| bringing people together to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities |
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Contents:
Fighting Obesity: Beginning the New School Year with a Healthy Student Eating Plan Back To School Shopping List for Parents and Kids No Child Left Behind: Survey Results from AAFCS Members 2004 AAFCS Teacher of the Year...Carol Watkins Backgrounder on Teacher of the Year AAFCS Fact Sheet For more information, contact: Steve Hines at Marketing Resource Management |
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400 N. Columbus St, Ste 202 Alexandria, VA 22314 703-706-4600 |
FROM MARKETING RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Story Ideas and Interview Options for: BACK TO SCHOOL 2005... ISSUES FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS RETURNING TO SCHOOL Presented by American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences Alexandria, VA |
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About the Electronic Press Kit
There is no better time than the beginning of the school year to start with a clean slate. This is a great time to address the eating habits of your children, involve them in the budget-conscious selection and purchase of their new clothes and school items, and get a firsthand look at the impact of No Child Left Behind legislation from the teachers responsible for using it in the classroom. These handy and informative topics are presented by the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS), a national not-for-profit organization of educators and businesses concerned with bringing people together to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities. In addition, AAFCS highlights the 2004 AAFCS Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Carol Watkins, CFCS, of Bradwell Institute (a public high school), in Hinesville, GA. Mrs. Watkins is available for interviews and talkshows. To support the significance of the AAFCS Teacher of the Year story, AAFCS has produced a Video News Release and B-Roll footage in Betamax. Please call or e-mail Steve Hines, Marketing Resource Management, 703-327-3243 or steve@stevehines.com or, Linda Wilson, AAFCS, 703-706-4609 or lwilson@aafcs.org for additional information. To book appearances, please contact Steve Hines. |
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FIGHTING OBESITY: BEGINNING THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR WITH A HEALTHY STUDENT EATING PLAN AAFCS suggests using the weeks just before the school year and the first month of the new year as an opportunity to plan and implement a family eating plan which focuses on the dietary habits of the school-age children in the family. Here are 10 Tips from members of AAFCS:
American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences 800-424-8080 (ph) · 703-706-4663 (fax) · info@aafcs.org · www.aafcs.org |
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BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING LIST FOR PARENTS AND KIDS: 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW AS STUDENTS RETURN TO SCHOOL... AAFCS presents 10 Tips for parents, which can help them prepare, budget, plan, and shop wisely for "back to school." In addition, this activity creates a strong teaching moment for parents and kids. By involving their children in the planning, budgeting, selecting, and purchasing of clothes and school items, parents have a rare opportunity to teach time management, budgeting and financial literacy, and good decision making in a practical setting. Here are the 10 AAFCS Tips for shopping and teaching:
American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences 800-424-8080 (ph) · 703-706-4663 (fax) · info@aafcs.org · www.aafcs.org |
NO CHILD LEFT
BEHIND: American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences 800-424-8080 (ph) · 703-706-4663 (fax) · info@aafcs.org · www.aafcs.org |
(Alexandria, VA - April 29, 2004) - Carol A. Watkins, CFCS, of Bradwell Institute (a public high school), Hinesville, GA, has been named American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) 2004 National Teacher of the Year (T.O.Y.). The announcement came today from AAFCS Executive Director Karen S. Tucker, CAE on the verge of National Teacher Day (May 4) and Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2-8). Watkins will receive the prestigious AAFCS National Teacher of the Year award at the AAFCS 95th Annual Convention & Exposition in San Diego, CA on June 26, 2004. The AAFCS National T.O.Y. award, co-sponsored by the publishers Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, recognizes outstanding educational programs, methods, techniques, and activities that give visibility to family and consumer sciences elementary and secondary education and support "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB). Each participating AAFCS state affiliate association selects its Teacher of the Year and the winning state entries are submitted to AAFCS for the national competition. From this group, the Top Ten T.O.Y.s are selected, with one being awarded the number one honor. The National T.O.Y. is selected based upon the following criteria: integration of FCS with the core curriculum (NCLB) and with other disciplines; exemplary level of professional commitment to FCS; goals and outcomes of the program; sustainability of the program; creativity, innovation, and cutting-edge techniques in the program; ability to sustain funding and overcome obstacles or challenges; positive influence on the lives of students; relevancy and timely impact on the students, school, and community; and increasing the visibility, recognition, and support of the FCS profession within the community. Watkins' exceptional program, "Dynamic Leadership and Character Education," which she teaches to tenth through twelfth graders, includes lessons on moral and ethical values, violence prevention, and civic responsibility while integrating the core curriculum through hands-on learning activities. To learn about desirable values and good citizenship, students read 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and then write answers to study questions and participate in group activities to reinforce the messages. In one group activity, students brainstorm ways to earn trust through honesty, integrity, promise-keeping, and loyalty. Each group reports back to the class with their ideas and then each individual must say what they will personally do to be more trustworthy. The class addresses school violence by participating in group activities to recognize the problem of youth violence, their role in it, and what they can do to stop it. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, students compose written personal action plans and work individually and in small groups to complete class community service projects or achieve other personal goals. Students create project lists; accept responsibility; demonstrate transferable and employability skills, such as resume writing, business etiquette, and follow through; demonstrate teamwork and leadership skills; manage budgets/financial resources; as well as conflict resolution/communications skills that contribute to positive relationships. Students' community service projects focus on topics such as child abuse, premature birth, school violence, and AIDS. During Watkins' tenure, the class has won the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) award for the best community service project in the state three times. They received one of the awards for donating 75-100 student-made preemie hospital gowns to the neo-natal intensive care unit at Memorial Medical Center in Savannah. Every Friday Watkins' class holds a business meeting using strict parliamentary procedure for students to share progress on their projects and make decisions to guide the small groups toward their goals. Her students, who also learn speech writing and presentation skills, have won FCCLA event awards for Parliamentary Procedure and have trained other FCCLA student leaders in Parliamentary Procedure. "Experience has shown me that the project-based approach to education is the best because students have the chance to put into practice the core curriculum skills. Experience is always the best teacher," noted Watkins. Watkins, who also serves as chair of the Board of Directors for FCCLA, a nonprofit national vocational student organization for young men and women in FCS education through grade 12, bases many of her lessons on materials and activities produced by FCCLA. Enrollment in her class includes FCCLA officers and leadership team members who plan, organize, and manage chapter activities. All students in family and consumer sciences classes are eligible to become members of FCCLA, which has chapters in secondary schools throughout the U.S. Since Watkins implemented her leadership class in 1999, enrollment in FCS life skills classes at Bradwell Institute has more than doubled from 225 students in 99-00 to 475 students in 03-04. FCCLA membership at Bradwell has also more than doubled from 106 members in 99-00 to 260 members in 03-04. Carol A. Watkins, CFCS, is a 30-year member of the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS), based in Alexandria, VA. Founded in 1909, AAFCS is the only not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to bringing people together to improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities. AAFCS' more than 10,000 members are elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educators, researchers, and administrators, cooperative extension educators, and other professionals in business and industry, nonprofit organizations, and government. These professionals develop, integrate, and provide practical knowledge about life skills-financial literacy; child care and parenting; conflict resolution; consumer education; housing and environment; apparel and textiles; and dietetics and nutrition. For more information, call 703-706-4600 or email gmason@aafcs.org. |
Teacher of the Year (T.O.Y.) Award Origin of the T.O.Y. In 1974, the American Home Economics Association (now American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences) entered into a partnership with Family Circle magazine to establish the Home Economics Teacher of the Year Program. In co-sponsoring the award, Family Circle, a division of the New York Times Company, recognized that the "home economics teaching profession is a vital force in the classroom and in the community." Its original purpose was two-fold: 1) to promote excellence in the teaching of home economics at the elementary and secondary levels; and 2) to identify outstanding educational activities that can provide stimulus for other teachers throughout the country. Family Circle continued its co-sponsorship of the award for a seven-year period, 1974 — 1980. Instantly popular with a large cross-section of the AHEA membership, the Home Economics Teacher of the Year Program became known as the "Teacher of the Year" award or T.O.Y. award. The T.O.Y. award was designed as a national competition among winners of the competition at the state affiliate level. While changes have been made to the award, the original concept has remained the same for the award's 31-year history. The T.O.Y. Today Although the curriculum has changed dramatically to meet the needs of cultural and societal changes, the T.O.Y. award is still awarded for outstanding and innovative life skills curriculum. The American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) T.O.Y. award, co-sponsored by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, identifies and recognizes exemplary teachers who exhibit a deep commitment to the profession and the Association. All state T.O.Y. awardees have demonstrated outstanding teaching with educational programs that utilize methods, techniques, and activities, that integrate the core curriculum, and that provide the stimulus for and give visibility to family and consumer sciences elementary and secondary education. Each nominated program must focus on one of the following areas of life skills: career awareness/job skill training, consumer education/family finance, creative dimensions/alternative program designs, family life/personal and social development, or nutrition education/diet and health. The selection process begins with AAFCS affiliates administering a T.O.Y. competition and selecting its affiliate T.O.Y. AAFCS encourages all affiliates to enter their state T.O.Y. into the national competition. At the national level through a rigorous peer-review process, the Top Ten T.O.Y.s are selected from up to 53 affiliate T.O.Y.s. Then the most exceptional T.O.Y. is chosen from the Top Ten T.O.Y.s. The National T.O.Y. is selected based upon the following criteria: integration of FCS with the core curriculum (NCLB) and with other disciplines; exemplary level of professional commitment to FCS; goals and outcomes of the program; sustainability of the program; creativity, innovation, and cutting-edge techniques in the program; ability to sustain funding and overcome obstacles or challenges; positive influence on the lives of students; relevancy and timely impact on the students, school, and community; and increasing the visibility, recognition, and support of the FCS profession within the community. 2004 Top Ten T.O.Y.s Carol Ann Watkins, CFCS - National T.O.Y. Bradwell Institute, Hinesville, Georgia Tambra S. Bauchert, CFCS Mt. Vernon High School, Fortville, Indiana Marie M. Birch, CFCS Cranston High School, Cranston, Rhode Island Kristine L. Brockhoft, CFCS Winner High School, Winner, South Dakota Judy Karen Brown Bob Jones High School, Madison, Alabama Annette Arlene Hatfield Hays Acorn High School, Mena, Arkansas Kathleen H. Hendrix, CFCS Selah High School, Selah, Washington Norma Lee Layton Lakeside Junior High School, Orange Park, Florida Karen Marie Smith Monticello Middle School, Monticello, Minnesota Linda Wussow, CFCS School District of Bonduel, Bonduel, Wisconsin * 1994 - 2003 AAFCS National T.O.Y.s *
American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences 800-424-8080 (ph) · 703-706-4663 (fax) · info@aafcs.org · www.aafcs.org |
Our Founder... In 1909, Ellen H. Richards founded the American Home Economics Association (AHEA). Ms. Richards was the first female graduate and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an activist for nutrition, public health, consumer education, industrial safety and child protection, women's rights, and the application of scientific and management principles to the family. Her professional experience and vision led to the formalization of the family and consumer sciences profession. Our Focus... In 1994, AHEA changed its name to AAFCS to reflect society's changing cultural mores and to emphasize a new focus on issues of financial literacy and other practical lifeskills education. Today, AAFCS members strive to empower individuals, strengthen families, and enable communities by providing educational programs, developing communications and influencing public policy. Our integrative approach to education provides a unique perspective to problem solving by individuals, families, and communities. For the past 100 years, family and consumer sciences (FCS) courses have integrated reading and writing, math and science, technology and research — essential skills required by the No Child Left Behind legislation — into course curricula. FCS classes emphasize broader family and society issues and critical, practical lifeskills needed by 21st century youth, including:
For more information about AAFCS, visit www.aafcs.org American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences 800-424-8080 (ph) · 703-706-4663 (fax) · info@aafcs.org · www.aafcs.org |