FIRST WORD
Learning is in the Air
T Lindsay VanAsdalan
Editor LVanAsdalan@
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info@thefamilymagazine.com he smells of freshly-bound books, sharpened
No. 2 pencils and the latest and greatest cafe-
teria creations are in the air. Though the last
days of summer offer time for one more family vaca-
tion (16), families everywhere are eager to get back to
the classroom.

Three school years touched by COVID-19 might
have that effect. A spring semester of uncertainty in
2020 and two years of adjusting to a new normal have
forced parents and teachers to become pros at expect-
ing the unexpected. But Washington FAMILY wants
to take some of that responsibility off their shoul-
ders with a collection of stories to prepare families for
Back to School.

More and more families homeschooling their chil-
dren in recent years has revealed just how many
opportunities there are for learning beyond the class-
room. Contributor Megan Conway shares how these
can benefit everyone (11).

Get the most our of your well-child pediatric visits
ahead of the school year (22) or be ready to discuss
learning accommodations at your first IEP meeting (20)
with these helpful guidelines. If you’re already won-
dering, ‘what do I pack my child for lunch?’, you’ll
enjoy our dive into school lunch history with expert
tips for packing brown-bag lunches (14).

Of course, a return to learning doesn’t have to
mean no more vacations. Contributor Jennifer Marino
Walters shares how she vacations with her family
during the school year without much disruption to
class time.

Elsewhere in this issue, plan your 2022-2023 school
year with our private school/open house, medical and
aftercare directories.

As a new editor for Washington FAMILY, I hope this
year brings with it stories of progress, perseverance,
joy and discovery. I am looking forward to getting to
know the DMV’s communities even better than I did
as a staff writer over the last year. Please don’t hesi-
tate to reach out and let me know what people, places,
organizations and happenings we should know about!
Nearby, but a
world away.

Relax. Refresh.

Rejuvenate. Escape Here
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