-----------------------------------------------------------------

Is Your Child Gifted or Stricken with ADD?
(source unknown)

Some really bright children are getting medicated for ADD instead of being identified as gifted! Believe it or not, there is actually a high risk of that happening. Some of the following are common to both:

• underachieving in many areas of life
• disorganized daily routines
• sloppy work that is rushed and/or poorly done
• handwriting that is difficult to read
• self-centered and individualistic attitude
• difficulty in conforming to societal norms
• stubborn and persistent in getting his/her own way
• noticeable mood changes and swings
• a kind of "spacey" look about them, not quite connected
• lack of attention to details, emphasis is on the big picture
• lots of energy and always on the go
• can be very intense and has strong ability to concentrate
• moving constantly and fidgeting about
• impulsive and shows lack of forethought
• forgetful, absentminded, daydreams
• angers and gets frustrated easily
• easily upset and emotional

Misdiagnosis can be prevented:

• parents need to thoroughly understand giftedness and ADD
• people need to stop stereotyping the behaviors of gifted children
• determine if it is a quick, alert mind that understands far more quickly than others
• note that gifted boys are being diagnosed with ADD more than girls
• acknowledge that gifted people often see things very differently from a visual and spatial point of view
• study the processes of "right brain" and "left brain" thinking
• become aware of the different emotional, mental and physical difficulties that gifted children/adults can have

Possible solutions when a gifted child’s needs are not being met and difficulties arise in school:

• home schooling
• alternative schools
• mentorships/co-operative learning/apprenticeships
• skipping grades/accelerated learning
• teach more competency/survival skills as opposed to gathering knowledge and facts

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, April 23, 2004. Catholic Education Centre, Sheppard & Yonge, Toronto, ON. There will be many guest speakers from exciting companies and organizations that offer enrichment opportunities for young people. The organizations are all available to any school in Ontario. Everybody is welcome.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Abelard Centre for Education (you may want to switch schools next year?)

Aberfoyle Antique/Flea Market (opens end of the month)

Adventure Mountain Bike School (offer courses)

Auction Sales (go see some. They are great!!)

Archaeological Field School (summer credit course)

Astronomy Day Celebrations (get involved)

Bancroft Mineral Collecting (find some from over 400 minerals in the area)

Check into Biking Clubs and Bike Tours now starting up

Visit the Bloor Cinema (cheap and see good old movies)

Bonnechere Caves (open this month. Visit)

Branksome Hall Tennis Camp (summer training)

Canadian Camping Association (get ready for summer camping)

Canadian Football Hall of Fame (sports enthusiasts shrine)

Canadian Garden & Flower show (some of you are avid gardeners)

Carpenter’s Square (woodworking courses)

CBC Museum (broadcasting icon)

Chess Federation of Canada (its your move)

Computing Insights (summer camp)

Earth Day Celebrations (get involved)

Environmental Science Credit at Lake St. George Conservation Centre (get a high school credit)

Free the Children Summer Leadership Camp (this is Craig Kielberger’s camp)

George Brown Summer Studio (arts & crafts for the summer)

International Academy of Design (summer courses in fashion, interior design, computers, more)

Introductory Marine Science (summer credit course)

Knights of Columbus Catholic Youth Leadership Training Camp (Amen)

National Home Show (everything to do with your home)

Old Clothing Show and Sale (antique clothing from different times)

ROM Summer Club (work with ROM exhibits)

SciTech (summer camp at the Ont. Science Centre)

Toronto Aviation and Aircraft Show (high flyers like this)

Toronto Brigantine Tall ship Adventure (learn to sail a sailing ship at Toronto Harbour)

Toronto Cycling Committee Bike Week (pedal your way into good times)

Toronto International Film Festival for Children (Sprockets) (for your viewing pleasure, films from around the world)

Toronto Jewish Film Festival (oy vey! They can be fun. Try it)

Toronto Star Photo Contest (All it takes is a snap of your finger)

Travel and Leisure Show (move and rest at the same time?)

Vintage Film Festival (oldies but goodies)

Wilderness Games (paintball warfare)

Young Canada Works in Heritage Institutions (summer jobs)

Young Peoples Theatre (summer drama school)

Good Food Festival & Market (smell it?)

Camp Enterprise (leadership)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------

April 4 – Daylight Saving Time begins

April 4– Christian Palm Sunday

April 5– Full moon tonight

April 5– Jewish Passover, Christian Holy Thursday

April 9 – Christian Good Friday

April 11 – Christian Easter Sunday

April 11- Orthodox Easter

April 13- Sikh - Baisakhi

April 15 – Leonardo Da Vinci Birthday (start preparing for Creativity Day)

April 21 – Creativity Day (a new holiday that we want everybody to support)

April 21-Administrative Professionals Day

April 22-Earth Day

_____________

When my daughter was 3-4 years old, we were outside for a walk in the warming spring air. In our wanderings around the yard, we came upon a fallen nest. Inside the nest, still intact, were two tiny, light blue, Robin’s eggs. I held one up to her and offered to let her hold it if she was really gentle with it. She gingerly reached out and took it between finger and thumb. Never having experienced how fragile these eggs were, she unintentionally squished it. That surprised look on her face when her fingers snapped together and it suddenly collapsed and the insides oozed out was burned into my memory forever. – M.J.

(compiled by Morris Group International and found in the Toronto Star)

Best reasons for staying at a job:

• great relationships with manager and colleagues 42%
• strong respect for company brand or product 27%
• competitive pay 20%
• training/development 11%

Factors that inspire passion for the job:

• making an impact on the organization 49%
• leaning new things 27%
• support from supervisors and co-workers 24%

Most valued job perks:

• flexible work schedule 34%
• training/development 31%
• vacation time 24%
• good health benefits 11%

Best payoff for job well done:

• personal thank you that reflects employee’s interests (e.g. hockey or theatre tickets) 40%
• company-wide recognition 27%
• time off 32%

______________

How to get started: "I knew some pretty decent punk rock bands from San Jose," said Audrey Henley. "So I invited a bunch of friends, printed flyers and made a bunch of phone calls. I called it 'ChickenFest' and held it at my dad's restaurant. We drew the curtains and had a blast."

"Robotics engineers design robots, maintain them, develop new applications for them, and conduct research to expand the potential of robotics. This is a rapidly developing field, with advances in computing constantly opening up new possibilities for robotics applications. Manufacturing, the first industry to invest heavily in robotics, remains the primary employer in the area, but recent years have seen rapid expansion of research and engineering in robots for such applications as agriculture, mining, nuclear power-plant maintenance, and a variety of other fields. The profession offers jobs for a wide range of temperaments. Visionary robotics engineers can work designing experimental mobile robots, with applications ranging from medical and military uses to designs aimed at creating vehicles capable of piloting themselves on other planets. More down-to-earth jobs involve designing new production-line robots, often with programmable arms, and maintaining and upgrading older production-line installations. Somewhere in between lie those engineers designing and producing robots for expanding but tested fields, such as self-piloting crop harvesters and automated nuclear-safety equipment. Robotics engineers must have the same disciplined attention to detail required of all engineers, but the relative novelty of the field puts an additional premium on creativity. It’s a safe bet that twenty years from now, robots will be employed in a vast range of new activities. The engineers who can best anticipate needs which can be successfully filled by robots, and who can work effectively in engineering teams to develop them, will be extremely successful in the field."

______________

• MacDonald’s Restaurants have about 31,000 stores worldwide and serve about 46 million customers each day. That averages to about 1500 customers per store each day.
• Gold is so ductile that a single ounce can be drawn into a fine wire 50 miles long.
• According to police statistics, in 2002, there were 66,532 young people reported missing in Canada. Runaways accounted for 52,390. Only 35 were stranger abductions.
• Companies started using athletes to sell their products in the 1920’s when Babe Ruth, the New York Yankees player, was signed to an endorsement contract to sell Baby Ruth chocolate bars.
• The average football game has less than 9 minutes of actual play action out of 180 minutes.
• Bill Clinton’s presidential library shows that Clinton sent only two emails during his presidency. The first was a test to see if he knew how to do it. The second email was sent with the help of Clinton’s staff to John Glen who was orbiting in the space shuttle.
• Starbuck’s offers 25,000 ways to have your coffee.
• The average American child is exposed to about 14,000 sexual references each year.
• India is the largest consumer of gold in the world.

______________

Celebrate Earth Day April 22^nd
(from various sources – O.S.)

Maybe it isn’t the biggest of celebration days but let’s give it more importance each year. After all, it is our planet, right?

Here are some ideas of what to do:

-join in a community project i.e. planting trees, special gatherings.

-do a neighbourhood cleanup of trash. Get everybody on your street involved.

-organize your street to beautify it in some way i.e. plant flowers, plant new bushes or trees.

-hold a food drive in your neighbourhood. Get everybody involved.

-go through each room to make it more energy efficient.

-check for water wasting in each tap.

-check heating and cooling systems.

-adjust appliances to use less energy.

-conserve energy with thermostats.

-recycle paper and use both sides of sheets.

-go for walks.

-build birdhouses or feeders.

-plant a garden.

-visit a zoo and find out more about animals.

-plant wildflowers for a change to attract butterflies.

If everybody does a little bit, we get a whole lot done.

_______________

King by Ho Che Anderson. This book explores the man who was one of the world’s most influential speakers – Martin Luther King Jr.

Blankets by Craig Thompson. This autobiography lets readers into the life of a young boy who grows up in a very religious stifling family.

________________

Basic premises from which we establish our own style in life:

• Every human being is endowed with a uniquely proportioned set of mental qualities for interacting with the world.
• These endowments manifest as specific behaviors, characteristics, mannerisms and products known collectively as style.
• Our mental qualities cause us to be attracted to specific people, places, and things that are appropriate for us. They also cause us to reject and be rejected by inappropriate people, places, and things.
• When we live in harmony with our endowments and environments, we live an authentic life style with a sense of rightness and fulfillment.
• When we live in disharmony with our endowments and environments, we live a false life style with a sense of wrongness and emptiness.
• Each of us is endowed with Free Will which continually prompts us to choose between harmony and disharmony in our lives.
• When we deviate from our true nature, mental and physical discomforts and crises occur as warning signs and opportunities for us to restore balance in our lives.
• "To be or not to be" true to our inherent nature is a question that no one can avoid.

_______________

(summary of article by Helke Ferrie in Vitality Magazine)

If you care about the Canadian health care system, there is potentially great trouble coming up that requires your attention. The government of Canada, through Health Canada, is about to endanger the lives of all Canadians because of "renovations" they are proposing to the Foods and Drugs Act.

Here are some of the proposed changes:

• Instead of the present "duty to care," a business concept called "risk management" is being considered. That means projections will be made as to how many people might die because of a drug and if the numbers are within an acceptable range then the drug can continue to be sold. Money and profits can continue to be made from people who use the products but don’t complain. "Duty to care" means that the number of dead and how much money will be lost from profits to pay for legal cases are not permitted.
• Proof of harm will fall on the patient not the drug company. No human trials or scientific proof of safety would be needed before a drug comes on the market. No independent evaluations will be made. Any drug can be put on the market and is considered innocent until proven guilty. Here is the idea of the change: Present day regulations demand "Show us proof that it is safe. That is your legal duty and responsibility." Suggested changes will mean "We can sell anything we want. Tell us what is unsafe about it."
• Health Canada will no longer be liable for: negligence in regulating health care, faulty medical devices allowed into the country, tainted blood, harassment charges laid by their own concerned scientists who have public safety and interests in mind when they speak out against big businesses.
• Direct advertising to consumers would be allowed. Drug companies could bypass doctors and sell their products directly to the public. No prescriptions would be needed. Scientific evidence, experiment results, any information related to the drug would be in the strict control of the company. Drug products may be advertised in the same way that other consumer products are advertised. In the US, direct selling accounts for 48% of a $20.8 billion increase in drug sales.

• between 1985-2000, the cost of prescription drugs increased by 344%. Expect prices to go even higher once the whole business is virtually deregulated.

• Drug markups are frequently about 800,000%. Deregulation will reduce checks and balances even further.
• US studies show that about 200,000-250,000 people die from drug side effects each year. In Canada, it is estimated about 100,000. They are avoidable! Investigators agree that deregulation is the cause.
• Ongoing legal battles to have what are considered very dangerous drugs withdrawn from the market will not be won without even greater difficulty under new regulations.
• Health Canada sees its job as "helping companies get their drugs to market faster."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"We’re here on this Earth to learn, and each of us is seeking new ways of learning, becoming more "spiritual" as we evolve in this purification cycle. In our eagerness, we sometimes forget that we are here as spirit, learning the human experience, not the human trying to be spirit." – Miriam Bill.

The world doesn’t need a definition of kindness as much as it needs a demonstration of it.

True REFORM requires the rectifying or removal of some faulty state, corruption, abuse or wrong before real improvement can occur. – Anthony Gregorc

Know yourself, and keep quiet about it. - HFH Henrichs

A penny saved, is a penny. - Donald R. Woods

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

People who have glass houses, have to answer the doorbell. Bruce Patterson

-----------------------------------------------------------------

In the men's room at work, the boss placed a sign directly above the washstand that read "THINK!" The next day, he found another sign immediately above the soap dispenser that read, "THOAP!"

***************
The teacher asked the students to bring one electrical appliance for
"Show & Tell," and the next day every kid had something.
The teacher asks Wendy: What did you bring?
"I brought a Walkman."
"And what is it for?"
"You can listen to music with it!"
"That's nice Wendy. What did you bring Kenny?"
"I brought a 'lectrical can opener, it opens cans!"
"Well done, Kenny.
Umm, Johnny, I see you didn't bring anything!"
"Yes, I did. It's in the hall."
So the entire class goes into the hallway.
"Umm, Johnny, what is that?"
"It's a heart/lung machine hospitals use to keep your heart going."
"Whoa. What did your father say about you bringing this?"
"He said, 'AAAARRRGGGH!!!'"
****************

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Courtesy of DiscoverTeenergy.com
All Rights Reserved