The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT) July 22, 2011
"Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters, Connecticut’s premier youth mentoring organization, has launched a late summer campaign designed to transition as many boys and young men as possible off its statewide waiting list and into productive match relationships with caring adult mentors.
'Our waiting list of boys has definitely grown larger over the past six months,' said Gloria Talbot, Nutmeg’s Vice President of Program and Operations. 'We’re not sure whether that growth has to do with the economy, or if its impacted by people hearing good things about the positive outcomes our services generate. Whatever the cause, we’re determined to greatly reduce our growing list of boys as quickly as possible so more young people have the opportunity to utilize their innate talents and fulfill their great potential. To communicate our goal to constituents, we’re using public relations, social media and word-of-mouth messaging.'" Read More
Monday, July 25, 2011
School Bus Drivers Need to Recognize Bullying, Say STN EXPO General Session Panelists
School Transportation News, July 24, 2011
"The 18th annual STN EXPO regular conference opened with a general session Sunday afternoon that tackled the challenge of how school bus drivers nationwide can better respond to incidents of bullying and harassment on board the yellow vehicles.
Led by moderator Peggy Burns, a school attorney and president of Education Compliance Group outside of Denver, a panel of transportation and child behavior specialists agreed school bus drivers already are taxed by basic job requirements of safe vehicle operation and managing student behavior.
Yet, the federal Office of Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Education have made it a priority recently to remind schools of their legal obligations to do everything in their power to report and respond to bullying or harassment incidents." Read More
"The 18th annual STN EXPO regular conference opened with a general session Sunday afternoon that tackled the challenge of how school bus drivers nationwide can better respond to incidents of bullying and harassment on board the yellow vehicles.
Led by moderator Peggy Burns, a school attorney and president of Education Compliance Group outside of Denver, a panel of transportation and child behavior specialists agreed school bus drivers already are taxed by basic job requirements of safe vehicle operation and managing student behavior.
Yet, the federal Office of Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Education have made it a priority recently to remind schools of their legal obligations to do everything in their power to report and respond to bullying or harassment incidents." Read More
Windham County program asks adults to serve as role models
Norwich Bulletin (Norwich, CT) July 24, 2011
"A nonprofit organization is beginning work in Windham County and is looking for volunteers to participate in a mentoring program.
Michael Wolter, coordinator of mentoring services for KIDSAFE CT, said the Rockville-based organization began working with the state’s Division of Juvenile Probation Services in the last few months.
Wolter said the organization is starting to offer a mentoring program in the Rockville area and in Windham County.
Geoff Gagnon, supervisor of the Willimantic office of juvenile probation, said the organization has received a judicial grant to conduct mentoring in Windham County." Read more
"A nonprofit organization is beginning work in Windham County and is looking for volunteers to participate in a mentoring program.
Michael Wolter, coordinator of mentoring services for KIDSAFE CT, said the Rockville-based organization began working with the state’s Division of Juvenile Probation Services in the last few months.
Wolter said the organization is starting to offer a mentoring program in the Rockville area and in Windham County.
Geoff Gagnon, supervisor of the Willimantic office of juvenile probation, said the organization has received a judicial grant to conduct mentoring in Windham County." Read more
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Involving teens can help prevent underage drinking
Independent (Monmouth, NJ) July 20, 2011
"Did you know that more young people try alcohol for the first time during the summer months than at any other time of the year? Keeping teens occupied and supervised helps to ensure they have a safe summer. By involving teens in a variety of alcohol-free activities — such as sports, summer camps and outdoor recreational activities — you can help prevent underage drinking.
Here are a few other tips for busy families to consider for the summer months and beyond:
Establish and maintain good communication with your child. Get into the habit of talking with your child every day. Building a close relationship with your child when they are young will make it easier for them to come to you when they have a problem. With a closer relationship to you, they will be less likely to experiment with alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs." Read More
"Did you know that more young people try alcohol for the first time during the summer months than at any other time of the year? Keeping teens occupied and supervised helps to ensure they have a safe summer. By involving teens in a variety of alcohol-free activities — such as sports, summer camps and outdoor recreational activities — you can help prevent underage drinking.
Here are a few other tips for busy families to consider for the summer months and beyond:
Establish and maintain good communication with your child. Get into the habit of talking with your child every day. Building a close relationship with your child when they are young will make it easier for them to come to you when they have a problem. With a closer relationship to you, they will be less likely to experiment with alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs." Read More
School Officials Start Year With Stronger Anti-Bullying Law
Hartford Courant (Hartford, CT) July 20, 2011
"School superintendents and principals will be starting the school year with a new anti-bullying law that gives them greater latitude to intervene when students become involved in cyberbullying.
Dr. Jo Ann Freiberg, a consultant with the Connecticut Department of Education, calls the law, which went into effect July 1, "a paradigm shift in how schools look at bullying."
The measure strengthens Connecticut's anti-bullying laws by giving school officials more authority to step in when students use the Internet or text messaging to torment their peers — even when it occurs off school grounds — if the online activity affects the student's schoolwork or willingness to attend school. Just as importantly, some educators say, the law also requires districts to take a step back and look at the larger issue of school climate." Read More
"School superintendents and principals will be starting the school year with a new anti-bullying law that gives them greater latitude to intervene when students become involved in cyberbullying.
Dr. Jo Ann Freiberg, a consultant with the Connecticut Department of Education, calls the law, which went into effect July 1, "a paradigm shift in how schools look at bullying."
The measure strengthens Connecticut's anti-bullying laws by giving school officials more authority to step in when students use the Internet or text messaging to torment their peers — even when it occurs off school grounds — if the online activity affects the student's schoolwork or willingness to attend school. Just as importantly, some educators say, the law also requires districts to take a step back and look at the larger issue of school climate." Read More
Tips For Handling Cyberbullies
Hartford Courant (Hartford, CT) July 20, 2011
"Bullying has taken on a new form in the Internet age — it no longer stops at the edge of school grounds. Are you worried that your child has or may become embroiled in cyberbullying? Here are some tips for parents and kids:
For Parents
• Consider whether your child is ready to have a cellphone or to be on Facebook. Cyberbullying is becoming a huge problem for students of all ages. As more young children create Facebook profiles and are given cellphones, their ability to represent themselves online may be outpacing their maturity. If your child does have a Facebook account, make sure it's free of questionable or risque material. Also, be alert to whether your child has accounts on sites that allow teenagers to post anonymously, such as Formspring.me or gossip websites such as TheDirty.com or Peoplesdirt.com (which has been taken offline but is available on Twitter)." Read More
"Bullying has taken on a new form in the Internet age — it no longer stops at the edge of school grounds. Are you worried that your child has or may become embroiled in cyberbullying? Here are some tips for parents and kids:
For Parents
• Consider whether your child is ready to have a cellphone or to be on Facebook. Cyberbullying is becoming a huge problem for students of all ages. As more young children create Facebook profiles and are given cellphones, their ability to represent themselves online may be outpacing their maturity. If your child does have a Facebook account, make sure it's free of questionable or risque material. Also, be alert to whether your child has accounts on sites that allow teenagers to post anonymously, such as Formspring.me or gossip websites such as TheDirty.com or Peoplesdirt.com (which has been taken offline but is available on Twitter)." Read More
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Generation Rx: Teen Prescription Drug Abuse
Yahoo Health, July 14, 2011
"Many teens have a dangerous misconception that abusing prescription drugs is 'safer' than abusing street drugs like heroin. It’s easier for many teens to get prescription drugs than it is for them to buy beer, according to a survey of kids ages 12 to 17, conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Rx drug abuse has become an alarming epidemic among America’s adolescents. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 20 percent of today’s teens admit to having taken a prescription drug without a doctor’s prescription. Highest on the hit list: Ritalin, OxyContin, and Xanax." Read More
"Many teens have a dangerous misconception that abusing prescription drugs is 'safer' than abusing street drugs like heroin. It’s easier for many teens to get prescription drugs than it is for them to buy beer, according to a survey of kids ages 12 to 17, conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Rx drug abuse has become an alarming epidemic among America’s adolescents. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 20 percent of today’s teens admit to having taken a prescription drug without a doctor’s prescription. Highest on the hit list: Ritalin, OxyContin, and Xanax." Read More
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)