The Gainesville Sun's Back to School Tab

FREEKIDSLENSES

*Must be under 18 years of age. Glasses must be purchased as a complete pair. Current valid RX required.Single Vision Polycarbonate Aspheric Lenses only. Upgrades and additional options or lens powers over +or -4.00 sphere and -2.00 cylinder available for additional charge. Excludes Maui Jim and Oakley Suns.Cannot be combined with any other sales offer, discount, or insurance. See store for complete details.

Expires 08/31/2015

Oaks Mall • GainesvillellelleOOOaks Mall • GainesvilOaks Mall • Gainesvil

352.331.6321

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GAINESVILLEY O U T HCHORUS, INC

For children ages 8 - 18Glen Springs Elementary School

Thursday, August 27, 20154:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Call Deborah DesForges for appointment 352-256-7283Or visit gainesvilleyouthchorus.com for more information

A U D I T I O N S

S I N G A L L Y E A R INDEX4

WHAT’S NEW: School district changes this year

5REGISTRATION 101: A list of the most commonly

asked questions about registering a child for school

12WHAT’S COOL FOR BACK TO SCHOOL?:

A fresh look at the gear

Public school contacts ........ 6Back to school rally, Free fl u mist immunizations ............. 7Who to call .......................... 8

Bus & lunch information ..... 9School listings.................9-11Shopping tips ...............14-15Lunch tips .....................17-18

AUGUSTMonday, Aug. 17

– Friday, Aug. 21: Pre-planning for teachersMonday, Aug. 24: First day

for students

SEPTEMBERMonday, Sept. 7: Holiday

– Labor DayTuesday, Sept. 29: Send

interim reports home

OCTOBERTuesday, Oct. 27: End of

fi rst nine weeksFriday, Oct. 30: Pupil

holiday / teacher workday

NOVEMBERFriday, Nov. 6: Holiday –

UF HomecomingTuesday, Nov. 10: Send

report cards homeWednesday, Nov. 11:

Holiday – Veterans DayMonday, Nov. 23 –

Wednesday, Nov. 25: Pupil/teacher holidaysThursday, Nov.

26 – Friday, Nov. 27: Thanksgiving holidays

DECEMBERFriday, Dec. 11: Send

interim reports homeMonday, Dec. 21 – Friday,

Jan. 1: Winter holidays

JANUARYMonday, Jan. 4: Classes

resumeMonday, Jan. 18: Holiday

– MLK DayFriday, Jan. 22: End of fi rst

semesterMonday, Jan. 25: Pupil

holiday / teacher workdayTuesday, Jan. 26: Begin

second semester

FEBRUARYThursday, Feb. 4: Send

report cards homeMonday, Feb. 15: Holiday

– Presidents Day

MARCHWednesday, March 2:

Send interim reports home

Monday, March 21 – Friday, March 25: Spring holidays

APRILTuesday, April 5: End of

third nine weeksFriday, April 8: Pupil

holiday / teacher workdayThursday, April 14: Send

report cards home

MAYThursday, May 12: Send

interim reports homeMonday, May 30: Holiday

– Memorial Day

JUNEThursday, June 9: Last day

for studentsFriday, June 10: Post-

planning for teachersMonday, June 13: Post-

planning for teachers*These days MAY be used to make

up days cancelled due to hurricanes or other emergencies. For the 2015-2016 calendar, they will be used in the following order: Oct. 30, Jan. 25, June 10

ALACHUA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2015-2016 CALENDAR

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLSAlachua Elementary: Aug. 15, 1-2 p.m.Archer Elementary: Aug. 15, 12:30-1:30 p.m.Chiles Elementary: Aug. 15, noon-1 p.m.Duval Elementary: Aug. 15, noon-1 p.m.Finley Elementary: Aug. 15, 1-2 p.m.Foster Elementary: Aug. 15, noon-2 p.m.Glen Springs Elementary: Aug. 15, noon-1 p.m.Hidden Oak Elementary: Aug 14, noon-1:30 p.m. (K); Aug. 15, noon-1:30 p.m. (grades 1-5)High Springs Community: Aug. 15, noon-2 p.m.Idylwild Elementary: Aug. 15, noon-1 p.m.Irby Elementary: Aug. 15, noon-1 p.m.Lake Forest Elementary: Aug. 15, 1:30-2:30 p.m.Littlewood Elementary: Aug. 15, 1-2 p.m.Meadowbrook Elementary: Aug. 15, noon-1 p.m.Metcalfe Elementary: Aug. 15, noon.-1 p.m.

Newberry Elementary: Aug. 15, 1:30-2:30 p.m.Norton Elementary: Aug. 15, noon-1:30 p.m.Rawlings Elementary: Aug. 14, 1-3 p.m.Shell Elementary: Aug. 15, noon-1 p.m.Talbot Elementary: Aug. 15, noon-1 p.m.Terwilliger Elementary: Aug. 15, noon-1 p.m.Waldo Community: Aug. 15, noon-1 p.m.Wiles Elementary: Aug. 15, noon-1 p.m.Williams Elementary: Aug. 15, 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

MIDDLE SCHOOLSBishop Middle: Aug. 14, 1-2:30 p.m.Fort Clarke Middle: Aug. 14, 1-2 p.m.Kanapaha Middle: Aug. 14, 1-2 p.m.Lincoln Middle: Aug. 14, 10-11 a.m.Mebane Middle: Aug. 15, 11 a.m.-noonOak View Middle: Aug. 14, 1-2 p.m.CAAT Magnet Program: Aug. 12, 5 p.m. (eighth grade); 5:30

p.m. (seventh grade); 6 p.m. (sixth grade) Westwood Middle: Aug. 14, 2-4 p.m.

HIGH SCHOOLSBuchholz High: Aug. 14, 9-3 p.m. (freshmen and new students)Eastside High: Date TBA; Class schedules can be picked up from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on the following dates: Aug. 11 (ninth grade), Aug. 14 (10th grade), Aug. 13 (11th grade) and Aug. 12 (12th grade).Gainesville High: Aug. 14, 9 a.m.-noon (freshmen)Hawthorne Middle/High: Aug. 15, 1-2 p.m.Professional Academies Magnet at Loften High: Aug. 14, 9-11 a.m. (freshmen)Newberry High: Aug. 14, 7 p.m. (freshmen and new students) Santa Fe High: Aug. 15, 9 a.m. (freshmen and new students)

CENTERSA. Quinn Jones Center: Aug. 15, 11 a.m.-noonHorizon Center: Aug. 13, 8:30-11 a.m.Sidney Lanier Center: TBA

MEET YOUR TEACHER AND/OR TEAM

2 | SUNDAY , JULY 26 , 2015 BACK TO SCHOOL THE GAINESVILLE SUN | www.gainesville.com

GainesvilleCOUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

6801 SW 24th Ave352.332.7783

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www.gainesville.com | THE GAINESVILLE SUN BACK TO SCHOOL SUNDAY , JULY 26 , 2015 | 3

What will be diff erent this school year?By Erin JesterStaff writer

A new school year always brings changes, but the local school district

has undergone some sig-nifi cant shifts since this time last year.

Many of the changes were engineered by Owen Roberts, who assumed the role of superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools in July 2014.

Here’s what parents and students can expect to be different when the new school year begins on Aug. 24:

Fewer schoolsAlachua County will

have three fewer public schools than last year.

Roberts announced a plan in the spring to close Waldo Community School and Duval Elementary, citing low academic performance and the high cost of keeping small schools open.

Instead, he said, combin-ing some local schools could improve student learning.

The plan was approved by the School Board in May.

Horizon Center has also closed, and students will be shifted to A. Quinn Jones Center, with a few students from A. Quinn Jones moving over to Sidney Lanier Center.

Most students who attended Waldo Commu-nity School last year will be bused to Shell Elemen-tary in Hawthorne, though students who live in the Fairbanks area will be rezoned to Lake Forest Elementary.

First- through fi fth-grade students who would’ve attended Duval this year will instead go to Rawlings

Elementary. Duval will reopen as a dedicated early learning center, catering to Head Start, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students.

Rawlings will be the new location of the fi ne arts magnet program that was formerly housed at Duval Elementary.

Shell Elementary will offer a school-wide leadership development program called “7 Habits of Happy Kids” that was a hallmark of education at Waldo Community School.

Shell fourth- and fi fth-graders will also be able to take home laptops throughout the school year, and second- and third-graders will have access to the laptops during school hours.

New programsThe Academy of Future

Teachers debuts at Gainesville High School this fall.

The school’s second magnet program will start off the year with about 60 freshmen, who will take one survey course of teaching every year, with a different theme each year.

Director Carolyn Ellis said students will earn a CPR certifi cation, learn the history of public education, uses for educational technology, presentation styles, public speaking, classroom management and “all of the basic framework for what goes into being an excellent educator.”

Students will complete a brief internship in their junior year and a longer placement in their senior year, during which they’ll both observe and work alongside other Alachua County Public School

teachers.■ ■ ■

After a hiatus of many years, choral programs will return to Alachua County middle schools this fall. Lincoln, Bishop, Westwood, Fort Clarke and Mebane middle schools will have regular chorus classes during the school day, fi ne arts specialist Dustin Adams said.

Lincoln and Bishop will share a chorus teacher, as will Westwood and Fort Clarke, until the program gets off the ground.

Mebane will continue with its band program but the band director will now teach chorus, as well, Adams said.

Roberts noticed when he fi rst came to Alachua County, there weren’t many opportunities for

students to sing, and he has pushed for the program since his fi rst days in offi ce.

“We haven’t had middle school chorus in the district for quite some time,” Adams said. “So that’s what we did.”

■ ■ ■Alachua County Public

Schools will be the fi rst school district in the country to begin imple-mentation of robotics classes in every school during the school day.

The district is working with California-based VEX Robotics to put two types of robotics pro-grams in local schools.

In the fall, eight elemen-tary schools and four middle schools will get robotics instruction during the regular school day: Idylwild, Lake Forest,

Metcalfe, Norton, Rawl-ings, Terwilliger, Shell and Williams elementary schools and Bishop, Hawthorne, Lincoln and Mebane middle schools.

Fort Clarke, Kanapaha, Oak View and Westwood middle schools and High Springs Community School will start this year with an after-school robotics program, also through VEX.

Jessica Mead, K-12 science curriculum specialist, said the elemen-tary schools will be working with the VEX IQ program and the middle schools will work with VEX EDR robotics, which are “just a little more advanced.”

In fall 2016, all Alachua County elementary and middle school students will have the opportunity

to receive robotics instruction during the day.

Mead said high school programs, which will start next year, may be a hybrid of in-school and after-school robotics training.

The robotics programs, another Roberts initiative, focus on projects-based learning — working as a team and communicating, and building robots from day one, Mead said.

No new teachers were hired for the programs, but fi fth-grade teachers and middle school technol-ogy and science teachers are being trained to teach the classes.

“We are the fi rst district in the nation that’s implementing this, on this scale, during the school day,” Mead said. “There are some eyes on how we’re doing this.”

ERICA BROUGH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/FILE

Superintendent Owen Roberts, right, eats with students on the fi rst day of school at Metcalfe Elementary School in 2014.


OPEN HOUSECameron’sDancenter

Performances by the Danscompany -Classes begin Sept 8th

Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Modern, Contemporary, all male

classes, Dance Styles, and Dance Fitness/Kids

Tuesday August 18th

4:00-6:30PMat 5003 NW 34th Blvd., Ste.120, Gainesville

Wednesday August 19th

4:00-6:30PMat our Haile location

5211SW 91st Ter # A, Gainesville371-0761

Taking Fall Registration!

Face PaintingNail PaintingRefreshmentsMeet the TeachersExplore the Studios

Registration 101: What parents need to knowF

or students new to Alachua County, including incoming kindergarteners, and

those who have moved or will be moving to a new school zone during the summer, registration is a crucial part of preparing for the fi rst day of school.

Rather than waiting until Aug. 24 — Alachua County’s fi rst day of the 2015-2016 school year — school offi cials are encouraging parents to beat the rush and register students during the summer. The registration process, which only takes a few minutes if prepared, can be completed Mon-days through Thursdays at a student’s zoned school.

“It’s much more conve-nient for parents to register well before school starts,” said Jackie Johnson, public informa-tion offi cer for the Alachua

County School Board. “They avoid the long lines and long waits that occur just before school starts, and they have time to take care of any requirements they haven’t yet fulfi lled.”

When parents wait until the last minute or even after the fi rst day of school to register, schools struggle to prepare classes and plan for any special services that may be needed, Johnson added. Registering during the summer helps schools and students avoid any uncertainty that could disrupt the classroom on the fi rst day of school.

Here is a list of the most commonly asked ques-tions regarding register-ing a child for school. For

more information, visit www.sbac.edu.

AT WHAT AGE DO I REGISTER MY CHILD FOR KINDERGARTEN?

A child must be 5 years ■

old by Sept. 1 to enter kindergarten.

WHICH SCHOOL IS MY CHILD ZONED FOR?

To determine the name ■

and address of the school your child is zoned for, contact the School Board of Alachua County Zoning Offi ce at 955-7700 or visit www.sbac.edu.

WHEN SHOULD I REGISTER MY CHILD?

You can enroll your ■

child by visiting his or her zoned school during regular hours or making

an appointment. For a complete list of Alachua County schools and centers, visit www.sbac.edu.

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TRANSFERING MY CHILD TO A NEW SCHOOL?

Documents such as ■

withdrawal forms, standardized test scores and recent report cards will help the school place your child appropriately. If you don’t have these items, provide the school with the name and address of your child’s previous school so that the neces-sary information can be obtained.

WHAT DOCUMENTS DO I NEED TO BRING?TWO PROOFS OF RESIDENCE:

Examples include a rental or lease agreement, utility bill, deed, sales agreement or property tax bill.HEALTH RECORDS: All kinder-garteners must have an offi cial physical showing physician’s review of all systems within the year before school starts. A Department of Health Form 680 (immunization record) also is required.PROOF OF NAME AND AGE: A certifi ed copy of a birth certifi cate or an accept-able substitute is required to enter kindergarten. Acceptable substitutes include a baptismal certifi cate showing date of birth and place of baptism (accompanied by a parent’s sworn affi davit), an insurance policy which

has been in force at least two years, a Bible record of your child’s birth (accompanied by a parent’s sworn affi davit), a passport or certifi cate of arrival in the United States showing the child’s age, a school record (at least four years prior and showing date of birth) or a parent’s sworn affi davit accompa-nied by a certifi cate of examination.SCHOOL RECORDS: Items such as withdrawal forms, standardized test scores and recent report cards help the school place your child appropriately.SOCIAL SECURITY CARD: A copy will be made and kept with your child’s folder for identifi cation purposes.

Babies to Second Grade . . .The Academy provides an

atmosphere of love, respect, and

acceptance in which each child

can develop socially, emotionally,

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Creating a generation that loves the Lord and walks with integrity.

For more information contact:Dr. Suzana Sargent, Director

[email protected]

• Ages 8WeeksTo 2nd Grade

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Main School Board: 955-7300; district website: www.sbac.edu(All area codes are 352

unless otherwise noted.)

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLSAlachua (3-5): 386-462-

1841; 13800 NW 152nd Place, Alachua; Eva CopelandArcher (pre-K-5): 495-

2111; 14533 SW 170th St., Archer; Cory TomlinsonChiles, Lawton (pre-K-5):

333-2825; 2525 Schoolhouse Road, Gainesville; Valerie FreemanFinley, J.J. (K-5): 955-

6705; 1912 NW Fifth Ave., Gainesville; Kathleen ValdesFoster, Stephen (K-5):

955-6706; 3800 NW Sixth St., Gainesville; Lisa PetersonGlen Springs (K-5): 955-

6708; 2826 NW 31st Ave., Gainesville; Jacqueline Jones

Hidden Oak (pre-K-5): 333-2801; 2100 Fort Clarke Blvd., Gainesville; Ron KnowlesHigh Springs Community

(K-8): 386-454-1958; 1015 N. Main St., High Springs; Lynn McNeillIdylwild (K-5): 955-6709;

4601 SW 20th Terrace, Gainesville; Wanza WakeleyIrby, W.W. (pre-K-2): 386-

462-5002; 13505 NW 140th St., Alachua; Valdenora FortnerLake Forest (pre-K-5):

955-6710; 4401 SE Fourth Ave., Gainesville; Lacy ReddLittlewood (pre-K-5):

955-6712; 812 NW 34th St., Gainesville; Tonya FutchMeadowbrook (K-5): 333-

2828; 11525 NW 39th Ave., Gainesville; Brad BurklewMetcalfe, W.A. (pre-K-5):

955-6713; 1250 NE 18th Ave,

Gainesville; Jim KuhnNewberry (pre-K-4): 472-

1100; 25705 SW 15th Ave., Newberry; Beth PearlmanNorton, C.W. (K-5): 955-

6765; 2200 NW 45th Ave., Gainesville; Kim NealRawlings, M.K. (pre-K-5):

955-6715; 3500 NE 15th St., Gainesville; Daniel BurneyShell, Chester (K-5):

481-1901; 21633 SE 65th Ave., Hawthorne; Holly BurtonTalbot, William S.

(pre-K-5): 955-6716; 5701 NW 43rd St., Gainesville; Nannette DellTerwilliger, Myra

(pre-K-5): 955-6717; 301 NW 62nd St., Gainesville; Pat PhillipsWiles, Kimball (K-5):

955-6955; 4601 SW 75th St., Gainesville; Barbara BuysWilliams, Joseph (K-5):

955-6719; 1245 SE Seventh Ave., Gainesville; Karla Hutchinson

MIDDLE SCHOOLS(ALL 6-8 UNLESS NOTED)Bishop, Howard W.:

955-6701; 1901 NE Ninth St., Gainesville; Mike GambleFort Clarke: 333-2800;

9301 NW 23rd Ave., Gainesville; Donna KidwellHawthorne (6-12):

481-1900; 21403 SE 69th Ave., Hawthorne; Libby HartwellHigh Springs Community

(K-8): 386-454-1958; 1015 N Main St., High Springs; Lynn McNeillKanapaha: 955-6960; 5005

SW 75th St., Gainesville; Sherry EstesLincoln, Abraham:

955-6711; 1001 SE 12th St., Gainesville; Don LewisMebane, A.L.: 386-462-

1648; 16401 NW 140th St., Alachua; Manda Bessner

Oak View: 472-1102; 1203 SW 250th St., Newberry; Katherine MunnWestwood: 955-6718; 3215

NW 15th Ave., Gainesville; James TenBieg

HIGH SCHOOLS(ALL 9-12 UNLESS NOTED)Buchholz, F.W.: 955-

6702; 5510 NW 27th Ave., Gainesville; Vicente PerezEastside: 955- 6704; 1201

SE 43rd St., Gainesville; Jeff CharbonnetGainesville: 955-6707;

1900 NW 13th St., Gainesville; David ShelnuttHawthorne (6-12): 481-

1900; 21403 SE 69th Ave., Hawthorne; Libby HartwellLoften (pre-K/6-12): 955-

6839; 3000 E. University Ave., Gainesville: Bill McElroyNewberry: 472-1101; 400

SW 258th St., Newberry; Kevin PurvisSanta Fe: 386-462-1125;

16213 NW U.S. 441, Alachua; Beth LeClear

CENTERSA. Quinn Jones: 955-6840;

1108 NW Seventh Ave., Gainesville; Daniel FergusonCamp Crystal Lake: 1-855-

651-2267; 6724 Camp Crystal Road, Starke; Scott BurtonEarly Learning Academy

@ Duval (Head Start-K): 955-6703; 2106 NE Eighth Ave., Gainesville; Judy BlackFearnside Family

Services: 955-6875; 3600 NE 15th St., Gainesville; Ann CrowellPrairie View Academy:

955-6714; 1700 SE 35th Ave., Gainesville; Ann CrowellRegional Detention

Center: 955-7895; 3440 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville; Madelyn VallerySidney Lanier: 955-6841;

312 NW 16th Ave., Gainesville; Royce G. KammanTraffi c Safety Center:

955-6959; 3501 NE 12th St., Gainesville; Scott Pritchett

PUBLIC SCHOOL CONTACTS Alachua County School BoardDISTRICT 1

April M. Griffi n620 E. University Ave.,Gainesville,

32601 (333-3113)Email: griffi [email protected]

DISTRICT 2Eileen F. Roy620 E. University Ave.,Gainesville, 32601 (372-

7305)Email: [email protected]

DISTRICT 3Gunnar F. Paulson, Ed.D.620 E. University Ave.,

Gainesville, 32601 (378-5741)Email: [email protected]

DISTRICT 4Leanetta McNealy, Ph.D.620 E. University Ave.,

Gainesville, 32601 (373-9472)Email: [email protected]

DISTRICT 5Rob Hyatt620 E. University Ave.,Gainesville, 32601 (378-

9903)Email: [email protected]

SUPERINTENDENTDr. Owen A. Roberts, Ph.D.620 E. University Ave.,Gainesville,

32601 (955-7880)Email: [email protected]

To email all board members: ■

[email protected]


www.stpatrickschoolgnv.orgFor more information or

to schedule a tour,please call (352) 376-9878

Enriching students lives from 3years old to 8th grade.

Dynamic and challenging mathand science programs.

Highly competitive sportsprograms that include soccer,volleyball, basketball and more.

Scholarships includeMcKay,Step up for Students and VPK.

Faith based classrooms fora safe, comfortable learningenvironment.

After school program withhomework assistance.

Technologically advancedlessons.

Culturally diverse campus.

Truly a home away from home.

TheGenerationsofTomorrow

St. PatrickInterparish SchoolReligion | Respect | Responsibility

The annual Stop the Violence/Back to School Rally will help students and parents kick off the school year on a positive note from 10

a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 8.The event, hosted by People Against

Violence Enterprises (PAVE), takes place at the Santa Fe College Gymnasium where families will have access to important information about preventing

violence in their neighborhoods, homes and school.

The theme for 2015 is “What’s the Matter? RESPECT.”

A keynote speaker hasn’t been announced yet.

The Alachua County Health Department will be administering free immunizations during the rally.

Backpacks, notebooksand a winning attitude

The free Alachua County Schools FluMist immunization program, which is supported by the University of Florida College of Medicine and the Alachua County Health Department, will be available to children again this school year.

Parent are encouraged to protect their children from the fl u by signing up

their pre-K through 12th-grade student for FluMist, a safe, gentle and highly effective nasal spray. Studies show that immunizing children can help prevent fl u in families and the commu-nity.

Information and consent forms will be sent home with students during the fi rst two weeks of school.

The vaccine will be administered at local schools in October and November. Children with chronic health conditions, such as asthma, should get a fl u shot from their health care provider.

For more information, call the Health Depart-ment at 334-7950.

Prepare for fl u season with free Alachua County FluMist program

FILE PHTOTO

Kids get backpacks with school supplies during the 2014 Back to School Stop the Violence Rally held at the Santa Fe College gym.


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WHO TO CALL FOR ...Department Administrator Telephone / FaxAdult Education / GED Charley Wise, Supervisor 352-955-7035

Board Agenda Information Rose Ramos, Secretary to the Superintendent 352-955-7880; Fax: 352-955-7255

Career & Technical Education Bill McElroy, Director 352-955-6847

Communications and Community Initiatives Jackie Johnson, Director 352-955-7545; Fax: 352-955-6700

Concurrency Vicki McGrath, Community Planning

352-955-7400, ext. 1423; Fax: 352-955-6898

Curriculum/Instructional Services/Student Support

Karen Clarke, Assistant Superintendent 352-955-7444; Fax: 352-955-7664

Curriculum - Elementary & Secondary Donna Jones, Director 352-955-7444; Fax: 352-955-7664

Directory Assistance Connie Brower 352-955-7300Early Childhood Education Doris Imler, Supervisor 352-955-7628Equity Offi ce Will Calsam, Coordinator 352.-955-7713; Fax: 352-955-7574Education Foundation Judy Boles, Executive Director 352-955-7250, ext. 224Exceptional Student Education Kathy Black, Executive Director 352-955-7671 ext. 1608

Extended Day Enrichment Program (EDEP) Angel Londrie, Coordinator 352-955-7766

Facilities, Maintenance, Planning & Construction

Shane Andrew, Executive Director 352-955-7400 ext. 1401

Finance Alex Rella, Interim Assistant Superintendent 352-955-7559

Food & Nutrition Services Maria Eunice, Director 352-955-7539 ext. 1561; Fax: 352-955-7290

Grants Procurement / Project Development Everett Caudle, Director 352-955-7605

Guidance Services Jennifer Taylor, Supervisor 352-955-7671 ext. 1604; Fax: 352-955-7129

Head Start, Preschool Education Ann Crowell, Director 352-955-6875

Health Services Pat Hughes, Supervisor 352-955-7671 ext. 1612; Fax: 352-955-7129

Home School Jejetta Lee 352-955-7575Homeless Education Nadia Shields, Coordinator 352-955-7070; Fax: 352-955-7074Instructional Materials Mary Hall, Supervisor 352-955-6850, ext. 1506

Information Resources John Holliman, Chief Technical Services Offi cer 352-955-7511

Instructional Technology / Media Services Uma Shankar, Director 352-955-6850, ext. 1502

Media Services Debi Bruner, Supervisor 352-955-6850, ext. 1505; Fax: 352-955-6872

Maintenance Tom Cowart, Manager 352-955-7400 ext. 1413; Fax: 352-955-7389

Planning, Budgeting & System Accountability

Alex Rella, Interim Assistant Superintendent 352-955-7559

Planning & Construction Vicki McGrath, Manager Facilities / Planning 352-955-7400 ext. 1423

Psychoeducational Services

Marcia Leary, Lead School Psychologist

352-955-7671 ext. 1625; Fax: 352-955-7129

Public Schools Foundation Judy Boles, Executive Director 352-955-7003; Fax: 352-955-7240Purchasing Wayne Hackett, Director 352-955-7582; Fax: 352-955-7486Research, Assessment, Student Information & Zoning

Steven Stark, Director 352-955-7681

School SupervisionCatherine Barnes, Executive Director; Jennie Wise, Executive Director

352-955-7880; Fax 352-955-7880

Staff Attorney Brian Moore 352-955-7461; F - 352-955-7598Staff Development Isabel Carter, Supervisor 352-955-7650Student Records Rita Gay 352-955-7740Student Support / Curriculum

Karen Clarke, Assistant Superintendent 352-955-7444

& Instructional Services F - 352-955-7664Student Support Services Kathy Black, Executive Director 352-955-7671 ext. 1608

Jennifer Taylor, Supervisor 352-955-7671 ext. 1604; Fax: 352-955-7129

Teacher Production Lab David Stanley, Manager 352-955-6860 ext. 1509Testing Terri Bain, Testing Specialist 352-955-7575; Fax: 352-955-7990Title 1 Pam Diaz, Supervisor 352-955-7634

Transportation James Speer, Director 352-955-7671 ext. 1714; Fax: 352-955-7434

Voice Communications Nathan Foote, Manager 352-955-6982; Fax: 352-955-7744Voluntary Pre-K Program Ann Crowell, Director 352-955-6875Volunteer & Business Partnership Program Liz Stark, Coordinator 352-955-6760

Zoning Steven Stark, Director 352-955-7681


Alachua County has a variety of career academies with different special-

ties. A career and techni-cal education forum is held each year in January so parents and students can learn about the op-portunities that are avail-able.

Individual programs also hold their own open houses early in the calendar year. Parents and students receive information about these programs during eighth grade.

A complete list of contact names and numbers for each pro-gram is available on the district’s website at www.sbac.edu.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLSFine Arts: Rawlings

ElementaryGifted: Williams

ElementaryGifted and Talented:

Archer CommunityMath, Science and

Technology: Stephen Foster Elementary

MIDDLE SCHOOLSAcademy of Technology

and Gifted Studies: Howard Bishop Middle SchoolLyceum Program:

Lincoln Middle SchoolThe Center for

Advanced Academies and Technology: Oak View Middle School

HIGH SCHOOLSAcademy of

Agriscience: Santa Fe High

SchoolAcademy of

Automotive Technology: Professional Academies Magnet at LoftenAcademy of Criminal

Justice: Newberry High SchoolAcademy of Design and

Technology: Professional Academies Magnet at LoftenAcademy of Early

Childhood Education: Professional Academies Magnet at LoftenAcademy of

Entrepreneurship: Buchholz High SchoolAcademy of Finance:

Buchholz High SchoolAcademy of Fire and

Emergency Medical

Services: Professional Academies Magnet at LoftenAcademy of Health

Professions: Gainesville High SchoolCambridge Advanced

International: Gainesville High SchoolInstitute of

Biotechnology: Santa Fe High SchoolInstitute of Culinary

Arts: Eastside High SchoolInternational

Baccalaureate: Eastside High SchoolSFC School of

Construction: part-time dual enrollment at Santa Fe College

ALACHUA COUNTYMAGNET SCHOOL PROGRAMS Alachua Learning

Center (elem.): 386-418-2080; 11100 W State Rd. 235, Alachua; Grades: K-5; Principal: Krishna Rivera; First day: Aug. 24Alachua Learning

Center (middle): 386-418-2080; 11100 W State Rd. 235, Alachua; Grades: 6-8; Principal: Krishna Rivera; First day: Aug. 24Boulware Springs

Charter School: 352-215-2175; 1303 NE 23rd Ave., Gainesville; Grades: K-5; Principal: Kay Abbit, Megan Lane; First day: July 20Caring and Sharing

Learning School: 352-372-1004; 1951 SE 4th St., Gainesville; Grades: VPK-6; Principal: Curtis Peterson; First day: Aug. 24Einstein School: 352-

335-4321; 5910 SW Archer Rd., Gainesville; Grades: 2-8;

Principal: Christine Aurelio; First day: Aug. 24Expressions Learning

Arts Academy: 352-373-5223; 5408 SW 13th St., Gainesville; Grades: K-5; Principal: Juniper DiGiovanni; First day: Aug. 24Florida SIA Tech: 352-

333-7952; 7022 NW 10th Pl., Gainesville; Grades: 9-12; Principal: Christal Blue; First day: Aug. 24Genesis Preparatory

School: 352-379-1188; 207 NW 23rd Ave., Gainesville; Grades: K-3; Principal: Charmaine Henry; First day: Aug. 24Healthy Learning

Academy: 352-372-2279; 13505 W. Newberry Rd., Jonesville; Grades: K-5; Principal: Anni Egan; First day: Aug. 24Micanopy Area

Cooperative School: 352-

466-0990; 802 NW Seminary St., Micanopy; Grades: VPK-5; Principal: Brenda Maynard; First day: Aug. 24Micanopy Middle

School: 352-166-1090; 708 NW Okechumpkee St., Micanopy; Grades: 6-8; Principal: Tara Lowe-Phillips; First day: Aug. 24MYcroSchool

Gainesville: 352-379-2902; 2209 NW 13th St., Gainesville; Principal: Randy Starling; First day: Aug. 24One Room School

House Project: 352-376-4014; 4180 NE 15th St., Gainesville; Grades: K-5; Principal: Eric Torres; First day: July 20One Room Middle

School: 352-727-4373; 3930 NE 15th St., Gainesville; Grades: 6-8; Principal: Eric Torres; First day: July 20

ALACHUA COUNTY CHARTER SCHOOLS

Alachua Countypublic schools meal pricesFor information regarding school meals and prices,

contact Food Services at 955-7539.Elementary: Student lunches are $2.25. Reduced-price

lunches are 40 cents.Middle and High: Student lunches are $2.50.

Reduced-price lunches are 40 cents.Breakfast: Student breakfasts are $1. Reduced-price

breakfasts are 30 cents.Menus and reduced-price meal applications are avail- ■

able online at www.acpsfood.com.

Alachua Countypublic schools bus schedules

Complete bus schedule information will be posted ■

Wednesday, Aug. 19, on the Alachua County School Board’s website, www.sbac.edu. If your child’s bus is more than 20 minutes late, contact the school or the Transportation Department at 955-7602, ext. 1700.


BRADFORD COUNTYPhone: 904-966-6800First day of class: Monday, Aug. 24Important dates: Winter Break is Dec. 21-

Jan. 1, followed by a student holiday on Jan. 4, with classes resuming on Jan. 5; Spring Break is March 7-11; Last day of school is June 8Website: www.bradfordschools.orgSchools: Bradford High School, Bradford

Intervention Center, Bradford Middle School, Bradford-Union Technical Center, Bradford Vir-tual School, Brooker Elementary School, Hamp-ton Elementary School, Lawtey Community School, Rainbow Center, Southside Elementary School, Starke Elementary School

COLUMBIA COUNTYPhone: 386-755-8000First day of class: Monday, Aug. 17Important dates: Winter Break is Dec. 21-

Jan. 1, followed by a student holiday on Jan. 4, with classes resuming on Jan. 5; Spring Break is March 28-April 1; Last day of school is June 2Website: www.columbia.k12.fl .usSchools: Adult Education, Challenge Learning

Center, Chrysalis Center, Columbia City Elemen-tary School, Columbia High School, Eastside Elementary School, Five Points Elementary

School, Fort White Elementary School, Fort White Middle School, Fort White High School, Lake City Middle School, Melrose Park Elemen-tary School, Niblack Elementary School, Pine-mount Elementary School, Richardson Middle School, Summers Elementary School, Westside Elementary School, Shining Star Academy of the Arts, Belmont Academy Charter School

DIXIE COUNTYPhone: 498-6130First day of class: Monday, Aug. 17Important dates: Winter Break is Dec. 21-

Jan. 1, followed by student holidays on Jan 4-5, with classes resuming on Jan. 6; Spring Break is March 14-18; Last day of school is June 2Website: www.dixie.k12.fl .usSchools: Anderson Elementary School, Dixie

County High School, Dixie County Adult Center, Old Town Elementary School, Ruth Rains Middle School

GILCHRIST COUNTYPhone: 463-3200First day of class: Monday, Aug. 17Important dates: Winter Break is Dec. 21-

Jan. 1, followed by a student holiday on Jan. 4, with classes resuming on Jan. 1; Spring Break is March 21-25; Last day of school is May 27

Website: www.gilchristschools.orgSchools: Bell Elementary School, Bell Middle/

High School, Trenton Elementary School, Tren-ton Middle/High School

LAFAYETTE COUNTYPhone: 386-294-1351First day of class: Monday, Aug. 10Important dates: Winter Break is Dec. 21-

Jan. 1, followed by a student holiday on Jan. 4, with classes resuming on Jan. 5; Spring Break is March 21-25; Last day of school is May 25Website: Lafayette.schooldesk.netSchools: Lafayette Elementary School, Lafay-

ette High School

LEVY COUNTYPhone: 486-5231First day of class: Monday, Aug. 24Important dates: Winter Break is Dec. 21-

Jan. 1, followed by a student holiday on Jan. 4, with classes resuming on Jan. 5; Spring Break is March 21-25; Last day of school is June 9Website: www.levy.k12.fl .usSchools: Bronson Elementary School,

Bronson Middle/High School, Hilltop School, Cedar Key School, Chiefl and Elementary School, Chiefl and Middle School, Chiefl and High School, Joyce Bullock Elementary School, My District Virtual School, Nature Coast Middle School, Williston Elementary School, Williston

Middle School, Williston High School, Whisper-ing Winds Charter School, Yankeetown School, Adult High School (CFCC)

SUWANNEE COUNTYPhone: 386-647-4600First day of class: Tuesday, Aug. 19Important dates: Winter Break is Dec. 21-

Jan. 1, with classes resuming on Jan. 4; Spring Break is March 21-25; Last day of school is June 2Website: www.suwannee.schooldesk.net/Schools: Branford Elementary School, Bran-

ford High School, Suwannee Primary School, Suwannee Elementary School, Suwannee Intermediate School, Suwannee Middle School, Suwannee High School, Suwannee-Hamilton Technical Center

UNION COUNTYPhone: 386-496-2045First day of class: Thursday, Aug. 20Important dates: Winter Break is Dec. 21-

Jan. 1, with classes resuming on Jan. 4; Spring Break is March 21-25; Last day of school is June 3Website: www.union.k12.fl .usSchools: Lake Butler Elementary School,

Lake Butler Middle School, Union County High School, Union Juvenile Residential Facility

NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA SCHOOLS


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Queen of Peace Catholic Academy: 332-8808; 10900 SW 24th Ave., Gainesville; Grades: pre-K4-8; Principal: Sister Nancy Elder; First day: Wednesday, Aug. 12P.K. Yonge Develop-

mental Research School: 392-1554; 1080 SW 11th St., Gainesville; Grades: K-12; Director: Dr. Lynda Hayes; Principal: Dr. Catherine Atria; First day: Monday, Aug. 24The Rock School: 331-

7625; 9818 SW 24th Ave., Gainesville; Grades: infants-12; Principal: Jim McKenzie; First day: Thursday, Aug. 13Cornerstone Academy:

378-9337; 3401 NW 34th St., Gainesville; Grades: pre-K4-12; Interim Headmaster: Doug Lawson; Grammar Principal: Erin Cook; Secondary Principal: Diana Parfait; First day: Mon-day, Aug. 3St. Francis Catholic High

School: 376-6545; 4100 NW 115th Terrace, Gainesville; Grades 9-12; Principal: Ernest D. Herrington Jr.; First day:

Wednesday, Aug. 12St. Patrick Interparish

School: 376-9878; 550 NE 16th Ave., Gainesville; Grades: pre-K3-8; Principal: Frank Mackritis; First day: Wednes-day, Aug. 12Oak Hall School (Lower):

332-1452; 7715 SW 14th Ave., Gainesville; Grades: pre-K-5; Headmaster; Richard Gehman; First day: Wednesday, Aug. 19Oak Hall School (Middle/

Upper): 332-3609; 8009 SW 14th Ave., Gainesville; Grades 6-12; Headmaster: Richard Gehman; First day: Wednesday, Aug. 19Gainesville Country Day:

332-7783; 6801 SW 24th Ave., Gainesville; Grades: 2 ½-year-olds-5; Directors: Nancye Childers and Kelly Childers; First day: Wednesday, Aug. 26Brentwood School:

373-3222; 1111 NW 55th St., Gainesville: Grades: 2-year-olds-5; Director: Robert Schackow; First day: Monday, Aug. 24Jordan Glen School and

Summer Camp: 495-2728; 12425 SW 154th St., Archer; Grades: pre-K-8; Director: Jeff Davis; First day: Wednesday, Aug. 26Trilogy School: 332-

8802; 8700 NW 23rd Ave., Gainesville; Grades: 1-12; Director: Quinn Wiggins; First day: Monday, Aug. 24Millhopper Montessori

School: 375-6773; 8505 NW 39th Ave., Gainesville; Grades: 2-year-olds to 8; Head of School: Christina Miller; First day: Monday, Aug. 11 (2-year-olds to K) and Monday, Aug. 24 (grades 1-8)Passage Christian

Academy: 336-8983; 5121 E. University Ave., Gainesville; Grades: K-12; Principal: Dr. Fred W. Ball; First day: Monday, Aug. 17

PRIVATE AND INDEPENDENTSCHOOLS IN GAINESVILLE Online tools for Alachua

County parents and students

Alachua County Public Schools’ Parent Portal provides up-to-date information on their student’s grades, test scores, attendance,

assignments and other school-related issues through an app available for Apple, Android and Google devices.Parents and/or students interested in signing on to Parent Portal can go to the district’s website at www.sbac.edu and click on ‘IC Parent Portal,’ which links to all the necessary information and an application.

■ ■ ■The district uses student identifi cation cards for a variety of purposes, includ-ing transportation. The cards include a bar code with the student’s district ID number, which is unique to the school system.Students who ride school buses are asked to swipe the cards when getting on and off the bus. This system, com-

bined with a GPS device on every bus, allows district or school staff to deter-mine the location of a bus and whether or where the student got on or off.Students use the same card to make purchases in the cafeteria, check out books from the media center or when receiving textbooks in class.Students will receive their cards during the beginning of school. There are back-up systems in place if a student forgets or loses an ID card, and no student will be denied any service because of the lack of a card.

Infi nite Campus ■ app is available for Apple, Android and Google devices.

Parents and/or students interested in ■

signing on to Parent Portal can go to www.sbac.edu and click on ‘IC Parent Portal.’


What’s cool for back to school?

By Leanne ItalieThe Associated Press

For kids of all ages, one big thing helps soften the blow of summer turning into

fall: fresh and fun back-to-school gear.

Supplies with popular licensed characters from movies, TV shows and books always make a splash among younger kids, while older ones contemplate design and functionality for every-thing from middle-school lockers to dorm rooms.

This year, the rambunc-tious little yellow Minions with the big goggles have their own feature-length fi lm spinoff from the “Despicable Me” fran-chise, and have surfaced on backpacks and note-books available at Target.

A new take on Charlie

Brown in another theatri-cal release, “The Peanuts Movie” due out in Novem-ber, might have something to do with two choices in Snoopy-theme soft lunch bags from Target, includ-ing one with the famous beagle snoozing on top of his equally famous doghouse. At Staples, students at two middle schools will see the fruits of their labor hit shelves. They were chosen to work in teams to come up with school supplies of their own for the company’s new Designed by Students Collection.

Among the winning products: The Big Pen, a pencil case that looks like a pen or pencil and actually writes. It comes in versions that are high-lighters, ball point pens, markers and mechanical

lead pencils. The cases include a pencil sharpener and real erasers at one end. Refi lls are available for the writing-implement part.

Another of the student designs chosen is an ingenious locker organiz-er that zigzags vertically to create nifty cubicles. The Floating Shelf comes in color combinations worthy of boys and girls — neon green and gray, purple and pink, and black and dark blue.

Alison Corcoran, senior vice president of market-ing for Staples, said the company worked closely with about 48 students in all, from Middle School 88 in Brooklyn and the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. About 14 prod-ucts are included in the collection.

A fresh look at new gear

PHOTOS BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The photos, above and at right, provided by Staples shows the Floating Shelf by The Ron Clark Academy. At Staples, students at two middle schools will see the fruits of their labor hit shelves. They were chosen to work in teams to come up with school supplies of their own for the company’s new Designed by Students Collection.


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“They made presenta-tions. The teams did self-criticisms and evolved their ideas as part of the curriculum,” she said. “School supplies have been around forever. We thought, let’s take a fresh look with the people who are actually using these things on a day-to-day basis and ask, ‘How can we make them better and more relevant?’”

Yet another of the student designs is the Back2Back School Bag, a rectangular-shaped backpack that provides wider storage space and has two oversize slots for laptops and folders. It also includes a separate, attached compartment at the bottom to segregate lunch or snack items — or smelly gym shoes — from

the main compartment.“Kids loved it. It’s a

highly functional shape,” Corcoran said of the

unusual design.For high school and

college students with an eye for color and sleek contemporary design, a stop at Poppin.com might go a long way in desk supplies, dorm storage and other gear.

Among the New York City company’s back-to-school products is an 18-month, spiral-bound planner good from July 2015 to December 2016. It includes weekly and monthly views with color-coded pages by month, along with a handy translucent front pocket.

“We’ve been very pleasantly surprised in past years with how well we’ve done with plan-ners,” said Jeff Miller, Poppin’s vice president of product design. “You hear

so much about how everybody’s moved to electronic whatever but we’re very much still in a paper age on planners for students.”

Dorm rooms remain, well, dorm rooms, so space is at a premium. Poppin sells a storage unit called the Box Seat for the college contingent tired of the milk-crate look. It’s covered with fabric in light and dark gray, navy, orange, red and pool blue, and is sturdy enough to withstand 275 pounds.

Givebacks have grown among companies doing business in back-to-school. Many offer buy-one-give-one pro-grams to kids and class-rooms in need, or they’ll fi ll donated backpacks with school supplies to

donate.At Yoobi, a spate of new

supplies in that vein was curated by Usher. The Yoobi X Usher collection was designed by artist Jonni Cheatwood and features fi ve prints for more than 20 products, ranging from blue paint drips to pink-and-green splatters in binders, notebooks, pencils, pencil cases, folders and jour-nals. For every item purchased, Yoobi donates an item to a worthy classroom. The collection

is available at Yoobi.com and in Target stores nationwide.

It’s not the fi rst educa-tion-focused collaboration for Usher, who has two school-age sons. They, too, had a hand in the project, the singer said by email.

“I looked at what colors they were drawn to and in a very sly way, I’d show something to them and ask, ‘What do you think about this? Do you like this color?’ That helped me curate the collection,” he said.

Corcoran said of the product design. You hear with school supplies to

Sales tax holiday scheduledFlorida’s sales tax holiday is slated to run Aug. 7-16.

During that time, nos state sales tax will be charged on the following items:

Certain clothing and footwear up to $100 ■

Certain school supply items up to $15 per item ■

Personal computers and certain computer-related acces- ■

sories on the fi rst $750 when purchased for noncommer-cial home or personal use

For more specifi c information, call 800-352-3671 or go to ■

www.myfl orida.com/dorSOURCE: Florida Department of Revenue


This photo provided by Staples shows a student designed Back2Back School Bag, a rectangular-shaped backpack that provides wider storage space and sports two oversize slots for laptops and folders. It also includes a separate attached compartment at the bottom to segregate lunch or snack items

Yoobi X Usher four pocket folders, green splatter and black lines (two each) available at Yoobi.com.

The Big Pen, a pencil case that looks like a pen or pencil and actually writes from Staples.


Back to school a busy season for online shoppersBy Hillary SpeedAssociated Press

While many parents hit the stores to fi nd their children’s

back-to-school wardrobes, the online marketplace also buzzes this season. And for some dedicated shoppers, it is more than a convenient place to buy clothes.

It’s a subculture.

FINDING A NICHE“We all share a common

love for children’s cloth-ing, which not many of our real-life friends under-stand,” says Jennifer Randeau, a mother of three from Connecticut, who co-founded the “MiNi BoDeN ReSeLl” Facebook page, which she says has more than 10,000 mem-bers interested in buying and selling kids’ clothing by the British designer brand Boden.

Similar Facebook resell boards have been created around other brands for boys and girls, such as Janie and Jack, Gymbo-ree, Hanna Andersson and Tea Collection. Other groups focus on a specifi c location, gender or age group. Shoppers can zero in on what they like or need, and connect with products and people in a way they can’t in the real world.

Randeau prefers Face-book BST (buy/sell/trade) boards, as they are sometimes called, to conventional shopping, consignment or online auction sites. Buyers can ask specifi c questions and often avoid high shipping costs, she says, while sellers can avoid the cuts

and fees typical of con-signment and online auction sites.

“Many of the boards develop a very strong sense of community,” Randeau says. “You make ‘friends’ as you buy from and sell items to people. You meet a lot of people that you may not other-wise cross paths with. A

lot of great moms help each other out with ISO’s, matches and deals in general.”

An “ISO” is an item somebody is “in search of.” Like many places online, the for-sale groups tend to establish their own rules and use a language that might look cryptic to an outsider. There are

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

In this June 5 photo provided by Sarah Blevins, who runs the children’s fashion and lifestyle website, Ourlittlelifestyle.com, her daughter, Abby, 6, center, poses with her two friends, Brynn Theunemann, 4, on left, and Olivia Thuenemann, 6, on right, in Glen Carbon, Ill. The three friends are all wearing the boutique brand Matilda Jane, which has a number of popular resell pages on Facebook.


frequently used acronyms — some of which have carried over from eBay and other online market-places — to describe the condition of items or other details.

Knowing those acro-nyms can make partici-pants feel like they’re part of a club. A quick primer for those not yet in that club:

NWT stands for “New With Tags.” “GUC” means “Good Used Condition.” An item that is “hard to fi nd,” because it’s from an older line or was part of a limited run, might be labeled “HTF.” A picture somebody posts of her daughter sporting a new

coat from a retailer might carry the label “IRL,” which stands for “In Real Life” (as opposed to the posed pictures of models provided by the brand).

SHARING DEALSIt’s the giving spirit —

that idea that mothers support other mothers, even as they shop — that inspired graphic designer Sarah Trainor to create her website SampleSal-eMom.com. There, she shares links to fl ash-sale sites that focus on cloth-ing, accessories and toys for children. Websites she links to, such as Zulily, Gilt, MyHabit and Rue La La, offer daily markdowns

on name-brand items for a short period of time, and many offer incentives to fi rst-time shoppers and those who refer others to their site.

Trainor started the website in 2011, when she realized that by sharing a link to a fl ash-sale site where she bought a deeply discounted Smart Gear wooden bike for her son.

“I thought I should use my design skills to set up a website and accompany-ing Facebook page to share the great sales I was able to fi nd online,” said Trainor, who lives in Arlington, Massachusetts.

“It’s really satisfying to track down an incredible deal on something, and then it’s even better to share it with other people and hear their excitement about it too,” Trainor says.

The best advice to back-to-school shoppers that she can share right now? Get online.

“It’s really satisfying to track down an incredible deal on something, and then it’s even better to share it with other people and hear their excitement about it too.”

SARAH TRAINOR, SampleSaleMom.com


ABOVE: In this photo, provided by Jennifer Randeau, her children wear clothes she bought below retail. Her daughter, Noelle, 3, is wearing a Mini Boden dress bought from a Facebook resell group, and son, Ethan, 13, wears a Hanna Andersson top bought on sale from the retailer.AT LEFT: Blevins’ daughter Abby, 6, center, poses in a dress by the boutique brand Matilda Jane.


Tips to navigate anotheryear of packed lunchesBy J.M. HirschAP food editor

There was a time when a lunch box was just that, a box into which your par-

ents packed your lunch.For many years they

were metal and came emblazoned with your favorite cartoon or movie characters, as well as a matching thermos. By the ‘80s, metal was passe, making way for plastic. But the basic design was the same. And you liked it. Until you were old enough to not. Then you graduated to paper bags or ditched packed lunches entirely for some atrocious pizza-chicken-cheese-nugget-potato thing from the cafeteria.

Lunch gear has come a long way since those days. Today’s lunch “systems” are dominated by bento-style gear, which originat-ed in Japan and involve multiple compartments and containers to hold a variety of foods. And that makes sense for modern kids, who are as likely to be toting sushi and DIY taco kits as they are the classic PB&J.

The gear also is far more high-tech. Today, every-thing from the bag to the water bottle is super-insu-lated and rated so you know how long your darling child’s pasta carbonara will stay warm and how long the organic juice will remain chilled.

Which isn’t to say all modern lunch gear is the same. So I’ve assembled a few pointers to help you

make the best choices as you brace for another year in the lunch-packing trenches.

Boxed inBento-style containers

rule. Having lots of little compartments to fi ll may sound intimidating, but it’s easy. Some crackers go in one, cheese in another, maybe something fruity in a third. Toss leftovers from

last night’s roasted chicken in a fourth and before you know it lunch is packed in all of about 5 minutes. That’s the power of bento; it lets you think small. And faster than you expected, you’ve assem-bled a complete meal.

For preschool and other young kids, consider a kit such as Laptop Lunches (LaptopLunches.com), which packs multiple

containers inside an easy-to-open clamshell box. They are affordable, dishwasher safe and indestructible. They also come with their own insulated carrying bag and some of the containers are watertight.

Older kids require more food and fl exibility. For them, LunchBots (Lunch-Bots.com) rock. These


ABOVE: Today’s lunch “systems” are dominated by bento-style gear, which originated in Japan and involve multiple compartments and containers to hold a variety of foods. And that makes sense for modern kids, who are as likely to be toting sushi and DIY taco kits as they are the classic PB&J.AT RIGHT: An insulated lunch bag, juice box, apple and gel pack.

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stainless steel containers are available in numerous confi gurations that can be combined in endless ways depending on what you feel like packing. They can be pricy, but will last forever (think fourth grade through grad school).

Looking for a budget option? Check out the disposable food-storage containers at the grocer (usually alongside the plastic wrap and foil). Many companies now offer bento-like containers you can easily mix and match for lunch duty. Bonus: When Junior loses

them, you don’t lose a mint.

It’s in the bagInsulated lunch bags are

where it’s at. Some lunch kits, such as Laptop Lunches, come with custom bags. But if you’re assembling your own container collection, you’ll need to shop around. For younger children, a basic insulated bag with a zipper closure should be fi ne. Combined with an ice pack, these are good for keeping yogurts and other perishables cool.

For older kids, you may need to dig a little deeper. When my son transformed from a peckish

preschooler to a voracious middle schooler, I needed a serious upgrade in packing space. I searched online for hours before settling on a “picnic bag” that would allow me to pack a suffi cient amount of food.

Whatever your needs, it’s wise to go with a bag that offers two compartments (often divided as bottom and “lid” ). This allows you to separate warm and cold items (such as a chilled yogurt cup and a warm soup), as well as segregate easily bruised fruits from hard containers.

Liquid intelligence

Lunch liquids generally take two forms — drinks and soups/stews/chili. You’ll need gear for both.

For drinks, the best bet is Hydro Flask (HydroFlask.com), which offers a line of insulated water bottles so good they are almost scary. As in, I’ve left an ice water-fi lled bottle in the blazing sun on my driveway for six hours and it still had ice fl oating in it. Looking to pack milk or juice and make sure it stays safely chilled? This is your bottle. They are rated to keep liquids cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 12 hours.

For soups and chili, I’m a fan of Thermos brand’s Foogo food jars (Thermos.com). They are a great size for kids (available in 7- and 10-ounce versions), affordable, easy to open and keep foods hot for fi ve hours.

The numbersPacked lunches are

great. Food poisoning isn’t. Making sure the former doesn’t trigger the latter is just a matter of knowing your numbers.

Cold food needs to stay below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot food needs to stay above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Once food falls outside those ranges, it’s safe to eat for another two hours.

So when you shop for lunch gear — insulated lunch bags, thermoses, water bottles, etc. — only buy products with thermal ratings that cover the range of time between when you pack the lunches and when they’ll be eaten.

The little stuff We tend to focus so much

on the gear and bags, we forget the little things like

utensils and ice packs.Obviously, this isn’t the

time to break out any silverware you don’t want to lose (I’m still annoyed with my son for having taught me this lesson). But disposable plastic isn’t all that eco-friendly. My solution? Hit the second-hand shop and grab some inexpensive stainless steel forks and spoons for pennies. If they get tossed, no big deal.

As for ice packs, you’ll want one even when using insulated lunch bags. Get several so you always have one in the freezer. Rigid packs are better than soft, which can freeze in awkward shapes. They also are less likely to be punctured when your child decides to launch his lunch box across the schoolyard (and if you think that won’t happen, you’re delusional).

LUNCH: It’s wise to go with bags that separate warm and cold

One dinner, two meals. The secret to easy lunchesBy Alison LadmanAssociated Press

This is the dinner you need for those nights when you’re already dreading

packing lunches the next day.

The concept is simple. You make a bigger-than-you-need (but still fast and easy) dinner, then you stash the leftovers. In the morning, those leftovers get transformed into a delicious lunch, no heavy lifting needed. In this case, that dinner is a fl ank steak marinated in garlic and red wine vinegar.

On Day 1, you serve the steak with skillet-seared spinach. If you’re feeling ambitious, some mashed potatoes would be nice, too. On Day 2, you take thin slices of the leftover steak and slap them onto crusty bread with mustard

or into a whole-wheat wrap with a bit of fresh greens and maybe some mayonnaise or barbecue sauce.

■ ■ ■

MARINATED FLANK STEAK WITH SEARED SPINACH

To get dinner on the table fast, toss the steak in with the marinade in the morning so it will be ready to cook when you get home from work. Start to fi nish: 30 minutes,

plus marinating Servings: 8

4 cloves garlic, minced, divided 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Kosher salt and ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon red pepper

fl akes 2 pounds fl ank steak 1 tablespoon butter 11 ounces baby spinach Grated Romano cheese, to serve

In a zip-close plastic ■

bag, combine half of the garlic, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the vinegar, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and the red pepper fl akes. Add the steak, then close the bag, squeezing to remove as much air as possible. Make sure the marinade covers the meat on all sides. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8.

When ready to cook, ■

heat a large skillet over medium-high. Remove the steak from the marinade, patting it dry with paper towels. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. When the oil is hot, add the steak and cook for 5

minutes per side for medium-rare, or until desired temperature. Remove the steak from the pan and set aside to rest.

Meanwhile, return the ■

skillet to the heat and melt the butter with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the remain-ing garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. When the steak has rested, slice it thinly across the grain. Serve with the spinach, topped with grated Romano.

Nutrition information ■

per serving: 260 calories; 140 calories from fat (54 percent of total calories); 16 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 80 mg choles-terol; 620 mg sodium; 2 g carbohydrate; 1 g fi ber; 0 g sugar; 26 g protein.

Continued from 17


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