School Church Furniture

If you're lucky enough to be able to buy new office furniture, you need to be sure that it's the right kind. Worthington Direct features more than 50 manufacturers of home office furniture, room dividers, storage cabinets and more, designed to add functionality, maximize space, and be visually appealing as well. Visit worthingtondirect.com today to find your new home office furnishings.

Here are some tips to help you decide on the right kind of furniture for you:

Is it Easy to Assemble?

Does it come already assembled, or is it quite simple to assemble? What tools will you need? Are the instructions in English and easy to read and follow?

Will it Last?

Does the furniture you're buying have a warranty? Is it sturdy and strong? Is it real wood or particle board? Look close, because sometimes they'll trick you and put a thin layer of veneer over the particle board to look like wood.

Is it Safe?

Look at your furniture from top to bottom and make sure it's safe. Look for things like:

Sharp corners
Position of nails
Sturdiness
Smoothness (no slivers)

Does it Need to be Portable or Versatile?

Do you need to be able to tuck things away when you're not using them? For instance, a small desk on wheels that you can roll into a corner, or a desk that can be shut up into an armoire are two great options.

Is Your Desk and Chair the Right Height?

Make sure your desk and chair are the right height for you. Sit in the chair at the store, then put the chair up to the desk. Make sure your feet are comfortably on the floor, and the desktop is at a good distance to work from. (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 11:17 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

There are active jobs that keep people moving and then there are those sedentary jobs that keep us pinned in front of a computer. The problem is that sitting all day is not good for the heart or the waistline. We also know, the bigger the waistline the worse for the heart.

It is reccommended that we take 10,000 steps a day, but many office workers top out at less than half of that. Here are some ideas for adding steps to your day:

- Have walking meetings when possible.

- Use the restroom that is not closest to your desk.

- Park as far as you can from the entrance to your office, or get off public transportation one or two stops earlier than you usually do.

- Use part of your lunch hour to walk outside, maybe around the building or to pick up lunch, getting outside will refresh you for the afternoon of work ahead.

(Read More Tips)

Posted by worthblog at 10:42 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Obesity affects all age groups, color and gender including children. The incidence of childhood obesity is rising. In the US alone, the population of obese kids has risen to 100 percent in the last twenty to thirty years. In fact one child out of five is considered overweight.

Today, more children are now diagnosed with type 2 diabetes that supposedly occurs only among adults. Obese children are more likely to become obese when they grow up. Not only that, obese children also will likely develop cardiovascular diseases and will suffer from sleep apnea, a condition wherein children will have an many disrupted sleep while having difficulty breathing.

Genetics is just one of the causes of obesity. But most of the common reasons of obesity especially among children are, consuming too much food rich in animal-based saturated fats, foods that are rich in sugar, and less physical activities. Children nowadays are seldom seen in community playgrounds enjoying children games with their peers. More often than not, they are glued to the boob tube watching cartoon shows, or to their computer monitors playing online games.

Mothers encouraged their kids to eat more than what they can consume. They want their kids to gain more weight than what is ideal for their age. They want their children to look chubby, because mothers have a preconceived notion that being plump “looks healthy” and cute. Little did they know that their children might have already reached obesity stage. They forgot to consider the adverse effects of obesity especially among children. This reason might be a contributing factor to the incidence of childhood obesity. (Read More)

Visit worthingtondirect.com to find durable, eco-friendly and child-friendly classroom furniture and more!

Posted by worthblog at 10:26 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

They call it a cube farm, but sometimes it’s more like a zoo. Office workers sitting at desks in close proximity behind short partitions. The atmosphere can devolve into mayhem. Sometimes the general hubbub isn’t what’s so bad. It’s the stuff going on in the cubicles next door, from the loud phone conversations to the unwelcome effect of a co-worker kicking off his shoes. Worthington Direct features cubicles, room dividers, desks and chairs that maximize office space while still providing a comfortable, functional work environment.

Cubicles make you “accessible, vulnerable and more likely to intrude on the space of others, if you’re not careful,” said Susan Fenner, professional development manager with the International Association of Administrative Professionals in Kansas City. And the workplace trend toward maximum use of precious office space isn’t going away, she said. In other words, don’t hold your breath for a corner office, or any office.

Here’s a short handbook, compiled from suggestions by Fenner and others, about how to be a good cubicle neighbor. We’ve tentatively titled it, “Don’t Clip Your Fingernails and Other Rules for Cubicle Harmony.”

•Do not barge into someone’s cubicle space. Seek permission with a “knock” on the partition. Or try for some eye contact that tells you, “Yes, I can talk now.”

•As a passer-by, refrain from glancing into everyone’s space, craning your neck to see over partitions or staring at computer screens, thank you very much.

•Go to the supply closet rather than “borrow” office provisions from other people’s desks.

•Even though you can clearly hear others’ phone conversations, they are private. Don’t comment or ask questions about them.

•Leave voice mail or an e-mail (or drop a handwritten note) when you want to talk to someone who’s on the phone. It’s not cool to stare at them until they hang up.

(Read More Tips)

Posted by worthblog at 10:19 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Although most students may not agree, recent studies suggest that longer days in school may be exactly what children need to get the most of their education. Additional time spent in class could offer kids a chance to study, interact more with their teachers and peers, and participate in some un-traditional activites making school more fun. Worthington Direct features classroom furniture, activity tables, storage cabinets and more designed to be more comfortable, durable and functional. With our children spending more time in school, the learning environment and its comfort takes on new importance.

Ferris Bueller's worst nightmare might be the answer to bad grades and dismal test scores. CNN highlights a new trend - extending the length of the school day. The article reports that on average, students in the U.S. spend less time in the classroom than their counterparts in many other industrialized countries. Programs in Massachusetts and other states increase the number of hours per day that students spend in class, as well as the number of days - some programs have kids in school on Saturdays, and may have their summer vacations shortened. In some cases, students end up spending 50% more time in school than they would in traditional programs.

The argument that giving students more time to study will yield positive results is compelling, but let's face it - not a lot of kids are going to be excited about tacking on another two hours' worth of lectures about the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act. And extending the hours spent in the classroom could cut into after-school sports programs as well as daylight hours that kids could be spending outside at play - an important consideration, considering all of the talk about childhood obesity these days. (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 09:30 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Take Command of the Room with Strong Body Language 

What makes one presenter persuasive and powerful, and another weak and ineffective? Contrary to popular belief, the answer is not your content.

In his book Silent Messages, Albert Mehrabian reveals three elements that most influence an audience. According to his research, these three elements make an audience want to buy from you, promote you, hire you, and even want you as part of the team. In addition, Mehrabian ranked these elements in order of importance to the audience. Here's what he found:

· Your verbal ability, or your content and knowledge about your topic,
counts for only 7 percent of the audience's perception of you.

· Your vocal ability, or how you speak, including your tone, pitch and
inflection, counts for 35 percent of the audience's perception of you.

· Your visual presence, or how you physically look while presenting, counts
for a whopping 55 percent of the audience's perception of you.

This means audience members make snap decisions about your credibility and level of expertise based on how you look and sound, not on what you say. Amazing! That means your physical conduct and how you manage your body while communicating has more of an impact than what you actually say.

Granted, body language can only take you so far, and if you want people to be engaged with your presentation long-term, you will need to say something meaningful and your content will matter. But since body language sets up the initial perception, you need to know the following rules to communicate strong body language to your audience. Mastering these skills will give your message more meaning and impact leading your audience to act faster than ever before. (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 09:13 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

When Canton parents learned their children's preschool was moving to the old high school this fall, they quickly pledged to pitch in with the redecorating. They collected a wish list of books, toys, furniture, and electronics from teachers, and then went shopping on their own dime.

Now the parents are launching an even more ambitious campaign -- raising as much as $100,000 for a handicapped-accessible playground for the preschool, which includes many autistic children.
In the suburbs south of Boston, active, education-focused parents frustrated with tight school budgets have taken matters into their own hands, accelerating fund-raising efforts that make car washes and bake sales look quaint. Where parents once opened up their checkbooks for team uniforms and field trips, today they help build computer labs, reinstate extracurricular clubs, and revive academic programs lost in budget cuts.

"The $2,000 bake sale, that's just not enough anymore," said Jon Carson, the CEO of cMarket, a Cambridge-based Internet auction company whose largest and fastest-growing segment is K-12 education. The convenience and novelty of on line auctions, coupled with collectible and recreational bid items, often make them far more lucrative than live events, he said.

In December, the Sharon High School PTSO turned to cMarket to host an Internet auction that brought in $32,000, more than triple the event's average yield. It was a windfall for a school whose budget has been stretched past the point of asking for educational frills.

"You would think new dictionaries for Spanish classes are a basic," said Dianne Needle, who organized the event. "Well, they're not." Darlene Borre , who is spearheading the Canton effort, said private donations are an increasingly necessary supplement to crimped public school budgets.
"If it's just the school doing it, that's one thing," Borre said. "If the parents are involved, too, that's another. We want the playground to be something the whole community can be proud of."

Education foundations still primarily award grants for enrichment programs that fall outside of the school budget, but more are financing core programs threatened by cutbacks and other educational nuts and bolts. "Extra has taken on a different meaning," said Carol Rosner, a Milton parent active in PTOs and the Milton Foundation for Education, which raises as much as $300,000 a year. "What once was extra is now a necessity."

For example, parents two years ago revived the Cohasset Education Foundation, which had fallen inactive, after a failed override vote. Believing they could no longer rely on residents to consistently support higher school budgets, they decided to pass the hat among themselves. In December, they raised $100,000 for a new computer lab.

But school officials' requests for items previously covered in the budget can put education foundations and parents in an awkward position. Rosner said the Milton foundation, which has established an endowment and raises some $300,000 annually, has denied requests for defibrillators and an emergency phone system. (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 02:53 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

It’s a concept that would make entertaining television. Take 14 top interior designers from Boston, hand each of them a small studio apartment, give them tight budgets and see what they can do. Better yet, make sure the project is for a good cause: providing housing for homeless men and women who are successfully reentering society.

This is exactly what’s happened at the South End’s Project Place, which moved into a new building at the corner of Washington and East Berkeley streets this week. The six-story facility houses two floors of affordable housing for formerly homeless people who have been improving their lives, have found jobs and are in need of a place to live.

These 14 “efficiency” apartments — studios that include kitchenettes and bathrooms — seem like sophisticated college dorm rooms. Instead of Farrah Fawcett posters and beer bottle collections, however, the interior design motifs are more urbane. That’s because each of these rooms has been designed by well-known Boston designers, many from the South End.

Heather G. Wells Ltd., Dennis Duffy’s Duffy Design Group and Terrat Elms are just some of the interior design companies that donated time, money, labor and goods to furnish and design affordable apartments in Project Place. The design effort, dubbed Adopt-A-Room, besides serving an admirable cause, could serve as a case study in inexpensive design for small spaces.

Each room is different, and each room reflects the tastes and styles of the designers that created them, noted Heather Wells, whose own modern design features soft colors and a “New England flavor.” “If you know the designers, [the rooms] do feel like them,” said Wells, a South End resident. “Going room by room … it’s a lot like how they did their own houses.”

The rooms are small, approximately 250 square feet in area, according to Suzanne Kenney, executive director of Project Place, though some are slightly larger and some are slightly smaller. Each room has a modern kitchenette and a relatively large bathroom. Each of the rooms is furnished with identical beds, dressers and desks, though most of the designers provided additional furniture.

The people who will be living in these newly designed rooms are people who “need a second chance,” explained Wells. The formerly homeless residents will be on their path to reentering society after struggling with unemployment and living in shelters and transitional treatment programs. They’ll be alcohol and drug free and employed, on the path toward fulltime employment. “These are folks who have made a commitment, who have gotten themselves back in the workplace,” said Kenney. (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 11:54 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Thomas George walked through Urbandale High School Sunday and couldn't help but compare the 86,800 square-foot additions that was the focal point of the open house to the building he learned in during his days at Urbandale.

George and his wife, Marsha, live close to the school and have watched as the $10.4 million wing was added to the building at 7111 Aurora Ave. "There's no comparison," he said, "the classrooms are twice the size." "We've been through all the construction and it has been well worth it," Marsha George said. "We were open and ready for the changes; they were needed."

The two-story addition, opened in January, contains 32 classrooms for math, foreign language, social studies, language arts and special education.

English teacher Leslie Sheridan has been teaching at Urbandale High School for 20 years and said teaching in the new building is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Sheridan said when plans were being made for the building, teachers were asked what they would like their classrooms to look like. "We really feel like we had a say in the building," Sheridan said.

The addition includes updated technology, such as projector and VCR stations in every classroom. To accommodate the new technology, every teacher received a laptop for the classroom. Proper furniture to effectively utilize the new equipment is key in the finishing of the new addition. There are also commons areas that have desks and computers for students to use before school or as an additional workspace for class projects. Foreign language classrooms have small conference rooms within the classroom. (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 11:53 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Designers for the new Durango Public Library discovered that the community's teenagers know what they want in their part of the building at a focus group held Wednesday afternoon at Miller Middle School. Seven students ranging in age from 13 to 16 shared their opinions and tastes with architect Katie Barnes and designer Marcia Hocevar of Barker Rinker Seacat, the firm that is leading the design team. Topics ranged from colors and furniture to features like neon and artwork the teens would like to see.

Worthington Direct provides colorful, functional and durable library furniture, storage shelves, room dividers and more that are designed with the wants and needs of the modern student and sdministrator in mind. www.worthingtondirect.com

All of the participants agreed that different kinds of seating, from couches and window seats to office chairs - but no plastic - would be good in their 700 square feet of allocated space.

"It would be nice to have an ongoing art project instead of something that one person, who nobody remembers, painted five years ago," Wyatt Lupton, 16, said.  Alyssa Shelton, an eighth-grader at Miller, agreed. She said that keeping things fresh and changing would make people want to go to the library to see what was new.

A linear strip of neon on one wall was the group's favorite version of that graphic element.
"What's the airport that has all that neon?" Tyler Gordon, 13, said. "Oh yeah, O'Hare. Let's not do that, it gives me a headache."  (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 11:36 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Today I'm going to work on The Great Wall of Fun. If you've read about my basement projects you know that I have "walls" I've created out of curtains that cover shelves of junk. But there is one remaining basement wall I have to deal with. The wall is concrete and ugly grey. It's also not smooth at all and my solution is to just try to camoflague it as much as possible. Using a chalkboard, some basic tools, and a little imagination, this wall will become functional for work, fun for kids, and will provide a communication center for the home.

I'm going to prime the wall with magnetic primer. I haven't used this product before so I'm really anxious to see how it's going to turn out. I think I'll try to get two coats out of this quart I bought just to make sure it works.

On top of the magnetic primer I'm going to use chalkboard paint. Another product I'm been dying to use. This does work, I've seen it used and I'm really excited to have a wall that I can write all over and then erase and start over. I have a hard time when I'm writing keeping track of characters and their backstories so I think this will a fabulous solution for me. AND it will be a big hit with the kids! (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 11:22 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Innovations in office furniture have taken another turn. The traditional, and even untraditional, desk chair of the past may have found its rival in a piece of excercise equipment. Here are some of the benefits of using an exercise ball as your chair. Whether you spend your desk time at the office, or studying at home for that next exam, office ball chairs can help you in many ways.

1. Forces proper spine alignment. Because an exercise ball is not stable, your body needs to try to balance itself on it. The perfect spinal posture is coincidently the easiest to balance with. Thus, your body will automatically try to align itself into the proper posture. This helps improve your spinal health, and decrease back pains.

2. Causes you to frequently change positions. An exercise ball causes to you to change your position often to balance. For example, if you turn 45 degrees to face the phone, your body will assume a new position. This helps reduce damage caused by prolonged sitting in the same position.

3. Fitness is at your fingertips. Another great thing about using this alternative to a chair, is that you can do stretches or mini-workouts whenever you want, without getting up. If you’ve ever stuck waiting for a minute or two, you can make productive use of that time with a quick workout or stretch. Because it’s much more convenient, you will probably do it more, thus resulting in better health.

4. Improve your balance. This one is very understandable. Sitting on an unstable surface all day will improve your sense of balance, as well as the reactions of your muscles. The result? An overall better balance that can be observed out of the office.

5. Get that 6-pack you’ve been wanting. Your body primarily uses your core (abdominal) muscles to help compensate for changes in balance. Thus, you’re essentially getting a low-key abdominal workout. This may not sound like a lot, but consider the amount of time you spend on your computer at the office, or at home. Those hours can build up, and result in a strengthening of ab muscles.

(Read More Benefits)

Posted by worthblog at 10:26 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

After months of anticipation, the new Walden Green Montessori School building opened for classes for the first time this morning. The school, 17339 Roosevelt Road, is designed as a split-level facility. Offices and a common area are located on the middle level inside the front entrance, while ramps lead to upper- and lower-level classrooms.

The rear of the building is lined with two-story, floor-to-ceiling windows looking out at the trees that fill the rest of Walden Green's 5-acre property. Worthington Direct provides school furniture, activity tables, desks and chairs, storage cabinets and more that are innovative, eco-friendly, and designed to help children make the most of the modern learning environment provided by schools such as Walden Green Montessori.

Grades kindergarten through second, plus special education services, are on the upper level. Their classrooms feature vaulted ceilings with exposed wooden beams and ductwork, as well as specially designed cabinets, sinks and furniture to fit a young child's height. (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 08:18 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

User-friendly home office really sells - Function, comfort key for productivity

The notion of universal designs in the home — or how to make interior spaces more user-friendly and accessible — usually comes up in kitchen and bath designs. But what about accommodations for ease of use in-home offices? Worthington Direct provides access to hundreds of desk, chair, storage, room dividers and other products that can help you make your home office a place thats comfortable and productive. www.worthingtondirect.com

It is routine for large businesses to consider ergonomics, lighting and other factors when creating offices to make workspaces more functional.
Not so in home offices. Without the same access to design experts as big business, homebound workers are generally left to their own devices to choose desks, lighting, storage, carpet and chairs.
According to Dick Duncan of the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University, in-home workers tend to pooh-pooh the idea of function in favor of low cost and product appearance.
In addition to applying good ergonomic principles, workers need to take their age and specific physical needs into consideration. (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 03:16 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Teens Design a Space of Their Own

Teens have their very own spot to read, study and hang out at the new Redding Library. Local teens helped designers choose the color scheme and the furniture in the “Teen Scene” area.
Local teens have high hopes for Redding's new library.

As Sarah Behunin sipped a caramel frappuccino with her mother, Anne-Marie Behunin, at Redding's Barnes & Noble Bookstore on Monday, the 16-year-old Foothill High School junior said she hopes the new library will be stocked with magazines and books geared toward people her age.
A coffee shop inside also wouldn't hurt, she said.
Kyle Vick, a 13-year-old Sequoia Middle School student, takes a traditional view of libraries.

"I'd like a quiet place to study," he said Monday in between knocking down pins at the Country Bowl on Bechelli Lane.

Paul Goyne, an 18-year-old Pioneer High School student hanging out at Mt. Shasta Mall, similarly said studying space -- and computer access -- should be a priority.
Carolyn Chambers, the former Shasta County library director who helped plan the library before retiring in December, says the new library has all those things. (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 02:24 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Your home office should be planned carefully, as the right equipment and office furniture will not only save you time and effort, but money, too. Old or inconvenient office furniture results in a messy workspace, loss of productivity and can eventually lead to back or wrist pain. Worthington Direct provides office furniture, room dividers, storage cabinets, computer tables and more that are innovative, eco-friendly, and designed to help you maximize the space in your home office.

When you depend on yourself for your income, any time you are not working to your full productivity, you are losing money. That is why most business owners need to pay special attention to their computer furniture, choosing the one that provides top performance.

According to a new review, nearly 75 percent of home business owners do not have a designated home office equipped with the right office furniture. With new space efficient computer desks, any room in an apartment or house can be transformed into a convenient home office.

Office furniture that you will need first consists of a computer desk, storage or shelving and a computer chair. The computer desk is the keystone of your home office, and if it isn’t working for you, it is in your best interest to replace it with one that does. Visit www.worthingtondirect.com to find the right computer desk to increase your efficiency and productivity.

With the right computer desk, you should have plenty of flat work surfaces providing enough room to use your computer and keyboard comfortably. At your computer desk, you will have to arrange separate areas for using the computer and completing other projects including administrative jobs or paperwork. (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 10:50 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

A space shuttle appears to be coming out of the front of a building on Washington Boulevard in Ogden. If you were to go inside, you'd soon find yourself in what appears to be a space-age control room. It's Ogden School District's aerospace magnet elementary school, and it's nothing like the school design most adults remember from their own childhoods. Worthington Direct provides school furniture, activity tables, desks and chairs, storage cabinets and more that are innovative, eco-friendly, and designed to help children make the most of the modern learning environment.

Education by design — Architects fill schools with learning-friendly features

Schools are being designed using a whole new set of principles. And the architects have the scientific evidence to back them up. Furniture by Smith System, 3M, Royal Seating and others featured on worthingtondirect.com, enhance and add functionality to these prevailing futuristic learning environments.

A well-designed school "enhances and supports the healthy development of students," says Dennis Cecchini, vice president of MHTN Architects, "So they become vibrant, healthy contributors to society. It's about a lot more than making sure the carpet doesn't give off gas or meeting building codes."

"In the last 10 years or so, studies show buildings affect learning," says Steve Crane, owner/partner of the architect firm VCBO, one of several in Utah that design schools.

He cites a study of three locations with distinctly different climates: Colorado Springs, Seattle and Orange County. It found that students in classrooms with a lot of daylight had 26 percent higher math scores and 28 percent higher reading retention, compared to those who relied solely on interior lighting.

Schools are also being designed for collaborative learning, those spaces a crucial element of the total plan. "Teach someone to do it themselves, and they learn it 100 percent," he says. "Break-out spaces and collaboration areas are important." (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 10:14 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Every 20 minutes, a timer goes off in Bobbi Matheny's English class. Her students, all nine of them, move from computer to group, group to computer and reading time like a well-orchestrated symphony. Desks, computer stations, and group worktables are utilized on this merry-go-round of activities in a program indicative of the direction of educational curriculum.

After spending over 30 years in the school supply, church and equipment industry, Worthington Direct knows what is important - selection, service, price and timing.  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.
 
For more information contact Wren Ovard at 800-599-6636 or via email: wren@worthingtondirect.com.
 

WORTHINGTON DIRECT, SCHOOL FURNITURE, CHURCH FURNITURE, PRESCHOOL FURNITURE, EARLY CHILDHOOD FURNITURE, LIBRARY FURNITURE, DESK, WHOLESALE FURNITURE, COMPUTER FURNITURE, CLASSROOM FURNITURE, CHALKBOARD, OFFICE FURNITURE, ROOM DIVIDERS, STORAGE CABINET, EASEL, DISPLAY CASES, CAFETERIA TABLES, ACTIVITY TABLES, CLASSROOM DESK, COMPUTER TABLE, DESK CHAIR, LECTERN, LITERATURE RACK, OFFICE DESK, RISERS

 Read More

Posted by worthblog at 03:48 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Part of a well balanced education is learning life skills that carry you beyond your years of schooling.  Worthington Direct provides school furniture, activity tables, room dividers, storage cabinets and more to help children organize their school accessories.  When everything has a place and everything is in its place, organized children have a better learning environment and find it easier to concentrate on what is important - learning.

OH! Homework Help for Elementary-Aged Students With ADD

“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.” Abigail Adams 

I’ve shared that quote with dozens of young Chronically Disorganized (CD) clients. I often ask them to substitute the word organizing for the word learning and read the quote out loud. Children can then see that while organization – like education – may be attainable it doesn’t come effortlessly. Students who are naturally disorganized are at a disadvantage unless we, as professional organizers, can help them by implementing systems, support, and structure. Training students how to get organized and teaching them why being organized is critical to their success is essential. Uncovering the appropriate training techniques is often an overlooked step to becoming properly organized. Most often what I see when working with junior clients (between 3rd and 6th grades) is that their parents or teachers have implemented a seemingly flawless organizing system for the student. Unfortunately, it isn’t the right system for that particular child. Sometimes it’s too detailed. Or, maybe it doesn’t take into account the student’s learning style.  (Read More)

Posted by worthblog at 10:13 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Smith System has been improving educational environments for more than 100 years, making them more comfortable, healthy and effective for students and educators. As we go forward, we see the need to make a positive impact on both educational environments and our natural environment.

Products manufactured using environmentally friendly processes include student desks, stack chairs, activity tables, library shelves, and other school furniture.  Dealers such as Worthington Direct feature Smith System products online at http://www.worthingtondirect.com/appCatalogManufacturerPartSearch.cfm?manufacturerID=756.

Indoor air quality is a growing concern among consumers. They demand healthy, low emitting products and materials in their homes, workplaces, schools and hospitals. Many states are reacting to these concerns and are working on regulations that address this issue. Unfortunately, these standards might differ from state to state. The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute offers a stringent worldwide standard that makes individual regulations obsolete. Be proactive and become GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified^®. 

We aim to make our manufacturing processes as efficient as possible, because efficiency reduces waste.

Specifically, we’re reducing:

Waste that goes to landfills – this has been one of our most successful areas. In the summer of 2005 alone, our bulk shipping initiative reduced the amount of corrugated cardboard used by 225,000 lbs.

Energy used to produce product – by working cleaner and smarter we’ve cut our energy consumption.

Environmental impact on the part of our vendors – we work closely with those in the supply chain to make sure they’re doing their part to safeguard the environment when making goods from wood product, steel, and plastic.

Waste – last year, rather than sending 50,000 lbs. of plastic from chair shells and edge moldings that didn’t meet our quality standards to the landfill, we had the material recycled for use by another manufacturer.

Packaging – following our successful experience with reducing packaging, we’re working with our vendors to reduce the amount they use.

Meanwhile we’re increasing:

The recyclability of products – the majority of our chairs are composed of polypropylene plastics and chromed steel and are 99% recyclable (glides and/or casters make up the remaining 1%). Booktrucks are also 99% recyclable.

The use of recycled steel product in our products

The use of renewable resources in our products – by weight, our desktops are composed of a very high percentage of sustainable, renewable wood product.

Make sure that you are teaching all the right things by getting GREENGUARD certified and demanding that your school furniture, church furniture and early childhood furniture purchases are certified as well.

Posted by worthblog at 03:19 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)