Notice Postings

PARENT INPUT NEEDED BY SAU #44

SAU #44 values parental input, and is always interested in hearing ideas, suggestions, and comments from parents and family members of students in the district. Periodically, we also need parents to serve on committees, task forces or work groups to provide input on the parent perspective. These are short term group meetings, usually lasting a few hours in the afternoon. Currently, we are looking for parents to provide input to the Northwood and Nottingham School Improvement Teams. If you are interested in learning more about this, please contact Judith at jraskin@nhsau44.org.

STUDENT WORK PERMITS

The SAU receives many requests for information regarding “work permits” to enable students to work while they are in school. Minors under the age of 16 employed in NH must get a NH Youth Employment Certificate from the Superintendent’s office (where they attend school) within three (3) business days of their first day of employment.

The student should get the form “Employer’s Request for Child Labor” from the employer, Superintendent’s office, or the NH Department of Labor (click below to download this form).

Take the form to your prospective employer for his/her signature and a description of the proposed employment.

The student’s parent must sign a “Verification of Adequate Health of Child” form, stating that their son/daughter is in adequate health (click below to download this form).

Take the signed, completed forms to the Superintendent’s office with proof of age, such as a copy of your birth certificate.

The Superintendent’s office will review: the student’s birth certificate, passport, immigration record, or other proof of age;
the employer’s request to ensure the minor’s employment is permitted by law; and
the student’s school record to ensure that the academic performance level established by the district has been met.

If all of the requirements have been met, the Superintendent’s office will issue the student a Youth Employment Certificate, and provide the necessary documentation to the NH Department of Labor.

Click here for a copy of the Employer’s Request for Child Labor and Verification of Adequate Health of Child forms.

No one 16 or 17 years old may be employed unless the employer maintains on file a signed written document from the student’s parent or legal guardian permitting the youth’s employment. Minors ages 16 or 17 years old must only provide a copy of the “State of New Hampshire Proof of Permission for the Employment of a Youth Age 16 or 17”. This form must be signed by the parent or legal guardian and given to the employer to keep on file. Click here for a copy of this form.

Employers must keep a record of the date of birth for all minors under the age of 19 on file.

Please note that student volunteers, or students who wish to volunteer, must obtain the same forms, even though they will not receive payment for their volunteer work.

In order to make sure that students are protected, there are a number of time, hour and occupation restrictions on employment. Click here for this and other important information.

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings has unveiled a new online tool to help students and families financially prepare and plan for college before a student's senior year of high school. Called the FAFSA4caster, it provides students with an early estimate of their eligibility for federal financial aid, which could include a Pell grant of up to $4,310.

"Improving college access and affordability are key to giving more Americans a chance at higher education and keeping America competitive," said Secretary Spellings. "Families need more information—sooner—about students' federal aid eligibility so that they can plan ahead for college. The FAFSA4caster gives families an important tool they can use to make decisions about the future."

The FAFSA4caster will

• instantly calculate a student's eligibility for federal student aid, including grants;
• reduce the time it will take to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); and
• simplify the financial aid process for students and families.

In addition to helping families make informed decisions as they plan for college, the FAFSA4caster will also reduce the application time when students file their FAFSA in their senior year in high school.

The FAFSA4caster will be available April 1 at www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov. In September, the Department will release the next version of the FAFSA4caster, which will estimate a student's entire federal aid package, including eligibility for federal student loans.

Additional information about the FAFSA4caster is available now at www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov..

Source: U.S. Department of Education. Used with permission.

Sitting down to a family meal more often and cutting down on television watching can help keep children from becoming overweight, according to a new University of Missouri-Columbia study.

After following 8,000 children from kindergarten to third grade, researchers concluded that kids who watched the most TV were at the greatest risk of being or becoming overweight. Children who ate fewer meals with their families also were at risk for becoming overweight.

"Other research has shown that children who eat meals with their families eat more healthy foods than children who don't eat as many meals with their families," said Sara Gable, associate professor of human development and family studies in the MU College of Human Environmental Studies. "I suspect there are other benefits of family meal times that protect children from developing some of the habits that could lead to weight problems."

The researchers grouped children into three categories to determine the factors associated with becoming overweight: children who were not overweight during kindergarten and first grade but were overweight by the third grade; children who became overweight during kindergarten and stayed that way through the third grade; children who were never overweight.

"Children who were never overweight between kindergarten and third grade were watching, as per parent reports, roughly two hours of television per day, or about 14 hours during a typical week," Gable said. "The children who were persistently overweight were watching about 16 hours of television per week."

Members of the persistently overweight groups also lived in neighborhoods that parents perceived as less safe for outdoor play. "These results suggest that some overweight children have fewer options for active play when they are at home," Gable said.

The study, which was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, was published in this month's issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Published by the MU News Bureau, 329 Jesse Hall, Columbia MO 65211

© 2004 - Curators of the University of Missouri – DMCA. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.

The U.S. Department of Education has developed a series of Helping Your Child publications aimed at providing parents with the tools and information necessary to help their children succeed in school and life. These booklets feature practical lessons and activities to help preschool and school aged children master reading, understand the value of homework and develop the skills and values they will need to grow and succeed. These books are available in English or Spanish at http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/hyc.html.

We hear from many sources that parents are their child’s first teachers, and that learning begins in the home. Parents often don’t think about all the ways they are teaching their children during their interactions throughout the day and evening. The National Education Association (NEA) has developed a brief booklet of Home Learning Recipes for children at various grade levels. “Think of it as the educational equivalent of those cookbooks that provide quick, nutritious recipes. These recipes are designed for parents to help boost their child’s learning in reading, writing, math and science, as well as the broader aspects of responsibility, perseverance, teamwork and problem solving.” The Home Learning Recipes, as well as other helpful information for parents, can be found at http://www.nea.org/parents/ppower.html.