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FORWARD MATTERS - The Newsletter of Guilford County PAGE

FORWARD MATTERS

Newsletter - November 2015 

HAVE YOU REGISTERED?

ICYMI: The PAGE Fall Kick-Off was a fun success!

Approximately 100 Guilford County PAGE members and their families attended the Fall Kick-Off Event on October 4, 2015, and many especially enjoyed the Meet the Animals bonus event where they got up close and personal with several critters.    

The Overparenting Crisis

Two new books and a slew of media attention are focusing on what’s being termed an over-parenting crisis: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success (How to Raise An Adult) by Julie Lythcott-Haims, the longtime freshman dean at Stanford; and The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed by Jessica Lahey, a middle school teacher and writer for The New York Times and The Atlantic.

According to both Lythcott-Hains and Lahey, who were interviewed on National Public Radio about the pressure on parents to help their children succeed, the repercussions of lost opportunities for kids to experience failure and acquire self-sufficiency may not provide for the life lessons and resiliency they will need as adults.

Both authors talk about extreme “in the trenches” parents who become so involved in their children’s lives they are on hand to undertake every academic or sports pursuit. They are driving their minivan to save the day with forgotten assignments and supplies, signing up for professional trainers and supporting a burgeoning tutoring industry, redoing student projects, and even writing their kids’ college essays or completing science projects. In the extreme, parents’ actions are unethical and their kids may suffer from anxiety and low self-confidence.

While both authors find that many parents say want to let go, it’s not that easy. Parents talk about the increased stakes -- higher and more difficult academic standards, the importance of getting good grades, and the focus on future success or the right college at earlier and earlier ages. Some parents rationalize that if they stop intervening, their kids won’t do as well as other kids who have benefitted from parental intervention. Parents also worry teachers have factored in parent involvement into their grades and expectations, too.

As one of the authors remarked, most parents have swooped in to save the day for their kids, herself included. However, there’s power in stepping back and purposefully letting go, so kids can be kids and learn on their own.

According to NPR’s interview with the authors, here are three things you can do right away: 

1. Stop saying "we" when you mean your kid. "We" aren't on the travel soccer team, "we" aren't doing the science project and "we" aren't applying to college. Our kid is. These are their efforts and achievements. We need to go get our own hobbies to brag about.

2. Stop arguing with all of the adults in our kids' lives….[T]eachers are under siege from over-involved parents insistent upon engineering the perfect outcomes for their kids. Principals, coaches and referees see the same thing. If there's an issue that needs to be raised with these folks, we do best for our kids in the long run if we've taught them how to raise concerns on their own.

3. Stop doing their homework. Teachers end up not knowing what their students actually know, it's highly unethical, and worst of all it teaches kids, "Hey kid, you're not actually capable of doing any of this on your own."

Inquiry & Insights

We asked some of our educator members, “What is your number one suggestion for an engaging family or class field trip, and why?”

Lauren Bianchi, the AG Specialist at Jefferson Elementary took fourth graders to Grandfather Mountain and said they loved it. It is a great place to go as a family or on a class field trip. You see animal and plant species native to the North Carolina mountain region. A small museum is full of gems found in North Carolina. They have hiking trails and picnic areas. The scenery is beautiful.  http://www.grandfather.com/

Brandy Jo Brehm, the AG specialist at Gibsonville Elementary says a trip back in time engaging for the whole family is the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.  The massive 250-room home is over 100 years old and the largest private home in the United States. George Vanderbilt was detailed and innovative in every aspect of the house design demonstrating many AG taught Habits of Mind.  He purchased a huge amount of land that led to the first forestry education program in the United States. Although the Biltmore Estate is over 100 years old, the family stays ahead of the times with farming techniques and energy production at their solar farm. Have upper elementary and middle school age students read The Mystery at the Biltmore House by Carol Marsh or Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty before you visit. http://www.biltmore.com/
Emma Linn, 8th grade science teacher, Kiser Middle reports that The International Civil Rights Center & Museum in downtown Greensboro provides an opportunity for parents and children to discuss issues of equality and equity in both historical and current contexts.  The museum includes Greensboro History, US and World History.  http://www.sitinmovement.org/

Kimberly P. Sanderlin, an 8th Grade ELA teacher at Academy at Lincoln writes that her biggest suggestion for an "engaging family or class field trip", no matter how young or gifted, is to build connections between the field trip experience and what is relevant in their life.  For example, prior to a college visit, learners could do research about the university's history, available programs, and college cost.  The information gained from their prior-attendance research will help them focus their learning (and questions) while on-site.  After attending, learners can participate in practical activities such as completing mock applications to the school.  Making the field trip RELEVANT- before, during and after, is necessary for the learner to gain the most out of the experience.

Duke TIP Talent Search Deadline is November 16

Any 7th grader who scored 95%ile or higher on a qualifying test  is eligible for the Duke TIP Talent Search. You must sign up to take the SAT or ACT by November 16, 2015 to participate in most of
Duke TIP programs.  The ACT will be given on January 23, 2016 and the SAT on February 6, 2016.  There are several testing locations in our area, which in years past have included Greensboro, Jamestown, High Point, and Oak Ridge.  A score results summary will be posted in April, 2016.  The regular fee to take one test is $75.00 or $35.00, if your student is eligible for the reduced lunch program.

To “sign up for the test” means your student is a participant in Duke TIP.  Taking the ACT or SAT tests as a 7th grader is a great way to see just how your child compares with others.  Taking the 7th grade EOG and getting a 99%tile doesn’t tell anyone anything except that your student is above grade level.  Duke TIP’s Talent Search distinguishes participants by how well they score into three groups: Center, Academy, and Participant.  This allows Duke TIP to group students with like students in academic endeavors with the program.

"The Sun, Our Star" Presented by Physicist Thomas P. Espinola

Come join us at the Guilford College Cline Observatory as we celebrate our sun. From 4 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 22, 2015, the college will present a planetarium program free to all PAGE members. The program is located in the Joseph Bryan Jr. Auditorium on the first floor of the Frank Family Science Center.  Participants will take a close-up view of the sun, using the fulldome projector. Following the program, there will be tours of the observatory. If it is clear, observers will look at the sun through telescopes. Both the program and tour are appropriate for all ages.

The J. Donald Cline Observatory houses over eight telescopes, including a 16-inch, fully automated optical telescope and two, ten-foot radio dishes that can work together to turn the whole campus into one big telescope.

Get Involved with PAGE

We are seeking four adult volunteers to fill open board positions. To learn more, please contact Holly Stewart.

Membership Chair: Manage fall membership campaign, database and volunteer list.

  • Design and manage annual membership campaign (August-October)
  • Maintain membership database, provide updates to board, and collaborate with treasurer, as needed, to reconcile payments
  • Provide support for members-only programming and events
  • Attend board meetings
  • Time commitment: Average 3-4 hours per month

Adult Programming Chair: Develop programs of interest and enrichment for adults

  • Identify areas of interest for parents/educators/adult supporters of gifted education to develop programming/events
  • Plan and lead coordination of at least 2 programs per school/membership year
  • Attend board meetings
  • Time commitment: Average 2 hours per month

Sponsorship Chair: Manage community relations, donations and grants

  • Identify and secure funding, grants or in-kind donations to support chapter initiatives
  • Develop strategic relationships with educationally-minded community organizations in  Guilford County
  • Attend board meetings
  • Time commitment: Varies, 1-4 hours per month

Guilford Parent Academy Liaison: Serve as liaison between Guilford County PAGE and the Guilford Parent Academy

  • Be the primary contact with Guilford Parent Academy to share information and coordinate event calendars as needed
  • Board meeting attendance optional
  • Time commitment: Average 1-2 hours per month

UPCOMING PAGE
EVENTS

Nov. 5, 12-1 p.m. EST
FREE Webinar: How to Write a Great College Application Essay
Get more info

 

Nov.22, 4-5 p.m.
FREE Event: “The Sun, Our Star” Open to the public and hosted by the Guilford College Cline Observatory at the Frank Family Science Center in the Joseph Bryan, Jr., Auditorium, the event is appropriate for all ages. Check here for more information, and visit here for directions. No RSVP is required but plan to arrive early as event is limited to the first 90 participants.

 

OTHER AREA EVENTS

Now through Nov. 22
Carolina Renaissance Festival
Huntersville,

Nov. 10, 6-7 p.m.
Guilford County School’s (GCS) “AG Transition to HIgh School” information sessions.
Mendenhall Middle School and Southwest Middle School.
To learn more, contact the GCS AG Department.

Nov. 13-22
UNCG Theater for Young People
Pippi Longstocking

Nov. 14, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m
Guilford County Schools
Magnet Fair
GCS Choice Showcase - Magnet, High School Options & CTE Event
Greensboro Coliseum
Special Events Center

Various dates, when school is out
ArtVenture Days
Center for Visual Arts

 

TED Talks That Inspire Kids

Not only are TED Talks great for adults, but there are many wonderful ones for kids as well. To get started, check out the TED Talks Playlist called “Talks to watch with kids.”

Be sure to watch “Science is for everyone, kids included,” which features neuroscientist Beau Lotto and 12-year-old Amy O’Toole. Lotto describes science as play and a game ideally suited for children, who are naturally curious and open to inquiry.

As a result of Lotto’s project, O’Toole and her classmates published the first peer-reviewed journal article by schoolchildren about the Blackawton bees project. Beginning with “Once upon a time…,” the article, which was published in the journal Biology Letters, has become the most downloaded article in the journal to date. 
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PO Box 167
Oak Ridge, NC 27310

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