Can Good Character Be Contagious? February 18, 2010

by Barbara Gruener

I saw the popular poster that reads – Your Attitude Is Contagious; Is Yours Worth Catching? – the other day at my son’s intermediate school and it got me to thinking about character. Could I swap the word character with attitude, I wondered?   Read more

Childhood Obesity: A Food and Nutrition Resource List for Educators February 3, 2010

30 Ways Mayors & Local Government Can Promote Good Character February 3, 2010

by Tom Lickona, Director; Center for the 4th and 5th R’s

1. Join an organization that promotes character, e.g., Character Counts Coalition (310-306-1868) or Character Education Partnership (800-988-8081).

2. Issue a Mayor’s/City Council Proclamation endorsing the target character traits and encouraging all employees and citizens to model and promote these traits.

Read more

21 Strategies to Help Your Child Develop Good Character February 3, 2010

by Dr. Helen R. LeGette, published by Character Development Publishers

1. Model good character in the home. As William Bennett observes in The Book of Virtues, ‘there is nothing more influential, more determinant in a child’s life than the moral power of a quiet example.’ It is critically important that those who are attempting to influence children’s character in positive ways ‘walk the talk.’ Read more

Developing Performance Character and Moral Character in Youth February 3, 2010

By Dr. Matt Davidson, Research Director, Center for the 4th and 5th Rs

This is an article that was printed in The Fourth and Fifth Rs: Respect and Responsibility, Volume 10, Issue 2, Winter 2004.  (Center for the 4th and 5th Rs, School of Education, Cortland, NY 13045 www.cortland.edu/c4n5rs

A person of character embodies both performance AND moral character. Performance character refers to the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dispositions needed to achieve human excellence in performance environments – in school, extracurricular activities, and work. Read more

What is Asperger Syndrome? February 3, 2010

With the rise in the diagnosis of this condition among citizens young and old, we found the following information helpful in identifying the sympomatic behaviors of those with the disorder.

Asperger Syndrome (or Asperger’s Disorder) is a neurobiological disorder named for a Viennese physician, Hans Asperger, who in 1944 published a paper which described a pattern of behaviors in several young boys who had normal intelligence and language development, but who also exhibited autistic-like behaviors and marked deficiencies in social and communication skills. In spite of the publication of his paper in the 1940’s, it wasn’t until 1994 that Asperger Syndrome was added to the DSM IV and only in the past few years has AS been recognized by professionals and parents. Read more

Identity and Adolescents: How Adults Can Help February 3, 2010

By Cheryl Jones, ACSW, Adolescent and Family Counselor

This is an article that was printed in The Fourth and Fifth Rs: Respect and Responsibility, Volume 10, Issue 2, Winter 2004. (Center for the 4th and 5th Rs, School of Education, Cortland, NY 13045 www.cortland.edu/c4n5rs

The elder of two daughters, Sarah barely talked to her family anymore. She was doing poorly in school, and her previously good friends were replaced with kids who were drinking and using drugs. When she would not return home, her parents often found her at an apartment with older kids, cutting class, and smoking marijuana. Sarah no longer did any homework and was struggling to pass the 10th grade. Regardless of house rules, she came and went as she pleased. Try as they might, this previously close family could not seem to reach its drifting member. Read more

Personal Factors Affecting Grief February 3, 2010

By Dave Opalewski

It has been often stated and is generally believed that no two people who suffer the loss of a loved one ever grieve alike. Therefore, grief tends to be a unique experience for every individual. This being true, we can conclude that there is a strong chance that there are no grief experts. The question we must then ask is how can counselors and support persons assist and guide the grieving person through the grief process while not being experts?   Read more

The Facts About Some Common Myths Surrounding Grief February 3, 2010

by Dave Opalewski

As a grief support group facilitator for many years, I have discovered some common and quite damaging myths grieving people tend to believe. Although there are many myths about grief, The following are the ones I find most common that get in the way of the healing process.  Read more

Preventing Suicide February 3, 2010

by Dave Opalewski

Suicide is officially recognized as the number 3 cause of death among U.S. adolescents. Most researchers and mental health treatment specialists claim it could be actually the number 2 cause of death among U.S. adolescents.   Read more