main content starts here

Elementary

More rest, less stress on test day

March 27, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Parent Today shared the following information in advance of 2013 state standardized test for students in grades 3-8. We republish it here so you can help prepare your child for another test season. Some students thrive on test stress; others experience intense anxiety that leaves them feeling physically ill – stomachaches, headaches, etc. – and […]

To test or not to test; that’s a tough question

March 17, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

There’s a part of me that wants to opt my kids out of standardized testing. But I’m not going to. I hear about the controversy over testing (see sidebar), and I side with parents who believe they are ultimately responsible and accountable for their child’s education. We – as parents – do have primary responsibility […]

The controversy over standardized tests, and why some arguments don’t hold up

March 17, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Some parents don’t want their children to take annual standardized tests, and they cite a number of reasons why. Although there is no statutory provision in New York state for “opting out” of the tests, many parents are still choosing that route. Is opting out the right thing for your child? As parents, you should […]

Heroin: Cheap high can have deadly consequences

February 24, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

It seems as if every day there is a new story about a young person who has died as the result of a heroin overdose. The stories are heartbreaking, a tragic reminder of life’s fragility. The victims are frequently beyond their high school years, but for many, drug use of some kind began in their […]

Lo-tech fun for snowy days

February 24, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

If you were a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books as a child, you might recall “The Long Winter,” which takes place in De Smet, South Dakota, during the winter of 1880-81. Frequent blizzards made it impossible for trains to get to the town with supplies, and food and fuel became scarce. The family survived […]

Get ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count

Get ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count

January 31, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

My kids still talk about the yellow-bellied sapsuckers that nested in our trees in the summer of 2011, and the Eastern Screech Owl that perched still as stone on the peak of the shed roof for almost 30 minutes one day before flying off. We love to watch the birds in our backyard. They are […]

The deal with data

January 31, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

It’s one of the acronyms tossed about in education: DDI, or data-driven instruction. At the heart of DDI is, obviously, data. In the eyes of some, data – or its collection – is seen as invasive. But the word data means, simply, information. And for school districts, data can provide a wealth of information to […]

Super fun during the big game

January 31, 2014 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Whether you love football or are more entertained by the commercials, chances are you’re planning to spend some time in front of the television during Sunday night’s Super Bowl game. Add some fun – and learning – to the experience to keep younger audience members (and even those adults who aren’t really into the game) […]

A dropout risk in first grade?

A dropout risk in first grade?

January 14, 2014 | Posted in: Elementary

It’s a serious problem. Every year, nearly one-third of high school students across the nation will not graduate – that’s more than 1.2 million students a year. In New York State, the numbers are better, with 74 percent of students graduating. But those numbers aren’t nearly good enough, not for the children whose opportunities are […]

Have yourself a merry, and meaningful, little Christmas

Have yourself a merry, and meaningful, little Christmas

December 19, 2013 | Posted in: Early Learners, Elementary, High School, Middle Years

Everybody looks forward to the holidays, don’t they? All those people with happy faces in TV commercials set the tone, racing through the stores weighed down with giant shopping bags loaded with gifts – sale after sale after sale. The frantic pace starts before the Thanksgiving turkey has even cooled. Stress levels rise. There are, […]