TIME for Kids - Age 8+ Family Edition

It’s almost Teacher Appreciation Week! In our last issue of the school year, the TFK team is thanking educators. Our cover story shares the creative work of two elementary school teachers in California, who are inspiring and encouraging the whole world. On page 6, hear from a student in Missouri about an art project kids did to uplift one of their teachers, who is from Ukraine. And on page 8, TFK Kid Reporter Ethan writes about his meeting with the United States Education Secretary, Miguel Cardona, and their discussion about the importance and impact of educators. We want you to share your stories, too. Tell us about a teacher who’s doing amazing things. Learn more at timeforkids.com/teacherappreciation, or write to us at tfkeditors@time.com. Stay safe and healthy this summer, and…

The White House issued a measure on April 18. It has to do with infrastructure, things like roads, bridges, water pipes, and high-speed Internet. Society needs these things in order to function smoothly. The measure requires new infrastructure projects to purchase materials made in the United States. This is meant to ensure that money spent on construction goes to U.S. factories and workers. “From day 1, every action I’ve taken to rebuild our economy has been guided by one principle: made in America,” President Joe Biden said at an event in Greensboro, North Carolina, on April 14. The measure directs how money from the $1 trillion infrastructure law can be spent. That law was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by the president in November. According to guidance issued on April…

SNAPSHOT PANDA PARTY Giant-panda cub Xiao Qi Ji (right) and its mother, Mei Xiang, enjoy a fruity ice cake at Smithsonian’s National Zoo, in Washington, D.C., on April 16. That day marked the 50th anniversary of the zoo’s giant-panda program. Do you dream of being a reporter? Enter the TFK Kid Reporter Contest for a chance to report for our magazines and website. TFK editors will choose 10 talented students as TFK Kid Reporters for the 2022–2023 school year. To apply online or by mail, ask a parent, guardian, or teacher for details, or learn more at timeforkids.com/kid-reporter. CHEN MENGTONG—CHINA NEWS SERVICE/GETTY IMAGE, NEWS STORIES MAY INCLUDE REPORTING FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS…

“Believe in yourself.” “It’s okay to be different.” “If you’re feeling up high and unbalanced, think of groundhogs.” These are a few of the encouraging messages and words of wisdom callers hear when they dial the PepToc Hotline. It’s part of a public art project created by teachers Jessica Martin and Asherah Weiss with students at West Side School, in Healdsburg, California. Launched in late February, the hotline has quickly become a global sensation This was a surprise. “We initially intended for this project to be just for our little town,” Martin told TIME for Kids. After all, the community had been through so much. Wildfires. Evacuations because of the fires. The pandemic. And yet, Martin says of her students, “they’re incredibly resilient and maintain their joy.” The PepToc project celebrates this through art. GETTING…

I’m in the fifth grade at Pevely Elementary School, in Pevely, Missouri. Our art teacher, Arina McAllister (center), is from Ukraine. Her country is going through a terrible war. In Ukraine, sunflowers represent peace. To us, they also mean support, love, and faith. My grandma Mona Asinger (left) works in the school cafeteria. It was her idea to shower Mrs. McAllister with sunflowers. Every student drew or colored sunflowers to hang. It was beautiful to see Mrs. McAllister’s face when she saw her hallway walls covered in them! You could tell she loved it. She even cried. Being away from family and friends is hard. Knowing the dangers they face is even harder. Fortunately, Mrs. McAllister’s husband, children, and parents are here with her. And we are, too.…

The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues. Displaying sunflowers is one of the many ways the world has shown solidarity with the Ukrainian people. At President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech, in March, First Lady Jill Biden wore a dress with a sunflower design on the right sleeve. In Mexico City, Mexico, and Caracas, Venezuela, protesters have carried sunflowers while taking to the streets to condemn Russia’s actions. In London, supporters of Sunflowers for Peace placed the flowers between barricades at the Russian embassy building. The charity organizes aid for Ukrainians. In Reno, Nevada, people used sunflowers to decorate a public art piece that spells out “BELIEVE.” Globally, awareness of the association between sunflowers and Ukraine has grown. The flower has come to be seen as a symbol of resistance. Since…