Sick and tired of hearing about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? Drew Carey is, too, especially after he learned about a sick prank that was played on a teen in his native Cleveland.
The comedian vowed to contribute $10,000 to a police reward for information about the teens who convinced an Autistic boy to take part in the viral charity challenge. Typically a bucket of ice water is dumped over a person's head to raise funds for ALS—except in this case, the bucket contained a mix of urine, feces, and spit. Hysterical, right?
They're at it again. Those golden Royals, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, are expecting their second baby. An official statement was released, though Kate is not yet at the 12-week mark—which, as far as the monarchy goes, is something of a reckless move.
Everyone is thrilled to bits, of course, with the possible exception of poor Kate since she's suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, the extreme morning sickness for which she was hospitalized during her first pregnancy. She is already being treated at Kensington Palace, and isn't expected to fulfill all of her royal engagements.
As with everything with the British monarchy, it seems the second pregnancy was carefully plotted and timed. But who knows, maybe it's just a happy coincidence. With George having just celebrated his first birthday to international fanfare in late July, Will and Kate will have their hands full (or rather their posse of nannies will).
Not only will Wee George have to share the blazing spotlight, his parents will have to contend with a new baby and a toddler. That can't be easy, although some parents swear by having babies in quick succession. While it makes for an intense couple of years, it's thought that having children close in age intensifies the bond between them. That could be a load of junk. I wouldn't know, having *gasp* stopped at one.
You tell me: is there an ideal age gap between babies?
Steal Her Style: How to dress like Kate Middleton on a budget.
Remember that teacher who was fired for handing out a zero grade to his students? Even though it seemed like a fair call at the time (and he won his appeal), researchers have found that holding kids back a grade can backfire in the long run.
Although some countries still retain kids who don't meet reading or other criteria, several studies highlight the harmful consequences of the practice.
While they may show initial improvement, kids who fail a grade tend to suffer academically and exhibit behavioural and social problems in the years that follow.
"The seeds of failure may be sown early for students who are retained, as they are significantly more likely to drop out of high school," said literacy professor Nancy Frey. "Furthermore, the trajectory of adverse outcomes appears to continue into young adulthood..."
Although it doesn't seem just or right to automatically pass a student who is under performing, doing so is ineffective.
Educators now realize that when it comes to literacy, both punishment and reward systems "shift students’ focus away from learning" and ultimately discourage literacy for its own sake. The focus, instead, should be on parental involvement, modified reading programs, and behavioural interventions.
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