3/5/09 SunSentinel.com Parent's digest
By now you've probably noticed we're trying to figure out what to call these daily roundups of what you can find on our Web site. Thanks for bearing with us. We're looking for items that are intereting to us as parents and maybe provide a bit of useful information in the process. Feel free to offer your feedback. We appreciate it more than you know.
And we invite you to join us Facebook and/or on Twitter. Look for SSParents.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel Writer Nick Sortal Named Sports Ethics Fellow
Our first item today actually isn't in the newspaper or anywhere else on our Web page. Nick Sortal, a talented reporter and sometime parenting writer for this page, has always shown a knack for finding good stories about kids and sports. So this news doesn't surprise us one bit.
Sortal is among the 12 people or groups cited as Sports Ethics Fellows this year by Positive Coaching Alliance and the Institute for International Sport.
The honor was bestowed on Tuesday, National Sportsmanship Day.
The Institute for International Sport began naming Sports Ethics Fellows in 1990 to recognize those who display admirable leadership in the areas of fair play and sportsmanship. Among those who have been lauded are L.A. Lakers coach Phil Jackson, soccer player Mia Hamm and Olympic cinematographer Bud Greenspan.
Sortal is being recognized for his articles on sports parenting. In recent years he has offered tips on parental behavior at games, advice for volunteer coaches and balanced reporting on referees.
"It's important that we differentiate youth sports from the sports we see on TV," Sortal says. "One is about education, the other about entertainment."
His book, Basketball Tip-Ins: 100 Tips and Drills for Young Players, is among the best-selling basketball instructionals in McGraw-Hill history. Sortal also has been an assistant high school basketball coach at Broward County, Fla., schools for the past 19 years, a volunteer youth sports coach and a cable TV talk-show host. He is a resident of Plantation.
For Moms & Dads, he offers the following suggestions:
* Parents "working the refs" never works. It only agitates them and embarrasses your child. Leave the zebras alone.
* When a kid misses a free throw, "You'll make the next one" is much more helpful than "C'mon make it!"
* You are not a bad parent if you occasionally miss your child's game, and in some ways it's a good thing.
* Remember that most coaches are volunteers. And if you truly have a constructive comment regarding their methods, it's best to bring it up at a practice, not at the game.
* If there's a particularly vocal parent next to you on the sidelines, bring lollipops to the next game and pass them around.
Congratulations, Nick.
***
No one would miss FCAT if state budget must be cut
Could it be that our economic problems are bigger than even ...
... the FCAT?
In January, Palm Beach County School Superintendent Art Johnson said he was happy that the effects of the downsized state budget wouldn't be known immediately.
He explained that he didn't want to distract teachers and administrators with talk of cuts and layoffs just before the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
But last week, as those educators began final preparations for the test (which are to begin Tuesday), Johnson sent a soberingly honest e-mail:
"Although it has just been a few months since my November 24, 2008, letter to you, a cascade of issues has dominated our economic lives." Read the rest of the Ralph De La Cruz column here.
***
Palm Beach County school boundary changes will affect hundreds
Palm Beach County school boundary changes affecting hundreds of students are set for the 2009-10 school year, while there's a revised plan to relieve crowding at Palm Beach Central High School in Wellington.
The School Board on Wednesday agreed to shift portions of the attendance zones for Freedom Shores Elementary and Rolling Green Elementary in Boynton Beach; South Grade Elementary and Barton Elementary in Lake Worth; and Palm Springs Middle and L.C. Swain Middle in Greenacres.
A separate change establishes boundaries for a new $33.5 million elementary school intended to relieve crowding at four West Palm Beach elementary schools.
The still unnamed campus on North Stacy Street, west of Haverhill Road and south of Okeechobee Boulevard, will open in August with 654 students. It will take pupils from West Gate, Wynnebrook, Grassy Waters and Belvedere elementary schools. Read the rest here.
***
Rodeo among new additions to American Baby & Family Expo
Baby needs a brand-new pair of shoes. Big sister needs a great tutor. Moms and Dads need help making purchases that will help their dollars go farther.
In swoops the American Baby & Family Expo to the rescue. The annual look at the latest products and services can help families sort out what will be a good buy for their dollar.
The expo will feature more than 100 exhibits from March 7 -8 at the Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Sessions and displays about the latest in child care, parenting and toys is targeted to growing families with children up to age 8. Read the rest here.
***
Kids' flip-flops recalled due to high lead levels
By Diane Lade
SunSentinel.com
More than 210,000 children's flip-flops, sold in department and specialty stores nationwide, are being voluntarily recalled because the decorative paint on the soles contains high lead levels.
The Havaianas-brand footwear, distributed through Alpargatas USA of New York City, was sold from February 2006 through last month for $15 to $24 per pair, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
They carried multiple labels including Baby Estampas, Kids Apple and Kids Surf. Consumers should immediately take the sandals away from children.
South Florida stores listed as carrying Havaianas flip-flops include the Aventura Macy's, the Boca Raton Resort & Club gift shop, and numerous small beach and surf shops. The sandals were made in Brazil.
For replacements, contact Alpargatas USA at 888-289-5306 or click here for the company's customer service home page.
For photos and a list of all labels being recalled, go here.
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work.
Joy Oglesby has a preschooler...
Cindy Kent Fort Lauderdale mother of three. Her kids span in ages from teenager to 20s.
Rafael Olmeda and his wife welcomed their first son in Feb. 2009, and he's helping raise two teenage stepdaughters.
Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters.
Georgia East is the parent of a five-year-old girl, who came into the world weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces.
Brittany Wallman is the mother of Creed, 15, and Lily, 7, and is married to a journalist, Bob Norman. She covers Broward County government, which is filled with almost as much drama as the Norman household. Almost.
Chris Tiedje is the Social Media Coordinator and the father of a 7-year-old girl, and two boys ages 4 and 3.
Kyara Lomer Camarena has a 2-year-old son, Copelan, and a brand new baby. 
South Florida Parenting is your guide for local events and things to do with your family. Our site offers resources, features and insightful columns on all types of parenting issues.
Parents and their children can access a multitude of free educational resources.