Greetings, friends!

This is a quick update with some time-sensitive opportunities that I want to present to you.

The first event is International Analog Day brought to us by the Joyful Menace Society and Badass Cross Stitch. It’s on Saturday, Feb. 28th. Now, I know this is short notice and I haven’t even been able to decide what I might like to do. That said, the idea of bringing friends together to do analog activities (baking, hiking, listening to music on cassettes & vinyl, playing board/card games…) strikes a real chord with me and even if you can’t hit this date, there’s nothing stopping you or us from planning some kind of analog gathering when we can. Even putting aside devices for a day in our classrooms might be an option. The possibilities are limited only by our imaginations! Have a look at the IAD Toolkit for ideas and inspiration.

The second happening is the Annual Slice of Life Challenge hosted by the Two Writing Teachers team which begins on March 1st! This is a daily blogging and commenting challenge for the 31 days of March. Write a blog post (or draw a doodle, draft a poem…), share a link to it on the TWT Slice of Life post of the day in the comment section, then comment on at least 3 other “slices.” Rinse, repeat, every day until March is over. This year will be my 8th, I believe.

What?! Blog every day for a month?! I know, I know, it sounds extreme but what keeps me coming back is the wonderful community of educators who show up year after year, encouraging each other in so many wonderful ways. I’ve made some great friends through this annual meeting of the minds and appreciate the opportunity to just write whatever comes out and take inspiration from others. Trust me, if you can find your way in, you’ll be hooked and it’s for everyone! You don’t have to be an educator. You can sign up here and study this FAQ post for orientation.

And the third thing is a (cook)book I would imagine to be a great resource for students, families or anyone who has real challenges with eating different types of foods due to sensory barriers. Color, Taste, Texture by Matthew Broberg-Moffitt provides both recipes and insights into preparing meals for folks with food aversions. Would be wonderful to add to school libraries, too!

Also a reminder that it’s Ramadan, from Feb. 17th – March 19th so observant Muslim students and staff may be fasting. Here’s an accessible introductory text which offers background and further resources to share with students.

I hope you are doing well and finding joy in community.

Warm regards,

Sherri