JUST A THOUGHT
“Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.”
– B.F. Skinner, American psychologist
Courtesy of Thought of the Day Archives at refdesk.com
UNDER THE COVERS
Worth a look ...
lIf you have a senior at home getting ready to graduate and head off to work or college, you may want to pick up a copy of “97 Things To Do Before You Finish High School” (Zest Books, $14.95) by Steven Jenkins and Erika Stalder. It's an entertaining yet serious guide that outlines the must-do items for every teenager – from hosting a film festival and balancing a checkbook to learning your blood type and how to take care of a houseplant, along with advice on friendship, dating and independence.
l“Yoga for Teens” (Dorling Kindersley, $15.99) by Mary Kaye Chryssicas is an oversized deck of 50 cards. Each pose in the deck features a full-color photograph with step-by-step instructions, a form checklist and insightful notes on the breath, focal points and more. Perhaps just the right medicine for stressed out teens.
HOT TOPIC
If you've resolved to get your kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, fewer sweets and balanced portions of everything in this new year, there's a new product out there that can make the whole process a lot more fun.
An organization called Healthy World Project created the Healthy Diet Chart, an interactive, easy-to-follow tool that parents and children can use together to make smart food and exercise choices.
Designed with the support of physicians, the charts catered to the specific dietary needs of boys and girls and are available by age group (4 to 8 years old; 9 to 14 years old, etc.)
In addition, since the company is on a mission to reduce childhood obesity worldwide, it recently launched an outreach program active in Cambodia, Africa and Mexico, where an American child is teamed with a child in one of these developing parts of the world. Each Healthy Diet Chart, when completed and signed by the child, is sent to the child's chosen “team mate” in the developing country, along with a donation from their physician, as a way to motivate both children to stay on track.
Packets are $4.99 and include five Healthy Diet Charts (enough to log a month's meals), an information sheet, an instruction sheet and a place mat that shows young eaters a balanced meal. Online support, menus and recipes and more are available on the Web site. Visit HealthyWorldProject.com to learn more.
SITE SEEING
mayoclinic.com
Here's some great advice for compiling your family's medical history and why it's important to do so, from the Mayo Clinic. On the home page, type medical history in the search engine.
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Speaking of new year, new you ... for the first time, both students and teachers can participate in the Governor's Fitness Challenge and earn some great incentives. The announcement was made by Jake Steinfeld (chairman of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and founder of “Body by Jake”). What's more, three schools – an elementary, middle school and high school – will each win a state-of-the-art fitness center, and 11 schools will each win $5,000 worth of fitness equipment.
Starting Monday, teachers can sign up for the Governor's Challenge at CalGovCouncil.org and begin recording active days for themselves and students. The goal is to be active for 30 to 60 minutes daily at least three days a week for four weeks.
More than 30 awards of $1,000 each will go to schools that are in the lead on Jan. 31 The deadline for completing the challenge is April 30.
