GREENVILLE, Wis., Nov. 4, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- School Specialty, Inc. (OTCQB:SCOO) ("School Specialty", "SSI" or "the Company"), a leading distributor of supplies, furniture and both curriculum and supplemental learning resources to the education marketplace, is pleased to announce that the Company is a Gold Sponsor of the 2015 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference & Expo and will be exhibiting its latest solutions for little learners. From early childhood instructional materials to furniture and equipment, special needs tools and physical education curricula, School Specialty's Childcraft®, Classroom Select®, Royal Seating™, Abilitations, and SPARK™ brands will showcase a wide assortment of new and proprietary offerings, not to mention subject-matter expertise, at the industry's premier conference on November 18-21 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

Andrea Johnson, Director of Marketing – Early Childhood and F&E at School Specialty stated, "Our team is thrilled to be a part of this year's NAEYC Expo and we look forward again to sharing School Specialty's leading-edge solutions and industry expertise with those at the front lines of early childhood education. This year's conference is particularly special for us as we prepare to celebrate 70 years of our trusted Childcraft® brand developing the most effective tools to support those who are helping to cultivate lifelong learners from an early age. Inspiring young minds continues to be School Specialty's commitment and we believe attendees will have a bird's eye view of this at the show."

As a Gold Sponsor of NAEYC 2015, School Specialty and Childcraft® will host a number of educational workshops, solution demos and fun giveaways on the show floor (Booth #403) – all aimed at engaging and enlightening attendees. A special workshop entitled, "Sensory Solutions for Infants and Toddlers," will be presented by Cecilia Cruse, noted occupational therapist, educator and special needs subject-matter expert. Cecilia will shed light on the sensory needs and preferences of young learners and how understanding, fine tuning and implementing basic sensory concepts using the right tools can help all students and teachers succeed. Featured speaker, Maryann "Mar" Harman of Music with Mar, will be presenting a unique workshop "Singing Science - the Musical Connection to STEAM." Other focused sessions and product demonstrations will be led by School Specialty's team of early childhood specialists including "Support Early Childhood STEM Learning: Active, Engaged and STEM Ready,""Mantra Lingua,""ELF - Every Day Learning Fun," and "Celebrate with Cake! Art Workshop."

Additionally, the Company's industry-leading offerings for the early childhood market will be available at the booth for visitors to evaluate and interact with. Among them:

  • Childcraft® award-winning furnishings and accessories for little learners from birth to grade 2. These innovative furnishings provide the framework for STEAM curriculum centers and create developmentally-appropriate learning environments. For 70 years, Childcraft® furniture has earned top marks from early childhood educators for its top-quality construction, extraordinarily durable finish and uncompromising attention to details that encourage creativity and curiosity.
     
  • Instructional Solutions that include a wide selection of carefully curated, ready-to-use educational products aimed at building on children's natural enthusiasm, curiosity and love of learning. Products include grade-level bundles, reading, ELA, math, art, intervention, character development, and special needs resources.
     
  • Classroom Select® NeoMove™ and NeoRok™ seating and activity tables. NeoClass™ movement seating allows students to gently rock both front-to-back and side-to-side, which has proven to enhance students' focus, concentration and attentiveness, including those with special needs.
     
  • Abilitations products that provide therapists, educators and parents with the best support for children with special needs. This could be for positioning and mobility, fine motor, sensory processing and language/communication skills. These solutions celebrate unique, individual learning styles.
     
  • SPARK™ physical education programs that offer curriculum, teacher training and content-matched equipment to promote lifelong wellness. SPARK Programs include modules for Early Childhood, K-12 Physical Education, After School, and Coordinated School Health.
     
  • STEAM for Early Childhood solutions that include comprehensive materials and tools to inspire creative learning and prepare young children with the necessary 21st century skills embedded in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math.

Ms. Johnson continued, "NAEYC is always a great opportunity for our team of early childhood experts to interact directly with the teachers, childcare providers, administrators, and policy makers who are using and recommending the best in class solutions for the advancement of early childhood education. This is as much of an opportunity for us to learn about critical issues and trends in early childhood from attendees as it is for educators to learn about new products from us."

The NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo brings together thought leaders, classroom teachers and faculty, administrators, researchers, and other critically important practitioners and contributors in early childhood education. Whether you are a newcomer to the field or an experienced professional, the conference provides the opportunity to help advance shared work on behalf of children during their most critical period of development and learning. For more information on NAEYC 2015, visit www.naeyc.org.

About School Specialty, Inc.

School Specialty is a leading distributor of innovative and proprietary products, programs and services to the education marketplace. The Company designs, develops, and provides educators with the latest and very best school supplies, furniture and both curriculum and supplemental learning resources. Working in collaboration with educators, School Specialty reaches beyond the scope of textbooks to help teachers, guidance counselors and school administrators ensure that every student reaches his or her full potential. For more information about School Specialty, visit www.schoolspecialty.com.

@SchoolSpecialty

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CONTACT: Company Contact:
         Andrea Johnson
         Director of Marketing - Early Childhood and F&E
         Tel: 920-882-5659
         Email: andrea.johnson@schoolspecialty.com
         
         Media Contacts:
         Glenn Wiener and Dionne Manchester
         GW Communications (for School Specialty)
         Tel: 212-786-6011 / 212-786-6068
         Email: gwiener@GWCco.com / dionne@GWCco.com

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