First up: the rezoning story. The Tribeca Trib reports that a Department of Education plan to "send some Tribeca kindergartners to P.S. 1 in Chinatown" received a unanimous "nay" from the Community Education Council in District 2. The DOE is tweaking its rezoning proposal again (it's already done so once before), and a final vote is coming in December. According to area families, the proposal needs to do a better job of addressing parents' concerns. Still, this quote from Zoning Committee co-chair Michael Markowitz doesn't bode well. "This does not mean everyone gets to stay in their zoned school. It just means we are not carving you out ahead of time." Thanks. What's particularly frustrating is that investors continue to put up huge high-rise buildings designed to attract families at an infinitely faster rate than the city expands nearby schools. Here's a 2010 story from Wall Street Journal titled Growth Limits Urged for Chinatown, and yet the neighborhood's overcrowded schools aren't even mentioned. Are your kids potentially affected by this imminent District 2 rezoning?

In other school-related news, do your kids take a yellow bus to school? Then a possible strike may mess up your child's commute. Although the drivers' union president Michael Cordiello didn't say when or even if this could happen, The New York Times says that the DOE has already purchased more than $1 million-worth of MetroCards to give to students who would be stranded if the drivers decide to, er, walk. Couldn't the MTA have just issued the kids free (or at least discounted) cards?

We know a lot of adults who take classes online, but teens going to high school solely via the web? Can that be any good? Maybe. The New York Times points out that one very prestigious name has quietly gotten into the pre-college online education game: Stanford University. The school's called Stanford Online High School, and it offers an education program for gifted youth. Obviously the elite name makes it more prestigious than other online high schools, as does its rigorous selection process. Still, would you want your kid to miss out on the social aspects of high school? Probably not. Online middle school, however, I could get behind.

Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a longtime tradition for many NYC families. And while some things are always the same—awesome balloons, fun floats and (at times cheesy) performances—one big thing may change next year: the route. Earlier this year, Macy's announced that in 2012 the procession would move to Sixth Avenue due to scheduled construction in Times Square. But now the local business community is rallying to get the parade to stay put. Since the parade is such an iconic NYC event and Times Square is the heart of midtown, it's hard to imagine them being torn apart. It would certainly be a much bigger change than going from Broadway to Seventh Avenue, as the parade did a few years ago.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, this is the time of year we all remind our kids (and ourselves) to be thankful for what they have. It's also a great time to teach children about helping those less fortunate in our community. If you're interested in volunteering as a family, we have recommendations about great organizations that welcome kids and parents. We also have info about volunteer opportunities that don't require leaving the house that are perfect for younger children.

If donating is a better fit for your family, take note: NYC's food kitchens need your support. Although the number of hungry New Yorkers is increasing, budgets for soup kitchens and food pantries are being slashed. Consider buying canned goods, donating money (no one ever scoffs at that) or even just going through your kitchen cabinets to see if there's anything to give to a local charity. Visit FoodBankNYC.org to find a worthy organization near you.