ABC Feelings "newsE-letter"

ABC Feelings "newsE-letter"

Volume I, Issue 9 July 2002

http://www.abcfeelings.com © 800.745.3170 © fax: 208.772.0411

Welcome to the ABC Feelings newsE-letter. This is our way of keeping in touch with the friends of ABC Feelings, sharing thoughts and feelings, quips & quotes, featured books & movies, snack ideas, attitude of the month, special links to keep you informed, poetry--whatever we think might interest you. We welcome your feedback, ideas--anything you'd like to share with us.

In this issue you'll discover:

à A message from Alexandra in Sun Valley, ID ©

Moral Intelligence, character & a story about the elephant culture

à A very special back-to-school SPECIAL

à and ©--Healthy ideas for you & your children

à Education Alternatives. . .Virtual Academies, Charter Schools

à ©--The National Youth Dialogue on Peace and Violence

à Calendar for Dr. Delis-Abrams, "the attitude doc"

à How to order ABC Feelings Products

à What to do if you no longer wish to subscribe

Message from Alexandra

Summer in Sun Valley is in full swing, and I do mean full swing. The season that is filled with activity and opportunity for stress as one attempts to do it all. The lesson, once again, is staying centered and balanced through summer as well as the other glorious times of year. Summer seems to be more challenging to me, as there are no shortage of events here in the Wood River Valley. Is your summer too full to enjoy what you’re doing when you’re doing it?

A message from Neale Donald Walsh, author of the Conversations with God books, was received through e-mail about Beingness. He says, "Beingness begets doingness. It is not the other way around. You will seldom get to a place of Beingness by way of something you are doing. On the other hand, when you come from a place of Beingness, what you are doing will always reflect that." You can read more about Neale Donald Walsh' work by visiting his web site at http://www.cwg.org/

When we are so busy "doing", our attention is going into the outer world and our five senses. Beingness is an inside job and is connected with our sixth sense, intuition. When we can be still, go into our inner world, feel and listen to the guidance, we know what is best for us to "do". Make sense?

Moral Intelligence

With all the news about lack of integrity and greed in many of our major corporations, it is puzzling how to teach moral intelligence to our children, who are the future. How do we give what we don’t have? A book written by Michael Borba entitled, "Building Moral Intelligence", defines moral intelligence as "the capacity to understand right from wrong…to have strong ethical convictions and to act on them so that one behaves in the right and honorable way." Hummmmm. Where did all those CEO’s get off track?

Briefly, Borda lists seven essentail virtues of moral intellligence:

Empathy

Conscience

Self-control

Respect

Kindness

Tolerance

Fairness

No big surprises here, but the message is vitally important. Time and commitment are essential in teaching any new habit. Once again the importance of role modeling. Back to Beingness promoting doingness. When we can be at peace within ourselves, knowing our true nature, we WILL do the right thing. BE with those who are like-minded and support BEING authentic and are committed to truth. Change yourself a little, change the world a lot.

At the recent Character Development conference I spoke at in San Diego, I was so impressed by the commitment of those attending. A mother from Japan had come all the way to the conference to learn how she can better assist her children in growing into adults that will contribute to making the world a better place. She was highly impressed with the ABC Feelings products and took back a Character Development kit to Japan to share with professionals and educations.

The questions that were explored were:

1. Are our children born morally literate?

2. Through chance or intention do we build lives to shape character?

3. What’s more important than teaching our children to be caring adults?

4. Should a community remain silent?

The next point was about leading by example. Well, need I say any more about that????

I like their definition of good character, "consisting of understanding, caring about and acting upon core ethical values" - when no one is looking. The discussion about parental influence was revealed to be most significant--their affection, consistency, response, respect, and communication.

Karl Menninger, "What is done to children, they will do in society."

A story was told about young orphaned elephants who were turning into renegades, rampaging into villages and causing a problem. In lieu of killing the younger ones, older male elephants were introduced to serve as mentors. The problem was solved in six months. The younger males learned how to settle down, get along, function in a group/family—they NEEDED that discipline, socialization, bonding with an elder. What a valuable lesson learned unintentionally. Our youth, like the young elephants, also need time, attention, caring, discipline, mentoring and love.

and ©

Colin Powell-- "We shouldn’t be afraid to sell the family parrot to the town crier."

Back to School Special!!! ABC Feelings is offering the Feelings Activity/Awareness cards for the very special price of $15 which will include the cost of freight to your location! Please visit our web site at http://www.abcfeelings.com/games.html or call 800.745.3170 to place your order. Offer good through August '02

and ©--

Education Alternatives. . .Virtual Academies, Charter Schools

Last month we talked with Frances from American Montessori about Montessori schools as an educational alternative to public schools. This month we'd like to introduce you to Virtual Academies & Charter Schools springing up across the country.

It generally goes without saying that parents are a child's first and most important educators, having the strongest and most lasting impact on children. Recent studies indicate that the more a parent is involved in the child's education, the more successful he/she will be.

Utilizing technology, freedom, flexibility & quality supplementary materials, the Virtual Academy offers a high-quality education which is often tuition free if provided in your state. With a Virtual Academy, you can enroll your child at the appropriate grade level, build a progress schedule and track your child's accomplishments all on line. With the assessment tools provided you can ensure that your child has mastered a lesson before moving to the next level. And, you are given access to an experienced teacher for guidance, support, instruction, and advice. Optional educational outings are even available to enhance lessons and build a spirit of school community. If you are interested in receiving more information about Virtual Academies, you can begin by contacting K12 Partner Schools Enrollment, 8000 Westpark Drive, Suite 500, McLean, VA 22102, 866.512.2273 toll free; or visit the web site at http://www.K12.com.

Charter Schools

The following information was taken from the U.S. Charter Schools site at http://www.uscharterschools.org. Information on how to establish a charter school in your area is also available at that location.

"Charter schools are nonsectarian public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The "charter" establishing each such school is a performance contract detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. The length of time for which charters are granted varies, but most are granted for 3-5 years. At the end of the term, the entity granting the charter may renew the school's contract. Charter schools are accountable to their sponsor-- usually a state or local school board-- to produce positive academic results and adhere to the charter contract. The basic concept of charter schools is that they exercise increased autonomy in return for this accountability. They are accountable for both academic results and fiscal practices to several groups: the sponsor that grants them, the parents who choose them, and the public that funds them.

For the legal definition of a charter school in a particular state, consult that state's charter school law through our State and School Information area."

The National Youth Dialogue on Peace and Violence--PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!

Who will secure peace for our children in the future? They will, and they're doing it right now!

The National Youth Dialogue on Peace and Violence is a project of PeaceTech, Peace Village Projects and The Peace Consortium, a coalition of non-profit and for-profit groups.

Conducted via a special web site on the Internet, young people across the U.S. will participate in a no-cost dialogue from mid-September, 2002 into March, 2003. The Dialogue will be conducted among Peace Teams, which are groups of young people, ages 5-18, plus at least one adult. Peace Teams would ideally have three to 25 members. It can be a pre-existing group or a group that comes together solely for this project every two weeks. The objective is to provide an opportunity for young people to talk with one another about peace and violence in their lives and in the world, and to reflect on their roles in the world as well as build a new culture of peace.

If your child is interested in participating, you can pre-register via e-mail at Dialogue@Peace-Tech.com or online at http://www.peace-tech.com.

Martin Luther King-- "We have guided missiles and misguided men."

Healthy Ideas. . . for you & your children

This newsletter also addresses health from time to time. Hot tip for those of you who have interest in biocompatibility. Our dentist is one of the most important people responsible for our overall health. Believe it or not. I heard of a woman who had some work done with an acupuncturist. She was told of problems in several areas of her body – each area related to a tooth that had a root canal.

There is a compatibility test that is offered to determine which dental materials your immune system is highly and least reactive to. I got a 40 page report after sending in a sample of my blood, which has been a tremendous education and benefit. I only wish I had this information years ago. (many have said this about the ABC Feelings products.)

© © Did you know that broccoli contains a chemical that boosts the body's production of the bacteria-busting substance 'sulforaphane', which destroys the bacteria responsible for ulcers and most stomach cancers? In the May 28 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Jed Fahey and a team from the John Hopkins University and researchers from the National Center for Scientific Research in France, reported on the friendly side of broccoli! We know kids aren't always nuts about eating their vegetables, but if they start early and become accustomed to them being served on the family table, they will develop the habit of eating them--and loving them. If your child snubs cooked broccoli, try serving it cold in small 'trees'. They'll learn to find a place for it in life and bolster health in the process.© ©

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Visit ABC Feelings and find quality, interactive & character building products for kids and organizations. Click here to purchase online: http://www.abcfeelings.com or call us at 800.745.3170 for ideas on which products will best fill your needs!

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THE "Attitude Doc's" AGENDA

For those of you who may not have met her, Alexandra, "the attitude doc" is a nationally recognized speaker, conducting keynotes and workshops to help "prepare a child for life" and to encourage the exploration of our attitudes, beliefs and choices. Additionally, she has a transpersonal practice (integrating the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our nature) in Sun Valley, ID, where she utilizes leading edge protocols to assist her clients to make monumental strides in minimal time. She is available for your organization, corporation, or for you personally, and we welcome your calls at 800.745.3170. Or, visit our web site at http://www.abcfeelings.com/dralexandra.html. If you're in the following areas, drop by and participate in a workshop, listen in on a lecture, or pick up your favorite ABC Feelings products. If you would like to schedule a workshop or meet with Dr. Alexandra in your area, please call 800.745.3170

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Watch for Alexandra, the Attitude Doc across the country as she discusses how you can Prepare a Child for Life. . .as well as other informative & fun topics

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Alexandra & Gene will be exhibiting products at the following areas:

Character Education Partnership, Atlanta, GA

October 17-19

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the end . . . for now