GivaGeta

GLASTONBURY, CT. (OCT 17, 2011) CREATIVE CONCEPTS & GIVAGETA™ Inc. With so much national attention on bullying and mean-spirited behavior, parents and educators evaluate every option to combat negative socialization, improve peer interaction, and foster positive character development.  For providing parents and educators with proactive options that easily weave into existing curriculum to teach and support the fundamental tenets of integrity, communication, and respect, The Educational Kindness™ Leadership Tool Kit has been awarded the National Parenting Center’s Fall 2011 Seal of Approval. In order to qualify for this honor, the product was tested and judged by a panel of parents, children and educators over an 8-week period.

April 7, 2011: PBIS Train the Trainer Workshop for Waterbury Public Schools

"It was incredible because there was so much synchronization of what Dr. Sugai said about PBIS and Jim Cantoni's GivaGeta Train the Trainer workshop presentation. It was very positive and interactive."

~ Waterbury Public Schools PBIS team member

How do you help students who carry their problems with them to school? A high school Dean of Students is inspiring students with positive behavior intervention supports. She is being proactive to help resolve these issues with something as simple as a pen that reinforces positive behavior. GivaGeta Positive Pen™ is not just any pen. It has short, catchy, positive ways of thinking printed on them. The simple positive words like "Give Understanding ... Get Understood" have a big impact on kids of all ages.

Positive Energy Activity:
The smile in your heart makes our diverse World a Better Place

Type of Activity: PBIS, Character Building, opening, closing, energizer, teach appreciating diversity and time filler

Elementary and Middle School Educators learning how to teach elementary and middle school students kindness, respect, understanding, forgiveness and more with a pencil, but not just any pencil, it's part of The World's Kindest Pencils, doing just that, helping educators make our world a kinder place ...

Give Understanding ... Get Understood™

A true story from a Girls' Organization and ACA Member

Thank you Linda Burkhardt and Jillian B. for sharing and making the world a better place.

Below is the actual handwritten note of a heartwarming example of where GivaGeta is Goin’ On.
We have also transcribed it here:

“We had a ‘pow wow’ cause we were having problems with other people in our group and when we were done with
our ‘pow wow,’ Linda got out her give a getta [The World’s Kindest Playing Cards by GivaGeta Smiles] and she had
us pick one card out of the deck and read what it said, then had us do it [give an example of what was on the card].
By the time we were done, we resolved our problems and were closer. It’s good for all ages because it
helps resolve issues without violence.”

~ Jillian B., 15 years old

36 kindness activities to help teach kids resolve issues on their own Learn More

Give Inspiration ... Get Inspired™

Open the Dialogue and get the girls to think
about what makes a good leader

“I have used my cards successfully twice for the girls at the Program Aide Core Training class. These activities have been received nicely by them. The parents who have observed the class were very impressed and liked the cards. The cards themselves help open up a dialogue between the girls and get them to think about what makes a good leader and why these characteristics are important to them.

We have done the Ice Breaker game, answer the question, and swap card. We used your cards to make a pyramid identifying the best characteristics for a leader. We have also played the Memory Game for fun. I have had about 18-22 girls in these classes and they all have enjoyed the activities. I think these cards are great. Just wonderful to get the kids thinking and discussing among themselves. I look forward to using them in more ways in the future. I think it was a great investment and I am always singing their praises. Thanks again for such a cool/wonderful product. Cool because the kids like them. Wonderful because it makes my job easier.”

~ Chris A.
Trainer for an Organization that Develops Girls as Leaders

 36 Learn By Doing Hands on Activities that help you develop leaders and build kids of character  Learn More

“Our experience with The World’s Kindest Playing Cards was great! They worked out really well for us. This summer <2008> the cards helped reduce emotional bullying in girls. We use the cards for self-directed free time activities and gave them as general supplies when the girls arrived. We use the GIANT size deck with your programming book for interest groups and creative card games. They are learning life skills that will really help them grow and develop morals that the parents are already looking for. DEFINITELY A 10. These are fabulous!" 36 activities to teach kindness and prevent bullying Learn More

~ Meghan S.

Outdoor Program & Service Manager & Camp Director

"We went from Reactions to Responses."

“I was first introduced to GivaGeta at last year’s Child Care Symposium in Lincoln, Rhode Island. I was looking for some great teambuilding ideas I could bring back to my team members. The Teamwork & Teamplay cards were perfect! We all worked together, shared our thoughts and feelings while having fun!

There were so many games revolving around: teamwork, respect, diversity, leadership, character, responsibility, honesty, and positive attitude. I noticed that my team members would stop and listen to one another. We went from reactions to responses.

Then I realized, this gives people the opportunity to look outside themselves and see others for who they really are.

I will now implement these games to our School Age Programs to see the impact it will make not only for our programs, but at our organization as well.”

Jacqueline E.
School Age Director

How to get co-operation and interaction between students and get them to show a deep caring and respect for each other. A focus on kindness…

“I was in a class that participated in Mr. Cantoni's [GivaGeta] character building lesson. All the students were actively engaged in the lesson. They all participated in a very positive manner giving each other compliments and reasons for the compliments.

They all showed a lot of emotion in their feelings toward fellow students. No one in the class was left out. Everyone was shown equal compassion. The culminating activity had all the boys and all the girls working together to build a tower called a House of Character using the cards [The World’s Kindest Playing Cards™ by GivaGeta Smiles].

The co-operation and interaction between both the girls' team and the boys' team showed a deep caring and respect for each other. It was a lot of fun too.”

~ Kathie E.
Elementary School Paraprofessional
May 2010

Make connections and build relationships and Houses of Character™
with a Family Fun Night with GivaGeta Smiles™

“This is way better than 24,” said 10 year old Kiera Buckley while selecting character traits for the foundation of the House of Character™.

The idea for the Teamwork and Familyplay™ edition of The World’s Kindest Playing Cards™ by GivaGeta Smiles™ came from a grandmother who used our Teamwork and Teamplay™ cards on Thanksgiving Day in 2008. The idea for a Family Fun Night was created for Schools and/or PTO/PTA’s to engage students, parents and the whole family!

Sue Buckley emailed GivaGeta the next day saying, "The Lees and the Buckley’s all had such a great night. I just wanted to drop you this quick note to let you know how much we all loved the evening. You and Tony Albano [Pazzo's owner hosting the event] were wonderful to put it together for us. THANK YOU!!!!" View video of the GivaGeta Family Fun night at  HYPERLINK "http://www.givageta.com/teamworkandfamilyplay" www.givageta.com/teamworkandfamilyplay.  

CREC PTO Board Member Shirley S. Ma, Esq. emailed this to us on July 1, 2010:

"I used the cards last night as the ice breaker for our first PTO board meeting.  Everyone enjoyed them.

It actually went longer than I planned, but it really got people talking and getting to know each other better which is all good.

So I think there is definite interest in having you speak at a PTO meeting this year to do a workshop on the family play cards.  I guess I will be buying that set you gave me!"

For more info or to host your Family Fun Night, contact Jim Cantoni, GivaGeta Co-Founder, at 860-657-0770 or  HYPERLINK "mailto: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it " This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Give Understanding ... Get Understood™

GivaGeta engages kids in valuable lessons that help sustain them throughout their lives. Here's how:

• Improve overall school climate and culture
• Reduce bullying (increase kindness)
• Stop inappropriate behavior early before it turns into bullying (increase understanding)
• Reduce the times teachers have to stop class to resolve conflicts (increase academic time)
• Improve student achievement
• Increase independent thinkers who grow up in society as positive role models
• Build community by focusing on the positive
• Engage kids in valuable lessons that help sustain them throughout their lives
• Make acceptance acceptable
• Get kids to interact and learn from each other Student to Student, Student to Teacher
• Develop leaders of character
• Fun ways to easily weave in and link character building to any subject
• Have lessons designed to meet new state standards (CCSS) Common Core State Standards
• Educate the whole person
• Have a common language used across the board
• Have In Service Workshops for administrators, teachers, and school staff with simple, positive, interactive and engaging tools that transfers right onto students of all ages
• Make a positive difference in people's lives

Gain Back Valuable Teaching Time by Helping Kids Connect and Respect
Here are a few quick tips on how to promote character building and kindness. It takes only a few minutes each day to help your students express how they feel (and how their actions affect others) about respect, responsibility, kindness and more.

GivaGeta Character Cards™
Kick off your morning meetings with a character building lesson:

• Select a student to pick out a character card
• Ask what it means to him/her
• Invite others to share
• Display the card as a reminder for the day
  
  End the day with a five minute wrap up about the card and send the kids home on a positive note.

GivaGeta Kindness Cards™
Start your morning meetings with a conversation about kindness:

Last month, CTNow.com featured GivaGeta in a story about bullying. Check out the video below to watch the piece and hear what co-found Jim Cantoni had to say.

GivaGeta recently announced the $500 grand prize winner of the GivaGeta Family Fun Night, hosted by Jim Cantoni, GivaGeta Co-Founder, and sponsored by Pazzo's and Webster Bank.  The recipients of the grand prize were Glastonbury residents, Jim and Sue Buckley, who invited their family friends, Bernie and Myra Lee along with their children, for dinner at Pazzo’s that included family games and activities that help build a “House of Character” using the Teamwork and Familyplay edition of The World's Kindest Playing Cards.

Teamwork and Familyplay is an oversize card game with 12 activities that make it easy for parents to open the dialogue with their children about character.  It gets players sharing the relative merit and importance of character traits within the context of their lives. One of the games’ goals is to bring family and friends together and to develop kids as leaders of character by inviting them to lead the character development focused team activities.

November 2009 Glastonbury, CT

Student Leaders Build a “House of Character” - Prioritizing character traits of a great leader

Need new ice breakers? Break the ice with character ... and create positive role models in a fun filled way.

 "I think this is going to be a great tool for our orientation and to get kids thinking about positive role models that they need to be for the summer."~ Mitchell Kessler, Camp Director, Ringwood, New Jersey Learn more

Give Respect ...
Get Respect™
Play regular card games and teach positive values in a fun filled way

The World's Kindest Playing Cards™ Educational Kindness™
Standard Size Deck

Buy ONE Case ...
Get TWO Cases Free

$4.99/deck x 144 decks/case = $718.56

You get 432 decks
for the price of 144 decks!
As Low As $2 per deck
Plus Ground Shipping and Handling

House of Character™
Built by Kids of Character
at a School of Character by GivaGeta Smiles™

House of Character™ Program Goal: To help educators and youth development professionals build kids of character.

SPREAD POSITIVITY with Positive Pen™ by GivaGeta Smiles™

Only $40/pack of 50 pens

Give a smile ... Get a smile™ Encourage and Reward Positive Thinking with a Positive Pen™. Make connections and build relationships with short, catchy, kind and positive ways of thinking.

"Learn By Doing" Activity included.

Supports: PBS, RTI, SRBI, Character Education, Leadership, Family & Team Development Programs.

Choose: Assorted or all the same short, catchy "GivaGeta's".

Learn More/Buy Now

Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility Tool Kit™

4 Core Value Supports. Positive Youth Development with The World's Kindest Pencils and Pens™

$19.95 20 pens and 20 pencils

Supports Character Education, Leadership, Team, Family and Community Building

Learn More/Buy Now

Courage, Confidence and Character Tool Kit
Give courage ... Get courageous™. Give confidence ... Get confident™, Give a smile ... get a smile™ and more to help you develop Girls as Leaders with positive values in a fun filled way.

Great for life skills, friendship building programs and to Encourage and Reward Positive Thinking with Positive Pen™ and Positvie Pencil™ - part of The World's Kindest Pencils and Pens™

$19.95
Includes an assortment of 20 Positive Pens and 20 Positive Pencils by GivaGeta Smiles™

Supports Character Education, Leadership, Team, Family and Community Building

FREE GIFT: The Educational Kindness™ standard size deck of The World's Kindest Playing Cards™ - at check out, reference coupon code: courage

A $4.99 value

Learn More