Hennepin County Libraries Provide Back to School Help

In their fall catalog, Hennepin County Libraries offer programs, including free homework help, for children and teens.

The first day of school is fast approaching. For Breck School and Perpich Center for Arts Education students, the big day has already come and gone. But it's not too early to think about ways to help your child succeed. According to the Hennepin County Library's "Autumn at the Library" catalog, Homework Rescue, LearningExpress Library and the Homework Hub can all be valuable resources to students. Note: The following information was provided by Hennepin County Library: Homework Rescue is a daily, online tutoring service that runs from 1 to 11 p.m. and is for students between third and twelfth grade, and adult learners. Qualified tutors help with math, science, social science and writing. There’s a Skills Building section where students can…

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‘Where Everybody Belongs’ Welcomes Seventh Graders to Junior High

Ninth graders in the Hopkins program serve as mentors who help seventh graders learn the ropes of junior high.

On Friday morning, nervous seventh graders milled about outside West Junior High. Although many had stopped by with their families earlier in the week to find lockers or have school photos taken, this was their first time venturing to junior high alone. But when it was at last time to enter, the students weren’t greeted by a ringing school bell. They were greeted by upbeat music and the cheers of clapping ninth graders wearing neon green T-shirts. Friday’s entrance kicked off a junior high program called “Where Everybody Belongs (WEB)” that helps seventh graders with the transition into junior high. The program started at North Junior High four years ago and launched at West Junior High this year. In WEB, ninth graders familiar with the …

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Parents Talk

School Supplies Are Just the Beginning: Seven Tips for Back-to-School Week

Hear from a teacher what parents should know about back-to-school week.

  Earlier this month, Samara Postuma wrote about how to shop for school supplies—and the potential nightmare that shopping trip can be. My daughter is 1. Her school supplies are food, so I've got that supply (mostly) covered. But my sister is a teacher in the Robbinsdale School District—and parent to two almost-teenage boys. ("We had an $800 grocery bill in one month this summer," she said last week. With a straight face.) As we began talking about school supplies, I learned a few things about the first day of school from one teacher out there for you. Something to think about beyond that first-day scramble—which arrives for many of you next week. 1. Make sure your kids' lunch money accounts are filled, as much as you can. (Yes, old people…

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Back to School Supply List: Noble Elementary School

Wondering what your child needs to get ready for school? Patch has you covered.

Get ready. It won't be long now until our streets are crowded with falling leaves, yellow school buses and outfitted members of the crossing guard. For many, the first day of school is less than a month away, so parents have only a few weeks to start shopping for school supplies.  According to Nobel Elementary School's website, here's what you need to buy: All-day Kindergarten ½ Day Kindergarten Labeled w/student’s name First Grade Second Grade All items need replacing periodically through the year.   No Trapper Keepers or large loose-leaf notebooks.  Please label all student materials. Third Grade Fourth Grade Fifth Grade

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Back to School: Healthy Kids Begin With Healthy Meals

Local experts say what your children eat can affect how they perform in class.

The first day of school is only a few weeks away. What will your children eat for lunch? Some parents will opt to send a lunch from home. While others will give their child money to buy their lunch at school. Either way, it’s important to make sure that students are eating healthy so they do well in school. Barb Mechura, director of food and nutrition services for the Hopkins School District, said there’s a good reason to be concerned about what students eat during the day, especially at a young age. “What we really have is a health crisis," she said. “Even people who aren't obese but are overweight or heavy can have major health problems.” She said research has linked poor diet and weight gain to ADHD, depression and other conditions. …

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Back To School Fashion: What’s Hot, What’s Not?

It’s in with the new and out with the old as students head back to school.

As the fall semester approaches, middle and high school students start to think about what they will wear on the first day of classes. Grade school students have it easy—they willingly wear whatever mom or dad lays out for them. But for teenagers, deciding what to wear—and what to buy at back to school sale—is a little more complicated. “Most high school students are very particular about what they like,” says Tania Richter, owner of Shop Karizma, a fashion boutique in Shakopee. “They wear what their friends wear, but they also want to be their own person and show who they are.” And middle-schoolers: “They look at what’s popular with the high school students and that’s what they wear.” Complicating the issue even further: the extremes of …

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Parents Talk

Parents Talk: When Is Your Child Ready for School?

My child will be 4 years old on the first day of kindergarten. Is she too young for a classroom?

You feel like you just left the delivery room when you find you have an actual person on your hands. Someone who has opinions and tells them to you, readily. Someone who can hold an actual conversation. Someone who can challenge your intellect. And then, your child is seemingly ready for school. But at what exact age should your child begin school? The law creates a Sept. 1 cutoff. So that means a child born on Aug. 31 is deemed ready for kindergarten, while a child born Sept. 2 is not. You cannot blame the Minnesota school system for this—there has to be a starting point sometime. My daughter, Faith, is entering kindergarten this year. She is 4 years old but turns 5 on Sept. 9. My husband and I feel she is ready to go. Her school agreed. …

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Parents Talk

Parents Talk: Getting Kids Back Into 'School' Mode

Do your kids resist going back to school, or are they ready to get back into the routine? How do you get them ready?

The start of the school year is a couple weeks away, and it crept up faster than we might realize (what happened to June and July?). Are your kids ready to get back into the school routine? Share your thoughts with other parents on: Post your thoughts in the comments section below and start the conversation with other area parents.

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