World, get ready for Viggo Moriah Hanson.
There’s another little Schreiber boy ready to take the world by storm.
Children of stars learn quickly that the paparazzi follows them too.
Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn got an early holiday gift this year — a new daughter.
Big news out of West Contra Costa where trustees announced a tentative school closures list that includes 13 campuses - 10 elementaries, Kennedy High and Adams Middle in Richmond and Portola Middle in El Cerrito. About half are expected to make the final list and odds are on Kennedy High and El Sobrante and Coronado elementaries being among them, says schools reporter Kimberly Wetzel in this morning’s paper . As expected, the news did not go over well - hundreds of Kennedy High students marched in protest this morning - but the district is faced with an enormous budget shortfall, and closing eight, underenrolled schools could save $3.4 million. The chances of a happy ending to this story are slim. Meanwhile in East County, shocked school officials and parents just received word that their state construction grants have been frozen. That $20 million was supposed to help revamp Pittsburg High, replace aging portables, and renovate schools in Brentwood as well. This story has more details . In considerably happier news, after 16 months of negotiating, Mt. Diablo teachers have voted to approve a new contract that includes no pay raises, but provides cash to help teachers pay for medical benefits. The contract still has to be approved by the school board, but it provides $3 million in 2009 and $3.3 million in 2010 for health benefits - a sore topic in this massive district, where teachers opted to take higher salaries in lieu of health benefits back in 2000. What may have seemed like a good idea at the time quickly became a nightmare for many teachers as the cost of benefits soared. Board president Gary Eberhart called the new settlement “a monumental thing” that deserves ratification as quickly as possible. And if you were fretting about your eighth grader having to take a state-mandated algebra exam this year, you can relax a little. Sacramento County Judge Shelleyanne Chang issued a tentative ruling today saying she plans to block the controversial Algebra I exams mandated by the state board of education. This one’s a political tempest in a crayon box. Ready for the explanation? The state board, which is appointed by the governor, suddenly and dramatically mandated this test over the vehement opposition of the California schools boards association - an organization comprised of elected, local school board trustees from across the state - as well as the elected state superintendent of public instruction, the California teachers union and the statewide association of school administrators. State schools chief Jack O’Connell applauded the judge’s ruling , calling the state board’s decision to require the exam “This major shift in state policy, made without adequate notice or opportunity for public hearing (and) a recipe for disaster particularly now that our schools are facing the prospect of severe midyear budget cuts.” O’Connell believes schools need smaller math classes and a better system for recruiting and training middle school algebra teachers before children undergo high stakes exams. “We cannot just tell our students and teachers the end goal,” O’Connell said, “and simply expect them to get there on their own.”
Folks, check your high chairs. The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Evenflo just recalled 95,000 “Majestic” high chairs (pictured at left), sold in 2006 and 2007, because the seatbacks can fall off or suddenly recline. The recall comes after 140 instances in which the seatbacks suddenly failed - at least 47 toddlers and babies fell out of the chairs, bumping or bruising their heads in the process, two children suffered broken bones, and 45 others received abrasions, cuts and bruises. Evenflo has also received over 1,000 reports of plastic caps and screws falling out of the high chairs - which is why the backs are falling off. In seven of those cases, toddlers were discovered with loose screws or caps in their hands or mouths, so this recall is being spurred by concerns about both falls and choking hazards. For more information and a free repair kit, call Evenflo (800-233-5921 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday) or visit www.majestichighchair.com .
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic From the sound of things, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt , 2 ½, isn’t the only celebrity baby seeking a name change ! Kate Winslet says her son Joe Alfie , turning 5 next week, has also decided that his given name no longer fits. During a Monday appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , the 33-year-old actress revealed that Joe currently responds only to the name of ‘Traiver,’ which he created quite by accident while searching for his "trainer" shoes.
James Spader and his fiance Leslie Stefanson are seen for the first time with their 3-month-old baby at the Grove in LA. The couple have not announced the gender or name of their baby
With airfares coming down, it’s not too late for a last minute getaway or too pricey if you pick someplace that’s not high season—even someplace like Bermuda.
A diaper bag is a must have for baby care , even when your baby is a plastic doll. Toddlers love to do what they see their parent’s doing. Give your child a diaper bag and a few extras like tiny diapers, a set of wipes, ..