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Goals for Graduation
Program encourages youth to reach beyond The Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest County in Temecula has received a $1,000 grant from the JC Penney Afterschool Fund to implement the Goals for Graduation program. Goals for Graduation is designed for club members ages 6-15 and is an academic goal-setting initiative that encourages students to set achievable goals for their studies. The program provides members with a variety of one-on-one, small- and large-group activities to support academic goal setting, learning and success in school. Club staff helps the participants develop three sets of goals: achievable “Know-I-Can” goals, more challenging “Think-I-Can” goals, and yearly “Believe-I-Can” goals. The local club participants marked their commitment to the program with a motivational “I Can Achieve” academic pledge rally. “The JC Penney Afterschool Fund has provided us with the resources we need to create a comprehensive and effective curriculum that encourages kids to excel,” said Michelle Arellano, president/CPO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest County. “We know from research and firsthand experience that kids need support in order to excel. Otherwise, they accept lower standards of academic achievement which can result in lower aspirations for higher education.” The JC Penney Afterschool Fund is providing these grants to more that 200 Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the United States. “Goals for Graduation is designed to fuel kids’ desire to strive toward new and exciting goals, while providing them with moral support and encouragement,” says Liz Brenner, manager of the JC Penney store in Temecula.m Information: www.bgcswc.org or 951.699.1526. – By Michael J. Medley ‘Silent Epidemic’ Students continue to huff and puff California’s schoolchildren remain woefully out of shape, with only about 25% of them passing the annual, required physical fitness test. Nearly 1.4 million fifth-, seventh- and ninth-graders were tested this school year in six areas. They are aerobic capacity, body composition, abdominal strength and endurance, trunk strength and flexibility, upper body strength and endurance, and overall flexibility. Just 25% of fifth-graders, 29% of seventh-graders, and 27% of ninth-graders reached even minimal standards for all six areas. And only 56% of the students across the three grades met the targeted performance standard for aerobic capacity, considered the most important of the six. “There are still far too many students failing to reach even minimal levels of physical fitness,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell in a statement. “A silent epidemic of obesity and poor nutrition is endangering our children’s health and their ability to learn.” This is the sixth year for reporting physical fitness test results in California’s public schools. There has been a bit of improvement over the past few years. Did You Give Money? Teens say holiday cash will be saved A recent “Money Matters Holiday Survey” confirms that cash is king when it comes to satisfying teenagers’ wish lists at holiday time. The survey, conducted by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), includes insights from more than 700 teen members of clubs nationwide, 286 of whom have participated in the “Money Matters: Make It Count” program, a joint initiative of BGCA and The Charles Schwab Foundation, which promotes financial literacy among teens from disadvantaged circumstances. Some 38% of teens said they prefer to receive cash or a check as a holiday gift. (Memo to parents: Start making your holiday list for 2006, and count it twice.) Other in-demand holiday gifts included cell phones or portable electronics (15%), clothing (12%) and a car (9%). When asked what they would do if they received $1,000 as a holiday gift, 28% of teens said they would save it. Also: • Teens are working hard for the money: 32% of teens got the money they plan to spend on holiday gifts this year from a part-time job. • Teens take their cues from others their own age: When it comes to deciding what they would like to receive as a holiday gift, teens are most influenced by: popularity with friends or other kids at school (38%), advertisements (35%) and magazine articles (27%). The Money Matters program, available to all Boys & Girls Clubs, helps teens ages 13-18 learn practical ways to save, spend and invest the money they earn through fun, interactive activities and exercises on topics such as using a checking account, managing debt, saving for college and the basics of investing. In the Fish Mercury content concerns parents Nutrition and health in the U.S. has been a topic of concern all too regularly. Now studies show that consumers apprehension towards mercury in fish may be causing some to disregard important health guidelines about seafood consumption. The University of Maryland’s newly formed Center for Food Nutrition and Agriculture Policy (CFNAP) has launched “Real Mercury Facts,” a website documenting and clearing up extensive public confusion about mercury levels in seafood. The site, www.realmercuryfacts.org, is in response to a national survey showing that almost one-third of the public reports being concerned about the amount of mercury in fish and shellfish and, as a result, are cutting back on the amount of seafood they eat to once a week. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourages two servings of fish a week. Little League Online talks come up short Recently, the Little League International organization hosted an online “ask the staff” session that ultimately was too much about rules and regulations and too little about how the game is played. With criticism and dropping participation, this is key. Our question went unanswered and we leave it to coaches, parents and readers to consider responding in our Letters department to this question: “Is the pressure to win growing so intense in Little League that everything is flowing to the few standouts at the expense of the rest of the team? Is that really the best recipe for keeping a child’s interest in playing yet another year?” To respond: inlandempirefamily.com FAMILY NEWS BITES SAN BERNARDINO SCHOOLS IMPROVING The number of public schools in San Bernardino County meeting all of the state-required academic growth targets jumped to 62.2%, according to data released by the California Department of Education late last year. That is an increase of nearly 24 points over the previous year. The improvements were made by schools in all significant subgroups, including socio-economically disadvantaged students. “There is still work to do,” said County Superintendent Herbert Fischer, “but these results show our schools are moving in the right direction.” PUMPKIN PATCH OPENS AT TYLER Pumpkin Patch, Australia’s leading kids’ clothing brand, has opened its second United States store at the Galleria at Tyler in Riverside. The store features a fashion collection covering all stages of a child’s growth, from baby to early teen. Pumpkin Patch also features a maternity fashion line for moms-to-be. For more information, visit www.pumpkinpatchusa.com. BOYS & GIRLS CLUB RECEIVED GRANT The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest County has been awarded a $15,000 grant from the BetterWorld Together Foundation for the purpose of providing the teens of the clubs with two new programs, Life Styles and Fine Arts. “Their generous grant has enabled us to provide quality, age-appropriate programming to our teens,” said Michelle Arellano, President/CPO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest County. CHICKEN RESTAURANT OPENS IN UPLAND Chick-fil-A recently opened a new freestanding restaurant in Upland. Chick-fil-A is the nation’s second largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain and is recognized by Restaurant Hospitality magazine as having the “Best Kids Menu in America.” At 1949 N. Campus Ave.; closed Sundays. Information: 909.931.7123 or visit www.chick-fil-a.com. TEA HELPS REVITALIZE WINTER FEET Tea is a great home remedy for relieving odor in feet buried in heavy winter footwear, according to podiatrist Dr. Oliver Zong. Place three to five tea bags in a quart of water and bring it to a boil. Lower the fire and add two cups of cool water to reduce the temperature. Transfer the water to a suitable basin for your feet and begin soaking. The tannin in the tea “works wonders to dry skin and alleviate odor,” says Dr. Zong. “Tea is an antioxidant that will help to revitalize feet,” he says, leaving them feeling fresh and “smelling great.” – Reported and compiled by Inland Empire Family Magazine staff |
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