Welcome To McGruff

By McGruff and Scruff
May 11, 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.
Source: McGruff

Introducing Special Agent of the FBI

By Special Agent Bobby Bureau
May 11,  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

Source: FBI

When Mom of a Mother

By Beverly Beckham
May, 11, 2009
When my older daughter became a mother nearly six years ago, I became a grandmother with a brand-new baby to love. But I also became a different kind of mother to my baby. I was useful again. I knew things. I understood. And the most important thing I understood was how much my daughter loved her child.

Ten months later, my younger daughter gave birth to her firstborn. “Did you feel this way, Mom? Isn’t it amazing? I never knew. Was I as cute?”

Motherhood, part two. That’s what grand parenting really is. Your kids grow up, go off to school, and move away. And they don’t need you anymore. They don’t call for advice. And you think, you’re done. That’s it. The job is finished.

And then your kids become parents and you’re suddenly backed in the game. “Mom, can you?” “Dad, will you?”

When a child is placed in a woman’s arms – in a hospital, at an airport, in a lawyer’s office, and whether the child is a newborn or a 10-year-old – a woman’s life changes forever.

And so does the life of her mother.

I watch my daughters wipe noses and hands, buckle car seats, peel grapes, insist upon “please” and “thank you,” wipe up spills, dry tears, read books, blow bubbles, monitor the TV, play games, and work outside their homes. And I am struck by the rigors of mothering – how hard it is and tiring and endless, and how amazing it is that anyone signs up for this job.

And then I think, this was once my job. I did all this. “How did you do it, Mom?” my daughters ask. And they listen to my answer because I’ve been down the road they’re on now and they realize that maybe I know a few things they have yet to learn.

The mother-child connection. It changes. It evolves. It grows.

In the space between us now there is still no space. It is filled with children – theirs, but part mine. And on it goes. Mother to mother to child, this eternal bond that is recognized and honored on Mother’s Day.

Source: Grandparents

How to Make a Difference

By Alexis Wiseman
May 11, 2006

Students around the country are organizing environmental clubs to take action to improve their environment. All of these student environmental groups shout one big message: it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can take action to change your community. How would you like to learn how to start an environmental club to help your community?

Based in New York City, the Collegiate School started its environmental club, CENIC, in 2006. CENIC (Collegiate with the Environment Naturally In Check) is making Collegiate a greener school. They signed on with an energy company to purchase 100 percent of its electricity from wind power sources. That move prevented the emission of 385 tons of greenhouse gases.

They installed more efficient fluorescent lights and a waterless urinal that saves 28,000 gallons of water and a large amount of electricity. CENIC successfully campaigned for using 100 percent recycled paper and expanded bottle and can recycling in the school. They worked with the Environmental Defense Fund to get New York City to enforce stricter fuel efficiency standards for more than 13,000 taxis.

Harrison Monsky, co-President of CENIC and a National Student Coordinator of the Green Schools Alliance, talked with Scholastic News recently about how the group works to conserve.

Scholastic News Online: What was the hardest thing you accomplished?
Harrison Monsky: Last year we moved the school to 100 percent green electricity. In order to do that, we found a company that was an electricity supplier that specialized in renewable energy windmills.

SNO: What was the most impactful change you accomplished?

Harrison: We changed the community a lot by acting to make the school use more sustainable sources of energy. Our school is a k-12 school so to do this you have to involve the entire community. When we moved to wind power, we put up posters everywhere. We had a big assembly for all different parts of the school where we talked about what the move meant. Seniors went into classes of lower school students to read stories of what happens if you don’t think about the future and you only think about today.

SNO: How did you handle any controversy that came about because of some of your decisions?
Harrison: There’s going to be controversy whenever a change is made, especially at our school because there are over 600 people with different opinions and competing viewpoints. You have to stick to what you think is right, because most of the time if you’re willing to do the work change will happen.

SNO: How do you research your proposals? How do you decide about which green choices to make?
Harrison: Some are easy to see. For the lighting project we saw how wasteful the lights were. Another way is through conferences where we bring together green companies and schools.

SNO: What simple things can any kid do to help make their communities greener?
Harrison: Make sure you’re not wasting electricity. It’s amazing how much you can waste just by leaving the lights on. Use public transportation-less cars on the road reduces carbon pollution that contributes to global warming.

As you can see, taking action to make a change to your community doesn’t mean you have to be an adult. Student environmental activists like Harrison show us that kids can make a difference and lead the way.

Tips for starting your own environmental club

1. Start small. A group of five committed people is a good start. If you do a project really well more people will want to join. CENIC now has 40 members!
2. Create a list of goals. What do you want your work to accomplish?
3. Call local environmental groups to see how you can get help with current projects.
4. Make sure everybody has a job.
5. Recruit help from teachers to be advisers and make sure the school building facility manager is on board.

Tips for Success

1. Stay motivated by staying focused on the positive changes you are making.
2. Determination is critical for working through challenges.
3. Organization is important to make sure people work together.
4. Partner with other club members, clubs and companies to get things done.

Useful Links for your environmental club

• greenschoolsalliance.org
• CENIC

Source: Scholastic News Online

Garry Marshall vs. Lori Marshall: On Tattoos

by Garry and Lori Marshall
May 11, 2009
 

Mom wants to become a marked woman. Pop’s not big on branding.

MOM LORI: I want to get a tattoo. 

POP GARRY: What? Just out of the blue. Like shazam. You woke up this morning and decided you wanted a skull and crossbones on your triceps?

MOM LORI: It’s not out of the blue. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time and I’m ready. I want to get one when I’m officially divorced.

POP GARRY: That’s odd.

MOM LORI: What’s odd about it? I was married for 20 years. My life is about to change significantly. And when I finally get the official divorce papers, I think there should be some outwardly visible sign of change to commemorate it.

POP GARRY: Then you won’t be able to be buried in a Jewish cemetery.

MOM LORI: I’m not Jewish.

POP GARRY: But what if your second marriage is to a Jewish man? He’ll be buried in a nice plot and you’ll be shipped out to the boondocks where they bury the people with the tattoos.

MOM LORI: I’m sure there are many famous tattooed people in the boondocks.

POP GARRY: But there are so many other reasons not to get all tatted up. Isn’t that the phrase the young kids use now? Tatted up?

MOM LORI: Your teenage grandkids say “inked.”

POP GARRY: Okay, inked, schminked.

MOM LORI: So what are other reasons not to do it?

POP GARRY: Think of some of the people who have tattoos. They are named Crash and Smash and make their homes in prisons like San Quentin or in the NFL or the NBA.

MOM LORI: That’s so stereotypical, Dad. Many very nice people have tattoos.

POP GARRY: For example?

MOM LORI: Angelina and Brad.

POP GARRY: They have tattoos? I thought they had lots of children.

MOM LORI: And tattoos.

POP GARRY: But what about regular people. Do you have friends with tattoos?

MOM LORI: Sure. My friend Katie who runs a big company gets one every year on her birthday.

POP GARRY: Big? Small? Or Scary?

MOM LORI: Various. And my friend Sue is a teacher and she has a tattoo.

POP GARRY: Sue with a tattoo? Sounds like a musical.

MOM LORI: And neither woman has served time in prison. So what’s the big deal?

POP GARRY: One word: Sagging.

MOM LORI: Ewww. What does that mean?

POP GARRY: Say you get a butterfly on your arm.

MOM LORI: Say I do.

POP GARRY: The day you get the butterfly it will look colorful and perky and cute. Just the way you want it to be.

MOM LORI: Sweet!

POP GARRY: But then by the time you hit 80 years old, it will look like a butterfly that’s been run over by a hybrid SUV.

MOM LORI: Gross. But why a hybrid?

POP GARRY: I like all my stories to be environmentally green. So back to your tattoo. If you get one and then try to years later go online and date seniors they’re not going to like your sagging butterfly.

MOM LORI: Good point. Got any others?

POP GARRY: Would you let either one of your 13-year-old twin daughters get a tattoo?

MOM LORI: Absolutely not.

POP GARRY: Why not?

MOM LORI: They are too young to get something that will be on their body for the rest of their lives.

POP GARRY: Knowing Charlotte, she would want a tattoo of Hugh Laurie from House, complete with the cane. You know how much she loves that show.

MOM LORI: See, it comes back to the time problem. Back in the day, I would have loved a tattoo of Rick Springfield from General Hospital, but now I would want it removed.

POP GARRY: So we’ve established that a tattoo is not the right thing for a kid.

MOM LORI: No. But it’s my body and I am an adult.

POP GARRY: What about body piercing?

MOM LORI: Dad!

POP GARRY: What?

MOM LORI: Are you suggesting that I should get a belly button ring over a tattoo?

POP GARRY: Or a nose ring.

MOM LORI: A nose ring?! Impossible. I sneeze a lot. That would be painful during allergy season.

POP GARRY: How about another hole in your ear? An extra earring?

MOM LORI: Doesn’t that seem so pedestrian?

POP GARRY: Pedestrian is mixing black and blue in your wardrobe. I think a third hole would be something unique.

MOM LORI: Well …

POP GARRY: Are you thinking it over?

MOM LORI: No. My computer just froze.

POP GARRY: I’ll wait.

MOM LORI: Maybe I should just buy myself a nice new pair of earrings to commemorate the divorce.

POP GARRY: Right. And years from now when you are at the old people’s home and three holes is out of vogue – you can just let one close up.

MOM LORI: I think you might be right. Less invasive and less permanent than a tattoo. Or a nose ring.

POP GARRY: Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big fan of the henna tattoo. Something that’s festive and fun, but can be washed off so you don’t look like you’re in the Navy for the rest of your life.

MOM LORI: A good plan. Thanks, Dad.

POP GARRY: Enough about you. Let’s talk about me. Should I get transplants?

MOM LORI: No. Your hair is fine.

POP GARRY: I meant implants.

MOM LORI: What???

POP GARRY: For my teeth. Should I get them?

MOM LORI: Oh, that’s what you mean? No. No implants, no transplants.

POP GARRY: Maybe I should stick to just plants. You know how much I love gardening.

MOM LORI: Much safer. And again, not permanent.

POP GARRY: Oh, that reminds me. Your mother’s getting a permanent today. I have to run and pick her up at the beauty parlor.

MOM LORI: You better hurry. I hear they’ve started doing tattoos there as well.

The debates continue, when these two argue over gardening. Also, read how our columnist, Beverly Beckham, discovered her friend’s tattoo.

Source: Grand Parents

Scholastic News 4 Sticky Situation

By SN4
May 12. 2009

Maria is really good at science, but Kurt struggles. While taking a test one day, Kurt realizes that he can see Maria’s paper. Kurt thinks that Maria probably has all the correct answers, and that he would get a good grade if he copied them. But Kurt knows that copying answers from another person’s paper is wrong.

What should Kurt do? 

Click on “Comments” to write a paragraph explaining what you think Kurt 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

 

Kitchen Lessons

by Ramin Ganeshram
May 11, 2009

 

Chef Jacques Pépin, and daughter, Claudine, have kids sample different tastes

Watch any of Chef Jacques Pépin’s cooking shows and you witness not only a master cook at work but also a master instructor, eager to impart his vast base of culinary knowledge to viewers. It is a role he continues off-screen as a dean of Special Programs at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, and most recently, as a teacher to his 4-year-old granddaughter Shourey.

Pépin is unabashed about the importance of developing a child’s palate, an attitude he says, that comes from being from a family of cooks.

“For me the moment for a child to be in the kitchen is from the moment they are born. For my family in France, many of whom were in the restaurant industry, the crib is in the kitchen out of necessity,” he says. “But the children, they nourish themselves on the noise, the scents, the tastes. There is no place as sacred as the kitchen. You smell the smell of family, hear the noise of mother and father, all of that changes you forever.”

Watch any of Chef Jacques Pépin’s cooking shows and you witness not only a master cook at work but also a master instructor, eager to impart his vast base of culinary knowledge to viewers. It is a role he continues off-screen as a dean of Special Programs at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, and most recently, as a teacher to his 4-year-old granddaughter Shourey.

Pépin is unabashed about the importance of developing a child’s palate, an attitude he says, that comes from being from a family of cooks.

“For me the moment for a child to be in the kitchen is from the moment they are born. For my family in France, many of whom were in the restaurant industry, the crib is in the kitchen out of necessity,” he says. “But the children, they nourish themselves on the noise, the scents, the tastes. There is no place as sacred as the kitchen. You smell the smell of family, hear the noise of mother and father, all of that changes you forever.”

Source: Grandparents

No-Roll Sugar Cookies

By Mary Newton
Winterset, IA
May 11,  2009

Ingredients

1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
2 eggs
3¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cream together sugars and butter with a mixer at medium speed. Add eggs and mix well. Add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and vanilla; mix well.
3. Roll dough into walnut-size balls. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in sugar. Bake about 10 minutes, until light golden. Makes 4½ dozen cookies.

Yield: 4 to 5 dozen.

Nutritional Information

Nutritional facts per cookie: 80 calories, 5g fat, 1g protein, 9g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 65mg sodium.

Source: American Profile

Sour Cream Raisin Bars

Elsie Probasco
Bartley, NE
May 12, 2009

Ingredients

2 cups raisins
1½ cups water
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1¾ cups old-fashioned oats
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups sour cream
2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish.
2. Combine raisins and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes; drain well and set aside to cool.
3. Combine brown sugar, butter, oats, flour and soda in a medium bowl; mix well. Press half the mixture (about 2 cups) into the bottom of pan to form a crust. Bake 7 minutes, until partially cooked and slightly set.
4. Combine egg yolks, granulated sugar, sour cream, cornstarch and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and stir until cornstarch is dissolved. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and resembles pudding, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the raisins and vanilla.
5. Pour onto crust and crumble remaining oat mixture evenly over top. Bake 25 minutes, or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. Makes 36 bars.

Nutritional Information

Nutritional facts per bar: 190 calories, 7g fat, 2g protein, 29g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 80mg sodium.

Source: American Profile

Talking to Your Child About Drugs

By Laura Broadwell
May 11, 2009

Children today are exposed to tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs at increasingly younger ages. The media is rife with images that promote smoking and drinking as “cool,” fun, and a natural part of life. That’s why, more than ever, parents need to talk to their kids about the perils of drugs and help them separate fact from fiction. But how do you get started?

According to experts, it’s best to develop an ongoing dialogue with your child — starting in the preschool years if possible — and to look for spontaneous, everyday situations, or “teachable moments,” in which to lay the groundwork for open, honest communication. The best news? Research shows that children who hear the facts about drugs and alcohol from their parents are significantly less likely to use them. Here’s how to begin.

Ages 3 to 5

During the preschool years, children have strong ties to their family and seek their parents’ approval. This is a great time to teach kids about good nutrition, proper hygiene, and developing a healthy lifestyle. It’s also a good time to help children develop the decision-making and problem-solving skills they’ll need later in life. Between the ages of 3 and 5:

Talk to your child about the joys of healthy living. Discuss how good she feels when she’s eaten a nutritious meal, gotten enough rest, and taken care of her body. Talk about how a healthy child can run, jump, and play for hours on end.

Allow your child to make some decisions. Whenever possible, let your child make simple choices, such as what to wear or what to have for lunch. Even if his clothes are slightly mismatched, or he asks for peanutbutter and jelly yet again, it’s important now to reinforce his ability to make decisions.

Encourage your child to be responsible for her health and well-being. Turn chores such as brushing teeth, putting away toys, wiping up spills, and caring for pets into fun experiences your child will enjoy. Break down the activities into manageable steps so that she learns to develop plans and solve problems.

Teach your child about dangerous substances in his environment. Point out poisonous substances in your home, such as bleach or kitchen cleansers, and read the product warning labels out loud to your child. Explain that harmful substances don’t always come with such “warnings,” and that your child should only ingest a food or prescribed medication that either you, a relative, or other known caregiver has given him.

Ages 5 to 8

As children enter school and spend more time around their peers, they become more influenced by the media and world around them. They’re open now to new ideas and messages but definitely need your help to make sense of all this information. Between the ages of 5 and 8:

Let your child know how you feel about tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Keep your discussions factual and focused on the present. (Future consequences are too distant to have any meaning.) Let them know, for instance, that being high on alcohol or drugs makes it harder to play ball, finish a puzzle, or do other things they enjoy, and that smoking causes bad breath.

Talk to your child about drug-related messages in the media. Some TV shows, movies, music videos, and ads glamorize the use of tobacco, alcohol, or drugs. Ask your child whether these vehicles make drugs seem cool and acceptable, or whether they also show their downside. Encourage your child to ask questions or share concerns about the things he’s seeing and hearing.

Set clear family rules about drug use, and examine your own actions. Tell children why you don’t want them to take drugs, smoke, or drink. And always try to be a good role model. Your actions speak louder than words.

Help kids build problem-solving skills. If your child is having trouble with homework, a friendship, or a bully at school, help her pinpoint the problem and find long-term solutions. Point out that “quick fixes” don’t work. If it’s hard for your child to have a one-on-one conversation with you, have her paint or draw a picture, write a story, or send an e-mail to a trusted friend or relative.

Get to know your child’s friends and their parents. Check in by phone or visit every once in a while to make sure that these families share the same values as you do about tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. (This is a good rule to follow when your child gets older as well.)

Ages 8 and Up

During the tween and preteen years, children may begin to assert their independence and question your authority, but they need your input and advice more than ever. In fact, when it comes to the issue of drug use, this is one of the most important times in a child’s life. Beginning at age 8:

Make sure your child knows your rules about drug use and the consequences if they’re broken. Kids this age can understand the reason for rules and appreciate having limits in place (whether or not they’ll admit it!). What’s more, research shows that children are less likely to use tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs if their parents have established a pattern of setting clear rules and consequences for breaking them.

Teach your child how to say “no” to drugs. Kids who don’t know how to respond when offered alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs, or who don’t know how to get out of sticky situations, are more likely to give in to peer pressure. Act out some real-life situations with your child and brainstorm solutions for what she can say. For instance: “My mom (or dad) would kill me if I smoked a cigarette,” or “No thanks. I don’t do drugs.” Also, be sure your child knows that she shouldn’t continue friendships with kids who have offered her drugs.

Help build your child’s self-esteem. Puberty can erode your child’s self-confidence and cause him at times to feel insecure, doubtful, and vulnerable to peer pressure. During these years, give your child lots of positive reinforcement and praise him for both his efforts and his successes.

Give your child the power to make decisions that go against his peers. Encourage your child to pick out the sneakers that he likes, for example, rather than the pair that many of his friends have. Or urge your daughter to hang out with true friends rather than with kids in the cool crowd.

Base drug- and alcohol-related messages on facts — not fear. Kids this age love to learn facts (even strange ones) about all kinds of things. You can take advantage of their passion for learning to reinforce your message about drugs.

Keep your conversations in “present tense.” Tweens and preteens aren’t concerned with future problems that might result from experimenting with tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs. On the other hand, they are concerned about their appearance, sometimes to the point of obsession. So if they believe that drug use will impair their looks or health, they might be likely to avoid these practices. You can also tell them that cigarettes can cause smelly hair and “ashtray breath” or that their performance in the school play or on the football team will suffer if they are high on marijuana.

Help children separate reality from fantasy. Watch TV and movies with your kids, and ask lots of questions to reinforce the distinction between what is real and make-believe. Remember to talk about advertising, too, as those messages are especially powerful.

Encourage healthy, creative activities. Look for ways to get your child involved in sports, hobbies, school clubs, and other activities that reduce boredom and excess free time. Encourage positive friendships and interests, and look for activities that you and your child can do together.

Sources: Partnership for a Drug-Free America; The Nemours Foundation; American Academy of Pediatrics

The information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes only. It’s not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child’s condition.

Source: American Baby

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