Another Movie Opportunity, This One for Middle School Girls

   A parent sent me some information about a great opportunity coming up next week (Thanks, Julie!). Blank Children's Hospital is presenting a showing of the documentary "Finding Kind" at Hoyt Sherman Auditorium on May 8th from 6 to 8:30 p.m. This showing is for middle school girls and allows them an opportunity to meet the film's two female directors as well! And best of all...the event is FREE! When I first got the information, I tried to do some research on the film, but did not find a lot out there, but did find their website and watched the trailer. It looks like a great movie and one that really, truly addresses the "mean girl" behavior and searches for solutions with young girls leading these solutions. It appears to have a very positive message. I have placed two links below with more information. One is the registration page where you can sign your daughter up and even yourself, the other is the movie's website where you can play the movie trailer to see for yourself what the movie is all about. I also cut/paste the basic information from the Blank Children's Hospital page. I would love to hear a review if you go....please comment on this blog with your review or email me (ben.barry@carlisle.k12.ia.us).

"Tuesday, May 8 - Hoyt Sherman Auditorium - 6-8:30 P.M.

Thank you for signing up to attend Finding Kind. This free event is designed for girls in grades 6th - 8th. There will be a screening of the award-winning documentary, Finding Kind, as well as the opportunity to meet the two young filmakers, Lauren Parsekian and Molly Stroud. Each student is allowed to bring up to two supporting adults."

Finding Kind movie trailer and information click here!

Blank Children's Hospital Movie Experience Registration page click here!

Carlisle Middle School Wins Grant!

I have to brag for just a quick moment. I had the chance to join Sara Grieme (8th grade Literacy teacher), Dr. Schlueter, and Dr. Lane on Friday to accept a grant from Century Link and IASB that we won this year. Sara Grieme was our lead grant writer and the project lead and did an amazing job on this year's grant. This was our 3rd year trying for the grant and we used feedback from previous years to make our grant proposal even better this year. Now the fun part....spending the money and putting our plan into action. Our plan is to use the money to purchase netbooks and Skype softward and hardware to allow our 8th grade literacy students to not just study a topic and present it to the class, but to Skype back and forth with an expert on that topic to work collaboratively to make the presentation even better and even more meaningful. We will have some steps to finalize and we will likely learn as we go on some things, but we are excited to add more technology to our curriculum to make the learning experience much more enhanced for our students. It is always a good way to end the year....by being excited for the next year!

Des Moines Register's Sunday Lead Story About Recent Student Suicides

  The Des Moines Register had a pretty good article in today's online (likely print version too) newspaper. The focus of the article is about a recent rash of student suicides (4 in 2 weeks) in our Iowa school systems and what can be done to educate others about the issues of mental health and suicidal behavior. As a counselor, I thought it was good, useful information. As a parent, I found it to be very good information for me as well. My kids are young now, but they are getting older every day and will hit the ups and downs of their teen years all too soon and this information could be a great resource to start those family discussions before it is too late. Please take a moment to click and read the article for yourself.

Des Moines Register article about Iowa Teen Suicides

May Day Anti-Bullying Campaign Launch AND Stars for Tomorrow Apps Due for 8th Graders This Week!

   Just a quick heads up on 2 important things that I am helping with this week:

"Got Courage?" After the students go home for the day on Monday, I will be posting my 10 "Got Courage?" Anti-Bullying campaign posters around the school building. You can see "rough" versions of the posters and earlier blog here: "Got Courage?" posters blog post Only one of these posters uses the word "bullying", but they all speak to students and how important they are in stopping hurtful words, messages, and actions for being communicated. Students are on the front lines and need to be there for each other, not against each other.  To go along with the posters and the launch of this campaign, all students will get a candy Lifesaver at lunch today and each Lifesaver will have a "bullying" fact or statistic stapled to it. The meaning of the candy is to remind the students that every student can be a life saver by helping someone who needs help....right here in our building. Announcements about these ideas will be in the daily announcements this week as well. Hopefully, with just 20 days left in the school year, this week can be a starting point to get students talking and observing how we all treat each other. We have great kids here at Carlisle and our "bullying survey data" on the Iowa Youth Survey shows that we are better than the average Iowa middle school. But, I am hoping we can get even better and become leaders in the fight to stop bullying.

Stars for Tomorrow applications: This is the $100 Savings Bond scholarship for incoming Carlisle 9th graders (that means this year's 8th graders) and it is due this week by Friday. Students can either give their completed applications to me or mail the materials in on their own. But the key is to do this by Friday! Good luck to all of the 8th graders who apply!

Common Sense Media Now to Review Educational Gaming

Just a quick heads up about a great new route that Common Sense Media is going taking. While they will continue to give very detailed reviews of movies, tv shows, video games, and books for parents and kids so that we all know exactly what positive and negative messages are in these media options, they will now work to do the same with the many educational games and apps your kids get exposed to. As a parent of 3 young kids (soon to be 4!), I love the fact that I can use Common Sense Media for this purpose as well. My kids use our Ipod Touch and IPad a lot and I put many educational games on there. I also direct them to several online educational games. As a teacher, I think I know the quality of each game, but I also like knowing someone is researching them for me as well. To learn more, click on this link and please continue to use Common Sense Media to check out the media your child is consuming.

Common Sense Media's New Learning Reviews

Recent Suicide in NW Iowa Called a "Bullycide"

  If you have been following the news today and yesterday, or even following your social network feed, you likely have come across the story of Kenneth Weishuhn, a 14-year old boy at South O'Brien High School that committed suicide over the weekend. This was after relentless harassment, attacks, and cyber and phone threats over the past two week after the teen came out as gay. Family and friends claim "bullying" led him to commit suicide, leading this incident to be called a "bullycide" (suicide after being bullied repeatedly). Sadly, this event shows the terrible effects that bullying, harassment, and cyberbullying can play. Bullying has been around forever, but people my age and older could get away from bullying be simply going home after school each day. In Kenneth's case, like many students today, he went home and got phone calls, texts, and even found Facebook posts and group pages directed at him and harassing him. If teens want to truly live in today's world, they have very few options to avoid cyberbullying and bullying could be a 24/7 event. I have worked with a student before who was getting mean and threatening text messages at 4 a.m. in the morning on a weekday! But with all the talk about bullying in this case, I do want to remind people that suicide is never the answer. The choice to choose suicide is a selfish act that harms just as many loved ones as the bullying that may have started it all. Bottom line in a case like this is that many students made horrible decisions to humiliate and harm another student and that student felt he had no other choice but the ultimate worst choice: suicide. Hopefully the good that can come from this is for everyone to learn what they could have done instead. Realize that words can hurt immensely. Realize that supports are out there for people who are suffering. And realize that we all have to be alert for both people who are harming others AND people who are showing signs that they are depressed, angry, or hopeless. Kenneth's life can not be brought back, but the lessons from this event could help save someone else's life.

To learn more about this story, click on a few of these links. The Sioux City Journal article is really good and really helped me understand all the parts of the situation.

Channel 13's short article plus video.

Sioux City Journal article...really good explanation of the school's role, family's role, and the details of what could have been done and what was done.

Resource Night for Families This Thursday at the Elementary!

 Just a quick heads up that the elementary is hosting a Resource Fair on Thursday from 5:00-6:30 in the Elementary Multi-purpose room. There is also a Book Fair going on in the Media Center and tons of elementary student artwork hung up around the Multi-purpose room, so 3 great reasons to come on Thursday night. Many local groups who support and help families will be at the Resource Fair. Thank you to Hy-Vee for providing cookies and be sure to get your name in for some great door prizes as well. Click on the link below to see a screenshot of the Event's main details.

http://www.webpagescreenshot.info/img/310952-416201263808PM

Carlisle High School Does Amazing "Every 15 Minutes" 2-Day Event!

  I cannot begin to explain how amazing and how affecting Carlisle's recent "Every 15 Minute" 2-day event was. Congrats and thank you to our 2 high school counselors, the STAND (Students Taking Action, Not Drugs) group, local law enforcement, and the community for putting this event on for our students to see. And with Simpson students filming and documenting the whole event and creating the video you see below, even more will see the powerful message: Drinking and driving kills people, kills students, alters lives, and changes the course of a student's life forever. I could go on and on about the many pieces that made these 2 days so realistic and so important, but I think I will just let you watch the video. As you watch the video, please remember that everyone in the video is just acting, but they acted so well, it feels real. Even the parents got into their parts. Many of the participants said they didn't have to act as the emotion of the situation made their emotions really occur. Also, when you see students with painted white faces, those are students the Grim Reeper found during the day every 15 minutes and painted their faces. At that point, they were "dead" and could no longer speak to anyone...not even by text or cell phone! This was to represent the life of a person lost every 15 minutes due to drinking and/or texting while driving. To learn more about this campaign, click on this link: Every 15 minutes

**The video is make-believe, but is graphic at time. I would preview video before deciding to use it with young kids if you are wanting to educate them on the dangers of drinking/texting while driving.**

Middle School Social this Friday, April 20th. And Parent Volunteers are Wanted and Needed!

  This Friday is the Spring Middle School student social from 7-9 p.m. and theme is "Dress Your Sunday Best". So no one has to go out and by a Prom dress or rent a tuxedo, but wearing their nicest clothes is encouraged. We always get pretty good attendance at these socials, so that means a lot of kids. And when we have a lot of kids, we hope to have a lot of adults to help with crowd control. I have been to almost every social and enjoy watching the kids, they really have a great time and it makes for a great night. And if you are a parent of an 8th grader, this is their last social before their middle school career is done. It is a "Can't Miss" event. So, if you can spare a little over 2 hours on your Friday night this week, please consider volunteering your time and helping out at the social. We would love to get 6-8 parents to help us. Please email Mrs. Wilshusen, the student council sponsor, if you can help out. Her email: megan.wilshusen@carlisle.k12.ia.us
Hope to see you Friday night!

Free School and Sports Physicals on May 9th!

I could not get the flyer posted, but I copy/pasted all the information from the flyer into the blog space below. So, nothing flashy, but the info is good and important to read. If you need your child to complete a physical, especially a sports physical (think ahead to next year's sports and get it done early!!), you could get a free sports physical and your child could get some great information, some snacks/refreshments, and even meet some of the Iowa Barnstormers and get their autographs! All the information you need is listed below, including a contact name and number. RSVP early to make sure you get in. Good luck!


Free School and Sports Physicals
Youth Sports Injury
Prevention Clinic
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012
5:30 PM—8:30 PM

Iowa Ortho & Physiotherapy Associates Downtown
450 Laurel St. Des Moines

Free to all Middle or High School athletes!
Mercy Family Medicine Residency will provide Sports Physical Exams


Sports Injury Prevention Information will
be available for Parents & Coaches:
•  ACL Injuries
•  Nutrition
•  Over Use Injuries
•  Concussions


Iowa Ortho &
Physiotherapy Associates will provide:
•  A musculoskeletal examination.
•  Reassessment of old injuries with
advice for injury prevention


Parent/Guardian must be present in order to provide consent.
Free will donations will be collected and donated back to each kid’s school athletic program.
The Iowa Barnstormers players will be available to sign autographs and talk to athletes.
Refreshments and snacks will be provided.


RSVP by May 2nd to:
Troy Kleese at troy.kleese@physiocorp.com or call 515.323.6485

Duck Derby to Benefit the Youth Emergency Shelter and Services of Iowa on May 5th

 

 I haven't done this before, but I think our family will be doing this event this year. The event is completely free family fun, but if you want a duck in the derby, it costs you a $5 donation. The good news is that the donation goes to a great cause: YESS (Youth Emergency Shelter and Services of Iowa). This organization helps kids and families when they are in times of  uncertainty or crisis. They take kids in on a short term basis and work with kids and parents to work through the crisis. I have known several families to use this service and it has helped them when they needed it most. So, if you are looking to donate, there is plenty of time to buy your ducks (and you could win amazing prizes if your duck is a lucky duck and wins!). But if you simply want good family fun on a wonderful May afternoon, come on our to Jordan Creek on May 5th for inflatables, balloon animals, crafts, food, etc. See you there!

Info about the Duck Derby click here!

Duck Derby Facebook Page click here!

Click here to learn more about what YESS does!

"got courage?" Anti-Bullying Campaign posters

  The two high school counselors and I recently completed an 8-week course from AEA and Drake titled "Anti-Bullying: Where to Start". It was a great course and a demanding one, but we all learned a lot. Our final project was to create some sort of Anti-Bullying campaign. I have embedded a powerpoint below showing 10 posters that I created and will be hanging up around our school building on May 1st (May Day....words someone might say if they are in trouble and need help). I will also be having student council members pass out "Lifesaver" candies to all kids at lunch and each piece of candy will have a slip of paper stapled to it. Each slip will have a bully statistic or fact printed on it. The candy was chosen because I want all students to know that they can be a "lifesaver" to someone. They can stand up and stop harrassment or bullying, report it, or help a student walk away, block a post, or delete an online bully. We have done other surveys, professional development, and activities throughout the year, but this final poster and information campaign will hopefully make a difference and make our students think. Please click through the slides below and when we get to May 1st, ask your child if they saw the posters and ask them what they think they can do to be a Life Saver and make a difference in another person's life. Thank you!

"Got Courage?" Antibullying campaign

View more presentations or Upload your own.

Carlisle Middle School Orientation Powerpoint to Incoming 6th Graders!

Parents and Guardians of current 5th graders....did you know you will have a "middle schooler" next year??! I am sure it does not seem that your child should be that old yet, but they are, so now we have to prepare you and your child for it. We held a parent night/orientation at the Middle School Tuesday night of this week and I will be speaking to all 5th graders on Wednesday of this week. I am showing them a powerpoint and then answering questions that they may have. If you are interested in viewing the powerpoint, please click through the slides that I have embedded into this blogpost below. And also add this blog address to your bookmarks or Google Reader so that you always get the updates that we post (over 100 posts made each year with great information for parents and students!). Thank you and please contact me with any questions/concerns you may have as we near the time your child comes to our building and becomes a "middle school student"!

6th grade orientation powerpoint

View more presentations or Upload your own.

"Bully" Now to be PG-13 After A Few Changes

   Great news!!! The movie "Bully", the documentary about the bullying issue in today's schools, including a school in Sioux City, Iowa, will now be released later this month as a PG-13 movie. You can read the NPR link to find out more, but they were allowed to keep a very important bus bullying scene in the movie while editing a few of the swear words out. Now the movie can be seen by teens, the group it was originally intended for. Good news to end the week!

NPR story about "Bully" being PG-13 click here!

Matt Stutzman Shows Carlisle Middle School Students That No Obstacles are Too Big to Overcome

  Matt Stutzman....what a great and uplifting speaker for our kids to hear from today. He spoke to the kids, showed off some of his archery (and basketball!) skills, and answered lots of questions over the course of 45 minutes today in front of the entire staff and student body. His message of never giving up, never letting others tell you that you can't do something, and challenging yourself to be the best at something in life was an uplifting message that impressed us all. Although archery is what he is known for, he has accomplished so much more in life. He soon will be competing in the ParaOlympics in London. Why? Oh, because he has accomplished all of these goals even though he was born with no arms. He even taught himself to drive a regular car and continues to teach himself to do things everyday. He never backs down from a challenge and even let us know that he recently finished in the top 20 in a World Archery contest....against "able-bodied" archers!! He plans on shooting for and winning the gold in this year's ParaOlympics and promised to bring back the gold medal for all of us to see. Thank you to Matt Stutzman for your talk today and being an inspiration to us all. Please check out 2 great videos of his unique skill below (yes, the first one proves he is a World Record Holder!)

How are college admission decisions like the Hunger Games?

Every so often, we're able to make some great connections between things that kids love (like the Hunger Games series) and real life. Here's a link that compares admission decisions and the Reaping: http://www.studentadvisor.com/pages/7-lessons-the-hunger-games-can-teach-you-about-college-admissions?goback=%2Egde_121084_member_103279474

It's got some great tips about admissions, be sure to check it out!

JA Biztown Parent Survey (For Parent Volunteers Only!)

2012 Stars for Tomorrow Scholarship for 8th Graders

**Note....I cheated a little here and just copy and pasted my post from April 2011, but the information is good for this year. I have talked to the 8th grade class about this scholarship and about 10 people have taken the material to work on it. If you think your child would be a good candidate, have them pick up the materials as well. Due date is May 4th!!!***


Parents and students, heads up for a scholarship/award possibility: Stars for Tomorrow Applications are available for Carlisle 8th graders only and are due by May 4th. The Carlisle Alumni Association is sponsoring this opportunity and is awarding a $100 Savings Bond for the winning student(s). So, what do students have to do?? Not much really. Here is all they have to do:

1. Fill out name, address, etc. on application.

2. Type six short paragraphs on how he/she shows each of the six character traits that make up the six Pillars of Character Counts (respect, trustworthy, etc.)

3. Hand 2 reference forms to 2 adults they are not related to. These adults will rate the student in the 6 character areas and fold this form up and hand it back to the student.

4. Mail all of these materials to the address on the application and DONE!

Pretty simple right? And the student can earn some nice money in return, not to mention an honor and some acknowledgement of their high character. If you have questions about this opportunity, please call Ben Barry (989-5413) or email Ben at ben.barry@carlisle.k12.ia.us Thank you and good luck!

April is "Child Abuse Prevention Month"

   Just a quick blog post letting everyone know that April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. There has been a lot of national media coverage on recent high profile child abuse, especially cases that are sexual in nature. But that is only one type of child abuse. Child abuse could be neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, or even verbal abuse. As a counselor, I think psychological and verbal abuse seems to sometimes be the most damaging and is the type of abuse I see the most often. No matter what type of abuse we are talking about, as adults and even as kids, we must all work together to stop this abuse and help the kids. We must also help educate and communicate with the abuser so that future abuse does not occur and the abuser can learn to cope with their anger, hurt, sadness, and any other issues using safer and healthier methods. For more information on National Child Abuse Month, please visit the National Child Abuse Prevention Month website by clicking here!

Here are some other links you can click:

Wide variety of "Tip Sheets" for Parents, Educators, Caregivers

Wide variety of information about Child Abuse and Neglect

Some powerful and eye-opening stats when it comes to Child Abuse

New Bully Movie Now "Unrated", Plus Des Moines Register Cover Story

   Here is more information on the new documentary movie called "Bully" that was released in a few cities to rave reviews over the weekend. It appears it will not get to Des Moines theaters until mid-April or the first part of May. Fleur Cinema is likely to carry it (that is where I plan to see it!) and AMC theater chains have vowed to carry it as well. The real question will be how schools around the country react to it, the controversy, and whether they will include the movie into any Anti-Bullying curriculum they have. Our own local Des Moines Register ran a feature story on the movie, the Iowa ties to the movie, and the rating controversy. Please click on the several links below to learn more about this important movie.

Des Moines Register Cover Story on the movie "Bully"

Collider.com's update on the rating change and the support being the movie

Rottentomatoes updated collection of reviews for the movie (hint: 38 positive, 3 negative)

CommonSenseMedia.org's updated review (says age 12-14 use caution, above that OK)

New Study Shows Middle School Teachers Could be Key in Helping Students Avoid Alcohol

    This information might be just as good for our middle school staff as it is for our parents. I found it pretty interesting and uplifting anyway. A new study just released shows that if students feel emotionally connected or supported with middle school teachers, the length of time until they take their first drink is extended. This means 6th, 7th, and 8th graders start drinking later in life if they feel they have a middle school teacher they can talk to or go to if they need help. There is more information in this article showing that kids who have a higher separation anxiety from their parents also wait longer before trying their first drink. Click and read the article to read about the study and information more.

Partnership for a Drug-Free America article click here