Work First, Then Play

The Leader in Me Initiative, based on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is in full force at Elm Grove Elementary. Leaders are continuing to be cultivated through their education and application of the 7 Habits. This month, our students are learning about Habit 3, which encourages us to “Put First Things First”. This means our student leaders:

! Spend time on the things that are most important;

! Say no to things that they should not do;

! Set priorities, schedule accordingly and follow their plan; &

! Are Organized!

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

It All Starts with You! The last two months, our children have learned about Habit 1 (Be Proactive) and Habit 2 (Begin with the End in Mind). Now, they are learning about Habit 3 (Put First Things First). Just to recap, after our children take initiative and responsibility for their own actions (Habit 1) and then set goals for themselves (Habit 2), we as parents can help them realize how they can obtain those goals by working first, then playing (Habit 3).

Here’s an idea! Our students have a planner the school provided. Do you write down what needs to be done for the week? Homework due dates, field trip reminders, are typical entries. But, we could also encourage them to add weekend fun so they can see, if we work hard during the week then they have something to forward to after the work is done. It’s important to celebrate our successes along the way!

Habit 3

Put First Things First

M O N T H L Y H A B I T S P O T L I G H T

How can we model Habit 3 at home for our children?

This is one of the busiest times of the year with the holiday season upon us. Class parties, family gatherings, shopping lists can be overwhelming and stressful. But, if we are organized and concentrate on the big priorities first, BEFORE we play (surf Facebook, watch television, etc.), we can accomplish our busy holiday goals and then better enjoy our time with family and friends. We can also say no, unapologetically, to things that keep us from spending time on the things we need to get done or more importantly spend time with those that matter most!

THE LOREM IPSUMS WINTER 2016

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Habit 3 Put First Things First Children’s Reading List

The Little Red Hen By Paul Galdone

The Little Red Hen found wheat seeds and wanted help to plant them. No one would help, so the Little Red Hen planted, watered, and weeded the plants by herself. The Little Red Hen Put First Things First and enjoyed the results.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar By Eric Carle

Are You My Mother? By P.D. Eastman

The Carrot Seed By Ruth Krauss

Elm Grove PTA Monthly Habit Spotlight – December 2014 Page 2

The Very Hungry Caterpillar comes out of his egg and has an end in mind—to eat enough to sustain himself while in his cocoon. He puts first things first and gets busy eating.

Baby Bird is separated from his mother and doesn’t know what she looks like. He chooses to be a leader and Put First Things First when he goes out to look for her. The baby bird asks various animals/objects he comes across if they are his mother. In the end, he gets put back in the nest just in time for his mother’s return.

A little boy practices Put First Things First when he plants his carrot seed, waiting patiently and tending to it, even while others tell him “It won’t come up”. He is rewarded with a prize-winning carrot.

Blackout By John Rocco

It is about a family who falls into the trap of all doing their own thing in separate rooms (watching TV, working on the computer, talking on the phone) and virtually ignoring each other. But they are forced to come together when there is a city-wide blackout. Through that accident they rediscover the importance of putting their family first and when the lights finally come back

on they all make the decision to put first things first and spend more time as a family.