Category Archives: teaching values to children

Get Behind Them, Encourage!

Leave a comment

“There are high spots in all of our lives and most of them have come through encouragement..” ~ George Matthews Adams 

Yes! I have finally found a cause that all sides of the political spectrum can agree upon. It is the importance of art and humanities in the lives of children. 

Since 1998, Presidential First Ladies, Republican and Democrat alike, have been Honorary Chairman (chairwomen, to be P.C.) of the Coming Up Taller Awards.  The National Endowment for the Arts has selected their list of 2010 finalists that fulfill the requirements to be considered for this award. All of them exhibit excellence in arts programs for children. 

There are three primary partners in this award:

  • The National Endowment for the Arts
  • The National Endowment for the Humanities
  • Institute of Museum and Library Services

 This award is not limited to organizations within the United States. There is an international component to this award as well. These awards recognize the good work arts and humanities programs do in providing outstanding opportunities for children to learn their craft, understand the discipline and commitment it takes to become artists and scholars in their fields of accomplishment. 

The deadline of January 29, 2010 is quickly approaching for selecting the award winners.To see the list of finalists for this year, please visit:  http://bit.ly/bVGkZv. 

Meeting the needs of children who thrive in the Arts is so important! When children are supported by parents and organizations in what they love to do, they do stand tall and they thrive!

 

 This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Nurturing Potential

2 Comments

“It helps us to all work together, because its the parent and the teacher and the child – its that triangle..”

Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools has stated that the potential is there for students to become super men and super women, if given the opportunity for a great education. Our children’s inability to progress is due to the educators ineffectiveness in fulfilling the needs of the children in the classroom. It is the adults who are failing the children. This is a blanket statement, however, we all know that there are as many good teachers as there are inadequate teachers.

Every child deserves and needs a great education. They are the future of our country and students need to be taught in a way that recognizes and builds upon their strengths and gifts,so they can become global leaders as adults.

David Guggenheim’s new film “Waiting for Superman” will be premiering in New York and L.A. on September 24. This documentary film provides an inside look at education in America, our need for equal opportunity, America’s teachers and some answers to saving schools.

As highlighted in the film, the opportunity to obtain an excellent education should not be dependent upon the chance of winning a lottery to be admitted into one of the new high performing charter public schools.

Obviously, educational institutions can not be entirely held responsible for the success of a child. Parents need to do their part, too. Expose your child to the arts, to museums, to athletics, to faith and to groups of empowering people. A child has the potential to achieve what is set before them – so set the bar high! That way, your child will know you have confidence in their abililities and that you know they can succeed! It is all about nuturing potential.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Devilish Distractions

Leave a comment

“Patience and fortitude conquer all things.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

My computer, the little devil, has really gotten under my skin! It has even become the cause of writer’s cramp. I’ve got writer’s block – of all things! I have begun to write not out of desire but out of will.  My will to test my fortitude over a machine. Imagine that!

Having to work on what has become an antiquated, slow computer that freezes up, coughs and chokes every time I turn it on has been the bane of my existance all summer long. I have put off getting a new transmitter of digital information for far too long. My limits of being a fiscally conservative business owner have been reached, that is for sure!

I have learned alot from this adversarial relationship between my old computer and me –

  1. Write out of desire, not out of will!
  2. Recognize when it is time to let go of the old old and bring in the new.
  3. If a relationship becomes too overwhelming, get out of it!
  4. To write and think clearly and succinctly, you must clear out the clutter.

I need to have patience for a few more days. Then, I will be in a new relationship – one that will not be detrimental to my mental health.  As readers of this blogsite, you’ve got to be tired of hearing about this relationship with my old computer that I have found hard to forget! The relationship with my new electronic transmission device will be positive and filled with all good things! It will be more aligned with the way I like to live.  I will look forward to sharing all things fulfilling, once again!

This blog brought to you by www.cornerstonefulfillmentservice.com.

Stepping into the Light after 9-11

Leave a comment

“..the whole healing process – art, colors and design – all that makes a difference.” ~  Barbara Weaver

I was never more cognizant of art fulfilling it’s purpose than during the days following September 11, 2001. As much as I wanted to do all that I could to shield my eyes from the ugly images of destruction, rubble and death, I found myself glued to the television watching images I never expected to see in the United States of America.

Going to work each morning, following the horrific events of 9-11 gave me the opportunity to escape from a world of ugliness into a environment  filled with beauty and light. I had begun my employment at West Wind Fine Art, where my introduction into a career of order fulfillment for independent publishers began.

Not only was I surrounded by inspiring art books and videos, I was also amidst magnificent paintings by master artists. Each morning after 9-11, as I stepped into the art gallery, my place of work, I lingered a little longer in front of each painting so I could forget the images of the destruction of the Twin Towers, and into an environment of beautiful landscapes, floral images and portrait paintings that exquisitely captured faces without pain, fear and horror. At the end of the work day, I would do the same, stand and be drawn into worlds far different than what the media was charged with covering.

Art fulfilled it’s purpose by changing my perspective, it connected me with peace and set me free from my emotions of sadness and doom. It allowed me to replenish and nuture the seasons of my soul.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Do Another Nice Thing!

Leave a comment

“A library of all wisdom is more precious than all wealth…” ~ Unknown

All children need to learn the virtues of compassion and sharing. Teach your child to be a book angel, by donating their gently used (or new) books to inner city children, homeless shelters, youth centers and family literacy centers through www.bookends.org.

The founder of this non-profit is a 8 year old boy. The focus of  this  organization is kids helping other kids for the sake of literacy. Since this organization was founded in 1998, 1.9 million books have landed in the hands of 478,000 at risk childrens hands. Imagine how many smiles this gesture of kindness has brought to the faces of children who needed it the most!

Keep the momentum going from yesterday’s cleaning out of kid flicks to give to children in hospitals. Have your child make room for new books by donating those they no longer need!

Teaching your children to be involved with doing good things sure beats the alternative, doesn’t it?

This blog brought to you by www.cornerstonefulfillmentservice.com.