Helping Schools to Go Green!

These days, going green has become more than just a buzzword. As we face growing populations and limited non-renewable resources, its important to think about ways we can conserve. Its also important to help our children understand the importance of conservation. Here are some tips you can use to help your child's school go green!

Getting to school

One of the main areas where you can have an effect is choosing how your child gets to school. Private car travel is a big source of carbon emissions, so finding alternative ways of getting to school will make a difference. Things you could do include:

• try to use greener methods of transport – cycling, walking or public transport
• choose one day a week (or more) as a walk or cycle to school day
• consider helping with a walking bus service for the school (a supervised walk to school plan)
• suggest that your school supplies pupils with secure bike sheds and takes measures to ensure safe routes to school
• if you have to travel by car, see if you can share with a neighbor or friend

Food and drink at school

Producing, transporting and consuming food is responsible for nearly a third of our impact on climate change. Choices about packed lunches and the cafeteria can help the environment - and can often have additional benefits for children's health:

• suggest stocking fresh, locally in season or Fairtrade produce in the tuck shop or canteen
• suggest, or offer to set up, a school fruit and vegetable garden; this could also provide many learning opportunities and links to the curriculum

Reducing waste at school

There are many opportunities to reduce waste at school. For example, you could encourage the school to:

• set up recycling bins in the classroom and encourage pupils to recycle
• reduce the amount of packaged goods in lunchboxes to cut down the amount of waste
• use both sides of paper to reduce waste
• set up a scheme to encourage pupils to pass on or sell old text books to other pupils once they've finished with them
• consider setting up a compost bin at the school to reduce food waste
• help arrange a visit to a local landfill or recycling site so pupils can see what happens to their waste

Saving energy at school

Suggestions for saving energy in a school could include:

encouraging pupils to turn off lights and electronic equipment when they have finished using them

• switching off computer monitors and printers properly instead of leaving them on standby
• considering using energy saving light bulbs at the school, or even alternative energy sources for heating, like wind or solar power

For tips and fun activities on how to reduce energy further, see the Generation Green website.

Tips on recycling at school - RecycleNow

Adapted from: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_064441

September 17 is National Constitution Day

Did you know that September 17 is National Constitution Day and Citizenship Day? Its is the one day a year that the Federal government requires educational institutions who receive Federal funds to teach children about the U.S. Constitution.

The U. S. Department of Education maintains a Web site for finding teaching resources across the Federal government. It is called FREE and can be found at:http://free.ed.gov/subjects.cfm?subject_id=19

Constitution Resources
Meet the delegates who gathered in Philadelphia in May 1787 to rewrite the Articles of Confederation. Learn what issues they faced. Discover the sources that inspired them. Read the essays printed in New York City papers urging ratification of the delegates' proposal. Explore a 200-year timeline showing the impact of the Constitution on our history. Search the Constitution, and see explanations of 300 topics.

Teachers looking for additional resources can also visit The National History Education Clearinghouse (NHEC) Web site at www.teachinghistory.org. The NHEC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The NHEC homepage features special, highlighted information on teaching resources for Constitution Day.

In addition, teachers can go to the National Archives and Records Administration's Web site, www.archives.gov.

Celebrate Constitution Day
Read the Constitution in its original form and in a transcript. View Webcasts of Senator Byrd's remarks and discussions on federalism and checks and balances.

The Constitution of the United States
View high resolution scans of the original, signed Constitution. Obtain a transcript. Read an essay about the Constitutional Convention. Learn dozens of fascinating facts about the Constitution. Learn about each of the signers of the Constitution.

Observing Constitution Day: The Signers of the Constitution
Find out about the delegates who signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787.

Observing Constitution Day: The Constitution Game
Explore, in this simulation, how the members of the Constitutional Convention might have felt as they gathered in Philadelphia's Independence Hall and began the task of writing the Constitution.

Teaching With Documents: The Ratification of the Constitution
Uncover the issues involved in the creation and ratification of the Constitution and the new government it established.

Learning Math Early May Make a Difference

Many adults admit that they find math challenging. In fact, many of us have a hard time doing simple math like calculating miles per gallon. In today's world, math is a critical part of making financial decisions like determining if you can afford that extra car note or how much you can pay on a mortgage. Its more important than ever that our kids learn how to do math well. Parents can play a huge role in helping their kids learn math early, even if they don't think they are good at math themselves!

A recent article by Eleanor Chute of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette provides some strategies for parents working with their kids at home. The most important strategy Chute mentions is to make learning math fun. Parents can start when their children are as young as two years old with learning about shapes and numbers. Parents also need to check their own attitudes at the door. They should avoid telling children that they don't like math or aren't very good at it and instead focus on fun math activities like puzzles and games they can do together. Learning math skills through play at an early age can make a difference in how well kids do math later in life.

For more information read the entire article from Elanor Chute in the August 30, 2009 Pittsburgh Post Gazette at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09242/994281-298.stm#ixzz0PxkNuETd

Important Information from the US Department of Education

Todays blog is a reprint of a press release from the US Department of Education about their recommendations for dealing with Swine Flu or H1N1.

"Today, Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty and District of Columbia Chancellor of Public Schools Michelle Rhee joined with officials from Google, Apple, Microsoft, Scholastic Inc., Pearson, Curriki, and the International Association for Online Learning to announce new recommendations on the continuity of learning in the event of students absences or school closures due to seasonal or novel H1N1 flu.

The recommendations crafted by the Department of Education are designed to help education stakeholders start planning and acting now for the impact that seasonal and 2009 H1N1 influenza could have this fall and winter on schools and the learning process.

Government officials are especially concerned about the impact of H1N1 in schools because the virus appears to spread quickly among younger Americans. The Centers for Disease Control’s DC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently found that younger Americans, specifically children ages 6 months to 24 years, are one of the top priority groups when it comes to the new H1N1 vaccine.

“We can all work to keep ourselves healthy now by practicing prevention, close monitoring and using common sense,” Secretary Duncan said. ”We know that some students may be affected by H1N1. And our top priority is making sure that they have a way to get well, stay well and to keep learning. With these recommendations, we’re providing a menu of strategies for educators to help ensure that the learning process will continue.”

“One important reason we are all here today is the Department of Education’s Continuation of Learning guidance,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Everyone’s goal should be to keep children healthy and in school. But if they get sick -- and some will -- we have to make sure that they don’t fall behind.”

The recommendations suggest that educators prepare take-home assignments in advance for distribution to affected students and use the Internet and telephones to post homework materials, conduct classes, share information and keep teachers, parents and students in close touch.

The department is working Google, Apple, Microsoft, Scholastic Inc., Pearson, Curriki, the International Association for Online Learning and other private sector partners, and service providers to make continuity of learning resources like pre-printed lesson plans, conference call services, webinar support, podcasting, and virtual classrooms more affordable and accessible for educators.

For the complete H1N1 Continuity of Learning Guidance, please visitwww.ed.gov/h1n1flu"