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Which of these pictures describes you
and your family this school year?
a. 1st day of school
b. 1st day of college
#BackToSchool #BusSafety #SchoolZoneSafety
a. 1st day of school
b. 1st day of college
#BackToSchool #BusSafety #SchoolZoneSafety
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THE BEST SHARE OF ALL-
THE BEST SHARE OF ALL-
FROM AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER...
It is not developmentally appropriate to tell a toddler "Don't Hit" or even to keep telling them to share ...and actually that goes for any child . It annoys me when I hear teachers say "Share this , Share that." Let me ask you something , do you share everything you own ? I highly doubt it . The message you actually tell a child when you tell them to literally share everything is well to share everything and let's face there's things that you just don't share with others or that you shouldn't . I get that you're trying yo enforce positive behaviour but telling them to take turns using something is much better than telling them to share . I could go on about these rules forever but I won't . Back to the topic , when making rules for toddlers remember they're still young and there's a lot they still don't understand . In my classroom , my only rules are : 1. Smile when you walk into the classroom 2. Have Fun 3. Love Everyone . If I was teaching an older group let's say Grade 1 or 2 , I would still keep my rules simple and would have three main rules : 1. I will not allow you to harm yourself 2. I will not allow you to harm others. 3. I will not allow you to harm the environment. And I think this would pretty much sum up everything . Respecting others, the environment and themselves . These are the main rules any teacher should have in their classroom rather than No this No that and having 500 rules children will never remember.
FROM A COLLAGE TEACHER...
What are five major classroom rules for toddlers and elementary school age children?
What a great question. There will be some differences of opinion, because all teachers have different pedagogical methods and educational convictions. Here are my top five rules.
First, if there is ever an emergency, they need to let a teacher know right away.
Second, when the teacher is talking, students need to be quiet and listen. Students also need to learn the distinction between teachers and students.
Third, students need to respect their peers. This means treating them as they want to be treated.
Fourth, students need to raise their hands if they want the attention of a teacher.
Fifth, no pushing or shoving or being physical with any of the other students.
AND... my favourite...
What are five major classroom rules for toddlers and elementary school age children?
keep it simple and respectful and easy to understand and enforce
Always use listening ears
Always use gentle hands
Always use walking feet indoors
Always use indoor voices inside
I am an early childhood teacher for toddler and young preschool age children. So the thought of expecting children to raise hands, sit still, be quiet.. blah blah blah. mortifies me. It just isn't developmentally appropriate and honestly I feel the same about sharing, I would much rather teach children that sometimes you have to wait to get what you want, You can ask the other child if she can give it to you when she is done using it. Give them realistic tools to help them get through life.
http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-five-major-classroom-rules-toddlers-403278
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EDUCATOR’S GUIDE TO THE MILITARY
CHILD DURING DEPLOYMENT
The demands on military members and their families
are not only increasing, but are becoming more complex. Military fa
milies sacrifice their personal comfort and
experience tremendous up
heaval when soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, reservists
and National Guard members are called to serve our country here or abroad.
Children are especially vulnerable when separated from parents due to deployments.
Their unique developmental perspective and limited life
experience put them at a heightened risk for
emotional distress during the
separation period.
INTRODUCTION
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyLzsQKFpB0 29 Aug 2013 - 3 min - Uploaded by Signing Savvy
Understand the Basic School Rules with this WonderGrove Kids animation with sign language ... |
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As children across Nova Scotia prepare to go back to
school, Nova Scotia RCMP is sharing back to school safety tips for parents,
students and motorists. As well, daily reminders will be sent throughout the
week on the RCMP in Nova Scotia Facebook page and Twitter account using the
hashtag #SchoolZoneSafety.
During the first week of school, police often receive
reports of drivers passing school buses while their flashing red lights are on.
While tickets are usually issued in these cases, police are more concerned that
this situation could result in a tragedy.
'As the first week of classes begin, we are asking parents to talk with
their children about the importance of being safe in school zones, specifically
when boarding and exiting school buses' says Nova Scotia RCMP Cst. Mark
Skinner. 'We are also asking parents and motorists to slow day and be alert now
that children will be back at school.'Below are some important safety practices that parents should pass on to their children as they prepare to head back to school:
- Always walk on the sidewalk (if possible) and never dart across the road unexpectedly
- Always look both ways before crossing the street
- Always cross the street in a marked crosswalk, and wait until the crossing guard says it is safe to proceed
- Stop, look, and listen for traffic before getting off the school bus
- When exiting the school bus, walk 10 feet in front of the bus and wait for the driver to signal that it is ok to cross the street
- Put cell phones and tablets in your school bag when boarding and exiting the bus
Motorists should keep the following safety tips in mind when driving near school zones:
- Reduce your speed in school zones
- Watch out for increased pedestrian traffic
- Be alert for children near schools, buses and parking lots
- Use extra caution when driving through areas where school buses are operating
- Always stop and never attempt to pass a school bus when its red lights are flashing
The RCMP in Nova Scotia wish all new and
returning students a happy and safe first week of classes.
#SchoolZoneSafety.
Drivers have to stop for School Buses with their signals flashing Red.
80% of parents have witnessed drivers violating safety
procedures in school zones http://bit.ly/1twlvaR #SchoolZoneSafety #RoadSafety #BackToSchool #Ontario
The Real Danger to Children Is Cars, Not Strangers
Free-range parenting is having a moment in the national media, after neighbors in
Silver Spring, Maryland, called the police to report that two children of the
Meitiv family were frequently seen — gasp! — walking home from a park. Whether
children need to be supervised all the time or should have the freedom to
navigate their community is a surprisingly polarizing topic.
The case for letting kids roam is often framed by
putting “stranger danger” in perspective — abductions and the like are are extremely
rare. But even if parents aren’t susceptible to irrational fears, writes Julie
Kosbab at Streets.mn, they’re faced with the very real threat that
children will be hit by drivers. The blame for limiting children’s freedom
lies mostly with the way we’ve designed cities and towns, she says:
Here are some hard facts:
·
Child kidnapping: In 1999 — the most
recent year for which I can find coherent statistics – the number of children
kidnapped in stereotypical “stranger danger” situations totaled 115, of a population
of over 50 million US children. Most kids on milk boxes are the victims of
parental abductions. Hell, kids
are more likely to be killed by a parent than kidnapped by a stranger, per
3 decades of FBI data.
·
Child pedestrian deaths: In 1999,
449 children under age 13 were killed in pedestrian or bicycle deaths, per
the IIHS.
In 2013, that number was 207, of a total population of 52,723,720 children in
that age group.
·
Child motor vehicle deaths: In
2013, 2,136 children under age 15 died in automobile crashes. Per the NHTSA, motor vehicle
crashes are the leading cause of death for children of every age from 2 to 14
years old, killing 6 children every day.
Meanwhile, we build unwalkable schools — we’ve
featured several on streets.mn, including in Alexandria and Mankato.
Here’s an example in Blaine, bordered on on one side by a large housing
development with sidewalks and bike lanes, and on two sides with 4 to 6 lane
stroads featuring 55+ speed limits and no crosswalks.
Why are we building communities that are unsafe for
our children? This goes beyond free range vs. helicopter parenting debates. Our
infrastructure forces decisions by some parents — and are unhealthy for our
children besides!
Elsewhere on the Network today: Bike SD reports San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer says he wants
his city to be considered one of the most bike-friendly in the world. Walkable
West Palm Beach says the provision of free parking for all attendees
at an upcoming transportation summit in Fort Lauderdale highlights broader
policy mistakes. And Seattle Bike Blog shows off an important new protected bike
lane segment the city recently added.
As schools are getting back into
session, it’s important to know there are many things to watch for when driving
around school zones. Each year, students are hit by drivers who are speeding,
texting or simply not paying attention. Here are some drivers training tips for
safely passing through school zones. #schoolzonesafety
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Hey Canada why don’t we do the same
thing...
City, county leaders debate school zone camera plan
TYLER (KYTX) -- While Smith County prepares to implement a camera program aimed at curbing dangerous speeding in school zones, Tyler Mayor Martin Heines harshly criticized the proposal.The county is partnering with American Traffic Solutions (ATS) to launch a school zone safety camera program.
“Smith County is focused on public safety and limited enforcement to ensure the safety of the community's school children,” County Judge Joel Baker said. “I believe it is a more efficient way to enforce laws that are already in place.”
While the Commissioners Court has the authority to implement the plan on county roads, it would need authorization to place the cameras within the city limits of Tyler and other municipalities.
In a letter to Judge Baker, Tyler Mayor Martin Heines wrote that the city would oppose any attempt to install cameras within the city limits.
"The opportunities for video or photograph-oriented technology have been offered to the City of Tyler before, and we have rejected its use as we believe that the alleged violator of the City's traffic ordinances should have the opportunity to confront their accuser at the time of the ticket's issuance," Mayor Heines wrote.
Heines also believes the plan is "potentially unconstitutional," and said the city would continue to enforce traffic laws in school zones and add new ones in consultation with Tyler ISD.
Baker said the goal of the speed zone safety program is to reduce speeds and increase safety for children, pedestrians and cyclists in school zones. This program enhances enforcement abilities while freeing up other law enforcement resources to focus on the mission of promoting traffic safety.
“Public safety is the highest priority of Smith County and we believe this speed safety camera program will help make our roadways safer for both residents and visitors of our community. These cameras are another way our County is using technology to improve public safety,” Judge Baker said.
In 2013, there were nearly 3,000 speed violations in Tyler school zones, according to a school zone speed analysis overview conducted by ATS. The number of vehicles that traveled at 15 mph to 20 mph over the speed limit increased by more than 100 percent and more than 85 percent, respectively, from 2012 to 2013. The data overwhelmingly shows that speeding in school zones is a growing problem in Tyler and Smith County, Baker said. Enforcement measures such as the school zone speed safety camera program will help enforce these limits and keep the children safe while going to and from school.
According to the Texas Transportation Code, County Commissioners have the authority to adopt regulations establishing a system of traffic control devices in restricted traffic zones on county roads or property.
The ATS school zone speed safety cameras use advanced detection technology along with high-resolution cameras to provide a complete evidence package. ATS provides all of the equipment and manages the program at no costs to Smith County tax payers.
Smith County will start the program with five units, which will rotate being placed at various school zones throughout the county.
Images of the offending vehicles license plate, along with location, speed and other necessary information are reviewed by ATS then forwarded to the Smith County Fire Marshal for a final review.
Ultimately, the County Fire Marshal will decide whether or not a violation should be issued to the vehicle owner. This program will be 100 percent funded by individuals who speed in school zones.
People who are ticketed have 30 days to visit the ATS website to pay the fines or contest the citation.
The civil citations will not go on the driver's record nor affect car insurance like tickets issued by law enforcement. If a speeder receives an ATS citation and a law enforcement ticket for the same incident, the ATS citation could be waived.
A portion of the funds received from citations will be dedicated to public safety initiatives.
The program offered by ATS, an Arizona-based company, has been used throughout the United States. In Texas, Kaufman County recently began the program.
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Hi everyone, we had a rather cranky elderly man tailgating
us through a school zone (outside St Stephen's) while beeping his horn and
yelling abuse - at a learner - doing the speed limit - In a school zone.
He then sped past us (while still in the school zone) and went through an orange light when it was clearly safe to stop.
PLEASE help us to set a good example to the younger generation on the roads! Too many have been, or known someone who has been directly involved in road trauma!
Please leave Learner drivers a safe space around their vehicle so they can concentrate on what they're doing. Thank you http://www.uppercoomeradrivingschool.com.au
#learnerdrivers #tailgaitingisntcool #becourteousontheroad #schoolzonesafety
He then sped past us (while still in the school zone) and went through an orange light when it was clearly safe to stop.
PLEASE help us to set a good example to the younger generation on the roads! Too many have been, or known someone who has been directly involved in road trauma!
Please leave Learner drivers a safe space around their vehicle so they can concentrate on what they're doing. Thank you http://www.uppercoomeradrivingschool.com.au
#learnerdrivers #tailgaitingisntcool #becourteousontheroad #schoolzonesafety
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Building Better Schools for Troops’ Kids
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The group has signed up more than 100 university schools of education to include materials about military families in their teacher training and internship programs. The books have just been published by a partnership of the University of Southern California and eight southern California, military-heavy school districts. They give teachers, principals, school social workers and other staff members background on military children, as well as practical, easy-to-implement programs that have a proven track record. Battleland spoke with three of the key authors in an email interview earlier this week:
You have written four different books about military students. Why?
Ron Avi Astor: Millions of warriors, their spouses, and children have endured great sacrifice during the wars of the past decade. For the families, this includes many moves and transitions.
Steve Cohn
Unfortunately, if you walked through our major cities and most public schools or universities, you may not know our country has been at war for more than a decade.
This is sometimes even true on national holidays like Veterans Day. Schools might have a day off, but in far too many schools there is no education or recognition of students or families that served or are currently serving.
This is why Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden initiated the Joining Forces effort. This campaign is a national attempt to engage all sectors of civilian society to support military families. Civilian culture and public schools across the country have not uniformly shown the kind of support for military families and veterans in these wars like they did in WWII or other past war efforts.
Through research and experience, we know that civilian communities, schools, and society can play a large role in supporting and reintegrating military families by showing acknowledgment of military culture, acceptance, employment, high-quality social services, and by genuinely honoring the sacrifices entire families made during to the long wars.
In part, many public schools don’t often see military families as culture because few universities educate teachers, administrators, counselors, or other professionals that military families have a distinct, proud, and resilient culture.Few colleges teach educators how to structure their classes, schools, or school districts to support military families. This military cultural awareness is essential, because over a million military children attend public, civilian-run schools.
A large number of National Guard and Reserve families often live far away from bases and don’t have the same support that the other branches of the military have. If you include children of recent veterans, the numbers are much higher. Only a small fraction of military students attend DoD schools.
Civilian educators not near a base may not be aware that they have military children in their classrooms or that they come from a distinct resilient culture with a proud tradition, values and rituals. This is also why the White House recently launched the Educating the Educators campaign.
In partnership with the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE) and the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC), the White House has signed up over 100 university schools of education that have agreed to include materials, placements and programs that address the needs of military children in schools.
I was at that meeting several years ago when the idea was hatched with Dr. Jill Biden’s and Michelle Obama’s staff. We committed our university and consortium efforts to finding the very best, vetted information for those university training programs and school districts so that the vision behind Educating the Educators could come to fruition.
These guides are part of a focused, national effort to provide a compilation of best practices for civilian public schools and universities so that they create military-friendly environments. For that to work, the information provided needs to be very specific to each profession. Each book addresses the needs and supports from the vantage point of that professional’s role or from that of a parent. Overall the four books address the civilian-military divide in our culture.
USC created a masters level program that trains social work professionals how to work in military-connected public schools. We also work in partnership with San Diego State University and U.C. San Diego.
In the past few years, these undergraduate and graduate university interns have provided close to 60,000 internship hours in San Diego regional public schools. Because we have many partners and boots on the ground we are able to evaluate and compile the best ideas, practices, and evidence-based programs from the dedicated professionals working in these schools.
The military school liaison officers have been instrumental in generating cutting edge programs we’ve highlight. We were able to work with partners to capture videos of model schools and practices. The videos are free companions to the guides on the website. These are practices that any university can teach and any school can implement to support the families with very little or no funding.
To provide the right supports, school professionals and parents need different information relevant to their role. That’s why it’s critical to have separate books for teachers, administrators, pupil personnel and parents. It truly does take a village to educate a child.
By the way, all royalties from the four books are donated to military-child education causes.
Tell us a little about each book.
Linda Jacobson: The teacher book focuses on instructional practices as well as the social-emotional climate a teacher can create in the classroom to support military students. Teachers need to know how to welcome new military kids into the existing peer group.
TCP
Any new student might need some quick tutoring on a topic or skill they missed in the process of changing schools. They may need someone from their class to sit with them at lunch for a few days or show them around the school. A teacher could help by informally introducing new parents to the room parents or connecting them to the PTA. A teacher needs to know how to emotionally support both the parents and students so that the transition into a new school goes smoothly.
The curriculum can also be adjusted to show sensitivity to a child whose parent is about to be deployed or is currently in harm’s way. The book suggests that teachers integrate information about the current war with the study of past wars in our nation’s history. Creating a hero board, geographical maps showing where families have lived around the world, and allowing space and time for students to talk about their family backgrounds help students get to know new students.
The book also encourages teachers to work with their colleagues and student support personnel to monitor any ongoing learning or social issues students from military families might be having in the classroom or with other students.
The administrator book: The administrator’s purview is the entire school or district. A principal or superintendent can set the tone for the entire school staff on the importance of welcoming and supporting military families.They can provide professional development on working with military families and kids. They can help set policy so that each transitioning military child is linked up immediately with tutoring, extra-curricular programs and other services both at school and in the community. They can seek and direct resources, fundraising and grants to support military families and students.
They can also direct funding toward having enough school counselors and can form partnerships with community agencies so students receive the mental health, mentoring or tutoring services they need. A principal can partner with a university or community college to make tutoring services available for students. UCSD has a program called Partners at Learning that we highlight in one of our videos.
Some principals also recognize military children and families through celebrations or cultural rituals. One school held a Marines’ birthday celebration, which demonstrated the history and a cake-cutting ceremony to educate the civilian students. This sent a strong signal to military and veteran families that their experiences and service were valued at the school.
The principal of the school talked about how the event set a good example for all of the students and provided an opportunity to encourage students to pursue excellence both in and out of school. Another school held a military appreciation assembly and gave active duty and veteran parents a chance to talk about their service to their country.
The administrator book also provides examples of working with parents, military leaders and community organizations to create a positive school climate.
The pupil personnel book: School counselors, social workers, nurses or psychologists focus on removing the obstacles that stand in the way of a child being successful academically or having a smooth transition into a new school. These can include family stress related to a parent’s deployment, gaps in learning, behavior problems, or a need for mental health services.There may also be children who are experiencing trauma related to a military parent’s physical disability, reintegration after war, or even death. Some families face financial difficulties when a spouse is deployed. Children with an older sibling in the military may also be worrying about his or her safety. Research shows that a good number of military children are bullied because they are new in their schools.
But there are programs, such as FOCUS — Families OverComing Under Stress — created by experts at UCLA, that can help students, teachers and parents learn coping and communication skills through such difficult times. School social workers and others can also help coordinate community resources, write grants, provide services and social opportunities for parents and work with service providers at regional or district levels.
Universities can use the book to train young professionals to work in schools with military families and students. USC, SDSU, UCSD, Old Dominion University, the University of Maryland and others are already demonstrating how this can be done by developing internships and curriculum.
The parent book: Parents are the most important people in a child’s life. How the parents prepare for a transition and navigate the relationships with teachers, the principal, and the new community can impact how a child fares in the midst of a move as well as on a continuing basis.
In this book, we encourage parents to find out as much as they can about the school their child will attend and to make connections with teachers and other school staff as early as possible. We also have examples of how military parents have taken the initiative to create schools that are more welcoming to military families.PTA members have worked with school liaison officers and principals to organize “transition rooms” where new parents and students can get their questions answered, meet other parents and students and find out about school and community programs. These rooms have resources, computers with Skype for contacting deployed parents and activities for young children. In one instance, a mother contracted a serious illness while the father was on deployment. The school community, led by the parents’ organization helped drive the children, delivered meals, helped with homework and made sure the mother got to her doctor’s visits.
Parents at another school created a garden where military students and parents can work and interact with civilian parent volunteers and students. Other schools have organized parent teas or coffee breaks to help new parents feel less isolated.
Parents of older students also need information on how to negotiate with school districts and administrators when their child arrives at a new school without enough credits for graduation, or if units earned in one state don’t count in another state.
The book highlights the provisions of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Students, which can remove many of these barriers—including requirements related to playing sports or participating in other activities—and can make a difference in whether or not a student graduates on time. The book provides tips and lists of resources for parents.
We have also learned that most civilians want to help if given opportunities to contribute. But it is clear that military parents need to plan, be diligent and be aware of the resources available to their children.
Should military parents be concerned about their children’s education?
Rami Benbenishty: Every parent should be vigilant and involved in their child’s education and military parents are not an exception.
TCP
If a military child is attending one of these amazing schools, military parents can be sure that the school is their ally in facing the challenges of being a military parent. Furthermore, these parents may find opportunities to share and contribute to the school many assets that military families have.
We know, however, that not all the public schools across the USA are doing well. So in that sense, all parents should be vigilant, inquisitive, and involved in their children education. They should be joining forces with educators to create the best school environment for their children.
We have seen multiple examples of military parents whose presence and involvement enriched everyone in their school. Research shows that military kids and families are strong and resilient, and have much to offer to public schools.
Still, the wars of the past 11 years have taken a toll on many of the families and children. Military families need to plan more and encourage their schools to provide the kinds of supports that the model public schools do.
Our research shows that if a school can provide a warm, caring, and welcoming environment to new students, many of the negative outcomes associated with deployment and moves are diminished greatly or even prevented. With the right types of transition supports and cultural friendly environment military students do as well as nonmilitary students even with the multiple deployments and moves.
What’s the most important thing for me, as a military parent, to know about how the education of my children differs from those from non-military families?
Rami Benbenishty: I come from Israel, where the vast majority of Jewish families would be considered military families. Normally both the mother and father serve in the military. I was an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces, and in the reserves almost my entire adult life. I’ve been to war multiple times and so have my children.
Virtually all my children’s teachers, principals, and support staff also served in the military at one point. So in Israel there is almost no awareness gap or cultural divide between the military and nonmilitary families.
However, when I come to the USA, I see different cultural phenomena than the one I see in Israel. Perhaps because in the USA there is an all-volunteer fighting force, the civilian population appears far less invested. Many civilians are not aware that military families are carrying the heavy burden of the war.
I am fully convinced, however, that educators in the U.S. do care deeply for all the children in their schools. What is needed is a major sustained campaign to raise awareness within professionals so that all schools are supportive of diverse cultures, including military children.
As a military parent, I would need to ensure that the school staff respects my child, is aware of our cultural lifestyle or values, understands the stresses associated with having a parent deployed or the need to move so often, provides resources and opportunities to my child, and welcomes my involvement. If a school offers these supports, they can be sure that I will give back to the school so much more.
I therefore feel that these guides are an important tool to help bridge the gap between civilian public schools and military children and families. I am especially enthusiastic about the ways we can collaborate and learn from each other, despite our very different circumstances.
Since few U.S. teachers have served, they also need to be educated on how it feels emotionally when a loved one is off at war. On days when child’s thoughts are occupied by worries and fears of injury, they may not be able to concentrate on mathematics or reading lessons.
Showing care, support, flexibility are something the staff in DoD schools most likely naturally do. The guides can help sensitize civilian educators so that they can be more supportive.
Most of our programs and practices highlighted are implemented school wide and impact both civilian and military students. For example, a good tutoring program that helps every new child that enters the school benefits everyone. Military kids who may have temporarily feel behind due to many moves may also benefit from that program. It could be stigmatic if programs only focused on military students and not others with the same needs.
That’s not what the best schools do. They implement school wide policies that help military families but also all civilian families with similar stress or circumstances.
Does teaching military kids differ from teaching civilian kids?
Ron Avi Astor: No, it’s pretty much the same.
Like any child, a teacher must be knowledgeable about the child’s background, culture, life circumstances, family values, and strengths. That’s good education. That’s all we are asking for with military kids.
The problem is that many public schools don’t know that they have military students, and they don’t reflect the families’ military culture and background in the schools diversity practices.
If educators can learn best practices from each other, and know that they have military kids in their classes, they can better support them academically and socially — so they can continue to thrive.
http://nation.time.com/2012/10/18/building-better-schools-for-troops-kids/
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Canadian Olympian- Mental health matters - let's keep talking loud and proud- stigma erasing and indifference are being swept away by a new, young, vibrant and loving breed of young folks.... who recognize that disabilities are merely abilities in disguise... and REMEMBER... CHILDREN LOVE THEIR DADDIES AND MOMMIES EQUALLY..... DON'T EVER USE THEM AS UR GROWN UP WEAPON..... please don't .... they count on u for love and guidance....
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