A Blank Slate Media/Litmor Publications Special Section • August 16, 2019
26 BACK TO SCHOOL • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, August 16, 2019
How to help kids make friends at school T he average student likely spends more time at school and participating in extracurricular activities with classmates than he or she does at home. In close proximity to so many peers, it may seem like making friends would be a snap. However, some students have trouble connecting and can use a little push to make friends.
The family and parenting resource Parenting Science notes that research indicates that the most popular children are those who exemplify certain traits. These traits include being caring; a willingness to share; a willingness to offer help; and strong verbal skills. Children who embrace these traits may prove better at making friends. Parents may find that youngsters need some encouragement to build their social circles, and the following are some ways parents can offer that encouragement. Encourage kids to seek out someone on their own. It may be challenging to walk up to a group and introduce yourself. Encourage students to seek out someone who is alone and then strike
up a conversation, which can be less intimidating than approaching a group. Emphasize to kids that other students may also be a little shy and looking to make friends.
Practice conversation starters at home. Children can work with their parents to come up with topics that can help foster communication. These can include ice breakers and common interests, such as favorite television shows or video games. Teach kids approachable body language. Wearing earbuds or exhibiting negative body language, such as crossed arms or avoiding eye contact, can make a person seem less approachable. Smiling, engaging in conversation and being friendly can make it easier to make friends. Ask teachers to help. The education resource Understood says teachers can give children responsibilities, such as the opportunity to hand out snacks or papers, which can build confidence and provide opportunities for kids to converse with their peers.
Help children be active listeners. An active listener is someone who makes it clear that he or she is paying attention. Making eye contact, orienting the body toward the speaker and making relevant verbal responses are some active listening strategies that can help kids more fully engage with their peers. Feeling valued and listened to may encourage other children to be more friendly and engaging.
Ask open questions. The social networking advisement site Young Scot suggests having students ask open questions, such as: “How was your summer?” or “What sports do you like to play?” These types of questions can kickstart in-depth conversations. Join a team or club. Students often make friends in social or extracurricular settings, such as on a sports team. With a shared interest, it’s easy to find topics to discuss. Making friends in school can make time spent in the classroom more enjoyable for youngsters.
Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, August 16, 2019 • BACK TO SCHOOL
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Building a strong parent-teacher relationship Developing a strong relationship with a child’s teacher can help parents ensure their kids are doing their best in the classroom. Once a school year begins, many students spend more time in the classroom with their teachers than they do at home with their parents. That’s especially true in dual-income households where both parents work outside of the home. Though many parents would love to spend more time with their children, doing so can be difficult when both parents must go to work every day. Because kids spend so much time with their teachers, it’s important for parents to work toward building a strong parent-teacher relationship. Such a relationship fosters communication, which can help a young student do his or her best in and out of the classroom, something that’s a goal for parents and teachers alike. Parents interested in developing a strong relationship with their kids’ teachers can take several steps to make that happen.
Meet your child’s teacher at the beginning of the year. Teachers have many students come in and out of their classroom on any given day, so it can be hard for teachers to initiate a relationship with parents. Parents have significantly fewer children to look after, so they should take the first step toward building a relationship with teachers. Introduce yourself at the onset of the school year, providing phone numbers and e-mail addresses where you can be reached. Let the teacher know you’re available for discussion any time during the school year and that you look forward to the coming school year and working with the teacher as the year progresses. Attend “Back to School Night.” School events like an open house or a “Back to School Night” are a great way to help kids grow acclimated to their school. But such events also make great opportunities for parents to learn more about their kids’ teachers than they might have learned during their introductory meeting. Such events may allow teachers to explain the curriculum for the upcoming year, and teachers may feel encouraged when parents show an active interest in such events. Prioritize parent-teacher conferences. Parentteacher conferences are a great opportunity for parents to speak to their children’s teacher one-
on-one. Unlike an introductory meeting or an open house at the beginning of the school year, a parent-teacher conference allows parents and teachers to specifically discuss students in private. Teachers may provide insight into how a child is performing and behaving in the classroom, offering advice as to how to improve that performance or suggestions as to how to encourage kids to keep up the good work. Such conferences may be your only opportunity for a one-on-one, in-person discussion about your child, so make sure you’re on time and that you don’t miss these conferences. Your child’s teacher will appreciate it, and you can use this as an opportunity to ask any questions you have about your child. Keep the channels of communication open. If it’s been awhile since you’ve spoken to your child’s teacher, don’t be afraid to e-mail the teacher to check in or see if you can lend a helping hand. In addition, if your child really enjoys a teacher’s class, don’t be hesitant to share that with the teacher. Teachers appreciate compliments just like other professionals, and parents should express their gratitude to those teachers who are working hard to make learning fun for their youngsters. Establishing a strong relationship with a child’s teacher can help parents ensure students are making the most of their time in the classroom.
BACK TO SCHOOL GRANT NOMINATE AN OUTSTANDING TEACHER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN $500! Visit maspethfederal.com to submit your nomination by August 30th. By entering this contest, you agree tto receive email communications from Maspeth Federal Savings and agree to the terms of Maspeth Federal Savings privacy policy concerning the collection and use of your personal information. No purchase necessary. Open to teachers who teach at a school in Queens or Nassau county, as applicable. Nominator must be at least 18 years of age. Applicable 1099s will be issued. Void where prohibited. Limit one teacher nomination per nominator; different nominators can nominate the same teacher. Sweepstakes ends at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, August 30th, 2019. For more information, please visit maspethfederal.com.
28 BACK TO SCHOOL • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, August 16, 2019 ADVERTORIAL
The Hannah Kroner School offers a unique educational opportunity The Hannah Kroner school offers a unique educational opportunity to dancers and non dancers alike. Dance makes us aware of ourselves, helps us develop a sense of security, and the desire to achieve. It can be better than other educational means because it combines both the physical and the mental. The goal can be performing, it can be teaching, or functioning in any profession. Dance offers students an opportunity to develop a sense of accomplishment in a joyful environment. The Hannah Kroner School of Dance was established in 1947. The school’s philosophy, then and now, is to educate students in all dance forms, to prepare them to be successful in the varied experiences they will face and demands they will encounter in their lives. Many students find fulfillment in non- performing as well as performing careers because of the extensive dance training they have received through the school. This training has also enabled many graduate students to pass auditions for High School of Performing Arts, summer stock, Broadway shows, television, ballet companies such as Alvin Ailey, San Francisco, Joffrey, and others. The current owner/director of the school, Carol Kaufman-Riley, was a former professional dancer, lifetime member of Dance Educators of America, member AGVA and was a Rockette. Over the past 40 plus years, Ms. Riley and the staff have continued to be innovators of programs unique to dance education on Long Island. Some of these include “Dance and Exercise for Children and Adults with Special Needs,” a recipient of several community service awards, the “Toddler/Mom,” “Tots Two,” dance birthday parties, modern, musical
theater, contemporary, lyrical and the ballroom classes for kids. Much of the current staff has been with the school throughout the years on Long Island. Through its distinctive dance teacher-training program, the school has produced many graduates who have become teachers in the studio and fine educators throughout the country. Most schools focus mainly on the end of the year recital. Since its inception, the Hannah Kroner School has offered an open house right in the studio twice a year so parents can observe their child’s progress in a relaxed atmosphere. This year younger students will be given the opportunity to perform on stage. The School is proud of their community events, Street Fairs, and will be performing at the Williston Park Street Fair On September 16th. Throughout the years, advanced students have consistently won awards at regional and national competitions on Long Island. The competition team is comprised of students as young as 8 to teens, ages 17. Students interested must pass an audition in order to be on the team. The HKSD COMPANY has received from the Directors of Beyond The Stars and Elite Dance Challenge prestigious ADCC AWARD for dance studio excellence and integrity, two years in a row.. At the Hannah Kroner School the emphasis is on the enjoyment of dance, learning good technique, knowing dance vocabulary and achieving all around fitness. With every age group taking a part, beginning at toddlers-walking to seniors at the young age of 90, the goals have remained consistent. If you can walk, you can dance, and with over 70 years of positive affirmation, the School continues to flourish
Popular classroom learning apps
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www.hanahkronerdance.com • Hkdance@optimum. net
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t is impossible to ignore the immense popularity of digital learning tools in today’s schools. Teachers routinely turn to online tools and available applications to offer students all the resources they need to become well-rounded individuals. According to research from Grunwald Associates, LLC, 71 percent of parents embrace mobile devices and feel they open up learning opportunities for kids that didn’t previously exist. The research also suggests that a similar percentage of parents would like teachers to recommend apps for students. Navigating learning apps can be daunting due to the sheer volume of apps available. According to Apps for Education, there are more than 500,000 educational apps currently available for download. Apps can be stimulating and fun, but finding quality resources may involve sorting through those that aren’t necessarily valuable. The following are some apps parents way want to consider.
Memrise: Learning a second or third language can be a boon to students of any age. Some schools may be limited in the number of languages they offer. Therefore, an app may be a great resource for students looking to learn a new language. Memrise drills students on vocabulary, phrases, aural recognition, and more.
Kahoot: Kahoot is a platform to create games and review content. Players answer questions on their individual devices, while games are displayed on a shared screen. Kahoot can be an ideal way for several students to prepare for a test in a digital study session.
Reading Eggs: This comprehensive learning system covers essential
components of reading: awareness, vocabulary, phonics, fluency, and comprehension. Parents can see progress reports and know if and where extra attention may be necessary.
Edmodo: This app is designed to streamline workloads for teachers and help make it easier for them to stay connected with the classroom and their students. Parents can set up accounts and stay abreast of their children’s activities, grades, messages, and progress. Though it’s not a learning app, Edmodo can be a valuable tool for classroom management.
Epic: This online children’s subscription book service offers immediate, ondemand access to high-quality reading materials for children ages 12 and under. Voracious readers will always have content they can access, in addition to audio books, educational videos, and educational quizzes.
Photomath: This app enables students to snap pictures of complicated math problems and get step-by-step directions on how to answer them. Instead of simply giving the answer, Photomath provides students with the tools to answer the problems on their own. StudyBlue: Students can create and share mobile flash cards, study guides, quizzes, and choose from other study materials to help reinforce lessons. Educational apps play a vital role in educating today’s students.
Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, August 16, 2019 • BACK TO SCHOOL
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Getting kids the homework help they need A recent survey of teachers conducted by the University of Phoenix College of Education found that high school teachers assign about 17.5 hours of homework each week (3.5 hours per class), middle school teachers assign about 3.2, and elementary school teachers assign about 2.9 hours per week.
Strategies parents can use to motivate students S
tudents may need some time to adjust at the beginning of a new school year. Summer vacations typically lack the structure of the school year, and it might be unfair to expect kids to seamlessly slip back into their more regimented lives as students. While some early school year sluggishness might be normal, that should wear off pretty quickly. If not, and students appear to be struggling to get motivated for their schoolwork, parents can try various strategies that should help reignite youngsters’ passions for learning. Make your home more schoolfriendly. Summer is a relaxing time of year when parents have a tendency to relax rules around the house. But come the school year, parents must make sure their homes are as conducive to studying as possible. Resist the urge to turn the television on each night so students are not distracted from their studies. Keep the home quiet so students are motivated to focus on their studies. Encourage participation in extracurricular activities. Various studies have examined the relationship between extracurricular activities and academic performance. A 2002 study published in the journal Sociology of Education found that participation in extracurricular activities is associated with improved grade point average, increased college attendance and reduced absenteeism. The link between participation in extracurricular activities and improved academic
performance is still in need of study, but such participation may help children acclimate to the structure of the school year more quickly than they might if they do not participate in such activities. Encourage curious youngsters. Kids are curious, and fostering that curiosity can be a great way for parents to get their kids excited about learning. Whether it’s during the school year and part of their curriculum or on summer break, encourage kids to engage in subjects that interest them. As kids learn more about the topics and subjects that interest them, they may develop a passion for learning that they can then take with them to the classroom. Express an interest in the subjects children are studying. Another way to motivate students at the dawn of a new school year is to express an interest in the subjects they’re studying. Ask questions about their studies and encourage them to share their thoughts and opinions. Engaging students about the subjects they’re studying can motivate them to explore those subjects more deeply than they otherwise might. Motivating kids to be excited about their schoolwork at the dawn of a new school year can sometimes be difficult. But parents can employ various strategies that can help their children readjust to life in the classroom and motivate them to perform to the best of their abilities.
resources because they can give specific advice on assignments or strategies for tackling complex processes.
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omework has long been a way to reinforce lessons learned in the classroom and ensure that the learning process continues when students leave school each day. A recent survey of teachers conducted by the University of Phoenix College of Education found that high school teachers assign about 17.5 hours of homework each week (3.5 hours per class), middle school teachers assign about 3.2, and elementary school teachers assign about 2.9 hours per week. Thanks to ever-evolving curriculums and new problem-solving methodologies — particularly in mathematics — parents may no longer have the expertise to help their children with their homework, leading to confusion and frustration. So where does a parent and student turn when homework has become challenging? Students who are struggling should not feel embarrassed about the fact that homework has become an issue. Such students should speak with their parents, teachers or school counselors if they are having difficulty with their homework. Such discussions alert teachers that there are potential issues. Teachers can be important
Next up, students and parents can consult with older students who have already “been there, done that” in terms of assignments. Oftentimes high school and college students volunteer their time for community service hours. Ask at the local library or at schools in town if older students offer homework help. Families also can do their best to make the environment at home conducive to homework. Scholastic suggests setting up a schedule that includes a time indicating when assignments must be completed. In addition, setting up a quiet, distraction-free zone for doing homework can help kids concentrate on their assignments. Students can tackle harder assignments first, as they will likely take the bulk of the time, and then move on to the easier assignments. If homework is taking a long time to complete, parents can speak to teachers about when it might be alright to offer youngsters some extra help. If these homework helpers are ineffective, families can hire private tutors who can work on homework with the student and reinforce classroom lessons.
38 BACK TO SCHOOL • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, August 16, 2019
How to encourage kids to read hile many parents recognize the impact reading can have on their children, it’s no secret that getting kids to embrace reading can be difficult. Distractions such as video games, social media and even the great outdoors are all there to draw kids away from reading. But parents who want to instill a love of reading in their children can still take steps to ensure their kids don’t miss out on the benefits of a good book. Read to your children. Numerous studies have discovered various benefits of reading to children when they are young. The National Center for Education Statistics notes that children whose parents read to them typically become better readers and perform better in school. Reading to children early on is the first step toward fostering a love of reading kids will develop and continue throughout their lives. Many parents read to their children at night before bedtime, but any time of day will suffice.
library cards. Kids with their own library cards tend to look at visits to the library as shopping trips where they get to make their own choices about what they’re taking home with them. And once kids reach a certain age, they can visit the library on their own.
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Don’t be discouraged if kids are not interested in books. While reading fiction can help develop a
youngster’s imagination, parents should not be discouraged if kids don’t want to read books. Reading the newspaper, magazines and even comic books can help kids develop strong reading skills and an extensive vocabulary and, in the case of comic books, inspire their imaginations. Young sports fans might be more inclined to read the sports page than a novel, so let them do so. Kids are more likely to embrace reading if what
A GREAT PLACE TO GROW! CURIOSITY STARTS HERE!
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they’re reading interests them, so encourage kids to read up on those interests, even if that reading does not involve picking up a book. Get your youngster his or her own library card. Thanks to the popularity of e-readers, many adults would be hard pressed to locate their local library if asked to do so. But visiting the library is a great way to encourage kids to read, especially if kids have their own
Share your own reading experiences with children. Kids look up to their parents and often want to mimic their behavior. So parents can set a good example by reading as well. On trips to the library, check out your own book. While you might not want to discuss every book you read with your children, discuss the books they’re reading. Chances are you read many of those same books yourself when you were a child, and discussing books with your child is a great way to improve his or her reading comprehension. Distractions abound for today’s youngsters, who might not embrace reading as readily as they do video games or social networking. But parents can take many steps to instill a love of reading in their kids that will last a lifetime.
ADVERTORIAL
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ready for Pre K. They will learn the alphabet, colors, shapes, numbers, counting, music, art and so much more. This year we will be introducing our after school program. It will have different enrichment activities. Thinkertots philosophy is to create a warm and nurturing educational environment for each of our students. Come meet us at our OPEN HOUSE ON AUG. 17, 3-5 AUG. 18, 10-12
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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, August 16, 2019 • BACK TO SCHOOL
Help students choose the right major Picking a college major is a big step for young students. Though many adults eventually find themselves working in fields that have little to do with their college majors, many more spend their entire careers in the same field they chose to major in way back in their college days. Choosing a major is a decision that ultimately rests on the shoulders of the students who must consider a host of factors before committing to a specific field of study. But parents can still help their children, whether those kids are already enrolled in college or college-bound, as they make such an important decision that could very well affect the rest of their lives. Encourage patience. Today’s college students and college-bound youngsters are living in a world that’s significantly different than the one their parents or even older siblings might have encountered. Global and domestic unemployment rates remain high, and technology is changing the way many industries conduct business. But students trying to pick a major should avoid picking one too quickly. Just because a certain field is experiencing job growth does not mean that field is ideal for all students. Encourage kids to be patient when choosing a major so they can find the field that’s right for them, and not just the major they feel will produce the best job prospects. Suggest a double major. Many of today’s students are fully aware of the difficult job market and the cost of a college education. As a result, such students want to choose a major they feel will put them in the best position to land a well-paying job after college. That’s a smart strategy, but it’s also one that overlooks the joy of studying a subject you are passionate about. Parents can simultaneously encourage kids to be smart about their job prospects and pursue their passions by suggesting a double major. For example, if your child has a love of art but understands the difficulty in earning a living as an artist, suggest a double major in art and graphic design. This way he or she has more career options upon graduation but still has the chance to pursue a subject he or she is passionate about while in school. Encourage students to apply for internships. An internship is another great way parents can help kids
as they decide on a college major. Internships are rarely easy to get, but some firms hire interns who are still in high school. Parents should encourage kids to pursue internships as early as possible. Internships can provide young students with some real-world experience and give them an accurate glimpse into what their professional lives might be like if they choose a particular field of study. Some kids might be encouraged by an internship, while others might realize a given field is not really for them. Either way, the internship can help narrow down the field of prospective majors for young students. Let kids know a major isn’t the same thing as a career. The pressure to choose the right major can be overwhelming for some young students. But parents should let kids know that a major is not the same thing as a career, and many graduates end up working in fields that had little or nothing to do with their majors. For instance, just because a student earns a degree in finance does not mean he or she will end up working on Wall Street. While parents should emphasize the importance of choosing the right major when speaking 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. Today’s 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 succumbing to the stress that comes with making such a significant decision.
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has specialized in sport psychology for 20 years and works in the fields of golf, tennis, soccer, baseball, football, wrestling, lacrosse, figure skating, gymnastics, softball, fencing and more. He has helped professional teams, Olympians and elite young athletes learn how to manage the intense pressure of competitive sports. He appears on both TV and radio and has sport psychology columns in 5 different newspapers and has been featured in The New York Times, Wall street Journal and the London Times. Golf Digest includes him in their list of top mental game gurus in America. For a consultation see below: Williston Park Professional Center 2 Hillside Ave, Suite E. Williston Park NY 11596 (building parallel to E. Williston railroad station)
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40 BACK TO SCHOOL • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, August 16, 2019
Tips for Make school day mornings easier studying abroad S
Parents can take several steps to make sure school day mornings go more smoothly.
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chool day mornings can be hectic, as getting kids ready for school and out the door on time is not always easy. Working parents may find school day mornings especially difficult, as their own work schedules can make mornings feel even more rushed. Fortunately, parents can employ several strategies to free up time in the morning so everyone starts their days off in a more relaxing atmosphere. Wake up earlier. Sleep might seem like a precious commodity, but waking up just 10 to 15 minutes earlier can remove some of the stress from weekday mornings without costing you a lot of sack time. Let kids sleep in until their normal wakeup time, using your extra 10 or 15 minutes to shower or enjoy your morning cup of coffee before the house is abuzz with activity. Tackle certain chores the night before. Delaying certain chores until you wake up makes for a hectic morning, so tackle as many morning chores as possible before you go to bed for the night. Prepare school lunches, lay clothes out for yourself and your children, and make sure kids have their backpacks packed and ready to go before they go to bed. Each of these things may only take a few minutes, but when left for the morning, they can add up to a substantial amount of time. Encourage youngsters to pick up the pace. Some people are morning people, while others dread setting their
alarms for early morning hours. Kids who fall into the latter group may drag their feet in the morning, but parents should offer encouragement when kids are moving slowly in the morning. Allowing your frustration to show may only make kids less fond of mornings, so remind them as nicely as possible that everyone has a schedule to stick to if they seem to be dragging their feet. Keep the television off. If watching the television is ingrained in your morning routine, try going a few days without it to see if this makes it easier to get out the door on time. Kids might grow distracted by morning cartoons, and even adults may get caught up in morning news shows or other forecasts. Eliminating television from your morning routine can save time and also may help your family grow closer, as you will have more distraction-free time to speak to one another. In addition to turning off the television, resist the urge to turn on your devices or scan work emails when getting ready in the morning. Parents know that school day mornings can be hectic. But there are several ways to make such mornings go more smoothly so everyone gets where they need to be on time.
tudy abroad programs can change students’ lives, opening their eyes to other cultures and helping them to make memories that last a lifetime. Study abroad programs also may inspire a love of travel that students will foster for the rest of their lives. Students who have enrolled in or are considering enrolling in study abroad programs can make their experiences overseas more memorable if they take some time to prepare for life abroad before boarding the plane. Learn about your host country. Students who can successfully assimilate into their host countries may get more from their time overseas than those who do not. Studying a host country’s customs and history is a great way to learn about life there before your plane touches down. If the native language in your host country is different than your own, do your best to learn the language. While you won’t become fluent overnight, learning some basic words and phrases can make your time overseas go more smoothly and increase the chances that you develop meaningful relationships with locals. Enthusiastically leave your comfort zone. Daily life might be vastly different in your host country than it is at home. Rather than dwelling on the differences between life overseas and life at home, embrace this chance to leave your comfort zone. Approach cultural differences with enthusiasm instead of skepticism, even trying local cuisine you might otherwise not experience
back home. Get out of the dorm. Study abroad programs include the word “study” in their titles, so students should recognize they will still need to devote time to their schoolwork. But during your down time, embrace chances to get out of your dorm room or apartment to soak in your host city. If your host country is in Europe, where traveling between countries tends to be simpler than in other regions of the world, learn about neighboring countries and do your best to visit some during your time overseas. Disconnect from your devices. Whether or not life at home is dominated by devices, use your time overseas to disconnect so you can fully experience your host city and country. Don’t miss out on the sights and sounds of your host country by spending too much time using your tablet or smartphone. Keep a journal. One of the best ways to commemorate your time abroad is to keep a daily journal. You will no doubt enjoy many unique experiences while overseas, and keeping a daily journal is a great way to ensure you remember each of those experiences and all the people you meet along the way. Study abroad programs can benefit students in myriad ways, and a few simple strategies can ensure young men and women make the most of their time overseas.