Parenting Times Magazine editor Tracey Tong and her family catch a VIA train to a weekend adventure. Photo Credit Tracey Tong
Heading back to school this September will be like a break after the summer we’ve had… and I don’t think our family is atypical.
I’m writing this piece from the gazebo of my in-laws’ lake house, where we’ve been staying for the past day. Tomorrow, my younger daughter and I will be returning to Ottawa, so I can teach my editing class at Algonquin College. Previous to this, I was at my dad’s in Toronto for a week while the kids attended dance camp.
It’s been a busy summer for them, too – three hours of American Sign Language lessons per day, six hours of dance class per week, tutoring to avoid the summer slide, plus the usual spate of birthday parties (we were all summer babies in this house) and weekend getaways. Before the holiday ends, I’ve got an eye surgery scheduled and another trip to the cottage. Fun times.
That said, the back-to-school season is my favourite time of year. New adventures lived and then shared around the dinner table and facing new challenges with old friends. Returning to last year’s activities after two months off will seem like a reunion. Fresh slates, fresh notebooks, fresh goals, refreshed attitudes, rejuvenated spirits. I’m getting excited just thinking about it!
To celebrate this special time of year, Parenting Times Magazine has put together an ode to another September.
In this back-to-school issue, we have a special feature on CanLit for kids. Sonia Mendes puts the spotlight on Mei Dang of Ottawa’s DC Education Publishing, plus nearly half a dozen local author and illustrators.
This is the time of year that teens and post-secondary students are looking for work, but the workload of a new year and the overwhelm and stress of a new situation can result in events that can prove to be detrimental. Read about workplace safety in our feature, Standing up for safety.
Have you ever wondered what a microschool is? Long before it became an education buzzword, the team at AcadeCap were living its principles. We’ve gathered everything you need to know – including whether it might be a good fit for your child.
Education writer Sheryl Bennett-Wilson talked to local educators about ideal working relationships between teachers and parents that end up benefitting everyone and about getting the school year off to a good start. Speaking of positive habits, research is showing that the downsides of smartphones are outweighing benefits, at least where young people are concerned. Read what the volunteers at Unplugged Canada have to say about these devices and teens.
We wish your family all the success and happiness for the 2025-2026 school year. But in the meantime – whether you’re travelling far or sticking close to home – soak up every moment of this last bit of summer.
Best wishes,
Tracey