Matlin Mandell

Kumon North America Donates Nearly $70000 to Reading Is Fundamental

admin — Mon, 21 May 2012 01:47:58 +0000

TEANECK, N.J., May 17, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Kumon,
the world’s largest after-school math and reading enrichment program,
raised $68,860 through a nationwide campaign in March to benefit Reading
Is Fundamental (RIF), the country’s largest children’s literacy
non-profit organization. The donation, equivalent to more than 27,000
new books, will be given to children in underserved communities. More
than 850 Kumon Centers participated in the campaign by holding literacy
themed open house events. Many centers also held book drives to support
their local RIF chapters, schools or libraries.

“It has been our pleasure to partner with an education company that
truly values strong literacy skills among all children,” said Carol H.
Rasco, president and CEO of RIF. “With only one book for every 300
children in low-income communities in the U.S., we were thrilled to have
partnered with Kumon to support young people in need.”

To celebrate the successful partnership, executives from Kumon North
America along with Kumon Instructors presented the donation to Reading
Is Fundamental representatives on May 16.

“Establishing strong literacy skills early in children’s lives can
significantly impact their future,” said Mary Mokris, Ph.D., vice
president of materials and instruction for Kumon North America. “Kumon’s
reading comprehension program aligns with RIF’s mission because it
strives not only to enhance the reading ability of children, but also to
create lifelong readers who develop to their fullest potential and
positively contribute to their community.”

This was Kumon’s first nationwide partnership with a non-profit that
shares the goal of developing children into lifelong readers and fosters
a love of learning. To learn more about Kumon’s Reading Program, please
visit
http://www.kumon.com .

About Kumon Math and Reading Centers

Kumon [Koo-mon] is an after-school math and reading enrichment program
that unlocks the potential of children so they can achieve more on their
own. Founded in Japan in 1958, the learning method uses an
individualized approach that helps children develop a solid command of
math and reading skills. Through daily practice and mastery of
materials, students increase confidence, improve concentration and
develop better study skills. Kumon has 26,000 centers in 47 countries
and regions, and more than four million students studying worldwide.
Visit
www.kumon.com
or call 1-877-586-6673 to learn more. Join Kumon’s parent community at
www.facebook.com/kumon
for helpful tips.

About Kumon’s Recommended Reading List

Kumon’s Recommended Reading List contains 520 books designed to help
parents select material that enhances their child’s appreciation and
understanding of the English language and develop a lifelong love for
reading. Many of the books on the Recommended Reading List have won
literary awards such as the Newbery and Caldecott medals, the Pulitzer
Prize, and the National Book Award, which is presented by the National
Book Foundation. The list covers a range of titles from read-aloud books
to the classics. The rich literature exposes students to history, the
arts, science, and culture, and features a diversity of genres, writing
styles, and authors.

About Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF)

Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF), founded in 1966, motivates
children to read by working with them, their parents, and community
members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life.
RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to
age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory,
RIF provided 4 million children with 15 million new, free books and
literacy resources last year. For more information and to access reading
resources, visit RIF’s website at
www.rif.org .

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50282012&lang=en

SOURCE: Kumon

Jenny Cherrytree, Kumon National Media
201-692-3076 (office)
310-948-1296 (mobile)
jcherrytree@kumon.com
or
Janelle Gross, Kumon Northeast & Southeast Media
201-692-3002 (office)
201-518-6329 (mobile)
jgross@kumon.com
or
Shaquanna Twitty, Kumon Central & Central East Media
201-692-3110 (office)
201-906-7024 (mobile)
stwitty@kumon.com
or
Marlana Martinelli, Kumon Northwest, Southwest & Hawaii Media
201-692-3151 (office)
201-663-2118 (mobile)
mmartinelli@kumon.com
or
Ashley Lengen, Weber Shandwick for Reading Is Fundamental
469-375-0207
alengen@webershandwick.com

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

DeKalb Schools Plan to Improve Early Reading

admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 21:40:38 +0000

The DeKalb County Board of Education on Monday approved a partnership between the DeKalb County School District and Success for All, an innovative, nationally-recognized program that supports teachers and students and improves fundamental reading skills among learners at all levels.

The Success for All curriculum includes creative and engaging reading lessons, school-wide, 90-minute reading sessions, regular assessment of student progress and one-on-one tutoring for readers who need extra help. The program also provides extensive support and training for teachers, as well as steps to invite parents to participate and help their children learn.

Success for All offers technology that teachers can use to engage students in reading, and a web-based system to track student progress that is aligned to the new Georgia Common Core Performance Standards.

Success for All will be introduced in a selected group of DeKalb elementary and middle schools beginning in the 2012-2013 school year. It will be primarily funded through a federal grant that will provide a full-time teacher facilitation, as well as instructional materials and support.

“Reading is the building block for learning and Success for All has shown solid results in improving student reading at all levels, from gifted students to the earliest learners,” said DeKalb County School District Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Atkinson.

“The name ‘Success for All’ means what it says. It provides the tools and support for students, teachers and parents to work together to improve student learning and success,” Dr. Atkinson added.

Success for All is managed by the Success for All Foundation, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to the development, evaluation and dissemination of
research-proven reform models for preschool, elementary and middle schools, especially those serving many children considered at risk.

Success for All began in 1987 at Johns Hopkins University and currently serves approximately 1,000 schools in forty-six states.

More information about the DeKalb County School District.

From a press release by DeKalb Schools Communications

St. Tammany Summer Reading Programs at Library

admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 16:27:17 +0000

The temperature outside is steadily rising and St. Tammany Parish children are soon to be trading in their textbooks for idle summer days and nights. Before the kids can say, Im bored, The St. Tammany Parish Library has all the summer activities needed to keep little ones to teenagers intrigued.

Summer Reading 2012 will help younger children discover the night during this years theme, Dream BigREAD!

The first day to register for the Summer Reading Program is Tuesday and the last day to register is July 7.

Participants will explore outer space, the moon, nocturnal animals, pajama time, monsters under the bed and all things of the night through stories, books, crafts, music, and other activities.

Each branch will offer a weekly storytime and a weekly special guest. Guests will include puppet shows by Calliope Puppet Theatre and Hobgoblin Hill Puppets. Actor/director Frank Levy will use the audience to put on a show. Musical guests will include Melon Songs with Philip Melancon, Brazilian Samba with Curtis Pierre, Johnette Downing, Howard Pink and the history of tap dancing with Nanette Ledet. Children will be introduced to creatures of the night with the Wetlands Express program from the Audubon Institute.

Activities for older children ages 8-11 will include crafts, space camp, an indoor planetarium, book clubs, investigations of owl pellets and more. All storytimes, special guests and activities begin the week of the Memorial Day holiday.

The summer reading program is a self-directed reading incentive program to motivate and encourage children to read over the summer and to provide an incentive for parents and caregivers to read aloud to children.

Participation has steadily increased each year since 2005 and last year was a record year with 8,143 children participating.

Reading over the summer is a huge factor in children being able to begin the new school year right on track at the reading level that they ended with at the end of the school year, said Tanya DiMaggio, Childrens Services Coordinator of the St. Tammany Parish Library.

Research shows that children who participate in summer reading programs maintain their reading level or even improve it. Plus, we have a lot of fun at the Library!

As in past years, participants receive a reading log to track of their time spent reading or being read to upon signing up. Children will have the chance to set a reading goal for themselves, with the minimum goal being 12 hours over the course of the program. Once the goal is achieved, participants receive a certificate and a prize. This year the prize is a Dream Big- Read! Slumber party backpack.

Children ages 7 to 11 will also have the opportunity to earn collectible patches by reading certain categories of books. Each patch earned will get them a chance in a raffle for an iPad. New this year is that the Patch Club for ages 7-11 will take place completely online where children register and keep track of the books they read. There will be four earnable patches.

The Teens of St. Tammany will also have a chance to participate in the Summer Reading Program 2012 dreamscape with the Teen Summer reading Program aptly themed, Own the Night for teens ages 12-18 from May 22 through July 11.

Public libraries offer teens a constructive way to spend the summer. The Teen Summer Reading Program seeks to instill a lifelong love of reading in St. Tammany Parish teenagers and to involve them in rewarding and stimulating activities at the library, said Teen Services Coordinator Jennifer Deffner.

As in recent years, teens will be able to register from home 24/7 by logging onto the library website sttammanylibrary.org and clicking on the Summer Reading icon starting on May 22. A specially-reserved computer will also be available for teens to register online at their favorite branch.

Online, teens will keep track of the minutes they have spent reading, and when a goal of 12 hours has been reached, they will receive a free book of their choice from a favorite genre. There will also be three drawings for those teens who have reached the 12-hour goal for $50 gift cards to a local retailer of their choice.

Teens will be able to attend exciting events starting with a Monster Mash DJ dance at the Slidell branch on June 1 and at the Causeway Branch on Friday June 8 from 6 to 9 pm Other teen events will include DIY. craft projects, Teen Book to Film series, Book Clubs, and Workshops for Art, Cooking, Yoga, Survival Skills, Archery and more.

This is the most fun summer program yet! I love that teens are able to keep track of their reading minutes on an online log being on the computer is second nature to teens. We also have scheduled super fun events which will appeal to both teen guys and gals, Deffner said.

I am looking forward to meeting all of the new teens that have graduated from the childrens program into this teen program. I want them to know that there is something for them after they move on from sixth grade. The library looks forward to seeing St. Tammany Parish teens this summer!

For more information on the St. Tammany Parish Teen Summer Reading Program or other library programs, call your local branch library, check the calendar of events on sttammanylibrary.org, or contact Teen Services Coordinator Jennifer Deffner at 626.9779 ext. 4#.

All reading program events are free and open to the public. Some programs may require advanced registration.

Reading new boy Garath McCleary delighted by move

admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 14:45:21 +0000

As birthday presents go, signing for a Premier League club is not a bad one.

Just five years ago, Garath McCleary was playing non-league football, but the winger celebrated his 25th birthday by signing for Premier League Reading.

The deal was announced on Wednesday and the ex-Nottingham Forest man can now look forward to life in the top flight.

It was the best birthday present I could ask for. It was a brilliant surprise for me, McCleary told BBC Radio Berkshire.

McCleary spent time with Oxford United as a youngster before dropping down into non-league football, but he was given his big break in 2008 when he was signed by Forest.

Emerging theoretical framework may guide researchers through the complex world …

admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 11:10:07 +0000

Enlarge

The variety of monomers that can be used to construct multiblock polymers can yield a multitude of materials with different properties. Credit: Peter Allen

(Phys.org) — Thanks to advances in polymer chemistry and a wide variety of monomer constituents to choose from, the world of multiblock polymers is wide open. These polymers can result in an astonishing array of materials, customizable to almost any specification. However, the flood of options could be overwhelming, without a theoretical framework to guide research. UC Santa Barbara scientists Glenn Fredrickson and Kris Delaney address that issue in their paper, Multiblock Polymers: Panacea or Pandoras Box? The paper appears in the latest edition of the journal Science.

SABIC CEO calls for greater collaboration between US and Saudi Arabia business …

admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:56:05 +0000

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 17, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice-Chairman and CEO, has called for more
productive engagement between US companies and the Saudi private sector
to further strengthen business relations in hopes of helping accelerate
their respective global growth agendas.

Addressing a meeting of the US-Saudi Business Council in Seattle on May
16, Al-Mady, who is the Co-chairman of the Council, said, “I cannot
overemphasize the importance of our continuing relationship and the bond
which has developed over these many years. In this context, and in my
role within the US-Saudi Business Council, I see myself as a goodwill
ambassador to American business enterprise.”

He called for Saudi and US business leaders to begin to more
aggressively promote the many bilateral opportunities which exist within
the two countries. “Greater US representation within the Kingdom is very
welcomed — as it always has been. It is incumbent on all of us to engage
in an ongoing campaign to strengthen the business ties that have made
our relationship so important,” he said.

Speaking about Saudi Arabia’s strategic plan to support and develop
local industry through the National Industrial Cluster Development
Program, Al-Mady said that business leaders in both countries could play
important roles in this plan. This program is crucial to Saudi Arabia’s
future as it focuses on the importance of developing small and medium
enterprises to help grow a strong entrepreneurial base and diversify its
economy, he said.

SABIC, together with its affiliates, developed a robust downstream model
which has become both a SABIC and Saudi Arabian success story. “SABIC
has been the mainstay in converting associated production gas to
valuable marketable products which have enabled the development of local
downstream industries,” he said.

The U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council is an organization of business
leaders in both countries working together to strengthen bilateral
business relations through trade and investment by promoting a broader
understanding among US and Saudi companies, as well as providing
information on specific business opportunities. Al-Mady was named
co-chairman of the Council effective March 1 this year.

SOURCE: SABIC

SABIC
Jose Tarazona, +966 505 680876
tarazonajr@sabic.com

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

Larimer County Issues Smoke Warning

admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:06:37 +0000

DENVER — Larimer County is warning elderly residents, children and people with respiratory conditions to moderate their outdoor time as a wildfire burning northwest of Fort Collins continues to spill smoke into the air.

In general, if you can see or smell smoke, it is recommended that you avoid outdoor physical activities, said Deni La Rue of the Larimer County Commissioners Office.

La Rue said rapid weather changes are making it hard to predict air quality in the county. Smoke from the fire can be seen as far as Boulder.

Taiwan beauty contestants to pledge ‘no affairs’

admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:02:58 +0000

Contestants at an annual Taiwan beauty pageant will be required not to partake in extra-marital affairs, the contests organisers have told the BBC.

The unusual move by Miss Globalcity Pageant, the largest home-grown beauty contest, comes amid public concern over revelations of celebrity love affairs.

To join, women must sign an agreement to abide by contest rules – this now includes not becoming a mistress.

Any woman found to be involved in such an affair will be disqualified.

Seven women, including two past winners, have already made a public pledge representing this years contestants, organisers said.

Standing in front of news photographers and reporters, they shouted: Happy City – say no to being a mistress!

Contest organiser Fifi Chang says the agreement will stay in place for a year, adding that the new rule is aimed at preserving families.

In the past, weve never done this, but we decided to do it this year because it seems being a mistress has become a trend, Ms Chang said.

We hope to teach the women to have a correct attitude. Its not a very good road to go down. So you first must refuse the man.

Celebrity revelation

Although the agreement only stays in effect for one year, Ms Chang said she hopes the women will stay away from married men even after the year they are involved in pageant activities.

It introduced the rule because of the recent admission by one of Taiwans biggest baseball heroes, Chien-ming Wang, that he had an eight-month affair.

The revelation shocked the public. Mr Wang, a pitcher for the Washington Nationals, is beloved by many Taiwanese not only for his pitching skills before he suffered injuries, but also for helping to raise Taiwans international profile, at least in the world of baseball.

The topic of home wrecking has also received a lot of attention. Many Taiwanese were engrossed in a popular soap opera last year that portrayed a mistress tearing apart a family.

Many girls think its OK to be a mistress, because young people nowadays want whatever they desire. They dont think about the consequences, said Ms Chang.

Signing the agreement to abide by the contests rules and not hurt the image of the pageant, inevitably meant not taking part in an extra-marital affair, Ms Chang said, adding that she was confident the media and netizens would help expose women who lied.

Dozens of women have signed up for the contest so far and up to 200 are expected to join by the end of registration deadline in late May.

The contest will kick off in June, with the winner to be chosen in August.

Wash. official resigns amid allegations of fraud

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 12:50:31 +0000

The director of the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises resigned after a KING 5 investigation exposed fraud in the minority and women-owned contracting program.

Millions of taxpayers dollars were being deceptively obtained by contractors. State officials knew about the fraud and did nothing to stop it, allowing the program to continue, bypassing federal laws to do so.

The minority contracting program is a federal program that is designed to help small minority and women-owned businesses get access to government contracts. Any project being funded by federal dollars must use a certain percentage of small minority and women-owned contractors who are certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE).

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) contracts this responsibility out to the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE).

The KING 5 investigation found that some DBEs should have never been allowed to receive government contracts. Contractors were gaming the system by using their minority status to gain contracts, then having larger companies do the work for them. The state knew about this and let the abuse continue.

“Schemes to defraud the Dept. of Transportation’s DBE program cheat not only the government and taxpayers, but also cheat those small, minority owned businesses that the program is intended to help,” said Special Agent George C. Venizelos of the FBI.

The investigation, prompted Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, in April, to ask the Washington State Patrol if the documented OMWBE abuses violated criminal law. Gregoire also ordered a complete top-to-bottom review of OMWBE by an outside investigator.

The scandal eventually forced the OMWBE Director Cathy Canorro to tender her resignation, which will be effective June 1.

“While this work is commendable, there is much work within the OMWBE that remains to be done. Now is the time to pass the reigns to a new leader who can continue to turn around the agency,” Canorro said in her resignation letter.

KING 5 investigators shined light on unusual steps taken by Canorro and other state officials to keep one company in particular, Leajak Concrete Construction, in the program.

Leajak, a minority-owned contracting company, was allegedly pocketing money from state contracts, but not actually doing the work. OMWBE investigator Melissa Hopkins was assigned to look into the issue. Leajak had been investigated for the same types of behavior before when, two years earlier, the WSDOT determined the company had done none of the work it was contracted to do on a street pumping contract.

After OMWBE obtaining the proper documents from Leajak, who was two months in late in complying, Hopkins should have completed the investigation and determined if there was a pattern of gaming the system.

The case, however, was taken away from Hopkins at director Canorro’s orders, a charge Canorro denies. Instead, the case went to the chair of OMWBE’s appeals division, Vicky Schiantarelli, who reversed the decision made by Hopkins to decertify them.

My guess is they didnt like where I was going with it because I wasnt going to let him get out of it. I had the enough proof to show that on more than one project he was acting like a front company, said Hopkins.

According to KING 5:
“Both Canorro and Schiantarelli wrote to KING 5 to say their hands were tied. They couldn’t rule on any other issues, including whether or not Leajak was defrauding taxpayers and the government because Hopkins’s first letter to Leajak only mentioned the company’s failure to cooperate.”

At that point, the process has to move forward and is referred to the Certification Committee. Because the Certification Committee can only use the information provided in the intent to remove letter, it is critical that analysts include all of the reasons why OMWBE has sufficient grounds to remove DBE certification status, wrote Canorro.

Hopkins was fired by Canorro within weeks of being pulled off of the investigation. And there is evidence that Hopkins was pressured to sign off on a letter congratulating Leajak for not being decertified. She refused to sign off on the letter twice.

I have ethics. I couldn’t do something that I knew was wrong. It was mind-boggling to do work on this investigation only to have it removed when it wasn’t going the way they wanted it to go. I was so mad I went to my manager and said ‘I will not sign this. I will not help this firm to commit contracting fraud,’ said Hopkins.

Follow Michael on Twitter

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Lunden Souza: Good values don’t have to be forced

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 06:27:43 +0000

God has blessed us all with one body and one life, and its our job to live it to the best of our ability and take care of it the best we can.

My father was an athlete growing up and has been a coach my whole entire life. We spent a lot of my childhood practicing and playing sports and being out and about on the baseball field. We would go to the driving range and play golf, to the park to play with the dog and countless other fun, physical activities.

My mother loved to run when I was younger. She had a group of friends she would go running with on a regular basis. I was always so excited when I got to go with them and ride my bike along with them as theyd run. I even remember my mom going to the gym early in the morning. When I wouldnt want to go into the child care center, she would let me walk on the treadmill next to her — and I just felt so cool.

I didnt enjoy all that physical activity because I thought that I was working out or that I was trying to be skinny, but because I was doing fun things with my parents that also happened to be beneficial for my health.

My mom is the most amazing cook, so is her mother and so was my nana (great grandmother). One thing we always did was eat at home. My mom always took the time every morning to make us breakfast, pack us a homemade lunch and have a hot dinner on the table when we got home.

This type of eating, without all the processed foods and sodium, played a huge role in how I like to eat today. We werent deprived as kids; my mom has a great cookie recipe that will make anyone drool. But we always learned that living a life of moderation is the key.

I dont have any children, but one of my best friends has a son I love with my whole heart. Ayden is so curious and so smart — I try to always be a good, healthy and positive influence with him. Whenever I visit, I always let him help me in the kitchen put together a colorful fruit salad. I always tell him about the importance of all the colors. Sometimes we will even joke around and get on my parents gym machine and do some seated rows together. He loves how the seat slides back and forth and actually sees it as fun. He also loves to practice his golf skills with my dad on his homemade putting green in the dining room. There is not a sport Ayden doesnt enjoy, and it is so cute, how happy he gets when we all play together.

Theres no need to force diets and exercise in a negative way with children, especially because the media already put so much pressure in that direction. Make healthy and nutritionally sound eating a normal part of everyday life, and physical activity fun and consistent, and when the child grows up he or she will not depart from it.

Lunden Souza can be reached at lundensouza@gmail.com.