OKCIS and a Drawing for a Free Laptop

The Muskogee Area Educational Consortium is offering a drawing to win a free laptop to students who sign on and complete the OKCIS career program online. Students in grades 5 - 12 who attend school in Muskogee County can sign up for the program. Students who complete the OKCIS online program by July 31 will have their names entered in the drawing for the laptops.

For your school's access number, please see the brochure and application form linked here to the Muskogee Public School webpage. The application form must be returned by July 31 for the student to be eligible for the laptop drawing. Participating schools in Muskogee County are: Boynton, Braggs, Checotah, Ft. Gibson, Gore, Haskell, Hilldale, Indian Capital Technology Center, Muskogee, Okay, Oktaha, Parkview/Oklahoma School for the Blind, Porter, Porum, Warner, and Webbers Falls.

http://www.mpsi20.org/education/components/whatsnew/default.php?sectiondetailid=11636&itemID=589&viewType=detail&PHPSESSID=
7f6f8d358096fd2eea0d2506a1795f06

The Muskogee Area Educational Consortium is a cooperative venture of all public schools and institutions of higher education in Muskogee County. Its major activities are Hooray for Teachers, Math and Engineering Fair, and the OKCIS laptop drawing. The Consortium also hosts Leadership Muskogee each year at ICTC for a review of education in our area. This year's president is Linda Clinkenbeard, Assistant Superintendent of Ft. Gibson Schools.

"Beauty School Dropout"

At some point teens must make their own decisions. If we parents have to duct tape our mouths and handcuff ourselves to the bedpost, we must allow our children to learn by experience. It's hard. It is really hard. This does not mean, however, tools aren't available to help our kids make positive decisions. If staying in high school is the issue at your house, maybe the following will help. If your kids are younger, start early. Educate them now about the importance of graduating from high school and planning for their future after that.

Sean Covey has written several excellent books for teens. One is Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens, another is titledThe Six Most Important Decisions You Will Ever Make. Both books are practical and easy to understand. Discussing the 6 decisions, Covey places school first on his list of important choices. If you are in high school and feeling frustrated and defeated, read on.

You are sitting in English class. Mrs. "English is Important" is rambling on and on "about the Elizabethan period and some old building called the Globe or World or something and.. geez, boys played the girls ..... this stupid play has too many thee's and thou's. Now she wants my stupid homework. Right. I had to work until 11:30 last night...made good tips...really good tips. Plus, that sweet thing at the bar gave me her cell number. ...need to call her..........ZZZZZZZZZZZZ Huh? Say what? What's iambic pentameter? I think it was a muscle car in the 60's. Haa Haa. A 0 for today? #^$*^&@ I hate this class. It's a waste of time sitting here."

I know many of you have been there. Remember, I was Mrs. "English is Important" Why should you stay in school? The money you are making now is good. It makes your car payment, pays for your cell phone and you have some left for a very satisfactory social life. If you quit school and could work more hours, you would make more money, maybe be able to move to your own place, sleep late, and best of all, school and grades would only be a bad memory.

Right. Nope. Wrong.
If you graduate from school you will have better skills, a better paying job and have a better chance of living successfully. Did you know that if you drop out of high school, statistics prove that you will have a low paying job for the rest of your life?

Here are some of Sean Covey's facts:
1. Dropouts have a harder time finding and keeping jobs. 50% of dropouts are unemployed
2. Dropouts are often labeled as people who don't complete things-and they usually don't
3. Dropouts often jump from job to job instead of steadily building a career
4. Dropouts aren't even considered for high paying jobs-even if they are qualified
5. And increasingly, here and in most countries, a high school degree is not enough

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics offers the following:
Education..........................................Weekly Salary
No H.S. Diploma....................................$409
H.S. Diploma.........................................$583
2 Year college Degree............................$699
4 Year College Degree...........................$937
Master's Degree.....................................$1129
Professional or Doctoral Degree..........$1421

Making $6.00 or $8.00 an hour may seem good now, but it won't be enough to live on for the rest of your life. If you drop out of school, you automatically limit your life choices. You limit your life experiences. You limit your life possibilities.

Covey offers a simple "Baby Step" for each of the six decisions.
The one for staying in school is http://www.6decisions.com/pdf/01_School.pdf. Look at it. Work through the lists. He begins, "if you are planning to drop out of school, repeat the following aloud, every day; "I am looking forward to low paying jobs for the rest of my life" Go on, keep saying it. "I am looking forward to low paying jobs for the rest of my life." How is that for a mantra to carry around in your head?

One other thing. Don't use the old GED as a cop out. It is not an easier way to get your diploma and you lose the socialization, the activities and the experience of high school. Take the baby step above and re-evaluate. Look ahead the next 50 years of your life, not just to the next weekend. Remember though, if school has not been working for you, you need to rethink and go in with a fresh new perspective. Take the summer and get your personal act together and then, figure out what being a team player means. Covey calls these public and private victories. Making school work, is a choice. Knock the chip off your shoulder and have a plan for success. You can do this today to insure yourself a better tomorrow. HAPPY FIRST WEEK OF SUMMER!!! CHRISSIE

Summer-Times

Hey. Guess what. It's the last week of school. Did you notice? Another year has come and gone. Here's hoping it was a positive and exciting time for you. It's almost summer and that means less structure, less scheduling and often, less expected.

Summer means going to the lake. Concerts. Road Trips. Getting a tan. Swimming. Playing ball. Hanging with friends. Vacations. June, July and August-the best months of the year.

Let's throw another idea out here. Could you consider making this summer a little more productive? Could you give some precious free time to perhaps make your world a better place? Is it possible to share your skills, your youth and enthusiasm in a worthwhile endeavor? Can you make a difference? Of course you can.

To claim your future, you must plan today. Doing something constructive and philanthropic is not only a good thing to do, it is a good thing for you. You learn leadership, you take responsibility, you acquire discipline. Helping out helps you think outside your box, expands your world view and exposes you to new ideas and new perspectives. A by-product is that choosing to make this summer count also adds more to your future college application than "I have a a good personality and am a people person."

Do you need some ideas? Organize a bake sale. "Share Our Strength" is tackling world hungry, one cupcake at a time. Go to http://www.strength.org/ for all the scoop. Want to help, get a tan and a workout at the same time? Contact Habitat for Humanity and help a family have a home of their own.. Do you love animals? Contact your local animal shelter and share the love. Thinking Green? Implement a recycling campaign, a park or river clean up or a community awareness effort that educates everyone. There is lots of info on the web and tools to get started.

Don't think it has to be you alone. Be the leader and get your team, your club or your friends involved. How about a one day Lemonade Sale at key locations that benefits a local and worthwhile charity. The charity gains the financial support and you gain all the skills needed to pull the event together. Skill like public Relations, donations, advertising, sponsors, accountability, organization and volunteer recruitment- look what you can do!

Think about what you enjoy and incorporate it into your project. Biking, music, jogging, cooking, medicine, the outdoors, the environment, farming, fashion, children, older people, reading, writing....the list is endless. I read about a fourteen year old who regularly visited his Grandfather in a nursing home. He noticed all the residents wanted to talk to him and to share their stories. He motivated his middle school band to make regular visits to the nursing home. They brought treats and encouraged their older "friends" to talk and even recorded their stories. Later the group printed the stories and returned them as journals to the residents at the nursing home.

Have a wonderful summer "off". That's important. But "off" could just mean different. Watch a little less TV. Spend a little less time on the computer. Put the X Box down for a minute. Get off your duff and get on with your life. Identify and implement something bigger than you are. Now that's a way to spend the summer! chrissie

Mother's Day has come and gone. Moms all over America received flowers, cards and breakfast in bed. The toast was burned, the kitchen a mess, but the good intentions make the results memorable.

My babies are all grown now. I stand in disbelief sometimes. Where did the time go? I take great satisfaction in the results- they are strong, independent and contributing adults. Who'd have thunk it? Colicky babies, runny nosed children and angst ridden teenagers are now replaced with viable human beings. We discuss things, share recipes, talk 401k's and laugh til our sides hurt. I love to just sit and listen as my children share stories and share memories. Thank goodness I did not know some of the events they reveal to me now.

The books we read at bedtime are still on the shelves. "Good Night Moon", "We Help Daddy" and "Hop On Pop" are dog-eared and well worn. I can close my eyes and smell my childrens hair. I see them in their Power Rangers or Strawberry Shortcake jammies, and hear their voices as they beg for just one more story. Why -oh -why was I in such a hurry to turn out the light and say good night?

Author Anne Quinlan describes this regret perfectly.
"But the biggest mistake I made - I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."

Living in the moment is a good thing but life just happens. For those of you with children and teens at home, take a deep breath and sometimes, remember to remember. Take pictures, keep a journal, record tiny voices and also, changing ones. Step outside the day to day and relish the moments. These moments will comfort you, soothe you, please you, and fortify you in the years ahead. Remembering the "then's" are our gifts for the "now."

My Mother's Day weekend could not have been more lovely. The boys prepared steak fajitas and guacamole on Saturday night and on Sunday, we all sat around the dining room table, for brunch and conversation. I now have a raised bed garden, created by my sons, son-in -law and husband. My daughters made sure the garden umbrella I wanted was purchased and in place Sunday morning. My sweet husband suprised me with a silver bracelet, engraved with Oklahoma wildflowers. Best of all, we were all here, together. My family. chrissie

"Hey Buddy"

It's nice to be back to "The Care and Feeding of Teenagers". Google did something or other to the what-cha-may- call-it and the format changed. It took catching up to their technology to be able to post again.

Spring is here and along with the season, schedules are busy and life is hectic. Many of us are preparing for end of school, graduations and new beginnings. Spring sport activities are in full swing and little girls are trying on tutus in preparation for that seasonal rite of passage-dance recitals. Finals are looming for both high school and college and finding a summer job is a priority for many teens. Spring is a beautiful, vibrant and exciting time of year for young and old alike.

A small thing happened yesterday that was one of those snapshot events. It was an ah-hah moment that made me stop my day, warmed my heart and put everything into perspective. My grandaughter, Annebelle was playing a last soccer game last night. She asked me to come. I have recently had surgery and getting to the field in itself was an effort. Nursing a cold, I was feeling a little crotchety and very self righteous. Maybe a little martyr snuck in there too.

The game was a bit one sided. Our team consists of 5 little girls and 1 little boy, twin brother to a fellow Pixie. Yes, he is a member of the Tinkerbelle team. Parents of twins have to combine some activities for simplifying schedules! The other side was all boys, who had, shall we say, a little more competitive attitude toward the game.

You gotta love soccer-everyone plays, everyone rotates and everyone gets a high five and a "well done". So, the game is proceeding. Pixie's are being put in, taken out, and rotated. One of the Pixie coaches, always planning strategy, decides to pull the goalie, who is a little preoccupied- readjusting her hair scrunchie. He motions for the substitute, who has been busy during his time on the sidelines. Our lone male player looks up at his summons to the field. His dad, our intrepid coach, hollers across the field- "Hey buddy, put down the flowers , it's your turn."

His son, who had been picking wildflowers under the bleachers, handed his bouquet to his mother and ran onto the field.

Now, that is a Father. It was the sweetest, most affirming moment. A tiny morality play about parenting. In that brief exchange, I know those children will grow up in a home where they are nurtured and allowed to explore who they are. They will explore who they are without the ambitions of their parents tempering their development. That "hey buddy...." spoke volumes about understanding these little people who are in our care for such a brief time. A brief time to train up and to grow. To grow strong,, and confident, and sure. I am so lucky Annebelle asked me to her game. Chrissie

Hard Work and Determination

I am not much of a baseball fan but one player stands out, even to me. The Baltimore Orioles - Cal Ripken. Should you be one of the statistically uneducated ( as I am) - here are the stats. Ripken earned the nickname "Iron Man", doggedly remaining in the lineup, despite numerous minor injuries. He played in a record 2,632 straight games spanning sixteen seasons, from May 30, 1982 to September 20, 1998. He played his 2131st consecutive game on September 6, 1995, against the California Angels, breaking the 56-year-old record set by the "Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig, the legendary New York Yankees first baseman. Ripken hit a home run in game 2130 and game 2131, his 2131st consecutive game was named Major League Baseball's "Most Memorable Moment" in MLB history. Ripken was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility on January 9, 2007.

Ripken channeled his passion and love of the game into a legend. (sans PR People and sans entourage) . He didn't grandstand and he didn't cheat to be stronger. He did his job day after day and performed with pride and honor. Ripken gracefully retired when it was time and has gone on to inspire another generation of athletes through his athletic camps and through the foundation named in honor of his Father, Cal Ripken Sr. Ripken generously supports Lou Gehrig Disease Research, in honor of the player whose record he broke.

Ripken's name has become synonymous with strength, character, endurance and integrity. His philosophy of working hard, playing with passion and enjoying the game has made a tremendous impact on the sport and on fans everywhere. Ripken said , "As long as I can compete, I won't quit. Reaching three-thousand is not the finish line as long as I can contribute. I haven't given it (achieving 3,000 hits) much thought. I was taught a certain approach, how to come to the ballpark. I try not to do too much thinking about things like that. I just come out every day and do my job"

Players and others on Cal Ripken Jr.

"Cal is a bridge, maybe the last bridge, back to the way the game was played. Hitting home runs and all that other good stuff is not enough. It's how you handle yourself in all the good times and bad times that matters. That's what Cal showed us. Being a star is not enough. He showed us how to be more." - Joe Torre

It's one of the great achievements in the history of sports. Cal Ripken embodies all that the Orioles stand for, all that Baltimore stands for and, really, all that this country stands for in terms of his dedication and work ethic." - Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos

"He is the man. He is the man." -Sammy Sosa

"I'm honored to be on the same fields as him."- Alex Rodriguez

This next generation must know that there are no magic pills. There are no short cuts. Free Agents are not going to drop from the sky to offer Gazillion Dollar sports contracts. Odds are that American Idol will not make a Carrie Underwood out of every young aspiring singer. No matter what is advertised, millionaires are not eagerly waiting to meet and marry blushing brides and spirit them away to a life of ease and luxury.

Recruiters with large signing bonuses will not be waiting in line to hire most of this year's college graduates. Those "academically exhausted" who just want to get out of high school and get a job will be sorely disappointed at the opportunities offered without a college degree. And pity the misdirected eager beavers who abandon even a high school education. Prospects are less than promising for high school dropouts. Can you say, "Would you like fries with that?" Only men and women with drive and ambition will find success, no matter where they start.

In our eagerness to "make all kids feel good", we are shortchanging these young adults. Giving kids shortcuts and mulligans doesn't do them a favor. Accountability and expectations are a better model. With these expectations, allowing children to fail should also be in the loop. If handled right, failure and disappointment should lay the foundation for tenacity and drive. If we raise a generation that is always allowed to succeed; a generation that is not allowed competition; a generation that is not graded on their endeavors; what kind of adults will they be? I see a population of men and women scratching their heads and shaking their fists at the sky. They are puzzled. Confused. Inept. Frustrated. Incapable of earning a living or making a life.

Thanks Cal. You've got to get the ball thrown at you a few times to make a home run. The lucky ones know when to run and how to duck.

Join the Food Revolution

I know from Facebook that many people are following Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC. I wonder why it took an Englishman to make us face up to childhood obesity and the unhealthy American fast food diet?

One startling realization in last night's episode was the lack of instruction in table manners American students receive. If schools are the great equalizer in our society, then everyone should learn proper use of fork, knife, and spoon. Not everyone is going to finishing school or taking ballroom dance lessons these days, giving rise to a growing movement for offering these social graces at school, especially in after school programs. It's very difficult to learn these manners, however, when students are reduced to using a spork as their only eating utensile. This signals a remarkable change in school cafeteria eating styles over the last forty years.

How can we join the food revolution? Having family meals together every night has been proven to increase student achievement in school. It also has other benefits, such as knowing what is going on with the children by conversing nightly. Not only can children learn how to properly use the fork, spoon and knife, they can also learn how to converse properly with others, not text during meals, and other social graces that can come in handy when applying for a job or interacting socially with future employers or in-laws. It's a life skill.

Another thing we can do is teach our children to cook. Kids love to cook, but grabbing a meal out with friends is so much easier. Face it, cooking is laborious and there is clean up afterwards. As in all endeavors, though, proper teaching simplifies things and brings more joy in improved skill. It's another life skill kids should learn.

To learn more, check out these websites. Jamie Oliver has lots of good ideas for recipes and "recipease", plus you can sign the food petition. I was kind of upset when the roller passes by Oklahoma...don't know if we don't have enough signed up to count yet or not. Sage Culinary Studio in Tulsa offers cookig lessons for children and teens.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution

http://www.sageculinarystudio.com/