Strengthening Oklahoma Families

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1 Strengthening Oklahoma Families KAY COUNTY P. O. Box 430, Newkirk, OK FAX County Website: County Inside this issue: New program targets high school dropout rates Centennial Celebration Income Taxes Whistle Stop and Festival Make Family Time Active Time OHCE News and Events It is no secret that the key to success is a solid education. However, the dropout rate of high school students continues to increase. About 1.4 million students drop out each year, and it is expected there will be about 13 million more dropouts over the next decade. School dropout rate has been called the silent epidemic because of its cost to individuals and society, and the lack of awareness by policy makers and the general public regarding the extent of the problem, said Ron Cox, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension family sciences specialist and associate director of the Center for Family Risk and Resilience. The dropout rate is particularly high among the nation s most disadvantaged youth. Research indicates educational achievement among poor and minority students isn t just a moral concern, but it also holds the potential to affect the future. A person without a high school diploma is at increased risk for low-paying employment, dependence on government assistance, incarceration, divorce and mental health issues. Currently, the Latino ethnic group is one of the most at risk groups of becoming a dropout statistic. To help combat this problem, Oklahoma is working in conjunction with North Carolina to implement the Together for Better Education program called Juntos. The goal of the program is to increase the number of Latino students who graduate from high school and participate in higher education. The program is in the beginning stages and has been funded for five years. Cox said Juntos provides youth and families with a six-week program that shows Latino parents and youth how to be successful in school; after-school 4-H club activities that teach youth to be enterprising leaders; as well as mentoring and tutoring to become academically successful. The program is available to both English- and Spanish-speaking 9th through 12th grade students and parents. The dropout rate is a complex issue, but there are three areas that are key, including parental involvement in school, increased opportunities for positive youth development through afterschool programs and increased opportunities for academic coaching, mentoring and tutoring, he said. The desired long-term results of the program are two-fold. The first desired result is 80 percent of participating youth improve their academic performance and aspirations by increases in study habits, attendance, semester grades, college entrance exams, graduation rates and completed financial aid application. The second is the program will show long-term sustainability in leadership competence, effective collaboration, understanding community, demonstrating and disseminating program impact, strategic funding, staff involvement and integration and program responsiveness. For more information about the Juntos Program, contact Cox at , or via at r.cox@okstate.edu. Oklahoma State University, U. S. Department of Agriculture, State and Local governments cooperating. Oklahoma State University in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures.

2 Income Taxes The goal for taxpayers is to pay no more than the least possible tax owed. Avoiding taxes through legal tax strategies is not to be confused with illegal tax evasion. Legally avoiding taxes means using effective financial record-keeping, decision making, and planning strategies to reduce your total income tax. One example of good tax management is adjusting the amount of federal income tax withheld from your paycheck. If you receive a big income tax refund (over $500) each year, you are giving the federal government an interest-free loan. Evaluate the amount you have withheld and determine if you could use this money more effectively throughout the year to manage cash flow or invest for financial goals. Tax laws continue to dictate how we structure our financial plans. As laws favor or disallow certain strategies, we need to make adjustments. Two examples of this phenomenon are Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and home equity credit-line loans. When everyone was allowed a tax deduction for a Traditional IRA, this strategy was widely encouraged and used. Since tax laws restricted IRA deductions, many people automatically either turn to Roth IRAs or eliminate IRAs completely as a viable alternative. Now that tax deductions for nonmortgage consumer interest are not allowed, many people have turned to home equity credit-line loans to finance large purchases and deduct the resulting interest. As tax laws change, adjust your financial plans to use strategies which are most favorable to your situation. Most of us are aware of the tax advantages of taxdeferred savings. The idea, of course, is to put off paying income taxes on money until you withdraw it in retirement when, possibly, your tax bracket may be lower. However, you have no guarantee that this will happen, especially if you are very successful at saving for retirement and accumulating assets. In addition, the tax laws are constantly changing. You should seek the advice of a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), or tax professional to gain insight into how tax laws will affect you. Action Steps Tax Management Tax Management Learn about tax laws and use related strategies to reduce total taxes owed. 2 P a g e

3 Check your income tax withholding level and adjust, if indicated. Explore the advantages of different tax strategies. Utilize tax-advantaged and tax-deferred options when appropriate, i.e. IRAs, 401(k), 403(b). Maximize tax deductions (e.g., using home equity credit-line loans versus non-deductible consumer interest. Source: Make Family Time Active Time Remaining physically active while raising a family can be a difficult task. It is hard finding time to engage in activities when it seems as if the to-do list never ends. But physical activity is one of the most important parts of living a healthy life. Physical activity has benefits such as helping to maintain healthy bones, controlling weight, and even promoting sound sleep. All of these benefits could be experienced by your entire family, so why not make family time active time? Not only will participating in physical activity with the family allow you to be active and healthy, it will also demonstrate to children the importance of physical activity and how much fun it can be! watching them learn and grow. Another option would be to plan an hour family walk or bike ride after dinner two times a week. By planning a set time to be physically active, you will be more likely to stick to it, especially if it allows the family to be together. Get the kids involved, and make a list of all the activities they would like to try. Reference: USDA Food and Nutrition Services. Play Hard Your Way; Make Family Time an Active Time e/playhard/makefamilytimeanactivetime.htm Source: Oklahoma Home & Community Education NEWS and EVENTS: OHCE Food Show Theme: Little Italy Entries will be taken from 5:00-5:45 p.m. Judging begins at 6:00 p.m. Date: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 Pasta may be pre-made; everything else must be made from scratch. Appetizers 1. Bruschetta 2. Pesto with crackers or bread (Crackers and bread may be store bought) Activities, such as going to the park or a day hike, are great ways in which the family can bond and be physically active at the same time. Focus on planning a family trip that involves these types of activities two to three times a month. Planning these activities ahead of time will give the entire family something to look forward to. Not all activities have to be grand in order for them to be beneficial. Playing with your children for 30 minutes a day will allow you to participate in your daily activity and bond with your children while Main Dish 3. Chicken dish 4. Seafood dish Vegetable Salad 5. Hot vegetable dish 7. Fruit Salad 6. Cold vegetable dish 8. Cold pasta dish Breads May not use bread machine to bake, must be made with yeast 9. Bread Sticks Dessert 10. Italian bread loaf 13. Cookies 14. Cake 3 P a g e

4 NW District OHCE Guymon, OK On March 29, 2014 Shelia Rountree and Judy Barnett attended the NW District OHCE Meeting. We had a nice time and learned from the sessions we attended. In the President s/educators Session we had a good refresher on Parliamentary Procedure; this is something that I would like to offer training on in the future. Like Kay County Extension Family and Consumer Sciences and OHCE Kay County on facebook! R E B S W K R E Across: NEAR, BOWS, TREK, ZAPS Down : BANK, SPAR, ZERO, STEW Boxes : BANS, WORE, PARK, ZEST Note : Other anagrams of these words are OK as long as they don't change the answer grid. N A R E B S O W K R E T A P Z S P Z o Place letters into the grid such that every row, column, and 2x2 block has letters (in any order) that form a common word. o Each letter is only used once, and no letter is repeated in the rows/cols/blocks. o Letters allowed: S O N A T A. Answer: 4 P a g e

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6 Mark Your Calendars! 8 th Quilting Chevron Pillow workshop OHCE bldg. 12 th Whistle Stop and Festival Wellston, OK 15 th TAX DAY 17 th Basic Sewing Workshop OHCE bldg. 18 th Courthouse Closed 22 nd Mixed Media Workshop OHCE bldg. 29 th OHCE Food Show OHCE bldg. This newsletter is printed by the Kay County Cooperative Extension Service Family & Consumer Sciences Program. This is one way of communicating educational information. For subscriptions contact the local office. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination and no endorsement are implied. Work in Agriculture and Rural Development, youth development, family and consumer sciences and related fields. Oklahoma State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, State and Local Governments cooperating. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, status as a veteran, age or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This information was produced at a cost of one cent per page for a total cost of 8 cents. Editor, Lindsay Grace, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, 4-H, Kay County Kay County Cooperative Extension Service PO Box 430, Courthouse Basement Newkirk, OK Oklahoma State University, U. S. Department of Agriculture, State and Local governments cooperating. Oklahoma State University in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures.