Summer Reading Log For Students Entering 3-5 Summer Readers: Fill & Download for Free

I have been to my school since age of 5 years old to now at 14 . I am stilling going to countied to school since 2024 . The school does provide for poor and broke family by make a free or lunch and breakfast aplications for kids in the district . They also provide for special needs students. I did choose virtuals for both semster . It more varies on teachers in middle school through high school . The grades can be confusing . The are 8 elementary and all them going to Kindergarten to 5th grade . One out of the 8 elementary has Pre-K buidling so it techinally goes to Pre-Kindergarten to fith grade in elementary . Then there is two middle school which is 6 and 7 th grade . There jr. high school which is to eigth grade to nith grade . Then the high school goes to from 10th grade to 11 th grade . Every students will get student id number whichIn all these recovery credit will be given a FR . As of 2021–2022 there are school progams for virtuals and onsite. Onsite campus will probally be back to it same old way . In March 1 , 2021 the middle , jr. high , and high school closed down the appcalation to Buzz Academy and it depens if you have a students with IEP or team your kids fits in specific area . If your kids your are exepect to progam but their is still chance to get kicking out . Your students has dyslexia, Specch , ot , pt and they can have therpay specific times on their needs so will onsite studentss. There are two types of virtual for 6th graders to 12th graders which will relive to Sychronous which is on zoom with a district certifed teacherd and will have daily lives Zoom sessions . Asychronous students will be expected to complete assinged coursework each week in all enrolled course for attendic . Sycohronous students will be graded the same as onsite learner s. Asychronous studdents will be expected to complete asinged coursework each week in all enrolled course to make academic progess . If a students drops below 70% , the he/she will be required to participate in intervention support . If academic progess does not imrove than a meeting will be helt with an adminstartor and parent to determine the best instructional option for the students . In the disicpline , All virtual students will have same behavior expectations. In my school athletes can still played sported even if they do virtual progam and are allowed to particapate in athletics and extracurriculars actives . For 6–8, students will remain on roasters at their zoned school for extracurricular actives . They must attends these classes in-person . It is parents repsonible or gurdains responbility to aand from these activies during the student’s schedule . The last time , I know that middle schoolers will have to comment a full-school year virtually . The middle schoolers are 6th , 7th , and 8th . The high schoolers are 9,10 ,11 , 12 . The 8th graders and 9th grades shared a buidling called the jr. high . The pre -schoolers will be only grade to not have a virtual options and yes they do have ami packets like the elementary and some secondary school .Elementary :Atendances1. Students will be expected to attended a daily live zoom sesions2. All students will be recorded for during daily live zoom sessions .3. In a circustances of a power failures or lost internet , the student or parnet should contact the teachers immediately.4. Administrator will meet with parents to discuss apporiate palacement if student’s internet connetion is not strong enough to meet requirements of attending virtual school .Assement :1. Students will take class assement through the apporiate2. Students will be reuqiade to attend onsite for all state assments such as NWEA ( K-2) , ACT Aspire , ELPA21 , DLM3. Studens will be requried to attend onsite for all NWEA Assements ( 3–5)Graidng :Virtual students will follow the same graiding prodcedures and guidlines as onsite . Students must complete assingments and asemessements by the deadlines . Additonal support will hbe provided to students needs based on their performce . If students are not mastering skills , an administrators will meet with parents to dicuss approiate palcacement . In the displine will be sames as onsite students and they are expect to display apporiat behavior on zoom ssesions and online discussions through google clasroom . If studentds does not follow displine apporiate behavior duing zoom or online discussion in google classroom , he /she could be removed from the zoom lesson . If they conutins , student could be romeoved from virtual learning and placed back into onsite learning . Parents are expect to attend parents oriten with your child , sing virutal student contract , provide aropiate place for students , schedule times to speak with teacher and does not interupts zoom sessions. If your kids has special needs they can have a therpay serivces range of Behaviroal , Dyslexia , Speech , Occupational , and Physical therpay . The speech , PT , and OT are all alivable during the summer in one school zone even though it is not a required ment . If you kids is not doing well in english and reading during secondary schools they will be put in learning specialist for English and Reading and the same can be said for math and science with the teachers by letting them to expect a vaule . Credits will not counted till the 9th graders . Your cap will not start until end of 5th grade Summer . You should prepare your kids bdslfjjd so I am odne with it is called Pin . That is mainy reason to check the libary books , pay the luch . When you reach the jr. high and high school will get students id card to help you pratice in the school dance but with more of flexible rule dancing code . My 8th grade math teacher said “ A 9th grade girl will be going to dance party in a limbo . A limbo is very long and expensive cars . Again , In the area I am in at this RV plalace for Rv and tailers . Their is fithwheeler which will usally cause about 67,000 to 75000 for as low inter price by calling . The estimate payment is 0 dollars . Back to my opion about school , The virtual is may not the best option but even if I failed can be able to retake and get it . My school does has a saturday school and summer school for all ages . When its come to freshmans through seniors who can be able to recovering credits through credit recovery which is onsite virtual by teaching someonelesel and this enrollment is more of given to seniors . Retake is student who previously failed course or cource is which credit was denind . If you are going to attending a AP course who will repeated by a regular class. Both course will remian listed on transcripts with first being shows as FR ( failed and Recovering ) . Summer school is usally use for seniors students which is very limtied for high school students only .This is different from the elementary . It will be online like credit recovery one on self-paced computer program and you attend classs in a lab to talk all quizes and tests . There is a fee for each course students request to recover in summer school . s efore schools so they can be well-educaute and get basic knowdlegedMy school District Website : I am going to Bryant Public SchoolsTheir will be slide shows : Act aspire , Covid 19 updates , Spring Break , a district app , Opportunies for success and elementary virtual learning for 2021–2022 . There is arear to pause go back to same slides and play again . White thin half cicrle with B in it and rigth under it will said Bryant Public Schools . Under to rigth it will says Menus to the left it will have schools in Captial S and in a white font to be dropping arrowing that is down ward . There is white globe things if you clicked on it has english and spanish langauses and Searches bar . The avaibles through March 2- Apirl 1 . There is virtual learning guide in spanish and english with appacaltions for both spanish english .The Virutal Learning Guide :Bryant Public Schools will offer a virtual learning option in Fall 2021 for Bryant students in kindergarten through 5th grade who is wish to remain at home for instruction while maintaing the structure of a school day . Students will be assinged a virtual Bryant teacher and a virtual classroom . Students will have daily classes and required online sessions with their virtual teacher . Referred as sychronous instructions students will receive live lessons from teachers throught the school day using Zoom . Sychronous instructions allows for interactions between the students and teachers and provides a structure to a traditional school day for the student . Lessons and actives , mirroing the same academic standards taugth to students in traiditional classrooms , are completed in real time through interaction with teacher and virtual classmate . Bryant does not off any sychronus option for elementary virutal progam which means that the coursework is be completed anytime anywhere as long as it meets the teacher’s deadline ) for elementary students. In a white fonts with dark blue colore it says “ Our elementary virtual learning progam provides Bryant with white underline committed to the success of each student . With a Blue mmassage with a quotation marks . Online learning is different from the traditional classroom . Successful online students tend to have following traits has to be punctal , self-motivated , self - disciplined , organize , computer literate , strong commitment , learn idenpently , strong reader , and strong parental support .Insturticons of virutal learning for elemenatary :* Students will be expected to attend daily live zoom* Students will be recorded during daily live zoom.* If circumstances of power failures or lost internet , the parent should contact the teacher immedialtely .* Administator will meet with parent to discuss apporiate palacement if studnet’s student internet connection is not strong enough meet requirments of attending a virtual schoolAssment :* Students will take class assemetns thr onsite for all states assements such as NWEA ( K-2) , Act Aspire , ELPA21, DLMough the apporiate platform* Students will be required to attended* Students will be required to attend onsite for NWEA assemnts ( 3–5)Grading :Virtual students will follow the same graidng procedures and guidelines as onstie learners .* Students must complete assigments and assessment by the deadlines* Addtion support will be provided to students based on their performance .* If a students are not master skills , an adiminstrator will meet with parents to discuss approiate palacementDicipline :Virtual students will follow the same discipline procedures and guidelines as onsite learners and adhere to Bryant Public Schools Student Handbook Polices .* Students will be expected to display appropiate behavior during Zoom sessions and when paraticing in online discussions in Google Classroom .* If student does not follow the discipline polices , he/she could be removed from the Zoom lesson .* If students behavior issues continue , students could be removed from virtual learnign and palaced back into onsited learning .Speical Service :Special Education : The IEP will meet to make a reconmendation if virutal learning is apporiate for the SPED student .English Langaugge Learner : The LPAC will recommend if virtual schooling is apporiate for ELL Student.%04 : The 504 team willl recomend if virtual apporiate for the 504 StudentsGifted and Taltend : Studens will have opportunity to particpated in the giffeted progamDylexisa , Speech , OT/Pt : Students will have access to apporiate thearpies service and will be scheduled specific times for therapy based on their needs .Parents expected to :* Attend Paretent Orietation with your student* Sing and adhere to the Virtual Student Contract* Provide an apporiate place for student learning at home* Students interuptions or distractions in learning areas ( pets , background noise , tv, electronics , etc.).* Schedule time to speak with the teachers . Do not interupt a Zoom session .* Provide student support especially to younger students* Communicated with student’s teacher* Provide acess to reliable internet connectionStudents expected to :* follow all policies , handbooks and procedures including attendance , assgiments and behavior* Be present and engaged in all required daily Zoom classes .* Log into Google Classroom or SeeSaw daily to check assignments .* Complete Assignments and assements by the deadlines* Dress aproiltey for class ( follow Elementary Student Handbook )* Eliminate distractions such as pets , background noises , indivuals other than the student participating in Zoom sessions .* Have independent study skills and strong organizational skills .* Communicate with your teachers when you need help .If a parent/or student contract is not upheld , then student may be required to onsite learning.Ensurign Student Success :The following will be used to montior academic progess for online students :* attendaces* classroom assesment* Assigments and participation* NWEA ,Act Aspire , ELPA , DLMK-5 Sample Virtual Schedule :8 :00 am Capturing Hears and Overview of the day8: 15 Live Zoom : LIteracy ( phonological , phonics , vocabulary , comprehension , fluency , lanague and writing )10 :30 Live Zomm ( counting and cardinality , operations and algerbraic thinking , number and operations in base tens , measurments , and data , geometry , and fractions)12:00 Lunch12:30 : Teacher schedules by Zoom or students work idepently* Science Pratice* Indepent reading* Social studies pratice* math practice* small group intervention* Zearn* Indepent invertetion* MobyMax* Literacy Practice* Whole Group Enrichment1:40 Weekly Activity Classes ( Pe , Music , Art , Libary )* Counseling *2:30 Recess3:00 School Day EndsDistrict Overview :Bryant School district encopasses 345 square mile of land in Saline County and supports all or portions of Bryant , Alexander , Benton , Salem , Mabelvale , Shannon Hills , Paron , Baxite , and Avilla .The district serves more than 9,100 students in our ten schools . The Pre-K Progam ( 4 yrs) is located at Bryant Elementary School .MMission : Bryant Public Schools create opportuities for academic and personal sucess to ensure all students are future ready.Visions : Bryant Public Schools will be the state/’s premier provider of educational services .Goals :* Students demonstrate awareness that personal effort in education will maximize their potential for a greater quailty life .* Lifelong learnign is fostered through challenging , innvoative and diverse learning experiences for students , staff and the community .* Education is vauled and supported by the entire community and is delivered in safe , secure , and the communtiy.* Recurit and retain a quality teaching force and support personnel to facilitate student learning .Grade Configurations :Elementary Schools ( Grades K-5) :Bryant Elementray ( Prek-5)Collegivlle ElementaryRobert L. Davis ElementaryHill Farm ElementaryHurcaine creek ElementaryParkway ElementarySalem ElemenatrySpringhill elementaryTwo Middle School ( 6 & 7):BryantBethelOne Jr. High (8 and9)Bryant Jr. HighOne High School( 10–12)Bryant High SchoolPre-school Website :* Our school day 7:50 am - 2:50 pm . Students are expected to be present for the instructional day to particapate in the progam* Before and After care is aviable for those who need early drop-off and/or late pick-uo . The cost is $ 40 per week* Bryant PreK is funded through the Arkansas Better Chance for School Sucess Grand , Child Care Development* Private tution sis $135 for the 2020–2021 School Year . This includes meals , extended care , and supplies .* Bryant Pre-K has 8 classrooms , each with a teacher and a paraprofesional . Our Early Childhood Special Education Prgram has three teachers , three speech-languge pathologists and two para profesions .* The Bryant PreK Utillize a play-based curriculm tha tincorporates concepts .from the school district curriculums . Each of our teachers and paraprofessionsals has been trainded in Conscious Discipkine . Bryant PRek- K has completed the REACH Traning through UAMSElementary School Profile ‘s :Bryant Elementrary Profile’s :Our mission is to prepare our to be sucessful students , academically and socially , as they move up in the Bryant School district .Activities : As a pathway to becoming a hornet .THose are oppertunies1. TOTs2. Green Team3. Chess Club4. Quiz Bowl5. Destination Imagination6. Club Unfiy .The schpool hosts ;1. Arkansas Arts Council2. guest poets3. actors4. cultural perfomersCommuity Involvement :1. Green Team2. Special Olypics with Club Unify3. Arkansas CHildren’s Hospital CHristmas Drive4. Collectings funds for the American Cancer Society .BES has won the Salt Bowl Peanut Butter Drive two years in a row and is the dist Summer Cereal Drive Champion .Academics :Students are presented woth a challeging K-5 curriculm that includes rigorous standards and high expectaitons .Classrooms provide innovaties opportunties and meaningful experinces that lead to positive outcomes for students .Traditions :The longest standing elementaru school in the district , BES celenrates it rich history by naming hallways after teachers who server over 28 years on the campus . BES also celebrates the first African Amercian graduates of Bryant High School with sign in its cafetria .Excitning Progmas : Hornet Live is a highly successful news channel featuring students as morning news anchors . The anchors change daily to allow each student a chance to participate and make an apperance . The moring program feautres The Pledge of Alleginace , Moment of Slience , lunch menu , weather report , and annmoucements from the principal .Prinipal : Mark ScarletAssiant : Anela Maskschool masscot : HornetCollegeville Elementary :School Masscot : WildcatMission : To love , learn , and grow together to achieve success .Actives : CES offers many exciting activies including1. Robtics2. Chess Club3. Quiz Bowl4. Big Brother/Sisters Progam5. Green Team6. Honors Choir7. ArcheryPrograms :KICKS 5 is the 5th grade leadership program promoting Kids Improving communtiy through Kindess and Service . BHS Student Senate holds workshops to develop leadership skills in 5th grade students .Acadmeics : Collegevill Elementary is a collaborative leadership community school that strives to foster a sfe and effective learnign enviroment with the best interest of each invidual student in mind .Communtiy INvolement : Collegevill participates in district-wide and school fund raisers including Peanut Butter drive , Summer Cereal Drive , Toys for Tots , Wall of Hearts For Arkansas’s children hostipal , Arkansas Foodbank , Tacos for life : Feeding My Straving Children , KICKS 5 Officers Savaltion Arm Food Pantary and nursing home visit ; Santa with Badges .Awards : Collegeville Elementary is ranked in top 6 -10% for academic growth in the Arkansas School Recongition Program ,2017–2018.All Students Can Learn :CES focues on the inviduality of students and understand that in order to maitain a productive leanring enviorment through differentiated methods .Facitly and Staff memebres are train in the process of capturing Kids’ hears , a framework for implementing Bryant social and emetional learning program .Princip of this Schoo: Tami EdwardsAssiant Prinicpal : Lindsey McBrideThis School has a grade of B in the school year 2017–2018Davis Elementary:School Masscot : DolphinMission : Davis Elementary provides students with a quality education that prepares them for the global in the 21st century .Academics :Students are presents with challenging K-5 ciruculum that includes rigorus standards and high expectations . Classroom provide innovaative opportunties and meaningful expericenes that lead to positive outcomes for students .Actives / Progams :Students can participate in DES Green Team , Tot team , flag team , Student AMbassdors Program , Desitnation Immagination , Quiz Bowl Team , Chess Club , Refashion Club , Art Club , Robotics , and Basketball . Academc competitions included the 4th grade Math team , Noetic Math competition and Math Olypiad .Art Nigth : Students showscase instrumental musical talents , dance , and visual arts for all grades. Students have to opportuinty to show other students and family members what they have been learning during art and music class .Community involement :Opportunies include Rice Deport Peanut Butter Drive , Summer Cereal Drive , Jump rope for Heart / Amercian Heart Associations ; foods and toys for Healing Waters , the local communtiny outreach cjjkjsdkjjkskjadsdsdd=enter ; and serving U.S Veterans through Dogs 4 Warriors . Communtiy partenes include Geyer Springgs First Bastist Chruch and Boys and Girl Club for elementary.Learning Oppertunties :DES has a completed Greenhouse , and uses an Outdoor Classroom to provide opportunites for gardening and enviromental studies .School Grade : BPrincipal : Dondre HarrisAssiant Principal : Suzzanne McdermottHill Farm Elementary :School Masscot : Hoot OwlOur Vision : Hill Farm Elementary will be a school that creates leaders and lifelong learners . Hill farm adiminstators , teahcers and parents will work together to ensure success for all student with open lines of communcation vauled by all parties . We will focuses on leanring with the indivial with student’s need at heart of all decision . Hill Farm Elementary will be a place where students sucess are celebrate and school pride is evident .Academics : Students are present with a challenging K-5 curiculum that includes rigorous standard and high expectations . Classroom provide innovative opportunies and meaningful experiences that lead to positive outcome for students .Stuendent Activies :1. National Archery in the Schools Program ( NASP)2. Green Team3. Quiz Bowl4. Chess5. Destination Imagination6. Robotics7. Rise Readers8. Conmuntiy Club9. Bilangaua Ambassdors10. Music Club11. Ambassdor Club12. Girls on the Run13. Flag Team14. Coding Club15. Little Rockers Marathon16. Scripps Howard National Spelliing BeeParent and Family Involment :One school , one book , Family Game Nigth m Family Literacy /STEM Nigth , Family Fitness Nigth , Guest ReadersHill Farm PTO Activies - Muffins for Moms , Doughnuts for Dads, Father/ Daugther Sweetheart Dance , Mother/Son Glow Dance , Chirstmas on the HillWatch D.O. G DadsCommuntiny Involement :1. Alexander Communtiy Center2. Hunger Heroes3. Peanut Butter Drive4. Summer Cereal Drive5. Shop with a Cop Fundraisers6. Community Plastic Recyling Project7. Children ‘s Hospital Projects8. FSBC Encouragers9. After School Bus SnacksAwards :1. Arkanssas NASP State Champion 20192. National NASp Tournametn Participants 2017, 20183. District 5th grade Quiz bowl Champions 20194. Kindness Certified School 2019This in 2019–2018Principal of the school : Karen MetcalfAssitant Pricipals : LeeAnn McDanielGrade : BSpeical Projects : The HFES Schoolyard habiitab includes a Butterfly Graden , Feeding and Houses , and Beeeobesveratoryhurcian Creek Elementary :School Mascot : PatriotOur Vision : Huricane Creek provides a student driven learning enviorment that supports leaderships , accountability and academics exellence . Students and staff the vision to be P. A. T. R. I.O. T . S .Academic :Students are presented with achallenging K-5 curriculum thatincludes rigorous standards andhigh expectations. Classroomsprovide innovative opportunitiesand meaningful experiences thatlead to positive outcomes forstudents.Activtivites /Programs :Act of Kindness Team , Green Team , Flag Tema , Recorder Karaoke , Run Clinic, GT Programs , Quiz Bowl , Chess Club , Spelling Bee , Stock Market Game , Book Fair , Academic Fair , Breakfast Week , Red Ribbon Week , Stand UP to Bullying , Pink Partiot Day Partiot PrideLeadshipStuden COuncil, Ambassadors , Flag Leadership reaam , Media Helpers , Green Yrsm , Fire Marashalls , Pink Patriot CommiteeVision : The vision of Hurrciane Creek Elementary is for the students to become P.A. T. R. I . O. T. SProblem SloversAchiversTrustworthyRespectfulIntergrityOptimistTeam PlayersSelf ConfindentCommunity Involement :Hurricane Creek Elementary promotes positive characther by encouraging students to actively particpate in community projects . Students on leadership teams vist nursing home residents and take donations . Studens participate in “ Hat Day “ to raise donations for organizations such as Saline County Humane Society , homeless shelters , Feed AR Kids , and other faimiles and kids in need.Awards : Hurcaine Creek ranked in top 5% for academic performance in the Arkasnas School Recongition Program and in the top 6–10% for growthAnnual Events :Holidays at HurricaneArt WalkPink Patriot DayFathe/Daugther DanceMother/Son EventJog -A -ThonDr. Seuss WeekKindess WeekRed Ribbon WeekReading FairFamily NigthParkway Elementary :Our Mission : The Parkway fauclty and staff will meet educations and needs of every stidents with passion . Our Vision : Parkway Eleementary will be the Greatest School on Earth .All Students Can Learners :PES focuses on the invivualaitly of students and understand that in order to matiana productive learning enviroment , this indivulally must be catered through differenatied methods .progams :1. Art Mobile2. Bring You Parents to PE Week3. The Great Kindess Challenge4. Hispanic Heritage MOnth5. Black History Month6. Digital Citizenship Week7. Computer Science Week8. Instrument Petting Zoom9. RAP ( Read Aloud Parkway)Awards ;Lion Pride Award AssembilesCelebration BellsAcademics :Parkway Elementary is a collaborative leadership community that strives to foster a safe and effective learning enviroment with the best intrest of each student in mind .CCommunity Involment :Peanut Butter DriveBryant Christmas ParadeVeterans Day ProgamPet Supply Drive-Hummane SocietyRead Arcross America WeekCommunity ReadersJump Rope For HeartsPop tTops for Ronald McDonald HouseActives :GIRLS( Gaining Intellingence , Respect ,Love , Self-Esteem) CLubGreenT eamBilingual Ambassdors ClubLion Leader Leadership GroupFlag TeamLion Basketball TeamParkway ChoirQuiz BowlDesttination ImaginationRoboticsParkway News CrewParkway Media HelpersSpelling BeeLunch Bunch Reading ClubPrincipal: Michele LewisAssitant Principal : Kameron ErvinSchool Masscot : LIonSalem Elementary :School Masscot : TigerOur Vision : The faculty and staff at Salem elementaryt will strive to meet high expectaations by believing and investing in the lives of our students , families , and cmmunites through postive impacts .Academcis : Classroom offer differentiated instruction for all levels . Students at Salem Elementary know they are loved and appreciated for their uniqued gifts and talents . It is pace students at able to perform and gain benefits from school’s challening curriculum . Monthy PAW Pride attendance awards motivate students by recongizing them for behavior , responisbitly , and citizenship traits .Actives / Progams :Students can participates in Destiantion Imagination , QUiz Bowl , Chess Team , and Boy Scouts. Leadership programs include Student COunil , SWAT ( Student WHo Assit teachers ) , Student Ambassadors Program , Flag Crew , and Reclying Team .Athletic actives include Arch Team ( Arkansas Game and Fish Archer in the Schools ) and Girls on the Run .Salems News Crew : The Salem News Crew is a students led borcast journalisms team of fith graders .Each week the teams plans , writes , films , and edits the news .TStudents brainstrom ideas and research stories to hiligth upcomming events at Salem and Bryant Public School , as well as current events happening in the world .CCommunity Involment :Oppoortunies include Jump Rope For Heart , Holiday Food Drive , Peanut Butter Drive , Soktober Sock Drive , SWAT Team , Community Services , AGFC Fishing Derby Fail fAll Carnival , and Family NigthsCComunity Partners :Salem Fire DepartmentCommunity Pancake Breakfast and programs on campus ; Boy Scouts ; Salem Wall of Heroes and Veteran’s Day Ceremony; Saline COunty Mster Gardener’s Associaton ; Saline County VFW ; Summit Church ; Midtown Church ; Lowe’s ; and AGFCAwards :Salem ranked in the top 6–10 % for academic Growth in the arkansas school recongecongition progam , 2017–18.Springhill Elementary :School Mascot : EagleOur Mission : Creating leadrs who take responibilty for academic and behaviroal sucess.Academics :Students are presented with a challenging K_5 curriclum that includes rigrous standards and high expectations .CClassroom provide innovative opportuinies and meaningful that lead to postive outcomes for students .Actives/programs :Springhill has numbers of school group , clubs , and Team . The Student Ligthouse team is a very important group at SPES . They are instrumental in leading students to be great leadrs . SPES also offers the Green Team , TOTS Team , Major “s Minions, Screaming Eagles , Gadget Gurus , Five Alarm Fire Marshalls , Helping Hand s ,Eagle Ambassdors , Safety Pups , Springhill News and Shutterbuys . EVERY student is a mebeber in a quartely club of his/her choosing .As a Leader in Me school , both staff and students pratice daily the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Steven Covery .From Kindergartaten through fith grade , SPES students use their leadership notebook to set academic and behavior goals , track their progess , document their different classroom or building jobs and keep up as part of the Leader in Me process. Students then use the notebools in the spring for their student-led, parent teacher conferences.Community Involvement :Great leaders serve othersThe parent / student led Heroes for Hunger is instrumental in providing food for numerous family, especially during the hoildays . SPES Students and their faimiles were able to collect and distirbute food items including Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas hams for faimiles in the community.Awards:Spring ranked in Top 5% the past two year for academic perfomance in the Arkanasas School Recongnition Program .In 2018, Springhill Elementary was a recongied by the Universty of Arkansas Office for best growth scores in literacy.Food :Food boxes for Low Income with chidern : Families must have to apply for free or reduced meals in Bryant School District to qualify to receive food boxes . Boxes contains a main meal of Salisbury Steak ( 5) , potatoes, green beans , rolls , and breakfast consisting of Pop-Tarts , strawberries , and milk . Even though , It mainly ment for low-income but families are eligible to pick up food box , but limited boxes will be available .Free and Reduced Lunch informationChildern need healthy meals to learn . Bryant School district offers healthy meals every school day. Breakfast costs 1.75, 2.50 for Elementary & Middle School and $2.75 for Junior High and High School . Your children may qualify for free or reduced price meals . Reduced price is .30 cent for breakfast and .40 cent for lunch .Who is egible for free or reduce meals :* All children in households receving benefits from Supplemental Nutrition Assitance Program are eligbile for free meals* Foster children that are under the legal responsibity of care agnecy or court are eligible for free meals .* Children participating in their school’s Head Start progams are eligbile for free meals .* Children who meet the defitions of homeless , runawy , or migrant are eligbile for free meals* Children may recevie free or reduced price meals if you household’s income is within the limits on Federal Income Eligibilty Guidelines. Your children may qualify for free or reudced price meals if your household income fails at or below the limits .EzSchoolPay ( $3 fee to use ) :As the school year comes to a close , questions being asked about your child’s school lunch amount:* **Account Funds:** Any funds that have not been used on your child’s meal account automatically carry to the new school year , even if they change schools with the district.* **lance Transfers : **If all or a portion of the remaining funds on your child’s acount need to be transferred to another ( i.e older sibling graduate and you would like to move the remianing funds to another sibiling’s account)School Meals for Virtual Learners :Bryant schools will offer breakfast and lunch for students who have chosen virtual learning . Students must be enrolled in Bryant Schools to participate student names will be verified at pick up locations .Payment Options :Encorage all households to complete a Free and Reduced Meal Applcation . If your students was freer or reduced last year , a new application is required . Apply online or pick up at any school office .Virtual students will be chargred for meals at the same prices as blended (onsite) students. Meals must be paid advance or at the time of pick -up , unless eligibity is free.Breakfast : 1.75Elementary : 2.50Secondary : 2.75Elementary and Middle School ( onsite price) :Breakfast : 1.75Lunch : 2.50Jr. High and High School ( onsite Price):Alcacart Lunch ( 6th grade and up ) : $1.00–3.00Breakfast : 1.75Lunch : 2.75Adults do need to eat too :Adult Breakfast : $ 2.75Adult Lunch : $ 4.00Offer Verse Serve( Grades 1–5) :Bryant Public Schools is now participating in the Offer verses server program for meals in grades 1- 5 . Rather than being served a plated meal , offer verses serves allow students to decline a certian number of meals compotments and instead select foods they will eat and enjoy . Students get the nutrients they need for sucess in the classroom and less food is wasted .Students build a healthy meal by choosing the foods they intend to eat . For lunch, students are presented 5 food components : a meat or meat alternate , vegtable , fruit , bread or grain item , and milk . The students must select at least 3 items , with at least a 1/2 cup of fruit or vegetable .Students may selcet all 5 items . Milk is one of the optional choice . For those choosing milk , small water bottles are avaible . The BBreakfast program is opperated in much same way , four food items offered , with students selecting a minum of three .Lunch Menus :Prek Breakfast ( only for 4 yrs.):August 2020 :13 :EntereeChicken BiscuitFurit :Diced PearsMilk :1% Milk14:ENentree :BReakfast TornadoFruit :ApplesauceFresh grapesMilk : 1% milk17 :Entree ; CheerriosFruit : Banana!% Milk18: Sausage Moring rolls with Strawberries and milk19 : BReakfast Pizza with Grapes and 1% milk20 : Chicken Waffle Sandwich with Mixed Berries with Sugar glaze21: mini pancakes , diced peaches with 1% milk24: Breakfast Pizza with Apple slices25 : Egge and Cheese slider with fresh grapes and 1% milk26: Mini Pancakes with Fresh Strawberries with 1% milk27: Grilled Cheese with bacon with Pinaple tidbits with 1% milk28 : Panacke on stick with diced Pear and 1% Milk31 : Apple Frudel with Applesauce and 1% milk20/21 Breakfut : Not aviable20 /21 Breakfast : It will be the recent weekMonday 15 :Choice ofPancake on stick or mini pancakes with organe juicefruit and MilkTuesday 16:Cianmmon roll or Biscuit and sausage with orange juice17 Wesday :Breakfast Pizza or Poptarts with Organe juiceSkip the rest ofthe week .Jr. High :Breakfast Fruit: closedBreakfast Smoothies : Chocolate Banana Smoothie , Chocolate Frozen yogurt Strawberry Bannana SmoothiesHornet Fury or Strawberry SmoothiesChicken Frenzy : Popcorn Chicken with Tater Tots Secondary Green BeansTexas Toast Orange Juice fat free chocolate milk and fruitGrab and Go : Pizza Stick Secondary with Tatertos Secondary Green Beans Organe Juice , Fat Free Chocolate Milk , 1% milk and fruits .Homestyle Breakfast : Biscuit & Gravy or Scrambed Eggs PattyFruitMilkLunch Smoothies :Chocolate Bannana SmoothieStarwberry Bannana SmoothiesStrawbeerry SmoothieHornet FurrySandwhich Lines :All Beef Hot Dog with Tatertots secondary Baked Beans SecondaryFruitMilkGrab and go Breakfast : Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Pizza or Cereal , Trix , Organge JuiceHomestyle : CHicken Tacos with Lettuces& tomato cup Pinto beans Secondary salasa cup , Tortialla CHips , Queso Blacon Secondary Fruit and MilkPizza : Personal Pizza or Cheese Pizza with Baked Beans Brocoli Florets , Fruit and MilkSuElementary and Middle School LunchMozzerall Cheese Stick maraniar sauce or pizza sauce with Salad with Ranchand fried Okrahifh school may have similar lunches to jr. High so I will only do the ones that jr. high school don’t have and it everyone sames .The website has interactive menus : that you can already build-a meal and filter allgerins . As well dietary Prefences . LanaguesLanugause avabile : They are over 7,000 lanagues1. Afrikanis2. Albanian3. Amharic4. Arabic5. Armenian6. Azerbaijani7. Basque8. Belarusian9. Bengali10. Bosnian11. Bulgararian12. Catalan13. Cebuano14. Chichewa15. Chineese ( simplified )16. Chineese ( Traditional)17. Corsican18. Croatian19. Czech20. Danish21. Dutch22. Esperanto23. Estonian24. Filipino25. French26. Frisian27. Galician28. Georgian29. German30. Greek31. Gujarati32. Haitian Creole33. Hausa34. Hawaiian35. Hebrew36. Hindi37. Hmong38. Hungarian39. Icelandic40. Igbo41. Indonesian42. Irish43. Italian44. Japanese45. Javanese46. Kannada47. Kazakh48. Khmer49. Kinyardwanda50. Korean51. Kurdish ( Kurmanji)52. Kyrgyz53. Lao54. Latin55. Latvian56. Lithuanian57. Luxemborughish58. Macedonian59. Malagasy60. Malay61. Malayalam62. Maltese63. Maori64. Marathi65. Mongolian66. Myammar ( Burmese)67. Nepali68. Norwegian69. Odia (Oriya)70. Pastho71. Persian72. Polish73. Portuguese74. Punjabi75. Romainian76. Russian77. Samoan78. Scots Gaelic79. Serbian80. Sesotho81. Shona82. Sindhi83. Sinhala84. Slovak85. Slovenian86. Somali87. Spanish88. Sundanese89. Swahili90. Tajik91. Tamil92. Tatar93. Telugu94. Thai95. Turkish96. Turkmen97. Ukrainian98. Urdu99. Uyghur100. Uzbek101. Vietnamese102. Welsh103. Xhosa104. Yiddish105. Yoruba106. ZuluEarly Child Education:Already mention about pre-school program .Hippy :Dawson Hippy program is currrently enrolling 2–5 years of age for home-based , parent ivolement program . The program has 30 weeks of age-based curriculum designed for parent to teach learning skills to their child , providing a foundation educational success. Studies have shown that a home is one of the most important enviroments home is one of the most important enivorments of learning . Parents will come away firsthand knowledge of their child’s strengths and weekness confidence that thye can be their child’s first teacher . In orader to participat , a child must turn 2 before August 1 or 3/4 by Decembber 31.HIPPY - Home Instruticons for Studens of Preschool Youngsters :What to expect :Home-basd educators visit parents of 2, 3 , 4 , and 5 year old children , in the home , once a week for at least 45 minutes and role play elssons . Each set of lessons ,includes activires foucings on literacy , math , science , motor skills , and language delvelopment .Parents also meet with other parents int the program , at once a month , for group meetings desinged to enhance parenting skills . These two delivery mehtods , role play and group meetings , empower as their child’s fist and most important teacher .All lessons and storybooks are avaiable in engilish and spanish.Hippy for Little Learners Includes :Hippy for Little Leaners curriculm is speffically for two-year-olds. Hippy for little learners joins our existing currula for families of three to five -years olds and now makes the Hippy program a four year contium .* 30 weks of curriculum for parents that include develomentally apporiate actives and expernceis for parents to engage with their children .* Home visits that use role-play and guided sussions to support parents with the skills and techniques they need to interact effectibely with their young children .* 10 board books and a set of blocks for each family.* Expanded sections in each week called Spotligth on Development that introduces developmental ideas to families and encourages dialogue/* Family Feedback sections each week to encourge families to reflect on their children’s intrest , development , and growth .YYear 1 and Year 2 :* 9 storysbooks* 30 weeks of age and developmentally apporiate curriculum* set f colored shapes* crayons , scissors , pencials , glue, and other learning materialsThe 5-years old Hippy Curriculum Includes :* 8 Storybooks* 15 weeks of age and developmentally apporiate curiculum* Crayons , scissiors , pencils , glue , and other learning materialsSpeical Educations :eligbity catergoires :1. Autism2. Deaf-Blindness3. Deafness4. Emotinal Disturbance5. HEaring Impairment6. Intelctual Disability7. Mutiple Disabillities8. Orthpedic Impairmento9. Other Health Impairment (OHI)10. Specific Learnign Disability11. Speech of Language impariment12. Traumtic Brain Injury13. Vision ImpairmentContinuum Of ServiceWhats Least Restricted Enviorment :The least restrictive ( LRE) is the setting where studnets can most approaitley receive his or her educational services . The goal is to increase the oppertunities he or she has for accessing the general education classroom with non-disabled peers . A student should only be remove from the general education enviroment when the general curriculum is ineffective for him or her even when supplementary aids are provided.Genral Education Clasrooms :GThe Genreal Education classroom refers to a class taugth by a regular ccertified teacher . The classes include parparofessionsals who offer addtional support to students or special educaitn certiified [co-] teach with general education teacher .Total Resource Classroo: is desinged to provide students with direct instructions from a special education teacher in all core subject area . Academics , social skills , and independt fuctional skills are a focus . This class is particulary helpful do not deal with mutile teachers or transitions from class to class .Transional Resource Room : Is aways to trainsiton students from the CBI clasroom to the total Resource setting . The traiton total resource class is 1 teacher to 10 students with aid who in one elective class. Stidents attned Reading , English , Scienc e,and history with the same teacher and take two elective classes in the regular education sections . This class works on students gaining independence arond school , between classes , during lunch and in elective classes . Once students havegained the skills they need to function indepently around the school . They are moved to the Total Resource or Resource Class , This can being with one to two class be increased as students make progres and sucessful .Self-Contiante Classroom :The classroom is especially designed for students who highly structured program to develop daily lving . This class is limted to 10 students with one teacher and multiple paraprofessionals to provide personal care , supervision , and instruction .Intensive Support Classroom :There are just a few whose need for a high degree of supervision require a very small classroom of less than six students with a high ratio of staff to students . Programs are indivially designed to meet the varied needs of each student .Learning & Increasing New Keys to Success ( LINKS) :The LINKS program is desinged to meet the social , academic , and behavioral needs of students with behaviroal challenges . The LINKS programs serves students K-12 as a part of Special education program . LInks classes are staffed with a speical education teachers and trained paraprofessionals who provide academic instruction and social skills traning. Licensed therapists provide a group therpay sessions as well as individual and family thearpy as determined by the IEP teams .Community -Based ( CBI) :This classroom provides for students with intellectual disabilties the opportunity to learn and parctice fuctionals skills in a variety of settings . This instructionals model also facilites the transitions from school to work student with more serve disabitles .Cap Guide Book : I am goining to shop your course selection for each class .6th Grade :English / Reading ( Pick One) :Pre Ap English / Reading 6English 6/ Reading 6Science : Preap or Science 6Social Studies : Pre Ap Social Studies or Social Studies 6Elections choose one of these folowing options for electives : ( Pick One) :Option A :Rotation 1 ( Pe , Art , Keyboarding )Study SkillsBand ( must go to tryouts )Option B:Roations 1 : ( PE , Art , Keyboarding)Study SkillChoirOption C:Rotain 1 ( PE , Art Keybording )Band ( must go to tryouts)ChoirOption D :Rotation 1 ( Pe , Art , Keyboarding )Rotation 2 ( general music / health)study skills7th grade Course Selection:Eniglsh : Pre Ap English or English 6Science : Pre AP Science or ScienceMath : Pre AP Math or MathSocial Studies : Pre Ap Scoial or Scoial StudiesElectives : Chooe 1 years long and 4 semster perferences or 6 semester perfences . Both Band and chior can be taken , just adjust scheudle accordingly.Full Year Course :Band instrument :———————— ( if you have not try out in the previous or new to school)ChoirStudy SkillsSemster Course : PE ( required ) Keycode ( Require)Fine Art : ( Either Ar or Music is required if not in Band or Choir )Art or MusicElective courses are prefences only . These will be assigned as they fit into school you may/ may not get your preferences . Coures may changes based on school needsFamily / Consumer ScienceHealthTools for Learning ( Intro to Stem)Tools for Learnig ( coding )8th grade course Selction :English : Pre Ap Enlish or EnlishScience : Pre Ap Sciene ( accerlated to Phy. Sci. ) or ScienceMath : Algebra I or MathSocial Studies : Pre Ap Social Studies or Social Studies :Elective: one year and 4 semsters course or 6 semter prefecanes .Full Year :Concert BandHonors BandSymphonic BandJazz Band ( must also be in Conncert , honor , or symphonic bands)Semester Courses :Pe ( required )Exporling BusinessCareer Dev. ( required )Study SkillsDesing / Modeling ( Robotics)Fine Art :Art or Music9th grade:English : English 9 or Pre Ap ENglish 9Math : Algerba A/B ( 2 periods ) or Algerbra 1 or Pre AP Gemotery ( must pass alg. 1 first)Science :Physical SciencePreAP Biology ( must pass physical science first)Social Studies :Keystone & Civics or Keystone and Preap CvivicsSemsters Course :Creative writtingDramaMath : Pre Ap Math or Math 6ArtBussiness CommuncationMusic Apprection / TechBoys Cross country( fall)Girls Cross Country( fall)Boys Track ( spring)Girls Track ( spring)Boys Soccer ( spring)Girls Soccer ( spring)Baseball ( spring)Softball ( spring )Year Long Course :Honors BandsSymphonic BandMen’s Chours ( 9–12)Women’s Chours ( 9–12)Intro Energiering DesingIntro to proograming / coding ( Levels 1 & 2(AP Compute Science Principles ( Levels 1 & 2(Native Spanish 1 ( Native Speakers onlySpanish 1French 1ROTC / PE&Health Credit ( Air Force)Family Consumer ScienceSurvey BusinessBoys BasketsballGirls BasketballFootballSwimmingVolleyballTo be able to praticipate in sports who need habe 75 % or higher and has to try out or you will be put in Pe and health unless if you ROTC.Bell Schedule for Each schools :Pre- K : 7:50 am - 2:50 pmBryant Elementary :Drop off : 7:15First Bell : 7:45Tardy Bell : 7:55Dismissal : 3:10Last Pick UP : 3: 45 pmCollegeville Elementary :7:15 Building UnlockedBuses unload / Students report to hallway or Breakfast7: 35 Teachers arrive7: 50 Students dismissed to class-Instructions Day begins7:55 Tardy BellStudents arrving after 7:55 must be accompanied inside by a parent to the office to be signed in8:20 Morning Broadcast10:30 -11:00 Kingegarten Lunch11:00 - 11:20 Kindergarten Physical Activity10 :50 - 11 : 20 1st grade Lunch11:20 - 11: 40 1st Grade Physical Activiy11: 55 - 12:25 4 grade / 5 grade lunch12: 25 - 12: 45 4 grade/ 5th grade physical activity12:30- 1:00 3rd grade Lunch1:00 -1:20 3rd Grade Physical Activy3: 15 Car riders ( dismiss to front) / Day care / Early Bus ( bus loop)3:30 Late Bus ( hold kids in class , dismmis to front at 3:303:45 ALL Student Must Be PICKEd UP - teachers go off duty .Davis Elementary Schedule :Drop Off : 7:20- 7:55Start time : 7 : 55Tary Bell : 7:55Dimissal : 3:25Last Pick Up : 3: 45Hill Farm Elementary Scheudle :8:00 am - 3: 25 pmHurricane Creek Elementary :Doors Open at 7:15 amBreakfast 7:15 - 7:45First Bell Rings - 7: 45 am7:50 Tardy Bell3:10 DisissalParkway Schedule :7: 15 Drop Offf7:50 1st Bell7:55 _ Tardy Bell3: 15 DismissalBuses drops at 7:15 - Parents can drop anytime after buses leaves the lotFirst Bell- 7:55Tardy Bell - 8: 00Dismissal : 3: 17Last Pick Up : 3:55Springhill Elementary :Drop off - 7: 15First Bell - 7: 55Tardy Bell - 8:00Dismissal - 3: 25Last Pick Up Time : 4:00Bethel Middle School1st Period 8:00- 8:482nd Period : 8: 51 - 9:383rd Period 9: 41 10:316th grade Lunch : 11: 21 -11:567th grade 5th Period 11:21 -12:086th grade 5th Period 11:59- 12:46Lunch 12 : 11 - 12: 466th Period 12 :49 - 1:367th epriod : 1: 39 - 2 : 268th period : 2:29 - 3:16Homeroom : 3:19 - 3:30Bryant Middle 6th Grade Schedule :1st - 7: 45 - 8:332nd - 8:37 - 9: 253rd - 9:29 - 10:174th - 10 :21–11:09Lunch 11:14- 11:445th 11 : 49- 12:377th 1:33- 2:218 th 2: 25 -2:137th grade1st 7: 45- 8:332nd 8:33–9:253rd 9:29 -10:174th 10 :21- 11:095th - 11: 13- 12:01Lunch 12:06 - 12:366th -12 :41 - 1:298th 2:25- 3: 13BRyant Jr. High schedule :8th Grade :7:43- 7: 50period 1 7:50- 8:40Period 2 - 8:45 - 9:35Period 3 - 9:40 - 10:30Period 4 : 10:30 - 11 :25Lunch 11:30 - 12:00ADV ( Adviorsy) : 12:05 - 12:30Period 5 : 12:30 - 1:20Period 6 : 1:25 - 2:15Period 7 : 2:20 - 3: 139th grade :Same tops for 1- 4 periods as the 8th graders .5th period is 11:30 - 12:20 before having lunchLunch time : 11:30 -12:55ADV 1:00- 1:25The last two period 6 & 7 are same times as of 8th graders .Reuglar Scheudle7:50 First Bell7:55- 8:47 1st Period8: 53 - 9: 45 2nd period9:51 -10 : 43 3rd periodLunch A 10: 43- 11:1311:19–11:39 Advirsoy11:39 - 12:33 4th PeriodLunch B 11 : 23- 11: 5310:49 - 11: 09 Adviorsy11:09- 11:23 and 11 : 59- 12:33 4th PeriodLunch C 12: 03 -12:3310:49- 11:09 Advisory11:09 - 12:03 4th Period12:39 -1:31 5th Period1:37 - 2:29 6th Peirod2:35- 3:27 7th PeriodEarly Dismial :7:50 First Bell7:55–8:33 1st period8:39–9:17 2nd period9:23 - 10:02Lunch A 10:02- 10:3210 : 38- 10:58 Advisory10:58- 11:52 4th periodLunch B : 11: 42 - 11: 12 ( does this make sense to you)10:08- 10:28 Advirosy10:28 - 10:42 and again at 11:18 - 11:52Lunch C : 11 : 22 - 11 : 5210:08 -10:28 advisory10:28- 11:22 4th period11 : 58 - 12:35 5th period12:41 -1:18 6th period1:24- 2:01 7th PeriodEachs schools has differents clubs , actives , and as well programs . I already done it for all eleementary schools activiy . I will focus just on secondary schools .Clubs :1. Archery ( 6&7)2. Basketball - 7th grades boys3. BasketBakk - 7th grade girls4. Begining Band - 6th grade5. BMS H. E. A . T - 6th & 7th6. Cheer- 7th grade7. Chess 6th&&th grade8. Cross Crountry / Track - 7th grade9. Dance - 7th grade10. FCCLA - 7th grade11. FBLA ( grades 6–8 )12. Football -7th grade13. Quiz Bowl _ 6th & 7th Grade14. Student Council 6th & 7th Grade15. Volleyball 7th grade16. Yearbook - 6th & 7th GradeCUlb /Activity:1. Archery2. Cheer 7th3. Cheer 8th4. Cross Country5. Dance 7th6. Dance 8th7. Drama/Musical Theater8. FBLA9. Family Career and Communtiny Leaders of America10. Girl’s track11. Green team12. Hornet Helpers13. Project Pervent Yout Coalition14. Quiz Bowl15. Robotics16. Student Council17. Unidefied PE18. VolleyballClubs and ORganizations :1. Americain Sing Langauge2. Animeee & Manga Club3. Archery Club4. Arkansas Model United Nations5. Art Club6. Bass Fishing Club7. Best Buddies8. Betta Club9. Bryant High Shcool Ambassdors10. Bryant High School Steppers11. Chess Club12. Drama Club13. Future Business Leadrs of Amercia (FBLA)14. Fellow of Christian Athletes ( FCA)15. FCCLA16. French Club17. HEAT18. Hornet Readers19. HOSA( Sport MEdicine)20. JROTC21. Litery Magazine22. Mock Trial Team23. Mu Alpha Theta24. National Honor Society ( NHS)25. Partners Club26. Quiz Bowl27. Sexuality and Gender Acceptance ( SAGA)28. Spanish Honor Society29. SWARM30. Teachers of Tommorow ( TOT)31. YEA! Team32. Young Democracts/ Republicans33. Youth AliveSports :Presuqisites : Tryouts required1. Baseball2. Boys High School Basketball3. Girls High School Basketbal4. 9th grade Basketball5. Bryant White BasketBall ( 7th & 8)6. BEMS ( All Grades in the school and part of jr. high ) ( 7–8)7. Cross Country8. Cheer9. Dance10. BHS Footbal11. JV Football12. Bryant Middle Football 7th Grade White13. Bethel Middle Football 7th Grade Blue14. BJHS 8th Grade Blue15. BJHS 8th Grade White16. Golf17. Soccer18. Softball19. Swim20. Tennis21. Track and Field22. BHS VB Volleyball23. 9th Grade VB Volleyball24. BEMS 7tth Grade VB25. BMS VB 7th Grade26. WrestlingThat all I am going to talk about school and distirct website but I am going and do a little more research on the school district .Bryant Public Schools ir Bryant Public School district is a public school district a based in Bryant , Arkansas , United Sates. SInce the 2010–11 school year , the school district provides early childhood , elementary , and secondary education to more than 8,00 students in prekindergarten through grade 12 and employs more than 875 educators and staff at its schools and district offices . BPS encompasase 342.19 square mile of land in Saline County . It supports all portions of Bryant , Alexander , Avilla , Bauxite , Benton , Salem CDP , Shannon Hills, and Paron.History :In the early 1970s , polictical aide Carol Rasco set up the public school syste’s psychological counseling services while she worked in the district .On July 1, 2004 the Paron School District merged into Bryant School District becuse the state goverment considered Paron an isolate rural area . Due to low student pouplations and the resultign compications , the district closed Paron High School in 2006 and Paron Elementary School in 2015I thinking it is important if I tell you about Paron School District so you can learn some more . Paron School District No. 2 was a school distict headquarted in Paron , an unincoprated area in Saline County , Arkansas , United States. It operated Paron Elementary School ( K-6) and Paron High School 7–12 . On July 1, 2004 it merged into the Bryant School District . this merge occured due to a state law which requried a school distirct fewers than 350 students to merge with another school district . At the time the district’s fund balance was decreaing in size and the stat was about to rule the district as being finacial distress.Paron High was a high school in Paron , an uncorrportated area in Saline County Arkansas . At the time of its closure it was a part of Bryant School District and it served grades 6–12 , the school closed in 2006 and consolidated into Bryant High School .NBryant School District :Overall Grade : AA- AcademicsA- DiversityA TeachersA- College PrepA+ Club & ActivtiesB Health & SafetyA AdministrationA + SportsA FoodB + Resources & FacilitesNational :Best Schools Districts for Athletes America# 51 of 10 ,817Best Shcoool Districts in Arkansas# 673 of 10,760Arkansas:Best School Dirsticts for athletes Arkansas#2 and 239Best School Districts in Arkansas#5 of 239Dirsticts with the teachers in Arkansas# 16 of 241Most Diverse School Districts in Arkansas# 22 of 242Best Places to Teach in Arkansas# 29 of 241Safest School Districts in Arkansas# 133 of 239Little Rock Area:Best Place to Teach#1 of 18District with the Best Teachers in Little Rock Area# 1 of 18Best School Districts for Athlets Little Rock Area1 of 17Best School Districts in Little Rock AreaBEst Diverse School in little area#6 of 19Safest School Districts in Little Rock Area# 10 of 18Saline CountyBest School District for athletes1 of 4District with Best Teachers in Saline county1 of 4Safest school :3 of 4Percent Proficent for Reading : 57 %Percent Proficient - MAth : 62 %Average graduation Rate : 92 %Average Sat 1170 for 46 ResponsesAverage Act 24 out 917 repsonsesPouplar :1. Unviersty of Central Arkansas 770 Students2. Universty of Arkansas 646 studnes3. Arkansas State University 591 Students4. University of Arkansas at Little Rock 525 students5. Henderson State University 3856. Arkansas Tech Unviersity 3527. Pulaski Technical COllege8. Ouachita Baptist University9. Harding Unversisty 181 Students10. Hendrix CollegesStudents :9, 277All elementary schools is A- or AsThe two middle schoolare A graded schoolA- Bryant High SchoolA- DiversityyA- Cost of LivingA- Goods for FamilesA HousingPoor Review by ALum :Students , unless your’e an academic protgee or an athleter are completey overlook. Most sutdnets blend into the walls , and most teachers expect a hanful actually care about their students and where they end up after high school.AverageSenior 2- 27–2020 : Enjoy about Bryant High School is that we have Buzz Time and that allows us to learn more skills that just basic academic skills . For example, there are knitting classes that teach you how to knit as a beginner , so you can learn how to make something instead of buying it from a store .Parent :The school is too big , its hard to get through the traffics in the mornings and afternoons . There are so many students that doesn’t seem to be any personal relationship with teachrs . It used to be a good place to grow up.Feb 22, 2017Excellent School Reviews :Bryant has a variety of choices from athletics to the curriculum. They offer classes in the STEM program, and many AP classes for those wanting a challenge. They started a robotics program a couple years ago and also now have a 2 yr welding program that when you graduate, you are licensed in that field.Bryant has so many sports to choose from. From your basic baseball and soccer to fishing and tennis, award winning band to a 3x state championship football team. Of course, I'm proud to be a part of that state championship football team. The teachers and coaches at Bryant are top notch. They truly care about every student and making sure they are getting what they need while there, and were involved with me in finding the right school. I graduated in 2020 with a 3.8 in AP classes, and was honored to be recruited to Hendrix College to play football. Being a private school, and planning on Law school afterwards, financial help is needed and much appreciated. Thanks so much.That NavinceGreat schools .org:Below Average : State avg: 32 % below of average District : 0%Average : 20 % District State Avg : 38%ABove Average : District : 80 % State Avg : 30%Websites :Best Bryant Schools | Bryant, AR School Ratings | Best SchoolsEmpowering parents GreatSchools is the leading national nonprofit empowering parents to unlock educational opportunities for their children. We provide school information and parenting resources to help millions of American families choose the right school, support learning at home, and guide their children to great futures. Support GreatSchools in this effort! Donate Now!https://www.greatschools.org/arkansas/bryant/bryant-school-districBryant School DistrictEmpowering parents GreatSchools is the leading national nonprofit empowering parents to unlock educational opportunities for their children. We provide school information and parenting resources to help millions of American families choose the right school, support learning at home, and guide their children to great futures. Support GreatSchools in this effort! Donate Now!https://www.greatschools.org/arkansas/bryant/bryant-school-district/Bryant Public SchoolsCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/Bryant High SchoolHome of the Hornetshttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/bhsBryant Middle SchoolCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/bmsBethel Middle SchoolCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/bemsBryant AthleticsCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/athleticsBryant Elementary SchoolCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/beshttps://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/745117/Bryant-Elementary_School-Profile.pdfCollegeville Elementary SchoolCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/ceshttps://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/745120/Collegeville_School-Profile-18-19.pdfDavis ElementaryCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/deshttps://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/745126/Davis_School-Profile-18-19.pdfHill Farm Elementary SchoolCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/hfeshttps://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/745128/Hill-Farm_School_Profile-18-19.pdfHurricane Creek Elementary SchoolCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/hceshttps://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/745131/HurricaneCreek_SchoolProfile_20-21.pdfParkway Elementary SchoolCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/peshttps://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/745140/Parkway_School-Profile-18-19.pdfSalem Elementary SchoolCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/sesissjfjfjfjfjfjjfjfjSpringhill Elementary SchoolCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/speshttps://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/745193/Springhill_School-Profile-18-19.pdfLibary Links to All Schools have a Media Centers:BES LibraryWelcome to our Library! Our mission is to help students connect and learn using all types of media available. Join us on our learning adventure!https://sites.google.com/a/bryantschools.org/bes-library/home?authuser=0Collegeville Elementary LibraryWelcome to the CES Library Media Center website. I hope that this website will help you in locating information .https://sites.google.com/a/bryantschools.org/collegeville-elementary-library/Davis Elementary LibraryDavis Elementary Library Home Be Respectful...Be Responsible...Be Ready to Learn Welcome to the Library Welcome to the DES Library Media Center website. I hope that this website will help you in locating information. Parents, please encourage your children to be responsible when caring for and returning borrowed books. Also, please remind them to follow our three library expectations: be respectful, be responsible, and be ready to learn. When they choose to not follow these expectations, they miss out on library privileges. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a fun game to help learn how to shelve books in the Fiction and Non-fiction sections of the library. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use the link below for research with the Arkansas Traveler Database. http://www.asl.lib.ar.us/landing-page/details/traveler-searches DES Scholastic Subscriptions Ask Ms. Copley for any remote login information that is required for the following sites!https://sites.google.com/a/bryantschools.org/davis-elementary-library/HFE LibraryClick here to look for a book in our libraryhttps://sites.google.com/a/bryantschools.org/hillfarmmediacenter/HCE Library Media CenterWelcome to the HCE Library-Media Center Homepage!https://sites.google.com/bryantschools.org/hce-library-media-center/homeParkway Elementary LibraryWe are a modern library & media center serving 21st century students in authentic, meaningful, and tech integrated ways.https://sites.google.com/bryantschools.org/parkways-virtual-library-media/homeSalem Elementary LibraryMeet Mrs. Keatonhttps://sites.google.com/bryantschools.org/salem-elementary-library/homeSpringhill Elementary LibraryLibrary Policies and Procedures Checkout Procedures All books are checked out for one week. Items may be renewed one time, unless there is a waiting list for it. Kindergarten, 1 st , and 2 nd graders may check out one book at a time. 3 rd through 5 th grade may check out two books at a time. Students will check out books according to their accelerated reader level. Levels will be listed on the back of the student’s library card. Book Selection Library staff makes every effort to help your child select books that are both interesting to them and on an appropriate level for their age. However, only you can ultimately decide what is appropriate for your child. If your child comes home with a book that you feel is inappropriate for them, please send the book back to the library and they may check out a different book. Lost, Damaged, and Overdue Books Lost Books—All lost books must be paid for in full. The cost of the lost book is the replacement cost. This information is printed on overdue notices and can be shared with students or parents when needed. Students may not check out again until lost or damaged books are paid for. At the end of the school year, report cards will not be sent home to students with lost or missing books. Damaged Books—A fee will be charged to a student that damages a book that can't be repaired. This includes peeling off the labels or label protectors. Students are asked to always inspect their books before checking out in order to avoid being charged for another student's damage. When the student knows that a library book has been damaged while in his/her care, he/she is to tell Mrs. Majors soon as possible. Overdue Books—We do not have late fees in our library. Students with overdue books may not check out until the book is returned or paid for. Students will receive an overdue note once their books are more than two weeks late. The librarian will attempt to call or email parents/guardians if books are four or more weeks late.https://sites.google.com/a/bryantschools.org/speslibrary/My School Menushttps://www.myschoolmenus.com/instance/94/district/120YEs , All schools do have a library and other activesMeals :My School Menushttps://www.myschoolmenus.com/instance/94/district/120Summer Links:Summer Food ProgramChildren need good nutrition all year long. When school is out during the summer months, many childr...https://www.bryantschools.org/o/ses/article/259457https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/822559/5.13___STUDENT_INTERVENTION_SERVICES_AND_SUMMER_SCHOOL.pdfBryant Public SchoolsCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/summer-family-guidesHandbooks :Website Bryant PreK Handbook 2020-21This handbook contains policies for the Bryant Pre-K. All parents and caregivers should be familiar with these policies. If questions arise, please feel free to contact the Bryant Director of Early Childhood Education or your child’s classroom teacher. These policies are based on state and fede...https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mhzi0q7O78_DMFlqBeSQbfcaAoEjR3PXL1Ov8l6RzTQ/edit2020-2021 Elementary Handbook\ BRYANT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ELEMENTARY STUDENT PARENT/GUARDIAN HANDBOOK VISION Bryant Public Schools will be the state’s premier provider of educational services. MISSION STATEMENT Bryant Public Schools creates opportunities for academic and personal success to ensure all students are future rea...https://docs.google.com/document/d/17CyDgV32uc1YRwmYbRhIIcUx0sY_zKEYEm4NtRHS4Qo/edit2020-21 BSD Secondary HandbookBRYANT PUBLIC SCHOOLS SECONDARY STUDENT PARENT/GUARDIAN HANDBOOK VISION Bryant Public Schools will be the state’s premier provider of educational services. MISSION STATEMENT Bryant Public Schools create opportunities for academic and personal success to ensure all students are future r...https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1GoQki8bylNT_laXQoLtYyrx7afESP-6CuwziWOPFp9U/edit?usp=sharingCAP Books and Course Catlog :https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/771655/CAPGuide_Web.pdfBHS Course Catalog.pdfhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1c6SVDi0IGZ89YT4B3udq-0FokcbMOFK8/viewOther Links and Speical EducationBryant Public SchoolsCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/safety-and-securityBryant Public SchoolsCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/hippyhttps://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1102833/Buzz_Academy_Guide__4_.pdfhttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/buzz-academyhttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/food-servicehttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/school-choicehttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/continuum-of-service-optionsBryant Public SchoolsCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/eligibility-categorieshttps://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1146291/Elementary_Virtual_Learning_Guide.pdfhttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/thanksgiving-feasthttps://www.bryantschools.org/o/hces/page/safety-procedureshttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/special-educationhttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/covid-19-informationBryant Public SchoolsCreating Opportunities for Successhttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/number-of-positive-caseshttps://www.bryantschools.org/page/quarantine-for-no-symptomshttps://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/816370/Typical_School_Days__1_.pdfhttps://www.bryantschools.org/browse/146641https://www.bryantschools.org/browse/146643https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/969547/Annual_Report_2020-21.pdfhttps://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/arkansas/districts/bryant-school-district/bryant-high-school-1257https://www.greatschools.org/arkansas/bryant/https://www.niche.com/k12/d/bryant-school-district-ar/https://www.schooldigger.com/go/AR/city/Bryant/search.aspxhttps://www.publicschoolreview.com/arkansas/bryant-school-district/503690-school-districthttps://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/744191/Cold-Flu-Prevention.pdfhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryant_Public_Schoolshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paron_School_Districthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paron_High_Schoolhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryant_High_School_(Arkansas)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_education_in_the_United_Stateshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_education_in_the_United_Stateshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-kindergartenhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_childhood_educationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preschoolhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindergartenhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_schoolhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryant,_Arkansashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saline_County,_Arkansashttps://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/states/article/arkansashttps://www.50states.com/facts/arkansas.htmIf you want a daycare service near and drop off and picked up your child or you have kids who are younger than three but can’t watches them because you do a full-working . Again it not the schools wanted it depends where you leave and amount students as well as the grades of your kids . By the way buzz academy is already done and application is closed . I still using at information preference because the acaplation if fulled .To be honest not everyone here is vaccinated from the covid and theDaycare area near schools if you are busy or working parent or lazy one to not be able to supervised your kids .Daycare :https://www.childcarenetwork.com/programshttps://www.primroseschools.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwr_uCBhAFEiwAX8YJgS4MrULU6Nvx49igIKq4JxZjG6kgeOyrpA2pbz0lW77AUAqvpvi2WBoC8VsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.dsKids Town AcademyLittle dreamers AcadmeyKid’s AcadmeyDaycareThe Children CentersChildcare AcadmeyIn A Childs Worldhttps://cakechildcare.com/school/karealotlearningacademy/detail_program-offered/926My school starts parties and stories slash field trip.Elementary PartiesHoolween Party : This happen when was in elementary and it includes a candy by drdressing up . The teachers dressing up as a vampire,ghosts, and witches. The kids will get dress as witches , dorthy , dotcor , ghost busters . The candy is Kitkat , Hershey , Halloween Theme pencils .Hill FarmI attended Only in 1st grade and it was only happen once.Winter Son and Mothers Roller Skating: is when boys comes to schools and has to eat a special school . The roller skates and yes the girls students are allowed their if they help with party but it ment for boys and their mother to get realtionship and bonding time .Thanksgiving Party ( Once) : It is when a family members comes to school and eat dinner with turkey with gravy , mash poatoes , green beens Casserole ( cheese with canned greeen bees . The desert is Pumpkin Pie with whipcream Drinks is unsweet iced teas , sweet iced tea , hot chocolate , orange juice , apple juice , milk .Christmas On Hill :This also when Chilli Nigth is avabile wich I will explain later . It is when you sing in chirstmas group Chrous for Carol about Christmas song . Their is Santa came to school .Then we put red and white cane which is made out of red and white beads as well white pipecleaner . The drink was hot chocolate . The snacks include cookies om green frosting and rediing f frossitng , cupcakes ( white , red , green). If you take photo with santa you wil get a CD about and album if pay $ 5 dollars for it and you get a peppermint candycane .Christmas Kindergarten Party:This one is located for in salin e the local libary and is three liabry calle caled the slain e count. We sat in on a darking blue and green riding and read -adloud Rudolph the red nose reindeer . Then we also did other things as well make snow mens out papper and glues on green or Red paper .The paarites just have started on list is not done yet .Teachers Provide Paties :Halloween Parites: It will have dirknks cssssssalled BuKJuice werjjhich ( fanta organe , StarawbeerY Fantat , and SPriteThere are Chirstmas Parties aprties , Christmas readyallows , parites , Bteakfast parties , Grarandparsent abraekafsast , andFamily Game Night , hOurs of CodingMiddle eisSecondary Parties ar enot Patties but they were claled somehting else like Muncking Banges or shareign gfood .I . Like hohot chirc ook e , cucake s, quzasedia , an‘I am done with mine becuase it taking for every but if you want to learn more you can asked me dbecuase my wifi lagging due to it raining here . I am going to publish it the way it is as of now . If I have time and will edits it and update ed this unleess if my computer and ipad or don’t delte this one .

Some days are harder than others. Some weeks too. Some months and years as well, for me at least. I think many others might agree.This week counts as tough not because I have had some trauma of some sort, but because others I know have. Here is a recap:At a brunch with a couple of exceptionally bright students we talked about what they were going to do now that college graduation is on the horizon. One of them talked about all the pressure she feels from her family to land a name brand Fortune 500 job. Before long there were tears. We were in a public space but the pain was too much for her hold in. The smiling confident joking persona failed. Trying to please parents, find a job, keep up with honors projects and multiple activities have taken a mental toll.Another former student called from New York. This student has been out for 2 years at one of the top 4 consulting firms. From the outside all looks great. The City, the job, money, and prestige. The student broke down and confessed to going through nearly unbearable depression. The hours, the travel, the expectations from parents to make it big, the constant competition from friends who work with the big banks, and a feeling that the work it took to get to this place did not prepare for the emptiness of it all, and the soulless emphasis on profits. The student cares about social justice and sees politics and profit over all else mentality here and abroad as creating misery for far too many. The student sees the consulting company focused on money money money. The student hates this ideology but is so depressed that looking for alternatives seems akin to climbing Everest in a winter ice storm. Now in intense counseling the student has thought dark thoughts.Another student talked about the academic program she’s in. She is doing very well but virtually all of her peers are slackers. They make her feel like a nerd or like someone who does not know how to join the group and have fun. She feels alone and feels untethered as she is from another country and has no family to turn to. Her tears came in a public place. She wants to make her family proud, wants her friends to like her, wants to learn even though she has to spend massive amounts of time to do assignments native speakers can do in a few minutes. They put pressure on her to go out and enjoy when all she can think about is keeping up. She’s rethinking the wisdom of going abroad because some of her peers don’t understand how hard it is to immerse into another culture and languageThese are just 3; unfortunately, there were several more conversations like this over the course of the past week. I am sure there are many conversations a lot like these going on at every campus in the US on most days and perhaps most hours. The level of pressure on students is the highest I have seen in 3 decades. More students seek counseling, more students are depressed, more students are worried they can’t find 'real' jobs than before when a degree from a prestigious school virtually assured some open door-- real jobs that require great skills and not jobs that don’t require a college degree.Why am I writing this? I am trying to evoke some emotion. I don’t expect readers to cry, but I do hope they will learn a bit about the struggles that many are going through right now on campuses across the US. There is, however, another reason I am writing this. I hope I can convince at least a few people to think about the way they categorize the students who apply for admission to highly selective schools works.Let me start with some quotes from someone who is now a professor:For most of my life, I have taken for granted how my upbringing and my loving, educated, and involved parents made it possible for me to strive for excellence. Nearly everything has worked in my favor well beyond whatever natural gifts I possess. I attended excellent schools in safe, suburban neighborhoods with healthy tax bases. I had teachers who encouraged my talent and creativity. I had parents who supplemented what I was learning in school with additional studies…In high school, I attended boarding school in New Hampshire…My senior year, I received an acceptance letter to an Ivy League college. I was in the campus mailroom. Everyone was buzzing as they learned of their fate. I opened my letter and smiled. I had been accepted to all but one of the schools to which I applied. I allowed myself a quiet moment of celebration.How do you feel about this student? Do you feel she is the embodiment of what we encourage students to do to reach their potential? Or do you feel a bit judgmental because she has had advantages that most do not have and that these advantages have given her a tremendous boost in getting accepted to an Ivy?I ask these questions as I have read a number of things recently that lead me to believe that students like this are often looked at negatively by some in education. To me, I think we should be holding students like this as models to follow.*********************************************************************The one writer who has achieved some fame talking about students who attend elite schools is William Deresiewicz. His book Excellent Sheep and New Republic article depict the vast majority of students as unthinking drones who jump through hoops in order to get into elite schools and once there do little except to pad resumes and lead unexamined lives. While I strongly disagree with his categorization of most of the students at elite schools as excellent sheep (go here for some of the reasons why), I do think his portrayal of the internal state of many students at top schools is accurate:Look beneath the façade of affable confidence and seamless well-adjustment that today’s elite students have learned to project, and what you often find are toxic levels of fear, anxiety, and depression, of emptiness and aimlessness and isolation.We all know about the stressed-out, overpressured high school student; why do we assume that things get better once she gets to college? The evidence says they do not. A large-scale survey of college freshmen recently found that self-reports of emotional well-being have fallen to their lowest level in the twenty-five-year history of the study. In another recent survey —summarized by the American Psychological Association under the headline “The Crisis on Campus”— nearly half of college students reported feelings of hopelessness, while almost a third spoke of feeling “so depressed that it was difficult to function during the past 12 months.” Deresiewicz, William . Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful LifeThese words support what I have found in talking with students who have excelled in virtually everything they have tried. Many of them have been working non-stop their entire lives. They have been pushed by parents and by others around them who also want to excel. They tend to be in schools that stress achievement and provide rigorous academic opportunities in APs, honors or IB classes. I would hope that some reading Deresiewicz ‘s words would then feel some sympathy for what these students have to do in order to stand out in an increasingly selective process to get accepted to top schools. The competition is now global (as with almost everything else in life) and each year the acceptance rates to top schools drops down and now hovers well under 10% at the most selective schools. These students have to be nearly perfect to get in and it often takes a huge psychic toll to accomplish this.Unfortunately, there are far too may people in and out of education who don’t have much sympathy for these students. Instead there seems to be some shadenfreude going on. There is, if not glee, in hearing about the suffering of these students, there isn’t much going on in the media that comes across as supportive.The reason that many don’t seem to feel both supportive and sympathetic toward these students is that instead of understanding how much work it takes to stand out in order to get accepted to elite schools many focus far more on how much money it often takes. Educators and pundits comment daily it seems on how these students from wealthy backgrounds have received a huge boost from parents who seem to care little about anything except the name of the school their child gets in and how they can buy whatever it take to get them there.If you think I am overstating my case, here are some things that have been said by well respected writers and educators about students accepted to elite schools that lead me to believe that the ideology of class warfare has clouded their vision when it comes to understanding what these students are really like and how they live their lives:“Most of the entering class at very selective universities (like the Ivy Leagues) had the advantages of very wealthy parents who have no problem opening their wallets to university foundations, private tutors and nannies, SAT summer camps, never having to work a part-time job in high school, and the best private schools - any mediocre talent can get into an Ivy League university with all of those advantages (any many do.” Comment from an educator on a discussion group about selective admission“If you were shut out of an elite school, that doesn’t mean you’re less gifted than all of the students who were welcomed there. It may mean only that you lacked the patronage that some of them had, or that you played the game less single-mindedly, taking fewer SAT courses and failing to massage your biography with the same zeal.A friend of mine in Africa told me recently about a center for orphans there that a rich American couple financed in part to give their own teenage children an exotic charity to visit occasionally and mine for college-application essays: admissions bait. That’s the degree of cunning that comes into this frenzy.Maybe it tells you merely that these colleges attract the budding plutocrats with the greatest concern for the heft of their paychecks. Is that the milieu you sought?” Frank Bruni, NY Times Columnist And here are some quite different comments from the person who I started with, William Deresiewicz:"It almost feels ridiculous to have to insist that colleges like Harvard are bastions of privilege, where the rich send their children to learn to walk, talk, and think like the rich. Don’t we already know this? They aren’t called elite colleges for nothing. But apparently we like pretending otherwise. We live in a meritocracy, after all…Not being an entitled little shit is an admirable goal. But in the end, the deeper issue is the situation that makes it so hard to be anything else….Wealthy families start buying their children’s way into elite colleges almost from the moment they are born: music lessons, sports equipment, foreign travel (“enrichment” programs, to use the all-too-perfect term)—most important, of course, private-school tuition or the costs of living in a place with top-tier public schools. The SAT is supposed to measure aptitude, but what it actually measures is parental income, which it tracks quite closely."I have a whole lot more comments like this and almost included the whole group I collected from comments over the last few days but have decided that these 3 will do so long as readers know that these comments are common and represent what I would call the knee-jerk reaction to the way that students get accepted to highly selective schools. In other words, I am not as the logicians say, cherry picking data that does not represent a fairly large group of people. I still find it odd that the reaction on the part of so many to students who work hard is so negative. I have written about this issue a number of times and in a number of ways, but I have not had many who seem to agree with me that the comments and opinions above should be looked at with a critical eye and that perhaps it is time to question whether critiquing the parents and students who do all they can do develop skills and passions and talents should not be the ones we look down upon.Each of the comments I have quoted raises the same thing in slightly different way: wealth, patronage, and buying a place at a selective school.Based on these comments it would seem that there is a strong belief that rich kids can buy their way in to schools. While there are a few students like this who are accepted each year, the number is very small (Malcolm Gladwell says he has heard it takes 20 million to get a place. I don’t think he has data to back this up but even if it were true the number of families that could drop 20 million for a child is tiny.) Anyone running data on the Ivies and donations from parents with college going kids could find out how many 20 million contributions came in in any given year. I would be willing to bet that the number would be smaller than the number of fingers I have.Gladwell asserts 20 million gets students inWhat’s far more important, however, than tracing the tiny number of super trust fund kids who get in, would be to get a somewhat agreed upon definition of what privileged means. The medium income (in 2011) for those at the top 1.5% in the US is $250,000. Is anyone above this percentage above amount to be categorized as rich? A thought experiment might help. If a family has two children and they live in a city with poor public schools they will likely make the sacrifice to send their children to private schools. The prices can range from 10,000-30,000. Boarding school is about 50,000. In addition, living in large cities costs are great deal of money as does living in some areas outside the cities in nice suburbs with great public schools. While these families are not suffering economically, I think it is not accurate to say they can buy their way in to elite schools. Even the top .1% of income earners wont find it easy to drop 20 million to buy a space (assuming this statement by Gladwell is even remotely accurate). The number of parents who have high school seniors and who make 250,000 is small. It is one of the reasons colleges have had to import many full paying international students. There simply are not that many rich kids to go around given the costs of schools these days. The elite schools have more than enough students, from all income levels that they can admit, but I think it is inaccurate to assume that families who make less than a very high sum are busying their children's way in to schools. (Here is one data point to support my contention, taken from Jeffrey Selingo’s book, College (Un)Bound, which is well worth reading as it is a treasure trove of data that isn’t published many places: "At the top is the total number of eighteen-year-olds, some 4.3 million in 2009. The ones that filter out at the bottom are those with above-average SAT scores and family incomes over $ 200,000 a year, who also want to attend small, private colleges in the mid-Atlantic or Northeast regions. That number in 2009, according to Lundquist? Just 996 students." Selingo, Jeffrey J. College Unbound: The Future of Higher Education and What It Means for Students)While these stats do not apply to the Ives for example, they include all the top and less than top small liberal arts schools that proliferate in these regions. The fact is that there are not that many rich kids, even kids who are near the bottom of what some would call rich. It’s worth noting at Harvard for example 1 out of every 5 students in Pell Grant eligible, meaning the student comes form the bottom of the income distribution, Colombia’s low-income percentage is even higher. These skills are not filled with only students from penthouses and villas and who take private jets to get to campus. Not even close.The second issue I have with the class warfare comments is that each of them seems to assume that parents care first and foremost about buying places in college. I don’t know how many of the commenters I have quoted above have spent untold hours with the parents of students at some of the top private and public schools in the US, but I have spent hundreds. I have continued my interaction with students and parents outside of school settings around the world and have logged in thousands of hours talking with students. And I also have personal experience with my own child negotiating through the application process for selective schools and most of her peers came from the top income distribution. In all that time, I found that parents were not plotting to buy their kids a spot. Did they try to encourage their children to play instruments, to play sports, to learn to do service? Yes. But it never seemed that the reason they were doing so was to buy a kid in. Most parents, of any income bracket, want their children to succeed. Those with means will try to find options that will help develop their children that may make them productive citizens. Are there a few who think money is the only thing that matters? Yes. Are there many? I certainly have not met many of them. I think that most parents want to give their children opportunities to learn first and foremost. I think it would be naïve of me to think that some of the things they support might be thought of as helpful in admission. But most do not start every act or expense they make for their children as something that will end up being listed on an admission application. The cynicism on the part of educators about parents who make more than most seems overstated and not based on data.Finally, I want to highlight what seems to be a disconnect between what people know about students who attend elite schools and yet what they perceive them to be. Deresiewicz. And anyone who works at a selective school knows, that the stress level among students is alarmingly high. Counseling centers are overwhelmed, students are depressed in record numbers, tons are on medications. Educators know this and yet it doesn’t seem that this elicits much concern in the public. Rather than attempting to address these issues it seems many would rather define these students as, to use Mr. Deresiewicz’s phrase, “entitled little shits.” If so many of those attending elite schools are psychically wounded do the all really feel like entitled little shits too. Are they both? Maybe there are some of both on campuses but my experience this past week and over many years leads me to conclude there are many more of the former than the latter. If I am right about this, then there ought to be a lot more comments and published pieces about helping the brightest students in the land negotiate their years in college in ways that will produce learning and health. If most teachers at colleges, if most who work in offices at universities, if most of the country thinks these kids are shits, don’t you think this attitude filters down to them? These kids are, I think it fair to say, not dumb. They can perceive the snarky remarks that come their way and these actions don’t help to bridge the gaps in income culture or experience in any useful way. The years when it was assumed that college is the best 4 years” seems to be over. Kids have to work timelessly to try to find the jobs they hope will bring them security for the future. Just because a student seems to have everything together on a resume or even speaking in public, it does not take much to see that underneath are young adults struggling to define themselves. Calling them shits won’t help them and won’t help anyone else either. It’s time to rethink the discourse that is being used by too many in education today.*********************************************************************I began this answer by talking about my bad week, and here is where I will end. There are a lot of exceptional students who love to learn and work tirelessly to succeed some because they want to and others to please parents but many of these students are struggling. They are depressed, have eating disorders or worse. Some don’t know if they can get through school despite having all the numeric rubrics that predict success. My plea is for people who think that anyone who has money has it easy should spend some hours talking to some of these “rich kids” before saying things in public in the media or behind closed doors that purports to tell the truth of what these students are like and what lives they lead. I think if there would be more communication between educators and these students who work as hard as they can to do well and take full advantage of the support of parents there might be less of what I would call contempt for them.Am I saying that there are not rich kids who are jerks? Of course not. But there are poor jerks too. Most students I know are good people who care and try as best as they can to do well. I tend to know students who have achieved exceptionally well and the group has been a huge resource for me in terms of learning about the world. I am honored that they talk to me about their struggles and fears. For those who don’t know many of the overachievers personally I would suggest looking over a number of interviews I have conducted with these kinds of student on this blog. Enter the word interview and then spend a few hours reading about students, most of whom are full payers, who have done things in their lives that I never could, in and out of the classroom, and almost all of these things have nothing to do with money. These students have chance to make positive change in ways few do. Why not try to give them some respect and support rather than contempt and inaccurate stereotypes? Name calling does not help them one bit and it won’t help the others who don’t have the chance to do what some of these students might if they had the support of people around them. These kids are under enough stress. Do they need to feel that most dislike them because they don’t have to go into debt to get an education? That seems counterproductive at the very least. It also seems mean-spirited and small-minded.The person’s story I quoted from above who had supportive parents, lived in great neighborhoods and went to boarding school has some more detail I will add here:My senior year, I received an acceptance letter to an Ivy League college. I was in the campus mailroom. Everyone was buzzing as they learned of their fate. I opened my letter and smiled. I had been accepted to all but one of the schools to which I applied. I allowed myself a quiet moment of celebration. A young white man next to me, the sort who played lacrosse, had not been accepted to his top choice, a school to which I had been accepted. He was instantly bitter. He sneered and muttered, “Affirmative action,” as he stalked away. I had worked hard and it didn’t matter. I was exceptional and it did not matter. In that moment, I was reminded of my place.This African American student earned her spot. Yet at the moment she should have been celebrating she was insulted. I bring up this story, as I wanted to ask a question. Would the writers who call people from good incomes and attend boarding schools lots of names also call her an excellent sheep or an entitled little shit who waltzed into an Ivy? Probably not. Her race means she has had to overcome many things the rest of us have not. But she is still part of the community of students who attends these schools and has the backing of parents. To paint anyone who attends an elite boarding school and who then goes on to an Ivy entitled little shit would include this student and thus add insult to injury.If a white or Asian student had just received great news from an Ivy and someone said right then and there, ‘entitled little shit and stalked off, I imagine that would hurt too. Or is there a part of you that thinks there are kids who deserve this epithet and that it feels just a little bit good to say it? ??While this last epithet is not at all the same thing as a racial epithet, each still dehumanize and categorize people into a group. I thought the educators were dedicated to changing this kind of thinking. These students, or at least most that I know, are vulnerable, insecure and still have a lot of growing up to do. But almost all of them have worked incredibly hard, and have earned their spots too. Instead of judging them negatively from the start, it might be useful to them and to the rest of us to keep the discourse civil and thoughtful.Maria Popova sums what I have tried to say here clearly and succinctly: "To assume that one’s voice and cultural contribution don’t count because one was born into “privilege” is as narrow and toxic as to deny one’s voice because one was born into poverty.

Well, yes. And, I suppose you want to read them, or you wouldn’t have asked. Reluctantly, though, for I suppose I could just as easily embarrass myself as tell interesting things. Reluctance be damned; full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes.I think John Denver was one of the best folk singers of his era. He died at 53 when the light aircraft he took up ran out of fuel. It’s sad. He had a lot more to offer us, or so I believe.I’m HIV+. I seroconverted in 1982. I’ve lived with HIV for some 37 years.In ‘82, many of my friends in Philadelphia began dying of GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency Syndrome, as AIDS was called then). I was certain I was going to die too.Rather than obsess over it, I just went out and bought the best medical insurance policy I could find. A year later, the insurance companies wised up and stopped selling medical insurance to males between 18 and 45. I got in just under the wire.I bought a $250,000 life insurance policy so I would leave something for my mother and grandmother. I bought an income disability insurance policy for myself so that I wouldn’t be destitute when disabled.Then, I went back to work and gave it not another thought. If I died, I died. Que sera ….I’m gay, in case you hadn’t worked that out. I came out in 1970, at 22, three months after graduating from Johns Hopkins University.I was born in Garden City, Kansas, some 60 miles from the town in which my parents lived because that was the closest doctor and hospital. Leoti was my hometown. It was the county seat and had a population of 1,250. I know well what life in a small town is like.When I was 4, I could get on the chair and use the telephone that hung from the dining room wall of my grandmother’s house. It was a wooden box that had a mouthpiece extending from the center and an earpiece that hung on a hook on the right side. Also on the right side was a crank handle.To operate it, you took the earpiece off the hook and turned the crank. A voice on the other end of the line said, “Information, please.” For the longest time, I thought that was her name, Information Please.I was born tongue-tied. The doctor, who got there the day after I was delivered, said he would cut the thickened frenulum linguae, but I might nonetheless never speak correctly.I did learn to speak, well enough that I spoke freely and with effect in front of juries and in arguments before appellate judges.One summer, on my grandparents’ 1,000 acre Colorado farm, I saw my little brother standing frozen in the middle of the yard. I just knew there was a rattlesnake. Without thinking, I grabbed a hoe and ran over. There it was, poised to strike, with rattle shaking fiercely. I chopped its head off. Then my knees buckled under me, and I was flat on the ground next to the still wriggling corpse.I had nightmares for weeks. I just knew that that was a Mr. snake and somewhere out there, there was a Mrs. snake really pissed at me. She was hunting me, or so I dreamt.I’m a voracious reader. When I was in 9th grade or so, my mother gave me Churchill’s 6-volume history of WW II. Each volume exceeded 1,000 pages. I read all of them in one summer month.Among the books I’ve read, some of my favorites are:Encounters with the archdruid and Coming into the Country, John McPhee,The Kryptonite Kid and As If After Sex, Joseph Torchia,John Adams, David McCullough,The Charioteer, The Last of the Wine, Fire from Heaven, and The Persian Boy, Mary Renault,The Guns of August and The March of Folly, Barbara Tuchman,The Gathering Storm (first of the six-volume history The Second World War), Winston Churchill,Abraham Lincoln: The War Years, Carl Sandburg,The Cousins Wars, Kevin Phillips,A Separate Peace, John Knowles,The Man Without a Face, Isabelle Holland,An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Ambrose Bierce (short story),Nine Stories, J.D. Salinger,The Celestine Prophecy, James Redfield,Sailing Alone Around the World, Joshua Slocum,Enders’ Game, Orson Scott Card,Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein,Maurice, E.M. Forster,A Single Man and Christopher and His Kind, Christopher Isherwood, andGILES: Goat-Boy, John Barth.I’m a life-long liberal Democratic snowflake in the FDR/JFK mold. Snowflake I might be, but I don’t melt under heat, I sparkle.I’ve been a confirmed atheist since 13 when I looked at the flyleaf of the Bible and saw the words “King James version.” I wondered how many other versions there were, and questioned why I wasn’t reading one of them. The minister said there were somethings I wasn’t to question but just had to take on faith.I found I hadn’t enough faith not to wonder about those other versions. Besides, I really didn’t like being told what I had to believe.My three most admired people in history are Alexander the Great, Lincoln, and Churchill.In elementary school and through high school, I was an overachiever. I got As with only a few Bs.I got a D in personal typing. I really wasn’t interested and didn’t apply myself though I had ample manual dexterity to type correctly.I learned typing on a manual, now old fashioned typewriter before the IBM Selectric was invented. Ugh. I’m old!The first court sport I played was handball at the YMCA in San Francisco when I was 27. I took it up on a challenge in 1976, my first year in law school in San Francisco. A straight friend, Peter, said I couldn’t beat him.He was right. I hated losing. I was competitive in things I was interested in, overly competitive.I took lessons from a man who had been U.S. handball champion four years running in his youth. He agreed to coach me if I was serious enough to practice 3 hours a week with him, practice by myself 3 hours a week, and play against other players another 3 hours a week.I did all that plus long distance running, swimming, and exercises at the Y.Peter stopped playing me because I kept beating him. I was good enough, said my coach, to be an A- professional player.In 1978, I graduated law school and accepted a trial court clerkship in Fairbanks even though that I had locked up a 9th Circuit appellate court clerkship with a judge in Idaho. The 9th Circuit clerkship would have given me a lot of resume power.But I already knew how to research and write. I thought a trial court clerkship would be better. Besides, Fairbanks would be an adventure, and, anyway, who wanted to spend a year in Idaho?I was admitted to Johns Hopkins University in 1965, my high school junior year, as a pre-med student.I spent the summer of that year as an intern at Goddard Space Flight Center.At Goddard, I did original research on the spectral distribution of the carbon arc lamp. I wrote a paper on the research that was published by Goddard. So, technically, I’m a published author.Summer of my high school senior year I spent working in the restaurant of the only motel in Leoti.I learned to love rare (rare) steak when a Texan came into the restaurant, walked past the cash register, past the owner, directly into the kitchen and up to the cook. He said, “I want the best steak in the house, and I want it rare. I mean pass a match under it and send it out.”She put it on the grill for a minute, flipped it over for another minute and sent me out with it and with the message that, please, if it wasn’t cooked enough, send it back.An hour later, the Texan walked again into the kitchen and up to Tillie. He gave her a $20 bill (this was 1966 when $20 was serious money in western Kansas), and said, “That’s the best damn steak I’ve had outside Texas.”I thought that if it was worth $20, I should try it. I got Tillie to make me one that I took into an empty and darkened room (dark so that I couldn’t see the blood as it ran from the cut). It was the best damn steak I’d ever had.I’ve eaten all my steaks rare ever since. I soon got so selective that I would only eat a filet mignon. It’s my favorite and the only cut I will eat.I’m choosy that way, or perhaps just a show-off.I’m an INTP, of which only about 3% of the population is.I’m contrary. I don’t like being told what to do. I rebel. I always have.In a junior-high English composition class, the student teacher told us we had to do 12 book reports. My immediate reaction was, “Oh, goody. I get to read 12 books and get credit for them.” Everyone else moaned.She gave us a list of 13 books from which to choose the 12. We had to read from that list. My immediate reaction was that I wasn’t going to read a one; I’d select my own.I was smart enough to know I’d better have an unassailable list, so I decided to read only Pulitzer Prize works.For my first one, I chose Giants in the Earth by Roølveg.I got a D. She didn’t even read it. I took it to the Vice Principal and noted that there was no crease where the staple was; she hadn’t even turned the first page. He liked me. I think he was a contrarian too. He summoned her and said she should read it before giving me a grade.I got a B+. I was certain it wasn’t an A because it wasn’t from her list. I’ve never since liked student teachers.I accidentally discovered Computer Science in my university freshman year. It was intuitive to me, ridiculously simple and easy. I got an A in the course.I switched majors from pre-med to computer science and applied mathematics. I had much more fun than ever I would have in Biochem.The professor got me a paid, graduate-level teaching assistantship. I taught a lab section in the adult education school that summer. I was 19. I kept teaching it through my senior year when I had two sections and was in charge of the 12 other instructors.I was a capitalist early on in life. I worked for the computer center programming for a group of professors who needed work on their grants. The computer center charged them $15/hr and paid me $5/hr.In my junior year, I quit the computer center and went to the professors offering to do the same work as an independent consultant for $10/hr, thus doubling my pay and saving them 1/3 on their grant expenses. The computer center director was not pleased.I taught myself to operate the IBM 7094 mainframe from the operator’s control console. One night around 02:00, I had entered a small program into high memory that waited until the next operator logged in.When he did, the computer flashed on the console’s light panel, “Jason has cold hands. I refuse to work for him.” At which point, all the lights on the panel and the two banks of tape drives began flashing wildly. Had there been a warning klaxon, I would have sounded it too.I thought Jason was smart enough to find the program and throw it out of memory. He wasn’t. At 03:30, I got an angry call from the director wanting to know what the Hell I’d done to his machine.I wasn’t thrown out although the Dean threatened to. Perhaps he too was a contrarian.I consistently operated in the 97th percentile. I’m complex and intelligent., although I have no example to offer you. I just know that I am.I’m well read and skilled at writing. Some times I can even write an entertaining or moving vignette.I have a sometimes droll sense of humor, tightly leashed.I’m a quiet, self-directed, self-sufficient, mildly extroverted introvert. The mild extroversion is a quality hard-won during my character makeover in junior and senior years in college. I determined to stop being the loner I had always been. I did.I can’t believe I’ve reached halfway. I’ve still got a lot of stuff to tell and am feeling no pressure, no fear that I might not make it to 100. I can sometimes be a prolific and prolix bloviator.My most valued skill is surviving life, though sometimes just barely.All my life, I’ve had two operating speeds, all ahead flank, 110% on the reactor, and all stop. That’s how I consistently described myself.I can also be a showoff. Sorry.In therapy in my 40s, in the middle of a 12-year depression, my psychiatrist diagnosed me as Bipolar II, NOS. I guess I was right in my self-description.I no longer read voraciously, not because I haven’t the interest, but because I’ve developed a double vision and another eye condition that makes it difficult to read the print. However, I can enlarge the font on my iPad sufficiently so that I can read on it.I now spend my reading time with the New York Times, the LA Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker magazine, and sometimes the Economist. I’ve digital subscriptions to all of them.I’m Quora Top Writer 2018, an “accomplishment” with which I’m pleased. But, I feel pressure to continually do better so that I’ll be a 2019 Top Writer. I thought I left performance pressure behind when I quit my litigation practice.I’m an attorney. The lawyer is the mealy-mouthed, obnoxious, conceited little piss-ant on the other side.How I got from pre-med to computer science to law is a good story, but it would be too long to recount here. I haven’t the time to make it short.It’s 01:55 hours as I write this. I often can’t sleep, so, I occupy the night hours with Quora (reading as well as writing). I’m listening to John Denver’s Wildlife Concert on my Bose Quiet Control 30 blue tooth headset.Did I say that I think Denver was one of the best?Three months after I came out in DC, I sort of accidentally crashed a dinner party for two lovers on the occasion of their 7th anniversary. The gay couple across the hall was giving the dinner.I had had a date with my boyfriend who lived on the floor above. He didn’t show. I didn’t want to go home. He had introduced me to Raj and Ulf, the couple across the hall, a few weeks previously and they had said I should visit anytime. I knocked, was invited to stay, and accepted with alacrity and without compunction.The honorees were two lawyers who had met and brought each other out in Harvard law school. They were smart and ever so cosmopolitan. Within an hour, while still at the table, I knew I was in love, in love with both and with the entity that was the two of them together. Really. Strong, visceral, undeniable love at first sight. Well, at first hour’s sight anyway.It was a Sunday night. We talked for hours until Raj and Ulf threw us out because they had to go to work on Monday, which it was because we had talked well beyond midnight.I went back with them to their apartment. After another hour, Tommy and Michael disappeared toward the back. I sat on the sofa looking out the great window that was the north wall of their apartment at the DC night lights, all the Jefferson Memorial and Lincoln Monument ablaze in light.Michael came out a few minuted later saying that each of them wanted to bed me. Whichever one I chose, the other would sleep in the second bedroom and wouldn’t be hurt.I didn’t hesitate. I said I’d sleep with both or neither. I spent that night and Monday and Tuesday with them, talking, laughing, reading a book to each other (John McPhee’s The Deltoid Pumpkin Seed), and screwing our collective minds out.That is how I met what I call my two first lovers. We were together 3 years until Tommy decided he was in love with someone else. Michael and I stayed together another year until I left for a Ph.D. program at Cornell in search of my professional soul.I was supposed to come home over holidays, spring break, and summers. But, when I came back for Christmas, Michael said he had met another man and was leaving. He disappeared and left me alone in the apartment.For the first time in my life, I decided I needed to get drunk. My sorrow, anguish, and desperation demanded relief in the oblivion of Stolichnaya.In our favorite gay bar, I sat at the bar with my first Stolly and cranberry juice with a lime. I had finished the drink and was absent-mindedly pummeling the lime wedge in the bottom of the glass with the straw when the bartender came up with a second.He looked at me with a smile that curled up on the right side of his mouth and a twinkle in his brilliant hazel eyes. “I’d sure hate to be the guy you’ve got in the bottom of that glass,” he said as he slid the second drink toward me. He winked, “I get off at 2:30.”I decided I didn’t need to get drunk after all. I nursed that second drink the rest of the night.On the few occasions since, when I’ve felt I needed to get drunk, I’ve recalled those hazel eyes and the week I spent reflected in them. I remember, I really don’t have to get drunk at all.Since then, I’ve bedded perhaps 2,000 or so men. I’ve had 3 lovers and any number of boyfriends. A lot of men fell in love with me. I broke all their hearts. Two broke my heart.I fell in love with only the 3. I left the first two, breaking their hearts in the process. The third I was with for 8 years until he died on April 28th, 1995, of AIDS in San Diego. I know we would still be together but for that.We met in 1987 in Fayetteville, AR, where I had gone to practice law. In 1992, we decided to move to San Diego where he could get a job as an Emergency Department nurse despite being HIV+.He went out first. It took me 3 months to wind up affairs and sell the house. Upon my arrival in San Diego, he wrote this.Welcome Back BabyEden lets me in.I find the seeds of loveAnd climb upon the high wire.I kiss — and tell all my fears.Playing in the dirtWe find the seeds of fun.We scream like alley catsTearing down what we attackTo prove that we are one.Cutting through the night,We find the seds of lustAnd lose our minds on one intent.These passions never seem to end.© 1992 Loy Dean SloanOn his death 3 years later, I wrote thisThe Reflection Of My SoulYou are the reflection of my soul.No more than could my shadowCan you be torn from me,Though time and distanceinterpose, though Death’s persistenceDeliver you to Heaven’s fold.You are the reflection of my soul.© 1995 Steve AlexanderI was what is called an HIV slow progresser. My immune system resisted the virus from ’82 until ’96 when my T-cells dropped so far below 200 that I gave each of the remaining ones names.I received an AIDS diagnosis myself, but never got an opportunistic infection. Instead, I survived long enough to see the arrival of the so called three-drug-cocktail in Feb. ‘97. My viral load dropped to undetectable. My T-cells bounced back. I didn’t die.For 8 years, from 1979 - 1987, I practiced law in Philadelphia. I was a litigator in a small firm owned by the former 9=year First Assistant District Attorney of Philadelphia. He had one of the more brilliant legal minds in the country.I was fortunate to have complex, high-profile, high-pressure cases given me. I never had the same type of case a second time. I sued the National Football League in antitrust. I lost. The Third Circuit said they were immune from antitrust suits. I sued the sitting mayor of Philadelphia for libel committed during a campaign speech. I won.I defended an orthodontist in a medical malpractice case and won. I sued a gastroenterologist for medical malpractice and won. I worked on the divorce case of one of the most prominent lawyers in the city and made new law about how a professional practice is evaluated in divorce proceedings.At one point, the owner assigned me to review and approve the written work of three other attorneys; two were senior to me. I had a Mont Blanc fountain pen with red ink that I used to make revisions and criticisms in the margins. The hated that pen with the red ink.At Johns Hopkins, I was the only undergraduate in university history to hold a paid, graduate-level teaching assistantship. In my year at Cornell, I had a TA in finite mathematics. The second semester of my second year in law school, I taught a lab section in Appellate Advocacy, a course I had just taken the prior semester. I was the only student in the school’s history to teach a course.I think I would have made a good professor — in comparative religion and philosophy perhaps.In law school, I made law review. I was on and then president of the Moot Court Board. I was on the admissions committee.My third year, I took no classes but was appointed an intern law clerk to a United States District Court judge. He treated me just as he did his paid law clerks, giving me the same freedom and responsibilities and expecting the same performance as he did with them. On one of the cases, I argued him into holding a Coast Guard seizure of 5 tons of marijuana from a boat in theSan Francisco bay unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment. It was a first impression case that made new national law. I was really happy with my performance.I ran long distance in college with the track team, but I wouldn’t join the team because I didn’t want the coach telling me what to do. At Cornell, I picked up the pace and began running 6 days a week, 6 miles a day, 6-minute miles. I like the number 666.One night around midnight in San Francisco, Nikos and I were holding hands and walking quietly on the top of a hill near Castro. I felt a rock come swishing by from behind, clipping me on my right knee. I turned to see two teenage boys with rocks in hand and arms poised to throw again.Without thinking, I was sprinting toward them, suffused with white-hot anger. They dropped their rocks, turned, and ran away. I chased them to a chain-link fence where the first dived down and through a hole at the bottom. The second was down and headed into the hole when I caught up. I could have but didn’t grab him by the ankles and haul his butt back. My anger had dissipated even as I had closed the distance between us.Nikos caught up with me just as the kid scrambled through the fence, leapt up and ran on. Panting, he asked what I was going to do with the kid if I had caught him. I had to admit I hadn’t the slightest idea. I would have marched him by his ear to the nearest police station, but there wasn’t one.I determined then that white hot anger was not a state conducive to good decision making. I’ve since seldom been white hot with anger, but when I have been, I recall that evening and delay action until I’ve calmed down.I had gotten my first motorcycle ride from Nikos a couple of months earlier. I was walking up Market St., headed home after classes, an hour spent at the Golden Gate YMCA playing handball, and a couple hours studying at Hastings Law School across the street. It was near midnight.I was standing at Van Ness street waiting for a light to cross when a guy on a motorcycle stopped at the light. The rider looked over and asked whether I needed a ride. I couldn’t see his face for the helmet, but his broad shoulders and well-defined pecs were silhouetted by his tight-fitting leather vest. I said sure.I got on behind him, seated with my chest firm against his back, and my arms wrapped around him, hands clasped against his chest. He reached up, took my hands in his and slid them down to his groin.We spent the night and the next day together. He called in sick, and I skipped classes. We became close friends with benefits.Two years later, in Anchorage, I was with two lovers, with whom I was spending the weekend, in the only gay bar in town. Across the dance floor stood Nikos, staring at me with a stupid grin on his face. He was the stage manager of a San Francisco ballet troupe. The company was performing in Anchorage for the week. The four of us spent the weekend together.At Cornell, one morning as I was hiking up the river bed to my office on campus, a boy jumped from a bridge high overhead. He landed just in front of me on the rocks with a soft thud.It was cold, freezing, but he had no jacket. His right leg was twisted full back, his heel resting against his hip. His right hand that he had reflexively extended to break his fall lay torn and crumpled. Bloody froth came from his mouth.His eyes caught mine. They latched onto me. He was still alive. I knelt beside him. My knees gave way, and I landed flat on my butt on the rocks. His eyes still held mine.I held him close to me as he died. I felt the last breath leave his spoiled body.He had been a freshman. I learned that he had gotten a D in a course, and couldn’t face telling his parents. That week, I joined the university suicide prevention, crisis intervention hotline.I’ve seen 5 people die, the suicide included. The first was my uncle of bone cancer when I was 19. The last was my mother of Alzheimer’s when I was 61.That’s not counting the hundred or so of my friends who died of GRID/AIDS from 1982 through the late 1990s. My entire generation of gay males is dead of AIDS. I’m the only one I know left alive. There must be others, surely, but I’m the only one I know.When I was 5, I had my first homosexual experience. I played naked doctor with 6-year-old Kevin from across the street. My grandmother caught us and whisked me away by my ear. I don’t recall what happened next, but I’m sure it was appropriately corporal. That’s how errant little boys were dealt with by grandmothers in Leoti in 1953.At 15, while watching the riderless horse, boots reversed in the stirrups, and JFK’s caisson go by on Pennsylvania Ave., I cried when taps were played.While a Ph.D. candidate at Cornell in Engineering, I took and passed a course in the Hotel Management School in wine tasting.Also while at Cornell, I audited a class at Ithaca College on creative writing given by Rod Serling.While a law clerk in Fairbanks, I was appointed an acting District Court judge.Also while in Fairbanks, in my second job as the night- and weekend-manager of the racquetball club, I met a young teenager from Ordway. Colorado, a town in which I lived when 4 years old.Also in Fairbanks, my friend and co-volunteer at the crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline was murdered by her ex.I found spirituality one night at 3 am, 80 miles north of Fairbanks. Stamping my feet against the -40F cold, along with some strangers from Fairbanks, I watched the Aurora Borealis dance and prance across the black night sky. I swear, one of the multi-hued streamers leapt down from 40,000 feet and touched my soul that night.That year, the courtroom clerk for my judge fell in love with me and asked me to marry her. I had to come out to her to explain why, despite that, we had a deep attraction for each other, I could not marry her.The year before she had been widowed when her husband was killed working on the Alaska Pipeline. She had gotten a million dollar settlement from them. I was tempted to marry her but decided it wouldn’t be fair. I’d always be wanting sex with men.In Philadelphia, I had the first inkling I was getting old (my secretary didn’t know where she was the day JFK was shot because she hadn’t been born yet).While retired (forcibly so by that 12-year depression) in San Diego, I served as a “Child Advocate” for the local Superior Court, and, otherwise, did absolutely nothing but read, bike, and swim at the local nude beach.My brother and I are the last surviving Alexander males in a long patrilineal line stretching back 346 years to 1673 when Samuel Alexander, one of 7 Scots-Irish brothers and 2 sisters, arrived in the New World from County Donegal on the ‘Good Ship Welcome.’I’m also descended from the 1620 Mayflower colonists John Alden and Priscilla Mullins. Alden was 22 and the ship’s cooper. He had been scheduled to return to England but elected to stay in Plymouth. Priscilla was 18. She arrived with her parents and brother. She was the only one of her family to survive that first winter when literally half the colonists died. They were the second Mayflower couple to marry.My great, great grandfather Daniel T. Alexander murdered his neighbor in Red River County, Texas, in 1853, in a dispute over a pig. He fled Texas for Jackson Port, Arkansas, where, 22 years later, he was recognized and extradited back to Texas for trial.I’m an autodidact in HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript, which I learned to build a website for a local genealogical nonprofit organization that puts on an annual conference.I also present classes at the conferences. This year will be 2 in DNA for genealogists, a subject I’ve yet to learn.Up until I got old and shrank, I was 6′ 2.5″ tall. I was always the tallest fellow around.One day, at Cornell, I felt uncomfortable kissing another guy. My neck was angled back and I was stretching up. He was 6′ 4″. It was the first time I met someone taller than me. It was also the last until I shrank.For 38 years, from 1966, my senior year in high school, until age 56 in 2004, I weighed from 175lbs to 180lbs. I was always long, lean, and lithe — qualities that stood me well with all the gay men I met. At 56, though, with age finally catching up with me and no partner for whom to stay fit, I got old and fat.There, that’s it. My, but aren’t you sorry you asked?Q:Can you write 100 things about yourself?