Featuring what’s cool, new and classic in new home building and interior design, by volunteering, you can also visit these beautiful houses and help STARS! If you are able to help, we are doing 3 ½ hour shifts and your time would be so appreciate. Please contact Erin Daunic, edau...@starsnashville.org or 615-983-6805.

This trip is incredibly important because it shows our students first-hand the academic opportunities available to them.  While on the trip, the students stayed on campus in the dorms, ate at the cafeteria and were able to socialize with other college students. They were given a full tour of the campus, met with academic advisors and admission counselors, had question and answer time with a student panel, joined a college class in session, and were introduced to several successful professionals who are deaf and hard of hearing and working in the Washington, DC area. 

One boy who currently plays football in Tennessee was able to meet with the Gallaudet football coach and join a practice with other Gallaudet players. The experience was incredible and provided the students with hope and inspiration for their future.

Monika was honored during a recent in-service for the Maplewood staff  for her contributions to the overall climate of their school.  Her ability to build relationships within the building amoung staff, teachers, students, families and administrators over the past three years has made a true difference for the Maplewood community.

Ms. Pugh is an 8-year veteran of STARS who has been working at Maplewood Comprehensive High School for the past three years.

WAY TO GO, MONIKA!!!

“Amazing! My students couldn’t take their eyes off of the characters. There were so into the show. Very kid friendly. Loved it!!!”

“I love any program that teaches our kids about how to discuss deployment and that what they are feeling is normal.”

Although we have not been able to secure the funding needed to return to Ft. Campbell, we go anyway.  Reaching these brave military families, providing their children with the tools and skills they deserve to start talking about their feelings is of critical importance.

Deep gratitude is owed to these families.  We are mindful of your sacrifices and humbled by your committment.

Thank you.  From all of us at STARS and the families we reach.  Thank you.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention month and to honor this our Kids on the Block team has been presenting to all six (yes, 6!!) elementary schools at Ft. Campbell this week.  We have been presenting our Child Abuse Prevention program to all their third graders and our Coping With Crisis program to all second graders.  We will have some photos and stories to share about these experiences later on. 

In the meantime, here is a letter we received from a school counselor:

Dear Kids on the Block,

           Thank you for coming to [our school] today.  You are doing great work to keep our children safe.  It is heart-breaking to know as you spoke to the children today that as they were all laughing, it was probably hitting home with several of them.  I hope that this message will resonate with each of them.  That they will know that it is not their fault.  That they will know they can trust their teacher if they should choose to ask for help.  That they will know that it is not “okay” for anyone to hurt them.  I will send the papers home with them as well. I hope this will begin a dialogue with their parents and much good will come of it.

        Each performer was excelllent.  Their puppet voices were so good.  May you be blessed for all the great work you are doing.

~~~

We are truly honored to work with these students, their schools and communities.  Thanks so much.

A civil and respectful learning environment is an essential foundation for teaching and learning.  Public Chapter 153 as enacted by the 2009 General Assembly mandates specific actions on the part of schools relative to bullying, harassment and intimidation.  This seminar will provide an overview of these and other related requirements with a particular focus upon insuring that policy is reflected in effective practice.

Who Should Attend?

Districts Should send a small team (2-3 persons) of educators responsible for providing leadership and direction to the district in the areas identified above.

Presenters:

Lesley Farmer serves as Assistant General Counsel for Civil Rights at the Tennessee Department of Education, and is responsible for investigating complaints under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Title IX of the Educations Amendments of 1972.

Rodger Dinwiddie is the CEO of STARS Nashville, is a Master Trainer for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and currently serves as a school climate and safety consultant for the Tennessee Department of Education.

Dates and Locations

April 11, 2012 – Nashville

April 26, 2012 – Jackson

May 14, 2012 – Oak Ridge

Register by emailing Anna Nichols

STARS and Kids On The Block recognizes and supports National Child Abuse Prevention month in April. Kids On The Block offers a Child Abuse Prevention presentation for third graders. This personal safety program educates students to identify child abuse and neglect, empowering them to say “NO!” and encourages them to talk to a trusted adult. Although the topic is sensitive in nature, the program is presented in a kid-friendly and non-threatening way through our Kids On The Block program using puppetry and other teaching tools.

Over the past three year after seeing this Kids On The Block presentation, more than 60 children have had the courage, the strength and the information they needed to disclose being victims of abuse.  In each circumstance, a report was made to the Department of Children Services beginning the process of appropriate intervention.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Prevention  indicates prevention is the best hope for reducing child abuse and neglect and improving the lives of children and families. Strengthening families and preventing child abuse requires a shared commitment of individuals and organizations in every community.

For more information, on the Kids On The Block Child Abuse Prevention Presentation, contact us at 615-279-0058.

After participating in the selection and interview process for the Charity Tour of Homes, we are pleased to announce that STARS has been selected as one of the benefiting charities of the May 2012 Charity Tour of Homes.  

Featuring the latest in gorgeous building and interior design ideas, the Charity Tour of Homes takes place Fridays through Sundays, May 18-27, with seven fully-decorated homes on beautiful home sites throughout the Nashville area with Miriam’s Promise and STARS (Students Taking A Right Stand) as this year’s benefiting charities and presented by the Master Custom Builders Council of Tennessee.

This is an exciting opportunity for STARS because over 90% of the ticket is returned to the benefiting charities. In the STARS development office, we have tickets available for purchase. In addition, you can purchase tickets online via www.ticketsnashville.com.

Ranging in style from French Country to Louisiana Farm House, one home tour ticket allows visitors to tour stunning homes from the Peninsula at Fairvue Plantation to the charming Leipers Fork community. Charity Tour of Homes Chairman Bryan Edwards, president of Hughes-Edwards Builders, said the premier home tour event is made possible by presenting sponsor Pella Windows & Doors.

“From incredible kitchen and bath ideas to creative paint and outdoor living inspiration, the Charity Tour of Homes allows visitors with one ticket the opportunity to tour these exclusive home sites over a two weekend period benefiting two very worthy charities,” Edwards said. “If you are thinking of remodeling a bathroom or kitchen, adding an outdoor living feature or simply painting a room, the Charity Tour of Homes is a great resource for information.”

Edwards said, unique to a home tour, each home presented has been built by a member of the elite consortium of the Masters Custom Builders Council of TN with the homeowner currently residing in the home. By participating in the home tour, the owners have earned substantial building savings by using the latest in innovative products while benefitting two worthy non-profits.

Some of the new products featured on the tour include: the Kohler DTV Custom Showering Experience; low-maintenance building products; clever mosaic tile combinations; cool Cambria counter products; enclosed Pella Window shade; new lighting ideas; summer kitchen all-weather appliances and sinks; powder room storm shelter; Tuscan-style gourmet kitchen; and quatrefoil wrought iron embellishments.  

Builders participating in this year’s tour include Hughes-Edwards Builders, McPherson-Shaw, David Patton Construction, W. Hugh Nelson Builders, R. Thomas Construction and Walsh Custom Homes. Homes are located in Sumner County including the neighborhoods of Fairvue Plantation, Hunt Club, Blue Grass Downs and Anderson Road. In Williamson County, homes in Saddle Springs, Stockett Creek and Leipers Fork are on tour.

Tickets are available at each individual home site for $15 general admission and online discounted at $12 general admission with a site map provided. Here is more information and home site addresses for this year’s Charity Tour of Homes  and via  Facebook.com/CharityTourofHomes.

The Master Custom Builders Council of Tennessee is an elite group of the finest custom-home builders in the mid-state sharing a deep passion for their craft and for providing their clients the finest in custom, residential construction at substantial discounts if they participate in the premier home tour. Originally brought together to leverage their buying power and cost savings for clients, the group established the Charity Tour of Homes in 2010 with the proceeds benefiting seven, community non-profit organizations. This year, the Charity Tour of Homes benefits Miriam’s Promise, an adoption and pregnancy counseling agency, and Students Taking a Right Stand which assists students, families and schools combating tough barriers to learning including bullying, substance abuse and violence.

At the same time, as advocates of bullying prevention, we want to caution our community to understand bullying and suicide are very complex issues. We encourage parents and teachers to take a careful look at the movie before allowing your child or student to view it.

We do not endorse any political views but did want to share with you a passage from an article written by Slate senior editor Emily Bazelon who interviewed Ann Haas, a senior project specialist for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

She quoted Haas as saying “Hirsch (Director of “Bully”) has created a real risk of suicide contagion—the documented phenomenon of people mimicking suicidal behavior in light of media representations. “I worry terribly about the contagion effect,” Haas said. “One message of this move is: ‘Bullying kills’—as if it’s a normal response to kill yourself, when of course most people who are bullied don’t do that.”

At the end of the day, we all have to be careful that we are not incorrectly portraying the issue of bullying which does a huge disservice to students and our entire community.

Students Taking A Right Stand (STARS) has been on the forefront of bullying prevention in our community by working with students, teachers, schools and families to address this serious issue through a variety of solution-based techniques. If you have any questions or need assistance, STARS specialists are located in most schools throughout the Nashville area or you can call 615-279-0058. In addition, we encourage anyone with concerns to contact the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network at 615-297-1077 or www.tspn.org.