Motivating Students for Reading Success

Ansonia reading challenge worth a pie in the face- The New Haven Register – Serving New Haven, Connecticut

By Patricia Villers pvillers@nhregister.com / Twitter: @nhrvalley

ANSONIA — On Friday, students who were the top readers in a challenge that John C. Mead Elementary School Principal Terri Goldson launched in September got their reward: An opportunity to throw pies in Goldson’s face.
The students threw whipped cream pies at Goldson, who donned a hat, sunglasses, a towel and a sheet for the event. And that was a good idea, since Goldson was covered with whipped cream in a matter of seconds. The gym erupted in squeals of laughter and applause as he tried to wipe the whipped cream from his face.

Click here to read the full story:  Ansonia reading challenge worth a pie in the face- The New Haven Register – Serving New Haven, Connecticut.

Are you a…. “Game Changer?”

Many of us watch or have participated in sports; they are entertaining, fun, exhilarating, competitive and challenging. If you have ever experienced coaching, there is nothing more exciting than seeing your team execute a play in a game situation, exactly as you have diagramed it or practiced over and over again. As a member of a team, there is nothing like working together to win a hard fought competition. Sports are analogous to life; all of us have experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. But lack of persistence and the decision to give up after a defeat, is what separates winners and losers in life. In our day to day struggles we can’t win everything, but we sure can try. Orison Marden tells us that there are the wills, won’ts, and the can’ts. The first accomplish everything, the second oppose everything; the third fail everything. Which one are you….are you a “Game Changer?”

There are moments in competitive sports when the game is tight, seconds are ticking away and the final outcome depends on a decision that can change the course of the game. It could be a specially designed play, an extraordinary performance or a poor decision. Regardless of who or what it is, it’s considered a game changing situation.

God has given us extraordinary talents with the ability to achieve miraculous and unbelievable accomplishments. He is an example and the embodiment of the ultimate game changer and has left us, within His lessons, the blueprint for success. In our daily lives we can change our circumstances and influence others. Author Dennis Kimbro tells us that the world waits and takes notice of exceptional people who can separate themselves from the crowd and do things in a creative and exciting way. The world is searching for and craves aggressive and progressive leaders that identify with success and can show others how to attain it. Those successful leaders that I speak of are “Game Changers.”
To be a game changer there are a number of qualities you must possess but one of them is persistence. Calvin Coolidge once said;

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.

Genius will not; unregarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Are you a……”Game Changer?”
You are a…….”Game Changer!”

Terri D. Goldson, Sr.

Just a touch….one moment, can make a difference.

My mother and grandmother told me that just a touch of a particular spice or flavoring can change the taste and texture of a food. They reminded me that good food can change the atmosphere, your attitude, and it can create a feeling of joy. They encouraged me to light up the world.

At a wedding they ran out of wine, Jesus touched the water and it changed to wine…. the party continued.

At a time in need, Jesus shared a meal, fed the multitudes, changed the atmosphere and changed lives.

My chiropractor was explaining how he could make a simple adjustment or manipulation and touch the spine to alleviate pain. He stated that it is amazing how it can help a person walk or move better in a matter of minutes. He helped me believe that any man can have the ability to heal a person in many different ways.

Jesus healed the sick, blind, lepers and the broken; all it took was a touch.

My father and coach told me that all it takes is a positive attitude and a touch of determination to help change the momentum of a game from seemingly insurmountable odds. Just believe in yourself and trust in your ability. They told me to apply it to all situations with consistency.

Against all odds, David slew the giant Goliath and all it took was faith and one stone to change the destiny of a nation.

We all have the ability to change a situation with a touch of kindness and a sprinkle of love. A simple smile can light up a room, a hug and kiss can warm the soul, or a kind word can change a mood and heal a broken heart. Words of encouragement and prayers of hope and faith have the ability to create miracles.   It doesn’t take much to change things, just faith the size of a mustard seed and the willingness to reach out.

We all can make a difference!

Elder Terri D. Goldson, Sr.

Obama’s plan: Into preschool, out of poverty

By Jonathan Capehart,  The Washington Post

All of this is an investment in the future of this country and striving generations to come.

Read excerpt below.

President Obama went to Georgia to push his State of the Union proposal to work with the states “to make high-quality preschool available to every single child in America.” He cited a statistic from the National Institute for Early Education Research that “fewer than three in 10” 4-year-olds are enrolled in this vital early education program. Just how vital was summed up in three charts from the White House.

(The White House)

One of them I showed you yesterday. At-risk children who don’t go to preschool are 25 percent more likely to drop out of school, 60 percent more likely not to attend college and 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime. As one Alabama business leader said in a New York Times story today, “The evidence is, if we don’t make this investment and we don’t make it wisely, we’re going to pay for it later.”

Click here Obama’s plan: Into preschool, out of poverty  for the full story.

Take a chance, Take Charge!

Everyone has the ability to take charge, step up and make things happen.  Providing leadership or guidance to others is not exclusive to those who possess a tile of authority. We are brought up to believe that only certain people can be charged with the responsibility of leadership. We are programmed to believe that the captain of the team will show leadership for the entire team, when we know that at any given time an obscure player can rise up and show greatness.  We often believe that only the CEO or manager can make sound decisions for the store or the office.  Only to realistically know that the idea to change and improve a business practice or increase revenue can be introduced by a veteran or new employee.  Fortunately, exclusive leadership and greatness from the top down is a false assumption. God has given us all the innate ability and authority to lead if we so choose to do so. John Maxwell tells us that, “A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.”  We have to learn and know when to take the chance to take charge.

What you think about yourself is much more important than what others think of you.” Marcus Annaeus Seneca

One of the most important examples of leadership comes from within our homes. We learn from our family role models how to navigate through those critical and modest life experiences. It doesn’t matter if it is within the construct of an intact or extended family. How we lead and provide guidance for our children and direct them towards a path of success is critical. Learning the nuances of life can be the difference between triumph and disaster. (‘If ‘by Rudyard Kipling) Leadership through a variety of positive adult examples, actions, deeds and what children see are very powerful. They help to paint a moral visual picture of what is right and wrong. Shared leadership within the family is an important ingredient for success. When we allow all members of the family to take on responsibility it helps to nurture leadership qualities. It also helps to foster decision-making skills, confidence, sound calculated risk taking and a better sense of the world around us.

“Fix your eyes forward on what you can do, not back on what you cannot change.”

Contrary to popular belief, leadership is not always making the right decision, we can learn from our mistakes. And it teaches us how to rebound from our errors, faults, shortcomings and disastrous circumstances. Unfortunately, we often see images and chronic examples of poor decision-making within some families plagued by the grips of poverty. The outcome can lead to a familial cyclical and generational pattern of chronic dependency on welfare, teen pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse, lack or training and education, drop-out, incarceration, along with under and unemployment. Poor leadership at any level is disastrous, planning and preparing is crucial because failure to plan is a plan for failure. In order for a pattern of unproductive circumstances to reverse someone must step up, take a chance and take charge. Any victim can turn a seemingly lost situation into a victory.

Everyone is gifted, but some people never open their package”

Whether it is making positive well thought-out decisions or improving your personal finances, educational opportunities and future employment circumstances, positive role models and leadership in all venues are important. But if you really want long-term change and an opportunity to reproduce leadership, the home is where the seed of hope is planted and the foundation of success must begin. Don’t be afraid to step out, step up, take a chance and take charge!

Losing Our Children, Newtown and Beyond

The murder of twenty innocent children and six adults by a mentally ill 20 year old young man named Adam Lanza in Newtown, Connecticut at Sandy Hook Elementary School was so unthinkable and horrifying, that it shocked the entire nation to its core. Or did it?

The National debate of meaningful gun control makes you wonder where our moral imperative and fortitude has gone and where our social priorities lie as a nation. As we all ponder that account, individual states are lining up in an attempt to tighten gun laws, reduce the national murder rate, gun inflicted injuries and death. The NRA, the most feared and revered gun organization in the USA, is gearing up for a fight against new laws that legislate, regulate and simply control guns. All of this is brewing while National polls, public opinion and political outrage overwhelmingly support reasonable new gun laws.

While there are approximately 283 million guns in civilian hands throughout America, President Obama has urged Congress to make a move towards meaningful gun reform measures while keeping the 2^nd Amendment intact. He has boldly and ambitiously proposed and signed 23 measures that will be enacted through executive action, which is an attempt to help reduce the monthly carnage of 3000 deaths by guns per month in America. (USA Gun Violence Statistics www.heedinggodscall.org )   His effort to do so has prompted mainstream, left wing, and extreme fringe interest group opponents to vehemently threaten impeachment, armed uprising and state succession.

Historical and statistical facts meticulously keep track and reminds us of our homicide rates, street violence and mass shootings that are unfortunately part of the human fabric.( Mother Jones analyzed 62 mass shootings ) With that said, there is a point and time to look at some of the many underlying issues that impact and facilitate gun violence. For years, socioeconomically disadvantaged families throughout America have known the heartbreaking experience of gun violence, homicide and the systematic demise of our children. The disenfranchised that live from day to day in extreme poverty and fear have been crying out for help and change for decades. The unfortunate Newtown incident in an upper middle class section of Connecticut, helped to bring the issue to the forefront.

As I see it, the main issue must be confronted by a multifaceted approach. As a nation we have turned our backs and passed the buck regarding our societal needs and chronic inadequacies. The basic needs of our children and families should be a matter of national concern. The Census purports that poverty has been on the rise and reveals that more than 20 million children live in poverty and 50 million Americans struggle to make it from day to day. The data reflects a dire yet telling story of unemployment, a struggling economy and a stifling deficit. For the past decade we have squandered our national resources on two unfunded wars while neglecting the education, health and welfare of our nation. As a so called well developed nation, we find ourselves debating and cutting funds for education, social security, Medicare and Medicaid, unemployment and other social safety nets that help to keep our nation’s people safe and viable. When those services are cut, grants are reduced and programs are no longer available, people suffer. It certainly leads to the killing of our children’s hopes and dreams and the destruction and disruption of the intact family. It also helps to facilitate and perpetuate devastating health disparities that impact the social and emotional wellbeing of poor children for a lifetime. Poverty impacts income, education, employment opportunities, quality of life and incarceration rates to name a few.

Over the past decade, the burden of servicing families and children has fallen onto and into the hands of the schools. Schools are expected to provide counseling for children and families in crisis, give health exams, clothe, feed and provided extended day care. Every organization, program, community event and solicitation flows through the schools. Local budgets continue to shrink and the first budget cuts are made within the school systems, which results in larger class sizes, lack of counselors, and loss of extracurricular activities and the elimination of programs. Most often the outcome and outlook is bleak which leads to an atmosphere and feeling of disenfranchisement and marginalization by teachers, parents, students and school officials.

Through the implementation of unfunded federal and state education mandates, schools are expected to achieve high standards while reaching and teaching on shoe string budgets that lack the proper resources. Somebody somewhere believes that our children and schools can test, evaluate and blame game their way out of this conundrum. To add salt to the wound of many educators, there is a false positive belief that for profit organizations, charter, magnet or the systematic privatization of schools are the answer. This debated philosophy and social experiment will play out for years until the true verdict or a long term comprehensive study comes in. Currently, research is slowly creeping in and is proving that latching onto a theme or transforming into a magnet or charter school does not in itself, create a high performing school.

I will admit there is a need to improve the quality of education, but truth be told, for over a decade school resources have been reduced while education has failed to truly be a national priority. Until we change our focus as a society, our future and way of life is in jeopardy. More importantly, we will squander our most precious resource, our children. Furthermore, we will not have to worry about Al Qaeda or a deranged individual killing the hopes and dreams of our children and families. We can sadly just look in the mirror of blame if we don’t make poverty, health, education and the welfare of our children, a matter of national security and a social priority for all.

I extend my prayers and blessings to the children and families in Newtown, Ct. and beyond.

The NFL Needs Its Head Examined by featured Blogger Keith Balmer

Blogger Keith Balmer, “The NFL Needs Its Head Examined” hits the NFL, football as a whole and sports with a crushing, truthful and thought provoking commentary regarding injuries, player safety and long term brain injury. Player safety must become a priority over revenue, winning and for the sake of the game…any and all games.

Read excerpt: On Wednesday, Robert Griffith III had surgery for a total reconstruction of his right knee to repair a torn ACL and LCL. He had a similar reconstruction on the same knee three years ago when he was a sophomore at Baylor University.

I loved what Sally Jenkins, sports columnist for the Washington Post, said in a column she wrote this past week:

“There is no confusion over Robert Griffith III’s knee – and there never was. The Washington Redskins drafted a healthy, thrilling young player and by the time they got done using him up, he lurched around like a pirate with a peg leg.”

But she could have said that about any NFL player. Once the sport is done using them up, most of them lurch around with broken bodies and shattered souls.

Our society demands injury of the few, for the entertainment of the many.

Log onto this link to read Keith Balmer’s entire article.  http://t.co/10OpWyL6