At dinner last night my Dad pulled out costumes his family made when he was a child.  Wow, he was a child, that is funny.  We all laughed.  what I want to say is we looked at how things were made and it was cool.  The duck mask was made from chicken wire with paper over it and then painted, they called it paper mache.  the other mask was a painted milk carton cut in half and with string through the sides.  Except for the paint it was recycled material.  Wow they were for the environment before it was important.

I want to try this for next year.

I looked up how to make paper mache on the web and my papa helped me to copy into here for you.

Materials Needed:
•Water
•Flour

Instructions:
To make this paper mache paste, simply mix together 1 part flour to 2 parts water. You will want it to be the consistency of thick glue, but you also want it to be runny and not thick like paste. Add more water or flour as necessary. Mix well to remove any lumps.

A few helpful tips I have read in regards to using this paste are:

• If you live in an area with high humidity, add a few tablespoons of salt to help prevent mold.
• If you don’t like the smell of the glue mixture you can add a few sprinkles of cinnamon or cinnamon to sweeten it up!
• You should be able to store this glue in a covered bowl or jar, in the refrigerator, for a few days

So everyone have fun this weekend and stop worrying for a day.  I told papa I am putting my worry bag in my desk draw.

pic from Chris

Massachusetts Charter Public School Association has posted a good summary of the Myths and Realities about Massachusetts Charter Public Schools.  I have reprinted them below.  For more information you can go to the site via this link.

MYTH: Charter public schools are private schools.
REALITY: Charter schools are public schools open to any child, free of charge; they offer public school choice to poor and working class families who cannot afford private school. Choice is a powerful tool for parents seeking educational equity and equal access to quality education for their children.

MYTH: Charter public schools accept only the “cream of the crop” and reject under performing students.
REALITY: Unlike exclusive private schools, charter public schools do not recruit and select “the best” students. When enrollment requests exceed the number of seats, charter schools hold a public lottery to determine who will attend. Because they are free and open to all, charter public schools do not engage in selective admissions policies.

MYTH: Charter public schools do not provide special education services.
REALITY: Charter public schools are under the same state and federal obligation to provide in-school special education services as other public schools.

MYTH: Charter public school enrollment does not reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
REALITY: Overall, charter public school parents report lower income and education levels than district public school parents. Charter public school students are more racially and economically diverse than their counterparts in district public schools. Charter public schools have a higher percentage of students of color than district public schools (44%-23%). Charter public schools also have a higher percentage of students on free or reduced lunch (36%-17%).

MYTH: Charter public schools “drain money” from district public schools.
REALITY: When charter public schools are funded, there is no loss of public school money because charter schools are public schools. The total amount of spending on public education in communities with charter public schools is unchanged.

MYTH: Charter public schools receive more state money than district public schools.
REALITY: Charter public schools receive exactly what the districts spend to educate their students. A new funding formula ensures that the amount of money that charter public schools receive reflects the demographics, grade levels, and special education needs of the students who enroll.

MYTH: Charter public schools cost more.
REALITY: When you factor in both operating expenses and facility costs, charter public schools cost less than district public schools. Charter public schools are not eligible to receive state subsidies from the School Building Assistance Bureau (SBAB), which grants districts large subsidies (60% to 90% of the total cost) to finance new construction or major renovations. Just this year, charters started receiving a per pupil grant of $742, which covers a portion of our construction costs.

MYTH: The state should not be expanding any programs during tight fiscal times.
REALITY: Charter public schools require no new state funds, so this “expansion” comes without a price tag. Charter public schools receive the same amount of money that district public schools would receive if they were still educating that student. The money is just being moved from one public school to another public school.

MYTH: District public schools do not save $1 for every $1 that’s transferred to charter public schools when a student enrolls in a charter public school.
REALITY: Legislation provides that district public schools are reimbursed for the money that is transferred to charter public schools: 100% the first year; 60% the second; 40% the third. This gives district schools four years to adjust their budgets for the loss of students. Districts have to constantly adjust their budgets to account for changes in enrollment, whether students leave for charters or private schools, or when families move out of town. The only time they are reimbursed for such changes is for charter school transfers.

MYTH: Charter public schools are not held accountable for performance.
REALITY: The charter application process is rigorous. Only strong, viable applications are approved. The charter public school renewal process is equally stringent. Charter public schools must reapply for certification every five years and are subject to annual inspections by the state. Charter public schools that don’t succeed don’t survive. The Washington-based Thomas B. Fordham Institute ranked Massachusetts’ application, performance, and oversight practices the toughest in the nation.

MYTH: Charter public schools are an unproven experiment.
REALITY: Charter public school students are outscoring their district counterparts on MCAS, and the longer students are enrolled in charter public schools, the better they do. In addition, charter public schools are held to extremely high standards; charters are renewed every five years; if they fail, they are closed by the state.

MYTH: Charter public schools are a fad.
REALITY: There is continued demand for charter public schools. There are over 20,000 students currently enrolled in charter public schools that are already operating or have been approved by the Massachusetts, with over 14,000 students on charter public school waiting lists.

The more I plan the more I get to do. 

I volunteer

I play tennis

I fish

I get my summer homework done

I have vacation

I hang with my family

From Papa:  Wondering what is next on President Obama’s Schedule and Congress.

I have so many things to do.  There not enough time.  I really get mad when I can not do what I want.  I drew this picture about my life and ripped it because I was mad.  My parents said it is Ok to get mad about not being able to do everything I want.  Oh its frustrating. 

From Papa:

Nonprofits can be complex but they provide a simple direction or way to solve a problem.  They are mission focused and not focused on obtaining a financial return.  Breaking even and succeeding in accomplishing the outcomes is their key to success in a complex world.

The first time at school is challenging because you have to make new friends and your wondering if your teacher is mean or good.  And if anyone is going to like you.

From Papa;

Change is only temporary. Nonprofits should not be afraid to make change.  I would suggest every organization take the time to look at growing by supplementing student enrichment for local schools.  The organization’s program development in this area would be a good business direction to take and expose the organization to a wider audience in the community.

By Chris for Nonprofit Supporter

From Papa;

Why are many child welfare nonprofits afraid of doing adoption and foster care?  The first answer an organization will give you is too much liability.  However, it is not insurance liability, it is being in the news and having a story on a child effect the resources of an organization.   Child welfare needs to really push accomplishing outcomes in time limited measured way.  If the service plan has not been accomplished by a federal standard then decision making should change to another authority.

No child should have to wait a long time.  Aging out of foster care with no accomplished permanency plan should be considered a failure.  How many failures should be allowed in child welfare?  Government mandates that providers of child welfare meet high standards in order to continue to receive referrals.  The same tough standards should be the same for the state agencies as well.

Accomplishing a permanency plan for a child should not be tied to solutions by the same individuals after a period time has past in which said solutions have not occurred.  It’s OK to have to pass the case to another set of individuals to obtain the outcomes which are in the child’s best interests.

President Obama is just one man but he can do anything.

by Chris for Nonprofit Supporter

From Papa; 

Our forefathers took a lot of risk to stand up for what they believe.  The thought and belief began with one and spread to many.  This month we celebrate with fundamental change in the air.   As an industry the nonprofit business model has existed for over 30 years and nonprofits have been evolving to survive.  Nonprofits making changes have started with one person. As the old leadership moves on to retirement there is a shortage of new leaders with the passion to continue the mission of many organizations.  One means to continue the mission is to merge or become an affiliate of another organization. 

Rain does not stop me from enjoying myself.  I just get wet. It is the adults whom are complaining.

From Papa:

While Spring can be a time of unpredictable weather nonprofits can use Spring to invite participation with their organization.  After a winter period of being indoors more people look for a reason to get out and do something.  This is especially after setting New Year resolutions that they have not acted upon.  So let Spring be the time to grow an experience working with kids. 

You can explore the outside nature but you can do it in school by learning new things and mess around in your brain.

From Papa: 

Looking for an adventure. Nonprofits have plenty to offer.  Employees should check out Guidestar for a program near them.  To plan activities nonprofits can utilize other nonprofits programs for those they serve. 

From Papa:

A successful nonprofit makes new friends and knows how to keep old ones.