Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Orthopaedic surgeons offer tips to steer clear of injuries from backpacks

Choosing the Right Backpack

The correct use of both of the wide, well-padded shoulder straps will help distribute the weight of the backpack.
When choosing a backpack, look for some of the following features.

  • Wide, padded shoulder straps
  • Two shoulder straps
  • Padded back
  • Waist strap
  • Lightweight backpack
  • Rolling backpack
Injury Prevention

Always use both shoulder straps. Tighten the straps so that the pack is close to the body.
To prevent injury when using a backpack, do the following:

  • Always use both shoulder straps
  • Tighten the straps
  • Pack light
  • Organize
  • Remove items
  • Lift properly
  • Build muscle strength
Tips for Parents
Parents also can help.
  • Encourage your child or teenager to tell you about pain or discomfort that may be caused by a heavy backpack.
  • Do not ignore any back pain in a child or teenager.
  • Talk to the school about lightening the load.
  • Be sure the school allows students to stop at their lockers throughout the day. Team up with other parents to encourage changes.
  • If your child has back pain that does not improve, consider buying a second set of textbooks to keep at home.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Healthy Snacks for Busy Families!

Being a mom, you know what it's like to always be on the go, go, go! You may be picky about what your kids eat, but do you always pay attention to what you eat? These delicious and super-easy snacks will keep you satisfied and on track all day long. Jam packed with vitamins and minerals, these easy-to-grab goodies will give you (and your kids) the energy you need to get through the busy day.

Read more on FamilyEducation: http://recipes.familyeducation.com/slideshow/mothers/58338.html#ixzz1QhFOF0m8

Monday, May 23, 2011

Help DoDEA Design 21st Century Schools!

DoDEA IS ASKING FOR YOUR IDEAS ON LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN THE FUTURE
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is seeking your insight and ideas on how future learning environments are designed, constructed and furnished.
In January of 2011, President Barack Obama released a report (Strengthening our Military Families) that identified education as one of his key areas.  Complementing this initiative, the Department of Defense has committed to an ambitious military construction program that will build or significantly renovate over 100 DoDEA schools. From now until 2016, this modernization initiative will replace an aging inventory of facilities with state-of-the-art schools to support dependent education for the next 45 years. 
School districts across the nation, including DoDEA, are facing major facility challenges due largely to the aging infrastructure and the related costs. Providing a safe, secure and educationally appropriate facility for all military children is a critical responsibility for DoDEA.
Parents and community members are invited to share ideas at: http://21stcentury.dodea.edu/. 
“We really need input from our students, parents and the community to help design educational facilities that optimize success for students in the 21st Century,” said Fitzgerald. “Our schools need to support the teaching and learning process in a way that helps our children grow and learn in the 21st Century."

Submissions can be in the form of videos, images, written narratives or audio files. All student work must be submitted by a teacher using the established Intranet site to ensure adult moderation. 

The site provides registration information, guiding questions, and the process for submitting ideas electronically. 

DoDEA has established a three phase plan entitled, Facilities for 21st Century Learning. Phase 1, which has already occurred, brought together experts from industry, educational leaders, and futurists.  Phase 2 focuses on receiving ideas and input from you, our customers.  Phase 3 will involve a thorough analysis and synthesis of all submitted ideas and input. 

“We are seeing dramatic changes in how students communicate, interact, and learn,” said DoDEA Acting Director Marilee Fitzgerald. “School facilities of the future must be flexible and adaptable, allowing us to adjust to deliver student-centric education for a 21st century, knowledge-based economy.”
DoDEA will take innovations in education, curriculum delivery, use of technology, and the growing expectations for sustainability and energy conservation into consideration as the process moves forward.  

The deadline for submission is June 16.  Don’t miss this opportunity to influence the future of education within DoDEA. Visit the site today at: http://21stcentury.dodea.edu/. 

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Free Parent Summer Activity Guides!

To help keep K-5 students from forgetting what they learned in school this summer vacation, the folks at Tech4Learning are giving away guides for parents which include specific and practical Pixie activities across the curriculum to do at home with their child. 
Each guide helps parents:
  • Support learning at home through fun, curriculum-related activities,
  • View important curriculum concepts covered at each grade,
  • Build stronger relationships with their child with collaborative projects.

Explore the guides!
Special Offer for Parents
For a limited time, parents are also eligible for a nearly 50% discount on single copies of Pixie, Frames, Share, and ImageBlender! Parents simply visit their online store and select the products they wish to order and enter HUCLV100 as the discount on the checkout page. 

We hope the Parent Guides will help you make this summer a perfect learning vacation!
PS – We encourage you to explore the guides yourself and forward this email out to parents!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Healthy Eating Habits for Children

We should all be focusing on encouraging healtier eating habits in our children while they are young to prevent health problems associated with obesity and un-healthy eating. 
Dr. Newsom from Martin Army Community Hospital provided this list of snack items that might be healthier than the ones the children are eating. You, as parents can use this information to help your children make healthier choices, at home and at school.

Here are some websites that can provide additional information on healthy snacks.