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!

PTA today: Is it time to get involved?

I want to express my thanks to all as I begin this new chapter in my PTA life. I have been a PTA member since my eldest daughter began kindergarten, nearly 8 years ago. As a child my parents were active members in the PTA on my behalf. The motivating force encouraging my participation in all things PTA, was the firm belief that we (my husband and I) needed to be involved in our child’s educational experience. We now label that belief “family engagement.” It is the cornerstone of PTA’s mission: “to be…a strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child.” My husband and I believe that one cannot be an advocate if one is not engaged in the process.

I have learned over the years that being engaged is not solely attending parent-teacher conferences. That is certainly important, but is only one part of the process. Being engaged also means being aware of what is happening in the school your child attends; being aware of what is happening in the school district your child’s school is in; being aware of concerns the school board is addressing. Engagement means giving time to be involved.

Time is a precious commodity. Most of you are like me….you have a full time job (mine is being CEO to my family); you have family that is very important to you; and you have professional and personal commitments that help define who you are. Time is precious. The time I allocate to PTA is time that I know will benefit every child. That makes it worthwhile. We must all make the decision that time spent engaged in our children’s education is worthwhile. Too often individuals believe that involvement in PTA activities means giving significant volunteer hours. While there are many people that do that, PTA also needs people who can volunteer even one hour.

Engagement is also a huge part of advocacy. The Noble PTA has always committed to being a voice for all children in the Berryessa area especially in the area of education. These are tough economic times, but we cannot lose sight of the importance of educational opportunities for all children. Budgets cannot be balanced by sacrificing programs and services for children. The Noble Community has been a part of a nationwide chorus to improve our schools. At the same time, we strive to be a role modeling solo act as well.

This year I encourage parents, older siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and extended families to think about being advocates for kids who don’t know how to fight for the best educational opportunities on their own. After all, if you have to join a cause, what better one than one that directly benefits your child and your child’s friends!!

Unique Fundraising - Is it for Noble Elementary??

Hi Noble Knighters!

The PTA board has been presented with a very unique opportunity for raising funds for our school. However, before I or any of the other Board Members can commit we wanted to throw it out to the general population and get your opinion.

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Hi everyone

Thank you so much for your vote of confidence for next year! Change can be a scary thing.... but also exciting.

I, for one, am looking forward to starting a fantastic year at Noble!

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Manju. I have a third grader and I am often seen around campus corralling my 2 year old son. My eldest daughter is in middle school now so I have been in and around Noble a lot over the past 4 years.

I am really hoping that we as a parent group can help close the gap in education for our students next year. With budget cuts looming and class sizes threatening to increase, I am hoping that I can inspire all of you to take a step at jumping in and helping our kids not just succeed, but really, really excel!

In my opinion, the state of CA is failing our kids. If I want my child to succeed, I know I have to make sure they have the best education and experiences to grow in a safe environment. I have to fight for my own kids. After all, when I am old and not able to fight for myself, I would expect my kids to do that for me. So I have to make sure my own are educated and well informed.

I assume many of you feel the same way.

At the end of the day, Noble has a lot to offer our kids, but they still need our help. Our teachers need help. Our students need help. It's PTA's goal to be an advocate for the students and the teachers. PTA is a place where your voice can be heard and you can really make a difference. The choice to get involved is yours. If you would like to get involved, let me know.

Nga-Nghi spent the last 2 years making sure our students experienced many assemblies, project cornerstone, read with me, math with me, and had fun at the Fall Festival and Spring Carnival along the way. She had fantastic support from a whole team of parents who were inspired by her dedication.

I'd like to continue the same academic programs that Noble has had in the past. But the fact of the matter is that I would like to do more. I'd like to see our students fly!

I need your help to do that. I want to hear your ideas. What do you want to see at Noble? What kinds of things shall we continue? What works, what doesn't?

We are endeavoring in our first district wide 5KWalk/Run sponsored by the Noble PTA which will be on Sunday October 9 from 8 to 10 am. We are looking for volunteers to set up that website and help in planning.

I am searching for a sponsor to host Movie Nights at Noble Elementary. We are looking for a $750 donation from a business or a private donor. All donations are tax deductible. 

I am trying to get parents to come with me to the district office and talk to our new superintendent about not increasing K to 3rd grade to 30 kids per class. I am trying to get Noble PTA as a vendor on many events over the summer so we can get our fund raising done before school starts. But I can't do it alone.

I am asking for help. Many things are things people can do from their computer at home. I have a great board but we are still only 7 people. I am looking for:

1) A PPC/SEO God or Goddess - although Matt Murphy and Daniel Juarez are busy at work developing a new website for the Noble PTA we need help making our main marketing tool up to date.  If you have any SEO or PPC ideas to contribute that would be great too.

2) A membership chair - Is their any parent who would be willing to make sure we maintain a strong membership and would be willing to ask people to volunteer in their child's classroom or at PTA events? If PTA throws a party like the fall festival, talent show and spring carnival, we need people who will help make sure everything runs smoothly.

3) A parliamentarian - do we have a lawyer in the midst or someone who has experience fighting traffic tickets, making laws, was on mock trial or debate in high school?? I need a parent who will help us revise our by laws, the rules that state what PTA can do and can't do for our kids. The by-laws are our guidebook per se of PTA rules. I am a mom. I can make up rules on the fly like most of you moms out there, but my rules work for my own 3 kids. I'd like more help from other parents to come up with rules for all the kids at Noble. After all, what works for my 3 may not work for your kids.

4) PR Person/Marketing - do any of you have jobs where you contact the news media, online websites, blog, or even just do Facebook PR? It would be great if we could advertise many of the things Noble needs so companies may sponsor us or people are aware of what we need...from school supplies, to laptops to just people to come to our events.

5) Hospitality person - Are you a party planner, or like to plan events? We need someone to plan the back to school events and the teacher’s lunches. We need someone to plan PTA events and encourage others to join.

6) Giving Tree Campaign Chair - Noble PTA sponsors a giving tree around Christmas time every year to help our own Noble Families in need. It's great community service event.

7) Bowling

Chairperson - do you like to bowl? We are looking at having bowling nights next year if we can find a chairperson.

8) Red Ribbon Week - Are you interested in making sure the kids stay drug free? Get involved!

There are lots of other areas I believe that parents can make an impact at Noble to support the teachers and staff. We can be as good as Cupertino or Saratoga schools without paying the higher property taxes if we all just help out a little. But My blog is so long already. So I'll sign off.

If you have passion and are willing to jump in with me, let me know. I can be reached via cell phone at 415-999-7859 and via cell at manjerade@yahoo.com.

 I look forward to sharing ideas for improvement for next year. I believe Noble is a very good school. I'd like to keep it that way!

Thanks for listening!!

Manju

Your Partner in Parenting at Noble Elementary