It’s that time of the year again when Hampton Roads Parents need to start thinking about Back-to-School.   to help everyone get started, here are direct links to your school districts 2010-2011 School calendar.  Most of the links go to printable pdf documents, so you can print them out and post on your fridge.

Here are the School Calendar links:

Virginia Beach Public Schools

Norfolk Public Schools

Chesapeake Public Schools

Portsmouth Public Schools

Hampton Public Schools

Newport News Public Schools

A first clue might be when you listen to your child, who is learning to read, and there is some struggling over simple words that you’ve noticed over a period of time. They seem to be sounding out some big words and you’re sure they are making progress, but you still have that little niggling at the back of your brain because they don’t seem to remember many of the little simple words they have read many times before.

And, of course, many of us only know Dyslexia as seeing words in reverse, but there is so much more as I have recently learned.  Any parent that has a child who is struggling to read, no matter how well you think they are progressing, needs to read this information about the signs and symptoms of dyslexia. Millions of children and adults have some degree of dyslexia, which affects their ability to read, spell and perform math problems. It is a visual communication problem and there are special education teachers and programs that can assist anyone with this.  The first thing to do, however, is to get your child evaluated through their school, which will involve both their classroom teacher and the principal. This can affect your child’s self-esteem, frustration with school and behavior.  Do not delay getting help if you recognize your child in the signs below.  Note that we are speaking, specifically, of school-age children here.  There are many pre-school and kindergarten children that get letters confused.

We will list some Resource sites at the end of this article that go into detail about other signs, but here are some basic signs.  If any of these sound familiar, we urge you to check out the sites below and to follow up for your child’s benefit.

Reading:

• Can read a word on one page, but won’t recognize it on the next page.
  
• Knows phonics, but can’t (or won’t) sound out an unknown word.
  
• Slow, labored, inaccurate reading of single words in isolation (when no story line or pictures to provide clues)
  When they misread, they often say a word that has the same first and last letters, such as form-from or trial-trail.

  They may insert or leave out letters, such as could-cold or star-stair.

  They may say a word that has the same letters, but in a different sequence, such as who-how, lots-lost, saw-was, or girl-grill.
  

• When reading aloud, reads in a slow, choppy cadence, and often ignores punctuation
  
• Becomes visibly tired after reading for only a short time
  
• Reading comprehension may be low due to spending so much energy trying to figure out the words. Listening comprehension is usually significantly higher.
  
• Directionality confusion shows up when reading and when writing
  b-d confusion is a classic warning sign. One points to the left, the other points to the right, and they are left-right confused.

  b-p, n-u, or m-w confusion. One points up, the other points down. That’s also directionality confusion.

• Substitutes similar-looking words, even if it changes the meaning of the sentence, such as sunrise for surprise, house for horse, while for white, wanting for walking
  
• When reading a story or a sentence, substitutes a word that means the same thing but doesn’t look at all similar, such as trip for journey, fast for speed, or cry for weep
  
• Misreads, omits, or even adds small function words, such as an, a, from, the, to, were, are, of
  
• Omits or changes suffixes, saying need for needed, talks for talking, or late for lately.

Children with Dyslexia also usually have problems with spelling and math but if the Reading can be addressed first to see if there is actually any problem, these can also be addressed.

Resources:

Audioblox Further expalnation of Symptoms

Bright Solutions for Dyslexia Overview of Dyslexia

For the most complete, comprehensive and up-to-date listing of school and business closings go to Wavy.com or click this link for their entire list:

http://www.wavy.com/subindex/weather/closings

These public schools are closed for Thursday:

• Camden County Public Schools
• Chesapeake Public Schools
• Currituck County Public Schools
• Dare County Public Schools
• Edenton-Chowan Public Schools
• Elizabeth City/Pasquotank Public Schools
• Gates County Public Schools
• Gloucester County Public Schools
• Hampton Public Schools
• Mathews County Public Schools
• Norfolk Public Schools
• Northampton Co (VA) Public Schools
• Perquimans County Public Schools
• Poquoson Public Schools
• Portsmouth Public Schools
• Southampton County Public Schools
• Surry County Public Schools
• Virginia Beach Public Schools
• York County Public Schools

For all private schools, daycare, preschools, base, business and college closings check the Wavy.com site for the best list of closings.

B.M. Williams Primary

Principal: Craig K. Mills

1100 Battlefield Blvd. N.
Chesapeake, VA 23320
(757) 547-0238
(757) 547-3475 fax

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/BMW/index.html

Butts Road Primary School

Mrs. Grace Hopkins, Principal

1571 Mt. Pleasant Road
Chesapeake, VA 23322
Phone: (757) 482-4566
Fax: (757) 482-4066
bripagemaster@cps.k12.va.us

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/BRI/home.html

Camelot Elementary School

Dr. Stephanie D. B. Johnson- Principal

2901 Guenevere Drive

Chesapeake, VA 23323

Tel:757.558.5347

Fax:757.558.5351

E-Mail .: campagemaster@cps.k12.va.us

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/CAM/index.html

Cedar Road Elementary

Principal-Michael Bailey

Cedar Road Elementary School
1605 Cedar Road
Chesapeake, VA 23322 757-547-0166

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/CRE/CRE.htm

E.W. CHITTUM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Sherry Wilson, Principal

2008 Dock Landing Road

Chesapeake, VA 23321

phone: 757-465-6300

http://www.cps.k12.va.us/Schools/CHT/index.html

Deep Creek Central Elementary

Curtis Lane, Principal

2448 Shipyard Road

Chesapeake, VA 23323

757-558-5356

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/DCC/index.html

Deep Creek Elementary

Dr. J. Jones- Principal

2809 Forehand Drive

Chesapeake, VA 23323

757-558-5333

email:triolcda@cps.k12.va.us

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/DCE/index.htm

Georgetown Primary

436 Providence Road

Chesapeake, VA 23325

757-578-7060

gerald.england@cpschools.com

https://www.edline.net/pages/Georgetown_Primary

Grassfield Elementary School

Thomas Rubin- Principal

2248 Averill Drive

Chesapeake, VA 23323

757-558-8923

email:gfegators@cps.k12.va.us

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/GFE/index.html

Great Bridge Primary School

Mrs. Brenda Wilson- Principal

408 Cedar Road

Chesapeake, VA 23322

757-547-1135

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/GBP/index.html

Greenbrier Primary School

Mr.Chuck Barnes-Principal

1551 Eden Way, South

Chesapeake, VA 23320

Phone: 757.436.3428

Email: grppagemaster@cps.k12.va.us

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/GRP/index.html

Hickory Elementary School

MRs. Kim Pinello-Principal

109 Benefit Rd
Chesapeake, VA 23322
(757) 421-7080

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/HES/index.htm

Rena B. Wright Primary School

Principal: Mrs. Brenda H. Hobbs

600 Park Avenue
Chesapeake, VA 23324

Phone: 757.494.7585

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/home2.php?school=RBW

Southeastern Elementary School

Leslie Wiggins- Principal

1853 Battlefield Blvd.

Chesapeake, VA 23322

phone: 757-421-7676

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/SEE/index.htm

Thurgood Marshall Elementary School

2706 Border Road
Chesapeake, VA 23324

Phone: 757.494.7515

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/TME/index.html

Treakle Elementary School

Hope Terrell- Principal

2500 Gilmerton Rd.

Chesapeake, VA 23323

Phone: 757-558-5361

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/TES/index.htm

Western Branch Primary School

4122 Terry Drive

Chesapeake, VA

Phone: 757-638-7951

Email: WBPbruins@cps.k12.va.us

http://www.cpschools.com/Schools/WBP/

Dock Landing Road, Chesapeake, VA 23321

2008 Dock Landing Road, Chesapeake, VA 23321

Telephone: 757-465-6300   Fax: 757-465-6304

2008 Dock Landing Road, Chesapeake, VA 23321

Telephone: 757-465-6300   Fax: 757-465-6304

Bayside Middle

Dr. Barbara O. Cooper

Alanton Elementary

Bayside Elementary

Brookwood Elementary

Centerville Elementary

Christopher Farms Elementary

Cooke Elementary

Principal:

Creeds Elementary

Fairfield Elementary

Hermitage Elementary

Holland Elementary