ParentInfo, March 15, 2007

Last Updated on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 5:01 AM

In this issue:

*The Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership

*State Testing Schedule

*Commonwealth Cleanup Week

*Early Music Lessons Benefits

*E-mail address update request

The Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership

Registration is now under way for the 2007 session of the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership. Participation is open to all parents, grandparents and guardians who have or have had children in Kentucky public schools. Teachers, administrators, mentors and others who want to improve student outcomes in our public schools may also apply. Participants attend three two-day trainings in Lexington and must commit to work with a school to plan and implement a project designed to improve student achievement. Registration deadline is June 1.

State Testing Schedule

State testing is on the horizon! Kentucky Core Content Tests are scheduled April 23-May 4 for students in grades 3-8 and grades 10-11. Schools will be testing mornings and some afternoons. If a student begins a testing session and leaves before finishing for a scheduled appointment, it cannot be made up per the rules of the Administration Code. Please avoid scheduling medical appointments and other activities that will take students out of school from April 23-May 4.

Commonwealth Cleanup Week

Commonwealth Cleanup Week is March 25-31. This year’s theme of “Don’t Litter – Pick up the Habit” encourages Kentuckians to do their part in keeping the state free from litter and other debris. Take this opportunity to see what you and your kids can do to keep Kentucky clean and green!

Early Music Lessons Benefits

Do you have a budding Mozart? The next Itzhak Perlman or Yo-Yo Ma?

Since more children are attending preschool these days and being exposed to music in class at an earlier age, a growing number of kids are taking formal music lessons before they even start school. Parents are signing up children as young as four, although a few instructors prefer students who can read.

“Music isn’t the magic pill, but there are a variety of studies that show how music supports a child’s development,” says Michael Blakeslee of the National Association for Music Education. Some of those benefits include socialization, cooperation and mental agility. Other students suggest that music helps children focus on the structure of sounds, an important aspect in language development,” Blakeslee adds.

Parents should be warned, however, not to set their expectations too high for their little Mozarts. Results seldom come instantly and rarely without an investment of time practicing. It seems that’s true for music students at any age.

If your child is interested in music, here are some tips on choosing an instrument and a teacher:

* Consider a child’s attention span. As a general rule, children 5 and younger should practice 10 to 15 minutes and then take a break. Lessons should last an average of 30 minutes for elementary-age students.

* A child is more likely to perform best on an instrument he chooses, rather than one the parent chooses.

* Keep it fun. Remember, children have lots of interests and activities. Music is just one.

* When looking for a teacher, ask for references and ask to sit in on a lesson or purchase one lesson as a trial. Interview the teacher as if you were hiring him or her for any job. Remember that your child will act differently if you are present during the lesson.

* Plan on spending $15 to $20 for 30 minutes of instruction.

* If you’re unsure your child will stay with an instrument, rent one.

E-mail address update request

E-mail addresses change from time to time. Is yours up-to-date?

Within the past year or so, many state and school e-mail addresses have changed. While you still may receive ParentInfo and other e-publications, that could stop when the old addresses are de-activated.

Please check below to see that your e-mail address is current. If it is not, please un-subscribe using that address and then re-subscribe with the correct and current e-mail address.

We want to be sure you don’t miss any upcoming editions of ParentInfo!

You are currently subscribed to %%list.name%% as: %%emailaddr%%.