Juvenile Offenders Sentenced To Shakespeare
In Massachusetts, juvenile offenders might be sentenced to time at a detention center, or they may be sentenced to "Hamlet." For the last 17 years, 'Shakespeare in the Courts' works to have lower level offenders learn and perform the Bard instead of serving time.
The six-week program is intended to teach these pint sized criminals to learn to respect the feelings of others, fulfill a commitment and feel a sense of pride. Over the years, only a handful have dropped out or quit.
This isn't the only Shakespeare related program in the criminal system, however. Jails across the country offer similar options to incarcerated men and women. The goal there is to boost confidence and literacy amongst the inmates.
Source: New York Post
High School Uses A Lottery System To Assign Prom Dates
With the standard for promposals getting higher every year, high school students have to get creative when asking their dates to go. But Aquin High School in Freeport, Illinois has a way to make the decision of who to ask to the big dance simple.
Aquin uses a lottery system to match junior and senior boys with their prom dates. In the school library, the guys draw names of girls, while the girls wait in the gym. Then the guys do a skit for them before revealing who they’ll be taking to prom. Unconventional? Yep. But it’s the way they’ve been doing it for 91 years. And their students seem to like it.
“I think most people are in disbelief and a lot of people say they would hate it,” junior class adviser Michelle Gallagher explains. “But I think after they kind of hear the rest of the story and hear what goes into it, I think a lot of people are actually intrigued by it. It’s less of a date and more like something fun to do with your classmates.”
The tradition started as a way to ensure everyone would have a prom date and it does ensure no one is left out. But we can think of a few issues: What if someone doesn’t want to go? What if someone wants to go with the person they’re actually dating? What if you get stuck with an ex or someone you’ve been bullied by? But maybe these aren’t problems at Aquin High. At least it doesn’t leave anyone sitting around waiting to be asked.
Source: Yahoo
Today is National Puppy Day
March 23rd is National Puppy Day! This is the day that we celebrate our favorite furry friends and most reliable companions, the little K-9s! Colleen Paige declared the first National Puppy Day in 2006 not only to celebrate how absolutely adorable they are but to raise awareness about the horrors of puppy mills.
Over 8,000 puppy mills and “backyard breeders” supply the nation’s pet stores in America. Imagine how many puppies are kept in horrible conditions and are often killed when they’re no longer fertile. Wondering how you can help? “Adopt instead of Shop!” as National Puppy Day organizers would say!
Today is World Meteorological Day
March 23rd is World Meteorological Day! What we now know as the World Meteorological Organization was first the International Meteorological Organization. Founded in 1873, has its fundamental mission of the organization is to support the countries of the world in providing meteorological and hydrological services so that life and property can be protected “from natural disasters related to weather, climate and water, and to safeguard the environment, as well as contribute to sustainable development.”
As for the “day” itself, it’s been celebrated since 1961, following its creation in 1950. Each year, the celebrations focus on a theme of topical interest. This year's theme? “Hotter, drier, wetter. Face the Future.” This theme was chosen to illustrate the reality of climate change. A 2016 calendar with the same theme is also available for download, and includes photographs from around the world based on a WMO Facebook competition. If you’re a teacher, you can also find some handy materials by CLICKING HERE.
Today is National Chip and Dip Day
March 23rd is National Chip and Dip Day! Humans have been dipping foods into different sauces for centuries upon centuries, but the one that grabs the tongue worldwide is the iconic chip and dip. March 23rd adds the dip March 14th was looking for, being on that day we celebrate National Potato Chip Day.
Whether you’re into the sour and cream, salsa, spinach, or cheese, grab a bag of your most desired chip, prepare the easy snack, and crunch away – by crunch I don’t mean the ab workout!
High School Uses A Lottery System To Assign Prom Dates
With the standard for promposals getting higher every year, high school students have to get creative when asking their dates to go. But Aquin High School in Freeport, Illinois has a way to make the decision of who to ask to the big dance simple.
Aquin uses a lottery system to match junior and senior boys with their prom dates. In the school library, the guys draw names of girls, while the girls wait in the gym. Then the guys do a skit for them before revealing who they’ll be taking to prom. Unconventional? Yep. But it’s the way they’ve been doing it for 91 years. And their students seem to like it.
“I think most people are in disbelief and a lot of people say they would hate it,” junior class adviser Michelle Gallagher explains. “But I think after they kind of hear the rest of the story and hear what goes into it, I think a lot of people are actually intrigued by it. It’s less of a date and more like something fun to do with your classmates.”
The tradition started as a way to ensure everyone would have a prom date and it does ensure no one is left out. But we can think of a few issues: What if someone doesn’t want to go? What if someone wants to go with the person they’re actually dating? What if you get stuck with an ex or someone you’ve been bullied by? But maybe these aren’t problems at Aquin High. At least it doesn’t leave anyone sitting around waiting to be asked.
Source: Yahoo
There’s Actually A Club For Bacon Lovers
If you love bacon so much you wish you could join a club of bacon fans, now’s your chance. There’s actually a group called BENSA - which stands for Bacon Enthusiasts ‘N Swine Aficionados. And it’s goal is to bring bacon lovers together.
Eliza Cross, author of “101 Things to Do With Bacon” started BENSA and they currently have 1,016 members. She says BENSA is a lot like MENSA - the high IQ society - but there are some key differences:
- BENSA takes bacon lovers of all intelligence levels
- You don’t have to take a super long test to quality. There is a Bacon BENSA Intelligence Test, but it’s only four questions.
- Membership does have its benefits - You get discounts to bacon-related events, like the Denver Bacon and Beer Classic, and members can share recipes and bacon memes.
Cross wants to expand the club in the future, by offering additional discounts and member benefits. “I also think it would be fun to set up member profiles,” she says. “Maybe for our single members we could partner with Sizzl, the bacon-lover's dating app.” Yeah, that’s a real thing, and it’s sponsored by Oscar Meyer, because of course it is.
Source: Extra Crispy
Study: Being An Older Mom Might Make For Better Parenting
Next time someone talks to you about your “biological clock ticking,” you can tell them about this new study from Denmark that finds there are actually benefits to being an older mom. Turns out, having kids post 30-something has some major social and behavioral advantages for you and your kid.
Researchers reviewed surveys taken by more than 4,700 Danish moms when their kids were seven, 11, and 15. And they found the older the moms were, the fewer emotional and behavioral issues the children had at seven and 11. Older mamas were also less likely to physically discipline their kids at these ages.
"We know that people become more mentally flexible with age, are more tolerant of other people, and thrive better emotionally themselves," study author Dion Sommer explains in a press release. "This style of parenting can thereby contribute to a positive psychosocial environment which affects the children's upbringing."
- The study also shows that older mothers were happier during and just after their pregnancies, had more stable relationships, and they were better off financially. So maturity has its upsides - waiting to be a mom until you feel ready is a good thing for you and your kids, and don’t let anyone tell you any different.
Source: Glamour
Forget Chocolate, Now You Can Get Savory Cheese Eggs For Easter
Like Valentine’s Day, Easter is delightful for anyone with a sweet tooth. But if you’re not a huge fan of candy and confections, you’ll be delighted to know that you can now get a savory holiday treat from the Easter bunny this year - a solid cheese egg.
The Cheester Egg is the brainchild of British food blogger Annem Hobson of So Wrong It’s Nom, and she’s partnered with Wildes Cheese, a London Cheese shop to make it a reality. “Cheese is what excites me,” Hobson says, “so I’m thrilled my plans for a Cheester Egg have finally hatched.
- The Cheester Egg is exactly what it sounds like - an egg-shaped hunk of Napier cheese, which was voted London’s favorite cheese in 2015.
- The egg is just over half a pound and is “crumbly, yet creamy with a strong flavor.”
- Sadly, these are only available in the UK this year, but Hobson says they’re planning to bring Cheester Eggs to the U.S. next year.
Source: Stylist
A list of "Single Tasking" challenges:
- Eat breakfast without reading a book / newspaper / going online / checking your phone
- When you drive or take public transport - simply sit and observe. You don't always need to be distracted by a book or by music.
- Watch a movie from start to finish without doing other things. I am so guilty of this - I would put a movie on and have it playing in the background when I am doing something else.
- Listen to an album all the way through without doing something else.
- Connect with the people you speak to - don't think about what you need to say next, just listen and react to what needs to come through.
- Carry around a notebook and write things down should you feel like you will get distracted.
- Start your day with some mindful morning rituals. Do these one at a time.
- Set a timer for 20 minutes and divide your tasks into 20 minute intervals. Some tasks might take longer, but this method, called the Pomodoro method works really well to help you focus.
- Declutter your desk so that you don't have any distractions there.
- Switch off your phone for a day on the weekend and detox from technology
- Allocate one day of the week to cleaning. I find that I look for opportunities to clean constantly and when I see something that needs cleaning, it immediately needs to get done before I feel like I can move onto something else. For me, it's a big distraction.
- Slow down your evening with night rituals. Again, do these one at a time.
- Have only one browser window open at a time when you are on the internet. I always find I have 20 windows open!
Source: http://www.jochunyan.com/blog/single-tasking-reminders