WEEKLY Volume 23, Number 38 - Sept.

24, 2010

Bridging The Communication

Gap Between School And Home
Page 13
 Dean Sanders
Lawyer

2113 Kell Blvd

Wichita Falls, Texas 76308-1245
940-766-0266

?
HOW DO I
GET A
LOAN?
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1 Bring in your merchandise in good working order.
2 Show proper state issued ID.
3 Get the cash you need.
If you need more time,just pay
the interest to renew the loan. CA$H LOANS
We accept jewelry, tools, guns,
car stereos, musical instruments
in minutes!
and much more!

CASH N MORE Pawn & Jewelry

767-5626
Call for FREE
126904

LOAN QUOTE!
3910 Jacksboro Hwy. MON-FRI 8:30-6 • SAT 9-5
www.cashnmorepawn.com
CHECKS LAYAWAY

Page 2
 Bridging The
Communication
Gap Between
School And Home
Page 13

Page 3
Page 4
How To Effectively Express Your Personal Brand Online
(ARA) - Millions of people connect with others online
through Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and other so-
cial media platforms. These tools can be beneficial,
helping you meet new people, re-connect with old
friends, communicate with current friends and even
find jobs.
However, using social media can create a clutter of
information about you online, giving others the op-
portunity to pass judgment without your control. This
doesn’t mean you should shut down your Facebook,
Twitter and Foursquare accounts, but rather turn your
social media presence into an opportunity to brand
and market yourself to the online community. And if
you’re one of many job-hunting Americans, marketing
yourself online can be the critical point for true candi-
dacy for the job you want.
Emmy-nominated TV/online personality Shira Lazar
was recently named “Social Media Maven,” winning
Ashton Kutcher’s 24 Hours at Sundance competition.
She’s also the host/guest judge of the MSN video se-
ries “The Tastemaker,” a contest that features six con-
testants competing in a series of challenges to moti-
vate their social networks and community to win the
title of “tastemaker.” Here are some simple tips from
Lazar to help you be smart and strategic when effec-
tively building your online brand:
* Consistency of your brand. Know yourself and your
message. People can see through a fake brand or im-
age. When you embrace your authentic voice, you’ll
find your audience and your audience will find you.
Once you’ve honed in on your brand, be consistent in
Page 5
your engagement. Just like a friend, you won’t build
loyalty with your followers if you’re never around.
* Converse and share. Your brand isn’t just about you,
but the conversation you create and what you contrib-
ute. Use your online platform to put the spotlight on
issues and people that inspire you.
* Content is king. Don’t just talk about what you’re eat-
ing and doing. Twitter and Facebook status updates
are the new news feeds. If you can provide important
and relevant content to your followers, then you will
become a valuable source of information, too. Sites
like MSN.com make it easy to share articles and vid-
eos with just one click.
* Quality over quantity. If the number of followers is
your key indication of success, you’re looking at the
wrong thing. It’s the quality of people following you
and those who really listen and interact, not the quan-
tity.
* Incorporate multimedia. People love connecting in
more ways than just the written word. Try incorporat-
ing photos and videos in your Facebook or Twitter
posts to add more color. Resources like Twitpic.com,
Facebook’s mobile apps and more make uploading
multimedia content a snap, either at home or on the
go.
* Keep learning. Stay curious, and keep up with the
latest innovations, topics and news. One way is by
observing ways other people are building their brands
and activating their communities, like the contestants
on the MSN video series Tastemaker at tastemaker.
msn.com. Watch the show
to see how each contes-
tant motivates their social
networks and community
to participate in certain ac-
tivities for their challenges.
Jot down some of those
ideas, or even jump start
your online brand building
by submitting your video
vote while the contest is
still happening through the
end of October.
Page 6
Safety Doesn’t Take A Holiday
(ARA) - The holiday season is a great time to
gather with family and friends in your home to
celebrate the season. In the rush of decorating
the home and shopping for gifts, many people
overlook simple safety precautions.
Whether you are stringing lights inside or outside
your home, shopping for holiday decor for your
office or dorm room, or looking online for the lat-
est gadgets and gifts, it is important to keep safe-
ty in mind.
CSA International, a global product safety, test-
ing and certification organization, recommends
that you remember these smart decorating and
shopping tips to help ensure everyone has a safe
holiday season:
Deck your halls: indoor safety tips
* Inspect holiday light strings each year and dis-
card any with frayed cords, cracked lamp holders
or loose connections.
* Never tack or staple lighting strings or extension
cords to any surface.
Page 7
* Never run electrical cords through doorways or
under carpets and rugs.
* Always turn off holiday lights when you leave
the house unattended or when going to bed.
* Do not use open flames or candles on or near
flammable materials such as wreaths, trees or
paper decorations.
* Avoid hanging decorations on or near objects
like fire sprinklers, fire extinguishers, exit corri-
dors or exit signs which can hinder one’s vision
or safety.
* Consider using certified LED holiday lights
around your home, as they are more energy-ef-
ficient and longer lasting than traditional lights.
* Ensure your home includes certified working
smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on each lev-
el of your home.
All is bright: outdoor lighting tips
Page 8
 floodlights are certified
and marked for outdoor
use.

* When hanging lights

outdoors, keep electri-
cal connectors above
ground, out of puddles
or snow and away from
metal gutters.

* Use insulated fas-

teners such as tape or
plastic clips rather than
nails or tacks to hold
lights in place.

* Remove lights
promptly after the holi-
days to avoid damage
caused by extended
exposure to harsh weather conditions.
* Before working with outdoor wiring, turn off the
electricity to the supply outlet and unplug the
* Use a certified timer to switch lights on and off.
connection.
* Consider using solar lighting for illuminating
* Ensure that light strings, cords, spotlights and
your walkway or outside space to be more con-
scious of the environment while improving your
outdoor safety.

Shop safe: avoid counterfeit products

* Avoid electrical products such as electric toys,

Attend college and high school without

My school
leaving MSU’s campus area! offers both
high school &
Come to Bright Ideas University Center, college...
a public junior high and high school that
prepares young minds for college. All Before I
Call us today at 940-767-1561. grADuAte!

Announcing the addition of

My school Dance Classes & Texoma Judo!
focuses on
learning,
character, Come to Bright Ideas Charter
college... School, a public school that’s been
Shaping Young Minds for 25 years.
AND fuN! Call us today at 940-767-1561.

Page 9
Page 10
household appliances, power tools and consumer
electronics that are missing a label from an ac-
credited certification organization such as CSA
International. Counterfeit electrical products have
not been tested to the applicable standards and
may present an electrical, fire or toxic danger.
fier or trademark, it may be a fake. Look for miss-
ing return addresses or company contact infor-
mation.
* Check the “look and feel” of products. Fakes are
often light and flimsy.

* Counterfeit packaging often has inferior designs
or partial illustrations. Look for misspellings and
unclear print on products and labels.
* Check for a discrepancy between the contents
of the product package and its description.
* When a product doesn’t include a brand identi-
* Buy only from reputable stores with clearly stat-
ed return policies.
For a fun and interactive website on holiday safe-
ty that the whole family can enjoy, featuring a hol-
iday safety cartoon, visit www.CSAHoliday.com.
For more general safety tips, visit www.CSASa-
fetyTips.com.

No kid should have

TXU Energy is proud to partner with

to worry about living

without electricity.
Sometimes even the hardest working parents get hit
with unexpected expense. We know about those times.
That’s why we have a program called TXU Energy Aid. Nobody should have to suffer
SM

without power for fear of an electricity bill they can’t afford. We’re proud to provide
temporary bill payment assistance to thousands of customers in critical situations
each year, right in your community. Since 1983, TXU Energy Aid has provided more
SM

than $61 million in bill payment assistance, helping 365,000 families in need.
Learn more at txu.com.

©2010 TXU Energy Retail Company LLC. All rights reserved. REP #10004
New Hope Church
Please Join Us For Sunday Services

300 Wichita Street, Wichita Falls, Texas 76307

Page 12
 Bridging The Communication Gap Between School And Home
(ARA) - As your kids settle into the school year, you versity, Orange County and an educational profes-
may find that dealing with your child’s education sional with 20 years teaching and 14 years admin-
can sometimes be a bit unsettling. Whether it’s a istrator experience. “Whether your child is young
new year with a new teacher whose communication enough for you to volunteer in the classroom or
style leaves you wanting more or dealing with ma- whether you join the good old PTA, you’re gaining
jor issues from grades to behavior, having a solid access to knowledge about how the classroom and
working relationship with your child’s school can be the school work and gaining access to school ad-
as critical as their daily attendance. ministrators that can be very useful for staying in
tune with your child’s education.”
We live in a real-time society where instant ac-
cess to grades via the Internet and to your children Another critical component to keeping your child out
via cell phones is the norm. Parents are continu- of trouble and focused on studies is to know your
ally looking to bridge the gap between school and child’s friends. “Parents should always be monitor-
home. ing their child’s friends,” says Abrams. “Know who
your children are hanging out with, texting, and talk-
“The reality is that teachers have so many students ing to on social networking sites and what they are
and so many constraints on their time that they sim- doing with them. Kids are attracted to people just
ply cannot give an adequate amount of attention to like them so if you find they hang out with a ‘bad
communicating home to the child’s parents,” says crowd’ the reality is that they are the ‘bad crowd’
Dr. Mike Papadimitriou, headmaster for the Acad- and you may need to intervene.”
emy of Science in Conroe, Texas. The key to suc-
cess for parents, he says, centers along creating Kids who stay active are kids who stay out of trouble,
the appropriate and acceptable lines of communi- both Abrams and Papadimitriou agree. Whether it’s
cation with the school and with their child. a school club, the band or athletics, the more time
kids spend in the presence of an adult engaged in
“The best way to keep abreast of what’s going on something positive, the better off they’ll be.
at school is to get involved,” says Dr. Marv Abrams,
an adjunct educational professor for Argosy Uni- When your child faces trouble, socially or academi-
cally, staying neutral is the key. “Parents can lose

RED RIVER objectivity when it comes to their children. They

send their children to us as their most prized pos-

HOSPITAL sessions and can forget that their children, like

WFISD Now Hiring Food Service Staff

Behavioral
Please Contact MyStaf
Health at 940-322-5588
Services
Inpatient &
Outpatient
Programs
No Charge
Confidential
Assessments
24 hours a day, 7 days a week

UI
4USFFU
r
8JDIJUB
'BMMT
59
200157 XXXSFESJWFSIPTQJUBMDPN
200157 940-322-3171
Page 13
Page 14
us as administrators, sometimes make mistakes. help support your child’s learning. Stay focused on
Nobody is perfect - the goal should be to focus on your child and not on telling the teacher how to run
the problem at hand and correcting the situation, the class or how to work with other kids.”
not on identifying blame with either the child or the
school,” says Papadimitriou. “Never criticize the teacher or school in front of your
child,” says Abrams. “It forces your child to choose
While many parents consider themselves as much between the authority of the school and your au-
a friend to their child as a parent, setting clear thority as a parent and only sets them up for fur-
boundaries for yourself is as important as getting ther conflicts in the future. If you need to discuss
involved. “Allow your child to work through the is- an issue, you talk to the teacher without your child
sue on their own,” says Abrams. When they come knowing. That gives you the opportunity to partner
to you with an issue, ask what they are doing about with the teacher to find a solution and sets your
the problem and how they can resolve it. Offer ad- child up for success in the future. It also sets you
vice that can help them work it out for themselves. up to be able to reinforce the work the teacher is
Papadimitriou agrees and adds, “If that doesn’t doing.”
work, then you communicate with the teacher,” he
says. “While a child is never expected to adjust to an
abusive situation,” says Papadimitriou, “sometimes
If the issue is academic, Abrams recommends get- children just have to learn to adjust to different
ting to know the learning environment better. “Ask ways of doing things and to different personalities.
the teacher how he or she is teaching the content The less critical and the more cooperative you are
standards and when they are teaching which sub- as a parent, the more positive impact you can have
jects. Ask for additional work and/or resources to on your child’s education.”

Page 15
Page 16
Save Money, Energy This Winter With Vent-Free Gas Products

(ARA) - As winter approaches and you reach for the free gas unit in the rooms your family uses most often.
thermostat, you might be thinking of ways to save This can save precious energy dollars - more than 20
money and energy. Installing an environmentally percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy
friendly vent-free gas product could do both. - compared to maximizing the heat in both occupied
and vacant rooms in your home.
Vent-free gas appliances - such as wall heaters, logs,
stoves, inserts, and fireplaces - are modern, cost-ef- In addition to zone heating to reduce energy costs,
fective, and easy to install. Because they require no vent-free gas appliances are very economical. They
chimney or vent, vent-free gas systems are less ex- operate at 99 percent efficiency - delivering 99 cents
pensive, and quicker and easier to install than other worth of heat for every dollar of energy cost.
types of gas zone heating systems.
Environmentally friendly vent-free appliances are fu-
These products provide supplemental heat to com- eled with natural gas or propane, among the cleanest
plement your home’s existing central furnace or heat of all fossil fuels, according to the U.S. Environmen-
pump, improving energy efficiency and providing tre- tal Protection Agency. Both gases are domestically
mendous comfort and ambiance. abundant and are secure sources of energy. In addi-
tion to a clean, green output, vent-free gas products
A great way to use a vent-free gas product is for zone don’t generate hazardous waste when they’re manu-
heating, which allows you to turn down your home’s factured.
central heat system and focus the heat from a vent-
When winter weather hits your neighborhood and
puts your power supply at risk, you can be assured
of having a reliable, efficient heat source with a vent-
free gas product. That’s because these systems re-
quire no electricity, so they will continue to provide
reliable heat even when the electricity is interrupted.

In addition to saving money and energy, vent-free

gas products have a remarkable safety record. These
products have been available to consumers for more
than 30 years, with more than 20 million units sold.
As with any gas appliance, proper installation, basic
care and regular maintenance are required.

You can learn more about vent-free gas appliances

HURRY - OFFER ENDS SOON! at www.ventfree.org.
401 N. Scott Avenue
Wichita Falls TX 76306
Phone: 940.322.4121
Fax: 940.716.9333

*Finance offer subject to credit approval, applies to purchases of new Yamaha Motorcycles, ATVs & Scooters made on a Yamaha Installment Financing loan account from 7/1/10-9/30/10. Minimum
contract length is 24 months and maximum length is 36 months. Minimum amount financed is $5,000. Fixed APR of 3.99%, 5.99%, 8.99%, or 14.99% will be assigned based on credit approval
criteria. Monthly payments per $1,000 financed based on 36 month term are $29.52 at 3.99%, $30.42 at 5.99%, $31.80 at 8.99%, and $34.66 at 14.99%. **Customer Cash offer good on select
2010 (and prior year) models between 6/1/10-9/30/10. Offer good only in the U.S., excluding the state of Hawaii. Professional riders with advanced skills on closed course. Some models
shown with optional accessories. Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, gloves and boots. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. Yamaha and the Motorcycle
Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227. ATVs with engine sizes over 90cc
are recommended for use only by riders age 16 years and older. Yamaha recommends that all ATV riders take an approved training course. For safety and training information, see your dealer
or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always avoid paved surfaces. Never ride on public roads. Always wear a helmet, eye
protection and protective clothing; never carry passengers; never engage in stunt riding; riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix; avoid excessive speed; and be particularly careful on difficult terrain.
©2010 Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. All rights reserved. yamaha-motor.com

Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21