Boarding Schools for Girls

The growth of a Manhattan charter school for girls has prompted a bit of controversy, as officials grapple to find a way to accommodate the schools expansion without having a negative impact on other schools in the area.

An article in the Nov.27-Dec. 3 edition of The Downtown Express provided the following details about the debate:

Girls Preparatory Charter school, with grades kindergarten through fifth, wants to expand to include middle-school grades 6 through 8. The Department of Education has proposed three alternative plans to rearrange several district schools to make room for the charter school ...

But parents at Shuang Wen, a district bilingual English-Mandarin school with grades K to 8, at 327 Cherry St. near Montgomery St., and parents at P.S. 20 on Essex St. near E. Houston St., dont like the idea of sharing space with other district schools to accommodate the charter school expansion. &

Some parents at the meeting contended that the D.O.E. alternative plans for Girls Prep take resources away from mostly low-income immigrant students. They characterized the loss of resources as a violation of their civil rights.

But Miriam Lewis Raccah, founder and executive director of Girls Prep, said she understood Shuang Wen and P.S. 20 parents concern because her school is also squeezed for space. She said Girls Prep has been successful in small, shared spaces and that other schools could also be successful.

Labels: girls school, charter school, new york

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Osteoporosis, a disease that is marked by a weakening of the bones, is most closely associated with women over the age of 50. But because the majority of a girls bone mass is developed within the first 18 years, adolescence is an important time in the effort to prevent the disease.

In an effort to educate girls between the ages of 9 and 14 about osteoporosis prevention, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Womens Health (OWH) has launched a campaign called Best Bones Forever!

The following information is from the campaigns website:

HHS recommends girls look for foods with calcium and vitamin D, which is necessary to help bones absorb calcium. One recent study found 70 percent of kids in the U.S. had below-normal levels of vitamin D, with deficiencies increasing as kids age from childhood to adolescence.

The federal government recommendation for daily calcium consumption increases from 1,000 milligrams (mg) to 1,300 mg at age nine. The guidelines for physical activity for kids are 60 minutes daily, including three days of bone-strengthening activity. &

Along with calcium and vitamin D, physical activity is key to building strong bones. Luckily, it's also a lot of fun! You need 60 minutes of physical activity every day  and bone-strengthening activities at least three days a week.

Labels: health, osteoporosis, awareness, adolescents

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A study led by Dr. Kassandra L. Munger of the Harvard School of Public Health has revealed that girls who are obese during adolescence may be at increased risk for developing multiple sclerosis (a disorder of the central nervous system) as adults.

A Nov. 20 Reuters Health article included the following information about the findings:

Munger and her colleagues studied women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II over a 40 year period. Participants answered questions throughout the study about weight, height, body size, smoking and exercise habits, and disease status.

Among the more than 200,000 participants in the two groups, there were 593 cases of MS.

The study found no association between MS risk and having a large body size at ages 5 and 10 or as an adult. However, obesity at age 18 was associated with a greater than twofold increased risk of MS and a large body size at age 20 was associated with a 96% increased risk of MS, the study team found.

Labels: health, obesity, girls, adolescents

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A proposed Muslim girls boarding school is facing opposition from a residents organization in the British town where it hopes to open. According to a Nov. 12 article on the website of the British newspaper The Burnley Express, the Brierfield's Clitheroe Road Residents' Association is disseminating a pamphlet with the following text:

A group called Islamic Help has now placed a deposit on Brierfield Mills and is proposing a 5,000-student boarding school of single sex and single faith.

The residents' association is made up of members of different cultures, religions, age groups and sex, and are opposed to the proposals, which we feel will divide the communities and cultures of Brierfield and Pendle.

A plan for Brierfield Mills, from a company based in Birmingham, will cause deep-rooted divisions in our town and Pendle as a whole, which would end all the good work that we have all contributed to over the years.

Labels: great britain, boarding schools, muslim, religious

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Some parents worry that, when the proverbial going gets tough, their children will run away from lifes difficulties. In North Carolina, groups of young girls are learning that running can actually empower them to solve some of the more pressing problems they will encounter.

In a Nov. 15 article on the website BlueRidgeNow.com, writer Beth Beasley described the local impact of two national programs:

Girls at four elementary schools in Henderson County are racing side by side in Girls on the Run and girls at one middle school are competing in Girls on Track. The after-school programs aim to prepare girls for the bumpy road of adolescence.

Girls on the Run trains girls in third through fifth grade to complete a 5K (3.1 mile) run and helps them develop skills they can use to resist peer pressure: effective communication, team building and how to make healthy lifestyle choices.

In addition to training for the 5K run, Girls on Track addresses more complex issues, such as dating, the dangers of drugs and alcohol, obesity, depression and promiscuity.

"We get girls from all walks of life; some never have run before and some have been on teams," says Audrey McElwain, executive director of Girls on the Run of Western North Carolina. "We're definitely filling a void -- there's such a high demand."

Labels: athletics, sports

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An effort to introduce single-sex classrooms into public elementary schools in South Carolina is proving to be popular with students, parents and school administrators. A Nov. 13 article by Jerrita Patterson of MidlandsConnect.com provided the following information about this educational initiative:

Statewide more than 5,000 students take part [in single-sex classes]. And a new survey indicates more parents would like their kids in the program.

"Educationally we put boys and girls together, but what do we do in the sports world and the athletic world?" said Killian Elementary Principal Eric Brown. "We don't necessary put kids on the same football field, we don't put boys and girls on the same baseball field."

Brown is using a new game plan, and more than 150 other South Carolina schools are doing the same. Single-gender classes get the passing grade from students and teachers. &

"We believe in educating the whole child, we focus on character building," said Taylor. "And one of the things that increased with the single gender classrooms was confidence and that's so important."

Labels: single-sex education, public-schools

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Many parents worry that their ability to influence their teens' lives dwindles as the children age, and is replaced by the impact of peer pressure. But a UCLA study has determined that parental influence remains a guiding factor in the lives of teenagers.

"The researchers looked at social behaviors, such as standing up for people who are being teased and saying bad things about others, as well as academic behaviors, such as listening to teachers or turning in homework late," Canada's CanWest News Service reported.

Children in grades 4, 6 and 8 were influenced by parents in both their academic and social behavior. Older students, however, told researchers that parents mostly influenced their academic behavior. The researchers said they believe this is due to the fact that, as students get older, parents often shift their focus from social to academic issues.

Labels: parents, influences

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Having endured four years of torment by bullies at her former school, Brookhaven (Miss.) High School senior Kelsey Jackson knows all about the ways in which rumor-mongering, mockery and ostracism can impact a persons life.

It got to the point where I would be physically sick, Jackson said in a Nov. 3 article on the website of ABCs WPAT Channel 16. Sometimes you just don't know how to handle it. You get angry and you get sad and all your emotions are mixed up in one.

Instead of merely being thankful that the antagonism ended when she changed schools, Jackson has embarked upon an educational campaign that is designed to help other girls avoid what she experienced.

Jackson describes her efforts on her website, www.meangirlsnotcool.com:

I hope you have never been a victim of bullying, but, unfortunately, many of you probably have. I have, and I know how devastating it can be, but I also know (from experience) things that can be done to help. I have developed a program called Mean Girls Arent Cool, I am presenting in schools, clubs, organizations and to any girl groups. &

The program focuses on increasing awareness of bullying among girls and educating about how, when and why it occurs; understanding the difference between teasing and bullying; identifying bullying techniques and tactics; empowering the victims; and getting school officials and parents involved to help prevent the problem.

I feel the program is very effective because I am a teenager and relate to what girls are experiencing, because I have been a victim myself.

Labels: school, girls, bullying

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The terms teen pregnancy and good news dont often appear together in the news, but an Oct. 20 article by Odile Fredericks of Carolina Parent indicates that there is reason to be optimistic about teen pregnancy trends in North Carolina:

North Carolinas teen pregnancy rate hit a 30-year low last year, according to new data from the state Department of Health and Human Services. Teenage girls in North Carolina had 217 fewer pregnancies in 2008 than in 2007.

The data shows that 58.6 out of every 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19 became pregnant in 2008. The new rate reflects a 7 percent decrease from the 2007 rate of 63 per 1,000 girls. A small portion of this decrease can be attributed to a change in the way the state demographer calculates total population.

Teen pregnancy rates in North Carolina have consistently decreased since 1991, following a spike in the late 1980s, according to DHHS. Pregnancy rates fell across all age, racial and ethnic categories, as well as in all but 25 North Carolina counties. Abortion rates also decreased in all categories.

Labels: pregnancy

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A $5,000 grant is being credited for allowing a Maryland program to offer expanded services to at-risk adolescent girls. A Nov. 5 article by Charlene Polk of the Delmarva Media Group provided the following details about the Pocomoke Citys SAGES program:

The SAGES program, which has been offered to girls in Berlin since 2003, is now being offered to seventh- and eighth-grade girls in Pocomoke at the Worcester Youth and Family Counseling site there. The acronym stands for "Strengthening Adolescent Girls with Education and Support."

"The need is so great down there," said Teresa Fields, director of WCYFCS. "There are very few programs for people in need."

The new Pocomoke program, which is funded through the Community Foundation's grant as well as other funding from other local organizations, is open to 20 adolescent girls who are experiencing conflicts in either their home or school life. Although girls can inquire themselves about the program or be given a referral through their school, Fields said her staff selects participants with a screening process.

"We want to make sure we get the neediest girls," Fields said. "Girls who want to be in it and can form a cohesive group to work together."

Labels: at-risk youth, maryland

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Jourdan Dunn, a 19-year-old model who appears on the cover of Teen Vogue's November issue, is pregnant. She tells a bit of her story in the magazine. While some are concerned about the message the magazine is sending, others see it as an opportunity.

An Oct. 27 Associated Press article addressed the controversy:

"Teen pregnancy is a difficult, real-life issue that Teen Vogue readers (with an average age of 18) are mature enough to be exposed to," [Editor-in-Chief Amy] Astley said in a statement. "Teen Vogue felt it was important to support, not punish, Jourdan Dunn, who contributed to a beautiful photo shoot and who will surely have an ongoing and successful career in fashion." ...

"There's no message to send to them that that's not OK. Maybe if she's on the cover to tell them 'Be careful,' that's one thing," said Catherine Essig, a 19-year-old sophomore at Dallas' Southern Methodist University, who was concerned about 15- and 16-year-old readers.

Many advocates said parents should use the cover as a way to talk to their kids about sex and the importance of planning pregnancies for the right moment in their lives.

"Teen parenting isn't glamorous, even if you are a teen model," said Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association.

Labels: pregnancy, media_influences

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