The North Texas Journal v23n38

8/8/2019 The North Texas Journal v23n38

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WEEKLY Volume 23, Number 38 - Sept. 24, 2010

Bridging The CommunicationGap Between School And Home

Page 13


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Bridging The

CommunicationGap BetweenSchool And Home

Page 13





How To Effectively Express Your Personal Brand OnlineARA) - Millions of people connect with others onlinehrough Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and other so-ial media platforms. These tools can be bene cial,

helping you meet new people, re-connect with oldriends, communicate with current friends and evennd jobs.

However, using social media can create a clutter of nformation about you online, giving others the op-

portunity to pass judgment without your control. Thisdoesn’t mean you should shut down your Facebook,Twitter and Foursquare accounts, but rather turn your ocial media presence into an opportunity to brand

and market yourself to the online community. And if you’re one of many job-hunting Americans, marketingyourself online can be the critical point for true candi-dacy for the job you want.

Emmy-nominated TV/online personality Shira Lazar was recently named “Social Media Maven,” winningAshton Kutcher’s 24 Hours at Sundance competition.She’s also the host/guest judge of the MSN video se -ies “The Tastemaker,” a contest that features six con-estants competing in a series of challenges to moti-

vate their social networks and community to win theitle of “tastemaker.” Here are some simple tips from

Lazar to help you be smart and strategic when effec-ively building your online brand:

* Consistency of your brand. Know yourself and your message. People can see through a fake brand or im-age. When you embrace your authentic voice, you’ll

nd your audience and your audience will nd you.Once you’ve honed in on your brand, be consistent in

your engagement. Just like a friend, you won’t buildloyalty with your followers if you’re never around.

* Converse and share. Your brand isn’t just about you,but the conversation you create and what you contrib-ute. Use your online platform to put the spotlight onissues and people that inspire you.

* Content is king. Don’t just talk about what you’re eating and doing. Twitter and Facebook status updatesare the new news feeds. If you can provide importantand relevant content to your followers, then you willbecome a valuable source of information, too. Siteslike MSN.com make it easy to share articles and videos with just one click.

* Quality over quantity. If the number of followers isyour key indication of success, you’re looking at the

wrong thing. It’s the quality of people following youand those who really listen and interact, not the quan-tity.

* Incorporate multimedia. People love connecting inmore ways than just the written word. Try incorporating photos and videos in your Facebook or Twitter posts to add more color. Resources like Twitpic.com,Facebook’s mobile apps and more make uploadingmultimedia content a snap, either at home or on thego.

* Keep learning. Stay curious, and keep up with thelatest innovations, topics and news. One way is byobserving ways other people are building their brandsand activating their communities, like the contestantson the MSN video series Tastemaker at tastemaker.

msn.com. Watch the showto see how each contes-tant motivates their socialnetworks and communityto participate in certain ac-tivities for their challenges.Jot down some of thoseideas, or even jump startyour online brand buildingby submitting your videovote while the contest isstill happening through theend of October.





Safety Doesn’t Take A HolidayARA) - The holiday season is a great time to

gather with family and friends in your home toelebrate the season. In the rush of decoratinghe home and shopping for gifts, many peopleverlook simple safety precautions.

Whether you are stringing lights inside or outsideyour home, shopping for holiday decor for your

ffice or dorm room, or looking online for the lat-st gadgets and gifts, it is important to keep safe-y in mind.

CSA International, a global product safety, test-ng and certification organization, recommendshat you remember these smart decorating andhopping tips to help ensure everyone has a safe

holiday season:

Deck your halls: indoor safety tips

Inspect holiday light strings each year and dis-ard any with frayed cords, cracked lamp holdersr loose connections.

Never tack or staple lighting strings or extensionords to any surface.

* Never run electrical cords through doorways or under carpets and rugs.

* Always turn off holiday lights when you leavethe house unattended or when going to bed.

* Do not use open flames or candles on or near flammable materials such as wreaths, trees or paper decorations.

* Avoid hanging decorations on or near objectslike fire sprinklers, fire extinguishers, exit corri-dors or exit signs which can hinder one’s visionor safety.

* Consider using certified LED holiday lightsaround your home, as they are more energy-ef-ficient and longer lasting than traditional lights.

* Ensure your home includes certified workingsmoke and carbon monoxide alarms on each lev-el of your home.

All is bright: outdoor lighting tips





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* Before working with outdoor wiring, turn off theelectricity to the supply outlet and unplug theconnection.

* Ensure that light strings, cords, spotlights and

floodlights are certifieand marked for outdooruse.

* When hanging lightoutdoors, keep electri-cal connectors aboveground, out of puddlesor snow and away frommetal gutters.

* Use insulated fasteners such as tape or plastic clips rather thannails or tacks to holdlights in place.

* Remove lighpromptly after the holi

days to avoid damagecaused by extendedexposure to harsh weather conditions.

* Use a certified timer to switch lights on and off.

* Consider using solar lighting for illuminatingyour walkway or outside space to be more con-scious of the environment while improving your outdoor safety.

Shop safe: avoid counterfeit products

* Avoid electrical products such as electric toys,





©2010 TXU Energy Retail Company LLC. All rights reserved. REP #10004

That’s why we have a program called TXU Energy Aid.SM Nobody should have to sufer without power or ear o an electricity bill they can’t aford. We’re proud to providetemporary bill payment assistance to thousands o customers in critical situationseach year, right in your community. Since 1983, TXU Energy Aid SM has provided morethan $61 million in bill payment assistance, helping 365,000 amilies in need.Learn more at txu.com.

Sometimes even the hardest working parents get hit with unexpected expense. We know about those times.

No kid should have

to worry about livingwithout electricity.

TXU Energy is proud to partner with

household appliances, power tools and consumer lectronics that are missing a label from an ac-redited certification organization such as CSAnternational. Counterfeit electrical products have

not been tested to the applicable standards andmay present an electrical, fire or toxic danger.

Counterfeit packaging often has inferior designsr partial illustrations. Look for misspellings and

unclear print on products and labels.

Check for a discrepancy between the contentsf the product package and its description.

When a product doesn’t include a brand identi-

fier or trademark, it may be a fake. Look for miss-ing return addresses or company contact infor-mation.

* Check the “look and feel” of products. Fakes areoften light and flimsy.

* Buy only from reputable stores with clearly stat-ed return policies.

For a fun and interactive website on holiday safe-ty that the whole family can enjoy, featuring a holiday safety cartoon, visit www.CSAHoliday.com.For more general safety tips, visit www.CSASa-fetyTips.com.



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Bridging The Communication Gap Between School And Home

(ARA) - As your kids settle into the school year, youmay nd that dealing with your child’s educationcan sometimes be a bit unsettling. Whether it’s anew year with a new teacher whose communicationstyle leaves you wanting more or dealing with ma-jor issues from grades to behavior, having a solidworking relationship with your child’s school can beas critical as their daily attendance.

We live in a real-time society where instant ac-cess to grades via the Internet and to your childrenvia cell phones is the norm. Parents are continu-ally looking to bridge the gap between school andhome.

“The reality is that teachers have so many studentsand so many constraints on their time that they sim-

ply cannot give an adequate amount of attention tocommunicating home to the child’s parents,” saysDr. Mike Papadimitriou, headmaster for the Acad-emy of Science in Conroe, Texas. The key to suc-cess for parents, he says, centers along creatingthe appropriate and acceptable lines of communi-cation with the school and with their child.

“The best way to keep abreast of what’s going onat school is to get involved,” says Dr. Marv Abrams,an adjunct educational professor for Argosy Uni -

versity, Orange County and an educational profes-sional with 20 years teaching and 14 years admin-istrator experience. “Whether your child is youngenough for you to volunteer in the classroom or whether you join the good old PTA, you’re gainingaccess to knowledge about how the classroom andthe school work and gaining access to school ad-ministrators that can be very useful for staying intune with your child’s education.”

Another critical component to keeping your child outof trouble and focused on studies is to know your child’s friends. “Parents should always be monitor-ing their child’s friends,” says Abrams. “Know whoyour children are hanging out with, texting, and talk-ing to on social networking sites and what they aredoing with them. Kids are attracted to people just

like them so if you nd they hang out with a ‘badcrowd’ the reality is that they are the ‘bad crowd’and you may need to intervene.”

Kids who stay active are kids who stay out of trouble,both Abrams and Papadimitriou agree. Whether it’sa school club, the band or athletics, the more timekids spend in the presence of an adult engaged insomething positive, the better off they’ll be.

When your child faces trouble, socially or academi-cally, staying neutral is the key. “Parents can loseobjectivity when it comes to their children. Theysend their children to us as their most prized pos-sessions and can forget that their children, like





us as administrators, sometimes make mistakes.Nobody is perfect - the goal should be to focus onthe problem at hand and correcting the situation,not on identifying blame with either the child or theschool,” says Papadimitriou.

While many parents consider themselves as mucha friend to their child as a parent, setting clear boundaries for yourself is as important as gettinginvolved. “Allow your child to work through the is-sue on their own,” says Abrams. When they cometo you with an issue, ask what they are doing aboutthe problem and how they can resolve it. Offer ad-vice that can help them work it out for themselves.Papadimitriou agrees and adds, “If that doesn’twork, then you communicate with the teacher,” hesays.

If the issue is academic, Abrams recommends get-ting to know the learning environment better. “Askthe teacher how he or she is teaching the contentstandards and when they are teaching which sub-jects. Ask for additional work and/or resources to

help support your child’s learning. Stay focused onyour child and not on telling the teacher how to runthe class or how to work with other kids.”

“Never criticize the teacher or school in front of your child,” says Abrams. “It forces your child to choosebetween the authority of the school and your au-thority as a parent and only sets them up for fur-ther con icts in the future. If you need to discussan issue, you talk to the teacher without your childknowing. That gives you the opportunity to partner with the teacher to nd a solution and sets your child up for success in the future. It also sets youup to be able to reinforce the work the teacher isdoing.”

“While a child is never expected to adjust to anabusive situation,” says Papadimitriou, “sometimeschildren just have to learn to adjust to differentways of doing things and to different personalities.The less critical and the more cooperative you areas a parent, the more positive impact you can haveon your child’s education.”





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Save Money, Energy This Winter With Vent-Free Gas Products

ARA) - As winter approaches and you reach for thehermostat, you might be thinking of ways to save

money and energy. Installing an environmentallyriendly vent-free gas product could do both.

Vent-free gas appliances - such as wall heaters, logs,

toves, inserts, and replaces - are modern, cost-ef -ective, and easy to install. Because they require nohimney or vent, vent-free gas systems are less ex-ensive, and quicker and easier to install than other ypes of gas zone heating systems.

These products provide supplemental heat to com-lement your home’s existing central furnace or heatump, improving energy ef ciency and providing tre -

mendous comfort and ambiance.

A great way to use a vent-free gas product is for zoneheating, which allows you to turn down your home’sentral heat system and focus the heat from a vent-

free gas unit in the rooms your family uses most often.This can save precious energy dollars - more than 20percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy- compared to maximizing the heat in both occupiedand vacant rooms in your home.

In addition to zone heating to reduce energy costs,vent-free gas appliances are very economical. Theyoperate at 99 percent ef ciency - delivering 99 centsworth of heat for every dollar of energy cost.

Environmentally friendly vent-free appliances are fu-eled with natural gas or propane, among the cleanestof all fossil fuels, according to the U.S. Environmen-tal Protection Agency. Both gases are domesticallyabundant and are secure sources of energy. In addi-tion to a clean, green output, vent-free gas products

don’t generate hazardous waste when they’re manu-factured.

When winter weather hits your neighborhood andputs your power supply at risk, you can be assuredof having a reliable, ef cient heat source with a vent-free gas product. That’s because these systems re-quire no electricity, so they will continue to providereliable heat even when the electricity is interrupted.

In addition to saving money and energy, vent-freegas products have a remarkable safety record. Theseproducts have been available to consumers for morethan 30 years, with more than 20 million units sold.As with any gas appliance, proper installation, basiccare and regular maintenance are required.

You can learn more about vent-free gas appliancesat www.ventfree.org.















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The North Texas Journal v23n38