Long Shot: Never Too Small to Dream Big by Chris Paul

Main Message: This Project Cornerstone book of the month focuses on two main themes: following a dream and receiving support from family to achieve a goal.  Support means having people in your life who show love, caring, and who appreciate and accept you.  Support is also about having places to go where you feel safe and welcome.  Your family support provides this for your child at home and in your neighborhood. Here are some questions to use to start a conversation at home:

• How do you let family members know you love them?  How do you send love messages?

• What is your favorite thing about your family?

• How can your family support each other more?

• What family activities would you like to do?

Knowing that they have support helps children develop a Positive Identity - a sense of purpose in life and a positive view of their future.  For your child, this means thinking about their life and its positive purpose. Research shows that children can identify their sparks- interests, dreams, or passions by the age of 10. Here are some conversation starters to use at home to talk about goals:

• What is your biggest dream?

• What matters to you? What sparks your interest?

• What do you care deeply about?

• What is your favorite thing to do, and how can I help you do it?

• What help do you need to reach your goals?

• Who will be your spark or goal champion (helps with taking steps to achieve a dream)

You are an essential positive force in helping your child feel empowered as s/he learns to dream and set goals. If you would like more information about sparks go to www.IgniteSparks.org.

As we support our children, we must continue to model for them what it means to have a sense of purpose in life. Together, we can create a stronger school community where all of our students are accepted and encouraged to dream.