For MASSPTA

By: California Safe Schools
Yesterday in Los Angeles, many distinguished environmental health and justice advocates in addition to political leaders expressed their gratitude & praised the efforts of the Los Angeles Unified School District, (2nd largest in the nation) for working cooperatively for a decade with California Safe Schools (CSS), a children's environmental health organization in creating the most protective pesticide policy for schools in the country.

Video games rated Mature (M) by the gaming industry's Entertainment Software Ratings Board often feature horrific violence.  A top selling video game for teens and preteens is Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, in which players can choose to have sex with a prostitute and then kill her. In Gears of War, another top-selling M-rated game, players' main weapon is a machine gun that is also equipped with a chain saw which is used to kill enemies at close range. In the M-rated Manhunt 2, players can saw open the stomach of an enemy who is lying, awake, chained to a table.  Despite research showing the harmful effects of violent video games on youth, M-rated games are routinely sold to children under seventeen.

But that could change here in Massachusetts.  House Bill 1423, "An Act To Restrict The Sale Of Video Games With Violent Content To Minors," is currently under consideration by the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.   Please take a moment to email your representatives and the Committee and urge them to support this important legislation. http://salsa.democracyinaction .org/o/621/t/5401/campaign.jsp ?campaign_KEY=23855

At the 2006 Summit on Video Games, Youth and Public Policy, leading academic, medical and health experts issued a statement saying: "Behavioral science research demonstrates that playing violent video games can increase the likelihood of aggressive behavior in children and youth."  The most recent studies employing state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques support the behavioral research.  There is evidence that violent video games can engender more aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; and decrease empathetic, helpful behaviors with peers.

In spite of the fact that a Mature-rating means that a game is unsuitable for those under the age of seventeen, M-rated games are extremely popular with children. A survey by The National Institute on Media and the Family found that seven out of ten 4th through 12th grade students report that they play M-rated video games and nearly half of boys list an M-rated game as their favorite. A 2007 report by the Federal Trade Commission found that 42% of unaccompanied 13- to 16-year-olds were able to purchase M-rated games.

Please tell your representatives that video games featuring horrific violence should not be sold directly to children and forward this email to five friends or family members in Massachusetts. http://salsa.democracyinaction .org/o/621/t/5401/campaign.jsp ?campaign_KEY=23855

WHAT'S NEW AT FINE - March 2008
Monthly news and resources from
FINE (Family Involvement Network of Educators)
http://www.finenetwork.org


In the last FINE newsletter, we told you about some exciting new developments at FINE and Harvard Family Research Project. In this month's newsletter, we share some of our new resources and offer a sneak preview of our upcoming issue of The Evaluation Exchange on Building the Future of Family Involvement.

The Evaluation Exchange issue, and our other new resources, place family involvement within a framework of complementary learning. A complementary learning approach integrates school and nonschool supports in an aligned and systemic way to promote educational success for all children and youth. Within this framework, family involvement reaches across settings and time, and plays many essential roles. Our new and upcoming resources illustrate these roles.

As always, the newsletter also features recent research and resources from the field. This month's new resources include a range of topics such as family involvement in out-of-school time, school-family-community partnerships, and English language learners.

MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2008 AND THROUGHOUT THE WEEK

NATIONAL HEALTHY SCHOOLS DAY, a nationally coordinated day of local actions to promote and celebrate healthy school environments for all children and all staff Pre K-12. Healthy high performance school design/construction; healthy and green cleaning practices; IAQ management; siting and hazards; kick the pesticide habit; eliminate mercury,lead, PCBs; prevent mold infestations; wholesome foods and clean drinking water; safe playgrounds; safe toys; safe and healthy instructional materials.

In 2007, there were more than 40 events in 20 states plus the District of Columbia promoting healthy school environments as local practice and as local or state policy. Create your own event: educational workshops or web casts, issue briefings, bulletin boards, student assemblies, petitions & local actions, resolutions & proclamations, school tours, and presentations to school leaders.

For more information, see www.nationalhealthyschoolsday.org or call Coordinator Jen Sentar at 518-462-0632.

National Healthy Schools Day is coordinated by Healthy Schools Network Inc, in cooperation with US EPA, the Council of Educational Facility Planners-International.

With your help, MPHA is delivering hundreds of postcards to Beacon Hill, publishing letters in newspapers across the state, and generating new support for healthy school nutrition.  But we must keep the momentum going!

Join us today and on March 24 in sending a message to our legislators: Children should learn healthy eating habits in school.   Rising rates of diabetes, asthma, and other health problems associated with being obese and overweight demand nothing less.

The School Nutrition Bill ( H. 4376) establishes healthy standards for snacks and beverages sold in Massachusetts schools.  The bill is in the House Ways and Means Committee, having already been approved by the Public Health and Health Care Financing Committees.

Take action to advance the bill to a vote by the House of Representatives!

*  Email your state representative .

*  Submit a letter to the editor.

*  Endorse the bill.

* Join us at a State House rally!   On Monday, March 24, Representative Peter Koutoujian, MPHA, and supporters from across the Commonwealth will holding a rally for the School Nutrition Bill.  The rally will be from 9:00 to 11:00 am at Nurses Hall in the State House.

Thank you for your ongoing support and involvement.
Info: Eric Weltman, Deputy Director, Advocacy and Policy
eweltman@mphaweb.org

Marcell Pixley, author of Freak, and Ruth Kaplan, MA PTA representative to the MA Board of Education

MassPTA Annual Meeting March 15, 2008
Honoring Freyda Siegel for 50 years of service to PTA
Ruth Kaplan, MA Board of Eduction, Ellie Goldberg, MassPTA VP Legislation, Freyda Siegel, retiring Family Life Chair, and Jan Harp Domene, President, National PTA

Critical Exposure Photo of the Month Highlights Need for School Building Funding for Maintenance and Repairs

Photo by Julia, 10th Grade, McKees Rocks, Pa. (c)2008 Critical Exposure. All rights reserved. www.criticalexposure.org

Our friends at Critical Exposure have launched a newsletter offering a glimpse of the powerful work students are doing around the country to document the conditions of their schools.

The photos highlight serious and all-too-common health threats -- including dangerous indoor air quality -- that children, teachers and school staff face on a daily basis.

At HSC, we advocate for funding to support adequate school building maintenance and repairs in all schools so that children can learn in safe, healthy environments.

Sign up for the photo of the month newsletter. Plus: Read HSC Environmental Health Specialist Claris Olson's blog on school building conditions and funding.