New Zealand

Victoria to honour kōhanga reo pioneer

Monday, 27 November 2006, 11:17 am
Press Release: Victoria University of Wellington 27 November 2006

Victoria to honour kōhanga reo pioneer

A Māori leader who played a key role in establishing the kōhanga reo movement and reversing the decline in the Māori language is to receive an honorary doctorate from Victoria University.

Iritana Te Rangi Tawhiwhirangi (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāpuhi, Canadian, English) will receive an honorary Doctor of Literature degree at the University’s marae-based graduation ceremony, Te Hui Whakapūmau, on 8 December.

After graduating from the then Wellington Teachers’ Training College in 1948, Mrs Tawhiwhirangi began teaching on the East Coast before joining the Department of Māori Affairs as a Welfare Officer in Ruatoria. It was in this role that she worked to develop a network of playcentres on the East Coast, the first network of early childhood education for Māori in the regions.

Her involvement with early childhood education continued when she moved to Lower Hutt in 1972 and in 1980 she became the first Māori woman to be appointed as one of the Department’s District Officers, rising to be Chief Executive of the Department’s Community Services section the following year.

Following on from policy work she undertook on the establishment of language nests, in 1982 she was appointed as an inaugural trustee and first General Manager of the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board, a position she held for two years. The first kōhanga reo, Pukeatua, was opened in Wainuiomata, one of about 100 established in 1982 and, by 1994, there were more than 800 catering for about 14,000 children.

She returned to work for the Department full-time in 1984 as National Director of Community Services, and was appointed Assistant Secretary of Māori Affairs in 1986. Retiring from the Department in 1989, in 1990 she returned to the Trust Board, where she served as Chief Executive Officer till 2003. She remains a trustee of the Board.

In a long and varied public career, Mrs Tawhiwhirangi has served on a host of government or official committees and working parties involved in the development of education policy. Her significance as an educational leader was recognised when she was a member of the Ministerial Working Group for the development of a strategic plan for early childhood education in 2001 and facilitated the collaborative bicultural project that resulted in the development of Te Whariki, the Ministry of Education early childhood curriculum for all New Zealanders.

She has also been involved with a wide variety of community organisations, including the Māori Women’s Welfare League, of which she is a life member, and the Māori Education Trust. She has been a guest lecturer at the former Wellington College of Education, Victoria University, University of Alaska at Fairbanks, the University of British Columbia and the University of Utah. She received an MBE in 1992, a Women’s Suffrage Medal in 1993 and was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2001.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Pat Walsh, said Mrs Tawhiwhirangi was one of the cornerstones of the Kōhanga Reo movement.

“While initially designed as a means to revitalise the Maōri language, kōhanga reo achieved much, much more by mobilising thousands of Māori parents to become involved in the education of their children.

“Picking up on the playcentre philosophy of community ownership and management, she helped create a whānau development model that is not only underpinned by cultural and administrative sovereignty, but has also created new opportunities in education and employment for Māori women. Internationally, the Kōhanga Reo model is now the established benchmark for the regeneration of indigenous languages. The excellence seen today in the annual national Te Korimako oratory competitions, for Māori secondary students, is derived from the foundations laid by Kohanga Reo.

“While she works from a Māori kaupapa or philosophy, she is one of those rare people who can move effectively in both the Māori and Pākehā worlds and be respected in both. She is politically astute and has shown outstanding leadership in lobbying members of Parliament of all political hues to provide funding for the kōhanga reo movement, without which it probably would not have survived.”

Comment: I love stories like this.

Beve Pietrowski's Work

How is this for cute!

Garden School Tattler

It was calmer today, but we can tell there is a storm on the way. The weather map has a whopper over Missouri right now. Although the children's behavior has been really outstanding, we can tell they are antic, so we've been keeping them busy.

I've been studying the high fiber diet, and I am trying to make higher fiber foods for the children. A lot of what we serve is homemade. That means when I reach for the flour bin, I reach for both the white flour bin and the whole wheat flour bin. When I reach for the flour, I also reach for the oats and the wheat germ. Most of the children's food can be made, so why buy chemical foods?

Today we had tacos with beef, cheese and sour cream, brown beans, grapes, bananas and milk. The tortillas were corn. I could make these, but it would take most of the morning. Corn tortillas are acceptable. The brown beans were canned, and in the future, I will make these. Baking beans is not hard.

This morning we had homemade oat muffins with a glaze, bananas and milk.

When the health department came in, we were cited for crumbs on the floor. It didn't bother me - better crumbs on the floor than whole muffins in the trash can.

We will have very special special visitors next Friday. These women are the childcare development people from United Way. They have heard about us and want to see the place for themselves. Naturally, we are delighted to have them visit.

Today we had class time and then this afternoon we had fine arts and flute. The children seem to be enjoying the busyness of the afternoons.

The older girls asked this morning if we could bake Christmas cookies, and I told them next Wednesday on the Feast of St. Nickolas we would bake cookies as a school. It will be a very messy morning, but a fun one.

North Carolina

Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC

LANCASTER

Day care grant aimed at child development

CHRIS MCGINN

Special to the Observer

New Beginnings Child Development Center in Lancaster is getting renovations to its infant and toddler areas thanks to help from Lancaster County First Steps.

The local organization, which helps preschool-age children, has chosen to focus many of its efforts on children age up to age 3 because of rapid brain development in that period of life, says Lora Bryson, executive director of First Steps.

Now it has a grant to target areas where those children spend much of their time.

The center is one of five countywide to receive extensive renovation to infant and toddler areas to make them more child-friendly and developmentally appropriate. The other centers -- Barnes Child Care, Colonial Child Care, Davis Childcare-Lynwood Drive and Kid Stuff will receive renovations by March.

The renovations are more than a new coat of bright paint. They involve nearly $15,000 per center worth of new furniture, structural improvements, educational toys and design planning.

Among the improvements at New Beginnings CDC are a new food preparation center, new cribs, motion-sensing faucets near the diaper area, more natural lighting and new flooring, paint and furniture.

Now, children can play on new vinyl mats, explore their world with age-appropriate toys or sleep in safe cribs with clear-view ends.

"I'm so proud of it," says Lisa Anderson, owner and director of the center.

The redesign was planned by early childhood experts Dr. Linda Hutchison and Dr. Elsbeth Brown. Their BASICSpaces concepts have been implemented in centers in seven S.C. counties.

BASICSpaces stands for Building Academic Success In Childhood Spaces. Brown says brain development research shows that more learning occurs in the first three years of life than at any other time.

"Brain development in the first three years is impressive, rapid and long-lasting," said Brown.

By creating stimulating and nurturing environments for children, child care centers can enhance learning.

"Children are living in these environments," said Brown, noting that children often spend 10 to 12 hours a day in a single room.

Brown recommends parents and child-care centers think about what they would want from a place where they ate, slept, relaxed and played for that long each day.

Also, Brown said the environments should stimulate the senses of taste, touch and sight that are how a baby learns about the world.

For example, infants spend more than 90 percent of the time looking up -- often at fluorescent lights -- during a time when their vision is developing. She recommends softer, natural lighting for infant and toddler rooms.

Another issue is loud sounds in rooms where there are lots of hard surfaces. The redesigned rooms at New Beginnings feature vinyl padded flooring that resembles hardwood floors to help absorb sound.

There should also be room for infants and toddlers to explore in a safe way to develop.

The funding is from a nearly $500,000 Early Learning Opportunities Act grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Typically First Steps money goes to training and other support programs, but this grant was specifically written to allow renovations like that at New Beginnings.

The centers were chosen based on evaluations of their infant and toddler areas and their interest in improving their centers, said Bryson.

The centers also had to agree to participate in training sessions for workers, provide parenting classes, work with nurses to improve health standards and lower caregiver to child ratios.

First Steps also has supplied a mentor to each participant.

The renovations to New Beginnings CDC have already prompted excitement. Parent volunteers have offered to paint the center's other rooms and are providing additional supplies.

Helping with the renovations are Youthbuild supervisor Danny Reed and his team of students from Communities in Schools, a program that gives older students building experience. Local businesses including Sistare Carpet, Porter Belk, McBride's Building Supply, Home Depot, Roger's Heating and Air and Russell Myers Plumbing have also contributed.

Lancaster County School District's Learn TV will be documenting the changes to all five spaces in programs modeled after The Learning Channel's popular Trading Spaces show.

What to Look For In Child Care

• Does the area appear clean, safe and comfortable for every age child?• For mobile infants, is there a safe place to crawl and explore?

• Does there seem to be enough space indoors and out so all the children can move freely and safely?

• Is there a second adult in the room/home or available if needed?

• Does there seem to be enough furniture, toys, boos and other equipment for all the children in care?

• Is the bathroom clean and accessible?

• Is the license or registration posted? Look for any deficiencies noted.

• Are there a variety of toys, books and other materials? Are they within the children's reach?

• Is there a daily schedule posted with opportunities for active and quiet play?

Comment: Making a home away from home should be the goal of every childcare facility.

Garden School Tattler

Pictures are today; that means class time is limited or at least disrupted.

Yesterday's afternoon class list went very well. We began with story time, and then a spaghetti lunch with whole wheat noodles, meat sauce, mock garlic bread, oranges and carrots and dip and milk.

We went to recess and then came in promptly for Spanish, New Song and we sang three: Jingle Bells with the verses, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem. We will try to know at least 25 carols by Christmas break. Then it was Bible Study and the story of the Annunciation, and History with the story of the Christmas Tree.

Today, after lunch, we will tackle the planet placement of the universe in geography and then learn some new songs from recordings. We will read the Little Tin Soldier to the Benedict group while Miss Jana does science with the Scholastica group.

Today we will have hot dogs on buns with melted cheese, potatoes and ketchup, tangerines and applesauce and Milk.

Teaching well behaved children is a pleasure. Yesterday's group was as good as gold. We are so proud of them. One of our very young children happens to be one of our brightest. Yesterday, Nikolai asked if he could join the Benedict group. We always jump when a child is eager to move up. He is perhaps a year younger than the other children, but follows along very well. He just turned four and is at the top of my class.

Miss Kelly told me yesterday that she wants to bring in as many Christmas traditions as possible and share them with the children. Parents are welcome to contribute.

What We're up to Nov. 27-Dec.1

Welcome back! We are well rested and ready to go!

Picture day is tomorrow. We have an excellent photographer. She takes great pictures. You can see samples of her work above the copy machine. Forms went out on Wednesday. If you need an extra copy they are on the front desk.

This year our Christmas project is going to be a bit different. This week each classroom is going to supply a wish list, via Christmas ornament. There will be a toy on each ornament that we would like to have for the school. We would like everyone to participate.

The toys need to be wrapped and brought in secretly (it’s a surprise). We recommend a brown paper bag. You can take as many ornaments as you want. We would like to start this next week. If you can add a toy from our wish list to your holiday shopping, it would really benefit the school. Santa will deliver the wrapped presents to the kids at the Christmas party. The children will also receive a little present to take home from us. If you have any questions please see Miss Molly.

Fundraiser money is due in by Thursday. Please tell your family and friends that participated, the checks will clear in the next few weeks. If you didn’t receive your fundraiser merchandise, it should be in this week. I called the corporate office and complained bitterly. The orders have been placed and they will get them here ASAP!

Education

November 21, 2006 09:01 AM Eastern Time

Education Next: Study Shows High Quality Teaching in Early Childhood Education Closes Achievement Gap, but Not Enough Programs Provide It

STANFORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a targeted study of children who are, on average, behind their peers at age four and further behind by 1st grade, Robert C. Pianta, professor of education at the University of Virginia, found that learning gaps can be eliminated for children in high-quality classrooms who receive strong instructional and emotional support from teachers. The new study is described in the winter issue of Education Next, released this week.

Pianta and a team of researchers examined the effects on two groups of at-risk children: those whose mothers had less than a four-year college degree and those who had displayed significant behavioral, social, or academic problems. Children from low-education households who were placed in high-quality classrooms achieved at the same level as those whose mothers had a college degree, and children displaying previous problem behavior showed achievement and adjustment levels identical to children who had no history of problems. At-risk children who did not receive these supports did not show such gains.

These results are consistent with other studies that show a substantial increase (up to 50 percent of a standard deviation on standardized achievement tests) in achievement in high-quality classrooms, with greater effects often accruing to children with higher levels of risk and disadvantage. (The size of the well known racial gap in test-score performance is between one-half and one standard deviation.)

Few of the nation’s highest-need children, however, are currently receiving the kind of quality early education experience they require, despite rising participation rates in early education programs, warns Pianta.

Pianta’s analysis of two recent large-scale early education studies -- the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD SECCYD) and the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL) Multi-State Pre-K Study -- confirms this.

The 11-state NCEDL study revealed that, even in state-sponsored pre-K programs staffed with credentialed teachers with bachelors’ degrees, variations in the quality of teaching were considerable, as was also the case in Pianta and his colleagues’ analysis of 1st- and 3rd-grade classrooms in the NICHD study.

Among pre-K classrooms in the study, only about 25 percent of those serving four-year-olds provided students with high levels of emotional and instructional support. And preschoolers lucky enough to have such support in pre-K are not highly likely to be enrolled in similarly high-quality classrooms in kindergarten or 1st grade. In those grades, too, only about one-quarter of classrooms are providing the instructional and emotional nurturing that young children require.

Because the standard measures of teacher quality -- degrees and experience -- are not reliable proxies for what teachers do in the classroom and tend not to be consistently related to gains in achievement, policies that mandate accumulating course credits are not likely to produce teachers with high-quality classroom skills or necessarily raise student achievement, unless those credits are tied to knowledge and skill about implementing instruction in actual classrooms.

“The odds are stacked against children getting the kind of early education experiences that close gaps,” explains Pianta. “Most children in pre-K, K, and 1st-grade classrooms are exposed to quite low levels of instructional support, and the quality is particularly poor. We also see this in 3rd and 5th grades in our work there -- it’s a problem throughout the system that we need to solve.”

To combat the uneven quality of early education instruction, Pianta has called for more effective professional development focused on the specific challenges of teaching young children: standardizing descriptions of teacher-student interactions, direct assessments of teacher and classroom tied to incentive and credentialing systems, and improved alignment of early childhood education with K-12.

Read “Preschool Is School, Sometimes” in the new issue of Education Next, now online at www.EducationNext.org.

Robert C. Pianta is a professor of education at the Curry School of Education and director of the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning at the University of Virginia.

Education Next is a scholarly journal published by the Hoover Institution that is committed to looking at hard facts about school reform. Other sponsoring institutions are the Harvard Program on Education Policy and Governance and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation.

Comment: This is exactly what we have been muling about at the GS. We're on the cutting edge of early childhood education.

Ohio

WKRC Cincinnati

Child-care rating system goes statewide

LAST UPDATE: 11/20/2006 10:18:49 AMCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The state has a new rating system that should help parents make that important choice about child care.

The new Step Up to Quality program will award participating child-care centers one, two or three stars, based on factors including class sizes, staff training and the quality of the teaching.

To earn the top rating, centers must go beyond state licensing requirements. For example, Ohio child-care centers are expected to have one teacher for every eight three-year-olds, but at three-star facilities the ratio is one-to-six.

The grading program has already been in place in nine counties. It goes statewide on November 30th.

Comment: There is a star rating system here in EVV as well, and that is what we are trying to do. The finished program binder will be available for parents to view as soon as it's finished.

Vermont

From the Rutland Herald

by Sarah Hinckley

Article published Nov 17, 2006
Tinmouth weighs benefits of preschool for 3-year-old kids

Is publicly funded preschool for 3-year-olds an academic advancement or a half-day day care experience?

The Tinmouth School Board contemplated this question during its Oct. 18 meeting and is considering not enrolling 3-year-olds in the preschool program for the 2007-08 school year.

"It's not absolutely cast in concrete," said School Board member Helen Mango. "We wanted to give the program a few years to get on its feet."

Tinmouth School is in its third year of offering preschool.

In the first year, only 4-year-olds were admitted.

For the last two years, the program has accepted 3-year-olds, too.

To remain financially stable, the program needs at least seven students.

"It's hovering around the seven-ish mark right now," Mango said. "It can't be getting smaller than that because it would cost us money."

The board occasionally evaluates the program to make sure it is benefiting students and the school.

One of the points it considers is whether 3-year-olds get an academic boost from preschool, or if their attendance amounts to day care, Mango said.

The evidence of benefits to 4-year-olds is much clearer.

"Schools shouldn't be in the business of simply providing childcare," Mango said.

She and the board have asked for feedback from preschool teacher Lisa Edge and school Principal Pat Goetz.

Because the school is so small, administrators are able to evaluate student enrollment individually .

There are three 3-year-old children in the preschool program and six 4-year-olds students.

Additional students can join during the year, and parents are free to withdraw their children.

The number of 3-year-olds next year is expected to be small, according to Mango.

Part-time preschool enrollment does not influence the school's budget as much as full-time enrollment of older students does.

At its Nov. 15 meeting, the board did not discuss the preschool program, focusing instead on an initial review of the 2007-08 school budget.

"The 3-year-olds currently enrolled are certainly going to stay" for fourth grade, Mango said.

Comment:

Three year old children benefit by being around learning. In families, children who are allowed to listen to good conversation among adults are more socially advanced than those who are sent away. It's the same with the larger family of school. Playground and play time with older or younger children benefits everyone.

Cost

Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 12:00 AM

STEVE RINGMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Money from an anonymous donor plus public dollars help The New School offer things such as smaller class sizes, more teacher prep time, electives and all-day kindergarten. Students Naomi Messele, 6, left; Ayanna Beavers, 7; and Martiana Lapoint, 7, watch Elvis Lang, 7, write the name of their reading group for their teacher.

STEVE RINGMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Christopher Austin, 7, dives into "The Fox and His Friends."

STEVE RINGMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES

New School second-grade teacher Kamilah Abdul-Alim has just 17 students in her class. "Relationships are fundamental" to what the school does, says principal Christopher Drape.

Seattle school gets results, but it costs a bundle

By Emily Heffter
Seattle Times staff reporter

Inside The New School's crumbling building in Rainier Valley, some of Seattle's most at-risk kids are getting what may be the most expensive public education in the state.

On top of the public money every Seattle elementary school gets, an anonymous donor more than doubles The New School's funding every year. This year, it got $1.5 million.

The school spends it on small class sizes, teacher training, music and art. On preschool and all-day kindergarten, and extra hours in the school day.

These are the very things that a consultant advising the governor's Washington Learns panel considered an "adequate" education. But at The New School, they cost twice what the school district is paying now.

The notion of spreading that model to every school in the state seemed so outlandishly expensive that members of the Washington Learns panel referred to the consultant's report as a "wish list."

The committee's report ended up including only some of what the consultant suggested. Now it's up to the Legislature to hash out the recommendations, while students at The New School live the state's "wish list" every day — on someone else's dime.

"We know what works, and we don't have the money to do it," said Carla Santorno, Seattle Public Schools' chief academic officer.

The New School opened as a preschool and kindergarten in 2002 with an anonymous donation that supplied all but $195,000 of the school's $1.4 million budget. Since then, it has added one grade a year — up to fourth grade this year, with an enrollment of 301 — and eventually plans to accommodate the eighth grade.

But the grant from The New School Foundation is scheduled to expire in 2012 and shrinks every year as the school grows: This year, the grant is 54 percent of the school's budget, or about $1.5 million.

The extra money makes a difference in the school every day.

On a recent fall afternoon, three third-grade teachers and a consultant perched on kid-size chairs in an empty classroom, rifling through math worksheets. Did this student need extra homework slipped into her backpack? Was another student using logic or memorization to solve those problems?

The grant buys the extra hour per month for teachers to work together on student assessments. It buys the time at the beginning of the school year to talk to each student, one on one, about math.

It pays for substitutes during the school day so first-grade teachers can watch an experienced teacher give children a writing lesson. It pays for preschool for 4-year-olds and all-day kindergarten, for bus rides home when kids need to stay after school for extra help.

Signs of success

The first tangible results of this effort came last spring.

More than 71 percent of New School third-graders passed both the math and reading sections of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. Districtwide, 62 percent did.

The New School's demographics are comparable with those of other schools in the neighborhood, but its scores were twice as high.

Families interested in enrolling in the preschool or kindergarten programs last fall had to live within a mile of the school to secure a spot.

The school has more two-parent families than surrounding schools, and fewer children in poverty, said principal Christopher Drape. "People choose it with intent, which lends it more stability," he said.

The school also tries to recruit low-income children, students of color and those who speak English as a second language, said Laura Kohn, executive director of The New School Foundation.

The New School Foundation wants to serve disadvantaged students, but it is also making a political statement about what an adequately funded education looks like, said Kohn.

"Our project doesn't give you the magic number, because we aren't testing out different levels of funding, but I think at The New School we're demonstrating that the level of funding that school's getting is adequate to give kids an extraordinary education," said Kohn.

And supporters point to the school's results: Academic success, they say, is something money can buy.

More than money

On the state level, things aren't quite as simple.

Rep. Ross Hunter, D-Medina, who served on a Washington Learns subcommittee, called The New School "a good laboratory."

But the right amount of funding "will be different for different schools," he said. "A school in the Rainier Valley has very different needs than a school in the Yakima Valley that has very different needs than a school in Medina does. You can't take the number of dollars that we spend at The New School, multiply it by a million and say, 'That's how much we should be spending.' "

And educators argue that money alone won't guarantee a school's success. It needs to be combined with good leadership and vision.

Santorno, Seattle's chief academic officer, said that research shows small class sizes work — but not if they're taught the same way as large classes would be.

But Drape, the school's principal, said you can't separate the extra funding The New School receives from the culture that's formed there.

"One of the things that is very powerful for us is the depth of the relationships that we have with kids and with families, and that is fostered by small class sizes," said Drape. "People are right in that money alone is not going to make the difference that we want to make, but ... relationships are fundamental to what we are doing, and it is easier to develop relationships when you have fewer kids in your class."

The New School is not without its critics. In the struggling South End, some parents see The New School as powerful and privileged at the expense of other schools. Some say The New School Foundation had too much influence in the district's proposed February bond measure, which would allocate $64.7 million for a new building for the school.

"I don't mind if some kids have more stuff because they have a foundation helping them, but I don't think they should get ahead off the backs of other kids," said Melissa Westbrook, who opposes the bond measure because The New School's building is included.

Community counts

Lisa Moore-Roberson, whose two daughters attend The New School, didn't know the school got extra money until after she became co-chair of the school's parent group. Then she studied the budget and learned that the snacks, extra teachers and free preschool are all paid for with foundation money. Now she struggles with the question of inequity every day as she walks her kids to school past Dunlap, an elementary school that is so close, it shares a playground with The New School.

"It just makes me kind of feel a little different about it," she said. "It just brought that divisiveness in the community."

Her kids are doing well academically, but what she likes most about The New School can't be bought with a grant, and research says it's another key to academic success: parental involvement.

Almost every day, Moore-Roberson is at the school, helping in the classroom or hanging out in the common area at the entrance, where parents are gathered on couches, drinking coffee before work. They talk about their kids and last year organized to apply for a city Department of Neighborhoods grant that pays for a multicultural celebration at the parent alliance meeting each month.

"Sometimes we joke, 'Well, if we just had a bed, we wouldn't have to go home,' " she said.

And that sense of community is something money can't buy.

Comment: Recently we've had a small increase in tuition. Most of the parents were very supportive. They understand what this article is saying, that education costs. Most places locally would have simply cut staff to make the ends meet. We didn't do that. Every dime our little place makes goes directly to the student. There are no profits. Educators know it costs to provide the kind of environment necessary to learn. That environment means the right people with the right knowledge and interest to be able to three things: the interest to find out and remember information about the world, the intelligence to sort out what's important and the stamina to present it 40 hours a week. The environment also has to support what teachers are doing. In Evv, that's just not going to happen someplace else.

The Garden School Tattler

It's been a marathon race from Wednesday evening to today with no end in sight. With company, it's always an adventure in coming and going, arriving and leaving, meals, laundry, and of course kids. We've had more people in and out of our house than ever before. There were so many for dinner on Thursday, we ate most of the bird.

We were honored to have one of Anne's friends as a guest, Amir. He was most welcome as he plunged into American food. He didn't like my cranberry/tangerine relish, but he said some of the tastes were similar to what he eats at home.

This afternoon, Mr. Robbie will be baptized at St. Ben's after the 4:30 Mass. It's an exciting time for us.

I hope everyone had an especially nice Thanksgiving. The weather sure has been nice. I hope the kids got some play time and explored the Thanksgiving table with gusto! My grandchildren went to the Zoo. They said it was cooler over there than here in Newburgh.

Next week in school some afternoon changes in the day. We are introducing some new subjects we think the kids will just love. The children will be divided into two groups, the St. Scholastica group and the St. Benedict group for these classes.

As we explore these changes, parents will be notified in letter and on the blog about what we've done and what we will be doing permanently. Our goal is to touch every educational base we can every week. Some classes will be team taught, other classes will be individually taught.

It's been asked that we post menus. We post a general menu and have asked for parents' input for several months. Please look at the menu posted on the door. Often it's not known what's for lunch absolutely until that day. If I plan absolutely for one thing or another on Sunday, and someone brings us a present, or there's a better plan on Wednesday, we'll go with it. Menus will be posted on the blog after the fact. If any parent wants to know what we have eaten, what we generally eat, what the kids like best, please ask me.

Washington State

Washington's early learning program gets mixed reviews

10:58 AM PST on Wednesday, November 15, 2006

BY CHRIS DANIELS / KING 5 News

SEATTLE - Gov. Christine Gregoire wants to boost spending for early learning programs. On Tuesday she outlined her plan to a group of supporters in downtown Seattle.

The proposed plan, called Washington Learns includes comprehensive changes in the preschool system. These include expanding training for teachers and a system to measure a child's readiness for kindergarten.

Proponents believe preschool is an important part of a child's educational development. They point to studies which show a good foundation can keep certain people out of trouble and away from social services later in life.

"Some of the studies have shown that really 85 percent of the brain is developed before the age of 3, so it’s important the minute children are born they're learning," said Jone Bosworth, director of the Department of Early Learning.

Some people have immediately criticized the proposal as too complex, and say that it doesn't address funding specifics.

Gregoire didn't talk too much about the finances needed for Washington Learns, but believe educators need to think about the possibilities.

Comment: If the brain is more or less developed by age three, then why must we "wait to teach" until a child is in school?

A Different Kind of Christmas Story

With the Christmas Season officially begun, here's a contribution from one of our families that really gets the season started beautifully. Thanks Tami.

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right, I'm out here by choice,
I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl' on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram' always remembers."

"My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile."

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue...an American flag.
"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home".

"I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother."

"Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?"
"It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long."

"For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."


LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

The Garden School Tattler

Every so often we reach a high point. That's what we did last week. We reached a high point at school. This weekend it showed. Mrs. St. Louis and I have made some little school changes, some bigger ones to follow, and the writing that has to go into this new Paths to Quality process has kept the Internet busy as well.

We've been on the go all weekend. This week is Pilgrim and cooking week. It's all about history and working together. It should be fun. If we have time, we'll make cheese and cranberry bread and candy.

Monday's menu includes a turkey. If any of the parents have a few minutes for lunch, you are welcome.

I'll post the Mohican words next time.

This is such a darling picture.

More Later.

Thanksgiving Play

It was wonderful, so they tell me. I was busy trying to shhhhhhh the next scene out. The children were so cute and did a great job. Thanks so much to Miss Kelly for taking it. Kids are such hams, and the first time they do it, it's a little daunting, but as you see the growth is remarkable. Next spring when we do the St. Patrick's Day play the difference will be remarkable.

Thanks to all the parents for the neat treats.

I got a lot of nice pictures from Tami, so I'm going to post them.

This weekend the staff has spent most of our time working on Paths to Quality, a program with 4C that ranks us in a particular level in excellence. We will be working at this consistently.

Our afternoon schedule is changing to offer the children more time learning and doing. We have re-designed it to offer simply more. With Jana on staff, we will be able to do so much more.

Please take note of the changes in the play room as they occur and give us your feedback. We don't have a great deal of space, but as someone very kind and observant said, "we make good use of every inch," and we do.

I finally finished the kitchen class - dullest thing on the planet.

More Later

Chemicals and Kids

November 2, 2006

Chemical burn from Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Scotchbrite Easy Eraser

Some of you who are marked as friends or family on my flickr account have already seen this, but as Jill pointed out, I probably need to share it just for the sake of public awareness.

I hate writing this and I hate sharing it as there is a lot of guilt wrapped up in it, but here goes.

One of my five year old's favorite chores around the house is cleaning scuff marks off the walls, doors, and baseboards with either an Easy Eraser pad, or the real deal, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I purchased a package of Magic Erasers ages ago when they first came out. I remember reading the box, wondering what the "Magic" component was that cleaned crayon off my walls with ease. No ingredients were listed and absolutely no warnings were on the box, other than "Do not ingest."

My package of the Scotchbrite Easy Erasers didn't have a warning either and since my child knew not to eat the sponges and keep them out of reach of his little brother and sister, it was a chore I happily let him do.

If I had known that both brands (and others like them) contain a harmful alkaline or "base" chemical (opposite of acid on the pH scale) that can burn your skin, I never would have let my little boy handle them. As you can see from the picture, when the Scotchbrite Easy Eraser was rubbed against his face and chin, he received severe chemical burns.

At first, I thought he was being dramatic. I picked him up, put him on the counter top and washed his face with soap and water. He was screaming in pain. I put some lotion on his face - more agony. I had used a Magic Eraser to remove magic marker from my own knuckles a while back and I couldn't understand why he was suddenly in pain. Then, almost immediately, the large, shiny, blistering red marks started to spread across his cheeks and chin.

I quickly searched Google.com for "Magic Eraser Burn" and turned up several results. I was shocked. These completely innocent looking white foam sponges can burn you?

I called our pediatrician, and of course got sent to voice mail. I hung up and called the Hospital and spoke to an Emergency Room nurse. She told me to call Poison Control. The woman at Poison Control said she was surprised nobody had sued these companies yet and walked me through the process of neutralizing the alkaline to stop my son's face from continually burning more every second.

I had already, during my frantic phone calling, tried patting some numbing antibiotic cream on his cheeks, and later some Aloe Vera gel - both resulted in screams of pain. The Poison Control tech had me fill a bathtub with warm water, lay my son into it, cover him with a towel to keep him warm and then use a soft washcloth to rinse his face and chin with cool water for a continuous 20 minutes.

My son calmed down immediately. He told me how good it felt. I gave him a dose of Tylenol and after the twenty minutes was up, he got dressed in his Emergency Room doctor Halloween costume and off we went to the Hospital.

They needed to make sure the chemical burn had stopped burning, and examine his face to determine if the burn would need to be debrided (from my fuzzy recollection of hospital work, this means removing loose tissue from a burn location). My son was pretty happy at the hospital, they were very nice and called him "Doctor" and let him examine some of their equipment. The water had successfully stopped the burning and helped soothe a lot of the pain. I'm sure Tylenol was helping too.

They sent us home with more Aloe Vera gel, Polysporin antibiotic cream, and some other numbing burn creams. By the time we got home, my son was crying again. I tried applying some of the creams but he cried out in pain. Water seemed to be what worked the best.

After a rough night, I took the above photo in the morning. He was swollen and wouldn't move his lips very much to avoid moving the skin on his taut cheeks. I was fighting back the tears, and I said, "Oh honey, I wish I could take it away from you. I wish I could take it off your face and put it on mine." He was so shocked, he started to tear up a little and said, "Mom, no. You don't want this on your face, it hurts so much. You would be hurting. Last night was terrible, I couldn't sleep, and you wouldn't be able to sleep either." It just broke my heart into five trillion pieces - as much as he is hurting, he wouldn't want me to be hurting in his place.

Today he is doing much better. The burns have started to scab over, and in place of red, raw, angry, skin we have a deeper red, rough healing layer. I can touch his skin now, without it stinging, and this morning he went back to Pre-School with Polysporin rubbed all over his face. He announced to the class, "I brought my face for Show and Tell!"

I still feel so badly, I'm supposed to protect my son, yet I stupidly thought these "Magic" products were harmless.

I have called both Mr. Clean and Scotchbrite (3M). Mr. Clean tells me their products now have a warning label that state they should not be used on skin and can cause burns. I could not get through to 3M so I left messages and e-mailed the story through the form on their website.

I just received a response:

Dear Ms. Kerflop,

Thank you for taking time to contact 3M Home Care Division. Feedback from our customers is an integral part of our business and we encourage it. Please know that we have forwarded your message to our marketing and lab departments.

We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss the performance of our product with you, as we would not expect it to behave as you have described. Please call us at your earliest convenience, toll free at 1-800-846-8887, so that I might assist you further and bring this matter to a resolution that is agreeable for you.

Sincerely,

Tina
3M Home Care Divisio

I'll keep you updated. Funny, "we would not expect it to behave as you have described".

Note: I have absolutely no intention of suing the company whatsoever. My son is going to be fine. I would simply like the companies to post appropriate warnings on their products.

Comment: Normally, I would not post this because a lot of these things are just "out there." I've never heard of these products and stick to basic ammonia and Krud Kutter for harder jobs at home, but upon hearing the popularity of these products, and knowing how children can be allergic to certain things, I thought it was probably prudent.

The Garden School Tattler

Greetings after a long break!

We've been so busy with getting ready for the big yearly inspection, writing time has been really limited. We are writing about the school curriculum, and how the school runs from inside out. We want to achieve something special. We've always been interested, but never had the staff that would follow through. This year, we are pulling years of activities together and it's not easy.

The play goes well. Some of the little kids are a big squaneekish, but you'll understand later.

School work has been suspended with theater which is is fine art, so don't panic if your child is not taking home regular school papers. He's learning something else this week, and that's good. Theater is an art, a social need in children to explore being on stage and bringing a creation like a play to fruition.

Parents have asked if we need anything for the play. Just snacks and a couple of parent to arrive early to help with costumes.

The costumes that go home after the play are the hats.

FYI: We buy antibacterial soap from a distributer, and our water temperature must be at 171 degrees for dish cleaning. Unfortunately, we had a child who consistently fooled with the plumbing and hurt a few children with too hot water. We have turned down the hot water in the children's rooms to avoid this scorching, but it is available. Then we found out that lukewarm water is a bacteria trap.

Teachers take particular care in hand washing to avoid such accidents, but at the same time children need to continue to be taught properly how to wash at home. In a childcare facility, hand sanitizer is not a possibility and not recommended because water must be running, and children must wash off the dirt rather than cover it with hand sanitizer. Have you ever wondered what would happen if a child ate hand sanitizer?

Clean hands prevent the spread of disease. We have very little disease at the Garden School in comparison to most early childhood places, and we are proud of that.

Please teach your child how to put his own coat on, and that we park hats and mittens in sleeves not in pockets.

Next week is Pilgrim week. We will be doing a lot of cooking and a lot of talking about food. We are trying to start a food game at school.

India

Hindustan Times - India

India Needs to Focus More on Preschool Kids

India needs to focus more on care and education of preschool children along with nutritional needs for their proper growth, a senior UNESCO official stated here Wednesday.

"Unless there is sufficient investment in early childhood, the less would be the returns (when the child becomes a working adult)," said Minja Yang, director and UNESCO representative in India, at a function to release the annual "Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2007" report.

The report takes a critical look at the fact that despite well-documented benefits for child development and well being, early childhood "area remains the forgotten link in the education chain in many regions, and that half the world's countries have no early childhood care and education policy for children under age three".

Early childhood care and education are the first among six "Education for All" goals the world is committed to achieving by 2015.

While the study commends India for contributing significantly to the marked acceleration in primary school enrolments - for both boys and girls - in the South Asian region, it also notes the quality education for the most part suffers due to lack of trained teachers and large scale absentism both of children and teachers and woeful infrastructure.

"I would like to impress on the partners (governments and NGOs) to invest in creating enabling community centres and in rural areas where mothers can get together through different programmes," said Yang.

She admitted the sheer magnitude of the task makes it difficult for the Indian government to take it on its own.

At the same time, the official was critical, stating, "less than four percent of the budget allocation for education in a country like India is sadly inadequate".

The fact that 25 million babies are born every year in India despite efforts to promote family planning is a major factor for the neutral growth in the government's efforts to raise level of literacy and ensure education for all at the primary and secondary level in the country.

Comment: It's interesting how the West is screaming for babies and the East has so many.

France and Japan

POPULATION SYMPOSIUM

French values and child-care policies put family before work

By TAKASHI KITAZUME

Staff writer

See the main story:
Low birthrate threatens Japan's future
See related story:
Environment, not career major hurdle to big families

France is often cited as one of the few advanced industrialized countries to have reversed a falling birthrate. Dominique Meda, a researcher at the National Research Center for Employment in France, said the turnaround owed much to heavy government spending for child-care support as well as the country's social values that emphasize family ties.

Dominique Meda (left), a researcher at the National Research Center for Employment in France, responds to a question while her co-panelists Kumiko Bando (center) and Fusako Utsumi listen during the Oct. 31 symposium.

Like many other European countries, France faces an unavoidable aging of its population, but the birthrate is no longer considered a problem, Meda told the Oct. 31 symposium.

After bottoming out in 1993 and 1994, the birthrate in France has recovered to reach 1.92 in 2004 -- the second highest in Europe after Ireland.

According to Meda, more than 90 percent of women in France give birth to at least one child, and many of them have two or more children. In other words, very few women choose not to have babies, she told the audience.

One of the reasons, she said, is that the government has spent heavily on financial support for households raising children so that women can continue to pursue their careers after giving birth.

Kindergartens accept all children when they become 3 years old, and child-care facilities available outside kindergarten hours enable mothers to work into the evening, she said.

The ratio of women's participation in the workforce has steadily increased since the 1970s. Today, roughly 80 percent of women of child-rearing age (between 25 and 54) have jobs, nearly double the 42 percent in 1960, Meda noted.

Another major factor, she said, is a trend among French people -- backed by various research findings -- to attach greater value to their family than to their job. This trend is common among women and men, and across different income levels, she added.

Despite such support, women with children in France still face disadvantages in career opportunities, with less than half of them with children under 3 years old having jobs, Meda noted.

Among European nations, the gap in the employment rate between men and women in the 25 to 54 age bracket in France is wider than in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Britain, Germany and Portugal, she said.

Women still account for a major portion of household chores, she said. Women spend about 4 1/2 hours a day on average on such chores -- roughly double the time spent by men -- and mothers with children under 3 spend 90 minutes with the kids -- compared with 30 minutes by the men, according to Meda.

Some 30 percent of working women in France are employed on part-time contracts -- far higher than the 5.3 percent for men, she said.

On average, women earn only 80 percent of what men earn in a year, and pension benefits paid to women amount to 56 percent of those paid to men -- because they work fewer years and their income is lower, she said.

In 2002, France reduced regular working hours and introduced an 11-day annual "father's leave" so that men can spend more time with children. However, these and other efforts have yet to achieve the "double-income, double-career" model seen in Scandinavian countries, Meda said.

The Japan Times: Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006

Prague

NestLingue puts two cultures into preschool days

Bilingual program fills childcare needs for business park

By František Bouc
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
August 23rd, 2006

For once, Vladimíra Šlegrová followed the voice in her heart — and managed to make her 2-year-old daughter coo with joy.

Mixing the two forces has led to the launch of a new Czech-English bilingual school for toddlers and preschoolers in Prague 4�

Chodov. The new school, NestLingue, will open Sept. 4 on the site of a hub for fast-developing businesses, Chodov Park. Neighbors will be high-tech investors such as DHL, Accenture and IBM. What's more, additional bilingual NestLingue schools could open in Prague in the near future.

Last year, Šlegrová's little girl attended a kindergarten in Prague where the children were taught according to the Montessori method, which is based on a child-centered approach to education. The concept is built around children's need to learn, examine, discover and communicate about things they are surrounded by.

Šlegrová, a mother of two who formerly worked as a lawyer and manager, realized this was an idea she wanted to further develop.

"This time, I followed my emotions rather than mere business calculations," Šlegrová says when describing the roots of NestLingue. "I did not care that much about the actual return of my initial investment, but about the challenge of developing a beneficial project."

In order to distinguish NestLingue from dozens of kindergartens and preschools in Prague, Šlegrová bet on two key features.

First, she built in the bilingual Czech-English educational program.

"There are many Czech schools and several schools with education in a foreign language. But there are few if any schools that offer bilingual education," Šlegrová explains.

Second, Šlegrová attempted to make her preschool affordable to a greater number of parents by setting lower fees than most of the competitors that offer education in a foreign language. While monthly tuition can reach up to 25,000 Kč ($1,140) in Prague, NestLingue's fee is 15,000 Kč.

"If we followed the usual market prices, it would be more difficult to penetrate the market," Šlegrová says.

More to come

The school is open to children from 18 months to 6 years old and is divided into two programs: toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3 to 6). Children can attend in the morning, the whole day and on all or selected weekdays.

In the first year, NestLingue will be ready for up to 35 children — 15 toddlers and 20 preschoolers.

Šlegrová revealed that some 15 children, both Czech and foreign, had already been pre-registered by mid-August.

"Foreigners tend to better perceive the value of good-quality education for their children from a very early age," Šlegrová says. "Many Czech parents tend to think there is no need to rush with educating their children and that it can start when they are about 6 years old."

The location of the school, in the business park in Chodov, also makes it attractive, especially for executives working in the neighboring business facilities.

"We've considered that aspect when selecting the location. Parents working in the Park will be able to visit their children even during the day and see what they are doing."

NestLingue plans to actively cooperate with parents, who are encouraged to consult with the six teachers, both Czechs and Americans, on any matter related to the development of their kids.

Parents will receive biannual reports summarizing children's progress and lecturers must not only be native speakers but must be qualified to teach.

"We've had three Czechs and three Americans so far," Šlegrová says, adding that teachers from the United Kingdom, where the Montessori education method is less popular, have not been brought on board so far.

Depending on demand, NestLingue may well in expand into Prague 6 and Prague 1, says the upbeat new academic. But no massive expansion is planned, she cautions.

"We want to focus on top quality, and this can only be achieved with small numbers."

Comment: Sounds a lot like us only we're cheaper still.

Food from Baby Fit

Focus on Power Foods

Pack Your Lunch with Punch
-- By Zach Van Heart, Staff Writer

Did you know that ants can lift up to 50 times their own weight? This goes to show that power can come from small places. The same theory applies to power foods that can be used to re-energize you throughout your pregnancy.

Power foods are a combination of low calories and high nutrients, or foods that keep you feeling satisfied. Quite simply, you can make your calories work for you. The more efficiently you eat, the more you can eat before reaching your calorie limit, and the more nutrients you will be able to fill your body with.

The great part about power foods is that you are likely eating some of them already! And if not, parts of your diet can be easily replaced by other power foods. Adding just a few more power foods can make a big difference in your nutrition and appetite.

At the top of the Power Food list are proteins, fibers and complex carbohydrates. They have tons of nutrients that give you long-lasting energy. Protein is used to not only build up your cells, tissues, and organs, but your baby's as well; fiber prevents constipation and helps your digestive system; and complex carbs give you a steady release of energy. However, there are power foods in every food group and plenty of options to choose from.

Good Power Foods include:

Grains

• whole wheat cereal
• oatmeal
• whole wheat bread, pita, bagel
• whole wheat pasta
• brown rice
• deli rye
• pure bran muffins
• cream of wheat
• raisin bread
• wheaten biscuits

Fruits/Veggies

• oranges
• berries (especially blueberries)
• cantaloupe
• watermelon
• apples
• avocado
• chili peppers
• spinach
• sweet potatoes
• tomatoes

Dairy/Protein

• 1% milk
• yogurt
• salmon (doesn?t contain high levels of mercury like other fish)
• tuna (limit, and stick with the canned variety during pregnancy; albacore variety is not recommended)
• smoked chicken
• almonds
• peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts (consult physician. Some physicians limit nuts due to potential allergy risk)
• beans
• eggs

Comment: how many of these foods do you like and eat regularly. I'm taking this list to school and we are going to have some fun with it. I'm developing a new food game, and the children should love it.

The Garden School Tattler

The costumes are just darling. Thanks to Mrs. St. Louis, and her nimble fingers, the kids will look darling on Friday. The play is THIS Friday, and I'm really excited. Usually, I'm a wreck off the coast of Bora Bora. This time, even with the Native American Mohican words, I think the play will be just wonderful.

It's Sunday and as usual there is so much to do. E and I hit Mass at 6:00 and it's been run, run, run since.

Last night I hit a hiatus in bread making. Miss Kelly will cringe. I've been growing an absolutely marvelous wild yeast starter and yesterday I baked San Francisco style sourdough bread and it was the best thing I've ever made. It weighed a ton, and the crust my husband said, needed a hacksaw, but it was sooooo flavorful. It's not for the kids, but if anyone is interested in this absolutely easy bread, let me know. I'll give you starter and directions.

I was so delighted to spend a beautiful afternoon with Jackie and Wilbo on Friday. We raked leaves and then made a huge pile and jumped in them. The kids just loved the raking and the jumping and the burrowing and the leaf throwing. When they were totally filthy, it was time to show them off, so we trudged down to the playground at Newburgh School. We played until dark and then came home to Miss Molly who we had for dinner. She was delicious.

This is play concentration week. All emphasis is on the play. This is a Fine Arts project, and the children will watch the backdrop go up, help set up the props, learn their lines, be measured for costumes, and sing. They will watch the whole thing come together a little at a time.

I got something special for the big girls. I got some tiny little beads for them to make jewelry. It will help with handwriting.

Thank you for all the support last week. It was a hair raising week, but we made it through. Please remember to ask grandparents to the play this Friday. It's at 3:00 p.m. and snacks follow.

The Garden School Tattler

It's been an outstanding week. We've managed to renovate the afternoon classes and the kids seem to be responding very well. What we are trying to do is to include everything in a short amount of time, and thanks to Miss Kelly's industriousness, we are putting all our puzzle pieces into a very sophisticated frame.

At 1:30 we've always come in for foreign language and then followed it with music. Music is a many splendored thing, and fitting all the parts of music together is tough. And then on top of that there are the many other things we want and need to do with a full curriculum, and a bunch of tired kids, so here's what we're doing.

Every day we will come in from recess at 1:30 and either go to Spanish or Geography class for just a few minutes. Then we will do music that will include dance, rhythm, song, karaoke, flute, poetry and listening which will be team taught. Then in the last hour, we will divide the groups into two - the Scholastica group and the Benedict group for back to back social studies, Bible stories, art, fine art, science, and literature. It will be very busy, but worth doing. We've done all this in the past, but as a whole group, and what we've found is that smaller groups work better.

Today Mrs. St. Louis told the story of Noah's Ark. The kids did a multiple intelligence approach to the story and ended up staying with the props a long time.

I did Lit with a wonderful story by Max Lucado called, "You Are Special." It's a favorite of mine and worth buying for Christmas for kids.

This means a lot of prep for teachers, but that's what teaching is all about.

The play goes very well, and Miss Annie was asked to put suckers for every line learned in envelopes this afternoon. Mr. Ian knows his Mohican line very well. It involves an acrobatic tongue. I also told him today if he ate his baked potato that I would tell his brother Ty that he was superhuman. He laughed. He laughs a lot with me.

Did anyone notice Jasmin's hair? It was strikingly beautiful. And Phoebe got a hair cut this week.

Abby and Hadley and Lexi and Madison got some really nice compliments for their grown up ability to assume work and do it to completion. They are really responsible young ladies and the new mother was impressed.

Miss Jana will be taking some of the preschool activities. She will partner with Mrs. St. Louis and will contribute some messy stuff like sand and water. Mrs. St. Louis will be doing more with the older kids with their art work.

Please look at the new Nutrition Links that I'm collecting. If you have a favorite link, please email it to me. I've had to take comments off for a while because of some obscenities, but they will be back soon.

I have a new sourdough starter in the kitchen. If anyone wants a start of the starter, please let me know.

Does anyone have the fruit cake starter that was popular a few years back?

Walking

The Basics

Walking is an ideal form of exercise for many reasons. You don’t need special equipment to do it, it can be done by almost anyone, and you can do it almost anywhere! As an added bonus, there are numerous health benefits from starting a regular walking program:

• Good for your heart: Walking regularly can result in a reduction of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both of which contribute to heart disease.
  
  
• Improves balance: This can help lower your risk of falls. This risk increases as we get older as well as further into pregnancy.
  
  
• Improves circulation: Helps to ward off swelling of the feet and ankles.
  
  
• Strengthens bones and joints: Walking is easier on your joints than running or aerobics (which are high impact activities). It also reduces your risk for osteoporosis.
  
  
• Weight control, more energy, better sleep: All benefits of a regular physical activity program.
  

If you are new to exercise, there are some important health tips which will get you started on the right foot:

• Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. He or she may require a physical exam or special instructions based on your medical history.
  
  
• Don’t overdo this program if you are a beginning exerciser. Let your body adjust to the new activity.
  
  
• For the first few weeks, do not push too hard. Your breathing should be elevated, but you should not be gasping for air. A good rule of thumb is the “talk test”- if you cannot answer a question, you are walking too fast. If you can have a full conversation you are walking too slow.
  
  
• Walking shouldn’t hurt. If it does, see your family physician.
  
  
• Try to walk at least 3 times each week of the program. If you find a particular week’s pattern too tiring, repeat it before going on to the next week. You don’t have to complete the program in 12 weeks.
  
  
• Postpartum- Once cleared to do walking as exercise by your doctor (usually 2-4 weeks post non-traumatic delivery, or sometimes once you feel up to it), start off on the beginner’s level and work up as you feel able.
  
  
• Wear a watch so you can monitor the time spent walking. You can also wear a pedometer to keep track of distance. Pedometers can be found at most major retailers (Target, Wal Mart, etc.) for as little as $5.00.

Comment: I wish there were more places to walk.

Garden School Tattler

I'm very pleased to present our first Thanksgiving play complete with Mohican words. I've studied these words and although I probably don't have the grammar quite right, the children will be using the words in the play, and I'm just so excited. I sent home preliminary play lines today, and more have been added. Most younger children have about three lines. The older children have more. As your younger child proves himself capable of delivering a line with sound and with interest, he will be given more lines.

Every child will be outfitted with a costume. This is usually one of the most nervewracking events in our school year, but this year it's been pure fun. Can't wait to see the wompshauk and the squonneeks and the duksors and the mkhook-que-thoths that we will make and have on stage.

It's about learning what it's like to perform, to create a fiction that takes the viewer away from reality for a while. It's true recreation. Please plan to take that hour off for your child.

More later about what we need - feathers, felt, and if you can find a cheap pair of children's moccasins at the Dollar Store - go for it.

Plays should be fun.

Today was an exceptional day. The kids were OUTSTANDING a big tribute to parents for a nice weekend. I'm trying something new in the kitchen tomorrow. Ask your child if he thinks it's neat.

Please keep an eye on your child's pumpkin plant. An outdoor plant can be kept alive under a 12-14 inch lamp that is kept on 24-7. I have a garden of bloomers all year long.

Miss Jana is going to do a whole month on homemade clays. Please take a recipe for these things and stash them in your phone book - good place to keep things that ordinarily get lost. It's a great bit of fun on an otherwise dull afternoon.

Please congratulate Miss Molly on a job well done. Can't tell you what it is right now, but she's done an exceptional job.

Manic Monday!

Hey parents! I'm not quite sure if I got to speak with all of you this afternoon. Your child might have mentioned that we had a visit from the fire department today. Miss Jana came to the rescue! We smelled a little gas coming from the utility closet. Our protocol is to get the children out of the building asap and call the fire department.

The children quickly got their coats on, and marched out in the rain! We couldn't have picked a more pleasant day! They did a great job! The fire department arrived with their meter reader and picked up just a hint of gas. They shut the line off to one of the furnaces and we have scheduled maintenance for tomorrow. They said it was a typical problem and the children were perfectly safe.

We want you to know that your child's safety is our #1 priority! The kids got a pretty big kick out of the lights. Knight Township is the best! They turned the sirens off as they turned the corner so they wouldn't scare the children.

I was so proud of how orderly and relaxed they all were! Candy treats tomorrow!

What We're Up to Nov.6-10

This week we start play practice. Every child will be given lines to practice for our upcoming Thanksgiving play. They will be distributed soon.

Fundraiser stuff is on the way. It should arrive approximately November 17. There will be tons of boxes! I will give everyone exact notice, hopefully at the end of the week. Thank you for your support.

I would like to thank parents for paying on Monday! Starting this week, unless you have contacted Miss Molly, a $25.00 late fee will be added to late tuition payments.

Please watch the weather! It’s been chilly lately. Jackets are your best bet! If your child brings a hat or gloves please put his/her name in them!

School will be closed November 23rd and 24th for the Thanksgiving holiday.

China

800 million illiterates across the world

There are still 800 million illiterate people in the world and the school dropout rate in some countries is still very high, according to Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2007, released by UNESCO.

Although some progress has been made in popularizing preliminary education, there is still a long way to go before the United Nations Millennium Development Goal is achieved, which was to achieve universal primary education by 2005.

The report said that the global enrollment rate for primary school is up to 86 percent. There has been a significant overall improvement in many countries. The enrollment rate in southern Saharan regions has increased by 19 percent. However, only two-thirds of the students go on to finish their education. In Latin America and the Caribbean just 83 percent of children attend primary school.

Most of the students dropping out of school come from the rural areas of poor countries. The number of students going on to receive a secondary education has grown in all developing countries, but the rate in southern Saharan regions and western Africa is still low, 30 percent and 51 percent respectively.

The enrollment gap between females and males has been narrowed from 92:100 to 94:100. Only one-third of countries have equal gender enrollment. The illiteracy rate of adults is still very high; there are 780 million illiterate people, two-thirds of whom are women.

The report attached great importance to the education of children in their early years, because this is the best time to develop the brain. However, half of the children around the world do not receive any education before the age of 3. Therefore it is important that governments regulate childhood education from birth, and increase investment in preschool education.

By People's Daily Online

Comment: There is so much to say here. Primarily it's about what people will use in their life. What's the point of knowing anything but the basics if your life is limited and going to remain limited? On the other hand, what's the point of just knowing the basics? Doesn't that bring an instant slum of the mind?

That's what the Chinese did during the Mao years. They sent anyone with an education to the countryside in hopes they could turn people into automatons. It was in the countryside that mother's taught their children and both parents preserved education no matter how hard or dangerous it was.

In America, we have a stupid idea that there is no point of knowing the finer things about the world because we are never going to use it. So from preschool on, fine arts are left on the shelf. Who cares?

Then we become a nation of artists and writers who simply never put their talents to the test. The ability to do something good should never be wasted. With creation comes a different kind of thought, an elevated thought, a thinking of angels; but it takes time and knowledge to accomplish it. It's hard to do and takes time away from jealous people who don't understand. Some people put their craft away permanently because it disrupts families and households, and that's a shame. Others find secret moments to work. Others leave the mundane in order to pursue that which is good - but that's not the answer either.

Putting off creation, putting it away for lesser things, mundane things, for trivia, for R&R is a grave sin, a sin of burying talents for a cruel master. But then I'm part of the old school, and I see the world in a different dimension, and I see the artist as especially blessed, and I don't see the master as cruel but as generous.

My husband and I are always talking about film, literature, art of some kind, and for most people who would listen in, we sound like the dullest people in the world, but the human imagination, the work of the heart and the experiment of how one thinks and how one delivers on that thinking is what has given us the culture we know as "Western." Philosophy wasn't "thunk" up in a day. A novel isn't written in a day, nor is a painting finished in a day.

What primitive people seem to think is that it all comes from daddy. Wrong. Children are educated by their mothers. The ability to do the ordinary tasks of the day is taught by the mother - it used to be called steadfastness. The ability to understand the human condition is taught by the mother. The ability to do good and to carry on in the face of adversity is taught by both parents. The role of the father is to pull the child into the world with some knowledge - from mom - and to relate to the child that he is important and contributing member of the team. Father's teach too, don't get me wrong, but what they teach is other than what mother teaches. No culture pulls a child away from his mother until he is seven or eight, and by then the seeds are sewn.

By refusing to educate a girl child, what the primitive is saying is "let's do this poorly. Let's perpetuate the idiocy yet another generation." Want to know why children drop out of school? There is no combination of what parents should s important for the future and/or no one to tell a child he is beautiful and well worth fighting for.

Being illiterate is an interesting concept. In developing nations, it's about reading at all. In America it's about reading for the larger picture. The question is, what is the larger picture?

Well, on that note, I will go back to my writing. By the way, this series of pictures/and are from Mother Theresa.

Soy

Find the Joy in Soy

Versatile Food Always a Healthy Choice
-- By Liz Noelcke, Staff Writer

What exactly does that little soybean do? Turns out that it is a nutritional powerhouse, and although no governmental guidelines have been issued as to how much you should consume a day as part of your healthy diet, most researchers and health professionals agree that there is a lot of good to get out of such a little bean.

First of all, soybeans and soy foods for that matter are high in protein, so you can actually get a good amount of this nutrient without devouring lots of fat. Since soy is also very low in saturated fat and has no cholesterol, it can be a great substitute for fatty meats without losing out on the benefits of protein. Soy protein is also a complete source of all of the amino acids the body needs, serving as the building blocks for your baby's body.

After about the age of 30, a woman's body will start losing the ability to fully absorb calcium. Because of this, women of all ages need to make sure they are consuming enough calcium to make up for this deficiency, especially when considering a pregnancy. This is particularly important during pregnancy because if your baby is not getting enough nutrients, he or she will steal from your body, even lifting calcium from your own bones. A loss of bone density from lack of calcium is what can cause osteoporosis later in life. Along with other foods, such as milk and green leafy vegetables, soy is a great source of calcium and it comes in a form that is more easily absorbed. For women, particularly pregnant women, soy products can be a great addition to their diets.

Lastly, soy is packed with soluble fiber. Fiber is often an overlooked nutrient, but is pretty important in the body. First, like the protein in soybeans, it helps to lower blood cholesterol. Additionally, it slows down the time it takes for food to leave the stomach, making you feel full longer. A common ailment during pregnancy is constipation, and including enough fiber in your diet will help to alleviate this.

The variety of soy foods available has greatly increased in the last few years. Soy nuts are a great snack and a great replacement to peanuts. They even come in unsalted varieties and can be snacked on right out of the bag with little guilt or stir them in as a healthy addition to a trail mix. Another soy food is soy milk. This can be used in cereal, or bought as ice cream and is a pretty easy substitution to make. And since tofu is also made from soybeans, this meat stand-in can be used in a variety of ways, from pastas to stir-fry.

Here are some great BabyFit recipes with soy as an ingredient.

Creamy Soy Corn Soup: creamy, sweet, and full of soy protein, this soup will satisfy whether served hot or cold.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 8 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 4 cups soy milk
- 12 oz firm silken tofu
- 1 Tsp sugar
- salt and pepper to taste

1. In medium saucepan, cook onions in olive oil. Cook until onions appear translucent. Do not allow onions to brown. Add diced celery. Continue to cook until celery softens. Add corn, soy milk, vegetable stock, sugar, and thyme. Cook until corn is soft.
2. Place soup mixture and drained tofu into blender. Pulse until mixture is smooth.
3. Return to sauce pan and reheat.

Makes 4 servings.

Tofu Fettuccini Alfredo: replacing cream with tofu makes this decadent pasta dish a welcome addition to any healthy diet.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked fettuccini
- 12oz. Soft tofu, drained
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup grated Romano cheese
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tsp onion powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste
1. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions
2. While the pasta is boiling, place the drained tofu, garlic, both cheeses, olive oil, and onion powder into a blender. Blend until smooth
3. Pour soy mixture into a saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
4. Toss drained pasta with alfredo sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Comment: A good food for thought!