Published October 2010: ParentUSAcity.com Keeping Toddlers Safe Article Overview: Toddlers are constantly moving and exploring their surroundings, and it takes no time at all for a toddler to get into harm’s way. There’s no hotter priority for parents than finding ways to prevent the unthinkable before it happens. But the relationship between parent and child doesn’t have to be a constant struggle. [More...] Article Excerpt: As parents, we do our best to keep a close watch on our children. However, it is impossible to monitor a toddler’s every move, especially when that toddler is constantly on the move. Melissa Finley, mother of 9-year-old Emily and 3-year-old Evan, learned that in less than five minutes a toddler can ultimately put himself in a life or death situation. “The unthinkable can happen,” Finley said. “I am so cautious with my children and it happened to me.” Last summer, Finley found her 3-year-old floating in the backyard pool at her southern Illinois home, completely blue and unresponsive. “I went downstairs to fold laundry and the house seemed too quiet,” Finley said. “I got this weird feeling and asked Emily to check on her brother.” Moments later, Finley heard her daughter scream as she jumped in the water to save her brother. Finley administered CPR, and Evan responded before the paramedics arrived. It was estimated that he had been in the water for approximately three minutes. Even though the Finleys had a lock on the pool ladder, their curious and energetic 3-year-old found his way into the pool. Since the incident, Evan has recovered fully and the Finleys have installed a pool alarm that alerts both exterior and interior receivers. “If anything hits the water that weighs more than 15 pounds, the alarm goes off,” Finley said. Read the full story here.
Category: Sample Work
Nonprofit Recognizes One of Its Own
Tenia Buchanan spent years shopping at Goodwill to provide necessities for her children. On a whim, she said, she applied for a job and 15 years later, as the store manager of the Fairview Heights store, she is now considered a local hero by the nonprofit. "I was a welfare recipient, a low-income parent looking for a job. When I started here, I never thought I would find myself in this position 15 years later," Buchanan said. "I've been very blessed with an opportunity of a lifetime." Buchanan's climb from store cashier at the Cahokia store to managing the Fairview Heights location took hard work and years of training, she said. It ultimately landed her the Local Hero Award, given by Lewis Chartock, CEO and President of MERS/Goodwill. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Parents vs. Tweens: Survival of the Fittest?
The “tween” years have their own unique issues, as children ricochet back and forth between early childhood and beckoning adolescence. But the relationship between parent and child doesn’t have to be a constant struggle. Read more at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
A First Look at Private Schools
As parents, our concerns for our child’s development never end. From emotional and physical growth to intellectual and spiritual development, we continually research best practices, strategies, and methods to ensure that our children grow up in a healthy, nurturing environment. And then we ship them off to school. This academic journey is one of the most influential components of a child’s development. Each parent wants something unique and specialized for his or her child, which is why private schools have continued to thrive throughout the U.S. According to recent statistics gathered by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), a member organization for independent schools that offers resources for both administrators and parents, students attending private schools receive more one-on-one attention, with a median class size of 16. “Statistically, private schools tend to do a good job educating academically while preparing students to be strong citizens,” said Myra McGovern, NAIS public information officer. Read the Full Story at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Collinsville educator gets another chance to conduct
Collinsville educator gets another chance to conduct Retired music teacher to lead band in November Bruce Hawkins said he got the best going away present imaginable for a music teacher when he retired from Collinsville schools last year: A published piece of music dedicated to his years of service. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
What to Expect in Freshman Year of College: Student’s Guide
Published August 2010: ParentUSAcity.com What To Expect in Freshman Year of College: Student's Guide Article Overview: College is a whole new world for both parents and students. Here are insights to help you and your freshman better understand what your child will experience in freshman year, from a college grad who with her mom has written a “both sides” look at the college years. [More...] Article Excerpt: The most anticipated time has arrived—the first year of college. Amidst the excitement of moving out, grasping freedom, anticipating change, and forging new friendships, the average college freshman often underestimates the challenges associated with adjusting to an entirely new lifestyle. Although college offers opportunities and an adventurous academic and social journey like no other, breaking through the barriers of the unknown and dealing with the uncertainty of what to expect that first year are often sources of significant stress. Finding a balance between freedom and responsibility is crucial. Read the Full Story at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
What To Expect in Freshman Year of College: Parent’s Guide
Published August 2010: ParentUSAcity.com What To Expect in Freshman Year of College: Parent's Guide Article Overview: The first time you have a child leave home for college, it’s one of the biggest changes you’ve faced since your child’s birth. Soften the shock with help from a mom who, with her daughter, has written a unique “from both sides” book about the college years. Article Excerpt: Packing up and shipping off a child to college is like the highs and lows of a rollercoaster ride. Emotions are high, excitement is building, and the unknown is thrilling and daunting at the same time. The first year of college is filled with anxiety, fear, and excitement not only for incoming freshman but also their parents. Although the child is embarking upon the journey, parents are along for the ride, not sure how to brace themselves for the unknown. What parents can expect the first year Knowing what to expect can ease the bumps for the next nine months. According to Margo E. Bane Woodacre, M.S.W., who with her daughter, Steffany Bane, is co-author of I’ll Miss You Too, an off-to-college guide for parents and students, there are many surprising social and emotional dilemmas you’ll face when sending a child off to college. Read the Full Story at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Unveiling the Mystery of Romantic Attraction
Why did you fall in love with your spouse instead of with someone else? Though many mysteries surround romantic feelings, current psychology has some insights. You can strengthen your marriage by understanding the agendas and illusions that lie beneath the glow of romance. Article Excerpt: When I think back to the moment I first laid eyes on the love of my life, my memories evoke the romantic nature of our chance meeting. Through my eyes, he was mysterious, gentle-natured, and handsome with those blue eyes that made me melt. He spoke softly and said all the right things. I was immediately attracted to his smile, his intelligence, and his spirit. According to relationship expert Alisa Bowman, though, that perfect moment may have been an illusion. Bowman, author of Project Happily Ever After Relationship Rules, asserts that couples often begin relationships with blinders on. “I have a theory that when people meet each other, they see what they want to see,” Bowman said. “You see qualities about yourself within this person and ignore the qualities that are actually different. It’s a stage in a relationship where you really don’t know each other—it’s an illusion.” Read the Full Story at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Family Donates in Memory of Life Cut Short
Published in the 7/9/10 issue of the Suburban Journals Fairview Heights family donates in memory of life cut short New playground equipment added to center Family and friends say Lauren Glueck was a child at heart. Children flocked to her when she baby-sat and played on the playground at the Elks Lodge in Fairview Heights. So after Glueck died suddenly from cardiac arrest in November 2008 at 23, it only seemed fitting that her loved ones would honor her memory by helping build a new playground. [More...] "Kids loved her and she loved kids," recalled her mother, Patty Glueck, of Fairview Heights. After hosting a 2009 benefit in Lauren's honor, the Glueck family donated $5,000 for new playground equipment at the Old Lincoln Trail lodge. A bench in Lauren's honor and a new playground set sits next to the lodge banquet center, replacing worn-out metal equipment donated years ago. "Patty approached us and said that's what she wanted to do with the benefit money," said Brenda Morss, president of the Elks' Ladies Auxiliary. "It was a selfless act." Patty Glueck said the support she received from the lodge following Lauren's death made the decision easy. "The lodge opened up to us and gave us a place to go - they helped us through a very difficult time," she said. "Other members who had lost children shared their stories and made us feel like we weren't the only ones grieving. They are good people." A dedication ceremony was held last month. - Shannon Philpott
Metro East Libraries Brace for Massive Cuts
Evaporated state funding is claiming another victim: Libraries. The Lewis and Clark Library System, which links nearly every library book in the Metro East, on July 1 will no longer offer nonessential services to members - meaning the continuing education, legal advice and advocacy provided since the 1960s will end. Six positions will also be chopped.
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 