Nominate a Young Person for Youth Recognition Day!
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the San Francisco Youth
Commission are proud to be sponsoring the 4th Annual Youth
Recognition Day to be held Tuesday, December 14, 2004.
In 2001, The San Francisco Youth Commission urged the citizens of San
Francisco to start actively recognizing the positive contributions
made each and every day by San Francisco's young people. The Board of
Supervisors responded with legislation creating Youth Recognition
Day – a day for San Francisco to honor young people who have
demonstrated the kind of leadership and courage that deserves our
recognition.
Eleven young people, one from each Supervisorial District, will be
selected and recognized at a ceremony and reception at City Hall on
Tuesday, December 14th. In order to be considered for this honor,
nominees must be between the ages of 12 and 23 years old. Nomination
forms will be reviewed by the members of the San Francisco Board of
Supervisors. Those honorees selected will be contacted by October 31,
2004.
Throughout our city and the world, youth are making valuable
contributions to improving schools, neighborhoods, and communities.
Be a part of this important day by nominating a young person to be
honored at Youth Recognition Day!
To nominate a young person, visit our website to download a nomination form,
and return to the San Francisco Youth Commission no later than 5:00pm
on Thursday, September 30, 2004.
For more information, please contact
Ron McCan, Program & Policy Coordinator, at the San Francisco Youth
Commission at (415) 554-6446.
Strep Throat (Group A Streptococci Infections)
Signs and Symptoms:
Approximately 15% of children who have a sore throat and fever are infected by Group A streptococci. When Group A streptococci infect the throat, they cause pharyngitis, which is a painful inflammation of the throat (pharynx). Swallowing may become so painful that the child has difficulty eating.
A child with strep pharyngitis often has a fever above 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius), with chills, body aches and loss of appetite. There also may be abdominal symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The tonsils and the back of the throat may look red, swollen, and dotted with whitish or yellowish specks of pus. There may be swollen glands in the neck and at the angles of the jaw. Strangely, in spite of all the throat pain, hoarseness and loss of voice are not common.
Some rare cases of strep infection may result in the production of a toxin that causes a bright red skin rash. This is the rash of "scarlet fever," and it usually lasts from the second to the sixth day of the strep throat infection.
Rarely, strep throat infections that are either untreated or incompletely treated can lead to rheumatic fever, an illness that can result in heart disease and arthritis. Another rare complication of a group A strep infection is acute glomerulonephritis, a kidney problem that begins 2 to 3 weeks after the initial infection.
Group A streptococci may also cause sinusitis, ear infections, pneumonia and skin infections (impetigo).
Description:
Group A streptococci are bacteria. They cause throat infections (pharyngitis), especially during cold winter months when people are crowded together indoors. Strep A bacteria spread from person to person through fluid droplets from the nose or throat of someone with a strep infection. Of all age groups, school- aged children and children in child care are most affected.
Group A streptococci also cause many different kinds of skin infections, most commonly impetigo. In very rare cases, strep A may also cause pneumonia, most often after a previous viral infection like the flu, measles, chickenpox or whooping cough.
Prevention:
In normal everyday life, there is no perfect way to avoid strep throat infections. At home, when someone is sick with strep throat, it's always safest to wash drinking glasses and eating utensils with hot soapy water, and to wash your hands often as you care for the affected person.
Care of a patient with strep-caused rheumatic fever usually requires medical specialists who may recommend ways to avoid future strep infections.
Duration:
The incubation period for Group A strep throat is usually 2 to 7 days after exposure. Fever typically stops within 3 to 5 days, and the sore throat passes soon afterward. Antibiotic therapy is usually completed within 7 days. If symptoms have improved, and the patient is without fever, she or he may return to school after 24 hours of antibiotic treatment. It is important, however, that they continue to take the full course of prescribed antibiotics even after they are back in class.
Contagiousness Strep throat is contagious, and strep bacteria can be passed through contact with the nasal or throat fluids of someone who is infected. After completing two days of appropriate antibiotics, one is no longer contagious. Estimates are that in a home where someone already has strep, about one out of every four family members will get it, too. There are also cases where persons, especially children, can be carriers of strep bacteria without having any symptoms (asymptomatic carriers). This means that the bacteria are present, but not causing any apparent problem or disease. Among school-age children, 5% to 15% may be asymptomatic carriers of strep bacteria.
Home Treatment:
A child with a severe strep throat may find that eating is painful, so provide soft foods or a liquid diet, if necessary. Include soothing teas and warm nutritious soups, or cool soft drinks, milk shakes and ice cream. Make sure that plenty of fluids are available, and take the temperature at least once each morning and each evening. Let the child rest in bed and play quietly.
Getting Involved at Your Child's School
Whether your child is just starting kindergarten, entering the final year of high school, or is somewhere in between, there are many good reasons and opportunities for you to volunteer at school. It's a great way to show your child that you take an interest in his or her education, and it sends a positive message that you consider school a worthwhile cause.
Many schools now have to raise their own funds for activities and supplies that would once have been considered basic necessities, and parent volunteers are essential in helping to organize and chaperone these fundraising events, as well as to participate in other school activities.
Why Should I Get Involved?
Parent volunteers offer a huge resource and support base for the school community while showing their kids the importance of participating in the larger community.
The school isn't the only one to reap the benefits of your involvement. By offering some of your time to the school, and by interacting with teachers, administrators, and other parents on a regular basis, you can gain a first-hand understanding of your child's daily activities and some insight into the trends and fads of school life that will help you communicate with your child as he or she grows and changes (all without intruding on your child's privacy or personal space).
Even if you haven't been involved in the past, it's never too late to start; in fact, it may be more important than ever to get involved when your child reaches secondary school. However, some parents may experience "volunteer burnout" by the time their children enter high school or may decide that the schools don't need them as much when the child leaves the primary grades. But many parents who volunteered a lot of time during their children's elementary years may have returned to full-time careers by the time their children reach their teens, so there's often a shortage in the secondary schools.
Finding the Right Opportunity
One of the best starting points for getting involved is a parent-teacher conference or open house - these are usually scheduled early in each school year, and they provide a great opportunity to approach your child's teacher or principal about volunteer involvement. If you have something to offer, or if you just want to help out in whatever way you can, discuss the possibilities with your child's teacher. The teacher may arrange something with you personally or direct you to a department head or administrator who can answer your questions and make suggestions. It's also a good idea to join the Parent- Teacher Association (PTA) or parents' advisory council.
Here are just some of the things your child's teacher and/or the PTA can help you to do as a school volunteer:
- act as a classroom helper
- mentor or tutor students
- help children with special needs
- volunteer in a school computer lab
- help organize, cater, or work at fundraising activities such as bake sales or car washes
- act as a lunchroom or playground monitor
- help to plan and chaperone field trips, track meets, and other events that take place away from the school
- help to plan and chaperone in-school events (i.e., dances, proms, or graduation ceremonies) organize or assist with a specific club or interest group (if you have an interest in an activity that isn't currently available to students, offer to help get a group started - for example, a chess club or cycling team) assist coaches and gym teachers with sports and fitness programs or work in the school concession stand at sporting events
- help the school administrators prepare grant proposals, letter-writing campaigns, or press releases or provide other administrative assistance
attend school board meetings
- work as a library assistant or offer to help with story time or reading assistance in the school library
- sew costumes or build sets for theatrical and musical productions
- work with the school band or orchestra or coach music students individually
help out with visual arts, crafts, and design courses and projects
- hold a workshop for students in trade or technical programs
- spend some time with a specific club or interest group (approach the teacher who sponsors the group)
- volunteer to speak in the classroom or at a career day, if you have a field of expertise that you'd like to share
- supervise or judge experiments at a science fair
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Wellness Center
Christy Parsons (Wellness Coordinator) is available daily.
Ian Enriquez (Youth Outreach Coordinator) is available daily.
Sheening Lin (psychologist) is available daily.
Monica Murphy (Nurse, Tobacco Intervention Coordinator) is available on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday.
Emi Koga (Japanese speaking counselor) is available from Tuesday to Thursday.
David Thompson (psychologist) is available Mondays.
Kory Okun (relationship counselor) is available Tuesdays.
Sharon Wong (psychologist) is available Wednesdays.
James Guay (therapist) is available Wednesdays.
Rebecca Peng (Mandarin speaking counselor) is available Thursdays and Fridays.
Reconnecting Youth classes held 7th period.
Chris Pepper (peer resources) is available daily and teaches classes during 4th and 5th period.
LGBT Teen Artists
The San Francisco LGBT Community Center wants to provide youth artists and would be artists 17 and under this opportunity. Come to the Youth Space at The Center every Saturday in October and learn a new art skill or perfect an old one! Then in November come see your work displayed in The Center! Come and meet other LGBT teens, talk about the issues that are important to you, and let your voice be heard and your art.
Every Saturday in October from 12-4 in The Center's Youth Space.
Come and meet other teens, talk about the issues that are important to you, and let your voice be heard and your art be seen!
The Center is located at 1800 Market St, San Francisco 94102
Contact Joel @ 415 865-5560 or JoelL@sfcenter.org for more information
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