Working With Parents...

Working at home after school can be a challenge. Every family has a challenge.
A lot of kids value independence in handling projects. There are other
kids who may need help from parents at home. The only way you will
know how your family can connect is by communicating, not only about
school but about life.

Friends of mine would have problems the next day at school, because
their parents did all their projects for them. I would sometimes need
help, and no one would be home to answer questions. So, how would you
handle this in your own case? If there isn't a friend available, or a
website or even a tutor available, I would sit down with your parents
and ask what is the best possible situation at your home.

A teacher can also help to resolve the situation if you ask him or her.
You can say I am not getting my work done, because of these issues.
You can probably figure out what is the best route to take when faced
with a problem simply by communicating. It is always the best option.

You can also resolve things creatively when none of the above options
work. Where there's a will, there's a way. Every kid has a powerful
mind and knowledge from which he or she can pull. Believe in yourself!






Parents' Corner: www.ivillage.com

Some kids' pages on the site:

http://search.ivillage.com/search/ivillage?sk=ivi&iv%3Ahp%3Asearch=&restrict=ivillage&q=kids+books

Iceland and The Northern Lights

The most recent on what is happening in ICELAND!


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts1766


News such as this brings us all closer.

No matter what the plight or story,
writers and photographers seek to close
the gap.

Try using the material for "current events" at school
or at home.



Parents: Talk to the children about how world events affect
people everywhere. When I was in school, my teachers
always told me, "No man is an island."

Early Bird Visitors

PARENTS' Zone:

For Sunday:

How about a visit to a museum
without even leaving the house?

Just kidding!

Well, maybe not?!

http://www.newseum.org/fun_games/index.aspx?item=fun_games&style=g

This is cute.

You might want to click on the "education"
portion of the site to get more ideas.

National Geographic Series Old & New

Finding things!


Here's the new!


http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/finding-the-famous-afghan-girl/26ia2d14

Here's the old!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/03/0311_020312_sharbat.html

Happy Weekend Researching!

I read about this girl years ago when I was a kid
and then again a few years ago.
Yes, she's still in the news.
A celebrity, and she didn't even know it!

National Geographic is a wonderful site where all things
are covered, science, religion, anthropology, art, and
the photography is splendid.

I tried this today!

Play!


A fun way to learn and practice (focus):


http://www.lumosity.com/brain-games/problem-solving-games/raindrops

New Site!

This site has just about everything for children.

Since April is Poetry Month, click on the link that
says "Children's Poetry."

http://www.mamalisa.com


Travel Blogs!


On a previous post, we talked about family travel blogs.

I found a site where you can read travel blogs to get ideas.
Or you can upload photos on your own travel log.


Visit: www.travelandleisure.com/blogscarry-on today

Children's Page!

I remember when officers would visit schools when I was younger.
They were personable, and they always brought something for
the whole class. I thought it was interesting to listen to them and learn
how they performed their jobs in life. I couldn't wait until they came
back the next year.

Here is a children's page for kids of all ages from one such agency.

We never had this when we were younger, so this is an alternative to school visits.

http://www.fbi.gov/fbikids.htm

(Kindergarten to Grade 5 & 6th to 12th Grade)

~Ms. A.


PARENTS!:

http://www.fbi.gov/quickfacts.htm

Travel Blogs!

When I was younger, I used to carry a little notebook around and take notes about
class field trips. I wanted to keep those memories with me and rewrite them.
I wish I had done more of this kind of thing, because it would have been
meaningful to me. We had only traveled to Normal, but it was a big deal to me.

So this is a great idea for your family or you to pursue.

Record your travel experiences!

Face it! As we age, family-time decreases, because people move away, or
get too involved with work and business pursuits. So the best way to
capture some of these moments is to jot down your fun times or not
so fun times.

A camera or a laptop or other such item would also aid in this project.
A tape recorder or videotape recorder may be inconvenient to carry, but
would be helpful as well.

I found a travel blog example for you to view.

http://www.randallee.com/ashley/?p=21#respond

It is a few years old, but you can get the basic gist of what it is like to
travel - blog. This one pertains to school trips and someone who wrote about
the experiences.



PARENTS!:

Here, your teens and you can can view others'
adventures. There are other sites online.
Find the best one for your child/family.


http://www.teentravelblog.com


An example of "travel journals" you can use
in your jaunts across the states:

http://www.sukie.co.uk/tj.html

Even your fav.! local bookstores may
have something akin to this!

WEEKENDS ARE FOR THE BIRDS!!!!

I shared this site with a high schooler once.

We had a common hobby:


www.birdchannel.com


You always leave this site with something new.

Great for science or hobby pursuits.



***Parent's Corner:For Moms Who Want to Begin
or Continue Fitness:

www.starling-fitness.com

After School Help?

Tutoring is a great way to make headway in any given field. Whether you are struggling with Math or English, a tutor encourages you to learn according to your pace and helps to build valuable skills. There are centers that teach individuals and groups. Tutors also work with students individually. Ask your school or teacher to recommend tutors to you if you need extra help once in a while.

I found out about this site while attending Loyola University in Chicago. They use television as a means to teach children. See if this one appeals to you. Ask a parent or other adult to guide you in navigating the site.

Enjoy!

http://countdown.luc.edu

Also, provide feedback either here to me or to the university itself. There is always room for suggestions and improvement. This valuable interaction is greater than any other investment in today's hectic culture.



Parents' Corner

Hi to online parents!

I saw this site today.

There are some great articles for parents,
and some interesting activities and events for children here.


http://www.examiner.com/x-29158-Chicago-Northwest-Parenting-Examiner

A Favorite Place!

For the KID in all of us:

http://www.kinderart.com


Great stuff for adults/teachers also!


I hope everyone is finding the week full of constructive things to do,
and that the internet can be used for a wide variety of activities online
and offline.

Don't forget to read at least twenty to thirty minutes a day!
For fun!

Ms. A!