For the Joy of Singing!
Do you have a daughter who has asked more than once to take voice lessons because she just “loves to sing” or a daughter who appreciates music and needs an opportunity to broaden her musical experience? The Mississippi Girlchoir (MGC), a choral music education and performance program for girls in grades 3 through 12, is entering the audition phase for what may well be its most phenomenal year to date! Plans for the upcoming 2008-09 year include an invitation for the MGC to perform at American Musical Salute to 50 years of Hawaiian Statehood in July ’09.
The MGC, just off of a trip to Carnegie Hall, New York, performs nationally and internationally; and, though their travels have taken them to exciting destinations such as Australia and Italy, the MGC also collaborates with community organizations for local performances. They have performed with college choirs, schools, churches, the Jackson Choral Society, and the Mississippi Symphony to mention a few.
Choristers auditioning for the MGC are selected based on interest and musicianship, and the choir is a non-profit organization. There are four choirs that are determined by age, musical ability and level of musicianship. Prima is the beginning choir, next is Jubilate. The touring choirs are Lyrica and the top choir is Bel Canto, which means “beautiful singing” in Italian.
The girls are placed where they can progress musically and are given opportunities to train and perform with renowned conductors in a number of unique settings. Your daughter will be in the company of a diverse community of young musicians who are committed to upholding quality and artistry in music. Girls come from 42 schools in a six county area.
Plans are underway for the Mississippi Girlchoir Spring Concert to be held May 17th. For more information regarding auditioning and for details for the upcoming Spring Concert call the MGC office at 601-981-9863 or email your request to msgirlchoir@msgirlchoir.org.
5 Safe Sun Tips for Parents
From Dr. Patty Agin of the Coppertone Solar Research Center:
1. See a dermatologist once a year for a skin check – No matter what your age! If detected early, melanoma can be treatable (survival rates for patients with early detection are about 99% but decrease depending on how far the melanoma has spread).
2. Apply. Apply. Apply. Because the sun may cause damage immediately, don’t forget to apply sunscreen to yourself and your kids before heading outside, even if you will be under trees! Remember to reapply every 80 minutes—even if the sunscreen is waterproof and sweatproof.
3. High SPF. Look for an SPF of at least 30. Consider that the minimum! Higher SPF products are readily available and should be used for sun-filled days outside. Consider Coppertone Continuous Spray Ultra Guard and Sport Spray SPF 70+ spray—A clear, no-rub spray that quickly covers the body at any angle for fast anti-sunburn protection. This spray allows for quick reapplication in less than one minute without rubbing in and getting hands greasy. Perfect to spritz on kids who don’t like to stand still!
4. Follow the shadow rule. If your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun’s rays are at their strongest. Cover up with sun protective clothing, such as a hat and sunglasses and head for shade during mid-day heat whenever possible!
5. Age Specific. Look for gentler products formulated just for younger children. Coppertone created specialty formulated sunscreens for both Babies and Kids. Water Babies Lotion is SPF 50 and designed for sensitive young skin. Coppertone Kids Lotion SPF 50 comes in an easy to apply spray formula as well as a rub-in lotion.
6. Apply Your Sunscreen! No matter what brand you purchase, it will only work if you use it. Children don’t get to choose to wear it—parents should liberally apply it themselves. Make sunscreen a part of your morning routine.
Fun 4th Festivities
The grill is on, family and friends are over, now how do you keep the kids busy until the fireworks begin? Party planner extraordinaire, Lisa Kothari, is full of budget and family-friendly ideas to make this year’s 4th of July fun and inexpensive!
1. Boil a dozen eggs and color them red, blue, and keep some white! Have an Egg Spoon Relay Race. Divide the kids into two teams, and provide each team with a spoon and eggs. The kids must balance a colored egg on their spoon and walk quickly from one end of the yard to the other and return. If the egg drops, the team member must begin again. First team with all members completing the relay race WINS!
2. Make a batch of favorite cupcakes and have the kids frost them and add red, white, and blue sprinkles and candies to decorate.
3. Instead of filling vases with flowers, fill them with blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries—yummy and festive looking. Guests can scoop the berries out and add whipped cream—truly red, white, and blue!
4. Roll out butcher paper on to your party table. Scatter red, white, and blue crayons across the table for the kids to color while eating.
5. Make a Rocket Pop Drink. Fill a glass with ice cubes and be sure to carefully pour each drink directly on to the ice cubes to maintain the patriotic colors. First, pour in cranberry juice, then blue Gatorade, and, finally, 7-Up.
Lisa Kothari is the president and founder of Peppers and Pollywogs, a web-based company that is "All About Kids' Parties." Kothari recently released her book, Dear Peppers and Pollywogs…What Parents Want to Know About Planning Their Kids' Parties.
Those elusive 30 minutes
When time is scarce, individuals often cut out their exercise routine first. According to a recent survey people list lack of time as their number one barrier to exercising. "It's a 'perceived' lack of time," said Andy Fry, an assistant director for fitness and wellness at Campus Recreational Sports, which conducted the survey.
He said 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week is enough to gain health benefits such as a lower risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. The American Heart Association, the U.S. Surgeon General and the American College of Sports Medicine agree.
It should be noted that 30-minute workouts are best for maintaining weight, not losing it. "For general fitness and health, 30-minute workouts are enough, but if your goal is weight loss you may need to bump it up, depending on your fitness level, and couple that with proper nutrition," said Fry. As always, he said, make sure to consult a doctor if starting a new exercise routine. Fry offers the following tips:
Get it in before going home. "If people try to put workouts before work, in the middle during lunch, or immediately after work, they are often more successful. When people go home, they want to relax and be with family and friends," Fry said. If a full half-hour is difficult to carve out during your workday, consider breaking up a 30-minute workout into three 10-minute workouts. "It is preferred that you do 30 minutes at one time, but if you can split it up into two or three segments, that is still adequate. Some activity is better than none, but when you do less than ten minutes at a time you start to see fewer benefits."
Be open to all types of exercise. "Some people like to lift weights, but they don't think they have enough time to get a full workout. You can actually do strength circuit training as part of your 30 minutes of activity," says Fry. He suggests doing 8-10 exercises that encompass all the major muscle groups, doing at least one set of 8-12 slow and controlled reps. That should take about 15 minutes to complete. Perform the circuit in a way that allows one muscle group to relax while the other is working. One could also take a brisk walk, jog, swim or play basketball. "The key is to do something where you are actively moving and engaging in physical activity. Make sure that your heart rate is elevated for 30 minutes," he said.
Be creative. Exercising does not have to be restricted to the gym. Move workouts outdoors. Take a brisk walk to meet a friend for lunch. Fry suggested paying close attention to your environment for exercise opportunities. For example, if your office has large hallways, go into work early and take a brisk walk. Or take advantage of the many flights of stairs in your apartment or office building.
Trade Your Website for a Campsite: Great American Backyard Campout June 28
What: Great American Backyard Campout
Looking for a way to kick off your summer? Here’s an idea for family fun, no further than your backdoor. Sponsored by National Wildlife Federation to encourage parents and kids alike to turn in their TV remotes, iPods, Wiis, computers, MP3 players, cell phones and all things high tech, and experience a night with Mother Nature including listening for nocturnal wildlife (maybe even see a few examples), star-gazing, cooking outdoors, telling stories about Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, and exploring a whole other world right in their own backyard.
Last year thousands of families from around the country participated in the Great American Backyard Campout. You don’t need to go to Yosemite National Park to experience the great outdoors and the wonders it has to offer. Just open up your backdoor!
Where: Backyards across America
When: Saturday night, June 28, 2008
Who: Families, friends, neighbors, and communities
Why: This initiative is part of a National Wildlife Federation campaign to rescue our nation’s kids from what famed author Richard Louv calls “nature deficit disorder.” Research now shows that kids spend an average of 44 hours per week “plugged into” electronic media—for the first time in our country’s history; we have an entire generation that is growing up disconnected from nature.
Camping in your backyard is a great way to introduce your kids to the fun and adventure of sleeping under the stars. It also brings families closer together without the distraction of TV, computers, and video games.
How: The National Wildlife Federation is providing everything you need to head out into the great outdoors called your backyard. The web site has packing lists, recipes, nocturnal wildlife guides, exploration activities, and nature guides. Check it out at www.backyardcampout.org. You can even sign up on the site to share your campout plans and experiences.
HPV vaccine—What’s A Parent To Do?
A random telephone survey of adults' opinions about whether the HPV vaccine should be mandatory for middle school students reveals an "ambivalence about sexuality in our culture," similar to debates surrounding contraception and sex education, said William L. Yarber, senior director of the Rural Center on AIDS/STD Prevention at Indiana University. "Parents face a real dilemma. They want to protect their children, but they're fearful of the protective methods." The study, which will be published in the winter Health Education Monograph, found that survey respondents were three times as likely to oppose a mandatory vaccine if they also believed it would encourage youth to have sex.
Here are additional findings of the study, which involved phone surveys of 504 adults. The survey was conducted in 2005, just prior to the FDA approval of the HPV vaccine.
- More than one third (35.5 percent) of respondents reported opposing a mandatory vaccine.
- Almost a quarter (24.8 percent) of respondents reported favoring a mandatory vaccine for girls and boys (the vaccine is only approved for girls to date).
- The remaining respondents were uncertain.
- Survey respondents who had more than a high school education and were white were more likely to oppose the vaccine.
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a national study in March stating that at least one in four teenage girls reported having an STD. Of the girls who reported having sex, an estimated 40 percent had an STD. The HPV vaccine Gardasil has been shown to prevent cervical cancer precursors caused by four types of human papillomavirus that are responsible for 70 percent of all cervical cancers and 90 percent of cases of genital warts. HPV also is thought to cause some oral cancers in men. While some states have proposed mandatory vaccines from school-age girls, the issue is controversial.
Yarber said sexual intercourse in the middle school years is considered too early from sexual health education and mental health perspectives. From a public health perspective, however, research has shown that some youth become sexually active following puberty, indicating a need to protect youth from the associated health risks, which can be serious. Yarber said many sexuality professionals think the HPV vaccine will not encourage sex because of the many other factors that more strongly influence this decision, but he added that more research is needed in this area.
