Good morning, Space Fans! In our Science column, we love to share exciting updates and news about how things work on planet Earth and beyond.
This was a big week for exploration. On Monday, September 28, SpaceX launched the largest rocket ever built — Starship and Super Heavy megarocket — into orbit for 1st time. The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle ever built, it finally reached orbit, but the launch from SpaceX’s Starbase site in South Texas was not without drama.
During liftoff, one of the six engines on Starship’s Ship upper stage failed, raising doubts about …
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About the Author: She’Meka Wilson is a passionate children’s book author and creative storyteller, best known for her uplifting series featuring Jade the Hippo. Inspired by her own experiences as a mother and veteran, She’Meka creates heartfelt stories that empower young readers to face their fears, express themselves, and believe in their unique strengths. Through her publishing brand Life in Pink, she’s on a mission to bring joy, representation, and confidence to children everywhere, one colorful, rhyming story at a time. When she’s not writing, She’Meka enjoys spending quality time with her family in Maryland.Learn more: lifein-pink.com
About the Jade …
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Animals are the heroes across the country as many towns are bringing in goats and sheep to clear invasive plants!
In Alexandria, VA: City officials say using livestock is safer and more cost-effective than sending human crews with heavy equipment onto steep or rocky terrain. The goats will target invasive plants growing along the park’s steep slopes. City officials say using livestock is more cost-effective than sending human crews with heavy equipment onto steep or rocky terrain, which can pose safety risks. The city says the method offers an environmentally friendly way to eliminate invasive weeds and support a …
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The Old Town North Alliance presents the 3rd Annual Chalk-A-Block from 11am to 2pm on Saturday, September 19th.
Visit the newly completed TideLock project in Old Town North (1055 N. Fairfax St.) for a free, family-friendly event featuring chalk artists, live music from The Okays, local makers and artists showcasing their works, and an array of food and drinks for sale from neighborhood favorites Jula’s on the Potomac, Hank’s Oyster Bar, Hank’s Pasta Bar, and Royal Restaurant plus a special appearance from Dream Catcher’s Coffee!
Artist/architect Anila Angjeli, who captivated the crowd last year with her colorful “Wings in …
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Research shows many members of the animal kingdom rival human intelligence.
Here are 8 of the top smartie pies, courtesy of SentientMedia:
African Gray Parrots are thought to be one of the most intelligent species on the planet, rivaling even apes. In some areas, they surpass the abilities of five-year-old children. The reason, scientists believe, is that they can use deductive reasoning to solve problems, specifically determining which of two cups contains a food reward. More advanced versions of the same test revealed the parrots’ ability for logical thinking. In one such experiment, Griffin, the test …
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This week, Step Afrika is celebrating what happens when young people step into the arts.
- In classrooms, at summer camp, and in theaters across the country, stepping brings students together, gets them moving, and gives them a chance to discover something new.
- Step Afrika!’s award-winning Arts Education programs serve students from PreK through 12th grade through high-energy performances, interactive workshops, and immersive residencies. Rooted in the values of teamwork, commitment, discipline, and academic achievement, each program builds confidence, fosters cultural understanding, and empowers students through the transformative power of stepping.
- Want to bring some stepping into your school
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When something is hard for our kids, we naturally want to fix it. If handwriting is messy, we practice handwriting. If shoe tying is hard, we practice tying shoes. Sometimes that is exactly what a child needs. But as an occupational therapist and homeschool mom, I’ve learned to ask another question: Where else am I seeing this? One Hard Thing Doesn’t Tell Us the Whole Story.
Let’s say handwriting has become a struggle. Your child complains that writing takes too long. They lean across the table, constantly reposition themselves, or avoid assignments that require writing. Now zoom out. Is tying …
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Every September 17, we celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day to commemorate the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by 39 delegates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. It recognizes all who are born in the U.S. or become citizens through naturalization.
A little history: On February 29, 1952, by joint resolution (36 U.S.C. 106), Congress officially designated Constitution Day. It begins the first day of Constitution Week, which continues through September 23. Before this law was enacted, the holiday was known as I Am an American Day and Citizenship Day and …
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What can we say about Dolly Parton other than — WOW! And THANK YOU! Born on January 19, 1946, in Sevier County, Tennessee, Dolly Rebecca Parton grew up in a humble family as one of twelve children in a small one-bedroom home nestled in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. She consistently drew inspiration throughout her career from her deep love for the place and people who raised her.
One of the best-selling artists in history with over 100 million records worldwide, she recorded 49 albums that spawned 26 No. 1 hit singles on the Billboard country charts, the most …
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In the News: The European Union is moving to ban social media for under 13s across the bloc and impose restrictions on the digital technology for older children, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Wednesday.
The move to develop EU-wide rules comes after several individual EU member states have introduced social media limits on teenagers amid a global push to restrict children’s access to social media. Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media for under 16s in December 2025.
“No social media under the age of 13. No personal account under the age …
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Popular Science, September 14, 2026 — In addition to hats, lost items at Yellowstone include hair ties, dozens of lens caps, AirPods, and an inhaler.
With more than 4.5 million visitors from around the world every year, sightseers arrive well prepared to admire the hotsprings, geysers, scenic lookouts, and wildlife.
But experts agree, there is only so much anyone can do about life’s little unexpected accidents. Each season, Yellowstone’s gusty winds are responsible for blowing away hundreds of hats, maps, and even sunglasses from the heads and hands of onlookers. Each season, park workers scour the grounds to …
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Entrepreneur and activist Janice Murphy founded Light the Way Foundation (LTW) in 2016 because, as a child, she was unable to participate in activities due to limited resources.
“My mission is to ensure all youth are afforded the opportunity to participate in enrichment activities, as they are critical to development,” shares Janice, who received a Master of Business Administration degree from UMUC and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from Strayer University. “I have always had a passion to help youth reach their goals. LTW has enabled me to watch community youth develop into confident and educated young men …
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About National Grandparents Day: A presidential proclamation was signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978 to being the observance of this special holiday.
According to grandparentsday.org, the leaders behind this special day are Jacob Reingold and Marian McQuade.
- During the 1961 White House Conference on Aging, Jacob Reingold of the Hebrew Home at Riverdale (now part of RiverSpring Living) was inspired by a speech concerning the “new image of the aged,” and focused on recognizing the role of millions of older Americans who are grandparents.
- That same year, on September 16, 1961, the Hebrew Home held the first day
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The new Captain America has a big shield to carry. Is he up to the task? Find out in these subversive, exciting and uplifting short stories inspired by the Marvel comic book universe, written by celebrated Black authors. The new Captain America has a heavy shield to hold. As a Black man in America, Sam Wilson knows he has to be twice as good to get half as much credit. He must be a paragon of virtue for a nation that has mixed feelings towards him. In these thirteen brand-new stories, the all-new Captain America must thwart an insurrectionist plot, …
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About the Book — The Fortunate Son recounts the parallel lives of an army brat and a group of Vietnam veterans who intersect decades after the war. “The veterans open up to me, the army brat, perhaps in a way they never have with their own families,” explains author Timothy Trainer. “Through my father, Top, their First Sergeant, we have a common link. Over the years, we’ve gotten to know each other. They begin to understand the sacrifices of an army family. But, more importantly, they want me to understand how our family’s sacrifice and my father’s tour of duty …
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Inkandescent Kids magazine: You had the opportunity to go to the Broadway performance of Hamilton to celebrate your 13th birthday. Congratulations! What made you want to choose this gift as a way to usher in your teen years?
Nathaniel: I’ve always loved Hamilton. It’s always been my favorite musical. My Mom gave me two options : go to the beach or see Hamilton. Obviously, I chose Hamilton.
Inkandescent Kids magazine: Who got to go with you?
Nathaniel: It was me, my mom, one of my friends, Harper, and her mom.
Inkandescent Kids magazine: Are you a fan of American …
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One of my favorite activities for the past few years has been judging games for the Serious Play Conference. I have had the chance to play games used to protect workplaces from cyber-attacks, video games for K-12 students to learn just about every subject imaginable, board games for nurses and scientists, card games for mental health, and more. The possibilities for helping people to learn in engaging ways are only limited by our imaginations.
Last month I challenged you to become a gamification detective and to start looking for examples of gamification in the world around you. Did you …
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One child once told me his brain felt “noodley.” Noodley isn’t exactly a word you’ll find on a traditional vocabulary list. But I didn’t want to correct him. I wanted to know more. What does a noodley brain feel like? As we talked, his description started to make sense. He was connecting the overlapping strands of spaghetti he had recently eaten with the jumbled, confusing feeling he was experiencing in his brain. That’s a pretty sophisticated use of language.
Finding Words for What’s Happening Inside: Interoception is our sense of what is happening inside our bodies. When children pay attention …
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NASA tells us: Known as the “mother of the Hubble Space Telescope,” Nancy Grace Roman was born May 16, 1925 in Nashville, Tennessee, and died December 25, 2018. From a young age, Roman showed an interest in astronomy, and when she was 11 years old she organized a club with her classmates in Reno, Nevada. In this club they learned about constellations and celestial objects from a book. By high school, Roman realized that she had a passion for astronomy and wanted to pursue it. Her academic prowess was highlighted when she participated in an accelerated program and graduated in …
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A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher, InkandescentKids.com magazine — Hello, friends! The InkandescentKids.com team is overwhelmed with gratitude at the amazing turnout for our birthday bash and first annual children’s book fair! We filled the upstairs with more than 30 children’s book authors and sponsors and families of all ages. Student art was on display, including the work of Leanna Grimes and Jovanny Felix Luna. Plus, students from Rock of Ages Music (ROAM), the amazing music school in Del Ray, VA, brought us two student musicians who performed for the crowd, Elizabeth Lane and Gia Attiken. …
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Today, NASA launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Named after NASA’s first chief astronomer, the ‘mother of the Hubble Space Telescope,’ the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will have a field of view at least 100 times larger than Hubble’s, potentially measuring light from a billion galaxies in its lifetime.
This observatory will also be able to block starlight to directly observe exoplanets and planet-forming disks, complete a statistical census of planetary systems in our galaxy, and settle essential questions in dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics.
Click here to keep track of its progress: science.nasa.gov/mission/roman-space-telescope
Click here to …
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“How do you feel?” It sounds like a simple question. But for some children, it’s actually a very complicated one. To answer, a child has to notice what is happening inside their body, make sense of those signals, connect them with an emotion, and then find the words to tell us about it. That’s a lot happening behind one little question.
Start With the Body: Interoception is the sense that helps us notice what is happening inside our bodies. It helps us notice things like hunger, thirst, temperature, pain, and the need to use the bathroom. It also helps …
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Dolly Parton once helped slash the dropout rate in her home county by offering students money to finish school. In 1991, she launched something called the Buddy Program in Sevier County, Tennessee. At the time, the dropout rate for the participating classes was around 35%. So Dolly made students a deal.
Every 7th and 8th grader was paired with a buddy. If both of them eventually graduated high school, Dolly would give each student $500. The idea was simple: Give students a reason to encourage each other to stay in school.
And it worked. For those participating classes, the dropout …
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A Note from the InkandescentKids editors: If it’s Friday, it’s time for our weekly spotlight on HomeschoolOT founder Sarah Collins, who will be sharing her insights with us. Be sure to follow Sarah at homeschoolot.com.
Adults talk a lot about preparing kids for the “real world.” Usually that conversation includes grades, graduation, college, or getting a job.
Those things matter, but being ready for adulthood involves a lot more than what appears on your transcript.
For the 100th episode of The OT is IN podcast, I interviewed my daughter, who recently graduated from our …
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Listen to the podcast on Inkandescent Radio
Rev. Dr. Robert Flanagan gives us Courage2Thrive
About our guest: Since 1730, Maple Bank Farm has provided quality fresh products and served as a destination that exemplifies what a farm stand can mean to a small town. Cared for by Kirby Peters, who runs the farm and the stand's day-to-day operations, the farm is staffed by a small team of dedicated employees who love everything related to farming, agriculture, and fresh local food. "Transparency at every step of the food production process is extremely important to us," he explains.
