2017
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Parents and students, be prepared to have a successful school year By Joe Hotchkiss Staff Writer
Be prepared and stay involved. That’s some of the most valuable advice area principals would impart to students and their parents as the new school year is about to get underway. “The big thing for parents, what I see, is they really need to be involved with students throughout the year,” said Scott McClintock, principal of the Academy of Richmond County. “The schools are willing to accept parents and help in all facets. The better the parental involvement, the better the school year is going to go.” For students, he said, the key is to be prepared every day and to manage your time well. Whatever you learn in class each day, refresh every night and prepare for the following school day, he said. You shouldn’t wait until the last minute to study – that way, you won’t have to cram. That is especially true for incoming high school freshmen, McClintock said. “It’s a different world when they get to high school, and they really have to stay on top of their studies,” he said. Solid preparation extends to parents, too. Dr. Sal Minolfo, principal of Belvedere Elementary School in Aiken County, said a school can best meet a student’s needs if the school knows what the student needs. “One thing I think parents would really benefit from would be going prepared to share important information, and what their expectations are,” he said. “Parents have an expectation of how much they want to be contacted
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2 | Back to School 2017
by the teacher and the type of information they’re looking for. If you want to know what your child is doing, provide current information.” Minolfo also said reading to your child, or encouraging your child to read, is an immense help for elementary school students. Check the internet for online tutorials students can use year round to stay academically agile, especially in reading and math. “There are a huge amount of websites to drill kids,” Minolfo said. “The more fluent they are, the better.” Preparation and involvement can’t be stressed enough. “A good way to start the year off in the right direction is to attend open house to get acquainted with your teachers,” said Michael Johnson, principal of Evans High School. “Join a club or two to feel involved and part of the school. Find your bus number and where your bus stop will be for a smooth first day.”
AIKEN COUNTY
acpsd.net
Try these organizational tips to help with the school year The new school year brings hectic mornings, piles of homework, endless events, practices, games and school conferences. When you’re a busy parent, dayto-day tasks can consume your thoughts and energy. Stay organized and sane by following these simple tips:
Centralize Communication Aug. 23: First day of school Sept. 4: Labor Day holiday Sept. 26: Interim Report issued Oct. 23: Teacher workday/parent conferences Oct. 26: End of first nine weeks Oct. 31: Report cards issued Nov. 22-24: Thanksgiving holidays Nov. 30: Interim reports Dec. 14-19: Semester exams Dec. 19: Last day of class Dec. 20-Jan. 2: Winter break Jan. 3: Teacher workday Jan. 4: Classes resume Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Jan. 18: End of first semester Of note: • School times - Schools will start and end at consistent times throughout the district. Elementary school will be held from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., middle school from 8 a.m.3:10 p.m.; and high school from 8:20 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Because of the grade spans of Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle/ High and Busbee Corbett Elementary/Middle, students’ arrival/dismissal time at those schools will be 7:45 a.m.-2:55 p.m. for elementary and middle
Jan. 19: Teacher workday Jan. 25: Report cards issued Feb. 19: Presidents Day holiday Feb. 22: Report cards issued March 23: Teacher workday March 27: End of third nine weeks March 29: Report cards issued March 30: Good Friday holiday April 2-6: Spring Break May 3: Interim reports issued May 28: Memorial Day holiday June 4: Semester exams June 5-7: Semester exams (half days) June 7: Last day of class June 7-8: Graduations June 14: Report cards issued school and 8 a.m.-3:10 p.m for high school. • Early release days have moved to fourth Wednesdays: Sept. 27, Oct. 25, Jan. 24, Feb. 28, March 28. •The application deadline is Jan. 19 for the Aiken Scholars Academy, a new academic opportunity for the county’s highest-achieving students. The academy will open in fall 2018 at USC Aiken. For details, visit acpsd.net.
Communication is key when it comes to organization. Stay in sync with your family by using a digital calendar. Smartphone apps such as Hub allow multiple users to share to-do and shopping lists, appointments, commitments and more. In addition, many apps have messaging capabilities to ensure users can share specific details (“Bring treats Tuesday”) and last-minute changes (“Grandma is picking up the kids today”) with one or more family members.
Organization Station If your family prefers a physical calendar, incorporate it into a complete “home command station” in an area everyone passes, like a nook in the kitchen or a corner in the family room. Use chalkboard paint to create a reusable messaging wall for daily assignments and appointments. Include a shelf or cubby with an inbox and outbox so permission slips, bills and documents don’t get lost. Make this station even more useful by adding a dedicated space for children to do homework. Include a desk, computer, school supplies and a bright desk lamp. Encourage success by posting recent “wins” nearby, like that aced spelling test or impressionist masterpiece. Utilize file cabinets, labeled folders or pouches to separate print materials and USB flash drives by subject, so homework can be handled with less stress.
Modify Meal Prep Before heading to the market, map out meals for the week that share common ingredients, to increase efficiency and reduce waste; then create a shopping list packed with fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Prep breakfasts and lunches the night before and ensure your family consumes healthy, whole foods, versus pre-packaged convenience foods. Smoothies provide a nutritious breakfast or on-the-go. Prepare and freeze individual servings of chopped fruits and vegetables in resealable bags. When you’re ready to use, place the frozen produce into a blender, add almond milk, soy milk or water and blend on high until the desired consistency is reached. For lunch, prep power-packed meals with items like almond and seed butters to provide protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. Mix unsalted, roasted almonds and canola oil in a blender to create homemade almond butter; or blend sunflower seeds, flaxseed, sesame seeds and sunflower oil for an allergy-friendly no-nut butter. Pair these delicious spreads with jam on whole-wheat bread for a twist on a traditional lunchbox favorite. Staying organized is not easy. Making just a few small changes will help you reap the benefits of a more balanced life this back-to-school season. - StatePoint
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BURKE COUNTY www.burke.k12.ga.us
July 29: Open House Aug. 1: First day of school Sept. 1: Progress reports Sept. 4: Labor Day Holiday Sept. 13: 2-hour early release Oct. 3: End of first nine weeks Oct. 6: Report Cards Oct. 9-10: Fall Break Oct. 16-20: Students dismiss 1 hour early Nov. 7: Progress Reports Nov. 10: Veteran’s Day Holiday Nov. 20-24: Thanksgiving Holidays Dec. 15: Last day of first semester Dec. 18-Jan. 1: Christmas Holiday Jan. 2: Professional Learning/ Student holiday Jan. 3: First day of second semester Jan. 5: Report Cards
Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Feb. 2: Progress Reports Feb. 7: 2-hour early release Feb. 19: Winter Break March 8: End of third nine weeks March 14: Report Cards March 19-23: Students dismiss 1 hour early March 30: Good Friday April 2-6: Spring Break April 18: Progress reports May 18: Last day of second semester/Elementary report cards May 19: BCHS Graduation, 10 a.m. May 25: Middle and high school report cards
Will you be Spotted? Look for back-to-school photos and upload your own at spotted.augusta.com.
MCDUFFIE COUNTY www.mcduffie.k12.ga.us
Start the school year off right!
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Aug. 3: Open House Aug. 7: First day of school Sept. 4: Labor Day Holiday Oct. 6: End of Grading Period/ Early Release Day Oct. 9: Student/Teacher Fall Holiday Oct. 10: Begin grading period Nov. 17: Early Release Day Nov. 20-24: Thanksgiving Holidays Dec. 15: End of Grading Period/ Early Release Day Dec. 18-Jan. 2: Christmas Holidays Jan. 3: In-Service Day (Student Holiday) 4 | Back to School 2017
Jan. 4: Begin grading period Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Feb. 19: Presidents’ Day Holiday March 9: End of Grading Period/ Early Release Day March 12: Student/Teacher Winter Holiday March 13: Begin grading period April 2-6: Spring Break May 22: Last day of school/ Early Release Day May 25: Graduation May 26-27: Graduation make-up days
COLUMBIA COUNTY ccboe.net
Aug. 7: First day of school Sept. 4: Labor Day holiday Sept. 8: Progress reports issued Sept. 21: Parent conferences Oct. 9: Holiday Oct. 10: Student holiday/teacher workday Oct. 12: End of first nine weeks Oct. 18: Report cards issued Nov. 7: Progress reports issued Nov. 20-24: Thanksgiving holidays Dec. 15, 18-20: Semester exams Dec. 20: End of first semester Dec. 21-Jan. 8: Holidays Jan. 8: Student holiday/teacher workday Jan. 9: First day of second semester
Of note: • Open House will be: Elementary schools - 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3 Middle schools – 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1 (grade 6) and Wednesday, Aug. 2 (grades 7-8) High schools – Monday, July 31 Evans: 5-7 p.m. (grade 9) and 6-8 p.m. (grades 10-12) Greenbrier: 5-6 p.m. (grade 9) and 6-8 p.m. (grades 10-12) Grovetown: 5-6 p.m. (grade 9) and 6-8 p.m. (grades 10-12) Harlem: 5-6 p.m. (grade 9) and 6-8 p.m. (grades 10-12) Lakeside: 4-6 p.m. (grade 9) and 6-8 p.m. (grades 10-12) • Columbia County School District is opening new schools for Grovetown Elementary and Harlem Middle. • School lunch prices are
Jan. 12: Report cards issued Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Feb. 9: Progress reports Feb. 19: Presidents Day holiday March 14: End of nine weeks March 15: Parent conferences March 16: Student holiday/ teacher workday March 21: Report cards issued April 2-6, 9: Spring Break April 24: Progress report issued May 22-25: Semester exams May 25: Last day of school May 28: Memorial Day holiday May 30: Report cards issued TBA: Gradutaton
increasing for the first time in 15 years to breakfast $1.50; lunch $2.85. Reduced cost breakfast and lunch remain 30 cents and 40 cents, respectively. • Required for enrollment: Student’s birth certificate, Social Security card (if available), and most recent report card, two proofs of residency; Certificate 3300 4-Point Screening (eye, ear, dental and nutritional screening issued by physicians or the Public Health Dept. due within 90 calendar days of enrollment; Immunization Certificate 3231 (issued by physician or the Public Health Dept.) Find details on required immunizations at http://www. ccboe.net/pages/Columbia_ County/Departments/Nurses/ New_Immunizations Back to School 2017 | 5
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edgefield county www.edgefieldcountyschools.org
Back-to-School Events United Way of the CSRA Stuff the Bus Collection: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, July 28, Augusta Kroc Center; companies and individuals invited to donate school supplies or money to purchase supplies for children in need; (706) 724-5544, www.uwcsra.org Back to School Blast: 7 p.m. Friday, July 28, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, 809 Mount Pleasant Church Road; (706) 860-5616, www.mpbcgrovetown.org “In It 2 Win It” Community Youth Block Party: Noon Saturday, July 29, Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, 2127 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.; car show, music, games, food and fun; basic school supplies will be distributed to the first 200 youth; www.msmbcaug.org Back-to-School Giveaway: 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 710 East Cedar St.; presented by the Evangelism and Youth ministries; (706) 722-1031 Eighth annual Back-to-School Bash: 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, Diamond Lakes Community Center, 105 Diamond Lakes Way, Hephzibah; 800 bags of school supplies free while they last; door prizes; free hot dogs, chips and drink; games; Blackwell’s karate demonstrations; child ID by Richmond County Marshal’s Office; blood mobile and more; child must be present; (706) 564-3387 or (706) 631-1502 Back-to-School Bash: 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, St. Mark United Methodist Church, 2367 Washington Road; inaugural, free event for families with children preparing to go back to school; free haircuts, school supplies, coloring contest, popcorn, water slide, more; volunteers welcome; (706) 830-2218
For more back-to-school events, visit events.augustachronicle.com.
Aug. 17: First day of school Aug. 21: Student Holiday Sept. 4: Labor Day Holiday Sept. 19: Interim Reports Oct. 23: Begin second nine weeks Oct. 26-27: Parent Conferences Oct. 27, 30-31: Fall Break Nov. 22-24: Thanksgiving Holiday Nov. 29: Interim Reports Dec. 15: Half day for students Dec. 18-29, Jan. 1: Winter Break Jan. 2: Teacher workday Jan. 3: Students Return Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Jan. 19: Begin third nine weeks Jan. 25: Report Cards Issued 6 | Back to School 2017
Feb. 16: Staff Development Day Feb. 19: President’s Day Holiday (snow day) Feb. 21: Interim Reports March 16: Staff Development Day March 28: Begin fourth nine weeks March 30: Holiday (snow day) April 2-6: Spring Break Holiday April 12: Report Cards Issued May 4: Interim Reports May 28: Memorial Day Holiday (snow day) June 6-7: Half day for students June 7: Last day of school/End fourth nine weeks June 8: Graduation
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE’S 2017 BEST & BRIGHTEST AWARD STUDENTS Rebecca Helling Elizabeth Carter Connor Sweeney Mikayla Jenkins Alexander Kirov Brittany Mills William Johnson
Julia Powell Alexander Arnett Sydney Cederboom Ellie Burns Jared DeMass Emma Claire Merry
Katarina Zotovic Chandler Thacker Frelicia Tucker Hannah Huang Cecilia McManus Jason Weaver Laura Reid
Helping kids enjoy math as simple as 1-2-3 For some kids, one of the toughest parts of the backto-school season is getting back into the swing of math class. You can help ease the transition this fall and beyond by making math a wholly integrated part of the day. Math plays a hidden role in so many aspects of daily life. By pointing out these connections in ways that are fun and engaging, you can help make math one of your child’s favorite subjects – or at least less feared.
SALE!
JULY 28, 29 $1.50 KID’S CLOTHING $3.00 ADULT’S CLOTHING *excludes special-price items, coats, men’s suits and sportcoats, wedding dresses, previously purchased merchandise
Bake your lesson plan Learning fractions? Use pies and cookies to demonstrate the concept visually. It’s a tasty and fun way to learn how fractions and percentages work. .
Calculator fun Get out the calculator and help children explore patterns. First- to thirdgraders can add or subtract the same number repeatedly. Children will observe patterns that emerge and get a better sense of arithmetic. Children can even make their own “pattern puzzles,” which are number sequences where some numbers are omitted. For example: 7,14, _, _, 35, _, 49. The activity can make addition and multiplication more comprehensible. Look for a model that will be useful for the next several years of math class, such as the fx-300ES from Casio, which offers 2-line display and 240 functions. Free educational resources and activities to try on the calculator can be found at CasioEducation.com.
Money Math At home, use spare change to teach children simple addition and subtraction. Set a timer and see if they can make proper change in record time. Ask kids to solve increasingly difficult problems, and when they answer correctly, give them the change as a reward.
Make it Interdisciplinary Leverage your children’s favorite school subjects and hobbies to pique their interest in math. If they love reading, help them select literature that celebrates math. If they find history fascinating, have them read about famous mathematicians and scientists who used math to make discoveries. For young athletes, there are always ways to turn that pick-up game in the park into a math lesson. Angles, distances, times and averages all figure into sports. Using these concepts in an applied way can make math more interesting. - Statepoint
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FIND YOUR NEAREST STORE AT GOODWILLWORKS.ORG Back to School 2017 | 7
Keeping children safe on the school bus starts at the stop School buses are safe modes of transportation for children. Statistics from Transport Canada indicate that transportation by school bus is safer than by passenger car. School buses are large and heavy vehicles that protect riders during collisions. School buses also help keep a greater number of passenger vehicles off of the roads during high-traffic school times. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that each year approximately 450,000 public school buses transport 23.5 million children to and from school and schoolrelated activities around the United States. Although safety is enforced while students are on the bus, it is also vital for students to remain safe before they board. Ensuring a safe bus stop requires diligence. • Safety starts with students and parents. Students are under the authority of the bus driver while they are on the bus. But before they board the bus, students typically are not supervised. Chaperoned bus stops can help deter rowdy actions, particularly at crowded bus stops. Parents can rotate standing watch and keeping tabs on bus stop behavior. • Arrive early at the bus stop. Accidents can happen when people are rushing and not paying attention. NHTSA advises getting to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. • Stand at a safe distance. Children should remain no less than six feet away from the curb or roadway while waiting for the bus to arrive. Parents should routinely remind students not to run and play at the bus stop. • Lobby for safe bus stop locations. District transportation directors are often tasked with choosing school bus stop locations based on local
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policies and attendance. Only basic requirements may be addressed, such as distance between stops. Parents and community members might be able to offer feedback regarding roads with low traffic volume and spots that offer maximum visibility during all seasons. • Minimize street crossings. Parents can drop children off on the side of the road where the bus will stop so the kids do not have to cross roadways unattended. • Use traffic assistance whenever possible. Children who walk to bus stops are urged to walk in crosswalks and on sidewalks and obey traffic controls. Parents can work with their children to find the safest routes to the bus stop, such as on residential streets rather than high-traffic roadways. • Familiarize yourself with the
route to the bus stop. Parents are urged to research the area and know where potential hazards on the route to the bus stop may lie. This includes potential human hazards. According to BusBoss, a school bus routing and tracking company, it’s important for parents to know where registered sex offenders live and ensure kids avoid these homes on the way to the bus stop. Other hazardous areas include spots where drug activity or other illegal behavior occurs. • Drive cautiously during school hours. Drivers should exercise extra caution and reduce speeds when schools are opening and closing. There will be lots of students on the roads between 7 and 9 a.m. and again between 2 and 4 p.m.
-Metro Creative Connection
RICHMOND COUNTY www.rcboe.org
Aug. 7: First day of school Jan. 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Sept. 4: Labor Day holiday Holiday Sept. 6: Progress Reports Feb. 7: Progress Reports Oct. 6: District Professional Feb. 19: President’s Day Holiday Learning Day/Student (school closed) holiday Feb. 20: District Professional Oct. 9: Columbus Day holiday Learning Day/Student (school closed) holiday Oct. 11: End of First Nine Weeks March 15: End of Third Nine Weeks Oct. 12: Begin Second Nine Weeks March 16: Begin Fourth Nine Weeks Oct. 18-19: Elementary Early March 21-22: Early Release/ Release/Report Card conferences Report Card Oct. 19: Report Cards issued March 22: Report Cards issued Nov. 1: Progress Reports March 30: Easter Holiday Nov. 10: Veteran’s Day (school closed) (school closed) April 2-9: Spring Break Nov. 20-24: Thanksgiving (school closed) (school closed) April 24: Progress Reports Dec. 21: End of Second Nine Weeks May 21-25: Exams Dec. 22-Jan. 8: Christmas/ Winter May 25: Last Day for High School Break (school May 28: Memorial Day closed) (school closed) Jan. 8: School-based Professional May 29: Last day for elementary Learning Day/Student and middle schools holiday May 30-June 1: Graduation Jan. 9: Begin Third Nine Weeks May 31: Report Cards (pick up) Jan. 12: Report Cards issued June 1: Report Cards (mailed out) Back to School 2017 | 9
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Back-to-school shoppers can still enjoy tax-free holiday Books that can inspire
By Joe Hotchkiss Staff Writer
One state does. The other state doesn’t. If you live in Georgia or South Carolina and need to do your back-to-school shopping, only South Carolina is offering a tax-free weekend for consumers in 2017. It begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 4, and ends at midnight Sunday, Aug. 6. “The Sales Tax Free Holiday weekend benefits both consumers and businesses,” said Rick Reames, director of the South Carolina Department of Revenue. “Parents save money on important back-to-school items for their children, while retailers enjoy increased traffic.” Georgia lawmakers, in their most recent legislative session, declined to renew the state’s sales tax holiday after deciding the event costs shoppers more money. “They came to the conclusion that consumers were losing actually because of the sales tax holiday,” said state Rep. Barry Fleming, R-Harlem. “On the sales tax holiday you pay ‘x’ amount for merchandise, and you go the next weekend and it’s 30 percent less, so there were no sales, and consumers were buying heavily.” He added that Georgia would look into reinstating the holiday. But in South Carolina it’s still on. The South Carolina Department of Revenue has reported that shoppers have saved between $2 million and $3 million statewide during the holiday weekend. A variety of school supply items will be rendered exempt from the state’s 6 percent sales tax. Broadly, exempt items include: • clothing; clothing accessories including, but not limited to, hats, scarves, hosiery and handbags • footwear • school supplies including, but not limited to pens, pencils, paper, binders, notebooks, books, bookbags, lunchboxes and calculators • computers, printers and printer supplies and computer software • wash cloths, blankets, bed spreads, bed linens, sheet sets, comforter sets, bath towels, shower curtains, bath rugs, bath mats, pillows and pillow cases
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Here are a few new books to consider that can make learning fun, as well as support STEAM education initiatives.
The exemption does not apply to jewelry, cosmetics, eyewear, wallets and watches; sales of furniture; rental of clothing or footwear; or a sale or lease of an item for use in a trade or business. A more complete list of exempt – and nonexempt – items can be found at dor.sc.gov/ taxfreeweekend. If South Carolina shoppers buy an eligible item online, both the sales tax and any delivery charges associated with that item are exempt, the South Carolina DOR said. Also, an item does not have to be delivered during the holiday for the exemption to apply. However, items placed on layaway will not be exempt. Some Augusta-area retailers in Georgia are opting to foot the tax bill so customers can continue the back-to-school tradition. Uptown Cheapskate locations in Augusta and Evans; Kid-to-Kid locations in Augusta and Martinez; and area Goodwill locations have all said they plan to offer a tax-free option to shoppers the weekend of July 28-30. “We know our customers enjoy shopping at Goodwill during the tax-free weekends for even greater savings, especially as they’re getting ready to send their children back to school,” said Barry Paschal, senior director of marketing and communications for Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA. “Because the state isn’t doing one, Goodwill is planning to hold our own tax-free weekend where we’ll pay the sales tax for our customers.”
• Created in association with the Smithsonian Institute, “The Elements Book: A Visual Encyclopedia of the Periodic Table” is an easy-to-understand guide to the 118 chemical elements that make up our world. Cataloged by type, each element’s properties and atomic structure is explained with more than 1,000 fullcolor. For ages 9 and above. • “Coding Projects in Python” teaches those with some experience already how to build graphics, games and useful apps. All they need is a desktop or laptop, and an Internet connection to download Python 3. Instructions illustrated with pixel art teach essential coding basics, like loops and conditionals, and outline seven fun projects. For ages 10 and above. • With easily prepared recipes, visual step-by-step instructions and charming designs, “Look I’m a Cook” is a great activity book for parents and little ones to share. From ice pops to chocolate muffins, more than 20 hands-on recipes will help children discover everyday science and cook up funfilled food. For ages 3-6. • “Maker Lab” includes 28 projects and crafts requiring only household materials. From exploding volcanoes to race balloon rocket cars, photographs and facts detail the “why” and “how” of each experiment using real-world examples. - StatePoint
Avoid back injuries by choosing the right backpack Finding the right backpack is an essential component of back-toschool shopping. Children may have their own ideas of what’s in style, but parents should look for backpacks that are functional before factoring in style. It’s also important to minimize the risk of students’ developing back problems, therefore parents must give consideration to more than just the size of their children’s backpacks. Depending on school schedules, students may be carrying backpacks for up to 10 hours per day, five days per week. Backpacks may be filled with several pounds of stuff, such as textbooks, binders, laptops, and other supplies, potentially leading to injury. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least 14,000 children are treated for backpack-related injuries every year. The American Academy of Orthopedic
and lead to neck, back and shoulder injuries. They also may affect children’s posture. • Choose a streamlined model. Select a backpack that will get the job done without much added bulk. Many backpacks have been designed to hold technological devices as more and more schools integrate technology into the classroom. A less bulky bag might be lighter and easy to carry.
Surgeons says that the weight of a backpack should not exceed 10 to 15 percent of a child’s body weight. But many students pack their bags with much more weight than that. Improperly sized, worn and overstuffed backpacks can injure joints
• Consider shopping at a sporting goods store. Employees at camping and sporting goods retailers understand how to fit backpacks for hikers and outdoor adventurers. They can help measure a student and find a pack that will fit his or her body frame. Also, these retailers may have a wider selection of backpacks than some other stores, increasing the chances of finding the right fit.
• Select a pack with a waist strap. According to the American Chiropractic Association, the body is not designed to carry items hanging from shoulders. By using the waist strap in conjunction with taut shoulder straps, students can distribute the weight in their backpacks over their hip bones instead of the shoulders. The padded and adjustable shoulder straps should be at least two inches wide. All straps should be used each time the pack is worn. • Backpacks should be loaded properly. Heavy items should be near the center bottom to distribute the load, rather than placed on top. Students should only carry what is necessary, visiting lockers or desks as needed to lighten their packs.
- Metro Creative Connection
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Get your kids excited about writing can help in all subjects parents not to focus on spelling and grammar when their children are working on creative writing. “Spelling and writing don’t have a lot in common,” she said. “Writing is thinking. It’s creating.” This doesn’t mean you can’t go back and work on the mechanics later, she stressed, but they shouldn’t be the starting point.
Whether you’re writing an email or a novel, it’s vital these days to understand the craft of telling a story and telling it well. For kids, writing well helps not only at school but with many off-thepage skills, from confidence to creative problem solving. What children may not understand is that writing can also be fun. Educators say there are many things parents can do at home to get kids excited about writing.
DEMONSTRATE THE PEN’s POWER Brian Townsend, a Chicago-based fifth-grade writing teacher in the Kipp Charter Schools network, tries to show his students how they can use writing to make a difference. He shares motivational speeches and inspirational songs to demonstrate how good writing can communicate powerful messages. He even had his students write letters to their senators about a bill that would affect the food served in their cafeteria. He wanted to remind them of the real purpose behind writing: to effect change.
USE WHAT THEY LOVE Show your children there’s more to writing than book reports and research papers. Those are important, yes, but the first step to helping kids enjoy writing is giving them freedom to write about what they love. “Every child, even the most reluctant writer, has something they’re excited and passionate about, and there’s a way in,” said Marjolaine Whittlesey, a teaching artist associate at The Telling Room, a Maine-based nonprofit writing center. Youth-oriented creative writing centers around the country use similar techniques. Tim Whitaker, founder and executive director of Mighty Writers, in Philadelphia, said his group listens to what kids are interested in — from superheroes to girl power to basketball — “and we build our writing topics around that.”
them storyboarding. They start out with character development, then setting, conflict, all the same elements, but you get to draw your character first before you add the words.”
BEGIN VISUALLY
SHARE PEERS’ WRITING
Help kids learn to create new worlds out of pictures — ones they draw themselves or ones they find. Amy Rosenbluth, co-founder and executive director of Lake Erie Ink, an Ohiobased youth writing center, said her organization’s comic-making camps are among its most popular. “When you’re writing a comic, you’re learning all the elements of writing a short story, or really writing anything,” she explained. “We teach
Kids may feel more motivated to write when they’re exposed to work by their peers, said Caroline Patterson, executive director of the Missoula Writing Collaborative in Montana. “Several times we’ve had students who hear work by kids their own age and go, ‘Well, I could do that,’” she said. Many youth writing organizations, like New York City-based Writopia, publish student work online that parents can share with their kids.
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CHANGE THE QUESTIONS
AVOID CRITICISM “Be an ally to your writer — celebrate and love whatever they’re writing,” said Rebecca Wallace-Segall, executive director of Writopia. Parents should be “laughing when the child is trying to be funny, being moved when there is something emotional . these are very sensitive moments. These are high stakes moments when a child is sharing their writing. Don’t take them lightly, don’t laugh in a condescending way even if it feels a little bit off — hold all that in.” That helps kids feel heard and excited about their work, which will lead to more writing. Rosenbluth, of Lake Erie Ink, urges
Jaya Mukherjee, a program manager at a youth literacy center in Chicago, Open Books, said parents can use writing prompts that might be more effective than starting with a direct question. Ask young writers, for example, to list 10 things they would save from their home if it were on fire, and then have them pick one item from their list and write about why they chose it. That approach might remove the daunting feeling of staring at a blank page.
WRITE WITH THEM Several experts said sitting down to write beside your child can be a powerful technique. As Whittlesey said, “By doing it alongside them, I think we’re demonstrating that we’re excited about writing too, and that it’s accessible to everyone.” - Associated Press
Prevention tips can reduce kids’ risk of getting colds at school School-aged kids who catch colds or the flu from their classmates can quickly spread those colds to family members, who might spread the colds further when they go to work. Preventing the spread of colds and flu at school is a team effort that requires the assistance of not just parents, but also teachers and students. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 38 million school days are lost to the flu each year. Those lost days can affect students who miss lesson plans, but also affect parents, who often must take days off from work to tend to their sick children. While there’s no way for parents to guarantee their children won’t catch a cold or the flu this school year, they can take various preventive measures to increase kids’ chances of staying healthy
while noting that such vaccinations can be administered as late as January and still prove effective. The CDC also recommends that adults and children receive flu vaccinations each year. Additional vaccinations may not need to be administered as often, but parents should still ensure kids’ are up-to-date with their shots.
and achieving perfect attendance. • Make sure kids are immunized and that their immunizations are current. That’s important, as kids’ immune systems are naturally less mature than adults’, making them more vulnerable to germs and viruses. The CDC recommends that adults and children receive their flu vaccinations in October
• Make sure kids regularly wash their hands. Kids often catch colds by rubbing their hands that have been exposed to cold virus germs on their noses or eyes. To prevent that, parents can teach kids to wash their hands thoroughly, including scrubbing the backs of their hands, between their fingers and around their fingernails. Kids should know to wash their hands regularly, but especially after they use the bathroom and before
they eat and drink. • Keep kids home when they are sick. Parents don’t want their children to miss school, but kids who are suffering from colds or flu should be kept home. This prevents the spread of colds and flu to classmates and teachers, and time to rest at home may help youngsters recover more quickly. • Teach kids to avoid common germ spots. Germs can be lurking anywhere, but some spots seem to make more welcome homes for germs than others. Teach kids to never put their mouths on fountains and to avoid eating any food that might fall onto their trays in the cafeteria. - Metro Creative Connection
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Cool, creative and easy-to-care-for lunchboxes ideas abound By KIM COOK Associated Press
A fun part of back-to-school shopping is the search for the perfect lunch container. Should it be square with a zip, with space for lots of tasty items? A smart little purse-like affair? A sack? And what about the pattern? When you’re going to be spending every lunch hour with it, it’s important to get it right. This fall, there are lots of new designs for students old and young, with thoughtful details and add-ons meant to make lunchtime pleasant and palatable.
FORM AND FUNCTION Karen Cicero, contributing editor at Parents magazine, reminds parents and caregivers to keep kids’ ages and grade levels in mind when shopping for lunchboxes. “If you have a preschooler or kindergartener, you’ll want a box that’s easy to open and close,” she says. “For middle schoolers, you want to make sure it’s large enough to hold their lunch, an ice pack, and snacks they’ll need for after-school practices.” Also consider how easy the box is to clean, and whether it hooks on your child’s backpack, “which is a good feature so it doesn’t get lost or separated,” Cicero said. Many lunch-kit collections can be coordinated with backpacks, water bottles, and hot or cold insulated containers.
BENTO BOXES Bento boxes are big among elementary and middle school kids, says Cicero. Popular for years in Asia,
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bento boxes are made of plastic or steel fitted with various-size compartments. That separation keeps foods from becoming a pile of crumbs or mush. There are built-in bento containers in many of this season’s lunchboxes.
nike.com ) Crocodile Creek has designs with jungle, robot and backyard animal themes. (www.crocodilecreek.com ) And Hanna Andersson offers soft lunchboxes in whimsical designs including a galaxy and spaceship, fluttery butterflies, race cars, and smiling suns with rainbows. (www. hannaandersson.com )
FASHION FORWARD
Or Bentgo’s colorful, leak-proof bento containers come in several varieties, including an insulated bowl with a silicone-lined snap lid and its own fork and spoon. (www.bentgo.com )
TRENDING TOPICS “What’s new is that you’ll see a lot of girls with traditional boy designs,” says Cicero. “Gender-neutral options include geometric patterns, stars and animals.” Unicorns are trending strongly with girls, she says. Zazzle.com has a nice variety; a lot feature rainbows, too. Target has the Skip Hop Zoo unicornshaped bag, and Gymboree offers a unicorn-printed box that clips to a matching backpack. (www.target.com ; www.gymboree.com ) Pottery Barn Kids has a lunch sack shaped like a kitten’s face; it wouldn’t look out of place on a 20-something’s office desk. (www.pbkids.com ) Photo-printed lunch boxes and bags stand out from the crowd; some are even 3-D. (www.aliexpress.com ) For younger kids, dinosaur, galaxy, mermaid and camouflage patterns in glow-in-the-dark inks are popular. Cicero also mentions quintessential favorites like superheroes and sports themes. Nike has lunch-size versions of its classic duffel bag. (www.store.
Allison Spampanato, senior vice president for product development at Pottery Barn Kids and PBTeen, is betting on a few stylish designs: “Our Emily & Meritt gear features neon pink and oversize florals, bringing two trends together,” she says. Other graphic standouts in that collection: a chic, black-zippered lunch
sack with the word MEOW in white type, and a bold, black-and-whitebanded sack. There’s also a shibori motif. Larger-scale gingham and polka dots, and icons like sailboats, bows and hearts are a fresh take on preppy. (www.pbteen.com )
Get early start on college planning at CSRA college night Here’s a simple year-by-year planner, as well as links to find much more detailed information online: EIGHTH GRADE/FRESHMAN YEAR • Take challenging core academic courses • Get involved with community and leadership-oriented activities • Ask questions about college from family, friends, and others who can provide insight SOPHOMORE YEAr • Begin attending college/career information events (college fairs) – continue to do so over next two years • Communicate with your guidance and/or career counselors: review your plan to be sure you’re on track • Begin making quick visits to local college campuses; maybe not a formal tour, but just to walk the campus a bit yourself
CSRA COLLEGE NIGHT returns from 5-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14 at James Brown Arena. Designed primarily for 11thand 12th-graders, CSRA College Night provides an opportunity for students, parents and guidance counselors to learn about education opportunities. More than 140 engineering universities and liberal arts colleges/universities from across the United States attend as well as professional societies. About 6,000 students, parents and educators attend annually. For more information, visit www.srs.gov/general/outreach/edoutrch/coll_night.htm.
Planning for your or your child’s college experience can be an overwhelming process. While there are lots of steps, questions and to-do list, the process does not have to be overly stressful. Thoughtful planning can help make for a better experience for both the prospective college/university student and his or her parent. “One of the best recommendations is to start your college-planning process early,” said Andrew Hendrix, the director of admissions at the University of South Carolina Aiken. “Reviewing web-based resources is helpful, but also reach out to your high school guidance or college counselors who can provide
online resources • act.org • bigfuture.org • petersons.com • GAfutures.org information and suggestions. Whenever possible, visit college admissions offices and talk to current college students. They can help you learn more about their institutions. Combining all of these services helps create a comprehensive – and customized – plan.” Maura Flaschner, the director of academic admissions at Augusta U n i v e r s i t y, a l s o s t r e s s e d t h e importance of visiting the student’s preferred colleges – to “meet the
• che.sc.gov (Students, Families & Military tab) • ncaa.org/student- athletes/future students and staff to see if the college will be a good fit. Will the college be able to support the student and his goal?” She also recommended that high school seniors successfully stay on top of their academic performance for the entire school year. “Applying to college in that senior year of high school is a marathon, not a sprint,” Flaschner said.
JUNIOR YEAR • Take PSAT in the fall • Continue attending college fairs • Request college admissions materials from schools that interest you • Take SAT and/or ACT late in year • Begin making official college visits (weekday tours or open houses scheduled through the Admissions Office) SENIOR YEAR • Get organized with a calendar of dates, deadlines, fees, etc. for the year • Take SAT and/or ACT early in fall; discuss with guidance counselor the need to retake later in the year • Apply to 3 to 5 colleges, making sure to meet all deadlines – most college applications “open” by Sept. 1 of your senior year • Submit FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and scholarship applications • Make return visit to the top two colleges you are deciding between; many campuses offer an “admitted student day” opportunity • Commit to your college of choice no later than May 1
- Staff Reports
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