PHOTOS: Hopkins Students Head Back to School

Check out Patch’s photos from the first day of school and share your own.

Like schools across the state, Eisenhower Elementary was a mixture of excitement and nervousness Tuesday. First through sixth graders filed into the building for the first day of school. Parents helped children find their classrooms, and teachers welcomed new students. Amid all the activity, parents made sure to capture photos of the annual milestone. Patch invites you to share these milestones with your neighbors. To add your images, click on the "Upload Photos and Videos" button above. Select the photos you want and then type in a caption. We look forward to seeing your students.   Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our free daily newsletter

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Sheriff’s Office Offers Back-To-School Safety Tips

Here’s how motorists and students can ensure the trip to school is a safe one.

Editor’s Note: The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office released the following announcement.   The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is urging motorists to use extra caution  at the start of the school year. Parents are reminded to review safety tips with their children. Anyone behind the wheel should drive attentively and watch for children on sidewalks, along roadways, and at all crosswalks and intersections. Remember that texting while driving is against the law in Minnesota. “This is a great time of year to pledge to yourself and your family that you will not engage in distracted driving,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, “Focus on your responsibility to drive safely and use additional caution – especially near buses and in school …

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School Supplies Still Needed for ResourceWest Drive

The drive continues through Aug. 31.

With more than 600 students still needing help, ResourceWest is running low on school supplies, according to an announcement the organization sent to supporters. The Hopkins nonprofit started handing out backpacks to families on Monday for its annual Back-to-School drive, which runs through Aug. 31. The organization estimates basic school supplies for an elementary school student cost more than $75. ResourceWest’s Back-to-School program provides each registered K-12 student a new backpack filled with grade-specific basic school supplies.   The organization is particularly in need of: See the PDF to the right of this article for a full list of community drop sites where supplies can be left. This year, ResourceWest also aims to raise $20,…

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PHOTOS: West Junior High Students Get Ready for School

The ‘Get Your Stuff Days’ event offered students a chance to take care of business before the first day of school next week.

West Junior High students got a taste of the upcoming school year Tuesday during the school’s “Get Your Stuff Days” event. The annual orientation event gave students a jumpstart on the school year by allowing them to pick up their schedule, find their locker, have their school photo taken, sign up for a sport and more. Marilyn LaFleur-Brown, the school’s communications liaison, said it was “one-stop shopping to get themselves together.” This year, the entire seventh grade class also received iPads for the first time. The iPads are part of a $3 million plan that will bring more than 3,000 digital devices into Hopkins schools over the next three years. As part of that plan, every seventh grade student will have an iPad starting this school …

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First Day of School for Hopkins Schools

Check out when Hopkins students start school.

It’s once again that time of year when students return to school. Check out the following dates for the first day of school at Hopkins schools. *** Blake School Hopkins Public Schools St. John’s Catholic School Ubah Medical Academy   Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter

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ResourceWest Still Seeking Back-to-School Donations

The organization is just 40 percent of the way toward its goal of raising $20,000 for its Back-to-School program.

With just a few days to go until ResourceWest starts distributing school supplies, the organization is just 40 percent of the way toward its goal of raising $20,000 for its Back-to-School program, the organization told supporters Wednesday. The Hopkins nonprofit’s annual Back-to-School drive runs through Aug. 31, but it will start handing out backpacks to families on Monday. The organization estimates basic school supplies for an elementary school student cost more than $75. ResourceWest’s Back-to-School program provides each registered K-12 student a new backpack filled with grade-specific basic school supplies.   The organization is particularly in need of: See the PDF to the right of this article for a full list of community drop sites …

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Parents Talk

School Supplies Are Just the Beginning: Seven Tips for Back-to-School Week

Hear from a teacher what parents should know about back-to-school week.

  Earlier this month, Samara Postuma wrote about how to shop for school supplies—and the potential nightmare that shopping trip can be. My daughter is 1. Her school supplies are food, so I've got that supply (mostly) covered. But my sister is a teacher in the Robbinsdale School District—and parent to two almost-teenage boys. ("We had an $800 grocery bill in one month this summer," she said last week. With a straight face.) As we began talking about school supplies, I learned a few things about the first day of school from one teacher out there for you. Something to think about beyond that first-day scramble—which arrives for many of you next week. 1. Make sure your kids' lunch money accounts are filled, as much as you can. (Yes, old people…

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Back to School: Healthy Kids Begin With Healthy Meals

Local experts say what your children eat can affect how they perform in class.

The first day of school is only a few weeks away. What will your children eat for lunch? Some parents will opt to send a lunch from home. While others will give their child money to buy their lunch at school. Either way, it’s important to make sure that students are eating healthy so they do well in school. Barb Mechura, director of food and nutrition services for the Hopkins School District, said there’s a good reason to be concerned about what students eat during the day, especially at a young age. “What we really have is a health crisis," she said. “Even people who aren't obese but are overweight or heavy can have major health problems.” She said research has linked poor diet and weight gain to ADHD, depression and other conditions. …

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When It Comes To Backpacks, How Much Weight Is Too Much?

Back-to-school advice about how much students should be carrying to school.

As students head back to school this fall, they have to get used carrying a full backpack again. Textbooks, notebooks, assignment planner and binders can quickly weigh down even the strongest student. Jonathan Olson of Nokomis Chiropractic said parents should keep an eye on how much their children—especially those who are still growing—are carrying to school. “Kids should carry no more than 10 to 15 percent of their body weight,” Olson said. All the things students carry to school can add up quickly. “You’re talking about kids who sometimes weigh 50 pounds, carrying a 20-pound backpack.”    In order to tell if their kids are carrying too much, parents need to listen to what kids say and watch how they act. “Complaints from the kids will be…

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