News + Events
Guest Speaker for Trust and Compassion Week at St. Therese Chinese Catholic School
March 15, 20139:00 am – 1:00 pmdetails
Author Visit and Book Signing at Ann Reid Early Childhood Center
February 14, 20139:00 am – 1:00 pmdetails
Author Visit and Book Signing at St. Thomas of Villanova School
February 1, 20139:00 am – 1:00 pmdetails
Author Visit and Special Guest for Family Night at St. John the Evangelist School
January 31, 20139:00 am - 9:00 pmdetails
TWIN-CS Fosters Global Citizenship
Jun 6, 2016 by
This past January, I had the great pleasure of visiting two exceptional schools in the Los Angeles area. All Souls World Language Catholic School in Alhambra and St. Sebastian Catholic School in Los Angeles are among 19 schools in 11 states to have implemented the Two Way Immersion Network for Catholic Schools, TWIN-CS. This language immersion initiative was created by The Roche Center for Catholic Education in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. In her 2013 news article about th...
St. Emily School is definitely a Blue Ribbon school in my book!
May 31, 2016 by
Author Visits St. Emily SchoolWhen the author of a children's book visits your school, what do you do? If you are a third grade student at St. Emily School (Mt. Prospect), you write your own story to read to her!
Author Elaine Harrison presented her newest book, "Imagine You Could," to all St. Emily students on March 15. Afterward, Harrison visited the third grade and was treated to their stories.
Click here to see the original article.Photo credit: Bonnie Eiffes, St. Emily School
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St. John the Evangelist School—A Blue Ribbon School from A to Z!
May 8, 2015 by
I love making author visits to the schools!
One of my favorite schools is St. John the Evangelist, (SJE) School in Streamwood. A big reason for this is their dynamic principal, Mary Ellyn Billmeyer.You will never receive a more gracious welcome than when a guest at St. John the Evangelist School—and it starts with their principal! And, this welcome extends far beyond kindness to strangers. Just this year, Principal Billmeyer established a program where teachers take turns as greet...
Walt Disney's Beloved Mary Poppins Turns 50!
Jun 30, 2014 by
As the 50th anniversary of the release of Mary Poppins approaches next month, I recall the wonder of this lavish, altogether charming 139-minute musical fantasy as if it were yesterday. I loved every bit of it: Bert and his one-man band, those lively chimney sweeps danc...
Teen Shows Kindness to Fellow Athlete
Jun 23, 2014 by
Let's "spread kindness wherever we go!"
During an author visit at a Chicago area school, after I shared my story Ducks in a Row, a second grader jumped from his seat, threw his arms wide in the air and exclaimed with great joy: "The MacQuackens teach us to spread kindness wherever we go!" This 7-year old reminds us that we humans intrinsically want to be kind. It makes us feel good. And, we want others to be kind. In fact, scientific studies show that when we witness acts of kindness or when...