April

April is a busy month and a full month with no special days off for students.  As a school we will focus on the character trait of excellence.  Excellence is demonstrated by going above and beyond what you think you can do.  We will encourage students to take pride in their accomplishments of excellence. 

One big challenge afforded students and families during the month of April is through the project, Middleton Unplugged.  As a school we will

reinforce the idea of shutting down TV and video games through a curriculum Take the Challenge * Take Charge.  Research strongly demonstrates that visual violent imagery prevalent on TV and in many video games has an adverse reaction on the brain.  Studies have proven that detoxing the brain from video games and TV can increase test scores and school performance in as little as seven days.  As we move into ISAT and IRI State assessments we felt this was a great time to take the challenge.  Is your family willing to unplug?  Check out these websites for more information.

http://www.blogger.com/www.cmch.tv — The Center on Media and Child Health at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health is dedicated to understanding and responding to the effects of media on the physical, mental, and social health of children through research, production, and education.

http://www.blogger.com/www.sosparents.org — The Center for Successful Parenting website is designed to provide information about the negative effects of violent video. The site provides over 900 research citations including the breakthrough scientific brain scan research as well as video clips, news updates, and parent tips.

http://www.blogger.com/www.mediawise.org — Great site with excellent resources and information.

http://www.blogger.com/www.tvturnoff.org — The Center for Screen-Time Awareness (CSTA), formerly TV-Turnoff Network is an international nonprofit organization, providing tools for people to live healthier lives in functional families and vibrant communities by taking control of the electronic media in their lives and not allowing it to control them.

http://www.blogger.com/www.media-awareness.ca/english/index.cfm — This is the web site of the Media Awareness Network (MNet), one of the most comprehensive collections of media education and Internet resources. MNet is a Canadian non-profit organization that has been pioneering the development of media literacy programs since 1996.

http://www.blogger.com/www.lionlamb.org — This organization was developed by parents for parents, teachers and students. Although the organization no longer exists there are great references on the site.