We welcome you to ARK's June Newsletter and seek your support of Mrs. Obama's GET MOVING emphasis on her "overeating and too little physical activity in America" campaign. Glenn, Jan, Omega, Quintina, and I wish you the most wondrous opportunities and fulfillment in this month which is leading us to summer and warmer weather.

In addition to our encouraging all of the kids you and I work with to "Get Moving" physically, we invite you to "move forward" toward what promises to be exciting new relationships with your children. Truly, relationships provide the opportunities for educational expansions of horizons.

We are convinced that all of our children need adult support and encouragement, especially in those elementary years, to provide the model and the mentoring on how to learn and accomplish simple tasks--like going to the library, and appreciating the wonder of expressing themselves with stories.

One of the most important lessons an adult can share is our telling our kids "how we find satisfaction" in experiencing the learning opportunities that life continually extends to us, if we are on the lookout for them. We encourage you to join us as we "Get Moving" with our kids and students during the summer.

This is the year for creating a world of creative, imaginative, and caring children. You are making the difference, and we at the ARKGroup are eager to help.

Bill

William R. Duffy
National Executive Director
Lone Star College University Park, Houston, Texas.

If you have any ideas regarding where we need to be placing our ARK programming, please let us know.
Houston: Bill Duffy (National Executive Director) at wduffyark@sbcglobal.net
Dallas/Fort Worth: Jan Nelson (DFW Executive Director) at jnelsonark@sbcglobal.net

Take a look at the ARK website for full details on programs at www.thearkgroup.org

• In Spring ISD, there are 26 elementary schools that are opening up new parent centers this coming fall. The ARK for Parents Program cost is $3,800 per campus. Funds are being solicited through the schools and Houston-area individuals and foundations. An additional $1,000 per campus is needed.
• The Alliance of Community Ministries (ACAM) is composed of eleven assistance ministries across Houston. One of them, the Houston Northwest Assistance Ministry (NAM) has been employing the ARK for Parents Program for the past two years with great success. The other ten assistance ministries would like to follow suit. The cost is $3,800 per site.

Since the ARKGroup is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, all gifts are tax-deductible. Checks can be made out to "The ARKGroup" and sent to our Houston office (20515 SH 249, LoneStar College University Park CB-122, Houston, Texas 77070) or our Dallas office (2215 Canada Dr., Dallas, TX 75212).

"To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a better place, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded."

Check out the ARK piece on youtube.com -- "Childrens Self-Esteem: Kids need unconditional love!" (Kirbyjon Caldwell talks about the ARK Program.)

1. Spanish materials: We have updated our ARK for Parents videos in Spanish. All ten Lessons, plus the Introductory Meeting video, offer fresh, new vistas and exude quality. The new ARK for Parents Manual in Spanish has just rolled off the presses, with workbook pages at the end of each of the Lessons.
2. New DVD sets: Our ARK for Parents (regular and faith-based) and ARK for Teachers DVDs (the Introductory Meeting and the Lessons) have all been reformated with new menus.
3. ARK for Kids: The Facilitator Guide and the Student Workbook have been updated and are wonderful tools for helping 2nd-5th graders deal with issues such as bullying, cliques, anger management,and decision-making.
4. ARK for Divorcing Parents: The online course meets all the State requirements (four hours) in helping parents to help their children through the truama of divorce.

• READING: Analyze how specific word choices shape the meaning and tone of a text.
• WRITING: Gather the information needed to build an argument, provide an explanation, or address a research question.
• MATH: Convert units in problems, such as "Signs in Canada give the speed in kilometers per hour. If the speed limit is 100 KM/hr, and you're driving at a speed of 65 MPH, are you over or under the speed limit?"

Critics have complained that the standards are too high or too low, aren't tough enough, are too tough, or test the wrong things and haven't focused on critical thinking skills.

It seems to me that, regardless of the standards imposed by others, we can make a tremendous difference in the quality of our chlidren's education through our personal involvement in our local school districts and local neighborhood schools. Placing the ARK Program, for both parents and teachers, on campuses is one way we can help our schools to help our kids.

I suspect that when we actually do make a difference is when we take control of our lives and make decisions with our children's futures in our hands. I see it happening... where local families and teachers are working together, quietly doing the right things. Based on the many e-mails and notes I have received from you, it's apparent to me that families, teachers, and neighbors are stepping up to identify those practices, efforts and small daily investments of time required to assure committment to daily learning and personal growth.

I am thankful for all of you who quietly make this possible and who make this investment in our children's future happen.

Just musing...
Bill