Is it time for you to have "The Talk" about the Birds and the Bees? Do you think that your child/teen would benefit from having a place to get answers about sex from his/her peer group (moderated by adult experts)? Do you need to refresh yourself on the latest information about Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)and birth control before talking to your teen? Rutgers University has the Answer.
Answer, formerly known as the Network for Family Life Education, is part of the university's Center for Applied Psychology in Piscataway, NJ. Their mission is to provide and promote comprehensive sexuality education to young people and the adults who teach them.
Answer fulfills its mission through its Sexuality Education Training Initiative, which helps teachers and other youth-serving professionals create dynamic and effective educational experiences for young people, and their Teen-to-Teen Sexuality Education Project, which uses the power of teen-to-teen communication to provide millions of teens with the information they need to make responsible decisions about sex.
Sex, Etc. Web Site
With 22,000 unique visitors per day in 2009, the Sex, Etc. Web site, Sexetc.org, is one of the most popular online sexual health sites for teens. The national site features 16 topic areas plus the following:
* Stories written by Sex, Etc. teen staff writers and national contributors
* Chats and Forums moderated by adult experts (health educators, social workers and medical doctors)
* A Video gallery with more than 15 videos on a variety of sexual health topics
* An Ask the Experts section where teens can receive personal and confidential answers to their questions
* A Take Action section where teens can learn to advocate for comprehensive sexuality education
* Spotlights on teens who are making a difference
* A Sex Terms glossary of more than 400 terms
The Sex, Etc. magazine allows teens to hear directly from other teens about the sexual health issues they face every day. Backed by adult health professionals at Answer, these teen-written stories provide honest, accurate, comprehensive information related to sexual health, body image, relationships and much more. It is published three times a year.
Disclaimer: Parentspotlight is simply sharing this Rutgers University ANSWER program as a resource for sex education. We are NOT suggesting that teens should engage in sex. We believe that if teens/young adults are more informed about the risks/dangers of sex (such as date rape, sexually transmitted diseases, and unwanted pregnancy) they will make better choices throughout their lives. We believe that parents are a students' first teacher and that regardless of what is taught in school (or not taught in school) that sex education is ultimately the parents' responsibility.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Free Refresher courses for third and fourth graders in NJ
See below for Free Refresher courses for third and fourth graders. The church is located in Somerset County, NJ.
Thank you,
Parentspotlight
First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens
www.fbcsomerset.com
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Contact:
Aug. 17, 2010 Chandra M. Hayslett
FBCLG
(732) 839-2432
(732) 816-4650 cell
FBCLG offers refresher courses for third and fourth graders
Students begin losing content in the first 48 hours of summer vacation
(SOMERSET, NJ) – According to Sylvan Learning Center, loss of content begins within 24 to 48 hours of learning unless new information is reinforced or immediately applied. And after a month, 80 percent of what a student has learned can be lost.
So, with summer vacation being nearly three months, students go back to school struggling to catch up.
First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens is offering refresher courses in math and reading this Saturday and Aug. 28 for third and fourth graders. Third graders’ sessions are from 10-11 a.m. and fourth graders will be taught from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. All of the session are free and open to the public and will take place in the Fellowship Hall at the church, 771 Somerset St., Somerset, NJ. Students must be registered to attend. Please call Victoria Crawford at (732) 828-2009 to register.
“We will test the children to find out where they are and assign them worksheets so they will know what’s expected when they go back to school. I want the children to go back to school ready,” said Victoria Crawford, who works with the youth ministry at the church.
But according to the National Summer Learning Association, research shows that students aren’t going back to school ready.
“Students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer. For students who are already struggling or reading below grade level, this retention gap can be seriously detrimental,” according to the association.
To get parents and students back in the mindset of returning to school, here are some helpful tips by Dr. Richard E. Bavaria, an educator with more than 40 years experience and more than 10 years with Sylvan Learning Center, which offers tutoring and supplemental education services.
Be positive. Show you care by having a positive attitude about the new school year. Talk about your school days, the happy memories (keep the bad ones to yourself, even if they’re now funny), the things you learned, the interests you developed, the friends you made, the teachers you remember fondly, the activities you participated in. You don’t want to make a lecture (or worse, a sermon) about it, so keep the conversation informal.
Set goals. With your child, set realistic goals for what you each want to accomplish this year. Goals should require a bit of a stretch to create a feeling of accomplishment. These goals can range from improved grades to making new friends, from trying out new after-school activities to making the soccer team. Encourage, support, and most important, listen.
Help prepare. When we’re prepared, we feel so much more confident than when we’re just winging it. So, give your child the confidence she needs by helping her prepare for this new adventure. If she’s going to a new school, visit it. Learn where the classrooms are, the bathrooms, the lockers, the cafeteria, and any other places where she’s heading. Get all the materials she’ll need for class. Review the school calendar with her and mark your own kitchen calendar – displayed where everyone can see it – with important dates like report cards, due-dates for projects, PTA meeting, and the like.
Help establish healthy routines. Routines make youngsters feel secure and confident. Reset summer routines for fall ones. Cut way back on TV. Set meal times, study times, homework times, play times, quiet times, bedtimes, wake-up times. Show that you have routines, too, and stick to them. You’re a role model, remember.
First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG) was founded in 1937 by a congregation that embraced the black church tradition and doctrinal style, but today is best understood as a multi-cultural church. Over the years, FBCLG has grown from a handful of members to 7,000. Inspired by its senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., who has a history of community activism, FBCLG has become a church without walls by reaching out and impacting the community in areas of housing, employment, health care and youth and economic development. The focus of FBCLG is to provide a three-dimensional ministry that nurtures spiritual growth, supports academic excellence and promotes economic empowerment.
Thank you,
Parentspotlight
First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens
www.fbcsomerset.com
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Contact:
Aug. 17, 2010 Chandra M. Hayslett
FBCLG
(732) 839-2432
(732) 816-4650 cell
FBCLG offers refresher courses for third and fourth graders
Students begin losing content in the first 48 hours of summer vacation
(SOMERSET, NJ) – According to Sylvan Learning Center, loss of content begins within 24 to 48 hours of learning unless new information is reinforced or immediately applied. And after a month, 80 percent of what a student has learned can be lost.
So, with summer vacation being nearly three months, students go back to school struggling to catch up.
First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens is offering refresher courses in math and reading this Saturday and Aug. 28 for third and fourth graders. Third graders’ sessions are from 10-11 a.m. and fourth graders will be taught from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. All of the session are free and open to the public and will take place in the Fellowship Hall at the church, 771 Somerset St., Somerset, NJ. Students must be registered to attend. Please call Victoria Crawford at (732) 828-2009 to register.
“We will test the children to find out where they are and assign them worksheets so they will know what’s expected when they go back to school. I want the children to go back to school ready,” said Victoria Crawford, who works with the youth ministry at the church.
But according to the National Summer Learning Association, research shows that students aren’t going back to school ready.
“Students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer. For students who are already struggling or reading below grade level, this retention gap can be seriously detrimental,” according to the association.
To get parents and students back in the mindset of returning to school, here are some helpful tips by Dr. Richard E. Bavaria, an educator with more than 40 years experience and more than 10 years with Sylvan Learning Center, which offers tutoring and supplemental education services.
Be positive. Show you care by having a positive attitude about the new school year. Talk about your school days, the happy memories (keep the bad ones to yourself, even if they’re now funny), the things you learned, the interests you developed, the friends you made, the teachers you remember fondly, the activities you participated in. You don’t want to make a lecture (or worse, a sermon) about it, so keep the conversation informal.
Set goals. With your child, set realistic goals for what you each want to accomplish this year. Goals should require a bit of a stretch to create a feeling of accomplishment. These goals can range from improved grades to making new friends, from trying out new after-school activities to making the soccer team. Encourage, support, and most important, listen.
Help prepare. When we’re prepared, we feel so much more confident than when we’re just winging it. So, give your child the confidence she needs by helping her prepare for this new adventure. If she’s going to a new school, visit it. Learn where the classrooms are, the bathrooms, the lockers, the cafeteria, and any other places where she’s heading. Get all the materials she’ll need for class. Review the school calendar with her and mark your own kitchen calendar – displayed where everyone can see it – with important dates like report cards, due-dates for projects, PTA meeting, and the like.
Help establish healthy routines. Routines make youngsters feel secure and confident. Reset summer routines for fall ones. Cut way back on TV. Set meal times, study times, homework times, play times, quiet times, bedtimes, wake-up times. Show that you have routines, too, and stick to them. You’re a role model, remember.
First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG) was founded in 1937 by a congregation that embraced the black church tradition and doctrinal style, but today is best understood as a multi-cultural church. Over the years, FBCLG has grown from a handful of members to 7,000. Inspired by its senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., who has a history of community activism, FBCLG has become a church without walls by reaching out and impacting the community in areas of housing, employment, health care and youth and economic development. The focus of FBCLG is to provide a three-dimensional ministry that nurtures spiritual growth, supports academic excellence and promotes economic empowerment.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
State Restores $3 Million Budget Allocation to New Jersey After 3
We reported in April 2010 about NJ After 3 facing major cuts under Gov. Christie. This posting is an update since that the FY11 state budget passed.
Although $3 million was restored to the budget allocation, the organization is still not anywhere near the previous funding levels.
The current allocation of $3 million is less than one-third of New Jersey After 3’s $10.4 million FY2010 budget allocation, and one-fifth of the amount allocated in FY2009, according to the NJ After 3 website.
Although $3 million was restored to the budget allocation, the organization is still not anywhere near the previous funding levels.
The current allocation of $3 million is less than one-third of New Jersey After 3’s $10.4 million FY2010 budget allocation, and one-fifth of the amount allocated in FY2009, according to the NJ After 3 website.
Update on Trends in Catholic Schools and Charter Schools
Parentspotlight has been keeping an eye on trends in Catholic Schools and Charter Schools. (also see our related blog postings in Feb 2007 and April 2010).
The Times Magazine and Wall Street Journal articles both cite the Cristo Rey Network, a network of 24 schools in the US, as a model of success. One of which is in Newark, NJ. Christ the King Prep's website is http://www.ctkprep.org/.
What caught our attention about the Cristo Rey Network Model was the innovative Corporate Internship Program. Students go to school for 4 days per week and work for a business one day per week. The money the students earn goes to the school to help underwrite their tuition. This seems to mirror the college work-study approach. The internship program keeps their tuition low (averaging under $2,400 /year), according to the WSJ article.
Times article: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1929589,00.html
Wall Street Journal Article: http://www.ctkprep.org/newsandcalendar/inthemediapages/wsj20100521.html
Also see below for excerpts from an interesting July 9, 2010 article posted in the Clifton Journal. In the Clifton article, we noticed another mention of another proposal in Paterson for a Diocese to run a charter school. There are also a lot of statistics about declining enrollment at Catholic schools.
Sacred Heart school joins long list of closures
Friday, July 9, 2010
BY TONY GICAS
Clifton Journal
STAFF WRITER
CLIFTON – Sacred Heart is just one among a long line of parochial school closures caused by a steady decline of Catholic school enrollment around the nation.
The Paterson Diocese oversees Catholic schools in Morris, Sussex and Passaic counties but of the 55 elementary schools open in 1981, just 30 diocese facilities remain.
In addition, the diocese closed three other elementary schools this year. The diocese also closed Paterson Catholic Regional High School but proposed a partnership with the Paterson school system to open a public charter school there.
The below statistics, courtesy of Brian Gray, a spokesman for the National Catholic Education Association, depict the plummeting enrollments at parochial schools:
* America's Catholic schools reached its peak in the 1960s with about 5.2 million students. By 1980 that number had dropped to approximately 3.1 million and in 2008 the nationwide enrollment hit 2.19 million.
* There were 12,893 Catholic schools operating around the country during the 1960s apex but by 2008 the NCEA reported just 7,248 schools.
* In 1970, New Jersey had 609 Catholic schools servicing approximately 275,000 students, but in 2005 that number dwindled to 396 schools accommodating 129,000 students.
* In 2008, 162 Catholic schools nationwide either consolidated or closed. Only 31 new schools opened during the 2008-2009 school year. The closings confirm a national trend characterized by shrinking enrollments, higher teacher salaries and the migration of Catholics from the cities to the suburbs, school officials said.
* In September 2000, the Newark Archdiocese had 137 grade schools in Union, Essex, Hudson and Bergen counties. Now, it has just 97. The school population in neighboring Paterson jumped by 1,000 students last year, a 3.5 percent increase in the district that has about 28,000 students, the district reported.
* Four years ago, the Paterson Diocese recorded 50 elementary schools with a total enrollment of 13,753 students. In 2008, the Diocese saw the enrollment drop to 11,177 elementary students, a decrease of nearly 19 percent.
E-mail of Clifton Journal reporter: gicas@northjersey.com
The Times Magazine and Wall Street Journal articles both cite the Cristo Rey Network, a network of 24 schools in the US, as a model of success. One of which is in Newark, NJ. Christ the King Prep's website is http://www.ctkprep.org/.
What caught our attention about the Cristo Rey Network Model was the innovative Corporate Internship Program. Students go to school for 4 days per week and work for a business one day per week. The money the students earn goes to the school to help underwrite their tuition. This seems to mirror the college work-study approach. The internship program keeps their tuition low (averaging under $2,400 /year), according to the WSJ article.
Times article: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1929589,00.html
Wall Street Journal Article: http://www.ctkprep.org/newsandcalendar/inthemediapages/wsj20100521.html
Also see below for excerpts from an interesting July 9, 2010 article posted in the Clifton Journal. In the Clifton article, we noticed another mention of another proposal in Paterson for a Diocese to run a charter school. There are also a lot of statistics about declining enrollment at Catholic schools.
Sacred Heart school joins long list of closures
Friday, July 9, 2010
BY TONY GICAS
Clifton Journal
STAFF WRITER
CLIFTON – Sacred Heart is just one among a long line of parochial school closures caused by a steady decline of Catholic school enrollment around the nation.
The Paterson Diocese oversees Catholic schools in Morris, Sussex and Passaic counties but of the 55 elementary schools open in 1981, just 30 diocese facilities remain.
In addition, the diocese closed three other elementary schools this year. The diocese also closed Paterson Catholic Regional High School but proposed a partnership with the Paterson school system to open a public charter school there.
The below statistics, courtesy of Brian Gray, a spokesman for the National Catholic Education Association, depict the plummeting enrollments at parochial schools:
* America's Catholic schools reached its peak in the 1960s with about 5.2 million students. By 1980 that number had dropped to approximately 3.1 million and in 2008 the nationwide enrollment hit 2.19 million.
* There were 12,893 Catholic schools operating around the country during the 1960s apex but by 2008 the NCEA reported just 7,248 schools.
* In 1970, New Jersey had 609 Catholic schools servicing approximately 275,000 students, but in 2005 that number dwindled to 396 schools accommodating 129,000 students.
* In 2008, 162 Catholic schools nationwide either consolidated or closed. Only 31 new schools opened during the 2008-2009 school year. The closings confirm a national trend characterized by shrinking enrollments, higher teacher salaries and the migration of Catholics from the cities to the suburbs, school officials said.
* In September 2000, the Newark Archdiocese had 137 grade schools in Union, Essex, Hudson and Bergen counties. Now, it has just 97. The school population in neighboring Paterson jumped by 1,000 students last year, a 3.5 percent increase in the district that has about 28,000 students, the district reported.
* Four years ago, the Paterson Diocese recorded 50 elementary schools with a total enrollment of 13,753 students. In 2008, the Diocese saw the enrollment drop to 11,177 elementary students, a decrease of nearly 19 percent.
E-mail of Clifton Journal reporter: gicas@northjersey.com
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Father's Day BBQ at Prospect Park - NYC
The New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) is hosting a Father's Day BBQ at Prospect Park . You can find all of the pertinent information on the NYC Dads website: http://www.nyc.gov/html/hra/nycdads/html/home/home.shtml
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
Free Fatherhood Workshops in NYC
The Administration for Children and Families, Region II is
CELEBRATING FATHERHOOD!!
You're Invited -- Tuesday, June 29, 2010 - 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
26 Federal Plaza, 6th floor conference center New York , NY 10278 (Broadway between Duane and Worth Streets)
WORKSHOPS (choice of two)
Parenting Skills for New Dads
Dads: Take Your Child to School!
Managing and Resolving Relationship Conflicts When Parents Live Apart: Communication Matters Test Your CSEQ (Child Support Enforcement Quotient)
Exhibits
This is a FREE program, but you MUST register by Wednesday, June 23!
To register, call Joan Noerling at 212-264-2890 x104 or Email joan.noerling@acf.hhs.gov
Questions? Contact Barbara Andrews at 212-264-2890 x101 or email barbara.andrews@acf.hhs.gov
CELEBRATING FATHERHOOD!!
You're Invited -- Tuesday, June 29, 2010 - 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
26 Federal Plaza, 6th floor conference center New York , NY 10278 (Broadway between Duane and Worth Streets)
WORKSHOPS (choice of two)
Parenting Skills for New Dads
Dads: Take Your Child to School!
Managing and Resolving Relationship Conflicts When Parents Live Apart: Communication Matters Test Your CSEQ (Child Support Enforcement Quotient)
Exhibits
This is a FREE program, but you MUST register by Wednesday, June 23!
To register, call Joan Noerling at 212-264-2890 x104 or Email joan.noerling@acf.hhs.gov
Questions? Contact Barbara Andrews at 212-264-2890 x101 or email barbara.andrews@acf.hhs.gov
Monday, June 14, 2010
GEEK SQUAD SUMMER ACADEMY -Girl Scouts Heart of NJ
GEEK SQUAD SUMMER ACADEMY
For: Girls ages 10-17
When: Tuesday, August 3 - Thursday, August 5, 2010
9:00 am - 3:30 pm each day
Where: Mount Saint Mary Academy
1645 Highway 22
Watchung, NJ
What: Three-day program helps girls increase knowledge of and comfort level with technology
Cost: Registered Girl Scouts $38
Non Girl Scouts $38 + $12 membership fee
Cost includes a student kit
Registration: Begin registration here.
(GSHNJ will send you a confirmation packet and payment information by e-mail after you have completed this first step.)
Geek Squad Summer Academy is a national program started by Geek Squad Agents in 2006 and hosted locally by Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey this summer.
The program will explore a variety of topics, including...
•Digital media
•Internet communications
•Green technology
•Website design
All girls are welcome to participate regardless of their prior knowledge/comfort level with technology.
Questions? Contact Ariel Garfinkel, Program Specialist, (973) 746-8200 ext. 140 or agarfinkel@gshnj.org
For: Girls ages 10-17
When: Tuesday, August 3 - Thursday, August 5, 2010
9:00 am - 3:30 pm each day
Where: Mount Saint Mary Academy
1645 Highway 22
Watchung, NJ
What: Three-day program helps girls increase knowledge of and comfort level with technology
Cost: Registered Girl Scouts $38
Non Girl Scouts $38 + $12 membership fee
Cost includes a student kit
Registration: Begin registration here.
(GSHNJ will send you a confirmation packet and payment information by e-mail after you have completed this first step.)
Geek Squad Summer Academy is a national program started by Geek Squad Agents in 2006 and hosted locally by Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey this summer.
The program will explore a variety of topics, including...
•Digital media
•Internet communications
•Green technology
•Website design
All girls are welcome to participate regardless of their prior knowledge/comfort level with technology.
Questions? Contact Ariel Garfinkel, Program Specialist, (973) 746-8200 ext. 140 or agarfinkel@gshnj.org
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