All About Miranda iCarly Star

 

By Gopa Praturi
Sept. 20, 2009

 

At the age of 16, Miranda Cosgrove has been in the acting business for 13 years. This week an entire special issue of People magazine is devoted to the young star and her number one hit TV show iCarly.

Hundreds of fans lined up at the Bridgewater Commons Mall in New Jersey on Saturday to see her. They clutched copies of the magazine, titled “All About iCarly,” while waiting for an autograph.

“I feel really excited that I’m meeting the star of my favorite show,” said Natasha, a fan from Chatham, New Jersey. “I watch iCarly every day, and I used to watch Drake and Josh a lot, too.” Cosgrove starred as the precocious (and sometimes irritating) little sister on Drake and Josh before landing her own Nickelodeon hit.

In an interview with this Scholastic Kid Reporter, Cosgrove shared some of her secrets of success.

“I think acting is something that you would just naturally like,” she said. “When I was little, I loved to be in plays and I loved getting up in front of people. I always thought about how to make people laugh.”

Like the old joke about how to get to Carnegie Hall, Cosgrove says the way to a career in acting is practice, practice, practice.

“It helps you kind of get into it,” she said. “You can do it with your friends too.”

It may also help to have been born in the movie capital of the world, Los Angeles, California.

Cosgrove got her start at the age of three. Like the legends of Hollywood starlets of old, she was “discovered.” An agent saw her singing and dancing around a table in a restaurant and signed her to act in commercials.

Since then she has starred in TV shows like Smallville and Zoey 101 and in movies like Keeping Up With the Steins and School of Rock.

Of all of her gigs, Cosgrove thinks School of Rock was the most fun. \

“I really liked School of Rock because I was in a movie for the first time, and I got to stay in a hotel for five months…I really liked it,” she said.

Acting is not her only talent. Cosgrove is also a rising young pop singer. In fact, the song “Raining Sunshine” is featured in a new movie to be released this Friday: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Cosgrove is also about to release her first solo CD this fall, with all new music based on her personal life.

She shared her song writing technique with the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.

“I have a journal at my house, and if anything exciting happens, I’ll write it down,” she said. “And then when I go through writing sessions, I’ll pull it out and look through it.”

Her list of successes is long. She was recently nominated for a 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress. Her show, iCarly, was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program. The show also won a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Show in 2009. Also at this year’s Kid Choice Awards, Cosgrove won a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series (comedy or drama).

Despite what looks like an incredibly busy professional life, Cosgrove still has to contend with school. In many respects, she’s no different than any other 16-year-old with a job: she does homework and likes to read.

“I really like To Kill a Mockingbird—it’s my favorite,” Cosgrove said. “I also like Romeo and Juliet. I’m reading Harry Potter right now. Oh, and don’t forget Twilight! Twilight is awesome!”

Wearing a bright blue shiny pullover shirt with a giant yellow smiley face, Cosgrove seemed like any other teen-ager at the mall on a weekend—except for one thing: the hundreds of squealing fans lined up waiting not-so-patiently to meet her.

 

Source: Scholastic News Online

 

Editor’s Note: Gopa Praturi is a member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.  Actress/singer Miranda Cosgrove with Scholastic Kid Reporter Gopa Praturi at Bridgewater Commons Mall in New Jersey on Saturday, September 12. (Photo Courtesy Brian Killan/Wire Image.com/Getty Images)

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

Why Should Girls Play Sports?

 

by: Mary L. Gavin, MD 
Sept. 20, 2009

Why play sports? You might say “to get exercise” and you’d be right. To have fun? That’s true, too. But there’s more. In fact, there are at least 5 more reasons. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.

 

Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time. But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don’t. Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.

 

Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills. Sports teaches valuable life skills. When you working with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you’re learning how to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

Sports are good for a girl’s health. In addition to being fit and maintaining a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis.

Playing sports boosts self-confidence. Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice, improve, and achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, maintain a healthy weight, and make new friends.

Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can lessen stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a person’s mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being on a team creates tight bonds between friends. It’s good to know your teammates will support you — both on and off the field!

Source: Kids Health

 

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

Kids Talk: Why Do My Eyes Water?

 

by: Larissa Hirsch, MD
Sept. 19, 2009

 

You’re walking home from school on a windy November day when – whoosh! – a breezy blast smacks you in the face. As your teeth start to chatter and you pull your jacket closed, you notice your eyes are tearing up. Your eyes are tearing, but you’re not sad. What’s going on? Your eyes are “watering.”

Tell Me About Tears

When your eyes water, they’re making tears, just like when you cry. The tears from watering eyes help protect your eyes. How? By keeping them moist and washing out dust and other foreign stuff that gets in there. The tears from watering eyes might only fill your eyes or they might trickle down your face.

Whether you’re crying or your eyes are just tearing, the liquid in your eyes is created the same way. All tears come out of tear glands, or lacrimal (say: lah-krum-ul) glands, found way up under your upper eyelids. Tears wash down from the glands and over your eyes.

Some of the tears drain out of your eyes through tear ducts, or lacrimal ducts. These ducts are tiny tubes that run between your eyes and your nose. Each tear duct is like a tiny bathtub drain. When the tears fill up your eyes, they drain out through the tear ducts. You have two tear ducts – one near the inside corner of each eye. You can see these holes if you gently pull down your lower eyelid a bit.

If tears are flowing quickly, like when you’re crying pretty hard, the ducts can’t drain them all, so tears run down your face. And have you ever noticed that your nose sometimes runs when you cry? That’s because some of the tears making their exit through the ducts end up coming out of your nose.

 

 

Why Do Eyes Water?

Eyes water for lots of different reasons besides crying. Anything that irritates the eye can bring on tears because the eye will try to wash it out. So when something gets stuck in there – like dirt or an eyelash, here come the tears!

You can’t always see the stuff that gets in your eyes. Have you ever walked into a smoky room? If so, you may have noticed your eyes tearing up as protection against the smoke. Even though the particles that make up smoke are too small to see, they can still bug your eyes. Eyes might also water if you’re around an onion that’s being peeled or chopped. The fumes onions give off actually contain tiny chemicals that can get in your eyes and make them hurt.

Things that can dry out your eyes, like cold air or wind, will make eyes water, too. To protect the eyes from getting too dry, the tear glands crank out the tears. Imagine skiing down a hill with dry eyes as all that wind rushed at you. That would really hurt!

People’s eyes also tear when they have allergies, infections like a cold, or pinkeye, known as conjunctivitis (say: con-junk-tih-vi-tis). All of these irritations can inflame the eyes and make them water.

Tear Trouble

You might not think twice about your watering eyes, but some people do have trouble making tears because their tear glands are not producing enough tears. Certain medical conditions or medicines can cause dry eyes.

Another problem is not being able to drain the tears, so the eyes can get too full of liquid. This may happen because someone has a blocked tear duct. Babies can be born with blocked lacrimal ducts. They usually open on their own, but some babies need a small operation to clear the ducts.

So now you know what your eyes are up to when they get all wet. It’s such a beautiful story, it brought tears to our eyes!
Source: Kids Health

 

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

McGruff – Good Friends vs. Gangs

McGruff and Scruff
Sept. 20, 2009

In 1974, a neighborhood crime watch group was organized in South Dade County. Citizens met with their local law enforcement departments to ask what they could do to help the police apprehend a rapist terrorizing their community. From this first informal meeting, communities and law enforcement began to work together to keep neighborhoods safe and free from crime. An organization was formed, and Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County, Inc. (CCW) was registered as a 501(c) (3) non profit organization. Today, over 1,600 neighborhoods participate in the crime watch concept.

In 1979, the crime watch concept was introduced into the public school system at one school. Because it succeeded in curbing school crime, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) requested we, CCW, expand its student crime watch program from one school to include all public schools in the county. Since that time, Youth Crime Watch of Miami-Dade (YCW) has functioned as an allied program of the public schools.

Methodology The public school system contracts with YCW to educate and train students in violence and crime prevention strategies. Children also learn that good citizenship and personal responsibility include watching out for family, friends, schools and community. YCW maintains a presence in all M-DCPS.

The foundation of the YCW program is built upon a “school safety survey” which is administered at the school during the first few months of the school year. It asks respondents to rank their particular safety concerns – those issues which they believe have the potential to cause harm to themselves or their schoolmates. YCW students, student advisors, and our staff are then enlisted in the effort to resolve those issues impeding the safety, health, and education of young people. The results of the survey are prioritized and comprise the core content of the YCW program.

The YCW program is structured to teach leadership skills to students who volunteer to learn about school safety. While they learn how to keep themselves safe, they also learn public speaking, critical thinking, leadership, and other skills that will serve them into their adult lives. This, in turn, reinforces their self-esteem and promotes positive involvement, again curbing misbehavior, crime and violence in the school.

I’m McGruff the Crime Dog – world famous for my advice on how to stop crime before it happens, and for my great sense of humor. But seriously, my job is to help people, especially kids, learn how to be safe and make their neighborhood safer. Something else you should know about me is that I go all over the country to talk to people about how they can take a bite out of crime. So if you see me in your town, come on up and say hi. You can recognize me by my tan trench coat – I never go anywhere without it.

This here is my nephew Scruff. He helps me show kids how they can stay safe. Scruff’s a good pup but sometimes gets himself into a bit of trouble. Lucky for him he’s got a good memory – eventually he remembers the right thing to do to get out of trouble. Want to know more about me and Scruff?

You can read more about yours truly in the story How McGruff Became the Crime Dog, and you can read some of Scruff’s adventures in these comic books.  

Today we will talk about: Friends vs. Gangs

 

Learn About Gangs

Have you ever heard of a gang? Do you know kids who are in a gang? Be careful! Gang members often get hurt and get in trouble with the law.
   
A gang is a group that tries to control some part of a neighborhood—they call it turf—and does illegal things. Some gangs sell drugs. Others threaten people, such as shop owners, unless those people pay the gang money.

Most gangs mark members wear special clothes or mark themselves with gang symbols. If a person has the mark of a certain gang and goes on the turf of another, it can be bad news for that person—gangs are almost always violent and fight with other gangs a lot.
Learn To Avoid Gangs
Gangs are violent and illegal. Gangs use guns and sell drugs. Gangs also often hurt new members when they join. Joining a gang can put your family and friends in danger. And if you join a gang and another gang finds out, they may hurt or kill you.
   
If someone asks you to join a gang, say no. Get away. Tell a trusted adult. If that person is being a bully and tries to force you to join, remember what to do:

• Stick with your friends.
• Walk away from the bully.
• Ask an adult for help.

Source: McGruff

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

Agent Bureau Safety Tips – Internet

By Special Agent Bobby Bureau
Sept. 20, 2009  

Editor’s Note: We are always looking for ways to inform parents of programs that will help them raise their children. Well we found one it is called “Special Agent Bobby Bureau”. We will be joining him to give you tips for kids of all ages. The best way to tell you about this agent is to let him tell you himself.

The Kids’ Page is designed for children and their parents to learn more about the FBI through age-appropriate games, tips, stories and inter actives. We also introduce you to our working dogs and show how FBI special agents and analysts investigate cases. First, can you help Special Agent Bobby Bureau get in disguise for his undercover assignment? He’s depending on you. You have to visit the sight to sign up as a special agent.

Today’s we talk “Safety Tips – Internet” We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

 

 

There are some very important things that you need to keep in mind when you’re on your computer at home or at school.

• First, remember never to give out personal information such as your name, home address, school name, or telephone number in a chat room or on bulletin boards. Also, never send a picture of yourself to someone you chat with on the computer without your parent’s permission.
• Never write to someone who has made you feel uncomfortable or scared.
• Do not meet someone or have them visit you without the permission of your parents.
• Tell your parents right away if you read anything on the Internet that makes you feel uncomfortable.
• Remember that people online may not be who they say they are. Someone who says that “she” is a “12-year-old girl” could really be an older man.

To read more about new privacy rules, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Web site at http://www.fbi.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?http://www.ftc.gov/.

There is a special section just for kids

Editor’s Note: Next Week: Child Abduction

 

Source: FBI Kids

 

If Someone Tries to Make Me eat Something?

By Alexander
Sept. 20, 2009

 

 

Dear Alexander,

(Q) What do I do if someone keeps offering or trying to make me eat a food I am allergic to?

(A) I’m sorry that some people don’t understand how serious food allergies can be. Not everyone gets that just one bite of a food can cause an allergic reaction. If you are offered a food that you know you are allergic to or one that you are unsure of, it’s important to say no. Keep saying no if someone continues to offer the food.

You can’t control everything other people do, but you can control what you do. Don’t be afraid to tell other people that you are allergic. Get help from an adult if you feel nervous or worried.

Good luck!

Your friend,

 

Alexander the Elephant

 

Source: Food Allergy

 

Editor’s Note: The information above is not designed to take the place of a doctor’s instructions. Patients are urged to contact a doctor for specific information regarding guidelines for care.

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

Kids in Kitchen – Green Eggs and Ham

 

By Kate Sonders
Sept. 20, 2009

 

Scrambled eggs with pesto and prosciutto, topped with cheese, become a Tuscan favorite. Lizzie Marie Likness has created a Tuscan spin on a storybook favorite using prosciutto from Parma, Italy, and pesto for beautiful color and amazing flavor.

 

2 all-natural eggs
1 tablespoon all-natural pesto
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 paper-thin slices proscuitto, torn into bite-size pieces
To taste Parmesan Reggiano cheese, grated

*Note: if prosciutto is not available, use 1/4 cup chopped ham, turkey, or other healthy deli meat.

Heat pan on medium, add oil to coat pan. Crack eggs into mixing bowl, add pesto and ham, loosely scramble with a fork. Pour egg mixture into pan and slowly move eggs with a spatula (in a push-and-pull motion) until cooked. Top with cheese.

Source: Grand Parents

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

Kids in Kitchen: Citrus Crocked Ham

 

By Sheila Kay Christensen
Sept. 19, 2009

 

Description

A succulent ham cooked in the crock pot with ginger ale, brown sugar and citrus slices.

Ingredients
1 3-4 pound boneless, precooked ham
1 orange
1 lemon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 12-oz can ginger ale
3 or 4 cloves

Directions

Place ham in bottom of crock pot. Thinly slice orange and lemon, and then layer alternately over the ham. Spread the brown sugar over the citrus slices on top of the ham. Lightly sprinkle ginger ale over the brown sugar until barely moist, and then pour the rest of the ginger ale around the ham on the bottom of the crock pot so that the ham can simmer in the ginger ale. Put 3 or 4 cloves in the ginger ale. Simmer in crock pot for 6 to 8 hours. Let ham sit on platter 15 minutes before slicing to serve.

Servings: 12

Source: Eversave

 

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

Project: Backyard Tepee With Your Kids

 

By Family Fun
Sept. 20, 2009

Just like the traditional Native American tepee that inspired it, this backyard shelter can be assembled and dismantled in a jiffy.

  

CRAFT MATERIALS:

 

9- x 12-foot canvas tarp or drop cloth
Measuring tape
Colored marker
Scissors
White cotton rope
Ten 8-foot-long white PVC pipes, 3/4 inch in diameter
Hacksaw (optional)
2 chopsticks or similar strips of wood

 

Time needed: Afternoon or Evening

  

 

1.Fold the tarp in half so that it forms a 9- x 6-foot rectangle.

2. Measure in 1 foot along the fold and mark the spot.

3. Cut a 6-foot length of rope. Have your child hold one end of the rope at the marked spot while you tie the opposite end around the colored marker.

4. Step away from your child until the line is taut and move the rope in an arc, marking a line on the canvas as you go.

5. Cut the tarp along the line and then cut out a 12- x 6-inch rectangle to the left of the marked spot at the top of the tepee.

6. Loosely tie together three of the PVC pipes two feet down from the tops with a piece of rope, then stand them up like a tripod.

7. Lean the remaining poles against the tripod so that they are evenly spaced.

8. Drape the cut canvas around the tepee frame, overlapping the top a bit. Make 2 sets of holes through both layers of the overlapped portion and thread the chopsticks through them to hold the canvas in place.

9. To secure the lower edge of the canvas to the frame, first snip a small hole about 1 inch from one of the tarp’s bottom corners.

10. Loop a short length of rope through the hole, as shown, and tie the ends around the base of one pole (this pole will become part of the doorway).

11. Gently stretch the canvas around the PVC frame so that the canvas extends past the first pole to create a door flap.

12. Snip a small hole near the lower edge of the canvas where it falls on the remaining poles and tie it in place using the same method as before.

Source: Family Fun

 

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

Tip of the Week: Water Safety

By Sparky
Sept. 20, 2009

 

Childhood drowning and near-drowning can happen in a matter of seconds. They typically occur when a child is left unattended or during a brief lapse of supervision. Eight hundred ten children ages 14 and under drowned in 2005. An estimated 2,780 children were treated in emergency rooms after near-drowning in 2007. Severe and permanent brain damage affects as many as 20 percent of near-drowning victims.

 

Make sure pools and spas are enclosed on four sides with a fence at least 5 feet high with a self-closing and latching gates.

Drains in pools and spas should have anti-entrapment drain covers.

Learn infant and child CPR and always have a phone near the pool for emergency use.

Children should always swim under the supervision of a grown-up. Every child over the age of three should have swimming lessons.

Children using air-filled swimming aids should always be supervised by an adult within arm’s reach.

A U.S. Coast guard approved lifejacket should be worn for water sports such as tubing, skiing or jet skiing. Air-filled aids such as inner tubes, water wings and inflatable rafts are not substitutes for approved lifejackets

 

 

It is important for children to learn and practice water safety rules. Here are some helpful water safety rules for children:

• Children should swim only if a lifeguard or a grown-up gives you permission.
• Teach children to obey the posted rules.

 

 

Encourage children to:

Check with the lifeguard to find out how deep the water is.

Always swim with a buddy.

Never jump or dive unless the lifeguard or a grown-up says it is okay to do so.

Don’t eat candy or chew gum when swimming.

Never swim at night.

Get out of the water right away if you hear thunder or see lightning.

 When on a boat, everyone needs a seat and his or her own U.S. Coastguard approved lifejacket.

 

Source: Sparky     NFPA

 

Editor’s Note: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) (12/17/08). 

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

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