Sue Scheff: National PTA Hosts Call-in Day for the Family Engagement in Education Act

MEMPHIS, TENN. (June 11, 2010) – Today, National PTA is hosting a CALL-IN DAY in support of H.R. 5211, the Family Engagement in Education Act. During its national convention in Memphis, Tenn., and through an email action alert to members today, the association asked members to urge their Representative to cosponsor bipartisan legislation that would improve the lives of millions of children and families.

The bill would strengthen parent engagement in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which Congressional leaders have stated they want to reauthorize this year.

The bill codifies National PTA’s standards on Family-School Partnerships and provides guidance and incentives to schools, districts, and states on how to use research-based strategies to engage families. This bill would also strengthen and safeguard the sole federal parent engagement program, the Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs).

Visit the PTA Takes Action Center to see a list of cosponsors and to take action today.

The Family Engagement in Education Act is sponsored by U.S. Representatives Carolyn McCarthy [D-NY-4] and Todd Russell Platts [R-PA-19]. Other cosponsors include: Rep Timothy H. Bishop [NY-1]; Rep Corrine Brown [FL-3], Rep Anh "Joseph" Cao [LA-2]; Rep Michael N. Castle [DE]; Rep Judy Chu [CA-32]; Rep Yvette D. Clarke [NY-11]; Rep Joe Courtney [CT-2]; Rep Bob Etheridge [NC-2]; Rep Bob Filner [CA-51]; Rep Barney Frank [MA-4]; Rep Raul M. Grijalva [AZ-7]; Rep Eleanor Holmes Norton [DC]; Rep Jared Polis [CO-2]; Rep Fortney Pete Stark [CA-13]; Rep Paul Tonko [NY-21].

About National PTA
National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of parent involvement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.

Sue Scheff: Summer Activities Challenge 2010

Some parents fear that when summer arrives their child's brain is going to turn to mush. All that pool water is making anything she happened to learn last year dissolve quicker than you think, but think again. You can still have a fun and exciting summer (including swimming) and keep your education flowing in.

Summer Activities Challenge, presented by Education.com, is an opportunity for families to have fun learning together while kids avoid the summer slide academically. 

Here's what's new this year with Summer Activities Challenge:

• A super-cool grand prize! This year the winning family will win a Funjet Vacations family getaway to Cancun with all-inclusive accommodations at the RIU Cancun for four nights. In addition to the Grand Prize and the Weekly Prizes, 100 families who finish the Challenge will continue their summer fun with a set of Schylling Rocket Balloons
• A prize a week for 12 weeks! Each week during the challenge we'll send a LEGO prize pack (worth at least $50) to a family that has completed at least one activity that week. Participants can win weekly prizes even if they never finish the Challenge.
• A shorter trip to the finish line! This year participants only need to complete 10 activities to be eligible for the Grand Prize and the Rocket Balloons (last year the bar was set at 20 activities).
• Even more activities to choose from. We now have thousands of activities on Education.com for participating families to choose from. The activities are sorted by grade level and academic subject. Each activity takes anywhere from ten minutes to several hours to complete and the activities typically require basic materials that families will either have on hand, or can easily and inexpensively acquire.

Education.com is one of the most comprehensive websites full of valuable resources and educational articles regarding your kids today.

Sign up today! 


Want a sneak peek at the thousands of activities your family can choose from? Click here.

Get moving, get motivated, get learning and most of all enjoy your family this summer!

Sue Scheff: Sunscreen Concerns - Is Your Sunscreen Safe?

Especially in South Florida, sunscreen is a staple in most homes.  Summer is a time when many families pack our beaches and have fun in the sun.  The latest new research from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) show that some popular brands of sunscreen may actually accelerate skin cancer, instead of protecting your skin.  

Read the full report here. EWG researchers recommend only 39, or 8 percent, of 500 beach and sport sunscreens on the market this season.

For years, experts and our parents have been telling us to apply and reapply sunscreen, especially when facing the sun’s harmful rays. According to this new study, almost half of the most popular sunscreen contain ingredients that could actually speed up cancer.

Check to see if your sunscreen is listed, click here.

This summer take the time to enjoy your friends and family and give thanks to the men and women that gave their lives for our country.
Read more.

Sue Scheff: Straight Talk - Teens and Sex - The Real Truth

With today's ever expanding Internet and television shows such as 16 and Pregnant, the vast amount of materials that are available to teens today about sex education is tremendous.  There are no excuses for teen pregnancies.  The availability of contraceptives as well as the many resources that are open to teens should help prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Sadly, there are some teens that see having a baby as a tool to keeping a boyfriend or even a way to have someone love them unconditionally. 

Without thinking of the consequences, teenagers are not always mature enough to see the full picture of parenthood.  It is not playing house, and it is not a baby doll; Having a baby is a full time job and a massive responsibility.  Some adults have a hard time dealing with being a parent, a teen is hardly ready for this major step in life.

Straight Talk, Teens and Sex of Jacksonville is an organization that is designed to reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy and the spread of AIDS and other sexuality transmitted infections (STI's).
The facts about youth and sexual activity:

• Most very young teens have not had intercourse: 8 in 10 girls and 7 in 10 boys are virgins at age 15.
• While 93% of teenage women report that their first intercourse was voluntary, one-quarter of these young women report that it was unwanted.
• The younger women are when they first have intercourse, the more likely they are to have had unwanted or nonvoluntary first sex—7 in 10 of those who had sex before age 13, for example.
• The majority (61%) of young women's first voluntary sexual partners are younger, the same age or no more than 2 years older; 27% are 3–4 years older and 12% are 5 or more years older.

Reference: Straight Talk

As summer is fast approaching, teens will be attending parties, sleep-overs, and just hanging out.  Be sure they are educated on sex, relationships and contraceptives.

Be an educated parent, you will have safer and healthier teens.


Related articles:

Teen Sex
Talking Teen Sex
Teen Moms
Teen Pregnancy
Sex in the City 2

Sue Scheff: Text Message That is Making Schools a Safer Place - "I love u guys"

I Love You Guys Foundation
On September 27th, 2006 a gunman entered Platte Canyon High School, held seven girls hostage and ultimately shot and killed Emily Keyes. During the time she was held hostage, Emily sent her parents text messages... "I love you guys" and "I love u guys. k?" Emily's kindness, spirit, fierce joy, and the dignity and grace that followed this tragic event define the core of The "I Love U Guys" Foundation.

About:

We're pragmatic. Our initiative, The National Student Safety Collaborative (NS2C), started as a separate arm of the foundation under which to conduct some information gathering and research. The question was simple. "Can we really help?"

From the inception of the foundation the Keyes Family explored the arena of school safety. They attended symposiums, conferences and events about school safety. Tons of research. The foundation hosted roundtables of it's own. And the foundation contracted an Emergency Management Practioner to jumpstart the learning curve and make introductions. (Perhaps, the best research investment we made.)

Read more at http://www.iloveyouguys.org/  and a recent article about this story.

Sue Scheff: Text4Baby - Teen Moms Find Help Through Texts

Text4baby is a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health. An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides pregnant women and new moms with information they need to take care of their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. Women who sign up for the service by texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411 will receive free SMS text messages each week, timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth.

Read more - click here.

Sue Scheff: Girls Inc - Empowering our daughters today

Girls Incorporated is a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. With roots dating to 1864, Girls Inc has provided vital educational programs to millions of American girls, particularly those in high-risk, underserved areas. Today, innovative programs help girls confront subtle societal messages about their value and potential, and prepare them to lead successful, independent, and fulfilling lives.

Programs Girls Inc develops research-based informal education programs that encourage girls to take risks and master physical, intellectual and emotional challenges. Major programs address math and science education, pregnancy and drug abuse prevention, media literacy, economic literacy, adolescent health, violence prevention, and sports participation.

Read and learn more!  Get involved and make a difference!

Sue Scheff: School Climate - Center for Social and Emotional Education

About School Climate

Our goal is to promote positive and sustained school climate: a safe, supportive environment that nurtures social and emotional, ethical, and academic skills.

CSEE is an organization that helps schools integrate crucial social and emotional learning with academic instruction. In doing so, we enhance student performance, prevent drop outs, reduce physical violence, bullying, and develop healthy and positively engaged adults.

For more than a decade CSEE has worked together with the entire academic community—teacher, staff, school-based mental health professionals, students and parents—to improve a climate for learning.

We help translate research into practice by establishing meaningful and relevant guidelines, programs and services that support a model for whole school improvement with a focus on school climate.
What a fantastic organization and very timely!!!! Visit http://www.schoolclimate.org/  today!