COVID-19 School Guidance FAQs

Illinois has adopted the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance regarding COVID-19 and schools for the coming school year. The guidance is aimed at helping school administrators provide in-person learning in a safe manner for students and staff. To support that guidance, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has provided a Frequently Asked … Continue reading COVID-19 School Guidance FAQs

Sending Your Special Needs Child Off to College

Parents of special needs children are sometimes referred to as the attack helicopters of helicopter parents, mainly because they have had to be strong advocates for their child to ensure they receive the support they are entitled to. When those children head off to college, the role for parents changes, but the need does not. … Continue reading Sending Your Special Needs Child Off to College

Safe Summer—Mosquito and Tick Bites

With nicer weather and the easing of the pandemic, families are heading outside again. Two common outdoor pests bring potential diseases with them—mosquitos (West Nile, Dengue, and Zika viruses) and ticks (Lyme disease). The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tips on preventing mosquito and tick bites. Preventing Mosquito Bites Using the right insect repellent and other preventive actions … Continue reading Safe Summer—Mosquito and Tick Bites

National PTA Launches Healthy Minds

The pandemic has brought discussions of mental health to the forefront, but many families may be struggling with how to prioritize mental health for themselves and their children. National PTA, in cooperation with GoGuardian, Pear Deck, and the Allstate Foundation, has launched Healthy Minds, an ongoing collection of information and resources for PTAs and families regarding … Continue reading National PTA Launches Healthy Minds

Safe Summer–Preventing Childhood Drowning

Today’s guest post is from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). As summer begins, DCFS is releasing a new public service announcement regarding childhood drowning prevention. Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer, and as the country begins to reopen following the COVID-19 pandemic, families will once again be heading to … Continue reading Safe Summer–Preventing Childhood Drowning

Safe2Help Illinois Aims to Reduce Suicide, Bullying, and School Violence

Teen suicide, bullying, school violence, and other threats to school safety are a far too common part of today’s schools. Illinois has now launched a new school safety program called Safe2Help Illinois to address those issues. The program is aimed at getting students to seek help before harm. Central to the program is a free app, website, … Continue reading Safe2Help Illinois Aims to Reduce Suicide, Bullying, and School Violence

How to Advocate for Healthier School Food

School lunches (and breakfasts) are lifesavers for some children, providing critical nourishment they might not have at home. But even for children who are food-secure, school lunches can help support their education, as well-fed and active children have fewer absences, higher self-esteem, better behavior, and increased academic performance. The Chef Ann Foundation, a non-profit that … Continue reading How to Advocate for Healthier School Food

Improve Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence

One of the things that has become clear during the pandemic is that supporting children’s emotional needs will be critical to a successful return to school. Great Schools has six suggestions for different age ranges on how you can help build up your child’s emotional intelligence at home. Students with high emotional intelligence (often referred … Continue reading Improve Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence

Caring for Your Kids if You Have COVID-19

COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, has upended our lives—schools are closed, we’re working from home or our employer is closed, and we are staying at home except for essential trips. While this is difficult, it is also an essential step to preventing hospitals from being overwhelmed as the virus spreads. Though we’re busy adjusting … Continue reading Caring for Your Kids if You Have COVID-19

Celebrate National Nutrition Month in March

March is National Nutrition Month, an annual nutrition education campaign led by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to encourage everyone to develop healthy eating and physical activity habits. Here are some ways your PTA can celebrate. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a National Nutrition Month toolkit. The toolkit has PDF handouts on … Continue reading Celebrate National Nutrition Month in March

Talking to Your Teen About Vaping

Illinois PTA has highlighted the issues surrounding vaping and teens for many years and continues to focus on the issue in alignment with our 2018 resolution on Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). We’ve also highlighted National Public Radio’s (NPR) partnership with Sesame Workshop that created their Parenting: Difficult Conversations podcast, a part of NPR’s Life … Continue reading Talking to Your Teen About Vaping

Use the Healthy Eating Toolkit to Build Healthy Habits at Home and School

Every parent wants their child to eat well and develop healthy habits, but with today’s busy lives, helping your child build those skills can be a challenge. Action for Healthy Kids has created a Healthy Eating Toolkit for parents and educators to help improve student learning, behavior, and emotional health. The toolkit is made up … Continue reading Use the Healthy Eating Toolkit to Build Healthy Habits at Home and School