Bullying on the playground or in the classroom can be seen. Cyberbullying—bullying online through social media, apps, and other online activities—is a lot harder for teachers or parents to spot. A 2013 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report indicated that 15% of high school students had experienced cyberbullying in the past year. Most … Continue reading Know the Cyberbullying Warning Signs
Another Year of Legislative Success for the Children of Illinois!
From youth safety issues to juvenile justice, from children’s health to readiness for college and the work-force, from childhood hunger to an interim budget in a year of fiscal deadlock, the Illinois PTA has advocated successfully for all our children. The highlights are below. Illinois PTA will continue to advocate for every child, and urges … Continue reading Another Year of Legislative Success for the Children of Illinois!
News from National Convention—Plan Your PTA Year with National PTA Programs
One of the major benefits of having a PTA is being able to take advantage of National PTA’s numerous free turn-key programs. A workshop at the 2016 National PTA Convention spelled out how PTA leaders can plan their entire PTA year using these programs. By taking advantage of these programs, PTAs can easily and effectively: … Continue reading News from National Convention—Plan Your PTA Year with National PTA Programs
News from National Convention—Resolutions
At the 2016 National PTA Convention in Orlando, four resolutions were adopted by the convention delegates. PTA resolutions and position statements are official documents outlining the opinion, will, or intent of the association to address national problems, situations, or concerns that affect children and youth and that require national action to seek solutions to the … Continue reading News from National Convention—Resolutions
Free Resources for a Safe and Healthy Summer
Summertime bring lots of outdoor activities like cookouts and swimming. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have bundled a collection of free resources for summer that will help plan safe cookouts, prevent mosquito bites, and protect children and guests … Continue reading Free Resources for a Safe and Healthy Summer
New Website Helps Families Turn Teens into Safe Drivers
Most high school students would much rather sleep late, play video games, and perhaps work at a summer job than go to summer school, but the one class that changes that decision for many teens is driver education. Handing the car keys to your child is a big turning point for both parents and teens, … Continue reading New Website Helps Families Turn Teens into Safe Drivers
New Readiness Roadmap Helps You Pave Your Child’s Path Forward
A new Readiness Roadmap from Be a Learning Hero in partnership with National PTA, Univision, Great Schools, Scholastic, Common Sense Media, and other organizations helps parents navigate the sometimes confusing path from childhood to adulthood. The roadmap is based on the Parents 2016 survey that identified the key things that families want and need to … Continue reading New Readiness Roadmap Helps You Pave Your Child’s Path Forward
News from the Illinois PTA Convention—Resolutions
Resolutions are how PTAs can make a difference for every child in Illinois. Many current policies and laws that have made a difference in the lives of children, youth, and families began as a resolution, often from a local PTA unit: establishing a Juvenile Justice System, ensuring complete vision exams for children before starting school, … Continue reading News from the Illinois PTA Convention—Resolutions
7 Questions to Ask a Summer Camp
The weather is warming up, and the school year is beginning to wind down. You may be starting to think about summer camp for your child. Whether it is a sleep-away camp or a day camp, summer camp provides a great opportunity for kids to spend time in nature, meet new people, try new things, … Continue reading 7 Questions to Ask a Summer Camp
Take Your Family to School Week—February 15-19, 2016
PTAs across the country celebrate Founders’ Day, February 17th, in recognition of the legacy and work of Alice McLellan Birney, Phoebe Apperson Hearst, and Selena Sloan Butler to improve the lives of children. As part of this celebration, National PTA has designated the week that includes Founders’ Day Take Your Family to School Week. Family … Continue reading Take Your Family to School Week—February 15-19, 2016
Destination: Family-Driven Care
Today we feature a guest blog post from the Family Consumer Specialists of the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Mental Health (DMH) Child & Adolescent Services, on family-driven care. At the end of the article is a list of Parent Empowerment Calls offered free to all parents in Illinois who have a … Continue reading Destination: Family-Driven Care
Kick off the New Year with The Smart Talk and Win a Summer Vacation to Disney World!
There’s nothing more thrilling than receiving your first smartphone! With so many kids receiving smartphones and tablets for holiday presents, it’s especially timely for parents to sit down with their kids and set some smart ground rules for technology use. What are they allowed to post on social media? What should their privacy settings be … Continue reading Kick off the New Year with The Smart Talk and Win a Summer Vacation to Disney World!
Key Student Leaders Can Help Reduce Bullying
Schools typically deal with bullying by creating policies, training teachers, and then implementing programs for students. A new study by researchers from Princeton University, Rutgers University, and Yale University in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that a better approach might be to start with the students themselves. Researchers focused on groups … Continue reading Key Student Leaders Can Help Reduce Bullying
The Secret Apps that Parents Need to Know About
We covered teen sexting after the Cañon City, Colorado case. One of the questions asked during that case was how hundreds of students could have hidden nude photos on their phones with no parent finding a single one for so long. The answer is photo vaults, which are also known as ghost apps. Photo Vaults/Ghost … Continue reading The Secret Apps that Parents Need to Know About
How to Talk to Your Child About Sexting
Last month, parents in Cañon City, Colorado were shocked to learn that hundreds of students were being investigated for taking, possessing, or sharing nude photographs of themselves or a classmate, also known as sexting (sending sexually-explicit pictures via text, e-mail, or other apps). The potential consequences for these students include child pornography charges and having … Continue reading How to Talk to Your Child About Sexting
The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction
From the National Institute of Mental Health Introduction One of the ways that scientists have searched for the causes of mental illness is by studying the development of the brain from birth to adulthood. Powerful new technologies have enabled them to track the growth of the brain and to investigate the connections between brain function, … Continue reading The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction
Cyberbullying—A Primer for Parents
Most parents feel that they understand bullying. After all, there were bullies back when they were in school. But what many parents may not have a good handle on is cyberbullying, bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology is not just cell phones, computers, and tablets but also communication tools such as social … Continue reading Cyberbullying—A Primer for Parents
Be SMART by Promoting Responsible Gun Ownership
You may have heard the news that a 6-year-old boy in Chicago accidentally shot and killed his 3-year-old brother. The loaded gun had been stored on top of the refrigerator wrapped in a pair of pajama pants. While such incidents are called accidental shootings, they are not accidents—they are preventable. At least 211 child-involved shootings … Continue reading Be SMART by Promoting Responsible Gun Ownership
Is Your TV a Danger?
According to a new paper published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, children are suffering an increasing number of severe head and neck injuries due to falling TVs. The rate of these injuries has increased over the past decade and is expected to continue to increase as TVs become both larger and more affordable. The … Continue reading Is Your TV a Danger?
Have the Smart Talk with Your Child
National PTA has announced a new, free resource for families that helps parents have clear conversations with their children about using technology and agree on ground rules together. Developed in conjunction with LifeLock called The Smart Talk, the digital tool is designed to empower families to make smarter, safer choices online and help build the next … Continue reading Have the Smart Talk with Your Child
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