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MAY 2019
May starts off with two pretty important holidays. Teacher Appreciation Day is on Tuesday, May 7, and Mother’s Day is on Sunday, May 12. This month, I want to celebrate the best teacher ever and the best mother I know, who just happens to be the same person: my amazing wife, Nicole. Nicole used to teach fourth grade. I know she’s the best teacher ever because even though she hasn’t taught at a school for at least eight years, former students and their parents still reach out to her. Sometimes they need advice, and sometimes they just want to thank her for the impact she made on their lives. Recently, I saw firsthand what makes her such a great teacher when Nicole started home schooling our son. THE BEST TEACHER I KNOW
heading to Hawaii for a few weeks on vacation. So, we decided to home- school Finn for the year. Our thinking? Well, he’s only 4. He should really just be playing and exploring the world around him. Let’s re-assess when he turns 5 and goes to a new school for kindergarten anyway. We never thought home schooling would go beyond his second year of preschool.
Well, Finn and Nicole both fell in love with home schooling. Nicole found an amazing community of home-school families in Orange County, as well as programs that essentially function like a junior college for home-school kids. These programs offer everything from cooking and Lego engineering to Spanish and traditional subjects, like math. Home-school is so different than what people imagine it to be. We often joke that home-schoolers have better social lives than most adults. The more we learned about home schooling, the more our family loved it. Fortunately, thanks to Nicole, we are in a position to give Finn a strong home- school education. The stuff she’s able to do with him is incredible. Nicole turned one of our spare rooms into a little schoolhouse for preschool classes, and she works hard putting together these incredible lesson plans! As an artist, she truly enjoys the creative aspect of teaching our children. She opens up her art programs on the computer and creates materials for the kids. Now they think she makes everything, which is amazing. She is a magical teacher wizard! Our kids wake up at the crack of dawn, so right now, Nicole does school with Finn for two hours in the morning before she starts work. In the afternoon, both Finn and Harlow do an activity (usually a science experiment, which is their favorite). We always laugh and say our kids are definitely living their best lives. Both Finn and Harlow beg Nicole to do school every single day. Around Valentine’s Day, Nicole connected with other home schooling parents for this big project where all the kids got to send Valentine’s cards to each other all over the country. And in Continued on Pg. 3 ...
When Finn was 3, he attended one year of preschool. We sent him to school to frolic in the mud, paint, and play make- believe with new friends. When this past school year started, his preschool moved him into what they call “transitional kindergarten.” Finn had just turned 4, and all of a sudden, the school had him writing letters and doing worksheets.
Our kid, who was so very passionate about learning, was suddenly resisting even touching a crayon to color. It was clear that the school was pushing the kids too hard, focusing on academics before even teaching the children the basics like proper pencil grip. Nicole wasn’t happy. She wanted Finn to be a child and be able to play and explore. But the worst thing came when we found out a group of 4-year-olds was intimidating and scaring Finn. When Nicole and I went to talk about it with the school staff, we were told our son needed to be more resilient and that “boys will be boys.” Finn was really brave at school and would hold it all together while there. However, we didn’t like seeing our son cry, sometimes for hours, the moment he got home after trying to keep it together at school all day. Finn had also been dealing with some health issues that were making him unwell. He was about to undergo a second surgery to remove an infected ear tube that had been placed a fewmonths prior. On top of that, we were
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LEARNING TO BE GRATEFUL
Some Ways to Help Children Appreciate Their Teachers
A Homemade Meal Making a homemade meal (or dessert) shows teachers that you went the extra mile to appreciate their hard work. You could make a favorite dish of yours or try to find a new recipe online. Either way, encourage your child to help you with the process so that the meal is truly a gift from both of you. Donating School Supplies Many teachers use their own money to buy school supplies for their classroom. This is just one of the ways teachers go above and beyond on a daily basis, and buying some extra school supplies can help ease that cost. Take your child shopping with you and help them pick out supplies that you know their teacher will appreciate.
Teacher Appreciation Week runs from May 6–10 this year, and there are plenty of
ways students of all ages can thank their educators for everything they do. Being a teacher isn’t an easy job, and the people who make it their profession are passionate about helping kids learn. Depending on how old your child is, they may need a parent’s help in showing their appreciation. Here are a few ways parents and children
can appreciate teachers together. Thank-You Notes This gesture is simple and sweet and can be very thoughtful. Telling a teacher what makes them outstanding can often be just as valuable as a gift. Help your child write an appreciative note and then write one yourself. Teachers often have to maintain the happiness of
Your children spend several hours a day with their teachers, so fostering relationships with them is vital. Use this day to
help your children understand the importance of teachers, to teach them the power of gratitude, and to encourage them to show respect for everyone who helps them in life.
students, administrators, and parents. Your card could relieve some of the stress of that balancing act and let them know that you acknowledge their efforts.
OUR CLIENTS SAY IT BEST
“I was referred to Case by a very good friend who told me he is an amazing attorney. Needing legal advice is not always comfortable, but after speaking with Case Barnett, I have changed my mind. He is such a kind person that you forget you are speaking to him about an unfortunate situation because he makes you feel so much as ease. He is professional and very informative. Case and his team are so responsive to phone calls and emails. I can’t say enough about Case Barnett Law. They always have your best interest at heart and are honest and trustworthy. As a business owner, employee, family member, and friend, it’s important to know there is a knowledgeable professional to assist with confusing law! I am so grateful to have Case Barnett Law in my court! I would recommend Case to everyone I know!” –Sheri B.
Reminder About Our Firm’s Communication Policy: Our promise to you is that we don’t take inbound calls or emails while we are working on your case. Case Barnett takes no inbound unscheduled phone calls whatsoever. It makes him much more productive and helps get your case resolved faster. You can always call the office at 949-861-2990 and schedule an in-person or phone appointment, usually within 24–48 hours. This is a lot better than the endless game of “phone tag” played by most businesses today. Remember, too, that email is “quick,” but is checked no more than twice a day. Replies are then scheduled into the calendar. So, if it’s really important, don’t email — call the office instead.
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... continued from Cover
OUR OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
the springtime, she had them learn about plants by planting little seeds by themselves.
Happy summer!
The kids are absolutely thriving. Finn once again loves school, and it’s crazy how far along he is now. Nicole has given him the freedom to learn at his own pace, feel supported, and explore topics that interest him. We are incredibly lucky to be able to give our kids this experience. One of the best parts about home schooling, for us, is the flexibility. It allows us to create a life and schedule that works best for our family. For this upcoming year, we are very excited to be able to travel outside of peak seasons like Christmas break and spring break! We are also looking forward to getting our kids involved in charity work in our community. In August, Finn will be starting kindergarten and Harlow will be starting preschool in our “school house.” We are still only planning one year at a time and allowing life to unfold organically as our children grow and change.
Ever since the weather warmed up, I’ve been trying to spend every free moment outdoors. I love playing outside! When Mommy and Daddy aren’t practicing law, they always take my brother and me outside to play.
Our house has a huge backyard with plenty of room to have fun. Finn and I have been helping Mommy and Daddy take care of the yard by pulling out old shrubs and trees. We also helped pick out tons of new plants and flowers for the yard. Finn likes digging holes for the plants, and I like watering them — and my whole family — with the hose!
This is all part of “Operation: Make the Backyard Fun.” We’ve been doing a lot of work to turn the backyard into a place for adventures. There’s a big tree Finn and I call our Magic Tree Fort, where our mud kitchen is located. We have a water table and a work table for making mud pies. When we’re done in the mud kitchen, Finn and I love to play on the climbing dome. My legs are still too short for me to climb on my own, but Daddy helps me! Sometimes we even throw a parachute over the dome and turn it into an awesome fort. After the sun goes down, we can hear frogs singing in the yard. Finn and I have tried to find them during the day, but we haven’t had any luck yet. I’ll let you know when we catch some! Our backyard is really fun, but there are also other great places to play outside. A little while ago, Mommy and Daddy took us to explore a nature reserve near our house. We also got to see all the wildflowers blooming all over our neighborhood. The hills are bright yellow right now. It looks like someone spilled a bucket of paint all over them!
I saw firsthand what makes her such a great teacher when Nicole started home- schooling our son.
Nicole is the most outrageous human being. The kids and I are super lucky to have her in our lives. She cares so deeply and does so much for our kids and family. Every day, I’mmore amazed at everything she’s able to accomplish. She inspires me to be a better person in every possible way.
Here’s to Nicole, the best teacher and mom anyone could have.
There are so many fun things to do. I hope you get to play outside this summer, too!
–Case Barnett
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This publication is intended to educate the general public about personal injury and elder abuse. It is not intended to be legal advice. Every case is different.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Page 1 My Favorite Teacher Is Nicole Barnett
Page 2 Teacher Appreciation Week Is Here!
Testimonials
Page 3 Let’s Play Outside!
Page 4 What Is the World’s Best Exercise?
THEWORLD’S BEST EXERCISE Not all exercises are created equal. In fact, there is one form of exercise that is better than many others: walking. Harvard Medical School took a look at various exercises and concluded that walking is up there with swimming and tai chi in terms of health benefits. 30–60 minutes of physical activity per day, but the good news is that you can split those minutes up throughout your day. For example, you can take a brisk 20-minute walk in the morning before work, followed by another one at lunch and one more after dinner. Those 60 minutes also don’t have to be strenuous; they just need to happen.
Regular walking can help maintain good cholesterol and blood pressure levels and
However, the more time you put into walking, the more you will get out of it. If you slowly increase your distance and speed, you’ll end up burning more calories and strengthening your legs over time.
keep your bones strong and healthy. One study showed that 40 minutes of walking every day helped people reduce blood pressure from hypertension to prehypertension, and then eventually to normal over several months. Walking can even keep many different kinds of diseases at bay, such as diabetes and heart disease. In addition to these physical benefits, walking daily can improve your mood and overall mental health.
The great thing about walking is that it’s not particularly taxing on the knees, and you can move at your own pace. It doesn’t get any better than that! To get the most out of walking, schedule your walks for after mealtimes, especially the ones that come later in the day, like lunch and dinner. It’s a great way to aid digestion and burn calories — which can’t hurt your waistline!
As simple and straightforward as walking is, it can be difficult for many people to find the time. Most experts agree that you need
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