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Winter 2022 Issue #96

Shaping Our World

  • Amplifying Black Voices in the Classroom

    “It’s late but it’s not too late.” That is what I found myself saying when I was leading the last day of Zoom assembly for my school this past spring. We had decided to celebrate Juneteenth. A student asked a great question: “Why did they wait until now to make Juneteenth a federal holiday?”

  • Thinking Like a Business: Creating Your Business Plan

    “I just don’t have a business mind.” Why is it a common refrain for folks like us at CMN to feel they don’t have the right mind for business? I’m here to tell you: You do.

  • Anything Song

    “I wrote ‘Anything Song’ long ago when I was young . . . back in the hippie days. I traveled with my guitar on my back, and folks would ask if I could play it. ‘Sure,’ I said. ‘Okay, then play something.’ ‘What?’ ‘Oh, anything.’ And ta-dah! The ‘Anything Song’!”

  • Who Can Count the Snowflakes

    “I live in a relatively rural area in New England with wide-ranging seasonal changes and a curriculum that follows them, so naturally many of my chants reflect that. But as any songwriter knows, sometimes you lose control . . .”

  • I'm Gonna Use My Hands

    “It is a song I wrote to lift myself out of a slump during a particularly bad news week. I thought it might be a good song to sing with students—a song to encourage the kids to participate in making the world a better place.”

  • Social Media Tip #4

    Watch for Trends! If you notice a pattern or strategy rising in popularity and it aligns with your messaging, then it’s a great idea to capitalize on it to drive engagement.