Greetings,
I came across an interesting article on helping kids to take responsibility for their actions (or lack of action!) and stop blaming
others. Research shows that kids who pass the buck can develop into adults who lack confidence, won’t take risks, or who
can’t be trusted. Kids start making excuses to avoid getting into trouble, feeling embarrassed, or having someone think badly
of them. Teaching kids to accept responsibility for their actions is essential for understanding repentance and for asking
forgiveness for sins. It takes work, but author Vicki Glembocki in her article “Mess Up, Fess Up” in the January issue of
Parents Magazine, has a 5-step plan that may help.

1. Back Off—Children are told what to do and when to do most everything. When you see something that was not
   done, ask this simple question, “What’s wrong with this picture?” Give them the opportunity to problem-solve
   without telling them exactly what to do.
2. Narrate your own decisions—Adults make many decisions all day long, but rarely do we show our children our
   decision-making process. Start talking through decisions and consequences and allow your children to experience
   some natural consequences of their own decisions.
3. Stop saving the day—Children need to experience the consequences of some of their mistakes. It lets them know
   that mistakes aren’t the end of the world and helps them figure out how to solve them.
4. Plead guilty—When you make a mistake, own it. Say something like, “my bad,” “my mistake,” or “I’m sorry.”
   However, do not add qualifiers (“I was late dropping you off, BUT you couldn’t find your shoes”). Qualifiers don’t
   exactly help you own responsibility, they just model the blame-passing.
5. Be a coach—give children a second, third, and fourth chance to own their choices. Reponses like “Let’s try that
   again,” or “Can you explain it to me again” are a great way to give children another chance to admit responsibility.
   We have renamed Race Day to the Bulldog Run! It is coming up on Friday, May 17 th . We need some help with our local
   business donations. Please contact Kelly Cudicio at kcudicio@bethanychristian.org if you can help. On Bulldog Run Day, the
   Silent Auction will be open from 9-noon and we will have a live auction for the Class Baskets. We are offering raffles this year
   for some great items like Eagle tickets, Penn State tickets, and a voucher for treatment from McCormick Orthodontics! Each
   ticket cost $20 and we will only sell 100 tickets for each item.
   Check out our facebook page and see how many jars of peanut butter and jelly we donated to Philabundance through the
   Spread the Love campaign. Check us out on Instagram also, #bethanychristianschool_oxford.
   Thank you for all of your prayers and support. Please pray for the faculty and staff and our BCS families.
   Upcoming Events:
   3/7-8 Inclement weather make-up day
   3/8 Staff Inservice—no school for students
   4/18-22 Easter Break—He has Risen!
   4/25 The Lighthouse Youth Banquet at BCS
   5/10 Fine Arts Gala and Open House 6:00-8:00pm
   5/17 Bulldog Run!
   Are you looking for an antidote to apathy? BCS students care—about their schoolwork, about their classmates and teachers,
   about their future. We are enrolling now for the 2019-2020 school year. Please call Kelly Cudicio at (610) 998-0877 or email
   her at kcudiciobcs@gmail.com . Remember, we are educating for eternity!
   Please thank God for all of His blessings and continue to pray that His will be done.

Stacey and Daisey, Administrative Team