Gwenyth Stuard, a Bethel Middle School seventh-grader, came up with a way to raise money for education about bullying so children and teachers learn how to stop it.

Down the road at Ridgefield High School, senior Chris Bedell self-published a book called “The Outsider” that he hopes provokes discussions about issues that face teenagers, including bullying.

His classmate, Sophie Needleman, started a website and campaign to stop cyber bullying at the school in response to a homophobic tweet.

The students are taking a stand against bullies.   (more…)

Why has Amtrak stopped letting children take the train on their own?

Last February, exactly one year ago, my children spent three and a half hours by themselves on an Amtrak train ride (more…)

Mill Pond Elementary School’s nurse and health teacher will begin presenting the Tar Wars anti-smoking program to fifth graders on Tuesday.

“I am always looking for creative ways to teach kids about topics like smoking, exercise, and nutrition and I came across Tar Wars on the Internet last year,” said Mill Pond school nurse Anita Hergert.

Tar Wars is an anti-tobacco education program owned and operated by the American Academy of Family Physicians designed (more…)

BBC presenter Jake Humphrey tweeted his enthusiasm for Keech Hospice Care’s new wristband – and the charity was swamped with requests for the stylish purple and blue number that costs only £2.

Spokeswoman Stevie Pattison-Dick said: “It’s a small way to demonstrate support for us in public, particularly in our birthday year.”

The wristbands are available across Keech’s 21 charity shops as well as at hospice reception.

Click here to read more.

FOR allergy sufferers, the idea that a simple home test can determine the source of their unpleasant symptoms is an appealing one.

Several websites offer DIY kits for as little as $70 promising to test for a number of common allergens using a small sample of blood.

With waiting lists at hospital allergy clinics up to a year long, doctors fear patients might be persuaded by the lure of home tests, which they say are unreliable.

(more…)