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