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22 October

#BlinkBlog: School Memories

Another week, another NEW #BlinkBlog! Keep reading below to learn about some of our author’s favorite elementary school memories as well as their tips to help you stay focused this school year.

What’s your favorite elementary school memory?

Alison Gervais: I don’t think any elementary school memory stands out in particular, but when I was in kindergarten we did have a really cool Halloween parade. I dressed up as a witch.

Annie Sullivan: I think it would be just hanging out with my best friends and making up stories!

Christina June: Definitely not the time I threw up during a fire drill on the first day of kindergarten.  I really loved school, even high school!, and the things that stand out are the fun times with friends and kindness of my teachers.  

Heather Hepler: Fall carnivals. I loved dressing up in a costume and going to school and winning the plastic spider rings and trying (and failing) at the cake walk. Then walking through the haunted house and touching cold spaghetti and peeled grapes and pretending it was worms and eyeballs.

Laurie Boyle Crompton:  I will never forget the introduction of beanbag chairs in my elementary school library when I was in about third grade. The librarian encouraged us to all go off and sit quietly by ourselves with a book and it felt like I was home! So wonderful! I sill love reading in beanbag chairs.

Maureen McQuerry: In first grade,  I fell in love with a book my teacher was reading out loud. Half way through the story I came down with pneumonia.When I came back to school, the story was over. I was too shy to ask what the book was. Years later, I discovered the book again, The Velveteen Rabbit, and read the whole thing in one gulp.

McCall Hoyle: I loved my elementary school library. I loved reading Nancy Drew books on the way home from school and loved playing detective in the woods behind my house with my friends.

Stephanie Morrill: No surprise, mine is writing stories! I fell in love with storytelling long before I knew how to write, and in first grade I learned that if you wrote your stories down, grown-ups didn’t call it “lying.” Instead they called it, “Wonderful!” and, “Creative!” I was hooked!

 

What is your best back to school tip to stay focused in the new year?

Alison Gervais: In the ever immortal words of Shia LaBeouf…

 

Annie Sullivan: Take the time you need to recharge. Don’t feel like you have to join every club or go to every party. You’ll feel better if you take some time for you every now and then.

Christina June: Compartmentalize and be as efficient as you can so you can keep doing the things that refill the well of creativity.

Laurie Boyle Crompton: Be mindful of the amount of time you spend on social media. The people who post the least about what they’re up to are probably the ones who are busy doing the work to achieve their goals! Time to tune out the noise and hunker down!

Maureen McQuerry: Be curious, even about things you think may not interest you. You’ll be surprised.

McCall Hoyle: Establish a routine and stick to it–easier said than done, I know. Schedule in time to read and write.

Stephanie Morrill: The quote we keep pounding into our kids is, “Discipline not desire determines your destiny.” It’s not enough to desire good grades, a higher batting average, or strong friendships. Routinely making good decisions in pursuit of your goals is what will help you achieve that.

And (yes, I’m a mom) prioritize sleep. It really is so important.

Stay tuned for next week’s edition of the BLINK BLOG – and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates.