ParentLife Blog

Back to Sports

 I really thought that I had reached the end of the line when it came to sports for our boys this past year. The school year is so long, and both boys played baseball last fall, basketball in winter, and baseball again in the spring. They had fun, but both boys happened to be on teams with the worst records for their age groups in spring baseball ... yikes! So the season felt longer than usual. We were all ready for a summer break.

As always, summer went by so quickly too. It was difficult enough to get geared up for school, nonetheless another sports season. I was late getting Christopher registered for his fall baseball. Jonathan was running for his new school, so we were excited for him to start his season but all a little nervous at the new undertaking.

Jonathan had his first cross country meet on Thursday, and it was amazing! There is nothing like the start of a race. The excitement is amazing. Approximately 170 competitors all starting at once. Check out the photo just before the start! (Isn't that about what the troops looked like in Braveheart before the beginning of a battle?)

Jonathan was a little nervous, and it was hot. Evidently it was just under the heat index max that they will even let students run. The race started downhill, which meant a lot of the kids went out too fast--Jonathan included. But we were so proud! And it doesn't hurt that the entire race is over in under 20 minutes!

Christopher had the first game of his baseball season tonight, so it has felt like double duty this week. Got to love those 7:00 game times on a school night! The game was fun. Christopher's team won in the last at bat --always a fun way to win!

So the sports bug has hit me again! It is always so much fun to watch and play. I'm sure around May you will hear me wishing it all to end again, but the Fall sports season has got me hooked for now!

I would love to hear how you manage sports, school, and church this time of year. I could use all the help I can get! How do you guys manage it all?

LifeWay Kids Ministry Conference

Speakers include some people I know and some I don't know personally, but all I respect and think are awesome. Maybe my children's minister would send me ... because how much fun would it be to listen to Angie Smith, Pete Wilson, Ed Stetzer, the Duggars, Jon Acuff, and Michael Kelley, with worship by Dave Hunt, featuring Selah and Michael O'Brien?

I am excited just reading that list of names, and I hope you are, too. If you aren't, click around to some of those great names! I've been privileged to know Michael Kelley and Angie Smith in "real life," and they are incredible, faith-filled people.

I hope you'll consider clicking over and finding out more about the Kids Ministry Conference.

Inspired to Move by Kat of Inspired to Action

We're very excited to tell you about Shaun Groves' latest album, Third World Symphony. Shaun is passionate about social justice, promoting Compassion International in word and deed. The album is fan-funded and releases tomorrow, August 30th. (The Third World Symphony site will also go live then, and will contain lyrics, videos, stories, and other interactive elements.)

Shaun is known for his many trips to Compassion sites around the world. He takes bloggers along with him to spread the work of Compassion as far as he can. In May, he took a group to the Philippines, and one of those bloggers was Kat from Inspired to Action. She's here to share her story with you today!

_____________

They were waving at me from the hotel lobby. Family I'd dreamed of meeting all my life. Aunts and Uncles who had known my mother and could tell me all about her. People who missed her just as much as I did.

I sat on the bus outside that Manila hotel waiting for Shaun to finish giving instructions for the evening. Except I'm not sure he actually finished. He may have just paused to think ... or breathe. All I know is that I bolted down the aisle, out of the bus, into the lobby and tried to hold back the tears while the hotel security guards checked my bags.

I failed miserably; the tears streamed. The guards, unnerved by my watery emotions, waved me on and I ran into the arms of my family, who had been waiting to meet me for 35 years.

::

Going on the Compassion Bloggers trip to the Philippines wasn't like any other trip.

No, this one was different. I wasn't traveling across the world to write about people different than me. I was traveling across the world to write about people more like me than any I'd ever known.

My mom, who died when I was a baby, was from the Philippines. I'd never known her or her family. But that evening in May I was welcomed as their own. And in the following days at the Compassion centers, I played with and hugged children who looked just like me but lived very, very different lives. It inspired me. It broke me.

And yet...

Even with such a personal, heart felt experience, not long after I arrived home, the memories began to fade.

::

I stepped off the plane from the Philippines to a summer in full throttle. We traveled, we summer camped, VBS'd, we swim lesson'd. If it could be done, it was on our calendar.

And I began to forget the unforgettable.

... what it was like in the tiny homes of those Filipino children .

... how it felt to walk through waste water and trash as children played around us.

What makes it so easy for us to forget?

Busyness.

This quote rang true for me. "If the devil can't make you bad, he'll make you busy."

And was I ever busy.

But ... I'd seen the massive impact we have on our Compassion children. I'd seen tears in the eyes of children talking about their sponsors. I'd seen the hope in the eyes of parents.

So I decided to start a knock down, drag out, bare-knuckled brawl with busyness. With complacency.

I realized we can't always *feel* inspired to action, sometimes we need to fight for action. And if I came home with anything from my trip to the Philippines, it's that those precious children are worth our fight.

So I challenge you to take a swing at complacency and set aside 5 minutes right now to pray for one of these children. Who's ready for a throw down?

Kat and her husband Jimmy have three children ages 8, 6 and 3. She loves music, running, Jesus and Tex-Mex food. Not necessarily in that order. Kat started the site Inspired to Action to help moms raise children who will change the world by offering practical tips and advice.

Vision Check-Ups for Children

I will never forget 4th grade. I had the most wonderful teacher in all of Virginia, Mrs. Titus. She was a firecracker. She came to school the day after the Superbowl in full Redskins regalia. She taught me how to knit. And she told the whole class that I could be a writer.

It was also the year I just couldn't figure out why our overhead projector was so bad. (Please tell me you remember overhead projectors so I don't feel so old.)

A basic eye exam at school caught the fact that my vision was pretty bad. I got my first pair of glasses - the extra-large variety that skimmed cheeks, very popular in the early 90s.

Studies show one in four U.S. children have an undetected vision problem. Often, parents rely on school screenings, which can catch basic nearsightedness but neglect to discover other problems.

In between visits to the eye doctor (which should take place once a year after the child starts school), parents of school-age children should keep a watchful eye out for some signs that a child’s vision may be impaired and contact an optometrist if their child frequently:
 

• Loses place while reading
• Avoids close work
• Tends to rub eyes
• Has headaches
• Turns or tilts head
• Makes frequent reversals when reading or writing
• Omits or confuses small words when reading                                                                  
• Consistently performs below potential
• Struggles to complete homework         
• Squints while reading or watching television
• Has behavioral problems

As Stephanie Tanner taught us on Full House (hm, dating myself again), glasses aren't all that bad, even for a kid. Some people even look better in glasses. My husband says I do! - Jessie

Do your kids wear glasses? When were they diagnosed with vision problems?

Photo used with permission of Flickr Creative Commons. Click on photo for source. Thank you to the American Optometric Association for the information in this post.

Teeth-brushing Poem by Kristen White

You've probably heard the mantra of getting kids to wash their hands by singing the whole ABCs song. The same thing can work for brushing their teeth! Try rhymes or silly songs or let the toothbrush be a car or airplane to help reluctant teeth brushers. Encourage them to brush the entire length of this poem--or try creating your own with your child.

Tip your head up
To the sky,
Toothbrush will go climbing.
When he gets
Atop Teeth Mountain,
Still he needs more timing.

So down he steps
Each shiny tooth,
One, two, three, four, five
Now he curves
Round the lower deck
Zoom fast — he sure can drive!

Toothbrush is an expert
At scuffling
Through a cave.
Move him back and forth
And round and round.
He must be very brave.

Tip your chin
Low to your chest,
Saw up and down in back,
Like a logger cutting trees,
You will have no cavities.
Now you have the knack!

Do you have any tricks for hand-washing or teeth-brushing?

Photo used with permission of Flickr Creative Commons. Click on photo for source.

ParentLife Everyday: August 2011

Each month ParentLife pulls together a one-page document for preschool and children's leaders and teachers that highlights articles that might help families they work with. But this also is a great tool for parents!

The articles below are in our current August 2011 issue of ParentLife. Read the articles that minister to your family and pass along a copy to those who might benefit from it!

A Father's Impact - Father involvement makes a huge impact on the life of a child. Find out how and encourage the dads in your ministry to get involved in the lives of their children (p. 8).

Bible Basics - Can toddlers really learn about the Bible? Yes! Encourage parents and teachers to teach these Bible Basics (p. 13, and see our PL Online article Summer Spiritual Learning for tips).

Dangerous Drop Sides - Are the cribs in your church safe? Be aware of the new standards from the American Society for Testing and Materials and make safety a top priority (p. 11).

One Anothering - Good Samaritans are hard to find. Explore the difference your church could make in your community (and the world) if parents and teachers taught children how to love their neighbors by setting the example (pp. 20-21).

Beyond Bedtime Bible Stories - The Bible is not just something families should study on Sunday mornings; it should be an essential part of everyday life. Equip families in your church with practical ways they can incorporate Scripture into their daily routine (p. 25).

Back to School - Prepare the families in your church for this hectic season with tons of back-to-school tips (pp. 28-35).

Single-Parent Pitfalls - Help single parents in your church find God's redemption as they face these common struggles (pp. 36-37).

23 - The number of unique blog entries you will find this month on www.lifeway.com/parentlifeblog about the topics you care about most. We blog 5 days a week, so visit us!

For a printable PDF you can give to leaders in your childrens' ministry, click on the link below!

Cribs for the Church Nursery (and Beyond)

You may have heard that there are some new crib standards coming from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. As of June 28, all cribs sold in the US have to meet higher standards for wood strength, testing, mattress support, and hardware. Additionally, traditional drop-side cribs will no longer be manufactured.

All childcare facilities will have to have cribs that meet these new standards by December 2012. Where does your church nursery fit in here?

If your church has a paid childcare facility, they will have to comply with the new standards by December 2012, just like any other facility. If you do not have a paid center, the CPSC rules will not apply; however, it is highly recommended that you check your cribs' durability and safety. Tighten all hardware. Buy drop-side immobilization kits if needed.

To see more about the rules and to whom they apply, you can visit The New Crib Standard: Questions and Answers and Coverage of the Crib Rule Summary.

Will your church nursery make changes to comply?

Photo used with permission of Flickr Creative Commons. Click on photo for source.

Special Buddies Brings the Bible to Life by Joy Fisher

I love editing Bible Teaching for Kids: Special Buddies because I believe that every child is able to make the decision to become a Christian. Children with special needs cannot take this life-changing step unless the Bible is presented to them in a manner that supports their individual learning styles and specific developmental abilities.  Special Buddies provides the framework to help churches make the adaptations necessary to allow all children to participate and grow spiritually at a pace that is comfortable for them.

Quick Facts about Special Buddies:

• A new Bible story is presented every two weeks, to allow time for extended activities or repetition of meaningful activities and concepts. Very little reading and writing is required.
• More than 20 activities are outlined in each leader guide session, from which leaders may pick and choose in order to meet individual needs of children.
• Learner guide pages offer visual and experiential support of biblical concepts and include parent tips to assist families in reinforcing spiritual foundations at home.

Special Buddies works well …

• in self-contained classrooms for children in grades 1 through 6 who have special needs.
• with an individual child who receives one-on-one care at church while parents attend Bible study.
• for a child with special needs who attends a typical Sunday School setting but responds well to modified lessons and individualized attention.

New Downloadable Format
Need just one Bible story lesson plan to use as supplemental material with any curriculum? Want find out what Special Buddies is all about? A new undated single session format is now available for online purchase and download. For $4.95 per session, you get six pages of leader guide session plans as well as four or more learner guide pages in full color.

Ten Special Buddies sessions are available now, with more to come in future months:
Jesus Read the Scroll (Free Sample)
God Created the World
David and Goliath
God Protected Daniel from the Lions
Jesus Is Born
The Model Prayer
The Good Samaritan
Parable of the Lost Son
Jesus Healed a Man Born Blind
Jesus Walked on Water
Paul and Silas in Prison

Ordering Information
Ready to learn more? Follow these links for ordering information on the lifeway.com site and a free sample session download on the Ning site:

http://www.lifeway.com/Keyword/Special+Buddies
Order current dated curriculum and undated single-session downloads

LifeWay Special Needs Ministry
facebook.com/LifeWay Special Needs
Interact with other special needs leaders

 

Special Buddies Teachers
lifewayextra.ning.com/group/specialbuddiesteachers
Find a free downloadable Special Buddies session

Joy Fisher has been a ParentLife contributor since before her children were born; her oldest is inching ever closer to his 13th birthday. She edits Special Buddies, LifeWay’s Bible study curriculum for children with intellectual and developmental special needs.

Events and Happenings: August and September

Some tidbits we've gathered that we thought you might be interested in:

• From now until September 30, Sprite is giving community members the chance to help their local school win a $25,000 grant to fund refurbishing playground equipment and athletic fields. The Sprite Spark Parks program has 25 grants to give away. The winners will be selected by community members donating MyCokeRewards points off specially marked Sprite products. A list of eligible schools can be found at mycokerewards.com/schools.
• The creators of Fireproof and Facing the Giants release another family-friendly film September 30: Courageous. Courageous is the story of four law enforcement officers who struggle with the balance of their work with fatherhood and family. Can't we all relate to that? What Fireproof did for marriages, Courageous promises to do for father-children relationships.
• As the 10-year anniversary of the September 11th attacks approaches, you may be looking for an event to attend, perhaps to help your children understand the significance of that time. This site has a list of submitted Healing and Remembrance Events; if you are planning something in your city, you can submit it as well.

What's happening in your neck of the woods in the next few weeks?

Snack Food Substitutes to the Rescue! by Beth Aldrich

With back-to-school either coming soon or already a reality, you might be needing an old-fashioned after-school snack to satisfy your kids until dinnertime. Here are some healthy snacks that you'll feel good about putting on the table.

Old-Fashioned Rice Krispies Treats redux: Prepare this old time favorite recipe, but substitute high-fiber cereal or MultiGrain Cheerios and add some dried fruit to the mix, such as dried cranberries or raisins.

Anything on a stick. Kids love to eat finger food — and if they get to "create" it, even better. Set out bamboo skewers and several bowls of fruit, diced lean turkey breast, cheese, veggies, etc. and let the kids "make" their own snacks. You can control what foods they'll use for their creations, and they love the decision-making and activity part of the project!

Anything in a Tortilla! Kids will eat almost anything wrapped in a tortilla, so get creative. Smear some low-fat cream cheese and sliced strawberries or pears and cheddar cheese or even just peanut butter and bananas. The kids can also take over and make their own creation.

Make Your Own "Mix": When you take your child to the grocery store bulk bins, they love the idea of scooping and weighing the items. Let them select a few of their favorites for a homemade energy trail mix with seeds, nuts, popcorn, dried fruit and coconut, and yes, maybe even a small portion of chocolate nibs or drops! Have your child portion the completed mix into snack-sized plastic bags or mini containers and take them on the go for a quick pick-you-up snack!

Bagels, Baby! Nothing says satisfaction more than a bagel. Make it a nourishing snack by purchasing whole grain bagels and top them with organic jam and low fat cream cheese. To make them even more kid friendly, but them in thin slices and arrange like spokes of a wheel around the plate. What looks different and interesting yet familiar usually attracts kids to the plate!

What are your favorite after-school snacks to serve (or eat!)?

Beth Aldrich is a Certified Health Counselor and author of the new book, Real Moms Love to Eat: How to Conduct a Love Affair with Food and Still Look Fabulous (New American Library, January, 2012). To pre-order the book visit Beth's blog, www.RealMomsLovetoEat.com and enter the pre-order contest giveaway. Twitter: @RealMomsLuv2Eat
 

A Family-Friendly Field Trip

Passages, a non-sectarian, worldwide traveling exhibition of The Green Collection, tells the dramatic story of how the Bible came to be. This 14,000-square-foot, interactive display of rare biblical texts and artifacts and was designed to engage people of all ages and interests in the history and impact of the Bible. Passages invites visitors behind the scenes of the most-banned, most-debated, best-selling book of all time to discover the surprising story of Bible history and is currently open at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

The exhibition allows children and adults alike to see, touch, feel, and experience thousands of years of history through priceless artifacts and interactive features more readily associated with science museums. Along with some 300 priceless biblical artifacts from ancient papyri to dead sea scrolls to beautifully ornate gold Bibles, the exhibit draws in children with:

• A hidden riddle scavenger hunt hosted by Louie — a talking lion whose images appear throughout the exhibition to explain to young visitors the history and importance of each area;
• Hands-on activities such as writing by candlelight with a quill pen, setting block letters on a printing press, and creating an original page to adorn a Bible;
• Adult and children's versions of virtual guided tours via an iPod Touch
• Two working replicas of a Gutenberg and King James printing press that children get to manipulate;
• Animatronic historical characters including St. Jerome, Anne Boleyn, William Tyndale, and John Knox, which engage visitors with stories of human life and sacrifice that went into making the Bible available today; and
• Life-like galleries set in historical scenes including an ancient synagogue and a modern excavation site.

Passages is in Oklahoma City through October 16 and will then tour soon-to-be announced cities and locations worldwide. Tickets are $19 for adults and include the exhibit, the rest of the museum’s holdings plus the use of an iPod touch audio guide. Discount coupons are available at Hobby Lobby and Mardel.

Go Grab a Blizzard Tomorrow

Tomorrow, August 11, is the sixth annual Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day. For each Blizzard sold, $1 or more will be donated to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. What a wonderful (and tasty!) way to help a fantastic organization.

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds for 170 children's hospitals across North America, which, in turn, use the money where it's needed the most. When a donation is given it stays in the community, ensuring that every dollar is helping local kids. Since 1983, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $4 billion, most of it $1 at a time. These donations have gone to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care, all in support of our mission to save an improve the lives of as many children as possible. Learn more at CMNHospitals.org.

Last year Dairy Queen raised over $5.5 MILLION dollars for CMN Hospitals! Wow! I guess people really like their Blizzards!

My favorite flavor is Turtle Pecan Cluster. (Not that I would refuse ANY flavor Blizzard, I don't think.) What's yours? — Jessie

Grown-Up-ness by Jessie Weaver

I've wondered a lot lately what it means to be a grown-up.

Does becoming a parent automatically make you grow up? What about those who become parents at 13, 14, even 17? What is the bridge you have to cross in order to feel grown-up?

When Jessie Weaver is not busy being the resident ParentLife Blogger, she writes at Vanderbilt Wife and also for magazines like HomeLife and ParentLife. She lives in Chattanooga with her husband, where they run after two little ones: Libbie (2) and David (7 months). And yes, that picture is, in fact, of her, around age 14.

Back-to-School Photography Tips

I still have a hard time fathoming that August is the beginning of the school year around here (Tennessee). Where I grew up in Richmond, Virginia, we didn't start school until the Tuesday after Labor Day. I'm pretty sure that's still the rule there. But then again, I didn't graduate until June 16th ... so I guess it's just a toss-up as to which end of the summer you want your extra weeks to be.

Do you want to start some special traditions for your school-aged children? Having pictures of the same events every year will make a beautiful scrapbook or album for your kids to look back on when they are adults. - Jessie

Here are some tips on back-to-school photography from Tracy Greene, photographer and author at Take Great Pictures.

Back To School Shopping, Shopping, Shopping

Whether you like it or not, shopping for back-to-school clothes, shoes, and school supplies is an annual tradition that deserves documentation. Photograph them before you leave with their worn out summer sandals, unruly pool hair, and faded summer tank tops. You'll have that to start your back-to-school scrapbook page and contrast it with the first day of school photo.

By giving the camera to your kids for part of this day you might even end up with a funny photo of yourself frazzled from a day of shopping.

The First Day

Whether they are taking the bus, walking, or driving themselves for the first time, that goodbye photo is crucial to remember that feeling forever. They will be proud to see their independence and you can reflect on this time in their lives. 

Think Outside of the Box

Kids smiling for the camera always make a nice picture, but you might like something a little out of the ordinary even better. Try photographing kids from behind. On the first day of school you will see the excited posture of their walk onto the bus or into school with their new favorite backpack they picked for this year.

Get a Close-Up

Make sure you do a full head to toe photo to capture what they looked like at this time in their life. Then, zoom in close and do a few portraits to remember the features of their face at this age. They will inevitably get annoyed after a few shots so keep shooting and grab some of those funny candid moments too.

Back-to-School Traditions

Once they are home from the first day, do you have an annual family tradition? Homemade cookies and milk, ice cream cones... whatever the tradition, be sure to include your camera.

Do you have any back-to-school photography traditions?

Photos courtesy of Tracy Greene.

Fun Friday Photo -- August 5, 2011

Thirteen-year-old Makenna gets creative with her pretzel while at Blume in Orlando, Florida, with the Acteens from her church! 

Thanks to Heather P. for this great photo!

Photos wanted! Send us your funny, cute, or just plain fun pictures for our Fun Friday Photos. Each Friday we will post a new "Fun Friday Photo." E-mail your photo and a suggested caption describing the photo to parentlife@lifeway.com. Visit the blog each Friday to see if your photo was chosen!

Real Life Solutions: Playtime

We are proud to have Dr. Linda Mintle in ParentLife each month answering questions submitted from readers. To submit a question for Dr. Mintle, e-mail it to parentlife@lifeway.com and include "? for Dr. Mintle" on the subject line. This month we have an extra Q&A from Dr. Mintle we wanted to share.

Q: How important is it for me as a parent to play with my child? I feel like I have so much to do during the day. My child has playmates in our neighborhood and likes to play alone with toys. I use playtime to get household chores done, but I am wondering if she needs more of my time.

A: I love your question because you intuitively know that being a Martha mom requires a bit more Mary time (Luke 10:38-42)! Playtime with you is important for your child no matter how many friends and activities she has. No one can make your child feel as special as you can.

It is worth taking time each day to engage in pretend play. Play is a learning activity that encourages verbal and logical skills and the development of relationship skills. Studies show that parents who play with their children have kids with better self-esteem and who are reinforced in their imaginations and creativity. So here are a few ideas.

Instead of cleaning with your mop, make it a puppet. Have your child develop a theme and become part of the pretend world. Be silly and have fun. You can play with puppets and stuffed animals and use them to teach your child real-life situations that present your values.

Old-fashioned games such as hide and go seek, hopscotch, and acting out a fairy tale are easy to do and will bring you and your child closer together. Put down the dust rag and play with your child. She won’t remember a clean house as much as the fun she had with Mom.

 

August Giveaway: She Makes It Look Easy

"I want what she has." How many of us have said that? I sure know that I don't have it all together. Trying to be a full-time mom, housekeeper, wife, and freelancer usually explodes in my face. My house is a mess. My toddler watches too much TV. My baby doesn't get as many baths as he should. The laundry is piled everywhere. There are ants dancing in the kitchen.

Marybeth Whalen's second and newest book, She Makes It Look Easy, deals with this very topic. Here's the blurb from the publisher, David C. Cook:

Ariel Baxter has moved into the neighborhood of her dreams — and the chaos of raising three children moved with her. Then she meets her neighbor, Justine Miller. Justine ushers Ariel into a world of clutter-free houses, fresh-baked bread, homemade crafts, neighborhood playdates, and organization techniques designed to make marriage better and parenting manageable. Soon Ariel realizes there is hope for peace, friendship, and clean kitchen counters. But when rumors start to circulate about Justine's real home life, Ariel must choose whether to believe the best about the friend she admires or consider the possibility that "perfection" isn't always what it seems to be.

I haven't read this book yet, but it was featured by the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, so I was able to read several reviews. From what I read, it's a heart-piercing novel that is both fiction and true to life. It may be a smack in the face ... or just the assurance you need that no one has it all together, really.

Would you like to win a copy of Whalen's novel? We have TEN autographed copies to give away, courtesy of David C. Cook. To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling us what the best book you've read recently was. (If it's Green Eggs and Ham, that's OK too!) — Jessie

Winners will be selected at random September 1, 2011. USA only. LifeWay employees are not eligible to win.

Asking Your Kids' Principal about Internet Security

A few weeks ago, Donna Sawyer shared with us some characteristics of a responsible Internet safety program at schools. Today, she follows up with questions to ask the school principals about Internet safety.

• Do you point students to child-friendly, copyright-free sources for images and video, rather than setting them loose on open source search engines?
• Are students taught how to craft savvy search statements and use advanced search strategies to locate quality information sources?
• Are students taught critical thinking?
• Do you know when the district will make Internet Safety policies public or where parents can access minutes of the meeting where they talked about the policy?
• Can you help me better understand the school’s Acceptable Use Policy and Internet Safety Policy?
• What problems does the school Internet filter present in the classroom? Why?
• If teachers are unhappy with a blocked Web site, what is the procedure for having it unblocked? Who is involved in evaluating the online material that teachers request to be unblocked?
• Do teachers know how to build collections of free quality educational videos or Web sites, even if the district filter blocks access to them? For example, if YouTube is blocked, do teachers know how they can build rich collections of grade-level YouTube videos, bypassing inappropriate YouTube content?
• How can I help as a parent?

Would you add any questions or concerns about Internet safety in schools? We'd love to hear what you have to say in the comments.

For even more from Donna, read "School Technology Problems" in our August 2011 issue.

Photo used with permission of Flickr Creative Commons. Click on photo for source.

Giveaway Winners

The winners of The Missional Mom by Helen Lee are:

• Alicia Odell
• Kim
• Branden
• kjersten
• Michele

The winners of the July giveaway for copies of God's Shelter for Your Storm by Sheila Walsh are:

• Angie Burleson
• Pat Saltzgaber
• Tanya Fierro

Congratulations! Jodi will be in touch to get your mailing information. — Jessie