There is bad news and good news for Chesterfield County Public Schools this Christmas. CCPS is one of the largest public school systems in Virginia—enrolling almost 59,000 students in 62 Chesterfield public schools; compose of 38 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, and 11 high schools including the Chesterfield Technical Center, which serves high school students.

The bad news for Chesterfield is the 3 % budget cut which is proposed by the state. The three percent slash will be implemented next year due to Virginia’s low tax revenue and less financial support from the federal government. According to Senator John Watkins, unless the tax revenue will improve the said cut will aggravate to 5 percent probably.

Previously in the last two years, Chesterfield was slashed with $80 million from its budget and administrators are now planning to slash an additional $20 million for the next year and could even get worse. The public school county have reduced teacher jobs, salaries, and increased student ratios. The administrators are preparing teachers for unexpected cuts and reductions.

On the other hand, Chesterfield County Public Schools is leading the fight for obesity. America’s obese students are 20 percent of the population and in order to guide the way to healthy eating, CCPS created the “A Grapple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away” health education program. The initiative will encourage Falling Creek Elementary to make grapple as their snack—an apple soaked in grape juice.

The program is part of the initiative of encouraging fruits and veggies to be part of their choices of snacks; students are expected to bring them at least thrice a week. Doctors believe that making a habit for children to eat fruits and vegetables as early as elementary provides them the idea of the healthy choice of foods. Greenfield Elementary School organizes a running program which obliges students to arrive early and participate in a school run.

The California Supreme Court has released the verdict allowing illegal immigrants to preserve their rights to pay in-state-tuition fees.

The strict state law against aliens has been laying much burden on illegal immigrants of California. The provision acts to investigate every alien on the California state—due to the fact that aliens often play an unfair advantage over taxpayers of the state.

The out of state rates imposed on undocumented students ranges to $34,000 annually while residential students only pay $11,300 a year. These resulted to a lawsuit against the University of California condemned for imposing unfair tuition fees on illegal immigrants in 2005.

But last Monday, a new rule upholding a 2002 state law favored all illegal immigrants to the right on-state-tuition fees. The law also implies that students will be privileged to pay in-state-tuition provided that they have attended any California high school for three years before graduating.

Despite several officials who are not in favor of the provision, civil right groups, undocumented students, and university officials were glad of the courts decision since it’s a big advantage for US citizens which aspires to enroll unto California schools.

The new regulation is also expected to favor who will meet the school criteria like boarding school students whose parents are in other states or graduate degree students which are out of California by going into some school worldwide.

Such regulation intends to involve all 400 undocumented students of UC and according to Mark Yudof, President of UC, “these students shouldn’t be ignored or their careers in the future shall be endangered.

In conclusion, altering the state’s regulation and laws which results into motivating more students to go to school is better than keeping an amendment which will not benefit the welfare the society as a whole. This is the spirit of the No Child Shall be Left behind Policy.

Philippines, (October 18, 2010)—classes are suspended to the rising signal level of the Typhoon Juan also known as Typhoon Megi. Classes in public and private schools in the Cordillera Autonomous Region 1 and 2 were suspended after Eduardo Muyot, Department of Education Undersecretary, ordered class suspension in the 15 major affected areas with typhoon signals 4, 3, 2, and 1.

Preschools, kindergarten, elementary and high school levels were automatically suspended as the storm warnings were raised by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Preschool classes were cancelled in areas with signal number 1.

Meanwhile, suspension of college classes is under the control of their respective colleges and universities and the orders of the Higher Education Commission, the Undersecretary stressed. Additional suspensions will be made by the DepEd later in the afternoon after PAGASA’s newest report about the typhoon.

The Department of Education made use of the social media network “Twitter” to announce further class suspensions. The twitter account @DepEd_Ph was created to inform savvy Filipinos about the upcoming changes due to typhoon Juan.

This was more prepared to the event last year where the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration and Department of Education announced late the suspension of classes which have made most parents furious.

On the other hand, Typhoon Juan (Megi) brought strong winds of 287 Kph along with gusts up to 350 Kph as it hits the Philippines. Weather analysts expect Juan to severely damage the coast of Luzon with strong winds and heavy precipitation.

Major evacuation initiatives were done by the government especially in the Luzon part. The previous typhoon taught the Filipinos about securing their selves even before storms devastate their properties. Since the CNN calls the typhoon Megi as a “monster storm”, the Philippine government tries hard to secure the Luzon inhibitors as well as students which are very vulnerable to natural calamities such as landslides.

September 29 2010—is the celebration of “National Coffee day”; this means free coffee everywhere from coffee shops and food chains or some will just be handing you over a cup of coffee at the street.

Schools worldwide have also jumped into the idea of serving nutritious meal for their students through —coffee. The Knox County Schools includes 50 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, 13 high schools and 10 special schools.

However, only high schools were encouraged top participate. Bearden, Farragut and Powell were among the high schools chosen to take part in the National School Breakfast Program wherein schools will be catering coffee products during breakfast and lunch time.

According to Jon Dickl, Knox County School’s director for nutrition, such initiative will increase the percentage of student participation in the NSBP. There is very low percentage at KCS schools; like Bearden High School will ahs only 5% participation in the part of the students, he continued.

The program was said to be pioneered at Farragut and Powell High School but during a meeting at Bearden High School, the director noticed that a large number of students were clinging to McDonald’s food items and Starbucks Coffee.

The director envisioned a plan to help those students who are into innutritious foods and provide an alternative by offering coffee products at the campus. Dickl concluded that the 5 % of the students’ participation in the NSBP shows that the remaining 95% are eating less nutritious foods, such as Starbucks and McDonalds and some would even be skipping it.

The program will be started on October 2010 and to find out if the initiative is a success, data from the Oct. 2009 shall be compared with the recent month data. It will be based on a meal volume and if the numbers do not increase, Dickl is said to stop the program and try another scheme.

Though the program is under school administration, parents who do not wish their child with the school coffee can be exempted by contacting the school administration.

Idaho Virtual Academy –September 1, 2010 classes will commence differently for students as they leave the ordinary and traditional campus-based learning. Students will compensate their backpacks with computers logging unto school for the first day.

The initiative is expected to take education for the K12 program to a different perspective as the classes commence. Idaho –which will use the innovated K-12 education program form kindergarten up to the high school level is assumed to give students an education appertaining to the standards or even surpassed expectations.

Beside the education online catered by the online charter school, Idaho Virtual Academy will make the Treasure Valley Hybrid Program operational on the 1st of September. The hybrid program will provide student centered education for those having difficulties academically. The program will be comprised of center based and home instruction to help challenged students to succeed and graduate on their classes.

However, the TVHP has requirements and standards and only those who will meet the state alternative criteria will be eligible to attend the education program which will occupy at least two to three hours per session every week. The sessions will include Math, English subject instructions and support in all subjects; this will be held at the center.

The program is intentionally designed for student’s different learning style and reception pace. The IDVA online public school and hybrid education program are ought to bring the best education suited to each child’s learning preferences. According to Desiree Laughlin, School Head at IDVA, the school is committed in upbringing success to students and looks forward of the kick off of the program for the year.

The IDVA will provide students with complete curriculum, lesson planning programs, books and instructional materials. The Academy will mainly utilize educational technology and equipments. Internet access will be provided right to their doorstep.

IDVA will still be accepting K-8 applicants till February; second semester will enrollment for high school will start in October; the Treasure Valley continues to open enrollment for 7-12 grades and offers credit recovery courses for high school students willing to re-renter and transfer school for September 1 2010.

Comparing towards other educational facilities of this Helena School District, the Capital High School are still on its good shape structurally. The Superintendent Bruce Messinger entirely presented its educational facility of assessment on this CHS in the educational learning institutes of board work session this Tuesday night. Developments are entirely being made in order to entirely maintain an entrance of this building. Messinger stated that this grassy area that is already been near in this walkway that leads on the entrance have often experience some flooding and at some point have an extreme muddy or even icy. As a result, the contractors are now entirely installing their new realigning sidewalk and as well new underground piping. Messinger stated that it will entirely support of creating better frontage towards their buildings and even more develop and access and as well esthetics.

Some other developments on this are entirely includes planting on trees and having some benches that been funded mostly through its educational district high school buildings that been reserve for educational fundings, with the entirely support of schools for the betterment of their booster clubs, students and as well educational staff memorials, the Helena Education Foundation educational grant and Growing friends of this Helena. Messinger stated that depending on this weather, their project would entirely be completed that would be either for the coming months or this coming spring season. As this school district have continually purchase a CHS in the coming 1970 that been entirely six years after it was already originally been constructed for Catholic high schools. Additional schools were entirely been made in the year 1972, 1973, 1981 and to 1998. This educational building is about 310,220 square feet and continually sits 24.5 acres. With that, the school got about 1,375 learners and 126 educational staff members on it. As a result, the school will be using this Northwest Park that is quite adjacent to their school and already been own by this City of Helena. Currently, these school districts continually pay for its annual maintenance.

This school’s hot water boilers will entirely be nearing their end of services life for the next coming 10 years and 80% of its efficiency. As to the other buildings that this school districts that been own, the ventilation is still ongoing to their concern along with the other heating and as well for cooling efficiency due to the mere fact that this areas can’t be on its zoned off during the time of its functions. These assessment of 70% that been found in this school’s roof will entirely be needed for replacing it 10 years to come. The bleachers of this practice field were entirely be replacing its summertime in order to address its safety and as well accessibility towards those that have some disabilities. The costs of these building was been covered through its reserve fund. Before the academic year have started, the bus loading zone was entirely been remodeled and its sidewalks were already been extended that created several parking towards its students. Trustees have talked on briefly in regards to the needs towards several common spaces on its school that includes places for students upon eating their lunch. Messinger stated that there is quite an interesting move in order to closed on their educational learning institutes that would entirely mean that students would not be able anymore allowed of leaving their lunch as what they have continually do now. Since, the mere fact that this current cafeteria and its common spaces would not be allowed towards closing their campus movement Messinger stated. With that, each month trustees would be hearing an educational facility assessment for one of their school districts buildings.