him do his job better? You might be surprised…
Educational & Fun Competition for Students Promotes Awareness About Transportation, Technology and the Environment On Saturday, June 5th, area middle school students will gather at Reid Middle School in Pittsfield, MA to race their model solar-powered cars in the eleventh annual Berkshire Junior Solar Sprint (JSS). Participation is open to teachers, home educators and community groups. More than 80 students from Western Mass are expected to participate in the JSS this year…. Read More
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Web site: teacher.scholastic.com. Scholastic presents a collection of material for homeschooling families, school teachers and students in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15-October 15. WEB SITE FEATURES: An interactive map showing Hispanic history in the America An annotated listing of Latinos in history Interview transcripts with recent famous Latinos (such as astronaut Ellen Ochoa) Research guide on the Spanish missions in California Teacher guide, games and more!
Hilltown Families' Featured Sponsors
Join our team of sponsors!
Directories
Hilltown Families' Sponsors
Join our team of sponsors!
Cultural Itineraries
- Season: January & February
- Season: March & April
- Season: May & June
- Season: July & August
- Season: September & October
- Season: November & December
