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Show Volume XVI Issue V The Ogden Valley news Page 11 March 1, 2009 Nicole Spallino & Connor Padilla— Positive Discipline Classes Being Offered Ogden Valley Montessori School is offer- in children today. Two talented members of Weber ing a 6-week series of classes in Positive The first major change is that adults no lonDiscipline for Parents to anyone in the com- ger give children an example or model of submunity who is interested in enriching their missiveness and obedience. Adults forget that High’s Productions Company relationship with their children. The premise they no longer act the way they used to in the there and playing your part, it’s so invigoratBy Logan Smith Drama is arguably considered a form of ing that it all becomes fun. It can be scary at art, and for those who disagree, think of this. first, but acting is such a natural high.” Padilla agrees, and says “You make a lot The stage is the canvas, the props make up of great ones that you’ll keep the background of the picture, every actor is forever. relationships, I’ve met my best friends in the proa paintbrush, and the costumes and scenery ductions company. You’re all just one big are the finishing touches. team, and it’s a lot of fun. By the end of the Weber High School has an active produc- year, everyone is pretty much a brother and tions company ran sister to you.” by drama teacher “I’ve talked to and play director a U of U drama Mr. Daniels, and professor, and he every year fellow says that acting Warriors get togethand working in fine arts prevents er and come up with Alzheimer’s and a play or a musical, is generally better and every show’s for your health.” tickets sell like hotSpallino adds. cakes. Their latest Both Padilla productions include and Spallino agree Peter Pan, Beauty that when you first and the Beast, begin practicing Into the Woods, a play, you don’t and Thoroughly know what to Modern Millie, and expect and it feels Nicole Spallino and Connor Padilla. even Titanic. indifferent, but it Daniels has been all gets better and better as it progresses and teaching for three years. He took the retiring you really fall in love with whatever you’re teacher Mrs. Day’s spot. And it is of popular working on. opinion that Weber High’s drama department “My favorite musical over all the others has reached whole new levels of greatness would have to be Jekyll and Hyde. I love since Daniels began teaching. Some people it!” Padilla shares. “And my favorite play call this golden age of Weber High’s produc- would be Hamlet. A lot of people have read tion company the “Daniel’s Dynasty.” the script of Hamlet in book form. I respect“I love Mr. Daniels, and I’m really happy fully discourage that because Hamlet is one with what he’s teaching.” compliments of those plays that has to be acted out to Nordic Valley resident Connor Padilla, junior understand the full beauty of it, not just read at Weber High and actor in the produc- and imagined. “My favorite musical would be Wicked, tions company. Padilla has acted as George Darling, the father in Peter Pan, the baker in and I know that sounds clique, but it really Into the Woods, and one of Gaston’s assis- is an amazing musical.” says Spallino. “And I’d have to say Doubt by Patrick Shanley is tants in Beauty and the Beast. The production company always puts on my favorite play, as well as the Crucible.” It takes a special kind of person to perone musical when school begins, which is form in a play. Most people just don’t have called the fall musical, and by far they have the will or the talent to do it. Did Spallino been the biggest hits yet. Peter Pan, Beauty and Padilla get their actor and actress in them and the Beast, and Thoroughly Modern Millie from family heritage? are the latest fall musicals. And then they put “Oh, yes, my family is huge on drama.” on one or two plays later in the year. These Padilla admits. “Things are tight when we include Into the Woods, Lucky Stuff, and all go and see a play somewhere, and when Seussical. The production company aims to it’s over we discuss in detail what made it do the more popular plays that the audience good or bad.” can relate to and may have heard of. That “Not really, but my brother Paul did backmay be the reason why Peter Pan and Beauty stage work and stage crew.” says Spallino. and the Beast had such huge turnouts. “But I did live in England for more than half But taking a role in a play is a lot more of my life, and I learned a lot on my own work than you may think. there. My first teacher taught me all of the “We work very hard in the production’s basics, and I learned a lot and got plenty of company.” says Nicole Spallino, Eden resi- great training. dent and senior at Weber High who has perAnd who knows? Padilla and Spallino formed as Sleeping Beauty in Into the Woods may go on to Broadway in the future. We and an Indian girl during Peter Pan. Spallino may see their names on the opening credits of adds, “We have to memorize a lot. I usually a groundbreaking new movie someday. You repeat a single line over and over again, and never know. Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, I’ve found that moving around while you’re and Morgan Freeman all started their legendworking on your script helps. I also try to ary acting careers somewhere. think like the character I am, and ask myself “I want to minor in theatre,” says Spallino. what I would want in that scene.” “But community theatre looks like a lot of “We don’t get to see the sun for months!” fun. I also want to do a traveling children’s Padilla exclaims. “We arrive at school early theatre where we tour elementary schools in the morning while it is still dark, and we and perform in plays for them. This will usually stay after for practices until six or let little kids discover the art of drama and, seven o’clock. I’ve noticed that I actually get hopefully, they’ll take our example and go paler during practice season.” somewhere with it in life.” “A lot of the cast members get sick with “I plan on working for a double major in all the stress of keeping up on school and both theatre and history.” says Padilla. “But practicing for the play.” adds Spallino. “I I know that drama will always be in my life once had to memorize basically an entire after high school. It’s great.” book of script for a competition!” To be or not to be, the Weber High producBut the joys and rewards of participating tions company will be the beginning grounds and working hard in Weber High’s produc- of some great actors or actresses who go on tion company far outnumber the headaches into something great, and he or she will have and the backaches. their director Mr. Daniels to thank. But until “I get so caught up in the play I’m acting then, Daniels and his productions company in.” says Spallino. “At first, the stage looks will continue their awesome job and keep us so terrifying to go up on to, but once you’re entertained through the art of drama. Subscriptions available for out of area residents at $18.00 annually. of the Positive Discipline approach is that parents who use kindness and firmness to teach life skills will encourage self-respect, selfdiscipline, cooperation, good behavior, and problem-solving skills in their children. This invaluable 6-week course will introduce parents to the method taught by Dr. Jane Nelsen, a licensed Marriage, Family, and Child Counselor in South Jordan, Utah and Carlsbad, California. She is the author and co-author of the Positive Discipline Series of Books. Dr. Nelsen teaches that the key to positive discipline is not punishment, but mutual respect. Nelsen coaches parents and teachers to be both firm and kind so children can learn creative cooperation and self-discipline with no loss of dignity. The first 6-week series of classes will begin Wednesday, March 18 and end Wednesday, April 29 (No class held April 8 during Spring Break). Classes will run from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Montessori school. This 6-week series costs $25 per couple or spouse (if only one person can attend). The class will be taught by members of the staff at Ogden Valley Montessori School. This discipline approach is compatible with the Montessori method of teaching and is incorporated into the training of teachers at the school. Positive Discipline is a program designed to teach young people to become responsible, respectful, and resourceful members of their communities. It teaches important social and life skills in a manner that is deeply respectful and encouraging for both children and adults (including parents, teachers, childcare providers, youth workers, and others). Classes will teach, among other things, how to: • • • • • • bridge communication gaps defuse power struggles avoid the dangers of praise enforce your message of love build on strengths, not weaknesses hold children accountable with their self-respect intact • teach children not what to think, but how to think • win cooperation at home and at school To register, please call 801-745-3383 during school hours or 801-391-1656 after hours. Recent research tells us that children are “hardwired” from birth to connect with others, and those children who feel a sense of connection to their community, family, and school are less likely to misbehave. To be successful, contributing members of their community, children must learn necessary social and life skills. The tools and concepts of Positive Discipline include: • Mutual respect. Adults model firmness by respecting themselves and the needs of the situation, and kindness by respecting the needs of the child. • Identifying the belief behind the behavior. • Effective communication and problem solving skills. • Discipline that teaches (and is neither permissive nor punitive). • Focusing on solutions instead of punishment. • Using encouragement instead of praise. Encouragement notices effort and improvement, not just success, and builds long-term self-esteem and empowerment. Many parents and teachers today are feeling frustrated because children don't behave the way they used to in the “good old days.” What happened? Why don't today's children develop the same kinds of responsibility and motivation that seemed more prevalent in children many years ago? There are many major changes that have taken place in society over the past few years that more directly explain the differences good old days. Remember when Mom obediently did whatever Dad said, or at least gave the impression she did, because it was the culturally acceptable thing to do? In the good old days, few people questioned the idea that Dad's decisions were final. Because of the human rights movement, this is no longer true. Many things about the good old days were not so good. In those days there were many models of submission. Dad obeyed the boss (who was not interested in his opinions) so he wouldn't lose his job. Minority groups accepted submissive roles at great loss to their personal dignity. Today, all minority groups are actively claiming their rights to full equality and dignity. It is difficult to find anyone who is willing to accept an inferior, submissive role in life. Children are simply following the examples they find all around them. They also want to be treated with dignity and respect. Another major change is that in today's society, children have fewer opportunities to learn responsibility and motivation. We no longer view children as important contributors to economic survival. Instead, children are given too much in the name of love without any effort or investment on their part; thus, they tend to develop an entitlement attitude. Too many mothers and fathers believe that good parents protect their children from all disappointment. They rescue or overprotect—thus robbing their children of the opportunity to develop a belief in their capability to handle the ups and downs of life. Skill training is often neglected because of busy life schedules or a lack of understanding of how important it is for children to contribute. We often rob children of opportunities to feel as if they belong and are significant in meaningful ways through their responsible contributions, and then we complain and criticize them for not developing a sense of responsibility. Children do not develop responsibility when parents and teachers are too strict and controlling, nor do they develop responsibility when parents and teachers are permissive. Children learn responsibility when they have opportunities to learn valuable social and life skills for good character in an atmosphere of kindness, firmness, dignity, and respect. They develop the perceptions and skills needed to become capable people when they are allowed to work side by side with their parents, receiving on-the-job training while making meaningful contributions to the family lifestyle. The irony is that in the good old days, children had opportunities to develop strong life skills, but had few opportunities to use them. Now the world is full of opportunities, but too many children are not prepared. Today children do not have many natural opportunities to feel needed and significant, but parents and teachers can thoughtfully provide these opportunities. A wonderful fringe benefit is that most behavior problems can be eliminated when parents and teachers learn more effective ways to help their children and students develop healthy perceptions and skills. Understanding why children do not behave the way they used to is the first step for parents and teachers who are facing child-discipline challenges. We need to understand why controlling methods, which worked so well many years ago, are not effective with children today. We need to understand our obligation to provide opportunities, which were once provided by circumstances, for children to develop responsibility and motivation. And, most important, we need to understand that cooperation based on mutual respect and shared responsibility is more effective than authoritarian control. This is Positive Discipline. The Ogden Valley Land Trust—Building Sustainable Communities Through Conservation. Send payment with mailing address to: The Ogden Valley news P O BOX 130, EDEN UT 84310 Your Neighborhood Tax and Accounting Practice Holding conservation easements on nearly 6,000 acres in Ogden Valley, The Ogden Valley Land Trust is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of open space to enhance the quality of life in Ogden Valley. Please donate to The Ogden Valley Land Trust. For more information, contact Shanna Francis at 801-745-2688. The Ogden Valley Land Trust is a legal 501(c)(3) non-profit organization federally recognized to receive tax-deductible donations. |