Sunday, September 9, 2012
Lucy waxes poetic about the summer months for all parents; homeschooler or not.
Matt and I have homeschooled our children for years. So when summer comes around, I don’t know who’s more excited – us or them. After the last test is graded, we throw on Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out for Summer” and then dance around like a bunch of drunken sailors. We’ve got a whole lot of nothing to do for a few months. I want to clarify; we don’t homeschool because we think teachers aren’t doing a good job. On the contrary, we think teachers have the hardest job out there these days. When I was younger, if your teacher looked at you cross-eyed, you were nervous; bullies were thrown out on their bullying rear ends. These days, teachers are asked to be teacher, friend, parent, babysitter, nurse, mentor, role model, and a host of other …
Thursday, September 6, 2012
This mom around town is planning back to school lunches and has some tips to share.
Back to school means back to packing lunches. Yikes! I have such a hard time coming up with new ideas. Peanut butter and jelly gets boring. Nutella has been a great backup especially paired with some strawberries, but that gets old too. Regardless, both options will be in my pantry for busy mornings but I need some more interesting solutions. Do you have any good lunch box ideas? I asked around and some other moms shared their tips with me. Elise S., a Cinnaminson mom of two, told me how she brightens up peanut butter and jelly or tuna sandwiches with a little trick. “I sometimes cut them into different shapes with cookie cutters or use a little gadget that cuts the sandwich into a circle with no crusts.” Kids love the “no crust” …
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Share your images of the first day of school.
- BACK TO SCHOOL
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Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Summer has finally come to an end and students from around the Council Rock School District are returning to the classrooms Tuesday and Wednesday. If you grabbed some snaps of your kids before they headed off to class, share them with Patch. To add to the photo gallery, simply log into your Patch account or click here to create one. Click on "Upload Photos and Videos" just below this gallery to add your own images. Click here to visit our back to school section.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Council Rock School District outlines expectation for social media use and proper communication between staff members and students or parents.
Council Rock School District set standards for good judgment when using social media. The district released guidelines in March 2012 outlining expectations for Council Rock staff and students alike. The document is divided into three sections, all users (staff and students), just staff, and just students. Social media is defined by the district as: “…any form of electronic communication – single, group, or mass network - which allows interaction among users. As used in these guidelines, Social Media also includes other online tools and text or other non-verbal communication using cell phones or other electronic devices.” Here are some highlights from the report: The most important thing stressed was safety. The district urges students …
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Starting a new school year can be stressful for any child. Here are some tips for making the transition a little more pleasant for your kids.
School supplies? Bought and organized in backpack. New clothes for fall?Washed, folded and ready to wear. Hair? Cut. Lunches? Packed. Child? Kicking and screaming and threatening to run away from home rather than go back to school. It’s hard to spend two and a half months having fun, playing at home or going to camp, and then having to go back to school. Can you remember how you felt before the first day of school when you were a kid? I can sum up my annual first-day jitters in four words: "I don’t wanna go." What can you do to make the transition from summer to school easier on your child? Try these fun ideas. Back-to-school breakfast – Your kids will be thrilled to wake up on the first day of school to an exciting tablescape …
Monday, August 27, 2012
Cast your vote for your favorite photo in the comments section of this article!
- SUMMER
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Monday, August 27, 2012
**Voting has Closed From the Jersey Shore to Alcatraz, you squeezed every last bit of vacation time out of summer. We asked you to share your favorite photo with our readers in a back-to-school classic: What I did on my Summer Vacation. We received some great photos, and we chose our favorites to move into the voting round. Now it's your turn. Vote in the comments for your favorite photo, by giving its number (the photo's number can be found in the caption and at the top right corner of each picture). Voting is open until 5 p.m., Sept. 2. The winner will be announced on Labor Day. If you are one of the finalists, post some more information about your picture. The winner will receive a $50 gift card and a Back-to-School prize package that …
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Check out these tips for packing healthy, inexpensive school lunches for your kids.
Thinking about back-to-school? Don’t forget about school lunches. The average cost of school lunch is anywhere from $1.50 to $3.50 a day. Comparatively, if you pack your child’s lunch, the average cost is about $2 a day. School lunches usually consist of two or three different main-course options, with sides of grains, fruit and veggies, and a beverage. If you choose to pack your child’s lunch, you naturally have more control over what your child is eating, and you can pack his or her favorites. You can also be sure your child’s lunch meets any special dietary needs (like food allergies) by packing it yourself. Try to mix it up. If you pack your child the same boring sandwich and snacks every day, chances are good he or she will toss it …
Monday, August 20, 2012
Pennsylvania drivers can receive heavy fines for failing to stop for school buses.
Students are preparing to return to school, which means school buses will be back on the roads. Pennsylvania law requires that drivers stop when they meet a school bus with red signal lights flashing and stop arm extended. School Bus Stopping Law Drivers do not have to stop on a highway with clearly divided sections or physical barriers separating the roadways, when the school bus is on the opposite side of the road. Penalties Those convicted of violating Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law will receive all of the following penalties: Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Trasnsportation. Have you observed others disregarding this law? Let Patch know your experience in the comments. Let Patch save you …
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The average family is expected to spend $688 this year on school supplies, more if they buy online, according to the National Retail Federation.
- BACK TO SCHOOL
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Thursday, August 16, 2012
The amount families will spend on back-to-school supplies will be 12.3 percent more than last year, or about $688, according to the National Retail Federation's annual back-to-school spending survey. Those who shop online will spend even more, $874 the survey says. Do you think $688 is a reasonable amount of money to spend for back-to-school shopping? Leave a comment. The survey found the average person with children in grades K-12 will spend $246.10 on clothes, $217.88 on electronics, $129.20 on shoes, and $95.44 on school supplies—such as notebooks, pencils and backpacks. In addition, about six in 10 people said they would invest in some sort of electronic device, according to the survey. This is up from 51.9 percent who planned to buy…
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Do you remember your favorite lunch box? Today's kids have as many options as ever but nothing will take the place of the Partridge Family or Scooby-Doo.
- BACK TO SCHOOL
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Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Lunch boxes have changed in design and shape over the years, but the basic idea is the same. Along with space inside for a cold drink, sandwich and snack, the cover is devoted to a favorite cartoon, character, TV show or movie. That's why Justin Bieber and Darth Vader and Japanese cartoon characters are staring out at shoppers from the shelves of Target. Do you remember a favorite lunch box? What was it? Have a picture handy? Share it here! Back in the '70s, the lunch boxes were aluminum. In the '80s, they gave way to plastic. Vintage lunch boxes now are highly collectible. They are displayed as collections in people's homes, and sometimes they get their own art gallery shows. How did you roll in grade school, brown bag or a lunch box? …
Teri Slasor
10:29 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
Love the picture! more ›