Maybe last year wasn’t their year… or maybe it was the best one yet.Regardless of where the last chapter ended, the start of the school year brings a clean slate: new faces, changing routines, sharpened pencils, and the promise of fresh beginnings.

In a stunning triumph, students from The Music Note, a leading Pittsburgh music studio, have won top prizes at the International Youth Music Competition (IYMC). Their achievements will culminate in a recital and awards ceremony in New York City. The event takes place at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music on August 31.

Staples once ran an entertaining television ad showing an excited father and his reluctant kids shopping for supplies to the soundtrack of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Back-to-school shopping can be both exciting and full of opportunities. With the right approach, it can be an enjoyable, affordable, and positive experience for everyone.

When I think back to the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, so many things come to mind. My husband and I had just returned from a weekend visit to Toronto, narrowly making it over the border crossing before the world shut down.