Lest our Emphasis Be Forgotton

"Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man a more clever devil."
- C. S. Lewis

When days seem to darken before our eyes, this is a refreshing reminder of God's all.

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."

-C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

Just Waitin'

It's Father's Day. I sit with my husband and await news about our son's return from Kandahar. He should come home quickly...we pray.
This is a new era for me. My old friend, guidance department, will soon be a part of my past. I welcome this change; it allows me more time with family and friends. I hand over the reins to two very capable people, Mrs. Kasey Wolf and Mrs. Rhonda Stucky.
And, as always, I will still be here for whatever question may fall through the crack.

This is a day to rejoice. We remember and celebrate the existence of our husbands, our fathers, our grandfathers and our spiritual fathers. But mostly, we dwell on our greatest and most heavenly Father, the Creator, the Strength of His people. We continue blessed.

"Even in its ruined condition, a human being is regarded by God as something infinitely worth saving. Sin does not make a person worthless - only lost. And in its lostness, the human soul is still capable of great strength, creativity, dignity, and heartbreaking beauty." ~Dallas Willard

Will to Win Scholarship

This year, Merck Respiratory will again sponsor the Will to Win Scholarship Program for high school seniors with asthma who are pursuing higher education. This nationwide scholarship recognizes seniors who are outstanding, disciplined, determined and successful in managing their asthma. The program serves to demonstrate to young people with asthma that the condition, when properly treated and managed, need not impede their ability to excel.

Eligible students are all high school seniors with asthma who will graduate in 2011; have achieved a level of excellence in one of the following: performing arts, visual arts, community service, athletics or science; and who will be attending college in the fall of 2011.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Demonstrate outstanding performance in one of the above categories
• Document a track record of achievements relevant to entry category
• Hold a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
• Have received at least one award related to their entry category
• Include all appropriate signatures, as noted in the application

For additional information, visit the Web site at www.willtowinscholarship.com.

Two $5,000 scholarships will be awarded in each of the following categories:

• Performing Arts (dance, music, theater)
• Visual Arts (painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, film)
• Community Service
• Athletics
• Science

If interested, come talk to Mrs. Gassie.

Follow Up as we Slow Down

This time of year is a break-through for many. We've 'broken through' the icy, cold winter, we've broken into the 4th (and last!) quarter of school...we've 'broken the back' of the school year. For some, it's a down-hill slide from this point forward.

Well, hmmmmm, although celebrating our freedom from school sounds just fine, now is NOT the time to start. Term papers and projects are due, and finals are approaching. One needs to just hang in there and keep up the good fight. The month of May will soon be here. To lose one's GPA due to a massive dose of spring fever is NOT the answer to good financial backing for those college years. GPA's do count!

A couple of reminders to the college-bound seniors:

• If you haven't already done it, get that FAFSA finalized for college $.

• The scholarships backed by the Kansas Board of Regents need to be completed by May 1st. (The FAFSA has to be sent in by April 1st.) These scholarships include: Kansas Minority Scholarship, Kansas Nursing Service Scholarship, Kansas State Scholarship, and the Kansas Teacher Service Scholarship. You may apply online at http://www.kansasregents.org/ or complete and submit the 2011-2012 State of Kansas Student Aid application IF you want to apply for one of these scholarships.

Check with your intended university for any other areas that may give scholarships performance-based activities. Sports, band, vocal music, forensics, newspaper or yearbook may be some options available.

Career Path

Here's something fun that may just open your eyes up to a career direction. On the careerpath.com website, you can take a color test that determines your personality type and jobs that are 'up your path'.
You can click on the website here, or down in the 'Places to go'.
www.careerpath.com/career-tests/colorcareercounselor.aspx

Enjoy!

How to Help Your Child Succeed

As I posted earlier, I wanted to share a good article for parents with ADHD children. The cool thing is that, as I read the article, I could see how helpful this would be for ANY parent of ANY child. Slow down our instructions, limit choices, be consistent, eliminate distractions. These are basics in parenting and in teaching. Sometimes, with the world being as noisy as it is, we forget to simplify and clarify. Take a moment and see where you can better your child's world.

ADHD Tips from Teachers: How to Help Your Child Succeed

By Parenting.com

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, teacher attention -- and, even better, an IEP -- will help him do his best in the classroom. But you can also do your part to keep your child on track at home. We talked to Michael Belle-Isle, director of Special Education and Pupil Personnel Services for Amherst School District in Amherst, N.Y., to find out what his teachers recommended for supporting students when they're not in school.

Be Consistent
Establish a daily routine that kicks in as soon as your kid walks in the door. Snack, homework, dinnertime and bedtime should be as close to the same time each day as possible. This establishes a pattern and helps your kid stay focused on the task at hand.

Talk It Out With the Teacher
This is a biggie. Communication should be clear and frequent between you, your child and the teacher. Talk to your child's teacher often -- weekly, if not daily -- about what's going on in school and at home. When you have a task or directive for your kid, provide short, clear directions. Then have your child repeat what he heard back to you to ensure everything was understood.

Stay on Schedule
Post schedules around the house that outline what happens every day in the hours before and after school. They're as helpful to your child as your own schedule is to you and can keep you all on track.

Eliminate Distractions
Switching off the TV set at homework time is a no-brainer, but here's an important point: TV and video games should be off-limits for everyone when your child is hitting the books. Even if the sound is low or the video game is being played in another room, just knowing that someone's getting screen time can be very distracting to kids with ADHD.

Limit Screen Time
Of course, we all need time to unwind in front of the boob tube sometimes, but it's important to understand that for ADHD kids, TV and video games can really increase levels of distraction. Parents should be very active in limiting television time. Make it part of a positive reward system for when work is finished -- not before. (This might mean less TV time for everyone in the family, but that might not be a bad thing, either!)

Use the Folder System
Assignments have less of a chance of creeping up on your kid if you create special folders or baskets for their work and fill them right after school every day. Label one "do this" and another "done" to keep daily and weekly assignments organized.

Organize the Backpack
With that in mind, be there to help your kid empty and sort out his backpack when he get home. Between hats and gloves, gym clothes, library books and homework folders, bags can get crowded and disorganized quickly. Weed out unnecessary objects daily.

Enforce Bedtime
It's a vicious cycle: Your kid goes to bed later one night, then has a hard time concentrating the next day, then stays up later to get his work done because his focus is off. Don't let the cycle start by making sure she gets enough z's each and every night.

Stay Close
No one likes a helicopter parent -- or being called one -- but ditch the labels and recognize that your subtle supervision during homework time can really help your child. Frequent positive verbal cues like, "That assignment's really coming along!" or "I can't believe you've done that much work already!" both encourage and help your kid stay focused.

Use Charts and Checklists
But you don't have to be your child's only source of feedback. Simple visual reminders like charts and checklists can keep your kid focused on his schoolwork, even when he's at home. They allow your child to do some self-monitoring, letting him see how much he's accomplished and what still needs to be done.

Break It Down
If your child is feeling overwhelmed by something on the to-do list, help her break it down into smaller, more manageable steps. For example, don't just list "do science project" but rather "brainstorm flow chart for science project; choose and shop for supplies for science model." Smaller goals feel much more reachable, and checking things off the list is gratifying.

Limit Choices
For kids with ADHD, too many options can be overwhelming. If you tell them they can watch TV or play their PSP or call a friend or get dessert, then focus wavers from any one task -- even if it's a fun one. Instead, help your child stay on target by limiting the this-or-that decisions.

This story, written by Joanna Batt, originally appeared on Parenting.com.