Our Sports TRACKer Writes: Love those video games! (to a point)

Can Wii Sports help children improve real sports skills? Click here to read Kurt Dusterberg's most recent blog, which addresses that very subject.

Dangerous Texting Involving Wake County, NC Middle School Students

Did anyone read this story in the Cary News? It involved Salem Middle students but did NOT happen on school property.

How about this one? This concerns a 14-year-old girl in Wisconsin.

Texting offenses range from a group of 6th grade boys new to cell phone technology texting "HI" to each other 4 times in a row, to indecent messages containing even more indecent photos! Scary world, but one we all must deal with sooner or later. Having two boys and a girl, I'm not quite sure how to handle this if it becomes an issue for my family. Anyone have any ideas or advice they can share on this?

While I did not explain the details of the texting offense at Salem Middle to my son, I did tell him I read an article involving the Salem Middle students' use of their cell phones and that the school had to get involved. I also explained to him that if he abused his cell phone privileges he would most certainly lose his phone. So I think this can be used as a teaching opportunity for those of us who have allowed their children the use of a cell phone.

This also opens up the question of whether providing a middle schooler with a cell phone is a good idea. I certainly respect those parents who have chosen not to provide their middle schooler with a cell phone. However, our society is not as safe as it was when our generation was in middle school. It appears middle and high school crime is on the rise. (See http://www.newsobserver.com/138/story/1415646.html and http://www.newsobserver.com/news/orange/story/1344743.html for just two local examples.) That was the main reason my husband and I provided our son with a cell phone. We also feel this is a good way to encourage and teach responsibility.

I hope parents who have provided their children with cell phones are taking the time to educate their children about how to use their cell phones responsibly. It appears some are not.

Child Auditions for Broadway Series South's "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "Wizard of Oz" Scheduled for Feb. 26 and April 4

Do you have a rising Broadway star in your family? Broadway Series South will hold auditions for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" for children 4’10 and under TOMORROW, Feb. 26 at 4-7 p.m. in A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater.

From the Broadway Series South website:

Each child will be asked to sing acappella 16 bars from one up-tempo song of choice. Children should be prepared to learn and execute simple choreography as part of the audition process. No decisions will be announced at any time during the auditions.

Six children will be selected for the ensemble, and they will appear as orphans in Act 2 of every performance. Two alternates will also be chosen. Approximate ages should be between 8 and 12 years old – and have the appearance of children, NOT young adults. Professional experience and headshots are not required.

The local children cast in the production and their parents or guardians will be provided rehearsal and performance information. The children will not receive any compensation, however this is a wonderful opportunity for children from RDU area to perform onstage with professional actors without having to ever leave town.

Auditions for "Wizard of Oz" will be held April 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Kennedy Theater.

From the above link:

The company is choosing 12 children ONLY - no alternates. They all must be 8-13 years of age. Due to wardrobe limitations they cannot exceed 5’ or 100lbs. No Exceptions.

Click here to download audition applications for both plays. GOOD LUCK!

Meet Janice Jones, our Travel TRACKer

We've added another Triangle TRACKer to our line-up. Meet Janice Jones, our Travel TRACKer, and check out her debut blog! What better time to have an "American History" lesson sink in than on President's Day, which happens to be Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, and is just weeks after a new President has been inaugurated! Read all about it at this link.

Education TRACKer - Haves and Have-Nots: What does lack of education cost us?

Our Education TRACKer, Anne Woodman, writes that even though the North Carolina high school dropout rate fell from 5.24 percent in 2006-07 to 4.97 percent last year, it still leaves 22,434 former students with no high school diploma. What will their plight be and how will it impact their community. Read Anne's blog to learn more.

Hair, Body & Sole Salon and Spa in Apex Releases Edgy ‘Teen Angst’ Photography Collection Showcasing More Than Just Hair Trends

This press release from Hair, Body & Sole Salon and Spa in Apex unveils the secret culture many of today's teens live in. If you have a teenage daughter, or will soon have one, I feel this article is important to read. You can access the photos referenced in the press release at www.hairbodyandsolespa.com.

Apex, N.C. (Feb. 11, 2009) Apex, a sleepy little town in North Carolina is known for its southern hospitality, slow pace and Money Magazine’s 2007 14th-place ranking of it as the best place to raise a family. It’s not necessarily a place one would associate with fashion—or controversy. But Cheri’ Kinney, Owner of Hair, Body & Sole Salon and Spa, has brought both to her latest photo shoot.

Splitting time “behind the chair” and running a day spa keeps this feisty redhead busy enough, but Kinney also likes to release a collection of photos at least once a year. She says it “keeps the creative juice flowing.”

Kinney’s latest collection focuses on what she believes will be in style during the coming season. “Fashion always reflects what is happening in the world. We are dealing with a lot of unknowns right now with the conflict in the Middle East, the war in Iraq, a new president, and the economy—all of which create uncertainty,” Kinney says. “I believe people will be trying to simplify their lives and will seek out fashion and hairstyles which are simple and subtle.”

“Spring and fall always usher in the blondes, but I believe this year will be a more harmonious blend of shades—a little removed from the color blocking we have seen in recent years or the overly contrasting looks that can appear striped and bold,” she says. “Brunettes will have shades of warm browns and reds next to cooler shades, which would seemingly contrast but actually make the jewel tones stand out more. Bright and edgy colors are always in fashion, but this year they will probably be contained to a focal point instead of being all over color. And finally, colors not usually found in nature will become more mainstreamed but in subtle and blended ways.”

But Kinney’s recent photo shoot also showcases more than just upcoming hair color and style trends. All of the models are teens, and all of the photos convey a somewhat shocking message.

“I see teenagers and their mothers all the time,” Kinney says. “The mothers think their kids are not getting into any ‘real trouble’ and the kids think their parents do not know [that they are]. Popular television shows like ‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager’ along with the recent increase of teen violence in schools are a clear indication that we do not always know what our children are involved in.”

“I wanted to do a photo shoot that carried the message that teenagers are dealing with a world that moves much faster than it did in previous generations. The issues teens have to deal with are complex and frightening. The ‘situational’ photos deal with prescription drug trafficking, cutting, body image, teen pregnancy and living in a culture of excess. These are not by any means all of the problems facing kids today, I just wanted to use my photos to highlight a handful of them. The pictures can be disturbing. These issues are raw and real, and it is not just happening to someone else’s child.”

Kinney says she in no way wants to romanticize the issues these pictures represent, just bring attention to them and create a common ground to perhaps start a conversation. “These are the things that are happening that we don’t like to talk about,” she says.

So what do these photos have to do with hair? And why release something so controversial? Fashion mirrors culture. “In 2001, after the World Trade Center towers were attacked, almost every designer released something that included camouflage,” Kinney says. “The late 1980s and early 1990s revealed numerous signs of the drug culture during that time—with models showing visual characteristics of heroin addictions and other issues.”

Teenagers are struggling to find their own identity. Pop culture is where they look for role models. Parents have less impact than their peers. Singer Lily Allen’s song “The Fear” speaks directly to the pressure many teens feel to achieve both independence and perfect bodies, as referenced in these lines: “Life’s about film stars and less about mothers ... Now I’m not a saint but I’m not a sinner. Now everything is cool as long as I’m getting thinner.” (You can listen to the entire song at http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-fear-lyrics-lily-allen.html.)

“What I do is hair, but I see these things playing out in the lives of many families,” Kinney says. “Even if kids are not involved themselves, they have a friend or know someone who is. These issues cross all racial and socioeconomic boundaries. I have some personal experience with more than one of the scenarios depicted and felt compelled to bring attention to them.”

It’s important to note that the models in these photos do not engage in the scenarios they depict, with the exceptions of the pregnant teen, who is actually pregnant, and the cutter, who does in fact cut herself. An expanded collection of ‘Teen Angst’ images will be displayed in the upstairs gallery at the Halle Cultural Arts Center in Historic Downtown Apex beginning in April.

To view additional photos from this collection, visit www.hairbodyandsolespa.com or www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=2014639&id=1489107284. All photos were taken by photographer Anne Clay, whose work can be viewed online at www.anneclay.com. To request a higher resolution image, email Anne at anneclay@mac.com. Makeup was done by Ashley Bromirski, who can be reached at smashart@gmail.com. None of these photos would have been possible without their collaboration.

Introducing our Health TRACKer: Jennifer Goodall

During the last month, Triangle TRACKS has introduced TRACKers who blog about children's education, health, sports, food and trends. We've already introduced Anne Woodman, our Education TRACKer; Janel Bunten, our Trend TRACKer; Tyler Wright, our Food TRACKer; and Kurt Dusterberg, our Sports TRACKer. Now meet Jennifer Goodall, our Health TRACKer.

Jennifer is a mom to two little girls: 2-year-old Dylan and 4-year-old Kennedy. She and her husband are building a home in Apex. Jennifer works as a program manager for a networking company in RTP and is an active board member of le Tour de Femme, which is a charitable all-women bicycling event that takes place in Cary. She enjoys running and is hoping to get back into triathlons in 2009. Jennifer has a special interest in health issues due to the fact that her oldest daughter had quite a few health problems during the first few years of her life. Although those years were painful, she learned a lot and is hoping to share her knowledge with other parents in the Triangle area. Read Jen's debut blog below or at this link.

Wake County Public Schools' Magnet and Year-Round Application Period is Feb. 9-28

If you're planning to apply to a WCPSS magnet or year-round school, the application period runs Feb. 9-28 and can only be done online. Visit www.wcpss.net during this time period to apply. Applications will NOT be accepted on paper or after Feb. 28. All applicants will receive written notification via U.S. Mail Service in the middle of March. If your application is not accepted it will remain in the applicant pool through the first 10 days as vacancies occur.