back_2_school

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Back2School2010

A Special Supplement To The Progress-Index & The Colonial Voice

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WELCOME BACK! SCHOOLS OPEN SEPTEMBER 7, 2010!

The 2010-11 school year will begin with Back-to-School Orientations the week of August 30 - Sept. 3, 2010. Prince George CountyPublic Schools is anticipating 6,225 students to enroll in grades K-12. District personnel have been busy this summer cleaning andupgrading facilities and grounds in anticipation of another school year. Also, the district has made some administrative andinstructional changes in staffing the schools.

Hopefully, you and your child have enjoyed various summer activities and are ready to join forces in another successful school year.Access http://www.pgs.k12.va.us/ for specific information on Back-to-School Orientations and district and school news.Thank you for choosing Prince George County Public Schools where all schools are accredited!

Bobby R. BrowderSuperintendent

2010 - 2011 School Calendar

September 7 First Day for StudentsOctober 6 Interim Report to ParentsNovember 2 No School for StudentsNovember 11 No School for StudentsNovember 17 Report Cards to ParentsNovember 24 Early ReleaseNovember 25 & 26 Fall BreakDecember 15 Interim Reports to ParentsDecember 17 Early ReleaseDecember 20 - 31 Christmas BreakJanuary 17 Martin Luther King DayJanuary 26-28 Student Early ReleaseJanuary 31 No School for StudentsFebruary 4 Report Cards to ParentsFebruary 21 Student Early ReleaseMarch 2 Interim Reports to ParentsApril 1 Student Early ReleaseApril 8 Report Cards to ParentsApril 18-22 Easter BreakMay 18 Interim Report to ParentsMay 30 Memorial DayJune 10 Senior GraduationJune 14-17 Student Early ReleaseJune 17* Last Day for StudentsJune 22 Report Cards to Parents

Hours for Early Release DaysGrades 6-12 will be released at 11:45 a.m.Grades K- 5 will be released at 12:45 p.m.

*June 17, 2011 early release times are as follows:Grades 6-12 10:00 amGrades K-5 11:00 am

SCHOOL BOARD OFFICETelephone: 733-2700PO Box 4006410 Courts DrivePrince George, Virginia 23875Website: pgs.k12.va.us

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERSDistrict 1Roger E. Franklin, Jr., ChairRobert E. Cox, Jr.

District 2Lewis E. Stevenson, Vice ChairPatrick J. BinghamKevin S. Foster

Central OfficeDr. Bobby BrowderSuperintendentShelly BazemoreAssistant SuperintendentRenèe WilliamsAssistant SuperintendentSandra BelshanDirector of Food ServicesJohn BrockwellDirector of TechnologyJames BrownDirector of Special EducationBetsy DrewryDirector of FinanceLarry EminhizerDirector of Secondary EducationBecky KirkAssistant to the SuperintendentBrenda GoreDirector of Elementary EducationRon RhodesDirector of TransportationSheila RoalfDirector of Gifted & Title I

MISSION STATEMENTThe mission of the Prince George CountyPublic Schools, in partnership with thecommunity, is to provide a qualityeducational program in a safe environment,to assist each student in reaching his/herpotential, and to prepare students to beresponsible, productive citizens in a diverseand ever-changing society.

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLESWe provide quality education in a safeenvironment. We are committed tounderstanding and meeting the needs ofour school community. We trust andrespect each individual so that all mayexperience pride and joy in their work. Weare committed to continuous improvement.

PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Clements Junior High School-7800 Laurel Spring Road, Prince George, VA 23875, Tel: 733-2730August 19, 2010 Former PGPALS Transition Orientation 12:00 pm - 1:00 pmAugust 26, 2010 New Summer Registrants Orientation 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Prince George High School-7800 Laurel Spring Road, Prince George, VA 23875, Tel: 733-2720August 31, 2010 New Student Orientation 7:00 p.m.

Beazley Elementary School-6700 Courthouse Road, Prince George, VA 23875, Tel: 733-2745September 2, 2010 Kindergarten 9:00 a.m.

Grades 1-5 10:30 a.m.

Harrison Elementary School-12900 East Quaker Road, Disputanta, VA 23842, Tel: 991-2242September 2, 2010 Kindergarten 9:00 a.m.

Grades 1-2 10:30 a.m.Grades 3- 5 12:00 p.m.

North Elementary School-11106 Old Stage Road, Prince George, VA 23875, Tel: 458-8922September 2, 2010 Kindergarten 9:00 a.m.

Grades 1-5 11:00 a.m.

South Elementary School-13400 Prince George Drive, Disputanta, VA 28342, Tel: 733-2755September 2, 2010 Kindergarten 9:00 a.m.

Grades 1-5 11:00 a.m. New StudentsGrades 1-5 11:30 a.m. Returning Students

Walton Elementary School-4101 Courthouse Road, Prince George, VA 23875, Tel: 733-2750September 2, 2010 Kindergarten - 2 9:00 a.m.

Grades 3 -5 10:30 a.m.

Moore Middle School-11455 Prince George Drive, Disputanta, VA 23842, Tel: 733-2740September 1, 2010 Grade 6 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Grade 7 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Orientation Schedule 2010-2011

L.L. Beazley Elementary

D.A. Harrison Elementary

North Elementary

South Elementary

W.A. Walton Elementary

J.E.J. Moore Middle School

N.B. Clements Jr. High

Prince George High

Prince George Education Center

Rowanty Vocational Tech Center

K-5

K-5

K-5

K-5

K-5

6-7

8-9

10-12

Alternative

Technical

9:00-3:30

9:00-3:30

9:00-3:30

9:00-3:30

9:00-3:30

7:40-2:30

7:50-2:30

7:50-2:30

7:45-2:25

8:00-2:00

8:00-4:00

8:00-4:00

8:00-4:00

8:00-4:00

8:00-4:00

7:00-3:30

7:00-3:30

7:15-3:45

7:30-3:30

7:45-3:45

733-2745

991-2242

458-8922

733-2755

733-2750

733-2740

733-2730

733-2720

733-2748

732-4950

6700 Courthouse Rd., Prince George, VA 23875

12900 East Quaker Rd., Disputanta, VA 23842

11106 Old Stage Rd., Prince George, VA 23875

13400 Prince George Dr., Disputanta, VA 23842

4101 Courthouse Rd., Prince George, VA 23875


7800 Laurel Spring Rd., Prince George, VA 23875

7801 Laurel Spring Rd., Prince George, VA 23875


20000 Rowanty Rd., Carson, VA 23830

Jim Scruggs

Sharon O’Neill

Vera Abbott-Young

Robin Pruett

Mattie Thweatt

Willie Elliott

Peter Fisher

Tracey Smallwood

Chris Scruggs

Dr. Thomas Cope

School GradesClassroom

HoursOfficeHours Phone Address Principal

T2 Sunday, August 8, 2010 The Progress-Index, Petersburg, VA


BY KRISTEN WYATT

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

DENVER — They still wear sensibleshoes, but the nation’s lunch ladies are trad-ing in their hair nets for chef toques as theyundergo a gourmet makeover.

With the childhood obesity rates creatingdemand for healthier foods in schools, moreattention is being placed on the culinaryskills of those charged with preparing it.What good are fresh local produce and grass-fed beef, for example, if the lunchroomemployees know how to make only cannedvegetables and frozen fish sticks?

“It’s more work to cook from scratch, nodoubt,” said Dawn Cordova, a longtimeschool cafeteria worker attending DenverPublic Schools’ first “scratch cooking” train-ing this summer.

Cordova and about 40 other Denver lunchladies spent three weeks mastering knifeskills, baking and chopping fruits and vege-

tables for some of the school district’s firstsalad bars.

Denver is among countless school systemsin at least 24 states working to revive propercooking techniques in its food service staff.

The city issued its 600 or so cafeteriaemployees white chefs’ coats and hats andplans to have all its kitchen staff trained inbasic knife skills within three years. Well-known area chefs visit for primers on foodsafety, chopping technique and makinghealthy food more appetizing to young din-ers (hint: kids prefer veggies cut into funkyshapes, not boring carrot sticks).

It’s serious work. School cafeterias are thefront line in an effort to reduce childhoodobesity as public health officials warn thatnearly a third of American children andteens are now considered obese or over-weight. First Lady Michelle Obama started a“Chefs Move to Schools” program in June tohighlight the need for better cooks in schools,and she is urging Congress to pass legisla-tion that calls for higher nutritional stan-dards for school meals.

The Child Nutrition Bill would requiremore fruits, vegetables and whole grains andless fat and salt in school lunches and break-fasts, Obama wrote in an essay in Monday’sedition of The Washington Post.

For lunch ladies seeking new skills, “boot

Cafeteria workers master ‘scratch cooking’Michelle Obamaasking Congress to passlegislation to improvenutrition standardsin school meals

AP PHOTOS/BARRY GUTIERREZ

In a photo taken on July 19, at the Bruce Randolph School In Denver, Chef Daniel

Young gives hands-on training to Denver Public School food service personnel on

how to properly cut a pineapple during a half day of instruction on how to make

healthier options with fresher foods for students.

Chef Young chooses the winning fruit salad tray made by Denver Public School food

service personnel during a half day of instruction on how to make healthier options

with fresher foods for students. The instruction culminated with a competition and

feast of what the food service workers had made.

Please see LUNCH, Page 4

The Progress-Index, Petersburg, VA Sunday, August 8, 2010 T3


camps” are booming fromCalifornia to New York.

“Demand is so high we canbarely keep up with it,” saidKate Adamick, a school-foodconsultant from New YorkCity who started “Cook ForAmerica” lunch lady bootcamps four years ago. Herbusiness is so swamped withrequests that she’s having ahard time even training newtrainers to perform school-food cooking seminars.

More culinary schools arelooking beyond hotels andfine restaurants to send theirstudents, and professors, to K-12 cafeterias as well.

“You have some great cooksin school cafeterias, but justlike a chef at any restaurant,you get in a rut of doing thesame thing every day becauseit’s convenient and it works.You think, ‘We’ll just makechicken nuggets againbecause it’s easy and they’lleat it,”’ said Michael McGreal,head of the culinary arts pro-gram at Joliet Junior Collegein Joliet, Ill.

McGreal works as a men-tor to the food servicedepartment at Chicago Pub-lic Schools, sharing menutips and ideas for gettingmore fresh food on schooltrays. Lunch ladies, he said,are eager to cook healthieronce they learn how to doit.

“It’s not any kind of crazyskill needed. They can turnaround and do it tomorrow ifwe teach them,” McGrealsaid.

Time is a big concern forlunch ladies charged withfeeding balanced meals tohundreds of picky kids in aslittle as 20 minutes. The fren-zied pace is blamed for thelunch-line horrors everyoneremembers. Soggy vegetables.Canned fruit medleys. Rub-bery pizza languishing undera hot lamp.

At the Denver boot camp,

lunch ladies were urged tosteam or blanch their vegeta-bles in smaller batches, evenin the middle of a lunch peri-od, so that cooked vegetablesgo “crate to kid” in 30 minutesor less. Instructor BethSchwisow told the ladies thatevery batch of their vegeta-bles is auditioning for a kid’splate, so it’s crucial the veg-gies taste and look good.Schwisow looked slowlyaround the room and droppedher voice.

“You’ve got gray, mushybroccoli out? They take a biteof that, and they may nevereat broccoli again. Ever. Theirwhole lives,” Schwisow said,her eyes wide.

Several lunch ladies in theaudience nodded solemnly.

Another obstacle? Cafete-rias themselves.

Chefs say that schoolsembraced processed food socompletely that many newercafeterias lack the basics ofa production kitchen, suchas produce sinks, oven hoodsor enough cold storage tokeep meat and producefresh.

“If we want to reintro-duce raw meat, fresh fruit,we have to be able to handleall of it,” said Jeremy West,head of food services for aschool district in Weld Coun-ty, Colo. West attended arecent boot camp and plansto start his own next sum-mer for workers in his 28school cafeterias.

In Boulder County, Colo.,cafeteria workers and parentsraised $500,000 last yearthrough grocery-store dona-tions and restaurant fund-raisers to buy better kitchenequipment. The school sys-tem bought uniforms for thecafeteria workers and addedtraining.

“Any school district that istrying to make significantchange about what they servekids, they have to look at thekitchens and the people work-

ing in those kitchens,” saidAnn Cooper, self-described“Renegade Lunch Lady” anddirector of Boulder County’snutrition services.

At Denver’s boot camp, thelunch ladies were all smiles asthey shouted encouragementto each other during a compe-tition to create fancy fruit gar-nishes.

“We used to cook this way along time ago, and I think it’sgreat,” said Marlene Camde-laria, a high school cafeteriamanager who was carving aswan out of a green apple. “Ihave no idea why we went toall the processed stuff. This isso much better.”

Online:http://bitURL.net/9n9http://www.chefann.comhttp://www.scoolfood.org

Lunch: Ladies going gourmet as food gets new lookContinued from Page 3

AP PHOTO/BARRY GUTIERREZ

In this photo taken on July 27, at the Bruce Randolph School In Denver, Maria

Chaperro, center, a lunchroom assistant, listens to Chef Daniel Young during a

cooking demonstration, mainly focusing on knife skills and plating.

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Principals’ silly stunts can motivate studentsBY MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON

FOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sometimes it takes a minute forJames Anderson to figure out whypeople are staring at him.

Then the assistant principalremembers that in June he let a

group of Power Middle School studentsshave his head with an electric razor andhis hair’s still growing back. He had prom-ised he would let them take the shears to hislocks if they had fewer failing grades in 2010than the previous year.

Every year, school administrators likeAnderson make local headlines for sillystunts intended to motivate students. Princi-pals do everything from spending the day onthe roof to kissing pigs to taking pies in theface to reward students for a job well done.

The antics really help “motivate andencourage,” said Diane Cargile, outgoingpresident of the National Association ofElementary School Principals, based inAlexandria, Va.

“The (students) love it, and the parentslove it,” Cargile said. “They know you care

about the children.”It’s a popular tool that’s not often dis-

cussed among professionals, said Anderson,who works in Farmington Hills, Mich. “I goto principal conferences every year andwe’ve never once discussed this,” he said.

Offering to shave his head had an impacton the students and their grades, Andersonadded. The number of F’s dropped from 312to 36, he said.

“We used it as a motivating tool,” he said.“If students had a test, the teachers wouldsay, ‘You’ve got to do well to meet Anderson’schallenge.”’

Agreeing to do something silly also showsthe kids “you’re willing to give them some-thing for their effort,” Anderson said. Healso let students duct-tape him to a pillar inthe lunchroom after they exceeded a fund-raising goal for victims of HurricaneKatrina.

That was “far worse” than his new hair-cut, he said.

“When it was time to come down all thehairs on my arms got pulled out,” herecalled.

When students in kindergarten through

third grade at East Jones ElementarySchool in Laurel, Miss., collected more coinsthan students in the upper grades, PrincipalBecky Stewart let a kindergartner lob a pieat her face. “It was all in good fun,” she said.Although, “it stung my eyes.”

The pie-throwing opportunity encour-aged students to bring in money to help off-

set the cost of new playground equipment,Stewart said.

“The best part was getting to draw thename of the student who was going to do it”at a 2009 school assembly, she recalled. “Youcould see the excitement.”

“Humor needs to be part of the day,” she

Left: This undated photoprovided by FarmingtonPublic Schools showssixth grade studentManisha Dayananda,right, as she shaves thehead of assistant princi-pal James Anderson atPower Middle School inFarmington Hills, Mich.The students earnedthe right to shear hislocks by doing well aca-demically during thefinal grading period atthe school.AP PHOTO/FARMINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, LYNNE MEYER

Please see STUNTS, Page 6

Elementary Schools Grades Phone Number PrincipalDinwiddie Elementary School

13811 Boydton Plank Rd., Dinwiddie, VA 23841K-5 (804) 469-4580 Mrs. Patricia Moody

Midway Elementary School5511 Midway Rd., Church Rd. VA 23833

K-5 (804) 265-4205 Mrs. Kathy Burgess

Sutherland Elementary School6000 R.B. Pamplin Drive, Sutherland, VA 23885

K-5 (804) 732-4168 Mrs. Becky Baskerville

Southside Elementary School10305 Boydton Plank Rd., Dinwiddie, VA 23841

K-5 (804) 469-4480 Mrs. Roberta Brown

Sunnyside Elementary SchoolP.O. Box 250/10203 Melvin B. Alsbrooks Avenue,

McKenney, VA 23872

K-5 (804) 478-2313 Mrs. Wanda Snodgrass

Secondary Schools Grades Phone Number PrincipalDinwiddie Co. Middle School

P.O. Box 340/12318 Boydton Plank Rd., Dinwiddie, VA 238416-7 (804) 469-4380 Mrs. Trenia Harris

Dinwiddie Co. Junior High SchoolP.O. Box 660/11608 Courthouse Rd., Dinwiddie, VA 23841

8-9 (804) 469-5430 Mr. Alfred Cappellanti

Dinwiddie Co. Senior High SchoolP.O. Box 299/11501 Boisseau Road, Dinwiddie, VA 23841

10-12 (804) 469-4280 Mr. Randall Johnson

“Making the Difference” • Dinwiddie County Public Schools • “Our Children, Our Pride”

R E G ISTE R YO U R CH ILD B E FO R ETH E FIR ST DAY O F SCH O O L

D inw iddie C ou nty Pu blic Schoolsw illno longerreg isterstu dentson thefirstday ofschool. Parentsw ho havenotreg istered theirchild/children beforetheopening ofschoolw illbeableto pick u pa reg istration pack et. Atthistim e an appointm entw illbeschedu led to com pletetheform alreg istration process. Parentsareencou raged to reg isterstu dentspriorto theopening ofschool.

ELEMENTARY MEET THE TEACHER DAY will be held at all ElementarySchools on Thursday, September 2, 2010 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

MIDDLE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE will be held on Wednesday, September1, 2010 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Fees may be paid during OpenHouse. Student fees are $10.00. Gym Suit fee is $12.00.

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE will be held on Wednesday,September 1, 2010 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Fees may be paidduring Open House. Student fees are $15.00. Gym Suit is fee $13.00.

HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE will be held on Thursday, September 2,2010 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Fees may be paid during OpenHouse in the school cafeteria. Student fees are $15.00. Gym Suit fee is$13.00 or $6.50 per piece. Parking fee is $20.00.

DinwiddieCountyPublicSchools

MMEEEETT TTHHEE TTEEAACCHHEERR



Stunts: Underscore a principal’scommitment to the school

said. “When they get to seeyou being funny, they loveit.”

In Sheffield Township,Ohio, Vin-cent Ele-mentarySchoolprincipalVirginiaFitchkissed apig inApril torewardkids formeetingtheir mathgoals, the local paper report-ed.

Such over-the-top actsunderscore a principal’scommitment to the school,said Barbara Sistrunk, anassistant principal whojumped out of a plane whenthe Parent Teacher Associa-tion at Greenland Pines Ele-mentary School in Jackson-ville, Fla., met their parentparticipation goals.

They also grab students’attention. After Sistrunk’ssky dive, 12-year-old KatieBlackwell decided to do herscience project on what typeof fabric makes the bestparachute. She experiment-ed with paper, plastic, silkand nylon parachutes.Nylon worked best, she con-cluded.

“It took longer to getdown,” she said.

Jumping out of a planeshowed that Sistrunk“believes that the school canbe a champ,” said Katie.

Sistrunk didn’t initiallybelieve the PTA really want-ed her to jump out of aplane.

“It’s nothing I would havedreamed of doing,” she saidof her March 20 jump. “I didit for the kids. I won’t do itagain.”

Continued from Page 5

AP PHOTOS/NAN RAMEY

Top: This undated photo

provided by Nan Ramey

shows Barbara Sistrunk,

assistant principal at

Greenland Pines

Elementary School in

Jacksonville, Fla., left, as

she poses for a photo-

graph with skydiving

instructor Todd Lundgren

in Jacksonville. Sistrunk

agreed to skydive when

the Parent Teacher

Association at Greenland

Pines Elementary School

met their parent partici-

pation goals. Left:

Sistrunk skydives with

her skydiving instructor.

“Whenthey get tosee youbeingfunny, theylove it.”

Becky

Stewart,

principal



BY CAROLE FELDMAN

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

Janice Hedin’s son wasinto model rockets, so sheused that as a starting pointfor his home-school curricu-lum. Her daughter lovedhorses, and that became afocal point for her education.

“She owned it,” saidHedin, of Maple Valley,Wash. “It was hers. I didn’thave to force anythingbecause she loved every min-ute of it.”

Some home-school parentscreate their own curriculumfor their kids. “There shouldnever be a set curriculum,”said Hedin. “Every child isso unique. Our goal as par-ents is to custom design theeducation that fits our chil-dren.”

For those who find thatdaunting, there are manyprepared curricula availablefor home schooling, as wellas guides to what a childshould know at each gradeand age. Material is availableonline and in libraries, atbookstores and throughhome-school support groups.

The World Book, for exam-ple, provides a free onlineguide detailing typical cours-

es of study for students frompre-kindergarten to 12thgrade.

The National Center ofEducation Statistics reportedlast April that about 1.5 mil-lion American children werehome-schooled in 2007, rep-resenting 2.9 percent of theschool-age population. Thenumber of home-school chil-dren increased by 74 percentsince 1999. The upward trendis believed to be continuing.

As a first step, parents newto home schooling shouldcheck out their state’s laws.Helen Hegener, director ofthe American HomeschoolAssociation, noted that thereis a wide variety in staterequirements.

In Washington state, forexample, parents must meetspecific qualifications tohome-school. Instructionmust be given in math, sci-ence, history, reading, writ-ing, spelling and other sub-jects <0x2014> but parentshave flexibility in determin-ing how the subjects will betaught.

In Alaska, by comparison,there “are no requirementsto notify, seek approval, test,file forms, or have any teach-er qualifications. The bur-den is on the state to provethat parents are not teachingtheir children,” according tothe Home School LegalDefense Association.

That organization hasinformation on its Web site

about the laws in each of the50 states. Local home-schoolsupport groups also are goodresources on state statutesand regulations.

Parents also must decidehow they want to teach theirchildren. There are differentstyles of home schooling,from a traditional, struc-tured, school-type setting to“unschooling,” where thechild sets the parameters forlearning. “Unschooling istotally throwing out the cur-riculum,” said Hegener, whosaid she never had a textbookin the house when she home-schooled her children inAlaska. “Life itself is a learn-ing resource.”

One popular form of homeschooling is unit studies.

Home-school options: curriculum or notChoices aboundfor parentswho want tohome-school

AP PHOTO/JEFF ROBERSON

Lauren Garber of Ballwin, Mo., looks over study aids at the Christian Home EducatorsFellowship Conference and Curriculum Fair June 22, in St. Charles,Mo. Garber home-schoolsher three children, ages 6, 9 and 11. Many home-school associations hold conferences thatinclude exhibits on curriculum and a variety of workshops.Please see OPTIONS, Page 10

& Child Development CenterAMinistry of WoodlawnBaptist Church6764 Billy Williams Memorial Drive, Prince George, VA 23875

Phone (804) 732-3245 • Fax (804) 732-7870

NOW ENROLLING K-3 TO 8TH GRADE

www.woodlawncs.com



Make a powerful difference! Call 804-521-2500 or visit feedmore.org

F or thousands of children in our community, having healthy, reliable food isn’t a sure thing. Infact for some, it’s a rarity. But our leaders of tomorrow need regular, nutritious meals to thrive.Otherwise, hunger can rob them of the power to succeed, both in school and in life.

That’s why, with your help, the Central VirginiaFood Bank provides essential building blocks likepeaches and bananas, green beans and broccoli,peanut butter, tuna, andmore to those in need.

In fact, last year we supplied more than 15million pounds of food to neighbors, alongwith tens of thousands of hot, healthy mealsin summer and after-school programs.

Helpgivethemthepowertosucceed



“Basically, take something like trains, say,and it’s amazing what you can learn,”Hegener said.

Among the questions parents should askin deciding how to home-school:

• Do I want to create my own curriculumor use a prepared one? Do I even need a cur-riculum?

• Do I want to use a textbook?• How will I keep track of my child’s prog-

ress?The key is knowing your child, Hedin

said.She urges parents to discover their chil-

dren’s interests, what excites them and whatthey want to learn.

“Then, together you begin to seek outresources and curriculum. You do it as ateam,” she said.

Home-school associations provide a forumfor families to share ideas, resources — eveninstruction. It’s a way to find out what hasworked for others and what hasn’t, and whatis available in the community to supplementhome learning. Many associations hold con-

ferences that include workshops and exhib-its on curriculum. Some offer standardizedtesting, with certified proctors, for familiesthat want it.

Hedin said she’s not mathematicallyinclined, so when her son wanted to learnalgebra she went to a local home-school sup-port group to find other students who wereinterested, and placed an ad for an instruc-tor.

She also formed a small cooperative withother families to take field trips, do craftsand plan other projects built around variousthemes.

“We were really active with other homeschoolers,” she said.

“We support one another,” said ShellyNelson of the Crossroads Areas HomeSchool Association of Bloomington, Ill.

When people inquire about curriculum,Nelson said, she asks about their teachingstyle and their child’s learning style.

“There are different ways to educateyour children,” she said. “When you get tothe junior high and high school level, Ibelieve there is a great need for somebooks.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean going toone curriculum company for all subjects,she said. “You choose the best curricula foreach subject level.”

But buying curricula and textbooks canbe costly, especially if it means purchasingseveral until you find one you like.

To help parents, the association’s Nation-al Home-School Honor Society chapter cre-ated a curriculum closet filled with mate-rial collected from publishers and home-school families. Some of the 400 or sovolumes are religion-based; others are sec-ular.

One company offering home-school cur-ricula is Time4Learning. Operations man-ager Jennifer Eaton said the computer-based material is “like your textbook laidout on your desk.” Often used along withother materials, the programs also gradechildren’s work and track their progress.

“Parents will need to be involved not toteach the things, but they should be thereto support the child,” Eaton said.

Some parents like a prepared curricu-lum because it gives them “confidence inknowing they are really providing their

children with a comprehensive academicfoundation,” said Michelle Simpson-Siegel,director of the high school program at OakMeadow Curriculum and School in Brat-tleboro, Vt.

“The parent is the primary teacher,” shesaid.

Oak Meadow offers a distance-learningprogram where students are enrolled atthe school and are assigned teachers. Shesaid the arrangement provides the studentwith freedom and flexibility, as well as anacademic record for college admissionsofficers.

While some home-school parents gradetheir children, Hedin said, she didn’t. “Whatwas key to me was progress — progress ontheir timetable.”

Online:American Homeschool Association:

http://americanhomeschoolassociation.orgHome School Legal Defense Association:

http://www.hslda.orgWorld Book course guidelines: http://

www.worldbook.com/typicalcourseofstudy.html

Options: Key is to know what interests or excites a childContinued from Page 7

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Recess coaches hired to make play constructive

BY DIANA MARSZALEK


For years, recess at GroutElementary School in Port-land, Ore., was fraught withthe same sort of playgroundwoes common around thecountry.

Some kids would play,some wouldn’t. Some rough-housed and got into tussles.Resolving those tussles,teachers said, ate into post-recess classroom time.

“Kids are not inherentlykind to each other,” saidPrincipal Susan McElroy.

The pattern was brokenabout a year ago when McEl-roy hired a recess coach to

help children do what theyused to do naturally: play.Now, Grout has its own pro-fessional coach on schoolgrounds all day who not onlyorganizes and supervisesplayground games, but alsotrains kids to be juniorcoaches, teaches conflict res-olution and serves as a men-tor, McElroy said.

A growing number ofschools nationwide are hir-ing playtime professionals tohelp transform recess from afree-for-all into what theyhope will be a healthier phys-ical experience. In some cas-es, that means hiring full-time professionals; in others,it might mean trainingschool staff and parent vol-unteers.

Grout, like many low-income schools, establishedits program through Play-works, an Oakland, Calif.-

based group that this yearwill provide assessment,training and a full-timecoach to 270 schools in 16 cit-ies. Thanks to a recent $19million grant from the Rob-ert Wood Johnson Founda-tion and other support, Play-works subsidizes more thanhalf the $55,000 it costs for aschool to have a full-time,onsite coach.

Jill Vialet started Play-w o r k s , t h e n c a l l e dSports4Kids, in 1996 aftermeeting with a beleagueredprincipal bemoaning theproblems of recess. She saidthat at schools with recesscoaches, teachers reportreclaiming instructionaltime that was previously lostto working out kids’ prob-lems. In addition, playingcooperatively and, in some

AP PHOTO/PLAYWORKS

This undated photo provided by Playworks shows Playworks program director Jabari Wimbsworking with students during recess at Sherman Oaks Elementary School in San Jose,Calif.The trend toward transforming recess from a free-for-all to a healthier physical experience ismeeting mixed reaction.Please see RECESS, Page 12

Growing numberof schools usingplaytimeprofessionals

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cases, earning leadershiproles as “junior coaches,”builds a sense of communityamong students.

“The return is a much bet-ter place to learn,” Vialetsaid.

The idea of putting recessin the hands of profession-als, however, has drawn criti-cism from those who feel thatchildhood today is in dangerof being micromanaged byadults. Learning to playcooperatively is an impor-tant step in children’s devel-opment, and that includeslearning how to handle diffi-cult situations, they say.

Lee Igel, a New York Uni-versity assistant professorwho has worked with schoolsas a sports and organization-al psychology expert, saidrecess coaching is well-intended.

But the problems it ismeant to address, he said— s t o p p i n g bu l ly i n g ,encouraging inclusion, fos-tering cooperation — aretoo wide-ranging and havedeeper causes.

“We’ve always had bul-

lies, but it seems to be onthe increase,” Igel said. Hethinks that’s the result ofchanging social values “andhow people and communityare no longer there.” Fixingthose problems must bedone on a larger scale andstart with a discussion ofvalues.

In addition, Igel said, someof the hard lessons learnedon the playground — beingpicked last for a team, forinstance, or not gelling withother kids — often turn intomotivation for success, or atleast lend perspective, laterin life.

“You don’t want to set chil-dren up for failure,” said Igel,“but you don’t want to alwaysprevent it either.”

McElroy, the Grout princi-pal, said the days are gonewhen kids were adept at find-ing ways to play creativelyon their own. The rise ofelectronic entertainmentand the decline of spontane-ous neighborhood play haveleft many children ill-

equipped to handle unstruc-tured playground time; theydon’t have the social skills.

“Kids by and large don’tknow how to do that any-more,” McElroy said. “Theyweren’t doing it, anyway.”

Alexandra Penn, founderof Champions Against Bul-lying, a nonprofit that offersworkshops and other servic-es, agrees. She says moreplayground supervision isessential, as is specific train-ing in how to manage bully-ing.

“Kids bully for many rea-sons and they also bullybecause they can,” Pennsaid. “Who’s stoppingthem?”

In addition, she said, it’sincumbent on schools toensure that all children —including those prone tobeing bullied — receive thebenefits of recess.

“Play stretches a child’simagination and boosts self-esteem,” Penn said. “Chil-dren become more resilient,develop cognitively, learn

how to problem solve, inter-act with others, discover allthey can do on their own andget in touch with their feel-ings and those of others.”

Having recess coachesdoesn’t mean that schoolshave lost sight of the benefitsof self-motivated play, propo-nents said. Helping kids getthere is part of the plan.

“It’s really getting thesekids more and more workingtogether as a team,” saidMarc Sickel, founder of Fit-ness for Health, a Washing-ton, D.C.-area organizationthat trains school staff andvolunteers to facilitate play-ground activities. “Weassume too many times thatthe kids have the ability towork out their conflicts,when they really don’t havethose yet.”

As head of a culturallydiverse school, McElroy said,she welcomes all opportuni-ties for cooperative learning.

“Anything we can do likethis helps build a school com-munity,” she said.

Recess: Coaching idea drawing criticism and praiseContinued from Page 11

AP PHOTO/PLAYWORKS

This undated photo provided by Playworks shows Playworks

program director Jabari Wimbs, background right, working

with students during recess at Sherman Oaks Elementary

School in San Jose, Calif. The idea of putting recess in the

hands of professionals has drawn criticism from those who

feel that childhood today is in danger of being microman-

aged by adults. And some say recess coaching is well

intended, but the problems it is meant to address are too

wide-ranging and have deeper causes.

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At home traditions to make first day of school funBY MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON


Rebecca Miller Wilsonwants her three chil-dren to look forward tothe first day of school,so she makes a celebra-

tion of it.She hangs signs outside their

rooms, prepares special foods andtakes lots of photos. The traditionsease the transition back to schooland give the kids a reason to beexcited.

“I want to set them up for enjoy-ing school,” said Wilson, of Phoe-nix. The first day should “set thetone for how the school yearshould go.”

Back-to-school traditions athome can help children adjust tothe changes a new year brings,said Tim Sullivan, founder ofSchool Family Media, which focus-es on increasing parental involve-ment in schools.

“Anything that encourages thethought that school is a specialtime is a good thing,” Sullivan saidfrom his office in Wrenthem, Mass.

Parents who make a fuss aboutthe first day back also are sendingthe important message that“school’s a priority in our family,”he added.

Jessica Fisher of San Diegoserves her six children homemadeapple pie for breakfast on the firstday of school. It’s a sweet way tosignal their return to their home-school schedule.

“It helps to mark that shift andmake it really fun — not some-thing they dread,” said Fisher, whostarted the tradition four yearsago.

The pie does lessen the pain ofreturning to school, said her 8-year-old son, Calvary.

“The first day of school is bothgood and bad,” he said. “It’s theend of summer vacation, which

makes it bad, but we get pie forbreakfast so that makes it good.”

Keeping the traditions simplemakes it easier to do them yearafter year, said Alanna Stang, exec-utive editor of Martha StewartLiving magazine.

“Simple and thoughtful isalways the best,” she said. Smallgestures “show kids someone isthinking about me.”

Having first-day-of-school tradi-tions also gives parents the oppor-tunity to mark milestones in chil-dren’s lives that might otherwiseget overlooked, Stang said.

“In our fast-paced lives, themeaning of the moment can getlost in the shuffle,” she said.

She suggests finding a mix oftraditions that involve small sur-prises for the children, and proj-ects that parents and kids canwork on together.

AP PHOTO/REBECCA WILSON

This undated photo provided by Rebecca Wilson shows her daughtersAlex, 9, left, and Winter, 5, showing off their new backpacks for a newschool year. Every year Wilson lets her daughters pick out new back-packs to start off the new school year. She wants her children to lookforward to the first day of school so she makes a celebration of the day.Please see TRADITIONS, Page 14



In addition to preparingtreats, Wilson takes her chil-dren shopping and lets themeach pick out a new back-pack. She takes photos ofthe kids with the new bags,which often reflect theirdeveloping personalities orinterests.

“It’s fun to see some of thechoices they’ve made,” shesaid.

Shopping for school sup-plies has already become atradition for Summer Wer-chowski of Dublin, Ohio,and her 4-year-old son,Miles. When he was prepar-ing for preschool last year,they bought supplies for himand some of his friends.They passed out the suppliesat a back-to-school party,which they plan to throwagain this year.

Werchowski also created away to help Miles, whocouldn’t wait for school tostart, count down the days.About a month before schoolbegan, she placed enoughpieces of candy in a jar thathe could have one a day untilschool started.

“It saved my sanitybecause he could physicallysee it was getting closer andcloser,” she said. “It stoppedhim from asking every twominutes.”

She plans to fill the jar formany years to come. Shealso is continuing a tradition

her own mother started: tak-ing yearly photos in themorning and in the after-noon on the first day ofschool.

“I looked all cute in thebeginning,” she said. By theend of the day, “I just lookedlike I had been through awar.”

She hopes the photos andactivities will create lifelongmemories for Miles.

“Looking back on mychildhood, that’s what Iremember — all the spe-cial traditions we had,”said Werchowski. “That’swhere my memories lie.I’m hoping it will be thesame for him.”

Here are more ideas forback-to-school traditions:

• Pack a note with a lovingmessage, joke or drawing inthe child’s lunch box.

• Make a bracelet or neck-lace, or braid a pair of shoe-laces together that the childcan wear on the first day.

• Decorate a backpackwith a beaded key chain,homemade pompoms or aname tag.

• Hide a small treat, suchas a sticker or small toy, inthe child’s pocket.

• Decorate the student’slunch bag or box.

• Make a special break-fast, dinner of after-schoolsnack.

• Take a photo beforeschool and have it printed or

in a frame when the childgets home, or break out thescrapbook and show thechild that this milestone isalready part of your familyhistory.

• Measure the child’sheight and weight, andrecord it in a special placeon the eve of the first day ofschool.

• If the child is riding abike or scooter to school,decorate it with flags andstreamers.

• Buy an extra set ofschool supplies and donate itto an agency that helpsneedy families.

• Ask children what theywant to be when they growup, and preserve theiranswers with a video cam-era or voice recorder.

— Source: Martha StewartLiving magazine

Continued from Page 13

Traditions: Ideas to help kids look forward to the first day of school

AP PHOTO/REBECCA WILSON

This August 2009 photo provided by Rebecca Wilson shows her daughter Alex

Wilson, 10, holding up a sign. One idea for a back to school tradition is to ask

children what they want to be when they grow up and preserve their answers with

a photo or video.

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Superintendent’s MessageWelcome to the 2010-2011 school year!

The teachers and staff of the Petersburg CityPublic Schools are ready and excited to see theyellow buses arrive. We promise that your child’sschool will continue to be a clean, safe, happyplace to learn.

During the summer, we worked hard to preparefor the new school year. We want your child tohave access to the best technology, textbooks andlearning programs available. We want his or herteacher to be enthusias-tic, knowledgeable andunderstanding. We have taken specific steps tomake these things happen.

Parent and guardians, be sure to join the ParentTeacher Association for your child’s school. Thisis a great way to keep up with news and tosupport the school. Get to know your child’steacher through regular communication andvisits to the school. Find out what extracurricularand after-school activities are offered. Encourageyour child to take part.

Please join us in celebrating a new school year inthe Petersburg City Public Schools!

Sincerely,Dr. Alvera J. ParrishSuperintendent of Petersburg City Public Schools


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