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Archive for September, 2006
Affordable Tutoring
Hmmm.. I’m really stumped on this one. I have to admit I was surprised to see parents hiring tutors in India. But then again, as the below article states, these kids are doing amazingly well in school, as oppposed to American’s.
Yes, it is hard to see more jobs go overseas, but in this case I almost see how the benefits outweigh this. How many parents can actually afford $40- $100 an hour to help their kids learn? I get a panic attack everytime I think about my daughter (now 14 months) asking me to help her with her homework! Sure, the first years should be a snap, but Algebra, Physics - SCARY!
Maybe something like this will help motivate American schools, teachers and others to work wtih kids at a bit of a “discounted” rate for the families who really need the help. Otherwise, I don’t see how the rest of us can keep up.
U.S. homework outsourced as “e-tutoring” grows
By Jason Szep Thu Sep 28, 10:43 AM ET
BOSTON (Reuters) - Private tutors are a luxury many American families cannot afford, costing anywhere between $25 to $100 an hour. But California mother Denise Robison found one online for $2.50 an hour — in India.
“It’s made the biggest difference. My daughter is literally at the top of every single one of her classes and she has never done that before,” said Robison, a single mother from Modesto.
Her 13-year-old daughter, Taylor, is one of 1,100 Americans enrolled in Bangalore-based TutorVista, which launched U.S. services last November with a staff of 150 “e-tutors” mostly in India with a fee of $100 a month for unlimited hours.
Taylor took two-hour sessions each day for five days a week in math and English — a cost that tallies to $2.50 an hour, a fraction of the $40 an hour charged by U.S.-based online tutors such as market leader Tutor.com that draw on North American teachers, or the usual $100 an hour for face-to-face sessions.
Best Companies for Moms (to work for)
It’a an important decision for many, and not even a thought for others. But these days there are plenty of working moms out there. Might as well pick a company to work for that is “mommy friendly”.
Below is the recent list of companies that get high ratings from their mom employees.
By VINNEE TONG, AP Business Writer Mon Sep 25, 4:47 PM ET
NEW YORK - Working Mother magazine released its annual list of the top 100 places to work, with its chief executive touting an improvement in mother-friendly benefits in corporate America.
Working Mother CEO Carol Evans, who authored the book “This Is How We Do It: The Working Mothers’ Manifesto,” said that in order to retain female employees, a growing number of companies are offering customized schedules.
“There are some very, very creative ideas, and this is all related to what we saw in the past, with women dropping off the edge of a cliff, when they said it’s either working full time or not at all,” Evans said.
Hope For “Caspers’” Like Me
OK, first things first. It’s kind of sad to see how much time, money and research go into giving people a tan. Of course, many of us believe it makes us look “healthier” and spend way too much time in the sun. I unfortunately learned this lesson a little too late in life, as my crows feet grow deeper and deeper.
But I’ll assume this article relates to research that will help prevent skin cancer, a big problem for a lot of people (all because we want that deep, dark tan). So, it gives people like me hope, the chance to look healthy and to ward off cancer - what more could you ask for? Let’s just hope it smells better than what we have to choose from these days 
Tanning cream may ward off skin cancer: study
By Jason Szep Wed Sep 20, 1:17 PM ET
BOSTON (Reuters) - Scientists say they have discovered a cream that may ward off skin cancer by tanning skin a golden bronze without exposure to the sun.
Tests so far have been confined to mice, but researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital in Boston say the findings would mark a seismic shift in the biology of tanning if the cream was determined to be safe for humans.
Unlike sunless tanning lotions that color the skin, the cream alters skin pigmentation much like a suntan. The more days it was applied, the darker the skin became. A heavy application over more than a week left some mice nearly black.
BabyTV?
Announcements, Children's Health, Parenting • 
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Talk about a really lousy idea. Do parents need more of an excuse to plop their kids in front of the tube?
With obesity rates as high as they are in this country, it seems to me that starting kids (as young as 6 months) on this sedentary habit is not gonig to help any. Kids will most likely grow up and want to watch something on TV, it’s up to us as parents to limit that time. Whatever happened to going outside and running around, of course, now that can be scary in itself! But, getting babies hooked at such a young age sound dangerous too.
Heed the pediatricians (at least when it comes to this)!
TV channel for babies? Pediatricians say turn it off
Janine DeFao, Chronicle Staff WriterMonday, September 11, 2006
In an era of increasing niche programming on TV, women have the Oxygen network, men have Spike TV and some pets are even agog at Animal Planet.
Now, infants can pull up a bouncy chair, grab a bottle and have round-the-clock access to the nation’s first channel for babies, BabyFirstTV, featuring three-minute segments designed for babies as young as 6 months.
Potrero Hill Library: September News
LIBRARY NEWS
September 2006
From Jensa Woo
Potrero Branch Library Manager
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY COMES ALIVE!
Back by popular demand: Peter Linenthal and Abigail Johnston, co-authors of SAN FRANCISCO’S POTRERO HILL, return to the library on Saturday, September 9 at 4:00 P.M. to present a slide show history of Potrero Hill. Please come and join us! Copies of their book also will be available for purchase and signing by the authors.
AND SPEAKING OF HISTORY…
If you’re curious to learn more about the Hill, hundreds of photos from the Potrero Hill Archives Project are available for browsing in the library. Recent additions to our photo collection on display in the library: “Calegari’s Bay View Grocery, 18th and Arkansas, circa 1910” (where Chatz Café is now located) and “1906 Earthquake and Fire” (as residents watch from near 19th and Arkansas). We also have videotaped recordings of the annual “Potrero Hill History Night” programs, as well as interviews on audiotape. Stop by the library and check it out.
CHANGES, CHANGES
Earlier this summer, we said “so long” to staff member Lisa Franks, who for many years worked at our branch library as “her other job.” Working here was a labor of love on her part, and she now is freed up to give of her time and energy in other ways. We are grateful for who Lisa is and have sent her off with our best wishes!
KIDS READ!
Each year, the library’s Summer Reading Club is designed to encourage children to keep reading during the summer. This year’s program, with its theme of “Don’t Bug Me…I’m Reading,” was very well received by children and their families. Over two hundred fifteen children registered at the Potrero Branch, and of that group, over one hundred children did eight or more hours of reading! Each of these children received a grand prize and also got to post their names on our bulletin board. Stop by and take at look at our colorful wall of names.
PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN IN SEPTEMBER
Return engagement: Susan Pena and Miguel Govea bring “Bilingual Songs From Mexico and Other Parts of Latin America” on Thursday, September 21 at 10:30 A.M. This program is a tie-in to San Francisco Public Library’s Latino-Hispanic Heritage Celebration Month, made possible by funding from the Friends of the Library. For children of all ages. Come and join us!
There are also other programs for children throughout the month:
Infant/toddler lapsit, featuring stories, songs, and rhymes on Thursdays, September 7, 14, and 28 at 10:30 A.M. For children newborn through age 3.
Evening storytime on Tuesdays, September 5, 19, and 26 at 7:00 P.M. For ages 3 to 7 years old.
Evening films on Tuesday, September 12 at 7:00 P.M.: “Curious George Goes to the Hospital” and “The Three Little Pigs.” For ages 3 and older.
Please note: All library programs are free. Meeting room is not accessible by elevator. Groups, please call in advance for reservations.
Back To Work (Doesn’t sound as fun as back to school!)
For all of you new moms out there, here are some tips to help make the transition back to work as smooth as possible. This can be quite a traumatic time in your life, but like most moms know, it does (well, kind of) get easier.
Welcome Back: Returning to Work After Your Maternity Leave
By Caroline M. Levchuck
And you thought going back to work after a great vacation was rough…
Planning Your Return
Six weeks? Ten weeks? Twelve weeks? How can a new mom know she’s ready to return to work?
Proper planning can help you choose the best back-to-work date for you and your family. First, try to anticipate how much time you’ll need (and how much time you’ll get) to the best of your ability. Talk to other working mothers. Review your eligibility under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as well as your employer’s maternity leave policy and your personal financial situation to assess not only when but how you’ll return to work.
Back To School Part II
Here is some great back to school advice from an expert!
Back to School: 2 Essentials for a Smooth Transition
Posted by Robert Needlman, M.D.If you have children heading back to school in the next two weeks, it’s time to get ready. And I’m not talking about ring-binders and lined paper. I’m talking about sleep and reading.
1. Sleep
Sleep is the big one. If you’re like most parents, you let bedtimes slide a bit over the summer. Or, you let them slide a lot. Way back in medical school, I learned that people’s normal biorhythms run on cycles of slightly more than 24 hours. If you put someone in a room without a window, and keep him there for a few days, he’ll start to go to bed a little later every night, and wake up a little later every morning. Eventually he ends up awake at night and asleep during the day. Sound familiar?
Back To School
I found this great article while perusing one of my most favorite things to read, the Chronicle food section this week. Listed here are plenty of great, and healthy, meals to send your kids off to school with. And best of all, they’ve already been kid tested, and approved!
Send students packing with kid-tested meals
Amanda Gold, Chronicle Staff WriterWednesday, August 30, 2006
Their expressions were pensive, focused. They chewed and swallowed meticulously. Between bites, the only sound was the quick scratch of pencil on paper or the squeak of an eraser.
More silence as forks were put down and pencils abandoned.
“Well?” I asked carefully, holding my breath. “What do you think?”
“Good,” giggled 5-year-old Adam Jones, as he slithered off his chair under the conference room table, any remnant of concentration swallowed with his last bite of pita pizza.