Parents, Kids & Community Seasons 2023 - Edition Twelve

How Parents Can Pitch In At Their Children’s Schools

Givingback to one’s community can take many forms. Some may give back by supporting the legislature to make communities more inclusive, while others may volunteer with their local fire departments. Parents of school-aged youngsters can typically find many opportunities to give back through their children’s schools.

Parents who volunteer at their children’s schools often get a unique glimpse into their children’s life at school. Such parents may see how their children interact with educators and classmates and gain greater insight into the school community where kids spend so much of their time. Volunteering at school also can benefit kids, who may recognize the importance of education more readily if mom and/or dad are spending their free time on campus. That recognition can leave to improved performance in the classroom.

Parent-teacher associations can be great resources for parents who want to volunteer with their children’s schools. Each year, students graduate and move on to new schools or colleges, meaning schools are in new need of parent volunteers each school year. Though each school has its own unique needs, the following are some roles parent volunteers may be able to play at their children’s schools.

• Tutor

• Mentor

• IT support: Parents with significant experience in tech or information technology can offer to lend a hand or provide advice or insight in support of a school’s IT staff

• Organizer: Schools host many functions in a typical school year, and officials typically ask parents to pitch in so such events can be successful. For example, parents can help organize school fundraisers, dances, and holiday bazaars.

• Chaperone on field trips

• Assistant coach: Many schools pay

Kids Can Get Their Game On

Modernchildren have somewhat different ideas of what constitutes entertainment, especially when compared to youngsters from a generation or two ago. While it was once commonplace for kids to be out and about with their friends riding bikes and spending time in each other’s backyards — only returning home when the streetlights came on — modern youths spend lots of time at home and indoors on their devices.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids between the ages of eight and 18 now spend an average of 7.5 hours in front of a screen each day. That figure only accounts for recreational time and doesn’t include the hours kids spend on computers or tablets for educational purposes. In addition, social media is a large part of kids’ days. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry indicates 90 percent of teens between the ages of 13, and 17 have used social media, and 51 percent report visiting a social media site at least daily. Younger children also use social media, with a recent poll from C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital saying 32 percent of parents of kids between the ages of seven and nine reported their children use social media apps.

A classic children’s game night might be just what the doctor ordered to draw kids away from screens and provide a healthy respite from the barrage of information coming their way through the internet. With these tips, a game night can be a successful way to help children engage socially in person.

Pick A Theme

Unite all elements of the game night by selecting a theme. For example, if you will be pulling out the classic game OperationTM, pre-purchase inexpensive lab coats or doctors’ scrubs for participants to wear. Serve foods shaped like various body parts (borrow from some Halloween ideas) and invite guests with

stipends to the head coaches of their athletic teams, but parents can serve as unpaid assistants or support staff during the season. For example, parents can volunteer to work as gameday staff, taking tickets at the gate or directing ticket holders where to park.

• Club official: Extracurricular clubs also can benefit from parents willing to work as volunteers. Parents can help students who want to start new clubs or serve as moderators or helpers in existing clubs.

• Speaker: High schools may host periodic career days throughout the school year to help students on the cusp of applying to college uncover potential career paths. Parents with significant professional experience in a given field can offer to speak to students on career days, sharing information about their careers and industries and answering any questions students may have.

• Administrative support: Parents can also pitch to help with behind-the-scenes administrative duties like letter-writing, grant proposals, and other projects that are vital in securing funding for school programs and other services.

an invitation that serves as a “Prescription for Fun.”

Choose A Good Time

Even though “game night” implies the gathering takes place in the evening, choose a time that works best for most. Perhaps meeting directly after school for snacks and play before dinner aligns better with everyone’s schedule. Parents can take turns hosting to give children something to look forward to once a week.

Shop Together

Bring the kids along to the store to select board games and other activities that appeal to them. Explain that the majority of game nights will be dedicated to non-electronic games. Parents can organize game night how they see fit, but working one video game night into the rotation each month can up the fun factor for kids.

Take It Outside

“Games” encompass a wide array of activities. Organize a pick-up whiffle ball game in the cul-de-sac or an after-dark manhunt game with flashlights (age permitting). Families with pools can rotate having kids over for pool games, which can include volleyball, diving games, or Marco Polo.

Starting A Club At School

Awell-rounded

school experience is comprised of a host of variables. Academics are an important part of being a student, but extracurricular activities are valuable as well. In addition to sports, clubs comprise extracurricular activities that students can enjoy.

Many schools have dozens of clubs that students can join. However, if students can’t find one that correlates with a particular passion or interest, they are often welcome to start one that does. Each school has its own protocols, but this rundown can help students start a club at school.

• Think about ideas. Figure out where there may be deficits in club offerings and brainstorm ideas with like-minded friends. Talk about activities you enjoy, such as fishing, skiing, or reading, and build a club around it.

• Identify a mission. Before moving forward with a club, define its purpose or mission. Will the club be built around entertainment, learning new skills, landing a job, or doing community service? Defining your mission will help guide the planning process.

• Be sure to get permission. Follow the school’s rules when forming a new club. Check with the school principal or another school official who oversees extracurricular activities to find out the right way to establish a club.

• Find a sponsor for the club. Oftentimes clubs require a moderator or sponsor that is an administrator in the school. If you have a particularly good rapport with a teacher at your school, ask this teacher if he or she would be willing to dedicate time to overseeing your new club. Sometimes it is better to find a teacher whose area of interest matches that of the club. For example, a French language teacher may be able to sponsor the French Club.

• Decide where the club meets. In addition to figuring out why you want to start this club, map out the logistics. This includes where the club will meet. Some schools may have rooms set up for club meetings; otherwise, you may need to take your club to a library or a recreation center in your community. In addition, determine when meetings will occur and the frequency of those gatherings.

• Advertise the club and recruit title holders. A club will need an organizational body of other students to be successful. As the club initiator, you may serve as president. However, a treasurer, secretary, marketing person/recruiter, and others may be needed. People in these roles can help keep the club running smoothly. These guidelines can serve as a solid foundation when developing a new school club.

Enriching Non-Sports Extracurricular Activities

Aschoolexperience goes beyond lessons learned in the classroom. Part of what helps shape well-rounded students are the skills they sharpen and the memories they make while engaging in extracurricular activities. Extracurricular involvement shows that students can stick with activities for extended periods of time, indicates they have passions and interests, and illustrates that they can take initiative outside of their schoolwork.

Athletics is a popular extracurricular activity. A love of sports often develops in elementary school, with children participating in recreational or school-based leagues each year. That enjoyment of the game only builds in middle school and high school. However, there are plenty of students who are not sports enthusiasts but still fill their afterschool hours with activities that can help cultivate leadership, teamwork, time management skills, confidence, and much more. The following are some extracurriculars that go beyond the scholastic playing field.

• Art activities: These can include painting, sketching, ceramics, jewelry-making, and yarn work.

• Band or chorus: Music instruction is ideal for those who want to explore a passion for singing or playing an instrument.

• Theater: Students can participate in theater productions after school. It’s possible to get involved both in front of

the curtain and behind with positions in the cast, crew, and even promotional team.

• Newspaper: Many schools still produce student-led newspapers in print or digital versions. Students handle all of the roles, from reporting, editing, photography, and managing the publication.

• Foreign language clubs: Students may want to expand on their foreign language studies by participating in language clubs. Often these clubs include learning more about the cultures where specific languages are spoken, including exploring culinary delights and possible travel.

• Philanthropy: Like-minded students may want to participate in school-organized volunteer activities. These keep students busy but also benefit recipients in many ways. Activities can include beach sweeps or volunteering at animal shelters.

• Coding and programming: Students can learn the basics of writing code and building computer applications or websites.

• Culinary arts: Certain schools may be equipped with kitchen facilities and still offer elective courses in culinary arts, while others may reserve cooking classes for extracurricular activities. If a school does not have a culinary club, chances are students can find a cooking class offered through a private group.

The Link Between Volunteering And Academic Performance

There are many reasons for parents to encourage children who express an interest in volunteering. Volunteering is a social activity that can help children develop their social and networking skills, and many parents credit volunteering with instilling a sense of perspective in their children that they might not have gained had they not been exposed to people from different backgrounds. Volunteering also has been linked to stronger academic performance. The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that students who indicate they’re doing better in school are more likely to be volunteers than students who report doing less well. The broadened exposure to people and places that students may otherwise not encounter without volunteering also can benefit them in the classroom, helping them more readily identify with cultures and societies they’re studying. College applicants with volunteering experience also may set themselves apart in the increasingly competitive application process. Though a 2019 Pew Research study reported that most schools admit more than two-thirds of their applicants, that figure is significantly lower at many of the more highly rated institutions in the United States. For example, Stanford University (4.3 percent) and Harvard University (4.9 percent) recently reported acceptance rates below 5 percent. Though volunteering alone won’t help applicants gain acceptance to such competitive institutions, it can serve as a strong résumé builder and be even more effective if it also produces the previously noted improvements in academic performance.

Transform Bananas Into A Moist Dessert

Bananas

are a versatile fruit that can be eaten right off the bunch or utilized in a bevy of recipes. Despite being characterized as the first “superfood” endorsed by the American Medical Association in the early 20th century, bananas are avoided by some people. Some claim that bananas make people gain weight or develop constipation, but many medical organizations point to the nutritional benefits of bananas, which contain potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, fiber, and manganese. A banana’s flavor starts out as mildly sweet and gains more sweetness as it ripens. Very ripe bananas, or those that have brown speckled skins, don’t need to be discarded. They make perfect additions to baked goods, notably banana bread. Before tossing out brown bananas, consider this recipe for “Chocolate Chip Banana Bread” courtesy of Jenna Barnard and the Butternut Bakery Blog.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1 loaf

1 1⁄2 cups ripe and mashed banana (3 to 4 medium bananas), measured

1⁄2 cup packed light brown sugar

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1⁄2 cup 2 percent Greek yogurt (sour cream also works)

1 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

3⁄4 cup mini chocolate chips, plus a handful more for sprinkling on top

2 cloves garlic

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325 F and grease and line a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter and sugars until you reach a paste-like consistency. This may take some vigorous whisking for a minute or two. You can either use a whisk or an electric mixer with the paddle attachment.

Add in your mashed bananas followed by the eggs, yogurt and vanilla.

Once all of your wet ingredients are mixed together, fold in the dry ingredients. Then, fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top if you like.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let it cool completely before removing from the pan. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

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