Remember the old "everybody needs milk" campaign?

Schools are faced with the question is some milk (flavored) better than no milk? This seems to be the situation that many school cafeteria's are facing with the opening of the new school year. Should they serve regular milk, flavored milk or chocolate milk?

The NY Times article on Some Schools Ban Chocolate Milk points out that 71% of milk served nationwide is flavored. Is this…

Registration is open for the Target Field Trip Grants program. The program will award five thousand grants of $700 each to schools across the United States for the upcoming school year. Teachers can use a grant to fund a school field trip that connects their curriculum to out-of-school experiences. Education professionals who are at least 18 years old and are employed by an accredited K-12 public, private, or charter school in the United States …

Contributed by JC Boushh I just recently read a blog post titled “The Power of Goofing Off” and started to reminisce about the freedom I had to goof off. Funny that this topic would come up especially since just last evening my church pastor was telling the congregation that he really liked me because I was such a goof off. Where did this ability to goof off come from? Was it my environment as a child, was it a genetic code embedded within m…

Clorox Power a Bright Future Grants aim to provide necessary resources to help support school programs that enrich kids' lives. Maximum award: $50,000.

Eligibility: Anyone at least 18 years old at time of entry can nominate an accredited K-12, public or private school program.

Deadline: September 27, 2010.
http://clorox.promo.eprize.com/brightfuture/?affiliate_id=Inbound5

Contributed by JC Boushh East Providence Elementary School, Rhode Island eliminates recess for its elementary students to make time for a more comprehensive physical education program. In laymen’s terms out with free-play and in with Marine Corp. calisthenics. National statistics on recess indicate that approximately 50% of children are not getting recess in the United States public school system. Some of the reasons given for eliminating recess…

Contributed by JC Boushh With the incredible advances in technology kids today have a very short distance to go to be entertained. The internet, texting, and satellite TV have brought children into a world of constant stimulation and entertainment. Today’s children cannot tolerate solitude or boredom, and they seem to be in a constant state of alert. In essence parents, teachers, and caregivers have become cruise directors for kids, thereby stif…

If you missed it, last week the Los Angeles Times ran a series on "Grading the Teacher." It caused quite a stir.

Below is the introduction to the series as listed in the opening Times article. "The Los Angeles Times has obtained seven years of math and English test scores from the Los Angeles Unified School District, and used the information to estimate the effectiveness of L.A. teachers, which it says LAUSD could have done but…

Contributed by JC Boushh A recent article on The Many Benefits of Recess in Schools cites the Council on Physical Education for Children position paper on the crucial role recess plays in school academics. Recess allows children to take a break from the pressure of academics and allows them to practice major life skills; conflict resolution, cooperation, respect for rules, taking turns, sharing, using language to communicate, and problem solving…

I wanted to forward you some pictures of our new Peaceful Playgrounds - the activities really will make the playground an exciting place for our students, starting this morning! I also need to tell you that Cary did an outstanding job at our Peaceful Playgrounds inservice yesterday. I loved the energy and enthusiasm she displayed, and the way she involved everyone in a discussion of the program and in the activities themselves. Our staff and stu…

Contributed by JC Boushh Every parent wants to provide a better future for their children, and provide them with things they never had as a child, but is this truly beneficial for healthy child development? We all want our children to be successful adults, and the key to raising children into healthy adults is allowing them to experience failure. “There is in these studies a lesson for all parents. Those who allow their kids to find a way to dea…

Contributed by JC Boushh A child’s physical environment has the ability to shape the structure of the brain and form vital neural connections that lead to increased brain functions, and in contrast so do children’s play environments. As children become more exposed to the fast paced technological lifestyle of video games, they crave novel and complex play environments that challenge and engage them beyond what they can experience in the two dime…

Contributed by JC BoushhMany teachers and school administrators feel that recess has moved from being a time of free-play and games to a time of conflicts and woes. Is the answer to restoring order during recess the addition of recess coaches?Schools around the country are adding recess coaches and structures recess to their current recess time in order to eliminate many of the problems associated with recess.Jill Vialet of Playworks based in Oa…

Contributed by JC Boushh With the school year fast approaching a new film by Paramount Pictures is ready for release on September 24. Waiting for Superman examines the current state and continuing crisis of our public education system through the stories of several students.The film’s Director Davis Guggenheim states in the film’s press release; "I made this film for and about kids and their parents, struggling to get a quality education in…