This month of June has rolled in with warm winds, children out of school, and opportunities for bettering the lives of our young people. Rogene N. Penny speaks to these opportunities:

"As a parent, I will set an example for my child by being positive and showing compassion for those less fortunate.
I will take time to listen - understanding the child's need to share a problem or success with someone.
I will remember to thank my child for being an important part of my life.
I will make every effort each day to read with my child and help establish a geniune love of books.
I will show kindness to all living creatures, so my child may better understand the value of life.
I will explore nature with my child as we observe the first signs of spring, the wonder of summer, the color of autumn leaves, the beauty of snowflakes, and the orange glow of winter sunset.
Every day, through my example, my child will know how much I really care."

Opportunities to be with our children in significant ways are everywhere with us. May we grab them now, before they are gone.

Bill
William R. Duffy
National Executive Director
281- 537- 1301

1. Review the summer plans you've made to date. Where there are gaps, brainstorm ways to address them, such as parents rotating days off work to stay home with younger children on unscheduled days.

2. Post the family's summer schedule. Mark activities (day camp, vacation Bible school, your teenager's work schedule, etc.) on a "family size" calendar posted in a central location. Be sure to note blocks of unscheduled time as well; that way you can anticipate free time to use as you wish--even if it's just to enjoy a break in the action.

3. Be prepared to be spontaneous. Keep a running list of people and places to visit when time permits and the mood strikes. Summer--free from homework and tutors--is a good time to stop by the science museum, bike trail or concert-in-the-park you can't seem to get in during the school year.

4. If you and your child thrive on routine, build as much of it into your summer schedule as possible. Even so, your routine may change every week or so; find ways to prepare for this transition. This may be as simple as mentally rehearsing the new routine (including daily wake-up time and preparation) with your child before the week begins.

5. Ask other people (spouse, family members, and neighbors) for help shuttling kids to activities and supervising them on their "days off." Trade carpooling and kid-watching duties with other parents in your neighborhood.

6. Don't succumb to summer stress! There is bound to be some bedlam and boredom in any household during the summer. When stress strikes, try to shrug it off and find humor in the situation.

The summer offers great promise for family bonding-- providing opportunities that are not as readily available during the hectic schedule that accompanies the typical school year. Be intentional about actualizing those opportunities this summer!

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We at the ARKGroup investigate current research and explore new techniques that help teachers discover alternative approaches to creating nurturing relationship-centered classroom environments. We recognize that networks of caring parents, teachers and volunteers are important in creating opportunities for our children to experience and gain their education, and the care that is essential to their well-being. Good classroom environments can be venues where miracles of love and learning can take place. We invite you to join with the hundreds of others in your schools to organize ARKGroups of teacher care and support today. Contact us. We will be thrilled to help.

The following prose, authored by Suzy Toronto, is a well-deserved tribute to our teachers:

"She/He Who Is Called To Teach"

The epiphany of her life
Came in a breathtaking flash of enlightenment.
The challenge that would be her life's work
Became perfectly clear! She would spend her days
Teaching, nurturing and disciplining
The young minds of future generations.
This is where her fulfillment lies.

She labors to expand their innocent worlds...
To open their minds to new possibilities.
She lives for the moments when, with wondering awe,
Her students look into her eyes
And understanding envelopes them.
Concepts, once strange and distant,
Now register at the deepest level.

In that moment, their perceptions change forever.
They realize the world is
So much bigger than they are,
And they thirst for more!

Teaching... Nuturing... Disciplining... WHAT A GIFT YOU TEACHERS ARE TO THE WORLD!

Teachers, when you despair over your seeming inability to reach a particular child, remember this ARK "Thought for the Day:"
Courage does not always roar.
Sometimes it ia a quiet voice at the end of the day saying,
"I will try again tomorrow."
Mary Anne Radmacher

Share with us your suggestions of hope and encouragement, and we will pass them on to others.

Each of the five messages of positive parenting taken from John Gray's book, Children Are From Heaven, supports the development of a strong sense of self and contains a special gift of greatness.

1. Permission to be diffferent, which enables children to discover, appreciate, and develop their unique inner potential and purpose.

2. Permission to make mistakes, which enables children to self-correct, learn from their mistakes, and achieve greater success.

3. Permission to express negative emotions, which teaches children to manage their emotions and develop a feeling awareness that makes them more cooperative, confident and compassionate.

4. Permission to want more, which helps children develop a healthy sense of what they deserve and the skill of delayed gratification. They are able to want more, and yet be happy with what they have.

5. Permission to say no, which enables children to exercise their will and to define a true and positive sense of self. This freedom strengthens children's mind, heart, and will and develops a greater awareness of what they want, feel, and think.

Being a parent is difficult, but as we all know it is the most rewarding job one can have. To make your job easier, seek out the support of ARK and of other parents who are using positive parenting skills and principles of unconditional love.

Let ARK guide you on your journey of helping your children grow up to be successful in both the outer world and their inner world!

The ARKGroup challenges you to pioneer the start of an ARK for Parents group at your neighborhood church or community center and/or to ask your local school to implement ARK for Teachers.

To find out about facilitating an ARK Program in your area, give us a CALL!
We can make a difference in our schools, neighborhoods and families. We can be a convergent force for the good, the beautiful and the true that resides in each of us.

Check out our Dr. Brooks Website for excellent ideas on adding to your parenting and teaching "toolkits".

ARK is always aware of organizations which want to incorporate the ARK experience in their programs but who need financial assistance to do so. Even public schools frequently don't have the resources that will allow them to offer their students the life- changing benefits of ARK. DID YOU KNOW THAT ...your gift of $100. will introduce ARK to a school, United Way supported agency, neighborhood center or church?... that your donation of $1,000. will provide ARK programming for an entire school?...that your contribution of $10,000. will allow the ARKGroup to equip 10 schools within a school district to begin the ARK for Teachers and ARK for Parents programs?

GoodSearch - a way to support ARK while using the Internet. You can contribute to the ARKGroup so that we in turn might invest in your favorite community- service organization, church, juvenile justice program, or school--just by searching the Internet or shopping online with GoodSearch - www.goodsearch.com - powered by Yahoo!

Read on at the ARK website...

As Richard Weissbourd points out in his book, "Nowadays, well-intentioned parents undermine children's moral and emotional development by abandoning the moral task of rearing children and are more concerned with fostering their happiness than their goodness." He illustrates with many case-study examples collected in his book. One in particular, with which we all might identify, is the story of a family's child who has a learning disability but dominates the little league basketball team with great shots; unfortunately, however, the boy exhibits little inclination to share the ball with his teammates. When the coach has a discussion with the father that the other parents are not too pleased, the father makes excuses that this is his son's one chance to shine and that learning to share the ball should take a backseat to his son's happiness.

The parent-child relationship is at the center of development for all of the most important moral qualities, including honesty, kindness, loyality, generosity, justice, commitments, the capacity to think through moral dilemnas, and the ability to sacrifice for important principles.

Dr. Weissbourd points out the increasing trend in America--for adults to be fixated on giving their children praise--is becoming ever more harmful to our emerging future generation. He notes: "By the time a child reaches the age of 12, he or she has been so overpraised that they regard compliments as implicit criticism: Empty flattery must be compensating for their lack of lack of talent. Other children become praise sponges." He points out that this fad is contributing to a generation of kids who are selfish, immature, and incapable of empathy.

Just musing.
Bill

We encourage you to commit to renewal and growth with education and networking facilitated by the ARK Program DVDs: ARK for Teachers, ARK for Parents (faith-based and secular), ARK Facilitator Training, The ARK Group Process and an Introduction to ARK hosted by Pat Summerall. Order today at www.thearkgroup.org. The ARK Program has excellent lessons, DVD's, manuals, workbooks, texts and materials. They will equip you to provide life-changing ARK programs including breakthrough parenting and teaching "skills courses." With your help, we can make ARKRelationships the norm for the 21st century family, church, school and community.

The ARKGroup is thrilled to be collaborating with Early Learning Headstart Organizations. Check out the Avance Headstart program's website.