Sticky Situation #6

By Scholastic News
August 11, 2009 

DeShawn wants to be part of a club that his friends made up. To join this club, you must say something hurtful to another person in your class. The boys in the club say DeShawn can’t be their friend if he doesn’t join.What should DeShawn do?Click on “Comments”  to write a paragraph explaining what you think DeShawn should do. Other Scholastic News readers will be posting their thoughts about this week’s ethical dilemma, too. So come back to the Sticky Situation blog to discuss their solutions!

 

 

 Source: Scholastic News Online

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

 

 

 

School Officials Pray and Face Jail Time

By AFN
August 12, 2009

A principal and an athletic director are facing criminal charges for a lunch-time prayer.

Last year, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against Pace High School in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The ACLU claimed some teachers and administrators were endorsing religion, but the school chose to give in to the ACLU’s demands rather than fight them in court.

According to the settlement, all school employees are banned from engaging in prayer or religious activities before, during, or after school hours. Now two school officials are facing criminal charges for offering meal-time prayers at an appreciation dinner for adults who had helped with a school field house project. Principal Frank Lay and athletic director Robert Freeman are scheduled to go on trial next month on criminal contempt charges. If convicted, both are subject to fines and imprisonment.
 
Matt Staver is founder of Liberty Counsel, which will argue the court order prohibiting prayer at school-related events violated Lay’s and Freeman’s constitutional rights.

In this particular case, Principal Frank Lay asked the athletic director to have a prayer for the meal at an honorary luncheon in celebration for some of the athletic achievements. And then in [another] situation, the clerical worker at an event where some employees of the school were present asked her husband, who is not an employee of the school, to have a blessing over a meal,” he explains. “Because of those two events, these individuals now face criminal contempt.”
 
Staver believes that the accusers in this case are students who recently graduated. If that is the case, he says the case is moot. However, Staver adds it is outrageous to punish a school official with potential jail time for simply praying.

Source: One News Show

 

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

Species Discovered in Himalayas

By Fox News
August 11, 2009

Editor’s Note: There has been a new discovery of 353 Species in Himalayas. Here is a slide show of some of them.

Gumprecht’s green pitviper, a venomous snake that can grow over four feet, is among 353 new species discovered over last decade in the Himalayas.

Litter Frog

Smith’s litter frog , identified in 1999, one of five new frog discoveries in the Indian state of Assam, ranks among the most extraordinary-looking frogs in the world. Measuring only a few centimeters, this small frog has a giant pair of piercing, bulging and vivid golden eyes. Smith’s litter frog was reportedly discovered in the Mayeng Hill Reserve Forest and Garbhanga Reserve Forest, Kamru District, Assam. (WWF)

Source: Fox News

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

Tips to Have a Good School Year

By Jim Burns, Ph.D.
August 11, 2009

Moving into a new school year is a time of stress for all families.  For kids, stress accompanies new classes, new teachers, new friends and new academic challenges. There’s even more stress for kids who are changing schools!  But, there is also stress for parents as we get our kids back into school year routines, and as we help our kids deal with their stress.  As parents, our goal ought to be to intentionally work to keep the stress levels down in our homes.  Lowering the stress levels will not only help your family, but will also do a lot to make sure your kids experience a successful school year.  Here are seven tips to help you along in the process:

Create a Peaceful Home Environment

Your kids don’t need a perfect home, but to thrive, they need a peaceful one.  Kids are at battle all day long at school. They battle peer pressure, body image, academic pressures, relational issues with peers, and some struggle with being bullied.  They need to come home to a place where they can retreat, drop their battle gear at the door and be in a shelter where they can just be themselves.  Your home ought to be the one place your kids feel truly safe, where they can be loved and known and cared for.  So, even though there will be stress and conflict at home from time to time, do your best not to let the “stuff” of everyday life turn your home into a tense, stressful environment.  Make your home a safe, calm haven of escape from the madness going on in the outside world.  Perhaps this means starting with the noise level in your home.  Turning down the volume of television and music can help.  Try not to overreact to circumstances of home life. Sure, many issues need to be addressed, but when you get angry or frustrated, overreactions are common and family stress levels rise.  Look to cool down before you respond to such situations.  Your family will thank you for it.  When your home is peaceful, chances are, your kids will do better in school.

Encourage Your Kids to Make Time for God Everyday

In 1 Timothy 4:8, we read, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”  Encourage your kids to have a daily devotional time each and every day.  Having a daily time with God is a great way for them to refresh their spirit in the presence of God.  Your modeling this discipline can go a long way in setting the example that your kids will follow.  As kids get caught up in all the demands of school and other activities, it’s key for them to understand the truth that “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Further, consider a regular family devotional time.  Take advantage of opportunities for worship that your church offers.

Make Physical Needs a Priority

1 Timothy 4:8 is also a good reminder to us that “physical training is of some value.” To keep kids healthy and functioning at their peak, as well as to keep the stress monster at bay, we need to help ensure that they maintain a balanced physical lifestyle.  This means that they need to get regular exercise, plenty of rest (9 to 9.5 hours per night for teens!), and eat a healthy diet!  Making sure that your kids’ physical needs are being met takes a lot of effort, but again, kids tend to do better in school when their bodies are well-cared for.

Keep the Safety Net Strong

I mean your family, of course.  Within your family, your kids find the important relational connections that will sustain them through the good times, as well as the bad.  Strained or broken family relationships affect other areas of your kids’ lives – like their school performance.  So, take the lead in your family to make sure your relationships become and stay healthy.  Start by evaluating whether or not you are currently “enjoying” or “annoying” your family… then make the changes necessary to strengthen those family ties.

Protect the Balance of Scheduling

Parents will help their kids have a successful school year by protecting a balanced lifestyle, in terms of scheduling.  Look at the big picture.  School, homework, athletics, hobbies, church activities all add up to a significant amount of your son’s or daughter’s time.  Help evaluate the effects that these various activities have on their lives.  Don’t be afraid to initiate a cutback in order to protect their most important involvements.  Help your kids to learn that no one can do everything!  Watch for emerging signs of stress.  If your kids are demonstrating stress, be sure to reevaluate their schedules.

Keep an Eye on Academics

There’s no doubt that your kids’ schoolwork is important!  It’s wise to take an active role in regularly checking on how your children are doing academically.  Don’t just look for the bottom line (grades), but keep an eye on whether or not they are learning disciplined study habits, if they are turning in assignments on time and what areas they might need additional help with.  Having said this, let me also say, as parents we need to maintain balance in this area!  Too many parents hover over their kids like helicopters, making sure every assignment is completed, on time and done correctly.  This actually serves to hinder our kids’ development toward independent adulthood.  Kids need to learn to become responsible in this area of their lives.  Many parents today wrap their own self-worth in how their kids are doing in school.  I’ve known parents who actually do their kids’ homework for them!  “Just say no” to this type of behavior!

Roll With the Punches!

No young person is exempt from facing at least occasional difficulties associated with school.  Some are just brief “moments” while others are “seasons.”  How they respond to the hard times is a key determining factor in whether or not anxiety will wreak havoc in their lives; anxiety that soon begins to affect their school performance.  The people who enjoy the highest level of contentment in life are the ones who can stay flexible when the tough times happen – and they are the ones who end up standing when those times have passed.  So, teach your kids to roll with the punches:  To face difficulties with faith and courage, to get up off the carpet when they fall, to dust themselves off, work to constructively resolve their problems and to move on  is a key life lesson they’ll thank you for – for years to come!

Give us your comments on this article contacts@homeword.com

Source: Home Word

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

Picture of the Day – Unhappy Meals

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
August 11, 2009 

 

Editor’s Note: PETA’s Bloody ‘Unhappy Meals’ Making Parents Angry

“Unhappy Meals” featuring a knife-wielding Ronald McDonald and bloody rubber chickens are upsetting parents who say the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are unfairly targeting their kids at McDonald’s restaurants across the country.

 

 

Source: Glenn Beck     Fox News

Hero of the Week – Tony Leal

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
August 11, 2009

Editor’s Note: Each Week we will be Honoring people or groups that are making a difference in helping others especially during this tough times in America.

When we as Americans are put through a test, we come out in flying colors on the other side.

We would like to know what you think? And if you know someone or group that we can Honor. You can contact us at dan@youngchronicle.com

This week we will be honoring: Tony Leal. Here is his story:

I first became involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation ^® of America in 1987 when I was working for Discover Card. At that time, our company was only two years old, and we were looking for a national charity to support as a company. We looked at many organizations but chose the Make-A-Wish Foundation in part because of its wonderful mission and also the financial needs of the organization at the time. I became the main contact for the Foundation at Discover Card, and soon I was working with Make-A-Wish ^® staff on marketing programs and developing sponsor relationships with some of our merchants.

My wife, Norma, and I became supporters because we love children and the organization’s mission. We are truly blessed to have four children and 10 grandchildren of our own, and we know how precious family memories are.

My involvement with the organization as a volunteer goes back to 1987, and it has had a tremendous impact on my life. I’ve been involved at the chapter and national levels as a board member, and also as a wish granter. I’ve seen the tremendous growth of the organization and the impact that granting wishes has on wish kids and their families all over the world.

Several years ago, Norma and I set up a living trust, and as part of that we also established a charitable lead trust. We handle our annual giving through the charitable lead trust, but we also felt it was very important to include the Make-A-Wish Foundation as a recipient of a bequest from our estate. We wanted to do our part to share the power of a wish^® for many years to come. Working with our trust attorney made the process simple. There are a number of financial instruments available that can take today’s dollars and literally multiply them several times over, ensuring a much larger donation to the organization in the future. This will allow you to ensure that future wish kids experience the hope, strength and joy that comes from having their wish granted.

Source: Make A Wish Foundation

Judge Sonia Sotomayor First Hispanic to Sit on High Court

By Laura Leigh Davidson

August 11, 2009

Judge Sonia Sotomayor (pronounced so-toe-my-OR) has made history. The United States Senate voted Thursday to confirm, or approve, Sotomayor, making her the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice. Sotomayor is the third woman to become a Justice of the Supreme Court. She follows Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

President Barack Obama spoke shortly after the Senate vote, which was 68 for Sotomayor and 31 against her.

“I’m pleased and gratified the Senate confirmed Judge Sotomayor,” he said. “This is a wonderful day for Judge Sotomayor and her family. But I also think it’s a wonderful day for America.”

Sotomayor watched the historic vote from the New York City courthouse where she has served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals, The Washington Post reported.

Path to the Court

Sotomayor’s journey to the nation’s highest court began in May, when President Barack Obama chose her as his nominee to replace retiring Justice David Souter.

In July, Sotomayor went through confirmation hearings before members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. For three days, she answered Senators’ questions about her experience with the law.

The Judiciary Committee voted 13-6 to send Sotomayor’s nomination to the full Senate. Senators then spent this week debating whether or not Sotomayor should be a Supreme Court Justice.

The new Justice will take a sacred oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, probably within the next few days. In September, there will likely be a formal ceremony to officially welcome her to the Court. Sotomayor will take her place on the bench when the Court’s new session begins in the fall.

Her Story

Sotomayor is 55 years old. She is the daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants who arrived in New York City during World War II.

Sotomayor’s father died when she was 9 years old. Her mother, Celina, worked two jobs to support Sotomayor and her brother by herself. Sotomayor says her mother’s sacrifices made her professional success possible.

Sotomayor has more than 30 years of experience in law. She has served as a federal judge since 1992. Before that, she worked as a lawyer in New York City.

What’s Next?

Sotomayor will join eight other Justices on the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the head of the judicial branch of the U.S. government. As the nation’s highest court, it represents the top level of legal authority in the country.

The Supreme Court checks the powers of Congress and the President. It does this by hearing cases that challenge laws passed by Congress and signed by the President. The Court also hears challenges to laws passed at the state level. By a majority vote of the Justices, the Court has the power to overturn any law that it considers unconstitutional, or not in agreement with the U.S. Constitution.

With the Court’s power to strike down laws, each of its nine Justices has an enormous amount of influence. Justices can remain on the Court for the rest of their lives. They decide for themselves how long they stay. The men and women who serve on the Court can affect our nation’s laws for years to come.

Source: Scholastic News Online

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

Who Were Our Presidents? Part 3

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
August 10, 2009

Editor’s Note: How many of us along with our children? Know who our Presidents were and what they have done in Office.

Each week we will pick a President and tell you about them and their accomplishes.

We hope that you will enjoy this series. And let us know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

3. THOMAS JEFFERSON 1801-1809

In the thick of party conflict in 1800, Thomas Jefferson wrote in a private letter, “I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.”

This powerful advocate of liberty was born in 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia, inheriting from his father, a planter and surveyor, some 5,000 acres of land, and from his mother, a Randolph, high social standing. He studied at the College of William and Mary, then read law. In 1772 he married Martha Wayles Skelton, a widow, and took her to live in his partly constructed mountaintop home, Monticello.

Freckled and sandy-haired, rather tall and awkward, Jefferson was eloquent as a correspondent, but he was no public speaker. In the Virginia House of Burgesses and the Continental Congress, he contributed his pen rather than his voice to the patriot cause. As the “silent member” of the Congress, Jefferson, at 33, drafted the Declaration of Independence. In years following he labored to make its words a reality in Virginia. Most notably, he wrote a bill establishing religious freedom, enacted in 1786.

Jefferson succeeded Benjamin Franklin as minister to France in 1785. His sympathy for the French Revolution led him into conflict with Alexander Hamilton when Jefferson was Secretary of State in President Washington’s Cabinet. He resigned in 1793.

Sharp political conflict developed, and two separate parties, the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans, began to form. Jefferson gradually assumed leadership of the Republicans, who sympathized with the revolutionary cause in France. Attacking Federalist policies, he opposed a strong centralized Government and championed the rights of states.

As a reluctant candidate for President in 1796, Jefferson came within three votes of election. Through a flaw in the Constitution, he became Vice President, although an opponent of President Adams. In 1800 the defect caused a more serious problem. Republican electors, attempting to name both a President and a Vice President from their own party, cast a tie vote between Jefferson and Aaron Burr. The House of Representatives settled the tie. Hamilton, disliking both Jefferson and Burr, nevertheless urged Jefferson’s election.

When Jefferson assumed the Presidency, the crisis in France had passed. He slashed Army and Navy expenditures, cut the budget, eliminated the tax on whiskey so unpopular in the West, yet reduced the national debt by a third. He also sent a naval squadron to fight the Barbary pirates, who were harassing American commerce in the Mediterranean. Further, although the Constitution made no provision for the acquisition of new land, Jefferson suppressed his qualms over constitutionality when he had the opportunity to acquire the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon in 1803.

During Jefferson’s second term, he was increasingly preoccupied with keeping the Nation from involvement in the Napoleonic wars, though both England and France interfered with the neutral rights of American merchantmen. Jefferson’s attempted solution, an embargo upon American shipping, worked badly and was unpopular.

Jefferson retired to Monticello to ponder such projects as his grand designs for the University of Virginia. A French nobleman observed that he had placed his house and his mind “on an elevated situation, from which he might contemplate the universe.”

He died on July 4, 1826.

Editor’s Note: Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Purchase, this doubled the USA. Thomas Jefferson also was an author of the Declaration of Independence; he was one of five men to do this.

We would like to know what you think? And if you can answer the questions below? dan@youngchronicle.com

Can you answer these Thomas Jefferson questions?

1. How much money did President Thomas Jefferson owe when he died in 1826?
2. What was omitted from Thomas Jefferson’s epitaph?
3. What were the differences between Alexander Hamilton’s and Thomas Jefferson’s view on the construction?
4. Show you a Thomas Jefferson 1c stamp?

Source: White House Wiki. Answers

Ready for School in Tight Economy

By Apples 4 the Teacher
August 10, 2009

There’s no denying that the economy is having an effect on plans for back-to-school spending.
According to a recent report from the National Retail Federation, the average family is expected to spend 7.7 percent less this year for back-to-school purchases. On average, families with K-12 students will spend $548.72 on merchandise to begin the 2009-2010 school year, compared with spending $594.24 for school year 2008-2009. Overall, this year’s back-to-school spending is estimated to total $17.42 billion.

Here are a few ideas designed to help you get the biggest bang with fewer back-to-school bucks.

Make a Plan

First of all, develop a shopping list and a strategy. What would you like to purchase this year? What do you need to purchase this year? How do the two lists overlap? Is any trimming necessary?

Next—and most importantly—set a budget. Make certain it’s a realistic budget that can include all of the items on your list. Try not to overspend before school starts. There are plenty of unexpected expenses that are likely to crop up in the early months of the new school year.

Where to Shop

Discount stores, office supply superstores, online stores, and other retail outlets offer a variety of ways to stretch your school-bound spending.

According to the National Retail Federation, discount stores will be the preferred spending stop. Drugstores, however, will see a sizeable increase in back-to-school sales with 21.5 percent of families shopping there, an increase of 18 percent from 2008.

Keep an eye out for sales flyers for all of your area stores, especially the larger chain stores. Match the flyers and the prices to your shopping list and budget. Don’t let the flyers create a new—and even bigger—shopping list for you.

Note that some of the office superstores offer in-store specials or free shipping on Internet orders.

Online stores continue to offer new and innovative ways to explore the back-to-school market. Special pricing for lunchboxes, school uniforms, educational software, and electronics are just some of the bargains to be found online.

Lunchboxes.com provides access to what it claims is the largest online selection of new lunch boxes for children and adults. The entire inventory can be accessed by type (metal, plastic, insulated, thermoses, and accessories) or by use (school, work, or play). A Lunchbox Extras section provides access to a Girl Zone, Boy Zone, What’s New, Summertime, and The Lunch Room. The site features a banner proclaiming that the lunchboxes are tested to be lead safe. The lunchbox selections available when this article was written covered a variety of interests—from the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to Kill Bill, Lord of the Rings, Snoopy, and even Junior Mints. The prices were reasonable; a $6.95 flat rate for U.S. shipping applies.

The best prices on school uniforms can be found in the month of July. This is part of a conscious effort to stem the flood of last-minute uniform shopping that always occurs at the start of a new school year. July is also the best time to find uniforms in hard-to-fit sizes, since these are available in small quantities that tend to sell out first.

The school uniform shop at www.Sears.com is offering many uniform pieces at 40% off while they last. As this article was written, Old Navy—online at Oldnavy.gap.com—was offering free shipping with uniform purchases. Check your favorite web site to see what special offers you may be able to find.

A uniform-focused school may schedule days when students can dress out of uniform. Check with school administrators to find out if any special school clothing such as school logo t-shirts and sweatshirts can be worn. These items may be sold by the school’s P.T.A. or other fundraising organization; school staff members can tell you where they can be purchased. The staffers may even be able to tell you when these items will be on sale.

All is not quiet on the spending front, however. One area of back-to-school spending is slated to see an increase this year—electronics, including computer equipment and other items. This area is expected grow 11 percent over last year, or an average of $167.84 per family.

You can stretch your technology dollars a long way with a stop at online software and hardware retailers that offer special education discounts, such as www.JourneyEd.com and  www.AcademicSuperstore.com. These sites offer substantial discounts to students with the appropriate student identification. When this article was written, deeply discounted products on these sites included Microsoft Office Professional 2007, Adobe Acrobat 9 Professional, a VisTablet Graphics Tablet (12 x 10), and more.
Get Results

You can do more shopping with less money, even for back-to-school purchases. Simply do your research, make your plan, and keep yourself on track.

Source: Apples 4 Teacher

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

Books Rule!

By Billie Elias
August 10, 2009

Despite the onslaught of electronic toys and gadgets that “read” to your child (instead of books and games helping your child learn to read while they’re playing), learning to read will not be going out of fashion anytime soon. With most of America’s school children heading back to school next month, it’s time to dust off the books. Sadly, in our country 33% of all 4th graders cannot read at even a basic level, according to the 2007 National Center for Educational Statistics “Reading Report.”
 

What’s a parent to do?  Plenty!

In a read-aloud entry in  my parenting blog

I reported that the reading experts tell us that reading to your children is so important that even after they know how to read, we should still be reading to them!  Not only is it a cozy way to snuggle up and share precious moments with your child, but you’re sending the message that you value them:  they are important enough for you to break away from whatever adult task you were involved with to devote some time to just them.

It’s never too soon to get baby acclimated to sitting quietly for a few minutes, gradually building up to five or ten. Bedtime is another great time to read, but shouldn’t be the only time. You can start with fabric books or board books, textures that baby’s teething won’t instantly destroy. A couple suggestions for you to add to baby’s first library: Baby Bear’s Bedtime  Ladybug’s Lesson I also previously reported that since babies start learning language from birth, reading aloud exposes them to the sounds of human speech.  By the age of two, children know between 300-500 words. Children who are spoken to and read to frequently, have larger vocabularies and develop into better readers.

I have the fondest memories of a storybook that was read to me as a child.  My mother and father never seemed to tire of reading the same stories and poems over and over again.  The book happened to be an anthology of different writers, but the two-color illustrations that accompanied each story were indelibly written in my brain, along with some of my favorite stories.

I have yet to forget Mr. & Mrs. Apple naming their children after different types of apples (Jonathan, Winesap, Delicious, Baldwin) or of Mr. Apple going to the library to research the names as they added more and more children to their family.  There were Nina and Ted who looked forward each year to their winter vacation at their aunt and uncle’s home in Vermont where they tapped the trees for sap, turned it into maple syrup and ate it on their aunt’s delicious pancakes.  There was also Rosa-too-little, for that’s what they kept calling her until she could finally sign her name to get her very own library card.

These weren’t just stories; they were stories where I was learning something about my world.  Our local libraries have children’s librarians just waiting to help match you and your child with the ideal book, from picture book to non-fiction to chapter book.

For a beginning reader, you might choose an interactive book to encourage a love of reading.  “Ahoy, Pirate Pete” and “Once Upon a Time”  are almost magical, with picture pieces that are stored on each page that you change each time you read the story, creating a new tale with each re-reading.  “Dear Tooth Fairy” is another interactive book with small envelopes containing letters written by the Tooth Fairy to the little girl who refuses to leave her tooth under the pillow. Other early readers may experiment with word sounds like “bat, rat, cat, ratatattat” or “car, cat, cut, cot….bot, not, sot, rot, tot.”  I discuss this at length in banana-fana-fofana.

We know that children can understand books read aloud to them at several grade levels above their own reading level.  This serves to broaden their vocabulary at the same time as they are digesting more complex sentence structure.  A perfect book to read (and work on) together is “Puzzle Island.”  It’s a unique book that involves unscrambling letters to form the names of animals whose pictures are hidden deep within the book’s illustrations.  One important tip to having “quality time” together with your child is doing something that you also enjoy.

Sharon Duke Estroff writes some other suggestions for activities that will inspire kids to read:  help your child choose books appropriate to their reading level if they will be reading without you, bring books with you everywhere you go to reduce boredom, join a parent/child book club, read books of movies your child has seen, read from magazines written on topics of interest to your child, keep books in the car to use during traffic jams, listen to books on tape (and follow along).

 

Editor’s Note: Mrs. Elias, Independent Executive Manager of Discovery Toys contact: billietoy@gmail.com.

You can see some of educational toys at http://www.toysofdiscovery.com/.

You can see her blog at billiediscoverytoys.blogspot.com. Mrs is also follow her her Twitter, www.twitter.com/billietoy

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

Source: Toys of Discovery

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