Latest news with #ChrisMills
CTV News
4 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Insight into restructured RISE special needs program
Jacqueline Anderach received a letter from the public school board last week outlining changes to the Reaching Individual Success and Excellence (RISE) special education program in September. 'I need him to move ahead, not backwards,' said Anderach, who worries her son might fall further behind in the new system. 'I would really like to see them grandfather this program, allow these children that are currently in RISE to finish, you know, allow them the opportunity for success here. Every child learns differently.' With a focus on language, arts, and math, RISE provides individualized programming for students. That will change in September after a deep year-long consultation period led by researchers, involving parents, students, and many stakeholders. This fall, students from the RISE program will be placed in their homerooms full-time instead of part-time. 'When they go back to the homeroom, we're going to be looking at individualized support, especially in reading,' said Chris Mills, superintendent of Education and Special Education. 'We've purchased some additional resources to help with math knowledge attainment.' Mills said the change was necessary. 'The original intent of the program was for students to go in for a short period of time to catch up to the same age level peers and then return to the homeroom,' Mills explained. He said the board found that didn't happen for some over the course of time. 'Students stayed in those courses for long periods of time and that changed their trajectory. It forced decisions at the high school level and then forced decisions at post-secondary. A lot of our students not going to college or university.' Mills said instruction will come from the homeroom teacher with help from learning support staff, which many schools will receive. He added students will continue to have access to learning tools like computers and iPads. 'We want to support our students,' Mills said. Mario Spagnuolo, local president of the Essex County District School Board, feels it's not a one size fits all model. 'For some kids, it will work, but we've had that option of integration all along anyways,' noted the local president of the Greater Essex Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario. 'It's for the kids that really need that intense programing, they won't have that option anymore.' Spagnuolo said he recently met with representatives at the school board, suggesting they work together to advocate with the current government to secure more funding for students with special needs. 'The data is very clear. There's billions of dollars being taken out of public education so instead of fighting each other, why don't we come together as a community and go after where we all are pointing fingers – and that's the Ministry of Education,' Spagnuolo said.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Jason Richardson shared wild Golden State Warriors story
Jason Richardson shared wild Golden State Warriors story Back in 2022, the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers had a memorable encounter. The two teams had faced off in a regular-season game when an altercation occurred between Chris Mills and Bonzi Wells. Unfortunately, that altercation is rumored to have continued after the game. During a recent appearance on the "Podcast P with Paul George" podcast, Jason Richardson recalled what occurred after the game had finished. Golden State was the road team in that game, meaning they were scheduled to leave Portland's arena on the team bus. "They blocked the bus from leaving for hours," Richardson said. "... Chris Mills is telling Bonzi to get off the bus. 'Me and you gotta have it.'" Fortunately, the situation didn't end in a negative manner, and eventually, the Warriors were able to leave the arena. However, the story is a good reminder of how different the league was just 20-25 years ago, and the situations players often found themselves in. You can watch the full podcast episode by clicking on the embedded video above. This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Associated Press
13-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Pacific Financial Group Again Reduces Fees for 401k Brokerage Window Management
BELLEVUE, Wash., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pacific Financial Group, Inc. (TPFG), a registered investment adviser and trailblazer in the management of self-directed brokerage account (SDBA) windows announced another initiative to lower costs for investors by reducing fees, eliminating the 12b-1 fee, and converting its PFG Single Ticker Model (STM) Funds from R-Shares to I-Shares. This bold move underscores TPFG's commitment to transparency, affordability, and customized advice for 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plan participants, particularly those utilizing self-directed brokerage accounts window options. Effective March 31, 2025, TPFG reduced their 0.10% 12b-1 fee, previously applied to its PFG STMs, to 0.00%, ensuring investors retain more of their returns. TPFG collaborates with Capital Group | American Funds®, J.P. Morgan®, Invesco, Janus Henderson Investors, BlackRock®, BNY, Fidelity® Institutional Wealth Advisers, MFS, Meeder, and PIMCO to provide industry leading investment management through financial advisors across the country. 'Lowering fees and eliminating 12b-1 charges reflect our fiduciary duty to put clients first,' said Chris Mills, CEO of TPFG. 'By moving to I Shares, we're delivering institutional-quality investment models while empowering advisors to help retirement plan participants build stronger financial futures.' These changes enhance TPFG's award-winning Strategy PLUS solution, which offers over 30 professionally managed model portfolios tailored with multiple styles for many risk tolerances. Strategy PLUS is the only multi-manager, multi-mandate solution within the 'in-plan advice' retirement market for financial advisors wanting to help clients with their group retirement plan savings. Supported by RiskPro®, TPFG's proprietary interactive digital software, advisors can choose and monitor portfolios with precision, while TPFG's Guided Paperwork Solution (GPS), powered by Smart IQ®, streamlines paperless client onboarding and servicing. Participants of group plans can work with TPFG-affiliated advisors to access in-plan advice within their brokerage window accounts. Financial advisors are encouraged to contact their Regional Consultant to leverage TPFG's support at (800) 735-7199 or visit to learn how these changes can benefit their practices and their clients. Founded in 1984, The Pacific Financial Group, Inc. offers a leading turnkey asset management platform (TAMP) specializing in unique wealth solutions. TPFG empowers advisors and investors with innovative technology, personalized service, and fiduciary-driven strategies. Recognized with awards for Financial & Investment Innovation, TPFG continues to set the standard for retirement & investment planning excellence. Disclosure: The opinions and views expressed are as of the date published, are subject to change and may not reflect the views of others in the organization. They are for information purposes only and should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security, investment strategy or market sector. There is no guarantee that the information supplied is accurate, complete, or timely, nor are there any warranties with regards to the results obtained from its use. Mutual fund investing involves risk; including the total loss of principal. Equity and fixed income securities are subject to various risks including, but not limited to, market risk, credit risk and interest rate risk. There is no assurance that the investment process will consistently lead to successful investing. Class I Shares may not be available to all investors and may have specific eligibility requirements. See a prospectus for eligibility requirements and TPFG's Form ADV for complete details on fees, risks and additional information. RiskPro® is an interactive, digital analysis tool that produces simulations and statistical analyses that present the likelihood of various investment outcomes if certain investments are made. There are various ways to estimate the investment risk of a security or a portfolio of securities. The sole method of estimating investment risk utilized by RiskPro is Risk Tolerance. RiskPro generates outcomes that are hypothetical in nature, and its results may vary with each use and over time. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE The Pacific Financial Group, Inc.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
I'm in my 30s and own my home. How can I share my good fortune with friends?
I'm in the fortunate position of owning my own home and some land without a mortgage (in a very affordable and somewhat remote area), and every week I hear more stories from friends about their struggles to get by. We're all in our 30s, but I feel as if my stress levels are infinitely lower than theirs. I've offered to have people stay rent-free so they can save money for a house – and generally act as a backup plan for anyone who needs a place to stay longer term – or even put a mobile home on the land. However, I still feel as if I'm barely making a difference. I know it sucks to need help and to ask for help, especially from friends. Needing help is looked down on and it's hard to decondition that thinking. During Storm Éowyn, I had no power for a week and had to spend every day with a neighbour with solar panels. It sucked to need his help, even though he's wonderful – so I get it. Do you have any suggestions for how I could share the perks I enjoy with my friends and lighten their loads a little bit, without a sense of shame or failure accompanying that? It's wonderful that you want to help your friends. But I wonder if they're less worried about feeling shame or failure, and more about the potential loss of satisfaction at making it on their own. I went to psychotherapist Chris Mills with your letter. 'Your wish to share your resources and good fortune is very touching. The offers you're making sound heartfelt and generous, but when you say 'I still feel as if I'm barely making a difference,' I'm assuming you mean that these offers aren't being taken up, at least not as much as you'd hoped or expected.' If this is the case, Mills wondered if it was because you 'might be misreading some of the signs. Your friends may well need support, but the chances are they gain a strong sense of solidarity by being surrounded by others in the same boat – peers who share similar circumstances and also, perhaps, similar aspirations for the future they're working towards. What you're offering may seem more like a form of escape from their lives than support.' I tentatively wonder if you feel guilty about your house and land, and why that might be People don't want to be a burden – they want to feel they have achieved things under their own steam. Satisfaction is the key to contentment. I tentatively wonder if you feel guilty about your house and land, and why that might be. Did you get what you have entirely through your own hard work, or have you had some lucky breaks? (Great if so.) I wonder if this may explain why you feel you want to share it. Mills also said: 'You may already be a huge help to them by being a sympathetic ear so they can offload some of their stresses on to you. They might feel more at ease doing this to you because you're slightly removed from what they're going through, and that their woes are less of a burden for you than friends going through similar. So they may feel a whole lot happier after speaking to you, but you feel awful because their stresses have been transferred to you.' Related: My father threw out my box of memories then took his own life. How can I move on? | Ask Annalisa Barbieri In time, your friends may catch up with you, or their stress levels may lessen (or yours may increase, but I hope not!). Unless they're actually homeless, they may also not want to take up offers of living on your land because it doesn't suit them, either because of where it is located or for other reasons, and that's their prerogative. Coming to yours may be too logistically complicated or could make them feel really vulnerable. Also, sometimes open-ended help can feel a bit too uncertain and taps into worries of being a burden. You mention the help your neighbour gave you and that was bookended, and I wonder if it may feel more containing to say to friends: 'Come for two weeks for a rest.' It may not feel like much to you, but it could be really helpful to them. Mills wondered if 'a more effective way to help them could be to go and visit them rather than waiting for them to come and visit you? Having a helpful friend around for a few days who has time to help them with whatever they need could be a blessing.' Also, have you asked them what help, if any, they want? Remember, if what you're offering is not what they actually need then it may not be helpful at all, however well-meaning you are. • Every week, Annalisa Barbieri addresses a personal problem sent in by a reader. If you would like advice from Annalisa, please send your problem to Annalisa regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Submissions are subject to our terms and conditions. • Comments on this piece are premoderated to ensure the discussion remains on the topics raised by the article. Please be aware that there may be a short delay in comments appearing on the site. • The latest series of Annalisa's podcast is available here
The Star
11-05-2025
- Health
- The Star
More than just looks: Overly tight sports bras may be bad for your back
Reducing breast bounce – to a certain extent – helps reduce discomfort during sports. Photo: AFP Wearing an ultra-constraining sports bra may seem like a good idea when thinking about how to get adequate support while moving. However, in the long term, it could actually be harmful to back health. A British study published in the European Journal Of Sport Science challenges the idea that maximum support is always beneficial. It shows that wearing a bra that maximises bounce reduction during physical exercise could, over time, increase the risk of back pain. For years, sports bra manufacturers have touted 'maximum support' as essential for optimal comfort and performance. However, researchers at the University of Portsmouth have revealed an unexpected phenomenon: slight movement of the chest during running helps absorb shock, acting as a natural shock absorber for the spine. Read more: Brimming with style: Cowboy hats are now taking the fashion spotlight This discovery calls into question current standards in sports underwear design. Their research is based on computer modeling of the female anatomy in motion. To refine their observations, they designed a first-of-its-kind articulated musculoskeletal model incorporating sliding joints between the breasts and the torso. This innovative approach made it possible to simulate the effects of different types of bras on a moving body. A volunteer wearing a size 34DD was fitted with 59 anatomical markers before running on force platforms. Three conditions were tested: without a bra, with a conventional bra, and with a sports bra. A fourth, more extreme bra situation was also simulated to produce total elimination of breast movement. Choosing the right sports bra Their findings were clear: when breast movement is completely restricted, the pressure exerted on the lumbar spine increases significantly. In particular, the lower back is subjected to stress greater than 0.05 Nm/kg, a threshold already recognised in scientific literature as being associated with the onset of back pain. Another striking finding concerns the influence of bra type on posture. Participants stood approximately 4 degrees straighter when wearing a sports bra compared to running without a bra. This may seem like a minor detail, but it is essential, as good posture helps prevent injuries. This study does not call into question the usefulness of sports bras, but rather offers some thoughts on how support is designed. Read more: The return of shoulder pads! Fashion is weighing on us with heavy shoulders Although reducing breast movement may help reduce discomfort, overly constricting support could, conversely, be harmful to the back. 'While a supportive sports bra is crucial for exercise comfort, excessive bounce reduction may place additional strain on spinal muscles, increasing the risk of back pain,' explains Dr Chris Mills, senior lecturer in sports and exercise science at the University of Portsmouth, in a press release. For women with large breasts, who are often prone to pain during exercise, it is therefore essential to find a bra that can absorb shocks while allowing freedom of movement. This compromise could well transform the comfort – and performance – of female athletes for years to come. – AFP Relaxnews
