Short video with the Blue Ginger’s Ming Tsai demonstrating how to comply with the new Massachusetts Food Allergy Law. Great piece to share with your favorite restaurant manager / owner, even if you don’t live in Massachusetts!
Interesting segment on the news this morning about a group out of Colorado. Angel Service Dogs provides service dogs to those with anaphylactic allergies. The dog shown was trained to sniff out peanuts and the report indicated they had success in training dogs to identify wheat, soy and other allergens as well. In addition to identifying a potential allergen, the dog had a small back pack which carried the child’s epipens and other medicines. Seems like a great addition to a families’ allergy management plan given the increase in severe food allergies and the prevalence of peanuts (and other allergens) in a child’s day to day environment.
One of the challenges we faced in homeschooling was learning to evaluate our child’s writing skills. Many of the rubrics we found were geared towards specific reading assignments and the evaluation methods seemed so subjective. In the end, we chose to focus on reading high quality literature and using that writing as a standard.
Just recently we found this compilation of writing samples by grade level. It is a great collection of links and resources on the evaluation of writing. I hope you find it as useful as I know I would have when my children were younger. . . .
In looking back through the coverage of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, I found a great site on disaster planning. 72 Hours provides checklists and guidelines for your family, in preparing for a natural disaster. While earthquakes are not common in the Northeast, last year’s ice storm was a good reminder that having a plan pays off when one goes several days without heat, electricity and water.
Interesting research on NBER that attests, “Students who attended more selective colleges do not earn more than other
students who were accepted and rejected by comparable schools but attended less selective colleges . . “
The research was also noted in a recent New York Times article which summarized the research and stated, “Students who got into both, say, the University of Pennsylvania and Penn State made roughly the same amount of money, regardless of which they chose. Just as you might hope, the fine-grain status distinctions that preoccupy elite high-school seniors (and more to the point, their parents) seem to be overrated.”
Those readers considering future income as a selection factor for your child’s college should enjoy both links!
Given our daughter’s allergy, we generally avoid fried food when eating out. A casual comment from a friend the other day reminded me how much we have learned, and how little most know, about restaurant kitchens.
Here’s a quick overview of fryers and restaurants:
In any restaurant that uses fryers, even if the food is cooked in separate fryers, it’s all cross-contaminated in the nightly clean-up process. Restaurants usually only have one filter unit (expensive) and it’s standard practice is to filter each fryer unit nightly. That means all the oil in the restaurant goes through the same filter unit (designed to filter out large particles of food) and poured back into the fryers. If the restaurant fries anything with shellfish, gluten (or anything with an allergen you avoid) it’s generally not ’safe’ to eat their fried food.
The other thing about oils, is that with the move away from trans-fats, many restaurants are experimenting the oils they use in fryers and in cooking. The most common oil blend is 10 percent olive oil (for flavor) with the rest a mix of peanut oil, soya, canola and/or margarine oil. The second most popular ‘oil’ is a liquid shortening called Magic Fry. One of our local ‘better chains’ uses whatever is on sale and has no clue what’s in their oil on a day to day basis. I was stunned when the executive chef explained that he didn’t have a clue and the home office confirmed it. . .
So, even if it’s a restaurant you frequent, please remember to always ask for a manager and always ask about allergens in the ingredients as well as those your food may encounter in the cooking process.
Technorati Tags: allergy, food allergies
Just saw the cutest posting for Taylor who is being fostered in Massachusetts. He’s a six year old Cavalier KIng Charles Spaniel. To learn more about Taylor, and how to adopt a Cavalier, visit the breed rescue site!
Technorati Tags: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Cavalier Rescue, Cavaliers, dog photos
If you are considering a career in medicine, the early years of undergraduate work are a time to plan, keep your grades up and keep your options open. Knowing what may be required by medical schools is key to meeting the expectations and not extending your undergraduate studies in a game of catch-up.
First step is to review the resources on the Association of American Medical Colleges site and on your campus premedical site. It’s a good idea to meet with the premed adviser early on to make sure you are enrolled in the appropriate courses and take advantage of internships, physician shadowing and volunteering.
In case you need a quick reference for the requirements, there are good general overviews of premed requirements on the Amherst College website and on the Tufts site.
Students who are considering medical school should also pick up a copy of:
“Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) 2010-2011: The Most Authoritative Guide to U.S. and Canadian Medical Schools. The MSAR is updated annually and has the latest in admissions requirements!
Last but not least, as you complete your coursework, keep in mind that the MCATs are usually taken after the Spring semester of your junior year. More information on the MCATs are on the AAMC site.
Technorati Tags: college, curriculum, MCAT, premed
One of the keys to early college success is course selection. Many parents suggest their child audit the first class rather than take it for credit. I’m torn on that approach as knowing there is no grade may not make the class requirements as real to a young student.
Regardless of your approach to credit, the following guidelines should help you in your initial course selections:
• Students considering early college should start with one class in an area of strength and build from there.
• It is wise to check the course syllabus on-line prior to registering for a course (great way to check depth, pace and workload) and to make a visit to the college bookstore to review the texts.
• Consideration as to class size should be made. Early college students should think about the environment that they will thrive in (small class or large lecture hall) and choose their opportunities appropriately.
• Groups projects are fairly common on many campuses – even in courses such as math, literature and economics. If your student isn’t ready for group-work, check the syllabus prior to registration so you can find a class without group projects.
• It’s important to remember that grades in college do count and may have an impact on one’s future. While many parents are happy that their child has access to advanced content and not worried about grades, that ‘C’ in a class at age 14 or 16 will be considered when the student applies to 4 year universities, for summer programs and internships, for scholarships, for graduate school and may even impact a change in major.
• Many colleges have an intensive writing focus called “Writing Across the Curriculum.” This focus means even some math and science courses may be writing intensive and noted as such in the course descriptions. If you are looking for math or science courses, but have a reluctant writer, be sure and check the course’s writing requirements prior to registration.
• Remember to consider the homework load as you add additional classes to your schedule. A good guideline is 2 – 3 hours of homework time for every hour of course credit weekly. That means a 3 credit French I course averages 6 – 9 hours of homework weekly (adds us quickly doesn’t it?) That homework commitment may vary by student and subject, but many find it a good planning tool to keep from being over-extended.
Technorati Tags: college, College Board, gifted, high school, homeschooling
While this is a bit off-topic for my blog, I did want to share with my local readers a lesson I learned this week.
I had to visit a notary and show my license as id. When the manager handed my id back, they commented that my license had expired two days earlier. In shock, I called my husband to see if he had sent in the renewal.
Long story short, seems the MA RMV no longer sends out reminders or registration forms in an effort to save money. I was lucky and able to renew my license in Watertown (after a mere 2.5 hr wait) and have met 4 others in the last 24 hours who also had expired licenses and didn’t know it.
If you are local, please do yourself a favor and check the dates on your license and registration. For more info, check the MA RMV site.