EMBRACE Magazine will give your family something to hold on to

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER

ARE YOUR CHILDREN READY FOR SCHOOL?

BACK TO SCHOOL

ISSUE

TIME FOR THE KIDS TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL...

ARE Y

OU

READ

Y F

OR

SCHO

OL?

EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT

A BOOK A DAY KEEPS THE BAD GRADES AWAY

READ READ READ

MAKE THOSE GOOD GRADES

WHEN OTHERS CARE “The Cafe Mom Story”

This is a true story about how the good out weighs the bad in any given situation. I was moving my family

from Southern California to Northern California. Our time was limited therefore we had to move quickly. I

had been speaking to someone over the internet who stated that they had a five bedroom home for rent

and was going to rent to me. She even told me that we could move in early. My family and I were so excited,

because not only were we moving to a nice home, it was furnished. It all seemed to good to be true, but we are

the type who love to give other’s the benefit of the doubt. This woman talked to me via the telephone every sin-

gle day and up until the day that we boarded the Amtrak train. I began to have a funny feeling about this woman

while I glared at the scenery outside of the train and suddenly thirty minutes before we were due to arrive my

cell phone rung. It was her on the other line advising that the partial payment would not be sufficient, which she

had told me the day before that she had deposited, because I had had here then to refund if it was a problem.

Her words to me where, “Oh no, I can’t do that because I deposited it already to pay off another bill.” Here I am

about to embark upon a strange place with my grandchildren with me and had no idea where we were going to

live. We were basically homeless at this point. After hours of phone calls and threats to contact the media and

law enforcement I was finally given my deposit back. I had to rent a room and knew that it was time to get busy

and find a new home. One of my daughter’s is a member on Cafe Mom and she shared our situation with her

Cafe Mom Family and to my surprise they all went to work to gather up money to help pay for our hotel room.

We arrived on Saturday and on Sunday I was on the phone calling about houses. Monday I went to see a home

that is only three years old and I got the home on that day. We should be moving in soon, but I want to say

thanks to those wonderful women on Cafe Mom who stepped up to help when they did not have to do that. It

was such a blessing to know that some people have hearts and do truly care about others, because this woman

who was suppose to rent me her home obviously did not have a heart. She did not care that I had children with

me and we had traveled three hundred miles away to secure a home that she had no intentions of renting to us.

In the end it all turned out well and my grandchildren are happy.

True story by Twana Lawler

A Stress Free Morning Routine for

Back to School

Let’s go! Let’s go! Come on … you’re going to

miss the bus! I don’t know where your favorite

jeans are; it’s not my responsibility. What do you

mean you still have homework? Did you brush

your teeth yet? Let’s go! I’m leaving… NOW!

Oh I hope your mornings don’t sound like that

above. If it does, it’s not too late to turn that ship

around. The key to having a stress free morning

routine is to have a smooth bedtime routine. Re-

member, a routine is something that is followed

regularly, standard procedures. Without the con-

sistency you will have an uphill battle.

Here are some tips to a stress free morning rou-

tine:

• No yelling. Raising your voice, albeit frustrated,

is only going to escalate matters.

• Early to bed, early to rise. That one is simple.

• Showers and baths should be taken at night. You

think you’ll have time in the morning, but you

rarely do.

• Look over all homework for completeness be-

fore bed; don’t assume it’s finished.

• Before bed ensure lunches are made, backpack

is packed and there are no surprise “Oh I need

xxx today!”

• Give singular instructions. Don’t say, “I want

you to finish your homework, eat breakfast, get

dressed, comb your hair, brush your teeth and be

in the car by 8:15.” To a child, that sounds like

“blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.”

One instruction at a time works wonders.

• Provide instructions once. If you’re doing this,

stop: “Johnny, it’s time to get dressed.” Two

minutes later, “Johnny, we’re going to be late if

you don’t get dressed now.” Two more minutes

later, “Johnny, honey, I told you to get dressed.”

“Johnny, Mommy is going to be late, now go get

dressed.” To a child that sounds like “Oh mom

is good for asking about five more times before

she really goes ballistic!” Repeated requests only

send the message that junior doesn’t really have

to do it now.

• Set consequences and stick to your guns. If you

tell your child the car is leaving at 8:15 sharp,

make it happen. Clearly you can’t leave your

child behind, so leaving without her isn’t an op-

tion. Tell her you will be leaving whether she

is ready or not. Sending a 10 year old to school

with uncombed hair, pajamas and an empty belly

might be just the catalyst for change.

You are the parent; you set the tone for the morn-

ing routine. You need to be actively involved in

the morning routine. Follow the steps above and I

guarantee ‘joy will come in the morning!’

Kidney Disease

What is Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)?

Chronic kidney disease includes conditions that damage your kidneys and decrease their ability to

keep you healthy by doing the jobs listed. If kidney disease gets worse, wastes can build to high

levels in your blood and make you feel sick. You may develop complications like high blood pres-

sure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Also, kidney

disease increases your risk of having heart and blood vessel disease. These problems may happen

slowly over a long period of time. Chronic kidney disease may be caused by diabetes, high blood

pressure and other disorders. Early detection and treatment can often keep chronic kidney disease

from getting worse. When kidney disease progresses, it may eventually lead to kidney failure, which

requires dialysis or a kidney transplant to maintain life.

NATIONAL KIDNEY DISEASE FOUNDATION

The National Kidney Foundation, Inc (NKF)., is the major voluntary health organization

dedicated to preventing kidney disease, improving the health and well-being of individu-

als and families affected by kidney disease and increasing the availability of all organs for

transplantation. The NKF achieves life-saving results today through the contributions of a

generous public including participation in NKF signature initiatives such as the Kidney Cars

Vehicle Donation program, Kidney Walks and the NKF Golf Classic. Visit the website to

find out more information about Kidney Disease at http://www.kidney.org/ This is some-

thing that is becoming dear to my heart. I recently found out that I have kidney disease and

in the beginning it was very depressing for me, because I was in so much pain and could not

function. I am now reading up on and learning how I can live a better life so that I can live a

longer life.

Twana Lawler info@embracenews.com

http://www.childrensplace.com

Back to Pre-School Theme Early childhood education activities and lesson plan ideas that en-

hance preschool curriculum during the beginning of the school year and

help young children become familiar with their classmates and classroom

environment. Lots of songs and teacher tips that are especially suitable

for beginning the school year and when “new” children enter your class.

Back to Preschool Activity Theme

The Kissing HandTo ease separation anxiety on the first day of school is the aim of this preschool

activity by Martha R.

Materials: The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, white construction paper, paint,

and paint brushes.

Description: I read the story The Kissing Hand using a raccoon stuffed animal.

After discussing the story with the children, I put a heart sticker (which comes

from previously placed heart stickers in the raccoon’s pouch) on each child’s

hand. This helps preschool children to remember that Mom or Dad loves them. If

they have a problem later in the day, I remind them to look at their sticker and put

it up to their cheek.

After the story, I have each parent to help their child make a hand print and then

make one of theirs on the same paper. It works really well. The children and the

parents enjoy it! I post them in the hallway for parents to admire.

Back to School BookThis early childhood idea by Jackie O. helps teach pre reading skills and helps

preschool children learn the names of the other students in the class.

Materials: Folder with clips inside, clear plastic insert sheets, camera and film,

(Polaroid if possible).

Description: Prior to the children arriving I type a page for each child. On the

bottom of the page in large letters I type “My name is____________. “

Don’t forget to type one for each staff member too. The first day of school I

take each child’s picture. I glue the picture on each child’s individual page and

put all the pages in the folder. On the cover of the book I have a picture of the

class.

Comments: I like to read this book the first few weeks of school during circle.

It only takes a few days before the children are reading it with you. I also put it

on the book rack for the children to “read.”

Wednesday - July 29, 2009

TV PRESS RELEASE:

A New Children's Variety TV Show

A NEW CHILDREN’S VARIETY TV SHOW FOR KIDS AND TEENS

FEATURES CAST FROM ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST

"Kidz Connect" is the children’s version of Saturday Night Live meets 1970’s Electric Company

ATLANTA, GA - JULY 29, 2009: T&T Productions® announced today that it will produce a brand new

television entertainment show for kids and teens across Atlanta and its surrounding counties, called Kidz

Connect ®. The show's format will be similar to the ever popular Saturday Night Live. The Kidz

Connect cast will feature some of the most talented rising stars in music, acting and dance in the Atlanta

metro area. T&T Management & Productions has searched at length to find the very best actors to bring

the Kidz Connect vision to life.

Kidz Connect Cast

We are pleased to announce the talented & diverse cast of Kidz Connect: Sophia Puckett, Cameron

Robinson, Sydney Bell, Oleg Terentieva, Devan Wahl and Tony “T-Rep”Betton

Further details about the upcoming pilot, including cast and projected viewing date, will be

revealed as development progresses. To attend the private screening scheduled early September

2009, please contact the undersigned.

###

For further information, contact:

Tari K. Robinson, QKA, QPA

President, PR

tt_artistmanagement@yahoo.com

WAYS TO PACK A HEALTHY LUNCH

USE A BENTO BOX

Japanese-style bento boxes and their nesting com-

partments are perfect for kid-size nibbles. Best of all,

when your child pops the lid, the entire spread is at

her fingertips, which puts the carrots on par with the

PB&J and grapes for super-easy grazing. (Find the box

shown above at laptoplunches.com.)

SNEAK IN EXTRA VEGGIES

If the produce in your kid’s lunch is making the return trip home,

consider hiding it. Add finely grated carrots to tuna and chicken

salad, swap lettuce for nutrient-dense baby spinach, or try Hori-

zon’s new Little Blends yogurts, which offer surprisingly tasty

fruit and vegetable combos, such as Strawberry-Carrot and Ba-

nana-Sweet Potato.

RYAN is READY for SCHOOL

Photographer: Brooke Baird of Brooke Baird Photography

How Your Baby Can Learn to Read

Babies have been learning to read for more time than we know of. In the decade, thousands of folks

the world over have been teaching their babies to read. It is easy to do and takes little time.

It is vital to point at the words as you read them. Although you might imagine your baby isn’t con-

centrating, your baby is spotting the written word and its patterns. Through continued reading and

text pointing, your baby is making associations between the words on the page and the words you

are saying.

Babies are able to learn how to read full words by seeing them in an isolated state. It is important to

show babies words without pictures. The words must be a good size. We will not expect babies to

read words at the font size adults read.

Glenn Doman

By exposing your baby to language beginning at birth, through reading, speaking and pointing out

words, your baby will be learning to read. Babies that are taught in this manner can read orally

when they start to speak. They’re capable of reading mentally at a much younger age, however,

their skills are not usually obvious until they read out loud.

There are academic videos available that teach babies language. By viewing these videos constant-

ly, your baby will pick up the patterns of language and learn how to read.

I started teaching my boy to read as an infant. By the point he was 12 months old, he was reading

plenty of words. What started as a game we played each day developed into a crucial life talent. My

son never recalls a time when he couldn’t read.

Written by Kirby Mercado

A New Tool for Back to School

A new website lets teachers post their students’ grades

online in real-time.

Sacramento, CA August 4, 2004 -- As the back-to-school

season nears, Engrade, an innovative provider of online

tools for teachers, announced today the launch of its web-

site http://www.engrade.com. Engrade’s new website is a

free service that allows teachers to post students’ grades

online and allows parents and students to view those grades

online in real-time by logging in to their Engrade account.

With this new service, Engrade seeks to give teachers a tool

to keep parents and students continually informed of their

grades, attendance, and upcoming assignments.

Thanks to educational sponsors, Engrade is a free service.

And because Engrade’s technology is “web-based” it does

not require any installations – all of Engrade’s service are

available through their website.

In the past, teachers’ only method of grade reporting was to

periodically print paper reports. Both teachers and students

found this to be problematic because those paper reports

became out of date as soon as a new assignment was graded

– so students and their parents never knew exactly how

they were performing in class and experienced long delays

before seeing their corrected assignment scores.

Now, Engrade’s new online reporting tools will solve those

problems by continually updating students online grade

reports as soon as teachers enter new assignments into

Engrade’s website – allowing students and parents to be

constantly aware of their class grade and assignment scores.

“We feel that Engrade will really help students - and their

parents - get a better idea of how they are performing in

their classes and increase student-parent participation,” said

Brian Holt, President and Founder of Engrade.

In addition to online grades, Engrade provides teachers with

the option of posting attendance records and upcoming as-

signment due dates online.

Using Engrade’s online attendance reports, parents can see

their students’ real-time attendance reports from work or

from home and teachers can notify the parents of absent

students instantly via e-mail.

With Engrade’s assignment calendar, teachers can post a

list of upcoming assignments for students and parents to see

when they log in, making the old excuse of “I forgot that

was due today,” obsolete.

Engrade’s new website seeks to reshape the way grades,

attendance, and assignments are reported, increasing stu-

dents’ and parents’ participation and improving student

performance.

For more information about using Engrade in your class-

room, visit their website at: http://www.engrade.com/

.

http://www.ebags.com

Toddler Backpack Safety - How to Choose the Right Preschool Backpacks

More than 40 million American students use backpacks,

from toddlers to college students. They’re a simple, effec-

tive way to carry around books and other necessary items.

Most people, however, wear and load their backpacks incor-

rectly, which can lead to a lifetime of problems. Incorrectly

worn backpacks can injure muscles and joints, and lead to

back, neck, and shoulder pain, as well as posture problems

that can persist for years. In 2001, more than 7000 emer-

gency room visits nationwide were related to backpacks.

All these problems, however, are quite easily avoidable.

Selecting the Right Preschool backpack

The first step is to select the right backpack. Good features

to look for are wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded

back, a waist strap to distribute weight more evenly across

the body. The best backpacks are lightweight and have

multiple compartments so that the weight is not centered in

one place.

You might also consider a rolling backpack, although they

are more difficult to move up stairs and over uneven out-

door terrain.

Talk about Backpack Safety with Your Child

You should also talk to your child about wearing and using

his or her backpack correctly. Tighten the straps so that

the backpack is close to the body and sits about two inches

above the waist. Show your child how to pick up the pack

right, by bending at the knees and lifting from the legs.

Put heavy textbooks closest to the body, and tell your child

to always use both shoulder straps. Kids who wear their

backpacks over one shoulder will lean sideways to compen-

sate, which can lead to upper and lower back pain.

Avoid Backpack Overload

Overloading is another serious issue and source of dis-

comfort. Doctors and physical therapists recommend that

children carry no more than 10-15% of their body weight.

Yet the average student carries close to 25%, and 3 out of

10 wear backpacks with a third of their body weight.

Talk to your children to make sure they aren’t carrying all

their textbooks home every day. Make sure that the school

allows them to make frequent stops at their lockers, and

consider purchasing a second set of textbooks to keep at

home. Let your child know that he or she shouldn’t carry

around unnecessary items such as CD players or video

games in their backpacks.

Ask your child about any back or shoulder pain, and keep

an eye out for signs of discomfort. Heavy, improperly load-

ed weights will pull the children backwards, forcing them to

compensate by leaning forward at the hips or arching their

back. Thin straps can also pose a problem, inhibiting circu-

lation and causing tingling or numbness.

If you are still concerned, consider talking to your child’s

school about educating students about proper backpack use.

Laura Greenacres is a writer for Sleepytime Store.com,

which specializes in unique baby gifts including toddler

backpacks and Stephen Joseph backpacks.

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

Greenacres

Illiteracy isn’t just an inconvenience, according to the National Literacy Institute. It’s a national emer-

gency.

According to recommendations recently made to President-Elect Obama’s education advisors, the U.S.

is facing an unprecedented literacy crisis that reflects a need for the nation to invest in early education

programs and make language development a primary focus of every preschool.

But Micah Linton, author and artist of weebeasts, from Beast Stew/Greenleaf Book Group Press

(www.weebeasts.com) believes that we can help stem that tide by offering children more complex

books for early childhood reading. His premise is that young children are like sponges, and can absorb

more information and concepts than their older counterparts. In addition, by engaging younger children

with more complex stories and concepts, we better prepare them for the more intricate stories they’ll

encounter in their secondary school career.

“Young children are smarter than we give them credit for being,” Linton said. “When we look at how

younger children embrace the larger universes of Harry Potter, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, it’s

easy to see that they can understand stories originally written for much older audiences. So, why not

write similar stories for their reading levels, from early childhood on up? It’s been proven that parents

help their children much more by using plain language with them than they do when they use baby

talk, so why do we feel compelled to ‘dumb down’ what they read in younger years? It’s time we rec-

ognize what researchers and scientists have been proving in studies for decades – that young children

can absorb information at a much faster rate than older children, and they can retain more of it.”

The interesting thing, according to Linton, is that sometimes the marketers seem to know more about

how smart kids are than educators do.

“Although the stories are aimed at older audiences, a lot of the licensing and merchandising is aimed

at younger audiences, and they aren’t just attracted by the pictures and art – they know the characters

and the stories,” Linton said. “They role-play the characters on the playgrounds and in the backyard,

and they understand the contexts. However, young people don’t distinguish between learning and play,

so we can use these entertainment franchises to lead them into stories with more complex themes and

worlds as they get older.”

Linton believes that stories like Star Wars, in which the rebels could be likened to the early colonists

and the empire to the British crown, can even help kids become more interested in their historical coun-

terparts. www.weebeasts.com

Kids Are Smarter Than We Think

www.stinkycakes.com

Why is parental Involvement Important in Children’s Edu-

cation?

Numerous research has been done to conclude that parents who are involved with their children’s

education are building the foundations for a better educated child. These children will be better ad-

justed to school which can lead to more education. In addition, parents are sending a message to their

children that education is important.

In addition, parental involvement is important because parents who are part of their children educa-

tion will understand the importance of reading. These parents will read to their children beginning at a

young age. Also, this parent will make sure that their child can read on the right grade level through-

out the educational process. Since reading is a big problem in our country, the reading foundation that

the parent are developing will assist the child in its future educational endears as well as life goals.

Equally important, is the fact that parents who are involved with their children will make sure their

home is conductive to education. This means that the home will have plenty of books available for

their children to read. The home will also have several kinds of reference materials and tools avail-

able, such as: encyclopedias, magazines, computer, calculator, pens, pencils, paper, to name a few. In

the home will be a quiet room that children can use to study or concentrate on their school work. Part

of setting up a home conducive to learning, also includes limited the amount of television viewing

throughout the week. Some parents will even make sure that children’s homework is done at the same

time everyday and if there is no homework the parent will create some.

Another important reason parents should be involved with their children, is because any kind educa-

tional deficiencies can be notice quickly. By having parents involved in their child daily education,

they will notice the child’s strength and weakness. This can help parents to work with those weak-

nesses as soon as possible.

Parents who attend their children’s parent teacher conferences, and also volunteer for activities at

school are demonstrating how important school is. Children observe these parents, and they realize

education is important because of parent involvement. Also, the schools appreciate the parents who

are involved in the school which can lead to additional educational advantages for their child.

These parents realize that is takes the entire village to raise successful children. Overall, the parents

that are involved with their children education are building a stronger foundation for their future.

Their children are usually the ones excelling at school and receiving all accolades that are top stu-

dents receive. Parental involvement is not something parent might get involved with it is something

that all parents should be involved with.

http://www.stratesville.org

Healing hurting hearts through the arts www.caregiverscorner.org

ILLUSTRATIONS & books by EVELYN

http://sweetiesbooks.com/evelyn.aspx

www.myartspace.com/evelyngresham

LUNCH BOXES

Choose from hundreds of theme lunch boxes that your child will love. Go

to www.platesplus4kids.com to order at reasonable prices.

Waffle Sandwich

1/4 cup low fat salad dressing

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

4 thin slices cheddar, Colby, Swiss or mozzarella cheese

4 slices (about 1/4 pound) deli turkey, ham or roast beef

8 toasted waffles

Combine salad dressing, mustard and honey in a small bowl. Spread dressing

on one side of each slice of bread. Divide meat and cheese and place on dress-

ing side of bread to make 4 sandwiches. Place 1 sandwich in the middle of heat-

ed waffle iron. Bake for 2 to 3 minutes or until sandwich is golden brown and

cheese is melted. Repeat with other sandwiches.

Cut your waffle sandwich into strips for easy dipping in ketchup or sauce. Try

different combinations of meat, cheese, sauces and bread. It’s a great way to use

left-overs!

SHOES for your TEEN

CONNECT THE DOTS AND COLOR THE APPLE

YOUNG AUTHOR SECTION

Shanquelle is our young author, but this issue she is on vacation in

Louisville, KY therefore she will not be contributing any writings in

this article. She sends a great big Ola to her faithful readers and she

wanted you to know that she will be back the next issue. If you or

someone you know is interested in contributing poetry or short stories

advise that we would be happy to share their work. You can send your

grades, your accomplishments, your artwork and your photography.

Send your email to info@embracenews.com

It’s time for you to go back to school, pick up them

books, do your homework, you know school is

cool. Don’t hang around the bad crowd, get down

in them books, don’t worry about the one who gives

you that nasty look. Education is important and it is

a must, it’s time to go to school, it’s time to get on

that bus. Bring home the good grades and send it to

EMBRACE, we are sure to appreciate you and lift

you up in this place.

Send us your child’s accomplish-

ments in school. They will re-

ceive awards and gift cards from

EMBRACE Magazine.

IT”S TIME FOR SCHOOL

info@embracenews.com