Our Kids Going to School More Safely

By NCMEC
August 19, 2009

Every day millions of children take to the streets and highways to get to and from school.¹ For many children this experience is a new one and they may not understand or be able to use the safety rules. Young children do not have the same frame of reference for safety as adults do. They may not “look before they leap,” which is why it is so important for families to supervise young children and practice safety skills with their older children to make certain they really know and understand them. The tips noted below will help prepare for a safer journey.

Tips for Parents and Guardians

Instruct your children to always TAKE A FRIEND, always stay in well-lit areas, never take shortcuts, and never go into isolated areas. Teach them to stay aware of their surroundings and observe all traffic rules in place to more safely share the roads and sidewalks with others.

Walk the route to and from school with your children pointing out landmarks and safe places to go if they’re being followed or need help. Make the walk to and from school a “teachable moment” and chance to put their skills to the test. Make a map with your children showing acceptable routes to and from school. If your children wait for a bus, wait with them or make arrangements for supervision at the bus stop.

If anyone bothers your children or makes them feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused, while going to or from school, teach your children to trust their feelings, immediately get away from that person, and TELL you or another trusted adult.

If an adult approaches your children for help or directions, remember grownups needing help should not ask children for help; they should ask other adults. Instruct your children to never accept money or gifts from anyone unless you have told them it is OKAY to accept in each instance.

Even though there can be more safety in numbers it is still not safe for young children to walk to and from school, especially if they must take isolated routes anytime during the day or in darkness. Always provide supervision for your young children to help ensure their safe arrival to and from school.

Instruct your children to leave items and clothing with their name on them at home. If anyone calls out their name, teach them to not be fooled or confused. Teach your children about the tricks someone may try to use to confuse them or engage them in conversation. Children should also be taught that they do not need to be polite if approached and to get out of the situation as quickly and safely as possible

Ensure current and accurate emergency contact information is on file for your children at their school. If you, or another trusted family member or friend, need to pick your children up, make sure to follow the school’s departure procedures. These procedures need to include the school’s confirmation of your children’s departure with only those you authorize to pick them up.

Teach your children if anyone tries to take them somewhere they should quickly get away and yell, “This person is trying to take me away” or “This person is not my father/mother/guardian.” Teach your children to make a scene and every effort to get away by kicking, screaming, and resisting if anyone tries to grab them.

Teach your children if anyone follows them on foot to get away from that person as quickly as possible. If anyone follows them in a vehicle they should turn around, go in the other direction, and try to quickly get to a spot where a trusted adult may help them. Advise them to be sure to TELL you or another trusted adult what happened.

Instruct your children to never leave school with anyone until they’ve checked with a trusted adult. If anyone tells them there is an emergency and they want your children to go with them, teach your children to always CHECK FIRST with you before doing anything.

Also teach your children to always CHECK FIRST with you if they want to change their plans before or after school. Make sure your children always play with other children, have your permission to play in specific areas, and let you know where they are going to be. Instruct your children to TELL a trusted adult if they notice anyone they don’t know or feel comfortable with hanging around them.

In the event your children may be lost or injured, make sure they carry a contact card with your name and telephone numbers such as work and cellular. This card should be hidden from plain view.

Key Tips to Reinforce With Your Children

Always TAKE A FRIEND with you when walking, biking, or standing at the bus stop. Make sure you know your bus number and which bus to ride.

Say NO if anyone you don’t know or a person who makes you feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused offers a ride unless I have told you it is OKAY to do so in each instance.

Quickly get away and yell, “THIS PERSON IS NOT MY MOTHER/FATHER/GUARDIAN” if anyone tries to take you somewhere or is following you. If anyone tries to grab you, make a scene and every effort to get away by kicking, screaming, and resisting.

NEVER LEAVE SCHOOL GROUNDS before the regular school day ends. Always check with the office before leaving school early.

NEVER take shortcuts or walk through alleys to get to or from school faster. We will talk about which way to go to and from school. Remind me if activities you participate in cause you to leave earlier or arrive home later than usual. Remember to call me once you have arrived home.

Editor’s Note: According to the National Center for Education Statistics in fall 2008, a record 49.8 million students will attend public elementary and secondary schools. An additional 6.2 million students are expected to attend private schools this fall, Fast Facts. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, www.nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372, accessed September 9, 2008.

We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

Source: Missingkids

Nurturing Your Kids

By Jum Burns, PhD
August 19, 2009

Parenting today is no easy task. I understand from my own experience the challenge of keeping the many areas of our kids’ lives on the radar screen so that we can help guide them into becoming healthy adults in every possible way: spiritually, physically and emotionally. Here is an easy to remember, ABC & D approach to nurturing you kids.

 

Affirmation. An affirmed child is a secure and confident child. Most often, the difference between kids who make it and kids who don’t is one caring adult. Even if you struggle with your teenager, I challenge you to believe in them! Most teenagers suffer from low self-esteem – and I almost always see this in cases where teens struggle with their parents. Kids with low self-esteem tend to become irresponsible. They make poor decisions socially, in regards to drugs and sexuality – and academically. Kids with low self-esteem often act out rebelliously with their parents. Their move to a lower standard of behavior is often due to the way they perceive of themselves. Parents can make a huge difference in helping their teenagers become responsible by affirming them, praising them and believing (even in the midst of struggle) in the person they can become.

 

Blameless Love.  Kids are going to mess up at times – it’s part of their ‘job description.’ When they do, they don’t need to be condemned by their parents. Rather, they need to know they’ll be loved and accepted (although they’ll have to live with the consequences of their actions, of course!) When your teen has wronged you, forgive them. Restore them. Move on. (See the story of Jesus and Simon Peter in the Gospel of John as an example of this.)

 

Connectedness.  This is a big one for me personally! Kids need to feel connected to their parents. Your children regard your presence as a sign of caring and connectedness (even when they don’t seem to do so!) Utilize the “Power of Being There.” This sounds so simple, but don’t underestimate the positive message you are giving your kids by watching those games, driving them all around the county or being with them in one of the hundreds of other ways you are present in their lives. You don’t have to be present with your kids 24/7, but your presence gives them a greater sense of security than almost anything else you can offer them. All studies on positive family living tell us that meaningful times families spend together are well worth it. Soccer moms: it’s worth it! Dads who leave work early to watch the game: it’s worth it. Single parents: as tired as you may be if you continue to find the time to go on special outings with your kids, you will reap the benefits now and later in your family life.

 

Discipline. Clearly expressed expectations and consistent follow-through produce responsible kids. The purpose of parental discipline is to teach responsibility. Unfortunately, for many of us parents, our primary objective is evoking obedience instead. And, to be perfectly honest, most of us try to do the “discipline thing” when we’re upset, tired, or frustrated . . . really in no shape to do so. Okay – so where do we begin? Well, for openers, recognize that good parenting involves training our children in the areas of choices and consequences. In fact, the guiding force for parenting is found in Proverbs 22:6 – “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Keep that promise in mind at all times when you are sticking to your strategy and you won’t be disappointed. When it comes to molding your children’s lives through discipline, our kids need us always to show respect, even in the midst of tension. We can disagree with our children and still be able to communicate. All relationships have conflict, but a relationship between two people whose spirits are open to each other can take the conflict in stride and work through it in love.

Source: Homeword

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

School Time Flu Shots

By LIBBY QUAID
L. NEERGAARD
August 19, 2009

 Hundreds of schools are heeding the government’s call to set up flu-shot clinics this fall, preparing for what could be the most widespread school vaccinations since the days of polio.

An Associated Press review of swine flu planning suggests there are nearly 3 million students in districts where officials want to offer the vaccine once federal health officials begin shipping it in mid-October.

Many more may get involved: The National Schools Boards Association told the AP three-quarters of the districts in a recent survey agreed to allow vaccinations in school buildings.

In South Carolina, “there will be a massive attempt to use schools as vaccination centers,” said state Superintendent Jim Rex. He plans at least one vaccination clinic in each of the state’s 85 school districts.

South Dakota started offering free children’s vaccination against regular winter flu in 2007, and this year it plans to offer both kinds in many schools, said state Health Secretary Doneen Hollingsworth.

Now come the difficult details: figuring out all the logistics in giving squirmy youngsters a shot in the arm or a squirt in the nose.

That’s in addition to measures being taken to keep the swine flu virus from spreading inside schools and to keep sick kids at home.

Already, Lee County, Miss., schools have reported a few cases of swine flu the first week of school, and a Louisiana high school football team reported 20 players sick or recovering from it.

To make sure students wash their hands, Minneapolis schools have outfitted every restroom with tamperproof soap dispensers, so students don’t horse around with soap. And the district has a no-excuses policy to keep them filled.

“It sounds so simple, but it works,” district emergency management director Craig Vana said.

Bismarck, N.D., is insisting that parents keep feverish children home. “We’re going to have to be a little firmer on that this year than in the past,” superintendent Paul Johnson said.

It can be hard to tell if a child has a bad cold or flu – and swine flu and regular flu share the same symptoms. For many schools, a 100-degree temperature automatically means sending a child home.

The goal is to keep schools open; federal officials said last week schools should close only as a last resort. The emergence of the never-before-seen flu strain last spring prompted more than 700 schools to temporarily close, giving students an unexpected vacation as parents scrambled to find child care.

Some big states, like California, Ohio and Massachusetts, are focusing on those steps and not on vaccinations, because they don’t know how much vaccine the federal government will send or when it will arrive. Boston has decided against in-school vaccinations because an attempt at regular winter flu inoculations at a middle school last year flopped, and Dallas officials also have decided against school shots.

But hundreds of districts are preparing for vaccinations. At least 700 health and school officials joined an online seminar last week by the National Association of County & City Health Officials on how to run school flu vaccinations.

The government is awaiting results of vaccine studies that began last week before making a final decision on whether and how to offer swine-flu inoculations. If vaccinations go forward, children are to be among the first in line. They could get vaccine at a variety of places, but federal officials want schools to play a starring role.

“The vaccine over time will be available to every child,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in an interview with the AP. “And I personally think the best place for them to have access would be at their local school or at a school in their neighborhood.”

An AP-GfK poll last month found parents like that convenience: Nearly two-thirds said they were likely to give permission if their child’s school offered vaccinations.

The school setting is attractive for many reasons, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Swine flu seems to strike the young most often, and it’s particularly easy to spread from child to child. Moreover, school-age children “don’t see doctors very often,” Schuchat told the AP, after they’ve accumulated the list of vaccinations required for school entry.

She added that it should be relatively easy for schools to offer flu-shot clinics because the federal government would be buying swine flu vaccine and sending it free to states.

“You won’t have to screen for insurance. That’s been a big challenge in school-associated regular flu-shot clinics,” Schuchat said. “That slows down the process.”

There is plenty of experience with vaccinating school kids for regular flu, and there is plenty of evidence it works.

For the fourth year running, Knox County, Tenn., vaccinated 30,000 children for free in schools and daycare centers last year. The county often closed schools because of winter flu outbreaks in the past, but it hasn’t since vaccinations began.

And in the last flu pandemic, in 1968, Tecumseh, Mich., vaccinated 85 percent of its school-age children, resulting in two-thirds less illness there than in a neighboring community.

There is an important difference with this year’s swine-flu inoculations: Health officials think two separate doses, about three weeks apart, will be needed. Studies are under way now to confirm that. If so, it means any school that offers the first shot must set up for each recipient to get the second dose.

Different school districts handle vaccinations differently. Some will offer only vaccine against the regular winter flu – also important, as both types are expected to hit this year. In Florida’s Pinellas County, which includes St. Petersburg, the health department won an economic stimulus grant to vaccinate every student at all 78 elementary schools against seasonal flu, said Rita Becchetti, supervisor of school health services.

That could be confusing for parents trying to remember which vaccine their child is getting.

Chicago, on the other hand, probably will have swine-flu shot clinics at select high schools, not elementary schools, saying it simply doesn’t have the workers to send teams to more than 600 schools.

Berkeley County, W.Va., is considering drive-thru vaccinations at its three high schools, said district official George Michael.

In New York City, swine flu exploded in the spring at Saint Francis Preparatory School, which sent home 102 sick kids in one day. Today, City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley’s first choice is for kids to get vaccinated by their own family doctors, but he’s looking into clinics at schools or other locations.

“There’s an awful lot of children who need to be vaccinated,” Farley said.

Once the decision is made to offer flu shots at school, there are still issues to be worked out.

Not only must a parent sign a permission form, but someone needs to make sure it’s filled out correctly and matches up with the kid. And there is staffing: Health professionals will need to administer shots and also check kids for reaction to the vaccine.

Schools will also need to decide whether parents should be present, said Brenda Greene, director of school health programs for the National School Boards Association.

“Are you going to do it at a time when the parents can be present, if they want?” Greene said. “I’ve heard the kids are more panicky when their parents are around than when they’re not.”

Knox County, Tenn., has always used FluMist, the nasal spray flu vaccine, to eliminate that concern, and will again this year in school vaccinations against regular flu. But most of the swine flu vaccine supply will be in shot form, and program director Jennifer Johnson hasn’t decided whether to offer that in schools, too. She said one possibility is to inoculate kids at elementary schools after-hours, so parents could hold scared youngsters and then be vaccinated themselves.

The nasal spray is popular. Last year, FluMist maker MedImmune said it sent about 450,000 doses of the nasal spray vaccine to 140 school vaccination programs. The company expects FluMist vaccinations against regular winter flu to nearly double in schools this year.

Duncan, the education secretary, understands the more immediate issue for many schools is the start of the new school year. Once kids are back in class, “you want to get parents focused on the vaccine,” he said.

In St. Paul, Minn., vaccinations are on the back burner until school gets under way after Labor Day, said Ann Hoxie, assistant director of student health and wellness.

“It’s not going to be the first thing on everybody’s mind. Reading and writing remain at the top of the list,” Hoxie said.

Editor’s Note: Contributing to this story from the states were Associated Press writers Seanna Adcox, Christine Armario, Donna Blankinship, Terry Chea, Sandra Chereb, Bob Christie, Beth DeFalco, Melinda Deslatte, P.J. Dickerscheid, Jennifer Dobner, Elizabeth Dunbar, Benjamin Greene, Samantha Gross, Amy Beth Hanson, Carla K. Johnson, Dirk Lammers, Sarah Larimer, Matthew Leingang, Jay Lindsay, Deanna Martin, William McCall, Phyllis Mensing, Shaya Mohajer, Jean Ortiz, Dinesh Ramde, Monica Rhor, Barbara Rodriguez, Zinie Chen Sampson, Jamie Stengle, Nafeesa Syeed, Emily Wagster Pettus and Chris Williams.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Play, Paint, Think, Create

by Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld
August 18, 2009

Nurture a child’s creative expression to encourage learning and laughter.

The great artist Pablo Picasso always wanted to be able to paint like a child. He understood that children are the most original, unique, free-spirited members of our great family. Before they are taught anything, children see the world with fresh eyes. Their responses are honest and imaginative.

Recently, I took a trip to an apple orchard with a group of 3-year-olds. We celebrated afterward by dancing, making music, and recounting the adventure in story. We grew our bodies into trees, turned our arms into branches, and swayed as the wind blew our leaves. We sprouted apples and picked the fruit off our own limbs. I asked, “What color are your apples?” Without hesitation, the children called out, “My apple is pink!” “Mine is purple!” “Blue!” We had a rainbow of apples! There was no inhibition, no one saying, “This is silly!” or “That’s not right!”

Tap Into the Creative Spirit
We humans learn in a variety of ways. All of them have value. Some, however, are more valued than others. Creative expression could use more acknowledgement a lot more. It’s how children make meaning of the world, whether it’s through song, music, movement, play, painting, story, or poetry. In fact, many children are already singing, dancing, storytelling, and choreographing, before they start school. Why is that? Because we all come into this world with the need to create. It’s in our genes, and the arts are the basic way we express that need.

Our current fixation with standardized testing does a great disservice to our children. Putting labels on our children, ranking them on percentage charts, turns them into soulless commodities. They’re far more complex. They learn in their own ways, at their own speeds.

Creativity is the noble, delicious antidote for this stifling approach. It connects, clarifies, and enriches. But creativity is not a strategy or a technique. It’s not scheduled for Wednesdays after dinner if homework is finished. It’s a way of being and thinking, teaching and parenting.

Our greatest role in protecting the creative spirit within our children is to be open to their originality and questions, join in with their playful thinking, and appreciate their singing, building, and painting. To do that, we need to embody the qualities of the creative spirit that come naturally to our children: enthusiasm, excitement, spontaneity, playfulness, and imagination. But in the midst of our fragmented lives, how do we celebrate and exercise our creative spirit? My four “little nudges” can help. (See below.) Try them with your child. They’ll help you get into the moment alongside her.

Creativity is our birthright. The qualities we associate with creativity are gifts we all receive as we begin our amazing life journeys. Feel free to value it, honor it, and worship it.

Four Little Nudges

These simple tips can help stimulate the creative spirit in you and your child.

Ask, What else? The minute you hear or say the words, “what else?” your mind begins churning and whirling. What else can you add to a party, a trip, a painting, a song? The words help us expand our horizons and remind us that there is always more to discover, to learn, to ask, to wonder about. When a child comes to you with the words, “I’m done!” spark his creative juices with, “What else can you think of?”

Ask, What if? These are the key words of imagination. What if we changed the colors? What if we found buried treasure? What if we could understand the language of animals? The words open a world of possibilities. Listen to young children play, and you’ll hear what if in their imaginative games. Far too soon, this playful invitation often shrivels up in the wake of super-structured, highly programmed activities.

Show the idea! Sometimes, pictures speak louder than words. So demonstrate an idea in pictures, in music, in dance, sculpture, graphs, through an interview, using puppets in any way that communicates. Showing ideas gives validity to different ways of learning and comprehending. Plus, it’s fun and satisfying to experiment with different ways to convey ideas.

Fake it! This nudge is for you if your child expects you to always have the right answer. Don’t know how to do something perfectly? Take a stab at it! Make believe you can do it. Faking it gives you courage. It moves you beyond “I can’t” or “I won’t.” It also invites participation and encourages involvement by granting permission to try something new or different. As role models for our children, we must be brave.

This article originally appeared on scholastic.com. Scholastic Inc.

Source: Grand Parents

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

First Hurricane of the Season

By Fox News
August 18, 2009

Hurricane Bill strengthened to a Category 3 storm Tuesday evening, making it the first major hurricane of the Atlantic season.

The National Hurricane Center said people in the Leeward Islands should monitor Bill’s progress.

“The wind sheer is light and the waters are warm,” Todd Kimberlain, a forecaster at the center, said. “Those are two essential ingredients not just for the formation, but also the maintenance, of hurricanes.”

As of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Bill had winds near 125 mph. It was centered Tuesday evening about 635 miles east of the Leeward Islands, moving west-northwest near 16 mph.

The most significant threat the storm seemed to pose was to Bermuda, which it could pass in three or four days, Kimberlain said. But it also could move directly between Bermuda and the eastern coast of the U.S. without making landfall.

Either way, people near the coast can expect wave swells and rip currents in the next few days, Kimberlain said.

Meanwhile, people in flood-prone Haiti and the Dominican Republic awoke to good news Tuesday as it appeared Ana, the first named storm of the Atlantic season, had largely spared their shared island.

HURRICANE TRACKER: Satellite, radar, forecasts and more

The two countries that share the island of Hispaniola are vulnerable to storms, with many impoverished people clustered along rivers, but there were no reports of major damage from the remnants of Tropical Storm Ana. The system had been downgraded to a tropical depression and then largely dissipated before reaching Haiti and the Dominican Republic. but its rains were still considered a potential threat.

“The rain fell but it did not hit anywhere very hard,” said Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, director of Haiti’s civil protection department.

Haiti is particularly susceptible to catastrophic flooding because most of the trees have been stripped away to make charcoal and clear farmland and the bare, mountainous terrain cannot hold back the water. A series of storms last year killed hundreds of people and left thousands struggling to find food.

Forecasters had revised their Atlantic hurricane season predictions for this season after the first two months passed without any named storms developing.

Source: Fox News

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Another Angel Lost for No Reason

By AP
August 18, 2009

Editor’s Note: Parents please we must put our children first, before our own needs. A lot of times parents choose lets just say the truth SEX. You have been trusted with a very special gift from GOD.

We have lost another child, another ANGEL that had his whole life in front of him. This should not have happen!

When you have been blessed, with a special gift from GOD a child, they have to come first.

When you go home tonight hug your child and let them know how musch you LOVE them.

We would like to know what youThink? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

BOISE, Idaho — Police have made an arrest in connection with the disappearance and death of 8-year-old Robert Manwill, an Idaho newspaper reports.

The Idaho Statesman says Daniel Ehrlick Jr. was taken into custody. He is the boyfriend of Manwill’s mother.

Manwill was missing for more than a week before his body was found floating in a Boise canal on Aug. 3. Police say evidence shows the death was not accidental.

Ehrlick’s father, Daniel Ehrlick Sr., has told the newspaper that he didn’t know what the charge was or if anyone else had been arrested. Police have not commented but a news conference was planned for 7 p.m.

The boy reportedly disappeared July 24 after leaving his mother’s apartment in Boise, and was the subject of intense search. He was found by a passerby who called emergency workers to report the body in the canal.

Police have said evidence in the case indicates suspicious circumstances surrounding the disappearance.

His father, Charles Manwill, lives in New Plymouth and has had custody of the child since 2008.

Click here for more on this story from FOX 12 Idaho.

Source: Fox News

National Zoo – Cheetah

By FNZ
August 18, 2009

The world’s fastest land mammal is vulnerable to extinction throughout its range.

Physical Description: Built more like greyhounds than typical cats, cheetahs are adapted for brief but intense bursts of speed. They have wiry bodies and small heads. Their coats are golden or yellowish, embellished with many small black spots, and their tails are long with a few black bands and sometimes a white tip. Black stripes run from their eyes down to the corners of their mouths.

Size: Cheetahs grow to between three and a half and four and a half feet long, not including their 30-inch tails. They weigh between 75 and 145 pounds and stand two to three feet tall at the shoulder. Males tend to be a bit more robust and weigh about ten pounds more than females.

Geographic Distribution: Cheetahs live in small, isolated populations mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. They are very rare in southern Algeria and northern Niger, and range from Senegal east to Somalia and south to northern South Africa. A few have been reported from Iran. However, many of their strongholds are in eastern and southern African parks.

Status: The cheetah is listed as vulnerable on the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Animals.

Habitat: Savannas, both open and more densely vegetated, give cheetahs the open areas they need for quick stalks and chases. They are not found in forest areas or wetlands.

Natural Diet: Cheetahs eat primarily hoofed mammals weighing less than 90 pounds, including gazelles and young wildebeest. They will also eat smaller game such as hares, warthogs, and birds.

National Zoo Diet: The Zoo’s cheetahs eat ground horse meat and sometimes beef, rabbits, and chicks.

Reproduction: Cheetahs can breed at any time of year but tend to copulate in the dry season, with cubs being born at the onset of the wet season. Females reach breeding age by 21 or 22 months of age. Males live in small permanent groups called coalitions, which are usually made up of brothers. Males are drawn to females in heat, but only one male in a coalition usually mates with the selected female. On average, three cubs are born about three months after mating takes place. Until five or six weeks old, the cubs remain hidden; if she needs to move, the mother carries them from place to place. After five or six weeks, cubs follow their mothers and share her kills. Cheetah cubs wean at about three months old.

Life Span: In zoos, cheetahs may live up to 17 years; in the wild, they may live eight to ten years.

Behavior: Female cheetahs live alone, except when raising cubs. They rarely associate with other cheetahs, except when ready to mate. Males live in small permanent groups called coalitions, which are usually made up of two to four brothers. To avoid lions and leopards, cheetahs usually hunt in the middle of the day. Cheetahs stalk their prey, approaching to within about 50 feet before dashing out from cover and sprinting at the targeted animals. Cheetahs grab their victims’ throats and suffocate their quarry within a few minutes. After securing their meal, they may drag it to nearby cover. Despite their best efforts to hide their catches, their kills are often stolen by larger predators and picked at by hordes of vultures. Lions and hyenas also eat cheetah cubs; lions and leopards also kill adults.

Past/Present/Future: Once widespread across arid Africa, into the Middle East and east to India, the cheetah has suffered dramatic declines over the last century. It now lives in Africa, and a few may survive in Iran. Hunted for their spotted coats and because they sometimes attack livestock, they disappeared from many areas. More recently, widespread habitat destruction has fragmented cheetah habitats, isolating many populations. In many areas, the cheetah’s prey has been overhunted by people. Scientists have also found that many cheetahs suffer from genetic defects due to inbreeding, possibly the result of a population bottleneck—a sharp decline—that occurred perhaps as far back as 10,000 years ago. Among other things, inbreeding could raise cub mortality, lower cheetahs’ resistance to disease, and cause infertility. An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 wild cheetahs survive. Cheetah strongholds, where possible, must be connected to allow genetic interchange if this species is to survive. Also, conflict between cheetahs and humans needs to be moderated. For example, in Namibia, ranchers may legally shoot cheetahs that prey on livestock.

A Few Cheetah Neighbors:

Thomson’s gazelle (Gazella thomsonii): Within its range, this smallish, striped animal is a favored prey of the cheetah.

beisa oryx (Oryx gazella beisa): A large, long-horned antelope with black stripes on its flanks and face.

vulturine guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum): A bare-headed gamebird with dazzling black, blue, and white plumes.

By saving cheetah habitat, we protect these and many other animals.

Fun Facts:
A sprinting cheetah can reach 45 miles per hour within 2.5 seconds. Top speed—up to 64 miles per hour—can only be briefly sustained.

In the 16th century, emperors and other royalty hunted gazelles with trained cheetahs.

Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus and Species: Acinonyx jubatus

Source: Friends of the National Zoo

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think?

Further Reading: Cheetahs of the Serengeti Plains, by T.M. Caro; The University of Chicago Press, 1994.

Know Your Child’s Teacher

By AFT
August 18, 2009

By definition, a teacher is one who teaches.  Ya…so?  Let’s look at what it means to teach.   The dictionary defines the verb teach as:

• To impart, provide or instruct knowledge or skill
• To condition to a certain action or frame of mind
• To cause to learn by example or experience
• To advocate or preach
• To carry on instruction on a regular basis in

That last one, to carry on instruction on a regular basis, is a biggie…on a regular basis. On average teachers will spend 30 hours a week with your elementary age child. In contrast, let’s look at the amount of time you will spend, with your child during an average school week.   Between getting up, dressed, fed and teeth brushed, on average, a parent will spend 10 minutes actually with the child.

Then there’s after school – it’s probably at least 5:00 pm before you really spend time with your child; either due to your schedule or your child’s. (Note:  Seeing your child and spending time with – are not synonymous).   Then maybe you spend some time together preparing and eating dinner.   After school and after work you may have taken junior to practice or the store, or there was more homework.

If your child is like most, a bath or shower is probably needed. After that, perhaps a bedtime snack, a little TV and then it’s time to start the bedtime routine.  It’s safe to say, on average, parents will spend less than eight (8) hours a week interacting with their elementary age child.  Now do you see why it is vital to get to know your kid’s teachers?

Most schools have an Open House prior to the first day of school.  This gives the parent and child a chance to meet the teacher and vice versa.  Make every effort to attend this Open House.  If you have a schedule conflict you cannot rearrange, make an appointment before or after school to meet your child’s teacher.  It may only take a quick 10 minute visit initially, but don’t you want to know who will be imparting, providing and instructing knowledge and skills to your child?

Teachers will almost always provide phone numbers and emails where they can be reached.  Nearly all of them will give you their home number.  Use this contact information!  Many parents think, “Oh I don’t want to bother the teacher by calling him/her.”  Bother?  Staying informed about what is happening with your child thirty hours each week should by no means be considered, “bothering the teacher.”  Parents have a duty to know what is going on!

Source: Apples 4 Teacher

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Finding Good Daycare

By ARW
August 18, 2009

For some working mothers, finding good childcare is as easy as phoning their responsible, reliable mum to arrange pick up times and organic lunches. For others, finding good childcare is like taking on a whole new project with seemingly no decent answer.

If you fall into the first category and you have excellent childcare (maybe even free! Oh, the envy) in the form of your mother or another family member, you must guard them with your life. Be prepared that, especially if you live in a prosperous area, your childminder may get poached by harassed mothers at the school gates, promising untold riches and a benefits package you could only dream of.

Responsible Relative

For many working mothers, having a family member look after their child is the best possible solution, as they are likely to have similar views on raising children and tend to be more flexible. However, this situation is not without its problems. Be careful resentment does not build on either side by making the arrangement formal as soon as possible – confirm hours, payment and expectations on both sides.

Personal Network

Speaking to friends who also have young children is a good way to get word of mouth recommendations, which is helpful for childminders and day care. While you can get a good feel of a place by making an initial appointment, personal recommendation enables you to hear a more balanced view. Do bear in mind that your friends may have different standards or values regarding childcare, so try to gain advice from mothers who share similar views.

Internet Forums

Internet forums are a great place to find objective information – if you find a forum that seems to appeal to women with similar views to your own, you can ask questions about places that have vacancies and see what responses you get. A further benefit to gaining online advice is that you can decide to take it or leave it, whereas this can be trickier if you ask a friend’s opinion and then do not act on it.

Mother & Baby Group

If you are a member of your local mother and baby group, this is a mine of excellent information and support. Many women with older children will be able to advise you on good quality childcare in your region and it is also common for one or more women to set up their own day care facility after having a child. These places are also great for building relationships with other new mums and buying and selling baby equipment. Mother and baby groups can be especially helpful for women who have their first baby before their friends start families.

Local Council

In order to find the most regulated child care in your region, you can look at your local council website. They will either have online, or can send you, a list of their approved child care services.

Do not just act on this alone though; you will still need to visit the potential childminder or nursery of your child before you confirm that you will take them there. If at all possible, take your child when you go to look at the available childcare to see how the childminder or nursery staff interact with your child. You will be able to tell the response of your child, too, which can be a great indicator of which childcare provision is most suitable

Source: A Return To Work

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Ludacris for the National Runaway Switchboard

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