Back to School in Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes - Organize Your Life and Nurture Your Spirit

By Dianne M. Buxton

Not to ruin your vacation by focusing on back to school organization, but that little bit of stress (or big chunk) that is running at the back of your mind already, could be channeled into changing your life direction for the new semester coming up.

Back to school fashions abound on TV ads. You are immediately immersed in the images of everything you do not have. Isn't TV wonderful? As an artist, your career success depends on your uniqueness. But right now, fashion and school and social profile demand a horrible conformity. Ironic, life is.

In the world of ballet wear, excluding pointe shoes and toe padding, a catalog of leotards and tights from the 1960's would not look too much different than dance catalogs and an online ballet store do today. Less variation then, but leotards are leotards and tights are tights.

Pointe shoes are a different story. Start fitting and ordering shoes now. It is a good time to car pool with some friends to a distant and bigger dance wear store, try different brands, and explore more options. If you are among the men in ballet and want to try pointe shoes for developing better professional footwork and virtuoso balance, start looking now. You may have to special order your size, and you may not want them in pink.

If you are changing dance studios, you can use your power of visualization to imagine your first class. Everything feels good. The other students are smiling at you. The teacher is pleasant and helpful. You feel included. You are so relieved!

Keep up, or start foot exercises for your intrinsic foot muscles. This will lessen the sore calves and shin splints that you may get from returning to class after a long break. Do a gentle barre at home, and do your stretching.

If you are a serious student already working out every day, remember to rest properly, relax and stretch well to maintain good muscle tone.

Right now you are older, stronger and know more than you did a year ago. Do a private check on how your life has changed since then. Are you more stressed now? Is it harder to organize your life or have you given up on that for a while? Have family obligations and school been overwhelming?

If you are a typical ballet student, you are generally more organized than others your age. You have to be, to keep up with just getting to class and maintaining acceptable grades. Get a picture of how the next stage is going to play out for you - stretch for optimism! Nurture your spirit with some quiet time, with a parent, friend, or by yourself.

Whether you are a pre-teen, teen or young adult, I would say the same to you that I would say to an adult. Journal or make lists if you find yourself worrying. Take action on the things that you can. Know what you need to do every day to make your routine less complicated. That is a big way to nurture your spirit, even if it doesn't seem spiritual.

If you are involved in ballet because of a compulsive disorder of any kind, you have probably done all your preemptive moves in preparation for the coming back to school days. I encourage you to start a blog, or use dance forums and tell us how you do it. For one thing, you could get support for creating a more balanced life. And you will have come up with details and insights that we in the less intense mode will never think of. We need you.

You are still growing and experiencing days of fatigue and low moods. This is normal. Learn what you need to know about nutrition and health, as much as you can. So much information is at your finger tips, if you want it.

My ideas are far less important than any that get provoked for you in reading articles like this. Get more tips from the many experts on how to train your brain, prepare for pointe shoes, eat well, and balance body and mind. The days before going back to school used to feel like a run-away train to me. Fortunately, by the time I saw all my friends, and got the schedules figured out, it felt like the engineer and brake man knew what they were doing, after all.

Click here and find out how a would-be ballerina and men in ballet get exactly the right fit in ballet shoes and pointe shoes, prevent dance injuries, get The Perfect Pointe Book, The Ballet Bible, and Deborah Vogel's products on injury prevention and functional anatomy. Dianne M. Buxton trained at The National Ballet School of Canada, The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and Toronto Dance Theater.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dianne_M._Buxton

Back To School - Educators Deduct School Expenses

By Richard Chapo

As teachers and students head back to school following a glorious summer, it’s time to remind teachers to organize 2004 school expenses. Under a temporary tax code change, teachers can deduct certain school-related expenses from adjusted gross income.

Educator Expense Deduction

If you work in the education field, you may be able to deduct up to $250 from your adjusted gross income for 2004 taxes. Unfortunately, the deduction is only applicable to 2004, but there is a reasonable possibility it will be extended to the 2005 tax year and beyond. As a result, you should continue to keep records so you can claim the deduction if it is extended. So, who can claim it and what can be claimed?

“Educators”

Under the tax code provision, “educators” are defined as a fairly broad group of professionals. You are an education if you comply with the following guidelines:

1. You teach kids in kindergarten or through grade 12;

2. You are a teacher

3. You are an instructor

4. You are a counselor

5. You are an aide, or

6. You are a principal

If you fit within one of the above positions, there is an additional time requirement that must be met. You must work at least 900 hours in an elementary or high school during the year in question. This equates to roughly half a year.

Expenses

As an educator, you are allowed to deduct unreimbursed expenses you paid for school room items. Examples include books, computer programs, writing supplies and those little stars I used to love getting on my book reports. Just make sure the school is not covering the costs.

The educator expense deduction is a rather disappointing $250, but every deduction counts when it comes to taxes. Make sure you claim the deduction and keep your receipts for the write off.

Richard Chapo is with http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com - recovering overpaid taxes for small businesses. Visit our article page - http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com/articles - to read more tax articles.

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Is There a Back to School Career Change in Your Future?

By Debra Gould

Even though most of us hang on to as much summer as we can, as soon as the calendar changes from July to August the department stores want us in 'back-to-school' mode. With school-aged children, besides dreading another year of packing lunches, you've probably already started to think about what they will need in the way of clothes, shoes and school supplies this year.

Over the next couple of weeks, you'll spend countless hours preparing your children for the new school year - but what are you doing this September? Are you yourself ready for a change? Do you find yourself paying extra close attention to those decorating shows you love as the summer winds down? Have you almost made up your mind that this could be the year you turn your love for decorating into a career?

Because most people associate September with the start of a fresh new school year, it's only natural for many of us feel the itch to do something new this time of year. September symbolizes change, the first page of a brand new scribbler, setting goals and learning something new. If you are one of those mothers who have been waiting until all of your children were in school to reenter the workforce, has that time finally come?

It seems logical to wait until there are teachers looking after your children all day before you go searching for employment, but it can be difficult to go back to work for someone else after an extended time of being a stay-at-home-mom. You will probably find it tough to adjust to the inflexibility of a traditional job if you've been lucky enough to have had the freedom of staying home to raise children for five or six years.

Many mothers looking for a temporary escape from domesticity and a way to contribute to the family income realize they still want the freedom to be home when their children need them. If this sounds like you, the perfect solution is to start a home-based business that will be profitable while allowing you the flexibility to set your own hours.

If you spend your evenings curled up with HGTV and have friends and family members always coming to you for decorating advice, Home Staging is the ideal career for you.

A home staging or 'house fluffing' business can be based from your home, and you can set your appointments around your family's busy schedule. You don't need any special certifications or a background in interior design to be a home stager. If you have a natural talent for arranging a room, you can stage homes to sell quickly and for top dollar.

The Staging Diva Training Program will teach you everything you need to know to start and grow your own successful home staging business. As you think about preparing your children for the new school year, think about how great it would feel to do something for yourself this fall. You deserve it.

Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements and creator of The Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 900+ Graduates worldwide. Debra is the author of two home staging guides and offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help homeowners and real estate agents locate home stagers who will decorate homes to sell for top dollar.

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Send Your Kids Back to School for Less

By Kimberly Shavatt

Does the thought of Back to School shopping send your wallet into hiding?

Don't worry, here are a couple things to consider before beginning your back to school excursion.

Stick to the List

Most school systems now give out a school supplies list well before the first day of school. Use this list and try not to add to it.

Shop the Sales

With your list in hand grab those sale papers and plan your attack. Look to see what stores have what on sale. If you know your little one will only use XYZ brand notebook because it has his favorite character look for which store sells it for less. Yes, you may have to visit more than one store to get the best deals. Just take into account gas mileage. Also, shop at the end of the season for the best deals.

Consider Second Hand

Other places to consider when back to school clothes shopping are consignment, second-hand, and even eBay. You may be able to find high quality, even new items, for considerably less. Plus, reputable second hand stores won't even accept clothes that have stains, rips or tears in them. No one needs to know where you actually bought them from.

Determine Your Needs

A really important thing to consider is does your little one really NEED it. Does he really need that whole new wardrobe or will a couple pieces throughout the year work better. They will probably out grow them in no time anyways.

If it is a need make sure you get the best quality for your money. Gym shoes are a prime example of this. Do your child's shoes get a hole in them just a few weeks after you bought them?

Just a few things to consider as you set out for back to school shopping. Remember stick to a list, shop the sales, consider second hand, and determine if it's a want or need.

Kimberly Shavatt is a wife, stay-at-home mother of 3 and owner/editor of http://www.HelpingMomsAtHome.com HelpingMomsAtHome provides helpful hints, tips, articles and resources on family and home-based work issues. Anything a mom at home may need help with. Be sure to sign up for her free monthly newsletter at http://www.HelpingMomsAtHome.com We're here to help you "Save time, save money and save your sanity"!

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Back to School - Five Green, Eco-Friendly Tips For Sending Your Kids Back to School This Year

By Laura Halik

Can you believe its back to school time already? For many of you, summer vacations have come and gone and you're now ready for back to school time for your kids. In thinking back, wasn't it exciting? I remember as a child, we'd always take our yearly family vacation, usually in July, and though it was always a lot of fun, come August, I seemed to always be excited and looking forward to going back to school again.

Well, as you're busy getting your kids ready to start the new school year again, or even if they've already started like in my local neighborhood, here are a few tips for you to help you get ready this year the green and eco-friendly way!

1. Buy Local & Organic Foods & Snacks:
A great way to help your child stay healthy and eco-friendly this school year is to send them off with their own pre-packed lunches. This way you know that as a mom you are helping them get the best nutrition as possible during their day. In deciding what to pack, I recommend choosing local and organic foods and snacks. A few excellent choices are fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts. And know that when you choose to buy organic and locally produced food, you are not only providing healthier nutrition for your kids, you are also helping to support your local farmers and economy as well as the environment too.

2. Use Reusable Plastic Containers:
Another great thing you can do to be green & eco-friendly this school year is to pack your kids healthy organic lunches using only reusable plastic containers. By using reusable plastic containers, you are helping to reduce the enormous mounds of waste that gets hauled out in garbage bags each day to be dumped into land fills from lunches made from pre-packaged food containers and plastic bags. When I was a child, it wasn't very cool to carry your own lunch box container especially if it was plastic and made from Tupperware. However, times have changed and happily so. Now we have the opportunity to teach our children that it IS cool to bring their own lunch containers because it's simply the right, green & eco-friendly thing to do.

3. Don't Forget to Recycle:
While speaking about waste and garbage, don't forget to recycle. Whether it's the packaging from your organic food purchases or the paper waste products from your kids school lessons and projects, remember to recycle. If you haven't started recycling in your home yet, don't worry, it's never too late to start and it's very easy too. In your garage or wherever you have some extra space in your home, start by setting up a few extra trash buckets and label them. Things you should recycle are plastic containers, steel/tin/aluminum containers, milk cartons, cardboard boxes/containers, paper, and batteries. Then check within your local community to see if they have a recycling program or if there is a regular schedule for recycled trash pick up in your neighborhood.

4. Save Energy: Walk, Take the Bus or Carpool it:
This school year encourage your child to walk to school, if it's at all possible, and save energy. This way you are also helping your child to get exercise and stay fit which is so important with the child obesity rate as high as what it currently is in this country. Or, if walking to school just isn't feasible, you can also encourage them to take the bus whether it's the public transportation system in your city or your school district's yellow bus. However, if you still prefer or need to drive your child to school everyday, you can cut down on your gasoline bill and consumption as well as reduce your carbon emissions by suggesting to form a car pool with other local neighborhood mothers who may also prefer or need to drive their child to school.

5. Purchase Eco-friendly, Recycled School Supplies:
And last but not least, purchase school supplies that are eco-friendly, non-toxic and constructed from recycled materials. Purchasing eco-friendly for your back to school supplies doesn't have to break the budget either. Now you can purchase green, eco-friendly school supply kits containing paper, folders, pencils, colored markers, crayons, scissors, etc. all for less than $20 which is a fantastic deal and well worth it as you will feel good knowing that you are buying better, safer, and healthier items for your kids as well as for the environment.

For more quick & easy tips, tools, news and information so you can live a more natural, healthy, spiritual, green and abundant life...

Subscribe now for the free monthly ezine, "Natural Life & Spirit" at http://www.naturallifeandspirit.com

By Laura K. Halik, expert author and internet marketer specializing in natural products and solutions for a healthier life and environment.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Halik

Back To School - 7 Reasons To Unschool A 12 Year Old With Style

By Kenton Verhoeff

Have you ever wondered what happens to kids when they sit through long hours of class room time listening to a teacher and wishing they could just learn something and get it over with so they could go play?

It’s summer time here and kids are already going back to school, class time. I thought about that and decided I’m glad I home school. My class room is still part outside, and I don’t have to spend a lot of time sitting at my desk yet. I still learn a lot.

#1 Reason to Unschool

Horticulture is a lesson. We planted a garden this year and I spend part of every day learning about green growing things, harvesting tomatoes, beans and squash. I learned about container gardening this summer. I grew tomatoes in containers with peppers, marigolds and beans.

#2 Reason to Unschool

My English lesson this week included selling my book at a Writer Conference in my hometown with twelve other writers. I learned in about six hours how to market my book, how to write a query letter to a publisher, and how to research genealogy to write a creative non-fiction book.

#3 Reason to Unschool

Math included figuring taxes, shipping costs, and adding up long tallies of numbers whenever I sold a book. I also had to count the money, keep track of my change, and know how to make change when people paid me. (I have to count back the change, because I don’t have a calculator.)

#4 Reason to Unschool

The Librarian spent two hours teaching us to use the internet in combination with the library resources to research ancestry and history on the computer. I learned where to search for information about my ancestors and how to read the census reports.

#5 Reason to Unschool

I learned about the history of a bank robbery where a fingerprint was used for the first time to convict a killer of his crime. I learned how sometimes what appears to be the truth in an investigation isn’t true at all, because the facts can be manipulated to appear different than they are.

#6 Reason to Unschool

When I get tired of studying and need to run off some energy, I don’t have to wait for recess. I just go run for a few minutes. If I’m too busy studying to take a break, I just study until I’m done and then go take recess.

#7 Reason to Unschool

I can literally choose what I do for blocks of time, and when I’m done, I can study or do something else. I get to finish what I start before I have to move on to other projects. If I get tired, I can change projects and do something different and come back to what I was doing later.

Kenton Verhoeff is 12 years old. He has unschooled for 12 years, and lists among his accomplishments “published author”. Visit his website at http://kentonverhoeff.com to find out more about his home school choices.

© 2007 - Kenton Verhoeff All rights reserved.

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Back-to-School Shopping Guide For Vera Bradley Backpacks

By Dawn Hall

During July and August, it is usually easy to find back-to-school deals on pencils, notebooks, and other essentials, but hunting down bargains on name brand bags for hauling around all that gear, such as the always popular Vera Bradley backpacks, may prove to be a little more challenging.

If you enjoy the hunt almost as much as the find, then there are several places you can look for deals:

Garage and Yard Sales

Garage and yard sales are great for finding unbeatable bargains. However, it is luck of the draw when it comes to finding specific items at these types of sales. You can increase your odds by first looking through the garage sale listings in your local classified ads, and then making sure you are first in line when the sale opens.

Classified Ads

It is not unusual to find individual listings for Vera Bradley backpacks and other brand name back-to-school items on classified ad websites such as Craigs List and US Free Ads. Regular newspaper classifieds and other local publications are other good places to check.

Corporate Websites

If your timing is good, sometimes you can find good deals on the corporate website for the manufacturer. Vera Bradley, for example, is always updating its product line. As new fabric patterns are introduced, prices on the discontinued styles are reduced to make way for the newer products.

Outlet Sales

Another popular destination for bargain hunters are outlets. However, unless you live close to an outlet mall or similar venue, this may require some travel. The cost of travel should be factored in to determine if you really are getting a good deal.

Auction Sites

By comparison shopping on eBay and similar auction sites, you should have no problem finding the item what you at the price you can afford. However, pay close attention to the shipping charges so there are no unexpected surprises after the auction has closed. It is also a good idea to review the feedback left by others regarding the seller, so you know that you are dealing with a reputable, experienced merchant, before you place a bid.

As you can see, there are many places, both online and offline, that you can find deals on back-to-school items, such as Vera Bradley backpacks. The internet has made it extremely easy for anyone that wants to comparison shop before they buy. If all else fails, simply type in a description for the item that you are looking for the in the search box of your favorite search engine, and you should be presented with many choices.

Dawn Hall recommends shopping for both new and discontinued Vera Bradley bags, including Vera Bradley backpacks, at http://www.DiscountFabricHandbags.com

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Send Your Human Resource Director Back to School - Often!

By Lance Winslow

Many entrepreneurs and corporate executives do not like human resource directors. Probably because their personality types often do not match well. You see, human resource directors are people, people and are relationship builders, while entrepreneurs are hard-chargers, competitive and they love to win above all. You can see where that might lead.

Now then, human resource directors are the back bone of the company, they help you build the team and help the company make sure that the new hires are experienced and match who is already there. This prevents conflicts in the work place that could cause the team to break down, become inefficient and destroy any long-standing organizational capital.

Without the human resource director, a member of the management team would have to do the hiring, but if they made a mistake in the employment questions asked in the interview your company could be sued for a large amount of money. There are very serious rules about what is asked to prevent discrimination and there are employment lawyers who specialize in high profile lawsuits of this type. This could not only turn into a huge settlement against your company, but extremely bad PR also.

If you want to protect your company from such things, then hire a good HR Consultant if you are a small company and hire a crack Human Resource Professional if you are a large corporation. And make sure that your HR folks are 100% up all the employment laws and all the changes and believe me they change fast and often. This is one area where on-going education really counts, so pay attention.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

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Save Money With Online Back to School Shopping

By Tricia Meyer

The kids are heading back to school, which means a strain on mom and dad's pocketbooks. Between book rental fees, school supplies, and new clothes, back to school time is a time for major spending, second only to the holiday season. Whether your son or daughter is heading to elementary school, high school, or college, there are several ways that you can save money by shopping online.

First, consider the amount of time that you spend going from store to store looking for specific clothes and supplies. Cut out the money that you are spending on gas by making your purchases online and getting free shipping.

Second, look for better prices on textbooks online than you can find in your college textbook store. You may find used or deeply discounted copies of the exact same books. Be careful though to ensure that you are getting the correct editions because many textbooks are updated every couple of years.

Third, look for sites that offer you coupons and cash back shopping. Not only will you save money on the purchase itself (usually more than the savings in-store), but you will also be earning money back to spend later.

Lastly, let your fingers do the comparison shopping for you. On big ticket items in particular (like laptops, college dorm furnishings, and good shoes), you can compare online across several stores to be sure that you are getting the best price possible.

Although shopping online does not alleviate the strain of back to school shopping altogether, it can certainly help minimize it.

Tricia Meyer, J.D., has spent more than 10 years on the Internet helping others save money, connect with friends, and gather information. She is the owner of Sunshine Rewards

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IT-phobics Go Back to School, Without Ever Leaving Home

By Jim Locksmith

It's easy to be IT-phobic when everyone 5 years old and upwards, appears to be adept at the internet, e-mailing, social networking, even shopping at their favourite supermarket without leaving the comfort of their own homes. Yet it's so easy to have been among one of the many tens of thousands who were left behind when the IT revolution overtook the world during the past 25 years.

Stay at home mums who had babies and families in the 1980s and 1990s find themselves left high and dry when it comes to IT. Designers who were used to the old 'cut and paste' system suddenly found their scalpels and spray glue had replaced by computers. Secretaries who were adept at word processors, can now be foxed by word processing, book-keepers who enjoyed their long-hand, double entry ledgers are faced with strange and impersonal looking on-screen spreadsheets.

A lack of IT skills can be just as embarrassing as admitting to a hygiene or health problem! Yet it's even easier to do something about it, without even leaving the comfort of your own home.

Not surprisingly one of the world's most successful companies, Microsoft, is behind one of the most successful ways of getting people back into work place technology, with its `Microsoft Office Professional (MOS)' qualification. A qualification that can actually be studied in the privacy of a student's own home, without others checking how long it takes to achieve each stage of the course and with absolutely no pressure to keep up with classmates.

Taking a home study IT computer course will train and equip even the most IT-phobic with all of the office computer skills necessary to streamline returning to the automated office or understanding the automated family. It gives trainees competency in using the suite of Microsoft office products that include Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It sounds impossible, but the course takes students right back to basics, from a simple introduction to computers and computing, right through the hands-on skills used in offices and homes today.

This is typical of the many practical and vocational IT qualifications that are available for home study, many of which are backed by the big players in today's IT industry. Those looking to get into a more technical IT environment will find courses for PC engineers, web designers and programmers, while bookkeepers can get right up to date with the International Association of Bookkeepers computerised accounting exams, by training on a home study course tailored to achieve those qualifications.

Home study computer courses require little more than a PC, the ability to read and understand the requirements of the coursework and a huge amount of commitment. No-one is there to nag you to hand in your homework! You can study in your own pace and at your own time, without constantly having someone look over your shoulder to see how you're getting on.

Most home computer courses work on a series of marked assignments, conveyed between the distance learning organisation and the student via a combination of the postal system, e-mail and the internet. Tutors have students studying in numerous locations, most of whom will never ever meet each other, though e-learning and Live Internet Training all provide greater interaction between students and home study colleges these days than in times past.

So there are ways to shake off IT phobia without ever leaving home and home study is one way in which even the most technologically inept students can catch up with their children or grandchildren.

Mary Stuart-Miller is author of this article on Distance Learning. Find more information about Home Study here. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Locksmith

Protecting Our Children With Back to School Safety and Home Security

By Bruce Kelly

Children across the nation are on their way back into the classroom which means a change in our family dynamics including increased concern by parents for our children as they leave our homes to make their way to school or come home to an empty house. This time each year does not need to be filled with parental anxiety. There are several things that we can do as parents to ensure the safety of our children.

Education of our children is critical including educating them on how to be safe whether they are riding a bus, walking to school, or riding their bicycle. It is equally important to discuss safety concerns about returning from school.

Prior to each school year teach your children about the different precautions associated with getting to and from school. Children need to understand how to deal with streets whether they are busy or seldom travelled. Instruct your children on how to avoid the potential dangers such as walking where sidewalks do not exist or walking between parked cars where an approaching vehicle may not see them entering the street. If at all possible, it is good to walk the necessary route with your children a couple of times to ensure that you are comfortable with their adherence to your guidelines and that they will know how to get to school safely. This same principle should be utilized for children who are riding their bicycles to school daily or riding on a bus. Educating them on personal safety may prevent an accident or save your child's life.

Latch key children who will be returning home alone are presented with another set of safety concerns. All latch key children should be protected by a home security system that is monitored by one of the trusted names in home security such as ADT Security Services or Brinks. The majority of home intrusions occur during the day. Having your home protected by a security system that is monitored can scare away potential intruders or call for emergency assistance quickly protecting our children from a variety of potential troubles including fire and carbon monoxide monitoring.

To provide children with a safe environment to return home to is extremely important. Each month review escape routes from the home in the event of a fire or other disaster while you review the step by step process to ensure their safety each afternoon. Children should be instructed on how to arm and disarm the home security system and to lock the door after their return. Additional instruction may be necessary to warn children not to answer the telephone or the doorbell. All latch key children should be given an adult contact that can quickly respond in the event of an emergency.

There should also be a system set in place to confirm that the children has safely arrived home and is secure. This may be as simple having the children place a phone call to a parent or installing a Video Surveillance system that can be monitored via the Internet. Look for a home surveillance system with an easy to use interface that will give parents the piece of mind that they can watch over their children at any time.

Before creating a latch key environment in the home parents should check their state laws to verify that their children are at an age recognized by your state as mature enough to stay at home for a few hours. A latch key environment should never be a substitute for caring for children over an extended period of time.

Remember that education is the key to back to school safety for our children.

ADT alarm systems are the leading home monitoring systems in the U.S. Help protect your home and family today with a home alarm system from the number-one name in home security.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bruce_Kelly

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Back to School Get to Know You Activities

By Adam Waxler

Success in the classroom is all about relationships...both the teacher-student relationship and the student-student relationship. By building upon these relationships teachers will see a decrease in classroom management problems and an increase in academic achievement.

Get to know you activities are a great way to foster both of these relationships.

One of my favorite get to know you activities I call the "Interview and Introduction".

It's really very simple.

Here are the steps:

1. Hand each student an index card. Make sure they do NOT write their name on the card.

2. Have the students answer a series of five questions on their index card. Make sure the questions are not content related. Here are some possible questions...

• What is your favorite meal?
• What do you like to do in your free time?
• What is your favorite movie?
• What is you favorite TV show?
• What is your favorite book?
• What city, state, or country would you like to visit?
• Name something fun you did this summer?

3. After students have answered the questions, collect the index cards and redistribute them back to the students at random. Make sure students do not get their own card back.

4. Have students walk around the room asking questions (interviewing each other) to try to find the student whose card they have.

5. Once students find their person, they write the person's name on top of the card and go back to their seat.

6. The teacher then calls on students at random to "introduce" their person. Time and class size will determine how many students are introduced.

7. The teacher then collects all the index cards.

What's great about this activity is the teacher now has information about all the students that can be used for other activities throughout the school year to help build upon the student-student relationship as well as the student-teacher relationship. Remember, get to know you activities should not just be save for the beginning of the school year. To truly build your classroom, get to know you activities should be done a regular basis.

Do you want to decrease classroom management problems and improve academic achievement? Then sign up for Adam Waxler's FREE Teaching Tips Machine Newsletter @ http://www.TeachingTipsMachine.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Waxler

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Back to School: Bus Safety Tips

By Matthew Keegan

Beginning in early August and all the way through much of September, schools throughout the country begin welcoming students back from their summer hiatus. Whether you are a parent, child, school administrator, driver, or a concerned citizen, the following tips will help keep our nation's students safe.

1. Bus Stop. Your child's bus stop should be in an area that is well lit, easily accessible, and away from traffic. If it is not, contact school administrators to have the stop moved. In some situations you may need to contact the school board instead. If you live in an area where there is heavy snowfall, make sure that the stop is sufficiently free of snow, ice, and related debris.

2. Clothing. Children should be wearing bright colored clothing, especially if waiting for the bus before sunrise or getting home after dark. Place removable reflective tape on their outer garments including on their hats and coats.

3. Boarding. Teach your children to only move forward to board the school bus when it has come to a complete stop and the driver opens the door. Children should line up single file as they await entrance.

4. Seating. Virtually all school buses DO NOT come equipped with seatbelts, nor are seats strong enough to resist impact in the event of a crash. Teach your children to be seated at all times and facing forward. Study various brace positions to prepare for the possibility of an accident. Learn optional exit strategies including using the emergency door or windows.

5. Exiting. When exiting the bus, children must move far away from the vehicle to allow the driver to see that they have cleared the bus and are safely away from traffic. Instruct your children to stay away from the bus' rear wheels at all times.

6. Awareness. Teach your children to be aware of other traffic in the area. Do not assume that drivers will stop for them or even see them. If children must cross the street, they are to do so only with the driver directing them. Have them constantly looking both ways as they cross the street until they are safely on the other side.

Every year children die or are injured in school bus related accidents. Many die as a result of a collision involving their bus with another vehicle while others are killed or hurt as they fail to clear the area around the bus or are hit by oncoming traffic.

You can keep your child safe by raising their awareness of potential hazards while the rest of us can make school bus safety a priority by obeying the rules of the road. Let's make this school year a safe one.

Matt Keegan manages over a dozen websites including The Aviation Employment Board and PJ the DJ.

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Classroom Ceramics, New Teachers and New Friends - Back to School a Big Deal For Students

By Alice Lane

It's a time of year that many children dread and many parents love. It's back to school time, and every year it brings about lots of preparation and new experiences. There's much to do, from getting those new school clothes bought to purchasing all sorts of school supplies. Learning who your new teachers are is extremely important, as is deciding whether to take shop class or learn about art and classroom ceramics. Really there are endless things to think about, but the good thing is it all seems to work itself out in the end. Every year thousands and thousands of children make the migration from summer vacation to the school year just fine. But every year it is also a big transition.

Just think about it. One minute you're sitting on the couch, deciding if you want to watch cartoons, play video games, or maybe drag yourself outside and play with your friends. Life is easy and you don't have a care in the world. Once school starts your world changes completely. You're expected to be certain places at certain times. Homework is doled out in seemingly unending fashion. And your art teacher is talking about something called dipping glazes. What has the world come to? It's a big transition for kids to go from summer vacation to big-time responsibility, but it's important that the kids get right to the work. After all, school is preparing them for the real world, and in the real world work is essential. Those long hours of going to class, studying, and doing homework aren't there to waste time. They're supposed to be preparing the student for the challenges they'll see in everyday life.

But even though it's valuable, many kids fail to see that in the moment. They're more excited about getting out of school to go hang out at their friend's house or the mall. It's hard for them to understand that learning about long division or American history will give them any value in life. They can't fathom how mastering the use of glaze pencils or sentence structure will help them at all. As far as they're concerned, they would rather just go back to summer and having no responsibility whatsoever. And honestly, who wouldn't? But since that isn't reality, the kids trudge back to school each year to start anew. And eventually, they'll have kids of their own and the cycle will start all over again.

Let your imagination run wild with crafting ideas from AMACO! Visit AMACO and browse through all the different supplies to build your perfect project. If you're making classroom ceramics, you can gather ideas to wow your teacher. Need dipping glazes or glaze pencils? AMACO has those too. No matter what your crafting dream, you'll find it at AMACO.

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Going Back to School - Increase Your Value, Multiply Your Options

By Kelli D Smith

They're doing it in Toronto. According to JTA, a combination of Canadian presidents, chairpersons and business officials are going back to school. The goal? To gain additional insights into such meaningful career skills as finance, management, human resources, and conflict resolution. There's a valuable lesson to be learned from this venture and others just like it--going back to school to earn your degree can be essential in creating new opportunities and increasing your salary potential. If you're in a career "rut" and would embrace a chance to do something more, there may be no better way than by earning that college degree.

College is Where the Learning Is

If you're asking yourself why you should go back to school, chances are you probably already know the answer. Simply stated, an increasingly complex job market requires professionals with specialized skills. College degrees are all about specialization. It's the opportunity to combine formal classroom training with your personal talents and abilities to prepare for bigger and better things. Often, the urge to return to college to complete your degree arrives on the tail of what MSN Encarta calls a "trigger event." Such events include:

* The Promo Passover. You didn't get that big promotion that you thought was in the bag and the decision came down to qualifications
* Employment Uncertainty. This can include pending mergers or the threat of a layoff that places generic workers in jeopardy
* Industry Innovation. New processes and technologies are changing your professional landscape--and you have to keep up
* A New Boss in Town. A new manager often attempts to make an immediate impact in your department, which may begin with adding better-qualified employees

b>Much More Than Just a Piece of Sheepskin

College graduates that do so simply for the prestige are missing the big picture. Formal classroom training can develop you in ways that life experiences and hands-on learning often exclude. According to Reuters, the simple fact is that businesses across industries are thirsting for academically-trained applicants--a resource that is becoming increasingly harder to find. A college curriculum reinforces perseverance, independent study skills and communications abilities, just to name a few. Add these abilities to your own current repertoire of talents to increase your value to any employer.

If numbers are motivation for you (READ: money talks), you should know that a college degree and earning potential go hand-in-hand. US News and World Reports notes that a study in the 1990s of laid-off workers who went back to community college earned about 9 percent more in salary over a lifetime than those who didn't. Also, The Bureau of Labor Statistic's report on Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers: Third Quarter 2008 lists some eye-opening salary trends for full-time employees over age 25.

* Workers without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $471.
* High school graduates with no college credentials had median weekly earnings of $618.
* Those holding at least a bachelor's degree had median weekly earnings of $1,131.

Thinking about a Career Change? Earn Your Degree First.

Switching a career or position within an industry can be an especially tumultuous time, particularly for middle-aged professionals. If you've spent several years working towards one goal, it's tough to break into a new occupation without meaningful training in a new skill. However, going back to get that degree can make it possible. In fact, the combination of this new information with what you already know can better prepare you for the transition.

The International Association of Administrative Professionals makes these timely suggestions as you consider your options:

* Employer Tuition Reimbursement. Some employers offer to reimburse your tuition expenses up to 100 percent provided you earn a degree related to your industry and meet various performance requirements.
* Online Education Options. If you're not in a position to drop personal and professional commitments to return to school, distance learning should always be an option.

Kelli Smith is the senior editor for http://www.Edu411.org Edu411 is a career education directory for finding colleges and universities, training schools, and technical institutes.

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Parenting Your Teenager: 7 Tips for Back to School Success

By Jeff Herring

Blink. That's all we did, blink, and summer is ending and a new school year is beginning.

Parents have mixed emotions. Relief that the kids are going back and dread that another school year, and the battles that come with it, is right around the corner.

Here are tips for a successful school year for students and parents.

Tips for Students

Get a good start. If you start out behind, you dig a hole that you will spend the rest of the year digging out of, if at all.

Get a good finish. Even more important than getting a good start is getting a good finish. Keep doing the positive things you began the year and semester doing. Follow through and finish well.

Duck the personality conflicts. Sometime in your school life, you will run into a teacher with whom you do not get along. Instead of blaming your poor performance on "the teacher doesn't like me," take it as a challenge to learn how to succeed even when someone in authority does not like you. It's good training for the real world.

Beat the procrastination monster - The next time you are tempted to procrastinate, just put it off. Procrastinate about procrastinating and do it now.

Tips for Parents

Promote a love of learning. At some level, most teens are very obedient, in that they will model and copy our behavior and attitudes, the good, the bad and the ugly. Do your kids ever see you reading? Learning something new? Discussing the issues of the day with them? If they get it that learning is held in high esteem in their family, it sets them up to value their own learning as well.

Go to your kid's school. Walk through the halls between classes, walk through the cafeteria during lunch. You need to see that it is not like it was when we were kids.

Some parents find that the car is the best place for this conversation. You have a captive audience and are not staring at each other. Other parents have found that scheduling a 15-minute break during the week to talk about school works well for them.

For many more tips and tools for a great school year, visit Tips for Back to School Success

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Parenting: 3 Types of Back to School Phobias

By Jeff Herring

Every year at back to school time, I see lots of kids that come down with what I call Back to School Phobias. Here are 3 types of Back to School Phobias and what to do about them.

1. The But Summer was Just So Much Fun Phobia

Some kids have a hard time adjusting to back to school because they have had such a great summer.

If I child has been on lots of trips, or even just one great trip, it's difficult to get used to homework, having to sit in ta seat, etc.

What to do

Time and consistency is a critical factor here. While it is important to be attentive to the upset, you need to hold them accountable and keep them going each day until they get used to it.

2. The You Mean I Actually Have to Study and Work Now Phobia

For many bright kids, their school experience so far has been all they have to do is show up and pay attention to do well and get good grades.

There comes a time, however, when you have to begin to apply yourself by actually studying and working. This can come at any time, age and grade level.

What to do

No need to panic, this is a natural thing. Make sure the kid knows that this is normal. Make sure the student has study skills, and if they do not, teach them.

3. The Genuine Phobia

The real thing often begins with either a bad experience at school or an anticipated bad experience. One of the signs of a true phobia is that the fear is grossly out of proportion to the cause.

What to do

Identify the bad experience or the anticipated bad experience. Sometimes talking it out will lessen or eliminate the fear.

When the above does not work, it's time to get an appointment with the family doctor and to find a counselor that specializes in school phobias.

Do this right away with actual school phobias, because the longer they go untreated, the harder it is to change.

Visit ParentingYourTeenager.com for tips and tools for thriving during the teen years. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 5 day e-program on The Top 5 Things to Never Say to Your Teenager, from parenting coach and expert Jeff Herring .

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Back to School - Back to the Reality of Change

By Michael Cortes

It was September and it was time for our young to return to school. For many, you sent your children off to Kindergarten, to high school, or to college... for the first time. Did you stop and think about that, every few days, and fret about your "babies" growing up.

You should be in our house when my wife and I get started. We sent our second, and last one, off to kindergarten. Our little baby is growing up. And when she grows, we are forced to face the reality of change.

If you are like most people, you don't like change. You gripe about it, you resist it, then you give in but not without a fight. My career for the last 17 years has been computers. Little ones, big ones, many connected ones. And you might think, "Since you work in the technology industry, you must surely be accepting of change. Technology changes all the time."

I would certainly agree that technology changes. If you Google "computer lifespan", you will find that most say a computer has a lifespan of 2-5 years. I would recommend three. If you buy a computer today, you will be unlikely to find that same model for sale in six months. "Cool gadgets" today, become "out" in 18 months. So yes. You are right. I do see more than my fair share of change.

However, so does everyone. As computer chips invade every item in our lives. Watches, clocks, radios, phones, toaster ovens. How about your cell phone? It now becomes easier and cheaper to buy a new phone, than to buy a replacement battery when it will no longer hold a charge.

But do I, because of my close relationship to technology, accept change any more willingly than you? I am ashamed to say no.

It is said that we fear change because fear means loss. And upon self examination I found myself getting very anxious and upset when dealing when change. You should have seen me. I thought I found a great way to deal with technology management and the changes involved with it. I had plans! Six year plans, then three years plans. But just as my plan would come to fruition, something would change. "How can I see the gains of my plan if I can't sit back and let it work it's way toward my goals !?!"

Have you seen the movie "Rocky Balboa"? I was watching that movie one evening, and I got to the part where Rocky gives a monologue to his son. In the midst of that scene, Rocky says "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done."

If you had seen me then, you would probably have seen the proverbial light bulb above my head. It finally struck me that life's "hits" are change. And no matter which of your plans, life decides to change, you have to make it through and keep progressing. Change is eternal. No one has the luxury of doing without change. But the winners don't let change stop them.

So as you send off your children; to kindergarten, to college, or into the world... show them how you can be a winner for them, to lead and guide them on their way to be winners.

Michael Cortes is the Technology Coordinator at the Fort LeBoeuf School District, a presentation coach, speaker and "Life-long Learner." Michael has taken a new look at life and examines each day for the lesson it contains.

Do you want to improve yourself? Michael can help you reach your goals. Do you want to be a better presenter? Need to add that little extra that allows you to rock your presentation, whether it be a sales proposal or report to the board of directors? Maybe you just need to polish yourself up in front of your constituency. There are many steps you can take to be more persuasive, more genuine, and create a better connection between you and your audience. By using more technique and less slides, Maybe you just need to polish yourself up in front of your constituency. There are many steps you can take to be more persuasive, more genuine, and create a better connection between you and your audience. By using more technique and less slides, Michael will help you create more power in your presentations.

You can visit Michael's website at http://www.youcanpresent.com

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Back to School Safety 2009-2010

By Karen Peralta

As we pack our K-12 kids up and get them ready for another school year, we need to be constantly thinking about their safety. This applies both to their travel to and from school and their safety while on school grounds.

Parent drivers must remain watchful. Children dart unexpectedly into traffic, often from between parked cars. And young pedestrians face a variety of dangers while walking to and from school. Here are a few basic safety tips to follow:

• Mind all traffic signals and the crossing guard.

• Walk your bike through intersections.

• Walk with a buddy.

• Wear reflective material. It makes you more visible to street traffic.

The US Dep't. of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests the following safe bicycling practices:

• Always wear a helmet.

• Always ride on the right side of the road. Never ride against traffic.

• Ride single file. When passing other bikers or pedestrians, let them know your position by shouting out something like, "On your left!"

• Always check behind you before changing lanes.

• Watch out for dangerous things in the roadway. Litter, potholes, gravel and storm drains all can cause you to lose control.

• Stop at all stop signs and at all traffic lights. Be extra careful at crossroads.

• Always signal before making a left or right turn.

• Maintain control of your bike. Don't swerve or make sudden turns.

• Use caution when riding next to parked cars to avoid injury from someone suddenly opening a car door in front of you.

• Listen for cars approaching from the side or behind you.

• Don't follow a car too closely. You may be in the blind spot, where the driver cannot see you, and you may be unable to stop if the car comes to a sudden halt.

• Know your road signs and obey them.

• Always be prepared to stop.

• Wear brightly colored clothing.

• Don't wear headphones, loose clothing or inappropriate shoes.

Remember these safety tips for entering and exiting the school bus:

• Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.

• Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop.

• When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk ten steps away from the bus. Also, remember that the bus driver can see you best when you are away from the bus.

• Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.

• Be aware of street traffic. Drivers are required to follow the rules of the road concerning school buses, but not all do. Protect yourself and watch out.

You may think that riding in a car is completely safe. But there are still rules you must follow to avoid accidents when riding in a car:

• Don't forget that most traffic crashes occur close to home.

• Safety belts are the best form of protection in the event of a crash. Everyone needs to be buckled up properly: older kids in seat belts, younger kids in booster seats and toddlers in child safety seats.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has a "Back to School Safety Checklist" with tips on making schools, child care facilities and playgrounds safer. Hidden hazards from the checklist include the following:

Playgrounds -- Check the surfaces around equipment. There should be a 12-inch depth of wood chips, mulch, sand or pea gravel, or there should be mats made of safety-tested rubber or fiber material to prevent head injury when a child falls.

Drawstrings on jackets and sweatshirts -- Remove them from around the neck. They can cause strangulation by catching on things. Cut drawstrings at the waist or bottom of jackets to three inches.

Window blind cords -- If the windows in your home, childcare centers or schools have blinds, cut the loop and attach separate tassels to prevent entanglement.

Recalled Products -- You can get up-to-date recall and product safety information by checking out CPSC's web site on your home or school computer. Sign up to get free recall notices by fax, e-mail or regular mailing by calling CPSC's hotline or writing to CPSC, Washington, D.C. 20207.

Executive Director and President of Rainbow Writing, Inc., Karen Cole Peralta writes. RWI at rainbowriting.com is a world renowned inexpensive professional freelance book authors, ghost writers, copy editors, proof readers, coauthors, manuscript rewriters, graphics and CAD, publishing helpers, and website developers international service corporation.

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Time to Go Back to School?

By Sarah Maple

"When the economy goes down, people go back to school," said Chris Wall in a New York Times article released today. Wall is the vice Chairman for Ogilvy, the company behind the new advertising campaign for one of the biggest online universities in the USA. But whilst record numbers of students enroll on courses stateside, and one of the biggest online universities starts to promote itself alongside I.B.M. and Dove, in the UK, the ins and outs of e-Learning remain illusive to most. Is it time to go back to school here too?

That the UK seems to have fallen behind the USA in the popularity and acceptance of online learning is quite shocking. In fact, the whole notion of a distance teaching university was born here when The Open University was established in 1969. The premise for the need of a 'University of the Air' was initiated by a forward thinking Labour government, under Harold Wilson, to offer higher education to people on a lower income. Interestingly, today it is the importance of financial awareness that is stimulating the investment in online education, and its promotion, in the US. And it seems that the UK could benefit from a fervent grasp of the mass-media by the e-Learning sector.

Following the continual success of The Open University, in the last 10 years the UK has seen the adoption of e-Learning courses by many major Universities. In 1999 Liverpool began to offer a range of master's degrees and continue to do so with a focus on the international and flexibility benefits of online study, above the positive socio-economic impacts of offering higher education in this way. By 2006, David Blunkett's UK eUniversities had become a huge dotcom failure in an attempt to consolidate the UK's online courses under one banner and in one place. Sadly, with the intention of harnessing online learning for the masses, this was seemingly the closest we have been to using our already well-established universities, and the foundations laid by The Open University.

But it is not all doom and gloom for online education in the UK. New online courses continue to spring up at universities all over the country. Degrees in Business and Criminal Justice - both that have been rated in the US's top 10 online degree courses for 2008 - are now widely available. It seems the UK has certainly got the tools, the courses, the facilities, and the need for online learning more than it ever has, but in order to keep up with the success of the US, we now need to match their promotion techniques.

Sarah Maple writes about adult education and distance learning Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Maple

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Back to School - Staying Healthy Means Looking After Your Spiritual Health Too

By Jan C. Steven

It's that time of the year again when I almost dread going to bed. Every night I have any of the following nightmares: a) I show up at the exam and I have no idea what the questions on the test are about; b) I miss the final exam completely because I get on the wrong bus or show up in the wrong classroom; c) I find out I haven't handed in one particular high school assignment therefore my degrees and certificates to date are null and void; and/or d) I'm back in high school and I can't find my locker and, even if I do, I don't know the combination to my lock.

Yep, it's back-to-school phobia. Now what is funny in all of this is that I am a student counselor so I - of all people - show have this September angst whupped. Time to take a little of my own advice which is that while you and I cannot control all of the external events happening in our lives - the school term rolling around for one - we can control (to some degree) how we respond to our stressors.

And at the end of the day, the advice is always the same - it goes like so:

Eat a balanced diet - one that is rich in vegetables and whole grains, and low in saturated fat and refined carbs.

Be physically active - aim for 30 minutes of brisk walking every day.

Don't smoke. Avoid alcohol and drugs - including caffeine. If you can't avoid, at least minimize.

Get enough sleep - most North Americans are sleep deprived and as a result suffer depression and lack of focus.

Get regular preventive check ups - see your Nurse Practitioner or Family Physician and Dentist regularly.

Keep in touch with family - don't sever your links even if times are difficult. People and situations do change.

Develop friendships - students often "bond" by joining teams or activities. You need people to laugh and cry with. If you can't make human friends, get a cat or a dog. Actually, get a pet anyway - studies show you'll live longer and be happier.

Be safe. Always wear your seatbelt. Start wearing a bike helmet. Make sure your place has a smoke and carbon monoxide detector. Never go for a walk or job at night by yourself. Most attacks happen to people who are alone. The old adage - "There's safety in numbers" - is true.

Keep a positive attitude - studies have shown that people who have a positive attitude tend to live longer and lead happier lives.

Sadly, what doesn't get emphasized in most "self-help" manuals is the following - develop and safeguard your spiritual health. For those of us who have a religious faith this means having an ongoing and maturing relationship with God. We need this so that we can better understand the Calls on our lives and more squarely face the challenges. Even agnostics and atheists will agree that humans need a sense of purpose. In his book "Man's Search for Meaning," Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist, devout Jew and holocaust survivor, put this so eloquently: He who knows the "why" for his existence, will be able to bear almost any "how."

This Fall as you tune up your physical, mental and social/emotional health - do not forget your spiritual health. Attend worship, pray, be grateful for the things you do have, and always Choose Life. I am not being schmaltzy here. Frankl reminds us that it was human hands that built the death camps in WW2 and human hands that entered these gas chambers lifted in prayer. I am reminded of the Sunday school song, "Oh be careful little hands, what you do..."

Jan Carrie Steven, MA, RSW, is Chaplain, Volunteer, Counselor and Small Business Person.

Visit her websites and columns:
http://www.smallthings.ca - http://www.basic-counseling-skills.com

Jan has a passion for small churches, shelter pets, counseling or visiting with lonely people, and her arts, books, crafts and delights shop called "Small Things." Her mission statement and store name is borrowed from Mother Teresa who said: "We can do no great things. Only small things with great love." Jan is a wife to one and mother to five.

Contact her at jan.carrie.steven@gmail.com

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Include Condoms in Your Back-to-School Supplies

By Kathleen Scarlett-Mancos

Your back-to-school shopping list should include a variety pack of condoms. Condoms may save your life. Even more than pencils, calculators, books and iPods, they may be the most important item to take back to school. School and college days are an important time of life where new friends are made, new ideas and interests are explored, and where life can be cut short by ignoring the biological reality of human life and culture.

According to scientific data presented at a national conference on sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) in March 2008, more than one in four American girls between the ages of 14 and 19 are infected with at least one STD. This is a total of more than 3 million young women at risk for serious health consequences, including early death. The majority of these infections could have been prevented through proper use of condoms.

The most common disease infecting American girls and young women is human papilloma virus (HPV), which is known to cause cancer and genital warts. There are more than 20 different high-risk strains of this virus. More than 18% of girls tested positive for HPV infection. Even though a vaccine has been developed to prevent infection with a few strains, most of the strains going around are not affected by the vaccine.

The only way a woman can prevent acquiring a sexually transmitted disease is to either abstain from sex or to use a condom when having sex with a boy or man who is infected. And, don't forget that boys and men also get genital warts and cancer from HPV, including cancer of the penis. Even when sexual activity is limited to oral sex, the use of condoms is important. HPV is well known to cause cancer of the mouth and throat.

In addition to the high rate of human papilloma virus infections, teenage girls in this study were also infected by chlamydia (3.9%), which can cause infertility without causing symptoms, trychomoniasis (2.5%), and herpes (1.9%). What is worse, among teenage girls who were infected, over 15% had more than one type of infection. Of girls who reported having only one lifetime sexual partner, over 20% had at least one sexually transmitted disease. What does that say about the number of lifetime sexual partners of their boyfriends?

Not all the news is bad. Many people find their soul mates by going back to school. Lifelong loves often bloom on campus. By getting ALL the necessary back to school supplies, including a back to school condom pack, you can help assure a long, healthy and happy life.

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Back to School Promotional Items

By Tina Rinaudo

The back to school season is one of the busiest shopping seasons in the retail world. Why not take advantage of it with back to school promotional items and promotional gifts that attract people to YOUR business or organisation? There are many promotional items that tie in beautifully to a back to school theme, at a wide range of price points to fit any promotional budget. Below are just some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

For the Tight Budget
Don’t let the fact that your promotional budget is stretched paper thin deter you from taking advantage of a great promo season and marketing opportunity. There are hundreds of inexpensive promotional items and products that fit a back to school theme very well. Plastic printed pens may seem cheap at any other time of year, but when it’s back-to-school, they’re just practical and can be the perfect low cost way to highlight your latest product range of marketing campaign. Promotional folders with your company name are another handy, inexpensive giveaway that are sure to be used and carried home to parents. Some other great ideas for inexpensive promotional items for back to school include:

1. printed rulers
2. printed pencils
3. novelty erasers
4. packets of lunch box snacks in printed wrappers
5. imprinted water bottles
6. book covers

Mid-range promotional items
If your budget is a little less restrictive, or if you’re aiming at a particular market sector, you can go for promotional items in the mid-range. Students and parents alike will appreciate and take-along promotional coffee mugs and thermal bottles for packing lunches. You might put together a full “back-to-school kit” with a pencil bag and an assortment of pens, pencils, rulers and other school supplies – all printed with your company name, and marketing message of course. Lightweight roll bags and other inexpensive plastic carrier bags will get great use as school bags, and 16 month calendars are great sellers at this time of year. Other mid-range promotional items that fit a back to school theme include favourites such as:

1. book bags
2. insulated lunch packs
3. Printed metal pens
4. Printed novelty pens (three color pens? Clock pens?)

Promotional giveaway items for big ticket purchases
Back to school brings out the big spenders as well as those looking to fill their pencil boxes. Promotional products for big ticket purchases should reflect the value of the purchase to your company. A health club or gymnasium might give away gym bags with a fully paid annual membership. A USB flash drive imprinted with the store name is a great giveaway gift with a full computer purchase. Some other high end promotional items that can fit a back to school theme include:

1. MP3 players to take your music back to school
2. Printed laptop bags
3. Personal planners
4. Miniature digital recorders
5. Inexpensive digital or 35mm cameras

For more information on back to school promotional items why not check out the vast array of suppliers available on line and tap into their wealth of experience to ensure that you get the right promotional products at the right price for the right target market.

Tina Rinaudo is one of the leading lights in the UK promotional products industry. Tina is a key member of YesGifts, the UK's fastest growing online promotional items resource specialising in promotional pens, mugs, mouse mats, umbrellas, conference items and much more. For more information please visit http://www.yesgifts.co.uk.

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Beat the Back to School Power Struggle in 30 Days (The Secret? Start Now!)

By James Lehman

I've worked with many parents and children caught up in power struggles in the home-they argued over bedtime, homework, curfew, video game time-you name it, they fought over it. And the more these parents fought with their children, the better at arguing and manipulating situations their children seemed to get. Mothers and fathers came to me exhausted, frustrated and desperate to stop the constant tug-of-war going on in their homes. Toward the end of every summer, I could be sure to hear from parents who were worried about getting their children back into the school routine, and many were anxious that any ground they'd gained the year before had been lost over summer break-which I believe is a very valid concern.

Often, the time off that kids have from school in the summer time is a period where they get out of the routine of going to school full time, as well as the habit of taking care of all their other family and social responsibilities. When school starts again-with many parents trying to get kids back into their schedules the week classes begin-it often results in a power struggle. It really is a big waste of time and energy to spend September working out the problems you've already solved last year. Here are some suggestions on how to avoid those power struggles-or at least, how to work through them effectively.

Back-to-School Routine: Start the Daily Schedule Now: Start the school schedule a month ahead of time. Write out the schedule on a piece of paper. Using that as a guideline, list the time your child will get up, have breakfast, leave for school, and what time they'll get home, have dinner, do homework, have free time, and go to bed. Then begin by slowly implementing that schedule 30 days before they start school. For children with ODD, Attention Deficit Disorder, and other behavioral issues, implementing a plan is a must, although they may be resistant. It's important to stress that if your child has these kind of behavioral issues, getting into this routine may very well reduce their stress and anxiety, even if their initial reaction to it is negative.

Get Them in the Habit of Waking up on Time: 30 days before school starts, at least once a week, have your child set their alarm clock and get up at the regular school wake-up time. If you can, make it a special morning. Maybe take an early outing, or have a pancake breakfast, or arrange a board game tournament. While using the outing or breakfast as the reward for getting up, make sure they understand that getting up as practice for school is what is being rewarded.

It's important for kids to know that when something's important to you as a parent, you want it to be practiced and rehearsed. There's a difference between something being important to you as a parent and kids knowing that something's important to you as parent. Raising their level of awareness is often crucial for them to learn your values and what you consider good or wrong.

Each week as school gets closer, increase the morning routine to two days a week, three days a week, and then four days a week during the week before school begins. Needless to say, you won't be able to make all of these mornings special, but perhaps you can take one day a week to recognize your child's progress in a special way.

Get in the Bedtime Routine, too: Several weeks before school begins, start implementing the evening schedule in its entirety each evening, except on weekends for school-aged children. Replace homework time with reading, game playing, videos, or computer time. And by computer, I don't mean computer games or instant messaging. The goal is for your child to adjust to a certain time period every night which is not characterized by over-stimulation and excitement. Be certain that you implement bedtime in particular, as this becomes a big sticking point at the beginning of the school year. During the summer, your kids have gotten out of the habit of going to bed at a regular time. Be forewarned that this transition may be very difficult for adolescents.

Use Bedtime Tools: I always recommend that parents get kids technical wake-up tools such as alarm clocks. I think you can start using one when your child goes to pre-school or even daycare, if he or she goes for a half or whole day. Be sure to pick one that has an alarm which is not startling (which will actually raise the child's level of anxiety) but will still manage to get your child's attention. In the evening, show them how to set the clock. And in the morning when the clock goes off, if you still have to wake them up, have them get out of bed and shut it off themselves. So what I'm suggesting for parents of younger children is that you show your child how to set the alarm clock at night. Then, the next morning after the alarm rings, you go in to wake your child up. Once your child is awake, have them get up and turn off the alarm. (Do not teach kids how to set the snooze control!) This way, children are working with an alarm long before they have the capability of using it exclusively as a wake-up tool. Of course, if your child is anywhere from a third grader up to a high schooler, the learning process where you wake your child up after the alarm goes off should be shortened. For younger kids, you should go in and wake them yourself for two weeks after the alarm goes off, and for high schoolers, do it for just three days. After that, your child should be held responsible for getting up with the alarm and held accountable if they don't. That being said, kids of any age need to be checked in on during their morning routine to make sure they're staying on task and not distracted by something else.

Although a lot of resistance can be expected from children, it's better to deal with it before the pressure of the school schedule routine actually occurs. As parents, we can't always choose what kids are going to be resistant or reactive about. But It's more convenient for us if we can choose the time when that reactivity occurs. For instance, if we know a child is going to react negatively to something we have to say, we shouldn't tell them at the mall, we should tell them when we get home. If you can, try to choose the time they're going to be resistant or reactive.

I hope these suggestions are helpful to you as your child starts the school year. I have found that easing your child into the back-to-school schedule helps to make it a less stressful, smoother transition for everyone-and a good way to start the school year off on the right foot.

For three decades, behavioral therapist James Lehman, MSW, has worked with troubled teens and children with behavior problems. He has developed a practical, real-life approach to managing children and adolescents that teaches them how to solve social problems without hiding behind a facade of defiant, disrespectful, or obnoxious behavior. He has taught his approach to parents, teachers, state agencies and treatment centers in private practice and now through The Total Transformation Program -- a comprehensive step-by-step, multi-media program that makes learning James' techniques remarkably easy and helps you change your child's behavior. Click now for your Risk Free Trial.

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Laid Off and Cannot Land a Job - Go Back to School

By Lance Winslow

Well, with lay-offs mounting and poor mismanagement by government of this current recession, I guess we can expect more. With people out of work many have decided to go back to school and learn a new skill and trade. Of course, with tuition costs insanely high and getting higher each year a good number of folks are enrolling in Community Colleges right now.

Unfortunately, there are not enough classrooms, instructors and staff to take the onslaught of new returning students. Right now enrollment rates are up some 30% in many areas, especially at these community colleges. So much so they cannot get enough instructors and classes are more than full.

This will also cause issues and make it difficult for many to complete their classes on time, as they will have to wait for future semesters to get the classes they need to complete their program. This is also somewhat bad timing because so many states and counties are under supreme budget cuts and cost constraints.

The question is how much more can the community colleges take of this. There is literally a Tsunami of new students trying to get classes and those who are unable are left with nowhere to go. So it appears that online education is getting a big boost as well.

One Community College Dean in our area tells me, he does not have the budget or the facilities to take anymore, and that they are actually turning many people away. He expects this trend to continue in 2009 and 2010 and does not have a solution for it. Think on this.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

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Back to School Cars

By Brian Keegan

Buying a car is always a time consuming process. As a consumer, one must determine needs and evaluate desires, then find a vehicle which reconciles these two, oft dueling, categories. Now, imagine going through this process to find a vehicle for someone else. Someone who is probably more interested in aesthetic quality than safety features and reliability.

Yes, it is time to buy a car for a high school student or for the student who is going off to college. This leads to more questions, as the situation has changed. Maintenance and safety become of paramount importance. Reliability and age remain factors. Lately, fuel economy has become a very important purchase factor.

One car that has been chosen by many making this decision is the Honda Civic. While being a smaller sedan, it offers a surprisingly roomy interior, although the hatchback option, which offered even more precious cargo space, is no longer available. Honda has a well known reputation for being dependable, even when going into the six figure mile realm. This car is also a popular choice for those who like to "trick out" rides, considering the many kits and accessories available for this particular make and model. While expressing individuality, the young driver is doing so in a well-built, well-designed, safe mobile environment.

If a domestic car company product is a requirement, obviously eliminating the previously mentioned vehicle from contention, there is a great alternative. The Ford Focus has become a popular choice for those seeking reliability, safety, an array of features, and even a bit of sportiness. The Focus, like the Civic, has high ratings, achieves great gas mileage, and offers the options that matter most along with the ability to customize the car easily. If bought used, its price is also a major selling point.

For the consumer seeking a dependable mode of transportation, the two cars mentioned here are just examples of what is available. These could be used as starting points in the journey of car ownership. Maybe one of these models will prove to be exactly what the purchaser has been looking for.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Keegan

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