Panther (Visitors: 6159) 
http://www.gaggle.net/blog/pantherpaw
How to Prevent Being Cyber-Bullied
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Don’t give out private information such as passwords and PINs(personal identification numbers).
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Be careful where you post personal information online, such as name, address and phone number. This information can be used in a negative way by bullies.
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Use Netiquette. Be polite online and others will tend to do the same. Ignore anyone who gets angry or bullies you.
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Consider avoiding sharing buddy lists, as it increases the chances of being bullied.
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Don’t send a message when you are angry.
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Delete messages from people you don’t know or from people who are acting angry or mean.
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When something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. Leave the site or chat.
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Tell a trusted adult and keep telling until the trusted adult takes action.
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Don’t open or read messages by cyber bullies. If you’ve been bullied by someone and feel it needs to be addressed, don’t open the messages yourself. Save them unopened and let a parent or trusted adult handle them.
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Don’t react to the bully. Often a bully will act just to get your reaction. Your reaction could fuel more attacks. If the bully needs to be dealt with, have a trusted adult, such as a parent or a school professional, help you.
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Tell your school if it is school related. Most schools have a bullying plan in place.
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Don’t erase the messages or images. Save them in a folder unread. They may be needed for taking action.
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Protect yourself by not meeting with the bully or anyone that you’ve only met online.
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Block a bully. If the bully is attacking through instant messaging, that person can usually be blocked.
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If you are threatened with harm, inform the local police. Harassment that causes hurt or embarrassment can be threatening to one’s well-being and still may need to be addressed; however any physical threat or stalking must be handled
Posted at 9:34 AM EDT August 19, 2008 |
Comments (0) |
Internet Safety Pledge
Please read the Internet Safety Pledge below and e-mail me that you will pledge to follow these safety rules while surfing the net.

Kids' Rules for Online Safety
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I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents’ work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents’ permission.
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I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.
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I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.
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4.
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I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.
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I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents right away so that they can contact the service provider.
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6.
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I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.
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7.
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I will not give out my Internet password to anyone (even my best friends) other than my parents.
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I will check with my parents before downloading or installing software or doing anything that could possibly hurt our computer or jeopardize my family’s privacy
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I will be a good online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.
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I will help my parents understand how to have fun and learn things online and teach them things about the Internet, computers and other technology.
smckendree@am.gaggle.net
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Posted at 6:03 PM EDT August 12, 2008 |
Comments (0) |
Back to School Tips!
No More Back-to-School Blues: Helpful Tips for a Smooth Transition
As the lazy days of summer slip away, it will soon be time to put away the beach chairs and corner lemonade stands, and prepare for going back to school. Here are some tips for making the transition easier.
Adjust to the New Routine
Ease into the school-year schedule. Getting back into the school routine can be a challenge for everyone in the family. To make adjusting to the new routine easier, start early.
- A few weeks before school starts, move bedtime back to an earlier time.
- Put a positive spin on going back to school. Talk about the fun things your child will be learning, the old friends he’ll see and the new friends he’ll make.
- If your child is anxious about starting the next grade, reassure her that other children have these feelings too.
- Don’t make plans for big trips right before the start of school.
- Establish school-day schedules for homework, TV, baths and bedtime.
- Arrange play-dates with friends from school to re-establish connections that may have been dropped for the summer, or to create new ones.
Books Help Ease the Transition
For the younger child, reading books together about going back to school is a good way to start conversations about back-to-school excitement and fears. To get you started, here are some suggestions for elementary school-age children:
- Berenstain, Stan and Jan. The Berenstain Bears Go to School. Random House, 1978
- Brown, Marc. Arthur’s Teacher Trouble. Trumpet, 1986
- Bridwell, Norman. Clifford's First School Day. Scholastic,1999
- Haywood, Carolyn. Back to School with Betsy. Odyssey Classics, reissue edition, 2004
- Howe, James. The Day the Teacher Went Bananas. Penguin, 1987
- Jackson, Ellen. It’s Back to School We Go!. Millbrook Press, 2003
- Parish, Herman. Amelia Bedelia Goes Back to School. Harper Festival, 2004
- Rey, Margret. Curious George Goes to School. Houghton Mifflin, 1989
Get Organized
Take advantage of the slower pace during your time away from school to set up for the busy school year ahead.
- Fill out the paperwork for registering your child as early as possible to avoid last minute delays and your child's name not being listed on the class roles..
- Have the necessary immunization records available for easy reference.
- Update school emergency contact and health information for the coming year.
- As you read through all the school information, mark important dates (such as Back-to-School Night, parent-teacher conference week and school holidays) on the family calendar.
- Start a folder for school newsletters and other papers so that you can easily find them and refer to them if necessary.
- Establish a “Get Ready the Night Before” policy. Pick clothes for the next day and pack the backpack every evening before bedtime and you’ll save precious time in the morning.
School Clothes Go through your children’s wardrobes and weed out everything they’ve outgrown and everything that is inappropriate for school wear. By reducing the clutter, you will be able to get them dressed quickly and easily.
Keep in mind school dress codes while shopping.
School Supplies Use the provided school supply lists from the school web page (http://www.am.dodea.edu/Benning/Loyd/ to buy your child's school supplies. Have the supplies ready on the first day of school.
Nutrition: Start off the School Year by Planning Healthy Meals
Get creative with easy, healthy ideas for school day meals. If you plan and gather what you need on the weekends, you’ll make life a lot less stressful and meals more nutritious during the week.
Breakfast Remember the most important meal of the day. Fruit smoothies make a quick and healthy addition to the usual fare.
Lunch If you will be packing a lunch from home, be sure to have a sturdy lunch box or a supply of paper bags on hand. Here are some quick and creative ideas for making school lunches healthy and fun:
- For the younger child, use cookie cutters to make sandwiches into interesting shapes.
- Sneak vegetables like lettuce, cucumber or zucchini slices into sandwiches.
- Buy baked chips and low-fat crackers or pretzels. Avoid items with trans fats in them such as packaged cookies, snack cakes and regular chips.
- Choose 1% or fat-free milk or 100% fruit juices.
- Make fruit fun to eat by cutting it into slices and putting it on a skewer or include small containers of applesauce or pineapple packed in its own juice.
- For the younger child, write a surprise message or draw a funny picture and put it in her lunch.
- Get older children to help pack their lunches. You may need to arrange the morning routine (or evening routine if you do this the night before) so that you don’t do this chore by yourself.
Dinner Plan dinners for the week ahead and shop on the weekends to avoid last minute trips to the grocery store.
Set Priorities and Schedules
To make the best use of your time and keep life from being harried, think about priorities for family members and then schedule them into the week.
For Children
- Before school begins, discuss what extracurricular activities your child will participate in. If your child needs a little extra encouragement to audition for jazz band or to take that early morning Italian class, now is the time to go over the benefits of these activities. If, however, your child needs to have limits set, have her pick her favorite activities and forgo the rest. Be realistic and don’t fall victim to over-programming.
- Make sure to leave enough time to do homework and for family time.
For Parents Determine how much time you can give to the school each month as a volunteer and involved parent: in the classroom, on field trips, for fundraising events and on school-wide committees.
For the Family Start a family calendar in a common area where each family member can write down their activities. Prepare for the Homework Ahead
Having set routines and a place to study at home will make it easier for your child to be organized and successful at school.
- Set up a well-lit, quiet place with a good work surface to do homework. Try to keep this place dedicated to homework and free of other clutter.
- Establish a regular homework time. This will help your student to complete assignments on time.
- Discourage distractions such as television, radio, the Internet or phone conversations during homework time.
Arrange for Transportation
Everyone will feel better if transportation to and from school is addressed well before the start of the school year, particularly if your child is walking, riding his bike or taking the bus.
Taking the Bus
- Remember to get the new bus schedule!
- If your child will be taking the bus for the first time, discuss the bus route and bus safety rules with her.
Driving
- If you will be driving your child, have a backup arrangement with another parent in case you are delayed for some reason.
- Confirm carpool arrangements in advance and make sure your child knows who will be picking him up before and after school.
- Become familiar with your school's traffic safety rules, drop-off and pick-up procedures.
Confirm Your After-School Care Arrangements
Most after-school care arrangements must be made months ahead, frequently in the winter or spring before your child starts school. As the school year approaches, however, it’s a good idea to confirm your plans.
- Make sure your child knows where he is going after school.
- Double-check on your care plans and communicate with the provider a few days before school starts.
- If your child will be home alone after school, establish safety rules for locking doors and windows, and for answering the door and the telephone. Make sure she knows to check in with you or another adult when she arrives at home.
Additional Resources
Check out these articles on GreatSchools.net to help make the new school year successful:
Powerful Parents Transform Schools Communicating With Your Child's School Reading With Your Child: Nine Ways to Get Results What You Can Do to Stamp Out Bullying What No Child Left Behind Means for Your Child Finding Quality Child Care at School Making the Transition: 10 Tips for Adjusting to a New School
Posted at 8:41 AM EDT July 28, 2008 |
Comments (0) |
Happy Fourth of July

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG,
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS,
ONE NATION UNDER GOD,
INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY
AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!

For All of our other military personnel, where ever they may Be Please Support all of the troops defending our Country.
Posted at 5:28 PM EDT June 24, 2008 |
Comments (0) |
10 Tips to Accelerate Summer Learning
10 Tips to Accelerate Summer Learning

While summer is meant to be a time of rest and relaxation, it can involve more than just visits to the pool and video games. With a little creativity and planning, summer can become a learning paradise.
Teachers spend four to eight weeks every fall re-teaching material students have forgotten over the summer. In fact, many students lose the equivalent of one month of reading and math skills during summer break. That doesn’t mean children should complete dozens of math worksheets and study hundreds of spelling words all summer. Instead, this is the perfect time to discover that learning is fun and easy. Here are a few ideas:
- Continue reading: Take advantage of movies that are based on books appropriate for your child’s age, such as Hoot, James and the Giant Peach, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. If your kids haven’t seen these movies, read the books with them first and then see the move together. Then compare and contrast the two.
- Keep writing skills fresh: Let your children choose notebooks and decorate the covers. Now they have summer vacation journals to record their thoughts and actions. They can write about three things that happen each day, using at least three nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Kids love to look back at prior summer journals to see how they spent the summer when they were “little.”
- Retain math skills: Consider investing in a math-related computer game that is age appropriate. Don’t worry about your own technical skills; your kids will have the game loaded and ready within seconds.
- Teach them about planning: Whether your family is going to a state park or across the country, have your children research the sites, the history and even the weather. Use your local library as a resource, as well as the Internet and a Farmer’s Almanac.
- Cherish that library: As you know, your local library has learning opportunities galore. Play a summer reading game or enter a reading contest. You can also create your own contest at home with a chart, stickers, and prizes.
- Start a collection: Help your child become an expert on a specific subject by starting a collection, like rocks and minerals or coins. Visit Web sites and the library together to learn more.
- Visit a comic book shop: Comics make especially good reading material for visual and artistic learners because readers make connections between pictures sequences and written text. Even if your child only reads comics this summer, he’s still reading.
- Volunteer together: Your local homeless shelter or food pantry will happily accept any time you can provide and will help you choose the right activity for you and your child. Teaching your child about gratitude and giving is a life-long lesson.
- Turn a museum visit into a scavenger hunt: Most museums provide a list of objects for kids to find throughout the building, whether in a painting or part of a sculpture. This activity engages all ages, from Kindergarteners through sixth grade.
- Make chocolate fondue: First let your kids choose fresh fruit (and chocolate) at the grocery store. During preparation, explain how following directions when cooking is key. They’ll be delighted with the final result.
Posted at 4:10 PM EDT June 18, 2008 |
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