August 13, 2015
Special Preview of The Smart Talk
Do you have a child who is about to get a Smartphone of his or her own? Are you unsure about how to start a dialogue with your child about technology usage? Have The Smart Talk.The Smart Talk is a new interactive online tool developed by LifeLock and National PTA that lets parent-child duos set ground rules together about smart digital habits.
We want you to be the first to try it out and share it with your friends and family. It’s fun and engaging, and together, we can help educate a new generation of good digital citizens.
Visit TheSmartTalk.org to learn more.
National PTA Partners with Be A Learning Hero
Learning Heroes has partnered with National PTA, Scholastic and many other parent and education organizations to launch a new public service initiative to help parents prepare for the school year so they can be “learning heroes” for their children. “Be A Learning Hero” delivers the most trusted and meaningful information so you can navigate the changes in the classroom and help your children succeed.
Learn more and see the resources at BeALearningHero.org.
Sign Up Today for Our Hispanic Families Webinar
Join National PTA’s Multicultural Membership Development Manager Armen Alvarez and Univision Communications Partnership Engagement Manager Adriana Flores-Ragade to learn more about Clave al Éxito and how to leverage the tool to engage Spanish-speaking families in your school community.
The webinar will build on the Hispanic Family Engagement Symposium that took place during the 2015 National PTA Convention in June. Register for one of our four webinar opportunities.
- Tues., Aug. 18, 1 - 2 p.m. EDT (in Spanish)
- Tues., Aug. 18, 7 - 8 p.m. EDT (in English)
- Thurs., Aug. 20, 1 - 2 p.m. EDT (in English)
- Thurs., Aug. 20, 7 - 8 p.m. EDT (in Spanish)
New Parent Checklist Empowers Families
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The parent checklist includes questions and resources that parents and caregivers can use to help ensure their children are getting the education they deserve.
The checklist also offers key questions, tips for educational success and resources for parents.
It was created in collaboration with U.S. Department of Education, America Achieves, National Council of La Raza and the United Negro College Fund. Read the Parent Checklist.
Get Tech-Ready with FOSI
It’s back to school time again! For many kids, that means using digital devices to complete homework, stay connected with working parents, or communicate with teachers and friends.
Use the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) guide to ensure your kids develop healthy digital habits by teaching them how to use technology wisely.
Whether you are introducing your toddler to an iPad or helping your teen apply for college, FOSI has advice for you to navigate the online world and set healthy standards for tech use in your home.
Visit FOSI’s Good Digital Parenting to Fill Your Child’s Digital Backpack for the advice and tools you will need to guide their tech use at each stage of development.
Mark Your Calendars
Tues., Aug. 18 and Thurs., Aug. 20
Wed., Aug. 19
Sept. 13 to Sept 19
Sept. 14 to Sept. 18
Sept. 21 to Sept. 25
Children's Budget Brings Bad News: Fewer Investment in Kids
Every year, First Focus publishes a Children’s Budget which gives a detailed guide to federal spending on children and is an invaluable resource for those seeking to improve the lives of America’s youth. This year’s Children’s Budget 2015 brings more unfortunate news for children. The share of federal spending dedicated to our nation’s children has now fallen to 7.89%, which is down from a high of 8.50% in 2010. Consequently, the federal share of discretionary spending dedicated to children has dropped by 7.2% over the last five years. This means less federal resources for your children. Read more
How to Bring Playfulness to High School Students
It’s easy to focus on academics and college transcripts when children become tweens and teens, but retaining the agency and creativity inherent in play is crucial for them, too. But what is the high school equivalent for the kind of inquisitive learning that happens when little kids play in the sandbox, finger-paint, build with blocks or play make-believe?
“When your 4-year-old is dipping his hand in the rice table, he’s learning really important things about tactile touch,” said Denise Pope, senior lecturer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education and co-founder of Challenge Success. “Older kids need those same tactile, hands-on experiences to learn as well.” Read more
Sponsored Content
Saving Students One ID at a Time
The safety of children is a critical issue for schools.Lifetouch has proudly delivered its SmileSafe photo ID cards and national safety program to over 500 million parents, investing $27 million since 2004.
As a result, missing children in 24 states were returned to their families. As the trusted name in school photography, Lifetouch requires its photographers to pass background and other state-mandated testing to support a safer school environment.
For more info, visit safety.lifetouch.com.
Enter to Win $500 with Lysol!
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Lysol is excited to announce our Healthy Habits Contest!50 winners will receive gift cards for up to $500 for classroom materials and supplies.
To enter, encourage your child’s teacher to submit a video to the Lysol website sharing how they incorporate Healthy Habits into their classroom lessons. The 50 videos with the most votes wins!
The contest runs from Aug. 4 to Oct. 16.
Visit Lysol.com/HealthyHabits to enter.
Exclusive Benefits for National PTA!
Staples is supporting classrooms and people who support local schools with the Staples Association Rewards program. Sign up to receive in-store and online benefits, including 25% off Copy & Print services, 10% off supplies and furniture, 5% back in rewards on everything else (except postage, phone/gift cards and savings passes), bonus events and more.
Visit PTA.org/Benefits to register.
Help Your School Win a $30,000 Cafeteria Makeover!
Great news for your school from UNCLE BEN’S®: The Ben’s Beginners™ Cooking Contest starts on Aug. 26! Five families will each win $15,000 and their kid’s school will win a $30,000 cafeteria makeover!
To enter, simply create a short video of you and your child preparing a rice recipe together and upload it to UncleBens.com. Spread the word to everyone in your school! Learn more.
Markers? Check. Notebook? Check. Anaphylaxis Action Plan? Check!
For those living with a potentially life-threatening (severe) allergy, always having a plan for a life-threatening allergic reaction, or anaphylaxis, should be at the top of the back-to-school list.
For those living with a potentially life-threatening (severe) allergy, always having a plan for a life-threatening allergic reaction, or anaphylaxis, should be at the top of the back-to-school list. Auggie Maturo of “Girl Meets World,” along with Nina Garcia, “Project Runway” judge and Marie Claire Creative Director, and Chef Amanda Freitag, has shared his story about managing severe allergies to spread the word about the importance of having an anaphylaxis action plan. Learn more http://bit.ly/1w1qZPa.
Auggie Maturo, Nina Garcia and Amanda Freitag are paid spokespeople of Mylan.
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