Modular Buildings

In recent times, the use of modular buildings and homes are increasing in popularity; what was once written off as a cheap building is now being used in many different ways. See the Portable Buildings. These modular buildings are prefabricated structures that can be used as homes, offices, or classrooms, among many other things. The building process of these modular structures, known as prefabricated construction is actually quite simple to follow. There are two main types of buildings that are prefabricated: modular buildings and mobile offices. Mobile offices, the first type of prefabricated building, are used most generally as temporary main offices for construction companies while they are working on site. modular buildings, on the other hand, are much more versatile due to the fact that they are often custom made in the vision of the buyer. When comparing traditional buildings and modular buildings, the only difference is the area in which they are created; modular buildings are built in a factory controlled environment and traditional buildings are built on site, but both use the same exact building materials. During the building process, the modular building's floor plan is put into separate modules. To view more Click here. The exact floor plan of a modular building tends to vary due to the specifications of the buyer. The most common measurements, however, are usually eighteen feet wide and up to seventy-six feet long. Transportation of the modular building is the next step in this process. The majority of modular buildings are brought from the factory to its destination on truck by a skilled commercial driver. A pre-prepared foundation is waiting for the modular building, which is lifted by crane and carefully placed on the foundation. The building is then fastened to the foundation and the building process is already done. With this method, the possibilities are endless; even buildings with many stories can be created by using several modular buildings placed on top of each other. Nearly all of the modular buildings made today are made using the previously mentioned method. Ceilings and interior walls are also built into the modular building during the building process. These modular buildings also come with all the flooring and wiring ready to go. Most modular buildings consist of two modules that are seamlessly brought together at its destination site. There are many uses for a finished modular building. Look at the Temporary school buildings. These uses can range from classrooms and daycare centers to schools and even dormitories. Aside from those uses they can also be used for office buildings, healthcare facilities, and clubhouses.

Prepare The Wedding Giddy

For couples who are planning a wedding, a lot of people is often confused with the details of their wedding party at a later date. The topics covered are also only about marriage preparation, no longer greet each other. That's what sometimes causes fights. You don't need to worry, all of which was entrusted to the torontodresses.com, so you won't be confused.

Check it out

Here's a wedding I did this past Fall. The bride and groom are such wonderful people and I am so glad that I've gotten to know them better. The bride Melinda has amazing taste and picked out wonderful food and decor. Which mind you, she made almost all the decorations herself! She owns a design and invitation company called , Revival Design Company (http://www.revivaldesigncompany.com/) please check it out because her prices and services are amazing! Melinda is from Nebraska and her husband Emil is from Brooklyn, NY....what a great mix of guests! It was a lot of fun and I truly enjoyed catering this wedding because everything was just so perfect! :)

Spectrum Portable Buildings

Established in 1989 to cater for the increasing demand for portable accommodation. Originally focusing on the construction sector but then quickly diversifying to service hospitals, schools, sports & leisure and telecommunications. In fact wherever there is a need for instant space Spectrum Portable Buildings has the instant solution. The company is family owned and run and has enjoyed considerable expansion in recent years. Managing Director Norman Smyth and his team have over 40 years experience in supplying portable accommodation and with that wealth and knowledge in the business they can find cost effective solutions to space requirements that others don't even consider. Spectrum Portable Buildings provide a full range of services nationwide including design & build options from planning to turnkey. With hundreds of satisfied clients we are confident we can meet your requirements. Container and Modular Building Solutions Include Standard / Jackleg Cabins Antivandal Cabins Modular Buildings Storage Containers Steel Arch Buildings Special / Custom Built Units

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Home Schooling 101

Why bother home-schooling?

Why bother? Well, if you are thinking it is a bother, you might re-think your decision right there. To educate your child at home is not a bother, but a wonderful, richly rewarding experience that benefits you and your child. So, take the "bother" word from your vocabulary if you really would like that opportunity. Yes, this is your opportunity and your child's opportunity.

If you are a stay-at-home mom or dad, then you have the opportunity to have wonderful learning experiences by home-schooling your child. In most states, home-schooling is legal, a legal option. There are some guidelines and rules and regulations that you need to follow, but after that everything rocks! (In some states, there are a certain amount of days that you have to notify the Board of Education that you intend to home-school your child).

You cannot simply keep your child from school and decide to home school. You must, almost always notify the School Board or the Board of Education. You can find out the rules and regulations through your government officials or through some wonderful home-schooling magazines and literature. Once you find out the rules and regulations, you are set to go.

Are there benefits to home-schooling?

Time, Balance, Growth & Togetherness

When home-schooling is done in the proper way, your child will have a fully-balanced education and will become a well-rounded good student. The rewards are unmeasurable. First, one of the benefits is that you both spend more time together and give each other more attention. The average student sees their parent for probably a few minutes a day during the week, or at most an hour or two. However, the average home-schooling parent or guardian sees their child on a regular basis for a few hours a day (when that parent or guardian is teaching). You will learn together! Now that's one of the biggest and best benefits of home-schooling. The teacher and the student learn from each other. You grow together. And you can look back on this experience in years to come and both of you will be happy about your choices and decisions. Children get to spend more time with their siblings, and the younger ones will learn while the older ones are learning also.

You will have more time for each other. You can make practically any life-lesson an education lesson. Going to the supermarket or going to a department store is a lesson in buying, purchasing, finances and product comparison. Going to a fast food place is a lesson in food, health, and in purchasing and even a lesson in customer service. The fast food process shows the children very valuable marketing lessons. So things in every day life add to your home schooling experience.

Good Education

Another benefit is a great education. You see first hand what your child is learning without the need for PTA meetings and without the need for a strangers' report on your child's progress. You choose your child's education. If you want to teach your child spiritual lessons, you can do that. You can teach religion as history and history as religious lessons. (Look at all the Christians in history and look at the impact they made in our land). You can teach fun science lessons and math lessons. A trip to the bank and to the ATM will be a great business math lesson.

You can even take a trip to the Treasury Building and other related places. Your child will benefit first hand so much more in seeing and doing rather than relying on mostly book-based education. (Yes, you need books and you use books, but you do not depend on them solely as your only education tool). Socialization happens just as easily with home-schooled children as it does for children who attend school in school buildings. Many times when we do television shows, we invite the home-school children, parents and guardians to come into our studio, take a tour and be on the show. So, your options are wide open and your world is your education. Another benefit is a focused education. You are the teacher; you are in charge. That gives you lots of options and lots of opportunities.

What are the problems related to home-schooling?

There are few problems to home-schooling, and these are some:

Your child might miss the classmates if your child started out with regular education and now switched to home-schooling.

How do you solve those problems?

The way to overcome this is to have your child interact as much as possible with the children from the other schools. Invite the children (with parents' permission) to come on some day trips with you . Or invite them over after school. Have your child enroll in a hobby that he or she likes . (Children take up piano or bowling, or art , and in these hobbies the children make new friends and have interaction with children their own age). Use your own imagination and you will find ways to have your child interact with other children and still be home-schooled.

Testing

Most school districts require specific tests for home-schoolers. But the tests are no harder than those given to regular school children. So, prepare for the tests. They also usually require that a licensed teacher observe or give the tests. This can all be arranged. If you are determined to home-school, there is nothing that should stop you from at least trying this option of education.

Stigma

Years ago, there used to be a stigma attached to home-schooling. Years ago, most times farmers and poor people and migrant workers home-schooled. Sometimes children and even adults made fun of home-schoolers. But today, that is all changed around remarkably. And this was especially noted when one year, the home-schooled child won the National Spelling Bee on national tv, proving that she was the best speller in the nation. Even after that so many came forward on television stating they had been home-schooled and were now attending college or had graduated from conventional colleges.

What if you change your mind? If you change your mind about home-schooling, you have a right to have your child attend public school. Check with your school district. Most times in most cities, every child is entitled to a free public education, and most likely you live in a city or town like that. So don't worry about changing your mind -if you find that home-schooling is impossible for you to do.

What is an "Alternative School?"

Alternative schools have been established since about the late 1970s to meet the needs of children and adolescents who cannot learn effectively in a traditional school environment (i.e., conventional public or private schools) due to behavioral issues, certain medical conditions, learning challenges, and or psychological issues.
In general, alternative schools have more complete educational and developmental objectives than standard schools. They often have program fundamentals that focus on improving student self-esteem, fostering growth of individuality, and enhancing social skills. Alternative schools are more flexible in their administration and organization, which allows for more variety in educational programs.
Once available primarily for disruptive students and those at risk for dropping out of a traditional school environment, alternative schools have expanded significantly in purpose as educators, parents, and wider communities recognize that many adolescents may not learn successfully in a traditional school environment. For children and adolescents with behavioral and psychological issues, such as depression, personality disorders, substance use and abuse, and violence, alternative schools may provide a safer therapeutic environment and more individualized attention than traditional schools.
For children and adolescents with certain medical conditions and learning challenges such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Asperger's syndrome, and dyslexia, alternative schools may provide combined clinical and education services in one place to ease learning. Alternative school structure and curriculum varies depending on the educational goals and desired student population. Alternative schools may not be accessible or available locally and may require additional daily travel or residential boarding by the student. Usually, local alternatives to public schools do not require a monthly tuition, while private schools do require parents to pay a monthly tuition for student attendance. A number of different types of alternative schools exist, including the following:
o emotional growth boarding schools
o independent private schools
o local alternatives to public schools, for example, at-risk programs, charter schools, magnet schools,
o special-needs day schools
o therapeutic wilderness programs

For parents who desire a local alternative to traditional public and private schools, several charter and magnet schools may be available, especially in urban areas. Charter schools are independent, publicly funded schools run by foundations, parents or teachers that are often formed to meet local community needs as an alternative to public schools. Charter schools may have a special focus, such as music or technical skills. As of 2004, virtual charter schools have been formed that offer all courses via the Internet or other distance learning methods for students who need to remain at home or whose parents wish them to remain at home. Magnet schools are public schools that offer specialized programs designed to attract students wishing to enhance particular skills. Magnet schools were originally formed in the 1960s and 1970s to promote voluntary racial desegregation in urban school districts. Magnet schools often advertise themselves as "centers of excellence" in a certain area, such as performing arts, mathematics or science.

Both charter and magnet schools generally have smaller classes and enhanced extracurricular offerings.
For children and adolescents identified as "at-risk" by the public school district, alternative programs may be available.
Usually, at-risk alternative programs are offered at a special location within the public school district or at a location that is accessible to and serves multiple public schools (e.g., a county-wide program).
At-risk students usually have undergone school psychological and behavioral evaluations that identify them as requiring specialized attention not available in the traditional school environment.
Suitable programs may include emotionally disturbed, oppositional, and disruptive students and offer smaller classes, specially trained staff, and closer supervision. Some programs may be dedicated to serving a particular group of at-risk students, such as pregnant teens and teen mothers.

Researchers have estimated that more than 280,000 at-risk students in the United States are in alternative programs offered by school districts or private boarding schools. Special-needs day schools focus on special education programs to meet the needs of children and adolescents with learning disabilities and learning challenges. Students with severe ADHD, moderate-to-severe physical or behavioral obstacles, and other specialized educational needs receive customized instruction with individualized lesson plans, special counseling, adaptive physical education, speech therapy, and other supportive services to ensure that they can learn despite educational barriers caused by a medical condition or learning disability. Independent private schools are privately funded schools controlled by an individual or non-government organization. Private schools may be day schools or boarding schools.
Private schools require that parents pay tuition and usually have a competitive admissions process requiring students to complete an application and interview. Private schools usually emphasize academic and/or athletic achievement, and student acceptance is based on academic and athletic potential, as well as enthusiasm for being active in school community life. Private schools have smaller classes, a more structured learning environment, a variety of extracurricular activities, and individualized opportunities for developing student creativity and intellect. Therapeutic wilderness programs involve group and individual therapy in an outdoor adventure setting. More and more are now including some academics as parents have their students in these programs all throughout the year and not just in the summer months.

These programs generally run for six to eight weeks. Therapeutic wilderness programs use the outdoors to rapidly influence adolescents with at-risk behaviors through emotional and physical challenges that help them understand unhealthy behaviors and gain a more positive sense of self and responsibility.

Clinton and Bush -- The Cause of School Shootings

The majority of school shootings have taken place during William Jefferson Blythe Clinton and George W. Bush's reign. Precisely forty out of forty two shootings. Since its inception, America has always had guns and schools coexisting at about the same time. Yet amazingly forty shootings have taken place during their presidency! Consider also that these forty shootings took place during a period when the number of gun laws and restrictions was growing! At least during the Clinton regime. Further, it is of course a given that no one has ever cared more about ending school violence and taking away guns then these presidents have. Nor has anyone else worked harder than they have toward this end.
Note that I am only including intentional shootings, not accidental gun discharges. Nor am I counting the incidents of carnage involving the use of a car (as in California in 1999) or any other type of instrument. The list of school shootings during the reign of Clinton is as follows:

February 9, 1992. Stockton, California, high school, 2 dead.
May 1, 1992. Brooklyn, New York, high school, 4 dead, 9 wounded.
January 12, 1993. Miami, Florida, high school, 1 dead.
January 18, 1993. Grayson, Kentucky, high school, 2 dead.
March 25, 1993. St. Louis, Missouri, high school, 1 wounded.
May 24, 1993. Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, high school, 1 dead.
April 8, 1994. Maryland high school, 1 wounded.
February 2, 1996. Moses Lake, Washington, junior high school, 3 dead,1 wounded.
April 15,1996. Washington, District of Columbia, high school, 1 wounded.
February 19, 1997. Bethel, Alaska, high school, 2 dead, 2 wounded.
May 1, 1997. New York City, New York, high school, 1 wounded.
October 1, 1997. Pearl, Mississippi, high school, 2 dead, 7 wounded.
December 1, 1997. West Peducah, Kentucky, high school, 3 dead, 5 wounded.
December 15, 1997. Stamps, Arkansas, 2 wounded.
March 24, 1998. Jonesboro, Arkansas, middle school, 5 dead, 10 wounded.
April 24, 1998. Edinboro, Pennsylvania, middle school, 1 dead.
April 28, 1998. Pomona, California, elementary school, 2 dead, 1 wounded.
May 19, 1998. Fayetteville, Tennessee, high school, 1 dead.
May 21, 1998. Springfield, Oregon, high school, 2 dead.

June 15, 1998. Richmond, Virginia, high school, 2 wounded.
April 20, 1999. Littleton, Colorado, high school, 15 dead, 28 wounded.
May 20, 1999. Conyers, Georgia, high school, 6 wounded.
November 19, 1999. Deming, New Mexico, middle school, 1 dead.
December 6, 1999. Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, middle school, 4 wounded.
February 29, 2000. Mount Morris Township, Michigan, elementary school, 1 dead.
May 26, 2000. Lake Worth, Florida, middle school, 1 dead.
September 26, 2000. New Orleans, Carter G. Woodson Middle School, 2 wounded.
August 28, 2000. Fayetteville, Arkansas, University of Arkansas, 2 dead.
So the "body count" during Clinton's war on America is fifty one dead and eighty three wounded.
The list of school shootings prior to and after Clinton are as follows:
August 1, 1966. Austin, Texas, college, 14 dead.

July 12, 1976. Fullerton, California, college, 7 dead, 2 wounded.
March 5, 2001. Santee, California, high school, 2 dead 13 wounded.
March 7, 2001. Williamsport, Pennsylvania, high school, 1 wounded.
March 22, 2001. El Cajon, California, high school, 5 wounded.
March 30, 2001. Gary, Indiana, high school, 1 dead.
January 15, 2002. New York, New York, 2 wounded.
January 16, 2002. Grungy, Virginia, law school, 3 dead, 3 wounded.
2003, Case Western Reserve University Law School, 1 dead, 2 wounded.
Jan 10, 2003, Orlando, Florida, middle school, 1 dead.
September 2003, Cold Spring, MN, high School, 2 dead.
March 21, 2005, Bemidji, MN, high school, 10 dead, 15 wounded.
October 20, 2005, Saginaw, MI, high school, 1 wounded.
November 8, 2005, Jacksboro, TN, high school, 1 dead, 2 wounded.
The "body count" for all non Clinton school shootings is forty two dead and thirty six wounded.

What is the explanation for the fact that 96 percent of the school shootings have taken place during Clinton (aka Bubba) and George W. Bush's (aka Dubya) presidency? Let us now consider some possible explanations. As mentioned above, these shootings have taken place during a time period when there was an increase in the number of federal and state laws restricting or eliminating gun ownership. In other words, during the pre Clinton era, there weren't enough gun laws. Yet, in that same Wild West pre Clinton era, there were only two school shootings!

Excelling Arizona Schools Named for 2004-2005 School Year

As with many school systems across the United States, Arizona Schools have several measurement and accountability programs in place to improve student scholastic achievement. One accountability program for the Arizona schools is the AZ LEARNS achievement program. AZ LEARNS holds all Arizona schools accountable for the performance of their students and teachers, measuring performance over several years versus a snapshot one-year measurement. The AZ LEARNS evaluation is based upon four established measurements already required by the Arizona schools. They are:
o AIMS Scores -- Measures reading, language arts and mathematics for elementary schools; and reading, writing and mathematics for high schools.
o MAP -- Measure of Academic Progress for schools, where students scores for AIMS and SATs are compared to the state average.
o Graduation/Dropout Rates -- Used for the high schools.
o AYP -- Adequate Yearly Progress measures student proficiency in the state's academic standards of reading and mathematics over time.
The AZ LEARNS program for the Arizona schools categorizes schools on a graded scale as either:
o Failing to meet academic standards,
o Underperforming,
o Performing,
o Highly Performing, or
o Excelling.
The Arizona schools for the 2004-2005 school year that were named Excelling are (listed by district/charter and school):
Arizona schools' Academy of Tucson, Inc. Academy of Tucson Middle School
Arizona schools' Alhambra Elementary District Alhambra Traditional School
Arizona schools' Allen-Cochran Enterprises, Inc. Center for Educational Excellence
Arizona schools' Amphitheater Unified District Canyon Del Oro High School
Richard B. Whlson Jr. School
Winifred Harelson Elementary School
Arizona schools' Arizona School for the Arts Arizona School for the Arts -- both
elementary & high school
Arizona schools' BASIS School, Inc. BASIS Tucson -- both elementary &
high school
Arizona schools' Basis School, Inc. -- Scottsdale Basis Scottsdale
Arizona schools' Benchmark School, Inc. Benchmark School

Arizona schools' Benjamin Franklin Charter School Benjamin Franklin Charter School in
both Gilbert and Mesa
Arizona schools' Bright Beginnings School, Inc. Bright Beginnings School #1
Arizona schools' CASY Country Day School CASY Country Day School #1
Arizona schools' Catalina Foothills Unified District Canyon View Elementary School
Catalina Foothills High School
Esperero Canyon Middle School
Manzanita School
Orange Grove Middle School
Sunrise Drive Elementary School
Ventana Vista Elementary School
Arizona schools' Cave Creek Unified District Cactus Shadows High School/PSH
Desert Arroyo Middle School
Desert Sun Elementary School
Arizona schools' Challenge School, Inc. Challenge Charter School
Arizona schools' Chandler Unified District Anna Marie Jacobson Elementary
School
Basha Elementary
Basha High School
Chandler High School
Chandler Traditional Academy --
Liberty Campus

Hamilton High School
Jane D. Hull Elementary
John M. Andersen Elementary School
Robert and Danell Tarwater
Elementary
Sanborn Elementary School
Santan K-8
Shumway Elementary School
Arizona schools' Crane Elementary District Ronald Reagan Fundamental School
Arizona schools' D.W. Higgins Institute D.W. Higgins Institute
Arizona schools' Daisy Education Corporation Sonoran Science Academy -- both elementary & high school
Arizona schools' Deer Valley Unified District Arrowhead Elementary School
Cooper Creek Elementary

Desert Sage Elementary School
Greenbrier Elementary School
Hillcrest Middle School
Legend Springs Elementary
Mountain Ridge High School
Sierra Verde Elementary
Arizona schools' East Valley Academy East Valley Academy
Arizona schools' Edu-Prize, Inc. Edu-Prize
Arizona schools' Flagstaff Junior Academy Flagstaff Junior Academy
Arizona schools' Flagstaff Unified District Charles W. Sechrist Elementary School
Flagstaff Middle School
Manuel DeMiguel Elementary School
Thomas M. Knoles Elementary School
Arizona schools' Foothills Academy Foothills Academy -- both elementary & high school
Arizona schools' Fort Huachuca Accommodation District Colonel Smith Middle School
Arizona schools' Fountain Hills Unified District McDowell Mountain Elementary School
Arizona schools' Franklin Phonetic Primary School, Inc. Franklin Phonetic Primary School
Arizona schools' Gilbert Unified District Ashland Elementary
Carol Rae Ranch Elementary
Desert Ridge High
Finley Farms Elementary

Gilbert High School
GPS Traditional Academy
Greenfield Junior High School
Highland High School
Highland Junior High School
Islands Elementary School
Patterson Elementary School
Playa del Rey Elementary School
Sonoma Ranch Elementary School
Spectrum Elementary
Technology and Leadership Academy
Towne Meadows Elementary School
Val Vista Lakes Elementary School

Why Private School? A Look at the Potential Benefits

The question of how to educate a child is one of the most important a parent can ask. A basic choice that many parents struggle with is that of public vs. private school. Parents do not want to take on unnecessary expenses if they will not ultimately benefit their child. After all, many public schools do an excellent job of educating students. But while it is true that public schools do not have tuition costs (and a private school can run, on average from 12,000 to 30,000 dollars a year), the benefits of a private education can still far outweigh the costs depending on the local options parents may face.
Students who attend private schools can be more academically challenged, exposed to clearer value systems, given greater access to teachers, and may simply feel safer than local public school options. If you do decide to pursue private schooling for your child, start the research process early. Admission to private schools can be competitive, and finding a school that is a perfect fit for your child where he or she will be also be accepted, may take some time.
A Higher Bar:
A major advantage to private education is that your child will likely be challenged to a higher academic standard. Private schools can be more academically rigorous than public schools, and private school students may have to meet more criteria to keep up their grade point averages. According to The Condition of Education 2001, from the National Center for Education Statistics, Private high schools typically have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools.
Compared with public schools, private schools required more coursework (in 4-year high school programs). More can be expected of private school students in terms of quality of work, course workload, and special requirements such as community service or Arts participation. In some schools, what would normally be considered extracurricular activities, are prerequisites for graduation, which ultimately round out students' high school experience. The push to meet this higher standard often results in a greater level of student performance. In a recent NAEP report it was found that, 'Students in private schools scored significantly above the national average in grades four, eight, and twelve.

As the report put it, 'Performance results in 2002 show that, at all three grades, students who attended nonpublic schools had higher average writing scores than students who attended public schools.' In general, a student given the opportunity to attend a private school will most likely reach a higher level of academic achievement.
Student Teacher Ratio:
Private schools also tend to focus on controlling their class sizes. The NCES Schools and Staffing Survey found that, 'Private high schools on average are less than half the size of public schools. In central cities, for example, the average size of a private high school is 398, compared to 1,083 for a public school.' Students of private schools may have more opportunities to form relationships with their teachers, which can lead them to greater academic success. In such cases, a student is given help for his or her specific academic problems, which can allow the issue to be resolved quickly and correctly.

Once any issues inhibiting a student's progress have been addressed, the child can go on to achieve at his or her highest level. In The Condition of Education 2002, it was found that, 'Placing students in small groups tends to foster close working relationships between teachers and students, thus enhancing learning, particularly among at-risk students and those in the early grades.'
Also, small classes allow the teachers to have a better sense of who your child is, and what his or her specific strengths and weaknesses are. Your child will also have more opportunities to speak up and participate in class discussions. In addition, students may be offered office hours during which the teacher will be available. Students who have worked closely with their teachers are less likely to feel intimidated about using such time to actively seek help from their teachers directly.
Exposure to the Arts:

Private schools have the ability to create their own curriculum. Although, they must ultimately prepare students with the same basic course as any other school, private schools also have the option to add various elements to their programs. Private school administrators often develop programs that emphasize the Arts, perhaps more so than local public schooling options.
Schools may choose to produce elaborate plays and musicals, giving students unique opportunities to explore their talents and express themselves. Government regulations on public schools prevent them from spending more than a certain percentage of school funds on the Arts. Private schools, however, are not subject to the same regulations, and they have more freedom to develop and expand these programs as they wish. Some private schools may even offer filmmaking or video production courses which are opportunities normally reserved for college students.
Potentially More Funds:

The tuition that you and the other parents of a private school contribute often will go toward developing and funding special programs that would be restricted in public schools. The school may be able to offer other activities such as special field trips that reinforce the school's curriculum. Such trips can give your child opportunities to form close friendships and build independence. The school may have more funds available to provide supplies to student-run clubs. The school also may create programs that better tie the arts or sciences into the overall general curriculum.

What You Need to Know About a Cyber High School

You've no doubt heard all kinds of stories about Cyber High Schools - that it isn't school, your child won't learn, there's no social interaction, etc. Cyber High Schools are growing in popularity but because all states are handling this virtual education differently, there isn't a clear description of how cyber high school is handled and delivered. The commonalities in all the programs are that in most cases, the school district will give you a computer and pay for your internet connection for that school year and your curriculum is paid for by your home district. So, your child is going to school at home and online. Here's where the questions come in because most can't understand how a child can learn without a physical teacher at the blackboard. Here is a list of the most asked questions that may help you decide whether online school will work for your student.
1) If my child is really struggling in public school, can I move my son/daughter in the middle of the school year? Yes, in most cases, cyber charter schools have rolling enrollment. Some did that to attract enrollment in their first years and are now full with a waiting list. But don't give up. Some may be able to take you anyway, as these schools understand that students and parents coming to them in the middle of the year are most likely in a bad situation at their home school district.

2) Will this cost me anything? If your state has online charter schools listed on their Department of Education website, then most likely you can move your student to a cyber charter school at no cost to you. They send you a computer and will reimburse you for your internet connection. I actually wanted to use our own computer, and it's against their bylaws to do that (has to do with controlling how your child learns). AGAIN, all states are different and grappling with this issue in different ways, so the only way to know is to call the cyber or online charter school or distance learning contact at your state's Department of Education. Private, nationwide online schools are expensive so research carefully before take the plunge. Your home school district will have to pay the tuition for your child to move to a state cyber charter school (depending on your state's cyber charter laws). This makes school districts very unhappy as you can imagine. Be prepared for difficulty with school officials. I've had both situations. One district was downright nasty and still sends us letters saying "you chose to educate your child privately" and they aren't responsible,(evidently the legal-eze their lawyers told them to write). Another district was large enough that it wasn't even an issue. The best advice is don't warn them ahead of time and certainly don't ask their advice. It takes students out of their building, cuts their population and messes with federal money. Not your problem ... do what's right for your child.

3) How and when during the day does my child go to cyber school or do homeschooling? The answer is simple and almost too good to be true. On your schedule. Yes, your child shouldn't be home 8 hours a day playing video games and watching TV and then school at night. That may work for a few but it's not the peak learning time or environment. But remember, students really only need to be in school 5 hours a day. That's what they do in brick and mortar schools. It's all the passing to classes, lunch, bus time, etc. that creates a long day. In most states it's 5 hours a day for elementary and 4.5 for high schoolers. So if you can do the 5 hours from 8 to 1 and then work an afternoon shift, OR break up school into 3 hours in the morning and 2 later on, that works too. Take the bricks and mortar off your thinking and realize cyber school and homeschooling give you the opportunity to take your kids on a road trip AND school with the laptop, cram a lot of school into a few days and then go on a road trip...it's finally your choice.
4) Will my child lose or gain credits? ASK THIS QUESTION OF THE CYBER SCHOOL BEFORE YOU MOVE YOUR STUDENT. School districts vary greatly, even in the same community, so have the curriculum director at the cyber school check into this to make sure you aren't losing valuable credits. My child took drivers education in cyber school, and it wasn't counted at the next school she attended. Just be prepared for differences in what each school requires.

5) Can my child attend after school activities and participate in sports in our school district? In most cases, yes! Many school districts are very cooperative with homeschoolers and if you chose the cyber charter school route you could probably work out a deal. School districts like homeschoolers better than cyber schoolers at this point because homeschoolers aren't costing them anything. But make the homeschooling coordinator at your school district your friend and more than likely your son/daughter can play sports or participate in music or theatre.
6) Can I put my child in cyber school for just a year or two? Yes, it's just like enrolling and moving a child from any school. My child spent 8th grade in cyber school and then wanted to go back to regular school. That year she regained the confidence middle school had beaten out of her, she did well in her subjects and she didn't feel like a school failure anymore. It definitely served her well her freshman year. Please don't hesitate to email me if you want to talk about this because when I was doing it there were few to talk to. My family thought I was crazy ... school on the computer at home??? Which leads to the most important question ...
7) How will my child learn in cyber school? Cyber schools vary too, just like school districts. The good, stable cyber schools are really reaching for the stars with their technology. They have cyber classrooms, with software that allows your child to even virtually "raise their hand" to ask a question or respond to the teacher. Teachers and students talk on the phone, email back and forth and are in touch actually more than a classroom teacher at a brick and mortar school. Some classes need textbooks that will be mailed to you, other classes are completely online. Your child will make powerpoints, type papers and take tests just like regular school. The difference is your child will be able to work at their own pace, which makes all the difference.
8) Is there social support for my child if I homeschool? Yes, yes! However, you will have to find the homeschooling groups in your community and take advantage of all they offer, and that's a lot. They are highly organized, so much so that they've created "schools" where their homeschoolers can go a few days a week to learn the subjects parents aren't comfortable teaching ... science, languages, art, etc. Just in case you've missed the news for several years, homeschoolers have won the National Spelling Bee many years in a row. One on one education serves many kids very well and homeschooling has been bad mouthed for so many years, that their superb education gets lost in the rhetoric.

Nancy Sutton Smith is a cyber high school parent. She has homeschooled her children and used the services of 4 cyber schools in the last 10 years. Nancy is also a 6x regional emmy winner, broadcast professional, high school, college and adult educator, webmaster and owner of Sutton Bay Media Company, a video production facility creating marketing and fundraising videos. As a journalist and a parent, Nancy researched and produced many education stories relating to the growing cyber school phenomenon. She put all that information into a website call http://www.cyberhighschools.com - an informational site to help parents find cyber schools in their own states.

Top 25 Undergraduate Schools

With competition rising fiercely for admission into a good undergraduate school and the choice of subjects, school curriculum expanding with it, choosing the best undergraduate school can be confusing. There are large, small, public, private, urban and rural undergraduate schools to select from; while some are appealing because of their inviting locale in a countryside setting or in the midst of a cosmopolitan setting others lure the students with their state-of-the-art facilities and distinguished host of teachers.
The list of top 25 undergraduate schools listed below have many diverse traits and distinct characteristics, however the common thread running through them is that of the promise of the best education ever. The undergraduate school curriculum of these top 25 schools is unparalleled and makes them stand apart as the institutions of great learning.
Best Ivy undergraduate school
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut Yale president Richard Levin is a leader and a visionary and has been tireless in his efforts to change ED admissions policies, making it a one of the many reasons for it being the vied for the number one position and topping the student's list for admissions. A big attraction of the undergraduate experience for students is the residential-college system. Students live in one of twelve colleges, each with its own distinct personality, under the guidance of a master and a dean.
Best School for Entrepreneurs
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa.
Six of the campus's 10 undergraduate schools offer entrepreneurship courses. The Smeal College of Business and the College of Engineering are the most natural partners, with joint programs to show engineers how to run businesses and to teach business students the latest technology. Hotel-management students operate two on-campus hotels and conference centres where they're involved in everything from food service to staffing the front desk while the College of Communications focuses on entrepreneurship in the Information Age.
Big 10 School - Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill

Comprising of six undergraduate schools, Northwestern University attracts students with diverse aspirations including budding actors, journalists, engineers and teachers as well as a host of liberal-arts students. Each school is world renown and attracts the best minds from across the globe. Set in Evanston at the edge of the bustling Cosmo polis of Chicago, Northwestern offers its students the best of both worlds.
Best Architectural School - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
President Charles Vest initiated an ambitious $1 billion construction program at MIT which includes the Steven Holl's Simmons Hall, a aluminium-clad dormitory as well as the Fumihiko Maki's expansion of the Media Lab. The more famous building is that of the Stata Center, a computer-science landmark by Frank Gehry containing labs for the "intelligence sciences" and connected corridors and public spaces to encourage spontaneous collaboration. MIT calls it an "intellectual village."
Best school of for Arts - Juilliard School, New York, N.Y.

With a history of more than a hundred years, Julliard is known as one the most famous undergraduate school of arts and can boast of an impressive alumni list the likes of the actor Kevin Kline, violinist Itzhak Perlman and choreographer Lar Lubovitch. To celebrate this glory, the school has introduced new choreography, productions and performances. Only a few select students comprising of musicians, dancers and actors get chosen every year to showcase their talent in the Juilliard Theatre right next to Lincoln Centre. That's the best inspiration for any aspiring star.
Best Library- Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Harvard's library system ranks with the best of any kind in the country, even as compared to the Library of Congress. The collection which includes more than 15 million volumes, 5.5 million microforms, 6.5 million manuscripts and 5 million other research materials such as photographs, maps and recordings is the largest in the world. Harvard's digital collection is particularly strong, and is hugely beneficial for students who want access to any existing online journal
Best Riding School - Hollins University, Roanoke, Virginia

Situated in the breathtaking locale of Virginia's horse country, Hollins undergraduate school is known for its exceptional training for equestriennes. The school is a regular winner of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship, and the Hollins team has won ten times in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. Although many Hollins students work with horses after graduation as trainers, riders or veterinarians, the school also offers a strong liberal-arts program and a highly regarded creative-writing curriculum. It is famous for its celebrity alumni the likes of Margaret Wise Brown, Annie Dillard and Lee Smith.
Best undergraduate school for diversity-Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut
Dean of Admissions Nancy Meislahn believes that only a large cross section of society from across the globe can contribute to the intellectual diversity of an educational system. Wesleyan's student population comprises of one third coloured people and 7% international students. An additional 15% are the first in their family to attend a four-year college. It offers a huge diversity of shared learning and wide range of perspective to the classroom.
Best Tech Savvy School - Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H
This undergraduate school has been in the forefront of technological revolution ever since professors John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz, forty years ago, not only realized the importance of computers but were responsible for creating the computer language BASIC. It is known to have the first e-mail programs and an early campus computer network. Dartmouth was also the first Ivy to install WiFi on campus. The school offers free software to students so they can turn their laptops into telephones using the school's WiFi.
Best Fitness School - University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

Following the adage of Thomas Jefferson, the founder of UVA, who advocated that a strong body makes the mind strong, UVA offers both varsity competitors and weekend warriors some of the best fitness facilities in the country. Students benefit hugely from the four indoor recreation centres, which together make up 300,000 square feet of pools, running tracks, weight rooms and classrooms for yoga and kickboxing. The school also maintains a 23-acre park for outdoor field sports and jogging.

Promoting Reading In Schools In Sierra Leone

INTRODUCTION
Helping children and adults to develop skills they need to fully participate in an information society is central in a librarian's mission of providing the highest quality library and information service in society. Books help children read. They are more helpful than reading schemes because they promise and provide pleasure in reading. Both teachers and school librarians should be influential in the child's reading process but they need good knowledge of children's literature so that they can choose and help these young readers at all levels (Samara, 2002). The Library Association (1991) singled out four areas as being enhanced by reading and use of a variety of sources of information namely: intellectual and emotional development; language development; social development; and educational development. In view of this there is every reason for teachers and librarians to promote reading in school. What then is reading?
READING
Current attempts to define reading tend to regard it as a thinking process with attention focused on comprehension. That is to say reading is a mechanical and thoughtful process requiring the reader to understand what the author is endeavoring to communicate and to contribute his own experience and thoughts to the problem of understanding. As far back as 1913 Huey began formulating such ideas as can be noted from his frequently quoted words:
until the insidious thought of reading as word pronouncing
is well worked out of our heads, it is well to place the emphasis
strongly where it really belongs, on reading as thought-
getting independently of expression.
In 1937 Gray posited that
...the reader not only recognizes the essential facts or ideas
presented, but also reflects on their significance, evaluates them critically, discovers relationships between them, and classifies his understanding of the ideas apprehended.
Such ideas about the nature of reading continued to expand so that in 1949 Gray wrote that the reader
...does more than understand and contemplate; his emotions
are stirred; his attitudes and purposes are modified; indeed his innermost being involved.
Reading is perceived as a progressive social phenomenon in that it is a means of forming people's social consciousness; it is used as an instrument in implementing the task of continuing education and raising pupils cultural standards. In brief it is a means of increasing professional knowledge and skills and drawing people into a more creative life. In Sierra Leone, however, the task of ensuring that children learn to read, and of finding ways of helping them to do so is one of general concern to all teachers in both primary and secondary schools. One of the reasons why teachers are eager to help pupils to learn to read is that in modern society literacy is essential. In helping children to read they will not only be able to read but that their reading will develop into life-long habit. Thus a great deal of attention in schools is paid to:

- the promotion of children's interest in books
- the supply, deployment and classification of books
- guidance in selection of appropriate books
- training in study skills and provision of time in which to read.
READING IN THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Reading in schools in Sierra Leone is embedded in the curriculum and is a continuum starting from pre-primary through primary to secondary schools, as an important studying skill. At both the pre-primary and primary school levels specific reading periods are slotted on the timetable ranging from fifteen to thirty minutes. Reading and Comprehension is a stand alone subject and children are taught not only to learn to read but also to read to learn for self-enhancement, experience sharing and recreation. Thus varied forms of literature are used notably poetry, fiction, drama magazines, newsletters and newspapers as well as non fiction, with the latter cutting across the subjects taught in school.

At pre-primary level teachers help pupils read by giving each pupil a copy of primer readers and encourage them to glance through pictures and ask questions about them as a way of stimulating their curiosity. Slips of papers bearing each pupil's name are clipped to the primer for them to assume responsibility for keeping them clean. The teacher also demonstrates to pupils how to open these books carefully and flipping pages from front to back at a time to avoid damage. A few short sentences consisting of three to four letter words are read with pupils following in their books. After a while pupils are called upon to re-read each sentence orally. The main purpose of such a lesson is to introduce pupils to books and to teach them something useful regarding their care. Each lesson is different in design from all subsequent ones in order for the reading lesson to be of value to pupils. Typical lesson plans for teaching reading in schools include the following:

- Preparation for reading i.e. teacher shows pictures and stimulates pupils to tell related experiences, play games and tell stories;
- Guiding reading from the reader; and
- Skills-building procedures.
At the primary school level pupils read for a much longer time entire passages and if possible a whole story. They are also taught either to read as a class or divided into groups, and this exercise could be teacher-guided silent or oral reading; silent study with workbooks; dictionary or practice reader, or dramatization and choral reading exercises. Chief exercises of oral reading include reading aloud from books especially readers, notices, stories, poems and adverts. The value of oral reading exercise in school include:
1. It gives practice in using current grammatical expressions.
2. It helps to overcome speech and aid literary appreciation.

3. It makes pupils more conscious of the need for current pronunciation in speech, and to contribute to the fundamentals of reading.
4. It helps to serve as an index of pupils eye movement.

At secondary school level no special period for the art is slotted on the timetable but reading is one of the main thrusts of English Language and Literature-in-English classes. At this level pupils are expected to read in relation to their problems and are taught to master information and improve their oral skills; they are also assisted in their critical thinking, search for information and or to answer specific questions, proof-read and get a general view of a book. Such exercises are a build up from those taught in the primary school. Thus pupils are encouraged to read not only prescribed texts for both English Language and Literature-in-English subjects but also those prescribed in the subjects offered in school. In all these activities the school library is expected to play a reading role by offering a full complement of programs to include pre-school hours, clubs, homework help and Internet to assist in developing reading and information skills. It should also promote the habit of reading for pleasure and provide a systematic training in the care and use of books (Barbara, 1994). The library should also be able to stimulate reading with the provision of relevant reading materials (Hannesdottir, 2000) and provide working area for pupils to complete their assignments according to their own ability rate. Teachers alike use the library to enhance their teaching performance and to carry out research (Connor, 1990)

Developing Alumni Passion For an Elementary School

While it is totally understandable and commonplace for someone to have strong alumni passion for his or her university or high school, it is more unusual for a person to get fired up over a former elementary school. I mean, nobody is out spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on season tickets to a fourth grade intramural basketball game. And although I can't prove it has never happened, I highly doubt people from one end of this country are purchasing clothing apparel from an elementary school on the other end.Does that mean, however, that elementary schools shouldn't consider developing a proud alumni tradition within their own community? Of course not! For all of the reasons that alumni are important to high schools and colleges, they can be a vital part of fundraising, student recruitment, and organizational leadership at lower level schools, as well. I would argue that an elementary school that is not out actively recruiting alumni help is missing a fantastic opportunity.
Here is a list of 15 strategies to get more former students involved at your elementary school.
1. Maintain Updated Address Lists
In order to keep in touch with people as they grow older and move on from your elementary school, it is important to maintain accurate and current mailing addresses and email addresses, as well. If this has not been done at your school, start now to develop a database for your current students. It may be a big undertaking, but it would also be wise to go back through past student records and match them with current high school students. This way, you have a jump on those kids who will be the next generation to go out into the "real world".
2. Create an Alumni Page on Your School Website
Since the Internet has become such a regular part of people's lives, a website is the perfect medium to communicate with far-flung alumni. If you do not already have at least one page on your site devoted to alumni news and relations, you should create one right away. You can scan and post old pictures and maybe even do a "Can you name this person?" contest. Use this site to announce upcoming events or important school news items, such as a community service project or excellent school test scores. This keeps alumni, even if they live in another part of the country in the loop, so to speak.
3. Send Out an Annual Alumni Newsletter

A printed newsletter shares the same objective as a page on your school website, but it is perhaps a little more formal and is for folks who do not visit you on the web. With the printed newsletter, you can also insert a returnable donation envelope. I would suggest coming up with an established name for your alumni news publication (more than just "The Alumni Newsletter"). By branding your website and newsletter, you are becoming more memorable to your potential alumni audience.
4. Don't Push too Heavy on the Fundraising Angle
As with any fundraising effort, you need to pick the right place and time. It is wise to remember that an elementary school is probably going to fall lower on a person's giving priority list than their university or church. The best approach with alumni is to appeal to their sense of nostalgia, the future promise for their children at the same school, and then simply present the need. Just lay it out there for them. If you push too much, you will possibly sever any sense of connection they had. If you play it right, however, you'll get their brains and their hearts going at the same time, and they find a way to help the school.
5. Form an Official Alumni Group

In any important effort, it is smart to develop a group of people that is committed to leading it and growing it. As a school fundraising leader or administrator, you may be called upon to get this group going, but you should not be responsible for the long-term health of the group. Once you have a few solid members on the alumni committee, discuss the group's mission and strategy and then get out of their way. Let them take the ownership.
6. Keep School Athletic Records Posted for Years
If your school has any sort of intramural team or even something as simple as track and field day, I suggest that you keep accurate records and post them. Alumni love to come back and see if their records are still standing. Nothing does more for someone's ego than learning nobody has been able to beat their record in twenty years!
7. Keep School Yearbooks on Hand

Elementary school yearbooks can easily be lost over the years. Make sure you keep a few copies in your library from each year, going as far back as you can. Let the alumni who visit your school know that you have them on file to look at if they wish. Flipping through those pages could really spark a trip down memory lane and that could get them to make a donation. You never know...
8. Create an Annual Student Award
If you don't do this already, consider creating an annual student award based on citizenship or school spirit or both. Give the winners a trophy, but also engrave their names on a perpetual plaque that will be displayed in your main hallway for years. An award like this gives your school an instant tradition and something to proudly show off to a child of a former student. "Hey son, look at this. I won this award way back in 2008!"
9. Honor Various Groups of Alumni at School Functions
If your school has an annual auction or other large gathering, consider using the opportunity to honor a group of alumni or a class from 20 years ago. You could make a photo slideshow and display it during dinner time, for instance. Anyway that you can throw a spotlight on former students, the greater the message you send to current students: We Remember You!
10. Celebrate Long-Employed Teachers
Nothing draws a student back to an elementary school like a favorite old teacher. I know I can still name every single teacher I had from pre-school until 6 grade- and I'm almost 40! If there is a teacher at your school who is retiring after many years of service, consider throwing a huge community-wide blow-out party and inviting any person whoever sat in her class to attend. Tell them to be ready to share stories!

This kind of event could really draw alumni out, who might never have otherwise gotten involved. Advertise this event well ahead of time in the local paper and on local television and radio. Put up fliers everywhere. And, make sure to ask the media to cover the event as a "feel-good piece". All this exposure is only going to help your school in the long run to get more alumni involved.

Characteristics of Hong Kong School Guidance and the Implementation of Comprehensive School Guidance

Generally speaking, 'Guidance', known as pastoral care in UK schools, seek to promote the whole person growth of students, the aim of guidance is to encourage students' self esteem and the development of various aspects of their 'self', such as personal, moral and social and it is educational (Hui, 2000; Hue, 2007).
In his latest article, Hue (2007) explained the whole school approach should be conceptualized as a model for guidance which emphasizes the united effort of all school personnel who, under the leadership of the school head, work together to create a positive learning environment enriched with care, trust and mutual respect. Apart from that, school guidance work is to help students to maximize their own potential acquire acceptable social skills, discriminate right from wrong, develop appropriate values. In addition to this goal, school guidance work should help prevent or overcome students' problems through prompt assistance and appropriate advice.
Whole School Approach to School Guidance and Comprehensive School Guidance Programs
The whole school approach to guidance can be conceptualized as a model, and it can be implemented through comprehensive school guidance programs. Gysbers (2005) pointed out that the comprehensive guidance program currently being used by many states and school districts in the United States consists three elements: content, organization framework and resources. In this article, I will try to analysis comprehensive guidance programs in Hong Kong based on Gysbers' model since the Hong Kong Education Bureau also adopted the model for implementing guidance services in schools.
Firstly, the content element identifies competencies considered important for students to master as a result of their participation in a comprehensive guidance program, it aims at developing students' strengths and it could be the goal for the program. Secondly, the organization framework element contains two sections. The first section is three structural components; it includes the definition, rationale and assumptions. The second section consists four program components; they are guidance curriculum, individual planning, responsive services and system support. The third element of the comprehensive guidance program is resources; the resources are personnel, financial and political resources.

The goal for the comprehensive school guidance is to identify the competencies to be developed, it could be rest on the following objectives: raises students' awareness of their feelings and develop their skills in handling emotion, helps students build up self confidence and enhance self-esteem, promote desirable learning and social behavior, facilitate students' life planning, goal setting, and career formulating, and identify problematic areas in an early state and provide initial and frontline intervention to help students cope with their problems. He suggests the percentage for guidance curriculum programs for high school students should be 15-25 percent, individual planning as 25-35 percent, responsive services 25-35 and system support are 15-10 percent (Gysbers, 2003).
Luk and Lung (2003) also proposed a similar 3Ps model for evaluating the guidance and counseling services in schools. The model stressed the importance of programs, personal and polities.
In the following paragraphs, I will examine Hong Kong literatures concerning the characteristics of Hong Kong schools guidance and based on the above framework and model to see how the literatures' findings promote or hamper the implementation of the comprehensive school guidance model in Hong Kong senior secondary schools setting. Following that, suggestions will be made to see how the comprehensive school guidance could be adapted.
Newly Emerged Senior Secondary Schools (SSSs) and its Characteristics

After the 1997 Asian financial turmoil, the Hong Kong SAR government noticed the economy was undergoing an accelerated economic restructuring. The economy is shifting from labor-intensive industries to knowledge-based industries. Hong Kong's promising future is now heavily depending on excellent services provided to the world, namely financial services, legal services, accounting services and tourism. Although there are many differences between all these service sectors, one thing is in common, they are all about advanced knowledge and services.
With the new opportunities, new challenges are also emerging. The success of knowledge-based economy very much depends on talents who are creative and innovative. In view of the highest unemployment rate among all age groups, how to cultivate adolescent potential pose new challenges to the education sectors, especially secondary and tertiary sectors which mainly provide opportunities for young people to develop their skills and knowledge needed in the society.
In response to the question, the Hong Kong Education and Manpower Bureau (now known as Education Development Bureau) proposes new initiative in 2002 aims at providing alternative senior secondary education to the Form three school leavers. Four senior secondary schools (SSSs) were established in 2003 and the schools were providing schooling from Form four to Form seven. Since the schools are funded under the government direct subsidize scheme, the curriculum and school structure and curriculum are much flexible than the traditional schools and it is conducive for schools to response to diverse students' needs.
Comprehensive School guidance in SSSs (Content Elements)
Desirable content elements

The content element identifies competencies considered important for students to master as a result of their participation in a comprehensive guidance program and the identified competence serves as a goal and direction for the programs design (Gysbers, 2005). The competencies could be rest on the following objectives: raises students' awareness of their feelings and develop their skills in handling emotion, helps students build up self confidence and enhance self-esteem, promote desirable learning and social behavior, facilitate students' life planning, goal setting, and career formulating, and identify problematic areas in an early state and provide initial and frontline intervention to help students cope with their problems.
Yuen (2002) suggests the content element of the program, life skills competencies should be balanced with those of personal/social, career, and academic for educating the whole person.
Strengths in Hong Kong schools' setting
Hui (2000) suggested developmental guidance curriculum should be integrated in some degree into the academic curriculum, so that guidance will be seen, not as distinct from students' learning and cognitive development, but as integral to school experience. Since the aim of establishing the SSSs is to cater the needs of some disadvantaged students, life skills are emphasized in the school curriculum through various forms of implementation. Some of the SSSs have already integrated life skills as their formal curriculum; the contents cover competencies like personal/social, career, and academic with the aims at nurturing the whole person development. In 2007, one of the SSSs integrated the Other Learning Experience (OLE) program newly proposed by the Education Development bureau to their formal curriculum. It provides additional opportunities for students to develop their strengths and competencies.

Research (Cheung and Rudowicz, 2003) shown that students stratified in low-band schools may be particularly vulnerable to the big-fish-little-pond effect, which erodes the self-esteem of students in ability-grouped classroom observed in Hong Kong and other places. Cheung (1997) pointed out academic performance in school may be associated with deviant behavior. Poor academic results may generate a low self-concept and a low perceived personal control, which may, in turn, be conducive to involvement in delinquency. In reality, students admitted to SSSs could be characterized as low motivated, possess negative or low self concept, academic underachiever, undesirable behavioral pattern, immature emotional control, lack of social skills and poor parent-child relationship. SSSs are well aware of these characteristics and many of its programs are designed to enhance students' positive self concept and develop their self-esteem.