Money Can't Buy Self-Esteem...It Has To Be Built...

People with a high regard of self, or “high self-esteem,” will not typically be witnessed walking around verbalizing the fact that they believe strongly in themselves. These folks may, however, be heard talking about being “works in progress” who are “always growing and learning.”

Without helping or forcing the issue, the strengthened sense of self observed in these “self-believers" tends to deliver a powerful and strong nonverbal message to onlookers and listeners the moment the person walks into a room, or utters one single word.

An overall healthy sense of self-contentment, self-pride, self-worth, self-assuredness, and the ongoing need for self-improvement is clearly evidenced much or most of the time by people with high self-esteem.

“Believers in self” usually realize and are okay with the fact that they will sometimes say or do things that can or will be viewed as incorrect, inappropriate, inept, or inadequate by the folks who are in the observers’ seats.

That alone will not be able to stop the person with self-assuredness and high self-regard from either “saying” or “doing.” What might be stopped, however, is HOW things are said or done.

In general, the person with high self-esteem will self-correct; right what’s wrong even if the viewpoint is based more on perception than reality; study and learn more about an area of skill that may pose a challenging level of difficulty, and he or she will also develop and improve himself or herself in order to grow to a heightened level of adequacy and effectiveness.

“Change” is not a deterrent to the person with high self-regard because that person is forever working toward being at the top of their game. And, since the game is always subject to change; so must the “believer in self.”

Those “self-believers” also do not tend to allow disabling fear to stop them from doing what has to be done, or saying what has to be said; even when legions of butterflies convert the stomachs of these individuals into temporary boarding houses.

The butterflies tend to serve as motivating fuel in the life of a "self-believer" – triumphing over any potential fears add additional rungs to the self-esteem ladder the “self-believer” is accustomed to climbing.

But, developing heightened self-esteem is not something people are born with; nor it is something that comes without a great deal of work and action on the part of the “believer in self.”

**Recognizing and admitting the fact that life will always present challenges, conflicts, and unhealthy pressures of one kind or another is a must for the person wanting to develop high self-esteem.

**Relentlessly looking from the positive and proactive solution to every issue also helps maintain a grounded and realistic outlook and perspective about things.

**Laughing and smiling more often than crying and frowning about things that may not work out when “Plan A” is implemented is a healthy approach used by self-believers.

**Pursuing success and excellence, and allowing the definitions of what these ideas may mean at different phases and stages of life help keep both “eyes focused on the prize” all of the time.

**Understanding that not being 100% strong in every area of life is an acceptable part of human life has to be achieved early on in the life of the self-believer, or the person looking to be one.

**Self-love that is then turned into love that others feel and experience gives the “believer in self” a strong sense of acceptance vs. an opposing feeling of being either rejected or tolerated.

**Taking healthy and appropriate courageous risks and daring to do something a little bit different also serve to grow and develop a person’s sense of self; regardless of what others may think or say about these healthy and appropriate adventures.

**Looking to trusted others for honest feedback on a regular basis will also assist the “self-believer” in the developmental process since this kind of raw feedback may sometimes lead to areas needing improvement in the “believer of self.”

**Being a positive role-model and mentor who consistently celebrates the successes of others, and extends lifelines of help whenever a failure or near-failure has been experienced may be one of the most critical components needed in the “self-believer’s” life.

**Not being too proud, too fearful, or too much in denial to look to others for role-modeling, mentoring, or the extensions of lifelines when needed is another part of the self-esteem building formula.

Having high self-esteem does not equate to a person placing him or herself upon a pedestal for all others to gawk and gape at.

It simply means this individual has learned, at whatever age and station in life he or she is in; that while he or she may “have it goin’ on” there’s always time and space for new learning and new improvements designed to make him or her more useful to the world .

And, they’re not afraid to make any necessary adjustments or put in the ongoing effort to keep adding rungs to their own personal “self-esteem ladders.”


Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Co-Chair & President
Lifeline Foundation, Inc.


Contact Information & Mailing Address –

Lifeline Foundation, Inc.
301 North Harrison Street
Suite 35
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
877.570.1237


"Children are the globe's most precious commodity." (Terence H. Biggs, Jr., 2009)


Website: www.MyLifelineFoundation.org
E-mail: info@MyLifelineFoundation.org
Weblog: http://lifelineextensions.blogspot.com/



Please direct all inquiries or charitable donations to Lifeline Foundation Inc.'s President:



Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
SharonBiggs@MyLifelineFoundation.org

Anyone Can Be a Father, But it Takes a Special Guy to Be a Daddy… The Importance of Daddy/Daughter Relationships from a Teen Girl’s Perspective…

“Pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie, ba doom doom! Ba doom doom!”

Daddy would sing that song as he pushed me on the baby swing out on the deck of our old house. He tells me that he will never forget the image of complete contentment and restfulness he saw on my face as he sang to me and swayed me to sleep on my old swing.

And, annually we have had something we call “D-Day,” which is our abbreviation for Daddy & Danielle Day. We pick a day to simply relax and hang out together. This year, we spent the day in the backyard sun -- talking, laughing, swimming, and just being best friends.

Of course, there are now also the college visits and tours my dad (and mom) accompanies me on. Knowing how nervous I am about this whole process, Daddy will sometimes ask a question during an information session that he knows I really want to ask. And, the conversations we have on the car ride home really help me feel more relaxed and secure about this next big step of my life.

From Day One, Daddy always had such a strong revere for me -- once I got old enough to understand and appreciate this (somewhere around my early elementary school days), it wasn't difficult to realize just how fortunate I am.

I have always known that my Daddy thinks I’m a princess, and that I can go to talk to him about anything and everything. I’m confident in knowing this because he has told and shown this to me every day of my life.

He teaches me things that I will need to know to enter the real world. But, he can also be a super-silly person who makes me laugh about things until I cry!

In my opinion, it’s extremely important for all fathers to show their daughters (and sons) immense and never-ending love.

Girls, especially, need someone other than a mother to tell them that they are absolutely beautiful and amazing individuals…

Mostly all of the people I know in my age group have fantastic relationships with their dads. We hear a lot from people we know, and even from strangers that we are balanced girls.

I for one am grateful to have the love and support of both of my parents. This love gives me the stability I really, really need as a growing girl.

Girls who don’t have great relationships or even a connection to their dads might even be a bit on the “wild” or “depressed side,” some people have said. We probably all hear and read about this kind of thing all the time.

Deep down, these girls may feel a huge void because they are not called "princess" by their natural or adopted Daddy every single day. In turn, they might look to a boy their age or even much older to tell them something special about themselves.

I hear from people my age and older that “the intentions of people who always seem ready to tell a person that special something about themselves even when you might need to hear something else (like the truth!); are probably not just looking for your love…so, be careful about what you choose to believe…”

When I see dads who take their roles as “father and daddy” very seriously I think that's great. I believe these dads really get to know their daughters – you know, what makes them tick at each phase of their lives as growing girls.

We all know how “finicky” we teen girls can be at times, and being able to depend on a father to help you balance this out is a great thing.

No matter who you are, what you look like, where you live, or anything else about you; I believe that every girl wants her biological or adopted father to try to start and keep a real and true rapport with her…all of the time…

We all want a “King Daddy” to tell us we are “Beautiful Princesses;” and ones who will not hesitate to sing a little lullaby or be there to listen or give needed advice when he knows that’s what his little girl needs…regardless of that “little girl’s” age…

Danielle

"It isn't where you came from; it's where you're going that counts." -- Ella Fitzgerald

Danielle M. Biggs
High School Student
Administrative Assistant & Trustee ~ Lifeline Foundation, Inc.

Contact Information & Mailing Address:

Lifeline Foundation, Inc.

301 North Harrison Street

Suite 35

Princeton, New Jersey 08540

http://www.mylifelinefoundation.org/

E-mail: info@MyLifelineFoundation.org

Weblog: http://lifelineextensions.blogspot.com/

Please direct all inquiries or charitable donations to Lifeline Foundation Inc.'s President:
Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
SharonBiggs@MyLifelineFoundation.org

"Children are the globe's most precious commodity." (Terence H. Biggs, Jr.)

Back to School ~ Part 2 of 2 ~ Transparent Thoughts from the Parent of a Student with Asperger Syndrome...

“Children are the globe’s most precious commodity.” ™ (Terence H. Biggs, Jr., 2009)

Parents might very well be considered Modern Day Heroes because of all they manage to effectively handle and balance in their own lives, and in the lives of their children.

Despite the occasional feeling of being completely overwhelmed and sometimes even ineffective or inefficient to carry out the parental role, the bottom line is that parents know that “what has to get done, has to get done.”

So, they manage to go ahead and take care of whatever they need to; especially when it pertains to their children.

Regardless of your child’s learning style, ability level, performance level, or overall developmental levels; parents have shared with LifelineExtensions.blog that most, if not all parents seem to want the following from educators working with their children:

Ongoing communication between teacher, student, and parent.

Setting and communication of clear learning and behavioral expectations for all students

before they leave the classroom each day.

The use of different approaches with different students – different teaching and management

styles of teachers being matched appropriately with different learning and behavioral styles of

students.

Children with special needs have parents who are probably some of the forerunners in the world of Modern Day Heroes.

This group of parents have to not only manage their own lives, but matters can become even more complicated and complex because there is a need to own up to the challenges of learning as much as they can about their children’s special needs; and literally becoming an expert advocate for their children’s learning and educational process.

Below are some transparent thoughts from one such parent, who has a child with Asperger Syndrome:

Having a child with disabilities, it would be nice to have contact about what is missing from their school work. Just because my child has a learning disability does not mean that teachers should expect less regarding the quality or amount of work that's done.

Some children with Asperger Syndrome can succeed very easily in a mainstreamed classroom environment; however, others may need Resource Room small-group instruction so they can shine.

We are not content when the small-group time is merely used for homework completion when there is clear evidence that the student with Asperger’s is in dire need of help with organizational skills -- of notebooks, papers, setting up for projects, etc.

At home, we meet with repeated success when we list what is expected in timeline format for our child. Once this learning style is communicated by a parent to a school or district, it would probably be in the student’s best interest to have this strategy immediately implemented at the school level, also.

But, we’ve found that this is not always the case; which leads to frustration on everyone’s part. That’s when the parent of a special needs child begins to feel that parental requests are falling on deaf ears.

And, when we hear from our child that an entire class period was spent silently reading a book, we have no other choice than to question what the objective of that class period was.

Sure, we understand fully that reading blocks require some independent and silent reading time; but an entire class period being used this way for a kid who really needs organizational coaching doesn’t seem to be the best idea.

Schools may argue that many parents don’t become involved enough in their child's education. That may be true in some cases. And, one thought might be that if parents aren’t actively involved in the teaching and learning taking place, there is a real possibility that the standards and expectations from the school may not be high quality.

We are actively engaged, though. But, we still are sometimes made to feel that we are asking for too much for our child. That is hard for us to understand when what we’re trying to do is share insight about things that work for our child at home that can be transferred into what is done in school.

That’s when parents start to feel that a particular educational system leaves a lot to be desired. At least from a parent’s point of view that seems to be the case.

Since 1994 there has been a growing amount of research available explaining what Asperger Syndrome is; and effective strategies that can be used to teach and deal with kids who may be socially inept or awkward; but their intelligence level is in many cases way above-average.

When parents believe that a school shows signs of not being up to speed on how to deal with smart kids with Asperger’s, the parents of those kids become fearful and anxious that their child’s educational needs won’t be met. And, just like any other parent, including the educators who are parents, would do – we stay on it to make sure our children do in fact get what they need and rightly deserve.

For example, our child has tested at an above-average intelligence level, yet still keeps getting placed in classes with kids who can barely read -- all because of a special needs’ classification. As parents, we just can’t see how a student’s true academic needs can really be met with this kind of set-up.

So, basically our child recaps a school day by filling us in on the silent reading periods of time, or about work that is simply way below the current academic needs.

Thankfully, school years have turned out fine in the end, with Honor Roll achievement being celebrated in our home. But, hearing from other parents in similar situations; this may not be the usual outcome.

We’d like to see and hear about more college prep talk and work going on in school; especially for the Asperger’s student whose intelligence level is off the chart.

In our home, daily conversations about college attendance and college success occur. We’d like to see the same thing being done at the school level.

Some districts may argue that they have college prep classes and work at the high school level. But, as a parent I honestly wish it occurred district-wide for the high-intelligence Asperger’s student – maybe not a formalized G&T Program, but some kind of high-level work or program for these students.

Academically enriched, accelerated, and rigorous learning environments might be ideal settings for an Asperger’s student.

I think it would also be helpful for educators working with Asperger’s students to have regular workshops to gain a broader understanding of what Asperger Syndrome is....a social issue more than an intelligence issue.

Insisting that kids with this diagnosis do group activities is just not a good plan....THEY DO NOT DO GROUPS WELL and sticking them in with peers who dominate and denigrate their abilities does nothing less than perpetrate a negative opinion about students with Asperger Syndrome.

Parents understand that teachers are expected to achieve an awful lot in one school year, but we just don’t want to see the Asperger’s student with high academic potential fall through the cracks.

True partnerships between special needs’ parents and special needs’ educators has to continue being formed so that together we can come up with solutions to help improve the quality of academic life for our children.

There are wonderful ideas and excellent strategies to be shared by both special needs parents and special needs educators, and the bottom line is that our high-performing, high-achieving Asperger’s children; as well as students with other types of special needs, will be the beneficiaries.

LifelineExtensions.blog sincerely thanks this particular parent for these transparent thoughts; and we thank all of the other parents who have provided input for the writing of Parts 1 & 2 of this Back to School Series about Asperger Syndrome.

All of our readers are encouraged to e-mail (lifelineextensionsblogspot@gmail.com) or post your comments and/or reactions below this article.

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Co-Founder & President
Lifeline Foundation, Inc.
sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org


Contact Information & Mailing Address:
Lifeline Foundation, Inc.
301 North Harrison Street
Suite 35
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
http://www.mylifelinefoundation.org/

E-mail: info@MyLifelineFoundation.org
Weblog: http://lifelineextensions.blogspot.com/


Please direct all inquiries or charitable donations to Lifeline Foundation Inc.'s President:
Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
SharonBiggs@MyLifelineFoundation.org

Back to School ~ Part 1 of 2 ~ Students With Asperger Syndrome...

In 1944, Austrian pediatrician, Hans Asperger, published a paper describing patterns of observed behaviors noted with a small group of young boys who were described as having normal intelligence and language development.

Dr. Asperger reported that the boys exhibited signs of autistic-like behaviors. Also noted was their significant deficit in the areas of social skills and language development.

It wasn’t until 1994 that Dr. Asperger’s findings were actually recognized as a diagnosis, with the developmental disorder being named after the physician 50 years after its discovery.

According to the Asperger’s Disorder Homepage:

“In Asperger's Disorder, affected individuals are characterized by social isolation and eccentric behavior in childhood. There are impairments in two-sided social interaction and non-verbal communication. Though grammatical, their speech may sound peculiar due to abnormalities of inflection and a repetitive pattern. Clumsiness may be prominent both in their articulation and gross motor behavior. They usually have a circumscribed area of interest which usually leaves no space for more age appropriate, common interests.”

Despite the noted deficiencies in language and social skills’ development, children with Asperger’s typically have average to above-average intelligence.  Many physicians across the country currently work with children with Asperger's and their families to help them further understand and work beyond the disorder.

The social and language skills' developmental lags coupled with the average to above-average intelligence levels observed in children with Asperger Syndrome oftentimes presents challenges for teachers, schools and school districts that work toward developing appropriate and effective instructional plans for students with the disorder.

However, the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act signed and enacted by the former United States administration mandates that every educational provider working with students who have special needs, including Asperger Syndrome; focus on data-driven accountability measures in the development, implementation, monitoring, and maintenance of targeted and annual Individual Education Programs (IEPs).

So, what does one SAHM (stay-at-home-mother) of a child with Asperger Syndrome have to say about how her child’s special needs are being met at school?

Read LifelineExtensions.blog on Friday, August 28th to hear some of this SAHM’s transparent and down-to-earth account.

In the meantime, we welcome the thoughts or accounts of any of our readers who would like to post a comment or send an e-mail to us about the topic of Asperger Syndrome.  You can either post a comment below this article, or e-mail us at lifelineextensionsblogspot@gmail.com.

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Co-Founder & President
Lifeline Foundation, Inc.
sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org


Contact Information & Mailing Address:
Lifeline Foundation, Inc.
301 North Harrison Street
Suite 35
Princeton, New Jersey 08540

http://www.mylifelinefoundation.org/

E-mail: info@MyLifelineFoundation.org
Weblog: http://lifelineextensions.blogspot.com/

Please direct all inquiries or charitable donations to Lifeline Foundation Inc.'s Co-Founder & President:
Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
SharonBiggs@MyLifelineFoundation.org

Charitable Acts of Philanthropy Sometimes Requires Immediate Actions of Giving & Receiving...

"Children are the globe’s most precious commodity." ™

~ Quote by Terry Biggs, Lifeline Foundation Inc.'s Co-Founder & CEO (2009) ~

The official establishment of Lifeline Foundation, Inc. couldn’t have been more timely, according to its

Co-Founder & CEO, Terence Biggs, Jr.

Within 24 hours after filing final documents and having them approved, we’d received our first call to request an extended lifeline in the form of a charitable contribution.

Terence has provided the following recap of Lifeline Foundation, Inc.’s ~ 

First Charitable Contribution Timeline of Events:

On Wednesday, August 19, 2009 my wife Sharon, daughter Danielle, and I launched Lifeline Foundation, Inc. (LFI). 

LFI is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) charitable organization headquartered in Central New Jersey, and is the umbrella organization for LifelineExtensions.blog, the New Jersey & Panamá Lifeline Literacy Connection, the Clifford & Ivy Greaves Children’s Libraries; and other charitable and educational endeavors designed to improve the quality of life and literacy development of children in poor communities in Panamá Central America and in other impoverished locations around the world.

The very next day (Thursday, August 20th) at 8:06 a.m., I received an e-mail from my adopted sister, Pamela Major.  The e-mail stated that a 14 year-old boy named Keith Calhoun was shot and killed in Newark, NJ the early part of the week; and that his three brothers, (Thomas age 9, Angelo age 11 and Morgan age 15) did not have suits to wear to the funeral to be held on Friday at 9:00 a.m.

Pamela and I then spoke by phone to go over additional information that would be helpful in providing assistance to the family.

Representing our brand spanking new Foundation, I called Christine Harris, best friend of the boys’ mother who serves as a surrogate aunt, who was taking care of the boys in her home in Central New Jersey.  After finding out what the need was I got in my car and drove to Ms. Harris’s home.  Ms. Harris, who is legally blind, introduced me to each of the boys and I spent some time talking with them and trying to put a smile on their saddened faces.

Lifeline Foundation, Inc. made arrangements for the boys to be measured and provided with a complete outfit of their choice with shoes included, so that they could attend their brother's funeral.

LFI then partnered with Sarno & Son Tuxedos, which is headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania; and with UPS to meet this immediate and emergency need.

Arrangements were made for each boy's outfit to be delivered to their surrogate aunt's address by 7:00 a.m. sharp so that they could be dressed and get on their way to the 9:00 a.m. funeral in Newark, New Jersey.

I telephoned Christine Harris on Friday morning before the funeral just to make sure everything had been delivered and received on time. After thanking me numerous times for the charitable contribution provided by Lifeline Foundation, Inc., Ms. Harris happily said: "The boys are getting dressed and are excited that the color of the outfits they chose is going to perfectly match the colors their mother chose to bury their brother in!"

Ms. Harris also said she’d informed the boys' mother, Andrea Bryant, about the outfits LFI had provided; and that Ms. Bryant was overwhelmed by this generous deed that had been done on behalf of all of her sons.

Christine Harris took photographs of the boys in their outfits and has promised to forward them to Lifeline Foundation Inc.'s headquarter office in Princeton, New Jersey.

My wife, Sharon, who is Co-Founder & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc.; reached out to Ms. Harris a few days after the funeral to introduce herself and to re-confirm that the boys liked the suits and that all had gone according to the scheduled plan.

Despite the need for voicemails to be left both by Sharon and by Christine Harris as they tried to reach each other throughout the week; Ms. Harris’s voicemail below summed up the experience, and has rubber-stamped the fact that immediate and quick responses to requests for charitable contributions are of great benefit to those on both the giving and receiving ends.

“Hi.  This is Christine Harris, aunt of the boys you and your husband helped out.  The kids are doing fine...I appreciate you guys helping us out so much...the boys are still here with me...they are actually the children of my best friend from Newark and I figured I’d help her out by getting the kids out of the City of Newark for a little while. Thank you again so much for helping us this way. We really appreciate it. I’ll speak with you soon.”

And, THAT is what charitable acts of philanthropy are really all about, regardless of how quickly both the giver and receiver may need to take action...

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Co-Founder & President
Lifeline Foundation, Inc.
sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org

Contact Information & Mailing Address:

Lifeline Foundation, Inc.
301 North Harrison Street
Suite 35
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
http://www.mylifelinefoundation.org/

E-mail: info@MyLifelineFoundation.org
Weblog: http://lifelineextensions.blogspot.com/


Please direct all inquiries or charitable donations to Lifeline Foundation Inc.'s
Co-Founder & President:
Sharon M. Biggs, M.A. ~ SharonBiggs@MyLifelineFoundation.org

What Is Charity, Anyway?

Charity used to be a relative “unmentionable” that was reserved for the “tired, poor, and the huddled masses” of any given society.

But, despite a recorded “whopping” 2% drop in charitable giving from $314.1 billion in 2007 to $307.7 billion in 2008; according to economic analysts, 2007 and 2008 represent the only two years on record where giving exceeded $300 billion.

Natural disasters such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, and worldwide economic shockwaves caused by The Global Recession; have apparently triggered a marked increase in international attention being drawn to the needs of the world’s poor.

Philanthropic efforts began taking a tremendous upturn at both domestic and international levels; and either the establishment or resurgence of the work done by charitable foundations became more widespread and pronounced.

 

So, what is charity, anyway?

Some might say that “charity is in the eyes of the beholder,” and means different things to different people in different areas; based on trends of different times.

 

Heartfelt giving based on assessed needs is described by some givers as charity. The experience of one individual, group, or organization helping others by extending lifelines also fits the charitable contribution model.

 

There is generally the involvement of time, talents, and/or targeted resources whenever charity is being demonstrated. Surprisingly, some still believe that charity happens mainly because charitable givers are allowed to deduct donations and reduce their taxable income.

 

A degree of selflessness on the part of the giver or charitable organization is not only an added benefit to the process of charity; but it is a necessary component in order to ensure that the receiver of the charitable gift maintains his or her dignity throughout the process.

 

Whatever your school of thought is as it relates to charitable donations and philanthropic giving, the reported stats are clearly showing that charitable acts of philanthropy focusing on the world’s needy has not gone out of style.  The gift still seems to be in the giving.

 

This truth regarding charity and philanthropy is providing comfort to a growing number of people since the 21st Century definition of “the world’s needy” seems to have taken on a whole new meaning; and many of those included have a “different address” than individuals may historically have had.

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.

Co-Founder & President

Lifeline Foundation, Inc.

sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org

PRESS RELEASE

Lifeline Foundation, Inc.
301 North Harrison Street, Suite 35
Princeton, NJ 08540-3512
Phone: 732.801.6751, 6756
Fax: 877.570.1237

Email: info@myLifelineFoundation.org
Internet: www.myLifelineFoundation.org
Weblog: http://lifelineextensions.blogspot.com/

Children are the globe’s most precious commodity. ™



Contact: Terence H. Biggs, Jr. & Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.

Email: info@myLifelineFoundation.org
Phone: 732.801.6751, 6756

LIFELINE FOUNDATION, INC. ESTABLISHED AS 501 (c) (3) ORGANIZATION

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 24, 2009: Terence H. Biggs, Jr., an entrepreneur, his wife, Sharon M. Biggs, recipient of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation 2009 Principal Fellowship Grant, and their daughter, Danielle M. Biggs; are proud to announce the establishment of Lifeline Foundation, Inc. as a 501 (c) (3) organization.

Lifeline Foundation, Inc., headquartered in Central New Jersey, is the umbrella charitable organization for LifelineExtensions.blog, the New Jersey & Panamá Lifeline Literacy Connection, the Clifford & Ivy Greaves Children’s Libraries; and other charitable and educational endeavors designed to improve the quality of life and literacy development of children in poor communities in Panamá and in other impoverished locations around the world. Clifford and Ivy Greaves were Terence’s maternal grandparents, who raised Terence and his two sisters for several years while their mother, Norma Biggs, traveled to the United States to establish a home in the U.S. before sending for her children.

“501(c)(3) exemptions apply to corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, educational purposes, to foster national or international amateur sports competition, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.” (Wikipedia)

Sharon’s Dodge/FEA Principal’s Grant funded the cost of her trip to Panamá, Central America in June 2009, and local media interviewed Sharon after the trip and provided media coverage about the experience. LifelineExtensions.blog has also posted two articles about the Lifeline Literacy Connection.

As part of the written proposal Sharon submitted to Dodge/FEA when applying for the fellowship grant, the trip was designed to honor Terence, born in Cativá, Panamá, and whom Sharon describes as “someone who has selflessly extended lifelines to help so many people, including me, throughout the years.” Funds from the grant also allowed for the purchase of 110 children’s books written in English, which were donated to a needy school in Farallón, Panamá that houses approximately 170 children from age three through age twelve.

The book donation was the first of its kind at La Escuela Farallón, where all instruction is delivered in Spanish; except for one day per week when a specialist visits the school for a portion of the day to teach limited English. None of the students or staff members spoke English during The Biggs’ trip to La Escuela. In honor of Terence’s grandfather and grandmother, who are both deceased; The Biggs have committed to establishing libraries in schools located in poor communities in Panamá and in other places around the world.

In an attempt to mobilize efforts to improve Bilingual Education and ESL Instruction at La Escuela Farallón, Sharon donated the initial 110 books along with professional development materials to be used for Guided Reading and Writing balanced literacy instruction at the school. After returning to the U.S. from the Dodge/FEA Grant trip, Sharon began organizing a 2009 Book Donation Drive to collect 1,000 children’s storybooks and chapter books written in English to send to La Escuela Farallón to help develop the first Clifford & Ivy Greaves Children’s Library at La Escuela Farallón. Sharon, the Co-Founder of Lifeline Foundation, Inc. will serve as the Foundation’s President.

Donation Drive invitation letters were sent out and favorable responses started pouring in immediately, with some book donations already being sent to Lifeline Foundation, Inc. Following the model of successful and ongoing charity and philanthropy demonstrated by The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The Dodge/FEA Foundation under the leadership of Mary Reece; and efforts under the leadership of its Chairman, Frederick W. Smith of Federal Express, the Biggs have reached out to Federal Express to find out if the company will grant funding to sponsor the book collection shipment to La Escuela Farallón in early November 2009. The Biggs expressed wanting a sense of “shipment security” Federal Express offers to its clients as a guaranteed commitment to quality service.

LifelineExtensions.blog is the division of Lifeline Foundation, Inc. responsible for coordinating the 2009 Book Donation Drive, and invites anyone who is interested in donating either new or used children’s storybooks or chapter books for children in grades Pre-K – 6 and written in English, to send their book donations to:


Lifeline Foundation, Inc.
Attn: Terence & Sharon Biggs
301 North Harrison Street, Suite 35
Princeton, NJ 08540-3512

Book Donation Deadline: October 30, 2009 «««Donations may be sent between August 21 to October 30«««

FOR MONETARY DONATIONS, PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO:

Lifeline Foundation, Inc.

Examples of possible authors and book series anyone donating books for the 2009 Book Drive may consider are: Dr. Seuss, Ezra Jack Keats, Tomie dePaola, Bill Cosby, E.L. Konigsburg, Roald Dahl, Margaret Wise Brown, Arnold Lobel, Eric Carle, Maurice Sendak, Shel Silverstein, Mary Hollingsworth, Mary Pope Osborne, Louis Sachar, Julia Alvarez, any of the “An I Can Read Book Series,” any of the “Dell Yearling Book Series,” The Magic Tree House Series Books, Scholastic Series Books, etc.

In addition to Lifeline Foundation, Inc.’s 2009 Book Drive initiative, on August 20th the organization, which was established on August 19; provided its first charitable contribution to the family of Keith Calhoun, a 14 year old who was shot and killed in Newark, New Jersey this month.

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Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.

Educational Leader & Consultant

E-mail us at lifelineextensionsblogspot@gmail.com with your thoughts and comments. Or, post a comment or reaction below this article.

Kids Crave Annual Traditions As Much As Adults Do...

One of my sisters and I decided when our kids were very young, that we would be creative about and committed to starting annual traditions for the children to enjoy.

Growing up there were events we looked forward to, and still talk about…like our late Aunt Bay (Lucille) and late Cousin Ernest coming to our home every Thanksgiving and Christmas with pan after pan of homemade Southern-style foods and desserts for the whole family to feast on! Our aunt never wrote a cookbook or had her own cooking show, but she certainly had the skills to have done so. And, when we talk about those times now that we’re all adults, we can almost taste those wonderful foods Aunt Bay was known for.

Our hope with our children was that not only would the fun family traditions we’ve begun for our kids bring a lot of joy to them and to the rest of the family. But, we wanted them to begin talking at early ages about how they would continue the traditions when they have families of their own. It looks as if that will indeed happen.

Maybe around 10 years ago we started something called “Cousins’ Week,” where the cousins take turns spending one week out of the summer at either home. These two weeks are talked about during the entire school year, with the excitement building the closer we get to the end of June.

While the kids talked on the phone, e-mailed, IM’d, sent texts, or social-networked each other about how much fun they would have during their weeks; the parents would also be busy making arrangements for the “Famous Drop-offs & Pick-ups" of the children.

Living four hours away from each other would make for exhausting drop-offs & pick-ups, so the parents decided to pick a midpoint and meet there.

When the Cousins’ Weeks first started, we’d meet at a restaurant halfway between the two states; and give the kids a chance to eat lunch and play in the play area for a couple of hours so the adults could spend time together and rest before the drives back to our respective homes.

The pick-ups followed the same pattern one week later.

When another relative actually built a home in the midway point, this became the drop-off/pick-up location. Despite the change in location, there would still be some time allotted for catching up by the grownups.

To hear it from the kids, these are some of the best weeks of every year for them.

According to the kids, the MOST fun when they were younger came from knowing that “The Tickle Monster” (my husband, Terence) would be lurking about in the wings to launch a surprise attack at any moment either at my home during Cousins’ Week, or during a drop-off or pick-up!

The activities during the weeks together usually involved :

Hanging out or camping in the backyard; swimming for hours; going for long walks to a local store to share their money and buy snacks; shopping at the mall; pausing to get summer homework assignments done; going to the movies; or staying in PJs all day and into the wee hours of the night to watch movie after movie.

The fun activities, non-stop giggling, non-stop talking, dreaming about and planning for adulthood and for careers has always taken place 24-7 during Cousins' Weeks.

Our kids have for years said that after they start raising families, they will continue this Annual Cousins’ Week Tradition with their own children because they see and feel the value of these special and memorable family times together.

And, their love of this one tradition has led to their love of other family traditions, like the Annual Family Tri-State & Mid-State Thanksgiving Trek to Uncle Rich’s Home or the Annual Family Summer Gathering at The Biggs' Home.

Sure, we talk and laugh about some of the same things year after year. But, that’s part of the beauty of these times together.

With so much uncertainty and imbalance out in the world these days, it is a reassuring comfort to know that our family can enjoy a sense of sameness and oneness during those annual family traditional times when we get together with loved ones.

For any LifelineExtensions.blog readers who don’t currently have annual family traditions to call your own, we encourage you to start some.

And, for those readers who do enjoy and look forward to certain times every year; try not to let your annual family traditions end for any reason. Even if a family member moves or passes away, someone else in the family can pick up the torch to make sure traditions are continued.

Remember, our kids crave these annual traditions as much as the adults in the family do. You will hear them recap these times together well into adulthood, and this helps to keep the oral history of your family alive and well...

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.
Educational Leader & Consultant

Email us @ lifelineextensionsblogspot@gmail.com if you’d like to share your own family tradition story with us. Or, you can simply post a comment or reaction below this article.

A Teen's Perspective ~ REJUVENATING & RESTARTING YOUR LIFE...*Realizing that it's time for a complete change...

I looked around recently and instantly saw the pile of junk and superfluous mountains of paper. It was time to clean.

From a young age, my mom always used to bring a huge garbage bag into my room and happily announce, “It’s time to clean!”

I would look at her with horror-filled eyes, thinking about how in just a few seconds she would be throwing away my unneeded Happy Meal toys. I thought my mom's actions were cruel.

But, thinking back now, I realize that my mom was just trying to steer me away from becoming a pack rat, and she was also teaching me something about simplifying life.

Just last week I looked at my desk area, my file cabinet, my closet, my room, and my life in general -- you know, the way teens like to do. And I noticed the following:

*My desk was completely covered with everything from papers to knick-knacks, and it was a complete eyesore.

*My file cabinet was just a nasty mess… unfiled folders stuffed with all kinds of things.

*My closet had clothes on the floor, and clothes hung up any which way.

*My room… oh my gosh my room… well, at least you could still see the floor...

I had a sudden sort of epiphany in the middle of the night, and I realized that I was going to clean up and stay cleaned up.

Right away, I began to clear my desk (the surface and interior) and my file cabinet. Although it took a while, eventually I managed to fill up two entire garbage bags with "junk" and other things I no longer used or needed.

Then, still in a cleaning mood; I cleaned my room. Every inch.

Starting with my bureau and then moving to my closet, I saw clothes I hadn’t worn in years; and put them in a bag to give away to charity, which is what my parents have always had me do.

It took hours of hard work and perseverance, yet I knew it had to be done.

While I was physically cleaning, I was also mentally cleaning.

I knew that for so long I had "put up a front," and I wasn’t really me. I was still a little girl, and it was time to become a young woman who would be going off to college soon.

While I know I’m not completely changed and I realize that being 15 doesn't exactly make me a grown-up (I'm still working on getting my driver's permit!); people around me and those close to me have said that there is something different about me.

I'm feeling extremely refreshed and renewed...

Reflecting on all of this, I can now see that I was like a caterpillar for SO long; but now I feel as if I'm a radiant butterfly, getting ready to explore everything around me!

I’ve come out of my cocoon, and I’m ready to discover the world!!!

Adios!

Danielle

"It isn't where you came from; it's where you're going that counts." -- Ella Fitzgerald

Danielle M. Biggs

High School Student

Danielle Biggs is a high school student who has always believed and focused on balancing her high academic achievement with co-curricular enrichment activities, including two favorites: dance and theater/performance, which she’s done since the age of two and a half. Danielle and her mom began drafting her college resume in middle school so that they would easily recall activities to include once the time came to finalize the resume – she sent out her first copy to a university just recently! Danielle lives in New Jersey with her parents, Terence and Sharon, and credits her love for family, community service, education, leadership, being an entrepreneur, and regular involvement in sound co-curricular activities to her parents and other adult relatives & close family friends; whom she says she has watched excel in these same areas throughout her life.

Back to School Wish List ~ Part 3 ~ The Student Perspective

Welcome to Part 3 of LifelineExtensions.blog’s “Back-to-School Wish List 3-Day Series” of candid conversations, honest feedback, and simple solutions as described by students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

With that said, we’ll get right into what The Students included on their wish list. We encourage everyone to take the time to completely read all the way to the bottom of the student list…this is not one to rush through…

We want our teachers to keep making learning fun, even in high school. Don’t think that just because we’re older we don’t want to do “Kiddie Stuff” if it will make the learning fun. You should hear the conversations we have in the cafeteria about how much we miss those kinds of activities.

The fun goes for assessments, tests, quizzes, and projects, too! We know you’re trying to see how much we understand and how much we’re learning, but they don’t always have to be so intense. Maybe sometimes you can even have us create assessments or do projects about a topic you’ve taught, but the assessment or project would have to be made for an elementary school audience so the little kids can understand things. THAT WOULD BE FUN FOR US, AND WE KNOW THE LITTLE KIDS WOULD ENJOY HAVING US TEACH THEM THINGS!!!

If possible could the teachers try and have like at least one group project a month? This is for EVERY AGE GROUP, TOO!!! We always talk with our friends (and we tell our parents!) about how much we enjoy group projects. They are fun and make everybody’s life a little easier. No one person has to do so much more than another person when the groups function the right way. Teachers can help students by first spending time talking about how good teams work together, and then they can assign the group project.

We think that since teachers work in a school they should at least be kid-friendly, like kids, and be approachable. Students think that some teachers act like they don’t really enjoy working in a school.

Can the teachers somehow communicate with each other so that they at least try not to schedule tests and projects and what not on the same weeks and days? It is extremely stressful for the students because it becomes difficult to study. It’s a lot to worry about especially if you get in a situation where two classes that you know you need to study a lot for are testing on the SAME DAY.

We would definitely want teachers to mark up our paper so that we know what we did wrong and their notes lead us to figure out on our own how to fix something. But, PLEASE DON’T JUST GIVE US THE RIGHT ANSWER because we still may not understand WHY that answer is the right answer. We think if more teachers would do this it would preserve more time since we wouldn't have to make appointments to talk to the teacher about our work during recess for little kids, and our lunch period for older kids – we really need our down time during the day and we know that teachers do, too!

Please give basic school supply lists to students of all ages during the summer so that we can get all of the good deals during the summer. We watch the prices go up the closer we get to September and we're trying to learn how to budget our money.

Don’t give homework just to give homework…we actually kind of want to learn new things even when we do homework…

High school teachers, it’s okay if you’re going to try to be funny and humorous with your students; but please don’t confuse sarcasm with humor…we’re old enough to know the difference. We say that if you really want to be funny and make us lol, study joke books or watch YouTube clips from famous stand-up comedians to get ideas. We got some sample links for you to watch.

We like it when our teachers and administrators get involved in extra-curricular activities, and we really like it when they bring their families with them to evening or weekend school activities!

We like when our administrators say hello to us and ask about what’s going on in our lives. Then, when they see us again and bring up a topic we’ve already talked about we feel REALLY SPECIAL! Please do more of that…it doesn’t even matter if you remember all of our names – there are a lot of us! What matters is that you took the time to talk to us. And, when we’re in elementary school and the administrators give us hugs we love that!

Teachers should try putting lessons into song and singing the lessons while they’re teaching instead of just lecturing. We remember lyrics to songs so we’ll be able to remember what you’re teaching better. For teachers who can’t sing, this would be a really fun way for the class to get closer and laugh a lot! And, for teachers who can sing…we would enjoy hearing the good music AND we would remember what was taught! We sang nursery rhymes and we remembered those…

And, maybe math and science can be made a little more fun if teachers talk to us about famous scientists and famous mathematicians, instead of just teaching formulas and solutions. Then, we could even talk about current scientists, mathematicians, and even technology wizards…now, THAT would be cool! And, how about inviting some in to speak with your classes?

Also, we would like it if teachers made sure that we were prepared for the SAT. We hear that a lot of the things on there need to at least have a quick review because it’s work from a long time ago. While some of us do take the SAT Prep class, and have SAT guides and tutorials, it’s only supposed to teach you how to take the test better and help us practice for it. We would really like to remember the concepts. We’re not asking you to teach us how to do the content on the SAT all over again – we know that this isn’t possible. But, maybe there could be a Study Hall or after-school SAT Prep club. High school students really stress over this test regardless of what level classes we’re taking. To be honest, if elementary and middle school teachers could start doing an “SAT Question of the Day” with questions they make up based on the format of the actual SAT, students would start getting used to the idea when they are young and it wouldn’t come as such a shock in high school.

Don’t embarrass people in front of the whole class or a group of students– please pull us aside to speak with us privately, whether we’re in elementary, middle, or high school. Students talk about how we’re sure teachers would get upset if their administrator embarrassed them in front of the entire faculty at a faculty meeting. It’s the same thing to us.

Another thing would deal with absences. If the teacher (especially a high school teacher) is going to be absent, it would be really great if they could at least leave some tips for the substitute teacher about how to start the new chapter that they have assigned to be done in class the day they are out. The notes should be written out so that the sub can first read them with the whole class, and then each student would get a copy to refer to during the class period; so it should be written so students can understand the notes. The notes would just include little tips or hints to help us finish the work we have to do independently.

Teachers of all students, should sometimes have parties and little celebrations in class JUST BECAUSE…to celebrate life, each other, the work teachers and students do, when an entire class understands something that has been taught and EVERYONE passes a test or quiz, etc.

We don’t understand why teachers try to teach so much in one day, or in one class period. Our brains go on overload after a while. Maybe just stick to one, two, or three ideas and then keep doing different activities with us during the class period so that we really get to understand those things. We just can’t remember everything if too many things are taught in all of our subjects.

In history, when you have court cases and other events like this – please use “Now and Then” examples so we can relate current events to past history. Hearing about a lot of people who may not even be living any longer doesn’t always make sense to us. But, if you can tell us about those people AND some people from our lifetime we would understand what you’re talking about a little faster and a little easier.

Have students teach lessons sometimes. This helps us learn the material even better. We would all volunteer because most kids like to be on stage -- just ask our parents.

Why are some teachers always so intense when they teach? We want you to smile more and have a less serious face when you’re teaching. We get more nervous about learning when teachers are so intense, and we start to think that maybe you are not sure of exactly what you are teaching and just don’t want students to ask too many questions. So, we just sit there.

Administrators, when you walk around the hallway please don’t look too intense, either…smile and say hello or compliment what we’re wearing, or something…stop by and sit in classrooms for a few minutes sometimes, too. When you do this we forget you’re there. When you just poke your head into the room everybody loses focus and gets nervous thinking you are there for them.

Sometimes teachers seem to get so caught up with the power they have that they become like bullies to the students. Students who don't get in trouble just take it. Students who don't care about getting in trouble give it back to those teachers.

PLEASE talk to high school students more like they are going to be adults soon. You tell students to act like adults, but, then you talk to us like we’re still in elementary school. Huh???

Prepare us for something important – like college…teach us how to do things, and then let us try it out for ourselves.

Please don’t just write things on the board and expect students to learn it all themselves, even in Honors’ and AP classes. We want and need you to teach us first. Then, we want to practice with a group or on our own to make sure we understand.

When students tell teachers about something they are concerned about in the school, we want them to communicate our needs to the administrator, not to other teachers in the faculty room. The administrator can probably do something to help correct whatever it is, and if not, at least he or she knows about the concern and can talk to the students about why things are the way they are. At least then we know someone is listening to us.

Teachers should have some school spirit for their schools. If teachers don’t show school spirit the students won’t have or want to show school spirit. We copy what we see you doing. Who cares if you look silly wearing pajamas to school on Pajama Day? That makes us connect better with you as a person.

Please don’t make us miss out on fun school activities like pep rallies or assemblies because you want us to get other work done during that same time.

Know your profession, please. If you are a math teacher, please teach math and let the science teacher teach science. It would be cool if sometimes you can switch students if you want us to learn how science is connected to something we’re doing in math class, and vice versa. So the science teacher who teaches during the same period you teach math can report to your room to teach science to your class, and you can report to that teacher's room to teach math to that person's class!

And, please don’t tell us that you failed a class that you are now teaching to students. OMG!

We really do not want to hear your detailed personal business – TMI! Just tell us basic stuff about your family, vacations you’ve taken and things like that. Just like we don’t want to hear TOO MUCH about what our parents do, we really don’t want to hear about what you or other adults do.

It’s okay to want to still be young like a student, but please don’t try to try to BE one of our friends. You are not. We know you want to connect with the kids and we like that, but we are uncomfortable when you try to do what we do or say what we say. We may not laugh in front of you, but we might laugh when you’re not around.

We want our administrators to not just know students who are always in the office because of trouble…Kids who are never in trouble want to talk to administrators, too.

Please just let kids be kids while we’re still young. Maybe middle and high school teachers can meet with elementary school teachers to talk about things that work for students in elementary school. Then, some of those same ideas can be used at a higher level.

PLEASE don’t come into classrooms to talk to other teachers to gossip about things in front of the students…WE CAN HEAR YOU…and, then we have information about other teachers, administrators, or parents that we really shouldn’t and really don’t want to have.

Kids don’t like it when the same teacher teaches more than one subject and then complains to the students about their workload. Kids have their own workloads to worry about.

Students are not teachers’ mentors or counselors, so please don’t load us down with your problems…we're the ones who need help from all of you! You’re all good at something so please let us see you focus on that and help us work on what we're good at.

Teachers, please don’t tell your students the day before you’re going to be observed by an administrator to “remember to be good tomorrow because I’m being observed.” We can't stand that. Let us be surprised so that we are just doing what we always do in your class.

Please make sure any consequences given to students fit the behaviors.

And, don’t automatically assume that when high school students are grouped together they are getting into trouble. We like to cling to each other. Didn't you do the same thing when you were a teen?

Don’t play “good cop - bad cop” – please be consistent every day. Just be who you are so we can respect that person…when you are at least consistent we know how to deal with you even if we don’t always like what you do or say. Believe it or not, most kids say that teachers and administrators who are just themselves (even if they are firm at times) are the best teachers and administrators – we usually like them as people.

We like the fact that teachers are trying to help students, but if you really don’t know how to do something please don’t pretend that you do. This makes us not want to ask you for help at other times. So, if you’re not good in math please don’t try to show the class how to solve a math problem because there is probably at least one student in the class who is really good in math who will debate with you about the problem. Let that student show the class how to solve the problem. Your students will respect you more for that.

When students are asked for their opinion about something and it’s a really good idea, please give the students credit for the idea and don’t pretend that teachers came up with the idea.

In the beginning of the school year, let the students know who you are…let us know what ticks you off from the beginning of the year so we can adjust our behaviors in your class if we need to. But, when teachers let things go on for months and then somewhere in the middle of the year they start yelling about the same behaviors that seemed to be okay before; the students are totally confused and don’t know what to do except get mad and tell all of their friends. Then, all of their friends get mad at the teacher even if they don’t have the teacher for any of their own classes.

And, there you have it from the students…

LifelineExtensions.blog encourages all of its readers who are students in elementary through high school to take this opportunity to post an uninterrupted wish list item in the “Post Comments” section below this article.

***Please note that any posted comments which name individual students, parents, educators, schools, or school systems will have to be immediately deleted from this blog site.***

We are, however, CALLING ON ALL STUDENTS to take this time to give helpful and honest feedback to your teachers and administrators.

Students ~ remember you are what schools and school systems are all about.

Everyone really does want the best for you, but sometimes the adults who are working with you need you to tell them exactly what you need that will help you out the most.

Sometimes this requires a lot more candid and uninterrupted conversation, a good blend of collective creativity, and true understanding on the part of the adults. Once they know exactly what is being asked of them by the students they will be in a better position to then help them.

You ~ Students, can help point everyone toward some simple solutions to continue perfecting what’s being done right at your schools; or to immediately and realistically repair what’s being done wrong at your schools.

Sharon M. Biggs, M.A.

Educational Leader & Consultant

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Feedback:

“Ongoing and honest data that gives relevant and meaningful information about what’s being done the right way, AND about what’s being done the wrong way as it relates to a particular individual, group, or environment. Feedback also provides proactive and targeted solutions for immediate, realistic, and appropriate corrections; and for sustained progress designed to enhance the performance and the overall achievement of every stakeholder group represented."

NOTE:
The intent of these candid conversations is to provide an uninterrupted opportunity for stakeholders to anonymously share honest “wish list requests” with other stakeholder members by avoiding sharing the feedback in the form of a complaint. Also, note that some of the feedback provided by this random sampling may or may not apply to your particular school or school system; and this sampling in no way represents all of the “wishes” students might have for a great school year…