Kentucky Schools Receive Blue Ribbon Awards
Four Kentucky public schools were recently named 2006 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools. Nationwide, 300 schools were honored with the NCLB award, including Field Elementary (Jefferson County), Hanson Elementary (Hopkins County), Mason-Corinth Elementary (Grant County), and Summer Shade Elementary (Metcalfe County) schools in Kentucky.
Schools receiving a Blue Ribbon designation were chosen because they either demonstrated great gains in student achievement or were academically superior as measured by meeting either of two assessment criteria.
Remember to Set Your Clocks Back
Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, October 29. Remember to set your clocks back one hour before going to bed on Saturday night.
Reassure Children When There is Scary News
The National Center for Child Traumatic Stress encourages parents to talk with their children about frightening real-life situations of harm happening to children at school. Today's children happen upon an endless amount of news while watching television, researching homework on the Internet or talking with friends through instant messaging systems, chat rooms and blogs. Some even receive news updates on their cell phones. So while parents' instincts may be to shy away from talking about frightening issues, chances are they need to confront the news. Know the disaster plan at your child's school, including specifics on emergencies. Remind your child that schools are safe and there are safety rules in place to protect them.
A Scholarship Opportunity
If you're a parent of a high school junior, here's an opportunity for a $500 scholarship to use at the Kentucky college of his or her choice -- and a photo shoot for the high school. All they have to do is tell why his or her school is the best in the state in 200 words or less. The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) and The Student Loan People sponsor the "Promote Your School Scholarship" contest. Photos from the winning school will be used in KHEAA and Student Loan People books and other publications. Students from high schools that have already been featured—Danville, duPont Manual, George Rogers Clark and Murray—aren't eligible this year.
To enter, send your essay to KHEAA, Publications Section, P.O. Box 798, Frankfort, KY 40602-0798. You can also e-mail it to publications@kheaa.com or fax it to (502) 696-7230. The winner will be chosen by a committee of KHEAA and The Student Loan People employees. Before the committee sees the entries, the names of students and their schools will be blacked out. The deadline for KHEAA to receive entries is November 1.
Halloween Safety Tips
Halloween is set for October 31. Here are some safety tips for parents of trick-or-treaters:
* Make your child eat dinner before setting out.
* Children should carry a cell phone, or quarters, so they can call home, if necessary.
* An adult should accompany young children.
* If your children go trick-or-treating on their own, be sure they carry a flashlight and wear a watch.
* If you buy a costume, look for one made of flame-retardant material.
* Older children should know where to reach you and when to be home.
* You should know where they are going. Have them stay in familiar neighborhoods.
* Although tampering is rare, tell children to bring the candy home to be inspected before consuming anything. Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect.