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

Lunch with Lita

Today I enjoyed lunch with Lita ~ and because she is so inspiring to me, I want to make an initial introduction ...

Lita is vivacious (understatement!) and she has many talents that she generously offers in matters of faith and through a variety of humanitarian efforts. Lita works for the Arizona Ecumenical Council (AEC): a "collaborative coalition of Christian churches and religious organizations who pray, worship and study together in order in order to discover ways to express unity and not division" (http://www.aecunity.net/).

One story that Lita shared with me today comes from her son's childhood; I think it can be viewed as faith in action demonstrated through love in action. When he was about eight, his classroom had a tradition of sitting in a circle and telling stories about what happened over their weekends. The children passed around a stuffed animal to signify who was speaking ~ the other children were to stay in their places and listen.

On one Monday morning, the class was sitting in their circle when a little girl began to cry. She told the group that her step-mom had died; the family woke up in the morning and her step-mom remained motionless, lifeless. All in the circle sat stunned in collective silence ~

all except for one little boy who got up,

moved across the circle and

comforted the crying young girl by

putting his arm around her shoulder.

That is love.

Thank you, Lita, for your son's story and thank you for the work you do in our community and through the AEC ~

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set a good example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 1st Timothy 4:12

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Did you read The Help yet?

Two weeks ago, I was at a meeting with 8 women and 3 of us were reading The Help by first time novelist, Kathryn Stockett. It remains on all of the bestseller lists for many reasons.


If you have not already enjoyed the book, I will not give away its content or the possible messages that you may take away from reading it but I will tell you that it is entertaining while it also immerses you into our recent American past. Then, ideally, it will challenge even your present worldview.

Kathryn 'Kitty' Stockett was born in 1969 and grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. She attended the University of Alabama where she earned a degree in English and Creative Writing. Kathryn and her family now live in Atlanta.









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Earth Day Anniversary

Today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. While there is more carbon dioxide in our environment than in 1970, we are breathing cleaner air and swimming in cleaner rivers.

Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day in the spring of 1970 and Congress passed legislation creating the The Environmental Protection Agency that December. The EPA's mission is to protect human health and the environment. Since 1970 the organization has been "working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people".

In 1995 President Clinton presented the former Senator with the Presidential Medal of Honor. Senator Gaylord Nelson passed away in 2005 at the age of 89.

As my daughter has taught me ...

Recycle

Reuse

Reduce

and Remember !

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Pass this book on ... need a passport?

For my birthday, my Texan sister-in-law sent me Half the Sky: Turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide by Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. For us in the United States who are not (yet) world travelers to Africa and Asia, this book is one that has a chance to broaden your worldview and move you to action.

The real-world content includes graphic & disturbing examples of how girls and women are treated in some cultures and it also shares stories of heroism and the commitment of individual aid workers in remote villages. As you read this text, you are likely to gasp with horror and then cry with hope and inspiration - I did.

After completing the book, I know that many of you will want to make a difference and the authors make it easy by providing you with a list of aid organizations to support. Since the authors also challenge us to visit villages of the world so that we can understand and serve more effectively, now is an ideal time to get a passport. In May prices go up by $35 per person.

My family is currently focused on serving members of our local community but I believe that globalization has already made us part of a global community; isolationism is no longer an option. As members of that larger community, we ought to do something.

I am only one, but I am one.
I can’t do everything, but I can do something.
What I can do, I ought to do.
And, by the grace of God, I will do.
- author unknown

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

Make a Difference Locally

http://www.trendsettersthrougheducation.org/

support service learning and leadership in an after-school program (my mom and I are part of this)

http://www.affcf.org/

support foster children by providing them grants for things that the government cannot provide/show them that caring adults really are thinking of them (Raoul is part of this)

Make a Difference Internationally

http://www.ijm.org/ support International Justice Mission ~ this Christian-based organization fights sex trafficking

http://www.kiva.org/ support an entrepreneur in a developing country through Kiva ~ you can even give someone a gift certificate as a gift!

http://www.penniesforpeace.org/ Greg Mortenson's group that provides education in Pakistan and Afghanistan - some of the Trendsetters (Trendsetters through Education above) are collecting pennies to help build schools and purchase school supplies

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Max and the Diaper Fairy

If you hurry, right now you can catch the Diaper Fairy at Brilliant Sky Toys & Books in Ahwatukee! She is reading her story and spreading (edible) fairy dust for toddlers who are ready to give up their diapers and share them with the children of the world who need them.

Melissa Hart is the local author of Max and the Diaper Fairy. It is a story about Max - a little boy who is ready for "big boy underwear". Empowered Max decides to give up his diapers, donate them to babies around the world and accept the big boy underwear that the Diaper Fairy brings during her magical appearance. This story offers parents a positive tool to help with potty training and it also shares a message of toddler empowerment coupled with altruism; there truly is a diaper shortage and diaper banks around the world are in need of diapers for children.

If you miss Melissa today at Brilliant Sky Toys & Books, visit her website for upcoming events. A magical little pixie mentioned to me that the Diaper Fairy may be at another bookstore near you very soon ~

Today:

Max and the Diaper Fairy

Brilliant Sky Toys & Books

4929 E Chandler Boulevard #401

Phoenix Arizona 85048

To purchase Melissa's book and other products on-line

or to learn more about Diaper Banks and diaper donation, visit:

http://www.maxandthediaperfairy.com/

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Changing/Improving the World

Changing/Improving the World

After setting up this blog and writing a quick introductory post, you may have noticed my blog as being the “silent type”. While I write daily, I have not been able to come up with anything "perfect" to say that might "change the world". But, this week I have decided that instead of waiting for an elusive version of perfection, I will just do my best as I blog for Fun Moms.

When I was at the American Mothers, Inc. conference in Nebraska, Mary Pipher was a dinner speaker. Her most well-known book is the #1 New York Times Bestseller Reviving Ophelia and, after I heard her speech, I bought her book Writing to Change the World; the title caught my attention. Pipher shares lots of wisdom in her book and I continue to believe that if all of us keep speaking and writing words of encouragement & thoughtful pondering, the world is likely to improve peacefully - just as calm streams beautifully create rock scuptures as they meander through nature.

One common obstacle to positive social change, or improving the world, is “us-them” thinking. If we can increase “we” thinking and begin with what we have in common, we are more likely to enjoy the contributions of diversity to society and we are also more likely to influence the thinking of others. It is my opinion that reducing “us-them” thinking is often the right thing to do as well as the smart thing to do. For example, if a group of moms begins with “are you a working mom or a stay-at-home mom?”, they are likely to get into a better-worse, easy-hard or right-wrong debate (e.g. “us-them” thinking). If moms share their hopes, ideas and specific challenges they face, moms have the opportunity to realize we have a lot in common. As moms step away from the “mommy war” topics and “us-them” thinking, moms may realize that the woman standing next to us is a potential ally in motherhood ... maybe even a new friend and ally in improving the world.

Reflective Questions for Today:

1) How do you feel about and/or what do you think of the word/concept "perfection"?

2) Using the stream and rock metaphor made me think of hiking Oak Creek (picture above). The cooler temperatures and creek water of Sedona are an easy daytrip from the Valley of the Sun! Where would you like to take your family for an affordable & near-by summer escape? http://www.funmoms.biz/

3) Regardless of differences, moms have a lot in common with each other; moms around us may need our help or be able to help us (reduce “us-them” thinking because “we’re all in this together”). How can we improve our "we" thinking? Who can you reach out to as you broaden your definition of "we"?

4) Writing to Change the World was a great book. If you are a writer or aspiring writer of social change topics, I recommend it! Which social issues would you like to influence?

5) My mother highly recommends Reviving Ophelia to any moms of girls. Which books would you like to read for wisdom on parenting?

6) If we express encouragement & thoughtful pondering (e.g. critical thinking, better questions, reflection), I believe that we are making the world a better place. What words of encouragement or topics of reflection would help your family? How might you improve the world just through positive daily interactions with the people you see/meet in your daily life?

Changing/Improving the World - we do it everyday ... we're Moms !