June 19-21, 2009
Father's Day Weekend
Peace Village
Haines Fall, NY 12436
 Arrival is Friday, June 19, from 2-7 p.m.
Departure is Sunday, June 21, after lunch

Register Online

 For the second year in a row, Aventura City of Excellence School (a K-8 charter school in Aventura, FL) has been named a finalist for the National School of Character Award presented by the Character Education Partnership.  ACES' character education program is rated as one of the top 27 in the nation.  According to Principal Julie Alm, "Our rigorous academic programs coupled with values education equips our students with the ability to make wise choices."  The awards will be presented at the annual conference in October, 2009.

 

 www.character.org

 

  

MIAMI / FT. LAUDERDALE, FL
Plan to bring the Living Values Educational Program to your school or agency.  Contact miami@livingvalues.net.

First Hand Experiences from the Classroom 
Living Values Education Workshop
July 31 - August 2, 2009
6:30 pm Friday through 5:00 pm Sunday
Anubhuti Retreat Center in Novato, California
 
Join us for a relaxing and inspiring weekend workshop at the Anubhuti Retreat Centre in Novato.  This LVE workshop will be led by Diane Tillman, Licensed Educational Psychologist and the primary author of the award-winning Living Values Series, and Kyoko Kimura, experienced LVE teacher.  Skills to create a values-based atmosphere and values activities will be explored.  The workshop will also include information about LVE's theoretical model, the breadth of the program internationally, and time for reflection, sharing, role playing and walks. 
 
Living Values Education Program is a comprehensive values education program. This innovative global program, being implemented in more than 80 countries, offers training, a practical methodology and a wide variety of experiential values activities to educators and parents to help them provide the opportunity for children and young adults to explore and develop universal values.  LVE offers resource materials for regular and at-risk children.
 
Results: The most frequent themes noted by educators implementing Living Values Education are positive changes in teacher-student relationships and in student-student relationships both inside and outside the classroom.  Educators note an increase in respect, caring, cooperation, motivation, and the ability to solve peer conflicts on the part of the students.  Aggressive behaviors decline as positive social skills and respect increase.  LVEP helps educators create safe, caring, values-based atmospheres for quality learning. 
 
Cost:  While the presenters volunteer their time, there will be a $40 LVE materials fee as well as a donation for meals and two nights of accommodation to the retreat center.
 
For registration:  Please register on-line at www.anubhutiretreatcenter.org  or call 415 884-2314.

 

by Diane Tillman 

Respect Reflection Points
         The first respect is to respect myself -- to know that I am naturally valuable.
·        Part of self-respect is knowing my own qualities.
·        Respect is knowing I am unique and valuable.
·        Respect is knowing I am lovable and capable.
·        Respect is listening to others.
·        Respect is knowing others are valuable, too.
·        Respect for the self is the seed that gives growth to confidence.
·        When we have respect for the self, it is easy to have respect for others.
·        Those who give respect will receive respect.
·        To know one's worth and to honor the worth of others is how one earns respect.
·        Everyone in the world has the right to live with respect and dignity, including myself.
·        Part of respect is knowing I make a difference.
 
The above Respect Reflection Points are taken from Living Values Activities for Children Ages 3 - 7 by Diane Tillman.  You can obtain this book from Health Communications, Inc., or from amazon.com.  The Living Values Activities books contain hundred of values activities to help children and young people explore and develop values.  Certainly values are needed more than ever in the world.  This spring enjoy exploring respect for the self, others and our planet.

 http://www.livingvalueseducation.org/Resources/Book_Overview/Book_Overview.htm

Letter from a LVEP Teacher

I am enclosing the information you requested as to my specific efforts to implement LVEP in my little kindergarten classroom. I appreciate having had the opportunity to be trained by you in using this format to reach children about values that will guide them to lead more peaceful and responsible lives in their global community. It has been exciting and rewarding for students and myself as we have both grown and stretched our horizons. This program is truly universal and since we are all part of one human family it is vital to our well being and ultimately our own survival to bring LVEP to youth who will be our leaders.

 

Some specific things I have done with this program as supplementary to the text are:

1.        We study from a little book I designed which highlights all the values individually in the text choosing people from around the world that emulate these values in their lives. Such pictures in it are next to a simple biographical text.

2.        I have eight small photo albums which I have compiled with highlights of each value illustrated with pictures taken from National Geographic, Smithsonian and other magazines to illustrate values in picture so children can immediately visualize and be able to discuss values.

3.        I have a board game called The Dove which teaches by giving everyday challenges and decisions for the child to make and progress.

4.        We have enacted two of the stories in the text for parents and friends as plays.

5.        We have a Kindness Jar which helps us focus on values of love and tolerance. We write down acts of kindness the children perform for each other and staff on a chart all can see. At the end of the month, they choose a golden bean or bead to place in our jar for each act of kindness performed. We applaud each child's actions as they are read orally. We take the jar into a dark room and look at is as it glows with light from the glow in the dark stars on its outside. We remind them that acts of kindness can light the whole world in the same way. Each child gets a kindness coin for the month in a pocket on the wall. He or she can see it grow. At the end of the year, they will have ten coins to take with them. Each coin is colorful and has a message about kindness engraved on it as a keepsake of their years efforts to be kind and serve one another.

6.        Each morning we say a this verse to remind us each to tell the truth:

"Who will stand for truth? (children stand and say I will). Guarded from harm, cared for by angels, here stand we, loving and strong, truthful and good". WE sing the STAR PEACE SONG as one child lightly sprinkles a ribbon wand over each head. Each color symbolizes a value.

7.        We have an illustrated story of THE STAR STORY I made, which the kids love to hear over and over again.

8.        We have a class quilt with children's artwork and values on it

 

 .

 Living Values educators recommend:

1.  ASK your children what they would like to do with you!

2.  PLAY with your children this summer! Get exercise and inspiration from being outdoors. Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children. Despite the benefits derived from play for both children and parents, time for free play has been markedly reduced for some children. A variety of factors have reduced play, including a hurried lifestyle, changes in family structure, and increased attention to academics and enrichment activities at the expense of recess or free child-centered play. Pediatricians can advocate for children by helping families, school systems, and communities consider how best to ensure that play is protected as they seek the balance in children's lives to create the optimal developmental milieu.

3.  Use the value of COOPERATION "When everyone cooperates, we all have more fun!"

4.  Pay attention to your child's DIET. A can of soda can contain TEN (10) teaspoons of sugar.

5.  Be extremely selective with TV...both WHAT YOU watch as well as what you allow your children to watch.

6.  Limit computer time.