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Back to School 2011 Cont'd

Written by Southwest Orlando Bulletin Staff

Back-to-School Blowout

by Traci Allen
Studio 19 / Traci Allen
407-963-6266		 Gone are the days of spending excessive time and money on the perfect hairstyle. Many high-schoolers, as well as mothers, struggle to make time to fit in the demands of today’s pressured lifestyle and economic stress.

Students’ and parents’ interests are leaning toward fast, easy, affordable hairstyles that give them that extra bit of sleep each day, especially if they work after-school jobs, play sports or have extracurricular functions that keep them up late.

With today’s latest hairstyling products and processes, great-looking, easyto-maintain hair is not a myth. Keeping a sleek, smooth style is still in demand, and it is easier to achieve, now more than ever. Keratin’s newest smoothing therapy, The Express Blow Out, is a one-hour, affordable and time-saving service that gives hair a softer, smoother and silkier texture for up to six weeks. As always, stylists should be certified and up-to-date with any hair chemical processes and education, so students can start the school year with style and success.

The Latest Fashion Trends

by Katie Finney, marketing coordinator
Pointe Orlando
407-248-2838
www.pointeorlando.com		 Students can dress for school success this fall by stocking up on trendy clothing, accessories and other items. This season’s latest back-to-school trends include bombers and blazers; skinny, cropped and distressed denim; and plaid and floral prints. Some of the hottest brands include Miss Me Jeans, Miss Me Couture, Affliction, Affliction Women’s and Ed Hardy. Students can also accessorize any outfit with bangles, cuffs and chunky rings. Children and teens can select the perfect pair of sneakers from brands such as Nike, Adidas and K-Swiss. Back-to-school basics include Switch Flops for Kids and Vera Bradley backpacks and lunch totes. Other popular brands include Ugg, Crocs and children’s clothes from Good Kids by Life is good.

Benefits of a Montessori Education

by Neena Dhanji
Central Florida Preparatory School
407-290-8073
www.cfprep.org		 Research shows that the best predictor of a child’s future success is high self-esteem and that children thrive when
they feel a sense of choice and control. Parents should consider Montessori education as a framework for their children’s development.

The Montessori method recognizes that children are born intelligent, they simply learn in different ways and at different pace. The method concentrates on cognitive development. Students are recognized as unique learners who progress at their own paces, allowing them to master skills, rather than running through lessons. As students manage their own work, they learn self-discipline and often develop uncanny leadership skills.

Montessori classes often span three age levels, allowing a sense of community and growth. Instead of promoting memorization and penalizing mistakes, Montessori tools allow students to learn through investigation and research,
bringing lessons to life and actively challenging students. Since Montessori students are encouraged to make decisions from an early age, these children are natural problem-solvers who tend to develop strong self-images and confidence.

In making a school choice, parents should remember that well-designed preschool educational programs produce long-term improvements in school success, including higher achievement test scores and educational attainment.

Childhood Vision Problems

by Deepak Raja, M.D.
Orlando Eye & Oculoplastics
407-704-3937
www.eyesandlids.com		 Unlike children with other common childhood ailments, those with vision problems may not know they have one. Blurry vision may be gradual and, therefore, unnoticeable. Eye screenings can be effective in finding refractive disorders, but sometimes there are other seemingly unrelated signs. A keen parent or educator sometimes may be able to detect these symptoms earlier, saving a child needless difficulty. The signs to look for include squinting, unexplained headaches, eye-crossing, tilting of existing glasses, poor grades and behavioral problems.

Farsightedness, or hyperopia, occurs when children see better at a distance than near. This is more common in younger children and can cause problems with eye-crossing at higher prescriptions. Nearsightedness, or myopia, occurs when children have difficulty seeing distances clearly but can read easily. Astigmatism occurs when there are irregularities in the eye that cause images to be distorted, similar to reflected images seen when looking at the curved back of a spoon. These conditions can be properly evaluated during an eye exam and treated with glasses or contact lenses. Annual exams are usually recommended to check for any changes in prescriptions, and scheduling checkups prior to the start of the school year is a good idea, as it helps children to avoid missing school.

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