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Make sure your child is enrolled and ready
By John PattonCorrespondent
While the fi rst day of school on Aug. 18 is all about the kids, the lead-up has some
requirements for parents and guardians, as the Marion County Public Schools system has created a four-step checklist to ensure each child is properly enrolled.
The initial step involves fi lling out two online forms. First, type in the student’s personal information in the highlighted fi elds of the enrollment registra-tion form, located at www.marion.k12.fl .us/parents/RegistrationForm.pdf. A Spanish version can be found at www.marion.k12.fl .us/parents/RegistrationFormSp.pdf.
Then, fi ll out the emergency contact form (www.marion.k12.fl .us/parents/EmergencyCon-tactForm.pdf for English, www.marion.k12.fl .us/parents/EmergencyContactFormSP.pdf for Spanish).
Second, save the forms to your
computer for personal record-keeping.
The third step is to print out the forms.
Finally, at any time before school begins, take the complet-ed enrollment registration form and emergency contact form
along with proof of age (kinder-garten students must turn 5 on or before Sept. 1, 2014) and proof of immunization on a Form 680, which can be ob-tained at the Marion County Department of Health (1801 SW 32nd Ave., Ocala), to your student’s school.
Additionally, proof of a physical examination within the last year is required, and if documentation can’t be provid-ed, an examination must be scheduled in the next 30 days. Academic history, special education information and proof of Marion County residen-cy also are required.
If you are not the legal guardian/residential custodial parent of a student, or there is a court decision regarding the release of information related to custody/restraining orders, state law requires either Court Custody Documentation stating specifi cations, a Department of Children and Families Placement Letter or Educational Guardianship (notarized documents stating parent/legal guardian of student is incarcerated) be provided.
Do all of this, and parental homework is done.
Then, it will be the students’ turn.
BRUCE ACKERMAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/FILE
Ryan Furlong, 12, right, grimaces as he gets the HPV vaccination from Rachel Thompson, an RN, at the Marion County Health Department in Ocala last July. As part of enrollment, parents must bring proof of immunization on a Form 680 to the student’s school.
The checklist includes registration forms, proof of immunization and proof of physical exam.
Save on school supplies during sales tax holiday
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Staff report
The sales tax holiday for back-to-school shopping will be Aug. 1-3 this year.
The sales tax exemption covers:
Computers and related ■
accessories for $750 or less per item
Shoes, clothes and ■
accessories of $100 or lessSchool supplies that cost ■
$15 or lessFor more information, go
to dor.myfl orida.com/dor/tips/pdf/tip14a01-04_full_list.pdf.
COVER ART: Illustration by Rob Mack/StaffCONTRIBUTING WRITERS: John Patton, Marian Rizzo and Joe CallahanEDITOR: Dave SchlenkerCOPY EDITOR: Sharon Sullivan
INDEXRegistration information, ■
Page 2Test preparation, Page 3 ■
Start times, Page 4 ■
School calendar, Page 5 ■
Names to know, Page 6 ■
Election information, Page 6 ■
New school leaders, Page 6 ■
Field trips, Page 8 ■
Cool notebook ideas, Page ■
10How to get kids organized, ■
Page 11Getting your child ready for ■
kindergarten, Page 12After-school snacks, Page 13 ■
Study abroad, Page 14 ■
Kids’ study desks, Page 15 ■
2 | SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 BACK TO SCHOOL OCALA STAR-BANNER | www.ocala.com
Education Department
Portal helps students prepare for new standardized testingBy Joe CallahanStaff writer
Marion County school adminis-trators say a new state portal that
shows Florida Standards training assessments will be a valuable tool in pre-paring students for next spring’s new era of stan-dardized testing.
The new assessments replace the Florida Comprehensive Assess-ment Test (FCAT), which was retired in the spring. The new Florida Stan-dards curriculum is geared toward more critical-thinking concepts.
The following resources are available on the portal:TRAINING TESTS: These are designed to help students, parents and teachers become familiar with question formats and the delivery system of the
computer-based test, known as a CBT. The tests are designed by the American Institutes for Research.DRAFT TEST DESIGN SUMMARY/BLUEPRINTS: The test design summary and blueprints will provide more detailed assessment information, including the percentage of items in each content category, cognitive complexity and a general number of test items.DRAFT TEST ITEM SPECIFICA-TIONS: These specifi cations defi ne the content and the format of the assessment and test items for each grade level and subject.DRAFT MATHEMATICS POLICIES
AND MATERIALS: This document describes policies and materials specifi c to the mathemat-ics assessments, such as calculators and reference sheets.
In the fall, the state Department of Education will release enhanced practice tests for students, in suffi cient time for students to become familiar with the new features prior to testing.
A public comment period to gather feedback runs through Sept. 5. The public comment form is located on the portal.
A longer version of this story was published in the July 10 edition of the Star-Banner. Joe Callahan can be reached at 867-4113 or at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.
Communities host back-to-school parties for families
To help get parents and students into a school state of mind — and donate supplies for students in need — Marion County community groups host back-to-school bashes. As of press time, two are scheduled:SHORES BACK 2 SCHOOL BASH: Party and school-supply giveaway, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 2, Silver Springs Shores Community Center, 590 Silver Road, Ocala.
Free backpacks, food and entertainment. (687-3553 or 426-5712)BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH: Party and supply give-away, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 9,
Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex, 1510
NW Fourth St., Ocala. (368-5505)
CORRESPONDENT/FILE
Yveleise Townsend, 2, enjoys hula-hooping alongwith the help of her mother, Yvonne, as her older brother, Archie, looks on as families enjoyed the Back-to School Bash at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex last August.
www.ocala.com | OCALA STAR-BANNER BACK TO SCHOOL SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 | 3
Check outthe portalwww.fsassessments.org
Mini-Club will stress development and playing time opportunities. It will be led by our3 Time National Championship Ocala Power United staff maintaining the same training
philosophy utilized in the regular club season.
2012 AAU National Champions 2013 AAU National Champions 2014 AAU National Champions
Powerhouse Gym 1433 SW 15th Ave. 344742014 Mini-Club Volleyball Parent Meeting/Team Placements
Saturday August 16th
Parent Informational Meeting 9am August 16th
Registration (10U – 11U – 12U) 9:30am – 10am
Team Placements (10U – 11U – 12U) 10am – 12pm
Registration (13U – 14U – 15U 16U) 1:00pm – 1:30pm
Team Placements (13U – 14U – 15U 16U) 1:30pm – 4:00pm
LAST CHANCE PLACEMENTS – August 23rdAll Ages 10U – 16U 9am – 12pm
Ocala Power United Volleyball Mini Club Season is geared toward youngerplayers 8 - 16 yearsold (notonaHighSchoolVarsityRoster) thatwant todeveloptheir skills and play volleyball in a safe, fun and competitive environment.Teams practice twice a week and will compete in 4 tournaments in September
and October.
Visit www.ocalapowerunited.comfor more information
Or contact Bill Littell: (352) 615-9814Like Us on Facebook
Start and ending times for public schoolsELEMENTARY SCHOOLSAnthony Elementary:
7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Belleview Elementary:
7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Belleview-Santos
Elementary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.College Park Elemen-
tary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Dr. N.H. Jones Elemen-
tary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Dunnellon Elementary:
7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.East Marion Elementa-
ry: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Eighth Street Elemen-
tary: 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Emerald Shores Elemen-
tary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Evergreen Elementary:
7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.
Fessenden Elementary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Fort McCoy K-8: 7:45 a.m.
to 2:05 p.m.Greenway Elementary:
7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.
Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Harbour View Elemen-
tary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Legacy Elementary: 7:45
a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Madison Street Elemen-
tary: 8 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.Maplewood Elementa-
ry: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Marion Oaks Elemen-
tary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Oakcrest Elementary:
7:55 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.Ocala Springs Elemen-
tary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Reddick-Collier Elemen-
tary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Romeo Elementary: 7:45
a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Saddlewood Elemen-
tary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Shady Hill Elementary:
7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.South Ocala Elementa-
ry: 7:55 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.Sparr Elementary: 7:45
a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Stanton-Weirsdale
Elementary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m. Sunrise Elementary: 7:45
a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Ward-Highlands El-
ementary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.Wyomina Park Elemen-
tary: 7:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.
MIDDLE SCHOOLSBelleview Middle: 9:25
a.m. to 3:45 p.m.Dunnellon Middle: 9:20
a.m. to 3:40 p.m.Fort King Middle: 9:25
a.m. to 3:45 p.m.Fort McCoy K-8: 7:45 a.m.
to 2:05 p.m.Horizon Academy at
Marion Oaks: 8 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.Howard Middle: 9:35
a.m. to 3:35 p.m.Lake Weir Middle: 9:20
a.m. to 3:25 p.m.Liberty Middle: 8 a.m. to
2:20 p.m.North Marion Middle:
9:35 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.Osceola Middle: 7:50
a.m. to 1:45 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOLSBelleview High: 9:20 a.m.
to 3:25 p.m.Dunnellon High: 9:10
a.m. to 3:35 p.m.Forest High: 8:45 a.m. to
2:55 p.m.Hillcrest: 9:05 a.m. to 3
p.m.Lake Weir High: 9:15 a.m.
to 3:40 p.m.North Marion High: 9:20
a.m. to 3:20 p.m.Marion Technical Insti-
tute: 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.Vanguard High: 8:35 a.m.
to 3:05 p.m.West Port High: 9:25 a.m.
to 3:35 p.m.Community Technical &
Adult Education: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
4 | SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 BACK TO SCHOOL OCALA STAR-BANNER | www.ocala.com
Marion County Public Schools 2014-15 CalendarAugustThursday, Aug. 7: New teachers report to schoolTuesday, Aug. 12: All teachers report to schoolMonday, Aug. 18: First day of school
SeptemberMonday, Sept. 1: Labor Day holidayWednesday, Sept. 10: Early release dayFriday, Sept. 19: District in-service day, no school
OctoberWednesday, Oct. 1: Early releaseFriday, Oct. 24: No schoolWednesday, Oct. 29: Early release
NovemberWednesday, Nov. 12: Early releaseWednesday, Nov. 26: No school (weather
emergency make-up day, if needed)Thursday, Nov. 27, and Friday, Nov. 28: Thanksgiving, no school
DecemberWednesday, Dec. 10: Early releaseFriday, Dec. 19 through Friday, Jan. 5: Winter holiday break
JanuaryMonday, Jan. 5: Classes resumeFriday, Jan. 16: Teachers’ workday, no schoolMonday, Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, no schoolFriday, Jan. 30: District in-service day, no school
FebruaryWednesday, Feb. 11: Early releaseMonday, Feb. 16: Presidents’ Day, no school
MarchWednesday, March 18: Early releaseFriday, March 27: Teachers’ workday, no schoolMonday, March 30, through Friday, April 3: Spring break
MayWednesday, May 6: Early releaseFriday, May 22: No school (weather emergency make-up day, if needed)Monday, May 25: Memorial Day, no schoolFriday, May 29, through Monday and Tuesday, June 1-2: Semester exams for grades sixth through 12th
JuneWednesday, June 3: Last day of schoolThursday, June 4: Teachers’ workday
CORRESPONDENT FILE
Kindergarten students play with puzzles on the fi rst day of school last year at Legacy Elementary School.
From the and the Halifax Media Group
www.ocala.com | OCALA STAR-BANNER BACK TO SCHOOL SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 | 5
Religious School Registration, Open House Meet and GreetSunday, Aug 11th, 2013 from 10am-12noon
1st day of Religious School • Sunday, Aug 18th, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PMTeaching Hebrew, History, Customs & Ceremonies
Visit us at www.jewishocala.org• Membership Info: 352-629-3587
Erev Rosh Hashanah
We invite you to worship with us every Friday at 7:30 PMand on the upcoming High Holidays
Affiliated with the Union for Reform JudaismRabbi Ze’ev Harari
1109 N.E. 8th Avenue352-629-3587
August 31st – Saturday8:00 PM Slichot Program,
10:30 – 11:00 PM S’lichot ServiceSeptember 4th – Wednesday
7:30 PM Erev Rosh Hashanah ServiceSeptember 5th – Thursday
9:30 AM Rosh Hashanah Morning Day Ifollowed by Tashlich at Tuscawilla Park
September 6th – Friday9:30 AM Rosh Hashanah Morning Day II
September 8th – Sunday1:00 PM Temple Cemetery Service
September 13th – Friday7:30 PM Erev Yom Kippur, Kol NidreService
September 14th – Saturday9:30 AM Yom Kippur Morning Service
4:00 PM Yom Kippur Afternoon Service, Yizkorfollowed by Ne’ilah Service and Break-the-Fast
Sukkot / Simchat TorahSep 20th Friday, 7:30 PM Sukkot CelebrationSep 26th Thursday, 10:00 AM Morning Service
and Yizkor serviceSep 27th Friday, 7:30 PM Simchat Torah Celebration
www.jewishocala.com
Temple Beth Shalom OcalaTemple Beth Shalom Sisterhood
Sunday, August 17th from 10am-12noonSunday, September 7th, 2014 from 9:30am-12:30pm
High Holy Days 5775/2014 Rabbi Ze’ev Harari and Musical Soloist Ellen Allard
Sep 20th - Saturday8:00 PM Selichot Program, 10:30 PM‚ 11:00 PM Service
Sep 24th - Wednesday7:30 PM Erev Rosh HashanahSep 25th - Thursday
9:30 AM Rosh Hashanah Day I,followed by Tashlich at Tuscawilla Park
Sep 26th - Friday9:30 AM Rosh Hashanah Day II
Sep 28th - Sunday1:00 PM Cemetery Service
Oct 3rd - Friday Erev Yom Kippur 6:30pm
Oct 4th - Saturday 9:30 AM Yom Kippur MorningSaturday 4:00 PM Afternoon service,
Yizkor service, followed by Neilah and Break-the-Fast
Oct 10th - Friday 7:30 PM Sukkot Celebration
Oct 16th - Thursday 10:00 AM Morning Service andYizkor service
Oct 17th - Friday 7:30 PM Simchat Torah Celebration
Three School Board seats up for grabs in election
Names to know
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERSDistrict 1 — Nancy Stacy ■
[email protected] .us812-2723
District 2 — Carol Ely ■
[email protected] .us288-0860
District 3 – Chairman Bobby ■
fl .us427-3781
District 4 — Vice Chair- ■
woman Angie BoyntonAngelia.Boynton@marion.
k12.fl .us817-9986
District 5 — Ron Crawford ■
[email protected] .us401-7698
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLSGeorge [email protected].
fl .us671-7702
DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT, CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTIONRick [email protected].
fl .us671-7705
DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT, OPERATIONSChester GregoryChester.Gregory@marion.
k12.fl .us671-7720
TRANSPORTATION SERVICESBUS INFORMATION671-7050
STUDENT SERVICESMark Vianello, executive
fl .us671-6868
Stacy Ely
James Boynton
Crawford
Tomyn
Lankford
Staff report
Three School Board seats are up for grabs in the up-coming August
election.District 3: Bobby James ■
(incumbent), Jan Moerlie, Jim Touchton and Ed Wilson.
District 4: Chase ■
Basinger, Jamie Bevan, Angie Boynton (incum-bent) and Diane Schrier.
District 5: Ron Craw- ■
ford (incumbent) and Kelly King.
The latter race will be decided for good on Primary Election Day, which is Aug. 26.
In the other races, a candidate must get 50 percent of the votes plus one; otherwise, the top two voter recipients will proceed to the November general election.
School Board elections are nonpartisan, and all
registered voters can vote.
The Marion County League of Women Voters has taped a televised candidate forum that will air at 2 p.m. today on the Marion Education Channel. All candidates were invited, but not all participated.
The Marion Education Channel can be found as follows:
Brighthouse Channel ■
198Comcast Channel 99 ■
Cox Communications ■
Channel 12Cablevision of Marion ■
County Channel 13Oak Run and Pine Run ■
Channel 99Ocala Palms Channel ■
11On Top of the World ■
Channel 60.Over the air, with a ■
digital converter box, on Channel 7.1
LOOK FOR ALL OF OUR
SPECIAL SECTIONS IN THE
Just call 352.867.4012 and ask how you can advertise your business or service.
Hurry, SPACE IS LIMITED!
AND ON
2 d ask how you
6 | SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 BACK TO SCHOOL OCALA STAR-BANNER | www.ocala.com
New leadersEight Marion County
schools will have new principals in the 2014-15 school year, which begins Aug. 18.
ElementaryBelleview-Santos: ■
Fredna WilkersonCollege Park: Cassandra ■
BostonDunnellon: Gay Street ■
Evergreen: Erin Quain- ■
tonGreenway: LuAnn Clark ■
Hammett Bowen Jr.: ■
Teresa ForsythHarbour View: Heather ■
Guest
MiddleLiberty: Jennifer Sibbald ■
Giveaways available while supplies last. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Sweepstakes entry on August 2nd, 2014 from 10am–2pm only at participating Cox retail locations —Millerville, Pensacola on Bayou and Ocala. Open to legal residents of Cox serviceable areas of Baton Rouge, LA, Pensacola and Ocala, FL 18 years of ageor older at time of entry. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes subject to Complete Official Rules. Sponsored by Cox Communications Louisiana, LLC, Cox Communications Gulf Coast, LLC and CoxCom, LLC. *Accessory cable offer available 8/1/14 – 8/31/14 at participating Cox retail locations only. Cannot be combined with any otheroffer or promotion, while supplies last. Selection varies by location. Other restrictions apply.©2014 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
Join us on Saturday, August 2nd, and bring home themost important school supplies with the Cox Bundle. Visitour Ocala location for FREE food, giveaways, activities anda chance to win a tablet!
YOU’REINVITED
AUGUST 210AM-2PM
SATURDAYS
A tablet for Back to School
Ocala — 2410 SW27th Ave.
www.ocala.com | OCALA STAR-BANNER BACK TO SCHOOL SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 | 7
Field trips provide fun, learning for kids outside the classroomBy Marian RizzoCorrespondent
One of the ways teachers make learning more inter-esting to their students is by taking them out of the classroom and into the real world. They take fi eld trips to art museums, concert halls, farms, and even
movie theaters.David Steffey, an Osceola Middle
School teacher, already has his mind
set on taking his intensive reading students to Marion Theatre to see a teen-appropriate fi lm that’s been adapted from a novel they’ve read. He said he’d like to follow that up with a Starbucks run.
“Kids love Starbucks,” Steffey said. “And, Marion Theatre is both historic and within walking distance. One of the problems with fi eld trips is you have to get buses and come up with gas money. I would love to take my kids to Universal or Disney, but the state doesn’t want them to miss that
much class time. This kind of thing, we can get in and out and back to the school for lunch. The goal is to use what we have around us without worrying about buses and transporta-tion.”
Holly Yokum, a teacher of gifted students at several Marion County schools, also targeted a nearby venue for a fi eld trip last May, when she took 32 students from South Ocala Elemen-tary School to the Appleton Museum of Art.
“Not only did they tour the museum,
they also did a study on a piece of art that was on display, and they had an art lesson while they were there,” Yokum said. “I wanted them to experience the culture of going to the Appleton, but I also wanted them to leave with something they had created. I didn’t want them to miss this great museum that we have in our own backyard. They were so thrilled, they just kept repeating that they wanted to come back soon with their families.”
Mary Britt, executive director at Ocala Civic Theatre, said she has seen a slight drop in attendance with the school fi eld trips that come annually for the Tampa-based Bits ‘N Pieces puppet shows.
“We have 10 performances and can accommodate 4,000 students,” Britt said. “We’re still seeing more than 3,000 students every year, but it has dropped off a little because of the cost of transportation and ticket prices. Tickets are only $5, but to some kids that’s like $1 million. We work with the schools. From the fi rst time the theatre started doing this 20 years ago, we’ve made allowances for students” who need fi nancial help.
As an additional help, the theater has started doing free in-school programs that include instructional materials for the teachers to use, Britt said.
“What we’ve discovered is, there’s defi nitely an interest,” she said. “These kids are our future audience. If they’re not exposed to it when they’re young, they don’t even know to seek it out as an adult.”
Ever since Petting Zoo Ocala opened at the end of August, private and public schools have been organizing class trips to the facility. Marica Palacio, who co-owns the zoo with her husband, Luis, said Blessed Trinity Summer Camp has planned a vaca-tion period fi eld trip, and The Virtual School has booked a visit for the fall for more than 70 students and their
parents.“We give information on the animals
and where they come from, so the kids learn a little geography as well as the care of the animals,” Marcia Palacio said. “They can do a round-the-world trip when they come here, with animals representing Australia, Africa, Egypt and Peru.”
Matt Lane, director of psychological and social work services for the Marion County School System, said the greatest benefi t is that fi eld trips bring to life what’s being taught in the classroom.
“If they (students) are studying a particular topic and then go on a fi eld trip, they’ll never forget it when it’s experienced like that,” Lane said. “There are social impacts on students as well, primarily in the way of team-building and working together. They have to cooperate with each other, listen and follow directions, and work together as a team, and they’re having fun while they’re doing it.
“I have the utmost admiration for teachers who plan these fi eld trips,” Lane added. “I’ve gone on some with my kids. I’ll never forget the trip to Washington, D.C., and the teachers at Shady Hill that organized that. To this day, my kids remember things they learned on that fi eld trip. So, I know from a fi rst-hand experience the value of it, as well.”
DOUG ENGLE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/FILE
A pedestrian makes her way by the Marion Theatre in downtown Ocala. David Steff ey, an Osceola Middle School teacher, plans on taking his intensive reading students to Marion Theatre to see a teen-appropriate movie that has been adapted from a novel they’ve read.
DOUG ENGLE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/FILE
Redeemer Christian School students admire a painting entitled “Notes of Love,” by Italian artist Francesco Vinea, during a fi eld trip to the Appleton Museum in Ocala.
BRUCE ACKERMAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/FILE
Third-grade students from Marion Oaks Elementary School try to get the attention of chickens in an enclosure during their fi eld trip to the Petting Zoo Ocala on West State Road 40 in Ocala last May. About 93 third-graders from the school took their fi eld trip to the zoo, which is owned and operated by Luis and Marcia Palacio.
Teachers fi nd local venues are great places to take their students
“I wanted them to experience the culture of going to the Appleton, but I also wanted them to leave with something they had created. I didn’t want them to miss this great museum that we have in our own backyard.”
HOLLY YOKUM, teacher of gift ed students at Marion County schools
8 | BACK TO SCHOOL SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 BACK TO SCHOOL | 9
Field trips provide fun, learning for kids outside the classroomBy Marian RizzoCorrespondent
One of the ways teachers make learning more inter-esting to their students is by taking them out of the classroom and into the real world. They take fi eld trips to art museums, concert halls, farms, and even
movie theaters.David Steffey, an Osceola Middle
School teacher, already has his mind
set on taking his intensive reading students to Marion Theatre to see a teen-appropriate fi lm that’s been adapted from a novel they’ve read. He said he’d like to follow that up with a Starbucks run.
“Kids love Starbucks,” Steffey said. “And, Marion Theatre is both historic and within walking distance. One of the problems with fi eld trips is you have to get buses and come up with gas money. I would love to take my kids to Universal or Disney, but the state doesn’t want them to miss that
much class time. This kind of thing, we can get in and out and back to the school for lunch. The goal is to use what we have around us without worrying about buses and transporta-tion.”
Holly Yokum, a teacher of gifted students at several Marion County schools, also targeted a nearby venue for a fi eld trip last May, when she took 32 students from South Ocala Elemen-tary School to the Appleton Museum of Art.
“Not only did they tour the museum,
they also did a study on a piece of art that was on display, and they had an art lesson while they were there,” Yokum said. “I wanted them to experience the culture of going to the Appleton, but I also wanted them to leave with something they had created. I didn’t want them to miss this great museum that we have in our own backyard. They were so thrilled, they just kept repeating that they wanted to come back soon with their families.”
Mary Britt, executive director at Ocala Civic Theatre, said she has seen a slight drop in attendance with the school fi eld trips that come annually for the Tampa-based Bits ‘N Pieces puppet shows.
“We have 10 performances and can accommodate 4,000 students,” Britt said. “We’re still seeing more than 3,000 students every year, but it has dropped off a little because of the cost of transportation and ticket prices. Tickets are only $5, but to some kids that’s like $1 million. We work with the schools. From the fi rst time the theatre started doing this 20 years ago, we’ve made allowances for students” who need fi nancial help.
As an additional help, the theater has started doing free in-school programs that include instructional materials for the teachers to use, Britt said.
“What we’ve discovered is, there’s defi nitely an interest,” she said. “These kids are our future audience. If they’re not exposed to it when they’re young, they don’t even know to seek it out as an adult.”
Ever since Petting Zoo Ocala opened at the end of August, private and public schools have been organizing class trips to the facility. Marica Palacio, who co-owns the zoo with her husband, Luis, said Blessed Trinity Summer Camp has planned a vaca-tion period fi eld trip, and The Virtual School has booked a visit for the fall for more than 70 students and their
parents.“We give information on the animals
and where they come from, so the kids learn a little geography as well as the care of the animals,” Marcia Palacio said. “They can do a round-the-world trip when they come here, with animals representing Australia, Africa, Egypt and Peru.”
Matt Lane, director of psychological and social work services for the Marion County School System, said the greatest benefi t is that fi eld trips bring to life what’s being taught in the classroom.
“If they (students) are studying a particular topic and then go on a fi eld trip, they’ll never forget it when it’s experienced like that,” Lane said. “There are social impacts on students as well, primarily in the way of team-building and working together. They have to cooperate with each other, listen and follow directions, and work together as a team, and they’re having fun while they’re doing it.
“I have the utmost admiration for teachers who plan these fi eld trips,” Lane added. “I’ve gone on some with my kids. I’ll never forget the trip to Washington, D.C., and the teachers at Shady Hill that organized that. To this day, my kids remember things they learned on that fi eld trip. So, I know from a fi rst-hand experience the value of it, as well.”
DOUG ENGLE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/FILE
A pedestrian makes her way by the Marion Theatre in downtown Ocala. David Steff ey, an Osceola Middle School teacher, plans on taking his intensive reading students to Marion Theatre to see a teen-appropriate movie that has been adapted from a novel they’ve read.
DOUG ENGLE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/FILE
Redeemer Christian School students admire a painting entitled “Notes of Love,” by Italian artist Francesco Vinea, during a fi eld trip to the Appleton Museum in Ocala.
BRUCE ACKERMAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/FILE
Third-grade students from Marion Oaks Elementary School try to get the attention of chickens in an enclosure during their fi eld trip to the Petting Zoo Ocala on West State Road 40 in Ocala last May. About 93 third-graders from the school took their fi eld trip to the zoo, which is owned and operated by Luis and Marcia Palacio.
Teachers fi nd local venues are great places to take their students
“I wanted them to experience the culture of going to the Appleton, but I also wanted them to leave with something they had created. I didn’t want them to miss this great museum that we have in our own backyard.”
HOLLY YOKUM, teacher of gift ed students at Marion County schools
8 | BACK TO SCHOOL SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 BACK TO SCHOOL | 9
Add zing to notebooks, store-bought or DIY
By Kim CookThe Associated Press
When it’s time to start stocking the school backpack, it’s easy to just grab a stack of
plain, boring notebooks. But since kids have to tote
these things to and fro every day, why not trade the standard-issue ones for something snazzy and personalized?
There are plenty of eye-catch-ing options to buy or to make yourself.
At Zazzle and Cafepress, you can upload favorite images and decorate custom journals and notebooks with different fonts and colors. There also are fun backgrounds like chevrons, animal prints, sports themes and nature motifs that can be jazzed up with monograms or catchphrases. (www.zazzle.com; www.cafepress.com)
Frecklebox offers cute, 50-page, wide-ruled spirals printed with owls, hearts, fl ames, robots, camoufl age, fl owers and other kid-centric patterns for grades 2-8. They can be personalized with names or initials in a variety of styles. (www.frecklebox.com)
My Paper Monkey’s got some fun designs, including sporty cartoon dinosaurs for the younger set, and star, splatter and checkerboard designs for older kids. Names can be ordered in cool fonts that resemble graffi ti, industrial
stamps or pretty, Parisienne-style script. (www.mypaper-monkey.com )
Add your name to a chalk-board image of inspiring words on a notebook at Tinyprints, or choose from designs like
patchwork, meadow or feathers. (www.tinyprints.com)
If your kids are crafty, consider making a notebook or journal from scratch using recycled paper. Magazines, scrapbook paper and maps make good
cover art, and can be cut into geometric shapes or left intact; apply to chipboard or card-board, add blank or lined paper, and secure. Online tutorials suggest binding them with staples, duct tape, brads, book rings, wire, elastic or stitchery. (www.babbledabbledo.com)
Yarn and ribbon make pretty patterns on a plain book. Create stripes of color, or make a bunch of little bows or loops as embel-lishment. You can affi x bandan-as or cloth napkins in zingy
designs. Glue on buttons, sequins or shells.
Or give a composition book about three coats of chalkboard paint and add a bulldog clip to hold some chalk so you can carry an always-ready art space.
Find some craft pipe cleaners and create a colorful, textured notebook cover. Or add a rainbow of rubber bands to a notebook cover to hold clips and pencils.
Is there some material or felt lying around the house? Cover a book with soft velvet and add a stamped design of leaves for a luxe little book you’ll love to get to work in. Or if you like to sew, cut out a felt cover and embroi-der it closed around the edges; add a pocket for an eraser or pen. (www.spoonful.com)
Got a favorite cereal, cookie or other food that comes in a box? Cut it up and grab the Mod Podge adhesive to make fun notebook covers that will remind kids that home, and snack time, await at the end of the school day. (www.mypaper-pony.blogspot.com)
Kids can trade their standard notebooks for something snazzy and more personalized.
PHOTOS BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
This photo provided by Frecklebox.com shows personalized notebooks and book markers. Geometrics and graphic prints put a preppy spin on notebooks that can be personalized with kids’ names or initials.
Frecklebox’s personalized notebooks for school children include fun dinosaur and animal print patterns.
Monogrammable notebooks for back-to-school come in a variety of cool designs including geometrics and animal prints. Kids also can design their own by uploading photo collages and adding type.
If your kids are crafty, consider making a notebook or journal from scratch using recycled paper.
10 | SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 BACK TO SCHOOL OCALA STAR-BANNER | www.ocala.com
Experts help kids become more organizedBy Katherine RothThe Associated Press
Success in school of-ten depends on how well a student man-ages to organize
everything from demand-ing schoolwork to a dizzy-ing array of after-school activities to technological distractions. That’s a lot to ask of a child, or even of busy parents.
For those with dispos-able income, a new breed of experts is stepping in to help: professional organiz-ers for kids.
“Nine years ago, when I started Order Out of Chaos, I had to explain to people what a professional organizer was. Now, it’s not what’s an organizer, but who’s your organiz-er?” said Leslie Josel of Mamaroneck, New York, who offers to help kids manage everything from elementary school to dorm life.
“As parents, we walk into the house and say, ‘Go get your soccer cleats,’ ‘Go get your dance things,’ ‘Do your homework,’ ” Josel said. But organization is like a muscle, she said, “and if you’re the one spewing all those instruc-tions out, the only one working out that brain muscle is you. You’re ending up nagging instead of training.”
Ask children before they head out the door what they think they will need for the day. “After a while, it becomes as much of a habit as brushing teeth or putting on a seat belt,” Josel said.
And come up with systems for paper and time management at home and at school. “If it takes your child more than two steps to do something, they’re not going to do it,”
she said. Many of the hundreds of
professional organizers nationwide are mothers or former teachers who have helped children deal with “executive dysfunction,” the technical term for the
problem. Some earn certifi cation from groups such as the New Jersey-based National Associa-tion of Professional Organizers or the St. Louis-based Institute for Challenging Disorganiza-
tion. Often, professional
organizers are hired to help kids with special needs. But they are increasingly invited to speak at parent-teacher associations and commu-nity groups to offer general tips.
“Academic tutors help with science or math ... but the study skills part of the picture has been a no man’s land,” said Kathy Jenkins, who runs the Richmond, Virginia-based company The Organizing Tutor.
Some tips from her and other experts:
Managingtheir stuff
At home, each student in the household should have a “launching pad” and portable storage system. A
launching pad can be a bench or box by the front door or bedroom door that holds everything that goes in and out of the house: library books, backpacks, cellphone, soccer cleats.
“For this population, the more time they spend looking for something, the less remaining stamina they have to do what they need to be doing,” Josel said.
The portable storage station should be a clear box with everything needed to get homework done.
“It’s essential to have one box per student, not one per household,” Josel said. “An elementary student
might have glue and colored pencils, while a middle schooler might need a Spanish dictionary and a calculator.”
Boxes should be labeled — but not by parents — with the child’s name and a list of contents. “Have your child fi ll the box and label it. It’s part of the ownership process,” Josel said.
Boxes should be portable because although some students work happily at the same desk each evening, for others, “it really helps if you change workplaces not only every day, but for every study subject,” Josel said.
Study tools Although organizing
systems vary with the individual’s learning style, some frequent recommen-dations for students are:
Use a planner that ■
includes after-school activities as well as homework assignments.
Use reinforced binder ■
paper, Jenkins says, so papers don’t fall out or get crumpled because one hole is ripped.
Vertical, clear-plastic ■
student envelopes can hold a textbook, notebook and papers so that nothing is forgotten. They’re easily pulled out of backpacks or lockers, can be color-cod-ed, and are easy to carry between classes.
A binder with attached ■
accordion fi le can be used for all subjects or for each subject. They come in various colors and have room to fi le papers in a hurry, so they don’t get lost.
For time management, ■
organizers often recom-mend a timer and a vibrating watch.
PHOTOS BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
This undated photo provided by Order Out of Chaos shows the launching pad area. Everyone should have a designated “launching pad,” professional organizers say, where everything that goes in and out of the house is kept.
Once students get to middle school, where they’re expected to juggle several diff erent classes along with various after-school activities, it helps to use an academic planner that keeps track of afternoon and evening events as well as long-term assignments.
Organizers say many students have diffi culty visualizing time. This Time Timer Plus, which comes in a variety of sizes, helps give a visual sense of time. It also can be used to help students play “beat the clock” with themselves to help get work done.
A launching pad can be a bench or box by the front door or bedroom door that holds everything that goes in and out of the house.
www.ocala.com | OCALA STAR-BANNER BACK TO SCHOOL SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 | 11
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Some homework before the start of kindergartenBy Allison KleinSpecial to The Washington Post
Is your child ready for kindergarten? It’s the fi rst rung on the academic ladder, and
sometimes parents won-der whether their chil-dren are primed for the academics or the social interactions in a kinder-garten classroom. At this stage, the two are woven so closely together, said Jack McCarthy, managing director of AppleTree In-stitute for Education. “It’s like saying, ‘What’s more important, hydrogen or oxygen?’ ” McCarthy said.
We talked to a few educators and experts in the fi eld about areas parents can work on to help prepare kids. We picked eight of them to share with you. Some may surprise you.CITIZENSHIP: Teachers want students to be aware of their community and be willing to be a part of it.
They want children to understand they are an important part of a larger group. Give your kids simple jobs around the house that help the household. Explain why it
is an important job. Examples include making their bed, clearing their dishes from the table and cleaning up toys.EMPATHY: Understanding others’ feelings is an
important part of forming and sustaining friend-ships. Kids who are aware of others’ emotions are able to play more fl uidly. Talk to your children about their own emotions and help them identify them. Also talk about others’ emotions.SCIENCE: Have conversa-tions with kids about vegetables, herbs, fruits and grains. Explain which foods are more healthful than others and why. Take a trip to the grocery store to explore various foods. If you are able, plant a food you can grow and enjoy together.MATH: A kindergartener should have a basic understanding of num-bers. When you walk up stairs, count with him. When you give him crackers or berries, count with him. Add a few, take a few away, and count with him.BOOKS: Reading is a sensitive topic in kinder-garten. You can help your children by making sure they love books (read to
them!) — and that they understand books. They should know what an author and an illustrator are, they should under-stand the dedication page and they should know that they read from the left to the right and the top to the bottom. They also should have phonological awareness of letters and rhyming words.FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS: Your children should be able to follow two-step directions such as “take off your shoes, and come sit at the table.” In school, they will be asked to complete many tasks on their own and regulate their emo-tions. Be sure they are able to take their shoes and coats on and off, and zip their backpacks without help. They also need to know how to take turns with friends.FINE MOTOR SKILLS: Teachers say some kids’ fi ne motor
skills aren’t as strong because they spend so much time with screens. Some kids learn their letters and numbers from a computer or tablet and are not given as many opportunities to write and draw. Give your children crayons and paper often. Let them write letters, draw sunsets, make self-portraits and some-times just scribble.GROSS MOTOR SKILLS: Give them plenty of unstruc-tured outdoor play. Let them run and jump and imagine and create outside. When kids are able to run and play on their own they get to know their own bodies and limitations, practice balance and gain strength. Oh, and when they exercise a lot, they sleep much better — something both kids and parents will appreciate.
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Before your child starts kindergarten, you can make sure they love to read and that they understand books.
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
It is good to have conversations with kids about vegetables, and it is great if you are able to plant a food you can grow and enjoy together.
12 | SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 BACK TO SCHOOL OCALA STAR-BANNER | www.ocala.com
Jesus Montalvo & Flavia SiqueriaClub Directors
352 Mini-Club Tryouts 2014 (Boys and Girls)Mini-Club is for ages 6 & under through High School
(not on a high school roster)Location: House of the Elite
• Parent Meeting: Monday, August 18th 6:30pm
• Registration: Saturday, August 23rd 9:00am• Tryouts: Saturday, August 23rd 10:00am
• Registration: Monday, August 25th 5:30pm• 2nd Tryout: Monday, August 25th 6:30pm
• Tryout Fee: $25• Mini – Club cost: $300
Cost includes:Team Practice twice per week, 4 events and T-Shirt
Mini-Club will be run by 352 Coaches
Camp 3Location: CF Patriot Gym
Ready for High School | July 28th – 30th
For incoming freshman and up (13 and over)
AM Session Ages 6-12 (9am-12:30)
PM Session Ages 13-18 (1:30pm – 5pm)
Cost: $50
Setting /Defense ClinicLocation: House of the Elite
Saturday, August 2ndCost: $30
Boys ClinicsLocation: House of the Elite
Will run every Saturday starting July 26th11am – 3pm Cost: Free
CAMPS PATRIOTS/352 ELITE - ALL CAMPS WILL BE AT CF GYM
Clinics will be ran by our Volleyball Directors Flavia Siqueiraand Jesus Montalvo and the 352 Elite coaching staff
AN ORGANIZATION COMPLETELY COMMITTED TOPROVIDING YOUR CHILD WITH THE BEST VOLLEYBALL
EXPERIENCE IN THE 352 AREA.
Private Lessons Available | Go to www.352elitevb.com for more detailsJesus Montalvo 352-342-7913 | 352-484-4140 | [email protected]
All Clinics are at the “House of the Elite”
AAU National OPEN Division- 3rd Place
AAU National OPEN Division- 3rd Place
USAV Daytona - 1st Place USAV Daytona - 1st Place
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Participant resctrictions apply. See website for details.
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Only 3 Weeks Until
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Make kids a healthy aft er-school snack that eats like a treatBy Alison LadmanThe Associated Press
The words hungry kids heading home from school hate most? “Have a piece
of fruit.” Afterschool snacks are
one of the toughest terrains for parents to navigate. The kids want a treat, but parents — mind-ful that dinner is just around the corner — want to keep it healthy. So we decided to come up with a healthy, fi lling snack that kids would still consider a treat.
These chocolate and granola covered frozen bananas are a healthy snack that eat like a frozen pop with a hit of chocolate. If your kids aren’t into granola, you could substitute chopped nuts, crushed whole-grain pretzels or even raisins or dried cranberries.
FROZEN CHOCOLATE GRANOLA BANANAS
Start to fi nish: 20 minutes, plus freezing
Servings: 4 1 cup (6 ounces) semi-
sweet chocolate bits 2 tablespoons orange
juice 2 bananas 1 cup granola Line a small pan with
waxed paper. Bring a small saucepan
of water (about 1 inch) to a simmer. In a small bowl, combine the chocolate bits and orange juice. Place the bowl over the pan of simmering water. Stir continuously until melted and smooth.
Peel the bananas, then cut each banana in half crosswise. Insert a fork into one end of each piece. Dip each banana into the
chocolate mixture, using a spoon to scoop the chocolate over the banana to make sure it is com-pletely covered. Roll the coated banana in the granola, then place the forked and coated banan-as on the prepared pan. Freeze. Nutrition information per
serving: 350 calories; 130 calories from fat (37 percent of total calories); 14 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 59 g carbohy-drate; 6 g fi ber; 33 g sugar; 5 g protein; 10 mg sodium
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Parents will consider them a healthy, fi lling snack, but kids will consider Frozen Chocolate Granola Bananas a treat.
www.ocala.com | OCALA STAR-BANNER BACK TO SCHOOL SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 | 13
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Kids studying abroad are never out of touchBy Beth J. HarpazAP Travel Editor
A generation ago, students on semes-ters abroad were practically incom-
municado, aside from airmailed letters and one or two calls home. These days, from the minute the plane lands, kids studying overseas are connected with home via Skype, Facebook and messaging apps like Viber and What-sApp.
Has technology altered the semester abroad by making it impossible to immerse yourself in another culture? Or does staying in touch simply increase comfort levels, easing both homesickness and parental worries?
Jane Tabachnick of Montclair, New Jersey, remembers airmailing letters to her parents when she studied in Paris for nine months at age 21, long before the cellphone era.
“I knew they were worried and that they’d be waiting by the mailbox,” she said. “It seemed like an eternity between letters.”
It was different when Tabachnick’s 21-year-old daughter lived in Russia and Paris as part of her studies at Rutgers Univer-sity. They often conversed by Skype or GoogleChat.
“My daughter is very mature and level-headed and I’m not a big worrier, but I’m a parent, and she’s across the world, and it was just so easy to be in touch,” Tabachnick said.
Robbin Watson was forced to give up screen time with the home crowd when her laptop was damaged during a semester in Italy six years ago, when she was 19.
“I was devastated at fi rst, wondering to myself, ‘How will I know what’s going on at home? How will I Skype my friends?’” she recalled.
But as time went on, her experience in Rome “drastically changed. I began to go out more, no longer running home from class to hop online. I no longer thought about what was going on at college, and soon, I began to not even care.”
Looking back, she’s grateful that her laptop was damaged. Her advice for semester abroad: “Get rid of your smartphone. The whole point of studying abroad is to immerse yourself in the culture, the people, the language. Once you have Skype, Facebook and constant calls from parents, I think it really takes away from the experience and becomes a huge distraction.”
Staying in touch is important to Daniele Weiss, 19, a New York University student who spent the spring semester in Florence and is now in Israel for the summer.
“My mom needs to hear from me every night before I go to sleep,” she said.
From Italy, six hours ahead of her parents, she’d call in the morning before her dad went to work and then text throughout the day. She said most of her fellow American students also “stayed in contact with everybody from home. It was very comfort-able and so easy. It’s not like I felt like I was missing out on the immersion. But I wanted to share things with my mom.”
Jason Fischbach, 24, studied in Sydney, Australia, during his senior year at Babson College in 2010-2011, and stayed in touch with family through Facebook and Skype, though he tried to limit it: “I was able to keep myself from getting homesick, without really watering down the experience.”
But, he added that others did fall into the “traps” of too much screen time: “People would get back from class and hop on Skype/Facebook with family and signifi cant others. People would skip social outings or classes to reach back out to people at home. Evenings would be spent on social media.”
Annmarie Whelan, a spokeswoman for Forum Education Abroad, which develops standards for education abroad pro-grams, acknowledges that students miss out if they spend too much time online with folks back home.
On the positive side, she added, some students gain confi dence dealing with unfamiliar situations if they can process the experience with someone they know.
14 | SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 BACK TO SCHOOL OCALA STAR-BANNER | www.ocala.com
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TEMPLE BETH SHALOM,the only affiliated UNION FOR REFORM JUDAISM in Ocala
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REGISTRATION FOR ITS RELIGIOUS SCHOOLAUGUST 11, 2013, 10AM-NOONTo Parents with Jewish school-age children,
If you want your child educated in Jewish History, Jewish Practice, Culture and Hebrew,attend our Religious School Open House and Registration for Religious school onSunday, August 11, 2012, from 10AM to Noon. First day of religious school is
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attend our Religious School Registration on Sunday, August 17th, 2014, from 10 AM to Noon.
First Day of Religious School is Sunday, September 7th, 2014.
REGISTRATION FOR ITS RELIGIOUS SCHOOLAUGUST 17, 2014, 10AM-NOON
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Bedroom desk? It’s somewhere under all that junkBy Diana MarszalekThe Associated Press
Alyssa Kimble, a soon-to-be sixth-grader in White Plains, New York,
says she uses the desk in her bedroom for “every-thing” — creating lesson plans for her make-be-lieve school, writing sto-ries and storing stuff.
Everything, that is, except homework.
“Usually, my desk is covered with things, a computer isn’t nearby, and my mom isn’t there to help me,” Alyssa says.
So, she prefers doing homework at the kitchen table.
Although bedroom desks remain common, many kids don’t use them for their intended purpose. Thanks to laptop comput-ers and more casual living spaces, they often opt to do homework in kitchens and family rooms, on couches or on beds, turning their desks into depositories for books, toys and crafts.
What that means for study habits depends on who’s doing the work, educators and parents say.
“I could always get my homework done wherever I was. But some kids, especially if they have ADHD or another disabil-ity, can benefi t from doing homework at a specifi ed location like a desk because it tells them, ‘This is the spot where I focus,’” says Ellen Pape, a La Grange, Illinois, school reading specialist.
“Separating it from other locations gives kids more of a straightforward defi nition of expectations,” she says.
Melissa Kaufman of Santa Clara, California, says that where her daughters — Rebekah, 14,
and Sarah, 11 — do their homework refl ects their different needs and study habits.
Kaufman bought Rebekah a desk several years ago because letting her work at the kitchen table in their small house became too hard on the rest of the family.
“It meant nobody could do anything in the kitchen
or living room until homework was done because it would be distracting,” she says.
But having “a nice big desk surface” did little to change that. “I don’t think she did her homework at her desk more than once,” Kaufman says.
Initially, Rebekah resisted being isolated from the rest of the family.
And although today Rebekah does do home-work in her room, it is usually on her bed. The desk is where she puts “the four outfi ts she tried on earlier that day and rejected.”
But Kaufman says she doesn’t fi ght it. “She has still managed to get excellent grades, despite what I would consider less
than stellar study habits and environment, so we have to let her go with what she is comfortable with,” she says.
Sarah, on the other hand, “needs much more help and encouragement to get her homework done, so doing it in isolation in her room is not really an option” — meaning she’s back at the kitchen table, Kaufman said.
Sarah’s desk has suffered a fate similar to her sister’s; it’s covered with piles of books, art supplies and knickknacks.
Tami Mount, a New York-area educational con-sultant, says it’s important for children to have a quiet, dedicated workspace, but it doesn’t matter where
that is. “All the tools they need to
do their homework, like scissors, rulers, erasers and pencils, should be organized in a place they can be easily retrieved. You don’t want to spend 15 minutes looking for tape,” she says.
But some kids work better in an environment where there is, say, music playing or a parent nearby, than isolated at a desk, Mount says.
“A quiet desk, a busy kitchen, Starbucks or the living room fl oor. Like adults, kids fi nd a place that is comfortable and productive,” she says. “And if the living room fl oor is not proving productive, try something else.”
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
This photo courtesy of Michael & Melissa Kaufman shows the cluttered desk belonging to their ninth-grade daughter, Rebekah. Although the Kaufmans bought Rebekah the desk so she would have a place to study, she prefers doing homework on her bed.
www.ocala.com | OCALA STAR-BANNER BACK TO SCHOOL SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 | 15
16 | SUNDAY , JULY 27 , 2014 BACK TO SCHOOL OCALA STAR-BANNER | www.ocala.com