Thursday, April 16, 2015 is the day for on-time registration for  the cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg, and Richmond, as well as the counties of Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, King William, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George and Sussex.

It’s important to register by the registration on April 16 so you don’t miss any important information, teachers can be well prepared for your child in the classroom and school can prepare with enough staff and materials for a great start to the new school year.

Registering your first kindergartner? Get started now.
There’s quite a bit of paperwork involved and you may need a little time to get everything together.
Here’s your Kindergarten Checklist (Download and print one here):

-Child’s official, certified birth certificate

-Child’s Social Security card

-Proof of address

-School Entrance Health Form

-Photo ID for parent of legal guardian

Get more information plus contact information and registration times and locations at Smart Beginnings.

Don’t forget!
 Download & Print our Kindergarten Registration Quick Guide Here

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Instructional Specialist for Secondary Language Arts Wayne Motley congratulates spelling bee champ Christina Longmire.

This year’s top speller in Chesterfield County Public Schools is Christina Longmire, an eighth-grader at Bailey Bridge Middle. She won the countywide spelling bee on Jan. 29. The spelling bee runner-up is Russell Graviet, an eighth-grader at Midlothian Middle.

The spelling bee lasted 20 rounds, with only Christina and Russell left standing when round 13 began. Russell and Christina correctly spelled mikado, prerogative, forsythia, détente, hypocrisy, egregious, basmati, archipelago, ocelot, soliloquy, philately and trattoria. In the 19th round, Russell misspelled blitzkrieg and Christina correctly spelled fusillade. Christina then spelled gopak in the 20th round to win. She will represent Chesterfield County Public Schools in the regional spelling bee on March 13.

Spelling bee competitors wait for first word to be called.

In addition to Christina and Russell, these 14 students represented their schools in the Chesterfield County Public Schools spelling bee:

Crenshaw Elementary third-grader Jariah Arthur (this year’s youngest speller, who correctly spelled mohair, brethren, indulgent, benison, pantomime and slalom before missing pusillanimous in round 7)

Gates Elementary fourth-grader Sean Meacham

Reams Road Elementary fifth-grader Myasia Brooks

Spring Run Elementary fifth-grader Jaya Powell (the elementary student to make it the farthest in this year’s bee; she misspelled magnanimous in round 10)

Academy 360 eighth-grader Jazmine Christian

Carver Middle seventh-grader Ryan Porter

Elizabeth Davis Middle eighth-grader Tessa Adams

Falling Creek Middle seventh-grader Asina Ingram

Manchester Middle sixth-grader Tristan Weigand

Providence Middle sixth-grader Mary Hall

Robious Middle sixth-grader Grace Walsh

Salem Church Middle eighth-grader Savanna Makins

Swift Creek Middle eighth-grader Tanner Hatchett

Tomahawk Creek Middle seventh-grader Porter Olsson

During the summer, most parents default to enrolling their child in a general summer camp or sports clinic, but what if there was an option for kids to explore an academic interest and build a competitive edge in the classroom? 

The Sylvan Learning Center of Richmond is introducing Math Edge — a new activity this summer for kids to build math skills and avoid summer learning loss.

Designed for kids in grades one through five, Math Edge helps nurture students’ natural math ability and builds on core math concepts in a fun, kid-friendly learning environment alongside other kids with similar interests. Well-trained teachers manage the small sessions of 12 students or less and offer encouragement, motivation and rewards in an effort to foster independent learning and encourage students to set personal goals. Math Edge is a unique learning experience that also allows students to build camaraderie with a small group of their peers. 

“There are few opportunities for young students to cultivate their passion for math outside of the classroom, particularly in the younger grades. With a growing demand for students interested in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), it’s important to get them engaged now, our goal with Math Edge is to help foster a love of math when kids are young, helping to lay the foundation for a competitive edge in middle school and even beyond to a potential job in a STEM-related field.”

Steve Green, owner, Sylvan Learning Center of Richmond

Students interested in the Math Edge program need to take a qualifying assessment at the Richmond Sylvan Center to ensure that they are performing at grade level. The assessment will also provide students with an accurate starting point to begin the Math Edge program. From there, students will advance through the program track, which aligns to Common Core standards, in a low-stress setting at their own pace.

Math Edge will be offered in Richmond Sylvan Center at least three days a week initially during afternoon and evening hours. The program starts at $149 per month with two sessions per week and unlimited access to games and premium educational content through Sylvan’s online portal, mySylvan.

For more information on Richmond Sylvan’s Math Edge enrichment program, please contact Lisa Branner Stickley at 804-744-8002, email address sylvansouthside@gmail.com, or visit the Sylvan website.

This article is sponsored by Richmond Sylvan Learning Center

Click here to learn more and register.

This article is sponsored by Sabot at Stony Point.

My daughter Annabel will soon be joining her sisters at Sabot at Stony Point, a progressive school for preschool through 8^th grade, situated next to beautiful Larus Park, just off Huguenot Road. Like a number of her preschool friends, Annabel cannot wait to start kindergarten.  Avery, whose big brother Max is in first grade, is also excited.   Her mother, Nikki, says, “Max has told her that you get to explore in the forest and work on projects with your best friends. The school trips into the city are exciting and PE is fun.” 

While children may look forward to time in the forest and project work with friends, Sabot parents know that deeper learning is also going on. “The teachers know exactly how to inspire my daughters to think more deeply about questions and explore the community and world around them,” says Anne, mother to three Sabot lower-school students. “And I love that they are not only concerned with helping my children to become good learners but to become good people as well.”

Sabot teachers believe that children come to them with natural curiosity and creativity and that it is the teachers’ job to nurture these dispositions. Children learn by investigating and they acquire knowledge and understanding by developing, testing, and defining their own theories. Sabot teachers understand that when children play an active role in their own education they become lifelong learners.

With a more traditional approach to education, students can spend a lot of time memorizing facts and doing hours of busy work – even in kindergarten – instead of being actively engaged in the work, their environment, and their classroom community. Lila came to Sabot in first grade. “At Sabot, Lila has been celebrated for who she is in a supportive, rigorous, and evidence-based environment,” says her mother, April. “She is more authentically herself, more engaged in learning, and happier than we have ever seen her. Her learning comprehension is astounding, and, based on Sabot’s approach to teaching math and science, she is making huge progress in an area that she previously found frustrating. We are thrilled to have found this school, not only for our daughter but also for our family.”

As April notes, Sabot educates the whole child and the Sabot community includes the whole family. “On top of the great education,” adds Anne, “is this amazing community atmosphere. It takes a village to raise a child and this is exactly what we have at Sabot.”

Sabot at Stony Point

3400 Stony Point Road Richmond, VA 23235
(804) 272-1341

To find out more about Sabot at Stony Point, visit the Sabot Preschool Admissions page or contact Director of Admissions, Maggie Barrett, by phone (804) 272-1341 or email her with any questions.

This article was sponsored by Sabot at Stony Point

By Steve Green, Executive Director
Sylvan Learning of Richmond

It’s that time of the school year again – report card time.  While many students will come home with good grades, others would rather stuff their report cards deep into their backpacks than show them to their parents.  As parents, you want your child to do well in school, so what do you do when your child’s report card doesn’t reflect his or her academic potential?

Children get frustrated and upset when their report cards show they are not reaching their potential. Understanding your child’s personal ability and determining if your expectations are too high will allow both you and your child to set appropriate goals for each class before report cards are distributed again.  It will also help establish an environment in which your child is not apprehensive about sharing his or her report card with you. 

Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, offers the following tips for parents on how to deal with a “poor” report card:

Set expectations. Not every child will earn all A’s, but that doesn’t mean your child should strive for less.  Talk with your child before the school year starts and explain that you won’t be upset if he doesn’t bring home all A’s – but that you will be upset if he doesn’t try his hardest and doesn’t ask for help.

Communicate with your child.  Don’t wait until report cards are issued to talk with your child about school and grades.  Talk with her every night and every week about homework.  Ask how she is doing in school and what subjects she finds challenging.     

Discuss your child’s performance with his teacher and/or guidance counselor.  Your child’s teacher and/or guidance counselor are the best sources for information about your child’s scholastic performance.  Your child’s teacher can recommend ways to help your child or point out difficulties he is having.  His guidance counselor can provide progress reports between reports cards or help set up additional parent-teacher conferences when necessary.    

Set goals for improvement with your child.  If your child is currently a C student — then setting a goal of getting all A’s may not be reasonable.  However, creating an improvement goal for each subject will help her work toward an attainable level for each class. 

Establish a personalized study plan with your child.  Your child should keep a schedule of all classes, assignments and key dates (e.g., project deadlines, big exams, etc).  As part of that schedule, he should include specific time for studying, projects and extracurricular activities.  The more comprehensive the schedule, the more efficient your child will be in completing his homework and the better he’ll do in school. 

Seek outside help.  Some children may need additional attention that can’t be provided in school.  Speak with your child’s teacher about tutoring or supplemental education providers to help your child work towards better grades in school.

Praise your child’s successes.  Praise your child for what she is doing well, whether it’s a specific academic subject or an extracurricular activity.  If your child is not doing well in English, but loves to read the latest Twilight book, show her the connection between the two. 

For more educational resources for children in grades pre-K through 12, please visit Sylvan Learning Center online or call 804-782-2377

Steve Green is the Executive Director of Sylvan Learning of Richmond, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels with more than 30 years of experience and nearly 800 centers located throughout North America. Sylvan’s trained and Sylvan-certified instructors provide personalized instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance and state exams. Sylvan also hosts MomMinded.com, a blog offering tips and resources from moms and education experts. For more information, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or visit www.sylvanlearning.com

Sylvan Learning is a sponsor of Richmondmom
Get 25% off your assessment at Sylvan when you mention Richmondmom.com

Registration ends on Dec 1, 2014.  Space is limited, childcare is available by reservation only.

With more than 65 locations in 12 states, Children of America is bringing its time-tested programs and developmental strategies to the families of Henrico County and nearby Richmond. Infants, toddlers, Pre-K, Kindergartners and school-age children are all welcome.

“What makes Children of America different from other childcare centers is our commitment to each child’s educational future. Innovation and creativity are the foundation of our teaching and curriculum choices. In fact, everything we do –– reading, playing, eating, physical fitness –– is designed to spark imagination and encourage exploration and discovery through active learning,” says Kelly Shumate, school Director.

The Four Cornerstones of COA

To jumpstart a lifetime of learning, the new COA daycare facility in Glen Allen focuses on the following:

•STARS (Strategies to Achieve Reading Success) –– a curriculum that emphasizes teacher-child interaction and fosters initiative and self-reliance.

•Just Read –– a program that helps children to read early and well.

•Nutrition –– nutritious meals and snacks planned by our registered dietitian, along with nutrition consultations, healthy cooking tips and recipes for parents.

•Fitness –– interactive play and physical fitness are part of every day at COA.

What Parents Love About COA Preschools

Peace of mind tops every parent’s list. That’s why COA preschools have the latest security systems and protocols in place. Plus, for a small monthly fee, moms and dads at work or traveling can monitor their child via the Internet. Daily electronic reporting keeps parents apprised of their child’s progress, achievements and school activities.

The availability of part-time childcare and transportation for school-age children as well as special programs like Date Night and Camp WOW! are just some of the many ways COA caters to busy parents.

Schedule a tour today, and discover all the advantages the new COA preschool in Glen Allen offers.

Our Glen Allen school is located at 2501 Old Brick Road,
Glen Allen, VA 23060. Contact us today by calling 804-298-7841 or visit childrenofamerica.com to learn more about our programs and what dozens of satisfied, happy parents have to say about their kids and COA.

This article is sponsored by Children of America