The Principal's Corner:
Basement Hockey
I had a very fun basement as a kid. It was equipped with two hockey nets, ten hockey sticks, two sets of hockey goalie pads, about ten hockey pucks and four weighted hockey balls. Some of the best memories from my childhood originated in that basement when the neighborhood kids came over and we had massive hockey games. I suited up in goal every chance and loved every moment of it. Eventually, as we grew older we took the game to the street and played in the road with more gear, rollerblades, gloves and player helmets. Once we were able to drive, we drove after school to the Livonia Rec Center and played on the full court, in full gear with people we didn’t know. We tossed sticks into the middle and picked teams at random., It was fantastic! We created a group of friends that still stays connected today. When we get together we reminisce about the time I saved a goal by jumping through the air and kicking the puck, or when Brett scored a goal by jumping in the air and batting the puck into the upper netting, or when Jeff tried to hockey stop on roller blades and smashed his face into the metal fence.
I told a few students about my time playing hockey and how it was an important time in my life. One of the first questions I got was, “Do you have a video of it? Did you have it on Instagram?” I responded with, “No, I didn’t have a cell phone at that point.” This made the kids giggle and they moved on with their day.
It did get me thinking though - what if I did have my iPhone and someone did post it on Instagram? Would my memory of the situation be different based on the number of likes the video or photo got? The answer, as an adult, is no - I still would have enjoyed the memory just as much, and I probably would have saved it somewhere to view with friends later. The answer for a kid in 2018...probably yes. That is a sad statement and situation to think about, that a child's memory can be so heavily influenced by a like button which has no substantive meaning at all. There is no story we reminisce about that ends with… “and posting that on SnapChat was the best part of the weekend.” But all the time I hear as follow up questions from students to other students is, “Did it get likes?”
How many likes did your wedding photos get? How many likes did the birth of your child get? How many likes did a photo of your childhood dog get when it passed away? How many hearts did your proudest life moment receive...did you even post about it? What if you based the value of those memories against the video of the kids flipping water bottles onto tables which has 121,259,647 million views?
Now, if you ask anyone in Howell, they will say that Tim Moore uses technology all the time, he loves it. This is true. I use it all the time, but I use it as a tool and vessel for communication with the community, friends, and family. I’m lucky, I grew up right with technology, and had time to learn both worlds, real and digital, and how they work together to better my life. But I also have the perspective of principal and soccer coach, where I am around kids using technology all the time. I had a great conversation with a parent of a 4th grader at soccer about how their child knew how to use incognito mode on their web browser to google fortnite videos on twitch that they told their child not to do. The parent had no idea what incognito mode was, nor twitch. This was an eye-opening conversation, to say the least. I talked to her about how we don’t even have a TV for the little ones, and they aren’t going to get tablets, iPads, or cell phones until we feel we’ve done a good enough job modeling for them that it isn’t about social media, it isn’t about the likes, it isn’t about what other people think.
As we approach the holiday season maybe the gift we give our kids this year isn’t material. It might not even impact them today or tomorrow. Maybe the gift we give them is a conversation about self-worth. Maybe it’s modeling that we don’t drive while looking at a phone. Perhaps it’s being present while they open presents, and that technology does not, literally and figuratively, come between them and you. I don’t pretend to have all the answers when it comes to the impact of technology on our youth, but I do see the effects of it in simple conversations with kids. Maybe Eric Church sings it the best...
Some of it you learn the hard way
Some of it you read on a page
Some of it comes from heartbreak
Most of it comes with age
And none of it ever comes easy
A bunch of it you maybe can't use
I know I don't probably know what I think I do
But there's somethin' to
Some of it
Have a great weekend and a wonderful holiday,
Mr. Moore
MacGregor's Message:
Please remember that our last day of school before the holiday break is Wednesday, December 19. We will be closed from Thursday, December 20, 2018, through Tuesday, January 1, 2019, with classes resuming on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.
The Howell High School Boys Basketball program has planned an exciting Spirit Night for our school on Thursday, December 20 when Howell takes on the Hartland Eagles. Students from Challenger and Hutchings are invited to attend, and the school that has the most students in attendance will receive a “Most Spirited trophy to display. All students who attend will receive a fan appreciation gift and be entered to win a raffle prize. Admission to the game is $5.00 per person for (K-62), seniors and staff with ID are admitted free. To learn more, please click here.
Counselor's Corner
Have you heard the expression “Keep Calm and Happy Holidays?" The holidays can be exciting! However, we usually don’t put "calm" and "holidays" in the same sentence! We look forward to holiday parties, gatherings of loved ones - family and friends, making and putting up decorations, etc. Yet along with the hustle and bustle, schedules are changed, routines disrupted, and stress elevated. Here are some ideas to make the holidays more enjoyable for you and your kiddos.
Set a Calm Example:
Children pick up on our stress and reactions. When they see us become anxious, they also become anxious. It is important for us to stay calm and set the tone.
Prepare Them:
Tell children what the plans are for each day. Tell them what to expect at each event and what behavior is expected. Will there be only a few or a lot of people? Will they know the people or will there be new faces? Will there be food served? Will there be a gift exchange? Will they be expected to sit quietly at a performance?
Role-playing can also help children prepare. Practice how to greet people, how to interact with other children, how to thank people for gifts, or any other situations that may arise or be overwhelming.
Remember the Importance of Routine:
After a holiday event, try to get back to routines as soon as possible. For example, after a holiday gathering that goes past normal bedtimes, plan a quiet day that includes normal activities and bedtimes.
Avoid Over Scheduling:
Having an event every day or several events in a day can put stress on everyone in the family. Sometimes you just have to say no and it is okay. Recognize your own limits and the limits of your children.
Schedule Some Quiet Time:
Some peace and quiet with your child can be important during the busy holiday season. Set some time aside to read a book, play games or color pictures.
Have your Child Help:
Children love to help with age appropriate tasks. Give them simple tasks such as setting the table, decorating, helping you bake, etc.
Remind Children that it is a Season of Giving:
Giving is not just about presents but is also about being gracious. It is about a friendly smile to those around you; helping others with their tasks; volunteering at a community event. To summarize, teaching our children to be empathetic and think of others.
Observe Your Child:
Last but not least, remember to simply observe your child. Help them to calm down when they begin to feel anxious. Teach them skills that they can use to calm themselves down, such as finding a quiet place, looking at a book, or talking to an adult. You can remove them from the situation by taking a walk or deciding it’s time to head home.
Hopefully, this will help the holidays be a little less stressful and more enjoyable for you and your family. Be Calm and Happy Holidays!
Jennifer Starkey
School Counselor