Other Issues

From graduation gifts to preventing teen suicide, this section provides information on a variety of topics affecting high school students. Learn what to do when your child is expelled, you need financial aid or you’re looking for a teaching job. Get expert advice on protecting your teen from substance abuse, finding the right high school and handling personal technology on campus.

View the most popular articles in Other Issues:

Volunteering at Your Children's Private School

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Volunteering at Your Children's Private School
This article emphasizes the importance of parental involvement in private schools, highlighting various ways parents can contribute to their child's educational experience. From joining the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to offering specialized skills, volunteering not only enhances the school community but also sets a positive example for children. The article explores opportunities such as classroom assistance, technology support, music and arts programs, alumni engagement, fundraising, and event coordination.

Private schools thrive on the active involvement of parents in various aspects of their children's educational experience.

  • These institutions greatly value the contributions of parents in creating a vibrant and supportive community.
  • Volunteering at your child's private school fosters a stronger connection with the institution.
  • It also sets an excellent example for your child.

As a parent who volunteered and supported my child's PTA, I'll share various ways you can get involved and make a meaningful impact on your children's educational journey.

Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA)

Most private schools have a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) that plays a crucial role in building a strong school community.

  • Joining the PTA provides parents with opportunities to participate in school-wide initiatives, fundraisers, and events.
  • These organizations often serve as a bridge between parents, teachers, and school administrators.
  • A well-organized, well-run PTA can also become one of your school's most effective marketing tools.
  • Satisfied parents talk and spread the word about the school, which means so much to them.

This video explains why it is important to be involved in your school's parent-teacher organization.

Classroom Assistance

Offering to assist in your child's classroom is an excellent way to get directly involved in their education.

  • Teachers often appreciate having volunteers to help with various tasks, such as reading with students, organizing materials, or supervising field trips.
  • By doing so, you can gain insights into your child's daily school
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Suicide Prevention: Caring For Our Young People

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Suicide Prevention: Caring For Our Young People
At last we have a dedicated phone number for suicide and crisis support. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is 988. More about it and suicide prevention here.

The nation got a new Suicide Hotline on July 16, 2022. All somebody has to do is dial 988 to speak with a trained counselor.

988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and is now active across the United States. When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary. Source: 988 * Suicide and Crisis Lifeline*

Before we discuss suicide in more detail, please print out the logo above and pin it to your kitchen noticeboard. Then, tell your children what 988 is and what it is used for, so they can help somebody in need the same way they do by knowing how and when to call 911.

This video explains how the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline number works.

Suicide: The Subject Nobody Wants To Talk About

Suicide knows no age limits. It is shocking and tragic no matter how or when it occurs. It scatters guilt widely as the friends and loved ones of the deceased wonder what they could have done to prevent somebody from taking her life. What subtle warning signs did

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How to Keep Teens Safe While Traveling Alone

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How to Keep Teens Safe While Traveling Alone
Most adults find traveling more complicated and challenging than it was pre-pandemic. We offer some suggestions for safe teen travel in these uncertain times.

Traveling in uncertain times is a challenge for most of us adults. So, imagine how many dangers, real and imagined, a young person will face when she travels alone.

Increased Anxiety

Teens may face heightened anxiety due to the uncertainty of travel conditions, such as changing health guidelines and travel restrictions.

Flight Cancellations and Disruptions

Flight cancellations and travel disruptions can be stressful for young travelers, requiring them to adapt quickly to new situations.

Be Streets Smart

Teens should be aware of their surroundings, avoid speaking to strangers, refrain from accepting items from unknown individuals, and maintain situational awareness to stay safe in unfamiliar places.

Technological and Digital Risks

With increased reliance on technology for travel, teens must also be aware of digital safety risks, such as online scams or data breaches, while traveling.

The young traveler

Whether you send your child off to visit her grandparents or send her back to school, you know she has to travel safely.

  • After all, you have experienced just about every situation and glitch you can imagine during your travels.
  • But remember that you were traveling as an adult.
  • You had the financial resources to book a hotel room the minute the airline canceled your flight, and your flight out was early the following morning.
  • You knew what to do to comply with TSA requirements as you made your way through airport security.

Most importantly, you were street-smart, aware of your surroundings, and ready with an

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A Guide To High School Issues

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A Guide To High School Issues
This hub page lists over three dozen articles dealing with issues in high school such as academics and discipline.

We have written these articles to help you and your children navigate the high school years in private school. We hope that you will find them helpful.

4 Best Studying Apps for Students and Teachers

4 Best Studying Apps for Students and Teachers
These apps are changing the game in education. Check out the 4 best studying apps for students and teachers.

5 Metrics For Choosing A College

5 Metrics For Choosing A College
Choosing a college is one of the rituals every family with a junior in private school needs to cope with. These five metrics will give you an overview of the process.

5 Things You Must Not Do With Personal Technology

5 Things You Must Not Do With Personal Technology
Young people take personal technology devices for granted. We parents and teachers must make them aware of how such devices are used in the real world.

5 Ways To Protect Your Child From Bullying

5 Ways To Protect Your Child From Bullying
Bullying lurks everywhere. Learn the warning signs and how to protect your child.

7 Ways to Improve Your Math Scores

7 Ways to Improve Your Math Scores
Add things up and you'll quickly find the answer- math is crucial both in academics and the real world. By following these strategies and following personal training programs, students can uncover their weaknesses and conquer math.

10 Things To Do Before You Graduate

10 Things To Do Before You Graduate
This is a very practical list

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School Safety

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School Safety
Seemingly never-ending school shootings prompted me to find out whether private schools were safer than public schools. Some answers and opinions on the matter here.

Wikipedia has a list of shootings which have occurred in our schools dating back to the 1840s. Sadly, most of the shootings in the past several decades since the mass shooting at Columbine High School have taken place in public schools. That led me to ask why private schools seem to have been spared these senseless killings.

Before we look at some of the reasons why shootings occur, let's find out what percentage of shootings occur in private vs. public schools. In Are Shootings More Likely to Occur in Public Schools? Corey A. Deangelis notes the following research:

"Hyewon Kim—a Cato Center for Educational Freedom Intern—compiled information on school shootings in the United States from 2000 to 2018 using the Tribune-Review database. The database is limited to legitimate school shootings; that is, shootings that occurred on or near a K-12 school campus while classes were in session or when students were present. The list also excluded suicide-only incidents."

"Hyewon found 134 school shootings from 2000 to 2018. Only eight of these occurred in private schools while 122 occurred in public schools. The type of school could not be definitively classified for 4 of the shootings. As shown in the figure below, about 94 percent of the shootings that could be classified occurred in public schools while only about 6 percent occurred in private schools."

This TEDTalk discusses how school shootings can be prevented.

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Recent Articles

Should Your Child Stay at the Same Private School K–12?
Should Your Child Stay at the Same Private School K–12?
Explore whether your child should attend the same private school from kindergarten through graduation, weighing academic continuity, friendships, changing needs, tuition costs, and opportunities at different educational stages.
When Your Child's Closest Friends Leave Private School
When Your Child's Closest Friends Leave Private School
Learn how to support your child when close friends leave private school, manage loneliness, maintain friendships, encourage new connections, recognize emotional challenges, and decide when additional school support is needed.
When Your Child Doesn't Connect With Their Teacher
When Your Child Doesn't Connect With Their Teacher
Discover when parents should intervene if their child struggles to connect with a private school teacher, including warning signs, communication strategies, classroom concerns, and practical steps toward improving relationships.

High School