Watch DOGS

Thursday night Christie kicked off this year's Watch DOGS program.  It's an initiative to get more men involved in schools and working with children.

Strong, positive male role models are essential for children!!

In the book "Wild at Heart" by John Eldridge, he discusses the role of masculinity in a child's life.  Disclaimer: It is a Christian perspective and may not be for everyone.  But when I read the book, one of the concepts that stuck out to me is that, as a woman, I can evoke masculinity in my son.  But I can't bestow masculinity because I'm not a man. 

Before we get too derailed by the argument that women can do anything a man can do, let me say that-- as a woman who is Chief Operating Officer of my house and holds a higher degree than my husband-- I am NOT putting down women. But I firmly believe that men and women were designed to work in sync with each other to influence children.

I am not passing any kind of judgment on households without men in them!  Not. At. All. I'm simply speaking to the viewpoint that more men need to step up and see the importance of their roles in kids' lives.

I have seen firsthand the gravity of a male presence.  When I tell my 10 year old daughter that she looks pretty, she feels that she's gotten approval on her outfit from me.  When my husband says it, she feels doted on and loved.  I've worked for men and women, and whether it's right or wrong, I've witnessed the words of a man hit a child's ear differently than when women say the same thing. I can't explain it, but the difference definitely exists.

Again, I'm NOT intending to set up an "Us vs Them" argument.  I'm advocating for a "WE" mentality.  More men need to step up, and women need to encourage that! Kids need everyone pouring into their lives and encouraging them!

Dads, Uncles, Grandfathers-- You can still sign up to participate in Watch DOGS! Contact our parent liaison, Matty Rodriguez: matty.rodriguez@pisd.edu

Get involved!  Make a difference!  You'll be hooked on the rewarding feeling that you get when you give back!

"Get to Know Your Counselor"

What a great few weeks at Christie!! 

I've loved being in the classrooms and meeting kids the past couple of weeks!

In guidance, I've been bringing my backpack full of clues.  The kids have had to be detectives and make predictions about what my clues mean.

My first set of clues were "All About Me":

A dog, a spatula, an Amazing Jake's Fun Card, and my running shoes.

The kids figured out that I have a dog, have kids, love to bake, and (because I love to bake) run a lot.  
It turns out we have a lot in common. 
A lot of the kids have pets, play sports, love to bake or eat cookies :), and love to play games.  Imagine that! I'm making friends already! :)

Then I had clues about my job.  "What Does a Counselor Do?":

Ears, glasses, a clown nose, and a giant hand.

(Mrs. Massey took a pic of me dressed in all of my "What Does a Counselor Do?" glory.  I'm so glad. ;)  Rumor has it, she might put it on her blog.  But even if she doesn't, you should still check it out... especially if your child is one of Massey's Marvelous Minds.)

So what do these clues mean?

Ears:  I'm here to listen.  I talked with the kids about the difference between hearing and listening.  There IS a difference, ya know?!

Glasses:  I help kids see things more clearly.  Sometimes something that's bothering us can seem so big that we can't see an answer to a problem.  I'm here to help kids find a solution.

Nose:  I talked to the kids about what it means to be nosy.  Then I told them that part of my job is to ask questions, but I assured them that, if I had to be a little bit nosy, it would only be to keep them safe or help solve a problem.

Hand:  We discussed the idiom "give me a hand". I told the kids I'm here to help.  I help teachers.  I help kids. I help Mr. Steele and Ms. Kelly.  I'm here to do whatever I can to make Christie the best it can be.


Your kids were such great listeners!! They participated.  They were respectful and kind. They laughed and had fun!

I'm convinced Christie Cubs are some of the greatest kids around! 

Focus On: INTEGRITY

The character trait Christie is focusing on this month is INTEGRITY-- Doing the right thing even when no one is watching!

You can help reinforce the importance of being a person with integrity by celebrating the moments when your child does the right thing because it's the right thing to do.

Ex:
Your son promises that he'll brush his teeth as soon as he finishes the next level of the video game he's playing.  Without reminding or prompting, he finishes the level, turns off the game, and brushes his teeth. 

Celebrate the integrity he showed!

............................

Your daughter cleans her room without your asking because she knows it's what you expect.

Woo hoo!! She is showing integrity!


...........................

The older brother defends his little sister to his friends when they tease her.

That's the right thing to do!

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Homework is finished. The dog is fed. The dishes are taken to the sink. You name it... If you are not having to constantly remind, bribe, or threaten consequences to get your child to meet an expectation, then CELEBRATE! 

It's so important that our kids grow and develop into people of integrity!

Be looking for moments to affirm the good choices your child makes all on his/her own.

Public Service Announcement-- Parent Portal*

At Meet the Teacher this year, I helped (or tried to help) parents log on to Parent Portal to get their kids registered for school.  I helped them navigate the emergency release and enrollment forms.  I even answered a few questions about signing up for PASAR.

But please don't forget, parents, Parent Portal is for more than just the "beginning of school" logistics! 

You have access to your student's academic performance.  There are MAP, CogAT, and STAAR test scores. Once your child is in the third grade and above, you have access to the grade book and can monitor even more closely how well he/she is doing.  The school is not the sole keeper of all the data!

Plano does an awesome job of making it incredibly easy for you to be a part of your child's education.  There are even links with every score report, explaining what your student's scores mean. Of course, if you still have questions, we're more than willing to walk you through the data.

Log on.  Click around.  Figure it out.
Then do it again in a couple of months.
And again in the Spring.
And at the end of the year.

At Christie, we always want you to feel empowered to be a major part of the conversation when discussing your child's success.  Embracing Parent Portal for all it has to offer is a great way to start!

*This post was inspired by my forgetfulness to check on my own kids. I have to remind myself to log in every now and then too! But if you can remember, it's worth it!