Latest news with #VPK
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
My era of raising kids? It's a wrap
"I still have no clue what I'm doing." That was the first sentence I wrote when my FLORIDA TODAY parenting column, Momsense, was introduced to readers in April 2013. My kids, Kristen and Jacob, were 10 and 6. I was knee-deep in raising two kids, working full time and trying to maintain some modicum of grace, even in the midst of a divorce. My goal back then was to write about current parenting issues and share honestly about my experience parenting — the ugly parts and all. And to make others laugh and realize they're not alone. There were the parties that no one liked to RSVP to, leaving me with loads of leftover birthday cake. The shopping trips that almost escalated into 'Code Adams' because someone thought it would be fun to launch into a surprise game of hide and seek at Kohl's. Toddler faceplants during moments of social discomfort. Dealing with the misery of lice. The sudden calls from your little one in the bathroom, yelling, "Can someone wipe my butt?" I remember fantasizing about the day I didn't have to bring a stroller or diaper bag wherever I went. I dreamed of the kids being old enough to hang out for a few hours at home when I went out with friends. Twelve years later, part of me feels like I still don't know what I'm doing. Yet I feel this incredible urge to share this journey with those of you starting out or still in the middle of it. And please listen to me. Embrace every single moment. Even the tough ones. Because one day, you'll wish you could go back. You'll miss sneaking into your tiny baby's room just to watch her sleep. You'll even miss dropping your son off at VPK for the first time and praying he won't think you abandoned him. You'd do anything to have them beg you to read 'Goodnight Moon' one more time before bed. But you can't. This parenting thing never ends. It just changes shape. Drastically. Maybe you're thinking of starting a family. Or you're smack0\-dab in the middle of child-rearing and not so sure how much longer your patience can last — or if you can continue to survive on four hours of sleep a night. Our babies grow up. They stop puking on our favorite shirts. Diaper blowouts in the middle of a flight are a thing of the past. They stop begging you for the latest video game. They learn to drive. They figure out what they're good at. They have their own dreams, goals and plans. And you go from needing to rent a U-Haul every August to shuffle belongings from one college apartment to the next to not really being needed at all. They say it goes fast. You may not believe it now, but it does. My daughter just graduated college. My son, high school. And I, apparently, just graduated to the 5-0 club, leaving me wondering about menopause and awaiting a hip replacement in July. Who am I now? What am I? I'm still figuring that part out. But I know this for sure — I am one proud mom, even if my role in my kids' lives has changed. My ex and I have been able to co-parent successfully. And despite living in two households, welcoming a new stepdad and experiencing the grueling pain of losing their amazing bonus mom to breast cancer four years ago, my kids have somehow turned out to be amazing humans. They've each found their "thing" – and are excelling at it. My children even set me straight more than five years ago when I was drinking heavily at nights and on the weekends. I quit after my son begged me to, tears in his eyes. So, I didn't just teach them about life. They taught me, too. Parenting never ends. I have loved these two since the moment they were conceived. I always will. I will never stop worrying about them until I take my last breath. But that's the unofficial contract you sign when you become a parent. You pretty much live with a piece of your heart outside of your body. It's the hardest job in the world. But the very best one. As the school year closes and if you're facing a houseful of bored kids for the next few months, here's my final piece of Momsense. Take a memorable trip with no set agenda and make some special memories. Laugh every chance you can. Be a sounding board for fellow moms who get it. And remember this. If you're about to have a bad parenting moment, it's perfectly acceptable to lock yourself in your bathroom and scream into a pillow. Not that I would know. Paulson is a former FLORIDA TODAY journalist and columnist. You can reach her at sjenniferpaulson@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: My era of raising kids? It's a wrap | Momense
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Free VPK helps ready young children for school, but for some families it's unavailable
This story was updated to correct a misspelling. Five-year-old Marlaina Paulding likes playing in the tents in her VPK classroom at Felix A. Williams Elementary School in Martin County. She likes learning the alphabet and numbers, and the Spanish she learns from her teacher. "I like the color of the tents," said Marlaina. Marlaina and her classmates rotate around different stations in the room, some playing in tents, others putting together blocks and some drawing pictures. Every aspect of the voluntary pre-kindergarten class is designed around education, explained Jennifer Corkern, Martin County school district VPK director. "Some people might call this play, but there's so much learning going on," Corkern said. "Teachers are very intentional on what they set out." When Marlaina and her classmates begin kindergarten in the fall, they will be ready to learn the first day. They already will know the school routine of going to the cafeteria for lunch and how to sit still during story time. They'll know about class rules. Some already will know how to read. Since Florida's first VPK program began in 2005, more than 2.6 million children have enrolled. The voter-approved program provides for 540 instructional hours, about three hours a day, for 4-year-olds during the school year, or 300 hours during the summer, which often is a full-day program. Nationwide, though, Florida ranks 45th in paying for its VPK program, despite being in the top three for the number of children enrolled, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research 2023 State of Preschool report. The report, issued in 2024, points to the fact that states have increased funding, enrollment and quality since before the COVID-19 pandemic, but urged states to do better. During the 2022-2023 school year, 155,668 Florida 4-year-olds were enrolled in VPK. Florida spent about $440.3 million, and an additional $48.9 million from the federal government, for the VPK program, or about $3,142 per student. The 2024 State of Preschool was due out in late April. While some studies show VPK prepares young children for kindergarten and beyond, others are inconclusive about any long-term effects of the program. Factors such as the quality of students' elementary schools need to be considered, said Karyn Allee, a Mercer University elementary education assistant professor and co-author of the 2019 study "Direct and Indirect Impacts of Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Readiness and Achievement," written when she was a University of Central Florida doctoral student. "We could not find any (long-term) effect," Allee said. The state Department of Education was not forthcoming with data needed for the study, she said. That made determining whether Florida's program was effective either short- or long-term difficult, she said. "We might hypothesize it is, but we can't verify that," Allee said. Scores on standardized test show children enrolled in the program show up for kindergarten better-prepared for school. About 70% of Martin County children who completed the VPK program in 2023 tested as-ready for kindergarten, while 63% in Indian River and 57% in St. Lucie scored as school-ready, according to scores from the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking given to kindergarten students. In contrast, 35% of those in Martin County who did not attend VPK were school-ready, 48% in Indian River and 31% in St. Lucie, When students arrive in kindergarten without VPK, teachers in kindergarten through the primary grades work to catch them up on the literacy skills they missed, such as letter recognition and sounds. Educators say students can catch up to their peers — some very quickly — but it might take time. Schools are in a race, as the first high-stakes state test is just four years away. Students who fail the state's third-grade reading assessment are at risk of repeating the grade. School and district grades, too, are based on test scores. "That is a challenge," said St. Lucie County schools Deputy Superintendent Helen Wild. The district uses interventions to provide extra help, particularly in the early grades, she said. Emphasis is placed on daily attendance, because every moment is needed. "We do not want to continue to fall behind," Wild said. "The only way we can get their children caught up is if they are in school every day." Districts with a higher number of low-income students are at a greater disadvantage, Wild pointed out. Those children might not have had the same opportunities and exposure to words, vocabulary and learning, she said. "There is no doubt that higher-poverty districts have challenges to get caught up," Wild said. Without a quality elementary school, however, VPK benefits can fade away by the third grade, Allee said. Curriculum misalignment, for example, can impact students if what they learn in VPK is not carried on in kindergarten and throughout their school career, she said. This can be seen particularly in schools with predominantly low-income students and possibly fewer resources, Allee said. Students in more affluent districts, with more resources in elementary school, can bypass their disadvantaged classmates, even without having VPK, she said. Districts need to do a better job aligning educational curriculum for students, she said. It's more than just learning numbers and reading, educators said. VPK teaches children the routine of school and social skills. If students arrive in kindergarten already knowing these basics, teachers can start teaching academics, educators said. In Maria Kammeraad's VPK class at Felix A. Williams Elementary, for example, children can count to 100. They know addition and subtraction and receive daily Spanish lessons. Students learn colors, shapes and how to describe the shapes. "We cover every area. They are ready for kindergarten," Kammeraad said. While many of these children can catch up to their peers' literacy skills within a few weeks, others might spend years struggling to master concepts by the third grade, when reading becomes a high-stakes test. There are reasons why parents choose not to enroll their children in a VPK program. For some working families, VPK is a free opportunity they are unable to afford, educators said. School districts have limited spaces in their VPK programs during the school year, and before- and after-care is unavailable, Transportation often is not provided to VPK children. "Not everyone ends up having access to VPK," said Kelly Baysura, Indian River County schools' assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Indian River's district-operated VPK, for example, is always filled and has a waitlist, forcing parents to seek enrollment at private day cares or enroll their children in the summer full-day program. "There aren't enough seats in the county for our needs," Baysura said. Private day care facilities designated by the state as VPK providers often offer only a free three-hour VPK, charging parents for any wrap-around care before or after the program. That can be expensive for families. Some working families often have to use a family member to watch children or place children in a day care unapproved for VPK, she said. "It's an unmet need for our youngest children," Baysura said. For those families unable to get students into the district VPK program, Baysura urges them to talk with their children, read to them and engage them in conversation. "The more we talk to (children), the more they learn," Baysura said. Everyday items, such as cereal boxes in grocery stores, can be a reading lesson, she said. "They need to hear us articulate words." Teachers can tell when a child without those conversation skills enters school, Baysura said. "Their vocabulary," she said, "is diminished by thousands compared to their peers." Colleen Wixon is the education reporter for TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers. She covers school districts in Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie counties. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Free VPK prepares for school; but not for all Treasure Coast families
India.com
06-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
Sai Ganga Panakeia Launches VPK42 Fingerprinting Device ‘Docture-Poly'
In a bold stride towards redefining global personalised healthcare, Sai Ganga Panakeia has unveiled its groundbreaking innovation — a next-generation metabolic fingerprinting device, developed after three decades of pioneering translational research by Dr Ravishankar Polisetty. This is not just another health gadget; it is a new era in personalised medicine. The device, based on Dr Polisetty's intensive work in translational Ayurveda and advanced Vata-Pitta-Kapha (VPK) modelling, deciphers an individual's unique metabolic variability to generate personalised dietary, fitness, and wellness recommendations. Through this innovation, Sai Ganga Panakeia has developed the world's first VPK42 fingerprinting model that captures nuanced physiological signals with unmatched precision. Overcoming major technological challenges — including optimising sensors, calibrating for VPK-based variability, solving FIFO buffer limitations, and establishing seamless, secure communication protocols between devices and AWS servers — the company has achieved a technical breakthrough. Today, it is one of the very few organisations outside the United States that implements advanced encryption protocols for the secure transfer and integrity of patient data. Unlike existing wearable devices that primarily use PPG sensors for limited vital tracking, this technology stands unique. As highlighted by the USFDA's 2023 report, which stated that current wearable devices were ineffective for accurate glucose monitoring, Sai Ganga Panakeia's innovation presents a radically different and superior data modelling algorithm that provides: A unique metabolic fingerprint (VPK42). Rough biochemical estimates, enhancing clinical monitoring without invasive sampling. At a recent conference in Hyderabad, Dr. Polisetty also passionately addressed the decline of India's indigenous electronics manufacturing — once centred in cities like Hyderabad, and unveiled Sai Ganga Panakeia's ambitious strategy to restore India's dominance through AI, robotics, and personalized medical technology. The company's larger mission is clear: Develop a fully indigenous robotic architecture to automate clinics, hospitals, and patient care. Transform India into the health capital of the world. Product and Offer Details: Currently, the device is available for a limited-time pre-booking offer at ₹34,000, with the unique advantage that four users can be enrolled under a single registration. Your digital metabolic doctor — a personalised health guide — is now within your reach, helping you monitor, understand, and restore your health with individualised precision. Why wait? Be a part of this healthcare revolution. Pre-book today and experience a future where personalised wellness is the new standard. For media inquiries or partnership opportunities, please contact: Email: info@ Phone: +91-7331109988 Website: (This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Lt's consumer connect initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the article.)
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
VPK Group expands in Italy with Open Imballaggi acquisition
VPK Group has enhanced its operations in Italy with the acquisition of Open Imballaggi, a manufacturer of corrugated cardboard packaging located near Bergamo in Lombardy. The move is in line with VPK's broader objectives to expand its international reach and improve its operational capabilities. The addition of Open Imballaggi's location complements VPK's existing operations, which include Zetacarton and IEMME. Founded by the Marsetti family, Open Imballaggi has its history dating back to 1908. Throughout the years, the company has undergone growth and transformation, culminating in its formal establishment by Guido Marsetti in 1988. The company now operates from a 22,000m² facility in Calcinate. This facility recently saw a €7m ($7.9m) investment in its machinery, including a new six-colour rotary die cutter. With an annual revenue of €30m, Open Imballaggi has a production capacity of 40 million square metres of packaging. The company serves a clientele of 700 customers in industries such as food and beverage, cosmetics, e-commerce, and automotive, and employs roughly 70 people. VPK Group stated that it intends to preserve Open Imballaggi's family-oriented culture while continuing to prioritise customer relationships, innovation, and sustainability. Through this acquisition, VPK Group aims to advance its long-term growth strategy, strengthening its vertically integrated business model in the paper and board packaging sector. VPK Group CEO Pierre Macharis said: 'The acquisition of Open Imballaggi aligns perfectly with our strategy to strengthen our presence in key European markets. 'Their strong reputation for quality and service complements our existing Italian operations, and we are excited to welcome their experienced team into the VPK family.' Last December, Scottish paper packaging manufacturer McLaren Packaging announced a new joint venture (JV) with VPK Packaging UK & Ireland, a part of VPK Group, to create a 50/50 business partnership. The JV venture, named McLaren Corrugate, brought together McLaren's production facilities in Port Glasgow with VPK's site in East Kilbride, both in Scotland. "VPK Group expands in Italy with Open Imballaggi acquisition" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Miami Herald
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Floridians approved better wages and class sizes. Lawmakers want to curb their voice
In Florida, everyday people can help shape our democracy through citizen-led ballot initiatives. This process has been used time and again to push forward policies and reforms backed by the people themselves. We've got a real history of coming together and using our collective voices to make impactful change. It was a citizen-led initiative that cut class sizes to tackle overcrowding in Florida schools. It was the people who pushed through universal voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) for every 4-year old. It was a citizen-led initiative that raised Florida's way too low minimum wage — giving workers better outcomes and a fighting chance. And it was the people who restored voting rights to 1.5 million people with some felony convictions. Now, Florida lawmakers want to take all that power away. There are bills moving through both the House and Senate, specifically Senate Bill 7016/ House Bill 1205, that are meant to cripple the citizen-led ballot process. Instead of building up this popular democratic tool, Tallahassee is trying to shut it down — handing more power to themselves and their big-money backers. We gotta let them know: the power still belongs with the people. Florida already has some of the hardest rules in the country for passing citizen constitutional amendments. You need 60% voter approval to pass one here. Most states only ask for 50%. Now lawmakers want to pile on more crazy requirements that'll make it almost impossible for normal folks to bring forth any new ideas. These new rules include a $1 million bond — yes, $1 million just to get an voter initiative on the ballot—and tighter deadlines and other nonsense that don't help nobody. I believe it's nothing but a way to keep regular Floridians quiet. Our voices won't be silenced. If the Legislature won't fix the problems that matter to us, we've got the right to put forward the solutions ourselves. That's why citizen-led initiatives exist. That's why they matter so much. Now, lawmakers wanna take that tool out of our hands. It's anti-democratic, plain and simple. Citizen-led amendments is how we've made Florida better in the past, and it's how we'll keep improving it in the future. If we let them take that away, we're giving up one of the few direct ways we can make change in this state. It's not just about one bill or one issue. It's about power. Who has it. And who lawmakers think should have it. We have to fight this. We must stand up to the latest attack on Florida voters. Every person in this state deserves the right to participate in the process, to be heard, to shape what the future looks like. Democracy only works when the people have a real say. If lawmakers in Tallahassee cared about fairness or integrity in the process, they'd be making it easier, not harder, for people to get involved. They'd be encouraging public engagement — not shutting it down. But, instead, they're protecting their own seats, their corporate donors and a broken status quo. We don't have to accept it. When regular people have come together in Florida, we've proven what we can do. We've protected education, expanded rights, lifted up working families. All without waiting on politicians to do the right thing. They want us to feel powerless. But we're not. Now's the time to fight for what's ours. Let's show up, speak out, and make sure they remember who really holds the power in this state. Zelalem Adefris has served as the CEO of Catalyst Miami since April 2023. Catalyst Miami's mission is to identify and collectively solve issues adversely affecting low-wealth communities throughout Miami-Dade.
