NewsBites for Kids [TM]

The only weekly news digest of news about kids

This week: April 14-20 2003:

The girls wear 'talis'-Florida, U.S.A.

Global Child-California, U.S.A.

While bombs fall- Scout for cookies-California, U.S.A.

Girl gives first aid kits for canines-Minnesota, U.S.A.

Charlotte's Web of Support-Massachusetts, U.S.A.< /SPAN>

Dreams of being a Grandmaster-Tamilnadu, India

Kids learn to play with straight bat-Bangkok, Thailand

How a teen is 4000 years old-Lisbon, Portugal

This summer yoga seems to be child's play-Gujarat, India

From Romania to Atlanta to Vienna: singing in a choir-U.S.A.

Don't see your country? Neither did we: but we�d like to. Would you like to send us news from newspapers and magazines in your country? Write to us at [email protected]

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NEWS PHOTOS:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030418/168/3u3va.html -Father and son at a seder for Iraqi Jews

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030417/168/3tyb7.html -Holy Week break in Guadalajara City, Mexico.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030418/170/3ua0d.html -Celebrating Good Friday, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030419/170/3uhq1.html- Sikh Day Parade, New York

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030419/168/3uhrg.html- A little girl and candle for Easter in Moscow, Russia

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030419/170/3ufmc.html- Masks for SARS in Beijing, China

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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/5627691.htm

Talis-wearing girls an emerging tradition

by Richard Brand and Carli Teproff. The Miami Herald

Miami, Fl, U.S.A., April 14, 03-Like many girls of her generation preparing for their bat mitzvahs, 14-year-old Taryn Manzini gave a lot of thought to what she'd be wearing when she read from the Torah for the first time.

One article was a certainty: her new talis, a traditional Jewish prayer shawl, which for thousands of years was forbidden to women.

''Every boy I know is wearing one. I should be able to wear one,'' said Taryn, a tall eighth-grader who plays center on the Highland Oaks Middle School basketball team. She's a member of Temple Sinai of North Dade, a Reform congregation.

Taryn and other Jewish girls across the nation have decided to wear the male garment during their bat mitzvahs, the ceremony marking their entry as adults into the faith. For many of them, it is a statement of equality with their male peers, or as Taryn says, ``not missing out.''

For Taryn, the talis she wore has extra significance. It was a gift from her 69-year-old grandmother, who never had a bat mitzvah because girls in her Orthodox synagogue in New York City were not allowed to.

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http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/5653106.htm

`A GLOBAL CHILD'

By Kaye Ross, Mercury News

Ask Greta Tan why she sends her 5 1/2-year-old son, Everett, to Yew Chung International School, and she answers with a story.

When Paul Spackman knew he wanted to marry the Taiwan-born woman, he went to Tan's father to ask for her hand. ``My father said, `Remember, when you marry her, you marry into the whole family,' '' she said.

He set a condition. Spackman had to promise that the couple's children would learn to speak Chinese.

Tan's father did not live to see Everett's second birthday. But he told Tan he was certain that his legacy would live on: It was to him that Everett spoke his first word: ``Ya Ya'' -- ``grandfather'' in Mandarin Chinese.

Everett, now in kindergarten, will graduate with the high school class of 2015 into a world in which once-distant places will be intimately connected to American life. The Yew Chung educational model aims to meet the challenge of that future by making ``a global child'' of each student.

In Everett's world, Zhao said, it will not be enough to know a few words of another language. People will have to know how to distinguish between the subtle traditions that nuance relationships in each culture. So Everett is careful to take off his shoes and share his snacks when he visits his Chinese friends; he keeps his shoes on but lays on the hugs when he plays with American kids.

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20030417-9999_1m17mints.html

Girl Scouts treat troops to taste of home

By Dwight Daniels, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

San Diego, Ca, U.S.A.,April 17, 2003 -Caring and a touch of home were sent to U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait yesterday, thanks to the labor and love of local Girl Scouts.

Five truckloads of cookies � some 197,000 boxes � have been packed up in the past few weeks in a service yard outside a Miramar-area moving company's warehouse.

"Cookies. Everybody loves Thin Mints," said Emily Renouf, 6, a Brownie from Valley Center. "They'll be hungry, hungry, hungry."

Emily, who sold the most cookies in her troop this year � 300 boxes for the troop shipment � jumped up and down, unable to contain her enthusiasm.

"I'm very, very happy," she said, gazing up at her mom, Tina Renouf, as the trucks pulled away.

Girl Scouts and volunteers had a chance to place notes for troops to read within parcels before pallets were packed. One missive, in the form of a crayon-drawn card, showed a little girl standing in a barren-looking landscape.

Childish handwriting indicated the ground was shaking as bombs fell.

"Boom," the letter said.

Then, the little girl on the card sang out these words: "It's raining cookies!"

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http://www.mnsun.com/story.asp?city=Bloomington&story=111160- click for picture

Girl, 12, gives police first aid kits for canines

By Harvey T. Rockwood, Sun Newspapers

Bloomington, MN, U.S.A., 4/17/03- Jillayne Beall loves dogs, especially since she got her own service assistance dog, �Glamis,� last fall to help her cope with muscular dystrophy.

But Jillayne, a 12-year-old sixth-grader at Bloomington�s Oak Grove Middle School, worried about the city�s police canine patrols. Police cars typically carry extensive first-aid kits for people, but what about the police dogs?

�I know how highly trained my dog is and that it is very important that he stay safe and healthy,� Jillayne said. �I brainstormed with my mom for several hours.�

Jillayne decided to look into preparing first-aid kits for the six canines that serve the Bloomington Police Department. She got an enthusiastic response and started checking with area firms that might provide equipment for the first-aid kits.

Her mother, Debi Beall, helped Jillayne pick out needed items and covered some of the costs.

And she got help from Dr. Nikki Burke of the South Hyland Pet Hospital. Together they drew up a list of essential items. Various companies provided the canvas bags and the array of gear inside them at discount prices.

They even include dog �booties� to protect the canines� foot pads while tracking in rough terrain or extreme temperatures.

�I have to admit, they are awesome,� Jillayne said.

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Charlotte's web of support

By Matthew J. Gill ,Scituate Mariner

Scituate,Ma,U.S.A.,April 17, 2003-Charlotte Karol likes donuts, pizza, and nachos. She enjoys video games, swimming, and popular Fox TV series, The Simpson's. At school, the "8 and 3/4 years old, 3rd grader's favorite subjects are gym and art and she's big fan of Red Sox pitching ace Pedro Martinez.

In so many ways she's like any other kid at Hatherly School, with one tough exception. In October, Charlotte was diagnosed with cancer.

When word of her condition got out, the Hatherly School community immediately began to show its support for the spirited 3rd grader. After initially bringing dinners to the Karol family, and hosting a successful drama night and pizza party benefit, Principal Amy Sullivan approached the PTO with the idea for a walk so that Charlotte's classmates could have an opportunity to personally support her.

"Charlotte is an outgoing, spunky kid - and not a shy one," said her mom, Frances.

And her spunk and spirit are helping her battle the disease.

The interview wraps up, as Charlotte's 4 year-old sister Meg, somersaulted through the living room, and she reaches for her headphones to "kick back to N'Sync" one of her favorite groups.

Charlotte and the entire Karol clan are looking forward to May 3 as a day to celebrate. With family scheduled to visit, the whole family plans to join in the walk for Charlotte.

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http://www.hinduonnet.com/yw/stories/2003041901290300.htm-click for picture

Grand Master in the making

M. ALLIRAJAN, The HINDU

Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India-

He has been playing chess for more than seven years now. After making a mark in several national and State-level tournaments, D. Krishna, studying class XI in Shree Jayendra Saraswathi Vidyalaya, Coimbatore, wants to become a Grand Master.

"My mother taught me the game and I got interested after reading newspaper reports about chess."

He plays the game for about an hour every day in his computer. "We have installed the chess software Fritz 6 and 7 for this purpose," says Raji, his mother.

"For tournaments, I practise for more than five hours," Krishna informs. He says that he plays with senior players while preparing for major tournaments. "I play with a FIDE-rated player before the start of a major tournament."

Though he has won accolades in conventional chess tournaments, rapid chess is his forte. "I am strong in this category and stood fourth in the National Children's Rapid Chess Championship." What is the difference between the two? "In rapid chess you double your attack while the conventional is more positional. One should also have a thorough idea about the opening game."

But, studies and lack of proper exposure in the game have put spokes in his efforts to reach the highest levels. He plans to play the game and realise his dream once he completes schooling.

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http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/20Apr2003_news23.html

Kids learn to play with straight bat
Roger Crutchley, Bangkok Post

Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Thailand, April 20, 03-One of the more encouraging developments on the local cricketing scene recently has been the increasing involvement of Thai youngsters in what has for a long time been regarded as an ``alien'' sport in this country.

Assisted by a familiar figure on the Thai cricketing scene for many decades, M. Kader, and Hua Hin resident Colin Devonshire, a small group of Thai youngsters from Hua Hin were getting their introduction to cricket.

Of course it was all very fundamental as most of them had never heard of the game before, let alone held a cricket bat.

But it soon became clear that the children found the idea of whacking the ball _ not a hard ball at this stage _ with the bat was great fun and that the further you hit it, the more fun it is.

All the time Chappell and Kader were giving the children words of advice and encouragement and the kids' body language spoke volumes for the coaches' combined efforts. The children were really enjoying it. It was definitely sanuk!

There was one lovely moment when a seven-year-old budding batsman was told his time was up and to hand the bat to the next player. ``Aow eek, aow eek!'' (I want to carry on) he wailed. And so Chappell gave him a couple more balls to hit which he succeeded in doing with some force.

To round off the session, the kids were allowed to play a mini-game on the artificial wicket where the Sixes were being held. Having been told to run whenever they hit it, there were some hilarious scenes with kids running all over the place, tripping over bats, balls, umpires and generally having a great time, especially the young girl keeping wicket, aged just two! She was later see n running about proudly wearing a shirt signed by Chappell with the words ``to a great wicket-keeper''.

As time ran out and the ``big boys'' prepared to shake off the previous night's cobwebs to start their games in the International Sixes, you could see the disappointment on the kids' faces as Chappell announced it was time to call it a day.

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http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology/News/0,,2-13-1443_1349296,00.html

Ancient remains of teen found
News24, (SA)

Lisbon, Portugal, April 19 03- Archaeologists have discovered a tomb containing the remains of a teenage boy who lived in northern Portugal more than 4 000 years ago, daily Diario de Noticias newspaper reported.

Carbon-dating of bone fragments found at the site by the Swedish archaeologists showed the remains dated back to the Bronze Age, which lasted from 2 500BC to 900BC.

Researchers were not able to determine what killed the boy, who is believed to have been about 15 years old when he died.

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http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=49653

This summer, yoga seems to be child�s play

Express News Service

Vadodara, Gujarat, India-April 18 '03: A holistic approach to better living: that seems to be the latest mantra among children going in for summer camps. Even the children are relishing their daily dose of good health, with more and more going in for yoga camps.

Prerna Vaishnav, a 14-year-old who has enrolled at a camp, says, ��Yoga with music is an interesting activity. I had joined last year also and was happy to see myself in good shape all through the vacation.��

Manali Vispute, a 10-year-old who has also joined the camp, adds: ��It�s fun to get up in the morning and do a little exercise. We do it in school also so it isn�t a botheration. Moreover I don�t find it boring because they teach us other related activities.��

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http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/saturday/gwinnett_e30a3cc400abf06b0090.html

Dimpled dynamo: 12-year-old sings joys of joining Vienna choir
Bill Osinski - Staff, The ATlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta, Ga, U.S.A., April 19, 2003-

In his short life, Justin Webb has gone from a Romanian orphanage to an all-American boyhood to the Vienna Boys Choir.

The black-haired, dimpled dynamo sings classical music in the great concert halls of the world with the same zest with which he played baseball and hockey in the Snellville youth leagues.

"I'm happy when I sing," said Justin, 12. "The music is beautiful, and that makes other people happy."

Justin is close to finishing his first year with the world-famous, 500-year-old choir. He began his musical career as a pleasant household nuisance.

"He was constantly singing; it would drive you nuts," said his father, Tony Webb.

After a year with the Atlanta Youth Choir, Justin was ready to go further. "What's the best choir in the world?" he asked his father. Soon, the Webbs had arranged for an audition in Vienna.

Justin sang "Ave Maria" in German and was offered a spot in the choir the same day. He is one of only five American boys in the choir.

There was little music in Justin Webb's cradle days.

In the early 1990s, communism was collapsing, Romania was in chaos, and there was a surplus of children who needed homes. Tony and Mary Webb decided to adopt a child.

"When we first saw him, he was wrapped in rags," Tony Webb said. "He was about a month old, and he weighed 3 pounds."

The family's first attempts to cultivate his musical skills were less than successful. He was indifferent toward violin lessons, and later on, not much more excited about the piano.

But he wouldn't stop singing.

When Tony Webb suggested Justin try singing in his fourth-grade talent contest, though, Justin demurred. He wasn't ready for an audience.

Once his gifts were recognized by people trained in music, Justin's reticence was quickly replaced by confidence.

Last summer, Justin joined the choir at its summer camp in the Austrian Alps. At the camp, the boys are placed in one of the four touring groups that make up the choir.

"I made a pact with some of the other boys," Justin said. "They would tell me when I messed up in my German, and I would tell them when they messed up in their English."

By spring, Justin told his parents he'd learned to speak German well enough to feel like he truly fit in.

"The boys there are pretty much the same as here," he said. On some weekends, Justin goes to the homes of fellow choir members. One friend from the choir is hoping to come to America for high school, and he may stay with Justin's family.

As for Justin, he's not sure what lies ahead. Roughly 20 percent of the Vienna Boys Choir members go on to careers in music, according to choir officials. In the short run, though, he'd be happy to catch a gig singing the national anthem at a Braves game.

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