Search Results for: school transportation question

Preschool Primer Part 3 – Making The Choice

Yesterday, I described some of the types of preschool curricula that parents may encounter when they are going through the process of choosing a preschool for their toddler. Curriculum is important because it gives you an idea of what your child will be doing all day and whether there is a comfortable balance between free, creative play and structured activity. Of course, choosing a preschool is about more than just the curriculum. Today I will discuss the other factors that are a part of the preschool choosing process. Basic items like cost, location, transportation, and pick up/drop off times as … Continue reading →

Homeschooling is just a matter of time

This morning I read the story of a young homeschooler named Julia Nepper who is working on two Associates degrees at 14. Prodigy or not (she doesn’t like that word), her capabilities clearly outpaced the traditional school schedule. Neither the junior high school nor the high school that she went to for one semester each would promote her due to ability so she continued homeschooling and landed in college at 11 years old. “The atmosphere was too much of babysitting people’s problems,” her father said. “Here, it’s quiet, the institution is excellent and the students are focused.” While my kids … Continue reading →

Why Don’t School Buses Have Seat Belts?

Car seats and booster seats are required by law whenever you transport a child, in a car, under the age of eight and the weight of 80 pounds. Why then, are not even seat belts required on school buses that carry children as young as five for kindergarten, or in the case of special services and private preschools as young as three? This was a question that I debated with our neighbor across the road as we watched our kids, in first and second grade, load on to the bus. This year we have a great bus driver who makes … Continue reading →

Sending Gifts to School

I am not sure when Valentine’s Day became about children. On Wednesday, my school was full of balloons, stuffed animals, candy, and other goodies. It seems that parents, myself included, are more worried about sending their children the largest balloon or stuffed animal than what to buy their spouse. At one time, Valentine’s Day was for sweethearts. There are problems that I see with sending gift items, such as balloons and flowers, to school. One problem deals with the other children. As a kindergarten teacher, I spent much of Valentine’s Day afternoon answering the question: “Where’s mine?” It is very … Continue reading →

New York City Schools Add Extra Time to School Day

The largest public school system in the United States began an ambitious tutoring program for students who lag behind by increasing the length of the school day for approximately 350,000 students by 37 ½ minutes. New York City, home to 1 million plus public school students, is scheduling tutoring in core subject areas for groups of 10 or fewer children in each group. Many parents accept the change in schedule, and echo the statement of Mayor Michael Bloomberg – focus on the big picture, and the much needed help the children are getting. For some parents, the change in schedule … Continue reading →

Car Rider Line

I have visited or worked at several different schools in various areas and counties. One common thing that I have noticed with most elementary schools is the length of the car rider line in the mornings and the afternoons. The lines seem to be much longer later in the mornings and earlier in the afternoons. O f course common sense would tell us this. More parents are arriving with their children right as it is time for school to begin and picking them up as soon as school is over for the day. It is amazing how early some parents … Continue reading →

Saving Money as a Homemaker

I was recently reading in a book how the author disliked the word “homemaker.”  It made her feel as if she was in a subservient role.  Maybe I’m old-fashioned but I tend to see this word in a different light.  In fact, I believe it is a time-honored tradition that can still work in today’s modern world. Any woman who has ever lost her job or has questioned joining the workforce just might find a great deal of satisfaction in being a homemaker.  I know, I know…this isn’t the 60’s and June Cleaver isn’t real. But perhaps we as a … Continue reading →

Insurance Study About Teen Drunk Driving Surprising

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A study done by Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD reveals interesting facts about teen drunk driving. The results show that the perception about when teens are most likely to drive after drinking doesn’t actually match up to the reality of when it is most likely to happen. Liberty Mutual Insurance partnered with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) in order to do a national study that asked teens about their perceptions about when their peers were most likely to drive drunk. It also asked teens if they have ever driven while drunk, and asked when it was that they did it. … Continue reading →

Reasons to Move

With the media constantly talking about the housing market, people wonder if they really should move, selling their old homes and or buying new homes. I get these questions a lot. While the house market can be scary, the truth is that sometimes you have a good reason to move, and that reason may overshadow any downsides to selling a home right now. And the truth is that even though you may take a hit on your current home, you can still purchase another home for a good price, so things may just even out. I have three friends at … Continue reading →

Third Grade Social Studies Curriculum Part 2

In part 1 of Third Grade Social Studies Curriculum, I provided a general outline for a third grade history curriculum as well as suggested reading and website resources. Here continues part 2 of Third grade social studies curriculum: Sources of food and clothing: These lessons can also be learned on field trips, and through picture books and websites. Shelters of animals and people: Look at sites like lessonplanet.com and animal habitat websites to learn about these kids of shelters. History and development of transportation: There are numerous books and websites you can use to teach your third grader about transportation. … Continue reading →