Archive for February 2016

Why I Can’t Sleep

When I was still working, a colleague and I used to joke that we should have called one another at 4:00 a.m. because we were both up at ridiculous o’clock everyday. I’m not sure she still has the same sleep problems so, in lieu of calling her, I tried to lull myself back to sleep... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
February 29, 2016 at 10:27 am • 

How Main Street Changed Over 40 Years

When was the last time you saw a sales clerk write out a receipt by hand and add the numbers on…paper? It happened to me yesterday when I visited one of the few original stores left on Main Street in my hometown of Evanston, Illinois. I spent $2.81 on a strip of Velcro at Vogue... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
February 25, 2016 at 12:26 pm • 

Standardized Testing: March Madness Returns to our Schools

March madness is almost upon us. I’m not talking about the basketball tournament, but rather the intense game of high stakes standardized testing played in our schools. Illinois remains just one of seven states, along with Washington, D.C., still participating in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) testing consortium. But... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
February 24, 2016 at 10:45 am • 
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The Death of Antonin Scalia: Supreme Rudeness

I will confess right off the bat that I was no fan of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Our politics could not have been more dissimilar. But I was disheartened that the immediate response of politicians, especially those who shared his views, was to begin shouting about his replacement before his body was... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
February 15, 2016 at 11:23 am • 

The Valentines Day Grinch

How should a man who just broke up with his husband of 10 years celebrate Valentines Day? What should a woman do when her boyfriend is participating in a triathlon on Valentines weekend, spoiling the romantic dinner she had anticipated? How should a mother handle her second grade son wanting to create handmade valentines for... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
February 11, 2016 at 5:58 pm • 

The Shadow Box and Salvaged Memories

Cleaning out my mother’s apartment after she died was one of the saddest things I’ve done. Going through everything left behind felt like letting go of being a daughter. The task of dealing with Mom’s possessions started out far better than I expected. Luckily, my brothers and I get along and we followed her wishes.... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
February 9, 2016 at 1:02 pm • 
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Learning Through Play: Another Visit to Cherry Preschool

I walked into a classroom at Cherry Preschool in Evanston, Illinois to check out the recent activities and get my fix of watching preschoolers doing what they do best – learning through play. A brief disclaimer: This is the school I founded and directed until my retirement, so it is definitely my happy place. The... Read more »
By Laurie Levy,
February 2, 2016 at 6:18 am •