The students in my Health, Safety, and Nutrition class make Memory Blanket Folders each fall to donate to IRIS. You can view some of their past items HERE. The following message came from IRIS – Infants Remembered In Silence.

We at Infants Remembered In Silence, Inc. (IRIS) are very excited to announce that we have applied for a $250,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant!

We Need YOUR Help to Win!

Pepsi Refresh Grants are voted on by the public, daily, for one month. We Need Your Vote Every Day in order to win!

Voting runs from September 1st – September 30th you can view the IRIS application online and VOTE for us at:

http://www.refresheverything.com/iris

You can also vote by TEXTING 102517 to Pepsi 73774

The IRIS application includes our new video along with other information about our 501(c) 3 organization and how we plan to use the funds.

Q & A … How it Works:

When does the voting Start:
Starting Sept. 1st at 6 am eastern time
Go to http://www.refresheverything.com/iris, or TEXTING 102517 to Pepsi 73774 and vote for IRIS daily!
Voting Ends Sept. 30th at 11:59 pm

Who can Vote?
All legal residents of the United States residing in one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia who are 13 years of age or older. Starting Sept 1st and ending Sept. 30th YOU can vote for IRIS one (1) time per day per your e-mail address.

How do I vote?
Visit http://www.refresheverything.com/iris
Register to vote
Click on Vote!
or by TEXTING 102517 to Pepsi 73774

How are the votes counted?
Voting is done in a democratic way online where members of the public will vote for projects that they find the most compelling. The IRIS application is very compelling.

Can I submit more than one vote from the same IP address?
Yes, you may vote up to 10 times per account per day, but each vote must be for different projects. In other words – One vote per day for IRIS.

Can I make a comment about how IRIS helped me?
Yes you can. When you are on the IRIS application page on the Pepsi site you will find directions on how to leave a comment. Thanks for thinking of it, that’s a great idea!

What Happens with my unused votes?
Unused votes do not roll over to the next day; we need YOU to use your vote EVERYDAY for IRIS.

Can you remind me to vote for IRIS every day?
YES, we can and would be very happy to do so! Please visit the IRIS website and you will find directions on how to receive a daily reminder!!!!

So what is IRIS going to do with $250,000?
We plan to hold a special IRIS Advocate training session to train 150 new IRIS Advocates across the USA at no charge!

IRIS offers support, education, and resources to bereaved parents, family, friends, and professionals, but at this time, IRIS’ services are limited mainly to southern Minnesota. IRIS Advocate Training will provide specialized education for those wishing to bring IRIS services to their area. The funding that we receive from the Pepsi Refresh Grant will provide Advocate-trainees with startup supplies and pay for their room and board for the Advocate Training. Training will be open to 150 people from across the USA, who are willing to work at no charge, directly with the parents and child that has died.

Advocate training includes emotional preparation and support with a hands-on approach to working in a hospital or funeral home setting. Those in attendance will learn how to assist parents in creating keepsakes, taking pictures, direct care of child, facilitation of support groups, learn medical terminology, how to answer difficult questions, etc. The retreat will run from Friday through Sunday and will include room and board, training and testing supplies, an Advocate start-up kit, and a one year membership to IRIS. These 150 newly trained IRIS Advocates, working with ten moms in one year, will impact the lives of over 30,000 people!

How Can I Become an Advocate?
You can send us an email: iris@qwestoffice.net  and we will keep you informed, but FIRST we need to win the grant so please get everyone you know to vote for IRIS!

In my Health, Safety and Nutrition class, we’ll soon be taking a closer look at handwashing. I thought I’d ask my son to demo how he washes his hands in a tutorial.

Here it is-

I had to laugh about the restaurant part and turning off the water because I have told him that before. If you teach them correctly as toddlers, and reiterate it as preschoolers, it sticks with them! He even corrects me if I don’t do it long enough

How do YOU (or your child) wash your hands? Take a video, post to YouTube and comment below with the YouTube link. I’d love to see it!

Being that my husband and I are both teachers and our son is in school, we spend a pretty penny on school lunches each month. However, this year I’m committed to not only saving money, but also having healthier meals.

School lunches aren’t always as healthy as we assume they would be.  The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and the Healthy School Lunch Campaign say that the “menus served in school lunch programs are too rich in saturated fat and cholesterol and too low in fiber- and nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.”

So…what’s for lunch today? My 7 year old son picked todays menu:

• Monkey Sandwich
  *Hot dog buns with all natural peanut butter and banana slices
• Cucumber slices
• Apple

Yesterday was ham and cheese spinach sandwiches, strawberries, and baby carrots with a little ranch dip. So far…so good.

*I posted an update in the Comments below.

One of the classes that I faciliate this semester is Advanced Child Guidance. This last week, we took a closer look at Guidance and Disciple versus Punishment. Are you using positive guidance with the children in your life? Here’s a video to learn more-

WHAT?   

• Lions are an international network of 1.3 million men and women, in over 45,000 clubs from over 200 countries and geographic areas, who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world.
•  Known for working to end preventable blindness, Lions also participate in a vast variety of projects important to their communities.  These projects range from assisting the underprivileged to providing supplies to victims of natural disasters.
• DCTC will be the first 2 year college to become an established Lions Campus Club in Minnesota.

WHY?  

• Provides leadership opportunities for students
• Offers membership in a well-recognized service club 
• Increases humanitarian service for the campus community 
• Builds positive community public relations 
• Gives opportunities to serve campus, local and work communities
• Improves speaking and presentation skills 
• Strengthens business and management skills
• Creates networking possibilities
• Generates resume building skills

WHEN?   

• Second Wednesday of the month from 11:30 to 1:00 p.m. – First meeting 09/08/10.

WHERE?             

•  Dakota Room                                    

COST?                  

• FREE to students year one – faculty and staff $50.80 (paid with professional development dollars)

WHO?                 

• DCTC Faculty, Staff and Students

The cafeteria at DCTC is called the Knights’ Table. Did you know that we have a new vendor this year? It’s Lancer Hospitality and they just re-opened this week!

HOURS 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

*I have eaten their twice already and so far, the food is pretty tastey Check out the menu format! What other changes will you notice?

DCTC has a professional photographer coming to campus tomorrow (Tues) from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. to photograph students for promotional materials. If you are interested in taking part in this fun and casual opportunity, stop by room 2-142 anytime throughout the day. The day’s schedule will be posted and there will be refreshments available.

TOMORROW (August 31st) is the first Student Senate meeting of the year. All students are welcome! Things to be discussed include activities to have this year, voter registration, and an overview of the Senate committees to participate on. Come and bring a friend!

We have updated our activity card! If you were a student last semester (or prior) please delete/throw away any old Activity Card forms that you may have.

The new Activity Card for assignments/projects can be found on this site under PROGRAM, FORMS. It’s also in the handbook (physical copy).

Today – Friday, August 27 @ 4pm is the deadline to drop courses, that began this week, without financial responsibility.

Make schedule changes via e-services or in Student Services on-campus.