Summer Fun While School Is Out

 Summer is right around the corner - this Friday, June 21st, is its official start. Students everywhere are rejoicing, because this can only mean one thing - school's out, and it's time for Summer Vacation! Right here on Long Island, there are plenty of great warm weather activities that the whole family can enjoy - from visiting our local beaches and parks, to playing sports and games, and visiting local attractions - there are plenty of things to do for kids of all ages this summer on Long Island. Whether you're looking to indulge your sweet tooth, cool off on a hot day, or simply enjoy the company of your friends and family, Long Island has something for everyone.

To get the scoop about some of the hottest summer activities for the family, head over to LongIsland.com and read the story in full!

Fun Indoor Activities For Kids & Family That You Can Enjoy All Winter Long!

There may be a chill setting in the air, but don't let the winter cold slow you and your family down! If you're looking for fun indoor things to do with your family, then we've got you covered! From great spots to take the kids out and spend the day, to fun activities and recipes that parents and children alike can enjoy in the comfort and warmth of home, there's plenty to do - even on a snow day.





Check out the Guide in Full on LongIsland.com!

When you're stuck inside with a case of the winter blues, what do you do for fun? Let us know, and your idea may be featured in one of our upcoming articles!

Internet Safety for Parents: Do You Know What Your Child is Doing Online?

By Jason Reis

Most school age children in today’s society have full access to the internet. While it is true that the internet possesses an infinite amount of information which can help with schoolwork, it also opens up a whole new social world and brings together people from all over the world that may be preying on children.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 1 in 5 children state they have received unwanted sexual advances while online.

And, a 2006 study by the Zandi Group of teenage students reported the following disturbing statistics:

54% of students surveyed said they frequently have private conversations with online strangers
42% of teens said they have posted personal information online
30% of teens reported that they have talked with a cyber stranger about
meeting in person
16% of pre-teens and teens discovered that someone online was an adult
pretending to be much younger.

In the same study;

33% of pre-teens and teens say that their parents know little or nothing about what they do online,
22% say their parents have never discussed Internet safety with them
42% of parents don't monitor what their children read or type in chat rooms.
95% of parents have stated they don't understand the shorthand lingo kids' use in chatrooms such as "A/S/L" which means age/sex/location, or "P911" which means parent over shoulder.

Parents need to know what their children are doing on the internet at all times. The internet is a world that is the total opposite of the offline “real world.” For instance, we teach our children never to talk to strangers or give out personal information. We even define a stranger as anyone the child has not met and does not know. Yet in cyberspace, with the popularity of sites like Facebook or MySpace, kids are talking to strangers and even exchanging personal information on a daily basis.

Even internet games have become a source for predators to contact children, as well as a place where children get harassed and bullied. X-Box, PlayStation and even many computer games now include features that allow children to talk to each other real time (using a microphone).

Many parents are still intimidated by computers because they simply don't understand them, yet kids seem to grasp technology much faster. However parents need to educate themselves and learn the lingo. It's only after they learn the language and put aside their technology fears that they can truly understand the threat and protect their child from it.

Here are important tips to keep your children safe online:

1. Create your own home computer rules that each child should read, understand and sign. Keep a copy posted near the computer.

2. Keep the home computer in a common space that can easily be seen by parent(s) as they do house choirs, not in a child’s room.

3. Look into purchasing filtering programs such as “spyware”, “adware” and anti-virus, and parental block software to safeguard web surfing.

4. If your child uses chat or e-mail, talk to them about never meeting in- person with anyone they first "met" online.

5. Talk to your child about who they are emailing and chatting with online.

6. Visit the websites your child visits on a regular basis. If your child has a MySpace or Facebook account, log in and become familiar with the site and review what your child has posted.

7. Type your child's full name, username and any alias you know your child uses into a search engine. Children often post on message boards and social networking sites. This is a good way to discover what your child is posting online.

8. Monitor where your child goes online. For example, all computers have a history folder and temp files folder which enable you to see what websites have been visited, as well as any files that have been downloaded.

9. Teach your child the golden rule of cyberspace: Never do anything online that they would not do offline.

10. Get involved with your child and stay in the loop of what he/she is doing online, while still allowing some level of personal space.

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Jason Reis is the owner of Session Media, a website development and branding solutions firm based out of Selden, NY. Session Media strives to provide the service and solutions that satisfy their existing customer needs—as well as to meet the needs of new customers. With access to some of the best resources for product development and branding services, Jason welcomes the opportunity to provide advice and solutions on a myriad of IT topics, including safety and security. For information, check out his website at www.sessionmedia.net and drop him an email.

Things To Do on Long Island New York

Sundown Series: Summer Concerts and Family Fun


The following programs are being presented by The Parent Resource Center (PRC) of Port Washington on Tuesday nights and are geared toward kids and families. All proceeds generated by PRC hosted events are used to support the Parent Resource Center and its programs.

The Parent Resource Center is a non-profit cooperative dedicated to providing affordable, quality educational and social opportunities to all of our community’s families. Operating in an economically and culturally diverse area, PRC members celebrate their differences through the open exchange of ideas and experiences. At the same time, families come together at the PRC to share the joys and challenges of raising young children while their children play, experiment, and learn in a safe and nurturing environment.

The Parent Resource Center
232 Main Street, Suite 4
Port Washington, NY 11050
516-767-3808

Port Washington Parent Resource Center
Sundown Series: Port Washington Police and Fire Department/BBQ

Tuesday evening July 8, 2008 6:00-7:30pm

Meet our local firefighters and police officers. Climb aboard a real Fire Truck! Learn all about fire safety and wear a fire helmet. Bring a blanket and join us outside on the lawn at Landmark Park (across from the library). A BBQ dinner and other tasty treats will be available for purchase. Admission is $5 per person. Children under 1 year are free. No reservations or advanced ticket sales necessary. Please call the PRC office at 516-767-3808 for details.

Port Washington Parent Resource Center
Sundown Series: Jeff Sorg and his Songs Say So Much Band with tips for “living green”

Tuesday evening July 15, 2008 6:00-7:30pm

Dance and sing along with the music of this popular recording artist and Port resident. And pick up some tips for “living green”. Bring a blanket and join us outside on the lawn at Landmark Park (across from the library). Pizza, beverages, and other tasty treats will be available for purchase. Admission is $5 per person. Children under 1 year are free. No reservations or advanced ticket sales necessary. Please call the PRC office at 516-767-3808 for details.


Port Washington Parent Resource Center
Sundown Series: Miss Holli and Tommy with a Luau theme

Tuesday evening July 22, 2008 6:00-7:30pm

Kick up your heels and enjoy this fabulous duo’s fun interpretations of children’s classics! Our Luau theme will create a more festive evening so don’t forget to try some Hula-dancing lessons and the Limbo. Bring a blanket and your best dance moves to the Landmark Park (across from the library) for plenty of warm weather and musical fun! Pizza, beverages, and other tasty treats will be available for purchase. Admission is $5 per person. Children under 1 year are free. No reservations or advanced ticket sales necessary. Please call the PRC office at 516-767-3808 for details.


Port Washington Parent Resource Center
Sundown Series: Laugh and Sing with Bruce

Tuesday evening July 29, 2008 6:00-7:30pm

Sing along to original music and old time favorites with Bruce Katz of Little People Entertainment. This fun interactive show will let your children participate with props and musical instruments. So gather the kids, bring a blanket and join us outside on the lawn at Landmark Park (across from the library). Pizza, beverages, and other tasty treats will be available for purchase. Admission is $5 per person. Children under 1 year are free. No reservations or advanced ticket sales necessary. Please call the PRC office at 516-767-3808 for details.


Port Washington Parent Resource Center
Sundown Series: Lynda Quinn – DJ extraordinaire

Tuesday evening August 5, 2008 6:00-7:30pm

Turn the beat around! Join us as we reunite with the PRC’s favorite DJ, Lynda Quinn! She’ll be sure to have everyone up and dancing! So gather the kids, bring a blanket and join us outside on the lawn at Landmark Park (across from the library). Pizza, beverages, and other tasty treats will be available for purchase. Admission is $5 per person. Children under 1 year are free. No reservations or advanced ticket sales necessary. Please call the PRC office at 516-767-3808 for details.

The Parent Resource Center
232 Main Street, Suite 4
Port Washington, NY 11050
516-767-3808

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The PRC is a Parent CO-OP that offers members classes for pre-school aged children (with and without their parents), social gatherings and field trips for the whole family, workshops for parents, drop-in playtime (with parents) , drop-off baby-sitting and a myriad of resources for the whole family. For more information and upcoming programs, visit the website at www.parentresource.org

Growing Demand of Families Struggling on Long Island, New York

Dear Friend,

Newsday's recent cover story, "Look Who Needs Help Now," may seem like an eye-opener, but sadly it is a situation with which we at Island Harvest are all too familiar.

With the cost of such essentials as home heating oil up 50%, gasoline up 21%, food staples up 18 - 22%, unrelenting taxes, and increasing mortgage payments - we find ourselves in a crisis that is compelling solidly middle class Long Islanders to turn to food pantries and other local charities for assistance with the basics.

We hear the stories every day - and have been hearing them for a while about the struggle working people must face to provide their families with nutritious meals to make it through a day. Demand for turkeys by our network of member soup kitchens, food pantries, and other agencies reached 22,000 last holiday season - a shocking 42% increase over the prior year.

As Long Island's largest hunger relief organization, we are supplementing over 5 million meals each year - yet it is still not enough to meet the growing demand of those struggling to make ends meet.

We continue to work hard to find creative ways to fill in the ever growing gap between the supply of donated food and demand for it - including securing commitments from new businesses and trucking in more food to Long Island from other parts of the country.

Your help is needed to address this not always visible, but serious and growing situation. You can help by making a contribution, volunteering, donating food, organizing a food drive, or getting your company or school involved with us. Our Web site offers many great suggestions on how you can get involved in the fight against hunger and food waste - and lend a hand to our neighbors in need.

Or if you want to talk to a person, you can call us at 516-294-8528.

Thank you for your concern and continued support as we work together in ending hunger and reducing food waste on Long Island.

Sincerely,
Randi Shubin Dresner
President and CEO


Island Harvest
199 Second Street
Mineola, N.Y. 11501 USA
516-294-8528

Island Harvest is a non-profit organization the bridge between those who have surplus food and those who need it. Our staff and volunteers “rescue,” or “collect,” good surplus food from over 600 retailers and wholesalers. Then, they deliver it, free of charge, to our network of 440+ soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, Head Start programs, senior and community centers, and other places where those who need it can get it, all across Long Island, New York.

There are so many ways you can get involved with Island Harvest, from making a contribution or making a long-term investment by leaving Island Harvest in your will, becoming a volunteer, conducting a food drive or becoming a sponsor. For more information call 516-294-8528 or visit the website at www.islandharvest.org