January 28th, 2010 by admin

When we heard the news of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince’s tragic suicide in South Hadley, MA, our thoughts immediately went out to the family and community grappling with this incomprehensible loss.  A target of extensive cyber-bullying through negative Facebook messages and texts, Phoebe’s victimization sadly mirrors what so many other students are struggling with today.   In fact, the National Crime Prevention Council reports cyber-bullying is a problem that affects more than 40% of all American teens.  The more troubling statistic is that of those affected, almost 60% of kids never told their parents or another adult about the incident.  No longer can we dismiss this type of negative behavior as an adolescent phase or kids just being kids.  Too many of our children are being left to face this issue alone, while parents and educators struggle to understand this rapidly changing form of harassment.
The only way to counter any type of bullying is to acknowledge the problem and educate students and adults alike on ways they can stand up against this type of abuse.  Just as we teach our children how to read and how to act in class, we must teach them what to do when faced with a difficult bullying situation and talk to them about the harmful effects of bullying.  This conversation needs to take place in schools and at home, and it must be part of what we live as a community — from our legislation and in-school/at-home rules to the type of behavior we model for our children each day.  The question is what can each one of us do now?
Know the Law: Phoebe Prince’s shocking death has prompted lawmakers in Massachusetts to shepherd a long in-development anti-bullying bill through the House and Senate sometime next week.  You can check the status of bully prevention legislation in your state, and work with your local community to push for greater awareness of this crucial issue.
Educate yourself and your community: Learn about the most common Bullying Myths and Misconceptions, and share this knowledge with others.  Download the Cyberbullying Tips for parents and educators and for students, and visit www.BullyBust.org to access free supports for students and adults alike. Access more resources here, here, and here.
Speak Out and Stand Up Against Bullying: Be proactive about recognizing and addressing bullying when it occurs.  Read the 10 Tips for Being an Upstander, sign the Stand Up Pledge, and consider a school-wide bully prevention program to address this issue systemically. You can also share your story with Slate here.
Together, we can put an end to the harmful bullying and cyber-bullying that is far too prevalent in our schools.  We want to hear from you: Tell us what your community is doing to stop bullying now.When we heard the news of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince’s tragic suicide in South Hadley, MA, our thoughts immediately went out to the family and community grappling with this incomprehensible loss.  A target of extensive cyber-bullying through negative Facebook messages and texts, Phoebe’s victimization sadly mirrors what so many other students are struggling with today.   In fact, the National Crime Prevention Council reports cyber-bullying is a problem that affects more than 40% of all American teens.  The more troubling statistic is that of those affected, almost 60% of kids never told their parents or another adult about the incident.  No longer can we dismiss this type of negative behavior as an adolescent phase or kids just being kids.  Too many of our children are being left to face this issue alone, while parents and educators struggle to understand this rapidly changing form of harassment.
The only way to counter any type of bullying is to acknowledge the problem and educate students and adults alike on ways they can stand up against this type of abuse.  Just as we teach our children how to read and how to act in class, we must teach them what to do when faced with a difficult bullying situation and talk to them about the harmful effects of bullying.  This conversation needs to take place in schools and at home, and it must be part of what we live as a community — from our legislation and in-school/at-home rules to the type of behavior we model for our children each day.  The question is what can each one of us do now?
Know the Law: Phoebe Prince’s shocking death has prompted lawmakers in Massachusetts to shepherd a long in-development anti-bullying bill through the House and Senate sometime next week.  You can check the status of bully prevention legislation in your state, and work with your local community to push for greater awareness of this crucial issue.
Educate yourself and your community: Learn about the most common Bullying Myths and Misconceptions, and share this knowledge with others.  Download the Cyberbullying Tips for parents and educators and for students, and visit www.BullyBust.org to access free supports for students and adults alike. Access more resources here, here, and here.
Speak Out and Stand Up Against Bullying: Be proactive about recognizing and addressing bullying when it occurs.  Read the 10 Tips for Being an Upstander, sign the Stand Up Pledge, and consider a school-wide bully prevention program to address this issue systemically.  You can also share your story with Slate here.
Together, we can put an end to the harmful bullying and cyber-bullying that is far too prevalent in our schools.  We want to hear from you: Tell us what your community is doing to stop bullying now.

January 24th, 2010 by admin

Funerals don’t fit very neatly into a schedule. Nobody sends “Save the Date” cards to give everyone advance notice so that they can block out the date and time on their calendar. But funerals are an essential part of life – worth making time for, in my opinion, because they impart a level of sobriety that is seldom experienced otherwise. The reality of death prompts introspection and a renewed sense of eternity.

A dear, godly, 92-year-old man passed away last week, leaving behind his wife, daughter, two granddaughters, twelve great-grandchildren, all their families, and numerous friends who were touched by his life – including me. Gerald Snodgrass was the beloved dishwasher at the Tea Room where my Mom and sister and I worked for several years. (Those of you who have read my book may recollect him from the chapter, In which I serve tea and solve mysteries.)

And so it was that Monday of this week found us traveling across town to attend the funeral service for Mr. Snodgrass. In the midst of sadness, we also experienced the joy of catching up with old friends, the blessing of reminiscing about treasured memories, and the inspiration of honoring the incredible legacy that Mr. Snodgrass has left behind.

I was asked to speak this weekend at a retreat for a group of student worship leaders from a local university. After a full week of teaching, meetings, and trying to meet deadlines on various projects, the retreat proved to be a refreshing time of fellowship and worship. The organizer did a fabulous job of maintaining a casual atmosphere even with a very full schedule, and I was greatly blessed by the biblical and Christ-centered focus of the event. All of the leaders are international students and I always love meeting Christians from around the world, learning about their culture, and drawing out their perspectives on various issues.

The verse that I used as the basis for my session was Psalm 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” A while back, in the course of our music-themed Bible study, my sister and I came up with the above diagram as a representation of God’s natural design for musical expression. I put together a larger version for the retreat and used it as a visual during my presentation. Here is a brief overview of what I shared:

1. God’s Character (“The LORD is my strength and my shield”) A right view of God forms the foundation from which our music must flow.
2. My Trust (“my heart trusted in him”) A right view of God should lead us to look to Him for guidance and help in every situation.
3. God’s Help (“and I am helped”) God wants to show Himself strong on behalf of those who trust Him.
4. Heart Rejoices (“therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth”) Experiencing God’s help affirms our faith and fills us with joy.
5. Song Praises (“and with my song will I praise him”) The overflow of joy in our heart will pour forth in praise to God.

In the course of preparing for the retreat, I came across a couple of quotes that I really liked and included in my session. The first is from the book, The Soul’s Quest for God, by R.C. Sproul:

“Nothing can be in the heart that is not first in the mind. Our hearts cannot be inflamed about something we know not of. Unless we know God deeply, we cannot love him deeply. A faint understanding of God is enough to begin the heart to stir. Emotions may be kindled by the slightest acquaintance with the majesty of Christ. But for that spark to rise into a consuming and lasting fire, our knowledge of him must increase.”

The second quote is from George Mueller, and was gleaned from a wonderful biographical sketch of George Mueller on the Desiring God website:

“I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the word of God, and to meditation on it. . . . What is the food of the inner man? Not prayer, but the word of God; and . . . not the simple reading of the word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts.”

In other random news this week, I finally found a pizza sauce recipe that I really like! I made deep dish Chicago-style pizza for dinner one night and did some tweaking of another recipe to come up with a concoction that was a winner with the whole family (a difficult feat, to be sure!). Here it is:

Ingredients:
14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. dried marjoram
¼ tsp. salt
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes. Once finished cooking, remove from the heat. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

January 24th, 2010 by admin

This week in A.P. history has provided some of the best discussions we’ve had so far. Luckily we happened to start talking about Haiti right after we’d begun reading a great text, Robert Marks’s The Origins of the Modern World, and talking about inequality. So there were a lot of tie-ins. We also watched Jonathan Demme’s documentary The Agronomist which gave the students a glimpse of “Papa Doc” and “Baby Doc” Duvalier and the CIA’s involvement in Haiti’s political dishevelment.

Ultimately we achieved my goals for the week: For the students to have some background information to connect with what they hear on the news. More specifically, to understand the importance of the Haitian Revolution and subsequent U.S. intervention, and to have some more complicated images of real Haitians other than the ones that other teacher gave them (i.e., the smiling faces of black children so happy to see an American that she apparently encountered when she visited Haiti).

January 22nd, 2010 by admin

NPR is featuring an audio article on the importance and impact of promoting resiliency to kids. The clip highlights a middle school that is introducing resilience techniques to 10 year olds to show them how to take control of their negative thoughts, and fight depression. The piece is part of their “Small Changes that Can Make a Difference in Health” series, and is a fascinating quick listen: Click here to listen to the story and here to read the accompanying article.
What resources, such as books, media or activities, do you use to promote resiliency to your students or kids? What have been the effects of doing so? How has playing detective with your own thoughts helped you in the classroom or home? Please share your resources or comments with other educators in the comments below.
More information to promote resiliency in kids:

Resiliency Resource Center

Tools for Teaching Resilience (Grades K-12) (PDF)

Building Resilience In Children in the Face of Fear & Tragedy

A Guide to Promoting Resilience in Children: Strengthening the Human Spirit

NPR is featuring an audio article on the importance and impact of promoting resiliency to kids. The clip highlights a middle school that is introducing resilience techniques to 10 year olds to show them how to take control of their negative thoughts, and fight depression. The piece is part of their “Small Changes that Can Make a Difference in Health” series, and is a fascinating quick listen: Click here to listen to the story and here to read the accompanying article.What resources, such as books, media or activities, do you use to promote resiliency to your students or kids? What have been the effects of doing so? How has playing detective with your own thoughts helped you in the classroom or home? Please share your resources or comments with other educators in the comments below.More information to promote resiliency in kids:

Resiliency Resource Center
Tools for Teaching Resilience (Grades K-12) (PDF)
Building Resilience In Children in the Face of Fear & Tragedy
A Guide to Promoting Resilience in Children: Strengthening the Human Spirit

January 22nd, 2010 by admin

Mark Penn, Democratic political strategist
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall)
- The former chief strategist for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, Penn is currently the worldwide CEO of Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations and public affairs agency, and president of Penn, Schoen and Berland, a strategic research firm.
 
Robert Zimmer, president of the University of Chicago
Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall)
- Named president in 2006, Zimmer is the former provost of Brown University. Prior to becoming president, he served for more than two decades as a University of Chicago administrator and faculty member specializing in the mathematical field of geometry.
 
D’Army Bailey, founder of the National Civil Rights Museum
Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow
- A former U.S. Circuit Court judge in Memphis, Tenn., Bailey will discuss his book, “The Education of a Black Radical: A Southern Civil Rights Activist’s Journey, 1959-1964,” which chronicles his experiences in the Civil Rights Movement.
 
 “Sarah from Alaska,” authors Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walshe
Monday, February 15, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow
- Conroy and Walshe will discuss their book, “Sarah from Alaska,” which chronicles the rise of former Alaska Governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin during the 2008 presidential campaign and beyond.  Dan Morrison, founder and CEO of Citizen Effect
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall)
- Citizen Effect, formerly known as 1Well, is a nonprofit organization that provides citizen philanthropists with the tools and networks to execute community development projects around the world. 

“North Mississippi Blues: Reflections from the Hill Country,” featuring John Sinclair
Friday, February 19, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall)
- Sinclair, a poet, civil rights activist and former manager of the band MC5, will be joined by David Kimbrough, Jr., and Dwayne Burnside, both sons of legendary Mississippi blues musicians, to discuss the unique sounds of blues music originating in Northeast Mississippi.
 
Robert Maranto, co-editor of “The Politically Correct University: Problems, Scope and Reform”
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow
- Maranto will discuss his book, “The Politically Correct University,” a compilation of essays arguing that political correctness harms the freedom of thought in today’s higher education community.
 
“Globalization: It’s Impact on Business and Government Institutions,” Tassu Shirvani of SMU
Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. (Sturgis Hall)
- Shirvani, a marketing professor at Southern Methodist University, will give a Clinton School lecture about the effects of globalization on capital and labor market demands. This lecture is presented in partnership with the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and AT&T.
 
*Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling 501.683.5239.

January 22nd, 2010 by admin

Aviles

Posted by student ALEJANDRO AVILES – As part of my final Capstone project, I supported the recent gathering of more than 800 community members and leaders who came together last week to participate in the American Dream FOR Arkansas public forum at Mosaic Church in Little Rock.

The gathering was part of the Reform Immigration FOR America Campaign, a national effort that brings together individuals and organizations from the business, law enforcement, education, faith and civil rights sectors with the mission to build unified support for workable immigration reform. 

The atmosphere was filled with excitement and high expectations for Arkansas’s’congressional delegation to engage in immigration reform. Representatives from Arkansas’s business, political and education sectors voiced their support for comprehensive immigration reform.

“Thousands of businesses respect immigrant communities because of their work ethic and loyalty to employers,” said Alan Leveritt, Little Rock businessman and publisher of the Arkansas Times.

Others voiced support for immigrant communities and their impact on local economies.

“Our business was built by immigrants and we are committed to Arkansas,” said Elias Trejo, a business leader from the 4th Congressional district. “Our restaurant chain generates more than 350 jobs, contributes income and sales taxes, is involved in our communities, and we are concerned with immigration reform. It is a critical issue for our economy, for our children and for Arkansas’s future.””  

Concerns were raised about the cost of deportation on both the economy and the human capital in America. Others spoke about the need to better educate the immigrant population in the state.

Click here for more about the event. For specific information on the Reform Immigration FOR America/FOR Arkansas Campaign visit: www.reformimmigrationFORamerica.org.

Alejandro Aviles is a member of the Clinton School Class of 2010 and is director of the Arkansas chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

January 22nd, 2010 by admin

In AP history I’ve decided to take a little detour and focus on the history of Haiti for a couple of days. We started by watching the video of the Haitian ambassador confronting Pat Robertson’s claim that during the Haitian Revolution the slaves made a “pact with the devil” so that they could throw off colonial rule. Never mind the offensive implication that the only way a group of non-whites can overthrow a colonial power is by consorting with a supernatural force. The students were all with me that the suggestion that Haitians brought this terrible tragedy on themselves was an ugly lie.

Later on today I approached this teacher and asked her what she’d really said in class. She said, “Well, I just talked about the history of Haiti: How, a long time ago, people used to practice Voodo and black magic, but about 50 years ago, Christians, Muslims and Jews started moving there as missionaries, so now it’s not practiced as much anymore.”

January 20th, 2010 by admin

It is with a mixture of trepidation and excitement that I accepted the invitation to speak at the Heart of the Matter Conference this year. They even have a page up for me already. The conference will be held on-line February 23-24. I don’t know all the ins and outs yet, but it looks like the organizers do a wonderful job recruiting a variety of speakers and planning an event that will be accessible, affordable, and beneficial for homeschool families across the country. It’s only $12.95, but they have given me 5 tickets that I’ll be giving away here on the Pajama School Blog in February. So, stay tuned for details on that!

Even though I’ve done lots of workshops over the years, they have primarily been in character education and music education settings, so this will be a new experience. However, the Lord has laid it on my heart to encourage homeschool families and I am trusting that He will help me know the best approach to take and what to share. The workshop I am putting together for the Heart of the Matter Conference was prompted in large part by the survey that I conducted at the CHEC conference last year and the subsequent conversations that I had with numerous homeschooling parents. Here’s the title and synopsis for my workshop:

Everything Your Child Needs to Know and How to Teach it to Them
In this encouraging and sometimes humorous workshop, homeschool graduate Natalie Wickham reflects on the four aspects of her homeschool education that she appreciates the most. Drawing on her own experiences, observation of and conversations with other homeschool families, insightful survey responses, and biblical principles, Natalie’s heart is to inspire the next generation of homeschoolers. The number one question in the minds of many homeschool parents is whether they are teaching their child everything they need to know. Natalie highlights an important distinction that must be made when asking this question, and provides practical suggestions that will benefit every homeschool family.

I’ll be fine-tuning this over the next several weeks, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know!

January 20th, 2010 by admin

Clinton School students are helping the efforts of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Second-year student Ashley Davis is organizing a group of her classmates to help the Clinton Foundation process the high volume of donations received in the aftermath of the quake.

While the foundation has received more than 100,000 donations, more money is needed to help the victims. Text the word “QUAKE” to 20222 to donate $10 to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, charged to your cell phone bill. Or click here to make an online donation.

Here’s a note from the Clinton Foundation on the fundraising efforts:

The earthquake that rocked the coast of Haiti killed or injured a devastating number of people. Even more were left in need of aid, making this is one of the great humanitarian emergencies in the history of the Americas. In the aftermath of the disaster, President Barack Obama asked President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush to raise funds for immediate relief and long-term recovery efforts to help those who are most in need of food, water, shelter, medical care, and support. In response, the two Presidents established the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (CBHF) to identify and fulfill unmet needs in the region, foster economic opportunity, improve the quality of life of those affected over the long term, and assist the people of Haiti as they rebuild their lives and country.

Presidents Clinton and Bush oversee the CBHF through their respective nonprofit organizations, the William J. Clinton Foundation and Communities Foundation of Texas. One hundred percent of the donations made to the Clinton Foundation go directly to relief efforts. Ninety-nine percent of the donations made to the Communities Foundation of Texas go directly to relief efforts.

January 18th, 2010 by admin

This year, I’ve done considerably more comprehensive planning of goals that I want to accomplish, steps to achieve them, streamlining of my financial record-keeping, and re-organizing of other files. There is a certain trepidation in working quite so hard toward organization because I don’t want to feel like I have my life pulled together to the extent that God feels the need to throw in some unexpected catastrophes to remind me to look to Him alone for my security and stability. I’m not saying unequivocally that God would do this, just that I want to be proactive in maintaining a spirit of dependency upon Him and not deluding myself into thinking that I am self-sufficient. Toward this end, a line from the hymn, Be Still My Soul, has replayed itself often in my mind:

“Leave to thy God to order and provide;
in every change He faithful will remain.”

So, I aim this year to to be wise and prudent in planning, yet submissive and flexible in accepting whatever changes God brings my way day-by-day.

Much of my time each week is occupied teaching my wonderful music students and, by extension, serving the broader music community. For those who may not know, I run Music Matters Blog – a site replete with “creative, practical, and up-to-date resources for the independent music teacher.”

In other weekly news, I love cooking and one of my favorite things to do is experiment with new recipes. Some of my family members love this; others do their best to devise reasons to not be home for dinner on Friday nights – my designated cooking night. One of the things I’m especially interested in is learning more about herbs and spices and how to use them effectively in different foods (the open-the-cupboard-and-randomly-add-spices-to-the-dish method that I tend to employ is perhaps a factor in the afore-mentioned aversion to my cooking experiments by some family members…?).

My good friend, Lydia, also enjoys cooking, so we’ve decided to become cohorts in the kitchen this year. We launched our endeavor at her house this week with a foray into some Chinese delicacies. She and her Mom, Sherri, introduced me to their method of making egg rolls and I took along a recipe for some almond pastries (okay, not exactly Chinese, but I’ve been wanting to make these for a long time and this seemed like the perfect occasion to finally do it!). Anyway, here we are displaying the scrumptious results of our labor.

Hopefully I’ll have more cooking success stories throughout the year. And I’ll try to post some of our favorite recipes as well!

Those of you who have read my book, Pajama School, know that I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with politics. Nevertheless, I did experience a bit of the campaign season itch when Dad, Naomi, and I attended the Great American Forum this week that unofficially launched the hotly contested race for the U.S. House Seat in Kansas’ 4th District. There are five republicans running in the primary and even though we are already supporting one of the candidates, we wanted to get a better idea of who the other candidates are and what their positions are on various issues.

The turn-out for the forum was incredible! It was obvious that even the organizers had not expected so many people to attend. There are critical issues being decided in Congress that will affect our families and our nation for many years to come. We are reaping the results of years of complacency, compromise, and corruption, and perhaps the disastrous consequences are spurring more people into action. The battle must be fought on many fronts, but the choosing of our representatives should be of chief importance to every American, for there is a blessing attached to the rule of the righteous:

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”

Proverbs 29:2

I’m so grateful that we have righteous men running who will represent us well and uphold biblical and constitutional principles in their policy decisions. As each of us continue to serve in the roles that God has called us to, I hope that we will also recognize the importance of investing our time, energy, and finances on behalf of those whom He has likewise called to serve Him by representing us in our local, state, and federal governments.