Well, the evidence is in.  It is not a good idea to play video games after homework to “relax” before going to bed.  Playing a heart-pounding computer game may make it harder for your student to get to sleep and remember what they just learned from their homework. 

This study and research is in from the journal Pediatrics this month.   It involved 11 healthy 12-14 year-old boys who had no sleep complaints and who were not taking any medications.

As more and more cases of the antibiotic-resistant  staph infection come up, you should be telling your school children the proper way to wash their hands.

Simply shaking hands with someone or giving them a ‘high-5′ can pass the germs along.  It’s very important that students wash their hands for at least 30 seconds with warm water and soap.  This will be huge if you want to stay healthy.  Wash your hands at least 3 times a day and especially after using the toilet, shaking hands or being in a crowd of people.  When the cold and flu season are coming around, it is very important to make sure you wash your hands diligently.

Any aged people can come down with MRSA.  There have been 3 reported cases in the Georgia schools in the past two weeks.

Some questions for parents to ask at teacher-parent conferences:

Is my child in different groups for different subjects? If so, why?

Does my child get along well with others?

What are my child’s best and worst subjects?

Do you think my child working up to his or her ability?

Does my child participate in class and raise their hands to answer questions?

Ask to see their attendance sheet to double check against what you know your student has missed?

Have you noticed anything different in the way my child acts? For example, have you noticed any squinting, tiredness or moodiness that might be a sign of physical or other problems?

What kinds of tests are being done? What do the tests tell about my child’s progress? How does my child handle taking tests?

Teachers should:

Greet parents and create an open and inviting environment.

Discuss a student’s strengths before raising problems.

Use student’s papers to better illustrate any problem areas.

Give parents something to take home with them, such as a handout on the curriculum. Parents can review material more completely at home and refer to it during the year. This can also save time at the conference.

End positively. Set goals. Include the parents in helping the student achieve their best.