Congratulations to 2005 Blue Ribbon Schools!

On November 11, 2005, U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, announced the list of schools that received the Blue Ribbon Honor as part of the No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

Sleek Corporation would like to congratulate all schools who received this award, but especially our customers. In Texas, 23% of the schools receiving this honor use Sleek’s Incredible Tutor™. This is particularly significant considering that less than 1% of schools nationwide receive the Blue Ribbon Honor.

The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors schools that have either placed in the top 10 percent of the state in test scores or that have at least 40 percent economically disadvantaged students and have shown dramatic improvement in their test scores over three years.

This year, only 296 schools received the honor out of more than 120,000 public and private U.S. schools.

10 Gifts That Don't
Cost a Thing

The Season for Giving:
What Katrina and Rita “Foster” Schools Need

Where have the more than 372,000 students displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita gone? The short answer is to schools in thirteen different states. Displaced students have found themselves in new school environments as far away from the affected areas as New York and Illinois.

As most educators know, it’s already difficult enough to properly see to the educational needs of students who permanently reside in their districts, let alone incorporate “foster” students into the budget. Consequently, this has left some schools short on the supplies and staff that they need. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that many of these students come from families whose financial status has been severely and detrimentally affected by the brunt of the hurricane.

The U.S. Department of Education has asked foster schools to submit lists of supplies needed. The DOE asks that those who wish to help these schools contact them directly to arrange donations.

If you or anyone you know would like to help, we encourage you to do so. You can find the information you need at the Hurricane Help for Schools Website.

This issue’s recipe was submitted by Sara Gibbons from Dade County School District.

Sara told us that it is one of her very favorite family traditions to make the eggnog the day her family decorates their Christmas tree. “We usually sip our eggnog and decorate the tree together while we listen to all the Christmas CD’s that were packed away with the tree ornaments all year long.”

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup of vanilla ice cream
4 tablespoons powdered milk
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons sugar
Cinnamon (for sprinkling on top)
Nutmeg (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a blender except for the egg whites and sugar. Then beat the egg whites with the sugar until they are stiff. Fold in the egg whites/sugar mixture with the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on top.

We asked some of our Sleek customers to tell us how they enjoy their two weeks off during the winter break. Here’s what they told us:

“We have the most beautiful white sand beaches here in Manatee County. We moved here to Florida five years ago from Ohio. I usually don’t miss the cold a bit, but sometimes during the holidays I find myself a little melancholy for the snow. To deal with this, I take some of the beautiful white sand from our local beaches and use it in lots of creative ways to make 'snow' magically appear in my home for the holidays.”

Myra Lincoln, Manatee County School District

“One of the great joys of teaching is the blocks of time you get off to totally relax. I love that I have a chance during the winter break to go down to the Texas coast to do some saltwater fishing. And, it’s a tradition in my house to feast on the fish I catch for our New Year’s Day supper.”

Jack Supak, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

“During the winter break I like to spend time down in Mexico helping at one of the orphanages that I have worked with for several years. The orphanage is right across the border from us in Ciudad Juarez. I always really feel like I am making a difference when I bring those kids pencils, paper, clothes, toys, and other stuff that they desperately need. I also enjoy giving out lots of hugs! I end up feeling as good as they do when I’m done.”

Linda Frogg, Ysleta ISD

“In my house we usually spend our holidays camping. Our kids are grown and we don’t yet have grandkids, so my husband and I go on a trip to the West every year. We don’t get snow for the holidays here in Florida, but we sure do get plenty when we go camping out West!”

Chelsea London, Pinellas County School District

“I have lots of family in Mexico, in Oaxaca, and I usually go down there to spend the whole winter break with them. I love getting to enjoy my grandparents, all my aunts, uncles and tons of cousins! It’s a wonderful reminder every year of how my culture celebrates the holidays and I love spending time with my family.”

Nicolas Martinez, Northside ISD

“My sister lives in Germany because her husband is in the Army and is stationed there. They have been there for six years and each year she comes stateside to spend the winter break with me here in Texas. It’s a great chance for us to catch up and we always spend a lot of time giggling over silly things like when we were kids! And, we shop ‘til we drop; last year she had to buy a new suitcase just to get everything home.”

Jill Jones, Dallas ISD