Let’s Get Ready with Cedar Valley Publishing

Parent Teacher Conferences are essential opportunities to find out how your child is doing in school.  It’s a time to ask questions and your opportunity to get to know your child’s teacher one-on-one.  Remember, as the parent, you are your child’s first and foremost teacher.  So if you have a question, ask it.  Find out how you can help and don’t be afraid of asking simply:  How can I help? 

Build a network of other parents within your child’s class and volunteer.  The easiest way to be involved is to just show up and make it fun.    Kudos to the Pigeon River Green Gang in Sheboygan, WI.  This group of parents, teachers and kids have been meeting for six years; every month and doing improvements to their school.  They have created walking paths, prairie settings and pizza gardens by planting the basil, oregano, tomatoes, peppers and later having a pizza party or a salsa party for their school to eat the fruits of their labor.  WOW, and that was some yummy salsa they made!!! 

I was recently at Harvard, IL’s four-year-old Kindergarten to talk to parents, via an interpreter about how they can help their children be successful in school.  I told them that just by showing up and asking questions, they are showing their kids that they care.  I also talked about the importance of going through the backpack and folder every night, reading with their kids for 15 minutes and playing a repetitive game for 15 minutes, like jumping jacks and counting out loud as they go.  Stop, drop and listen to your child daily and ask open ended questions to help your child learn to communicate and be involved in school activities and functions and build a network of parents to make it a fun social experience as well.  It’s all about making it fun for the entire family!  If it’s not fun, you need to make some changes to make it fun.  Find new people that are fun and start networking!

Got some neat ideas to make it fun?  We’d all love to hear them!  Don’t stop with us. Share them with teachers, other parents and your local PTA/PTO too!  We’re all in this together!

There’s nothing sweeter than the sound of music sung by children.  Of course, I love music of all types, but when I hear my girls singing, it just melts my heart.  It is my honor to share the sweet sound of music with you, through the Second Annual Universal Music Day!

The Spirit of Music invites YOU to Celebrate Universal Music Day the 2nd Saturday of October Annually Music takes people to that energized and inspired place where great things happen.  –SPG November 2007

Email:  info@UniversalMusicDay.org                                   
Phone: 727-804-4908

Come — Be a Part of a World Wide Sound Wave And experience YOUR community through Music While making History at the Second Annual
Universal Music Day “ESSENCE of ESSENTIAL”  Saturday, 11 October 2008
Live Music 6:00 to 9:00 P.M. presented at the Octagon Art Center, 2470 Nursery Road, Clearwater, FL 33763.

Visit web: www.UniversalMusicDay.org for more info!

PLEASE POST and invite YOUR Community TO JOIN US

Now that our girls are back to school and fall schedules are in full-swing, we want to be sure that they are as well-taken care of as they are when they’re at home. School lunches and on-the-go snacks are not notoriously healthy and to add to that, there is a growing awareness about the dangers of growth hormones and pesticides in the foods our kids consume.

So with the flurry of activities starting with the new school year it can be tough as Moms to make the right food choices to ensure our families are getting the nutrients they need.

There are, however, products out there that make it a little easier for us to attack busy schedules and stay healthy. Horizon Organic’s Flavored Single Serve milk provides essential nutrients without the dangers of antibiotics, pesticides, or growth hormones-making school lunches and after-school snacks something we can feel good about.

My girls love it!  And it comes in Chocolate, too!

Go to www.HorizonOrganic.com for more information - and sign up for their coupons!

As a parent, I’m sure you’ve encountered the same thing I did when our girls were younger — the boxes, wrapping paper and bows were way more fun for the babies and toddlers than the gift was!  Since then, when I hear of a friend or neighbor who is getting a new appliance, I immediately ask if we can have the box from the item - it becomes a castle or a fort or the coolest clubhouse on the block!

Enter www.BoxWorks.biz - the coolest website I’ve seen in a long time!  Not only is Jason promoting the GREEN life that I so desire for myself and for others, he’s offering some exceptionally entertaining fun - instructions for box creations such as fire engines, jets and SO much more!

Here’s an illustration of how to make a candy bag out of a box:

The whole goal is to get kids engaging in building, spending quality time with their parents and re-using resources to create fun things they can then play with.

Visit www.BoxWorks.biz today!