Why Dirt Is Good for a Kid’s Health

Still, it’s your call as to whether you let your kids actually eat the mud pies or just “bake” them…

The only thing you need to worry about is cloudy skies…

Summer seems like a long time from now, but it’s never too early to check out what the Ann Arbor Summer Festival has planned — especially given the caliber of acts that play the festival (and the limited number of tickets available).

This year, as usual, AASF has something for nearly everyone: roots-music linchpin Bonnie Raitt, indie-pop songstress Feist, Memphis (by way of GR) soul legend Al Green, contemporary jazz maestro Esperanza Spalding, Chicagoan NPR host Ira Glass, alternative & screen siren Nellie McKay, and of course, the Capitol Steps. (Somehow I neglected to mention Rufus Wainwright as well as the cast of MST3K delivering something called Cinematic Titanic.)

<big pause for breath>

Fortunately, you’ve still got several weeks left to buy tickets for all of these shows — especially so, since most of the events are spread throughout the summer.

For those who prefer their entertainment value priced (which definitely includes me), Top of the Park will soon announce their complete (and totally free) schedule of laid-back movies and music, along with more picnic-blanket socializing than you’ll find anywhere else in Ann Arbor during the summer.

Ann Arbor Christian medaled in six categories — from the Pentathlon to Water Rockets to the imaginative Write It Build It — including all but one of the participating grades.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Also, to give you a sense of scale for what we were competing with, here’s some background on the science olympiad (from the AAPS website):

“There were officially 1621 student participants representing 25 schools. They competed in 20 different events in what is the largest elementary Science Olympiad in the country. Every school earned at least one medal.”

Wired‘s GeekDad column has an open letter to the NHL about some of the fightin’ and feudin’ going on in the first round of the playoffs…including:

* Nearly 3 hours of penalty minutes in one game (!) of the Pittsburgh/Philadelphia series.

* Pens’ left winger James Neal making some especially nasty head shots.

* Marián Hossa leaving the game on a backboard after another nasty shot.

Another interesting story on class sizes, this one from the Brookings Institution. I won’t spoil it for you, but it  focuses on the difficulties that schools face in reducing class sizes. (It’s basically a given here that a smaller size leads to student improvement, and that large class sizes can have significant negative effects on children, especially for early grades.)

Yet another great reason to send our children to Ann Arbor Christian School!

Link: http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2011/0511_class_size_whitehurst_chingos.aspx

An interesting story from USA Today about smaller class sizes. It focuses on the results of a study done in four countries, proving that a smaller class size provides more benefits to children — but not for exactly the reasons you’d think.

It’s an older article, but well worth reading — and another great reason to send our children to Ann Arbor Christian School!

Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-03-24-small-classes_N.htm

All are invited. Attendance is free, and childcare is available. Please call (734 741-4948) or register at AnnArborChristian.org.

God’s Design for a Thriving Marriage Friday, March 9, 7pm‐9pm

Raising G‐Rated Kids in an R‐Rated World Saturday, March 10, 10am-12pm