Boot Camp!!!!

 
 Image source: http://www.recetasparaadelgazar.com/2011/10/bootcamp-para-perder-peso-recetas-para-adelgazar/&docid=OHtkYx7MIUximM&imgurl=

This week we have an amazing opportunity to have our students participate in a "Boot Camp". They will get a chance to spend the entire day doing teambuilding activities, while learning about the importance of making the right choices as they mature into young adults. This experience will be organized and monitored by Mr. Salvador Recinos the Director of "Door of Hope Ministry", who has been a guest speaker at our school already. The cost is 800 lempiras which includes the materials needed, lunch, transportation and a T-shirt.
The cost of this Boot Camp is also a way we are contributing with this organization to continue to support several underprivileged communities in Honduras.

"Fundación Free the Oppressed operates: Prince of Peace Children's Home (which also shelters abused teenage girls and their babies), Door of Hope Rehab Center, Casa Santiago (a short-term missions base) and Faith Academy (a Christian bilingual school for the children we serve), all from the small mountain-town of Zambrano, north of the capital, Tegucigalpa." (taken from the web page www.freetheoppresed.org)


As you can see, not only will our students benifit greatly from this experience, but the cost of the activity will support a wonderful organization!!!!!!

I strongly encourage you to participate in this amazing opportunity!

If you have any questions please contact me at icasco@discoveryschool.edu.hn or call school as soon as possible!

There are several tests coming up these next two weeks!

We will be having our last round of MAP testing for the whole school starting this week. We will also have our AP testing for the High School students. During this time students may worry about their performance and parents want to help their son or daughter to make the best of this experience.

 The following suggestions were taken from http://www.tn.gov/education.

 We hope they can be of help for all of you who want to end the year on a positive note!

STUDENTS' TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES

Preparing for Tests 

• Maintain good study habits: Do your class work.

·        Have a clear understanding of homework assignments before leaving class.

·        Keep a record of assignments received and completed.

·        Make a study schedule and follow it.

·        Tell your parents about schoolwork and homework.

·        Turn in homework on time.

·        Get make-up assignments when returning from an absence.

·        See teachers for additional help. 

·        Seek and use past homework assignments, class notes, and available review materials.

·        Follow directions.

·        Find out when tests will be given out. 

·        Get a good night's rest and eat a normal breakfast before testing. 

During Tests 

• Read and pay careful attention to all directions. 

• Read each passage and accompanying questions.

• Read every possible answer--the best one could be last. 

• Read and respond to items one at a time rather than thinking about the whole test.

• Reread, when necessary, the parts of a passage needed for selecting the correct answer. 

• Don't expect to find a pattern in the positions of the correct answers. 

• Don't make uneducated guesses. Try to get the correct answer by reasoning and eliminating wrong answers. 

• Decide exactly what the question is asking; one response is clearly best. 

• Don't spend too much time on any one question. 

• Skip difficult questions until all other questions have been answered. On scrap paper, keep a record of the unanswered items to return to, if time permits. 

• Make sure to record the answer in the correct place on the answer sheet.

• Only change an answer if you are sure the first one you picked was wrong. Be sure to  completely erase changed answers. 

• Work as rapidly as possible with accuracy. 

• After completion of the test, use any remaining time to check your answers. 

• Keep a good attitude. Think positively!

After Tests 

• Examine your test scores; ask the teacher to explain your test scores if needed. 

• Congratulate yourself on identified areas of strength. 

• Identify areas of weakness which you will want to improve for a better performance next

time. 

• Ask your teacher to suggest areas of study that will help you perform better on the next test. 

TEST ANXIETY

Students may experience anxiety about tests and may experience heightened anxiety before a testing situation. A certain degree of test anxiety is normal and may help students prepare more effectively, work more efficiently, and remain focused during testing. Too much anxiety, however, can negatively affect performance. The following strategies may assist students, parents, and teachers in reducing test anxiety.

Student Strategies for Reducing Test Anxiety 

• Share your feelings of anxiety with parents and teachers.

• Think of the test as an opportunity to show what you know.

• Review homework and materials which pertain to the test topics.

• Relax, breathe deeply and stay focused on the test. 

• Remember the test is only one way your academic performance is measured

We are already so proud of all the work all our students have done this year not only academically, but in all the different areas of the extra-curricular activities.

Have a blessed week!

What are your plans for the summer?

Tips To Ending The School Year On A Positive Note

Be Encouraging

It hard to be positive when your child is not doing as well as he or she should be doing in school. Be encouraging means to:

1. Remain calm
2. Avoid lecturing
3. Provide positive options
4. Listen to your child
5. Remind the child that he or she can do better
6. Be patient

Communicate With Teachers

Give your child's teacher a phone call or an email. Make the call or email brief positive. The purpose of your communication should be fact finding and instructional (provide you with assignment or project information) You may hear from the teacher that many children during this time of the school year are "hard to motivate." Again, be positive with your child's teachers and seek advice on what you can do to help your child finish the school year on a positive note.

Set Some New Goals With Your Child

Set some short term goals with your child to end the year on a successful note. Write the goals down. Include a plan for the goals to be achieved. The plan may include:

1. Homework time during school
2. Homework time at home
3. Attitude,  Be positive!
4. Writing down assignments in a planner
5. Remembering to bring homework home- hang a note in locker
6. Remember to bring homework back to school- put backpack in front of door
7. Communicate daily with Parent(s) and teachers
8. Provide incentives: This is not a bribe, but an item, treat or event that your child would not normally receive. Example: "I your assignments are turned in all week, you can have a sleep over with friends." or "You can have a movie night this Saturday when/if your project is turned in on time."

Form A Study Group At Your Home

Allow your child to ask a few friends over to study together. Contact the friend's parents first and share the plan. Keep an eye on the study group, but don't hover. Plan the study time to be one to two hours in length and then allow the students to do what they want together for another period of time- make popcorn and watch TV together.

Normal Consequences

It's hard for us parents to allow our children to fail. But failure is an important lesson itself. Schools do not give out grades; children earn them. Avoid doing your child's work for him or her. Walk away when you become frustrated or angry. Yes, your child will have other educational opportunities if failure is the only option. It's healthy for your child to learn from his or her mistakes, poor judgment or lack of motivation.

Source:  www.selfgrowth.com

Can there be TOO much of a good thing? Read on and let me know your thoughts!

For us as parents it seems very difficult at times to know how to say “no” to our children, especially if they are obedient, good students and well mannered.  Here is some interesting information about giving our children too much.

To Spoil or Not to Spoil, that is The Question!


There are three big negative consequence of "spoiling" our children on the material level:
1) It fosters addictive behavior - filling up from the outside with things and activities rather than filling up from the inside through caring and creativity. Too many adults are addicted to spending or other activities to fill up their emptiness. If they are stressed, instead of dealing with the source of their stress - which is generally some way they are not taking care of themselves - they cover their feelings with some addictive behavior such as spending, TV, food, alcohol, and so on. When we offer our children too many toys, too many activities, too much comfort food, or allow too much TV, we are not loving them. We are training them to be addicted.
2) Often parents provide things and activities for their children while denying their own needs. It’s  not loving to children to give in to their every demand, especially if it means putting yourself aside. When you constantly give in to your children and deny your own needs, children learn that it’s okay to disregard others needs and be demanding brats. Children may not learn to consider others if you do not expect them to consider you by considering yourself. They will learn to treat you the way you treat yourself, so it is not loving to your children to disregard yourself. When you disrespect yourself, you teach your children to be disrespectful.

3) One of the big issues in our society is that children learn to identify their self-worth with others’ approval for how they look, how many toys they have, how expensive their clothes are. Unless parents show their children that they value them for their inner qualities - their caring, creativity, compassion, laughter, joy, passion for life - rather than for their looks, possessions and performance, children learn to attach their self-worth to other’s approval. True self-worth comes from inside, from knowing we are valuable for who we are, not for how we look or what we do. Unfortunately, our materialistic society fosters attaching self-worth and lovability to others’ approval for things such as a car or a house or clothes. When we "spoil" our children with material possessions, we foster co-dependency, which is dependency on others’ approval for our sense of worth.

We can spoil our children with material things, but we can’t spoil them with love. Love is the energy of acceptance for who the child really is. Love is understanding, compassion, caring. You are loving your children when you spend time just being with them, hanging out with them, being fully present with them, really listening to them. The greatest gift you can give to your children is to value them for who they really are on the inside. This is love, and nothing material can ever replace it.

Source: http://www.mydailymoment.com/moms/parenting