First rule of winter driving.... Slow Down!

Winter means updating your outerwear to include mittens and a thermal jacket, but before you hit the road, have you also updated your winter driving skills? When temperatures drop, roads can become more dangerous, meaning you need to change how you drive.

Steve Magnante, SPEED collector car expert and “On-the-Block” reporter, offers some valuable tips for driving smart and staying safe on the unpredictable roads of winter:

1. Top rule of winter driving: slow down

Winter brings snow, ice and sleet, and these variables change how your vehicle grips and moves on the road. Staying alert and slowing down is the first step of safe winter driving, because you never know the exact road conditions or how your car might react to them.

“You’re used to going 55 or 60 (mph) down a stretch of road and forget that on wet or snowy pavement the coefficient of friction, or the relationship between your tire and the road, is not the same. So, take 20 percent off your speed, of course until you know it’s safe to drive faster,” suggests Magnante.

2. Keep an eye out for the unknown

First, always be aware of other drivers on the road. “Even though you might be a great driver, sometimes there are people around you that didn’t get the message,” says Magnante. “Keep a nice distance between you, and the people around you, particularly if there are people in front of you because if you are following too close and they have to hit the brakes hard, you could be in trouble.”

Second, watch for virtually invisible black ice, which appears as shiny, black or wet tar on the road, and can leave drivers with little-to-no traction when they hit it. “The best thing is for the driver to be proactive, slow down, keep an eye out for black ice and keep cars away from you, as best you can,” Magnante says. “Don’t let people push you into their accident.”

3. Test your winter driving skills

Today’s modern cars come with a plethora of safety features that protect passengers, particularly in tough winter environments, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to adjust how you drive to stay safe. While specialized winter driving courses do exist, they may not be available in some areas. If you can’t take a course, Magnante recommends finding an empty, open space (make sure it’s legal), and seeing how your car behaves on winter driving surfaces.

“If you can drive around on snow in a way that you’re going slowly, but you can cut the wheel hard, brake hard, you can learn some lessons about what it is to be driving on snow in a place where you can’t hurt yourself or your car, like behind a Walmart parking lot,” says Magnante.

4. Navigate ice and snow with caution

If you live in an area that gets a lot of ice or pack snow and it’s allowed, studded snow tires are a worthy investment. “They aren’t something you are going to find on every street corner, but if you have a lot of ice where you live, think about getting them, and put them on all four tires,” Magnante says.

If you only encounter ice periodically during winter, try to drive on the areas of roads that have been treated with sand and salt. If you do slide, he says, “steer into the skid. For example, if the tail of the car is coming out to the right, you want to turn to the right, rather than turn into the left, giving the rear more momentum to swing the car around and spin out.”

5. Use your common sense and be prepared

When it comes to heading out on the road, trust your gut feeling and use your common sense. If the weather conditions are rough and your travels aren’t absolutely necessary, stay home until things improve. If you do drive, pack some emergency supplies such as a blanket, boots, insulated mittens, a small shovel and always have your cell charged and ready. Consider storing an extra jug of windshield antifreeze in the trunk so if you run out, you can refill and keep your windows and vision clear.

If you are in need of help with your “Winter Ride” be sure to contact the local automotive suppliers and service shops that support your local community and EdinboroOnline.com. Here is a short list: Dobber Auto Supply, Kosaniak Service, Walker Brothers Chevrolet, English Tire, and Jay’s Auto Wrecking

The holidays are full of fun activities, tasty treats and plenty of celebration, but being busy and eating all the extras can quickly lead to weight gain. With a few key strategies, it’s surprisingly easy to enjoy the season to the fullest and still avoid Santa’s extra bulge.

Dr. Christopher Mohr is a fitness and nutritional expert who consults for television, print and radio outlets throughout the country. He understands the difficulties of staying health-focused during all the festivities. Mohr offers some good reminders and unique insights on how to avoid gaining extra weight during the holidays.

Eat quality calories

‘Too many people think that to avoid weight gain you need to avoid calories. In reality, you need to eat calories to stay healthy, but you need to focus on quality calories,’ says Mohr. ‘Choose foods that are packed with vitamins and nutrients, rather than just empty calories.’

Seek out ‘real’ foods for snacks and meals over processed junk foods full of salt, unhealthy fats, and sugar. The fresher the better, because when foods are minimally processed, they typically retain higher levels of vitamins and minerals. For example, skip the bag of chips and snack on fresh fruits and veggies. When possible, cook meals at home where you can control the ingredients and reduce unhealthy extras like butter, salt and oil.

Manage stress and focus

During the holidays, people tend to try to do too much. This quickly leads to stress, which can have many unhealthy consequences, including overeating and weight gain. Being extremely busy also can lead to convenience eating, where you hit up the nearest fast food restaurant to save time, rather than head home to cook a nutritious meal.

‘Remember to stay focused during the holiday season and take breaks,’ reminds Mohr. ‘If you’re too stressed, you will be more likely to eat unhealthy foods and get less sleep. That combination may compromise your immune system. The last thing you want is a few extra pounds and a bad cold at the conclusion of the holidays.’

Support a healthy metabolism

‘In order for your metabolism to function as efficiently as possible, you need to fuel your body regularly,’ Mohr explains. ‘That means you need to eat balanced meals and take supplements that support your metabolism.’

He advises to never skip breakfast, no matter how busy you are. Breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism and helps it function well all day. Additionally, consider taking a fish oil supplement that supplies the body with essential omega-3 fatty acids. “Studies show that omega-3s support a healthy metabolism,” Mohr says. “People generally know about the health benefits of omega-3s to brain and cardiovascular health, but they are surprised to find out a high-quality fish oil supplement, like Ultimate Omega-D3 from Nordic Naturals, helps keep your metabolism functioning well.”

Indulge strategically

‘Deprivation isn’t a good weight-loss strategy, and it certainly isn’t much fun during the holiday season. Instead of avoiding all the candy, cookies, and rich foods served at festive gatherings, think of your own personal strategy before you go to an event,’ Mohr says.

He suggests picking just one item you love, such as Granny’s apple pie or Aunt Jude’s stuffing, and let that be your one-time no-guilt holiday indulgence. In exchange, cut out other extras you don’t like as much. Remember, just because it’s being served doesn’t mean you need to eat it. Cut out high-calorie items like sauces and gravies, and holiday beverages like cocoa and eggnog. You’ll get to enjoy that one item you look forward to all year and, by avoiding others you care less about, you won’t risk holiday weight gain.

Celebrating the season to the fullest doesn’t mean you need to end the year with a few extra pounds. Follow these expert tips and you’ll enjoy the holidays and start 2013 looking and feeling healthy.

If your photos seem too bright, cluttered or ordinary, you can take simple steps to avoid these and other common photography mistakes.

“Photographers know it takes a good eye, practice and patience to make the most out of every moment,” says Bill Robbins, an award-winning advertising photographer, commercial film director and current program chair of professional photography at Brooks Institute, a leading provider of higher education for film, graphic design, and photography. “Whether you’re a professional or amateur photographer, it’s also about trying new techniques and experimenting with everything from lighting to composition.”

Robbins offers these tips for overcoming four common photography errors and turning any good photo into a great photo:

* No focal point. Ask yourself this simple question before you snap a picture: What are you taking a photo of and why? Your answer will ensure you capture the right elements for the viewer to easily understand the photograph’s subject and purpose. Less is usually more when it comes to photo composition. For example, if you’re taking a photo of a beautiful landscape, what’s the main focal point – is it the rock formation, sunset or covered bridge? You may need to move in closer to fill the frame with your subject and eliminate any distractions in the background or foreground. In addition, consider turning around to see if there’s a more interesting image or focal point in that direction.

* Too much or too little light. Getting the right exposure – the amount of light that passes through your camera lens – is critical to capturing the sharpest photos. If you’re shooting in a dimly lit space or standing too far away from your subject, your photo may be underexposed or appear too dark. Quick fixes: Add extra light if you’re indoors, move closer to your subject, or manually adjust your camera’s shutter speed to be slower or the aperture to a wider lens opening, thus allowing in more light. When there’s too much natural or indoor light, your photos may look washed out or have unwanted shadows. Consider using a flash to even out the lighting, moving the subject (or yourself) out of the brighter light, or waiting for a time of day when the lighting is better. For outdoor pictures, overcast days work well. When you get in the habit of focusing on the light, you’ll find the best places and times to use light to your advantage.

* Centered subject. The best photos may not be perfectly centered in your frame. When eyeing any photo opportunity, consider the tried-and-true “rule of thirds.” As you’re framing your photo, imagine two vertical and two horizontal lines spaced evenly, creating a grid of nine rectangular boxes. Try placing the main subject near the points along these lines or where the lines intersect. This creates more visual interest than centering the subject. In a landscape shot, for example, it prevents the horizon from appearing to divide the picture in half. Instead, the horizon might appear in the lower third of the photo. You can also consider framing the image from a different position rather than always shooting at eye level. With digital cameras, it’s easy to experiment and be creative with your composition.

* Red-eye. This is one of the most common – and annoying – issues with photos. Red-eye is caused by the flash reflecting off the person’s retina, in which blood vessels cause the red glow. The easiest solution is to turn off the flash. You can also activate the red-eye reduction feature on many digital cameras, or, if a flash is necessary, ask the subject to avoid looking directly into the camera lens.

Photograph copies are available!

It is a post by Dr Mike Evans, A Doctor-Professor answers the old question “What is the single best thing we can do for our health” in a completely new way.

Dr. Mike Evans is founder of the Health Design Lab at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a staff physician at St. Michael’s Hospital.

Follow Dr. Mike on Twitter @docmikeevans

“Tis the season” that many of us will do a higher than usual amount of online shopping, using our credit and debit cards to pay for purchases. We review our bank balances to see if charges were correct and while we are there pay some bills. Then we jump to our email for those confirmation messages about our online activity.

Do you always log-out of your banking before you close your browser? When was the last time you changed the password on your email account. Do you use the same password for banking and gaming or entertainment accounts? Do you open emails asking you for personal information? Thousands of accounts are stolen every day, and common passwords for your activity give the thieves an easy path to your bank and identity.

Just changing your passwords occasionally can save you some major grief, so here are a few tips for effective passwords.

1. Make your passwords at least 8 characters in length, some sites will require this.
2. Include at least 1 number in your password.
3. Include at least 1 special character like & or * in your password.
4. Use both upper and lowercase characters in your password, if a there is a common word in your password make the upper case letter in the middle or at the end instead of the first letter.

Passwords with difficult combinations make it harder for thieves with password cracking tools to figure out your passwords and steal your information or your cash!

You can use a phrase for your password making it strong but easy to remember, and then use the first letter of each word of that phrase, example might be, “I was born in Erie in 1966″, the password could be “IwbiEi1966!”.

Don’t ever use personal information such as anniversaries, birthdays, children names, or first and last names when creating a password. Avoid using words or phrases that could be found in a dictionary or easily guessed. “Mary had a little lamb” wouldn’t make a great password.

Have a super Christmas season and be safe!

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving which could also be referred to as the nationally sanctioned day of gluttony. Admittedly, I’m a happy participant in the overeating of the day, but I also like the opportunity to reflect on my many reasons for gratitude.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to be associated with the General McLane School District. It is great to work for a district that is supported by its community which takes great pride in its schools. We have a dedicated, professional staff that truly cares about our students and goes the extra mile to meet their needs. Over the years, I have considered myself fortunate to know and work with our students who, in my opinion, are some of the finest young people in the world!

Fifth grade teachers Julie White and Betsy Zafiropoulos recently asked their students to write what makes them grateful. I was pleased to see that some of them, like me, are very grateful for our school. Logan writes, “ I am thankful for school. I am thankful for school because without school we would have no scientists so that means that we would have no TV.” Justin drives the point home when he says, “I’m thankful for school because if we do not have school then we all will be stupid. School is fun because you can get smarter.” Alayna personalizes her joy in school by saying, “I am thankful for my fifth grade teachers, Mrs. White and Mrs. Z because they take their time to teach me tons of stuff every day and help me with work.”

It is also gratifying to know that our students recognize the importance of this great nation on this holiday. Claire writes, “I am thankful for being born in the USA. That is because a lot of other countries do not have much freedom and always look out their windows and see war.” Dakota recognizes the people responsible for our freedom when writing, “I’m thankful for the military for serving our country. I want to thank them for protecting us. If we didn’t have the military we probably be dead.” Good point.

Of course the preponderance of thanks offered by the students goes toward their families. “I am thankful for my house and my family,” writes Tyler. Delanie writes “I am thankful for a fun family.” Ethan notes, “I’m thankful for my dad because he helps me with math, reading and anything else I need help with.” Let me add my thanks to that as well, Dad.

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and two youngsters captured my heart with their notes. “I’m thankful for donuts at mighty fine,” wrote Tucker. Ashley named one of my favorites when she said, “I am thankful for cookies & creme ice cream.” I didn’t know what connoisseurs of culinary delights fifth graders could be!

Whatever it is you eat, and however much you eat this Thanksgiving, be sure to join our fine young people in giving thanks for family, freedom and those who help us in any way. And of course, give thanks for food!

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The Lancer Letter is a weekly editorial by Richard Scaletta, Superintendent of Schools, General McLane School District. Opinions expressed are Mr. Scaletta’s views on the issues and subjects of discussion.

Several years ago, I was in the records room of the high school and came across two very interesting books. The first was a large ledger book with the the following penciled on the front: Edinboro High School 1920-1935. In it were names of students, carefully typed or handwritten, and the final grade for every high school course they took. The final grades were recorded using a familiar scale: A,B,C,D, and F. I remember thinking to myself how far we’ve come in the last fifty years with research on learning. We now can scan brains to define what areas are stimulated with certain types of learning and yet, we still report the progress of learning with only five designations. Not much progress in nearly 100 years.

The other book was even more fascinating. It was a teacher gradebook for a school including grades 1-8 from 1911-1913. Not only was this book used to record grades but it also included detailed instructions for the teacher on the entire state curriculum for grades one through eight. That total curriculum fit onto 8 printed pages! Eight pages wouldn’t even scratch the surface for one subject in one grade of our elementary schools today.

The real fascination with this grade book for me is the fact that it was a system for doing something we are now trying to do at our elementary schools. The teacher was instructed to record the progress each child made both in terms of the grade level at which the child was working and the degree of progress being made. Thus, they would use a fraction such as 4 over 85 to designate the child was working at the fourth grade level at 85% proficiency. This was to allow the next teacher to pick up where the previous teacher left off. It is obvious from looking at the book that every child truly advanced at his own pace as the book recorded the age and grade level of each child. There were students whose age didn’t quite fit the grade level.

The book also gave detailed instructions for the end of year exam furnished by the county superintendent An ancient PSSA of sorts, it was delivered in a sealed envelope and students who did not pass were not ready to go to the next grade level and did not receive a “certificate of promotion.”

I would love to be able to return to a grading system that is as simple and elegant as the one described in that book. But eight pages of curriculum has evolved into 800 pages and as a society, we really don’t want to believe that all children can’t progress at the same rate. So we report to parents in a simplistic way that summarizes the complex system of learning on one page in manner that simply says the child is doing well,very well, or needs more work. There are many educators throughout the country who believe we can do better.

We have embarked on a journey in our elementary schools to develop a grade reporting system that truly tells parents, and the next teacher down the line, what a child can and cannot do. Pennsylvania adopted the Common Core Standards which is a national curriculum of sorts. It is designed to articulate the skills, knowledge and understandings a child should have at each grade level. Theoretically, if a child moved from here to California, there should be some consistency in the curriculum so that the child is not significantly behind the new class in the new state. Our challenge is to develop a grade reporting system that accurately describes where a child is on the learning continuum of these standards in a way that is helpful to the parents and the educational professionals who will work with that child through his or her educational career.

Our educational system has become incredibly complex. The human brain, and the measurement of its ability, is also complex; therefore, developing a grade reporting system that deals with these complexities it is a daunting task. Understanding what a standard means, connecting every assessment to a standard and then having a computer somehow translate it all using a numerical scale is quite challenging.

During this first marking period at our elementary schools, different grade levels are trying a variety of methods to report to parents. Based on these experiences and the input we receive from parents on these experiences, we will work throughout the year to craft a system that will meet the complexities we face. With patience and input from all the parties involved, I believe that in the end, we will have a system that effectively serves students, parents and educators.

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The Lancer Letter is a weekly editorial by Richard Scaletta, Superintendent of Schools, General McLane School District. Opinions expressed are Mr. Scaletta’s views on the issues and subjects of discussion.

The week of October 29–November 5 was a good example of some of the great things that happen in this school district.

On Saturday, October 29, the GM Lancer Marching Band once again competed in the championships of the Lakeshore Marching Band Association. For the sixth time in the last decade, the band was the Open Class champion! The band has long been a point of pride for the district and this year was no exception. We have come to expect excellence from this program but let’s never forget that it comes at the high cost of hard work and commitment on the part of the directors and students. Congratulations, GM Lancer Marching Band!

On Tuesday, November 1, Mrs. Karen Lerch had her first period English class unexpectedly interrupted to learn that she has been named the State Journalism Teacher of the Year by the Pennsylvania School Press Association. This is only the second time the organization has selected a teacher from the western part of the state. Karen has long been the advisor of our award–winning student newspaper, the Lancer Ledger. If you’ve ever seen this publication, you know how impressive it is. Under Karen’s direction, students work diligently to write sophisticated articles, laid out in an impressive color magazine format. The work of her and her students, has been recognized numerous times by the state organization, Columbia University and Kent State. What a great representation of our high school! Congratulations, Mrs. Lerch!

On Thursday, our volleyball team competed in the first round of district playoffs. Since Mike Merriam has assumed the reigns as head coach four years ago, this is not an unusual occurrence. The team has made it to the district play-offs every year, having been district champs his first year. They advanced to the finals on Saturday, another familiar accomplishment, and did well enough to continue into the state playoff tournament. Coach Merriam is leaving us at the end of this season to embark on a business venture that will call upon his original training as a chemical engineer. Mike has been a great teacher and coach for General McLane. He fostered a great learning atmosphere in his classroom and created a culture of excellence in the volleyball program. He will be greatly missed and we applaud him and the young ladies in the volleyball program who have worked so hard under his guidance.

Saturday, November 5, the boys’ soccer team faced a talented Slippery Rock team at Vets Stadium for the district championship. Our boys prevailed with a 1-0 victory that gave GM its first District 10 soccer championship since 2002. In only his second year, head coach Josh Hopkins has provided outstanding leadership and technical guidance to a group of young men who are talented and of sound character. Though Coach Hopkins works outside of education, he is often in attendance as a spectator at many GM sporting events. This commitment to the district has instilled a sense of commitment in his players that has been a recipe for success.

In many schools, any one of these four accomplishments that happened in one week at GM would be a unique occurrence. At General McLane, it has become commonplace for our teams to advance to playoffs and for our pursuits in the arts and academics to result in recognition. This is because we have competent adults who care deeply and students who respond to their leadership appropriately. Let us never take these attainments for granted but rejoice in our performance while continually looking toward future success!

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The Lancer Letter is a weekly editorial by Richard Scaletta, Superintendent of Schools, General McLane School District. Opinions expressed are Mr. Scaletta’s views on the issues and subjects of discussion.

by Richard Scaletta

With the passing of Steve Jobs, the world has lost one of its greatest innovators. When we consider the devices he pioneered and their prolific world-wide adoption, we realize what a significant impact his life had.

General McLane’s technological history is somewhat parallel to the evolution of Apple. I remember in the early 80’s when I had the first Apple IIe in my music office. It was loaned to me by a parent who worked for Bell and Howell who had this new miraculous “micro-computer” made in a black case with the Bell and Howell name on it.

We printed on things called “dot matrix printers” which used ribbons and created a unique look on the page that caused people to be impressed that it was “printed on a computer.” As Apple moved into the Macintosh line, we had many models of it throughout the years. We even had a Newton, the ancient forerunner to the iPhone, that is considered to be one of Jobs’ failures along the way.

In 2000, the high school became the first school in the region to assign a laptop to every teacher. This was the beginning of a new era when technology really started to take hold. Now, all teachers and administrators in the district use laptops and we have 1300 computers available for student use.

A new generation has arrived: the iPad. Nearly two years ago, I was predicting that a device would come along within five years that would be smaller and more personal than the laptop and would allow us to employ a 1:1 model where each student had his or her own computing device. The iPad is the prophesied personal device.

Our strategic plan calls for us to explore the feasibility and advantages to using our technology dollars to move toward a 1:1 deployment of technology instead of the traditional approach of utilizing more expensive computers deployed in labs. In 2010-2011, we had budgeted for high school technology upgrades and purchased a classroom set of iPads. (Oh, how we miss the 2010-2011 budget!) This year, we are going to use those iPads for a number of pilots to help us look at the challenges and opportunities of a larger deployment.

The iPad is being embraced throughout the world at a pace that is faster, in my opinion, than any other device. Advertisers are already offering seminars to businesses for how to utilize the iPad. A high school in Massachusetts distributed 1000 iPads this summer to its students. Everywhere you look, you see people utilizing this tool for learning, business, communication and information retrieval.

The pilot we are running right now involves 26 juniors and seniors who share the same Calculus class. They are taking their iPad home and to all of their classes. We have asked them to look for as many ways to use them as possible. It is amazing how quickly they are adapting to this device. They utilize a note-taking application that allows them to type or handwrite notes and use the built in camera to take pictures of board notes or film the teacher’s lecture or demonstration. They’ve found applicable software for science, math, social studies, SAT prep, flashcards for all subjects, and English. Many classic novels are available for free download and most textbook companies are providing online versions.

Effectively utilizing the iPad as a learning tool is going to require a whole new mind. Students will adapt much more quickly than adults. The opportunity for distractions increases with the greater opportunities for learning, but we must find a way to optimize the opportunity for success. Many questions remain to be answered before a larger deployment can work, but we will work diligently to find answers.

You know from previous Lancer Letters that I do not believe technology is an answer for everything; however, I feel strongly that devices such as the iPad will become an integral part of functioning in students’ future professional and personal worlds.

The influence of Steve Jobs will continue.

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The Lancer Letter is a weekly editorial by Richard Scaletta, Superintendent of Schools, General McLane School District. Opinions expressed are Mr. Scaletta’s views on the issues and subjects of discussion.