Every summer, some of the folks from the marketing department here at ISM are invited to attend a SI workshop. I was one of the lucky ones this year. As I sat down with classmates for the welcome dinner, we started our introductions by sharing where we are all from. I was surprised that so many were from California; however, there was a fairly balanced mix of regions, including a woman from Florida who quickly gained all of our attention. As we were sitting down with our first course, she shared with us that the Sunshine State isn’t always cheerful—she had had over 20 skin cancer spots removed over the years. Over the summer, each time I have worked in the garden, took a drive to the beach, or strolled around the little shopping district I live near, I have found myself thinking about her. This month, as I sat down to research and write my health-related article, again I found myself thinking about her. Is there ever enough information available to us to prevent such a cycle of fear and surgery?

Your Business Office might be like the many that are scrambling to understand what new steps they need to take on reporting on Form 1099—the hidden policy revision tucked into the new Healthcare bill. Hopefully, this article will shed light on what is expected of small businesses—which, also includes private-independent schools.

Last month, we published an article about how the nation’s goal of reducing the percentage of teen smokers had been missed. In that article , one of the experts mentioned that the new childhood obesity campaign spearheaded by Michelle Obama might have a role to play in the decreased donation numbers for the campaign against teen smokers. Whether that is true or not, the national efforts to attack the epidemic of childhood obesity is well underway. And for good reason. The national percentage of obese children is 17%. In Clark County, Nevada, it’s 22%—the nation’s highest percentage—which is why on June 1, 2010, Michelle Obama was in Las Vegas promoting her “Let’s Move Outside” campaign, a component of her “Let’s Move” campaign to increase physical activity.

It’s no secret that Americans are getting heavier and heavier with each generation. Physicians point fingers at a number of reasons, but regardless of the reasons, there is a real need for concern. Our unhealthy habits are now affecting our children. Read below some of the latest findings. Heart disease markers in preschoolers—A study done by the University of North Carolina School of Medicine reported in March that obese kids as young as three could be more prone to heart attacks later in life. The study looked at more than 16,000 children and teens ages one to 17. It revealed that three- to five-year-olds above the 99th percentile in body mass index were more than twice as likely to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein—a marker of inflammation linked to heart disease risk in adults. Obese children have levels of fatty build-up in their neck arteries similar to middle-aged adults, which could lead to future heart attacks and/or strokes.

Summertime is the perfect season to spend hours and hours outdoors. Many of us take advantage of the longer days by vacationing, visiting pools, hosting BBQs, and gardening. Our own backyards can easily become the family’s favored space during the summer. However, spending a good amount of time outdoors, especially in the evening hours, can be an invitation for mosquitoes.

New research is starting to reveal that our disconnect with nature—primarily soil—is opening doors to a new epidemics such as the increasing number of children with peanut allergies, asthma, and type 1 diabetes. According to statistics, children living in developed countries are at less risk of childhood deaths than those living in undeveloped nations, but are at increased risks for autoimmune diseases like those mentioned above, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowl disease. It’s as though we’ve traded one set of medical concerns for another. And, ironically, to treat these relatively new conditions, physicians are reverting to traditional methods.

Since the tobacco companies were exposed for adding addicting chemicals to tobacco cigarettes in 1998, there has been an urgency to educate young adults about the health risks. There was a 2010 health goal of reducing high school smoking to 16%, which was reported as failed on July 1, 2010. Federal officials are calling for a resurgence of antismoking advertising to counter the tobacco industries $12 billion marketing campaign.

Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov (amazon.com $16.34) This is the product of a decade of research going into classrooms and videotaping teacher practice. Don't expect high-sounding theory or clever philosophy. Lemov states that his litmus test is whether students sit up and pay attention to a teacher, and then do well academically (are prepared well for college). Great teachers, he says, do these things.

As many of you take off a week here or there from the office shuffle to spend time with family, sun, and, most important, yourself, you're probably not thinking about the listservs and forums you've joined to stay current with private-independent school news. Here are a few rules of electronic conversation platforms that may prevent you from being blacklisted by moderators or disliked by fellow members.

What does summertime mean? For many of us, it means it's time to break out the backyard grill, throw a new tablecloth on the picnic table, and gather some friends for a weekend BBQ. You don't have to sacrifice your healthy habits, however, to have a successful BBQ gathering. Take these healthy condiment alternatives into consideration before setting the table.