Chances are, most people reading this know a child who has stayed home from school this week simply because they were afraid of being bullied – but they may not realize it. It is estimated that an average of 160,000 students each day around the country stay home out of fear of being bullied. Yet many adults, for a variety of reasons, have no idea that the bullying is taking place.
“The battle of wits has begun,” said the Man in Black in the movie, The Princess Bride. That’ll soon be true for the students competing in the Department of Energy’s National Science Bowl too. Starting on January 19th and continuing through March 9th, thousands of middle and high school students will compete in 120 regional competitions all across the country as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The prizes aren’t quite on par with winning the hand of a princess, but offer pretty bright prospects nonetheless.
By Joe Laing, El Monte RV
No one disagrees with the notion that it’s hard to save money and stick to a budget, whether you’re an individual or a family unit. But sometimes, the reward in the long run can be worth a little bit of penny-pinching in the present, especially when it comes to your summer family vacation. Do you really want to let the kids down this June and tell them that the family can’t afford to take a few days and road trip together someplace interesting? You can avoid that unpleasant, disheartening scene with a little bit of planning–and not as many sacrifices as you might think.
If you’ve never educated the kids (or your spouse!) regarding the purpose of a budget, having a family meeting before getting started is essential. Let everyone know that a budget is a fun, responsible way to make sure enough money is available for a vacation that year. Keep in mind the following when discussing the family budget:
By Visa Shanmugam
According to a survey of kindergarten through fourth grade children (published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics) teachers have reported that about 10% of the kids were falling asleep in school.
By Dr. Sue Hegel
Do you ever get frustrated with trying to get your child to study?
Does your child have difficulty with studying, ceaselessly complaining, and doing anything to avoid it?
Does frustration from both you and your child create endless squabbles over studying?
The Bars Technique
What if, it didn’t take much to totally transform both you and your child’s experience of school, studying and testing – and all it involves is a technique called “The Bars”. Parents are using the Bars to assist their children to have fun in school, study easier, and test better, with less nagging and better grades abound.
By Amy Egan
Recently, I have been coaching a mother whose six-year-old daughter has a lot of control in their home. Due to the nature of their personalities, both parents were allowing this to go on because they saw it as being better than any conflict that ensued when Meg was not given her way. Naturally, life had gotten very uncomfortable for all three of them. To start with, we worked out a plan to help get Mom and Dad back in charge of the situation. Things like not arguing with Meg, setting a limit once and following through with a consequence, not minding when Meg got really upset with them, all helped tremendously. And while both parents were thrilled with the improvements and new-found harmony within the family, Mom was still puzzled by Meg’s almost constant attempts to control her mother.
Our work together then went on to the next layer of the onion, and here is what popped up.
Parents, teachers and scout leaders tell your kids to start the drawing engines and participate in the annual Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest, an integral part of the eighth annual national Endangered Species Day, celebrated on May 17, 2013.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and numerous conservation organizations will observe Endangered Species Day to recognize conservation efforts underway across the nation aimed at helping America’s imperiled species. This year also commemorates the 40th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act.
Started in 2006 by the United States Congress, Endangered Species Day is a celebration of the nation’s rarest plant and animal species. The Youth Art Contest provides students from kindergarten to high school with an opportunity to learn about threatened and endangered species and express their knowledge and support through artwork. Young artists who are home schooled and participate in youth groups are also eligible to submit their art. Previous winners have come from California, Minnesota, New Jersey, Louisiana and as far away as Alaska. Entries must be postmarked by March 15, 2013.
