(NewsUSA) - Had you tried to devise a situation that would bring our public schools to the brink, you couldn't have done better than imagining what happened in the spring of 2020. It happened so fast. Suddenly schools had to figure out how to teach students from afar, without the aid of summer planning or extra training.

High schools navigated a doubly difficult challenge: balancing teaching teens in the moment while also ensuring they remained on track for the future amid rising anxiety, stress, and depression.

Experts warned that the pandemic would have a dire impact on generation COVID and early data suggests they may be right. Since the pandemic struck, more than a quarter-million fewer seniors completed financial aid forms that support affordable college enrollment. The greatest declines came from the students who likely need aid the most -- students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.

Even against this bleak backdrop, some high schools managed to shine. The College Success Award identifies high schools that support student college enrollment and success in 25 states.

This year GreatSchools reached out to the most exceptional of these winning schools to learn about how they had navigated pandemic education. Not only did they meet the moment head on, but they devised solutions that worked so well they made them permanent even after schools returned in the fall. Here's what they discovered:

Meeting families where they are. With buildings closed, schools had to get creative about engaging families. El Paso's Valle Verde Early College High School, for example, took its monthly parent forums online and discovered what happens when you remove barriers to family engagement. At the first meeting, instead of 50 parents, over 300 showed up and crashed the system. "[W]e see people making dinner, doing laundry, but listening and asking questions. They're taking care of life responsibilities," says recently-retired Principal Paul Covey. With the simple click of a button, hundreds of multitasking parents were given the opportunity to participate in school activities without having to find childcare, leave work early, or take public transportation.

Meeting alumni where they are. Florida's Mater Performing Arts Academy had always invited alumni to visit the school to share their experiences, but once school was online, they discovered that they could access alumni all over the country. "We're doing a lot of presentations with our alumni who… are in Boston, or in… San Francisco," says college counseling lead Silvino Macho. By leveraging the power of video conferencing, the school engaged its alumni community to share their college and career lessons and mentor students.

Meeting teens where they are. As schools went virtual, teacher Scott Frank took it as a chance to speak teens' language.

He created online videos of core topics in his history classes at IDEA Frontier College Prep in Brownsville, TX. Frank's YouTube channel became an evergreen bank students could reference while studying or doing homework. His biology counterpart made short videos on TikTok and awarded bonus points to students that watched.

For these teachers, the language of social media became a friend request they gladly accepted.

To explore more best practices and see the complete list of 2021 College Success Award-winners, visit www.greatschools.org/gk/csa-winners/.

Carol Lloyd is the vice president, editorial director at GreatSchools.

(NewsUSA) - For many people, the idea of creating and sticking to a budget is intimidating. The thought of investing, managing debt and saving for major purchases, such as a house or car, can leave anyone overwhelmed.

"A budget is a necessity for controlling spending and working toward financial goals," says CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional Ross Levin, CFP®. "But what people don't remember is that budgeting is actually about making choices."

One smart (but ironic) choice you can make is to budget for a financial planner -- who will help you better manage your budget. A skilled financial planning professional can help you build a workable budget and give you the tools and encouragement to stick with it.

How do you pay for a financial planner?

Although financial planners aren't free, their valuable expertise can help you plan for many parts of your life -- not just help you budget.

There are various ways a CFP® professional may get paid for their services, and some options might be friendlier to your budget than others. Common ways that financial planning services are paid for may include:

• Commissions on products you buy, or transactions you make,
• Fixed fees for particular services,
• Hourly rates,
• Monthly or quarterly retainer or subscription fees,
• A percentage of the assets they manage for you, or
• A combination of the above.

It is important to ask your financial planner a number of key questions, including how clients pay the advisor and what costs you should expect in working with them. Their answers should help you determine how much to include in your budget to pay for your financial planner's services.

What will you get for your money?

Financial planners provide a variety of services that more than offset their cost. A CFP® professional can advise you about the details of the tax code, how to best save for retirement or other goals, and how to manage the risks and rewards of your investments. A CFP® professional can also guide you on how to use your health savings account effectively, and how to maximize tax benefits from charitable donations.

CFP® professionals provide advice to guide financial decisions at all stages of life, including when or whether to buy or refinance a home, how much to put aside for a child's education, and how to invest for long-term wealth.

"A good financial planner will not only help you set your goals, but also track your progress toward achieving them. And when your objectives change [as they often do], your plan can change with it," says Levin.

Visit LetsMakeAPlan.org for more information about the benefits of financial planning, why it is worth fitting into your budget and how to find a CFP® professional who can help you manage your financial future.

(NewsUSA) - The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the face of America's workplace. In fact, an increasing number of folks might find their "new office" feels a lot like home -- because it is literally their home.

Our post-pandemic "return to the office" may look very different with hybrid or fully remote work models rapidly rising in popularity. Studies support this trend with 83% of workers believing a hybrid model would be optimal going forward, according to an Accenture survey. Further, 87% of managers believe working from home is the future, according to Remote-How research.

While the new dynamic promises an improved work-life balance, it will also cause energy use and utility bills to skyrocket with technologies, appliances and systems running overtime at unprecedented levels -- making optimal, energy-efficient home climate control a greater challenge.

The good news is that families can prevent a utility-bill blitz by following a few simple tips. With home heating and cooling accounting for nearly half of home energy use, small steps can go a long way.

• Ease Into Electric: According to Columbia University's Earth Institute, electric systems are a solution to decarbonize home climate control. Among the most energy-efficient heating and cooling products, electricity-powered ductless mini-split systems, offered by companies including Fujitsu General America, can save as much as 25% on your energy bill. Mini-splits use thin copper tubing to pump refrigerant from an outdoor compressor directly into an indoor air-handling unit, where the air is quietly distributed to the interior space.
• Get "Smart" About Climate Control: When it comes to smart home temperature control, there are Smart HVAC Systems and Smart Thermostats. Smart HVAC systems have built-in Internet capability and can be controlled directly without additional equipment. Smart Home Thermostats create "smart" systems by enabling remote temperature control via a mobile or Internet-connected device or voice-operated home automation system.
• Voice Your Preference: Take control of your comfort. Most HVAC manufacturers offer apps that enable systems to be controlled from anywhere using a mobile device. Voice-control capability uses digital assistants, such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home, to verbally dictate home temperatures. Easily controlling the temperature more closely allows homeowners to be more comfortable and improve energy savings.
• Find Your Efficient Comfort Zone: Many of us live in homes designed for bigger families, but have yet to downsize. If you find yourself using a fraction of your home on a regular basis, consider upgrading to a zoned ducted, or ductless system. That will allow you to save energy heating and cooling spaces where you and your family don't spend a lot of time. This will multiply savings as you're not only needing less cooling, but you also gain from a more efficient system in the spaces you do still use.
• Try Low-tech Fixes: Simple changes can have a big impact. Take advantage of the sun's energy to heat your home by opening your south-facing curtains at sunrise to make best use of "passive solar gain." Force down warm air. Denser, cooler air stays closer to the ground, and warmer air rises. So, force it downwards with a low-speed fan. Insulate and fill the gaps. Warmed air leaking out around poorly sealed window frames, power sockets, recessed light fittings, and other gaps is a big source of heat loss in homes. And thick curtains help to insulate glass at windows.

If your family is spending a lot more time at home and your utility bills are soaring, a ductless heating and cooling system is definitely a worthwhile investment. Many Fujitsu systems have an Energy Star rating that is more than twice as efficient as the minimum standard set by the government. To learn more or find a contractor near you, call 888-888-3424 or visit www.constantcomfort.com.

(NewsUSA)

"Good Grief -- A Journey from Loss to Love"
by Valerie D. Swinton and Fred J. Kirby Jr. 

If you lost a loved one to death and wonder how, when, or even if you should move forward, then this book just might help you. The authors of this book each lost lovely, wonderful spouses to long illnesses after lengthy marriages. Their spouses encouraged them to continue living and to find another mate. Even in tragedy, grace helped them to discover purpose and rediscover who they were individually.

New circumstances require adjustments, continued growth, and constant struggle, but strong faith in God conquers all. Don't rush through the grieving process. With stories from the authors and others who have lost a spouse, you may find there is hope in new beginnings. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3kpdFzI.

"The Reunion Bomber"
by Bill Flynn 

Former FBI agent Ronan Ryan returns to Eastboro to attend the reunion of his high school class. A celebration with his basketball teammates and a pleasant encounter with his first love is interrupted by a violent act of vengeance. The reunion restaurant becomes a crime scene, but the killer's work is not finished. His other targets are all members of Ronan's class, including his high school sweetheart and his friend, the Eastboro Chief of Police.

They join with a jailed computer hacker to try to find the deranged but clever garage dweller who methodically wreaks terror on the classmates of his past. The reunion ends in 48 tense hours after the bomber makes his final detonation. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3xyVCfO.

"Distressed? Anguished? Heal Your BMind"
by Jacob Gonik 

For nearly 30 years, Jacob Gonik has successfully treated anxiety, stress, fears, traumatic obesity, depression, and other mental disorders in an average of 10 sessions thanks to his "Heal Your BMind" Concept. It is based on a new approach: Your mind has just two parts: an Intellectual part (IMind) and a Behavioral part (BMind).

Psychological problems are not embedded in your personality; they all reside in your BMind in the form of programs. The BMind works like a computer or smartphone app. When you enter ZETA, a BMind relaxing state, all harmful programs can be identified and healed! Self-ZETA is a mentalization process that anyone can use to modify habits and control stress, anxiety, insomnia, fears, and more. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3k74wgJ.

"You're Kidding, Right?"
by Brad Goldfarb 

This book is based on 30 actual questions that retired financial advisor Brad Goldfarb received from clients where the only possible response was, "You're kidding, right?" The common thread behind these questions: they seemed to come from clients' emotions and not necessarily rational thinking. Goldbarb knew he could simplify complicated analytical techniques so every investor could easily understand them, avoid mistakes and apply them to their own strategy.

This book was not written to offer specific advice to investors. It was not written with the idea of do-it-yourself. It was written to educate and enlighten investors to allow them to work more collaboratively with their financial advisors, especially during downturns and turmoil in the financial markets. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3itXAYE.

NOTE: BookBites is presented by BookTrib.com.

(NewsUSA) - People suffer from oral pain for a variety of reasons -- a cavity that needs to be filled, sensitive gums, canker sores, dry socket or, most commonly, a nagging toothache.

Oral pain can strike at any time, but getting a dentist appointment may take days, or even weeks. As a result, many sufferers turn to over-the-counter products for relief and are often unsatisfied. Consequently, they may turn to potentially harmful prescription pain relievers instead.

However, there is a safe and effective option for the relief of mouth pain.

Dr. Craig Schmidtke, creator of ORCA Oral Care Products, has 27 years of experience as a Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon and Fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Dr. Schmidtke saw the need for a natural oral care product to effectively manage mouth pain and first developed a liquid solution as a treatment for pain relief in his patients with dry sockets following tooth extraction.

The pain relief results his patients reported were so dramatic that he formulated a more user-friendly delivery method. By using a putty consistency and expanding its use to gum pain and general toothaches, he has made it available to anyone as Orca Pain Relief Putty.

"The ingenious formulation and delivery method of ORCA Pain Relief Putty has revolutionized the ability to control oral pain with a natural, non-opioid alternative that is simple to use," Dr. Schmidtke says on the ORCA website.

The benefits of ORCA Pain Relief Putty include:

- Naturally-derived ingredients. ORCA Pain Relief Putty is a non-prescription option for oral pain relief, and contains non-toxic ingredients, including essential oils, aloe vera, and plant extracts.

- Ease of use. ORCA Pain Relief Putty is packaged in a quality glass jar with an included spatula for ease of manipulation. Simply scoop out a pea-sized amount of putty, form it into a ball, and apply it directly to the painful area of teeth or gums.

- Clinically Proven. Dr. Schmidtke tested the ORCA Pain Relief Putty in a group of 201 adults who reported oral pain. After using the product, their average pain scores dropped from 7.5 to 0.5 on a scale of 0 to 10.

Keep ORCA Pain Relief Putty in your medicine cabinet for anytime a toothache or mouth pain strikes.

Visit NoMoreToothache.com for more information.

(NewsUSA) - One challenge that all busy parents face is how to keep a baby or toddler away from problem areas in the home. This month is Baby Safety Month, and is an important reminder to parents to look for potentially unsafe areas in the home, while identifying smart solutions to protect their little ones as they discover their surroundings.

Here are four child safety ideas that are easy to install and will help give homeowners a little peace of mind: 

1. Have a curious toddler who is exploring what's behind every door or cabinet?

Home safety products such as the Dreambaby® Patented EZY-Check® Multi-Use Latch are a must-have for parents to help keep children from investigating where they shouldn't. The adhesive multifunctional latch can be installed on almost any surface, including glass, wood, metal, and more without the need for tools or screws. The flexible, patented extra-long design works with most non-heat generating appliances, including the refrigerator. Its multi-touch release makes it tricky for young children to open.

2. Children are perpetually fascinated by electrical outlets, but the patented Dreambaby® CoverPlug® is unique in that it hides the entire outlet, so children don't even realize it is there. The Dreambaby® CoverPlug has a universal design that fits easily over three-prong outlets. The faceplate is paintable, so it can blend into the aesthetic of any room. Be sure to paint the faceplate before installation.

3. Whether they're crawling or walking, toddlers are on a mission to explore everything in their space. The Dreambaby® Newport Adapta-Gate® accommodates a range of regular and irregular openings and landings. It is designed for one-handed operation and is an easy-close gate, complete with an indicator to confirm that the gate is closed.

4. As babies learn to stand, they tend to pull themselves up with the help of any and all surfaces, especially kitchen cabinets. When it comes to keeping cabinets and drawers secure, parents can turn to the patented Dreambaby® Adhesive Mag Locks® for an effective but invisible solution that helps keep children safer without sacrificing style. The locks are designed to adhere to the inside of almost anything that opens, and the self-locking mechanism opens quickly when the special magnetic key is placed over the lock. Each lock can be disengaged when not needed, making it not only a great choice for your own home, but very useful at the grandparents' place.

Dreambaby® is a family-owned and internationally renowned company with more than 20 years of experience in developing affordable, high-quality child safety products.

Follow @dreambabysafety on social media and visit dream-baby.com to purchase home and child safety solutions or find more information.

(NewsUSA)

"What Passes as Love"
by Trisha Thomas 

A young woman pays a devastating price for freedom in this heartrending and breathtaking novel of the nineteenth-century South.

Born into slavery, Dahlia never knew her mother. When Dahlia's father takes her to work in his plantation as a servant, she leaves behind her best friend, Bo, and lives in a world between black and white.

Ten years later, Dahlia meets Timothy Ross, an Englishman in need of a wife. Reinventing herself as Lily Dove, Timothy agrees to marry her. Dahlia soon finds herself held captive as the dutiful wife of a young man who has set his sights on a political future. But when Bo arrives in shackles, Dahlia decides to risk everything to save his life. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3i8tLNe.

"The Mindfullness Experience"
by Keith Fiveson 

Make your world a better place for yourself and others with eight key strategies designed to integrate mindfulness into your daily routine and help you develop your strength and power in the world.

"The Mindfulness Experience" outlines key strategies from yogi, counselor, and life coach Keith Fiveson to help you maintain health and wellness from the inside-out and the outside-in. Using this guidebook and reference tool, you can develop strength and power in your life -- and thus find balance in an unbalanced world.

"Fiveson's book offers an integrated approach that can help anyone on a journey of self-discovery," says, Allen Salkin, reporter, "New York Times," "Vanity Fair," and "Los Angeles Magazine." Purchase at https://amzn.to/3smvfbw.

"The World Played Chess"
by Robert Dugoni 

Bestselling author Robert Dugoni returns with an emotionally arresting follow-up to "The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell."

In 1979, Vincent Bianco has just graduated high school. His only desire: collect a little beer money and enjoy his final summer before college. So he lands a job as a laborer on a construction crew. Working alongside two Vietnam vets, one suffering from PTSD, Vincent gets the education of a lifetime.

Now 40 years later, with his own son leaving for college, the lessons of that summerr -- Vincent's last taste of innocence and first taste of real life -- dramatically unfold in a novel about breaking away, shaping a life, and seeking one's own destiny. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2U4Lop7.

"Dark Intercept"
by Andrews and Wilson 

When dark forces rise, are faith and firepower enough? Navy SEAL Jedidiah Johnson receives a frantic call from his estranged childhood best friend David Yarnell, whose daughter has been kidnapped off the streets of Nashville. The only clue: the body of a dead priest at the scene.

Jed agrees to help. His presence immediately draws unwanted attention and triggers a mysterious attempt on his life. Then it starts to happen again -- the voices in his head, the nightmares, the visions.

To save the missing girl, Jed must take a leap of faith and embrace the gifts he's denied for all these years. And there is far more at stake: the world is not the place he thought it was. Purchase at https://bit.ly/2V0yN6y.

NOTE: BookBites is presented by BookTrib.com.

(NewsUSA) -High-achieving college graduates are continuing to flock to Wall Street pursuing dream careers in finance. This year, investment banks and other financial firms received record numbers of applications for internships, leading prospective candidates to seek new ways to stand out.

Inspired by this strong interest, CME Group, the world's leading and most diverse derivatives exchange, is offering an innovative opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to shine: the 18th annual University Trading Challenge, which enables future professionals to try their hand at trading.

The competition is free to enter and runs from October 3 to October 29. Teams of three to five will learn expert techniques on how to trade CME Group futures across all major asset classes using a real-time professional trading platform. Live market data and premium news articles are also provided to students free of charge. First-place team members will each receive a $2,000 cash prize, with additional prizes awarded down to the fifth-place team.

"It's an exciting time for students who are planning to pursue a career in finance and want to gain insight into our industry," says Anita Liskey, Senior Managing Director, Global Brand Marketing and Communications. "This [global] competition provides the next generation of financial leaders with a unique opportunity to learn about futures trading and risk management -- skills that can help them navigate a variety of economic environments in their future careers."

Teams will be able to trade on CME Globex by using CQG's trading applications. Futures products in the challenge include agriculture, energy, metals, equity indices, interest rates and foreign exchange contracts.

CME Group provides a wide range of risk management education, including its CME Institute education hub, which offers detailed courses, webinars and videos on trading futures on options markets, as well as a trading simulator.

CME Group also partners with other industry organizations to offer educational tools, such as Futures Fundamentals, a one-stop educational resource for "Futures 101" to help beginners understand the role of futures markets in everyday life.

Registration for the competition is open now through September 30.

To register and view details on eligibility, rules, regulations and requirements, visit https://www.cmegroup.com/events/university-trading-challenge/2021-trading-challenge.html.

(NewsUSA) -The number of independent workers, small business owners and freelancers in the United States continues to grow as more workers embrace the flexibility and autonomy of being their own bosses. However, being THE boss also brings the need to wear many hats -- office manager, marketing specialist, accountant, tech support -- all while juggling multiple clients, time zones, and media platforms.

In spite of the global pandemic, the freelance market continues to mature, driving a 22% increase in the workforce since 2019. This trend is expected to continue especially as companies have become more reliant on freelancers for essential contributions to their daily operations. Increasingly, independent workers are now shifting the way they self-identify away from the more conventional titles of "consultant" and "freelancer" in favor of more fluid terms such as "entrepreneur" to match the changing business climate.

According to a recent 2021 survey of more than 200 independent workers by Indy - the all-inclusive, online platform for independent business owners -- approximately 25 percent of respondents identified themselves as "business owners." And regardless, these entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, freelancers and business owners all want the tools and resources needed to help ensure the professional operation of their businesses. That means they want solutions to help manage administrative tasks, including invoicing, billing, dealing with contracts, expenses and organizing workflow.

Smart strategies help independent workers focus on delivering for their clients, maximizing their potential and competing in a decentralized marketplace. Whether they are working strictly on their own, or managing a few other employees in a small venture, Indy helps fill the niche for freelancers and small business owners by offering a complete productivity suite that streamlines operations with the time-saving support features that help any business run smoothly and successfully.

"Ultimately, we believe in fostering community over competition and empowering today's 'indies' - the independent professionals, side hustlers and small business owners, to attain the stability and control required to be more successful, achieve a state of steady income and grow their business," according to Sebastian Gyr, Indy co-founder and CEO.

Indy offers solutions specifically geared for the needs of self-employed business owners with tools that are simple, cost-effective and transferable across devices and platforms. Freelancers can use Indy's Proposal Templates to create new business proposals and land new clients. The tools all integrate to form a seamless workflow for aspiring freelancers who want to simplify their admin. Once a client agrees to a proposal, Contract Templates are available to quickly send the new client a professional contract and start the job. Later, once the work is finished, Indy's Invoice Templates give freelancers a starting point to create a professional invoice quickly. Each invoice can integrate with payment providers like PayPal and Stripe to make tracking payments easy, too. All the tools work together to make running a small business easier.

Today's self-employed business owners take their business seriously, and they deserve the tools and support to make the most of it.

Visit weareindy.com for more information and to create an account.

(NewsUSA)

"What's Not True"
by Valerie Taylor 

With the court date set for her divorce and the future she'd planned with a younger man presumably kaput, Kassie O'Callaghan shifts attention to reviving her stalled marketing career. But that goal gets complicated when she unexpectedly rendezvous with her former lover in Paris. After a chance meeting with a colleague and a stroll along Pont Neuf, Kassie receives two compelling proposals. Can she possibly accept them both?

Kassie's decision process screeches to a halt when her soon-to-be ex-husband has a heart attack, forcing her to fly home. She confronts his conniving fiancée -- a woman who wants not just a ring but everything that belongs to Kassie. In the ensuing battle, Kassie discovers that sometimes it's what's not true that can set you free. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2RR1UrC. 

"Aloha With Love"
by Lindy Miller

Two hearts. One broken home. And the house that will bring them together. Soon to be a Motion Picture.

After an already tough week, Jenna Burke receives word that her beloved Aunt May passed away. Traveling back to her Hawaiian hometown for the reading of the will, Jenna and her sister inherit May's dilapidated Victorian home on desirable beachfront. There's one catch: the house must be renovated before it can be sold, and May even stipulated a contractor -- Ben Fletcher, who is driving Jenna crazy.

As May's old house starts to feel like home again, Jenna is torn between the life she's been chasing in the city, and the one she'd left behind. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2VOleYk.

"The Devil Pulls the Strings"
by J.W. Zarek 

If you like when tortured heroes, epic battles, time travel, twisted history and secret societies collide, then you'll love J. W. Zarek's spectacular page-turner. This is an epic fantasy adventure set in modern-day Wentzville, MO, New York City, and 1813 Genoa, Italy.

Boone Daniels has problems -- a debilitating panic attack, gut-wrenching guilt, a wendigo haunting him since age six, and now he almost killed his best friend. But when he fills in for his injured friend, a body falls from the brownstone balcony and the place explodes with gun fire. Boone escapes but uncovers a sinister plot to perform a rare Paganini piece that summons the Devil to trap Baba Yaga and destroy modern-day New York. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2SKZtaG.

"We Can Save the World…But The Last Crystal Trilogy (The Black Alabaster Box)"
by Peri Scott

A historical fantasy for middle grade/young adult readers and anyone who loves an adventure. A Broadway musical director and avid lifelong reader says, "If you love the fantasy of 'Harry Potter,' the time travel of 'Wrinkle in Time,' and the history of 'The Little House on the Prairie,' this is for you." It spans 100 years and two world wars, starting on the Santa Fe Trail in 1856 and ending on the famous Santa Fe Chief train in 1944.

The children haven't heard of the Last Crystal or its life-giving water until they are drawn into a magical quest to save it, facing life-threatening challenges along the way. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3x3PHPq.

NOTE: BookBites is presented by BookTrib.com.