FROM THE = GUIDANCE DEPT

From the Guidance Dept. . . .

By Stan = Blicharz

The train = is pulling=20 into the station of my last year at Rutland Town School. After a combined 70 years of = teaching,=20 Mrs. B. and I are enjoying our last hurrah! We are truly grateful for = having had the=20 opportunity to spend our lives working here. We have countless happy = memories of=20 the thousands of children whose lives we have touched. We met here in = 1969 and=20 have spent our entire teaching careers at RTS. Thank you for your kindnesses = and=20 support through the years.

I would = like to leave=20 you with one last thought before I go. =20 I have had many parents ask me over the years: =93How do I get my = child to=20 be responsible? How do I get my child to obey the rules? How do I get my child to be = kind and=20 compassionate? How do I get my child to appreciate the things that are = most=20 important? How do I get my son to make good choices? How do I teach her not to=20 complain?=94 =

There is = only one way=20 that I know of to ensure that your child will learn these = things.You must live by the values that = you want to=20 instill in your youngsters. =20 They will follow your lead. Children are continuously watching = and=20 listening. They observe your body language and facial expressions. They = listen=20 to your sarcasm. They = watch how you=20 interact with your spouse. Over the years, I have been privy to hundreds = of=20 their personal stories of life in their homes.

No one is = capable of=20 perfection or anything close to it. We all lose our tempers, say things = for=20 which we are sorry, cheat = a=20 little, are not as kind as we=92d like to be. Actually, your children = need to know=20 that you are human. But = what saves=20 the day is our capacity to admit our mistakes, say we are sorry and make = amends=20 for our failures. Do not = make=20 excuses for bad behavior or try to justify your mistakes. Your children will learn that = too. If=20 you keep working at being better person, your children will pick up on = that,=20 too!

If you = doubt the=20 importance of teaching by example, think back to who influenced you to = become=20 the person you now are. = Was it your=20 school friends? Was it by = watching=20 television? Was it a = teacher?=20 Chances are that the person you have become has most of all to do with = the=20 example set by your parents.

It is vital = that you do=20 not speak negatively about teachers or other people in the community, = gossip or=20 have arguments in the presence of your children. These conversations are = better=20 left between adults, as your children will learn to gossip, complain = about their=20 teachers or argue with you and their siblings. Parenting is a very = difficult=20 proposition, but if you continually strive to do better for your = children, they=20 will recognize that. So, = in the=20 future, when you want your children to improve, change a behavior or be = a better=20 person, it is not = communicated by=20 speeches, or by punishment or by stern discipline, it is done by your = own=20 example. =

It is has been a pleasure to serve you all these years as a =

teacher, = administrator,=20 coach, and guidance counselor. Goodness knows, I have made mistakes = along the=20 way, but please know that my only desire was to help your children be = the best=20 they could be. Their = success was my=20 number one priority. Thank you and farewell.