ReportWire

Tag: school

  • They Asked Me To Cut My 6-Year-Old Son’s Hair — And This Is Why I Said No

    They Asked Me To Cut My 6-Year-Old Son’s Hair — And This Is Why I Said No

    [ad_1]

    In February, my 6-year-old Waccamaw Siouan son was told that he must cut his long hair to continue attending a public charter school in North Carolina — and our world stopped. In that moment, every negative emotion, from depression to rage, rushed over me. Those at the school somehow considered his long hair, which he sometimes wears in a braid, to be “faddish,” and this wasn’t acceptable, according to their dress code.

    The only way I could justify the demand was to assume that maybe they just don’t know that my son’s hairstyle is an important expression of our culture. For over a century, the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe has been living on and caring for the land that the school currently occupies. Long hair, as a style, is traditional for boys and men.

    I want my son to be strong, self-possessed and proud of who he is. I’m realizing that this could require his constant effort to educate others about our culture and, subsequently, why they should respect it. I’ve had to do this my whole life, so I know that it’s exhausting. Eventually, you grow weak from having to convince people that you deserve respect. I don’t wish for that emotional labor and trauma to weigh down my son’s shoulders. Yet there we were, at a crossroads: Do we continue to educate, or simply walk away?

    My son loved his teachers and his friends. How could I look him in the eyes and tell him that he is not wanted at school as his most authentic self?

    I chose not to do this — and so we set out to educate the school’s administrators. It sounds like an oxymoron to teach educators, but that’s what was necessary. After that, we waited for a response that would allow our son to continue on there with his beautiful hair styled exactly as it was. When the pushback came, it hit us hard.

    Denying my beautiful boy as his authentic self — with a hairstyle that wasn’t hurting anyone — is a poignant form of cultural erasure. It disrespects the heritage that we have been trying hard to preserve for generations. Also, forcing someone to cut their hair is an assimilation effort that was used years ago at Native American boarding schools. “Killing the Indian” in a child changes future generations, and we have seen this story before. We must resist these attacks on our culture and call them what they are. We’re not trying to move backward here.

    In the moments I was processing all of this, I remember dropping to my knees and collapsing into the arms of my elders. I leaned and prayed to the creator for strength, because I knew there was a fight ahead. Most importantly, my son’s safety from the world was in jeopardy. The school gave us two weeks to cut his hair before he could return to class — and we both knew we wouldn’t touch a hair on his head.

    So, I called on every person of influence I knew in North Carolina. I reached out to anyone who I believed could help me navigate this situation and get my son back into school with his teachers and friends. Finally after many calls, emails, interviews and letters, my son was able to return to class and finish the school year strong.

    Administrators conveniently decided to push off any “discussions” about changing their policy until the very end of the school year. They altered one word in another area of the rules and passed this as a “policy change” to combat the negative press the school had received. (HuffPost reached out to Classical Charter School for comment but did not receive an immediate response.) When the next school year began, so did the looming cloud of another attack on our culture.

    This will be an ongoing battle, not just for me but for all Native Americans who face similar attempts at cultural erasure. So how do we fight back?

    Resilience comes from the wounds and battle scars of these events. It takes an intentional resistance to those who wish to remove and assimilate our existence without even understanding why they want us and our customs gone in the first place. We all process this trauma differently. Just as it’s in my DNA to fight back against oppression, it is in others’ DNA to uphold it.

    The first thing to remember, especially if you want to be an ally, is that rules for rules’ sake are oppressive. There should always be a why. Some people don’t want to find meaning behind rules, further solidifying their core values as oppressors of Indigenous people. It takes courage to speak out against a society that was designed to destroy your existence.

    If we continue to let Native children be robbed of their customs, we reinforce the narrative that our people do not deserve to exist. So, educating young people on Native sovereignty is crucial. The trauma can end with this generation. We can end the continued and failed attempts of colonized minds, by basking in the clarity that comes from appreciating and celebrating another person’s culture. This is how we can change the world for the next generations and stop the pain.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • 3 children and 3 adults fatally shot at Nashville grade school

    3 children and 3 adults fatally shot at Nashville grade school

    [ad_1]

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A female shooter wielding two “assault-style” rifles and a pistol killed three students and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville on Monday in what marks the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.

    The suspect also died after being shot by police following the violence at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian school for about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade. Police said the shooter was a 28-year-old woman from Nashville, after initially saying she appeared to be in her teens.

    Authorities were working to identify her and whether she had a connection to the school.

    The killings come as communities around the nation are reeling from a spate of school violence, including the massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, last year; a first grader who shot his teacher in Virginia; and a shooting last week in Denver that wounded two administrators.

    President Joe Biden called on Congress again to pass his assault weapons ban in the wake of the Nashville shooting.

    “It’s heartbreaking, a family’s worst nightmare,” he said.

    First lady Jill Biden also spoke about the slayings on Monday.

    “I am truly without words. And our children deserve better,” she said during a National League of Cities conference in Washington. “We stand – all of us, we stand – with Nashville in prayer.”

    The tragedy unfolded over roughly 14 minutes. Police received the initial call about an active shooter at 10:13 a.m.

    Officers began clearing the first story of the school when they heard gunshots coming from the second level, police spokesperson Don Aaron said during a news briefing.

    Two officers from a five-member team opened fire in response, fatally shooting the suspect at 10:27 a.m., Aaron said. He said there were no police officers present or assigned to the school at the time of the shooting because it is a church-run school.

    The Covenant School’s victims were pronounced dead at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. One officer had a hand wound from cut glass.

    Other students walked to safety Monday, holding hands as they left their school surrounded by police cars, to a nearby church to be reunited with their parents.

    “In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting,” Mayor John Cooper wrote on Twitter. “My heart goes out to the families of the victims. Our entire city stands with you.”

    Jozen Reodica heard the police sirens and fire trucks blaring from outside her office building nearby. As her building was placed under lockdown, she took out her phone and recorded the chaos.

    “I thought I would just see this on TV,” she said. “And right now, it’s real.”

    On WTVF TV, reporter Hannah McDonald said that her mother-in-law works at the front desk at The Covenant School. The woman had stepped outside for a break Monday morning and was coming back when she heard gunshots, McDonald said during a live broadcast. The reporter said she has not been able to speak with her mother-in-law but said her husband had.

    The Covenant School was founded as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church in 2001, according to the school’s website. The school is located in the affluent Green Hills neighborhood just south of downtown Nashville, situated close to the city’s top universities and home to the famed Bluebird Café – a beloved spot for musicians and song writers.

    The grade school has roughly 50 staff members. The school’s website features the motto “Shepherding Hearts, Empowering Minds, Celebrating Childhood.”

    Top legislative leaders announced Monday that the GOP-dominant Statehouse would meet briefly later in the evening and delay taking up any legislation.

    Republican Gov. Bill Lee said he was “closely monitoring” the situation, while Democratic state Rep. Bob Freeman, whose district includes The Covenant School, called Monday’s shooting an “unimaginable tragedy.”

    “I live around the corner from Covenant and pass by it often. I have friends who attend both church and school there,” Freeman said in a statement. “I have also visited the church in the past. It tears my heart apart to see this.”

    Nashville has seen its share of mass violence in recent years.

    On Christmas Day 2020, a recreational vehicle was intentionally detonated in the heart of Music City’s historic downtown, killing the bomber, injuring three others and forcing more than 60 businesses to close.

    A man shot and killed four people at a Nashville Waffle House in April 2018. He was sentenced in February 2022 to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

    In September 2017, a masked gunman opened fire at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ, walking silently down the aisle as he shot unsuspecting congregants. One person was killed and seven others were wounded. The gunman was sentenced in 2019 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Teens Heal Differently Than Adults After Concussion

    Teens Heal Differently Than Adults After Concussion

    [ad_1]

    March 22, 2023 — Layla Blitzer, a 17-year-old high school junior in New York City, was playing field hockey for her school last October and was hit hard by the ball, right above her eye.

    She sustained a serious concussion. She’s also had neck issues and headaches for the last 4 months. “They’re so severe I still need physical therapy for them,” she said.

    At first, the staff at the opposing high school where she was playing didn’t realize she had a concussion. “Even the referee said, ‘You’re not throwing up, so you’re fine,’” Allison Blitzer, Layla’s mother, said. 

    It was soon clear that Layla wasn’t “fine.” She consulted with a school-referred neurologist who diagnosed the concussion. 

    Similar Symptoms, Different Severity

    David Wang, MD, head team doctor at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT, said concussion symptoms — such as headaches, dizziness, visual disturbances, light and sound sensitivity, mood and cognitive problems, fatigue, and nausea — are similar between adolescents and adults. 

    “But the symptom scores and severity are higher in adolescents, compared to younger kids and adults,” he said.

    Moreover, the recovery time is longer. 

    “The effects of an adult concussion, especially in men, may be around 7 days, but 3 to 4 weeks isn’t unusual in teenagers, and it can be even longer in female teens,” Wang, who is the director of Comprehensive Sports Medicine in Connecticut, said. 

    The severity of symptoms, and how long they last, in teens “has to do with their stage of life because adolescents are going through puberty and in a rapid evolution phase, biologically, and are not neurologically mature,” he said. “The changes going on in their bodies may make them more vulnerable to the impact of a concussion, compared to younger children and adults.”

    Similar to patterns found in adult women compared to men, girls tend to have more severe symptoms and a longer recovery, compared to boys — something Allison Blitzer was surprised to learn. Her older son has had sustained two concussions playing sports in high school, but after a couple of weeks, “he was fine and back at it.” Layla’s symptoms were more severe and long-lasting.

    One of several possible reasons for the sex differences in concussion is that females generally have less neck strength, Wang said. Weaker neck muscles allow for more head acceleration following a blow, which results in greater forces to the brain. 

    Working With a Teen’s Recovery Time

    Layla attempted to go to school 3 days after the concussion, but “it didn’t go well,” she said. The bright classroom lights disturbed her eyes. And most of the instruction was digital, on a computer or a projector, and too much screen time causes eye strain and headaches following a concussion. 

    “I couldn’t look up and I couldn’t do any of the work my class was doing,” Layla said. The noise stimulation in the lobbies, cafeteria, and elsewhere was overwhelming, too, so after 2 weeks, she stopped going to school.

    Because Layla has several siblings, her home wasn’t consistently quiet either, so she isolated in her room.

    “I fell behind in work,” Layla said, despite help from a concussion specialist who arranged with the school so Layla could have a reduction in workload, breaks, and extra time to complete assignments and exams.

    Even after a few months, Layla was unable to keep up with her schoolwork. The school was “super supportive,” she said, but still didn’t understand how extensive her recovery time would be.

    “It seemed like I was expected to be fully better much quicker. And although I’ve been improving, it’s almost 5 months since the injury and we’re in the middle of midterms, but I can’t take them because I’m still behind on my work,” Layla said.

    In addition to headaches and memory issues, Layla experienced prolonged fatigue, which was worsened because of insomnia. The neurologist gave her medication for sleep, which helped the fatigue, but the headaches continued.

    Finally, Layla consulted another specialist who was able to localize exactly where the headaches were coming from. He prescribed highly targeted physical therapy, which Layla attends twice a week.

    “PT has been the most helpful for me and I’m finally beginning to catch up on my work, even though I’m still behind,” she says.

    A recent analysis of eight studies (including almost 200 participants) looked at the effectiveness of physical therpay for post-concussion symptoms (such as headaches) in adolescents. 

    The researchers found evidence that physical therapy is effective in treating adolescents and young adults following a concussion, and that it may lead to a quicker recovery compared to complete physical and cognitive rest, which are traditionally prescribed. 

    Return to sports cannot be rushed, Wang said, not only because the person is still recovering and might not be “on top of their game” but because a second injury can be more harmful during recovery time.

    “We call this “overlapping concussion syndrome,” he said. “The concussion is partially resolved, and the adolescent is functional enough to return to some playing, but then they get hit again. This complicates the situation and prolongs the recovery even more.”

    ‘Academic Quicksand’

    Adolescence is a “challenging time,” Wang said. Teens are learning about themselves in the world, in school, and in their social group. An interruption in this process can disrupt the flow and make this process even more challenging.

    “What we’ve seen with 2 years of teens who have missed school due to COVID is that they’re often not well adapted and not yet ready for the college environment,” Wang said. “These are critical maturation years. Similarly, when a teenager misses school or social activities due to a concussion, it increases the stress.”

    Wang likens this to “academic quicksand,” and said, “it feels like the more the teenager struggles, the deeper they sink because the struggle itself can be so stressful.”

    Layla can attest to this. 

    “The stress of being behind, especially in a highly competitive academic environment, has definitely caused me a lot of anxiety,” she said. “I see everyone in my grade moving up and I’m still catching up on old math units, doing one old unit that the class had finished a long time ago, as well as the one everyone is working on now.”

    Layla sees a therapist for anxiety and finds it helpful. Her mother said it’s hard for Layla to watch her friends go out on weekends and knowing that wherever they hang out is likely to be too loud and too bright for her while she’s still recovering. 

    “This is an invisible injury and it’s hard to quantify or show someone else how much a person is suffering, so it’s very isolating,” she said.

    Advocacy Efforts 

    Layla is an intern at PINK Concussions, a nonprofit organization focused on concussions in women, where she advocates for other teenagers who have sustained concussions.

    When she was playing field hockey, “we weren’t wearing goggles or helmets because the hockey league felt there wasn’t enough evidence to support wearing protective gear for girls,” Layla said.

    Now she’s working with her school’s athletic director and with the director of other private schools to change her league’s rules so that protective gear will be required in field hockey games. 

    “I think my concussion could have been prevented if I’d been better protected,” she said.

    She’s also advocating for a more realistic back-to-school protocol. 

    “Some teachers might worry that students with concussions might delay returning to school,” Katherine Snedaker, a licensed clinical social worker and founder of PINK Concussions, said. “But our research found that students want to be back in school so badly, they were minimizing their symptoms to get back to school/sport before they were ready. Students were not using their concussion as an excuse to stay out longer.” 

    Layla said teachers “should be educated to expect that kids who have had a concussion may not be up to speed in work for some time. Some teachers may not be aware that recovery in girls and boys can be different. And they should know how to help a student successfully handle schoolwork again.”

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Habitica

    Habitica

    [ad_1]

    A habit-forming app that turns your habits and daily tasks into a game, with rewards and challenges to keep you motivated.

    Read more on Habitica

    [ad_2]

    Success Elite Team

    Source link

  • What To Do When Your Kid Says They Hate School

    What To Do When Your Kid Says They Hate School

    [ad_1]

    Maybe your child is still snuggled up in their nice warm bed, or perhaps they spot their tablet or game console as they’re getting ready for the day. “I don’t wanna go to school!” they whine, or even, “I hate school!” Surely, you’ve heard it before.

    Some resistance is perfectly normal — do you want to get up and go in to work on Monday morning? — but if getting to school is becoming a real struggle for your child, it likely indicates another issue. They might refuse to get out of bed or start to develop a stomachache every morning before it’s time to get out the door.

    School refusal, as mental health specialists call this phenomenon, is estimated to affect between 5% to 28% of children at some point in their lives, and kids from varying socioeconomic backgrounds are equally impacted. The number of kids reluctant to go to school presumably increased with the pandemic, with some unmotivated to attend classes online and others anxious about returning to their school buildings after such a long absence.

    If your kid seems to have turned against the idea of school lately, here are some things to keep in mind as you try to get to the bottom of what’s going on and find a solution.

    When does not liking school become a problem?

    “School refusal is actually pretty common,” Anjali Ferguson, a child psychologist in Virginia, told HuffPost.

    “If you notice this refusal happening for a consistent or a long period of time, then we classify that under school anxiety,” she continued.

    Physical symptoms are another indication of an issue deeper than not wanting to get out of bed.

    “If you’re noticing things like your kid is having headaches and stomachaches or feeling nauseous … that’s when we want to pay attention a little bit more about this concept of school anxiety,” said Ferguson.

    It’s important to note that these physical symptoms can be real to your child even when they have a psychological trigger. Don’t assume that they must be “faking it.”

    “We know in kids that our anxiety and our mood stuff often manifests as somatic complaints,” said Ferguson.

    “They still are developing a way to connect their thoughts and their physical sensations and their feelings,” she explained. “Developmentally, they’re not there yet. So you see it play out really physiologically for kids.”

    Dr. Larry Mitnaul, a board-certified psychiatrist for children, adolescents and adults, told HuffPost that in addition to these physical symptoms, you may notice other signs of your child’s anxiety, such as:

    • nightmares

    • worrying about their parents

    • worry about something bad happening to them

    • “shadowing,” or following parents around the house (to avoid being alone in a room)

    • trouble falling asleep

    • fear of being alone or of dark places

    • other exaggerated, unrealistic fears

    A common cause of school anxiety is separation anxiety, which is most often seen in younger children — although a number of kids experienced something similar when returning to school after isolating during the pandemic.

    “Other struggles that can contribute [to school anxiety] include bullying, learning difficulties, inattention, and depression,” said Mitnaul.

    In addition to the struggle of readjusting after COVID-19, any kind of trauma in a child’s life can show up as school anxiety: abuse, neglect, divorce or even lesser stressors like a move or a change in routine, Ferguson explained.

    Since solutions to these dilemmas differ, you’ll have to get your child to open up about what’s going on in order to figure out how to help.

    “As a parent myself, anytime I hear about any type of conflict, I’m like, ‘How do I fix it?’ That’s not actually teaching them conflict resolution skills [that] are so important for them to figure out.”

    – Anjali Ferguson, child psychologist

    How should you talk with your child about this?

    If you’re concerned that school refusal is coming from a place of anxiety, try asking open-ended questions to get your child to talk about what’s going on, both at school and in their mind. Mitnaul suggested starting with these:

    • “What are you thinking about when your stomach is in knots?”
    • “Are you worrying about Mom and Dad?”
    • “What has been hard about school lately?”

    You can also ask leading questions to help them connect their physical symptoms to their emotions, said Ferguson. She gave the following example: “I’m really hearing that your tummy hurts and I’m wondering if you’re feeling nervous about school. Sometimes I get really nervous too about things, and my stomach starts to hurt before something that makes me nervous. Do you think that’s what’s happening here?”

    Start by teaching them a few coping strategies.

    You want to validate the feeling that they are having while at the same time suggesting that they could exert some control over it. To tame feelings of anxiety, you could practice breathing exercises together. This could be as simple as taking a few deep breaths. You could teach them some guided imagery, like imagining a calm place, as well.

    We also want to teach them how to challenge their anxious thoughts. Ferguson suggested the following: “Is everything bad at school? What are some good things that happen in your school day? Who are the people you really like to see at school, and how can we make sure we see those people that we really like to see, or that really make us feel safe? Let’s figure that out together.”

    If they’re having a social problem with peers, Ferguson suggests using “collaborative problem-solving” to brainstorm ways to address the issue. After you’ve listened to your child and validated that what they’re dealing with is difficult, you might ask questions such as: “Where do you think we should start?” or “What do you think we should do?”

    See what ideas your child is able to come up with on their own before offering your own suggestions. You might eventually say, “What if we tried this?” or “Do you think you’d be able to go speak to this person or that person? How do you feel about that?”

    Ferguson understands that instinct tells us to jump in and solve our kids’ problems but explains that when it comes to peer conflict, it may be better for us to take a step back.

    “As a parent myself, anytime I hear about any type of conflict, I’m like, ‘How do I fix it?’ That’s not actually teaching them conflict resolution skills [that] are so important for them to figure out,” she said.

    It’s a delicate balance of both reaching out and letting go. “We don’t want them to feel like they’re on their own with this. We want them to know that we are there, but we want them to take ownership,” she explained.

    Think twice before allowing them to stay home.

    “As parents, we want to protect them and we want to validate their feelings,” said Ferguson. But if we allow them to stay home from school, instead of bolstering their mental health we may actually be contributing to the problem. We allow them to avoid the thing that’s making them anxious, which makes their anxiety even worse.

    “Because then they’re not facing the fear and not realizing that maybe the anxiety that they’re having in their mind is kind of unrealistic or manageable. They’re not given the opportunity to practice it if we avoid that,” said Ferguson.

    While you can’t send a highly distressed child off to school, hopefully, you can talk them down to a place where they’re willing to walk into the building.

    It’s possible that you’re doing other things that are also contributing to the issue. Mitnaul says an evaluation can help identify “parental behaviors that inadvertently reinforce school avoidance.”

    Enlist help.

    Ferguson suggests thinking of your own involvement in your child’s problems on a continuum. For peer conflicts, you can be a sounding board and offer advice, but if the behavior morphs into bullying, you’ll want to step in and inform a teacher. Emotional and educational struggles also warrant you acting as an advocate for your child.

    School personnel and mental health care providers can be of assistance. Both Ferguson and Mitnaul emphasize the importance of involving adults at your child’s school as soon as this sort of problem arises.

    “Parents should avoid the inclination to let it ‘sort itself out,’” said Mitnaul, who also suggested that parents speak with their child’s primary care provider and have the child professionally evaluated for emotional issues or learning difficulties if it seems appropriate to do so.

    “If children are struggling with persistent fear, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional,” he said. Kids can get a psychological evaluation for emotional issues, and schools should offer psychoeducational evaluation if learning difficulties are suspected.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Supermom In Training: It takes a village

    Supermom In Training: It takes a village

    [ad_1]

    When they told you it takes a village to raise a child, they weren’t entirely right. You can raise a child without the village backing you. But when you’ve got the strength of the village on your side, you can raise a really awesome well-rounded kid!

    I have a village. I have amazing grandparents who give my son so much love and attention and comfort. I have wonderful aunts and uncles who spoil him in every which way. I have incredible friends who love my kid as much as their own, and who are my sounding board when I’m on the edge of a ledge. I have a church full of parishioners who have always embraced my son and made him feel like he belongs. I have the greatest school, with such passionate teachers and volunteers, who make his school experience one that has been inclusive and positive and very educational on so many levels. And speaking of the volunteers, I’ve been lucky enough to have befriended many of these lovely ladies, who look out for my son as well as me, who offer advice and help, and devote so much of their own time to making my son’s school days exciting and fun. I have this awesome community, where we all look out for each other, where we feel safe and where we have made true friends. And, even though I freelance, I have a network of colleagues and clients whom are understanding when it comes to motherly duties – some are parents, and we spend the first half of meetings or interviews catching up on one another’s families. They provide me with comradery and grown-up conversation and sanity.

    Because of them, all of them, I can be a better mom. These different people have shaped my bean into the smart, inquisitive, compassionate kid he is today, and provided me with the friendship I’ve needed in times of being frustrated, exhausted and scared, because, as a parent, these moments happen a lot. 

    I love my village. And I am forever grateful for my villagers.

    A full-time work-from-home mom, Jennifer Cox (our “Supermom in Training”) loves dabbling in healthy cooking, craft projects, family outings, and more, sharing with readers everything she knows about being an (almost) superhero mommy.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • When Is An “Institution” Not An “Institution”?

    When Is An “Institution” Not An “Institution”?

    [ad_1]

    Sellers of real property, especially developers, often impose restrictions on future use of that real property. They do it to protect other nearby real property from uses that are deemed undesirable. These restrictions amount to a form of privately imposed law. At one point they were used to perpetuate segregation, but that practice was invalidated long ago. Even today, private use restrictions still show up all the time.

    A recent New York case demonstrates what can happen when reality confronts the words of one of these restrictions.

    In 1925, someone conveyed a large site near land that now supports a high-end residential subdivision. The 1925 deed said the deeded property could never be used for a laundry list of prohibited purposes, including a brewery, distillery, dram shop, saloon, bar, etc. The list of prohibited uses also included “any hospital or sanatorium, or any institution, other than a club.”

    Nearly a century later, a French school, “an educational institution operating as a not-for-profit corporation,” wanted to establish a private school and campus on part of the restricted property. The neighbors in the high-end residential subdivision sued. They argued that:

    (1) an educational institution is an “institution”;

    (2) the deed prohibited any “institution”; and therefore,

    (3) the deed prohibited the educational institution.

    The court decided it wasn’t that simple. Somehow the court concluded that the phrase “any institution” is “capable of more than one interpretation.” The court didn’t go into any detail on how “any institution” might support possible multiple interpretations, including one that would allow an institution that was educational. The court didn’t lay out the different routes one might use to get to the various possible interpretations of “institution.”

    Instead, the court simply declared that the language at issue – the prohibition of “any institution” – did not prohibit use of the property for an educational institution. Just because. Or perhaps because the prohibition on “any institution” was nestled among other prohibited uses that were clearly undesirable, so “institution” must mean just an undesirable sort of institution, whatever that might be. Some might say a school is undesirable. Certainly the nearby high-end homeowners didn’t desire it.

    Cases like this one drive lawyers who write legal documents to use more words than one might think necessary. They make each point a few times instead of only once. They make each point more clearly than necessary. They know their document needs to be strong enough to leave no opening for judges to come up with counterintuitive interpretations of ordinary words.

    In other words, whoever wrote the prohibition on “any institution” should have listed every possible type of institution that was prohibited. The list might have included educational institutions. Or the people involved in the matter might have decided that certain institutions are acceptable but others are not. Instead, that decision was left for a judge to make almost a century later. The desire of lawyers to prevent such surprises helps drive longer documents, as well as internal consistencies within documents.

    [ad_2]

    Joshua Stein, Contributor

    Source link

  • BEST OF 2022: Supermom In Training: Why you NEED to talk to your kids about sex

    BEST OF 2022: Supermom In Training: Why you NEED to talk to your kids about sex

    [ad_1]

    Want to know why you need to talk to your kids about sex?!

    Just Google “what is sex?”. If you don’t tell them what sex is, this is what they will think it is.

    Scary, no?

    About a year ago, I had the full “sex talk” with my 8-year-old. He’s always been a pretty mature kid so I knew he was ready to hear it. Now, in third grade, he and his friends are doing a lot of joking around that centres around sexuality. The difference is, I know my son understands these jokes… but I also know the kids who are throwing around these terms and sound effects, and they most definitely don’t know or understand the depth of what they are saying.

    Yes, sound effects. Moaning, to be precise.

    There are lots of jokes about penises. Doodles of dinkies. Mentions of “humping” and more. So much more.

    Perhaps it’s better that your kids hear about sex and sexuality not from their friends, who are tossing around words without really knowing what they’re talking about. Sure, it might seem uncomfortable to say certain things about sex to your kids. After all, they’re so innocent, right?

    Trust me: Coming from a mom whose son trusts her enough to divulge all the on-goings of 8-, 9-, and 10-year-old kids, you want to help them out on this one. Because if you don’t fill in the blanks, Google or Siri or the kid in the schoolyard will. 

    A full-time work-from-home mom, Jennifer Cox (our “Supermom in Training”) loves dabbling in healthy cooking, craft projects, family outings, and more, sharing with readers everything she knows about being an (almost) superhero mommy.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Make Sure Your Child Is Supported at School

    Make Sure Your Child Is Supported at School

    [ad_1]

    If you have a child with SMA Type 3 (SMA3), there are some extra steps you’ll need to take to make sure that their school gives them the environment they need to learn and flourish academically as well as a youngster without this condition.

    “While children with all forms of SMA have some physical limitations, it shouldn’t affect them from being able to access their classroom and learning next to their peers,” says Selene Almazan, legal director of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, an organization that protects the legal and civil rights of students with disabilities and their families.

    The Early Years

    When your child is between the ages of 1 and 3, they‘ll get services such as physical or occupational therapy through your state’s Early Intervention (EI) Program. After that, as they enter the school system, they’ll be eligible for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504 Plan. These plans spell out the specific services, modifications, and accommodations that your child will get from the school district.

    Children with SMA are often eligible for free preschool through the public school system to provide needed services, Almazan says. The district will most likely assign them a paraprofessional or aide at this time. This person will help them get around, lift or move objects, and use the bathroom.

    You and the aide will want to keep in mind that your child will most likely want to socialize and do everything their peers do. “My daughter couldn’t ride a tricycle, but when her friends in preschool all rode theirs, her aide would push her in her wheelchair so she could follow along on the same little path,” recalls Victoria Strong, an SMA advocate whose oldest daughter, Gwendolyn, had SMA Type 1.

    Navigating the Classroom

    Your child may start kindergarten with SMA3, or they may be just getting that diagnosis in elementary or middle school. Either way, it’s important to remember that your school district is legally required to make any classroom modifications necessary to accommodate your child’s physical needs, stresses Almazan. The district is also required give your instruction in what’s called the least restrictive environment (LRE). This usually means in the general education classroom with their peers, she adds.

    There are some other things to ask your district for:

    Reasonable access to the school and classroom. When Jennifer Miller’s daughter, Madison, who has SMA Type 2, entered kindergarten, Miller was shocked that there was only one wheelchair-accessible entrance to the local elementary school, and that was all the way in the back. “My first thought was what would we do if it was pouring rain?” Miller recalls. She was able to switch her daughter to another school in the district that was more accessible.

    By age 14, about half of kids with SMA3 aren’t able to walk. Even if your child isn’t in a wheelchair, there should still be accommodations, says Almazan. This may include making sure all classrooms they go to are close together, to lessen the distance they have to travel. If the school has more than one level, there should also be an elevator.

    The school’s Emergency Evacuation Plan should also take your child’s needs under consideration. For example, it should state who will go with them in the event of an emergency. Also, a “safe room” for them to go to in the case of fire should be set up for them with the help of your local fire department.

    Adaptive equipment. Kids with SMA3 often find that their legs are weaker than their arms, and that it affects the muscles closer to the center of their body more severely. Your school’s occupational therapist should recommend adaptations to desks and chairs so that your child can be comfortable in their classroom. They may also need modified written assignments or computer technology that uses voice command typing.

    Home-bound instruction. Children and teens with SMA3 may be more likely to have complications from respiratory infections because their respiratory muscles are weaker. This may mean that they need to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, or during the annual flu season, says Almazan.

    If this is the case, your school is legally required to provide what’s known as a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for the student at home. “Unfortunately, many schools will only do the bare minimum the state requires, and it’s up to parents to push for more,” says Almazan.

    Adaptive physical education. Your school’s physical therapist can help modify gym and recess time so your child can take part. They may also create goals for the IEP that focus on helping your child maintain their physical strength and endurance, as well as their flexibility and range of motion.

    Modified school events.  Field trips and school events should take your child’s needs into account. For any event, the school should make sure that your child doesn’t have to travel too far from the bus to the door and that the event is wheelchair- and walker-accessible.

    To help your child’s classmates understand this condition, it may help to create a letter to them and their parents. This can include information like:

    • SMA isn’t contagious.
    • What your child can and can’t do.
    • Why your child has an aide.
    • Why it’s dangerous for your child to catch a cold.
    • How to reach you with questions or concerns.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Gift Guide 2022: Children’s books

    Gift Guide 2022: Children’s books

    [ad_1]

    If you’re thinking about buying a book or two for the budding readers in your life but unsure where to start, we’ve got some great suggestions for you. I’m sure there’s something for everyone in this roundup of great children’s books.

    The Sour Grape by Jory John and Pete Oswald (Harper Collins) – The Sour Grape knows how to hold a grudge. Without waiting for an explanation, Sour Grape will hold a grudge if it feels wronged by friends. When the tables are turned however, can this sour grape turn sweet? This is such a fantastic book, like all of John and Oswald’s others. I was volunteering in our school’s library recently when the teacher read this book to several classes and the children (and adults) all loved it. (Ages 4-8)

    The Cool Bean Presents: As Cool As It Gets by Jory John and Pete Oswald (Harper Collins) – Finding the perfect gift is hard, especially when you pull the name of the coolest bean. Join our little Cool Bean as he discovers that sometimes the best gift is one from the heart. Once again the author’s hit it out of the park with another great book. With a story that carries a great life lesson and wonderful illustrations, parents and kids alike will love this book. (Ages 4 to 8)

    Santa ABC by George Fewster (Harper Collins) – A quirky book with bold colours and illustrations, Santa ABC brings you through the alphabet as Santa tries on different personalities. Some are bound to make the kids laugh, like Ninja Santa, while others will provide a good chuckle for the parents (Ennui Santa anyone?). (Ages 3-7)

    Creepy Crayon by Aaron Reynolds (Simon and Schuster) – From the team that brought us our favourite creepy carrot, comes a story about a young rabbit and his new sinister crayon. Jasper Rabbit is feeling down about his bad test scores when he finds a purple crayon lying in the gutter. Suddenly with his new crayon in hand he’s acing everything in school. As time goes on however, the crayon becomes more and more sinister and Jasper has to find a way to dispose of it once and for all. With eye catching illustrations by Peter Brown, Creepy Crayon is bound to be a hit. (Ages 4-8)

    Meanwhile Back on Earth by Oliver Jeffers (Harper Collins) – Oliver Jeffers has long been a favourite in our house and Meanwhile Back on Earth is no exception. A father takes his children on a road trip through space, looking back at Planet Earth’s history as they tour the cosmos. As the siblings fight in the back seat of the car, the father takes a look at all the conflict that has taken place over land on our planet. This is a great, informative book with the usual beautiful illustrations that we come to expect from Jeffers. (Ages 3-5)

    Your Life on Earth; A Record Book for New Humans by Oliver Jeffers (Harper Collins) – This is the baby record book that I wish I had when my kids were born. This would be the perfect gift to give any expecting parents. The book is beautiful in Jeffers’ unique illustrative style and includes envelopes and space to record all of baby’s firsts. (Ages 0-5)

    Dear Black Child by Rahma Rodaah (Harper Collins) – An inspiring and affirming book, Dear Black Child is a lyrical book about taking up space and belonging. Illustrator Lydia Mba’s gorgeous and colourful illustrations brings this book to life. With such a positive and powerful message, this book is bound to life spirits. (Ages 4-7)

    The Way Champs Play by Naomi Osaka (Harper Collins) – Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka brings us a rhythmic book about what it takes to be a champ. There’s more to being a champ than being good and having fun. Osaka teaches the value of teamwork, kindness and mindfulness in this inspiring book. Kamala Nair’s illustrations pop to life with pages full of eye-catching pictures. This is a great book for any budding champ in your life. (Ages 4-8)

    Burt’s Way Home by John Martz (Penguin Random House) – What happens when an intergalactic trans-dimensional time traveler gets trapped on earth? Meet Burt and his adoptive earth mother Fiona as he tries to sneak around the find a way home and she tries not to let on that she knows what he’s doing. This is a fun a quirky book about caring for others and the meaning of home. It’s a great graphic novel for early readers. (Ages 6-9)

    Meredith is a Disney obsessed stay-at-home mom. When she’s not planning a trip, you’ll find her with her nose in a book. Follow her on Instagram.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Schools find solution to cell phone distraction in classes

    Schools find solution to cell phone distraction in classes

    [ad_1]

    WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, Ohio — For so many of us, our devices can be a huge distraction.

    And for students who are supposed to be focused on learning in class — well, the appeal is often overwhelming, like at T-Squared Honors Academy in Warrensville Heights.

    Coming back from the COVID-19 pandemic last year proved to be challenging, forcing school leaders to drill down and analyze their discipline data.

    “It was really high and we had to come up with some type of solutions. We said, let’s look for the causes — what’s causing these problems and what are things we can actually change,” explained Jason Petz, Dean of Students.

    Turns out the bulk of problems — 44% to be exact — were linked either directly or indirectly to cell phones.

    Students were scrolling social media, playing games and late to class because they were making TikToks in the halls.

    So the solution they came up with is to use pouches called Yondr to lock up students’ cell phones from the moment they walk into school to the time they are dismissed at the end of the day.

    Bridgette Pacholka

    You may have seen the Yondr pouches used at concerts and comedy shows for years now.

    Teachers have loved the pouches, and it’s no surprise there was pushback from students there, at first.

    “I come, put my phone in the pouch every day and understand how it helps because it has helped the whole school. Less altercations, less distractions,” said Shahid Wheeler, a senior at T-Squared.

    Screen Shot 2022-11-16 at 10.08.53 AM.png

    Bridgette Pacholka

    Sophomore Jaydah Anderson agreed, adding, “I see helping me, my grades are better, gets me more work done.”

    Students can personalize their pouches and keep them with them at all times.

    T-Squared was initially worried about enrollment dropping with the new policy since they’re a charter school, but have actually found more parents sending their kids because of it.

    Screen Shot 2022-11-16 at 10.01.06 AM.png

    Bridgette Pacholka

    “They’re collaboratively working in groups, whereas last year, maybe one kid would do the work and the rest would play on their phone,” Petz said.

    Over at Mary Church Terrell, a Pre-K through 8th grade Cleveland public school, this is year two with Yondr pouches.

    “It’s taken a layer of distraction and stress for some kids away so it’s great to see,” said principal Angie Boie.

    Boie said transitioning to the pouches was surprisingly smooth for students, and most of all, it’s been refreshing to see kids just being kids again — at lunch, in the halls, at recess.

    “Interacting, having fun, talking,” she said. “At recess, they’re playing football, basketball and just being kids.”

    Yondr is used in 25 schools across Ohio — six of those in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and 1,200 schools across the country.

    In a survey of 900 schools nationwide, 74% reported an improvement in student behavior, with a 65% improvement in academic performance.

    In case of emergency, educators we spoke with said teachers have phones readily accessible in their classrooms and students are able to go to the front office to contact their parents whenever they need.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • A robust booster campaign could prevent millions of missed school days among children ages 5 to 17, report finds

    A robust booster campaign could prevent millions of missed school days among children ages 5 to 17, report finds

    [ad_1]

    If 80% of children ages 5 and older get their COVID booster shots by the end of 2022, it could prevent about 29 million missed days of school and almost 51,000 hospitalizations, according to a new report.

    And if COVID booster coverage simply matches 2020-21 flu-vaccination levels by year’s end, it would prevent about 22 million missed school days, said the report published by the Commonwealth Fund.

    “We expand our previous analysis to include the impact on pediatric hospitalizations, pediatric isolation days, and school absenteeism (among children ages 5 to 17), demonstrating both the health benefits of vaccination and the importance of vaccination uptake for maintaining uninterrupted in-school education,” the authors wrote in the report.

    The number of days absent from school was calculated based on five days of required isolation for children in that age group who experience mild symptomatic illness and 10 days for children who have severe illness or require hospitalization.


    Source: Commonwealth Fund

    An effective booster campaign would considerably reduce the strain on pediatric hospitals this winter, many of which are currently seeing high numbers of children with respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV, and the flu, the authors wrote.

    “Throughout the pandemic, children have experienced direct health burdens as well as enormous upheaval in their personal and educational lives,” the report said. “Accelerated vaccination campaigns that achieve high coverage across all ages have the potential to prevent a possible imminent surge in COVID-19, protecting children both directly and indirectly and providing them with additional stability in terms of school attendance and other social engagement.”

    Now read: A strong fall COVID booster campaign could save 90,000 U.S. lives and avoid more than 936,000 hospitalizations, study finds

    The report comes as known U.S. cases of COVID are climbing again for the first time in a few months. The daily average for new cases stood at 39,459 on Monday, according to a New York Times tracker, up 4% versus two weeks ago.

    Cases are rising the most in the Southwest, led by Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico — states that are also seeing hospitalization numbers climb by more than 30% in the last two weeks.

    The daily average for U.S. hospitalizations was up 1% at 27,662.

    On a brighter note, the daily death tally continues to fall and is down 13% to 302 from two weeks ago.

    Physicians are reporting high numbers of respiratory illnesses like RSV and the flu earlier than the typical winter peak. WSJ’s Brianna Abbott explains what the early surge means for the winter months. Photo illustration: Kaitlyn Wang

    Coronavirus Update: MarketWatch’s daily roundup has been curating and reporting all the latest developments every weekday since the coronavirus pandemic began

    Other COVID-19 news you should know about:

    • China’s ruling party called for strict adherence to its hard-line “zero-COVID” policy Tuesday in an apparent attempt to guide public perceptions after regulations were eased slightly in places, the Associated Press reported. The news may disappoint Chinese citizens who have clashed with police and COVID workers to show their frustration over lockdowns and restrictions on movement. The People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s flagship newspaper, said in an editorial that China must “unswervingly implement” the policy that requires mass obligatory testing and places millions under lockdown in an attempt to eliminate the coronavirus from the nation of 1.4 billion people.

    • Japan will lift a ban on international cruise ships that has lasted more than two and half years, transport officials said Tuesday, the AP reported separately. The ban was imposed following a deadly coronavirus outbreak on the cruise ship Diamond Princess at the beginning of the pandemic. The Transport Ministry said cruise-ship operators and port authorities associations have adopted antivirus guidelines and that Japan is now ready to resume its international cruise operations and to receive foreign ships at its ports.

    The new bivalent vaccine might be the first step in developing annual COVID shots, which could follow a similar process to the one used to update flu vaccines every year. Here’s what that process looks like, and why applying it to COVID could be challenging. Illustration: Ryan Trefes

    • Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen tested positive for COVID-19 after meeting with world leaders, including President Joe Biden, at a summit of Southeast Asian nations last week, the Wall Street Journal reported. Mr. Hun Sen held one-on-one talks with Biden on Saturday on the sidelines of the regional discussions in Phnom Penh. Biden — who is on a five-day trip to Asia to attend a series of summits — then traveled to Bali, Indonesia, where he sat down on Monday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a face-to-face meeting that stretched over three hours.

    • Australia will overturn a three-year ban on tennis player Novak Djokovic entering the country, paving the way for the former top-ranked player to take part in the 2023 Australian Open, CNN reported, citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Australian Immigration Minister Andrew Giles will lift the ban, the source said.

    Here’s what the numbers say:

    The global tally of confirmed cases of COVID-19 topped 635.6 million on Monday, while the death toll rose above 6.61 million, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University.

    The U.S. leads the world with 98 million cases and 1,074,691 fatalities.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s tracker shows that 227.8 million people living in the U.S., equal to 68.6% of the total population, are fully vaccinated, meaning they have had their primary shots.

    So far, just 31.4 million Americans have had the updated COVID booster that targets the original virus and the omicron variants, equal to 10.1% of the overall population.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Suspected Gunman At Large After 3 Dead, 2 Wounded In University Of Virginia Shooting

    Suspected Gunman At Large After 3 Dead, 2 Wounded In University Of Virginia Shooting

    [ad_1]

    Topline

    Three people were killed and two wounded in a shooting at the University of Virginia late Sunday night, officials announced, with police urging people at the university’s Charlottesville campus to shelter in place as they search for the suspect.

    Key Facts

    Police and university officials urged people to shelter in place after the shooting at the university’s main campus in Charlottesville late Sunday night.

    Police warned the suspect, identified as school student Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., is at large and is believed to be “armed and dangerous.”

    Jones was described as wearing a burgundy jacket, blue jeans and red shoes and police said he may be driving a black SUV.

    The UVA police department said multiple police agencies are working to apprehend Jones, including Virginia State police, who have deployed helicopters.

    University president Jim Ryan said he is “heartbroken” to report the shooting had resulted in three fatalities and said the university is working closely to support the families of the victims.

    What We Don’t Know

    Two victims were injured in the shooting and are receiving medical care, Ryan said in a statement. He said the university will share additional details “as soon as we are able,” adding that the institution will “keep our community apprised of developments as the situation evolves.”

    Crucial Quote

    “This is a message any leader hopes never to have to send,” Ryan wrote in a statement on the shooting. “I am devastated that this violence has visited the University of Virginia.”

    [ad_2]

    Robert Hart, Forbes Staff

    Source link

  • Bitcoin Allows You To Discover The Genius Within

    Bitcoin Allows You To Discover The Genius Within

    [ad_1]

    This is an opinion editorial by Nozomi Hayase Ph.D., who has a background in psychology and human development.

    Pink Floyd’s 1979 rock opera hit “Another Brick in the Wall,” challenged authoritarianism and the rigidity of modern education.

    The dysfunction of the school system captured by the song continues even now. In the U.S. public schools are regulated and controlled by the various state, local and federal governments. The education system, funded through taxes and fiat money (declared by decree, with no intrinsic value) is based on the idea of students as a blank slate — a view that we are all born with no innate skills, strengths or personality traits.

    [ad_2]

    Nozomi Hayase

    Source link

  • Jury indicates verdict reached in Alex Jones’ trial

    Jury indicates verdict reached in Alex Jones’ trial

    [ad_1]

    WATERBURY, Conn. — Jurors indicated Wednesday they have reached a verdict in conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ Connecticut defamation trial.

    Their decision was expected to be announced shortly.

    Jones and his company were found liable for damages last year. The six-person jury is tasked with determining how much the Infowars show host should pay to 15 plaintiffs — including victims’ families and an FBI agent — for calling the 2012 massacre a hoax.

    The jury has been instructed to arrive at two compensatory damages amounts per plaintiff: one sum for defamation damages and another for emotional distress damages. Jurors also will decide whether Jones should pay punitive damages; the judge would decide the amounts later.

    Each compensatory damages amount has to be at least $1, but there is no cap. The plaintiffs’ lawyers have suggested total damages could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

    Jones has bashed the trial as a “kangaroo court,” described it as an affront to free speech rights, and called the judge a “tyrant.” His lawyer told the jury that any damages awarded should be minimal.

    THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

    WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — Jurors revisited testimony from the husband of a Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victim as a third full day of deliberations began Wednesday in conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ Connecticut defamation trial.

    At the jury’s request, court began with a replay of a roughly hourlong audio recording of William Sherlach’s trial testimony. His wife, school psychologist Mary Sherlach, was among the 26 people killed in the 2012 shooting.

    Her husband is among the lawsuit’s 15 plaintiffs, who include victims’ relatives and an FBI agent. All testified about being harassed by people who say the shooting was staged in a plot for more gun control.

    Jones and his company were found liable for damages last year. The six-person jury is tasked with determining how much the Infowars show host should pay to the plaintiffs victims’ families and the FBI agent for calling the massacre a hoax.

    William Sherlach, who goes by Bill, testified that he worried for his and his family’s safety because of the shooting deniers’ vitriol.

    Sherlach testified that he saw online posts falsely positing that the shooting was a hoax; that his wife never existed; that she didn’t have the credentials to be a school psychologist; that his family was actually named Goldberg and lived in Florida; and that he was part of a financial cabal and somehow involved with the school shooter’s father.

    Sherlach didn’t testify about receiving any harassing messages directly, though he also said that he didn’t have social media accounts or use email. Nor did he mention anything that Jones said specifically.

    The jury has been instructed to arrive at two compensatory damages amounts per plaintiff: one sum for defamation damages and another for emotional distress damages. Jurors also will decide whether Jones should pay punitive damages; the judge would decide the amounts later.

    Each compensatory damages amount has to be at least $1, but there is no cap. The plaintiffs’ lawyers have suggested total damages could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

    The plaintiffs include an FBI agent who responded to the shooting and relatives of eight victims who died. Twenty children and six educators were killed.

    Jones has bashed the trial as a “kangaroo court,” described it as an affront to free speech rights, and called the judge a “tyrant.” His lawyer told the jury that any damages awarded should be minimal.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Some De Soto students upset about guidance on gender identity

    Some De Soto students upset about guidance on gender identity

    [ad_1]

    DE SOTO, Kan. (KCTV) – Another local school district is wrangling with how to handle gender identity in school.

    Monday night, several students expressed their concern to the De Soto school board over a document sent to teachers titled, “Guidance Related to Preferred Names, Pronouns and Gender Identity.” Some of the guidance is due to a new state law that could affect other districts.

    De Soto High School senior Lee Barth told the board that his very first teacher there offered a get-to-know-you card asking his preferred name and pronoun.

    “While this was a very minor question – it was only being seen by the teacher – it really meant a lot to me,” said Barth.

    Now, teachers have been told not to ask about pronouns, though the student can volunteer it. It’s partly about respecting students’ privacy, but it’s also about a new Kansas law passed in May.

    Section 27 of House Bill 2567, the school funding bill, specifies that: “A nonacademic test, questionnaire, survey or examination containing any questions about the student’s personal and private attitudes, values, beliefs or practices … shall not be administered … unless the parent or guardian of the student … [is] notified in writing … [and gives] written consent.”

    “The request about preferred pronouns could be considered a survey of deeply held beliefs, so we ask teachers not to ask for preferred pronouns,” explained De Soto USD 232 Superintendent Frank Harwood. “But teachers have always asked, ‘Is there a name you’d like to go by other than what’s in the grade book?’ And they can still do that. That’s fine.”

    But, there’s also the issue of notifying a parent when a student voluntarily asks to use their preferred name or the gender they align with.

    Alexander Shields, who is a senior at Mill Valley High School, first started using the name Alexander during summer camp before 7th grade.

    “It was just a way for me to test the waters,” he described. “It was a lot easier to come up to my friends first because I knew they were going to something no matter what. And if they didn’t, I could just ditch them.”

    He did the same when he got to school. He hadn’t told his parents yet. He had a hard time getting a read on how they might respond. Then they got a call from the school, he said. He said they are supportive now, but he wishes he could have come out to them on his own terms.

    Another student, Apollo Kouns, said his parents were supportive but he knows many are not.

    “For some students, this can create an unsafe home environment,” Kouns told the board.

    A change in the guidance from an August document to a September iteration allowed that not every student request regarding gender identity dictate a parental notification.

    The September guidance indicates that “teachers may use a student’s preferred name informally upon student request” without parental consent, “as it is common for students to use a name other than their legal name of record” (such as someone named Robert who wants to be called Bobby).

    A more permanent change, like using a “preferred name in the school yearbook…” or “…updat[ing] the gender identity field” in school records still does require parental notification and consent.

    That’s meant to happen only after a social worker “meets with the student and gauges the level of family involvement.” The idea is not to “out” a student without having a discussion that allows the student to decide to go a different direction.

    “We’re not going to withhold information from parents. We’re also not going to seek that out without the student’s understanding. Our goal is to support the students through what’s going to be a very difficult situation,” explained Harwood.

    Some students noted that it’s not so easy to say, “If you don’t want your parents to know, just use your legal name.” That’s also referred to in the trans community as a “dead name,” as in the one you have left for dead. It can cause mental health strain, said Kouns, which can cause poor performance in school or worse.

    Others said the process of involving the student before notifying a parent has not always worked that way. Barth’s parents were notified this year, he said, even though he had turned 18. He said school social workers have enough on their plate besides having to check students’ dates of birth before making calls.

    Mill Valley High School Gay-Straight Alliance President Sean Olin described the whole process as odious and burdensome.

    “They have to go through all these hoops that other students just plain do not have to go through,” he told the board.

    Harwood approached the students after the public comment session, saying he’d like their input on a possible revision. He later told KCTV5 he doesn’t plan to change the specifics, but he’d like to discuss with students why the district is taking the action, then get feedback on that and any circumstances that might be unclear. An updated document, he said, might include clarifying language in that regard.

    A copy of the September guidance can be found here.

    Copyright 2022 KCTV. All rights reserved.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Parenting 101: Homemade teacher appreciation gifts for World Teachers’ Day

    Parenting 101: Homemade teacher appreciation gifts for World Teachers’ Day

    [ad_1]

    There’s no one I want to show more appreciation toward than my son’s teachers. All of them. The aids. The gym and music teachers. The volunteers. Heck, we even made a thank-you gift for the janitor.

    And it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Homemade gifts show that you and your little one took the time to make something for them, and they can cost very little. Here are some quick ideas for homemade teacher appreciation gifts.

    Custom wine labels. Yep, I gave my kid’s teachers wine. Because they deserve a drink. They got wine at the holidays and are getting wine again. I made up quick labels that said “Thanks for helping our kid learn how to think, Now it’s time to have a drink.”

    We also made small pedicure kits for my son’s teacher and teacher’s aide. We bought items at the dollar store (a fun summer cup, nail file, polish, toe separators, etc.) and attached a small tag that says “Have a toe-tally awesome summer.”

    His music teacher is getting a small canvas where the bean painted some musical notes. Yes, they’re not to scale (pun intended), but they were created by him.

    For his two gym teachers, they’re getting mason jars filled with gumballs and a label that says “I had a ball in gym.” Just a small token to show our appreciation.

    And finally, the janitor. My son had his heart set on getting him a trophy, which we found a plastic one at the dollar store. Then we glued a tiny mop to it (from my old dollhouse), although we were going to just make one from a small skewer and some thread. The janitor seemed very touched.

    Don’t spend an arm and a leg. And do show your gratitude. Even a box or tin of homemade treats or cookies would surely brighten their days.

    A full-time work-from-home mom, Jennifer Cox (our “Supermom in Training”) loves dabbling in healthy cooking, craft projects, family outings, and more, sharing with readers everything she knows about being an (almost) superhero mommy.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Four plead guilty in financial aid fraud case involving sham university in Columbus

    Four plead guilty in financial aid fraud case involving sham university in Columbus

    [ad_1]

    Four plead guilty in financial aid fraud case

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Parenting 101: What you should know about National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day

    Parenting 101: What you should know about National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day

    [ad_1]

    Each year, September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the children who never returned home and acknowledges the survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. 

    It’s also Orange Shirt Day, which is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept that “Every Child Matters”.  

    Here are a few events that will honour this cause:

    Illuminating Parliament Hill

    To commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and to honour the Survivors, their families and communities, buildings across Canada will be illuminated in orange from September 30th at 7pm to sunrise October 1st. This will include federal buildings such as the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.

    Remembering the children

    A one-hour national commemorative gathering will be broadcast live from Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats on September 30, 2022. Check your local listings.

    Truth and Reconciliation Week

    This bilingual educational program is open to all schools across Canada. All sessions will be held virtually, allowing classroom participation from across the country and the involvement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. From September 26-30, 2022, registration is required.

    Former residential school students can call 1-866-925-4419 for emotional crisis referral services and information on other health supports from the Government of Canada. Indigenous peoples across Canada can also go to The Hope for Wellness Help Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for counselling and crisis intervention. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat.

    – Jennifer Cox

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Supermom In Training: Ways you can help your child’s teacher

    Supermom In Training: Ways you can help your child’s teacher

    [ad_1]

    Teachers have big jobs. HUGE jobs. I used to volunteer every day in my son’s school and I am constantly in awe of how much they take on. Most of them have children of their own, and yet they give so much of their time, patience and love to other children. Our children. And that’s why I am always trying to think of ways to help my beans’ teachers. 

    Sure, I love sending in snacks or little gifties to them. My friends call me a suck-up (lol), but truthfully, they deserve presents. Lots and lots of presents. And not crap like “World’s Best Teacher” mugs… they want useful things: an Amazon, Walmart or Chapters/Indigo gift card can go a long way. And you know what they really love: SAQ gift cards! Heck, I’d give them straight cash if I had extra cash to give. 

    But I also try and make my teacher’s job as easy as possible, and that means keeping track of memos at my end. I check my son’s journal and go on ClassDojo and the other apps daily, just to make sure I’m on top of everything. I see how often teachers are scrambling when parents forget things like supplies, snacks, spare clothes, signed forms, etc. He/she has enough to do chasing my kid around – they shouldn’t have to chase us too.

    I check in with my son’s teacher, either in person or via email, just to ensure everything is going smoothly periodically throughout the year.

    I keep my son’s teacher in mind when sending in snacks and lunches (I always make sure to properly organize everything, and I make sure I send him with containers he can open), or spare shoes/clothes (easy to slip on and off items only).

    I follow protocols when it comes to reporting absences or early pick-ups, and everything to do with keeping our kids healthy and safe. I send money for his lunch in a Ziplock bag, not because I think this is the most eco-friendly or efficient way of doing things but because I was asked by his teacher to do so.

    I sound like a total teacher’s pet. I know. But being in the school, I see how laid-back parents can be when it comes to their child’s school lives. They really just leave everything to the teacher. And sometimes, it’s too much.

    So, if you can help out your child’s teacher, even just a bit, please do. After all, they practically spend as much time with your child as you!

    A full-time work-from-home mom, Jennifer Cox (our “Supermom in Training”) loves dabbling in healthy cooking, craft projects, family outings, and more, sharing with readers everything she knows about being an (almost) superhero mommy.

    [ad_2]

    Source link