I know this is a simple, value-priced product, but for those of us who love to read – especially business materials –  it’s a great item.  Also handy for spending quality time with contracts or other legal or detailed material.  Who doesn’t love that?

As most of you are probably aware, there seems to be a lot of discussion right now in the world of education, and the relative balance with the current economy.  I find myself trying to find good resources that help me to keep up with the ever changing dialogue regarding budgets and stimulus funds and how they are going to affect the upcoming year.

Education Week, at edweek.org, has a “Schools and the Stimulus” site which is a good resource for articles and commentary of what is going on with these very topics.  Enjoy!

http://www.edweek.org/ew/collections/schools-stimulus/index.html

Parental involvement is a pretty strong influence in the quality of a child’s education. No matter what level of education a child is in, studies have shown that the more involved and aware the parents are, the more successful the child is.

There are many sources available online that provide ideas, such as Education World’s Parent Involvement in Schools article. Providing parents with an opportunity to share ideas for fundraising and school events, or a forum to meet other parents and discuss concerns can make them feel like they are actively participating in their child’s future and education.

4imprint has published a newsletter on this very topic, with some practical ideas on involving parents in school activities.

While I dropped my daughter off at daycare yesterday, I found a note in her cubby outlining some new things for the summer months.  First, and of most interest to her, was that we should bring in swimsuits, swimmers, and towels.  In the hot dog days of summer, which we have to take advantage of in Wisconsin, they will be splashing around in sprinklers and wading pools.  The second item was a request that all kids have mesh bags for their swim clothes, so the wet clothes and materials can breathe and not get moldy.

I thought this was a really great idea!  So I dug through my vast selection of bags and found a Soft Mesh Tote, which is the perfect size for my daughter’s swim gear.   It’s stylish as well, so, as always, she and I will look good as we carry her wet clothes home!

I can’t believe that my plant is growing!  I do not have a green thumb by any means, but my Logo Bean has started to sprout.  Just a short 7 days ago, I unwrapped my logo bean and it has already sprouted.  Not that I can grow plants at home, but this works.  It brings a little bit of the cheerful, spring season onto my desktop, and I hear that it may last for up to a year.  We’ll see, but in the meantime, I am very pleased to come into work every morning and see a little piece of nature on my desk.  Maybe I should add these to my decor at home…

Check out the Logo Bean video here.

Spreading the word leads to growth
Traders Point Christian Academy

Traders Point Christian Academy has a 33-year history of helping develop well-rounded and spiritually mature adults.

Started in 1976 as a pre-school, the non-denominational Christian School was originally located adjacent to its namesake church.  But, after years of growth, the K-9 school needed its own, state-of-the-art facility.

“We’ve just continued to grow,” said Linda Becker, registrar, Traders Point Christian Academy.  “Our staff are seasoned and experienced.  Our first headmaster was with us for 21 years. Our new superintendent also has over 25 years of experience in the Christian high school and college areas. It’s that history and future that make us different.”

As a small, private, accredited school of 550 students, Traders Point Christian Academy uses print advertisements, open houses, word-of-mouth marketing and a Web site to build awareness.

Promotional products are an important part of the mix.

When a family is considering enrolling their student at Traders Point Christian Academy, the school invites the student to be a guest for a day, shadowing another student and learning what school life is like.  At the end of the day, each student guest receives a water bottle, imprinted with the school’s logo, as a remembrance of their visit.

At public events, like the county fair or street fairs, the school hands out imprinted items, to build awareness of their programs.

Leaders say the reputation the school has built over the last 30 years is key in recruitment efforts.

“We have families who leave us because they are relocated to another city or state,” Becker said.  “They often tell us that they couldn’t find another Traders Point in their new location.”

The school is now planning another expansion-to offer 10th, 11th and 12th grade coursework in the next three years.  The expansion provides the school another opportunity to build on the reputation that began with a small pre-school in 1976.