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| ISSN Pending | March 16, 2006 | Volume Volume I , Issue Issue 8 |
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Dear Educator, Happy Spring! The trees are blossoming; I love blossoms. The wildflowers are blooming; I love wildflowers. Hillsides that looked dead just a few days ago are teeming with life. It speaks to me of hope...of second chances...of new beginnings. Spring reminds me that seeds are planted below ground. When we have planted a seed in someone's life, we don't know if it is growing. We prune and nourish in the hope that our efforts will be rewarded. Many "word seeds" were planted in my childhood:
I don't know the sources for many of the adages that continue to give me both courage and grace (my apologies to the authors), but they were burned into my subconscious mind. They give me courage in my own tough times and faith that the seeds I plant, in time, will blossom. The human spirit is incredibly resilient. In our schools, we now begin a season of "spring fever" and "senioritis"...that time of year when we must convince our students to try one more time...when we must help them discover that they "...Always, Always, Always Have Choices." (one of our motivational lessons). One of their choices is to achieve, even when they don't feel like it. Read our Feature Article to find two stories of new beginnings. 
To spring! Sharon Marshall Lockett, Director | |||||||||||||||||||
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To New Beginnings... Elaine wanted to be a coroner. She talked about it; she dreamed of the day when she could solve the problems of the world by uncovering medical truths through autopsy. She was so enthusiastic and persistent that we created a one-person field trip for her to meet the county coroner. Elaine had one little obstacle keeping her from reaching her dream; she struggled to earn C’s in science and math. When she graduated, I helped her with her college applications. I had to tell her that if she truly wanted medicine as a career, she would have to go to a community college to build her math and science skills before entering the university as a Biological Sciences major. She did.... As I counseled Elaine, I asked Harvey Williams when we need to tell a student they're not going to make it; they need to pursue other dreams. Harvey, as always, gave me wise advice:
Harvey knows about new beginnings. When Harvey Williams was nine years old, he and his family were accosted by members of the Ku Klux Klan. They fled in the middle of the night, with horse and buggy carrying all their earthly possessions. At age thirteen, Harvey Williams started school and flunked algebra –– three times! Today, Harvey Williams holds three Ph.D's. He recently retired as Director of Admissions for the College of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. Harvey is one person I know who might logically hate me because of the color of my skin, but he doesn't seem to have a hate bone in his body. He is at peace with his past. It's sad. Racism is real, but we choose our reactions. Harvey has chosen to make the world a better place. In SCORE, one of our slogans says "Never put a lid on a kid." Students will have problems as they negotiate life. They will periodically do less than they are capable of doing. They will sometimes make unwise decisions that affect them for their rest of their lives. Our role is to help them see that they have choices. In the words of Zig Ziglar, "Failure is an event; it is not a person." How did Elaine fare? Last time I saw her, she had completed community college...taken a little detour to have a baby...and entered the University of California, Irvine, majoring in Biology! "You tell them what they have to do. The choice is always theirs." Thanks again, Harvey. |
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SCORE periodically offers centralized workshops...or SCORE can come to you! If you have more than 10 staff members to train, fill in the information on our contact form and we will send you a Training Options flyer, personalized to your site. Attend the Summer Institute!: July 26 –August 2, 2006 Get on the Fast Track to student success! Learn all of SCORE's effective strategies at once. Bring your family on a working vacation in Southern California, half way between the beaches and Disneyland. Register for all 6 days before June 1 for a 20% discount! You receive 1) one each of all of SCORE's publications (worth $1,000), including the Staff Development Guide, featured below; 2) six exciting, interactive days of inservice; 3) continental breakfast and lunch each day. SCORE 101: Adoption Workshop: July 26–28, 2006 Use SCORE to plan your reform with your site restructuring team.
We can come to you! Tell us what you need at http://www.score-ed.com/contact.htm Study Skills: July 31–August 1, 2006 Train your entire faculty! You will gain skills and resources to:
We can come to you. Tell us what you need at http://www.score-ed.com/contact.htm Crisis, Grief, and Loss...and How to Help Your Students Through It: August 2, 2006 Grief is a fact of our students' lives (not to mention our own!). When they are grieving, the way they learn changes. That means we need to reach them differently. Attend this SCORE workshop to learn:
Do you have a student in mind? They're invited! Listen to what students say:
We can come to you! Tell us what you need at http://www.score-ed.com/contact.htm. |
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 Did you enjoy Harvey's story? It's in our Staff Development Guide along with the stories of other ordinary people who have been extraordinarily successful. The Staff Development Guide provides SCORE Adopters with our powerful student motivational curriculum, curriculum for training guidance interns and tutors, and guidelines for designing parent, motivational, and summer programs. It contains six sections: Introduction, Guidance, Academic Support/Tutoring, Parent Programs, and Summer Acceleration Programs. It is available only to those who complete Adoption Training. |
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SCORE Celebrates 27 Years of Improving Student Achievement! SCORE is a comprehensive systemic change program, validated for effectiveness by the United States Department of Education. SCORE provides inservices, technical assistance, and field-tested materials, all proven to result in increased student achievement. To request specific information related to your site, visit: http://www.score-ed.com/contact.htm
What do Others Say?
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The SCORE staff, eager to support you in your quest to improve academic performance, is always as near as your mouse click, fax, or phone number: Educational Innovations/SCORE 949-363-6764 Voice/Fax |
This SCORE newsletter is offered by subscription only. SCORE periodically sends out information relevant to educational issues. Forward it to a friend so they, too, can learn SCORE's successful strategies. To subscribe, send e-mail to sharon@score-ed.com with a subject of "Subscribe." To unsubscribe, simply reply to this e-mail with the subject of "Unsubscribe."