Friday's Tattler

It's been a week with lots of kids out with illness. Miss Kelly came down with "hoof and mouth." She ended the week taking a sick day. We hope she's better. Four of our children have had tonsillectomies in the past month. We hope that's the end of that. Fevers abound, but there have been few nasty colds. We are glad to see that keeping the heat down at the GS has helped to keep colds at bay.

In Miss Kelly's absence today, we started to get to work on the play which is Miss Judy's baby this year. I'm excited about some great new lines. Some of these new lines were made for the children. It will be so cute. Most of the children have at least one speaking line. The main characters have pages of lines to learn, but they will do this with vigor and fun.

We tried artichokes this week, and the children really loved them. I'm always thrilled to see them eat something new and enjoy it. The top food this week was cheesy potatoes.

Top toy this week was Rescue Heroes. Scotty's mom brought some new addtions to us, and the kids have really enjoyed them. We are always delighted to receive new toys, used toys, or toys that parents have found at garage sales. Often, toys sit at home unused, and when they become part of our little school, children re-discover them as they play with their friends. Toys are much more fun shared.

Candy money is still coming in. We thank our parents who have continued to sell this for us. We will be ordering our fence in April. We are excited to have this new safety feature for the playground. The other fence is in tatters. We could not do this without our parents help.

Our field trip was fun this week. Next Friday, we will be taking another field trip to the dentist's office and then to lunch out. We are trying to arrange a pizza making lunch at Pizza Chef in Newburgh. Either way, we will eat pizza out in a restaurant next Friday for sure.

The children loved the movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks. We wanted to show The King and I but couldn't find it. In some ways it worked out better because the children LOVED B and B. It was filled with fun, cute scenes, and things the children just laughed out loud at. This is what we want. Before leaving the "theatre" Mrs. St. Louis asked every child to tell her something they remembered about the movie. Every child but two could do it.

We will search for the King and I this week. As long as the weather is cold and dreary, we will continue watching the movies during PM recess.

Our egg lady is looking for new clients. If you are interested in purchasing free range eggs, please let Miss Judy know. We have brown, speckled, blue and green eggs. They are all chicken eggs and taste exactly the same. They are $2.00 a dozen.

Please remember to send children in long sleeves until the weather turns warmer. Every child needs a coat. Some children are arriving to school in light sweaters. The weather is just not warm enough for that yet. Short sleeves are chilly in our building. We have lots of kids arrive in summer clothes and then complain they are cold all day.

Have a great weekend.

Today at St. Meinrad

We had a splendid day today. We loaded the bus about 9:00 and headed for Boonville and the the little nursing home there. We sang several songs, hugged the residents and then boarded the bus for one of the seven Benedictine Archabbeys in the world. The Benedicitines are a Catholic order that was begun in 480 by St. Benedict. There are Benedictine brothers and priests all over the world. They are monks which means they live in a monastery and dedicate their lives to work and prayer.

The children were absolutely wonderful on the bus. We had a few squirrels, but all in all it was a nice ride.

We unloaded and headed out for the Big Church. This is a lovely building inside and out. The children loved running up the big church steps and walking into what can only be described as a tradition deep in the Middle Ages. We looked at the beautiful stained glass windows which are from Germany. We looked at the Black Madona from Switzerland, and we went into the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. Then it was upstairs to the Chapter Room where the kids got ashes. Brother Maurus was delighted to put a sooty cross on each child's forhead and say, "Remember thou art dust and into dust thou shall return." The kids loved it. They loved the beautiful paintings along the ceiling of this very special room. Then it was off to lunch. We ate at the Guest House and then went off across the way to the Big Church again for Noon Prayers. Every monastic order prays every three hours every day. These prayers are called the Litany of the Hours. We attended a fifteen minute Noon Prayer and at the end the children were able to participate in saying the Our Father right down to the youngest. Each child said his prayer with great knowlege and wisdom. And at the end the children added the sign of the cross. It might have been a bit of a disruption to the regular order of things, but the look on the faces of these two nuns was enough to say that they were enchanted with such a well behaved and beautifully knowledgable group. Our children participated perfectly. They sat quietly and added their little prayer like pros. We were sooooooo proud of them. After prayers, we let them roll, slide, run, jump, and tumble down the big hill in front of the big church. Then it was home.

This is our first field trip of the year. If it is any symbol of how the rest of our field trips will be, we are in for a great field trip year!

Our New President

We have a delightful new President of the Garden School -- Miss Emma Kirk. And because of close voting, we have aVice President - Jayeln Bockelman. Congratulations on a race well won.

Independence II by Judy Lyden

As we begin to see the school year reach its middle and begin to climb into what teachers hope are the "less formative more do" days, we see the children begin to act on an independence they have learned. But they haven't learned this by being shoved into it. They have learned this by doing in a long train of events that start in the beginning...

In the beginning, back in August, lining up was a whole other ball game - a game the new kids had never played. Being still, quiet, and even roughly listening to directions was an iffy promise for a lot of them. Listening for the bell, standing quietly and listening for a teacher's directions was a concept so strange and foreign to some, we wondered if compliance would ever come to be.

Teachers know that actual listening and beginning to learn only begins about the end of October. August and September are mostly false starts and wind ups. Getting the kids out at field trips helps with directions, lining up and being still at least a little part of the day.

By the first play most of them have made the space jump from prattling play to the wake up call of listening. They are ready for learning and ready to "do" something with what they have begun to learn. They are not so sure of what they are supposed to do, but they are delighted to show what they've learned helter skelter. The play gives the school a cohesiveness that makes the Christmas Season a group activity.

But Christmas always reeks havoc with a school agenda, so the first couple of weeks of January are a kind of review in the classroom. Then it's on to new stuff - stuff they've never heard of. Most of the children are listening intently by this time and it's time for the big guns.

This is why we introduced the film fest in January. The kids are ALL listening and enjoying new ideas, and these older movies are filled with all kinds of new concepts. Almost every child can answer questions about each film. It's a remarkable achievement for a three year old.

Next step is to get the kids all talking about their ideas and what they know, learned and think. This kind of real discussion is the key to independence. If you consider that some of the kids did not know how to come when they were called, sit at a table, line up or raise their hand, this is another planet of being. It's the difference between a child handing you his coat and one who you can explain the physics of putting his own coat on his own body and he listens well enough to do it.

Yesterday we had speeches for elections. This is another huge jump because it's not about something he can hold on to or see - it's about self. This means that the child must collect his own thoughts, climb up on the podium in front of the whole student body and convince the other children -- who are listening -- that he is the best candidate - and why.

Today the children will elect their president. There will be some excitement, some disappointment and some tears. It's all part of life. Only one child will be elected. But every child was able to give his best effort yesterday and did a champion job.

Next it's the spring play. There is a huge difference between the fall play and the spring play. Acting with this new self appreciation means a lot on stage. There is more sophistocation, more humor, more laughter.

Then it's on to a spring sing and graduation. And we turn another year over. When graduates leave the GS they know how to conduct themselves as ladies and gentlemen. They can answer a question in a complete sentence; appraise a question for a great answer; listen; repeat; judge a situation; take care of their own needs; present themselves well on stage and address a group or an adult with poise. Yes that's what it means to be independent.

Monday's Tattler

Good Morning! It's Election Week at school and today is the day for speeches and for talking about what good citizens we are and how much we would work for the student body. It might be the first time a child actually realizes that he is an important part of his school and can contribute to the body of the people. It's an amazing concept and only one that is part of a free society. This is also a good lesson.

This week is also the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time of waiting and a time when we begin to look inward for a little emotional an perhaps spiritual spring cleaning. We ask ourselves about ourselves and how we are in or out with the Big Guy. It's a time for thought and redirection. We will be doing Bona Operas this week. A Bona Opera is Latin for a good work. We will all decide what we would like to do to help out. Lent is not so much a time of giving up as a time of doing something positive in order to improve the self. These Bona Operas will come home so parents can be involved.

Wednesday we will be going to St. Meinrad Archabbey. It's one of only seven Benedictine Archabbeys in the world. We will tour, eat our lunch and go to Noon Prayer with the monks. It is a neat thing because it's done in the big church and the kids really enjoy the castle like atmosphere. The children will wear their new red sweatshirts. Please make sure your children have one. It will be in the 50s on Wednesday, and the kids won't need coats with the new sweatshirts.

March is almost with us, and this Friday we will begin to work on the St. Patrick's Day Play. Please help your child learn his lines. It's a long play. Calendars will go out this week for March.

Have a great day!

Friday's Tattler

It's been a crazy week. Lots of kids out with various illnesses. Please keep a check on two things to keep illnesses down - lots of water and lots of rest. We are trying to get the kids outside every chance we have and that fresh air will do more for keeping kids well than many things I can think of. We will air out the school today as well.

Miss Elise is Miss Amy's daughter. She has been working with the preschool doing wonderful things with art. She's a a delightful young lady and works well with the kids and with the teachers. She is married to Ely and they presently live with Miss Amy. We are very very glad to have her at the Garden School.

Miss Leigh is another new young lady. She has been a friend of mine since she was born. Her mom and I are great friends and her family have been neighbors for thirty years. Leigh is a student at UE and is getting her degree in Elementary Education. She is a great friend of my Anne. Leigh is an artist and loves music and works part time at Starbucks.

When we bring on new people at the Garden School it's always a joy when it works out well. I could not be more delighted with these young people.

The children have been watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and their attention skills are remarkable. Every child is watching intently and understands the story and can respond quite brilliantly about who is who and what is happening. It's been a wonderful experience. I am amazed that they are not bored with these older movies. The ability to sit and listen - even for short times - is often difficult for young children, and the kids are eager to sit and listen.

Many thanks to Mrs. St. Louis who has gone out to find these movies.

Don't forget to get your child's sweatshirt. He will need it for next week's field trip and all subsequent spring fieldtrips. It's part of the uniform. It's a great intermediate cover for any occasion.

I have a few copies of Porkchops if anyone is interested. I will be having a book signing in late March at Boarders. Everyone is welcome.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday's Teacher

This is from a teacher in Florida. It's interesting. My heart has always gone to immigrants because my husband's family came over. But no one ever handed them anything. My own children have hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans and all of them pay for their own expenses. I wonder where it will all end.

Here's her letter:

Letter by a Florida teacher:

This is a subject close to my heart. Do you know that we have adult students at the school where I teach who are not US citizens and who get the PELL grant, which is a federal grant (no pay back required) plus other federal grants to go to school?

One student from the Dominican Republic told me that she didn't want me to find a job for her after she finished my program, because she was getting housing from our housing department and she was getting a PELL grant which paid for her total tuition and books, plus money leftover.

She was looking into WAIT which gives students a CREDIT CARD for gas to come to school, and into CARIBE which is a special program (check it out - I did) for immigrants and it pays for child care and all sorts of needs while they go to school or training. The one student I just mentioned told me she was not going to be a US Citizen because she plans to return to the Dominican Republic someday and that she 'loves HER country.'

I asked her if she felt guilty taking what the US is giving her and then not even bothering to become a citizen and she told me that it doesn't bother her, because that is what the money is there for!

I asked the CARIBE administration about their program and if you ARE a US Citizen, you don't qualify for their program. And all the while, I am working a full day, my son-in-law works more than 60 hours a week, and everyone in my family works and pays for our education.

Something is wrong here. I am sorry but after hearing they want to sing the National Anthem in Spanish - enough is enough. Nowhere did they sing it in Italian, Polish, Irish (Celtic), German or any other language because of immigration. It was written by Francis Scott Key and should be sung word for word the way it was written. The news broadcasts even gave the translation -- not even close. Sorry if this offends anyone but this is MY COUNTRY.

Wonderful Wednesday.

I will never die. I am so far behind...

I saw this for Wonderful Wed and laughed out loud. I'm sure many of you have seen it, but it's so much fun to watch... bear with me!

A Response to a Letter

Here is a comment posted from a reader on a December 2 article I wrote:

Children need acknowledgment and encouragement, not praise. The type of praise that Alfie Kohn criticizes the most is the one used as a "positive reinforcement", e.g., praising good behavior to encourage a child to behave similarly in the future. In this case, the praise becomes a manipulation tool, the interaction between the adult and the child unauthentic, and the relationship between them suffers.

It is difficult for me to respect someone who demonstrates little respect for others. It's one thing to disagree with someone and quite another to insult them by name-calling. Perhaps, the author has not really tried to understand the theory and research behind Alfie Kohn's works.

Here is my response. I wrote this a long time ago. It was in response to Alfie Kohn's theory on praise:

There is a great debate among some adults about praising or rewarding children for good deeds. The early childhood classroom is supposed to be value free and reward free for the good of the child’s real self esteem.

The argument is: if we reward children for goodness, won’t that actually deprive them of the natural pleasure of knowing that they did something of value? Isn’t the knowledge that they did something good enough?

The argument continues to gain speed with the idea that adults who reward children are trying to manipulate the child and that adults are looking out more for their own convenience and material good than the child’s. I think the opposite is true, and I have good reason to believe it.

Having grown up in a house that never praised, never rewarded and counted all compliments and positives as emotional bullets, I can say from experience that the lack of appreciation, approval and praise from the adults who are supposed to rear and guide you was crippling and demoralizing. Growing up in the dark of support was about as painful as growing up diseased.

When other children received hugs and congratulations and even small presents and rewards for half or a fraction of my own achievements, and I received nothing, not a word, not a smile, not even a moment to treasure, not even on my birthday, my sense of fairness and loss taught me that I was not likable and therefore a social outcast doomed to loneliness and rejection for the rest of my life and it was my fault.

If those who are closest to me could not say, “Good job” then, as I reasoned, I must be a terrible person – certainly not worth fighting for, and certainly not missed if suddenly I should die – even by my own hand.

So what saved the child with pernicious thoughts of death? There were adults in my small life who did compliment me, teachers, neighbors and an occasional relative who secretly winked well enough that I began to believe that perhaps through the keyhole of my dark room there was some way out of believing that I should spend my life alone with visions of a cottage in a deep wood where the friendship of animals and plants became my haunting refuge filling my imaginary future.

As a child, I brought letters home from teachers who praised me to the skies, and the letters were scorned and I was scorned, humiliated and punished for being praised. But still the truth of the letters existed, and in the mind of a child, choosing between those who are supposed to love you and a stranger’s momentary praise was too involved. It was confusing at best.

As a young adult, the lack of praise contributed to a perception that most other adults simply did not like me and would never like me. As a social outcast, I would rear my children alone and even suffer the humiliation that my husband really didn’t like me, and really was sorry he had married me.

As an older adult, those thoughts still trigger unbelievable pain and suffering. Through the love and support of the children I spend hours praising and rewarding, I have come to realize that life is too short not to express the love and affection in one’s heart, that life is a beautiful and wonderful adventure and each day should be filled with lots of praise and joy that is communicated from one person to another freely and spiritedly. Thoughts of manipulation are as far from my scope as China.

So when I am reminded that today there is a whole early childhood theory that wants to pull praise and rewards from children’s hands based on the idea that a child will intrinsically understand his own goodness and enjoy his untainted reward, I cringe.

Monday's Tattler

Good morning! It's another Monday and we're ready for another new week at school. This week it's campaign week, and we will run for the office of Garden School President. All the children can participate and run for the office. Campaigning will include a time when children can speak out about their issues and talk about how they hope to benefit the school and the lives of their classmates.

Our last year's officer was outstanding. He met incoming students, shook visitors' hands and helped out in lots of projects. David was a fine officer.

Campaign stickers, notes, signs and giveaways (like suckers) are all within bounds. Let your child be the inventor of his campaign.

Voting will be on Tuesday, February 24.

We will be going out as much as we can in these temperature up and temperature down days. According to the weather, we should have a couple of 50s days. Snow one day, but it's only a chance.

Your child should be wearing long sleeves on cold days. We've had a lot of summer clothes lately, and we want you to know that the school is about 66 degrees. A lower temperature in the building actually reduces illness. I hope you have noticed how few colds there have been this year.

The faculty would like to thank the parents for an absolutely wonderful party last Friday. It was one of our best. The children were adorable and seemed to enjoy learning to dance. They certainly learned well enough to enjoy themselves at the dance. I will be posting pictures all week.

Congratulations go to Vonda and Joe for being our first dancing couple. They got the box of candy!

Copies of my book Porkchops are available if anyone would like one.

Friday's Tattler

Today we will celebrate Valentine's Day. We will tell the story of St. Valentine, the early Christian martyr, and then pass out our Valentines. The children love this. We have decorated bags to collect our Valentines cards and today we will "fill 'em up." It's a nice kind of fun.

We've made all kinds of Valentine's Day hearts, valentine's and glittery stuff. There has been a lot of creativity out there this week!

Later today we will enjoy our dance. Parents are welcome to join the dance. First couple to dance wins a box of candy!

The children have been practicing a ballroom box step and the bunny hop. Miss Leigh has been teaching them the bunny hop and the kids have really loved this. Miss Elise has tackled the box step and the pairing up has been really funny. I met a certain grandmom at the grocery store who told me that her grandson comes home absolutely dreamy eyed over one Phoebe! It's too cute for words.

Another little guy was caught dancing with his dream date and we have the picture to prove it!

The party starts at 3:00 and continues until 4:00. Can't wait to see you all.

FYI Wednesday

The Price of Children

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Here is something
absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown
of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen
the rewards listed this way. It's nice.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from
birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family.
Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But
$160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month,
* $171.08 a week.
* A mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice is; don't have children
if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just the opposite.
What do you get for your $160,140.00?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or
how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs.

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator
magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand
prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for
Father's Day.

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get
to be a hero just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
* coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to
ice cream regardless.


You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* First step,
* First word,
* First bra,
* First date,
* First time behind the wheel.


You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family
tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called
grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in
psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human
sexuality that no college can match.


In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all
the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed,
patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and
love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without
counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!


Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren!!!!!!!
It's the best investment you'll ever make!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday's Little Bit of Thought

Letting go is one of the most difficult things parents have to do. It begins with handing over your baby in the hospital to the nurse who is only going to .... And it strikes again the first time and then subsequent times we let someone care for our little person while we... And then again the first time our toddler goes off with a friend's child or goes to school or day care. As for me, I had panic attacks being on the other side of the door from Miss Molly when she was an infant. Letting go and trusting is a terribly difficult thing for some parents.

Every time parents leave their child at the Garden School, I should doubly realize the trust parents are offering to us as we take the children here and there, teach them this or that and feed them many meals. It's an honor and a privilege to embrace that trust and come through for parents.

Today I am letting go of my daughter Anne who is moving to Chicago. Anne is my 23 year old baby, and I will miss her terribly. But every fledgling must fledge, and this is her time. Anne is an interesting young woman. She has a degree in Political Science and is fluent in French and hopes to be fluent in Arabic one day. She has her father's interest in the Middle East and has gone both the feminine and masculine way in bridging the gap between the two cultures. Anne has taught herself these languages the hard way. She has worked her way through high school and college by "cheffing" at Angelos in downtown EVV. Her picture was in December's issue of Evansville Living Magazine, although they misspelled her name. She is a fine young woman.

No matter how accomplished or worldly your child is, it is always hard to let go. Having Anne at home these years has been a real treat and a blessing to our family. It will be interesting to see what she accomplishes out in the bigger world.

Letting go reminds me of all the times in my children's childhood when I let go. I remember handing my second child, Katy, over to Mrs. Baxter as I ran out of the room and Katy ran after me. She told me later, "If I made it to the outside door before Mom, I can go home and I won't have to stay at school." I beat her.

I remember leaving Katy at the University of Dallas. We were all sad. Katy was lost and the struggle ahead at the Catholic Harvard was going to be fierce. She did fine and graduated with a degree in History.

I remember letting go of Katy to boot camp when she was 18. We had spent the day in Indy at the museum with the two younger children and when we got home, Katy's hair was cut short, her braces had been removed and she was packed and ready for a surprise leave the next day. I threw up. She did fine. Broke her ankle and kept on running.

The next time we let go was during that horrific snow storm when most of the US was shut down back in the early 90s. She drove through that snow storm to get to her first post in Staten Island.

Katy has left town and returned on several occasions for work. Each time it makes me sad. Now, she is happily living in EVV and doing a job she loves - yeah!

I remember sending Brendan off on a camping trip to Canada with the Scouts. He came back with blood poisoning, and shook it off with the usual bravado. Brendan was a whole other story. He once swam the Ohio from the banks of the river down in Newburgh just to see if he could. Daily letting go of him was more than letting go-- it was more of a wrenching.

I remember a voyage to the North Pole Brendan took as a submariner. I didn't get to talk to him for three months. When the Russian sub went down, I needed a big shoulder to cry on.

Molly was my third child, and you know what they say about #3! Letting go of her was probably the most difficult. I'm glad she is doing what she is doing - raising her children here in Newburgh. Molly took off to Texas 7/8 ths through high school. That was tough. She returned to graduate.

Letting go of the grandchildren was tough as well. But good things happen when people go to do the things that will make them grow. Letting go does not mean we don't care. It means we care so deeply that our little people get something new that is good and beneficial to the whole picture of life. We can't do it all by ourselves. We need one another to help us rear the very best people possible. Good people come from good situations.

I can assure you that the Garden School teachers are determined to make your child our first priority. Good starts mean children can grow and delvelop and add to their experiences in a safe and loving environment. A good example now will make their expectations higher and their life better later.

I'll get through today, and there will be more letting go as my children and grandchildren do the things in life they were meant to do. But it makes me reconsider what our parents have to do every day, and that's tough.

Monday's Tattler

Happy Monday! It's a great week to be alive and kicking. It's Valentine's week and we will be sharing a lot of love! It's an outdoors week as well. Although it was sloppy and still icy and snowy outside last week, the kids loved being outdoors.

This week we will share the story of St. Valentine an early Christian martyr from the the first century. We will talk about sharing and the affection we have for one another. We will make oodles of Valentines and on Friday, share them with an all school "post."

Your child needs 40 Valentines that are signed but not addressed. They can be fancy or plain, homemade or store bought. Your child should bring these to school in a ziplock with his name on them. They go into his folder until sharing time. This is a really fun day for kids.

At 3:00 Friday afternoon, we will have a Valentine's dance and party. Parents may come and dance, but all children must have an attending adult. We will dismiss at 4:00.

Please bring a treat to share. Treats should be a plate of cookies that will feed 4; a bag of chips; a simple before dinner treat or fresh fruit. Candy will be put aside for later.

Love it up this week - it's your week!

Vitamin D linked to girl power: Study

By Stephen Daniells, 04-Feb-2009

An interesting article from Food Navigator at foodnavigator-usa.com

Low levels of vitamin D may reduce the muscle power and force in adolescent girls, according to a new study from the UK.

Writing in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, researchers from the University of Manchester report that the vitamin D levels of 99 adolescent girls between the ages of 12 and 14 was positively associated with muscle power and force.

The study adds to an ever-growing body of science supporting the benefits of adequate vitamin D levels throughout life, with deficiency of the vitamin linked to osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases.

“We know vitamin D deficiency can weaken the muscular and skeletal systems, but until now, little was known about the relationship of vitamin D with muscle power and force,” said lead author of the study Kate Ward, PhD.

“Our study found that vitamin D is positively related to muscle power, force, velocity and jump height in adolescent girls.”

While the vitamin can be produced by the body on exposure to sunlight, other studies have shown that large sections of the population may be vitamin D insufficient or deficient.

Indeed, according to a study from the US in July 2007 (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 86, pp. 150-158), about 55 per cent of seemingly healthy adolescents may be vitamin D deficient. A similar study from Britain in 2006 reported that over 70 per cent of seemingly healthy teenage girls might be vitamin D deficient (Archives of Disease in Childhood, Vol. 91, pp. 569-572).

Study details

Ward and her co-workers recruited the adolescent girls at an inner city, multi-ethnic school in Manchester. Blood samples showed that the average vitamin D levels were 21.3 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L), and ranged from 2.5 to 88.5 nmol/L. While none of the girls had any physical symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, the researchers report that 75 per cent of the screened population had low 25(OH)D levels.

Muscle strength and force were measured using technique called jumping mechanography, which derives power and force measurements from a subject’s performance in a series of jumping activities.

The researchers report that girls without vitamin D deficiency performed significantly better in jumping test.

“These data highlight the importance of vitamin D status on muscle function in adolescent girls. Sub-optimal force might have implications for long-term bone development,” wrote the researchers.

“The long-term implications of these observations require further study,” they concluded.

Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors - D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, also known as ergocalciferol. Both D3 and D2 precursors are hydroxylated in the liver and kidneys to form 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the non-active 'storage' form, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), the biologically active form that is tightly controlled by the body.

The other researchers were affiliated with the Longsight Health Centre in Manchester, the University of Manchester, Novotec Medical GmBH in Pforzheim, Germany, and Saint Mary’s Hospital for Women & Children in Manchester.

Source: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
February 2009

“Vitamin D Status and Muscle Function in Post-Menarchal Adolescent Girls”
Authors: K.A. Ward, G. Das, J.L. Berry, S.A. Roberts, R. Rawer, J.E. Adams, Z. Mughal

Patricia MacLachlan at Central Library

The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library and the Evansville Area Reading Council are co-sponsoring a Young Authors Event on Saturday, March 7, 2009 from 10 am to 2 pm. The event will take place at Central Library.

The guest speaker that day will be Award Winning Author Patricia MacLachlan.

Ms. MacLachlan is the author of the Sarah, Plain & Tall and Skylark series as well as picture books such as All the Places to Love and Once I Ate a Pie.
She will speak at 11 am and 2 pm in Central Library’s Browning Room.

Friday's Tattler

Today is Pajama Day. Children wear their pjs to school. Please let them wear their shoes today, so we can go outside! It will be in the fifties today, so we are looking forward to some outside activities. It's been such a long time since these children have played outside. They are so restless!

It's been a good week until yesterday, and suddenly, the kids got tired and cranky and apparently had a really bad afternoon. We were short Miss Amy yesterday who has been ill, and struggling along without her is not fun. Miss Judy opened school with Mrs. St. Louis and we combined classes in the AM. Miss Judy took the kids for a couple of math games. Most of the kids listened and did very well. I was stunned by Scotty's ability to keep up the count with all of Miss Amy's older children.

Mrs. St. Louis and Miss Elise did a really cute Chinese New Years project that is hanging in the library. The children colored - and very nicely, I must say - Chinese New Year creatures, and then painted a red backdrop for good luck. Miss Elise combined the effort in a really cute display.

We had Chinese food yesterday and the children really liked it. It was chicken and shrimp and vegetables on brown rice. We ate with chopsticks. Today we will have pizza.

I knew the kids were out of sorts yesterday when geography was such a difficult thing. The places we have worked on so hard were simply out of their reach yesterday. We will work on those things together again.

Please get your summer registration back to school ASAP. We are trying to put the summer program together and we need some numbers.

Have a great weekend!

Teaching Thursday

'Green' Classes Flourish in Schools

By Sean Cavanagh

From Education Week. This is an interesting article worth reading.

Solar-powered cars have barely begun to inch out of test laboratories onto the difficult road to commercial viability.

But miniature versions of that technology are already being churned out at Whitmore Lake High School.

Students at the Michigan school have designed shoebox-size cars, made of foam board, toothpicks, and solar panels, as part of a new class called Green Tech. It’s just one of the many courses focused on renewable and alternative energy that are taking hold across the country as educators seek to channel students’ concerns about the environment and conservation into classroom lessons.

For more of the article go HERE.

Something Wonderful for Wednesday

These are Molly's puppies. Aren't they cute?

Apples Don't Fall Far From the Tree

Not everything you read about children is true. Most of it is either "duh" or "huh?" When people don't trust themselves they fly to the authorities and read, read, read in order to understand the child. They gather a lot of material, and then try to apply it to their child like an over sized plastic orange raincoat. At best, it's an over sized plastic orange raincoat.

Understanding a child - almost any child - means observing the child. But just watching won't cut it. One has to watch a child with an eye to having watched the parent of the child. Apples simply don't fall far from the tree. It's an old saying that means children are very much like their parents.

My husband always laments the fact that our children are quite odd, often don't seem like other people, don't do what other people do, and aren't satisfied with ordinary things and activities. The comeback to that is: So are you, dear. And so am I.

The plain truth is, hyperactive people breed hyperactive children. Introverted people breed introverted children. Artists usually have artistic children; innate traits are passed down from generation to generation. It's the same way with personality traits. So when you want to figure out the child, just observe mom and dad, and most questions can be answered.

Understanding children in general is another question. One of the things we don't hear very often is "the age of reason." That got thrown out with the land line. The age of reason is simply the age when children start to become responsible for what they say and do. Some kids hit it early and some late, but mostly it's about age seven. By about age seven, a child knows exactly what he's doing and is liable for the consequences. The problem is, many of the adults in charge of problem children's lives have not emotionally hit the age of reason, so foisting it on their child seems a bit daunting.

So with difficult children, we need to ask ourselves if mom and dad have hit that critical "age of reason" and if parents are willing to admit that they are responsible for anyone in sight including themselves. And the answer is: probably not.

So we hit the books - and we develop all kinds of pretty names that describe a child's nasty behavior - Oppositional Defiant is my favorite. Hyperactive with Attention Deficit is another. Bi Polar has a nice new heap of bodies. And at this point nobody would dare say, "knock it off, kid."

Understanding the child means to look beyond this heap of nonsense and figure out just what has gone wrong in a child's life and to get to the starting point of that wrong, and fix it. Instead of going to the drugstore and pumping the wronged child with lots of narcotics and spending hours talking about him as if he's not in the room, perhaps it's time to look in the mirror. Apples don't fall far from the tree, remember?

Failure to address problems is a personality trait. Many people hide problems under the carpet until there is a mountain of hidden treasures. Hiding problems, failure to address problems, and failure to act on problems only means the problem will continue and continue and could destroy a child's life. Many parents enjoy problems with children because it allows the parent to stay at the center of everyone's attention.

Understanding the child is really a matter of introspection. It's a matter of coming clean with yourself about your own failures and about your own abilities.

School IS OPEN !

Sunday's Bulletin:

We WILL have school tomorrow. No matter if Warrick or Vanderburgh County schools are closed, we WILL be open. I will go into school at 6:00 and start the stove ;-)

We will have a big pancake breakfast. We will play in the snow if the kids wear boots. So send them in boots tomorrow. We will be having a regular school day tomorrow.

Looking forward to it! Now aren't you glad you read the blog???? Don't you wish everyone did?

Judy