American Press Back 2 School Special Section

8/22/2019 American Press Back 2 School Special Section

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C2 AMERICAN PRESS SAtuRdAy, July 13, 2013

BACK TO SCHOOL 2013-2014

Specal to the Amercan Press

Children grow and develop theirpersonalities in various ways.

While many youngsters are teased

or receive some good-natured rib-bing at some point in their school

careers, some teasing can eventu-

ally turn into bullying.

The National Education Associa-

tion estimates that 160,000 children

miss school every day due to fear

of attack or intimidation by other

students. Furthermore, more than

70 percent of students report inci-

dents of bullying at their schools.

Although children in lower grades

have reported being in more fights

than those in higher grades, there

is a higher rate of violent crimes in

middle and high schools than in el-

ementary schools. According to the

association Make Beats Not Beat

Downs, harassment and bullying

have been linked to 75 percent of

school shooting incidents.

Bullying can take many forms,

and learning the warning signs as

a parent can help prevent harass-

ment and potentially dangerous

situations.

Verbal: If your child reports be-ing called names, being the recipi-

ent of racist, sexist or homophobic

jokes, or being spoken to in an

offensive or suggestive way, this can

be a form of verbal bullying.

Cyber: Social media, email andtext messaging has become a way

for bullies to spread malicious mes-

sages or photos. In the era of digital

media, this type of bullying has

increased considerably.

Physical:Some bullies engage inphysical attacks, including hitting,

kicking, spitting, or other forms of

physical confrontation. Destroyingpersonal property also is consid-

ered physical bullying.

Indirect: Gossiping and spread-ing nasty rumors about a person is

another form of bullying. This type

of bullying may go hand-in-hand

with cyber bullying.

SigS Ou CHiLiS Big BuLLi

Parents can recognize certainsigns that their child is being bul-lied at school. Bullied children

frequently make excuses to avoid

going to school. While the desire

to stay home is something many

children may express, those who

are bullied may do so much more

frequently.Bullied children tend to avoid

certain places and may be sad,

angry or withdrawn. They may have

trouble sleeping or experience

changes in appetite, and bullied

youngsters academic performance

may suffer. Also, parents may notice

that children return from school

missing some of their belongings.

SigS Ou CHiLiS TH BuLL

Parents may not want to imagine

their children bullying other stu-

dents, but bullies do exist. Children

who bully other kids have strong

needs for power and negative domi-

nance. They may find satisfaction

in causing suffering to others. Somesigns that your child may be a bully

include:

l easily becoming violent with

others

l having friends who bully others

l blaming others quickly

l comes home with belongings

that do not belong to him or her

l getting in trouble with teachers

or school administrators

l picking on siblings

l not accepting responsibility for

actions

There are ways parents can

teach their children to act properly

when faced with a bully. First, par-

ents should explain that bullying is

not the childs fault and he or she

does not deserve to be picked on.

Next, parents can let children

know that being assertive but not

violent with bullies may diffuse the

situation, as some bullies thrive

on the fear of their victims. If the

bullying behavior continues, the

student should speak to an adult or

authority figure.

Parents of bullies may need to be

especially mindful of their chil-

drens behavior. Counseling could

be necessary to determine what

is compelling kids to bully other

students.

Learn the early warning signs of bullying

Special to the American Press

Bllyn can take many forms, and learnn the warnn sns as a parent can help prevent harassment and po-tentally daneros statons.

Specal to the Amercan Press

These days, bullying isnt only

happening in the schoolyard. The

Internet has changed things to

such an extent that students are

now vulnerable to bullying at-tacks at any time of day or night.

Cyberbullying can have serious

consequences and should be

taken seriously.

What is cyberbullying? It is the

harassment of an individual that

comes in the form of insulting,

degrading, or threatening acts

through emails, instant messag-

ing, private or public posts and

comments on social networks and

discussion groups. Even if themessages are not spoken out loud,

the consequences can be disas-trous: loss of self-confidence,social isolation and even suicide.

LOg A COPLAiT

It is imperative to do some-

thing about this type of situationas soon as it first arises. Studentsshould inform their parents or amember of the schools personnel.

Threats should be reported tothe police. People must be awarethat slander, extortion, criminalharassment, fabricated messages,and the uttering of threats areconsidered to be violations of thecriminal code. Civil courts are

a recourse for that type of case.Before lodging a complaint orattempting to sue a cyberbully,

it is important not to delete themessages in question, as they willbe required as proof.

PTiO

It is possible to prevent cyber-

bullying. Some actions to take:never respond to a bully; protectpersonal information; inform theInternet or cell phone service

provider about incidents; andimmediately close the Web envi-ronment where the intimidationis taking place. Lastly, parentsshould monitor what their chil-dren are using the Internet forand be vigilant for any signs

of distress, such as an unusualreluctance to go to school, fear oranxiety.

Cyberbullying can have serious consequences

Parents, you can alreadypicture those first morn-ings of the school year: thechallenge of dragging crankykids out of their beds at dawn

after two months of mellowsummer mornings.

Each year, many of usswear well do it differently.We will listen to the experts.We will adjust our childrens

bedtimes back to a school-year schedule as soon as

August arr ives. We will workwith biology, not against it,by dimming the lights and

drawing the curtains in theevenings. We will rememberthe power of a good bedtimeroutine.

It does sound wonderful.But each year, many fami-

lies embrace the spontaneity

of summer and the long, lightevenings, ditching routinesand enjoying late nightswith the kids. Or maybe wereally do try to get them tobed early, but Little League

baseball games run late andvacations to other time zones

make it impossible.Then we try to get our

kids up early for the first dayof school and their bodiesnaturally rebel. Its nevereasy to be waking up at the

time youre biologically readyto be asleep, says Dr. PeterFranzen, child sleep expertand assistant professor ofpsychiatry at the Universityof Pittsbur ghs Sleep Medi-

cine Institute.Lack of sleep can affect

kids ability to learn, to re-

member and to handle emo-tions, he says.

So here are some tips forgetting them back to a sen-sible bedtime:

Begin adjusting bedtime

at least two weeks beforeclasses begin, says familysleep counselor Dana Oble-man, founder of the SleepSense system for gettingbabies and toddlers to sleep

well.You dont have to jump

into going to bed at 7:30and being really strict,she says. But do an evalu-ation of where the bedtime

has been falling and move

back toward that by about 15minutes every third night.(Of course, if youve alteredyour kids bedtime by morethan an hour, youll need to

make those changes in largerincrements.)

For young kids, the mosteffective routine includesa warm bath and reading afavorite book. Skip televi-

sion, which has a stimulatingeffect.

With older children,

Obleman suggests having asit-down meeting two weeks

before school begins. Dis-cuss the importance of being

rested during the first weeksof school.

Plan a solid bedtime rou-tine together, making surethey understand how muchsleep is necessary. Children,

from toddlers to adolescents,need 10 to 12 hours of solidnighttime sleep, Oblemansays. Teens are likely to needat least 9 hours.

People say, If my child

got eight hours, thats ad-equate. And it might be ad-

equate, Obleman says. Butyou want to be giving themgreat, awesome restful sleepat night.

Once youve chosen abedtime, agree to turn off

electronic screens one hourearlier, because the lightfrom these devices signalsour bodies to stay awake,Franzen says. Kids alreadyhave a harder time get-ting sleepy at night as they

reach their teen years due tochanges in their body chem-istry, he says. Looking at thelight of electronic devicesonly delays that response

further.A regular bedtime r outine

triggers a childs naturalurge to sleep, and also cre-ates treasured memories ofquiet moments with mom anddad, notes Lorraine Breffni,

director of early childhood atNova Southeastern Univer-sitys Mailman Segal Centerfor Human Development, inFort Lauderdale, Fla.

By elssa ayworth

Assocated Press

Early to bed, early to rise can take effort at summers endDo an evaluation of

where the bedtime

has been falling and

move back toward

that by about 15

minutes every third

night.

ana Obleman

Fonder of Sleep Sense

See SuS ,C8

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Saturday, July 13, 2013 aMErICaN PrESS C3


Children engaged in a

prekindergarten programare more likely to be ready

for kindergarten, accord-

ing to the Calcasieu ParishSchool Boards director of

early-childhood education.

Sheryl Piper said about

1,400 students enroll in apre-K program annually,

giving them the advantage

of being better preparedacademically and socially

for kindergarten. The pro-

gram also helps familiarize

the young students with aschool setting and develop

a foundation for future

growth and development,

she said.Piper said that when

a child starts kindergar-ten they are expected to

display cognitive abilities,

including early literacy,

alphabetic understanding,vocabulary, listening com-

prehension and emergent

writing skills.Kindergarten students

are also expected to know

basic numeric concepts,like counting, and make

observations using their

senses.

Piper said early-child-hood education programs

also give children oppor-

tunities to engage in earlylearning.

With programs avail-

able in elementary schools

across Calcasieu Parish,Piper said the program has

become more popular over

the years.

Family engagement

in childrens learning has

increased and families and

communities are gaining

more awareness of nec-

essary skills related to

kindergarten readiness,

Piper said in an email.

Support and resources

are provided to encourage

families to enroll children

in a preschool program.

Piper said that in ac-

cordance with the states

early-learning and devel-

opment standards, chil-dren enrolled in early-

childhood programs learn

literacy and language

skills; social, math and

motor skills; basic numeric

concepts; problem-solving;

and science and social

studies concepts. And they

learn to participate.

On entering kindergar-

ten, students are ex-

pected to have social and

emotional competencies

including self-regulation,

self-identity, self-reliance

and respect for others.

She said that to be eli-

gible for a pre-K program

children must be 4 yearsold by Sept. 30.

By Natalie Stewart

[email protected]

Pre-K program a plus

for kindergartenersSpecial to the American PressThe classroom atmosphere

familiar to todays childrenis likely very different fromthe atmosphere their parents

were accustomed to whenthey were students. Many ofthese changes can be traced

to technology, which hasgradually had an increasingpresence in the classroomover the last several decades.

Thanks in large part tothe Internet, technology alsohas changed the way kids

approach their schoolwork athome. Though a potentiallyvaluable learning tool, the In-ternet also poses some prob-lems for todays students. Thefollowing are some of the ad-

vantages and disadvantagesof relying on the Internet tocomplete schoolwork.

TH POS

The accessibility of the

Internet can be a significantbenefit to students. Studentshave a wealth of resourcesavailable to them online, andthose resources can make iteasier for kids to understandkey concepts on nearly everysubject. Whereas students

might once have been forcedto trek to the library to re-search a given subject, nowthey can do so from the com-forts of home. And unlike thelibrary, the Internet never

closes, so information is at

students disposal regardlessof when they sit down to dotheir schoolwork.

Another advantage to us-ing the Internet to complete

schoolwork is that the Inter-net can be an extension ofthe classroom beyond schoolwalls. Educational websitesabound on the Internet, andmany of these sites are writ-

ten and monitored by profes-sional educators. These sitescan be valuable resourcesfor students who may find

themselves struggling withcertain lessons. Many of theirquestions or concerns may

already be addressed, andcertain topics may be moreeasily explained on a websitewritten by a professionaleducator or scholar in a givenfield. Rather than waiting to

address an issue in class, stu-dents can visit such websitesto answers to their questionsimmediately.

The Internet also can pro-vide students with a forum to

discuss their studies whichdoes not always exist in theclassroom. That forum mayengage students and makethem better students.

TH CONS

Much of the concern aboutusing the Internet to com-plete schoolwork is the reli-

ability of the information onthe Internet. Many sites offerreliable and well-researchedinformation, but many do not.Students, especially youngerstudents, may not be capable

of discerning fact from fic-tion and will simply take thewritten word on the Inter-net as truth. That may landstudents in hot water or makeit more difficult for them to

understand their subjects.Another significant disad-

vantage to using the Internetto complete schoolwork isthat students may be temptedto cheat. Because the In-

ternet is so vast, studentsmight be tempted to cut andpaste answers to homeworkproblems from the Internetor copy information fromwebsites and claim it as theirown, feeling as if there is no

way their teachers will everfind out. Some students maynot even understand thatsuch cutting, pasting or copy-ing is wrong. Such behavioralso makes it harder for

students to learn the mate-rial, which will make it moredifficult for them to grasp keyconcepts going forward.

Social networking sitescan quickly distract kids

from their schoolwork, cost-ing them valuable time they

should be devoting to theirstudies.

Pros, cons of using Internet for schoolwork

Metro Creative Connections

Technology, namely the Internet, has changed the way stu-dents approach their schoolwork.


Homework time can be a

difficult moment for childrenas well as parents. Betweenmaking dinner, daily chores,and children who grumbleor who refuse outright to dotheir homework, it is not easy

to stay Zen! Here are seventricks to help you:

l Establish a routine atthe beginning of the schoolyear and stick to it. Home-work should be done at thesame time each day, in the

same place (a quiet, well-litroom), and for about the sameamount of time.

l Ban all forms of distrac-

tion. No television, music, oraimless wandering about byother family members where

children are doing theirhomework.

l Let your children emptytheir own schoolbags andorganize their school mate-rial. Give them time to lookat their teachers homework

schedules and ask them whatthey have to do.

l Stay present and avail-able, without succumbing tothe temptation of doing thehomework yourself. If yourchildren need help, show

them that you are payingattention and are willing togive advice.

l Let your children readinstructions out loud. Thiswill enable them to stay con-

centrated on their homeworkand you will also know howfar along they are.

l If they get stuck, askthem to explain to you intheir own words what theyunderstand. Then tell them

what you understand. Byworking together you maysucceed in solving the prob-lem.

l Always try and makehomework time a positiveexperience, punctuated with

encouragement for every ef-fort. Your children will be allthe more motivated.

Helpful tricks for getting homework done

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4/10



By Family Fatrs

While moms want to make

sure their children eat ahealthier lunch at school,its not always easy packing

lunches that are good forthem.

Food and lifestyle expertEvette Rios has five easytips to help families pack ahealthier lunch, and turn a

good lunchbox into a greatlunchbox:

lSubtract the fat. Removeunnecessary fat with fat-freedeli meats your kids wontknow the difference.

lAvoid temptation withsnacks. Children who eat apoor-quality breakfast orlunch may give in to temp-tation, so offer healthiersnacks like nuts and dried

fruit, or sneak 20 percent ofyour childs daily fiber intothe lunchbox by packing, forexample, a granola bar.

lIts not juice if its not 100percent. If you are going toserve juice, make sure its 100percent fruit juice.

lDont be afraid to give

them a sweet treat. Insteadof a candy bar or cookies, trypacking low-fat yogurt.

lIf children help select itor cook it, theyll eat it. Givethem a choice and involve

them, but guide their choices.Let them cruise the produceaisle and pick out the fruitthey want to eat. Show yourchildren how to cut vegeta-bles into bite-size pieces that

they can dip into a favoritesauce. Also, have them maketrail mix with low-salt nuts

and dried fruits, and portionit into single-serving bags.

LunCHBOxeS:3 queSTOnS TO ASK

Lunch boxes come in everyimaginable shape and size,so everyone is sure to findthe perfect one for their style

and tastes.For the younger set, there

are lunchboxes with picturesof cartoon heroes or interna-tional stars; teenagers prefersomething trendier, in line

with what they wear, maybe,or bags that can be used tocarry things other than justfood.

SturdinessTo choose the best lunch

box, check how sturdy it is.

Double or triple stitching

is best. Pay attention to thehandle; it shouldnt give wayunder the weight of its con-tents. It should also be ableto stand up to some rough

treatment.

CapacityEnsure that its big enough

to contain a thermos forhot food. These days, mostlunchboxes are made with

reliable thermal insulationthat can keep foods cool forseveral hours, but try to findone with a compartment de-signed for an ice pack.

EfficiencySome lunchboxes come

with a removable liner, whichmakes cleaning up spilledfood a whole lot easier. Fold-able lunchboxes are alsopractical, as well as those

that can expand to accommo-

date large containers.Lastly, even though the

best of lunchboxes should bewell-designed, its important

that your children be happy

with the design. After all,they are the ones who willbe carrying them to schoolevery day.

Turn good lunchboxesinto great lunchboxes


Allow childr to choos th frit thy wat to at i thirlchs. Th mor food thy hlp slct, th mor likly thyar to at it.

Spcial to th Amrica Prss

Once a school year be-

gins, many students spendmore time in the classroomwith their teachers thanthey do at home with their

parents. Thats especiallytrue in dual-income house-holds where both parentswork outside of the home.

Though many parentswould love to spend moretime with their children, do-

ing so can be difficult whenboth parents must go towork every day. Because stu-dents spend so much timewith their teachers, its im-portant for parents to work

toward building a strongparent-teacher relationship.Such a relationship fosterscommunication, which can

help a young student do hisor her best in and out of the

classroom, something thatsa goal for parents and teach-ers alike. Parents inter-ested in developing a strongrelationship with their kidsteachers can take several

steps to make that happen.lMeet your childs

teacher at the beginningof the year. Teachers havemany students come in andout of their classroom onany given day, so it can behard for teachers to initiatea relationship with parents.

Parents have significantlyfewer children to look after,so they should take thefirst step toward buildinga relationship with teach-ers. Introduce yourself at

the onset of the school year,providing phone numbers

and email addresses where

you can be reached. Let theteacher know youre avail-

able for discussion any timeduring the school year andthat you look forward toworking with the teacher as

the year progresses.lAttend Back to School

Night. School events likean open house or Back toSchool Nights are a greatway to help kids grow ac-climated to their school. Butsuch events also make great

opportunities for parents tolearn more about their kidsteachers than they mighthave learned during theirintroductory meeting. Suchevents may allow teachers to

explain the curriculum forthe upcoming year.

lPrioritize parent-teach-

er conferences. Unlike anintroductory meeting or anopen house at the beginningof the school year, a parent-teacher conference allows

parents and teachers to spe-cifically discuss students inprivate. Teachers may pro-vide insight into how a childis performing and behavingin the classroom, offering

advice as to how to improvethat performance or sugges-tions as to how to encouragekids to keep up the goodwork. Such conferences maybe your only opportunity

for a one-on-one, in-persondiscussion about your child,so make sure that you areon time and dont miss theseconferences. You can usethis as an opportunity to

ask any questions you haveabout your child.

Build a strong parent-teacher relationship

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6/10


Aug. 12-13: Teacher in-service.

Aug. 14: First day of school.

Sept. 2: Labor Day.

Sept. 23: Teacher in-service.

Oct. 28: Teacher in-service.

Nov. 11: Veterans Day.

Nov. 25-29: Thanksgiving break.

Dec. 23-Jan. 3: Christmas break.

Jan. 20: Martin L. King Jr. Day.

Feb. 3: Teacher in-service.

March 3-5: Mardi Gras holiday.

April 18-25: Easter/spring break.

May 23: Last day of school.

May 26-27: Teacher in-service.


Calcasieu Parish

Allen Parish

Hamilton Christian Academy

Grand Lake High School

Vernon Parish

South Cameron, Hackberryand Johnson Bayou

Charter schools

Episcopal Day School

Jeff Davis Parish

McNeese State University

Sowela Technical Community College: Calendar not available at press time.

Beauregard Parish: 4-day

Beauregard Parish: 5-day

Diocese of Lake CharlesAug. 12-13: Teacher in-service.


Aug. 30: Teacher in-service.

Sept. 2: Labor Day.



Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Jan. 26-Feb. 1: Catholic Schools

Week.


April 18-25: Easter break.

May 13: Graduation.

May 22: Teacher in-service.


Aug. 1-5: Staff development.

Aug. 6: Students report to school;

half-day a.m.

Aug. 6: Staff development; half-day

p.m.

Sept. 2: Labor Day.

Oct. 4: Fair Day holiday.



Dec. 20: Staff development.


Jan. 6: Staff development.


Feb. 17: Presidents Day.



May 8: Last day for seniors.


Aug. 7-9: Staff development.


Sept. 2: Labor Day.

Oct. 4: Fair Day holiday.



Dec. 20: Staff development.


Jan. 6: Staff development.







Aug. 9: Students report for rstday; grades 1-12.

Aug. 9: Students report for rstday; pre-K/kindergarten.

Sept. 2: Labor Day.

Oct. 4: Fair Day.




March 3: American Heritage Day.

March 4: Mardi Gras holiday.

March 5: Bank Day.

April 18-25: Good Friday/spring

break.


Aug. 9, 12-13: Teacher in-service.


Sept. 2: Labor Day.





Jan. 21: Teacher in-service.


March 15: School carnival.


May 23: Eighth-grade graduationand last day of school.



Sept. 2: Labor Day.












Sept. 2: Labor Day.


Oct. 14-15: Fall break.






March 3-7: Winter break.

March 21: Family Fun Day (half-day).

April 14-17: Spiritual Emphasis

Week.



May 16: Graduation.

May 19: Last day for pre-K and

kindergarten students.

May 20: Kindergarten graduation.


May 23: Teacher in-service.

Aug. 5-13: Teacher orientation.


Sept. 2: Labor Day.











May 26-27: Teacher in-service.



Sept. 2: Labor Day.











Sept. 2: Labor Day.

Sept. 20: Fair Day.




March 3: American Heritage Day.

March 4: Mardi Gras holiday.

March 5-7: Spring break.



Aug. 8: Staff development day.


Sept. 2: Labor Day.

Sept. 26: Staff development, half-day; parent-teacher conference, 2-5p.m.

Oct. 4: Fair Day.

Nov. 8: Staff development, half-day;parent-teacher conference, 2-5 p.m.





Feb. 14: Staff development day.




May 21: Staff development, half-

day; and half-work day.

AUGUST

19: Last date to apply for admission.

21: Freshman orientation, 8 a.m.

23: Late registration begins.

26: Classes begin.

27: Last date to register, add/dropcourses, and make section andcredit/audit changes.

SEPTEMBE

2: Labor Day holiday.

9: Last date to le for fall degreecompletion.

20: Last date to make grade appealfrom previous semester.

OCTOBE

10-11: Fall break (evening classes willmeet on Oct. 9).

14: Midterm.

24: Last date to withdraw fromcourses.

NOVEMBE

14: Last date for comprehensive nalexamination for fall degree comple-tion.

25-29: Thanksgiving holiday. (Classes

will not meet Nov. 30. University of-ces closed Nov. 27-29).

DECEMBE

4: Classes end (evening classes willmeet).

5: Study Day (nal examinations forevening classes begin).

6: Final examinations begin.

11: Final examinations end.

11: Last date for faculty to removeprevious semester I grades for cur-rently enrolled students.

12: Grades for degree candidates dueby 9 a.m.

13: Degree certications due in theRegistrars Ofce by 10 a.m.

14: Commencement exercises, 10 a.m.

16: All remaining grades due by 9 a.m.

20: University closes at 4:30 p.m.and reopens on Jan. 6.

JANUA6: University reopens at 7:45 a.m.

13: Last date to apply for admissionfor regular session.

15: Freshman orientation, 8 a.m.

16: Late registration begins.

20: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday(University ofces closed).

21: Classes begin.

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FEBUA

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7: Ofcial Reporting Day (14th ClassDay).

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MACH3-5: Mardi Gras holiday.

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APL

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18-25: Spring vacation (classes willnot meet April 19 and 26; Universityofces closed April 18 and 21).

MA

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Test taking comes easily for some. Make sure you eatan get enough rest the ay before an the ay of thetest.

By Kara Carrier

[email protected]

Senior year of high school is t he

year many teenagers look forwardto the most. Its their last hurrah

the final year with their closestfriends, ruling the school, choos-ing a college and graduating withclassmates theyve grown up with.

Having to move senior year isprobably a teens worst nightmare.Instead of having a year of lasttimes, he or she will have a year offirst times a new school, newteachers, new friends and nothing

familiar at all. Being the new kidin school is tough, but being t henew kid your senior year is evenworse.

This is what happened to my16-year-old daughter, Myah. After

attending grades 1-11 in NorthCarolina, Myah had the unfortunateluck of having her dad retire fromthe military and move our familyback home to Louisiana. As par-ents, my husband and I felt guilty

the new car she is driving is proofof this.

Myah is outgoing and wasinvolved in many extracurricu-

lar activities at her former highschool. She was an honor student;cheerleader; and a member of thesoftball and swim teams, the prom

committee, and various clubs. Shehad tons of friends and a boyfriend

she claims she loves. She also had ajob lifeguarding at a local pool.

We knew leaving all of this be-hind wouldnt be easy for her, and ifshe had a choice shed want to stay,graduate with her friends and at-

tend college in North Carolina. Butall of that wasnt an option for ourfamily, so my husband and I made itour mission to make this transitionas easy as possible for her.

We started by keeping her in-formed of what was going on every

step of the way. As soon as we knewthere was a possibility we wouldbe moving, we told our daughterso she would have plenty of time toprepare herself. Anytime we hadany new information about any-

thing pertaining to the move, we lether know.

Since Myah was so involved at

her old school, we wanted her tohave a similar experience here.Early on we began researchingschools and included her in theprocess. As a family we were able

to choose a school where she could

play softball, take honors classesand join clubs. Most import antly, weallowed her to have a say i n whereshe wanted to spend her senioryear, and get excited about it.

We also encouraged our daugh-

ter to look for a job while myhusband and I looked a s well. Sinceshe is a certified lifeguard, she waseasily able to set up an interviewfor the day after we arrived andwas hired on the spot.

Louisiana is where my husbandand I grew up, and most of our fam-ily and friends are here. We enlist-ed their help to introduce Myah to afew other people her age and evensome who would attend her school.

She now has a few friends here shehas been able to hang out with.

Myah was disappointed aboutnot being able to attend college inNorth Carolina, and although shestill could, we real ly dont want

her that far away from us. I am an

LSU alumna and have begged her

to follow in my footsteps for years.

After t ouring the campus and the

LSU website, she is now excited

at the prospect of being an LSU

student after she graduates in 2014.We have already looked into dates

to attend their open house for high

school seniors in the fall and plan

to attend as many football games

as possible. Myah actually took

the initiative to research applica-

tion deadlines, dorms and sorority

information.

With everything we did to

prepare her, Myah has handled

the move well. We fully expected

a river of tears, feet stomping,

toddler-style tantrums and mass

protest from her and her friends.

Thankfully, we didnt get that.

There were a few tears and she was

definitely sad. What really shocked

me was that she was most upset

about having to wear a uniform to

school something shes never had

to do. Being the fashionista that mydaughter is, I should have foreseen

that issue.She of course still misses her

friends and the boyfriend inNorth Carolina, but social media,

texting, FaceTime and the Internethave helped with that. We have en-

couraged her to keep using this tokeep in touch with her friends. We

have also planned for some of her

friends to come visit over Thanks-

giving and for her to visit them over

spring break.

Overall she has a great attitude

about moving here, and she is look-

ing forward to starting her senior

year in August. She loves living

near our family, getting to see her

cousins and grandparents all the

time, and getting good Cajun food

whenever she wants.

When asked if she had any

advice to give others moving their

senior year, she said, Its tough,

but dont get too upset about leaving

your friends because you will still

see your real ones down the road.

Its just another adventure in life.

You can have a fresh start and stillbe who you want to b e.

Changing schools senior year just another adventure for Myah


Students are periodically tested togauge their progress on a variety of sub-jects. Although tes ting can be an effectiveway to determine a students understand-ing of a given subject, not ever y studentperforms well on tests. Test-taking comes

easily for some but not so for others.Nerves can foil the best students. Howev-er, there are ways for students t o improvetheir test-taking skills.

PPAATOMost tests are given with prior notice,

enabling students to prepare for themwell in advance. Sometimes teachers andprofessors will surprise students with aquiz. These pop quizzes are used to judgehow well students are absorbing the

information and if they have been payingattention.

When in class, continually jot downnotes and create an outline of importantinformation. The teacher may providehints about the upcoming test, includ-ing emphasizing specific areas of focus

or even revealing the format of the test.Contrary to what some students believe,teachers want their students to succeed.Therefore, your teacher may offer areview session the day before or be open

for questions prior to the test if further

clarification is needed.Studying with others can shed new

light on a subject. Studying difficult sub-ject matter with peers may help studentsgrasp the materials better than they didin class. Classmates may have some tricks

theyve developed, including mnemonicdevices for putting facts t ogether.

TH dA BO Ad TH dAO TH TST

Prior to a test, make sure you eat and

get enough rest. While it may be tempt-ing to pull a n all-nighter, you will notperform well on the test if you are tiredfrom having studied all night. Reviewthe material and put the main ideas or

formulas onto a sheet that can be quicklyreviewed. Review it many times and thenput it away. Have a good meal, relax andtry to get at least eight hours of sleep.

On the day of the test, wake up and ar-rive on time or even a few minutes early

for your class. This can help to calm yournerves and enable you to squeeze in somelast-second studying.

TH TST TSL

Make sure you have the suppliesneeded for the test. This may include

pens or pencils, a calculator, a textbook if

you are allowed to reference, or any othersupplies the teacher allows. Have a watch

available so that you can pace yourself

during the test. Avoid using a mobile

phone during the test, as the teacher may

misinterpret that as cheating.

Try to remain positive through the

test. If you feel yourself getting nervous,

take a few deep breaths and regroup.

In addition to these tips, there are

other ways to approach the test.

l Do the easiest problems first. If you

do not know a question, skip it a nd move

on. There may be clues later on in the test

that help you go back and answer skipped

questions.

l Always read the entire question.

Skimming could find you missing impor-

tant instructions.

l Look for words that may help you

determine the answer, such as all,

never or none. They present clues to

the answer.

l Pay attention to your work and only

your work. Do not be distracted if others

finish before you.

l If there is time, go back and look over

your test. Make sure that all the questionshave been answered for any carelessmistakes. Proofread any essays and shortanswer questions.

How to improve test-taking skills

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00819406


8/10


Those routines can be very personalfamily rituals a certain snack that you eat,

a certain book you read, a certain song that

you sing, she says.For adolescents and teens, Breffni, says,

keep in mind that the time they go to bedmay not be close to the time they actually fallasleep. So make sure older students un-

derstand what time they should actually beasleep.

One of my cornerstones is that if chil-dren are going to bed early enough, thereshouldnt be a need to wake them in themorning, Obleman says. If youre dragging

them by the ankle every morning, theyre go-ing to bed too late.

On the last mornings before school starts,you might even induce the kids to get up ea rlyby taking them out to breakfast at their favor-ite restaurants.

One final step, which can be especially

tough on parents: Ideally, the whole familyshould go to bed early on those final nights.It may be hard to give up the late night hoursyoure accustomed to, but going to sleep ear-lier will benefit you as well as your kids.

Were seeing an epidemic of sleep depri-vation among adults, Franzen says . Werecertainly not modeling appropriate behaviorfor our kids.

These experts say adults really do needeight hours of sleep per night, though manyof us get as little as five or six.

Spca Amca Pss

Each day thousands uponthousands of children boardschool buses to take themto and from school. Parentsand caregivers entrust theirchildrens well-being to the

care of school bus driversand aides.

The National HighwayTraffic Safety Administra-tion advises that school busesare designed to be safer than

passenger vehicles in avoid-ing crashes and protectingagainst injury. Buses arearguably the safest mode oftransportation for gettingchildren to and from school.

By keeping millions of carsoff the roads surroundingschools, school buses contrib-ute to less crowded road-ways, which are less condu-cive to accidents.

Knowing the SAfetyruleS

While a large part ofprotecting children is on theshoulders of the school busdriver, it is also vital for pas-sengers to learn the basics ofschool bus safety.

Kindergartners or chil-

dren who are riding the busfor the first time should betaught the rules of school bussafety.

Some schools offer a

school bus tour prior to thenew school year. This letsyoungsters acclimate them-selves with the look and feelof the school bus. This in-troduction also may include

information about bus safety,but parents can also educatetheir children (and them-selves) about using caution inand around the bus by follow-ing these guidelines.

l Get to the bus stop 5 to 10minutes prior to the assigned

pickup time. Rushing last-minute can lead to injury,especially if youre chasingdown the bus. If your chil-dren wait alone, tell themthey must return home if theschool bus doesnt show up.

l Step back five paces

when the bus arrives andwait until it comes to a com-plete stop before getting anycloser.

l Board the bus calmly,holding onto the handrail.

Go directly to a seat and sitdown. Buckle up if there areseatbelts on the bus.

l Remain seated while thebus is in motion.

l Keep voices low so as notto distract the driver.

l Keep your head andhands inside of the bus, andnever hang out of the window.

l Do not throw things on

the bus or play rough withfriends or classmates.

l Keep the aisle clear at

all times. Keep your school-bag and your lunchbox onyour knees or put them underthe seat: never obstruct thecenter aisle.

l Be careful when getting

off the bus. When the bus

arrives at school, wait until ithas come to a complete haltbefore standing up. Hold thehandrail when getting offthe bus and never push other

children.l Only get off at your

designated stop unless youhave permission to get offelsewhere.

l When exiting the bus,walk at least 10 steps past thefront of the bus and cross in

front where the driver cansee you. Do not cross behindthe bus.

l Wait for the driver togive you a signal that it is safeto cross. Be sure to check

that all cars on the road havecome to a complete stop.

l Get to the sidewalk oroff the street as quickly aspossible.

l If youve forgotten some-thing on the bus, do not run

back and attempt to retrieveit. The driver might not seeyou and start the bus. Rather,call the bus company andsee if you can pick it up atanother time.

lDont try to retrieve

items dropped close to theschool bus unless you tell thedriver first. Alternatively,wait until the bus has gone

before picking them up.l Do not get into the cars

of strangers waiting aroundbus stops, even if they offer to

take you home.Parents can arrange to

meet with bus drivers so thatthey will recognize their

faces. Adults also can encour-age schools to host bus safetycourses to further ensuretheir youngsters are safe.

SuMMerS enDContinued from C2

BACK to SChool 2013-2014


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Spca Amca Pss

Do you dread the rush in themorning on weekdays? When youhave school-aged children, espe-cially young children, it seems as

though there is never enough timein the morning to get everyoneready without being late. This leadsto stress and a generalized tensemood for all involved.

Lets face it. Thats not a goodstart to the day for anyone, no mat-ter how much Zen finds you that

day. If you find yourself wishing youcould turn the clock back beforeyou leave your driveway in themorning or counting your passen-gers to make sure theyve all madeit in the vehicle before you leave,

then read on.I have learned much through

trial and error, and Im ready topass it on to you.

the olD wAy

Does this sound familiar? Let mepaint a picture for you ....

The alarm goe s off. You get out ofbed and press snooze, because noone went to bed on time last nightand you cant muster the superhu-man strength at this moment to

begin to get anyone else out of bed.Ten minutes later the alarm goesoff again and you know what youmust do. You get up and wash yourface, brush your teeth and take thewalk of shame toward your sleep-

ing child. You say in the sweetest ofvoices, Its time to get up.

You receive a slightly audiblemumble in response, then you re-peat yourself in the same tone. Nomovement from the small human

is detected. You decide its timeto move on to phase two: You try

to move the child yourself, rollingthem over in bed, nudging them andbribing them with treats, toys andtelevision just in the slight hope

they will move into an upright posi-

tion. After intense negotiation, you

do indeed get your desired result.

Upright child, eyes opened. This isprogress.

Ill save you some time and t hepain of reliving your typical morn-ing routine in total by summarizing

it for you here ....Attempt to wake child. No re-

sponse.Nudge and roll child over. Slight

response.Bribe child with mental sparkly

things to lure them into an uprightposition.

Go to childs closet, survey thepile of clean clothes on the floorand base your final choice of outfitby the amount of wrinkles that

remain in the fabric a s you pluck itfrom its resting place.

Lay outfit next to child and begthe child to put in on while you get

ready.Seven minutes later, when you

are done getting ready (youve gotthis down to a science), re-enterchilds room and threaten to take

away previously offered bribes ifthey do not get dressed. Offer extra

bribes successively until you seeaction.

Head toward the door, announceyour impending departure andwait for two minutes as you hearscuffling and footsteps followed bythe appearance of sa id child. Yousurvey their appearance, and saynothing, because as you know ...

socks, shoes and hair are done inthe car.

You all move toward t he vehicleand realize that lunchboxes andbackpacks are mis sing. You go backinto the house. You find what looks

like a lunchbox, open the refrig-erator and take the first few itemson the top shelf and swoop theminto the lunchbox. You once againassure yourself that ketchup is avegetable.

In the meantime, the backpackhas been miraculously retrievedand everyone enters the car.

Open console of car and graspgranola bar stash and toss into back

seat in hopes that your child hascaught one to eat for breakfast as

you finally focus on backing out ofthe driveway.

And, youre off! Oh happy day!

the new wAyYour guide to a more relaxing

morning routine:

When you have a young child and

you are a working parent, the morn-

ings can be a bit harried when try-

ing to get everyone re ady for school

and work. There are a few steps

you can take to make the morning

routine a breeze. It involves prepa-

ration, organization, strategic time

management and repetition.

lThe Evening BeforeWhen you are preparing dinner,

this is a good time to prepare lunch-

es for the next day. If you or your

child bring lunch to school, del-

egate a space in the refrigerator to

place prepared lunches. It is help-

ful to prepare the lunch the evening

before for two reasons: there is

less hassle in the morning and all

negotiations for lunch choices have

been resolved the night before. All

you have to do before you leave the

house is retrieve the lunch boxes

from the refrigerator.

Choose a permanent home for

shoes, coats, purses and keys and

make it a habit to place these items

there each day. If your child is

older, then have them place their

backpack and homework in the

same location every evening, too.

lClothingCheck the weather the day before

and choose clothing for the follow-

ing day accordingly. You could even

prepare a selection of outfits for the

week and hang them in a special

spot in the closet. Young children

especially like this, because theyhave the option of a few outfits to

choose from the night before and

they still get to exercise their inde-

pendence.

lMeal timesOne of the most helpful time

savers you can employ is to makebreakfasts ahead of time. Chooserecipes you can make ahead andfreeze. Some suggestions are:breakfast burritos, breakfast muf-

fins, and steel cut oatmeal. You canmake a big batch of any of theseitems on the weekend and thenfreeze them. When its time to makebreakfast, you can just take outwhat you need for that mornings

meal, heat and serve.When your children wake up,

have them get fully dressed downto their shoes. Once they are fullydressed, then reward them withtime to play or their own free timeuntil its time for breakfast. You can

use that time to get yourself readyand there are no worries that youwill be sending a nyone out in publicin their pajamas on t hat day.

lRepetition, Repetition, Repeti-tion

The key is to repeat the sameroutine every weekday, and soon

it will become second nature foreveryone in the household and youwill all enjoy stress-free mornings.

lStress-Free Morning ChecklistThe night before:Prepare lunches.Choose clothing.

Place school/work items in del-egated spot.

Go to bed on time.In the morning:Have children get dressed down

to their shoes and fix hair.

Once they are dressed, they maychoose an activity while you getready or until its time for break-fast.

Everyone meets near the doorat a specific time to gather lunch-boxes, backpacks and coats and you

are ready to go.

If you put these methods and tipsto use each day, you will most cer-tainly create a kid-friendly morningroutine that works for you and yourfamily.

Get in routine of taking back control of weekday mornings

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

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Picking a college major isa big step for young students.Though many adults eventu-

ally find themselves workingin fields that have little todo with their college majors,many more spend their en-tire careers in the same fieldthey chose to major in way

back in their college days.Choosing a major is a deci-

sion that ultimately rests onthe shoulders of the studentswho must consider a host offactors before committing

to a specific field of study.But parents can still helptheir children, whether thosekids are already enrolled incollege or college-bound, asthey make such an important

decision that could very wellaffect the rest of their lives.

lEncourage patience.Todays college students andcollege-bound youngstersare living in a world thatssignificantly different thanthe one their parents or even

older siblings might haveencountered. Global and do-mestic unemployment ratesremain high, and technologyis changing the way manyindustries conduct business.

But students trying to pick amajor should avoid pickingone too quickly. Just becausea certain field is experi-encing job growth does notmean that field is ideal forall students. Encourage kids

to be patient when choosinga major so they can find thefield thats right for them,and not just the major they

feel will produce the best jobprospects.

lSuggest a double major.

Many of todays students are

fully aware of the difficultjob market and the cost ofa college education. As a

result, such students want to

choose a major they feel willput them in the best posi-tion to land a well-paying jobafter college. Thats a smartstrategy, but its also one that

overlooks the joy of studyinga subject you are passionateabout. Parents can simulta-neously encourage kids to besmart about their job pros-pects and pursue their pas-

sions by suggesting a doublemajor. For example, if yourchild has a love of art butunderstands the difficulty inearning a living as an artist,suggest a double major in art

and graphic design. This wayhe or she has more careeroptions upon graduation butstill has the chance to pursuea subject he or she is passion-ate about while in school.

lEncourage students toapply for internships. Aninternship is another great

way parents can help kidsas they decide on a col-lege major. Internships are

rarely easy to get, but somefirms hire interns who arestill in high school. Parentsshould encourage kids topursue internships as early

as possible. Internships canprovide young students withsome real-world experienceand give them an accurateglimpse into what their pro-fessional lives might be like if

they choose a particular fieldof study. Some kids might beencouraged by an internship,while others might realizea given field is not really forthem. Either way, the intern-

ship can help narrow downthe field of prospective ma-jors for young students.

lLet students know amajor isnt the same thingas a career. The pressure tochoose the right major canbe overwhelming for someyoung students. But par-

ents should let kids knowthat a major is not the samething as a career, and many

graduates end up working infields that had little or noth-

ing to do with their majors.

For instance, just because

a student earns a degree

in finance does not meanhe or she will end up work-

ing on Wall Street. While

parents should emphasize

the importance of choosing

the right major when speak-

ing to their children, they

should also let kids know that

nothing is ever set in stone.

That can help take some of

the pressure off students as

they make such an important

decision.

Todays college students

have more to consider when

choosing a college major than

many of their predecessors.

But parents can still take

steps to help kids choose the

right major without succumb-ing to the stress that comes

with making such a signifi-cant decision.

Help college students choose the right major


Todays college students may lean on their parents for adviceas they attempt to choose a college major that will help themimprove their job prospects after college.

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Judge each day not by the harvestyou reap, but by the seeds you plant.I believe that by partnering withthe Southwest Louisiana EconomicDevelopment Alliance and TheLeader In Me, we are planting 1100seeds, and, together, we can harvesta brighter economic future for ourregion by empowering the next

generation to be leaders withinthemselves.

A major emphasis of the Alliance is developing ourworkforce and future leaders. One of our major goals isto fund The Leader in Me in all sixty-one elementaryschools in our ve parishes. Currently, the SouthwestLouisiana Economic Development Alliance and sponsorshave this in six of our elementary schools, and theseadditional schools will bring us nine schools in our region.We thank John Stelly for generosity and his investmentin our future and our children, said George Swift, Presi-dent/CEO of the SWLA Economic Development Alliance.

The Leader in Me is a process that nurtures the innateabilities within each child to be responsible, involved,condent, and collegial. Using the leadership principlesof The 7 Habits of Highly Eective People, this modelis integrated into a schools foundation. It is notanother program with a have to do mentality, buta process for building leadership from the inside-out;administration, sta, community stakeholders, andstudents are involved.

The Leader in Me process also helps to create acommon language within a school. Building

upon the proven leadership skills found in the7 Habits of Highly Eective People:

Habit 1: Be Proactive Youre in Charge

Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind Have a Plan

Habit 3: Put First Things First Work First, Then Play

Habit 4: Think Win-Win Everyone Can Win

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to BeUnderstood Listen Before You Talk

Habit 6: Synergize Together Is Better

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw Balance Feels Best

Pictured: Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance President/CEO

George Swift, Fairview Elementary Assistant Principal Marlana Collins, Fairview

Elementary Principal Karyl OBanion, Southwest Louisiana Alliance Foundation

Development Director Ann Barilleaux, and John Stelly of Paramount Automotive

Companies, Owner of Nissan of Lake Charles and 171 Nissan of DeRidder.

Pictured: John Stelly of Paramount Automotive Companies, Owner of Nissan

of Lake Charles and 171 Nissan of DeRidder, T.S. Cooley Principal Fritzi Fralick,

Southwest Louisiana Alliance Foundation Development Director Ann Barilleaux,

and Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance President/CEO

George Swift.

Pictured Avon Knowlton (SWLA Economic Development Alliance Director of Investor

Services), Chad Schulz (Merryville Elementary Principal), Dennis Parrott (Rosepine

Police Chief), John Stelly (Paramount Automotive Companies Owner), Tim Cooley(Superintendent of Beauregard Parish Schools), Troy Auzenne (Owner and General

Manager of 171 Nissan), George Swift (SWLA Economic Development Alliance

President/CEO), Ann Barilleaux (SWLA Economic Development Alliance Foundation

Development Director).

John Stelly,Paramount Automotive Group

American Press Back 2 School Special Section

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