上星期六在 Santa Monica Annenberg 海濱浴場舉辦了一場別開生面的《兒童紙板船大賽》，讓大家發揮想像力和幽默感，用硬紙箱和膠帶砌成各種造型獨特的紙船，然後三十多對大人小孩的隊伍更在游泳池內划船比拼速度（或者是看誰的船先沉沒）！

想像一下，和孩子一起動手設計一個完全用硬紙箱和膠帶砌成的紙船，還能真的在水中航行！在製作過程中孩子能學到多少物理和工程知識？在紙船比賽中又會有多少搞笑又精彩的畫面？

三位丫丫小記者們：Karen、Isabel、Ryan 當天在現場採訪，跟主辦單位和參賽小健兒們互動，了解一下這個有趣活動的由來，更為所有參賽者積極打氣，玩得不亦樂乎。。。立即來看看當天的盛況吧！

Isabel L., Age 10

On August 29, 2015 we went to the Annenberg Community Beach House for a very special event. The 4th Annual Cardboard Yacht Regatta! It was at 415 Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica. It lasted from 6:30 p.m. -9:30 p.m. The event was held in the pool. .  . READ MORE >>

Karen S., Age 10

On a mild August 29, 2015, three La Jaja Kids junior journalists--Isabel; Ryan; and I, Karen-- went to the the city of Santa Monica to interview a few participants of this year’s annual cardboard yacht regatta, which was held next to the Annenberg Community Beach House. . . READ MORE >>

Ryan L., Age 11

We were at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica Beach for the Cardboard Yacht Regatta last weekend . Only cardboard, duct tape and yellow wood glue can be used for the support structure of the yacht. This beach house is about 5 acres and was a mansion.  They sold the property and made it a museum. . . 

 READ MORE>>

用鬍子做主題的船也滿有創意的喔！

最右面的船雖然裝飾看起來是最簡單，但它最後是最快到終點的船。有時候，可能簡簡單單的，才是最有效率。

Jurassic World 侏羅紀世界紙「船」…還是車？竟然連恐龍都出動了，造型滿分，可是下水後會怎樣？

哇！用鯊魚做紙船也太嚇人了吧！

在人生的旅途中，學識上的成長還必須有良好的人格品德來匹配，才算是全面，而音樂與美術的修養與薰陶便成了不可缺少的學習環節。學習鋼琴是許多孩子躍躍欲試的一種樂器，但其技術上的增長卻是需要花上十年八載的時間，才能在成年後享受到其成果。

正因為此，孩子在學習鋼琴時，特別需要很多的鼓勵及肯定，參加比賽便是最好的方法之一。我們看到小小的孩子，不在乎獎金的多寡，充滿了信心在台上揮舞著雙手；年長的孩子與自己挑戰，年年回來爭奪冠軍，實在十分感動！

洛杉磯青少年鋼琴比賽的理事們在過去三十一年裏，非常用心舉辦鋼琴比賽活動，今年選擇的作曲家是莫札特Mozart。 並且每年特娉三位主流社會著名的鋼琴家做裁判，為了要獎勵這些孩子，兢兢業業的學習與長時間的練琴，讓自己成就為社會有用之人。為此我們不斷的提供表演機會給各個年齡層的孩子，幫助他們在成長過程中建立獨特的個性。

比賽日期：10/3/15

地點：阿凱迪亞 Community Center

報名截止日期：9/20/15，比賽年齡分四組。

Download entry forms here: 

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B5viQb0G-quremxWQ1pLRno2bXc&usp=sharing

有興趣者請visit http://www.facebook.com/LosAngelesYoungPianistCompetition.

Dr. Tianshu Wang Pays Music of Sunset by Li Yinghai

http://www.facebook.com/LosAngelesYoungPianistCompetition

孩子上課過動、不專心，往往是學習能力不足的結果，提升學習能力就能輕鬆學習。劉氏教育的理念在於提升孩子「耳聰」、「目明」、「動作反應快」三大學習能力，讓孩子在配合教育者的引導下，發揮學習效率和先天資賦。9月12日上午，讓教育專家劉駿來幫助您釐清孩子語言、行為、學科的致勝關鐽（免費入場，講座以中文舉行）

講座專題 ： 有效改善孩子好動與情緒問題

主講人：劉駿  （劉氏基金會）M.A. 

日期：9/12/2015 (Saturday) 

時間：9:45 ~ 11:30 a.m.

地點：哈崗中文學校，Room A3，(Cedarlane Academy) 16333 Cedarlane Dr., Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 

免費入場

劉先生每年在中國或台灣舉行一百多場演講，這次短暫停留 L A 專程到哈崗中文學校來，只希望造福華裔子弟；坐位有限，機會難得，敬請把握！

「大人每年要做"健康檢查"；孩子也該年年做"學習能力"檢查！」

當孩子的學習，有點狀況或是開始落後的時候，一般家長常說：「他很聰明，就是不用功、注意力不集中。」這種說法最大的錯誤是：孩子雖然聰明，但是他們卻年年不一樣聰明；而且聰是聰、明是明；每個孩子的聰與明，年年都要符合自己同齡兒童的能力水平，學習才不會出差錯。忽略孩子年年不一樣的學習能力，也不提他學的是什麼內容、難度如何、能力是否與教材水平相當；就直接用行為、態度來描述孩子學習不佳的原因，可以說是倒果為因。大多數兒童兩年後來做今天的功課，都能做得好，難道是因為他們「專心」了嗎？

孩子每年都有著不同的學習能力，但是因為遺傳特質和環境的影響，許多孩子會有「發展慢一點」或「晚開竅」的現象。並不是只要「年齡」一樣，「能力」就一樣。同時，能力又分很多種；有的小孩背書、說話不輸給同學，但卻在書寫、理解、計算上落後；也有的數學好，寫字還可以，但是作文寫不出來，長話短說，甚至無話可說。所以「學習能力」在達到成人水平之前，年年都不一樣；跟上來沒有？怎麼上來的？哪個能力超前？什麼能力落後？都應該年年做檢查，才不會找不到原因，胡亂給孩子扣上「心理」或「醫學」(如注意力不集中)的帽子。

(click on image to read the flyer in full size window)

https://www.facebook.com/Liuchild?fref=ts

Parenting is a weird tension between following your instincts and squashing them. When my son trips and falls, or squabbles with a friend, or is in some way struggling, my first impulse is to solve that problem, immediately: snatch him off the ground and dust off his pants, talk out the argument with the pal, rebuild the tower that collapsed. But as much as the endless discussion of helicopter parents bothers me, I have to frequently remind myself that it isn’t my job to make my kids’ lives as easy as possible—and that it may even be counterproductive. Below, seven problems I’m not going to solve for my sons:

1. Boredom 感覺無聊

Boredom seems to have disappeared from childhood. Kids have tons of activities, reams of homework and a million options for entertainment at their fingertips. But boredom can actually be beneficial—it can prompt kids to try new things. My new response for “Mom, I’m bored”? “It’s okay to be bored.”

2. Frustration 挫折感

I have a hair trigger for frustration, as does my husband, but we deal with it in totally different ways. I tend to get enraged and keep hacking away at whatever is frustrating me—getting angrier and angrier in the process. My husband will feel the early stages of frustration, set down the project and walk away for a while. He comes back when he’s calmer. The pause gives him space to think; he usually manages to solve the problem on the next go-round. This strategy has been a revelation for me. When my son gets furious that the Lego house he built topples over, I tell him to play with something else for a while and come back to it. Once he’s calmed down, he can usually tackle the problem without freaking out.

3. Not Liking Their Meal 不喜歡他們的飲食習慣

We follow Ellyn Satter’s division of responsibility in feeding our kids—which means that sometimes I serve meals I like and sometimes I serve meals the kids like (though generally I aim for things we both enjoy). If they don’t care for the main course, that’s okay—there’s always something on the table they will eat. It’s important for them to know that everyone, even Mom, gets their favorite dinner sometimes.

4. Failure 失敗

A fear of failure, writes Jessica Lahey, means that students don’t take intellectual risks. Encountering failure, or the possibility of failure, teaches kids problem-solving skills and diligence. If my kids are headed toward a wrong answer on a problem, or building a bridge that I can see is going to fall down, or even mixing paint colors into a monochromatic study in brown…well, that’s how they learn. It’s not my job to head them off at the failure pass. They need to fail to learn.

5. Running Out of Money 缺乏金錢

I’m a big fan of Ron Lieber and his advice on teaching kids about money. He counsels having kids take over more and more responsibility for their own expenses, like handing over the clothing budget for the year and letting them allocate it as they wish. As he said in an interview I did with him earlier this year, “At this stage, money is for practice. Mistakes are inevitable and can even be kind of entertaining. But we want them to make mistakes while they’re still under our roof, and not later on when the consequences are more dire.” So if my kid blows his clothing budget on one expensive pair of sneakers, and has nothing left over, well, that’s the lesson. He probably won’t make that mistake twice.

6. Arguments With Their Friends 與孩子的朋友爭論

I’m often tempted to mediate my kids’ squabbles with their pals. But (bear with me here, this is kind of a non sequitur) I have a pet theory about why celebrities’ kids are often kind of messed up: They’re surrounded by people who won’t push back against their bad behavior—caregivers who can’t really discipline without jeopardizing their jobs, or peers who are intimidated enough by fame that they won’t call the kid out. Children need to have conflict in order to know what boundaries are. They have to negotiate relationships on their own to develop checks on their behavior—it’s part of developing a social instinct. I won’t do them any favors by short-circuiting that process.

7. Homework 功課

I’ve been reading a bit on the “homework wars” lately—how kids are swamped with hours and hours of work that infringes on family time, sleep and hobbies. And when I say I won’t solve the homework problem, I don’t mean I won’t offer help if they need me to explain a geometry lesson or talk about The Catcher in the Rye. I mean I’m not sitting and holding their hands through five hours of social studies and math. I’m going to set a timer for homework time, and what doesn’t get done doesn’t get done. Kids spend a full day in school and deserve some time in the evening for themselves, and for sleep. That’s more important to me than every scrap of homework finished.

So sure, I want to baby my kids forever, brushing away every obstacle from their path and kissing every boo-boo. But they need to learn to be independent from me and meet challenges head on. Because if they didn’t, well, that would be creating an even bigger problem—that they’d eventually need to solve on their own.

** Credit to Leigh Anderson with www.scarymommy.com **

Original Article 原文請按此: https://www.scarymommy.com/7-problems-im-not-going-to-solve-for-my-kids/

簡單來說，「軟技能」就是人的情商、個性、社交禮儀、溝通能力、個人習慣以及人際關係的特質。許多研究證明，這些軟實力多數在小朋友的學前教育中就埋下了種子，為日後的人生、人際關係、事業發展等打好重要的基礎。能夠善用這些技能的人會在這個殘酷的社會上更加事半功倍喔！

In today’s global economic climate, employment and productivity are as dependent on academic and technical skills as they are soft skills. What are soft skills?  Soft skills are sometimes referred to as “people skills,” “non-cognitive skills,” or “emotional intelligence”, but encompasses more than any one of those names implies.

A recently released report by Laura H. Lippman and colleagues prepared for Child Trends highlights that soft skills “are a broad set of skills, competencies, behaviors, attitudes, and personal qualities that enable people to effectively navigate their environment, work well with others, perform well, and achieve their goals.” Primarily focused on youth 15-29 this report on soft skills has implications for parents raising children in the United States and around the globe as these skills are developed and nurtured during childhood. 

Research on soft skills has varied by industry sector, gender differences, and a host of difficulties marked by divergent goals and terminology. Lippman and colleagues sought to identify what specific soft skills improve chances of employment and productivity globally across sectors. They found the top five soft skills youth need to develop to improve workforce success include: “social skills, communication, high-order thinking (problem-solving, critical thinking, decision-making), self-control, and positive self-concept.”

While much of our education system from preschool through college emphasizes academic and intellectual skills, these other soft skills are critically important for development, yet are harder to define.  Three of the five skills (social skills, communication skills, and self-control) are areas of emphasis in the preschool years, but not so much later in school.  By first grade, we get very focused on academic skills and forget to explicitly teach these soft skills. There are lots of studies showing that these are the skills developed in good preschool programs that predict later success in life, stable relationships, occupational success, which require good social and communication skills,  but don’t necessarily predict higher academic test scores in school. 

A good example of self-control skills is Walter Mischel’s “Marshmallow test” of self-control.  Can a child resist the temptation and not eat the marshmallow when the adult leaves the room?  Data from this one area are predictive of outcomes in several ways. The other two skills are higher order thinking – think of that as creative problem solving, and positive self-concept. Creative problem solving comes from working on problems, not memorizing information.  It can come from dealing with difficulties in any area of life, ranging from solving a math problem to the geometry of how to fit the sofa through the doorway.  Positive self-concept, we know, does not come from repeated unconditional positive praise.  It comes from struggling with something the child finds difficult and then eventually succeeding.

Most of the current literature of soft skills focus on employers, high school programs, and college graduates. An audience that is notably missing, however, are parents. Furthermore, the current material on soft skills developed specifically for parents focus on children with disabilities when all children can become contributing members of society and our future workforce if soft skills gain a larger focus. The policy implications of this new report is big but the parenting implications are bigger.

Schools are where soft skills are practiced and improved, after-school activities are a place where soft skills are refined, but parents and families are where soft skills are observed and learned. Although research on how soft skills translates to better employment outlook is still needed, parents can still teach soft skills to children in developmentally-appropriate ways:

How to build soft skills for children:

如何培養孩子的「軟實力」

For younger children 專為幼兒而設計:

• Do activities that require your child to work with you. Take turns allowing your child to lead the activity and having your child follow
• Encourage your child in areas that are hard for them, show them how much they have mastered those skills. 
• Let them determine their own solutions to problems.  
• Do local charitable service projects
• Praise an acknowledge when your child is ready for school on time

For older children 專為孩子而設計:

• Create a vision board using old magazines
• Encourage your child to talk about what they found interesting about a movie you watched together or television show you watched
• Demonstrate how you  greet someone  with a handshake, eye contact, and a smile

** Credit to W. Douglas Tynan, Ph.D., ABPP, American Psychological Association with www.philly.com **

Original Article 原文請按此: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/healthy_kids/Why-do-kids-need-to-learn-soft-skills.html

像 Getty Center 一樣，The Broad 是完全免費入場的，不過參觀者眾多，大家要先上網預定門票，先選定參觀人數，再挑選參觀日期和時段，最後填寫姓名和電郵，就可以了。

** 根據丫丫觀察，9／10月的週末門票幾乎預定一空，想去的話，就要儘快上網咯！

Photo by Iwan Baan (Design Boom Architecture)

The broad museum’s lobby at ground level with interior veil.  (Design Boom Architecture)
Photo by Iwan Baan

Accordning to Design Boom: 

An installation by yayoi kusama is featured as part of the inaugural display
Photo by maris hutchinson

官方網站：www.thebroad.org（逢週一閉館） 

由四位9－11歲女生組成的Lunar Dragons 月龍隊參加今年的 Google Lunar XPrize MoonBots Challenge ，從233隊中脫穎而出，取得晉級第二階段競爭前六名的資格。丫丫小記者也把握機會採訪了這幾位創意和能力十足的隊員，指導老師 Ms. Bing 也介紹了有關 MoonBots 比賽的詳情，大家一起來看看小月龍們的精彩機器人作品吧！

經過四位隊員的通力合作，Lunar Dragons 隊在 Google Lunar XPrize MoonBots Challenge 第一回合勝出，正在全力備戰複賽（Phase Two）爭取進入前六名。原來總決賽前三名獲獎團隊可以去日本會見來自世界各地的參賽隊，一起學習創新機器人技術。

Google Lunar XPrize MoonBots Challenge 是很有影響力的國際少年科技大賽。每年由XPrize基金會舉辦，並由Google全力贊助。比賽模擬在月球表面降落一個機器人探測器，還可以移動500米，並向地球傳輸資料和圖片。這項活動現已成為有影響力的國際少年科技大賽之一。參賽者都是8至17歲的少年，負責設計、創造和編寫機器人的編程。

第一階段，參賽團隊要提交一個視頻或書面故事，說明什麼激勵著他們對月亮有興趣，可以從古老傳說到月球探測的潛力。

第二階段，複賽團隊將自選一套組件來打造一個機器人，在模擬月球景觀內漫遊，然後上傳視頻，展顯月球機器人的探險遊戲，提供社區的兒童和成人欣賞。

官方網站：http://moonbots.org/

My Interview with the Lunar Dragons of Rolling Robots

by Jaslyne QQ

Last week I went to the Lunar Dragons booth and interviewed them at the Nisei Week. They are the Dark Dragon, Ice Dragon, and the Earth Dragon. I interviewed the three of them and I learned some things about them and Moonbots competition. They had 4 robots and a iPad to control them. It was really cool. They had a small arena with a floor that looked like the moon! It was very interesting. 

The link to the video is right here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzWtJiLgo68. I had a lot of fun at the interview and learned a lot about robots. I thank the Lunar Dragons and Ms. Bing for letting me interview them. I hope that maybe next year I can build my own robot to compete in this competition!

 Lunar Dragons 隊員的自我介紹

(Rolling Robots website: https://rollingrobots.com/)

Team Lunar Dragons consists of 4 enthusiastic roboteers who have a story about four lunar dragons who control aspects of the moon. The dark dragon and the ice dragon control the phases of the moon, the ocean dragon controls the tides and the green dragon controls the gravity. Join the dragons at the lunar festival as they share their stories that inspire them about the moon.

Dark Dragon - Karling Jennings is 11. She is crazy, but not rude. She is a fan of Toothless (aka Dark dragon), and orcas. In addition to loving animal science and ice skating, she also loves the dark part of the moon that controls the lights on earth at night.

Ice Dragon - Simren Parikh is 11. She really loves to ice skate. She also likes dance and science! She really likes the moon and is wondering if there is water on the moon, and if there is life on the moon.

Ocean Dragon - Annalisa D'Emilia is 10. Her favorite things to do are playing soccer (specially as goalkeeper) and surfing. She is curious and loves being creative (such as creating things out of duct tape). She loves the moon and the fact that the moon has a part in affecting the tides on earth.

Green Dragon - Leighna Kim is 9. Her hobby is to read exciting books (such as Stuart Little), build robots, and do science experiments. She practices Hapkido and takes swimming lessons. She is interested in knowing all about the gravity on the moon.

The team captain Dr. K - an aerospace engineer and the owner of Rolling Robots, a tech center for children ages 4 to 14 to learn Science, Technology, Engineering, and Robotics.

All four lunar dragons are members of Rolling Robots on Earth, where they come every week after schools to study robot building and programming. 

讓孩子從小學鋼琴是大部分父母的心願，但是什麼時候學琴？跟怎樣的老師學琴才適合？該不該買琴？如何讓孩子主動練琴？這些疑問總是困擾著每位家長 . . . 丫丫園地很高興認識了一位既有才華，又有教學熱誠的鋼琴老師～ Ms. Wendy，我們更參與了Wendy老師專門為父母設計的 Piano Mom 鋼琴媽媽課程，學習如何啟發和提升小朋友對學鋼琴的興趣，讓我們大開眼界，想知道這個課程為什麼短短一年內吸引這麼多家長參加？請留意下期詳細報導！

今期先為大家推介 Wendy老師即將舉辦的兩個免費教學活動，一個是 Piano Mom 課程的免費示範，另一個是鋼琴陳列室實地考察，幫大家解決學琴和買琴的煩惱。

a Special Invitation for Dads/Moms/Adults 

Effective Parental Support in Piano Learning

 【鋼琴媽媽示範課程】如何幫助孩子提升鋼琴學習力

這是一個實用又充滿樂趣的課程，以遊戲和深入淺出的教學，幫助爸媽學會鋼琴的閱讀技巧和基本的鋼琴能力，以協助啟蒙自己小朋友的學琴興趣，並培育對鋼琴和樂理的初步認知。

This is a fun and practical course designed uniquely for adults/moms/dads to secure the fundamental of piano reading skills and basic piano functioning skills.

~Piano Mom's Mission~

Piano lessons can be costly and ineffective at the early age of learning. Piano mom is here to empower parents to become your child’s best helper and fun supporter for the journey. It is a cost effective, informative, yet comprehensive courses, which design exclusively for parents with pedagogical strategies and interactive methods to assist home practice for a better and confident performance at the piano lessons. In result, the positive relationships and memorable moments will be created thru the musical journey for you and your child.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Fingering / Posture / Etiquette 姿勢 / 指法 / 禮儀

Keyboard and Staff Reading/Clefs Usage 閱讀音符: 鋼琴鍵盤/五線譜

Complete Rhythmic Division 節奏: 音樂的數學

Practice Skills 練琴技巧

Other Related Topics 鋼琴爸媽主題討論 (選擇合適的老師 / 時間管理 / 學習動力等等… )

Date: September 20th,2015 (Sunday)

Time: 4:30-6:00pm

Fee: Free Demo with Gift

Location: Eutonic School of Music, 25411 Trabuco Rd., Suite 221, Lake Forest CA 92630

RSVP: 626-217-5830 / impianomom@gmail.com (Limited Space)

Website: http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=6fc074764712bc28bf558b101&id=7f5ec6a8ed 

4th Piano Mom Special Field Trip 

鋼琴陳列室實地考察

這個參觀活動是由 Piano Mom 導師 Ms.  Wendy 專門為沒有（或只有少許）鋼琴經驗的家長提供的。目的是希望家長在為孩子花大錢買琴之前，能更親身了解鋼琴的構造和選購的秘訣。這個非商業性的教育活動不收費用，Ms. Wendy 和資深琴師將為你介紹鋼琴的功能和機制，各種鋼琴類型和品牌，那些鋼琴值得投資，並會分享一些鋼琴經銷商不會透露的內行小秘密。如果你打算給家裡孩子添一座鋼琴，而又不致如何下手，這個活動你千萬不能錯過！

美國擁有數百萬英畝的國家公園、歷史建築文物、古老的森林、雪山，還有清澈碧藍的湖泊，這些美麗的自然土地屬於所有美國人，它正等著你去探索呢！其實，對所有家庭來說，$80一張的全美國家公園年票是非常超值的，所以，無論你家是否有個小四生，今年就將遊覽國家公園加入你的旅遊大計吧！

Every Kid in a Park 方案是由美國國家公園管理局、林務局、教育廳、工程兵部隊、土地管理局、魚類和野生動物局、農墾局，和國家海洋和大氣管理局等機構共同合作所創立的。

Did you know that you own millions of acres of national parks, historic structures, cultural artifacts, ancient forests, snow-capped mountains, and clear blue lakes? Our public lands and waters belong to all Americans and are waiting for you to explore them!

To help engage and create our next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates, we are kicking off the Every Kid in a Park initiative. The immediate goal is to provide an opportunity for each and every 4th grade student across the country to experience their public lands and waters in person throughout the 2015-2016 school year.

Beginning September 1st you will have access to your own Every Kid in a Park pass. This pass will give you free access to national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and more!

The Every Kid in a Park pass will be available starting September 1st, 2015 and will be good for the 2015-2016 school year until August 31, 2016. More information will be available beginning in September.

登記網址：www.EveryKidInAPark.gov (注意: 9月1日開始運作)

基本資訊網：www.nationalparks.org/ook/every-kid-in-a-park (不能登記)

http://www.nationalparks.org

Did you dream of taking a journey to Mars? For most human beings nowadays, traveling to Mars is still a dream. However, NASA made it a chance for your name to put on a micro-size chip and fly aboard Orion! Does it sound fabulous? Go sign up your names at their website quickly!

在9月8日前，只要到 NASA 網站登記，就可以將你的名字加到 InSight 探測器的矽晶片上，跟著它一同探索火星。當 InSight 起飛時，你更會收到由NASA發出的通知及虛擬登機證，夠好玩吧！

看！這是我們丫丫園地的虛擬登機證喔！

According to NASA:

YOUR NAME MAY BE ON THIS CHIP!

This close-up image of the dime-size microchip, carries 1.3 million names that will fly aboard Orion. Engineers "wrote" 1.3 million names onto this tiny 0.8 cm-square (8 mm-square) silicon wafer microchip.

Adding Your Name on to the InSight Chip

Magnified 500 times, a human hair would cover most of names shown this closeup of the Orion Microchip. A human hair is about 100 micrometers or 0.0039 inches.

加州是最多人登記的喔！

InSight 探測器將於 2016年3月發射，預計在同年 9月28日登陸火星。它將在火星地表鑽洞及挖掘，可望讓科學家首次研究火星的內部，以助了解火星的形成過程。

想讓自己的大名衝出地球，留在火星上，就要趕快上網登記囉：http://go.usa.gov/3Aj3G

http://mars.nasa.gov/participate/send-your-name/insight/

InSight Mission - Animation of Spacecraft

在孩子的生活中，父母是他們最有價值的老師，在學校以外，家長就是孩子的指導老師和榜樣，為他們設定目標。可是父母也有可能犯錯，尤其是在忙亂的開學時期。當你為孩子的新學年做準備時，不妨提醒自己，看看會不會犯下了以下三個常見的錯誤 。 。 。

The most valuable teacher in a child's life is often his or her parent. Parents play a daily role in guiding students through school -- they set goals and attitudes, and they give their children the confidence they need to succeed.

Like any person, parents can make mistakes, and these mistakes are especially likely to happen in the busy first weeks of school. As you prepare for the new school year, here are three common mistakes to know and avoid:

1. Misunderstanding what teachers expect of you 誤會了老師給你的育兒意見

Every teacher in your child's educational career will have different expectations of you, the parent. Your student's sixth grade instructor may ask your child to take complete responsibility for their homework, with no parental assistance. Their seventh grade teacher may prefer that parents take an active role in homework and projects, assisting as necessary and ensuring the work is complete.

On the first day of school, consider asking your student's new teacher how you can help. You will likely receive insight into how that particular instructor runs his or her classroom, as well as what your role will be during the school year. Follow the teacher's guidance, and periodically touch base to ensure you are doing all you can to assist your child's academic growth -- and to support your student's instructor.

2. Overemphasizing how difficult school is 過分強調回學校學習有多困難

The learning process is not always easy. However, most classrooms are designed to reward children who demonstrate effort and a positive mindset. If your student begins third grade convinced that they will struggle, there may be little reason for your child to aim for success.

This is why it is so important to foster a positive outlook where school is concerned. Your student will be more likely to try harder and to work smarter if he or she believes that success is possible.

You can accomplish this aim by building off previous grades. Highlight your child's academic strengths, as well as any recent improvements. It can also be helpful to avoid telling your student that each grade is harder than the last. Instead, rephrase each new grade as an opportunity to grow even smarter. Make success feel as attainable as possible, so you can give your child the confidence they need to succeed.

3. Failing to encourage independent goal setting 忘記了與孩子們建立自己新一年的目標

If you were to stop setting and monitoring goals with your student, what would happen? Would your child's grades drop? How would his or her priorities change? One of the most important things a student can learn is how to learn, and parents play a central role in this process.

If you have not yet done so, encourage your child to set their own goals, and to determine the best strategy for achieving them. This can help students understand the value in not just good grades, but in the steps that lead to them. Ultimately, your child should want to succeed for him or herself, rather than for an outside person or reward. That type of motivation can be carried throughout an entire educational career, from kindergarten to graduate school. 

** Credit to Chuck Cohn with www.huffingtonpost.com **

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chuck-cohn/3-common-backtoschool-mis_b_8011198.html

一般父母都會說某些經典對白：“我希望我的孩子比我有更好的生活” 這類話，完完全全體現了父母對自己孩子的愛。問題是，這類話對孩子成長和發展並沒有什麼幫助，父母還是不斷重複地做著同樣的事、犯著同樣的錯、沒有改變！

以下幾個送給父母的好建議，讓你建立9個育兒的好「習慣」，讓你真正能幫助孩子得到更好的發展：

How often do parents say something to the effect of, “I want my kids to have a better life than I did”? It is probably a fair assumption that it happens on a regular basis. This type of question demonstrates the love that parents have for their children. However, more often than not, after asking that question, nothing changes. Parents continue to do the same things they have been doing. In order for parents to really help their children have a better life than they have had, they must ensure they develop habits that will support that desire.

Communicate clearly 清楚地溝通

The ability to clearly communicate will make a difference in every aspect of one’s life. Parents must be the model of what it means to clearly communicate to ensure their children make it a habit in their lives. When one can articulate well what they want and need, there is a much better chance at success.

Love to learn 愛學習

Being a lifelong learner is a habit that will pay great dividends for both the parent and child. As children see their mom and dad proactively looking for ways to learn new things, and then applying what they have learned, they will desire to develop this habit as well. Loving to learn is not something that comes easy to many, but the habit can be developed. For example, when you find something you love, strive to learn more about it. As you do this, you will be teaching as well.

Service above self 無私奉獻

There is something very empowering and rewarding about serving others. As parents develop the habit of finding ways to serve others, they will teach their children what it means to be a selfless person -- something our world needs more of. This concept can often help during times of personal trial or struggle. The ability to help others despite a time of personal difficulty can provide a more selfless, caring attitude and allow for a renewed sense of focus.

Healthy Eating 健康飲食

Childhood obesity is a problem that continues to grow, and the main reason for this is that parents are not developing a habit of healthy eating themselves. Telling children to eat healthy while parents are not doing so themselves will not have the desired effect. Eating healthy is a habit that must be developed through making a conscious choice to do so. It can be as easy as starting to eat more fruits and vegetables each day. Find ways to incorporate them into meals and teach your children the importance of eating healthy.

Physical Activity 親子活動

In order for parents to really help their children have a better life than they have had, they must ensure they develop habits that will support their desire. 

How often do parents say something to the effect of, “I want my kids to have a better life than I did”? It is probably a fair assumption that it happens on a regular basis. This type of question demonstrates the love that parents have for their children. However, more often than not, after asking that question, nothing changes. Parents continue to do the same things they have been doing.

In order for parents to really help their children have a better life than they have had, they must ensure they develop habits that will support that desire.

Live your values 活得有價值

Values are what define a person. They are those beliefs that drive our decisions for the better. Having a strong set of values provides clarity and priorities in our goals. As children watch how their parents develop and live their values, they will often incorporate similar ones into their own lives. As parents live their values, there is a great opportunity to discuss these with their children. These discussions are valuable in teaching why establishing and living values is so important.

Master money 資金管理

Finances have been shown to be one of the main reasons to negatively impact relationships within a marriage. The inability to manage money can lead to heartache, stress and a breakdown in communication, none of which will actually help children have a better life. Teach children to live by a budget and why it is important. Explain the importance of saying no to wants to ensure needs are met.

Show support 表示支持

Parents that show support and unconditional love to their children have developed a priceless habit. Our children will do things that cause emotional pain and sadness; but as parents show love and support to their children, they will keep the door open to helping them. The goal is not to have that door slammed shut. Showing support does not mean parents will agree with what the child is doing, but rather will demonste the importance of being there when children need it most.

Do hard things 學會面對困難工作

When parents learn to do hard things, their children will have a positive example of how to better handle trials. There is much truth in the fact that nothing can get stronger without some type of opposition. Thus, as parents tackle a challenge or strive to make it through a trial with a desire to learn from that experience, they will have taught their children the blessings that come from doing hard things.

Habit is defined as an "acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary." As you develop the above nine habits, you will be creating the real opportunity to ensure a better life for your children.

** Credit to Set Saunders with www.newsok.com **

http://newsok.com/9-important-habits-for-parents-to-develop/article/5439476/?page=1

We all want our children to become leaders. Whether they spend the bulk of their days in the mailroom or the corner office, we want our children to grow to be courageous, passionate and authentic. We want their actions to inspire other people to be their best, to get more out of life than they ever thought possible.

As parents and caretakers of children, their path to leadership is in our hands. We can model and teach the skills that will equip them to lead themselves and others in this hyper-competitive world, or we can allow them to fall victim to the kind of thinking that makes them slaves to the status quo. It’s a big responsibility—but when isn’t being a parent a massive responsibility? The beauty of building children into leaders is that it’s the little things we do every day that mold them into the people they’ll become. Focus on the eight actions below, and you’ll build leadership in your children and yourself.

無可否認，這是個競爭激烈的世界，而每個父母都希望自己的孩子成為領導者，擁有勇敢、熱情、果斷和真誠這些珍貴的性格特質，更期待他們可以激勵別人，做他人的好榜樣，享受更美好的人生。不過要做到以上這個目標一點也不容易，以下這八種教育方法，可以讓大家更有效地培養孩子的領導能力，一起來試試吧！

Model Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Emotional intelligence is that “something” in each of us that is a bit intangible; it affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities and make personal decisions that achieve positive results.

Children learn emotional intelligence from their parents, plain and simple. As your children watch you every day, they absorb your behavior like a sponge. Children are particularly attuned to your awareness of emotions, the behavior you demonstrate in response to strong emotions and how you react and respond to their emotions.

EQ is one of the biggest drivers of success in leadership positions. Talent Smart has tested more than a million people and found that EQ is responsible for 58% of a leader’s job performance. Likewise, 90% of top-performing leaders have high EQs.

Most people do very little to develop their EQ growing up. Just 36% of the people we tested are able to accurately identify their emotions as they happen. Children who develop a high level of EQ carry these skills into adulthood, and this gives them a leg up in leadership and in life.

Don’t Obsess About Achievement

Parents get sucked into obsessing about achievement because they believe that this will make their children into high-achievers. Instead, fixating on achievement creates all sorts of problems for kids. This is especially true when it comes to leadership, where focusing on individual achievement gives kids the wrong idea about how work gets done.

Simply put, the best leaders surround themselves with great people because they know they can’t do it alone. Achievement-obsessed children are so focused on awards and outcomes that they never fully understand this. All they can see is the player who’s handed the MVP trophy and the celebrity CEO who makes the news—they assume it’s all about the individual. It’s a rude awakening once they discover how real life works.

Don’t Praise Too Much

Children need praise to build a healthy sense of self-esteem. Unfortunately, piling on the praise doesn’t give them extra self-esteem. Children need to believe in themselves and to develop the self-confidence required to become successful leaders, but if you gush every time they put pen to paper or kick a ball (the “everyone gets a trophy” mentality), this creates confusion and false confidence. Always show your children how proud you are of their passion and effort; just don’t paint them as superstars when you know it isn’t true.

Allow Them To Experience Risk And Failure

Success in business and in life is driven by risk. When parents go overboard protecting their children, they don’t allow them to take risks and reap the consequences. When you aren’t allowed to fail, you don’t understand risk. A leader can’t take appropriate risks until he or she knows the bitter taste of failure that comes with risking it all and coming up short.

The road to success is paved with failure. When you try to shield your children from failure in order to boost their self-esteem, they have trouble tolerating the failure required to succeed as a leader. Don’t rub their face in it either. Children need your support when they fail. They need to know you care. They need to know that you knowhow much failure stings. Your support allows them to embrace the intensity of the experience and to know that they’ll make it through it all right. That, right there, is solid character building for future leaders.

Say No

Overindulging children is a surefire way to limit their development as leaders. To succeed as a leader, one must be able to delay gratification and work hard for things that are really important. Children need to develop this patience. They need to set goals and experience the joy that comes with working diligently towards them. Saying no to your children will disappoint them momentarily, but they’ll get over that. They’ll never get over being spoiled.

Let Children Solve Their Own Problems

There’s a certain self-sufficiency that comes with being a leader. When you’re the one making the calls, you should also be the one who needs to stay behind and clean up the mess these create. When parents constantly solve their children’s problems for them, children never develop the critical ability to stand on their own two feet. Children who always have someone swooping in to rescue them and clean up their mess spend their whole lives waiting for this to happen. Leaders take action. They take charge. They’re responsible and accountable. Make certain your children are as well.

Walk Your Talk

Authentic leaders are transparent and forthcoming. They aren’t perfect, but they earn people’s respect by walking their talk. Your children can develop this quality naturally, but only if it’s something they see you demonstrate. To be authentic, you must be honest in all things, not just in what you say and do but also in who you are. When you walk your talk, your words and actions will align with who you claim to be. Your children will see this and aspire to do the same.

Show You’re Human

No matter how indignant and defiant your children are at any moment, you’re still their hero and their model for the future. This can make you want to hide your past mistakes for fear that they’ll be enticed to repeat them. The opposite is true. When you don’t show any vulnerability, your children develop intense guilt about every failure because they believe that they’re the only ones to make such terrible mistakes.

To develop as leaders, children need to know that the people they look up to aren’t infallible. Leaders must be able to process their mistakes, learn from them, and move forward to be better people. Children can’t do this when they’re overcome by guilt. They need someone—a real, vulnerable person—to teach them how to process mistakes and to learn from them. When you show them how you’ve done this in the past, you’re doing just that.

** Credit to Travis Bradberry with www.forbes.com **

http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2015/08/11/8-powerful-ways-to-mold-your-children-into-leaders/2/

家裡的小朋友長大得真快！相信你家也有不少只是稍微用過、甚至全新的圖書和衣服吧。Global Chinese Lions Clubs 正在收集新的兒童圖書和衣服，送到社區圖書館和兒童庇護中心，給有需要的小朋友。活動分三個週末在三個不同地點設立收集站，方便住在不同地區的家庭。

既能清理家中舊物，又能讓小朋友培養循環再用和愛惜物品的精神，每位參加的小朋友更可獲得在 Magical Playgrounds 免費玩樂的優惠！這麼有意義的活動，大家別錯過喔！

Round 1: (Whitter Location)

• Date: Sunday, August 30, 2015; 3pm-5pm
• Address: 7013 Greenleaf Avenue, Whittier, CA

Round 2: (West Covina Location)

• Date: Friday, September 4, 2015; 6pm-8pm
• Address: 1208 W Francisquito Ave., Unit F, West Covina, CA

Round 3: (Pasadena Location)

• Date: Friday, September 11, 2015; 5:30pm-8pm
• Address: 1778 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA

Kids are gradually growing up so fast at home! Do you have a little used or even new childrens’ books/clothing at home? 

Global Chinese Lions Clubs is collecting new or slightly used children's books/clothing in three different locations to be donated to local public libraries and children's shelters. Please bring children's books and clothing to Magical Playgrounds on the following dates and times. This event not only can donate some clothing or books to someone who needs them, but also parents can cultivate the kids the spirit of recycled items. Each child will also be eligible to participate in the free play of Magical Playgrounds! So don't miss this meaningful and cherishable moments!

Round 1: (Whitter Location)

• Date: Sunday, August 30, 2015; 3pm-5pm
• Address: 7013 Greenleaf Avenue, Whittier, CA

Round 2: (West Covina Location)

• Date: Friday, September 4, 2015; 6pm-8pm
• Address: 1208 W Francisquito Ave., Unit F, West Covina, CA

Round 3: (Pasadena Location)

• Date: Friday, September 11, 2015; 5:30pm-8pm
• Address: 1778 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA

Nay Nay Kirby, Age 13

I took an awesome tour of the PBS SoCal studio in Costa Mesa California on Wednesday, August 19th, 2015 with my fellow junior journalists from La JaJa Kids. When I first arrived, we parked in the parking garage, grabbed my notebook and pencil, then headed to the beautiful and tall, PBS Socal building....READ MORE>

Kyran Lin, Age 8

We took a tour at PBS studio. Ms. Alison and Christine were show us around. The first room we went was the control room. The second room is the makeup room and the waiting room. The waiting room is a place where people or actors wait for their turn. The makeup room is a place the actors and people to put the make up on so they could look good on TV. The next room is the sound control room...READ MORE>>

Ryan Lin, Age 11

         Since I was little I loved Curious George and Sesame Street. This is a great opportunity for me to visit the PBS SoCal station at Costa Mesa California. PBS SoCal is a public station where people could go tour and volunteer.  They are a Non-profit organization.There are about 65 people work at the station. They make interview only in small cities. Our tour guides were Ms. Alison Dorff and Ms. Christine Z... READ MORE>>

Anthony Zhang, Age 8

On August 19, 2015, I visited PBS SoCal studio Located at Costa Mesa as a junior journalist of LajajaKids. At about 2:30 pm, I arrived at the parking lot. Then I arrived at the front Entrance. Then when the host arrived, I went inside and saw Elmo in the waiting room...READ MORE>>

Isabel Lau, Age 10

On Wednesday, August 19, 2015 I went to PBS SoCal  studio tour. It was located at 3080 Bristol st.  Costa Mesa, CA 92626, The building was huge! In front of the building were a couple of fountains. Overall, the scenery was very appealing. When we went inside, we turned right. We met up with our tour guides named Christine and Allison...READ MORE>>

Karen Shi, Age 10

Visiting Annenberg Community Beach House

On a mild August 29, 2015, three La Jaja Kids junior journalists--Isabel; Ryan; and I, Karen-- went to the the city of Santa Monica to interview a few participants of this year’s annual cardboard yacht regatta, which was held next to the Annenberg Community Beach House.

  Before interviewing, we reviewed the history of the beach house. Do you know that actress Marion Davies once lived in the Annenberg Beach House mansion? The whole building is now available for tours from June to September, if you are interested. After a few more minutes of reviewing instructions and slating for the camera, we were off to interview!

We had to choose a yacht that looked interesting or creative, then ask the owners if it’s all right to ask them a couple of questions. I had to do two groups (and another by accident), and thankfully they all accepted. I learned from my first team, The Rowers, that they designed their yacht in the theme of Pikachu from the Pokemon series because it is a favorite character of their son. This team’s name is The Rowers because the son thought that it would help them to row to the finish line faster. How interesting! My second team had named their group name and designed the boat after their mother’s work place, which happens to be the dentistry. Two little girls were decorating the yacht with drawings and stickers. It was really cute! The last team’s name was so complicated that it was really hard for me to pronounce. Awacte...something. They designed their boat after an octopus, explaining why their yacht has eight tentacles sticking out of the side.

Wishing the teams good luck, the other journalists and I went to vote with our voting tickets (They said: Most likely to sink, best use of theme, favorite yacht, and most spirited) and joined together to watch the final competition. In the racing process, I discovered that most of the ugliest (no offense to their designers) were the sturdiest and won their races. I’m happy that The Rowers won in their race.

I had to leave early so I missed out on the rest of race. I wonder who came out with the fastest time overall, but I was still happy to participate in such an amazing event. This activity, as I see, has helped improving bonds between family while building their yachts; and determination, because even when some teams fall into the water, they get back on or drag their boat across the finish line. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to view an event like this again soon.

PBS SoCal Studio Tour 

On a sunny August 19, 2015, I went to the PBS SoCal production building, located in Costa Mesa, California along with other Junior Journalists. Two members of the crew in PBs gave us a tour of the main production rooms in their building.

During the tour, we went to a room with many different lights on the ceiling. That way, people can adjust the right brightness in a film. On the other side of the room, there is a green screen. A green screen will help an editor change the background before airing.

We also visited the dressing room. Its purpose is to customize the actors and actresses so they will look their best on television. To help see the makeup more clearly, the vanity includes very bright LED lights. Connected to the dressing room is a miniature lounge for people to relax in between filming. A television set is installed in the lounge to show actors and actresses how they did.

Next, the tour guide led us to an editing room, where editors make sure the time settings are perfect. They must check that advertisements follow immediately after the cut, so there will be no blank space in between. Our next destination was the sound room. In this soundproof room, sound will be adjusted. In some certain periods in a show, sound will get louder or softer. If whoever is acting fails to lower or raise his or her voice, or if they cannot get it to be perfection, the controls in the sound room will deal to that. Wow, making a show is harder than I expected!

Personally, I think that being able to visit PBS was a fun and… learning experience! This tour has taught me a lot about PBS. I hope that it will continue the good work!

PBS SoCaL Studio Tour

I went on a tour of the first floor of the PBS SoCal Studio in Costa Mesa with a group of Lajajakids junior journalists on Wednesday, August 19th. I had a fun day at PBS SoCal. It was really fun and awesome. 

Christine and Alison are very friendly people who gave us the tour.  Alison is an education associate and Christine is a community engagement person for PBS SoCal.  A few of the rooms we saw were the sound room, the production control room, the actual production studio floor room, the makeup room and the green waiting room. In the lobby there are TV screens that shows the current shows that are airing on TV . Of all the rooms my favorite room is the production studio floor room, because it is where the actual filming take place. 

I learned that PBS SoCal was started at Golden West Community College. A few other things I learned is that an audio engineer works in the sound room, Ready Jet Go is a show that will be coming soon, and it can take a few weeks just to make a 7 minute show. I also learned that PBS SoCal has about 65 employees and the equipment cost a lot of money. PBS SoCal is a nonprofit organization and get their support through grants and viewer pledges. Two of my favorite shows on PBS SoCal are Curious George and Dinosaur Train, because I watched them when I was younger. 

I would like to say thank you to PBS SoCal for giving us the studio tour. The public can tour the studio by calling PBS SoCal. The people who work there are really nice and I recommend everyone to see the studio live to experience fun.  Thank you again to Lajajakids.com for the opportunity for a great experience. 

PBS SoCal Studio Tour

Hi! I’m Angeline. I’m a junior journalist for La JaJa Kids. A place where children can do many exciting and interesting things. I like to do many things such as sports, most typically basketball, I also like to sing, dance, play piano and violin. I have many other hobbies, but now is PBS time!

         PBS SoCal and PBS Kids are two different channels. PBS Kids are shows for kids obviously. They teach youth developing children education. Learning their ABC’s, their 1 2 3’s, nature, history, and covering  most of the subjects in elementary school. PBS SoCal is more for adults. They talk about arts, media, education, life, nature, and so much more you can’t even list.

         On August 19, 2015, I went to Costa Mesa, CA PBS SoCal to have a inside look of TV magic. The secrets in their wonderful and entertaining shows. PBS SoCal employees works together in the same building of course. But the sections where we went was only the first floor. We still got to get a close look at the technology that is used over there. First is the inside lobby lounge. A cardboard Elmo greets you in the room. They have two TV’s inside to show the channel on PBS Kids and PBS SoCal. Then you walk into a hallway with a cookie monster at the end of the corridor. On you right is a room with all these hi-tec electronic panels. There are three seats. Can you guess which three people sit in those three chairs? Those three people are the most important people on the set. The director, the producer, and the executive producer. On the screen there are a few boxes where are labeled on the bottom which tells you which camera and spot it is at.

         Next to the screening room is the sound room. The room is really small so the sound inside stays inside nice and loud. There are sound sponges so it sucks up the sound from the outside. When they are airing the show they must not talk because any sound could erupt the noise in the show. There are special types of windows in the room. They are soundproof windows so no sound can come in. There are also electrical panels in the room to set different volumes in the mics and speakers.

Next to the sound room is the make-up room and “green” room. The green is actually brown. You see it was green in 1948. They kept it that name as probably a tradition. The room is now used for a waiting area if it is not your turn on set, also used for a lounge where you could sit and talk. Attached to it, is the make-up area. You do all your make-up and touch ups in that room. They have a air vacuum so that it is easy to clean up the powder without smearing it. They have special lights so that they can see what they actors/actresses look like when they are on stage/set. Everyone has to wear light make-up even if they are a guy or a girl. It’s to smoothen out our skin feature on the camera.

Last, is the set area for PBS SoCal. They have really big cameras that look heavy and hard to move but they actually have a type of gas called, nitrogen to make it easier for them to maneuver the camera. Nitrogen is a gas with a chemical element with the lightest pnictogen and at room temperature. If the actor or actress forgets there line they are in luck. The camera has a special type of glass panel on it that can show words. It is called transcription. It is a projector on the bottom of the piece of glass that is angled to show the actor or actress the words on the camera so when they read it they are looking directly at the camera. Then on the right of the area is where they do the part of “Viewers like YOU!” They take calls and go online to see if anyone would like to join the PBS “Family”. By what I mean is to donate some money to PBS. Many viewers call so much that PBS needs more equipment to accommodate the requests from the viewers.

This tour was a great experience and I wish that I could see more of their fascinating work. After all PBS is a great t.v channel for kids and adults. Their main goal, is not to make more money, but there main purpose is to pass along education to the world.

Cardboard Boat Regatta at Annenberg Community Beach House

On August 29, 2015 we went to the Annenberg Community Beach House for a very special event. The 4th Annual Cardboard Yacht Regatta! It was at 415 Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica. It lasted from 6:30 p.m. -9:30 p.m. The event was held in the pool.

     The regatta is a boat race where a team of two build a boat made with duct tape, cardboard, and glue. It is a fun event that brings family and friends together. The winner of each race gets a medal. But, all the participants get a souvenir. Registration is $15. There were three categories. The adult/adult, adult/child, and child/child.

     There was one boat that caught my eye. I just had to interview the designer of Party Boat which is the name of their team. The boat had a disco ball in the front. It was decorated with a lot of confetti and old party supplies. For some reason, it made me think of the 70's. I think a more suitable team name would be Boatie Night. Like the song Boogie Night. As it turned out, they won by a landslide. The other boats however, just sank to the bottom. 

     This was a fun event. I had a blast. I'm going to come again next year.

PBS Studio Tour

        On Wednesday, August 19, 2015 I went to PBS SoCal  studio tour. It was located at 3080 Bristol st.  Costa Mesa, CA 92626, The building was huge! In front of the building were a couple of fountains. Overall, the scenery was very appealing. When we went inside, we turned right. We met up with our tour guides named Christine and Allison.

        We were in the lobby. There was a desk on the left  and some green sofas on the right. There was a cardboard statue of Elmo. I found out that PBS stands for Public Broadcasting Service. Next, we went into the video sound check room. There was a huge control panel. Turns out you have to go to a tech school to learn how to work the control panel. That must be a lot of work! There are also three clocks in the room. One shows how long you've been filming. Another one shows what time it is. The last one shows how much longer you have to film.

        After that, we went into the sound effect room. There were a lot of buttons on the tables. I also learned that usually one person controls the sound effects, but if they need help, then it's two people. Someone also noticed that the windows were made out of clear glass. It's built to provide people inside each room to see each other. If you need to talk to someone you can contact them visually.

        We went into the makeup room. The light around the mirror were blinding . Reason being that filming is done in HD and actors are able to put makeup in very details that makes them look good on camera. 

        Our last stop is the studio. It was a very spacious room. It contained two couches and a lot of enormous cameras on the side which is use for interviewing celebrities and famous people. Christine asked us to look up and we saw about two hundred lights up in the ceiling. We also saw a lot of computers and headphones. Behind that, we saw a green screen! It's used to slip in backgrounds in action movies.

        Overall, this was a very fun and educational experience. Our 2 tour guides did a exceptional job despite they're only been working at PBS for a few months.  I'm sure the will pass probation with flying colors.  I enjoyed this tour very much.

PBS SoCaL Studio Tour

At PBS SoCal, we met our tour guides. Their names were Kristine and Allison. They showed the whole entire 1st floor to us. Did you know that the green room inside PBS SoCal actually has a Dressing Room and Makeup table? We then got to tour the actual studio where they shoot 2 of their adult shows! Did you also know that the cameras have glass panes that are on the cameras have the lines on them so the actors or actresses know what to say while they are still looking at camera?! There are hundreds of lights in the studio,just to have the actors or actresses be seen by the camera. At PBS SoCal, only 65 people work there. That is medium sized compared to other businesses.

I think the most interesting part of the tour was at the end, in the studio. I learned a lot about the equipment that they use to film and I also learned a lot about PBS SoCal itself because we asked our prepared questions. I learned about things like those facts above, and I also learned things like how the building is 6 stories tall, or that our tour guides are very new to PBS SoCal, or how PBS SoCal has just moved to Orange County from Costa Mesa! I learned a lot from this.  

I had a really good time at Orange County at PBS SoCal. It was really fun getting to see all the computers and buttons and all the things that they use to make all of the cool shows that you see on TV. I enjoy watching PBS Kids a lot, so it was a very special treat to go to PBS SoCal and take a tour there.I was very interesting and I hope to have an experience like that again. 

PBS SoCal studio tour

On August 19, 2015, I visited PBS SoCal studio Located at Costa Mesa as a junior journalist of LajajaKids. At about 2:30 pm, I arrived at the parking lot. Then I arrived at the front Entrance. Then when the host arrived, I went inside and saw Elmo in the waiting room. First I visited the editing room. Then the group went to the sound office room. When we arrived at the Green room is about making up and looking like the actual person character. And we finally arrived at the show room.The Show room looked like a small studio with a lot of stuff. In my opinion, I thought the most interesting thing was the show room because it had the most gadgets. Through the tour I learnt it took 1-2years to make a cartoon movie. 

Cardboard Yacht Regatta by Ryan Lin

We were at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica Beach for the Cardboard Yacht Regatta last weekend . Only cardboard, duct tape and yellow wood glue can be used for the support structure of the yacht. This beach house is about 5 acres and was a mansion.  They sold the property and made it a museum .

We saw many awesome yachts like Pikachu, Jurassic park Jeep, a rubber ducky, and many other cool yacht. I interviewed people and asked them about their yachts. I like the Jurassic Park Jeep. Their yacht was like the jeep in Jurassic Park with cool dinosaur on it. I asked them a few questions and one of questions were "what inspired them to make this yacht?" “Well, my child inspired me because he loves the Jurassic World, so we decide to make it” answered the owner. We saw many of the yachts not succeed, most of the problems were like water went in, the yachts overturn in the water and etc. But there were still a lots of yachts had finished the race.

My brother and I decided to be in the Regatta next year. We might name ours the "Atomic Bomber". What a great event! This is the activity the whole family will enjoy. It inspire me and my brother to enter the race next year, we already have many cool ideas for our yacht.

PBS SoCal Studio Tour

         Since I was little I loved Curious George and Sesame Street. This is a great opportunity for me to visit the PBS SoCal station at Costa Mesa California. PBS SoCal is a public station where people could go tour and volunteer.  They are a Non-profit organization.There are about 65 people work at the station. They make interview only in small cities. Our tour guides were Ms. Alison Dorff and Ms. Christine Z.

         First, we are headed inside. The first room is the control center. This is the room that they send all the shows to your TV. They have three clocks. The first clock is the satellite, the second is the time right now, and the last one is how long is the film. There are three chairs. Each chair holds an important role like the first chair is the color, seconded director, and last the volume. Next room is the sound room. The control panels that you can move up and down to adjust the volume. There are also sound proof was so the person who is sitting inside to concentrate. Next is the makeup room. This is the place where the actors need makeup, even a boy! They have LED lights so when they go on air they can look exactly what did for makeup. They want the best quality. They have a green room for resting but the room is not green. Then the broadcasting room. The equipment cost lots of money. But what is cool about the cameras are that it looks heavy and they use nitrogen for their camera and they have so much light that they can light up a Lady GaGa concert. Behind all of his stuff there is a green screen where they film with the background because they can't go there. Alison said that all the lights in here could light up a concert. You could be a volunteer to be sitting and watching the show.

Ms. Alison told us that there will be a show called "Ready, Jet, Go". This show is about an alien from space and he came down to earth living a normal life. It is coming this winter. I am really excited about the show! Being a Junior journalism is cool because we get to learn about PBS SoCal and the things I never know.

We took a tour at PBS studio. Ms. Alison and Christine were show us around. The first room we went was the control room. The second room is the makeup room and the waiting room. The waiting room is a place where people or actors wait for their turn. The makeup room is a place the actors and people to put the make up on so they could look good on TV. The next room is the sound control room. They have soundproof walls. They could control the sound from the film. The last room is called the production room with expensive cameras and lights that could light up a concert. There is an "ON AIR" that warn people when the show is filming. There is a new show coming up called Ready, jet,go. It's about an alien coming to earth and living a normal life like people. I'm looking forward to watch it in the winter. I like the PBS tour because I learned a lot of stuff that I didn't know about TV station.

PBS SoCal studio tour

I took an awesome tour of the PBS SoCal studio in Costa Mesa California on Wednesday, August 19th, 2015 with my fellow junior journalists from La JaJa Kids. When I first arrived, we parked in the parking garage, grabbed my notebook and pencil, then headed to the beautiful and tall, PBS Socal building.  Once inside, our tour guides showed us around on the 1st floor. The studio and set, the type of equipment they use to film with (lights, cameras), their call center used for fundraising, the control room, as well as the hair and make-up/ lounge area.  We were allowed to take pictures, ask tons of questions, and learn as much about PBS Kids/ PBS SoCal as possible. Big thank you to PBS SoCal, and everyone at La JaJa Kids for the amazing opportunity.

讓孩子從小培養良好的閱讀習慣是一個循序漸進的過程，你知道孩子在不同時期的不同表現會有很多線索可尋嗎？有專家指出：媽媽在懷孕的時候，已經對寶寶日後的閱讀能力有很大的影響。其實孩子從未出生到進小學是一個關鍵時期，寶寶的一舉一動都會告訴你他們閱讀能力的發展程度。如果你的孩子還小，這些里程碑可能會讓你更有針對性地去培養孩子的閱讀能力哦

---

Ever wondered what goes on between conception and your child begging to go to the library/ bookstore/rack up serious dollars on your Kindle? Here’s how it all unfolds.

1. Their pre-reading development starts in the womb

媽媽在懷孕期間會多和寶寶說話和唱歌，更有效增強寶寶大腦讀寫能力發展

At 25 weeks gestation – before your baby even gums their first book into submission, the part of the brain that deals with sound (the auditory cortex), starts to develop. Lyn Stone, founder of Lifelong Literacy says everything from lullabies, speaking in a sing-song voice through to baby talk, all contribute to auditory development, which is phase one of literacy (and therefore, reading) skills development.

2. They learn what different tones mean

孩子很快能辨認不同語氣或聲調代表的意思

The ability to tell sounds apart from one another; starting with voice tone (for example, knowing when a parent is happy or cross, or differentiating a range of words) is an important reading milestone. Lyn says when they hit the age this ability can be formally tested, it has proven to be a great predictor of future literacy success.

3. They gum their books into submission

孩子在6個月的時候很喜歡拿起書本玩啥

Where there is a six month old, there is a string of discarded books with teeth marks and drool all over the covers.

4. They get all grabby when the books come out

孩子在1歲至1歲半期間，對書本里的物品產生濃厚興趣

Lyn says at around 12-18 months, many children can show genuine interest in books, especially those containing familiar objects. “They’ll begin pointing at and naming various objects, and making the sounds the objects in the book would make.” Of course, most of us have also experienced our child pointing to a giraffe and making a lion’s roar noise.

5. You find them holding their own books and ‘reading’ them

你會發現孩子時常拿著書本在認真“閱讀” 即使他們還看不懂

One of my most treasured family photos is my eldest son at six months of age, reading a book with a very serious expression on his face. We were certain we had a prodigy on our hands until we noticed the book was upside down.

6. They get a favorite book

孩子擁有自己最愛的書本，甚至能倒背如流

This is the book they (and you) can recite without even having to turn the pages, and the one you develop a nervous twitch about seeing at story time – knowing you’ll be reading those same pages for the 500th time.

7. They bust you skipping pages

如果你在講故事的時候漏掉了哪一頁，孩子能馬上發現

When they are babies, you can get away with craftily skipping the odd page when you’re just not feeling it at story time. Then one day you’re trying to steam through, and they pipe up with an outraged, “HEY, YOU MISSED A PAGE”. While the first few slips can be covered up with a “oh, the pages must have gotten stuck together, whoopsy,” be warned: your page skipping days are numbered.

8. Bedtime is book time

睡前閱讀時間很重要

Though you may have been reading to them since birth (highly recommended to encourage a love of reading), around six months of age, stories at bed time become non-negotiable. You want them to go to sleep? Make with the story.

9. Your walls are no longer safe

孩子喜歡在牆上寫寫畫畫

If you’ve ever found yourself searching in vain for the silver lining to your child’s delightful ‘wall art’, a.k.a scribble, here it is: it’s a literacy milestone. Yup, Lyn says at around the 12-18 month stage, your toddler will start scribbling, which is a foundation for turning speech into print.

10. They start to twig the main thrust of a story comes from words and not pictures

孩子不再只愛看圖畫，開始從文字理解故事內容

Between the ages of two and four years, Lyn says children begin to realise that words, rather than pictures, carry the meaning of a story. From here, they’ll start to pick out familiar letters and their corresponding sounds.

“This is the beginning of a wonderful phenomenon called ‘the Alphabetic Principle’ – a realisation that speech can be turned into print and that print can be turned into speech.” She says once this principle lands, a child’s appetite for reading and writing becomes a mission.

11. Your child’s appetite for reading and writing becomes a mission

孩子喜歡閱讀和寫作的慾望讓他們經常逛圖書館，書店

You will know when this milestone hits. You will be constantly begged for trips to the library, bookstore, or any other place that stocks the written word (op shops are fabulous for this stage.)

12. What they are starting to learn through school translates into advanced reading skills

孩子在4至6歲開始，通過學校的學習不斷提高讀寫能力

From four to six years of age, Lyn says children typically begin to recognise the sounds and symbols of written language. As they practice blending and segmenting units of sound in the words they are reading and writing (with lots of practice and quality phonics instruction), Lyn says most will begin to read and write at higher and higher levels, though she notes there is often a wide variation between children’s skills levels at this time.

13. Your child has been quiet in their room for half an hour, and when you find them, you discover them engrossed in a good book

你會發現孩子獨自在房間閱讀好書

And when they see you, they briefly look up, clearly still half in another world, before returning their attention to the pages.

14. They enthusiastically share the plot line of the novel they’re reading

And talk about the characters like they are real people.

孩子會很熱衷與你分享書中的情節和人物

15. You find yourselves lying side-by-side, each reading your own books

與孩子彼此分享自己喜愛的書本

Any adult bookworm that has enjoyed an hour or two next to their happily reading offspring can tell you: there is no joy quite like sharing your love of books with your kids.

Credit to kidspot.com.au

Read full article:

http://www.kidspot.com.au/the-15-most-important-reading-milestones/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=editorial

你的小朋友喜歡創意繪圖嗎？現在的小朋友經常花大部分時間玩電子遊戲，做課外活動，但卻忽略了家庭親子的活動喔！不管你的小朋友是三歲或是十五歲，你都可以跟他們玩這個鉛筆繪圖遊戲。只需要寫一個數字在一張紙上面，然後就可以開始畫了啦！點擊"Read More"還有更多的數字動物設計，你和你小朋友可以跟著畫或者畫些創意配搭喔！還在等什麼？趕快畫畫看吧！

Do your kids love drawing? Here’s a Kids Friendly Drawing with Numbers As A Base! No matter your kids are in three years old or 15 years old, all of you can give a try and see if you could create some cute animals with numbers as a base! Kids nowadays spend so much time on video games and school’s extra curricular activities. However, they might have forgotten some family time during the weekends. You may help the little ones to learn writing numbers by this creative way or simply just have fun and have some drawings with your kids at home by using a piece of paper and some color pencils! Simple is always good and memorable. Treasure these family fun opportunities, try drawing and create a memorable moments for you and your family.

https://www.facebook.com/Stylisheve?fref=ts

Photo Credit By PBS SoCaL

我們的丫丫小記者計劃有了一個新的發展囉！

丫丫園地之前在暑假招募丫丫小記者，經過大家的努力和支持，我們終於有新的丫丫小記者啦！下星期三，他們將會到南加州公立電視台進行一個攝影棚之旅。他們會現場分享攝影棚之旅的去後感想跟為什麼想去做一個小記者。我們都想小朋友長大會成材，這是一個可以給他們看看外面世界，有一點跟專業人士溝通的經驗，又可以認識一下新朋友的難得機會！

We were recruiting Junior Journalists for La JaJa Kids this summer and finally we could start our program on August! Our Junior Journalists are going to PBS SoCaL studio tour next Wednesday for the first starting point! They are going to appear at a video introducing them and sharing some of their own experience after they had the tour. Check out our next week’s Enews regarding to the Junior Journalists program!

http://www.pbssocal.org/

We are still Recruiting Junior Journalists! 丫丫小記者還在招募中!

La JaJa Kids provides special training to all our Junior Journalists and invite them to attend various media events!  If you are still doubt about what you should do this summer, you should try to be a little reporter this summer and gain unbeatable experience.  Apply today! 

我們現正招募丫丫小記者！

你想成為其中之一嗎？La JaJa Kids提供專門的丫丫小記者培訓，並邀請他們參加各種媒體活動！如果你還在猶疑暑假該提供孩子什麼有意義的活動，你應該今年嘗試讓你的孩子打破常規，參加丫丫小記者活動，讓孩子參與大型媒體活動、採訪社區專業人士、甚至與好萊塢名人見面，更可以培養自信和溝通技巧…別錯過這個難得機會，立即報名！

（圖片來源：BBC 官網截圖）

很多人認為我們這一代的孩子比以前幸運，因為父母更有能力能夠給孩子們最好的教育。小朋友有多一些機會可以到海外學習，有些更可以移民到美國生活。可是有時候當文化有差異的時候，我們又可以怎樣面對呢？英國BBC記錄片有一連四個星期的整個中式教學實驗。上星期的第一集提到，因為英國學生的數學和科學的水平遠比中國學生差，因此校長決定讓英國學生嘗試一下中式教學。中國老師嘗試在課堂上用中式的嚴格教學去運用於英國學生上，最初沒太大的問題，但到後來卻出現混亂。第二集更進入了很緊張的局面。快來看看第二集發生了什麼...！

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmBpxNotv-E

如果你還沒看第一集，你可以點擊這裡回看！

第二集提到隨著英國學生對整個紀律嚴荷的中式教學實驗不斷反對，孩子們更開始反叛，紀律也很惡劣。英國學生的學習行為在中國學校變得更糟，中國教師奮力完成課程，為學生作出最大努力，可惜英國學生卻變本加厲，有些什至離開課堂，最後五位中國老師崩潰。英國校長決定進行干預，但事情卻沒有太大好轉。最後，五位中國老師們決定跟學生的家長們見面，希望得到家長的支持，並希望他們鼓勵學生用功讀書。丫丫們希望第三集會發生不一樣的局面喔！你呢？記得留意下一期的發展！

According to BBC Documentary:

As the project continues, the kids rebel against the harsh regime of long days and strict discipline. Behaviour in the Chinese School gets worse, with the CHinese teachers struggling to deliver their lessons. Word gets back to the British headmaster and he decides it's time to intervene.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06565zm

你還待在家中小小的浴江裡消暑嗎？暑假快要到尾聲，你當然是要抓著夏日的尾巴，跟朋友和家人們到丫丫推介的水上樂園清涼又舒服的玩水去！又可消暑，又可一家大小去玩個痛快，放鬆一下，增進一下彼此的感情！雖然有些只設有喷水池，但也能夠成為你們一家的親子活動!

 

---

Raging Waters

WHERE: 111 Raging Waters Dr, San Dimas, CA 91773

COST: Operating hours are subject to change.

WEBSITE: https://www.ragingwaters.com/

聖迪馬斯的水上樂園，Raging Waters，是南加最大而又適合各個年齡層玩的水上遊樂園。內裡有50個風景優美的水上滑道，能滿足每個家庭成員的樂趣，玩個痛快！有極端高的滑梯，人工海浪沙灘和黑洞滑梯，保証令你樂而忘返！

---

Stoner Park Pool

WHERE: 1835 Stoner Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90025

COST: FREE

WEBSITE: http://www.laparks.org/dos/aquatic/facility/stonerParkPool.htm

---

Sigler Park Splash Pad

WHERE: 7200 Plaza St, Westminster, CA 92683

WHEN: Weekends: May 23 - Sept. 27th from 12 Noon - 5pm; Daily: June 22nd - Sept. 7th from 12 Noon -5pm (weather permitting)

WEBSITE: http://www.westminster-ca.gov/depts/cs/parks_n_facilities

Universal Studio Super Silly Fun Land

Boomers Buccaneer Cove

WHERE: 3405 Michelson Drive, Irvine, CA 92612

WEBSITE: http://www.boomersparks.com/irvine/

Splash Zone

【精彩活動推介】自油自在繪畫義賣同樂日

暑假有很多各式各類的親子活動，有學習類的，好玩的，慈善類的，由“自油自在”與“活現”合辦的“自油自在繪畫義賣同樂日”,就是一個可以讓你學習畫畫，又好玩，又可以幫助到別人的慈善油畫活動。

不用擔心自己沒有繪畫經驗，導師會循序漸進，以簡單易學的方法教授。完成後您可能發現自己的繪畫天份給埋沒了!

當天還有50款手做精品和藝品義賣，不參加繪畫班也歡迎來選購，以支持活現的事工。

Rainbow Canvas Fun Painting and Fundraising Event

Not knowing how to paint? Don’t worry! Instructors will show you step by step gradually. Upon completion, you may find your painting talents uncovered!

Or you can just come and support without painting, there are over 50 hand-made gift items for you to choose from, all proceeds will be donated to Presence for training in the community. 

=========================================

Time: 8/22/2015 (Sat) at 1:30PM

Location: Presence office, 17181 E. Gale Ave, Unit C. City of Industry, CA 91745

Welcome:

-       

    Adults/成人

-      

    Couples and friends /伴侶/夫婦/好朋友

-        Families with kids ages 7-17 /父母與孩子(年齡7-17)的家庭參加

學費：$ 35 /成人 $ 25 /小孩

將供應繪圖材料

茶點招待

三人的家庭將獲贈一個精緻的手工木製藝品, 四人以上的家庭將獲贈一個連框的手繪品。

中英文授課

Tuition Fee: $35/adult, $25/kid

Material will be provided (Taught in English & Chinese)

Refreshment

For a family of 3 you will receive a handmade wooden art gift; for a family of 4 you’ll receive a framed picture artwork.

小孩 & 家長 : 迷你兵團

成人: 湖光山色

伴侶/夫婦/好朋友: 各自完成油畫並合併成一幅圖片作品。

請踴躍報名參與以支持活現的家庭事工

RSVP：www.rainbowcanvasla.com/#!upcoming/c4z

Strategy games are ideal for helping kids develop logico-mathematical skills that emphasize problem solving and strategic planning. Given the challenging nature of play involved in these games which is based entirely on the decisions and moves players make, strategy games can also enhance  kids’ autonomous decision making skills and skillful thinking. If you are looking for some good educational strategy games to share with your kids, the resources below are great places to start with:

1- Great Games that Teach Strategy

This list curated by Common Sense Media features some excellent apps and games that can bolster kids critical thinking and problem solving. All of these games are categorized according to the age group they target.


2- Strategy Games for developing logical thinking

This resource from NRICH features some very good strategy games accompanied  with lessons and tips on how to use them with your kids and students.

3- Strategy Games from Cool Math Games

Here is another great collection of strategy games for students. These strategy games take some serious planning, thinking and figuring.

4- Giftedkids' strategy games list

Gifted Kids has this compilation of great third party strategy games for kids.


5- Strategy Game Apps from App Crawlr

Here is another excellent compilation of some of the popular strategy games out there.

** Credit to www.educatorstehcnology.com **

Original Article 原文請按此: http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2015/07/excellent-strategy-games-to-teach-kids-logical-thinking.html

紫外光對皮膚的影響
首先，大家要了解紫外光對身體有何影響。它除了會使皮膚變黑及出現雀斑外，亦會使皮膚變得粗糙、失去彈性、出現皺紋及增加患上皮膚癌的機會。另外，它亦使眼睛造成傷害，形成多種眼疾，包括白內障及黃斑退化等。紫外光不單是由太陽放射出來，亦可以透過光管、螢光幕、投射屏幕放射出來，可說是無處不在。雖然如此，大家可以塗防曬產品、帶帽及太陽眼鏡遮擋紫外光。當然，大家亦可以從飲食方面著手防禦紫外光：

胡蘿蔔素
胡蘿蔔素是一種天然植物色素，保護植物受猛烈陽光侵害。除了在植物發揮作用外，胡蘿蔔素在人體上同樣是抵禦紫外光的好幫手。胡蘿蔔素有很多種，常見的包括ß-胡蘿蔔素、α-胡蘿蔔素、番茄紅素及葉黃素等。有一項硏究顯示食用番茄紅素含量高，能有助減少日光曬後紅斑的出現。而科學家亦相信其他胡蘿蔔素也有類同作用。故大家可多食用紅蘿蔔、黃色及深綠色的蔬菜、雞蛋及黃色水果等。

維他命C及E

紫外光會增加皮膚的自由基，而維他命C及E是抗氧化的營養素，有效去除自由基，防禦紫外光的傷害。硏究發現同時服用兩種營養素比服用單一營養素更有效，因維他命C使能循環維他命E，發揮相得益彰的功效，是抵抗紫外光的最佳拍擋。水果及蔬菜含有豐富的維他命C，而雞蛋、魚類、植物油及果仁則含有豐富的維他命E。

綠茶
綠茶含有豐富的抗氧化多酚，其中一種是EGCG，它有助遏止癌細胞生長及有抗炎的功效。有研究指出，即使被猛烈陽光照射，綠茶亦可令導致皮膚鬆弛和粗糙的過氧化物減少。故喜歡喝茶的人士，可選擇綠茶。

低脂飲食
有硏究發現進食高脂肪的食物會增加皮膚對紫外光的傷害的敏感性。一項進行兩年的硏究，將患有日光性角化病nonmelanoma skin cancer(皮膚癌前皮膚病變)的患者分兩組接受不同的飲食模式，一組進行低脂肪飲食，限制脂肪攝取的熱量佔全日總熱量20%以下，另一組則沒有限制。結果顯示限制脂肪攝取的一組比沒有限制的一組的新累積的皮膚病變細胞少3至4倍。由此可見，低脂飲食既可減肥，又可以保護皮膚，實在是一舉兩得。

最後要提醒大家不要臨到活動前才注意飲食，因硏究顯示飲食的療效需要至少10 個星期才發揮顯著的保護成效。因此，大家事不延遲，盡快建立健康的飲食習慣。

References:
1.Fuchs J, Kern H. 1998. Modulation of UV-light-induced skin inflammation by  D-alpha-tocopherol and L-ascorbic acid: a clinical study using solar simulated radiation. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 25:1006–12
2.Werninghaus K, Meydani M, Bhawan J, Margolis R, Blumberg JB, Gilchrest BA.1994. Evaluation of the photoprotective effect of oral vitamin E supplementation. Arch. Dermatol. 130:1257–61
3.Black HS. 1998. Influence of dietary factors on actinically induced skin cancer. Mutat. Res. 422:185–90
4. Niva Shapira. 2010.Nutritional approach to sun protection: a suggested complement to external strategies. International Life Sciences Institute
5.Helmut Sies andWilhelm Stahl. Nutritional protection against skin damage from sunlight. Annu. Rev. Nutr. 2004. 24:173–200

** Credit to香港中文大學營養研究中心 with www.oeegaboo.com **

Original Article 原文請按此: http://www.peegaboo.com/parenting_wiki/pregnant_mom/postpartum/2015/protection_against_uv

（圖片來源：BBC 官網截圖）

我們經常會為了教下一代而傷腦筋，想盡辦法找最好的給予我們的子女，可是有時往往弄巧反拙。每個國家都有不同的教育制度，更有不同的優點和缺點，要作出一個平衡是一樣很困難的事。今年春天，在英國的其中一所學校裡發生了一件趣事，五個中國老師去到英國親身用中式教育英國學生。老師和同學有什麼體驗？跟著丫丫來看看英國學生如何應付中式教育吧！

（圖片來源：BBC 官網截圖）

第一集提到因為英國學生的數學和科學的水平遠比中國學生差，因此校長決定讓英國學生嘗試一下中式教學。中國老師嘗試在課堂上用中式的嚴格教學去運用於英國學生上，最初沒太大的問題，但到後來卻出現混亂。因為英國學生一向用小班教學，因應不同人的需要去做不同程度的作業。但中式教學不一樣，每一天都要趕上進度，不能浪費一分一秒。因此英國學生愈來愈討厭上課，覺得數學的教學進度太快，跟不上腳步... 雖然英國的校長不太喜歡中式教學，但他唯一喜歡他的學生能夠帶其他學生做早操，不但能維持身體健康，更能夠實踐團隊精神！預告提到五位中國老師將面對嚴重的教學困難，丫丫們很期待下一集會發生什麼事喔！記得留意下一期的發展！

According to BBC:

In a unique experience, five teachers from China take over the education of fifty teenagers in a Hampshire school to see whether the high-ranking Chinese education can teach us a lesson. Click the video above and see what happened to them. 

Original video from http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06565zm

Nowadays, people have become more diverse and they are more willing to accept new knowledge. This video can show the interaction between British and Chinese education system. Different culture has different ideas to educate their next generation. It would be better if we could have a balance by finding the most suitable educational method for each student. 

如果你擁有雙語能力，你可能已經意識到比普通人略勝一籌吧!你絕對可以不經意在咖啡廳用第二種語言跟朋友輕鬆地對話。這張王牌除了可以展示你的才能，還可以擴大你的視野喔!就算長大找工作，在面試的時候，經理也會問你懂什麼語言吧!不過這只是很表面的好處，以下有6大優勢，你一定會蠢蠢欲動去學習多種語言喔!

1. It (literally) pays off to speak more than one language. 你會賺取更多機會

Although the research is limited, there is some evidence that suggests bilingual people may earn more money in their lifetime than non-bilingual people. For example, in 2012, The Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies found that bilingual Latinos in New York City earned $15,000 more annually than NYC Latinos who only spoke English. 

Plus, fluency in another language means that employers can send you abroad or use you to communicate with clients that they might not be able to. You are automatically more versatile, so work it (and while you're at it, check out these 10 jobs where being bilingual is unexpectedly important). 

2. You can travel abroad more easily. 旅行也比較方便

Culture shock is a common side effect of traveling abroad. But it's easier to relax and have fun when you can order off a menu confidently, ask for directions when you're lost, and pick up on cultural references, nuances, jokes, and slang. 

3. And you can also more easily make friends. 容易地認識更多朋友

Speaking multiple languages is a great way to connect with new people, whether abroad or in your home country. It's easier to form lasting relationships with people when you can have full-on conversations with them in their native language instead of having to pantomime everything you're trying to say because you can't understand each other. 

4. It helps you stay connected to your family. 可以成為家裡的專屬翻譯

Being able to pick up a phone or shoot off an email in Spanish or Italian to your grandparents who might not speak English is a small — but meaningful way — to stay in touch with your roots, culture, and heritage. 

5. It's a conversation starter. 更容易找話題

Casually mention that you're bilingual in conversation and the questions will start flowing. "What language do you speak?" "Are you from there?" "How long have you been fluent?" Plus, the ability to speak a second language might even make you more attractive: A (totally scientific) survey done by online language software program Rocket Languages revealed that the no. 1 sexiest language is French, followed by Italian and Spanish. Seventy-nine percent of people think a bilingual person is more attractive, and 77 percent considered a person to be more intelligent. 

6. It keeps your brain sharp. 雙語能令腦部更靈活

A 2013 study published in medical journal Neurology that looked at 684 patients with dementia found that, on average, bilingual patients developed Alzheimer's or dementia 4.5 years later than those who only spoke one language.

And according to a 2012 piece by The New York Times, both languages are constantly active in a bilingual brain, even when you're only using one language at a time. Because of this, your brain is steadily flexing its muscles because it's constantly resolving conflict. Your bilingual brain also has a heightened ability to monitor the environment around it, because it has to know what language to use and when. Just another reason to be proud of your super-powered brain!

** Credit to Veronica Lopez with http://www.cosmopolitan.com/ **

Original Article 原文請按此: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/news/a43469/benefits-of-being-bilingual/

【暑假好文推介】讓孩子在暑假成為家裡的好當家

你有從小培養孩子財政預算的習慣嗎？一個家，茶米油鹽醬醋茶，樣樣都是開支，你的小孩都知道嗎？有專家表示：“ 孩子平常在學校只注重學業，很少有實際技能的培養，不要讓你的孩子成為書呆子, 暑假就是讓孩子學習如何當家的好時機！” 當孩子嘗試去為自己的家籌劃，從日常用品的購買到一日三餐的準備，他們就能體會到父母平時的艱難，這個暑假，讓你的孩子做一回小當家，讓他們不是只懂花錢，還會如何善用錢！

A leading headteacher has said that teenagers should take responsibility for the household budget and chores during the summer holidays Teenagers should take responsibility for the household budget and chores during the summer holidays to teach them the challenges faced by parents, a headmaster has said. Ash Rahman, head of Toot Hill School in Nottinghamshire, believes teenagers are leaving school without essential life skills because schools spend too much time ensuring they perform well in exam league ­tables, instead of equipping students for the world outside the classroom.

Mr Rahman’s comments follow research among 200 secondary school teachers by the National Citizen Service, a youth programmer for 15-17 year olds, which suggested they do not think young people are making the most of their school holidays.

• Public schoolboy who thought he had wasted his private education holds up jewellers 
• Banned staff revealed to be teaching at Trojan horse school

Mr Rahman said: “School holidays offer great potential for teenagers to take on a range of different activities and enterprises. The summer is especially pivotal, giving teenagers the chance to develop different skills to ­enhance their future prospects. To help teens develop a sense of independence and financial responsibility, one especially valuable holiday activity is enabling your son or daughter to manage the family budget for a week — making them responsible for the food shop and planning and cooking dinner for the family.”

He said that by allowing them to the take control of the family’s spending, teenagers from the age of 14 are able to fully “understand the challenges mum and dad face”.

Mr Rahman added: “Parents have to make tough choices: do they buy food? Do they buy clothing? By giving teens the opportunity to manage a budget they can learn about buying foods – sometimes maybe they won’t be so healthy. They have a set amount of money and they have to make sure they spend it on things the rest of the family need.”

His comments echoed concerns from business groups. John Cridland, director general of the CBI, said: “The Government has focused on academic rigour, which is necessary but not sufficient. Employers like academic rigour but they look for character as well.”

Credit to  Javier Espinoza  from telegraph.co.uk from

Read full article/閱讀全文 :

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11763329/Give-teenagers-control-of-household-budget-in-summer-holidays-says-headteacher.html

According to the The San Diego Union Tribune:

The sixth-grader is among 200 kids — most from Spanish-speaking households — who are taking part in a summer reading program offered through the Vista Unified School District.

The program gives students a boost on their reading skills and allows them to test their reading comprehension using the district’s Accelerated Reader software. Some teachers allow tests passed during the summer to be credited to students when the school year begins.

Either way, the program is a win-win because it helps improve family literacy and encourages more reading, organizers say.

The summer reading program is administered at Vista Unified’s Learning Center on North Santa Fe Avenue next to the Vista Academy of Visual & Performing Arts. Program director Mireya Perez said it’s not uncommon for some students to read English books to their parents, and vice versa. The Learning Center is built around families and requires adults to engage, as well as children.

District elementary schools have sent books to help support the program, and some older titles are passed out to students who are allowed to keep them.

Isabella has read about 400,000 words this summer, including several of the “The Magic Tree House” books, which has as its central theme a gaggle of kids who hide in a treehouse to read about books, and then get transported to mystical places that they read about. 

***Credit to Pat Maio with http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/

Original Article 原文請按此:

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/jul/23/summer-reading-program-ignites-young-minds/ 

Summer Reading Program Info: http://www.vistausd.org/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1432541498899

今年夏天，Portraits of Hope舉行了一個24小時的油漆馬拉松！你和你的小朋友有在其中嗎？洛杉磯將再次成為Masseys大規模項目之一的受益者：希望之球。若果你錯過了油漆希望之球的馬拉松。不要緊，開始在8月的第三週和其餘四個星期，洛杉磯市中心MacArthur Park的湖邊將會有7000個用手繪顏色鮮豔花卉和水上設計的希望之球浮起！記得跟你的小朋友去看看囉！ 

由長灘的Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital 的年輕患者到今年世界特殊奧林匹克運動會的運動員，他們都走在一起用雙手去油出希望之球！

小編也有參與在其中喔！它們提供了還沒有填色的希望之球和顏料。

看看這個壯觀的畫面，好多色彩繽紛的希望之球喔！

這個24小時的油漆希望之球的馬拉松成為了不少家庭的親子同樂日喔！

According to Portraits of Hope website:

In mid-August, thousands of spheres will be floating on the MacArthur Park lake in downtown Los Angeles. You could be a part of it! Come paint some spheres!

http://www.portraitsofhope.org/home/

炎炎夏日，想找個免費的地方跟你的小朋友聽聽音樂，玩玩遊戲，放鬆一下心情？那你就要去一下今年Levitt Pavilion Pasadena舉辦的夏日音樂會囉！8月6日當天會有Lythgoe Family Production 和Twinkle Time的兒童節目音樂演出！

我們丫丫園地也會在8月6日到Memorial Park跟小朋友一起做做手工喔！不要錯過！

When: 星期四8月6日，下午5:30開始有遊戲，7:00開始音樂會

Where: Memorial Park, 85 E Holly,Pasadena, California, 91103

Cost: FREE!!

Artist Bio from Levitt Pavilion Pasadena:

Lythgoe Family Productions is the perfect group to introduce your children to theatrical panto. Princesses, Pirates, and everyone in between will keep your child (and you!) entertained and engaged.  Twinkle Time (described as a combination of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and KISS for kids) will join Lythgoe Family Productions onstage for our last children’s show of the season.

http://www.levittpavilionpasadena.org

你和你的小朋友了解殘疾人士嗎？今年的2015年世界特殊奧林匹克運動將在7月25日至8月2日洛杉磯舉行！這是一個好機會讓你和你的家庭成員關係可以變得更加親密，提出運動的重要性，與社區志願者成為好朋友和分享特殊人士的一些故事，讓你的小朋友更可以看到智障人的價值。

通過參加特奧運動，智障人可以增強身體機能，動作技能，自尊，自信，培養友誼以及得到家庭成員的支持。主辦機構希望借此賦予智障人士成為接受和尊重他們的社區，這導致了更多的尊重和包容性的社會的所有成員。

開幕式是週六在洛杉磯Colliseum，預計有50多萬人將會參加這次運動會，包括志願者和觀眾。您可以下載中心的應用程序，到各個場館運行的火炬，現身助威的運動員，來自165個國家。開幕式打折座位仍然可上網訂購，奧運會將在ESPN播出。

當天的名人會有: Stevie Wonder • Avril Lavigne • O.A.R. • Cody Simpson • Nicole Scherzinger • J Balvin & Becky G • Cassadee Pope • Siedah Garrett

About Opening Ceremony (Source from 2015 Special Olympic World Game Web)

The inspiring Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 will take place on Saturday, July 25, 2015 in the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the only venue in the world to host two Olympiads (1932 and 1984), two Super Bowls (I and VII) and one World Series (1959). The star-studded show will celebrate the true stars of the Games - the athletes of Special Olympics - with exciting entertainment, the Parade of Athletes and the culmination of the Final Leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run and lighting of the Special Olympics cauldron. Broadcast internationally by ESPN, fans around the world will be able to participate in this memorable start to the World Games!

Headlining talent includes Stevie Wonder, Avril Lavigne, O.A.R., Cody Simpson, Nicole Scherzinger, J Balvin and 'Reach Up LA' theme song creator Siedah Garrett. The show will be directed by Emmy Award Winner, Debbie Allen and produced by FiveCurrents with appearances by Jimmy Kimmel, Eva Longoria, Lauren Potter, Michael Phelps, Yao Ming, Greg Louganis, Stephanie McMahon and many more...

EVENT TIMELINE
GATES OPEN: 3:00 PM
SHOW START TIME: 5:00 PM

Please arrive early to ensure time for security screenings and entry to the Coliseum in time for the start of the show. Services including Merchandise and Spectator Information will be provided starting at 3:00PM.

To purchase tickets, visit Ticketmaster at: http://bit.ly/1dyHBWh

PARKING INFORMATION
Due to increased security and the high level of local and international dignitaries in attendance; most of the lots near or around the coliseum will be unavailable for spectator parking. Bill Robertson Way will be closed for security purposes and other streets around the Los Angeles Coliseum will be impacted due to the magnitude and operational needs of the event.  
Go Metro. The recommended Expo Line Metro station is Expo Park/USC Station. Limited parking will be available at designated USC campus lots – please check back for further details on specific lot locations closer to the day of the event.

Special Olympics Volunteers will be on-site to help direct to the main Spectator entry plaza. Please see below a detailed map of the Coliseum for the Opening Ceremony.

http://www.la2015.org/

教學頻道

現今科技發達，各類網上教學多不勝數，不用出門也能知天下事，如果家長們能善用網絡媒介，小朋友能更輕鬆，愉快地隨時學習。YouTube其實就是一個很好的學習媒體，擁有大量豐富資訊，以下15個YouTube Channels 運用適合小朋友的教學方式，讓小朋友更容易掌握科學知識，快來看看你的小朋友最喜歡哪一個？

15 YouTube Channels of Fun Science for Kids

Amazingly, YouTube has become a good source of educational materials. We have been using YouTube more and more for fun learning materials. Today we share YouTube channels of fun science facts, explanations, and news.

Bill Nye: although the channel has not been updated for couple years, the content already there is enough for kids to explore. I like that the video titles tell you exactly what the videos are about, making it easy to look around.

SciShow: It is a great collection of science videos of different topics: historical science figures, science news, science talk show, science quizzes, most asked science questions. The topics they cover are simply fascinating.

SpanglerScienceTV: from Steve Spangler, this channel has a ton of fun science facts, experiments, and more. Unlike his other YouTube channel, most of experiments here need special equipment and safety measures, so it is safer to watch him do them in videos.

asapScience: a fun site using fun drawings to explain various interesting topics from science point of view. The topics they cover are either questions people have always been asking, or things you never thought about before, like How old are your ears? Can video games make you smarter? Can you be scared to death? Most topics are kids safe. The only one I noticed that may not be kids appropriate is Can science improve your sex life? Even this one is strictly science with no inappropriate visual.

LabofOrnithology: if you like birds, you will love this channel. It is established by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, an institute conducting research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. You will find many amazing videos about different birds.

BrainCraft: hosted by Vanessa Hill for PBS Digital Studios, BrainCraft explains why we act the way we do, using psychology and neuroscience. You will find topics like How movies control your brain? How exercise can improve your memory?

ScienceBob: does all kinds of cool science experiments. Most are not safe to do at home, so it is better to watch them on video.

Minute Physics: explaining science in a similar style as asapScience, but all topics are around physics. You will find topics like What is gravity? Is it better to walk or run in the rain? How an airplane is made? It thrives to explain science in the simplest way, and it does a good job in that aspect, so it is a great channel for kids of all ages.

Minute Earth: from the same creator of Minute Physics, but all topics are about our planet. Do you know Where did the water on Earth come from? Why is all sand the same?

Periodic Videos: all things chemistry. You will find a video about each element on the periodic table. There are new videos every week about science news, interesting molecules and other stuff from the world of chemistry.

Best of Science: A fun science channel covers a wide variety of science topics: physics, space, nature, chemistry, and more.

National Geographic: As their magazine, the YouTube channel covers many natural science videos.

Fizzics Education is a science outreach organization in Australia. They share their outreach efforts and science activities they do.

DNews: science news and exploration from Discovery. It is not designed for kids, so there will be videos that are not appropriate for young children. But many videos are kids friendly.

NASA: every thing is space related, from This Week at NASA, to Space to Ground, to ISS Expeditions.

Enjoy! ~

Credit to igamemom.com

Click link to read full article / 點擊閱讀全文:

http://igamemom.com/2015/02/21/youtube-channels-of-fun-science-for-kids/

每個孩子的大腦都是由萬億腦細胞而形成，並通過光線色彩，氣味和聲音的刺激而發育。這些連接是學習的關鍵：當孩子擁有更多這樣的連接，他們處理信息的速度就會越快。許多專家認為，通過一個豐富有趣的環境去刺激嬰兒的感官，很有可能增加他或她的智商喔! 以下是14小辦法能刺激孩子腦部發育喔!

As a young child’s brain develops, trillions of connections are formed between brain cells and developed through such stimuli as light, color, smell and sound. These connections are vital to learning: The more connections a child has, the faster he or she can process information. Many experts believe that by stimulating an infant’s senses through an enriched environment, you can quite possibly increase his or her IQ. Here are 14 ways to create a mentally stimulating environment for your child: 

1. Hold your baby frequently. In a recent research study, the findings showed that the more a baby was touched by the parent, the less likely that infant would develop attention deficit problems later in childhood. 

2. Use expressive facial gestures. Infants respond to parents whose facial expressions are more animated. In one experiment, babies turned away from mothers with dull facial expressions, but turned toward those whose faces were more expressive.

3. Do wordplay games in the form of rhymes or songs that you make up with your child. This activity encourages the development of language skills.

4. Cut the captions off cartoons; create new captions with your child in order to boost thinking skills and creativity.

5. Have your child read age-appropriate stories out loud from newspapers or magazines.

6. At least once a week, take your children to the library, where they can read on their own or attend storytelling groups. Have your children get their own library cards so they can learn responsibility for taking care of books and returning them on time.

7. Take your children to appropriate cultural events throughout the year, such as plays and concerts.

8. Limit your children’s computer time, unless they are doing schoolwork that requires the use of the computer.

9. Travel to new places, including local museums. While on vacation, take them on tours of interesting sights even if they don’t expect to like going.

10. Use dinnertime for mental stimulation. Encourage your children to talk about their day and express their viewpoints.

11. Sing lullabies to your infant; these stimulate the development of brain connections, particularly during the first three years of life.

12. Use complex, multi-clause sentences when talking to your children, such as, “I’m going to the grocery store because we need cereal for breakfast,” as opposed to simple, single-clause sentences such as, “Drink your milk.” Children who are exposed to more complex grammatical structure show a higher degree of language development.

13. Enroll your children in dance classes (if they show an interest), since dancing requires the memorization of specific movements — a mental activity that helps build brain connections.

14. Provide stimulating age-appropriate toys that invite interaction and thought. For infants, look for toys that engage as many of the five senses as possible (color, texture, sound, sight and smell). Toddlers benefit from balls, blocks, cars, pull toys, simple puzzles, musical instruments, and stuffed animals and dolls. From ages 3 to 5, children begin to use their imaginations, so encourage them with construction sets, washable crayons or markers, and modeling clay. From ages 6 to 9, building self-esteem is important. Hobby sets, sports toys, computer software, construction toys and books with uplifting messages all make good playthings, so do educational toys that promote problem-solving skills, such as counting, math games and more challenging board games. From ages 10 to 12, children need to develop independence, responsibility and self-expression. Your best bets are complex construction sets, age-appropriate board games, science kits and artwork kits.

** Credit to Dr. Phil McGraw with www.huffingtonpost.com **

Original Article 原文請按此: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/06/stimulate-your-child_n_7733508.html

【好文分享】職場媽媽能讓子女更成功

最近哈弗商學院一項研究指出，職場媽媽比全職媽媽更能培養出成功子女，多數職場媽媽的女兒在社會都是擔當領導職位，而職場媽媽的兒子都很細心體貼，主要原因是要讓孩子用正確態度看待自我性別的價值。長期在外工作的媽媽雖然未能經常陪伴子女身邊，但媽媽會教導男孩子和女孩子各應做的事情，讓孩子更獨立。看來我們應該多鼓勵媽媽們再去為自己的夢想努力工作，讓自己和家裡的孩子都變得更成功！

The guilt many working mothers confess to may be real, but it’s looking less and less warranted.

According to a working paper (pdf) published June 19 by the Harvard Business School, daughters of working mothers are more likely to be employed, hold supervisory positions, and earn more money than the daughters of women who don’t work outside the home. The researchers also found a statistically significant effect on the sons of working women, who are likely to spend more time caring for family members and doing household chores than are the sons of stay-at-home mothers. 

Analyzing data from two dozen countries, the researchers concluded that the daughters of employed mothers are 4.5% more likely to be employed themselves than are the daughters of stay-at-home mothers. While this number may seem small, it is statistically significant at the 99% level, meaning there is less than a 1% chance that such a result is due to chance.

Even more surprising, says Kathleen McGinn, a professor at Harvard Business School and the lead author of the study, is the effect that working mothers have on their daughters’ chances of being a supervisor at work. “We did expect that it would effect employment but we didn’t expect that it would effect supervisory responsibility,” she tells Quartz.

Even after controlling for gender attitudes—to take beliefs regarding gender roles out of the equation—the researchers found that 33% of daughters of working mothers held supervisory roles, compared to only 25% of daughters of stay-at-home moms. “What I take away is that employed mothers create an environment in which their children’s attitudes on what is appropriate for girls to do and what is appropriate for boys to do is affected,” McGinn says.

The study was based on national-level data, as well as individual-level survey data collected across 24 countries by the International Social Survey Programme in 2002 and 2012. In particular, the researchers examined results from a survey question that asked respondents whether, during their childhood, their mother had ever spent a year or more working full- or part-time; then they regressed these responses against a host of variables to test the outcomes.

 McGinn says that the effects of working mothers were most striking in countries labeled in the study as “stagnating moderates,” a category that included both the US and the UK. These are countries where respondents generally held moderate views about gender issues and egalitarianism in 2002, and where the attitudes remained roughly the same 10 years later.

McGinn says that the income of daughters of working mothers in the US was $5,200 higher than that of daughters of women who stayed at home, when controlling for gender attitudes. 

Her message for working mothers is that being employed has long-lasting, positive effects on children. “When you go to work, you are helping your children understand that there are lots of opportunities for them,” McGinn says.

** Credit to qz.com/ **

Original Article 原文請按此:

http://qz.com/434056/working-moms-have-more-successful-daughters-and-more-caring-sons-harvard-business-school-study-says/?utm_source=parSCMP

           We are recruiting Junior Journalists!

Do you know who are Joseph Pulitzer, Edward R. Murrow and Benjamin Franklin? They are all influential printing and broadcasting journalists in history!

Do you want to be one of them? La JaJa Kids provides special training to all our Junior Journalists and invite them to attend various media events!  If you are still doubt about what you should do this summer, you should try to be a little reporter this summer and gain unbeatable experience.  Apply today! 

我們現正招募丫丫小記者！

你知道誰是約瑟夫·普利策，愛德華·默羅和本傑明·富蘭克林？他們都是史上有影響力的印刷和廣播的記者！

你想成為其中之一嗎？La JaJa Kids提供專門的丫丫小記者培訓，並邀請他們參加各種媒體活動！如果你還在猶疑暑假該提供孩子什麼有意義的活動，你應該今年嘗試讓你的孩子打破常規，參加丫丫小記者活動，讓孩子參與大型媒體活動、採訪社區專業人士、甚至與好萊塢名人見面，更可以培養自信和溝通技巧…別錯過這個難得機會，立即報名！

What will you do as a Junior Journalist?

丫丫小記者的任務：

Interview with Queen Mary’s Commodore & LEGO Master Builder Ed Diment:

READ MORE>>http://www.lajajakids.com/store/index.php/blog/2015-queenmaryinterview-ec/

Attend Media Launch Parties

參加媒體發佈活動

Interview Disney DJ

訪問迪士尼DJ

Please click here to see more details

請點擊這裡觀看小記者活動回顧

【蒙市夜市】丫丫園地夏日親子夜
La JaJa Kids @ MPK Night Market

日期：星期五 7月17日5:30pm-10:30pm
           星期六 7月18日2:30pm-10:30pm

地點：Barnes Park, 

           350 S McPherrin Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91754

費用：全免

你喜歡在炎炎夏日的暑假和家人共眾天倫之樂，放鬆一下心情嗎? 那你就要去2015蒙市夜市，而且免費入場喔! 那裡有各式美食美酒、精彩舞台演出、現場美術展覽、現場娛樂表演及DJ們、購物、手工製作的工藝品、遊戲攤位等。你錯過了星期五的蒙市夜市嗎? 那星期六一定要去喔!

更重要的是，我們丫丫園地也是攤位之一喔！

《丫丫園地遊戲攤位》我們將在蒙市夜市設立親子遊戲攤位，和大家一起玩遊戲，做兒童手工，還送出好多精彩獎品，絕對讓您樂而忘返。今天7/18在Barnes Park 約定你和你的家人喔！

City of Monterey Park is going to have its own night market this summer!  Starting from 7/17 to 7/18, MPK Night market will be providing lots of family- friendly activities, such as the most popular street food, crafts, and shopping, live entertainment, art, carnival games and the city’s first beer & wine garden in a public park.

 

- 20+ Food Booths & Trucks

- Art Exhibitions

- Live Entertainment & DJs

- Beer & Wine Garden

- Handmade Crafts & Carnival Games

- Farmer's Market (Friday July 17, 4pm-8pm)

 

http://mpknightmarket.com/

---

 

【蒙市夜市】丫丫園地夏日親子夜
La JaJa Kids @ MPK Night Market

日期：星期五 7月17日5:30pm-10:30pm
           星期六 7月18日2:30pm-10:30pm

地點：Barnes Park, 

           350 S McPherrin Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91754

費用：全免

暑假有什麼好去處? 能同時可在同一個地方吃喝玩樂，又可在炎炎夏日熱消消暑，就在2015蒙市夜市， 而且免費入場。這個夏天，蒙市夜市將舉行為期兩天的週末活動！

夜市有各式美食美酒、精彩舞台演出、現場美術展覽、現場娛樂表演及DJ們、購物、手工製作的工藝品、遊戲攤位等，真是越夜越有趣，絕對是炎炎夏夜的最佳消暑方法！更重要的是，我們丫丫園地也是攤位之一喔！

《丫丫園地遊戲攤位》我們將在蒙市夜市設立親子遊戲攤位，和大家一起玩遊戲，做兒童手工，還送出好多精彩獎品，絕對讓您樂而忘返。下星期五和六在Barnes Park 不見不散喔！

City of Monterey Park is going to have its own night market this summer!  Starting from 7/17 to 7/18, MPK Night market will be providing lots of family- friendly activities, such as the most popular street food, crafts, and shopping, live entertainment, art, carnival games and the city’s first beer & wine garden in a public park.

- 20+ Food Booths & Trucks

- Art Exhibitions

- Live Entertainment & DJs

- Beer & Wine Garden

- Handmade Crafts & Carnival Games

- Farmer's Market (Friday July 17, 4pm-8pm)

http://mpknightmarket.com/

PBS Kids iPad Game App Codes Giveaway

+ Dinosaur Train A to Z Adventure App Review

A…B…C…D…E…F…G…如果你的孩子知道這首歌，他們也應該知道一個蘋果A for Apple這小時候的拼音歌。但你知道恐龍的詞彙也可拼成A to Z嗎？ A for…Apatosaurus! 由 APATOSAURUS到 ZIGONGOSAURUS喔!

你的孩子們熱愛可愛卡通恐龍嗎? 想知道A-Z是什麼恐龍的你就要試玩這個Dinosaur Train A to Z的iPad 遊戲囉！這個遊戲適合三至七歲的小朋友玩，遊戲玩法很簡單，只需點一點每一英文字母，選擇一個字母就代表一隻恐龍！

首先，你可以輕掃恐龍火車去探索你的恐龍字母! 

孩子們更可以點著不同恐龍的身體部位和它們交流一下，更可以知道那一個字母的恐龍一些詳細的資料喔!

也可用X光查看每一個恐龍的骸骨，看看有什麼不同…

家長們也可以和自己的小朋友用恐龍字母的單詞做幾個詞彙喔!

你錯過了第一和第二輪的丫丫有禮？不要緊，丫丫有禮這個星期將會再送你最後一輪由PBS SoCaL 提供的 Wild Kratts世界冒險和 Dinosaur Train A to Z 應用程序代碼！每個App各送出一個App Code！切勿錯過喔！

最後一輪將在2015/7/23 截止。

ENTER CONTEST NOW >>http://www.lajajakids.com/store/index.php/events/

Game Description by PBS Kids:

The ultimate dinosaur app for your child from the hit PBS KIDS show Dinosaur Train! This essential dinosaur collection helps build reading skills and encourages the exploration of life science and natural history through discovery, play and reading! (Source from PBS Kids)

For more info, please visit here:  http://pbskids.org/apps/

丫丫園地是 公立電視兒童台南加頻道特約博客

最近坊間出現了不少baby gym，「香港青年體育協會」體能教練陳振光認為，幼兒體能課程，應該要配合幼兒的發展需要，而不是促進幼兒發展，不然只會弄巧成拙。「其實衛生署已製定幼兒發展指引，表明初生嬰兒或幼兒有甚麼活動能力。例如滿1歲可學會自行坐下、需由成人攙扶才能走路…若此時強迫他學跑步或跳躍，即使在課堂上勉強完成，回家後也很快忘記。」他強調，必需由小朋友親身完成動作才算學習。如果過程中一直由老師「招呼」孩子一直照顧著他們，則毫無幫助。「香港中文大學體育運動科學系」許世全教授也同意這個說法。去baby gym玩玩，活動手腳，總比呆在家中好，但其實幼兒日常的追逐、攀爬、跑跳遊戲都算是運動喔! 只要讓他們盡情玩，玩到累了就已經達到足夠的運動量囉! 家長其實不需要額外為他們安排特別的運動課程。

1至2歲

§ 歲半左右開始步履不穩地四處走動，到兩歲才能平穩地走。

§ 可以快步行甚至跑。

§ 會蹲下來撿起地上的物件而不會跌倒。

§ 拿著或拖拉著玩具走路。

§ 可以自行攀爬上落傢俱（如梳化、矮床等）。

§ 會扶著欄杆上落樓梯。

§ 會嘗試踢球。

§ 會把四塊或更多的積木／小盒子疊成小塔。

§ 可翻書，但未能每次翻一頁。會扭動門的把手和扭開瓶蓋。

§ 能把小柱子塞進孔內。

§ 會用顏色筆塗鴉。

§ 開始慣性用左或右手。

2至3歲

§ 可快跑、踢球。

§ 能雙腳離地跳起和攀爬。

§ 能自行上落樓梯。

§ 可踏三輪車。

§ 會執筆畫直線和橫線。

§ 會用積木類的玩具建簡單的模型。

§ 會穿珠子。

§ 能逐頁翻開書本。

§ 會替玩具上發條。

3至4歲

§ 能自如地跑、跳和攀爬

§ 會拋和接較大的球

§ 會單腳站一會

§ 能靈活地騎三輪車

§ 會像成人般執筆

§ 會畫圓形和正方形

§ 開始學習抄寫以直線和橫線構成的簡單文字（例如：1、十、口、L、T）

§ 會畫顯示出數個身體部位的人物（一般有頭部、四肢、眼睛和嘴巴）

§ 會嘗試用剪刀剪紙

4至6歲

§ 會熟練地自己上落樓梯及在遊樂場作攀爬活動

§ 能踢滾動著的球

§ 以單腳站立並能保持平衡五秒或以上

§ 以單腳向前跳約二至三米

§ 會隨音樂節拍擺動身體

§ 會用積木砌出較複雜的模型

§ 填色時通常都不會越線

§ 所畫的人也較為細緻（一般有頭部、眼睛、鼻子、嘴巴、身軀和四肢）

§ 會寫數字、英文字母和簡單的中文字（例如：1-20、A-Z、水、車、媽、吃等）

§ 會用剪刀和膠水做簡單的剪貼手工

*資料來源：衛生署家庭及健康服務

好玩運動
♣巴西戰舞‧跳出鬥心
巴西戰舞是一種糅合了武術元素的舞蹈，要求學員的身體需靈活地移動，才可做出翻滾、踢腿、迴旋 踢腿等動作，來跟導師學習較簡單的兒童版戰舞，強身健體，訓練手腳協調能力，全英語的課程還可促進孩子的英語能力呢。
「Hong Kong School of Capoeira」http://www.capoeirahk.com/

♣幼兒室內籃球
所謂幼兒籃球，其實只要把籃球縮小，以此學習一些簡單的拋波技巧，好玩之處在於具有特備的室內球場及小型球衣，比一般拋波更好玩！
「A-KIDS甲子」http://www.a-kids.org/

♣兒童滑雪場
 在潮濕溫暖的香港都可以滑雪！近年有好幾家新建的工廈室內滑雪場，這家Play Ski+Snowboard特設兒童課，4歲以上就可以玩！滑雪場內提供基本滑雪裝備，亦有導師在旁指示，不分冬夏都能享受衝前滑後的樂趣！不過雖然設有4至8歲班，但正如陳振光導師所言，建議8歲以上才開始玩，以策安全呀！

Original Article原文請按此: http://www.peegaboo.com/parents_journal/family_index/2015/kidlearning-music

PBS Kids iPad Game App Codes Giveaway

+ Wild Kratts World Adventure App Review

你有看過 PBS Kids頻道的 Wild Kratts 嗎? 你的孩子和他們也有冒險精神嗎?

那你的孩子們就一定要試玩這個 Wild Kratts 世界冒險 iPad 遊戲囉！這個遊戲適合四至八歲的小朋友玩，遊戲的手勢通常會向左／向右傾側和點著銀幕，有時也要雙手的協調，因此對一些年齡較大的孩子也會是一個挑戰。選擇一種生物就代表一個關卡！每一種動物都會有不同的過關難度！

這一關猩猩還滿刺激的！要先向左向右傾側令猩猩搖擺，你有多用力向左向右傾側，猩猩就可搖擺得更遠！之後猩猩就可以抓住前面的樹繼續前行！好像真的在玩大冒險一樣！

喜歡自拍的孩子們更可以拿自己的生物力量跟  6 隻動物自拍！

你錯過了第一輪丫丫有禮？不要緊，丫丫有禮這個星期將會繼續送你第二輪由PBS SoCaL 提供的 Wild Kratts 世界冒險和 Dinosaur Train A to Z 應用程序代碼 ！

每個App各送出一個應用程序代碼！切勿錯過 ！第二輪將在2015/7/16 截止。

我們下一期有Dinosaur Train A to Z的評述喔！密切留意！

ENTER CONTEST NOW >>http://www.lajajakids.com/store/index.php/events/

Game Description by PBS Kids:

Children ages 4 to 8 can tilt and tap their way through multi-level games that encourage exploration of habitats around the world. Focusing on science, each game lets kids observe, explore and use creature power suits to complete missions and help the Kratt Brothers. As levels are completed, kids earn creature power “selfies,” habitat stickers and “Wow! Facts” that help further their animal science and natural history learning. (Source from PBS Kids)

For more info, please visit here:  http://pbskids.org/apps/

丫丫園地是 公立電視兒童台南加頻道特約博客

有想過小水坑也可以成為校園裡的一個遊樂場地嗎？最近日本的一所幼兒園裡有一個可以儲蓄雨水的庭院，晴天是運動場，可以打羽毛球和棒球, 雨天就會變成一個小水坑，孩子可以赤腳玩耍, 冬天還可以滑冰，讓孩子在不同的時候有不同的體驗，比起室內教學，多參加戶外活動可能更激發小孩的創造力和潛能喔 ～ 

What is it about puddles of water that makes kids want to jump right into them with all their might? It’s no doubt that outdoor play, whatever the weather, is a necessity of childhood. So if there’s any place where kids should be allowed to be kids, without being subject to the cringes and shouts of adults who are overly concerned about wet shoes, socks and pants (don’t even mention the mud), that place is preschool.

Usually when it rain, kids aren’t allowed to play outside until the ground is dry. But the new Dai-ichi Yochien in Kumamoto City is designed to make sure the puddles stay exactly where they are.

The courtyard of the school is designed to accumulate rain water so that after a heavy downpour there is a gigantic, pool-like puddle just waiting for the kids to come out and play, explains Taku Hibino. The lead architect at Hibino Sekkei designed the courtyard so that on dry days it can function as a badminton or softball court and in the winter it can even be converted to an ice skating rink. Rain or shine, these kids will always be able to go outside.

Hibino Sekkei, and their Youji no Shiro brand, specialize in designing early education facilities.

The school itself was designed with an open floorplan in order to foster a curriculum that’s both flexible and unconstrained. Furniture is used as partitions and teachers are encouraged to mix up different classes. Students are asked to purchase their own desk and chair, which they keep and eventually take home after graduating. This keeps a continual flow of new furniture into the school, which helps in maintaining a fresh and clean aesthetic.

** Credit to Johnny with spoon-tamago.com **

Original Article 原文請按此:

http://www.spoon-tamago.com/2015/06/23/a-new-preschool-in-japan-designed-to-accumulate-large-puddles-when-it-rains/

大名人 Kim Khardashian  一家也是座上客喔！（註：不是同一晚）

來到玲玲馬戲團當然就是要看最傳統最正宗的經典馬戲表演，所以各種動物表演絕對是少不得的，首先出場的是玲玲馬戲團的經典亞洲大象團隊，不說不知，原來這批來自斯里蘭卡的亞洲象是西半球最大的象群！

既是西半球最大的亞洲象群，當然就有一位領頭象，就是她！今年年屆57歲的老象是整個象群的首領，別看她年紀不輕，表演起來還是精力十足的！

【檔案照】上星期象群進駐 Staples Center 時的盛況

兇猛的老虎是如何被馴服來表演的呢？這晚一共有12頭猛虎一同演出，且看 馴獸師 Taba 如何與它們「搏鬥」？

駱駝的演出也是十分精彩！

小丫丫看得目瞪口呆。。。

中場休息時的零食補給站人頭湧湧，這是開場時拍攝的

下本場開始，首先是水底世界，掛在半空的美人魚和水晶球裡的雜技人一同演出，帶給大家迷幻的感受

當然少不了的還有各類驚險百出的踩鋼線、高速旋轉球、疊羅漢、還有我最喜歡的人肉砲彈演出，表演者 Gemma Kirby 非常年輕，但已經有500次演出經驗，每次作砲彈飛行時，她小小的身軀要承受  6 倍 G Force 的重力，與 F16 戰鬥機師是一樣的！

武功高強的表演人員在半空中展示《凌波微步》

Xccessive Adrenaline Free Xpression

一群單車豪傑在兩個半圓道上來回奔馳，好 cool 的技術讓孩子們看得十分興奮

Free Xpression

大家可能都玩過今年很流行的 trampoline 彈床遊戲，可是這個演出裡的大男生所跳的彈床足足將人彈到三層樓高，而且整個團隊節奏整齊又緊湊，讓人看得屏息靜氣

家長都希望讓自己的孩子在暑假可以過得充實一點，不要讓時間偷偷溜走。尤其每個暑假都會讓孩子們失去多達3個月的數學和閱讀能力，而我們的大腦就像肌肉一樣，當我們不運動他們，他們往往會失去它們的形式。每年都會一如往常，數學公式被遺忘，新的詞彙丟失。如何避免這種困境呢？以下是一些小技巧和活動，可以同時建立孩子們的生活技能，還可以讓他們不會覺得暑假無聊喔!

Parents are hoping their children don’t succumb to the “summer slide,” when students forget much of what they learned, losing as much as three months of math and reading skills over the summer, according to the National Summer Learning Association. This can make starting up again in the fall as dreaded as those final exams.

Over the summer students experience a loss of the academic gains they made over the previous year called the summer slide. Our brains really are like muscles, and when we don’t exercise them, they tend to lose their form. Math formulas are forgotten, new vocabulary lost and the summer slide puts students a little further back each year.

Ron and Lynda Bates, owners of a local Tutor Doctor, a  fast-growing private tutoring franchise worldwide providing a personalized, one-to-one, in-home tutoring service to students of all ages, provides the following tips and ideas for  activities that are fun and simultaneously build important life skills, including organization, time management and goal-setting.

Fundraising for Next School Year. 為下一學年籌款

Fundraising can really make a difference to the quality of education that your child gets. Whether fundraising enables them to enjoy fascinating field trips, better meals, better facilities and equipment, or more teachers, fund raising helps to alleviate the dire financial burden placed on our schools by reductions in government funding. Try a short fun run where students, parents and community members can participate. For a small entrance fee, participants get to run the set course while being chased by a zombie horde of students. Students will love dressing up as zombies and chasing participants in the race, and keeping track of the money being raised will help with math skills.

Eat Locally. 逛逛附近的農夫市場

Take a trip to your local farmer’s market where kids can learn about where their food comes from, the resources needed to grow the food, and which foods are in season. Parents can turn the trip into a scavenger hunt by giving students a list of fruits and vegetables to find at the market, encouraging them to identify which fruit is ripe enough to be picked and how to handle food safely for the trip home.

Explore the Real World. 發掘真實世界

Visit local zoos, botanical gardens, or any place in your community where kids can see and learn about new things. Encourage them to bring a journal and record observations with a drawing or a brief description. Later, take the time to search the Internet or read wildlife books to learn more about the plants, rocks and animals they discovered throughout the day.

Plan a Summer Outing.  計劃暑假遠足

Get kids involved with the planning and organization that goes into hosting a family gathering, barbeque or picnic. From the start to finish, kids can make the guest list, design and send out invitations, keep track of RSVPs, choose the venue, activities and menu. If you’re going to the pool, have them choose the best day/time to go, put together a list of supplies needed, and plan an agenda for the day.

Get Busy in the Kitchen. 廚房小助手

Involve your child in meal planning and cooking, which reinforce the importance of following directions, sorting ingredients, and managing time — all key elements in organization. Challenge them to help put together a shopping list containing everything needed to prepare that dish, help shop for ingredients, and act as the “head chef.” Once the meal is prepared, ask them to rate the meal and share what they learned during the process.

Develop a new skill. 學習新技能

Encourage your child to learn a musical instrument or speak a foreign language.  Set them up with realistic goals for the summer and have them spend just a couple of hours every day acquiring a new skill. New skills need not cost lots of money; if you don’t have the cash for lessons, there are plenty of resources online.  Friends and family members can help teach special skills they have. Choosing something to keep your student busy this summer can really help develop them as a person. Planning ahead is key so you have all the resources you need.

Geocaching Like a Pirate. 尋寶遊戲

This is a wonderful international game that’s much like a treasure hunt, where participants create “geocaches,” which are small treasure chests that contain a log book so you can record your name and when you found it. Participants typically use GPS devices to find the geocaches, whose coordinates, along with some clues, can be found on geocaching websites. Some geocaches contain items that you can swop, such as flashlights, stationary, compasses, etc. Sometimes you can take an item but must then leave an item. Some geocaches are scavenger hunts and you need to solve the riddle to find the next cache. You can even get math geocache scavenger hunts if you want an educational experience. To find the GPS coordinates of geocaches in your area, visit this website: https://www.geocaching.com/play

Reading for Rewards. 閱讀刊物換積分

Take them to a bookstore or a library and get them some books they’ll enjoy reading, or have them participate in a librarian curated reading program, such as Tutor Doctor’s Summer Reading Challenge. (Librarians have curated a collection of 60 books appropriate for various reading levels for the Tutor Doctor Reading Challenge, which also includes fun-to-answer worksheets to complete. Young readers have the option to provide responses to their Tutor Doctor tutor, if they have one and desire to do so. Participants who enroll and complete the challenge are eligible to win prizes from their local Tutor Doctors at the end of the program.)

** Credit to Helena Oliviero with Parenting.blog.ajc.com **

Original Article 原文請按此: http://parenting.blog.ajc.com/2015/06/12/fun-activities-to-avoid-the-summer-slide/

暑假電影紛紛出爐了！身在電影之都的洛杉磯，單單到戲院看電影是不夠有趣的，立即來看看我們為你推介的一系列電影特別活動吧～～

等了這麼久，小小香蕉人兵團終於殺入電影院了！如果你們也是 Minions 的超級粉絲，就一定不可以錯過這個電影合家歡活動，一整天的免費遊樂活動，有超過二十個不同類型的好玩兒童遊戲，三位 Minions 更會親臨現場與小朋友見面拍照，附近的多家餐廳也會提供實惠的 $5 兒童餐飲，的確是極佳的周末親子好去處！

日期：7月11日星期六 12:00 - 8:00pm

地點：Regal LA LIVE Stadium 14, West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA

Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.

Read More: http://www.lalive.com/events/la-live/detail/family-day-with-minions-150711

丫丫小記者專訪： Junior Journalists Interview: 
World Largest LEGO© Brick
Model Ship Comes to the Queen Mary 

世界最大樂高瑪麗皇后號模型在 Queen Mary 展出！

兩位丫丫小記者Aaron 和 Jessica 專訪了樂高建築大師 Ed Diment 和艦長 Everette Hoard，遊覽瑪麗皇后號，更與樂高建築大師一起拼了一隻樂高綿羊！大家一起跟上小記者的腳步來看看他們的對話吧!

當英國最著名的遠洋客輪仍然是一個夢想，丘納德線招募約翰·布朗船廠在蘇格蘭建立將成為世界上最著名的遠洋客輪。當英國認證的樂高建設者，Bright Bricks Inc.決定以樂高積木紀念瑪麗皇后號，他們做夢也沒有想到的巨大樂高模型，總有一天能在長灘的瑪麗皇后號展示。

為了更好地連接孩子與瑪麗皇后號其他的歷史人物，瑪麗皇后號決定在The Shipyard做出的獨家模型空間展示樂高模型，它需要四個專業樂高建築大師和超過25萬個積木拼成。現場更設立了Bright Brick建築站圍繞著這個樂高模型，孩子們和樂高愛好者們可以拼自己版本的樂高船舶或其他任何想到樂高模型,更可以透過樂高與樂高建築大師傾談!

丫丫小記者談話訪問

Interview with Commodore Everette Hoard

1) What is your favorite story to tell about the Queen Mary?

The Queen Mary lives today after 80 years on this earth. This is the last example of the whole golden age of ocean travel before the advent of jet planes. Now that it has been retired from the sea it’s been a hotel and attraction here in long beach longer than it has been in the see. It carries the most important people across the Atlantic Ocean. It would carry troops in pursued of freedom. It is a great example of how to make money at sea.

2) What is your favorite tour of the Queen Mary?

It is the glory days because it has been historical contents. It starts at the time that the Queen Mary has started sailing at 1936 before the building of Queen Mary at 1930. It tells the story of how the famous people travel in the ship in 1930s like President Kennedy at the age of 25 or 26. All of the old time movie stars travel in the Queen Mary. The Queen Mary’s effort in the second World War. It tells in the glory days where it is the most fashionable way to cross the Atlantic Ocean between 1947 to 1967.  

3) What is the most number of people on board the Queen Mary at the same time?

In July of 1943 during World War 2, at the Queen Mary pairing 16683 people across the north Atlantic at one time. That is the greatest number of people carry in the ship in the entire history of the sea.

4) Who are some famous people who have been on the Queen Mary?

In the days when the Queen Mary sail, John F Kennedy, Sr. Winson Churchwill the prime minister of England, queen Elizabeth, Clark Gabriel. Elizabeth Tailor 

Interview with Master Builder Ed Diment from Bright Bricks

1) Can you tell us a little about Bright Bricks?

It is a company that I rode with my business partner. What we do is we build things out of lego. People over the world pay us to make legos. We are professional lego artist.

2) How many pieces did it take to build the model of the Queen Mary?

It is about 250,000 pieces. We didn’t count each pieces but we weight it and get the approximate of how many piece it was made.

3) How long did it take to build the Queen Mary model?

It is about four months to build with four people working on it

4) How many people did it take to build the Queen Mary model?

Originally two people but at the end since we run out of time, we have five people to make sure it gets finished.

5) Why did you make the LEGO model of Queen Mary ship?

Because I love making things out of lego. We actually have a big show related to ships in England. 15 years ago I was in queen mary, so I decide to make a queen mary out of the legos.

6) How long did it take for you to make the display?

4 months go get it done. To make the display, it takes about 40 hours as it gets transported in section.

Aaron 一日丫丫小記者後感

Today was the day I have been looking forward to. I was going to meet Ed Diment from Bright Bricks, a Certified Lego builder from England. They are professional Lego builders and they built big Lego projects for companies around the world. They build a really, really big and cool Lego model of the Queen Mary. The Lego model of the Queen Mary will be open for the public to see on board the ship. Also, I was going to get to meet Commodore Everette and interview him too. He is known as, "The heart of the Queen Mary." I read and watched some videos about Commodore Everette, the Queen Mary, Ed Diment, and Bright Bricks online before the interview. I was not as nervous this time, but a little bit nervous and super excited. My parents took me to the Queen Mary for the first time last month. I wanted to go back to see the other parts of the ship. I wanted to stay longer the first time and it seemed too short again this time.

So today, I met with Janice from Lajajakids.com and Jessica, the other Jr. Journalist to do the interview.  We got to see real life Lego model of the Queen Mary. That was the biggest toy ship I have ever seen. Jessica and I interviewed Ed Diment from Bright Bricks first. He was super fast building with Legos. Mr. Ed said there are about 250,000 Lego bricks used to build the model. I have never met such a fast Lego builder in my life. He was super nice and even showed Jessica and I how to build a sheep and a Lego city. It was like magic how he built things so fast. I had a lot of fun building with him. He was the coolest builder and a very friendly person.

Then we got to interview Commodore Everette of the Queen Mary.  Commodore Everette was very very nice. He has worked on the Queen Mary for about 33 years and has met many people on the ship.  He said there are famous people like President Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth’s mother queen, Clark Gable and so many other famous people who has travelled the Queen Mary. He also likes the Glory Days tour the most. I also learned that there were 16,683 people on the ship at one time before to travel across the North Atlantic. The ship is super big and twice the size of the Titanic. I think that is super super big. He really loves the Queen Mary and was so kind to share his stories with us.  He even gave us a private tour.  I got to see the biggest room on the Queen Mary, the shopping area, the restaurant, the kids play area, and we even got to see a haunted room in the Queen Mary which was the swimming pool. I loved all his stories and wanted him to tell us more. I also really liked his uniform. My favorite part was when I got to wear Commodore Everett’s hat for a picture. It was so cool!

Thank you so much to Lajajakids.com, Ed Diment from Bright Bricks, and Commodore Everette from the Queen Mary for an awesome day! I will remember this day for life.  Thank you also to Janice and Jessica. I had a fun fun day. 

Jessica 一日丫丫小記者後感

- Queen Mary ship was built in 1930 by John Brown & Co. It served in World War II for 6 years. Right now, it is in Long Beach and is a hotel & museum to public. -

When I entered the lobby, I saw a cool picture of the Queen Mary. In the shipyard, I saw the Lego display of Queen Mary that was made by Bright Bricks, which is a Lego company in England. They also had little tables of Lego to play with The Lego of Queen Mary was so awesome and cool. It was a creative and amazing project.

Aaron and I interviewed Ed Diment and Everette Hoard, which is the captain of Queen Mary. Bright Bricks is a company that Ed created with a partner in Britain. They made it because Queen Mary was the greatest ocean liner. It took about 250,000 Lego pieces to make the Queen Mary. It took around 4 months because there were people helping to make the Lego Queen Mary ship finished. To make the Lego ship, it required 4 professional Lego builders.                          

When Britain's most famous ocean liner was still a dream, the Cunard Lines recruited the John Brown shipyard in Scotland to build what would become the world's most famous ocean liner. When Britain's certified LEGO builders, Bright Bricks Inc. decided to commemorate the ship in LEGO Bricks - they never dreamed the huge model would someday come to Long Beach and be displayed on the actual Queen Mary.

http://www.queenmary.com/

1．        第一關節及大關節經常深陷無力，大大減低手指的靈活性及反應

♣ 加強手指及手臂的力量訓練♣ 按升降機或打字時伸直手指關節，用力按壓

2．        手腕不能定下來，一邊彈琴一邊擺動

♣ 把較細小的硬幣如一毫、五毫等放於手腕上，訓練孩子彈琴時手腕要定，硬幣沒有掉下便算成功

時而快時而慢

這是拍子穩定性的問題，當遇上較複雜的節奏時，情況便會一團糟。

♣ 自小多跟隨拍子隨音樂拍和，或做相關動作，訓練節奏感。(可參考短片內的拍子練習。)
♣ 常以拍子機練習 

半途而廢

學一、兩年便不願學習

♣ 勿強迫小朋友考級或比賽，除非他主動要求♣ 發現小朋友無心練習，上課時常說廢話，或相當疲累，不願彈琴，便應考慮放棄彈琴，學習別的技能。

*資料來源：「香港鋼琴教育專業學院」何淑恩校長

不同歲數‧樂器大不同

0至1歲

1歲，家長應多給予不同類型的高質素音樂讓孩子聆聽，甚至可以24小時輕聲地播放著音樂。除了不同時期的器樂獨奏曲、室樂及交響樂等音樂，甚至民族樂、敲擊樂、民謠、粵曲、歌劇等都對孩子的腦部發展很有幫助。

1至3歲

家長可與孩子多作「聞歌起舞」，與孩子隨著CD唱歌、隨著音樂舞動；也可考慮讓孩子在2-3歲的時候參加一些高質素、有系統的音樂啟蒙班。了解小朋友每次課堂後學了些甚麼、聽了些甚麼音樂等，以致配合地在家中多點播放這些音樂，甚至與孩子一起隨音樂做動作，讓孩子對所學的更加熟悉及投入。

3至6歲

建議4歲以上才開始學習各種樂器，若家長想孩子3歲便開始學樂器，不妨考慮敲擊樂，例如打鼓，除了較易上手外，亦有助建立穩定的拍子及學習不同的節奏。

*資料來源：「香港鋼琴教育專業學院」何淑恩校長

好玩音樂

♠Kinderbeat‧集3大教學法
在旁觀課的話，你可能覺得Kinderbeat只是一套普通的音樂playgroup，其實當中課程嚴謹得多。課程包含了奧福、高大宜、達克羅氏三大音樂教學法，使用特別教材及簡宜版五線譜，及具HEAT BEAT標誌的教材，特別針對拍子、歌唱、聽力、律動、創意五大元素。教師亦必先經評核及考取牌照方可執教。
「香港鋼琴教育專業學院」http://www.hkppea.com/

♠得意布偶‧齊玩音樂

採用由美國引進本港的 “Music for Little Mozarts” ，一套精美的彩色教材之中，除了故有的課本、習作簿、兒歌CD、書包外，更配有遊戲咭、貝多芬小熊、莫札特老鼠毛公仔及五線譜活動教學畫板，讓可愛的小布偶及神童莫札特帶小朋友探索繽紛的音樂小天地。
「柏斯琴行」http://www.parsonsmc.com.hk/

♠繽紛小搖鈴‧節奏學習
搖鈴是較罕見的樂器，不過其聲音清脆，加上五彩繽紛的手鈴像彩虹一樣，十分吸引呢！搖鈴細小不佔位置，透過教材又提升孩子的小肌肉能力，學習快慢節奏、四分音符、不同的顏色、開始及停頓等，課堂中孩子能享受唱兒歌的樂趣，甚至邊唱邊搖擺身體。
「音樂農莊」http://www.musicfarmworkshop.com/

Original Article原文請按此: http://www.peegaboo.com/parents_journal/family_index/2015/kidlearning-music

School's out for summer. No need to make the kids go to sleep early every night, no need to pack lunch every day, and no need to read, write or practice math or is there? Undoubtedly kids work hard in school and deserve a fun summer break free from the demands of classrooms and homework. But, according to the National Summer Learning Association kids can lose up to two months of learning and the effects can be felt when school starts. But, this slide is preventable when learning is extended through the summer. The great news is with a little forethought learning can be made to feel so much like playtime that kids won't even know you are sneaking a little education into their time off.

Patti Rommel, a former elementary educator and Director of Research and Development at Lakeshore Learning Materials shares her tips for preventing the summer backslide:

暑假開始囉! 孩子們終於不用早睡早起，不用為孩子每天的午餐煩惱，更不需要閱讀，寫作或做數學練習題。當然，孩子每天在學校裡努力學習，他們絕對值得過一個難忘有趣的暑假。但是根據國家暑期學習協會的統計數據，孩子有可能會因為暑假而忘形，甚至在開學後會減少對學習的興趣與靈敏度。如果可以在暑假期間偷偷的加入一點學習的元素，就可以讓孩子們維持對學習的喜愛和增加其知識。絕對為這個假期增加不少樂趣喔！到底如何讓他們在暑假學習而不反感呢？以下是一些小訣竅，希望可以幫到各位正在苦惱的爸爸媽媽。

1. Enjoy Family Game Nights: 珍惜家庭遊戲時間：

Ms. Rommel recommends setting aside one night a week as "Family Game Night" and choosing games that require children to use strategy and think ahead, as well as games that involve reading, writing, or counting. Not only will your family enjoy playing together but kids will also experience learning in a casual, relaxed setting. Scrabble Jr. is a game my elementary aged son loves to play and Monopoly Jr. and Jenga are games my entire family, including my preschooler, love to play. A fun game for kids learning to read is Lakeshore Learning's Read Around the House! Treasure Hunt Game that requires kids to identify letters then follow a clue to find everyday items. Older kids who can read will enjoy Scrabble Jr. and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader. Dohdles is a guessing game where kids of all ages form an object out of modeling clay and opponents guess what it is - this game is also good for developing fine motor skills. All games involve an educational component -- but don't tell the kids.

Building with just about anything builds STEM skills

2. Encourage Creative Construction: 鼓勵孩子勇於創作：

To make the most of children's natural curiosity Ms. Rommel encourages parents to provide opportunities for kids them innovate and invent. Provide kids with all kinds of building materials. Parents can challenge children to use the materials to invent any type of building, vehicle or contraption they can dream up. By building children will build STEM skills as they invent! My kids love building with Legos, ZOOBs, and Magnatiles and of course, the empty cardboard box. Young kids can build with large blocks that snap together, such as Green Toys' chunky, colorful Block Set. Iggy Peck Architect by Andrea Beaty and Young Frank Architect by Frank Viva can provide some inspiration.

You only need a little patch of land to teach kids about gardening. No green thumb? Look for a kit.

3. Let It Grow: 種植園藝：

Learning can happen in your backyard. According to Ms. Rommel, nature is packed with learning possibilities and planning, planting and harvesting a vegetable garden will boost math and science skills. Together, choose seeds and research how they should be cared for. Use a ruler to draw a blueprint showing where each crop will go. With your child, read seed packets to find recommended spacing. Have your child take daily measurements and record each plant height. After harvesting your vegetables, set up a farmer's market to build money skills! If you don't trust your green thumb, try a kit like Seedling's Junior Gardening Kit complete with tips for planting with kids and little gardener's gloves. Another easy and fun option is Geek & Co.'s Garden Pirate kit that allows kids to make their own seed bombs. Have a garden already but need some kid-proof gardening tools? Check out the Green Toys Dig & Discover set that comes with a guide to outdoor activities for kids.

4. Turn Math Practice into a Game: 將數學元素加進遊戲裡：

Ms. Rommel recommends using sidewalk chalk to create a target game that boosts math and number skills. Throw a rock at the target and ask, Who landed on the largest number? The smallest? Can you add the numbers? Add more variations. Lakeshore Learning's Add It Up Archery Set has been a big hit with my kids with my little one identifying the numbers on the target and the older one adding up all the scores. Younger kids can combine math with sensory play. I practice math with my preschooler with a new Little Tikes Treasure Hunt Sand and Water Table that comes with treasure. I ask her to find a certain number of jewels in the sand and coins in the water then add them up. I the ask Who found the most treasures? The least? How many are still missing?

Turn backyard archery into a math lesson

5. Go on a Reading Treasure Hunt : 閱讀尋寶樂園:

According to Ms. Rommel, filling kids' summer with books, books and more books is one of the best ways to prevent summer slide. Even if your child can't read yet you can go on a "Letter Hunt" or "Word Hunt" by prompting your child to find a letter or word and then challenging him to find as many instances of that letter or word as possible. Readers can go on an "Answer Hunt" by asking questions about the story, such as "Who did they sell Wilbur to?" You can time your child for an extra challenge. Older kids can use books they are interested in reading themselves, such as the Binky the Space Cat series by Ashley Spires.

6. Inspire Creativity : 激發創意：

Research shows that engaging in the arts helps develop cognitive and social/emotional skills. Invite kids to make a "Summer of 2015" scrapbook, help kids make something they can use like Seelding's Create Your Own Designer Soap Kit or something they can play with like Seedling's Little Fairy Peg Kit.

7. Each week, choose a different event or activity to focus on: 每個禮拜選擇不同活動:
This will ensure a variety of educational experiences. You can take a picture and place it in your scrapbook and engage in activities related to the theme.

Dr. Craig Bach, VP of Education at The Goddard School also has some tips:
8. Engage in summer activities that incorporate learning through play: 參與任何和學習有關的遊戲或暑期活動：

No matter what you do, the most important part is that you and your child are engaging in activities together. To make your outings more fun and sneak in more learning try Seedling's Great Adventure kit complete with an adventure bag, compass, and field notebook paired with a fun Nature Bingo kit that asks kids to look for birds, snails, and leaves.

9. Enroll in summer programs that blend fun, adventure, and learning: 參加暑期活動包括冒險，娛樂和學習:

Many public libraries have free summer reading programs that allow kids to earn prizes for reading. There are also online programs, such as Brain Chase, that combine math, reading, and writing with an adventure story. 

Try a summer program like the online Brain Chase that gets kids using decoders to solve a mystery using reading, writing, and math

10. Create a routine: 計劃行程:

Without school, a child's day can tend to lack structure throughout the summer months, making it hard for him or her to readjust once school starts. Summertime fun often includes adventures that make sticking to your routine difficult, but having that initial routine established can make it easier to transition back to your schedule.

【父親節特輯】CEO 爸爸 Mohamed El-Erian 的故事

2014 年時，Mohamed El-Erian 是 PIMCO基金的CEO，每日管理這個超過二萬億美元資產的基金，而自己也收入不菲，單單在2011年他的個人年收入超過一億美元，可以說是「人生勝利組」的超級成員！可以，當他的9歲女兒投訴他是如何一個失敗的爸爸，因為他在過去9年不斷缺席女兒的生命中最重要的各項活動，包括生日會和畢業禮等，Mohamed 才猛然驚醒，自已在父親的角色中是失敗的，所以在2014年底，他毅然辭職，和妻子分擔載女兒上學放學、做晚餐、與女兒談心等等的責任，而且做得非常快樂！想不想知道他的故事？

Mohamed El-Erian（1958年－），曾於太平洋投資管理公司（PIMCO）擔任首席執行官兼聯合首席投資官，於2014年離職。在2006到2007年之間，El-Erian是哈佛投資管理公司的總裁暨首席執行官。在這以前，埃里安曾任國際貨幣基金組織經濟師。他的著作《大衝撞》曾進入《紐約時報》和《華爾街日報》的暢銷書榜。El-Erian畢業於劍橋大學。他在牛津得到經濟學碩士和博士。

Mohamed El-Erian 接受 Worth 雜誌訪問的原文：click here

This CEO Quit a 100 Million Dollar Job to Spend More Time With His Daughter

作者Amanda Reaume， Writer and Founder, Millennial Personal Finance

How much money would make missing your child's important life milestones worthwhile? Would $100 million be enough to justify missing a daughter's first day of school? Or her first soccer game? One father gave up a $100 million paycheque to ensure he didn't miss any of the important moments in his 10-year-old daughter's life. That man is Mohamed El-Erian, 56, the former CEO of the global investment firm Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO).

El-Erian talks about his decision in a recent essay for Worth. In it, he describes how he felt when his daughter handed him a list of 22 important life events that he had missed, including parent teacher meetings, her first day of school, and her first soccer game of the season. At first, he says he was defensive and thought about all the important reasons why he hadn't been able to make it to those events, but then he realized that the imbalance between his work life and his home life was hurting the people he loved most.

That led him to quit his job to spend more time with his daughter. In his Worth essay, El-Erian says, "I now alternate with my wife in waking up our daughter every morning, preparing her breakfast and driving her to school... She and I are doing a lot of wonderful talking and sharing. We've even planned a holiday together, just the two of us."

This is a heartwarming tale, but it is also one that reflects the realities that parents everywhere face. Those parents might not be CEOs making $100 million a year, but the tug of war that takes place between family and work commitments can be heartbreaking. No parent wants to miss a soccer game or the first day of school, but often they feel obligated to in order to keep their jobs or move ahead.

There is a real problem with work/life balance. In a Pew survey on modern parenthood, 56 per cent of working moms and 50 per cent of working dads say that they have a hard time balancing parenting and work responsibilities. This is causing a lot of stress with 40 per cent of mothers and 34 per cent of fathers saying they always feel rushed. It's also making parents worry that they aren't spending enough time with their kids. In fact, 46 per cent of fathers say they don't think they're spending enough time with their children, whereas only 23 per cent of mothers feel the same way.

Obviously, there's a problem but why aren't dads talking about it more? We've heard for years about women who feel caught between the demands of work and family, but it's only recently that men have started to speak up.

El-Erian isn't the only CEO to step down recently to spend more time with his family. Max Schireson quit his job as CEO of MongoDB in August. He had three kids and felt that it was unfair for his wife to do all the hands-on parenting given that he was always travelling for work. He's now the company's Vice Chairman -- a less intensive role.

If a prominent female CEO had done this, we would see front page stories in magazines about the Mommy Track being the new trendy choice for professional women who can't have it all. So, why aren't we hearing more about the Daddy Track? Let's talk about how the career changes of these male CEOs are the canaries in the coal mine indicating that the pace and expectations of modern work life don't work for either men or women. No one is having it all. And families are suffering.

While there are some dads speaking up, why aren't more of those 46 per cent of fathers who feel they aren't spending enough time with their kids lending their voices to the cause of work/life balance? Perhaps those dads are afraid of the backlash? Just look at what happens when public figures take time off to spend it with their families. Mets player Daniel Murphy came under fire when he missed two games after his son was born. Many dads might be afraid that their commitment to their jobs would be questioned if they dared to speak out publicly.

This conversation has, in a way, already been started by dads who chose to stay at home with their kids. Two-million American dads stayed home in 2012 according toPew, with dads making up 16 per cent of parents staying home with kids. Pew found that the biggest reason for the growth in stay at home dads was fathers who wanted to be the primary caregiver. This growing group has founded organizations like theNational Stay at Home Dad Network and spawned local and national advocates.

Maybe instead of stepping down from overwhelming professional roles, male CEOs should start making changes within their companies to promote better work/life balance for everyone and speaking out about the issue. The culture that makes everyone feel pressured to always be on call is one that can be changed, but it requires a broader cultural shift.

Most parents don't have the power to change company policies in order to ensure they can get to their kid's soccer game, but someone in a CEO position has the potential to begin changing the culture and allow all employees, and not just parents, flexible working hours, the option to work part-time or job share, the option to telecommute, more vacation time, and family friendly perks like days off to care for sick relatives. Companies will benefit from initiatives like these through better retention, and happier and less stressed employees who will therefore be more productive.

Employers who aren't paying attention to work/life balance with undoubtedly struggle in the next decade when it comes to attracting and retaining talent sinceMillennial worker are prioritizing work/life balance over things like higher salaries. To better serve employees and to improve productivity, both men and women should spend more time talking about the need for better work/life balance and coming up with solutions that will allow us all to have a little more time with the people we love.

Those life events only happen once. We need to find a way to make sure that our work commitments don't make us fall short on our personal ones.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/amanda-reaume/work-life-balance-dads_b_5903342.html

【父親節特輯】天才爸爸 Mario Loiseau 的故事        

Mario Loiseau works two jobs, including long hours as a parking lot attendant, to help pay for his 9-year-old daughter Mabou's tutoring. Mabou is a science and language prodigy and is already studying college-level algebra.

"So Daddy, how did you feel when I was born?" she asked her father during a recent visit to StoryCorps in New York City.

"It was like a dream come true," he said. "I wanted a child forever, and you were my first and only born. You know, so, when I went to the nursery to see you, you were sleeping. You opened the eyes and look at me. Everyone was amazed, even the doctor said, 'You see the connection she make with you?' "

Maybe that's why Mabou loves her dad so much. But still, she heard that Mario cried a lot the day she was born.

"Yes, I did. Tears of joy. I was so happy to have you," he said. "It's like sunshine comes into our house. It's so nice to be with you. You always come up with some new questions."

Mabou wonders if her constant questions annoy her dad, but he says it's not annoying it's challenging.

"But Dad, why do you leave so much instead of staying here with me?" she asked. "That's what's more important!"

Mario reminds her that he has to work.

"Daddy works two jobs, so you're going to have to go to my boss and ask him to give me days off," he said.

Mabou said she will do just that.

"OK, I know you will," he responded. "You know, I cannot be home all the time. But if I have enough time I will do four, five, 10, hundred jobs for your education. It's a joy to do that knowing that I'm doing that for you. Because I'm so proud to have you as a daughter."

Audio produced for Morning Edition by Von Diaz and Emily Martinez.

StoryCorps is a national nonprofit that gives people the chance to interview friends and loved ones about their lives. These conversations are archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, allowing participants to leave a legacy for future generations. Learn more, including how to interview someone in your life, atStoryCorps.org.

source: http://www.npr.org/2015/06/19/415461277/im-so-proud-to-have-you-as-a-daughter?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150619

今天是五月初五，傳統節日之端午節。除了賽龍舟和吃粽子，你對端午的認識還有多少？就讓我們來為大家補充一些關於端午節由來與習俗的知識吧！

端午節為每年農曆五月初五，又稱端陽節、午日節、五月節、五日節、艾節、端五、重午、重五、午日、夏節、蒲節，本來是夏季的一個驅除瘟疫的節日，後來楚國詩人屈原於端午節投江自盡，就變成紀念屈原的節日，與春節、中秋等節日同屬東亞文化圈的中國大陸、日本、韓國、臺灣、越南的重要傳統節日。

賽龍舟 ～～

龍舟競渡的活動，源自于戰國時代，是半宗教半娛樂的節目。後來，也用來紀念屈原。

端午粽～～

裹粽子的習俗，早在春秋時代已經形成。古時候的粽子裹成牛角狀，也稱角黍。經歷千年演變，才有今天的粽子。

懸艾草菖蒲～～

端午節是古代華人的衛生節。這一時段，家家都要灑掃庭除，保持居家衛生整潔。家家戶戶懸挂艾草菖蒲以驅五毒。

除了中國以外，亞洲不少國家都有慶祝端午的習俗和獨特的慶祝方式，例如：掛五彩綫、懸掛鍾馗相、有佩戴香囊、點雄黃酒、掛荷包等等。

【端午節午時立蛋】

端午節的典故和粽子的傳統大家都耳熟能詳，但是關於端午節午時立蛋的傳說你又知道多少呢？據說，每年農曆五月初五的端午節的午時（上午11時至下午1時）如果你能成功將雞蛋直立起來，就會為全年帶來好運氣！

端午節立蛋的習俗流傳已久，而科學家的說法是，因為端午節與夏至幾乎重疊。夏至發生時，地球軸心傾斜朝向太陽，造成太陽直射北半球，太陽引力與地心引力相互拉扯，恰巧形成兩股反方向的拉扯力量，作用在雞蛋上，就容易使蛋直立起來。同時，為蛋找一個摩擦力大的地方，如水泥地或有微細粒子的地面，也有助於將蛋直立起來。而平時當然也可以立蛋，只是困難度較高罷了。所以這個星期六的端午節中午，大家千萬別錯過這個測試手勢和運氣的好機會喔！

資料來源：昭明閣

【美 味 粽 子 健 康 吃】

健康營養資料提供：吳希素營養師

鹹肉粽的主要材料有糯米、綠豆、五花肉和鹹蛋黃。糯米主要提供碳水化合物，是日常飲食中熱量的主要來源。綠豆有豐富蛋白質及膳食纖維，而鹹蛋黃及五花肉則含有蛋白質、脂肪及膽固醇。比如一個包有豬肉、蝦米、香菇、栗子及鹹蛋黃的粽子（約250克），就有四份主食、兩份肉類，兩份油脂，而熱量就高達五百卡。差不多相等於一餐正餐的能量。

如何吃粽子最健康

要享受美味的粽子，同時要吃得健康，建議以粽子作為正餐的一部分，代替一餐的肉類及澱粉質。同時也要搭配青菜水果，以增加纖維攝取。此外，粽子本身已有調味料，所以應減少額外的調味料如豉油或白糖，以免攝入過多鹽及糖分。最後吃用粽子前都要充分加熱以殺菌，確保衛生。 

肥胖及各種慢性病人，一定要控制吃的份量，尤其是傳統的肉粽，內餡和糯米都先炒過，用油量多、熱量高。有痛風症或糖尿病人士在食用粽子時要特別謹慎，而每次份量也不應超過半隻（約125克）。對痛風症病人而言，豆類含有一定普林成分，會影響病情，所以有豆類的粽子不宜經常食用。而對於糖尿病患者而言，一隻粽子大約有一碗飯的澱粉質，因此不宜多吃。至於膽固醇過高人士，就不宜吃蛋黃及肥肉。有膽結石、膽囊炎和胰腺炎不要吃肉粽、蛋黃粽和太油膩的粽子。除此之外，糯米比較難消化，所以腸胃不佳人士也不宜過量食用。

如何包粽子最健康

包粽子時，最好選用符合「三少一多」 （少油，少鹽，少糖，多纖維）素材，調味少一點，應盡量選擇瘦肉而避免五花肥肉。以「板栗」取代蛋黃，加入紅蘿蔔、香菇、蘿蔔乾等，增加粽子的纖維質，或將糯米混加「五穀米」，增加粽子的纖維；另製作豆沙粽時，建議以植物油取代豬油，可降低粽子的熱量。

選粽子應注意：

1. 要看看粽子標籤上的生產日期和保質期，別買變質粽子
2. 要小心粽子的口味變化，如果嘗到粽子餡有點酸、有點發苦、口味不正，不要再食用
3. 要小心粽子的質量，一定要買商場，餐飲企業，超市的正規粽子
4. 要小心粽子的外包裝，買安全，衛生的粽子
5. 吃不完的粽子最好冷藏或冷凍，以保持新鮮

健康營養資料提供：吳希素營養師

【你知道嗎？】L A 也有划龍舟比賽 , 而且還有兩個！

Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival 長灘龍舟比賽

Date: 7/18 - 7/19/2015

Location: Long Beach Marine Stadium, 5225 East Paoli Way, Long Beach CA 90803 

http://www.lbdragonboat.com/

Los Angeles Dragon Boat Festival

Date: 10/17/2015

Location: Legg Lake Park, Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in  South El Monte

http://ladragonboat.com/

For many families, summer offers the perfect opportunity to embark on a memorable vacation. But here's the thing: Family vacations aren't always cheap. This isn't news for anyone who's ever planned a trip but what may be more revealing is exactly how much that getaway can take out of a family's yearly budget. According to a 2014 American Express survey, Americans spend an average of $1,246 per person on summer travel. For a family of four, that's $4,984. That figure may be discouraging for anyone trying to plan a budget-friendly getaway, though it doesn't seem to be stopping some families from forging ahead: According to an Orbitz survey conducted in March, 68 percent of respondents plan to take a summer vacation this year.

To help you avoid spending a small fortune on your family vacation, U.S. News enlisted the help of Kyle McCarthy, co-founder and editor of the Family Travel Forum, as well as Colleen Lanin, author of "The Travel Mamas' Guide" and founder and editor of TravelMamas.com. They shared their advice for planning a fun family trip that doesn't break the bank.

·        When to Splurge 如何適當地揮霍

o   Accommodations 挑選優質的住宿環境

A hotel can often make or break a vacation, which is why, according to McCarthy, it's worth splurging on. All-inclusive resorts, with their affordability, plethora of on-site amenities and kids clubs, can offer a lot of perks for families. But McCarthy warned that you should approach all-inclusive resorts offering rock-bottom prices with caution because in the end, subpar food, cramped rooms and a mediocre beach aren't worth the savings. "Instead, look for quality, and if it's a little out of your price range, make up for the cost by cutting your vacation a day or two short," she advised.

Lanin agreed, emphasizing that upgraded rooms can make a big difference in everyone's overall comfort. "When traveling with babies or young children, I highly recommend splurging on a hotel room with a balcony or patio, or a suite with two rooms so parents can still enjoy their vacation during naps and when the children get tucked in before sunset," she said.

Another easy area to save: breakfast. "Either book a hotel with included morning meals or stop by the local grocer to pick up your own breakfast fare," Lanin said. "Eating in not only saves money, but also gives your family more time to explore the sites, theme parks or hotel pool."

Along with a comfortable hotel room, McCarthy suggested devoting some of your vacation budget to the sights that are unique to the destination you're visiting. "If you're in Paris, maybe that's buying a ticket to the top of the Eiffel Tower," McCarthy said.

If there's not a particular attraction that defines a destination, maybe there's an experience. McCarthy shared that on a trip to Miami, her family opted for a Miami Duck Tour around the Biscayne Bay — a memorable experience that appealed to the whole group. McCarthy also suggested signing your kids up for lessons in a new activity or sport that they've expressed interest in. Whether it's something like skiing, stand-up paddleboarding or mountain biking, kids will often pay more attention when someone they're not related to is offering instructions, and it might spark a lifelong interest for them.

·        How to Save 如何節省開支

o   Use technology to your advantage 利用互聯網做軍師

Both McCarthy and Lanin suggested signing up for airfare price alerts with sites like Airfarewatchdog and Kayak as soon as you know your travel dates. "I have saved beaucoup bucks on airplane tickets by nabbing fares when they dip drastically in price," Lanin said.

For hotels, McCarthy recommended using trivago to compare several different booking sites at once. Or, you can ditch the hotel altogether and try swapping homes with another family, as Lanin has done using sites like HomeExchange.com or HomeLink. "You get much more space, separate bedrooms for all, and a full kitchen at a fraction of the cost of a hotel," Lanin said.

No matter where you decide to hang your hat, Lanin advised signing up for any available rewards program that might come in handy during your trip. "You just might be surprised at how quickly your points rack up, and sometimes you receive upgrades and other perks just for registering," Lanin said.

o   Avoid flying 盡量避免乘搭飛機

Airfare can often be the biggest hurdle to planning an affordable family getaway, which is why you might be better off looking into a different mode of transportation. If you're pondering a road trip, McCarthy recommended downloading the GasBuddy app, which helps users locate the cheapest gas prices in their vicinity.

Or if you'd rather let someone else do the driving, consider taking the bus. McCarthy said she and her family, who are based in New York, often take the Megabus instead of the Amtrak train for weekend visits to Washington, D.C. While you can't bypass traffic like you can on the train, charter buses like those operated by Megabus do offer some of the same conveniences as Amtrak trains, including free Wi-Fi, seat plug-ins, panoramic windows and tables for work or play. Plus, the ticket prices (some as low as $1) are unbeatable.

o   Stay with family or friends 跟朋友和家人聚首一起

For many families, visiting relatives or friends is a cost-effective alternative to a full-blown vacation: you and your kids still get away for a few days, but you won't be hit with a stack of hotel or restaurant bills. The only downside: it can be difficult to really get into vacation mode. If you're planning to visit relatives this summer, McCarthy recommended approaching the trip like a tourist. Do some research before you arrive and see what the destination offers visitors, whether it's outdoor concerts or a story time at the library. This ensures your kids aren't sitting on the couch watching TV for the entire vacation. Plus, it may allow your hosts to gain a new perspective of their own city.

·        Rules of thumb 經驗法則往往是您旅行的好夥伴

Whether you're looking to splurge or save, there are a few general pieces of advice McCarthy and Lanin offered to ensure a smooth family vacation. "My No. 1 tip is to get everyone involved in the planning process," McCarthy said. "If you involve your children and let them drive some of the activities, they'll feel like they have a stake in the vacation."

While your kids help plan the activities, you can strategize ahead for those extras that often bust a well-conceived budget. "Tipping, cab fares, subway tickets, entry fees and souvenirs add up fast!" Lanin said.

While it pays to budget and plan ahead, McCarthy also suggested leaving a little room for spontaneity.

"Don't underestimate the value of time spent together. Our lives are so overscheduled, and a vacation doesn't need to have every minute planned," McCarthy said. "Look at your itinerary and cut it in half. Sometimes, the things you remember the most aren't the activities you planned, but the moments in between."

** Credit to Ann Rivall from travel.usnews.com**

Original Article 原文請按此: http://travel.usnews.com/features/When-to-Splurge-and-When-to-Save-on-a-Family-Vacation/