I recently spent some time listening to a good friend of mine as he recounted the Thanksgiving and holiday seasons. His words rang way too true. I'm paraphrasing, so there are no quotes!
Tomorrow, Thanksgiving day, something truly amazing is going to happen. There are about 300 million Americans. Tomorrow, nearly everyone of us, regardless of race, creed or color won't be going to work. At about 2:00 pm, nearly everyone will spend time giving thanks for the blessings they have. Most people will eat a good meal. Most people will be with friends and family. For about an hour tomorrow, the entire country will pause to give thanks.
Then, we'll sit on the couch and turn on the television. We will complain about how long it takes to clean up after such a large meal. As we watch the traditional Thanksgiving day football game, some, like my friend, will complain about how bad the Cowboys are. Somewhere around 8 pm, those of us who traveled to a relative's house will embark on the journey home. We will complain because we had to travel so far to spend time with our in-laws that we don't much like anyway and now have to drive home in the dark when we are already tired.
Friday morning comes quickly because, of course, it is Black Friday and we must be up and out early to take advantage of all the great deals. Once we get there we will complain because of all the lunatics that got up early enough to be in front of us on the line. We get into the store and realize that there was only one $25 laptop and only one $50 flat screen television and we complain. As we continue to search the store, we complain about the fact that you can't buy a decent present for under $100. Throughout the month of December we complain about the commercialization, the traffic and the stress of the holidays.
The New Year arrives. We are reminded that we are still too fat, still didn't paint the living room and still haven't read any books. We complain that we can't follow through on resolutions, probably because we are too busy.
Then, comes maybe the worst day of the entire year, January 22. An ominous day, indeed. That is when the MasterCard bill arrives. As we stare in disbelief at the amount of money we spent, we complain because we can't pay the bill because we don't make enough money at our lousy jobs. Oh, yeah, and because of that job that doesn't pay enough, we don't have a big enough house, or a nice enough car, or a long enough vacation - complain, complain, complain. Don't even get us started on putting our kids through college or paying for retirement!
But, alas, there is some hope! There is only 298 days until Thanksgiving when we will all pause to be thankful for what we have.
This was my friend's story, but I think we can all relate to it. We live in arguably the most consumeristic society in the history of humanity. We have more stuff than any people who have every walked the earth. The problem is, though, that we are more aware of what we don't have than we we do. If we have a cell phone, we want a smart phone. If we have a 40" flat screen TV, we want a 50". If we drive a Ford, we want a Lexus. You get the idea. We spend 364 days a year complaining about what we don't have and forget to focus on what we do have.
I have been privileged to have had the opportunity to travel to Guatemala City for the past three years to work with people who live and work in and on a garbage dump. These people have nothing. When you ask them what they want, they say food, water, a roof over their heads. Those who do well scavenging through the garbage dump earn about $2 per day. Those who have food often eat once a day and sometimes eat what they find in the trash. Those who have water at all get it only for a couple of hours a day and cannot drink it safely. Those who have shelter live in "houses" that aren't as nice as many of our tool sheds. Ask me what I want. I want an iPad, I want a new kitchen, I want a shed to put my lawnmower and snow blower in. I have so much stuff that I can't even fit it into my house and I still want more. But, what do I do, complain about what I don't have.
This week on the school sign I have been posting facts dealing with the struggles of people around the world, which includes people of the United States.
1.4 billion people do not have clean drinking water.
6 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition.
3 billion people live on $2 a day or less.
80% of the world, nearly 5 1/2 billion people, live on $10 a day or less.
There's more:
2.6 billion people do not have sanitary waste facilities - flushing toilets
1 billion people do not have enough to eat
In America:
45 million Americans live below the poverty line ($16,000 a year for a family of four )
1 out of every 5 children in America lives in poverty
40 million Americans live in households that did not have an adequate supply of food
And I complain because my Internet service isn't fast enough, or that I have to wait in line at the grocery store.
When things are bad, we complain. When things are good, we complain because they're never good enough. As we all prepare for a nice four day weekend - of course, it would be better if it were longer - I would urge everyone to give thanks for everything. Times are certainly tough. Economically and personally, we are all battling to deal with great challenges. We've had to deal with the loss of "things". We've had to deal with the loss of jobs. We've had to deal with the loss of loved ones. In all things, though, there is an opportunity to be thankful.
When the turkey is finished, the pumpkin pie has been eaten, the dishes have been cleaned and the button on your pants has been undone, take some time to continue to be thankful. If you have a job, be thankful - there are many people without one right now. If you are sitting in your warm house watching television, be thankful - there are many people living on the streets. If you eat a good meal, be thankful - many people go hungry every day. If you get a glass of water from the tap, be thankful - a good portion of people in the world could only dream of doing that. If you lose someone close to you, be thankful - thankful that you got to spend time with them at all.
If we as adults can do all of this, we can teach our children more than they can every learn in a book or a classroom. Our kids live in a world where all they seem to notice is what everyone else has and does. They focus so much on what they don't have that they fail to appreciate what they do have. By being good role models each and every day, we can teach them to be optimistic, hopeful, thankful for everything they have, and thankful that they live in a country and community that is filled with opportunities.
Happy Thanksgiving - tomorrow and for the next 364 days!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thank You, Veterans
Today the students at Woodglen School joined all Americans as we celebrate Veteran's Day. First known as Armistice Day, a day to commemorate the end of World War I and honored those who served in that war, the day was changed in 1954 to Veteran's Day to honor all American Veterans.
Today, we honor veterans, past and present, celebrating and honoring them for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
Woodglen School's own Mr. George Perasso, a United States Marine, is among the many who have served our nation with honor and valor. We thank him and all the other brave men and women who served and continue to serve. They serve for you and me.
Take a moment to watch this video: "I Fought For You"
Today, we honor veterans, past and present, celebrating and honoring them for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
Woodglen School's own Mr. George Perasso, a United States Marine, is among the many who have served our nation with honor and valor. We thank him and all the other brave men and women who served and continue to serve. They serve for you and me.
Take a moment to watch this video: "I Fought For You"
Friday, October 29, 2010
Make a Difference
Let's just say that you really didn't have much money. You decided, though, that there were kids in need so you wanted to adopt. Instead of taking the cute little babies, you asked for the kids that no one else wanted. You didn't do it just once, but about 20 times - yes, 20! Pretty impressive, but...
Despite the fact that you are having trouble paying your bills, you go out every day and provide food for the homeless. As you get to know the people you serve on a daily basis, you start to provide some clothing and other needs.
You would think that you would deserve some kind of award; maybe the key to the city or a street named after you. You would think, wouldn't you.
Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet JoAnn Tyler. She doesn't have much money. She has 3 natural born children and 20 adopted children. The children she took in were the ones that no one else wanted.
One day when sitting in church, the pastor told the congregation that, "Next year, we are going to feed the homeless." After wondering why they would wait a year to feed hungry people, JoAnn decided to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for six homeless people in a park in Dover, NJ. What started as a one time thing, providing a Thanksgiving dinner, turned into a daily occurrence as the people she met explained how hungry they were in the evenings. JoAnn faithfully returned each day to that park in Dover to feed people and has done so since 2003.
Since she began providing a bowl of soup and a sandwich to the people she refers to not as homeless, but less fortunate, she has not always reaped the accolades one would expect for such a selfless person. Her husband left her and took the family car. She has been given thousands of dollars in summonses from the town of Dover. She has been threatened by town officials, including the Mayor, to be thrown in jail for taking care of people that no one else wants to take care of.
In 2005, JoAnn Tyler's efforts were recognized by the Russ Bernie Foundation. She received a $50,000 award for her efforts. When she got the money, she did not take a vacation, which she certainly deserved; she did not go out and buy new clothes, which I'm sure she would have liked; she didn't get a new TV or iPod or computer. JoAnn Tyler paid her rent and electric bills, which were past due. She bought a van so that she could continue to serve food each day, and she spent the rest of the money helping others who needed more than she did. She wrote a check to a single mom with four kids who was about to be evicted. She took people to Kmart to buy some clothing. She bought more soup and more sandwiches to feed hungry unfortunate people.
The Woodglen School Student Council has decided to help JoAnn Tyler "make a difference" for over 60 homeless people living in Dover. She will be handing out coats on November 13 in JFK Park - the same place she goes each day to feed hungry people. We have begun collecting coats, socks, flashlights, batteries and other necessities. The collection runs through November 11. Please considering helping us to "make a difference" as we help expand the good works of JoAnn Tyler.
If you'd like to help, please check out our Student Council flyer that provides specific needs.
Despite the fact that you are having trouble paying your bills, you go out every day and provide food for the homeless. As you get to know the people you serve on a daily basis, you start to provide some clothing and other needs.
You would think that you would deserve some kind of award; maybe the key to the city or a street named after you. You would think, wouldn't you.
Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet JoAnn Tyler. She doesn't have much money. She has 3 natural born children and 20 adopted children. The children she took in were the ones that no one else wanted.
One day when sitting in church, the pastor told the congregation that, "Next year, we are going to feed the homeless." After wondering why they would wait a year to feed hungry people, JoAnn decided to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for six homeless people in a park in Dover, NJ. What started as a one time thing, providing a Thanksgiving dinner, turned into a daily occurrence as the people she met explained how hungry they were in the evenings. JoAnn faithfully returned each day to that park in Dover to feed people and has done so since 2003.
Since she began providing a bowl of soup and a sandwich to the people she refers to not as homeless, but less fortunate, she has not always reaped the accolades one would expect for such a selfless person. Her husband left her and took the family car. She has been given thousands of dollars in summonses from the town of Dover. She has been threatened by town officials, including the Mayor, to be thrown in jail for taking care of people that no one else wants to take care of.
In 2005, JoAnn Tyler's efforts were recognized by the Russ Bernie Foundation. She received a $50,000 award for her efforts. When she got the money, she did not take a vacation, which she certainly deserved; she did not go out and buy new clothes, which I'm sure she would have liked; she didn't get a new TV or iPod or computer. JoAnn Tyler paid her rent and electric bills, which were past due. She bought a van so that she could continue to serve food each day, and she spent the rest of the money helping others who needed more than she did. She wrote a check to a single mom with four kids who was about to be evicted. She took people to Kmart to buy some clothing. She bought more soup and more sandwiches to feed hungry unfortunate people.
The Woodglen School Student Council has decided to help JoAnn Tyler "make a difference" for over 60 homeless people living in Dover. She will be handing out coats on November 13 in JFK Park - the same place she goes each day to feed hungry people. We have begun collecting coats, socks, flashlights, batteries and other necessities. The collection runs through November 11. Please considering helping us to "make a difference" as we help expand the good works of JoAnn Tyler.
If you'd like to help, please check out our Student Council flyer that provides specific needs.
Monday, October 4, 2010
CYBERBULLYING
We talk a great deal about harassment, bullying and meanness in school. We have worked with students to help them solve problems with others before little things turn into big things. Overall, we have been pretty successful at controlling the problems of bullying in our school. Things are not perfect, they probably never will be perfect, but we continue to work under the premise that one incident of bullying is one too many.
Kids, schools and parents have dealt with bullying for years. If you went to school you either, a. were treated poorly by someone, b. treated someone poorly or c. saw someone being treated poorly. Put hundreds of kids in one space for a large amount of time and these things are inevitable. While many things have stayed the same, things have also changed a great deal since "the good old days" when you were a kid.
Unless you have been a member of a sequestered jury for the past week, you have heard about the incident that took place at Rutgers University. You can read the story from September 29th's Star Ledger. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/hold_new_rutgers_post.html
Two students used a web cam to broadcast a sexual encounter between a male roommate and another male. The results were tragic. Freshman Tyler Clementi committed suicide after the encounter was broadcast by his roommate over the Internet. Authorities are still trying to sort out the charges against the two students responsible for the broadcast. Whatever the law does to these two young people, it will pale in comparison to the fact that they will have to live for the rest of their lives with what they did and the outcome.
The two students responsible for the invasion of privacy were not who most people would picture. They were strong students. They came from seemingly solid families. They grew up in an upper middle class neighborhood. They attended a good high school. In fact, they could have been any one of the kids that go to our schools right now.
While their actions on that day were reprehensible, they weren't all that much different than the actions of thousands of young people around the country on any given day. Young people treat each other poorly every day. They resort to name-calling, mocking, exclusion, bullying, harassment for a variety of reasons. They usually don't do these things when authorities (parents and teachers) are around. They often claim to be "kidding around" when confronted about their inappropriate actions. The biggest difference between the Tyler Clementi case and most of the rest was the outcome.
While the actions of the two students who broadcast this sexual encounter were horrible, I would venture to say that neither woke up that morning and thought to themselves, "I'm going to push someone to commit suicide today." These two students were not horrible monsters, they were normal young people. These two students were not stupid, they were good students at one of the nations top academic institutions. They may not have set out to kill someone, but they certainly set out to ridicule someone. So how does this happen? How do we prevent it from happening again. I wish I had all the answers, but I don't.
Kids today have access to technology that is very useful. It is also very powerful and very dangerous. We often allow our kids to use these tools with very little guidance and almost no direct instruction. We hand them cell phones with cameras and Internet access. We give them smart phones with downloadable "apps," many of which you and I don't even know exist. We buy them laptop computers with web cams and programs like Skype and ooVoo. We provide these things, but we often don't take the time to teach them how to use them properly. We often don't take the time to monitor their usage closely. Computers and the Internet have taken humiliation to never before seen levels. What once was local, now is global. What once was personal and identifiable, is now, for the most part, faceless and anonymous.
What are the answers? Like I said, I'm not exactly sure. We have introduced a "Digital Citizenship" course to seventh graders as part of our computer curriculum. During this marking-period class, students will grapple with issues of privacy, search engines, plagiarism, cybersafety and cyberbullying. We have aligned what we are doing with the NJ Core Content Standards for technology. The government is now getting involved with laws specifically aimed at cyberbullying. Check out this example in an article from Fox News:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/01/rutgers-student-suicide-renews-debate-cyberbullying/. While passing legislation sounds like a good and reasonable thing to do here, it is not likely to solve the problem. Haven't there been laws on the books about murder, robbery and assault for years? None of these problems have disappeared because of legislation against them.
The real solutions lie in the constant effort to teach our children to be more than anything else, decent human beings. I'd like to say that all children are taught from the very beginning to be kind, caring and sympathetic. I'd like to say that all children are taught about the importance of caring about and for others. I'd like to say that all children internalized the lessons that have been taught at home and school. As a principal, I'd like to say that this is all the parents' fault. As a parent, I'd like to say that this is all the schools' fault. As a taxpayer, I'd like to say that this is all the government's fault. Truth of the matter is it is everyone's fault, or, more appropriately put, it is everyone's responsibility.
As parents and teachers and administrators and citizens, we all shoulder the responsibility of bringing up the next generation. Our parents and their parents before them faced the same challenge. I know that everyone says the right things. All parents tell their children to be nice. All teachers tell students to be kind. Everyone tells others to be sympathetic to those in need. Each year, I meet with students and tell them that the most important rule at Woodglen School is to treat others the way you want to be treated - not necessarily the way they treat you. This all sounds great, but talk is cheep.
Are we all just talking the talk and not walking the walk? The examples we set may be subtle. Do we display the "niceness" we preach when we are driving in our cars, particularly when someone cuts us off? Are we displaying the "kindness" when we put others down for their views, choices or lifestyles behind their backs? Are we displaying the "sympathy" when we see others in need and walk by because we are too busy to get involved? Do I always treat others the way I want to be treated?
The other piece of the puzzle is accountability. How many times have we tried to justify our own actions when we did not treat someone well. "He did it to me first," "She deserved it," "They had it coming to them," are all-to-often-heard phrases used to justify actions. What about when our kids are involved in treating others poorly. "Well, that kid did something to my kid first." "My child would never do something like that." Do those phrases sound familiar? If we want our children to be nice, to be kind, to be sympathetic and to treat others the way they wish to be treated, it has to be independent of the actions of others. That being said, I don't want the nice kids to become punching bags or victims. We have put procedures in place at Woodglen School for positive ways to address meanness, bullying and harassment. I've explained them many times before, but the focus is on teaching kids to solve problems with others and dealing with problems early - before they get out of control.
What Dahrun Ravi and Molly Wei did to Tyler Clementi was reprehsible. While many people are looking at this as a bias incident, I look at this more as an anti-human being issue. Susan Jacoby, in her Washington Post Blog put it this way, "It is about immoral and amoral cruelty" ... "and about a culture that prefers to assign responsibility to tools rather than the young people who used them for evil. Yes, evil. As the late Russian poet and Nobel laureate Joseph Brodsky once wrote, evil doesn't necessarily announce itself by walking in the door and saying, "Hi, I'm evil." It can just as likely manifest itself in two privileged young people whose bright, white smiles--the best expensive dentistry can provide!--concealed the moral vacuum that led them to use a web cam to torment a vulnerable fellow creature."
Dahrun Ravi and Molly Wei were probably, when they were in middle school, told to be nice. They were probably told to be kind. They were probably urged to have sympathy for others. They were almost certainly told to treat others the way they wanted to be treated. What happened? I'm not sure, I think the message we should all get about bullying and cyberbulling is pretty clear.
Kids, schools and parents have dealt with bullying for years. If you went to school you either, a. were treated poorly by someone, b. treated someone poorly or c. saw someone being treated poorly. Put hundreds of kids in one space for a large amount of time and these things are inevitable. While many things have stayed the same, things have also changed a great deal since "the good old days" when you were a kid.
Unless you have been a member of a sequestered jury for the past week, you have heard about the incident that took place at Rutgers University. You can read the story from September 29th's Star Ledger. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/hold_new_rutgers_post.html
Two students used a web cam to broadcast a sexual encounter between a male roommate and another male. The results were tragic. Freshman Tyler Clementi committed suicide after the encounter was broadcast by his roommate over the Internet. Authorities are still trying to sort out the charges against the two students responsible for the broadcast. Whatever the law does to these two young people, it will pale in comparison to the fact that they will have to live for the rest of their lives with what they did and the outcome.
The two students responsible for the invasion of privacy were not who most people would picture. They were strong students. They came from seemingly solid families. They grew up in an upper middle class neighborhood. They attended a good high school. In fact, they could have been any one of the kids that go to our schools right now.
While their actions on that day were reprehensible, they weren't all that much different than the actions of thousands of young people around the country on any given day. Young people treat each other poorly every day. They resort to name-calling, mocking, exclusion, bullying, harassment for a variety of reasons. They usually don't do these things when authorities (parents and teachers) are around. They often claim to be "kidding around" when confronted about their inappropriate actions. The biggest difference between the Tyler Clementi case and most of the rest was the outcome.
While the actions of the two students who broadcast this sexual encounter were horrible, I would venture to say that neither woke up that morning and thought to themselves, "I'm going to push someone to commit suicide today." These two students were not horrible monsters, they were normal young people. These two students were not stupid, they were good students at one of the nations top academic institutions. They may not have set out to kill someone, but they certainly set out to ridicule someone. So how does this happen? How do we prevent it from happening again. I wish I had all the answers, but I don't.
Kids today have access to technology that is very useful. It is also very powerful and very dangerous. We often allow our kids to use these tools with very little guidance and almost no direct instruction. We hand them cell phones with cameras and Internet access. We give them smart phones with downloadable "apps," many of which you and I don't even know exist. We buy them laptop computers with web cams and programs like Skype and ooVoo. We provide these things, but we often don't take the time to teach them how to use them properly. We often don't take the time to monitor their usage closely. Computers and the Internet have taken humiliation to never before seen levels. What once was local, now is global. What once was personal and identifiable, is now, for the most part, faceless and anonymous.
What are the answers? Like I said, I'm not exactly sure. We have introduced a "Digital Citizenship" course to seventh graders as part of our computer curriculum. During this marking-period class, students will grapple with issues of privacy, search engines, plagiarism, cybersafety and cyberbullying. We have aligned what we are doing with the NJ Core Content Standards for technology. The government is now getting involved with laws specifically aimed at cyberbullying. Check out this example in an article from Fox News:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/01/rutgers-student-suicide-renews-debate-cyberbullying/. While passing legislation sounds like a good and reasonable thing to do here, it is not likely to solve the problem. Haven't there been laws on the books about murder, robbery and assault for years? None of these problems have disappeared because of legislation against them.
The real solutions lie in the constant effort to teach our children to be more than anything else, decent human beings. I'd like to say that all children are taught from the very beginning to be kind, caring and sympathetic. I'd like to say that all children are taught about the importance of caring about and for others. I'd like to say that all children internalized the lessons that have been taught at home and school. As a principal, I'd like to say that this is all the parents' fault. As a parent, I'd like to say that this is all the schools' fault. As a taxpayer, I'd like to say that this is all the government's fault. Truth of the matter is it is everyone's fault, or, more appropriately put, it is everyone's responsibility.
As parents and teachers and administrators and citizens, we all shoulder the responsibility of bringing up the next generation. Our parents and their parents before them faced the same challenge. I know that everyone says the right things. All parents tell their children to be nice. All teachers tell students to be kind. Everyone tells others to be sympathetic to those in need. Each year, I meet with students and tell them that the most important rule at Woodglen School is to treat others the way you want to be treated - not necessarily the way they treat you. This all sounds great, but talk is cheep.
Are we all just talking the talk and not walking the walk? The examples we set may be subtle. Do we display the "niceness" we preach when we are driving in our cars, particularly when someone cuts us off? Are we displaying the "kindness" when we put others down for their views, choices or lifestyles behind their backs? Are we displaying the "sympathy" when we see others in need and walk by because we are too busy to get involved? Do I always treat others the way I want to be treated?
The other piece of the puzzle is accountability. How many times have we tried to justify our own actions when we did not treat someone well. "He did it to me first," "She deserved it," "They had it coming to them," are all-to-often-heard phrases used to justify actions. What about when our kids are involved in treating others poorly. "Well, that kid did something to my kid first." "My child would never do something like that." Do those phrases sound familiar? If we want our children to be nice, to be kind, to be sympathetic and to treat others the way they wish to be treated, it has to be independent of the actions of others. That being said, I don't want the nice kids to become punching bags or victims. We have put procedures in place at Woodglen School for positive ways to address meanness, bullying and harassment. I've explained them many times before, but the focus is on teaching kids to solve problems with others and dealing with problems early - before they get out of control.
What Dahrun Ravi and Molly Wei did to Tyler Clementi was reprehsible. While many people are looking at this as a bias incident, I look at this more as an anti-human being issue. Susan Jacoby, in her Washington Post Blog put it this way, "It is about immoral and amoral cruelty" ... "and about a culture that prefers to assign responsibility to tools rather than the young people who used them for evil. Yes, evil. As the late Russian poet and Nobel laureate Joseph Brodsky once wrote, evil doesn't necessarily announce itself by walking in the door and saying, "Hi, I'm evil." It can just as likely manifest itself in two privileged young people whose bright, white smiles--the best expensive dentistry can provide!--concealed the moral vacuum that led them to use a web cam to torment a vulnerable fellow creature."
Dahrun Ravi and Molly Wei were probably, when they were in middle school, told to be nice. They were probably told to be kind. They were probably urged to have sympathy for others. They were almost certainly told to treat others the way they wanted to be treated. What happened? I'm not sure, I think the message we should all get about bullying and cyberbulling is pretty clear.
- We need to educate our children about the power, both constructive and destructive, of technology - cell phones, computers, Internet and whatever else is developed down the road.
- We need to monitor what our children are doing with the technology available to them. That means that parents and educators need to stay abreast of the latest programs, trends and technologies. That also means that parents need to spend time keeping tabs of how their kids are using technology. It is difficult to do and it will take time, but it is crucial.
- We need to stress the importance of respect and responsibility. Our kids need to respect others and be responsible for their actions. With all of the stress put on high stakes standardized testing, AYP, and report cards, we may be leaving out the importance of developing quality human beings who care about others and want to treat others with kindness and respect. We also need to be sure that kids are aware of the possible ramifications of their actions. When they fall short of these expectations, we need to let them know about it, and work with them on how to make better decisions.
- We need to walk the walk. If we want our kids to treat others well, to be respectful, to be sympathetic, and to care about those in need, we have to do more than talk about it. We need to live it.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Back to School 2010
The 2010-2011 school year is now in full swing. We welcomed many parents to school on Thursday night for our annual Back to School Night. Those of you who were here had an opportunity to meet your child's teachers, hear about our curricula and see pictures of the smiling students who are so happy to be back in school (said with tongue in cheek).
If you were here at the beginning of the night, you heard a little bit about the things going on in the district and school. You also heard some of our philosophy. If you weren't here, or maybe were dozing off because I was boring (that's OK, I understand), I'll recap the message.
COMMUNICATION
Most of you have no doubt seen our website. It is a constantly evolving tool for communication. We spent a great deal of time developing a site that is useful and easy to use. Please take time to check out the website if you have not already done so.
Probably the most important feature of the website is the "Notify Me" function where parents can sign up for email updates when content is added. Parents have the opportunity to choose the information they want sent to their email addresses. You can get information from PTA, LTEF, community-based organizations and more. If you want information from these groups, you need to sign up as we are not sending paper home on a regular basis.
Does your son or daughter participate in a sport? Sign up for calendar updates and you will be notified of schedule changes and, more importantly, weather cancellations. You can now get text messages sent to your phone if you like. Just be sure to select the Woodglen Athletics Calendar if you only want texts about sports.
If you are not signed up for automatic notification through our website, go to http://www.lebtwpk8.org/list.aspx right now and get yourself signed up.
RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY
This year, we have set a theme of "Respect and Responsibility" for all students. I meet each year with students to talk about expectations for the upcoming school year. When I met with students during the first week of school, I explained that throughout the year we would focus on Respect and Responsibility.
Respect means respecting yourself, respecting others, respecting property, respecting teachers and respecting parents. We take great pride in the climate that has been developed at Woodglen School. We want it to be one where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas, working hard and being themselves. In a time of life when most students are trying to figure out who they are, an atmosphere of respect is crucial to everyone's development. We don't ask everyone to be friends, that's just not the real world. We do ask everyone to respect each other, that is what the real world should be.
Responsibility is the other key ingredient to our school climate. We want students to leave Woodglen prepared for high school and beyond. Our goal is for them to move along the continuum from little boys and girls who come from elementary school to young people who are ready to succeed in the challenging environment of high school.
Students are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves. It isn't mom and dad's job to find out when a club or activity meets, its the student's job to listen to announcements. That's responsible. All students are given an opportunity to write assignments in their agenda books. Choosing not to do so and later claiming that they couldn't do the homework because it wasn't posted or the Internet was down is not an option. That's not taking responsibility for oneself.
I found it disheartening to hear from fifth and sixth grade teachers that we already have a significant number of students who are not completing homework. That's not responsible nor is it acceptable.
GRADES: COMMUNICATION NOT CURRENCY
If I asked what middle school grades mean, I would probably get a variety of answers. What grades are supposed to be is a standard way to communicate a students achievement in a given subject area. Unfortunately, what grades have become is a way to evaluate the quality of a child and/or parent. That is not a good thing. A student who gets an A is not necessarily any nicer or any better quality of an individual than the student who gets a D. Too often, though, people like to think, "my kid is a good kid because he or she gets good grades," or, "I'm a bad parent because my kid is struggling in school." These types of fallacies have led to a situation where grades are more important than learning.
Do you know what an A means to a middle school student? It doesn't mean that he or she has thoroughly mastered the information and skills presented in the classroom, it means, "I don't have to work any harder than I already am, and, maybe I can work a little less because my parents would be OK with an A- or B+." That is what happens when grades are used as currency. "Can I do extra credit to bring my grade up?" "What does my child need to do to get the extra point to bring that C+ to a B-?" These are the questions asked when grades are used as currency. "I get $10 for every A I get." "You'll be grounded if you don't get all A's and B's." These are the statements that we hear when grades are used as currency.
Our goal at Woodglen School is for all students to be successful. Success though, should not be focused on middle school. If we wanted kids to get A's in middle school, we could put several things in place that could probably accomplish just that. Unfortunately, those kinds of things are detrimental to students in the long run. We want students to leave Woodglen prepared for high school and beyond. What does that mean? We want them to develop a strong work ethic, one where "just enough" is not enough. We want them to develop good study and work habits. Once they get to high school, one high school administrator once put it, everything counts. Kids can't just start working hard when they get there. Hard work and good study skills are habits that need to be developed and honed in middle school. When we focus on that, sometimes kids have to experience some failure and difficulty. We are here to help them work through that. We are here to help them develop the habits, learn to be responsible, and become people who will be successful in high school and beyond.
BULLYING AND MEANNESS
I shared the Woodglen philosophy on dealing with bullying - we do all we can NOT to have to deal with it by preventing it. That means we put great emphasis on stopping meanness, which ultimately leads to bullying behaviors. Our goal is simple, we don't want to fix students' problems, we want to teach them how to fix their own problems. At the beginning of each school year, I meet with every student and we talk about how to deal with unacceptable behaviors. I remind them of what I consider to be the most important rule at Woodglen, "Treat others the way you want to be treated." I complete the statement with, "which is not necessarily the way they are treating you."
Students are encouraged to see Mrs. Hinde or me when they are having issues with other students. They should not wait until the issue is very large and out of control. I don't want to see students pushed over the edge to the point where they are using foul language, threats, or getting physical. If students are having a problem with someone, we want to teach them how to resolve the issue. Too many people, adults included, avoid issues until they are out of control. That is what leads to bullying. We bring kids together to talk in an effort to solve problems.
If your son or daughter comes home and tells you that they are having trouble in school, on the playground or on the bus, encourage them to see Mrs. Hinde so that she can help them fix the situation - not fix it for them. If we are on the same page with this, the program works much better so I would ask for your support.
Woodglen School is a great school with great kids, great teachers and great parents. I feel blessed to be able to work in a genuinely nice and supportive community. I know that we all share the same goals, to work with children to make them good and successful people. Working together I believe that we can do just that.
If you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at school.
If you were here at the beginning of the night, you heard a little bit about the things going on in the district and school. You also heard some of our philosophy. If you weren't here, or maybe were dozing off because I was boring (that's OK, I understand), I'll recap the message.
COMMUNICATION
Most of you have no doubt seen our website. It is a constantly evolving tool for communication. We spent a great deal of time developing a site that is useful and easy to use. Please take time to check out the website if you have not already done so.
Probably the most important feature of the website is the "Notify Me" function where parents can sign up for email updates when content is added. Parents have the opportunity to choose the information they want sent to their email addresses. You can get information from PTA, LTEF, community-based organizations and more. If you want information from these groups, you need to sign up as we are not sending paper home on a regular basis.
Does your son or daughter participate in a sport? Sign up for calendar updates and you will be notified of schedule changes and, more importantly, weather cancellations. You can now get text messages sent to your phone if you like. Just be sure to select the Woodglen Athletics Calendar if you only want texts about sports.
If you are not signed up for automatic notification through our website, go to http://www.lebtwpk8.org/list.aspx right now and get yourself signed up.
RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY
This year, we have set a theme of "Respect and Responsibility" for all students. I meet each year with students to talk about expectations for the upcoming school year. When I met with students during the first week of school, I explained that throughout the year we would focus on Respect and Responsibility.
Respect means respecting yourself, respecting others, respecting property, respecting teachers and respecting parents. We take great pride in the climate that has been developed at Woodglen School. We want it to be one where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas, working hard and being themselves. In a time of life when most students are trying to figure out who they are, an atmosphere of respect is crucial to everyone's development. We don't ask everyone to be friends, that's just not the real world. We do ask everyone to respect each other, that is what the real world should be.
Responsibility is the other key ingredient to our school climate. We want students to leave Woodglen prepared for high school and beyond. Our goal is for them to move along the continuum from little boys and girls who come from elementary school to young people who are ready to succeed in the challenging environment of high school.
Students are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves. It isn't mom and dad's job to find out when a club or activity meets, its the student's job to listen to announcements. That's responsible. All students are given an opportunity to write assignments in their agenda books. Choosing not to do so and later claiming that they couldn't do the homework because it wasn't posted or the Internet was down is not an option. That's not taking responsibility for oneself.
I found it disheartening to hear from fifth and sixth grade teachers that we already have a significant number of students who are not completing homework. That's not responsible nor is it acceptable.
GRADES: COMMUNICATION NOT CURRENCY
If I asked what middle school grades mean, I would probably get a variety of answers. What grades are supposed to be is a standard way to communicate a students achievement in a given subject area. Unfortunately, what grades have become is a way to evaluate the quality of a child and/or parent. That is not a good thing. A student who gets an A is not necessarily any nicer or any better quality of an individual than the student who gets a D. Too often, though, people like to think, "my kid is a good kid because he or she gets good grades," or, "I'm a bad parent because my kid is struggling in school." These types of fallacies have led to a situation where grades are more important than learning.
Do you know what an A means to a middle school student? It doesn't mean that he or she has thoroughly mastered the information and skills presented in the classroom, it means, "I don't have to work any harder than I already am, and, maybe I can work a little less because my parents would be OK with an A- or B+." That is what happens when grades are used as currency. "Can I do extra credit to bring my grade up?" "What does my child need to do to get the extra point to bring that C+ to a B-?" These are the questions asked when grades are used as currency. "I get $10 for every A I get." "You'll be grounded if you don't get all A's and B's." These are the statements that we hear when grades are used as currency.
Our goal at Woodglen School is for all students to be successful. Success though, should not be focused on middle school. If we wanted kids to get A's in middle school, we could put several things in place that could probably accomplish just that. Unfortunately, those kinds of things are detrimental to students in the long run. We want students to leave Woodglen prepared for high school and beyond. What does that mean? We want them to develop a strong work ethic, one where "just enough" is not enough. We want them to develop good study and work habits. Once they get to high school, one high school administrator once put it, everything counts. Kids can't just start working hard when they get there. Hard work and good study skills are habits that need to be developed and honed in middle school. When we focus on that, sometimes kids have to experience some failure and difficulty. We are here to help them work through that. We are here to help them develop the habits, learn to be responsible, and become people who will be successful in high school and beyond.
BULLYING AND MEANNESS
I shared the Woodglen philosophy on dealing with bullying - we do all we can NOT to have to deal with it by preventing it. That means we put great emphasis on stopping meanness, which ultimately leads to bullying behaviors. Our goal is simple, we don't want to fix students' problems, we want to teach them how to fix their own problems. At the beginning of each school year, I meet with every student and we talk about how to deal with unacceptable behaviors. I remind them of what I consider to be the most important rule at Woodglen, "Treat others the way you want to be treated." I complete the statement with, "which is not necessarily the way they are treating you."
Students are encouraged to see Mrs. Hinde or me when they are having issues with other students. They should not wait until the issue is very large and out of control. I don't want to see students pushed over the edge to the point where they are using foul language, threats, or getting physical. If students are having a problem with someone, we want to teach them how to resolve the issue. Too many people, adults included, avoid issues until they are out of control. That is what leads to bullying. We bring kids together to talk in an effort to solve problems.
If your son or daughter comes home and tells you that they are having trouble in school, on the playground or on the bus, encourage them to see Mrs. Hinde so that she can help them fix the situation - not fix it for them. If we are on the same page with this, the program works much better so I would ask for your support.
Woodglen School is a great school with great kids, great teachers and great parents. I feel blessed to be able to work in a genuinely nice and supportive community. I know that we all share the same goals, to work with children to make them good and successful people. Working together I believe that we can do just that.
If you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at school.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Remembering our veterans on this Independence Day
On Memorial Day, I was honored to be able to join Congressman Leonard Lance and State Senator Mike Doherty to address those assembled for the dedication of Lebanon Township's new Veteran's Memorial. I had the privilege of sharing the following message. The thoughts and words ring true this weekend as we celebrate the Fourth of July and remember those who made, and continue to make, our independence possible.
Thank you. First I want to thank Georgia Cudina and the Veteran’s Memorial Committee for inviting me here today.
Back on September 11, when I was invited to speak, I thought I was being asked to introduce a real speaker – someone important and dynamic – but found out that I was the real speaker. That was a bit of a disappointment, I thought I was going to get to hear someone good. When I was approached about speaking today, I have to admit, I felt pretty good about myself. Hey I must have been pretty good, they’re asking me back, aren’t they? I was walking a little taller, acting a little cooler – good times! Then they sent me the itinerary. This time there WERE real speakers – the Congressman and the Senator. Hmm, maybe I wasn’t quite so good.
Seriously, I am both honored and humbled to have the opportunity to be among such impressive people – Congressman Lance, Senator Doherty, such talented people – the Hunterdon Harmonizers, Cliff Delaney and the Bagpipers, such caring people – Mrs. Cudina and the committee, and most importantly, such brave and honorable people – our veterans who are present today. Thank you.
Today, we come together to honor the men and women who have served our nation throughout its 234-year history. That is great. It is great to honor our veterans, many who paid the ultimate sacrifice, with speeches, with parades and with memorials.
While it is important to pay tribute to them like this on an occasion such as this, it is more important to honor them every day of the year by living lives that honor, protect and appreciate the very freedoms and values that they fought, and often perished, to provide to you and me.
Abraham Lincoln, in his Gettysburg Address, said, “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work, which they who fought here have thus far so nobly, advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
Wow, about 150 years ago, one of the greatest Americans laid down the gauntlet for all generations who would follow – to, under the watch of our creator, preserve all that is good – democracy and liberty and freedom – so that those who perished to establish and preserve these principles would have not died in vain. Today, my friends, I challenge you to heed the words of Lincoln in a new world, the world of the 21st Century.
As the principal of Woodglen School, I receive Gubernatorial Proclamations calling for flags to fly at half-staff. Unfortunately, each one of these is more than just a piece of paper, more than just a government mandate – each one of these is a life lost, usually a life lost in service to our nation. Today’s Star Ledger profiled the 22 New Jersey soldiers that have been killed in Afghanistan since October 2001.
Army Warrant Officer John Quinlan, Army Corporal Steven Koch, Army Staff Sergeant William Neil, Army Colonel John McHugh and Marine Lutenient Jason Mann were among those who died in service.
22 Gubernatorial Proclamations.
Army Staff Sergeant Andrew Lobosco, Army Specialist Michael Scusa, Marine Sergeant Christopher Hrbek and Marine Lance Corporal Jeremy Kane were among those proclamations.
22 flags flown at half-staff.
Army Sergeant Marcos Gorra, Army Sergeant Scott Brunkhorst, Army Sergeant Ronald Kubik and Army 1st Lieutenant Salvatore Corma were among those flags flown at half staff.
22 families whose lives were changed forever, 22 men who died so that you and I and people in a far off land could enjoy democracy, liberty and freedom. It is a reminder – FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.
Army Seargeant Steven Checo, Navy Petty Officer David Tapper, and Air Force Major Steven Plumhoff died to protect democracy, liberty and freedom.
The American soldier has always been a hero, not just to the people of the United States, but also to the world. The American soldier has always stood for what was good, and right and honorable. The American soldier has always put his or her life on the line for our great nation. The American soldier has always protected the world’s helpless, the world’s vulnerable and the world’s oppressed.
Army Private Robert White, Army Captain Charles Robinson, Army Staff Sergeant Christian Longsworth and Army Staff Sergeant Robert Chiomento died while standing for those who could not stand for themselves.
Every state in the union has a list like this, as nearly 1000 troops have died. Throughout our history, 42 million Americans have served and over 1 million have died during time of war.
As we stand here at the dedication of a memorial to all American Veterans, as we stand here on the eve of Memorial Day remembering those who died in service, I challenge you to heed the words of Lincoln – to assure that our men and women have not served and have not died, in vain. We have been given a gift by these men and women, one that cannot be repaid directly, but one that must be repaid to our posterity. Remember, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.
What is OUR price? We must protect liberty and freedom on a daily basis. We must use liberty and freedom responsibly. We must pass liberty and freedom on to our children. We must spread liberty and freedom around the world – helping the helpless, protecting the vulnerable and fighting for the oppressed.
America and Americans have never waivered in their commitment to freedom and has always helped those who seek to be free. Americans have always fought for good throughout our history. We battled for independence in the Revolutionary War. We battled against evil in World War II. And we continue to battle against oppression and world terror in Afghanistan.
While I would love nothing more than to see a peaceful world, one without war, my prayer for our nation is that our people, our leaders and our servicemen and women never stop fighting for what is right and what is good. Our founding fathers, in the Declaration of Independence, reminded us that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” While this document was written in response to our struggles against England, the basic principals echoes true for all men, regardless of race, creed, color or national origin. As a country that has been blessed by with abundance for 234 years, we need to give thanks for those who have fought to establish and preserve these principles and for those who continue to do so.
About two months ago, one of those 22 New Jersey Servicemen, one of those Gubernatorial Proclamations, became more than a piece of paper to me. Army Corporal Michael D. Jankiewicz, a US Army Ranger was killed in action. Corporal Jankiewicz was from Ramsey NJ. I was the vice principal at Ramsey High School before I came to Woodglen. I never met Corporal Jankiewicz, who was 23 years old and entered the high school the year after I left, but I do know the Army Ranger Chaplin who had to come home, travel to Ramsey, New Jersey, and inform Mr. and Mrs. Jankiewicz that their young son, Michael, had been killed in service to his country. I listened to stories about this young man, about how he loved his country, about how he loved being a soldier and about how he felt he was doing something important, something good. At his funeral service, the Army Ranger Chaplin explained how Corporal Michael D. Jankiewicz and all of our servicemen and women, today and throughout history, have been used for a greater purpose.
He invoked Romans chapter 13, verse 4: “For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrong doer.”
America has a special purpose – we have been blessed with resources, wealth and power. Some say that believing this is arrogant, which, I guess it can be. But I believe, though, that our servicemen and women have accepted this responsibility with great humility. They have put their lives on the line for the noblest of causes. We fought the British for freedom in the Revolution. We fought against ourselves to abolish slavery in the Civil War. We defeated Nazi Germany to end the systematic incineration of human beings in World War II and to day, we are fighting terror groups to stop the murder of innocents around the world.
Today, I urge each and every one of you, to support our troops as they continue to do good here and around the world. I urge you all to honor the men and women who have served by protecting the values, the liberty and the freedom they have provided. I urge you to pass these ideals on to your children, and teach them that FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.
I would like to conclude by paraphrasing a poem that I recently read, its author is unknown:
It is not the preacher who has given us freedom of religion.
It is not the reporter who has given us freedom of the press.
It is not the poet who has given us freedom of speech.
It is not the activist who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is not the lawyer who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is not the politician who has given us the right to vote.
It is the VETERAN who has given us all of this.
It is the VETERAN who will continue to protect all of this.
God Bless you all, and God Bless the United States of America.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Internet and Cell Phone Safety
Back in April, Woodglen School hosted programs on Internet and cell phone safety presented by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office and the New Jersey State Police. In three separate programs, officers from these law enforcement organizations met with fifth and sixth graders, seventh and eighth graders and parents. The presentations were excellent and, more importantly, eye opening, for all in attendance.
While most of us are familiar with some of the traditional dangers of being on the internet, the cyber world is an ever-changing place where new dangers pop up every day. Just when most parents got used to IM (instant messaging) it became passe! MySpace faded into Facebook. Chat rooms found their way into online gaming. I'm sure you see where this is going. The problem we as parents and educators face is that we just can't seem to keep pace with the evolution of technology in the "world" our children live in.
While much was covered by Detectives Melendez and Gonsalves during their parent presentation, I wanted to highlight a few items for those who could not make it or need a refresher. In addition, there are some new developments that I've become aware of since.
I hope at this point in time reminding you all that computers should be kept in a common area of the home would be redundant. I do know, though, that many students are using laptops and the same diligence is needed - keeping them out of private areas. So, you do all that and feel pretty good about the level of control you have. Does your son or daughter have an ipod touch? If so, this is another tool that needs to be closely monitored. With wifi access, the touch gives children access to the internet, YouTube, Facebook and a host of applications (apps) that range from useful to obscene. If you haven't already done so, take some time to check out what is loaded on your child's ipod touch.
While there are countless programs and sites out there for you to be concerned about, there are a couple that are quite popular. If you have an eighth grader, chances are pretty good that he or she is on Facebook. Heck, chances are pretty good that you, yourself are on Facebook. Users are required to approve all friends who have access to their information. It is possible to allow anyone to view information, though, and more and more, Facebook is making this a default setting. If you or your children are on this site, make sure to regularly check and update the privacy settings that can be found in the "account" tab. If your child is on Facebook, it is important for you to monitor his or her account. Check out their information, check out their posts, check out their pictures, check out their groups and check out their friends. Amazingly enough, at age 14, some of these kids think that they have 400 or 500 (or more) friends with whom they share a great deal of information. If there is very little activity on the account, chances are good that they have more than one account - one that they share with you and one that they don't want to see. Some of you might be thinking that we should keep kids off Facebook altogether because of the potential abuses. While the potential for abuse is very real, and this is a decision that parents need to make for their children, I'm not so sure that avoidance is the best route to take. I have a 14-year old daughter who is on Facebook. I am her "friend" and check her page regularly. Not long ago, I discovered a post from a male classmate that was inappropriate. I talked to my daughter about it and discussed how she should deal with this. I also posted, right on her page, a warning to the young man about being inappropriate. I contacted his parents and the issue was handled. Everyone involved learned something. Our children are "digital natives" - they have grown up with technology, they use it on a daily basis and it will continue to be part of their lives forever. Facebook and other tools give us the opportunity and responsibility to teach our children about acceptable and ethical uses of technology.
Want to see a site that is far more dangerous than Facebook? Check out http://www.formspring.me/. This site, which bills itself as a place to ask and answer questions is nothing more than a forum for hatred, harassment and bullying. People can post "questions" anonymously, questions that are more like insults than queries.
After spending time on computer issues, the officer's presentation turned to cell phone issues. I would not be exaggerating if I said that most middle schoolers have cell phones. While there are many reasons for young people to have access to this technology, cell phones may be more dangerous than computers since kids have them 24/7. The impetus for the internet and cell phone safety program came from a phone call from a parent who found out that his daughter was "sexting," that is, sending inappropriate pictures via her cell phone. He wanted to find a way to reach out to other parents to warn them of this practice.
While this was the first "reported" case of sexting involving one of our students, national statistics would indicate that it was probably not the only case. In fact, the day of the program, Mrs. Hinde and I were made aware of another incident involving two different students. The exact numbers may vary, but somewhere about 20% of teenagers admit to sending nude pictures or videos of themselves via their cell phones. Over 10% of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 indicated that they had done this.
Sexting has many negative implications. First of all, taking a nude "sexual" photograph of someone under the age of 16 is considered the creation or manufacture of child pornography, even if you are taking the picture of yourself. Sending this same picture makes you guilty of distribution of child pornography. These are serious charges. In some states, as a matter of fact, there has been an attempt to hold the owner of the cell phone contract, the parent, responsible for these crimes. The second issue at play here is the fact that once sent these photographs are out there forever. The parents who attended the session in April saw a video about a high school girl who committed suicide after her life was ruined by photographs that were texted "innocently" to a boyfriend. Once spread these photographs ruined her reputation and made her an object of scorn and ridicule, so much so that she felt she had no other way out.
Even if your child is not involved in sexting, and most are not, cell phones do play a role in the newest form of bullying and harassment, cyber bullying. Kids do not talk on cell phones, they text. Some kids send 100's each day as they communicate with their friends and family. While texting is a tremendously fast form of communication, it leaves much to be desired. First of all, texting eliminates all non-verbal forms of communicating. I could spend hours on why this is an issue, but the bottom line is that it leaves all conversations open to interpretation. It is much harder to tell when someone is kidding and when they are being serious by reading a text. Second, texting makes people very brave. Kids will text things that they would never say to someone's face. This false bravado leads to problems, often verbal and physical altercations.
So, with all of this, what are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to protect our kids? Do we take away the phones and disconnect the internet? While that might have some short term success, I don't believe it is the answer. We must teach our children to use technology correctly. We must teach them the dangers of posting information or photographs. We must teach them how to communicate via email and / or text messages. We don't allow 17-year olds to drive a car without supervision and training, yet many of us turn our kids lose on the internet without a second thought. How can you strike a balance and allow your child to use technology without abusing it?
The night of the parent presentation, I shared some of the questions that students asked the officers when they were in school the day before. I prefaced them by saying that the students who asked these questions were VERY GOOD kids. I said that if I shared their names you would either fall off of your seat or not believe me. What did they ask? "If I just watch a video, but don't download it, can it be traced?" Wonder what kind of video these students were watching? "If I send a picture of myself in bra and panties, is that illegal?" Is there any doubt that they had already done this?
When I told my daughter that I was going to read all of her texts, in typical teenage fashion, she wondered why I didn't trust her. I shared two things with her. First, checking up on her made it easy for her to do the right thing. She's a great kid who I have little worries about, but she is a teenager growing up in a dangerous world filled with enemies - people who would try to bring her down and lead her the wrong way. By being involved I am trying to help her to continue to make the right choices whether I am standing there or not. I also told her that I learned something from one of my favorite presidents, Ronald Reagan. "Trust but verify," he espoused. I would urge you to do the same. Love your kids, enjoy your kids and trust your kids, but please, don't be naive enough not to verify!
Here are some sites you can go to for information about internet and cell phone safety:
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
http://www.missingkids.com/
NJ State Police Internet Safety Tips
http://www.state.nj.us/njsp/tech/safe-teens.html
Safekids.com
http://www.safekids.com/
While most of us are familiar with some of the traditional dangers of being on the internet, the cyber world is an ever-changing place where new dangers pop up every day. Just when most parents got used to IM (instant messaging) it became passe! MySpace faded into Facebook. Chat rooms found their way into online gaming. I'm sure you see where this is going. The problem we as parents and educators face is that we just can't seem to keep pace with the evolution of technology in the "world" our children live in.
While much was covered by Detectives Melendez and Gonsalves during their parent presentation, I wanted to highlight a few items for those who could not make it or need a refresher. In addition, there are some new developments that I've become aware of since.
I hope at this point in time reminding you all that computers should be kept in a common area of the home would be redundant. I do know, though, that many students are using laptops and the same diligence is needed - keeping them out of private areas. So, you do all that and feel pretty good about the level of control you have. Does your son or daughter have an ipod touch? If so, this is another tool that needs to be closely monitored. With wifi access, the touch gives children access to the internet, YouTube, Facebook and a host of applications (apps) that range from useful to obscene. If you haven't already done so, take some time to check out what is loaded on your child's ipod touch.
While there are countless programs and sites out there for you to be concerned about, there are a couple that are quite popular. If you have an eighth grader, chances are pretty good that he or she is on Facebook. Heck, chances are pretty good that you, yourself are on Facebook. Users are required to approve all friends who have access to their information. It is possible to allow anyone to view information, though, and more and more, Facebook is making this a default setting. If you or your children are on this site, make sure to regularly check and update the privacy settings that can be found in the "account" tab. If your child is on Facebook, it is important for you to monitor his or her account. Check out their information, check out their posts, check out their pictures, check out their groups and check out their friends. Amazingly enough, at age 14, some of these kids think that they have 400 or 500 (or more) friends with whom they share a great deal of information. If there is very little activity on the account, chances are good that they have more than one account - one that they share with you and one that they don't want to see. Some of you might be thinking that we should keep kids off Facebook altogether because of the potential abuses. While the potential for abuse is very real, and this is a decision that parents need to make for their children, I'm not so sure that avoidance is the best route to take. I have a 14-year old daughter who is on Facebook. I am her "friend" and check her page regularly. Not long ago, I discovered a post from a male classmate that was inappropriate. I talked to my daughter about it and discussed how she should deal with this. I also posted, right on her page, a warning to the young man about being inappropriate. I contacted his parents and the issue was handled. Everyone involved learned something. Our children are "digital natives" - they have grown up with technology, they use it on a daily basis and it will continue to be part of their lives forever. Facebook and other tools give us the opportunity and responsibility to teach our children about acceptable and ethical uses of technology.
Want to see a site that is far more dangerous than Facebook? Check out http://www.formspring.me/. This site, which bills itself as a place to ask and answer questions is nothing more than a forum for hatred, harassment and bullying. People can post "questions" anonymously, questions that are more like insults than queries.
After spending time on computer issues, the officer's presentation turned to cell phone issues. I would not be exaggerating if I said that most middle schoolers have cell phones. While there are many reasons for young people to have access to this technology, cell phones may be more dangerous than computers since kids have them 24/7. The impetus for the internet and cell phone safety program came from a phone call from a parent who found out that his daughter was "sexting," that is, sending inappropriate pictures via her cell phone. He wanted to find a way to reach out to other parents to warn them of this practice.
While this was the first "reported" case of sexting involving one of our students, national statistics would indicate that it was probably not the only case. In fact, the day of the program, Mrs. Hinde and I were made aware of another incident involving two different students. The exact numbers may vary, but somewhere about 20% of teenagers admit to sending nude pictures or videos of themselves via their cell phones. Over 10% of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 indicated that they had done this.
Sexting has many negative implications. First of all, taking a nude "sexual" photograph of someone under the age of 16 is considered the creation or manufacture of child pornography, even if you are taking the picture of yourself. Sending this same picture makes you guilty of distribution of child pornography. These are serious charges. In some states, as a matter of fact, there has been an attempt to hold the owner of the cell phone contract, the parent, responsible for these crimes. The second issue at play here is the fact that once sent these photographs are out there forever. The parents who attended the session in April saw a video about a high school girl who committed suicide after her life was ruined by photographs that were texted "innocently" to a boyfriend. Once spread these photographs ruined her reputation and made her an object of scorn and ridicule, so much so that she felt she had no other way out.
Even if your child is not involved in sexting, and most are not, cell phones do play a role in the newest form of bullying and harassment, cyber bullying. Kids do not talk on cell phones, they text. Some kids send 100's each day as they communicate with their friends and family. While texting is a tremendously fast form of communication, it leaves much to be desired. First of all, texting eliminates all non-verbal forms of communicating. I could spend hours on why this is an issue, but the bottom line is that it leaves all conversations open to interpretation. It is much harder to tell when someone is kidding and when they are being serious by reading a text. Second, texting makes people very brave. Kids will text things that they would never say to someone's face. This false bravado leads to problems, often verbal and physical altercations.
So, with all of this, what are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to protect our kids? Do we take away the phones and disconnect the internet? While that might have some short term success, I don't believe it is the answer. We must teach our children to use technology correctly. We must teach them the dangers of posting information or photographs. We must teach them how to communicate via email and / or text messages. We don't allow 17-year olds to drive a car without supervision and training, yet many of us turn our kids lose on the internet without a second thought. How can you strike a balance and allow your child to use technology without abusing it?
- Check on what they are doing on the computer. Walk over to the computer unannounced while they are on it. If they immediately minimize the screen or shut it down, they are probably doing something they shouldn't be doing. Go on to their Facebook account. If you don't have one, you might consider creating one and becoming friends with your child.
- Check their text messages. At the beginning of the school year I warned students about the dangers of texting and explain that I read my daughter's text messages. I heard a collective gasp, indicating that they were appalled. To me that means that not enough parents are doing the same. I take it one step farther, I go to my phone bill and count the number of texts that were sent (available through your carrier) and compare that number to the number of texts on the phone. If they don't match, that means that something was erased, which is not permitted - only I can erase the texts. It takes time, but I know what my daughter is sending, and, more importantly, receiving.
- Talk to them about the dangers and long term consequences associated with irresponsible use of technology. Colleges and employers now check Facebook - post inappropriate photographs and you may not get in or get hired. The photograph that you post just for "friends" can be copied and downloaded and used against you when friendships are over. The nude photograph that you text to a boy can easily make the rounds of not just your school but many others and ruin your reputation.
The night of the parent presentation, I shared some of the questions that students asked the officers when they were in school the day before. I prefaced them by saying that the students who asked these questions were VERY GOOD kids. I said that if I shared their names you would either fall off of your seat or not believe me. What did they ask? "If I just watch a video, but don't download it, can it be traced?" Wonder what kind of video these students were watching? "If I send a picture of myself in bra and panties, is that illegal?" Is there any doubt that they had already done this?
When I told my daughter that I was going to read all of her texts, in typical teenage fashion, she wondered why I didn't trust her. I shared two things with her. First, checking up on her made it easy for her to do the right thing. She's a great kid who I have little worries about, but she is a teenager growing up in a dangerous world filled with enemies - people who would try to bring her down and lead her the wrong way. By being involved I am trying to help her to continue to make the right choices whether I am standing there or not. I also told her that I learned something from one of my favorite presidents, Ronald Reagan. "Trust but verify," he espoused. I would urge you to do the same. Love your kids, enjoy your kids and trust your kids, but please, don't be naive enough not to verify!
Here are some sites you can go to for information about internet and cell phone safety:
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
http://www.missingkids.com/
NJ State Police Internet Safety Tips
http://www.state.nj.us/njsp/tech/safe-teens.html
Safekids.com
http://www.safekids.com/
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Spelling Bee Update
A little more than a month ago, I threw a couple of hard-to-spell words at you in an effort to sound impressive as I reported on Woodglen's Spelling Bee. As I reported, eighth-grader, Valerie Noonan, carried the torch for the district into the regional finals of the 24th Annual Scripps Nation Spelling Bee.
I would venture to say that few people outside of the Noonan family made the trek to Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. If you had, you would have been treated to quite a competition. After 23 rounds of competition, 48 of the 51 competitors had been eliminated; the two remaining competitors - Priyanka Thirumurti of Moravian Academy and our own Valerie Noonan. After 10 rounds of head to head competition, Valerie finished in second place.
Martin K. Till, President and publisher of the Express-Times, and the host of the bee, described this year's competition as the most exciting in the 24 year history of the regional competition. Valerie represented our school, our district and our community well - we are very proud of her accomplishment. Her second place finish was the best ever for a Woodglen Student, as she was one word away from qualifying for the National Competition in Washington, DC.
Congratulations, Valerie, on a job well done!
I would venture to say that few people outside of the Noonan family made the trek to Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. If you had, you would have been treated to quite a competition. After 23 rounds of competition, 48 of the 51 competitors had been eliminated; the two remaining competitors - Priyanka Thirumurti of Moravian Academy and our own Valerie Noonan. After 10 rounds of head to head competition, Valerie finished in second place.
Martin K. Till, President and publisher of the Express-Times, and the host of the bee, described this year's competition as the most exciting in the 24 year history of the regional competition. Valerie represented our school, our district and our community well - we are very proud of her accomplishment. Her second place finish was the best ever for a Woodglen Student, as she was one word away from qualifying for the National Competition in Washington, DC.
Congratulations, Valerie, on a job well done!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The R word ...
Special Olympics and Best Buddies International have joined together with a host of other organizations to launch a campaign called Spread the Word to end the Word. Young people around the world are embracing this challenge as they see just how hurtful it can be to call someone a "retard" or claim that something is "retarded." While it probably doesn't fall officially into the category of hate speech, it feels just like that to an intellectually disabled person, his or her friends and family.
Let me start out my comments by saying that I am not a fan of political correctness. One of the costs of a free society is the fact that we need to live with people who choose to use freedoms to be rude, obnoxious and even hateful. Given that, it is important to remember that a school setting is not the same as the outside world. School is a place for learning; it is a place where kids need to feel safe and comfortable.
Regardless of whether we are talking about school or talking about society, there is a tenet that I believe we should all live by: JUST BECAUSE WE CAN DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULD. Outlawing words should not be the job of the government, but should be the responsibility of good people who care about others. The use of labels such as "retard" to demean others or to refer to something as stupid is simply unacceptable to good people who care about others. Many people, young people in particular, throw terms around with little regard as to how they will affect others. "I wasn't talking about a person" or "It means stupid, not anything against a mentally challenged person" are just a couple of the excuses that I've heard when someone was called on the carpet for using the term.
I'm not sure if you know anyone who is intellectually disabled. I do. Outside of their disability, most people would claim that these people are just the same as you and me. I don't think that is true. The intellectually disabled people that I know, young and old alike, are kinder, gentler and more innocent than anyone I know. The people I know with intellectual disabilities don't tend to judge others, are more apt to accept others and are quick to show affection. The intellectually disabled people I know don't feel sorry for themselves, work hard and overcome more challenges in a day than you or I will face in a lifetime.
Being the principal of a school, I deal with hundreds of students every day. I also deal with countless conflicts and challenges. It is easy to get upset, frustrated and sometimes even angry. Nothing makes me feel better than sharing some time with one of my favorite students. She's happy. She likes to joke around. She understands playful sarcasm. She loves to share her successes. She's willing to accept help with her challenges. She would never hurt anyone. She always puts a smile on my face. Oh, yeah, and she's got an intellectual disability. Nothing makes me feel worse than seeing someone being hurtful to her by using the R-word. You don't have to call her it, when you say it, it hurts. You don't have to say it when she's around, her friends and family are hurt when you say it. You don't have to be malicious when you say it, when you trivialize it, it hurts.
When I heard about the campaign to Spread the Word to end the Word I was excited. I was excited because this is an opportunity to do something right, not because we have to, but because we should. If you think this whole thing is over the top and oversensitive, I challenge you to spend some time at the Special Olympics or a local Buddy Walk. I bet if you do, you'll meet someone just like one of my favorite students. He or she will make you smile. He or she will not judge you. He or she will inspire you. He or she will convince you that we should actively work to "end the word." Not because we must, but because we should.
If you would like to take the pledge to "end the word" you can go to http://www.r-word.org/.
Check out actor John C. McGinley's message about Ending the R-word
at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE_5_BbZlbI
Want to share this message with your son or daughter? Check out Joe Jonas's message at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8doRD9MB0Qw
The time has come to End the R-word - not because we must, but because we should.
Let me start out my comments by saying that I am not a fan of political correctness. One of the costs of a free society is the fact that we need to live with people who choose to use freedoms to be rude, obnoxious and even hateful. Given that, it is important to remember that a school setting is not the same as the outside world. School is a place for learning; it is a place where kids need to feel safe and comfortable.
Regardless of whether we are talking about school or talking about society, there is a tenet that I believe we should all live by: JUST BECAUSE WE CAN DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULD. Outlawing words should not be the job of the government, but should be the responsibility of good people who care about others. The use of labels such as "retard" to demean others or to refer to something as stupid is simply unacceptable to good people who care about others. Many people, young people in particular, throw terms around with little regard as to how they will affect others. "I wasn't talking about a person" or "It means stupid, not anything against a mentally challenged person" are just a couple of the excuses that I've heard when someone was called on the carpet for using the term.
I'm not sure if you know anyone who is intellectually disabled. I do. Outside of their disability, most people would claim that these people are just the same as you and me. I don't think that is true. The intellectually disabled people that I know, young and old alike, are kinder, gentler and more innocent than anyone I know. The people I know with intellectual disabilities don't tend to judge others, are more apt to accept others and are quick to show affection. The intellectually disabled people I know don't feel sorry for themselves, work hard and overcome more challenges in a day than you or I will face in a lifetime.
Being the principal of a school, I deal with hundreds of students every day. I also deal with countless conflicts and challenges. It is easy to get upset, frustrated and sometimes even angry. Nothing makes me feel better than sharing some time with one of my favorite students. She's happy. She likes to joke around. She understands playful sarcasm. She loves to share her successes. She's willing to accept help with her challenges. She would never hurt anyone. She always puts a smile on my face. Oh, yeah, and she's got an intellectual disability. Nothing makes me feel worse than seeing someone being hurtful to her by using the R-word. You don't have to call her it, when you say it, it hurts. You don't have to say it when she's around, her friends and family are hurt when you say it. You don't have to be malicious when you say it, when you trivialize it, it hurts.
When I heard about the campaign to Spread the Word to end the Word I was excited. I was excited because this is an opportunity to do something right, not because we have to, but because we should. If you think this whole thing is over the top and oversensitive, I challenge you to spend some time at the Special Olympics or a local Buddy Walk. I bet if you do, you'll meet someone just like one of my favorite students. He or she will make you smile. He or she will not judge you. He or she will inspire you. He or she will convince you that we should actively work to "end the word." Not because we must, but because we should.
If you would like to take the pledge to "end the word" you can go to http://www.r-word.org/.
Check out actor John C. McGinley's message about Ending the R-word
at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE_5_BbZlbI
Want to share this message with your son or daughter? Check out Joe Jonas's message at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8doRD9MB0Qw
The time has come to End the R-word - not because we must, but because we should.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Spelling Bee
Quick, how do you spell latitudinarian? How about anticoagulant? Ok, so that doesn't quite work as well as it did with the Geography Bee!
Unfortunately for students at Woodglen School, the Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee does not provide them the words for them in print. Fortunately, though, some of our students don't need to see the words in order to spell them.
In January, under the direction of Mr. James Peralta, Woodglen's Enrichment Specialist, fifth through eighth graders competed in this year's Bee. The Scripps Bee has taken place every year since 1925 when Frank Neuhauser won by correctly spelling gladiolus. The process begins at the school level, where participating schools determine their representative to move on to the regional level. Woodglen's champion will compete at the regional level sponsored by the Express Times. The regional champion then moves on to compete at the national level in Washington, DC.
What does it take to be a Spelling Bee champion? Most great spellers have a few things in common. First of all, they are great readers. Reading great books is the surest way to enhance one's vocabulary. So if you want to spell well, pick up a book! Second, they work at it. Whether it is a word journal, having someone ask questions or even checking the dictionary on a regular basis, great spellers all have to work hard. Finally, use spell check! Wait a minute, that's what I do and I never even came close to winning the spelling Bee. OK, forget that last one - if you want to go far in the Spelling Bee, you should work hard and read a lot. Watching Akeelah and the Bee might not hurt either.
At this time, Woodglen School is proud to announce that eighth grader, Valerie Noonan is the 2010 Spelling Bee champion. Our runner up, Paige Whitmore, is a sixth grader. Aaron Osgood was the eighth grade runner up. Valerie now moves on to regional competition which will take place in March.
We are also happy to announce grade-level winners for this year's Bee:
James Webber - Fifth Grade
Niocle Kozak - Seventh Grade
We are proud to have Valerie move on to represent our school and community and look forward to watching her succeed at the next levels. For more information about the Scripps Spelling Bee, check out their website at http://www.spellingbee.com/.
Unfortunately for students at Woodglen School, the Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee does not provide them the words for them in print. Fortunately, though, some of our students don't need to see the words in order to spell them.
In January, under the direction of Mr. James Peralta, Woodglen's Enrichment Specialist, fifth through eighth graders competed in this year's Bee. The Scripps Bee has taken place every year since 1925 when Frank Neuhauser won by correctly spelling gladiolus. The process begins at the school level, where participating schools determine their representative to move on to the regional level. Woodglen's champion will compete at the regional level sponsored by the Express Times. The regional champion then moves on to compete at the national level in Washington, DC.
What does it take to be a Spelling Bee champion? Most great spellers have a few things in common. First of all, they are great readers. Reading great books is the surest way to enhance one's vocabulary. So if you want to spell well, pick up a book! Second, they work at it. Whether it is a word journal, having someone ask questions or even checking the dictionary on a regular basis, great spellers all have to work hard. Finally, use spell check! Wait a minute, that's what I do and I never even came close to winning the spelling Bee. OK, forget that last one - if you want to go far in the Spelling Bee, you should work hard and read a lot. Watching Akeelah and the Bee might not hurt either.
At this time, Woodglen School is proud to announce that eighth grader, Valerie Noonan is the 2010 Spelling Bee champion. Our runner up, Paige Whitmore, is a sixth grader. Aaron Osgood was the eighth grade runner up. Valerie now moves on to regional competition which will take place in March.
We are also happy to announce grade-level winners for this year's Bee:
James Webber - Fifth Grade
Niocle Kozak - Seventh Grade
We are proud to have Valerie move on to represent our school and community and look forward to watching her succeed at the next levels. For more information about the Scripps Spelling Bee, check out their website at http://www.spellingbee.com/.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Geography Bee
Quick, what's the capital of the United States? Everyone probably got that one pretty easily. (Washington, DC, if you had any doubts).
How about this one: What empire, stretching from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe during its zenith in the 13th century A.D., used the ancient city of Karakorum as its headquarters? Well, if you were a middle school student participating in the 2010 National Geographic Geography Bee, you might just be expected to identify that empire. For those of you who don't know, it is the Mongol Empire. (Don't worry, if I didn't have the answer key I probably wouldn't have known it either.)
Thanks to the efforts of sixth grade social studies teacher Jessica Miller, Woodglen's sixth, seventh and eighth graders have an opportunity to participate in the Geography Bee annually. This year, our students participated in the 22nd annual National Geographic Bee which was sponsored by Google. The process is quite extensive as students begin with a qualifying test before moving on to the school-wide bee. Thirty-seven students qualified for the school level bee, a number which included 16 sixth graders. These students were asked a series of questions to answer orally and the field was narrowed to nine. The questioning continued until four students earned spots in the semi-finals: Kaya Cousin, Philip Dacey, Connor Heft and Andrea Jindracek.
What does it take to win the geography bee? Well, it helps to be able to answer following:
I want to congratulate our four semi-finalists, and wish Andrea the best as she goes forward in the competition. The staff and students of Woodglen are proud to have such an outstanding representative.
Oh, by the way, in case you were looking for the answers to the questions above, and I know you were,
How about this one: What empire, stretching from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe during its zenith in the 13th century A.D., used the ancient city of Karakorum as its headquarters? Well, if you were a middle school student participating in the 2010 National Geographic Geography Bee, you might just be expected to identify that empire. For those of you who don't know, it is the Mongol Empire. (Don't worry, if I didn't have the answer key I probably wouldn't have known it either.)
Thanks to the efforts of sixth grade social studies teacher Jessica Miller, Woodglen's sixth, seventh and eighth graders have an opportunity to participate in the Geography Bee annually. This year, our students participated in the 22nd annual National Geographic Bee which was sponsored by Google. The process is quite extensive as students begin with a qualifying test before moving on to the school-wide bee. Thirty-seven students qualified for the school level bee, a number which included 16 sixth graders. These students were asked a series of questions to answer orally and the field was narrowed to nine. The questioning continued until four students earned spots in the semi-finals: Kaya Cousin, Philip Dacey, Connor Heft and Andrea Jindracek.
What does it take to win the geography bee? Well, it helps to be able to answer following:
- In which African country, founded by freed American slaves, is mask-making an art form often related to social status?
- A North African country, with coastlines on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, allocates about 20 percent of its budget to state-sponsored education. Name this country.
- Which country is the world's leading producer of silver?
- Founded as the southern terminus of a railroad line to Chattanooga, Tennessee, what city is now the major transportation center for the Southeast region?
- What large body of water separates the Delmarva Peninsula from the southern part of New Jersey?
I want to congratulate our four semi-finalists, and wish Andrea the best as she goes forward in the competition. The staff and students of Woodglen are proud to have such an outstanding representative.
Oh, by the way, in case you were looking for the answers to the questions above, and I know you were,
- Liberia
- Morocco
- Peru
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Delaware Bay (if you said Delaware River, you were incorrect, sorry!)
Friday, January 15, 2010
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
-The Declaration of Independence
As we get set to enjoy a three day weekend, I want to urge everyone to take a few moments to reflect on why we are off on Monday.
In April, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. traveled to Tennessee where he was shot and killed by an assassin's bullet. The day before his death, King delivered a prophetic speech, his famous "I've Been to the Mountain Top" speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1L8y-MX3pg&feature=related).
Martin Luther King, Jr., born on January 15, 1929, grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. At the age of 15, King enrolled in college. He earned degrees in sociology and theology and became a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama where he organized a boycott of city buses in response to the treatment of Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. The result of this boycott was a US Supreme Court ruling that deemed bus segregation unconstitutional.
In August of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. led the famous March on Washington, where a crowd of more than 250,000 blacks and whites heard his famous "I Have a Dream" speech (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1759663481).
The legacy of Dr. King lives on today, more than four decades after his death. It is difficult to grasp the fact that in my lifetime there were Americans who were not able to enjoy basic rights in their own country. It is difficult for me to come to grips with the fact that, while we teach about the abolition of slavery in 1863, over 100 years later, and in my lifetime, there were Americans who were not given the equality granted by the Declaration of Independence.
As a former history teacher, I know that most students look at history as a study of things that happened a long time ago. Our children look at the mid sixties as "a long time ago." My guess though is that most of you were alive in the mid 1960's. Right? As you think about the work of Dr. King, remember that he led the fight for equality for all Americans during our lifetime. The Montgomery bus boycott took place in 1955, not 1855. The "I Have a Dream" speech was not delivered in the time of Abraham Lincoln, it was delivered in the time of you and me.
We live in a largely homogenous community - a very white, very middle to upper middle class community. There is nothing wrong with that, my children have grown up in the same environment. When we live in this type of community, however, it is easy for racism to creep into our lives. When there is so much "sameness" it is easy for us to be critical, judgmental and scared of "differentness." I have to say, it is refreshing to see that our students have not fallen prey to the evils of racism. While that is a credit to their upbringing, I want to remind you that the battle cannot be considered won.
Our kids are still young - most of them pre-teens. As they move forward, they will be exposed to a world that is less and less tolerant. It is true that today, in 2010, we are closer to the "dream" of Martin Luther King, Jr., but, sadly, the dream has not been totally realized. Hate groups exist. Racism exists. Sexism exists. We constantly hear about people who wield hatred and violence against others based on their religion, their color, or their sexual orientation. As our kids move forward, we need to equip them with the tools to fight the hatred that exists outside of the protective fortresses that we have created to protect them - our schools, our churches, our homes.
Regardless of your personal morality, I am sure we all share the belief that all human beings, whether they are the same as "us" or different from "us," should be treated with respect and with the rights endowed by our creator. As Americans, we all have a responsibility to continue to fight for Dr. King's dream that one day our children "will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." As Americans, we all have a responsibility to leave our children with an America where men and women stand together despite their differences. As Americans, we all have a responsibility to assure that our country lives out the idea that "all men our created equal."
In a recent interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Rev. Samuel "Billy" Kyles, who was there when Martin Luther King, Jr. was fatally shot, shared his thoughts on the state of King's dream.
"Each generation must find what it can do to help keep the dream alive," he said. "As a witness, I can confess that you can kill the dreamer, but you cannot absolutely kill the dream. The dream is very much alive," he said.
I Have Been to the Mountain Top
I Have a Dream
"Dream is Very Much Alive," Says Friend of Martin Luther King, Jr.
-The Declaration of Independence
As we get set to enjoy a three day weekend, I want to urge everyone to take a few moments to reflect on why we are off on Monday.
In April, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. traveled to Tennessee where he was shot and killed by an assassin's bullet. The day before his death, King delivered a prophetic speech, his famous "I've Been to the Mountain Top" speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1L8y-MX3pg&feature=related).
Martin Luther King, Jr., born on January 15, 1929, grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. At the age of 15, King enrolled in college. He earned degrees in sociology and theology and became a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama where he organized a boycott of city buses in response to the treatment of Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. The result of this boycott was a US Supreme Court ruling that deemed bus segregation unconstitutional.
In August of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. led the famous March on Washington, where a crowd of more than 250,000 blacks and whites heard his famous "I Have a Dream" speech (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1759663481).
The legacy of Dr. King lives on today, more than four decades after his death. It is difficult to grasp the fact that in my lifetime there were Americans who were not able to enjoy basic rights in their own country. It is difficult for me to come to grips with the fact that, while we teach about the abolition of slavery in 1863, over 100 years later, and in my lifetime, there were Americans who were not given the equality granted by the Declaration of Independence.
As a former history teacher, I know that most students look at history as a study of things that happened a long time ago. Our children look at the mid sixties as "a long time ago." My guess though is that most of you were alive in the mid 1960's. Right? As you think about the work of Dr. King, remember that he led the fight for equality for all Americans during our lifetime. The Montgomery bus boycott took place in 1955, not 1855. The "I Have a Dream" speech was not delivered in the time of Abraham Lincoln, it was delivered in the time of you and me.
We live in a largely homogenous community - a very white, very middle to upper middle class community. There is nothing wrong with that, my children have grown up in the same environment. When we live in this type of community, however, it is easy for racism to creep into our lives. When there is so much "sameness" it is easy for us to be critical, judgmental and scared of "differentness." I have to say, it is refreshing to see that our students have not fallen prey to the evils of racism. While that is a credit to their upbringing, I want to remind you that the battle cannot be considered won.
Our kids are still young - most of them pre-teens. As they move forward, they will be exposed to a world that is less and less tolerant. It is true that today, in 2010, we are closer to the "dream" of Martin Luther King, Jr., but, sadly, the dream has not been totally realized. Hate groups exist. Racism exists. Sexism exists. We constantly hear about people who wield hatred and violence against others based on their religion, their color, or their sexual orientation. As our kids move forward, we need to equip them with the tools to fight the hatred that exists outside of the protective fortresses that we have created to protect them - our schools, our churches, our homes.
Regardless of your personal morality, I am sure we all share the belief that all human beings, whether they are the same as "us" or different from "us," should be treated with respect and with the rights endowed by our creator. As Americans, we all have a responsibility to continue to fight for Dr. King's dream that one day our children "will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." As Americans, we all have a responsibility to leave our children with an America where men and women stand together despite their differences. As Americans, we all have a responsibility to assure that our country lives out the idea that "all men our created equal."
In a recent interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Rev. Samuel "Billy" Kyles, who was there when Martin Luther King, Jr. was fatally shot, shared his thoughts on the state of King's dream.
"Each generation must find what it can do to help keep the dream alive," he said. "As a witness, I can confess that you can kill the dreamer, but you cannot absolutely kill the dream. The dream is very much alive," he said.
I Have Been to the Mountain Top
I Have a Dream
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Friday, January 8, 2010
What do we teach our kids?
This past week I read two different articles about high school sports. They were both interesting and both could teach a lesson. The two, however, could not have been more different.
On Tuesday night, January 5, Yates High School in Houston, the nation's top high school boys basketball team, posted a 170 - 35 victory over their opponents, Houston (Lee) High. As if 170 points weren't enough, Yates scored 100 in the first half. (http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1036676)
"I feel very disrespected right now," Lee coach Jacques Armant told Jenny Dial of The Houston Chronicle. "I don't understand why Yates just kept scoring and pressing when they were up so much. These are kids. It isn't good to do that to other young men."
Yates coach Greg Wise didn't apologize for his team's play. "We practice running, pressing, trapping every day," he told The Chronicle. "If we get to a game and I tell them not to do what we do in practice, I am not coaching well. I am not leaving my starters in the whole game. We have 15 guys, and all 15 play."
Obviously there is a difference between playing hard and running up the score. In the end, the embarrassment was too much for Lee. In the third quarter, one of Lee's players intentionally fouled an opponent that led to a fight on the court. Approximately 20 players were ejected and both teams had to finish the game with only five players each.
Whose fault is a brawl like this? I would say it lies firmly on the shoulders of Wise, Yates' head coach. This is the kind of thing that is wrong with youth sports.
Contrast this fiasco with the other story I saw this week.
On Monday night, Kirkwood (Missouri) High and Coach Bill Gunn demonstrated the kind of thing that is RIGHT with youth sports. (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/bryanburwell/story/85971FDCA335EF3C862576A20018DAB0?OpenDocument)
David "Chubbs" Stillman, a four-year team manager and special needs student, took the court as a player. So many people stepped up to make Monday night a night that "Chubbs" would never forget - Gunn who planned this night nearly two months ago, opposing coach, Chris Wilkerson of Fox High who, along with his team, set the stage for Stillman to end the game with a 3-point shot, Miles Artis, the Kirkwood teammate who gave up his number 23 jersey for the night so that "Chubbs" could wear Michael Jordan's number, Ahmad Hicks, a Kirkwood senior who lobbied the coach to get back in the game in the fourth quarter so that he could pass the ball to David Stillman, and the students and fans of Kirkwood who made the night truly unforgettable with cheers, chants and a storming of the court following the game.
I've attached both stories so that you can read them for yourselves.
The lesson, here, that I learned, is that we as adults have so many opportunities to affect the lives of young people. Whether it is through athletics, or through our daily lives, parents, teachers, coaches and adults often forget the tremendous power we have in influencing kids. The story of David Stillman also reminds us that even kids have the chance to make a difference in the lives of others.
Today, and every day, please be mindful of the fact that our kids learn not really from what we say, but what we do. Kids are much more astute than we give them credit for being and they will pick up on every cue - intentional and unintentional.
The two men in the attached stories taught many lessons to young people. You and I do that every day as well. What kind of lessons do you want to be teaching? We all need to think carefully before we speak, and, more importantly, before we act.
Yates High School Scores 170-35 Victory Over Opponent
"Special" Is the Right Word at Kirkwood
Special Night for Stillman in Missouri
On Tuesday night, January 5, Yates High School in Houston, the nation's top high school boys basketball team, posted a 170 - 35 victory over their opponents, Houston (Lee) High. As if 170 points weren't enough, Yates scored 100 in the first half. (http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1036676)
"I feel very disrespected right now," Lee coach Jacques Armant told Jenny Dial of The Houston Chronicle. "I don't understand why Yates just kept scoring and pressing when they were up so much. These are kids. It isn't good to do that to other young men."
Yates coach Greg Wise didn't apologize for his team's play. "We practice running, pressing, trapping every day," he told The Chronicle. "If we get to a game and I tell them not to do what we do in practice, I am not coaching well. I am not leaving my starters in the whole game. We have 15 guys, and all 15 play."
Obviously there is a difference between playing hard and running up the score. In the end, the embarrassment was too much for Lee. In the third quarter, one of Lee's players intentionally fouled an opponent that led to a fight on the court. Approximately 20 players were ejected and both teams had to finish the game with only five players each.
Whose fault is a brawl like this? I would say it lies firmly on the shoulders of Wise, Yates' head coach. This is the kind of thing that is wrong with youth sports.
Contrast this fiasco with the other story I saw this week.
On Monday night, Kirkwood (Missouri) High and Coach Bill Gunn demonstrated the kind of thing that is RIGHT with youth sports. (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/bryanburwell/story/85971FDCA335EF3C862576A20018DAB0?OpenDocument)
David "Chubbs" Stillman, a four-year team manager and special needs student, took the court as a player. So many people stepped up to make Monday night a night that "Chubbs" would never forget - Gunn who planned this night nearly two months ago, opposing coach, Chris Wilkerson of Fox High who, along with his team, set the stage for Stillman to end the game with a 3-point shot, Miles Artis, the Kirkwood teammate who gave up his number 23 jersey for the night so that "Chubbs" could wear Michael Jordan's number, Ahmad Hicks, a Kirkwood senior who lobbied the coach to get back in the game in the fourth quarter so that he could pass the ball to David Stillman, and the students and fans of Kirkwood who made the night truly unforgettable with cheers, chants and a storming of the court following the game.
I've attached both stories so that you can read them for yourselves.
The lesson, here, that I learned, is that we as adults have so many opportunities to affect the lives of young people. Whether it is through athletics, or through our daily lives, parents, teachers, coaches and adults often forget the tremendous power we have in influencing kids. The story of David Stillman also reminds us that even kids have the chance to make a difference in the lives of others.
Today, and every day, please be mindful of the fact that our kids learn not really from what we say, but what we do. Kids are much more astute than we give them credit for being and they will pick up on every cue - intentional and unintentional.
The two men in the attached stories taught many lessons to young people. You and I do that every day as well. What kind of lessons do you want to be teaching? We all need to think carefully before we speak, and, more importantly, before we act.
Yates High School Scores 170-35 Victory Over Opponent
"Special" Is the Right Word at Kirkwood
Special Night for Stillman in Missouri
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