~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The
ARKGROUP (Adults Relating to Kids)
Publishing from Lone Star
College University Park, SH 249, Houston, Texas ARK 'N ACTION June
2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In this
issue:
-- Affirming Our Children
-- Let's Think Outside the Box About School Violence and Discipline
Problems
-- The West Dallas ARK Initiative
-- Houston Education Initiative - Excitement is In the Air at Spring
Independent School District's Elementary Schools
-- Musings From Bill: Bargains are Everywhere - Look Around
-- Graduations Are A Time of Excitement and Amazement
Welcome to ARK's June
Newsletter. Glenn, Jan, Omega, Quintina, and I thank you for your
commitment to the children in your lives, your homes, your neighborhoods,
your schools, your churches and within your larger communities. If you have not picked up a copy of David Brooks latest book, we
strongly encourage that you do so. | |
Affirming Our Children ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Isn't it fun to be around people
who like you? It's just human nature to avoid people who regularly
criticize us. If you seem to be on your kid's case a lot, they'll do their
best to avoid you. As a parent, you most likely don't want to have that
kind of a relationship with your children. The words you use with your
kids are important, powerful and memorable.
So how do we use our important, powerful and memorable words in a way that most effectively affirms our children? We start by going beyond the LIST that most kids get acknowledged for in our society -- Looks, Intelligence, Sports, and Talents. We probably all know someone who is good looking, brilliant, athletic, or artsy that's really not an easy person to be around. It's easy to compliment someone when they look nice, make straight A's, score the winning touchdown or give a brilliant solo performance! Instead, we need to affirm our kids for the character qualities they demonstrate and the appropriate behavior they show. Using "I" messages, be specific with your affirmations. For example: · "I am really proud of you for not losing your temper when you didn't get your way." · "I'm amazed at how patient you are with your little sister." · "I really appreciate you cleaning your room without me asking you!" · You can make an enormous difference in the lives of your kids just by affirming their good qualities and good behavior. Here's a hint: Catch them in the act of doing good things. You can make a huge difference in the lives of your kids just by affirming their good qualities and good behavior. "An artist starts with an idea, a dream. The artists then puts together
all the ingredients to make that dream into a reality. The artist strives
to make a masterpiece. You too start with an idea, a vision, to help
children. Your classroom is your studio where you create masterpieces
daily. You fill the canvases of their minds with hopes, new knowledge, and
caring, so they can go into the world shining the beauty thhat you saw
inside of them" | |
Let's Think Outside the Box About School Violence and Discipline Problems ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  School violence and discipline
problems have reached epidemic proportions in many school districts. In
far too many schools, a lack of respect for the authority of teachers and
other school employees and other students, is undermining the ability of
schools to provide students with a quality education. Even in the best of
schools, employees too often experience frustration and abandonment in
their efforts to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment. Most
teachers, school bus drivers, paraprofessionals, custodians and food
service workers can relate personal stories about student offenders and
their disruptive behavior. Solving school violence and discipline problems
isn't easy, but it can be done.
Here are some specific tips for the classroom, many of which can be used on the school bus, the playground or any other place where school employees supervise students. BE SURE TO: Greet students as they enter your classroom: This not only models the kind of courteous behavior you want to instill in your students, but it also gives you an opportunity for "early targeting" .. You may pick up early warning signs of potential trouble, e.g., anger, illness, arguments, fights, trouble on the way to school, inappropriate attire or paraphernalia, homework not done, etc. Without early targeting or intervention, small problems can escalate to major disruption or violence. BE SURE TO: Make "Before-Class-Starts" activities available in the classroom to engage students in positive and productive interactions. Such activities could include board games, a five-minute "free conversation" period or simple calisthenics. BECAUSE: The "dead time" before the bell can be "deadly" If students don't have a way to channel their energies. BE SURE TO: Have a designated place within your view for students to turn in homework. BECAUSE: The failure of students to turn in homework on time can be a major disruption to the class. When asked why they have not completed their assignments, students will often engage in denials and excuses, resulting in a waste of learning time. With a homework box, or other designated place for students to turn in work, the teacher or paraprofessional can watch the students as they enter to see who has completed their assignments and who has not. BE SURE TO: Have 3-5 basic rules in place to help govern student behavior such as be prompt, be polite, be prepared, and be productive. BECAUSE: Overarching rules provide parameters within each student can function in the group and identify his or her own appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. This promotes individual ownership of the rules and encourages responsibility. | |
The West Dallas ARK Initiative ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  The ARKGroup is grateful for the
opportunity to be a part of Serve West Dallas and for the wonderful
partnerships with the additional SWD Ministry Partners. Be sure to check
out the link below for a video on the ARK Program. To find out more about
Serve West Dallas, please go to www.servewestdallas.org
Check this exciting video about ARK. Enter the passwork ARK11 when requested. | |
Houston Education Initiative - Excitement is In the Air at Spring Independent School District's Elementary Schools ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  The Spring ISD twenty-six Elementary Principals with
the encouragement of their Superintendents and with the help of a generous
grant from Houston Endowment Foundation have launched ARK for
Parents programs at each of their campuses.
Our collaborative goals are to establish small group networks of Parents with processes to enrich their families and support their families Teachers to improve student academics and behavior, create school-wide climates of support, provide training and personal development, encourage all adults to engage in the children's lives and community involvement and to instigate a multi-level process that will encourage opportunity across the community. Our vision seeks to help parents to understand, model and practice unconditional care and to be intentional about creating advocacy relationships with all adults who impact their children's lives and education. Stay tuned as we bring you news from this exciting Initiative in the
Spring School District. | |
Musings From Bill: Bargains are Everywhere - Look Around ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  In Texas, we have become aware that high poverty
levels and low education performance are a recipe for disaster. A recent
address by Rice University sociologists Stephen Klineberg in April noted;
"Education is critical in a way it never was before". In greater Houston, 47% of students drop out of school, the fourth-worst drop out rate in the country. What are we to do? Let 's all start looking for bargains. I propose the best bargains are
looking back at us in the mirror each morning while we brush our
teeth. Just musing... Take a look at the ARK website for full details on programs at www.thearkgroup.org | |
Graduations Are A Time of Excitement and Amazement ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  CONGRATULATIONS to Kindergarten Kids, Parents and
Teachers everywhere. Only 16 more graduations to go.
| |
Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: wduffyark@sbcglobal.net
phone: 281-537-1301 (Houston) and 817-692-1929 (Dallas/Fort Worth)
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