Successful Innovations, Inc.

Family Dinner Time

2012-01-18T07:18:00.002-05:00

Today, families are pulled in lots of different directions, which can make it hard to meet at dinnertime. Yet for those who make it a priority, family meals can be a chance to connect, relax together, and bond. There's something about a shared meal that anchors a family, even on nights when kids are irritable. Research shows that children and teens who eat with their families are less likely to smoke, drink, do drugs, get depressed, or consider suicide. They tend to do better in school, delay having sex, and have better relationships with their parents.

"In a challenging world, family belonging provides a safe haven for parents and children alike. Family dinners not only satisfy our physical and emotional needs, but also offer a time and place to consciously teach our children the value of caring for others." - Gayle Peterson, Prenatal and Child Development Specialist

16th Annual VAFEPA Conference, Roanoke, Virginia

2011-11-16T09:45:00.002-05:00

We are attending the 16th Annual VAFEPA conference today in Roanoke, Virginia. The theme for this year's conference is; "Engaging Students for a Successful Future". There are about fourteen different definitions for the word; "engage" in the dictionary. How do we "engage" students for a successful future? Do we enter into a contract with them, hold their attention, attact or entangle them, or do we pledge or promise them something. I like the last definition of "engage". What a tremendous responsibility and privilege we have as educators to pledge or promise our students a successful future! Promising our students a successful future requires a lot more than just teaching objectives that are required on a standardized test. We need to enrich the students' capacity for learning, we need to be cognizant of the students' varying physical, emotional, and physchological needs, we need to colloborate with the families and communities of our students, we need to be tolerant, patient, and understanding. This is one promise worth keeping.

"Early Education: The Pipeline for Virginia's Future Economic Growth"

2011-11-08T11:26:00.002-05:00

At the recent 2nd Annual Governor's Forum on Education & Workforce Training, Gary McCollum, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Cox Communications and former Chairman, Smart Beginnings South Hampton Roads, advocated to make early childhood education a priority among current business leaders. Consider the following points that Mr. McCollum made toward the need for quality early childhood education programs.

Decades of brain research clearly establish that the greatest opportunity to impact a child's development is in their first five years.

In VA, children who repeat grades cost taxpayers about $80 million dollars a year.

62% of VA's incoming 4th graders score below proficient reading levels.

For every $1 we invest in school-aged children, only 23 cents are spent on preschool-aged children, birth to age 5.

1 out of 7 children are not ready for Kindergarten in VA.

It is evident that a skilled future workforce requires early childhood education. As business leaders, we have a powerful voice. We need to continue to raise awareness to the need for early childhood education programs, we need to advocate for greater support, and continually look for ways to improve the early childhood education system. One key factor to this is arming parents with the knowledge to prepare their child for school.

A child who starts behind, stays behind.

"K-12 & Beyond: Growing Tomorrow's Careers with a Focus on STEM"

2011-11-08T10:57:00.002-05:00

STEM - Science, Techonoloy, Engineering, Mathematics

A recent panel of corporate executives and educational experts discussed the overwhelming need for high quality STEM education now in our public schools. Why is there such a urgent need and focus? Consider the following points;

There is a large percentage of low income, minority and immigrant students not pursuing college.

STEM jobs will be 8% of all jobs in Virginia in 2018.

Over the next decade 80% of all jobs will require STEM proficiency.

There is a definite disconnect between education and industry.

So how do we bridge this discrpency or disconnect and provide quality STEM education to our students?

Afford teachers the opportunity to enter corporations and businesses over the summer to gain a better understanding of the skill sets that are necessary and how to prepare students for the future workforce.

Attain private sector investments for education, particularly STEM education.

Offer a variety of STEM programs, including hands-on curriculum in our public schools.

Reform the current Standards of Learning in the areas of science and math to better align with industry needs.

Articulate a clear vision of STEM education.

What other solutions are possible to moving forward with STEM education and tomorrow's careers?

"Partnering Business & Education to Better Align Workforce Needs"

2011-11-08T10:28:00.003-05:00

At the recent 2nd Annual Governor's Forum on Education & Workforce Training in Richmond, Virginia, a panel of distinguished educators and business leaders discussed the need for businesses and higher education institutions to partner and work towards common goals with training our future workforce.

Here are some statistics to support this critical alignment;

Currently VA graduates about 56, 690 students from higher education institutions annually. This number needs to almost double to 100,000 graduates by the year 2025, in order to reach the goal set by Governor McDonnell.

29% of VA college attendees graduate with a Bachelor's degree or higher each year.

Sadly, over 50,000 individuals (18 years old) in VA lack a GED.

Education must address business needs with regards to the future job market curriculum and skill sets that are necessary in order for college graduates to be highly trained and qualified to fill the job positions available.

What can education and businesses do to continue to improve the alignment of workforce needs?

2nd Annual Governor's Forum on Education & Workforce Training

2011-11-08T10:03:00.002-05:00

The Honorable Robert F. McDonnell gave the keynote address on "Aligning the Agenda: Education-Economic Development-Business" at the 2nd Annual Governor's Forum on Education & Workforce Training.

So why and how does education and business align to create a competitively trained workforce to improve the economy? Consider some of the facts that the Governor shared in his keynote address.

An educated workforce is an essential component in Virginia for being competitive.

Virginia is ranked number one for small business and ranked second only to CA in the number of trained technology workforce.

The goal must be when you exit high school you must be career ready or college ready or you will fall behind.

We need to mesh the needs of the workforce with the degrees being offered at college.

Community colleges should be the "epi-centers" for workforce development efforts.

Forge a climate of innovation and entreprenueralship.

VA schools need to develop STEM curriculum to be ready for the 21st Century, which means more STEM teachers, more STEM learning opportunities, more education and business partnerships and an increase in STEM academic areas.

"To get a good job...you need a good education." Governor Robert McDonnell

Family Engagement Conference - October 21, 2011

2011-10-27T11:38:00.000-04:00

With nearly 100 attendees at our Family Engagement Conference; "Moving Beyond Programs to Partnerships", participants gained pertinent information from nationally recognized experts in the field of Family and School Partnerships. Keynote speakers addressed common family involvement barriers and how to overcome them and to further stregthen family-school connections by egaging diverse families.

What are some of the common barriers you face when attempting to boost and sustain family engagement goals?

How do you overcome these obstacles?

Healthy Habits that Lead to Success

2011-09-23T07:52:00.000-04:00

We were honored to speak at the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce Women's Luncheon Series on September 22, 2011. We shared our inspiring stories of becoming entrepreneurs and gave practical tips to help business minded women grow in their professional careers. Below is a list of some of the questions that were asked of us. Please share your personal stories of success and "words of wisdom" as it relates to each question. We would love to hear from you.

1. How do you personally juggle work and family?

2. When faced with challenges or barriers, how have you handled them?

3. What advice would you give on effective selling?

4. What would be your one tip on how to excel and succeed in today's economy?

5. As entrepreneurs, who has inspired you?

2011 Small Business Award

2011-05-04T11:25:00.000-04:00

We were honored to receive the 2011 Small Business Award, sponsored by the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce. We want to extend our gratitude to all of our loyal supporters. We are continually grateful for the opportunities that are affored to us through the pursuit of excellence.

Support for Governor Bob McDonnell and Education Reform

2011-03-30T14:34:00.001-04:00

We are excited to support and be a part of Governor Bob McDonnell's educational reform initiatives. We look forward to working with Governor McDonnell on educational reform strategies to promote meaningful learning opportunties for Virginia's children.

Governor Bob McDonnell Listens!

2011-03-30T14:32:00.000-04:00

It was great to have the opportunity to network with Governor Robert McDonnell and discuss collaborative strategies for educational reform.

Vice President Joe Biden

2011-03-23T14:39:00.000-04:00

We were extremely honored to be able to be in the presence of our distinguished Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, at the first annual America's Promise Grad Nation Summit. Vice President Biden is committted to supporting successful efforts that will accelerate gains in high school completion.

Celebrity Status!

2011-03-23T14:32:00.000-04:00

Tichina Arnold, Actress and Education Advocate attended this year's first annual America's Promise Grad Nation Summit in Washington D.C. lending her support to reversing our nation's dropout rate. We were honored to meet her and share her passion for securing our future as a great nation, beginning with student success.

America's Promise Alliance

2011-03-23T14:23:00.000-04:00

The crises in graduation rates and college/workforce readiness place America's future at risk. We want to commend Alma Powell, Chair, America's Promise Alliance and Michael Powell, Co-Chair, for their continued efforts to build a Grad Nation. We were honored to meet Michael Powell and share in his vision for building a stronger future.

U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan

2011-03-23T14:13:00.000-04:00

Did you know that every 26 seconds a young person drops out of high school? Rand Harbert, Senior Vice President, State Farm Insurance Companies presented U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan with a basketball jersey at America's Promise Grad Nation Summit this week to remind all of us of this growing epidemic in our country with regards to the dropout rate.

Virginia's Parent Involvement Summit

2011-02-10T13:12:00.001-05:00

Byron Garrett, former CEO of the National PTA, shares his reflections about the summit with Jim Baldwin, Executive Director of the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals.

Virginia's Parent Involvement Contest

2011-02-10T13:10:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Pittsylvania County Public Schools - Gretna Elementary School for achieving the GRAND PRIZE of $1,000 at Virginia's Parent Involvement Summit!

Virginia's Parent Involvement Contest

2011-02-10T13:09:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Newport News Public Schools - L.F. Palmer Elementary School for achieving 2nd place.

Virginia's Parent Involvement Contest

2011-02-10T13:08:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Montgomery County Public Schools - Falling Branch Elementary for achieving 3rd place.

Virginia's Parent Involvement Contest

2011-02-10T13:06:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Hampton Public Schools for achieving the "Company's Choice" award at Virginia's Parent Involvement Summit.

Virginia's Parent Involvement Contest

2011-02-10T13:01:00.000-05:00

Participants at Virginia's Parent Involvement Summit await the announcement of the winner of Virginia's Parent Involvement Contest.

Pancakes and Politics

2010-12-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

We were honored to attend the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce event; "Pancakes and Politics" Annual Legislative Outlook Breakfast at Liberty University with regional legislators. We applaud Senator Steve Newman for his vision of ecomonic growth and business opportunities for Lynchburg and the state of Virginia.

Virginia's Parent Involvement Summit

2010-12-01T13:42:00.000-05:00

Virginia's Parent Involvement Summit is coming soon to Lynchburg, Virginia featuring Byron Garrett, National CEO of the PTA and Eric Davis, Director of Family School Partnerships. Visit our website for more details and register for this phenomenal event. Don't miss it.
www.si4all.com

Living in the Heart of Virginia

2010-10-15T14:48:00.000-04:00

We were honored this week to be featured on the show; "Living in the Heart of Virginia" sharing our newest book; "Parent Involvement 101" which was highlighted by Governor Bob McDonnell. For more details view our video clip.

Family Involvement in Education Month

2010-10-01T11:16:00.001-04:00

Governor Bob McDonnell has declared October 2010 as Family Involvement in Education Month! We support Governor Bob McDonnell and this significant initiative and recognize parents, educators and citizens in the importance of parental involvement in their children's schools, lives and in the education community.

New Publication!

2010-09-14T13:46:00.000-04:00

We are excited to announce the release of our new book, "Parent Involvement 101". A practical guide packed with proven parent involvement ideas and strategies to enhance family/school partnerships. Order your copy online today at http://www.si4all.com/. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan has established ambitious goals for parent involvement!

Parental Involvement Strategies That Work!

2010-06-14T14:37:00.000-04:00

We conducted our third workshop; "Parental Involvement Strategies That Work!" on Saturday, June 12 in Richmond, Virginia at the Sheraton Park South Hotel. Thanks to all of our participants and especially our featured speaker, Mr. Eric Davis, who provided the participants powerful and practical strategies and techniques for increasing parental involvement in their school or organization.

Weight of the State Conference

2010-05-19T11:50:00.000-04:00

We are excited to join First Lady of Virginia, Maureen McDonnell, in the fight against childhood obesity. We look forward to working with her to create healthier lifestyles for Virginia's children.

Influential Leaders

2010-05-05T11:29:00.000-04:00

We were honored to meet Dr. Patricia Wright, Virginia State Superintendent for Public Education. We commend her for her dedication and commitment to ensuring quality education for the children of Virginia.

VASS Conference

2010-05-05T11:19:00.000-04:00

We unveiled our new booth display at the 2010 Virginia Association of State Superintendents conference at the Hotel Roanoke on May 2nd-4th. We were excited to meet superintendents from across the state of Virginia and share our products and services with them. We applaud them for their hard work and commitment to education.

2010 Minority Business Summit

2010-02-15T13:41:00.000-05:00

We are headed to the 2010 Minority Business Summit at the New Baltimore Hilton Hotel on February 18-19, 2010 to network and learn the latest business strategies and tactics from the nations top entrepreneurial leaders and executives.

National Title I Conference

2010-01-26T12:57:00.000-05:00

We were privleged to meet many educators at the National Title I conference in Washington D.C., Janaury 21-24, 2010. We were able to share our interactive parental involvement resources and professional development resources with attendees. Thanks to all who stopped by our booth. We look forward to working with you.

Serving Others

2010-01-14T13:58:00.000-05:00

Armed with our aprons and smiles, we volunteered today at the Lynchburg Daily Bread, a non-profit organization that provides the needy with free, nutritious meals. Each year over 40,000 meals are served. "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

-Mahatma Gandhi

Happy Holidays

2009-12-23T15:06:00.000-05:00

We wish you a joyous season full of many special blessings and memories. My the new year be one of prosperity and happiness for each and everyone of you. Thanks for all of your support for us at Successful Innovations this past year.

A Must Read!

2009-12-11T15:32:00.000-05:00

Looking for a great book to read over the winter break? Then you will definitely want to purchase a copy of; Building a High Achieving School 3 C's to Success. Order your copy today, call toll free1-866-946-0204, only $19.95. A must for every school administrator, gain valuable tips, strategies, and practical ideas for improving your school.

RTI Workshop - November 18, 2009

2009-11-18T15:31:00.000-05:00

Our fourth successful RTI (Response to Intervention) workshop is complete. We had fifteen educators from Lee, Lunenburg, Grayson, and Buchanan counties in Virginia attend. These educators learned how to implement an effective RTI action plan in their schools. Here are some quotes from the attendees about the workshop; "great strategies were given", "I can use the tools in middle school", "I loved the templates and hand-outs". Hilda Stevens, trained RTI consultant, led the workshop. Thanks to all who attended!

Virginia PTA Conference

2009-11-16T12:02:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all of the wonderful Virginia PTA members who stopped by our booth on Friday and Saturday during the annual Virginia PTA (Parent/Teacher Association) conference. We enjoyed sharing our interactive parental involvement resources with everyone.

Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals

2009-11-06T11:27:00.000-05:00

We exhibited at the annual Virginia Assocation of Elementary School Principals conference in Williamsburg, Virginia on November 4-5, 2009. We met a lot of great administrators from all regions of Virginia. We were privleged to meet several key professionals connected to the VAESP. Thanks to the support of Tom Shortt, Executive Director of VAESP, Mark Allan, Virginia Department of Education Laison, Sherman LaPrade, Souther Zone Director of VAESP, and Vincent Darby, Urban School Representative of VAESP.

National Black Child Development Institute Conference

2009-10-29T00:46:00.000-04:00

We attended the National Black Child Development Institute conference in Atlanta, Georgia on October 25-27, 2009. We had over 100 educators stop by our booth to learn more about our interactive parental involvement resources. We also were privileged to attend a prestigious luncheon on Monday, October 26th with Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. He spoke on "The Perfect Storm for Reform" and preparing students to succeed in college. We were also blessed to greet the little children of Premier Academy Inc. of Atlanta in the exhibit hall.

Women's Leadership Council

2009-10-06T14:24:00.000-04:00

Joined the Women's Leadership Council of the United Way of Central Virginia to promote philanthropy, leadership, and community activism with the goal of making a positive change in our community. We are proud to have partnered with CEO, Marie Martin, of WLC.

NCaeyc Conference

2009-10-03T16:49:00.000-04:00

Exhibited at the NCaeyc in Raleigh, North Carolina on Thursday, October 1st through Saturday, October 3rd. Thanks to all of the early childhood educators that stopped by our booth to learn more about our interactive parental involvement resources.

Learning to Lead the Competition

2009-09-26T14:20:00.000-04:00

Attended a marketing seminar in Richmond, Virginia this week with guest speaker Michael Tate. Less travel this week too...visited local educators in Charlottesville and Roanoke, Virginia and did some "grass roots" marketing of our parental involvement resources.

RTI Workshop - September 16, 2009

2009-09-16T15:15:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all the professional educators who attended the Response to Intervention training. Principals, teachers, college professors, and students gained valuable knowledge about the three-tiered RTI action plan and implementation. Check out what the participants had to say about the workshop:

"Very valuable teaching strategies..."

I enjoyed everything I learned."

"Variety of strategies and activities that can be applied to the classroom. Great that this is a reasearch-based program."

Miles and Miles

2009-09-12T15:43:00.000-04:00

We traveled nearly one thousand miles this week in the state of Virginia. We ventured to extreme southwestern Virginia to Abingdon and Norton and then to northern Virginia where we stopped in Fredericksburg and Falls Church. We also managed to go to Roanoke and the Richmond area. We shared our passion for parental involvement and family literacy with many educational professionals, including head start directors, principals, and PTAs. School has started and fall is in the air, don't be left out...call us today to find out more about our interactive resources and professional development. See you soon!

Nothing but blue sky...

2009-09-04T16:14:00.000-04:00

What a beautiful week to travel across Virginia, from the small counties of Buckingham and Lunenburg to our larger cities of Richmond and Petersburg, we visited lots of wonderful educators. Don't miss out on our back to school special offer of $100.00 worth of FREE school supplies with any order. Call us to set up an appointment today, 1-866-946-0204. See you soon!

Here we go again....

2009-08-28T11:42:00.000-04:00

A huge thank you is extended to all of our professional colleagues this week for making time to meet with us so we could share our passion for parental involvement and professional development. We traveled to Norfolk, Virginia twice this week and to Nelson County, Virginia. We met a lot of great principals, Head Start Directors, teachers, parent laisons, and reading coaches. We look forward to serving your school communities. Call us and we will be glad to come and visit you next, 1-866-946-0204

On the road again...

2009-08-21T11:24:00.000-04:00

We traveled across the state of Virginia this week meeting with Title I directors, principals, parent coordinators, guidance counselors, Head Start Parent Involvement Specialists, and Early Childhood directors. We visited the counties of Alleghany and Cumberland and the cities of Norfolk, Newport News, and Lynchburg. For many, school is getting ready to begin and it is exciting to see different schools and centers preparing for the students to return. We would love to help your school or center boost parental involvement and/or provide the latest staff development. Call us today so we can hit the highway to see you next! 1-866-946-0204

Oh the Places We Go....

2009-08-14T10:01:00.000-04:00

Successful Innovations, Inc. was able to meet with some really great early childhood educators this week, including a family literacy coordinator and a Head Start director. Our travels took us to Richmond and Augusta County, Virginia this week. Virginia is truly a beautiful state. Log on next week to find out where we are headed next....call and schedule your appointment today. Don't be left out...1-866-946-0204. We would love to talk to you about our parental involvement resources and the latest professional development offerings. See you soon!

"On the Road Again.."

2009-08-05T10:37:00.000-04:00

Successful Innovations, Inc. is hitting the road this month and will be traveling all over the state of Virginia. This week we will be visiting educators in Culpeper and Salem, Virginia. We would love to visit your school division or center. Check in with us again next week to find out were we are headed next. Call us at 1-866-946-0204 and we will put you on our schedule of stops. See you soon!

RTI Workshop - July 30, 2009

2009-07-30T16:04:00.001-04:00

2009-07-30T16:00:00.001-04:00

Successful Innovations, Inc. just conducted another RTI (Response to Intervention) workshop for local educators in the Lynchburg area. Teachers, principals, and college professors attended the workshop.

Sue Ellen Petchul, reading specialist, indicated that the most valuable aspect of the workshop was; "the instructor's experience and knowledge".

Diane Swain, principal, simply loved the resources that were provided and commented; "I would like to have a full day, 6 hours" for the workshop!

Thanks to all who attended!

RTI Workshop a Success!

2009-07-22T15:04:00.000-04:00

Successful Innovations, Inc. just conducted the first RTI (Response to Intervention) on-site training workshop today in Lynchburg. Participants gained valuable insight into the Multi-Tiered Approach. Participants learned how to create and implement an RTI action plan for their school.

Roberta Franklin, Library Media Specialist, from Bedford County commented on the workshop and declared; "I love all the resources that we were given."

David LeFevre, Assistant Principal, in Virginia Beach, considered the most valuable aspect of the workshop to be; "the interaction between the instructor and colleagues."

Our next RTI Workshop will be held on July 30th, call us at 1-866-946-0204 to sign up today.

Don't miss it!

Successful Innovations, Inc.

2009-07-21T14:20:00.000-04:00

Successful Innovations, Inc. has launched full-time into the world of small business! Check out our website at http://www.si4all.com/. You can reach us toll free at 1-866-946-0204! We specialize in bridging the gap between the home and school. Stay tuned for upcoming workshops and new product announcements....you won't want to miss it!