The Truth About “Becky and Teddy”

The Truth About “Becky and Teddy”
A Teen and Young Adult Heath Summit
September 17, 2011
9am to 2pm
First Timothy Baptist Church
12103 Biscayne Blvd
Jacksonville, Florida 32218
This is a Free event and lunch will be served.
Special Sessions for Adults.

BLOG

The Truth for Teens and Young Adults
The truth is that the best proactive measures for Teens
and Young Adults is Education. Preaching, threatening, scolding
and even punishing are not true deterrents to  changing behaviors
of Teens and Young Adults.

When it comes to reinforcing and understanding the dangers
and consequences  of unprotected sex, drug use, obesity,
alcohol, dangers with social media, and situations of bullying,
parents must use tools available to “get through”
to their Teens and Young Adults.

The Best Defense and Strategy is EDUCATION.
When parents talk about social concerns they are sometimes
met with indifference, rejection, closed minds, closed ears and
even rebellion from their children. Many parents become
frustrated, depressed and lost as to how they can reach their child
or children when they are blossoming and
growing into Teens and Young Adults.

The truth is there is so much misinformation that
Teens and Young Adults are not sure who to believe. The most logical
choice is communication with their parents, but peer pressure, new
friendships, being with the “in group” may be more important for
Teens and Young Adults at their ages.

Quote ”There isn't a child who hasn't gone out into the brave new world
who eventually doesn't return to the old homestead carrying a bundle of
dirty clothes.” Art Buchwald

A parents responsibility does not just happen in the home, but also when
a Teen and Young Adult leaves the home.  Accountability is important as
parents teach and preach to their Teen and Young Adults about the
correct direction to grow. The media has shown images of Teens and
Young Adults murdered, incarcerated, abducted, abused and some have
even disappeared, never to be seen again.

The community of Jacksonville must take more of a responsibility to get
Teens and Young Adults more involved in events like
The Truth About “Becky and Teddy”
This Teen and Young Adult Health Summit is directed at
Teens and Young Adultshere in Jacksonville, Florida and surrounding
communities. Presenting information on a level that Teens and Young
Adults can comprehend, relate to and immediately apply in their every
day interaction within their social groups of school, church, community
and home.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to bring their Teens and
Young Adults and their friends to this powerful summit that has the
potential to empower minds and safe lives. 

Youth is, after all, just a moment, but it is the moment, the spark,
that you always carry in your heart.  Raisa M. Gorbachev

ONE BY ONE FOR OUR SCHOOLS

ONE BY ONE

When education is attacked
and the level of educational
service and funding is declining
this should be a wakeup
call for the community to join
in a unified effort to strengthen
the collective resources and



provide support to the educational
community.

When libraries are losing funding and vital access
to knowledge is denied communities start to decline on an
intellectual level that ultimately affects personal
perceptions of the value for growth and brings about lower
self esteem and psychological challenges.
Rally for public libraries:
Rally Public Libraries
When education
that provides skills to allow people to compete in a global
economy looses in legislative session the future ability to
infuse American workers to effectively compete in jobs that
require future skill sets infused in Mathematics, Science,
Technology and Literacy (reading and comprehension)
is threatened.

Schools now face budget cuts that students will feel years
to come, if America were a third world country we would
be in political dissention, social unrest and lower than we
are now when compared globally with other countries.

Florida is losing its competitive edge because of the decline
in basic skills that cannot be overlooked in the continued
advance in higher learning. The basic foundation of education
leads to higher educational accomplishment and a continued
desire to learn by members of the community. In order to
Transform our schools for a progressive and vibrant future
the community should embrace and support progressive
organizations that seek to aid students and families.

The "ONE by ONE. Transforming Our Future Together"
campaign seeks to infuse energy, accountability and
responsibility into an educational campaign that excites
parents about the educational process. Through the
One by One campaign, "it is our goal to see the entire
Jacksonville community mobilized, unified, and empowered
with an action plan to strengthen our communities,
our schools, and act on behalf of our students."

During times of economic stress, political change
dialogue is needed to "educate" the public what direction
is needed to address and eliminate the challenges we
face that try to divide us and challenge our collective
strength. Education is a key element that provides the
necessary skill set to bring knowledge workers together
for collaborative opportunities.

The best resource a society has is the education
of its youth.

Groups such as the Public Education Fund are, "
recognizing that Duval County is at a critical moment
for improving public education, the Jacksonville Public
Education Fund launches the ONE by ONE campaign
to unite the community behind a common vision to
ensure that all students graduate from high school
ready for college and the workforce." What better way
to empower our community and continue to prepare
our youth as participants in global markets. The saying,
It takes a community to raise leaders, says a lot for
the accountability of every citizen to be concerned
about the educational success of all youth. It does not
matter what community, it does not matter what
neighborhood or gated entrance ALL of Jacksonville
should be concerned.

Our youth can no longer be containers filled up with
facts, figures and statistics; our youth must be
Knowledge Managers. Managers of information, using
information to accomplish goals and objectives
to accomplish a task or reach a goal as in College,
Vocational Schools, or Military Service.

Globally KM's promote the sharing and incorporation
of information, because information and knowledge
are POWER. To see how our community can make a
difference tonight it is the opportunity to witness
and be a part of change. Visit the Cummer Museum
of Art and Garden tonight an exhibit called ONE in THREE.
Powerful, Progressive and Purpose Driven

Join us at the @CummerMuseum from 4-8 pm and
transform the future of education!

For more information, visit One by One Jax
Contact Rachael Tutwiler at Rachael@JaxPEF.org
Call (904) 356-2194

Parents - Students - Teachers

In an effort to inspire and encourage parents this school year,
parents are encouraged to be involved in the learning experience
at their child's school. Parents are an important key to their child's
academic success, data and actual evidence supports this.
The school year has started and a learning tone is being
established, the first consideration, do parents
really feel they should support their child's school? Understanding,
knowing when to ask for help with a struggling student is just
as important as asking why parents need help for their children
to be successful this school year.
There are key reasons why parents need to be involved.
Their child may need assistance sometime during
the school year and parents should and need to be involved.
Involvement and investment in education is interconnected
to the overall learning in schools and should continue in the
homes of students.

Stated in PBS Kids (Going To School) "parents attitudes
about education can inspire their (children) and show them
how to take charge of their own educational journey."
Accountability and responsibility are components that students
must learn early and should be taught by the parent or guardian.
The traditional school year is a 180 day knowledge experience;
the first several weeks of school are important because quality
for learning is established.  Preparation has been established
by teachers even  before pre planning when the school year
starts for teachers. The first few weeks for students is
establishing learning procedures and strategies for the school
year.

Students set a tone of whether they |choose to be successful
or challenge the foundation of learning in the classroom.
Significantly parents have a choice whether they are going to be supportive,
involved or disruptive in the learning experience of their child(ren).
Parents are the first teachers, role models, inspirations, and
foundations to success for their children.  When parents start
to consider where their child(ren) will attend school they must
consider their involvement in the learning process as well.
Parents cannot just "drop" their children at school and
expect teachers to teach everything. Again stated in PBS Kids
that applies to parents, "When a young child begins formal
school, the parent's job is to show them how school can extend
the learning you (the parent) began together at home, and
how exciting and meaningful this learning can be."

When parents do not prepare their children for formal school
they are the ones that create educational setbacks and
handicaps. Parents cannot be ignorant to think that teachers
should teach what parents are morally and ethically accountable
for. Teachers teach academics not morals and ethics.
Children learn differently, if a parent does not know how
their child learns they are not connected with a key
educational component. Children learn by a mixture of
modalities (learning tools); visually (through making and
seeing), tactile (building and manipulation), auditory
(pay attention through hearing).

Schools provide the environment to learn in a structured,
supportive and academically sound environment.
The career of an educator tries to establish no room for
failure or setbacks. Parents involved in this learning
environment take over at home. They can assist their
child by encouraging them to do their home work,
school projects, reading and making learning opportunities
important.

Andrew Robinson Elementary provides parents with motivation
and encouragement in their environment from all modalities.
The theme of College Preparation is not taken lightly. The
educational environment is enhanced to show visual, tactile,
and auditory learning for students and the implementation
of reading.

Reading is Fundamental to all Learning
Stated by Shiketa Morgan, "as a childcare center owner of
14 years I see firsthand affects that reading has on young
children. Reading increases the attention span, it expands
a child's vocabulary, and it promotes the love of books in
young children. My favorite quote is: "The nation that reads
much, knows much." Thomas Jefferson
Shiketa Morgan (http://www.shiketamorgan.wordpress.com/)

Parents no matter your reading level read with your child 
or children, the more you read the stronger reader you will
become. You will gain a new respect and admiration from
your child / children as they watch you grow in your reading
ability as you and they both read together.
Susan Becker, M. Ed.  "Read aloud regularly, even to older
kids. If your child is a reluctant reader, reading aloud will
expose them to the structure and vocabulary of good literature
and get them interested in  reading more. 
Alternating reading: you read one chapter aloud, they read
another to themselves.
And let kids pick the books they like."

Educational Tips are provided below for students and
parents to work by to build a solid educational foundation
from elementary school to college entrance.

Student Responsibility:
Attend school regularly and be on time for class each day
Complete homework and class work
Follow school and classroom rules and expectations
Participate in class, complete and turn in all work
Read each day
Treat everyone with respect and dignity
Wear appropriate clothing that complies to the guidelines
of the Code of Conduct School
Encourage your parent's participation
Treat everyone with respect and dignity

Parent Responsibility
Participate in school activities, i.e. Open House, PTA
Meeting/Activities and Parent Nights
Attend all parent/teacher conferences
Ensure prompt daily attendance by 8:30 a.m. each day
Provide and ensure appropriate dress for your child
according to the District's Code of Conduct
Set aside a time and place for your child to do his/her
homework, free from distractions
Support and cooperate with school staff
Support a safe school environment
Treat everyone with respect and dignity