Posts Tagged ‘
elementary school ’
Wednesday, February 20th, 2013
Bayli Silberstein, Bisexual Eight-Grader, Speaks Out as Florida School Board Tries to Block GSA (VIDEO)
A bisexual middle school student has become something of an LGBT celebrity in Florida this week, after her attempt to start a Gay-Straight Alliance club at her school became a countywide controversy. (via Huffington Post)
Yoga Balls Replacing Desk Chairs For Elementary School Students (PHOTOS)
In 11 years of teaching, ditching students’ desk chairs in favor of yoga balls is one of the best decisions Robbi Giuliano thinks she ever made. Replacing stationary seats with inflatable bouncers has raised productivity in her fifth-graders at Westtown-Thornbury Elementary School, making students better able to focus on lessons while improving their balance and core strength, she said. (via Huffington Post)
Researchers Find a Biological Marker for Dyslexia In Kids
Detecting the reading disorder as early as possible may help more children to overcome reading and learning problems. About one in 10 people suffer from dyslexia, the reading disability that does not impair thinking processes or overall intelligence, but hampers the ability to process written language, often making it difficult to rhyme, determine the meaning of a sentence, and recognize words. (via TIME)
UN Report: Man-made Chemicals Cited in Birth Deformities, Cancers
Man-made chemicals in everyday products are likely to be at least the partial cause of a global surge in birth deformities, hormonal cancers and psychiatric diseases, a U.N.-sponsored research team reported on Tuesday. (via Reuters)
Reduced Risk of Preterm Birth for Pregnant Women Vaccinated During Pandemic Flu
Pregnant women who received the H1N1 influenza vaccine during the 2009 pandemic were less likely to have premature babies, and their babies weighed more on average. (via Science Daily)
Add a Comment
Tags:
birth deformities, birth deformity, bisexual, cancer, dyslexia, elementary school, flu, gay-straight alliance, H1N1, man-made chemicals, Parents Daily News Roundup, preterm birth, swine flu | Categories:
GoodyBlog, News
Monday, February 11th, 2013
Cantor: Children of Illegal Immigrants Should Get U.S. Citizenship
A top U.S. Republican lawmaker said on Sunday he would support granting citizenship to children who are in the country illegally in a sign that conservatives who oppose immigration amnesty will be playing defense as Congress takes on immigration reform in the coming months. (via Reuters)
Joe Arpaio, Steven Seagal Train Posses To Guard Schools
The self-proclaimed “America’s Toughest Sheriff” joined forces this weekend with action movie star Steven Seagal to train volunteer armed posse members to defend Phoenix-area schools against gunmen. (via Huffington Post)
Boys’ Classroom Behavior Impacts Grades, Study Finds
When your elementary school-aged son gets in trouble for acting up in class or playing too rough with another student, you might not be surprised if the teacher keeps him in from recess. But what if acting up was hurting his math grade? (via Today)
What Heals Traumatized Kids? Answers are Lacking
Shootings and other traumatic events involving children are not rare events, but there’s a startling lack of scientific evidence on the best ways to help young survivors and witnesses heal, a government-funded analysis found. (via Associated Press)
Bobby Jindal Shills For Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s Education Reforms; Warriors Vs. Worriors: Ed Today
As Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) continued his push for education reforms in Virginia, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) stopped by for a little nudge in the right direction, reports the Associated Press. (via Huffington Post)
Striking New York City School Bus Drivers Hold Rally
Thousands of striking school bus drivers and their supporters staged a protest Sunday, calling New York’s mayor “heartless” a day before the city opens competitive bidding for new contracts. (via ABC News)
Add a Comment
Tags:
citizenship, education, education reform, elementary school, Grades, gun control, guns, guns in schools, illegal immigrants, immigration, new york city school bus strike, Parents Daily News Roundup, school bus strike, trauma | Categories:
GoodyBlog, News
Tuesday, September 4th, 2012
Editor’s Note: In a post for an ongoing series, Dr. Harley A. Rotbart, a Parents advisor, will be guest blogging once a month. He will be offering different advice, tips, and personal stories on how parents can “savor the moment” and maximize the time they spend with kids. Read more posts by Harley Rotbart from this series.
Ready or not, it’s that time again. Your kids are trying on fall clothes, cleaning out backpacks from last year, and shopping for school supplies. Another exciting year of growth and development is on the horizon for your children. Here are five sure-fire ways to make this a year of growth and development for you as well.
Hold a weekly calendar meeting.
Each new year of school brings more complicated choreography to your kids’ schedules – and to your schedule as well. Every Sunday night, sit down with your kids and enter every commitment and event of their upcoming week into your personal calendar. There are 3 important reasons to do this: a) you should always know where your kids are; b) you have a head start on dinner conversation if you know what your kids have been up to all day; c) you may get a pleasant surprise – a meeting of yours is canceled in time for you to make the second half of a basketball game. But you’ll only know about the game if it’s on your calendar.
Volunteer at school.
Every school is underfunded and shorthanded. Your kids’ school can use your help and participating in an after-school activity can be a meaningful experience. Depending on your kids’ ages and their level of pride (or embarrassment) in seeing you at school, there are many roles to fill: homeroom parent, teacher’s aide, hall monitor, coach’s assistant, team parent, crossing guard, PTA, office volunteer, and field trip chaperone or driver, to name a few. Spending a part of your day at school gives you an up-close look at interactions with teachers and friends, hallway dynamics, and locker lore. All this can lead to more good dinner conversation!
Drive a carpool.
Whether it’s driving back and forth to school or to and from after-school activities you learn a lot about your kids by driving the carpool. Mysteriously, the carpool driver becomes practically invisible to the passengers, especially when it’s more than just your own kids in the car. This allows you an invaluable “fly on the dashboard” opportunity to eavesdrop on your kids social interactions, catch up on grade school gossip, and hear about homework without even asking.
Help with homework.
Be involved with your kids’ homework every night. When they’re in grade school, sit with them for part of the time they’re doing work – not to catch every math mistake but to make sure they get the big picture. In middle school, just look over their completed work regularly for overall quality. Show you are happy to see them doing such a nice job. Your pride in their work will become their pride. By high school, it’s enough to ask each night if they’ve finished their homework and occasionally review a teacher’s comments on the graded work. No matter the age, if your kids ask for help, do your best to guide them without doing their homework. Remember, you’ve already learned “times tables,” so now it’s their turn.
Manage extracurricular activities.
Beware of “potpourri parenting” – soccer Mondays, violin Tuesdays, karate Wednesdays, etc. Kids’ options for extracurricular activities are limitless, and you may be tempted to enroll your kids in everything, thinking you’re “enriching” them. As long as your kids are enjoying these activities, and you’re not missing chances to spend more time with them, there’s nothing wrong with having many varied experiences. But if programming begins to replace parenting or if your kids are showing “enrichment fatigue,” reduce the amount of activities. Your time together as a family is almost always more enriching, especially since time with your young kids is fleeting. Don’t give it all away.
The school years won’t seem to pass by as quickly if you get involved in your kids’ school lives. So have a wonderful fall semester!
Dr. Harley A. Rotbart is Professor and Vice Chairman of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado. He is the author of three books for parents and families, including the recent No Regrets Parenting, a Parents advisor, and a contributor to The New York Times Motherlode blog. Visit his blog at noregretsparenting.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter (@NoRegretsParent).
Image: “Back to school” and colored pencils via Shutterstock
Add a Comment
Tags:
back to school, back to school 2012, elementary school, first day of school, Harley Rotbart, harley rotbart series, No Regrets Parenting, parenting, parenting advice, parenting style, school, school solutions, school year, schools | Categories:
GoodyBlog, school, Your Child
Tuesday, July 17th, 2012
Assault: Children With Disabilities Are More Likely to Be Victims of Violence, Analysis Shows
Children with disabilities are almost four times more likely to be victims of violence than other children, according to a new report commissioned by the World Health Organization. The report, published in The Lancet on Thursday, found that disabled children were 3.6 times more likely to be physically assaulted and 2.9 times more likely to be sexually assaulted. (via NY Times)
Girls as Young as 6 Want to be ‘Sexy,’ Study Says
Most girls as young as 6 are already beginning to think of themselves as sex objects, according to a new study of elementary school-age kids in the Midwest. The study, published online July 6 in the journal Sex Roles, also identified factors that protect girls from objectifying themselves. (via MSNBC)
Women Beat Men on IQ Tests For First Time
New research is providing an answer to the age-old, delicate question: who is smarter, men or women? A new study has come down on the feminine side of that argument, finding that women now score higher on IQ tests than men. (via ABC News)
Tooth Fillings Made With BPA Tied to Behavior Issues
Kids who get dental fillings made using BPA are more likely to have behavior and emotional problems a few years later, according to a new study. (via Fox News)
Cord Blood Stem Cells Restore Toddler’s Hearing
Madeleine, 2, became the first child to undergo an experimental hearing loss treatment through an FDA-approved trial at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center that infused stem cells from her own banked cord blood into her damaged inner ear. Within the last six months, Connor says she’s seen a dramatic improvement in Madeleine’s ability to hear. (via Yahoo!)
Study Links Child Abuse to Home Foreclosures
Researchers found just under a 1 percent increase in the number of general physical abuse cases reported at 38 pediatric hospitals every year between 2000 and 2009 and a more than 3 percent rise in the number of traumatic brain injuries seen in babies. (via MSNBC)
Add a Comment
Tags:
behavioral problems, child abuse, children, dentist, disabilities, elementary school, FDA, foreclosure, girls, hearing, hearing loss treatment, IQ, kids, men, Parents Daily News Roundup, sex, violence, women | Categories:
GoodyBlog, News
Friday, March 16th, 2012
Our 2011 Raise a Reader program ran from November 7, 2011 – January 30, 2012. Schools across the U.S. got their kids involved in tracking their extracurricular reading minutes.
We are happy to announce the grand-prize winner of the contest: St. Aloysius on-the-Ohio Elementary School in Cincinnati, Ohio! For its outstanding achievement in getting students involved in reading, St. Aloysius will receive $5,000 to be used toward their school library.
St. Aloysius on-the-Ohio Elementary School is a small school situated along the scenic Ohio River valley in the historic Sayler Park Area of Cincinnati. The students enjoy a safe, nurturing environment that encourages mutual respect and self-discipline.
Both students and teachers enjoyed participating in the program. Third-grader Connor shared, “I read all the time and the contest made it even more fun,” while eighth-grader Savannah said, “Reading makes kids smarter and gives them time to be with their parents. Without the library, I don’t know what I would do.”
The school also has a proven track record of academic excellence for the past 137 years, and strong family values and family involvement is a key ingredient for its successes. “Our librarian encourages the students to develop a love of reading all types of books. The students love to compete against others and themselves. It is amazing to see what a small group of avid readers is able to achieve. The students love to say, ‘We are small but we are mighty.’ Winning is proof of that,” says Regina Hornback, a teacher at St. Aloysius.
Congratulations to the students and teachers at St. Aloysius on-the-Ohio Elementary School!
Add a Comment
Tags:
Book, Books, children's books, contest, contest winner, contets, elementary school, raise a reader, reading, reading contest, school | Categories:
GoodyBlog
Friday, October 22nd, 2010
Mommy blogger Dr. Wendy Walsh at MomLogic.com was recently shocked with bad news: Her child’s elementary school officially banned silly bandz. Across the nation, the fun-shaped rubber bracelets have become contraband after proving to be a constant distraction and source of conflict in elementary and middle schools. Instead of paying attention in classes, young kids are flinging and filching silly bandz or fidgeting and fighting over them.
Some parents see the confiscation of silly bandz as a welcome way to refocus students’ attention on the teacher instead of on trading with other students. Other parents believe schools may be going too far in stifling student’s creativity and “freedom of expression” (Time.com). For now, though, some schools are adamant about keeping silly bandz out of sight and, hopefully, out of mind. Maybe one day, silly bandz will be forgotten like pogs (remember those?) that were once popular years ago.
As a parent, do you support the banning of silly bandz? Has your children’s school banned them?
Add a Comment
Tags:
back to school, banning, banning silly bandz, conflict, elementary school, middle school, rubber bracelets, school, school ban, schooling banning, silly bandz, students | Categories:
Behavior, GoodyBlog, Health & Safety, News, school, Your Child
