At-Risk Educational Services

Title: TAKS Return 2009 – Keynote Speaker
Location: El Tropicano, Riverwalk, San Antonio TX
Link out: Click here
Description: Shedding New Light on TAKS
Start Date: 2009-06-22
End Date: 2009-06-24

Title: New Site Goes Live!
Location: StudentsAtRisk..com
Link out: Click here
Description: Our new site is live! Lots of changes, including a sweet new design and newsletter signups. Your comments on the new site are welcome.
Date: 2009-03-06

Well, I did it, I signed the retirement papers. One chapter in my life closed and come May 31st, Chapter 2 begins. I have my moments of “oh my gosh”, and yet I have never felt so right about a decision before in my life. I will be free to speak for those that have no voice… the At-Risk student.

We all know the ripple effect. Toss a rock into a pond , and then concentric circles rippling away from the point that the rock entered the water. But have you asked yourself are you a part of the ripple effect? Or did you toss the rock in? Too many times, we wait for someone else…and just want to be apart of the ripple effect.

By you tossing the rock, it has caused change through a single and simple act. In working with At-Risk kids, we cannot wait on others to start the ripple. We have to be the ones that constantly toss the rock to start the ripple. No one is going to step up for these kids. Each one of us has it within us, to change something even in a small way.

“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”

E.E. Cummings

I challenge you to started tossing rocks into the pond. Happy Rippling!

Today as I drove home I noticed something sad. When I was stopped at a light, I looked at other drivers. No one, not one person had a smile on their face. They all had frowns. Unhappy looks. I know it is the end of a work day and people are tired. But it takes little effort to lift the corners of your mouth to create a smile. Smiling is a universal language. Everyone understands a smile. So, lets give some smiles away.

Did you know: The average pre-schooler laughs or smiles 400 times a day? Or that the number drops to only 15 times a day by the time people reach age 35?

Your challenge for today – Give away a smile, it costs so little.

I will be watching!

“Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.”

~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

I am a positive, upbeat, optimistic person, and that is the path that we will follow on this blog. There is enough negativity in the world, without me adding to it. I don’t know where this journey will take us but I hope you enjoy the ride. Let’s start with a motivational quote. I like quotes, sometimes it sums up lots of wordy thoughts into one simple sentence.

We all need a strong mental attitude in today’s world, so that we don’t let the negative rat race get us down. A positive attitude can scale mountains that many would not attempt. I challenge you to face your day with a positive attitude. Guard it well, for others will try to knock it down. They fear what they do not understand.

Wake up with a smile on your face and ready for a wonderful day.

I will be watching!

“A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.” — Patricia Neal