Kids Together Against Cancer

photo taken by Ingrid Damiani            5 week KTAC Sessions... www.ktacjax.com    As a parent with cancer, one of the hardest things to do when you are diagnosed is talk to your family.  You may ask yourself, "How much should I tell them? I don't want to scare my children, but I don't want to lie to them either." ·  You may be unclear what your child understands, "My son never says anything to me about my cancer." ·  If you question "Am I going to die from this?", your child may be quietly worried too.  Kids Together Against Cancer's five week program is child and parent focused in a positive and fun environment.  Art Educators, from the Cummer Museum of Art, help children create beautiful art projects to help express their feelings. Licensed Oncology Social Workers guide adult group discussion to help families cope with the cancer diagnosis.  Dates:       Tuesday January 29th  Tuesday February 5th Tuesday February12th Tuesday February 19th Tuesday February 26th   Times:    5:30p Dinner (free); 6:00p - 7:00p Art Session  Location:  Riverside Presbyterian Day School            (830 Oak Street) Please join us and call 742-2916 to reserve your space   KTAC programs are free to anyone, no matter where they are being treated.    KTAC offers art workshops, individual consultations, as well as information and resources to help families during a parent's cancer journey. KTAC programs support children of all ages (up to age 17).  Please contact us for more information...   Email info@ktacjax.com Website  www.ktacjax.com  Phone (904) 308-KTAC (5822) Please help us reach those who need us by forwarding this email and encourage others to sign up for future email updates. The option to do this is listed below. Thank you for your support!

Congratuations Yash!

Here is a link to the DCPS Spotlight article:

http://www.duvalschools.org/static/contact/communications/spotlight/2013/1218.asphttp://www.duvalschools.org/static/contact/communications/spotlight/2013/1218.asp

Helping Students Navigate a Violent World | Teaching Tolerance

Helping Students Navigate a Violent World | Teaching Tolerance

What Motivates Teachers: It's More Than Money

What Motivates Teachers: It's More Than Money

Please check out the Resources - Tragedy in Schools tab for information on coping with the school shootings in Connecticut

Solving the "Play" Problem - Brewster, NY, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators

Article about the need for reflective and unstructured time among elementary students:

Solving the "Play" Problem - Brewster, NY, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators

THE HIGHLIGHTS.....

• Provide time to be one with the world.  Too much education takes place indoors.  For students who aren’t involved in outdoor sports, their only outdoor time in a given day may be running from the front door to catch the bus.  That isn’t good, and it doesn’t provide time for students to truly “see” a different world then they are used to.  Contrary to what some might believe, any class can be held outdoors.  That doesn’t mean the focus of a lesson needs to be on studying the world outside, but a Shakespearean reading on school grounds, a study of bus idling procedures, and/or a playing field area calculation all provide students with the chance to observe more than a classroom.

• Promote percolation.  Instead of letting the class end with a bell (or the transition to lunch or recess), build in five or ten minutes for students to reflect.  For many students, reflection doesn’t just happen, and strategies (such as creating a “Questions I have. . .” chart, or an “If it were up to me. . .” learning progression statement) should be incorporated to help students begin to become more active thinkers.  By making thinking time a necessary part of your work with students, you’ll encourage them to reflect regularly and often.

• Push for unstructured “play.”  The teacher I was working with earlier this week told me about a recent time that he was taking a bunch of students outside for recess.  Unfortunately for students, the playground balls that were usually available for recess could not be used.  Students stood around for a minute or so, and then asked to return inside.  Very few seemed to even realize that there was much more to do outside than play an organized game of football or soccer.  In some respects, many of our students today need to be “forced” to play in an unstructured-environment, if for no other reason than to learn what it means to just be a “kid.”

The benefits of teaching students about effort - Related Stories - ASCD SmartBrief

The benefits of teaching students about effort - Related Stories - ASCD SmartBrief