We all want safe and supportive schools for our children, and a key part of providing that environment in s healthy school climate. Last month, the US Department of Education released a new guide to help parents and educators improve school climate. The guide is designed as a series of Frequently Asked Questions about school … Continue reading New Guide on Improving School Climate
EncourageMe Program Helps Kids Develop Supportive Friendships
It’s not often that a Girl Scout Gold Award project receives national recognition, but that’s what is happening for Atlanta, GA Girl Scout Avery B. For her Gold Award (similar to the Boy Scouts’ Eagle Scout rank), she created the EncourageMe program—a program designed to help teach older elementary school students about supportive friendships. The … Continue reading EncourageMe Program Helps Kids Develop Supportive Friendships
That Google Doc May Not Be Your Kid’s Homework
Today’s teenagers aren’t passing notes in class any more—at least not physically. And while it looks like your kid is diligently working away at their homework, they may actually be chatting with friends. That’s because kids are now getting around the inability to have their phone out in class, the use of blocking software at … Continue reading That Google Doc May Not Be Your Kid’s Homework
New PTA Partnership Helps Families Advocate for Safer Schools
School shootings are in the headlines far too often, causing us to worry that our child’s school might be the next one. Accompanying that worry is often a feeling of not knowing how to change anything to make your child’s school safer and perhaps the thought that it would never happen here. That was Alissa … Continue reading New PTA Partnership Helps Families Advocate for Safer Schools
New Study Links Youth Suicide with Gun Ownership
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 15 to 24. A new study to be published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicineindicates that the single largest predictor of youth suicide is gun ownership. The report covers a state-by-state analysis of gun ownership in 2004 (the last year the Centers for … Continue reading New Study Links Youth Suicide with Gun Ownership
New Report Provides Additional Data Supporting Illinois PTA’s Emerging Adults Recommendations
Since the release of our 2017 Report on Young Adults Involved in the Justice System, Illinois PTA has been a leader in speaking out for differentiated treatment of those youth ages 18 to 25 involved in the justice system. Last Thursday, Illinois PTA President Brian Minsker participated in the Juvenile Justice Initiative(JJI) Reimagine Justice Summit … Continue reading New Report Provides Additional Data Supporting Illinois PTA’s Emerging Adults Recommendations
Celebrating Legislative Successes in 2018—Child Safety
Illinois PTA Advocacy Day in Springfield is coming on February 6, 2019, and as a lead up, we are taking the opportunity to reflect on the substantial legislative gains Illinois PTA made on issues affecting our children and youth in the areas of health, including mental health, safety, gun control, social and emotional learning, and … Continue reading Celebrating Legislative Successes in 2018—Child Safety
National PTA Response to Federal School Safety Commission Report
After eight months of public input, commission meetings and field visits across the county, the Federal School Safety Commission released its report on ways to keep students safe at school. The report includes several recommendations aligned with National PTA positions and A Framework for Safe and Successful Schools–joint recommendations written and endorsed by our nation’s … Continue reading National PTA Response to Federal School Safety Commission Report
National PTA Response to Federal School Safety Commission Report
After eight months of public input, commission meetings and field visits across the county, the Federal School Safety Commission released its reporton ways to keep students safe at school. The report includes several recommendations aligned with National PTA positions and A Framework for Safe and Successful Schools–joint recommendations written and endorsed by our nation’s leading … Continue reading National PTA Response to Federal School Safety Commission Report
Helping Your Child Cope with Stress
Life can be stressful at times, even for kids. Concerns about grades, peer pressure, friend issues, bullying, traumatic events, and more can lead to stress. Some stress can be productive—cortisol, the “stress hormone,” increases blood sugar, metabolism, and memory function, and provides a temporary boost to physical and mental ability. Those brief periods of stress … Continue reading Helping Your Child Cope with Stress
8 Actions Parents Can Take to End Bullying
It can be difficult as a parent to help your child through being bullied, and even harder when it turns out your child is the bully. Add in cyberbullying, which wasn’t even possible when most of today’s parents were kids, and it can be easy to feel at a loss about what to do. With … Continue reading 8 Actions Parents Can Take to End Bullying
Helping Your Child Deal with Peer Pressure
When your child first heads off to school, you are the most important person in their world and they look to you for guidance. Their teachers in the early grades fill that role as well. But by the time they turn 11, children start caring more about what their other kids think of them than … Continue reading Helping Your Child Deal with Peer Pressure
New Survey Reveals How Teens’ Social Media Experiences
Common Sense Media, a non-profit dedicating to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology, has just released a new report detailing their survey of teenagers and their experiences with social media. The report, Social Media, Social Life: Teens Reveal Their Experiences, covers a nationally representative survey of over 1,000 kids ages 13 … Continue reading New Survey Reveals How Teens’ Social Media Experiences
School Bus Safety Tips
As kids head back to school, it’s a good time to give them a quick refresher on school bus safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulates school bus safety and notes that children are far safer riding on a school bus than they are in the family car. The following information is from … Continue reading School Bus Safety Tips
National PTA’s New Position Statement on Safe and Supportive Schools
As schools across the country are increasingly impacted by violence and natural disasters, National PTA’s board of directors adopted a new position statement on safe and supportive schools during its August board meeting. The statement calls for a multi-faceted approach to address school safety that involves all stakeholders, especially students, parents and families. “School safety is … Continue reading National PTA’s New Position Statement on Safe and Supportive Schools
Teaching Your Child How to Use 911
As parents, we’re constantly on the lookout for our children’s health and safety. But what if something should happen to you or happen when you are not around. Do your children know how and when to use 911? An article from Kids Health, available in both Englishand Spanish, walks you through the process. The article … Continue reading Teaching Your Child How to Use 911
Survey of Highlights Needs of LGBTQ Youth
In 2016, PTA adopted a resolution in favor of recognizing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) individuals as a protected class, noting that LGBTQ youth are frequent targets of harassment and bullying and have higher rates of isolation, depression, and suicidal thoughts and attempts than the general student population. This month, the Human Rights … Continue reading Survey of Highlights Needs of LGBTQ Youth
National PTA Advocates for Gun Safety and Mental Health Services to Protect Children
Last week, National PTA released the following statement on our advocacy efforts on gun safety and mental health services. In addition to the statement, the 2018 National PTA Legislative Conference on March 13-15 will focus on gun violence prevention efforts. National PTA has also created two documents to help PTAs address these issues: Frequently Asked … Continue reading National PTA Advocates for Gun Safety and Mental Health Services to Protect Children
Talking to Kids About Violence
As the nation deals with yet another school shooting, many parents may be struggling about how to talk about violence with their children. Parents can no longer just keep the TV news off and assume their kids won’t see or hear much about an event, as the latest shooting had students sharing videos and pictures … Continue reading Talking to Kids About Violence
Characteristics of Healthy & Unhealthy Relationships
With the #MeToo movement all over social media and Valentine’s Day coming up, it is a good opportunity to have a discussion with your teen about relationships. February is also National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Today’s guest post comes from youth.gov and covers the characteristics healthy and unhealthy relationships. It is part of their … Continue reading Characteristics of Healthy & Unhealthy Relationships
One Voice Illinois 