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U.S. Codex News in brief — Friday, January 13, 2012
A summary of recent and upcoming events published biweekly; direct inquiries to firstname.lastname@example.com
Receive Email Notification of Updates to Codex News
Upcoming Public Meeting
Task Force on Animal Feeding : The public meeting for the upcoming 6th Session of the Task Force will be held January 18, from 1-3 pm in the Jamie Whitten Building of USDA, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington DC, Room 107-A. Individuals may also participate via teleconference by calling 1-888-858-2144; Participant Code: 6208658.
The public meeting will discuss U.S. draft positions on two main issues: proposed draft guidelines on the application of risk assessment for feed, and the proposed draft prioritized list of hazards in feed. The Task Force will meet February 20-24, in Berne, Switzerland.
Recent Outreach
Coordinating Committee on Africa (CCAfrica) : The U.S. Codex Office concluded today a week-long technical assistance workshop in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The bilateral workshop, attended by 50 participants, was designed to emphasize critical elements for a successful National Codex Contact Point and National Codex Committee as well as to enhance Cameroon's ability to operate effectively as Chair of CCAfrica.
The first days of the workshop focused on providing a greater understanding to all parties in Cameroon involved with Codex work. This included a variety of presentations to the entire group, as well as smaller breakout groups to work on priority setting. The last day of the workshop focused on strengthening Cameroon's ability to lead in its new role as the Codex Regional Coordinator for Africa.
Comments Requested
The Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) requests comments on the hygiene provisions (sections 2.3, 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) of the draft Regional Code of Practice for Street-vended Foods prepared by the Committee for the Near East (CCNEA) and referred to CCFH. At the 43rd Session of CCFH, the Committee decided to solicit comments from member countries and interested international organizations on the hygiene provisions only of the draft Regional Code. CCFH also called attention to the two existing regional guidelines or codes of practice on street-vended foods: Regional Guidelines for the Design of Control Measures for Street-Vended Foods - Africa (CAC/GL 22R-1997) and the Regional Code of Hygienic Practice for the Preparation and Sale of Street Foods - Latin America and the Caribbean (CAC/RCP 43R-1995) which can be used as references. The draft regional code of practice is available as an Annex to a circular letter that will soon be published on our companion page: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/international-affairs/us-codex-alimentarius/committees-and-task-forces/general-subject-committees/codex-committee-on-food-hygiene/ct_index
Parties interested in contributing to the U.S. response should send their comments to Jenny Scott, U.S. Delegate to CCFH, (firstname.lastname@example.com) with a copy to Joyce Saltsman (firstname.lastname@example.com) by May 31, 2012. International organizations may send their comments directly to the Codex Secretariat (email@example.com), with a copy to Barbara McNiff, in the U.S. Codex Office (email@example.com) by the June 30, 2012 deadline set in the circular letter.
Other News
JMPR: The report of the most recent session of the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) is available online at: http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/agphome/documents/Pests_Pesticides/JMPR/Report11/JMPR_2011_Report.pdf .
Meeting in Geneva, September 20-29, 2011, this panel evaluated 26 pesticides, including eight new compounds and four compounds that were re-evaluated for toxicity or residues, or both, within the periodic review program of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR). The Meeting established acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) and acute reference doses (ArfDs), estimated maximum residue levels and recommended them for use by CCPR, and estimated supervised trials median residue (STMR) and highest residue (HR) levels as a basis for estimating dietary intakes.


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Statistics tend to change daily, but it is safe to say that more than 50 million Americans are now using mobile banking on their smartphones; another 40 million people are using tablets to access their banking accounts; young, affluent Americans are the prime movers behind mobile banking; and mobile banking users choose financial institutions based on their mobile offerings.
Speaking at the Mobile Banking & Commerce Summit last month in San Francisco, Jeanne Hogarth, manager of consumer research at the Federal Reserve Board, told attendees that 43.5 percent of the 1829 age group are using mobile banking and that 40.8 percent of mobile banking users make more than $75,000 a year. Mobile banking users are a coveted consumer group, but one bypassing smaller banks because of limited mobile services.
Michael McEvoy, managing director of ath Power Consulting, agreed with Hogarth, pointing out that 70 percent of mobile banking customers place high importance on mobile services when choosing a bank. This trend is reflected in a recent study that found 37 percent of customers at large banks are using mobile banking, compared to 21 percent at regional and community banks and just 15 percent at credit unions.
Garnering a great deal of discussion at the summit was mobile remote deposit capture, or mRDC: the ability to scan and deposit a check from a smartphone or tablet. Although most banks still do not offer mRDC, a recent Javelin Strategy & Research study found that 58 percent of financial institutions surveyed plan to introduce it within the next 12 months. In her session, Mary Monahan, Javelins executive vice president and research director, told the audience, Mobile deposit has a wow factor that helps consumers understand the value of mobile banking, boosting acquisition and retention.
Here are a few other takeaways from the summit:
Finally, despite all the statistics and excitement, most consumers say the No. 1 reason for not using mobile banking is security. A study by the Federal Reserve, for example, found that 48 percent of those surveyed are not using mobile banking because of concerns about security; and 34 percent did not even know whether their FIs mobile banking was safe or unsafe. If FIs want to reap all the rewards of mobile banking, they should not only implement internal security safeguards, but also improve the level of their communication with customers about these safeguards.
Michael Scheibach is executive editor of BankNews.
Copyright (c) July 2012 by BankNews Media

subset: commoncrawl


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Recommended For Your 2000 Pontiac Trans AmRemove Vehicle
- Part Number: 24017
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- Notes: ******* Customer instructions ******* To activate online subscriptions: 1. Locate subscription activation code within CD Packaging. 2. Install CD (see "how to Install This CD" within packaging). After CD installation, click "Activate DIY Now" on the home page. 3. After browser launches to www.ALLDATAdiy.com, select your vehicle year, make, model, then engine. 4. Enter your username and password including personal information and the subscription activation code found within CD packaging at bottom of web page. No credit card information is necessary.
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Lawsuit: 'Sham' United office dodges sales taxes
BY ART GOLAB Staff email@example.com January 14, 2013 12:40AM
The front door of a small office building in Sycamore, Illinois. The RTA will file a lawsuit claiming United and American Airlines use tiny offices in remote Sycamore, Illinois, to purchase billions of dollars in aviation fuel for use at O'Hare and Midway in order to avoid paying higher Cook County sales taxes.
Article Extras
Updated: February 15, 2013 6:23AM
In a tiny office in rural Sycamore, next to a chiropractor and an attorney, United Airlines buys billions of dollars in jet fuel.
But the jet fuel never gets anywhere near Sycamore, which is 100 miles west of Chicago.
It goes to O'Hare, and that upsets the Regional Transit Authority, which says it is out at least $96 million in lost sales taxes as a result of the actions of United and another company, American Airlines.
The RTA filed suit Monday against United and the city of Sycamore, contending United operates a "sham" office in the DeKalb County town in order to avoid higher sales taxes in Cook County.
American Airlines also has a fuel purchasing office in Sycamore, but it will escape being sued for now because it is in bankruptcy.
Since 2005, the RTA claims the airlines' routing of fuel orders through Sycamore has cost the RTA $96 million, the city of Chicago $133 million and Cook County $60 million in sales tax revenues.
The RTA helps fund the CTA, Metra and Pace with sales tax revenue collected in the six-county Chicago area.
Both airlines would not comment on specifics of the suit but said what they are doing is legal.
That's because while most states say sales taxes should be collected where products are received, Illinois law says they should be collected where the purchase is accepted.
To the airlines, that means Sycamore — which not only has a lower sales tax, but has a deal with the airlines to pay back most of the sales taxes it does collect.
In its suit, however, the RTA will argue Illinois law also requires that other factors should be considered besides where the order is accepted.
"We believe it's a multi-factor test," said RTA chief of staff Jordan Matyas. "You have to look at where it was negotiated, where were the payments made, where was it signed, where was the company located and where was the product used.
"You can't just look at where a piece of paper ended up."
United's Sycamore office consists of little more than a fax machine, filing cabinets and a part-time employee, the RTA contends, while its headquarters and massive O'Hare operations are in Chicago.
"These airlines happily accept taxpayer-supported services — like the mass transit that many of their customer and employees use — but don'the pay what is due to support those services," RTA executive director Joe Costello said in a statement.
In 2011, the RTA filed a similar suit against the towns of Kankakee and Channahon. That suit has yet to go to trial, but the case to be filed Monday will be the first time the RTA is suing a specific company such as United for using this method to reduce its sales tax bill.
In another suit involving a suburban Forest View oil company and the Illinois Department of Revenue, downstate and appellate courts have so far ruled the company can continue to use its downstate purchasing office and avoid Cook County sales taxes.
The RTA hopes for better luck in a Cook County court.
"I don't see how a jury would find against us," said the RTA's Matyas.


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Unit details
HPS705 - Advanced Clinical Assessment
|2015 unit information
|Enrolment modes:
|Trimester 1: Waterfront (Geelong)
|Credit point(s):
|EFTSL value:
|Cohort rule:
Students must be enrolled H750 Master of Psychology (Clinical) to enrol in this unit
|Unit chair:
Ross King
|Incompatible with:
|Contact hours:
|3 hours per week
This unit deals with assessment for clinical syndromes with a view to planning treatment and evaluating progress. It also provides students with the skills to develop clinical profiles of clients in their placements. Topics include: the use and interpretation of specialised and in-depth tests, including projective techniques and multi-dimensional personality inventories, emphasising the development of a conceptual framework for conducting clinical assessments. Psychological testing is used to complement and enhance the clinical assessment. This unit aims to expand the students' expertise in following through specific hypotheses and utilising appropriate tests, and their skills in assessment, diagnosis and report writing. Each student will complete three comprehensive clinical reports of increasing complexity on cases seen in their placements.
Assessment task 1: Case profile 1 (2000 words) 30%
Assessment task 2: Case profile 2 (2000 words) 35%
Assessment task 3: Case profile 3 (2000 words) 35%
Unit Fee Information
|Student Contribution Rate*
|Student Contribution Rate**
|Fee rate - Domestic Students
|Fee rate - International students
* Rate for all CSP students, except for those who commenced Education and Nursing units pre 2010
** Rate for CSP students who commenced Education and Nursing units pre 2010
Please note: Unit fees listed do not apply to Deakin Prime students.


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Last Chance to see Matthew Boulton exhibition. Closes September 27th.
21st September 2009
The Matthew Boulton exhibition has marked the bicentenary of the death of the great industrial pioneer and founding member of the Lunar Society, Matthew Boulton (1728-1809).
Open since 30th May it is now due to close on September 27th. If you have yet to see the exhibition or if you want the chance to see it again please visit as soon as possible.
The exhibition is located in the Gas Hall and is FREE to visit.
For more information on the exhibition see the Exhibitions and Events page.
You can follow news from this museum through the RSS 2.0 feed.


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9/17 in Yankee History
2002: Alfonso Soriano gets 5 hits' including a double and a home run, but the Yankees fall to the Devil Rays anyway, 9-7. Bernie Williams scores his 100th run in
the loss to reach that mark for the 7th straight year. He is the 4th
Yankee to score 100 this year' the first Yankee team to do so since
1941. Williams and Derek Jeter combine to tie the ML record for consecutive
years for two teammates having 100+ runs.
1998: Chester 'Red' Hoff' the longest-lived ex-Major Leaguer, dies at the age of 107. Huff pitched for the Yankees and Browns in 1911-13 and 1915 and struck out the first batter he ever faced – Ty Cobb.
1993: In a last try for the division title, the Yankees obtain 40-year-old veteran Frank Tanana from the Mets for minor league pitcher Kenny Greer. Tanana will go 0-2 to finish out his career at 240-236' and set an ML record for most wins without racking up a 20-win season.
1978: Boston finally win against the Yankees' taking a 7-3 victory at the Stadium as Dennis Eckersley and Andy Hassler combine to stop the Yankees on 4 hits. The Yanks score 2 unearned runs
in the 8th on Butch Hobson's 2nd error of the game (and his 42nd of the year).
Yaz' playing center field in place of an injured Fred Lynn' collects his 14th homer of
the year in the 9th inning.
1968: Yankee shortstop Gene Michael pulls the hidden ball trick on Tom Matchick in the 7th' but Detroit
clinch the AL pennant with a 2-1 win. Detroit are ahead 1-0 when Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey phones Tiger GM Jim Campbell with the news that the Sox have beaten the Orioles, clinching the pennant for the Tigers. Campbell keeps the score off the radio and the scoreboard' fearing the news will send fans rampaging onto the field. Don Wert singles home the winner in the 9th, and the fans tear down the left field screen anyway.
1964: The Yankees beat the Angels 6-2 to lock on to first place for good with a
2-percentage-point lead over the idle White Sox and Orioles. Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle have 3 hits each. Mantle's include his 2'000th career hit and his 450th
HR' his 31st of the year. The Yankees have taken two in a row, and will run
their win streak to 11 games.
1961: In Detroit' Roger Maris triples off Terry Fox in the 7th to put the Yanks ahead' Detroit tie it and' then in the
12th' Maris faces Fox again, with Tony Kubek on second base. Maris steps out of the box
to watch a long skein of Canadian geese fly over Tiger Stadium' then
steps in and belts the first pitch for his 58th homer of the year.
1960: With Ty Cobb among the 49'055 fans in attendance at the Stadium' Mickey Mantle powers a 2-run homer' his 35th' off the O's Chuck Estrada to give the homesiders a 2-0 lead in the 1st. Yogi Berra adds a home run in the 8th. Bobby Richardson's liner off Estrada's glove drives in 2 runs for a 5-3 New York win.
1958: Despite a wind blowing in at Briggs Stadium' Mickey Mantle hammers a Jim Bunning
pitch down the right field line over the roof onto Trumbull Avenue'
some 500 feet away. The 2-run homer is all the scoring that Bunning allows as the Tigers win 5-2.
1955: Phil Rizzuto and Bob Cerv pull off a 1st inning double steal' but the Scooter is
knocked unconscious in the 4th when Red Sox hurler George Susce beans him. Tommy Byrne's
4-hitter gives New York a critical 4-1 win' as the Indians bow to the
Tigers. New York's woes continue: following an out' Moose Skowron kicks a
water cooler and breaks a toe.
1952: Behind Mickey Mantle's two doubles and a homer, the Yanks roll 12-3 at
Detroit' for New York's 6th straight win. Mantle' hitting lefty against Bill Wright, drills his line drive homer just below the right field roof. Hank Bauer adds a homer off starter Virgil Trucks, while Walt Dropo clubs his 28th for Detroit. Bob Kuzava is the winner. New York maintain their 2 1/2 game lead.
1951: The Yanks break a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the 9th when' with the bases
loaded' Phil Rizzuto squeezes Joe DiMaggio home with the winning run. The score'
off Cleveland's Bob Lemon, gives Eddie Lopat his 20th win of the year. The Yanks now lead Cleveland by 1 game and Boston by 2 1/2.
1938: Hank Greenberg (below) connects for his 52nd and 53rd homers' off Monte Pearson, to lead Detroit to a 7-3 win over the Yankees. Hank is now two games ahead of Ruth's 1927 pace.
1934: The Yankees come into Detroit for their last chance to catch the league-leaders, and lose the opener' as veteran Al 'General' Crowder beats Lefty Gomez with a 3-0 shutout.
1931: In the first of two' the Yankees and Red Ruffing rough up the Browns and George Blaeholder 17-0. A Bill Dickey grand slam is the big blow. The Yanks take the nitecap' 6-1 behind Lefty Gomez's three hitter and babe Ruth's 41st and 42nd homers of the year. Ruth has connected for a home run in every
park in the AL' a feat he has accomplished every year since 1919' except
1922. No other American Leaguer has homered in every park in a season.
1928: Wilcy Moore, the Yankee bullpen hero of 1927' goes home for the year with an ailing arm after working just 60 innings.
1922: Browns southpaw Hub Pruett' who has fanned Ruth 9 of 10 times over the season' is reached for a homer by the Bambino' but he still beats the Yankees 5-1. Whitey Witt
receives an ovation when he takes the field, but the partisan crowd in center are quick to wave white
hankies in the 8th inning in an attempt to distract Yanks pinch hitter Norm McMillan. Police make them stop.
George Sisler has a single to extend his hitting streak to 41 games.
1904: More than 23'000' reputedly the largest crowd in Boston history' show up
for a showdown twinbill with the New York Highlanders. New York
score 3 runs in each of the first 2 innings against Bill Dinneen. Jack Chesbro (below) holds on for a 6-4 win' his 7th victory in a row. But Cy Young tops New York' 4-2' in the nitecap' beating Ned Garvin'
recently acquired from Brooklyn. The two teams split their three
doubleheaders and at the end of the day New York (80-50) have a half game
lead over Boston (81-52).


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About Isabel Marant EtoileFrench for star, Isabel Marants Etoile line offers a more youthful and relaxed collection, while still staying true to the Parisian designers bohemian chic roots. View More.
SHIPPING & RETURNS We offer free 2 day shipping on all other US orders. For international orders, we offer free express shipping (3-6 days) on all orders. We do not deduct any shipping or pickup charges from your refund. More info
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Free standard shipping over CAD 120.00LOGIN
Approximate size: 6.2 x 1.3 x 5.6 x 13.5 cm
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With great attention to detail and a touch of sparkle, Chic offers perfect harmony between classic forms and the skilful use of crystal. Metal frame and temples, gradient lenses in nylon 6 base, sun protection: high (category 1/2).
Article no.: 5003157


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text:
Battlefield Detectives: Battle of the Bulge DVD
Sale Price: $19.99
To Order by Phone Call 1-800-933-6249
- Additional Details
- Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
- Rating: Not Rated
- Number of Discs: 1
- Run Time: 50 Minutes
- Region: Region 1
- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
- Language: English
- Studio: History Channel
- DVD Release Date: November 14, 2005
Get a new perspective on the terrible crescendo of WWIIs European Theater, and learn what saved the world from Axis domination.
- Settles longstanding controversies and definitively solves historical puzzles.
- Utilizes cutting-edge technology from diverse fields of research.
- A definitive analysis of the Battle of the Bulge, Winter 1944.
Where soldiers die, history is made. BATTLEFIELD DETECTIVES offers a remarkably fresh and exhilarating look at the most fascinating conflicts in history by focusing on the bloody ground where they were waged. The ambition of this groundbreaking series is nothing less than definitively re-examining what we think we know about historys great clashes. BATTLEFIELD DETECTIVES redefines the military documentary by utilizing every possible technique demonstrations, reenactments, advanced forensic and historical analysis, and more to perfectly clarify battles from the legendary to the obscure.
WWII hung in the balance in December of 1944. By all rights, the Nazis bold, shocking Ardennes Offensive should have routed the Allied forces hunkered down in the cold Belgian countryside. But, while the front certainly bulged during the two months of terrible fighting, it never collapsed.
BATTLEFIELD DETECTIVES investigates the horrific Battle of the Bulge and discovers why the German Army failed and the world escaped its unending tyranny.


text:
MSGL now has a Book Reviews page.
Click here to visit the Book Reviews Blog. We welcome reviews of recommended books from staff, parents, and children.
Contact me at: firstname.lastname@example.com if you would like to submit a book review to our site.
I had the great pleasure of working in my former classroom today and it reminded me of why the three-year cycle in Montessori classrooms is so beneficial, not least of all, to the teachers.
Our Montessori preschool classrooms are composed of a mixed-age group of children who remain, ideally, in one classroom for three years. A child starts at age three and stays through her Kindergarten year. This is called the three year cycle. Each of those years brings new and unique learning opportunities for the child. As a three-year-old, the child observes her older peers and benefits from their experience. As a four-year-old, she starts to see herself as one of the "big kids" and expands her social circle. In her Kindergarten year she is recognized as a leader and takes pride in helping others.
When I took a sabbatical at the end of the school year in May, I left behind children who had been in my classroom for one or two years. I was able to catch up with many of those students today when I visited the classroom. I observed that two of "my" third-year students, I'll call them S and K, were part of what Montessorian John Chattin-McNichols calls a "roving pack of 5-year-olds." They were wandering around with some other boys and mixing it up a little. I knew these two boys when they were just barely three years old. I knew them before they could consciously control their bodies at group time and even before they could dress themselves successfully. Now, here they were - big, bold 5-year-olds and I was curious to see who they had become eight months after we last worked together.
Angie, my dear friend and the lead teacher of my former class, shared with me that S and K had been working on the squaring and cubing chains in the math area, so I asked them about those activities. They were eager to show me what they had already done and tell me what came next. Within a few minutes, they broke off from the pack and were ready to master the 10 cubing chain.
The 10 cubing chain - or 1000 chain - is a concrete representation of 10 cubed. It's made up of one thousand pea-sized beads organized into bars of ten. The bars of ten are attached at the ends to make a chain. Children are ready for this work after they have mastered the 1 - 10 squaring chains and the 1 - 9 cubing chains. This video from the DuPage Montessori School in Naperville, Illinois provides a good overview of how the squaring and cubing chains are presented in the Montessori classroom.
The 10 cubing chain is nearly 30 feet long so it must be laid out in the hallway outside the classroom. So, off to the hallway we went.
S and K divided up the tasks between themselves. One carried the rolled-up mat and the other carried the chain. We established the space we would use in the hallway and K unrolled the mat while S went back into the classroom for the number tabs. We discussed how they would sort the tabs on the tray and move it down the mat as they worked.
S found the 1000 tab. He knew it went at the very end of the chain but he left it on the tray. There was a pause before they started and I asked what number they would start with. S said, "We have to count them all."
That is certainly one way to do it. But when a child is ready for the 1000 chain, he is generally ready to complete it without counting every number because he can now count by tens and hundreds. Once you trust that 10 is ten, you don't have to count it again.
I asked if they thought they could first put tabs on the hundreds. Yes! They were sure they could. Together, we counted the bars as 10, 20, 30 and so on until we got to 100. S got the 100 tab and marked that spot. K quickly grasped the system and immediately went to work sorting out all of the hundreds tabs in a separate group so that S could place them. This was my cue to find something else to do. I went back inside the classroom to assist Miss Angie while the boys marked off every 100th bead on the chain with the appropriate tab.
They repeated the process, stopping after each bar of ten. K was the sorter, S was the placer. "150! I need 150," S said. K had it ready. There was never any disagreement, that I heard, over who would do which task. They just got started and they each found their niche as they went. And they were really digging their work.
They started the cubing chain work at 9:45 and I checked in with them every few minutes. They finished at 11:00. One of them stopped to use the bathroom then went straight back to his work. Other children would step into the hall to see what was happening and then go back inside to their work.
Sometimes I checked on S and K without speaking and other times I acknowledged their progress. Once, I said I would be back to check on them in a bit unless they needed some help. "We need some help," S said. They could not find the tab for 590. I suggested they leave a space for that number and they could put it there when they found it. They never found it, but they were able to move on without hesitation.
As they got to the very end, S picked up the 1000 tab and started to place it under the 1000th bead. K said, "Hey! We decided we would put that one on together!" And so they did. That's when this photo was snapped.
If you had asked me three years ago if these children were developing normally and if they were going to learn to read and write and grow up to be compassionate humans I would have responded, "Of course they will!" But in the back of my head there would have been a tiny voice saying, "What if they aren't? What if they are never able to sit in a chair for more than 8 seconds? What if they never learn to put their shoes on by themselves? What if they show no interest in reading? What if they always write six as 9?"
That doubtful voice is a familiar one to parents because most of us only get to experience the development of one or two children. We fear we will do something wrong and our children will not achieve their potential. Preschool teachers should know better because we get to observe hundreds of children over the course of our careers, right? But sometimes, even with years of experience, we forget that our job is simply to prepare a nourishing environment. It is the child who must do the work of building the man.
In 1949, Maria Montessori offered us some guidance in our quest to relax and trust that each child will reveal himself as a competent and confident being in his own time. In The Absorbent Mind she wrote, "...for while, in the traditional schools, the teacher sees the immediate behavior of her pupils, knowing that she must look after them and what she has to teach, the Montessori teacher is constantly looking for a child who is not yet there."
Dr. Montessori also implemented the three-year cycle in our classrooms to give us enough time to look for that child and see him before he moves on to primary school.
I am not at all surprised that S and K can count to 1000 by tens and hundreds. I am not surprised that they can recognize 3-digit numerals or that they can prepare, complete, and put away their work. I am not even surprised that two 5-year-old boys willingly work together on a math material for 1 hour and and 15 minutes with only a bathroom break and very limited guidance. I've seen it before.
I am surprised at the sense of joyous relief I feel each time children reveal themselves in this way. It's an experience that never gets old. I suppose that's the ultimate reward of being a teacher.
Grace's first day of Montessori preschool, 1997.
Last summer, my 19-year-old daughter was getting ready to move into her first apartment. I was excited for her to have the chance to live on her own and had been setting aside household items that I thought she could use. One day, after admiring the "steal" of a chair I had found at Goodwill, she asked me, "Aren't you sad that I won't live here anymore?"
"Well, honey," I said, "I always imagined that you would grow up and move out of the house. That was our goal all along for you to be an independent, self-sufficient person."
"I know," she said. "But I'm kind of sad that I won't be sleeping here anymore."
I reminded her that she had hardly slept at home at all since she started college last year. She lived in the dorm, four hours away from home and we often didn't hear from her for days.
"Yeah, but this is different. I just can't believe this won't be my home address anymore. Are you going to change the garage door code?"
A-ha! Then I figured it out. She was worried about cutting the cord from the house where she grew up. I had been concerning myself with making sure she was comfortable "out there" and she was worried she would no longer be welcome back at home.
It occurred to me that not much has changed between that day and the day sixteen years ago when we were preparing to send her to preschool here at the Montessori School of Greater Lafayette. Back then we were so excited to help our "baby" pick out a new lunch box and indoor shoes but we had little idea what to do to help prepare her (or ourselves) emotionally for this new chapter. She sailed through preschool and is now working through nursing school just fine, but we have learned a lot since then. Today I am sharing some tips and advice gathered from teachers and parents here at MSGL to help you and your child prepare for the first days of preschool.
Talk about school - mindfully.
Talk with your child about preschool when he is in the mood. Maybe he will bring it up or you can start the conversation, just don't push too hard. If your child seems "done" with the conversation or is becoming anxious, let the topic drop until later. And be honest about your feelings when you do talk about school. Some children worry that their parents will be sad or lonely when they are gone. When you say, "I am going to miss being with you in the morning, but it makes me happy to know you will be enjoying yourself at school," it lets him know that you will miss him but you are confident that school is a good place for him to be.
Check out the new environment.
MSGL's Parent Work Day is Saturday, August 16th. This is a great time to get familiar with the school and classroom environments and to be part of the school community. Children are encouraged to help clean lockers, pull weeds, and load and unload wheelbarrows full of mulch right alongside their parents and new classmates. And, each family member's time counts towards your volunteer hours requirement.
You will have another opportunity to get familiar with the school when your child attends her New Student Orientation visit on Monday, August 18th. This is her first opportunity to see her teachers and classmates in her new classroom. She can put her indoor shoes in her locker, locate her cubby and extra clothes box, and see where the bathroom is. The whole family can attend the Parent Orientation later that evening and maybe your child can give a tour of her new classroom.
Make new friends.
You will receive a class list via email in August. Consider contacting a few families on the list to set up a playdate before school starts. Even if you can't get together with any other families, you and your child can look over the names on the list together. You may discover that one of his classmates lives on your street or maybe someone has the same name as a sibling or a friend.
Help her dress for success.
Our Montessori classrooms are prepared to encourage your child's independence and you can help by providing your child with shoes and clothing that she can put on and take off by herself. Belts, suspenders, and jumpsuits look smart but they can be difficult for your child to use successfully. Provide your child a choice of clothing that allows her complete independence in her self-care routines. And please remember that preschool is a time to jump in and explore. Paint, snack, sand, and dirt from the garden can stain your child's clothing, so please send her to school in clothes that can stand to get dirty.
Plan a morning routine.
Now is a good time to do a mental run-through of your morning routine. Consider how much time your child needs to wake up, get dressed, and eat breakfast. Allow time for packing lunches, finding coats and shoes, and getting on the bike or in the car. Then add a few extra minutes. Parents and children who are not in a rush tend to have much better experiences at drop-off. Some families even do a few "practice runs" in the summer to see if they can get to school and work on time.
Create a goodbye routine.
Discuss with your child how you each want to say goodbye at drop-off. Some families say, "After you put on your inside shoes and put away your lunch box, we will walk to the classroom and I will give you three hugs and two kisses before I go to work." Some children like to wave to dad out the window and some parents leave their children with specific plans for what they will do after school. "Sonia is picking you up today" or "we are going to the Farmer's Market on our bikes after school today." Children have so little control over their daily lives that they appreciate at least knowing what is happening and when.
And while we're talking about goodbyes, let's take just a moment to consider the specter of separation anxiety.
What if my child cries when I walk away?
Separating from your child that first time can be heart-breaking, but remember - it's only for a few moments. The majority of children who are sad when they separate from their parents are able to calm themselves and choose an activity within a few minutes. If you have gone through the goodbye routine and are finding it hard to turn around and walk away, ask your teacher for help. Sometimes parents say, "Please help me. I need to leave." That is the teacher's sign that she needs to hold your child's hand or pick her up so that you can walk away. Teachers don't want to step in before you are ready to go but they are happy to help when you ask them.
The best thing you can do for your child at drop-off is to be consistent and walk away when you say you will. Lingering tends to just prolong the heartache for the parent and the child. The first few times you drop your child off may be difficult, but trust that with consistent repetition you and your child will develop a peaceful good-bye routine.
Talk with the teachers.
Talk with your child's teachers about how the adjustment period is going. The teachers help dozens of children adjust to school every year but this may be your first time. They expect you will have questions and concerns. Email is a great way to communicate with your child's teachers and all of the contact information is available on the classroom web page at Msgl.org.
Help your child talk about his day.
If this is the first time your child has been away from home you will no doubt be very eager to know what he did all day. Unfortunately, preschoolers often say they "did nothing" or "just played." A lot of things happened between the time you dropped him off that morning and when you picked him up several hours later, but he might not yet be able to give a sequential list of his activities. Here are some ideas to help your child tell you about his day.
Take care of yourself!
The best thing you can do during these last few weeks of summer is to give you and your child the gift of a regular bedtime that allows enough sleep to wake up refreshed and ready for the big days ahead. Fill up with a good breakfast each morning and be extra patient with your child and especially with yourself. Parenting preschoolers, like college students, is hard work and there is no right way to do it. Follow your heart and follow your child, and in sixteen years, or so, you will be very proud of the people you have both become.
A child explores the knobbed cylinders.
"Gradually the children begin to concentrate. One day one child, another day two or three children. After they have concentrated the children are different. They become detached and work for themselves. The disorderly children begin to love order. They all become so orderly that disorder is an extraordinary thing." - Maria Montessori, The Child, Society, and the World
"Gradually the children begin to concentrate. One day one child, another day two or three children. After they have concentrated the children are different. They become detached and work for themselves. The disorderly children begin to love order. They all become so orderly that disorder is an extraordinary thing." - Maria Montessori, The Child, Society, and the World
"Normalized" is the word Maria Montessori coined to describe children in their natural state. She believed that a "normal" child is one who is able to focus on activities that interest him and, through these experiences, he constructs his personality. A normalized classroom is one in which the children interact peacefully while exploring activities that introduce them to the world. Montessori described a normalized classroom this way,
"A room in which all the children move about usefully, intelligently, and voluntarily, without commiting any rough or rude act, would seem to be a classroom very well disciplined indeed." - The Montessori Method.
"A room in which all the children move about usefully, intelligently, and voluntarily, without commiting any rough or rude act, would seem to be a classroom very well disciplined indeed." - The Montessori Method.
At the beginning of the year, Montessori Toddler and Preprimary classrooms are far from normalized. Some children shout, wander the room, and maybe even throw objects or dump materials on the floor. There is crying and spilling. Messes are made and not cleaned up. Disagreements arise. Those first few weeks can be wild, indeed! In traditional educational methods, teachers might respond to these behaviors with reprimands and punishments. In Montessori classrooms, the teachers respond with redirection to purposeful work.
For example, when a new three-year-old is wandering the room and disturbing the work of others, a teacher will take him by the hand and present a new material to him. If he has shown an interest in counting then we might present the Hanging Bead Stair. When this work is completed, we assist him in finding another activity that calls to him.
While polishing the sailboat, a child tunes out everythiing else around him.
Whatever the activity the child is redirected to, the aim is always the same: to develop concentration. Concentration is the key to a child's natural development and all learning takes place in a state of concentration. We can think of ourselves in our adult lives to get a better understanding. When you need to study for your GRE exam, what do you do? Do you head to a busy shopping mall to work on your laptop in the food court with your friends, or do you choose a quiet place? If you need to paint a room in your home, do you do it in the afternoon when the children are busy around your feet or do you save it for those glorious, quiet mornings when they are at school? Adults relish those moments when they can concentrate and really focus on their work without interruption. Children also relish those moments, but they must first know what concentration feels like.
This is what a Montessori classroom does: it provides an environment where children are free to concentrate - without interruption - on work that is essential to their development. A child who is excited and distracted by all the activity around him will transform into a peaceful, thoughtful individual when he is able to concentrate on a work he enjoys. Because concentrating and being in control of his body feels better than thrashing around wildly and causing mayhem, he continues to seek out other activities that allow him to feel this way.
Since concentration is the ultimate goal of every activity in our classroom, we are reverent of it when it appears and we do not interrupt it for any reason. If all learning occurs during a state of concentration, it would be illogical to interrupt a child's concentration in an attempt to "teach" her something. Corrections, points of interest, fixing a lock of hair that has fallen over her eye, picking up the pencil that rolled off the table, reminding her to wash her forgotten snack plate - we must do none of these things. In fact, when a child begins to concentrate on an activity, our job is to quietly step away and behave as though we are not in the room.
"The great principle which brings success to the teacher is this: as soon as concentration has begun, act as if the child does not exist. Naturally, one can see what he is doing with a quick glance, but without his being aware of it." - Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind
"The great principle which brings success to the teacher is this: as soon as concentration has begun, act as if the child does not exist. Naturally, one can see what he is doing with a quick glance, but without his being aware of it." - Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind
Dressing the baby doll and fastening its clothes requires great concentration. Some children choose this activity nearly every day.
Eventually, in a few weeks or even months, the classroom has been transformed from a noisy, chaotic scene into a peaceful, happy place to learn and play. We have seen this transformation begin in our classrooms. The children are beginning to put their belongings in their lockers and walk quietly into their classrooms. They greet their friends warmly, but not loudly. They choose work, complete the work, and put it away when they are finished. They choose to work with a friend or by themselves. They tap us on the shoulder when they have a question. They pour their own water for snack and wash their dishes when finished. They use the toilet without assistance (although assistance is always available.) They are also preparing to read, write, and count to 1000 - but when you are a young child, those accomplishments are of secondary importance compared to the ability to control one's body and interact peacefully with friends.
Your children always benefit from opportunities to concentrate on an activity. You can provide these opportunities at home by providing space and, most importantly, time for them to focus on just one thing. Maybe painting with watercolors, washing the breakfast dishes, watering the plants outside, looking at the spider web by the front door - let her look and explore for as long as she wishes. Be available to answer questions, but don't obey your urge to jump in and explain everything you've ever heard about spiders or tell her all about color theory. Let her concentrate and formulate her own ideas and questions. When her curiosity is satisfied and she is ready to turn her attention elsewhere, you may notice that she looks refreshed and relaxed. This is a sign that she is learning and making new connections in her brain! Dr. Montessori observed that, "The child who concentrates is immensely happy."
Do you have a story about concentration from your life or your child's life you would like to share in the comments below? We would love to hear about it.
May you find yourself concentrating and immensely happy in the week ahead. Thanks for reading.
~ Heather
Following Friends to Physics
Free play and building with logs and boards is a realistic way to explore physics concepts. MSGL has an outdoor space that allows for more than just "recess." Outside time is not a chance to get away from the classroom, it's an opportunity for children to use their whole bodies to learn and, most importantly, have fun with friends.
On Thursday, a quartet of boys was getting very silly in the back corner of our Montessori classroom. They were speaking with outside voices and using all available paper to make pretend swords so they could have a pretend swordfight. When I tried to redirect them, they asked to make paper airplanes and see whose would fly the farthest. Although Montessori teachers are known for their flexibility and laid-back grooviness, I could not condone sword-fighting and airplane-flying during class on this, only the second full week of preschool. What would people say?
I empathized with these friends because they wanted to play together and needed to actively move their bodies, but it was still 30 minutes before we (read: I) could even think about going outside where this type of gross-motor play was appropriate. They took a half-hearted interest in another activity and I sat at a table nearby to observe. When they realized I was there to stay, they started putting away their work and chanting with dead eyes and sad voices, "No more fun. No more fun. No more fun." It would seem I had officially become "the man." They went to the other side of the room to build a tower with the brown stair and the pink cubes and within minutes, they were using the smallest brown stair as a lever to launch the smallest pink cube across the rug. Clearly, they were trying to tell me something.
What these boys wanted was action. They are perfectly willing to come in each morning and work on their maps or practice writing their names, but after a time they really want to make things move. And it's not just the boys, of course. Girls thrive on kinesthetic learning activities and they are usually the first to line up to walk across the log seesaw.
In fact, all young children are kinesthetic learners. Most mature into adolescents who can learn successfully through watching and listening, but not all. As long ago as 1979, researchers studying how humans learn understood this:
"Restak (1979) and others have indicated that many students do not become strongly visual before third grade, that auditory acuity first develops in many students after the sixth grade, and that boys often are neither strongly visual nor auditory even during high school. Therefore, since most young children are tactual and kinesthetic learners, such resources should be developed and used, particularly for those who are experiencing difficulty learning through lectures, direct verbal instructions, "chalk talks," and textbook assignments."- See the full article at Education.com
"Restak (1979) and others have indicated that many students do not become strongly visual before third grade, that auditory acuity first develops in many students after the sixth grade, and that boys often are neither strongly visual nor auditory even during high school. Therefore, since most young children are tactual and kinesthetic learners, such resources should be developed and used, particularly for those who are experiencing difficulty learning through lectures, direct verbal instructions, "chalk talks," and textbook assignments."- See the full article at Education.com
No one is suggesting that preschoolers should be taught through lectures, but sometimes society (or maybe our high school principal's voice in the back of our head) worries us into thinking that if we don't make our children sit down, concentrate, and learn - how will they ever be successful in school or the Real World that supposedly comes after?
Parents sometimes ask, "When will you teach him to sit still and listen to the teacher?" The answer is that he will sit still and listen when what I am saying is of interest to him. It's my job to find the topic that is so fascinating to the child that he can't help but hold his body still so as to not miss a single word. A teacher's job is to be fascinating; but only until the child is so interested in the subject that he sets off to explore it on his own. At that point, the teacher observes and prepares for the child's next question then guides him to find the answers on his own. (Please note: Matters of health, safety, and courtesy are always addressed immediately. No one in the classroom has the freedom to hurt themselves or to hurt or disrupt others.)
Maria Montessori observed that not only do young children learn kinesthetically, they absolutely MUST learn this way for proper brain development.
"Movement, or physical activity, is thus an essential factor in intellectual growth, which depends upon the impressions received from outside. Through movement we come in contact with external reality, and it is through these contacts that we eventually acquire even abstract ideas." - The Secret of Childhood
"Movement, or physical activity, is thus an essential factor in intellectual growth, which depends upon the impressions received from outside. Through movement we come in contact with external reality, and it is through these contacts that we eventually acquire even abstract ideas." - The Secret of Childhood
So, as a good teacher who believes in a research-based approach to education, I am obligated to consider the kinesthetic learning style of my preschool students. I am also obligated to follow a child's interests because a child who is studying something she is interested in, as opposed to an externally-imposed curriculum, is much more likely to retain that information and build connections in her brain. So why were we still inside the classroom and NOT outside studying the physics of flight and simple machines? Because I didn't know they were interested until Thursday. But now I do.
As a result, my assistant and I will be following our 3, 4, and 5-year-olds into the action-packed world of physics this week starting with the simple lever. We will spend a little extra time outside on the log seesaw for some major gross motor exploration, then we will scale down the kinesthetic experience to make smaller levers inside the classroom using blocks, rulers, pennies, rocks, and pompoms. We will introduce the appropriate words such as "load", "effort", and "fulcrum" and we will figure out how many pennies it takes the raise the rock load. I will do my best to be fascinating. There may be squeals of joy and pompoms flying through the air, but no more "No more fun."
Thanks for reading,
The s-word is in our forecast this week. I don't know anyone who is happy about the October SNOW except for my allergy-suffering friends. With the snow come cold temperatures and at MSGL we play outside year-round, so it's important for children to have warm and practical clothing to wear every day. For the past 12 years I greeted the children on the playground at 8:30 am, snow or shine. To help you prepare for this week and the next six months (it hurts me to say that), I have compiled for you:
Miss Heather's Top 10 List for Child Comfort and Parent Happiness: Winter Edition
1. Check the forecast. Every class - Toddler through Elementary - goes outside when the temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or above. Check the weather forecast each day before leaving the house to make sure your child will have the appropriate cold-weather gear for that day.
2. Go with the low. Consider the time of day your child will be outside. The forecast may call for a high temp. of 63 degrees, but the temperature at 8:30 am might only be in the 40's. Some classes start outside, some go out at 10:15, some at 11:00. The afternoon and Elementary classes go out at varying times throughout the week. Provide clothing for the day's low temperature and your child should be well-prepared.
3. Layer, layer, layer. Imagine your child as a cute, rosy-cheeked onion and help her dress in layers. Being hot and sweaty outside in the cold is just as uncomfortable as shivering. If your child can take off a sweater or push back her hood and unzip her coat, she will be able to regulate her body temperature and still enjoy the time outside.
4. Listen to your child. Trust your child to make decisions about his comfort. The only way we can learn if we are too cold is if we are allowed to feel the cold. If your child doesn't want to wear his gloves, don't sweat it. Make sure he knows his gloves are in his locker and that he can go get them if he gets cold. The same goes for his snow pants and his bulky winter coat. An active child dressed in layers with warm shoes and a hat can generally enjoy himself outside without danger of getting too cold, even in winter. If your child is listening to his body instead of chafing under a "mitten mandate" he is more likely to develop a true sense of how to dress for the weather. My friend "Z" always told his dad he didn't want to wear his coat or his snow pants or his gloves, but 10 minutes after dad left, Z would ask to go get them.
5. Start a discussion. Talk with your child about the day's weather and how to dress. Remember that the ultimate goals are safety and independence. You might say something like, "It's 30 degrees Fahrenheit. You definitely need to wear something on your hands, but you can choose if you wear your Spiderman gloves or the mittens Grandma made for you." Or try, "It's going to be 45 degrees when you go outside today. What should you pack for school?" Young children can learn to speak three languages at once. They can also learn to make clothing choices based on the outdoor temperature.
6. Get a move-on. Remember that your child is most likely playing actively outside. We might feel very cold walking from the car to the school door in a suit or a skirt and heels, but a child riding a balance bike for 10 minutes heats up very quickly.
7. Consider cold pants. Snow pants or snow suits are essential when there is snow on the ground, but some children (and some preschool teachers) like to wear them as soon as they can see their breath outside. Think of them as "cold pants" and let your child keep them in his locker from October through April.
8. Label everything. Speaking of lockers, our lockers are small. When two children share a locker it's nearly impossible to fit snow pants, coats, book bags and lunch boxes inside. PLEASE make sure every article of clothing you send to school has your child's name or your family's last name written on it where it's easy to read. All black snow pants and all Spiderman gloves look the same when there are 24 children getting dressed in the hallway. If you forget, your child's teacher will be happy to loan you a Sharpie and some masking tape.
9. Embrace the terrific outdoors. Spending time outdoors is important for everyone's health and well-being. We do not have a gym and children may not stay inside by themselves. If your child is recovering from an illness and you don't want her to be outside, please make arrangements to drop her off late or pick her up early, depending on the class schedule.
10. Stock up. Have extra winter clothing on hand, if possible. The first Snow Day of the year is much less fun when your child has left her snow pants at school. And plan to lose at least one set of gloves. If you buy three identical sets of gloves, odds are you will have at least one matching set at the end of the year. Just in case, the Lost and Found box is in the office.
If you recently moved to West Lafayette from somewhere warm and lovely, I am so sorry! But seriously, you can stock up on all the clothing your family needs to get through your first Indiana winter at J.C. Penney, Sears, Target, KMart, or Walmart. You can purchase gently-used childrens' outerwear at Once Upon a Child in Lafayette.
Below are some examples of items your child will need.
Thanks for reading and bring on the snow!
Two years ago, before their daughter was even old enough to enroll at MSGL, Zoe Neal and Desiree Chuang made an historic donation to our school. Owners of Virtuous Cycles in downtown Lafayette, Zoe and Desiree gave us a bright orange Strider balance bike to try out on the tricycle track. It soon became the most beloved of all the bikes because it is the only two-wheeler and it has no pedals. And most importantly, it goes FAST! Well, it goes as fast as the square bike track will allow and with all of the tricycle traffic? The bike track is sometimes more like the intersection of 52 and Salisbury when Purdue heads home for the day. Still, it feels really fast.
Old School
On the bikes of my youth and quite possibly yours, I learned to pedal with a set of training wheels attached to the hub of the back wheel to keep the bike, and me, upright. I learned to pedal the bike but never felt what it was like to be truly balanced on two wheels. When the training wheels came off I wasn't really ready at all. I had to learn to balance, and quickly! - and my parents had to watch. Spoiler alert: we all survived.
New School
Balance bikes let a child master the balancing part - the most challenging part - of riding a bike, first. When you are coasting on a Strider bike with your feet not touching the ground it feels exactly like riding a bike. You ARE riding the bike, you're just not pedaling it. And since many children already learned to pedal on a tricycle the year before, the two skills of balancing and pedaling come together nicely after they have mastered the Strider. Several online reviews point out that if a child can walk she can ride a balance bike, so some children skip the tricycle stage altogether.
Maria Montessori observed the importance of a child developing his sense of balance. She created activities such as walking on the line to help fine-tune this sense. At MSGL the Strider is an extension of that balance exercise.
Last year, the Franklin family donated a new, dark blue Strider and now the children can have a turn to ride in half the time. That's important because learning to have a turn and to wait for a turn is one of the biggest works of preschool. The children at MSGL and their teachers have come up with an almost fool-proof system for taking turns on the Striders and all the bikes. It came to be called the "waiting bench."
The Waiting Bench
The waiting bench is right next to the bike shed which is sort of the starting line of the bike track. The first two children take the bikes out of the shed and ride them. When another friend wants a turn, he sits on the waiting bench. This signals the riders that someone is waiting for a turn so they need to consider how many more laps they will take before handing the bike off to the next friend. Sometimes the rider stops riding and negotiates with the waiter.
Waiter: How many more times are you going to go around?
Rider: 10
Waiter: That's too many! How about 7?
Rider: How about 5? (When you're learning numbers and quantity, it's sometimes more important to pick a number you like than to negotiate for the most turns. Negotiation skills improve with experience :)
Once an agreement has been reached, the rider continues his laps while the waiter and his friends count down from 5 to 1. At the hand-off between rider and waiter, the cycle is repeated with new riders. Sometimes there are misunderstandings and an experienced child steps in to mediate. A teacher is always nearby to see what is happening and make herself available to help, if needed.
The idea of the waiting bench just sort of happened, like lots of great things happen in child-centered environments. It's possible that the teachers could have made an arbitrary rule about each child getting only 5 turns, but that would diminish the child's ability to make choices and consider the feelings of others. For example, 5-year-olds can recognize a child who is struggling with being patient and they will sometimes hand the bike over early to help this child. This leads to another cycle that I call the "Cycle of Benevolence." Benevolence is an inclination to perform kind, charitable acts. When a child sees a peer giving freely of herself to make someone else happy, it feels good. Soon, that child is looking for a way to help a friend. The cycle repeats and those kind acts and good feelings spill over into the community and, ultimately, the whole wide world.
Heike Larson, an administrator and blogger at Leport School in California, writes frequently of the importance of fostering benevolence in preschool communities. All of us at MSGL are inspired by her blog. She has also written about balance bikes on the Leport Schools blog here.
If you are considering buying a balance bike for your child, be sure to visit Virtuous Cycles to check out their selection of models and colors. Tell them MSGL sent you and be a part of the Cycle.


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New York is the perfect place to spend spring break this year with plenty of events for all ages.


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Elm, Cedar Ulmus crassifolia
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Hardiness Zones 6 - 9The Cedar Elm can be expected to grow in the zones shown in color in the arborday.org zone map. View Map
Type of treeOrnamental Trees, Shade Trees
Mature HeightThe Cedar Elm grows to be 50' - 70' feet in height.
Mature SpreadThe Cedar Elm has a spread of about 40' - 60' at full maturity.
Growth RateThis tree grows at a medium growth rate. More about this.
SunThis elm does well in full sun.
SoilThe Cedar Elm grows in acidic, alkaline, drought tolerant, loamy, moist, sandy, well drained, wet, wide range, clay soils.
ShapeThis elm has rounded, vase shape.
The Cedar Elm is drought tolerant once established, and is a low-maintenance shade tree if maintained by a regular pruning schedule.
Cedar Elm should be grown in full sun on well-drained soil, acid or alkaline. It is very drought-tolerant once established and tolerates wet soil well.
Wildlife Value
Seeds from trees such as the Cedar Elm are used by wild turkeys, pheasants, quail, squirrels, deer, and songbirds. Dead Cedar Elms provide nesting sites for cavity-dwelling birds.
The Cedar Elm is a favorite street tree for towns in the desert southwest due to its ability to survive in difficult soil types with very little care.
The Cedar Elm is very drought tolerant and exists well in ground that is periodically saturated.
This tree has green leaves in summer that turn a lovely yellow in fall.
Flower Color
The Cedar Elm has light-green blooms.
Bloom Time
It blooms in early summer.
Fruit Description
This tree produces small, round green fruit.
Rate of growth refers to the vertical increase in growth unless specified differently. Rate, as is true for size, is influenced by numerous variables such as soil, drainage, water, fertility, light, exposure, ad infinitum. The designation slow means the plant grows 12" or less per year; medium refers to 13 to 24" of growth per year; and fast to 25" or greater.Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, by Michael Dirr.


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Browsing by Author Yen, Laurann
Showing results 1 to 2 of 2
Showing results 1 to 2 of 2
|Issue Date
|The Health of Senior Australians and the Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Costs They Face
|McRae, Ian; Yen, Laurann; Jeon, Yun-Hee; Herath, Menaka; Essue, Beverley; Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute at the ANU; Menzies Centre for Health Policy; Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery; Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute; George Institute for Global Health
|Strategic approaches to enhanced health service delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic illness: a qualitative study
|Aspin, Clive; Brown, Ngiare; Jowsey, Tanisha; Yen, Laurann; Leeder, Stephen
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Our member-only newsletter previews the Buying Guide for the December 31 issue, including all of the Best Values, Smart Buys, Collectibles and Highly Recommended wines.
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This Impact Light Stand is a black anodized heavy duty aluminum light stand that extends to a height of 13 feet. It is air cushioned. Air cushioning gently lowers the light, preventing damage to light fixtures and fingers when section locks have not been properly tightened.
|Minimum Height
|44 in (112 cm)
|Maximum Height
|13 ft (4 M)
|Closed Length
|42 in (107 cm)
|Footprint Diameter
|36 in (91 cm)
|Leg Tip
|5 lbs (2.3 kg)
|Maximum Load
|10 lbs (4.5 kg)
|Attachment Size
|5/8" stud with 1/4"-20 treaded top
|Accepts Wheels
|Air Cushioned


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Product Code: 19896
Last order date for pre christmas delivery is 3rd December. Delivery leadtime temporarily extended to 14 Working Days. Unfortunately this product can not be delivered to Northern Ireland.
Quality, textured wood effect door set with composite core for added strength and durability. Keeps the weather out and heat in. White on the inside and inward opening. Sill available separately.
Product contents:
uPVC frame, door leaf, adjustable hinges, handles, letterplate, low threshold, drip bar, multipoint lock and keys.
U-value: 2W/m²K. Sill depth: mm. Solid 44mm thick composite woodgrain effect door leaf, PVC edge banded. Hung in door set. Frame supplied. Brackets & Accessory Box Supplied. Compliant with Part L of the Building Regulations. EN 14351-1: 2006 + A1: 2010.. 10 year manufacturer's guarantee. Model no: 028-TURN880WTE-LH. Weight 45kg. EN 14351-1: 2006+A1: 2010.
7 Working Days Delivery
Store Collection Unavailable
|Construction Material
|Construction Type
|Welded uPVC frame
|Woodgrain Finish
|Fixings Supplied
|Brackets & Accessory Box Supplied
|Manufacturer Guarantee
|10 years
|Manufacturing Standards
|Compliant with Part L of the Building Regulations. EN 14351-1: 2006 + A1: 2010.
|Model Name
|Model No
|Pack Size
|Product Depth
|70 mm
|Product Height
|2055 mm
|Product Length
|2055 mm
|Product Thickness
|44 mm
|Product Type
|Single Light Composite Front Door White
|Product Width
|880 mm
|Profile Type
|70mm uPVC Extrusions to a 'Trade Specification'
|Total Product Weight
|45 kg


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1 Bed Apartments Near Flagami in Miami, FL
More Info
The Flagami neighborhood is a part of Miami, FL. ForRent.com, an apartment finder service, makes your Flagami rental search easy. Let us guide your search for rentals from the apartments for rent listings provided. To narrow down your 1 Bed search, select from the Flagami's beds, baths, price, type and amenity links below.
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 apartments found
Property Type
Featured Apartments in Miami, FL
Aviva Gables
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Flamingo South Beach Center Tower
Watch Video About This Property
- Miami, FL
- Work 1-305-873-6560
- 25.787184 -80.143529
Miami, FL 33125
River Oaks Marina and Tower
- Resort Style Living
- Theater Room | Modern Business Center
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- Clubroom| City & River Views| Miami River District
- Elegant Atrium in Center of Lobby up to 21st Floor
- Landscape Outdoor Seating Areas with Ample Lounges
- Gated Communtiy with 24hr Surveillance System
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- Private Balcony 9' Floor to Ceiling Glass Windows
- Granite Kitchen Countertops | Washer / Dryer
- Impact Resistant Glass Balcony and Windows
River Oaks Marina & Tower is a luxury riverfront apartment community located within Miami's ultimate urban destination, the Miami River District. Our riverfront community is surrounded by spectacular landscaping, a riverwalk with views of the Miami River and Downtown skyline. Offering 1, 2 & 3 BD Residences. Visual Tour: http://youtu.be/tmhasMewQrA
Miami, FL 33125
Miami Riverfront Residences
- Waterfront Pool With Sundeck and Hot Tub
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- FItness Studio with Cardio Area. Latest Equipment!
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Located in the Heart of Miami, 1 Block from 836 and 4 minutes to downtown. Near Major Highways.
Miami, FL 33135
Ponce Entrance
- Granite Countertops
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Access to the complimentary Coral Gables Trolly. Close to the finest entertainment, dining, and shopping Miami has to offer!
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(888) 999-9999
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Redeem when you want, for what you want. Your points never expire and there are no blackout dates.
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Welcome to Our Old Town Alexandria Hotel!
Located in the heart of Alexandria, the Holiday Inn® Hotel & Suites Alexandria - Historic District is convenient to Old Town and Washington, D.C. and is 100% Non-Smoking. Our hotel is near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and all local and DC monuments and attractions.
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View More
Walk outside the hotel and be at the historic waterfront or the Torpedo Factory Art Center in just minutes. Or, visit the monuments and museums of Washington DC which are a short drive away. If you're a collector, the exclusive art galleries, antique shops and boutiques make visiting Alexandria's Old Town area a must.
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Marriage is the basic cultural building block of society. One man, one woman, and their children unite as a family - every bit of evidence shows that families thrive in monogamous and stable homes with two biological parents of opposite sexes who remain married. This means that there is less poverty, crime, strife, etc. in homes where marriages do well. This is because the mother and father of children cannot be replaced. Two fathers or two mothers cannot provide what one mother and one father can. The role of the father can't be replaced by a woman and the role of the mother can't be replaced by a man. Studies back up this claim. Thus, same-sex couples can never provide all that children need to thrive. When families suffer the rest of our culture suffers.
Furthermore, same-sex relationships are not the same as male-female ones. While a same-sex couple might have strong affectionate feelings for one another, nature shows us they cannot bond as a married couple can. They cannot procreate and their bodies are not made to compliment one another. Think of this - a male or female by themselves is incapable of creating human life. They need the other. Thus, our bodies are incomplete without the opposite sex.
True love is to choose what is best for the other regardless of the cost to myself. This means same-sex relationships can never have loving sexual relationships. This is because the true act of sex is about giving yourself away, but in same-sex relationships you can't do this because the body isn't made to be given to someone of the same sex. A married couple can say, with their bodies, I want to create life and bond with you. I want to be one with you. This is impossible with same-sex couples, because while the body might still be saying this, the act itself is ordered toward selfish pleasure - not creating life or bonding the couple as one flesh.
Many people say that same-sex couples "deserve" the "right" to marry and that those that oppose them are merely bigots who want stamp out the rights of others. This isn't the case. The Catholic Church consistently teaches the respect of others, regardless of sexual orientation. It also teaches us to love and serve all. But, we must also work for truth and the common good. This means while we fight against same-sex marriage, we do not fight against individuals.
That being said, marriage laws are by definition discriminatory. They discriminate FOR families (not against non-married persons) in order to build up what is good for society. Where do children thrive? In the traditional family. If we tear that down, then society will suffer. Thus, the government needs to help support this building up of what is good for society.
Thus, marriage is about more than two people who have good feelings for one another. It is about the good of society - which is why the government got involved in it in the first place.
Some may argue that a same-sex couple should be able to do things such as share property rights, visit in the hospital, etc. But, all of these legal hurdles can already be overcome with current laws and a few documents.
So, what they are really looking for is social acceptance of their behavior. This is why the Catholic Church is enemy #1 for advocates of same-sex marriage. They cast us as homophobic, archaic, and mean-spirited. Which is not the truth.
Catholics need to fight such lies. But, to do so we need to know where it all comes from.
My thesis is that there are two main cultural culprits that have gotten us to where we are today:
- Contraception
- Pornography
Contraception makes us turn inward, rather than outward - it perpetuates this selfishness on our part. It also sees marriage as an optional social construct (an attitude which harms women and children most of all)
This mentality is tearing apart our culture. I have seen it time and time again. It happens when sex between two people becomes about me rather than you. Thus the fruits of contraception include:
- Divorce rate doubled between 1965-1975 from 25% to 50%
- One demographer has shown that access to the pill paralleled the increase to the divorce rate
- 41% of births are to unwed mothers in 2008 (72% of black babies)
- 41% of pregnancies end in abortion in New York City
- 50% of marriages end in divorce.
When sex isn't about babies or bonding, then it becomes selfish. Once this happens, the family breaks down. Once the family breaks down, society breaks down.
- Shown to devalue the other person and sex within marriage.
- Porn creates fantasies that real persons can't live up to.
- Porn sets up sexual habits or addictions that create "boredom" with only one other person.
- Porn creates distrust within marriage and is cheating on your spouse.
- Sexual satisfaction is decreased significantly.
- Porn strips sex of love and makes it about using others and objectifying them.
Suffice it to say, porn kills marriages. Thus, it is destroying our culture. But, at the root of porn is the contraceptive mentality that sex is about ME.
- Contraception strips sex of it's intended purpose - babies and bonding.
- Pornography re-defines sex into pleasure alone.
- Thus, once someone has bought into contraception and pornography, they won't be able to argue that same-sex relationships are wrong, because there is nothing left to argue about. Who are they to tell someone what they are doing is wrong? Who are they to say someone shouldn't have pleasure when having sex?
Christ CAN restores hearts.
Christ CAN forgive sin.
Christ CAN change our culture.
But, we have to do our part. This is the action plan.
- We have to pray for our culture and for all people.
- We can't see anyone as the "enemy".
- We have to educate ourselves.
- We have to speak up and fight back.
- We have to vote our morals and faith.
- We have to evangelize others so God can change their hearts.
Further reading:
**What is Wrong With Porn?
**Contraception - What the Church Teaches.
**The Debate about "Same-Sex Marriage"
**Special Report on Gay Marriage


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CH-47D Chinook
Sale Price: $175.95
To Order by Phone Call 1-800-933-6249
The CH-47D Chinook model shows a heavy-lift helicopter ideal for battlefield transportation manufactured by Boeing Helicopters. The CH-47D Chinook carries out transportation of troops, artillery, supplies and equipment to the battlefield. Other roles include medical evacuation, aircraft recovery, parachute drop, search and rescue, disaster relief, fire-fighting and heavy construction. The CH-47D helicopter model is equipped with a two 3-bladed contra-rotating rotors and no tail rotor. The rotor blades are fabricated from composite materials and are resistant to AAA (anti-aircraft artillery) fire up to 23mm. In the original military model, the basic crew compliment for the CH-47D is three; pilot, co-pilot, and crew chief.
Over 1,000 Chinooks are operational worldwide. Boeing has delivered more than 480 CH-47D Chinooks to the US Army and National Guard. Chinook aircraft models exported by Boeing to military and commercial operators in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, Spain, the UK and three Far East countries. Like most US Army helicopters, the Chinook has advanced avionics and electronics, including the Global Positioning System.
The CH-47D helicopter model saw wide use in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. The Chinook was used in air assault missions, inserting troops into fire bases and later bringing food, water, and ammunition. The military model Chinook is typically escorted by attack helicopters such as the Apache for protection. The CH-47D was particularly useful in the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan where high altitudes and temperatures limited the use of the Black Hawk.
The CH-47D is currently in service as the Army's primary heavy lift and transportation helicopter.
Buy the CH-47D Chinook model helicopter for a glimpse into a fleet that is still over 1,000 strong.
1/48 scale model


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South Adams board appoints two new members
With school board member Amy Orr being elected to fill the at-large seat of Stephen Dobler, and Tony Mellencamp resigning his seat after being elected to the Adams County Council, the South Adams School Board found itself with the task of appointing two new school board members.
After advertising the positions, the board interviewed Ray Gill, Wesley Haight, Landon Patterson, and Rachel Rosswurm during a work session held on December 4.
During the regular school board meeting held on Tuesday evening, Mellencamp recommended that Landon Patterson be appointed to fill the seat vacated by Orr, and school board member John Buckingham recommended that Ray Gill be appointed to fill Me...
Read the full article in the E-Edition.
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Bold Abstract Bree Cardigan
mouse over photo to zoom click for larger image
Bold Abstract Bree Cardigan
A perfect pattern in one of today's can't-miss styles: black and white.
- Ribbed trim.
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Hip Hop 101
What up fam, this ya big homie Cube.
Last week went about as smooth as a baby's ass. We shot the video to my first single, "I Rep That West." Directed by this youngster from Memphis name Gaberial Hart. I'm sitting here waiting for my man Robert Redd to bring me the ruff cut as we speak. We shot the video all over L.A. From downtown to the beach. WC and Toones came through for cameos. I put OMG and Doughboy in the video too. We shot on Wednesday and Thrusday. Then on Friday I shot the album cover photoshoot. We got some sick shots. I'll be posting them up on icecube.com in the days and weeks to come.
Now Saturday was crazy for me. We flew to Dallas because I had to perform at a car show on Sunday. But when the plane landed it was snowing sideways. I had a funny feeling but they said it would be warm by Sunday. But it was cold as fuck on Sunday so the car show got cancelled. I was suppose to do Ricky Smiley's radio show the next day but I flew back to L.A. I'll catch Ricky closer to the release date.
This week I did promotion for the "ARE WE THERE YET" TV show I'm producing on TBS starring Terry Crews. It'll permiere on Wednesday June 2nd. And don't forget about "Straight Outta L.A." the documentary on the L.A. Raiders. It permieres May 11th on ESPN.
The reason I called this blog Hip Hop 101 because some people have forgetten the essence of the art and culture.
Bragging and boasting: When I was coming up. Every rapper had a attitude like Kanye. Now when you say you the best and act like you the best. Niggas get their feeling hurt.
Battling: If you scared to test your skills up against any MC in the game. Quit right now. Become a fuckin' ghost writer and go hide in the corner of the studio. Now they're 2 ways to battle. Freestyle live: To me this is like a slam dunk contest. Or battle on wax: I call this the Finals. That's Hip-Hop.
Question: Why don't I produce up and coming rappers like I use to? I got burnt out. Niggas couldn't take the baton and run wit it. I was sick of babysitting grown ass men and walking them through the industry. I felt like Dr. Frankinstein building uncontrollable monsters. How? If you DON'T make'em a star, they blame you.
If you DO make'em a star, they leave you. I got sick of that ungrateful shit.
With that being said, I understand my last few blogs have been talked about in the streets and all over the internet. I want to make myself clear to all my fans who think I turned my back on the young rappers out here. No. I wish every young MC nothing but success, especially the ones from the New West. BUT, I have a major problem with any mothafucka from ANY COAST dissing the Old West...especially me. I'M SERVING YOU!
Now, I alot of people want me to name names. Buy the record. In stores July 13th. I ain't naming names at this time, but I'm adding names. You let me know if you wanna be on the list.
Keep it Gangsta,
p.s. If I misspelled a few words, blame it on the L.A. Unified School District.
What up Cube ? I hear you big dog July 13 cant come fast enough homeboy!! I was born and raised in Miami and you changed the game for me and a lot of other niggas back in 88' and till this day Cube we still feeling you!! When rap was RAP!!! it was IceCube, N.W.A, Public Enemy running shit! The fact that you still blazing , you still got us on that[CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE] mode...Who can question you as the best in the game! Cube you loyal to your fans so to you we stay true.
Sup Cube,
Glad to hear... I'll be looking forward forward for the new media on the site..
I figured that you were tired of ungrateful rappers... That's why I didn't want to push the issue of rappers that I felt would compliment your rap styles symbiotically... (lol Its the only word I could think of.) I don't think you turned your back on these young or newer rappers... If they're rap skills are sharp and they want it, I believe they deserve to shine. Then, they can work with a pioneer as yourself. BUT, I feel that these few "Stand Outs" aren't getting their "shine." Like I said before, the only people getting the attention are gang members with sh*tty rap skills who squabble amongst themselves and/or the rappers complaining about NOT getting their free hand out... Some people are just talking out their *ss now over some sh*t they heard indirectly.
About misspelling a few words, I feel you... I couldn't write a full page essay until I started attending college because of my school district... Now I'm proud that I can write pretty well! F*ck it if I sound like a square these days... LOL


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Showing 75-100 of 1895 results
Manson MA-1 EVO4.5 stars
Taylor 214ce K DLX$1,658.004.5 stars
Ibanez AR2619-AV Prestige$3,066.004 stars
Seymour Duncan Dirty Deed Distortion$171.005 stars
Auden Bowman Cedar Cutaway4 stars
Ibanez RG9$1,239.004 stars
Throw your scepticism aside and open your mind to the power of nine.
Vintage Rock Series VRS1504 stars
Auden Colton Chester Spruce Cutaway4 stars
BBE Soul Vibe$185.003.5 stars
Characterful modulation pedal with its own take on the genre.
Vintage V58JD4 stars
The V58JD looks like a house cat, but it's really a complex tiger, a bit ...
DLS RotoSIM$299.004 stars
EWS Little Brute Drive$160.004 stars
Auden Colton Spruce Full Body4 stars
Vintage V100MU Midge Ure Signature Series4 stars
A guitar that's hugely playable, affordable and endearingly eccentric.
Freshman Songwriter SONGOCRW4 stars
For the money, it's a tidy job, and if your budget is tight, it's worth ...
Schecter Blackjack ATX Solo-II$1,149.005 stars
An impressive spec, value for money and a solid build - it all adds ...
ESP E-II ST-2 Rosewood$2,558.004.5 stars
Xotic SP Compressor$165.004.5 stars
A sonic squeezer that will easily squeeze onto your pedalboard.
Neo Ventilator II$649.004.5 stars
ESP E-II Mystique QM$2,878.004.5 stars
Xotic SL Drive$155.004.5 stars
Xotic EP Booster$145.004.5 stars
Schecter Hellraiser Hybrid C-1 FR$1,449.004 stars
This well-spec'd, flexible configuration makes for a high-class shred machine.
Schecter Stealth C-1$699.005 stars
TC Electronic Alter Ego X4 Vintage Echo$269.004.5 stars
Z.Vex Vexter Super Ringtone$349.004 stars
A rhythmic ring-mod that might find favour with experimentalists.
Fender Standard Telecoustic$349.004 stars
Washburn HB45$699.004 stars
Z.Vex Fuzzolo$129.004 stars
Powerful fuzz in a cute package that won't take up much pedalboard space.