Departments: Resources
Lessons From the Other Side

Researchers go on site visits to see what private schools can teach public schools—and come back with a surprising answer.

Can Public Schools Learn from Private Schools?

By Richard Rothstein, Martin Carnoy, and Luis Benveniste
Economic Policy Institute, 86 pp., $13.95, available at www.epinet.org.

Not so long ago, our public schools were considered engines of democracy and prosperity, churning out citizen-workers equipped with the “know-how” to build our great land.

Today, many commentators claim, our public schools’ chief product is failure. We must look to the private sector, they assert, for lessons on how to prepare the next generation.

Three researchers from the Economic Policy Institute recently set out to find those lessons by visiting 16 schools—public, charter, and private—with rich, middle-income, and poor students. They came back with an eye-opening report.

What can public schools learn from private schools? Their answer is, “Not much.” The researchers found several schools with practices worth emulating, but these schools were just as likely to be public as private.

In fact, the big differences the researchers found were not between public and private schools, but between rich and poor.

EPI tested several common generalizations about the supposed advantages of private schools. One is that private schools are responsive to parents, while public schools thumb their noses at parents.

What the EPI researchers found was that no schools, public or private, want to be accountable to parents for educational decisions.

Schools with high-income students, they discovered, spent considerable energy fending off interference from parents who wanted teachers to change the way they taught. One public school teacher said she got a letter a week from each of her children’s parents.

Private schools resisted interference by telling parents they were free to take their children elsewhere. Public schools just lived with it.

Schools with middle-income parents recruited them to help, by, for example, monitoring homework and limiting TV. Schools with low-income parents also tried to get parents to help, but were less successful—except for one diverse, urban school that put on a particularly vigorous outreach campaign.

Teachers at this school assigned homework that involved the whole family. The school hired parent coordinators. And it cooperated with a neighborhood center to offer child care and courses in parenting and literacy. This was a public school.

The school least receptive to parents was the only for-profit institution in the study. It served mostly middle-class children. The principal described the school’s philosophy as, “Leave them at the gate, we'll educate!”

This school featured a low-paid, inexperienced staff with 40 percent turnover.

The researchers also looked at how public and private school principals dealt with teachers who they felt were sub-par. In public schools, it was rare for an experienced teacher to be fired—and the researchers found this just as true in private schools.

“We found Catholic school procedures to be nearly as cumbersome and bureaucratic as those in public schools,” writes the EPI team.

As a result, Catholic school principals dealt with “unsatisfactory teachers” by either accepting the situation or engaging in subtle harassment and hoping the unsatisfactory teacher would resign.

This short book will help you talk with anyone who thinks that the private sector knows best. Instead of theorizing about how public and private schools might differ, these researchers walked through the school door to see for themselves.

That’s a model private school advocates could learn from.

Excerpt:
"At Tatuna Point, a neighborhood public elementary school in an affluent neighborhood of professionals and executives … parent questioning of school and classroom management has become so extensive that the school established an ombudsman team that organizes and researches parent complaints and publishes summaries in a weekly school bulletin. Complaints typically range from how much protein ... school lunch items contain ... to whether a teacher has progressed far enough in the social studies curriculum ... to whether fractions are properly sequenced in the arithmetic curriculum."

Books by NEA Members

Hawaiian History
Dr. Phil Barnes From the first human landfall through the sovereignty movement of the late 1990s, A Concise History of the Hawaiian Islands provides a close look at Hawaii’s past. Written in an informal style for older children, this book encourages a multicultural perspective in the classroom. $9.95 plus $2.50 s&h from Phil Barnes, RR2 Box 4756, Pahoa, HI 96778, 877/849-8986 or greenhi@interpac.net. On the Web at www.coconutlanding.com/concisehistory.html.

Math Adventures
Nancy Kelly Allen, illustrated by Adam Doyle Once Upon A Dime, A Math Adventure is a picture book for young children that tells the delightful story of a farmer who finds out that money really does grow on trees. $6.50 plus $3.50 s&h, from Charlesbridge Publishing, 85 Main St., Watertown, MA 02472. 617/926-0329.

30 Years by the Chalkboard
John B. Mollan A retired teacher reveals his often humorous thoughts and recollections about a life spent teaching in his new book, 30 Years by the Chalkboard, Some Irreverent Observations on Education. $9.95 plus $3 s&h, from Educational Passport Options Books, PMB 237, 11500 NE 76th St. A3, Vancouver, WA 98662, 360/892-1679, Fax 603/843-5540.

Free the Children!
Susan Fitzell Free the Children! Conflict Education for Strong and Peaceful Minds offers a unique approach to helping children break free from aggression and conflict. This book is designed for both educators and parents, with a focus on children grades pre-K through 12. $14.95 plus $4 s&h, from New Society Publishers, P.O. Box 189 Gabriola Island, B.C. Canada, V0R 1X0. 800/567-6772, Fax 250-247-7471. On the Web at www.newsociety.com/aut.html.

Reading Skill Builder
Bruce and Kathryn Howlett Phonemic Awareness for Sound Reading Success is an instructor’s manual and workbook package designed to help children build essential reading skills. The program uses our sense of speech perception to reach the source of reading difficulties. $16 plus $3 s&h, from ISRP Press, 379 Turkey Hill Road, Ithaca, NY 14850. 800/716-2887.

New from the NEA Professional Library

Classroom Assessment for Student Success
Richard J. Stiggins
NEA Professional Library. 57 pp., $5.95, #2071-5-00-WB

How do we test? Author Richard Stiggins shows you how to help your school use assessment to promote student achievement. Stiggins covers such topics as how to use the assessment process to inspire and energize students and also examines assessment literacy—how to collect reliable information that can help maximize achievement. His book also includes a professional development strategy to help educators fulfill their assessment responsibilities and improve their own assessment literacy.

For more information or to order, call 800/229-4200. To order on the Web, go to www.nea.org/books.

Excerpt
"We are becoming very sophisticated at weaving day-to-day classroom assessment into the teaching and learning process. For example, we can open up the assessment design and development processes and bring students in as full partners, thus turning assessments into powerfully focused and highly motivational learning experiences. We are poised to emerge from counterproductive assessment environments into an array of assessment applications that will be far more constructive for students."

TV Tips

KIDSNET, a national resource for children's media in Washington, DC, provides the TV Tips listings. For more information on children's shows, check out the KIDSNET Web site.

The ’70s
NBC, May. Check local listings. This miniseries explores the politics, pop culture, and music of the ‘70s through the lives of several friends who become closely involved with the major events and movements of the decade, including the National Guard confrontation at Kent State, the feminist movement and ERA, growing environmental awareness, the Watergate scandal, the drug culture, and race tensions. Visit www.nbc.com for more information.

Michael Palin’s Hemingway Adventure
PBS, Wednesdays, May 3-10, 9-11 pm, ET, check local listings. In this four-part documentary, comedian Michael Palin travels the world visiting locations that were special to Ernest Hemingway and informed his writing. Following the author’s adventurous lifestyle means investigating bullfights in Spain, a big game park in Kenya, World War I battlefields in Italy, and tiny apartments and cafés in Paris. Palin also goes marlin fishing in Cuba, visits several of Hemingway’s homes, and attends a Hemingway look-alike contest in Key West. Visit www.pbs.org for more information.

In Search of Law and Order: Reclaiming America’s Kids
PBS, Thursdays, May 11-25, 10-11 pm, ET, check local listings. This three-part series examines the juvenile justice system and its efficacy in promoting public safety. The programs deal with the scope and causes of youth crime, community-based alternatives to the juvenile justice system, and grassroots efforts that address the root causes of juvenile crime. Viewers hear from professionals working within the system, community members, and young offenders. Visit www.pbs.org/lawandorder for transcripts, community action suggestions, and other resources.

Sahara
PBS, Wednesday, May 24, 9-11 pm ET, check local listings. In this nature documentary, the Sahara region is shown to host a wide variety of life despite its harsh extremes of climate. The program showcases eagles, monitor lizards, foxes, leopards, and other creatures that are uniquely adapted to live in the desert’s searing heat, windstorms, and infrequent rainfall. See www.pbs.org for more information.

The Source: The Story of the Beat Generation
PBS, Wednesday, May 31, 9-10:30 pm, ET, check local listings. This documentary from the “American Masters” series traces the course of the Beat Generation from the meeting of Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs in the 1940s through the countercultural movements of the last 50 years. With special attention to the Beats’ influence on art, politics, and popular culture, the program features the music of the period, dramatized readings of important literature, and interviews with Ken Kesey, Norman Mailer, Jerry Garcia, and other cultural figures. See www.thirteen.org for more information.

Choose or Lose
MTV, through November 2000. This voter registration campaign from Music Television is a forum for young people to learn about and discuss the 2000 election. The Choose or Lose Web site offers investigative stories, a searchable database of the candidates’ speeches and debates, and features that allow participants to comment and vote on important issues. In addition, the site provides a schedule of primaries, caucuses, and conventions; transcripts of Choose or Lose news features on MTV; and links to candidate Web sites, news sources, and voting advocacy programs for youth.

Americanos: Latino Life in the United States
HBO, May, check local listings. This documentary airs as part of a multimedia project, led by actor and activist Edward James Olmos, to celebrate and increase awareness of the history and culture of the United States’ large Latino population. The documentary accompanies the Smithsonian photographic exhibition of the same name, a collection of 120 pictures of Latinos of all ages, from all walks of life, and from diverse backgrounds. The program will feature interviews with people from the photos as well as famous Latin-Americans, all of whom offer insight into the fastest-growing culture in the U.S. A companion book is available in stores.

My So-Called Life
Fox Family Channel, Fridays, 8-9 pm, ET. This acclaimed series centers on Angela Chase, an intelligent 15-year-old sophomore at Liberty High for whom adolescence is a series of trials. In addition to the demands of school and family, Angela must negotiate the crushes, rivalries, and pitfalls of her complicated social life while helping her friends through their experiences with drug abuse, violence, and depression. The series has been widely praised for its realistic depiction of contemporary families, lifestyles, and values. Visit www.mscl.com for episode descriptions, character profiles, and essays on the series.

Truth PSAs
Public service announcements on several networks. Presented as commercial parodies, these PSAs depict common products like soda, sneakers, and acne cream that turn out to be lethal. For a popular product to kill its users would be absurd, but as these PSAs point out, tobacco does just that. Truth, the non-profit organization that produces these commercials, offers a teen-oriented Web site using media and research to spread the truth about how tobacco companies work, their advertising and lobbying strategies, and their knowledge of tobacco’s health risks and addictive nature. The site lists numerous resources for getting involved, quitting smoking, and finding other anti-tobacco organizations. See www.thetruth.com for complete information.

The Futures Channel
This new digital content service from the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education offers direct access to educational video, sound, image, and print resources, including all of FASE Productions’ award-winning educational series. The digital format allows educators to preview and download Futures Channel programs for use in their own classrooms. Specializing in math and science curricula, the FASE and Futures Channel resources also include lesson plans and professional development materials for teachers. Visit www.futureschannel.com or www.fasenet.org for more complete information.

Announcements

Dow Jones Teacher Awards
National High School Journalism Teacher Awards Program. This annual competition identifies the National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year who acts as a spokesperson for scholastic journalism, as well as four Distinguished Advisers and several teachers cited as special recognition award winners.

The winning teacher will speak to the fall convention of the Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 18. In addition, a student at the high school of the Teacher of the Year will receive a $1,000 college scholarship to study news-editorial journalism. One student at each of the four Distinguished Advisers’ schools will receive $500 college scholarships. Application forms are available from the Newspaper Fund by writing to P.O. Box 300, Princeton, NJ 08543-0300, or by calling 609-452-2820. A form can be downloaded from the Teacher Programs section of the Fund’s Web site.

New Census Info
It’s your future, don’t leave it blank. Don’t be missed in this year’s Census. Censusnetwork.org is a new resource on the Census 2000 initiative that provides direct links to stakeholder organizations, information on the census undercount for states, cities, and other geographic areas, fact sheets, links to the Census Bureau, a Q&A section, and much more.

Operation Day’s Work
Jump-start your school’s community service activities with this student-run national program. Operation Day’s Work empowers young people to show the world that they can be leaders, educates them on global issues, and teaches them the importance of volunteerism. For one day in the spring, students work in their community to raise money to support education in a developing country. They also serve as national committee members, making policy decisions and urging support for the program. For more information call 202-712-4021.

New From Disney
Disney recently launched a new Web site specifically for educators. The Teaching Center offers hundreds of resources including subject-specific Internet tours with links to education Web sites, innovative lesson plans, activity-specific teaching strategies, and message board forums on a range of teaching topics. On the Web at www.DisneyLearning.org.

Scholarships for High Schoolers
Applications for the second annual Siemens Westinghouse Science & Technology Competition—a national science, math, and technology research contest for high school students—are now available online. The foundation will award more than $1 million in college scholarships and awards to students, including scholarships for all individual and team runners-up, both on the regional and state level. Apply by October 1, 2000.

Gates’ Grants for Education
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will provide more than $350 million over three years to education in the form of four grant programs. The State Challenge Grant for Leadership Development will provide more than $100 million to ensure that administrators across the nation have access to quality leadership development. For Educators in Washington State, Teacher Leadership Grants will be used to train teachers on using technology in the classroom and School Grants and District Grants will be used to improve teaching and learning as well as increase technology in the classroom. Twenty districts nationally will also be available for the $150 million in District Grants. For complete info and grant guidelines visit www.gatesfoundation.org.

Multimedia

Crossing Disciplines
Bridgestone Multimedia offers a wide range of videos and CD-Roms for use in the classroom. Instructional videos and CD-Roms cover reading, arithmetic, and writing for children ages 3 to 8, plus documentaries about dinosaurs as seen on the Learning Channel. Other videos for children, ages 6-13, document the lives of famous people: Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Jefferson, Winston Churchill, Marie Curie, Thomas Edison, Aristotle, and Leonardo da Vinci. Others feature familiar tales told by well-known personalities, including Angelica Huston (Rip Van Winkle), Danny Aiello (Pinocchio), John Candy (Stormalong), Nicholas Cage (Davy rockett), and Denzel Washington (John Henry). For information on prices and ordering, call 480/940-5777, ext. 7906 or fax to 480/940-4484.

Web Winners

Mostly Mars
This NASA Web module covers the discovery of molecules, including the first organic molecules thought to be of Martian origin and the nature of astromaterials. These topics then lead through the NASA Web site and related outside sources. There are also specific reference sources—including press releases, scientists’ biographies, photographs, and a galaxy of related material. On the Web at http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/marslife.

Dive In
Take a virtual plunge on Extreme 2000 Voyage to the Deep Web site. Climb aboard Alvin and learn about the ocean’s ecology, chemistry, and more!

KremlinKam
Live shots come through this engaging Web site from Moscow. Young students should enjoy seeing scenes from an unfamiliar country. Among the pictures: some of the most beautiful and historical buildings on Earth. See it on the Web at www.kremlinkam.com.

Cryptic Site
The National Security Agency has a history of intrigue dotted with all sorts of secret codes that are revealed in these 13 exhibits on its Web site. The subjects include the Black Chamber, Enigma, and Codetalkers. Here you’ll learn that George Washington, while never a codebreaker himself, recognized the value of military intelligence and used the secret arts—including codebreaking—during the American Revolutionary War. The main topics include the American Civil War, codebreaking in World War II, and entry into the supercomputer era. Truly an insight into the few places to view the secret world of cryptology.

All About Plastics
The American Plastics Council (APC) and the National Middle Level Science Teachers Association have joined forces on a new Web site, www.handsonplastics.com. The site incorporates most of the activities available in a plastics education kit that’s been used around the country. APC says the site is a resource for helping teachers answer some basic chemistry questions about plastics. A CD-ROM of the curriculum unit is also available. To order the materials needed to conduct classroom activities demonstrated on the Web site, call 1/800-243-5790 or fill out the order form that is available at the Web site.

All About America
All you need is a Web-connected computer to gain access to some of the great treasures of America’s history. The National Archives and Records Administration presents a virtual exhibit hall of documents and images.

On the Record
Turn your Web browser into an audio time machine. History and Politics Out Loud provides a searchable archive of politically significant audio materials. Includes speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr., and Watergate scandal recordings.

Space Out
Join the Apollo astronauts on the surface of the moon—virtually. You’ll find stunning 360-degree panoramas at this companion site to the PBS special that chronicles the untold science and engineering story of how we got there. (QuickTime plug-in required.)

Spy Letters
If you think there’s something novel about the Chinese government spying on the U.S., here’s a University of Michigan site that should add some historical perspective: Spy Letters of the American Revolution. The actual letters are reproduced in digital form, along with transcriptions.

Building
What do windmills, one-room schoolhouses, and the Golden Gate Bridge have in common? They’re part of an American Memory exhibit that documents achievements in architecture, engineering, and design in the USA.

Women’s History Museum
On the 150th anniversary of the first American women’s rights convention, the new National Museum of Women’s History offers an online tour of the political culture and imagery of American suffrage.

Building Math Skills
Figure This! Math Challenges for Families is a site designed to help students develop problem-solving math skills they need to succeed. Created specifically for middle-school students, the site was created in part by the Learning First Alliance, a group of 12 education organizations designed to improve public education, of which the NEA is a member.

Fun Learning
Fun school.com offers a large quantity of educational games and activities for teachers and students. Sponsored by the Family Education Network, this colorful site makes learning fun for children of all ages.

Online Art
Experience a cyberspace holographic art exhibition with this Web site. The artist uses resources found in the rainforest to create a holographic light forest. The site also contains information about holograms and a glossary that defines key terms.

Aussie Lessons
With the 2000 Olympic Games quickly approaching, don’t miss this opportunity to investigate the wonders of Australia. Two American world history high school teachers have designed four online lesson plans especially for secondary world history classes. The plans are also suggested for use in government, geography, environmental, or global issues classes.

Native American Culture
Bring your Native American culture lessons up to date with this online resource. Indianz.com features the latest news, entertainment guides, and Web links for Native Americans and those who are interested in learning more about them. You’ll also find information about specific tribes and civil rights.

A Quicker Cyber Search
If you’re looking for information on the Internet, get the most out of your time with www.baldey.com. With one click of a button you can use up to 10 search engines at once.

Monica the Monarch
This Byram, New Jersey, eighth grader not only loves monarch butterflies, she raises them… and her Web site shows you how to join the fun. Featured on USA Today’s Hot Web site list, this Web winner is used by over 50 schools nationwide and offers easy to understand directions for finding and raising a monarch butterfly, pictures included. Visitors of all ages can trace the life of a monarch from the caterpillar stage to its migration to Mexico where it dwells during the northern winter months.

Meet the Gorillas
Two gorillas, Koko and Michael, can understand English and communicate with sign language. See them up-close, learn about the interspecies communication project and how to protect and preserve gorillas in the wild on this Web site.

Wacky Science Experiments
Spice up your classroom science class with this museum of classical home science experiments that can be searched by category and alphabetically online. Teach students how to make clouds in a bottle, the mystery behind dancing raisins, and much more.

Web Chess
Everything you wanted to know about chess in one easy to use site. Play with chess masters from around the world, chat about the latest competition winners, and keep up to date with upcoming events. On the Web at www.kasparovchess.com.

OED Online
Touted as the most comprehensive informational source on the English language, the Oxford English Dictionary Online accesses the full text of the 20-volume 2nd edition, as well as three volumes of additions. New entries are added quarterly, including modern slang and specialized terms.

Free or Inexpensive

High School Science
Secondary teachers throughout the U.S. are being mailed a free new physical science unit centered on energy. Energy Transformations in an Automobile includes a 15-minute video, with a 20-page teacher’s guide that presents activities to help students understand the first law of thermodynamics, the conversion of energy, and the transformation of energy from one form to another. If you are a science department chair and have not received your copy, call the National Foundation for Energy Education (NFEE) at 888/860-1222.

Nature Discoveries
Children ages 4-12 will discover the magical world of the butterfly life cycle with Monarch Magic! Butterfly Activities and Nature Discoveries. This colorful book features concise facts about caterpillars and butterflies, along with activity suggestions. It also comes with a free teacher’s guide. $12.95 plus $3.20 s&h, from Williamson Publishing Company, Church Hill Rd., P.O. Box 185, Charlotte, VT 05445. 800/234-8791. On the Web at www.williamsonbooks.com.

ERIC Resources
The Educational Resources Information Center offers many free resources for teachers. For ERIC’s latest annual report or a free pocket guide to the organization, call 800/LET-ERIC (538-3742). ERIC also offers a free Internet-based service that provides education information to educators and parents including lesson plans, info guides, education listserv archives, and more. On the Web at www.askeric.org.

Creative Classrooms
Creativity in the Classroom: An Exploration is the first volume of a new teaching guide and professional development program from the Disney Learning Partnership. The free 45-minute video and educator’s guide demonstrates a wide range of practices employed by teachers today and helps teachers begin a dialogue about creativity in the classroom. For your copy, write to Creativity in the Classroom c/o Disney Learning Partnership, 500 Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521. Include a brief outline of plans for use on school letterhead. On the Web at www.DisneyLearning.org.

Navajo Culture News
Learn the latest Navajo news, from the Rough Rock Community School and the Arizona Community Foundation, via a monthly newspaper about Native Americans called Navajo Culture Today. Subscriptions are available at $12 per year (10 issues). For school bulk sales, contact 520/728-3508 or 520/728-3590. Navajo Culture Today, Rough Rock TP#PTT, HC61 Box 1480, Chinle, AZ 86503.

High School Social Studies
Social studies teachers, are you looking for a free catalog for low-cost books and videotapes? Your search will end when you discover this brochure featuring books on social studies issues past and present. From Close Up Publishing, Dept. R40, 44 Canal Center Plaza, Alexandria, VA 222314-1592, 800/765-1313. On the Web at www.closeup.org.

Awesome Experiments
The black-and-white illustrations are clever, the experiments varied, in a new book from Michael DiSpezio, a prolific science writer. Awesome Experiments in Electricity & Magnetism is a practical and fun book. $7.95 from bookstores.

Glorious Glue
Learn how to incorporate shape, form, texture, and color into great gluey artworks with this resource for all ages. Each project gives trash a new life by using environmentally safe materials, including string and old newspaper for printmaking, collage, and sculpting. This book offers information on evaluating completed works, and also provides a helpful glossary of definitions to guide new artists. $17.95 plus $3.95 s&h, from J. Weston Walch, Publisher, P.O. Box 658, Portland, ME 04104, 800/341-6094. On the Web at www.walch.com.

Understanding The World
The State of the World Atlas provides a unique visual survey of the economic, political, and social trends of the world as it enters the 21st century. Topics such as information technology, international trade, and war and peace are easily understandable through this book’s full-color maps and graphics. $17.95 plus $2.75 s&h, from Penguin Putnam, Inc., P.O. Box 12289 Newark, NJ 07101 800/788-6262.

Central American Children Speak
This video and study guide duo is designed to help children gain a basic understanding of one another. Stories of Nicaraguan and Guate-malan children express the mutual concerns of all children, including family, play, education, work, and safety to teach young students that they are all members of the same human family. This learning resource, designed for grades 4-12 and adults, includes activities, stories, and background information for educators. $60 plus $5 s&h, from Resource Center of The Americas, 3019 Minnehaha Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55406, 612/276-0801, fax 612/276-0898. On the Web at bookstore@americas.org.

Educators As Learners
This book offers a theoretical framework and practical guidance for renewing the capacity of schools to produce positive results for all children. Described as, “nothing less than a lesson plan for building a learning community,” this book presents lively case studies and activities that show how to build a professional development model that supports educators and families in learning and growing together. (Product no. 100005) $23.95 plus $5 s&h, from ASCD, 1703 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria, VA 22311, 800/933-2723.

Great Beginnings
Thirty-five-year veteran teacher Ira Hayes presents this collection of essays for English language arts teachers, and the people who mentor them.

It offers practical advice on subjects ranging from evaluating student writing to creating support systems for beginning teachers. In this book, teachers share their stories of good beginnings to help others become teachers with a “Capital T.” $25.95 plus $2 s&h, from NCTE, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL, 61801-1096, Email: orders@ncte.org.877/369-6283

The Human Body
101 Things Every Kid Should Know About the Human Body introduces students to the wondrous workings of the human body through 101 basic concepts. This book is a tool to educate middle school through high school students about cells, body systems, and more. $ 9.95 plus $5 s&h, from NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group 4255 West Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1975. 847/679-5500. Fax 847/679-2494.

SAT Words
A strong vocabulary is key to success on the SAT and PSAT tests. SAT Word Flash features vocabulary lessons with 360 words, quizzes to test word knowledge, and a useful index to all of the words in the book. $7.95 plus $3 s&h, from Peterson’s, Princeton Pike Corporate Center, 2000 Lenox Dr., Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. 609/896-1800. Fax 609/ 896-4531. On the Web at www.petersons.com.

Build Character
Character Education Connections for School, Home and Community is a guide for integrating character education into grades pre-k through 12. The book will assist with creating messages for youth that foster thoughtful actions and build a home-school-community partnership. $39.95 plus $4.50 s&h, from National Professional Resources, Inc., 25 South Regent St., Port Chester, NY 10573 800/453-7461 Fax: 914/937-9327. On the Web at www.nprinc.com.

Diversity Calendar

January, 2001
Epiphany, January 6
Epiphany, also called the Twelfth Day, is celebrated 12 days after Christmas. Epiphany means “dawning of light” and commemorates the visit of the three wise men to the baby Jesus, who would later become Jesus Christ, the Christian’s savior. Epiphany is generally noted in American Christian services, and is celebrated widely in Mexico and Latin-American countries.

Japanese New Year, December 29-January 3
Japanese New Year, also known as Shogatsu or Ganjitsu, is celebrated by many businesses in Japan from December 29 through January 3. At this time, many visit shrines to pray for good fortune and health to come, and Buddhist prayer bells ring out 108 times. The observance of Shogatsu is the most significant and elaborate event in Japan.

February — Black History Month
Race Relations Day, February 14
Race Relations Day is a U.S. Protestant holiday started in 1924 to encourage understanding among all races.

Abu Simbel Festival, February 22
Abu Simbel Festival in Egypt celebrates the two days of the year (the other being October 22) on which the light of the rising sun can reach the 180-foot-deep innermost chambers of Abu Simbel, the great temple of Ramses II.

Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week, February 20-27
Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week is sponsored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. The objective of this week is to promote justice, understanding, and cooperation among Protestants, Catholics, and Jews, as well as tolerance of all faiths.

March – National Women’s History Month
Carnival, March 4
Carnival is an age-old festival celebrated in several countries including Brazil, Canada, and parts of the U.S., and Portugal. The entire period from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday for Christians is called Carnival and culminates in Mardi Gras. It features much merriment and self-indulgence; businesses often shut down and streets are filled with people celebrating.

International Working Women’s Day, March 8
International Working Women’s Day commemorates an 1857 revolt of American women in New York City protesting conditions in the textile and garment industries. In 1910, the International Conference of Women met in Helsinki, Finland, and established this date as an opportunity to acknowledge the contribution made by women.