Hello Readers,
Picnics, barbecues, fireworks — it must be the Fourth of July! What a happy day; everything about this extravagant birthday celebration makes me smile. While we may not be a perfect country, isn’t it marvelous that we’re so richly blessed as to live here! Enjoy the birthday party!

And, by the way, another birthday is this month: this newsletter is now a year old. And as it continues to evolve over time, along with the website, what hasn’t changed is that there is new information brought to you each month. So, here’s what’s new for July:

Table of Contents:
Book Events
Christian Living
Education
Your Comments

Book Events
I have two AP Psychology workshops scheduled this month in conjunction with the publication of my new book, The Social Studies Helper: Oglethorpe University on July 7 and Walton High School on July 21. Just like the one in June at Woodward Academy, I’ll present lessons using activities from my book, which is now available. Atlanta educators, you’re invited to stop by these venues.

Of course, you can now pick up my book from almost any bookseller as well.

Christian Living
How exciting it is to be actively involved in endeavors that you genuinely enjoy. And if those activities are a blessing to others as well, that’s even better. Indeed, that’s ministry! Yet, after expending a good deal of time and energy, sometimes your enthusiasm can begin to wane.

“Rekindling the fire,” this month’s Christian Living article, addresses one reason that the fire of your passion can occasionally die down and suggests how you might restore the flame. Let me know what you think.

Education
Since it’s summertime, even with a difficult economy, students need activities to occupy their time. That’s why I love the innovative programs San Francisco has devised to meet this need and the means by which they’re accomplishing it. And while children are immersed in such programs, they have the opportunity to develop new friendships, but did you know that some schools and camps are discouraging this? We talked about both of these topics in blogs during June.

We also discussed the introduction of engineering to children as young as kindergarten as a means of enhancing cognition. And we wondered what students’ increasing use of technology for cheating purposes might indicate about the need for character education.

Of course, for July we have a new set of educational topics for the blog. So, stop by each week and make your opinions known.

Your Comments
Thanks for your comments on the blog and the articles, as well as your e-mails. I enjoy hearing your views, so keep them coming.

Have a wonderful 4th of July!

Denise

Denise Fawcett Facey
www.denisefawcettfacey.com