Join a Community for Those with Allergies

Sniff. Sneeze. Achoo. Are you hearing these sounds in your house, too? Spring has most definitely sprung! And with spring comes allergy season. Did you know that May is Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month?

For those of you who suffer from allergies, you may want to check out...

AllerMates -- AllerMates is a brand of allergy, asthma, and health awareness products for kids featuring a cast of friendly characters called the AllerMates. AllerMates products include alert wristbands as well as EpiPen®, Auvi-Q™, and asthma inhaler carrying cases. AllerMates products are available at CVS, Kmart, Walgreens, and other national and regional chains as well as at online.

AllerMates products were created by founder and CEO Iris Shamus, who sought education and alert products for her son after leaning he had food allergies and asthma, but could not find materials that helped him learn about his allergies. The AllerMates products alert others to your child's allergy, while making your child feel special.

As a way to increase awareness, Allermates has launched an online community. Registration for the AllerMates community offers separate distinct options for parents and caregivers or allergy related professionals like doctors, nurses, nutritionists and those providing goods and services to the community. Users can sign up here. Users can exchange experiences, seek advice, post recipes, get breaking news and alerts, make friends, share photos and videos, use the “ask the doctor platform,” and create a strong support network of allies among others dealing with allergies and asthma. The community is easy to join and to use. It features the friendly images of AllerMates characters that have made the products so popular among children and their parents.

Maryland Closings: Monday Evening and Tuesday

Closings for evening activities in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, and surrounding areas in Maryland for this evening as of 5:15 p.m.

CLOSED MONDAY EVENING:

• Baltimore City Schools
• Baltimore County Schools
• Carroll Community College
• Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC, All Campuses)
• Coppin State University
• Frederick County Schools
• Harford County Schools
• Howard Community College
• Howard County Senior Centers
• Morgan State University
• Stevenson University
• Towson University (Main Campus),

CLOSED TUESDAY:

• B&O Railroad Museum
• Carroll Community College
• Carroll County Government
• Carroll County Health Department
• Carroll County Senior Centers
• Carroll Transit System
• Howard Community College
• Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
• Medstar Orthopaedics (Ellicott City, Lutherville, Union Memorial, and Westminster)
• McDaniel College
• Morgan State University
• Stevenson University
• Towson University (Main Campus)
• University of Maryland College Park

Choosing camps for tweens in Baltimore and surrounding areas

There may be snow on the ground, but summer is just around the corner. It won't be long before final exams and farewell picnics herald the end of the school year. 

During the school year, summer is anticipated by parents and tweens. The harsh reality is that 10 weeks or so of summer vacation with no activities scheduled can be long. Whether you are working parent or a SAHM, camps can be a good option for your tween.

When looking at camps for your tween consider the following:

What type of camp is needed? 

• Day
• Residential
• Academic enrichment or academic intervention
• Sports
• Dance
• Theater Arts
• Music/band
• Computer
• Film

Summer School: Academic Intervention v. Academic Enrichment

If your child is doing poorly in school, look in to academic classes offered through your county's education system. Howard County Public Schools offers academic intervention for struggling students in grades 1 through 9. Baltimore County Public Schools offer summer school to "assist learners in developing and accelerating skills and overall achievement."

Some students need advancement or enrichment over the summer. Howard County offers comprehensive summer school for grades K-12.

How many weeks of camp will you and your tween need?

• If you are a working parent, look at camps which offer discounts for enrolling for consecutive weeks.
• If you only need a few weeks here and there, peruse camp websites to find out which camps will work with your schedule.
• If your tween has multiple interests or MUST take a computer animation camp, check signup deadlines to ensure enrollment.

Logistics

• If you have more than one child who will be attending a camp, look carefully at location of each camp, check dropoff and pickup times, look in to carpooling with a friend.
• Don't want to make lunch every day? Check out which camps provide lunch.
• Does your child have a food allergy or disability? Look in to which camps have a nurse/health professional on staff.

Howard County Schools: Resources

As a long-time resident of Howard County, I have a wealth of experience with the Howard County Public School System. As a mom, I like to have all my resources in one place. 

Calendar, Boundaries, and General Information

Visit www.HCPSS.org.

Maryland High School Assessments

The Maryland Board of Education voted that beginning with the Class of 2009, all Maryland students must pass the high school assessments. The HSA -- high school assessments -- are four tests -- algebra/data analysis, biology, government, English. Your child will take each test as he completes each course.

Visit www.HSAexam.org or call 1-800-HSA-EXAM. Or ask your child's high school principal for information on the high school assessment.

State, School System, and School Scores

Go to www.MDReportCard.org.

Grandparents, Retirees, and Senior Citizens

Senior Pass -- Have a grandparent who lives close by to you or visits often? HCPSS offers free general admission to athletic contests, student plays, and musical performances at county schools to senior citizens. To obtain a Senior Pass, send your name or the name of the senior citizen, address, city, state, zip, phone number, and email address to:

Howard County Public School System

c/o Public Information Office

10910 Route 108

Ellicott City, MD 21042

Senior Pass Program -- Receive convenient information about the school system happenings via email. Register for Senior Pass Program.

Advisory Committees -- Senior citizens can provide input on school system policies and programs in their field of expertise through Ad Hoc, Curriculum Advisory Committees, and the Community Advisory Council.

Volunteering -- Help students with academic skills or enrichment activities for a few hours each week after school, on Saturdays, or over the summer. Contact program offices for specific information.

Health Alert: Meningococcal Disease

Do you know what disease tweens and teens are most at risk? Meningococcal disease and meningitis. Menigococcal disease is a rare, but potentially fatal illness that can strike at any time. Each year some 3,000 Americans contract the disease. Of this number, 300 or almost 10% die from the disease. This disease can potentially kill a healthy person in less than 48 hours.

The side effects of the disease are devastating:

• hearing loss
• brain damage
• loss of limbs
• severe scarring
• emotional problems,
• psychological problems, anxiety, depression, difficulty working

The 411 on Meninigitis

Meningitis is the name for infections in the meninges, membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Meningococcal meningitis is the most severe form of the infection.

Who Is at Risk?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stat that their data shows that the risk of contracting meningitis increases in children 11-18. Most at risk students who live in dorms or who spend time in close quarters with each other, like school children. College freshman are 5 times greater at risk than other students. 

How Do You Catch Meningitis?

A person can catch meningitis by having close contact with someone who is sick with the disease. Others carry the bacteria in their nose and throat. If a child, tween, or teen comes in contact with a "carrier," he could become infected with meningitis.

Behaviors that may increase risk of infection:

• Living in close quarters, like a college dorm.
• Being in crowded situations for prolonged periods of time.
• Sharing eating utensils and water bottles.
• Kissing
• Smoking or being exposed to smoke.
• Activities that weaken the immune system, like staying out late or having irregular sleep patterns.

What Are the Symptoms to Look for?

• Severe headache -- the worst the person has ever experinced
• High fever -- 103 degrees F which does not get lower with a tepid bath or fever reducing medication
• Stiff neck -- the membranes around the spinal cord and brain stiffen making moving the neck painful
• Nausea and vomiting
• Numbness or loss of feeling in hands, feet, limbs -- Sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, can reduce the amount of blood that gets to the person's hands or feet causing numbness, coldness, or loss of feeling
• Light sensitivity
• Confusion
• Rash
• Seizures

If you or your child, tween, and teen experience any or all of thse symptoms, you need to be seen by a health care professional immediately. If the person's symptoms are sever, go to the emergency room STAT!

Meningococcal Vaccinations

The risk decreases when adolescents and young adults get vaccinated for this disease. The vaccination for meningococcal meningitis is recommended by the CDC, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College Health Association.

If in doubt about whether you or your child have been vaccinated, ask your health care provider in Baltimore or whatever city or town you live near. Ask when your last vaccine was.

To learn more:

• Go to National Meningitis Association
• Go to Fight Meningitis

Health alert: Stay Up-to-date on Vaccines

From the birth of your baby, carry a small notebook to each well and sick baby visit. Your health care professional will record this data in your child's chart, but you will want to keep your own records. Keep these records for your child's infancy through the teenage years.

Use a small notebook that can fit in your diaper bag, purse, briefcase, or pocket to record:

• height/length
• weight
• head circumference for babies
• vaccinations
• specific details of illnesses
• referrals to specialists
• test results
• instructions for treatment

If you are on-the-go, you can record this data in a "notepad" on your smartphone. Check out these apps:

• Total Baby -- http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/total-baby/id312198543?mt=8 $4.99 
• Doctor Appt Organizer Life --http://www.appbrain.com/app/com.smartware.mobile.android.officevisitlite-- Android -- Free

Learning Resources: AD/HD, Learning Disabilities, and More

CHADD of Greater Baltimore offers speaker meetings, parent-to-parent training, support groups for adults with ADHD, parent support groups in Dundalk, Hunt Valley, and Ellicott City. Go to the local CHADD site for more infomation about meeting dates, etc.

The Learning Disabilities Association of America offers practical advice and resources for parents of children with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, These leanring disorders are often impacted by attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Click here for the LDA of Maryland. LDA chapter sites are available in the following counties: Calvert, Howard, Montgomery, and St. Mary's.

The Individual Differences in Learning Association works closely with the Howard County Public School System to provide professional development for teachers, support for families, and education for parents. Different learners are often known as twice exceptional, gifted/learning disabled, or gifted underachivers. These learners may also be diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia, Asperger's Syndrome, etc.