By Kirsten Bennett

Each of the six schools, received $25,000 to carry out a two-year research-guided intervention, to improve literacy or numeracy levels of students. Programs were developed in consultation with all school partners, and involved 50% or more of the students and staff in each school. Activities to improve student outcomes resulted in professional development, new teaching materials and resources, planning and collaboration time, articulated assessment and diagnostic processes, and innovative forms of data analysis and management.

In order to document the efforts and outcomes of the schools, SAEE contracted Dr. Cynthia Lewis to visit each school, assist in the development of a research-based intervention, monitor progress and write the final report. There were 3,800 students and 100 educators involved overall.

Lewis' report School Improvement in Action: Lessons in Sustainability weaves together the findings from each of the six case studies, identifies successes and challenges, indicates strategies, and provides recommendations. Following the release of the report in November of 2006, principals and teacher leaders from each of the six schools gathered to share the results of their two-year projects in a SAEE sponsored knowledge exchange forum at the Delta School District resource centre.

OVERVIEW OF FINDINGS

The focus on understanding learning, together with the integral role of assessment, was clearly at the centre of efforts to improve student achievement in these schools. Assessment FOR learning became part of the school culture. A balance of school-based and standardized tools, including quantitative and qualitative data, disaggregated and tracked by cohort and groups of concern, provided the most powerful information for educators, students, parents and the larger community.

A key component of action research is the understanding that schools build capacity for improved student achievement when continuous learning becomes part of the school culture. In these case studies, meaningful collaboration was enabled through focused dialogue about diagnostic data, and about detailed samples of student work. The research shows that implementing instructional adaptations at the classroom level needs to be grounded in teachers' own judgments and reflections about the quality of their students' work. Teachers need to be supported as they "try on" new approaches and reflect on their effectiveness.

The report stresses that school success relied upon school leaders who provided structural and philosophical support, parents who were informed and involved with the process, and community services that were integrated and coordinated at the school level.

SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS

Harwin Elementary, Prince George

At Harwin, the staff conducted research into how to improve and elicit more writing from students in the younger years. More finely-tuned descriptors were developed by the staff in order to reflect emergent growth for their students. Portfolios were implemented, and writing samples were collected and evaluated collaboratively three times per year. Teachers used daily writing and a variety of direct teaching strategies. A school-wide guided reading program was implemented in the second year involving students from across classrooms who were grouped for level-specific reading instruction.

Parkside Centennial, Langley

Parkside was interested in a process of building student and parent understanding for actively using key reading strategies through the use of assessment rubrics for self evaluation. The interventions were multi-faceted. Collaborative time was dedicated to deepening understanding of assessment, establishing assessment tools, and implementing a set of four reading strategies (Predict, Clarify, Question, and Summarize). Additional interventions were adapted and implemented for the students most at risk.

Twelfth Avenue Elementary, Burnaby

The action research process initiated by the staff at Twelfth Avenue was in the area of reading achievement. Smaller, more flexible ability groupings for reading were formed across grade levels involving the learning support staff in order to form the smallest groups possible for the most at-risk students. Numerous levelled books were purchased and organized in bins. A peer tutoring program was established as well. Intermediate students read with Primary children and tracked their progress. Staff collaboration time focused on student groupings, instructional materials, assessment and evaluation tools, collective problem solving for processes and plans, and efficient and effective data gathering and analysis.

Armstrong Elementary, Armstrong

The action research proposal developed by Armstrong Elementary was oriented to building home-school literacy partnerships in the implementation of a balanced literacy program for all students. The strategies included the Write Traits writing program, the use of school-wide writes as assessment tools based on the British Columbia Performance Standards for Writing, and the implementation of the Four Blocks model. This included structured time in every classroom for guided reading, self-selected reading, writing and working with words (vocabulary, spelling and phonics).

Jarvis Elementary, Delta

The purpose of the action research grant at Jarvis was to support the K-4 staff to work together to unpack their own thinking about when and how mathematical "sense-making" is developed and implement instructional strategies to make this process explicit with students and parents. Detailed assessment data provided the baseline for the diagnosis of students' strengths and gaps regarding number concepts in order to inform instruction and teachers' collaborative dialogue. Several teachers piloted the integration of children's literature and mathematical thinking. In Year Two, instructional strategies and interventions were refined in order to focus on students not yet meeting expectations and on promoting parents' understanding. Data was used to assess learning each term, with the common understanding that "meeting expectations" on the report card means 100% attainment of core learning outcomes. The staff also developed a process-based model for parent workshops with special invitation to the parents of at-risk students.

New Westminster Secondary School

The first year of the grant's budget was used primarily to release the original research team and the English Department to establish the reading assessment protocols. In addition, a teacher research team was formed voluntarily amongst the staff to engage in reflection about how to teach thoughtful reading and how to assess it. "Learning Rounds" were used as a structure for teachers to collaborate and observe instruction using new strategies and debriefing sessions. In Year Two, staff refined the assessment tool to increase authenticity, requiring students to reflect on their reading and thinking at the end of the assessment process. Teachers also added a qualitative element to data collection about their classes, in order to better adjust to individual classes, and share commonalities across the grade level and department. Time was dedicated to disaggregating the data, discussing overall trends, and specifics regarding groups such as grade cohorts, gender, ESL, Aboriginal, high achieving and at-risk students. In-service and "coaching" by the Learning Facilitator continued to refine aspects of critical thinking skills and task analysis. During Year Two, professional learning opportunities and small group work was extended to the ESL Department, the Social Studies Department, teachers of at-risk students and Special Education assistants.

School Improvement in Action: Lessons in Sustainability concludes with five recommendations for schools and districts at large. Lewis calls for more focused attention to the relationship between assessment tools, instructional interventions and student progress over time. She says that schools need to provide systemic structures for tracking the progress of individual students from grade to grade, level to level, and school to school. Also, she asserts that it is important to examine strategies for the involvement of parents and the community and to create innovative solutions for the problems of time and expectations around staff teamwork. Lewis also recommends that the principal's role in ensuring instructional quality be more explicit.

By Kayla Fay

Middle school science fair projects. Most students in middle school are required to submit a science project to the science fair. For kids like you who have been used to the more lenient standards of elementary school, the more complicated guidelines can be a shock. Here's a guide to helping middle schoolers to have success as you head to the fair.

1. Do the project and do it yourself. This should go without saying, but I get emails all the time asking for something that is already completed. Teachers can tell if you copy and paste information directly from the internet or from a book, or if your dad did the work. I've had teachers contact me and ask if kids have plagiarized. I'm happy when I can say 'no'!

2. Choose the right kind of project. Most of the time, an investigatory project is required. That's a fancy way of saying that you have to do an experiment that follows the scientific method. Demonstrations, collections, and models are usually not accepted. If they are, you have a lot more options. (Hint - judges do like experiments.)

3. Be interested in your work. Think about what you enjoy doing, watching on television, surfing on the internet. See if you can come up with a project that involves something you like. You already have a background knowledge of the subject. Plus, if you like what you're doing, you'll learn more. And if you're learning, your project will show that you are interested. Judges love that!

4. Make sure you include all required elements. Experiment logs, charts, graphs, supply lists and even photographs are often part of the judging at the fair. Do you need an abstract - a research paper? Make sure that you follow the directions exactly.

5. Have an attractive display. You're competing against lots of other scientists - just like scientists who are grown up. Part of science is being able to share and display your work effectively. When you create your science board, use bright colors, attractive fonts, interesting props, and clear pictures. Be neat. See if there is something you can do that it interactive. Come up with a catchy title so you'll stand out from the crowd.

Sixth grade, seventh grade, and eight grade - three great chances for you to learn more about science and more about making a presentation with your middle school science fair project.

By Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD

Here are a few words of caution to parents who have children in schools that use violent punishments, a.k.a. paddling. They need to anticipate disingenuousness on the part of educators and administrators who typically do not invite dialog with the public on this topic. When drawn into discussions about "discipline," school officials are apt to trot out those familiar, well-rehearsed, stock responses, the purpose of which is to divert criticism and lull parents.

MYTH - Corporal punishment is used only after all other means have failed and is governed by strict guidelines.

FACT - The number of pupils beaten will always be grossly underestimated because school administrators are savvy enough to AVOID saying things that might alarm the public or draw attention to themselves. Furthermore, What does 'strict guidelines' mean? More often than not, violent punishments are used as a first response for trivial offenses. Guidelines, where they exist at all, exist more on paper than in practice. As a general rule, reliance on fear, force and violence in educational settings is inversely proportional to the level of competence of the educators involved. The least competent tend to be the most violent. They are also the most resistant to reform and most rejecting of other methods to correct unacceptable behavior.

MYTH - Teachers' right to resort to corporal punishment must be retained because certain students can't be controlled by any other means.

FACT - Violent punishment causes far more bad behavior than it corrects, if it corrects at all. The more some children are subject to educator violence, the more misbehaved they become. The very act of physical punishment destroys trust and engenders hostility toward the institution that is supposed to be serving them. As for children who conform outwardly due to fear of punishment, they are receiving an education mainly in one subject area: the abuse of power. Some of them will put that lesson into practice at the earliest opportunity.

MYTH - Well-behaved children have nothing to worry about.

FACT - Wherever pupil beating is allowed, all children worry about it. They know that punishers typically act on impulse and are rarely, if ever, called upon to justify their actions before or after the fact. A steady diet of fear and anxiety impedes learning and, moreover, is dangerous to children's health.

MYTH - This method of pupil management has been in use for many years and it is overwhelmingly supported by parents and the public.

FACT - It is true that violent pupil management has been used throughout recorded history. But today, only the most culturally backward places continue to use it. In almost the entire democratic world, violent punishment of schoolchildren is illegal, and nowhere is it making a comeback. The dwindling number of parents who approve of these methods are themselves the products of such a system. Naturally, they feel reassured when they see teachers at school modeling the same bad behavior that they use on their own children at home. Violent parents and violent teachers alike delude themselves when they claim that their methods are universally approved.

MYTH -- It works.

FACT -- If it worked, why do punishers have to keep punishing? And why are our maximum security prisons filled with violent felons who were reared and educated by these very same methods? Parents tend to trust educators who, after all, are highly trained in their specialty and are licensed by the state. And virtually all parents want to believe that those who take charge of their child at school are motivated by genuine, nurturing feelings toward the child. Educators recognize and pander to this powerful, natural desire. Deliberate vagueness about the details serves the needs of both parties: the practical needs of the educators and the emotional needs of the parents. Responsible, thoughtful parents, however, need to bear in mind that they are delegating their most important responsibility to total strangers - strangers who have their own agenda, who vary widely in their level of competence, who operate with minimal supervision and with near-absolute impunity. Few people would hand over their car keys in the same circumstances, with the same degree of trust. Readers who visit the state education Web sites listed below and look for the word "paddle" or the phrase "corporal punishment" will come up empty-handed. One would never guess that in these school systems children are beaten in their pelvic area with wooden weapons between 1/3 and 1/2 million times annually according to the most conservative estimates. Some researchers estimate the number of legal pupil beatings in the 22 pupil beating states at about 1 million per year. Small wonder nobody's talking!

States which allow corporal punishment:

ALABAMA
Office of the Superintendent of Education
Alabama Department of Education
Gordon Persons Office Building
50 North Ripley Street
P.O. Box 302102
Montgomery, AL 36130-2101
Tel.: (334) 242-9702 FAX: (334) 242-9708

ARIZONA
Office of the Director
Arizona Department of Education
State Capitol
1700 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Tel.: (602) 542-5460 FAX(602) 542-5440

ARKANSAS
Office of the Director
Arkansas Department of Education
Four State Capitol Mall, Room 304 A
Little Rock, AR 72201-1071
Tel.: (501) 682-4204 FAX: (501) 682 1079

COLORADO
Office of the Commissioner of Education
Colorado Department of Education
201 East Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80203-1799
Tel.: (303) 866-6808 FAX: (303) 866-6938

FLORIDA
Office of the Commissioner of Education
Florida Department of Education
Capitol Building, Room PL 08
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Tel.: (904) 487-1785 FAX: (904)488-1492

GEORGIA
Office of the State Superintendent of Schools
Twin Towers East
Atlanta, GA 30334-5001
Tel.: (404) 657-0516

IDAHO
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Idaho Department of Education
Len B. Jordan Office Building
650 West State Street
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720
Tel.: (208) 334-3300 FAX: (208) 334-2228

INDIANA
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Indiana Department of Education
State House, Room 229
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2798
Tel.: (317) 232-6665 FAX: (317) 232-8004

KANSAS
Office of the Commissioner of Education
120 South East Tenth Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612-1182
Tel.: (913) 296-3202 FAX: (913) 296-7933

KENTUCKY
Office of the Commissioner of Education
Kentucky Department of Education
Capitol Plaza Tower - 500 Mero Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
Tel.: (502) 564-3141 FAX: (502) 564-5680

LOUISIANA
Office of the Superintendent of Education
Louisiana Department of Education
626 North 4th Street, 12th Floor
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9064
Tel.: (504) 342-3602 FAX: (504) 342-7316

MISSISSIPPI
Office of the Superintendent of Education
State Department of Education
550 High Street, Room 501
Jackson, MS 39201
Tel.: (601) 359-3512 FAX: (601) 359-3242

MISSOURI
Office of the Commissioner of Education
Missouri Department of Elementary
& Secondary Education
205 Jefferson Street, 6th Floor
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Tel.: (572) 751-4446 FAX: (573) 751-1179

NEW MEXICO
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
New Mexico Department of Education
Education Building
300 Don Gaspar
Santa Fe, NM 87501-2786
Tel.: (505) 827-6688 FAX: (505) 827-6520

NORTH CAROLINA
Office of the State Superintendent of Public Education
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Education Building
301 North Wilmington Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2825
Tel.: (919) 715-1277 FAX: (919) 715-1278

OHIO
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Ohio Department of Education
65 South Front Street, Room 810
Columbus, OH 43215-4183
Tel.: (614) 466-3304 FAX: (614) 644-5960

OKLAHOMA
Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Hodge Education Building
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4599
Tel.: (405) 521-4887 FAX: (405) 421-6205

PENNSYLVANIA (Some school districts ban corporal punishment)
Office of the Secretary of Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street. 10th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Tel.: (717) 787-5820 FAX (717) 787-7222

SOUTH CAROLINA
Office of the State Superintendent of Education
South Carolina Department of Education
1006 Rutledge Building
1429 Senate Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Tel.: (803) 734-8492 FAX: (803) 734-4426

TENNESSEE
Office of the Commissioner of Education
Tennessee Department of Education
Sixth Floor, Gateway Plaza
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243-0375
Tel.: (615) 741-2731 FAX: (615) 741-6236

TEXAS
Office of the Commissioner of Education
Office of the Texas Education Agency
William B. Travis Building
1701 North Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701-1494
Tel.: (512) 463-5825 FAX: (512) 463-9008

WYOMING
Office of the State Department of Public Instruction
Wyoming Department of Education
2300 Capitol Avenue, 2nd Floor
Hathaway Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0050
Tel.: (307) 777-7675 FAX: (307) 777-6234

Information courtesy of Jordan Riak http://www.nospank.net

By Barbara Freedman-De Vito

Introduction

As a parent who wants the best for your children, there are undoubtedly many things that you already do every day to help your children succeed in school. The purpose of this article is to provide some practical ideas for you to try. Some of these suggestions may be new to you, many will be familiar, and some are just plain common sense but, hopefully, they will all serve as reminders of the many simple steps you can take that are too often taken for granted or forgotten about, due to the hectic pace of everyday living.

Read to your kids, whatever their ages

First of all, read to your children. We all know that this is important, but I'd like to point out that reading aloud should begin in infancy. It can contribute to your baby's developing attention span and receptive language skills. In addition, I'd like to encourage parents to read to growing children, even once they are able to read on their own. Don't stop once your kids are in elementary school for, whatever the status of their reading skills, hearing a good book read aloud is an experience apart.

Being read to allows children to focus more on the descriptive passages and the action, rather than having to struggle with understanding every single word. It also allows them to hear great children's stories that are beyond their current reading level, and it's a wonderful way for a family to share a magical experience. Choose a children's book that can also be enjoyed by you as an adult, and have a family reading session each evening or each week. A classic children's story, such as "The Wind in the Willows," or the Harry Potter books might be perfect for your family,
depending on the ages and interests of your children.

Encourage independent reading and library use

Offer quality children's literature to your growing children and encourage them to read on their own - at their own level and at their own pace. Fiction and nonfiction can both open up new worlds of knowledge and experience and help prepare kids for success in school and in adult life, and don't forget that online children's stories are an exciting new resource to add to your reading repertoire.

Take your children to the local public library. Be sure that each member of the family has his or her own library card. Help your children see the public library not just as a place associated with homework and drudgery, but rather as an exciting doorway to interesting information and adventure. Encourage library book borrowing related to any special topic that interests your kids - from astronomy to adventure stories, from fact to fantasy.

Get your kids to participate in some of the special free extra activities and programs that are regularly scheduled in many public libraries, like storyhours, craft projects, films, and summer reading clubs. Take your children to museums, concerts, puppet shows and the like. Expose them to any forms of entertainment and cultural enrichment that you may be lucky enough to have access to.

Develop effective research skills and good study habits

Help your kids develop research skills that will serve them well, not only on school projects, but later in daily life as an adult. For instance, if you're planning a family trip, let the kids conduct library and Internet-based research on possible destinations, sites of interest, driving or flying routes, and how to dress appropriately for the climate of your destination spot. If you're thinking of buying a new car, let your kids take part in your consumer research, comparing different car models according to a variety of pertinent criteria.

Nurture good study habits and self-discipline. Set aside a regular, daily study time for homework in a quiet, well-lit room. Be sure that your kids have a study environment that's sound physically, as well as conducive to mental concentration. A quiet room is important, but so too is good lighting, a chair that provides good back support and access to all the materials that your children need to complete projects. Supply them with pencils, erasers, rulers, and so forth.

Encourage kids to keep their desk or other study area neat and well organized. This will prevent lots of time-wasting searches for materials and will really pay off as your children get older and their school assignments become more complex. Good organizational skills, which include the
arrangement of physical objects, plus the logical structuring of the steps involved in completing any given project, can last a lifetime.

Take an interest in your kids' day-to-day school life

Take an interest in your children's school projects. Encourage them to show you reports they've written or pictures they've drawn. Make them see that you care about what they're doing and about how they're doing, but don't make them feel like they're constantly being monitored or judged. Don't add pressure, just give them plenty of support, encouragement and praise for jobs well done. Provide them with the resources they need (such as Internet access, library time, books and magazine articles) to do a good job on school assignments, but... resist the temptation to do the school projects for them.

Take the same approach with everyday homework. If your child's having trouble with a math problem, review the rules, explain the procedures, and check the results, but don't just give a child the answers. The learning process is more important than a list of correct answers to hand in to the teacher.

Go that extra mile

Among the most precious gifts that you can give to your children is your time. Put them first and make time for them. Build a happy, stable home environment, full of love and security, and you've already gone a long way towards helping your children thrive and succeed both in school and in life. Be involved in the big and the small events that make up their daily lives. Offer your support, encouragement, resources and love. Be there for them, no matter how busy your professional life is or whatever other commitments you have. Before you know it your children will be grown up and what they'll become depends largely on you. For their sake, as well as for your own, make the most of their childhood.

There are no pearls of wisdom here, just a refresher course in things that we've all heard a million times, but don't always stop to take them to heart. They're so important that they deserve our attention, to periodically remind us of what really counts in life.

By Stephen Lamb

A picture might spark one thousand words, but a great medical model needs no explanation. Whether you are a doctor or a teacher, trying to explain the intricate human body with a lot of medical terms may cause confusion. The solution to this problem is an accurate model that effectively displays every last vein and vertebrae.

Plastic surgeons may find that an abdominal model is of great help while trying to describe an abdominoplasty procedure to a patient, while a general surgeon may find that a model of a cancer-ridden lung will help ease the mind of a restless patient. Additionally, these models are perfect for showing both adults and children the way that the body works during a regular check-up. All parts of the body (including the skin) can be easily explained with the help of a well crafted model.

Likewise, an expertly constructed anatomical model can be a useful teaching tool. Both university professors and elementary school teachers will gain a large response from their class by using these interactive models. In order to help clarify all parts of the body to students, model training aids are also a great help. These training aids include injection teaching models; venipuncture training arms; gallstone models; kidney stone models; and a wide range of patient care simulators.

Conveying the numerous parts of the body to your audience is a lot easier when you have a colorful model on hand. From a complex eight-part model to a simplistic one-part model, anatomical models are the perfect way to take a peek inside the human body without using a scalpel.

By Patricia Hawke

Chicago public schools have been going through a transformation designed to take the district's mammoth high schools and turn them into more intimate, student-focused environments. Educators and administrators seem to love the concept. And deep-pocketed philanthropists think it's a great idea too. Various groups like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation have invested $26 million to the small schools concept.

For urban areas like the Chicago Schools, there's a lot of research to support the idea that teen learners do better in an environment where people know them and have regular contact with them. So over 20 of the Chicago Schools have been transformed to high schools that house 500 students or less. Elementary schools have a limit of 350 students.
The recent controversy is because the 2006 state test results for Chicago Schools did not show the expected rise in test scores that everyone hoped to see. But there were a lot of positive effects. Teachers report that the small schools have a climate that is better for teaching and learning. Drop-out rates are lower and graduation rates are higher in Chicago Schools that have switched to the new model. But what about the test scores? If academics aren't affected are the smaller schools working?

My answer is- definitely. The fact that school climates are changing is a really big deal. Failing students in Chicago Schools usually live in low-income areas and have a history of school failure. So getting them to come to school, and to graduate is an important first step. And even if those students graduate with low test scores or low grades, the high school diploma and the options it opens up can be life changing. And an improved climate at the Chicago Schools will have long-term affects as well.

One of the biggest benefits of small Chicago Schools is that it fosters relationships between teachers, students, and parents. This closer communication helps the attendance rates because smaller schools are more likely to alert parents of student absences. Smaller schools could the best thing that the Chicago Schools have done in years. That doesn't mean it's the total solution, but it's a great start.

As for why Chicago Schools didn't show improvements on the Prairie State Assessment Test, well it actually makes sense. Keeping the low-achieving-would-be drop-outs in schools probably lowers test scores overall. But that's OK, because they are where they need to be and getting a better chance at life than they would as drop-outs. Lifetime income for Chicago Schools students rises incrementally when they have a diploma.
All students in Chicago Schools, and all children in the world, thrive when given attention and when they feel that someone cares about what happens to them. Smaller schools simply make sense. I hope that the Chicago Schools have the sense to keep them around.

By Patricia Hawke

Portland Schools started to make some significant changes to the diet of its children in 2006. At that time, Portland Schools eliminated all soda, sports drinks and junk food from vending machines in the schools. This was part of the district's wellness policy in response to some federal nutrition mandates for schools receiving federal subsidized lunch money. But the Portland Schools went even further than just taking the junk food out of vending machines.

The Wellness Advisory Committee recommended significant changes to school lunch menus, advertising and fundraising sales. And Portland Schools listened. Fundraising items like doughnuts and candy cannot be sold until 30 minutes after school ends. Lunches at Portland Schools include more local and fresh produce, often grown at the school itself. And the district removed any ads for soda or sports drinks and replaced them with healthier images. Why does this put Portland Schools ahead of the curve?

The Oregon House voted, 46-11, to ban the sales of most junk food in all schools by fall of 2008. The mandate is expected to pass in the senate and has the approval of Governor Ted Kulongoski. Rep. Scott Bruum, R-West Linn, has stated that studies show that obesity in this country has tripled in the last three years. National attention given to the statistic of 1 in 6 children being overweight, and of a huge increase in childhood and Type II Diabetes also added to the sense of urgency.

The fact that Portland Schools have already addressed the issue is helpful in more ways than one. The current bill doesn't affect school lunches, as that program is federally mandated. Also, other Oregon districts will now face a financial loss from partnerships with Coke from having the vending machines in schools. Portland Schools have already dealt with that.

Sugar, sodas and junky food have also been shown to have a severe impact on the behavior of many students. Some react with sugar highs, other with lethargy from a lack of protein and healthy whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The Portland Schools' model has an answer for that. Abernathy Elementary School really made the grade for good nutrition. It was one of many Portland Schools to make changes, but the alterations there were huge. The school started a made-from-scratch kitchen, a hands-on school garden, and many educational programs. Portland Schools funded the pilot program through grants and district support.

If the largest school district in the Pacific Northwest made these changes voluntarily, many parents are asking what's taking the rest of Oregon so long to catch up with Portland Schools. Of the opposing votes to last week's bill, some representatives said they were against letting the state make decisions for individual districts. Well, Portland Schools seem to be making their own decisions, and the parents and teachers seem pretty happy about it.

By Barry Hoffman

Hillary Clinton almost wrested the Democratic nomination for president last year. In endorsing Barack Obama she spoke of being unable "to shatter that highest hardest glass ceiling this time [but] thanks to you it's got about 18 million cracks." Clinton did for women what Barack Obama did for blacks. Women were no longer content to remain second class citizens; playing second fiddle to males and acting submissive to them.

Just as significantly as Clinton being a woman was the fact she had flaws . . . more than a few. It was her complexity that made her so compelling. She was someone women could identify with, not the perfect female heroine with the sizzling body and glowing personality. Women saw a lot of themselves in Hillary Clinton and supported her despite her failings.

Adolescent girls now more than ever need literary protagonists they can identify with - warts and all. Too often females are secondary characters (significant, yet subordinate). The Harry Potter series revolves around, well, Harry Potter (ironically proving a woman can create compelling male characters).

Adolescent girls, so confident in elementary school, face an identity crisis and a battering to their self-esteem beginning in middle school. As an educator for 28 years I'm the first to admit teachers are often to blame (girls aren't as capable in math and the sciences far too many teachers believe. It's rubbish, but that's what pre-teen and teenage girls are taught to believe). Parents aren't as involved as they should be so adolescent girls don't get encouragement from the home.

Girls at this age need to read about others like themselves. They need to read about other girls who lack self-confidence, are full of contradictions, are childish, headstrong, selfish, jealous and bitchy. They need to see, too, that these same literary characters can be confident, inspiring, compassionate yet strong. They need role models who are able to make almost impossible choices and live with the consequences; female protagonists who can lead and accomplish as much or more than their male counterparts.

Teens have to read about girls who get knocked down, bloodied and battered, yet get up to fight another day. They need literary protagonists they can say, "That could be me. I'm not a freak. Others have the same self-doubts and insecurities as I have. I'm not alone . . . and I can prevail."

Girls need strong-willed and flawed literary role models to shatter stereotypes that hold them back. Boys protect girls. They strut their stuff when their girl is challenged or endangered. Women couldn't fight in wars until recently and even now can't fight in combat units. Girls are nurses (not even doctors, for the most part) in relative safety behind the lines helping to patch up the wounded.

And we can't ignore the double standard when it comes to sexuality. A girl who is sexually active is a slut or "easy." Yet, sexually active boys are studs. On the other hand a girl who doesn't let her boyfriend get to second or third base (much less home) is a tease. Is it any wonder girls are confused? Sexually, regardless how an adolescent girl responds she faces negative connotations, yet for boys to be aggressive is "manly."

Where are literary role models to counteract these stereotypes? Far too few exist. And with the vast number of heroic males literature only reinforces stereotypes males have of females and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. Boys lead and protect. Girls follow.

Authors need to follow the example of Hillary Clinton and provide flawed, complex yet heroic female protagonists. We need female characters who refuse to submit to their male counterparts. Female characters adolescents can identify with.

By Patricia Hawke

Colorado has a reputation as one of the healthiest places to live in the country. Lots of skiers and healthy outdoors types usually come to mind. Denver Schools are doing their best to make that perception a reality. Denver Public Schools Student Services and the Nutrition Center have created a unique health initiative to bring information and medical attention to needy children in Denver Schools. The Nutrition Center is run by the University of Denver and is aimed at providing communities like Denver Schools with ways to improve the problems of childhood obesity and malnutrition.

With community funding from the CU Cancer Center, and partnerships with other community educators, Denver Schools offer a variety of nutrition and medical programs. The Center for Human Nutrition provides Denver Schools' 3rd and 4th graders with classes on healthy eating and behaviors. The Denver School Based Health Centers now are present in 7 high schools, 3 middle schools, and 3 elementary schools. These centers are placed in areas with higher poverty and increased risk. Counseling, pregnancy care, and private health care reach the corners of the Denver Schools District with the greatest need.

These partnerships between Denver Schools and community businesses reach even further than school boundaries. The Colorado Nutrition Network used the collaboration to create an educational program in the Denver Schools community aimed towards at-risk residents. Denver Schools expect these programs to have far reaching effects that will impact concerns like dropout rates and student test scores.

Many reports linking childhood obesity to diseases such as diabetes make the Denver Schools initiative a program watched by many around the country. It is considered a national model and offers resources and assistance to other school districts that wish to implement a similar program.

Denver Schools also benefits from a University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center program that may contribute to the future health of students at Denver Schools for years to come. Each year high school students in Denver Schools can apply for one of the Summer Cancer Fellowships Programs to do research and clinic work at the Health Sciences Center. The National Cancer Institute funds this program that benefits many students at Denver Schools each year.

Denver Schools also team with University Hospital to provide middle school children with an opportunity to shadow a hospital employee for a day. While these programs may not address every issue that Denver Schools face, they are positive steps away from raising children who watch TV, play video games and eat junk food to the exclusion of all other activities. Denver Schools are clearly aware of the correlation between household income and poor nutrition. They are one of the few districts in the county that have taken active and effective steps to slowing down and reversing this trend. Teachers, principals and superintendents nationwide will watch Denver Schools to assess their results and mimic their actions.

By Sudhakar Ram

"To aid life, leaving it free, however, to unfold itself, that is the basic task of the educator". Maria Montessori.

It was a normal school class - noisy, a little chaotic. A few students paid attention to the teacher standing over them. But most of the kids pushed and shoved and screamed at each other. Two or three just stared off into space.

Next door, in the Montessori classroom, it was a different story. No pushing. No shoving. It was quiet and orderly. Children picked up materials and worked on their own, with minimal assistance from the specially-trained teacher. When finished, the kids put the materials back where they had found them. A four-year-old cut carrots by herself. The children exuded a quiet confidence and a natural eagerness to learn.

My encounter with the Montessori method of education grew out of an article on education that I wrote as part of my "Resurgent India" series a few years back. I was invited to visit the Sri Ramacharan Trust in Chennai, a local NGO that had introduced the Montessori method in Corporation schools in the region. When I visited a range of classrooms - some traditional, some Montessori - in a government school in Saidapet, I was truly amazed by the stark contrast.

The spirit behind this endeavor was a feisty lady - Mrs. Padmini Gopalan - and her colleagues. An inspiring leader, Mrs. Gopalan took it upon herself to convince the government to allow her to try this experiment. She claimed existing classrooms, installed her own Montessori-trained teachers and assistants, and began running classes in a whole new way. Under her able leadership, the Trust now runs almost 20 Montessori programs in schools and Balwadis in Chennai.

Having studied different education models over the last eight months, my wife Girija and I are yet to find a better system than the Montessori method. I have devoted the last month reading up on Montessori methods. The more I learn, the more I am amazed by the depth of insight that Maria Montessori has generated in the area of children's education.

A medical doctor by training, she first applied scientific learning principles to the education of disabled and mentally challenged children in her native Italy. She found that she could get these children to be on par with normal children in their reading and writing abilities within a few years. That set her thinking about how normal children could do much better, too.

Montessori tried to get the government to apply her scientific education principles in public elementary schools. Not surprisingly, the governing bodies in Rome would not give her access to these schools. Montessori, however, got the opportunity to set up a day- care center and school in a poorer district in Rome, where the parents were quite happy to have their pre-school children taken care of during the day. This allowed her to experiment with all aspects of the education system, starting with the classroom design and the furniture. She spent the close to 50 years defining and refining the Montessori method - a dedication and commitment that is difficult to find in any other system.

We can see the philosophical essence of the Montessori method in one particular story. In a public park in Rome, Maria saw a baby of about a year and a half, a beautiful smiling child, trying to fill a little pail by shoveling gravel into it. There was a smart and loving nurse next to him. Since it was time to go home, the nurse was exhorting the child to finish his work. When that had no impact, she herself filled the pail with gravel and set the pail and the baby into the carriage with the fixed conviction that she had given the child what he wanted.

Maria was struck by the loud cries from the child and by his expression of on his little face. She realized that the little boy didn't want the pail of gravel; he wanted to fill it himself. It was part of his self-development. This is what happens to children all their lives, Maria thought. They are not understood because adults judge them by their own adult measures; and the adult, trying to help, lovingly helps him do this; but the child normally is looking for the learning opportunity and not the object itself.

I am puzzled why the Montessori method, the most scientific system of education that mankind has developed, remains largely ignored. With its ability to handle large class sizes and mixed-age classrooms, this system seem ideally suited for the Indian context. Please share your own insights of why the Montessori system has not found more widespread appeal.

By Don McKay

Most parents will agree that a good education is important. It is equally important that certain values come first in the implementing of what is being taught. For instance most parents would object to sexual education at a kinder garden or 1st grade level. Why is that? Obviously, the child has not under gone any changes, nor should the children of the world at this age be sexually active. This is a legitimate reason. The child also is not likely to understand what sex really is. This same line of thought can also apply to things they are currently being taught in schools today. Should elementary children be taught to drive a car? I would hope not! Should they be taught to be violent? Should they learn about war? Should they be taught how to get a job? For an elementary school child the answers should be no! So how is it that our schools and teachers find it relevant to make our children say the Pledge of Allegiance?

When I went to register my son for Pre-K the kinder garden kids were about to say the Pledge of Allegiance. As I listened they were being coached by the school principle and there were words they all had trouble pronouncing. The Principle corrected their grammar as they were reciting, but I had to ask myself do they know exactly what they are pledging? In the Pledge of Allegiance there are 6 words that 100 % of all kinder garden and 98% of all 1st grade kids can't understand. Even if a great teacher taught the meaning of each word could a mere child reason on his or her Allegiance? If you asked a 5-year-old child "What is democracy?" They would probably look at you and lift their shoulders and say, "I don't know!" So why is it being taught at such a young age? Are our children being conditioned to be model citizen or patriots? This is exactly the case. Countries around the world use such conditioning to win over the spirit of their citizens.

Should any child be forced to say the Pledge Of Allegiance? Most certainly not! If you don't understand a contract that you signed should you be bound to its terms? Apparently the courts in many states believe that a contract is only valid if both sides agree to its terms, and if both parties do not understand the terms, then the contract may be as valuable as toilet paper. So, if a child has to wait until he or she is 18 years old to vote, then the burden of his or her allegiance should not be called to question until age 18 either. What if the child is from another country and has duel citizenship? How can they pledge allegiance to both countries. According to the King James Version of the Bible at Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one and despise the other. As long as we have our freedom then we all should be able to choose when we understand not before we understand. To do so could be ignorance on our part.

By Kelly Keenan

Has your child shown interest in modeling? If so, there are a few questions you should ask yourself before you start heading out to casting calls and looking for a reputable kids modeling agency to represent your child.

Does My Child Have "The Look"?

Art directors and producers often seek a certain "look" for each campaign or commercial. They might seek a girl with blond hair for one advertisement, and boy with black hair for another advertisement. A child who has a perfect look for a particular toy advertisement might not have the right look for a clothing advertisement.

Regardless of how you define your child's look - beautiful, cute, or unique - it's unlikely he's going to have the right look for every modeling job. This doesn't mean your child isn't suited for modeling, but it does mean he's probably going to be more suited for certain jobs than he is for others. Fortunately, an experienced kids modeling agent will tell you about casting calls for modeling jobs your child is right for.

Is My Child's Personality Suited for Modeling?

Child models have to deal with many people, so if your child has an outgoing personality and doesn't often shy away from people, he might be well suited for modeling.

When you consider your child's personality, also consider his usual disposition and behavior. Think of sets for photo shoots and commercials as places of business. There are numerous professionals on each set and each professional is trying to do a particular job. Will your child work well in that kind of environment? Will your child's usual behavior disrupt progress? Or will your child's personality, disposition, and behavior lend themselves to smoothly and efficiently completing the job?

Does My Child Have Any Special Talents?

While not every casting call will call for a child with a particular talent, some casting calls might. If your child has a special talent, it can help give him a leg up on the competition.

Of course, your child's modeling agent will be aware of any talents your child has and will tell you about any casting calls that call for that talent!

How Much Time Can We Devote to My Child's Modeling Career?

The more time you and your child can devote to his modeling career, the higher his chances of getting jobs.

Think about your child's daily schedule. Is he in pre-school? Elementary school? Does he participate in after-school activities?

Also think about your daily schedule. Do you work, and if so, what are your usual hours? Do you have other children, and if so, do you have a spouse, family member, or friend who can take care of them while you're away at casting calls and photo shoots?

Of course, you must remember that your child needs time to be a kid, too! As you're thinking about the amount of time you'll both have to dedicate to his modeling career (including preparing for and attending casting calls and photo shoots), make sure you're thinking about how much time it all leaves him to enjoy his childhood.

By L. Charles Fernandez

If math was your strong suit in high school and college, you might consider giving a career as a financial engineer a try. Leading brokerage houses such as Merrill Lynch are increasingly interested in hiring financial engineers to help guide their businesses. In fact, Merrill Lynch provided a grant to MIT to launch a financial engineering program.

Nowadays, a certificate in financial engineering is considered to be an express route to Wall Street and to the job security and financial rewards that it represents. Mathematical modeling is a hot property in the investment industry--and financial engineers can provide it.

An advanced degree is absolutely critical to obtaining a position as a financial engineer. Preferably, you should have a graduate degree from a highly reputable institution known for its advanced math and financial management programs. While there is some glamour associated with the term financial engineer, the work of such an engineer basically involves repackaging financial products. As a result, you not only have to have a mind for math, but you must also have solid judgment, since you will be handling other people's money.

In addition, you must be highly ethical in order to succeed as a financial engineer. You must demonstrate that you are honest and trustworthy and that you will not divulge sensitive information to the public. Likewise, you must have a good understanding of the law as it relates to financial dealings.

Interestingly enough, experts in the field say the best financial engineers are actually self-taught. That's because the work requires stellar problem-solving ability--something a graduate course cannot necessarily teach you. Once you master the work, though, you may be astounded at the financial benefits you will receive, since such jobs typically pay more than $100,000.

By Daneel Andersson

David Michael Navarro was born on 7 July, 1967, in Santa Monica, California. His childhood life came under a cloud when his parents separated while he was only 7 years old. Among all the tremors in his personal life, he started playing guitar at the early age of 7 after getting inspiration from the rock legend Jimi Hendrix.

The tragic murder of his mother and aunt had a lasting impact on his life and he moved in with his father. Incidentally, the murderer of his mother was caught with the aid of T.V. show America's Most Wanted and Dave remained one of the prime witnesses of the persecution of the murderer. His cousin Dan Navarro supported him and helped him grasp the basics of playing guitar. Dave created his first band in High school with Stephen Perkins, one of the founders of Jane's Addiction. It was Perkins who paved the way for Navarro to join Jane's Addiction in 1986 as the leading guitarist.

His time with this band was a roller coaster ride, at first, exposing Dave with instant fame and fortune, but subsequently he fell for drugs that eventually ended his journey with the band in 1991. Later he joined Eric Avery, to form 'Deconstuction', but the effort lasted only one album due to divergences. in 1993, after the departure of John frusciante, Dave joined Red Hot Chili Peppers for one album until he returned back to Jane's Addiction in the Jane's Relapse tour bringing with him Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist Michael Balzary "Flea".

Navarro's different style of song writing and his approach towards life was leading to constant disturbances to his time in Jane's Addiction. Once when he arrived at a rehearsal under the use of drugs and fell down, that turned out to be the end of the road for him. In his next four years he played music with several solo singers and bands including Marilyn Mansen, Trent Reznor, Christiana Aguilera, Nancy Raygun and he also featured in the song 'Guns N Roses' for 'End of Days'. Finally in June 2001 Dave released his first solo album 'Trust No One'.

Like Dave's music career his personal relationships have also been unstable with three unsuccessful marriages. In 1990, his first marriage took place with make-up artist Tania Goddard and in 1994 he got married to Rhian Gittins. After two abortive efforts, in 2003, he bonded himself in relationship with famous model and actress Carmen Electra. But the pattern continued and both of them announced their divorce in 2006 to the Star Magazine.

In 2002, Dave continued his work with Jane's Addiction and accompanied the band with their world tours. While aiding other musicians in their work, in 2005, Dave started to host a reality show Rock Star: INXS and also featured in the next season Rock Star: Supernova. In 2006, Dave Navarro started to produce music with The Panic Channel that included his mates Stephen Perkins, Steve Isaacs and Chris Chaney.

Soon after Dave initiated his own radio station named Speed Radio Live where he co-hosts shows. In 2007, Dave stated that he wanted to use the internet to support emerging artists and prefers this media due to lack of censorship. Along the way Dave has been doing non-music work such as writing reviews, columns and making several appearances in comedy shows and documentaries. The music career of Dave Navarro has truly been a roller coaster ride just like his personal life, he has played with several bands and artists but has never strayed from is own style and continues to produce quality work.

By Jeffrey Reeves

1776 - 1789...

Brave men came together in Philadelphia in 1776 to write and publish the Declaration of Independence. Many of them were ideologues. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston were appointed to draft the Declaration.

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were at decidedly different points on the ideological spectrum. However, they wrote an amazing document that, based only on its content, emancipated the United States of America and millions of people since.The question is, "How did Jefferson and Adams overcome their ideological differences?" The answers are many, but one can sum them up in two words: ideas and ideals.

The third major force on that committee, Benjamin Franklin was a man of ideas and ideals. He was not an ideologue. Benjamin Franklin was a man of principles - just as John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were. However, his principles grew from ideas and ideals, not from an ideology.

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were familiar with Benjamin Franklin and his patient ways from years of interaction. They both respected his wisdom. As they were also men of ideas and ideals, they willingly laid down their ideological swords and took up the battle for American Independence with ideas and ideals as their primary weapons.

About fifty-five new Americans met in Philadelphia in 1787. Among them were James Madison, George Mason, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin. Their goal was to debate the Articles of Confederation and draft a new constitution for the fledgling United States of America.

Almost every participant came equipped with an ideology about what the U.S. Constitution should look like. Over an arduous two years (1787-1789), those clashing ideologies lost their power. Ideas and ideals won out and young America adopted the purest governing document ever devised. It included the first ever Bill of Rights that guarantees individual rights over government control.

What's Wrong With Ideology...

Ideologues claim leadership by self-reference. They demand rigid adherence to self-proclaimed dogmatic declarations. These are pseudo-leaders. They don't encourage ideas and ideals. In fact, they legislate against them and sometimes even punish them.

The history of 20th century Europe, Russia, China, Japan, South Africa, Afghanistan, and others clearly demonstrate these facts. If that doesn't convince you, do you remember reading 1984 by George Orwell and Lord of the Flies by William Golding in high school and college?

Ideologues only masquerade as leaders. They are not interested in the wealth and well-being of We the People. They adhere to a set of principles regardless of how their ideology affects the rest of us. They accomplish their goals just because they are their goals.

Act I - Enter The Federal Government

The National debt is almost twelve trillion dollars - that's 12,000 x $1,000,000,000. There are only about 310,000,000 Americans to pay that debt. That's about 100,000,000 American families. Many calculators don't have enough digits to even figure out how much each American individual and family owes based on these numbers. You can find out the details if you visit bigredcalculator.com.

This massive debt is the result of an ideology of profligate spending in Washington DC. The U.S Congress abandoned the American ideas and ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Our government is corrupt. The oligarchy that resides in Washington DC is more interested in power and personal wealth than in the wealth and well-being of Americans.

Act II - Enter a Model of Personal Economics

Individual American citizens and citizen families are the only hope to resurrect those ideas and ideals that are the foundation of our country and of our personal economies.

A model for personal economics allows Americans to create and manage their money. It does not address the addiction of the Federal Government to power and money. Political action will dethrone the self-appointed gods of government, but individuals practicing money management based on American ideas and ideals will survive and succeed.

Americans need a model that empowers individuals and families to thrive regardless of the foolishness in DC. Americans need a model that embodies the laws of personal economics and incorporates the simple steps that assure financial success.

Act III - Americans Take Action

Millions of Americans have tested and proven the ideas and ideals that the Founding Fathers laid down over two hundred years ago. They have shown that those simple ideas and ideals work in good times and bad: Industriousness, frugality, prudence, humility, saving money instead of risking it to every quick money scheme or hot mutual fund or investment that comes along.

Americans have proven millions of times over that personal effort and free markets are the surest and best way to insure and preserve individual liberty. It's time to demand that the government and the Behemoths of big business, big unions, big Pharma, big everything get the heck out of our way and let us grow rich without risk and secure wealth without worry.

By Paul Davis

My dad is a lot of fun. He's always had a great sense of humor, a playful nature and a love for adventure. Growing up I had the good fortune of working with my dad as a paper delivery boy and a contractor's assistant.

My dad taught me how to play baseball, pitch, field ground balls, hit a baseball and steal bases. Though I did not have the best speed on the team, my dad taught me to cleverly steal bases. He showed me how to catch people asleep on the field and properly time a steal. Because of my dad's coaching my little league teams which I played on came in first place twice. Though I didn't have the size of other kids, I had the smarts and talent thanks to my dad's skillful coaching.

My pop's went to Delaney Elementary and Boone High School when he was a youngster. He apparently acquired the nickname "Bo Dad" during his high school days. He played football for the Boone and was a linebacker. One of his high school year books called him the "monster man."

My dad took me on a few fishing trips when I was younger. We once got a canoe and journeyed down a river. Another time he took the family out deep sea fishing where we caught lots of trout, which was quite fun. One thanksgiving day we sat out at our little lake adjacent to the state park and filled a basket with brim which we caught off of the dock.

One funny story I recall is when my dad wanted to show me how he could pole vault. We were out in the country by the state park (during our time living in a mobile home, which we call "the trailer"), when dad said, "You want to see me pole vault?" I was a bit dumbfounded not knowing what he was talking about.

Then he showed me an old tree stick that he was preparing to use to go over a barbed wire fence. I was a bit puzzled and tried to discourage him, but good old dad was "feeling his oats" that day. He got a running start, put his pole (tree stick) in the ground and prepared to thrust off it to maneuver himself over the barbed wire fence. It was then the stick snapped in half and "Bo Dad" was tumbling down on the barbed wire. It was a hot day and dad wasn't wearing a shirt. He got some pretty deep gouges that day and drew quite a bit of blood too. I won't tell you what choice words he shouted when he came barreling down on the barbed wire and hurt himself. Yet I can tell you this, being around my dad is never boring. You can always count on him to entertain you by what he does and says.

I best remember my dad with a happy-go-lucky smile on his face. I see myself to be quite a bit like him, with a positive attitude and uplifting disposition. He gave me the gift of laughter which I cherish to this day.

Paul Davis is author of Breakthrough for a Broken Heart a book telling us "How to overcome disappointments and blossom into your dreams!" He is a life coach (relational & professional), popular worldwide keynote speaker, creative consultant, humor being, adventurer, explorer, mediator, minister, liberator and dream-maker.

Paul's compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul has also brought revival to many in war-torn, impoverished and tsunami stricken regions of the earth. His nonprofit organization Dream-Maker Ministries is building dreams and breaking limitations.

By Regina Bernardo

You always watch this goody goody demure girl snuggle up to Clark Kent on the hit tv series Smallville. And now, Kristin Kreuk is sure to warm up the big screen as this hot and sexy young actress plays the lead role of tough chick Chun-Li in the upcoming Street Fighter film.

Born in Canada, 25-year old Kristin is of Dutch and Chinese descent. Her first television appearance was in Edgemont, a teen soap opera set at a Vancouver-area high school. After shooting its first season, she landed the lead role in a television movie Snow White: The Fairest of Them All, which aired on ABC in 2002.

Kristin's biggest break came when her agent sent an audition tape to screenwriters who were putting together the cast of a new show entitled Smallville, which revolves around the life of teenager Clark Kent before he becomes Superman. The hot and sexy actress was originally unsure about auditioning for Lana Lang's role, but was impressed upon reading the graveyard scene from the pilot episode that when she was offered the role, she immediately accepted it.

In addition, the hot and sexy actress is also the spokesmodel for Neutrogena's new worldwide ad campaign, thus following the footsteps of fellow teen stars such as Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mandy Moore. In 2005, she renewed her contract for another two years, making her the company's longest-serving model spokesperson.

Aside from Smallville, hot and sexy Kristin made her first feature film in 2003, which was a cameo appearance in Eurotrip. In 2004, she took the role of Tenar for the Sci-Fi Channel's two-part miniseries Legend of Earthsea and signed on to the independent feature film Partition in 2005. In the summer of 2006, she starred in a short film called the Dream Princess, which was a modern sci-punk retelling of the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Her next film is Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.

By David Bryan

Matchbox toy cars have never gone out of style. These diecast collectibles are hotter than ever in toy collecting world. The Matchbox car toy series was created in 1952 by Jack Odell when he cast a small metal miniature of a Road Roller and inserted it in a matchbox container so his daughter could take it to school with her. More than 50 years later, the Matchbox brand is still known to collectors and children alike for its high quality, model diversity and affordability. In many retail outlets, Matchbox cars are still sold for around a dollar a car and each year more than 100 million of them are sold to collectors and kids alike.

The first Lesney series of Matchbox toy cars measured up to eight inches long. It was during the 1950's that the Lesney Company began to focus mostly on miniature sizes of the diecast cars. The No. 1 Diesel Road Roller, No. 2 Dumper, and No. 3 Cement Mixer were first released in 1953. Lesney then decided that the vehicles in this beginning series, known better as the 1-75 series, would be limited to only seventy-five different makes and models. Though new models and makes were made each year, when a new car came out, an older one was removed from the series. This same practice is still in place today with the toy car series.

The Mattel toy company started to compete in the die-cast car market in 1961 when the production of their Hot Wheels brand was introduced. The Lesney company went bankrupt in 1982 and sold the rights of the Matchbox brand name to Universal Toys. In 1992, the the Matchbox brand name was then sold to Tyco Toys whose toy division was ironically bought out by the Mattel toy company in 1997.

Throughout all the years, Matchbox toy cars remained widely collected and traded. With the birth of the internet and the start of eBay in 1995, it opened up a wider outlet for collectors all over the world to buy and sell cars in their collection. On any given day, their are thousands of the toy cars available on eBay and the Wal-Marts of the world too have a very large selection to choose from.

Matchbox toy car collecting is both fun and profitable and a great hobby for both young and old. It is never too late to start collecting both new and rare Matchbox cars.

By Jacques Sprenger

Few experts in education would disagree that modern children lack proper discipline. One of the many causes lies in the new role that women play in society. They work outside the home and spend little time with their children as compared to traditional women in the 50's. Some mothers will argue that when they get home, they are too tired to really enforce the rules. They will also state that they have no choice: The cost of living has risen so much that one salary will simply not suffice; finally, they argue with some justice that they are entitled to a career just as much as men.

So how can we obtain the necessary discipline from our children nowadays? As a high school teacher I have observed that most students fail academically because they simply have no idea how to organize their time. When they leave school, they leave everything behind, including their learning. Their free time is spent with buddies, watching TV, or partying with the girlfriend. Homework has become an anachronism. Studying outside of the school is simply not done and the main cause is the lack of discipline. Parents don't have time to check or simply don't have the skills to help with certain subjects.

The consequences of a lack of self-discipline can be catastrophic. What kind of job will tolerate coming in late and/or not being prepared to deliver projects on time? The only way a teen will learn self-discipline is in the military, where sergeants have all the power to impose their will, unlike parents and teachers. So it stands to reason that the learning process must start in childhood, preferably in pre-school with the support of parents. Since they don't have the time to impose discipline, the teachers must take over with the parents' consent. But on many occasions, irate mothers complain about schools' punishments, especially toward small children. They fail to see that they themselves have created a spoiled little brat.

There are other causes for the the lack of self-discipline in children: Television fare is hardly conducive towards role models. The main message is Buy, Sell, Make Money, Have Sex and Be Self-Indulgent. What kind of society makes a spectacle out of eating hot dogs and applauds the 'winner'? What kind of society glorifies two men beating each other to a pulp inside a cage? What kind of society watches with perverse delight the Jerry Springer show?

We are creating a new generation of obese, lazy, and self-indulgent individuals who refuse to take responsibility for their actions. They sue the tobacco companies for their own addiction, as if somebody had put a gun to their heads to start smoking. They sue McDonald's for being fat after years of gorging themselves with fatty food. The nutty judge sues the dry cleaner for millions for a lost pair of pants. Pretty soon children will sue their parents for giving birth to them!

We must return to the old values of the 50's:

1.Enforce your threats of punishment. There is nothing worse than a mother who constantly tells her kids that she will take away television time and doesn't come through.

2.Establish a timeline for every activity: Home from school means homework time, no ifs and buts. To bed at 9:00 o'clock does not mean 9:10 or 9:30. On week-ends parents must limit their younger children's TV time to 2 hours a day at the most. Find constructive activities for them outside the house.

3.Make sure you and your husband agree on discipline, so kids won't be able to divide and conquer.

4.If you leave the kids with grandma or a maid, ask them to enforce the rules.

5.Kids love discipline, believe it or not. They know you are doing it because of love, not anger.

6.Punishment must be immediate or as soon as possible. They must understand that you won't tolerate bad behavior. But it must also fit the 'crime'; excessive or unfair punishment will cause resentment and will only drive them to more bad behavior. Above all, do not rule by fear; it is extremely destructive to the self-esteem of children.

7.Support your teachers' decisions, even if you don't agree with them. If you don't, your child will use you as a weapon against the teacher.

8.Be fair with all siblings; any sign of favoritism will cause internecine wars inside the family. The same 'crime' must derive into the same punishment.

9.Most important: Reward good behavior as often as possible. "Since you behaved very well all week, I am going to take you to x spectacle, or buy you the video game you want so bad." Of course, not every reward has to be material. A gesture of affection, a kiss, a hug, they all work very well.

10.Listen to your children; what they say is important to them if not to you. They deserve all your attention. Forget the phone for a moment or the TV. Concentrate on what they want to confide. A good communication is essential in rearing children.

By Grant Griffiths

For 30 years, JKCP Programs has been dedicated to providing stimulating and enriching experiences for children and teens through diverse, innovative programs in tennis, golf, academic enrichment, business, fitness, internships, cooking, the arts and much more. Students from over 35 states and 30 countries attend our programs at the University of Pennsylvania, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Cabrini Colleges and the Shipley School.

Kids and adults love Julian Krinsky. And, yeah, he's a lovable guy--especially when he's behind the wheel of the company, er, school bus. No doubt about it, Krinsky has found the secret to entrepreneurial success: Find something you enjoy and do it with passion. And that something keeps multiplying.

Since coming to Philadelphia in 1977, the mastermind of Julian Krinsky Camps & Programs has amassed a business empire that encompasses property management services; resort ownership and operations; and staff recruitment for sports academies, clubs and events. Not bad for a South African immigrant who opened up shop with little more than $1,200.

A tennis star in this late teens who was ranked as high as No. 7 in his home country, Krinsky played in Wimbledon and the French and Italian opens. A scholar as well as an athlete, he earned degrees in both accounting and law. When he first arrived in the United States, teaching tennis full-time was not something he even considered--let alone entertained the prospect of doing so here. He'd merely stopped in the area on his way to North Carolina to make good on an invitation to play at Merion Cricket Club. But he fell in love with the natural beauty of the Main Line and never made it to the new job in Carolina.

Money was tight in those days, and teaching tennis was a good way to make a few bucks. Krinsky quickly compiled a roster of students from all over the region, some traveling two hours for lessons. Within three months, he'd forgotten all about becoming an accountant.

Krinsky's commitment to practice matched his pupil's determination to improve, but distance was becoming a problem. His solution: a weekend camp at his home in Wayne so students could spend less time in the car and more time fine-tuning their strokes. He set up bunk beds, pitched a few tents and hired a couple of local chefs to cook meals. During the day, it was tennis, tennis, tennis; evenings involved field trips to places like Woody's driving range, Hershey Park and Great Adventure.

"They were great days," recalls Krinsky. "There were kids everywhere. I couldn't get a shower because they would use up all the hot water."

At times, there were as many as 20 students staying at Krinsky's home. He realized he was onto something--and that he needed to take that something to the next level. So he leased space at Haverford College, hired an assistant, and he Julian Krinsky School of Tennis was born in 1978.

By today's standards, such an unorthodox approach might have raised a few eyebrows. Krinsky was young, attractive and a bit capricious, but his integrity and enthusiasm were never in question.

"We knew the parents and we knew the kids," says Plymouth Meeting's Jim Talbot, whose children attended JKST for five years. "We had no reservations. Julian was developing solid tournament players, and the kids were having fun."

Back then, JKST was cutting-edge. By the time Nick Bollettieri began building his world-famous tennis-camp empire, Krinsky was already organizing training trips to Bollettieri's Florida stomping grounds. "The parents went, too," says Talbot.

Soon enough, Krinsky introduced golf and squash instruction into the mix. From there, he moved into cooking, art, music, drama, SAT prep and more. JKST went from summer camp to a summer academy with a new name, Julian Krinsky Camps & Programs, and new locations at the Shipley School, University of Pennsylvania, and Cabrini and Bryn Mawr colleges. New there are a dozen different programs available through JKCP, with enough variety to keep kids active and interested for throughout childhood.

Ultimately, Krinsky's keen awareness, flexibility and adaptability have served him well. Today JKCP is one of the most recognized and respected organizations in its field, attracting kids from all over the world. With such global reach, it's really no surprise that one of the newest programs being developed is "Model U.N." Aimed at high school students, it will provide a forum for instruction in political science, international relations, public speaking and debate. "Ten percent of our campers are from the Far East, the Middle East, South Africa and almost every city in Europe," says Krinsky's business partner, Adrian Castelli. "Most of it is word of mouth."

Older campers have an innovative array of programs from which to choose, including a summer internship, a Wharton business program at Penn and another program specifically for observant Jews. A current favorite is the Canyon Ranch wellness program, designed to educate teens about nutrition, fitness, relaxation and getting the most out of sports.

A holistic approach is what sets JKCP apart--that, and Krinsky's commitment to connecting with the campers and their families. "My greatest challenge is getting to know every one of them," he says. "I have to make sure my team is taking care of the details so I can be freed up to be with the kids."

And that's not small feat, seeing as JKCP's residential program hosts 3,500-4,000 campers a year (overnight campers make up 80 percent of the business; day camps the remaining 20 percent). That requires 35 year-round employees and more than 400 seasonal staffers.

"I have a year-round relationships with many of the kids who come to me," says Krinsky. "I see most of them from the time they're 3 until they're 17. Some [of them] are now bringing their children to me."

By Ruth Wells

We have so many interventions that sometimes even some of our favorite devices can be forgotten. These techniques used to be regulary included in our popular Breakthrough Strategies to Teach and Counsel Troubled Youth Workshops but not so often now,though perhaps they should be. So, here are some old but golden strategies that should be used not forgotten.

If you love these solutions, and want more, our web site has information on our workshops and books plus hundreds more attention-grabbing, ready-to-use interventions to turnaround troubled youth and children. You can find our site at http://www.youthchg.com/live.html.

** FOR YOUTH WHO DISRUPT THE CLASS OR GROUP

To teach hand-raising, wave your arms all around and name that "windshield wiper arms" or "helicopter arms." To show students correct hand-raising technique, hold your arm in the air and still and call it "flagpole arm." Using these images may work better than conventional approaches.

** FOR YOUTH WHO CAN'T IMAGINE EVER CHANGING

Have the youth create before and after ads, similar to weight loss commercials. You can even photocopy weight loss ads from magazines and let students insert their own pictures or art work
that portrays their own personal before and after. This device is especially good with withdrawn children who dislike talking.

** FOR YOUTH WITH LOW SELF-ESTEEM

Have the kids create a magazine about what they do well over the next month. The magazine can feature a picture of the student on the cover and highlight successes that the student
has. Name the magazine "Esteem Magazine," with a motto of "for students who know that Esteem is more than hot air." The magazine may also contain articles on self-worth and lists
such as "The Top 10 Things People Like About Me."

** FOR YOUTH WHO THINK SCHOOL IS A WASTE

Here are the very latest numbers that show once more that education pays and pays and pays! These new numbers make an old intervention even more profound and even more powerful! Use play money to illustrate or put this information in a chart on your board, or do both. Follow up by having students experience how much money is worth by visiting a store, car dealership or reviewing housing classified ads. As of January, 2000, drop-outs can expect to earn just
over $16,000, based on 1998 dollars. High school grads earn nearly $23,000 and college grads almost $45,000. Ask your kids to pick their salary for the new millennium.

** FOR ABSENT YOUTH

For kids who are frequently absent, bring in a lot of legos or lincoln logs. Ask the students to copy a model you create out of the legos. The students
will easily do it and discuss that with the class. Next, begin to make a second model but this
time, part way through the building process, ask some of the students to leave the room, then
hide several legos inside the model. Recall the students and ask them to compare their model
to yours. Assist the class to notice the poorer quality that resulted from the absences then discuss if being absent matters.

** FOR YOUTH FACING PEER PRESSURE

Peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol is nonstop but here is a quick device to chip away at the power of the pressure. Divide your students into two groups. Give one group bags of M&Ms and give the other group bags of litter. Allow the students to mingle. The students with the litter will try to get others to take their bags while the students with the candy will want to keep their bags and will not force others to take the M&Ms. Relate this phenomena to peer pressure to use substances by discussing that people seldom need to pressure people to do good things, only bad.