Anyone who has kids will know this. Just before holidays they get excited. Gee... kind of an understatement there, huh? Ballistic might be a better word, or frenetic, animated, distracted ... you name it. But one thing is for sure, it is hard to get them to concentrate on school work. Whether it be summer vacation, fall break, winter break, Thanksgiving ... it doesn’t matter, they will still work themselves into a frenzy, and it is very frustrating trying to calm them down to accomplish regular school work during these times.

If you have read my articles much over the last year or so you will know I really like our Young Authors Day school assembly program and in particular the gentleman who created and still performs that show. His name is Toma the Mime. I just received another glowing, over the top review of his show and I wanted to share it with you.

One of our new programs this year is a real stunner! Piankeshaw Trails, performed magnificently by Sheryl Hartman, is an awesome school assembly program that introduces kids to the culture and history of the Woodland Tribes of the Ohio Valley. It is a great show in it’s own right. But it is also perfect for schools in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Kentucky who are looking for ideas and means to increase kids interest in this field which is so heavily featured in state standards all across the Midwest.

Today’s news is sad. In Zanesville, Ohio a variety of wild animals, from lions and cheetahs to grizzly bears, were released from their enclosures and having then ventured out into the countryside are now being shot dead by authorities.

I have been reading a fascinating book lately, made even more pertinent by the passing this week of Columbus Day (did you notice? It was last Monday). 1492 - The Year The World Began -  by Felipe Fernandez Armesto details the myriad ways in which the world was changed by the voyage of Columbus and the European discovery of “the New World” It is a great book and one I highly recommend. Great stuff about all the changes the world experienced because of that voyage, many of which you might never have imagined. However, there is one area of change we all know a little about and that is the change wrought on the native population of North America by the arrival of Europeans.

Summer is rapidly coming to a close so I thought to offer a recap of our summer science camp programs and the great reviews we have been receiving. 

For most kids history is an ugly thought. Learning about history has about as much appeal as eating broccoli. Mention history to a lot of kids and their eyes glaze over with a look that says: