The PTA Parent - Thursday, February 5, 2009

• President’s Message
• Music Safety Guidelines
• PTA Video Store Special
• Steps to Reduce MRSA Infection
• Take Action Item
• 100 Ways
• In The News
• Spanish-language Resources

A message from PTA National President Jan Harp Domene.

It is absolutely true that one of the best ways to promote student achievement is through parent involvement. It is also true that there is no single method that works best for getting parents involved. Rather, there are many great ways to engage families in their children’s education, and we’ll see quite a few of them during the 2009 PTA Take Your Family to School Week, February 8-14.

I’m proud to report that we have record participation in this event: Applications for the $1,897 Awards show that nearly 400,000 students will be served by almost 600 PTAs that are bringing families into schools this February. Families will come to school dressed as favorite storybook characters, parents will take workshops about test-taking and grade-level expectations, students will read essays about what their grandparents did at their age, and much more.

PTA has a long history of bringing families and schools together, and I’m happy to see that this tradition is still very much alive and well. Thank you to everyone who’s inviting families into their schools this month—from me and from all the students who will have a better education because of it.

Jan Harp Domene
PTA National President

The second in a six-part series on media and technology use

Do you battle with your kids over what music to listen to in the car? Were you moved by the patriotic performances that were part of last month’s inauguration ceremonies? Are your family members tough critics of the singers that try their luck on American Idol? Is your family planning to watch the GRAMMY Awards next week? Then you need to check out these tips on how you and your family can enjoy music safely.

Music is an excellent channel of self-expression, and learning how to play an instrument can strengthen student problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as well as teach discipline. Listening to music, including attending live performances as a family, can be a great way to spend time with your children. But the overabundance of ways to access music means that illegal sharing (piracy) and exposure to inappropriate content are real concerns for parents.

Here are some tips to help you make sure your family members can enjoy their favorite music—legally and without the risk of exposure to something inappropriate:

• Share music with your children. Trade favorite CDs and talk to your children about why they like certain songs and about the music that holds important memories for you.
• Buy music legally. Create a family account with an online music retailer and use songs to reward good behavior and grades.
• Establish a media use contract with each child in your family. Set rules about what types of music and what ways of accessing music are acceptable.

Go to pta.org/musictipsheet to learn more.

Sponsor Message

DVDs as low as $7.99!

For Valentine's Day, what could be nicer than watching a movie with a loved one? PTA Video Store has a great selection of DVDs for all of the valentines in your life.

Enjoy movies for all ages, including:

• Clifford: Be My Big Red Valentine
• The Wedding Planner
• Music & Lyrics
• The Princess Bride [20th Anniversary Edition]
• Serendipity

and many more!

For Valentine’s Day ideas, visit: www.PTAVideoStore.com/valentinesday.

Every purchase on PTA Video Store helps support PTA!

Looking for the perfect gift?
Let your friends and relatives choose the movies they want! Purchase a PTA Video Gift Card at www.PTAVideoStore.com/GiftCards or at your local Walgreens or Office Depot. Available in a range of denominations from $20 to $100, PTA Video Gift Cards never expire and have no fees. Give them what they’ve been wanting.

The truth about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may surprise you, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). MRSA is a type of staph bacteria that causes skin and other kinds of infections. Sometimes called “the superbug,” MRSA is resistant to certain antibiotics, but several antibiotics still work. And many times, antibiotics aren’t even needed—doctors are often able to treat MRSA skin infections by simply draining them. Because skin infections caused by MRSA are increasing, the CDC launched a new campaign to educate families about MRSA and provide a four-step process for helping prevent infections.

Although most of these skin infections are mild, some infections may become life-threatening. According to the CDC, there are a few simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from MRSA skin infections.

Step 1: Know the signs and symptoms of MRSA and get treatment early
A staph skin infection, including one caused by MRSA, usually appears as a bump or infected area on the skin that may be red, swollen, painful, warm to the touch, or full of pus or other drainage. It is especially important to contact your health care provider if these signs and symptoms are accompanied by a fever.

Step 2: Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered
Keeping cuts and scrapes covered will help prevent spreading bacteria to others. If you think the area is infected, contact your healthcare provider and follow his or her instructions about proper care of the infection. Be sure to discard used bandages in the trash.

Step 3: Encourage good hygiene such as cleaning hands regularly
Bacteria and other germs are often spread from person to person by direct contact—mostly by our hands. Clean your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub, especially after changing a bandage or touching infected skin.

Step 4: Discourage sharing of personal items such as towels and razors
Avoid sharing personal items such as towels, washcloths, razors, or clothing that may have had contact with infected skin or soiled bandages. Wash sheets, towels, and clothes with water and laundry detergent. Water temperatures for household laundry depend on the type of fiber or fabric of the clothing. In general, wash and dry in the warmest temperatures recommended on the clothing label. Use a clothes dryer to dry clothes completely.

For more information on MRSA, please visit cdc.gov/MRSA.

Take Your Family to School Week—Just a Couple of Weeks Away!
Join your child at school for lunch or breakfast. Contribute to a school mural. Find out if you are smarter than a 5th grader. Explore the diverse cultures in your community. Take part in a poetry slam. See how technology can enhance learning. Read to your child and his or her friends. Learn more about your child’s curriculum and classes. Catch a magic show. Connect with your child’s teachers and principals. Celebrate PTA Take Your Family to School Week, February 8-14.

Join families across the nation in becoming stronger partners in children’s education. Contact your school or PTA to find out what activities are planned for Take Your Family to School Week.

More than 30 years of research shows that children do better in school when their parents are involved.

Go to pta.org/familytoschool to learn more about this special week connecting families and schools.

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PTA Parent: Take Action Item

• Action: Inform the Center for Science in the Public Interest if you believe food dyes impair your children’s behavior or if your children’s behavior improved after eliminating food dyes from their diets.
• Why: Dyes such as Red 40 are being phased out in European countries because of evidence that the dyes (and the preservative sodium benzoate) cause hyperactivity and other behavior problems in children, according to CPSI, a non-profit food safety watchdog group. CPSI hopes to convince the Food and Drug Administration that the dyes don’t belong in foods, especially those consumed by children.
• How: Fill out an online form created by CSPI to capture data from parents who believe food dyes affect their children’s behavior.

For more information: cspinet.org

There are many ways that you can help your child succeed! A few small activities each week will pay huge dividends over the course of the year. Here are a few that you can do this week:

• Help provide child care and/or transportation for volunteering parents.
  Ayude en las tareas de cuidado de niños y/o transporte para padres voluntarios.
• Collaborate to develop creative ways to use volunteers at school.
  Colabore en el desarrollo de formas creativas para incorporar voluntarios a las actividades de la escuela.

• Rosy Mound students 'give back'
• Families March in Honor Of Martin Luther King Jr.
• Preventing the Spread of Flu in Schools