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Addison County Parents is a new website just for you!
Moms, Dads, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, big sisters and brothers, babysitters, child caregivers - all will find something here to make your job easier and more fun, and help you be a better, more informed parent to the children you love.
If you are a parent, grandparent, relative, friend, or neighbor
who is directly responsible for a child's care all the time or just
some of the time, you will find all sorts of helpful tips and
information right here for you 24/7!
Come back and visit often!
And, let us know what you think. Your ideas for how to improve this site are greatly appreciated.
FEATURED NEWS FOR PARENTS THIS MONTH..................................................April 2008
April Events Offer Early Spring Fun in Vermont
April is when we wholeheartedly welcome the warmer temperatures and celebrate the glorious spring bloom in Vermont. Embrace the season at a variety show named after Vermont’s fifth season or tempt your sweet tooth at a local maple festival.
Mean Girls, Bullies, Study Sheds Light on School Cliques
Girls who gossip and exclude others from their friendship circles are often labeled as popular by their classmates, according to a new study that tried to determine how aggression, popularity and academic achievement influenced membership in cliques. (University of Alabama at Birmingham)
Noisy Toys, Dangerous Play
As younger and younger children are asking for - and receiving - electronic toys and music devices like MP3s and iPods, it is critical that parents learn how to protect their children's hearing and teach them safe listening habits. (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)
Kids Learn More When Mom Is Listening
Kids may roll their eyes when their mother asks them about their school day, but answering her may actually help them learn. "The basic idea is that it is really effective to try to get kids to explain things themselves instead of just telling them the answer," said a psycology professor. "Explaining their reasoning to a parent, or perhaps to other people they know, will help them understand the problem and apply what they have learned to other situations." (Vanderbilt University)
News Archive
March 2008
When she lived in an Irish neighborhood, she learned a thing or two about being Irish – including how to prepare a signature dish. (Christian Science Monitor)
The resolution contains a $7.1 billion increase (8.2%) over the President's FY 2009 discretionary funding request for education, training, employment, and social services programs. In addition, the resolution funds math and science education as part of the America COMPETES Act. It also provides $50 billion for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), continuing coverage for roughly 6.7 million kids as well as providing coverage for an addition 4 million uninsured kids across the country. (Educator Advocates)
Spring is the season to get your house in order. This year, enlist your child's help. If a chore is interesting, he'll cooperate with enthusiasm. Try a clean-up game to pump up the fun factor such as the Dust Ball Derby or Animal Act. (Scholastic Parents)
Two Massachusetts teachers' new musical, "Breaking Through," is based on students' experiences with dyslexia, and is being performed throughout the state this spring by students with learning disabilities. A DVD version of the musical may be distributed nationally. (Boston Globe)
For business owners in particular, caring for an elderly relative can take a toll. While there are no hard statistics, elder-care experts say that within families, it's often the sibling who's an entrepreneur that becomes chief caretaker. That's partly because business owners have a natural "take-charge" personality — and partly because others in the family (especially those who work full time) perceive them to have more flexible schedules. (Wall Street Journal)
February 2008
Vergennes School Makes National News!
Forest Forays Inspire Students at Alternative Vermont School
The 20 students enrolled in northern Vermont's Walden Project, an alternative high school focused on environmental studies, attend class in the woods to explore the prominent themes of Henry David Thoreau's works: relationships with self, culture and the natural world. Some of the students who felt stifled by their traditional high school classes blossom in the woods: "I wasn't very engaged in my education," senior Hillary Devoss said. "I really care a lot about my education now, which I didn't before." (National Public Radio)i
Hazards in Baby Powder and Lotion
Parents of babies are advised to buy phthalate-free baby products and limit phthalate exposures to the lowest amount possible. (Washington Post)
Library Confidentiality Bill Introduced in VT Senate
Senator Claire Ayer of Addison County has introduced S. 220, “An Act Relating to the Confidentiality of Library Patron Records,” to support the Vermont Library Association's request for a stronger and clearer law protecting the confidentiality of library patrons.
For more information on this bill, see also The Vermont Education Report.
Education Department Funding Essentially Flat
President George W. Bush has asked Congress to increase special-education services by about $330 million, restore $600 million cut by lawmakers from the Reading First program and to dedicate $300 million to vouchers and $100 million more to merit-play plans. The budget also calls for the eliminating 47 education programs -- including arts and mental-health services -- in an effort to save $3.3 about billion. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
UWAC and Open Door Clinic Offer Prescription Drug Cards
United Way of Addison County is pleased to announce that 500 free FamilyWize prescription drug discount cards are now available at our partner agency, Community Health Services/Open Door Clinic. The discount cards assist people with the costs of their prescription drugs and are available to families by contacting the Open Door Clinic. (United Way)
January 2008
Free Books for Children Under 5
You can register your child to receive a free book every month thanks to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program. Sponsored by the Isley Library and Addison County Readers, all children in Addison County from birth to age 5 are eligible. Find out more and sign up at Isley Library 388-4097.
Kids Will Eat Healthy School Lunches
A new study shows that school lunches made with healthier ingredients, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, don't cause a decrease in the number of lunches purchased, nor do they cost schools more to produce. (Nurse.com)
TASTE TEST: Chicken Broth
Tasting 18 supermarket chicken broths wasn't easy; some of the broths were actually startling in their rancid, sour flavors; others were tough to smell, let alone taste. But there are several samples to like, although it was a bit of a surprise when two of the three favorites weren't gourmet brands, but shared a common supermarket label. (Cook's Country)
Sleep: The Secret Weapon for School Success
Is your child having behavior problems or trouble in school? One of the first questions to ask is whether she's getting enough sleep. Didy ou know that lack of sleep can lead to serious medical problems? Learn how you can help your child get the sleep she needs to be healthy and succesful in school. (Great Schools)
December 2007
Research Shows Honey the Best Medicine for Children's Coughs
With many children's cough syrups being pulled from the market because they don't work, an old folk remedy -- honey -- may work just as well or better, researchers report. (U.S. News)
For more information about children's coughs, visit KidsHealth.org.
Students Need to Learn Personal Finance
As math classes in personal finance increasingly are being phased out as schools and students stress college-preparatory curriculum -- potentially leaving teens less financially literate -- some educators, parents and lawmakers are pushing to require more of such coursework. (The Washington Post)
Environmental Literacy a Growing Priority for Lawmakers, Educators
Most U.S. students are "totally environmentally illiterate," even as climate change make such issues more important than ever, says Brian A. Day, the North American Association for Environmental Education's executive director. Some U.S. lawmakers are pushing for a new emphasis on environmental education, as many education experts advocate for science test scores to be included in NCLB ratings. (Houston Chronicle/Associated Press)
A Consumer's Guide to Going Green Now Available
When you look for advice on going green, you often find wildly impractical schemes about remaking your entire life to reduce your "carbon footprint." Or, you hear perplexing statistics and tips about power usage and efficiency. The new "A Consumer's Guide to Going Green" provides answers to common questions about what to do -- and what not to do -- to get greener. (Wall Street Journal)
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