March Newsletter

In this issue...
The LEAGUE Roster

Farewell Eric - Welcome, Vicki!

Art From The Heart

The TIPping Point

Setting the "Pace" in Indiana

Celebrate Learning & Teaching

It's the Real Deal!




The LEAGUE Roster

Just four months since our national launch and The LEAGUE is in over 480 schools, representing over 3,550 classes that have gotten into the game of giving! To date The LEAGUE teams have contributed $2,093,581 million dollars back to their communities.

Well Done!

To track The LEAGUE growing roster, visit www.theleague.org.


Our 2007 Scoreboard

It was a banner year - and when it comes to issuing annual reports, The LEAGUE is definitely in a "league" all its own. This 16-page report is filled with students, teachers, staff, supporters and friends - each touched and inspired by The LEAGUE.

What began as the small seed of a dream to make "doing good" in the community as big a part of schools as sports, The LEAGUE is now rooted in hundreds of schools and thousands of classrooms nationwide - and we are still growing.

Read The LEAGUE 2007 Annual Report today.


Farewell Eric. . .Welcome Vicki!

The LEAGUE wishes a fond farewell to Indiana State Director, Eric Hollister. After his dedicated service to The LEAGUE, Eric is moving on to live his dream of working more closely with the wonders of Disney. We wish you well Eric and expect that you'll be getting Mickey involved with The LEAGUE!

Filling Eric's shoes in Indiana will be Vicki Perkins, who will begin her work as Indiana's new State Director this month. We'll be hearing more about Vicki in next month's issue of The LEAGUE Letter. For now, we wish her a warm welcome to The LEAGUE!

Art From The Heart

The LEAGUE's Art From the Heart Event (February 1- 14) encouraged students to use their creative talents to "lift the spirit" of others. Nationwide students colored, sketched, painted, or shared their performing talents with those in their communities.

In Austin, TX, Ms. Virginia Torres' sixth grade at Webb Middle School made Haiku cards for children at the Children's Hospital. Not only did they spread good cheer, but the cards fit in beautifully with Ms. Torres' lesson on Japan.

At the Forest Trail School in Austin, TX, Ms. Ashley Schneider's First Grade created a whole batch of cards and decided to distribute them to other students in their school.

The students enjoyed hand delivering the cards - and were pleasantly surprised with how it made them feel. When asked how it felt to give the cards to the other children, here's some of what they had to say. "I got a tingly feeling!" "I felt like there was a fire in my body." "I felt sort of like a flower blooming." "It was like some sort of spark or firework inside." "I felt as happy as a pink marker that will never run out of ink!" "It felt better than eating an ice cream sundae!" Better than ice cream, you say? You bet!

The students from The Pacific School in Brooklyn, NY, agree. On Valentine's Day, 45 third grade students and their teachers walked from their school to the Atlantic Rehab & esidential Health Care Facility. Once there, the children greeted the residents as they arrived for lunch. The children sang two songs and recited two poems - and the "seniors" were thrilled! The children left with flowers in their hands - and smiles in their hearts.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Top Art from the Heart Division Teams!

Elementary
Division
Winners Middle School
Division
Winners High School
Division
Winners
1st Van Zile Elementary Schl - Detroit, MI
Team: Room 213
Coach: Ms. Ramona Purdy-Bogerty Mount Vernon Middle Schl - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 202
Coach: Ms. Aprell Clyburn Romulus High Schl - Romulus, MI
Team: Poirier SplV
Coach: Shannon Collum Mullins
2nd Forest Trail Elementary - Austin, TX
Team: Room 56
Coach: Lalla Beachum Hawthorne Avenue Schl - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 205
Coach: Ms. Kristine Kukuruza Jackson High Schl - Jackson, MI
Team:3rd period
Coach: Mr. Joe Ward
3rd Roberto Clemente - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 302
Coach: Giuseppe Leone Wilson Avenue Schl - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 213
Coach: Rosa Inancio Jackson High Schl - Jackson, MI
Team: 3rd Period
Coach: Mrs. Libby Brown
4th Wilson Avenue Schl - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 213
Coach: Kristen Leonardis Wilson Avenue Schl - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 219
Coach: Marlena D'Amico Romulus High Schl - Romulus, MI
Team: 1
Coach: Shannon Collum Mullins
5th Forest Trail Elementary - Austin, TX
Team: Room 54
Coach: Mrs. Judy Hurst Wilson Avenue Schl - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 218
Coach: Salvatore Chiaravallotti Carson City High Schl - Carson City, MI
Team: Tim Hullinger's Class
Coach: Tim Hullinger
6th Barth Elementary - Romulus, MI
Team: Cookie Club
Coach: Mr. Jeff Legg Dr. William H. Horton - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 412
Coach: Kier Bowers Barringer Success Academy
Team: LEAGUE Club
Coach: Mr. Michael Wiebusch
7th Wilson Avenue Schl - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 121
Coach: Jill Annesi Wilson Avenue Schl - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 216
Coach: Susana Oliveira John F. Kennedy - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 216
Coach: Tonya Barnes
8th Franklin Roosevelt - North Arlington, NJ
Team: Student Council
Coach: Ms. Dolores Badiola St. Gabriel's Catholic Schl - Austin, TX
Team: 5th and 6th period
Coach: Tara Prien John F. Kennedy - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 117
Coach: Tonya Barnes
9th Wilber Wright Elementary Schl - Newcastle, IN
Team: Room 16
Coach: Mrs. Melissa Burns St. Gabriel's Catholic Schl - Austin, TX
Team: 7 Religion - Period 5
Coach: Mrs. Ann Walters John F. Kennedy - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 213
Coach: Tonya Barnes
10th Kiker Elementary - Austin, TX
Team: 5th grade
Coach: Barbara Talley St. Gabriel's Catholic Schl - Austin, TX
Team: 5th Period Coach: Mrs. Mary Jacobsen John F. Kennedy - Newark, NJ
Team: Room 212
Coach: Tonya Barnes


The TIPping Point

March winds will soon give way to April showers and we'll probably all succumb to a little spring fever. The warmer air, sweet earthy smells, and green buds, along with Earth Day, are wonderful opportunities to interest children in being environmental stewards. You can begin the conversation with children about philanthropy, environmental stewardship and responsible citizenship using the following Earth Day LEAGUE Learning Link. (Learning Links, part of each LEAGUE Event Lesson, are mini-lessons that enhance and build on the lesson content and the event focus.)

Earth Day LEAGUE Learning Link (from the 5th grade lesson "Dreaming of Gardens"):

READ: All space mission scientists agree that seeing the Earth from far away is the rarest view anyone could ever have. Many astronauts, who have seen this view, admit that they have had tears come to their eyes because of its beauty. One astronaut is quoted as saying, "It gives us a whole new appreciation for that blue and green marble we call home."

DISCUSS: Why would an astronaut call our Earth a "blue and green marble"? What are some things we can do to keep our Earth beautiful?

Setting the "Pace" in Indiana

The Indianapolis area has fully embraced The LEAGUE - and the positive difference the students are making in the community!

In fact, the Indiana Pacers have taken notice - and on Friday, February 22, the team invited five Milroy Elementary School (MES) students to center-court of the Conseco Fieldhouse to recognize and acknowledge their contributions. Once there the students, representatives for the entire MES student body, were presented with the "King Day" award for the many good deeds they've accomplished as part of The LEAGUE.

Representing the school in center court were (pictured l to r, front row): Alexis Thompson, Ethan Duncan, Kyle Bacon and Maddie Turner; (second row) Jami Marsh, Milroy teacher Mary Duncan, Haley Riddell, Milroy principal Sue Lebo, and The LEAGUE Indiana Program Manager, Betsy Williams.

Celebrating Learning. . .and Teaching

The LEAGUE will be among the featured exhibitors and presenters at the Third Annual Teaching & Learning Celebration being held on March 7-8 in New York City. Sponsored by New York Public Television, this conference will emphasize best practices for using technology in teaching and learning. The two-day event offers educators access to
nationally renowned speakers, 90 hands-on workshops and over 100 vendors distributing information and samples.

In addition to The LEAGUE Director of Curriculum, Barbara Dillbeck, who will be conducting a workshop series on: The Science of Service Learning: Empowering Young People To Change The World, the conference will feature the legendary primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall. Other speakers include Jean-Michel Cousteau, host of "Ocean Adventures" on PBS; Ann Curry, News Anchor/Correspondent, NBC News; and Milton Chen, president of the George Lucas Educational Foundation. Thousands of teachers from schools across the nation are expected to attend. And we will be there to tell them all about The LEAGUE!

It's the Real Deal!

The School Bridge LEAGUE - a division of The LEAGUE formed to bring the brain-building benefits of bridge to schools nationwide - is dealing its way across the country. Since re-launching its web site (www.schoolbridgeleague.org) in December, the School Bridge LEAGUE has registered 114 new students, and 41 new teachers! Tournament play is also on the rise with a combined 562 participants in both the Winter and Valentine's Day tournaments. Deal me in, you say? Just visit the website and consider it done!

Shinnyo-en Foundation Presents "A Path to Peace"

This year, March 20 will mark more than the first day of spring. On this day of rebirth, renewal and reflection, the Shinnyo-en Foundation will celebrate the global launch of Six Billion Paths to Peace - an initiative designed to inspire people to become more aware of how their everyday actions may contribute to a more peaceful world.

The foundation hopes to encourage 1 million people from around the world to pledge their commitment to peace and engage the power of individuals to bring harmony into their lives, their relationships and their communities. The day begins with a Literal Path to Peace constructed in the heart of Times Square - one of the busiest places on earth.

The Path to Peace - open from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM (EST), is a lush garden oasis amidst the bustle of New York City, demonstrating that no matter where or who you are, it is possible to find and create peace.

The LEAGUE salutes the Shinnyo-en Foundation and invites you to participate in this important event. Here's how:

Prior to March 20 - Submit your own personal path to peace to www.sixbillionpaths.org.

Your submission will be displayed high above Times Square on the famous stories-tall Reuters electronic billboard. You can also participate by taking a photo of yourself or anyone you know holding a sign that reads, "My Path to Peace is _____." If you prefer, you can also send a photo of yourself holding a sign that reads, "Generation Peace" or "Six Billion Paths to Peace." Simply e-mail your image to message@pathfinderstopeace.org. (Images must be 300 dpi or better.)

On March 20 - Go to www.sixbillionpaths.org and view live streaming video of the event in Times Square. . .or text your path to peace to 334455 and it will be displayed on the Reuters Board.

After March 20 - Help us reach our goal of 1 million submissions by spreading the word.

EVERY PATH MATTERS!



Sharing News

Please contact doreen.stephens@leagueworldwide.org to share any LEAGUE news or information that you may have.

The LEAGUE is changing the world by empowering young people everywhere to get in the game of making their community and world a better place.