Fairfield-Echo.com

VanGorden earns award

By Lindsey Hilty | Saturday, September 6, 2008, 01:00 PM

The following is a press release about an award to VanGorden Elementary School.

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. (Sept. 4, 2008) - Children’s book publisher Sylvan Dell has passionately pursued its mission of “bringing science and math to children through literature.” Now, they are reaching out to schools and school districts nationwide with an unprecedented educational resource grant offer, and Ohio schools have already reaped the benefits. The grant is for a free, one-year site license, providing unlimited access to all 35 Sylvan Dell eBooks, featuring flipviewer technology with selectable English and Spanish text and audio. The license can be used on all school computers and may be placed on secure school websites, enabling students and their families to log in and have access from their homes. Grants will be awarded to one elementary school per district and are open to every district in the United States. To facilitate submission, individual schools may submit the grant application directly. When more than one school from a single district applies, Sylvan Dell will ask the district contact to make the selection. An easy online grant application is available at: www.SylvanDellPublishing.com/ResourceGrant.htm http://www.swiftpage1.com/SpeClicks.aspx?Acc=SylvanDellPublishing.Angie&SPCED=C080905092600&LNK=1&UId=784 . The rapid response in Ohio has been impressive. So far, 28 schools in the state have been awarded the Sylvan Dell Publishing educational resource gran, including VanGorden Elementary.

“We appreciate this opportunity to provide online access to Sylvan Dell eBooks for our elementary students who are becoming bilingual,” said one principal from Indiana. “Those whose first language is English who are learning Spanish, as well as those whose first language is Spanish who are learning English. Our young children can read and talk about the stories and the big ideas of the stories as they explore a new language.”

Sylvan Dell picture books with science, math and nature themes excite children’s imaginations through fun stories, vibrant artwork and a 3-5 page “For Creative Minds” educational section in the back of each book. But that is just the start…what really makes the books unique, is their tremendous amount of free, online educational material available for cross-curricular learning, including: 30-80 page Teaching Activities, Interactive Reading and Math Quizzes, and much more.

According to Sylvan Dell co-owner Lee German, “What we have created is a set of serious tools for teachers and parents to use to both entertain and teach their children. We don’t want to be just another picture book publisher. We want to be loved for our products and our commitment to excellence, and we want to be part of the education solution.” For additional information, contact GrantCoordinator@SylvanDellPublishing.com or call 877-958-2600.

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Do you know if your kids drinking or doing drugs?

By Lindsey Hilty | Friday, September 5, 2008, 12:52 PM

I just finished a series of stories on the Fairfield City School District’s Pride Survey. I am checking with Lakota to see if students participate in this survey or similar ones. I found it quite interesting that nearly half of the seventh-12th graders at Fairfield said they had used alcohol in the past year and nearly a quarter had used tobacco or illicit drugs.

This is apparently a state-wide and even national norm. Do you have a problem with this? What are your thoughts on stopping the trend? The average age students said they began drinking and taking drugs was 12 or 13. Have you talked to your children about drugs and alcohol? Did you realize it was an issue for those so young?

While Lakota has many programs available, I often hear of students saying it is easy for them to get their hands on drugs and alcohol. Many say they do it at friends’ houses. What safe guards do you have in place.

Here is a link to the pride survey results from last year. The president of the company told me the recent information would be posted within the next two weeks. He also said there are safegaurds in the survey to toss out those students they can tell are lying.

http://www.pridesurveys.com/Reports/index.html

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Want to get lost?

By Lindsey Hilty | Wednesday, September 3, 2008, 01:37 PM

Tonight is Lakota East night at Niederman Farms. The corn maze this year is shaped like a thunderhawk and wishes the band well on its trip to Hawaii.

I plan to check out this maze tonight and take some pictures. You can check out the view at this link. The event tonight costs $8 and part of the proceeds go to East’s band.

http://www.pulsejournal.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/09/03/pjw090308maze.html

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Go Buckeyes!

By Lindsey Hilty | Saturday, August 30, 2008, 12:14 PM

So, I am sitting her at my desk Saturday afternoon trying to finish up some last minute stories for the school page. My husband is, of course, happily sitting nearby watching the Buckeyes. The office televisions have the Big 10 network — we don’t.

Anyway, it made me think of an important piece of information all our band people would appreciate. A Fairfield alum will be dotting the “i” next week at the OSU vs. OU game. How many of you know other people who have played in the marching band or have gotten to dot the “i?”

Two of our friends from church marched with the OSU band, and they are CRAZY fans. I think they are going to every away game this year! My husband is quite jealous. He wants to know if I can plan to work every Saturday from now until the end of the season. I don’t think so! He can find a neighbor’s television. :)

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Is your dog anxious about school?

By Lindsey Hilty | Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 09:56 AM

No joke! I just got this press release about helping your dog to adjust to back to school. I laughed and rolled my eyes, but I am not a dog person, so I am allowed to do that. Here is the gist of the text:

“Back to school time can be especially stressful on the family dog. After a summer of having people around him all day, suddenly Fido is left alone all day when vacation is over and the kids go back to school. This can cause separation anxiety, which often results in destructive behavior.”

So, I sarcastically alerted the newsroom that if anyone is concerned about their dog when the kids go back to school, we now have a solution. My editor quickly pointed out that she gives her dog anti-anxiety pills. Hmmm.

I can understand the behavior issues. My parents’ cat flips out when her schedule is altered. She lives outside or in the basement now after she urinated on the carpet in defiance of the empty household during the day. The vet suggested we give her anxiety pills. My dad suggested the vet was crazier than the cat. Seriously, have you ever given a cat a pill? My dad would gladly give away our very loving furball if anyone wants to cure her of separation anxiety.

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A penny here

By Lindsey Hilty | Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 08:09 AM

A penny here, a penny there. Lakota is looking at as many cost-saving options as it can find, as are most districts.

One solution, the board approved Monday, is to alter the uniforms for custodial staff. Instead of renting them, the district will purchase the shirts and employees can wear their own pants. This had been a point of contention in years past, officials said, because the female employees especially did not like the uniform pants.

The uniforms are a security measure. The new plan will save up to 30 percent of the former costs, officials said.

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Excellent with Distinction

By Lindsey Hilty | Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 10:45 AM

So Lakota did it! They were excellent with distinction.

Attached is a link explaining the report cards. Lakota did not make three of four requirements for Adequate Yearly Progress, but all it took was one. The district passed with flying colors when it came to the newly added report card feature — value added. Essentially, someone came up with a formula to track a students progress in a year’s time. If the child progresses more than a year, no matter what grade level he or she is in, then the district gets credit. So, let’s say John comes into the district at a first-grade level, but is supposed to be in the fifth-grade. If he shows progress and growth, then the district gets credit. If he shows growth two years in a row, the district gets bumped even higher.

This was the case for Lakota, who earned the top honor.

. http://www.ode.state.oh.us/GD/Templates/Pages/ODE/ODEDetail.aspx?page=279

Continue reading "Excellent with Distinction"...

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