Looking at private schools? Here’s a list of questions!

Kathy Mabry of All Saints’ Episcopal Day School sent some tips for parents who are looking at private schools for their students.  Thanks, Kathy!  Parents, here you go:

What Parents Should Know When Looking at Private Schools

Make sure you know what you want in a school—which starts by making sure you know what your child needs. Here are some things to consider, and perhaps prioritize:

• What is the class size and student-to-teacher ratio?
• Is it a closely-knit community?
• Are the academics fast-paced?
• Does the school offer learning specialists (for students with learning differences)
• How comprehensive is the arts curriculum?
• Are foreign languages offered?
• Is the technology curriculum appropriate?
• Does the school offer competitive athletics?
• Does it offer more, or less, structure for students during the school day?
• Is the school faith based, or does it not have religion in the curriculum?
• Is there diversity in the community?
• Does the school offer high school and/or college placement resources?

Here are some questions to ask if you are touring a private school:

• What is the faculty’s experience, education and turnover rate?
• What kind of learner does the school best serve?
• How are students challenged and how are they supported?
• What is yearly tuition and what types of financial aid are available?
• Where do your students go after graduation and what is the acceptance rate?
• Is there a parent organization?
• What are the rules for attendance?
• What is the school’s calendar year?
• Does the school offer transportation to and from home for students?
• Is there an after school program?

The American Dream Academy Graduates Parents, Wins Award

An Arizona State University program that has helped nearly 8,700 parents across the Valley improve the education of their struggling children earned one of the nation’s most prestigious community engagement awards.

The American Dream Academy received the 2009 C. Peter Magrath University Community Engagement Award from A۰P۰L۰U, the oldest higher education association in America.

The American Dream Academy has had a profound impact on Phoenix’s K-12 educational community. Parents of struggling K-12 students enter the nine-week program to gain knowledge and skills necessary to improve the educational development of their children, including methods to improve parent/child relationships, reduce dropout rates and ensure high school graduation.

Since October 2006, the program has “graduated” parents of students attending 41 different schools, and indirectly impacted more than 24,000 low-income, minority youth throughout the greater Phoenix region.

“The American Dream project is a model for engagement and outreach for public institutions. Its impact on the Phoenix area will be felt for years to come,” said Lee Todd, chairman of the A۰P۰L۰U Board of Directors and president of the University of Kentucky.  “Public universities, like Arizona State and the other four regional winners, exemplify the spirit and vision of university engagement championed by Peter Magrath and we salute their fine work.”

The Magrath Award recognizes the outreach and engagement partnerships of four-year public universities. It includes $20,000 and a trophy. Arizona State was chosen from a pool of regional winners that included Michigan State University, The Pennsylvania State University and the University of Georgia. The Pennsylvania State University was ineligible for the national award this year since it won in 2008.

“The American Dream Academy is creating opportunities for children to achieve the education they deserve,” says Raul Yzaguirre, executive director of ASU’s Center for Community Development and Civil Rights, which oversees the program. “The program is a mutually beneficial partnership that aids in the transformation of the community and changes the way people think about the university.”

The American Dream project, which is underwritten by Arizona State, the Helios Education Foundation, SRP, participating schools and districts, and other funding partners, creates a community where parents and teachers collaborate to transform each child’s educational environment at home and at school. The American Dream Academy is the signature program of ASU’s Center for Community Development and Civil Rights at the Downtown Phoenix campus.

SRP provided audio, video and editing services for a video about the program which was used as part of the award nomination. View the video at http://copp.asu.edu/college-news/dream-award.

Made possible by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the award was presented during the A۰P۰L۰U Annual Meeting on Sunday in Washington, D.C. The award was established in 2006 and is named for C. Peter Magrath, who served as president of the association from 1992-2005.

The ASU Center for Community Development and Civil Rights works to build bridges between ASU and the community to address problems, share knowledge and act as a catalyst for transformation. Its programs are designed to strengthen low-income, marginalized populations and help them become knowledgeable in education, finance, health care, and the basics of housing, transportation and local ordinances.  For information about the Center, visit http://cdcr.asu.edu.

Founded in 1887, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A۰P۰L۰U) is an association of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and many state public university systems. Its 219 members enroll more than 4.7 million students, award nearly one-million degrees annually, and conduct nearly two-thirds of all academic research, totaling more than $34 billion annually. As the nation’s oldest higher education association, A۰P۰L۰U is dedicated to excellence in learning, discovery and engagement. For more information, visit www.aplu.org.

High-resolution photos of an American Dream Academy graduation ceremony are available at the following links:

http://copp.asu.edu/college-news/photo-gallery/ADA.jpg/view

http://copp.asu.edu/college-news/photo-gallery/Thelma_Juarez.jpg/view

All Saints’ Episcopal Day School Welcomes You

All Saints’ Episcopal Day School (ASEDS), a pre-kindergarten through grade eight school located at 6300 North Central Avenue, is now accepting applications for the 2010-2011 school year. A series of Wednesday morning open houses continue on December 2 and January 20 at 9 a.m. Parents can tour the campus, talk to admission officers and parent ambassadors, and pick up application materials.

Or, for the perspective of a mother of two alumna of this grade school, you could read this paragraph!  I’ll be brief: one of my children is a freshman in college now, and the other just started law school.  Both have told me that All Saints’ gave them a very good preparation for the rigors of education they found beyond grade school. I believe that the school truly celebrates its community of parents, students and teachers.  It’s worth a look, if you are considering a private school that includes an element of religious instruction.

ASEDS is a private independent school in North Central Phoenix accredited by the Independent School Association of the Southwest and a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. Serving families of all faiths, All Saints’ is known for its rigorous and well-rounded liberal arts curriculum and its family-centered community.

To RSVP for an open house or to schedule an individual tour, call Dan Waage or Kathy Mabry at 602-274-4866. For more information, go to www.allsaints.org.

Dr. Pat Stone: Tips from a Tutor

It was when Dr. Pat Stone was working as a special education teacher that she learned to “think outside the box.”  The result is a booklet of tips (in five sections: reading, written language, math, study skills and “other useful tips”) that she published in 2003.  She sent me a copy of the booklet recently, and I can tell you: there are lots of tips in this booklet!

For example, in the math section, her tip on times tables is that there is a point “where students must memorize their multiplication and division facts.”  Just knowing this would have helped me be a better math student—I still remember rebelling against filling my head with numbers, but if my parents had attached some conditions to the must by giving me some reward other than being able to be “faster” at math (which I hated then, respect now and still have a lot of trouble doing), perhaps I would be better at math today.  Perhaps if they had offered to buy me a new book each time I’d memorized a times table…

In the section of miscellaneous tips, Dr. Stone focuses on educational opportunities during holidays, and gives one of the best documents I’ve ever seen on how to have a quality parent-teacher conference.

For more information on how to obtain this useful book, contact Dr. Stone by email at pstone@qwestoffice.net or by phone at either 623-340-6143 or 623-939-6143.

Parent University is elementary in the Peoria district

Parents of students in the Peoria district, unite!  The first Parent University session will be held on Thursday, November 5, starting at 6 p.m. at Frontier Elementary School, 21258 N. 81^st Avenue.

There will be two, 40-minute rounds of classes to allow parents to choose their own schedule. The first round of classes begins at 6 p.m. and the second round begins at 6:50 p.m. The first round of topics includes presentations on internet safety, home security and personal safety and communication. The second round of topics will include presentations on communication, bullying and drug awareness.

Topics will be presented by experts:  Internet safety will be presented by the Arizona Attorney General Prevention and Education Specialist, Robin Stamp; home security and bullying topics will be presented by Ann Bowers, City of Peoria’s Public Education Specialist and Communication will be presented by Arizona’s Family Meeting Coach, Vicki Sebade.

Parent University is offered free of charge. All District parents are invited to attend.Free child care will be provided by the National Junior Honor Society.

Please contact the Frontier Elementary School front office at 623-412-4900 to RSVP.

Christ Lutheran School dedicates new building

October 25, 2009 is an historic date in the life of Christ Lutheran School at at 3901 E. Indian School Rd. in Phoenix. That was the day their newest 16-classroom building was dedicated. The school will now be able to house a total of 650 students.

The two-story, state-of-the-art facility offers 40,000 square feet of education space. The $7.8m building, designed by CCGB Architects, Inc. and constructed by Concord General Contracting was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.  The construction was funded with a private capital campaign and commercial financing.

“In the midst of difficult financial times, there is a positive and exciting expansion in the central Phoenix area, giving parents a better educational alternative or an educational alternative,” said Cheryl Ehlers, Christ Lutheran’s principal.

The bottom floor of the new two-story structure houses the preschool through 1st grades, the preschool has a separate play area, while the elementary and middle school students enjoy a new grassy recreational space and an expanded sports court area.

For more information about Christ Church School, visit clsphx.com or reach the school office at 602-957-7010.

Peoria Unified School District’s Paul Bower is a National Distinguished Principal

What is a National Distinguished Principal, or an NDP?

There is now one in our midst and he is Paul Bower, principal at Oakwood Elementary. The NDP program promotes educational excellence for pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade schools and calls attention to the fundamental importance of the school principal. It honors principals who have exhibited extraordinary leadership, commitment to their students and staff, service to their communities, and contributions to the profession, including their professional associations.

An employee of the district for 24 years, Mr. Bower worked as a math and science teacher at Desert Valley and Desert Harbor elementary schools before he became the assistant principal at Oasis.  He was promoted to principal at Oakwood in 2000.

Bower was nominated for the award by his supervisor, Steve Savoy, who said, “Paul is supportive of teachers and allows individual direction and decision-making for those who are capable; yet he is able to stay close to those who need more coverage and support in their daily assignments. Mr. Bower is an able leader who teachers depend on in crisis. He is always available to listen, encourage and inspire.”

Furthermore, Mr. Bower considers the greatest accomplishment of his nine year principalship to be the student-centered culture of excellence he has built. With its focus on achievement, the suburban K-8 school of 756 students regularly exceeds scores on district, county, and statewide academic assessments. Oakwood has distinguished itself as an “Excelling School” and has received the coveted A+ designation by the Arizona Educational Foundation. The school also leads PUSD in Science Olympiad rankings, food can drives and champion athletic teams.

Primavera Online’s New Math Tutoring Program

In response to results from a study by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance showing that personalized attention from teachers is what motivates kids to learn math, Primavera implemented a requisite math tutoring program for high school students. Weekdays, during the 12-hour span between 8 in the morning and 8 at night, and Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm, students needing assistance in learning math may access tutoring sessions via a direct link to a live, interactive tutoring session, complete with a whiteboard.

This program was developed over the course of a year when school officials were concerned that one third of Arizona high school students do not pass the AIMS math standard.

“Students are more likely to express confusion to a tutor in a more anonymous manner, when they aren’t eyeball-to-eyeball,” says principal Dana Van Deinse. “The online tutoring environment can be very productive as a result.”

For more information on Primavera Online High School, contact the school at 480-465-6678 or visit gothighschool.com.

Huntington Learning Center of Glendale offers goal-setting tips for teens

High school students looking for a way to stay focused on their educational goals have been offered four points of good advice by Christopher Tozzo, executive director of the Huntington Learning Center of Glendale. First, get a paper and pen, or start a Word document on your computer.

1. Define goals. List short-term goals first such as ‘get organized,’ and then list long term goals such as figuring out what to major in at college or ‘start a business.’ Goals should be measurable, within control and specific enough to work toward.
2. Identify what stands in the way of your goals. Write the goal at the bottom of each page or sheet of paper.  On top of the goal, list the obstacles to getting there. For example, if ‘write for a newspaper’ is the goal, getting a degree in journalism would go right above it.  If ‘start a business’ is the goal, write things like ‘save money’ and ‘work as an apprentice’ above that goal, in addition to getting whatever other education is needed.
3. Create an action plan. Stop writing and talk with others about your goals and how to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way.  Begin writing again when you can outline a path to follow, such as talking with a banker about building some savings toward your goal or doing volunteer work in the career area for which you are interested.
4. Set target dates. Start with the short term goals and make a checklist of what task should be done by which date.  For long term goals, it is fine to put ‘graduate from college in May, 2014’ in order to keep that long term goal in mind.

Setting goals is an important part of a teen’s education and future success.  Working with parents, teachers or other adults to create a  written plan opens lines of communication and helps everyone stay focused. Remember to celebrate the milestones and look for motivators along the way. When other adults share their goals with teens, it helps them see value in the process and learn goal setting as a lifelong activity.

For more information about personalized programs of instruction in study skills, tutoring and college entrance test preparation offered to students at the Huntington Learning Center in Glendale, call 602-504-9600. To find a Huntington Learning Center in your area call 1-800-CAN-LEARN.

What’s right about Arizona public schools? Find out online!

Arizona Public Schools Making a Difference Every Day (azschoolsmakeadifference.org/aboutus.asp) arrived on the scene three years ago for parents, students and educators to learn about the great things that are happening in public schools across Arizona.  Now, in addition to their website, azschoolsmakeadifference.org, and newsletter, they recently launched both Twitter (@azschools) and Facebook pages featuring links to updated stories. Pages are updated often, so there is always fresh and good news to find and read.

Currently teachers, administrators, parents or students can share great classroom news by visiting AzSchoolsMakeaDifference.org and clicking on “Tell us your story.”

“It’s such a simple process,” said Panfilo Contreras, executive director of the Arizona School Boards Association and one of the driving forces behind the Arizona Schools Make A Difference Every Day campaign .  “All we need are a few details about the potential story and contact information.  Each entry will then be reviewed by the campaign for potential use on the website and in the electronic newsletter. And folks can easily have access to some of the most inspiring stories happening in public education via our short weekly email newsletter.”

All Arizona taxpayers should know about this website, so please pass it on!