Dads Help Kids in School
September 30, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Parent's Advice
By Apples 4 the Teacher
Sept. 30, 2009
“My dad can beat up your dad!” Oh yeah? “Well my dad is cooler than your dad!”
One thing about most kids, they’re loyal to their dads. It doesn’t matter how much he’s working or how he may not be able to throw a ball or ride bikes because he’s working on Mom’s honey-do list, most children think their dad is pretty wonderful.
Often the room parents and those parents who are available to help out at school are the moms. Many dads would love to help out at school if their schedules were a little more flexible. Imagine the excitement on your child’s face if Dear old Dad was one of the chaperones on the next field trip.
Dads may not have the flexibility that the work-at-home-moms do to help out at school, but most dads I know are entitled to a lunch each day as well as some vacation days each year.
If logistics permit it, dads should schedule their lunch break at the school a couple times a month. They could help out in the school store, in the classroom or media center. Your child will be proud as a peacock!
A sad reality is that there are more and more single parent households. Some children don’t see their dad nearly as often as they would like. I remember one field trip to an apple orchard. Dad rearranged his schedule so he could attend and help rally the children. While sitting on the hay ride you would have thought he was a local celebrity. Kids were fighting over who could sit next to “The Dad”.
It’s good for children to see dads participate with school activities. Dads are cool when they help out at school. Don’t negate the possibility helping just because dad works when school is in session. Maintenance man Mr. Bob would love a hand setting up for the school carnival. Do you realize how many tables and stations need to be set up?
The next time you overhear a group of children trying to one-up each other where their dads are concerned, perhaps you’ll hear one bragging, “Oh yeah? Well MY dad helps out at school!” Do you know any cool dads?
Source: Apples 4 The Teacher
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com
No Need to Fear the Big, Bad Wolf
September 30, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Human Interest
By KNG
Sept. 30, 2009
In the story of the three little pigs, the one who built his house of straw did not fare well; the big, bad wolf huffed and puffed and blew his house down.
But builder Michael Furbish, who made his own home from bales of straw and an elementary school of the same material, says in reality, straw houses are not only sturdy but also good for the environment.
Straw—the stalks of plants like wheat, oats, and barley—is considered a waste material and is commonly used for farm animal bedding. But more and more people are discovering that straw baled into rectangular blocks is an excellent, inexpensive building material.
“Our mental picture is that a straw bale is light,” says Furbish. “But each bale weighs about 40 pounds (18 kilograms). We stack them like bricks and then spray plaster—mud, essentially—on the inside walls to coat them one and a half to two inches [3.8 to 5.1 centimeters] thick. Then we put stucco on the outside. So a straw building is really like a fortress, and it is not going to rot as long as water is kept out of the bales.”
There are two ways to make a straw-bale structure. You can build load-bearing walls with them, which means the walls support the roof. Or you can build a post-and-beam wooden frame that supports the roof and fill in the walls with straw bales.
Either way, the walls are there to stay. And they provide great insulation, helping keep straw homes in cold climates cozy in winter and those built in hot places like the desert cool in summer.
Straw is considered a “green” (good for the environment) building material because it is a renewable resource: A whole new crop can be grown and harvested every year, easily “renewing” the supMediaply.
Also, planting and harvesting straw uses relatively little energy. “Most other building materials require a lot of energy use in production and manufacturing at a factory,” explains Furbish. “With straw-bale construction, you are getting a building product without using much energy at all.”
Furbish used about 900 straw bales for his family’s two-story, three-bedroom house. His company provided straw-bale walls for the Friends Community School of College Park in Maryland. That project used about 4,000 bales.
When asked if there are any drawbacks to living in a straw house, like mice nibbling on the walls, Furbish points out that the straw is completely covered with plaster and stucco. Besides, he has a couple of cats on mouse patrol, just in case.
“It would be hard to find a wall system that will outperform straw,” he says. Looks like the big bad wolf is just out of luck.
Source: Kids National Geographic
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com
Saucy Apple Pork Roast
September 30, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Kids in the Kitchen
By Better Homes
Sept. 30, 2009
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices
1 3-1/2- to 4-pound boneless pork top loin roast (double loin, tied)
3 medium apples, cored and cut into wedges
1/4 cup apple juice or apple cider
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse salt or salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
Nutritional Information:
vitamin C: 8%, calories: 262, polyunsaturated fat: 1g, vitamin A: 0%, very lean meat: 5 diabetic exchange, monounsaturated fat: 4g, sodium: 252mg, saturated fat: 3g, total sugar: 9g, carbohydrate: 10g, protein: 35g, fat: 1.5 diabetic exchange, calcium: 4%, fiber: 1g, total fat: 8g, iron: 8%, cholesterol: 87mg, fruit: .5 diabetic exchange.
Steps:
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut small slits (about 1/2 inch wide and 1 inch deep) in meat; insert a piece of garlic in each slit. In a small bowl combine salt, rosemary, and black pepper. Rub rosemary mixture evenly over meat. Place meat on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into center of meat. Roast in a 325 degree F oven about 2 hours or until meat thermometer registers 155 degree F.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine apples, apple juice, brown sugar, lemon juice, and dry mustard. Add apple mixture to roasting pan the last 30 minutes of roasting.
3. Transfer meat to a serving platter. Cover loosely with foil; let stand for 10 minutes (the meat’s temperature will rise 5 degree F during standing).
4. Remove the rack from roasting pan. Stir the apple wedges into pan juices. Cut the meat into slices. Serve the meat with apple mixture. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Source: Better Homes
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com
Black Bean Lasagna
September 30, 2009 by Dan
Filed under Kids in the Kitchen
By Better Homes
Sept. 29, 2009
Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles (8 ounces)
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-ounce cans low-sodium tomato sauce or tomato sauce with seasonings
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
1 12-ounce container low-fat cottage cheese
1 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
1/4 cup light dairy sour cream
Tomato slices (optional)
Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
Nutritional Information:
calories: 340, total fat: 8g, saturated fat: 5g, cholesterol: 25mg, sodium: 589mg, carbohydrate: 49g, fiber: 8g, protein: 21g, vitamin A: 21%, vitamin C: 31%, iron: 21%
Steps:
1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Mash one can of the beans; set aside.
2. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray; add onion, green sweet pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until tender but not brown. Add mashed beans, unmashed beans, tomato sauce, and snipped cilantro; heat through.
3. In a large bowl combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream; set aside. Spray a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick coating. Arrange three of the noodles in the dish. Top with one-third of the bean mixture. Spread with one-third of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with bean mixture. Reserve the remaining cheese mixture.
4. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through. Dollop with reserved cheese mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with tomato slices and cilantro, if desired. Makes 8 servings.
Make-Ahead Tip: Refrigerate unbaked casserole, covered, up to 1 day, and bake as directed. Or, freeze up to 1 month; thaw frozen casserole in refrigerator overnight, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through.
Source: Better Homes
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com
Mom and Dad: What You Need to Know About Me
by SafeKids/PIO
Sept. 29, 2009
I may roll my eyes at your safety rules, but I’m really listening. I am trying to be independent and show I’m in control.
I still don’t really understand risks. I think I’m invincible and nothing will ever hurt me. That kind of stuff only happens to other kids.
While you’re not watching, I’ll try new things. Sometimes I’ll take a risk just to show-off for my friends.
That’s why you should talk to me about ways to stay safe since you can’t follow me around. Empower me to make safe choices because I still trust you to teach me the right things to do.
Did you know…?
I am starting to understand risks, but may take them anyway.
I still have trouble avoiding obstacles and preventing falls.
My visual perception is less defined than older kids’.
I can’t always identify oncoming cars in busy intersections because I’m not fully able to recognize an object from a busy background.
I’m very influenced by my friends and concerned about what they think of me.
I’m very likely to be injured by cooking equipment-related fires, candle fires or by fireworks.
I’m more likely to be completely unrestrained in a car than little kids.
Safety Tips Checklist
Preventing Falls & Injuries at Play
- Make sure your child wears a helmet and protective gear every time he or she bikes, rides a scooter, skates, skateboards, skis, etc.
Preventing Motor Vehicle Injuries
- Pre-teens should always use a lap and shoulder belt on every ride.
- Pre-teens under about 4 foot 9 inches and 80 to 100 pounds should use a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt.
- Never put the shoulder belt behind the back or under the arm.
- All children under age 13 should ride in a back seat.
Preventing Burns & Scalds
- Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Practice an escape plan with your family.
- Teach your pre-teen to never play with matches, lighters or fireworks and to never light candles in his or her bedroom.
- Set your water heater at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
- Place hot foods and liquids on the center of the table. Don’t set them on the edges of tables or counters.
- Don’t let your child use a microwave until he or she is tall enough to reach the items in it safely and understands that steam can cause burns.
Preventing Poisonings
- Talk to your pre-teen about the dangers of poisonous items like inhalants and prescription medicines.
Source: Safe Kids
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com
Medal of Honor Recipient – US Army Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis
By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
Sept. 29, 2009
Each week we at the Chronicle will be honoring one of these true heroes. We will call it Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week. We hope you will join with us to honor these true heroes. Who have given us the greatest sacrifice that one could give their life, to save their fellow soldiers?
We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com
This Week’s Hero: Army Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an M2 .50-caliber Machine Gunner, 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in Adhamiyah, Northeast Baghdad, Iraq, on 4 December 2006.
That afternoon his platoon was conducting combat control operations in an effort to reduce and control sectarian violence in the area. While Private McGinnis was manning the M2 .50-caliber Machine Gun, a fragmentation grenade thrown by an insurgent fell through the gunner’s hatch into the vehicle. Reacting quickly, he yelled “grenade,” allowing all four members of his crew to prepare for the grenade’s blast.
Then, rather than leaping from the gunner’s hatch to safety, Private McGinnis made the courageous decision to protect his crew. In a selfless act of bravery, in which he was mortally wounded, Private McGinnis covered the live grenade, pinning it between his body and the vehicle and absorbing most of the explosion.
Private McGinnis’ gallant action directly saved four men from certain serious injury or death. Private First Class McGinnis’ extraordinary heroism and selflessness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Source: US Military