April 25, 2021
URBANA, Ill – Katie Stafford and her husband struggled to understand their young daughter’s unfamiliar behavior, which seemed so unlike the usual tantrums and behavioral quirks of childhood.
Julia barely slept. She refused to eat most foods. She was hyper-focused on specific topics. She could care less about opinions or instructions from authority figures. As early as 3 years old, she was diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactive disorder. She was given a sensory processing disorder diagnosis, because, among other things, she demonstrated a strong aversion to putting on clothes. By 7 years of age, she was struggling in school.
During elementary school, Julia underwent additional testing and collected more inaccurate diagnoses. General anxiety disorder. Social cognitive disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Oppositional defiance disorder.
Novato parents push to open more schools for in-person learning
Protesters frustrated with Zoom classrooms and distance learning want schools to reopen in Novato.
NOVATO, Calif. - More than 100 people protested in Novato Tuesday evening, demanding an accelerated plan to get their children back into school. No more Zoom, no more Zoom, they chanted, outside school board headquarters before trustees held their meeting.
Families say they re at a tipping point with distance learning. We all really want our kids back full-time in-person and not just hybrid, said protest organizer Katie Stafford. A lot of us have one foot out the door, leaning toward private schools, added Stafford. Novato has already lost more than 400 kids and they stand to lose hundreds more if they don t have a definitive plan.
Courtesy photo
Paula Tracy hit the road for some Christmas shopping in some of her favorite places. She is pictured in downtown Littleton in front of Bella Funk.
By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
It might be time for a short road trip to another part of New Hampshire to enjoy the landscape, get a different perspective, and maybe buy some unique Christmas gifts in a Main Street store along the way.
I declared two days off from writing last Friday and this Tuesday to visit Littleton and Portsmouth and I took my dog Maisy.
We left the Northwest corner of Lakes Region first to Rye Beach last Friday for a nice walk in the 45-degree weather at low tide.