School Spotlight: Capistrano Unified School District

May 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

At Academic Learning Labs we find it important to highlight changes in our local schools. Capistrano Unified School District has just announced that they will be offering the Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program of fall of 2012.

In order for students to qualify, children must turn five years old on November 2 – December 2, 2012. Transitional Kindergarten is offered to students who, because of the kindergarten age rollback, will miss the cutoff to enter kindergarten.

This is the first year of the two-year kindergarten program provided for in the SB 1381 legislation or the Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010. Transportation is not provided for these students so parents will need to plan accordingly. At the end of the TK year, students will matriculate to their home schools for regular kindergarten.

Parents can pre-register for the program by going to CUSD’s website and click on Parent Links- Transitional Kindergarten. You can find the Intent to Register and then email this directly to the District. Pre-registered students will be assigned to one of the three sites throughout the District (Crown Valley, Benedict and Bathgate Elementary Schools).

For additional questions, contact Becky West at bwest@capousd.org or call her at 949-235-9261.

Filed Under: Education Changes, learning, Lifelong Learning, Preschool, School Spotlight Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Planning for Graduation Day

May 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
With your teen’s graduation ceremony around the corner, many parents are so caught up in the emotional experience ahead that they often forget to plan for Graduation Day. Below are some tips on how to prepare for the big day in your child’s life and to make it as stress-free as possible.

1. Order everything you need as early as possible

Check with the school to see what items your will need to have completed for the big day. As paperwork comes in, put in the order for items ahead of time to ensure your teen has everything they need on the big day. Not sure I understand this one? Items as in cap and gown or items as in schoolwork?

2. Decide who will attend the graduation event

Once you learn the number of people allowed per student at the graduation, determine who your family would like to invite. The number of people per child will depend on where the high school is having the graduation. Talk through who you want to attend the event with your teen.

3. Plan the after events and be flexible

Make your plans as early as possible and make any reservations needed as soon as possible. Be sure to ask you teen what they would like for that day, and be sure to take that into account and remain flexible in your party planning

4. Get your child involved with the planning

While you do not want your child to feel overwhelmed about completing this important chapter in their life, you do want them to participate in the planning. Schedule a planning meeting with your teen and garner their input for the event. Establish a budget, a schedule and some fun party planning time with your child. Working together to make this day special will be a memory your child will not forget.

5. Take a moment to pat yourself on the back.

It’s been 18 years in the making, so take a moment to reflect on this big day and pat yourself on the back for getting your teen this far. Be sure to share your pride and excitement with your teen and remind them of what a big achievement this is for them.

We hope that some of these tips have helped alleviate any stress around the big event, and have prepared you as best as possible for the day. We would love to hear about ways you are preparing for your teens big event.

Filed Under: College, Graduation, Lifelong Learning, Preparing for College Tagged With: , , , ,

Fun Ways to Keep your Child Learning this Summer

May 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Can you believe summer is just around the corner? Every year about this time, parents often come to us wanting to find fun ways to keep their children entertained during the summer, and to find out what they can do to help make summer an educational time. Summer vacation can be a fun time, but it can also be a time for learning. With so much free time, it can be tempting for children to spend countless hours watching television or playing video games. With a little creativity and planning, you can easily transform this coming summer into an opportunity to explore new hobbies, learn about responsibility and build upon skills already learned during

Keep the Learning Going

It is estimated that students lose an estimated one to two months of reading and math skills during summer months, and do not score as high on standardized tests as students who continue learning during the summer. Summer is a great time for children to discover that learning is fun and can really happen anywhere, especially in their own backyard.

Create a Family Scrapbook

Family vacations, or other adventures are great opportunities to create a scrapbook that can be a lasting souvenir. Collect menus from restaurants, tickets from places visited, and other such items. Encourage your child to write descriptions about the places you visit and tell a story about the adventure. This is a creative way to get children to polish their writing skills.

Teach Responsibility

You can teach your child how to be responsible by having the help set the table, care for a pet, clean out a closet, or paint a fence. You can also have your child participate in community service to help your child learn to be punctual, follow directions, and learn to serve others.

Let Your Child Plan an Adventure

Let your child help you in the planning of an upcoming trip. Whether it is a day trip to the zoo or a family vacation, you can let them help you research where to go, what to eat, and other such things. They can also help estimate the distance between the zoo and where you will eat lunch after, or if you are driving, let them help you figure out how many gallons of gas it would take to get there and estimate the cost. If you are flying somewhere, have them help you check travel schedules and costs. If you are traveling to a different state or city, you can look up information about the area such as the state flower, state bird and other interesting attractions. You can then have your child write to the state bureau to ask for additional information before traveling.

Turn a Museum Trip into a Treasure Hunt

Often kids aren’t as excited about attending a museum but you can get them excited about it by having them explore the museum’s website and taking a virtual tour. When you get to the museum, plan for their short attention span, and make it less intimidating by starting at the gift shop and letting them pick out postcards of a painting or object on display. You can then turn your trip into a treasure hunt by trying to find the painting or objects that were in the postcards. You can also look for interactive exhibits and for periods of history that your child has already studied in school.

We hope these tips have been helpful to planning your child’s upcoming summer vacation and keeping it educational. We would love to hear about creative ways you have come up with to keep your child’s summer fun and educational.

Filed Under: learning, Lifelong Learning, Summer Tagged With: , , , , , ,