Day Twelve - Don't Forget to Vote!

Today and tomorrow is the day to vote for the Morgan High School and Morgan Middle School Community Council boards if you have kids at MHS and/or MMS!

Who would you like to represent you and your family on the Community Council boards?  There are several candidates running for the MMS Community Council (pick 2) and 4 candidates running for the MHS Community Council (pick 2).  All MMS and MHS parents were mailed info letters and ballots a few weeks ago.  You can drop your ballots off at the MHS and MMS offices during office hours (7:30am - 3pm), OR you can mail them to the school.  The MHS ballot box closes on Friday at 3pm.  The MMS ballot box is open through Monday at 3pm.

Suggestions  I am making for next year's Community Council election:

• Provide brief candidate bios and "why I want to run for Community Council" statements with each ballot.
• Provide a phone number and email address for each candidate to enable voters to contact candidates and ask questions.
• Provide clearer and uniform information regarding options for submitting ballots to MMS and MHS, as well as what is allowed and what is not (ie: can both parents vote?  Can parents send their ballots with their teens to school to drop into the office ballot box?)

Any other suggestions?

Go vote!
Blog-in again for Day Thirteen!

Day Eleven - Turn Off Technology & READ!

Yesterday I asked the superintendent of another school district, his assistant superintendent, and a history teacher from their school district, "If you had a magic wand and would have the parents of the students in your district do ONE thing, what would it be?"  They answered unanimously, "READ with their KIDS!"

I asked them, "So do YOU read with YOUR kids?" and they answered affirmatively.  "What about with your older kids?" I asked.  I continued, "Is there a time when your kids start to feel that they are 'too old' or 'too cool' to read with you?"

The superintendent replied, "It's all about priorities.  It (reading with their children) was always something that my wife and I just DID!"

His assistant added, "Of course, with your older kids, it helps to have a really good book that they are interested in to read together.  And sometimes we ended up just talking to each other about things instead of reading the book we were reading."

The history teacher interjected, "Yeah!  It's not just about reading a book.  It's about spending time with my kids."

So Morgan County parents, there's the "magic wand wish" from the leaders and a teacher of another school district.  I wonder if our own school district leaders and teachers would come up with the same wish?!

Blog-in next time for Day Twelve!

Day Ten - Breakfast at Morgan Elementary School

School breakfast is being offered at Morgan Elementary School this year based on the premise that "children are coming to school hungry - hungry kids don't learn."  The Morgan County School District Board of Education voted this summer to try school breakfast at MES for the 2011-2012 school year.

I was there at the Board of Education meeting that night.  Since the implementation of school breakfast at MES, I have learned that:

• All MES school children who ride the bus to school are being picked up this year 10 minutes early which enables any children who want to have breakfast to have approximately 15 minutes to eat breakfast at school.
• All the children are gathered into the school gym which is partially partitioned off for children who want to eat breakfast served on the other side.
• Those children who are not having school breakfast wait and socialize while the children who want have breakfast.  The school principal uses this opportunity to mix and mingle with the MES kids.
• Some children who already had breakfast at home are eating breakfast again at school.  Their parents were not aware of this until they were charged the breakfast fee on their children's lunch account.

Mountain Greeen Elementary School will most likely be offered the chance to implement a school breakfast program next year.  I recommend that we:

1. Research how many MGES children come to school hungry.  How big / little of a problem is it?Research why some MGES children come to school hungry.  For example:  Not enough time to eat breakfast?  Don't like to eat breakfast?  Just "picked at" their breakfast?  Ate breakfast but "always hungry"?  Too tired to eat breakfast?  Parents don't eat breakfast so kids don't eat breakfast?  Parents don't care?  No food available to serve for breakfast?
2. Research other community resources available that may be available to assist with this concern
3. Educate our community as to the pros and cons for each side of coin of implementing a local school breakfast program
4. Last, find out how many residents in our MGES community support or do not support a school  breakfast program at MGES.  (Incidentally, Morgan Elementary School's breakfast program is being implemented on a one year trial basis.  These same steps can be utilized to determine whether or not it should be continued.)

What do you think?
Blog-in next time for Day Eleven!

Day Nine - What is the "Public School Data Gateway" system?

At the State Board of Education meeting this past Friday, I learned about the "Public School Data Gateway" system - a great way for parents to be able to see how well our children's schools are doing compared to similar schools is Utah.  As soon as I find out that the system is up and running, I will update you as to how YOU and I can acess the PDS Gateway system, what comparison information we will be able to obtain, and how we can use this information as parents.

I also learned about the "Utah eTranscript and Record Exchange" (UTREx).  UTREx is a system that facilitates the electronic transfer of your child's records between:

• your child's school and the Utah State Office of Education (USOE),
• your child's school and any other Utah public school, and
• allows electronic transcripts to be sent to any participating post-secondary institution.

Blog-in tomorrow for Day Ten!

Day Eight - Truly Listen to Your Kids

"When you truly listen to your kids, it's very difficult to lose them."  That is what an agent from the Weber/Morgan Narcotics Task Force said to me a few years ago when I was asking him to share with me his perspective regarding parents' roles in drug abuse prevention.

I went home and pondered:

•  "How much do I truly listen to my children?"

I thought I did great at truly listening to my children.  WRONG!

First, I'm a chronic multi-tasker.  Too often I "listen" while stirring dinner on the stove with one hand, wiping up a nearby mess with the other hand, and nudging a cupboard door closed with a foot.  Once I took time out to play a game of Candy Land with my then 5 year old while talking on the phone with a friend!

Second, I discovered how little time I truly had available to connect with my children.  Think about it:  Between school all day, and dance/music lessons, sports practice and games, etc. after school, and dinner prep, homework, and the bedtime routine after all that, how much do I really give my kids eye-to-eye contact, focus on them, and truly listen to what they are saying to me especially during those random moments when they ask for it by saying, "Mom!"  or  "Mom?"  or  "Mom...."

"When you truly listen to your kids, it's very difficult to lose them"  = a powerful, true principle that will strengthen our families as we apply it.

Blog-in tomorrow for Day Nine!

Day Seven - Morgan Empowered: What is it?

Morgan Empowered strengthens our Morgan County families!
How?  Read their mission statement:

"It is our mission to coordinate family and community resources to empower our youth to become responsible and upright adults."

How does Morgan Empowered accomplish this?  All parents, businesses, and organizations of our community are invited to participate monthly (every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 9:30am, Morgan School District building) in organizing resources to educate and involve parents and their families in positive, family strengthening events.  Some past events sponsored by Morgan Empowered:

• "What Will I Do On My Summer Break?" - Families were invited to visit booths by our local 4H, Adventure Scouts, library, dance/tumbing studio, art gallery, fitness center, etc. which offered information on activities and classes offered over the summer for youth.  Personal businesses offering guitar lessons, sewing and scrapbooking classes, moto cross, hunter safety activities, fishing, etc. were also represented.  No more: "Mom!  I'm bored!" this summer for OUR youth!
• "I Like Me - Alcohol Free!" - A community celebration!  Children sang and awards were presented for posters and videos created that showed our Morgan youth engaging in positive and healthy activities.  Culminating this event was guest speaker and BYU football star, Bryan Kariya, who encouraged our youth to choose good freinds, do their best in academics,a nd maintain a healthy relationship with their parents.
• "Cell Phone and Internet Safety" and "Parent Drug Awareness" presentations educated parents on the latest information regarding how to safeguard their children, and the importance of truly "connecting" with their kids.  Did you know that parents are the number one prevention of drug and alcohol abuse?!

The doors are open for anyone in our community to participate in Morgan Empowered!
Morgan Empowered meets monthly every 2nd Tuesday at 9:30am at the Morgan County School District office building.  Come help strengthen our community's families!

Blog-in tomorrow for Day Eight!

Day Six - Join Your Child for Lunch!

Parents and Grandparents!  Join your child at school for lunch at Mountain Green Elementary and Morgan Elementary!  All you need to do is this:

• Call MGES (876-3041) or MES (829-3438) by 10:00am and let the secretary know that you'd like to have lunch with your child.
• When you arrive, have $2.55 on hand to pay for your lunch.  Your child's siblings can come and have lunch, too.  It will be an additional $2.55 per child.

Feedback I've received from parents who have done this:

• "It's a great way for my kids to feel I care about them even when they are away at school."
• "My child has loved it whether or not it was a complete surprise or a planned-in-advance 'lunchdate'."
• "After lunch and during recess, my 2nd grader's friends totally doted on her pre-schooler sibling who loved all the attention!"

In summary, having lunch with your child at school is another great way to connect with your kids.  Blog-in tomorrow for Day Seven!

Day Five - Info for MHS Parents

Do you have kids that are planning on furthering their education beyond high school at a college or university?  Here is what I learned at yesterday morning's 7am Morgan High School Community Council meeting that I'll pass on to you:

• There are colleges/universities that prefer seeing AP (Advanced Placement) classes taken and credit earned by your son/daughter over EdNet classes.  When assisting your son or daughter with scheduling classes towards post-graduation education, this may be a good thing to keep in mind.
• Taking the ACT and scoring a 23 or higher in math to gain entrance into Math 1050 is an easier avenue than taking the AccuPlacer test to gain entrance into Math 1050.  (Math 1050 is offered at MHS through Utah State University.)
• 154 out of 180 of last year's MHS seniors took the ACT.  That's 85%.  The Utah State average of last year's seniors taking the ACT is 65%.
• Before your son/daughter takes the ACT, make sure that he/she has actually taken classes at MHS that have prepared him/her for taking the ACT.

Have a great Labor Day weekend with your families.  I'm taking the weekend and holiday off so that I can do the same with my family.  Blog-in Tuesday, Sept. 6th for Day Six!

Day Four - "Permission" Slips

Before you automatically sign any permission slip which asks you to give your parental consent for your child to participate in something, ask yourself:

• Do I truly know what I am giving my parental consent to? 
• Or am I just assuming / trusting that someone else knows what's best for my child?

Permission slips for your middle school child to participate in the "All Stars Program" at MMS are due tomorrow.  As parents, you are given the opportunity to request more information regarding the All Stars Program.

Tip:  Request the All Stars Program information!  Even if you read this past tomorrow's permission slip due date, request it anyway especially if you signed the permission slip for your son or daughter to participate.

Why:  The purpose of a parental permission slip is to tell you, "Hey!  This is really YOUR responsibility as a parent to teach this to your child.  However, WE want to teach this to your child, and therefore we need YOUR permission as his/her parent that you are okay with us doing that."

For You To Consider:

• Not all children are alike in maturity, readiness, receptiveness, etc.
• Children have tendency to truly believe what an adult tells them especially if the adult is in a position of authority (teacher, law enforcement officer, etc.)
• Do you know (not assuming/trusting) that what will be taught to your child reflects your values, standards, etc. and your child's level of maturity, readiness, etc.?
• Too often we parents assume that our children are learning maturation, drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse, HIV/Aids prevention, etc. in the same manner and presentation that WE learned about these subjects 5, 10, 15 or more years ago.  JFYI - things can be, and often are very different from what you are assuming....

Concluding Fact:  KNOWING specifically what you are, or are not, giving your parental consent to before signing a parental permission slip will greatly assist you in making THE BEST CHOICE for your individual child!  In addition, it can greatly assist you as parents in:

1. Connecting with your child because you will know what they are learning and can talk about it with them at home to see if they are understanding and appropriately processing the information that they are learning outside your home (if you choose to give your informed parental consent on a permission slip)
2. Knowing what you can teach your child at home when he/she is ready and according to his/her level of understanding, maturity, and receptiveness (if you choose NOT to give your informed parental consent on a permission slip).

Gone are the days when I blindly gave my "UNinformed parental consent" for my children to participate in programs, surveys, and examinations!  I have learned a lot (an understatement), and sometimes I have been blown away by what my kids have been exposed to by well-meaning people out there (but I gave my UNinformed consent = my fault).  However, since I've been practicing the principle of "INFORMED parental consent/non-consent", my connection with my kids has skyrocketed because of being able to do #1 and #2 above.  My kids are stronger, and the relationship that my husband and I have with them is stronger.  In today's world, what an awesome gift we can give to our kids!

Blog-in tomorrow for Day Five!