Chef Gordon was born in Jamaica and moved to the United States as a child. After a stint in corporate life didn’t quite pan out, he began to question what it was he truly wanted to do. Soon after, Gordon attended the Culinary Institute of America – then set his sights on the Pacific Northwest. He had been trained in the French tradition and the then newly opened Café Campagne was a natural fit. In the span of only five years, he became executive chef and owner, an accelerated ascension that he had not predicted. Since then, he has continued to make a name for himself, even competing on the Food Network’s “Iron Chef.”

From croques monsieurs to quiche to croissants, Chef Gordon aims to make rustic-inspired, delectable foods. French cuisine’s robust ingredients and the various cultural influences of its diverse regions, bordering countries and former colonies offer what Chef Gordon calls a “huge palette of flavors and ideas to play with.” French natives who visit remark that the restaurant reminds them of home, a high compliment and surely a testament to the authenticity in both the aesthetic and handcrafted fare.

Café Campagne in Pike Place Market. Photo by Joshua Huston

Chef Gordon feels that introducing kids to other cultures’ foods is a net positive. With French dining in particular, the cultural practice is generally slower as people take time to savor the taste, smell and texture and to think more about what they eat. Exposure to this cuisine can also offer health benefits, such as less junk food being consumed.

In the past, he has offered a cooking class for kids with fun activities like making ratatouille and preparing sausages. For any young people who may have aspirations of chefdom, he advises that kids try a lot of different foods and find what cooking they connect with, and then perhaps seek a job or a stage (apprenticeship) in an establishment. Beyond that, get a mentor if possible: “Don’t duplicate them; absorb them,” Chef Gordon advises. If you are willing to work hard and learn, he offers, “People will unlock their secrets.”

From annual trips to the South of France to hosting an event with author and mogul Mireille Guiliano, Chef Gordon’s life may sound like one of enviable glamor, but being a small business owner – especially during these times – is also hard work.

He views cooking not as an art, but as a craft – and one that requires effort and dedication, and doing things time and time again before achieving mastery. “Nothing beats repetition,” he says. “It hones your skills.”

Chef Gordon’s easy but elegant cheese puffs

Although the coronavirus pandemic has made a lot of family fun inaccessible, baking together at home is something you can still enjoy. Check out Chef Gordon’s simplified recipe for gougères (cheese puffs), written especially for Seattle’s Child.

Comté-and-thyme gougères for Seattle’s Child

Makes approximately 25 pieces; conversions from metric shown in brackets

80 grams butter [slightly more than 5½ tablespoons]
1 cup water
5 grams salt [1 teaspoon plus 1 pinch]
15 grams sugar [1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon]
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon parsley
150 grams all-purpose flour [1 cup plus 2½ tablespoons]
5 eggs
165 grams grated Comté cheese [about 1⅓ cups]

Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan; add water, salt, sugar, thyme and parsley, then bring entire mixture to a boil.

Add all the flour at once and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all flour is incorporated and the mixture pulls away from the side of the saucepan.

Off the heat, add the eggs one at a time and beat in with the wooden paddle. Make sure each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next.

Add the grated Comté cheese.

You may also use a stand mixer to combine the batter, eggs and cheese.

Spoon mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.

Pipe 1¼-inch-diameter discs onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. You may also use spoons, scooping a little of the batter on one spoon, and using the second spoon to scoop it off. (At this point, you may place the gougères in the freezer, if desired. Once they are firm, freeze them in a plastic freezer bag and they will keep for several months. They can then be baked in this frozen state. Simply follow the baking procedure and allow a little extra time.)

Place in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Watch the gougères as they puff up like a balloon and turn light golden brown. Reduce heat to 325° and continue to bake until the exterior is deep golden and the inside is cooked through. You will have to sample a couple to check their doneness. Check closely, as the inside may be soft from cheese, and not just undercooked dough.

This story was first published in September 2020.

More food in Seattle’s Child

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Most school requires at least three hours at a computer per day. Kids rely on social media and gaming platforms to keep in touch with friends they never see. And working parents need to keep their kids occupied. The hours add up.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation for a 5-year-old child’s daily screen time? One hour of high-quality programming. And for older kids, parents are strongly encouraged to minimize and monitor screen time.

Given that reducing screen time to the previously recommended levels is becoming impossible during remote schooling, what can we do to keep kids healthy in the months before physical classrooms reopen full time?

Our best chance comes from something many of us didn’t do back in the stressed-out days of early spring: establish a healthy routine, says Dr. Susanna Block, a pediatrician with Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill.

Sleep

For Block, the first priority is sleep.

“Lack of sleep can really affect our kids’ ability to learn, through lack of concentration and memory and also control of our emotions,” says Block.

And the more hours online, the more likely sleep is to be disrupted. Exposure to light radiating from screens gets in the way of the body’s ability to nod off.

It’s a good idea to have a set bedtime, and establish a “no screens” rule in the hour before that bedtime, Block says.

Exercise

The next essential element is exercise.

With younger kids, schedule “move breaks.” A 15-minute move break for every 45 minutes of screen time is a good idea, Block says. For all kids, try and make exercise a social happening. Maybe they could kick a soccer ball with the few friends from their “bubble,” or go on a socially distanced bike ride with friends outside that bubble.

A place to work

One thing Block has noticed in her clinic is an increase in kids coming in with headaches, eye strain and neck and back pains.

“Kids are now developing some of the overuse injuries that we attribute to adults,” Block says.

One thing parents can do to prevent this? Make sure that kids have a dedicated, comfortable place to work that makes ergonomic sense, and doesn’t sit them too close to the screen. No more sprawling on the bed, or reaching up to a computer on a too-high kitchen table. Pay attention to your child’s posture when working, and how well lit the space is.

“It’s time to critically think about what is going to work,” Block says.

Take breaks

Online learning is a lot to ask of young kids. Some days, your kids might not be able to focus through a whole day of video chatting, and that’s fine, Block says:

“It is OK to step away from the computer and take a break. If we need to take a break, have an extra-long lunch and go for a walk, it’s OK.”

Stop doomscrolling

It’s hard to look away from the parade of calamities that constitute life in America in 2020, but adults should try and limit kids’ exposure to the news, and they should put limits on themselves too – to, say, three or four news checks a day.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help

Parents should be aware of signs that their kids are struggling with depression or anxiety, Block says.

“If you feel like your child is excessively sad or withdrawn, or if they are no longer interested in activities they used to enjoy, and they’re not reaching out, or they’re sleeping more, or don’t want to eat, it’s definitely time to have them come in and be evaluated by a primary care provider,” she says. Younger kids may act out more often, and throw more tantrums.

If you’re not sure whether your child needs help, you can schedule a phone call or a video chat with your child’s provider.

Be ready to change course

Though we know a lot more now than we did in spring 2020 about how kids adjust to online learning, we’re still in unknown territory. Block says parents should be ready to adjust routines as we find out more:

“I think we just have to keep evaluating what we’re doing, and find out what’s working.”

This story on online learning was originally published in September 2020.

More from Dr. Block:

Helping kids cope as COVID drags on

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The kindergarten experience is not only about the academics, but also the chance for a child to flex their independence and test their social and emotional skills with their peers. This year, with most elementary schools moving to remote learning, many parents are making the difficult decision to hold their children back from kindergarten, enrolling them in pre-K programs that offer in-classroom learning.

“Learning online is completely ridiculous! Kindergarten is about being social, playing, learning how to sit at a desk and not sitting in front of a screen,” says Snoqualmie mom Kit Bekken. Her 5-year-old son, Ari, will be attending a Montessori preschool program instead of kindergarten online, which will help him receive the full attention he needs in a school environment. That’s something Bekken admits that she and her spouse cannot provide, while both work from home and help their oldest child with virtual learning.

Washington state law doesn’t require students to enroll in elementary school until age 8, and many preschools and daycares are preparing to accommodate an older age group than usual.

“[Our] daycare is exploring ‘learning pods’ for a three- to four-hour block of the day, where school-age kids will get more traditional academics,” says Bothell mom Angella Coker.

And with many kindergarten-age children switching to preschool programs this year, families do worry about future kindergarten classes swelling, as well as inadequate school funding due to low enrollment this year.

”We’re planning to keep our daughter enrolled [in public school], so the school gets credit for her, but have no intention of participating in virtual school,” says Coker.

Related: Kindergarten, 2020: A year like no other

A beloved Seattle teacher took kindergarten online, and kids loved it!

The post Kindergarten online: Some Seattle-area parents are opting out appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Chilly weather comfort food

If you’re hungry for carbs this fall, you can’t go wrong with Momo & Pizza Ghar in Redmond. Kids and parents will love the piping-hot momos (shown above), dumplings just like they make in Nepal. Get them filled with chicken or veggies, available steamed or fried, with chili sauce or paneer (cheese) options, as well as jhol (served with a bowl of hot chutney). 

There’s a pizza menu, featuring popular pie selections including tandoori chicken, paneer and butter chicken toppings. (Fussy kids can opt for standard cheese pizza and plain momos, too.)

Standout appetizers include chicken and goat sekuwa. Delivery and takeout available. 2560 152nd Ave. NE, Redmond; meromomo.com

A well-rounded diet

Rubinstein Bagels has gained a following for great texture, innovative yet classic accompaniments (shallots, anyone? Fried onion and chive cream cheese?) and a trendy twist – sourdough starter. Available throughout the Seattle area by delivery only, for now. (You can get Olympia Coffee, beans or ground, too.) rubinsteinbagels.com

Steph Forrer photo

Head east to the Old West

If you’re looking for a change of pace and scenery, Winthrop couldn’t be more different from Seattle. Depending on which of two scenic routes you choose, the drive should take around four hours – and it won’t be boring. In tiny Winthrop, kids and families (wearing masks, of course) are sure to get a kick out of the Old West-theme town, the new Homestream Park, the National Fish Hatchery and Pearrygin Lake State Park, which has a roped-off swim area and, this being Eastern Washington, a decent likelihood of swimming weather, even in fall. — Julie Hanson

Quick thinking at Sloth

This Pike Place Market gift shop has an adorable way to keep young, masked shoppers in line (and enthralled) as they wait to enter the store. Robot vs Sloth offers scratch cards featuring artist La Ru’s cartoon otters and unicorns, and of course robots and sloths. Every player wins a gift with purchase, which eases the short wait to get to the robots and sloths. 1535 1st Ave., Seattle; robotvsloth.com

Masterpieces to go

Need a great craft project for your child to work on at home? Paint the Town now sells Pottery to Go kits: make sublime ceramics for the grandparents, or just your mantelpiece. Bring the painted art back to the University Village store for glazing and firing. Kits include paint and pottery. Order ahead online or at the store; curbside pickup available. 4611 Village Ct. NE, Seattle; paintthetown.studio

Banding Together

When the coronavirus lockdown hit, Seattle Drum School didn’t miss a beat.

Private lessons were quickly moved online and happy kids around the area have been able to continue learning drums, guitar, trumpet, piano and more – it’s “more than ‘just drums,’” as its website proclaims.

Two Seattle locations: 1010 S. Bailey St. in Georgetown and 12729 Lake City Way NE in Lake City. seattledrumschool.com

The post Stuff we love: Things to do, things to eat all around Puget Sound appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Curious EnCOUNTers
By Ben Clanton; illustrated by Jessixa Bagley

The Seattle-based author and illustrator team up to present a silly, pun-filled adventure: counting 13 forest animals. The colorful pictures bring to life the creatures’ outrageous antics, and there’s so much for young eyes to see and find.

I Am a Cat
by Galia Bernstein

Simon, a young cat, is excited to announce to the lion, tiger, cheetah, puma and panther that he is a cat, just like them. The larger cats are  shocked and quick to point out their differences. As children see the expressive drawings showcasing Simon’s interactions with each cat, they’ll be delighted to follow along.

The Squirrels Who Squabbled
By Rachel Bright; illustrated by Jim Field

Told in clever rhyme, both Cyril and Bruce compete for the very last seed-filled pine cone before winter sets in. As they race against each other through the forest as autumn approaches, they soon learn it’s not too late to learn to share.

Bedtime for Sweet Creatures
By Nikki Grimes; illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

Made to be read out loud, with vibrant art and words ready to jump off the pages. As a mom encourages her little one to get ready for bed, she is met with a vehement “NO.” Mom cleverly assigns animals to the bedtime routine: The teddy bear becomes a fierce bear, and the coiled snake is a blanket. She’s able to persuade her little one – well, almost!

The post Favorite read-alouds for kids too young to start school appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Be prepared to wear a mask, social-distance and wash hands or use hand sanitizer – often. Farm staff will clean high-touch areas and equipment in between uses and throughout the day. Employees will be checked for coronavirus symptoms daily. Families are encouraged to stay home if any member is feeling sick, has a fever or is in contact with others who have tested positive for the virus.

Check out these places for the new farm experience, focusing on education, safety and family fun.

Bailey Family Farm: 12706 Springhetti Rd., Snohomish; baileyveg.com

This year, Bailey Family Farm is focusing on the U-pick experience. Apples, pumpkins and vegetables will be available to pluck right off the tree or from the ground, while the farm will be adorned with seasonal decorations for fun family photo ops. With more than 350 acres, there’s plenty of space to explore.

Bob’s Corn & Pumpkin Farm: 10917 Elliott Rd., Snohomish; bobscorn.com

No farm experience is complete without a hayride (socially distanced, of course) and pumpkin-picking. Bob’s Corn & Pumpkin Farm begins U-pick at its pumpkin patch in mid-September. Find your way through the corn maze or make it a special day by renting a fire pit to roast marshmallows at one of the many sites in the maze. Timed tickets available online for admission and activities.

Craven Farm: 13817 Short School Rd., Snohomish; cravenfarm.com

Celebrating 38 years of the pumpkin patch, Craven Farm offers a unique experience with a mini golf course, crafts, human foosball, an apple-slinging and fun farm foods – think funnel cake, pumpkin cider doughnuts, cheese curds and hand-dipped corn dogs. Your dogs are welcome too: Bring your pet to explore the farm in September and October at the Pooches in the Patch events (check website for schedule). Activities will be open all week to reduce crowds.

Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center: 10819 Carnation-Duvall Rd. NE, Carnation; oxbow.org

Oxbow opens its Oxtober Fall Festival with a U-pick pumpkin patch, organic farm stand, hayrides and even a pumpkin slingshot! Take a tour of the farm, play in the magical living playground and participate in the farm’s habitat restoration project. Tickets are sold out for timed visits, but drop-in visits are welcome.

The Farm at Swan’s Trail: 7301 Rivershore Rd., Snohomish; thefarm1.com

Look for live pig and duck races, a petting farm and cow trains, and it’s the only farm to offer cider-making demos on a World War II-era cider press! Don’t forget to pick your pumpkins and apples too. Honeycrisp and Jonagold apples are available for U-pick in the month of September, and your taste buds will delight in these sweet fall treats. Timed entry tickets available online.

Remlinger Farms: 32610 N.E. 32nd St., Carnation; remlingerfarms.com

The Fall Harvest Festival is here, with kiddie amusement rides (including flying pumpkins and a mini roller coaster), a U-Pick pumpkin field, and hayrides and hamburgers. Look out for the pony rides (by appointment) and an animal barnyard with plenty of goats to pet and sheep to feed. Private, socially distanced fire pits (with s’mores supplies!) are available by reservation from 4 pm on. Reserve a spot for timed entry to Remlinger. 

Stocker Farms: 8705 Marsh Rd., Snohomish; stockerfarms.com

Roasted corn right from the farm! Pillow jumping, U-pick sunflowers, pumpkins and a butterfly release are all included in the farm experience. With more than 30 activities to share with family and friends, you’re bound to find something exciting. Tickets to events and activities sold online.

* At the time of publication, farm staffs were finalizing plans for their fall openings. We encourage readers to check websites for updates to plan their farm adventures.

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One day, the phone rang while my parents were out, so I picked up, thinking it might be them. It was one of my father’s patients. In those days, people just called their dentist at home if they had an emergency. He gave me his name and number, but it never occurred to me to write it down. When my parents got home, I couldn’t remember any of it. To this day, I imagine that poor guy sitting by his phone with a pack of ice on his jaw, cursing me under his breath.

A few months ago (in the “Beforetimes,” as we now call them), I was on a crowded light-rail car surrounded by middle-school kids who had just gotten out of school. I looked around, and every one of them had their phones out. Of course, by the end of the ride, my phone was out too. God forbid I should go more than 15 minutes without checking my email.

In this brave new plugged-in world, parents have a decision to make: When will their kids cross the smartphone Rubicon? As of 2017, the average child acquired a first phone at age 10; by now it’s probably earlier. Clearly, phones are finding their way into a lot of little hands, but not without some parental angst.

All of us have heard stories about porn and video-game addiction, online bullying and Instagram-inspired suicides. But if you dig a little deeper, beneath all the histrionic headlines, the actual research studies are small and poorly designed. They’re worrisome, but it’s hard to know what to make of them.

On the other hand, we’ve also heard the arguments in favor of phones – or we will, as soon as our kid’s best friend gets one: They need it for emergencies. They need it so you can reach them. It’s how kids stay in touch with each other. It’s how they get information. If they don’t have one, they’ll be social pariahs.

I’m not going to tell you whether or not to get your kid a phone. You can sift through the inconclusive, ambiguous, contradictory pseudo-evidence as well as I can. But if and when you do decide to get them a phone, here are a few things to think about.

If safety and peace of mind are your primary considerations, you can still buy a flip phone. Many of them are specifically designed for kids. They come in all kinds of snazzy colors and patterns. What’s more, they don’t give unlimited access to 4chan, Pornhub and pedophiles’ chat rooms.

You can also load a phone with all kinds of firewalls and monitoring software, but you should know that eventually your kid is going to figure out how to hack their way around it. Insulating them from internet nastiness is like trying to stop a tsunami with duct tape and sandbags. Good luck.

One thing you should remember is that you’re the one paying for the phone, not to mention the cell service and the data plan. Just because your kid has it in their pocket doesn’t make it theirs. You have the right to place any limits you like around phone use. That may mean restricting phone time to certain hours, or requiring them to share their access code and passwords. They don’t own it unless they’re paying for it. Until then, it’s a privilege, not a right.

Of course, I’d recommend negotiating the terms of that privilege up front, when your leverage is at a maximum. You should renegotiate from time to time, taking into account how responsible and healthy your kid’s phone use has been in the interim.

And finally, here’s a word from your friendly neighborhood OK Boomer columnist: It’s OK if you don’t get them a phone at all. Really. No matter how loudly they beg, whine or protest, their lives won’t be ruined if they can’t have the latest iPhone 17 or Android Galactica. The dangers of smartphones are unproven, but their benefits are less certain still. In fact, it’s worth asking ourselves: Who really does benefit from all these phones?

Right now, thousands of software engineers are earning gazillions of dollars designing smartphone apps, most of which have one main purpose: to keep all of us staring at screens for as long as possible. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that a life lived only on screens is not sufficient. Our kids will fall down that pixelated rabbit hole soon enough. It won’t hurt them to stay up here in the real world a little while longer.

OK, it’s time for me to get off this soapbox before I turn into some crazy old guy muttering about “kids these days.”

Besides, I need to go check my email.

Jeff Lee remembers when a “Smart phone” was Don Adams talking into his shoe, in Seattle.

More on the subject:

Middle-school strategies for kids with or without phones

When did Bill Gates’s kids get phones? You might be surprised

The post Dad Next Door: On kids and phones appeared first on Seattle's Child.

(In addition, because they’re so small, classes will likely meet in person for schooling, even during this pandemic.)

Microschool leaders pride themselves on a smaller, more focused learning environment, and especially on the individualized attention students receive as teachers are able to forge a stronger relationship with every kid – often just five or six – in the class.

However, the microschool concept has become controversial since the pandemic started because of fears that the newest incarnation – small, home-based, private microschool groups inspired by social-distancing needs – will heighten racial and socioeconomic inequities in education.

Critics say that home-based neighborhood microschool models may take kids out of the public school system, depriving school districts of needed funding and educating only children from families with greater financial means in mostly white neighborhoods, while kids without access will fall farther behind academically. While each school leader I spoke to was motivated about working towards racial equity and inclusion, and offers scholarships for families who don’t have the money to pay, the question of racial and economic equity is an ongoing issue and ethical quandary for parents who want to make sure all kids have adequate access to schooling and child care during this crisis.

Here’s a sampling of microschool organizations in our area, the first two of which were started before coronavirus was a headline word around the world.

Seattle School for Boys co-founder Jerome Hunter designed the curriculum to foster healthy social and emotional development. Photo by Joshua Huston

Seattle School for Boys, Capitol Hill

In 2019, Jerome Hunter founded the Seattle School for Boys, a Capitol Hill middle school with a strong focus on social and emotional learning for children who identify as male.

The interim head of school, Patti Hearn, explains that Hunter has “thought a lot about adolescent development and brain development, and did quite a bit of research into thinking about how schools serve and don’t serve adolescent boys, and adolescent boys of color in particular.”

“We’re really thinking about adolescence and middle school as its own thing to really attend to and be excited about and be joyful about,” says Hearn, citing identity development and values formation as key processes for middle-schoolers.

The small school, which has enrolled just under 40 kids in three grades for this fall, was able to transition quickly to all-online learning back in March, and plans to open up outdoors a couple of days a week this fall.

As part of its model to ensure equity, Seattle School for Boys offers four tiered levels in which families pay what they can.

The curriculum emphasizes outdoor time and movement, which are important for boys this age, and the kids learn ethnic studies and martial arts, as well as frequently participating in projects in the community. Last year, the students helped build a tiny house and donated it to a group assisting the homeless.

“I think the school has an opportunity and a responsibility to help grow really responsible boys who make space for everyone – and who are good listeners and who believe in equality and equity,” says Hearn.

“Raising people who believe that everybody should have a place at the table.”

Preschoolers make art in small pods outdoors at International Friends School. Photo by Joshua Huston

International Friends School, Bellevue

Sue Brooks is a passionate advocate for multilingual education. After years living in Asia and running a school in Shanghai, she co-founded a small language-immersion school here in the United States in 2018.

“We’ve been lucky that this program in the microschool model was resonating with parents because they want their children to be world citizens,” says Brooks. “They want them to be able to communicate across diverse audiences in a critical world language.”

International Friends School strives to balance heritage and non-heritage learners of Mandarin as it puts  together a class. The kids learn math and science in English, and are taught Spanish twice a week as well.

In Brooks’ view, the U.S. needs to recognize the growing importance of the ability to do international work, and therefore speak various languages – and to give kids rigorous academic training. This school offers its nonreligious education in the Quaker tradition, like the education presidential daughters Sasha and Malia Obama and Chelsea Clinton received at Sidwell Friends in Washington, D.C. The Quaker Friends school model emphasizes community building and service to others, without giving religious instruction.

One of the co-founder’s goals is to pay attention to international benchmarks for academics. The current model offers all-day education to children in preschool, pre-K and kindergarten, and that will be expanded gradually each year up until eighth grade. No cluster of kids in a class is larger than six, and the school plans to be open on site this fall, largely outdoors.

Ivan Kerbel of Mount Baker, who helped launch the initial push for learning pods, relaxes with his kids. Photo by Joshua Huston

The Facebook group Parents, guardians, and teachers of Seattle area nano schools

When he was straining to find a social outlet for his 5-year-old son last spring, Ivan Kerbel of Mount Baker stumbled into being one of the first people to propose at-home coronavirus microschools.

He formed a Facebook group, proposing parents use it to find families near them to form what he now calls nanoschools – groups of four or five kids getting together safely at a family’s house, either with a paid instructor or parent volunteer. The idea really took off, leading to him being interviewed by National Public Radio and the New York Times as one of the apparent figureheads of a new COVID-influenced movement.

After realizing what a huge amount of interest the COVID nanoschool idea was attracting, and quickly amassing more than 6,000 followers, Kerbel kept the Facebook group active for the Seattle area. Now he’s building an online tool for interested parents from the rest of the country so that they can find local families with the same interests – and in some cases, teachers or child care professionals. Any school group with four kids is being encouraged to extend a scholarship to a fifth child with financial need.

To him, the movement is less about worrying about academic achievement, and more about keeping elementary school kids engaged with other kids with activities like cooking, gardening and music, also a big source of learning.

“This very big task of matching everyone, and having it organized, has been the bulk of the project to date, and probably will be the bulk of the project into the fall,” says Kerbel.

As he sums up the current state of education: “It’s a pandemic. And we need all hands on deck.”

Curious about pandemic pods?

Some resources for finding a micro-school, or even just like-minded parents in your neighborhood who would like to take turns with kid supervision, board games or fun projects for kids.

Ivan Kerbel’s private Facebook group, Parents, guardians, and teachers of Seattle area nano schools, a Seattle-based group where parents can find other families and instructors to form neighborhood nanoschools:

facebook.com/groups/seattle.micro.schools

Weekdays.com, a parent and teacher micro-school matching site.

Available in multiple U.S. cities: joinweekdays.com
The startup’s founder and CEO, Shauna Causey, is also connected to Seattle / Western WA Pandemic Pod and Micro-School Parent Connection (a public Facebook group), which connects parents to micro-schools and teachers:

facebook.com/groups/SeattleMicroschoolConnection

Read more in Seattle’s Child:

I’ve been a micro-school mom for six years; here’s what I’ve learned

Remote learning inspires some parents to try home-schooling 

The post Coronavirus crisis means microschools are having a moment appeared first on Seattle's Child.

Krauter had made clothes for her own sons when they were children and started her own business, IMPWEAR (later known as IMPWEARhome), which was reborn as Splash Fabric in 2019. Earlier this year, she used her extra fabric to start producing masks quickly – in striking patterns – for little kids, big kids and adults.

Every washable and reusable mask is made of 100% cotton and features comfortable, soft Lycra around the ears to hold it on, which is especially important since it can be more comfortable than elastic for long-term use. Each mask is double-layered and includes a pocket for a filter (not included).

Splash Fabric quickly went from receiving six orders a day to more than 50, selling and donating as many masks as possible.

“We had a lot of 10-hour days, figuring out how to whip this into shape,” she says.

With all the work furloughs and school closings this past spring, Krauter soon found herself with a few extra hands to assist with exponentially growing orders – her friends, neighbors and husband, alongside their three sons, ages 29, 26 and 20.

“That was the most fun of the whole thing, spending the time with my family,” Krauter says.

In addition to selling masks, Splash Fabric stands by its stated Mask Mission: For every mask purchased, it donates a mask. To date, Splash Fabric has donated more than 55,000 masks to kids, low-income families, community organizations, health-care workers, people experiencing homelessness, refugees and the elderly. It also offers links to other organizations – and resources for anyone looking to donate or support their communities in any way they can.

Lively patterns designed by Krauter are perfect for the kid crowd. Photo by Joshua Huston

Krauter joins a network of people sewing across the U.S. and the rest of the world, selling and donating masks to those in need. Since everyone should wear masks as we attempt to flatten the COVID-19 curve and keep as many people safe as possible, individual ingenuity has made all the difference over the past several months.

“We all want to do something for other people, and it all adds up. That’s what it takes,” she says. “I’m so lucky, so fortunate I can do something for others. I can give masks away.”

She designs her own fabrics, featuring whimsical designs for kids with sharks, whales, various canines and colorful cats. “The dogs are definitely my favorite,” Krauter says.

Splash Fabric also sells laminated backpacks, purses, over-the-shoulder hipsters, home goods like aprons and tablecloths, and fabrics so you can make your own creations at home.

More on masks and COVID-19:

Having trouble getting your kids to wear masks? Read this

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His physical classroom is at Bryant Elementary School in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood, and since March, he’s been broadcasting mini lessons on YouTube, as written about recently in the Seattle Times. He’s put together hundreds of short videos in which he reads stories, talks to kids about taking charge of themselves and has honest conversations with parents. (Find a playlist of highlights here and here. He also has a website.)

Last spring, every teacher, every parent, every kid was operating in survival mode. We asked Mr. Gallagher, who receives rave reviews from alumni and their families for his teaching in person and online, how he’s approaching this upcoming school year, and what families should do to prep for distance learning.

In your 40-plus years of teaching, is this the craziest start of the school year?

I would say there have been lots of moments over the years that have been nutty. But they’ve been moments. This one takes the cake – or takes the mask.

What do students need to know coming into this school year?

Screen practice is important. Do they know how to use a keyboard? Have they swiped? Do they know the icons of the microphone and video? Scrolling and the back button and the erase button? I’ll be ready to teach that, but any skills that kids can come in with will be really critical. The quicker the kids can manage this, the quicker Mom and Dad can get out of the room and take care of life.

I’m asking about screen stamina, screen duration. How long can your kid sit comfortably? Fifteen to 20 minutes a day, if we’re able to, for kindergarten feels right and reasonable. (But not in a row. Five- to seven-minute videos.) Other grade levels will have increasing amounts.

What do you want from parents?

Number one, I want to hear from families.

This year, I’m adding a question: “What’s the experience been like overall?” Are they working from home? How have kids responded to their reduction to the outside world?

What about illness? And death? It was at arm’s distance for a lot of us, until it wasn’t. Have families suddenly been quarantined for 14 days? So that we as teachers can understand and turn on the empathy jets for families that have experienced loss.

Especially at the younger grade levels, a lot of the student management is going to fall to the parents.

The reason schools were successful was because we had the students with us for six months. We knew them. They knew us. They knew school. We’re in a different framework for the fall.

The relationship with the teacher is paramount. In the classroom, we definitely see who is looking out the window and who is looking at a friend. We will realistically only be at 70% understanding who their child is. We need to hear from parents, lots of communication that tells us kids are bored with this lesson or my kid couldn’t get enough of that one.

Be ready to be super-flexible with each teacher, each grade level, each district. It’s never going to be perfect for any of us.

In-person, hybrid, remote … plans for opening the school year have been all over the place. How have you been dealing with the uncertainty?

Back in May, there was a full-page graphic in the New York Times that said, “No One Knows What’s Going to Happen.” I ripped that out and I keep that behind me in all the Zoom presentations. Mother Nature is wreaking havoc. It’s how we’re responding that is making the difference. The best we can do is be ready to pivot, flip over backwards.

Let’s talk about what happened back in March.

School closed so rapidly. We had an hour-and-a-half notice. It was 11:30 when we got an announcement: “Check your email.”

Within a day of closure, I felt the absence from my side. What we needed to do is see each other. I thought, “I’ll make a video and I’ll put it on YouTube.” (I’d never done so before). I had one video on Monday that just let them know I was here and I was going to figure out how to do this. Within a week, I had 12 to 17 videos.

Within three or four days, a mom contacted me. It was all she needed for her child who was wound up: “Oh, there’s Mr. Gallagher.” And literally all the angst went away.

That was the turning point.

Your parents just went from your mom and dad, to your mom and dad and your teacher and someone’s employee. These people are scrambling at home and suddenly you’re teaching and your boss is sending you emails. I figured the best I could offer was to provide as much as possible to your 6-year-old. The kids need to have some sense of familiarity and safety and routine.

You’re working on adding coronavirus to your kindergarten curriculum.

It feels important to me that kids have factual knowledge about world experience.

The reason we are not at school is because of coronavirus. Understand the whys, and share with teachers what their personal family experience has been.

What’s your plan for this school year?

Just put our armor on and head into battle. With no swords, just laptops.

More in Seattle’s Child:

Meet the Bellevue first-grade teacher who designed the Lemonade School

Preparing for a kindergarten year like no other

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