~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The
ARKGROUP (Adults Relating to Kids)
formerly The Children's
Center for Self-Esteem ARK 'N ACTION October
2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In this
issue:
-- The Five Basic Principles of ARK
-- 30 Words That Changed The World
-- The Connection Between Parent Involvement and Student
Achievement
-- ARK Updates And Contacts
-- Musings From Bill: What My Kids' and Grandkids' Play Has Taught
Me
Greetings to you! I have visited with many of you parents and teachers this past
month--at Headstart Centers and at elementary, middle, and high schools. I
am thrilled to hear how many of you are living your lives each day filled
with intentional actions and practices that make a tremendous difference
in the lives of kids and students. You are making a difference as you go
about enhancing our children's perception that "they belong" in this world
and that "they are fulfilling our dreams for them to be good and helpful
people." Your unconditional care is watering the seeds that matter in this
beautiful world. I am especially thankful and humbled by your participation in our ARK
programs. Your intentional belief and faith in young people--expressed
through your acts of unconditional love with your children, your
neighborhood children, and your students-- is helping to create a world of
creative, imaginative, and caring children. What a difference you are
making! WE TRUST THAT YOU ENJOY READING ABOUT THE MANY WAYS ARK IS CHANGING LIVES FOR THE BETTER AND HOPE YOU CONTINUE YOUR VERY VITAL SUPPORT! | |
The Five Basic Principles of ARK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
When Glenn Wilkerson was asked to speak to a group of parents whose teenagers had just returned home after spending a court-ordered month in a detention facility, he shared with them the five basic principles which undergird our ARK programs. Dr. Glenn listed them as follows: 1, People treat others in the same manner as they feel about themselves. It's a psychological truth that "People who are hurt, hurt other people." On the other hand, those who have a positive self-concept (and who have a healthy love for themselves) are respectful and loving toward those around them. 2. People can't love themselves until they've first been loved (and forgiven) by that which is greater than them. For adults, receiving that sort of love can come through a faith experience. For children, that love comes from parents and other adults who are primary in their lives. 3. The most important thing we can give our kids--far more important than money, education, clothing, and cars--is the sense that they are unconditionally loved. Unconditional love is the key factor in a child's developing a positive self-concept. 4. Unconditional love means loving a child for who she IS rather than for what she DOES. Separating the child from the behavior means "hating the sin, but loving the sinner." 5. Unconditional love is not permissive--it demands responsibility of a child. Kids need caring adults to set boundaries for them. And, when a child steps outside of those boundaries, it's important to have age-appropriate consequences which will allow him to learn from the mistake so that he can take greater responsibilty for that behavior in the future. These five principles comprise the core of the ARK curriculum, which includes "ARK for Parents," a program that helps parents learn how to give unconditional love to their chldren in the home environment--disciplining the behavior while valuing the worth of their child. The curriculum also features "ARK for Teachers" which helps teachers to create a nurturing classroom environment and caring relationships with their students. The ARK (Adults Relating to Kids) Program helps adults to become vessels through whom unconditional love is poured into the lives of children--elevating their self- esteem and building the strong self- concept that enables them to live joyful, productive lives. | |
30 Words That Changed The World ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  We can believe and attain our dreams. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong took "one small step for man and one large step for mankind" as he took humankind's first step on the moon. Solving our nation's challenges can be done by each of us as we have always done in the past, as "We move toward and become like that which we think and talk about with ourselves and our intentional groups of care". As they have witnessed the grandeur and subsequent decline of great nations over the centuries, some historians have come up with a classic theory to explain the rise and fall of these societies. The theory is that great nations start out tough-minded and energetic. Toughness and energy lead to wealth and power. Wealth and power lead to affluence and luxury. Affluence and luxury lead to decadence, corruption and decline. "Human nature, nor any form of it, could ever bear prosperty," John Adams wrote to Thomas Jefferson. Yet despite our amazing wealth and prosperity, the United States has generally remained immune to this cycle. Why do you think that has held true? It's a question for your students to ponder with you. We invite you to share their views, and we will in turn share them with the thousands of persons who now read this newsletter. We predict we will learn from their responses things we had not before considered. Share with us your suggestions of hope and encouragement, and we will pass them on to others. | |
The Connection Between Parent Involvement and Student Achievement ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Research shows the strong connection between a
parent's involvement and their child's achievement at school. A 2002 study
entitled "A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and
Community Connections on Student Achievement" says that children whose
parents are involved at their school tend to maintain higher grades,
attend school more regularly, stay in school, and behave better than those
children whose parents are not involved. Also, children are more likely to
enjoy school and to recognize its value if their parents show commitment
toward the school and are enthusiastic toward the educational
process.Here are a few "tips" on how to get involved at your child's school:
Check out one of our HeadStart Early HeadStart Collaboratives - Avance. You will be glad you did. | |
ARK Updates And Contacts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Our Faith-based Programs For our friends and followers, we have had outstanding, record-breaking participation through September, 2009, with hundreds of churches in the Dallas and Houston areas participating in our ARK for Parents faith-based church programs. The Facilitator training (which prepares churches to provide this outstanding program either to the entire congregation or to smaller groups, such as Sunday School classes) can be scheduled to fit the schedule of those who commit to serve as facilitators. Thanks to wonderful gifts by kind benefactors, we are able to provide ARK for Parents programs to many churches who require scholarship assistance. The program includes facilitator training, lessons on DVDs, books, and a host of supporting materials and services. We invite you to make sure that your church takes advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Contact us today by e-mail, letter or by telephone in Dallas at 817-268-2100 or Houston at 281-537-1301 to reserve these programs for your church. We know these programs will enable your church family to enrich the lives of the children under their care. Our School Programs: The ARKGroup is now providing training and materials nationwide for schools from preschool level through college in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. These booklets, materials and videos provide the tools and activities that enable administrators, counselors and teachers to relate to students with the love and care that is integral to building and reinforcing children's self-esteem. ARK is aware of many organizations who 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, a United
Way-supported agency, a neighborhood center or a 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! | |
Musings From Bill: What My Kids' and Grandkids' Play Has Taught Me ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  My thanks to Dr. Robert Brooks, my esteemed resource
on "Reslience, Self-Esteem, Motivation, & Family Relationships" and to
the August 24, 2009, Time article, "A New Look Inside Babies'
Minds".
Today's kids seem more stressed than those in previous generations, and
the phenomenon is becoming evident in younger children. Such facts have
made me wonder as to what we adults can do to lessen the impact of stress
on children's lives. Just musing...
| |
Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: wduffyark@sbcglobal.net
phone: 281-537-1301
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
