PTA Parent, Tuesday, September 29, 2009 |
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PTA Partners With Consumer Reports for School Safety Program The National PTA has recently partnered with Consumer Reports and the National School Boards Association to form the School Safety Alert Program to alert parents, schools and educators immediately to imminent dangers and allow them to remove potentially dangerous—even lethal—products from their homes and schools. Go to PTA.org/safetyalert for more information on the partnership to keep your children safe. Read on for important product safety information from Consumer Reports. A recent concern that may be on your school field: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an alert that steel outdoor stadium light poles manufactured by Whitco Co. LP that can be found near or around school football stadiums and gymnasiums should be inspected immediately. There have been nine incidents in which these poles have fallen. In one incident, a pole fell through the roof of a school gymnasium causing significant damage. In two incidents, a pole fell onto outdoor bleachers causing significant damage. Nearly 50 poles that have not fallen have developed fractures and/or cracks next to the weld that joins the pole to its base plate. The fallen and cracked poles were located near or around school football stadiums and gymnasiums. The incidents thus far have been centralized in Texas, though the poles have been installed in other states and it is not something that should be overlooked. Find out about this and more product safety information and recalls at: www.consumerreports.org/schoolsafety.
The Online Mom reports that recent research from Queensland, Australia has drawn a parallel between the activities of children offline and the likelihood of them getting into trouble online. Griffith University researchers Margee Hume and Gillian Sullivan-Mort interviewed over 150 children between the ages of 10 and 18 and found that those involved in fewer extracurricular activities were also the ones most likely to exhibit risky behavior online. During the course of the study, Hume found that keeping children occupied and active away from the computer was one of the key components of cultivating a healthy and safe relationship with the Internet. "Exercise was a big factor. All the kids who were participating in sports or dancing and other activities not involving the Internet had experienced fewer problems online," she said. They had a better sense of self and wellbeing and could balance out instances of cyber-bullying with their friendships away from the school and the web. The children who were most at risk were those who were socially and geographically isolated and did not have a strong interest in other activities. "In many respects, it's not what children are doing online which is the problem, it's the balance of what they are doing offline which is important," said Hume. The researchers found there were plenty of strategies parents could put in place to protect their children which they were not currently implementing. As a result, they have called for the development of guidelines to help parents prevent their children from being exposed to dangers on the Internet. "Lack of parental supervision, isolated or excessive computer use, and lack of offline activity all increase the risks associated with online activity," Hume said. Hume and Sullivan-Mort said the potential dangers faced by children included cyberbullying, adults and children impersonating other users, the exchange of intimate photos and videos, and the sharing of personal secrets online. "We need to have easily accessible and affordable programs for parents, as well as a strong social marketing campaign which draws attention to the dangers children face online and how to protect them," Hume said. However, "we can't keep blaming the tool," she added. "The importance of parental involvement and a strong roster of offline activities can't be emphasized enough." For more information about your kids and technology in English and Spanish, visit http://www.theonlinemom.com/ PTA Briefs
100 Ways to Help Your Child and School Succeed There are many ways that you can help your child succeed! A few small activities each week will pay huge dividends over the course of the year. Here are a few that you can do this week:
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