Back to school 2010: Ten Back-to-school Movies for Parents

For lots of school-aged kids, they may not help meeting with her/his peers and teachers now. However, who says only kids get excited about returning to school? For parents, they also can indulge their “inner children” with these ten nostalgic back-to-school movie classics.
Seven of those ten non-animation movies are shot in 1980s. However, there is also something that can move you deeply, and even make your “inner kid” squeal.
Talk with your children about these movies some time, even though they might not understand it very well, but they will know these feelings one day.

1．The Breakfast Club

• Rated: R


• Year: 1985


• Cast: Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy


• Attention, detention! A jock, a nerd, a punk, a princess, and a Goth chick report for detention on a Saturday in the high school library, and unexpectedly find common ground. Out of all the John Hughes movies, this one shows the secret, emotional life of teens -- and why everyone feels like an outcast at one time or another.


• What Parents Like: Everyone can relate to at least one stereotype, and sometimes the dialogue has the rawness of a group therapy session.


• What Makes Our Inner Kid Squeal: Opposites attract, especially after a lot of painful, awkward staring and trading insults, of course.

2．Dead Poets Society

• Rated: PG


• Year: 1989


• Cast: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke


• "Carpe Diem!" is the lesson of the day when the free-thinking Williams shows up at the traditional Welton Academy, spouting Whitman and Tennyson. We know the reserved students have learned to think and stand up for themselves when a shy Hawke literally stands up on his desk and shouts, "Captain, my captain!"


• What Parents Like: Admit it, after you saw this movie, you felt relieved you couldn't afford to send your kids to some posh boarding school.


• What Makes Our Inner Kid Squeal: It's 1959. Young men throw off the shackles of convention and defy authority by sprinting through the forest at night and reciting poetry in caves.

3．Fame

• Rated: R


• Year: 1980


• Cast: Irene Cara, Barry Miller, Gene Anthony Ray, Maureen Teefy


• Before American Idol, Alan Parker's fictional film showed us what it was like to be young and hungry for show business, by focusing on eight students attending New York City's famed High School of Performing Arts. In between classes, rehearsals, and tryouts, he exposes their ambitions, talents, and frustrations with exuberance and honesty.


• What Parents Like: It's still not too late to get that accounting degree! The film definitely shows the grittier side of show business.


• What Makes Our Inner Kid Squeal: Who hasn't dreamed about dancing like Martha Graham on the tops of cars stuck in rush-hour traffic?

4．Ferris Bueller's Day Off

• Rated: PG-13


• Year: 1986


• Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey


• Playing hookey, borrowing a Ferrari, singing on a float in a parade, and going out to lunch with your best friend and girlfriend never looked so good. Ferris' cheeky outlook makes taking a sick day -- and evading the principal -- seem like child's play.


• What Parents Like: For all the elaborate ruses, nothing really bad happens...to your car anyway.


• What Makes Our Inner Kid Squeal: Charlie Sheen, in a bad-boy cameo, melts the frost off Ferris' sister at the police station.

5．Footloose

• Rated: PG


• Year: 1984


• Cast: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dianne Wiest


• All the Right Moves: Chicago teen moves to a town where dancing is forbidden, and hooks up with the preacher's daughter. These are rebels with a prom, man!


• What Parents Like: That's easy. Moms like Kevin Bacon. Dads like Lori Singer.


• What Makes Our Inner Kid Squeal: We hate to admit it, but the Kenny Loggins soundtrack does get us fired up.

Excuse me for interrupting, but I want to introduce the five movies left in other formats: PowerPoint presentations and videos which are converted from the slides.
Slideshow of Ten Back-to-school Movies for Parents (Part Two)

Back-to-School Movies for Parents

View more presentations or Upload your own.

YouTube Show of Ten Back-to-school Movies for Parents (Part Two)



Notes: Watermark cannot be removed from the video converted by the free trial vision.

If you are interested in sharing your collection with the two kinds of methods aforementioned, here are the Necessary Tools:

• Free PowerPoint Template: http://www.dvd-ppt-slideshow.com/powerpoint-knowledge/powerpoint-templates.html


• PowerPoint to Video Converter (Back-to-school Sales Promotion): http://www.dvd-ppt-slideshow.com/back-to-school.html


• PowerPoint sharing website: http://www.slideboom.com/


• Video Sharing Website: http://www.youtube.com/

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Back to school 2010: Make a YouTube video with all your pictures showing

As summer vacation draws to a close, many kids as well as their parents return from their holiday spots with their cameras full of the memorable and exciting photos shot in the past couple of months.

Tracy, an American high school girl who just came back with her family from Europe, has encountered a problem that she found people on YouTube with videos that show all their pictures in the order they want and wanna put the pictures she like on YouTube and share them with friends and classmates, but she have no idea how to do it. This raises the question of whether she can make a YouTube video of her with all her pictures showing.
The answer is YES. If you encounter the same situation, you can turn to those steps below.
Step 1 Create a PowerPoint Presentation, and add your photos, as well as notes, background pictures, and music to the slides in the order you prefer.
Step 2 To retain everything of your presentation, you can use a conversion tool like Moyea PPT to video Converter Edu Edition, FREE TRIAL at http://www.moyeamedia.com/download/ppt2video/ppt2video_edu_setup.exe/.
Here is one of the Screenshots of Moyea PPT to video Converter Edu Edition. All the operations can be done on this interface, where the Getting Started is also visible.



Step 3 Download and run this software, then import your PowerPoint presentations by pressing Add.
Step 4 Choose an output video format (for example, WMV, MPEG, AVI, etc), and do custom settings as necessary.
Step 5 Click Start to launch conversion progress.
Step 6 Upload your PowerPoint video made from your photo gallery to YouTube, and then you can share it with your friend and everyone who come cross it occasionally on Internet.
Notes: Watermark cannot be removed from the video converted by the free trial vision. However, if you continue with further steps, you may have the chance to get a registered version totally for free.
Step 7 Write and publish any review about your trial experience on your blog or SNS websites; or upload your PowerPoint video to any video sharing website, such as YouTube.
Step 8 Submit the links of your review or video to obtain the free registered vision after approval.
It’s such a good opportunity that should not be missed. For more information about the Back to School Sales Promotion of 2010, please go to http://www.dvd-ppt-slideshow.com/back-to-school.html
Don’t hesitate. Take action now! Make your rigid photo album be vivid right away.

Back to School 2010: Safety Tips on Traveling To and From School

Along with the start of the new semester, school-aged kids begin to travel to and fro between school and home. Regardless of which methods your children prefer to choose to commute between the two sites, please review the basic rules with your youngster carefully:

School Bus

• If your child’s school bus has lap/shoulder seat belts, make sure your child uses one at all times when in the bus.


• If your child’s school bus does not have lap/shoulder belts, encourage the school to buy or lease buses with lap/shoulder belts.


• Wait for the bus to stop before approaching it from the curb.


• Do not move around on the bus.


• Check to see that no other traffic is coming before crossing the street.


• Make sure to always remain in clear view of the bus driver.


• Children should always board and exit the bus at locations that provide safe access to the bus or to the school building.

Car

• All passengers should wear a seat belt and/or an age- and size-appropriate car safety seat or booster seat.


• Your child should ride in a car safety seat with a harness as long as possible and then ride in a belt-positioning booster seat. Your child is ready for a booster seat when she has reached the top weight or height allowed for her seat, her shoulders are above the top harness slots, or her ears have reached the top of the seat.


• Your child should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle's seat belt fits properly (usually when the child reaches about 4' 9" in height and is between 8 to 12 years of age). This means that the child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her legs bent at the knees and feet hanging down and the shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat; the lap belt is low and snug across the thighs, and not the stomach.


• All children under 13 years of age should ride in the rear seat of vehicles. If you must drive more children than can fit in the rear seat (when carpooling, for example), move the front-seat passenger’s seat as far back as possible and have the child ride in a booster seat if the seat belts do not fit properly without it.


• Remember that many crashes occur while novice teen drivers are going to and from school. You should require seat belt use, limit the number of teen passengers, do not allow eating, drinking, cell phone conversations or texting to prevent driver distraction; and limit nighttime driving and driving in inclement weather. Familiarize yourself with your state’s graduated driver license law and consider the use of a parent-teen driver agreement to facilitate the early driving learning process.

Bike

• Always wear a bicycle helmet, no matter how short or long the ride.


• Ride on the right, in the same direction as auto traffic.


• Use appropriate hand signals.


• Respect traffic lights and stop signs.


• Wear bright color clothing to increase visibility.


• Know the "rules of the road."

Walking to School

• Make sure your child's walk to a school is a safe route with well-trained adult crossing guards at every intersection.


• Be realistic about your child's pedestrian skills. Because small children are impulsive and less cautious around traffic, carefully consider whether or not your child is ready to walk to school without adult supervision.


• If your children are young or are walking to a new school, walk with them the first week to make sure they know the route and can do it safely.


• Bright colored clothing will make your child more visible to drivers.


• In neighborhoods with higher levels of traffic, consider starting a “walking school bus,” in which an adult accompanies a group of neighborhood children walking to school.

P.S.: These health and safety tips are from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Feel free to excerpt these tips or use them in their entirety in any print or broadcast story, with acknowledgment of source.

Back to School 2010: Tips for Saving Money When You Do Back to School Shopping

The calendar may start on the first of January, but for families with school-aged children the real ‘New Year’ is the day your kids head back to school. To your kids, shopping for new clothes, gear, and school supplies to celebrate the ‘New Year’ may be the only good thing about going back to school. Here are 12 great ideas for back to school shopping.

Make A List in Advance



You’d better to make a list of necessary clothing and school supplies in advance, so you don't forget anything and don't feel compelled to buy extras. Before making the list, you can check with parents at your school who have older kids. They might have good advice about what is required in your child's grade.

Take Inventory



Sort through what your children have and what they still need. Try on last year's clothes before going shopping to see what still fits and what needs to be trashed. But don't go overboard when getting rid of clothes. Many items, especially classic pieces in good condition, can be repurposed or passed down to younger siblings.

Set A Reasonable Budget And Get Your Kids Involved



Set a budget that is achievable and stick to it. Extras will probably never get used and just leave your pockets empty. Sit down with your child and go over your shopping list together. Get kids involved in budgeting so they understand how much things cost. You'll be teaching her/him how to get organized, a skill that applies to more than shopping.
What’s more, get your kids into the recycling habit. Now that environmentally friendly living is a hot topic, it's easier than it used to be to convince trend-savvy kids that reusing an item is cooler than buying a new one.

Find Deals Online



To avoid the chaos at the malls and save money on school supplies and clothes, you can search for online coupons, free shipping offers and stores with ‘buy one, get one free’ incentives. If you must leave the house, try to consolidate your shopping to one destination so you don't waste time and gas driving in circles.

Buy Bright



Lost school supplies may be a given, but gear that's hard to miss can stave off the inevitable. Pack all their pencils, erasers, and other goodies into a bright backpack or pencil pouch to keep them from disappearing.

Shop Tax Free



States with sales tax holidays save you money on everything from paper to computers. Each state sets its own rules on which products are eligible and spending limits per item.
Save more money during sales tax holidays with a little prep time. Check neighboring states with tax free days, rules on coupon use and stores with the big ticket items on sale to map out your shopping strategy before the frenzied crowd of parents hits the mall.

Buy Basics In Bulk



You know you'll need paper, pencils, glue sticks and notebooks. Dollar stores, warehouse stores and even eBay are sources for buying these and other basics in bulk. You and a group of other parents might be able to negotiate a group discount from an office supply store.

Shop All Year



Keep an eye on school supplies all year to make the most of deep discounts. You know your kids will always need pencils, paper and staples for school. A quick glance at the sales papers or even the impulse buy when you spot a great bargain will help you stay ahead.

Take Advantage of Layaway



Using layaway makes you a savvy shopper for a couple of reasons.
First, you can pay on school supplies and clothing slowly over time instead of having to come up with a lump sum all at once. This saves you money in the long run if you tend to carry a balance on your credit card.
The second reason layaway can be a money-saver is through tax free holidays. Some states allow layaways to be exempt from tax. Items you put in layaway before the tax holiday could be free from tax if you pay them off during the tax free period.

Stockpile Seasons Ahead



Both retail stores and outlets need to move merchandise fast as one season comes to a close and another is about to begin. By thinking ahead, you can walk away with clothes for a few dollars.
Watch for sales and buy the size your child will be next year. Stockpiling clothes you've bought ahead of time will really maximize your savings.

Use Cash Back Incentives



Using credit cards with cash back incentives gives you money back on every purchase. You must use these types of cards wisely.

Throw a Back-to-School Swap Party



Raid your closets for last year's back-to-school supplies and clothes your children can't wear anymore. Invite friends and neighbors over for a back-to-school swap party. The pencil box your child wanted last fall may still look brand new. He may not want it anymore but your neighbor's child does. Even pocket folders with slightly worn edges can be someone else's treasure. A swap party gives you the chance to recycle school supplies and clothes just sitting around your house while also keeping your money in your purse.

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Burn school PowerPoint slideshow to DVD for Viewing on TV via DVD player.

PPT to video Education
Convert school PowerPoint slideshow to video for distritubing to students.