Giving Thanks!

        As my 8th graders know, I am a huge Jon Gordon fan. We spend part of the year reading pieces of his best-selling book "The Energy Bus" to help us learn the rules and tips to live a positive and healthier life. But as we approach Thanksgiving, Jon Gordon has more great advice and information for us via his weekly newsletter/blog. Our 6th graders even read through an older version of this blog in class. I have placed a link to this blog post below, but a couple of most interesting pieces of information I liked....

 *You cannot experience Gratitude and Stress at the same time. So if you are thinking of things you are thankful and grateful for, you cannot be stressed at that moment!

 *Feelings of gratitude help your body to produce endorphins which, in turn, can help you experience more positive feelings and can help you fight off depression and sadness.

 *And after reading about his idea of a Gratitude Walk, I challenged students to take a Gratitude Walk once a day when they go from one class to the next.


 We wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and a safe and joyous Thanksgiving Break. Please read Jon Gordon's weekly newsletter entry this week about the Power of a Thank You (and if you have a Twitter account, follow Jon Gordon on Twitter...always great inspirational quotes and information from him on that platform1)

Warren Buffet, Bill and Melinda Gates, and the Giving Pledge

My students know that I have followed Warren Buffet since I was little and that I am fascinated by his life story. I even own stock in his company Berkshire Hathaway! But a few years back, when Buffet and Mr. and Mrs. Gates announced the Giving Pledge, my admiration and appreciation for Buffet and Gates took another step up. Their plan? Their goal? To get the billionaires in the world to pledge half of their worth to charity. To show the Billionaires how easy this could be, Bill and Melinda Gates pledged 95% of their new worth and Buffet pledged 99%. Sure, these are rich people and even keeping just 1-5% of their money would still keep them in the multi-millionaire range, possibly still near a Billionaire, but that is still amazing to part with so much money. A recent episode of "60 minutes" highlighted their ongoing project. Take a look at this 12-minute video over the Holiday weekend and remember that there are some rich people out there trying to do the right thing as well.

Common Sense Media Reviews Two HUGE "Teen" Entertainment Options this Holiday Season

    And guess what?? They are not necessarily appropriate for all teens and young people. If you have not used Common Sense Media, you need to. It is our family's go-to site before we watch a show, go to a movie, or buy a videogame. Even DirecTV now uses Common Sense Media as their source of "parental information". When you watch a show or movie on DirecTV and click on Parental Info, it takes you to the information that Common Sense Media provides. There detailed review gives a much better idea as to what age is the appropriate age to consume the media you are considering. Rated PG? PG-13? R? Doesn't matter. This site combines parent, kid, and expert reviews and gives you an actual age that is appropriate. But it also gives so much more. My favorite part is the question section where if you decide to let your child/teen watch the show or movie, you can help them process and debrief what they just saw. Helping a young person and their developing brain understand what they just saw and why the real world may or may not be just like what they saw is very important. So....long story short, check the site out at www.commonsensemedia.org


   So....what did they say about Hunger Games: Catching Fire? Click here to find out, but here are some of the bullet points:
     *Parents say age 13 is appropriate, kids say age 12 is appropriate

     *It ranks really high in the Positive Messages and Role Models category, but also very high in the violence category

     *While young readers have enjoyed the book series, the website has concerns that the movie violence may be "too dark" for some of the readers of the series.


  And what about Grand Theft Auto V?? Again, click here to find out more, but here are some of the bullet points from their review. Hint....it is totally not appropriate for some teens!
     
      *Parents say age 14 is appropriate, kids say age 15 is appropriate. (Did you catch that?? Kids actually have more concern than parents! That should tell you a lot about this game.)

      *A huge "Not For Kids" tag is all over this review. You don't see that often on this site.

      *It scored a "0" in positive messages and role models, but a 5/5 in Violence, Sex, Drugs, and Language.

      There are some parent questions/talking points a parent could use if they decide to let their child play this game, but you can see from the three bullet points above, no matter what the age, you should proceed with caution if you plan on allowing this game in your home with your children/teens.


   As you hit the Holiday season and decide which games to buy, which movies to take the family too, and which shows to catch on cable, please consider using this website. It is a great resource to families and kids. Happy Holidays!

Student loans (AKA how most people have to pay for college)

A couple of articles recently came out about student loans, the rising cost of tuition, and the amount of debt facing our young adults and nation.  Some of the most startling facts included:

• 12 million students (roughly 60%) use loans to the cover the cost of college annually
• Since 2008, there has been a 27% increase in tuition at four year colleges
• 8.8%- default rate for federal student loans in 2010 (Highest in a decade with over 600,000 former students defaulting)
• $26,600- average amount of student loan debt for 2011 graduates
• And finally-$1,000,000,000,000 (yes...that's 1 trillion dollars) total outstanding student loan debt in the U.S.
• From "Graduating Into Debt" by Edward Graham (Fall 2013 NEA Today)

As a parent of small children and as a high school counselor working daily with students who will need some sort of postsecondary education to enter their desired career field, those numbers are staggering.  Add that to the fact that the per person average to cover our national debt is $54,140.65 as of today (US National Debt Clock) and it can lead to a concern about whether or not college will be an opportunity for my/your/our children. 

What options are available? How can parents and students prepare to minimize their debt and promote financial responsibility?

1. Talk with your kids about finances.  Let them see you balance your checkbook, pay bills, reconcile your budget, save for big purchases, use credit wisely, etc.  And if you need a little help with any of those things, call Consumer Credit of Des Moines or our Student/Family Assistance Program to get started.
2. Start saving and have your kids save as well.  Even its $5 or $10, it all adds up.  If your kids have a job or receive an allowance, have them set 1/3 aside every week/month into their college savings account.  Iowa also has the College Savings 529 plan as an option that may provide some tax breaks (www.collegesavingsiowa.com)
3. Don't get your kid everything they want.  Kids can be really good at nagging or rationalizing why they need (which usually means want) something.  Make them work for it, barter for it, or pay for it themselves.  Or even say no.  This will teach them to prioritize, save, and also learn to delay gratification.
4. Encourage family members to donate to savings accounts rather than buy gifts for birthdays or Christmas.
5. Know what's out there for kids after high school.  Not every student should go to a 4 year college.  Check out other options- there are apprenticeship programs, specific diploma/certificate vocational programs, and 2 year degrees as well. Make sure you, along with your student, sit down and do a cost comparison. 
6. Don't pay for stuff that you can get for free- scholarship searches, career counseling, ACT/testing preparation materials, the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  Contact your student's counselor to get more information or check out the website at www.carlislehighschoolcounseling.weebly.com
7. Have your student take the Financial Literacy or Adult Living course.  They'll learn how to make a budget, get a loan, get insurance, find an apartment and other real-life skills.
8. Encourage your students to do well in school.  This will help them when it comes time to apply for scholarships.
9. Have students fill out scholarships!  During senior year, students should spend time applying for any and all scholarships they are eligible for.  These could be from the college they are planning to attend, local businesses, or national searches.  Scholarships are free money!
10. Help your student with making decisions around borrowing for college.  A lot of students see that they can get a loan for $5500 and take the whole amount, rather than calculating how much they really need and only borrowing that amount. 
11. Ask questions!  Contact financial aid offices, use your school counselors, go to the Iowa College Access Network.  Again- these things are all free and they are here to help you understand your options!

I'm not trying to say that kids shouldn't go to college or that no one should have to take out loans.  I did, my husband did, my kids most likely will, and most of my co-workers did.  But, do try to be proactive so that students can leave their postsecondary education, land that first job, and not be bogged down by a mountain of debt!