Identifying and appreciating the good in others isn’t always what comes naturally. Often, it’s easier to blame others for our problems or find flaws in others to use as excuses for our own jealousy, bitterness, or resentment. The problem is that this negativity usually leads to problems – for ourselves, for the other person, and for our relationships.
To see the good in others, we must first slow down and take the time to pay attention. Look for the intentions behind people’s words and actions. If you feel slighted, you can use perspective and ask, “Did that person intend to hurt me or did he/she just come across in an awkward manner?” It’s also useful to see the skills and character strengths others possess. Doing so leverages your appreciation of excellence and strengthens your leadership capacity.
District Updates
Since we are fresh off of Spring Break, I don't have much to share in terms of important dates, etc. Be sure to check out the various Principal blogs (links on the right of this page) for building-specific information. I thought I'd dedicate this week's blog to sharing information about some free resources to help make pandemic life less monotonous.
Free Audio Books for Elementary, Teens & Tweens from Audible
If you enjoy audio books, you may be familiar with Audible, an online audiobook and podcasting service owned by Amazon that allows users to purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken word content. In addition to their subscription-based content, Audible also has a free service called "Stories" that offers access to a large collection of audiobooks for kids. Listeners are not required to create an account, nor will Audible ask for any personal information. Listening categories include stories for teens, elementary, littlest listeners, timeless listens, folk and fairy tales, and more. Further, there are also collections in 7 other languages. You can check out Audible's Stories via this link.
Six Minutes--A Podcast the Whole Family Can Enjoy
If anything, this pandemic has given us the gift of enjoying our time at home, especially for those of us that like watching TV and movies. Truth be told, I have exhausted just about all of the shows I have ever wanted to watch on various streaming media services (Ted Lasso on Apple TV has been my favorite!). So now I'm moving on to podcasts. One of the things I love about podcasts is that I can listen to them when I walk my dog or drive my car. Listening in the car, however, poses challenges as my kids don't always appreciate my taste! Nonetheless, I recently discovered a podcast that is a hit with kids of all ages and their families: Six Minutes. I'm about 20 episodes in and I'm hooked. Here's the premise:
Eleven-year-old Holiday is pulled from the icy waters of Alaska with no memory of who she is or where she came from. Are her mom and dad really who they say they are? When she begins to develop incredible abilities, she’ll soon discover she’s not alone in the world.
Who is Holiday? Where did she come from and how did she end up floating in the icy waters off the coast of Alaska with no memory? And what’s the deal with that cool hoverboard? The mystery unfolds in six-minute episodes. Catch up on the award-winning worldwide sensation.
Check out Gen Z Media's Six Minutes website to subscribe and see what other family-friendly content they have to offer. Note: if the above link to Six Minutes results in an error message, try refreshing your browser or use the 2nd link and locate it from the list of shows on Gen Z Media's website.
Free Family Project Kits from Lowes
Looking for some stay-at-home outdoor activities the whole family can enjoy? Lowe's will give away free family project kits every Thursday in April as part of its "SpringFest" celebration. According to syracuse.com, customers can register at Lowe's website for the Garden-to-Go kits. Distribution will be curbside on April 8th and will continue every Thursday through April.
- April 8: Garden-to-Go kit sponsored by Miracle-Gro with exclusive recipes from professional cook and food stylist Amanda Frederickson.
- April 15: Lowe’s Mystery Garden Piñata with mystery seed packets.
- April 22: 500,000 tree saplings given out in honor of Earth Day.
- April 29: Lowe’s Butterfly Quest which helps families create a butterfly garden.
Seize Your Summer at OCC
For the past 13 years, I have been an adjunct instructor at Onondaga Community College teaching Western Civilization and World History in both online and face to face modalities. The message below recently came across my email--an opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to help students bridge the gap from pandemic life to a brighter future:
Over the past several weeks, in response to the work of our First Year Student Task Force, faculty and staff from across campus have planned an enriching summer program, which showcases topics like College 101; academic prep, especially in Math and English; the tech you need to succeed; academic showcases, and fun and engagement—all built around the 8 Schools at OCC.
“Seize Your Summer” will be offered in four one-week sessions, either in the day or evening, Monday, July 12th through Friday, August 6th. All programming is in-person on the OCC campus and will follow all health and safety protocols.
The program is completely FREE and designed for students of all types – incoming OCC freshmen, prospective OCC students, high school juniors and seniors, adult students, and even students whose plan currently doesn’t include OCC. This is an opportunity for our campus – the “community’s college” – to step forward with solutions and hands-on learning that help people get energized and started on a new beginning that is full of possibilities.
Communication will begin going out this week to students, families, and the community, to let them know about this fantastic program at OCC and how to reserve their spot. For more information, please contact the Seize Your Summer team at 315-498-2150, SeizeYourSummer@sunyocc.edu or visit https://www.sunyocc.edu/summerprep
