Back - to - School Roundup
It's that time again! Summer vacation is almost over, and your students will soon be heading back to begin a new school year. Once again, we have compiled a wide selection of new products and services to help everyone—students, teachers, and administrators alike—get off to a great start.
Playground Grass by ForeverLawn
Playground Grass by ForeverLawn is lush, beautiful synthetic grass that is safe for kids to play on, soft to fall on, and cost effective. This revolutionary playground surface is safety rated to fall heights of 12 feet, with antimicrobial protection available for a cleaner, safer environment. No more complaints about dirt on the kids and their clothes. No more abrasive sand tracked into the facility. No more raking of mulch, sand or rubber to ensure the proper depths at all times for your safety rating. No more costly, ugly repairs on pour-in-place surfaces.
www.playgroundgrass.com
Trampoline
Give your students a jump on learning with Trampoline, learning programs to nurture and inspire young minds. Each program introduces new worlds of knowledge to your classroom without the need for specialized training or additional staffing. Perfect for children Pre-K through 5th grade, the programs' modular design provides you with the framework necessary for even the youngest of learners to get a jump on learning in areas of Foreign Language, World Cultures, Art History, Music, Etiquette, and Sports. Download free samples of the programs on the company’s Web site.
www.trampolinelearning.com
HorizonLine Computer and Laptop Tables by CBT/SMARTdesks
Offline or online, HorizonLine by CBT/SMARTdesks puts computers and laptops in their place, with wire management, power distribution, connectivity ports, CPU storage, and mobility options. Compact, yet comfortable, flipIT’s low profile keeps sight lines open in the classroom. The flipIT Laptop Safe lets laptop remain connected to power and data when safe is locked. Standard and widescreen versions are available. Not sure how many students you can put in your classroom? Use the Design Request online and find out.
www.smartdesks.com
Administrator’s Plus from Rediker Software
Rediker Software’s student information system, Administrator’s Plus, serves thousands of schools worldwide. Administrator’s Plus offers unsurpassed technical support and features such as powerful report writers, integrated e-mail, e-portfolios, ID cards, skills-based report cards, student information on PDAs, a powerful schedule builder, school-to-home communication, and more, all designed to have a positive impact on student achievement. You can have Administrator’s Plus delivered over the Web or run it on your network.
www.rediker.com
Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work from Solution Tree
From the authors who brought you 10 years of resources focused on professional learning communities comes Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work. This 10th anniversary sequel to the original book by DuFour and Eaker offers new insights on the power of a collaborative culture focused on results. Engaging and informative, it sets the record straight on mistakes some educators have made on their PLC journey and unequivocally places PLC at the heart of school improvement. Most importantly, it celebrates the educators who do the work daily to make such progress possible.
www.solution-tree.com
Paladin Caseworks
Who will be sitting in your library? Choosing furniture wisely will do much to create a comfortable, visually stimulating library interior – a memorable place to inspire creativity. While a library needs to promote an atmosphere of learning, the furniture helps create an environment where anything is possible from self-directed learning to group research work. Paladin Caseworks strives to create library furniture that emphasizes both form and function – furniture that is pleasing to the eye and practical to use.
www.paladincaseworks.com
Nortex Modular Space
Nortex Modular Space serves churches and private schools with high-quality modular office and classroom buildings on either a lease or purchase basis. The company manufactures standard, custom, and environmentally friendly (green) able-to-relocate buildings, which represent the future of sustainable modular construction. Nortex Modular Space offers a wide variety of floor plans and interior and exterior finish options to meet the exact needs of customers. Nortex specializes in stucco exteriors, concrete decks, ramps, and high ceilings.
www.nortexmodular.com
Over and Out from Jax Games
With Over and Out from Jax Games, the fun just keeps adding up. Over and Out is the exciting numbers game for players of all ages. It’s a fun way for kids to practice mental math. Watch math skills improve as they enjoy playing the game. Add cards to the pile, but don’t go over the “Tip Top” limit. As the numbers add up, so does the excitement. The last player in the game wins. Use some strategy, along with a little luck, to put your opponents Over and Out!
www.jaxgames.com
Royal Basket Trucks
Royal Basket Trucks offers a full line of vinyl, canvas, and plastic carts for collection, storage, and sorting. Their vinyl is laminated with a nylon scrim that gives it extreme strength and tear resistance. Other features include resistance to UV, mold, and mildew, as well as flame retardant. They offer vinyl in 12 colors: red, blue, green, black, orange, purple, white, gray, brown, tan, navy blue and yellow. Hampers, X-Frames, and Sorting Carts are great for collecting and sorting. Enviro Carts and Enviro Hampers are screen printed with the recycle logo.
www.royal-basket.com
Learning Curve from Flexible Montisa
The new Flexible Montisa Learning Curve line of teacher/student desks, chairs, and accessories is designed to fulfill the demands of the educational system while being functional, flexible, and durable. Complete desk comes with top and frame. Tubular frame is available in 27 standard colors. Framework joints are coped for maximum strength, durability, and appearance. Desks priced to ship K.D. Tops, frames, and accessories can be ordered separately.
www.flexiblemontisa.com
Audix USB12
The Audix USB12 gives you studio-quality sound right at your desktop without any software. A stylish low-profile desktop gooseneck microphone designed for recording voice and acoustic instruments directly into the computer via the USB port, the USB12 features a 12 mm modular threaded capsule for pinpoint accuracy. The USB12 is a plug and play microphone supporting 44.1k and 48k sample rates for both PC and Mac platforms. Other features of the USB12 include a heavy duty base for stability, a double gooseneck for precise positioning, a headphone jack for real time monitoring, and a bass roll-off filter to help reduce unwanted room noise or boominess.
www.audixusa.com
Center for Civic Education
The Center for Civic Education has announced the publication of the newly revised Level 3 student edition of We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution, a civics text recommended for grades 10–12. The revised text enhances student understanding of American constitutional representative democracy with lessons on Congress, the executive branch, the Supreme Court, federalism, and the role of the United States in the international system. It contains additional cooperative learning activities in the form of expanded "What Do You Think?" and "Critical Thinking" exercises.
www.civiced.org
CPO Science
CPO Science has three new complete teaching and learning systems for middle school. A teaching and learning system includes student text, investigations manual, equipment kit, and teacher toolkit. The CPO Science Middle school series is a three-year program covering the content for Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. The Investigations Manuals contain hands-on labs that are completely coordinated with the equipment kits to maximize comprehension and topic retention.
www.cpo.com
Daktronics ColorSmart Scoreboards
Draw fans into the game with exciting color-changing digits on a new ColorSmart scoreboard from Daktronics. This new LED technology changes color depending on the game circumstances. ColorSmart digits become more game interactive than standard scoreboards by changing color to showing the leading team’s score in green and the trailing team’s score in red. If the game is tied, both scores are shown in amber. The digits for the game time also change color when the clock is stopped or running. ColorSmart scoreboards are designed to withstand unintentional blows from indoor balls.
www.daktronics.com
Guitar Praise from Digital Praise
Digital Praise Inc, a leader in Christian-themed, family-friendly entertainment software, has announced Guitar Praise, its new inspirational PC guitar game. It combines unique play features with a playlist of today’s most popular contemporary Christian rock hits. Guitar Praise lets players act out their dreams of leading a rock band by playing along with their favorite Christian rock tunes. As the song and lyrics play, colorful notes scroll down the screen. Players must keep up by matching the notes to the fret buttons on the guitar controller included with the game.
www.digitalpraise.com
Inquiry Investigations Curriculum Modules from Frey Scientific
Through active learning, students come to understand the scientific method, including experimental design, observation, data interpretation, and critical thinking. They develop a thorough understanding of scientific concepts and principles corresponding to applicable titles. These modules include hands-on activities with the materials to do the labs, a virtual lab, investigation literature, student guide, a comprehensive curriculum guide, and a curriculum resource CD-ROM and posters. Each curriculum module culminates in a final comprehensive inquiry investigation, and includes assessment and content that teachers can customize.
www.Freyscientific.com/InquiryInvestigations
Gryphon House
Gryphon House, a publisher and distributor of award-winning early childhood resources, has been dedicated to the developmental and educational growth of young children since 1971. With 67 new titles available for the upcoming year, Gryphon House meets the needs of educators with quality books, CDs, and DVDs. Resources are available for a variety of topics including art, literacy, science, math, music and movement, special needs, cooking, health, nutrition, program development, conflict management, and classroom management. Spanish and bilingual books are also available.
www.gryphonhouse.com
Inspiration from Hertz Furniture
Hertz Furniture has announced Inspiration, a new line of modern classroom furniture manufactured by its own proprietary Academia brand. This collection features striking new shapes in a broad range of popular classic colors, as well as a palette of exciting, trendy new shades. All Inspiration items feature self-adjusting glides with nylon bases and color matching boots. Engineered for both comfort and durability, the Inspiration Chair has a comfortable, ergonomic seat. The Inspiration Desk features durable Woodstone work surface atop a colorful poly book box.
www.hertzfurniture.com/csp
SmartLink from The HON Company
The HON Company introduces SmartLink, a comprehensive, visually coordinated, adaptable, and durable classroom furniture solution. Designed to organize and manage the classroom with a single product line, SmartLink meets the changing needs of schools, such as enrollment or subject matter, by incorporating mobility and adjustability into its four key components: a teacher’s station, modular storage, wall rail system, and student desks. The SmartLink system provides a holistic solution that supports space utilization, various learning styles, and technology requirements.
www.hon.com
Picnic Tables from Pilot Rock
This picnic table from Pilot Rock is built with dimensions to better fit children and their activities. The seats are 12 inches high and the top is 22 inches high to accommodate children up to 10 or 11 years old. Children can be hard on things, so the company built this Model UTK table with the same all-welded frame construction of its full-scale tables. This children's table can be 4, 6 or 8 feet long, using lumber, or new colorful aluminum, 100% recycled plastic or vinyl coated steel for the seats and top. Pilot Rock products are designed and manufactured in the United States by R.J. Thomas Manufacturing Company.
www.pilotrock.com
Recreation Creations
Recreation Creations prides itself on creating innovative playground equipment to meet and exceed the needs of schools. Its equipment is durable, safe, environmentally friendly, and addresses the physical activity necessary for children to maintain good health, weight, and fitness. RCI offers a colorful bonanza of age and ability appropriate play structures. Choose from a colorful bonanza of panels, slides, conventional climbers, rock climbers, net climbers, decks, entries, overheads, and roofs. Post-consumer recycled material is used in producing RCI’s environmentally friendly playground equipment.
www.rec-creations.com
Refined Imprint Products from Sheldon Laboratory Systems
Sheldon Laboratory Systems’ unique Imprint Products bring form and function together in a desk system that helps teaching and learning work together seamlessly. Hands-on learning never made more sense for elementary and middle school students. Linear scales, number lines, English and metric units, grids, protractors are all featured on this product line to help students unlock mysteries in the world of science. Each surface is tough and versatile, covered with phenolic resin so that dry erase markers or grease pencils can be used to record data and chart discoveries.
www.sheldonlabs.com
Toobaloo
Do your students Toobaloo? Research supports the importance of auditory feedback. The Toobaloo amplifies the child’s voice so they can use just a whisper voice to hear their sounds and words more distinctly. This can help with phonics, speech, fluency, reading comprehension and ESL students. Unless you tape record them, they don’t hear their own voice. This immediate feedback can aid in their concentration or help to correct sounds they “think” they are saying correctly. The Toobaloo can help cut down classroom noise to allow them to concentrate better. Use this in your writing centers to reread for editing. Students can practice spelling and math facts to help with memorization.
www.toobaloo.com
