8th Grade Parents: MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Just a brief note to give 8th grade parents a heads-up. More information will be coming from me, as well as the high school, about the high school orientation and registration process in the next 4-6 weeks. However, so that you can plan ahead, here are 2 key dates for you to mark in your planner:

February 7th, 2011: If your child has a last name A through K, the child and 1 or more parents/guardians need to be at the 9th grade orientation night at the middle school. The time will be something like 6 to 8 p.m. More information to come.

February 10th, 2011: If your child has a last name L through Z, see above....this is your night.

As mentioned, nothing to get too worked up about right now as more information will be coming, but wanted to post it as we now have the dates set.

Recent TIME Article Shows Graduation Rates Increase!

The good news is that high school graduation rates have climbed 3% from 72% in 2001 to 75% in 2009. The bad news is that 25% of students are still not graduating. And when you look at students of different races, the news is even worse for Hispanics and African Americans. Carlisle typically has a graduation rate between 92-98%, so we are well above average, but it isn't 100% so improvement is still desired. To read more about these new stats in the area of high school graduation, please click on this TIME magazine article by clicking here.

JA Biztown Curriculum in Full Swing for 6th Graders

Our 6th graders are now finishing their first unit of study in our JA Biztown curriculum. This means that students have learned about what it means to be a community (town, country, school, church, etc.), why we pay taxes and where that money goes, why we vote and what other rights and responsibilities a citizen may have, and also what it means to be a philanthropist. We even discussed how markets work and what supply and demand is all about. In fact, some students, if they were listening well, might even be able to explain how our economy basically collapsed over the past 3-5 years and why the stimulus package was designed and what it was supposed to do (and did to some extent).

Now, as we head into break and come back from break, students will be studying all about how banks, investing, spending, and saving work. This means that students will finally get their own practice checkbook and begin writing checks and balancing their checkbooks. What I hope you can do to help me is to include your child in virtually every spending and saving occurrence that happens over the next month, especially since it is the holidays! Show them how you write a check, talk to them about why you use your debit or credit card and what happens to the money when you use it, talk to them about why you may not write that many checks, and talk to them about the options you have to save your money: 401K, savings acct., checking acct., under the mattress :), stocks, bonds, etc. I can give them the basics in class, but seeing it in action with you can be a huge support. Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts on all of this. And Happy Holidays!

Runaway Resources Now in My Office

I now have some resources for families who have had a child run away or for a student who thinks running away will be the answer to all of their problems. At least a few times a year, a student will walk through my office doors and state that they want to run away or they are in the process of running away. This hurts so much to hear as I know they are serious and I know they think running away will solve their problems and life will be easier. Yet, in reality, it won't. In fact, it will likely make their life much tougher, much more dangerous, and possibly the worst decision possible.

---We still have the SAP program, the Student Assistance Program, to offer to students who are thinking of running away. This program offers students and/or families 3 free counseling sessions and possibly even a referral to more counseling at a cheap or reduced rate. This could be a great place to start and many students have used this service for a variety of issues over the past 3 years of Carlisle offering this service.

---I now have cards with a National Runaway hotline phone number for a student or parent to call. It is answer 24/7 every day of the year and can be a great voice to talk to and to listen to when school is not in session. As we approach a long holiday break that may bring up a variety of emotions and thoughts, having a phone number handy to talk through these feelings might do the trick.

---I have some pamphlets that speak more directly to the parent of a child who has runaway or is considering running away. Some are tips on what to do if you discover that your child has run away. Some information is about programs that help get your child back safely (and for free!) and to prevent it from happening again, and some of the information is simply practical prevention information. I have listed some of this information below as I feel it is good information to get out to everyone through this blog.

How a Parent Can Prevent a Child from Running Away:

*Pay attention....really listening and really responding

*Show respect...understand what your adolescent child is going through and have honest and open discussions

*Don't lecture....be clear and concise and offer constructive feedback

*Create Responsibility...Give teens choices and help them understand actions carry consequences

*Get to know those who are close to your child...talk with them and their parents. It will help you understand your child better

*Talk with your child and discuss feelings...discuss this runaway 24/7 switchboard, talk about why someone thinks running away is an option, work to understand their feelings, and be open and honest with your feelings. Create a safe environment for discussion.

Warning Signs of a possible runaway attempt:

*Changes in behavior, sudden and dramatic ones.

*Rebellion: dropping grades, truancy, breaking rules

*Talking about running away: Doesn't matter if you think they are serious or not, if they are talking about or threatening it, it could be a sign that they might try it.

*Accumulation of money/possessions: This could mean they are prepping for a runaway attempt

If you have concerns that your child might be considering running away or has run away, please call me and we will work together to make sure your child is safe. My students know that they can talk to me confidentially and be open with their thoughts and feelings, but they also know that I have to break that confidentiality if I feel their life or safety could be at risk or in danger. If I feel they are going to run away from home, I work with the student to contact home so that you can be aware of the situation and work with your child to understand why they are having these thoughts.

SMART Discipline Update

Parents: It has been almost a month since the great program and speaker for SMART Discipline came to our school for a few hours on a Monday night. That night, I purchased several books as I thought my family could use some of the information, but also for my students, parents, and my own counseling practice. As I read through these books, I will use my newly learned information in counseling sessions and in discussions with parents. But I want to offer parents these books as well. So, if you have interest in any of the following books, I am willing to "check them out" to you for a week. If you like what you read, you can go online and purchase the book to keep for yourself. I am positive everyone who reads these books will learn some good information that they can use in their families. And I am sure some of you will want to purchase your own copy to keep and return to from time to time as well. If I can be of any help to you as you read these books or if you have questions, please call or email me. In the meantime, here is the list of books that I purchased and are available for check out. By the way, even if you did not attend the seminar, you can still check out these books. (If you click on the book title, you will be taken to the site where you can purchase it, but also read about what the book is all about)

Book Titles:

The Making of a Happy Family

SMART Discipline Workbook

How to Blend Your Blended Family (no place to order online, but I could get it for you)

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones But Your Words Can Also Hurt M! (The Power of Parents' Words) (no place to order online, but I could get it for you)

SMART Discipline homepage

Filipino-American Association of Iowa Christmas Party

Just a heads up on an upcoming local event that is celebrating some of our local diversity. There is a phone number at the bottom where you can call to get more information. Have a great weekend!

"Dear FAAI members and future members,

Everyone is invited and bring your crowd. Please open the attachment.

Filipino-American Association of Iowa

Invites you to its

Annual Christmas Party

Saturday, December 4, 2010, 5:00 p.m. – ??? p.m.

Corinthian Baptist Church (Fellowship hall)
814 School Street, Des Moines, IA 50309

Members: FREE

Future member: $10.00 (family)

$5.00 (single –18 yr & up)

Mr & Mrs Santa Claus will be present to hand a gift to your child

Parents, you need to bring a gift with your child’s name on it.

Adults - please bring a gift ($10.00 worth) for gift exchange

POTLUCK - main dish and a 2 ltr bottle soda will be much appreciated

Questions - please call Ruben Rullan @ 515-278-8212"

Des Moines Police Explorer Program Opportunity

Parents and students.....heads up for a great opportunity! The Des Moines Police Department has a program called "Des Moines Police Explorers". I am in contact with a leader of this group and he will be coming to Carlisle to speak to interested students in early December. Students need to be age 14-19 and be able to attend meetings 2 Tuesdays a month. Students who participate will get a lot of hands on experience with things police do. They even get to do some ride-a-longs with police who are on duty! This is a great opportunity for any student interested in law enforcement. Please call or email me if you think your child might like this program (some students have already expressed interest, but I wanted to put it in my blog to see if others had interest as well).

Six Things Not to Post on Your Facebook Account

Although geared more for adults, I still wanted to post a link to some great advice. Each of the six items could relate to young people and young people might be the least understanding of these rules and make the most mistakes, so I think they could use this information. However, all the parents, adults, and even I could use this information. I love the reasons they give on why not to post these six things...makes sense and is kind of scary. Anyway, click on the link and see how many of these you do. I have to admit...I do some of these!

Six Things You Should Never Reveal on Facebook by Kathy Kristof

Khan Academy Can Help With Homework

I have mentioned this to many educators and I know some of our teachers have used this website before, but I thought it might be good to provide parents with the link and information in case they wanted to use it or wanted their kids to use it. So....what is "it"?

"It" is the Khan Academy website where a teacher records very simple forms of teaching on thousands of topics. Everything from adding single digit numbers to advanced calculus is on this site with more getting added all the time. It began as a way for the creator of the site to teach a relative who lived far away and he posted his lessons online through Youtube. Then, he realized that other people were viewing his videos and learning too. It has exploded from there to be a free online "teacher" of countless basic school subject lessons. The company is a non-profit company and the videos are watched in classrooms, homes, and villages across the world. So, how could you use it? Need to help your child on their math homework but lost on what they are doing? Search the topic in the Khan Academy and re-learn the problem on your own time and impress your child by teaching them how to do it!! Or, watch the video with your child and learn together! I have attached the website to click on below, but I also put a video so you can learn just exactly what the Khan Academy is. Please visit and use this amazing site!

Khan Academy

Watch this short 3 minute video to learn more and prepare to be amazed!

Rising Cost of College

College should be an option for everyone and anyone! I tell that to my students all the time. Money should not be an obstacle as there are always scholarships, grants, and loans. But, I also realize that college is getting more and more expensive every year. This link is not meant to freak you out, but to prepare you for the future costs of college for your children. Take a look at some of the startling numbers.....

Click here to see the costs of college (thank you to Mint.com for the info and Hack Education for the blogpost alerting me about this infographic)

Go Online WITH Your Kids Sometimes!

I liked this video as it was simple and short and made me think. Now, your kids are not driving your car, but they are driving on the Internet Superhighway....are you a passenger or did you just wish them luck? Just like driving, you might have to train them for several years before they are ready. Once they are ready, you might have to test them. If they pass the test, you might have to ride "shotgun" with them for awhile. And finally, you might have to let them drive the Internet on their own and hope they remember all of your tips, hope they are responsible and mature about this right of theirs, and hope they come back safely when they are done. As a counselor, I see "wrecks" all the time on the Internet with our students and I worry we as adults don't do enough to train them. Partly because we didn't grow up with the Internet, but also partly because we just don't have time. I am starting to realize that I (and we) need to make time. The Internet is a large and strange place without many rules, but can be a great tool as long as we are taught how to use it correctly and responsibly. Something to think about as you watch this short video.....

FDA Calls Some Alcoholic Energy Drinks Unsafe!

Great news!! The FDA is putting a stop to the worst of the alcoholic energy drinks and the makers of these drinks are complying with the FDA's request. As I type, the worst of these drinks including Four Loko are no longer being produced or sold in their current potentially-deadly form. Click here to read more about this story on CNN.com.

If you are wondering what these drinks are, please click through other blog entries of mine until you see some pictures of these deadly energy drinks. They look just like your typical energy drinks and many can be bought right locally. In some cases, Warren County store clerks have sold them to minors thinking the request for ID the machine asks for is just because it is an energy drink. They push some buttons to make it go away and sell the drink to minors! So why are these drinks so bad? They combine a large amount of caffeine and a large amount of alcohol into one can. How much into one can? Well, about 3 pops and 4 beers!! So now when a human body wants to save itself terrible damage or death and shut down and pass out to avoid consuming more alcohol, the energy in these drinks keep people awake and drinking more. Way more than their body can handle and this leads to blackouts, comas, lasting bodily injuries, or even death.

Not all drinks are being changed and the drinks aren't really being banned, so education of young people is still needed. Not to mention that a person of age can still legally mix energy drinks with alcohol on their own or even order a mixed drink at a bar, but in these cases, the caffeine and alcohol content is usually far less. But even in these cases, the danger is present. The one good thing to come from these new drinks and the public uproar is the people are talking and many are learning of the true dangers that can occur when stimulants like caffeine are mixed with depressants like alcohol. I for one hope the conversation and education continues....along with the FDA making sure the products marketed to young people are not the same products that are being designed to hurt or kill them.