•August 3, 2022•
By Cheri Burcham
Family Life Educator

School will be starting again before we know it, and although it can be exciting, it can also be a little intimidating and scary for some children. Extension Educator Tessa Hobbs-Curley has written a great article about this topic and shares some tips for families to prepare for school. Tessa says: anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric diagnosis in school-age children worldwide. Anxiety may appear in different forms, including separation anxiety, social phobia, generalized anxiety, panic with agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and specific phobic disorders causing numerous problems in their lives.
Several issues can develop due to untreated stress, including lower academic achievement, increased difficulties with peers and parental relationships, poor self-esteem and intensified negative self-perception. Some anxiety is normal but be aware of the extreme. Transitioning back to class as summer ends can be a stressful time for children and parents. Read More

•August 3, 2022•
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced it is offering free, one-time bulk shipments of rapid COVID-19 antigen tests to all interested and eligible Long Term Care facilities in Illinois. The deadline to apply is August 9. Read More

•August 3, 2022•
Governor Pritzker issued a proclamation on Monday declaring the monkeypox virus a public health emergency and declaring the state of Illinois a disaster area regarding the disease. The declaration, which applies to the entire state, will allow the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to utilize resources for coordinating logistics across state agencies, quickly and efficiently aid in the distribution of vaccines and in the prevention and treatment of the disease. The proclamation will also assist state agencies in coordinating response with the federal government. Read More

•August 3, 2022•
Lake Shelbyville‘s Tree Stand Policy for this year will remain the same as it was last season. The policy allows hunters to leave one stand up for the season (“Seasonal Tree Stand”) and/or utilize up to two “Roving” stands that can be left up during archery season for a period not to exceed a break in use greater than 72 hours – the length of a 3 day weekend. Seasonal tree stands may be placed 2 weeks prior to archery season and must be removed within 2 weeks of archery season ending. Archery season runs from October 1, 2022 - January 15, 2023. Read More

•August 3, 2022•
Strong reading comprehension skills are one of the foundations of a successful academic career. According to the Institute of Reading Development, students with strong reading comprehension skills get a big boost in all subjects, including math and science.
Though the benefits of reading comprehension are well documented, many students are struggling in this area of their academics. Officials with the National Center for Education Statistics note that, over the last decade, students have made no progress in reading performance. That likely comes as no surprise to seasoned educators, as data indicates students are reading less outside of school than they have in years past. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicates the percentage of public school students who said they read 30 minutes or more a day declined by 4 percent between 2017 and 2019, dipping below 50 percent overall in the latter year. Read More