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The back-to-school buzz has come and settled in, but to many parents this time may hinge between excitement and apprehension. Gallup’s annual Work and Education poll, conducted in August, indicates that more than one in four (28%) parents of school-age children in the United States fear for their oldest child’s physical safety at school typically a teen in high school. However, most parents 71% say they have no such worries. Lynne Spear, a Southern California grandmother, says she doesn’t worry. “The children are in public schools in a very safe neighborhood. I prefer to think that the school shootings of the 1990s were an aberration.” Moms seem to be a bit more concerned than dads about their children’s safety. Gallup has been asking this question about school safety since 1999, and in most instances, women have expressed a higher level of concern than men. In the 2004 survey, 33% of mothers say they worry for their child’s safety, as do 22% of fathers. In the August poll, Gallup also asked parents if their children ever express worry about their safety at school. Just 10% of parents say that their kids told them they are worried about their safety at school this fall. Richard Troth and his son, a fifth-grader, both worry about school safety, but according to Troth, their concerns are about “other kids, gangs, bullies,” rather than gun violence. Although only a small percentage of parents report that their kids tell them they are afraid at school, other data suggest that kids may be more worried than they are letting on. A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of more than 10,000 high school students found that although school violence in general has decreased in the last 10 years, teens’ fears about attending school have increased. In 1993, 4.4% of teens said they had missed school because of safety concerns, compared with 5.4% in 2003, according to the report. The CDC surmises that the increase may be a result of increases observed among white students and ninth-graders in being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property and higher perceived vulnerability after the school shootings in the 1990s. In 2003, the Gallup Youth Survey asked high school teens directly, “When you are at school, do you ever fear for your physical safety, or not?” Twenty-four percent said yes, while 75% said no. School violence or no school violence, the fact remains that some parents are worried about their children’s safety at school, and some children are worried, too. By Linda Lyons, education and youth editor for the Gallup Poll. Results are based on telephone interviews with national adults, ages 18 and older, conducted Aug. 9-11. Results based on a sample of 291 parents with children in grades K-12, Margin of sampling error is ±6 percentage points. Dream vs. Reality Present and future of integrated classrooms With the 50th anniversary this year of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling that outlawed racial segregation in schools, many are questioning whether the decision and subsequent desegregation programs achieved integration goals. Researchers for the Civil Rights Project at Harvard concluded that while the movement that began with Brown had “an enduring impact,” America’s schools are backsliding since court-ordered desegregation ended in many districts in the last decade. Although Gallup does not have a 50-year trend on the racial and ethnic makeup of the nation’s schools to show progress or regression, its latest poll on minority rights and relations offers some insights on the current racial and ethnic makeup of the nation’s schools. Many American children, especially those who are Latino or black, appear to be attending school with students of different races and ethnicities. Nearly three-fourths (71%) of blacks with school-age children say that most or all of the students at their oldest child’s school are from different races or ethnic backgrounds, and 62% of Latino parents say the same. On the other hand, only about a third (32%) of white parents report that the students at their oldest child’s school are mostly or all from different racial or ethnic groups. In 1991, the Supreme Court ruled that school districts could end desegregation efforts (like busing and magnet schools) once the school districts were fully integrated. As a result, school districts could return to sending students to neighborhood schools or continue their integration policies without court order. As the fate of integration increasingly ends up with school districts, rather than the courts, the future of integration is difficult to predict — and odds are it will probably still be debated over the next 50 years. By Josephine Mazzuca, senior staff writer, Toronto Bureau, the Gallup Poll Results are based on telephone interviews with 2,250 national adults, ages 18 and older, conducted June 9-30, 2004. Margin of sampling error is ±5 percentage points. Antidepressants FDA warns of a youthful risk of suicide Detailed trials of youth who take antidepressants indicate that they face a higher chance of suicide than the rest of the population, the Food and Drug Administration announced a few weeks ago. A study by the FDA and Columbia University indicated that suicidal behavior is nearly double with those children on certain antidepressants. The FDA admits that its overall interpretation of the study “represents a substantial challenge” because of the wide range of the study and the range of the drugs themselves. Of note is that none of the more than 4,000 children ages 6-18 who were in the study committed suicide; many, though, admitted to those kinds of thoughts. Earlier in the year, the FDA ordered manufacturers of certain antidepressants to include warnings about additional depression leading to suicidal thoughts and actions. Those drugs are Prozac, Lexapro, Effexor, Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Celexa, Wellburtrin, Serzone and Remeron. As with all prescription drugs, consult carefully with your doctor. FAMILY NEWS BYTES KIDS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT OBESITY When it comes to childhood obesity, a disturbing gap between perception and reality was found when they were queried about health, fitness and obesity. In a survey of more than 2,500 children ages 5 to 12, it was found that kids are aware of obesity but not concerned about it. Eighty percent of those questioned say they know someone who is “very overweight,” yet only 20% are concerned about that person. Another 20% feel that “it’s OK that the person is overweight because he/she is happy.” Other findings include: Most kids don’t believe obesity is dangerous. They considered the top three dangers to be smoking, not wearing seatbelts and not brushing their teeth. Most kids (92%) rate themselves as “very/kind of healthy,” though experts report that one in three is obese. Most kids (64%) aren’t doing anything to change their weight. Most children understand the importance of healthy eating but few actually do. Only about half of the children surveyed (52%) say they always/usually eat healthy. Clearly there is a lack of strong role models for healthy living. When asked which famous people they thought to be the healthiest, they responded with Britney Spears (17 %), President Bush (15%), Hilary Duff (14%) and several professional athletes. ST. JOSEPH CELEBRATES MILESTONES St. Joseph Hospital of Orange, one of Orange County’s largest medical facilities, recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. Since opening its doors in September 1929, the Catholic hospital has been rooted in the economic and social history of Southern California and Orange County. Among its many milestones, the hospital performed the first open-heart surgery in Orange County in 1961. The medical facility also houses the county’s largest emergency department as well as the county’s only pediatric emergency department. And since opening, more than 230,000 babies have been born there. Most recently, the hospital was the only facility in Orange County to be awarded three stars the highest rating possible for overall hospital performance for the second year in a row in a survey sponsored by the California HealthCare Foundation and the California Institute for Health Systems Performance. MISSION HOSPITAL LAUNCHES DISASTER PREPAREDNESS ACADEMY The South Orange County Community Preparedness Academy, the nation’s first program that has a hospital as its epicenter of training, has begun teaching select area residents how to respond in the event of an emergency, such as a terrorist attack. Those trained will become block captains and, based on the neighborhood watch structure, will coordinate local search and rescue efforts in the event of a disaster. Training includes an eight-course program ranging from light search and rescue and CPR training to disaster psychology. The academy is a collaborative effort between Mission Hospital, the City of Mission Viejo, Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Medix Ambulance, American Red Cross and several private companies. FREE BOOK ON ASTHMA By now, your school-age child has been back in the classroom for several months. More time indoors, both at school and at home, means heavy exposure to airborne allergens that can trigger symptoms of allergic asthma, the most prevalent form of asthma. While asthma accounts for 14 million lost school days each year, many of those afflicted aren’t sure what triggers an attack. The Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics has partnered with medical expert William Berger, MD, to develop the book “Allergic Asthma for Dummies.” The free book is available at www.breatherville.com. PHOTO LAB HELPS RUSSIAN CHILDREN The president of 30 Minutes Photo Etc. and 30minphotos.com, Mitch Goldstone of Irvine, has viewed first-hand images from the recent tragedy at a school in Beslan, Russia and was inspired to raise money to help the victim’s families. Goldstone spoke with the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and arranged for monetary contributions be made via its English online websites: www.russianembassy.org and www.moscowhelp.org. BALLET HELPED WITH GRANT Santa Ana-based Saint Joseph Ballet has received a $100,000 grant from the Annenberg Foundation toward its year-round program that offers 400 students ages 9-19 up to nine years of continuous and progressively challenging artistic and mentoring programs. The Annenberg Foundation’s gift supports the ballet’s comprehensive year-round program that combines dance, academic and family programs to provide youth with consistent encouragement and support that challenges them to set and achieve goals, and to learn responsibility and accountability critical skills that are transferable to all facets of their lives. Says Ballet Executive Director Steffani Francis: “We are very thrilled and honored to receive such a generous gift. By supporting the mission and work of Saint Joseph Ballet, The Annenberg Foundation is giving 400 low-income, at-risk youth an opportunity to reach their fullest potential.” Saint Joseph Ballet was founded in 1983 to empower low-income youth from diverse backgrounds to strengthen self-esteem, self-discipline and a sense of accomplishment through dance, academic and family programs. More than 50,000 youth have gone through the program. Compiled and reported by OC Family Magazine staff Helping Hand By Sandy Bennett SPLIT UP New program helps minimize effects of divorce on OC families Each year, there are approximately 15,000 divorces in Orange County, as reported last month in OC Family Magazine (Cover Story on single parenthood, by Lynn Armitage). Many of these severed relationships involve children. According to the Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center, more than 30% of Orange County children have experienced the divorce of their parents. How well these kids deal with their new family dynamics depends largely on both of their parents. “One of the biggest issues is the kids not knowing where they belong,” says Kathy McCarrell, executive director of the Orange County Child Prevention Center. “They are caught up in the loyalties if their parents handle it wrong, rather than just being a kid. They have so much pressure in pleasing both parents they kind of loose that sense of innocent childhood.” As a result, grades may drop, children may avoid friends and activities, as well as suffer from depression. A new program, though, helps to minimize such effects. Launched last December by the Santa Ana-based nonprofit agency, the program titled Helping Kids Cope teaches strategies and techniques for keeping children healthier and happier during divorce and family transitions. “It educates the parents on what the children are going through and what the children need from them and how to co-parent because they are going to be parents of those kids forever,” says McCarrell. “Nobody goes into a marriage and having kids with a knowledge of how to parent them through a divorce. It’s just not something we’re ever trained on.” The one-time, four-hour program, in which ex-spouses attend separate sessions, is offered on an ongoing basis, and is representative of the agency’s mission to prevent challenges before they occur. Classes are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of every month, excluding December, from 8 a.m.-noon. The cost is $50 per person, plus a $15 workbook fee, which outlines and expands on the seminar content. The Child Abuse Prevention Center, founded 20 years ago, serves 6,500 families and 13,000 children each year through an array of offerings. For information on additional programs, visit www.BrightFutures4Kids.org. To register for the Helping Kids Cope program, call 714.543.4333, Ext. 505. Sandy Bennett is associate editor at OC Family Magazine. A TIME TO SMILE Pregnant, proud, and in focus Pregnant women are feeling the glow! According to a recent survey by Nikon and Liz Lange Maternity, one-third of women who’ve been pregnant in the last five years felt they never looked better while pregnant. Unfortunately, nearly half of the women surveyed regret not having more pictures chronicling their pregnancy. In fact, the majority only has 10 or fewer photos of themselves while pregnant. Nikon and Liz Lange Maternity offer these tips to help women get used to the “starring role” and to chronicle this very special time. • Up close and personal. Use your zoom lens and fill in the frame. • Let there be light. Use natural light to cast a great glow. Try natural window light in the morning or afternoon. • Always be prepared. Have your camera accessible and be sure to use the auto focus/exposure lock feature so your camera is ready when you are. • Track your belly. Once a week, take a profile shot of you and your belly, to chronicle the progression of your pregnancy. Make sure to fill the frame the same way each time. • Celebrate your belly. Don’t hide your sexy new shape. Close-fitting (but never tight) clothes will show off your shape. • Flaunt it. Whether it’s toned legs or graceful arms, accentuate the positive with the right items, like a shorter skirt or sleeveless dress. • Get the light right. Make sure your flash is activated when you need to fill light so your pictures come out great. • Involve the toddler. Make sure you get a shot of your young children kissing your belly their new sibling to-be! • Say no to below. A great shot is all in the angle. Have your picture taken straight on or from an angle slightly above you to get the most flattering shots. • Be proud. Go ahead and share these beautiful photos with friends and family on NikonNet, where you can create an album online. For more information on digital cameras and helpful hints, log onto www.coolpix101.com. To view Liz Lange’s new collection, log on to www.lizlange.com FAMILY FINANCE By Craig Reem Making Cents Finance book offers the right change It is difficult to explain to very young children that the $5 bill they just received from grandma should not be left on the floor at the end of the day with other things. And, it is difficult to explain to the child pushing through the middle years that saving for college is OK, that you don’t need to spend everything you get from allowance, neighborhood grass-cutting and gifts. Barron’s “Money Sense for Kids!” by Hollis Page Harman is a start (170 pages, $10.95). By explaining where money comes from and how it is used, Harman, a longtime financial educator, brings a perspective to the coin that mom and dad may not otherwise be able to explain. It’s cool that my 7-year-old is a whiz at spotting money on the ground, but often I’ll find that quarter mixed in with the shells up in the treehouse. Helpful, explanatory illustrations allow families with children younger than the teen years to understand, and learn, about money. For example, “If all bills could talk” is a relevant explanation of what’s on a one-dollar bill, and why. Information like that places importance on the value of money, and that’s the step we as parents seem to stumble over most with our children. The book, an updated second edition, provides an excellent road map from the “old” bills to the newly minted ones. And with explanations about all the bills up through $100 with Ben Franklin’s grimace, this should keep the youngest children who seem most fascinated with the higher-denomination bills interested as you flip from page to page. Here, too, is a good time to explain that 100 pennies equal a dollar, as do 10 dimes, etc. That gives you the math. And naming presidents on the coins gives you the history. As the book progresses, the information becomes more in tune with what teens need to know mutual funds, stocks, money games. At the halfway point, you might close the book with your youngest children and open it for the older ones. “Money Sense for Kids!”, in total, gives children a respect for what you do for the family which is to make money to spend money. Information: www.Fidelity.com. |
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