January 2007 - Posts
As a former victim of bullying, I would like to think that others wouldn't have to endure the same school experiences that I did. As a teacher, I tried numerous times to stop bullying but met with limited success. Principal Alan J. Capasso of Greenwich
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Alexander Overwijk draws a perfect freehand circle 1m in diameter in less than a second. His class obviously enjoys the fact that their teacher is the World Freehand Circle Champion. Enjoy the video. Share this post: Email It | Bookmark It | Digg This
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Most of us think of private schools when we think of students being separated by sex. Our thinking might change in the future. On cnn.com we learn that schools in Milwaukee, New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. are giving same
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It was reported on nytimes.com that some students had to learn the hard way that mistakes can hurt. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill informed 2,700 students by email that they had been accepted to the university. Someone pushed the send
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On washingtonpost.com there is more news about the No Child Left Behind Law. In Fairfax, a group of educators have put Virginia into a debate about the best way to test kids who speak English as a second language. They want to see that these kids are
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The superintendent for Anne Arundel is making an entire staff of a high school reapply for their jobs. This includes teachers, administrators, custodians, and secretaries. Get out the broom, and get ready for a clean sweep. Annapolis High School has failed
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On sandiego.com we find suggested changes by the Bush administration for the No Child Left Behind Law. Proposed changes for the law are: Holding schools accountable for science scores, something not currently in the law. Requiring states to publish a
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My house is covered with pinto beans. They are on the stairs and hidden in the furniture. Last night we were watching our two grandsons and got involved in a kindergarten homework project. I was excited because it looked like great fun to me. Grandson
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I am beginning to wonder if there is a day that isn't taken. On bellylaughday.com you will find activities for January 24th, which is being claimed as Global Belly Laugh Day. Go to the website to add a little humor to your day. At 1:24 p.m. on Thursday,
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Does Hallmark know that January 23rd is a special day? I have never seen a card for National Handwriting Day. Perhaps you are supposed to take a pencil or pen in hand and design your own! No, it's not a stay in bed and relax kind of day. It's a day to
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Should MySpace be responsible for your child's safety? In an article called " Who's the Parent Here?" on dallasnews.com, an editorial tells parents that they need to be the ones supervising their children. There are four families who have filed lawsuits
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It seems that principals in New York City will get to be evaluated by the teachers. The article on nytimes.com might make some teachers wonder if it's too good to be true. Pressing the case for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's latest round of changes to the
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Okay, I admit it. I'm pretty much a health nut. In the Plum Borough School District in Pittsburgh, students have been eating healthier ranch dressing without realizing it. On chicagotribune.com an article explains how Z Trim, a plant-based fat substitute,
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Assembly woman Sally Leiber wants to protect toddlers and babies and plans to introduce a bill to prevent spankings. On latimes.com the Bay Area Democrat explains her reasoning in an article titled "A spanking ban: are we gonna get it?" She has received
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Just listening to things from the perspectives of young people can be rewarding. A conversation described on sfgate.com took place on a school bus as high school students traveled back to school after a field trip. While the rest of the kids were dozing
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Everyone wants to blame teachers for low test scores. After all, teachers are the easiest targets. I have to wonder how much money is being spent on all of the research studies about improving teacher quality. What about the time and effort spent on discussions
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According to some teachers and the student involved, a Brooklyn principal is in hot water over a spelling bee. An article on nydailynews.com tells how a special education student was not allowed to participate in a districtwide spelling bee even though
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I did not realize that scores of studies are being conducted to determine the effectiveness of a master's degree in education for classroom teachers. I do remember the long hours I spent studying in order to receive my master's degree. Most of my study
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Check out brainyquote.com for some great quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. You might even incorporate some into your lesson plans. Have a wonderful day, and if possible, do something nice for someone else. Share this post: Email It | Bookmark It | Digg
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A group of parents are not happy about the decision to discontinue separate classes for their children. On washingtonpost.com A plan to phase out Montgomery County's secondary learning centers, programs in eight middle and high schools that teach special
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Test yourself on three questions from the 2004 standard eighth-grade reading test released by the Virginia Department of Education. I credit washingtonpost.com with sharing this and making me laugh this morning, and I needed a laugh today. So, go ahead,
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Schools in the Palatine-based Elementary District 15 want to help parents with anger management. In an article on chicagotribune.com we find schools wanting to help parents deal with tempers at home so that their children can learn how to approach their
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You can recommend your middle school for a place on the top list of middle schools that is being compiled for The Washington Post Magazine by contacting Jay Mathews at washingtonpost.com and letting him know why you think your school is one of the best.
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Parents are scrambling to get their kids tested for the gifted-and-talented programs due to a new admissions process in New York City. Confusion seemed to be the name of the game in an article on nytimes.com as parents sought testing times and locations.
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Okay, so most of us overuse words and phrases. "Where's the beef?" lasted for quite a while. A website for Lake Superior State University has a list of banished words that you can view for the new year. I was glad to see that my favorite "went missing"
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Some students are receiving more than the traditional report card. According to an article on nytimes.com The practice of reporting students' body mass scores to parents originated a few years ago as just one tactic in a war on childhood obesity that
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Plans are in the works for the DISD principals to become more active in the classroom according to dallasnews.com . They are going to be doing less administrative paperwork and more time visiting classrooms, talking to teachers, and getting to know the
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Students are actively working towards gaining admittance into prestigious public high schools around the country. On washingtonpost.com the story of thirteen year old Nathan Saunders is one of a young man who is working extremely hard to gain admittance
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President Bush plans to seek renewal of the No Child Left Behind law for another five years. An article on CNN.com reminds us that education will be a big focus when lawmakers meet on Monday. Bush expects to have support from both Democrats and Republicans.
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Gang related fighting broke out in prestigious Winston Churchill High School in Potomac. On washingtonpost.com an article titled "Brawl Prompts Restrictions", school authorities have decided to ban certain types of clothing and items associated with gangs.
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The ongoing dilemma about where to house and how to motivate middle school students is back in the news on newyorktimes.com . As any parent with a child this age will tell you, middle school students are an unusual lot. They come in a variety of sizes
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I knew it would happen. Yet another committee has decided that teachers are the ones to blame when students don't do well. After all, they can't do anything about the parents or living situations that some of these children might have, so according to
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More than 6,000 students in Washington's Maryland suburbs returned to school after the holidays only to realize that people were actually serious about a couple of required immunizations. Surprise! According to washingtonpost.com students had until January
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Oprah is at it again. It would be great if we all had her money and concern for others. As reported on nationalpost.com Oprah has started a school to help disadvantaged girls to the tune of $40 million. She had made a promise to Nelson Mandela, the former
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Is the public library a safe, quiet place after school? An article on newyorktimes.com discusses problems faced by some public libraries when students leave school for the day. Parents often tell their children to go to the library after school because
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An article on washingtonpost.com gives us insight to the history of Montessori Schools. Started in January 1907, they are ready to celebrate their 100th birthday. Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, started her school by allowing students the freedom
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As the new year begins, legislators in Texas are looking at the increases in tuition at public universities. On dallasnews.com parents and students might be relieved to see that the decision to give public universities the power to set their own tuition
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