Umazon Blog

In 1984, the national PTA established the first full week in May as Teacher Appreciation Week, with the Tuesday of that week being designated National Teacher Day. Do you have favorite teachers to whom you want to express appreciation? Here are some ideas:

Give a card with a poem or message that expresses what you want to say

It’s hard for most people to say out loud what they feel for other people. A card, however, has universal acceptance and approval, even if what it says would be uncomfortable to say face to face. You can buy a card, but the messages on many cards are so general that they may not fit your situation. Best of all would be to make your own card with a special poem or message that will touch your teacher’s heart and perhaps remain in his or her memory forever.

You can find a variety of teacher poems at poemsource.com. Here’s a sample:

Sonnet For An Unforgettable Teacher

(Teacher’s name),
When I began your class I think I knew
The kind of challenges you’d make me face.
You gave me motivation to pursue
The best, and to reject the commonplace.

Your thinking really opened up my mind.
With wisdom, style and grace, you made me see,
That what I’d choose to seek, I’d surely find;
You shook me out of my complacency.

I thank you now for everything you’ve done;
What you have taught me I will not outgrow.
Your kind attention touched my mind and heart;
In many ways that you will never know.

I will remember you my whole life through;
I wish that all my teachers were like you.

This copyrighted poem, by poemsource.com greeting-card-poet Joanna Fuchs, was designed for college and high school teachers. It is free for personal use, according to the Terms of Use at the site. For more teacher poems, including those designed for teachers of younger grades, go to poemsource.com.

Give a gift

Many students give their teachers little gifts during Teacher Appreciation Week. A personalized gift, with the teacher’s name or a personal message, is especially nice. You can find such gifts at personalizationmall.com or personalcreations.com. Presentation is important for maximum impact, so be sure to wrap your gift with wrapping paper and a ribbon.

If money is a problem, pick some flowers from your garden and tie a ribbon around them. (You do save the ribbons from the gifts you get, don’t you, so you can use one of those?) It’s the expression of your appreciation that counts, not the cost of the gift.

Express yourself

Yes, I know I just said how hard it sometimes is to say what you feel, but do go ahead and say whatever you feel comfortable saying. For example, as you hand your card and gift to your teacher, make eye contact and say something like, “Mrs. Johnson, I just want you to know that I appreciate you.” That’s plenty. Not so hard, is it?

For other ideas on how to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day, check out these sites:

http://www.pta.org/local_leadership_subprogram_1117568214281.html

http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin162.shtml

http://www.dltk-kids.com/school/teacher.htm

Copyright 2006 by Joanna Fuchs

You’ll find more teacher poems at http://www.poemsource.com/teacher-poems.html
You’ll also find rhyming and free-verse poems in a wide variety of categories, such as anniversary, baby, birthday, Christian, Christmas, father, friendship, get well, graduation, love, mother, New Year, teacher, Valentine and wedding. The poems are written by Joanna Fuchs. Contact her at her Web site, http://www.poemsource.com.

POOL SAFETY ALARMs - What are the In Pool Options?

Vigilance is the best way to prevent a child from drowning. Nearly all pool mishaps happen in less than five minutes; the amount of time it takes to make a cup of coffee or a sandwich.

There are alarms that can help you promote pool safety. Pool safety alarms afford you extra protection for the ones you care about and love. They will help keep your children from becoming a statistic.
Pool Alarms come in 2 styles: Floating and Infra red Sensors

1. FLOATING/WAVE SENSORS
These alarms are mounted on the edge of the pool or in the pool. They are key activated, battery powered, and portable. Generally these alarms sense water displacement when an object weighing more than fifteen pounds enters the pool. When this occurs a signal is sent to a remote receiver which is either in the home or carried by the gardian. The receiver emits an alarm of approximately 85 decibels. This type of alarm can be used with pool covers, pool nets or solar blankets and have an adjustment that can reduce their sensitivity. They are affordable. The disadvantages to this system in some models include the portability, which means some can be removed for swimming and not replaced, and the fact that someone must be in the water before you are alerted. More details are at http://safetyalarms.com/alt_alarms.html

2. FENCE/ WALL MOUNTED PASSIVE INFRA-RED MOTION DETECTORS
These all weather-designed systems may be mounted on a pool fence or wall and can also be installed in a spa, patio, or garage. They protect an 8-yard semi circular area by emitting a 110-decibel alarm that can be heard up to 50 yards away. These alarms, which are most effective when mounted on a pool fence or wall, are armed one minute after being switched on and possess a 5 second entry delay feature which prevents the device from going off immediately after it’s been activated. Unique features include both a movement and heat sensitive sensor that can only be activated by a small child or animal when performing movements and emitting body heat within its patrol range. 2 standard alkaline batteries or a DC power adapter run these alarms, which have a 12-month full replacement warranty.

POOL MOUNTED PASSIVE INFRA-RED MOTION DETECTORS
These alarms, which are some of the newest ones on the market, combine all of the important features found in other devices and are very affordable. Each unit, simultaneously detects both motion and heat of anyone passing by and will not give any false readings for inanimate objects. With this device a perimeter fence is not an integral part of the system as it is with most other systems.
This key operated unit runs on batteries or a DC power adapter and has a 24-hour warning signal for low battery power. With a 110-decibel micro siren this is also the loudest alarm on the market and can be heard 50-yards away. These alarms cover an 8.5-yard radius and a 150-degree area.
The Pool Mounted Passive Infra Red Motion Detector protects all children before they get wet and also keeps your pool equipment safe from theft. One type is available from www.safetyalarms.com/poolalarms.html

Pool Safety AlarmsThings to Think About
In considering a pool safety alarm one should compare features, price, and reliability. Consider the power source or sources, the fail-safes, and the potential for inadvertently disarming the warning system. Remember that pool alarms are one tool that will help to make your swimming area safer. Parental guidance and vigilance are primary in insuring pool safety.
This is an investment in your family’s future. Losing a child is devastating and most couples who do so end up in divorce. Statistics are cold hard facts; the hug of your child is a tender, heart-warming reality. Keep your little ones safe and protected.

Http://safetyalarms.com offers the swimming pool safety alternatives - Pool Alarms, sensors, Pool Fences, and swimming pool covers, are just some of the products covered at http://safetyalarms.com

safetyalarms.com offers the swimming pool safety alternatives - Pool Alarms, sensors, Pool Fences, and swimming pool covers, are just some of the products covered at safetyalarms.com

The method know as three dimensional ultrasound scanning is that can be used during early pregnancy, it provides 3d images of the unborn child. Most of the time these images are rapidly captured and combined to produce a “4d ultrasound scan”.

Three dimensional scanning works in a similar way to the normal ultrasound scanning methods except that the ultrasound pulses are directed from multiple directions. The waves are redirected back then captured to provide info to construct a 3-dimensional image in in a similar manner to 3d pictures. 3d ultasound scanning was devised by stephen smith and olaf von ramm.

It is important to understand that sonologists worldwide have always conjured 3d images of anatomy or pathology in their minds while doing 2d scans. However, until recently it was almost impossibel to do this kind of reconstruction on on info using ultrasound. The advent of 4d scans for the first time allowed us a peek into the brain of a sonologist and so allowing us see the images on the ultrasound machine.

3d/4d imaging should utilize ultrasound energy following the same limits as conventional 2d ultrasound to create the 3d images. There is no data to suggest harm due to 3d ultasound scanning, its use in none medical situations should be undertaken with an understanding of the risks involved.

Isn’t the technology of today is amazing?! Between the speed of Instant Messengers~ or IM’ing, the convince of cell phones, parenting has come a long way from when parents had to make three or four phone calls to track down their TWeen for the simplest request “Bring home some milk?”
to the infamous, “Your late, couldn’t you have called?”

These scenario’s from not so long ago have all but died out with today’s many wireless communication devices. No sooner does a new device come out,our kids seem to have it down These mini-adults who can’t seem to remember to take out the trash or keep their rooms clean, yet have the intelligence and focus to create secret languages and codes around these devices.

With their objective being privacy and the benefit, or fun part is we don’t understand one bit of it.

I have discovered the secret to win this battle; or at the very least, how to make it work for you vs, fighting the tide of neverending electronic toys& gadgets.That seem to come out faster then we can keep up with what’s new & hot that our tween is craving.

Whether its cell phones, pagers, or the latest craze~ called a Blackberry,They all want one ~ and who doesn’t?

Of course not that you go out and get them each one however thru another parent or a well meaning grandparent for say, perhaps as a graduation present. Once they have one, you can count on them eating, sleeping with it, doing everything but bathe with it, it will be their lifeline, or so it will seem… The only natural question seemed to me~

How can we best use these devices to assist us in our parenting?
To support us in communicating better with our teens

1. Get their screen names, learn their email address, phone numbers etc…

The first thing you need to know is when it comes to the internet, Kids can get free
accounts anywhere, all they need is the address they use with you, they just have
to click back once and they are all set~ from there they can use that address, to register for many other free address services. The key to this is to simply tell your
child it will be for emergencies and you don’t need the password. I can’t promise you they will give them all up, but enough to give you the ability to connect with them.
They often use provactive names or numbers, don’t act shocked when they tell you or better yet just ask them to write it for you and don’t even give it a second glance

~ till they leave of course.

2. Learn how to connect with each device from your devices, program quick call features,
put their names in your IM, and then actually practice sending them text messages.

This may seem like silly advice, however when & if a true emergency arises, you and your
child will become proficient not only in using the skills, and having worked out faster out but you will also create a language of your own, with your own words and expressions, inside jokes, and more importantly, your own codes for emergencies.
–

3. Learn how to use one device to connect to another,
I have used my cell to IM a child who was home, online, tying up the phone in a family emergency, I was able to connect with him to clear the phone line and get the number
to the specialist whose number was only in 1 spot - 45 miles away at home on the
refrigerator, 2 FEET from my son. Had I not known how to connect I would have had
to drive all that way home to get the number.

Perhaps this isn’t a life saving example but I’m sure you can use it to imagine a situation where your child need’s you, and it could be life or death.

I hope these three keys helped, If we can do anything to keep them closer to us,the better we can communicate with them in their own comfort zone the closer we can get to understanding them and more of the challenges that our kids face with today’s technology.

Isn’t the piece of mind you will have, worth this small investment?

Connie Carpenter is a Life, Family Coach who specializes in supporting parents with tweens. Having 4 children of her own the trials & errors of partenting are all to familar. Through a through assesments ,conversation we can determine the perfect personalized plan for your family. Learn the tools to not only restore your family dynamic, promote an effective communication
stratagy, you’ll also create a bond that will last a lifetime.
Don’t wait! Life is too short to not use every available reasource - visit http://promptcarecoaching.com and see what she can do for you!