2 BACK SCHOOL
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Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018 • Page 13
Transitioning to early education Helping our youngest learners navigate big changes By RACHEL ANDERSON Contributing Writer
It won’t be long before the kids are back in school. If you have a child going into elementary, middle of high school this fall, there are plenty of resources out there on how to prepare, but what do you do if you are sending your son or
daughter to preschool for the first time? “A good place to start is by realizing that the social/emotional aspect of school is what is most important for young children. Some children will be extremely excited to start school and others will be more hesitant. Take your child at his or her social, emotional and developmental level. No two children are the same,� said Sandi Loxton, the early childhood education coordinator for Wayzata Early Learning School in
Teacher Janet Stobel works with a preschool class.
Plymouth. Loxton and her colleague, early childhood special education supervisor Robin Henslin, teamed up to offer these tips for parents: 1) Provide opportunities for your child to get excited and feel comfortable about their new adventure. 2) Discuss in advance what school is, what activities they might be doing, the parts of the day your child will find most interesting (e.g. art, music, playground, snack, reading). 3) If they will have a school experience where the caregiver does not stay, discuss this separation in the weeks leading up to school. Remind the child that you will always come back. 4) Create and use social stories to describe and chronicle the format of the day. For example, create a book and include pictures where it shows
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(PHOTOS COURTESY OF WAZYATA PUBLIC SCHOOLS)
Teacher Kathy Kirchner helps a student work on his scissor skills.
getting in the car or bus to go to school, a picture of the school, a picture of the room, a picture of the caregiver and child giving each other a hug good bye, a picture of the teacher if possible, students doing art activities, circle time pictures, playground pictures, snack pictures, and a picture returning home. Use real pictures wherever possible.
5) Read other stories about the first day of school. It helps for children to know that other children do this also. 6) If possible, see if your child will know any other children in his/her class. Due to data privacy, the school can’t give out class list information, but you may know the children based on past experiences. 7) Get a first day of
school picture! You will want to remember these days. 8) As a caregiver, be sure to take care of yourself too. Taking your children to school for the first time can be a very emotional experience for adults too. Loxton recommends that if possible, you take See PreK, Next Page
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Page 14 â&#x20AC;˘ Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018
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PreK CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
your child to visit the classroom and meet the teacher ahead of time, and when that first day of school arrives make the drop off short and sweet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t linger. Dragging the drop off out makes it more difficult for you and the child. The staff are well trained to deal with separation and they will insure your child is having a successful day,â&#x20AC;? she said. Henslin adds that now, before preschool begins, is also a good time to
schedule your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s state required Early Childhood Screening. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The best age to get your child screened is around 3 1/2 years of age. It is a requirement to begin kindergarten, but it is not a kindergarten entrance examination. Contact your school district to schedule an appointment,â&#x20AC;? she said. If you have developmental concerns or questions regarding your child, you should contact your school district or make a referral on the Help Me Grow website: http:// h e l p m e g row m n . o rg / 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.
Shop savvy for school supplies By ALAINA ROOKER alaina.rooker@ecm-inc.com
Retailers have once again packed their aisles with ruled notebooks, binders, pencils, and calculators as families gear up for one of the most contentious battles of the year: back to school shopping. Grab your supply list and follow along with local tips submitted by Sun readers. Happy shopping! Now or never â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many schools have brand specific items, and you may have trouble finding them the closer you get to school starting,â&#x20AC;? said Lesa Herman of New Hope. Go through the list and identify what items are detailed or may require a few stops. That purple binder may seem basic enough that some store will always have it in stock, but readers report that many times color-specific items are the one found after many repeat trips. Crystal resident Lese Wright praised weekly fli-
ers and advertisements to stay in the know on when back-to-school deals are happening and when. These are free and are often delivered straight to your door. Larger retailers also typically have their weekly ad available for viewing on their website or through their verified app. Verified apps can also offer additional savings like Cartwheel by Target. Discounts can be compiled and taken off the total by scanning a bar code at checkout. Wright said she also views coupon and deal websites like pocketyourdollars.com for a listing of good deals on back to school supplies. Higher priced items like graphing calculators are often in high demand this time of year and will be at the $70 to $90 price range. Check with your preferred retailerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s price matching policy to get the best deal. Shoppers may also look for used models at a significantly reduced price at garage sales, secondhand stores like Salvation Army or Goodwill, or on private
sale websites like eBay, but warned that the price Craiglist, or Facebook may be a little steep. In the end, families Marketplace. scrapped for time may opt Try out shopping to pay for convenience, alternatives and can instead invest In a pinch, ordering time on choosing more individual items on online personalized items like retailers like Amazon backpacks and clothing. Jullie said her biggest can cut down on driving time and ensure a quick tip is to buy a high quality backpack. delivery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Think Lands End or Other box store retailers Pottery Barn,â&#x20AC;? she said. like Target and Walmart â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wait until they have sales now offer an online shopping service available for or free shipping. They will customers to pick up in last years, unlike cheap as little as a few hours, character ones which you and remain in a holding have to replace multiple location for a few days. times a year.â&#x20AC;? Options include walking Plan when (and if) in-store or using an applichildren come along cation to have employees There are pros and cons walk bagged goods out to to taking children along customers in the parking to choose back to school lot. supplies. On one hand, Chantel Jullie of New it can give a child agency Hope also recommended to be responsible for their purchased supplies diown items, and teach them rectly through the school money management. if the district or local PTO Larger families may offers the service. feel that the task of back â&#x20AC;&#x153;The kids get a box deto school shopping is livered of everything they particularly daunting. In need right to their desk,â&#x20AC;? she said. Other submisSee Supplies, sions recommended this Next Page option for its ease of use
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BACK2SCHOOL Supplies CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
these cases, grabbing the essentials on your own time may be beneficial, and deciding ahead of time which items children want to pick out on their own time. If children are in-
vited, budget extra time first day ticks closer. and money for grabbing That stress can make a snacks or a meal on the child feel that he or she is go. ill-prepared for the year to begin. Details probably Remind children that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter if items canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be found in If certain items canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be time for the first day, evfound, then donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sweat! erything will be just fine. Both children and parFamilies may also realents know the stress of a ize their enthusiasm for few unchecked items on the start of the year manthe supply checklist as the ifested in the purchase
of too many supplies. Over-purchased items can always be returned, or families can consider donating to the school or local food shelf. PRISM, a nonprofit serving Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, New Hope, Crystal, and Plymouth is currently offering a school
supply drive through Aug. 14. Donations 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 are
backpacks, pencil boxes, flash drives, binders, and college-ruled notebooks. The supplies will be distributed to families in need Aug. 24. Check with your local nonprofit or food shelf to see if they are receiving extra supplies.
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Why pursue college? By BARBARA MCDONALD Contributing Columnist
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As we approach the new academic year, one might be wondering â&#x20AC;&#x153;whyâ&#x20AC;? attend college. As president of North Hennepin Community
College, you probably wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprised to hear me tout the value of a college credential, whether that is a degree, certificate or diploma. However, you 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 estimated that adults with a two-year degree will earn 24 percent more than a typical high school graduate, and those
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Page 16 â&#x20AC;˘ Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018
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Column CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
with a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree will earn 66 percent more than a typical high school graduate. (Education Pays 2016 by College Board) In fact, Forbes Magazine recently noted that a fulltime worker who has graduated with a postsecondary degree earns nearly double that of a high school graduate. If taking into consideration that both the high school graduate and the college graduate work until they are 65, the college graduate will have made nearly $1 million more than the high school graduate. That means investing in a college degree has the potential
to bring dividends, not to mention other benefits like retirement packages and healthcare. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear that a college degree is a valuable investment. Financials aside, there are several valuable reasons to further your education. Attending college connects you to your community, creating new meaningful relationships and support networks through clubs, organizations, and academic and community resources. Parents and working adults often return to school to reinforce the importance of a college degree for their kids or to retool and retrain for career advancement. For the individual, successfully completing courses and programs of study builds confidence in job interviews and encourages bigger
thinking. In fact, having an educated citizenry makes our community and our country healthier in every sense. Understandably, the decision to return to school is not an easy one. We are here to help you figure it out because we are your community college ready to serve you. NHCC is a great place to start and finish a degree for many reasons. When we talk to students who successfully attended college, the majority are satisfied customers. Why? Students tell us that NHCC is conveniently located and offers a safe, diverse and welcoming campus environment. NHCC offers them over 70 certificate and degree programs to choose from, as well as undergraduate research and internship
opportunities. Students appreciate our experienced and dedicated faculty and staff, and the fact that with small class sizes, students can build relationships easily â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they feel at home! In addition, students like that they can stay on campus to pursue a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree through NHCCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University Center. Take the first step today toward a college degree
Barbara McDonald is president of North Hennepin Community College. Barbara McDonald
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and register at www.nhcc. edu/visit for a free Information Session, Mondays and Fridays at 10 a.m. or Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. Or contact Admissions to schedule a time that works for you at admission@ nhcc.edu or 763-424-0724.
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