How to choose a school district for my child

6 Steps To Choosing A Great School District When Buying A Home — Ylopo

According to the National Association of Realtor’s Schools and Home Buying Decision article, proximity to good quality schools is one of the most influential factors in a buyer’s decision when purchasing a home. It is a major factor especially for buyers with families or young couples who are planning to have children. Homes that are located near top-quality school districts usually translate into higher property values and generally have a huge resale potential. In the NAR 2015 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 25% of home buyers listed school quality and 20% listed proximity to schools as the deciding factors in their home purchase. Many home buyers are even willing to forgo certain home amenities just to have access to quality schools.

As you do your house-hunting, it’s important to also have an analysis of the schools and school districts you’re considering. Here are some things you can do to help you choose an excellent school district wisely:

1. Create a checklist of the qualities and values that are important to you and your child’s education

If you consider a good school district as one of the major factors in your home-buying decision, contemplating about what values matter to you most when it comes to your child’s education is also relevant. A school will be your child’s second home, so you might want to be clear about your preferences. Do you prefer a traditional or an alternative style of learning? How important are extracurricular and skill enhancement activities to you and your child’s development? What are your child’s skills, strengths and weaknesses, and how can these be improved? What sort of contributions are you willing to make to improve your child’s learning? These are just some of the questions you have to ask yourself so you can be clear about the kind of school you want your children to be in.

2. Do your online research

Most schools and school districts have their respective websites where anyone can get extensive information. Spend some time checking the sites of each school you’re considering and read parent and local reviews. Also check out other resources that provide valuable information, such as GreatSchools, NeighborhoodScout, the National Center for Education Statistics, and others. Take time reading downloadable school newsletters and calendars to familiarize yourself with the local news and events. It is also worth looking at some of the following information:

• Standardized test scores

• The curriculum being offered

• The latest rate of students attending higher education

• Awards and certifications the school has recently received

• Student-to-teacher ratio

• The educational attainment of most teachers

• Languages offered; and

• Any specialized programs for gifted or needy students

3. Ask your local real estate agent

Your experienced local real estate agent can be one of your best resources in knowing the local market. He/She should have a good understanding of which school districts are top-quality and which are less desirable and could provide you with an objective opinion of the schools. Consider your realtor’s recommendations, and then verify other information you gathered before weighing the pros and cons.

4. Use your network to get more insight

Whether you’re searching for a new home in the next street or heading into a completely new neighborhood, your network of family and friends could be helpful in your quest to finding a good school district. They may have some knowledge of a particular school district that you still don’t know about, or they may also have encountered that school you’re considering during their house-hunting.

Either way, you can reach out to those people you know (and trust) and ask for their advice about a particular area and school. You may also utilize your social media accounts by posting on Facebook and on trusted community groups and pages to find out if people have any experience or insight to share. It will be worthwhile if one of your networks has a friend who’s a teacher or a school staff member who can give you an insider’s perspective, which could be more valuable than online information. At the end of day, it wouldn’t hurt to ask!

5. Talk to parents whose children already attend the school system

You may have done your online research about particular schools and their reputation, but hearing the personal experience of local parents whose children already attend the school system is more valuable. Speaking to them can give you a general understanding of what it is really like learning from a specific school, and whether their children attend any great after-school programs or individualized education programs that will also be beneficial for your children.

6. Visit the schools if you can and if possible

There’s no such thing as going “overboard” when you really want to find a good school district that will benefit your children’s education and the potential resale value of your property. After performing your research, narrow down your top choices and visit the schools in person to better evaluate each school. You can see for yourself how the schools operate and the interactions taking place. If you’re from miles away, call and ask permission first before visiting as some schools may have certain restrictions. See the classrooms and common areas and get a feel of the school’s culture and values through observing its people and surroundings.

Choosing a School District: 9 Tips For Parents

One of the biggest decisions parents face is selecting a school district. After all, the right one has a massive effect on kid’s education and academic career. Can this selection process be stressful? Absolutely. But the good news is that there are a lot of options available today. The bad news, of course, is that with more options comes more decisions to make. Does the public school down the street have what your kids need? Is it an environment in which they’ll not only be able to thrive but where their specific needs will be met?

RELATED: How to Emotionally Prepare Young Kids for the Beginning of the School Year

So, selecting a school district isn’t easy. Such school ranking sites like Niche, GreatSchools, and Schooldigger offer a plethora of lists and stats that are helpful but easy to get lost in. Even if you do get a handle on all that information, numbers alone won’t give you a complete picture of the district. Public school experts say that while the school ranking sites offer helpful data, parents seeking good school districts need to do more research than just rely on the sites alone. Here then, are ten things parents should look for when selecting a school district.

Carol Burris, Executive Director of the Network for Public Education Foundation, said that while a school district’s standardized test scores can be good indicators of a district’s quality, you need to look at other information to gauge a school’s true worth.

“Parents often look at test scores and leave it there,” Burris said. “But to just look at test scores without a bigger context would be a terrible mistake.”

Burris said parents need to understand how test score data relates to the demographics of the district. She suggested that parents should pay close attention to stats like the percentage of students in the district on free or reduced-price lunch, which can be found on sites like Schooldigger.

“That’s an indication that the schools are doing a decent job under difficult circumstances with a lot of high needs kids per pupil,” Burris said.

The presence of technology in classrooms can be a sign of a district’s willingness to invest in their school. But Deb Mayer, Oregon public school advocate and board member of Parents Across America, cautioned parents to look at how school districts use tech. Technology should assist, not replace, teachers.

“I would look for schools that have well-rounded programs that haven’t given up on traditional values of having certified teachers in the classroom,” Mayer said.

If the teachers are miserable in your district, odds are high that your kids will be miserable too. When teachers in Oklahoma, Kentucky and West Virginia went on strike this year, it wasn’t just over salary and benefits. Photos from the Oklahoma strike showed crumbling classrooms and ancient textbooks. Teachers care about kids. They want to teach. Teaching is a difficult and important job. If teachers not treated with respect, well-trained or properly equipped, your kid’s education will suffer.

News stories about teacher contract negotiations can give an idea about how teachers feel about their schools. Pay close attention to teachers’ comments.

School ranking sites offer stats on the percentage of teachers in each school who are certified and have taught for three years are more. Pay close attention to those numbers. Mayer says that teachers need training and experience to succeed.

“As any teacher will tell you, whenever they first walk into the classroom, they are just overwhelmed,” Mayer said. “There’s so much to learn and that just builds on itself. As you become more and more experienced as a teacher, you learn kids better. You learn your content area better. You learn how to cooperate and collaborate with other teachers so that school isn’t just a lot of isolated classrooms. So that school, it’s really like a living organism that all parts are needed to make the school vibrant, and energetic and a place where kids want to be.”

It never hurts to Google the school district’s superintendent and school board president’s names. School district leaders aren’t all angels. But don’t just look for obvious red flags. Basic information, like how long they’ve been in charge, can offer valuable clues about the quality of education.

“Does the district have a superintendent been there for five years or more or has there been a constant churn in superintendents,” Burris said. “That’s important.”

Many parents want their kids in smaller classes so that teachers can pay more attention to their kids. While some education researchers question the link between class size and student achievement, a 2016 Network for Public Education Foundation report argued that students thrive in schools that keep teacher to student ratios low. “We know that kids do better with smaller class sizes,” Burris said.

School ranking resources like Niche make information about diversity in schools easy to find through individual school profiles and in features like their annual list of the nation’s most diverse schools. Burris suggests that parents take full advantage of the data’s availability and search out districts rich in diversity.

“It’s a strength, not a weakness,” Burris said. “Students gain a lot by being educated alongside kids who are different than they are.”

An education is about more than basic academics. You need to explore what the district offers aside from classes, both for your child’s growth and to give them something to do in the hours between school dismissal and when you get home from work. Look at what extracurricular activities and after-school program the schools offer.

States have rating systems for schools but Burris advised that parents should read them with skepticism. “They’re all connected to test scores, which depend on demographics,” Burris said. “Of course, if a school was rated F five years in a row, you’ve got to think about it.

The Middle States accreditation program takes more into account than tests, but the self-evaluation program is voluntary and only offered in a handful of states. The U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes schools that have high academic performance or have closed an achievement gap. But schools need to apply for the program; Burris said many good schools don’t bother. While awards and recognition can be helpful, Burris said parents need to investigate further. “There’s no Good Housekeeping stamp of approval on schools,” Burris said.

On average, schools in the U. S. are over 40 years old. The age of the buildings and the inadequate maintenance has created a national school infrastructure crisis where 28 million students attend schools with significant structural problems.

“Pretty much nationwide, school funding has been cut over, and over again,” Mayer said. “Over the last couple of decades, at least. And the first thing to go is infrastructure.” She advised parents to see whether money is being spent updating schools.

This article was originally published on April 12, 2018

how we created a first grader's portfolio

A schoolchildren's portfolio is no less important attribute than a progress diary. The need for it is very important. But many parents have a reluctance to work on compiling, collecting information, on design. I would like to share with you useful information based on my own experience and best practice.

• Why does a student need a portfolio?
• Where to start. Title page
• Schoolchildren's portfolio structure, sample filling
• 1 Let's get acquainted block

• About me. My motto. My name. My birthday is
• I like it. I'm dreaming. What do I want to be when I grow up
• My family. Family traditions. My pet
• My Motherland. My city
• My sections and circles. My hobbies. My favorite book
• 2 block "First time in the first class"

• The first of September. My school. Road to school. My class is
• My class teacher. My school friends. My favorite school lesson
• School interactive
• After school hours
• Block 3 "Summer holidays"

• Summer interactive. Achievements
• Useful links
• Important events

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Rosobrnadzor proposed to work out by 2030 the possibility of entering a university based on the results of not the Unified State Examination, but a portfolio that will take into account all the student's sports, creative and voluntary achievements. This was recently stated in an interview with the head of Rosobrnadzor Anzor Muzaev. According to him, the role of the portfolio will increase significantly by 2030. Academician of the Russian Academy of Education, former head of Rosobrnadzor Viktor Bolotov recalled that all over the world there is a practice of taking into account portfolios when enrolling in universities.

This material presents the personal experience of Anna Moskalenko, a teacher with fifteen years of experience and mother of two children.

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Schoolchildren's portfolio is no less important attribute than a progress diary. The need to maintain it is very important:

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• saving important information about the child during the period of schooling;
• support for the child's self-esteem in terms of success and achievement.

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But many parents have a reluctance to work on compiling, collecting information, and designing. I would like to share with you useful information based on my own experience and best practice.

Now many people start portfolio management from kindergarten. Whether this approach is correct, time will tell, as this is a new direction in pedagogy.

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Working with children helped me learn what a portfolio is.

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Let's start filling step by step together. A portfolio is like an album. To make it bright, colorful and attractive, you need to think about the background of the design. Now on the Internet there is an endless number of pictures, backgrounds that we can take as a basis. I will show you how to build a portfolio step by step using the portfolio of my daughter Amalia as an example.

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An important point. A portfolio can be created and stored exclusively in electronic form, or you can have two versions - also a printed one, which you can look through and hold in your hands.

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So let's go.

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The title page - is the "face" of portfolio . There is a huge scope for your creativity here. All pages, including the title page, must be in the same style. You can change the background pictures, but the main color scheme should be traceable.

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First, it's aesthetic. Secondly, it is easier to perceive information in one image than with different colors and fonts.

Since the portfolio is a document of a schoolchild, it should be concise and stylistic unity. Many people think that if this is a portfolio of a girl, then the color scheme is white, pink, lilac. If a boy - blue, green. Of course not!

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I'm sure the child should choose the style and color scheme. It is he who determines the starting point and directs, and we, the parents, follow his thought, frame and arrange the structure of the portfolio. Offer him a choice of several options from what you like, or together look for design options on the Internet. I must say right away that I do not advise taking specific characters from cartoons or books, since schoolchildren at an early age change their preferences very often.

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These are the covers and designs that quickly get boring as the child grows up.

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Title page - start:

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• We choose the style, color, details together with the child.
• The word “portfolio” itself is in large print.
• Specify the surname, name and patronymic of the child.
• Write the name of the educational organization.

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Stop! But what about the date on the title page, if we plan to maintain a portfolio during schooling? Another question arises as to whether it is necessary to indicate the class number.

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To avoid confusion, indicate the year the portfolio was created. That is, if a child goes to first grade in September 2022, put 2022-2023 at the bottom.

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B" class. After the summer holidays, we move this sheet to a folder, to the “Grade 1” section, and make the cover the same, but marked “Grade 2”.

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If everything is clear with the first sheet, I propose to start filling the portfolio.

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At present, there are no clear requirements for compiling and designing a portfolio. Therefore, I offer my vision based on a lot of personal experience.

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Why do you need a child's portfolio? First, for an educational organization. Today, almost all schools require a child's portfolio to be maintained both in paper form and on the ACS RSO website (Automated Resource Management System for the Education System). But still, we create a portfolio primarily for your child. Imagine that he will leaf through it after graduation and remember the most important moments.

Therefore, to make it clear, the blocks are separated and denoted in large print. At the beginning of the school year, we designate blocks in the table of contents. This will eliminate the need to scroll through the entire folder if you need to find information.

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So, the portfolio structure in a simplified form looks something like this:

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Block No. 1. “Let's get acquainted”

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It represents the child's personality. All the most important and interesting at this stage of its development:

• About me. Let's get acquainted.
• My motto.
• My name.
• My birthday.
• My zodiac sign.
• I like it.
• I dream.
• What I want to be when I grow up.
• My family.
• Family traditions.
• My pet.
• My Motherland.
• My city.
• My sections and circles.
• My hobbies.
• My favorite book.

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Block No. 2. "First time in the first grade"

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School days, competitions, teachers and friends are here. This block is structured into sub-topics:

• First of September.
• Road to school.
• My class.
• My class teacher.
• My school friends.
• My favorite lesson at school.
• School interactive.
• After hours.
• My work.
• My achievements.
• Diplomas.

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Block No. 3. “Summer holidays”

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It contains impressions, achievements, memories of the child about the past summer:

• Reader's diary.
• Summer Interactive
• Achievements.
• News.

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Block No. 4. “Second class”

It, respectively, has all the sections, as in the “First class” block, only it already contains the “stuffing” of the second class. New favorite subjects, new friends and goals.

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The essence of the filling lies in the annual repetition of blocks and topics with new filling of their content. The hardest part is getting started. Then everything will turn out easily and with pleasure.

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And now I propose to analyze in more detail and step by step each block and each portfolio sheet with pictures and filling options using the example of my child.

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The structure of filling in blocks remains unchanged throughout the entire period of maintaining a portfolio, but you, of course, can change, add points in any block as you wish.

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The portfolio scheme is as follows:

It is enough to complete the first year, so that later, following the model, continue to replenish the second, third grade, and so on.

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About me. My motto. My name.

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Let's look at the first topics of the Let's Get Acquainted block. After the title page, we place all the information that relates directly to the child. Enter the child's first and last name, here you can also add a photo.

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My Design Assistants:

• Canva;
• Design;
• Adobe Photoshop.

These are programs for creating and processing pictures, photos. With their help, it is convenient to make collages, covers, postcards, etc. Although, I repeat, you can design a portfolio with scissors, paper and glue.

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Next sheet – About me.

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Here is the basic information about the child at the moment. We indicate how old the child is, what height, weight, hair color, eyes. Some parameters will change, and we will also enter this information into our “book of memorable memories”.

Go to the "My motto" sheet.

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It would be great to place an instruction, a motto, a wish for a child on a separate sheet. You can find it on the Internet, or you can invent it yourself. The main thing is that it should be understandable and useful to your student, for example:

“I am a student of the 21st century. I know for sure that I will succeed!”

“Learning to read, learning to write. I want to know everything in the world!”

“Meet the school at the door. Forward for knowledge, hurry up!

"To be the first always and everywhere: in studies, sports and work!"

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I also propose to note the uniqueness of the child, his feature, which you can be proud of. For example, my daughter is the tallest girl in her class, which she is always proud of. But do not write: "The smartest, most beautiful ..." Find the very "zest" that will be unique. For example, "The fastest ice cream eater" is fine.

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Next, consider the topic "My name".

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On this sheet you can leave information about the origin of the child's name. Tell us what his name means, where it came from and how it is translated. In recent years, children are increasingly called by rare names, the origin of which is often unknown.

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A child is given a name that sounds nice, or is named after a relative or sometimes a celebrity. But there is a theory that a name is an information code that largely determines the character and fate of a person. The name contains important information about a person. Even scientists have long identified similarities between bearers of the same name. I think it will be interesting to know the meaning of your child's name and compare with his character, preferences and interests.

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Next in line is the My Birthday sheet.

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On it you can find out which famous people were born on your child's birthday. For example, on October 7, 2013, my daughter Amalia was born, and on October 7, 1952, Russian President Vladimir Putin was born. Such discoveries also happen when compiling a portfolio.

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All the necessary information is publicly available on the Internet. Enter in the search "who was born ..." and the birthday of your child. After that, you already choose personalities and celebrities that are interesting to you. List them on this sheet.

Next, I propose to form a sheet of "Zodiac sign". But, if you are skeptical about any kind of horoscopes, you can safely skip. In my case, this is always interesting additional information. Why not?

I like it. I'm dreaming. What do I want to be when I grow up?

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It will be about interests, preferences, what the child likes. Remember the questionnaires at school that we filled out with children in common notebooks? How great it was to draw everything, stick it, fill it in and learn a lot about your classmates. It was scrapbooking 80-90's.

And now we need to fill out a similar small questionnaire, only as a filler - your child. He can enter the answers himself, or he can speak to you, and you transfer them to a piece of paper. In any case, this is a very plastic sheet that will definitely change every year. It will be especially touching to read it ten years from now.

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The next two sheets are the child's dreams and goals.

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On the "I dream" sheet, write the child's dreams, his wishes for the near future. It looks romantic and light, but in fact it is very deep and detailed information that is able to both career-orientate and guide the child through life.

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Try to talk to him, find out what he dreams about (by the way, it can be useful when choosing a gift) and what he wants to be when he grows up.

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Next, we draw up the sheet "What I want to be when I grow up."

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Look for information about the chosen profession on the Internet or write it down from the words of your child, just mark it. Just find out what he thinks about the chosen profession and why he chose it.

My family. Family traditions. Pet

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The next “warm” portfolio sheet, which I treat with great tenderness, is “My Family”. This is the most important thing for a child. Therefore, pay maximum attention to this topic.

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We need to write the composition of the family.

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Here we indicate a family member, name, patronymic. Teach children from a very early age to answer the question, what are the names of mom, dad, grandmother, etc., by name and patronymic. Brothers, sisters - only in name.

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In the portfolio we indicate:

ourpey

Mom: Anna Alekseevna

Papa: Alexander Vladimirovich

Brother: Tollenka

Grandmother: Lidia Vasilievna, etc. on sheet “My family” we indicated family members, then you can additionally make a sheet with a photo of each or a common family photo.

Also in this block it would be useful to add a sheet on which the type of activity of each family member will be indicated.

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The next page of our portfolio is Family Traditions.

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This is a very difficult but also very interesting filling step. Remember what unites your family, what do you like to do together, what brings you closer and gives you joy?

For example:

• decorate the Christmas tree;
• cook Sunday dinner;
• ride bicycles;
• go to the sea every summer, etc.

I propose to conduct a survey with your household and find out all the secret information on this topic. A great addition here will be joint photos in which you are doing something interesting together. You can also add “country chores” or “country adventures” with a couple of photos of joint harvesting to family traditions.

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Now let's move on to an equally important item - "Pet".

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If you have a four-legged member of the family, be sure to give him a place in the portfolio and describe how well the child copes with his duties of caring for him. Write how the pet appeared in your family, who came up with the nickname, what is special about him, how long he has been living with you, etc.

An important mission for a junior schoolchild is to develop responsibility for someone (we are responsible for those whom we have tamed), independence and self-organization. He, for example, must understand when and how to feed the pet. This activity also gives me self-confidence (I will be able to solve the problem on my own, say, take a walk with my pet in any weather, etc.)

Moving on.

My homeland. My city

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The next item is "My Motherland".

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In my opinion, it is not necessary to say much about the importance of patriotic education. I can only say that a junior student should definitely be familiar with the history of his native land, region, city, village.

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Take your child to the local history museum, visit excursions. You can download guides to interesting places. It will definitely be beneficial and diversify your horizons.

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So, I propose to make the theme "My Motherland" from several points. Starting from the global - the Russian Federation, ending with the school and the safe route of the child.

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Followed by the sheet "My city", (and possibly "My village)".

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On this sheet, mark the main places of interest e , you can write a few words about the history of your settlement by adding photos, drawings. For example, where a child is standing in front of a sports or cultural building that is significant for the city or in a central park.

Next, enter “Symbols of Russia” in the search engine and download what you like. These pictures can decorate this topic. There can be both the well-known balalaika, matryoshka, the Moscow Kremlin, and those that symbolize exactly your district, region, city, village.

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Arrange the symbols in a collage on the first sheet or list them with a description of each symbol as you wish. Ask the child what he knows about them, what he considers the symbols of Russia.

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When I was making my daughter's portfolio, I took the poems that my mother wrote for one of the patriotic contests and added them to the portfolio as well. These poems are winners of several festivals. I will leave one of them here, perhaps it will inspire someone to be creative, and parents from the Samara region will come in handy for their portfolio.

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Dedication to the Samara region

Samara region – is the heart of Russia,

And there is no more beautiful place in the whole world!

This is the Volga, mother river,

Zhiguli mountains and Samarskaya Luka.

On the coat of arms of our region

White goat, he is also with us

Came from Zhiguli,

To protect our land

And give wise advice,

How to manage the province.

And under the golden crown

Our land will be protected.

We will live with everyone in the world

And we will defeat the coronavirus!

Now, when the virus prohibits traveling far,

Let's admire the beauties of our native land.

How many interesting things are around:

Both mysterious and wonderful.

Here it stands above the Volga River

Tolyatti is my native city!

Auto VAZ, many factories,

A giant bridge is being built across the Volga!

Across the river reserve, Molodetsky mound,

Where the ataman buried his treasure.

And Bogatyrskaya Sloboda,

We go there every summer.

Everything is there, as in ancient Rus':

Tents and lodges, and heroes.

And when the sailboats sail by,

Tatishchev himself is watching from above!

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I love coming to Samara,

It has become a beautiful city:

Especially after the mondiale.

Imagine, the city has come

The best football in the world!

And, of course, the Volga embankment,

You can walk there for a long, long time.

I have been living on the Volga for almost 8 years

And there is no more beautiful place in the whole world!

I also offer such a corporate page in the portfolio as the “Future of my Motherland” sheet.

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Let the child fantasize, dream, share his thoughts and express the most unexpected proposals about the development of our country and his city, village, learn to be a patriot. You can attach drawings, crafts, poems here. This will come in handy when your child participates in competitions or writes essays on this topic.

My sections and circles. My hobbies. My favorite book

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The next step, let's design the item "My sections and circles".

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Here we insert information about the child's extracurricular activities: foreign language, music school, sports clubs.

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Followed by the My Hobbies sheet.

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We add exactly hobbies to it: knitting, making puzzles or painting by numbers. It is better not to combine these points so that the portfolio is diverse, and the child’s personality is revealed brighter and more detailed. We frame with photos with hobbies and mugs.

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So, on the sheet “My sections and circles” it is necessary: ​​

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• list additional activities for the child;
• give a brief description of each;
• supplement the information with photos, pictures.

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In the paragraph “My hobbies” you should:

• list your hobbies;
• write why the child likes to do this in his free time;
• add photos or pictures for decoration.

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The next, final paragraph of this block is “My favorite book”. In our age of "smartphone kids," a child who reads is the exception rather than the rule. My opinion: children from childhood need to instill a love of books. Do not force them to read, namely to show by example how great it is.

If you are lucky enough to raise a child who reads, this sheet is just for you. If not, let him motivate you to this important component of educating the personality of your child.

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Well, we are done with the first block. Now let's analyze the "First class" block.

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Block No. 2. "First time in the first class"

The first of September. My school. Road to school. My class is

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The first sheet is “First class”.

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This is the separator between My Favorite Book and First Grade. I think it should be formalized. You can add a small motivating parting poem to the child, you can pick up illustrations of school subjects. In any case, we designate in large print "First Class".

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This block consists of several topics: “My school”, “Safety road”, “Class teacher”, etc.

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We start to draw up the “First of September” sheet.

A child's school life begins on the first day of autumn. Complete the sheet with photos of the first line, teacher, school and classmates. Decorate it elegantly, brightly, like a postcard to the teacher. I also advise you to make a column “My impressions” in this topic and write down what was remembered and important for the child that day. A little excitement, surprise, joy, surprise, or maybe something unusual and fun happened on the way to school. Save these emotions here.

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We follow further, and the next item in our portfolio is “My School”.

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We write on the first sheet the full name of the educational organization, indicating the surname, name and patronymic of the director of the school. You can find out this information on the official website of the school or from the class teacher.

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The next sheets of this block are “My class”, “Our gym”, “Canteen”, “Music class” – do as you wish. They are also decorated with a small description of the room and a photograph.

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Now it is more difficult to get "for a photo shoot" at school, because the virus has tightened the safety measures for children. But you can always ask your class teacher to take these photos.

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I want to pay special attention to the next sheet. This is the "Safe Route" or "Road to School".

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The rules of the road and the basics of the safe behavior of children on the street are now paying special attention. Such a sheet will need to be done together with the child, having spoken the rules of conduct, the basics of safety and repeating the traffic rules. A safe route means the shortest and safest way from home to school and back. And the rules of safe behavior are the avoidance of contact situations with strangers and animals.

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A mandatory attribute of the first of September for first graders is a group photo with classmates and the teacher. So we are already drawing up the next sheet of the “School” block - “ My class.

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The first sheet of is a direct description of the child's class: number, letter, how many students there are, how many of them are boys, and how many are girls.

You can post a group photo of the class, because there will be a lot of them. Children love to be photographed at school.

My class teacher. My school friends. My favorite school lesson

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The second sheet is “My first teacher” or “Class teacher”.

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We indicate the name, surname and patronymic of the child's class teacher, it is desirable to place his photo. You can make a wish on this sheet, a parting word from a teacher to a first-grader in printed form, or handwritten in the portfolio itself. I'm sure the teacher will not refuse you this.

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And now let's deal with the topic "My school friends".

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Can you remember what you remember after finishing school? Lessons, teachers? For me, these are my school friends, events and funny incidents from school life. Now we are all adults and serious, and then, many years ago, we were the same children - cheerful and carefree. Make a sheet "My school friends" and every new school year you will see how your student and his friends are changing. Children grow up very quickly, believe me.

On this sheet we place a photo of the child with his friends, sign who is who. During the school year, we add a photo there or leave the sheet as it is.

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Moving on. We already have the next sheet of this block ready.

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It's simple. We write favorite lessons or lesson of your child. I am sure that from the very first days of school life you will be able to identify them, since the child immediately understands what he likes more: mathematics or Russian, for example.

In some portfolios I saw such a sheet as “Schedule”, but I do not see the need for it, it does not carry any special semantic value.

School interactive

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We have already reached the next sheet of the School block. To be more precise, this is a series of several sheets, each of which contains one or two activities from school activities. For example, in our case, these are “Save the Birds of the Samara Region Volunteer Movement”, “Waste Paper Collection”, “Performance in the School Theatre”, “Crafts Competition “Waste is in Fashion””, “Trip with the whole class to the AvtoVAZ Technical Museum” and so on. Further. Everything that was interesting in school life this academic year is placed here.

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Modern school is not only about lessons. This is a whole universe with circles, sections, projects, activities and events. Schoolchildren immerse themselves in this active environment and participate only with the support of their parents. Without your support, this is almost impossible.

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There are funny pictures on the Internet about how dad did not have time to finish the craft, and mom did not have time to write a poem for the competition by Monday to school. This is the truth of life. As far as you are ready to be included in this interactive, your child will live the school years with you so vividly. It is always very fun, interesting and will be remembered for a long time.

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Each photo must be placed on a separate sheet and briefly describe the event it depicts. For example, my daughter was the host of a school event. You can write a short text about this - describe the impressions, interesting moments of the event, or you can simply indicate the name of the event and place a photo. In any case, it is your creativity and your choice.

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If there is an award document from this event, you can add it to the photo. But the diplomas will be located in our "My awards" section. Therefore, in this case, the diploma can be reduced and inserted on one sheet with a photograph - as confirmation of the victory.

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Events can take place both within the same school and between schools in the city or region. For example, the Energy Saving Festival “#TogetherBrighter” takes place in the Samara region every year. Children take part in the qualifying rounds: the best project of the class, school, city, region, Russia. We were lucky enough to get into the second round of the city selection and speak at a neighboring school with a project of ergonomic street lighting.

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I'll give you one life hack. Every city has a children's library. They often organize children's, school events, competitions and festivals. Go to the website of this organization in your city or join a group on social networks, follow the calendar of events, choose and take part!

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There will be many projects at the school. A child in elementary school can make a positive decision to participate, but it depends only on the parents. You are able to instill activity in a child, to interest by your example. There are a lot of ways, choose any. And already further, in the senior classes, he will learn to independently solve problems with the help of his active life position.

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This section of the portfolio is completed with a summary sheet of school competitions and events. On it in the table we indicate all the dates of participation in competitions, festivals, olympiads, school theater performances. The first column of the table: the name of the event. The second is the deadline of the event, the date. The third is the result, diploma or certificate.

Look at the example:

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After school hours

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Many children are active not only at school, but also outside of it. To be honest, parents take part in all kinds of activities, together with their children, making their life more diverse and brighter.

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That's why we have an item called "After school hours" in our portfolio, which tells about significant events outside of school. A lot of interesting and memorable things will happen during this academic year. Record it in your portfolio. For example, I remember with pleasure a costume anime show in one of the shopping centers or my daughter's attempt to conquer a mountain in the Zhiguli Reserve.

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This item is also about those events that are held not by the school, but by enterprises, city, region, country ... it for your development. But children, especially younger students, cannot learn this useful skill on their own. The school is still about generalization in development. And only the parent can see the individuality of the child. A great opportunity to do this is participation in various activities, and if your child loves to draw and cross-stitch, believe me, these are not only creative contests. Try everything. I repeat, each child is unique, find this handful of raisins from him and do not forget to add to our portfolio.

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Therefore, we need to design the theme “My creativity”. As you might guess, drawings, applications, photographs of handicrafts and inventions are carefully stored here. We put all the masterpieces of the child here. If this is a drawing, we leave it in its original form, if it is an application or a voluminous craft, we take a photo and place it on a sheet.

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My daughter and I made crafts for the contest from junk material, there was also a remake of a fury scooter from the cartoon How to Train Your Dragon for the AutoPartyBoom ​​contest.

Block No. 3. "Summer holidays"

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So, we are entering the final stretch of compiling our portfolio! It remains to run through the block "Summer holidays" to finish with the first year of filling. Then you will have it all automatically. You know, when something is difficult and does not work out right away, practice helps out.

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Let's start this pleasant block with some good news. I propose not to type in all the final grades of the child, but simply write: “Hooray. I graduated from grade 1 without triples! or “Hurrah! I have all fives! . In general, the first year of school life is the most important for both the child and the parents. The first five, the first performance in the school theater, the final grades for the first year. Very exciting, right? Praise your child for his efforts and do not scold him for failures. He will succeed with your support! In the meantime, we are moving to the next sheet of the portfolio.

Reader's diary. Summer interactive. Achievements

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This is a controversial topic for the portfolio, but nevertheless I advise you to apply it.

I have never met such children who are happy to see a list of literature for the holidays from the teacher. Again, not all children are book lovers, but a reader's diary for the summer is a matter of extreme importance. We adults are often faced with large assignments at work, global projects that cannot be completed in one day. It will also be very difficult for a child to read the entire list of literature for the last week of August. And again, stress for parents. Therefore, divide the list for the whole summer, for example, to read one story a day. And read with your child. Sometimes you can also watch a cartoon based on a work, then discuss where the plot is revealed more interestingly: in a book or on the screen. Plus, there are e-books - try to offer your child this option.

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And in the section indicate not only what you were asked to read at school, but also what you yourself decided to read with your child over the summer. It is more convenient to do this in the form of a list.

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The next bright theme - "Summer interactive".

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You can call it Summer Memories or even Summer Impressions. Here we mark all the activities over the past summer, as in the "School Interactive". We put all the most interesting on the sheet, briefly describe and do not forget to add photos.

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My daughter and I, for example, participated in the city movement “Business is not childish”, where it was necessary to choose good toys, but no longer needed by the child, evaluate them and sell them at a special fair. My child's badge read "Amalia is a business woman." You won’t believe it, but this motivated her to do mathematics later! Such discoveries should certainly also be captured in the portfolio!

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Well, we have already reached the point “My achievements”.

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This is a treasure trove of portfolios, because here you can find:

• diplomas;
• certificates;
• participation certificates;
• thanks, etc.

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This block has a title page and is supplemented by a file containing all diplomas. Alternatively, each award document can be inserted into a separate file.

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At your choice, as I said above, the child's rewards can be reduced and combined on one sheet, but mix no more than two. Otherwise, they simply cannot be considered.

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Diplomas can be printed and pasted as such.

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And I don’t advise you to arrange the award material in this way.

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So the awards look unreadable, undignified.

Important events

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I complete my tour of the Portfolio universe with the "News" sheet.

On this sheet we briefly outline the most important things that happened this summer. At the end of this block, we must sum up the results. We make plans for the future.

The next step in completing the portfolio will be the “2nd grade” block. But I am sure that you will cope with this task yourself, using my experience and based on personal preferences. Well, I will show you options on how to make and beautifully design a portfolio for a boy and a girl.

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For a boy.

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And this is for a girl.

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Make a portfolio with your child. Spend more time with him. Learn new things together by participating in competitions, attending training events. This is the most important condition for the development of a versatile, active and happy person.

Useful links

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And I have some more useful information for you.

I give links to sites that annually hold cool competitions and festivals for children for free. For participation in them, you are guaranteed to be sent a diploma of the participant, you will add it to your portfolio. And if you win, you will also receive prizes. Believe me, it's very simple, there would be a desire!

• Science Festival 0+ . This site has a huge number of competitions for children with guaranteed diplomas. Competitions concerning science, the future.
• #TogetherBrighter is a fantastic festival. It will be very interesting to participate.
• Toyota is a dream car. Drawing competition. Be sure to try to participate. A year ago we won a graphics tablet by drawing a car of the future. It's important to come up with something new.
• Tuntuk. A great platform for finding the newest and most interesting contests. Updated every day.

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Also on the website of the Department of Education of your city in the competition section you can find city competitions for children: creative, sports, scientific. You can choose what will be interesting for your child.

If you still have silence with your diplomas, I suggest an alternative. Make a personal achievement list for your child. What can he do? Maybe do push-ups or sit on the twine? Or does he know how to tell funny jokes and is not afraid to perform on stage? This is also an achievement, and perhaps even a talent. Remember your child's first steps or first words. How you rejoiced, were proud of his achievements. Believe me, now your approval and a sense of pride are no less important to him. It may seem like a small thing to you, but it matters to him.

Remember everything that he knows, what he has learned lately, and choose the most interesting. Perhaps this is the beginning of a great successful path for the child.

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US Schools and Immigrants - Moovert

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In this article we will tell you how schools in the USA work, how to enroll a child who does not speak English in school and help him learn. We will also answer other questions that immigrants have about this. After all, school attendance in America is mandatory in all states.

Recall that in the United States, all children from 5 to 21 years old are admitted to a public school at their place of residence, regardless of the status of their stay in the country, the type of visa and the availability of documents. Primary school - for students from 5 years to 5 or 6 grades, secondary school - from 6 or 7 to 8 or 9 grades, senior - from 9 or 10 to 12 grade.

How can I get a school education?

First of all decide which school you want to send your child to. Public schools are free and do not offer religious instruction. Charter schools are public institutions that are independent of the local school district. Well, with private ones, everything is more or less clear: independent and paid ones. Another way to get an education is home schooling. Its requirements vary from state to state.

A child is assigned to a class based on two factors: age and level of previous education.

How long is the academic year?

The school year usually starts in August or September and ends in May or June. In some places, children go to school all year round. Lessons run from Monday to Friday. Many schools offer programs before or after regular school hours for children whose parents work. You may be charged for these pre- or post-secondary programs, but some special tutoring services are available free of charge.

What documents are required to enroll a child?

You need your child's medical records and proof that the child has the required vaccinations. You may also need proof of identity, such as a birth certificate, and proof that you live in the same community as the school, such as a lease. If you do not have these documents, please contact the school to learn about your options. The school is accepted even if the child does not have a permanent place of residence.

What if the child does not speak English?

If your child does not speak English, the school district will evaluate your child's language skills. The school will then provide the services needed to learn English and participate in an academic program for their level of study. The school district is responsible for meeting your child's language needs and for informing you in a language you understand. In addition to language services during the school day, some schools offer after-school programs and tutoring to help students improve their English.

What if my child has a disability?

Eligibility for free public education and related services in the United States does not depend on the presence or absence of a disability. Your child will be placed in a regular school class if it suits their needs. Sometimes he may need special education or related services outside of the normal classroom. All educational decisions will be agreed with you by the school.

How long can my child attend public school free of charge if they did not attend school prior to coming to the United States?

In most states, students can attend public schools free of charge until graduation or age 21. If the student is younger than 22 years of age, they may enroll in high school. If a student has not completed school by age 22, they may enroll in adult secondary education (ASE) classes. ASE classes help prepare students to earn a recognized equivalent of a high school diploma (such as a GED) instead of a regular high school diploma. Check with your state department of education for GEDs or other high school equivalent classes.

How will the child get to school?

Children can walk, ride the school bus or use public transport. Many public schools have free buses that pick up children close to home. Other schools provide passes so they can ride local public transport for free or at a reduced cost. Please contact your local school district to learn about your options. If you have a car, you can create an autopool with other parents in your area.

What will my child eat at school?

Children can take lunch to school or buy it in the school cafeteria. The US government provides healthy, inexpensive or free meals to more than 26 million children each school day. Participation in the School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program is based on income and family size.

Check with the school to see if your child is eligible for the federal school meals program.

Who pays for books and school activities?

Public schools usually provide free books. School supplies such as paper and pencils are purchased by the students themselves. If you are unable to pay, please contact the school for assistance. Some educational institutions may charge a small fee for supplies or special events such as field trips. Many schools offer sports and music programs that can be free or very inexpensive.

What will my child learn at school?

Each state sets its own academic standards. They define what learners need to know and at what level. Most schools teach English, mathematics, social and natural sciences, physical education, art, music, and sometimes foreign languages ​​are also offered.

How is a child's work evaluated?

Teachers give marks (grades) for homework, classroom work, tests, attendance and behavior. Your child receives a report card several times a year. There are different ways to grade students: letter grades ranging from A or A+ for excellent work and D or F for poor or unsatisfactory work; numerical ratings or words such as "excellent", "good", or "needs improvement".

What if my child misses school?

Attendance is very important. Parents must send a written notice to the teacher or call to explain the reason for their child's absence from school. It is better to inform about it in advance.

Is my child safe at school?

Most American public schools are safe places to learn. If you are still worried about this, talk to your teacher, school counselor, principal, or other administrator.

Bullying is unwanted aggressive behavior of school-age children. To learn more about how to prevent or respond to bullying, visit www.stopbullying.gov.

Parent Help

Most public and private schools have a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) or Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) that you can join.

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