Grammar Police!

Maybe it's because my parents were journalists, but I have declared myself the Grammar Police and I'm currently issuing citations:

1) I frequently correct my students who wish to, axe a question. It's ask guys. Just don't ask R. Kelly in his song, "The World's Greatest," because he'll encourage you to axe him. Such violence.

2) Seen today at L.A. Fitness in the Spin Room, a sign that reads: Locker are available. Ok, several ways we could approach a correction...either Lockers are available or A locker is available would be great alternatives. And the worst part? This sign is printed and hung in several places around the gym, not just the spin room. Sigh.

3) I've saved my favorite for last. I saw this on the clearance rack at American Eagle last weekend. Check out the inscription on the t-shirt (enlarged for better viewing):

Really? I mean, editors didn't see this? It actually went to print and teen girls all across the USA are wearing a grammatically incorrect t-shirt that proclaims you should Love the one your with. Wow. No wonder our society is lost in abbreviations like LOL, BFF, and TTYL. We can't speak in complete sentences, so why not just misuse the English language while we're at it?

Just to clarify on that last one: Your is a posessive pronoun, you're is the contraction that they meant to use, meaning "you are."

Shame on you guys, R. Kelly, L.A. Fitness and American Eagle. You really ought to know better...or at least your agents, editors or designers should!

Overlooked: Shirts for a Cause

This is the shirt our Kenya team is ordering for our "trip shirt" so to speak. I found it online and the cool thing about it is, with the purchase of every shirt, a free mosquito net is given to an African person in need. In fact, the back of the shirt shows exactly that: "You can't see it, but right now I'm stopping malaria in Africa." Very cool indeed. If you wanna check out the other available shirts---which support initiatives such as child trafficking, jobs in Uganda, clean water and feeding programs---click on the link below. What a great way to spend $20!

http://feedjustone.bigcartel.com/

Behavior 911!

It's amazing to me, every time I go to a restaurant, how many parents completely ignore the behavior of their children.

Last night, for example, I was dining at La Parilla in Alpharetta. Nearby, there was a table that consisted of 2 ladies and four or five children, two of whom were seated at a separate table than the adults. The two girls seated alone were about 5 or 6 years old.

Apparently, the children finished eating and the moms wanted to continue talking, so all of the children got up and began to wander around the restaurant. They went to the front, returned with balloons, which one of them subsequently popped loudly. Everyone was staring at them. The moms did not reprimand this child in any way. For the last 20 minutes or so of my meal, the two young girls who were seated alone wandered to the front and stood in the atrium near the exit, going in and out, walking back to their table, and back up to the front.

I cannot believe that a parent would let a 5-year-old out of their sight! As I've heard it said, "That's how girls get gone!" The girls were not in view of the parents at all. How unsafe! A man and his wife came in midway through my meal and said to the waiter, "We're not sitting over there with those noisy children," referring to the same table. Still, the 2 mothers carried on with their socializing while completely ignoring the misbehavior of their children.

Am I living in a world where parents don't want to parent anymore? "Parent" isn't just a noun...it's a VERB. Something folks should consider before reproducing. But no, people would rather ruin everyone else's dinner just so they can do what they want. It's called being unaware.

And this isn't the only time I've seen this happen. I've seen it over and over. I see it whenever I go out. The thing is, if I'm going to spend hard-earned money to not have to cook a meal, I would like to be able to enjoy my food without shrieking, kids running around, loud talking, or balloons popping.

Truly, it's not like I'm "out of the loop" with kids. I spent the last week and a half eating lunch in the school cafeteria with my students, and guess what? They all REMAINED seated. They all talked in normal voices, sans screaming. And the adults around them paid attention to them. I'm around children more than many parents whose children are raised predominantly by a combination of school and daycare, and I think I'm pretty aware.

So that's my vent. My best friend, a pediatric nurse, always refers to children as, "magnificent little creatures." I couldn't agree more. With a little attention and a lot of love, they can be molded into something great. But if they are constantly ignored, what then? I've believed for a long time that most of our behavioral issues in schools have a root problem of the child craving attention from the adults who are supposed to be guiding them through life. This year, I even remember asking a 5th grade boy, "Why do you act like this in my class? You're an intelligent person. What's the deal?" His response, "Ms. Ginn, I just really like the attention."

And there it is, right from the horse's mouth.

Intumbule Primary School Update!

The following is an update of the community I visited in Kenya, the work being done there, and what is happening next. I'm very excited to hear about the school doing so well, as this is where my sponsored child, Mumbua Muuo, attends. That's her smiling face above! I just got my first letter from her last week. She's in Class 2 now, or 2nd grade. She's a shining star and I can't wait to hug her face this summer! Jane, one of the empolyees of BrightPoint, recently visited Ngaamba and she's the one who gave us the update below. Enjoy!

The children were out of school on term break, and so I didn’t get to meet all of them when I was in Ngaamba last month, but I did meet some and a lot of their parents. They are so excited and appreciative of your help… the program has gotten off to a GREAT start. I had a meeting with the Leadership Council and they filled me in on the progress.

Ngaamba is such a wonderful place to live, a close knit community, but the drought for the last few years has really put all of them into bad economic shape. They depend on farming, for their own food as well as selling any excess to provide other needs for their families. So, the first priority of the school was to feed the children a hot lunch every day!! That was implemented from the first day of school in January… and the results are all the students have MUCH better attendance. This is the only meal some of these children get, so the parents make sure they come to school… and when they attend, they learn! The parents are collecting the firewood, carrying the water and paying the cook for this program. This is part of the 410 Bridge/BrightPoint model, that we “assist” in projects, but the community gives part as well.

The 2^nd priority that the PTA and Leadership Council identified was more teachers. So as more sponsors came on board, they were able to hire 2 more teachers and will add even more. The 3^rd priority was met for the first time during this term break; it is what they call “tuition”… what we would call “tutoring”. BrightPoint is providing money (from your sponsorship) to pay teachers to help any Grade 4-8 student who wants to go to the school to get extra help during this break, and most of the children were taking advantage of this service. Because many have not attended school in recent years, or not attended regularly… many of these kids are behind, so are able to use this “tuition” to catch up or get ahead.

The 4^th priority was more furniture…desks and teacher tables and chairs. We have gotten enough sponsors in this program that the monthly income has grown to be able to start having desks made. As the rest of the Star Students are sponsored, and the Intumbule Primary “Quality Improvement Program” gets fully funded, each child will have a desk, each teacher will have a table and chair, each child will have the textbooks needed and not have to share, and learning materials (maps, reference books, etc) will be purchased. Then assessment tests can be funded and given to each child every term to prepare them for the all important 8^th grade National exam that determines if they qualify to go to High School.

So thank you for your caring hearts and love for these children. You are truly improving the quality of education for ALL of the Intumbule children, and the community is thrilled with the progress that has been made and it will just keep getting better. The other schools in Ngaamba and nearby Kiu are jealous, and all are begging to be the next school to be chosen for a Quality Improvement program. The entire community…. Leaders, Pastors, PTA, parents and students… could not stop telling me how excited they are and that they see a much brighter future for the children of Intumbule.

Friends...interested in sponsoring a child like Mumbua? Go to the BrightPoint website and check out the possibilities...

http://www.brightpointforchildren.org/child-list.php?communityid=19

Plumpynut!

This is truly the most amazing thing I've seen lately. It's right up there with the Pur Water packets! Wow! This invention even won a Nobel Peace Prize and could literally change the lives of millions of malnourished and poverty stricken people in third-world countries all over the world. I love it! Yay Plumpynut!