I don’t know about your child, but mine talks all day long…on the phone, with her sister, and even with me to debate “mommy’s rules.” She is never at a loss for words or shy about expressing her opinions! So when I asked her to come up with a speech to present in front of her classmates, I figured how hard could it be?
I was shocked. My loquacious daughter was suddenly tongue tied and lost. It was the fear of public speaking. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. If adults can get flustered speaking in front of large groups why couldn’t a child?
Helping your children learn the art of public speaking early on in life can tremendously build your child’s confidence levels so they will never have to shake at a podium in high school or even later on in life. Children are like sponges and have an easier time learning things than adults. They are not

jaded by life, its failures and challenges so their skins are a bit thicker than ours. Starting early gives your child extra practice, training, and learning in the art of public speaking that most adults would envy. Plus children have the benefit of NOT knowing that public speaking is the greatest fear for most people. Here are a few simple tips to integrate in their everyday lives that will build confidence in public speaking and presentation skills.
1. Take advantage of “Show and Tell” in your child’s school. Encouraging your child to participate in show and tell can teach them how to captivate an audience while giving them a chance to share something that is special to them. It’s an opportunity to speak in front of your peers and keep them interested in what your child has to say.
2. Participate in Science Fairs. Most students spend weeks on their Science Fair projects so they have in depth knowledge about their subject matter. All they need is a little coaching and confidence to present their hypothesis, results, and data to the judges. Being able to talk and gesture at your Science Fair board can be as challenging as rubbing your tummy and patting your head at the same time. So practice beforehand. Keep in mind that your audience will most likely be adults instead of peers in an informal classroom setting.
3. Hold onto your heart and lead them into a Drama program. Most communities have a drama program going on all year long. Participating in a Drama (at school or even in the community) forces your child to improve the little things like diction, voice projection, memorizing lines, better eye contact, and even the use of props. It’s a great way to get over stage fright and have fun at the same time.
4. Play Toastmasters at home. Toastmasters is a unique program that helps adults improve their public speaking skills and build confidence. Place a few generic topics in a hat such as “your favorite color,” or “what would you be when you grow up” or “tell me about yourself in one minute” and gather your family around. Have each member pick out a topic and present to the rest of the family in front of a chair holding a microphone. Not only does this teach improvisation, but also how to manage a podium and technology in their delivery. After all who hasn’t been to an event where the microphone “screeches” at some point?
5. Read a chapter from a book aloud. Reading poetry and prose from classics as well as present day fiction can help children learn how to speak without mumbling. Build in gestures and voice inflections when you can. Become Cicero, or Robert Frost, or even William Shakespeare. Encourage creativity in delivery. This encourages a child to get into a character.
Of course, the most important piece is to encourage your child and build confidence whenever they succeed! Confidence is the key to powerful presentation skills. Any time your child meets a goal, overcomes an obstacle, succeeds or fails, be there to offer your support and encouragement. It'll make a bigger difference than you could ever imagine!

Volunteerism - an interesting "career" choice??

Growing up in the US, I was inspired at a young age that volunteering in schools, churches/temples, and local parks is essential to keeping the vibrancy of my community alive. My mom was very active in the PTA making sure I was in G.A.T.E. (gifted and talented education), took AP (advanced placement) courses, and advocated that music and art should be part of a child’s daily education. My dad coached Little League, brought neighbors together to help landscape each others yards, and when older offered free laughter yoga to seniors, youngsters and everyone in between.
Volunteerism isn’t just for Sunday afternoons. It can be a part time or full time career depending on where you decide to pitch in. Schools are the obvious place where parents can step in “after hours” tutoring, planning school events, coaching, and inspiring kids to be leaders. Rachel Carson said, “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder….he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.” Volunteering to mentor a child is a great way to keep that sense of wonder alive! Programs like Read With Me, Write With Me, Project Cornerstone, and fitness programs in the public schools are always looking for folks that can donate anywhere from 1 to 10 hours of time.
Parks are fantastic outdoor science labs to learn in and a wonderful way to teach children about the wonders of nature. Planting trees through city park planting groups, cleaning hiking trails, and cutting back brush to prevent forest fires are all ways you can participate. Along the way, you might discover a new bird or plant that you haven’t seen before. The Bay Area parks were indigenous to Ohlone Indians who left clues to their life throughout the land. A simple rock might lead you to the history of Almaden Quicksilver Park or might be an old time mortar and pestle that the Indians used for food. Being a docent not only helps to maintain the parks but reconnects you with nature in a zen kind of a way!
Food Pantries are always looking for folks to help sort food and prepare bags of bread for folks in need. Sacred Heart in San Jose has an online calendar for easy scheduling. You can even pitch in sorting clothes by sizes. Libraries are always looking for people to read to kids under age 6 and help build vocabulary skills in the newest of readers.
Volunteering is in Vogue! Googling volunteer opportunities in the Bay Area will help you find thousands of places where you can pitch in. So get out there and be your own creature of the night. Find your niche in volunteering and make a difference in someones life. You’ll be surprised to find they will make a difference in your life as well!

End Note: Manju Ramachandran is a Volunteer PTA President at Noble Elementary School, regular volunteer at a local food pantry and mother of 3. She moved out of high tech to make an impact in her community but was unprepared for how huge her volunteerism efforts have made on her personally.

Community Build Day! From "Me to We"

In the last two weeks, I have thought a lot about the meaning of "Community." In politics, it's a word that is thrown around a lot. Online you see it everywhere! I myself have used it in my last PTA newsletter where I discussed volunteering and stepping up for the betterment of the students. But it's still not a word that I can easily define, so I looked it up. The dictionary read, “A group of people living together in one place.” While that makes made sense to me on a practical level, it didn’t really resonate. Isn’t community something more than just a locale? Aren’t our communities defined by something more powerful than physical proximity?

Saturday, these questions were answered. Even though we were 100 people or so all representing different groups, the meaning of community was everywhere. It was in the 15 guys that woke up at 7 am on a Saturday bearing power drills and dragging wheelbarrows to Noble to put a playground together for kids. For a few it wasn't even for theirown kids. It was in the volunteers that donated their Saturday to face paint the kids. It was in Daisy and Kansen Chu's discussion about bringing diverse neighbors together and unifying them for one purpose, the kids. It was in Telma Rangel's quest to bring something new to the school grounds. Most importantly, it was in the spirit of the day, the idea of moving from thinking about "me" to thinking and acting "we."

The beauty of Community Build Day was that the people that came out were incredibly varied, with widely different life experiences....but they were unified in their case. I gave high fives to kids who were no more than ten, spoke with parents about their educational vision for their kids, and brainstormed with teachers about what "teaching" meant to them. We had a colorful cast of volunteers from a board of trustee member, to a corporate marketing person from Old Navy, and John, a kid at heart out to have fun from PD Play. We had a carpenter, a gardener, stay at home moms, an accountant and even a few high tech engineers.

However, in spite of all our different experiences everyone came together with one purpose. We believed in the power of people to make constructive change. Everyone that came out Saturday did not just come to build a playground. They came out because they are all shameless idealists who are ready to take action and affect the world in a profound way.

So after all the excitement of Community Build Day, my definition of community is a little bit different. While I usually defer to the dictionary, this time I beg to differ. Community is about more than living in a particular place. It is about a powerful force that encompasses diverse peoples united in a common cause. "Community" is the idea of "we" and the choice to live beyond one’s self and reach out into the world of others.

So I want to thank all of you who came out on Saturday and made the choice to move from "me" to "we" while creating a simple play structure that impacts the world of 600 kids for this year, and hundreds more that will follow.

First two weeks of School are over. Are you settling in?

So the first two weeks of school are over. How did it go? Excited, relieved, satisfied - or are you feeling like YOU need to go back to school? I find that the first two weeks of school in my house is always a toss up - sometimes they are momentous, but mostly a little overwhelming. Hopefully, you've gotten to know a few of the other parents in your class. Hopefully, your kids are adjusting and feeling successful. Hopefully, you've fallen into a comfortable rhythm during the week. Here is what I’ve learned so far:
1. Not everything comes home, but the important stuff does. If I want it you have to search for it in my child’s backpack.
2. I can't live without the weekly updates. It's the glue holding this makeshift vessel together.
3. Parking in the turnaround “just for a sec” is a big no-no
4. When all else fails, send an email, raise my hands, use my words
5. I should NEVER be allowed to help my fourth grader with her math homework.
6. Check the website. All the time. It's current, chock full of information and links to calendars, etc. Plus, I hear the Principal's Blog is awesome!
7. “Like” us on Facebook. Noble Elementary School. Yes, we are on Facebook.
Of course, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn't urge you to join the PTA. It's only $5 - and it doesn't mean you have to do anything, ever. What it does mean is you will automatically be a part of the single largest child advocacy group in the nation. Of course, we want you to get involved, too - but let's start with the membership card. Hope to see everyone at the first PTA Meeting on Sep 19th!