Search Results for: education elementary school

“Zooters” and Homeschool Pods

The new school year is starting, and it comes with incredibly difficulty choices for parents. Should you send your children to school, and potentially put them at risk for catching COVID-19? Do you have the means to become an unpaid teacher’s aide and guide your elementary school children through a virtual school day? Some parents are solving these problems with “Zooters” and homeschool pods. What is a “Zooter”? It is a word created by Elyssa Katz, who lives in Santa Monica, California. She is in the process of trademarking the word. She is also a mother of three, who understands … Continue reading →

Parents Eating Lunch with Kids at School Cause Problems

Think back to when you were an elementary school kid. Lunch time was probably one of the highlights of your day. It is one of the few opportunities during the school day where kids get to eat and to socialize with their peers. Some parents have started eating lunch with their kids at school. This is causing problems. Darrien News (Darren, Connecticut) reported that a rule change will no longer allow parents to eat with kindergarteners and first-graders at the town’s elementary schools. This rule was conveyed to parents via email. The email was sent by Interim Superintendent Elliott Landon. … Continue reading →

School Suspends Fourth Grader for Using Imagination

It is typical for young children to re-enact the stories that they watch in a movie. One of the reasons they do this is simply because it is fun. In addition, children engage in imaginative play in order to figure out the world around them and where they might fit into it as an adult. Play can be an important component of learning. That being said, a fourth grader who is a student at Kermit Elementary School, in Kermit, Texas, was suspended for using his imagination in a way that is typical of children who have been inspired by a … Continue reading →

Advantages of Extended School Days

Would you like your children to attend school for eight hours straight, five days a week? It may sound a bit excessive to some parents. However, there are some school districts that have implemented an extended school day. It turns out that there are several benefits to doing so. Extended school days, which are also called extended learning time, have gained popularity within charter schools. Some charter schools may have a bit more freedom about how long their school day runs than some public schools do. That doesn’t mean it would be impossible for an extended school day to be … Continue reading →

School Board Votes to Keep Accelerated School Open

After much controversy, a decision has been made. Teach Elementary, an accelerated school in California, will remain open. This outcome was decided after more than one meeting was held where the general public voiced strong opinions. Some changes may occur, but the school will not be closed. Teach Elementary is part of the San Luis Coastal Unified School District in San Luis Obispo, California. It is the only accelerated learning school in the entire district. Students who attend Teach are in the 4th through 6th grades. The school accepts all students, and is not exclusive to those who require gifted … Continue reading →

The Controversy Over School Vouchers in Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker created a proposal to make a school choice voucher program for students who have special needs. A group called Stop Special Needs Vouchers is protesting against the proposal. The group, which includes parents, feel that the plan would end up making it harder for students who have special needs to get the support they require at public schools. A school voucher is a controversial topic for many reasons. There is potential for people to object to the system that is used to determine whether or not a child qualifies for a voucher, to object to … Continue reading →

Story of Accelerated School Closing Not Over Yet

In California, a public school district is interested in closing the only school that meets the needs of GATE students. The reasoning has to do with overcrowding and different philosophical views on education. It appears that the school district is not quite following the guidelines it is supposed to before closing a school. Teach Elementary is part of the San Luis Coastal Unified School District, which is located in San Luis Obispo, California. It is the only accelerated learning school in the entire district. Students who attend Teach are in the 4th through 6th grades. The school accepts all students, … Continue reading →

Controversy Over Possible Closure of Accelerated School

A magnet school in California that serves students who are gifted may be closing. This is controversial for many reasons. Those for the closure point to overcrowding, and feel the school is “elite”. Those against the closure point to the limited opportunity for gifted students in the other schools within the district. Teach Elementary is a magnet school that is run by the San Luis Coastal Unified School District. It has been around for about thirty years. The school is for academically accelerated students who are in the 4th through 6th grades. In addition to offering accelerated courses, Teach Elementary … Continue reading →

Senator Franken Says Schools Need More Counselors

In the weeks after the tragedy that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Connecticut, there have been several ideas discussed about how to prevent something like that from happening again. Senator Al Franken says that schools need to have more counselors. He will push for federal funding to make that a reality. There are no words that can adequately describe the shock that people felt after learning about what happened in Connecticut in December of 2012. A twenty-something shooter went into Sandy Hook elementary school and opened fire. Twenty six people were killed that day – and twenty of … Continue reading →

School Brunch

What time does your child eat lunch at school? The answer to that question created quite a stir among parents in cyberspace last week. Several media outlets, most notably NBC’s Today Show and Nightly News with Brian Williams decided to shine the national spotlight on the fact that some kids eat school lunch as early as 9:30 a.m. Thankfully, my daughter is not one of them. Rather, she dines in the school cafeteria at a more socially “acceptable” hour of 11 a.m. However, she attends a small Catholic elementary school which houses kids from preschool through fifth grade only. If … Continue reading →