What You Say by Judy Lyden

Just read a little Facebook and noticed that some the the pillars of the church are denigrating Sarah Palin to the point that is uncomfortable and unreasonable. What they are doing is taking her humanity away and condemning her. No matter what you think of Sarah Palin or for that matter any public figure, the idea of destroying someone's humanity is a bad example to adults and an even greater wrong to children.

The ability to separate what is important from what is inane is the job of the truly adult person. Politics are important, but in no way are they the new religion. Is Sarah Palin's humanity more important than her politics? I vote YES.

Discrediting "the other side" of any argument is popular play. It always has been. But today, it's lethal. We not only want to discredit someone's position, we want to eviscerate the person, tear them apart, crucify them. Is this what we want to teach our children to do to one another? As evil as it sounds, the ability to tear a politician down at home translates into tearing a disliked teacher down at school, and then the unpopular children as well. Children model their behavior after their parents. So if parents are venomous toward other people, children will learn that behavior and be venomous toward the only audience they have - other children.

Parents who engage in personality and humanity bashing send a chilling call to their children. To teach hate and revenge is against peace and harmony no matter the supposed enemy. This call to indecency was expoused by the wife of the Bishop's right hand man. What does that lead me to believe about the bishop and his message?

When children take hate to school, it only teaches hate. When children take peace and thoughtfulness to school, it teaches peace and thoughtfulness. People are either usually and predictably hateful and vengeful or they are peace loving and hopeful. These personality traits are learned by adults and by children because it is not a natural thing to hate. It is a natural thing to be curious.

Loving one another means trying to see the other person's point of view. This openness breeds openness in children. To see a parent struggle with what he does not understand and apply reason to either supporting another or taking support away is a legitimate and intelligent way of going about one's life. Children are watching.

We live in a very divided world. We live in a world that bespeaks a lot of hate and a lot of ridicule. We live in a world of suspicion and contempt, and isn't that a shame because hate makes people smaller and less as people, and hateful people make the world smaller and darker so that good parents who want their children to embrace that which is good, have trouble seeing it. Hateful people always make the news.

Life is a wonderful walk. It's filled with things we learn to love and things we turn away from. This is a very human kind of behavior. Two of the eleven passions are love and hate. These are legitimate passions, and both are neutral. It is for us to take up these passions which will lead us to either good or bad. It is up to us and well worth thinking about.

Monday's Tattler

It's a beautiful morning. Miss Judy likes the dark cool mornings. It's a new adventure into a new season, and it's ripe for teaching and exploring with the kids.

Lots going on this week. We're doing fire safety. We've already had a visit from the fire guys, and on Friday, we will be going to the Stay Alive House out at Vanderburgh County 4H fair grounds. This is an important experience for little kids. It makes them aware of fire safety in the house. It's time for parents to gather up the whole family and explain how YOU get out of your house should a fire start, God forbid.

Your child will learn to slip out of bed and crawl to the door should he smell smoke. He will be taught to touch the door with the back of his hand so that he doesn't burn his crawling paw. Then he will be taught to go to his meeting place depending on his circumstances. He will tell you all about it this week.

The field trip will be $10.00 and we will leave school about 9:30 on Friday and return at 1:00.

This week on Wednesday, we will be dressing up as our favorite hero. It's OK for the kids to wear their hero pajamas. It's a fun day.

Thanks again for making Grandparents' Tea a great treat.

Please keep in your prayers a little girl named Shelby who was one of our first little students. She had leukemia back then and came to the GS to boost her immune system. She is fourteen now and in stage four cancer. They cannot find a bone marrow match for her.

Sunday's Plate

Science: Backing the claims of brain foods

By Stephen Daniells, 24-Sep-2009

From Foodnavigator-usa.com

In this fifth part of our series on brain health, we look at which ingredients have the science to back up their hype as edible brain enhancers.

Omega-3s, green tea, phosphatidylserine (PS), St John’s wort, soy, ginseng, B vitamins, and superfruits such as pomegranate are just some examples of ingredients out there claiming to assist the brain’s optimal function.

Here we review some of the most recent science making the headlines in the area of brain health.

Development in the early stages of life

Giving children the best possible start in life has seen a lot of attention diverted to their diet in their formative years. A recent study with DHA-enriched infant formula found an enhancement of cognitive skills, compared to babies fed non-enriched formula.

A dose of 0.36 per cent DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and 0.72 per cent ARA (arachidonic acid) was necessary to produce superior problem solving performance, according to findings published in Child Development.

Intriguing results from Denmark published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that vitamin C may play a more important role in brain development than previously thought. A study with guinea pigs found that vitamin C deficiency in the first weeks and months of life may impair the development of neurones in the brain, and decrease spatial memory

"We may thus be witnessing that children get learning disabilities because they have not gotten enough vitamin C in their early life. This is unbearable when it would be so easy to prevent this deficiency by giving a vitamin supplement to high-risk pregnant women and new mothers" says Jens Lykkesfeldt, professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Copenhagen

A joint British and Australian study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found 12 weeks of supplementation with vitamins and minerals was found to boost the attention scores of children.

The authors claimed it to be the “first observation of acute behavioral effects of vitamins/minerals in human subjects”.

Age-related decline and dementia

Cognitive decline occurs naturally as we age, and precedes diseases such as Alzheimer's. However, cognitive function may decline with the build-up of plaque from beta-amyloid deposits and this increases the risk of Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia.

Great hope has centered on omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA. The most recent data on this subject, presented recently at the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna found that daily DHA supplements could improve both memory function and heart health in healthy older adults, but only in people with a decline in cognitive function that occurs naturally with age.

However, DHA had no general impact on the cognitive health of people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's.

On the topic of phosphatidylserine, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows a ‘qualified health claim’ status, stating that “Consumption of phosphatidylserine may reduce the risk of cognitive dysfunction in the elderly” and “Consumption of phosphatidylserine may reduce the risk of dementia in the elderly”.

Size does matter

B vitamins, most notably folate and B12, have long been linked to dementia, based on their ability to lower levels of the amino acid homocysteine. Epidemiological studies have reported that high levels of homocysteine are associated with suspected or confirmed dementia. Indeed, the Framingham study reported that people with homocysteine levels above 14 micromoles per liter of serum had twice the risk of dementia.

Higher blood levels of B12 have also been linked to brain size. University of Oxford scientists reported in 2008 that B12 may protect against brain volume loss in older people, and ultimately reduce the risk of developing dementia (Neurology, Vol. 71, pp. 826-832).

B6, B12, and folic acid were also said to help against migraines (Pharmacogenetics and Genomics).

Vitamin D is gaining increasing attention for a wide range of health conditions, including cognitive function.

Boston-based researchers reported in mid-2008 that flavanol-rich chocolate may boost blood flow in the brain and reduce the risk of dementia and stroke. The research was supported by confectionary giant Mars and said to be the first study to directly investigate the effect of flavanol-rich cocoa consumption on blood flow in the brain (Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, Vol. 4, pp. 433-440).

The jury is still out on some of the better known herbals, however. A study in with 3,000 elderly people published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found no differences in the rate of total dementia and the rate of Alzheimer’s disease were observed between groups receiving ginkgo biloba or placebo for 6.1 years.

The study was dismissed as “irrelevant”, however, by Daniel Fabricant, PhD, acting CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA).

“This study is also in direct contrast to other research,” said Fabricant. “Unfortunately, there is still no proven treatment to prevent Alzheimer’s, but reputable research has shown that Ginkgo biloba can play a constructive role in improving the symptoms related to this debilitating disease and possibly delaying its onset.”

Looking to the future, eyes turned recently to stevia, already making waves in a sea of sweeteners. DSM recently applied for a patent for as a natural ingredient for cognitive health.

Friday's Tattler

We have a winner!!!!!

As usual, Miss Judy is running late. We had a terrific week last week. It was filled with learning and fun things even though the rain kept us in several days.

Lots of art projects for Grandparents' Tea. The children made place mats for grandparents which Miss Elise had laminated. What a fun thing to do!

Miss Leigh made a wonderful poster with the kids in Spanish that announced a welcome to our Grandparents.

The children seemed very keen on doing a bang up job until Friday, when most of them were stir crazy from not playing outside. Then it was all we could do to keep the lid down.

On Thursday, we talked about nutrition and meals. The children got to pick out four components which make a good meal. Most of them picked the desserts and added pancakes or a fun food. Some picked fruits and vegetables and meat, but all in all it was fun.

On Wednesday, Dr. Rege came to talk to the children about what it means to be a vet. He is a great vet and told us all about taking care of cats and dogs. Dr. Rege owns All Breed Pet Care. He is leaving for a trip to India where he is from. His son, Rajid is a student at the Garden School when he is in town.

Friday morning, Mrs. St. Louis taught a class on Abraham and Isaac. The kids were restless, but managed to draw sheep in the next class which is Directed Drawing.

We practiced our poem and our music for our show on Friday, and the kids did a nice job. We have a lot of very young children, and their ability to sit and to listen is always a matter of minutes, but they did very well. The party went well, and we thank all our parents and grandparents for coming and bringing such wonderful treats. All grandparents are invited any time they can come to lunch or a field trip.

We thank the parents and Grandparents for making the Beautiful Baby Contest such a great success this year. We made $450.00 towards our new piece of playground equipment. Thank you all so much.

This week will be packed with things to do. Read Monday's Tattler for more information.

Thursday's Teacher

State board moves new teacher licensing rules forward

• By Eric Bradner
• Posted September 3, 2009 at 2:13 p.m. , updated September 3, 2009 at 2:13 p.m.

For the link go HERE.


Comment: Last week in the Courier, Tony Bennett revealed some new rules for becoming a teacher.

Here’s a look at the new rules Bennett wants:

- Any licensed teacher who passes a leadership test could become a principal, and anyone — education background or not — who possesses a master's degree and passes a leadership test could become a superintendent.

- Those working in different fields could become teachers by completing a certification program offered by the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, rather than taking university education classes.

***Those studying to become teachers will spend less time on education courses and more time on content areas. Secondary education teachers would major in the subject they wish to teach and minor in education, while elementary teachers could major or minor in education, but also must major or minor in a content area.

- Portfolio and mentor programs for new teachers would be ditched in favor of a simpler teacher residency program, and new teacher licenses would be good for three years, rather than two.

- Teachers would no longer have to take university classes to meet professional development requirements to renew their teaching licenses, a money-saver for many. Instead, classes school districts offer would count.

Comment: My favorite is the one with the asterisk. You can't teach someone to teach. You either can or you can't. Lot's of people go into teaching because they don't have to do anything, and you can become a teacher without knowing anything. I know a woman who is at the University of Evansville in the teacher program who doesn't know what South America is on the world map. And so it continues. Teaching doesn't mean hanging cute things in your classroom or chatting on your cell phone for eight hours straight. My personal opinion is that teachers should teach the first couple of years without textbooks. If they know the material and they know where to find the material, and a teachers is creative enough, he or she will do well. You can't teach if you don't know anything to teach, and that's where we stand with many teachers. Ask a teacher: Which was longer the Renaissance or the Middle Ages? It's not even about history; it's about words. What is a renaissance and what is an age?

Obedience by Judy Lyden

I just finished re-reading a commencement address given by my husband, Mr. Terry, in 1994. It was a brilliant address, and one of three brilliant addresses he gave at St. Meinrad College where he taught for 28 years. I am sure Terry was one of the most devoted teachers who ever lived. He taught history from beginning to end - from all over the world. Give him a date - he'll tell you what was going on with great style and great enthusiasm.

What impressed me about the commencement address - and for a writer of some experience, I can say that re- reads can be as dull as wall paper paste - was the speech was more alive to me now than it was when I listened in the audience fifteen years ago.

Terry spoke of obedience and all its connections to the human life and condition. He spoke of it lovingly and with the kind of understanding that makes us thrill at being human and able to choose this beloved behavior for ourselves and for our children.

When I was a girl, I lived for a year in a cloistered convent. There was a safety there that was so embracing and so all consuming, it was difficult for me at times to leave the grounds of the convent. I almost stayed. I'm glad I didn't, but in the year I spent there, I also felt the same attraction to the way of life that obedience offers that Terry talked about in his address.

What is obedience? Obedience is the willful act of compliance to some authority that is larger than self. In his address, Terry talks about the authority of God. He goes on to say that obedience is not something that is easily maintained or easily acquired. It is learned. It is loved. It is truly human because only we, as humans, can fully and rightfully choose that which is good and form those who learn from us.

With children, the object is to form them. To teach a child what it means to be in the world and comply with what is good in the world is the duty of a good parent. But the world isn't helping with a strong politically correct notion that everything is relative and relevant, and nothing is really true or false, and therefore everything is choice because there is really no such thing as absolute truth or good or bad... This is utterly confusing to most adults, and you can imagine what this ridiculous idea is doing to our children.

And to make matters worse, too often the latest trends in "parenting" tell us that we must allow the child his choice in almost every matter, to never say no to a child. Right, and then the parent spends the next twenty five years with an unruly emotional disaster simply because the child has no formation - nothing to stand on. He has not experienced obedience or the will formed to be obedient. He has nothing higher than himself to give his life to.

Obedience is a loathsome word to some - a cold, heartless, hateful word that is crushing to the child and puts a witch hat on the parent. But in an afternoon of play watching two distinctively different women preside over their children - and seeing one family focus on obedience and the other on self centered choice, it was easy to see that the obedient children had much more fun because they knew their limits and complied with something larger than themselves - their mom. The choice children spent the whole afternoon arguing with their mother and bursting into tears when they didn't get their way. Needless to say, the obedience bearing adult took home happy contented children, and the other mother needed a stiff drink and wore the witch hat home.

Forming a child means allowing the parent the freedom to say "yes" and "no." Formation means to put ideas into categories - good, bad, neutral - for the child - as a gift. Telling a child what is good, what is not so good, what he should believe and how he should behave everywhere is a gift as well. Love, after all, comes not from self indulgence or self aggrandizement; it comes from meekness and selflessness. Obedience allows the human to defer to another, to open the hearts to another, to allow another.

Obedience to what? That's for the parent to discover and bring to his child. This is where the word "parent" comes into play for real. In my nearly forty years of marriage to Mr. Terry, I have to admit that what we wanted for our children was always obvious to each other and to our children. We not only wanted, we expected children who had manners, were respectful, were truthful, conscientious, took the higher road at all costs and understood what that meant.

Children look up to parents. They want formation. They want to know what their parents think is true and false. They want to know. In the commencement speech fifteen years ago, Mr. Terry told the young graduates the truth and reminded them that this is what they had been hearing from childhood, and to continue listening for it as adults.

In reading those words again, I am reminded what makes love so active. I thank my husband for those words all over again. It rejuvenates my desire to do my best at school, to offer our little children a larger picture of goodness, and a reason to see that obedience is the ticket to a life well lived.

The commencement address can be found by typing Terence Lyden into the Internet.

Something to Think about from Food Navigator

Harvard advises on foods to help prevent diabetes

By David Visick, 21-Sep-2009

From Foodnavigator-usa.com

Comment: When a doctor told me I had diabetes, it scared me to death. It could certainly mean death for me because I respond so negatively to any medications. I researched everything I could find on diabetes and I learned that by changing my diet, I could manage my high blood sugar. The diet I was given in the doctor's office was wrong for diabetes, and that scared me even more. Fortunately, it was a mistake, and my high blood sugar was a symptom of menopause, and in my case, crazypause. I don't have diabetes, but you can bet that for the rest of my life, I will strive never to have it. Eating right and exploring the healthy sides of food has become a way of life for me. What scares me these days is what children are eating. When you read this article you will see that many ordinary take-for-granted foods can be a detriment to their health. What we benignly think of as ordinary food could be killing our children. Read on McDuff!

New guidelines from Harvard advises US consumers on the the types of food, beverages or ingredients that can help ward off diabetes, with recommendations including moderate coffee and alcohol alongside fiber and nuts.

Havard Medical School’s report Healthy Eating for Type 2 Diabetes, explains how food choices, as well as weight control, can help manage and "even prevent" diabetes.

The authors of the paper, which is designed as guidance to consumers, say that research into the relationship between eating specific types of foods and diabetes risk is “limited and the results somewhat controversial.”

They drew their conclusions from studies that required people to report what they ate or drank, and pointed out these were considered less rigorous than those in which people are assigned to follow different diets.

Fiber, grains and nuts

Both men and women who eat plenty of whole grains had a roughly 40 percent lower risk of diabetes than those who eat little, with cereals, breads, and grains apparently the most beneficial.

“Fiber slows the digestion of food, so glucose is released into the bloodstream more gradually, and you feel full longer,” writes the paper. “This can help you avoid overeating and becoming overweight, thus reducing your risk of diabetes. Soluble fiber in particular appears to improve both blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, and high-fiber diets may even lower the need for insulin.”

Women who eat nuts or peanut butter at least five times a week have a 20 to 30 percent lower risk of diabetes than those who rarely eat them.

'Not wonder foods'

However the authors stressed that “these are not wonder foods that will magically ward off diabetes.”

They said there is no specific ‘diabetes diet’ that prohibits sugar and lists other ingredients to avoid, but said people with diabetes should follow the same dietary advice as most people, but with extra emphasis on controlling weight and keeping blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol values as close to normal as possible.

The authors recommended a well-balanced diet that emphasizes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, while watching calorie intake and getting regular exercise.

Raising the risk

Among the high risk foods, women who drink two or more sugary soft drinks have a 24 percent higher risk of developing diabetes compared to those who consume less than one per month, and two or more daily fruit drinks (with little real fruit juice) lead to a 31 percent higher risk. Women who eat around one serving of red meat a day have about a 20 percent higher risk of diabetes than those who eat at least one serving a week, and men who eat processed meats five times a week are nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes as men who eat such foods just twice a month.

One study documented a 30 percent increased risk of diabetes among women who ate the most trans fats compared to those who ate the least

The report quoted American Heart Association findings that the incidence of hypertension is twice as common among people with diabetes as it is among the general public. It recommended the equivalent of approximately one teaspoon of table salt, saying that most Americans consume much more.

It also warned that too many refined carbohydrates, from which valuable nutrients, fiber, and vitamins are removed during the refinement process, can cause a significant spike in blood sugar and increase insulin requirements if eaten in large quantities.

It's not all about functional foods

The report also highlighted the potential benefits of some products not traditionally considered to be 'healthy'. It noted that one cup of coffee a day could lower diabetes risk by 13 percent and two cups a day could cut the risk by 42 percent, compared to people who drink none.

While warning that alcohol can be a double-edged sword because of its detrimental effect on heart health, the report reveals that men who have two to four drinks per week had a 25 percent lower risk than teetotalers. Five to six drinks per week drops the risk by 33 percent and one drink a day cut risk by 43 percent.

“There’s some evidence that light to moderate alcohol intake can lower insulin resistance and enhance glucose metabolism in people with diabetes,” wrote the authors. “It’s also well documented that alcohol improves insulin sensitivity only when people drink light to moderate amounts.” Heavy consumption has the opposite effect, they said.

Monday's Tattler

Good morning! It's the last week of September and it's time for Grandparents' Tea.

Last week our invitations went out to our grandparents. And this week we will spend the week getting ready for our big tea party on Friday. We will talk about manners, about what an invitation is, how we greet people who come to "our house." We will discuss how we take our grandparents to the treat table and how we entertain them with songs and things we have learned. We will practice all these things. Having a party is an important part of being civilized and learning how to conduct ourselves in public.

We ask our parents and grandparents to arrive on time. Singing begins at 3:00. We ask that everyone park in our lot or the lot closer to Green River Road.

Please bring a plate of cookies or your child's or grandchild's favorite afterschool treat to share.

Please notice our word wall at the front of the school. These words are vocabulary words you child is learning. The Kindergartners will be learning to read and spell some of them as well as what they mean. The younger children will be learning what they mean.

Please notice our Beautiful Baby Contest. We are having the contest to add to a wonderful donation made by a former student's family. We are hoping to raise enough for a new piece of playground equipment.

Have a great week!

Sunday's Plate

Few Americans eat enough grains: Survey

By staff reporter, 15-Sep-2009

From Foodnavigator-usa.com

Only four percent of Americans are getting their recommended six servings of grains a day, according to a survey from Harris Interactive commissioned by the Grain Foods Foundation (GFF).

The survey found that average daily grain consumption, among a nationally representative sample of 2,106 US adults, was 3.2 servings, although 98 percent of respondents said they consumed at least one a day.

Comment: this is why we serve what we serve at the Garden School. We serve a grain product in the morning that equals at least two servings. We serve what equals two servings of grain at lunch and two more at snack time and every one is whole grain. This is why we ask parents to let their children eat breakfast at school.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends at least six servings of grains, of which at least three should be whole. Previous research from market research organization The NPD Group looked specifically at whole grain consumption and found that while consumption had increased 20 percent since 2005, whole grains still only make up 11 percent of the total grains consumed.

Now, the Grain Foods Foundation has launched an initiative to try and educate people about ways that they can get their six a day, as recommended by dietary guidelines. The organization has enlisted health expert Bob Harper, who appears on television’s The Biggest Loser, for the campaign, which it has called ‘Daily 6’.

It aims to explain how people can incorporate grains into their diets in “an easy and stress-free way”.

“Grain foods are healthy, convenient and affordable,” said president of the Grain Foods Foundation Judi Adams. “Many of us are eating grains throughout the day and not realizing it – pretzels, snack mix, bagels, rice and tortillas all count toward our Daily 6.”

GFF pointed out that getting six portions of grain each day is “as easy as having cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and a cup of pasta with dinner.”

In addition, the Harris Interactive survey looked at consumer preferences for different ways to consume grains. More than half of respondents (53 percent) said they “love eating bread” and 45 percent said they eat bread “almost every day.”

Saturday's Something Else...

I got this from Edith and thought it was very funny, and also so childlike. This is how children see friendship;


1. When you are sad, I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey
jacked up on Mountain Dew!!!


2. When you are blue, I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.


3. When you smile, I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.


4. When you're scared, we will high tail it out of here.


5. When you are worried, I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining, ya big baby!!!!


6. When you are confused, I will use little words.


7. When you are sick, stay away from me until you are well again.
I don't want whatever you have...


8. When you fall, I'll pick you up and dust you off-- After I laugh my rear off!!


9. This is my oath... I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask; -- because you are my FRIEND!

Friday's Tattler

Friday is a tough day for me to post Friday's Tattler. I arrive at school at 5:45 a.m. and finish for the day at 7:45 p.m. After school I care for my three grandboys while their parents are at work. It's a long day. Saturday is always filled with work for everyone, so pictures the teachers take and send to me for the blog rarely come in until sometime late Saturday or even Sunday. I thank Mrs. St. Louis for taking the time to send her pictures.

Yesterday, Miss Judy was "under the weather" - not usual for Miss Judy.

So today I report about Friday with great pride and enthusiasm! The kids were beautifully behaved on Friday at the zoo and at the playground. Javeon and Austin won treasure box passes for being constant door handlers and waiting nicely while we all passed through the door.

We packed a light lunch and headed out about 10:00. It was a nice day - a little too humid not to sweat, but the sky was blue and there were a few gentle breezes. We all loved Amazonia and spent a lot of time discovering all kinds of neat things from the animals to beautiful plants that were flowering right there! The Leopard was snoring right next to the glass and couldn't have been more than six inches from our hands on the glass. The birds were flying the animals milling around and the weather indoors was hot and steamy.

We then moseyed over to the dark pavilion and saw the bats and all the nocturnal animals in their little habitats. The children enjoyed this and we had a nice little discussion about bats - one of Miss Judy's favorite animals.

Then we went to the children's petting part of the zoo, and the children loved climbing on the rope toy and sliding down the slide among the otters and the parrots.

Then it was the long hill back up to Amazonia and the bus. Not a single child complained. I was surprised how easy that hill was for me, but I have been working a lot on core strength, and that tells you something! More yoga please!

Next we went to Wesselman Woods playground and had a light lunch and then returned to school for an afternoon of reflection and play. It was a great day.

A great first field trip with the promise of many more. It's always so nice to take children on trips the enjoy, where they behave well, and where they learn.

Thursday's Teacher

From Education Week by Debra Viadero

Veteran reporter Debra Viadero has written more than 1,400 stories for Education Week and most of them have been about research. Not bored yet, she translates, shares, and dissects research findings on schools and learning, along with news about education research, for audiences that extend far beyond the Ivory Tower.

U.K. Scholar Says Facebook Boosts IQ—But Not Twitter

Comment: I thought this was hilarious.

A Scottish researcher is making the case that spending time on Facebook can make you smarter. Tracy Alloway of the University of Stirling told the British Research Association that Facebook brings about educational benefits because it requires users to exercise their working memory—their ability, in other words, to store and manipulate information. The same goes, she says, for video games that require planning and strategy and for Sudoku.

Alloway bases her conclusions on studies of low-achieving children between the ages of 11 and 14 who spent time on a brain-training program that involved social-networking sites, playing video games, or using other kinds of digital media. The heaviest Facebook users, she found, boosted their IQ scores by as much as 10 points over the course of the study.

Twitter, text-messaging, and YouTube are an entirely different matter, Alloway says. They seem to have no IQ-enhancing effect, and may even harm the development of working memory.

“On Twitter, you receive an endless stream of information, but it's also very succinct,” Alloway says. "You don't have to process that information.”

Read more about it at IB Times, Mashable, and Telegraph.co.uk. Then keep it to yourself. We wouldn't want the word to get out among our teenagers.

Tuesday's Treasure

One of our school policies which has been in effect for years is "Go to the toilet before you go outside." This school policy is in effect for two reasons: One, it's an aim at the kind of personal habits that create a responsible discipline. We provide a toileting time for students many times a day because very young children sometimes need help in judging the need to "pee!" So before every meal, a teacher attends the children with the question, "Do you need to use the toilet?" If yes, the child finds one. If no, he can wash his hands and be seated at the table.

We ask the same question before we go outside, all children must try to use the toilet. After sitting, playing or being "in the building" suddenly being "outside" will bring on a natural and very demanding need to urinate. As adults we know this. We impart this information to children. Sometimes they listen and sometimes they don't.

During play indoors, the bathrooms are open for any child to use anytime he thinks he needs to.

When we go outside, we always have two teachers and sometimes three outside with the children. If there are two teachers, one teacher puts the other teacher at risk leaving the playground for any reason. If a child were to need a one on one, that would leave no other teacher to watch the other children. It's a great big red light.

So we tell the children, "If you need to go, now is the time. If you wait and must be brought back into the building, you will lose your medal simply because you are putting everyone at risk because you have broken the rules." It's about that simple.

Think about it this way: if you were traveling on a bus with 40 people, and there was a bathroom stop, and some little person refused to use the bathroom, and when the bus started up again, within five seconds that little person demanded that the bus stop so that he could use the toilet, most of the other travelers would be "hissy!"

The whole idea of school is order - doing things at appropriate times - not at inappropriate times. It's about the group activity; it's about thinking ahead; it's about doing what needs to be done NOW not later. It's about growing up. It's about being responsible. It's about taking responsibility for self. It's about not being a baby.

Now the one exception to the rule is poop. I had to throw that in....

There are lots of little rules like this at the GS. One of them is drink your milk. We expect every child but one to drink his or her milk. It's as simple as that. The one exception? A child for whom milk makes her ill.

Another rule is don't run in the building. Running in the building knocks over children, toys, and work someone has created. Running is for outside, games of chase and dash are outside games and do not belong in the building. When a child runs in the building, it's a medal offense. Why? because the danger lies in cracking heads and ruining work done over a game that belongs outside.

There are reasons for everything and everything is for parents to ask about. Children will lose their medals for making another child cry, for disrupting a class and drawing unnecessary attention toward self. A child will lose his medal for disobedience when that disobedience causes someone else to suffer. A child who creates a dangerous situation will lose his medal.

All of these rules are about social order, safety, and growing up to be responsible citizens. They are learned best in early childhood, and that's why we do it that way.

And if you lose your medal, you must forfeit all treats, prizes and extras for the day. A medal bespeaks a child's behavior during the day, so the game is : DON'T LOSE YOUR MEDAL!

We hope parents understand that one lost treat, one day of going without creates a much more positive learning arena than the constant drone of reminder for kids who are in the habit of brushing off adults and simply not listening.

Monday's Tattler

Lots of things in the hopper this week. It's our zoo week. We will be taking a field trip to Mesker Park Zoo on Friday September 18. We will be leaving school on a school bus at 10:00 and returning about 1:00 p.m.

This week we are getting ready for Grandparents' Tea. We are learning songs and working on invitations and decorations. It's a lot of fun! A questionnaire went home today about grandparents' addresses, age, and something special about them. We need this back by Friday.

We will have two more guests coming: this week a special guest of Miss Amy's, and next week our illustrious vet, Dr. Rege, is coming to talk about animals. The children seem to really love these visits, and that's why we decided to take them over several weeks. If you have someone you think would like to spend twenty or so minutes talking to our school, let us know.

Please dress the children for afternoon weather. It is still really hot on the playground.

Please remember that we are still counting in the beautiful baby contest. Your pennies help your child win, and they help our playground goal for a new piece of playground equipment get closer!

Please remember to work with your child on counting as high as he or she can; naming the upper and lower case letters; and writing upper AND lower case letters from top to bottom. It DOES make a difference.

Sunday's Plate

Several people asked me about our school recipes for muffins. Muffins are an interesting bit of cookery. A muffin is something that can be designed for a meal. They can be sweet and gooey and filled with all kinds of sweet things, and they can be pungent with spices and cheese and not sweet at all or they can be in between.

The basic recipe for a regular family is:

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 cup milk

When you bake a sweet muffin, add 1/2 a cup of sugar. It can be brown for a heavier muffin. At this point you can add all kinds of extras like chocolate, fruit bits, berries, and even a box of dry pudding mix for taste.

When you want a cupcake type muffin, add a cup of white sugar.

When you want a lighter muffin, add 1/2 cup of coconut and use soy milk instead of the regular milk.

Vegetable muffins with grated vegetables like grated vegetables from the green grocer and packages of salad starters are great too.

Nuts make a wonderful addition to muffins. Try peanuts right along with other baking nuts. Try mixed nuts and chunks of cheese.

When you want a sophisticated dinner unsweet muffin, try adding 1 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup onion, some Italian spices and use yogurt in place of the milk.

Try salsa and horseradish for some crazy flavor.

There is no end to having fun with this very simple recipe. I use my own milled bean and rice flours to make even healthier muffins.

My theory is, if it's really good for you and it tastes great, it's a green light!

Friday's Tattler

Friday was a huge and busy day that went with a huge and busy week!!!

We began Friday with a strong play period and lots of the kids re-invented building. It was good play. Then we stopped for a big breakfast of pancakes. They were especially good because they were made from black bean flour and lentil flour and soy flour plus whole wheat flour. The kids really enjoyed these.

Then Mrs. St. Louis taught Noah's Arc. The children had homework from Thursday to bring a picture of an animal for the arc. They built the arc out of paper and then they pasted their animals into the arc. All in all a very nice little project. Austin and Emily and Javeon were clever enough to finish the arc. Austin was the first one to recognize the hole in the arc and offered to fix it.

Edan's mom, Beth, came to show us zoo things. The kids loved the emu and ostrich eggs. It was wonderful to have a parent so enthusiastic about what she does for a living. Miss Beth works with the plants at the zoo and she has access to many fine zoo treasures. She brought plants and a snake skin.

In the afternoon Emily's mom came to show the kids all about yoga. Emily's mom owns Yoga 101 which is about the best exercise program in the whole world, and she is so beautiful posing! The children were excited to see what they could do.

The day finished with theater, recess and a delicious snack.

So proud of the children for all their hard work listening this week.

Thanks to all the parents who came in to talk to us at the GS about what they do for a living. We had Officer Dickinson come and talk on Thursday about being a police officer, and Mr. Phil, Amy's husband came and talked to the children about being a nurse. On Wednesday we had the fire department visit with the pumper truck, and all the children got to spray the hose and climb on the truck.

Next week it's our trip to the zoo!

Published: August 28, 2009

Homework: The Necessary Evil

ANNISTON, Ala. (AP) — Homework — the necessary evil of the education system.

From Teacher Magazine

Comment: Homework is independent study, and children as young as three have had homework from the Garden School simply to see if they are listening and able to follow directions. If homework is busywork, copy sheet after copy sheet, the teacher is as bogus as the homework. Homework should be an attempt to "do it all by myself." If a child can't, then he has not learned or listened to what was taught that day. That could be immaturity; it could also be the home. When parents routinely don't listen, then children don't either. If your son or daughter is coming home from school and doesn't know what is assigned, look at yourself in the mirror and ask when the last time you really listened to anything?

Article:

And while it's the students who need after-school assignments to not only learn but to mature, it's often the parents who learn the greatest lessons in both restraint and patience not to mention a little reminder of what school was really like.

"It's their homework and it makes me feel dumb," says Leslie Smith, whose son, David, attends Anniston High School. "It's like every night I'm reminded of what all I've forgotten."

Most parents have long since been left behind by their children for the mere fact that they're in the process of getting an education, while their parents have already passed through high school, leaving a lot of that knowledge on their way to collect their diplomas.

"I'd like to be able to help him more when he gets frustrated," Smith says, "But I honestly don't know how. I just try and calm his nerves, keep him focused and tell him that getting the right answer isn't always the only answer, as long as he tries and doesn't give up, that's what really matters."

It's a philosophy that most teachers, from elementary to middle right on up to high school, will agree with. Students are given homework not just as busy work or punishment, but as a means of measuring how well the day's lessons have taken root.

"Homework is supposed to be practice," says Bill Green who teaches seventh-grade social studies, citizenship and geography at Saks Middle School. "And you never give homework on something that's totally new because that leads to frustration. You've taught the skill and the students have hopefully learned it, now's the time for them to practice it on their own.

"And their success shows the teacher whether or not to go back or move on."

According to a recent review of nearly 200 studies of homework and its effects by the so-called "guru of homework," Duke University professor Harris Cooper, there is little correlation between the amount of homework and achievement in elementary school and only a moderate correlation in middle school. Even in high school, "too much homework may diminish its effectiveness or even become counterproductive," Cooper wrote in The Battle over Homework.

Cooper recommends, and most schools contacted for the story agreed, that kids should be assigned no more than 10 minutes per grade level per school night — Monday through Thursday only. This means 10 minutes in first grade, 20 minutes in second, 30 minutes in third up to a maximum of two hours per night in high school.

There are more things to be considered when doling out assignments. Because for all their bulging backpacks, students often carry around responsibilities beyond the classroom, explains Pam Fitzgerald, who teaches first grade at Faith Christian School.

"There are only so many hours in the night," she says. "I believe that homework should be balanced against family time. In most households, both parents are working, so there's only so much time to get everything else done — getting everybody fed, bathed and in bed at a decent hour — throw two hours of homework on top of all that and something is going to be left out."

Sleep is often what's sacrificed, especially among active high school students who can easily stare down the barrel of two-plus hours of homework a night.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, 80 percent of teens don't get the recommended nine-plus hours of sleep per night. And at least 28 percent fall asleep in school, while another 22 percent fall asleep during homework.

Karen Phillips, whose son, Chandler, is a junior at Oxford High School, has no complaints as to the amount of homework he's bringing home at night. Chandler has been very self-motivated for most of his academic career, and now, doing his homework isn't so much a chore as it is an expected part of his daily routine.

"To me, it's very important to have prepared him early," Phillips says. "Once you set that precedent early on, they're much more likely to follow it through high school and on to college."

That is another point worth noting — children are under tremendous pressure to succeed and move forward academically. According to the American Psychological Association, typical schoolchildren today report more anxiety than did child psychiatric patients in the 1950s.

And while no one is blaming that entirely on homework, there's little doubt it can be considered a factor.

"We're a changing society that's putting much more emphasis on education," Phillips says. "There are a higher number of people not only going to college for not only their bachelor's degree but also a master's degree and many are pursuing a Ph.D. And we're all very competitive — and our children become part of that."

Homework isn't just about the individual assignments. It also teaches lessons that go well beyond the classroom, says Nancy Turner, who teaches seventh, ninth and 11th grade, along with AP English to seniors at Faith Christian School.

"There are a lot of life skills that are taught through homework," says Turner, who avoids giving excessive amounts each night, choosing instead to assign long- and short-term projects. "They learn all about time management skills and about putting the most important thing first."

And those lessons start early.

Though she's only 6 years old, Jayda Hyatt, who's a first-grader at Cleburne County Elementary School, is having homework most nights. It's usually reading assignments, spelling words and math worksheet, which for her mother, Carrie, is a good thing. And while it might only amount to 15-20 minutes per night, these assignments are preparing Jayda for what will be expected of her in the years to come.

"I think it teaches responsibility at an early age," Carrie Hyatt says. "When she grows up and has a career, she'll have to learn to prioritize because sometimes that work has to come home. And what Jayda's already learning is that work comes first and everything else — all the fun stuff — comes second."

As a teacher with more than 30 years experience, Fitzgerald understands the value of homework for both the long and short terms. But it should not be viewed as a labor for the parents.

"Parents need to be active and involved as long as they know what they're doing," she says. "But there comes a time, when, if you're child's not getting it in the classroom, to consult a professional."

And yet most parents have experienced the tears and frustration as it spills out over the diner table. The instinct for any parent is to take over, to make it better and then just hope for the best, but doing it for the child — especially when homework involved — will only lead to greater problems in the future.

"I'd love to simply see more parents interested in homework and making sure the assignments are being attempted," Green says. "I'm all for parents trying to help, but the truth is, if they don't know how, it's really not going to do much good, especially come test time.

"Parents just need to offer help where and when they can and let the teachers make up the difference."

___

Information from: The Anniston Star, http://www.annistonstar.com/

With Many Thanks to Our Golden Families

I often think of the scripture passage, The Parable of the Sower. In this story, Christ talks about different kinds of seeds and the planting of those seeds. I always think the point of this story is "early psychology." It describes the gamut of personalities and how those personalities work or fail to work in the world.

When I think of the people who have graced our school over the years, it's hard not to place most of them with one of the personalities in the Parable of the Sower. Students, parents, teachers, friends, volunteers, etc., all come to mind when I hear this parable read. The names go flying through my mind either with a sigh or a smile.

The whole point of the Garden School is to be a "first school." We are a place where children can leave the safety of their homes and experience school to its fullest, but at the same time still have some of the flavor of home. We are the in between place, the garden between the house and the street - a fun zone.

In order to provide this, the people we employ, the people who volunteer, we, who own and run the school as well as the parents who spend time with us all contribute one way or another to the garden known as the Garden School.

In fifteen years, with a crew of between three and eight employees at any time, we have employed twenty people total. That means our turn over is outstanding. As I look back, I see how each of our employees fits into one of the categories of Christ's Sower Parable. Some of them were quick to come and go as if the birds of the sky plucked them away. Some others came, spent some very enthusiastic time and then quickly faded. Others came with problems they will struggle with all their lives, and no matter the environment, no matter the help or the love, no amount of comfort is going to mitigate the problems. And some have come, spent their time wisely, and have gone on to other things because these people were originally planted well in deep rich soil, and the Garden School was a hot house to spend growing.

All planting belongs to parents, after all, and like our twenty employees, so it is with the students who have graced our school these fifteen years. Some children have come to us, and within weeks are plucked away. One parent was furious to find out that her child would go on field trips would have parties and special events. The child was with us three days. Some children spend a few months and then stop coming for a hundred reasons, parents lose interest because the world is calling and the grass might be greener someplace else.

Lastly, and for the majority, there are the students come to us with great and good parents who with great enthusiasm, maintain that special charm, who push away the world and let their child experience everything the Garden School has to offer. These people get involved and stay involved. Their children do well, and graduate to a great career as strong delightful scholars ready for the world.

And among these families, are the very special golden people. These parents contribute in many very special ways. They help us manage what is sometimes a huge job. Every year we have a couple of golden families, people doing things we can't do ourselves. Contributions of all kinds, and the truth is, without these families, our job would be ten times as hard, and our program not nearly as nice.

This past weekend two of our Golden families put a fence in for us at the Garden School. There is no way we could have done this ourselves. The work was hard, it rained, there were many difficulties, and yet there was not a single complaint. Jeremy and Rhonda Ross, and Bruce Miller spent a whole weekend digging, measuring, sawing, and using skills I only dream of having to help us with this enormous project. They finished it beautifully. We could not have asked for more.

These are the parents who are golden to us. These are the joys of a small business. These people could not have come to do this if they were not planted on the very best of soils and regularly yield a hundred times what was originally planted. The children of these parents are blessed because the example these parents are offering in a world of uncertainties, is the deepest, finest soil there is. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

To every child, no matter if that child is with us one day or three years, be assured that we will love them all no matter what. We will give to each child as much as we can, and we will take every child as far as he can go. We ask only that every child take away with him something of value, something that he will be able to use to stay planted well and thrive for his whole life. If we can be a part of this, then our job has been done well.

We thank Bruce and Rhonda an Jeremy with all our love.

Sunday's Plate

Comment: Here's an article about taxing soda. You might enjoy:

Can a ‘fat tax’ on soda help beat obesity?

03-Sep-2009

Foodnavigator-usa.com

The controversial idea of taxing sugary soft drinks to combat obesity has been brought up again this week in a report from the Institute of Medicine. But is a soda tax fair? And can it do enough?

FoodNavigator-USA.com asks its readers whether a tax on sugared beverages is a sensible way to tackle obesity.

There are those who think taxes on soda make sense, pointing to studies that have shown moderately lower obesity rates in states that tax soft drinks, and that beverages now contribute 10 to 15 percent of calories consumed by children and adolescents. Many draw a parallel with tobacco, saying that imposing high taxes has been one of the biggest factors in reducing its use, so taxing soda could have a similar effect.

Others dismiss the idea as government meddling, and argue that a tax on soft drinks unfairly penalizes responsible, healthy consumers.

The American Beverage Association, for example, dubbed the idea of a soda tax in New York as “sweeping” and “regressive” and said it was an attack on ordinary, hardworking Americans. The tax was later rejected.

Others say that it is unfair to target a single product, but the complexity of deciding which items should and should not be taxed was highlighted this week as Illinois officials said that candy with flour (like a Kit Kat bar, for example) is not candy after all, and therefore exempt from a higher tax bracket.

With US obesity rates at a record high, and the youngest generation of Americans predicted to have shorter lifespans than their parents for the first time in history, most are agreed that something needs to be done. Could soda tax be part of the answer?

What do you think?

We would like to hear your views on whether a tax on non-diet soda is a useful tool to tackle obesity.

Please send your comments of no more than 100 words to caroline.scott-thomas 'at' decisionnews.com by Wednesday September 9th, putting ‘Soda tax’ in the subject line, and including your name, location and affiliated company or organization.

We will publish a selection of the best responses, covering all angles of the debate, on Thursday September 10th.

Please note that comments will be taken as 'on the record', and the sender's name and company/organization will be published.

Sunday - Monday Report

It's been a wild and crazy four days for all the members of the Garden School. Thursday evening, the faculty met at the Acropolis for a wonderful dinner and three hour faculty meeting. We discussed every child at school. We talked about a lot of the projects and programs that are coming up this month. It was a magnificent meeting. I've wanted to do this for years, but we have never had a faculty that was willing to spend out of school time on this kind of loving caring evaluation of our little kids. More about that later.

We have a great September planned. The focus is on families and what we do to contribute to our communities. We have several parents coming to talk to children about our work. If you would like to be one of those parents, please see a teacher.

Friday, we made mud men. These are our little creations that go with the creation story. This is an important reference, and children should know both the creation story and the evolution theory to be well rounded little people. This is in no way doctrine. It is for families to strengthen children's belief. It is for us to tell both stories.

Saturday, the Ross family and the Miller family arrived to help put in the new fence. It went very well, but it was a lot of work. We can't thank them enough for all the work they did. The fence looks magnificent. My daughter Katy was able to get a really nice deal on the fence, and we were able to put it up because of families like ours who would give a Saturday and Sunday to manage this for us. More about this later.

Sunday, Jeremy Ross and his crew were back at it to finish the fence. Again, considering the weather, it went very well. These people are a Godsend, a blessing and a joy to know. More about this later.

Today is Monday. It's shopping day for Miss Judy. More work at school to reclaim Miss Amy's class which took a beating from the router and some other equipment. Her poor carpet...

Tuesday is coming too fast. Lots to do... lots to do...

Something for Saturday

A friend of mine, a teacher from New York, I went to high school with, sent this to me. It makes me very glad that I live in a civilized area. But for those of us who don't, or for those of us who must travel into uncivilized areas, here are some important tips to take into consideration:

Crucial
Because of recent abductions in daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to doin an emergency situation.... This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children, everyone you know.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do : The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

2.. Learned this from a tourist guide. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you.... Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy.. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will.
This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit
(doing their chequebook, or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR , LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE..

If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, Repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it . As soon as the car crashes
bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat

B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side... If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone
and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP It may get you raped, or killed.
Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played
on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often
asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

9. Another Safety Point:
Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last,
and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird.. The police told her
'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door..' The lady then said that it sounded like the baby
had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax
women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.

10. Water scam!
If you wake up in the middleof the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is aburst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full ball so that you will go out to investigate and then attack.

Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors! Please pass this information on.
The the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on America 's Most Wanted when they profiled
the serial killer in Louisiana.

Child's Play by Judy Lyden

Every year when a new group of children assemble, there is always the worry that a child simply won't fit into the school. Most children do, but some don't. So for the first month, teachers work with each of the students, both in a group and individually to decide what each student actually knows and to experience each child's behavior. Getting to know every child is the first step in being able to determine whether his time at the Garden School will suit him, and the other children. This is always a busy time.

One of the determinants is family life. Children from solid family homes do better than children who are pushed and shoved from place to place without a bed of their own. Children who are an afterthought to their parents often find it difficult to relate to the steadiness of a routine, meal times, and the idea that what they do matters. These children are often lost from the beginning.

Parents who discipline their children will find the Garden School on their same wavelength, and then school becomes an extension of home. When parents refuse to discipline their children, refuse to guide their children in strong values and making the right choices, children again are lost at the Garden School.

Brain power has little to do with our willingness to include a new child at school. In the past we have had children who have been tested and have scored far below acceptable mental standards for regular classes. When they graduated from the Garden School they went to regular public school classes. So tests don't impress us. We are much more likely to make our own judgments and find a breakthrough scheme of teaching than rote public school with too many children.

Disorders like attention deficit, hyperactivity, bi-polar, processing problems, and other so called difficulties don't phase us either. I would rather have a hyperactive child who is loved than a neglected child who is not - any day. You can train any loved child; you can't train a child who is neglected because a child who is neglected is looking for something they will never find - affection from the parent - and they will search for this first and often furiously, and everything else will be unimportant.

And speaking of brain power, proud parents often bring a new child to school saying, "Oh, he knows his letters and can count to 20!" We smile and nod, and then we go find out. Mostly, a child will be able to say a reasonable rendition of the alphabet song and will be able to say a string of numbers missing many and climb his way to maybe twenty. What parents don't know is if a child says, "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, ten, eleven, twelve, fifteen," he can count to eight. With numbers, it's not about kind of or sort of, it's about getting it right.

But getting it right is for us to do. That's what we get paid for, but teaching is only one of the things that must be accomplished before a child is ready to learn. Play is one of those things and typically, most children who come to school really don't know how to play unless they have older siblings. As an example, a child will pick out a toy he likes and then carry it around the school. This is play, it's first stage building. It is what a child should do at eighteen months, not three, four or five.

Some children will gravitate towards the toy that seems to attract the largest crowd, and then find a single piece and protect that piece until it's time to put everything away. They would rather sit with a piece of unused toy than find something they actually know how to use and really play with it. This is the ultimate time waster and the beginning of peer pressure. We discourage this whole hog.

Another scheme is to take two unrelated toys and beat them together. This is a one year old game. I often say, "If you can't think of something better to do with that dinosaur and that cat, I will." Often the remark flies over the child's head like geese.

The next regression is for one child to become a two year old and roll around on the floor. This is of course a safety learned in toddlerdom. It takes not a single brain cell to accomplish. This, of course, is not acceptable play for a five year old.

It takes about three months for all the children to find toys to really play with, and set play schemes that work, and here is where the caring loving parent comes in. A good parent talks with their child about the child's day. This is what makes teaching so much easier. These are the children who grace the Garden School.

One of the play schemes teachers teach is how to build for a purpose. Some children will love this and others will not be able to find the reason for putting blocks on one another. Building is math and logic, and it's also order and discipline. Your best builders will be your best math students. Without building, a child loses the sense of being able to accomplish a dream with his hands. Children deprived of blocks will always have life issues with building his life an most of what is in it. All children should have blocks and be encouraged to use them with their dolls as well as their other toys. One of the great toddler toys is the can shelf in the closet. A two year old should be allowed to stack all the cans in the kitchen because this is a great start to his math skills.

The next social issue is training the children to sit with criss cross legs with hands in laps. This pose helps children keep hands and feet to themselves. This is the first attempt at teaching personal space in a group. Children think it's great fun to fall on one another, sit on one another, put their hands on one another, and if allowed, most children will "wallow" with one another on the floor. Integrity of body or one's own space keeps children from distracting themselves or others while they are learning to listen.

Listening is the first and most important thing a child will learn in preschool. Learning to listen and then listening to learn is the name of the preschool experience. Some children will do this from the beginning, and some will never learn how to listen. Again, it depends on family. People who talk to one another and listen to the responses, will have children for whom listening is second nature. Parents who never talk to their child will have a child who lives most of his life in la la land.

You can't teach a child to listen. You can either draw in a child in or fail trying. It's really that simple. Children are not used to being corralled to think about something as a group. So what a teacher says has to be interesting enough that all the children are willing to let go and turn to a teacher and listen well enough to answer questions. Some teachers can take a group, keep them interested in just about anything for just about any length of time, and some can't. It's learned and it involves knowing your audience and having a real repertoire and a plan and a scheme.

But no matter the lesson, the teacher, or the group, every child is different and needs different approaches to learning. Not all children will learn at the same rate, or the same way, or the same things the same day. Some children will learn when music is applied. Some will learn through categorization, through art, nature, and a host of other formats. The key is to find that one path in to where the child is, and use it every day if possible, and that is something we find out.

Between home and school, there should be few gaps. A child is loved, respected, and cared for at home and ditto at school. Those are the children who grace our school.