Back to School!

Holidays are enticing only for the first week or so. After that, it is no longer such a novelty to rise late and have little to do.
- Margaret Laurence

Yes, it's that time of year when parents are shuffling through school supply lists and checking to see whether back packs are still intact. Preschoolers are psyching themselves up for their first year at Kindergarten. Big kids are making their last few visits to the pool and getting excited to see old friends. High schoolers are squeezing as much sleep as they can out of their last few days of summer. College students are comparing prices on mini-fridges and asking mom to do their laundry one last time. It's also the time of year when your Kansas and local governments are ramping up to tackle another school year.

See Commissioner of Education Dr. Diane DeBacker's welcome back to school message at:
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2601

Can't remember which vaccinations your child needs before heading back? Learn more at:
http://www.kdheks.gov/immunize/index.html

Need assistance with preschool tuition?
http://www.srs.ks.gov/agency/ees/Pages/Child_Care/Child%20Care%20and%20Early%20Education.aspx

Learn more about your school or district by reading its "report card":
http://online.ksde.org/rcard/

Read about the Kansas curricular standards at:
http://www.kerc-ks.org/index.aspx

Want to learn online this year? Find a list of Kansas virtual schools at:
http://www.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=r6o84oLXhio%3d&tabid=455&mid=6785&forcedownload=true

Learn more about the charter school option at:
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=449

Full list of Kansas education associations and organizations:
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1968

Article contact: Kim Harp

Kansas Reads to Preschoolers

The Kansas Center for the Book at the State Library of Kansas is once again proud to promote the importance of reading to Kansas preschoolers and other youth. Kansas Reads to Preschoolers week is November 15-21, 2009 and this year’s book, written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Scott Menchin, is Wiggle. Wiggle highlights this year's theme- fitness. On the Kansas Reads to Preschoolers website you can find out ways to encourage preschoolers to love literacy and to keep healthy and mobile.

2009 Kansas Reads to Preschoolers... About Fitness! homepage
http://www.kcfb.info/wiggle/index.html

Author Doreen Cronin's website:
http://www.doreencronin.com/doreen.html

Find out why early literacy is one of the Kansas Center for the Book's missions
http://www.kcfb.info/wiggle/literacy.html

Get the whole family involved in reading!
http://www.kcfb.info/wiggle/family.html

Learn more about how you as a parent or community member can get involved in early reading and early fitness!

Kansas Parent Information Resource Center
http://www.kpirc.org/

Kansas Reading Association
http://www.kansasread.org/parents.htm#Simple_Strategies_for_Creating_Strong_Readers

Kansas Association of Child Care Referral and Resource Agencies http://www.kaccrra.org/INVAdvocacy.shtml

Healthy Kids Challenge!
http://www.healthykidschallenge.com/

Kansas Pediatric Foundation- Turn a Page, Touch a Mind
http://www.kansaspediatricfoundation.org/

Kansas Department of Health and Environment
http://www.kdheks.gov/health/index.html

Drop INs

Each school year there are a number of children who are at risk of dropping out of school. Due to circumstances such as needing to work to support the family, disinterest, academic difficulty, absenteeism, or homelessness, students must make difficult decisions regarding whether finishing high school is right for them. The Kansas Drop Ins program from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is looking to address this issue on a multi-level front. This program involves the students, the parents, the community, and businesses in ensuring that students make it through school. Your Kansas and U.S. Governments are offering many choices to help students prepare for the next step in their lives.

Home page of the Kansas Drop-Ins program
http://www.kansasdropins.org/summit_info.htm

Resources offered by the Drop-Ins program
http://www.kansasdropins.org/resources.htm

Kansas Statistics relating to drop outs:

You can search for your school district's drop-out rate and many other useful statistics at:
http://online.ksde.org/rcard/index.aspx

Kansas Kids Count data regarding the drop-out rate
http://datacenter.kidscount.org/Databook/2009/OnlineBooks/StateProfiles/AEC189%20profile_Kansas.pdf

Title I and II and at-risk student program fact sheets
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3784

Resources for students struggling with the decision whether to drop out:

Flint Hills Job Corps
http://flinthills.jobcorps.gov/home.aspx

YouthBuild- Alternative education that helps youth obtain GED's
http://www.doleta.gov/youth_services/youthbuild.cfm

Kansas Board of Regents GED site including the testing schedule
http://www.kansasregents.org/adult_ed/ged.html

Article contact: Kim Harp
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