Thanks to business

Radio Commentary

With a new year beginning, I’d like to take this opportunity to say thanks on behalf of all our public schools for all the support received throughout 2016.

First, I’d like to thank the community members who support their local classrooms in so many ways.

Parents volunteer in classrooms. PTA members play invaluable roles at every school. Relatives and friends support local fundraisers, and neighbors pitch in at every turn.

I’d also like to thank our local business community, whose support of our schools continues to be strong and invaluable.

Businesses and local foundations have contributed generously to the Computers for Families program to ensure that we can address the digital divide for years into the future.

Members of local businesses also help serve as mentors, making themselves available for “job shadow” programs of all sorts. And the Partners in Education alliance, recipient of the California School Boards Association’s prestigious Golden Bell Award, is recognized as being one of the strongest school-business partnership programs in the nation.

Those of us who work in public education feel that what we do is so very important to the future of our community.

But we couldn't maintain the quality of all our programs without the full support of the community we serve.

So please accept my sincere gratitude for helping in ways both large and small to make this community a better place for young people and families. That support is evident at every turn, and it is deeply appreciated.

Parent resolutions

Radio Commentary

A new year is the traditional time for making resolutions. 

Family Circle Magazine once printed resolutions for parents, and I’m going to repeat them because they help focus our efforts as the new year begins:

I will always love my children for who they are — not who I want them to be. 

I will give my child space to grow, to dream, to succeed, and even to fail. Without that space, no growth can occur.

I will create a loving home environment, regardless of what effort it takes at a given time.

When discipline is necessary, I will let my child know that I disapprove of what he does, not who he is. 

I will set limits and help my children find security in the knowledge of what is expected of them. They will not have to guess what is right or wrong.

I will make time for all my children and cherish our moments together. I will not burden my children with emotions and problems they are not equipped to deal with.

I will encourage my children to experience the world and all its possibilities, taking pains to leave them careful but not fearful.

I will try to be the kind of person I want my children to be: loving, fair-minded, giving, and hopeful.

These are good resolutions for all of us.

Post holiday stress

Radio Commentary

Few times of the year match the winter holidays for the sheer joy and excitement felt by young people. 

Children tend to get excited by the presents, special food, and even the change of schedule from the everyday routine.

Then it’s all over. The post-holiday letdown can sometimes escalate into post-holiday stress among young and old alike. 

If this seems to be the case with your own children, encourage them to talk about their feelings. Give them a chance to draw or write about what might be troubling them.

Reassure them that these feelings are normal for everyone. 

You should not be surprised if children exhibit some regressive or aggressive behavior. Try not to get alarmed or overly critical if it does appear.

Remember that this type of behavior is a normal reaction following periods of great excitement. 

With your love and support, your children will do just fine.

In fact, it is often a very important lesson to learn that life has peaks and valleys in terms of excitement and happiness. Things can’t always be perfect or thrilling.

It’s both the ups and the downs that lend texture to life, and ultimately lead to wisdom. It’s a hard lesson for children to learn, but an important one.

A vision for the New Year

By Bill Cirone, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools

A new year is the traditional time for making resolutions.

Family Circle Magazine once printed resolutions for parents, and I’m going to repeat them because they help focus our efforts as the new year begins:

I will always love my children for who they are — not who I want them to be.

I will give my child space to grow, to dream, to succeed, and even to fail. Without that space, no growth can occur.

I will create a loving home environment, regardless of what effort it takes at a given time.

When discipline is necessary, I will let my child know that I disapprove of what he does, not who he is.

I will set limits and help my children find security in the knowledge of what is expected of them. They will not have to guess what is right or wrong.

I will make time for all my children and cherish our moments together. I will not burden my children with emotions and problems they are not equipped to deal with.

I will encourage my children to experience the world and all its possibilities, taking pains to leave them careful but not fearful.

I will try to be the kind of person I want my children to be: loving, fair-minded, giving, and hopeful. These are good resolutions for all of us.

The new year is also a good time to take stock and share our vision for children in Santa Barbara County for the year that is about to take shape. It is a vision I’m sure most members of our community share.

We envision children growing up in good health, with a zest for learning and living.

We see them with a spark inside that makes them want to share their talents with those less fortunate, and work for the good of the order, just because it's the right thing to do.

We see children who are free of fear, free of abuse, free of drugs, free of prejudice.

We see children who are free to reach beyond their circumstances, whatever those might be, and to join a society that welcomes their contributions on the job, in the community, and in the voting booth.

And we see a community willing to work together to bring all our children closer to that dream.

My sincere gratitude to all, for helping in ways both large and small to make this community a better place for young people and families. That support is evident at every turn, and it is deeply appreciated.

Happy holidays to young and old alike.

The value of an arts education

By Bill Cirone, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools

We all know that when school budgets get tight, art and music education are early casualties. Traditionally, schools and classrooms are rated according to how students perform on standardized tests. You can scan those tests until you grow very weary, but you will never see mention of a treble clef or a two-point perspective.

Fortunately, our school and community leaders understand that the arts are essential elements of a complete education, and they often provide the very skills and motivation required for school success. The Children’s Creative Project (CCP) plays such a vital role in arts education in our community. The CCP is a non-profit organization under the umbrella of the County Education Office that partners with local school districts to bring high quality visual and performing arts instruction to our schoolchildren.

Earlier this school year — thanks to the fundraising of the annual I Madonnari festival and dynamic partnership of the CCP and UCSB’s Arts and Lecture series — Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning trumpeter, composer, and music educator Wynton Marsalis reminded over 1,400 Santa Barbara County schoolchildren at the Granada Theater of the joy, wonder, and power of the arts. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis delighted students with the music and stories of jazz legend Duke Ellington.

Jazz at Lincoln Center’s concerts are designed to spark curiosity and imagination through vivid conversation and lively performances that inspire audiences to dance in their seats. Through interactive performances and lessons, Marsalis led the young audience gathered at the Granada on Duke’s journey from Washington, D.C. to New York City, while familiarizing students with jazz terms like riffs, breaks, and “shout chorus” in Ellington standards “Harlem Airshaft,” “Sea Jam Blues,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” and other hits.

As Marsalis and his band demonstrated, the arts represent a form of thinking that is both sensory and intellectual, one that is based on human imagination and judgment. The arts are a form of expression and communication that is essential to the human experience, and truly deserve a regular place in our classrooms.

What’s more, the arts provide unique ways of reaching students who may not access knowledge as readily through language and mathematics alone. One of the students tentatively asked a band member during the question and answer session following the performance, “Have you ever made a mistake?” The band member smiled at the innocence of the question before replying, “Absolutely. There’s so much you learn from mistakes. Maybe more than your successes. You become a better listener, a better band mate, and you recommit to improving. Mistakes can lead to opportunities, if you allow yourself to learn from them.”

Many young people find great joy in artistic expression. For some, it is an outlet and a source of inspiration. It helps them keep connected to their teachers and their schools. The benefits of arts education can translate into real advantages, including closing the achievement gaps between groups of students, keeping young people in school who otherwise might drop out, and preparing students for the demands of college and an ever-changing workforce.

Arts education is an essential and integral part of basic education for all students, K-12, providing balanced learning and developing the full potential of their minds. Without the arts, we will have drained from our schools the humanity, the creativity, the discipline, and the joy that arts can provide to all our children.

The words of Plato capture the spirit of Wynton Marsalis’ work with our children: “Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.”

Fitness for children

Radio Commentary

Experts say that many American children may be on their way to an inactive adulthood, based on observations of how they spend their days.

That thought is a bit frightening, considering that physical inactivity is one of the primary risk factors for heart disease. 

Experts agree that coronary/heart disease is a hereditary condition, but behaviors that begin in childhood can increase or decrease the risk of heart disease.

Here are some ways to help children get fit and stay fit, for a lifetime of healthy living:

•  First, provide a good example yourself. Children who have active parents are more likely to be active than children who do not. Plan family activities, or even after-dinner walks, several times a week. Make these activities fun for all involved.

•  Make sure children are active at home. Keep sports equipment on hand and encourage lifelong activities such as tennis, biking, or running. Children who enjoy these activities may well continue them into adulthood.

•  Unplug the TV. There’s a correlation between TV watching and low fitness rates, eating more junk food, obesity, and high cholesterol. 

Watching TV and playing computer games are passive activities usually involving no movement at all. We’ve all seen young people mesmerized by what is on the screen, often unaware that they are sitting still for so long. 

The inactivity may be more dangerous, in the long run, than any potentially objectionable material on the screen that might soon be forgotten.

So make fitness a family affair and it will have benefits that last a lifetime.

Help users

Radio Commentary

Federal drug-control agencies urge schools to help students who use drugs, not just toss them off campus.  

Guidelines in a report released by the Office of National Drug Control Policy a few years ago urged treatment and counseling for high school drug users, rather than simply suspending or expelling them.

“The goal is to say we believe we can do a better job of making kids healthy,” said John Walters, who directed the office. 

The report said that kicking students out of school without treatment can create “drug-using dropouts,” which is an even bigger problem. 

The advice challenges policies in many districts that automatically suspend or expel students caught with drugs. 

Kathleen Lyons, spokeswoman for the National Education Association, said her group would back those guidelines.

“That's what we would endorse, helping kids, not simply punishing them,” she said.

She added, “It doesn't do anybody any good just to take a drug test and kick the kid out of school — where's he going to go? It doesn't solve anyone's problem and may, in fact, worsen it.”

Reasonable people can disagree, but I believe this approach makes a lot of sense as we continue to help students overcome drug dependence and pursue healthy lifestyles.  

Happy Holidays

Radio Commentary

In this most joyous of holiday seasons, we wish the entire community a world of peace, happiness, and goodwill, all year through.  

In the spirit of the season, we hope that everyone will keep in mind the least among us, and reach out a helping hand of support and hope to the children and families that form our larger Santa Barbara neighborhood.

There are so many sayings that cover this spirit: ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ And most appropriately for this week, ‘I am my brother’s keeper.’

There is a Mexican-American proverb I really like. It states: “Everyone in the world smiles in the same language.” 

We have also heard much of the Reverend Martin Luther King’s famous statement:  “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Much is changing locally and in our nation and world. We see that all around us, in ways both large and small.

As we witness and live through these changes together, we send our best to all in our community, along with all good wishes for a holiday season and new year brimming with hopes fulfilled. 

Stick-to-it-ive-ness

Radio Commentary

There is great virtue in old-fashioned stick-to-it-ive-ness. ‘Smart’ students don’t always know the answers on tests. But they are resourceful.

When they realize they don’t have enough time or information to give a correct answer — they don’t give up. They give it their best shot.

Here are some ideas you can suggest that your children try the next time they get stuck on a test question:

• Politely ask the teacher to clarify the question or the kind of answer expected.

• Skip over the question and allow the sub-conscious mind to work on it. Sometimes this will trigger a thought and help with earlier questions.

• Rephrase the question.

• Start writing something — anything — that relates to the topic. Other ideas might start to flow.

• Replace the question with a related one you can answer. Let the teacher know you’re aware that you’re not answering the question asked, but that you are demonstrating your knowledge. The process might trigger the answer to the original question as well.

• When you don’t know what something is, write down what it isn’t. This will show you have at least learned something.

• If there is not enough time to finish, write “Short of time!” and finish the answer in outline form. Sometimes that will earn a student partial credit.

When taking tests, stick-to-it-ive-ness has proven helpful for many students.

Listen to your kids

Radio Commentary

One of the simplest parent tips is one that is often overlooked because it is so obvious:

Listen to your children.

As the saying goes, there is a reason we are given two ears and one mouth.

For parents it is tempting to reverse the ratio and do more talking than listening. After all, there is so much we want our children to learn and do. We are the source of much knowledge, and there is a powerful urge to share it often.

And, of course, talking to children is very good for them. It helps them acquire more of the subtleties of language.

But children also need to talk and to be heard.

When you listen carefully to what children are saying, you send the clear message, “You matter to me. I care about what you have to say. Your ideas and opinions are worthy of being heard.”

Those are powerful messages for children to absorb.

The best advice is to slow down, face your child, even get down to his level, wait, and listen carefully to what he or she has to say.

Avoid the temptation to talk over your children. Don’t finish their thoughts, even if their speech is halting or they are searching for words. Let them find the words on their own, or help with gentle prompting.

Don’t hurry your child to get on with it. Be patient. The time you spend listening will bear long-terms dividends for both of you.

Preventing power struggles

Radio Commentary

Parents may be relieved to know that there are positive alternatives to struggling with teens. The situation is never hopeless!

First, be sure to use friendly actions whenever possible. Young people are very tuned in to negativity and they react to it very badly. Sarcasm, for example, is never a good idea.

Second, use one-word messages whenever possible. It may be hard to focus your thoughts into a single word but it is well worth the effort to try.

Once you are focused, it is easier to get your child to focus appropriately as well.

Next, set clear limits and stick to them. It’s hard, but effective, to do this.

Teach children that when they say “no” they can do it in a respectful way. Remind them it’s not the “no” that can be a problem, but rather how it is delivered and what it seems to signify. Give them alternatives, and try to negotiate win/win outcomes.

Focus on priorities. Nothing gets communication off track more quickly than bogging down in trivial matters.

Give children appropriate ways to feel powerful. No one likes to feel powerless. It can be frustrating and it can lead to more challenges.

Finally, if a major blowup occurs, a cooling off period can often place many things into perspective for young and old alike. All these actions can help you and your struggling teen.

Innovations in Education (Jan. 2017)

Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year
Shakespeare and Me

Schools of Thought with Bill Cirone

Guest:
Cary Matsuoka
Superintendent
Santa Barbara Unified School District

Talking with Teachers with Bill Cirone

Guest:
Robin Wingell
SBCEO

Local Leaders with Bill Cirone

Guest:
Nohemey Ornelas
Allan Hancock College

Esteem and violence

Radio Commentary

There is a link between violence and low self-esteem.

While it is important to teach children that they are responsible for any misdeeds, it is equally important to build their self-confidence by praising them for good behavior and accomplishments.

A child who is loved and treated kindly at home learns to love others and treat them kindly as well.

It is also important to support school policies in this area.

Know the school’s rules about discipline, and reinforce them at home. Take an interest in your child’s homework and school activities.

Be sure to clarify behavior standards. Be very clear about your expectations for behavior at home, at school, and in the community.

Identify the consequences for breaking rules. Explain why you disapprove of behavior such as destroying property, bullying, or harming others.

Put your child on notice that TV shows, movies, music, and magazines with violent or pornographic themes are not permitted in your home.

All these suggestions are intended to reinforce for children the idea that violence is not a solution to problems they may encounter.

These are the first steps to helping create a safe, secure, and nurturing environment for all.

Encourage writing

Radio Commentary

Look for ways to get your child’s creative juices flowing when it comes to writing.

When young children tell stories, write down the words. Your children can add their own illustrations and create a complete “book” to give to a grandparent or good friend for a very special birthday gift.

Children may also find that keeping a journal is a great way to express themselves and sort out their feelings.

Writing is interwoven into every part of a child’s academic career. If your child seems to have a natural affinity for it, you should encourage it in every way.

Teach children to become more observant of people and nature. It opens up whole new worlds of interest and inspiration to them.

Have them notice shapes and colors, and then have them describe what they see. Their senses are an unlimited universe of potential learning and adventure. Be sure to give lots of positive reinforcement.

Whatever the topic your child raises, listen with interest and ask questions. Don’t stifle curiosity. If you start to brush off questions, you may find that your child stops asking.

Above all, make learning as interesting, inviting, and as much fun as possible for your children. Enthusiastic, creative people enjoy learning new things at any age.

Rotary Club selects SBHS teacher for special recognition

News release

The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara recently recognized Santa Barbara High School special education teacher Eric Nichoson for his extraordinary contributions to public education. It is the first of four such awards the Rotarians will present to area educators this academic year.

Nichoson is a resource specialist, teaching grades 7-9. This year he is co-teaching American Government, Economics, U.S. History, and Algebra 1. He has been at Santa Barbara High School for 12 years. Prior to teaching at SBHS, Nichoson taught in the San Diego City school system for two years.

Since 1986, the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara has honored outstanding teachers from South Coast schools each year. It awards a high school, junior high, elementary, and special education teacher with a certificate and a $1,000 check to spend on classroom needs.

“Our teachers are second to none and perform daily heroic acts on behalf of students and families,” said County Superintendent of Schools Bill Cirone, whose office coordinates the recognition with the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara. “We appreciate the vision, caring, and commitment of the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara in making annual awards that recognize the contributions of outstanding teachers, while providing resources that enable them to enrich their classroom environments.”

“The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara is committed to supporting the Santa Barbara County Education Office, and it gives us great pleasure to recognize the efforts of outstanding teachers like Nichoson,” said Mike Bieza, chairman of the Teacher Recognition Committee of the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara. “Rotary of Santa Barbara and Rotary International members know that educators like Eric Nichoson have a tremendous impact on their students, who one day will be the leaders of our community.”

Nichoson took an unconventional path to the classroom. “I didn’t complete my undergraduate work until I was in my mid-30s because I was not ready to commit to being a ‘student,’” he says. “When I did, I treated it like a job.” He completed his education at UCSB in 18 months and graduated summa cum laude. He subsequently earned his teaching credentials at California Lutheran University.

“I can attest to the fact that he is one of the truly great people that works with our communities’ kids,” said Santa Barbara High School principal Dr. John Becchio. “As a special education teacher he is motivated by the fact that he gets to positively influence and help the students in our community who need it the most, and they are often the ones who want to be at school the least because school has always been hard for them due to their disabilities.”

“Mr. Nich,” as he is affectionately called, was himself inspired to become an educator by one of his high school teachers. He has been seen at local thrift stores buying dictionaries for his students, proctoring a special exam session on a Saturday so he can read the test to a student with dyslexia, attending athletic and extracurricular events so his students know he is interested in them beyond the classroom, and roaming the hallways with his quirky ties saying hello to everyone he passes.

“Mr. Nich is certainly one of the bright spots in his students’ school day,” Becchio continued. “It is my honor and privilege to call him a colleague. He truly makes a difference, every day.”

The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara meets at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara for lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Fridays. Recipients of the club’s Teacher Recognition Awards are made with the assistance of the Teacher Programs and Support department of the Santa Barbara County Education Office.

Prediction skills

Radio Commentary

Reading skills are often enhanced through the use of prediction skills.

Good readers use prediction throughout their reading. They constantly anticipate what will happen next.

When reading with your child, find time to have the child write down what he or she thinks is going to take place.

Do this at the end of a chapter or in between the illustrations of a picture book.

Beginning readers need stories that are highly predictable. This predictability may take the form of rhyme, repetition, or patterned language.

Help children write down their prediction of the next word in a sequence.

They can then compare their choice with the one in the book. 

One good exercise is to make up short stories and have children write several endings.

You can then talk about which ending is “most predictable” or “most unbelievable” or “most inventive.” 

Experts agree: When helping your child become a strong reader, writing down predictions can be a valuable tool for improved reading skills.

Reading for meaning

Radio Commentary

Getting meaning out of what we read is one of the secrets for success at any age, but most particularly for young people in school.

Experts always cite reading as the skill students most need for classroom success.

Studies show that having a lot of reading materials around while children are growing up helps them in more ways than we may ever know. 

Being surrounded by words helps make children comfortable with language. 

Submerging children in a culture of words helps them learn that words have meaning. 

Words are the building blocks for thinking and learning throughout a lifetime. 

But just learning to read is not enough to ensure school success. 

It’s important to be able to sound out different letter combinations, but children must also learn to find the meaning in different combinations of words. 

Reading out loud helps focus on pronunciation and word recognition. The next step is understanding what those words signify, and learning how to put them together in combinations to get meaning across.

Only then can students put what they read to its best use. Reading for meaning is always the goal.

A vision for the New Year

By Bill Cirone, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools

A new year is the traditional time for making resolutions.

Family Circle Magazine once printed resolutions for parents, and I’m going to repeat them because they help focus our efforts as the new year begins:

I will always love my children for who they are — not who I want them to be.

I will give my child space to grow, to dream, to succeed, and even to fail. Without that space, no growth can occur.

I will create a loving home environment, regardless of what effort it takes at a given time.

When discipline is necessary, I will let my child know that I disapprove of what he does, not who he is.

I will set limits and help my children find security in the knowledge of what is expected of them. They will not have to guess what is right or wrong.

I will make time for all my children and cherish our moments together. I will not burden my children with emotions and problems they are not equipped to deal with.

I will encourage my children to experience the world and all its possibilities, taking pains to leave them careful but not fearful.

I will try to be the kind of person I want my children to be: loving, fair-minded, giving, and hopeful.

These are good resolutions for all of us.

The new year is also a good time to take stock and share our vision for children in Santa Barbara County for the year that is about to take shape. It is a vision I’m sure most members of our community share.

We envision children growing up in good health, with a zest for learning and living.

We see them with a spark inside that makes them want to share their talents with those less fortunate, and work for the good of the order, just because it's the right thing to do.

We see children who are free of fear, free of abuse, free of drugs, free of prejudice.

We see children who are free to reach beyond their circumstances, whatever those might be, and to join a society that welcomes their contributions on the job, in the community, and in the voting booth.

And we see a community willing to work together to bring all our children closer to that dream.

My sincere gratitude to all, for helping in ways both large and small to make this community a better place for young people and families. That support is evident at every turn, and it is deeply appreciated.

Happy holidays to young and old alike.

Car safety tips

Radio Commentary

More parents are traveling these days with ever-younger children in tow. When it comes to traveling safely, there are two practices that could save a young life.

First, when traveling in a car, always secure an infant in a car seat in the back seat.

The rear of a car is a far safer place in the event of an accident. Above all, never use an infant seat in the front of a car that has a passenger-side air bag.

If the bag deploys, it can seriously injure an infant by striking the back of the safety seat.

In a case where an older car only has lap belts in the rear, or shoulder straps that cross over the neck or face of a toddler, it is still important to use a safety belt.

In fact, any belt is better than no belt. Use a booster seat for a young child who has outgrown an infant seat. This will elevate the child so that the shoulder strap crosses the chest, not the neck.

If the rear seat has no shoulder straps, buy a booster seat with a harness or a shield. These devices have saved young lives.

Second: Remember that preventive and defensive driving is always the best bet — and drivers should take special precautions when traveling with young passengers.

But sometimes unforeseeable circumstances occur, or other drivers are not exercising the same care as you are.

At those times, it is far better to be prepared by making sure your child is adequately protected.

Time capsules

Radio Commentary

With 2016 winding down, it can be fun for families to create a time capsule. It can also provide a practical use for items you might otherwise throw away.

Creating a time capsule is an interesting activity to give children a sense of historical perspective.

Storing a collection of artifacts from the present to be opened some time in the future will give clues to those in the future as to what life was like in our times.

Have each family member select a few things to donate to the cause.

Put a date on the box when your family can open it again. You might even want to bury it somewhere.

Years later, when your children open it, memories will flood back. Or, they might choose to let the time capsule go forever, to be discovered by some future explorers.

The unknown aspects of the future can spark young imaginations and provide encouragement to a wide variety of interests, from science to science fiction.

This project could even start young people on the road to planning goals to achieve by a certain date.

Time capsules provide a real opportunity to channel children’s sense of wonder. They also help bring the concept of history right into your own backyard.

Internet contract

Radio Commentary

Parents tell children, “Don’t talk to strangers.” With wide use of the Internet, the possibility of talking to strangers in cyberspace is now an issue as well.

But it doesn’t need to be. Children can make very good use of the Internet without using chat rooms or interactive forums that bring them in contact with strangers.

Parents can help keep their children safe by setting rules and enforcing them. Remember, even if you don’t have a mobile device or a computer at home, your children can still use online services at a friend’s house or even a public library.

So help your child understand that online activity is a privilege. Children should also agree to:

•   Limit time online to 8 hours per week.

•   Never give out their name, address, phone number, school, or password to anyone online.

•   Report to you anyone online who asks for personal information.

•   Tell you if someone sends messages that are uncomfortable or inappropriate.

•   Never arrange to meet friends they have met online, unless you are with them.

•   Never spend time in adult chat rooms or newsgroups.

•   Refrain from using bad language or sending cruel messages.

Build in natural consequences. If any of these agreements are broken, children generally should lose online privileges for one week per broken promise.

Remember: safety online is as important as safety offline.

Effective families

Radio Commentary

A strong case can be made for parental involvement in education. Effective families have several identifiable characteristics. These include:

• A feeling of control over their lives — individually, and as a group

• Frequent communication of high expectations to the children

• A family dream of success for the future for all members

• A consistent message that hard work is the key to success

• An active lifestyle involving physical activities

• A view of the family as a mutual support system and an effective problem-solving unit

• Clearly understood household rules, that are consistently enforced, and

• Frequent contact with teachers by at least one parent, and both if possible.

The report maintained that this type of family lifestyle helps lead to a child’s increased self-confidence and self-control.

These characteristics create a protective network that is an ongoing source of strength and support for young and old alike.

In families with these traits, parents tell their children through their attitudes, behavior, and encouragement that they can succeed in school and in life.