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How Snail Mail Connected This San Gabriel Valley School District To Its Youngest Students

Mariana Dale

November 30, 2020 |

LAist |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Rowland Heights, California

One school district is taking a creative approach to increase student attendance during the pandemic— care packages. In Rowland Unified School District, kindergarten teachers came up with the idea of sending care packages via the postal services to students twice a month. They hope that by doing so it will increase attendance among kindergarten students, a grade that has nationally seen plummeting enrollment. The packages include paper, pens, and books. “"It's really an opportunity for us as kindergarten teachers to help kids feel seen, and from the start, tell kids that they belong in school."

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‘Life-altering for everyone': Kindering bridges the virtual gap to help kids with special needs

Sandi Doughton

November 26, 2020 |

The Seattle Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington

When the coronavirus pandemic caused businesses and organizations to stop in-person offerings, a non-profit in Washington that specializes in services for children with special needs quickly shifted operations to an online format. Although this new online business model isn't financially feasible in the longterm, it has helped bridge the gap in care for many families and "the data so far suggest that most children are doing just as well as with in-person services."

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Broods in the woods

Amanda Eggert

October 21, 2020 |

Montana Free Press |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Billings, Montana

Nature-based preschools are gaining traction in Montana and are increasing in demand due to the pandemic. Fledglings, in Billings, and Foxtail Förskola, in Whitefish, are two preschools offering kids the opportunity to learn and play in an environment meant to foster "risky play," which means letting kids participate in activities where there is a physical risk, like climbing trees, in order to help strengthen their confidence and resiliency. Natural Start Alliance, an organization which supports outdoor education, reports that the number of these schools has rapidly increased to 585 over the last decade.

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Only 1 of 3 Black boys is ready for kindergarten. How one organization is trying to improve that

Arezow Doost

October 12, 2020 |

KXAN-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Austin, Texas

The African American Youth Harvest Foundation in Austin, Texas, is aiming to close the gap for young Black boys who are not ready for kindergarten. The nonprofit works closely with families, and helps provide for immediate needs, like food, childcare, and utility bills. In the future, it hopes to employ social workers to address a wider swath of critical concerns and address learning issues among both Black and Hispanic boys, from birth to age 5.

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Can simple text messages for parents boost reading scores for kids?

Jackie Mader

July 23, 2020 |

The Hechinger Report |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Ready4K has turned into a successful combination of technology and education for the San Francisco Unified School District, and for many more schools and districts, after educators saw the effectiveness and accessibility of texting families instead of holding information-heavy workshops. Three times a week, families receive digestible information, tips, and activities to incorporate reading, math, and other topics into daily life. "The program is now used by nearly 130 organizations, including school districts, Head Start agencies, and national organizations."

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Bringing knowledge and comfort to the classroom

Andi Bourne

June 04, 2020 |

Seeley Swan Pathfinder |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seeley Lake, Montana

Some preschool classes in Missoula County are integrating grandparents into their classroom routines. The grandparent usually helps provide a source of academic and emotional comfort for students, while also teaching them how to navigate relationships with senior adults. The grandparent, who is usually a volunteer, also receives a small stipend in exchange for their services. The Foster Grandparent Program, which had been in operation for the last 50 years, had partnered with federal agencies in the past, but is currently operated by Missoula Aging Services.

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Schools on a screen: New York school district goes all in on technology to prepare students for whatever comes next

Gail Robinson

May 10, 2020 |

The Hechinger Report |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Students in the Mineola school district had a head start when schools around the country switched to online classes as a result of the coronavirus? Since 2017, students as young as kindergarteners have been learning to code, while older students have learned to take advantage of opportunities like a fabrication lab to design, produce and sell what they develop, among other offerings. But the challenges educators and administrators face are balancing how much tech to implement in the classroom, and how much is too much.

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Hugs and snack time over video: How Indianapolis preschools go virtual

Stephanie Wang

April 06, 2020 |

Chalkbeat |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Indianapolis, Indiana

Preschool teachers in Indianapolis are helping their young students cope with the sudden changes in their learning environment by focusing on activities that nurture their students and reinforce some elements of normalcy and routine. During their virtual school interactions, students participate in show and tell, focus on important lessons that reinforce basic skills and incorporate family members. Offline, the schools are also helping to address families' basic needs by sharing food resources.

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Save the Words

Lorraine Boissoneault

April 01, 2020 |

The Believer |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Menominee, Wisconsin

Efforts are underway on the Menominee Reservation in northeastern Wisconsin to preserve the at-risk language of Menominee. That looks like conducting school entirely in Menominee, printing Menominee-language books, updating the language with twenty-first-century terms, and poring over old texts and audio transcripts to transfer vocabulary into a database. There are many challenges facing this initiative and many of the workers are volunteers or poorly-compensated, but those doing the work feel a great sense of responsibility and duty to carry on.

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Teaching Children How to Reverse an Overdose

Dan Levin

February 23, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Elizabethton, Tennessee

In Carter County, Tennessee, where an opioid crisis is underway, elementary-aged children and teenagers are being taught how to administer the overdose reversal nasal spray, Narcan. Although this strategy has faced opposition from some local residents, at least 100 students have administered the life-saving treatment.

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