While glue guns are very useful, there are safety issues. Regardless of the temperature setting, glue guns can burn skin. The teacher should demonstrate and supervise the use of glue guns and have a plan should a student get burned. There should be an initial first aid protocol in place, followed by a visit to the school nurse. An accident report…

Japan's Basic Law on Food Education (Shokuiku kihonho) was enacted in June 2005 as a response to various concerns related to food and nutrition, such as food scandals, an increase in obesity and lifestyle-related diseases and an assumed loss of traditional food culture. The Law defines food education (shokuiku) rather vaguely as the acquisition of…

It is important to determine if a traumatic brain injury (TBI) has occurred when an individual is assessed in a hospital emergency room after a car accident, fall, or other injury that affects the head. This determination influences decisions about treatment. It is essential to screen for the injury, because the sooner they begin appropriate…

Everyone at some point has asked the question "Why do bad things happen to good people? Even while asking it, most know that finding an answer to this question is not likely in their future. People's best responsible action, then, is to manage their risks to prevent future bad things from occurring, to the greatest extent possible. Risk…

Tossing mortarboards at commencement is all fun and games until somebody gets her head sliced open. This article describes the harrowing experiences of Trudy Kuehner, a graduating senior at Sterling Regional High School 31 years ago, and another 17-year-old graduate who were both injured by a mortarboard. Such injuries are the exception, though,…

Zara Roberts was 18 and planning a career in teaching when a horrendous car crash left her in a coma, with severe injuries to her brain and body. Doctors rated her chance of survival at five percent. Yet, just six years later, she is well on the way to becoming a support worker for special needs children, and, this month, is being recognised for…

After nearly a decade as band director at St. James High School in St. James, Missouri, Derek Limback knows that the key to building a successful program is putting the program itself above everything else. Limback strives to augment not only his students' musical prowess, but also their leadership skills. Key to his philosophy is instilling a…

This article features Jordan Thomas, who lost his feet in a spear fishing accident in August 2005. It describes how Thomas turned his own loss into a way to help kids get the prosthetics they need. Just three weeks after losing his feet, Thomas filed the paperwork for the Jordan Thomas Foundation, which aims to raise funds for prosthetic limbs for…

This article describes a unique use of social workers as crisis response team (CRT) members in a nontraditional host setting, municipal fire departments in Arizona. The role of modern-day firefighters has changed dramatically and now includes responding to a wide variety of crises and emergencies other than fires, such as motor vehicle accidents,…

The number of sports-related concussions reported by young athletes is on the rise, prompting awareness campaigns from athletic and medical groups, as well as proposed federal legislation to set minimum standards for concussion management in public schools. Concussions are caused by a jolt to the body or a blow to the head that causes the head to…

It is a proven fact that the repetitive nature of percussion playing can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis, and tendinitis. This paper offers ways to prevent percussion overuse injuries, particularly by developing a healthy warmup routine.

Research advancements into different fields of study have increased the risks for accidents, criminal acts, or a potential breach of national security, and the types of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) stored and used at universities and colleges are under new scrutiny. Before, a chemistry laboratory might only have basic substances such as sulfur,…

A substantial proportion of high school students consume alcohol, with nearly a quarter of 12th grade students reporting binge drinking in the past two weeks. Drinking alcohol in adolescence is associated with a variety of other risky behaviors, as well as with an increased likelihood of long-term problems reaching into adulthood. This "Adolescent…

In this article, the author, a superintendent of Clark-Pleasant School Corporation in Whiteland, Indiana, relates how she and the school community responded to a car accident that killed two students. The author stresses the need to develop a comprehensive crisis plan. It is also important to be sensitive to the needs of family members who are…

This article demonstrates that affliction is a state of anguish that has physical, social and psychological dimensions as well as spiritual ramifications. In this way, affliction is the most profound form of suffering, as it leaves no area of life unscathed. The article--written from a confessional perspective--explores the following concepts in…