Back to School Post Focus

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2 BACK SCHOOL

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New Hope • Golden Valley

Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018 • Page 11

Transitioning to early education Helping our youngest learners navigate big changes By RACHEL ANDERSON Contributing Writer

It w on’t be long bef ore the kids are back in school. If you have a child going into elementary, middle of high school this fall, ther e are plenty of resources out there on ho w to pr epare, but what do you do if you

are sending y our son or daughter to pr eschool for the first time? “A good place to start is b y r ealizing tha t the social/emotional aspect of school is w hat is most important f or y oung children. Some childr en will be e xtremely e xcited to start school and others will be mor e hesitant. Take y our child a t his or her social, emotional and developmental le vel. No two children are the same,� said Sandi Lo xton, the early childhood education coordinator f or W ayzata

Teacher Janet Stobel works with a preschool class.

Early Learning School in Plymouth. Loxton and her colleague, early childhood special educa tion supervisor Robin Henslin, teamed up to of fer these tips for parents: 1) Provide opportunities for your child to get excited and feel comfortable about their new adventure. 2) Discuss in ad vance what school is , w hat activities they might be doing, the parts of the day y our child will find most inter esting (e .g. art, music, playground, snack, reading). 3) If they will ha ve a school e xperience w here the caregiver does not stay, discuss this separ ation in the w eeks leading up to school. R emind the child that you will al ways come back. 4) Create and use social stories to describe and chronicle the f ormat of the da y. F or e xample, create a book and include

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF WAZYATA PUBLIC SCHOOLS)

Teacher Kathy Kirchner helps a student work on his scissor skills.

pictures w here it sho ws getting in the car or b us to go to school, a pictur e of the school, a picture of the room, a picture of the caregiver and child gi ving each other a hug good bye, a picture of the teacher if possible, students doing art acti vities, cir cle time pictures, pla yground pictures, snack pictur es, and a pictur e r eturning home. Use r eal pictur es

wherever possible. 5) R ead other stories about the first day of school. It helps f or children to kno w tha t other children do this also. 6) If possible, see if your child will kno w any other children in his/her class . Due to da ta pri vacy, the school can’t give out class list inf ormation, b ut y ou may kno w the childr en based on past experiences.

7) Get a first day of school pictur e! Y ou will want to r emember these days. 8) As a caregiver, be sure to tak e car e of y ourself too. Taking your childr en to school for the first time can be a v ery emotional experience for adults too.

See PreK, Next Page

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Page 12 • Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018

New Hope • Golden Valley

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BACK2SCHOOL PreK CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Loxton r ecommends that if possible, you take your child to visit the classroom and meet the teacher ahead of time , and when that first day of school arri ves mak e the dr op of f short and sweet. “Don ’t linger . Dragging the dr op off out mak es it mor e difficult for y ou and the child. The staf f are well trained to deal with separation and they will insure your child is having a successful day,” she said. Henslin adds that now,

before preschool begins, is also a good time to schedule y our child’ s state r equired Ear ly Childhood Scr eening. “The best age to get your child screened is around 3 1/2 y ears of age. It is a r equirement to begin kindergarten, b ut it is not a kinder garten entrance e xamination. Contact y our school district to schedule an appointment,” she said. If y ou ha ve developmental concerns or questions r egarding your child, y ou should contact y our school district or mak ea referral on the Help Me Grow w ebsite: http:// helpmegrowmn.org/ HMG/index.htm

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF WAZYATA PUBLIC SCHOOLS)

Our earliest learners are getting ready to head to preschool, where the social and emotional aspect of school is very important.

Adult learners bring their own perspective, hurdles to academia By SEAN MINER sean.miner@ecm-inc.com

Children get w ell used to the rh ythm of thr ee months of summer vacation, f ollowed b y the inevitable return to school each fall. Going back to school, for an adult, ho wever, can be a m uch dif ferent prospect. R epresenting a clear, meaningful choice and bolster ed b y y ears of educa tion in the r eal world, adult learners bring a dif ferent perspecti ve than their y ounger counterparts. Kate La wrence, 36, is pursuing an associa te’s degree in paralegal studies at North Hennepin Community College . A mother of three, she w ent back to school f our y ears ago, first to the state’s newly-minted Standar d Adult Diploma program. “It w as easier f or me than some people I kno w who have gone back,” said Lawrence. “I continued to do a lot of r eading and kept my academics pr etty strong, and I did go half-

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time thr oughout college , just to keep it manageable.” With just one more year to go on her associa te’s degree, La wrence is also the pr esident of the Student Sena te a t North Hennepin. She also works part-time in a w ork study in the diversity and equity department on campus. Whether they’re parents or not, adult learners often have mor e r esponsibilities to juggle with higher education than y ounger learners. “As an adult student, you don ’t ha ve as m uch time to commit to things as ma ybe a tr aditional student or PSEO student,” said La wrence. “I’ll ha ve to make sure I get home in time to pick up y kids from the bus stop or something like that, so it’s not always as flexible. But, if you plan ahead, y ou can pr etty much do an y of the same things tha t y ou w ant or need to do.” She noted tha t the Student Sena te w as one activity she felt w as particularly important to engage in. “I ha ve f ound some

of the policies of North Hennepin to be v ery welcoming, and I w ant to make sur e ther e’s al ways people in volved tha t ar e going to k eep it going in the right dir ection,” said Lawrence. “I felt lik e if I want tha t, then I ha ve to actually put the w ork in myself.” Ed Sw eeney, 55, took yet another tr ack. Out of high school, he joined the U.S. Na vy f or 26 y ears. He spent near ly a decade working in the n uclear power industry. Though Sw eeney had attained a master’s degree in pr oject mana gement, he w as unhir able in the electrical engineering field without a r elevant degree, despite ha ving w orked in the industry f or years. So, he went back to college for an electrical engineering degree, a ttending se veral different comm unity colleges o ver the last several semesters to cr ank it out as fast as he could. Most r ecently, Sw eeney finished a summer semester a t Nor mandale Community College. “The big thing is tha t

it’s tougher the second time around, especially for the technical stuf f,” said Sweeney. “I’m 55 years old, so trying to learn Calculus II is sort of har d — it’ s been a long time since I’ve done math.” Sweeney pointed out some dif ferences betw een the student bodies he’ d been a member of ear lier in life compared to now, as well — among them lax er views on a ttendance and dress. “During the summer , people come in shorts , and I’m al ways in b lue jeans and polo shirts,” said Sweeney. “Tha t’s just the way I’m wir ed — just m y generation I guess.” Like Lawrence, Sweeney acknowledged some of the same unique hurdles adult learners face as compar ed to their younger peers. “Real-world factors , as adult learners , can r eally hamper us sometimes , because y ou ha ve obligations,” said Sweeney. “We don ’t ha ve momm y and dad dy to go back to See Adults, Next Page

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New Hope • Golden Valley

Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018 • Page 13

BACK2SCHOOL “I was inspired to by a math teacher,� explained Sw eeney. “He’s 70 and still CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE teaches in the summer and the fall, and then in the spring, he takes his RV down south. At tha t point, y ou don’t and live off of — we are mommy and need to work, but why not have fun?� daddy.� For mor e inf ormation on North Sweeney ultimately plans to pursue Hennepin Comm unity College , visit a master’ s degr ee, with the aim of nhcc.edu. F or mor e inf ormation on teaching a t a comm unity college lik e Normandale Community College, visit the ones he has attended recently. normandale.edu.

Adults

Shop savvy for school supplies this year By ALAINA ROOKER alaina.rooker@ecm-inc.com

Retailers have once again packed their aisles with ruled note books, binders , pencils, and calculators as families gear up f or one of the most contentious battles of the y ear: back to school shopping. Grab y our suppl y list and f ollow along with local tips submitted by Sun readers. Happy shopping! Now or never “Many schools ha ve brand specific items, and you ma y ha ve tr ouble finding them the closer you get to school starting,� said Lesa Herman of New Hope. Go through the list and identify w hat items ar e detailed or ma y r equire a fe w stops . Tha t purple binder ma y seem basic enough tha t some stor e will always have it in stock, but r eaders r eport tha t many times color -specific items ar e the one f ound after many repeat trips. Crystal r esident Lese

Wright pr aised w eekly fliers and advertisements to sta y in the kno w on when back-to-school deals are ha ppening and w hen. These ar e fr ee and ar e often delivered straight to your door. Larger r etailers also typically have their weekly ad available for viewing on their w ebsite or thr ough their verified app. Verified apps can also offer ad ditional sa vings like Cartw heel b y T arget. Discounts can be compiled and taken off the total b y scanning a bar code a t checkout. Wright said she also vie ws coupon and deal w ebsites like pock etyourdollars. com for a listing of good deals on back to school supplies. Higher priced items like graphing calcula tors ar e often in high demand this time of year and will be at the $70 to $90 price range. Check with your preferred retailer’s price ma tching policy to get the best deal. Shoppers ma y also look for used models a t a

significantly reduced price at garage sales, secondhand stores like Salvation Army or Goodwill, or on private sale w ebsites lik e eBa y, Craiglist, or F acebook Marketplace. Try out shopping alternatives In a pinch, or dering individual items on online retailers like Amazon can cut down on dri ving time and ensure a quick delivery. Other bo x stor e retailers lik e T arget and Walmart no w of fer an online shopping service available f or customers to pick up in as little as a few hours , and r emain in a holding loca tion f or a few days. Options include walking in-stor e or using an a pplication to ha ve employees w alk ba gged goods out to customers in the parking lot. Chantel J ullie of Ne w Hope also r ecommended purchased supplies directly See Supplies, Next Page

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Page 14 • Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018

New Hope • Golden Valley

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BACK2SCHOOL

Supplies CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

to pa y f or con venience, and can instead in vest time on choosing mor e personalized items lik e backpacks and clothing. Jullie said her biggest tip is to b uy a high quality backpack. “Think Lands End or Pottery Barn, � she said. “Wait until they have sales or free shipping. They will last y ears, unlik e chea p character ones w hich you have to r eplace m ultiple times a year.�

through the school if the district or local PTO offers the service. “The kids get a bo x delivered of e verything they need right to their desk, � she said. Other submissions recommended this option for its ease of use b ut warned that the price may be a little steep. Plan when (and if) In the end, families scrapped for time may opt children come along

There are pros and cons to taking childr en along to choose back to school supplies. On one hand, it can give a child agency to be r esponsible f or their own items, and teach them money management. Larger families ma y feel that the task of back to school shopping is particularly daunting. In these cases , gr abbing the essentials on y our o wn time ma y be beneficial, and deciding ahead of time which items children want to pick out on their own time.

if items can ’t be f ound in time f or the first day, everything will be just fine. Families ma y also realize their enthusiasm for the start of the y ear Details probably manifested in the purchase don’t matter of too man y supplies . If certain items can ’t be Over-purchased items found, then don’t sweat! can al ways be r eturned, Both childr en and or families can consider parents know the stress of donating to the school or a few unchecked items on local food shelf. the supply checklist as the PRISM, a nonpr ofit first day ticks closer. serving Golden V alley, That str ess can mak e a Robbinsdale, Ne w Hope , child feel tha t he or she is Crystal, and Pl ymouth is ill-prepared for the year to currently offering a school begin. supply dri ve thr ough Remind childr en tha t If childr en ar e invited, b udget e xtra time and money f or gr abbing snacks or a meal on the go.

Why Pursue College? By BARBARA MCDONALD Contributing Columnist

As w e a pproach the new academic y ear, one might be w ondering “why� attend college. As president of North Hennepin Community College , you pr obably w ouldn’t be surprised to hear me tout the v alue of a college credential, w hether tha t is a degr ee, certificate or diploma. Ho wever, y ou might be surprised to learn some of the reasons why. First, a college degree can improve your ability to land a meaningful job and earn higher wages. Over a 40-year working life, it is estima ted

that adults with a tw o-year degree will earn 24 per cent more than a typical high school graduate, and those with a bachelor’ s degr ee will earn 66 per cent mor e than a typical high school graduate. (Educa tion P ays 2016 b y College Boar d) In fact, F orbes Ma gazine recently noted tha t a fulltime w orker w ho has graduated with a postsecondary degr ee earns nearly doub le tha t of a high school gr aduate. If taking into consider ation that both the high school graduate and the college graduate w ork until they are 65, the college graduate will ha ve made near ly $1

million mor e than the high school gr aduate. That means investing in a college degree has the potential to bring di vidends, not to mention other benefits like retirement packa ges and healthcare. It’s clear tha t a college degree is a v aluable investment. Financials aside , ther e are several valuable reasons to further y our educa tion. Attending college connects you to y our comm unity, creating ne w meaningful relationships and support networks thr ough clubs , organizations, and academic and comm unity r esources. Parents and working adults often r eturn to school to

Barbara McDonald

reinforce the importance of a college degree for their kids or to retool and retrain for career advancement. For the indi vidual, successfull y completing courses and programs of stud y b uilds confidence in job interviews and encour ages bigger thinking. In fact, having an educated citiz enry mak es

our comm unity and our country healthier in e very sense. Understandably, the decision to return to school is not an easy one . We are here to help y ou figure it out because we are YOUR community college ready to serve you. NHCC is a great place to start and finish a degree f or man y r easons. When w e talk to students who successfull y a ttended college, the majority ar e satisfied customers. W hy? Students tell us that NHCC is con veniently loca ted and of fers a safe , di verse and w elcoming campus environment. NHCC offers them o ver 70 certificate and degr ee pr ograms to choose fr om, as w ell as undergraduate research and

Aug. 14. Dona tions of supplies and backpacks can be dropped of at their Golden Valley location or purchased online at tinyurl. com/PRISMsupplies. According to the PRISM website, most needed items ar e backpacks , pencil bo xes, flash drives, binders, and college-ruled notebooks. The supplies will be distrib uted to families in need Aug. 24. Check with y our local nonprofit or food shelf to see if they ar e r eceiving extra supplies.

internship opportunities . Students a ppreciate our experienced and dedica ted faculty and staf f, and the fact tha t with small class sizes, students can b uild relationships easil y – they feel a t home! In ad dition, students like that they can stay on campus to pursue a bachelor’s degr ee thr ough NHCC’s University Center. Take the first step today toward a college degree and register a t www .nhcc.edu/ visit for a fr ee Information Session, Monda ys and Fridays a t 10 a.m. or Tuesdays a t 5:30 p .m. Or contact Admissions to schedule a time tha t works for you at admission@nhcc. edu or 763-424-0724. Barbara McDonald is president of North Hennepin Community College.

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