Beth Pinyerd
Columnist
Beth is a writer for The Observer
Beth Pinyerd's Latest
BY BETH PINYERD OPINION — Over the past few weeks in preschools throughout the community, children have been joyfully singing in the Christmas season. I know personally in reading to preschoolers, who have been in this world for just a few months...
Children reflect the wonder of the season OPINION — In putting up Christmas and holiday bulletin boards, reading Christ-mas stories, singing Christmas songs, lights, decorations everywhere, the magic and love of this season is shining everywhere.As...
Lights of holiday love between children and the elderly BY BETH PINYERD OPINION — This week, we as families gather together to celebrate a year of gratitude for all generations. It might have been a tough year in health, financially or with loss of...
Twas the week before Thanksgiving OPINION — We early childhood teachers love this time of year. “Lest You Forget” is a way to connect our Thanksgiving celebration to the first harvest feast and celebration that brought the Pilgrims and native...
BY BETH PINYERD OPINION — We can teach our children many wonderful lessons during this month of heart felt gratitude. In the early childhood classroom, children seem to quickly catch on to the joy of helping others and saying thank you. During the...
BY BETH PINYERD OPINION —This week we enter the National Gratitude Month. This is a time that we can have our children and families focus and express on actions and kindness that we are thankful for. As a teacher, I love this time of the year where...
OPINION —There is just something about the cool weather of fall which turns our hearts and family expectations to home. I call Opelika, Alabama, my home.I was born at Lee County Hospital, which is now East Alabama Medical Center; grew up attending...
BY BETH PINYERD It is beginning to look like Autumn in the faces of young children. Smiles, more energy, cool air, beautiful Autumn leaves and jackets and sweaters needed. When I was a younger mom, an older lady in the Opelika community — who was...
BY BETH PINYERD As I drive through downtown Opelika and see the railroad station and the crisscross of tracks, the sights bring back so many good warm memories I had while growing up. Now I am 70 years old, but I remember one certain field trip...
Before August goes out with summer fun and heat, I want to remind the readers that August is National Dog Month. Right here in the middle of what we call “The Dog Days of Summer,” I wanted to share the benefits of having a sweet pet. My precious...
I am so very thankful for all the preschool opportunities that God has provided for me, as a Grandma, through Trinity United Methodist Church Preschool; Pepperell Baptist Church which hosts Mothers of Preschoolers, MOPS, and Village Kids; and...
As school has started back in our preschools, as well as different childcare situations, we might hear that when young children separate from their parents at the classroom door, they do so with tears and crying. As adults, we can all remember...
Here we are as students and families head into the second week of school and we begin to take on the adventures of homework. I can remember it like it was yesterday; my mother was a classroom teacher in the Opelika City Schools system and had much...
Our summer ends on a sweet note with National Ice Cream Sandwich Day on Wednesday, Aug. 2, and National Watermelon Day on Thursday, Aug. 3. But this week, as a community, we are welcoming our students and families back to a new school year. From...
Even though it has been very hot in Lee County the past two weeks, I love the way our citizens cope and find ways to deal with this Central Alabama heat. One of those ways is embracing the typical quick and fleeting rain showers. As I look at young...
One treasure that early childhood teachers love is paper bags. I am so thankful to Charles Stilwell for his invention of the first machine-made paper bag. We know paper bags are for carrying items but they are so useful for teaching young children...
Having a son and daughter-in-law who live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where it is very cold with snow during the winter, I have seen many “snowbirds” — what we Southerners call folks who travel from northern states to southern states during the...
It is so hard to believe that June, with its many summer activities, is coming to a close. But soon we will dive into July fun! I do want to mention before closing out this month that June 28 was Paul Bunyan Day. It is so much fun for children to...
This past week, the intergenerational community “Story Book Picnic,” sponsored by the Opelika Public Library and Lee Russell Council of Government Agency on Aging, sparked memories for me of the poem “All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in...
Welcome, summer 2023! Lee County has always provided the best summers for both the young and old. With school being out, summer provides time families can spend with each other that are rich in memories. Summer welcomes us to be outside in the...