Topaz Staff Member Opal Moore was awarded a Meritorious Service Award by the HUSD Board for her life-saving efforts.  Mrs. Moore gave the Heimlich Maneuver to a 5th grade student who was choking.  What an exceptional example of the caring staff at Topaz! Way to go, Mrs. Moore!

Topaz Preparatory Academy is transitioning into HUSD’s first K-8 Parent Choice School.  In the 2010-2011 school year we will include grades Kindergarten through 7^th, then add 8^th grade in the 2011-2012 school year. Registration is now open, based on availability.   If you would like additional information on the school model and the advantages of a K-8 campus, please call (760)244-4622 for more information. 

Habit 1:  Be Proactive (You're in Charge)

Change starts from within, and highly effective people make the decision to improve their lives through the things that they can influence rather than by simply reacting to external forces.

Habit 2:  Begin with the End in Mind (Have a Plan)

Develop a principle-centered personal mission statement. Extend the mission statement into long-term goals based on personal principles.

Habit 3:  Put First Things First (Work First Then Play)

Spend time doing what fits into your personal mission, observing the proper balance between production and building production capacity. Identify the key roles that you take on in life, and make time for each of them.

Habit 4:  Think Win/Win (Everyone Can Win)

Seek agreements and relationships that are mutually beneficial. In cases where a "win/win" deal cannot be achieved, accept the fact that agreeing to make "no deal" may be the best alternative. In developing an organizational culture, be sure to reward win/win behavior among employees and avoid inadvertently rewarding win/lose behavior.

Habit 5:  Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood (Listen Before You Talk)

First seek to understand the other person, and only then try to be understood. Stephen Covey presents this habit as the most important principle of interpersonal relations. Effective listening is not simply echoing what the other person has said through the lens of one's own experience. Rather, it is putting oneself in the perspective of the other person, listening empathically for both feeling and meaning.

Habit 6:  Synergize (Together is Better)

Through trustful communication, find ways to leverage individual differences to create a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. Through mutual trust and understanding, one often can solve conflicts and find a better solution than would have been obtained through either person's own solution.

Habit 7:  Sharpen the Saw (Balance Feels Best)

Take time out from production to build production capacity through personal renewal of the physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Maintain a balance among these dimensions.

Recommended Reading: Covey, Stephen R., The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Parents!  Do you know exactly what your child is expected to learn and master this year? Are you at a loss of how to help your child reach his/her academic potential?  Wouldn't it be great to be able to help your child practice for the STAR test?  Well, help is here! This is an easy link to understanding the California State Standards (grade level requirements) and how you can best support and prepare your child for academic success on the STAR Test this April!

http://www.starsamplequestions.org

Click on the parent section then click Sample Test Questions and follow the drop-down prompts to choose grade level, subject area and performance levels.  The information will help you to:

•    Know what students need to learn to meet state standards.
•    Understand how your children are performing.
•    Identify areas where children need additional help.
•    Know where to get more help for your child.

Parents - This is a "Must Read "

Matthew was honored at a banquet at Spring Valley Lake for his environmental leadership in starting the Topaz Kids' Green Team.