Getting Girls Active: Go Go Girls!

Women's Sports Foundation is the leading authority on the participation of women and girls in sports—advocates for equality, educates the public, conducts research and offers grants & scholarships to promote sports and physical activity for girls and women.

Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, the Women’s Sports Foundation builds on her legacy as a champion athlete, advocate of social justice and agent of change. We strive for gender equity and fight discrimination in sports.

Their work shapes public attitude about women’s sports and athletes, builds capacities for organizations that get girls active, provides equal opportunities for girls and women, and supports physically and emotionally healthy lifestyles.

They have Go Go Girl! centers set up in Atlanta, Chicago, & San Antonio, Check out this link for the Natl Go Go Girl headquarters.

U.S. Playground Map Stencil

The U.S. Playground Map stencil is not only the most popular playground stencil but also one with educational benefits. The large map is great for social studies lessons and large group instruction. The Peaceful Playgrounds U.S. Map Stencil comes with 10 map activities, a sheet of map terms and references and a reading list of children's books for map related activities.

Winners in the Peaceful Playgrounds U.S. Map Stencil Contest will be announced in the Play Nice Newsletter on Dec. 1, 2008.

Recess Before Lunch- Five Steps to Success

FREE WEBINAR- Friday, December 5 - 10:00 AM PST -
Free registration for this date!
A few brave principals across the nation are bringing a long standing school tradition to an end. They are advocating Recess Before Lunch. Recent research shows the number of schools implementing Recess before Lunch is rapidly growing.

Kids eat more, waste less food, return to class calmer, behave better and as a result, instruction time is increased. Sounds great but implementing Recess Before Lunch can be tricky.

Attend this free webinar where we share 5 steps to prepare staff, students and parents for successful implementation.

Playing nice and ABC's results in smarter preschoolers

Which is more important in preschool development, learning your ABC's or learning to play nice? It turns out both are equally important, according to a study in Head Start preschools in Pennsylvania.

Researchers found out that "both skills are intertwined according to Penn State University psychology professor Karen Bierman. Educators that focus on facts are missing the mark because play is the vehical that drives motivation for learning.

Click for more on the preschool research.....

For more information on teaching children to "Play Nice" why not sign up for the Peaceful Playgrounds monthly newsletter?

The monthly Play Nice! Newsletter is full of tips and techniques for managing a Peaceful Playground.

Each month subscribers receive links to valuable resources and updated product information on the award winning playground safety program from Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer.

Grant Writing for the Beginner - Webinar

The list below are the questions and answers discussed after the Grant Writing for the Beginner Webinar conducted on Friday, Nov. 21.

1. Q. Are all schools considered 501(c)3's?

A. No. For profit schools would not have this status. However, private schools, charter schools and public schools fall under the non-profit 501(c)3 category.


2. Q. Are schools in lower socioeconomic areas more likely to get a grant funded?
A. It depends on the grant criteria. Some grants give extra points representing a slight advantage for this however most do not.

3. Q. What is the typical turn around for finding out if a grant is funded?
A. This varies according to the grant. However, it is perfectly acceptable to call the funder and ask when the winning grants will be announced.

4. Q. Is a grant more likely to be funded if it comes from the school instead of the PTA/PTO.
A. This shouldn't matter, so funding would not be effected.

5. Q. Is it necessary that a grant is written for a specific funder or can a grant be used more than once?
A. Grants can be written for more than one funder however, specific requirements for specific grants may require slight modifications.

6. Q. Do schools get preferential treatment over other groups when it comes to getting grants funded?
A. Not usually unless the grant specifics identify a certain group they intend to fund.

7. Q. If we follow the grant outline discussed in this webinar will it guarantee us the grant will get funded?
A. There are no guarantees in grant writing. You are always at the mercy of the grant reader who scores the grants which determines which grants get funded.

8. Q. What information and grant writing assistance is available through Peaceful Playgrounds?
A. Grant templates, sample budgets, sample grants, grants newsletter, grants webinars, and PEP grant writing assistance.

Free Webinar - Grant Writing For Beginners

Grant writing is not about writing a grant but about selling a story. Good grant writers follow a proven formula that results in successful funding and "most importantly" grant implementation.

Grant Writing for beginners will cover:

* Funding sources
* Critical elements necessary for getting your grant funded.
* Strategies and support provided by Peaceful Playgrounds in your grant writing efforts.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear practical advice from an experienced and successful grant writer. Dr. Bossenmeyer's grant writing has secured more than $10 Million in funded educational grants.


Visit our Webinars page to register for this free grant writing training!
Friday, November 21 - 09:00 AM PST - Free registration for this date!

Equality Extends to Playgrounds

The "Williams Settlement" filed in 2000 on behalf of San Francisco County students requires annual inspections of low-achieving schools to guard against substandard conditions. It was during a Williams Audit that Mintie White Elementary School was dinged for the poor condition of its playground. But inspector Nancy Serigstad from the Santa Cruz County Office of Education also told Principal de Santa Anna about the possibility of getting the state grant to replace the unsafe and unsightly playground.

De Santa Anna was able to tap into $289,000 of the $800 million the state set aside for emergency repairs in the 2004 Williams case settlement. Read more about the Williams funds and Mintie White Elementary School Playground.

SF School Playgrounds Serve as Great Public Play Spaces

Contrary to popular belief last fall, SF school playgrounds are proving to be safe public play spaces for children. For the past 30 years most California schools have closed their playgrounds and fields to the public fearing that the schools would be vandalized. In SF however, the pilot of 11 schools playgrounds open for public use for the past year is proving to do just the opposite. Participating schools so far say the extra traffic actually keeps campuses safer, according to Chris Armentrout, director of development and government relations for the district.

Each site was picked to serve an area where there aren’t many other play options. The school district and Recreation and Park Department share responsibility for them, with park patrols swinging by to unlock and lock gates, and school janitors making sure to sweep up and secure sites on Sunday evenings, officials said.

SF School Playgrounds

Webinar: Do you have a Peaceful Playground? You can. Here's how....

A special for our blog readers. Join us for a free webinar as we test out our new webinar system. Click on one of the links below to register. There are two dates to choose from:


Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/552709773

Nov. 19 at 9 a.m. https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/454868958


If these dates and times do not fit your schedule we will send future dates between now and Dec. 31, 2008.



A Peaceful Playground? Sound Impossible???? It's not. With a few proven strategies we'll show you how to reduce bullying, and reduce playground conflicts, resulting in happy students and a thankful staff.

Our research indicates that 5 situations contribute to 95% of all problems on typical elementary school playgrounds. In this 45 minute webinar we'll share those problem situations and OUR PROVEN STRATEGIES for turning your playground into a "peaceful place" for fun and games.

AT DAY'S END

Peace check........

Is anybody happier because you passed his way?
Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today?
The day is almost over, and its toiling time is through,
Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you?

Can you say tonight, in parting with the day that's slipping fast,
That you helped a single person of the many that you passed?
Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said?
Does the one whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead?

Did you waste the day, or use it? Was it well or sorely spent?
Did you leave a trail or kindness or a scar of discontent?
As you close your eyes in slumber, do you think that God will say,
"You have earned one more tomorrow by the work you've done today"?

Hero Workshops

In the Hero Workshop "students learn that they are the hero in their own story and the workshop readings and activities encourages them to behave heroically in their lives." Through exposure to true heroes and their journeys, students will have models to help them with the decisions and challenges life throws at them – especially the trials of school.


The aim of the program is to show young people that by doing the little things every day they can become heroes. Far from having to perform miraculous deeds, they are provided with an attainable goal.

Sound interesting? For more on bringing Hero Workshops to your school contact ........
1(810)869-3743 - Matt Langdon or matt@thejanuscenter.com - 2912 O'Shea Court, Fenton Michigan 48430

CNN A Tribute to Heroes

A part of the search for Everyday Heroes today we turn to CNN and their November campaign to acknowledge modern heroes.

CNN's global initiative "CNN Heroes" is showcasing examples of ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary deeds.

A great teacher resource for teaching about everyday heroes is the CNN Teacher/Student Hero resource link designed to discuss everyday heroes with students.

"CNN Heroes" spotlights and celebrates the very best of humankind. Students will discover the many ways that one person can contribute to society and will come to appreciate their own potential to make a difference in the world.

Playground Supervision: Failure to Witness Injury

Reasonable care does not require constant and undeviating scrutiny of a particular child on a supervised playground. Accordingly, a playground supervisor is not necessarily negligent if he or she fails to observe a particular child at the precise moment an injury occurs. However, a common refrain in lawsuits is that the supervisor’s failure to observe a child at the time of injury constitutes a negligent act and therefore the supervision is inadequate.

We review a case in which a child age 7, was running and bumped heads in a collision with a 6-year-old during morning recess. The school district won the case, then lost the case on appeal and finally prevailed in a playground injury case that reached the State Supreme Count.

More on the Peaceful Playgrounds Article on Playground Supervision.

Hero Camp: Nurturing Everyday Heroes

This past week I had the pleasure of meeting with approximately 20 like minded individuals in Houston, Texas as part of Hero Camp. The theme of the camp was "Changing the World... One Hero At A Time." We met to develop a curriculum for schools that would nurture the "Everyday Hero" in each of us.

HeroCamp was inspired by the Zimbardo talk given at TED 2008 by Dr. Phillip Zimbardo, the academic behind the Stanford Prison Experiments, on his new book The Lucifer Effect. Through his years of research, Phil has come up with the thesis that there is good and evil in all of us and it is bad barrels, not individual bad apples, that lead to evil acts. That is, most people will act according to the accepted norms around them. If it is acceptable to act racist, people will act racist, and so forth.

More on Hero Camp in subsequent blogs.

EduFit : Contributing to healthy students.

Healthy students make better students according to the "Get Fit with Coach Smith" program called EduFit. Coach Smith began working with students at an inner city school in Broward County helping them to become responsible for their health by teaching them about nutrition, eating responsibly and increasing physical activity.

Webinar: Do you have a Peaceful Playground? You can. Here's how..

Your first webinar free through Dec. 31, 2008.


A Peaceful Playground? Sound Impossible???? It's not. With a few proven strategies we'll show you how to reduce bullying, and reduce playground conflicts, resulting in happy students and a thankful staff.

Our research indicates that 5 situations contribute to 95% of all problems on typical elementary school playgrounds. In this fast paced webinar we'll share those problem situations and OUR PROVEN STRATEGIES for turning your playground into a "peaceful place for fun and games.

Interested in a free Webinar? Email us at onlinelearning@peacefulplaygrounds.com. Put in the subject line Free Peaceful Playgrounds Webinar CODE-PPONLINE 123108 and we'll send you a free certificate to attend a webinar of your choice at a time that fits your schedule. Good through Dec. 31, 2008. Hurry, space is limited.