Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Local principals point out some common pitfalls and share tips for parents and students.
For parents with students making the transition from an elementary school to a middle school, these next few weeks can be a challenging time. Students are becoming more independent, but parents still want to help. "I don't think the kids are as scared of middle school as the parents are," said Patrick Mc Nichols, principal at Roxboro Middle School in Cleveland Heights. The local principals who talked to Patch agree that parents should stay involved, but there are ways to help students spread their wings. Here are a few tips. Parents and teachers, add yours in the comments. Encourage students to get involved The biggest problem students face is trying to make connections socially and figuring out where they fit in, said Brecksville-…
As the first day of school gets closer, see how your local schools performed on last year’s state report card using our interactive search form.
For students entering middle school, the first day is more than new books and class assignments. It’s a time of physical, social and academic transition. So what are parents supposed to do to help students navigate this tumultuous time? Keep communicating and encourage students to get involved, local principals suggest. A 2011 study from the Program on Education Policy and Governance at Harvard University found that students in Florida experienced a significant drop in math and reading achievement when they entered middle school. The study’s authors address the study in an article for EducationNext. The database above includes all public middle schools for the Patch communities in Ohio. You can search for your local school to see how it …
Friday, August 10, 2012
You might be surprised at the national average - tell us what you'll fork out!
Beachwood parents may breathe a sigh of relief at the end of this month when students return to school, but before that happens, there is work to do. According to the National Retail Federation, the average person with children in kindergarten through 12th grade will spend $689 on their children. Find your Beachwood City Schools supply lists here. The biggest chunks of that expenditure are expected to be for clothing, at $246, and electronics, at $218. In 2011, the total expected expenditure was $603. For parents of college-aged children, the average expected back-to-school cost is $907. All told, that makes for an expected $83.8 billion to be spent on total back-to-school shopping this year, which makes it the second-biggest consumer …
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Whether you played football, marched with the band, ran cross country, cheered, played soccer or hit the links, we want to see pics of you in your uniform.
It's almost time for fall sports to start again (collective woo-hoo here)! What better way to ring in the season than to share photos of fall sports memories past. We want to see pictures of you, our beloved readers, in your sports uniforms from high school. This is a regional article, so you'll also see readers from other Patches too. Fun, right? Whether you were a cheerleader, marched in the band, played football, soccer, golf or ran cross country, we want to see it. In the caption, tell us your favorite fall sports memory and tell us where you went to high school. Sharing is easy: To upload you have to be a member of Patch. If you aren't, joining is easy. Click here. Once you're a member of one Patch, you're a member of them all. Next, …
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Join the discussion: how do you keep your young ones happy on their big day?
The first day of school is fast approaching, and for many of us, that means dropping our young ones off at a strange place for a full day for the first time, ever. How do you keep the tears from their - and your - eyes on their special day? One mom on Facebook gave her piece of advice: Diane Haynes-Windham: I have a son who will be starting preschool, so we have gone to the library and checked out books about going to school. What do you think? What's worked for you, and what are you trying this fall? Tell us in the comments!
Your obligatory first-day-of-school reminder plus other important dates you need to know.
We know, you're so ready for summer to be over, and the kids' backpacks are stocked and sitting next to the front door, ready to be picked up and taken on a nine-month journey of enthusiastic learning and growing, right? Or, maybe not. But (as the kids would say) ready or not, here it comes! School starts at all Beachwood City Schools — except for kindergarteners — on Aug. 29. Kindergarteners will begin half-days on Aug. 30 and 31. New families to Hilltop and Bryden Elementary Schools can attend welcome get-togethers on Aug. 23. Beachwood High School freshman orientation will be Aug. 26. First meetings for parents, PTO, boosters and more follow in the first weeks of September. Click here to see the full Beachwood High Schools calendar.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Get info to make your Friday better
It’s the last weekend before school starts! Take some time away from clothes shopping for pool time, a hike or one of these other activities. Be sure to visit the Beachwood City Schools’ new Back-to-School section for one last check on supply lists, forms and information. Speaking of back-to-school, we're lookin for multigenerational Bison families for a photo gallery. Did you go to Beachwood City Schools, grow up, and send you kids there? Email Nikki.Ferrell@patch.com today to participate. Elections are getting closer, and yesterday we published our second candidate profile. Read about Steve Rosen and like our Facebook page. Today will be great: sunny and a high of 81 degrees.
Devin R.
3:41 pm on Monday, August 20, 2012
Why is KSD only meeting an "Effective" rating on the 2010 - 2011 district report card? http://www.ode.state.oh.us/reportcardfiles/2010-2011/DIST/044164.pdf I know there are a lot of factors sitting behind performance on standardized tests, but this report card doesn't exactly paint a pretty picture. How are the math and science scores so low in 7th and 8th grades? *Disclaimer, I'm a father of a … more ›