January 25, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 17 Huntington Learning Center is proud to support Catholic Schools Week 2012 (Jan. 29 through Feb. 5), a celebration of Catholic schools in America as an important part of U.S. education due to their traditionally high academic standards and graduation rates. The year 2012 marks the 39th year of Catholic Schools Week, which became an annual event in 1974. “America’s youth are shaped by their education, and Huntington is pleased to join the Catholic schools in the state in giving elementary and secondary students the best education possible,” said Eileen Huntington, cofounder of Huntington Learning Center. “We applaud all schools that uphold high educational standards and integrate values-based teaching into their curricula.” The 2012 theme of Catholic Schools Week is “Catho- Huntington to celebrate Catholic Schools Week lic Schools: Faith, Academics, Service,” which highlights the three distinctions of Catholic schools. “Huntington Learning Center is a part of many communities across our nation, and we recognize that Catholic schools play an important role in our educational system,” Huntington added. “We’re proud to partner with Catholic and other schools of excellence to help students reach their potential and give them the foundation to become good citizens.” Huntington supports a variety of national events focused on education, including Read Across America, Math Awareness Month, and American Education Week. For more information, contact Sena Salloum at the Ridgewood Huntington Learning Center at (201) 4471235 or salloums@hlcmail.com or Sena Salloum at the Wayne Huntington Learning Center at (973) 812-7300 or salloums@hlcmail.com. Founded in 1977, Huntington Learning Center is the nation’s longest-running supplemental education services provider. Today, Huntington remains an industry leader, providing instruction in reading, writing, spelling, phonics, mathematics, study skills, and SAT and ACT preparation to tens of thousands of students from kindergarten through grade 12. Huntington prides itself on its unparalleled programs that help parents, caregivers, and educators identify the gaps in skills and knowledge that can limit learning potential. Huntington’s personalized programs of instruction enable children to excel. To learn more, call 1-800 CAN LEARN or visit www.huntingtonlearning.com. (NAPSI) During the school year, parents are asked to sign many forms. In the wrong hands, the personal information on these forms can be used to commit fraud in your child’s name -- to apply for government benefits, open bank and credit card accounts, apply for a loan or rent a place to live. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, cautions that when children are victims of identity theft, the crime may go undetected for years. There are laws that help safeguard your child’s and your family’s personal information. For example, the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, enforced by the U.S. Department of Education, protects the privacy of student records. It also gives parents the right to opt out of sharing contact information with third parties, Ensure the security of your student’s private information including other families. If your child is enrolled in school, the FTC suggests that you: • Find out who has access to your child’s personal information, and verify that the records are kept in a secure location. • Pay attention to materials sent home asking for personal information. Before you reveal information about your child, find out how it will be used, whether it will be shared and, if so, with whom. • Read the notice schools must distribute that explains your rights under the FERPA. • Ask your child’s school about its directory information policy. FERPA requires schools to notify parents and guardians about their school directory policy, and gives you the right to opt out of the release of directory information to third parties. • Ask for a copy of your school’s policy on surveys. The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment gives you the right to see such materials before they are distributed to students. • Take action if your child’s school experiences a data breach. Contact the school to learn more. Talk with teachers, staff or administrators about the incident and their practices. Keep a written record of your conversations. Write a letter to the appropriate administrator, and to the school board, if necessary. The U.S. Department of Education takes complaints about these incidents. Contact the Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-5920, and keep a copy for your records. To learn more about FERPA and PPRA, visit www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ index.html. For information about identity theft, visit ftc.gov/idtheft. To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, (877) FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).Watch a video, “How to File a Complaint,” at ftc. gov/video to learn more.