Sunday, August 30, 2015

Back To School 2015

back to school

This week we are going to cover heading back to school!  Whether you are sending kids off back to elementary, middle, high school or letting them venture off to college and letting them make their way in the big world it is back to school is always a joy and rough time no matter how you look at it.

First up this week let’s take a look at why exactly does the school year start in the Fall?  Growing up in the Midwest I always thought that school always started after Labor Day so it was weird for me when I moved to Los Angeles, CA and later to see on Facebook to hear/see of children starting in early August or any time in August for that matter…my first thought was what did they do wrong?

  • Helping on the farm: Back in the “old days” kids helped out planting in the spring and harvesting in the fall.
  • Air Conditioning: Most schools did NOT install air conditioning when they were built and let’s face it what kids wants to learn when they melting in their desk during the summer? Opening the windows can only do so much so it was easier just to shut down during the hottest months.  Also, many upper & middle class urban families also took to vacationing outside the sweltering city during the summer.

So then the next question is how long do you let them off?

The typical North American school year lasts about 180 days.  In comparison Asian Countries have about 200 and France has about 174.

6-8 Weeks Off

12-14 Weeks Off

Austrailia

U.S.A.

Germany

Ireland

Britain

Greece

The Netherlands

Russia

CSlogoside

Monday, August 17, 2015

August: Immunization Awareness Month

NIAM draws attention to immunization in August each year.

August is Immunization month and as children return to school this will be an issue that comes up for most parents.

When parents are preparing to send their child off to day care, school or college, it’s the perfect time to check if he or she is up to date on recommended vaccines.

Child care facilities, preschool programs, schools and colleges are highly susceptible to outbreaks of infectious diseases. Children can easily transmit illnesses to one another due to poor hand washing, uncovered coughs, dense populations and other factors. When children aren’t vaccinated, they are at increased risk for disease and can spread disease to others in their classrooms and communities. This includes babies too young to be fully vaccinated and people with weakened immune systems due to cancer or other health conditions

Many vaccine-preventable diseases can easily spread in child care and school settings.

Vaccines are among the safest and most cost-effective ways to prevent disease. Protecting your children from preventable diseases will help keep them healthy and in school.

Vaccines are recommended throughout our lives. Young adults need vaccines too, especially when they are college bound.

National Immunization Awareness Month is a reminder that we all need vaccines throughout our lives.

Parents can find out more about the recommended vaccines at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/

#NIAM15

CSlogoside

Saturday, August 8, 2015

All About August

Cloud 1

This post is all about the month of August and what we could learn about it. 

Let's get the facts out of the way:

  • 8thmonth of the year
  • 31 days in the month (originally King Numa Pompilius only gave August 29 days it wasn’t until Julius Caesar took over revamping the calendar in 45 BC that it got 2 extra days.
  • August was originally named Sextillis and didn’t become the 8th month until January & February were added to the calendar year

Birthstone: Peridot

                     Flower: Gladiolus

Fun facts about August in History:

Year

Event

1790

The first U.S. Census is completed. There are four million people in the U.S

1953

The Whiffle Ball was patented on this day.
1959 Hawaii becomes the 50th state
1966 First picture of Earth from the moon is taken by Lunar Orbiter 1
1963 Martin Luther King Jr. makes his "I Have a Dream" speech.
1969 Woodstock happened

Things Celebrated This Month All Month Long:

  • Children Eye Health & Safety
  • Immunization Awareness
  • Get Ready for Kindergarten
  • Truancy Awareness

How to Say August in Other Languages:

  • Albanian: gusht
  • Dutch: augustus
  • French: août
  • German: Auguscht
  • Italian: agosto
  • Latin:  Augustus
  • Polish: sierpień
  • Spanish: agosto