Are You Like An Ant?

Posted on August 4, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Photo by Roy Toft

I’m taking part in Susanna Leonard Hill’s Summer Short and Sweets, a creative writing exercise that would be fun for elementary students as well. Click on her link and get all of the details.

Today’s challenge was to pick an adjective and then an animal that adjective might be associated with…here’s my entry:

Tenacious
Is a steadfast ant
Tirelessly laboring with strong jaws excavating
In the subterranean tunnels under my feet
Creating a new home for his queen.

I’ve always been fascinated with ants…such tireless goal-setting creatures!

Tireless and goal-setting can also define the firefighters who battled the Waldo Canyon Fire last month here in Colorado Springs.

Fortunately, many of the homes were insured.

What about the forests?

The trees had no insurance policies.

Fortunately, there are some individuals who are trying to help.

One of these is a neighbor of mine who has put together a photo-journal.

The pictures show the impact of the fire on the forest.

Visit www.WaldoCanyonRehab.org to find out how you can purchase it.

Proceeds will go to the Waldo Canyon Burn Scar Rehabilitation Project.

I’ve also been liked to an ant and have been called tenacious by those who know me.

If I believe in something, I am tireless and never give up.

One thing I believe in is the importance of building self-esteem in children.

That’s why I started the Show Me How! School Initiative.

Please don’t forget to leave a comment, nominating a deserving school.

A dozen copies of Show Me How! will be awarded at the end of September.

Would you like your favorite school to get a copy? Just leave a comment!

Gifts pouring in to firefighters after Waldo fire (gazette.com)
Organizations to discuss confusion over Waldo Canyon fire funds (gazette.com)
United Way’s plan to help Waldo Canyon fire victims (krdo.com)

Show Me How! School Initiative Nominations Open Today!

Posted on August 2, 2012 by viviankirkfield

The school bells are already ringing, announcing the start of a new school year.

Here at Positive Parental Participation, we are joining the celebration.

We believe that building self-esteem is of critical importance. Do you?

Studies show that children with a positive self-image:

Are more likely to take on new challenges
Have greater school success
Make friends more easily
Do not become bullies or the victims of bullies

Many children are in school for eight hours a day. Little ones in daycare facilities while their parents are working may be there for even longer periods of time.

Isn’t it important for teachers and other child-care providers to have the best resources available to succeed in this important task?

Show Me How!

Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking

Not only an award-winning parenting resource…it’s also a wonderful addition to any classroom bookshelf.

”It will be an excellent resource for our Family Literacy Center’s programs” – Rhonda Cooper, Program Director, Literacy Volunteers of Leon County, FL

Many local teachers have purchased their own copy to place in their classrooms…there is even a copy on the shelves of the teacher-education department at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

“We will add it to our collection in support of our Educational Studies Program.” – Celia Rabinowitz, Director of the Library, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Show Me How! is a book that every nursery school, preschool, kindergarten, first grade, KinderCare and other daycare facility needs to have for their teachers.

“It is a great tool to help our children become successful.” – Mary Newquist, Assistant Principal, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School, Selma, TX

What school would you like to see receive a copy of Show Me How?

If you’d like your favorite school to win a copy, just leave a comment on any blog post here this month.

Nominations will remain open through the end of September…we will announce the twelve lucky winners early in October, picked by Random.org.

As with the Show Me How Library Project, I will send the books to the people who nominated the winning schools. If you would like to review the book on your blog if your school wins a copy, please let me know in your comment.

“This book is an incredible resource for fostering a child’s sense of self-worth.” – Jodi Harap, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Chicago, IL

EVERYONE IS ELIGIBLE TO NOMINATE A SCHOOL OR CHILDCARE FACILITY!

Please hop on board the Show Me How! School Initiative. Leave a comment nominating a school or other child-care facility. Let me know if you’d like to review the book if your school is one of the lucky winners. Spread the word on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, Pinterist and/or any other social media networks.

“Show Me How! is a framework of carefully crafted, multi-sensory lessons that will promote a willingness to try new experiences.” – Peggy Hicks, MA, Special Education Teacher, Pikes Peak Boces, CO

Sunday Post: Road: Which One Will You Follow?

Posted on July 29, 2012 by viviankirkfield

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is ROAD.

The Road Not Taken (1916)
by Robert Frost

“The Road Not Taken Robert Frost

1916

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

Children need a parent’s guidance as they embark on the road of life.

As parents, we also need to make a choice as to which road or parenting approach we will take as we raise our children. Here are five simple tips:

Be consistent with your children…set guidelines and stick to them.
Be compassionate with your children…show them love and respect.
Teach consequences…children need to learn that for every action there is a reaction.
Communicate with your children…a two-way street of talking AND listening.
Connect with your children…participate together in all types of activities.

Speaking about participating in activities, have you ever tried creative writing with your children? It’s lots of fun and will help strengthen their literacy skills and exercise their creativity. I’m taking part in a little creative writing over at Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog. It’s called Summer Short and Sweets.

This is week four of Susanna’s challenge…if you click on the link above, you’ll see that this challenge was to take a letter of the alphabet, possibly the first letter of your name, and think of as many words (nouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc.) that begin with that letter and then write a 50 – 100 word story. You are not supposed to peek at the detailed instructions until you choose your letter. I picked “V” since that is the first letter of my name (had I peeked, I might have chosen an easier letter)…and here is my submission:

Viscountess Vanessa Versailles, a virginal Venezuelan virtuoso with varicose veins, vigilantly clutched the valuable Venetian violin in the velvet valise and vaulted over vipers and violent voles, her out-of-gas veneered van parked in the valley behind her. Her view blurred by a veil of venomous vapors, Vanessa valiantly raced onward, vowing to validate her promise to the vacationers who were even now vacating their seats for the violinist’s Valentine’s Day performance. Is she racing in vain?

Why not give it a try…just visit Susanna’s blog and hop aboard the Summer Short and Sweets train…it will be a fun ride. Then you can adjust the challenges for your children, depending on their ages. Young kids can draw pictures to tell their story and have a parent or older sibling write the words.

What else can you do with your kids this summer? For the price of a large pizza, some breadsticks and a liter of soda (that will only last a few minutes), you can have quick and easy activities that will keep kids busy and happy and learning till school starts…and beyond! Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking is the book I wish I had when my kids were growing up. Suzanne Williams, author of over 27 children’s books says, “I wish Show Me How! had existed when my own children were young.” Clinical psychologist, Jodi Harap adds, “Ms. Kirkfield presents concrete examples and helpful recommendations that are sure to give parents a newfound sense of competence and confidence in their own abilities as well.”

I want to remind everyone that the book is now available for shipment to Canadian residents…please visit my website and click on the special PayPal buttons for Canadian shipment! I’ve already mailed out two copies of the book to Canada last week…one to Bowmanville, Ontario and one to Regina, Saskatchewan.

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?