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!

Personality/Career Interest Inventory Surveys

Students, please click on the link below and take the survey after some instruction from Mr. Barry. When finished with the survey, please print your results page. DO NOT CLOSE OUT YOUR RESULTS PAGE AS WE NEED TO COMPARE PRINT OUTS TO YOUR PAGE TO VERIFY RESULTS!

Take Quiz by Clicking Here!

Once you have the printout, please do the following:

1.Write your name at the top of the page.

2. Click on your favorite job or job that interests you most of your possible careers and read about your career choice.

3. Write down the following items on the back of your sheet:

    a. Median Salary:

    b. Degree needed:

    c. What do they do (list a few items): 

   d. Job Growth %:

   e. 1 Similar Occupation that interests you:

YEAH!! You are done!! Congrats!  But remember, this is just ONE survey and you are still young. This survey is just meant to give you some guidance and some ideas. Some of you may truly end up doing the career you selected, others of you may go a completely different direction and that is okay. Good luck!

6th Grade Fall Bullying/Harassment Survey

Students, please take the following 10-question survey. These questions refer to any bullying or harassment that has occurred in the past 7 days towards you. The survey is anonymous but the answers and class data is important. Thank you for your time!

5th Grade Needs Assessment

4th Grade Needs Assessment

8th Grade Student Needs Assessment

 Students, please mark "Agree" or "Disagree" to all of the following questions. Make sure to type your first and last name in the first box. There are many questions and the survey will not let you finish until you answer each question. Mr. Barry will review the responses and attempt to address "Agree" marks throughout the year. Some of these may lead to some group sessions. Thank you for taking the time to fill out this survey. With so many students and so little time, finding out what each student needs as an individual.

8th Grade Fall Bullying/Harrassment Survey

 Students, please take the time to answer the following 10 questions truthfully and honestly about any bullying/harrassment you have experienced in the last 7 days. This survey is anonymous and the data gained is compared to the Iowa Youth Survey, past survey results, and future survey results. Thank you!

6th Grade Student Needs Assessment

Students who are in 6th grade, please take the following survey. Please put your first and last name in the answer blank asking for your name and then answers "Agree" or "Disagree" on each of the following questions after that. Mr. Barry will use your answers to either meet with you or set up a group of students to meet with him, Ms. Flagor, or our Lifeline Resource counseling group. Thank you!

6th Grade Minute Meetings!!!

6th graders....please answer the 4 questions below when you meet with Mr. Barry for 1 minute. Help Mr. Barry meet with 141 6th graders in 141 minutes over the course of 3 days. And welcome to Carlisle Middle School!!

Bullying in Sports: National High School Coaches Convention

I'm excited to have the opportunity to present to coaches from across the country today who have an interest in learning more about bullying and how they can be a big part of the effort to stop bullying before it happens. Here is a version of the powerpoint that I am presenting today. I am not sure if the links work and if the background formatting came through like I hoped, but I may edit it later to fix these. Thank you!

Bullying presentation for National Coaching Convention

View more presentations or Upload your own.

National High School Coaching Convention Bullying Survey

  Coaches, thank you for attending these two workshops on the topic of Bullying in sports. Please take a quick moment to take this 5-question survey. And even more important than taking this survey, I will show you how to make and publish your own survey so you can get data on your players, students, parents, teachers, community, etc. Data should drive decisions....so doing some quick surveys can help you make the first step in preventing bullying on your team and in your school. Thank you!

Want to Foster Creativity in Your Child? Watch This 2-Minute Video!

   I had to share this video. It is a great video for teachers, but also works for parents too. It is a very simple experiment or task to show how a simple change in wording and design can make a child really use their imagination and creativity. As I think about how I parent this summer and teach next fall, I plan to keep this video in mind.

More infographics....This Time on Sleep

Lots of infographics today. Thank you to Larry Ferlazzo and his Websites of the Day for some of these. These two infographics I found on his blog as well and they are good. Simply put, our teens do not get enough sleep. Maybe studying these charts may help them understand the importance of sleep. Hopefully, they are all getting lots of sleep now that summer break is here!

30 Lesser Known Facts About Sleep infographic

Interview Questions and Suggested Answers

For all of my 8th graders out there still looking for a summer job and for any high school students or adults looking for a job and interviewing soon. Here are the most common interview questions and suggested answers. Glad to see much of what I tell my 6th and 8th graders is in this list! Good list to copy and save for when you prepare to interview.

Bullying Infographic

  Lots of great information contained within these 4 infographics about Bullying. Take some time to look through them. School may be out for the summer, but bullying can and does still occur. The difference is that parents, friends, peers, and community members will see it more often and need to step in and stop it.

Student Bullying  infographic

The Truth About Bullying infographic by iLanskiii.

Zero Tolerance: Stopping Student Bullying infographic

Great Links from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America

Well, summer is here and I finally have time to catch up on my blog reading and blog writing. After skim reading about 100 blog posts from the Partnership fro a Drug-Free America, here are some of the articles and links that I thought were the best and the most important for parents and teens in our community. Take a moment today or this week and read these articles. Great information for parents and our teens. Thanks!

 Kids at Risk of Overdose due to Parent Medications
---Very important read for all of us. I take 2 medications daily and try my best to keep these away from my own little 4 children. But as they get older, I need to protect this medication even more to keep them away from possible danger.

Social Hosting Laws:
  ---Although Iowa apparently has no statewide Social Hosting laws according to this interactive website, it reminds you that local communities may. Not to mention the emotional damage that can occur if you were to allow underage teens to drink at your house, especially if they drive after that drinking.

Smoking continues to decline among teens, but drinking and binge drinking gets worse
---Good news on smoking, but bad news on drinking and binge drinking.

Myths BUSTED when it comes to parents who think letting their kids drink at home is safe and OK!
---This is a great article that shows all the myths of letting your kids drink at home as a safe way for them to learn about alcohol.

Did you know teens are using ADHD drugs to study? Most parents don't.
---10% of high school kids are doing this, but only 1% of parents think it is their child. Interesting....

Starting to drink at young age makes for heavy drinking later.
--Last article, but it is an important one.

Have a great summer and check back here often for many other updates I find as I read up on my blogs and studies on the Internet.

AIB Preview Day!

AIB College of Business will be hosting a preview day geared towards high school sophomores and juniors on June 17.  Starting at 9am, participants will learn about academic programs, financial aid opportunities, and get FREE tickets to an I Cubs game!  In addition- at the ballpark there will be FREE hotdogs and hamburgers!  If you register for the preview day before June 7th, your name will also be put in a drawing to throw the first pitch, lead the song for the 7th inning stretch, AND fire t-shirts from the bazooka bat!  You can register for this event here!

6th Grade 2013 Spring Bully/Harrassment Survey

If you are a 6th grader taking Mr. Barry's Life Skills class, please take the brief survey below. Your honesty in this survey is extremely valuable to Mr. Barry, Ms. Flagor, and our school district when it comes to dealing with the issue of true bullying in and around our school building. Thank you!

Post JA Biztown Parent Volunteer Survey

Parents.....I cannot thank you enough! The group of parents I had supporting and helping this year was amazing. All of you really helped us have 2 great days. Now, I need one final favor from you. Could you please fill out the survey that is embedded below and let me know how your group went. I use this data to evaluate our trip and reward and honor some groups and students mentioned in your survey results. It should not take more than a minute or two. Thank you again for all your efforts and time this year.

Counselors Bring Hyperstream to Carlisle Middle School, Students Create Cool Website!

Kim Flagor, Ben Barry, and Julie Thompson applied for and wrote a grant to bring Hyperstream to our middles school as a STEM initiative. We received that grant and now have our Hyperstream club up and running. While some students are building a LEGO robot, others are filming videos. And still others are making a powerpoint presentation. One group has created a website for Carlisle students and community to go to. Take a look around their site and post any feedback you have. They are in the beginning stages, but it looks pretty cool so far!

 Click on the link below:

 Carlisle 2 the World 

 Or here is the actuall web address:

 sites.google.com/site/carlisle2theworld

Great Resources for Information on Sleep (or Lack of) and It's Effects on Teens

  Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo and his website Websites of the Day, I found some great resources on the amount of sleep young people need. And most importantly, the effects of getting too little sleep. One of the most important things I learned from these resources came on the Infographic found towards the bottom of this resource page. Brains are constantly developing through the first 16-24 years of life and they do most of this while a young person sleeps. So if a young person is not getting enough sleep, then their brain cannot develop as quickly. Interesting! Lots of good stuff to learn and a great reminder to keep the electronics out of the room and have your child get plenty of sleep, even on the weekends and during the summer!

Click here for Sleep resources!

Mixing Alcohol and Energy Drinks Equals Danger!

I likely blogged about this last year, but it is an important reminder for both teenagers and adults. Mixing alcohol and energy drinks (or any caffeine really) can be even more dangerous. For a person drinking drink after drink that contains alcohol, the body is negatively affected as alcohol is basically a poison. At some point, the body will say it has had enough and shut down.....by passing out. However, if that same person is drinking alcohol mixed with energy drinks (Red Bull and vodka for example), the caffeine tricks the body into thinking it is not drunk enough to pass out and not tired enough to pass out. This keeps the person awake and the person likely continues to drink. This gets them even more drunk and could cause them to have complications due to alcohol poisoning, and in some cases cause death. Pretty scary stuff that some of our kids think is just a natural way to drink alcohol. The worst part is that our teens are smaller and more negatively affected by alcohol so mixing of these two types of drinks can have even more damaging or deadly effects. To read more, click on this blog post from DrugFree.org

Two New Sites, Both Great for Local Teens and Their Parents

  A couple of new sites popped up towards the end of 2012 and both are really, really good for our teens in our school district AND their parents. Check them out!

Warren County Standing Together on Prevention (WC STOP): This local group made of educators, law enforcement, leaders, parents, and community members has been working very hard for a couple years now to get drugs and alcohol out of our young peoples hands and bodies so that they can be successful, healthy, and make positive choices as they go through each and every day. They do this and so much more. And the best part is that anyone can be a part of their group, all you need is a passion to educate people in our county and beyond about the dangers affecting our young people. Check out their website and the many resources located across the top of their page. Upcoming meeting date/times are also located near the bottom of their page.

I AM in Control Website for Teens: This website is not just for teens by the way, I think parents and educators can benefit from the information posted as well. Basically a collection of blogs written by teens and adults with advice for teens, this website updates multiple times each week with information and advice for teens. Some of the content is great for teens to read on their own and some would be better for an adult to read and discuss with them. But all of the information is very current and relevant to our teens' lives. As a bonus feature, teens can online chat or call counselors located at Iowa State University and know they are getting professional advice and help on the other side of the line when they connect with them and want to discuss an issue they are struggling with. Great website!

Love and Logic Parenting Class Starting Soon!

Many educators, parents, families, and experts have been talking a lot about Love and Logic ideas when working with children. Well now all of you have an opportunity to hear more about Love and Logic Parenting in a FREE class starting up later this month. I have talked to a few parents that have been through classes on Love and Logic and they come away with many new skills and ideas and are really impressed with how it has affected their parenting and their families. If you want to take part in these upcoming classes, please see the information below. And when you are finished, let us know what you thought by emailing your building counselor. We would love to hear your thoughts and if we should work to get more of these classes and trainings offered. 

 Where: Family Enrichment Center, River Place, 2309 Euclid Ave., Des Moines, IA 50310

 When: Tuesdays 6-7:30 p.m., 6 weeks (Feb. 26th, March 5th, 12th, 26th, April 2nd, 9th) 

Cost: FREE!!!!! 

 To Register: Call 515-725-2682 


 What is Love & Logic?   "Love and Logic" is an evidence-based curriculum with a common-sense approach that provides parents with easy-to-learn skills that create respect, responsibility, and good decision-making in kids. It is based on 4 principles: Logical Consequences with Empathy, Problem-solving, Shared Control, Building Mutual Respect and Self-Esteem. Parents learn simple, effective techniques to help them remain calm and productive. 


 More about Love and Logic....click here!

Colin Powell's TED Talk has Some Great Advice for Parents and Kids

 I love TED talk videos and check back each week to see what new videos are being shared and passed around the country. This time, Colin Powell's video is one of the most watched of the week. And now I see why, he has some great advice about kids and the structure they need. See the video below. Have a great weekend!

8th Grade Student HS Registration Powerpoint

  Last week and this week, the high school counselors are presenting some information to 8th graders in order to prepare them for high school AND the process of choosing their classes over the next 4 years. The powerpoint presentation they are using is embedded in this blog in the space below. Feel free to go through it as well and discuss any questions you have with your child. The counselors will be back at the end of this week to meet with students and start the process of planning their 4-year course schedule. Have a great week!

Life skills mtgs 8th graders 13 14 from Benjamin Barry

Three New Projects from Carlisle Added to DonorsChoose

 

           With Mike Ermler and Dice Corporation offering to use DonorsChoose gift cards to fund some Carlisle projects, staff was asked to develop some projects that could help kids. Three great projects have sprung up in the past month on DonorsChoose (a great site where teachers can post projects that cost money to get up and running and random people from around the country/world can make small donations that eventually add up and fully fund the project!) and all three received these donations from Mike and Dice. But none of the projects are fully funded yet, so please take a look at each and see if you can help fund them and then spread the word to see if others can help fund the projects as well. Many kids will be positively affected by these projects. Thank you!

Apps for Autism click here!

Cats Fitness Club click here!

The Power of Story Retelling click here!

Apps for Education

   If you, your family, or your child got an IPad this Christmas or have recently acquired an IPad, this link might be a useful link for you to check out sometime. A blogger that I follow as an educator has posted a great resource of IPad apps that he has personally tested and used and thinks could be good for other people. Not all would be great for kids, but many are good apps that your child could use to improve or practice their educational skills at home or away from the classroom. Take a look and try some of them out.

Richard Byrne Free Technology for Teachers blog post about Apps click here!

Doodle for Google 2013 is Open: My Best Day Ever....

    "Doodle for Google" is back for 2013 and I will be printing off and posting information in the middle school for this event. We have had students enter the past two years and their drawings have impressed me. Even though they did not win or place at the state or national level, I was proud of them and their drawings were amazing. Hopefully, many students will enter again this year and maybe this is the year someone from our district finally wins or places. This year's theme is....

"My Best Day Ever...."

  Alright, get doodling students and see Mr. Barry if you have questions!

Mindsets: New Research Shows What Parents and Educators SHOULD Say When a Child Does Well

  My wife and I are talking to our kids a little bit differently these days. Many families are. Many schools are. All of this is due to some interesting research on Mindsets, specifically the difference between "Fixed" mindsets and "Growth" mindsets. What we are learning is that we should be telling our kids that we are proud of their hard work and notice their hard work when they work hard and are successful instead of telling them that they are smart and brilliant and have amazing talent. Doesn't seem like it should make much of a difference, but watch these two videos below and then read the article and you will likely think about your words as well. Pretty impressive research and I am hoping our words will be making a positive difference in our kids lives and the lives of my students.





NY Times article on Mindsets and how we talk to our children click here!

Des Moines Register's January Feature Topic: Young People with Mental Illness

I have enjoyed following the Des Moines Register's monthly features on a topic that affects kids and families in Iowa. Today's topic made me go buy a couple copies of the issue so that I could share some of the articles with our staff and students. I'm not a fan of the Des Moines Register's policy of only letting you view 10 articles online each month, but I guess that is the way the world is changing. Either way, hopefully you have not used up your views yet so that you can click on the following links. I suggest you save/print anything you want to read later. As a counselor, I have seen more and more mental illness in our young people and it seems the more bizarre and complicated issues are coming up more and more. A typical day may have some conflict and some bullying issues, but more and more, days seems to get filled with anxiety issues, depression issues, students seeing or hearing things that aren't really there, PTSD issues, and several other issues that do not allow the student to have much success in the classroom. At Carlisle, we have a great counseling staff, but many of these issues require much more than an occasional visit with the counselor. And with the number of students we have, many of these students only get 1 or 2 short check-ins or visits with the counselor each week. But we do have other resources we can help parents and families look into in order to get their child more help. The world is changing and for some reason or another, our kids are developing more and more mental health issues. But just like the flu or a broken bone where we immediately get our child checked out, we need to treat mental health problems just the same. We must get our children checked out and we must put just as much effort into getting them healthy as we would if their illness was a physical one.

      Please take a moment to click and read the links from the Des Moines Register below. The first step to finding solutions is education and these articles are very educational.

 Lead story on Mental Health issues in Kids click here! (Notice you can see their 4 previous focus features further down the page and a list of their upcoming topics on the right hand side.)

More Children Suffering from ADHD click here!

Parental Advice for Dealing With Children with Mental Disorders click here!

Mental Health Guide click here!

5 Ideas to Improve Mental Health click here!

Questioning Long Term ADHD Medication click here!

Video of 2 Orchard Place Volunteers Trying to Make a Difference click here!

Nutshell and Utah Education Network's Short Internet Safety Videos are Pretty Good!

   Through a blog I recently read, I learned about the website called Nutshell. It has lots of short animated videos about things people don't understand. In other words, they explain a concept or idea in a "nutshell". Well, the blog I read focused on a portion of the site that schools, counselors, and parents may appreciate. The Utah Education Network has produced and is still producing Internet safety, etiquette, and proper usage videos. I just watched a couple and thought they were pretty good, even for the high school age. If you have kids at home and don't understand something about the Internet, you could watch these videos and then have your kids watch them. Or watch them together. They are not very detailed, but the get the general idea across, in a "nutshell". Lots of other videos on the site that could be of interest, but I am posting the link directly to the Internet safety videos as well as the link to the Nutshell homepage. Enjoy

Utah Education Network Internet Safety Videos click here!

Nutshell home page click here!

Planet Nutshell | Web Videos | Explainer Videos | Educational Videos: NetSafe Episode 1: What is the Internet? (Grades K-3)

20 Tips for a Positive 2013

As my 8th graders finish reading Jon Gordon's "The Energy Bus" (a book the new AD at Nebraska University gave to his 300 employees on his first day on the job this week), Jon Gordon updated his Top 20 Tips for a Positive New Year. I am sharing these little by little on our Counseling Facebook page, but if you can't wait to read all 20, here they are. Plus I have linked Jon Gordon's blog at the bottom of this page because he has great positive information all the time on his blog. I highly recommend many of his books as well with my favorites being The Energy Bus and Soup. Happy 2013 everyone!

Jon Gordon's 20 Tips blog post click here!

Jon Gordon's blog homepage click here!

1. Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can trust that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.

2. Take a morning walk of gratitude. I call it a “Thank You Walk.” It will create a fertile mind ready for success.

3. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

4. Zoom Focus. Each day when you wake up in the morning ask: “What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?” Then tune out all the distractions and focus on these actions.

5. Instead of being disappointed about where you are, think optimistically about where you are going. {Tweet This}

6. Remember that adversity is not a dead-end but a detour to a better outcome. {Tweet This}

7. Don’t chase success. Instead decide to make a difference and success will find you. {Tweet This}

8. Get more sleep. You can’t replace sleep with a double latte.

9. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

10. Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.

11. Live with the 3 E’s. Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

12. Remember there’s no substitute for hard work.

13. Believe that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.

14. Implement the No Complaining Rule. Remember that complaining is like vomiting. Afterwards you feel better but everyone around you feels sick.

15. Read more books than you did in 2012. I happen to know of a few good ones. : )

16. Don’t seek happiness. Instead decide to live with passion and purpose and happiness will find you. www.Seed11.com

17. Focus on “Get to” vs “Have to.” Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.

18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________.
Today I accomplished____________.

19. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.

20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.

-Jon

Writing Those Thank You Notes Can Help.....You!

 


      Well, Christmas and the Holidays are over and 2013 is here. And soon it will be back to school and the march towards summer will begin. Even if you have already made that New Year's Resolution, maybe you have room to make another. Challenge yourself and your family to write thank you notes this year and say thank you to those who have helped. I know my kids have been busy writing lots of thank you notes the past week or so. They were very blessed and got many gifts from many people. I think each child got a gift from about 10 different people. But with 4 kids, times 10 gifts, that means 40 thank you notes have to be written this week. AACK!! But we have a system and we keep the notes short and to the point, but still make them very sincere. And most importantly, our children know how important these thank you notes are. It shows the people that gave them gifts that they are appreciated, they are cared about, and they are loved. But I have also been helping my own kids learn how writing thank you notes can help them. It can reduce their stress, can make them appreciate life more, and can help them later in life, maybe even get them their job. A thank you note got me my first job at Carlisle! But if you still aren't sure and don't believe me, here are some great links to click on to read more about the power of a thank you and why learning this skill at a young age can really benefit both you and the person you thank now and later in life. Happy 2013 and Thank You for reading and following this blog.

Jon Gordon's Thank You Research and Thank you Ideas click here!

Parenting Pink blog's thoughts on Writing Thank Yous click here!

Tanveer Naseer's Business thoughts on Thank Yous click here!

Great Video on Power of Belief and Positive Mindset

   This video shows you the science and studies behind having a positive and hard working mindset as opposed to just being good at something. Fascinating stuff and makes me think of the words I say to my own kids and my own students and how much power they truly have. I hope in 2013 I can empower students and my own kids to continue to get better instead of becoming fixed in their current mindset.