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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 2014)
Back to School Mayors in 170 Cities Nationwide Pledge Support Backpacks for Rainier A s part of a major new national initia- tive, The United States Conference of May- ors has announced the launch of a new partnership with The BULLY Project - the Mayors’ Campaign to End Bullying - to develop a series of evidence-based responses to combat the epi- demic of bullying in school districts nationwide. As part of the new project, more than 170 mayors from around the country signed on in the Campaign’s first weekend, pledging to raise awareness, foster safe school climates, and work with educational experts partnering with The BULLY Project to create customized not only the potentially trag- ic effects of bullying, but also the many real ways that school climate impacts how our schools perform and innovate,” said Sacramento Mayor and USCM Presi- dent Kevin Johnson. “Developing and imple- menting long term anti-bullying initiatives that engage top level community stakeholders including superintendents, law enforcement and philan- thropic leaders is critical for the health and safety of not only our children, but all our residents. We are proud to stand in partnership with The BULLY Project on this historic Mayors campaign in order to end bullying ‘Bullying has an impact on children’s achievement in school all the way to the personal tragedy of suicide’ plans, rooted in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) practice - to address bully- ing in their local school districts. “As community leaders, it is the responsibility of may- ors to raise awareness and educate city residents about once and for all in the nation’s cities.” The Mayors’ Campaign to End Bullying - which launched on Saturday, June 21, at the 82nd Annual U.S. Conference of Mayors Meeting in Dallas - has already gained the support PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED New partnership between the U.S. Conference of Mayors and The BULLY Project Seattle university Women’s Basketball players Cydnee Ceballos and Jasmine Johnson help pass out backpacks at the 11th Annual Rainier Back 2 School Bash, Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Plaza at Rainier and Henderson. Hundreds of families showed up for an afternoon of free activities that included a free backpack and school supplies. The event was sponsored by nine organizations including The Rainier Beach Community Empowerment Coalition, an alliance of local businesses, organizations and community members. from more than 170 mayors nationwide, with nearly 70 percent of The U.S. Confer- ence of Mayors attendees signing on in the first few days to tackle the issue of bullying in their local schools during National Bullying Prevention Month in October. “Bullying has an impact on children’s achievement in school all the way to the personal tragedy of suicide. As Mayors, we have the convening power to be able to bring our constituents together and talk to them about how we can prevent bullying, how we can pro- tect our kids who are being bullied and how we can challenge our educators and schools to become schools where all kids feel connect- ed and welcome. I am honored to lead the Mayors’ Campaign to End Bully- ing,” said Houston Mayor Annise Parker. Mayors in more than 150 cities, including: Little Rock, AR; Mobile, AL; Phoenix, AZ; San Francisco CA; Sacramento, CA; Talla- hassee, FL; Orlando, FL; Des Moines, IA; Louisville, KY; New Orleans, LA; Bal- timore, MD; Boston, MA; St. Louis, MO; Kansas City, MO; Raleigh, NC; Cleve- land, OH; Columbus, OH; Philadelphia, PA; Charleston, SC; Nashville, TN; Houston, TX; and Madison, WI have already signed on. As part of the initiative, mayors will have access to technical support from a team of education special- ists at the University of Illinois in partnership with The BULLY Project. The experts will provide partici- pating mayors with advice and research on program- matic approaches to ending bullying, so that solutions developed through the ini- tiative are based strongly on recognized best practices and have a sustainable impact that lasts beyond National Bullying Preven- tion Month in October. The BULLY Project will also provide participating mayors with screening resources, including the See BULLY on page 6 Back to School with Asthma? Here are Tips P reparing kids to start school can be a challenge- even more so if your child has asthma. The American Lung Association’s Back-to-School with Asthma Checklist offers easy-to-follow steps to help you child start the school year healthy, confident and ready to learn. Nationwide, 9.3 percent of children under age 18 live with asthma. Step 1 – Learn about Asthma The American Lung Association has many free resources to help children and their guardians learn how to keep asthma well controlled- the key to helping your child stay healthy and active. • Visit www.lung.org/asthma to learn about asthma and asthma management. Be sure to watch the short animation to learn what happens in the airways dur- ing an asthma episode. • Asthma Basics is a 50-minute online educational tool for people living with asthma or anyone who provides care for someone living with asthma. It teaches how to recognize and manage asthma symptoms, how to identify and reduce triggers, how to create an asthma man- agement plan and how to respond to a breathing emergency. • If you have a child with asthma, Lung- tropolis is the website to visit together. You’ll find action-packed games designed to help kids control their asth- ma, plus advice for adults. Step 2 – Talk to the School Nurse A visit or phone call to the school nurse should be your next step. • Ask the school nurse to explain and pro- vide all of the required forms you and your child’s healthcare provider need to sign and complete. See ASTHMA on page 7 August 13, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 5
