Salem-News.com Youth articles Page 43

Testing 1, 2, 3

Does testing actually reduce the time a student spends gaining an education? The answer will surprise you.

(SALEM, Ore.) - In a recent opinion piece by Neal Feldman, he makes numerous suggestions which he believes will turn around education. Among these he suggests doing away with 'multiple guess' exams returning to essay responses and blank answer spots where work is shown how they arrived at their answers.

Neal provides a good opening for discussion about testing. Before we get too deeply into the issue, it would be helpful to define some terminology, beginning with the terms assessment and evaluation, which are sometimes used interchangeably.

DHS Student Poster Calendar Illustrates Problem Gambling

Approximately 75,000 Oregonians have gambling related problems. It impacts children and families

(SALEM, Ore.) - Thousands of Oregonians will be admiring the artistic endeavors of a dozen middle school students during 2008 on an Oregon Department of Human Services color calendar designed to increase awareness of problem gambling.

Earlier this year the DHS Addictions and Mental Health Division sponsored its fifth annual middle school poster contest to help students learn more about the risks of gambling and to alert parents and educators that problem gambling can be a serious health issue.

Amber Alert Canceled for 4-Year Old New Mexico Boy

The suspect's vehicle is a black 1998 Hyundai Elantra. NM License is in the rear window and is JNC 026.

(ALAMAGORDO, New Mexico) - The State of New Mexico issued an Amber Alert after a four-year old child was apparently abducted in Alamagordo on Sunday morning.

They now report he has been safely recovered.

Law Enforcement Agencies Team Up for Kids

The children are given a gift card from Walmart and are accompanied by the law enforcement employee as they shop for whatever they wish in the store.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The Marion County Sheriff's Office, Salem Police Department, Keizer Police Department, Oregon State Police and the non-profit Law Enforcement for Youth say they will be able to make the holidays a bit brighter for approximately 400 local children during this year's Shop With A Cop Event.

The event will be held at the Walmart store, 5250 Commercial St SE from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM on Saturday, December 15th.

Psychologist Says Kids in Oregon`s Disaster Areas Need TLC

An expert says the most important thing to remember is that children depend on the family system for most of their coping ability.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - The aftermath of Oregon's wind and flood disaster may be affecting children much more than we think, said a disaster psychologist working with the Oregon Department of Human Services.

"Children require special care following a disaster," said Laurel Hughes, Psy. D., who has assisted in more than 50 American Red Cross disaster relief efforts since 1993.

Survey Reveals Teen Drug Use has Risen

Teen drug use is much Higher than 15 years ago; teens are badly misinformed about dangers.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The latest "Monitoring the Future" survey of teen drug use, released today, reveals disturbing trends in teen drug use and attitudes, officials of the Marijuana Policy Project said.

"This new survey documents the complete, utter failure of current government policies on marijuana," said Aaron Houston, director of government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C.

Politicians Tour Salem At-Risk Youth Center

HOME Youth and Resource Center provides assistance to at-risk youth in job skills, education, GED preparation, and social skills.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Marion Soil and Water Conservation District Director Patrick Sieng (I-Salem) and State Rep. Brian Clem (D-Salem) are scheduled to tour Salem’s Heal Our Mentality and Environment (HOME) Youth and Resource Center in response to Marion and Polk’s 10-year Plan to End Homelessness initiative.

Sieng, who serves on the board of directors for the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, will tour the center Wednesday, Oct. 10th from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM with Clem and agency staff to begin looking at needs for area at-risk youth.

Oregon`s First Indoor Playground Opens in Salem

The idea is to provide a fun, interactive place for families to gather in all seasons.

(SALEM, Ore.) - A dream for children was realized this month with the unveiling of the first indoor playground facility in Oregon.

Elizabeth McDonough of Salem says that after much planning and research, her group was able to create a playground that took into account the most creative and successful aspects of indoor playgrounds around the world.

The NW Kids Club is located at 1810 Freeway Court NE, Suite 150, behind the Newport Bay Restaurant on Market and Hawthorne.

Life Directions – Peers and Mentors Making Changes

Risk factors for violence to and by our young children in Marion County, especially the McKay, North, and Woodburn neighborhoods find a vision of hope through this organization.

(SALEM) - We hear about the bad influences our young people have and we refer to it as peer pressure.

There is another kind of peer pressure Life Directions as an organization emphasizes.

Saturday I visited the Winter Event “The Child in Our Neighborhood” at Waldo Middle School, organized by Life Directions.

Ducks Collecting Toys For Tots at Friday`s Basketball Game

Friday night represents the first opportunity for fans to donate toys, as there will also be an opportunity at the women’s basketball game on Nov. 30th, as they face Saint Mary’s (Calif.)

(EUGENE) - Oregon student athletes in association with the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) will be collecting new, unwrapped toys as part of the Toys for Tots program, this Friday at the men’s basketball game against UC Irvine.

Fans are encouraged to bring donations to the game, where they will be collected at the entrances by various athletes.

If fans cannot bring a toy to the game, they will also have the opportunity to make cash donations to the Duckling Fund which has been established to support Mason May, a young child in the community suffering from with Medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer.