Of Principal Concern

Schoolkids Host ‘Alex’s Lemonade Stands,’ Fight Childhood Cancer

2011-05-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

A group of students at Ralston Middle School in Belmont, California, literally turned lemons into lemonade. The students, who are members of Ralston’s student government, sold lemonade to raise money for Alex's Lemonade Stand, an organization that supports children afflicted by cancer. [see video above]

At Garnet Valley Elementary School in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, students ran an Alex’s Lemonade Stand event. They sold more than 1,000 cups of lemonade and raised $370. [read more]

One day last October, third-graders at Prairie Ridge Elementary School in Shawnee, Kansas, sold lemonade and cookies for 50 cents apiece. Their lunchtime effort ended up raising $1,303 for Alex’s Lemonade Foundation. The event helped students learn about childhood cancer, empathy, and how they each have the power to make a difference by overcoming obstacles they face in life, said teacher Brandi Leggett. [read more]

Last fall, members of the Key Club at Summer Creek High School in Houston hosted a lemonade stand at a local Chick-fil-A restaurant. They were so excited with the results that they set up another stand a couple weeks later at a Friday night football game. [read more]

Kathy Andrade’s second-graders at Our Lady of the Assumption/Holy Family School in Fairfield, Connecticut, have set up lemonade stands since 2008 to support the efforts of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. The monthly lemonade functions raised more than $2,000 last year. [read more]

ALEX HAD A PLAN

Those are just a handful of hundreds of stories of schoolkids who have followed in the footsteps of a young girl named Alexandra (“Alex”) Scott.

When Alex was just four years old, she told her parents she wanted to set up a front-yard lemonade stand. Her plan: to give the money to doctors to help them find a cure for the cancer she had lived with since she was a year old. Her first “Alex’s Lemonade Stand” raised an astonishing $2,000 in one day. While bravely fighting her own cancer, Alex continued to set up lemonade stands every year. As news spread, people everywhere were inspired to start their own lemonade stands -- donating the proceeds to her cause. By the time Alex passed away at the age of eight, her stand and inspiration had raised more than $1 million towards finding a cure for the disease that took her life.

Alex's legacy lives on in Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, established by her parents in 2005. Since its inception, the Foundation has raised more than $40 million to fund more than 150 cutting-edge research projects; create a travel program to help support families of children receiving treatment; and develop resources to help people everywhere affected by childhood cancer.

NEW SERVICE-LEARNING RESOURCES FOR SCHOOLS

At Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, staff members know that young people can make a big difference. They saw it in Alex, and they continue to see it everyday as children hold fundraisers to keep Alex's dream of a cure alive. To support teachers and students, the Foundation team has created many resources to help teach important lessons about giving and to empower students to act.

“We want your school's experience to be rewarding for students, staff, and the entire community,” says the Foundation’s Connie Funston, “so we are proud to introduce our exciting new service-learning program, which aims to teach Alex’s inspiring message of making a difference, helping others, and overcoming obstacles.”

The curriculum comprises three units each for Grades K-1, 2-3, and 4-5 and was developed with emphasis on enhancing the literacy skills of children while teaching them about the “Power of One.” It is also geared towards reinforcing key lessons from the Foundation’s children’s book, Alex & the Amazing Lemonade Stand. Lesson plans include supplemental handouts as well as special instructions for English-as-a-second-language learners, struggling learners, and gift-and-talented students. For teachers new to service-learning, materials explaining this method of teaching are also included.

Funston encourages anyone interested in creating an Alex's Lemonade Stand fundraising event in their school community to spend some time checking out these resources the site has to offer:
Lemonade from Lemons Service-Learning Program
Hold a Stand at Your School (and Other Fundraising Ideas)
Lesson Plans for Teachers
Schools & Service-Learning: Downloads
Request a Copy of the Book: Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand
Discussion Points
Getting Involved: Ways to Fundraise
Get Your School Involved: Register Now

Calling all kids across this great land!
You can help kids with your own lemonade stand.
As Alex once said,
“It’s easy and it’s fun.”
You need lemonade, ice, and a little bit of sun.
The money you raise can help kids who are sick.
A cure might be found, perhaps even quick!

Don’t Give Up: Fun End-of-Year Activities Keep Interest and Learning Alive

2011-05-09T09:49:00.001-07:00

Over his years as an elementary school principal in Texas, Mark Lukert enjoyed sending his staff off with a bang! at the end of the year. The centerpiece of his end-of-year celebration was a cake tied to the year’s school-wide theme. Then he purchased plastic champagne glasses and several bottles of a beverage that looks like champagne -- sparkling apple cider, for example. He also purchased party poppers for each staff member. (Party poppers are little plastic bottles with strings attached. When you pull the string, streamers shoot out of the bottle. These inexpensive novelty items are sold at most party stores or you can purchase them online).

“I give a little talk about the year, we serve the ‘champagne’ and have a toast, then pop the streamers,” says Lukert. “Everyone enjoys the event and it is a nice way to wrap up a great year!”

The idea can be just as effective when introducing a theme and toasting the start of a new school year, Lukert adds. [learn more]

Education World columnist Diane Hodges offers dozens of fun ways to celebrate the school year's end in her books Looking Forward to Monday Morning and Season It With Fun: A Year of Recognition, Fun, and Celebrations to Enliven Your School.

Among Hodges’ end-of-year ideas is to hold a "Thanks a Latte" party. Obtain latte machines and make a variety of lattes for staff members. Serve biscotti, scones, or other treats as well, Hodges recommends.

Or maybe you can plan some special awards to present at an end-of-year gathering. You might have staff members vote in advance for special recognitions such as

Most Willing to Help a Team Member,

Most Positive Attitude,

After-Hours Award,

Cheerleader Award (pom-poms),

Adhesive Award (a bottle of glue for the person who held everyone together), or

Rookie of the Year Award.

For more great ideas for all year long, be sure to sign up for Hodge’s free Looking Forward to Monday Morning newsletter, which is packed with practical ideas for motivating and recognizing your staff. [see a sample newsletter, then sign up to receive this free newsletter on Diane Hodges’ home page]

TEACHERS OFFER END-OF-YEAR TIPS

The grounds of The Ellis School in Pittsburgh are covered with trees planted by the Arbuthnot family, who once lived on the school’s property. Identifying those trees was the job of some students who took part in last May’s “Ellis’ Trees Please” mini-course at the school. The task was not an easy one, since many of the trees were purchased abroad at the turn of the 20th century, when importing plant material into the U.S. was legal.

Ellis School faculty and friends have offered mini-courses since 1972 as a way to keep learning alive between final exams and the end of the school year, according to Jack Gaddess, a Spanish teacher and the school’s mini-course coordinator. The courses offer students time to explore nontraditional topics of study or a particular topic more in-depth, Gaddess told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazettte. Besides “Ellis’ Trees Please,” last year’s courses included offerings that explored the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, mountain biking, traditional West African dance, and personal finance. [read more ]

Education World columnist Larry Ferlazzo has many favorite activities for the final days of the school year. In one of those activities, he has students draw and write a simile about themselves (I am like a _______ because _______) that he will pass along to their next teacher. “I explain this will be the first impression their new teacher will have of them,” Ferlazzo wrote in his Teacher Magazine blog. “This is one more way students can reinforce a positive self-image. It also opens the way for the student and new teacher to make an early personal connection when they meet in the fall.” [read more ]

Educator Elena Aguilar encourages teachers to give kids time and tools to reflect on their school year. “They can write, make scrapbooks, record a video piece, or create drawings,” writes Aguilar in her Edutopia blog. “Prompt them to think about what they learned, how they learned, what was challenging, how they dealt with those challenges, what they feel proud of, how they changed, what advice they have for kids entering that grade next year, and so on.” [read more ]

For more ideas from teachers, see these Education World articles:
Closure Activities for the End of the School Year
Favorite End-of-Year Activities

MORE IDEAS FOR THE FINAL DAYS

Over the years, Education World has shared numerous ideas for end-of-year lessons that provide fun and learning – and help bring the year to a close on a high note. The links below will take you to some of those lessons.

Wind Up Learning as the Year Winds Down: Activities For The Last Days of School
The last few days of the school year are upon you, and you're at a loss for what to do. Do you emphasize fun or attempt to squeeze in some last-minute learning? Education World offers suggestions for keeping kids focused during the last hours of the school year. Included: More than a dozen great end-of-year ideas.

End-of-Year Lessons -- Volume #3
You're tired, and you're eager to get through the last few days, but you feel guilty about showing videos or letting the kids play games. Education World offers five more end-of-year activities that will engage students, and maybe even include some new learning.

Making the Most of End-of-School Days
"No more pencils, no more books, no more..." No more time? The last days of school may be upon you, and your students may already be chanting the traditional end-of-school cheer, but that doesn't mean that you have to succumb to the temptation to start summer early. Blow your students away with some cool end-of-year activities that combine fun and learning.

More End-of-Year Lesson Ideas

Reviving Reviews: Refreshing Ideas Students Can't Resist

A 'Boring' Lesson in Geography

Invent Your Own Poetry Form: An End-of-the-Year Activity

Make the 'Write' Impression

Ten Games for Classroom Fun

Don't Waste a Minute

Crisscrossing the Country: Scavenger Hunts for Kids of All Ages

Rock or Feather: A Critical-Thinking Activity

ABC Books Aren't for Babies

Summer Reading Lists Abound on the Web

Student Essays Describe 'Perfect' School

Wax Museum Biographies Teach and Entertain

Students Create a Virtual Tour of Their Community

BLOG BITS #6: Sun SafetySuicide Toolkit Full-Day KPrincipal’s CookbookCivil War Lessons

2011-05-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

Did you know that there are more cases of skin cancer each year than cases of breast, colon, lung, and prostate cancers combined! That adds up to more than one million Americans getting skin cancer annually.

To help reduce the rising rates of skin cancer, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated the Friday before Memorial Day – May 27, 2011 – as Don't Fry Day. The Council's goal is to encourage sun safety awareness by reminding everyone to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors on Don't Fry Day and every day.

The Council provides many free resources to help educators recognize Don’t Fry Day in their classrooms and throughout their schools. Visit the Don’t Fry Day website to learn more about how schools across the U.S. can recognize this special day. Don’t miss the Don’t Fry Day Resources for schools, which include

an Action Kit for Educators,
the ”Don’t Fry Day” Pledge,
Ideas for Observing Don’t Fry Day, and
posters, coloring pages, stickers, and more.

FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN IMPROVES ACHIEVEMENT

As many communities closely examine school budgets for possible cost savings, some are considering cutting all-day kindergarten programs back to half days. A new report from the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children illustrates the connection between full-day kindergarten enrollment and later success in elementary school. School districts that provide full-day kindergarten see improved performance on standardized assessments, the report notes. For example, Pennsylvania school districts with full-day kindergarten saw third-grade math proficiency scores rise nearly twice as much as districts with part-day programs when compared to overall district performance three years prior.

First-grade teacher Katie Richter, of the Baldwin-Whitehall School District in Allegheny County, has witnessed the difference in reading skills between full- and part-day kindergarten students. “My experience is the full-day K students are better readers in first grade than the part-day students were,” she said. Students who come from full-day kindergarten can jump into lessons at the start of a new school year without having to spend prolonged time on letter names and sounds, she added.

See the full report: Full-Day K: A Proven Success
Read a news report about the study: Full-Day Kindergarten Improves Reading [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

MORE ‘BITS’ FOR SCHOOL LEADERS

After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools

A new free resource, After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools, is available to help schools cope in the aftermath of a suicide. The guide was created by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and the American Foundation for Suicide Preventions (AFSP), two of the nation’s leading organizations devoted to suicide prevention. Developed by a team of national experts, including clinicians and crisis response professionals, the online toolkit draws on scientific research and best practices.

“Suicide can leave a school struggling with tremendous uncertainty about what to do next,” said Joanne Harpel, AFSP’s senior director for public affairs and postvention. “We also know that schools worry about the possibility of further suicides. This toolkit will answer frequently asked questions and help put school personnel at ease.”

“Our toolkit also advises schools to treat all student deaths in the same manner, and not to inadvertently romanticize suicide,” added Peggy West of Education Development Center, Inc., a senior advisor for SPRC. “This is especially important as school communities consider how to handle events such as memorial services and graduation, and student activities such as the yearbook.”

Free Civil War Lessons

As we recognize the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, the Civil War Trust recently unveiled free lesson plans that explore the causes of the Civil War as well as its impact on the political, economic, military, and cultural life of the times. Separate sets of nine standards-based lessons were developed by teachers for students in elementary, middle, and high school grades.

The Principal’s Cookbook

The Principal’s Cookbook has arrived! The Cookbook is filled with more than 100 recipes for you to try out at upcoming end-of-year staff events or at this summer’s school/family cookouts or picnics. Click to order your copy.

Ten Contests Inspire Student Learning

2011-04-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

With National Poetry Month winding down and National Pet Week (May 1-5, 2011) just around the corner, what better time could there be to get kids writing poems about the animals that are so near and dear to them? Post some of those poems in your next newsletter or on your school’s website. Or, better yet, watch the American Pet Products Association’s Pets Add Life Poetry Contest page and enter your students’ poems in next year’s contest. Who knows, one of your students’ poems could be a winning entry, like this poem by a fifth grader from Newton, North Carolina.

Always
Where do I go to feel joy all around?
I always go play with my trusty hound.
What do I do when something troubles me?
I always go see my sweet dog, Jolly.
Who do I tell all my secrets to?
I always tell my dog, there, now I've told you.
If ever I'm feeling a little blue,
I always know just who to go to.
She's my best friend,
Always loyal to the very end.
Everyone I know has been told,
She always has a gentle heart, pure as gold.
She's such a treasure,
I will always love her forever and ever.

TEN MORE CONTESTS FOR SCHOOLKIDS

Contests are a fun way for students to earn recognition as they learn. Here are ten additional contests in which your students might participate.

Doodle for Google
You’ve missed this school year’s deadline (March 16), but your K-12 students will be invited again next year to use their artistic talents to think big and redesign Google’s homepage logo for millions to see.

‘Kids Are Authors’ Contest
Scholastic offers this annual contest designed to encourage students to use their reading, writing, and artistic skills to create their own books. Open to students in Grades K-8. This year’s deadline (March 15) has passed, but watch this site for information about next year’s competition.

Bridgestone America’s Safety Scholars Video Contest
A great way for student ages 16-21 to have fun, be creative, and win money for college. Videos must be 25 or 55 seconds in length. Contest deadline is May 13.

‘Together We Play’ Essay Contest
Do you dream about creating a playground where children of all abilities can play together? Your essay could win $100,000 in inclusive playground equipment and $50,000 in project development, design services and comprehensive educational programming. Contest deadline is August 1, 2011.

National Handwriting Contest
Click the link above to sign up for an email notification about next year’s contest. Open to students in Grades 1-8 in schools that use the Zaner-Bloser program.

‘Listen to Life’ Essay Contest
This contest is an opportunity to develop important skills in areas that include interviewing, listening, writing, and technology as it fosters connections between young and old. Open to students ages 8-18. New contest cycle begins in September.

SchoolTube Video Contests
SchoolTube offers a variety of contest opportunities that provide great ways to integrate media into your school’s classrooms. The site offers many tips and tools for producing effective videos, too.

Emerging Writers Short Story Contest
The Young Voices Foundation offers this contest for students in Grades 3-12. Submissions accepted through May 31, 2011.

‘Save the Frogs’ Art Contest
Maybe you missed the opportunity to recognize Save the Frogs Day (April 29), but your students can submit their art to this contest through October 15, 2011.

EdSteps Creativity/Problem Solving Contest
This contest from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is open to students across the globe. Contest ends May 14.

MORE LESSONS FOR PET WEEK

Pet Week Lessons from Education World
Pet Week Lessons from Crayola

Celebrate Your Entire Team During Staff/Teacher Appreciation Week

2011-04-13T13:41:00.001-07:00

Education World columnist Diane Hodges has great ideas for improving school climate all year long. Her free Looking Forward to Monday Morning newsletter is packed with practical ideas for motivating and recognizing your staff. If you were on her mailing list last April, you received the Teacher Appreciation Week ideas below -- and more -- in your e-mailbox. [see a sample newsletter, then sign up to receive this free newsletter on Diane Hodges’ home page]

STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK

Teacher Appreciation Week was established in 1985 by the NEA [see National Teacher Day 2011] and National PTA [PTA Teacher Appreciation Week 2011] and takes place annually during the first full week in May.

Many school districts have changed the week to Staff Appreciation Week in an effort to honor teachers as well as all other staff members -- school nurses, custodians, paraprofessionals, and so on -- who play a role in supporting students. Some even designate a different day of the week as Support Professional Day or Bus Driver and Crossing Guard Appreciation Day or Custodial/Maintenance Appreciation Day… Holding all those celebrations in one week promotes team spirit.

DINNER ON US

One of the most appreciated gifts is to not have to go home after work to make dinner. For the day or the week, give staff members a dinner break. Seek assistance from community and parent volunteers to prepare homemade dinners that staff members can simply heat and eat. Dinner ideas include lasagna, chili, or casseroles. Be sure they are presented in disposable packaging so staff members don’t have to worry about returning bowls and dishes. Be sure to include heating instructions with the item. You could also arrange for pizza delivery or give take-out restaurant coupons for a dinner for the whole family.

TEA BREAK

Supply the staff lounge with gourmet teas. Put notes on the teas that incorporate the use of the word tea. Some examples include

Our staff is Tea-rrific!
We appreciate your creativi-tea more than you know
Have a break and enjoy the tranquili-tea
You generosi-tea toward students is appreciated
This is said with all sinceri-tea: Our staff is great!

You could also host an after-school tea party in which you serve tea sandwiches and cookies.

WORKING TOGETHER IS PARADISE

Set a festive, tropical theme for the week. Encourage staff members to wear tropical clothing -- flowered shirts and dresses, straw hats, and so on -- that reflects the theme. Decorate the staff lounge with palm trees, parrots, and tiki lights. Have daily drawings and award the winners with tropical items such as pineapple, flamingo décor, and other fun, inexpensive prizes.
Decorate a cart with fresh fruit and summer beverages such as tropical punch and lemonade. Go to the various classrooms and serve staff members a tropical treat.
Host a festive gathering that continues the theme. Dress up the lounge with summer décor and give leis to staff members as they enter. Serve tropical fruit smoothies to everyone. Be sure to put a little umbrella in the glass!

OUR STAFF IS SCENT-SATIONAL!

Organize a week that’s filled with myriad special scents. Each day, give staff gifts such as candles, lotions, or bath salts. Ask a local Bath and Body Works, The Body Shop, or spa top have one of their employees visit the school to host a scent-sational foot massage event. Have hot, homemade bread waiting for the staff members when they arrive in the morning. Be sure to have peanut butter, jams, jellies, and butter (make it real butter!) available. Have fresh, hot just-baked scent-sational (or is it sin-sational?) chocolate chip cookies delivered for an afternoon treat. Serve popcorn -- another favorite aromatherapy -- in the lounge.

MORE FROM DIANE HODGES

Visit Diane’s web site to sign up for her free monthly newsletter or to learn about workshops she offers. You can order her books there too, including Looking Forward to Monday Morning and Season It With Fun: A Year of Recognition, Fun and
Celebrations.

Diane Hodges on EducationWorld
Award-winning educator, highly acclaimed speaker, and bestselling author Dr. Diane Hodges' weekly Looking Forward to Monday Morning columns present a wealth of ideas administrators can use to drive staff members happy!

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK IDEAS FROM EDUCATION WORLD

Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas from Education World
Education World's "Principal Files" principals share 65 things they have done to show their appreciation. Plus Teacher Appreciation Week cards and letters and more ideas. Also

Plan a Heroes Fair for National Heroes Day

2011-04-01T09:42:00.001-07:00

At Arthur Rann Elementary School in Galloway, New Jersey, students look forward to the annual Heroes Fair. Every fifth grader participates in this event that brings together the entire K-6 school community for a celebration of heroes and the character traits they possess.

The Heroes Fair idea is one that Ginny Bisignaro, a fifth-grade teacher at the school, admits to “stealing.” She got the idea from a college professor who had students choose and report on a hero as part of a Teaching Social Studies class she took at Millersville University.

“When I was hired at Rann nine years ago, I jumped right in and organized a Heroes Fair with my homeroom,” Bisignaro told Education World. “The students do most of what I had to do in college, but on a level they can handle and at which they can succeed.”

The college professor from whom Bisignaro stole the idea is Dr. Dennis Denenberg, a national expert on the use of heroes in the classroom. “Heroes can change a kid’s life because they expose kids to positive character traits,” says Denenberg, whose Heroes4US website should be the first stop for anyone interested in learning more about Heroes Fairs. Denenberg is also the co-author of 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet. [view a related video]

As it turns out, Dr. Denenberg has inspired other teachers to start Heroes Fairs, too. It was a graduate class with him that spurred two teachers at Denver (Pennsylvania) Elementary School to introduce a fair there.

“A Heroes Fair is the ultimate form of subject integration -- social studies meets communication arts, math, science, music, art, and physical education,” Georgette Hackman, a fifth-grade teacher at Denver Elementary, told Education World. “Since students choose heroes based upon their own passions and interests, multiple disciplines become integrated into the project.”

HEROES FAIR ‘EXPLODES’

Interest in the annual Heroes Fair at Rann Elementary has “exploded,” Bisignaro told us. A few years after she first organized a classroom Heroes Fair, another fifth-grade teacher joined in. By 2008, the entire fifth-grade team participated. Now students come into fifth grade looking forward to their chance to put on a Heroes Fair – and the entire school body visits the fair. [view video coverage of Rann’s 2008 Heroes Fair]

“Younger students write thank you notes to share what they have learned about the heroes,” said Bisignaro. “One of the moms actually shared with me that her son has been looking forward to doing the fair since third grade.”

In the seven years since the Heroes Fair debuted at Denver Elementary, Hackman and her colleague, Rebecca Culbert, have had several younger students approach them in the hallway to announce who they want to "be" when they come to fifth grade.

“The fair is a school-wide event that also brings in people from other schools and the community at large,” noted Hackman. “Any event that brings so many varied individuals into our school and showcases the hard work our students do is a good thing.”

The Denver Elementary Heroes Fair has also grown over the years. It began with two classes and now it’s up to five classes in two schools. The fair has also changed to reflect best practices in education. “For example, we have integrated a primary document piece into the project," explained Hackman. "Each student must include at least one primary document in their presentation.”

The Heroes Fair is one of those “perfect” events. It involves teachers, students, and families in learning together as it helps contribute to a positive school climate. But Bisignaro said the biggest benefit is its impact on students.

“Students learn about individuals who hopefully will inspire them to greatness,” she told Education World. “The heroes that are chosen exemplify determination, compassion, perseverance, courage, generosity, and many, many more wonderful qualities. At the conclusion of the Heroes Fair preparation, students know their heroes so well. Their knowledge of those heroes, along with what they can learn about life from their heroes, is the biggest benefit of the Heroes Fair.”

HEROES FAIR RESOURCES

National Heroes Day
It has become fashionable to overstate the idea of heroes in our culture today. Historically, there are countless heroes who have become lost or forgotten. The major goal of National Heroes Day is to inspire students of all ages to rediscover the forgotten heroes from the past and bring them back into the spotlight. Heroes Day aims to plant the seeds for the growth of real heroes for the future.

Heroes4US
Dr. Dennis Denenberg’s website serves as a nice starting point for anyone interested in learning more about heroes and Hero Fairs. The site includes photos from a Heroes Fair as well as Tips for Organizing a Heroes Fair.

Heroes Fair Project PowerPoint
This is a PowerPoint presentation that Pennsylvania teacher Georgette Hackman created to motivate her students’ participation in a class Heroes Fair. The presentation includes a definition of a hero, the process students used for choosing a hero, project requirements, pictures of exemplary projects from years past, and a quiz that ensures students understand the project's goals and requirements.

Education World Special Archive: Honoring Our Heroes
Where are the real heroes for today's children and young adults? The major goal of National Heroes Day is to bring them back into the spotlight they deserve. Education World has put together some lesson ideas and other resources to help you do just that. Join us as we pay tribute to those individuals who inspire us by their great strength, courage, and perseverance in facing challenges.

Is a Digital Library in Your School’s Future?

2011-04-01T09:08:00.001-07:00

These days, the library at Lamar High School in Houston, Texas, is looking a lot more like a café than a library. And Principal John McSwain has never seen so many kids in the library before. As a matter of fact, the library’s hours have been extended; it is now open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Kids are showing up in droves to grab a laptop, an e-book, a cup of coffee, and a snack as they dive into books – online. The library’s newest additions include hundreds of e-books and a bunch of large databases for academic research.

"This place will be full at lunch, full before school, and even after school," McSwain told Houston’s Fox TV station. "The resources we now have are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from anywhere in the world for all of our students." [read more]

A handful of private schools are taking the leap too. After a lightning fire destroyed the 100-year-old library at the Hackley School, a K-12 boarding school in Tarrytown, New York, school leaders decided to switch from print to digital.

"We went to the different departments and said, 'This is your chance to create a perfect collection. You tell me what you think we need on our shelves,'" Laura Pearle, head librarian, told THE Journal. "When they said, 'We need these reference books,' I looked to see if we could purchase them digitally."

The decision to go digital wherever possible was not hugely popular with the faculty at first, Pearle said. “Now the majority of teachers feel that, for reference, digital is absolutely the way to go." [read more]

Lamar High and the Hackley School are leaping into territory where few schools have gone before. But lots of other schools are taking steps in that direction too. A 40-minute drive north of Houston, the library at Wilkerson Intermediate School in The Woodlands, is planning some changes. Librarian Jennifer Minichiello says the school's library will become more interactive, provide a variety of e-books, and adopt a café style.

"We're going to make it a little more interesting," she told the Houston Chronicle. "We want it to be more active, with a variety of things going on. If we want [students] to keep coming in, we have to use the technology they are used to." [read more ]

CELEBRATE SCHOOL LIBRARIES!

April Is School Library Month
School Library Month (SLM) is the American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) celebration of school librarians and their programs. The 2011 theme is "Create Your Own Story." This year, AASL will help school librarians tell their stories and advocate for the value their school library program brings to their school and local community.

National Library Week
National Library Week (April 10-16, 2011) is an annual celebration of the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians. All types of libraries – school, public, academic and special – participate in this celebration spearheaded by the American Library Association (ALA). Are you looking for ways to raise awareness about libraries and library services during National Library Week? Check out the ALA’s free promotional tools for new ways to promote the message of National Library Week.

Education World Special Theme: Library Week
Education World presents dozens of book-themed activities, lessons, and projects from our archive. Included: How to write better book reports, stage a "Literature Day," compose Harry Potter haiku, plus additional classroom activities for teaching about fairy tales, folk tales, biographies, and more.

Infusing Math Each Day Builds Students’ Math Competency

2011-03-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

”In this changing world, those who understand and can do mathematics will have significantly enhanced opportunities and options for shaping their futures. Mathematical competence opens doors to productive futures. A lack of mathematical competence keeps those doors closed.”
-- National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

In her role as executive director of the Northeast Foundation for Children/Responsive Classroom, Roxann Kriete spends a fair amount of time in classrooms where she frequently observes Morning Meetings, a staple of the Responsive Classroom® approach. After one such day of observations, Kriete returned to her office excited to share how engaged students were. She talked enthusiastically about the vocabulary and language development she’d seen happening in their Morning Meetings, only to be taken back when a friend posed a question about her school visit:

Did you see any math going on?

“His question stopped me for a moment as I reflected,” Kriete said. “I had to acknowledge that I had not seen any math in the meetings I’d observed.”

In the weeks ahead, Kriete repeated the question she’d been asked to many colleagues who work with teachers. They related terrific stories of classes collecting, charting, and discussing data about aspects of classroom life. Colleagues also told her of activities that students clamored to “play” that developed fluency with math facts or encouraged deductive reasoning. But even those colleagues had to admit that it wasn’t all that common to see math skills embedded as part of the daily Morning Meeting routine.

Those conversations made clear a need that the Foundation has met with the publication of its latest book, Doing Math in Morning Meeting.

“We know that in math, as in all areas, we are powerful models and our students are astute observers who take their lessons and shape their own attitudes from their observations of us,” Kriete writes in the introduction to the book. “It’s critical that we find ways for our students to see us using math and enjoying doing so.”

In the pages of Doing Math in Morning Meeting, co-authors Margaret Berry Wilson and Andy Dousis have gathered dozens of ideas to create a practical guide that any teacher – even a self-proclaimed “math phobe” – can use to engage students and infuse math into their daily routines. The activities were chosen to match the community- and confidence-building purposes of Morning Meeting. The true beauty of the activities lies in the fact that they

are brief;
require few materials;
are easy to manage;
are varied;
emphasize familiar concepts;
emphasize questions with many correct answers; and
ensure feelings of mathematical success.

The book’s classroom-tested ideas for incorporating math will help teachers prop opens the doors to math pleasure and math competence among their students, added Kriete.

APRIL IS MATH AWARENESS MONTH

Add a copy of Doing Math in Morning Meeting to your school’s professional development library this month. It’s the perfect gift to your teachers for Math Awareness Month!

TIME FOR SOME MORE 'MORNING MATH'

Morning Math
Principal Larry Davis emphasizes the importance of math by making Morning Math part of his school's morning routine. Two days a week during morning announcements, he poses "Mr. Davis Math Questions" to the students at his Florida elementary school. Now you can do the same in your school! Each week, Davis and Education World present two new sets of math questions for you to use to engage students and build math skills.

Is It Time You Went to Social Media Bootcamp?

2011-03-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone is talking about Facebook and Twitter and YouTube. If you aren’t taking advantage of those resources to tell your school’s stories – and to connect with students, parents, faculty, and alumni – you’re really missing out. Maybe you should go to social media bootcamp!

Administrators and some staff members at The Webb Schools in Claremont, California, recently attended a day-long social media bootcamp, and they’re glad they did.

“The days are gone where people will come to you for information. You have to be where they are, and they’re on social media,” Karen Bowman, the private school’s director of marketing and communications, told the San Bernadino Sun. [read more]

The school’s bootcamp was hosted by edSocialMedia, a company started as the natural evolution of four friends’ conversations about the direction of social media in schools.

Many of the bootcamps that edSocialMedia has led to date involved private schools where contact with potential students and alumni is crucial, said Jesse Bardo, director of edSocialMedia and a former admissions counselor and communications coordinator at Northfield Mount Hermon School. However, Bardo tells Education World, more and more public school systems are approaching the company about training their district leaders in the benefits of using social media to create connections with their wider school communities.

“What we are hearing is that not only are districts interested in facilitating better communication between their schools and parents, they’re also keenly focused on bringing social media technologies into the classroom to enhance and grow portfolio based learning,” said Peter Baron, an edSocial Media partner and founder of AdmissionsQuest.

GETTING STARTED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

“Social media happens every day, and it is happening with you or without you,” Bardo added. For those who are willing to jump in, he has some practical thoughts and tips:

Content is king. Using social media is not about Facebook or Twitter or YouTube. It is about the content you put up there. Nothing is going to happen if the content is not good.

Make connections and develop relationships. Creating good content is all about finding the right people willing to tell the right stories. Reach out and find those people on campus who are enthusiastic about social media and willing to share stories worth telling.

Don’t inundate. If you choose to use Facebook, post something new just three or four times a week. When you do post, be concise.

Show it rather than tell it. Whenever possible, let images – photos, art, or video – tell the story.

Don’t try to do it all. There are dozens of tools out there to help you connect with your wider school community. Instead of trying to use them all – YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, and the list goes on – and spreading yourself too thin, choose one form of social media and become good at it. Do what you do best and then branch out from there.

Involve your fans. It is vital to involve your fans if you hope to create an authentic reflection of – and buzz for – your your school! If you are able to create authenticity you will experience the “fireworks effect” – those little bursts of attention that follow after you send out the initial big plume.

Highlight all that’s good about your school. Just because the football team is having a great year doesn’t mean that every post should be about the football team. Do that and you’re missing a huge opportunity to connect with everyone else.

Make time for social media. Don’t think of social media responsibilities as “one more thing” on your plate that’s already piled high. Instead, think of it as simply adding one more short conversation to your day, except that this conversation is taking place online.

Don’t be afraid. You know you need to do this! Being afraid of social media just means you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to build enthusiasm within your school and engage people outside its walls.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Social Media Bootcamps
edSocialMedia’s full-day workshop provides an in-depth introduction to social media technology for school leaders and administrators, complete with an opportunity for them to create content and get their hands dirty.

Designing Your Social Media Strategy
Social media strategies are not “one size fits all.” This webinar explores how to utilize popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Flickr to build a successful social media strategy as unique as your school.

The Conversation Prism
This dramatic visual illustrates some of the social media tools that are available for use. The graphic is already out of date as new services evolve and emerge.

More Schools Make the Move to Recess Before Lunch

2011-03-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Has your school joined with others that are putting recess before lunch? Principals who have done this say kids are calmer when lunch comes after recess, they throw away less food, and they return to their classrooms more ready to learn.

A growing number of elementary schools in Colorado’s Douglas County School District have jumped on the bandwagon and are seeing good results.

“Our decisions are always driven by what is best for our kids,” Principal John Guitierrez told the Denver Post last week. A recess-before-lunch pilot program at his school, Cougar Run Elementary, has helped teachers get kids back on track after lunch. The practice is resulting in an average of 10 minutes additional teaching time each day. [read more ]

Katie Bark, a dietician who is director of Montana Team Nutrition Program, told Education World that her group devised a recess-before-lunch program that was piloted at four elementary schools in the spring of 2002-03. Baseline studies showed that when recess was held before lunch, plate waste -- the amount of discarded food -- went way down and milk consumption went way up.

The team also noted that when students came in from the playground, the noise level in the cafeteria was high. Then they settle down. "And if they had a dispute on the playground, they tend to forget about it when they get to class," Bark said. [read more]

MORE BENEFITS FROM PUTTING RECESS FIRST

Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, Ed.D., founder of Peaceful Playgrounds, is another fan of recess before lunch.

“The playground is an essential part of any school and every community,” Bossenmeyer says. “Children spend many hours of their day occupying themselves with what the playground has to offer.” To that end, Peaceful Playgrounds offers a kit that can be used to transform school, church, or park playgrounds into colorful arrangements of games kids love to play. [learn more about the program]

The benefits of recess-first are many, Bossenmeyer adds. Among them are the following:
• Improved cafeteria behavior
• Calmer, more relaxed students in the cafeteria
• Students return to the classroom calmer and ready to learn
• Students eat more, drink more milk, and throw away less food
• Fewer discipline problems are encountered
• Fewer visits to the school nurse are recorded

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Recess Before Lunch Can Mean Happier, Healthier Kids
Recess follows lunch almost as predictably as four follows three, because it always has been that way. Principals who have put recess first, though, have noticed children eat more and behave better after lunch.

Peaceful Playgrounds: Recess Before Lunch
The Peaceful Playgrounds website shares what principals and the research have to say about recess before lunch. Included: Information about the organization’s Peaceful Playgrounds Program Kit.

Schools Say Recess Before Lunch Helps Kids Focus on Meals, Learning
This Denver Post article details how a growing number of elementary schools in the area are scheduling recess before lunch, a policy the district has been encouraging since 2006.

Recess Placement Prior to Lunch in Elementary Schools: What Are the Barriers?
A study published in The Journal of Child Nutrition & Management provides useful information for school personnel and parents to consider.

The Benefits of Recess Before Lunch
This printable brochure concisely describes the benefits of recess before lunch and offers tips for making it happen in your school.

ANOTHER LUNCHROOM TREND TO WATCH

Kansas Schools Try Separate Lunches for Sexes
Middle school lunch periods can be a free-for-all of teasing, rough-housing, and flirting among boys and girls trying to impress or intimidate. But what if schools had separate lunch periods for boys and girls? That is not a hypothetical in Wichita, Kansas, where three middle schools have gone to single-sex lunches. Principals say the new lunch system has reduced misbehavior and helped students focus on eating.

Groovin’ Groceries Combines Music, Nutrition Education

2011-03-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

Two-thirds of K-8 teachers say students in their classes regularly come to school hungry and 63 percent say the problem has increased in the past year, according to a survey released last week. [read more]
In Maryland, state lawmakers are considering legislation that would require public schools to publish calorie information for all school-lunch menu items. [read more]
In Spring Lake Park, Minnesota, one teacher is leading the effort to provide healthier snack choices in the school’s store and vending machines. [read more]

Nutrition is certainly in the news -- and it isn’t only because March is National Nutrition Month. Statistics about America’s childhood obesity epidemic make headlines every week. Meanwhile, Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative is drawing needed attention to the issue. And schools are helping to lead the way when it comes to making nutrition education a year-round focus.

GROOVIN’ IN THE GROCERY AISLE

As Lori Cook wandered the grocery aisles with her 3-year-old son Nate, she was struck by the fact that he was already responding to cartoon characters on product packaging. “I didn’t realize it started so early,” Cook thought. “Then I wondered why there weren’t advertisements for healthy foods that would get kids equally excited.”

One of Cook’s first thoughts was that memorable cartoon characters combined with catchy music could help get positive nutrition messages out to kids. That’s when Cook -- an award-winning lyricist -- teamed up with two-time Grammy Award winner David Blamires to create the characters and songs that comprise the timely and very affordable Groovin’ Groceries program. (Recognize Nutrition Month by giving each of your teachers a copy of the CD! They are sure to find ways to work it into their classroom curriculum.) The Groovin’ Groceries characters sing and dance their way to lessons about the five basic food groups that are part of the USDA food pyramid. The program’s cast of characters includes

Bobby Broccoli and the Hip Hop Crops (hip hop music);
Banana Jamma and the Fruity Party (reggae music);
Betsy Bread and the Grainiacs (country music);
Max Milk and the Disco Dairy (disco music); and
Fiona Fish and the Lean Machine (R&B music).

Take a look -- and a listen!

Of course there are temptations addressed by characters such as Junk Food and the Sugar Monster (blues music) as well as a tune about the importance of exercise called Stinky Shoe – Peeyew! that gets kids plugging their noses and dancing about the room.

In addition to a music CD, the Groovin’ Groceries program also offers print materials, including stickers and -- soon to come -- a scavenger hunt perfect for a grocery store field trip and a Groovin’ Groceries placemat.

“Kids need help when it comes to making smart eating decisions,” says Lara Field, a pediatric dietitian who has endorsed the Groovin’ Groceries program. “Groovin’ Groceries is a fantastic way to promote healthy eating in a fun, entertaining way. The approachable reminders of how to make healthy choices in this well-designed program are a great way for kids to learn foods to choose and those to avoid.”

LEARN MORE

Groovin’ Groceries Program
Groovin’ Groceries Characters and Songs
Groovin’ Groceries Products

K-5 Students Celebrate 1 Million Books Read

2011-02-28T09:32:00.000-08:00

Students at New York City’s Harlem Success Academy had a big reason for celebrating last week. The banner unveiled in the school auditorium that day tells it all: 1,000,000 Books Read!

“Our scholars and their families have been reading up storm,” said Eva Moskowitz, CEO and founder of the schools that comprise the Success Charter Network. Scholars at those schools have been reading and logging books read outside the classroom since 2006 -- and the one-millionth book was logged earlier this month.

“Our goal is that all our scholars love reading, think deeply about the books they read, and are able to debate topics,” added Moskowitz.

As part of the celebration, three fifth graders presented mini-essays about books that had the most impact on them. Individual honors were awarded to other scholars for “Going Beyond Z,” which refers to a phrase from Dr. Seuss's On Beyond Zebra. In that book, Seuss urges young readers to think what possibilities may lie beyond the letter “z” if they work hard enough, are creative enough, and are open to what might not immediately meet the eye.

The reading program at SCN schools gradually increases scholars’ reading stamina, according to Moskowitz. For example, kindergartners read 10 minutes a day at the beginning of the school year and eventually work their way to 30 minutes of independent reading. Fifth graders begin reading 30 minutes a day and ultimately read for one hour at a time on their own.

Harlem Success Academy 1, located at 34 West 118th Street, is the flagship school of the Success Charter Network. It is the number one public charter school in New York City and has been ranked in the top one percent of all public schools in New York State for two consecutive years. Excellence in education and inspiring children to love learning are the mandates of the Success Academies. They believe other schools can accomplish their goals by
--- focusing on ensuring children love to read by helping them choose the right books for their level and interest;
--- focusing on comprehension and critical thinking;
--- using data to individually assess students’ progress;
--- informing parents of their children’s progress and partnering with parents to have them play a key role in their children’s education; and
--- setting high expectations for everyone in the school -- teachers, students, parents, and administration.

“There is nothing more important than reading,” stated Moskowitz. “By far, making reading our top priority is the best bang for the buck that we see in our schools.”

MAKE READING A FOCUS AT YOUR SCHOOL

These articles from the Education World archive share stories of principals whose students are achieving reading success because of programs put in place in their schools.

Getting Kids to Read by Keeping Their Eyes on the Prize
Educators know that children who read and are read to are more likely to become life-long readers. That's why many schools are using reading incentives -- from reading honor rolls to "prize patrols" -- to encourage kids. And they're reading more as a result.

Principals' Feats Fuel Fabulous Reading
What would students do to see a principal camp on the roof, become a human sundae, kiss a pig, or get slimed? Turns out they will do a great deal -- of reading! Many principal are capitalizing on students' desire to see them do wacky stunts and build reading skills.

Principals Make Reading a School-Wide Goal
Students pledge to read thousands of pages. First- and fifth-graders buddy up for reading. Those events and others are part of school-wide reading programs at two Minnesota schools. Included: Additional activities help make reading a school-wide goal.

Reading Fun
Are you looking for a special project that will excite your students about reading? You’ve come to the right place! On this page, we have gathered dozens of Education World articles that offer unique lessons and ideas for teachers of reading at all levels. Make every week Book Week with these fun and "novel" reading lesson ideas.

Red Carpet Readers
It was "A Night at the Oscars" and many of the students and nearly all staff members donned formal attire for the event that highlighted the connection between reading and the silver screen. The celebration was the latest take on the school's annual "Family Reading Night," and its theme was created by the students themselves.

School Makes ‘Community Read’ Its Own
A local library’s community reading program has given rise to a month-long family reading program at Meadow Glens Elementary School in Naperville, Illinois. The program, which is focused on family literacy, has been a big success.

Program Hauls In Huge Catch of Reading
Challenged to create a program that encouraged young students to read in school as well as at home, Betsy Lepak created "Hooked on Books." Classes kept track of every book they read in exchange for the privilege of caring for two fish in a bowl.

Literacy Efforts Over the Long Haul
When staff members at one Maryland school discovered that students' reading scores weren't improving as hoped, they took action to motivate the students to read and to get parents involved. A continuous focus on literacy is helping the school make the grade.

‘Reading Buddies’ Pair Up for Literacy
A "Reading Buddies" program at an Illinois school pairs education students from North Central College (NCC) with fourth and fifth graders. Each twosome reads an assigned book and works together to create a final project to share with the entire group.

‘Together We Can’ Motto Spurs Columbia Elementary's Success
Columbia Elementary School's motto is "Together We Can!" Together principal Lori Musser and staff members have adopted initiatives such as after-school clubs and intensive reading instruction to help students achieve.

Principals’ Classrooms Visits Help Build Better Readers
When principals and literacy coaches understand what students are learning and teachers are teaching -- and participate in literacy lessons -- they set a positive tone for the school that can lead to improvement in reading, says author and educator Dr. Beth Whitaker.

Photos courtesy of Success Charter Network

School Wellness Policies Are Making a Difference

2011-02-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

Valentine’s Day parties looked a bit different this year in New Canaan (Connecticut) Schools. In the past, the party menu would have included cupcakes and brownies, but this year carrot sticks, fruit slices, and other healthful treats were the snacks of choice.

The change in menu is all part of the district’s new Wellness policy, which aims to ensure that students are getting the same messages about nutrition and physically active lifestyles from the lunchroom to the classroom as well as in the gym and at home.

“There's a call in this to everyone who works in the system to be role models," Deputy Superintendent Mary Kolek told the New Canaan Patch. “We made this commitment because experts and experience tell us that sound nutrition and physical fitness are important factors connected to readiness for learning and other school and life activities.” [read more]

Aside from party choices, the cafeteria menus in town have changed, too. Lunch is prepared fresh each day and local produce is used whenever possible. In the gym, elementary students are learning the basics of yoga, and all high school gym classes begin with stretching exercises aimed at improving flexibility and reducing the potential for injury.

Wherever possible, New Canaan’s efforts involve local community groups, businesses, and the town’s recreation department. An “Open Gym” is held each Sunday at the high school.

The state of Connecticut requires all districts to provide student fitness test results on a yearly basis, but New Canaan’s wellness plan calls for those results to be sent home in order to educate parents, too. The FitnessGrams sent home to parents of students in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10 report the child’s fitness in four areas: aerobic capacity, flexibility, muscular strength, and muscular endurance.

GEORGIA SCHOOL FIGHTS OBESITY WITH WELLNESS PROGRAM

FitnessGrams are also sent home to students as part of the wellness program at Friendship Elementary School in Buford, Georgia. Principal Berry Walton hopes his school’s program will eventually become the program of choice in all the district's schools.

The fact that Georgia has the second-highest childhood obesity rate in the country -- about 24 percent of third-graders are obese -- was one of the motivating factors behind the program. “Our goals are to focus on childhood obesity, nutrition, and academic performance,” Walton told the local school board this month. [read more]

Friendship Elementary’s program was developed last summer by a school-wide committee that researched best programs and practices. The program includes opportunities for the staff to get fit; about 20 staff members work out with a fitness trainer twice a week. And Pilates balls have replaced desk chairs in some classrooms. Such “active sitting” helps develop muscles and keep students alert and focused, Walton explained.

READ MORE ABOUT SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICIES

Principals Launch School-Wide Wellness Programs

Schools Where Wellness Is a Way of Life

Wellness Policies Promote Healthy Choices

Some Schools Replace Desk Chairs With Ball Chairs

Teachers Trade Space, Traditional Fixtures for Fitness

Schools to Shine Spotlight on Reading On Read Across America Day, March 2

2011-02-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

            There are so many books that you find ’round here.
            Don’t know which one to choose – I’m confused, I fear.
            The shelves are really full – the message is clear
            Just Read It! Just Read It!

This Just Read It! video parody of Michael Jackson’s Beat It! was created by students and staff at Indian Pines Elementary School in Lake Worth, Florida. I'm sure you will agree that this video display of the students’ collective enthusiasm for reading is contagious -- and especially timely too, since Read Across America Day is just around the corner.

Each year on March 2 (which also happens to be Dr. Seuss's birthday), students across America share their love of reading with special events and activities. Sponsored by the National Education Association (NEA), 2011 marks the 13th year for Read Across America festivities. The NEA provides plenty of resources, including certificates, poems, and booklists to help schools plan special celebrations. Perhaps all the students in your school can gather to take the Reader’s Oath. Or maybe you will plan special activities, such as these offered on the Read Across America website:

Have your mayor, school board, or legislators issue a proclamation. You can use this sample proclamation or create your own.

Ask your local radio disc jockey to read or even broadcast from your school.

Invite parents and students to don their pajamas and snuggle up and read in an overnight readathon.

Put reading on parade or hold a book lovers' ball.

Invite local authors and illustrators and showcase their books and characters in style.

Contact your local sports team for guest readers and invite high school marching bands to welcome your students.

Whatever you do, don’t miss this opportunity to put the spotlight on reading in your school!

MORE IDEAS FOR READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY

Reading Fun
Are you looking for a special project that will excite your students about reading? On this page, we have gathered dozens of Education World articles that offer unique lessons and ideas for teachers of reading at all levels. Make every week Book Week with these fun and "novel" reading lesson ideas.

School Videos Share Inspiring Student Stories

2011-02-07T09:32:00.001-08:00

If you look beyond the headline-making news stories on the major TV networks, you’ll often find inspiring clips about ordinary people in all walks of life who do extraordinary things. But if you’re looking to be truly inspired, the video library on the SchoolTube Web site reveals more inspiration than the major networks could hope to generate.

‘BEST BUDDIES’ CONNECTS SPECIAL STUDENTS, PEERS

At Taylor High School in Katy, Texas, the Best Buddies program is enhancing the lives of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities by pairing them with their peers from the general education population. Buddies hang out outside of school by enjoying movies, sporting events, bike riding, and more. In addition, special activities -- including parties and an annual poinsettia sale -- provide opportunities for Best Buddies to connect as a group.

Students who serve as buddies say they get more from the program than they could possibly give their special buddies.

“My friendship with [my Best Buddy] Nick is a lot different than most of my other friendships,” says Jacqueline Jones, a student participant in the program. “He has taught me a lot about how to see life in a different light. It’s really encouraging to see how much he loves his life.”

Indeed, Best Buddies is changing the lives of all its participants. It teaches the value of friendship and an appreciation for all people no matter their appearance or abilities.

The Best Buddies program at Taylor is part of the international Best Buddies organization.

ONE ARM DOESN’T STOP TEEN VOLLEYBALL PLAYER

Madison Pixley proves that what some might see as a disability doesn’t need to be that at all. In spite of being born with just one arm, Madison doesn’t think about her arm at all -- especially when she is on the court with her volleyball teammates at Dexter (Missouri) High School.

“I’m just like any other 15-year-old girl,” says Madison. “I go through all the same experiences as everyone else.”

Madison’s parents have never treated Madison’s arm as a disability either. “She can do anything that anybody else can do,” says her father, who happens to be the school’s football coach. “She may do some things a little bit differently, but she acts the same, she is a popular kid, she has a good attitude, she’s athletic.”

Madison proves one good arm is enough every time she takes the court. Her activities and interests off the court are worthy of note, too. She was recently awarded the Make a Difference Challenge Award for her work at an area camp for children who have hand deformities. In addition, her “Give a Helping Hand” effort raised $4,000 to ensure that kids in need will be able to attend the Shriner Hospital-sponsored Hand Camp next summer. [read more]

STUDENTS GIVE BLOOD, SAVE LIVES

The Community Blood Center (CBC) in Kansas City provides 580 units of blood each day to 70 area hospitals. And 20 percent of that blood is contributed at blood drives held at area high schools.

A recent blood drive at Mill Valley High School in Shawnee, Kansas, helped restock the Center’s supply, according to the video.

One hour of a student’s time can save lives in our community, a CBC spokersperson said. “We consider a three-day supply to be a good supply, and we usually hover around a one-day supply,” she added. "About 60 percent of the population is eligible to give, but only about five percent do."

“I always give every time the blood drive comes around,” one student said. “I think it’s a really good thing to do. It saves lives. It’s part of your civic duty.”

In order to encourage high schools to participate, the CBC has created a High School Blood Drive Planning Guide and instituted a Gallon Grad Program that recognizes students who give blood eight times before they graduate. Before a student can participate, his or her parents must complete a Blood Donor Parent Consent Form.

Survey Says...

2011-01-31T07:35:00.000-08:00

A handful of interesting surveys have come to light in the past month. The surveys shed light on test stress, young kids and video games, and the impact ereaders have on the amount of reading people do.

EREADER USERS READ MORE

Wether your choice of e-reader is Kindle, iPad, or Nook, chances are you are likely to read more and buy more books than people who don’t own an ereader. Twenty-one percent of Americans say they have not bought a single book in the past year, while only 8 percent of ereader users have not bought a book.

Percent who
read11+ books
a year Percent who
read21+ books
a year Percent who
have not bought
1 book in past year
Book Readers 40 percent 19 percent 21 percent
Ereader Users 36 percent 26 percent 8 percent

According to this survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 53 percent of people who own an ereader say they read more now than they did six months ago; only 18 percent of non-ereader owners say they are reading more. [read more]

While adults ages 18 and up were the subject of the Harris Interactive survey, might ereaders boost reading frequency among grade-school kids too? A 2010 survey by Scholastic indicates that technology could be a positive motivator to get kids reading; 57 percent of kids (age 9-17) say they are interested in reading an eBook, and a third of children age 9-17 say they would read more books for fun if they had access to eBooks on an electronic device. That includes kids who read 5-7 days per week (34%), 1 to 4 days per week (36%), and even those who read less than one day per week (27%). [read more]

WRITING CAN RELIEVE TEST STRESS

University of Chicago researchers say that students who write about their fears before taking an exam perform better than students who do not write beforehand. “It’s getting negative thoughts and worries down on paper that seems to be the benefit,” says study co-author Sian Beilock, who is author of Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To. Giving students time to write about the stress they feel seems to “clear the working memory” of worries that might get in the way of test success, she added. [read more]

YOUNG KIDS MORE ADEPT AT TECH SKILLS THAN LIFE SKILLS

According to an online survey by Internet security firm AVG, young kids seem to be more adept at playing video games than they are at important life skills. While 58 percent of children ages two to five can play a basic computer game, only 20 percent can make an emergency phone call and 11 percent can tie their own shoelaces. Kids are mimicking their parents’ attachment to computers, so it is important that parents take responsibility for some digital training. “We need to look at making sure that we give our children a balanced life and a mix of both life skills and technical skills,” AVG’s Tony Anscombe told technology columnist Larry Magid. [read more]

Principal Blogger Having ‘Tutu’ Much Fun

2011-01-25T07:50:00.001-08:00

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving last year, Principal Rob Ackerman challenged students at Lt. Job Lane Elementary School in Bedford, Massachusetts, to bring in 1,000 books for needy children in the area. If students met the goal, Ackerman promised to give a very special performance in front of the student body.

So it was... when students met the goal, Ackerman was a man of his word. He even shared news and a video of his command performance in Mr. Ackerman’s Blog:

“We had our annual Holiday Concert yesterday. The kids were great!! As promised, I wore a tutu to thank the kids for bringing in 1,100 new books for needy children. Below is a snapshot video of the staff singing ‘12 Days of Christmas.’ I think you will agree that I could use a few more ballet lessons. I blame it on tight hamstrings.”

See video clips in Ackerman’s ‘I’m a Man of My Word’ blog entry, dated December 22, 2010.

Ackerman’s blog is just one tool he uses to keep the wider school community in touch with what’s going on at Lane Elementary. The brief blog snippets paint a picture of a school where students are engaged and having fun. And the entries and occasional pictures and video illustrate how communicating via a blog need not be a big challenge or a big time eater.

Ackerman decided to create a blog for two reasons. “One reason is that I don't like having to sit down each month to write a traditional -- boring -- newsletter that most parents don’t even read,” he told Education World. “The second reason is that we have so many easy-to-use tools for blogging that it just makes sense that principals use those tools to communicate.”

Schools often lag behind ‘the times’ when it comes to using the technology that the community is using, Ackerman added. “At some point I anticipate schools will develop their own ‘smartphone’ apps to enhance communication that much more.”

Ackerman says the feedback about his blog has been entirely positive. “More principals should get rid of the antiquated monthly newsletter and give parents updates that are more timely. If something happens in school that day that you want to share, why wait til the end of the month to point it out? Showcase it that day!”

Read More About Principal Blogs

Principals Blog to Share and Archive School News
While traditional newsletters can be overlooked and lost in bottomless bookbags, blogs are timely, accessible, and fun. Principals who use them say blogs are simple to set up and easy to update. Included: Tips for beginners from experienced principal bloggers.

Five Essential Tech Tools for Administrators: Part 2
In the second of a 3-part series on essential tools, IT expert Miguel Guhlin explores blogging. Of all the tools available, this one tool has the potential to bring about the most change in a principal’s learning and leading situation.

K-12 Blogs
This page contains resources related to K-12 blogging, including good sample blogs. Click the sidebar link of interest (e.g., Principal/School Blogs).

Cool School Tool #6: ‘Time Monsters’ Teaches Kids to Tell Time

2011-01-18T09:38:00.001-08:00

Telling time -- especially in this age of digital clocks -- can be a difficult skill for kids to pick up. But thanks to Professor Tempo and the gremlins that comprise Marc Gunderson’s Time Monsters Web site, many kids are successfully learning to figure out half-past and quarter-to.

The interactive Time Monsters site is a one-man labor of love. At first look, it might not overwhelm the eyes, but Gunderson's simple design belies its utter usefulness in the classroom or at home. The practical Time Monster lessons and quizzes will have kids telling time in no time!

Time Monsters is a cool tool worth sharing in your teacher and parent newsletters. The site is perfect for whole-class or one-on-one instruction. Teachers or parents can click the Lesson tab at the top of the page for quick access to lessons that teach specific time increments. The Quiz tab provides practice in telling any time increment; or teachers can use the Quizzes to create a telling-time game the whole class can play.

“My goal was to create a site that children could use without having to know how to read,” Gunderson told Education World. “Many children who are learning to tell time do not necessarily have the reading skills to use most telling-time tools. So the entire Time Monsters site is spoken and animated. It is the only site on the Internet that fully covers the complex concept of telling time without requiring an adult presence.”

The feedback has been incredible, added Gunderson. “The emails have made the months of work all worthwhile,” he said. He gets plenty of email from adults who tried for months to teach their kids to tell time; they thank him for creating such an easy-to-use tool. But he especially loves the email he gets from kids, like the emails that simply thank him for helping them learn to tell time or the email that said I lov you monsters. Thnk you

A new version of Time Monsters -- incorporating suggestions that Gunderson has received from teachers, parents, and kids as well as a new user interface -- will make its debut later this year.

TELLING TIME LESSON IDEAS FROM EDUCATION WORLD

It’s About Time: Teaching Students to Tell Time

More ‘Telling Time’ Lesson Plans

PREVIOUS COOL SCHOOL TOOLS

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'Mouse Mischief' Gives Teachers Immediate Feedback

Kids Celebrate Earth With '100 Generations' Song

Stop the 'Summer Slide' With the Scholastic Summer Challenge

Geocaching Is 'Caching On' in Schools

Build Your Wild Self

‘Peace Keepers’ Program Brings School’s Totem Story to Life

2011-01-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

At Denali (Alaska) Elementary School, carvings on the playground’s totem pole tell a story that is familiar to all the school's students. The pole's bottom image is that of a panther, the school mascot. A raven, a common Alaskan species, is carved into the top of the pole. The story of the totem pole -- passed along by its carver -- describes how the panther has told the raven to spread the word about Love, Kindness, and Respect throughout the school, then the state and the world.

That totem pole message is evidenced throughout the school in many ways, most prominently by 32 bright-orange vested fifth and sixth graders who are part of its Peace Keepers program. The program has been part of the school’s culture since counselor Max Wortman introduced it some years ago.

“The program started as the Conflict Managers Program designed by the San Francisco-based Community Boards,” Wortman told Education World. “We changed the name to Peace Keepers to be more positive and to tie into our totem pole themes of Love, Kindness, and Respect.”

The Peace Keepers program is open to all fifth- and sixth-grade students. Students accepted into the program must demonstrate responsibility and dependability. The emphasis is on a student’s ability to keep up with classroom work and exhibit strong behavior and effort. Each year, Wortman purposely selects two or three students who might not have the grades but could benefit from the opportunity to build confidence and develop leadership skills.

“Peace Keepers receive special training,” says Wortman, “including lots of role playing and problem-solving practice, instruction in the art of active listening and where and when to call for adult help, and training in how to fill out conflict report forms.”

Each day, Wortman and the Peace Keepers meet during a special 30-minute lunch period before the students head out to their duties. That meeting provides an opportunity for students to discuss special problems encountered on the playground and for Wortman to reinforce the program's themes.

Teachers are very supportive of the Peace Keepers program, Wortman reports. “They allow for the scheduling of duty times and special meetings or field trips,” he said. “They love the help the Peace Keepers provide on the playground. The Peace Keepers take their jobs seriously, and younger students get the attention and support they need when dealing with common childhood disagreements and hurt feelings.”

“The program is a win-win for students, teachers, and parents,” added Wortman.

Read More About the Program at Denali Elementary

Denali Elementary Program Brings Peace to the Playground

BLOG BITS:Video Motivates Science Fair Interest,Student Perfectionists,Fund for Teachers

2011-01-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

A new music video is spurring interest in science fair participation in one Florida community and beyond. The “At the Science Fair” video [above] was created by Kevin Temmer, a senior International Baccalaureate high school student from Land O' Lakes, Florida. Temmer wrote and performed the song and created the video animation, too.

The “At the Science Fair” song is part of a longer video that provides detailed information to help students create a science fair project worthy of recognition. [see the full video]

Learn More
 Guide to a Successful Science Fair from SteveSpanglerScience.com

Perfectionism’s Potential Problems

Pint-sized perfectionists don’t perform significantly better than their laid-back peers, says a recent study out of York University in Toronto, Canada.

The study, which is the first to examine the relationship between perfectionism and achievement in elementary students, found that perfectionism offers no academic advantage for most pupils. Gifted students who are perfectionists do excel slightly in math, but at a price: they’re more likely to feel unhappy than other children surveyed.

“It turns out that perfectionism in children is actually not just unhealthy -- it’s also totally unnecessary where academics are concerned,” says study co-author Gordon Flett, Professor of Psychology in York’s Faculty of Health. “The old adage of ‘no pain, no gain’ is really more like ‘more pain, no gain.’”

Learn More
 Perfectionism Pointless, Potentially Harmful for Most Elementary Students
 Perfectionism in Children

‘Fund for Teachers’ Supports Dream Projects

What did you do on your last summer vacation from school?

 Teacher Nilam Trividi of Atlanta worked on an organic farm where the kitchen ran on methane gas gathered from two pigs.
 Bob Dunn of Newport, Vermont, made a guitar from scratch under the guidance of master guitar builders.
 Brooklyn teacher Beth Mowry enrolled in a course at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center and went back to her school with 150-million-year-old dinosaur bones.
 Chicago educator Javier Vilazquez biked 2,700 miles from Oregon to Missouri to create mathematical and scientific equations for elementary students.

Those educators’ special summer experiences were all made possible by the Fund for Teachers. Since 2001, 4,000 teachers have been awarded $14.2 million in Fund for Teachers grants -- up to $5,000 for individuals, or $10,000 for teams. Fund for Teachers fellowships have taken place in 113 countries on every continent, empowering teachers to explore countless ideas, terrains, and cultures.

Check the Fund for Teachers map to see if teachers in your school might be eligible for Fund for Teachers fellowships. The application deadline for this year’s grants is January 28.

‘Food for Thought: Eating Well on a Budget’

2010-12-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

Leave it to Elmo!

The gang at Sesame Street introduced some new characters last week. In the December 8 episode, the Super Foods Super Heroes team helped convince Elmo and Grover to try their first bite of a kiwi with this rousing lyric:

        There’s so many tasty foods, it’s true,
        But trying something new can be so hard to do.
        You may not love it at first sight,
        But to know for sure, you’ve got to take a bite.
        (Listen to the entire song…)

Last week’s Super Foods episode was the official kickoff of a new program from the nonprofit Sesame Workshop. Food for Thought: Eating Well on a Budget is the organization’s response to the fact that 17 million U.S. children -- nearly one in four -- are food insecure, which means they don’t receive food that meets basic nutritional needs due to financial instability. The bilingual (English-Spanish) program provides families with video and other resources, including a caregiver’s guide, recipe cards, and a printable shopping list for children and caregivers.

TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS, TOO

The Food for Thought program also includes resources for schools and other providers who work directly with families. The program's Provider’s Guide presents tips for leading discussions about good foods as well as all the tools needed to offer parent workshops on topics such as “Trying New Foods,” “Spending Time Together [at Mealtime],” and “Anytime Snacks.” The kit also includes handouts, student coloring pages, and more.

SPONSORED BY…

Sesame Workshop laid the foundation for this project beginning in 2004 with Healthy Habits for Life, a multi-year initiative that aims to teach parents and children that health and well-being is just as crucial to child development as learning how to read and write.

“Our sole mission is to help children reach their highest potential,” said Gary E. Knell, president and chief executive officer of Sesame Workshop. “Food for Thought is essential in helping children learn the importance of developing a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritional food despite a low or reduced income and helping them succeed in school…and in life.”

Partners in the Food for Thought effort include UnitedHealthcare® and The Merck Company Foundation.

Is Your Holiday Shopping Done?

2010-12-04T16:18:00.001-08:00

The weeks leading up to December’s holiday break are always busy ones -- full of holiday concerts, parties, and more. For many of us, ’tis the season of holiday shopping, too.

If you’re searching for a unique gift for that hard-to-shop-for person on your list, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) has an idea for you: check out the NAESP Foundation's online Holiday Auction, now through December 16. Search the NAESP Foundation Holiday Auction Web site for a wide variety of auction items, including sports collectibles, clothing and accessories, tools, and much more.

New items are posted every day. This is a great opportunity to pick up a bargain -- and to benefit a good cause: the NAESP Foundation.

It’s a great way to avoid fighting traffic jams at the shopping mall, too!

The NAESP auction is powered by My School Auctions.

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS CREATE HOLIDAY MUSIC CD

If you’re looking for a great fundraising idea and a terrific learning experience for students, you might do what music teacher Allysa Anderson did this year with her students at Camden-Rockport (Maine) Middle School. Supported by a grant from Youth Arts, a local non-profit arts agency, Anderson and 185 students in grades 5 to 8 created a “Simple Gifts Holiday Songs” CD.

The project that resulted in this CD belies its title; it wasn’t just a "simple" project. Besides creating quality music, Anderson’s students also learned about the production and business ends of the music industry. They toured professional studios -- including those at Main Street Music Studios where the CD was produced -- and learned the ins and outs of marketing a quality product.

Proceeds from the sale of the CD will go back into the school’s music program. But Anderson said the project’s principal intent was to expose students to the music business. “It’s a way to enhance the curriculum, to raise the bar, and raise the rigor,” Anderson told the Bangor Daily News [read the article]. “This has really all been inspired by the children. They are a great group of kids. They’re not only very motivated, they are also very musical.”

Learn more. Read Main Street Music Studios Recording Camden-Rockport Chorus, a blog entry about the holiday CD project.

‘PUZZLED’ ABOUT THE PERFECT GIFT?

If you’re “puzzled” about what to give the puzzle lover on your gift list or looking for the perfect grab-bag gift for the school holiday party, Banana-Grams might be the answer. This month, 10-Minute Banana-Grams! debuts in bookstores everywhere. Based on the bestselling Bananagrams® game, 10-Minute Banana-Grams! joins another popular favorite, Bananagrams! for Kids. Bananagrams! puzzle books provide hours of entertainment as they strengthen confidence and build brain power and thinking skills.

The Bananagrams brand has seen incredible success. Created by a word game-obsessed family of three generations, Bananagrams is a labor of love that that has quickly become an international phenomenon. There are more 3 million copies of the game in print, which has also launched in Spanish, French, Norwegian, and German.

And while we’re in the gift-giving spirit, here is a gift for you -- two free sample pages from the folks at Banana-Grams!
--- Click for a sample page from 10-Minute Banana-Grams!
--- Click for a sample page from Banana-Grams! for Kids

Teachers Create OnlineClassroom Wish Lists

2010-11-26T13:03:00.000-08:00

According to a 2010 national survey, teachers spend an average of $623 a year out of their own pockets to provide needed supplies, rewards, and other staples for students. Pencils and pens (78%), prizes and incentives (72%), and arts and crafts supplies (72%) top the list of purchases teachers make using their own cash, according to the survey, which was conducted last April by OfficeMax®. [Read the survey.]

Can you think of another profession where “employees” regularly reach into their pockets to provide the necessities needed to do their jobs? Do accountants dip into their wallets for clients? Do engineers purchase supplies required to do their jobs? Educators are among the only professionals who dig deep to into their personal savings for the must-haves of their professions.

And as school districts tighten their budgets, the situation is only going to get worse.

CLASSROOM WISH LISTS
ON THE NATIONAL TEACHER REGISTRY

The National Teacher Registry is a new, free, first-of-its-kind service for school teachers. The Registry enables teachers to create an online wish list of items they need and want for their classrooms. Parents and others can access the registry by teacher or school name, purchase items from the list, and have their selections delivered to the classroom.

The Registry operates similar to online wedding or baby shower registries, but the products are all education related. Teachers can create wish lists of office or art supplies, books, educational games, teaching tools, and much more from retailers that include Borders Books, the Teaching Supply Store, and Dick Blick Art Materials.

The Registry was created by MarCole Interactive Systems, which has built bridal and gift registries for large retailers such as Neiman-Marcus, Office Depot, and Target. The site is entirely free to educators. Teachers and parents pay no fees; the site is supported by fees the retailers pay to be part of the Registry.

’TIS THE SEASON

What better time than right now -- with the holidays fast approaching -- for teachers to create a classroom wish list that parents and others can access?

Or you might create a wish list for your school on the Registry. You can provide a link to it from your school’s Web page so that community supporters might provide needed items.

The Registry even provides checklists, flyers, and letters to parents that you and your staff can use to broadcast news of this practical resource to your wider school community.

READ MORE

Be sure to check out additional ways to raise money for school supplies and activities in Education World’s Fundraising Article Archive.

Fun 'Challenges' Engage Kids, Families in Reading

2010-11-15T13:02:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, kids lined the sidewalk in front of a Buckhannon (West Virginia) Academy Elementary School as their teachers raced by in teams of two. Since it was just before Halloween, teachers dressed in football uniforms, pink rubber boots, and toilet paper might not have seemed such an odd sight -- except for the fact the costume-clad educators were pushing each other on office chairs!

The office chair race was actually a reward for students. They earned the goofy high-speed event by reading more than 9,000 books this past summer.

“This was a great activity for the kids,” said Principal Randall Roy, who emceed the race. “They had a great time.” [read more]

Meanwhile, halfway across the country reading specialist Sandy Lambert and Principal Kim Lasanby-Barber dressed as pirates and “walked the plank” as students cheered them on. The pirate-themed celebration was the culminating activity of the fall reading challenge at Lincoln School in Spring Valley, Illinois. Students earned the reward by exceeding the goal of reading for 80,000 minutes. The school’s 200 students read for a total of 196,310 minutes. [read more]

READING CHALLNGES FROM COAST TO COAST

Principals and teachers across the country will do all sorts of crazy things to encourage students to pick up books. Here are just a handful of examples of schools that are in the middle of “reading challenges” as I type.

This week, students at William E. Young School in Homer Glen, Illinois, are involved in a 100,000-minute reading challenge. “If 95 percent of Young Elementary students read 30 minutes a night, that means our school will have read 100,000 minutes total in just one week,” said Principal Michael Szopinski. If students achieve the goal, Szopinski will help get kids in the holiday spirit by donning reindeer antlers and a blinking red reindeer nose during the week of November 29. [read more]

If all goes according to plan, students at Stafford (Texas) Primary School will see their principal, Kim Yen Vu, perched atop a dunking booth next spring. The year-long “Principal’s Reading Challenge” has been going on at Stafford for a few years. Back in 2008, Vu kissed a pig when students reached their goal. This past year, she sat atop a wall -- the school’s marquee -- dressed as Humpty Vu-mpty. This year, teachers and students “aim” to see Principal Vu soaked. [read more]

Students at Bonneville Elementary School in Orem, Utah -- where the school mascot is a bronco -- are enjoying a year-long “Top Bronco” reading challenge. Parents log students’ at-home reading minutes on monthly calendars. The goal is for K-2 students to read 50 hours during the school year and grade 3-6 readers to read 75 hours, explained Principal Shawn Brooks. To keep students motivated, a “half-way-there” banana split party will be held in January to recognize students who have achieved at least half their goal. A special “Double Club” movie party will be held in May for students who read double their goal. [read more]

At West Rocks Middle School in Norwalk, Connecticut, students are taking on the “Read Around the World Reading Challenge.” Students earn “miles” for each book they read on their way to 29,000 miles. To be precise, a trip around Earth is 24,901 miles, but students will be stopping off in -- and learning about -- a variety of the world’s major cities as they travel toward their goal. “As students participate in the Read Around the World Reading Challenge they will receive raffle tickets and become eligible to win prizes,” added Dr. Lynne C. Moore, the school principal. [read more]

At Burr Intermediate School in Commack, New York, the “Burr Reading Challenge” encourages students to make reading a daily habit, and special events help motivate them to read more. For example, during October students wrote book reviews on paper bags supplied by local supermarkets. The “paper bag book reviews” are on display throughout the school this week (American Education Week), and after the week is done they will be donated back to the supermarkets so the bags can be shared with the community. Reading becomes a community event in other ways at Burr. From October 25 to December 3, students are involved in their annual Ronald McDonald House Read-a-Thon. Last year, the read-a-thon raised more than $2000 for the Ronald McDonald House. Students also collected books to donate to a Suffolk County homeless shelter. [read more]

We would love to hear your story of what your school is doing to motivate student reading. Just POST A COMMENT to share your story so that others might benefit from one more idea.

MORE FROM EDUCATION WORLD

Find more ideas for motivating student reading in these Education World articles:

Principals’ Feats Fuel Fabulous Reading
What would students do to see their principal throw cow chips, spend a night on the roof, or get slimed? It turns out that they will do a great deal -- of reading! Included: From becoming ice cream sundaes to singing songs and kissing pigs, see what principals have done to encourage their students to read.

Principals Make Reading a School-Wide Goal
Students pledge to read thousands of pages… First- and fifth-graders buddy up for reading… Those events and others are part of school-wide reading programs at two Minnesota schools. Included: Additional activities to help make reading a school-wide goal.

Reading Fun
Are you looking for a special project that will excite your students about reading? You have come to the right place! We have gathered together dozens of Education World articles that will turn every week into Book Week at your school.

Backpacks Help Feed Hungry Kids All Weekend Long

2010-11-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, we posted an article about a program that provided some school kids with backpacks of healthful foods to take home on the weekend. The backpacks filled a gap for those students and families by ensuring that kids would show up Monday morning hungry for learning, not for food. [Read the article, For Hungry Kids, Backpacks Lighten the Load].

Back in 2007, backpack programs like the ones described in that article dotted the landscape of U.S. schools. Since that article first appeared, though, the number of programs has grown by truckloads. Witness this handful of headlines I’ve spotted in local newspapers in just the past few weeks:

Food Bank’s Backpacks Help Feed Hungry Students
The San Diego Food Bank has expanded their Food 4 Kids Backpack Program to 800 students in 22 schools.

Program Would Send Food Home With Students
The Brush, Colorado, Board of Education authorized the implementation of the “Blessings in a Backpack Program” to meet the needs of students who don’t always have enough to eat at home.

Two County Schools Start Backpack Programs
Two North Carolina schools are joining others in their county that provide families with easy-to-prepare foods for the weekends and holidays when students cannot eat breakfast and lunch at school.

Help Sought to Expand BackPack Program
The Connecticut FoodBank is seeking community support to expand the local reach of the Kids' BackPack Program, which launched last spring at two schools with sponsorship from General Electric.

Tanner Foundation Helps Keep Kids From Going Hungry
A foundation’s $10,000 grant will help one South Carolina primary school give students what they need through their Backpack Program.

In 2008, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that 16 million U.S. children live in “food insecure” households [source]. Knowing what we know about our country’s economy, a growing unemployment rate has likely increased that need -- which explains why we’re seeing more and more about backpack programs in local news headlines.

“A backpack program is a natural solution to a need,” says Karrie Denniston, director of programs for Feeding America, a charity dedicated to feeding hungry Americans through a network of more than 200 food banks. “A backpack program is one of those programs that gets to the heart of a need and fills it.”

Whether backpack programs are organized by PTOs, churches, food banks or other groups, they are filling a deep need and helping to improve students health and achievement.

MORE INFORMATION
For more information about Feeding America’s backpack efforts, view the video at the bottom of this blog entry. For more information about backpack programs, click the links below.

Backpack Programs
Learn more about Feeding America’s BackPack Program, which is designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations.

For Hungry Kids, Backpacks Lighten the Load
Students who are disruptive, can't concentrate, or lack motivation may not need a firm hand; they might need a helping hand! With the help of communities, the simple remedy is a backpack -- a school standby -- that is filled with food supplies to help kids get the fuel they need to flourish. Included: Advice from successful backpack programs.

Perks for Parent Involvement Can’t Be a Bad Thing

2010-11-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

A new program in Detroit has been making news headlines. The "I'm In" program rewards parents with points for attending workshops and participating in other activities at the District’s eight Parent Resource Centers. The points parents accumulate on their "I'm In" cards can be traded for discounts at local businesses. Read more…

But are bribes really needed to get parents involved in their child’s education? some detractors ask. That involvement is part of being a parent and raising a child, they say. Knowing you are actively involved should be enough of a reward.

Besides, they add, everyone knows that incentives don’t work.

Those detractors make good points, but anyone who has taught in or led a school with a large population of poor, immigrant, or minority families would not be so quick to judge. Educators in those schools know the hurdles that poor families face, and they bend over backwards to include those families in school activities and to support them in other ways.

They know what the research says, too: When parents are involved in their children’s education, those kids have higher grades and standardized test scores, improved behavior, and better social skills.

Plus, any program that is able to actively engage local businesses with area schools is a win-win for the entire community.

> > > > Scroll down the page for links to
dozens of parent involvement ideas

So why wouldn’t schools want to offer incentives to get hard-to-reach parents involved? Offering incentives can make a difference by showing those parents that schools care enough to go the extra mile. There’s nothing wrong with giving a little incentive to get parents to show up. Doing that can go a long way toward increasing parents' comfort levels and eliminating negative feelings they might have toward schools in general or their own abilities to help their children achieve.

And who knows? A few of those parents might even decide to stay involved. Then schools can urge those parents to bring others along.

ENGAGING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY

Let's give Detroit credit for trying to turnaround their schools and trying a few experiments to get parents and others involved in that effort. The video below, produced by the district, is one more piece of its "I'm In" campaign, which is intent on highlighting the district's schools and promoting community engagement.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT IDEAS

Seventy-Five Ideas to Build Parent Involvement and Support [might require free registration]

68 Parent Involvement Ideas That Really Work [pdf]

More Ideas for Parent Involvement

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Parent Involvement in Schools
Parent involvement in schools is much more than parent conferences and PTOs. These articles from Education World’s archive share practical ways in which schools are involving parents. These strategies are working for others -- and they could work for you.

Got Three Hours? A School Needs You
This Education World article shares news of Three for Me, a parent involvement program that can help get parents more involved in your school. Included: Tips for getting dads involved.

Parent Involvement Checklist
Does your school do a good job of reaching out to parents? If you can do some more work in this area, these resources from Project Appleseed -- including the Parent Involvement Pledge -- are sure to help.

Parent Involvement Activities in School Improvement Plans
This study of Title I schools in the Northwest Region (U.S.) identifies effective and potentially effective parent involvement activities. [pdf]

Parent Involvement Activities for Transition
These 20 activities can help involve parents at all levels, but particularly those parents who want to support students as they make the transition to middle or high school. [pdf]

Did Your School Miss Out on ‘Walk to School Month’ Fun This Year?

2010-10-22T13:37:00.001-07:00

Thousands of kids around the U.S. participated in Walk to School events this month, which is International Walk to School Month. Now in its thirteenth year, more than 3,200 U.S. schools registered to participate in events that provide a great opportunity for schools to promote good health as they engage families and the community.

In Little Falls, New York, students, teachers, staff, and city officials walked almost 1.5 miles to Little Falls Middle School on October 8. This marked the third year the school participated in the world-wide Walk to School Day event.

“This event allows us to be part of something a little bigger than ourselves,” said Bart Tooley, principal at the school. “It’s an opportunity for us to come together as an entire school and have a little fun on a beautiful October morning,” he told the Little Falls Times.

“Walking to school not only allows us to focus on being healthy and well, but it also allows us to get out and enjoy the community while forming lasting memories,” added Superintendent of Schools Louis Patrei. (read more…)

At Wilcoxson Elementary School in Stratford, Connecticut, more than half the students participated in a special event that kicked off Walk to School Month. “It’s a perfect way to build community,” Principal Deborah Dayo told the Connecticut Post. Even kids who ride the bus to school were able to participate this year. When they were dropped off by the bus, they started a 3-1/2 lap walk around the school's athletic field. (read more…)

In Mississippi, the school that engages the highest level of participation in Walk to School events earns the state’s highest award, the coveted Golden Sneaker. The day also offers an opportunity for parents to join with their children in a school-sponsored activity, crossing guard Mary Lee Montgomery told the Mobile Press-Register. (read more…)

Students at Pilot Mountain (North Carolina) Elementary School earned stickers this year for walking to school on Walk to School Day. This is an important event “because it not only teaches pedestrian safety, but also the importance of choosing healthy activities instead of sedentary behavior,” Principal Angela Carson told the Mount Airy News. (read more…)

Students who walk to school in Needham, Massachusetts, can also log their miles on the Earth 25 Web site as part of the community’s Needham in Motion campaign.

And students and parents joined together to turn a walk to Blessed Sacrament School in Savannah, Georgia, into a community event. The WSAV-TV video below is a testament to Walk to School events that took place in hundreds of U.S. communities this year.

ORGANIZE A ‘WALK TO SCHOOL’ DAY FOR YOUR SCHOOL

If you and your students didn’t participate in this year’s Walk to School Day/Month events, this is the perfect time to start planning for next year. Take a quick look at some of the resources available at the link below. I’m sure you’ll see how easy it would be to gather a group of parents to spearhead a cool event that will build community as it creates wonderful memories for students, families, and staff at your school.

International Walk to School in the USA
This U.S. Walk to School site provides links to tips for starting a Walk to School Day event as well as tons of ideas for promoting the walk, planning special events and classroom activities, involving sponsors, and more. The next Walk to School Day is scheduled for October 5, 2011.

Is Your School's Food Drive Just Ahead? Check Out Some Fun Ideas!

2010-10-15T11:37:00.001-07:00

Many schools run school-wide food drives around the Thanksgiving and December holidays.

Others run them during January, to coincide with the “Souper” Bowl service project. Or in March, as part of the National PTO’s SchoolsServe National School Food Drive.

If your school is planning a food drive for the weeks ahead -- or anytime -- here are some fun ideas you might use.

Stuff the Turkey. If your school’s food drive is held in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, you might theme that effort around a Thanksgiving turkey. Wrap a big barrel in brown craft paper to form the body of a turkey. Put the barrel near a wall and tape a large turkey head and big paper feathers to the wall. Invite students to “stuff the turkey” full of food for your local food bank.

Promote the Food Drive. Besides the usual flyers, you might have local grocery stores provide brown paper bags for students to decorate. In the weeks leading up to the drive, baggers can stuff shopper’s purchases into bags that promote your food drive with free advertising. Another greener way to promote the drive is to create food drive mobiles. Recycle an old grocery bag into a hanging advertisement for the drive; hang from that bag drawings that represent the types of food most needed by your local food bank or soup kitchen. See simple instructions for creating this mobile on Crayola’s Web site at this link: Food Bank Mobile.

Track Your Class. Students might use this November Coloring Calendar to track the number of food items brought in each day. At the end of the drive, have young students answer questions about the number of items contributed on different days and have older students add up the numbers to learn their total contribution. In addition, you might print out the calendar on a sheet of transparency film. Place the transparency on an overhead projector so you can project and trace the image onto a large sheet of craft paper or a bulletin board. This large calendar will serve as a spot where the school-wide contribution totals can be posted and tallied.

Make a Living Graph. When the drive comes to an end, use chalk to draw a large graph grid on an asphalt-covered playground surface. Students can create a bar graph to show the number of contributions (the y axis) brought in each day (the x axis) of the drive. Older students (or the student who contributed the most items from each class) might stand at the x and y coordinates to create a graph that shows school-wide totals day by day. Use a colorful rope to connect the students to create a living line graph. Have someone take pictures or video of the event from a second-floor window or the school roof. Better yet, for some great PR invite a local news photographer or TV station team to report the event.

Food Drive Word Problems. At the end of the drive, use the data collected during the food drive to create a page of math word problems. Create a different set of problems for each grade level, based on the math skills those students have learned in class. Students won’t even realize they are doing math as they solve these real-world problems. See examples of word problems for different grade levels in this Education World lesson plan: Graphing the Annual Food Drive.

READ MORE

Feeding a Community
Scott Elementary School in Naperville, Illinois, plans a food drive each fall (“Thanks and Giving”) and another in the spring (“Children Helping Children”). Click the link above to learn more about this school’s community service efforts.

Successful Canned Food Drive Ideas
This message board on the AtoZ Teacher Stuff site is full of great ideas for educators, from educators.

Service Learning Projects
The Pro Teacher site presents this message board with teacher-contributed ideas that can help students make a difference in their communities.

Principal Turnover Impacts Student Achievement

2010-10-11T09:21:00.001-07:00

As students in Washington, D.C., headed back to school this year, nearly one quarter of them were greeted by new principals [read the article]. In Pinellas County, Florida, 27 of the district’s 118 schools have new leaders at the helm this year, and 75 of those schools have had two or more principals over the past five years [read the article].

The high turnover rates among school leaders in those two districts are not all that unusual. High turnover is widespread. Such turnover is impacted by a wide range of causes, from early retirement packages offered to senior principals in order to generate budget savings to the appointment of new principals to turn around “failing” schools. In addition, some districts maintain policies that require principal rotation as a means of reinvigorating schools and their leaders.

Many of the reasons for school-leader turnover are unavoidable or can be justified. But districts would be wise to take notes from a study released in August that affirms the connection between strong and stable leadership and student achievement. Strong leadership has a more direct and meaningful impact on achievement than do factors such as geography or poverty, the study says.

The study also found that, on average, fairly rapid principal turnover (about one new principal every three to four years) can have negative effects on school culture. Principals newly assigned to schools who initially work within the existing culture of their schools -- rather than attempting to quickly, substantially change it -- are more likely to avoid negative turnover effects.

STRONG “COMMUNITIES” CAN WEATHER TURNOVER

According to the study, leaders are most effective when they see themselves as working collaboratively towards clear, common goals with district personnel, other principals, and teachers. District support for shared leadership -- including mentoring for new principals and professional development for all principals -- is the key.

The study also affirms that higher-performing schools ask for more input and engagement from a wider variety of stakeholders and provide more opportunities for influence by teachers. When teachers feel attached to a professional learning community, the impact on student learning is positive and measurable.

Most important of all, when teachers -- as well as parents and other community members -- are an integral part of the leadership in a school, they can often play a big role in ensuring that a change in leadership at the top will not negatively impact student achievement.

LEARN MORE

Investigating the Links to Improved Student Learning
This study is the result of a six-year investigation of the links between leadership and student learning. It was commissioned by the Wallace Foundation and carried out by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement and the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education [read the study].

Anti-Bullying Videos Share Powerful Messages

2010-10-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

This month, thousands of schools will recognize Bullying Prevention Month with special school-wide assemblies and teacher lessons. Below I share a handful of videos and other resources that will make powerful additions to your assembly program or classroom discussions.

SEVEN VIDEOS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

If you have a big screen in your auditorium, consider sharing a video or two. These videos will offer strikingly effective visual confirmation of the themes you present. If you are not planning a school-wide assembly, you might share some of these videos during your school-wide news broadcasts. Or share the videos with your teachers, who can use them to start meaningful discussions in their classrooms.

Hero in the Hallway
This upbeat music video (above) drives home the point that bullying can happen anywhere -- and anyone can help put an end to it.

‘No, No Bully’ Music Video
This colorful animated video makes it clear that anyone can say no to bullying -- and that it is cool to do so.

Anti-Bullying Video
A cool blonde boy dyes his hair red in an act of solidarity against bullying.

‘If You Help Someone’ Music Video
The catchy lyric and bluesy sound of this video makes the point that “If you help someone, you know you help yourself.”

Words Hurt
A 30-second public-service announcement drives home the message that words can hurt.

Be a Champion
Kids who are part of the after-school drama class at San Jacinto Elementary School created this video advice for handling bullies.

Bullied to Death: ‘Wanda’s Song’
This video presents a montage of photos of kids who committed suicide because of bullying. (For middle or high school use only.)

RESOURCES FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER
FOR BULLYING PREVENTION

If you’re looking for powerful videos to share with students, the National Center for Bullying Prevention has some good ones to use with elementary students. Just go to Kids Against Bullying and click Watch This, then Kid Vids.

If you teach middle or high school, be sure to check out the Center’s Teens Against Bullying page.

The Center’s Schools and Parents page has links to lesson plans, role plays, and much more.

RESOURCES FROM EDUCATION WORLD

Special Theme: Bullying
School violence is an issue in the news and on the minds of educators and administrators alike. Education World takes a look at the problem of bullying and how to stop it. This archive page includes articles, strategies, lesson plans, and much more.

Students Pledge to End Bullying
Students and staff at Forsyth (Missouri) Elementary School have chosen to take a stand against bullying. A bulletin board display of student-signed handprints is a very visual reminder of the PreK-4 students’ very public commitment to take a stand against bullying.

Stop Bullying Now
Education World offers ten lessons designed to teach students to respect diversity and peacefully resolve ideological differences. Included: Activities for teaching kids about empathy, anger management, and effective conflict resolution.

Cool School Tool #5:‘Superteacher’ Site aTreasure for Your Teachers

2010-09-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

It’s a syllables worksheet…
It’s a math puzzle…
It’ a brain teaser…
It’s SuperTeacherWorksheets.com!

Add to your super hero status by sharing this great resource with your teachers: the Super Teacher Worksheets site presents veritable Kryptonite for student boredom!

Super Teacher Worksheets is the labor of love of Tim Wei, a third-grade teacher in upstate New York. Some time ago this mild-mannered educator took time to browse through the games and printables he had created over the years for his own students. He had accumulated a hard drive full of them!

“I figured I would upload the printables to share with other teachers,” Wei told Education World. Today, his site presents hundreds of free printables for teachers.

“The Web site is my hobby,” says Wei. He makes money from advertising that appears on the site, but most of the money he earns goes to pay for server space and additional printables.

“The site just took off and grew and grew,” Wei explained. “I am overwhelmed by the positive response I have gotten in emails from teachers and on my SuperTeacherWorksheets Facebook page.”

“The site isn't flashy -- no bells and whistles,” said Wei. (Hmmm. Not flashy. Kinda conjures up an image of Clark Kent, doesn't it?)

“It's just text, links, and pdf worksheets for teachers,” he added.

Which is just what teachers want!

RIDDLES AND CODES HELP KIDS LEARN MATH

“Learning math is fun when you're solving puzzles and riddles,” says Tim Wei. That's the secret behind two ebooks he offers for sale on a separate Web site.

"The two books offer fun ways for kids to build the math skills they'll need throughout their lives,” added Wei.

If you’re looking for a nice resource to add to your teachers’ professional development libraries, browse these ebooks today:

The Math Riddle Book
Kids complete a set of math problems. The answers to those problems help them to decode the answer to a laugh-out-loud riddle.

Secret Code Math
Kids use a picture-symbol key to decode math problems.

'Thank a Teacher' Video Has Many Uses

2010-09-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

The folks at Mudpies and Butterflies contacted me a few days ago to share a cool little video they created to thank teachers in schools where parents use their free communication tools. As I watched the video [above] I thought of the ways busy principals might use it in their schools. You might use it to…

Open -- or end -- a staff meeting. The video’s inspirational message is one that will resonate with teachers. Viewing it might be a nice “reward” after a particularly focused meeting where teachers have worked or debated hard. It will be an especially timely message if your session was focused on meeting the needs of all students.

Welcome parents to Open House night. Open House is coming up. This video might play in the background as parents gather, or in select hallway locations as parents wander from room to room to meet teachers. Play the video in rotation with a photo montage of your students busy at work in their classrooms.

Share during American Education Week. If your Open House has already passed, American Education Week (November 14-20) is not far behind. This video will pay a nice tribute to teachers’ efforts on behalf of students all year long!

Play in your school’s main office or Parent Welcome Center. There, the “Thank a Teacher” video might play on its own or in rotation with a video about your own school and its mission.

Inspire student writing. Share the video with students and ask them to write about ways in which a teacher has inspired them. You might ask permission to share some of their essays with the school community during Teacher Appreciation Week next May.

While you’re considering how you might use the video to inspire students, parents, or your staff, you might also take a quick tour of Mudpies and Butterflies to learn how their tools might add value to your school’s mission.

NBC Embarks on ‘Education Nation’ Summit

2010-09-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

NBC News is about to embark on its much heralded “Education Nation” Summit, the September 27-28 centerpiece of its weeklong “Education Nation” initiative that begins on the “Meet the Press” broadcast of Sunday, September 26.

The Summit will convene the foremost plicymakers, educators, members of the business community, and engaged citizens in a national discussion about the challenges, potential solutions, and innovations spanning today’s education landscape.

“The response we’ve received from leaders in education has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Lisa Gersh, President of Strategic Initiatives at NBC News. “The experts we have convened at ‘Education Nation’ will highlight some of the biggest challenges and opportunities in education in this country, jumpstarting a national conversation about one of the most pressing issues of our time.”

For the entire week of September 27, all NBC platforms -- “Nightly News,” “Today,” “Your Business,” MSNBC, CNBC, Telemundo, msnbc.com, and nbclearn.com -- will highlight educational success stories, uncover staggering truths and myths about education, and demonstrate how poor education cripples our economy and society.

Participants in the Education Nation Summit will include

Michael Bloomberg: Mayor, City of New York

Geoffrey Canada: CEO & President of Harlem Children's Zone Project

Arne Duncan: US Secretary of Education

Byron Garrett: CEO of the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

Allan Golston, President, US Program, The Gates Foundation

Reed Hastings: Founder & CEO of Netflix

Walter Isaacson: President & CEO of the Aspen Institute

Joel Klein: Chancellor of New York City Schools

Wendy Kopp: CEO and Founder of Teach for America

John Legend: Musician; Founder of the Show Me Campaign

Gregory McGinity: Managing Director of Policy, The Broad Education Foundation

Bill Pepicello, Ph.D.: President of University of Phoenix

Sally Ride: First Female Astronaut; Vice-chair of Change the Equation

Michelle Rhee: Chancellor, District of Columbia Public School System of Washington, D.C.

Margaret Spellings: Former US Secretary of Education

Antonio Villaraigosa: Mayor, City of Los Angeles, Californi

Randi Weingarten: President of American Federation of Teachers (AFT-CLO)

The Summit’s 11 panel sessions will present discussions on important topics in education such as:

Job One: Preparing America's students to compete in the global economy

The Innovation Gap: Bringing the technology revolution to the schoolhouse

Change Agents: How do we reinvent the status quo at all levels?

Good Apples: How do we keep good teachers, throw out bad ones, and put a new shine on the profession?

A Fresh Start: Leveling the playing field before school begins

Shrinking the Achievement Gap: Is education the civil rights issue of our time?

The Parent and the Village: Fostering a learning culture in our communities

NBC’s “Education Nation” mission statement states, “We will continue our coverage to hold our leaders and communities accountable for improving outcomes in the near and long terms. NBC News will follow this story until this mission is fulfilled.”

LEARN MORE

What Is ‘Education Nation’? The Education Nation Summit will be held in the rink space at Rockefeller Plaza (New York City) on September 27th and 28th. Participants will come together for a series of panel sessions on the challenges of America's education system, the success stories, and the solutions. Learn more

Learning Plaza. From September 26th-30th, Rockefeller Plaza will be transformed into a "Learning Plaza," an interactive experience open to the public that will explore some of the most innovative aspects of American education. Learn more

Teacher Town Hall. Hosted by NBC News anchor Brian Williams, the Teacher Town Hall will bring together teachers from across the country, both in-person and online, to brainstorm ideas, talk about what works in the classroom, and highlight the challenges of today’s education system. The Teacher Town Hall will air LIVE on MSNBC and stream at EducationNation.com, Scholastic.com, iVillage.com, and msnbc.com at 12 p.m. EDT on Sunday, September 26th. Learn more

For more information visit EducationNation.com or Facebook.com/EducationNation.

Build Students’ S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G Skills This Year

2010-09-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Road workers in North Carolina won’t be winning any spelling bees. Their misspelling of the word S-H-C-O-O-L (in 10-foot tall letters nonetheless) has them r-e-d with embarrassment. The workers learned a valuable lesson from their error: misspelling school is not sh-cool. (View a video news report)

A SH-COOL SPELLING TOOL

Seeing that news report out of North Carolina reminded me of a new online spelling tool that I ran across a month ago. Maybe you have been to the BigIQkids.com Web site. If you haven’t been there, take a quick look around. BigIQkids is a cool tool to pass along to your teachers. They can use the grade-level word lists that are provided, or they can create their own word lists for students to use. Students practice or test themselves and earn “coins” they can use to play a wide variety of fun online games. BigIQkids’ spelling program -- and its other programs -- are free of charge. The site also offers premium programs that enable teachers or parents to monitor and receive emails about students’ progress.

MORE SH-COOL SPELLING RESOURCES

For more great spelling resources see Education World’s special Spelling archive. There you will find dozens of spelling lesson and game ideas, including these:

Five Spelling Games
Spice up weekly spelling-list study with these five fun activities. (Grades K-8)

Earn Spelling Points
More than 20 activities for spicing up your weekly spelling lessons.

Those resources will help make your students A+ spellers. And what could be sh-cooler than that!

Senior Students Play Active Roll In Welcoming Newbies

2010-05-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

As another school year is winding down, doesn’t it seem a bit strange that so much of your time is being consumed by planning for next year? Chances are you’ve already met the students who will comprise next year’s incoming class. It’s also likely that you have held special events for those students and their parents. You're doing all that to ensure that your students’ -- and their parents' -- transition to their new school goes smoothly.

As you and your staff manage the upcoming transition, I hope you haven’t overlooked one of your school’s most valuable resources: the students who will comprise your senior class. Their energy and enthusiasm -- and their experience -- can go a long way toward to making your school’s “newbies” feel truly welcomed.

The stories below share how three schools are making use of their “seniors” as ambassadors and mentors to new schoolmates.

SENIORS REACH OUT

At Perry Hall (Maryland) High School, students in next year’s senior class are busy planning special events for the incoming freshmen. Those events aim to make new students feel welcomed and help them over the typical transition hurdles and angst. Students at both ends of the school seniority totem poll make connections by playing beach volleyball and engaging in other activities.

As the video above attests, the oldest students in your school can be among the biggest cheerleaders for new students. Their enthusiasm for special “Senior Reach Out” events can go a long way in making the “newbies” on the block feel part of the school fabric.

If you have a moment, take time to enjoy the students’ second Senior Reach Out promotional video: Senior Reach Out #2. These student-produced videos, which are shown on the school TV station to promote participation in Senior Reach Out events, are part goofy but entirely engaging -- right down to the Beatle’s “Come Together” soundtrack.

SENIOR 'CREW' PROVIDES A VITAL LINK

At South Central High School in Winterville, North Carolina, the school’s oldest students play an active roll in teaching new students shortcuts to success. Thanks to the school's “Link Crew,” new students are made to feel comfortable throughout their first year of high school.

Link Crew is a national effort, a student orientation and transition program that originated on the West Coast. Among this year’s Top 100 High Schools (Newsweek), seven of the schools use Link Crew to connect students and create a positive school climate.

Link Crew’s student members commit to an ongoing relationship with the freshmen class. Leaders and their groups meet throughout the year to address challenges that new students are encountering.

“It’s all about building relationships,” Amy Hilliard, the teacher who heads South Central's Link Crew program, told the Daily Reflector. “It's not just over after Thursday. It's a yearlong program.” [read the article]

BREAKFAST IN BROOKLYN

Each fall, the senior class at all-girls St. Joseph High School in Brooklyn, New York, plans a very special breakfast. Each new student in the school’s freshman class is assigned a senior “sister.” On breakfast day, seniors and their sisters give up a first-period class for some bonding and fun over pancakes and eggs.

The seniors help make breakfast day extra special by providing small gifts for their sisters. Mentoring relationships formed that day between “sisters” comprise a long-standing tradition at St. Joseph’s.

One freshman provided her input on the breakfast for an article in the school newspaper. “I think the breakfast was a nice experience,” she said, “but the food could have been better.” [read the article]

READ MORE ABOUT SMOOTH TRANSITIONS

Education World Article Archive: Transitions

Cool School Tool #4: Mouse Mischief Gives Teachers Immediate Feedback

2010-05-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

Have you had a chance to check out Microsoft’s new Mouse Mischief tool? This new freebie from Microsoft is an easy way to engage students and give teachers immediate feedback about how their lessons are going.

You’ve probably seen demonstrations of Classroom Response Systems (CRS) click-response tools that teachers can use to create multiple-choice questions. Students use their individual clickers to respond and teachers receive immediate feedback about how students are grasping the content. Microsoft’s Mouse Mischief mimics those CRS tools, but what makes Mouse Mischief so cool is that it is a free download. Instead of clickers, individual students use a mouse (wireless, or connected to the teacher’s computer via a USB hub/port) to respond to the teacher’s questions. Mouse Mischief is an inexpensive and easy way to engage students -- even shy students who are usually hesitant to participate in classroom activities.

In order to set up Mouse Mischief, all teachers need is a computer, a projector, and Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 or Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007. Downloading Mouse Mischief automatically installs a new tab -- the Multiple-Mouse tab -- at the top of the PowerPoint page. Teachers can click that tab to follow an easy step-by-step process for creating yes/no or multiple-choice (up to ten choices) questions.

Using Mouse Mischief enables teachers to see how their lessons are going. If the results of a question indicate many students are not grasping a new concept, teachers can re-teach or adapt the lesson to ensure students' success.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MOUSE MISCHIEF

Are you interested in learning more about this new free tool from Microsoft? The two video links below will give you a better understanding of why Mouse Mischief is so valuable and how easy it is to install and use.

Mouse Mischief: Sultan School District Case Study
Learn how one California school district has adopted the Microsoft Mouse Mischief tool. They have found the tool to be inexpensive and easy for teachers to use. Best of all, it requires little or no tech support.

Microsoft Mouse Mischief Demo
A teacher created this video that provides step-by-step instructions for creating multiple-choice questions using Mouse Mischief. Learn to create questions to be answered by individual students or teams of students.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

These resources from Microsoft help familiarize educators with the capabilities of Mouse Mischief.

Get Kids Moving During Fitness Month

2010-05-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

At a time when many school districts are paring back physical education programs, some others are realizing the true value of physical activity and beefing up PE. Including physical activity as a vital part of the curriculum and the school day has led to improved morale and increased student achievement, they say.

‘HIGH’ ON EXERCISE

At Naperville (Illinois) Central High School, the first class of the students’ day is gym class. That scheduling decision was made five years ago as part of an effort to “jumpstart students’ brains,” according to Paul Zientarski, chairman of the school’s PE department.

And the results have been astounding. Students are now reading 1-1/2 years above grade level, and math scores have shot up exponentially.

Those results don’t surprise Dr. Charles Hillman of the University of Illinois. His research shows that after 30 minutes on the treadmill, students actually do as much as 10 percent better at problem solving.

“Exercise is good for attention, it’s good for how fast individuals process information and how they perform on cognitive tasks,” Hillman recently told ABC News [read the article and view a video].

When students exercise first thing, “all their brain cells are working,” added John Ratey, an associate clinical professor at Harvard University. “And when their brain cells work, they pour out neuro transmitters, and they also pour out these brain growth factors which help our brain cells knit together.”

FITNESS CENTERS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS?

At Sunray (Florida) Elementary School, Principal Lee-Anne Yerkey and PE coach Scott Carlson thought a fitness room might generate student interest in exercise.

By all measures, it has done that and more.

With careful instruction from Carlson and plenty of pictures showing proper use of the equipment, kindergarten through second graders exercise their upper and lower bodies and their cores while listening to music. Third- to fifth-graders do circuit training, work out with weights, and do 20 minutes of cardio exercises. All students keep fitness logs to record their progress.

Students can see the benefits, says Carlson. And that could be the key to providing students with activities and skills they will use to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives, he added.

“They [students] are so enthusiastic. They get off the bus and say, ‘I have fitness lab today!’ -- and that makes my day!” Carlson told Education World [read the article, Students Pumped Up Over Fitness Rooms].

MOVEMENT GETS BRAINS MOVING

Physical activity isn't just for PE teachers. It's a tool that any teacher can use to help focus students and boost achievement, says Martha Swirzinski, a movement educator whose company, Movement Plus+, trains educators how to incorporate activity into their classrooms.

“Eighty-five percent of students are kinesthetic learners, which means they learn better when things are hands-on,” Swirzinski told the Newport News Daily Press [read the article].

“When children sit for longer than 10 minutes, oxygen and glucose are pulled from the brain," added Swirzinski. "When that happens, after a certain amount of time the brain gets sleepy and basically turns off. By incorporating movement into classroom lessons, you can help those students who may have a harder time focusing.”

Incorporating movement increases students’ abilities to function at a higher level and retain more information, she added.

The biggest challenge that Swirzinski and many other movement educators face is convincing district leaders and teachers that increasing the amount of time students spend in motion will benefit them academically too. Bigger than any other barrier is the belief that movement is just for fun and isn’t as important as other instruction.

“Changing attitudes is the most challenging part,” says Swirzinski. “Movement isn’t just a way to get energy out and have fun. The body helps train the brain how to learn, and it helps keep our kids healthy.”

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Education World PE and Health Subject Center

Education World Physical Education Article Archive

PTA Recognizes Outstanding Family-School Partnerships

2010-05-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

Last week, the National PTA recognized seven schools with it annual Phoebe Apperson Hearst Family-School Partnerships Awards. The awards recognize school PTAs that put strong practices into place to involve parents and families into the lives of their schools.

This year’s Outstanding Family-School Partnership Award went to Kate Waller Barrett Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia. Barrett’s PTA will use the award’s $2,000 cash prize to expand Roving Readers, its school-wide literacy program. Roving Readers is a diverse group of parents and neighbors who serve as guest readers and storytellers in the school.

“We are thrilled that our PTA was recognized with the Phoebe Apperson Hearst Family-School Partnership award,” said Principal Terry Bratt. “Our parent group has been an extremely supportive partner and has provided us with a number of resources through its fundraising efforts…. There is no doubt that our students want to come to school every day because of the activities and programs we have in place.”

Six runners-up represent outstanding efforts in implementing each of the PTA’s six National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. Those standards, and the schools that were recognized, are
● Standard 1: Welcoming all families into the school community
   Chattachhoochee High School, Alpharetta, Georgia;
● Standard 2: Communicating effectively
   Olivewood Elementary School, Lake Forest, California
● Standard 3: Supporting student success
   Chapel Trail Elementary School, Pembroke Pines, Florida
● Standard 4: Speaking up for every child
   Seven Oaks Elementary School, Eagle, Idaho
● Standard 5: Sharing power
   Harmony Elementary School, Goshen, Kentucky
● Standard 6: Collaborating with the community
   Northeast Elementary School, Evergreen Park, Illinois

TEN TRUTHS ABOUT PARENT INVOLVEMENT

The research is clear and convincing: Regardless of income or background, when parents are involved, students are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher-level programs, attend school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior, graduate, and go on to postsecondary education. Here are 10 more truths about parent involvement from the National PTA.

1. All parents have hopes and goals for their children.

2. Parents differ in their abilities and/or resources to help their children
    reach those goals.

3. The parent is the central contributor to a child’s education.

4. Parent involvement must be seen as a legitimate element of education
    and deserves equal emphasis with elements such as school
    improvement and evaluation.

5. Parent involvement is an ongoing process, not a series of events.

6. Parent involvement requires a shared vision, policy, and
    framework for planning programs and practices that are
    connected to student learning.

7. Many barriers to parent involvement are found within school
    practices, attitudes, and assumptions.

8. Successful parent involvement programs help families guide their
    children’s learning from preschool through high school.

9. Families from diverse backgrounds have their own set of norms
    and experiences that often influence their relationship with
    schools.

10. Parents are more likely to become involved when they understand
      that they should be involved; they feel capable of making a
      contribution; and they feel invited by the school and their
      children.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM THE NATIONAL PTA

Family-School Partnerships
When families, schools, and communities work together, student achievement improves, teacher morale rises, communication increases, and family, school, and community connections multiply.

PTA National Standards Implementation Guide
This guide serves as a tool for empowering people to work together with an end goal of building family-school partnerships and student success.

PTA Great Idea Bank
This social network enables parents to interact and learn from each other how to overcome the challenges of parenting today.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT RESOURCES FROM EDUCATION WORLD

Parent Involvement in Schools
Learn about practical ways in which schools are involving parents. Read about parent involvement strategies that are working for others -- and that could work for you.

Partners for Student Success
Many schools or districts are taking unique approaches to bringing together schools with their parents and community to help ensure student achievement. Articles in this series are based on the work of the National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University.

Fundraising Ideas for Schools
The articles in this Education World archive share practical fundraising ideas that are working in schools around the world. If you’re looking for fun or creative ideas, check out these from principals in the trenches.

Newsletters 'R Us
Here you will find newsletter templates, clipart, and cut-and-paste features and fillers for your school-to-home newsletters. All of our Newsletters 'R Us features are free to copy and paste in your school pubs or on your school Web site.

Keeping Learning Alive As the Countdown to Summer Gets Underway

2010-04-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

With state tests behind them and the school year winding down, many students (and teachers) might be inclined to relax and enjoy the slide into summer. That's why wise princpals often step into action at this time of year to encourage teachers to tackle cool projects that keep the learning alive as the countdown to summer gets underway.

I was reading an article the other day about a group of students in Virginia who were collecting their community’s history, and I thought, "Now there's one nice way to end a school year on a high note!" And then I began thinking of others.

STUDENTS GATHER COMMUNITY HISTORY

Teacher Dawn Henderson wanted to involve her students in learning about the history of their Richmond, Virginia, neighborhood, but her search for resources turned up painfully little. That spurred Henderson to write a grant and gather a group of students for a special after-school program that would gather information from neighbors before it was lost.

A tale of a trolley stop long forgotten… the legend of pirates who came up the river and buried gold… and the story of how a whole community came together to build a well for their school. Those are just a few of the stories that Henderson's fourth-graders at Bensley Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia, have learned about as they researched their community and talked with neighbors who have lived there for many years.

The result of Henderson’s project is a video history that students will finish up any day now. Eventually, that history will be gathered into book form too. [read more]

Meanwhile, middle school students in Pittsburgh are learning how to research, document, and record the history of their community. The students at Walter L. Parks Middle School are listening to and recording the life-stories and experiences of community elders. This spring, the students are putting together a video documentary that features those interviews and other stories. [read more]

MORE END-OF-YEAR IDEAS

As I think more deeply about what the students in Richmond and Pittsburgh are doing, I understand that a community-history project might be too involved to tackle at the end of the school year; indeed, it can take many months to bring such a project to fruition. But maybe a smaller project that investigates a specific event in town history; an event in national history as told through the words of locals; the history behind special landmarks around the community; or the history of your students’ own school might make an appropriate focus for a few weeks.

If none of those ideas sound doable, be sure to check out this Education World resource with more end-of-year fun and learning that I have gathered for you to pass along to teachers:

End-of-Year Lessons and Projects
The end of the school year can by a trying time for many teachers. That's because you're trying to teach and students are trying to get you to turn on the VCR or give them free time. There's no need to spend your last days of school on a guilt trip if you use these meaningful and fun activities.

MORE STUDENT-CREATED HISTORIES

Students in many schools have worked to gather the history of their neighborhoods and larger communities. A few more examples of such histories can be found at these links:
● Bridlemile Elementary School Oral History Project
● Ambler Elementary School: Oral Histories
● High School Students Interview Local Veterans of the Civil Rights Struggle (McComb, Mississippi)
● D.C. Everest Area Schools (Wisconsin) Oral History Project
● Hidden Stories, Discovered Voices: Maryland Students Collect African-American History

ADDITIONAL ORAL HISTORY RESOURCES

● Oral History
● All History Is Local: Students as Archivists
● Step-By-Step Guide to Oral History

Games Add Elements of Fun, Much More, to Math Learning

2010-04-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

Most math educators know that games aren’t just for fun. They can be powerful teaching tools, too. Playing games at school is an easy way for students to have fun as they learn and exercise valuable math concepts.

Teachers who use games in the classroom point out that they can be used to teach a wide variety of other skills, too. Games help children develop social interaction skills as they teach them to follow directions, take turns, and win and lose gracefully.

A 2008 study out of Carnegie-Mellon University seems to back up the thought that games are a great math instruction tool. The study involved 124 students at ten Head Start centers who played a game called “The Great Race” (a game similar to the popular board game “Chutes & Ladders”). Students who played the game for about 80 minutes over a two-week period improved their ability to count, recognize numbers, and compare and estimate number values.

But games aren’t just for teachers and kids. Parents can get in on this act too.

PLAYING MATH GAMES AT HOME

A second experiment conducted by the same group at Carnegie-Mellon showed a correlation between math achievement and students’ exposure to math games at home.

That second study seems to be one worth sharing with parents in your next newsletter. Provide a news blurb about the study along with a list of some common and inexpensive games to get parents and kids “playing with math” at home. Popular games that teach math skills include:
● Candy Land
● Chutes & Ladders
● Uno
● Yahtzee
● Trouble
● Racko

While those games can usually be found in local toy stores or online for under $10, parents needn’t spend a penny to play math games at home. Paper-and-pencil math activities are easy to find. Add readily available dice and a deck of playing cards and they will have dozens of math games for at-home play.

“You don’t have to go out and buy fancy games,” says Dr. Carol Copple, a director with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Any game that requires counting and calculation could boost young students’ math ability, she told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [read the article].

If parents are looking for a starting point, you might use -- or steer them to -- some of these math game resources.

Math Skills With Dice
Four simple games; one game for reinforcing each of the four basic operations.

Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks
Thirty-six games using dice or a deck of playing cards. Appropriate grade levels are identified for each game.

Math Puzzles and Games for Kids
A variety of games help parents help kids become successful at math.

Pencil-and-Paper Games for Math Night
Three dot games challenge kids to think mathematically.

Math for the Fun of It
Tips and activities for helping children learn math at home.

Math@Home
Copy and paste one of these activities in each issue of your school-to-home newsletter.

Math Facts: Online Resources
Education World has compiled this list of resources, which proves that
kids + computers = math learning.

For more math resources, be sure to visit Education World’s Math Subject Center.

Dust Off That Children’s Book You’ve Always Wanted to Publish

2010-04-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

Every principal has a million stories to tell. But if you’ve ever thought “That story would make a great book,” now is the time to write the book!

Last week, the National Association of Elementary School Principals launched a contest for aspiring authors like you. The annual contest is a partnership between the organization’s NAESP Foundation and Mackinac Island Press (an imprint of Charlesbridge Publishing). Together, they might publish that “masterpiece” that’s been gathering dust atop your bookshelf -- or in your mind.

I talked this morning with NAESP Foundation’s Ann Henley and she explained that the idea for this contest has been on the burner at the organization for some time. A state affiliate piloted the concept last year, and now it’s full steam ahead.

“The contest is open to principals and other school leaders, teachers, parents, bus drivers… anyone who loves children,” Henley told me. So spread the word!

Anyone who has ever dreamed of writing a book for children knows what a difficult task that can be. Some of you might have tried, only to be overwhelmed by the barriers thrown in your way. But the doors are open now. Here is a perfect opportunity to put your manuscript into the hands of a nationally known publisher. Prospective authors may choose to publish a picture book or a chapter book written for children from 3-16 years of age. Five picture-book finalists and five chapter-book finalists will be chosen, and one winner’s book will be published in each category. Manuscripts will be selected for creativity, storyline, and originality.

“We are excited to present this opportunity to individuals who have thought about, worked on, or written a children’s manuscript that they feel is worthy of being published,” said NAESP Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Ernest J. Mannino.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts isn’t until February 2011, so you have plenty of time to gather your notes so you can start writing this summer and polish your manuscript in the fall. Click here to learn more about this contest or to print an entry form.

Plan a Family Math Night During Math Awareness Month

2010-04-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

Last month, more than 200 parents and students participated in the third annual Math Night at Licking Heights South Elementary School in Pataskala, Ohio. Students exercised their math skills by playing card games and computer games. Some kept score as they bowled on a makeshift bowling alley in the gym while others practiced their money-counting skills. “Math Night is to encourage kids to find fun ways to learn math,” teacher Tammy Atchison told the Newark Advocate [read more].

Teacher Christi Gober echoed that sentiment. “Our goal for the evening is to give students extra math practice while showing that math is fun,” she told a reporter on Mad Math Night at Eastside Elementary School in Rockmart, Georgia. Mad Math Night provides an opportunity for kids to show off their math skills at a wide variety of activities set up in different classrooms [read more].

At Beckemeyer Elementary School in Hillsboro, Illinois, a special “Beckemeyer CSI” event brought together families, businesses, and others to participate in math-oriented activities such as analyzing fingerprints, deciphering codes, and solving for mystery numbers. The evening was a nice opportunity for the local police department to get involved, too. Officers demonstrated how fingerprints are identified at crime scenes, and the department’s drug dog demonstration was a popular sidelight [read more].

APRIL IS MATH AWARENESS MONTH

Those are just a few of the Math Night events that I've read about in recent weeks. Math Nights have become popular school-wide events that showcase a school’s efforts in this important area and emphasize how essential -- and fun -- math can be.

If your school has never planned a Family Math Night, Math Awareness Month is a great time to set the wheels in motion. It’s the perfect time to get your PTO and teachers involved in planning a special night of fun and learning for next school year. The probablilty is that the event will become an annual one like it has at many schools across the nation.

As the staffs and families at Eastside Elementary, Licking Heights South, and Beckemeyer Elementary can tell you, it all adds up:

(Teachers + Parents + Students) + Math = A Fun Evening

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM EDUCATION WORLD

Math Night By the Numbers
Is it time for a "Math Night" at your school? Math Night gets students excited about math, familiarizes parents with the math curriculum, and encourages families to continue the fun of math at home. Included: Advice from organizers of Math Nights at schools across the country.

A Student-Led Math Family Fun Night
A Math Family Fun Night planned and led by students presents wonderful learning opportunities for students (and teachers, too). Take a peek as fourth-graders prepare for their school's first Math Family Fun Night.

Find many more resources in our Math Subject Archive.

MORE RESOURCES

Resources for Family Math Night

Family Math Night Ideas

Family Math Night: Math Standards in Action (Elementary School)

Family Math Night: Math Standards in Action (Middle School)

Family Math

Motivating Middle School Math: Family Nights, Fairs, and Competitions

Get Set to Celebrate Books During School Library Month, Children’s Book Week

2010-03-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

Your students might not end up appearing on Oprah’s show like the kids at Ocoee Middle School did earlier this month, but the video those Florida students created [above] might make a nice reading motivator to share with your students.

When Ococee’s reading coach, Janet Bergh, was looking for a way to motivate readers at her school she thought it would be fun to recreate the dancing flash-mob scene that the Black Eyed Peas originated on Oprah's show for their song “Tonight Is Going to Be a Good Night” [see that video].

“Students have a lot of other interests,” Bergh told the Orlando Sentinel. “Oftentimes reading takes a back seat to those interests. It’s not always cool to be seen with a book.” [Read the Orlando Sentinel article.]

But the video and all the attention it has garnered have made reading a very cool thing to do at OMS. And it could do the same at your school. With School Library Month/National Library Week and Children’s Book Week right around the corner, you might build excitement by sharing the flash-mob video or recreating it with your own students. The song lyrics, which are available online [lyric source 1, lyric source 2], could be easily adapted to your school and state.

CELEBRATE BOOKS!

National Library Week
This year, National Library Week (April 11-17), and its companion celebration in schools, School Library Month, are times to celebrate the contributions of libraries and librarians and to promote library use. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Communities Thrive @ your library.” The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) offers many resources for school libraries, including a flyer with 30 Days of Activities for School Library Month (PDF format) and their popular Toolkits. The American Library Association (ALA) offers many additional resources; its new Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit includes tips for staging rallies in support of libraries.

Children’s Book Week
Join millions of others in celebrating Children’s Book Week (CBW) from May 10-16. CBW began in 1919 with the idea that children’s books can change lives. In communities around the country, local celebrations emphasize the importance of books and reading in a child’s life. Larger national programs help direct attention to the vital role literacy plays for every child. As Frederick Melcher, a founder of Children’s Book Week, stated so well: “A great nation is a reading nation.” This year, Every Child a Reader (part of the Children’s Book Council Foundation) and Scholastic are teaming up to provide the annual Book Week poster [pictured] free of charge. For the cost of an envelope and postage stamps, you can send for free posters to display throughout your school. Learn how to order posters for your school.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM EDUCATION WORLD

Find many lesson plan and activity ideas, as well as ideas for school-wide reading celebrations, on these Education World archive pages:.
● National Library Week
● Children’s Book Week

Do Michelle Obama and Jamie Oliver Stand a Chance?

2010-03-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

Are you watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution? Oliver has chosen Huntington, West Virginia, as the locale for his six-week ABC series because Huntington made headlines back in 2008 when it was declared America’s Unhealthiest City based on leading indicators of health. But, truth be told, Oliver’s Food Revolution could be taking place in many communities across the United States -- including, perhaps, your own.

WILL CHEF JAMIE SUCCEED IN WEST VIRGINIA?

When it comes to what kids eat, everyone always blames the kids, says Oliver. Parents, school nutrition workers, and local officials all pass the buck. They say they feed their kids what the kids want to eat -- things like pizza and chicken fingers and hot dogs. “But that’s absolute rubbish!” adds Oliver. “The problem is not with the kids -- it’s with the adults. Kids are really open-minded. If you make food fun, the sky is the limit.”

Oliver made a name for himself by transforming the food program in British schools. Now he’s focusing on America. And based on the sneak-peek broadcast last night, he has his work cut out for him.

Of course, Huntington’s schools are one of the focal points of the series, which gives us educators a reason for watching. But it remains to be seen if Oliver’s attention-getting schtick -- starting with a dumpster-load of fat representing the fat being consumed by Huntington’s school kids in a year -- will make an impression.

Will Oliver be able to make any kind of lasting impact on the families and schools in Huntington? Will his “Food Revolution” catch on in other places? Stay tuned.

MICHELLE OBAMA DEBUTS ‘LET’S MOVE’

It’s full steam ahead for Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! health initiative. Last week, while hubby was busy in D.C. pushing for national healthcare reform, the First Lady was working hard in her fight against childhood obesity. Her four-pronged attack aims to
● give parents the support they need,
● provide healthier food in schools,
● help kids to be more physically active, and
● make healthy, affordable food available in every part of our country.

One of the cornerstones of Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign is partnerships. She hopes to partner with groups that can help get out the campaign’s messages. Earlier this month, she spoke to the National PTA [read about it] and last week she asked food manufacturers to get on board by doing their part to improve products they offer consumers [read about it]. She hopes to involve video game makers as partners, too; she has offered $40,000 in cash prizes for software tools and video games that get kids excited about eating better and exercising more [read about it].

In the weeks ahead, the First Lady will be involving sport teams, pediatricians, entertainers, local and nationally elected officials, and other stakeholders as partners in her campaign.

“Let’s Move! is going to take families out of their isolation and give them the nationwide support they need from a whole range of industries to get our kids on track,” Obama said.

WE'VE SUPER-SIZED IN 'BIBLICAL' PROPORTIONS

As if we needed more proof...

Did you happen to catch the news report yesterday about a study out of Cornell University? A professor and his brother, who is a Presbyterian minister and a religious studies professor, have studied more than 50 paintings of the Biblical Last Supper. Their study reveals that the portion sizes on plates in the paintings have grown between 23 and 69 percent over the years [read the article].

As it turns out, the artworld offers still more proof that we overeat today -- and that we have created an obesity epidemic of "Biblical" proportions. I fully believe that future depictions of the Last Supper should come complete with a Nutrition Facts side panel!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

So it looks as though Michelle Obama and Chef Jamie are going to need every educator's help to turn things around. Thanks for doing your part! Here are a couple resources to get you started:

Let’s Move! -- Kids’ Collections
Use these resources -- including games, activity books, videos, and posters -- to spread healthful messages.

Michelle Obama to 'Shine the Light' on Childhood Obesity Issue
The First Lady’s explains the origins of Let’s Move! in this PBS interview.

Blog Bits #4: Cookies for Kids With CancerHip-Hop Teaches Vocabulary, More

2010-03-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

When the staff, students, and parents at Valley Ranch Elementary School in Irving, Texas, were looking to organize a school-wide event for charity, they researched causes and narrowed them down to three. When the votes of the student body were tallied, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer had won their support. With everyone on board, the school community was able to raise $1,200 for their chosen cause.

Cookies for Kids' Cancer was created to raise awareness of -- and funds for -- pediatric cancer research. The organization started when 2-year old Liam was diagnosed with a deadly form of pediatric cancer called Neuroblastoma. Liam’s mom and dad, Gretchen and Larry, learned quickly that more than 50 percent of children with this form of cancer will not survive. The main reason for those horrible odds was that little money was being spent on research into pediatric cancers, which are the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 18.

That need for research funding was what motivated Gretchen to do one thing she knew she could do to help: hold a bake sale. She and a team of 250 volunteers ended up selling 96,000 cookies in that first sale. They raised more than $400,000 for pediatric cancer research. And Cookies for Kids’ Cancer was born.

Today, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer raises money for research through two main avenues: school and community-group bake sales and online sales of cookie gift boxes. The organization’s Web site makes it easy for individuals, schools, churches, and businesses to hold bake sales by providing all the necessary tools, including letters and brochures, signs and posters, and supplies.

Maybe your school or a school club is looking for a cause around which they can rally. If so, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is one worth considering.

Explore More
● Valley Ranch Elementary - Good Cookies in Action
● Get Involved: Throw a Bake Sale

HIP-HOP ENGAGES STUDENTS, BUILDS VOCABULARY

Sixth-grader Denzel Bernard knows the meaning of the word nefarious. “It means ‘wicked,’” he told the New York Daily News.

Nefarious is one of many “$10 words” that Denzel has learned with the help of Flocabulary, a program created by two hip-hop artists to teach everything from word definitions to Shakespeare and math equations [read a Daily News article].

Flocabulary has been creating original hip-hop music and standards-based curricular materials since 2005. The company’s roots reach back to founder Blake Harrison’s days in high school. Harrison was a good student, but he struggled to memorize facts for tests. He wondered why it was so easy to remember lines to his favorite rap songs but so difficult to memorize academic information. If a rapper released an album that defined vocabulary words, he thought, he might have a fun and effective way to prepare for the SATs.

Today, the lineup of Flocabulary learning materials is being used in more than 12,000 schools to teach vocabulary, reading, and writing skills as well as social studies, math, and science. The programs have been proven to increase student motivation and achievement.

Explore More
● Flocabulary

Silence Is Golden on the School Bus

2010-03-09T08:43:00.000-08:00

School leaders could never hope for silence on a school bus, but some are leading efforts to improve behavior and reduce bullying on the big yellow Blue Birds.

THE WI-FI BUS

Last fall, Matt Federoff was at home thumbing through an electronics catalog. One ad in particular caught his eye: “Wi-Fi hotspot in your car.” But Federoff wasn’t thinking about his car. As the chief information officer of the Vail (Arizona) School District, he wondered, “What if you could put that on a school bus?”

Federoff did a little more digging and learned that $200 could buy an Autonet Mobile router. For an additional $60 a month for an Internet contract, he might be able to reduce behavior problems on school buses in the district’s fleet.

Federoff’s idea has been transformed into an experiment that is returning interesting results. Since some students in his district travel 50 or more miles, a mobile Internet router enables them to use their time on the bus to research reports or do homework -- in essence, to extend the school day.

When they agreed to try out this idea, school officials didn’t have their heads in the sand. They knew many kids would use their Internet access to email friends or play online games. And that’s just fine. “That’s a whole lot better than having them bugging each other,” Calvin Baker, Vail’s superintendent told the New York Times. [Read the article, Wi-Fi Turns Rowdy Bus Into Rolling Study Hall].

BUS OF THE MONTH

Many principals award a Golden School Bus to a different bus each week as recognition of being the best behaved on their bus ride home. In Milford, Massachusetts, a group of principals got together and took that idea to the next level. They came up with consistent rules and consequences that would be shared among the schools as well as a plan for recognizing the “best behaved bus.”

Each time a bus pulls up to a school, the driver gives a thumbs up or thumbs down rating for student behavior, which a teacher records. At the end of the month, the bus with the most thumbs up ratings is Bus of the Month. The winning bus gets the honor of sporting a large "School Bus of the Month" magnet for the next month. The students receive small rewards, too.

Principals in Milford report that referrals for poor behavior on buses are way down since they introduced the Bus of the Month program. The program has turned what one principal called “recess on wheels” into a tremendous motivator for good behavior.

“Bus behavior is definitely better,” Lenny Morcone, district transportation coordinator, told Education World. “It definitely helps that there is cooperation between the schools and the drivers.”

READ MORE…

Bus of the Month Program Drives Better Behavior
This Education World article describes the Milford, Massachusetts, program that has improved student behavior on the district’s buses.

School Bus Discipline: Solving the Problem
Is school bus discipline a problem in your school? This Education World article shares two school-bus discipline policies that might serve as effective models.

School-Wide Strategies for Managing... Bus Conduct
More effective ideas for handling students’ behavior on school buses.

Improving Student Bus-Riding Behavior Through a Whole-School Intervention
This Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis article describes a multi-component intervention that improved bus-riding behavior in an urban public school.

The Fourth R: Making the Case for Recess

2010-03-01T09:10:00.000-08:00

By now you’ve probably heard or read about the results of the latest Gallup survey of principals. More than 80 percent of you believe that recess has a positive impact on academics and achievement. This news comes at a time when recess has been taking a big hit -- the victim to time and testing pressures.

Among the other findings of the "The State of Play" survey were the following:
● Two-thirds of principals report that students listen better after recess and are more focused in class.
● An overwhelming majority of principals (96%) conclude that recess has a positive impact on social development.
● An overwhelming majority (97%) of principals believe that recess has a positive impact on general well-being.
● A solid majority (77%) of principals report taking recess away as a punishment.

THE “RECESS FIRST” MOVEMENT

Many principals who value recess have also taken a second look at a time-honored tradition: lunch followed by recess. By reversing the order of those two elements of the school day -- recess first, then lunch -- principals are finding they can cut down on wasted food and playground tiffs as they make kids more ready to learn after eating.

“Kids are calmer after they’ve had recess first,” Janet Sinkewicz, principal at Sharon Elementary School in Robbinsville, New Jersey, told the New York Times [read the article]. “They feel like they have more time to eat and they don’t have to rush.”

“We save 15 minutes every day,” added Principal Sarah Hartley, “because kids play, then go to the cafeterias and eat and cool down, and come back to the classroom and start academic work immediately.” Hartley, principal at North Ranch Elementary School in Scottsdale, Arizona, says 18 of her district’s 31 schools have adopted recess before lunch.

“PLAYWORKS” GIVES KIDS THE TOOLS THEY NEED

Another of the findings of the recent Gallup survey will come as no surprise to school leaders: the majority of principals say that 89 percent of the discipline-related problems they handle each day occur during recess or lunch.

It is those very discipline issues that have led many schools to take a second look at the value of recess, says Jill Vialet, founder and president of Playworks, a nonprofit organization that helps schools improve recess by putting trained coaches on the playground to help kids get games started and teach them conflict-resolution skills to use when problems arise.

The “organized play” that Playworks provides keeps kids safe during recess and helps them return to class better able to learn, Sara Shenkan-Rich, principal at Sherman Elementary School in San Francisco, told the Christian Science Monitor [read the article].

“It’s about giving kids the tools they need,” Vialet added.

READ MORE ON THESE TOPICS…

See the following Education World articles about Recess First and Playworks (formerly called Sports4Kids).

Recess Before Lunch Can Mean Happier, Healthier Kids
Recess follows lunch almost as predictably as four follows three, because it always has been that way. Principals who have put recess first, though, have noticed children eat more and behave better after lunch. Included: Ideas for making the change to recess before lunch.

Playworks: Reforming Recess by Teaching Rules of Play
Many students don't come to school with the tools they need to resolve conflicts or the basic understanding of playground games. Through talented on-site playground coordinators and well-trained junior coaches, Playworks provides the structure and guidance required to make recess the powerful and productive experience it should be.

Playground Pass Creates Recess Success
Wouldn't you love a simple, straightforward teaching tool that steers students away from trouble and into recess success? Built on sound behavior principles, the Playground Pass system helps kids make positive choices during free play. Included: Links to the reproducible Playground Pass system and other free resources.

What Did You Learn in School Today? (A Gift for Parents)

2010-02-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

You’ve heard the jokes…

Mother: What did you learn in school today?
Son: Not enough. I have to go back tomorrow.

Grandfather: What did you learn in school today?
Daughter: How to write.
Grandfather: What did you write?
Daughter: I don't know, they haven't taught us
how to read yet.

Mother: What did you learn in school today?
Daughter: How to talk without moving my lips.

If you are a parent (or if you were ever a student!), you’re oh-so familiar with the shrug response to that age-old question: "What did you learn in school today?"

Parents of students at Manual High School in Denver know better than to accept the shrug. Each day, every classroom teacher at Manual High posts the day’s L.O. -- learning outcome -- on the board for all students to see. And below the L.O. is the day’s P.O.P., Proof of Purchase, which tells students what they will need to turn in as proof of their grasp.

This simple plan hatched at Manual means that students go home each day knowing exactly what they’ve learned.

A LESSON TO BE LEARNED

If I learned one thing from reading a Denver Post article about the Proof-of-Purchase plan at Manual (see Manual High School “Proof of Purchase” Shows Students Buy Into Lessons), it’s that every school might learn a lesson from what they’re doing there.

Many teachers are already doing similar things in their classrooms…

At the end of each school day, some teachers call on several students to share what they have learned. By making this simple activity part of each day’s routine, students have ready-made answers when parents at the other end of the bus ride ask "What did you learn in school today?"

In other classrooms, students keep "What I Learned Today" journals. They write in their journals each and every day. At the end the day, each student goes home with a thoughtful reply to their parents’ dinner-table query about the day in school. Best of all, at the end of the school year students have a keepsake record of what they learned all year long.

What if all the teachers in your school got on board with a similar idea? Imagine being able to announce in your school-to-home newsletter and at the first PTO meeting of the year that every parent should ask that question -- What did you learn in school today? -- each and every day and expect that the kids will have a ready reply.

What a great gift for parents: a ready-made conversation starter that guarantees a response.

What a nice gift for teachers too: a straightforward way to open up the lines of communication between school and home.

And you, as the school leader, get a gift too: a simple question that can generate great PR for you and your school.

If you learn anything at school today, you might take a lesson from this win-win idea. Thanks to the teachers at Manual High!

School-Wide Olympic Events Spur Excitement, Learning

2010-02-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

In schools all around the world, teachers are capitalizing on Olympic excitement as students learn needed skills, information about countries and cultures, and lessons in teamwork. Are you taking advantage of this great teachable moment? If not, you might learn from these schools that are making “Olympic” efforts to develop students’ knowledge and skills.

OLYMPICS TEACH CULTURE AND TEAMWORK

At Pine Meadow Elementary School in Sartell, Minnesota, a two-week competition got underway last week with a Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic flame. The events -- organized by the school’s phys ed, art, music, and media specialists -- aim to leverage Olympic excitement across the curriculum. Students in each class represent a different country as they read and learn about that country and its culture.

One second-grade class, for example, represents the country of South Korea. Teacher Angela Paulson chose that country because one of her students’ mothers was born there. Paulson and the schools’ specialists are teaching lessons about the country and its culture. For example, in art class, students translated their names into calligraphy, because South Korea is noted for its calligraphy. (See an online Korean calligraphy translator.) In music class, students are learning the national anthem of Canada, the Olympic host country, and listening to music from their adopted country. And during the next two weeks, students in phys ed classes will compete in events such as curling, where students sweep bean bags into targets, and skiing, where students “ski” on swatches of carpet. (Read a St. Cloud Times news story, Olympics Offer Cultural Lessons for Sartell Students.)

A SCHOOL-WIDE READING OLYMPICS

In Mishawaka, Indiana, parents and students at the K-6 Beiger Elementary School recently competed in a Reading Olympic event. In games such as the A to Z Race, Amazing Anagram Dash, and Riddle Run, students exercised their bodies and their reading skills.

This is the second year in a row for the evening event, which aims to entice families to begin reading together, according to co-organizer Beth Schwier. She hopes parents might play some of the fun reading games they learn that night with their children at home. “Anything a family does together as a family is good,” she told the South Bend Tribune. (Read the article, Games Put Reading Skills to Test.)

At Donlin Drive Elementary School in Liverpool, New York, students recently completed an Olympic-sized reading challenge. Students read more than 2,400 books in a community-wide effort that increased reading enthusiasm at school and home.

Principal John Sardella and the school’s reading teachers organized the event, in which the Olympic torch was passed between classrooms each time students completed 80 books. The torch traveled through 23 cities on its way to Vancouver. The entire trip was tracked on a map in the school’s main hallway.

“It’s a fun competition,” Sardella told the Eagle Newspapers. “It also falls under our goal to keep increasing our New York State scores.” (Read the article, Donlin Drive Goes for an Olympic Reading Record.)

MORE OLYMPIC RESOURCES

If you didn’t hold a Winter Olympics event this year in your school, perhaps you will use some of these resources to plan one for next year. Winter is a great time to focus students on reading, and these Olympic events can be held every year, not just during Olympic years.

Let the Games Begin! Let the Learning Begin!
Check out these lesson ideas from Education World.

Science of the Olympic Winter Games
Explore the science that makes athletes swifter, higher, stronger, in this resource from NBC Learn and the National Science Foundation.

Tips for Hosting a Reading Olympics in Your School
This printable (pdf) document offers valuable tips and ideas to consider.

Reading Olympics
More fun activity ideas from FamilyFun.com.

Reading Olympics: A Competition to Build Reading Comprehension
Help your students discover an excitement for reading with this time-saving handbook that shows you how to create a reading competition in your classroom or school.

The More Kids Read, the Better They Read: Motivating Kids to Read School-Wide

2010-02-08T08:54:00.000-08:00

The faculty at Case Middle School in Watertown, New York, is going all out to keep students reading. Their theory is that it doesn’t matter what students are reading so long as they are reading. To that end, the school is beefing up school and classroom libraries with a wide variety of books, including traditional novels, books of poetry, and books written in screenplay format. They’ve developed new programs, too, including the “Caught Reading at Case” program, which rewards kids who are caught reading after they finish a test or during lunch and other free-time periods.

Read more about what the faculty at Case Middle School is doing in this article from the Watertown Daily Times:
Case Work: Give Students Reason to Read

With the NEA’s Read Across America event just around the corner (March 2) and Get Caught Reading Month coming up in May, I thought this might be an ideal time to share some excellent resources that you can use in your school to encourage reading across the grades.

TIPS FOR MOTIVATING KIDS TO READ, READ, READ…

Get Caught Reading, which was started by former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder and is supported by the Association of American Publishers, has a great poster series that features dozens of celebrities -- from sports and entertainment stars to members of Congress and even Clifford the Big Red Dog -- all of whom were “caught reading.” Use this order form to order from 1 to 12 of the posters for just $5.00 shipping and handling. A handful of those posters are even available as downloadable wallpaper for your school’s computer screens. The folks at Get Caught Reading also provide ideas for “catching” students reading in your school. For example,
● Dedicate 30 minutes each day to "Get Caught Reading Time."
● Take pictures of kids and community members who were caught reading.
● Invite local personalities and community figures to read aloud to children.
● Ask children to draw their own version of someone or something that "got caught reading" and post the drawings on bulletin boards. (One student in New Jersey got her picture displayed on a billboard!)

Another organization deeply involved in the belief that kids who read more read better is Reading is Fundamental. They offer a wide variety of resources, including these resources for parents that you should feel free to adapt for use in your school-to-home newsletters.
● 20 Ways for Parents to Encourage Reading
● Getting the Family Excited About Magazines
● Getting Your Child to Love Reading
● How to Nurture a Growing Reader
● Increasing Motivation: Tips From Kids
● Simple Things Families Can Do to Help Their Child Become a Reader
● Children Who Can Read, But Don’t… (How to Lead Reluctant Readers Age 9-13 Back to Books)
Find all of those articles at this Reading is Fundamental link: Motivating Kids to Read.

Finally, the folks at Read Across America provide tons of resources to help you create a most special day in your school. Perhaps you will invite students to send an e-card about a book they are reading to a friend or family member or to print out colorful calendar pages. And, of course, Read Across America offers great ideas for special reading events as well as activity ideas that include a Read Across America song (sheet music provided) and The Reader’s Oath. And new this year: produce a video about kids and reading like the video below that shows parents at one school engaging kids in reading and cooking up a special treat of green eggs and ham; then post your video to the Read Across America Channel on SchoolTube.

What is one thing you are doing in your school to encourage readers to read more? Thanks 1,000,000 for adding your comment below so other school leaders might benefit from your ideas.

School Service ProjectsTeach Many Lessons

2010-02-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

Whenever I see a news story about kids who are using their energy to do good in their community or for others far away, I always stop to read it. Among the stories I’ve in recent days are these three about projects that are teaching kids the curriculum as they instruct valuable lessons in giving back to their communities and others in need.

A budget crunch in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, has forced the community's public library to cut back its hours of operation. The library is closed on Fridays now, and Saturday hours have been cut back too. News of the cutbacks sent fifth graders in two of the community’s elementary schools into action. Students in Nina Strelec’s art classes designed note cards to sell for the benefit of the library’s children’s department. The students designed cards, carved their designs into linoleum blocks, and printed them. The cards were packaged eight to a bundle and sold for $5. More than 1,000 sets were pre-ordered, and the card packs are also available for sale in the library, where the children’s designs are on display. “I wanted students to understand that they can use their talent as artists to help others,” Strelec told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (read the news story). The project helped students understand the business of art from the creative side to production, assembly, and distribution, she added.

When Massachusetts teacher Andrea Boyko was looking for a unique way to help her third graders in Springfield learn the value of the number 1,000, she came up with the idea of collecting 1,000 quarters to help children half a world away. Boyko has spent many of her school vacations working at schools in Ghana, West Africa. Her experiences there led her to found an organization, Future Leaders of Ghana, which helps children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. The $250 her students raised as part of their math lesson is being used to provide school lunches for kids in those Ghanaian schools. Those students typically don’t get any lunch at all while they are in school, Boyko told the Springfield Republican (read the story). The project turned out to be a real eye-opener for Boyko’s students. They learned that they can barely budge a pile of 1,000 quarters. In addition, their connection to students in Ghana has taught them that, even though many consider themselves to be “poor,” they have much for which they can be grateful.

In Falls Church, Virginia, middle school students in Owlin Burke’s family and consumer sciences classes help to create quilts that provide a sense of safety for children in foster care. The project begins in the school’s geometry classes, where students design quilt patterns. Then students in Burke’s classes choose a design with which they want to work. Many of the students who make quilt squares as part of the class also volunteer their time after school to help assemble the quilts. Besides learning sewing skills, the students are also learning about responsibility for others. “The project gives them an opportunity to give back to the community,” Burke told the Washington Post (read the story).

In school after school, projects such as these involve students in learning as they think about and help others in the community -- or the wider world -- who can benefit from a little time and love.

It’d be great if you could take a moment to share a story from your school or community about students who carried out a project to benefit others as it gave themselves an opportunity to learn and grow. Thank you for adding your comments at the bottom of this blog entry.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Youth Service America
This organization offers ideas and other resources, including grants, for engaging youth ages 5 to 25 years in service to their communities. Their free newsletters are a valuable resource for educators. Click the globe art to the right to learn more about YSA’s Global Youth Service Day, which takes place each April.

Community Service
This Education World archive shares sample projects from teachers who believe that involving students in service projects is an effective strategy for engaging interest in the curriculum and in their communities.

Service-Learning and Community Service in K-12 Public Schools
The National Student Service-Learning and Community Service Survey was designed to measure the extent to which service-learning and community service occur in K-12 public schools. Click the link above to learn the results of that survey.

Kids and Media:Helping Parents Set Limits on Media Use

2010-01-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

No doubt you read the news reports about the latest survey of kids’ media use. Last Wednesday’s New York Times headline sums up that news: If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re Probably Online.

The new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation says that kids ages 8 to 18 spend more than 7-1/2 hours a day using media such as computers, cell phones, and televisions. If you do the math, that means kids are attached to technology more hours a week than most adults spend at work.

Here are just a few of the facts revealed by kids’ responses to the latest survey:
● 66 percent of kids own cell phones (up from 39 percent five years ago)
● 76 percent have iPods and other MP3 players (up from 17 percent)
● Kids spend 33 minutes a day talking on the cell phones; they spend 49 minutes using their cell phones for other purposes (for example, playing games, watching videos…)
● Three-fourths of all kids in grades 7-12 have a profile on a social networking site such as MySpace or Facebook
● The most popular media activities among kids include social networking (22 minutes a day), playing games (17 minutes), and visiting video sites (15 minutes)

Of course the information revealed in the latest survey comes as no surprise to many educators. And it should come as no surprise to media-enabling parents either. But that doesn’t mean we adults are prepared to deal with the statistics or draw the line when technology and social networking get in the way of school or schoolwork.

RULES HELP!

The survey revealed another not-so-surprising concept: rules help.

Twenty-eight percent of kids reported that their parents impose rules on the amount of time they spend watching TV. Even more parents impose rules when it comes to playing video games (30 percent) and computer use (36 percent). So it makes perfect sense that kids whose parents set limits on their use of media spend nearly 3 hours less a day using it. And kids who spend less time using media tend to get better grades.

Perhaps you will consider sharing some of those facts in your next parent newsletter? The facts might just engage more parents in setting time limits on media use. Just as most parents don’t let their children eat junk food all day long or stay out all night, the news of this new survey might get more parents thinking about the impact of media. You might even include in your next parent newsletter these tips for setting media-use limits from the folks at CommonSenseMedia.org.

Start good habits early. Establish boundaries. Start when your kids are young by restricting access to media: Turn the phone off during homework. IM, too. And keep an eye on the clock. The secret to healthy media use is to establish time limits and stick to them.

Keep distractions to a minimum. Try to help kids do one thing at a time. For older kids, make sure that social networking and chatting happen after homework is over -- or at timed intervals.

Be a role model. When kids are around, set an example by using media the way you want them to use it. Keep mobile devices away from the dinner table and turn the TV off when it's not actively being watched.

MORE RESOURCES FROM COMMON SENSE

Parent Advice: Setting Computer Limits Tips
More tips from the folks at CommonSenseMedia.org.

Setting Computer Time Limits
Share this handout with parents. A Spanish version of the handout is also available.

Resources for Educators
Common Sense Media provides many resources, including Workshop kits to help you produce an event that will help parents monitor and set rules for media use at home.

Blog Bits #3: New from Bill Nye Principal Crowned ‘King’ Teaching Financial Responsibility…

2010-01-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

My files are full of ideas and stories to share, so from time to time I clean out the files by sharing a few “bits” --- things of interest, things to think about, or things to share with your staff or students. Following is my third batch of Blog Bits of principal concern and interest.

BILL NYE: THE ALGEBRA GUY

Bill Nye, known worldwide as The Science Guy, is back with a new passion -- math! As he did with science, so Bill can add excitement and a new perspective to teaching and learning math. In this original, all-new series from Disney, Bill teaches algebraic principals such as fractions, exponents, and proportions in colorful and unexpected ways. By using Nye’s exciting conceptual approach to learning key mathematic principles, kids everywhere can discover how algebra relates to the world around us.

The new series includes two DVDs, that would make great gifts for the math teachers in your school.
● Solving for X: Pre-Algebra, Volume 1
● Solving for X: Algebra, Volume 1
Learn more about these DVDs and others in the Disney lineup at Disney Educational Videos: Math and Science.

PRINCIPAL CROWNED ‘KING FOR A DAY’

When Principal Greg Alexander turned 40, the kids and teachers at Sacajawea Elementary School in Caldwell, Idaho, gathered in the gymnasium. There they had positioned a king’s throne in the center. They sat Alexander down on his throne and presented him with a crown, scepter, and a cape signed by all the kids and teachers.

That special birthday celebration stands as testament to Alexander’s special brand of “servant leadership,” which resulted in his school being named one of three Distinguished Schools in Idaho for 2009.

Read more about Greg Alexander and his success at Sacajawea in an Idaho Statesman article, Principal Rallies Kids to Read at Caldwell’s ‘Distinguished School’.

$AVING OUR FUTURES:
TEACHING FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Saving Our Futures: A Financial Responsibility Program for Young People is a free online curriculum that teaches young people in middle and high school about financial responsibility. The curriculum contains six chapters and 26 modules that can be used in whole or in part to teach students about budgeting, saving, and more. The curriculum, from AmericasPromise.org, also includes extensive resources and provides opportunities for quality service-learning projects. Learn more about the Saving Our Futures curriculum, perfect for classroom and after-school program use.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: TEACHER FELLOWS PROGRAM

Habitat for Humanity’s Teacher Fellows program educates teachers about Habitat for Humanity and the volunteer opportunities available to engage their students in Habitat’s mission. During a weeklong summer build, participants will build with Habitat and learn about the local community and educational resources Habitat provides. Participants will then lead a new Habitat project with the students they work with in the year following the trip and share their knowledge and resources with colleagues.

To learn more, or to fill out an application, go to the Web page Habitat for Humanity: Teacher Fellows.

MATH FUN FOR STUDENTS

If your school includes students in the upper elementary or middle school grades, provide them with the math problems below to solve. (Answers are shown in orange.) Do students notice the symmetry of the answers that result?

Before presenting the problem, you might set a few ground rules:

Name please. Write your name at the top of your paper.

“Show me the work!” The detailed math must be shown for all steps of the problem.

Watch for the Prize Patrol. All correct answers will be entered into a contest. One winner’s paper will be drawn at random and the winner will be presented with a special prize. (If you have a deep prize drawer, you might even have multiple winners. How about a winner at each grade level?)

What a fun -- and educational -- way to keep kids engaged on a rainy indoor-recess day!

9 X 9 + 7 = 88
98 X 9 + 6 = 888
987 X 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 X 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 X 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 X 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 X 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 X 9 + 0 = 888888888

School Projects Support the Troops

2010-01-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

Third-grade students sing a sincere thank you to the men
and women who protect us in times of war and peace.
It was around Veterans Day last year that music teacher Michael Souders was searching for a special song -- a song that his students might sing as a thank you to soldiers who are serving and veterans who have served our country. When he couldn’t find a song that sounded like it came from the kids’ hearts, he and his wife, Angela, wrote one.

Soon after his students at Tussing Elementary School in Colonial Heights, Virginia, performed his song, “Thank You, Soldiers,” Souders posted it to several video-hosting Web sites. Those videos have received tens of thousands of hits, but way more heartwarming have been the letters and emails that Souder, his wife, and their students have received from active soldiers, veterans, and their families all around the world.

The Souders have posted the sheet music of the song on their Web site, Restored Ministries. There you will find a link to a free download (pdf) of the song lyrics and music for your school, church, or community group.

T-SHIRTS FOR THE TROOPS

When Principal Michael Murphy approached students at Royalton-Hartland High School in Middleport, New York, about doing something special for the troops, he found them ready and eager. As a project, students in Deborah Rey’s class decided to create T-shirts for 56 members of the Marine Wing Support Squadron-472 (MWSS-472).

Before they could create the shirts, however, they had to raise money for the needed materials. To do that, students turned their classroom into a “coffee shop” for a day. They made baked goods and sold them to members of the school’s senior class. With cash in hand, they went to work creating T-shirts that had the Marine Corps logo and platoon name on the front and the words “Roy-Hart High School’s got your back” on the reverse. The T-shirts were individually gift-wrapped and sent to the troops along with pictures of the students working on the shirts.

In return, the students received thank you notes and a flag from members of the MWSS-472, the same platoon with which Murphy had served in Iraq some years before.

Murphy says the experience has benefited his students in many ways. “Hopefully, they’ll pay more attention to the news, become more involved in community and government,” he told the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal.

HOW IS YOUR SCHOOL SUPPORTING THE TROOPS?

We’d love to hear your comments about this blog entry. And we’d like to learn what your school is doing to support our troops around the world or to recognize our veterans for their past service. Your comments (below) about this topic might encourage other school leaders to spur school-wide efforts that honor our brave men and women who serve.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Students Rewarded with Visit by Soldiers
Special education students at Memorial High School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, decided to forgo Christmas gifts in order to send care packages to U.S. troops.

Thank You, Soldiers: A Reprise
The entire student body at Tussing Elementary joins in on the chorus of “Thank You, Soldiers.”

Let’s Say Thanks
Xerox Corporation has created this site, which is designed to deliver millions of cards to servicemen and women overseas with messages of support from home. Each student might choose one of 80 kid-designed postcards to send to U.S. troops and type his or her message on it. The cards will be bundled and mailed to troops with packages sent by Give 2 the Troops. A simple school-wide project!

‘Word of the Day’ Builds Vocab, Test Scores in K-12 Schools

2010-01-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

Students at Deltona (Florida) High School have seen test scores rise as a result of the Word of the Day program. The program instructs students in Latin and Greek roots that will help them unlock thousands of words, explains reading coach Mary Thomas.
Many schools present a Word of the Day to students as part of their morning announcement or news broadcast routines. Does yours?

Whether you use a formal program or create their own, Word of the Day is a simple and powerful tool for building students' vocabulary, critical thinking skills, and test scores. In addition, you and your teachers might follow through with the Word of the Day to extend its usefulness.

You might encourage students to share with you - or submit to you - sentences that make use the Word of the Day. Each day, before you share the new Word of the Day, remind students of the previous day’s word and share a sentence submitted by a student. Be sure to spread around the spotlight so many students have the opportunity to be singled out in this way.

If you don’t already present a Word of the Day to students in your school, creating a program couldn’t be easier. Check out this sampling of sources you might use to build a program.

‘WORD OF THE DAY’ RESOURCES

SuperKids Vocabulary Builder
This site includes many tools and games for building vocabulary. The Word of the Day page offers words for students in upper elementary grades (which I find to be totally appropriate for all elementary grades) as well as individual lists for junior high/middle school and grades 9, 10, 11, and 12.

Daily Buzzword from Merriam-Webster’s Word Central
Check in each day for the new Buzzword, or sign up to receive your daily Buzzword via email or RSS. The site also offers a link to the archive of Daily Buzz Words.

WordThink’s Word of the Day
This site offers “insightful and persuasive words you can use every day.” The words are practical, never obscure, and perfect for middle school students.

‘What Does It Mean?’ from Infoplease.com
Listen to the Word of the Day, read a sentence that includes the word, then ask a question to verify that students understand its meaning in context. This source ideally lends itself to a daily classroom activity; students might use their dictionaries to verify their understanding of the word’s meaning. Infoplease’s sister site offers a similar activity: FactMonster.com’s Word Quiz.

Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day
These words are generally appropriate for grades 7 and above. A complete archive of past words enables you to pick and choose. You can even get the Word of the Day in a nicely produced podcast format that you can broadcast as part of your a.m. announcements.

Word of the Day from the New York Times Learning Network
Each entry provides a definition and pronunciation as well as links to NYT articles that include the word so students can read it in context. Words are generally appropriate for middle school and above.

Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day
This list of words is recommended for middle and high school levels. In addition to a definition, the site offers information about each word’s origin and quotes that include the word. Click an audio link to hear the word pronounced. Sign up to receive each day’s word via email.

A.Word.A.Day
This feature of the Wordsmith learning community presents a weekly theme and five words. Generally, these words are appropriate for use with high school students and adult wordsmiths. Click an audio link to hear the day’s word pronounced. Sign up to receive each day’s word via email.

The Quotation Page’s Word of the Day
Each word is defined and presented in the context of a handful of quotations from The Quotation Page’s archive. Sign up to receive each day’s word via email.

SHARE YOUR SOURCE

Do you present a Word of the Day in your school? What source do you use? Please share your source so that other school leaders might learn from your experience.

Schools Team Up to Turn Off the TV

2009-12-29T10:11:00.000-08:00

According to a recent Nielsen survey (November 2009), the average American kid ages 6-11 is spending more than 30 hours a week in front of the tube.

Younger kids spend even more time than that!

Parents watch what foods their kids eat. They monitor the toys they buy for their kids. They make sure their kids get a good night’s sleep. But do they supervise TV viewing with that same kind of care?

BUILDING A BALANCED TV DIET

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that establishing healthy TV habits is one of the most important things a parent can do. As a principal, you can help parents do their job by raising awareness and providing them with helpful advice. In your next school-to-home newsletter, you might plan to share these tips from AAP for “Building a Balanced TV Diet.”

Watch what kids eat and watch what they watch.
How much your kids eat has a big impact on their health; so does how much TV they watch.
● Chart your family's current TV intake; list all TV shows watched in a week.
● Discuss how much time your family spends with TV, which programs are worthwhile, and which can be dropped in favor of other activities.
● Then limit your child's TV viewing to one to two hours of quality programming a day. Take advantage of high-quality programs offered on DVD or from other sources.

Know what's inside the box.
You carefully read the labels on the foods your children eat. Do the same with TV. Lots of sugary sweets are not good for kids. Neither are programs with violence, lewd language, and sexual overtones.
● Read the TV listings and reviews.
● Preview programs before your kids see them. Talk to teachers and pediatricians to learn what they recommend.
● Select TV programs that build interest in other activities, such as reading, hobbies, or the outdoors.

Add plenty of nutritious content.
Look for TV “main dishes” with educational content and positive characters and values.

Sit down with a good "TV meal" -- don't just snack away.
Don't let your children just “watch TV.” The next time your children ask, “Can I watch TV?” ask them what specific program they want to watch. Help your children get in the habit of watching one TV program, then turning the TV off and doing something else. Involve your children in setting TV rules.
● Don't let your children watch TV until after their homework or chores are done.
● Make that extra effort to watch some shows together. By watching together, you're telling your children you care. “Co-viewing” can lead to lasting educational benefits.
● Tape quality shows and view them at a later time.

Put down the clicker and get some family exercise.
TV should not replace active play. Your TV diet will be most successful when it includes lots of “family exercises,” such as family discussions and activities. TV programs should be springboards that spur curiosity, discussion, and learning.

TV TURNOFF WEEK

Another thing you can do is to initiate a TV Turnoff Week in your school. TV Turnoff Week can help to raise awareness about TV viewing as it helps parents and kids take control of the electronic media in their lives instead of letting it control them. Or perhaps your school’s PTO leadership will see the value in this idea and spearhead a school-wide effort -- and maybe even a school-wide Game Night event -- during one of 2010's TV Turnoff Weeks, April 19-25 and September 19-25.

It's not too early to join thousands of other schools and community organizations that are organizing special events to get out this very important message. Start planning now with TV Turnoff’s Six Steps to a Great Turnoff.

Note: The "TV Turnoff Week" Web site is not very active these days. It will not be updated for the Turnoff Weeks in 2010. The links on the site for ordering an Organizer’s Kit are not working at this time. But don’t let that deter you. And be sure to check with the folks at your local Barnes&Noble store. Many stores are planning special events during this year's TV Turnoff Weeks.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Elephant in the Living Room: Make Television Work for Your Kids
You might even use this book as a “parent book club” selection. Use this discussion guide to guide a group discussion.

The Smart Parent’s Guide to Kids’ TV
This book provides practical techniques and strategies to assist parents in dealing with television in the lives of their children. The book is out of print, but many new and used copies are available at the link above.

NBPTS To Certify Principals Too

2009-12-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

Last week, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), the organization that sets and maintains the standards for teacher excellence, launched the National Board Certification for Educational Leaders (NBCEL), which includes the development of National Board Certification for Principals.

“Just like our board certification process for teachers, we are working to create a rigorous and meaningful process that identifies what principals should know and be able to do,” said Joseph A. Aguerrebere, NBPTS president and chief executive officer, during a webcast that introduced the new program on December 8. “Just like board certification -- which is a career stage that is well accepted in other professions like medicine or accounting or architecture -- educators, more particularly principals, will be able to reach for a higher bar, achieve it, and be recognized for it.”

Like the teacher certification process that has been in place for 20 years, the process for certifying principals will be comprehensive and rigorous, and it will involve principals in creating a portfolio of evidence that confirms achievement of the standards of leadership, Aguerrebere explained. He added that it will be real, authentic, and relevant to the job; it will be tightly linked to performance and results for students; and it will be the gold standard for the profession -- a professional growth experience second to none in the field.

“The National Board is moving rapidly from a model focusing on one teacher at a time to a new model that focuses on a school at a time,” said Robert Wise, chairman of NBPTS. “It’s an exciting new era where the National Board framework has the potential to drive school-wide and district-wide change.”

In a recent NBPTS survey, 83 percent of school leader respondents and 69 percent of district leader respondents expressed interest in National Board Certification for Principals, which is expected to become available in 2011. Both school- and district-level leaders were most interested in a certification that would better prepare principals to lead systemic instructional improvement.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

National Board Certification for Educational Leaders Launch
View a December 8, 2009, webcast of the meeting at which NBPTS announced its principal certification program. (Running time: 1:30:00)

National Board Certification for Principals
Read the latest news about the program, or sign up for email updates about it.

National Board Cerification for Principals Brochure
This is the latest (12/4/2009) principal certification brochure. Certification will become available in 2011. (PDF format)

Teachers Got Talent!

2009-12-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

So what hidden talents can be found among the teachers on your staff? Have you a teacher who can nail a back flip? A staff member who can do a spot-on Donald Duck or Barney the Dinosaur impression? A co-worker who can balance a stick on the end of his nose?

Why not videotape teachers performing their special talents and let students vote for the most impressive act? Post your teachers’ talent videos on SchoolTube and watch the excitement build as teachers vie to win the [Your School Name’s] Got Talent competition!

You might even turn your teacher talent show into a school fundraiser. Students could pay a dime per vote. For just a buck they could purchase ten tickets and stuff their favorite teacher’s ballot box. Or perhaps students will divide their votes among your school’s talented teachers by placing tickets in more than one box.

Isn’t it time to unearth your teachers’ secret talents and share them with the world? What a great, fun way to build a sense of school community!

MORE TALENTED TEACHERS

● Teachers’ Wacky Talents

● Teachers’ “Thriller” Dance

Blog Bits #2: Welch's Garden Grants Parent Engagement Toolkit Math Fun for Students

2009-12-01T09:02:00.000-08:00

My files are full of ideas to share, so from time to time I will clean out my files by sharing a few “bits” --- things of interest, things to think about, or things to share with your staff or students. Following is my second batch of blog bits of principal concern and interest.

TWO SCHOOLS IN EVERY STATE TO WIN GARDEN GRANTS

Welch's® and Scholastic Parent & Child® Magazine have launched a unique Harvest Grants program to help 100 winning schools nationwide grow fruit and vegetable gardens. Thousands of school children nationwide will have the opportunity to participate in this unique, hands-on learning experience that can help bring to life subjects such as science, math, and even literacy.

Starting this month, K-8 teachers are invited to apply to win one of 100 Harvest Grants through the Scholastic Web site http://scholastic.com/harvest/. Entries will be judged by experts at the National Gardening Association, who will select two schools in every state to receive a Welch's Harvest Grant: Welch's will award 100 garden packages, together valued at $35,000, to the winning schools. Five schools will receive $1,000 packages; 25 schools will receive $500 packages; and 70 schools will receive $250 packages. Each package will be filled with a variety of tools, seeds, and educational materials that will help students connect with nature and better understand the origins of their food supply. Deadline for submission is February 6, 2010. For complete details and official rules go to http://scholastic.com/harvest/.

PARENT ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT

How many U.S. students drop out of school each year? Would you have guessed more than a million? Approximately 1.3 million students drop out each year. That’s more than 7,000 students each school day, or nearly one in three students. Nearly 50 percent of African American and Hispanic students do not complete high school on time.

In an effort to attack that national disgrace, America’s Promise Alliance has teamed with the Annie E. Casey Foundation to create a Parent Engagement Toolkit. The kit aims to engage parents and community leaders together to solve the dropout problem. The kit is based on three priorities that are critical to student success throughout a child’s academic. Those “3 A’s” are

● Attendance Every Day -- ensure children go to school regularly;
● Achievement Every Year - monitor and help children make satisfactory progress each year; and
● Attainment Over Time - set high expectations for children and plan for attaining their long-term goals.

Those three priorities were identified because each one is critical to student success throughout a child’s academic career. Each one is heavily influenced by the actions and thinking of parents as well as educators, community-based providers and students themselves.

The kit provides parent and teacher surveys, a blueprint for involving parents in focus groups that identify barriers and challenges to student success, and more ideas for involving parents in the school improvement process.

MATH FUN FOR STUDENTS

If your school includes students in the upper elementary or middle school grades, provide them with the math problem below to solve. (Answers are shown in orange.) Do students notice the symmetry of the answers that result?

1 x 1 = 11
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Before presenting the problem, you might set a few ground rules:

Name please. Write your name at the top of your paper.

“Show me the work!” The detailed math must be shown for all steps of the problem.

Watch for the Prize Patrol. All correct answers will be entered into a contest. One winner’s paper will be drawn at random and the winner will be presented with a special prize. (If you have a deep prize drawer, you might even have multiple winners. How about a winner at each grade level?)

What a fun -- and educational -- way to keep kids engaged on a rainy indoor-recess day!

Teachers Honored on the ‘Walk of Hearts’

2009-11-23T06:57:00.001-08:00

Back in 2003, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles was doing some work in the downtown area of its Canoga Park neighborhood. That effort included replacing sidewalks, which had been damaged by the Northridge earthquake a decade earlier. As Joe Andrews read local news reports about the sidewalk work, he wondered if there might be a place in the redevelopment plans for a concept he’d been mulling for some time.

Andrews, a local realtor, had long been inspired by the teachers in his life, and he always wished he could do something to honor the ones who changed his life.

“I have loads of memories of teachers who tried to help a kid with ants in his pants,” Andrews told Education World. “At least that’s what they called it back then. Today, there might be a different label for kids afflicted with that condition.”

With thoughts of new sidewalks making news in Canoga Park, and an image in his head of the Hollywood Walk of Fame just 20 miles away, an idea was taking shape. Andrews approached the Canoga Park Chamber of Commerce with his idea for a Walk of Hearts® that would honor Los Angeles teachers. Anyone would be able to nominate a “teacher who changed a life,” Andrews explained. He pictured a plaque inscribed with the words A teacher’s passion comes from the heart and a heart formed from a quill pen. That open heart would signify a teacher’s open heart.

If Andrews was expecting the Chamber to pick up his idea and run with it, he was mistaken. They were intrigued, but overworked Chamber leaders would not be able to carry the ball on such a demanding project. If anyone was to champion the idea, they explained, it would have to be him. And so, with dogged determination, Andrews harnessed that ants-in-your-pants energy and used it to surmount obstacle after obstacle on the way to his goal. Within a year, the first ten inductees were recognized and their plaques were set in cement.

And, just a few weeks ago, five new plaques were unveiled to bring the total number of inductees to 42 teachers.

TEACHERS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, LIKE HERMAN KATZ

Herman Katz taught in Los Angeles for 50 years. In that time, Katz touched the lives of countless students, but he affected one particular student’s life by encouraging him to go to college, even helping to pay his way. The kid eventually went to law school, and today that kid -- Antonio Villaraigosa -- is the mayor of Los Angeles. It was Villaraigosa who nominated Katz -- a teacher who changed his life -- for his place on the Walk of Hearts.

The Walk of Hearts has accomplished so many of the goals Andrews had in mind when he conceived the idea. It has “created a buzz about education” in the community, he says. It has helped bring to the forefront the important role that teachers play in a child’s life. And it even played a role in Canoga Park being designated in 2005 as an All-America City.

Now Andrews would like to see the Walk of Hearts program expand into other cities and towns. He is preparing a kit that will help others follow his model and learn from the mistakes he made on the way to seeing Canoga Park’s Walk of Hearts become a community icon. For more information, visit the Walk of Hearts Web site.

HONORING EDUCATORS IN MANY WAYS

Is this an idea that could work in your community? Does your community do something unique or special to recognize inspiring educators who go above and beyond? Click the pencil below to share what your community does so others might learn from your community’s efforts.

Principals Encourage Parents to Turn Dinnertime Into School-Home Connection Time

2009-11-16T12:37:00.001-08:00

In the weeks ahead, many families will be gathering for Thanksgiving and other holiday celebrations. For some families, these special meals are a rare opportunity to sit down as a family. For school leaders, the upcoming occasions are perfect fodder for your school-to-home newsletters. They are an opportunity to remind your students’ parents about the importance of family meals.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, eating dinner together as a family every night keeps the doors of communication open between parents and children. Many studies bear out the importance of the family meal. Did you know that…
● mealtime is a rich opportunity for young children to learn words and expand their vocabulary?
● teens who have dinner with their families five or more times a week are almost twice as likely to earn A’s in school than teens who have family dinners two or fewer times per week?
● teens who sit down for frequent family dinners are less likely to smoke, drink, or use illegal drugs?
● children whose families watch TV as they eat family dinners are more likely to be overweight than those who aren’t tuned-in to television at dinnertime?

“Although hectic schedules have made family dinners a thing of the past, there is compelling evidence that sitting down at a table to share a meal is an ideal environment for family interaction,” said Laura Olson, vice president of education for Kiddie Academy International.

Olson notes that families should aim to sit down to a meal most nights of the week for a minimum of 30 minutes. For those parents wondering how they can make the most of family dinners, Olson offers the following tips, which you might share in your next school-to-home newsletter:

Be curious. Showing an interest in a child's likes and dislikes can result in the child feeling appreciated, respected, and emotionally secure. Ultimately, the child experiences a surge in self-confidence, which can positively shape his or her developmental progress in the classroom.

Get creative with conversation. Lively dialog is crucial to getting your kids to listen and share, so have all family members tell their favorite part or biggest challenge of the day. Not only will this give everyone a glimpse into each other's routine, but it will also help kids expand their vocabulary with new and intriguing words.

Be specific in your questions. Instead of just inquiring about the day at school, ask about a particular book the child may be reading or an art project he or she may be crafting. This will help the child foster ideas and opinions about the assignment that he or she may not have previously considered.

Let kids plan the menu. Getting children involved in the planning aspect of dinner gets them accustomed to thinking ahead and following step-by-step directions. Additionally, cooking is a great way to have them practice their math skills, such as adding fractions.

MORE RESOURCES TO SHARE WITH PARENTS

Make Mealtime Family Time
Make Mealtime Family Time™ exists to encourage families with children, including teenagers, to make mealtime a family time priority. The site includes many resources, including a set of 32 Mealtime Conversation-Starter Cards.

Get Involved: The Importance of Family Mealtime
This resource from the U.S. Department of Human Services explains why family mealtimes are important and offers topics families might talk about at mealtime.

NuNews: Nutrition News Your Kids Can Use
NuNews offers printable newsletters for parents on nutrition topics. These informative articles are perfect for printing on the back side of school lunch menus that you send home. Articles are available in both English and Spanish.

Strengthen Your Family Bonds by Eating Dinner Together
Print out and send home this brochure from the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Division.

Cool School Tool #4: Kids Celebrate Earth With “100 Generations” Song

2009-11-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a fun and educational way to get your school’s students thinking about Earth? Read below about a delightful way to bring your school’s Earth Day (or any day) celebration to life.

Like most kids, California sixth-grader Aitan Grossman is concerned about Earth and the impact of global warming. And like most kids, Aitan didn’t feel there was much he could do to help solve the problems Earth faces. But Aitan had an idea: he combined his love of music and Earth and created a song he calls “100 Generations,” the chorus of which goes like this…

Hawk you fly into the wild.
I am like a little child.
You and I, we share the same elation.
River run down from heaven’s hill,
Ever flow I know you will,
Lasting for 100 generations.

Aitan, his friends, and children from five continents recorded the song, and now they’d like other kids around the world to join them. They can either sing Aitan's lyrics or create their own about local natural landmarks they hold dear. All they need is music from the KidEarth Web site. They will need a digital video camera, too, if they want to star in a music video like the rap version below recorded by Stanford student Nick Streets:

“The more kids who sing Aitan’s song, the bigger its impact will be as children everywhere, together, raise the world’s awareness about climate change,” Lauren Janov, a spokesperson for KidEarth, told Education World.

JOIN A COOL PROJECT

What a cool project for kids across the U.S. and around the world! Could teachers in your school challenge their students to add their voices to a growing world chorus? Maybe each class or grade level could write a verse for a school-wide song to be performed at a great Earth Day celebration. After each class performs their verse, everyone can join in on the chorus. While you’re at it, be sure to contact your local news media outlets and let them know about this special event. Make sure you tell Aitan about it too. And, by all means, create a “100 Generations” video to add to the others already posted on the KidEarth You Tube page by students in places such as Botswana, France, Taiwan, Venezuela, Ethiopia, and the United States.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

KidEarth
The KidEarth Web site includes everything you’ll need to create a special event. On the site you will find background information as well as links to sheet music, sound files of the chorus, videos of children from around the world singing Aitan's song, and instructions for uploading your video to You Tube.

Aitan Grossman: Climate Hero
Aitan Grossman is a 12 year old who has taken his love of music and composed a remarkable song. This young climate hero hopes his composition will raise the world’s awareness about the threat of global warming to future generations.

Cuts, Cuts, Everywhere: Even Principals Get the Ax

2009-11-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

Just when we thought that budget cuts could not cut deeper, our hurting economy is forcing schools and districts to dig deeper for line items to chop. No longer is it possible for most districts to get by with a little creative number-crunching. In order to cut more dough from the bottom line, some programs have to go. Students will feel the impact of those cuts, and more.

Some of the cuts we have read about recently make sense in trying times, but others verge on the absurd. Here we have rated just a few of the cuts we’ve read about from

cuts whose time has come

to

cuts on the verge of ridiculous.

SCHOOL BUDGET CUTS IN THE NEWS

In some states, the troubled economy is breathing new life into talks of school district consolidation. Merging small districts is one way to save taxpayers' dollars, state education officials say. Merging purchasing and other functions between districts -- even larger districts -- can be another way to affect taxpayer savings. (read a related news story)

One California school district has opted to cut funding for eighth-grade graduation ceremonies from the budgets of their seven middle schools. The ceremonies have gotten bigger and more expensive over the years, they say. This cut is one whose time has come. Even the students seem to enjoy some of the other eighth-grade celebrations -- including dances, T-shirts, yearbook signing parties, honors nights, and other in-school award ceremonies -- more than the elaborate formal graduation ceremony. (read a related news story)

As the financial situation tightens for districts and families, droves of schools are cutting field trip monies from their budgets. Let’s face it: like graduation ceremonies, some trips have priced themselves out of reach for families -- and taxpayers. More and more, school parent associations are asking businesses to partner in an effort to save field trips. And schools need to pay attention to the real bottom-line when it comes to taxpayer-supported field trips: educational value. (read a related news story)

Dozens of school districts are charging teachers for appliances kept in their classrooms. Officials say that charging teachers who plug in coffeemakers, mini refrigerators, or space heaters can save districts tens of thousands of dollars a year. While we might question the need to penny-pinch in this way, we also know that electric bills have skyrocketed in recent years. Plus saving energy is always a good thing, and teachers can set an example by giving up some classroom appliances in favor of appliances kept in a central area. (read a related news story)

Teachers pay out of their own pockets for a wide array of school supplies. Now some schools are even charging teachers for the photocopies they print. Teachers are charged a penny a copy for copies in excess of their preset monthly allotments. That is a move that hurts all teachers, but especially first-year teachers who -- besides being paid at the bottom of the salary scale -- have not accumulated lots of teaching resources. Yes, all educators should seek ways to cut back on the amount of paper they use, but it’s time to put a stop to the plundering of teachers’ paychecks in this way. (read a related news story)

The school calendar has not escaped the ax. In Hawaii, most students will be attending school just four days a week for the remainder of this school year. A new labor contract that avoids layoffs in favor of furloughed instructional days is a cost-savings measure carried out on the backs of those who can least afford it: the students. Parents are furious -- and rightly so -- that a state already lagging in academic achievement would “willingly adopt the country’s shortest school year.” (read a New York Times opinion piece)

SAVE OUR PRINCIPALS

Given the current climate, it’s not surprising that districts would look everywhere they can to save money. Many districts have been forced to eliminate programs and teaching positions. Others have eliminated assistant principal positions, forcing principals to pick up additional responsibilities. Some have even assigned a single principal to lead two schools with an assistant principal or a lead teacher serving as the stand-in when the principal is out of the building.

While elaborate graduation ceremonies and expensive field trips might be budget items that warrant a second look, cutting into the principalship is education suicide. While principal-cide is not yet a clear trend, the movement could pick up steam if the economy doesn’t improve. If that happens, it’s time to whip out the research to “educate” school boards and the wider community about the power of a strong principal. A good starting point is the research undertaken by Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL). Be sure to break out the McREL research about the impact of strong leadership on school success and student achivement if you hear the whispers of principalships in danger. In addition to the general impact of leadership, McREL identified 21 specific leadership responsibilities that correlate significantly to student achievement.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Leadership and Organization Development
Learn more about McREL's Balanced Leadership program, which has helped more than 10,000 leaders nationwide learn how to translate research into results in their schools.

Skilled Leadership the Key to Improving Test Scores, Study Says
Researchers at Seattle Pacific University surveyed 40 successful principals to learn why some schools succeed while others struggle to achieve. Included: Comments from researchers and principals.

Howdy, Neighbor! Collaborating With the District Next Door
Buying in bulk may be standard operating procedure for some companies and families, but what about school districts? Two Wisconsin districts have started sharing purchasing and ideas about saving time and money.

	Percent who read11+ books a year	Percent who read21+ books a year	Percent who have not bought 1 book in past year
Book Readers	40 percent	19 percent	21 percent
Ereader Users	36 percent	26 percent	8 percent