When you consider the future, how do you see yourself making an impact? This is a question posted for daily viewing in my office so I thought I would put it out there for you to consider. Let a bunch and enjoy life my friend.

We are currently doing the Get Involved Campaign.  This campaign is encouraging parents to be involved in their child’s educational experience.  This involvement doesn’t look the same for all parents.  We would enjoy having you partner with us on spreading the word about this campaign.

Today, I wanted to share with you a short list on how getting involved can look in other ways.

LIST OF OTHER WAYS TO BE INVOLVED:

• teaching your child to ride a bike
• taking walks with your child
• playing catch with your child
• going to your child’s school play
• this is for men: changing your child’s diaper (lol)
• taking your child to the park
• sitting on the porch conversing with your child

THE LOOK CAN LOOK SO MANY WAYS.  be involved!

communication.  key.  blueconversations is a panel discussion designed for high school students.  the panel will consist of individuals who have graduated from high school and moved on to garner some level of success.  these individuals will be alumni of the hosting high school.

your story could make a difference.  share it.

objectives for blueconversations:

• to create dialogue with high school students
• to put resources in the hands of the students
• to help students begin thinking about life after high school
• to help students better understand goal setting

more coming soon…

your story could make a difference.  share it.  blueconversations.

My neighbors went out of town one week, and there grass was looking a little wild. I THOUGHT – it would be awesome of me as a neighbor to go cut my neighbor’s grass, BUT I didn’t do it. I said I was BUT I didn’t. This was a great opportunity to be a better neighbor.

Ways to be a better NEIGHBOR:

1. Invite your neighbors over for dinner.
2. Invite your neighbors over for get gatherings at your home.
3. When you see your neighbor in need, see if you can MEET that need.
4. If you know your neighbors birthday, send them a card.
5. If you have a married couple as neighbors and they have children, you can offer to babysit so your neighbors can get some alone time in.

Better Neighbors = Better Community.

Is there an actual meet your neighbor day? There should be.

Here is a short list about my neighbors

• the father is a painter
• the mom stays at home
• they have four sons
• they both drive vans (father & mother)
• they drive a hour or more to church three times a week
• the children are home-schooled as of this year
• the mother & father met in church

What can you tell me about your neighbor?

Did you ever watch the Cosby Show? Can you a imagine a community full of families like the Cosby family? The Cosby family was not a perfect family but it was a REALLY good family.

Now imagine a community full of families resembling the family off the Cosby Show.

Healthy Families = Healthy Communities

I believe that the success of the Huxtable family stemmed from the relationship (marriage) of Cliff & Clair Huxtable. Healthy marriages give better opportunity for healthy families and with that being said, I encourage married couples to take advantage of programs like Oklahoma Marriage Initiative.

Think – HEALTHY MARRIAGES = HEALTHY FAMILIES which = HEALTHY COMMUNITIES!

Let’s BUILD healthy COMMUNITIES by starting at HOME.

a successful community?

MEANS C-A-R-I-N-G PEOPLE.

MY list -

• they care about the schools in the community
• they care enough to join community organizations
• they care enough to volunteer
• they care enough to shelter the homeless
• they care enough to donate to charities
• they care enough to fight crime
• they care enough VOTE (it’s almost NOVEMBER)
• they care about their neighbors (what’s your neighbor’s name?)
• they care enough to support local businesses
• they care enough to attend board meetings

YES. there is more but that’s enough to get my point across.

Do you care? How do you care? What are you doing to make a difference?

it’s YOUR community!

I don’t know any teachers personally that have left the field but I have heard stories about teachers being frustrated about not being able to do their jobs properly for many reasons.  Of course, we have all heard about teachers low pay for years.  I have a brother-in-law who teaches and I hear his stories daily about the LIFE of a teacher. 

Read

THIS.  Here are some teachers sharing their experiences. 

I think PARENTS can make a difference. 

Fight

for

your

child!

I have been in meetings over the summer discussing how to build a thriving city.  Most of the discussion has been centered around building up the city economically.  However, my thoughts while sitting in these meetings have been geared towards the families in this city.  This is a small city.  It consist of roughly 1600 people including children & adults.  I’m also looking at this city as a community due to the size.

The questions I’m asking myself is do you start with the families in this city/community or do you begin with looking at building up this city economically first?

I believe thriving families equal thriving communities.

What do you think?

Here is a list of ways to be active or serve your community:

1. Volunteer one day a week
2. Donate to an organization that serves your community
3. Serve on a board for a non-profit in your community
4. If you can, shop at your locally owned businesses
5. Encourage others to volunteer
6. Carpool (we are going green)
7. Tutor at your local schools
8. Visit the elderly in your community
9. Learn who your neighbors are
10. VOTE!

These are ten ways that I think we can serve our community. Give me some ways that I may have overlooked.