January, 2014 Issue 10 Help Your Child Build Healthy Relationships "Play nicely." "Please share with Johnny/Suzie." These phrases or similar versions of them are familiar to many of us. We heard them as children and probably repeat them to our own children. It's in the early years when we begin to help our children make friends and build relationships. As individuals we may be unique, but some experiences and needs are common to all of our lives. Having healthy relationships with our peers is one common need. Adolescent children especially need healthy friendships. It's important to this age group to have someone who shares the same likes and dislikes in music or clothing, or someone who can offer mutual support in navigating this difficult growth stage. Parental guidance at this time is key to helping form healthy friendships. Here are some ways you can help your child build healthy relationships: Build respect for other people's feelings and property. Compliment your child's knowledge and abilities, pay attention and listen to her, and ask permission to use things that belong to her. Your child will display the same behaviors to you and to others outside the home. Respect is a two-way street that builds trust, encouraging good relationships. Provide a safe and loving home environment. Your child should feel comfortable bringing friends home, and her friends should feel welcome in your home. This gives you an ideal opportunity to observe your child's friends and spot troublesome relationships. Teach responsibility. Give appropriate amounts of independence and freedom. Do not instantly demand that your child end a relationship with which you are uncomfortable. Instead, choose a time to calmly express your concerns and gently remind your child about the boundaries and standards you have set for your family. Most children will respect these boundaries and eventually make them part of their lives. A child is more likely to give up an inappropriate friendship because it could cause embarrassment than because he feels compelled to. Resolve conflict. Teach your child to respect other points of view. No relationship is without discord, and sometimes we have to lose the fight to win the relationship. Compromise is a key ingredient in maintaining good, healthy relationships. Where good relations are concerned, winning isn't everything. Be a good role model. You are the most powerful example in your child's life. Let your child observe your own relationships, especially those that are long- standing—from junior high or your college days. Talk about your friendships openly—the good times and the not-so-good times, the ups and the downs. Your child should know that putting effort into relationships is what contributes to their value and longevity. Our children spend many unsupervised hours away from home, and inevitably they leave the family. Learning how to choose good friends and how to nurture friendships is an important part of growing up. These skills can make coping with life's hardships a lot easier when they occur. Put It Into Practice Talk to your child about her friendships. Ask her whether she and her friends treat each other with respect. Talk to her about how she can approach a friend when things aren't going well but she wants to keep the friendship. A Virtues-Based Community
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January, 2014 Issue 10
Help Your Child Build Healthy Relationships
"Play nicely." "Please share with Johnny/Suzie." These phrases or similar versions of them are familiar to many of us. We heard them as children and probably repeat them to our own children. It's in the early years when we begin to help our children make friends and build relationships.
As individuals we may be unique, but some experiences and needs are common to all of our lives. Having healthy relationships with our peers is one common need. Adolescent children especially need healthy friendships. It's important to this age group to have someone who shares the same likes and dislikes in music or clothing, or someone who can offer mutual support in navigating this difficult growth stage. Parental guidance at this time is key to helping form healthy friendships.
Here are some ways you can help your child build healthy relationships:
Build respect for other people's feelings and property. Compliment your child's knowledge and abilities, pay attention and listen to her, and ask permission to use things that belong to her. Your child will display the same behaviors to you and to others outside the home. Respect is a two-way street that builds trust, encouraging good relationships.
Provide a safe and loving home environment. Your child should feel comfortable bringing friends home, and her friends should feel welcome in your home. This gives you an ideal opportunity to observe your child's friends and spot troublesome relationships.
Teach responsibility. Give appropriate amounts of independence and freedom. Do not instantly demand that your child end a relationship with which you are uncomfortable. Instead, choose a time to calmly express your concerns and gently remind your child about the boundaries and standards you have set for your family. Most children will respect these boundaries and eventually make them part of their lives. A child is more likely to give up an inappropriate friendship because it could cause embarrassment than because he feels compelled to.
Resolve conflict. Teach your child to respect other points of view. No relationship is without discord, and sometimes we have to lose the fight to win the relationship. Compromise is a key ingredient in maintaining good, healthy relationships. Where good relations are concerned, winning isn't everything.
Be a good role model. You are the most powerful example in your child's life. Let your child observe your
own relationships, especially those that are long-standing—from junior high or your college days. Talk about your friendships openly—the good times and the not-so-good times, the ups and the downs. Your child should know that putting effort into relationships is what contributes to their value and longevity.
Our children spend many unsupervised hours away from home, and inevitably they leave the family. Learning how to choose good friends and how to nurture friendships is an important part of growing up. These skills can make coping with life's hardships a lot easier when they occur.
Put It Into Practice
Talk to your child about her friendships. Ask her whether she and her friends treat each other with respect. Talk to her about how she can approach a friend when things aren't going well but she wants to keep the friendship.
A Virtues-Based Community
Track and Field Teams Wins COPSAA Championship
Visit our New Facebook Page! “To catch the reader's attention,
place an interesting sentence or
quote from the story here.”
Page 2 RADIANS SCHOOL
Yet another COPSAA Championship for Radians School. The Track and Field Team has won First Place. This year has been a successful year with our teams winning championships in Futsal, Volleyball, Softball, and, now, Track & Field. We congratulate our student athletes who demonstrate the virtues of dedication and commitment in sports and in their academic work. Many of these athletes are “A” students and manage their time to successfully fulfill their academic responsibili-ties, as well as their athletic ones. Gooooooo SHARKS!
Radians School is happy to announce its new Official Facebook Page. A long time in the making, the new page provides a new outreach for information about our school and the extensive activities that it undertakes every year. While the newsletter is a wonderful forum for the dissemination of all school news, Facebook allows for immediate communication with our school community,
current students, and alumni.
While establishing strong lines of communication within the schoolhouse has always been essential for maintaining focus and for building momentum toward shared objectives, communication beyond the schoolhouse has become more important than ever. Faced with shrinking budgets and constant scrutiny in today’s accountability culture, public relations has quickly become a new priority for academic institutions. After all, the fact is that informed communities tend to care more about their schools.
Things have gone extremely well with our Facebook Page – parents love it. We have grandparents and other relatives, former students, and community members (businesses, reporters, etc.) that “LIKE”
the page and therefore get constant updates on their Facebook Page. It is THE best way to showcase the great things that are happening at our school. So we recommend that each and every member of our academic and virtues-based community connect with our Facebook to be “in the loop”. Our link is:
h ps://www.facebook.com/pages/Radians-School/1382577338659900
...informed communities tend to care more about
their schools...
High School Students Video Chat with EV Nautilus
Volunteer Parents Join in Reading Marathon Students
always enjoy
the
wonderful
experience of
their having
their parents
come and
participate...
Page 3 ISSUE 10
Prof. Burgos’ Science Class was able to have a question and answer session live online with the crew of the Nautilus. From June through November of 2013, Exploration Vessel Nautilus explored the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The rotating Corps of Exploration aboard EV Nautilus mapped the geological, biological, archaeological, and chemical aspects of these regions to depths of approximately 2000 meters. During the expedition, they shared their discoveries live on the web via tele-presence technology, putting the unexplored ocean directly in our hands via our new interactive initiative, Exploration Now.
Ms. Burgos’ class asked questions which the crew of the Nautilus answered, A great experience for our students to directly communicate with professional researchers and to expand their view of the world of science.
Above, High School Science class in communication with researchers onboard the EV Nautilus. Students asked questions
and received answers form the scientists on board.
Every year Radians School Elementary promotes student enjoyment of reading by inviting members of our school community to visit the classrooms and read a virtues-based story to the students. Afterwards, they lead the class in guided discussion.
We had many parents involved in this activity and the students always enjoy the wonderful experience of having their parents come and participate in this school event.
The Right School for Your Child’s Future Success!!
Carr. 735 Km 0.4 Cayey, Puerto Rico 00736 (787) 738-4822 www.radiansschool.org
The Importance of a Well-Planned Curriculum The curriculum of a school is, in essence, the academic offering it will give to your child. It is the roadmap, the course that your child will follow to achieve his/her future goals. The curriculum at Radians School was carefully and meticulously prepared not to fulfill, but rather to surpass the educational requirements and standards established by the Puerto Rican Department of Education. As an example, Radians School’s English Curriculum, is one of the most competitive in the entire United States. It is important to understand the difference between meeting the standard and SURPASSING the standard.
As our curriculum experts worked on the curriculum for Radians School, they were searching for several points in particular. After a thorough and exhaustive process, we selected the most challenging and age appropriate academic standards for our students. Among these were:
A. A curriculum that surpassed the standards established in Puerto Rico
B. A curriculum that would provide our students the necessary skills set to compete successfully in an ever competitive academic and real-life environment.
C. A curriculum that aligned completely with the school’s educational philosophy of the development of an integral individual
There are three important and key elements in the success of any academic institution. These are:
The strength of its curriculum The capacity of its personnel to transmit the content of
this curriculum in a way that is comprehensible and enjoyable to its students
The capacity of the students to absorb, comprehend, and apply this content.
Even with any change of teachers, the school’s curriculum serves as the guide. What a teacher brings to the course he/she teaches is the creativity and personality they possess. We are blessed to have a staff of educators who are truly committed to the ultimate success of their students.
As a college-bound prep school, our students are being prepared to be able to select where they wish to study, whether in Puerto Rico or abroad (United States, Europe, or Latin America). The success of our curriculum has been validated by the many awards we have obtained both locally, nationally, and internationally. Our school is recognized as one of the best in the nation, and we are proud of this.
Our students have the capacity and skills to successfully compete with the best students the nation has to offer. We have sent students to outstanding universities such as: Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Penn State, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Tulane, and more. Many have won scholarships and go on to become Dean’s List members, Honor students and leaders at these institutions of higher learning.
You can be certain when you chose
RADIANS SCHOOL You are giving your child the best
educational experience available!
New School Webpage On January 14th, Radians School unveiled an exciting project months in the making: a refreshed, refurbished, and redesigned website. The new look included substantial input from students, faculty, and staff—all culminating in a unique, eye-catching and easy-to-use design.
The new site is dynamic, colorful, and most importantly, self directed. You can move, expand and shrink the homepage’s gridded boxes highlighting news, photos, and facts. Interested in our newsletters? There’s a box for that. What’s the latest news on activities? There’s one for that, as well.
This sleek and eye catching redesign for the homepage and information areas, as well as mobile optimization and an impressive Radians School timeline, are just the beginnings of a larger project aimed at transitioning every page of the school website into a similar look and feel. Be sure to share your impressions and suggestions with the website team by using the link to the email form on the home page—and stay tuned for more updates!