Thursday, August 24, 2017

Class of 2021 Orientation with a service-learning component at the Red Cross

Class of 2021's Orientation Day

Members of the Class of 2021 began their orientation meeting their senior mentors. 



Student Council members led by Student Council President Luke A. facilitated 
"Get to know each other" ice-breakerbefore 
75 members of the Class of 2021 volunteered at the Red Cross.at





At the Red Cross of Oklahoma, the Class of 2021 was divided into three groups.


The groups rotated into three rooms where they were introduced to the Red Cross and two current projects.
Mr. McHargue, Dean of Freshman, Mrs. Clay, Service-Learning Director, and Mrs. Cochram, Registrar 
and French Teacher volunteered with the Class of 2021.

In the first room, a Red Cross Volunteer taught the group about 

-Emergency preparedness
a Tornados
b. Floods
c. Home Safety: Fire Hazards, Smoke Alarms
d. The proper way to wash hands to prevent sickness and contamination
e. The proper way to watch the solar eclipse
  
In rooms, two and three Casady volunteers learned about two Red Cross Projects,
played games to test their learning and packed supplies for:
a. The Pillowcase Project  
b. The Fire Safety Project  



The efficiency demonstrated by the Class of 2021 provided 
time at the end for the Dean of Freshmen, Mr. James McHargue
and members of the Red Cross Volunteer Team who facilitated 
the Red Cross Experience  to share stories of how
 the Red Cross had affected their lives and 
why they volunteer and will continue to volunteer at the Red Cross.
Two members of the Class of 2021 shared that the words that would describe their 
Red Cross Volunteer Experience were professional and marvelous. 

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.


The American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign aims to reduce deaths and injuries caused by home fires across the country by 25 percent in the next five years. Red Cross workers teach people about fire safety in neighborhoods at high risk for fires and install smoke alarms in some of these communities.
 

Teaching children how to be prepared for emergencies is an important part of the campaign. Red Cross workers are educating kids about fire safety through The Pillowcase Project, an educational program to teach children in grades 3 through 5 how to make sure they are prepared for emergencies and help their loved ones get ready too.
Sponsored by Disney, The Pillowcase Project has already reached more than 180,000 young people across the country and plans are to reach thousands more by March of next year. The program emphasizes the importance of developing an emergency communications plan, fire evacuation plan and emergency contact cards.
 

 


Students learn about hazards, how to prepare for emergencies and how to cope. They practice what they have learned and share their knowledge with friends and family. The students receive a pillowcase and are encouraged to create their own emergency supply kits by packing essential items in a pillowcase that they can easily carry during an emergency.
OKLAHOMA SUCCESS During the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma, the importance of The Pillowcase Project was seen when children who had attended the class were impacted by the storms.
Prior to the tornadoes touching down, the Red Cross had visited several schools in the area to teach kids about being prepared through The Pillowcase Project. Parents used social media outlets to explain how valuable that training proved to be.
“While we were in the shelter today my daughter was quoting things she learned from you guys yesterday. She was calm, a big difference from last year. What you do makes a difference. Thank you.”
“Thank u. Today we had a tornado in our town and a couple days ago u came to my son's school and gave him the pillow case full of important things. He took this with him in the shelter today and was more prepared then I was. Thank u.”
“Thank you so much for coming to Winding Creek Elementary in Moore and preparing our students for emergencies! We are heartbroken again for our community and can't thank you enough for helping our kiddos! I'm hearing wonderful stories about how our students stayed calm and followed the procedures they learned from Jennifer this week at school. I appreciate you so much! Moore kids were prepared with their pillow cases provided by you all!” Paula Gifford, Principal
MONSTER GUARD Disney also sponsored the creation of Monster Guard - the first mobile app created by the Red Cross designed specifically for kids. The app compliments The Pillowcase Project youth preparedness initiative. It’s a game where children role-play as various monster characters and engage in interactive training episodes for hazards such as home fires, floods and hurricanes. Since the launch in October 2014, there have been more than 40,000 downloads.
Young app users direct the monsters to identify fire hazards, locate a safe room in a house, select items needed for an emergency supplies kit and more. If a player completes all of the episodes, he or she will graduate and become a member of the ‘Monster Guard.’
INTERESTED? FIND OUT MORE The Pillowcase Project was originally developed by the Red Cross Southeast Louisiana Chapter following Hurricane Katrina. The project has expanded to the entire country and Puerto Rico and is spreading across the globe through the Global Disaster Preparedness Center.

Presentations can be arranged for schools, after-school programs, scout meetings and other sites and events. For information about the program in your area, contact your local Red Cross chapter.

Monday, August 21, 2017

LD Spanish Teacher, 2nd place ($57,000) raised for Children's Miracle Network

Dancing For A Miracle supported the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, an organization dedicated to providing funding for pediatric programs in research and education while serving every county in Oklahoma.  In honor of the 10th Anniversary of Dancing For A Miracle, performances were inspired by the wonderful world of Disney and the music that is the soundtrack of childhood. All funds raised through Children's Hospital Foundation stay in Oklahoma, so that our children will have access to pediatric specialists without having to leave the state.

Over $500,000 were raised in a live and silent auction as well as pledges to find the STAR couple of the Dancing Competition.  Mr. Chris Black'74 and his wife Cynthia were the Honorary Chairs of the event.  


Ms. Hazel Lopez, Lower Division Spanish Teacher participated in the dance competition for a second year in a row. Her partner this year was Mr. Mike McDaniel.  The couple raised $57,000 and took second place in the overall competition. Ms. Terri McCaleb and Darren Fernandez took first place with over $150,000 raised.  Ms. Lopez stated, "It is an honor and great pleasure to participate in Dancing for a Miracle. I've participated before and it's always been fun to meet my partners and perform for an audience. Helping children has always been a focus of my life. As a dance instructor and a proud Spanish teacher at Casady School, I see the endless possibilities for the children.  A child that has those possibilities is a happy child, that makes everyone smile. I want to step up and do what I can to help and I hope everyone else will too."   

The Upper Division Casady Student Council yearly Walk-A-Thon also benefits the Children's Miracle Network.  Save the date: April 6 for the 2017 Casady Walk-A-Thon around the beautiful Casady Lake.

Friday, August 18, 2017

Teach Peace - A Stand Up to Hate

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Peace Rocks




  


  

Take some home, leave some behind to brighten someone's day


Preparing supplies for Kinesthetic Lab Training with Dr. Javier Carrasco

Kinesthetic Literacy Lab Demonstration
Dr. Javier Carrasco provided a "train the trainer"demonstration via Google hang out facilitated by Mr. Tommy Snider.  Dr. Carrasco demonstrated 3 of his Kinesthetic Lab activities at Harper from 3:00-4:00 pm.  Mrs. Chaudry, Mrs. Howley, and Mrs. Johnson attended. Mrs. Carmen Clay who coordinated the demonstration wrote, "Dr. Carrasco's Literacy Kinesthetic Lab activities are awesome. Teachers who attended the demonstration connected his ideas to their field and developed teachable experiences for their own classrooms."    

Looking forward to Saturday 9/9/2017 from 10:00-11:30 when Casady mentors will undergo training via Google Hangout at Harper.  Casady mentors will take the activities to Boys and Girls Clubs, Stanley Hupfeld Elementary, Our Spot-Head Start Center, and Special Care.
The presentation for the 9/9/2017 train the mentors demonstration is as follows
A. Brief overview of the kinesthetic curriculum

      B. Demonstrate the activities (three with our help)
    C. Close out with an overview of your findings.   



Thursday, August 17, 2017

Casady Faculty Connecting to the Community

Results of a Common Purpose
18,675 Backpacks are delivered to 52 schools on Fridays during the school year 
Hunger in Oklahoma Report

Peace and Joy at the Heart of Service
Educated to Make a Difference
Hunger Must End before Learning Begins


The mission of the RFBO of Fighting Hunger-Feeding Hope is fulfilled by a strong volunteer force
Guidelines for RFBO Volunteering

Operational manifestation of our mission

A group picture before being divided into working groups
Purpose:  Packing Food-4-Kids Backpacks and meals for school food pantries and Kids Cafes


 

  


TIP takes tour of Food Bank during Break
HOPE'S KITCHEN

RFBO invites Cyclones to cook for Kids Cafes at the Hope Kitchen
The Hope Kitchen provides Healthy Meals to After School and Summer Feeding Programs
Must be 12 years old to serve at the Hope's Kitchen


18,500 Oklahoma Kids in the Food for Kids Program in 2017 in 52 schools
Urban Harvest is a sustainable gardening program at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. The four central goals of the program are agricultural education, fresh food production, community outreach and ecological conservation.

One in Six Oklahomans Struggle with Food Insecurity
1 in 4 Oklahoma Children Struggle with Hunger

Beef and Pork for Backpacks
Must be 18 years old to pack meat products
Beef for Backpacks and Pork for Packs are a collaboration among the Oklahoma Farming and Ranching Foundation, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Oklahoma Beef Council, Oklahoma State University Food and Agricultural Products Center, Ralph's Meat Company in Perkins, Chickasha Meats, Oklahoma FFA, and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.
Nearly 50 head of cattle and hogs are needed each year to provide enough beef and pork sticks for all of the students in the Food for Kids program. 


RFBO feeds 126,000 Oklahoma neighbors
600,000+ people struggle with food insecurity in Oklahoma
RFBO is environmentally conscious.  Recycles cardboard, minimizes paper usage, and their facility runs on energy saving LED lights with motion detectors to turn on and off lights

THANK YOU FOR 
VOLUNTEERING AT THE RFBO




 Meanwhile Back at Casady 
YAC oversees Peace Rock Art for Children of Faculty Volunteering at the Food Bank





Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Peace Week 2017 (11 Days of Global Unity) Approaching!

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Please, continue to send ideas and names of possible Chapel speakers and connecting experiences to the theme of the day to clayc@casady.org.  YAC will have a Peace Week (11 Days of Global Unity) organizing meeting on August 21, 2:30-3:30 pm at Harper
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How to talk to your kids about the violence in Charlottesville
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A man tends a candle at a vigil for those who died and were injured when a car plowed into a crowd of anti-racist counter demonstrators in Virginia. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)
By Sonali Kohli
Contact Reporter

As violence erupted in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, with three killed and dozens injured at one of the largest white nationalist rallies in a decade, TV screens and newsfeeds across America were filled with images of chaos and terror.
While politicians including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Senator Dianne Feinstein reacted by condemning the attacks, calling for “hope and prayers for peace” and reminders that “violent acts of hate and bigotry have no place in America,” parents seeing the news were faced with a dilemma that’s becoming an increasing concern for American families: if, and how, to talk about violence and racism with their children.
Mental health experts and parents discussed their experiences Saturday, and shared advice for talking to children about the violence in Charlottesville.
Here are their tips:
1. Talk to your kids, but educate yourself first
It’s reasonable to want to protect children, to maintain their innocence for as long as possible. But that can do them a disservice in the long run, parents and mental health experts say. The children are going to get the news somewhere, and controlling their first exposure allows you to make sure they’re getting accurate information in an age-appropriate way.
Talking to children about violent events like this one, especially ones that feel close to home, is also important to their social and emotional development, said Karla Sapp, a mental health counselor in Georgia and mother of two.
“I can’t keep them in this little cocoon and act like the world is not happening around us,” Sapp said. “If I keep them in the cocoon, then they won’t really be able to understand the world in which we live and be able to find their place.”
But first, parents should figure out what’s happening. Before talking to her children Saturday afternoon, Sonia Smith-Kang, vice president of the nonprofit advocacy group Multiracial Americans of Southern California, read up on what was happening in Charlottesville herself. Then, Smith-Kang said, she talked to her kids, who are of black, Mexican and Korean descent.
“I was hoping to avoid these kinds of heavy hitting discussions,” said Smith-Kang, who lives in Northridge with her four children and husband. “But ... I have to be their advocate, and I have to be someone they can turn to when they’re confused.”
2. Treat children according to their age
While young children will likely hear about what’s happening, they may not be ready to process all the details. It’s important to contextualize these events in the world that a child is living in.
“I liken it to being really mindful of not handing too heavy a suitcase to someone to carry,” said parenting coach Wendy Silvers, who lives in Culver City and has a 16-year-old daughter.
When her daughter was younger, between 5 and 7, “I would say things to her like, ‘There are some people that are very disconnected from love … and they take actions that really hurt other people,’ ” Silvers said.
Now her daughter is older but, as a multiracial young black woman, needs reassurance that she will be safe, Silvers said.
“We talk about everything. We talk about the tensions, we talk about what it’s like for people to live in ignorance, and that we want to be part of the paradigm that brings unity,” she said. Silvers and her husband also tell their daughter sometimes that they, too, are scared, but that they will always do everything in their power to keep her safe. 
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From NAIS NEWS
Education in the News

What Should Teachers Say About the Hate Speech Seen in Charlottesville?
Greg Toppo, USA Today
"I think a lot of teachers are scared parents are going to get mad, but if we frame the conversation in a really loving way with our students … at least we move in the right direction.”