HERNDON, Va., Aug.27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --K12 Inc., the nation's leading provider of proprietary curricula and online education programs for students in kindergarten through high school, today announced it has partnered with Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District in California's Sonoma County to launch a new, blended online learning program for high school students across the district.

(Logo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110113/PH29436LOGO)

Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District has designed a multi-faceted online learning program to address the individual needs of its diverse student population, from advanced learners, to struggling students, to students that require alternative learning environments. Eligible students can elect to take some of their required courses, or additional courses, online using the Aventa Learning by K12 curriculum.

Beginning this school year, the online courses are available to students during the daily class schedule and after school in two newly remodelled classrooms, now serving as a math support lab and an independent studies lab, or students can access Aventa courses from home. The District's teachers provide guidance, review and grade assignments, and ensure students remain on track. In addition, the District provides Aventa courses for independent study through its Alternative Education program.

"We see blended learning as the instructional model of the future," said Dr. Robert Haley, Superintendent of Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District. "By combining high quality online curricula with the guidance of our experienced teachers in a traditional setting, we are providing our students the best of both worlds."

Aventa is a comprehensive online curriculum of high-quality, standards-based online courses for middle and high school. Covering all core subjects and electives, over 170 Aventa courses feature a rich multimedia format. The curriculum is designed to meet the University of California a-g requirements.

For students who fall behind, need assistance for exam preparation, or remediation, the District uses the A+nyWhere Learning System by K12 (A+) to conduct diagnostic assessments and prescribe lessons according to individual student needs. A+ contains over 5,500 lessons and over 200,000 pages of research- and objective-based, problem solving content all very tightly aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

"We are very pleased be able to offer our high school students the option to learn anywhere, anytime using proven, well-known curricula from K12," said Dr. Elizabeth Kaufman, Assistant Superintendent of Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District. "K12 enables us to cost effectively provide a consistent, district-wide program so we can focus our attention on meeting the individual needs of more of our students."

"By maximizing use of their existing technology, leveraging their excellent teaching staff and relying on K12 for world class online curricula and support, Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District is better preparing their students for the future," said John Olsen, Executive Vice President of Operations for K12. "We are very pleased to work with the District to implement online learning on a large scale."

Cotati-Rohnert Park USD will soon expand its world language offering by providing access to online world language courses by Middlebury Interactive Languages, a joint venture that combines Middlebury College's proven language pedagogy with K12's expertise in online learning. Middlebury provides schools and districts with online courses in five world languages for grades 3-12, available in multiple levels to help students achieve world language fluency. Middlebury courses are developed using proven academic methods to meet national ACTFL standards.

Excerpt from:
Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District Launches District-Wide Blended Online Learning Program with K12 Inc.

GEORGETOWN

Many of these classes, events and meetings are sponsored by Georgetown Memorial Hospital, but some take place at different locations. Call the numbers listed for more information or visit http://www.georgetownhospitalsystem.org.

Chronic kidney disease education | Varying schedule, varying locations in Horry and Georgetown counties. Free. (866) 647-9396 or ultracare-dialysis.com/TOPS

Health screenings | Tuesdays, mall area, Georgetown Memorial Hospital; Thursdays, front lobby, Waccamaw Community Hospital. Finger-stick lipid profiles with blood sugar test: $20; diabetes screening-hemoglobin A1C: $15; blood sugar levels: $3. Free blood pressure screenings from 7:30 a.m. to noon. 546-0623

Community Health BLS-CPR | 6-9 p.m. Monday, Wachesaw Conference Center. $35. Pre-registration required, 520-8490 or online.

Obstetrics tour | 6 p.m. Monday, and Sept. 10, Georgetown Memorial Hospital. Pre-registration required, 520-8490.

Lecture: Current treatment Options for Arthritis of the Hip and Knee | noon Tuesday, Portofinos Restaurant, Georgetown. Free. Lunch provided. 520-7842 to reserve your seat.

Handle with Care | 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, education center, Georgetown Memorial Hospital campus. Free. Pre-registration required, 520-8490 or online.

Sibling Preparation class | 9-10:30 a.m. Thursday, education center, Georgetown Memorial Hospital campus. Free. Pre-registration required, 520-8490 or online.

Obstetrics tour | 6 p.m. Sept. 4, Waccamaw Community Hospital. Pre-registration required, 520-8490.

Read more:
Myrtle Beach area health events

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) -- Love and Pride held off heavily favored Royal Delta by a half-length Sunday in the $600,000 Personal Ensign Invitational Handicap at Saratoga Race Course.

Ridden by John Velazquez and trained by Todd Pletcher, Love and Pride ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.22 and paid $22, $6.70 and $3.50 for her third victory in seven starts this season.

''She's a filly that's kind of hinted she had one of those in her, and she's been real tricky to ride,'' Pletcher said. ''She doesn't respond well to an aggressive ride. Johnny gets along with her really well, and she showed up with a big performance today.''

Royal Delta returned $2.70 and $2.10, and It's Tricky paid $2.10 to show.

Royal Delta, the 2011 champion 3-year-old filly and winner of her last two races, bore out and lost momentum leaving the stretch turn. It's Tricky, winner of three straight races and second in the wagering, stumbled badly at the break and failed to fully recover.

''I had her in a pretty decent spot and the other horse kept pushing me to the outside and she got a little more aggressive,'' Velazquez said. ''I just waited there until we got to the three-eighths pole, and when I saw (It's Tricky) get through on the inside, it was time to go and she responded right away.''

Love and Pride earned $360,000 for the Green Hills Farm.

More:
Love and Pride wins Personal Ensign

NORMAL Heartland Community College leaders are excited about an initiative they think will make students more likely to stay in school and complete their degree by applying principles such as personal responsibility and belief in themselves.

Amy Munson, Heartlands vice president for student success, told the board of trustees earlier this week, We are not able to make them successful, but we can give them the tools to make themselves successful.

The program, called On Course, was developed by educator Skip Downing, who wrote On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life.

Fifty faculty, staff and administrators participated in a three-day workshop led by Downing on the Heartland campus in January.

Although the original emphasis was on students in developmental classes those not ready for college-level work in all subjects the concept will be applied more broadly, Munson said.

Heartland leaders have modified a general studies course being offered this fall to incorporate Downings principles: personal responsibility, self-motivation, self-management, interdependence, self-awareness, lifelong learning, emotional intelligence and belief in self.

President Allen Goben said Downings principles fit well with Heartlands Guided Path to Success.

This fall semester, everybody is revved up because its time to test what weve been working on, Goben said.

He described the On Course strategy as a sequential way to interact with students and identify where there are problems. It could be a non-academic issue that is affecting their academic success, he said.

The idea is to point the student to where they can get help, whether its tutoring, counseling or other assistance, he explained.

See more here:
Heartland promotes new tools to help students find success

Rasika Somarathna and N P Rajadurai in Ratnapura

* Govt policy guided by peoples well-being

* Equity in development will be ensured

Development projects will not be carried out at the cost of the environment or by causing hardships to the people, although the country is on the path of rapid economic development, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

The President said projects which will cause loss of personal property on a large scale and environment degradation will be rejected and added his government was not prepared to implement projects which would cause hardships to a section of the people to benefit others.

He said certain Opposition elements were trying to obtain political mileage from the issue while spreading falsehoods to mislead the people. The governments policy in respect of all affairs will continue to be guided by the vital interests and well- being of the people. This will not yield to any other consideration, he said.

President Rajapaksa was speaking at the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) election rally in support of its candidates contesting the upcoming polls from the Ratnapura district to the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council on Saturday.

The President said the government has not neglected any village.

Development activities are taking place in all of them in line with the policy of achieving equity in development, he said.

Speaking on the upcoming PC polls, President Rajapaksa said Provincial Councils and other local government bodies were playing a very constructive role in developing villages, districts and provinces.

See the article here:
Development not at cost of environment - President

Learning to fly is a metaphor Pamela Hale can use literally. In addition to being a life coach and teacher, Hale is also an author and pilot who uses flying to help people live courageously.

In her recently published memoir, "Flying Lessons: How to Be the Pilot of Your Own Life," Hale takes readers through her own self-doubt and fear by way of seven "flight lessons." The book, which is illustrated with Hale's dramatic aerial photos, also chronicles her fight with breast cancer.

"Since my mother and grandmother had died of the disease, I knew I needed to do everything in my power, using both allopathic medicine and alternative methods," said Hale, 69.

A graduate of both Columbia and Stanford universities, Hale attended Tucson's Tacheria School for Spiritual Direction, where she studied spirituality and leadership, and became certified as a mediator.

At 57, she began a new practice, combining energy healing, life coaching and spiritual counseling from local traditions and those practiced in Central and South America.

"I hope I provide some practical and powerful tools for healing and transformation, and that I do that in a creative way that helps people to love life and themselves, and to heal old wounds, live in gratitude, feel a sense of purpose and passion, and contribute to a healthier planet," she said.

In addition to her book, Hale offers retreats at her family's Rocking X Ranch in Gila County's Sierra Ancha mountains. Her goal is to provide people time to get unhooked from electronics and connect instead "with the life force within."

Here are excerpts from a recent interview with Hale:

Where were you born?

I was born in Sacramento, Calif., where my father was an Army flight instructor, and moved to the Pasadena area when I was 2, after my father was shot down and killed over Germany in World War II. I stayed in the area and brought up my own children in South Pasadena.

Continued here:
'Flying Lessons' leaves fear grounded

Read the original here:
Business Women's Alliance Health and Fitness Expo - Video

Report says sectors growth set to double by 2015

Mumbai, Aug. 26:

The Indian health and wellness industry is all set to double by 2015 if the current growth is maintained, a joint report by industry body FICCI and advisory firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) said. At present, the sector is estimated at Rs 59,000 crore and is growing at a CAGR of 18-20 per cent.

The wellness market comprises beauty and cosmetic products, healthy food and beverage, slimming products, fitness services, dietary supplements and spas and salons. These are roughly divided into three categories such as hygiene, curative and enhancement needs of the consumer.

Though traditional products continue to dominate the market at 60 per cent, consumers are aware of new forms of wellness products and services such as fortified foods, dietary supplements, cosmetic treatments and rejuvenation therapies.

Increasing health awareness among Indian consumers due to rising media penetration is also helping the sector to grow. Given the high disposable incomes, consumers are taking into account health considerations as part of their purchasing decisions, with preventive care gaining more prominence over a curative approach to disease management, said Sandeep Ahuja, Chairman, FICCI National Wellness Committee.

The FICCI-PwC report further added that the per capita spend on wellness has jumped from Rs 300 in 2008 to over Rs 480 a year last year.

Consumers are increasingly placing a high premium on their time, so wellness players have started bundling convenience along with health and beauty benefits, the report added.

It forecasts that while wellness concepts in India are dominated by mainstream and generic benefits, emerging niche categories are likely to result in new opportunities for players. Online channels are expected to become increasingly relevant as a channel of interaction with consumers.

Priyanka.pani@thehindu.co.in

Read more:
Wellness sector growth likely to double in three years

Fit4Kids, a new nonprofit in the Richmond area, is ready to roll this fall. Actually, it's ready to run recess games, put more activity into classroom lessons and plant gardens at area schools.

Mary Dunne Stewart, executive director of Fit4Kids, explained the first round of initiatives in her organization's quest to bring down childhood obesity levels locally and improve children's health.

Recess seemed like a good place to start.

Although we might think that children run around and get lots of exercise at recess, that's not necessarily so. Some kids stay away from recess games because they feel clumsy or shy. Others may choose to sit and talk to friends instead of moving during their free time.

Fit4Kids hopes to engage those not-so-active children with activities that appeal to all levels and interests.

"It's like field day every day," Stewart said. A "recess coach" will be assigned this fall to Woodville Elementary in Richmond, Bellwood Elementary in Chesterfield County and St. Andrews, a small, private school in Richmond that serves low-income families.

After one year at those schools, the recess coaches will relinquish their duties to teachers there and move on to other schools that might be in need of such activity-boosting efforts.

Another Fit4Kids effort will be taking place in the classrooms at Bellwood Elementary.

Modeled after a program in the Williamsburg area, the Wellness Integration Program will encourage teachers to incorporate movement into the learning process and make nutrition part of the regular curriculum.

Activities such as "subtraction tag" will get kids moving while learning math concepts, Stewart said.

More:
Fitness: Fighting childhood obesity and improving kids' health

Q: I fortunately or unfortunately qualified for social security disability and have a few questions about retirement benefits. Next year I can take my pension early or I can wait and take a larger pension when I reach age 65. If I take my pension early, I dont think that will have any impact on my social security benefits since it is not earned income; is that correct? Also, what happens when I reach the age where I can take social security retirement benefits? Would I be better off switching to social security retirement benefits versus disability?

Sorry about your disability but Im glad you are receiving benefits. The pension wont impact your disability benefits like earned income, but it may cause some of your benefits to be taxed.

If you are single and your combined income is between $25,000 and $34,000, 50 percent of social security disability or retirement benefits will be subject to income tax. If your combined income is more than $34,000, up to 85 percent of benefits will be subject to tax.

If you are married filing jointly, with combined income of $32,000 to $44,000, 50 percent of benefits will be subject to tax. If your combined income is more than $44,000, up to 85 percent of benefits will be subject to tax. Combined income is defined as your Adjusted Gross Income + Non-taxable interest + 1/2 of Social Security Benefits.

Full retirement age is based on your year of birth. For those born from 1943 through 1954, full retirement age for social security purposes is 66. For those born in later years retirement age increases two months a year until it reaches 67 for those born in 1960 and later. You can retire before you reach full retirement age, but your benefits will be permanently reduced by a percentage which is based on the number of months you begin benefits before your full retirement age.

Twenty-five percent is the maximum reduction for people born between 1943 and 1954. As the increase in retirement age phases in, the reduction for taking early benefits will gradually increase to 30% for those born in 1960 or later.

When you are receiving Social Security disability benefits and reach full retirement age, nothing will change except your benefits will be called retirement benefits rather than disability benefits. This switch will be automatically done for you by the Social Security Administration.

It is rarely a good idea to switch from Social Security disability benefits to early retirement benefits, because in most cases disability benefits are paid as if you are at full retirement age, no matter how old you are. The disability benefit amount is based on how much you paid into Social Security while you worked. If you are receiving a disability benefit from workers compensation, you may want to consider switching from Social Security disability to early retirement benefits. Your Social Security disability benefit is reduced by a certain percentage if you are getting a workers comp benefit. Your retirement benefit is not reduced by a workers comp benefit. If you are receiving workers comp, not yet at full retirement age but are age 62 or over, ask the Social Security Administration to calculate the difference in benefits for you. If this looks favorable, you can request to be changed from disability status to retired status.

Before making this status switch, get assurance that they will keep you technically disabled so that you can stay on Medicare. Also, analyze the impact on your future benefits as well as the impact on any benefits for dependents and, if married, those of your spouse.

Holly Nicholson is a certified financial planner in Raleigh. She cannot answer every question. Reach her at askholly.com or P.O. Box 99466, Raleigh, NC 27624

Go here to see the original:
Social Security disability benefits versus retirement benefits