Parents, it’s time to ask ourselves the question – If I can’t ensure that my child is safe from gun violence whether in school, church, restaurants, movies, etc. where should I invest my time and energy. On Sunday, January 6
th in a Clinton Hill restaurant Jason Lewis, 34, father of three children –14, 11 and six years old– was shot and killed. While I’m against murder period – which includes the wars waged by the US, legitimizing murder in other countries – Jason’s murder left me with a lingering emotional pain not experienced when hearing about the random killings or the mass killings. I finally came to the conclusion that if I couldn’t protect my children, allowing them to discover and fulfill their purpose for being on the planet, I had to choose a way to promote sanctity of life and while there are antiwar and other ant imovements, I knew that it had to begin with parent/child/community relationships and it had to begin with confronting and clearing emotional pain. There are simply too many angry young men who have found power in wielding a gun. While we (as community) awake to their needs and contribute to their healing, we must also create and share how we individually and collectively can contribute to the healing in our own families.
Assignment #1 Parent Prep – There are many young men and women who have harbored anger stemming from their interpretation of events from their childhood. This anger influences their interpretations and reactions to people and circumstances. In order to support them in clearing- we, adults, need to clear. So as a parent, teacher, relative, ask yourself, “Do I love this young person, myself enough to take on this challenge?”The assignment is: Find one or more times that your parent, caretaker, teacher or other adult said or did something that hurt – made you angry or made you feel less than. Write as many that you recall. Communicating them is a first step in your clearing and enabling you to clear the young person. Together, we can make a difference. Questions, comments to: parentsnotebook@yahoo.com.
PN Alerts!
***The yearly Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program honors 50 to 75 seventh-graders who can demonstrate outstanding academic ability, accomplishments outside of the classroom and significant financial need. Those selected receive financial support for educational and extracurricular activities, as well as one-on-one help applying to high schools, colleges, summer programs and more. Young Scholars tell their advisor what they’d like to become. Over the next five years the Foundation uses its considerable resources to help them get there. The application will open on January 17. (Link: http://www.jkcf.org/scholarships/young-scholars-program/how-to-apply/.) Questions – e-mail: jkcinfo@jhu.edu phone: 410-735-6270 web: www.jkcf.org
***Jan. 19
th, 1 – 7:30 pm – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday
celebrated at Bed-Stuy YMCA, 1121 Bedford Ave. at Monroe Street with MLK and the Visual Voice Arts Exhibition featuring art exhibits, performing artists. Admission FREE. A real treat for the Visual/Spatial and the Musical/Rhythmic Intelligences. For info contact Debbie McFarlane-Khan at 718-789-1697 Ext. 4006 or Bill Simpson 718-398-4237.
***
Jan. 19
th 2 p.m.-6 p.m –TEENAGER AND YOUNG ADULT SUMMIT – Sankofa Academy, 1670 Fulton Street (corner of Schenectady Avenue), exploring questions: The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow. How are you preparing yourself to lead? What are the problems? Is your school helping or hurting you?
Are you using all of your education resources? Jobs and careers, legal questions about stop-and-frisk. Also, what can you do to make the schools work for you? Social networks for positive interaction students in and out of schools. Speakers, workshops, cultural entertainment SPONSORED BY THE C.P.E. YOUTH SUMMIT. For Information, call (718) 616-9587
*** Jan. 26
th , 10am – 2pm –Workshop Celebrates the sport of Double Dutch!!
in Albany- Learn the rules, techniques, skills and how to collaborate with other teams at Brighter Choice Charter Middle School for Boys, 116 North Lake Avenue. Albany, NY 12206. FREE! E-mail Natalie Jay-Short @ nannysdoubledutchleague@yahoo.com to confirm your attendance and number of athletes and coaches. Call 518-281-6111 with questions. A demonstration at the Albany Devils hockey team game and bowling follows the workshop.
***Jan. 26
th , 9a.m. -1pm
(breakfast at 8:30 a.m.) –NYC Parent Academy Workshop, PS 24-427, 38th St. in Brooklyn, a citywide program in collaboration with Long Island University. For more info on this citywide initiative and topic of workshops go to: www.nycparentacademy.org.
*** ScholarshipsOnline.org, a free online directory
of the latest scholarships and education grants, is publishing available 2013 scholarships for students, parents and teachers. For more details, visit www.ScholarshipsOnline.org.