February 2009 Blog Posts (24)

No FUN Funds? Check Out These FREE Fun Activities for Kids!

Consumer confidence is down to 25, its lowest level in 41 years. Free is the name of the game during tough economic times, and lucky for those of us who live here in the Triangle, there are quite a few free family-friendly activities available to us. Here are our top 3 places to have a FREE, FUN time with your kids!

1. MUSEUMS. Here in the Triangle, we have access to a great variety of museums--many of which are free to visitors. The… Continue

Added by Elizabeth Shugg on February 28, 2009 at 4:30pm — 4 Comments

President Obama's Stimulus Bill Includes $400,000 to Combat Bullying in Montana Schools

From Bloomburg.com's Feb. 25 "House Approves Thousands of Earmarks in U.S. Budget" article:

The plan would provide $400,000 to combat bullying at schools in Montana, $2.2 million for the Center for Grape Genetics in Geneva, New York, and $381,000 for music programs at the Lincoln Center in New York City.

Feel free to weigh in on this issue. Do you think this is an… Continue

Added by Elizabeth Shugg on February 25, 2009 at 11:00pm — 1 Comment

Sports TRACKer: Love those video games! (to a point)

If your household is like mine, you might have a "gamer" or two.

I'm new to video game systems, but thanks to the Wii that arrived under the Christmas tree a couple months ago, I'm catching on. Still, I have known for years that the Xbox and PlayStation have long since changed the way today's kids experience all types of activities.

I can't speak for all the systems or the games, but I must admit, I reallly enjoy the Wii. And after bowling a few frames and playing a few… Continue

Added by Kurt Dusterberg on February 25, 2009 at 10:35pm — 3 Comments

Dangerous Texting Involving Wake County Middle School Students

Did anyone read this story in the Cary News? It involved Salem Middle students but did NOT happen on school property.

How about this one? This concerns a 14-year-old girl in Wisconsin.

Texting offenses range from a group of 6th grade boys new to cell phone technology texting "HI" to each other 4 times in a row, to indecent… Continue

Added by Elizabeth Shugg on February 25, 2009 at 9:30pm — 1 Comment

Child Auditions for Broadway Series South's "Wizard of Oz" Scheduled for April 4

Do you have a rising Broadway star in your family? Broadway Series South will hold auditions for "Wizard of Oz" April 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Kennedy Theater.

From the Broadway Series South website:

The company is choosing 12 children ONLY - no alternates. They all must be 8-13 years of age. Due to wardrobe limitations they cannot exceed 5’ or 100 lbs. No Exceptions.…

Continue

Added by Elizabeth Shugg on February 25, 2009 at 8:00am — No Comments

How Lewis influenced my essay writing

I was upset after Miss Austin, my English teacher, remarked that my essay was bad. I never thought of myself to be a bad writer. I often write letters to my foreign pen friends, and I read all the Nancy Drew and Harry Potter books. My best friend Rosa made me thought otherwise.

My essay writing was to be put into the test again when Miss Austin told my class that we would write two essays in two weeks. I became anxious about being… Continue

Added by Cristine Lee on February 24, 2009 at 3:30am — No Comments

Education TRACKer: Parents CAN Make a Difference

One of the stories I’ve been following in the education arena is the road improvement controversy over near Panther Creek High School in western Wake County. Since students were reassigned to Panther Creek this year due to previous renovations at Cary High School, Panther Creek became overcrowded. “Mobile units,” or long trailers with classrooms inside, were the solution, but Town of Cary regulations specified road improvements along 55 must be made first because of the larger number of… Continue

Added by Anne Woodman on February 19, 2009 at 10:36am — 1 Comment

Travel TRACKer: We Voted For A President's Day Weekend Road Trip!

What better time to have an "American History" lesson sink in than on President's Day, which happens to be Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, and is just weeks after a new President has been inaugurated!

Yes, you can take a 5, 6 & 7 year old (and a stroller-bound 11 month old) on a road trip to D.C. ...and live to tell about it.

We shot right out of the gate and kicked off our President's Weekend road trip with a tour of the… Continue

Added by Janice on February 18, 2009 at 11:30pm — 2 Comments

TrendTRACKer: Retro Toys - They might not beep but they sure are fun!

I recently read a press release from Scholastic, Inc about the toys that kids were asking for during the holidays. Scholastic has a pretty good pulse on what kids want based on what they are buying and reading through book orders and fairs. Makes sense to me!

This is what they say, "We hear from children, teachers and experts that although hi-tech toys

continue to be the most popular with kids of all ages, retro is making… Continue

Added by Janel on February 18, 2009 at 4:00pm — 2 Comments

Will Electronic Reading Devices Replace Traditional Textbooks?

Amazon released the Kindle 2 this week, an electronic reading device, that could help pave the way for lighter backpacks and digitized libraries. The Kindle 2 has a joystick, reads books aloud, highlights, takes notes and even prevents accidental page turnings. Wow! Learn more here.

Added by Elizabeth Shugg on February 18, 2009 at 12:00pm — 3 Comments

Haves and Have-Nots: What does lack of education cost us?

When your children are young, the possibility that they will drop out of high school may not be top of mind. But when I was researching a profile recently, I came across the latest figures: the North Carolina high school dropout rate fell from 5.24 percent in 2006-07 to 4.97 percent last year. This sounds like an improvement. And it is. But it still leaves 22,434 former students with no high school diploma.

One thing my brother-in-law (who has a Ph.D.) said to me has stuck—“A college… Continue

Added by Anne Woodman on February 16, 2009 at 10:52am — 6 Comments

14 Things Track 2 Families Can Do During the Next 3 Weeks!

Check the Triangle TRACKS calendar for full details on all of these events.

1. Visit Marbles Museum and IMAX Theater on President's Day.

2. Check out Marbles Camp Fun Days for K-5, which starts Feb. 16 and… Continue

Added by Elizabeth Shugg on February 14, 2009 at 11:00am — No Comments

Dog Found

Male-Beagle/Jack Russell mix found on Hwy 55 in Apex near Apex Middle School
Looks to be well cared for and has a collar but no tags. Has been neutered.

If this is your dog or have any information, please call 919-454-9019

Added by Kristina Williams on February 13, 2009 at 11:43am — No Comments

A.P.E.X Tutoring "Achieving Personal EXcellence"

Did you know that Wake County Schools are a part of the Title 1 program because of our low test scores? Our children are in need of assistance and I have put together a program that will help us better our children's education without hurting the pockets of parents in need.

A.P.E.X Tutoring is a non-profit organization specializing in assisting students between the ages of 7-14 who are having academic difficulties in the area's of reading and math.

Our services are free… Continue

Added by Kristina Williams on February 13, 2009 at 11:01am — 1 Comment

Kids Give Lots of Love for Valentines Day

Here are some warm, wonderful Valentines Day stories and videos from around the country about the ways American children are sending their love to the rest of the world.

Kids' Valentines Advice Video from "The Early Show" on CBS

Kids' valentines buoy overseas troops…

Continue

Added by Elizabeth Shugg on February 12, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Hair, Body & Sole Salon and Spa in Apex Releases Edgy ‘Teen Angst’ Photography Collection Showcasing More Than Just Hair Trends

This article written by Cheri' Kinney, the owner of Hair, Body & Sole Salon and Spa in Apex unveils the secret culture many of today's teens live in. If you have a teenage daughter, or will soon have one, I feel this article is important to read. You can access the photos referenced in the press release at www.hairbodyandsolespa.com or… Continue

Added by Elizabeth Shugg on February 11, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Valentine's Day Crafts Websites

Here are some great websites for crafty kids who would like to make homemade Valentine's this year!

FamilyFun.com

Kaboose Valentine's Crafts

MakingFriends.com…

Continue

Added by Elizabeth Shugg on February 9, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

Health TRACKer: Tooth Trouble

I should have been making breakfast for my girls and excitedly talking to them about the day's upcoming festivities. After all it was the first Halloween that Kennedy was actually excited about. She had picked out her Cinderella costume and Dylan was going to be a pirate princess. But that wasn't how my morning was going. Instead I was sitting in an hospital room and listening to an anesthesiologist talk to me about the possible side effects of general anesthesia. I guess listening isn't an… Continue

Added by Jen on February 7, 2009 at 2:06pm — 1 Comment

Education TRACKer: What Does Your Teen See on the Internet?

I was once a teenager. Really. But to many of us with younger children, the sped-up, always-connected, texting-someone-while-standing-face-to-face-edness of today’s teenagers is scary and tends to make, well, me feel old-fashioned. Also slow and technologically un-savvy.

A recent program I attended at Green Hope High School did nothing to improve my feelings of inadequacy. You can read more about the highly informative and disturbing meeting in this week’s The Cary News… Continue

Added by Anne Woodman on February 4, 2009 at 12:07pm — 2 Comments

Google Announces "Doodle 4 Google" Logo Design Competition for K-12 Students

Google has announced "Doodle 4 Google," a competition open to K-12 students to "play around with" the Google homepage logo. This year U.S. kids are invited to create a new logo based on the theme "What I Wish for the World." Get the details here!

Added by Elizabeth Shugg on February 4, 2009 at 12:00am — No Comments