December 20, 2007

Thoughts for the New Year from Your School Social Worker:>

 Hi Students, 

I am hoping you had a wonderful holiday and a great vacation.  I have been thinking about our new coming year.  I would like to share two great finds:

Newsboy's Dream of the New Year

The Newsboy's Dream of the New Year
by Kate Seymour Maclean

Under the bare brown rafters,
In his garret bed he lay,
And dreamed of the bright hereafters.
And the merry morns of May.

The snowflakes slowly sifted
In through each cranny and seam,
But only the sunshine drifted
Into the newsboy's dream.

For he dreamed of the brave tomorrows,
His eager eyes should scan,
When battling with wants and sorrows,
He felt himself a Man.

He felt his heart grow bolder
For the struggle and the strife,
When shoulder joined to shoulder,
In the battlefield of life.

And instead of the bare brown rafters,
And the snowflakes sifting in,
He saw in the glad hereafters,
The home his hands should win.

The flowers that grew in its shadow,
And the trees that drooped above;
The low of the kine in the meadow,
And the coo of the morning dove.

And dearer and more tender,
He saw his mother there,
As she knelt in the sunset splendour,
To say the evening prayer.

His face--the sun had burned it,
And his hands were rough and hard,
But home, he had fairly earned it,
And this was his reward!

The morning star's faint glimmer
Stole into the garret forlorn,
And touched the face of the dreamer
With the light of a hope newborn.

Oh, ring harmonious voices
Of New Year's welcoming bells!
For the very air rejoices.
Through all its sounding cells!

I greet ye! oh friends and neighbours
The smith and the artizan;
I share in your honest labours,
A Canadian working-man.

To wield the axe or the hammer,
To till the yielding soil,
Enroll me under your banner,
Oh Brotherhood of Toil

Ring, bells of the brave tomorrows!
And bring the time more near:
Ring out the wants and the sorrows,
Ring in the glad New Year!




20 HEALTHY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR KIDS
(Also see: Tips for a Healthier New Year)

click here to send these tips to a friend

Consejos Para Un Ano Nuevo Mas Saludable
 
(PDF File)

The following New Year tips are from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Please feel free to use them in any print or broadcast story, with appropriate attribution of source.

Preschoolers

  • I will clean up my toys.
  • I will brush my teeth twice a day, and wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
  • I won't tease dogs - even friendly ones. I will avoid being bitten by keeping my fingers and face away from their mouths.

Kids, 5- to 12-years-old

  • I will drink milk and water, and limit soda and fruit drinks.
  • I will apply sunscreen before I go outdoors. I will try to stay in the shade whenever possible and wear a hat and sunglasses, especially when I'm playing sports.
  • I will try to find a sport (like basketball or soccer) or an activity (like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing or riding my bike) that I like and do it at least three times a week!
  • I will always wear a helmet when bicycling.
  • I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car. I'll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
  • I'll be nice to other kids. I'll be friendly to kids who need friends - like someone who is shy, or is new to my school.
  • I'll never give out personal information such as my name, home address, school name or telephone number on the Internet. Also, I'll never send a picture of myself to someone I chat with on the computer without my parent's permission.

Kids, 13-years-old and up

  • I will eat at least one fruit and one vegetable every day, and I will limit the amount of soda I drink.
  • I will take care of my body through physical activity and nutrition.
  • I will choose non-violent television shows and video games, and I will spend only one to two hours each day - at the most - on these activities.
  • I will help out in my community - through volunteering, working with community groups or by joining a group that helps people in need.
  • I will wipe negative "self talk" (i.e. "I can't do it" or "I'm so dumb") out of my vocabulary.
  • When I feel angry or stressed out, I will take a break and find constructive ways to deal with the stress, such as exercising, reading, writing in a journal or discussing my problem with a parent or friend.
  • When faced with a difficult decision, I will talk with an adult about my choices.
  • I will be careful about whom I choose to date, and always treat the other person with respect and without coercion or violence.
  • I will resist peer pressure to try drugs and alcohol.
  • When I notice my friends are struggling or engaging in risky behaviors, I will talk with a trusted adult and attempt to find a way that I can help them.

American Academy of Pediatrics, 1/07

 

December 2007

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31

Categories

The Consolidated School | Kennebunkport, Maine | © M.S.A.D. 71 2006