Happy Friday, friends!

I hope this message finds you well. One of my favorite holidays falls this week…Halloween! When I was a kid, I was all about scary movies and dressing up. As a classroom teacher, I used to prank my middle schoolers on Halloween every year, and we all had a blast. Working in central office the last few years, it hasn’t quite had the same feel; however, now as a mom, the fun is starting back up.

Speaking of #momlife, my daughter has picked a new name for herself while trying to say her name. She’s getting better at it, but at first it sounded like she was saying “Cool", so I started calling her Baby Cool. Not sure if you all have heard the song by Boney M. called “Daddy Cool,” but the lead singer’s crazy dancing became a meme in the last few years. As I often sing songs to Baby Cool, during diaper changes, “Baby Cool” was an early favorite. When a friend (Hedreich Nichols) also called her Baby Cool out of the blue, it was a sign lol.

So anyway, Baby Cool, Daddy Cool (my husband), and I are going to our first “Trunk or Treat” tonight. I’ve never been to one, nor has Baby Cool. Not sure about Daddy Cool lol. She will be dressed up as Elmo. We went to a trick or treat event last week at the shopping center where my gym is located. That was pretty cool. Looking forward to tonight. If you or your loved ones celebrate, I hope you have a safe and happy Halloween.

If you happen to be at AMLE next week, stop by the EduMatch booth and say hi! I will be there with my partner-in-crime, Mandy Froehlich. Mention keyword “spooky” and I may have a special treat for you!

Aubrey Bright in The Games We Play

Speaking of EduMatch, this week I had the pleasure of chatting with my friends Jen Casa-Todd and Leigh Cassell, as well as phenomenal illustrator Jun Fermani, about the launch of their new book “Aubrey Bright in The Games We Play.”

Aubrey Bright in the Games We Play tackles the topic of online gaming by exploring gender roles and friendship, as well as online safety and etiquette. This heart-warming story showcases some of the benefits of gaming, while exploring the importance of developing digital citizenship skills.

Check out the launch video above and get yourself a copy of the book!

Missed the leadership panel for Curicon? Never fear, got the recording right here. I had a blast chatting with friends new and old about generative AI from a bird's-eye view. Here it is:

Finally, two things…

1) Reminder! If you missed our sold-out Navigating AI Together: An EduMatch Exploration event, recordings from the event are being shared daily! Sign up here.

2) I am so proud of my friend Mandy Froehlich (mentioned in the intro) who just became certified to train on youth mental health first aid. This is incredibly important work, as we all know as educators. EduMatch is now offering this service to interested parties. If you are interested in becoming a certified Mental Health First Aider, please see below and contact [email protected].

 Alright folks, that does it for me. Thanks so much for reading!

Have a video to share or interested in being a guest blogger? Email me at [email protected].

Stay connected, stay curious, and let the sharing begin!

Best,

Sarah

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