Children spend most of their waking hours in school, which means that school nurses and teachers are on the front lines in the battle to keep kids healthy. In order to help nurses and teachers combat misinformation about children's safety and health, the team at RNtoBSN.org has created an online guide that includes: More than 15 … Continue reading School Nurse’s Guide Helps Keep Our Children Healthy and Safe—And Helps Parents Do the Same
Find the Best Education Apps for Kids
Many parents limit their children’s screen time, but more important than the amount of screen time is what they are doing on those screens. Katie Williams, M.Ed., a digital design teacher at the International School of Amsterdam with teaching experience in the US, China, Thailand, and the Netherlands, curates a page focusing on education apps … Continue reading Find the Best Education Apps for Kids
New Energy Balance 101 Enrichment Zone Program from National PTA
The key to maintaining a healthy weight is pretty simple—burn at least as many calories as you eat. National PTA has partnered with Together Counts to incorporate this simple rule into a program for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Energy Balance 101 is a collection of interactive lesson plans designed for teachers to use in the … Continue reading New Energy Balance 101 Enrichment Zone Program from National PTA
Helping Your Child with Test-Taking
The US Department of Education has a wealth of information on helping your child succeed in school. As students head towards the end of the school year, tests and final exams will begin to loom large. Here is a list of things you can do to help your child with taking tests. You can be … Continue reading Helping Your Child with Test-Taking
Celebrate the 45th Earth Day This April 22
The 45th Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd, and it’s not too late to plan an event at your school or in your community. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has lots of resources focused on students to help both parents and teachers engage students on the environment. Among the resources are: Teacher … Continue reading Celebrate the 45th Earth Day This April 22
Second Annual Spotlight Celebrates Illinois’s Amazing Children
Families from across Illinois gathered this past Saturday at Millikin University for Spotlight: A Children’s Celebration of Art and Community. The event at Kirkland Fine Arts Center showcased approximately 500 PTA Reflections entries that advanced to the state level of judging, provided a wide variety of workshops, and recognized student artists and leaders from across … Continue reading Second Annual Spotlight Celebrates Illinois’s Amazing Children
Arts Education Helps Build 7 Key Leadership Skills
As Illinois cuts its education budget and school districts look to tighten their belts, cuts to arts programs are often near the top of the list of cuts. At the Illinois PTA Spotlight event at Milliken University this past Saturday, both Milliken President Dr. Patrick White and Laura Ledford, Dean of the College of Fine … Continue reading Arts Education Helps Build 7 Key Leadership Skills
Family Engagement and the Renewal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
Today’s guest post is by Jacki Ball, the Director of Government Affairs for National PTA®. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which remains the most comprehensive federal education legislation in the United States today and is a key legislative priority of National PTA. ESEA was first … Continue reading Family Engagement and the Renewal of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
Social and Emotional Learning Pays Off
In 2009, Illinois PTA convention delegates adopted a resolution stating that based on Illinois PTA’s legislative positions, we would: actively distribute information on and promote the inclusion of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) content, skills, evaluation and assessment standards within school curricula as has been developed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE); encourage … Continue reading Social and Emotional Learning Pays Off
Don’t Let Spring Break Be a Break from Healthy Activities for Your Kids (or You)
The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that children be physically active for 60 minutes each day. During the school year, many get that exercise time in during PE class or recess. Don’t let Spring Break be a break from those healthy habits, though. Action for Healthy Kids, an Illinois PTA cooperating agency, … Continue reading Don’t Let Spring Break Be a Break from Healthy Activities for Your Kids (or You)
Task Force on School Funding Meeting Wednesday
For decades, Illinois PTA has advocated for adequate, equitable and sustainable funding of public schools. Just a few of our specific platform statements are that the Illinois PTA supports: adequate legislative and/or financial support for operation, maintenance, and construction of tax supported schools, and opposes the direct or indirect use of public funds for non-public … Continue reading Task Force on School Funding Meeting Wednesday
Illinois Bicycle Safety Quiz Challenge—A New Program to Go for Illinois PTAs
Today’s guest post is from Ed Barsotti, Executive Director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists. Illinois PTA partnered with the League of Illinois Bicyclists to bring a new Program to Go to local PTAs. Be sure to check out the League’s Facebook page for additional news and information on bicycling in Illinois. Here is a … Continue reading Illinois Bicycle Safety Quiz Challenge—A New Program to Go for Illinois PTAs
Simplify Your PTA Life with E-Learning Courses from National PTA
As PTA volunteers, we are all very busy. We recognize the importance of continuing leadership training, but with our children’s activities, work, and other volunteer commitments, it is difficult to find time to attend training meetings. Are you aware that National PTA offers a large variety of e-learning courses that, as a member of PTA, … Continue reading Simplify Your PTA Life with E-Learning Courses from National PTA
Time to Prepare for Severe Weather
Today, for Severe Weather Preparedness Week, we have a guest post from Danny Neal, an Evergreen Park Firefighter/EMTand owner of Northern Illinois Storm Chaser, a science website/Facebook page and associated YouTube channel. Danny is an amateur meteorologist and storm chaser who many turn to for accurate weather conditions and safety advice and was asked to … Continue reading Time to Prepare for Severe Weather
Illinois Schools are Doing Better than You Think
All across Illinois today, tens of thousands of high school juniors are taking the ACT as part of statewide testing. Since the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 (ESEA, also known as No Child Left Behind), the message we most often hear about our schools is that they are failing. However, … Continue reading Illinois Schools are Doing Better than You Think
Protect Your Family—Check Your Smoke Alarms
It’s important to have enough smoke alarms in your home. Fire research has demonstrated that with today’s modern furnishings, fires can spread much more rapidly than in the past when more natural materials were used. Because of this, having a sufficient number of properly located smoke alarms is essential to maximize the amount of available … Continue reading Protect Your Family—Check Your Smoke Alarms
What You Should Know About Childhood Obesity
Despite numerous local and national campaigns, commercials, educational messaging through various outlets, the US still has a weight problem, especially among its young people. Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Adults rated childhood obesity … Continue reading What You Should Know About Childhood Obesity
Southern Region Brings the Family Reading Experience to East St. Louis
Illinois PTA’s Southern Region partnered with the Academic Development Institute to bring in a 21st Century Grant to provide after-school programs for several elementary and middle schools in East St. Louis. The grant requires parent engagement and education events, and Southern Region helped meet those requirements by bringing two Family Reading Experience events to the … Continue reading Southern Region Brings the Family Reading Experience to East St. Louis
6 Reasons to Attend the 113th Illinois PTA Convention
The 113th Illinois PTA Convention will be held April 17-18, 2015 at the Embassy Suites East Peoria Hotel. Here are six great reasons to join us on the banks of the Illinois River: Time-Saving Ideas: Workshop will offer leadership training and show start-to-finish ways of using successful packaged programs. Engaging Families: Learn more ways to … Continue reading 6 Reasons to Attend the 113th Illinois PTA Convention
E-Cigarettes—An Update
Illinois PTA covered the hazards of e-cigarettes to young children and the potential transition into using real tobacco by teens in a previous article. E-cigarettes are not regulated by the FDA, and the health risks are still unknown. Vapors from some e-cigarettes contain chemicals known to cause cancer in addition to nicotine, and there is … Continue reading E-Cigarettes—An Update
One Voice Illinois 