We all love the Internet. We use it almost every day. But because we rely on the internet so heavily for school and professional work, we often fall victim to online threats unwittingly. Ensuring you and your children are up-to-date on best practices for web safety is imperative to the overall security of your family. Read on for just a few simple ways to help keep yourself - and your children - from getting in trouble while browsing online.

The resurgence of the sciences in curriculum, particularly at the elementary school level, has occurred under the banner of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math. Like nearly every other aspect of education, this is ever-evolving and, in recent years, has grown into STEAM by incorporating the arts.

Departmentalizing — or platooning — in schools means students change classrooms and share teachers who specialize in just a few areas. Sound familiar? It’s the way most middle and high schools have been structured for years. For elementary schools that have dropped the self-contained model to carefully embrace and implement this progressive concept for students as young as age 6, the benefits include increased classroom engagement, communication skills, student development and more. Here, we review six essential ways departmentalized education in elementary schools enhances learning for students and prepares them for the future:

The decision whether to go to a private or public school is a personal matter. Families choose to send their children to different types of schools for so many reasons — reputation, location, academic and extracurricular offerings, and cost, are just a few of the biggest. And, the decision is not only between public and private schools — charter schools and homeschooling are also popular options.

So, your child has a sore throat, a cough and a sniffle, but no fever. Should they stay home from school? If you send them, will they just be in the nurse’s office an hour later? Or, do you chance it in the hopes that they rally once they get in the groove of classes and the day’s schedule? What if they do have a fever? Is that a deal-breaker? You're probably asking yourself, "When is my child too sick for school?" 

When considering a private school for your child, cost is naturally a major factor in that decision. Next to academics and extracurriculars, tuition is often the deciding factor. There are many options to explore in affording private school, and there is no one-size fits all affordability plan.

Private school is an investment in your child’s education. Before eliminating a private school from your search, consider these five options for paying for your child’s tuition:

Let’s face it, middle school and high school can be a challenging time. You're trying to figure out who you are and how you fit into the world around you. While we strongly recommend boys and girls learn together during their younger, more impressionable years, going to an all-girls' school during middle and high school helps girls focus more on who they want to become and what their strengths are.

 Winter is coming and the temperature is dropping. In an effort to battle the cold weather blues, we've provided you with a list of our favorite things to do with children in the Summit, NJ area this winter. This list will be updated as we hear of more events throughout the season! Have an event you think should be included in our list? Email the details to communications@oakknoll.org for consideration.