The School Nutrition Association (SNA) launched a PR campaign called Tray Talk in 2010. The official website (www.TrayTalk.org), is designed to emphasize the benefits of school meals and showcase success stories from school nutrition programs nationwide. SNA members can help send positive messages about school meals by submitting their own “school nutrition success stories” at the Tray Talk website.

Here is some of the information shared on the site:

School meals are well-balanced, healthy meals that are required to meet science-based, federal nutrition standards.

• • No more than 30% of calories can come from fat, less than 10% from saturated fat
  • Meals must provide 1/3 of Recommended Dietary Allowances of protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium
  • School meals are served in age-appropriate portion sizes
• Every School Lunch Includes five choices that add up to a great value:
  • Milk – Fat free or 1% – flavored or regular
  • Vegetables – From jicama slaw to fresh carrot sticks
  • Fruit – Everything from kiwi to locally grown apples; often fresh
  • Grains – More whole grain items like rolls or sandwich bread
  • Meat or meat alternate –White meat chicken, bean chili, lean beef

•  In January 2011, the US Department of Agriculture released proposed nutrition standards including new calorie and sodium limits, larger fruit and vegetable serving sizes and requirements to expand the variety of vegetables served in schools each week. The standards were finalized in 2012.
  

The School Nutrition Association makes the case for your child eating a school lunch saying, “A school lunch provides students with their choice of milk, fruits and vegetables, grains and proteins. School meals are a great value and a huge convenience for busy parents. School cafeterias offer students a variety of healthy choices and help children learn how to assemble a well-balanced meal. Parents can be assured that there’s no super-sizing in school cafeterias because federal regulations require schools to serve age-appropriate portions.”

For more information on healthy school meals, visit www.schoolnutrition.org.

Dear Readers,

The children’s blog, that went up on Sept 21st, is about storytelling. 

Storytelling has almost become a lost art for many children. Yet, encouraging children to tell stories is the natural first step to transitioning them to writing stories. Simply put, good writing content comes from good storytelling. Coupled with good grammar, punctuation, and spelling a child can be a confident writer who enjoys, rather than dreads,  the writing process.

During the next few children’s blogs, the “Can Do” kids will be introduced to the art of oral and written storytelling by Storyteller Bill Wood, who began telling stories, writing stories, and putting on plays as a young boy. Now a senior, long involved in community theater, he is once again writing for children and producing children’s theater.

In the blog on the 26th, children will review a familiar children’s story that’s a bit on the scary side . They will see that the story can be made less scary, even funny, and still carry a learning lesson.

From time to time, I would like to use the children’s blog to continue encouraging children to practice storytelling.

As grandmas and grandpas,  moms and dads, aunts and uncles, teachers and coaches of young children, you all  have stories you can share.  I am inviting all who are reading this blog  to send me a story you have written,  or that was told to you as a young child, and now you tell to your children .

Once a month, we will pick a story for publication on the children’s site. Full credit will be given to the author of the story. Please send your story to me, jeanc@candostreet.com.

Let’s make writing interesting and fun by sharing our gift of storytelling! Let’s start sharing our stories!

All the best,

Jean

The lazy days of summer are a great time to keep the love of reading going in children. What follows is a list of books suitable for reading by children ages 4-8.

All the World

by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Marla Frazee

In an oceanside community, friends and family celebrate the smallest pleasures of the beach and life. A 2010 Caldecott Honor Book.

All in a Day

by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Nikki McClure

The author of the Henry and Mudge series captures the magic of a day in childhood that seemingly goes on forever.

Birds

By Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek

A young bird watcher is enthralled by the many colors, shapes, and sizes of her avian neighbors. Henkes is the author of the well-loved Lilly series.

How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?

By Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague

The ninth book in the zany How Do Dinosaurs… series, this book tells how, even when little dinosaurs mess up, there are many reasons why their parents still love them!

I Spy Fly Guy!

Written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold

In Arnold’s hilarious series about a pet fly, Fly Guy is hauled away by mistake to the local dump and Buzz must find a way to save him. A 2010 Geisel Honor book.

The Lion and the Mouse

Written and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Set on the African savannah, Pinkney beautifully illustrates the retelling of Aesop’s fable of the lion and the mouse. 2010 Caldecott Medal winner.

Little Mouse Gets Ready

Written and illustrated by Jeff Smith

Little Mouse is learning to put on his own clothes and is ready for adventure. Young children will love how Little Mouse’s challenges mirror their own. A 2010 Geisel Honor Book.

My Abuelita

By Tony Johnston, illustrated by Yuyi Morales

An eccentric and flamboyant grandmother shares the stories of her life with her young grandson. A 2010 Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor book.

Red Sings From Treetops: A Year in Colors

By Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

A woman and her dog enjoy the changing seasons in a series of colorful poems and illustrations. A 2010 Caldecott Honor Book.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Written and illustrated by Grace Lin

Minli, a Chinese girl, lives in a poor village. When she buys a magic goldfish and joins a dragon that cannot fly, she embarks on an adventurous quest to find the Old Man of the Moon. A 2010 Newbery Honor book.

Source: http://www.schoolfamily.com

All of us at “Can Do” Street know how important mothers and grandmothers are to children young and old. So…from all of us to all of you…

Happy Mother’s Day!

The following article, about vision problems in young children, was submitted for sharing on this site from www.nannycare.com.

Adults know when they’re having trouble with their vision, but young children may not realize that anything is wrong. They may think that the poor quality of their sight is normal, or they may be too young to communicate that there’s a problem.

That’s why it’s important for parents to pay close attention to tell-tale signs that their child is having vision issues so the problem can be corrected quickly. Early detection is crucial, so here are 10 signs that your child may need glasses.

1. Squinting – The most common sign of vision problems is squinting. Anyone who has trouble seeing will squint to try to focus better. If you notice your child squinting a lot, you may want to make an appointment with the eye doctor.
2. Rubbing eyes – Another tell-tale sign to watch for is excessive eye rubbing. Most children will rub their eyes when they’re tired, but if this begins to happen frequently, then it could be an indication of a bigger problem. Two potential reasons a child may frequently rub his eyes are a subconscious reaction to blurry vision or it could just be allergies.
3. Tilting head – Children with double vision may tilt their head to see more clearly. This could be caused by a muscle imbalance in their eyes that can be corrected with eyeglasses.
4. Headaches or dizziness – Constant eye strain from poor vision can cause headaches and dizziness. If your child complains of frequent headaches in the forehead area or is irritable after reading or watching TV, he may need to see an optometrist.
5. Sits close to TV – Does your child constantly insist on sitting in front of the television? This could be a sign of nearsightedness that can be easily corrected with eyeglasses. Nearsightedness is identified when there is a problem with seeing things in a distance, so kids will sit closer to compensate.
6. Closing one eye – Another clue to vision trouble is closing or covering one eye when reading or watching TV. This could mean there is a problem with one eye, so a child will close it to see more clearly. Because this could be a serious condition, it should get immediate attention.
7. Holds books close – Most children should be able to read books at a comfortable distance, so holding books up to their face is a sign they may need eyeglasses. If your child is a bookworm with her nose continually in a book, she may need a visit to the eye doctor.
8. Problems in school – Quite often children who are having problems in school are facing these issues because of undiagnosed eye trouble. If they’re having trouble seeing the blackboard or reading they can become disinterested or even disruptive. Be sure to have your child’s vision checked if he is suddenly having trouble with school.
9. Lazy eye – When kids have a weakness in one eye it will show up when they’re tired. A droopy eyelid or one eye drifting out of alignment is a sign of a lazy eye that can often be corrected with eyeglasses.
10. Finger reading – Some kids will use a finger to follow the words when they read. This isn’t a clear sign they need glasses, but if it persists, there could be a problem. They may need the finger to keep their place when reading if they have astigmatism or amblyopia.

Many vision problems are hereditary, so if parents need glasses, chances are the kids may be prone to the same fate.

Nobody wants their kids to have to wear eyeglasses, but left unchecked, vision problems will only worsen over time. It’s much better to have an eye doctor give a clean bill of health than to let your child suffer with poor vision. Merely asking your child if they can see alright won’t work if they don’t know what clear vision is like. Routine vision screenings at school don’t always catch less common eye problems, so a visit to the optometrist may be necessary. Wearing glasses is no fun, but not being able to see clearly is worse. Watch for these signs to make sure your child doesn’t have a vision problem that needs correction.