Baraga students learn about reading and writing

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BARAGA — Some children may think that reading and writing are tasks, but one Michigan author is creatively changing that outlook.

Jeffrey Schatzer visited Baraga Area Schools for their annual Young Authors Day, a day dedicated to reading and writing.

He’s wants young students to know that reading and writing should be enjoyable and exciting.

“What I try to do is get the kids as early as I can, and talk to them about enjoying reading, not looking at it as a task, but enjoying reading as something that they can do whenever they want, and can read about whatever they want,” said Shatzer.

Schatzer talked about the different segments of a story, beginning, middle and end, and how they’re different from one another.

He also used different voices to try to engage the children.

In addition to the story telling, students made crafts that pertained to Shatzer’s books.

“There’s nothing better than to see the kids get excited about writing because writing can be a hard thing to teach.

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Alpine Testing Solutions Selected by F5 to Redesign its IT…

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Ken Salchow, Program Manager for Technical Certification at F5 said, “Alpine is helping F5 create a unique technical certification program that focuses not only on the F5 products and technology, but the underlying applications as well. Alpine Testing Solutions’ expertise and outstanding IT industry experience was a key factor in F5’s decision to bring them on board. The goal of our certification program is to help broaden the pool of knowledgeable technologists who can enable customers to get the most out of their investment—across the applications and infrastructure.”

Alpine uses a validity-centered test design and development process to create the highest quality tests that can adapt over time as the needs of a program change. For many of its clients, Alpine also employs its CertMetrics™ Credential and Data Management System – a flexible and customizable solution to credential management that automates many of the usual labor intensive tasks and simplifies program monitoring. CertMetrics™

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Teaching tolerance

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My daughters are members of the Boston Area Homeschoolers’ Gay Straight Alliance. It’s a relatively new group, formed just last fall.

This is what they say in their mission statement:  ”The Boston Area Homeschoolers GSA (BAHS), is a safe and enjoyable environment where teens organize events and vocalize LGBTQ issues. We will work to educate people inside and outside the homeschooling community and create a fun and supportive group.”

The last couple of days, it’s become clear they have their work cut out for them. You see, they planned and organized a Bake Sale to help raise money for their future pursuits. In high schools and junior highs, these kinds of things happen in the building. Homeschoolers, of course, don’t have a building. But they do have Park Day. 

Park Day is the biggest cohesive activity for just about every homeschooling support group I know of. It’s kind of like the glue. It’s where the most families gather at any one given time. It

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Coalition to unveil family-friendly agenda in Queen’s speech

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Nick Clegg and David Cameron at a tractor factory in Basildon, Essex. They defended plans to reform the House of Lords. Getty Images

A package of measures to help families and children will be unveiled in the Queen’s speech as the coalition attempts to offer a full legislative programme while maintaining its focus on rebuilding the economy.

New laws to give parents more flexible leave and strong commitments to family-friendly working hours will be among the headline measures. Other announcements expected include reform of the system for diagnosing and helping children with special educational needs to give parents more choice in how they are schooled; reforms to the family justice system to speed up care proceedings so no cases take more than six months; and promised changes to the adoption system to make sure parents and children are matched more quickly.

The government will also say it is getting legal advice on how to strengthen the law so that if couples split up, their children can have a strong relationship with both parents.

A No 10 source said: “Dealing with the deficit and getting the economy growing remains the coalition’s number one priority.

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SF teachers set for strike vote amid budget woes

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San Francisco teachers are set for a strike vote this week over the district’s demands to cut $30 million from teachers’ salaries and benefits over the next two years.

The union wants a 2 percent raise for teachers instead.

The 6,000 members of United Educators of San Francisco will take the first of two required strike votes Thursday, less than a week after the district declared an impasse in contract talks. If a majority agrees, the union leadership would have the ability to call a strike if negotiations stall completely.

There are only three weeks left in the school year, but that’s enough time to call a strike, said union President Dennis Kelly.

The breakdown in bargaining follows years of frequent, congenial cooperation between the two sides. Together, they have challenged the Legislature to boost school spending.

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