Sending Sick Children to School

Community Day School has been kind enough to provide everyone with guidelines about how to send children to school when they’re sick. 

As cold and flu season is in full swing and the weather changes drastically from day to day, we wanted to send a quick reminder of the guidelines to use for deciding whether to send your child to school or not. 

Deciding when a child is possibly contagious and too sick to go to school can be a difficult decision for parents to make. When trying to decide, please use the guidelines below to help you. 

GO to SchoolIf your child has any of the following symptoms, they should probably go to school:

• Sniffles, a runny nose and a mild cough without a fever (this could be an allergic response to dust, pollen or seasonal changes).

• Vague complaints of aches, pains or fatigue.

• Single episode of diarrhea or vomiting without any other symptoms.

STAY at HomeIf your child has any of the following symptoms, please keep your child at home or make appropriate child care arrangements:

• EYES – thick mucus or pus draining from the eye or pink eye. (With pink eye (conjunctivitis) you may see a white or yellow discharge, matted eyelids after sleep, eye pain and/or redness.)

• FEVER – temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Remember that a child must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medicine such as Tylenol or ibuprofen before returning to school.

• STREP THROAT – the child may return to school after 24 hours of antibiotics.

• VOMITING OR DIARRHEA – vomiting or diarrhea two (2) or more times within the past 24 Hours.

• If you are unsure of the need to keep your child home, please feel free to contact the school nurse.

Click here for more from Community Day School.

iQ:smartparent event: "Girls Growing Up With Media"

“Girls Growing Up With Media,” the second episode of iQ: smartparent, explores how girls are portrayed in the media and how that portrayal impacts their decisions, behaviors, and sense of self. Experts will offer parents advice on how to talk with their children about the media’s portrayal of gender inequity and inequality. The program is rated TV-PG and children who are 12 or older are welcome to attend if accompanied by an adult.

The event will be held on March 19. Seating begins at exactly 6:30 p.m. and the show will tape from 7-8 p.m. Parking is available in the WQED lot. This show will premiere on WQED-TV on Thursday, April 25, at 8 p.m.

iQ: smartparent is an institute created by WQED to empower parents with new tools, knowledge, and abilities that they can use to guide their children through the use of technology and digital media. Experts and iQ: smartparents form a community in order to understand challenges of the media and opportunities regarding their children’s development.

Follow this link for more information and to register for the event: http://iqsmartparent2.eventbrite.com/

Achievements at North Allegheny School District

The North Allegheny School District has boasted some high educational achievements within the past few years. School directors had wanted the district to be more than just “good.” They wanted to be in the top 100 districts in the country. 

To do this, they increased the number of advanced placement (AP) courses and scheduled regular curriculum reviews. The result is a great increase of students who are outperforming their peers on state and national levels.  

Other achievement highlights include:

• An average score of 1705 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SATs), a district record
• On the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests, students in every grade outperformed the state averages in both reading and math
• On the PSSAs, more than 90 percent of fifth-, eighth- and 11th-graders scored advanced or proficient on the writing exam.
• The Iowa Test of Basic Skills scores both outperformed national averages and exceeded expectations.
• There were 208 advanced placement scholars last year.

Congratulations to NA students! To read more information about these advancements, follow this link.

Best Ways to Help You Smile in the Morning

You’ve always heard people tell you to smile. It’ll make you happy, it’ll reduce stress, it’ll strengthen your health. But no matter how old you are, real life gets in the way and sometimes it’s hard to smile, especially in the morning.

So! Here are a few methods you can use to smile in the morning and watch how that smile affects the rest of your day.

1. Place traveling accessories in one easy, open spot to find so you can just grab them and go in the morning. This includes keys, purse, glasses, lip gloss, homework, backpack, etc. You’ll save time and hassle when you’re not scouring your home for them, and you’ll smile at how quickly you got out the door.
2. If you have any chores that must be done, do them before you go to bed. That way, you’re not being yelled at (either by yourself or someone else) to get them done before school or work. You’ll smile at how much calmer and less rushed your mornings are.  
3. Prepare your outfit. Some people are blessed with the ability to grab whatever clothes and head out the door. Others need a little more time and effort put into their wardrobe. Precious minutes are wasted comparing jeans, sweaters, shirts, and whatever else. If you plan ahead then you, too, can grab your clothes in the morning and walk out looking exactly the way you like to without the hassle.
4. Charge your devices the night before. You won’t have to worry about dallying before the bus or a few minutes before you’re due to leave just because your phone needs a few more bars. After a while, you won’t even think about your phone in the morning because it’ll be charged, with your travel items, and ready to go.
5. Believe it or not, some of us still pack our lunches. This also takes up precious time in the morning, time we could put to better use. Having your lunch picked out and prepared for you the night before makes your morning that much easier. And who wouldn’t smile at that?
6. Check the weather before you leave. Nothing puts a frown on people’s faces faster than when they get caught in the rain without an umbrella, especially later in the day.

Follow this link for more information.

Children's Health and Fitness During Winter

It’s so hard to keep children healthy during the winter. Flus, colds, and inclement weather tend to keep children indoors where they are tempted by video games and snack food. Typically, children are incredibly inactive during the winter months. If you’re trying to get your children back into their hyperactive groove but safely indoors, try the suggestions below.

If parents become concerned about their child's lack of physical activity during the winter, there are several indoor exercises children can perform to get their daily exercise. The temperature outside does not have to affect your child's activity level. Parents should find creative ways to get their children active. 

One positive aspect about winter time is that outdoor equipment is usually on sale, and therefore parents can get a reduced price on many items they can use indoors to motivate their child. It is the best time to stock up on jump robes, hula hoops and any other fun clearance items that parents could use to get their child off the couch and on his or her feet. 

• Parents could buy their children a toy that promotes exercise for Christmas. For instance, on the Little Tikes Web site, parents can purchase any of the Totsports series, which features a basketball, golf, t-ball, hockey and bowling set.

• The day of passively playing video gaming are over. Video game consoles, like Wii, have created games like Wii Fit, EA Sports Active, DDR and Wii Sports Resort that require gamers to be active.

• Take your child to a local gym to swim. Swimming is not only a great source of exercise, but also a favorite summer activity that children can enjoy indoors in the winter.

• Parents could sign their child up for gymnastics or other indoor sports like soccer. Gymnastic classes are offered for children as young as 2.

• Parents should eat at places with an indoor playground.  McDonald's and Chuck E. Cheese are great places for children to play.

• Take your child bowling. Many bowling alleys have kiddie lanes to help children learn how to play.

• Create treasure hunts inside of your house. Put clues in opposite areas in your house so your child can get the most physical activity.

• Have a jump rope or hula hoop contest with your child. You and your child can have fun with each other while exercising.

• Go a roller skating or ice skating. This is a great opportunity to teach your child a new skill, and improve coordination and balance.

• Yoga is for people of all ages. FitTV has daily yoga routines on TV. The whole family could find a time that works for everyone and exercise together.

Follow this link for more information.

Reflections of Grace 5K and 1 Mile Walk

Registration has started for the 6th Annual Race for Grace 5K and 1 Mile Walk on April 6. The race and its beneficiary Foundation were created in honor of Grace Elizabeth Ekis, a 5-year-old who lost her 13-month battle with a rare cancerous brain tumor on Valentine’s Day 2008. The cancer was a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a tumor of the brainstem for which there is no known cure and there have been no advances in treatment options for more than 30 years.

Before March 6, tickets for adults are $20 and children (12 & under) are $15. Children under 3 years old are free to attend. After March 6, tickets for adults are $25 and children are $20. Opening activities begin at 7 a.m. and the race begins at 9 a.m. at Norwin High School, 251 McMahon Drive, North Huntingdon, PA 15642.

The foundation’s name, Reflections of Grace, signifies the effect Grace Ekis had on the lives of those she touched over the course of her short life. As its mission, the Reflections of Grace Foundation is dedicated to:

• Providing financial, emotional, and educational support for children and their families affected by pediatric brain cancer.

• Raising awareness of all types of pediatric brain tumors, with a particular focus on Diffuse Instrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPGs), or Brainstem Gliomas

• Joining with other like-minded organizations in educating, aiding and funding the search for a cure for DIPG and other forms of pediatric brain cancer, in the hope of curing all cancers.

To ensure unlimited participation in all children's activities throughout the day, wristbands may be purchased for $10.00 with a signed waiver by a parent/guardian at the event. For online registrants—Active.com charges an additional fee of $3.95 per online registration transaction. This fee does not benefit Reflections of Grace, but rather covers the cost of Active's administrative services. For liability purposes, a waiver must be signed for each participant, regardless of age. Both adults and children will have the option to register for either:

• 5K Run (D-Tag timing technology)

• 5K Walk

• 1 Mile Walk

Make A Donation
Can’t attend the event but still want to help? Simply go to www.active.com/donate/RaceForGrace2013 and make a donation. Your contribution will enable the Reflections of Grace Foundation to support families with love, give children hope, and fight pediatric brain cancer with grace. 

Become A Sponsor
Companies of all sizes can participate at various tiers to help us achieve our fundraising goal of $110,000. Sponsorships vary in dollar amounts, with corresponding acknowledgements and attractive promotional opportunities for each tier. For more information, please email RaceForGrace@reflectionsofgrace.org. Sincere thanks to all of our past, present and future sponsors! 

Become A Volunteer
The success of this event would not be possible without the several hundred volunteers who freely share their time and talent. Help is needed with a variety of tasks during the race. If you would like to volunteer on race day, please emailRaceForGrace@reflectionsofgrace.org. 

Additional Information
We encourage you to register prior to April 1, 2013 to ensure you will receive a race t-shirt. However, we will also accept registrants from 7:00-8:00AM on race day. Extra t-shirts will be ordered, but supplies may be limited. Be sure to arrive early to partake in pre-race entertainment and warm-up routine led by Zumba instructors. Also, breakfast will be available at the concession stand starting at 7:00AM. After the race, there will be an award ceremony, charitable hair donations, dance performances, Chinese & Silent auctions, and full concession stand of lunch items available for purchase. (If you are interested in donating your hair, please email RaceForGrace@reflectionsofgrace.org). An awareness table and fun activities for children and families to enjoy will be featured throughout the day as well. The day’s events will conclude around 1:00PM. We look forward to seeing you on April 6, 2013!

Follow this link for more information.

Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania

Dr. Reed was recently nominated to be on the board of the amazing Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, an organization that encourages public participation in the prevention of child abuse.  Their website offers great tips for teachers, parents, grandparents, neighbors, etc., for a variety of things—but most importantly, how and when to report cases of abuse or neglect.

Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania seeks to work in collaboration with a rich array of local and statewide efforts to develop an approach to child abuse prevention that is locally based and statewide in coverage. This work will focus on:

• Public awareness of child abuse;

• Public participation in prevention of child abuse;

• Public policy and advocacy to promote prevention;

• Utilization of evidence-based prevention programs for children, 

• caregivers and parents. 

Mission
To prevent the abuse and neglect of all children in Pennsylvania before it happens. 

Philosophy
We believe child abuse can and will be prevented when knowledgeable and involved citizens are aware of the work they can do to build healthy families and foster caring communities. Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania believes that primary prevention is a sound fiscal policy as well as a humane and caring response to the suffering of children. It is a simple, practical, cost-effective approach to protecting the welfare of our state’s greatest resource – our children – and it is the right thing to do. 

Core Values

• Valuing children: We are committed to raising the value society places on children and to preventing abuse and neglect, so that all children can grow to their full potential. Every child deserves to be cherished and nurtured in a safe environment. Harming a child in any way is unacceptable. 

• Strengthening families: We are committed to strengthening families and preventing child abuse and neglect by providing families with the information, support, and resources necessary to be successful in raising children. 

• Engaging communities: We are committed to engaging communities in the development and implementation of prevention strategies and programs.

Visit the organization’s website to learn more.