School Furniture Blog

U.S. First Lady Laura Bush announced Wednesday that her foundation is awarding some 1.3 million U.S. dollars to help 263 school libraries update their book collections this year. Accompanied by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the city’s education Chancellor Joel Klein, the former school librarian made the announcement at The Island School in Lower East Manhattan.

"Great books provide students with knowledge and encourage creativity," said Mrs Bush. "These grants will help stock libraries with new and exciting books that will challenge and inspire young people."  Worthington Direct sells a variety of bookcases at great prices for all of you book storage needs.  Visit their website today, www.worthingtondirect.com, and browse through the Library Furniture catagory.

More than 129,800 students will benefit from new books in their school as a result of this year’s grants from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries. The 2007 awardees include 234 public schools, 11 charter schools, 14 private schools and four alternative schools. Grants were made in 48 states plus the District of Columbia. In addition, an award was made to Spangdahlem Elementary School, a school serving 463 children of military personnel at Spangdahlem Air Force Base in Germany, for books for their school library.

The Laura Bush Foundation was launched in 2002 as a fund of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region. Since its inception, the Laura Bush Foundation has awarded more than 4.3 million dollars to 897 schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The foundation’s grants come from donations from other foundations, companies, and individuals. continue reading

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Bretford Announces New Technology Furniture Solutions at InfoComm International 2007

New Digital Kiosks, Technology Presentation Carts, Flat Panel Mounts, Training/Conference Room Tables on Display

Bretford, Inc. (InfoComm Booth #2013), the leading supplier of high quality technology and media furniture that improves how people work and learn, will showcase a multitude of savvy new products during InfoComm International, June 19-21 in Anaheim, Calif. Developed to support the latest audiovisual technologies, Bretford’s fresh offerings range from digital kiosks to technology presentation carts and other intelligently-designed furniture for corporate, education, government and other professional market applications.  Worthington Direct can provide you with all of Bretford’s great products at wholesale prices.  Visit www.worthingtondirect.com today. 

Flat Panel Digital Kiosks (FPDK01 and FPDK02):

The new digital kiosks allow for secure and convenient network data access of information to people in virtually any public location. The FPDK01 is ideal for information gathering and general navigation in a hotel lobby or mall. The FPDK02, which includes a CPU holder, can be used for critical access to information from a secure data system, such as in a hospital or corporate office. Both are VESA 75mm and 100mm compatible for use with essentially any 15”-19” flat panel monitor. They include an expandable tray for various keyboard sizes with an integrated, ergonomic wrist rest and mouse pad. The kiosks are available now at list prices starting at $520.00.  Save up to 50% off of the list price when you order through Worthington Direct!  www.worthingtondirect.com

Presentation Technology Carts (TC12, TC15 and TC35 Series):

Named one of Rental and Staging Magazine’s InfoComm Product Award finalists, the sleek new carts enable users to store, share and move flat panels, projectors, laptops and other technology tools from a single device. Office and education environments will especially benefit from the wide variety of shelves, cabinets and racks available with the carts. They are available with an optional flat panel mount that supports up to a 42” monitor with a 200mm VESA hole pattern and are the first to include an aluminum extruded pole that extends up to 28” for dynamic flat panel viewing from further distances. The carts are available at list prices starting at $475.00.  Save up to 50% off of the list price when you order through Worthington Direct!  www.worthingtondirect.com

Flat Panel Flush Mounts (FPLM-FFP, FPLM-FFP2):

The next-generation flush mounts are the newest additions to Bretford’s expansive family of flat panel mounting products. The FPLM-FFP can accommodate flat panel monitors ranging in size from 30”-46” with a maximum weight capacity of 120 lbs, while the FPLM-FFP2 supports 46”-61” monitors with a weight capacity of 200 lbs. Both mounts include a tilt adjust of +/- 15 degrees, which can be achieved using a one-handed adjustment without tools or knobs. The new mounts are shipping now at list prices starting at $169.00.  Save up to 50% off of the list price when you order through Worthington Direct!  www.worthingtondirect.com

KR Series Training and Conference Room Tables (Rectangle, Trapezoid and Half-Round):

The three new flexible tables are can be used individually for training applications or positioned together into conference room or small meeting room configurations. All three feature grommet holes and a perforated modesty panel that doubles as a cord management bin to easily accommodate laptops and other technology products while keeping the work surface clean and clear. The new tables fold flat and lock in the folded position for convenient and safe transport and storage. The new KR Series tables ship ready to assemble and will be available in Q3 2007 at list prices starting at $650.00.  Save up to 50% off of the list price when you order through Worthington Direct!  www.worthingtondirect.com  continue reading

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I do want to thank you for being most helpful and patient.  This was my first time getting quotes, finding specifications, researching quality, etc.  I made several phone calls and internet inquiries.  They were all answered quickly and thoroughly.  I felt no question was too silly to ask.  You even found products that matched what I needed that were not listed on the internet site.

Thank you very much!

H.K.

Claremont, NH

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A few years ago, when she was a Catholic school teacher in the city of Cebu, Philippines, Juditha Capa started looking for a change. She loved her work, but she had grown restless after 13 years in the same locale. So when she heard about the opportunity to move to the U.S. and become a teacher in the New York City public schools, she jumped at the chance.

"Since I was small, I had a longing to mix with other cultures, and to have adventure," says Capa. "So the moment I heard I could go to New York, I applied immediately. It was very competitive, so for me it was a sign of God when I was accepted." Capa came to the U.S. on what is known as an H-1B visa, a temporary work program for people with hard-to-find skills. Most of the visas go to tech workers who end up at companies like Microsoft (NasdaqGS:MSFT - News), Oracle (NasdaqGS:ORCL - News), IBM (NYSE:IBM - News), or Intel (NasdaqGS:INTC - News).

The New York City public schools is the most active user of the visas among educational institutions, receiving 642 H-1B visas in fiscal 2006. Like many schools and universities, it has a hard time finding Americans to teach certain topics, including math and science, at the salaries it is offering. People with those skills usually can earn more in technology, engineering, or consulting. The city’s public schools now employ 1,700 foreign nationals on H-1Bs.

You won’t have to search far to find great educational furniture, Worthington Direct is just a click away.  Come see what’s new at www.worthingtondirect.com.

For Capa, 37, the chance to teach sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students at the Joseph Lamb School, located in a multiethnic neighborhood deep in Brooklyn, presented the perfect opportunity. As a single woman, she says she felt unencumbered and ready for a new adventure in teaching, a profession about which she remains passionate. Capa started teaching in September, 2004, and says she now feels comfortable with–and energized by–her students. "I’m very happy and my students are excelling now," says Capa. "I’ve (not only) been able to instill in them values of discipline and hard work, but also show that I think highly of them and believe in them. Once they feel you are sincere in what you’re saying, the students come to respect and respond to you."

Not that it was always easy. Before Capa arrived, she admits to being a bit intimidated by what she had heard about New York City. "People at home would say, ‘You’re crazy to go there. The students can be wild and could kill you,’" she says. And she did have trouble disciplining the students, who would sometimes talk during her class and throw paper balls at each other. continue reading

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It’s 7:15 in the morning and Al Penna has already been on the job for an hour. Standing in the gated entryway of Binghamton High School in upstate New York, the veteran principal—about to celebrate his 60th birthday—greets hundreds of bleary-eyed teens by name. "How are we today, Louis?" "Good morning, Chris!" "Congratulations on the win, Jennifer!"

During the next few hours, Penna presides over meetings on school safety and senior awards, signs a contract for graduation photos and handles staff complaints about crackling walkie-talkies. He visits one class aimed at keeping potential dropouts in school and another where the assignment is to read "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez. He checks in on students laboring over the state’s yearly English as a Second Language (ESL) exam. "Kurdistan," he says, quietly pointing to one student, and then, "Somalia, Eastern Europe, a few from Puerto Rico."

He even happily chows down on his favorite cafeteria lunch: gravy-doused roast beef on white bread with mashed potatoes and corn on the side. Principals can interact with the student body during lunches with ease, using Mobile Stool Cafeteria Tables available from Worthington Direct.  www.worthingtondirect.com  

At almost every stop, Penna points out how Binghamton and the high school have changed since he walked these same hallways as a student in the 1960s. There’s a new and much more diverse population with increasing numbers of low-income and foreign-born students, growing community pressure to guarantee college- or work-ready graduates and a blizzard of government-mandated tests that gobble up an ever-larger chunk of the school day. Getting kids from freshman year to graduation has never been tougher.

Penna knows that even that often-elusive diploma isn’t enough anymore. Some postgraduate schooling has become essential to earning a middle-class income; that means adding higher-level courses like the International Baccalaureate (IB) or Advanced Placement (AP) program to an already packed curriculum in order to prepare students for college. So much goes into making a high school great: excellent teaching, vibrant student populations, creative classes, strong extracurriculars.

The NEWSWEEK Challenge Index measures one: the number of IB and AP tests students take. But just as important is the person who leads the school. Good principals may seem unlikely superheroes—unless you’re a student, teacher or parent. They set the tone for what happens from the moment the opening bell rings and can turn a troubled school around with a combination of vision, drive and very hard work. It’s a 24/7 job. "Schools aren’t just about just reading, writing and arithmetic anymore," says Penna. "School faculties now have the additional roles of mentor, adviser and quasi parent." continue reading

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Colleges and universities are feeling NASCAR’s need for speed.

Institutions are expanding motorsports-related degree programs to meet the demand for high-skilled workers on racing teams and throughout the industry. The trend is especially apparent in the Charlotte region, considered the cradle of the sport and host to Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Other intellects on wheels; the I.Q. Technology Chairs available through Worthington Direct. www.worthingtondirect.com

Consider:

• UNC Charlotte will offer industry-related electives in a master’s program in sports marketing and management that starts this fall.
• Legislators are considering spending $500,000 to support motorsports training at community colleges. 
• Belmont Abbey College in Gaston County launched a four-year business program in racing management last fall.

Graduates are winning, too:

At Hendrick Motorsports, the hottest team in NASCAR, one-fourth of its engineers were trained at UNCC, school officials say. Other schools have alumni at companies such as Dale Earnhardt Inc. and NASCAR Images. The growth of motorsports programs coincides with the general increase in demand for skilled auto technicians.

On Tuesday, Central Piedmont Community College dedicated its Joe Hendrick Center for Automotive Technology, which certifies current and prospective technicians to work for companies such as BMW and Toyota. On the motorsports side, CPCC already offers a machining certificate and has proposed opening a motorsports institute. continue reading

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Typically the average office fire reaches temperatures of 800 degrees F for about 20 minutes until all "fuel" is consumed.  The newly released Schwab 2 Hour Fire and Impact Rated Vertical File offers maximum protection for applications their standard 1 hour rated file may suffice, but due to environmental factors, additional protection may be warranted.

Worthington Direct sells the full line of fireproof products manufactured by Schwab Corp.  Visit www.worthingtondirect.com to research more of their products or request a quote today, because you cannot put a price on irreplaceable documents. 

Schwab Corp. has implemented all the necessary manufacturing processes at its Cannelton facility to begin production of its newly released UL Class 350-2 Hour Fire and Impact Rated Vertical File. The Schwab Series 5000 Underwriter’s Laboratories, Inc. Class 350-2 Hour Fire and Impact Rated Vertical fire file cabinet is the only 2 hour rated fire file with insulated inner steel drawer liners that encapsulate and protect each drawer, halting the spread of fire from an opened compartment to a closed one.

This unique and superior construction also keeps all insulating composite away from vital records, eliminating dusting and moisture from entering its protective individual inner steel drawer vaults. The Schwab 2 Hour rated file has undergone the most rigorous testing done by UL for the classification of “Records Protection Equipment”, ensuring fire protection far above the typical office fire.

The 2 hour rated fire file is ideal for applications where maximum protection from elevated heat and duration of a fire is warranted due to extenuating environmental factors.

Schwab Corp. was founded in 1872 in Lafayette, Indiana and continues to be a leader in the fi eld of vital record and valuables storage, providing protection against fire and water damage. The Company’s headquarters are in Lafayette, Indiana with its manufacturing plant in Cannelton, Indiana. continue reading

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Screenflex is offering a $50.00 rebate directly to the end user on the purchase of each NEW FREEstanding Room Divider, WALLmount Room Divider, or Portable Classroom during the months of May and June of 2007. Visit Worthington Direct today to purchase your room-changing partition!

To Qualify:

• Order must be received between Tuesday May 1, 2007 and Saturday June 30, 2007.  Worthington Direct sales representatives are standing by to assist you with your order.
• To receive payment, the signed rebate form must be completed and sent to Screenflex with a copy of your invoice from Worthington Direct by September 1, 2007.

Send the form and invoice to:

Screenflex Rebate Offer

585 Capital Dr.

Lake Zurich, IL 60047

Screenflex is not responsible for lost or misdirected mail. Please allow up to 8 weeks to receive your rebate. Should you have any questions regarding this rebate, please call Worthington Direct’s customer service at 800-599-6636.  Or visit www.worthingtondirect.com.

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Michael Chandler is a college student who’s had it with parking tickets at Ball State University. "I swear that’s where most of BSU’s money comes from," Chandler groused recently on his blog. "They hand’em out left and right, without a care in the world."

Far from getting irritated, Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., welcomes the blog. The school promotes the interactive online diary and several other unfiltered student blogs directly on its home page as a recruiting tool.

Colleges seeking a competitive edge are increasingly enlisting and sometimes paying student bloggers to chronicle their lives online. The results run the gamut from insightful to boring, but the goal is the same: to find a new way to win the attention of the MySpace generation.

With students posting all of the details about campus life and amenities, colleges must strive to supply these bloggers with encouraging words.  Are the classroom chairs comfortable?  Are there plenty of quite places to study around campus?  How’s the computer lab?  Worthington Direct can help keep colleges in good blog standings by providing them with excellent products at a great price.  Just visit their website today, www.worthingtondirect.com.

"We found it a much freer, less constricting, far more believable way of letting prospective students glimpse what was going on on campus," said Seth Allen, dean of admissions at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. Universities balance giving the bloggers the freedom to speak their mind while maintaining some control over content.

Some, such as Dickinson, read postings before allowing them on the Web site to guard against offensive language. Others, like Ball State, say that defeats the purpose. Prospective students can easily compare students’ thoughts with comments on online networking sites like MySpace or Facebook.com, said Nancy Prater, Ball State’s Web coordinator. "If that doesn’t match what they’re saying on our blogs, there’s a disconnect," Prater said.

Colleges from Colgate University in upstate New York, a small liberal arts campus, to the University of Texas, one of the country’s largest universities, now include links to student bloggers on their home pages. continue reading

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Worthington Direct has been a staple in the wholesale furniture industry for over 10 years, using its catalog to promote their products.  But for the online shopper, visit their website, www.worthingtondirect.com, to streamline the selection and buying process made easy for procurement specialilsts at schools, daycares and churches. 

Worthington Direct offers a variety of product categories from AV Equipment, Chairs and Seating, Dry Erase Boards, Lockers, Stages and Risers to Storage and Early Childhood Furniture.  "Our goal is to make your purchasing job easier.  With competitive pricing, knowledgeable sales associates, and  "In Stock" products for quick, efficient  shipping…Worthington Direct is committed to be your furniture resource."-says Kevin Worthington, President and CEO. 

Purchasing online can be a time consuming process for anyone and especially for school procurement professionals who are looking to match items they already have, as well as, get the best price possible.   Worthington Direct meets those needs in one place and offers products from brand names like  Virco, Royal Seating, Best-Rite, Midwest Folding, Jonti-Craft, Smith System, Scholarcraft and many more.  Just visit www.worthingtondirect.com, where you can preview their product selection with the Online Catalog,  submit a Freight Quote for a future order or use E-Z Shop  to place an immediate order using Worthington Direct stock numbers. 

Some companies will provide decent customer service during the ordering process.  But what about after the buck has passed?   Worthington Direct’s excellent customer service continues beyond the ordering process, and throughout the life of your products.  "It is always good to know that people in the business world want to do the right thing.”- says C.R. from Pasadena about working with Worthington Direct’s customer service.

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