G.O .E.

E
Newslet ter
October 2008 Volume 1, Number 1
Dear ALFWC community,
Keep in touch!
Email or call us We are so excited about the potential and relevancy of this ministry. Our children are
with your the most prized possession we’ve been entrusted to steward. The nature and scope of
educational their education is of utmost importance. So we say:
questions and
concerns. To the Many Beautiful Children of Abundant
As your pastors, we love you and believe you can excel far beyond the world’s
expectations. We know that you have greatness inside of you and long to see you
discover your gifts and fulfill your dreams. In fact, you are a present snapshot of the
future and we want nothing more than for you to succeed. Throughout the school year,
Students are please remember we are in your corner and cheering you on.
welcome to contact
the ministry also To the Parents
Having been parents of school-aged children, we understand your desire for your
children to receive the best education the state, private or charter school system can
provide. We understand your longing for them to surpass you in their intellectual,
Student’s emotional, social and spiritual development. And yes, we understand the tremendous
standardized test
challenges you face in motivating them to make wise choices, avoid the many
scores should be
trappings of society and the relentless pull of peer pressure. Thus, we are honored to
coming in soon. We
stand with you and fight for the edification of our children.
welcome
We encourage you to impart the Word of God to your children. The Word is akin to
parents/guardians
seed and the human soul to dry ground. Be the first, each day, to sow into your
to contact us to
children, since it is inevitable that they’ll be exposed to various seed sowers throughout
interpret their
the school day. In our postmodern, technologically-savvy, and unfortunately
child’s test scores
increasingly secular culture, it is crucial that our children have a solid foundation, a
moral center through which they interpret and evaluate their education.

To the Entire Church Body

It is so crucial that our children know they are loved. Love is a powerful force and has
Be sure to teach been repeatedly proven to be a necessary launching pad for learning. When children
your child his/her know they are loved, they tend to learn more and at quicker intervals, unhampered by
times tables low self-esteem, hopelessness, apathy, resentment, bitterness, feelings of abandonment,
starting in the and the many other ills associated with being unloved. Let us band together to fortify
second-third grade. our children, provide them with quality tutoring and mentoring, and cultivate an
Most teachers don’t environment that inspires them to bravely meet, tackle and triumph over challenges.
have the time to
teach them and/or it In closing, we encourage every stakeholder (parents, teachers, and church family) to
is not included in consider the following question posed by Psalm 127:3 (Message version), “Don't you
the Math see that children are God's best gift? The fruit of the womb his generous legacy?”
curriculum! Times Let us therefore remain faithful in properly stewarding the minds and hearts of our
Tables are youth.
essential for
learning how to do Bishop George & Mary Searight
division, fractions,
and Algebra.
Welcome
The G.O.E.E. Ministry is joyful in bringing to you volume 1 of our
first newsletter! It is the hope of our leadership and our
Reminder***
Parent-teacher ministry that parents and guardians will take up their role as
conferences will be advocates and partners, in their children’s education. We are
held in most committed at Abundant Life Family Worship Church, to aiding
school districts in
October-
you in your journey.
November.. If you have any questions and or wish to contact our ministry,
please visit the church website, and look for the ministry under
the Education area.
Grace and peace,
Remembe r to
reac h out t o all Mrs. Rochelle V. Gray, Ministry Leader
of you r c hild’ s Mr. Frederick Williams, Ministry Second in Command
teac he rs with a
sho r t em ail,
suppl ying you r
con tact
Help is Here!
inf or ma tion , and
By Elder Diane Tucker
pr oviding deta ils
for le ar ning
The school year is starting! School books, teachers, PTO, counselors, rule changes,
a bou t you r child
more budget cuts and the rest. How does one survive? Now there is an answer! The
God Ordained Excellence in Education Ministry is here for you. This ministry is your
compass; to navigate your way through the school year and beyond. Maybe your child
has just entered the school system for the first time. How proud you are as a parent.
Or, this may be your last child in his or her last year in school. School is the place
where a child will learn to grow in the areas that matter most. However, with
spending cuts and teacher shortages, is it possible to get the education that your child is
promised and deserves? How will you know? Consult with the G.O.E.E. Ministry.
Check the subjects the schools are teaching. Are they what you desire your child (ren)
should learn? In the past we learned “reading, writing and arithmetic”. – Now almost
anything goes; including teaching a child moral values which contradict what the
parents values are.
Let’s be careful about our children in the school system. Let’s get more involved and
find out what is being taught; that the schools are teaching what is important to the
growth of the children in school. Call or contact the G.O.E.E. Ministry for all your
school needs. I do believe this ministry has the help to direct you and your child (ren)
through a successful school year.
Kindergarten Corner
by Latifa Bell

Hello parents and guardians,

A new school year is beginning, and your baby will be embarking on a new adventure:
Kindergarten. Many of you have been through this experience before, but for some of
you, it’s your first time. This letter is for you. You may be wondering, “What does my
child need to know? Should I send him/her to school with something? Is he/she
ready?” Well, here are a few things that your child should know before entering
Kindergarten.

Entering Kindergarteners should know:

• How to write and spell his/her first name (know his/her last name)
• His/her birthday (month, day and year)
• His/her address
• How to recognize and say letters of the alphabet (capital and lowercase)
• How to handle a book
• Recognize numbers 1-10
• Count to at least 10
• How to identify shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle)

Parents of first time Kindergarteners should know:

• Your child will be participating in whole and small group learning

• Your child may be placed in a classroom with classified children (inclusion)
• Your child will be painting, coloring, working with glue, scissors and other
material that may cause them to get dirty. (Don’t send them in their Sunday
Best)
• There should be an assistant working with the teacher.

Here’s to your child experiencing a successful kindergarten year!

r Secrets to Marketing ***8888888***Your Business

We’ve included a few of G.O.E.E.’s favorite websites.

Take a look! There is valuable information to guide you and your

child through the educational process successfully.

www.state.nj.us/education

The official website for New Jersey; offering services for parents,
educators, students, and other residents.

www.njea.org

Website of the New Jersey educators association; offers many tips

for parents

PBS Kids: www.pbskids.org

This site contains games, stories, activities, and information for
parents. This site also provides direct links to websites for PBS's
most popular children's shows including Arthur, Between the Lions,
Clifford, Dragon Tales, Reading Rainbow, Bookworm Bunch, and
Zoboomafoo.

Fun Brain: www.funbrain.com

This site contains educational games and quizzes on various
topics.

Seussville: www.seussville.com/seussville
This site contains games, writing activities, and print and
play pages based on Dr. Seuss books.

http://reference.aol.com/
(reference materials, i.e dictionary, thesaurus)

kids.yahoo.com
(features fun and educational resources for kids)

www.kids.gov.com
(government links for kids)

pbs k ids .or g

(a saf e pl ace f or k ids t o explor e and play fun , educa tion al games
wi th thei r favori te c har acte r s)

www.internet4classrooms.com/parents

(a site that helps parents help their children in areas of reading, math, etc.)

www.mathbuddies.com

(need help with math, this is the site for you!)

*****************************************************************************************

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Parents are asking and we are listening. Here are a few of the most frequently asked
questions posed by parents.

Question 1:
What is the most important thing that parents/guardians can do to help their children
academically?
Answer: That’s a great question! Students need to be encouraged to read, read, read.
Teachers find that overall, students don’t read enough. This carries over into every
subject and is especially important when students take tests. Every teacher knows of
students who didn’t finish the test, especially the standardized tests because they ran
out of time. Start with books and magazines that they like, and then introduce them to
new genres.

Question 2:
Does living in a particular district/state afford a student a better education?
Answer:This question can vary. There are always ways that he/she could be doing
better or the education could be more strategically handled.. districts that are
known for having students who do well, but you have to look also at how the
subgroups are faring: economically disadvantaged, special education, Hispanic, Black.
I believe that a student can get a good education, but sometimes the parent/guardian
will have to supplement the education and stay on top of what is happening in the
education world. Powerful Parents mission is to teach all parents how to be educational
advocates for their children, for no matter how well your child may be doing, there are
Question 3:
Do absences count towards my child?
Answer: Any time that there is an absence: excused as well as unexcused, your child
can lose ground. Sicknesses happen, and the absence is excused if the child comes in
with a parent note or a doctor’s note (if the absence is 3 or more days). When parents
take students out of school for an unexcused absence (vacations, etc.,), know that
teachers do not have to give homework, or take late work. It is at the discretion of the
district’s policy and the teacher. As the student enters high school, unexcused absences
can result in loss of credit, up to the student not graduating on time, if the student has
many. Your district handbook will be able to tell you how unexcused absences are
handled.
***************************************************************************

Raising a Reader

Reading begins at home. As your child’s first teacher, you can help instill
a love of reading in your child that can last a lifetime. Enjoy reading with
your child. Try to set aside time and read together: your child to you, and
you to him/her.

Engage your child in questions about the book. Why? Communicating

orally is the way for a child to understand the written word.

Make sure your child has a library card. Your child will have fun visiting
the library and choosing selections to read all by him or herself. Also, let
your child see you read! In addition, gift subscriptions to book clubs or
taking a trip to a bookstore, are great ways to instill a love of reading in
your child.
To guide you, G.O.E.E has compiled a list of books that will interest your
child and help them on their path to reading.. The lists are arranged
according to grade.
Please aid your children’s education, by encouraging them to read.
Reading is fundamental!

Kindergarten
Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
David Goes to School by David Shannon
First Day Jitters by Julie Daneberg
Friends at School by Rochelle Bunnett
Kindergarten Rocks! By Katie Davis

First Grade
Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel
My Best Friend by Pat Hutchins
Emily’s First 100 Days of School by Rosemary Wells
Little Cliff’s First Day of School by Clifton L. Taulbert
The New Girl….. and Me by Jacqui Robbins
I Wish That I Had Duck Feet by Theo LeSig

Second Grade
We Are Best friends by Aliki
One Upon a Time by Niki Daly
A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Screech
What Would Joey Do? By Jack Gantos
Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin

Third Grade
That’s What Friends are For by Florence Parry Heide
Summer Reading is Killing Me by Jon Scieszka
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
Babe the Gallant Pig by Dick King Smith
Judy Moody by Megan McDonald
Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson

Fourth Grade
The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis
Bone #1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith
How Much is a Million by David Schwartz
Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park
The Shakespere Stealer by Gary Blackwood
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements

Fifth Grade
Baseball in April and Other Stories by Gary Soto
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table: A Math Adventure
by Cindy Neuschwander
The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
The Top Ten Ways to Ruin the First Day of Fifth Grade by Kenneth Derby
What Would Joey Do? By Jack Gantos
Emerils There’s a Chef in My World! Recipes That Take You Places
by Emeril Lagasse

Middle School Grades

Pay it Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It by Charles Barkley
Life, Love and the Pursuit of Free Throws byJanette Rallison
The Last Chance Texaco by Brent Hartinger
London Calling by Edward Bloor

High School
Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich
All the Pretty Houses by Cormac McCarthy
The Motorcycle Diaries by Erenesto Che Guevera

***DISCLAIMER***
The G.O.E.E. Ministry does not personally recommend the book selections.
These are merely titles that are on many school districts reading lists.
*********************************************************************

Parent Advocacy
by Sis. Rochelle V. Gray

As a church, we’re learning how to be good stewards. This excites me, for in
one area where we’re called to be good stewards is in the rearing of our children. This
includes the educating of our children.
Parents generally trust the educational system, but many have come to learn,
that it is becoming extremely more difficult to do so. The parents and their children
have experienced difficulties, where in many instances, none should have existed.
Those instances happen sometimes, because we were not as knowledgeable about our
children and how they were being educated, disciplined, and socialized as we could be.
The members of the G.O.E.E. Ministry are here to encourage you to become
more of an advocate for your children. It is a tremendous responsibility, and parents
have varying degrees of knowledge about the educational process. We as a ministry
are here to help. We offer parent/student seminars and workshops, that we encourage
you to take advantage of. We have teachers from every level of education in our
ministry, in addition to a principal, guidance counselor, special education specialist, a
behaviorist, and a board of education member. We are here to offer guidance so that
parents can be more strategic and powerful advocates in the education of their children.
To contact us, you only have to leave a message at the Welcome Center, or visit
the ALFWC website, click on Education, and you’ll find the G.O.E.E. Ministry, where
you can leave a message.
God has ordained “excellence in education”. That’s what the G.O.E.E.
Ministry represents. We can do better in being stewards over our children’s education,
and ALFWC has given parents an opportunity to get professional guidance. Please
take full advantage. Please take notes of upcoming announcements that will appear in
the church communicator. The G.O.E.E. Ministry is here and eager to help.
*********************************************************************

Ten things families can do to help children succeed in school

1. Get involved in your child’s school.

2. Make a quiet place at home where your child can study.

3. Limit how much and what kind of TV programs your child can watch.

4. Make a family reading hour, a time when everyone reads.

5. Have books and magazines around your home.

6. Call teachers early if your child has a problem.

7. Support school rules.

8. Tell your child that studying is important.

9. Encourage your child to do his or her best.

10. Set goals your child can achieve and praise his or her progress.

*********************************************************************

***Attention parents/guardians/community members***

There is a new drug known as 'strawberry quick'.

There is a very scary thing going on in the schools right now

that we all need to be aware of. There is a type of crystal meth
going around that looks like strawberry pop rocks (the candy
that sizzles and 'pops' in your mouth). It also smells like
strawberry and it is being handed out to kids in school yards.
They are calling it strawberry meth or strawberry quick. Kids
are ingesting this thinking that it is candy and being rushed off
to the hospital in dire condition. It also comes in chocolate,
peanut butter, cola, cherry, grape and orange.

Please instruct your children not to accept candy from

strangers and even not to accept candy that looks like this
from a friend (who may have been given it and believe it is
candy) and to take any that they may have to a teacher,
principal, etc. immediately.

Pass this on to as many people as you can (even if they don't

have kids) so that we can raise awareness and hopefully
prevent any tragedies from occurring.
*****************************************************************************

We hope that you’ve enjoyed our first newsletter! There is something here for
everyone. If anyone has any ideas for future information that you’d like
addressed in our newsletter, please let us know by visiting the ALFWC
website, or by leaving us a message at the Welcome Center.

Here’s to all parents, students, teachers, support staff and administrators,

having a great and successful 2008-2009 school year!

The G.O.E.E. Ministry

Special thanks to Bishop and Pastor Mary, Pastor Angel, Elder

Jim, Elder Diane, Elder Desiree and Min. D. Ellington, for their
support of the ministry!
 Welcome The G.O.E.E. Ministry is joyful in bringing to
Keep in touch! you volume 1 of our first newsletter! It is the hope of our
Email or call us leadership and our ministry that parents and guardians will
with your take up their role as advocates and partners, in their children’s
educational
education. We are committed at Abundant Life Family Worship
questions and
concerns. Church, to aiding you in your journey.
If you have any questions and or wish to contact our ministry,
please visit the church website, and look for the ministry under
the Education area.
Students are
Grace and peace,
welcome to
contact the Mrs. Rochelle V. Gray, Ministry Leader
ministry also.
Mr. Frederick Williams, Ministry Second in Command

*********************************************************************
•
Help is Here!
Student’s
standardized test By Elder Diane Tucker
scores should be
coming in soon. We The school year is starting! School books, teachers, PTO, counselors, rule changes,
welcome more budget cuts and the rest. How does one survive?
parents/guardians Now there is an answer! The God Ordained Excellence in Education Ministry is
to contact us to here for you. This ministry is your compass, ; to navigate your way through the school
interpret their
year and beyond. Maybe your child ishas just enteringed the school system for the
child’s test scores
first time. How proud you are as a parent. Or , thisperhaps may be your youngestlast
child is entering in his or her last year in school.
School is the place where a child will learn to grow in the areas that matter most.
However, with spending cuts and teacher shortages, is it possible for your child (ren) to
get a qualitythe education that your child is promised and deserves, ? one the state
promises and one he/she deserves? How will you know?
HSPA re test for
Consult with the G.O.E.E. Ministry. Check the subjects the schools are teaching.
Seniors is October
Are they what you desire your child (ren) toshould learn? In the past we were
2008!
taughtlearned “reading, writing and arithmetic”. – Now almost anything goes, ;
including teaching childrena child values that conflict moral valueswith their which
are contrite to what the parents’ moralitys values are.
Let’s be more concernedareful about how our children are faring in the school
system. Let’s get more involved and find out what is being taught. Let’s; that ensure
Be sure to teach the schools are teaching what is important and appropriate for our children’s
your child his/her intellectual, emotional, and social growth and development to the growth of the
times tables children in school. Call or contact the G.O.E.E. Ministry for all your school needs. TI
starting in the do believe this ministry is dedicated to providing you with thehas the necessary tools
second-third grade. and resourceshelp to successfully direct you and your child (ren) through the 2008-
Most teachers don’t 2009a successful school year. .
have the time to
teach them and/or
it is not included in
the Math
curriculum! Times
Tables are
essential for
learning how to do
Kindergarten Corner
by Latifa Bell
division, fractions,
and Algebra.
Hello parents and guardians,

A new school year is about to begin and your baby will be embarking on a new
adventure: Kindergarten. Many of you have been through this experience before, but
***Reminder*** for some of you, it’s your first time. This letter is for you. You may be wondering,
Back to School “What does my child need to know? Should I send him/her to school with something?
Nights will be held Is he/she ready?” Well, here are a few things that your child should know before
in most districts entering Kindergarten.
between the third –
fourth week in Entering Kindergarteners should know:
September.
• How to write and spell his/her first name (know his/her last name)
• His/her birthday (month, day and year)
• His/her address
Remember to reach • How to recognize and say letters of the alphabet (capital and lowercase)
out to all of your • How to handle a book
child’s teachers • Recognize numbers 1-10
with a short email, • Count to at least 10
supplying your • How to identify shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle)
contact
information, and Parents of first time Kindergarteners should know:
providing details for
learning about your
• Your child will be participating in whole and small group learning
child.
• Your child may be placed in a classroom with classified children (inclusion)
• Your child will be painting, coloring, working with glue, scissors and other
material that may cause them to get dirty. (Don’t send them in their Sunday
Best)
• There should be an assistant working with the teacher.

Here’s to your child experiencing a successful kindergarten year!

r Secrets to Marketing ***8888888***Your Business

We’ve included a few of G.O.E.E.’s favorite websites.

Take a look! There is valuable information to guide you and your

child through the educational process successfully.

www.state.nj.us/education

The official website for New Jersey; offering services for parents,
educators, students, and other residents.

www.njea.org

Website of the New Jersey educators association; offers many tips

for parents

PBS Kids: www.pbskids.org

This site contains games, stories, activities, and information for
parents. This site also provides direct links to websites for PBS's
most popular children's shows including Arthur, Between the Lions,
Clifford, Dragon Tales, Reading Rainbow, Bookworm Bunch, and
Zoboomafoo.

Fun Brain: www.funbrain.com

This site contains educational games and quizzes on various
topics.

Seussville: www.seussville.com/seussville
This site contains games, writing activities, and print and
play pages based on Dr. Seuss books.

http://reference.aol.com/
(reference materials, i.e dictionary, thesaurus)

*****************************************************************************

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Parents are asking and we are listening. Here are a few of the most frequently asked
questions posed by parents.

Question 1:
What is the most important thing that parents/guardians can do to help their children
academically?
Answer: That’s a great question! Students need to be encouraged to read, read, read.
Teachers find that overall, students don’t read enough. This carries over into every
subject and is especially important when students take tests. Every teacher knows of
students who didn’t finish the test, especially the standardized tests because they ran
out of time. Start with books and magazines that they like, and then introduce them to
new genres.

Question 2:
Does living in a particular district/state afford a student a better education?
Answer:This question can vary. There are districts that are known for having students
who do well, but you have to look also at how the subgroups are faring: economically
disadvantaged, special education, Hispanic, Black. I believe that a student can get a
good education, but sometimes the parent/guardian will have to supplement the
education and stay on top of what is happening in the education world. Powerful
Parents mission is to teach all parents how to be educational advocates for their
children, for no matter how well your child may be doing, there are always ways that
he/she could be doing better or the education could be more strategically handled..

Question 3:
Do absences count towards my child?
Answer: Any time that there is an absence: excused as well as unexcused, your child
can lose ground. Sicknesses happen, and the absence is excused if the child comes in
with a parent note or a doctor’s note (if the absence is 3 or more days). When parents
take students out of school for an unexcused absence (vacations, etc.,), know that
teachers do not have to give homework, or take late work. It is at the discretion of the
district’s policy and the teacher. As the student enters high school, unexcused absences
can result in loss of credit, up to the student not graduating on time, if the student has
many. Your district handbook will be able to tell you how unexcused absences are
handled.

*********************************************************************

Summer Reading

Many schools have assigned Summer Reading/Language Arts/English and

Math projects. The reading assignments and projects are sent home with the
student or mailed, are usually due the first day of school, and depending upon
the district, will be the first grade of the new year.

Sometimes parents are unaware that their child has an assignment that is due,
until the date is upon them, or past. We, at the G.O.E.E. Ministry, recommend
asking your child and either calling your child’s school or the school’s guidance
counselor. Another place to find the information would be from your child’s
school or district website.

If any parent has any questions in regards to Summer Reading or summer

assignments, please leave us a note via the church information desk, or drop
us an email, at the churches website.

Raising a Reader

Reading begins at home. As your child’s first teacher, you can help instill
a love of reading in your child that can last a lifetime. Enjoy reading with
your child. Try to set aside time and read together: your child to you, and
you to him/her.

Engage your child in questions about the book. Why? Communicating

orally is the way for a child to understand the written word.

Make sure your child has a library card. Your child will have fun visiting
the library and choosing selections to read all by him or herself. Also, let
your child see you read! In addition, gift subscriptions to book clubs or
taking a trip to a bookstore, are great ways to instill a love of reading in
your child.
To guide you, G.O.E.E has compiled a list of books that will interest your
child and help them on their path to reading.. The lists are arranged
according to grade.
Please aid your children’s education, by encouraging them to read.
Reading is fundamental!

The following are books that school districts have recommended for
student reading. ***Disclaimer** Please note that the G.O.E.E.
Ministry is not recommending these book titles. We’re merely
providing a guide as to what children can read.

Kindergarten
Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
David Goes to School by David Shannon
First Day Jitters by Julie Daneberg
Friends at School by Rochelle Bunnett
Kindergarten Rocks! By Katie Davis

First Grade
Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel
My Best Friend by Pat Hutchins
Emily’s First 100 Days of School by Rosemary Wells
Little Cliff’s First Day of School by Clifton L. Taulbert
The New Girl….. and Me by Jacqui Robbins
I Wish That I Had Duck Feet by Theo LeSig

Second Grade
We Are Best friends by Aliki
One Upon a Time by Niki Daly
A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Screech
What Would Joey Do? By Jack Gantos
Duck for President by Doreen Cronin
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin

Third Grade
That’s What Friends are For by Florence Parry Heide
Summer Reading is Killing Me by Jon Scieszka
Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
Babe the Gallant Pig by Dick King Smith
Judy Moody by Megan McDonald
Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson
Fourth Grade
The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis
Bone #1: Out From Boneville by Jeff Smith
How Much is a Million by David Schwartz
Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park
The Shakespere Stealer by Gary Blackwood
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements

Fifth Grade
Baseball in April and Other Stories by Gary Soto
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table: A Math Adventure
by Cindy Neuschwander
The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
The Top Ten Ways to Ruin the First Day of Fifth Grade by Kenneth Derby
What Would Joey Do? By Jack Gantos
Emerils There’s a Chef in My World! Recipes That Take You Places
by Emeril Lagasse

Middle School Grades

Pay it Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde
The Pact by Jodi Picoult
I May Be Wrong But I Doubt It by Charles Barkley
Life, Love and the Pursuit of Free Throws byJanette Rallison
The Last Chance Texaco by Brent Hartinger
London Calling by Edward Bloor

High School

Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich

All the Pretty Houses by Cormac McCarthy
The Motorcycle Diaries by Erenesto Che Guevera

Parent Advocacy
by Mrs. Rochelle V. Gray

As a church, we’re learning how to be good stewards. This excites me, for in
one area where we’re called to be good stewards is in the rearing of our children. This
includes the educating of our children.
Parents generally trust the educational system, but many have come to learn,
that it is becoming extremely more difficult to do so. The parents and their children
have experienced difficulties, where in many instances, none should have existed.
Those instances happen sometimes, because we were not as knowledgeable about our
children and how they were being educated, disciplined, and socialized as we could be.
The members of the G.O.E.E. Ministry are here to encourage you to become
more of an advocate for your children. It is a tremendous responsibility, and parents
have varying degrees of knowledge about the educational process. We as a ministry
are here to help. We offer parent/student seminars and workshops, that we encourage
you to take advantage of. We have teachers from every level of education in our
ministry, in addition to a principal, guidance counselor, special education specialist, a
behaviorist, and a board of education member. We are here to offer guidance so that
parents can be more strategic and powerful advocates in the education of their children.
To contact us, you only have to leave a message at the Welcome Center, or visit
the ALFWC website, click on Education, and you’ll find the G.O.E.E. Ministry, where
you can leave a message.
God has ordained “excellence in education”. That’s what the G.O.E.E.
Ministry represents. We can do better in being stewards over our children’s education,
and ALFWC has given parents an opportunity to get professional guidance. Please
take full advantage. Please take notes of upcoming announcements that will appear in
the church communicator. The G.O.E.E. Ministry is here and eager to help.

Ten things families can do to help children succeed in school

11. Get involved in your child’s school.

12. Make a quiet place at home where your child can study.

13. Limit how much and what kind of TV programs your child can watch.

14. Make a family reading hour, a time when everyone reads.

15. Have books and magazines around your home.

16. Call teachers early if your child has a problem.

17. Support school rules.

18. Tell your child that studying is important.

19. Encourage your child to do his or her best.

20. Set goals your child can achieve and praise his or her progress.

*************************************************************************

***Attention parents/guardians/community members***

There is a new drug known as 'strawberry quick'.

There is a very scary thing going on in the schools right now

that we all need to be aware of. There is a type of crystal meth
going around that looks like strawberry pop rocks (the candy
that sizzles and 'pops' in your mouth). It also smells like
strawberry and it is being handed out to kids in school yards.
They are calling it strawberry meth or strawberry quick. Kids
are ingesting this thinking that it is candy and being rushed off
to the hospital in dire condition. It also comes in chocolate,
peanut butter, cola, cherry, grape and orange.
Please instruct your children not to accept candy from
strangers and even not to accept candy that looks like this
from a friend (who may have been given it and believe it is
candy) and to take any that they may have to a teacher,
principal, etc. immediately.

Pass this on to as many people as you can (even if they don't

have kids) so that we can raise awareness and hopefully
prevent any tragedies from occurring.
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We hope that you’ve enjoyed our first newsletter! There is something here for
everyone. If anyone has any ideas for future information that you’d like
addressed in our newsletter, please let us know by visiting the ALFWC
website, or by leaving us a message at the Welcome Center.

Here’s to all parents, students, teachers, support staff and administrators

having a great and successful 2008-2009 school year!

The G.O.E.E. Ministry

Special thanks to Bishop and Pastor Mary, Elder Jim and Elder Diane for their
support of the ministry!