... a good day to fly your flag!

Today is the 235th birthday of the American Flag. In 1777 John Adams presented the first version of our shared symbol to the Continental Congress and the first Flag Act passed.

The flag now consists of thirteen stripes (7 red, 6 white) representing the original 13 colonies and 50 stars for each state of the Union. The colors of our flag also hold meaning:

1) Red = hardiness and valor
2) White = purity and innocence
3) Blue = vigilance, perseverance, and justice

Happy Flag Day USA ~

(this article was posted earlier today on Caron's Studio22 Blog)

Parent Involvement in Student Success - Just 3 More!

My daughter attends Peoria's Frontier Elementary School and while Frontier was recently a Highly Excelling school under the old system, Frontier earned a B rating through the new school evaluation program. To get an A, Frontier needed only 3 more points.

So, dedicated parents led by Cory Underhill are now working with the school administration, PTSO, teachers, and students on the Just 3 More campaign to help students improve performance and earn an A for their school. Engaging more people in campus initiatives and classrooms, encouraging students, supporting teachers, decorating the neighborhood with signs of support, providing incentives, increasing tutoring, and raising expectations are all part of the vision. What are your best ideas for improving education? Is there a student or a school you could assist in some way? Students and schools need caring adults willing to share time and talent.

While some are content talking about what is wrong with our schools, this is a great example of individuals getting involved, taking action, and making a positive difference. Here is a link to Channel 5's coverage of this GOOD NEWS story:

http://www.kpho.com/story/16997034/parents-organize-motivational-campaign-to-encourage-school

A quote to share:

"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove . . . . but the world maybe different because I was important in the life of a child." -- Kathy Davis

Free Coffee at McDonalds through Jan 22

Have you tried McDonald's coffee? Would you like to sit down for a few minutes while your children happily play a few feet away? This may be a good day to take your little ones to McDonald's so that they can run, climb, and play while you sit, sip, and relax.

Free small coffee
100% Arabaca beans
no purchase necessary
(and it's good coffee!)

Gosh, this weekend you could even take an Arizona road trip and enjoy free coffee around the state. Participating locations through January 22nd, include the following Arizona counties:
Maricopa, Pinal, Gila, Yuma, La Paz, Mohave, Coconino, Navajo, Apache and Graham.

Thank you, McDonald's!

2012 is here!

Is it really already 2012? Yes! Happy New Year ... more to come (soon) from Fun Moms!