News-To-You, April 2008

                        CONNECTING WITH SCHOOL

Research has taught us that second only to family, school is the most imperative balancing force in the lives of young people.  School connection is the confidence by students that adults in the school care about their learning and about them as individuals. Students are more likely to thrive when they feel linked to school.  Essential necessities for feeling connected include high academic rigor and expectations coupled with support for learning, positive adult-student relationships, and physical and emotional safety.  Boosting the number of students connected to school is likely to improve key accountability measures.  Strong scientific evidence validates that improved student connection to school decreases absenteeism, fighting, bullying and vandalism while promoting educational motivation, classroom engagement, academic performance, school attendance and completion rates.

Educators must recognize that students connect with people before they connect with institutions.  The relationships formed between students and school staff members are at the heart of school connectedness.  Students who perceive their teachers and school administrators as creating a caring, well-structured learning environment in which expectations are high, clear, and fair are more likely to be connected to school.  But it is not just teachers and administrators who create these important connections.  Janitors, coaches, lunchroom servers, office assistants, counselors, parents and school volunteers—in short, all adults—are critically important in this dynamic.  Simply put, when we create more personalized educational environments, students respond and do better.  Teachers report, and research confirms, that connected students pay better attention, stay focused, are motivated to do more than required, and tend to have higher grades and test scores.

Peer social acceptance alone does not protect students from risk.  Children must be educated in ways that motivate, engage and involve them in learning.  Critical to that is the relationship between the teacher and the student.  Indeed, teacher support is essential in guiding students toward positive, productive behaviors.  This relationship allows students to develop a stake in their own achievement.  Effective teachers use proactive management strategies. They establish consistent classroom expectations and routines, and they recognize and reward desirable student behavior.  They help students set both academic and behavioral goals, share the goals with parents, and review them frequently.

Effective teachers use interactive and experiential teaching techniques that are linked to explicit learning objectives. They develop assignments in which students explore issues, interview people, visit sites and report back to the teacher.  They involve small teams of students of diverse ability levels and appreciate the academic development of individual team members. These teachers become an inspired, vitalizing influence in the learning process, and their importance cannot be overestimated.  Many individuals credit their adult success to one compassionate, inspirational teacher they had as a youth.

An individual school’s culture characterizes a balance of priorities between social needs and learning. While learning might be the priority of teachers, students have many other reasons to come to school.  For some, socializing, sports and extracurricular activities are at least as important as learning.  Likewise, being athletic, funny, friendly, outgoing, attractive and popular are more important achievements for some students than being “smart” or getting good grades.

Schools that value learning and have the most demanding teachers have considerably lower levels of peer harassment.  Students in these schools study together more frequently, are more engaged in class and do their homework more frequently.  The youth in these schools work hard because the adults make sure that all the students work hard.

Current research shows great promise for guidelines and programs that will further boost the concept of school connectedness.  As we shape the educational constructs of the 21st century, we cannot lose sight of the value of the connection between each student and his or her school.

Submitted by Tim L. Kwapnioski, Principal
                      Bel Air Elementary School

   Reap the Benefits of Gardening

By the American Institute for Cancer Research

        Bending, twisting, reaching and pulling.  Does this sound like an intensive aerobics class?  
        It could also be an hour or two working in the garden.  Researchers estimate that gardening 
        burns an average of 300 calories per hour, while heavy yard work can burn more than 600 
        calories per hour.  Engaging in regular physical activity like gardening is also an excellent 
        way to lower your risk of some cancers. 

Here’s the Dirt          
   Gardening is an ideal form of exercise because it combines all three types of physical activity
       – strength, endurance and flexibility. Time spent in a garden is also believed to have a healing 
       effect, both physically and emotionally.  According to the American Horticultural Therapy 
       Association, gardening can benefit people who are recovering from physical illness by 
        retraining their muscles and improving coordination, balance and strength.  In addition, 
       spending time in nature reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and relieves muscle tension.

       Gardening also has another cancer-protective benefit.  Studies show that gardeners eat a 
       wider variety of vegetables – rich in disease-fighting antioxidants and phytochemicals – 
       and have a higher overall intake of vegetables than non-gardeners. 

The Old-Fashioned Way Is Better 
       To reap the maximum health benefit from your gardening, intensive labor is required.  
       Turn off your leaf blower and pick up a rake. Use manual clippers, trimmers and lawn
       mowers if possible.  Try to stick to a regular garden exercise routine.  Rather than saving 
      up your outdoor work for one marathon weekend session, schedule at least 30-60 minutes 
      of gardening two or three times per week.  If you’re away from home during the day, early 
      mornings and evenings are ideal gardening times.  Work at a steady, constant speed.  Be 
      sure to change positions every 10 minutes or so to avoid overusing a particular muscle 
      group.  If you start by bending down to pull weeds, prune the hedges standing next.  Also 
     alternate which side of the body you use.  Pull with your right hand, then with your left. 

Find a Row to Hoe        
       Even if you don’t own an acre, a small yard can provide ample opportunity to dig, plant
       and weed. Although your workout will be more limited if you garden on a balcony or patio, 
       you can harvest a good crop of nutritious vegetables in a space as small as four feet by four feet.

       After your physician gives you the “green thumbs up,” keep these tips in mind:  
           Warm up before starting and cool down after you are finished with a short walk and a 
                    few stretches to prevent muscle soreness, back pain and repetitive strain injuries.
            Use steady, smooth motions to avoid injury.
            Protect yourself from the sun by wearing sunscreen, long-sleeved shirts and pants,
                    and a wide-brimmed hat.Stay hydrated with plenty of water, especially if the
                    temperature and humidity are high.
           When picking up tools or lifting bags of soil, bend your knees and keep your back straight. 

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