Public schools see decline in enrollment as charter schools grow

Fifth-grader He' Shawn Hicks works on math problems in Laura Charpentier's class at Charter School of the Dunes in Gary. The school and Thea Bowman Leadership Academy are up for renewal this year. (Photography by Heather Eidson.)

Over time, charter schools can perform just as well, if not better, than traditional public schools, proponents of charter schools said. Charter schools operate with more freedom from regulations than their traditional counterparts, and most follow a particular educational vision or charter.

There is high demand for these schools in urban areas where there is a perception that traditional public schools are not as successful. In the state, charter schools are clustered in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Gary. But Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett said it should not be a question of better or worse.

There are sales and then there are price cuts.

Meijer says it is offering more of each this holiday season.

And in doing so, the Midwest retailer plans to hold its own against the country’s biggest retailers, Walmart and Target, in a holiday price war.

On Wednesday, Grand Rapids-based Meijer Inc. announced it has dropped prices up to 30 percent on more than 400 popular toys from Barbie to Star Wars Legos.

NWI Parent Blog—Photographer and writer mom of two, Beth always brings a new twist to the suburban mundane.

I am having a difficult time during the day, when the house is quiet, the kids are at school, Brian is at work and it’s just me…all alone.

I know there are many Moms out there that would love this opportunity but it’s just not for me. I MISS my kids and the life of being a stay at home Mom. I have spent a lot of time thinking about getting a temporary job, but I realize that not many people would be interested in hiring a woman who is five months pregnant and also, I know that the best thing I can do during this pregnancy is relax.

Continue reading Beth’s latest post here on her “Laptops to Countertops” blog.

Sledding and ice-skating in Northwest Indiana

As a thin layer of frost makes its way across the glass and the walls creak and groan against the assault of the elements, the temptation grows. Birds do it. Bees do it. So why shouldn’t we all take the forbidding winter weather as a cue to snuggle in and reacquaint ourselves with the warm, cozy joys of the great indoors? It seems clear, after all, that Mother Nature is not terribly interested in playing with us, so perhaps it’s best to simply respect her wishes and check back in March or April when she might be feeling a bit more reasonable.

The pull of hibernation, of course, only seems to grow as we get older. A workweek spent battling the snow and ice in the course of our daily grind only serves to breed a general lack of patience with the season, making the bunker of hearth and home that much more attractive an option by the time Saturday rolls around. But here, as is so often the case, kids tend to provide the necessary sense of perspective that adults seem to lose with the passage of time.

Teachers can ‘progress monitor’ skills on daily basis

Hand-held devices and a connection to a database are allowing East Porter County kindergarten through second-grade teachers to offer students quicker help in reading and mathematics.

The East Porter County School Corp. board heard a report on mCLASS, a diagnostic assessment program developed by the Wireless Generation company, from Morgan Township Elementary School teachers last Monday. The technology allows teachers to “progress monitor” students with quick assessments on the student Palm Pilots, intervention specialist Jeanne Akins told the board. Teachers can see results instantaneously, and the ongoing data can help target instruction and remediation by indicating what has been working and what hasn’t. The data allows quick groupings of students and even suggests interventions, Akins said.

Ten-year-old Zack Rozek has joined his parents’ mission in using today’s technology in order to make a better tomorrow. For the last two years, Rich and Kim Rozek have discussed their experience with Parkinson’s disease by way of their Internet radio show PD Talk Live.

Rich, 49, was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s nearly a decade ago. In 2008 the Winfield couple kicked off what Rich calls a “part talk show, part cyber-support group” on Blog Talk Radio. “We thought it was unique, because there were no cyber-support groups out there for this,” Rich says.

Mentoring young girls in the underrepresented areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics

A study from the National Council for Research on Women found that although 45 percent of the work force is comprised of females, careers in science and engineering are still held primarily by men, who make up 88 percent of the work force in those areas.

For years it was a common belief that boys excelled in math and science areas and that females didn’t grasp the concepts as easily. However, a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, shows that girls’ performance on standardized tests now matches that of boys at the high school level. It stated that about 20 years ago, the genders were equal in those areas in elementary school, but that girls lagged behind at the high school level. That change is partly attributed to the larger numbers of girls now taking advanced math and science courses in high school.

Here’s our weekly showcase of the latest and greatest new selections in media for youth.

From books and games to educational toys and DVDs, there’s never a dull moment for active, eager young minds.

This week, animals, including their anatomy, take centerstage while everyday objects such as teeth and waffles also take on lives of their own in a new book of clever yarns.

BOOKS

AGES 5 TO 8

Dutch Sneakers and Flea Keepers
by Calef Brown (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Press, $6.99)

There are 14 strange and wonderful stories waiting for young readers ready to exercise active imaginations. From Pirates and electric guitars to a beach of white sugar and the ever-vicious “tattlesnake,” this soft-cover 32-page book is a blend of poetry and tall tales, showcased with fun illustrations by author Brown. It’s available in stores now or at hmh.com or 800.225.3362.

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED EVENT

Nov 21: Winter Lights
Sunset Hill Farm County Park, Valparaiso | The Winter Lights celebration at Sunset Hill Farm will include music, crafts, cookie decorating, a visit from Santa, a holiday reading corner and many other children’s activities. The event will conclude with fireworks. Find out more here.

ALSO THIS WEEK

• Ongoing: Holly Days in downtown Valparaiso

• Ongoing: Santa Claus in Crown Point in the Lower Level Courthouse Shops of Old Courthouse in Crown Point

• Through Nov 29: Kids Activities and Stories at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Visitor Center

• Through Dec 6: Dooby Dooby Moo at Lifeline Theatre in Chicago

• Through Dec 20: The Christmas Schooner at the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts in Munster

• Through Jan 10: A Christmas Story Comes Home at the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority in Hammond

• Through Mar 14: Free Ice Skating at Millennium Park in Chicago

• Nov 20: Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony on the east steps of the Old Courthouse in downtown Crown Point

• Opens Nov 20: Snow Much Fun at the Chicago Children’s Museum in Chicago

• Nov 20-Dec 6: Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka at the Chicago Street Theatre in Valparaiso

• Nov 20-Jan 3: Christmas around the World and Holidays of Light at the Museum of Science and Industry of Chicago

• Nov 21: 8th Annual Holiday Shopping Spree & Craft Show at the Kahler Middle School in Dyer

• Nov 21: Snow White at The Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University

• Nov 21-22: The Nutcracker at East Chicago Central High School

• Nov 24: Up at the Lake County Public Library in Hobart

• Nov 25-29: Orak Shrine Circus at Hammond Civic Center in Hammond

• Nov 26: State Street Thanksgiving Day Parade on State St from Randolph to Congress in Chicago

It’s hard to believe, but soon the holidays will be here, and we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of a recession, some of us living on a shoestring. For many people, there won’t be the usual big splashy holidays, but rather, we pray for good weather and hope the economy will bounce back.

For families with children, this recession is particularly taxing. Children are the forgotten victims. And yet, they endure perhaps not enough food, no new clothes or shoes, frequent moving to lower rent places which means constant changing of schools. Changing schools is traumatic for children and can contribute to them earning poor grades. A certain apathy about school descends on them.

Recession, and its subsequent consequences, is a difficult concept for children to grasp. Not only can it affect their education, but their health, psychological development, and medical care.