The Ribbet Review

With your help we are continuing to prove that at Thoreau parents put children first! Principal R and Teachers are impressed with our parent participation and PTA focus and energy! By volunteering you not only improve you child's education, you also set an important example for them that you care about their education and your community. This lesson will be carried with them their whole lives! The effort is worth it!

The Nominating committee is going to be gathering names soon for our PTA Board elections held at our general meeting, Thurs. March 24th. Lynn (treasurer) and Makayle’s (secretary) terms are up and they have done a great job and will be greatly missed..... So we absolutely need a Treasurer and Secretary. If you care about the children at Thoreau and you are a responsible person, these positions will be easy!! The continuing board members will welcome you with open arms, and support you in any way if you are unsure! Feel free to contact Lynn Grager or Makayle Rich for questions on these positions.

Polly Blanchard & Helen Garcia

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Teacher Spotlight

Interview with the Editor

Mr. John Turnbull, 5^th Grade

Hi! Can you tell us about yourself?

I have a very loving family of a mother and father who now live in Montana, an older brother and sister in law who live in Nevada, and a younger sister who lives in California. I am also engaged to a lovely young lady named Anne. I have a couple of very rambunctious cats who pretend not to get along, but always play together and sleep next to each other. I am also told that when I get married I will be getting a dog.

When did you first decide to become a schoolteacher?

A year after graduating from University I moved back home to Vail, Colorado to work at a lift-side lodge my friends owned. After floundering around for a couple of years my mentor and very close friend, Peter Abuisi asked me to work in his school. He was the Headmaster of Vail Mountain School, a small K-12 private school. With his encouragement I worked as a teacher’s aid for a year and a half under his tutelage. During this time I decided to become an elementary school teacher. I applied to a Master’s program in Denver. Two years later I graduated from the University of Denver and moved to Seattle.

How long have you been teaching?

I am currently in my third year of teaching. I have been fortunate enough to call Thoreau Elementary my home for my entire teaching career.

Will you tell us about the work group you are leading?

I have been granted the position of Reading Team Leader for Thoreau Elementary. I am thrilled to be able to use my education to work with such fine teachers on a subject I hold dear to my heart. We are continuing with our SIP focus of strengthening inferential thinking and providing support for best practice instruction throughout our curriculum. I have been quite blessed with the ability to work so closely with a staff that is knowledgeable and loving; both in their interaction with the student body and each other as staff members.

What’s something interesting about you that no one would guess?

I lived in England for a year during my eighth grade year. My family moved from Vail so that my father could take a sabbatical from the priest hood and study. We moved to a little town outside Oxford called Witney. During our stay there I went to school, traveled all over the isle, and visited my mother’s homeland of Germany. My family had a glorious time exploring our heritage, viewing historical monuments, and meeting new friends.

- Editor

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Last Month’s Events

Chess Club

In January our chess club participated in it’s second tournament at Kamiakin Junior High School. Our Thoreau club representatives were: Emily Y, Matthew W, Kaley C, Gibson Q and Nate B. All of them did a fantastic job! This was the first tournament (ever) for some of the kids, so it was impressive to see their energy and stamina during this all-day event! All of the kids either won or drew (tie) at least one game. Way to go! Thanks to their wonderful chess coaches Mrs. VanCleave and Regina Bock!

There are a number of tournaments being held throughout the year, and many of these do not require students to be a member of the chess club. Check with the tournament coordinators for details. Tournament information is also available on the Thoreau website at wwwtho.lwsd.org/Activities/Chess_Club.

Honor Choir & the Seattle Supersonics!

Thoreau’s honor choir got their 15 minutes of fame at the January 11 Sonics vs. LA Clippers game when they sang the National Athem! The students generated a lot of excitement and received enthusiastic cheers from the crowd following their performance. They have been asked back to perform the national anthem again, this time for a Seattle Storm game in April! Keep an eye on the website for upcoming choir performances at: wwwtho.lwsd.org/Activities/Choir_Calendar.

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This Month’s Highlights

PTA Board and Committee Chairs

Annual Valentine’s Day Breakfast

Thoreau PTA is once again sponsoring our annual Valentine’s Breakfast on Monday, February 14th. Have breakfast with Dad or someone else important in your life! Breakfast will be served in the gym from 7:00 to 8:30 am. A delicious buffet of pancakes, sausage, fruit, orange juice, milk and coffee will be served. Don’t forget to bring $1.00 with you to have your photo taken with that special someone! Tickets are available for pre-sale only. See the website for details, or contact Barbara Stommel at 823-0565.

Tricks of the Trade: Parenting Secrets

Parenting Tips and Tricks is an educational series offered to Thoreau families, FREE of charge. The second series of the year will be held on Thursday, February 3. Childcare is available (no charge). This class will be taught by our own Thoreau parent, Laura Doerflinger. Laura is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and belongs to the Parent Education Group, who is hosting our classes this year. During this presentation, Laura will teach you parenting tricks of the trade that provide tried and true results. These ideas were formulated from Laura's years in the field as a parent educator and counselor where Laura watched age-old parenting techniques come to life. Parents will leave with the "secrets" to good parenting as well as a list of helpful local resources. For more information on this or other classes, visit the Thoreau website at: wwwtho.lwsd.org/PTA/ParentEducation.htm

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Parenting Tips

By Laura Doerflinger

Emotions Management for Children

Teaching children to identify and express their emotions is essential to their psychological development. The term, Emotional Intelligence or EQ coined by Daniel Goleman in his book Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ, describes the evolution of emotions and the current state of our emotional mastery. He defines several aspects of Emotional Intelligence including reading and reacting to emotions appropriately.

Some children are naturally gifted in EQ whereas others have to struggle with the concept of feelings. Both kinds of children, however, must be nurtured in the ways of the emotional world. The process of nurturing Emotional Intelligence is complex. Teaching children how to manage their emotions, however, is a worthy task all parents should know how to do.

In my work with children, I have found several ways to teach emotional management. Parents can also follow this process with their children. If you are unsure how to teach your child these essential skills, take a parenting class, put your child in a class or hire a counselor or parent coach to get you started. Nurturing EQ is a lifelong study in the attempt to override the body’s natural fight or flight response. The journey is difficult but well worth the effort.

Here are a few ways I teach children how to manage their emotions:

Self-Talk: We all talk to ourselves. We have an internal world that is constantly assessing and drawing conclusions from the evidence we gather in the external world. Children experience self-talk early on. Self-talk can get out of control. Whether a child is talking himself into a frenzy like "Mommy is so mean. This is so unfair. I hate life." All the way to: "I’ve got to do better. I’m not good enough. Nobody understands me." The biggest challenge with children is that they are not aware of their self-talk. So, I enter their worlds using examples from the movie The Emperor’s New Grove. It’s a GREAT example of self-talk. In the movie, Kronk, the bad witch’s henchman, is bothered by his conscious. Throughout the movie, a little devil and angle appear on his shoulders and argue over Kronk’s next move. Kids who have seen the movie immediately understand what I mean by self-talk. I suggest to children that they need to help the "angel" talk louder and talk over the "little devil". You can help your child discover what his "little devil" says and then help him come up with how his "angel" can retort. Of course you can use other characters or if your child is old enough you can describe the two sides of self-talk as positive and negative. It is very important to realize your part in your child’s self-talk. If you are overly critical, your child’s self-talk may not be her self-talk at all but parent-talk that she hears from you. If this is true, it’s time to correct it through a little of your own self-talk challenge.

Emotional Eclipse: There is a process called catharsis, which basically means the purging of emotions. Years ago, people were instructed to punch pillows when angry or frustrated as a cathartic way to release emotions. On further reflection, however, it was found that punching a pillow in anger only increased angry behavior! In fact, it was learned that angry feelings were decreased when people relaxed, reflected and refocused. When I teach children how to choose calming behavior when they feel frustrated, I call it an emotional eclipse. Using a deck of feeling cards (see D), I show them how angry can become calm, how sadness will turn to happiness, and how lonely changes into connected. To help your child learn the emotional eclipse technique, write down a list of angry behaviors versus a list of calm behaviors. Show them how they can overshadow a negative feeling with positive behavior and eventually they will feel how they act.

The Box: Some children deal with a great deal of anxiety. They worry over school. They fret over sports. They have concerns over friends and family. They feel overwhelmed. To help these children cope, I explain to them that sometimes their "emotional cup" feels full. Thus, when parents ask for a chore to be done, these children can easily break into tears or burst in rage. Parents feel as if they are "walking on eggshells" because when children are in this state, parents can easily tip the cup over with simple requests. When children have too many worries, they may feel cranky often or they may have trouble sleeping. One way to help your children define and relieve their emotions is to put their emotions in a literal box. You can do this by having them write the worries on a piece of paper and putting those worries in a real box. Then as the parent you say "I’ll keep your worries for you for the night." This allows children to let go and feel safe. If a child’s worries are extreme, you may help him write them down, lock the worries in the box or throw the worries away. The visual can help children release their concerns.

Feeling Cards: Feeling cards are excellent ways for children to learn the lingo of emotions. With your child, write an equal number of positive and negative feelings on a piece of paper. Using 3x5 cards, put each feeling words at the bottom of the card and then draw a feeling facial expression above it. Have your child pick out three feelings everyday and express "I feel… when... because…". This will give them an opportunity to verbally express their emotions. Then, you are going to help your child brainstorm and write three appropriate reactions to the feeling on the back of the card. The next time your child is having an angry moment, you say, "Let’s get out your feeling cards and see what your choices are." If they are too angry, you wait until they are calm and then look at the back of the card to review appropriate choices to the behavior. The choices on the back of the Angry card may look like this:

1. Breathe 2. Use your "I feel" words 3. Go listen to calming music and calm down.

If you use feeling cards consistently, it allows you to keep in touch with your child’s emotional state while helping them connect to their emotions.

Ultimately, children learn by modeling. How do you express your sadness? What do you do when you feel angry? If your responses are inappropriate, learn from the lessons above. We cannot blame our children for behavior that we model. If your behavior is appropriate, then make sure you express to your child how you get from sad to happy, angry to calm, and lonely to connected. Your child cannot read your mind! So if you are really good at emotional management then you must share how you keep yourself positive.

These suggestions have helped many parents teach, coach and counsel their children. Let me know if they work for you by emailing me at laura@parenteducationgroup.com. Remember that teaching your children about the world of emotions arms them with the tools to take care of themselves, have successful relationships, and reach their goals in life.

Laura Doerflinger, MS, LMHC is a Child and Family Therapist,

And Executive Director of the Parent Education Group.

Email Laura at: laura@parenteducationgroup.com

Visit Laura online at: www.parenteducationgroup.com

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Legislative Updates

- Sarah Cuplin Wilson, Thoreau Legislative Liaison

Legislative Assembly Update

Last October WA State PTA held a Legislative Assembly. During the assembly, 237 voting delegates cast their votes to determine which issues will be their top priorities in 2005. Here is a summary of the issues topping the list:

1. Simple Majority for School Levies and Bonds - The Washington State PTA shall support/initiate legislation and/or policies that allow the people to vote on Simple Majority for school funding measures.

2. Critical Support Components for Education Reform - The Washington State PTA shall support/initiate legislation and/or policies that provide the critical support students need and deserve to be successful. These necessary supports include, but are not limited to: objective, appropriate alternatives to the WASL; an appeals process; specific plans for intervention and re-instruction for students not meeting the learning standards. The decision to implement a state diploma requirement based on a student's successful passage of the high school WASL should not occur until after the necessary supports have been implemented and deemed effective.

3. Education Funding Study - The Washington State PTA shall support/initiate legislation and/or policies that determine the true cost of educating all students in Washington State to achieve current academic standards.

4. K-12 School Facilities - The Washington State PTA shall support/initiate legislation and/or policies that address the need for modernization of existing K-12 school facilities, and construction of new K-12 school facilities.

5. Support for Programs for Highly Capable Students - The Washington State PTA shall support/initiate legislation and/or policies that promote highly capable programs for students in public schools. This will include policy issues that provide identified and sustained funding for high quality programs and curricula, and access to such programs for all qualified students in Washington State.

Other Issues Supported by WSPTA

· Special Education Funding

· Children’s Health Care Access

· Support for Struggling Schools

· Early Services for Children with Developmental Disabilities

· After-school Programs

· School Counselors

· Children’s Mental Health Services

· Life-Threatening Allergies and Asthma

· School Transportation Funding

· Fair and Ample Tax System

· School Nurses

· Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Programs

· Connecting the Levels of Public Education

· Children’s Protective Services Program Improvements

· Skill Center Funding

· School District Performance Audits

· Review and Evaluation of Tax Exemptions

· Opposition to Charter Schools

· International Education for All Children

· Traffic Safety Education

For a complete list of issue rankings, including average scores, visit:

http://wastatepta.org/programs/Legislation/issue_ranks04.htm

For more information on these issues, visit the WA State PTA Legislation Page at:

http://wastatepta.org/programs/Legislation/legintro.htm

Focus Day 2005 — Thursday, February 17

“Let someone else focus on the road while we focus on the issues.”

Focus Day is an important event where we meet our legislators face to face to discuss PTA’s top priority issues. This isn’t a stressful meeting. It‘s fun, important and very interesting.

QUESTIONS?

Contact Tracy Hoien 425-558-1292 or tracy.hoien@verizon.net

LWPTSA members ride the bus for $6.00. No hassle with driving or parking and you'll be in great company!! Sign up today by e-mailing wendy.steiger@verizon.net. The first 45 people to respond are guaranteed a seat on the bus. Mail checks made payable to LWPTSA Council to:

Wendy Steiger
14112 126th Place NE
Kirkland, WA 98034

DETAILS

OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO FILL AT LEAST ONE BUS with participants eager to send a strong message to our legislators—that we demand from them the same level of accountability for education that they demand from our young people and those who educate them.

Lake WA PTSA parents know that their kids attend school in the BEST school district in Washington with skilled teachers and staff supported by an equally strong administration. Dedicated professionals manage our school district, and the PTA is another sterling example of the support our community gives to the overall well being of children. We indeed support our children in many ways. Unfortunately, it isn't enough.

Citizens need to tell their elected officials in person to increase school funding for critical needs such as smaller classes, sound facilities, teacher quality and realistic accountability.

The Lake WA PTSA Council has approved covering half the cost for a chartered bus. This means participants will each pay only $6.00. It beats the heck out of fighting I-5 traffic and paying for parking, and there is a bathroom on board and food and beverage are allowed! Departure time and location isn’t set yet, but will be around 8 AM. We should be back in Redmond no later than 4 PM. More details to come.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable presenting your opinions to legislators? No worries! The fear of not knowing what the topics are will be easily dispelled by the information you’ll have in hand and from the company of veteran PTA lobbyist. Plus, there’ll be plenty of time to ask questions on the trip down to Olympia.

Last year, our very own Kate Enslein, now a student at Redmond High School, willingly testified on the WASL bill. If Kate can do it, then PTA can excel in a similar fashion! So, get on the FOCUS DAY bandwagon early for a fun and exciting advocacy event. Place the date in your planner now. Tell your friends.

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Top Frog A.C.E. Awards

Principal Roetcisoender

September 2005

Every month, one student from each class is nominated by their teacher for the Top Frog ACE Award (Academics, Citizenship and Excellence). Winners get to eat lunch at a special table with Mr. R., are awarded a certificate and have their picture taken! These are students who consistently work hard at their schoolwork, follow the rules and strive to do their best. This month’s awards were presented to:

This month there are no top frog awards. These will begin next month!

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Student Contributions

- Written by Kaley C.

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a pretty special day, one that everyone should talk about! Not just the hearts and tarts, or sweets and treats; but for something else. It’s not about the cookies or the chocolate, or the other things you may get. No, Valentine’s Day is about LOVE and the kindness you get when you’re given special cards or boxes, with roses and doves. I think you might agree that the very best are the kisses and hugs.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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What is PTA?

Our Mission:

To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children;

To assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children;

To encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation.

Click here for current PTA Board Members and contact information.

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