The Garden School Tattler

Greetings on another dry and brittle day! It's great for the kids because it's warm and it's dry, but it's killing the garden! This weekend I watered our poor grape vine, our cherry tree, the strawberries and the herb garden and what's left of the vegetables and vines. I think next year there will be a soaker out there. I don't want to talk about what's going on at home - even with daily watering. I even had to water my pond!

Today is a GREAT day! Lots to see and do. We're going out to the farm early - about 8:45, so we'll make sure we call all our stragglers at about 8:15. We're going out to Mayse farm for a tour, a hay ride, a run through several mazes and the hay castle. Every child will get to pick a pumpkin. Then it's off to Newburgh for a romp at our favorite park and a picnic lunch. We will have such a discovery day. I can't wait!

Then tonight, after a 12 hour day, the teachers are going to drive up to Indianapolis for a conference. I was quite interested in the vote positioned in the side bar here on the blog. Two people voted they preferred that teachers do professional development on the weekends. We usually do, but most really good workshops are during the week. Professional development is usually not an add on but part of the work week. Glad to know four of our parents are glad we are doing this. It does give us a boost as teachers to perform better with new ideas.

I am giving a workshop for the local branch of the National Association for the Education of Young Children in October. My workshop will be "The importance of Family Dining." I've offered workshops nearly every year for years. I'm not crazy about public speaking, but I think these local workshops are important. If you have an anecdote for my workshop, please let me know.

Report cards will be out next Monday.

We want to thank all the parents and grandparents who brought such a nice array of sweets and salty treats to school on Friday. Your support helps us so much. Many left over goodies will go on our picnic today. The kids will be thrilled.

Next party is Halloween.

Investing Money in Early Childhood? by Judy Lyden

Of all people, you would expect me to be excited about the promise some of the candidates running for President who are saying if they are elected, they will increase spending for Early Childhood. Not so. I'm not an advocate of spending without a plan. As with most government programs, when billions are dumped into a pot, that pot takes off running and is never heard from again!

Early Childhood Education is a very important issue to me, and that means being careful with the funds. Edith and I started our little corner of the world each with a whopping $80.00. We started off simply with a bag full of toys, a stack of books, and a lot of plans and a lot of heart. In 12 years, the GS has grown into a respectable school. Sure we've made mistakes, but not billion dollar mistakes!

When you look at the national picture of education, no two government representatives would agree on even what early childhood is. The truth is, most representatives can't give you a straight answer concerning early childhood at all. They don't really know very much about it. So the idea that someone even at the top is eager and willing to throw billions into something they know little about is alarming at best. "But if you give the money to people who DO know about early childhood..."

Yeah, yeah, but that never happens. What does happen is that a particular favored group gets a lot of money to build a spectacular building someplace as a show place for education. Now ditto this nationwide and presto bingo, we've spent billions. But the level of early childhood never really gets any better. Most funds go into buildings, and that has nothing whatsoever to do with early childhood. When buildings stand as the shining example of how we invested in early childhood education, there really is no improvement at all.

I'm a grass roots builder. I see every problem solved from the bottom up. If our nation wants really good early childhood education, it begins on every block with parents talking to one another about what they want for their children, and then turning a garage into that very special place. It's really that simple.

Children don't need a state of the arts building. They need people who love them and teach them. They need people who are there and promise to be there for them, teaching and struggling every day; people who keep those promises. Early childhood is short. It begins at birth ( some believe it begins before birth) and it goes through age eight. There is the infant stage - about a year; the toddler stage - about two years; the preschool stage - about three years and is finished by first, second and third grade. Once children go to big school, the foundation we commonly call early childhood is pretty much over. So what we are talking about are three different cares: infancy, toddlerhood, and preschool (including kindergarten).

I'm an advocate of in home care for children under three. I think homes do better than institutions on all levels. At three, it's time for kids to start to learn. Sometimes a home can cut it, and sometimes it can't. But no matter what, the idea of pouring money into a private home is almost silly. It's the home, the environment, the care provider who is the key here - and no amount of money will change those basic things or make them better. It's the tenet of the home which is the selling point for childcare.

At three, a child has shuffled off his infancy and toddlerhood and is ready to learn, but once again, he doesn't need a state of the arts building. He needs solid caring teachers who can teach him what he wants to know. You can buy that with more Federal funds for salaries, but it wouldn't take billions of dollars and probably shouldn't.

The real problem with early childhood education is ultimately a problem with staff. For decades, nobody really believed just how important the zero to five formative years are. We believed as a nation that anyone off the street willing to sit with the kids was all that was needed. We believed that we could warehouse hundreds of kids under one roof with a play space no bigger than a king sized bed. We could throw unthinkable food in their direction counting ketchup as a vegetable, provide fewer than one toy per child, and nap them half the day, and presto bingo, we have acceptable "Early Childhood."

Changing that idea starts at the bottom not at the top with more money thrown away. But the powers that be would disagree.

In my town, the local high brow magazine declares the same terrible childcare institution as "the best childcare in the city" every year. In reality, this place is a blight to childcare anywhere. The administration refuses to allow teachers to teach anything to the children including letters or numbers. The teachers never read to the children, never take them outside. The meals are horrible, scanty and there is often too little to share among the kids who are hungry. Licensed teachers are penalized for having an education. The children are expected sit hour after hour in tiny noisy rooms where they are also expected to sleep, eat and go to the bathroom. There are no field trips, no adventure, no stretches. And THIS is the best childcare in the city? So says the local magazine, and so says the funnel of money our government pours into this horrible example year after year. Money, by the way, that is used to buy doors and floors and concrete play spaces. In my humble opinion, it's a lost cause from the beginning because doors and floors and concrete won't elevate childcare to a learning discovering environment. No amount of funding will ever manage to change the face of early childhood when administrations have little concept of what the meaning of the expression "to explore" means to a child.

So throwing tax dollars away are not going to make early childhood any better. What is going to make it better are the loving efforts of parents. This will elevate early childhood to the kind of positive experience children will carry with them all their lives. Only parents can make early childhood better by helping those of us who provide childcare be responsible for all we do for the young child. It is through cooperation that we will together raise the expectations of the early classroom to the heights it should be.

Cardboard Toys from Creative Toy Shop

Here's a new idea from an old one - cardboard toys. I think this is a fabulous idea for smaller homes. For children who tire of expensive toys quickly, this might be the answer! They are not expensive, can be folded down to store and brought out for rainy days!

Visit this site for more information Creativetoys

Sleepy Teachers?

Here's an article from Teacher magazine about sleep and teachers. We are always saying to parents that children need more rest. In our busy world at school, the minimum is just that -- a minimum, and for those of us who are not minimalists ( I really despise minimalism) the minimum of anything regarding children is just that - bottom line. Children need 12 hours of sleep every day, and after age three, that should not be a split session. Four hours at school and eight hours at home is not good rest. Choosing a bed time and keeping it is one of the best things a parent can do for a child. Children who are sleep deprived often have other problems.

Sleep should be a positive and fun time. It's a time when that bed has a goose down topper, the sheets are crisp and fresh, the pillow fluffed and inviting. The covers just right to snuggle in all night. After a nice warm bath, a nice cup of herbal tea with mom(it's a way drinking warm milk ;) a story told or read with the lights on, it's time to brush our teeth, say our prayers and jump into our snuggle bed. Our favorite stuffed toy tight in our arms and a night light close. Kisses and hugs and a promise for tomorrow. It takes five minutes to put a child to bed - or should. Going to sleep in his own bed in his own room can be one of his favorite things to do.

Now for parents. As a firm believer in sleep, I think parents need to have a regular bed time as well. The lack of sleep will age you. Like sugar and salt, a lack of sleep will put years on your face, and will draw your tired body into a poor posture that could have ill effects. Feeling good begins with a good night's sleep. Tired people tend to have poor diets because it's just too hard on the body to eat much more than sugar.

There is an article posted in Teacher Magazine that talks about teachers and their notorious lack of sleep. To read the article, go HERE.

For Chocolate Lovers!

Here's a little article from Food Navigator about chocolate! As a one serving a day, dark chocolate is actually good for your heart :-)))

Children love chocolate when it's presented as a food treat. Chocolate as a food needs to be eaten as a food simply because it is a genuine food. Chocolate should never be put into the junk category of most candy.

To read the article go HERE.

A new Study on Splenda

I know, I know, Miss Judy is a nut ball when it comes to food safety and nutrition, but I read this nice article from Food Navigator and I wanted to share it. If you are a Splenda user, you might be interested in this new study. Apparently, the researchers think it could damage bacteria in the system and could cause a problem in absorbing nutrients while it causes you to gain weight. If you are interested in reading the article, go HERE.

The Garden School Tattler

It's been a great week so far! The weather has been surprisingly dry with humidity scores of 17; 24; and 26 percents. It's like a desert out there! Everything is dry in the garden and we've noticed a lot fewer birds. The stray cats from the barn next door are wandering in for a drink in our pond.

At school we are preparing for Grandparents' Tea. We've learned some things we want to share at 3:00. Lots of parents have said they didn't know it was Grandparents' Tea. We send a lot of material home to announce these things including the handbook, the calendar and flyers, not to short change the parent board or the blog.

We've been readjusting the afternoon classes and we've added a health class! On Tuesdays, Miss Kelly teaches science to the K-1. I will be teaching health to the 4-K. We had a blast this last week with the new subject. The kids seemed to really enjoy the idea of what makes their body parts all work together.

Our French class has been going great guns. The kids seem to really enjoy the challenge. We've been counting and have climbed up to 60 and will go to 70 today. We are learning all kinds of body parts, days of the week, and small statements like "are you my friend?"

Outside, the kids are learning to climb trees. It's been a lot of fun. If you can't climb into the tree yourself, you will have to practice until you can. And once in the tree, you may only climb as far as you are willing to fall! That keeps them close to the ground.

Report cards will come out October 6.

Today on the lunch menu is baked chicken legs, corn on the cob, buttered noodles and fruit.

Pro Bugs!

Last week at school we looked at bugs. We went to the bug exhibit at the Botanical Gardens in Owensboro Kentucky. It was a wonderful outing and the kids loved it. Then, a package arrived. Miss Kelly said, "Your package is perishable; we better open it right now." The children were all eating lunch at the time.

Carefully packaged were a dozen bottles of Probugs! It was a gift sent by the Lifeway Foods company in Morton Grove, Illinois. They make a wonderful and delicious Kefir cultured milk product called Probugs.

We divided the wonderful bottles between all the children and they got to sample the Probugs Kefir Milk and there was not a drop left. They loved it. It came in flavors like Goo Berry Pie and Sublime Slime Lime and Orange Creamy Crawler. It tastes a lot like yogurt, but it's thinner, so it's drinkable.

It's definitely something I would buy.

Here's more about the Probugs:

As Americans’ concerns about diet increase and many have begun to embrace the trend of natural and organic ingredients, Lifeway Foods has introduced ProBugs for kids to their line-up of dairy products that help boost the digestive and immune systems.

This organic milk is actually a form of a drinkable yogurt that has long been popular in Europe, containing 10 live and active kefir cultures (most yogurts have two to three) and providing the benefits of probiotic bacteria.

ProBugs won’t upset your stomach if you’re lactose intolerant, and it gives you more energy while aiding in vitamin and mineral absorption—a great product for growing bones!

Do You Follow This Blog?

How do I become a Follower of this blog?

There are several ways to become a follower of a blog. One of the easiest ways is when you visit my blog click on the "Follow this Blog" link under the "Followers" widget:

You'll then see a popup window with the options to either follow publicly or anonymously:

Select how you'd like to follow this blog, then click the orange "Follow" button. It is that simple, you are now a follower of this blog!

How to remove yourself from following a blog

The easiest way to remove yourself from following a blog is to visit the blog, and click "Stop Following" under the Following widget on the blog.

You will then see a pop-up window to confirm your action. Click the orange "Stop Following" button and you will be removed from following the blog.

Take a Child Outside Week

'Take a Child Outside' Week Gains Some Ground

Hundreds of Organizations in the US and Canada to Participate 'Take a Child Outside' Week

By BETSY TAYLOR

The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS

Comment: people always ask us, "Why do you do what you do?" And the answer is because it's good for the kids and good for the teachers. We are outside more than any other full time children's facility in the city. It's a part of every child's right to "be outdoors and play."

A large group of well-meaning officials from several states have a message for you and your family: Go take a hike.

They're urging moms and dads to take their kids away from the television and go outside for some fresh air as part of "Take a Child Outside" week from Sept. 24-30.

The special week began last year in North Carolina, and has now spread throughout much of the U.S. About 250 organizations in the U.S. and Canada are taking part this year.

Do children really need a themed week to encourage them to play outside?

Supporters say it certainly could help. With child obesity on the rise and children spending more time playing electronic games or surfing the Internet, supporters of the effort are extolling the virtues of getting out of the house.

"There's just a disconnect with the natural world around you," said Sue Holst, a spokeswoman for Missouri's Department of Natural Resources, which oversees the state parks. "Today's children do not seem to have the same connection to the outdoors."

Liz Baird, director of school programs with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, agrees: "When I was a kid, you had to come inside when the street lights came on."

Baird, who came up with the idea of "Take a Child Outside" week, said now parents often have to tell their children they must go outside for 30 minutes.

Baird read Richard Louv's book "Last Child in the Woods," about the disconnection between children and nature, and invited him to visit the museum where she worked.

"I struggled with what the museum could do, because we're indoors," she said. "We're a fake outdoors!"

But she said the museum drew from its knowledge of educating and activities for children.

The effort comes at a time when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 17 percent of U.S. youngsters are obese and millions more are overweight. Obesity can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, sleep problems and other disorders.

Missouri's Department of Natural Resources is suggesting that parents take a hike with their children, go fishing, take a float trip and camp together — or even just sit at a picnic table and watch kids explore. The department also has a year-round effort called "Get Out and Play" to support more free time for children outside.

Attendance is down about 2 million visitors at Missouri's state parks, from about 18 million annually in 2004 to 16 million in 2007. Park officials can't say conclusively why that is — rising gas prices may play a role — but they think families also need to be reminded of what parks offer and the benefits of outdoor play.

Child development specialist Jane Kostelc she hadn't previously heard of "Take a Child Outside" week but thought it was a good idea.

"There's a different dimension to their development when they play outside," she said. She works for the St. Louis-based Parents as Teachers National Center, an international parent support and educational program.

Outdoor play allows for freedom of movement and more vigorous movement. It also sparks creativity and observation skills, as children use outdoor materials in their play and take in the changing world around them, Kostelc said.

Baird acknowledged it may be a sign of the times that promotions are needed to encourage outdoor play, but she hopes families will spend more time in the natural world the rest of the year.

"I always end by saying my honest hope for the week is that one day it won't be needed," she said.

The Garden School Tattler

Good Morning! As I water my garden again, I realize it's going to be a lovely summer day at the end of September! I think back to summer and how this kind of day would have been a blessing because it will be warm without being stifling! I know many people are looking for the cooler crisper fall days, but the fall- winter stretch is a long one, so I'm going to be positive about the day. I do, however, think we would all be renewed by a nice long rain. I know my garden would.

This week we will talk about families and how we fit into families - our families. Who are we, and how do we blend into our family; how do we make a difference in our family; what do we do for our families?

Family portraits are wonderful representations of who we think we are and how we think we fit into families. Over the years, there have been some hilarious pictures drawn. The child who makes himself the center of the picture and larger than either mom or dad. There have been portraits drawn that put siblings so far into the background they almost don't exist. There have been pictures where someone is missing or someone's body part is so large it takes command of the picture. So look at your child's family portrait if you want to know what your child thinks.

This Friday is Grandparents' Tea. It's a social occasion and a party. It begins at 3:00 p.m. and includes at least one mandatory guest for each child. Please talk to Miss Judy if you have trouble providing a guest. Your guest does not have to be a grandparent.

We ask that you help contribute a snack for the party. It should be something to be shared with four people. A small bag of chips, peanuts, cupcakes, cookies, fruit, veggies, popcorn, etc. Drinks will be provided. We ask that children take one goodie at a time and not mound napkins and cups with a lot of treats that will end up in the trash can.

Parties end at about 4:00. Every Garden School party is on Friday at 3:00 p.m. We choose this time because most people can take a little comp time then.

Have a good week! The picture is from career week.

The Garden School Tattler

Good Friday Morning!



We had a great trip yesterday. It was quick because our time restraints were quick, but it was fun and well worth doing. We got on the bus about 10:00 and drove down to Owensboro KY through Newburgh and Reo and then across the bridge. It was a beautiful day, hot and dry. Glad the kids wore shorts! That sun is still pretty strong.



The Botanical Gardens are developing a wonderful family place with a rose garden, an herb garden and a pond and many expanses of grass. There is an education building with live samples of insects and a great informative movie. There is a wonderful brand new play house.



The gigantic insects that dot the gardens and the grass are constructed out of what looks like bent willow. They are quite large and we walked under the praying mantis and the ants. There are dragon and damsel flies in the pond and a lady bug in the rose garden and an assassin beetle in the herb garden and a grass hopper in the field. The insects have been beautifully preserved and are quite nice to look at.



The children's response was wonderful. They enjoyed the outing, loved being outdoors, liked the insects that had been displayed in the education building. They had a brown recluse spider and a black widow spider along with a praying mantis and some ants.


Mrs. St. Louis found a beautiful garden spider and photographed it, but I'm not sure you can see it.

We loaded the bus at about 12:00 and came home through Newburgh again and stopped to pick
up some pizzas at Dominoes. Then it was back to school for a great fun lunch of pizza and fresh fruit.

After lunch I took the kids into Miss Amy's classroom to talk about different occupations. The wheels are turning.



Next week is Grandparents Tea!

Edith sent this, and I thought it was a wonderful little piece to read and enter the weekend:

The Invisible Mother......

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously, not.

No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? & Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great
cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever
be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my daughter to tell the friend she's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.'
That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want her to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to her friend, to add, 'you're going to love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot see if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM!

The Garden School Tattler

Good Morning. It's another deliciously cool morning. As I sit here just after 5:00 a.m., I am thinking about how nice the weather is. The children played out doors a lot yesterday. We initiated a new game - tag. It's amazing how little children know about playing outside! So today we will begin teaching some of the old standards making games our scheme for the day.

Speaking of yesterday, we were working on phonemes yesterday - letter sounds, and I noticed that the attention span was really limited, so I thought, "What's wrong?" and the answer was a visual to go with our audio. Children are not expected to invent or to substitute with their own imaginations, so sometimes to help bring forth something, a teacher must use all the tools she can find. I added our letter cards to the sound making and it went a lot better. My best "phonemer" is Jill. She repeats all the sounds and seems to understand what we are doing. Some of my kids are still silent. We have learned the letter sounds for A, E, I and yesterday we added some of the consonant sounds like M. I am hoping that the alphabet has a richer, deeper meaning than it has in past years.

Amy and I learned all about this method of teaching when we went to the first Department of Education workshop in August. On September 30 and October 1, we will be going to the Reading Readiness W0rkshop in Indy for more of the same thing.

We have changed our report card to a more comprehensive report about the children's academic day. I think it will show who is teaching and how each child is doing. It's important to us that parents know.

My French class is going great guns this year. The children are learning to inquire about one another, to greet each other, to count to 20, to follow body commands and to say the days of the week. We have begun to talk about objects and learn to say "I like that." We have a surprise for you at Grandparents' Tea.

My Theater Class is going great guns. We have all acted. Some children are stronger than others. It's a matter of willingness to express ourselves with gusto, or hold back and dead pan it. Some children are lit on fire for this kind of theater activity. Addie is a real ham. Andrew just loves this kind of thing. India is a natural born actress. Austin tries very hard but can't make the jump from real life to play. Kirsten is a natural but can't get her body under control.

At lunch we are working on good manners. This week, we are washing and going to the table where we put our hands in our laps and wait for everyone to be seated. Then we pray together and begin to explore lunch. Yesterday we all tried baked beans and many children tried them for the first time. We had cheese hot dogs and watermelon and carrots and new dip made with honey. Today we will have a bacon and egg pie with a crust of hash browns.

Miss Amy tells me that in Fine Arts Music the children are listening to classical music and really loving it. In her special way, she has found a way to teach the children through body language and the children are responding brilliantly. They lie down and listen with relaxed bodies - makes the sound a welcoming and relaxing experience.

Miss Kelly is reviewing insects and the stages of insects' development. We are going to the Owensboro botanical gardens on Thursday for the bug exhibit. Science is many children's favorite subject. Yesterday, a spider was living in our teapot and found a rather nasty end landing in a cup of water for tea. Mrs. St. Louis found him, and we shared him with the kids.

More next time...

I was reading about broccoli, and stumbled onto this. Thought some would find it interesting!

• Researchers to delve into broccoli's anti-cancer effects
• Broccoli compound may protect against AMD
• Broccoli and co may protect women from diabetes
• Broccoli compound boost for immune health
• Broccoli compound identified for heart benefits
• Broccoli and cauliflower may slash prostate cancer risk

• Broccoli fights cancer-causing bacteria in humans
• Broccoli can reverse diabetic heart damage, say researchers
• Cruciferous veg again linked to bladder cancer protection
• Broccoli sprouts linked to bladder cancer protection
• Broccoli could help the brain heal

The Garden School Tattler

Good Morning!

This week in school we are working on "me." Me from the beginning means me as a baby. We begin the week with a beautiful baby contest. Children will be able to share their pictures of "me" when "me" was just beginning. They will find this hilariously funny and parents can participate with voting for the "beautiful baby of their choice with pennies." This always involves memories and perhaps a little "baby fever." (Don't panic. Molly was doing the baby fever thing and bought a dog and it worked. The little dog gave her something small to cradle and hug and even dress up! With three little stair step boys, the dog fits in nicely.)

Pictures are amazing family history. Children want to know about times when they are missing from pictures and albums. Have you ever been asked when a child sees you in a wedding picture as the bride or groom, and asks "Where was I?"

It's also a question asked often when a family is big and the child has not been born yet but sees his or her siblings playing in pictures and they aren't there. And so often I've answered, "In my hopes and dreams." And then their baby picture surfaces in the album and the question goes away because children have no sense of time.

This week we are looking at "me" and when "me" grows up. What do they want to be? What work that they saw last week, or at home, or on TV will stimulate enough interest to get them started in thinking about the future? We asked one brother sister team once, and the brilliant little girl said, "A pizza man." Her brother of dubious intellectual interest said, "The Vicar of Christ" (Catholic for Pope) so it's always priceless. BTW - no Ninja Turtles!

We will keep a record of what the kids want to do as adults and send a complete posting of "future employment" home to you as a keepsake for your scrapbook.

On Thursday, we will go to the botanical gardens in Owensboro. I did not think we would get a place on their roster, but we did at the last minute. it doesn't have much to do with "me" but it's a great outing and it does involve another fall project - collecting bugs. More on that later. It's a treat day, and we will order pizza for lunch. It will be a great day. It's supposed to be 80 degrees!

So keep in mind that this week is all about "me" and quiz your child about what he or she wants to be when he or she grows up. It's a delightful week. Enjoy.

The Garden School Tattler

It's been an outstanding week. We've had visitors from all walks of life to talk to the kids about different jobs. It's been exciting to see the kids really focus on what our visitors had to say. Most of the children were well behaved and listened very politely.

On Monday, we had a visit from the ambulance people who talked to us about saving lives. The children got to investigate the ambulance vehicle. It was very exciting for the kids to see a real ambulance up close.

Monday afternoon, Kamden's dad came in to school to talk about farming. He's a farmer and grows corn and other grains in four states. He talked about dairy farming as well. He talked about animals and how it all works.

Tuesday, Alex's grandmother came in to school to show the kids how she decorates cakes. It was a really interesting to see a white plain cake turn into a pink rose covered treat. Then we ate the cake. The kids loved it.

On Wednesday, Dr. Rege our vet came into school to talk about doctoring animals. He was funny and worked on Miss Kelly's dog who also visited the school. She has a miniature pincher named Jeeter. Everyone at school uses Dr. Van Houten and Dr. Rege. They are marvelous vets.

Wednesday afternoon we had a visit from Joe Dickenson, our police father who talked to the children about being a police officer. The kids loved Joe and he showed them his police car and ran the siren and lights which they loved.

On Thursday, we had a visit from Mr. Jeff who is a physical trainer. He talked to the kids about staying in shape and eating right. He loved our lunch of peanut crusted chicken, cheesy potatoes, caramelized carrots and pears.

Late Thursday morning, Mr. Phil came in and talked to us about nursing. He let the kids listen to their hearts. The kids were thrilled.

Today is our visit from the fire department. We are hoping to be able to use the hose and to see the fire guys dress in their SCBAs (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus).

These visits have been really wonderful and the kids have really enjoyed it. We thank all our parents and friends for doing this for the school.

Today we are trying out baked salmon and baked potatoes. Miss Judy will talk today about cooking for kids.

Planning NOT to Vote?

Women had to earn the right to vote. They did that with a lot of work and a lot of sorrow. If you're thinking of not voting this year, think again - at least about the women who fought for your right to vote. Here are some pictures of those women who were beaten and clubbed and thrown into jail because they wanted a voice in America:


This story about our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers happened only 90 years ago.

It was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote and by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'

They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.

They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack.
Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.

For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.

When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.

The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.

History is being made.

Science!!!

Comment: This is an excellent article by a woman I truly respect. It's a grass roots piece that really says, "If you want it, do it yourself." With all the tax money that has been thrown on to education, and all the new tax money that's being earmarked for throwing, I think we should pull back to a grass roots approach to find our successes. There are successful pockets everywhere, and nationalizing success is just a far flung idea. Anyway, read:

Teaching Secrets: Thriving in the Science Classroom

By Anne Jolly

When I entered the world of science teaching, I soon realized that the official job description didn't begin to cover the real work of my new profession. As daunting as this realization was, I also quickly came to see that it would be up to me to make genuine teaching and learning happen in my classroom, whatever it took.

As I worked through the inevitable trials and tribulations of a new teacher, I made notes of all the things I needed to know and the questions I found myself asking. With luck, new science teachers won't face the same questions I faced. (I certainly hope they don’t.) But just in case, I'm sharing my first five questions here--with the answers I'm now able to give after a lengthy teaching career.

To set the context, let me say that most of my science teaching has taken place in the middle grades, and that I came to teaching from a “first career” as a research scientist specializing in virology. I’ve taught many kinds of students in a variety of school settings and served on several national panels related to science education. Now, the Q & A!

If I'm a science teacher, where's my science equipment?

With newbie enthusiasm, the first thing I did after stepping foot into my assigned school was to a launch a search for science equipment. I finally located the cache, such as it was, in a hall closet behind stacks of discarded textbooks and an outdated ditto machine. The sagging shelves held a couple of broken microscopes, some chemicals that hadn't been used for a decade, a few beakers crusted from lack of cleaning, and other rusty odds and ends. Two established science teachers had some working science equipment stored in their classrooms but were quick to let me know that the equipment was for their use only.

Your circumstances may not be the same, but here's a tip: Expect that you may not have the equipment and supplies you need for your students to do scientific investigations and experiments. Plan to attack this problem head on. You may be new, but you're smart, determined, and probably have a high energy level. Teacher leadership emerges from recognizing a problem and making a decision to tackle it, so step into a teacher-leader role from day one.

First, enlist the support of the administration and the help of fellow science teachers in addressing the lack of needed resources. Make it clear that you are not addressing this issue just for your students, but that this initiative targets upgrading the equipment for the whole science department. Then begin a career-long quest (yes, you read that correctly) in search of better science resources through grants, businesses, and other community sources.

Be creative. Medical professions (dentists, hospitals, and doctors' offices) may furnish surgical gloves and other items for students to use during lab work. Police drug units tend to be a particularly good source of triple beam balances. University biology departments sometimes donate perfectly good working microscopes when they purchase new ones. Parents can generally be counted on to donate paper towels, vinegar, baking soda, and other grocery store supplies. (Note: Paper cups and kitchen scales are better than nothing, but do focus on introducing your students to the world of science exploration by using the actual tools of the trade--real science equipment.)

Did someone drop a bomb on my classroom-to-be?

My first classroom was in a circa-1940's school facility and resembled a disaster area. Over a fourth of the floor was bare concrete, and peeling tile covered the remainder. Student tables were battered and covered with graffiti. The broken teacher's desk had no chair and the walls badly needed paint. While carpentry and painting were not in my contract, I quickly got over that minor point and enlisted friends and family in cleaning, painting, and giving the room a welcoming appearance. My thinking about this was simple. I wanted to begin my new career on a good note, and my classroom would say a lot to students about how much I cared about teaching and about them.

If your room needs a facelift and the system can't take care of it, just do it yourself. (The "do-it-yourself" philosophy will serve you well as a teacher -- trust me on this!) Besides, it's easier to keep graffiti and student-caused damage under control when your room and student tables are clean to start with.

Why are my students looking at me like that?

I'm such a science enthusiast that it took me by surprise when some of my students arrived with a serious case of "science apathy," or even an active dislike of science. When I told them what remarkable learning experiences we would have during the year, many of their expressions said, "Yeah, right." Obviously, these kids needed some tender loving SIC -- Science Instructional Care.

Should you look out at faces filled with disinterest, consider that their previous science experiences might have been dominated by textbook-driven teaching and paper-and-pencil assignments. Fortunately, you have an opportunity to correct that. You might start SIC treatment on the first day with an eye-popping discrepant event–-something that puzzles students and invites inquiry. You can find some great ideas by typing "science discrepant events" into an Internet search engine. Continue SIC treatment early on by engaging students in actively investigating, experimenting, and working together to learn science principles and issues. Your enthusiasm about science and its relevance to what your students do during the year can cure many of them of their apathy and build interest in learning. Remember: Inquiry, inquiry, inquiry!

What on earth is going on in those small groups?

Before completing the first three weeks of teaching I made an important discovery. I could plan wonderful lessons to involve students in active learning and experimentation. And like any good teacher, I planned for my students to work together in groups to learn, explore, and solve problems. Planning, however, did not make it happen. Frankly, my students were not good at working together in teams. That set off alarm bells for me--especially since teamwork is one of the most important lifelong skills students will need. So I started on a career-long quest to help my students learn how to work together productively.

I'm going to get preachy now. Please make building community and teamwork in your classroom a top priority. Understand that helping your students learn to work together and accomplish something will definitely be an uphill challenge. You will deal with frequent frustration (yours and theirs) as you help them develop this skill. I have a couple of "how to" ideas that might assist you. Feel free to correspond with me at ajolly@bellsouth.net. When you discover team-building techniques that work, I'd like to hear your tips as well.

Who are those other adults in my building?

When I started teaching one of the most surprising discoveries was that I was basically isolated from other teachers. That was a real jaw-dropper. In my former profession, I met with colleagues on a daily basis to analyze and discuss our work with (are you ready for this?) laboratory rats. I had the distinct belief that students were at least as important as lab rats, so naturally I was perplexed by the lack of communication and collaboration among the adults with daily responsibility for their progress.

Later in my career I began addressing this problem, but I wish I’d begun a lot sooner. So this tip is more like a plea: Start now and take a leadership role in establishing learning connections with your colleagues. Hopefully you have (authentic) professional learning communities in your schools where you can work with other teachers to learn, grow, and improve your instruction. If you don’t, I have some tips along those lines, too! Keep in mind that collaboration is a culture change for teachers who have "grown up" in a tradition of stoic individualism and some degree of competitiveness. As a new teacher you don't have these hang-ups yet, so become an advocate for regularly working together, building knowledge and sharing ideas, and feeling a collective sense of responsibility for all students.

And don’t limit your collaborative thinking to your own school building. Ongoing connections to science teacher colleagues in other schools and locations provide you with fresh ideas, trouble-shooting tips, and collegial support to refuel your enthusiasm when you feel discouraged. Form local and district connections with as many science teachers as you can. You can find virtual groups and support through a number of science organizations. Join the National Science Teachers Association (accessexcellence.org) and the NSF-sponsored Middle School Science & Math Portal (msteacher.org). Sites like these provide information and resources targeting first year science teachers, exciting lessons, and access to others who share your enthusiasm.

These aren't questions, but let me add three more quick tips:

-- Give your students the freedom to design their own science investigations, make mistakes, and try again. Canned labs are okay for teaching students to follow directions and demonstrating some principles. But don't overdo the pre-fab stuff. Science is all about genuine inquiry.

-- Actively find opportunities to involve parents. Parents are not your enemy. You'll need extra hands and eyes when doing labs. You'll also need parents in helping you find funding sources for science equipment. And parents with science-related backgrounds or careers can help students make the linkage between the K-12 classroom and the future.

-- Finally, plan for a long and fulfilling career teaching real science to many hundreds of naturally curious students. Remember, you're doing something every day that matters--not just to those students who will choose to pursue science careers, but to every kid who comes to see the important and exciting place science holds in our 21st century world.

Anne Jolly’s distinguished career as a science teacher earned her recognition as Alabama State Teacher of the Year in 1994. She has been a member of the National Research Council’s Committee of Science Education and served on the National Commission on Math and Science Teaching for the 21st Century (The Glenn Commission). Jolly is the author of A Facilitator's Guide to Professional Learning Teams, now in its third edition, and regularly works with teachers and schools to strengthen professional learning communities.

Out of the Box Games

Comment:

Here's another great game from Out of the Box! I love these games!

BACKSEAT DRAWING Draws Everyone Together!

Dodgeville, Wisconsin - BACKSEAT DRAWING is the new high-energy party game from Out of the Box Publishing where players draw pictures.without knowing what they are drawing!
In BACKSEAT DRAWING, two teams race to identify drawings done by their own team members. But the artists don't know what they are drawing-they can only follow the instructions given by another team member. Laughter erupts as players attempt to follow direction and to guess what is being drawn.

For example: Direct a teammate to draw a square. Then have them draw a triangle on top of the square. (It's the start of a house).

Get the picture? If so, you win!

BACKSEAT DRAWING is for 4 to 10 players, ages 12 to adult. BACKSEAT DRAWING is available at all Target stores and specialty retailers nationwide - at a suggested retail of $24.99.

About Out of the Box Publishing
Since 1999, Out of the Box Publishing has been a leader in the Business of Fun! Headquartered in Dodgeville, WI, Out of the Box produces a gamut of games. From single-player to party games, from quick and light games to engaging strategy games, Out of the Box games are designed to please the entire family. Fun has always been our mission, and happiness can be found.right Out of the Box!

Visit games

The Wave of the Future

Former D.C. Catholic Schools Start New Life as Charters

Conversion Attracts Attention as Possible Model Elsewhere

By Erik W. Robelen

Comment: It's tragic to think that the work the Church did a hundred years ago is coming to this. Is it only a little sad to say goodby to a standard of education that lead the world? For some it is especially when the education that's replacing it is failing.

When Principal Monica D. Evans led a morning gathering on the first day of school recently, she left out what was once a central ingredient: an opening prayer.

So began the former Holy Name School’s new incarnation as the Trinidad Campus of Center City Public Charter Schools. The reinvented elementary school here in the nation’s capital has given up its Roman Catholic identity this academic year to become a charter school.

“It was a little sad to say goodbye to what we knew as Catholic education,” said Ms. Evans, adding that the switch was far preferable to seeing her school close. “But we didn’t dwell on it. It was what it was, and we were given this wonderful opportunity."

Ms. Evans’ school is one of seven former Catholic schools across the District of Columbia that were approved in mid-June to become charters. Analysts say they are aware of no other instance in which Catholic officials have sought to convert a batch of parochial schools into public charters.

The newly formed nonprofit organization that runs them, Center City Public Charter Schools, was handpicked by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. It was one of several organizations church leaders considered to manage the campuses.

With the switch to charter status for the schools, the archdiocese has relinquished its role in operating them. It is now simply a landlord for the buildings.

Financial Strains

The archdiocese first announced last fall that it was considering a move to convert eight schools to charters. Church officials said that the idea was being weighed with regret, but that the other alternative was to shut the schools down, given the mounting financial drain they posed. Rising costs, declining enrollments, and tuition levels that fell far short of actual expenses helped drive the decision, the archdiocese said. ("D.C. Parochial Schools May Become Charters," Sept. 19, 2007.)

The plans sparked objections from some families, and one of the eight schools ultimately decided to remain a Catholic school.

School officials emphasize that much remains the same at the seven campuses, from a strong academic program and focus on promoting character education to many of the faculty members and school leaders.

At the Trinidad Campus in Northeast Washington, not only has Ms. Evans returned as principal, but all of the full-time classroom teachers from last year opted to come back as well, she said.

Ms. Evans herself attended the school as a student, and later taught at it before eventually becoming its principal. She said that as a public charter school, it now can serve many neighborhood families that previously couldn’t afford the $4,500 tuition. And on the opening day, Ms. Evans said she was struck by the strong turnout.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen that many students in the schoolyard,” she said of the roughly 210 students who showed up Sept. 2 at the pre-K-8 campus. Last year, the enrollment was about 170. Full capacity is approximately 245 students.

Across all seven new charter campuses, school officials estimate that about 1,300 students arrived for the first day, up from about 1,150 enrolled as of last December when they were Catholic schools. The new figures also could climb in coming weeks.

And while detailed demographic data were not yet available, the charters are projected to serve almost all minority students, with about 70 percent eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch.

Ms. Evans said “a little less than half” the students were returning from the prior year. School officials estimated that about 35 percent of students last year in the seven former Catholic schools lived in Maryland, and said that most of them would not be returning. Out-of-district students are permitted to enroll, but they must pay tuition.

Also, the archdiocese estimated that about four in 10 students at the schools when they were still Catholic last year received tuition vouchers under a federally funded program that provides aid to low-income families to attend secular or religious private schools in Washington.

‘Everyone Can Come’

Tyrone Calliham, a longtime resident of the city’s Trinidad neighborhood who lives blocks from the school, is among the parents enrolling children there for the first time.

“I knew their expectations for children were much higher than in D.C. public schools, so I always wanted to come here,” he said of the school. “But now they’ve made it so everyone can come.”

Mary Anne Stanton, the executive director of Center City Public Charter Schools, said the schools have long-standing local ties.

“They’re rooted in all of these communities,” she said. Many had been operating for decades. The Trinidad school, whose former name is still etched into the edifice above the double doors out front, was founded in 1924.

Ms. Stanton, who came out of retirement to lead the charter network, is no stranger to this school, or the six other campuses. A former longtime Catholic educator, she oversaw the schools in their previous iteration for eight years as the executive director of the archdiocese’s Center City Consortium, formed in 1997 as a way to revitalize and support a set of inner-city Catholic schools and provide greater support. Four of those schools remain open as Catholic schools as part of the archdiocese’s renamed Consortium of Catholic Academies.

At the Trinidad Campus’ morning gathering, Ms. Evans made clear the emphasis on developing students’ character, as she recited and asked students to repeat the school’s honor code. The “value for the month,” she then told students, was “respect.”

“Each day,” she said, “we will focus on how respect is a very important part of your everyday life.”

‘The Start of Something’?

As public schools, the campuses must administer the standardized tests taken by students in the city’s district-run schools. Yet school leaders say the curriculum is largely unchanged at the school—except for the elimination of a daily religion class.

Thomas A. Nida, the chairman of the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board, said he was impressed by the application from the charter group for the seven schools. “They just simply had an excellent application,” he said. “It covered all the bases we were looking for, and then some.”

The conversion effort faced resistance from some city council members and others worried about the costs to city coffers of adding more public schools.

“I wish that we had just been able to invite all of those children into the existing set of [public] schools, and not take on the responsibility of financing so many new schools,” said Margot Berkey, the director of a local advocacy group, Parents United for the D.C. Public Schools.

Mr. Nida said leaving aside federal dollars, the schools are eligible for roughly $11,500 per student in public funds, including the base funding for public charters, plus $3,000 per pupil for a facilities allotment.

By contrast, archdiocesan officials estimated per-pupil spending for the schools at about $7,500 last academic year.

Teachers, on average, will receive higher pay in the converted charters than they did last year, up to 22 percent more with a performance bonus, school officials say, though they did not provide actual salary figures.

Mr. Nida said he’s been hearing from Catholic officials around the country who are keenly interested in the conversion effort, given that many urban Catholic schools have closed in recent years. ("Papal Visit Spurs Plea for ‘Saving’ Catholic Schools," April 16, 2008.)

“I know they’re watching it,” he said. “It may be the start of something you see popping up in due course elsewhere.”

Parent Nisha Long said the verdict is still out for her on whether the decision to convert the Trinidad school to charter status was a good idea. She was disappointed about taking religion out of the school, but decided to again enroll her two sons. “I was kind of skeptical in the beginning,” she said. “We’ll try it for a year and see what happens.”

The familiar faces on campus were a big selling point. “We love the teachers and the whole family atmosphere,” Ms. Long said. “They didn’t change the teachers, so that’s why we’re back.”

Coverage of new schooling arrangements and classroom improvement efforts is supported by a grant from the Annenberg Foundation.

Healthy Kids Naturally

Healthy Kids, Naturally

Comment: these are excellent guidelines.

(Family Features) Keeping kids and teens healthy can be a challenge during the busy school year. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that nearly 22 million school days are lost annually due to the common cold alone.

Fortunately, there are some simple, and natural, things parents can do to help kids stay healthy and energized for all their activities.

Hygiene. The CDC says that the single most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands. When there’s not sink and soap around, use natural hand sanitizers—wipes or gel—with 100 percent pure essential oils.

Nutrition. Growing bodies and brains need fiber and nutrients to stay healthy. A child’s health can suffer from too few of these good things and too many sugary, highly processed foods.
The USDA Food Guide Pyramid recommends nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. One serving size of fruits and veggies for children equals one of the following:

• 1/2 cup juice
• 1 cup raw leafy salad greens
• 1/2 cup chopped raw, canned or cooked fruit or other vegetable

Essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3s, are crucial for development and health of the brain, heart, nervous system, tissues, skin and immune system, especially for school-age children. DHA can be found in fatty cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna, and in DHA-enriched products like eggs and milk.

What about nutritional supplements? If kids and teens are actually eating nine servings of colorful fruits and veggies—plus foods containing all the other recommended daily nutrients—every day, then they probably don’t need them. But with picky eaters, tight schedules, food allergies and more, they don’t often get what they need. In these cases, supplements might be a good idea. But be careful. While it’s easy to find a fun and fruity multivitamin that kids don’t mind taking each day, it’s the nutrients they need, not loads of sugar or artificial colors and flavors.

Rest. Rest, relaxation and sleep are key for handling stress. While moderate stress is normal, the demands of school life can cause stress overload for youngsters and adolescents—and their parents and teachers! Be sure to schedule in downtime and allow for adequate sleep when you’re planning the week.

Kids need more sleep than you might think.

• 3–6 years old: 10 3/4–12 hours per day
• 7–12 years old: 10–11 hours per day
• 12–18 years old: 8¼–9½ hours per day

Stomachaches, nervousness, trouble sleeping, anger flares or infections may be signs of stress. Fortunately, there are plenty of safe, effective ways to handle it. Breathing deeply, exercising, stretching, physical play and homeopathic remedies may help.

If you would like to know more about natural ways to help your kids stay healthy, the Whole Body Team Members at Whole Foods Market are well educated about all of the products they offer and are happy to answer questions.

You can also visit WholeFoodsMarket.com for educational podcasts and more information.
Courtesy of Family Features

The Benefits

Report Finds Benefit to Quality Preschool Programs
As candidates debate national preschool policy, scholar urges policymakers to stick with what works

W. Steven Barnett
Kevin Welner

TEMPE, Ariz and BOULDER, Colo. (Sept. 10, 2008) — Amid a contentious debate over the benefit of preschool programs, a new policy brief, Preschool Education and Its Lasting Effects: Research and Policy Implications, examines what researchers currently know about the potential of those programs to bring about positive change. It finds that preschool can strongly benefit children's learning and development. But the brief also finds that the quality of programs varies dramatically and that increased public investment in preschool education should be focused on program designs that have been demonstrated to be highly effective.

Comment: Every year the GS sends children to big school very well prepared.

The policy brief is written by W. Steven Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University in New Jersey. It was released today by the Education and the Public Interest Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Education Policy Research Unit at Arizona State University.

Preschool programs have become increasingly common over the last several decades, with states such as Oklahoma taking the lead. Recommendations for or against various forms of universal, publicly funded preschool have emerged in the current presidential campaign. For example, Barack Obama is proposing grants to encourage states to institute universal, voluntary preschool programs, while John McCain's campaign has called for a more limited federal role, providing information and databases to help parents choose a preschool education program.

Comment: One does not throw tax payers money into the arena when the arena has no program. What is the money going to pay for? No one knows!!

Barnett's brief offers a solid research foundation upon which this policy debate can proceed.

Barnett's brief offers both warnings and hope. He explains that well-designed preschool programs have been shown to produce long-term improvements in school success—raising students' achievement test scores, reducing the rates of students being retained in grade, reducing the assignment of students to special education programs, and raising student educational attainment. He also finds that these well-designed programs are extraordinarily cost effective, with their long-term payoffs far exceeding their costs.

The strongest evidence suggests that children from all socioeconomic backgrounds reap long-term benefits from preschool, Barnett says. And he notes that the strongest benefits are received by economically disadvantaged children.

Comment: So long as the program is preschool and not babysitting.

However, Barnett also warns that current public policies for child care, Head Start, and state pre-Kindergarten programs offer no assurance that American children will attend such highly effective preschool programs. Some attend no preschool and others attend educationally weak programs. Middle-income children often have the least access to pre-school, while many children in poverty may lack preschool as well.

Comment: Or parents buy day care thinking there is a developed learning plan implemented.

Although there are exceptions, highly effective preschool programs are generally characterized by small class sizes and the use of well-educated, adequately paid teachers, and Barnett recommends that policymakers stick with those approaches. Preschool teachers should undergo intensive supervision and coaching and "should be involved in a continuous improvement process for teaching and learning." Preschool programs also should regularly monitor children's learning and development.

Comment: If teachers are teachers, then the idea one must monitor them and treat them as social morons is not even a consideration. Good teachers really teach. You have to spend the money to hire teachers who really teach.

Because preschool programs vary so much in quality, Barnett counsels against simply raising child care subsidies. Instead, he recommends greater public investment in effective preschool education programs, with a focus on state and local pre-K programs with high standards, which have been found to be the most effective. Such programs "need not be provided by public schools," he notes; public, private and Head Start programs all "have produced similar results when operating with the same resources and standards as part of the same state pre-K program."

Comment: If you want something done right - do it yourself.

Finally, Barnett recommends that because existing results are strongest when children receive "an earlier start and longer duration" for preschool education, disadvantaged children under four who are likely to benefit most should get first priority in policies to expand access to such programs.

Find Steve Barnett's report, Preschool Education and Its Lasting Effects: Research and Policy Implications, on the web at: http://nieer.org/resources/research/PreschoolLastingEffects.pdf.

Teachers

After being interviewed by the school administration, the teaching prospect said,

'Let me see if I've got this right:

'You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their
disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their
dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.

'You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs
and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride.

'You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship,
sportsmanship and fair play. You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize
signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure they all pass the state exams.

'You want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of
their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents.

'You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a
bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that will
qualify me for food stamps. You want me to do all this and then you tell me:

I can't pray?

Something for Grandparents' Day

Comment: I received this as an introduction to a new book that's out called the Cole Family Christmas. You can find it on the Internet. I truly believe that stories from grandparents and great grandparents are a marvelous personal way to make the past a part of our present. These stories are priceless and beautiful and for most children a treasure beyond anything else. We all want to know. Growing up without grandparents and without extended family, I know the few pearls I have are treasures to me.

Don’t Let Your Family’s History Slip Away

Ten ways to preserve your family’s unique story this National Grandparents Day

September 4, 2008 – Grandparents can to take the lead in helping younger generations preserve their family history this National Grandparent’s Day, according to Milford, Ohio resident Hazel Cole Kendle, the 88-year-old first-time author of the just-released Cole Family Christmas. This year’s National Grandparent’s Day will mark its 30th anniversary on Sept. 7.

“It’s a myth that young people don’t want to hear the stories their grandparents can tell,” said Kendle. “However, too often grandparents and great-grandparents feel like they must wait to be asked before telling those stories. Realize that family members often won’t ask for the first story, but once you start talking, they’ll be begging for more.”

Jennifer Liu Bryan of Alexandria, Virginia, Kendle’s granddaughter-in-law and co-author, points out that grandparents don’t have to stop with stories, either.

“There are many ways to pass along family traditions,” said Bryan. “Remember the favorite dessert your grandmother used to make or the dishes she received on her wedding day. Each item serves as a connection to the past, but we have to work to keep that chain from breaking.”

For this reason, Kendle and Bryan suggest 10 ways families can preserve their memories this Grandparents Day.

1. Construct a family memory book. Gather pictures of family members across generations and make a scrapbook by writing in the stories that have been passed on through generations. 2. Play a game the grandparents used to play. Kids had fun long before video games were invented. Play a game from the analog era to show the grandchildren how it was done. 3. Read a book your grandparents read when they were your age. Grandparents can make classic children’s literature even more rewarding by adding in details of what life was like at the time. 4. Learn how to cook grandma’s favorite recipe. Whether that’s a traditional holiday dish or her secret cookie recipe, spend time in the kitchen with grandma cooking a recipe that can be passed down to the next generation. 5. Take part in a grandparent’s favorite hobby. Whether that is painting, gardening, or putting together puzzles, spend time with your grandparents and learn about the daily activities that bring them joy. 6. Pick out one interesting, unique or strange family heirloom. Grandparents can explain the history of the item and why it is special to the family. 7. Learn where you came from. Drive through your grandparents’ old neighborhood and listen to stories about their old neighbors or family outings at the local park. 8. Go back in time to the movies. Rent a classic the grandparents enjoyed seeing on the big screen years ago. There are plenty of great old movies other than just the ones that run during the holidays. 9. Ask to look at your grandparent’s wedding pictures or high school yearbooks. Learn about their best friends and see pictures of them when they were so much younger. 10. Preserve a memory for future generations. Make a home video with them and let them discuss their favorite stories.

Next Chapter Press has released 60,000 copies of Cole Family Christmas, a true, tender, and wholly unforgettable tale that has been passed down from generation to generation through a coal miner's family.

When one of Mama’s few possessions, a treasured purple glass bowl with fluted edges, is accidentally broken by exuberant children rushing in from the outdoors, and an unlikely blizzard prevents Papa from coming home after working extra hours at the coal mine on Christmas Eve, hopes for a picture perfect Christmas were quickly quelled. However, the hours that followed that turbulent Christmas morning created a joyful story that has lived in family lore for years.