kzv newsletter - december

8/14/2019 KZV Newsletter - December

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December of 10

Overprotecting can start as early asinfancy and continue throughout a

child’s years in school. As parents wewant to protect our children frombeing physically and emotionally hurt.But, although we need to make sureour children are safe, sheltering ourtoddlers from rough and tumble playor not allowing our pre-teens to maketheir own decisions prevents themfrom developing independence. Dr.Harris correlates this type ofoverprotection to raising adults whoare uncommitted or who cannot makedecisions.

Children also need to learnresponsibility for their behavior.Experiencing the positiveconsequences of studying for a testor the negative consequences offorgetting your homework, or notpaying attention in class, fostersresponsibility and self-mastery.Completing homework assignmentsand projects (even those which seemdifficult to the parent) with minimalhelp from parents helps boost selfesteem and academic growth. Dr.

Harris feels that being over-involvedwith their child’s schoolwork sends amessage that the parent doesn’tbelieve that the child can completeassignments on his own, and that,therefore, he lacks intelligence orcapability. Over-involved parents whodemand perfection can set up theirchild to fear failure. A fear of failurecan result in a lack of exploration andexperimentation, both of which are sonecessary for academic growth andfuture success.

We may all be a little overindulgent at

birthdays or Christmas, but,according to Dr. Harris, habitual

overindulgent parents who cater totheir child’s every wish may teach

their child to equate material objectsto love, and that may result in an

adult who tries to substitute things foraffection.

Administration Speaks: cont inued

Dr. Ken Haller, associate professor ofpediatrics at St. Louis School of

Medicine, offers the followingguidelines for parents who areconcerned with over-parenting:

1. Encourage children todiscuss their problems, but letthem come up with their ownsolutions.

2. Steer clear of disputinggrades, discipline, placementon a team, or squabbles withfriends. Enable your child toproperly deal with his/herproblems by asking him orher what he/she thinksshould be done and offeringpossible solutions.

3. Be available to answerquestions and clarifyinstructions during homeworktime, but avoid givinganswers or doing thehomework for your child. The

parent’s job is to create asituation where the child cansucceed by providingnecessary supplies, a quietand well lit area to study, anda specific time to dohomework.

4. Teach your child to respectthe authority of teachers andcoaches. Although it’s alrightto question teachers and

coaches, parents should notbad mouth them, break theirrules or make excuses fortheir child.

5. Hold your child accountableand let him/her suffer theconsequences of his or heractions. It is especially

important in middle schoolto make the child

responsible for studying,bringing homework home,and turning in assignmentson time.

6. If your child is the victim ofbullies or peer pressurediscuss your concerns withthe teacher oradministration, andbrainstorm with your childon appropriate responses.Try not to directly interfere

unless you feel your child isin danger.

7. Respect your child’steacher/s by makingappointments and using e-mail. Teachers are happyto meet with parents, butneed to schedule their timeto teach and prepare forclass.

8. Remember that a parent’s job is to prepare their childto become capable andresponsible adults, sodecrease your involvementover time and let your childlive his/her own life.



December of 10

For…”), and Razmig Makasdjian (“It’s the People that I’m

Thankful For”). The essays reminded us of the myriad thingsfor which we give thanks.

After the reading students enjoyed holiday cheer, apple juice,and Christmas cut-out cookies made by the 3

rdgraders.

On December 16t, the lower grades gathered in

the library to listen to “I’m Thankful Essays” writtenby the students in first, second, and third grades.

The winning essays were: Eva Oskanian (“I’mThankful”), Hagop Chinchinian (“I’m Thankful

Thanksgiv ing Dinner

Mr. Orr's fifth grade class has much to bethankful for as the 2008-2009 school yearkeeps sending its blessings. The class islearning its reading, writing, andarithmetic, but is having fun doing it!Before Thanksgiving break, Mr. Orr'sstudents wanted to celebrate in a way thatonly they could! The students decidedthat they wanted to have a feast, not justan ordinary party! Family members were

invited and a menu was prepared. Foodsfrom different backgrounds, such as onesfrom Russia, Armenia, Lebanon, and thesouthern United States, were ready to beeaten! The students had a wonderful timesharing what they were thankful for,playing "Pin the Tail on the Turkey", andpetting Mr. Orr's dog, Drew. This feastwas a wonderful opportunity for Mr. Orr'sclass to share time with one another andwas a reminder that we all have things tobe thankful for.



December of 10

News from Around the School: cont inued

Pre-K News

Knarik Shahijanian, Pre-K Director

Hello parents! Decemberhas proven to be yetanother wonderful andaction-packed month forour Pre-K students! This month’s focus has

been on the celebration ofChristmas. We have beenlearning about the birth ofJesus and have beenputting our learning intoaction with our rendition ofThe Nativity. Each andevery child played a veryimportant role in telling thestory of our Savior’s birth,from our own Joseph andMary, right down to ourlittle sheep! Everyone didan amazing job at the

Christmas Hantess andwe could not be moreproud of our little ones. We also learned about thetradition of Santa Clausand the celebration of theNew Year. To get readyfor Santa’s visit to ourclassroom, we made apaper chain with linkssymbolizing each day untilSanta’s arrival. Every

morning, we would cutone of the links until therewere none left and Santaarrived! He brought ustraditional Armeniangoodies, our very ownversion of “cheere oochameech” and somelovely gifts. We were so

excited and thankful thatwe offered ourappreciation throughChristmas songs andpoems that we learnedespecially for him! Heloved it and told us he wasvery proud of us! We have also beenlearning about the manydifferent shapes found allaround us and to help uswith the concept, wemade many differentshaped ornaments for ourclassroom Christmas tree.From circles to squares totriangles and everything

else in between, we had alot of fun learning all aboutthem. Amidst all this fun and

ky

ve

d with that, all of us at

ry,

excitement, we were lucenough to welcome thenewest member of ourYellow Group, Shant

Panossian! Welcome,Shant! We hope you hafun learning as you play!

Anthe PreK wish all of you a

happy and joyousChristmas and a vevery Happy New Year!



December of 10

Armenian Corner

Kindergarten kids selling bookmarks to raise funds for clean water project

in Armenia.



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Armenian Corner: cont inued



December of 10


Alidz Agbabian, a storyteller and author who specializes

in Armenian and Middle Eastern oral traditions, broughtfolk tales, myths, songs and legends to KZV.



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December of 10

Dr. Glenn McGee, head of theelementary/middle schoolsystem in Wilmette, Illinois,

launched an in-depth study ofthis trend in his middle/upperclass district. He garneredinformation by interviewingparents and teachers,reviewing literacy rates, andclassroom grades over a fouryear time span. He determinedthat there are no easy solutionsto this problem; each situationis unique and needs a solutiontailored to its particulars. Thefollowing ideas and insightsshed light on possiblesolutions:

Teachers need to mixdesk work with physicalactivity, as boys needto move around morethan girls (data gleanedfrom a Canadian studyin developmentalpsychology). Greateractivity levels areneeded from age 2,peaking at age 8.

Schools need to rethinktheir zero-tolerancepolicies banningpretend violence.Many little boys indulgein action aggression.Michael Thompson(Raising Cain ) pointsout that this type ofplay among boys alsoinvolves ideas of“courage,valor, andloyalty”.

Classroom teachersneed to stock theirclassrooms with a widevariety of readingmaterial: irreverentbooks, comic books,manuals/how thingswork guides, andfactual material(Guinness WorldRecords, for example).

Trends in Education: cont inued

The first step in closingthe gap is awarenessof the problem by allthe adults who workwith boys. Out of thisawareness, adults canfashion many creativeand unique solutions.

The stakes have never beenhigher for solutions to

remedying this gap, as collegeis seen as a necessary step for

personal satisfaction, as wellas the attainment of a middle-

class life. The educationalachievement disparity was

addressed for girls, andanswering the call for boys in

no way implies a rollback of thegains made by girls. Both ourboys and girls deserve an

educational environment that

nurtures their connection andenjoyment to academicsuccess.

All types of writing should beencouraged—action/adventure, and factual

reporting, for example. Schools need to urge boys to

take leadership roles inschools and to be active inextracurricular projects; forexample, working on theschool newspaper, chessclub, yearbook and studentgovernment.

Keeping Dads involved intheir sons’ attainments iscrucial. Boys feel moreconnected to academic

endeavors if their Dads attendPTA meetings, check theirhomework, and participatewith their sons in schoolactivities.

Kay Kobbe, a classroomveteran of 35 years, maintainsa wooden block constructioncorner in her 3

rdgrade

classroom. She considers theuse of the blocks asophisticated activity,teaching fractions, geometry,

even physics and art. Thisactivity has tremendous boyappeal, as well as educationalvalidity.

Susan Charles, principal ofOhlone Elementary School inPalo Alto, has made greatefforts to make boy-friendlychanges in her school, suchas run breaks, allowingstudents to work outside, andmaintaining a flexible attitudeabout the individual needs ofboys (for example, use of “fat”pencils for boys with lessdeveloped motor skills; or,allowing children to stand,rather than sit, while doingwriting assignments.)Ms. Charles is also the Chailrof the KZV WASC VisitingCommittee.



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Let t e rs to Ed i to r s

KZV Armenian School

825 Brotherhood Way

San Francisco , CA 94132

PHONE: (415) 586-8686

FAX: (415) 586-8686

E-MAIL: [email protected]

We’re on the Web!

See us at:

www.kzv.org

Dear Editor

Editor-The book that Ms. Haunpresents, The Path to Purpose (Damon), addresses a fundamentalquestion, perhaps the only truequestion, in our postmodern world.The idea of asking why gives thechild a feeling of control over life.Having a choice, the ability todecide one’s fate, what we callfree-will, is at the forefront of ournational ideology. In reality, choiceis something we rarely think aboutuntil it is often too late. Even the

concept of deciding what one doeswith one’s life sounds outdated. Inthese growing harsh economictimes, the expectation is that astudent will fulfill the demands ofsociety, pursuing whatever careeris most lucrative. The luckier ones(artists, explorers, adventurers)understand intuitively that life hasno road map, that none of us aretaking it with us when we go, andwe are all going to go. The cleverchildren will seek to find out what it

is they are meant to do and pursue

it as quickly as possible,bypassing later life regret.Dreams are the key to unlockinga sense of purpose. If we avoidfinding or following a deeperpurpose, even a prestigiouseducation or a lucrative incomewill not deliver true joy. To be ornot to be.

Aren HaunNew York

Dear Reader,

A vital and informative newsletter is compromised unless its writers and readers truly interact. We encourage youto not only read the KZV Times, but also respond to what we choose to include in each of its issues. Help us raisethe quality of our final product by sending in your letters. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

KZV Times Editorial Board

kzv newsletter - december

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